Steven's 285 Blog: 2016

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Final Reel

Here's my final reel. There were so many clips I wanted to use, and I'll probably update it later, but I hope you enjoy it!

Saturday, April 16, 2016

While trying to choose a final project, I found myself reading scripts about a very specific time during American History: The Cold War. I found this period of paranoia and fear to be a fascinating period, and I’ve always been fascinated with civil liberties, honesty, and what is right. Even though I personally have some reservations about Communism, I found Trumbo’s story to be admirable, and I supported the idea that we should all be able to believe in differing worldviews. I was also glad that the scene was fairly short (only 2 pages) because it helped my actors memorize their lines quickly and I was able to focus on every element of the scene. I was extremely fortunate to get access to the BYU Law Building, as I don’t think the film would have been nearly as good had it been filmed elsewhere. I was also blessed once more to work with great actors who came prepared and memorized, and my crew (Sariah and James) did a great job with all of the technical aspects. I really wanted to focus on tone, color, and line while we were shooting. We framed the first master shot so that the actors’ heads formed a triangle, and we dressed them so that the antagonists are wearing dark blue and red that contrasts with the brown background. I wanted Cooper to wear tan and brown so that he would be more neutral and blend in with his environment, but I also liked him wearing white instead because he further contrasted with the other actors (although I felt like this symbolism was a tad obvious and over the top).

We had some problems with the dolly. I should have checked the equipment more vigorously, but it turned out that I needed to check out another piece in order for it to run smoother. Fortunately, we were able to resolve the problem. I actually had more dolly shots planned, but after talking to Sariah, we decided to only do a dolly shot on Cooper because it would make his character stand out, and it would contrast from the two antagonists in the scene. I was very glad to collaborate with Sariah, and it felt like we were both contributing to the project in meaningful ways. If I could do it again, I would have prepared my shot list a little earlier, and I would have met with Sariah beforehand and discussed the scene in greater detail. I feel like this would have helped things move better on set, although I honestly thought things ran fairly smoothly and efficiently. It was a fairly relaxed set. I felt like the scene was an exciting and tense scene to shoot, although in retrospect I wish that I had chosen a slightly longer script. It would have been a bit more of a challenge and would have required more preparation and thought. But as final projects go, I was very satisfied with the end result.

Edit: Sariah mentioned her ingenious setup for the light diffusion, and I think it deserves to be seen. Here are some pictures:

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Photos - Final Week

This was on the side of the broadcasting truck at work. This boy's face is normally very nice looking, but I decided to take it from a low angle to make it look a little creepier. Plus I love the sepia tones.

2.

2. This is one of the control panels on the truck. I loved the colors and how it contrasted with the black panels, but it turned out a little blurry and lopsided, mostly because I took it quickly, worrying that I would somehow get in trouble from my boss for taking pictures. It could be better, but I still really like the colors.

This is one of the steps of a ladder leading inside the production truck (last truck photo, I swear). The jagged edges caught my eye, and I love how the yellow light contrasts with the dark blue background. Seems kind of eerie.

I was trying to take a nap in the HFAC this week when I noticed that the spot I had chosen looked right up into the staircase. I loved what I was seeing, so I pulled out my phone and shot a picture. I love the black rectangle in the middle, which seems to go off into some abyss. And I love the increasing range of tones on the bottom staircase. Probably my favorite picture of the week.

I don't have a lot to say about this one. I just think that's a lot of words to describe one soda. Also I think the colors are interesting (and complimentary).

This is buddy the elf. He's on a shirt I own. I thought his face looked funny while I was folding laundry the other day, so I took a picture of his face while slightly folded. Nothing else to say except that it amused me.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Director's Intent - Final Project

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT OF INTENT

1. What is the story--the beginning, middle, and end--of this scene in three or four sentences? In other words, what happens in this scene as it starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

In this scene, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is angrily being interrogated by Congressman Thomas and HUAC investigator Robert Stripling about his affiliation with the Communist party. He refuses to answer their questions in the affirmative, which only makes Congressman Thomas even angrier. The scene ends as Trumbo stands up for himself and declares their actions to be unjust and unconstitutional.

2. What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively? How do you intend to communicate that information?

The audience must understand what Trumbo is being accused of and the serious repercussions of the charges. They must also understand why Trumbo is so against the charges and what he is fighting for. Luckily, a lot of this will be communicated through the dialogue in the scene (especially since the accusation is repeated many times throughout the scene) but it will be important that my actors understand what they are trying to communicate, so I intend to talk with them and make sure they are clear of the character’s intentions and motivations.

3. If this scene is from a longer piece, what is the narrative, emotional and thematic purpose of the scene in the larger story?

Narratively, this scene shows Trumbo’s determination to stick to his ideals and fight for his first amendment rights, which is made. Throughout the entire film, Trumbo’s determination to fight the blacklist and end what he considers to be an immoral and unjust practice is what drives the narrative, so this scene is an early indicator of his constant desire to keep fighting for his beliefs, even if it ruins him.

4. What emotion do you want to communicate in this scene? How do you intend to do this?

I want to communicate a lot of anger and frustration. One of the characters is literally beet red from screaming at Trumbo, and I want to show their frustration at trying to get Trumbo to confess. I also want to communicate Trumbo’s righteous indignation throughout the scene. I intend to do this by discussing with my actors what the characters are trying to accomplish in the scene. I want all of my actors to believe that they are in the right, which would explain everyone’s frustration in their inability to convince the other side that they are wrong.

5. What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene?

The first image of the scene is a close up of Congressman Thomas’ angry face as he sits at the stand, screams and bangs the gavel repeatedly. The final image of the scene is a wide shot of all three of them looking at each other angrily, nobody giving in.

6. Why is this scene personal to me? What previous personal experience(s) does it remind me of? Why do I need to make this scene?

I connected to this script in a similar way to the Spotlight scene that I shot. I read three different scripts trying to decide what to shoot, and I realized that all three of them had connections to Russian communism, the red scare, and the paranoia of the cold war. I took this as a sign that some part of me really wanted to tell a story commenting on this subject matter. The three scripts (Trumbo, Pawn Sacrifice, and Good Night, and Good Luck) were all fascinating. I especially liked Pawn Sacrifice because I love stories about prodigies and the incomprehensibility behind a genius’ mind. But I settled for Trumbo because it also played to my love of justice, truth, and constitutional rights. Even if I don’t agree with all of Trumbo’s communist views, I still respect his right to believe what he wants, and furthermore, I supported his campaign to express his views without fear of government action and repression. I felt like it was a very hard thing for him to do, and I wanted to pay tribute to that.

7. What two visual elements (line, shape, space, tone, color, rhythm, movement) will you use to help communicate the emotion of the scene? (Be sure these elements apply to the assignment as listed on Learning Suite; only choose elements that you have read about or that we have covered in class.)

I want to use color to show the balance of power in the scene and to represent the concepts that are being discussed in the scene. I know it’s cheesy and maybe a little too on the nose, but I really want the room to be filled with reds, whites, and blues to symbolize the American ideals that are being fought for on both sides, and how the main character seems to be in conflict with the American ideals of the times (1940s). I also want to utilize space to show how alone Trumbo is in his fight (which he eventually loses) and how everything seems to be pitted against him. I want to show his enemies in flat space, and keep the space feeling very claustrophobic and cluttered to show how everything is caving in on him and he can’t do anything to control it.

8. What are two or three potential obstacles to creating a successful scene? How can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

One obstacle will be to find a location that best fits the scene. I plan on shooting in one of the courtrooms in the Law building, but there’s always the chance that the room won’t be available. In that case, I will need to plan for a backup and find a similar room that will suit my needs. There are also several props that will be required for the scene (and set dressing) so I’ll need to make sure that I know who will be bringing what and that I have access to the set dressing (such as a gavel and an American flag).

Monday, April 4, 2016

Master and Coverage

I was really passionate about the scene that I chose to shoot, but I kinda underestimated how difficult it would be to shoot with 7 actors. On set, I found it hard to give direction because there were so many actors, and many of the parts only had a few lines, yet required that all of the actors remained focused and present throughout the entire scene. In retrospect, I should have picked a scene with fewer actor. I did like the actors I was working with, however, and they were all very patient and took direction well.

My biggest failure with this project was with how we continually crossed the 180 line and how the eye line was so inconsistent. Anna and I considered this on set, but it wasn’t until I edited the film that I realized how bad the problem was. I realized that this came about because I had two conflicting visual ideas in my head: first, I wanted the main character, Marty, to be in the middle of the master shot with everyone facing him. Second, I wanted the rest of the coverage to be shot as though it was from Marty’s point of view. Of course, by doing this, we crossed the line many times, and because of this, the film doesn’t edit together well. If I could do it again, I would redraw the line so that everyone was on the correct side, and hopefully it would all edit together well.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Photos Week 13 - March 18 - April 1

This week, my pictures have a morbid theme to them: car crashes! How fun! But seriously, I ended up seeing quite a few battered cars this week, and I tried to capture the chaos and wreckage of the aftermath. This is the inside of a battered car found on campus that was cut in half. I went inside it and got this 2 shot of the driver/passenger seats. It's very dark, and doesn't have a whole lot of color, but I like how fractured the windshield is and the remains of the airbag. A little macabre, but I feel like there's a lot of drama in this photo.

This is the front side of the car. Way more chaotic, but also less colorful than the last one. It's also a little cluttered, and tonally it has even more affinity than the previous photo. But I still like the chaos of thee twisted metal.

3,

This was the area right behind the car, which was found on the southeast side of campus. I think the brightness settings kinda washed it out and desaturated the colors a little, but I like how there are all sorts of mechanical workings that you normally never see just hidden everywhere, and that without them, nothing would function. I think it's cool to pull the curtain back every once in a while and see the mechanics of life.

Another battered car. I took this one rather quickly, and I think it shows in the composition (and in the fact that you can see my shadow on the left side). Still, I like the juxtaposition of something destroyed and chaotic in the midst of a quiet, peaceful suburban setting, although I don't think that feeling was quite captured here. I would've needed a wider angle, or I needed to show more of the houses in order to better portray this idea.

This is a side view of the same car. I feel like this photo says what I was trying to say in my last photo a lot better. The contrast between the nicely cut green lawn and the battered red and grey of the car is much more striking. Also, I like photos that dirty the frame or divide the frame in half, like this one does. It allows for some interesting contrasts to be made.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Photos 3/21 - 3/25

I really liked how dirty my license plate was looking, so I decided to get a shot of it. I like the texture in this shot and the lines created by the plate, but I wish that there was a little more color or tonal contrast to make it stand out.

This is a crazy tree. I took a lot of shots of this tree, trying to capture its craziness and vastness. Sadly, I don't think any of them turned out the way I wanted, but I like how the tree branches at the top show how large it is, and it adds depth to a picture that unfortunately, due to the chaotic lines, doesn't seem to have much.

I really really liked the color of these things in the bed of my friend's truck, and I love the horizontal lines. This picture was almost my favorite that I took this week, except I composed it sloppily, so it's not as symmetrical or even as I would have liked.

4.

This one also didn't turn out the way that I wanted. I wanted to capture the diagonal lines of both the wire on the fence and the fence itself, but the brightness is a little high here, and I didn't get enough of the top of the fence to create more depth in the photo. Tonally, there's a lot of affinity as well. I feel like this one mostly turned out to be pretty boring.

One more crazy tree shot. I like how this one has a little bit more depth, and it's easier to see what's going on, but I still don't feel like I quite captured how crazy this tree looked.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Director's Intent - Master and Coverage

1. What is the story--the beginning, middle, and end--of this scene in three or four sentences? In other words, what happens in this scene as it starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

Marty Baron, the newly hired editor of the Boston Globe, is ending a morning meeting with the rest of the editors. He asks why no one has followed up on Eileen McNamara’s article about a Catholic priest who has been accused of molesting children and a Cardinal who apparently knew about it and said nothing. The other editors state that there’s nothing to the story, but Marty claims that there are certain sealed documents that prove the Cardinal’s guilt, and that he’s willing to sue the Catholic Church to get them. The rest of the editors are shocked that he’s willing to go after the Church.

2. What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively? How do you intend to communicate that information?

They must understand that Marty is new to the Globe, and an outsider. They also must understand the seriousness and even ludicrousness of his proposal to sue the Catholic Church. I intend to communicate this information by contrasting Marty’s looks and behavior with the rest of the team. For example, early in the scene, another reporter makes a joke, and everyone but Marty laughs at it. Also, getting good shocked reactions from the rest of the actors will help to show how crazy Marty’s proposal is.

3. If this scene is from a longer piece, what is the narrative, emotional and thematic purpose of the scene in the larger story?

This is the scene that starts of the conflict of the entire movie (the inciting incident). It introduces the idea of predator priests and the fact that no one seems to be focusing on a very major issue and concern. It also illustrates how difficult their investigation is going to be. It’s hard, almost impossible even, to prosecute an institution as well-established and large as the Catholic Church, yet that is what the protagonists must do throughout the whole film. The revelation of the scandal (or at least the large scope of the scandal) is even more shocking when it’s compared to everyone’s nonchalant and dismissive attitudes in this scene.

4. What emotion do you want to communicate in this scene? How do you intend to do this?

I want to communicate feelings of shock, disbelief, and even scorn from the other editors. From Marty, I want to communicate feelings of defiance, confidence, and even rebelliousness. I intend to do this through directing my actors and making sure they understand the ramifications and implications of Marty’s actions, and I want my Marty actor to feel as isolated from the group as possible like the outsider he is. It might help if I tell my actor that Marty is Jewish, as opposed to everyone else’s catholic upbringing, as well as helping my other actors understand the situation by comparing it to something they relate to, such as imagining that it’s someone suggesting to sue the LDS church for secret documents and accusing members of the 70 of sexual misconduct (not saying that this is happening, but it would help orient my actors and put them in the shoes of their characters).

5. What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene?

The first image is a wide shot of a conference room with a circular/horseshoe table with a bunch of men and women in business attire talking about their aspects of the newspaper. The final image is a close up of Robby staring at Marty intensely, intrigued.

6. Why is this scene personal to me? What previous personal experience(s) does it remind me of? Why do I need to make this scene?

I have always loved movies about journalists and people who seek after the truth, even if the truth is painful. This scene reminded me of all of the times when others told me I was wrong or crazy, even though deep down I believed that I was right. I have a strong internal sense of justice that causes me to get over defensive, and I felt that strong sense of justice as I read this scene (the whole script made me feel like that, actually). This was the first scene in the script to make my jaw drop, and I want to make everyone’s jaws drop when they watch it.

I want to use color and tone to isolate Marty from the rest of the group. I want to have most of the group wear desaturated colors and tonally be closer to grey and affinity. I want Marty to wear contrasting, darkly saturated colors that illuminates his outsider status and how he doesn’t fit into this group, or their culture and mindset.

8. What are two or three potential obstacles to creating a successful scene? How can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

This scene requires a minimum of 7 actors, 6 of whom have speaking parts (even if it’s only one line). Finding enough actors who are willing to dedicate time to this shoot will be difficult. I plan on overcoming this by shooting in the afternoon/evening when most people don’t have class, preferably next Friday.

There’s also a fair amount of dialogue, so picking up decent sound from everyone will be a challenge. I plan on fixing this by checking out lavs and using them on close-ups so that we capture everyone’s lines

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Director's Reflection, One Shot of a Scripted Scene

I had a lot of difficulty choosing a scene to shoot for this project. I read through 4 or 5 screenplays to find the one that I wanted. The one that I really liked (Steve Jobs) was already taken by James, and I wanted to try something different. I looked at The Big Short, but I couldn’t find a scene that would work in only one take. I eventually settled on Foxcatcher because I connected with the main character’s sibling insecurities and I liked the creepy relationship dynamic between John du Pont and Mark Schultz. I thought it would make for some interesting drama, and I wanted to show a character who is trying to act powerful, knowledgeable, and in control, but in reality is socially awkward and clueless about wrestling. I really wanted to use contrasts in color, tone, and shape to separate Du Pont and Mark’s world and show that they come from different backgrounds and are struggling to get to know the other.

This project came with an extra limitation for me. James had informed me a few weeks prior that he would be out of town from Wednesday to Sunday, so I only had 6 days to prepare and shoot for the project before he was gone. This ended up not being as big of a problem as I thought it would be. We shot James’ project on Saturday and mine the following Monday. In fact, this limitation was kind of a blessing. I had to find my actors quickly, so I cast two actors who I had worked with before and who I knew could turn in stellar performances. Even luckier, my actors are currently in a 2 man play together, so they had already had plenty of rehearsals together and had good chemistry. I gave them the script 5 days beforehand, and like the pros they are, they were completely memorized by the following Monday. Also, we were lucky enough to receive permission to shoot in the De Jong foyer, which really helped with the overall look of the film. With this project, I really learned how to have faith in the people involved in the project. I had to have faith that my actors would come prepared and I had to have faith in my DP that he would be able to pull off the blocking and camera movements. If anyone of them had come not knowing what to do or expect, the project would have taken much longer to shoot or may have failed altogether. I also had quite a few people help me out as grips and PAs, and that made a huge difference on set.

If I could do it again, I would have tried to find a steadier rig for the camera. James did a great job, but since the camera was so low for so long, he couldn’t put it on his shoulder and tried balancing it on his hip, which made it a little shaky at times. Also, I would have brought some tape or something so that we could mark focus. The focus was close in a lot of places, but it left me wishing that it was a little more on point, and I think spending a couple extra minutes to mark the focus at each camera position would have helped. I also would have tried shooting on a different camera. I feel like I use the 5D a lot, and I’d like to try shooting on a different camera to see how it feels. I also forgot to get room tone (whoops) and it was kind of loud outside the foyer, which affected the overall sound quality of the film. Overall, I was quite pleased with how it turned out, and I’m super grateful to everyone that helped me with this project.

Photos - March 14-18

These are some stairs leading down to the basement of my house. I've always found them to be a little creepy, so I wanted to capture that feeling in this photo. I wish I'd been able to move the bikes, but they were chained to the fence. Also the broom at the bottom of the stairs feels a little weird.

I've always liked photos of objects in places that they shouldn't be. This chair, for some reason, has been outside my house for a few weeks now, and I decided to finally take a picture of it. It's a little cluttered, especially with the blue wire on the ground, but I still like the strangeness of it.

Here's another house photo, this one an exterior of the side window. I tried to divide the frame in half with the window taking up half of the frame, and the brick wall taking up the other half. I was a little off, but I do like the stark contrast between the different sides of the frame and the lack of depth this creates.

Last house photo, I swear. This is a different angle of the window. I love the texture of the peeling paint. The angle is similar to a photo I took last week, but I like how this one feels a little more gritty and old.

5.

This is a tire. Like the last photo, I liked the texture of this photo. I also like taking closeups of everyday items. Sometimes they turn out cool. This one...is just okay. It's a little bland, even with the tonal contrast and splash of blue. I also like the shape. I just wish that I had framed it with some other objects to help it stand out a little more.

Photos - March 7-11

These are a week late. Sorry about that.

1.

This is a car as viewed through a concrete wall. I kinda felt like a spy while taking it. I took several different shots trying to capture this look, and this was the only one where the framing and focus worked. I wish I could've gotten a slightly wider shot, but I like the limited POV look of this picture.

These berries are on a tree near my house. I normally walk past them, but I decided to get a close up one day. I like the two-point perspective created by the brick walls, and I love the orange color of the berries. It's a little desaturated, though. I wish the berries could be a little darker, as well as the walls.

This is the inside of a concrete wall. This also made me feel a little like a spy while I took it, like I was going through some secret pipe system to get inside a secure location. I took a million photos of this brick, experimenting with the brightness each time, and I finally settled on this one because you can mostly see everything, yet it's dark at the end, suggesting mystery and danger. I wish I had gone a tad darker, though, to further emphasize this mystery.

This is the view from my rear-view mirror. I was inspired by a similar shot in The Truman Show. I like how it messes with the space, making it fairly ambiguous. I wish I'd cleaned more of the junk off of my mirror (although I got most of it off), but I like the spying feeling this picture produces (I guess I just really wanted to be a spy this week).

This photo was inspired by a similar shot that Dhane took a couple weeks ago. I like the contrast of the red wall and the blue sky, and I like how dizzy this photo makes me feel (this may be because of my fear of heights).

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Director's Intent: One Shot, Scripted Scene

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT OF INTENT

This statement of intent is designed to train your mind, eye and heart to shoot purposefully. You should prepare it well before shooting. Briefly—but thoughtfully and specifically—answer the following questions. Be sure to make your answers specific to the assignment as listed on Learning Suite.

1. What is the story--the beginning, middle, and end--of this scene in three or four sentences? In other words, what happens in this scene as it starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

Mark Schultz, an Olympic gold wrestler, meets John du Pont, a trainer and coach who is obsessed with Mark. Du Pont reveals to Mark that he wants to train him for the world championship wrestling tournament in a year, and that he is unsatisfied with the current state of American athletes. Mark discusses why he got into wrestling, and reveals his inferiority with his brother.

2. What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively? How do you intend to communicate that information?

They must understand Du Pont’s adoration of Mark and his strong desire to train him and help him be better. They must also understand Mark’s inferiority complex and his desire to be better than his brother. I intend to communicate this information by having close ups during the key lines in the scene and using motivated emotion to shift the focus.

3. If this scene is from a longer piece, what is the narrative, emotional and thematic purpose of the scene in the larger story?

The purpose of the scene in the larger story is to introduce Du Pont’s character, as well as Mark’s inner conflict. These two things set up the conflict and emotional trauma for the rest of the movie.

4. What emotion do you want to communicate in this scene? How do you intend to do this?

I want to communicate admiration and worship with Du Pont’s character, and insecurity and weakness through Mark’s character. I intend to do this by talking with my actors and making sure they understand how the scene should play out, and blocking with James so that the camera is capturing the right emotions at the right time.

5. What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene?

The first image of the scene is Mark looking at the walls, and then Du Pont enters the scene, with the focus shifting from Mark to Du Pont. The last image will be a two shot showing profiles of their faces as they look at each other.

6. Why is this scene personal to me? What previous personal experience(s) does it remind me of? Why do I need to make this scene?

This scene is personal to me because there are times when I feel like I do excellent work and don’t receive credit, especially here at BYU where everybody is extremely talented. Likewise, there are times when I feel inferior to my siblings, especially my older sister’s musical talent and my older brother’s artistic talents. I feel like I need to make this scene in order to try and come to terms with the fact that these insecurities are more universal than I realize, and I shouldn’t let them get in my way and prevent me from trying.

I want to use color to separate the characters and reflect their inner state. I also want to use line to divide the characters or to bring them closer together depending on the emotion of the scene.

8. What are two or three potential obstacles to creating a successful scene? How can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

I’m mostly worried about casting actors who can portray the parts. The scene is very dialogue heavy, and short on action. In order for the emotion of the scene to work, the actors will have to really invest in the scene and master the emotions necessary to communicate the story. I’m also worried because my DP goes out of town next Wednesday, so I only have 5 days to cast and prepare for the shoot. We already have our equipment, so I just need to find a room to shot it in ASAP.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Shot for Shot - Final

The Original Scene

Shot for Shot Remake

Side by Side Comparison

When I first started this assignment, I had no idea what I wanted to shoot. I started by going to Youtube and looking up a ton of scenes from my favorite movies. I considered doing scenes from Catch Me If You Can, Misery, and Silence of the Lambs. In the end, I settled on doing a scene from one of my favorite movies, The Truman Show. I love how this movie deals with what it means to be “real”, and the importance of free will and choice, even if it means living in an imperfect world. The religious parallels in this film are excellent, so I was excited when I got approval to shoot it. I also loved how the camera movements and wide lenses gave the impression that you’re watching a TV show or security footage, so I was excited to replicate that in the shot for shot. We also worked hard to replicate the original colors and costumes as much as we could (although we forgot to give the actor playing Truman his tan coat until it was too late).

In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t started shooting the last part of the scene first. It was fine for my actor because there wasn’t a lot of difficulty with his shots, but we ended up shooting the most emotionally difficult shots with my actress first, and neither of us really knew how to draw out the right emotional state. I felt like she did a great job for the rest of the shoot, but it was a mistake to start her off with the hardest shots emotionally. I also wish that we had shot in the kitchen first because we ended up going over time, and the member who let us use her home had little kids, and we were there until 10:30. I was so grateful that she was willing to help us, and she was very gracious for letting us use her home, especially since it got a little late, but I feel like we overstayed our welcome, especially since she has little kids. Since we shot the living room part at my brother’s apartment, we could have shot those parts last without disturbing as many people (although I apologize to my crew who had to carry equipment up to his 3^rd story apartment). Also, while editing, I realized that while the actors did a fine job, there were plenty of moments where their delivery was slightly faster or slower than what the original film did, which meant that while most of the shots are similar down to the frame, some of them had to be lengthened or shortened in order to make sense, so it doesn’t match as perfectly as I wanted it to. I wish I had taken a little extra time with the actors to watch the shots over and over and perfect the timing. I also wish that I’d had more time to get everything from the framing to the color of the set perfect, but I feel that we did a fine job with what we had to work with.

I’m extremely grateful for my cast and crew who were so willing to help me with this project. I was super grateful for my wonderful DP, Lauren, who was extremely helpful in helping me to replicate the shots for this film, especially the difficult Steadicam shots. Overall, even though I was stressed out of my mind about this project, I feel like the shoot went smoothly and I’m thankful to everyone involved who helped out.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Photos - Week 9

This photo was a failed attempt to capture a really cool shadow that a flagpole was making on campus. I liked how the shadow stood out from the dull bricks and cement, but I don't think I was quite able to capture how cool it looked in person.

This was my first attempt to take a photo that exemplifies rhythm this week. It was pretty dark when I took it, so I had to turn up the brightness on my phone just to see what was there, and I feel this hurt the quality of the photo, but I like how the motorcycle interrupts the rhythm of the painted lines.

This photo doesn't really exemplify rhythm, but I love the stark tonal contrast that the shadow creates against the street. This photo was very spontaneous. I was talking to a member from my old ward in Vegas about using her house for one of my projects, and I happened to have my phone out and notice her cool shadow and the tree.

This is the ceiling of the Marriott Center. I like how it looks like a computer chip or something. Not a whole lot of color, but I like the tonal (a lot of tonal contrast this week)

This is a close up of a car light. I was trying to capture the rhythm of all of the circles in the car light together. The bad focus kind of ruins the picture, but I still really like the color and the shape of the circles (and the rectangular-ish box that they're in).