Handling the Files

It was time to start editing. My group members and I each did different jobs during the editing process. The first thing I had to do was get the laptop from the cart. Pinnacle studios was opened by another one of my group members. While this was happening, I was in charge of getting an SD card reader from Ms. Marchionne. When pinnacle studios was finally open and all the popups were down, it was my job to check the files. The first thing I did was click on files and "USD drive." I had to try different things like DCIM to find our files. When I clicked DCIM, I went to the first option and then image. It brought up an error message and wouldn't open any of the film. After I found the files, I had to import the files and I did this by clicking import. I highlighted the files and then went back to pinnacle. I went to "my computer" and looked through the files. Although pasting the files usually worked, it didn't work this time. I pressed the video option and pasted it onto there. It took about 5 minutes for all the files to load. I made sure all the videos were checked and clicked start import. After this, it was almost time to leave class. I put the computer away and another group member put away the SD card. My main job today was handling the files.  

Scenes at Katherine's house are officially done!

Today was the last day of filming at Katherine's house. We still have a few more scenes to be filmed at my house and we will be done with the first shoots! We reached a couple complications from the beginning. One groupmate forgot the tripod on the bus so we were not able to film on Sunday like planned. Another groupmate forgot to charge the camera. Because we have had similar issues in the past, we learned to use an extension cord. The first scenes we filmed were continuations of the last scenes from the last day. Whoever was directing at the time, told me to walk around and kneel down. This was to examine the camera that was set up as a "spy cam" in the kidnapper room. We had to film these a few times because we had many different angles, like an over the shoulder shot and a medium shot. The next thing we filmed was me at the door. I had to put my hand on the doorknob on one scene and open the door in the next. These different angles but very similar scenes showed my character's fear and confusion. Aitan was finally filmed in a scene walking around the hall as a shadow and I had to walk in many different parts in Katherine's hallway to show me walking around the "kidnapper's" house. The next scene was very important. I had to open the curtain which then showed an envelope. I talked the most in this scene than in any other scene. It was hard for me however because I had to show my fear in my voice. The scenes coming up we were all the most excited for. We were finally filming outside and Aitan had to use his acting skills. He acted as a kidnapper to me, so we had to show him walking behind me and then suddenly appearing in front of me. These scenes were a little rushed because the extension cord wasn't long enough for outside and we only had about 10 minutes of camera/filming time. We cleaned up everything and we were finally done with all of the scenes at Katherine's house. We only have to film a few scenes at my house, so it shouldn't take too long.

We're about halfway done!

Filming was going smoothly. The first thing I had to do was act desperate and cry out for help. I yelled "help" in hopes of showing the scaredness my character felt. I was able to untie my hands as Katherine and Aitan directed the camera angles in a way that added a creepy connotation. The scene after this I had to act in showed me standing near the chair. I had to open the drawer but with the chair closeby to show I was still restrained by the ankles. We shot me opening the drawer multiple times to show the different angles. We used a trunk shot because they are uncommon and we had to do a long shot to show that I was still restrained by the ankles. The next thing I did was untie my ankles. This took a while, though, because background noises would occur and we wanted it to be quiet. Whoever was directing at the time, then had me roll my ankles. This signified by freedom and that the tie was possibly so tight it hurt my ankles. We then had to show my character's nervousness by having me rub my hands across my thighs. I thought to include this because people often do this when they are nervous or stressed and it would add to the mood.
The next scenes I shot took a while to take. I had to walk across the room and we had to use a tracking shot. Unfortunately, there was a bed in the way so Aitan had to lay across the bed and move the camera but also try and make it as non-shaky as possible. After we figured that out, I had to act like my character was trying to open the door and when it didn't open, yell out a sign of disappointment. This scene needed a few takes originally because of different camera angles. Unfortunately, this scene took me around 20 minutes because I could not get serious. I had to try and cover my ears to focus, walk out of the room, and drink water and it still took me a while to stop laughing. After this, we had to film one more scene of me walking/pacing the room and a scene of me banging on the window. The window banging scene had multiple scenes shot because of the use of different angles. The last thing we had to do was clean up everything. Aitan and I put away the camera and tripod and helped Katherine put the room back in order. We're finally about halfway done with shooting!

It's time to get filming!

     Its time to get filming! We are finally ready to start filming our opening and I couldn't be more excited. My main job is to act as the girl that is getting kidnapped, Amanda. I was chosen for this role because we wanted a girl to be the one getting kidnapped and not a boy. Out of Katherine and I, I was the better actress.
     The first thing I had to do was set up the drawers. This meant I had to take out all of the clothes and things inside of them so they would be empty for when it came time for us to film with them. The next thing Aitan and I did was set up the camera. We had to prepare the tripod and set it up to the height we wanted and put the camera on top of it. During this process, we noticed the camera wasn’t charged fully, although it said it was when we picked the camera up from our teacher's room. This has happened to us before, though, so we knew that we could just use an extension cord while filming.
     After this, it was time to start filming and I had to sit in the chair while Katherine and Aitan put on my blindfold, wrists restraints, and gag. This was to make it seem like I had just gotten kidnapped. I also had to breathe heavily to show the scaredness and worriness my character felt. We had to film these scenes multiple times because the blindfold or wrists restraints were too loose. In the next scenes, I had to shake my head slightly. This was to remove the blindfold and show that my character was slowing realizing what was happening. The next thing I was instructed to do was spit out the gag in my mouth. In the scene after this, I had to try and use my hands only to find them tied up and a confused look had to cross my face. My job for today's filming was to be the actress. Katherine and Aitan told me what to do most of the time and I did it. In the end, we all had to work to take the camera/tripod apart and clean any parts of the room we messed up.

Planning Blog: Storyboard

This google slide is our storyboard blog. Storyboards are the basis of how our film is going to look. They're helpful in ensuring that our vision will come to life while we are filming. Directors and movie producers use the storyboard they create while filming. Storyboards are almost 100% accurate. Sometimes weather or outside factors may change something, but we will try and stick exactly to the storyboard. Each box of the storyboard is about 6 seconds long. For this project, we wanted to make sure it was perfect so we made each box about 2-3 seconds long, instead. This is more accurate and will make it easier when we are getting ready to film. Storyboards are tedious to do, but without them, any film project would not come out as well as they do.

Planning Blog: Title Design

When considering how we were going to incorporate titles into our film, our group took some time to carefully make decisions. Our genre for the movie is crime/thriller therefore, the font and size would have to be appropriate and match. We acknowledged the concept behind the movie for each choice that was made. Choosing a title took a good portion of our time as we wanted to ensure that it fit the movie accordingly. We also did not want any titles on the screen that would confuse the audience or imply something that was not intended. This blog mentions how leading and tracking will be used in the film. It will also explains why some decisions were made, such as the size and the color of the titles that will appear. To add to the movie's mysterious mood, titles will fade in and out. The outcome of the movie's beginning is determined on how the titles are approached and executed. Though the details seem small, they make all the difference.

Planning Blog: Schedule, Location, Participants, and Safety

This week, my group and I fully discussed our plans for making the project. We talked about when we would each be available or busy or what days would be the best for everyone. We came to the conclusion to have mutliple filming dates in case we need to record some parts here and there. We also decided to give ourselves enough time to edit to not feel rushed in the long run. As for the locations, it had already been decided that the majority of the film would be filmed at Kathy's house since there is lighting and rooms that match our original pitch. Some of the movie however, will be filmed at my house. Each group member will be fully participating in this project, whether acting as a director or an editor. We will all be seen in the film as actors at some point. Safety and health aspects were well-considered too as we all are prepared for any emergency. Parents or supervisors will always be around in case we need assistance with anything serious. 

Planning Blog: Sound Script

In this PowerPoint, we talked about the different types of sound we will use in the film. We used different sounds such as diegetic, non-diegetic, and incidental music. I will use the different types of sound to present the elements of the film. A film such as this one, crime/thriller, needs sound in it to build suspense in the movie. We used more upbeat sounds in the flashbacks when the main character is safe. However, we use creepy sounds when it shows that she has been kidnapped. In the film, there isn't much talking but is more sound-oriented. This element increases the spookiness of the film by leaving the viewer without explanation. The limited dialogue that is in the film is between the bad guys of the movie even further increasing the suspense. I believe that between the eerie dialogue and the creepy sounds this film will truly accentuate the elements of our genre.

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

This is a powerpoint of how the shooting will be done. This shooting script will be about 95-98% accurate. The accuracy is not 100% due to conditions like weather and lighting that we are unable to control. We only film a few scenes outside, so something like rain will not affect the whole film that much and won't be that big of a deal in the grand scheme of the film. Shooting scripts, like ours, include things like movements of the characters and camera, angles, and setting. We will follow this while shooting, so we have more structure. Without this outline, shooting would go a lot slower, due to having no format during our filming time and not knowing what to do. We use all sorts of angles, like high angles, low angles, and a trunk shot. We also have a lot of different movements, like a tracking angle. This shooting script also allows us to see how our film will follow the crime conventions.