Planning for my CCR

 As I prepare to create my CCR and wrap up filming, I decided I should plan out the answer to some of the questions that need to be included. 

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Throughout this project, I've learned how time-consuming producing a film is, even if it's 2 minutes long. I spent most of the time available to plan which I didn't think was necessary. Turns out nothing would've worked out because without planning the outfits, mood boards, genre research, etc, I wouldn't have been able to produce a proper film. When it came to filming, I really understood how much lighting and camera movements affect not only the mood but how the whole piece is interpreted. I played around with lighting pre-filming but my sister suggested dimming the lights to enhance the romantic mood of Serena and Ben dancing. I also learned a lot about post-production and how important it is to bring a film to life. For example, the color hues and the sound make a huge impact on how the piece looks. 

How did you integrate technologies-software, hardware, and online- in this project?

Technology played a huge part in this project as it was used for filming, planning, editing, etc. Websites such as canva made my idea come to life possible as it allowed me to use a variety of templates, fonts, and stickers which also helped with organizing my ideas and knowing what I really wanted. Although I was planning on using my mom's Canon EOS R6 for filming, it wasn't available when needed so I had no choice other than to use my phone. Nowadays the quality of iPhone cameras is quite good so I had no problem in using it. Lastly, the cherry on top which made this idea become a reality is Imovie. When editing I tried out software such as Adobe Premiere and DaVinci resolve but ended up sticking with IMovie as I was familiar with it and was able to manage. 

Editing

     I got to editing as soon as as possible. At first I tried to use Adobe Premiere since I had some previous experience on it from 2 years of taking film in middle school. Once I opened the software and tried to edit on it I realized it had been 3 years and I had completely forgotten how to use it. Since it's not a very easy program to use I asked my friends what editing software they were using. One of them told me he would be using DaVinci Resolve so I downloaded it and also had trouble figuring out how to use it. I went back to the basics and opened iMovie and started cutting clips and adding music.

    So far I'm really liking how it's turning out although I have a long way to go since I underestimated the time this would take. When I was editing my first few clips I realized I made a mistake by setting my camera to different resolutions so some clips have lower quality than the rest. I'm considering refilling those clips but I'm not sure yet. I plan on finishing editing and starting my CCR by Sunday at the latest but hopefully Friday or Saturday morning. 

Here's a sneak peek from the editing process:

Although I've run into a few problems over the course of this project, I'm glad I've figured it out and made it work. 

    

film day 1

 The day has finally come and today was my first day of filming. About 2 hours before, I texted everyone that is taking part in the film and confirmed that they would be attending. Luckily, everyone agreed and I told them to arrive at around 7:30 just after the sun set. As soon as they arrived we got to work. 

    Since we couln't film in Brey's room anymore and we had settled on the living room, we decided to dim the lights and put a fake fireplace on the TV to settle a romantic mood in addition to the music and the song. The first part of the opening scene which is Naomi and Ben ran very smoothly and I was very satisfied with it. I decided to add the shot of Ben looking out the window for a dramatic effect and like i previously mentioned, to introduce the main conflict of the film.

    The second part of the film which consists of Leo and Naomi also ran pretty smoothly although im considering re-shooting the part where Naomi runs out of Ben's house in slow-mo. Once i get to editing I will see how it looks with the slow motion effect and if anything I can just re film as it isn't a very complicated shot. 

    Luckily, my sister had to do this project last year and she helped me a lot with the camera movement and details. 

Here are a few pics from filming day: 

Pre-filming

     Today is the day before filming day. As I'm getting the last few details down, I've stumbled upon a few challenges. Luckily, since they were minor, I was able to adjust a few of the scenes so everything continues to run smoothly. 

Challenge:                                                                               Solution:

1. Couldn't get Naomi's outfit on time                                   Get an outfit with a similar vibe

2. Can't film in a guy's room                                                  Film in living room instead

3. Can't use choice of Camera                                               Use my phone as a camera

    The first challenge I had was getting Naomi's juicy couture tracksuit. I was initially going to use my friend's tracksuit which she had agreed to let me use for the film. Unfortunately, she went away to Paris so I don't have a way to get the suit. My sister and I searched through her closet and found a matching set that looks like something Naomi would wear. 

    The second challenge had to do with the filming location. I planned on the first scene to be filmed in a typical boy's room so Brey (Ben) volunteered his room. While I was talking to him today to confirm our filming time tomorrow, he informed me that there would be a family reuinion at his house tomorrow so he wasn't sure if we could film at his place. We decided to just film in the living room instead which would have way more space anyway. 

    Lastly, the third challnege I faced was that I couldn't use my mom's Canon EOS R6. As i previously mentioned in my "Camera Equipment" blog post, my mom is a photographer, on filming day (tomorrow), she has a class at night which prevents me from using her equipment to film. I resorted to just using my Iphone camera which has pretty good quality, not the same as a camera but still does the job. 

    On a brighter note, I found someone to play the character of "Leo". My friend Brian said he was happy to help and be Leo for one night (or maybe two). I can't wait to start filming tomorrow and get back to work as i've had a very enjoyable spring break and made a no school-work rule for a few days. 

spring break challenges

     The biggest challenge I've had to face throughout this project is my procrastination. Since this is a long term project that takes weeks to put together, I've assumed that I have all the time in the world. Turns out I don't and the deadline is in 2 weeks and I don't even know who is playing 2/3 characters. My filming shedule has been delayed by 2 weeks for one reason or another and the due date gets closer and closer. I plan on this being my filming week and hopefully get every shot down so I can start editing. 

    Since it is Spring Break and filming needs to take place at night, I thought it'd be best if I found dates when it'd be most convenient to film so there would be no scheduling conflicts with anyone that is part of the film. I chose Sunday because usually on Sundays there is not much to do and everyone is just home, so mostly everyone would be able to film. I also chose Monday as a second day of filming because there is no school and it's the last day of spring break so no one will be going out, and if any retakes would be needed, it could be done quickly.

Hopefully I can get this done on schedule so I can start editing and finally seeing all the work come to life. 

Updates on changes

     Last blog post I mentioned I wasn’t sure on whether to add the suggestions my group members mentioned to me during class. I decided I would keep the shot out Ben looking out the window after Naomi lies to him and leaves with Leo. I chose to include this because it introduces the conflict in the film between all 3 characters. I don’t think I will be including the rock music suggestion though as I don’t feel it fits Leo’s character. During the editing process I might include it just to see how it looks but for now it’s a no. I really like the idea and I might explore that idea with different genres of music. 

    Next week is spring break and it’s mg biggest chance to get ahead on my opening scene. I plan on filming for two days at most but probably will for one day only. My only challenge as of now is finding a second male character to play Leo. 

You got the part!

     I never saw casting as a challenging task which is why I put it off for so long. Now that the time for filming has actually come I realized it’s not so easy after all. I thought anyone I asked would say yes to me and I planned on asking a few of my friends and family members for help.

Issues with casting: 

1. Not everyone’s available 

2. Not everyone will fit the character’s vibe and aesthetic

    Since the beginning I knew who would play Naomi. My sister Alessia who forced me to be the main character of her portfolio project last year fit the role perfectly. She agreed to play Naomi and volunteered her friend as one of the male characters.

Brey, my sister’s friend agreed to play the role of Ben which he also fits very well.

For now, I  haven’t found someone to play Leo since most of my guy friends have gone away on vacation for spring break. Brey said he could do both if we figure out a way to but I’m not very sure about it yet.

6 brains work better than 1

     Today in class we met up with groups and discussed our projects. I shared my blog and explained my plot to my group members and mentioned a change I didn't know whether to include or not. I explained to them that I was unsure of including the shot of Ben looking out the window at Naomi and Leo in the car or if I should focus on Naomi and Leo in the car. They told me to add it since it introduces a conflict. One of my team members brought up the idea to change the song from "Can't help falling in Love" to a heavy metal/rock song once Naomi gets into Leo's car to emphasize the contrast between Noami's relationships with Leo and Ben. Although I like the idea I'm not sure if I should include it but once I start the editing process I will test it out and see what it looks like. She also suggested that Naomi could have a more edgy outfit under her pastel tracksuit to also emphasize the contrast between the relationships which I think will look great if I decide to add the rock music. 

    Meeting up with a group to discuss each other's projects was really beneficial as it helped bring up new ideas and give feedback to each other. I also got to see the behind the scenes of the projects and what my classmates are doing in order to bring their ideas to life. 

dont go off script...

 My opening scene doesn't include much dialogue but I still decided to create a script for the little dialogue there is. I used google docs to create my script and used pictures online as a reference on how to properly write a script/screenplay

Though it is very short and doesn't look 2 minutes long, my film is all about the music and overall vibe, that's what tells the story. 

I also made a small addition to the story and opening scene which is Ben looking out the window and seeing who Naomi is with. This is to introduce the conflict of the film and also to show how much Ben cares about Naomi that he makes sure she makes it out safe. 

My first company

Orion productions

I created my production company, Orion productions!

The reason why I chose this name is because like I previously mentioned, I want this project to have a little bit of who I am. You may be wondering, what does Orion have to do with who you are? Well let me tell you the very cheesy reason. Every time I look up at the night sky I see Orion's belt and I always like to stare at it and it brings me some type of comfort. I had initially chosen "Romer Productions" for my company's name but I thought it was way too basic and I could come up with something better. 

 On the opening scene of my film I want to start off with my company's logo.

I used the website Canva to create the Logo and animation for my production company which is the website i've used for most of the elements in my project such as the mood boards. 

shots and angles

     Today is my first day in Mexico City and after a day of exploring the city and the anthropology museum, I'm back in my hotel room so I grabbed my computer and got to work. Today I want to organize my scenes shot by shot so next week when it's finally time to film I will have everything settled. 

Shot list:

- Long shot (Naomi and Ben dancing)

-Close up of (phone)

-Medium two-shot (Naomi telling Ben she's leaving)

-Over the shoulder shot (Naomi fixing herself in the bathroom) 

-Long and tracking shot in slow motion (Naomi running to the car)

-Close up zoom in (Leo looking out the window)

-Long shot of Naomi's back (while running to the car)

-Over the shoulder two-shot (Leo and Naomi) 

too good to be true... my first obstacle

    Sometimes things are too good to be true. This project is an example. Everything was running smoothly, all my deadlines were being met, I was following my schedule, etc. On Friday my mom called me and told me we had to travel to Mexico last minute to get my passport. Since I'm Venezuelan and can't get my passport anywhere in the United States, the fastest way to get it is through the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico. After months of waiting I finally got an appointment on March 9. I had scheduled "filming day 1" on that day and I wont get back home until March 11 which completely sets back my schedule. I'm going to take advantage of the situation and I'm going to keep researching and adding details which I will be sharing here on my blog. I will also see if I can look for any inspiration while I'm there and add it to the project. Although I am excited to finally get my passport and also visit the Federal District, I am a little disappointed I'm going to have to reschedule everything and run way behind on filming and editing. 

Moral of the story: Look at the bright side of things (I get more time to plan)

    I made this list on "Microsoft To Do" which is probably the only reason why I ever get anything done in my life because checking off a task releases a small amount of serotonin every time, so I am looking forward to checking these things off. 

   

schedule

  

    Now that I have most of my opening scene details down, it's time for the filming process to begin. In order for the process to go smoothly I made a scheduling chart to make sure I stay on track. I plan on taking one day to film the opening scene(3/9)  since it's mostly at the same location but I saved a second day just in case anything goes wrong. Afterwards, I will spend the rest of my time editing to make sure everything looks exactly how I envision it. 

    The rest of the planning I need to complete is the casting, script, lighting and shots, and adjust any details from the storyline which I will complete in the next week. 

Date
2/28-3/7	Complete planning
3/9	Shooting day 1
3/10	Shooting day 2 (if necessary)
3/14-?	Editing

    I can't wait to begin the filming and editing process and slowly see everything come to life.