Semester One Reflection.

Winter break, a time for family, friends, great food and of course, refection. The first part of junior year has been jam packed full of work. Between my PSA, short film and the beginning of our feature film, it's been super busy. Here is an overview of the first semester.

  PSA: Stop Teen Smoking 

PSAs, otherwise known as Public Service Announcements,  are used to spread awareness or knowledge that benefits the public. Ours was based on teen smoking, using humor to catch attention. The project took about a week and half to two weeks in order to go through the entire production process, pre until post, so it wasn't too hard of a project. The biggest problem we had was equipment. we had two filming days, and on the second one, our camera decided not to work, and on top of what was not filmed, we had to re film some shots, so we ended up using an iPhone 7 to film.  That was probably the worst part about this project.

Sentio: a Short Film

Sentio was a short film I worked on with Brett Taylor who directed and wrote the film. Production was actually quite short compared to what I thought it would be. It took longer to create the storyboards the it did to film. Everything went pretty well, we were actually one of the only groups without any major problems. We did, however,  have some problems with equipment. We used a shot gun microphone which didn't want to cooperate. Other than that, the film turned out really good.

Other Notes and Thoughts

I have blog posts about each of the above projects that go into more detail about the process. 

So far, I have really enjoyed video and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Right now, we have been working on pre-production for our feature film, The Hidden. I am in the writing team and I'm one of the production assistants. I wrote act 3 of the film with Ariel Seemann. 

Class Time

I feel like I've been really productive in class. I spent a lot of time working on writing and scripting the feature film recently and on days that I haven't been working on the film, I've been working on using sounds and colors and looking at how they affect the mood of a film. Other than that, my time has been spent on class projects.

Outside of school, I watch a lot of music videos, tv shows and movies and analyzing the continuity, colors and audio while looking at certain shots project the mood of what is going on. 

Areas of Improvement

I'm sort of a jack of all trades, master of none kind of person. There isn't really a certain video role, I'm good at. That's why I applied for production assistant; its a way for me to do a little bit of everything and help out her people. I could improve by honing my skills into a certain area of production and finding what I can succeed in. I really like cinematography and sees to work on finding my own style of film, rather than what everyone else does. 

Guest Speakers

I didn't really learn anything from our two guest speakers about film. Both of them work in the advertising business, which I have no interest in and while they are similar, movie production and advertising differ as well. I did learn that you can start from the bottom and work your way to the top, especially since the internet is so vast. I was able to learn some roles in film production that I didn't know existed and got to work with some cool equipment that we also get to use in out feature film.

MX4D

The MX4D trip was really cool. I also have an entire blog about it. I do believe it can boost the movie industry by getting more people to theaters and it definitely makes a person think about how to integrate movement, touch and sound into a film. 

Summery 

My favorite part of this semester was the freedom I was able to enjoy thoughout my projects. It really allowed be to explore my creative side and what I like to do. I wouldn't do much to change any of my projects. This up-coming semester I pray goes smoothly and that our movie is completed without too many complications. 

 

This semester has been a blast and I can't wait to continue.

MX4D Review

MX4D- What is it?

MX4D is an experience. It's a way to immerse yourself in a movie without just using visuals and sound. You have moving seats, smells that go along with what you're watching and different types of ways to feel what you're seeing. There is snow, rain and bubbles falling from the ceiling. There is air blast and water coming from your seat and little strings that tickle your ankles and little punches that hit you through your seat. There are only five movie theaters in the United States that have this, so it's pretty exclusive. 

My Opinion Before Going In

I've been to 4D movies before, but it was completely different. The ones I had been to had the audience wear 3D glasses. In this theatre, there were no 3D glasses and more of the 5 senses were attainable.  I was really excited going in. 

My Experience

We saw the new Justice League movie. My expectations were high and it wasn't quite satisfied, but I still enjoyed it. I did experience problems, but they were minimal. For one, I wear glasses and there was no way to shut off the water spritzes. It really distracted me because whenever there was liquid on the screen, I would quickly have to cover the holes in the chair. it was also distracting to have the little punches through your seat. The biggest problem was that it distracted me.  I did really enjoy the chairs moving during the fight scenes, but I felt like it was made more for entertainment than actual movie watching. 

I'm actually planning to go see Justice League again because I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I'd see it in MX4D. It was fun, but distracting. 

Integrating MX4D 

In my films, I'mm not quite sure how I would do it. I don't really like making action movies. MX4D is more geared to action, thriller and horror movies. I like dramas and romances. I'm not sure how I would integrate it. 

My Ideas to Improve Movie Theaters

I don't really have any ideas for technology. I do think that movie theaters should lower the prices of their concession, but I also think there are other things that don't involve technology that they could do. 

Conclusion

I really enjoyed MX4D more for the experience than the movie watching. I do think it could improve the theatre industry, but it's just so expensive, I don't know if its worth it. 

Sentio - A Short Film

A man is on a date while battling his inner demons. That is the basis of Sentio. It's a psychological surrealist short film. The script and concept came from my fellow classmate, Brett Taylor. The script was 18 pages long and the film ended up being 13 minutes long.

Pre-Production

Pre-Production began with Brett's treatment which he expanded into a script. We then moved into assigning roles: Brett was director and editor, Ariel was location scout and art designer, Brendan was sound, Damien was cinematographer and I was production designer and makeup artist. The storyboards took several days to finish. 

Production

Production was pretty straight forward. We were able to film in two days. The first day was at Westside Nazarene Church; we filmed the date scenes. All went really well. We ended up to re-film some shots due to microphone issues, but it all turned our pretty great.

The second day of filming, I wasn't able to make due to a previous commitment, but from what I've heard, it went really well. 

Post-Production

Editing, as seen by my group, is a solo affair. Brett was editor because it was his story, his vision. We gave input where he asked us to and other things, but he did most of it so I really can't go into detail. One thing we did realize during editing that our shotgun microphone hadn't picked up all our audio, so some extra editing had to be done there.

My Role

I was production designer; I took the script and turned it into drawings.  It took several days and I had help on it from other students.

What I Learned

I've never used a DSLR to film before. It was new to me and I will never go back to the other film cameras. We also used a shotgun mic for the date scene. I learned that it wasn't such great idea. The audio ended up either being too quiet or messed up.

Conclusion

This film is probably the best thing I've created in my little over two years at ONW. There are most definitely some flaws and things we could have done differently, but it was a success overall. I really hope to continue to create videos like this over the rest of the year and beyond.    

Teen Smoking PSA - First Project of Junior Year

Overview

Teen Smoking, a long existing problem in our society. My group decided to address this using a humerous approach. There is a video (below) that we based our video on. We figured that a fire extinguisher was a bit overboard, so we stuck with a water bottle.

    

The Process

Pre-Production

First things first, although it can be done, it is hard to make a video by yourself. My class split into groups of 5-6 people. My group consisted of Damien Fraser, Ariel Seemann, Piper Cumley, Darby Christensen and myself. We all had different ideas of what PSA we should do. Mine was "Teen Smoking". Other ideas we had were "Save The Bees", "Suicide Awareness", and "Internet Addiction". After choosing our PSA, we all determined roles. Because it was my video idea and my vision, I was voted the roles of Director and Production Designer.  Darby was the Editor, Damien was Cinematographer, and Ariel was the Screenplay Writer.  We all took on the role of  Location Scout and Art Director. Along with our Production crew, we recruited fellow e-Comm student Nicholas Compton. We began filming the next day and continued on Monday.

Production

Production was supposed to be pretty straight forward. We planned to take 1-2 days to shoot and that would be that. It almost went according to plan. It did only take 2 days to film, but not in the way we thought. We began shooting on the Friday after the assignment was given and we got a few shots done. Monday, our actor Nick forgot his costume, so we had to start all over in order to avoid inconsistanies within the PSA. Luckily we got it all shot.  We also ran into technical difficulties in Monday. Our camera stopped working, the worst problem you can run into. We ended up filming completely on an iPhone, but all considered, it turned out pretty good. We also ran into a problem with props. Seeing as all of us are making an anti teen smoking ad, none of us smoke. As a replacement for actual cigarettes, we used fake cigarettes and Pixy Sticks as smoke. It doesn't look completely realistic, but it works.

Post-Production

Editing is probably my biggest struggle, luckily Darby was our main editor. I have a hard time making sure that all the scenes lineup and just everything in general.  I did get it turned in on time though and it's not too shabby.

What I learned

The main thing I learned through this assignment is that I am a very bossy director. I have never been a director for a video so it was a very new experience. I loved learning how to make my thoughts heard and collaborating with my group, even though it got heated sometimes. This was also my first time using an external microphone, so that was new technology for me to learn. 

What I Would...

Change

I would probably substitute Nick for someone else. I love him to death, but I feel like we could have  done better. I would also change some of the shots, so its not quite so repetitive. I would also not shoot on an iPhone as that's not very professional. I wish I was better at editing, I did it a way that made sense to me and was different, but I'm not a huge fan of the final product.

Keep The Same

 I would keep a lot the same. I liked the humorous approach we took and the diversity of the shots. I think its a real improvement from earlier projects. 

Conclusion

I do believe as the years go on, I continue to improve the quality of my projects. I do wish we had been able to shoot with a real camera, but sometimes you have to improvise with what you have. Hopefully, throughout the year, I will continue to get better and I will strive to be the best I can be.

Professional Project Review

Broken Wand      

Summery
The short is about a boy who goes to visit his grandfather who loves magic. The grandfather is excited that the boy is there and tries to do magic tricks with his, but the boy cares more about his gaming system.

Analysis
The short was very well made, being Disney and all.  Even though there are no words, the emotion is still shown through expression and lighting, especially at 2:00 where the grandfather is in light, but the grandson is in darkness with only the screen of his gaming system proving sufficient lighting. Then, at 2:54 when the grandfather loses hope, he is shrouded in shadow, but after the grandson does his magic trick, 3:04-3:06, it suddenly gets lighter, showing happiness.

If we think about the physics of animation, such as squash, stretch and follow through, there are some good examples of that. If you pause or watch in slow motion at 0:57, you can see that the boy's body is stretch. When watching at normal speed, you can't see it, but it gives it a more realistic vibe. We continue this at 0:58 where the force of the grandfather's pulling makes the boy stumble, giving us follow through If he had just stayed completely stiff, it would be less human-like and more mechanical, which is all good and well if that is the vibe you are going for. There are several more examples of this throughout the short like at 0:33 and the credit/into with the car.

While the project is very good, there are somethings I would change, such as the color palette. The colors are darker and they put me off. I would have brightened the yellows  and added a bit more contrast. All the colors seem to blend together, except for the kid's hair which makes it a little more awkward.

Conclusion
Even though this is a Disney short, so the animation is very good, there are some things I would change just from a personal aesthetic. I enjoyed the story and how it was portrayed with sound and lighting.  This is proof that something can always be improved on and that no animator is perfect.





DisneyShorts. ""Broken Wand" by Anne Yang & Michael Altman." YouTube. Walt Disney Studios, 31 Jan. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.

Year Review: Exploring Animation

This year was quite an adventure.  I learned so much with special effects 3D and 2D animation, Although I am heading into the Entertainment Strand next year, I've learned how to put my animation knowledge into my videos.

My Valuable Takeaways:

My final product
(Can you count how many copies of me are there?)

Technology: Jeez. I've learned so much this year. I learned how to use a green screen for one. My teacher, Mr. Netterville took my class down to the studio and each student got a photo taken of them to edit onto a background. it was quite a struggle for me because, back in February, I dyed my hair blue and turquoise, so by the time this project came around, my hair was fading into mostly green, so it was pretty see through when I keyed out the green screen in AfterEffects.

I'm very happy that I learned how to edit with a green screen because that allows me to make my videos more interesting with certain effects. This will further my skills and increase the quality of my content.

Collaboration: Collaboration is a big life skill. Although most of the time, animation is solo, there are still many occasions where you need good collaboration skills. One of these times was our VFX assignment. My group was Sarah Pitts, Nicholas Compton and Johnny Robinson. We decided to "remake" the classic cartoon, Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner.


This combined a lot of skills that we learned this year, including greenscreening, and 3D modeling in Maya. It was a way to show how all of these different skills cam be combined. The hardest part was the rock. It was modeled in Maya and it involved a lot of masking, some of which we forgot to do. While this is by far not professional grade, you have to admit, It's kind of funny.

Communication: When learning a new skill, communication with the teacher is very important because if you learn wrong, then that is how you are going to keep doing it like that. Learning in Maya involved a lot of communication because of all the parts that I had to remember.

Project Management: I cannot stress how much project/time management is. You have to work when you have the time and stay on task. If you are not focused, your project will not be done on time, and if you are rushing to finish, there are going to be mistakes. If you are working for a client and it's late, you might be payed less or not at all.

Leadership: Leadership skills are an important life skill. You must take charge and make sure people are keeping up with the project. It can also be seen as helping a fellow animator and taking that initiative to make things in the workplace/ environment run smoother,


Strengths/Weaknesses

My greatest strengths are my Maya models. I am very proud of my skills. It takes a lot of skill to make things look realistic and I think I achieved that pretty well. I think I could definitely work harder on them and improve my skills majorly.

My weakness is my 2D animations. That includes my walk cycle and multi-plane animations. Using the pin tool and not allowing it to slide was a problem I struggled with, although my worm looks pretty good.

Overall, this year was a great learning experience. It has taught me so much that I can apply next year in Entertainment Video. There is a lot I can improve on some of these projects. I also learned a lot about time management that will help me in the future.

Semester Review: Entertainment Video

Overview 
This semester in Exploring Video Production, the focus was on the Entertainment strand. We created a music video, remade movie trailer and produced a short film written by fellow classmate, Lina Satterin. I was able to make each project my own and put my own creative spin on everything.

We Didn't Start The Fire (actually we did)
Assignment: Recreate/make music video for a song of our choice.

We Didn't Start The Fire is an iconic song; It was so much fun to bring to life I worked with Ariel Seemann, Austin Wilson and Brett Taylor to complete this.  We made the decision to not recreate the official video and to make our own version which took a while.

Preproduction seemed to go by really fast. I was out with a concussion for most of it, so Ariel, Austin and Brett did most of the work. To save ourselves some editing, we took the creative liberty to use signs instead of lip-synching, so they worked on those while I was gone.

Filming took about 3-4 hours. Here is where we faced some challenges. It was a cold January Sunday. The outside temperature ranged from about 34-46 degrees. We struggled with starting our fire it was so cold and windy, but you can't have a music video talking about fire without featuring flames, so we persevered. We were at Austin's grandparents' house, so after a few failed attempts, we took shelter inside, drank some hot cocoa and tried to make a secondary plan. We were going to film inside, but then we headed back outdoors and surprise, it had warmed up a little. We decided to start filming and to start the fire (pun not intended) later when it was dark outside. We didn't account for the time of year we were filming though. Because it was during the middle of winter, the days are drastically shorter and this affected filming as well. As you can see in the video below, it got too dark to see the signs and we resorted to starting the fire in order to make the signs visible. We soon got it figured out and we can learn from these mistakes.

Editing prove to be a challenge within itself. Because some of clips were so dark, they were unsalvageable, but we used them anyway. Another problem is we didn't think about possible B-Roll and there are only so many ways you can show fire in one video without boring the audience, so we had to get creative, but it all worked out.

This video is pretty good for my first music video. It could be majorly improved if we reshot and put new knowledge to work.


The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
Assignment: Recreate shot for shot a high school themed movie.

I had never seen The Duff before, so this was an interesting project. I worked with Mackenzie Jefferson and Ariel Seemann. Even though this project was all laid out for us, I found it much harder.

I am a perfectionist when it comes to certain things and this video was my kryptonite.  I was the storyboard creator, so I went through the official trailer in slow motion in order to screenshot every little shot change. I wrote down the camera movements, what shot it was and who was in it. Because I had all this knowledge of what was supposed to happen, I was also cinematographer. There were some days that we didn't get all that we needed done in class and I was unable to film, so others did. Because of this, not all the shots got filmed and there were some missing lines, which my job as editor a living nightmare because it was a struggle to get things to flow correctly. We also had the problem that a lot of our actors were not in our class, so they couldn't always film. Most of them also didn't bother to memorize their lines, which make filming take longer.

Personally, I believe this project was a giant flop and it could have been executed much better. I hope that in the future, the people in my group (including me) learn from this and improve their/our future projects. This video could be majorly improved with a reshoot.



Running: A Short Film
Assignment: Create an original short film

This project was by far my favorite. It is an original film written by Lina Sattarin. It's about a runner with unsupportive parents and girl who was once a ballerina and is now a paraplegic. This was the project that took the most time. We spent the entire quarter working on it which means from after spring break in March until the a week before school lets out in May.

It all began with a treatment, which is pretty much the first draft. It is written like a short story and covers the Act I, Act II and Act III. Everyone in my class wrote one and shared it. My teacher, Mrs. Smith, then put us into groups and everyone wrote a script based off their treatment. My group was made up of Ann-Reita Cox, Gianni Lopez, Lina Sattarin and myself. Once in our groups, we shared our scripts and chose our final script unanimously. As you can see, Lina's was the winner. Hers was physically possible for teens like us to do. It was also very well written.

For this project, I was in charge of story boarding and cinematography. We were able to film the entire thing in two sessions. Lina was head editor, but I helped while she was gone.

In the end, I believe that this was my best project. I'm really proud of how it turned out, although there are some things that need to be fixed such as mood of the film and some jump cuts.  




I really enjoyed this semester. Entertainment is definitely my strong suit and I'm excited to continue learning and furthering my skills. Next year, I would really like to take on some more projects and make it all my own. I did a lot of growing and learning this year and I can't wait to put it to use.

Special Effects: Explosion

         For this project,I needed to create an explosion using different special effect elements. I was given all the features and a tutorial and had to put it together. Some of the elements included a "falling glass" graphic, a "big fire" graphic and soundbyte of the explosion noise.

        I used masks in order to keep the explosion realistic and behind certain parts of the video and each part had to be manipulated and timed perfectly.  Along with the masks shown, I also had to use a different type in order to add the "light" from the fire and add a slight glow.

Workspace with timeline

Outline of masks

Mask

The big part of this project was trying to make it look somewhat realistic and of good quality. The different masks made my life a lot easier and simplified the whole process. I'm very happy with how it turned out and I wouldn't change very much about my project, although I did redo it with a different scene. AsI am a film student and heading into Entertainment, this will be very helpful in order to create quality productions.

Movie Trailer Review

Assignment: Recreate the trailer of a movie that takes place in a high school. The goal was to create the trailer line for line and scene for scene. We chose the movie The DUFF, which is about a girl named Bianca, who discovers she's considered the DUFF (Dumb, Ugly, Fat Friend) in her friend group.

As always, this project had to start somewhere. We used a really cool website called Celtx.com to write our script. The storyboard took a bit longer because I had to find the trailer on YouTube and it watch it in slo-mo in order to screen-shot every camera change. After I had all my screen-shots, I put them in order in a word document. I then went through the word document and typed out all the details for each shot such as, characters feature, the shot size and movements, and the time each shot is held. During this time, we also cast our video, which was done mostly by Mackenzie Jefferson.

Because our trailer has so many shots in a variety places, it was very complicated to shoot. Another complication came from our actors. Many of them aren't in class with us, so trying to coordinate everyone was hard and involved a lot of back and forth between place in the school. In the end, we were able to get it filmed, but just barely.

 The last part of the process is editing. This was the hardest part for me because it was when I realized we were missing some of our shots. Luckily, with some creativity, we were able to make a sufficient trailer with what we had. Editing was also really complicated just because it's the last part and we were pressed for time. 9 times out of 10, the way you film something during production affects the editing  process. My team only used one camera which caused us to do scenes several times to get all our shots, this made for a jumpier editing job between lines.

Overall, I believe that this by far not my best project, there is lots of room for improvement.

Watch the trailer below: