Film Opening - Blog Post #17

What's the Plan?

        Hello everyone! After finally getting the filming done, my group is finally getting to the post-production stages. We're really excited for this step, since this is when our entire project will begin to come together! Like I mentioned in our last post, we have a good amount of work to do.

        First things first, we have to make sure that we all have the footage in one place - or at least that everyone has access to the footage we captured. Like I mentioned in the previous post, Logan has already uploaded the footage that we captured on his camera and SD card, which is the majority of the footage we need to edit. However, I also happen to have captured some footage on my camera and SD card that I need to share with the rest of the group (that way we all have access to all the footage one way or another). I was planning on only using my camera to capture b-roll for our CCRs, but while Logan was trying to figure something out on his camera, I ended up shooting some shots with Sabrina to save time. These shots include the shot through the dirty window and the shot from behind of Sabrina walking. After I write this blog post, I am going to send all of it to Sabrina and Logan through WeTransfer so that we're ready to edit as soon as possible. 

These are some of the clips that we captured on my camera. We took multiple shots of 

each, so we will find out which one of those takes we will use once we meet to edit!

We Meet Again

        On top of this, we have some other plans for this week. For instance, we are planning on meeting at Sabrina's house on Friday to line edit the footage, figure out audio and start on the volumetric lighting effect that we want to have for the opening. Though we are planning on collaborating on all of it, we decided that each person will each have their own specific responsibility (this unfortunately does not really include Kim, since she is temporarily out of town and cannot meet with us to edit). The responsibilities are divided as follows:

- Sabrina will import all the footage on her computer and line edit (checking up with the rest of us to make sure we agree on the placement and duration of each clip).

- Logan will look for royalty free music as well as brainstorm ideas to include in our film opening in terms of audio.

- I will begin working on the volumetric lighting effect on Adobe After Effects to see if it compliments our project (or even works with our footage at all).

- In the meantime, Kim will (remotely) look for fonts for the title graphic at the end, that way most aspects of the post-production process are in development at the same time.

        We decided to meet up as soon as spring break began due to the quarter ending this week. We all have a lot going on, so we thought postponing this and giving ourselves a short break would be not only less stressful, but also more efficient. I will make another post if there are any updates! Until next time!

Film Opening - Blog Post #16

Ready for Post!

        Good evening! Hope everyone is doing well. Now that my group has filmed, it is now time to begin the post-production process! In this post, I will be going over some of the tasks that my group needs to complete before we finalize our project.

What's Next?

        Filming is finally done! Woohoo! Since Logan was able to upload the footage to Google Drive last night, my group is ready to jump head first into editing, foley, and more. This is a list of the things we want to do in post:

- Try out the volumetric light effect in After Effects (which I have discussed in a previous blog post). This will not only make the location look a lot more worn-down and abandoned, but it will also make the shots more visually appealing.

- Capture foley sounds and natural noises to be able to control what our film opening sounds like 

- Use sound to establish that the train is coming, instead of relying on visuals (especially since we were unable to get the shot of the train passing)

- Narrow down which shots are good or not and line edit (we filmed every shot multiple times, so choosing which ones to use will be both difficult and time-consuming. We have over a hundred clips!)

- Color correct the line-edited footage in order to make the film opening look more realistic (and to help establish tone)

A shot like this may not look too post-apocalyptic, however with the proper color
grading, the shot could be completely transformed.

        In order to get all of this done, however, we need to create a schedule and establish who is responsible for what. This will be difficult since this upcoming week will be extremely packed, however I am positive that we will get it done (we always find a way). We will be meeting on Tuesday to finalize this schedule, but it looks like we will be editing most of it on Wednesday (since that is the day that works for the most of us). Whatever we do not finish then will most likely be finished individually. I'll post an update when I have more information!

Film Opening - Blog Post #15

Today's the Big Day 

        Good afternoon! I am home from one of the most fun yet exhausting filming sessions of my life. In this blog post, I will be talking about some of the complications we had, how we overcame them and things I learned from producing this film opening. Let's dive right in.

Oopsies...

        As expected, there were a couple complications - but nothing that Logan, Sabrina and I could not handle! Our first complication was actually leaving to go to the filming location. Sabrina accidentally overslept until 8:00AM, which unfortunately pushed back our plans by around an hour (since she had to get ready, buy the Twinkies and pick Logan and I up). After this was figured out, we were able to get to the location around 10:45AM, which was not ideal but also not terrible. As soon as we got there, we went inside, put our equipment down and immediately started scouting the place.

        This brings me to the next "problem" we had (which was not much of an issue, simply something that we had to adjust to): the fact that the office space was much smaller than both Logan and I expected. Of course, this was bound to happen, considering that we were not able to scout the location the week before like we had planned (or get any pictures of the inside). Despite this, however, the three of us were able to look around, run through the entire production (before we filmed) and adjust our plans.

        After we did this, we individually did what we could to set up as quickly as possible. Sabrina got dressed and did her makeup (used eye shadow to look sleep deprived and worn-out, as well as the red velvet emulsion to add fake injuries to her body). Logan set up the equipment, and I set up the missing people posters while getting footage for our CCR. Though this took longer than expected, we were able to start shooting in about an hour.

Here, Sabrina is using make-up and red velvet emulsion to make herself look like a survivalist.
Around her is all the equipment, which both Logan and I were unpacking.

This is Logan's Canon T7i, which is the camera we used to film. 

        Next, we ran into a problem with exposure. Because it was late morning in the "Sunshine State," the shot where our character walks in was difficult to shoot (since we had no choice to film against a window). Though we did not have much control over this, we exposed the shot as best as we could and got the shots we needed, even if they were not perfect.

As you can see in this picture, the sun was very bright outside, causing the walls
to come out very dark in comparison to the windows. 

The Show Must Go On

        After resolving all of these obstacles, we were able to shoot the remainder of the film opening pretty effectively. We got the hallway dolly shot using an office chair, used our character's flashlight as a light source, and used a ladder to get the security camera shots (since I was the cinematographer, I had to put my life in danger and film on top of a high ladder without being able to hold on to it. Scary). We also got some extra shots just in case, many of which will be replacing some of the shots in our storyboard.

This is a picture of me getting one of the security camera shots for the beginning of the
film opening. It was hard to stay stable due to the instability of the ladder and the
inability to shoot with a tripod at that altitude. It might not seem that bad, but
Logan had to hold the back of my knees to keep me stable as I filmed.

This is a picture of Sabrina and I discussing the dolly shot
we were about to capture.

        Overall, this experience was both quite entertaining but also very draining. We only had a few hours to shoot, we had a handful of complications and lastly, let's just say that the Florida sun sucks the life out of you. Regardless, I really do think that our film opening has potential and cannot wait until we edit it! I am off to take a nap. See you guys next time!

Film Opening - Blog Post #14

Prepping for the Big Day

        Hello everyone! In approximately twelve hours, my teammates and I will be on our way to our filming location to finally produce our film opening. Because of this, we are making sure that we have absolutely everything ready, that way we can use our time effectively and avoid any setbacks or delays. Since I have been updating you guys on my progress so far, I thought it would be a great idea to document this last stage of pre-production. Let's get into it!

Equipment

        One of the most important things to bring for filming is, of course, video equipment! Because every member of my group is a part of the same television program at our school, we were able to borrow some better equipment (in addition to using our own). Since Kimberly is currently out of town, only Sabrina, Logan and I will be filming tomorrow, meaning we will have to split up our responsibilities evenly. This is what we came up with:

What I need to bring:

- Canon T7i with lens 

- Camera battery (with charger)

- Rode microphone

- Small light kit

- Tripod

What Logan needs to bring:

- Canon T7i with two lenses 

- Camera battery (with charger)

- 128 GB SD card 

What Sabrina needs to bring:

- Extra SD cards (just in case)

- Lighting equipment

- Camera battery

        We decided to bring two cameras for two reasons: to have a back-up camera in case anything goes wrong, and to be able to document the filming process. Having this footage available to us will help us when creating our CCRs, or Creative Critical Reflections, at the end of this project. This is a video in which we answer four main questions about our project and talk about the production process. Because of this, the footage of us producing our film opening will serve as b-roll in our CCRs. In addition to filming with the extra camera, we will also have our phones nearby to take pictures if necessary. 

Mise-en-Scene Elements

        Aside from equipment, there are a handful of other items we must bring to the filming site. This includes the character's clothing that Sabrina will be wearing when acting (boots, cargo pants, a beanie, a belt, etc.), make-up, a backpack (also for Sabrina), Twinkies (for the kitchen scene), and more. Sabrina will be bringing her clothing, the backpack, her makeup (as well as some red velvet emulsion for fake blood), and will be buying the Twinkies tomorrow at a grocery store before picking Logan and I up. In terms of other props, I am in charge of printing out "missing person" posters for the first couple shots. I found some royalty free ones on stock photo websites, so those are the ones I will be printing out.

This is an example of what the missing posters will look like.
This is one of the ones I found online.

Last Few Things

        Now that I explained the equipment and props, I wanted to discuss two other very important things that our group has to do before tomorrow. One of those things is ensuring that the filming location is still available and ready for us to use in the morning. Though we had a quick scare, we managed to get this done today in order to have everything ready for tomorrow. The last thing may not seem important, but getting enough sleep before a big shoot is imperative! Filming can be very draining, especially when you only have one day to get the footage you need (which is true in our case). We also have to wake up pretty early tomorrow, since Sabrina is picking both Logan and I up around 8:00 AM. I plan on going to sleep before midnight tonight and waking up around 7:30 AM to not only get everything ready, but also to make sure I have enough time to eat and fully wake up. 

        Alright everyone! Looks like we have everything prepared for tomorrow's shoot. I will be back tomorrow to update you guys on how it went and how we will be moving forward with this film opening. Wish us luck!

Film Opening - Blog Post #13

 Storyboarding is Time Consuming - But Worth It

        Hello everyone! Today is Sunday, and unfortunately, we were not able to see the location yesterday. This meant that we could no longer storyboard with actual pictures like we planned, nor scout the office before filming. Being able to do so would have been an immense help in terms of planning (since none of us besides Sabrina has actually visited the site before), but it looks like we had to make do with what we have. Though this was slightly upsetting, we were able to move forward and complete our storyboard!

        Our meeting took place on Discord (our usual "meeting spot"), where we immediately started a call and began storyboarding online. Under regular circumstances, we would be able to storyboard in person and be able to draw on the same paper, since that is how we usually plan our TV projects (we are all in the same television production club at our school!). Due to our current situation (the pandemic), however, we had to do it digitally. First, we had to look for a site that we could all draw on simultaneously, that way we could all help in terms of coming up with shot composition, angles, etc. We decided to use the site Aggie.io, since it allowed us to import photos and collaboratively draw at the same time. 

        I tried creating the rectangles (camera frames) for the storyboard by hand, but I was unable to copy and paste the ones I drew (in order to make each rectangle have the same dimensions). Because of this, we found a storyboard template online, imported it to the project and drew on top of it. We were also unable to edit each other’s drawings (since each use had their own layer in the project that could not be edited by others) or insert text. Despite these minor setbacks, however, we were able to complete a rough storyboard that not only allowed our group to come to an agreement over what the opening would look like, but also took hours to make. Though it might not seem that time-consuming, storyboarding tends to be a very long process, especially when working with a group. In our case, this was because we had to listen to everyone’s ideas, discuss the best course of action for each shot, and ultimately come to an agreement. Here is what we came up with:

Each rectangle represents each shot in the timeline. The description under it demonstrates what type
of shot we want it to be, what will be happening in each shot and any additional components that
will be added either during filming or post-production (editing). 

        Since we could not add text on Aggie.io, we wrote the descriptions for each shot in our Discord chat and had Sabrina write them in using Photoshop. The first couple descriptions can be seen here:

        We know that this is only a rough draft (since many things could change once we get to the location), but taking the time to plan out each shot proved to be very beneficial. I believe that all of my group members (including me) now have a much better idea about what the opening will look like, as well as what we all need to do while filming. We also decided that Sabrina will be acting, I will be behind the camera and Logan will be there to help direct, manage lighting and help execute certain shots. For instance, this is our plan for the dolly shots we want: I will sit on an office chair filming Sabrina as stable as I can, while Logan pulls the office chair back, hopefully creating a smooth, solid motion similar to a dolly. Moreover, we plan on using a tall ladder to fake the security camera footage (since security cameras are often placed near the top of walls). In order to execute these shots safely, Logan will hold the ladder in place while I film and Sabrina acts.

        Once again, we might not have been able to visit the location, however I think we are prepared to film! This will most likely take place next Saturday (do not worry, we will make sure we can actually visit the location this time)!

Film Opening - Blog Post #12

Who is the Target Audience?

Good evening everyone!

        My class had to write an essay during class today, meaning my group was not able to meet to continue planning for the film opening project. Because of this, I thought it would be a great idea to go over our target audience, since knowing who will be watching is immensely beneficial in terms of planning the project itself. Our group already has a decent idea of what this targeted group is like, however I wanted to share our ideas in order for you, my readers, to know this useful information as well. Let's get started!

Who Watches Post-Apocalyptic Movies?

        Typically, the target audience for post-apocalyptic films is made up of older teens and adults between the ages of 18 and 44. This is because this genre usually deals with darker, more violent scenes, which are often not appropriate for younger audiences (of course, many people from this demographic enjoy these movies regardless, as long as they have proper supervision). 

        Some examples of post-apocalyptic films include 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and A Quiet Place (2018). 10 Cloverfield Lane deals with entrapment and a widespread chemical attack that has affected the main characters' outside world. Because of its car crash and fight scenes, this film is restricted to younger audiences (hence its PG-13 rating). Also rated PG-13, A Quiet Place is a movie about a family who is trying to silently survive the wrath of blind monsters with super-sensitive hearing. This film is also restricted to younger audiences due to the movie's sinister creatures, however the movie itself appeals to generally younger audiences due to John Krasinski's major role in the film (he wrote, directed, and acted in the film). For those who are not aware, Krasinski played the role of Jim on NBC's The Office (2005-2013), which is now considered part of pop culture among teens. Consequently, the movie was more appealing to younger audiences, especially those who watched the show. 

Losing Track - Breaking Conventions

        Much like John Krasinski, my group decided that we wanted our audience to appeal to relatively younger audiences, as well as the female demographic. We are confident that this will be effective due to our main character being played by our group member, Sabrina, who is a 17-year-old female. Since the film will focus on her and her journey through her abandoned world, we hope to engage viewers closer to our age, as well as those closer to their mid-thirties. In addition, since our entire group happens to lie within our film's target audience, we will be able to make decisions that will make it more entertaining for teens and adults to watch.

        Hope you enjoyed the post today! I will update as soon as possible regarding the storyboard and location scouting once I have more information. Write to you then!

Film Opening - Blog Post #11

Another Meeting 

        Today is Monday, and my group was able to meet once again to work on the film opening project for our AICE portfolios. Here’s how it went:

        With the outline done, we wanted to have a shot list and start creating a storyboard. In order to get a better feel of what our film opening was going to look like, our group went on a Discord call and watched as Sabrina explained the location’s layout (it is where her mother works, so she knows the location the best out of all of us). She went on Photoshop and drew out the office’s layout, explaining each room and the types of shots we would be able to get from each section of the office space. This allowed us to get a much better feel of how and what we could film (once the time came).

        After Sabrina’s explanation, we began working on our shot list (unfortunately, class ended before we finished). In addition, our group agreed that we would try to visit the filming location on Saturday morning. All we need is Sabrina’s mother to get us permission, since she works there and knows the owner.

This is a screenshot of the shots we have planned. We were not able to complete most of it due to
the class’s dismissal, but plan on working on it more outside of school to have everything prepared.
As you can see on the bottom of the page, we have also been thinking about props, costuming, and any
other aspects of production that we need to decide.

        We are still waiting for Sabrina’s mom to get approval, since she is our way into the office. Once we are there, we hope to scout the location and storyboard using actual photographs. This will allow us to not only see what the film opening is going to look like, but it would allow us to make any necessary changes to the storyboard well before we actually have to film. We can’t wait for Saturday! I will update you guys as soon as any new information comes in.

This is what we hope to do for our storyboard. As you can see in the example above, using photographs to
storyboard allows creators to get a better feel of what the finished product will look like. We cannot
wait to get started on our photographic storyboard!