Vagabond Project

OK, so this is the final final project you will get from me. A little background...

We were assigned a group project to be finished entirely in class. The class was split into 3 groups, with 6 people in each group. Each person was assigned a job: director, producer/assistant director, director of photography, camera operator, boom operator (the big mic above the actors), and editor. We were all given the same scene for Waiting for Godot (worst scene ever). An acting instructor brought in a bunch of actors and we had a casting session, then picked the actors we wanted.

We had to create meaning to the "open" scene, imbue the scene with meaning and a scenario that is not specifically there. Very difficult, but whatever.

One class period was devoted to filming the scene. Then two class periods were devoted to editing the project. Each group had teams of 2 that edited their own cuts, so each group had 3 cuts of the same material. It was kind of interesting to see how everyone edited it together differently. 

Anyway, without further ado, my (and another guy's) edit of the scene. Enjoy.

Ugh. There are issues with this video. Unfortunately. Must have changed settings when I was exporting it. Crap. Sorry. The sound is not supposed to be that jarring in the beginning.

It's been great talking about all my production stuff this semester. Next semester look forward to blogging about my study abroad in the UK!

Film 4: The Blank Page

Film 4 is officially done! I screened it today in class! 

This will be a semi-massive post because you didn't get the benefits of separate pre-production, production, and post-production posts.

So quick synopsis: A guy has writers block while trying to write a screenplay but can only think of famous movie quotes. He then goes out to try to find inspiration from everyday life.

I wrote the script after developing an idea of someone presented with all this inspiration from everyday life but not being able to be inspired by it. And, of course, being a movie geek...have to put movie quotes in it!

This is my first film where I tried casting. I didn't hold auditions, but I did post on LA Casting and get actors who showed interest in the parts, then contacted them. Slightly stressful, but I think it worked out OK.

Filming was done haphazardly in the park across from USC because I didn't get a permit and thus wasn't actually allowed to film there. Oh well, it all worked out.

I really loved the performance from Lala, the main girl. I literally filmed her for about 12 minutes because she was just so entertaining with her antics. I actually think she stole the film (it might be because I put her in more because of her great performance), but shh, don't tell the male lead.

Because I was sick the weekend I was supposed to be filming, this past weekend when I did film was supposed to be my editing weekend. AKA I had to cram 2 weeks worth of work into 1. Meaning the past 2 nights I've been at the editing lab until it closed. Which is only until midnight because they close ridiculously early, but still.

People in class had problems with the ending and clarity in general, but I'm officially done with the project and am thus moving on. I can live with a little ambiguity. And since I'm the filmmaker, what I say goes.

Now I only have one more film left...

Film 3: Post-Production

I'm slaving away! Don't believe me? Check the time stamp. Monday night I was up until 2 and slept for 5 hours. That means today I've been up for 20 hours. Ew.

D-Day is Thursday. Wednesday will be spent finalizing music and sound effects. As you know, everything in an animated film has to be created. Images and sounds. Lucky lucky me.

Film 3 by-the-numbers:

38 hours spent animating (drawing the frames, moving them little by little, and importing the images into iMovie, adjusting the length of the clip, etc.)

663 individual frames

8 hours spent editing, figuring out music, etc. (so far)

Daaaaaang. Even I'm exhausted looking at that. 

Final update on Film 3 should be up Thursday, along with the film! Get excited.