So here’s what we’re going to do…

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So I met with my mentor on the 2nd, since we meet once a month, and we discussed my new plan for senior project. I was originally going to do a film with my 20 minute script, but problems kept arising so I made a plan to scrap the actors and make an animated storyboard. THAT plan was a straying away from what I really wanted so I made a 5 minute script that I would shoot at home with my family as a cast. This way I could work on my directing, organizing and of course my editing skills. Plus I wanted to be able to use all my equipment I bought for filming. I started shooting some scenes but I realized that there are going to be other problems.

First of all, my family members are very picky and impatient. Especially my mother. A lot of the time, I had to wait for her to get ready and be in the mood to shoot. Another thing I have to work on is the lighting. I have a scene I shot in the morning, and then one I shot at night, with lights. They’re supposed to look like they are the same place at the same time so I will have to re-do the one that’s easier to shoot. Also, my lights look a little yellowish on camera, even if I adjust the white balance. I am shooting in Tungsten light because I like how it has a blue tint to it. It makes everything look colder and darker. I’m planning on shooting the rest of the scenes on Friday, that way we have no school and I can dedicate the whole day to shooting and get whatever is left on Saturday.

New New

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So a lot has changed since my last mentor meeting. I was originally going to go with what my mentor suggested I do, but I realized that I did not like having to draw in my storyboard because when I’m planning out my shots, I like to work with movement. I also realized I like writing stories. AND I also thought I should get more practice with the actual shooting. My lighting skills have actually improved because of practice and shooting with a different story. I ended up writing a 5 minute script, that uses the same techniques I wanted to use in my “Pay Off” film, and this small film I can actually show at my presentation instead of a 20 minute long film or a 20 minute long storyboard with audio. I have ALSO been reminded how frustrating actors can be. Even actors that have all the time on their hands (my mother)

On the bright side, I have gotten a new audio recorder to record external sound. I have attached a picture of it and during spring break I used it while I shot my new movie. It was pretty tedious though to set up the audio, most of the tie work the clacker, set up lighting and work the camera.

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Last Minute decisions…egh..

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So I got a call from the woman who’s letting us use her house. Her name is Mrs. B. She told me her cousin who just had surgery is coming to stay at her house for a few weeks. So now, the whole “filming in 2 weekends” is over. She said she was really sorry though. It seems to me that this movie just doesn’t want to happen. I am finishing up my story board because it needs to be perfect, and I am half thinking about whether or not to make a separate little 5 minute story, using the same techniques and scenes that I would have had in my possible 20 minute original script. This little story would be filmed with my family at my house so I don’t have to depend on anybody. My actors for my original script were very good at being dependable though, including my crew. It was just the location that was very wishy washy. 

Kick it into overdrive..

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Ok, so I have been working on storyboarding my story, and it’s taking so long because this is what I’ll most likely turn in, so it has to look as good as it possibly can. My mentor suggested that I make my whole storyboard, scan it in so that each frame would be the frame my movie would look like, and add music, sound and voices to it. Then when I’d have time to film, I would film it how my storyboard looks and I would replace my storyboard with the piece I filmed. My actors have been ready to film but I keep having bad luck with scheduling. I have decided to kick it into overdrive and jump for filming my whole movie in 2 weekends. The first weekend, which is the 22nd and 23rd: I will get all my shooting involving my main character done. The second weekend, which is May 1st and 2nd: I will be shooting my other characters like Mr. and Mrs. Clark. and ALSO some of Allison again for some quick wide shots. I know it’s risky to push filming like that into March but I am going to have to if I want it to all come out good.
I keep forgetting to write this, but I have been reading a lot of books and studying lighting and sound and directing. I took a picture of the books I have. I really love the 2 long books I got for Christmas, they talk a lot about angles and they help you set up shots. They also talk about camera lenses.

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Update

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Alright, I said I was going to be filming today, but those plans got cancelled, so I honed instead. My dad gave me an assignment to brush up my skills in the meantime so that when the time came to go film “The Payoff” I would be more prepared and know what to do. I filmed things similar to scenes in my movie so there was a lot of suspense techniques involved. I actually learned a lot today. I got some really good shots. There were two shots I really really liked. One was a handheld tilted angle to create the feeling of uneasiness and the feeling that you’re there. Another was my character (mom) walking somewhere because she heard a bump go somewhere and this is right before she gets attacked. I have the camera with the tripod dangling under it as my version of a steady-cam. I have the camera positioned right next to my mom’s shoulder while she is walking forward. I was trying to create something similar to the technique used in “The Shining” where the suspense is built in a shot the audience feels they cannot stop. So when the kid in “The Shining” is driving through the hallways in his big-wheeler, you cannot stop to see what is behind every corner. So my character is walking and the audience can’t stop them from moving forward to their doom. For my film, I have completely accepted by now that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

The last week and a half…

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So recently, I started getting new equipment for shooting my movie. I got new lights and reflectors for the lights. But mostly the lights. They are so beautiful! I have attached pictures of them set up. I have been practicing with them and just the other day, I went to go shoot the first ever footage of  “The Payoff”. I went to Haley Murphy’s house because she is playing my comedy relief character, Stephanie, and I brought along my friend Travis to work sound because he has some good experience and equipment for that. I invited friend Vivian to help me with lighting but she couldn’t make it. So I worked the camera and the lights. My sister helped me with the marker.

We got there around 1 in the afternoon and finished around 3:30. The footage I ended up getting wasn’t bad but it could be greatly improved. Especially the lighting. The footage looked too red so I tried to fix that in editing but it looked very grainy. I will definitely be re-shooting those scenes now that I have a better idea of what to expect from the lighting.

Time is running thin..

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Time is running thin and I am scared that I am going to not have enough time in the end. Considering that I do not have a solid location yet, I made up a shooting schedule of scenes that do not require a lot of the location showing. I the first shoot ever will be on the 21st. I have 3 out of 6 actors chosen and still looking. I recently contacted a friend of a friend named Alicia and she is interested in both lending her house and playing a role in the film.

I left my script to Mr. Federico before we left for Thanksgiving break so I hope he has gone through it by now and has some feedback for me. I plan to meet with him this coming week. My dad also recently got a camera that is AMAZING. It’s a Canon Rebel and it shoots in 18 mega pixels. I will most likely be using this for my movie since it’s the highest resolution camera I own.

CURRENTLY..

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So right now, I have 3 actors that are going to audition in a couple weeks but I’m still looking for my other actors to play the roles that are not teenagers. 2 of the girls that are going to audition are freshman, which can be a problem since I need my teenagers to look  more like young adults. However, their acting is what I will look over so I am having them audition. I have a location in mind for shooting in December. Two in mind actually. I’m going to have to use two locations and then cut them together to look like one, which will be tricky, but I’m looking forward to it. I am still looking for my two adult actors which concerns me because their acting has to be fairly good.

I have decided that I don’t want to make a story board for the entire film, just parts that I will have trouble with. I have storyboarded Scene 2, which is a quiet conversation between two characters, and I have recorded an audio read aloud of the film using members of my family. I had expected the film to last about 6-10 minutes, but it ended up being 12-15 minutes in the read aloud.

I will continue to look for the rest of my cast through November, and will also be looking for my film crew.