Last But Certainly Not Least - FILMING DAY THREE

It's a wrap!! Almost...

    Today was a LONG DAY. I woke up, immediately set up the third interview space, received the crew and Tess in my house, filmed Tess's interview (I managed to sneak in a bagel half-way through because I was starving, which was the only time the disruptive AC worked in my favor), instantly packed up equipment, said goodbye to everyone, went to Miami with Maya and her mom to help film a music video for Maya's portfolio project, came back five hours later basically shoving leftovers down my throat as we neared my house, got dropped off, immediately began setting up the set for Tess's B-roll, filmed her B-roll, packed everything up, imported footage, and now... I'm here.

WHEW.

    So, yeah. It's been hectic. But overall, it's been really enjoyable. Not only has shooting the documentary completely opened my eyes to new perspectives on the male gaze, but I have been able to work with an amazing group to keep everything rolling smoothly (and even assist in other projects, such as Maya's music video). Even though I was initially upset that I was not going to have much of a "break" this week, I'm actually grateful for all of these super cool opportunities that have been coming my way. I am extremely privileged to have access to all of this equipment, knowledge, experience, and a group of supportive peers.

    Speaking of the projects I've been working on, it really has been interesting to see how all three interviewees think about the male gaze and how differently they express those beliefs. Over the course of these past three days, it has been fascinating to note how despite speaking on the same topic, Sabrina, Maya, and Tess have been able to add their own unique experiences and thoughts to this whirlwind of a documentary, allowing everyone to see this issue in a more well-rounded manner. Some of the things they have mentioned definitely opened up my eyes to a new way of viewing the male gaze, so it has been a very rewarding experience.

    It has also been interesting to work with a larger group this time around, since in Counter Conformity it was strictly three people working on the project. Setting up the sets has been quicker and smoother, getting footage has been more efficient, and having Kim taking BTS (behind the scenes) pictures and videos has also been really helpful (most of these are for the social media). This has definitely taught me that working in a well-functioning team definitely eases the amount of pressure, and that being able to communicate effectively has brought up not just our productivity, but our attitudes towards the project. I'm definitely super helpful for Sammy, Wade, and Kim!

Alright. Now back to talking about filming.

    The interview went relatively smoothly. Of course we continued to have issues with the AC, but I think I finally figured out how to make it turn off faster, which is great. We also had a scare around 10AM when the landscaping people came by my neighborhood to mow the lawns. Thankfully they only stayed for about fifteen minutes, but for a second I thought that we would have to reschedule yet another shoot... Thank god that wasn't the case. Tess is a very intelligent person that clearly knows how to express her thoughts in a cohesive and educated manner, so I am definitely looking forward to listening to her answers during the line-edit process. The music video shoot went well, too, but I'll most likely talk about it in another post. For now, let's focus on the documentary! Here are some pictures from the morning session:

    The B-roll shoot went well, too. It was a bit awkward at first, especially since Tess didn't seem as comfortable with the camera as Maya or Sabrina (which was expected, considering Maya and Sabrina are used to filming all the time). Regardless, Tess clearly got the hang of the props after a while and seemed more interested in the shoot itself after some time. I definitely think we got a lot of quality footage, especially since her camera presence was way different than Maya or Sabrina's (which is a good thing, by the way). I really love how everyone presented themselves very differently in the B-roll: Sabrina acted hyper feminine (like she feels pressured to act due to the male gaze), Maya was creative, serious and model-like, telling a story through her movements, and Tess was quirky and relatively reserved, sticking to her personal props (books, knitting supplies, etc.) as she interacted with the TVs. All of these different manners of expression will definitely make a better documentary in the end. Here are some stills (keep in mind that these SONY cameras tend to overexpose the final footage, so some of these may be slightly under exposed for safety):

    I genuinely cannot wait to finish off filming and start the editing process - after all, the line-edit is where the real magic happens (with no interviews there is no story, and with no story there is no documentary). I hope you like the end result just as much as I do! I'll document our last shoot and make sure to share my experience with you guys. See you Saturday!