Foundation Portfolio CCR Question 4: How I Integrated Technology into My Thriller Film Project

1. Research & Inspiration – Online Video References

Before filming even began, I immersed myself in visual and narrative research. YouTube became one of my main resources for finding cinematic short films, trailers, and visual reference pieces that helped inspire my tone, composition, and setting.

These reference videos were really useful for helping me decide on the tone, vibe and message of film, as well as serving as inspiration for shot types and audio techniques to use  to add depth to my film.

• GIRL IN FOREST | CINEMATIC – A visual piece that helped me understand how to film a girl’s solitary journey through nature with beauty and melancholy.

• The Forest Movie (2017) – This short balanced realism with mystery, inspiring the pacing and eeriness of Stalker.

• The Girl in the Forest | Short Film Trailer – I used this to study trailer structure, shot types, and how much to reveal.

• Girl in the Woods – Real Survival Channel – While more documentary-like, it showed me authentic forest movement and natural body language.

• THE FOREST | Cinematic short film / Nature B-roll – The textures, close-ups, and overall aesthetic of this helped guide my cinematography choices.

• Short Film for Cool Shot Ideas – I explored this to find more creative, unique framing techniques and thriller-like cuts.

These videos collectively helped me decide on camera movement, character placement, and emotional tone. Watching how other filmmakers created tension through space and silence really shaped how I approached my own script.

2. Filming Equipment – Hardware & On-Set Tech

I filmed using a cameras and quality attachable microphone which picked up clean dialogue and environmental sounds like footsteps. For visual stability, I used a tripod, but also handheld the camera for certain POV shots and over-the-shoulder shots.

To add texture to my shots, I used natural lighting as well as a basic portable LED light kit, especially when filming interior or low-light scenes, as well as a lamp side the home

3. Editing Software – DaVinci Resolve + After Effects

DaVinci Resolve: Film Editing & Color Grading

I did the entire edit of my film in DaVinci Resolve, where I cut scenes, layered sound effects, adjusted timing, and applied transitions to help build suspense. The editing was time consuming and my perfectionism took over a bit but improved the overall quality of the film.

Color Grading Resources I Used:

• DaVinci Resolve Cinematic Look Tutorial 1

• How to Grade Your Short Film

• Cinematic Blue-Green Tones

• Night Forest Grading Vibes

• Complete Color Workflow for Short Films

Below are 2 screenshots of film timeline in Davinchi Resolve, showing all the cuts, edits, added sound effects etc that brought the final piece to life:

These tutorials helped me build my color grading skills inside DaVinci Resolve:

• Cinematic Forest Look Tutorial

• Moody Grading for Thrillers

• Balancing Exposure and Natural Tones

• Dark & Eerie Film Tone

• DaVinci Color Workflow Basics

Adobe After Effects: Credits, Intro Title Sequence & Title

For my film Stalker, I created both the title and the end credits using Adobe After Effects, and the intro title sequence in Davinchi Resolve. The title needed to set the tone right away — subtle, eerie, and suspenseful — so I animated the word “Stalker” with slow fades and gentle scaling to build atmosphere before the story begins.

• How to Create a Rolling Credits Animation

• After Effects Basic Tutorial I Referenced

• How to Add to Render Queue

This screenshot shows the timeline in After Effects where I animated the film’s opening title, “Stalker.” I used keyframes to create a slow fade-in and subtle zoom that sets an eerie mood, matching the suspenseful tone from the very beginning. After Effects gave me control to fine-tune the timing and effects to fit the film’s atmosphere.

The below image displays the credits sequence I created in After Effects. I animated the text to scroll smoothly and timed it carefully so viewers can read comfortably while maintaining the film’s tense vibe. I ended up changing the credits to rather have each persons name and role pop up independently rather than roll in the end as I felt it made my credits personalized and different and puts all the focus on each name.

I edited the intro title sequence in DaVinci Resolve by first creating a series of text clips where “Bacon Productions” appeared in the middle of the screen. I gradually shortened the duration between each clip to build a quick, rhythmic pace. To enhance this effect, I added a camera click sound effect with every clip change. I also applied a subtle haze effect around the words “Bacon Productions” to help draw focus to the clear center text while the rest softly faded away.

Sound Design: SFX + Music

Sound played a massive role in shaping the mood of STALKER. From footsteps on gravel to doors creaking and keys jingling, I layered sounds to intensify suspense and give scenes more realism and atmosphere. Since my thriller relied heavily on tension rather than dialogue, I spent a lot of time gathering and syncing the right sounds for each moment.

I sourced most of my audio from Freesound.org and Pixabay Audio—both of which offered copyright-free sound effects that felt professional and cinematic. I made sure to layer soundsin a balanced manner and it really helped with the realism and atmosphere

• Rain Ambience for Background Atmosphere – Used during Lily's walk to amplify loneliness

• Cinematic End Credit Sound – For the slow fade during the ending

• Freesound.org – Footsteps, door creaks, knife scrape, paper rustle

• Pixabay.com/music – Atmospheric loops and background tones for forest and hallway scenes

• Nature Rain B-Roll Visual – Used as a visual reference for syncing rain FX

• Forest Rain Visual Reference (iStock)

Final Thoughts on Technology Integration

DaVinci Resolve: main editing and colour grading

After Effects: designed opening title and end credits

Freesound.org & Pixabay: sourced copyright-free sound effects

YouTube tutorials: improved editing and visual effects skills

Canva: created realistic props like the fake newspaper

Google: researched visual styles and references

ChatGPT: brainstorming, tutorials, problem solving, blog polishing 

Blogger.com: presented my project