As a part of my film team, I will have evidence of strong and weak actor movements to reveal actor mental state and have evidence of blocking using NoFilm School’s Why Blocking is Essential.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
David Lynch
David Lynch is an influential and critically acclaimed filmmaker known for his odd and abstract films/art. Lynch was born in America and attended many different art schools. He’s directed some of the most iconic films of all time, films like: Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, etc.
It’s not the director’s job to have every detail perfectly envisioned
A substantial part of a director is working with a team in a cooperative way
The director should work with other filmmakers to understand how they interpret the film
The director’s job is to get the film done through delegation
By just communicating to people as a director, a film should, in theory, be able to be finished.
Project Timeline
Brainstorm ideas
Write Script
Film Scenes
ADR
Compose Music
Editing
Finalize
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)
Skills Commentary
0:02 – I created the music for the film
0:20 – This section is meant to be some sort of flashback/hallucination from the injured character; this was to establish an existing community
1:16 – I decided to add in a title card to pay homage to classic horror films; title cards are a big part of the immersion in those films.
1:20 – The multiple babies seen throughout the film are primarily supposed to establish a horrific/disturbing environment.
2:20 – For the scream, we had every member from the film team make some odd/horrific noise that would evoke a monstrous sound.
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
During this production, as director, I made many choices and decisions that exhibited creativity, problem solving, etc. When it came to filming and location, I made the decision to film outside campus and in an area that would be appropriate for the content in our script.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
For this project, my crew and I all worked effectively together and used many forms of communication to make sure the film would come together. We also used social media to communicate when we were outside of school.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
For this project, I used information provided in the class and on schoology/the internet.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
Outside of this production, I worked in the capital theater production which took up a lot of my free time. Outside of the musical, I spent a lot of time watching movies/tv, playing guitar, talking to friends, etc.
Reactions to the Final Version
“This is very cool what you put together. You should have confidence going into the next film…Keep going, great job” – James
“You did the eerie comedy part really really well…tighten up transitions…Keep doing more like this to find yourself improving.” – Tim
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
Simple – The theme and premise of our film is simple and straight forward.
Unexpected – There are many subversive elements in our film, like the title card, the nail biting gimmick, the babies, etc.
Concrete – A concrete element of our film was the score/music. I purposefully made sure the music was strong and appropriate.
Emotional- Our film exhibits both horrific and comedic tones to convey certain feelings/emotions.
By March 2nd, as part of my film team, I will explore the film director’s skill pathway by following The Visual Story by Bruce Block and will have created scenes that explore and focus on movement in our project.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick is a famous and critically acclaimed filmmaker whose influence is obvious throughout cinema history. He directed films from 1951 to 1999 (the year he died). He directed some of the most iconic and memorable films, like The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, and Dr. Strangelove. He is known for his focus on perspective through visuals, his perfection, and his competence in his filmmaking.
Training Source(s)
The Visual Story By Bruce Block
Movement:
Actual Movement
Apparent Movement
Induced Movement – Occurs when a moving object transfers its movement to a nearby stationary object.
Relative Movement
Contrast and Affinity – There are many ways to employ contrast and affinity.
Speedy – If all objects move at the same speed, affinity is produced and the intensity is low.
0:00: The music is meant to exhibit a happy/positive feeling, considering how the character feels.
0:09: The music that starts here is meant to exhibit a more dark feeling in contrast to the previous music.
0:52: The ending is a twist ending that was added during production. This ending is meant to sort of show a cycle in the story.
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTIdON
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving).
While being director for this production session, I used a lot of critical thinking and problem solving. A major decision I made, as director, was the choice to have the extended/twist ending where another person is at the end of the hallway which creates a feeling of a cycle in the story.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
While working on this project, i communicated and collaborated with every teammate to make sure that everything was understood by everyone, including myself. As director, it was critical to my role to make sure that everyone properly communicated with me and each other.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
For this project, I used information provided in the class and on schoology/the internet.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
Outside of the production, I spend my time doing school work for both Capital and running start. For my free time I spent time with friends, playing guitar, watching movies/tv. Recently, I got back into another session of theater where I work in the light crew.
Reactions to the Final Version
After our presentation, we were complimented by one of the advisory members (forgot their name). They essentially said they liked our film and enjoyed how, on my presentation, how I made it clear what I did with movement in the film.
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
Simple – The premise of our story was simple because it is a remake of our first film production.
Unexpected – At the end of the story, we decided to extend the ending from the original, which adds more to the story.
Concrete – A solid element in our film is the continuity of the characters and their movement. It’s generally consistent and generally makes sense.
Emotional- Our film exhibits certain emotions of fear, happiness, etc, through the music that was implemented in.
What I Learned and Problems I Solved
For the production cycle, I learned that there may be better techniques and solutions to technical equipment; the first session we used in a phone for cinematography, which looked the best out of our other films. For later productions, we might fall back on using a phone as a camera instead of one of the ones provided in the class.
By January 28, as part of my film team, I will explore the sound pathway by following the Horror Sound Design tutorial and will have created scenes that add a horror atmosphere to the film of our January project
0:26 Gunshot sound effect was made by hitting hollow objects
0:27 Fall sound effect was made by having someone drop pieces of wood
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
While being the sound designer, there were many problem solving, critical thinking, etc. One major decision, as a sound designer, that I had to make was choosing between audio from the mic from the camera, or audio from the boom mic. Eventually, I decided to just use ADR instead because it sounded the most coherent.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
I communicated and collaborated with every member on my team. I made sure to do this because it’s always important to make sure everyone understands what’s going on. Whether it was asking about where the boom mic should (so it wouldn’t interfere with the shot of the camera), or asking the actors to clearly say their lines, there was a lot of teamwork on my part.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
For this project, I used the class resources for information about sound and also youtube, articles, etc.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
Outside of this production I spent most of my time doing school work, both at Capital and SPSCC. I was also a part of the most recent theater production where I worked with the light crew. For free time, I would generally just hang out with friends, play guitar, watch movies/tv, etc.
Reactions to the Final Version
After our presentation, I was told by Daniel that the audio in the beginning of the film was a little muffled and could’ve been clearer.
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
Simple – The premise of our story and the script are easy and concise.
Unexpected – Near the end of the story, and the middle, Ethan’s character surprisingly kills two characters.
Concrete – A solid element of our film is the music, it’s appropriately used through out the film, and has many interesting adjustments.
Emotional – Our film exhibits and projects a mood/emotion that is more correlated with horror and especially comedy.
What I Learned and Problems I Solved
For this production cycle, I’ve learned that, although there are many sources to use for audio, you have to be very specific and careful in which one choose; it may be too loud, too quiet, unclear, etc. Even if you have many resources, not all will work well while filming.
Dr. Tyson believes that even though blatant racism was eradicated in America long ago, there is still casual and systemic racism that affects non-white Americans to this very day.
How often do movies challenge certain stereotypes of race?
Black characters have been manipulated as “ground level” enforcers.
Some films correct stereotypes and some misrepresent marginalized races.
Specific: I will practice using story beats and identifying them in the film as a director.
Measurable: I can measure my progress for this goal by checking for story beats in the film once it’s done.
Achievable: I have the skills to meet this goal because I’m already familiar with identifying specific aspects of stories.
Relevant: I’m setting this goal right now because I recently learned of the concept in class. It’s also an important concept to understand and use in filmmaking.
Time-Bound: The deadline/the time given for this project was about 2 weeks, which is fair and realistic.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Primary Source: Shaun of the Dead
Director: Edgar Wright
Music and editing synced up with movement/action
Fast pacing
Making anxious/horrific moments comical and humorous
Secondary Source: Edgar Wright – How to Do Visual Comedy
Uses humor using visuals
Create inventive jokes out of moving characters from location to location
Use interesting foreshadowing
Utilizes the ability to take the most mundane scenes and make them authentic
Edgar Wright is an incredibly unique filmmaker that always prioritizes making original and enticing films. Through visual gags, synchronized audio, and many more profound techniques, Wright does a great job at perfecting his films with small, yet substantial techniques that, in the end, make his films stand out.
Training Source(s)
0:41 – Your audience needs to understand your characters
0:47 – Suspenseful music begins as character gets questioned
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
Ways of Thinking: During the process of the filmmaking, there was a lot of critical thinking as a director. One of the first and most significant choices I had to make was the location of filmmaking. We decided on a location that was close, convenient, and relevant to the screenplay.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
Ways of Working: My team members and I communicated through out the whole process of the film. Before making any significant choices, I checked and communicated with my team to make sure everyone understood what was happening.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
Tools for Working: For this specific project, I used resources provided from the class folder. I researched and learned about useful directing tips.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
Ways of Living in the World: During the production, I spent a lot of time working at my former job. When I wasn’t working I was busy doing school work at SPSCC and doing finals. Outside of work and school, I would spend my free time watching TV and movies, hanging out with friends, and doing tech (for theater).
Reactions to the Final Version
After present our film to the class, Daniel (another director) gave some feedback saying “the intentional censor bars, if explicitly stated, could’ve been played off as a joke, but It came off as more distracting than an actual joke.” (That wasn’t the exact quote, but it’s the same idea of what he said) Now I know next time to specify and make it clear what aspects are jokes and what aren’t.
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
Simple – The premise of our story, the log line, is concise and easy to understand.
Unexpected – Near the climax of the story, when Ethan gets confronted about 3 am videos, there is an unexpected twist in the story when Ethan is taken away.
Concrete – The consistent use of having Ethan talk in only three word sentences was a concrete aspect of the final version.
Emotional – Our film was a thriller and with the music, actors, lighting, etc, it was made clear and a strong, consistent emotion was active throughout the film.
What I Learned and Problems I Solved
For this production cycle, I learned that there are boundaries to the stories that are created in specific situations and that some ideas are too explicit for class. A problem I solved was helping the audio person with the music. Our audio person wasn’t able to produce any music that would fit well with the movie, so I helped contributed to the music in the film.