Genre Research

 Okay, so let's be honest here...

We don't quite know yet what our genre will be, but I did some research that has me drawn to certain genres.

Edgar Wright - How to do Visual Comedy

This video changed my perspective on comedy in film insurmountably, because it talks about how techniques in film are used to gain laughs from people, and I saw the genre through an entirely different perspective. I used to believe that comedy was etched primarily by the script and delivery of a line, nothing more. The more frequently I learned to analyze films and their techniques, the more I believe there's more ways to get a laugh than that.  Edgar Wright is brilliant for having introduced new ways to be a part of this genre such as the stylistic graphics and sound effects in Scott Pilgrim, or the unexpected subjects popping into frame.

Project Schedule

My partner Zain Vidal helped us set up a tentative schedule as well (see below), that may also work however given the amount of time and quantity of tasks we are required to do, I thought it would be favorable to have a more accelerated version to ensure we really nail the end result of our short film.

Pre-production: Planning, plot, script 2/17-2/21

storyboard, locations, cast, mis-en-scene 2/22- 3/1

filming schedule 3/2-3/12

Editing movie 3/12-3/16

3/17-3/22: State Thespians Competition

Publicity/marketing trailers started on 3/12-4/9

Reflecting/CCR 3/24-3/28

Last year when I made my tentative project schedule I felt that I didn't allot enough room for mistakes or changes that may occur as the process evolves, so I gave myself a few more days and a breathing period so I can focus on the thespians competition trip coming up. We have lots of work to do!

Project Choice

 

Dearest Blog, 

I'm back again, and I'm so ecstatic to be here.  This has been one crazy last senior year... but I'm ready to get started on this project! I've been waiting to experiment and explore, so I'm taking a risk and choosing to make a short film.

My primary goal for this project, since there's only 5 minutes, is to keep it short, simple, and clever.  As I may have stated previously, I'm a content creator and I love storytelling in different forms but I've never experimented with the creation of a short film.  I believed my movie had to have some "complex" storyline and "intricate" storytelling but as I started to research and dive deeper into the topic, I soon realized that most of them don't have to be that way.

No Me Ama Short Film (Dir. Martin Piroyansky 2012)

This first short film is a student film that I really enjoyed because most of the conflict was happening in the protagonists head.  The story starts with the boy and the girl traveling together, and they encounter several trials and tribulations down the line. Most of the conflict there is either proving or disproving his belief that "she doesn't love [him]." 

So on the outside, his girlfriend seems to love him and show him through her actions, ex: cooking/caring for him, she just doesn't outwardly say it. We are viewing the film through his inner voice's perspective, but the irony lies in the fact that we see so many things going right in this relationship that it's hard to believe he's getting so in his head about the relationship. 

The film drags on and is guided by his inner monologue, until the very end when he recites in his mind "I'm going to break up with her, before she can break my heart." Then when it was finally time to say what was on his mind, he says "I LOVE YOU!!!!" She replies with, "I love you too!"

What makes this film clever in my eyes is the fact that it commenced with the boy's assertion that his girlfriend "doesn't love him." It was clever because it taught us that our reality may not always be the truth, and we musn't let those destructive thoughts consume our mind.

Table 7 Short Film (Dir. Marko Slavnic 2011)

This next short film quickly became one of the best short films I've seen, because it immediately checks off all the marks; short, simple, and clever. It has two locations, (the restaurant and the office) and the storyline is short yet clever and creative. 

In sum, the story begins at a Chinese Restaurant where a couple is having dinner on the brink of a breakup. What they don't know is their whole conversation is being carefully listened to.  Towards the end, we realize there's a whole system created in order to successfully deliver the right message within a fortune cookie.  This is absolutely unethical and an invasion of privacy, but it holds a more positive effect and results in securing the welfare and satisfaction of their customers.  

CCR Critical Reflection

The documentary The First Cut deeply engages audiences by offering an intimate and emotional exploration of the often-overwhelming college audition process for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Through the lens of Martina Rodriguez, a young aspiring performer, the film invites viewers to step into the emotional and psychological challenges of auditioning for competitive programs. By focusing on her journey, the documentary draws audiences into the heart of what it means to pursue a dream with intensity and vulnerability.

The First Cut engages viewers by making them feel the highs and lows of the process alongside Martina and her supportive mother.  It doesn't attempt to shy away from the truth, and it's not reluctant to showcasing some of the more vulnerable parts of the process from the behind the scenes perspective. For example, as Martina is filming her dance prescreen she is overcome by physical pain and tiredness.  This moment demonstrates just how tedious the process can become and can connect with various audiences by revealing such a human response to a stressful situation. In Martina’s world, things aren’t always perfect, and that is precisely what makes her story so powerful. Her transparency reminds the audience that following your passion is a journey filled with struggles and setbacks, and by showing that, Martina helps viewers feel seen and understood in their own struggles.  By shedding light on these issues, the documentary fosters an environment of understanding and compassion, encouraging viewers to engage in conversations about mental health, especially in high-pressure environments like education and performance.

The inclusion of raw, behind-the-scenes footage; such as moments of exhaustion or self-doubt, offers audiences a more profound understanding of the intense emotional toll the process takes on performers. This depiction of Martina’s experience resonates with anyone who has faced setbacks or struggles in their pursuit of a goal, be it in the arts, academia, or any other field. This universal experience of overcoming obstacles, managing stress, and dealing with failure creates a bridge of empathy between Martina and her viewers, engaging them on a deeply human level.  Moreover, the inclusion of this style of b-roll allows the audience to uncover a different facet of emotions from Martina, which allows for a  better understanding of how intense the process is.  

Anyone who has applied to college, is currently applying, or will soon face that process can relate to the pressures Martina encounters. While the pre-screen audition process is unique, the emotional rollercoaster of striving for something big; dealing with the stress, uncertainty, and the fear of failure; is something anyone pursuing a dream can understand. By honing in on this universal experience, the documentary keeps viewers emotionally invested throughout Martina’s journey.  This product can also connect further with parents of aspiring artists, as they learn how to guide their children through a difficult, competitive career. There are several moments in the film that display Martina and her mother's connection, a bond that could resonate with several families that are enduring a similar process such as this. They share a moment of reflection as mom is on the couch on the verge of tears pointing out how "[the process] was a lot."  The evolving relationship provides an additional point of connection for audiences, highlighting the power of familial bonds during significant life moments. This moment of vulnerability adds an important layer to the film, showing that the journey isn’t just about the individual, but about the impact on those who love and support them. For many parents, seeing their children go through the stress of such a competitive process is deeply relatable, and this emotional connection strengthens the bond between the film and its audience. The portrayal of a mother’s concern for her child’s well-being adds depth to the narrative, reminding viewers of the sacrifices made by families when pursuing a dream.  Audiences are drawn into this emotional rollercoaster, which mirrors the universal experience of striving toward something meaningful in the face of uncertainty.

Research undeniably played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of my project, broadening both my knowledge and my perspective in every conceivable way. From the very beginning of our exploration into documentary filmmaking, we were introduced to a diverse array of documentary styles; The American Promise and Exit Through The Gift Shop showed how documenting a process that was recorded over a lengthy period of time can offer a more nuanced perspective of the story as a whole, while others such as the Op Docs experimented creatively with the storytelling. Each style offered a unique approach to storytelling, yet all were united by the powerful connection to our shared humanity. The depth of emotion and the ways in which these films cultivated empathy and understanding among viewers were admirable, and these elements became foundational in the way I approached my own work.

As I immersed myself in these various documentary styles, I found myself deeply inspired by the structure, pacing, and intimacy of several films I encountered. These works became a baseline for how I sought to convey Martina’s story in The First Cut. One key example of a documentary convention was the decision to include an indirect interview between Martina and her mother. This creative choice was designed to heighten the sense of intimacy and authenticity in the film. Instead of presenting a typical back-and-forth interview that might introduce a “second side” to the story, I aimed to focus on the nuances of their relationship. The absence of a formulated interview question allowed the emotional weight of their unspoken connection to emerge more naturally, lending a more raw and vulnerable quality to their interactions.

In sum, my research into other documentaries not only influenced the technical aspects of The First Cut, but also pushed me to think more deeply about how to capture human experiences in a way that feels both intimate and universal. Through this process, I was able to expand my understanding of what a documentary could achieve; connecting the audience to its subjects on a deeply emotional level while also challenging conventional methods of storytelling.

Production Process; EDITING.

Intro to Documentary

Thankfully, we knew what our beginning would be, as we discussed that it would be cool to start it off with the slates that are typically inserted into the first section of an audition. Since it's the first impression that casting directors usually get of performers, we thought it would be ideal to start it off the same for audiences viewing the documentary for the first time. 

I also wanted to include a clip of me reacting to a prescreen callback, without showing the screen to leave some ambiguity and reinforce the message that it's more about the inner fulfillment and knowing that I did the best I possibly could on the process, and now it's out of my hands.

Footage/B-roll

 Much of our footage was already filmed and it was only a matter of editing it together in the premiere pro timeline. At the start, we didn't believe that we were going to make it into a full fledged mini doc, but the footage was actually easy to integrate together. I had several folders in my hardrive that I could look into that were had already organized the footage into three components: dance, song, monologue.

Editing

The editing process is where I was really able to see this project evolve rather quickly, and where I got to experiment with structure although it was something that we attempted to previously establish, I trust in the creative process to lead the piece wherever it needs to go. Furthermore, I will be open to new ideas and a different formatting in order to make the messaging of the story more clear.

Production Process (embracing my inner Thierry)

The Idea

 When we first started a draft of the process, we knew we wanted to gear more towards the bts process of auditioning, a topic that is especially personal to Isabel and I.  While there was no clear idea on how we were going to execute this, nonetheless we carried out with the idea and planned certain shots that we thought might be appropriate.  

In terms of Interviewee's, we had a few potential candidates, however none that we were actually able to follow through with due to several factors; b-roll, time, and vulnerability. In order for this story to come out as fruitful and as authentic as we wanted it to, all of these factors had to be taken into consideration and due to the time constraints that we were faced with, it was favorable to look towards the most viable option which was having me as the subject of the documentary.

Little did we know, I had all of the material I needed to create a short documentary of a process that was so grueling but so pertinent to me, something that had become a huge part of my every day for the past 6 months. There were a lot of different emotions felt throughout the prescreen process, and it's not something commonly captured or discussed for a documentary.

I was so inspired by the Opinion Docs we viewed from the NY times; I believe they emulate the heart and core of what makes a documentary so resonant to people.  They don't need any statistics or factual evidence, it's in the emotion and authenticity of the subject being captured, in the story that is being told. Of course there is always a bias but when I watch those documentaries, I end them with a feeling, a thought, or a lesson that I took from it, that makes the viewing feel that much more fulfilling. 

Again, for this shot in particular, I was so inspired by the Op Doc I mentioned previously called "The Final Chapter" where the main subject is having a conversation with her friend and it's a much more informal interview. In order to film this video, I had two cameras, one capturing my mom and another to capture myself, and I was proud of the moment it created; it added a touch of authenticity to the piece which was exactly what I was looking for. Reflecting on a process so difficult as this requires a full evaluation of what are the most important parts to convey in a film, and I think the relationship between my mom and I throughout was important to address.

Research

When we realized we wanted to do a documentary on the prescreen process, a lot of the research came from experience. Since the process was something that Isabel and I have endured for the past 5-6 months, a lot of it was just about knowing what to include and what to exclude, to ensure the story was told authentically while keeping the parts that are most important to communicating the message. However in order to effectively tell the story, keeping in mind that it's very personal and very vulnerable, there had to be research involved on how to navigate the storytelling.

The American Promise is a documentary we viewed in Stoklosa's class, and it made me reflect a lot on the prescreen process; prescreens held that same type of intensity and emotion, although the moral of both stories are completely unrelated. I admired how The American Promise strived to tell the story authentically, although the directors weren't exactly outside of the situation, and were subjects actively a part of the story themselves.

 To understand how to achieve this effectively, I watched a few documentaries and I also looked up videos and articles for tips. That's when I found Mark Bone's channel, and he brought up some really great points about storytelling. 

                                          

The main thing that got me was the primary question: "Is your film based on a topic or a story?"

If it's based on a story, it should have conflict, the main character of the film wants something; how does it resolve? That has pretty much been the anchor point of what birthed the structure of our documentary. We chose the story route; our documentary was treated as an introspective film; much more reflective of the process than "telling" of the process. 

Usually when it comes to filmmaking or creating, these kind of choices just felt right to me, even if I couldn't explain why.  After choosing "story",  I dug deeper into some research and I found an article that made me feel extra great about our decision to treat the documentary as a story. 

What Makes a Good Documentary

Finding this and the various tips it imparts on its readers was nice because it gave me a lot to consider while I was in the process of creating the documentary, so it was nice to have input to consider from various sources.

Research/ Docs viewed in class

 Truth is, I was pretty green going into the documentary process.

I had such a set expectation of what the structure had to be and what the conventions are, that I didn't realize there were many facets of a documentary that I was completely disregarding. 

Before our lessons, I believed that a good documentary should always provide statistics and good old empirical evidence.  However, the more we watched documentaries, the more they became about sharpening perspectives and shedding light on human experiences, and less reliant on regurgitating statistics that won't really suffice in making people feel drawn to the piece or connected to the story.

As part of our curriculum, we were required to view Opinion Docs from the New York Times. I viewed The Final Chapter and it opened my mind to all of the different types of stories and creative liberty that comes from the documentary process. It's much more fluid and emotion driven that I grew so inspired.

These Op Docs redefined my view of documentaries and showed me how the simplest of stories can truly make an impact; they showed me that not everything had to speak on topics of such a large scale. 

Op-Doc; The Final Chapter 

This Op Doc is so beautiful and such a great example of how the simplest stories in life can be so meaningful for a documentary.

 I learned quickly that more than being informational, it's about exposing audiences to a slice of life.   Every documentary has a bias, tone, and story to tell. I'm really grateful that I was able to expand my knowledge on this topic and open my mind up to a plethora of ways in which a story can be told; it redefined in my mind that there are so many more heartwarming, simple stories worth telling. 

This documentary was such a beautiful example of how a random selection of videos displaying the acts of graffiti can be strewn together to tell a consistent story of the life of an art form that is often misunderstood, and frowned upon. It's evident that Exit Through the Gift Shop did the best it could to tell the story of graffiti authentically, and it's one of my all time favorite documentary viewings we've had in our AICE Media class.

AL Shift; the life update

 Monday, December 2nd. 

Welcome back!! 

Goals:

This year I want to really push the envelope for what I'm capable of, and strive to create media that is not only visually appealing but potent in its message as well. I hope to tell stories that are true to me and that draw from my personal life experiences.  I also hope to gauge a greater understanding of film techniques, and messaging.

Join me as I explore my style, try new things, and continue to discover the kind of artist I want to be!

Creative Critical Reflections

 CCR #1

CCR #2

Film Opening. Tied to Strings.

Here is my film opening Tied to Strings, I hope you enjoy!!

Reflection.

 I cannot believe that this project is over wow.

  I'm gonna be honest, not always in the creative process do I feel the most motivated, sometimes I feel a bit of an imposter syndrome where I feel like my ideas are not good enough or portrayed well enough, but I'm glad that in the end I was happy with the product and I know that I have learned so much and I was already able to apply so much of my knowledge that was waiting to be shared and implemented, so as I reflect I want to just push the brakes and acknowledge to myself how far I've come! 

I learned so much about writing and building a narrative with character through this project, and I know that's going to be worth using in A level!

The BIG Cookie

Hello! I'm Martina Rodriguez and this is my Creative Critical Reflection for my film opening titled Tied to Strings. My story follows a young girl named Nat, who discovers her purpose and passion for art at an early age; is full of creative ambitions from youth. As an artist, she second guesses the value of her art and attaches it to her self worth, she is hesitant about sharing her creations with the world... afraid of what the consequences may be, towards the end of the opening we see she struggles to pursue it, and it looks as if she's leaving her childhood and creativity behind. Now we don't exactly know why that is or what experience made her feel this way, so there's this ambiguity and anonymity created in the film opening, the plot is not entirely black & white from the get go. 

What we DO know is that the film opening is centered around this character that is on the cusp of becoming. Which is conventional and typical of a Coming of Age film. 

#1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups/issues?

Now, according to MasterClass, there are 3 characteristics that encompass the storytelling of a Coming of Age movie.

1. Character and Growth

2. Dialogue

3. Social Commentary

However, there is no inner monologue OR dialogue to explain what's going on through the character's head at the beginning, there is no quirky little explanation that sets up the character's thinking patterns and the plot, (not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not the way I wanted to tell it). It's simply showing us who this person is and what this person does with their free time. The struggle of maintaining that creativity is ultimately what will be addressed in the plot. Will she continue to create? Will she keep on pursuing her passions?

The protagonists conflict is an example of Character vs. Self and Character vs. Society. In this case both of them very much intertwine, as her interactions with society are affecting the way she treats herself and therefore perpetuating this preconceived notion that arts are not as important as other disciplines.

Okay yes, I understand that these movies typically follow through the narrative with an inner monologue that gives a view into the characters mind, like _______ but I didn't want to give too much away at the start of the film even though it's gonna have to get introspective eventually.  I didn't want the viewers to know 100% where the story was going. 

ISSUE #1

According to the source give kids art, the changes in outbox thinking faced a gradual decline... and even in figure 2 we can clearly see that by the time adulthood is reached, creativity is no longer at the 80% mark it once was at 5 years old. But what is to blame???  are the education systems squandering creativity?? Is it social media that's turning people into human dodos?? Follow the rules, do as your told, fit in; all horrible advice. 

ISSUE #2 

https://www.amacad.org/news/american-opinions-about-artists

The fact that the character in the film opening begins to believe that her passions and that art is not a major contribution to society is scary, but she's not the only one. 

 NORC at UChicago surveyed a share of the public opinions on certain professions, and 42% believed it contributed some while only 22% believed it contributed a lot.

The film opening serves as a representation of all artists and younger generations who may have felt discouraged at some point by the societal norms and beliefs instilled in our communities, and even in our governments. 

women in creative industries

#2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

 And since Coming of Age films are very human, and heartfelt, I feel that's the greatest genre to give these values and notions a place in the medium. Which leads me to my target audience, for this film would be on the younger side around 12-22 years, targeting teens to young adults due to the subject matter dealing with growing up and adapting to the world, I believe this would be the appropriate audience.  In a way, everyone can take something away from this film, even adults who have passed beyond this transitional period can find something meaningful in this piece, since the artists importance, particularly female, continue to be underrepresented. Not everyone may identify with the piece, not everyone may understand the piece, but it's important to bring awareness! 

https://phys.org/news/2011-04-teenagers-dont-college-sociologist.html#google_vignette

In other words, teens find coping methods such as avoiding situations and difficult conversations... but that can become maladaptive, so having this product out there would bring light to these conversations and these issues as well as inspire audiences to consider the perspective that being an artist has meaning and value. Some food for thought.

 https://www.givekidsart.org/why-art

My best options for distributing the piece as a real media text would be through social medias and websites, where I can build a brand for myself and push my work out there. It's good to take advantage of the tools alloted in this digital era so that the media texts can gain more exposure and bring awareness. Film festivals are also another great way for media texts to be distributed, as they strive to give student filmmakers recognition even through awards ceremonies!

CCR #2

HOW DID YOUR PRODUCTION SKILLS DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.

Hi My name is MARTINA RODRIGUEZ I will be the host of this podcast ready to discuss more about the behind the scenes of creating this film opening. So discussion questions... fire away! 

 Going into this, I've always put a lot of thought into my work and trying to make sense of a story... what is the purpose, and what will people take away from it. The message has always been super important to me but as to how it was conveyed... that was was not really something I'd have to think about. Moreover, I've practiced making commercials, all sorts of promos, and music videos where I would build on the idea to help find a unique way to market it, but to have to create the product and storyline itself... AND execute it...?!? that was entirely new for me. I had lots of trouble with writing this opening and understanding how to structure it... it tested my resilience if anything, I had to be open and take a risk in order to get a much more successful product! So research was definitely a component I relied on... and watching more movies has definitely expanded my mind and provided a good framework for me to understand how to write and create my own story. My writing skills definitely got better with this project, and I was able to tap into my creativity to connect the dots in a new way!  But in the end, it was rewarding, and I feel like this story is worth sharing! I learned to let free of what others perceived and went with my gut and what I believed! Once I was happier I got more creative. 

 I wanted to use this project as an opportunity to bring on a cathartic experience... one for me to learn from in numerous ways. That I did. I'm going to admit, I chose a pretty difficult topic. It was difficult because it was so personal, and at the beginning I felt like I didn't really know what the plot was even gonna be about after the opening, I was grappling onto my feelings for inspiration, and that was working to my detriment. I also had little experience with screenwriting, and pairing that inexperience with a contentious topic created quite the obstacle for myself. When I started, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to establish a strong sense of character for the audience, so I researched and looked for ways to do so. I learned that when building the character, there has to be an external motive that drives the plot, but also an internal realization that is implicit but acts as the conclusion/resolution in the end, and leaves people satisfied.  

HOW DID YOU INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGIES-- SOFTWARE HARDWARE + ONLINE --- IN THIS PROJECT?

For starters, I was able to use the Sony Alpha 7 IV: Full Frame Mirrorless. My uncle, who works at Comcast NBC universal and got his bachelors at full sail has been a huge mentor for me throughout the years, and I learned from him that it's not necessary to always have equipment that is the latest and the greatest, but (if you have a sort of budget) it's definitely important to do your research on cameras and equipment to know what to spend your money on. I have another camera but that one is more like a consumer camera, moreover the crop sensor doesn't allow for a full frame and clear image, as opposed to the Sony Alpha 7, so that's what I preferred to go with for a more polished look. 

As for lighting, I made use of the practical lighting and made an effort to film in daylight, so the images wouldn't look so artificial. For the shots with young nat, the lighting couldn't be super super bright as I liked creating a tone that felt more melodramatic, so the blinds where there to help stop so much sunlight from creeping in. And for the yearbook picture, I used my ring light to light my actor!

I have been editing with the Adobe softwares for almost 4 years now, and although I've been meaning to learn how to use DaVinci Resolve, I didn't want to risk switching over when I knew these 8 weeks were going to be tough to juggle. Editing is my favorite part of the production process and I was able to put those skills to use in this project. I knew that my photos and videos had to be recorded by myself, so a challenge I faced was matching the color of the yearbook photo with the background ones in the back. I solved this issue by going onto lumetri color where I lowered the midtones in order to get a cooler feel in the background, but I also balanced it out with some saturation so the color of the face didn't get washed away. I loveeee getting creative with the graphics, and for the animation I did on Tied to Strings it was super simple and regal, but it also added something to the story. The purpose of the two Is stretching out in different directions was to make people feel like they were going to meet in the end, but because the I's are soooo far out from each other, the intent was that there was a knot midway and this whole rollercoaster in between that is out of frame. The editing of this graphic was super simple as all I had to do was type out my text with the Bebas font and add two line shape layers, I carrot down to the keyframes and press "add" where I can then select trim paths, allowing me the option to toggle in the keyframe where I wanted the animation to start and finish.

Even towards the end, once I was finished with my opening I thought about including it on my social medias and uploading it to YouTube so people could easily access it.

Editing (for reals??) day 2.

 finally feeling like my opening has some sort of structure, I feel absolutely relieved. That's a picture of my sister up above that I took of her in my room against a grey wall, I figured it be a great way to replicate a yearbook photo. I'm gonna make a quick blog that gives a rundown on my CCR progress, and I will be wrapping everything up TOMORROW!

I did take some Inspo from this film H.A.G.S short !!!

EDITING! (for reals)

 I used this website free pik to download the polaroid frame that I'm using for the snapshots!!!

You can already see that the story is coming along much better, I think having it told through the years is necessary because it nods to some of the conventions of the typical 'Coming of Age' trope but the music bends the genre conventions a little bit, it takes the story into a Drama as well which I absolutely LOVE.

I filmed the rest today. I am so proud of myself for taking that risk and the more that I've practiced I feel like I understood the assignment more and more.

this is a clip I took from the editing, showing baby nat creating and the previous creations on the side to give the viewers context.

So... what's plan B?

PLAN B.

Filming today. 

I got some shots yesterday but I plan on getting the rest today and the baby shots tomorrow... this blog post is going to cover everything! Update on script, shot list, music, genre, because there's not much time to do it all. 

Ideas

I went on short verse and found this really cool yearbook video that I thought might give me some inspiration...

H.A.G.S short

Script

My issue with the last script was that there was so much dialogue, and as I begun the process of editing with that last storyline,  it was lacking in emotion and honestly, it felt kind of corny. Since this film opening can only be at max 2 minutes, I didn't want it to start off that way, I thought about taking the direction of show don't tell. 

"Her" as in Natalie 😅 That one line with the parent I'm thinking of changing it to "what are you now so afraid of nat?" 

SHOT LIST

My issue last time was... there was no shot list! I mean yes there was a storyboard, but I think that having the shot list helps to organize the ideas quite a bit as well, I want to do a storyboard for the shots I'm filming tomorrow, but it's difficult since it's gonna be at another house, and it's hard to visualize just how competent the baby will be... but we're gonna try LOL!

INT. HOUSE-- (consists of cutaways and inserts)

The main purpose of the shots in the old house are to create nostalgia, and show that the baby has always been happy creating.

1) Wide (WS): Baby walking against the window smiling (SINGLE, EYE-LEVEL) -5 secs

2) Medium (MS): Baby drawing, focused; adult hand guiding her in the corner (TWO-PERSON, SHOULDER) 

3) Close Up (CU): Baby hand, taking new colored pencils and drawing (OVERHEAD)

4) Medium (MS): Playing with dog, hugging and comforting each other

5) Medium: (MS): Baby in the closet finding clothes to wear, fashionable (HIGH LEVEL)

6) Long Shot (LS): Baby dancing in the mirror, posing with purse in hand (HIGH LEVEL)

7) Medium Close Up (MCU): Polaroid camera snapping a picture (GROUND/SHOULDER LEVEL)

EXT-- NEW HOUSE (consists of cutaways and inserts)

8) Flip book of shots of Natalie growing up 

9) Establishing (ES): Pulling luggage into the new house

10) Snapshot of Natalie with boxes moving in to room

Tied to Strings Title Graphic Appears on screen

INT. THE ROOM (still 12 year old Natalie)

11) Wide (WS): Grabs light blanket flowing in air 

12) Worm's eye view: Natalie pulling blanket over to make the bed

13)  Close Up (CU): Natalie putting up lights to film

14) Medium (MS): Natalie setting up go pro, recording video

15) Go pro image shown (Natalie singing with microphone)

16) Medium Close Up (MCU) Natalie snapshots with polaroid and friend

EXT. BACKYARD (16 year old Nat)

17) Long Shot (LS): Natalie jumping in the pool (Back view) -- go pro

18) Long Shot (LS): Shot of Natalie from inside the pool, swimming in (go pro)

18) Wide Shot (WS): Natalie swimming inside pool (go pro)

19) Wide Shot (WS): Natalie swimming inside pool (Sony)

Music

Okay so I use a site called envato elements and that's usually where I find the music I'm going to use, it's not free... but I know there are some assets there that you can download without a subscription. I made a folder with some of the sounds I plan on using. 

I found the right music!!!! I wanted to find something nostalgic, I ended up not going with any of the ones in my collection and choosing a sound that I found just now on envato! It's upbeat, nostalgic, and doesn't sound so corporate, it holds some mystery but it's still playful just enough. 

Taking a risk: is it worth it?

Yes.

I'm gonna be honest I've been feeling a little bit awkward with the direction this project has taken because it didn't really feel like there was much meaning to the storytelling, and the message wasn't direct enough.

I've had lots of experience with all facets of production yet I don't have much experience with screenwriting... I've practiced making commercials, all sorts of promos, and music videos, but I've never actually practiced making films before. I have to admit, I had lots of trouble with writing this opening, it was frustrating and I almost got discouraged... but everyone has got to start somewhere and I still have time to fix it!! So instead of lingering on in those emotions of stress, I looked for solutions and answers.

Back to the roots

To fix my issue with the storytelling, I went back to the overall theme and purpose of the story, which was to eventually show that the character found success as a creative and grew less and less fearful of rejection. This character was almost living like a double life and realized she had to choose between fitting in, and being her true self, but then took full ownership of who she is!

Researching

I thought I would go back in and do some extra research... this video made some really great points and proposed different ways in which a film may start, some pretty neat structures!!

I am thinking about still using some of what I filmed but I'm going to shift the way it's told, I will overlay some of the audio that I got 

What have I been up to: everything.

Editing!!

I chose to edit using Premiere Pro since I'm already familiar with the program and thought it would make the process a whole lot easier.

  I started by editing the flashbacks so that I could nest them and focus on the sequence where the character is older and creating. Once I'm done with the line edit I will be adding the titles!!! Thankfully I've chosen the name of the film.

There's not much to uncover here as I'm just adding the clips and making sure the pacing of the video and conversations is good and not awkward... once I get into graphics I will have to explain a lot more!!! 

What Problems have I ran into??

For the sake of time, I don't think I will be able to include the last portion that is in my script, I wrote more than I could actually fit... so I think I'm just going to roll with the flashbacks and establish the character before all else. 

Also the audio in this one clip has an annoying tap noise that I can't get rid of... I'm gonna find a different take to see if it works better because it's really bothering me.

 

After editing the flashbacks, I needed to start on the real bulk of the editing and that's when I knew I'd be heavily reliant on the music to drive the emotion forward.

My favorite part is you guessed it; EDITING. I'm an editor first and I always will be above all aspects of production, it just brings me absolute joy. it all just comes together and it's my way to experiment with the style and the flow. 

An idea arose!!!

For context: When I was shooting these shots I was in the garage, and there's a mirror that was in front of where I had set up the tent... you follow me??

***Pic for reference

So when I had the lights out, my camera was practically incognito, you couldn't see anything but the fairy lights that illuminated the tent, but then a funny thing happened, the tent went out of focus and thats when I got the glorious shot of BOKEHHHHHHH. I immediately knew after that, I was going to abuse tf out of this bokeh shot to enhance the lighting in my videos. This wasn't a shot I meant to get, but I'm really happy it happened because it wasn't my initial thought to include bokeh!!


So this was my result!!!! (with no vfx needed, simply practical)
But how did I remove the black??? Let me explain.


After uploading the footage into the software, I tapped on "Effect Controls" there's an option below the opacity called "Blend Mode," which allows for a different stylized appearance of the video, adding more dimension. I chose the Screen blend mode.

The End Result!!!!

Look what I got just from NOTICING THE ENVIRONMENT!!!!! Yay. Yay. Yay. 

Film opening title????

 I thought of the name Tied to Strings...

For some context, I took inspiration from this saying, and I thought it would work amazingly well in representing the film opening as a whole. I thought of this because the character of the story feels so influenced by the commentary provided by others of a certain significance in her life, that she withdraws from her own full potential. I like that the title is a metaphor and is relevant to the story without giving too much away.  I also love having the repetition of the consonant "t" which makes it more memorable, killing two birds with one stone!

So that brings me to my next question... what type font will I choose??

I found an article highlighting the evolution of Typefonts, which gave a brief history from Bauhaus to the post-digital era. The font style that intrigued me the most was much more minimalist, and I can imagine that will correlate best with the title strings. I like serifs, I'm still looking into it but once I'm done filming then I will finalize my choice.

This is a motion graphic video sample I found on YouTube of kinetic typography. I just looooooove the beginning of this sequence, it's super captivating and since the title card will occur at the beginning, I need it to set the tone for what the storyline of the film might entail.

filming day 2!

 

 So we just finished filming the first flashback with the young characters!! They're dressed in the white polos and I printed it out the scene with the lines highlighted for them to reference from the script while I got to set up the equipment and props.

Here are some of my fav stills!! (raw footage that I have yet to color grade)

This scene took some time to film but I was super grateful that my sister's friend was able to portray the boy in the film opening, I decided to treat them to a well deserved Menchie's!!

In the next blog I'll be sure to detail the title of my film opening and its placement!!!

Update on filming

 I'm back on here for another blog! I'm filming the younger kids flashback of Natalie and the boy working on the project TODAY! I got my sister and her friend to be my actors, and I will be filming the car flashback sometime later this week as well. 

This week has been BOOKED with school work, I've had to turn in quite a few assignments recently assigned before the quarter ended. I've also had a lot of my friends ask me to act in their film openings as well and I just couldn't say no to them. I loved helping my friend Mariana and working with her as an actress to help convey the message of her film :))

Here's a cute little BTS from her filming process (I'm the girl in red)

 This week however, I can finally set my energy towards finishing this project! I'm pretty passionate about this one so I'm getting ambitious with my choices in order to fully immerse the viewers. I'm so thankful for all of this time during the break that I have to really work on it!!!

Script Scene Change Update

I'm gonna need to fix this part of the storyline because we could not get it to be filmed in a classroom setting, however, I'm going to allude that these kids were working on it after school and so that is why it's going to take place outside of Natalie's house!

Mis-En-Scene elements will include several crafting tools such as acrylics and cardboard to further support the fact that she is working on the artistic aspect of the project!!!

Here's a close look at the outside of the house:

I really want to take advantage of this space because it's so beautiful and calming, I thought it'd be a nice spot for two little kids to be working on a fun project!!!