Well, this is my last blog for this class. It’s kind of sad; I’ve entered into a habit of updating everyone on my film class life for this whole semester. It’s weird. Seems crazy how fast time can fly and how many new things you can learn.
We’re still not done with our film yet! It is just now entering the editing process due to some technical difficulties. Although one would think this is a happy thing, it’s actually bad since finals week is NEXT WEEK. This means that all of us are super bogged down with final papers and studying. I hope we can get it all together in the end. I’m sure it’ll all come together last minute like all good things do. I just hate having to wait until then…:(
Since there are no new updates on our film or the class, I’d like to end my last blog discussing my favorite movie of all time. Most people cock their heads sideways when I tell them because they can’t see it as a worthy “favorite-movie-of-all-time” film. But to me, it’s just the perfect blend of drama, action, love, and comedy. That’s right folks, it’s the first Spiderman! Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can. Spins a web, any size, catches thieves just like flies. Look out! Here comes the Spiderman!!!!
I absolutely love this movie will all of my heart. It’s cast beautifully and every scene has a purpose. You love spidey like a brother and a lover all at once. He’s cute, nerdy, and strong too! Sounds like the PERFECT MAN! Well, at least for me. What else could a lady ask for? He saves lives, swings around the city with ease, AND has a periodic table hung up in his room?!?!?!?! Of course, only a biochemistry major finds this attractive, but smarts are always important! And then there is the red head Mary Jane who you love and hate all at once. She’s the beauty that won’t give the hero the time of day until she finds out he’s awesome and famous. You hate her, but then they get together and she makes him so happy that you love her. Of course that dynamic can never go away. There are cute old family members and enemies, beware! This movie has everything in it. I just love it to death. I could go on and on, but I will refrain. Instead, I’d like to end my last blog post with a quote from one of my favorite Spiderman scenes:
Spider-Man: Go web! Fly! Up, up, and away web! Shazaam! Go! Go! Go web go! Tally ho.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Last Stretch...
Film class is winding down to an end and we’ve almost completed our own film. In class last week we waited to get our film digitized to begin editing all the shots together. Due to some unforeseen happenings, our film did not get digitized in class that evening. Of course, we were sad, even devastated! How ever will we finish our film?1?!?!?! But then, VOILA! Our brilliant director Clint had an idea! Of course, with some collaborating betwixt ourselves, we got our film digitized the next day! Now we are ready to hit the ground running with the editing and addition of sound.
Clint and I met on Friday to discuss the sounds we thought we would need for our film. Other than some normal, everyday sounds that one would hear while walking to class and dropping in the student center, we decided we need 3 key songs for the film: an opening song, a song for the climax, and a closing song. We’ve decided to go with classical music for our film. Not only because you can easily find it for free, but also because our main character is a music major and would honestly love that type of music. Did we do this on purpose? Maybe. But I can’t be certain (but if so it was very smart of us!). Being the sound editor, I’m in the process of finding the right song for each scene currently. I have a few songs in mind but I’m just not that knowledgeable in the area of classical music. Hopefully a little Pandora action and YouTube searching will lead me in the right direction.
Besides the digitizing and sound searching, there really aren’t any other updates from our film. Filming itself went very well and we got all the shots we wanted. I think our actors were cast well and did a great job playing their roles. I’m totally excited to see our final product because I feel like we’ve worked really hard on it. We didn’t just do it to get it done, but we did it to create a great short film. All I can hope is that it turns out the way we thought it would. It really is a lot harder to actually go out and make your own film than you’d think. There are so many other elements that you don’t even consider when you’re actually watching a movie. But I’ll have to let you know how it turns out when the times comes!
Clint and I met on Friday to discuss the sounds we thought we would need for our film. Other than some normal, everyday sounds that one would hear while walking to class and dropping in the student center, we decided we need 3 key songs for the film: an opening song, a song for the climax, and a closing song. We’ve decided to go with classical music for our film. Not only because you can easily find it for free, but also because our main character is a music major and would honestly love that type of music. Did we do this on purpose? Maybe. But I can’t be certain (but if so it was very smart of us!). Being the sound editor, I’m in the process of finding the right song for each scene currently. I have a few songs in mind but I’m just not that knowledgeable in the area of classical music. Hopefully a little Pandora action and YouTube searching will lead me in the right direction.
Besides the digitizing and sound searching, there really aren’t any other updates from our film. Filming itself went very well and we got all the shots we wanted. I think our actors were cast well and did a great job playing their roles. I’m totally excited to see our final product because I feel like we’ve worked really hard on it. We didn’t just do it to get it done, but we did it to create a great short film. All I can hope is that it turns out the way we thought it would. It really is a lot harder to actually go out and make your own film than you’d think. There are so many other elements that you don’t even consider when you’re actually watching a movie. But I’ll have to let you know how it turns out when the times comes!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Journey Continues…
This past week was our second and final week of filming! Everything worked out well and we got all the shots we needed. I’m sure there will be some pick-up shots that we’ll discover we need later, but for now we seem to have everything we need. I was able to actually go out and shoot with my team the past two filming times. It was extremely interesting to see how everything works and how time consuming setting up a scene can be. You have to make sure you have the right camera angle, only the things you want in the shot are in the shot, and that the boom is positioned precisely where it can pick up the best sound. It got pretty complicated at times, but our team managed to pull it off.
I must say the most interesting scene we filmed was the death scene. This scene had already been partially filmed the week before, but we needed more shots with the right lighting. Last Thursday, we went out to the same street across from the police department to film our scene. We did inform the police before filming this time, but the general public wasn’t exactly aware. I can’t even describe the faces of people driving by who actually thought something had happened. The words “oh my god” and “holy crap” were uttered so many times by people driving by until we yelled, “it’s for a film, no worries!” It was actually pretty funny to see the reactions of people who didn’t know what was going on. I guess our acting skills were pretty superb! :)
Our scene with the mime was interesting too. Luckily, one of my good friends volunteered to paint her face white and be a mime for our film at the last second. Although she never went to mime school, I will say she played the stuck-in-a-box act pretty well. She was so much fun to work with that I realized why people enjoy filmmaking. I can’t even imagine how many times actors, directors, producers, cameramen, and other important people are just having fun while waiting to film. It can be time consuming, but if the people are easy to work with, it makes the process a lot more fun.
I’m excited that we have all our film ready to go! I can’t wait to see what it looks like once we get through editing all the shots together and add some cool music. I’m sure it’ll be a fine masterpiece!
I must say the most interesting scene we filmed was the death scene. This scene had already been partially filmed the week before, but we needed more shots with the right lighting. Last Thursday, we went out to the same street across from the police department to film our scene. We did inform the police before filming this time, but the general public wasn’t exactly aware. I can’t even describe the faces of people driving by who actually thought something had happened. The words “oh my god” and “holy crap” were uttered so many times by people driving by until we yelled, “it’s for a film, no worries!” It was actually pretty funny to see the reactions of people who didn’t know what was going on. I guess our acting skills were pretty superb! :)
Our scene with the mime was interesting too. Luckily, one of my good friends volunteered to paint her face white and be a mime for our film at the last second. Although she never went to mime school, I will say she played the stuck-in-a-box act pretty well. She was so much fun to work with that I realized why people enjoy filmmaking. I can’t even imagine how many times actors, directors, producers, cameramen, and other important people are just having fun while waiting to film. It can be time consuming, but if the people are easy to work with, it makes the process a lot more fun.
I’m excited that we have all our film ready to go! I can’t wait to see what it looks like once we get through editing all the shots together and add some cool music. I’m sure it’ll be a fine masterpiece!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
And Here We Go
So our group finally got the camera and equipment last Thursday to begin filming for our movie! We have been preparing for that moment since the day our assignment was assigned. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay for filming on Thursday night due to training for a campus organization, but I did receive an update from my group on what went down.
Apparently I missed an eventful evening. Three scenes were shot that night, including what I believe to be our hardest scene. I’m so proud of my group for accomplishing that feat! We also had a run in with the cops, which I’m sure was very interesting! During one of our scenes where our main actor is supposed to be sprawled on the ground, some cops ran over thinking that something real had happened! An ambulance was almost called and everything. From a sound editing standpoint, it would have been really cool to have the sound of an ambulance in the background, but not so much from a real life standpoint. Either way, I heard some great footage was captured and I can’t wait to get to see it. We still have some scenes to film throughout this next week.
It seems that our biggest problem so far is scheduling. It’s hard to get everyone together at once to get things done (me being a good chunk of this problem, sorry group!). We all have different schedules with work, class, and social involvements, but I know we’ll work it all out in the end. Luckily, the next few times for possible filming seem to fit well in mine and most other members’ schedules. I’m excited to be there during the process finally! We are well equipped with the skills and knowledge to get this done properly and I’m excited to see our final product. I know we’ll produce something spectacular!
Once all the filming is taken care of, it’ll be my turn to step in and work on the sound. I’m a little, well actually a lot nervous about this endeavor. I’ve never done any true sound editing and I don’t want to be the reason our film isn’t at its best. I have some ideas on what type of music to put in as background music and as sound effects during special scenes. I’m just not sure how to exactly go about finding and/or recording these special sounds. I’m going to do a bit of research and hope that it answers all my sound editing questions. I’m ready to get started!
Apparently I missed an eventful evening. Three scenes were shot that night, including what I believe to be our hardest scene. I’m so proud of my group for accomplishing that feat! We also had a run in with the cops, which I’m sure was very interesting! During one of our scenes where our main actor is supposed to be sprawled on the ground, some cops ran over thinking that something real had happened! An ambulance was almost called and everything. From a sound editing standpoint, it would have been really cool to have the sound of an ambulance in the background, but not so much from a real life standpoint. Either way, I heard some great footage was captured and I can’t wait to get to see it. We still have some scenes to film throughout this next week.
It seems that our biggest problem so far is scheduling. It’s hard to get everyone together at once to get things done (me being a good chunk of this problem, sorry group!). We all have different schedules with work, class, and social involvements, but I know we’ll work it all out in the end. Luckily, the next few times for possible filming seem to fit well in mine and most other members’ schedules. I’m excited to be there during the process finally! We are well equipped with the skills and knowledge to get this done properly and I’m excited to see our final product. I know we’ll produce something spectacular!
Once all the filming is taken care of, it’ll be my turn to step in and work on the sound. I’m a little, well actually a lot nervous about this endeavor. I’ve never done any true sound editing and I don’t want to be the reason our film isn’t at its best. I have some ideas on what type of music to put in as background music and as sound effects during special scenes. I’m just not sure how to exactly go about finding and/or recording these special sounds. I’m going to do a bit of research and hope that it answers all my sound editing questions. I’m ready to get started!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
“...and God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends. God help you."
In this week’s class, we watched the film “Adaptation” directed by Spike Jonze in 2002. This movie is about a screenplay writer, Charlie Kaufman, who is at a standstill in writing a script based off of the book “The Orchid Thief,” written by Susan Orlean. Charlie lives with his twin brother Donald who also wants to write scripts. Charlie struggles to make his screenplay original and different while Donald creates a screenplay full of clichés and overused ideas. Charlie also has social issues and doesn’t exactly know how to talk to others in any way, shape, or form. Donald is everything that Charlie is not; the good and the bad. At the same time, Susan Orlean has an entirely different plot about writing the book and her experiences. Their stories come together in the end for a wild twist.
The entire film is about the process a writer goes through when writing a screenplay. The whole first half or maybe even three quarters of the film drags by slowly while Charlie struggles to create his screenplay. Then, in the last quarter, a bunch of random events happen in sequence. A ton of clichés seen in other films occur in this last part of the film, which is what makes it end so well. The main character changes his ways and everyone is happy, blah blah blah. The end is ironic because the entire time Charlie wants to avoid clichés at all costs. It was like the viewer was watching Charlie create the movie as the movie progressed. We never knew what was going to happen because he was still writing it. A very different style than I’m used to.
My favorite aspect of this movie is the relationship between Charlie and Donald. Charlie is mean to Donald throughout the film, but Donald continues to love and care for Charlie the entire time. Charlie wants something new and different while Charlie just wants to create something that will make money. They constantly bicker about what is right and wrong in writing, which is one of the funniest parts of the film. Some of my favorite quotes that reveal this bickering are:
Charlie: The script I'm starting, it's about flowers. Nobody's ever done a movie about flowers before. So, so there are no guidelines...
Donald: What about "Flowers for Algernon"?
Charlie: Well, that's not about flowers. And it's not a movie.
Donald: Ok, I'm sorry, I never saw it.
Donald: Hey, Charles. I pitched my script to mom.
Charlie: Don't say pitch.
Charlie: The only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personality. On top of that, you explore the notion that cop and criminal are really two aspects of the same person. See every cop movie ever made for other examples of this.
Donald: Mom called it "psychologically taut".
Their relationship creates such an interesting dynamic in the film that really makes me lean towards the “liking the movie” side. In the end (of course), Charlie ends up learning from Donald and changing his ways because of it. What a lovely idea.
The last thing I want to comment on is the fact that voiceover was used a ton in this film. Every other scene had Charlie or Susan doing voiceover. It was really weird at first, but then I started to get used to it. It seemed to be the easiest way to reveal all of the thoughts of both characters. Of course, this also made it extremely funny when Charlie attended Robert McKee’s screenplay writing workshop where he said to never use voiceover.
The comedy was definitely present in this film, which is the main reason I enjoyed it. If you haven’t checked this film out, I suggest you do so! It’ll be interesting to see how you feel about it when it’s over!
The entire film is about the process a writer goes through when writing a screenplay. The whole first half or maybe even three quarters of the film drags by slowly while Charlie struggles to create his screenplay. Then, in the last quarter, a bunch of random events happen in sequence. A ton of clichés seen in other films occur in this last part of the film, which is what makes it end so well. The main character changes his ways and everyone is happy, blah blah blah. The end is ironic because the entire time Charlie wants to avoid clichés at all costs. It was like the viewer was watching Charlie create the movie as the movie progressed. We never knew what was going to happen because he was still writing it. A very different style than I’m used to.
My favorite aspect of this movie is the relationship between Charlie and Donald. Charlie is mean to Donald throughout the film, but Donald continues to love and care for Charlie the entire time. Charlie wants something new and different while Charlie just wants to create something that will make money. They constantly bicker about what is right and wrong in writing, which is one of the funniest parts of the film. Some of my favorite quotes that reveal this bickering are:
Charlie: The script I'm starting, it's about flowers. Nobody's ever done a movie about flowers before. So, so there are no guidelines...
Donald: What about "Flowers for Algernon"?
Charlie: Well, that's not about flowers. And it's not a movie.
Donald: Ok, I'm sorry, I never saw it.
Donald: Hey, Charles. I pitched my script to mom.
Charlie: Don't say pitch.
Charlie: The only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personality. On top of that, you explore the notion that cop and criminal are really two aspects of the same person. See every cop movie ever made for other examples of this.
Donald: Mom called it "psychologically taut".
Their relationship creates such an interesting dynamic in the film that really makes me lean towards the “liking the movie” side. In the end (of course), Charlie ends up learning from Donald and changing his ways because of it. What a lovely idea.
The last thing I want to comment on is the fact that voiceover was used a ton in this film. Every other scene had Charlie or Susan doing voiceover. It was really weird at first, but then I started to get used to it. It seemed to be the easiest way to reveal all of the thoughts of both characters. Of course, this also made it extremely funny when Charlie attended Robert McKee’s screenplay writing workshop where he said to never use voiceover.
The comedy was definitely present in this film, which is the main reason I enjoyed it. If you haven’t checked this film out, I suggest you do so! It’ll be interesting to see how you feel about it when it’s over!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Amateur?
At the beginning of class last week, we watched a short film created by a senior film student. This movie was about 15 minutes long and had maybe 5 or 6 main characters. The film centered around one male character that was about to leave for college in the late summer. He was a very indecisive character and all of his friends teased him about his upcoming decision. Through talking to the creator and writer of the film afterwards, we learned that it was an autobiographical film. The plot was centered on him in that time of his life. It took a lot of guts for him to create a film basically about himself. The production of his film took a little over a year. It’s crazy to think that he spent that much time on just a 15 or so minute movie. I think his overall idea came across just as he had planned it. He seemed very proud of his work and his creation.
Although I thought the film was a great piece of work, there were still things I found wrong with it. The lighting was bad in many different instances. You could hardly see the characters’ faces or body language. The writing seemed superb but the execution in the acting seemed very amateur. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the ending that didn’t really leave the viewer with a feeling of closure. We still didn’t really know what the main character decided. I know that type of ending is great in some films, like ones that have a sequel, but I just wasn’t feeling it for this movie. Then again, I’m used to watching movies made with hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions, and he spent maybe one hundred dollars if even that? He did a fabulous job with his budget and his experience. My judgment comes from comparing amazing studio-made films to his, so don’t listen to me! I still think he did an awesome job, even though some improvements could be made.
The next part of the class was spent watching a few short films and guides on how to make props. We then broke up into our short film groups and continued to work and plan for our own films. Since I’m the sound editor in the film, I haven’t done a whole lot of work so far in our pre-production. I know what kind of sound I want to use in specific places in the film but I haven’t been able to match anything up to actual film yet. This is a tad bit frustrating, but it’s not anyone’s fault but the fact that we are group 6 and haven’t had our turn with the camera yet. We’ve had so much time to plan ahead that I think once we start filming it’ll all turn out great. I’m nervous about what amateur mistakes we’ll make, but I know we can recover from anything. I’ll be sure to keep you updated!
Although I thought the film was a great piece of work, there were still things I found wrong with it. The lighting was bad in many different instances. You could hardly see the characters’ faces or body language. The writing seemed superb but the execution in the acting seemed very amateur. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the ending that didn’t really leave the viewer with a feeling of closure. We still didn’t really know what the main character decided. I know that type of ending is great in some films, like ones that have a sequel, but I just wasn’t feeling it for this movie. Then again, I’m used to watching movies made with hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions, and he spent maybe one hundred dollars if even that? He did a fabulous job with his budget and his experience. My judgment comes from comparing amazing studio-made films to his, so don’t listen to me! I still think he did an awesome job, even though some improvements could be made.
The next part of the class was spent watching a few short films and guides on how to make props. We then broke up into our short film groups and continued to work and plan for our own films. Since I’m the sound editor in the film, I haven’t done a whole lot of work so far in our pre-production. I know what kind of sound I want to use in specific places in the film but I haven’t been able to match anything up to actual film yet. This is a tad bit frustrating, but it’s not anyone’s fault but the fact that we are group 6 and haven’t had our turn with the camera yet. We’ve had so much time to plan ahead that I think once we start filming it’ll all turn out great. I’m nervous about what amateur mistakes we’ll make, but I know we can recover from anything. I’ll be sure to keep you updated!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I like words and letters, but I'm not crazy about complete sentences.
Tonight’s movie, The Player directed by Robert Altman, definitely sent the viewer on a crazy and twisted journey. Right from the beginning, you’re not really sure what type of movie you’re watching or what it really is going to be about. You know you’re located at a large studio in Hollywood with big name people all around. There’s a conversation about something film in every room and at every corner throughout the entire lot. There are relationships and trickery to get the best plot and actors. A random threatening postcard shows up to a Vice President of a film company. Then, out of nowhere, the main character Griffin Mill, played by Tim Robbins, murders an innocent writer in the back lot of a theater. Talk about crazy?!?! What’s more, he then begins to fall in love with the girlfriend of the writer he just murdered. WHAT?!? Obviously, this film keeps the viewer guessing throughout the entire movie.
At first, this film just seemed odd and out of place. I felt uncomfortable, like I was seeing and hearing something that I wasn’t supposed to. But after the initial craziness in the film, I started to feel at ease with the movie. I began to get to know the characters and feel acquainted with the set. Then random scenes would push me back out of my comfort zone in the film. Every time I felt settled, the movie didn’t want to let me remain there for long. This film definitely pushes the viewer out of her comfort zone to keep her involved in the story, which is all part of its genre of film noir.
Throughout the entire film, I constantly changed my mind about each character and idea presented. I think that’s the main reason why I enjoyed the movie. It kept me interested in what was going on but also allowed me to come up with my own endings. Although there was obviously an ending to the film, many different things could have happened. Altman set the film up so that the viewer could have an active role in predicting what would or could happen in the end.
This film portrayed Hollywood and filmmaking as a nasty, nasty business. It’s all about money, who you know, and what resources you can scrounge up. It even made me feel like it’s not really about talent. If you want to make it in the film business, you have to be quick on your feet and have connections. This film also showed that Hollywood is full of lies and deceit. It’s all one big cover up of the truth. And most importantly (at least to me), it revealed that anything can happen in odd situations. I enjoyed this film and I think it’s worth everyone's while to watch it at least once.
At first, this film just seemed odd and out of place. I felt uncomfortable, like I was seeing and hearing something that I wasn’t supposed to. But after the initial craziness in the film, I started to feel at ease with the movie. I began to get to know the characters and feel acquainted with the set. Then random scenes would push me back out of my comfort zone in the film. Every time I felt settled, the movie didn’t want to let me remain there for long. This film definitely pushes the viewer out of her comfort zone to keep her involved in the story, which is all part of its genre of film noir.
Throughout the entire film, I constantly changed my mind about each character and idea presented. I think that’s the main reason why I enjoyed the movie. It kept me interested in what was going on but also allowed me to come up with my own endings. Although there was obviously an ending to the film, many different things could have happened. Altman set the film up so that the viewer could have an active role in predicting what would or could happen in the end.
This film portrayed Hollywood and filmmaking as a nasty, nasty business. It’s all about money, who you know, and what resources you can scrounge up. It even made me feel like it’s not really about talent. If you want to make it in the film business, you have to be quick on your feet and have connections. This film also showed that Hollywood is full of lies and deceit. It’s all one big cover up of the truth. And most importantly (at least to me), it revealed that anything can happen in odd situations. I enjoyed this film and I think it’s worth everyone's while to watch it at least once.
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