Plans for next semester

This semester has really helped me understand more about the production and artistic value of cinema. Next semester I hope to be able to take the directing and/or producing documentary. My other passion is in anthropology, which I am also majoring in. I have decided to meld my two passions together and pursue my interest for documentary films. I have really enjoyed all the anthropology courses I have previously taken and cannot wait for my Human Origins class. It will discuss the evolutionary steps from ape to man through changes in bones over time. Hopefully I will be able to take at least one film course next semester, but if not, I will try to participate more in film department activities and try to volunteer for local opportunities.

Crew Positions for Wild Card Project

My crew position for the Wild Card Project is to operate lights and to edit the film. In this position, I will try and make the crispest image of the objects on screen and to also create a respectable edit of our project.  I have not worked with lights much and I hope to experiment with what works best on the camera. I hope to be able to test our some gels to add a fun effect to the scene. Also, I have not had too much experience with Final Cut Pro, only working with it for two years in high school. With this project, I will take the extra time to learn the editing system to make our film the best it can possibly be. I will do this by syncing the audio correctly and making sure it is level, make clean cuts, and to have seamless transitions. I am very excited to take a larger part in this project.

3b Editing Experience

My experience while editing project 3b was fantastic. I was not originally excited for the experimental sound project, but I ended up having so much fun with it. Creating a somewhat theme and story from the pre-recorded sounds was very difficult, but I enjoyed pushing my creativity. Our title, ‘He be of size enough’, was very unusual which is why the project was such a challenge. Determining which route we wanted to go for the project was the most time consuming and difficult part. Jason and I ended up thinking of the ‘he’ as a serial killer or vicious man.  The beginning of our piece started with creepy sounds that suggested a man stalking and killing a woman. We then transition to a more peaceful and calming collection of sounds to suggest our character, ‘he’, began to feel the euphoric high of finally satisfying his urge to kill. We then returned to the darker sounds to suggest the man had to satisfy this feeling yet again and that it is some kind of addiction. I really enjoyed the openness of this project.

Experimental Sound Recording Experience

At first I was terrified of this project and had absolutely no idea what sounds to record for it. The res t of my group had no clue either, so we just went outside and walked around to explore interesting sounds. After thinking of the first few, we constantly thought of new and more unique ideas. We went from a backpack zipper to droplets of water trickling into a puddle. The hardest aspect of the project was developing ideas for the vocal audio. We ended up using sounds such as yawning and sighing, but I am sure we could have taken more time to think of better audio choices. This project helped me understand the importance of audio in cinema. Without clear audio, the production value of a film significantly drops. I gained a new found respect for the sound team in film making. They have to pay attention to every small detail making sure there aren’t any interfering noises in the background and even having the recording level correct so it won’t spike. This was something I learned quickly while recording, I had to make sure that any unnecessary sounds, such as traffic and even wind, would not defect the recorded audio.

Master Shot Editing Experience

Not only was filming our Master Shot Sequence fun, but editing it was also great. Our bizarre topic allowed my group to experiment with effects and try to make the project as crazy as possible. We had no limits to where we could take the story, although we did not truly follow the assignment’s meaning… oops. Excited about the project, we came up with some many ideas and forgot to keep true to the Master Shot Sequence. The editing process really allowed us to take the project to a whole new level. For me, editing was quite terrifying because I have never edited audio before. Ryne thankfully helped me understand how to create the best audio for the project. I have to say finding the sound effects was the best part of the process. It added so much to our video and even created a more unusual and comical tone.

Previsualization Materials

I feel like many people underestimate the difficulty of the previsualization process. It requires a great deal of time, planning, and continuity. Materials made during this process, such as the storyboard, overheads, and lined script, help organize the film you hope to create. The storyboard allows you view your intended film before production and gives you the chance to correct an unrealistic expectations for a shot or make the continuity more precise. The most difficult part for me in the previsualization process is the overhead. I have not had much experience with light and I do not truly know how to set-up lighting to create the effect I would want, but I guess practice makes perfect! I also have not heard of a marked script before, but this aspect of previsualization seemed very helpful. It allows you to see the sequence of each shot within the script and the duration of the shot. Hopefully I can master this process to make production as efficient as possible.

Vox Pop and Expert Interview Reflection

While filming the vox pops and expert interview for this project, I got to meet many interesting people and hear amazing stories. I got to experience and understand the deeper meaning behind tattoos, which made me fall in love with my own even more. The people we interviewed were very opinionated about their own special connection to the tattooing art and each person appreciation for it was different. While filming our expert interview, I got to really know Jason, who was later going to fix up my Jack Sparrow tattoo. I never became so close with a tattoo artist and I can easily say we are friends now. He is a huge nerd just like me. Jason did a beautiful job in improving my tattoo and I fell in love with it all over again. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the movie that helped me discover my dream and passion. I wanted to become involved with the film business ever since I became obsessed with the movie. Not only did I get to meet new and interesting people, but also my film group was fantastic to work with.  We were all passionate about the project and all brought interesting perspectives to improve and make the short film great.

Production Schedule

Friday, February 8, 2013
1:30 pm- arrive at Hardwire, begin equipment set up for first interview with Mike Merck [at stenciling station]

1:30pm-3:00 pm- film interview with Mike Merck (needs to finish before tattoo appointment at 3:30)

3:00 pm- Grace's tattoo appointment with Jason (B-Roll), set up equipment for Jason's Interview [in his work station]

4:00 pm- film interview with Jason Moore

After 2nd interview, film interior of shop for B-Roll, establishing shot of shop exterior

Wrap by 6:00pm

Expert Shoot Storyboard:

Documentary Interview Plan

For this Documentary Interview Project, our group's expert interview will be with Jason, a tattoo artist at Hardwire Tattoo. We will be shooting inside and right outside the Hardwire Tattoo shop for our vox pops. The tone we will set with our subject is the emotional ties with tattoo meanings and the art associated with it. We want the viewers to understand that tattoos are more than just ink on a person’s body. After they see this short documentary, we want the viewer to develop an open mind to the emotional meaning behind the art.

10 questions for the expert:

1)    How long have you been tattooing?

2)    What is your favorite style of tattooing and why?

3)    What does it mean to you to give another person a significant piece of artwork on their body?

4)    What inspired you to start tattooing?

5)     What is your favorite tattoo?

6)    What is the meaning behind your favorite tattoo?

7)    What is your favorite tattooing story?

8)    What would you say to someone who has negative thoughts toward tattoos?

9)    What is the story behind your first tattoo?

10)  What is the story behind doing your first tattoo as an artist?

We will be doing our vox pops with costumers walking in to the shop or people we see walking past the shop who have tattoos.

Vox Pop questions:

1)    What is your favorite tattoo?

2)    What is the meaning behind your favorite tattoo?

3)    What would you say to someone who has negative thoughts toward tattoos?