https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3E_F5Cmq2U
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
RAW Film Opening
Here's my film opening, RAW. I loved making it and I hope you enjoy watching it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYLxguo9RE&t=22s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYLxguo9RE&t=22s
A/V Script
So I've been on a secluded island in the Gulf of Mexico and I finally have the wifi password meaning there is about to be a burst of posts that haven't gone through yet. First, here's the script to my film opening, RAW.
Video
|
Audio
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(WS- Drone) Zoom into Markham tree tops
(Pop-up) Graphic “A KMP Films Production”
Graphic disappears
(Quick pan right) Markham treetops
(WS- Drone) Zoom into Markham treetops and lake
(Pop-up) Graphic “In Association with Trinity Productions”
Graphic disappears
(Pan right- Drone) Follow Actor 1 running alongside lake
(MS) Actor 2 followed by actor 3 (aka ‘chasers’) runs out of bushes towards the left side of the camera
(Quick pan left, WS) Back of chasers running
(MS) Chasers running towards the right of the camera
(MS- rack focus) Actor 1 runs up to camera, pauses, looks side to side, runs off screen towards the right as camera pulls focus on the chasers running forward
(Pan right) Camera follows chasers as they disappear into the woods, no longer running alongside the lake
Sequence
(CU) Actor 1 on the left third panting and looking for chasers.
(MS) Actor 1 on the left third spots chasers
(2-shot) Chasers running towards camera
(MS, small Pan left) Actor 1 runs away
(2-shot to CU) Chasers running towards camera
--------------------------------------------------------
Switch to handheld shaky cam
--------------------------------------------------------
(MS- shallow focus) Actor 1 running towards camera and looking behind him, chasers are out of focus
(MS) Back of chasers running after Actor 1
(MS, Tilt- shallow focus) Actor 1 running towards camera chasers are out of focus, tilt down to feet hitting ground
(CU) Feet running on ground, first Actor 1’s sneakers followed by actor 2 & then actor 3
--------------------------------------------------------
Off handheld shaky cam
--------------------------------------------------------
Sequence
(WS) Actor 1 jumps over fallen trees to reach a hill
(MS, low angle) Actor 1 run up hill and turns left
(CU, low angle) Actor 1 reaches the top of the hill and takes off his backpack as he crouches down
--------------------------------------------------------
On handheld shaky cam
--------------------------------------------------------
(ECU) Actor 1 struggles to zip open his backpack
(ECU) Actor 1 looks up as he is opening his bag
(2 shot- high angle) Chasers step over fallen branch and look up to Actor 1
(2 shot) Chasers look up at actor 1, then at each other, then at actor 1 again
(CU) Actor 1 looking towards chasers panicked
(OTS- low angle, shallow focus) Over the shoulder of chasers looking at Actor 1 opening backpack
(MS- low angle) Actor 1 open bag, looks inside as a white light beam shoots out
(CU) Actor 1’s head rises to reveal his menacing face and blurred eyeballs
Cut to white text on black screen
Graphic “RAW” zooms in slowly
Dip to black
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(Fade up) Wood Forest SOUND EFFECT - Ambience Background Wald SOUND.mp3
(Sudden start) INTENSE SUSPENSE BACKGROUND MUSIC.mp3
Edit INTENSE SUSPENSE BACKGROUND MUSIC.mp3 to a 4-beat count, then continue the rest of the song
Music slows to intensify the moment
Cinematic Rise Sound Effect.mp3 begins
(Fade out) INTENSE SUSPENSE BACKGROUND MUSIC.mp3
Rise and hit occurs
(Continue) Wood Forest SOUND EFFECT - Ambience Background Wald SOUND.mp3
Fade out all audio
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Thursday, April 6, 2017
Briefing
I briefly mentioned how my schedule when I was in Anaheim was tight, so I didn't have the time I predicted I'd have to film my opening. Because of this, rather than completely changing my idea, I've decided to keep the chase scene but change mise en scene elements in order to match the location in which I'd actually be filming.
Extracted from "Round 2... It's a Mystery"
The basic idea that I came up with is a guy running from two chasers because of an unknown reason (as far as the audience knows).
It would begin with the chase scene, immediately providing that sense of action and dragging in viewers. The protagonist of the film, wearing fancy attire and carrying a briefcase, would be running from two guys who are dressed in baggy clothing and primarily dark colors. This costume choice further divides the parties, making it clear that they are not all together, and that the so-called 'chasers' make up a team.
Eventually, the nicely dressed guy will end up isolated in either a bedroom or office. He will place the briefcase on a table and open it up. When he opens the top of the briefcase, the blinding light will flood out, and this mysterious light will turn off as he closes the bag. Suddenly there is banging at the door (it's the chasers from before). At the loud knock, the protagonist will look up at the closed door both shocked and terrified. Black screen.
I feel as though the chasers can still wear dark, baggy clothes considering their behavior is sketchy and this outfit choice works for almost any location as long it matches the character's attitude. However, nobody would realistically be wearing a suit in the woods, so I've decided the protagonist should wear an outfit that consists of cargo pants, long socks, etc (similar to this). By wearing bland and natural colors like beige, olive green, blue, or dark grays, he will have a wilderness look to him which is what I'm going for.
Extracted from "Round 2... It's a Mystery"
The basic idea that I came up with is a guy running from two chasers because of an unknown reason (as far as the audience knows).
It would begin with the chase scene, immediately providing that sense of action and dragging in viewers. The protagonist of the film, wearing fancy attire and carrying a briefcase, would be running from two guys who are dressed in baggy clothing and primarily dark colors. This costume choice further divides the parties, making it clear that they are not all together, and that the so-called 'chasers' make up a team.
Eventually, the nicely dressed guy will end up isolated in either a bedroom or office. He will place the briefcase on a table and open it up. When he opens the top of the briefcase, the blinding light will flood out, and this mysterious light will turn off as he closes the bag. Suddenly there is banging at the door (it's the chasers from before). At the loud knock, the protagonist will look up at the closed door both shocked and terrified. Black screen.
DESIGN
Because this no longer takes place in a convention center and it has been moved to a forest/ swamp area (Markham Park), I need to figure out new costume design and props.I feel as though the chasers can still wear dark, baggy clothes considering their behavior is sketchy and this outfit choice works for almost any location as long it matches the character's attitude. However, nobody would realistically be wearing a suit in the woods, so I've decided the protagonist should wear an outfit that consists of cargo pants, long socks, etc (similar to this). By wearing bland and natural colors like beige, olive green, blue, or dark grays, he will have a wilderness look to him which is what I'm going for.
Additionally, he wouldn't be holding a briefcase but rather a backpack with survival tools inside. When he opens the backpack at the end of the opening, a blinding light could shine out, ending the video on a cliff hanger.
Target Audience
The target audience of this action/ mystery film is young male adults and teenagers. It's for this reason that the main characters are male teenagers so that viewers can relate to them.
Font
Action and mystery movie titles are linear and the color matches the color scheme of the movie itself. For my own, I will also choose a linear font and go with a shade of green, brown, or gray to match the location of my film
Action
Mystery
Sunday, April 2, 2017
The Color Wheel
After reading a blog that discussed how the color affects the look and meaning behind a film, I was able to make an educated decision on what I wanted my own film opening to look like.
Similar to The Matrix, I want my film opening to have a "cool" feel to it. Through costume design I can make it seem like the characters are always tense. I can juxtapose this feeling through the background location, keeping the colors warm and vibrant. This implies that the society is lively and not involved with the action that is taking place. It makes the chase scene feel a little out of place, causing the audience to feel more disturbed and further enhancing that sense of mystery as to why these characters are in a suburban area.
The Matrix: cool blue/ green
Color and the look of a film – Visual Analysis. (2013, December 07). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from https://filmschoolthrucommentaries.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/color-and-the-look-of-a-film-visual-analysis/
Similar to The Matrix, I want my film opening to have a "cool" feel to it. Through costume design I can make it seem like the characters are always tense. I can juxtapose this feeling through the background location, keeping the colors warm and vibrant. This implies that the society is lively and not involved with the action that is taking place. It makes the chase scene feel a little out of place, causing the audience to feel more disturbed and further enhancing that sense of mystery as to why these characters are in a suburban area.
The Matrix: cool blue/ green
http://i.onionstatic.com/avclub/4305/62/16x9/960.jpg
https://walkalongthenarrowpath.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/jacked_in.jpg
http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/111213-matrix-learning-hmed-523p.grid-6x2.jpg
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/pics/gsinfographic1(color)large.jpg
Color and the look of a film – Visual Analysis. (2013, December 07). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from https://filmschoolthrucommentaries.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/color-and-the-look-of-a-film-visual-analysis/
How to: Chase
The first step in creating an action movie would be learning how to successfully portray the vision step-by-step. Lucky for me, I was able to find this link which is specifically for action movie chase scenes.
Broken down into 3 major components, here are the most important techniques for the following elements.
Brainstorming
Ideas
- Obstacles
A few obstacles I can have along the way are fallen palm trees, cars passing by quickly, bikers and joggers. Basically, any subject that would cause the runners to have to slow down or stumble.
- Bystanders
By definition a bystander is a person who is present at an event or incident but does not take part. I want to go by this exact explanation in regards to my film. Instead of having onlookers who simply watch but don't act on strange activity occurring around them, I want the bystanders in my film opening to appear completely oblivious to the situation, acting as if this were a completely normal event. This adds a little bit of comedy and wonderment.
- Location
I'm gonna have to change the location to my hometown considering I didn't have enough time in Anaheim like I hoped. Some locations I can use are my neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods, sidewalks next to busy streets, roundabouts, populated shopping centers, the sidewalk next to a highway, and an empty field.
Writing
- Twists
The twist in my story comes at the end. The protagonist will go from busy locations to an empty feel, completely changing the tone of the excerpt. This is where he will open up his briefcase, exposing a red light. According to Color Wheel Pro, "Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure." Notice that the last part of the explanation says that red increases circulatory activity. For this reason, I believe red is the color that best corresponds to the fast-paced action movie I am trying to accomplish.
Help
- Director
Me
- Cameramen
Me and possibly Carlos Ramirez and/or Santiago Triana. It depends on their school and work schedules. I'll be able to confirm the day before filming; however, I will be able to film by myself if necessary.
- Actors
Alec Marsh as the protagonist, Rodrigo Diaz and Jose Cabrera as the chasers. I will need a few extras as bystanders and somebody to drive by in a car for one of the obstacles.
Storyboard
I'm storyboarding tomorrow and Tuesday because I want to spend more time on it. I'm not an artist so I imagine it'll take longer for me to be content with the images I draw. Therefore, I need to dedicate more time to it.
Filming
Go to the first location, record shots from all angles until you are happy with at least one. Repeat for all locations
Editing
1. Import footage
2. Delete unwanted footage
3. Place clips in chronological order
4. Add graphics
5. Clean it up
6. Export
Color Wheel Pro - See Color Theory in Action. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
W. (2017, April 02). How to Make an Action Movie Chase Scene. Retrieved April 02, 2017, from http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Action-Movie-Chase-Scene#/Image:Make-an-Action-Movie-Chase-Scene-Step-2-Version-3.jpg
Be Prepared, Be Flexible
While at the convention in Anaheim, I attended a workshop named "Be Prepared, Be Flexible". The presenter was Carly Danek, a photographer for BTN11 (Break the News, Channel 11 from Minneapolis, Minnesota). She and a reporter she works with discussed how to deal with unexpected circumstances, such as an angry neighbor or burning houses. By listening to them speak from their own experiences and hearing their answers to our questions, I learned techniques that I could use for my own film opening.
For example, by planning out multiple locations in which I can film my video while getting the same message across, I minimize the chances of putting myself in a situation where I can't film.
Rereading that it sounds a bit confusing so imagine this situation:
I go to film at the Anaheim Hilton hotel like I discussed in a previous post. The only day I have time to film, it begins to rain. Most of the action took place outdoors, in front of the main entrance. However, if I found places inside the hotel where the actors can do the chase scene, while still getting the same message across even though the location has changed, then I no longer have an issue and I can still film the opening on that day.
Another thing I learned that I found very interesting is that you can film on any property unless there is a no trespassing sign. The example Danek gave during the presentation was more for news purposes but she later touched on how this affects any type of video whether it's for broadcast journalism or film entertainment.
For example, by planning out multiple locations in which I can film my video while getting the same message across, I minimize the chances of putting myself in a situation where I can't film.
Rereading that it sounds a bit confusing so imagine this situation:
I go to film at the Anaheim Hilton hotel like I discussed in a previous post. The only day I have time to film, it begins to rain. Most of the action took place outdoors, in front of the main entrance. However, if I found places inside the hotel where the actors can do the chase scene, while still getting the same message across even though the location has changed, then I no longer have an issue and I can still film the opening on that day.
Another thing I learned that I found very interesting is that you can film on any property unless there is a no trespassing sign. The example Danek gave during the presentation was more for news purposes but she later touched on how this affects any type of video whether it's for broadcast journalism or film entertainment.
This is a YouTube video called Reporter Confrontation. The BTN11 employees from the workshop filmed and reported on this story. The man who tried to attack the reporter and cameraman was drunk at the time. Lightning had struck the pool house and cinder block fell on the people inside. Breaking news that's worth covering, right?
Well, this man was extremely upset with the fact that these journalists had come to get the full scoop on the story. Notice how the whole crew is on the opposite side of his fence, in an empty lot. In the beginning of the video, the man says that the guy who owns the property they are standing on would not like them to film there. 1) Nobody is allowed to speak on behalf of someone else's property. 2) There was not a no trespassing sign, therefore making the situation legal.
Of course had the man who owns the lot called up the news station afterward and threatened to get a lawyer involved if they refuse to erase all of this footage, that'd be a different story.
What I learned here is that I can be more flexible when choosing the locations I shoot at, and I have the law on my side if I ever get into a situation like the one above.
I can implement this workshop when filming my opening because I have learned how to deal with situations from weather conditions to legal issues. Should I find myself stuck in some sort of problem, I am confident that I will be better at handling the situation now that I have attended Be Prepared, Be Flexible.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
The Song
Movies that have made iconic sound motif's for certain characters include Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars (The Imperial March).
While I won't be making a full film, these are the types of songs that I would like to model my own after. They are powerful, suspenseful, and familiar. I will not be able to accomplish the feeling of familiarity from only a two minute opening, however I can still receive a strong reaction from my audience the way these three songs do. Mostly, I will pay attention to the way the music rises and creates suspense. That way, I have three examples to imitate when producing my song.
G. (2012, July 15). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX3bN5YeiQs
E. (2012, July 09). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzLZJaAm2hw
M. (2007, August 09). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8
While I won't be making a full film, these are the types of songs that I would like to model my own after. They are powerful, suspenseful, and familiar. I will not be able to accomplish the feeling of familiarity from only a two minute opening, however I can still receive a strong reaction from my audience the way these three songs do. Mostly, I will pay attention to the way the music rises and creates suspense. That way, I have three examples to imitate when producing my song.
G. (2012, July 15). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX3bN5YeiQs
E. (2012, July 09). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzLZJaAm2hw
M. (2007, August 09). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8
Sound is Significant
As stated in the title of this blog post, sound is significant.
As important as visuals are to a film, sound is equally as necessary in my opinion. Maybe a film can make do without dialogue, but instrumentals and sound effects used to emphasize what is portrayed on screen help me as a viewer to both understand stories better and grab my attention.
I began by googling sound techniques used in film and what they are used for specifically. I came across a page written by an educator at Sacramento State University and this is what she wrote:
After reading these notes, I began brainstorming how I could utilize some of the skills. The ones that attracted me most were the use of steady sound, gradual increase, and either sudden increase or a sudden stop.
Based on her last bullet note, high-pitched sounds could be used to create tension while low-pitched sounds are correlated with sadness. Because my film opening is not supposed to be upsetting or heavy hearted, I'll go with high-pitched sounds.
I also want to create a continuous song that uses these progressions myself and test the waters of music production.
I would most likely have to produce the songs/ audio after editing the visuals so that I can see how long it is and at what second certain progressions need to occur.
What I plan on doing, though, is keeping a steady sound throughout the chase scene until the protagonist is alone in his room to indicate that there is a continuous action occurring (running). In addition, there would be a sound that gradually raises in either volume or pitch to create the suspenseful feeling that Ms. Kidd discussed in her posting. I'm debating between absolute silence or a sudden sharp sound for the moment that the "chasers" knock on the protagonist's door. I'm leaning towards silence, but I'll decide when I see it all laid out on my editing timeline.
Production Techniques. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/k/kiddv/productiontechniques.htm
As important as visuals are to a film, sound is equally as necessary in my opinion. Maybe a film can make do without dialogue, but instrumentals and sound effects used to emphasize what is portrayed on screen help me as a viewer to both understand stories better and grab my attention.
I began by googling sound techniques used in film and what they are used for specifically. I came across a page written by an educator at Sacramento State University and this is what she wrote:
After reading these notes, I began brainstorming how I could utilize some of the skills. The ones that attracted me most were the use of steady sound, gradual increase, and either sudden increase or a sudden stop.
Based on her last bullet note, high-pitched sounds could be used to create tension while low-pitched sounds are correlated with sadness. Because my film opening is not supposed to be upsetting or heavy hearted, I'll go with high-pitched sounds.
I also want to create a continuous song that uses these progressions myself and test the waters of music production.
I would most likely have to produce the songs/ audio after editing the visuals so that I can see how long it is and at what second certain progressions need to occur.
What I plan on doing, though, is keeping a steady sound throughout the chase scene until the protagonist is alone in his room to indicate that there is a continuous action occurring (running). In addition, there would be a sound that gradually raises in either volume or pitch to create the suspenseful feeling that Ms. Kidd discussed in her posting. I'm debating between absolute silence or a sudden sharp sound for the moment that the "chasers" knock on the protagonist's door. I'm leaning towards silence, but I'll decide when I see it all laid out on my editing timeline.
Production Techniques. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/k/kiddv/productiontechniques.htm
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Round 2... It's a Mystery
So I've realized a couple of things about my previous idea...
1. It's tough to find the actors that I imagine would be the characters for my film
2. I would only have one week to film and edit this opening if I waited until I came back from my California trip
3. To be honest, I wasn't completely in love with my idea anyway
Therefore, I have decided that maybe it isn't too late to change my original idea. Of course, I was put off by the fact that I felt like it would set me back, but in all honesty, I had barely begun storyboarding anyway. And isn't that like the first step of production? So, I went with my gut and began brainstorming again.
The day I decided that this was the route to go, I was lucky because I had an hour and half of class time with all of my peers who could help me. Well, I must have gone through about five different ideas and genre types within those 90 minutes, none of which I was fond of.
At the end of the day, I lay in bed wondering why a creative person like myself was in such a slump. Then it hit me... I have great ideas but $0. :) I slept on it for the night and woke up the next morning determined to finalize my plan and begin storyboarding.
I spent the better end of my night on YouTube watching iconic opening scenes to some of my favorite films. These are some of my top picks.
1. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
2. Inception
I noticed that all of these excerpts are far out concepts, the characters seemed to already know what was going on in their lives/ story, and they were intriguing causing me to want to watch the rest of the movie.
I came to the conclusion that the reason these scenes are attractive to viewers is because they create some sense of mystery. That being said, I have not only decided to choose mystery as my genre but I will also use the technique of alluding to a mystery in my film opening.
The basic idea that I came up with is a guy running from two chasers because of an unknown reason (as far as the audience knows).
It would begin with the chase scene, immediately providing that sense of action and dragging in viewers. The protagonist of the film, wearing fancy attire and carrying a briefcase, would be running from two guys who are dressed in baggy clothing and primarily dark colors. This costume choice further divides the parties, making it clear that they are not all together, and that the so-called 'chasers' make up a team.
Eventually, the nicely dressed guy will end up isolated in either a bedroom or office. He will place the briefcase on a table and open it up. When he opens the top of the briefcase, the blinding light will flood out, and this mysterious light will turn off as he closes the bag. Suddenly there is banging at the door (it's the chasers from before). At the loud knock, the protagonist will look up at the closed door both shocked and terrified. Black screen.
This idea will attract viewers and get them hyped up immediately considering the fast action that occurs from the beginning of the film. This enhances their desire to want to continue watching, along with the fact that the audience will be wondering what is in the briefcase and why does it light up? Why is the guy being chased? What do the other men want from him? What the heck is going on!?
All of these questions are precisely what I want from the fan base. Isn't the point of a film opening to attract viewers and make them want to keep watching the movie?
Additionally, I already have my three actors and they will be on the school field trip with me in California so we can film in Anaheim. I have looked at google images at the surrounding area of the hotel, and the hotel itself that we will be staying at. I already know the locations that I want to use. Plus, I am positive that they will have the right outfits and props I need to film (and I'll have my camera and tripod with me to actually film).
1. It's tough to find the actors that I imagine would be the characters for my film
2. I would only have one week to film and edit this opening if I waited until I came back from my California trip
3. To be honest, I wasn't completely in love with my idea anyway
Therefore, I have decided that maybe it isn't too late to change my original idea. Of course, I was put off by the fact that I felt like it would set me back, but in all honesty, I had barely begun storyboarding anyway. And isn't that like the first step of production? So, I went with my gut and began brainstorming again.
The day I decided that this was the route to go, I was lucky because I had an hour and half of class time with all of my peers who could help me. Well, I must have gone through about five different ideas and genre types within those 90 minutes, none of which I was fond of.
At the end of the day, I lay in bed wondering why a creative person like myself was in such a slump. Then it hit me... I have great ideas but $0. :) I slept on it for the night and woke up the next morning determined to finalize my plan and begin storyboarding.
I spent the better end of my night on YouTube watching iconic opening scenes to some of my favorite films. These are some of my top picks.
1. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
2. Inception
3. The Matrix
I noticed that all of these excerpts are far out concepts, the characters seemed to already know what was going on in their lives/ story, and they were intriguing causing me to want to watch the rest of the movie.
I came to the conclusion that the reason these scenes are attractive to viewers is because they create some sense of mystery. That being said, I have not only decided to choose mystery as my genre but I will also use the technique of alluding to a mystery in my film opening.
The basic idea that I came up with is a guy running from two chasers because of an unknown reason (as far as the audience knows).
It would begin with the chase scene, immediately providing that sense of action and dragging in viewers. The protagonist of the film, wearing fancy attire and carrying a briefcase, would be running from two guys who are dressed in baggy clothing and primarily dark colors. This costume choice further divides the parties, making it clear that they are not all together, and that the so-called 'chasers' make up a team.
Eventually, the nicely dressed guy will end up isolated in either a bedroom or office. He will place the briefcase on a table and open it up. When he opens the top of the briefcase, the blinding light will flood out, and this mysterious light will turn off as he closes the bag. Suddenly there is banging at the door (it's the chasers from before). At the loud knock, the protagonist will look up at the closed door both shocked and terrified. Black screen.
This idea will attract viewers and get them hyped up immediately considering the fast action that occurs from the beginning of the film. This enhances their desire to want to continue watching, along with the fact that the audience will be wondering what is in the briefcase and why does it light up? Why is the guy being chased? What do the other men want from him? What the heck is going on!?
All of these questions are precisely what I want from the fan base. Isn't the point of a film opening to attract viewers and make them want to keep watching the movie?
Additionally, I already have my three actors and they will be on the school field trip with me in California so we can film in Anaheim. I have looked at google images at the surrounding area of the hotel, and the hotel itself that we will be staying at. I already know the locations that I want to use. Plus, I am positive that they will have the right outfits and props I need to film (and I'll have my camera and tripod with me to actually film).
Front section
Side view of the front, at night
Lobby
Hotel room
Because I plan on filming while in Anaheim, and I live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I will have to ensure that I over-film. This way I have more than enough footage when it comes to editing. However, I plan on filming Thursday, March 30th when we have some time to ourselves after our competitions. I want to begin naming clips and editing that night or the next day, so if anything I could re-film during my last day there.
Overall, I am very excited about this new idea and the boys who've agreed to act for me. I imagine it will be a lot of fun to film with them. Between packing and practicing for my upcoming competition next week, I will do more research on mystery films, audio techniques-- I want audio to be intricately planned out for this, and storyboard before getting on the plane Monday morning.
More to come!
L. (2012, September 13). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6cddFuTPBA&t=124s
T. (2013, March 04). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqyfMlnxmmI
A. (2016, April 25). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb6bA4J1Gbg&t=178s
M. (2013, May 08). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_diRgwPCS8
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Production Process
Just like any other high school student, I am drowning in school, work, and extracurricular activities. To efficiently plan out the next three weeks of my life, I made charts that depict events throughout the end of March and into April.
After looking at the events I already had planned, I was able to schedule my process in regards to this project. Keeping in mind that I also have to eat, sleep, and be social, here's what I'll be doing to complete my film opening.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
It's Cuckoo
To brainstorm ideas for my own video, I figured that watching other examples of drama film openings could help as a sort of template. Because drama is such a large genre, many different types of storylines fall under the category. Filmsite.org is a wonderful website that offers reviews, posters, quotes, individual scenes, etc. on the "Greatest Films" created. While it was helpful by presenting the variety of drama films, it was also fun to just browse the website and learn the history behind some of my favorite movies, or even recommend different pieces that I may be interested in watching.
After clicking on the page linked above, http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html, I scrolled down to where it talks about mental illness related films.
Because mental illnesses can be disturbing, I'm leaning towards using cursive font for my own opening credits as well. Cursive also indicates handwritten notes, sometimes used when trying to write rapidly, and many doctors write in cursive (maybe it's for this reason, I don't really know... I'm not a doctor). However, I do know that doctors help those with mental disabilities, so the connection still makes sense to me.
In addition, when I was watching the actors who played patients in the asylum, they all portrayed the personality characteristics listed above. After doing previous research on PTSD, the illness I chose, I noticed that some of the behaviors are similar to the ones expressed in this movie. Therefore, I know that it is an absolute necessity for my actress to act similarly-- anxious, tired, self-conflicted.
Some notes that stuck out to me most are the use of neutral colors, three-point lighting, and camera movement. I would have to invest more time to watching drama movies in order to detect whether these are techniques heavily used within the genre, but for now I'm going to make a safe assumption based on previous exposure to drama films that, yes, these are important assets.
After clicking on the page linked above, http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html, I scrolled down to where it talks about mental illness related films.
The second film mentioned in the excerpt, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is also a novel which was mandatory to read during my sophomore year of high school. While my English class only read the book, part of some other students' curriculum was watching the film, whether it was for their English or Psychology class. Having never experienced the movie version, I've been wanting to watch it, though I've prolonged the idea for about a year now.
I started by watching the first four minutes of the movie on YouTube. By watching the opening scene, I felt as though there'd be enough content so that I can use some of Milos Forman's (the movie director) techniques for my own film opening. Here are some of my notes:
- Establishing shot
- Cursive font
- Eerie/Folk/Acoustic music
- Three-point lighting
- Neutral colors
- Pan of characters
- Woman dressed in black walks through corridor; red light above her
- Employees in white, some-what formal attire
- Patients behaviors: strapped down; anxious; talking to themselves; exhausted; sluggish
- Mostly medium and wide shots; heavy camera movement
- Classical music
- Seemingly scheduled activity in the psychiatric hospital
Watching the opening scene to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I felt as though Forman's purpose was to establish the tone for his viewers. I found this interesting because it is different than my original idea which was to create a film opening that introduced the main character. It's clear that this film example was establishing tone by the use of classical music (sets time period) and how a variety of characters are introduced, rather than focusing or hinting towards one important actor. However, I want it to be clear that my film is about one woman, so I will stick to focusing on my main actress.
Before any characters are introduced in this excerpt, an establishing shot is used to set the scene, and graphics are in a cursive font. Immediately, this choice reminded me of another movie Moonrise Kingdom, (directed by Wes Anderson) in which cursive font is also used in the film opening. In Moonrise Kingdom, the font was much more exaggerated, which I corresponded with the overall sense of disturbance that came with the rest of the first scene.
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| http://d172rgb28xoegf.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/moonrise-kingdom-balaban.jpg |
Because mental illnesses can be disturbing, I'm leaning towards using cursive font for my own opening credits as well. Cursive also indicates handwritten notes, sometimes used when trying to write rapidly, and many doctors write in cursive (maybe it's for this reason, I don't really know... I'm not a doctor). However, I do know that doctors help those with mental disabilities, so the connection still makes sense to me.
In addition, when I was watching the actors who played patients in the asylum, they all portrayed the personality characteristics listed above. After doing previous research on PTSD, the illness I chose, I noticed that some of the behaviors are similar to the ones expressed in this movie. Therefore, I know that it is an absolute necessity for my actress to act similarly-- anxious, tired, self-conflicted.
Some notes that stuck out to me most are the use of neutral colors, three-point lighting, and camera movement. I would have to invest more time to watching drama movies in order to detect whether these are techniques heavily used within the genre, but for now I'm going to make a safe assumption based on previous exposure to drama films that, yes, these are important assets.
Using neutral colors in both background location and costume choice makes a bold statement that this isn't necessarily a happy film. Furthermore, the most common lighting technique, three-point lighting, also expresses that this is not a sing-song movie (high-key lighting; i.e. The Wizard of Oz) nor is it going to give you nightmares (low-key lighting; i.e. The Exorcist). Finally, I noticed that wide shots and medium shots were most used. This could've been boring, but the use of camera movement (such as panning left to show patients sleeping in their bunks, or having the camera follow one of the nurses as she walks towards patients) helped to make it more interesting visually. These movements were done very smoothly, yet slowly which also caused the editing to be slow.
I very much enjoyed the techniques used in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and I'm thinking about utilizing some of these techniques in my own film. For example, I will use cursive font for graphics, neutral colors for wardrobe, and rely primarily on camera movement and slow editing. I think slow editing will also assist in creating that suspenseful feeling I mentioned in an earlier blog post.
Overall, analyzing this excerpt helped me tremendously, and I'll be watching more drama films for further instruction.
~Tomorrow I will watch the full movie of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest so that I can finally scratch it off of my list of films to see~
Drama Films. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html
V. (2013, April 08). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCLOXsMWbFM
~Tomorrow I will watch the full movie of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest so that I can finally scratch it off of my list of films to see~
Drama Films. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html
V. (2013, April 08). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCLOXsMWbFM
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