Spooky Shots: Filming My First Ghost Story

My classmates and I had the opportunity to create, narrate, film, and edit a ghost story at Furman. Although the video was roughly 2 minutes long, quite a lot of work went into it. Here is what I got to do:

• Write The Script

I had to create a story from scratch and brainstorm the characters, scenes, plot, and implement a threatening tone throughout the film. This process allows me to be creative, but it is also the most crucial part because it serves as the blueprint for everything else.

• Plan The Scenes

I picked out the locations where we would film. I thought that the classroom setting, in the beginning, would help set the right tone, and filming in the early evening outside in an ominous area would help set the tone.

• Film

We wanted to capture the best sequences and shots for the story. There were several retakes I had to do, especially pan or zoomed-in shots. Finding the best shots to capture what our actors were saying and the emotional tone took creative and in-depth thinking.

• Edit

Initially, our film was over 3 minutes long. With editing, it came to about 2.5 minutes. Tate and Greyson acted and helped fade the music. They also edited the script as we went and made our scenes more exciting. Marion also edited the script throughout the acting and helped cut specific clips. She also helped with adjusting the music and uploading the video to YouTube. I had to cut out many unnecessary clips, add transitions, and include royalty-free music. The editing process was the most time-consuming, but I boosted my skills within transitions, adjusting sounds, and zooming in and out of clips.

Writing, Acting, Filming, Oh My!

Picture Provided By: Marion Davis

What Did I Learn?

• I learned how to write and direct a compelling ghost story and incorporate individual edits to enhance the short film. I learned how to pick out suitable scenes and music to fit into the story and make it better. I also increased my knowledge with Premiere Pro and added specific transitions and audio.

Behind the scenes of “Little Did, She Know.”

How Will I Use These Skills?

• I want to pursue a career in marketing, and the principle behind marketing is to tell a story and meet your target audience’s needs. I will create and direct a short branding film and use specific editing tools to make the campaign video more impactful.

To watch our ghost story visit here