Cambridge Portfolio Project Final Reflection

Looking on the entire situation that was developing Stay Inside, I can completely see how much I have leveled up since the very beginning. Initially I only had a general idea in form of a thriller but I had no idea on the science of frightening scenes. Forming an alliance with my producer, Juan Ortega, turned everything upside-down, I learnt how small details would or would not make a production.

Being purposeful is one of the largest things I learned. I got to know that it is not just a gray hoodie, it is an indicator of an atmosphere of being a slacker. I also understood the reason as to why a continuous tripod performance is what marks the difference between amateur footage and a legitimate cinematic thriller. The fact that we scrambled out the so-called 3 days earlier transition makes me extremely proud, it brings into the picture this element of mystery that keeps the audience hooked right through to the first frame.

I also had a lot of information concerning the power of sound. Prior to this, I had believed that audio consisted only of what the characters were talking about. The concept of having people feel physically uncomfortable because of a low-frequency hum or a broadcast with an ailing signal, is actually not that foreign to me. That is how I used Clipchamp to stack those sounds and learned to create tension not only with the camera.

On the whole, this project made me learn that I possess the ability to be a problem-solver. I have developed a strong base in media production whether it was a case of changing the lights in a dark living room or one day ripping off a campaign to market the film. I have left Stay Inside with more respect about the amount of work that goes into the creation of even a short film to make it appear professional.