Experiments

Before working on final project we did some exercises to learn how to edit videos or create story boards.

1. A short film about a day in life: A Day Through My Phone

As part of our early experiments with video editing and storyboarding, I created a short video documenting a day in my life through the frame of my phone.

I combined screen recordings of everyday digital activities, doom scrolling on social media, talking to family and friends, browsing job posts, and using Duolingo, with moments from my physical surroundings. I intentionally included situations where phone use interrupted real life experiences, such as scrolling through job posts while sitting in a park with friends.

The scrolling sequences were sped up and layered with sounds from the moments happening around me, such as footsteps in the park or my friends talking. This contrast was meant to highlight how easily constant phone use and social media can take attention away from experiences and interactions happening in the present.

2. Rashoman effect story board:

For the next experiment, I created a storyboard exploring the Rashomon Effect—the idea that the same event can be remembered and interpreted differently depending on each person’s perspective.

The story begins with a group of people gathered around a table, having a relaxed conversation. An unexpected accident suddenly changes the atmosphere. From that moment, the event is reconstructed through the perspectives of different people at the table, with each person remembering what happened in a slightly different way.

The storyboard explores how memory, perception, and personal interpretation can create multiple versions of the same event, making the idea of a single objective truth increasingly uncertain.

Inspirations

The concept was inspired by The Bear and 12 Angry Men. In The Bear, a chaotic and emotionally overwhelming dinner is suddenly interrupted when the mother crashes her car into the house. The incident immediately silences everyone and completely shifts the atmosphere. I became interested in reversing this dynamic: what if something unexpected happened, but instead of confronting it, everyone chose to ignore it and continue as if nothing had happened?

12 Angry Men inspired another layer of the concept. The film shows how the same situation can be interpreted very differently depending on each person’s experiences, assumptions, and point of view. This became an important reference for exploring subjective truth and how different characters might perceive and remember the same event.

Starting point

The project started from the observation that today's world is filled with constant noise—opinions, arguments, information, and the need to be heard. I became interested in how this overwhelming amount of expression can make the most important things invisible.

The story

A group of friends is spending an evening together around a table. The atmosphere seems casual and friendly, although small tensions between them can be felt beneath the surface.

Suddenly, a glass of wine is spilled on one person’s dress. It is unclear who caused it, and instead of helping her, the group becomes more focused on blaming each other and defending their own version of what happened.

While she tries to get their attention and asks for help, the conversation only becomes louder and more chaotic. Her frustration and discomfort are gradually lost in the noise. Eventually, she quietly leaves the gathering—but the others are so absorbed in their own conversation that no one even notices she is gone.

The story explores how easily the person who is actually affected by an event can become invisible when everyone else is more concerned with their own perspective, assumptions, and need to be right.

Story board

Lighting

Before filming, we took several test videos and photographs using different lighting setups and reviewed them on a monitor. We first experimented with a single light source, then introduced a second light to compare the results. The two-light setup created a more balanced image and worked much better for the atmosphere and visual quality we wanted to achieve, so we decided to use it for the final shoot.

Rehearsal

The wine-spilling scene was one of the most challenging parts to prepare, as it was difficult to repeat exactly. I prepared several changes of clothes in advance so we could do multiple takes if necessary.

Before filming, we rehearsed the scene three or four times, focusing on the timing of the movements, the moment of spilling the wine, and the actors’ facial reactions. This helped us coordinate the scene and make the final take feel more natural.

Editing

Since I had limited time for editing, I chose CapCut, a tool I was already familiar with, to keep the process simple and efficient.

I used its stabilization tools to reduce the camera shake, adjusted the lighting and exposure to create a more consistent look, and added sound effects to support the atmosphere and important moments in the story.

For the ending, I also created a short animation introducing the cast and everyone who helped with the production, giving the film a more complete and playful ending.

Reflection

What went well:

- The rough idea on paper became alive with planning and sketching

- I think the contrast between the chaotic group scenes and the perspective of the ignored person communicates the central idea

- The sound of real conversations also became an important storytelling element by creating a feeling of overload.

What was challenging:

- My friends are not real actors and the story needed a lot of acting. when i asked them to fight and not laugh, they simply could not.

- I was still not completely prepared

- Some shots were tricky, the spillling part, even though we rehearsed, the first take didn't go as planned

- Physically tiring

- Not enough time to learn a new tool for editing