Creative Critical Reflection

 CCR

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FHB6iQUkz75tDJlwkTy1NUH91V-72OPb/view?usp=sharing

That is the link for my CCR. Thanks again!

Film Opening: It Comes In Waves

Here it is, the final product. I hope you enjoy this film opening.

Final thoughts before releasing the film opening and CCR pt 1

This whole project was a journey, and at least in my part, I can say that I learned a lot. My partner and I have experienced a lot of challenges along the way (editing and recording wise). But we easily solved each issue thanks to Youtube. Our editing and production (and even filming) skills improved a lot. The coursework also enhanced our filming abilities. Reviewing the shots and angles we studied came in handy, and made it easy to make our project look the way we wanted.

One thing I learned was better time management. To be honest with you, I approached this project not really knowing when and where to organize my time. I procrastinate a lot but this project sort of forced me to stick to a schedule which included the blog posts. We had no problems with communication, all was clear. 

Song production + Film Opening Updates

One of the major programs I used to create the beat was FL Studio. Since I already have experience with music production and audio engineering, creating an original soundtrack/score wasn't a difficult task for me. However, finding the right objects and sounds to record was trickier.

One of the major issues was fitting the sounds and melodies in the right place of the recording, so that the sound was synchronous. This, for me was the hardest part about producing the beat. I set my phone next to my computer with the soundless film opening playing while I worked on the song, since I didnt think of a different way to do it. I would have to click on both the film and the song's play button at the same time to figure out where the sounds would sound best and most logical.

UPDATES:

• We decided to get rid of a guitar track since it didnt fit the end product of the song. 
• We cut the kitchen scene because there was no space for it to fit in
• We cut the girlfriend's house scene because it was irrelevant and would not fit in

Filming pt. 2: Studio Scene

 Me and my partner met up at my house to finish recording the studio scene. Fortunately, we were able to finish filming by Wednesday. The filming went very well, and it also looked great thanks to the special lighting we bought. During the studio scene, we had some issues with technology: FL studio wasn't working, and it took  me about 30 minutes to get it running again. This was important since it was the main element that made that scene look good. Additionally, Santiago's phone camera was glitching, but it was quickly fixed after he powered it off and turned it back on.

Anyways, here's a sneak peak of the scene.

Video of Dave falling asleep, before the title queues

Video of Dave playing guitar

I changed the color for each layer of sound in the project, which would contrast with the other simple textured scenes of the movie. Our idea was that it would be representative of Dave Walker's creative mind, while the other scenes (the office, the morning scene) are representative of Dave's deteriorating mental health.

All in all, the studio scene was the hardest to make, since we had to set up many lights, props and equipment to make it look like that. Despite this, it was also the most fun to create. 

The importance of color in film

Everyone knows color influences the way we see things, perhaps even enhance them, which is why I have empathy for those who are colorblind. But what if color also influences how a message is conveyed? Well, thats certainly what film does. Colors aren't accidental, they are placed in movies for a reason. They're a fundamental part of a film. In fact, I could go as far as saying color patterns direct all scenography, objects and costumes (mise-en-scene) in any scene. Color makes a big difference in a film. The same thing goes for the lack of color.

Different colors mean different things depending on the genre/type of film they're being placed in. Colors aren't assigned to a single genre. Every film, is different from one another, and each one needs their own color palettes to highlight or enhance the ideas they want to convey.

Examples of color palettes from two famous movies:

AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)

If you watched this movie, you already know why this color scheme is so important, and if you havent, you can probably tell: Love, Sex, and heat are all represented by the color red, or different saturations of it. It is also a big theme in the movie American Beauty. And if the flowers were green, and the woman was blue, the scene wouldn't have the same effect on the viewer. Perhaps we'd feel sick, or maybe disturbed and awkward. Nevertheless, this scene clearly demonstrates color being used right.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (2011)

Blue, green, black, etc, usually relate to death, sickness, sadness, mystery, memory, nostalgia, and similar emotions. Harry potter largely revolves around this color palette. 

Honestly, finding the perfect color palette for your film requires a lot of research, time, and money, so directors invest in people who are specialized with this kind of work, which makes their job a lot easier. All in all, its important to know how colors help enhance a film's message, and also how color influences and manipulates our decision making and emotions.

SOURCES:

How to use color in film

Using color in film

Color Theory for Designers

The history of Lighting in the Cinema Industry

HISTORY OF LIGHTNG IN THE CINEMA INDUSTRY

 It is basically impossible talk about film production without mentioning the history and importance of light, which in reality, is the essence of cinema. Without it, there are no films, no exhibitions, no projections, not one inch of illumination in a dark room. Movies without music, actors and sound all exist, but we've never seen one without lighting, and for good reason. Light is the main form from which cinematographic visions are shown.

At first, film producers worked with daylight; then natural sources like candles, mirrors, fire, etc, and finally, artificial lighting. Matter of fact, Hollywood moved its main headquarters from New York to Los Angeles, mainly because on the west coast of the USA there was a stronger, clearer and more present light.

David Wark Griffith (film director) was the first use artificial lighting in his films, says Richard Blank. Cecil B. DeMille, a colleague of Griffith's, was then the one who determined the lighting rules that would be followed in Hollywood in the following decades. Additionally, DeMille created a completely new kind  of light. This happened in the 1920s, when the big studios started to have their shares traded on the stock exchange and began to be part of the establishment. At that moment, a set of rules was created to be followed in cinema, which in turn became a business. One of the rules was not to irritate the public, so that the films would be successful from a commercial point of view. Anything that was experimental was considered risky and therefore "forbidden", which makes Cecil B. DeMille a legend.

Cecil B. DeMille

I appreciate you stopping by to read this post, there will be more to come this week.

Top 10 movies to get inspired from for your next Drama Film Creation

1. Touch of Evil

This Orson Welles classic will give you a new taste of creativity.

2. Hidden Figures

Civil rights and humanist ideals all boiled in one movie -- For those interested in that.

3. Uncut Gems

If you enjoy movies set in New York, you'll like this one.

4. The Hurt Locker

The best US-Invasion-Of-Iraq/War movie ever created.

5. Creed

If you enjoyed Rocky, you'll like this one. And if you enjoy boxing, you'll love this one.

6. The Godfather

Do I really need to expand? Enough has been said about this cult-classic.

7. The Wolf of Wall Street

This Drama-Comedy isn't a rags to riches story, its a rags to riches to richer and richer and richer and richer and richer story that gives you an insight in what millions can do to a man.

8. Gravity

Newton motivated tons of these space movies, but this one was probably the most spiritually impacting.

9. Casablanca

America's default movie. A Must watch.

10. The Shape of Water

A cleaning lady working for a giant government research facility falls in love with a Sea Creature who is trapped in that lab. All you need in a Drama movie.

New Schedule for Filming

The week before spring break went great for us. We had all the appropriate equipment and locations to start filming. Unfortunately, filming is harder than it seems, so we postponed the rest of the film opening to be recorded the week during spring break. We have 40% of the opening left to film, so me and my partner have set up a new schedule to finish it on time. The important thing is, both my partner and I have it clear that, if anything happens in the week, we also have a backup plan, which is a fixed schedule and more extra shots. For now, we are very positive we'll be able to finish recording before friday. After that, we'll get to editing the project, and recording more sounds (+ making the second half of the beat we are missing) to get it 100% done and ready for upload.

Schedule 2:

DAY 1: Monday 3/21

Finish recording the studio scene (3-4 hours)

DAY 2: Wednesday 3/23

Record the girlfriend scene (1-2 hours)

DAY 3: Thursday 3/24

Record the Office Scene and Reshoot morning shots (2-3 Hours)

Final Thought: This new schedule is more lenient on our time, which allows us to plan and finish our other course work/extracurricular activities. It will also allow us to finish editing and producing the beat on time.

The Making of a Film Opening: Recording (Pt. 1)

The Making of a Film Opening: Recording (Pt. 1)

Beginning with the Conclusion

At last we made it to the final step: recording our project. We followed our shooting schedule and everything followed smoothly. After school, my partner and I drove back home to record the first minute or so of our film opening, and all I can say is: I'm more than happy with what we got so far. Not only were we able to set up all the lights, props, costume/set design under an hour, but I also recorded multiple shots for each scene so that we could choose which ones were best for use. My partner Santiago played the main character Dave Walker, so I did all the filming. His acting was good; he did a great job depicting the emotion/feeling of each scene as Dave. 

-- How we set up the lighting

 I grabbed my bedside lamp and placed it in one corner of my room, and since the neck of the lamp was bendable, I pointed it in the direction of the bed, but in an upwards position (so it was really pointing to the ceiling). This allowed the camera to pick up on the dimmer light so that we were able to capture everything on screen clearly, and make Dave's Bedroom darker. For the kitchen scene, we used natural light (which worked really well with the phone's camera). 

-- Costume design

Dave walker works in a 5-9 job in the city, he's a briefcase man that doesn't do much. So, my partner brought a plain white button shirt, dark pants, and nice shoes to portray the look. For his natural, at-home look, he wore a hoodie, t-shirt and basketball shorts.

Ending with a Concluding Thought

If we follow our shooting schedule and make sure we get back to work as soon as spring break ends, we will be able to finish recording and editing the film before the due date. The light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter as we plan the week.