Blog Post 10: Final Course Reflection

When I signed up to take TCF 312, I was just doing it because it was the next class in my sequence. I knew I was going to learn more about how to handle the cameras than I did in 201 but I did not expect what else would be expected of me. I knew I was going to enjoy it, because I wanted to learn something new and I heard a lot of good things about Dr. Raimist. Going in on the first day and finding out how much work it was going to be made me hesitant to stay in the class because of the work load for my other classes plus an internship. I was able to organize and fit it in and I am glad that I did. I learned so much more from this class than I thought I would have. There were cameras in the equipment room that I had not even heard of so it was a fun experience learning about those cameras and how to use them. Going through the process of planning out a short film reminded me of when I took Adam Schwartz’s Zom-Com class last semester. I wasn’t as involved with the specifics of that class’s pre-production but I knew what to expect. Making my own shot list, floor plan and storyboards took more time than I thought but it made me feel like a legit director, which was fun. I learned that actually completing a production, even for a 5-minute short, takes a lot of planning and a lot of help. While I only had one other person helping with mine, I’m sure I would have had the same experience of when I assisted on other people’s projects. I am glad I took this class because I learned a little bit more on how films are made which is important for any film related profession. I am looking to be a film critic but the knowledge I have gained will definitely help me out in writing my reviews and other publications on film related subjects. I definitely appreciate Dr. Raimist for teaching this class and I would advise any other TCF students who are serious about making films to take it if they get the chance.

Blog Post 9: Reel and Artist Statement

TCF 312 Reel and Artist Statement

I have always been interested in films since I was a little kid. I thought they were entertaining and wanted to watch more and more of them. It wasn't until I was in middle school that I wanted to learn all about how they were made. Films from directors like David Fincher, Michael Mann, and Wes Anderson have only made that desire stronger. I have always had a very detailed imagination and I tried my best in showing that in the assignments I did for this class. My end goal is to become a film critic but I feel that I can take all of what I know about making films and put that into my work.I believe that one should have somewhat of an understanding of how films are made in order to properly discuss them critically.

Blog Post 8: Scene Assignment and Pre Production

TCF Scene Assignment Pre-Production Materials

Storyboards

Shot List

Floor Plans

Shooting Script

Equipment List

1. Sony EX3
2. 2 batteries
3. Charger
4. Manfrotto tripod
5. 5 c-stands
6. Arri kit with at least one 300w
7. Kino kit with tungsten bulbs and daylight bulbs
8. 2 flags
9. 2 red nets, 2 green nets
10. 2 silks
11. c74s
12. Stinger
13. Power strip
14. light orange gels
15. CTB - Blue gels

Visual References

Final Scene Assignment

Blog Post 7: The "Best" Cameras

There are many good cameras at our disposal in the TCF department. These include the EX3, Canon 5D and the JVC. I would have to say the best camera would be the EX3. Sure it's bigger and sometimes hard to handle due to its size but I found it easier and a lot more fun to use than the JVCs I've become used to through other TCF production courses. I feel like the picture looks better than on the 5D personally. The 5D is also a good camera. It's smaller and therefore easier to hold and use. The lens are easier to switch out and the focus is easier to control. I think I just like the challenge of handling a more difficult camera then using the easy way out.

Blog Post 6: 10-15 photos of inspiring lighting styles

Here are some example of inspiring lighting styles:

1. This shot is from Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter. The way the light is shining on her makes her appear angelic. Which makes what the preacher Harry Powell does so terrifying.

2. This shot is from the same scene in Night of the Hunter. The room is solely lit by the moonlight shining down onto Harry and Willa. The light gives emphasis to how powerful and sinister the preacher is. It shows that he is in control.

3. I couldn't find the exact picture from the movie but this is where Michael Myers is watching Annie from the backyard. The only light in the scene is the hard light on Annie and the backlight shining on Michael's face. It's creepy when he appears out of nowhere but the light makes him look even creepier.

4. This scene is when Tommy Doyle looks out the window and sees Michael standing in front of the house Annie is at. The whole area is dark except for the one light shining at the side of the house. The way its illuminating Michael adds to his creepy, menacing persona.

5. This example is from American Horror Story *spoiler* after Vivien has died and become a ghost *end spoiler*. The backlight is used to give her a heavenly, angelic look because she is now at peace. Even the light in the windows behind her are blurred to give that ethereal feel.

6. This is another example from American Horror Story. This is the scene where Kit has been abducted by aliens. He is completely surround by a bright white light. This is supposed to provide a sense of mystery as to where is his exactly and what is being done to him. The lights used are neon lights under a translucent table that the actor is laying on.

7. This example is of the 4 witches competing to be the supreme in American Horror Story: Coven. This photo features a very strong backlight. They most likely used a tungsten to replicate the sunset. It gives the viewers the sense that any of the girls could be the next supreme.

8. This example features Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau as she is painting blood on her face. There is a soft light shining on the side of her face. It's supposed to be candlelight. It shows that Marie is growing stronger and that she is not one to mess with. She can either be your ally or your enemy.

9. This example is from the show Hannibal. In this picture, Beverly is in the key light in the front and there is a back light to reveal Hannibal is standing behind her. The lights in the background show how much distance there is between Beverly and Hannibal.

10. This picture is from The Conjuring. This scene is cool because the only light source is the match that Lily is holding. It makes the scene creepy because she is surrounded by the darkness and it will consume her when the light goes out.

Blog Post 5: DSLR Techniques

There are a lot of good things about DSLRs. They are small and easy to carry around, making it easier to get more shots and more difficult shots. They have interchangeable lenses. They have a broad ISO range that can expand to 50, 12800, and 25600. Records in 1080p at 30 and 24 fps. Although this sounds like a nice camera to have, there are a few negative aspects. It would be annoying to have to carry extra lenses around and I'm sure that most people would want it to have a higher fps rate. Either way, it still seems like it would be a nice camera to have handy.

Blog Post 4: Documentary Storytelling Reflection

This was not my first time doing an assignment like this, I did a portrait of a place of the shopping center next to university mall. This time I filmed my assignment at my apartment East Edge. Instead of filming just the building, I decided to make it a "day in the life" narrative. I filmed a person doing what he/she would do at East Edge for a day. In this case that person was my roommate. It was more difficult than I thought it would be because I had to figure out how to set up my shots, where to put the camera and what I wanted my subject to be doing. In some of the locations, such as the office with the coffee and the mail room were difficult to film in because of the size or what was in it. The mirror in the office made it difficult to film without getting the camera getting in the shot. The mail room was narrow which made it difficult to set up the tripod. In addition, one of the tripod legs was broken and it kept sliding down slowly so the shot was not lined up perfectly. The rest was pretty easy and I got a better feel for using the camera.

Blog Post 3: Examples of effective and motivated camera movement

For this blog entry, I have found 3 examples of effective and motivated camera movements.

1. Percussion Gun music video by White Rabbits. I chose this music video not only because it is one of my favorite music videos, but also because of the movement. I love the way the camera follows the lead singer and the other members of the band while they are performing on a rotating set. The set is moving slowly but quick edits make it appear as if it is moving very fast.

2. Young Blood music video by The Naked and Famous. Another one of my favorite videos for a favorite song. This video has many instances of motivated movement. Some shots are steady shots of people jumping over cars while others have the camera moving with the people to try and match the energy of the song with the video. My favorite part being 3:03-3:44.

http://vimeo.com/91688801

3. Scene from Breaking Bad. I love this scene because the camera movements deliberately try to make you think that Skyler is alone talking to Marie but slowly pans it to reveal that Walt has been in the room with her the whole time.

Midterm Blog Post

This scene is from the The Conjuring where Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) has just fallen into the basement and uses the mirror in the music box to search for any ghosts that might be with her.

In the scene, the basement is completely dark with the exception of Lorraine's flashlight. This is a medium close up on her face as she looks in the mirror. The use of darkness around her is used to heighten the feeling that she is alone in the basement before the director chooses to reveal anything else.

This next screenshot is a close up on the reflection in the mirror. It is a little out of focus to give them that supernatural feel. The lighting is intentionally only on the two actors as they are the main focus of the shot.

 The scene then goes to a medium close up and an over the shoulder of all 3 actors as it slowly zooms in on the woman ghost as she turns her head around to look at Lorraine. It is trying to convey that this ghost is one that we (the audience) and Lorraine should be afraid of. The woman ghost is placed only a few feet away from Lorraine to enhance that feeling of dread. As if she could just reach out and grab her at any moment. The music is slowly building up, getting louder and louder.

The next shot is Lorraine turning to look back in the mirror and she sees that the ghosts are gone. The music suddenly stops. She turns back to look and the ghosts not behind her. This is to trick the audience into thinking things are now safe. When she turns back and puts the music box down, the ghost woman appears inches away from her face. It then cuts to an extreme close up of Lorraine's face, one that mirrors the close up of the ghost. She turns around and lowers the music box, then we see the face of the ghost that was behind her. The music blares. Half of the ghost woman's face is hidden in shadow from the use of low-key lighting. The same was used for Lorraine's face.

In an over the shoulder shot, the ghost woman then turns her head as if she has heard something and Lorraine follows her gaze to see what she is looking at. There is an extreme close up of her face then it cuts back to the medium over-the-shoulder shot of Lorraine as she attempts to see what the ghost is looking at.

Living at East Edge: Documentary Storytelling Assignment

This is a short documentary on the day in the life of a resident at East Edge Apartments
Director: Gerry Davie
Director of Photography: Megan Dillard

Blog Post 2: My Favorite Scenes

These are some of my favorite scenes in film. Hard to pick just 5.

1. Last scene of Fight Club where the buildings are being demolished and Ed Norton and Marla just hold hands and watch. Great cinematography and I love the use of The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind".

2. This scene from The Master is probably one of the only scenes I liked in the whole movie. Great performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP). This is the scene where Lancaster is processing Freddie. Hoffman is just mesmerizing and believable and he just makes the scene very tense.

3. I couldn't find the entire scene but this shows enough. Rosemary's Baby is one of my favorite horror movies. I remember seeing this scene for the first time, not knowing what was going to happen and being terrified at what the baby might look like. I love that Polanski doesn't show the baby and only uses the look of horror on Mia Farrow's face leaving the rest to the viewer's imagination.

4. My next favorite scene is the part in 2001: A Space Odyssey where Dave is sent through this portal through space and time. My jaw hit the floor the first time I watched this scene. Still holds up today. The quick shots of Dave's frozen face are just glimpses at the psychological damage that is being done to him.

5. The scene in Pulp Fiction where Mia ODs on heroin. As soon as she pulls out the bag you immediately think "Oh God" cause you know what's going to happen. I love how Tarantino kinda draws it out with the back and forth shots of John Travolta in the bathroom back to Uma on the couch.

Blog Post 1: 10 Things About You

1. I love movies and TV shows.
2. I am obsessed with The Criterion Collection
3. My favorite artist is Greg Laswell
4. It's hard for me to pick one favorite movie because there are too many to choose from.
5. I like to write my own film reviews.
6. If I don't get a job as a director or producer, I would like to be a film critic and write for film websites.
7. I love listening to podcasts and would like to start or participate in a film or TV related podcast like The Golden Briefcase, Now Playing Podcast, Fighting In The War Room and AfterBuzz TV.

8. After graduation, I want to move to Austin, Texas.
9. The film festivals I want to attend the most are Fantastic Fest, SXSW, and Sundance.
10. I prefer independent films over the typical summer blockbuster films.