March 25, 2009

Yesterday
Ashley posted the film locations and our available dates on facebook (below):

I know I sent one just now but Raph didn't get it so I've got him on FB and this is for all of us to to reply to!
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Filming
27 Friday night
28 Saturday night
31 Tuesday night (not too sure about this one yet)
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Night Filming locations!
We've got all the locations we're going to film at for the night scenes - Bernice knows where to go! It's somewhere in Happy Valley... (Alleys, Streets, Underpass)
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Day Filming Locations
We've kinda got this covered but not entirely finalized but here's the list :)
Busy mall - Times Square (we're gonna need a handheld for this too since we can't actually film in the mall and we'll have to... run through it)
Buildings - Bern's dad's office! Eastern Harbor Center, Quarry Bay
Corridors - Bern's dad's office! Eastern Harbor Center, Quarry Bay
Cubicles - Happy Valley Library toilet - we could do this the same day we film the night scenes in Happy Valley since... yea they're both in the same place
Stairwell - Bern's dad's office! Eastern Harbor Center, Quarry Bay
Car park - This is the indoor and outdoor one. Bern knows where to go... it's somewhere in North Point.
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Equipment List
HD CameraHandheld (?)
Boom Mike
Boom Pole
Dolly...?
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Costumes
Adrian: Big black hoodie, Black Pants, Crutches (!!!!)
Bernice: We'll talk about this online
Ashley: ditto that

I think we are quite organized and we kept in contact whenever we have ideas and changes to make.

Class
We looked at our previous projects today and critiqued on others' roles. As I am the cameraperson in my previous group, I looked at the camera work of other groups and commented on the cinematography of each production.

Firstly, it was Natalia, I thought the cameraperson (Louise) applied some basic rules such as rule of thirds and medium shots, however, in terms of taking risks, she could have done better if she considered the lighting as to achieve a film noir effect. Instead of the actor/actress' back facing the light, they should face towards the light. It would have been better if they edited the saturation if the location did not provide the source of lights they want. As for the sounds, it was somewhat distracting as there were some problems with the white balance. The attempt to create tension between the two people could have been better if the pulse of the heart sound effect was not too sudden and comical.

I thought Strategem had some interesting camera shots. However, the camera was a little shaky unintentionally. I thought the car's surface did not capture the camera's reflection which was quite good. Maybe using dutch angles or varied shots could add more film noir effects.

As for Pulse, I thought some of the shots were nicely done, such as the close-up of the phone hanging up. I thought the light source coming from the computer screen's blaring was interesting, however, it would have been better if they did not turn off all the lights. As using a flashlight was a little too obvious. Creating light contrasts can help create better visual effects.

I thought The Broken Beautiful (our film) was quite good. I was very happy and proud of our group as we worked very well together and was very committed individually. We all took on our roles and worked hard to achieve our goal. However, I thought Jeff's comment on how the editor and cameraperson could have communicated more so that the continuity of the shots could be more fluid.

I was reflective today as an IB learner, as I reflected on my previous projects and how I can improve in terms of camera work and communication.

March 23, 2009

Film location scouting on thursday
Sarah, Adrian and I decided to go location scouting at 7pm when all three of us are free. I decided to go to Ventris Road as there are a few alleys. We took quite a lot of photos and we dicussed the shots and lighting along the way. Here are some photos we took (I also uploaded them on facebook so the other members of the group will be able to get a sense of where we will be filming):

The locations were quite safe and we looked at the lighting as it is very important during night time. I also thought the alleys and roads will fit our script quite well as there are many angles that can be explored by the cameraperson (Sarah) and potential to create some great shots.

The photos include alleys, stairs, quiet roads and some corners which can be considered for the shots when the female scrambles to get up against the wall.

It was a single lesson today and our group briefed Ashley on our plans as she was sick last week and was not able to participate in our discussions. Afterwards, we decided on the locations of our script. I suggested a few locations and as we already went film location scouting for alleys, we will be filming our production in alleys, underpass and a few road shots in Happy Valley. We made use of this single to also compromise our schedules for shooting for this weekend and next week. We finalized the shooting locations and we will start storyboarding next class.

Reviewing the IB learner profile, I strived to be open-minded, a communicator, thinker, principled and risk-taker. I was open-minded to others' suggestions of the script and ideas; a communicator when I want to express my ideas, I collaborated with my gropu members well and we made decisions quickly and effectively; a thinker when I have to solve some location problems, therefore, I suggested different location sites; principled as I am responsible for the script and am willing to take responsibilty for any changes; lastly, a risk-taker when I decided to make the changes and express ideas.

March 18, 2009

After Monday's class
On msn, Raphael and Ashley were not online, therefore, Adrian, Sarah and I discussed on the ideas.
We discussed beforehand that the previous idea we had is impractical, therefore we had to think of another idea. I proposed to do a swimming pool chase scene as it may be quite interesting, however, I had my doubts whether it will be possible to do well as it may consist of only simple shots. So, Adrian decided to write an email to Ms. Wong to ask for some directions, and it was actually okay! Then, once we started to develop our ideas, we did not want to do the swimming shot, instead, a thriller-scary film of a stalker chasing after a girl. Adrian already found a soundtrack called "Deceptive Appearances" from Freeplaymusic.com and after listening to it, I thought it was pretty good and fits what we want. As I was the screenwriter, I started having some ideas in my mind and wanted as little dialogue as possible. I decided that the stalker caught the girl in the end and he should only say one line, being his only dialogue in the script. Then we thought we should have sounds of bell ringing to foreshadow death and to show a sense of fear. As Adrian has bells on his crutches, they can be rather freaky and symbolizes death and the stalker's existence. Adrian showed us a video on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORG40N1_Lg&feature=related. The bell ringings on 2:51 is what our group hopes to achieve.

I was very happy that we came up with a lot of ideas and we were very dedicated to the group. However, all we worry is that the script should not be cliched or melodramatic. Therefore, being the screenwriter, I have to overcome this challenge.

Class

Today in class, as I have already finished the script, I showed it to the rest of my group members and asked for their opinions. Ashley was sick therefore she could not come to school. After reading my script, my group members thought it has good portals. However, after talking to Ms. Wong, we realize we have to add in a few more bits and pieces to make this film believable. Therefore, we listened to the sound track once again. The sound track is 2 minutes and it will start once the female starts running. When we were deciding on the roles of the characters, my group members thought I should be the female as keeping characters in our group will be easier for us as a group to work together, making things more organized at the same time. As for the man, Adrian will take the role as he is the only one with crutches! I thought as the verses repeats over and over again, with transitions in the middle (e.g. glockenspiel/snare drums), then we should have change of portals whenever we reach the transition. Adrian, the sound director, therefore noted down the times for the transitions, so we can figure out the amount of portals we will need to fit the music.

March 16, 2009

We were to start a new project today. It is to create a Twilight Zone chase scene. We had to be in different groups and our whole class were spending quite a long time as we felt it was quite difficult to choose people in our groups. Therefore, Ms. Wong ended up helping us choose our group members. My new group members are Sarah, Adrian, Ashley and Raphael. We were appointed the following roles:

New group

Bernice (Me) - Screenwriter

Adrian - Sound Editor

Sarah - Cameraperson

Raphael - Editor

Ashley - Producer

I was kind of scared at first as I find writing as one of my weaknesses. However, once we brainstormed, it made it seem easier. Firstly, we thought about doing a character growing up to be our theme. Therefore, having a baby, a toddler, and then a teenager to do portals. However, we immediately evaluated the idea and we found it impractical. Therefore, another idea came up, it was a character running away from reality. I thought as Raph wanted to act, maybe pretend his brother is dead, therefore, wherever he runs, everything reminds him of his brother. In the end, he ends up in the graveyard and kills another man who appears to have killed his brother. As we developed this idea, we realized it is impractical and eventually moving away from the project's purpose. Therefore, I sat alone and thought hard, then I decided we should do a chase scene of a flying object. We brainstormed and it will be of a guy chasing after a red paper airplane.


General Idea
Opening - Flashbacks (Airport express)
guy says bye to girl he loves. Girl hands him a red paper airplane before he leaves. Black screen. he drops the paper airplane accidentally, picks it up. News announcers everywhere of a plane crash.
Chase scene starts
He is sitting alone, holding the paper airplane, sudden gust of wind, he starts chasing after the paper airplane.
Ending
the paper airplane was too high and he is too tired to chase after the paper airplane, he falls to the grass and lies down, watching the paper airplane drift away in the air. He closes his eyes.



I thought it was a pretty good idea and now I have to work on the script and finish it before wednesday. I strived to be "knowledgeable" and "risk-taker" as we explored concepts and ideas; "communicators" when discussing amongst the group; "thinkers" when we brainstorm on ideas; and "open-minded" to other group members' ideas'.




http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/071218/redballoon_l.jpg

I decided to look at "La Ballon Rouge" (The Red Balloon") for some inspiration. I think to be able to make the film effective, I, as the writer, will have to make sure the details are clearly written. And I have to consider more portal scenes to make it effective.

March 11, 2009

We had to screen our films today. Our group was done with everything and did some final touch-ups in the first period of the double lesson. We changed the font size of the film and made some minor changes. the ending was changed a little by making Medora walk a little longer before the film ends. We made sure everything was rendered. I thought the film was quite good and we exported it from Final Cut Pro to Quicktime Movie Player. Then we moved it into the drop box so it will be ready for the screening. The poster was made by one of our fellow classmates - Leis Ho and I thought it was very nice (as shown in the image above). However, one of the flaws was that we forgot to credit the sounds, which was a pity as we had remaining time to do so but none of us remembered until we had to screen it.

Screening

Our film was first to show and I was kind of nervous and excited. However, it was lagging as we used the HD camera, Quicktime movie player was not fast enough to load everything, thus the lagging problems. It was quite effective to the audience as they were a little shocked and understood the plot. I felt we did quite well but if added the credits of the sounds, it would have been better.

Natalia (Xiang Yi, Louise, Elliot, Ashley)

I thought the lightingcould have done better to achieve a mysterious effect. The sounds were a little messy and could have added a lot more as it did not sound too "Film Noir". The camera shots were appropriate and it would be better if there were not too many sudden cuts, this can be achieved by referring to what we have learnt about continuity editing.

Pulse (Ella, Adrian, Sarah, Catherine)

I thought the plot was quite good and I learnt some steady and good camera work from this. However, the blaring of the computer was not quite effective as the figures were not clearly shown and it seemed a little fuzzy. I thought the sound was quite well as they changed from indirect to direct sounds (song recording --> song blaring from iPod earphones).

Strategem (Jing-Ting, Joyce, Camille, Justin)

I thought the acting was quite well. However, as the dialogues were a little muffled up, it could have been better by recording voiceovers, etc. The plot could have been better if there were more tension.

Plunge (Julien, Jeffrey, Hannah, Chris, Raphael)

I thought the cinematography was nicely done and the plot was quite good as well. There was tension created with the water dripping. However, I thought the sounds could have been better if the scene of Julien getting water did not sound too empty, maybe music?

Overall, I felt honored to be in our group and I learnt a lot from the screening. It felt great to be able to see all our works after all the hard work. Today, I strived to be "thinkers" while helping as a group to encounter problems with the ending of the film; as "communicators" when communicating well with each other; "principled" as we held our own responsibilities and worked as a group; and "reflective" of our film and what I have learnt and achieved in the filmmaking process. It was a great experience working with Medora, Andy, and Henry as a group to create a "Film Noir" production - "The Broken Beautiful". I learnt so much from them and along the way while doing some research and watching film noir examples. It was a rewarding project as we worked hard and collaborated well amongst the group. (IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!)

(see evaluation for a longer reflection on my own role as a cameraperson)

March 9, 2009

Filming on Saturday
We had to do some more shootings of Andy walking lonely and drunk as he roamed in the streets. I got some shots of buildings which were quite nice as they showed his surroundings. Then this time, I made sure the boom mic was out of the camera lense's sight as there was a scene when I previously shot had the existence of the boom mic's shadow. Therefore, we were extra careful and cautious of the shadows in every scene. We had a scene where he is staring at the church, and walking outside the church, drinking a bottle of beer. It was a nice effect and they were extras for our film. We then got beer bottles for Andy and I had a dutch angle of him walking along the path, but realizes he ran out of beer, he drops the bottle and the bottle breaks. Then, Henry suggested to do a close-up of the bottle, which turned out pretty well as the when I filmed, there were cars' headlights reflecting on the bottle pieces, making the glass glitter in the dark. We also had a shot of "Andy coming out of the building while Medora waits for him" outside a building on Ventris Road (Henry's place), I closed-up on Medora's eyes to show tension and to show where she was looking at. It took 2.5 hours to finish all the shots and they were successful.

Class
We have two more days till the due date of the film.
As we re-shot some of the scenes on Saturday night, we had to upload the footage to the computer.
We worked on the editing today and I thought Andy did pretty well. He asked us for some opinions for the transitions and we did some minor changes based on the group's opinions. I think we have good time management as everything is according to plan. Since it was a single lesson, we used this lesson to continue to edit our film. After the footage was uploaded, we checked the film and cut out unwanted parts. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF THE BOOM MIC'S SHADOW! We stayed back to continue working on it and Andy seemed nearly done. I believe we will manage to finish by next class.

Referring to the IB Learner Profile, I strived to be communicators, risk-takers, open-minded and principled. I "communicated" with my fellow group members and collaborated with each other, working most efficiently; taking "risks", I bravely gave ideas and explored different angles; "open-minded" to other people's suggestions and seeking a range of perspective through different points of views of others; and lastly, "principled" as I took responsibility to my own acts.

March 4. 2009

Andy continued editing the film while we provide constant feedback and suggestions. Medora worked on the soundtrack of Greensleeves and I thought it sounds good and suits the credits of the film. We also looked at the the saturation of the film and decided that it would be better if we change the saturation of the film. Andy edited a third of our film and I think he did pretty well with the editing. I provided some suggestions on the film's transitions and we realized that for some shots, the boom mic's shadow was caught in the film. Therefore we decided to reshoot the footage this coming saturday night. On the same night, we will also film some building shots and Andy walking as extra scenes.

I think we were very productive this class. Henry and I actively involved in giving feedback to the sounds and the editing. Medora finished the sounds and we decided to think about the poster.

In this class, I strived to be communicators, thinkers, knowledgeable, open-minded, principled, risk-takers and reflective. This is because I cooperated well with the group; applied our skills through editing, and approached the problems by discussing and providing suggestions with the group; showed my knowledge on film through cinematography; kept open-minded to evaluate the editing and sound effects; being honest to my group members by providing opinions on the film, and respected each other individually; explored a broad range of ideas for editing; and lastly, reflected on our film constantly in the class.