The Beginning of the End

Throughout the week I did manage to film the car scenes. In my last two blogs, I explained that I was going to start filming in my car. On Wednesday did all the car scenes and today I started editing. I first started my editing on studio pinnacle. This application is available for free on the school computer in my media class so, I tried to have everything ready. As usual, pinnacle studios took forever to work. I arranged the scenes that I filmed in order and edited each one. The minute I retrieved a computer I hooked my phone up to it. I recorded the best that I could on there and I think it came out pretty good. I put them into a specific folder for the movie and started the time-consuming task of using pinnacle studios. After it loaded up I imported all of the clips into pinnacle studios. I imported four scenes into the software and started tweaking with them. Before doing this at school, I edited a sample at home with those same four scenes. I used iMovie instead of pinnacle studios at home. With iMovie, I found it easier to edit and get what I want to be done. I prefer it over pinnacle studios and if I can’t use it to turn in my final, I plan on using it to at least make sample films. Since I have a limited amount of time in class to use pinnacle studies I think that iMovie is the best bet for me to get things done efficiently. Using iMovie first, I cropped down the clips to exactly what we would need to emphasize that this is a film under the Thriller genre. For certain shots, I slowed them down just a little so they are smoother. For others, I sped them up to replicate human actions when it is a point of view shot. Of course, that was easy to make on iMovie and my goal was to replicate that same sample with pinnacle studios. The first thing I did was crop all of the scenes that I imported and merged them together to keep it as continuous as possible. Seeing as those four scenes are the end of the film it wasn’t too much work. I saved the final result and exported it back into my file so I could see the end result. 

Car Filming

So this weekend I also didn’t get to film the main chunk of the video like I wanted to. It rained again and I worked all weekend. However, the free time that I did have, I put it into filming the car scenes. The setting of the movie was at night so I had to wait throughout the day to finally record that part. During that time I added more onto the storyboard so I can get more details in. While the official filming date is still on the 29th of February I did manage to shoot some mini shots. I showed my partner the shoots taken and we decided on more shots that could be filmed before the official filming day. This took the help of my friend Naelys who is also one of the main characters in the film. I decided to record on my phone so my partner and I wouldn't have to deal with the checking out process for the cameras. It was fine for my friend Naelys to sit in for that scene because the actor was never seen. The first thing I did was go over the shooting script and pick out the car scenes. Those ended up being scene 20 to 24. While it is just four scenes, I believe that getting easy scenes like that out of the way is the most important thing to do. We are planning on filming at night so we have a limited amount of time to film. In order to stay safe, we would be filming at 7'oclock in order to get the night sky but it is still not too late. Depending on the quality of the phone video, it might be included in the final product. Seeing that the whole film will be taking place at night I knew that we'd, Naelys and I, would have to wait until 7o'clock before we even thought of filming. Once the sun started to set we got into my car and I started setting up the scene. The only problem that could occur is the lighting being too low and the camera is unsteady. In that case, I took extra measures. I moved my car right under two streetlights, which will be similar to the actual thing, so we had good lighting. I also made sure the setting that is seen from the windshield wouldn't be different from when we film in the official location.

Rainy Weekend = No filming :(

This presidents’ day weekend seemed promising. I had a four day weekend which would give me ample time to start filming right? WRONG, I was so sorry wrong, this whole weekend it rained. All-day and night it rained. This completely ruined any chance of filming. Since our film would take place around night time there was some hope that I’d be able to film at night some days but it wasn’t possible at all. The one weekend that I could hope that Florida would be all sun it ended up being all rain. That was so disappointing honestly. I still have 3 more weeks to film which I believe is very doable. My partner and I  both work so it’s kind of hard to coordinate when we will film. The time limit helped us come up with an efficient schedule to film. We plan the finish the initial shoot on the first day of filming. For this, I took off of work on the 29th to have an official day of filming. While I wait for that day, I will be trying to get the clips that don’t need specific characters in it. I want to make sure I have enough clips to go through with editing. For example, in scene 14 and 20, the only thing seeing is a bat raising so I can film that scene now without being in the official filming location. I also can film the scenes in the car because the setting isn’t shown so that part can be filmed anywhere. Even the phone call scene, which are the ending scenes to the opening sequence, can be filmed now because they’ll take more editing. Even though I wish I could’ve gone to the official filming spot, I can still get a lot done without going there yet. 

Planning Blog: Storyboard

In this PowerPoint, I have included my storyboard. My group members and I have collaborated on the storyboard. We drew the storyboard, scene by scene based on the shooting script. Each page has six pictures and each box is supposed to represent six seconds of the film. The PowerPoint consists of a total of 10 slides and nine of those slides have a page from the storyboard. Under each box, it shows what is going on if the picture is hard to understand, like if there is a backshot. Each box is numbered to avoid any confusion when it is time to film. The storyboard will be brought with us to the set so the film can be produced the way we have been planning. The illustration expresses the visual aspect that the shooting script lacked. The shooting script made the drawing process of the whole storyboarding process like we had planned. The storyboard will not include the shooting directions like normal. We will use a printed copy of the shooting script to have all of the shooting directions and dialogue.

Planning Blog: Title Design

   In this PowerPoint, I am explaining the title design that will be in the film. In the first slide, I am presenting the creators of the PowerPoint and what the Powerpoint will be about. In the second slide, I listed the titles in their right order along with the information that goes will that certain title. In the third slide, I am showing how the titles will look. In that slide I also say the specific directions to avoid any confusion during the editing process or creation of the storyboards. In the last slide, I explained the purpose of the design of my titles. Initially, I looked up a bloody font generator, but it was too complicated. The font generator would not let me copy and paste. Instead, I required me to download the image of the font I had typed out. I figured this would be too difficult to do during the editing process, so I scrapped the idea. After that, I decided to "play around" with the fonts on google slides and go from there. 

Planning Blog: Locations, Participants, Health, and Schedule

   
  In this PowerPoint, I am showing the additional components of the film. I am explaining the location, health, schedule, and participants. I have also included images of all the participants and locations that will be used in the entire film. For the location, I have inserted the two places that we will film. For the participants, I am showing everyone who will be in the movie and what their role in. Everything from the PowerPoint is final, except for the schedule. The dates and things we do from the schedule are subjected to change. Some things may change from the schedule, because the weather may not permit us to film, or the participants may not be able to meet a certain day. Two out of the four participants have a job so it may be difficult to find days that will fit everyone's schedule. We plan on requesting a day or two off from work if necessary. 

Planning Blog: Sound and Dialouge

In this PowerPoint, I am planning out the script for the film. For this script, I will include the variation of sounds, dialogue, and music that will be heard throughout the film. I am planning all of these details before we shoot the film, so it facilitates the whole filming and editing process. Making a script is far better than figuring out on the spot how we will film and what sounds will be in the film. We will arrive at the scene knowing how everything is going to happen. In the script, I have also included if the sound and music are dietetic or not. I have stated how strong the intensity of sounds will be, like if how quiet or loud. In the script, I also state which type of music will be in the film. The script is final for the most part; we will not have any major changes. If we decide it is best to add or remove something, that will be done, otherwise, everything is final.
 

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

In this PowerPoint, I am simply planning out the shooting script for the film. Then in another PowerPoint, I will plan out the other components of the film. I am planning before we shoot the film, so it facilitates the whole filming process. Rather than figuring out on the spot how we will film, we will arrive to the scene knowing what is going to happen. In regards to knowing what will happen, I will also know which camera movements and angles we will do. Each slide represents each scene that we intend on filming. The slides will show the camera movements and angles, but also what makes up the whole scene. This script will include some of the sound and dialogue that will go into the film. All of the dialogue and sounds will be described in the next PowerPoint to avoid any sort of confusion or possible "mix-ups." I am planning on having the PowerPoint be between 10 to 20 slides, which represents a scene.