Our Final Work Day

At last, it is our final day of class. The editing is well on its way to being done.  Our film is finally wrapping up and I’m interested to see the final product. Our group is using our own editing software that our editor installed in her computer. This will be helpful because we won’t have to fight over using the computers in the ethnography lab.  Hopefully, we can get our film done in a timely manner.

Today in class we didn’t have to do much and the majority of the class did not stay the whole time because their groups didn’t have much to do, as well. I found out today that we will have to do a few voice over’s because in two of the scenes the sound is poor. Our editor said that the mine and the other actor’s voices were hardly intelligible.  But these scenes are rather short, so it shouldn’t take too long. Also, we decided last minute to let Elizabeth edit the film and Eric and me will do the sound together because I did much of the acting.

As far as the sound for the film is concerned, we are going to try to find free songs online so that we don’t have to worry about copyright infringement. If we do use more popular songs, our group plans on using instrumental versions of them so there are no lyrics. I don’t know if we will have any sound effects because our group hasn’t discussed this yet. I guess we’ll see how it goes when the sound editing starts. There may be no need for sound effects at all. It we do use them I believe there are numerous places online to get free sound effects. This is what we will likely use for our film.

All in all, I am happy with how our film is progressing. I must admit I was worried about finishing it last week, but now I am confident we will finish with ease. I am a little worried about showing the film next Thursday. I don’t know how I feel about the entire class seeing me on the “big screen.” Maybe I’ll just take a five-minute bathroom break during my film so I don’t have to be there when the class watches it. However, even though I’m worried about the showing I’m excited to see how it will turn out.

work day number three

This past Thursday was mostly spent digitizing film. Our group had used the majority of the film on the tape so it took a good chunk of the class to digitize it. We were lucky in being one of the first groups to digitize because I know of other groups who were not able to do this, which puts them way behind schedule. Now that our film is digitized we can finally begin the editing process.

Our grouped talked a little about our plan regarding editing. I think we are going to start editing on Monday if at all possible. I especially want this plan to work out so that I can start the sound editing as soon as possible. I have to wait for our film editors to finish their part so I can begin my editing.

Other than digitizing and discussing editing there wasn’t much we could do last Thursday. So, there isn’t much to blog about. So…I’m just going talk about some of my plans for sound editing. I’ve been thinking about what types of background music and sound effects to use in the film. I may have to add some sounds that the film didn’t pick up as well as tone some sound down. For example, when we were filming outside the microphone picked up birds more the words themselves. This may be a problem. As far as music is concerned, I’m not sure what to use that will not be copyrighted. I will probably try to get some music that my friends have recorded or try to stick with classical music. But I’m worried that I won’t have the selection that I would prefer to have, and this may make my job a bit more difficult.

I like it when a movie has music for a specific scene and the music obviously doesn’t match the scene. You may think I’m kidding but I’m not. For example, I believe this was used in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. There is a scene with a gunfight but the music is the main component of the scene and it doesn’t match the normal music that would be played in a scene like this. I think it makes the film more interesting. I would really like to try something like this but I’m not sure it would fit well into our film.  

Overall, I’m excited about my job in my group. It is what I’ve wanted to do since the beginning of the semester. 

The second work day

This past Thursday we met with our film groups once again. Our group finished getting our footage last Thursday and only needed to digitize the film in order to start the editing process. A couple of people in my group learned how to do it but we have to wait till next week to actually try it out for ourselves. This is because some groups still need the cameras and the camera is needed to digitize the film.

So, our groups couldn’t actually do anything productive last class period. We can’t edit until we have footage available. Instead of working on our film I actually acted as an extra in group 6’s film. It was interesting to see how another group handled things. For example, the way the divided up the work was different than how our group did it. What was really funny about working as an extra in this film was the scene we were doing. I was in a group of people looking over the body of a guy who had just been run over. It must have looked real because numerous cars stopped or slowed down thinking that a car had actually hit someone. The faces were priceless.

So seeing all of this filming has made me excited to see the final products. It also had me wondering what the editing process will bring. Our group has really been working hard. I never realized how much work went into making a movie. The filming itself was a feat and I have a feeling that the editing process will be equally as difficult. I am the sound editor for our group. I’ve never done anything like this so I’m worried how it will end up sounding. I really don’t know how to use the editing programs, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. I’m excited to try something new and I can’t wait to get started.

filming

This past week was our groups turn to film.  We received the camera on Thursday with the intentions of filming during the weekend. However, we never found a time where everyone who needed to be there could make it. So, we ended up filming a little bit each day during the week. We found that it was not necessary to have the editors there when we were filming. All we needed was the director, the cameraman, and maybe the sound editor to hold the boom (though I am the sound editor for our group and acted in the scenes instead of holding the boom). 

The hardest part of the whole filming process was finding a time when everyone could meet. This is especially true when dealing with actors who were not in our group. In fact, we had to meet at eight in the morning to film on Thursday to finish up the film. It was also hard trying to intentional place certain props (i.e. clown, guitar, skull, etc.) and certain lines in our film. The lines were especially difficult because they didn’t seem as natural when the actors spoke them. I’m not exactly sure why this was. It may have been because the people who spoke the lines were in our group. Therefore, we knew that theses exact lines had to be in the film and concentrated too much on saying them verbatim. This probably made the lines seem less natural than if an actor outside of the group were to have said them.

Overall our filming went smoothly. We were basically finished by class on Thursday, and we didn’t have to film for an overwhelming amount of time at once at any point during the week.  We did have to do one quick close-up shot during the first few minutes of class on Thursday. Thankfully the next group let us get this shot before handing the camera over to them. After filming this shot we talked for a little about how to get the footage off of the external hard drive. We also talked a little bit about when to do the editing to the footage. This needs to be started as soon as possible.  We couldn’t do much more than this on Thursday because we didn’t have the footage off of the hard drive at that time. Hopefully, this Thursday we can really get into the editing.

Adaptation

“Adaptation.” A strange movie filled with clichés; yet, by doing this it remains a film all it’s own.  The movie’s main character is screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who is writing the screenplay for the big screen adaption of the book “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean. He struggles with writers block and his twin brother’s success as a screenwriter. His brother, Donald, writes the generic screenplay and makes money off of it while Charlie just wants to make something new and real. He was to be innovative.  His brother represents everything he is not. The good and the bad. He is more open and sociable but is the one to give into the pressures of the “industry” and makes profit because of this. Eventually Charlie gives into the industry as well by producing a screenplay has all the things a “good” screenplay should be: action, love, drugs, etc. The film itself is Charlie’s writing process being played out before ours eyes. We are watching it as it is created. It goes from being a slow paced movie to one full of action in a moment. This is because his writing process was at a standstill until he decided to use the clichés in his screenplay, which is the easy way out but the less artistic.

I enjoyed the film though it was a little strange. It was definitely different and not like the films I normally enjoy. I liked that the end portrayed the plot of the generic film as somewhat dumb. I also thought it funny that some of my favorite movies include many of these film clichés. This may be because these are the types of screenplays that are made into films. These are the films that make it into theaters, and the films that make it to theaters are the ones I go to see.

So this raises the question whether the screenplay that sells or the one that is real and innovative is the better screenplay? I guess it depends on who you ask. Those who are looking to make money off of their work may agree with the first type of screenplay while the writer, the artist may want to make something different and true. Even though I do enjoy a predictable, generic film every once in a while, I still think that the generic screenplay is produce by a generic screenplay writer; however, a true writer makes the new and creative screenplay. 

A Self-Made Film

In our last class we watched a film made by Corey Womack. It was called “The Last Summer” and was a completely UCA produced film. The story revolved around a small town boy who is deciding what he is going to do with his life. He doesn’t know whether to stay in town with his girlfriend or try to go to college and get out of town.

I was very impressed with the fact that Corey created this film. From the little experience that I’ve obtained from this class, I know how big a task making a movie can become. As far as the storyline, I felt it was a generic teen film storyline; however, it was also very real. According to Corey, this story came directly from his own life. I believe that this is something that many people go through after high school, and that last summer is always bittersweet. This maybe why so many teen movies use this storyline; it is relatable.

Also, I felt that the acting could have been better, though I can’t say that I could have done better myself (I guess we’ll see since I’m starring in my group’s short film).  It felt scripted. I know that movies have scripts, but I like them to sound like they don’t. It makes them more real. Corey mentioned that he actually let the actors adlib, which was interesting considering I thought it was scripted.  Overall, the movie was good though not my favorite. I am still impressed that he produced this himself. It is something that I would never pursue on my own.

After watching his film, we looked at so spoof trailers.  For example, we watched the a trailer for the happy version of “The Shining.” This is one of my favorite thriller/horror movies, so it was interesting to see it portrayed as a wholesome family movie.  This just goes to show you that with the right music, the right film clips, and the right narrator for a trailer you can make the film into anything you would like. This same thing that was done for “The Shining” was done for the “Mary Poppins.” The new version was called “Scary Mary” and it seriously looked like a scare your pants off horror movie.  Once again, this is due to the type of clips, music, and narration they used.

In my own experience, a “comedy” movie may not be that funny at all when you go to see it in theaters. It is not unusual for there to be numerous funny clips shown in the trailer, which raises your expectations for the movie as a whole, but when you go see it in theaters you realized that those were literally the only funny parts and the film can hardly be considered a comedy. So, what does this say about movie trailers? It says that the can make the film into something it’s not. 

"The Player"

This past Thursday we watched “The Player.” Robert Altman directs this film in 1992. Once again, like most of the films we watch in this class, I had never seen this film. I had actually never even heard of it before. The film revolved around Griffin, who works in the film business. In this film, an angry writer is sending him threatening post cards because Griffin did not get back to him about a film script. Griffin thinks that he knows who the writer is and decides to confront him. He ends up killing the writer but makes it look like a mugging. Griffin ends up becoming involved with the dead writer’s girlfriend. In the end, the writer he killed was not the right guy, but he still gets away with the murder.

This Film is in the genre of film noir.  Though it is not shot in the typical black and white that these types of movies are known for, there are still many shadowy scenes. In addition, this film is constantly giving the viewer a creepy filling, which is also something that film noir films are known for.  Throughout the movie I never knew how I felt about the characters. For one, the “hero” was actually an anti-hero because he was the one who committed murder, but I still couldn’t make myself want for him to get caught. But I also didn’t like that he got away with the murder. The main woman of the film, June, also gave me an uneasy feeling. She feels no sorrow for her boyfriend’s death just as she did not morn for her parents’ death. She simply states, “They are gone.”  Also, she definitely knows that Griffin killed her boyfriend but chooses to ignore it and pretend that she is clueless. All in all, they are a quite creepy couple.

In the end of the film the couple live “happily ever after,” but I would not qualify this as a happy ending by any means. The bad guys wins. He gets away with a crime while doing well for himself in his line of business. Griffin becomes very conniving as the story progresses. Griffin sets up a co-worker, who was vying for his job, for failure so that he could swoop in and save the day. We are always so used to seeing movies where good triumphs over evil that it is strange to see the opposite happens. 

Figuring Out the Details

This past Thursday we got several helpful tips regarding making our short film. The best advice from the workshop came from Eric. He told us to have a Producer. The producer is important in getting the cast and crew together, as well as helps make thing work smoothly when shooting or during rehearsals. I’m just now realizing what a vital role this is. It is so difficult to get a group of people together. Every person has a different schedule, so it’s hard to figure out a time and a place that works for everyone.

We also got some advice regarding shooting our film. It is important to make a list of every scene you plan to shoot and in what order you want to shoot them. This way, if you are at a location (and have the appropriate location agreements signed) you can shoot all of the scenes that take place at this location all at once. This will save time and effort because you won’t be driving back and forth from location to location. Also, you don’t have to shoot the scenes in the order they will appear in the film.

In addition, we watched a documentary on Robert Rodriguez. I thought it was interesting how he did all those different special effects on such a low budget and could think up a special effect at the drop of a hat. This would come in handy for our own short film. We don’t have a very large budget at all. I would like to spend as little as possible, being the poor college student that I am. Also, we don’t have much time to shoot this film. We must keep this in mind as we are creating our films. If we want to do special effects it is necessary for us to do them using as little time and money as we can get away with and still produce a quality film.

For the greatest portion of the class we broke up into our separate film groups. My group nailed down a lot of the details of our scenes. We figured out exactly what scenes we would need and brainstormed some ideas for locations and actors. We also, thought each scene through so we would have an idea of what little things need to be in each scene. This part really helped me because I am the sound editor for our group. Thinking about the details of the scenes gave me an idea of what types of sounds I need to think about recording. For example, rustling papers, squeaking chairs, or cars driving past. Now I know where exactly I need to start when it comes to getting the sound we need for our short film.

Blow Out

In class on Thursday we watched the film “Blow Out.”  This film was not what I was expecting. We have been watching such wholesome movies lately that I wasn’t prepared for the vulgarity associated with this film. I guess I should have taken Donna’s warning seriously. This movie was totally different that “Sunset Boulevard” and “Singing in the Rain” in that it contained more risky scenes, but it did look at aspects of the movie business just as the other films have. 

This film had good content, but I didn’t like the predictability and the cliché scenes it contained. I knew that the girl was going to die in the end from the first time we knew she was in any sort of danger. But what really got me was the slow motion scene towards the end. I wouldn’t say I hate slow motion shots but I would say that I strongly dislike them. They just really annoy me and seem overly cliché.  Another scene that really got to me was the end when the main character was holding the dead body of the girl.  Behind them are the fireworks, which are clearly fake. Things like this always turn me off from the film. 

Though there were several scenes that irked me in this film there were some that I really enjoyed. I loved the long shots. As I have said in previous blogs, this is something I want to try out in my group’s short films. A particular favorite from the movie was the one taken in the sound room and the camera is just constantly spinning around the room. This was slightly dizzying but was impressive.  I also liked the prevalence of sound in the film.  The main character was a “sound man,” which is the job in the film business that has interested me the most. I am actually the sound editor in our group so the film inspired me to go find some sounds.

Aside from the technical aspects of the film, I also noticed some of the underlying meanings found in the movie. This film really says something about America. We are always trying to cover up the ugly side of life just as Sally covers people’s faces with her make-up because, according to her, everybody’s face could use make-up.  I think the best depiction of this idea can be found when the antagonist is killing a woman behind a stone wall while everyone on the other side of the wall is completely oblivious.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. It was interesting and completely unlike the films we’ve watched previously.

Our First Film

 

In this honors film class we are splitting up into groups and each group is making a short two to five minute films. Each group has a genre and every group much have certain things incorporated into the film. There must be a mine or clown, the line “Why is this happening to me today of all days?” and "It would be better for us not to talk about that,” a guitar, a cheese grater, and a skull.

My group’s film must be a romance. We started out imagining some kind of chase. For example, a high speed bicycle chase. We were getting excited about our idea when we discovered our film was a romance, not a comedy or action film like we had hoped. So, we had to adapt. We began thinking about how we could turn our idea into a romance film. We decided that we could have a scene of a couple saying their goodbyes as one gets on a train or in a car. The other would watch her drive away and then realize he didn’t want her to leave. The film would then consist of various scenes where the man is trying to chase down the car (or train) and get back to his love. We have yet to decide on a good ending for this idea.

We also talked about another idea involving a one sided romance. This is my personal favorite, and I believe it is our group’s favorite as a whole. In this story a man is in love with a woman and becomes obsessed with her. In our film he will stalk her, leave her various gifts, and will, overall, be very creepy. She does not return his affection. We have not decided on a good ending for this storyline either, but I am excited about the idea as a whole. This film would add a twist because it is not the typical love story.

For our film I hope to come up with a unexpected twist in the plot. I don’t want it to be cliché with a predictable ending. It has to have a “wow” factor. I believe our group has some creative people in it so coming up with this twist shouldn’t be difficult. I also want to make the film somewhat comic. I think, due to the time restraint, comedy would be the best way to create a captivating film. Comedy can grab a viewer instantly.

Singing in the Rain

This is the first time I’ve seen Singing in the Rain. I knew it was numerous people’s favorite, but I just assumed it wasn’t my type of movie. I was totally wrong…I love this film!  I expected it to bore me a little like most older films do, but I found myself laughing out loud during the whole film.  I thought the story line was great. It was predictable, but that’s what I enjoyed about it. It was the classic story of a main character that is about to lose everything but ends up having a big comeback and, of course, winning the heart of the woman he loves.

 This film depicted Hollywood’s transformation from silent to talking films. This seems to be the plot of a lot of the older movie (Sunset Boulevard, for example).  I found it humorous that people in Hollywood assumed the talking movies were just a fad. It is also kind of sad to see the silent movie stars being pushed aside to make way for the “talkies.”

 I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised that I loved the movie considering it was a musical. I’ve always had a weakness for a good musical. I love the how anything can be turned into a song and how a song can actually move the story along. The dancing was fun to watch and was the focus of much of the film. The “Singing in the Rain” number was my favorite because I’ve seen it copied in so many other shows (especially Family Guy) that it was nice to see the original.

 I also really enjoyed how the film depicted Hollywood; they actually weren’t too far off.  The characters were intriguing and each had a very distinct, strong personality.  My favorite, by far, was the main characters “sidekick.” He was the comic relief in the film. He always had a witty one liner or quick joke to throw into any conversation.  My favorite song was actually done by him in the film. It was “Make ‘Em Laugh.” In this song he was over-the- top, which made it that much better.

The one negative thing I have to say about this film is how long some of the numbers were. I enjoy a good musical number but they can only keep my attention for so long. After a while I get bored with them because most of the time it’s just the same lyrics being sung over and over again with never-ending dance numbers.  But overall the film was great. It was witty, kept my attention, and made me laugh. It may have even made it to the top of my “favorite movies” list.

Plans For My Film

Since I learned at the beginning of the semester that we would have to put together a short film, I’ve been trying to pay attention to some film techniques that I felt could be done for our films. The thing that I really want to try is making sound effects. We learned about how many sound effects were made I was very interested in. The first time I realized that people on the set physically created many of the sounds on a movie was when I watched a special on Wishbone as a child. It takes much more work than I first thought. The sound effects for a film can be found anywhere if you have the knack for making them. This will require a lot of creativity, but I feel that if the people in my group put our heads together we can come up with something worthwhile.

As far as the structure of the film is concerned, I really liked the way Sunset Boulevard was set up. It started at the end and the whole movie was like a flashback. I feel like we could do the same with our short film and it would give it an interesting spin on things. It requires that we have a good transition from the beginning scene and the rest of the film; the viewer must know that the first scene was actually how the story ends and the rest of the movie is a flashback. This structure is something that I have seen in many books I have read and I have actually tried it out when I started writing a book over the summer. It leaves the viewer (or reader) wondering how the story will lead them to the end.

As far as filming is concerned, I think it would be a challenge to produce a scene that is made of one continuous take.  We talked about this in class; it seemed like something that can seldom be pulled off. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t try.  I don’t know that I’ve ever noticed in the films I’ve seen but the fact that it will be difficult makes me want to try.  I’m not sure what type of scene this would work best with so it may be a little of trial and error, but I feel like it could be pulled off with enough effort.

Overall, learning about the various techniques and structures that can be used in filmmaking has made me very excited to try them out in my own film.

 

 

"We Didn't Need Dialogue. We Had Faces!"

Sunset Blvd. It is a slightly depressing story of a delusional silent movie star who has fallen from the top.  The “talkies” had taken over Hollywood and Hollywood left her behind. But to Norma Desmond she was still big “it’s the pictures that got small”.  

She refuses to recognize the state of her career.  In class we were discussing the themes the movie represented.  There was a lot of talk about the film showing how tough the movie business is, but to me the main theme was about disregarding reality and living in the past.  Norma was so lost in her own world that she had no sense of what was real.  She was the star of her own private show.  This film revealed the dangers of denying reality.  If you do, you’ll be crazy like Norma. 

In addition, the people who supported Norma’s delusions were living in a false reality themselves.  They went to great lengths to protect a woman from the truth when the truth is exactly what she needed.  For example, Joe and Max played along with her charade and, in turn, became a part of it.  In a house with no locks, they were trapped, feeding her sickness. Norma made sure of this because “no-one leaves a star.” There leaving would be proof of how far she had fallen.  As Joe puts it, she was a sleepwalker, and you can’t wake a sleepwalker because they may hurt themselves.  The people in her life walked on eggshells so that she wouldn’t have to face reality.  The few times she was forced to see reality, Norma tried to kill herself. The saddest part of this is that if she were to commit suicide she would have few mourners. Her fans had left her. 

In the end, Norma truly lost it.  She was trapped just as Joe and Max were. But she finally got her moment in front of the camera, even if it was for the news and she was heading to the psych-ward.  Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It was the first film noir movie I had seen. I am not one to like older films, but this one surprised me. I think it was the eccentric characters (Norma especially).  This film had opened my mind to older films.  I see the quality in these movies and am now inspired to watch some other older, classic films. 

Behind the Scenes

The featurettes on Star Wars and The Lord of the Ring exhibited some captivating aspects of film.  The Pre-Viz part of production was something I knew nothing about.  It was strange to see the movie portrayed in that manner.  I was amazed at the graphic designer’s ability to turn a storyboard into something so complex.  Many of the scenes from the pre-viz were actually copied for the film. Though learning about the pre-viz process was fascinating, the thing that was truly impressive was how those who worked with the films sounds found the accurate sounds for the movie.  If I were to work on a set this is the job I would want.  It seems to be the most enjoyable job in the process.  It was amazing some of the things they came up with to make the sounds they needed.  I had no idea it was necessary to hand make the sounds in movies; in all honesty, I never gave much thought to the sounds at all. I guess I took it for granted. And while I’m commenting on sound, who knew that a horse could sound so ferocious? That was perhaps one of the most surprising sounds they collected.  All in all, I enjoyed seeing the ins and outs of film production and value film even more. Now the credits rolling across the screen aren’t just random titles and names; I actually understand what they mean.

I’m just now realizing how much goes into producing a film. From writing the screenplays, creating storyboards, and filming to hours of editing, and making soundscapes.  I must say that I appreciate filmmakers much more now; it’s impressive.  But learning all the technicalities regarding producing a film has made me more apprehensive about generating my own short film. It will surely prove to be a feat. One of the most time-intensive elements of filmmaking appears to be editing. At least, I know this will be the part that will prove to be a challenge for me.  I seldom open the edition software on my computer, much less try to operate it.  It’s will be interesting to see how quickly I can learn to use it. Hopefully the upcoming project will force me to study my program inside and out.  I’m looking forward to learning a new skill that is sure to challenge me, which is something I was expecting from the class.

The First Day

In class on Thursday we talked about the history of film. Film has evolved so much since it’s beginnings and has become an art of innovation. I’ve never thought about film from this perspective; actually, I’ve never given much thought to film at all. Sure, I like going to the movies every once in a while, but I know nothing about the art of filmmaking. I can’t even remember the actors’ names the moment I step out of the theater, much less recognize the use of lighting. Due to my ignorance with regards to the film world, I keep wondering what it would be like to watch a motion picture for the first time. Would I have been the one who screamed and ran out of the theater when a moving train appeared on the screen? I’d like to think not, but I probably would have gotten motion sickness.

I found it interesting to think about what film was “like” when it first came to be. I’ve never thought to compare it to anything because film is just film to me. But when film got its start about a hundred or so years ago people needed something to compare it to. To them it was a moving photo, it was theater, and it was real life. Now I feel that movies are nothing like any of these things. It has changed so much over the years. Now film is not like a photo at all. The things we see in movies are not things we can take pictures of in our everyday lives. In fact, the movie plots we see almost never happen in our day-to-day life. If film was a depiction of real life then I doubt anyone would care to see it. Why pay to see something you can live for free everyday? And film is definitely not theater. We are no longer the distant audience; instead, we are a part of the action. The fact that film has changed this much since it first began is quite astonishing.

I hope through this class I can expand my knowledge of film. The activity we did at the end of class forced me to realize how difficult it can be to pick a subject worth filming while taking into account framing, lighting, and the other endless aspects of filmmaking. By the end of the course maybe I’ll be able to understand these aspects and put them into action. I feel that this course will challenge me in ways that I have not been challenged before, as well as, force me out of my comfort zone.