Video and Sound Production -Project 2

YUAN XIAOYUE / 0367988

Video and Sound Production / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Project 2

Table of Contents

Lectures

Instructions

Exercise

Lectures：

Week 5:

Mise en Scène：

Overview：

Mise en scène, a French term meaning “placing on stage,” describes the visual arrangement of everything that appears within a film frame. It includes all the elements—setting, lighting, color, costume, performance, and camera work—that together create meaning, mood, and atmosphere. Rather than relying on dialogue, mise en scène allows filmmakers to tell stories through purely visual expression.

Main Elements：

（1). Setting and Environment：

The setting defines where and when the story unfolds. Whether it’s a realistic room, a stylized fantasy world, or a symbolic space, the environment establishes tone and supports the story’s context. The time period also influences the design of costumes, props, and overall visual style.

（2). Props and Objects：

Objects within the frame often carry symbolic meaning. They can reveal aspects of a character’s personality, represent important themes, or help move the story forward.

（3). Costume and Makeup：

Clothing and makeup express identity, social class, and emotional state. Well-designed costumes help the audience instantly recognize a character’s personality or transformation throughout the film.

（4). Lighting：

Lighting is a key visual tool that sets the mood and focuses attention. Bright lighting creates a cheerful or open feeling, while darker, high-contrast lighting can convey tension or mystery.

（5). Color Palette：

Color establishes the emotional tone of a film. Warm colors create comfort or passion, while cool tones suggest calmness or distance. Color can also symbolize themes such as hope, danger, or transformation.

（6). Composition and Framing：

The arrangement of characters, objects, and space within the frame influences how the audience perceives relationships and power dynamics. A well-balanced composition guides the viewer’s eyes and strengthens storytelling.

（7). Camera Placement：

Camera angles and distance determine how the audience experiences a scene—whether intimate and personal or distant and objective.

（8). Performance and Acting：

Body language, expression, and movement reveal the inner emotions of characters. Good acting makes visual storytelling more authentic and engaging.

（9). Blocking and Spatial Relationships：

The positioning and movement of actors in a scene build rhythm, tension, and interaction. The space between characters can suggest closeness, conflict, or hierarchy.

Reflection：

Mise en scène is the art of visual storytelling. Every detail within the frame—from light and color to composition and movement—contributes to the emotional and narrative impact of a film. Mastering mise en scène allows filmmakers to communicate meaning beyond words, creating stories that resonate through visual design and atmosphere.

Week 5 quiz results:

Week 6:

Color Correction vs. Color Grading：

Overview：

Color correction and color grading are two essential steps in post-production that define a film’s look and mood.

Color Correction：

This is the technical stage where editors fix issues in raw footage—such as exposure, contrast, and white balance—to make it look natural and consistent. It ensures all shots match visually and appear realistic before creative adjustments begin.

Color Grading：

After correction, grading adds artistic style and emotional depth. It uses color tones and contrast to create atmosphere, guide emotion, and strengthen storytelling. Warm tones may evoke comfort or nostalgia, while cool tones can suggest tension or sadness.

Summary：

Color correction makes the image accurate, while color grading makes it expressive. Together, they create a visually cohesive and emotionally engaging film.

Week 7:

Color Theory, Color Correction, and Color Grading：

Color Theory：

Color theory explores how colors interact and how they affect human perception and emotion. It blends artistic intuition with scientific logic, guiding creators in achieving aesthetic harmony and emotional impact.
Main ideas include:

（1). Color Wheel: illustrates the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary hues.

（2). Color Harmony: refers to pleasing color combinations such as complementary, analogous, and monochromatic schemes.
（3). Hue, Saturation, and Value: describe a color’s type, intensity, and brightness. A solid grasp of color theory helps maintain visual unity, strengthen storytelling, and evoke the intended atmosphere across different media.

Color Correction：

Color correction is a technical step aimed at repairing issues like incorrect exposure, poor white balance, or uneven tones between shots.
The goal is to make the footage look consistent, lifelike, and professionally balanced, ensuring that all colors appear true to reality.

Color Grading：

Color grading is a creative stage that comes after correction. It shapes the project’s emotional tone and visual identity by stylizing colors—such as using warm tones for comfort or nostalgia and cool tones for suspense or melancholy.

Workflow Principle:

Always correct first, then grade. Correction ensures accuracy; grading adds mood and character, allowing the visuals to support the story’s emotional direction.

INTRODUCTION：

Exercise：

Project 2 (Exercise 1) Lalin：

Workflow:

This exercise required editing a video, adding sound effects, and finally color grading.

I first downloaded video clips and then started splicing and editing them, resulting in a video that was exactly 35 seconds long.

Next, I searched online for various sound effects (such as phone ringtones) and placed them in the correct positions.

Finally, based on the story the video told and the protagonist's emotions, I chose to use a cool color tone for color grading.

Here is my final YouTube video:

Link: https://youtu.be/ktJ0KsafyAk

Google Drive link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FJg6JPtAs2lBsW3t1EB08ck17-HApfC-/view

Project 2 Exercise 2 - Creating and Shooting (Movie Trailer)：

Workflow:

Duration: 25-30 secs

Source: Your group's video footages.

BGM: Your choice, free to use any BGM.

Sound effects: Yes

TEXT/CAPTION : Movie Title / End credit / or anything related to Trailers: Yes

Color Correction: Yes, as taught in Week 7

Submission: Youtube Link

Submission Platform: Microsoft TEAMS & BLOG (E-Portfolio)

Submission date: 21st Nov 2025 (by end of Week 9's Friday)

I imported all the video footage and audio clips I shot into the editing software. Then, I found suitable background music for the video on the Freesound platform and mixed them together. I also added movie subtitle clips to engage the audience and guide the plot.