Google Drive Link:
Monday, April 8, 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Reflection
The title I decided on for my film is Rapped Up. It’s play-on-words of the expression “wrapped up.” I chose this title because it reflects both the topic of rap music, as well as the way the main character is negatively affected and consumed by her mental state and the events in her life.
The key moments in the production process were plentiful. The start of this project was the set-up for everything else that would be developed later on. This stage involved the creation of the idea, which set the whole opening into motion. Another key moment was the filming process, which was the one day that my friend came over to act in the film. That was a major point in the creation of my work because I finally had the clips to visually represent the progress I was making. It was also a huge relief knowing that I had passed another “checkpoint” in this assignment. Peer reviews throughout the editing and production process were more key moments because the additional set of eyes and the feedback I received helped guide me to a refined, better outcome. The finalization process was the last key moment throughout this process. It involves the reflection and submission of the final result that close off the creation process and mark the end of this work.
Throughout the production process, I faced many obstacles and errors, most of which were discussed in previous blog posts. However, in the last leg of the film’s creation, I hit a major obstacle in which the edited version of my project was lost. Luckily, I still had all my footage, and I knew what the result was supposed to look like. I just had to re-edit the film to get it to the point it was at and get it ready for submission.
The biggest changes to my project occurred due to the time restriction for the opening. I struggled between including everything that I wanted to include and keeping the project around 2 minutes long. For me, this meant that I had to stick more to the simplistic nature of telling the story and excluding the additional touches that, despite adding visual interest, took up too much extra time. Regardless, I think the final result is still something I’m proud of and depicts the hard work that went into creating this introduction.
Overall, what I learned was that I should always have backups of my work and that sometimes things don’t go as planned, so instead of stressing out, you just need to review the situation and find as many practical solutions as possible until you find the one that works. I also realized that I have the capability of making some great pieces of art and media, and that is something to be proud of.
The key moments in the production process were plentiful. The start of this project was the set-up for everything else that would be developed later on. This stage involved the creation of the idea, which set the whole opening into motion. Another key moment was the filming process, which was the one day that my friend came over to act in the film. That was a major point in the creation of my work because I finally had the clips to visually represent the progress I was making. It was also a huge relief knowing that I had passed another “checkpoint” in this assignment. Peer reviews throughout the editing and production process were more key moments because the additional set of eyes and the feedback I received helped guide me to a refined, better outcome. The finalization process was the last key moment throughout this process. It involves the reflection and submission of the final result that close off the creation process and mark the end of this work.
Throughout the production process, I faced many obstacles and errors, most of which were discussed in previous blog posts. However, in the last leg of the film’s creation, I hit a major obstacle in which the edited version of my project was lost. Luckily, I still had all my footage, and I knew what the result was supposed to look like. I just had to re-edit the film to get it to the point it was at and get it ready for submission.
The biggest changes to my project occurred due to the time restriction for the opening. I struggled between including everything that I wanted to include and keeping the project around 2 minutes long. For me, this meant that I had to stick more to the simplistic nature of telling the story and excluding the additional touches that, despite adding visual interest, took up too much extra time. Regardless, I think the final result is still something I’m proud of and depicts the hard work that went into creating this introduction.
Overall, what I learned was that I should always have backups of my work and that sometimes things don’t go as planned, so instead of stressing out, you just need to review the situation and find as many practical solutions as possible until you find the one that works. I also realized that I have the capability of making some great pieces of art and media, and that is something to be proud of.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Finishing Touches
My final step in the editing process is to import the audio of the royalty-free beat and the rap itself. I think to do this, I might have to work on my laptop rather than my phone because I don't think the app allows me to import any audios from my voice memos.
The finishing touches will include editing to the visual presentation of the film, such as the contrast, brightness, grey-scale, clarity, etc. My ideal goal is to get the visuals to look somewhat dreary but only in a subtle way. I don't want it to stand out as heavily edited, but I still want it to have that finished, elaborate appearance that depicts how much work truly went into this project.
Getting so close to the end is so excited, yet nerve-wracking. I'm so hopeful that this film opening will truly be a work of art and express the idea that I created.
The finishing touches will include editing to the visual presentation of the film, such as the contrast, brightness, grey-scale, clarity, etc. My ideal goal is to get the visuals to look somewhat dreary but only in a subtle way. I don't want it to stand out as heavily edited, but I still want it to have that finished, elaborate appearance that depicts how much work truly went into this project.
Getting so close to the end is so excited, yet nerve-wracking. I'm so hopeful that this film opening will truly be a work of art and express the idea that I created.
Editing Update
I am happy to say that I really like how the boomerang effect in the beginning section of the film turned out.
Moving on, I went through and edited the remainder of the opening, bringing it down from around seven minutes to around four. This happened simply by removing unwanted clips, trimming clips, and adjusting the speed of certain sections. I just need to crop off two more minutes, but going back over the clips and being more selective with the portions I include will make this much easier.
Watching back what I've produced leaves me both very proud and very stressed. I'm proud of all that I've accomplished thus far, but I still recognize how much more work needs to be done to get the film opening to where it needs to be.
One major issue that I'm still dealing with is the audio. I don't really want to record Foley for all of the sounds, so my next option is to try to isolate the sounds I want to include and remove the audio in the surrounding sections of each major noise. I think this will be do-able by splitting the clips around each major noise and muting any separated clip that is just silence or background noise.
I'm still debating putting in light music in the background. On one hand, it would serve as a nice contrast to the rap that appears at the end, but on the other hand, I think that the silence might be more powerful than adding noise.
Moving on, I went through and edited the remainder of the opening, bringing it down from around seven minutes to around four. This happened simply by removing unwanted clips, trimming clips, and adjusting the speed of certain sections. I just need to crop off two more minutes, but going back over the clips and being more selective with the portions I include will make this much easier.
Watching back what I've produced leaves me both very proud and very stressed. I'm proud of all that I've accomplished thus far, but I still recognize how much more work needs to be done to get the film opening to where it needs to be.
One major issue that I'm still dealing with is the audio. I don't really want to record Foley for all of the sounds, so my next option is to try to isolate the sounds I want to include and remove the audio in the surrounding sections of each major noise. I think this will be do-able by splitting the clips around each major noise and muting any separated clip that is just silence or background noise.
I'm still debating putting in light music in the background. On one hand, it would serve as a nice contrast to the rap that appears at the end, but on the other hand, I think that the silence might be more powerful than adding noise.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Considerations for Editing
Thinking about my opening, I've been considering additional features of editing that I might want to try out or add to my film.
The first one is to add music at the beginning. Aside from a few noises, such as an opening and closing door, the actions in the clips make little to no noise. This leaves the opening sounding very empty due to the silence. Therefore, I'm considering adding some type of light music at the start and then stopping it or fading it out as the scene progresses.
The second consideration is to add a slight grey-scale to the footage. I think that making the film appear more grey triggers that color psychology response, knowingly or unknowingly, from the viewer that makes the film appear heavier, sadder, and darker, like the overall subject material of the film. I think this slight color change can add to the desired mood and reflect Maya's depression is a visual way.
The first one is to add music at the beginning. Aside from a few noises, such as an opening and closing door, the actions in the clips make little to no noise. This leaves the opening sounding very empty due to the silence. Therefore, I'm considering adding some type of light music at the start and then stopping it or fading it out as the scene progresses.
The second consideration is to add a slight grey-scale to the footage. I think that making the film appear more grey triggers that color psychology response, knowingly or unknowingly, from the viewer that makes the film appear heavier, sadder, and darker, like the overall subject material of the film. I think this slight color change can add to the desired mood and reflect Maya's depression is a visual way.
Third Time's the Charm
As a quick recap, I've already attempted two editing formats for the beginning section of the opening, and I've just thought of a third...
- Switching between all angles of each clip
- Duplicates of each clip (only one angle)
- **Boomerang of each clip**
I haven't tried out the boomerang method yet, but I am hopeful that this will be the right choice for my opening. The way it works is I take a clip, play it forward (regularly), play it reversed, then play it forward again to create that boomerang-like effect.
The problem with the duplicates was that it looked like an unintentional glitch, but I think the addition of having the middle clip reversed will show that this was an intentional editing choice, and hopefully, it will still portray the tedium I want.
I will update on how this goes in a later editing post. :)
Time Consumption
I honestly didn't realize how long editing takes. Since I've been trying to change the format/style and haven't had much success, it's been taking even longer.
I originally filmed over seven minutes of footage, which needs to be brought down to about two minutes. The majority of what I filmed won't fit into the time constraints, so a big part of editing for me is even just deciding which clips I do not want to use. I've removed some retakes and unusable pieces of footage as my first attempt in bringing down the time length. When I say "unusable," I mean that either the clip was too shaky, I accidentally filmed too much or too little of the view I wanted, or other errors in the same category.
Also, removing unwanted angles, which I previously discussed, did help to bring down the time length significantly.
Another editing method I use is to cut down any unnecessary parts of a clip, like at the beginnings and ends, so that only the "meat" of the clip is left over.
I think once the whole opening is edited, I won't have a problem getting it down to two minutes.
I originally filmed over seven minutes of footage, which needs to be brought down to about two minutes. The majority of what I filmed won't fit into the time constraints, so a big part of editing for me is even just deciding which clips I do not want to use. I've removed some retakes and unusable pieces of footage as my first attempt in bringing down the time length. When I say "unusable," I mean that either the clip was too shaky, I accidentally filmed too much or too little of the view I wanted, or other errors in the same category.
Also, removing unwanted angles, which I previously discussed, did help to bring down the time length significantly.
Another editing method I use is to cut down any unnecessary parts of a clip, like at the beginnings and ends, so that only the "meat" of the clip is left over.
I think once the whole opening is edited, I won't have a problem getting it down to two minutes.
Duplicate Frames
I decided to try another editing format for the beginning section of the film opening after the credits. With this format, I would be replaying each clip from the section three times (I chose three randomly because it logically made sense -- not too long or too short). The section includes all the clips of Maya getting home: opening the door, closing the door, walking in, etc. I would take each clip and shorten it as much as possible, then I duplicated the clip two more times.
My intention was that the repetition would reflect the mundane, repetitive way Maya perceived her life. This sounds great in theory, but it failed in reality. It honestly just looked like the video was glitching, and I did not like it. I think it would've been pulled off much nicer had Maya changed outfits during each clip because that would reflect a new day. Unfortunately for this, I was away over spring break and simply do not have the time to re-film each clip in two additional outfits.
I'm currently still trying to find a way to add the visual interest I spoke about before because I want my film opening to be different, appealing, and aesthetically-pleasing, while still portraying that heavier mood.
Early Editing Stage
I've continued my editing process by working on the film opening chronologically. This means that I've just worked on editing the credits and beginning section so far.
I placed the clips of the credits to the start of the opening, where Maya is writing out "Directed and Produced..." and "Starring..." The camera then pans over the final written credits. I decided to reuse a clip that is also found later in the film opening. That clip is a close-up of Maya grabbing the pen she writes with off of a nightstand. I chose to open it this way to immediately grab the audience's attention and have them wondering how writing ties into the film, as well as what Maya will be writing at the beginning and even later on.
I also chose to shorten the length of the opening credits. I had taken a fair amount of footage for that, especially since I recorded Maya writing out the entirety of the credits. I decided to trim the whole writing because it didn't seem interesting to sit and watch the tedious process of printing out the names and roles.
Another change I made in editing was that I recorded the same actions multiple times but from various angles. To add visual interest, I considered using all the angles and having them switch back and forth. With this editing method, the viewer would basically be watching each action from two different angles. After editing this way and watching back I realized that, frankly, it just did not look good at all. It was too hectic and confusing to watch.
I still have a lot more work to do, but this is definitely a good start.
I placed the clips of the credits to the start of the opening, where Maya is writing out "Directed and Produced..." and "Starring..." The camera then pans over the final written credits. I decided to reuse a clip that is also found later in the film opening. That clip is a close-up of Maya grabbing the pen she writes with off of a nightstand. I chose to open it this way to immediately grab the audience's attention and have them wondering how writing ties into the film, as well as what Maya will be writing at the beginning and even later on.
I also chose to shorten the length of the opening credits. I had taken a fair amount of footage for that, especially since I recorded Maya writing out the entirety of the credits. I decided to trim the whole writing because it didn't seem interesting to sit and watch the tedious process of printing out the names and roles.
Another change I made in editing was that I recorded the same actions multiple times but from various angles. To add visual interest, I considered using all the angles and having them switch back and forth. With this editing method, the viewer would basically be watching each action from two different angles. After editing this way and watching back I realized that, frankly, it just did not look good at all. It was too hectic and confusing to watch.
I still have a lot more work to do, but this is definitely a good start.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Audio
With recording the raw footage, I had this small hope that I would be able to use the original audio from the clips, even though I knew this was an unrealistic wish. The audio actually recorded really nicely and clearly, but the noises are not as precise or directed as I would like. In other words, there are too many unnecessary background noises.
I will likely record Foley sounds for the most prominent movements, but that will be addressed in a future post. My other option is to find a way to isolate the audio and only select the portions I want and mute the rest. I'm not sure if I'm tech-savvy enough for the latter, but it is still an option.
One concern I have for audio is also that part of the audio was recorded in my voice memos and a voice-over, and I have no idea how to incorporate that into my film editing project on the Video Leap app because there's not an option/ feature to do that. I'm hoping I can find a solution soon!
Editing Idea
Getting more into the editing process, I knew I wanted my film opening to not only have an intriguing plot but also be visually appealing.
Browsing music videos on YouTube, as I occasionally like to do in my free-time, I came across a music video [1] from the artist ITSOKTOCRY for the song "JIRACHI." This video really captivated me in the way that it plays with colored lighting but moreso the way that the actions of ITSOKTOCRY and the extras are replayed or the clips are repeated. I find that the repetition drags out the actions and creates tension, without being too suspenseful, establishing strong curiosity and interest from viewers. That interest is essentially what I would like to create with my film.
Another music video that really inspires me with editing is the one for "Pemex" by Fat Nick and Shakewell. This video also includes that rapid repetition, alongside the additional editing features of increased zooms and focus on still or subtly-changing frames. Again, this is the type of visual interest I would like to produce.
My main concern with editing in this way is that I do not want my final result to more closely resemble a music video or some artistic clip rather than the introduction to a full-length movie. I plan on just editing this way and seeing how it goes. Ideally it works out, but if not I believe I could find other options for editing.
My hope is that I could use the repetition to express Maya's mundane life and the tediousness of her average day but ultimately break that with the creation of the rap.
Beginning Edit
Just by starting the editing process with the raw footage I took, I already ran into difficulties.
An issue that arose occurred with the editing platform/ app I would be using to edit my film opening. The two apps I use are iMovie and Video Leap on my iPhone. I decided that I would begin editing on iMovie just to get the basic frame of the film opening and then do additional editing on Video Leap. However, upon trying to create a new project, my phone notified me that I did not have enough storage space to do that... yay -_- ... I then tried to edit the project on Video Leap, and thankfully, it worked out.
I honestly think this worked out for the better because Video Leap seems to offer many more features than iMovie does, so using one app instead of two just cuts out unnecessary work for me.
My first order of business was to just insert all of the clips into a new project on the app, place them in the desired order, and delete any bloopers or clips that had to be retaken. From there, I would get more specific with the editing.
Another very minor issue I had was some of the videos appeared vertically, despite being filmed horizontally. Luckily, Video Leap allows the user to rotate the orientation of the clip, so I just adjusted them back into the horizontal view, resolving the problem.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Upcoming Plans
Now that the filming is completed, I have set my next goals for the production process.
I need to edit the footage that I have. This will include selecting the clips and angles that I prefer the most from what I have, placing them into the order that best fits the plot, and using post-production effects to create that simple, somber mood.
I want to ensure that I portray Maya the way that I envision her. I want it to be clear that she's depressed, but also that the idea many people have of a "depressed person" might be different from what they're like in reality. Truthfully, they will come across as normal, but there are slight indications in their behavior that confirm that something isn't right, such as a lack of energy.
Another part of editing is implementing the voice-over seamlessly so that it does not seem out of place. I think that the rapping will also help to depict Maya's emotion and establish her headspace.
I think I will use iMovie to edit and/or another app called VideoLeap. These are the apps I am most familiar with for editing videos. I have some other iPhone apps that I might also use, but I'm not sure if I will need to just yet. These applications are on my phone, but I actually filmed the footage on my phone, too. I didn't have a camera to film, but I don't think using my phone was "bad" or "not suitable" because 1) it's very easy to use, and 2) I have one of the newer iPhones (the iPhone X), and the camera quality is much more improved, so I think the end result will be nice.
Once I'm done with editing, I will transfer the footage to my laptop to make sure the video quality is still high.
I'm very excited to see how my film opening comes together over the next week or two!
I need to edit the footage that I have. This will include selecting the clips and angles that I prefer the most from what I have, placing them into the order that best fits the plot, and using post-production effects to create that simple, somber mood.
I want to ensure that I portray Maya the way that I envision her. I want it to be clear that she's depressed, but also that the idea many people have of a "depressed person" might be different from what they're like in reality. Truthfully, they will come across as normal, but there are slight indications in their behavior that confirm that something isn't right, such as a lack of energy.
Another part of editing is implementing the voice-over seamlessly so that it does not seem out of place. I think that the rapping will also help to depict Maya's emotion and establish her headspace.
I think I will use iMovie to edit and/or another app called VideoLeap. These are the apps I am most familiar with for editing videos. I have some other iPhone apps that I might also use, but I'm not sure if I will need to just yet. These applications are on my phone, but I actually filmed the footage on my phone, too. I didn't have a camera to film, but I don't think using my phone was "bad" or "not suitable" because 1) it's very easy to use, and 2) I have one of the newer iPhones (the iPhone X), and the camera quality is much more improved, so I think the end result will be nice.
Once I'm done with editing, I will transfer the footage to my laptop to make sure the video quality is still high.
I'm very excited to see how my film opening comes together over the next week or two!
Filming and Character Name
Today, the 17th, Olivia came over at 10 am as planned. I had prepared what was needed before she came over, and I cleaned my room so that it would look nice for filming.
As far as lighting goes, I did not end up incorporating my neon lights, but if I end up wanting a colored effect, I can do that in editing. I have two windows in my room, but I only opened one because I want the film to have a darker mood, due to the subject matter. I can always adjust the brightness afterward in editing if I choose to make it brighter.
I also did not have my cat in the scene because she decided she wanted to stay outside and nap. As a good cat mom, I didn't want to force her to be on camera.
When she arrived to film, we were very productive. I got more than enough shots from various angles, using my storyboard as a guide, and filming was wrapped up after a little over an hour. I was fortunate enough to have a scene that was not intensely heavy on preparation or filming requirements, essentially it was very simplistic, so we had plenty of time to get everything that was necessary and then some.
She played the character really well, just as I had hoped. I had to have her re-do a lot of clips so that I could get a variety of angles, but she managed.
There were only three obstacles that I ran into with the filming process. The first was that there was limited space for me to get a wide shot of my room, so I ended up having to sit on a storage chest that's across from my bed. I'm small though, so that was easy to resolve. The second issue was that Olivia was reading off of my laptop, which I placed on my nightstand as a prompter, so she would know what to write down in the journal. I had to work with the angling of the camera to make sure that it couldn't be seen.
The third obstacle came with the rap itself. I had this part recorded as a voice-over because I figured it would take a few attempts to perfect the timing, since I wrote it and she is not used to rapping. It took several tries for us to record an audio that we were both satisfied with, but in the end, we got it done. My main worry is making sure that using a voice-over will fit in with the film opening, but that will only be told with time, once I edit it in.
So, one of the main recurring questions I've had for this project was what I would name the main character. I decided that Olivia could pick, and if I liked her suggestion, I would give her the honor of naming the character as a "thank you" for being in my film. Additionally, I felt like naming the main girl might help her get into character better. She suggested the name Maya, and I liked it, so that is now the name of the girl.
As far as lighting goes, I did not end up incorporating my neon lights, but if I end up wanting a colored effect, I can do that in editing. I have two windows in my room, but I only opened one because I want the film to have a darker mood, due to the subject matter. I can always adjust the brightness afterward in editing if I choose to make it brighter.
I also did not have my cat in the scene because she decided she wanted to stay outside and nap. As a good cat mom, I didn't want to force her to be on camera.
When she arrived to film, we were very productive. I got more than enough shots from various angles, using my storyboard as a guide, and filming was wrapped up after a little over an hour. I was fortunate enough to have a scene that was not intensely heavy on preparation or filming requirements, essentially it was very simplistic, so we had plenty of time to get everything that was necessary and then some.
She played the character really well, just as I had hoped. I had to have her re-do a lot of clips so that I could get a variety of angles, but she managed.
There were only three obstacles that I ran into with the filming process. The first was that there was limited space for me to get a wide shot of my room, so I ended up having to sit on a storage chest that's across from my bed. I'm small though, so that was easy to resolve. The second issue was that Olivia was reading off of my laptop, which I placed on my nightstand as a prompter, so she would know what to write down in the journal. I had to work with the angling of the camera to make sure that it couldn't be seen.
The third obstacle came with the rap itself. I had this part recorded as a voice-over because I figured it would take a few attempts to perfect the timing, since I wrote it and she is not used to rapping. It took several tries for us to record an audio that we were both satisfied with, but in the end, we got it done. My main worry is making sure that using a voice-over will fit in with the film opening, but that will only be told with time, once I edit it in.
So, one of the main recurring questions I've had for this project was what I would name the main character. I decided that Olivia could pick, and if I liked her suggestion, I would give her the honor of naming the character as a "thank you" for being in my film. Additionally, I felt like naming the main girl might help her get into character better. She suggested the name Maya, and I liked it, so that is now the name of the girl.
Character Selection and Filming Schedule
I finally figured out which friend of mine I wanted to have play the main character. One of my close friends, Olivia, seemed like she would fit the part well. She's in my theatre class with me, and also was last year, so I knew she'd be capable of playing a role. We get along and work well together, so that was definitely ideal. Also, she doesn't fit the idea of what a stereotypical rapper would look like, which made her even more perfect for the role. On top of all of that, she lives in my neighborhood, so getting her to my house to film would not be a hassle.
My schedule states that I need to film on the weekend of March 16th and 17th. Unfortunately, by the time I had my preparation done and was not busy with other events, activities, and schoolwork, it was the 16th, so that day was ruled out for filming. I needed to film on Sunday then, but there was one problem: it was St. Patrick's Day, a holiday that Olivia celebrates.
Anxiously, I texted her the night of the 16th asking her if she would be available for filming at any point in the day and that I could work around her schedule to make it easiest for her. Luckily, everything worked it. She confirmed to me that she would be free to film in the morning of the 17th, so the time for filming was set at 10 am, and I had officially cast my main character.
I had been so stressed about trying to stay on my schedule, again because I would be away over spring break, so I needed my footage beforehand. Knowing that I would have everything I needed completed was a major relief.
Journal Writing
Before I was able to film the opening, I needed to prepare what was going to be written in the journal. I discussed my general idea for what I was aiming for in another blog post. Since what was written in the journal would be turned into the rap, I decided to "work backward." My process was to create the rap, and then transform that into what the main character would be writing in the journal. By writing it that way, I would ensure that the end result of the rap would sound how I wanted it to.
I had quite a bit of difficulty writing the rap because I wanted it to be written sincerely, but I was lacking the insight and inspiration I needed. I was getting really stressed out over it because to stay on schedule, I had to have it written by the weekend, when I'd be filming. I knew that I'd have to come up with something regardless, but I also want to be proud of my work and look at it knowing that it was what I want to feature in my project.
To make a long story short, one night before I went to bed, I finally came up with the rap that I wanted. I wrote it almost effortlessly, and reading it back, I know that this is how I want the character's state of mind to portrayed. The rap is as follows:
"I'm really sad again.
I feel so alone.
I don't even feel like
My house is my home.
I want to escape,
But I don't know where I'd go,
So I'm left feeling empty
And feeling so alone.
I don't wanna go to school.
I don't wanna see anybody.
I'm drifting from myself,
Separating from my body.
I just want to be happy,
Want to be freed from the tears.
I don't know if I can go on
And make it another year."
The journal entry was then derived from that. It needed to sound more naturally written, with less of a rhyme and more of something that would be spoken. The result is below:
"I'm depressed again. I'm so alone. I don't even feel like this house is a home. I want to break out, but I don't even know where I'd go. I'm here, empty, and I feel so isolated. I don't want to go to school or see anyone. I'm slipping from myself, my body. All I want is to be happy, to be freed from all these stupid tears. I don't know if I can keep going and make it to next year."
That would be signed off with the character's name, which has yet to be decided.
The journal entry and rap clearly resemble each other, which is what I wanted. Ultimately, I am pleased with how this turned out.
My next step is to cast the character and film the scene.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Casting and Scheduling Update
I have a greater insight into my filming process in regards to and when. Before, I gave a more general outlook on those aspects, but with additional thought I have come to certain conclusions.
As far as casting goes, I have decided that I will cast a friend of mine as the main character, instead of doing it myself. I would prefer to put all of my energy and attention into directing the film than having to juggle the behind-the-scenes production as well as the on-screen acting. I still am unsure who I want to cast, though, and as it gets closer to filming time, I am becoming increasingly more stressed with this decision.
This also leads me to scheduling. I am very busy during the weekdays because of school and homework and other matters, like appointments. This means that the optimal time for me to film is during the weekend, so whoever I cast must also be free to film. Ideally I will film this weekend, March 16th or 17th, because the following weekend I am away, and I need to have my footage before the 24th to stay on track.
Regarding who I am casting, I've said that I want to choose someone who would not look like the stereotypical idea of someone who listens to rap. I have several friends with colored hair and piercings, which stands out from the norm. I want the girl to look more average, so that her rapping ability would be unexpected and seem surprising. Despite not looking like anyone out of the ordinary, whoever I cast must be able to keep a beat and rap, which is harder to find than you'd expect. In addition, this person must not be too shy to act because I have a vision for how I want this character portrayed, and I'm not one to settle for anything less.
I am hoping that I can have all of this sorted by the weekend, so I can stick to my scheduling.
As far as casting goes, I have decided that I will cast a friend of mine as the main character, instead of doing it myself. I would prefer to put all of my energy and attention into directing the film than having to juggle the behind-the-scenes production as well as the on-screen acting. I still am unsure who I want to cast, though, and as it gets closer to filming time, I am becoming increasingly more stressed with this decision.
This also leads me to scheduling. I am very busy during the weekdays because of school and homework and other matters, like appointments. This means that the optimal time for me to film is during the weekend, so whoever I cast must also be free to film. Ideally I will film this weekend, March 16th or 17th, because the following weekend I am away, and I need to have my footage before the 24th to stay on track.
Regarding who I am casting, I've said that I want to choose someone who would not look like the stereotypical idea of someone who listens to rap. I have several friends with colored hair and piercings, which stands out from the norm. I want the girl to look more average, so that her rapping ability would be unexpected and seem surprising. Despite not looking like anyone out of the ordinary, whoever I cast must be able to keep a beat and rap, which is harder to find than you'd expect. In addition, this person must not be too shy to act because I have a vision for how I want this character portrayed, and I'm not one to settle for anything less.
I am hoping that I can have all of this sorted by the weekend, so I can stick to my scheduling.
Song and Journal Contents
I have selected the audio that I want to have the main character listening to. It's on the Free Music Archive [1] that I linked in a previous post. The beat is called "Short Lived" by Yung Kartz. Funnily enough, this was the first audio I clicked on because the title of it stood out to me. Immediately I liked it, based off of the rhythm, what I felt I could do with it, and overall just how it sounded. I decided to look around a bit more in case I found something that was better because going with my first pick before hearing anything else just isn't a smart move. However, after clicking around for a while and hearing the other options the site had, this one remained my favorite.
As far as the words that will go with the beat, it's been established that those will be the contents of the girl's journal. I'm not entirely sure word-for-word what she will be writing. Whatever is put on the paper should reflect her hardships or distress either from that day or in general. I was thinking about having her write about what happened at school that day, but the problem with that is I don't think it will make for a very good rap if it's too specific and more of a story. I also don't want what she writes to be too general because that doesn't give any insight to the character or her perspective, so no development is occurring. I want to find some happy medium where the audience can learn more about the character but also where they can relate to the rap as a whole. If the lyrics she writes are meaningful and universal to some regard, then the audience will be able to relate on some degree, hopefully making the film more intriguing. The rap is serving as the hook of the opening. This is the part where the audience will be deciding if they want to continue watching or not, so I need it to be powerful.
I also want to stay away from making the writing too depressing or concerning for those watching, especially because realistically many of the audience members may not have dealt with depression or been exposed to it, so I don't want it to be too overwhelming. Regardless, it should be heavy and strong in some way so that it can remain realistic and stay true to the girl's character.
[1] http://freemusicarchive.org/genre/rap/?sort=track_date_published&d=1&page=1
As far as the words that will go with the beat, it's been established that those will be the contents of the girl's journal. I'm not entirely sure word-for-word what she will be writing. Whatever is put on the paper should reflect her hardships or distress either from that day or in general. I was thinking about having her write about what happened at school that day, but the problem with that is I don't think it will make for a very good rap if it's too specific and more of a story. I also don't want what she writes to be too general because that doesn't give any insight to the character or her perspective, so no development is occurring. I want to find some happy medium where the audience can learn more about the character but also where they can relate to the rap as a whole. If the lyrics she writes are meaningful and universal to some regard, then the audience will be able to relate on some degree, hopefully making the film more intriguing. The rap is serving as the hook of the opening. This is the part where the audience will be deciding if they want to continue watching or not, so I need it to be powerful.
I also want to stay away from making the writing too depressing or concerning for those watching, especially because realistically many of the audience members may not have dealt with depression or been exposed to it, so I don't want it to be too overwhelming. Regardless, it should be heavy and strong in some way so that it can remain realistic and stay true to the girl's character.
[1] http://freemusicarchive.org/genre/rap/?sort=track_date_published&d=1&page=1
Changes and Considerations
There are a few things that this blog post is going to cover. It's essentially a jumble of things on my mind while I am beginning to get further into my preparation and production.
One thing is that I decided to eliminate the parental character from the opening, which was mentioned in one of the outlines. My reasoning for this is that I would have to worry about another cast member and their schedule, but I am trying to keep my casting small (just the one main girl) for the opening for ease of production. Also, that parental character is not necessary to include in the opening to get the point of the movie across and will just take time away from establishing the girl's life and actions.
Another thing is that I will be filming in my room, and I have these neon LED strip lights that can alter the lighting in my room to different colors. I think that this would be a cool addition and help to establish the mood I want if I find a way to incorporate them into the scene. I think it would add another layer of interest visually to the opening.
Moving on, there are a couple of features that I wrote into the storyboard that I have not yet discussed: voice-over and credits. I am still trying to figure out if I want to have a voice-over of the girl's thoughts reading aloud what she is writing down in her journal. I feel like this would add a lot of clarity to the scene and the girl's perspectives, but I wouldn't want it to take away from the music playing or the scene as a whole. Also, I don't know if it's necessary, since she will be rapping what she writes down later on. Additionally, I think I could incorporate the opening credits by having the girl write them down in her journal and then flip the page and begin writing the content related to the plot of the film (i.e. her thoughts). I think that would seamlessly implement the credits in a unique way.
If I do end up including the voice-over, I would use it to connect the frames where she originally writes in the journal to the frames where she goes back and rereads what she wrote down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)