Friday, April 25, 2008
Final Idea for Movie
We plan on making two of the exact movie except switching the male and females roles to see how people look at the same morbid actions different depending on the sex of the person doing the act. The two movies will be exactly the same only the roles reversed and they will be veiwed at seperate times.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
preproduction package
We have a cast of two individuals a woman and a man.
The man is a uncouth slime ball who is stalking this woman at a party, his goal is to make her his own. He wants her to be with him and it turns into a lust to be with her and be her at the same time. Throughout his thought process the only way to make her his is to cut her up and stuff her and take on her identity. He does this in his own twisted lovingly way. He tries to make a connection between the girl and himself by wearing women's clothing and makeup.
The woman on the other hand is just an average person going to a party and drinking like everyone else there. She is unaware of her surroundings and the only thing that runs through her mind is fear once she is captured. She seems to always be thinking while in fear and even escapes at one point. She is only equipped with the clothing and nothing else for escape.
This is the story- boarding layout
- The story starts out with the man singing at mid shot
- Then you will see a group of people walk in a abandon house
- The man will be singing again as he walks in.
- The kidnapper will make kind small talk with his next victim.
- He snatches her up and carries her out towards the car.
- The man sings his way to his house while holding her in a head lock.
- He parks the car and lets her see the splendors of the house.
- The house is really disturbing
- She gets locked up
- She tries to escape but gets caught
- The man basically does a taxidermy ritual.
- Both the man and woman go to sleep in the same bed, but the girl has lost all will to escape.

Tenchi, Wesley and myself are doing a collaborative movie that all three of us will produce. We are going with the Tenchi's first movie idea that he proposed in class, which is the one about the music video. The idea is that we make a movie that comments on the song "Hey There Delilah," but we add our on lyrics to the instrumental. The script will basically be the lyrics to the song. We have not developed that yet, but we were thinking that we will need around 3- 5 actors. The location will be in Arkansas... well that's what we are working on and we still need to block the scenes.
1. Analysis of script
a. the male character is a creepy stalker whos goal is to kidnap the girl and make him his slave
the girl is an average girl at a party who's goal is to have a good time but doesnt know shes being stalked
b. the stalkers obstacle is the girl trying to get away and getting caught
the girls obstacle is to get away from the stalker and make it out alive
c the stalkers actions to keep the girl under his control is putting her in the closet
the girl trys to escape
d the stalker ends up stuffing her at a taxidermist like a deer
the girl trys to run away but realizes she is in the middle of nowhere
e the stalker stuffs her like a deer so he can have her forever
the girl ends up getting caught again
f they are running through fields, driving, at a party, socializing.
2. Breakdown of Script
a. one male -stalker
one female- the victim
a group of people at party
b. The main guy and girl will be in the whole movie but the group of people will only be in the first scene.
c. Two main locations: the party scene which will probally be beside a body of water and the stalkers house which will be an abandoned house
d. There will be no big stunts or special effects.
e. The girl will wear normal clothes while the stalker will wear weird clothes such as dresses and smeared lipstick
f. The main props will be old tools such as saws, bounding materials such as rope or tape, and an older truck
3. Location Scout
Most of our locations will have no available power so the only light will be the sun and bounce cards.
The man is a uncouth slime ball who is stalking this woman at a party, his goal is to make her his own. He wants her to be with him and it turns into a lust to be with her and be her at the same time. Throughout his thought process the only way to make her his is to cut her up and stuff her and take on her identity. He does this in his own twisted lovingly way. He tries to make a connection between the girl and himself by wearing women's clothing and makeup.
The woman on the other hand is just an average person going to a party and drinking like everyone else there. She is unaware of her surroundings and the only thing that runs through her mind is fear once she is captured. She seems to always be thinking while in fear and even escapes at one point. She is only equipped with the clothing and nothing else for escape.
This is the story- boarding layout
- The story starts out with the man singing at mid shot
- Then you will see a group of people walk in a abandon house
- The man will be singing again as he walks in.
- The kidnapper will make kind small talk with his next victim.
- He snatches her up and carries her out towards the car.
- The man sings his way to his house while holding her in a head lock.
- He parks the car and lets her see the splendors of the house.
- The house is really disturbing
- She gets locked up
- She tries to escape but gets caught
- The man basically does a taxidermy ritual.
- Both the man and woman go to sleep in the same bed, but the girl has lost all will to escape.

Tenchi, Wesley and myself are doing a collaborative movie that all three of us will produce. We are going with the Tenchi's first movie idea that he proposed in class, which is the one about the music video. The idea is that we make a movie that comments on the song "Hey There Delilah," but we add our on lyrics to the instrumental. The script will basically be the lyrics to the song. We have not developed that yet, but we were thinking that we will need around 3- 5 actors. The location will be in Arkansas... well that's what we are working on and we still need to block the scenes.
1. Analysis of script
a. the male character is a creepy stalker whos goal is to kidnap the girl and make him his slave
the girl is an average girl at a party who's goal is to have a good time but doesnt know shes being stalked
b. the stalkers obstacle is the girl trying to get away and getting caught
the girls obstacle is to get away from the stalker and make it out alive
c the stalkers actions to keep the girl under his control is putting her in the closet
the girl trys to escape
d the stalker ends up stuffing her at a taxidermist like a deer
the girl trys to run away but realizes she is in the middle of nowhere
e the stalker stuffs her like a deer so he can have her forever
the girl ends up getting caught again
f they are running through fields, driving, at a party, socializing.
2. Breakdown of Script
a. one male -stalker
one female- the victim
a group of people at party
b. The main guy and girl will be in the whole movie but the group of people will only be in the first scene.
c. Two main locations: the party scene which will probally be beside a body of water and the stalkers house which will be an abandoned house
d. There will be no big stunts or special effects.
e. The girl will wear normal clothes while the stalker will wear weird clothes such as dresses and smeared lipstick
f. The main props will be old tools such as saws, bounding materials such as rope or tape, and an older truck
3. Location Scout
Most of our locations will have no available power so the only light will be the sun and bounce cards.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
What I have to offer for final collaborative video.
I think the best thing I have to offer for the movie is my locations in Arkansas. I also have a few good actors and actresses. I can also make my own music to go with the video. I am ready to see what we come out with on this collaborative project.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
A Few Ideas for Final Movie
I make my own fishing show, going to little broke down ditches in Arkansas and my only real goal is to get drunk. I tell the viewers how to fish which is just throwing a worm on a hook and throwing it out in the water and leaving it there while you drink beer. No matter what you'll catch a buzz. Then maybe talking about things that have nothing to do with fishing at all.
I introduce all these different characters doing different random things but they all get a phone call and only say "okay we'll meet up" after this long introduction of characters and wondering what all these people will do when they meet up it just shows all of them together at the end and each character bowls in slow motion as the credits roll.
I try to create an experimental movie showing the desolate scenery and odd people in Arkansas. I will show some pretty places and some ugly broke down places. I will show what people do to pass the time in the isolation of Arkansas. I will emphasize the consumption of alcohol and doing random dumb shit.
I want to play with the reverse effect like William Kentridge to create odd movements and do things like tearing something apart and playing it in reverse or spraying water and throwing dirt and mud on a person getting them filthy and playing it in reverse.
I introduce all these different characters doing different random things but they all get a phone call and only say "okay we'll meet up" after this long introduction of characters and wondering what all these people will do when they meet up it just shows all of them together at the end and each character bowls in slow motion as the credits roll.
I try to create an experimental movie showing the desolate scenery and odd people in Arkansas. I will show some pretty places and some ugly broke down places. I will show what people do to pass the time in the isolation of Arkansas. I will emphasize the consumption of alcohol and doing random dumb shit.
I want to play with the reverse effect like William Kentridge to create odd movements and do things like tearing something apart and playing it in reverse or spraying water and throwing dirt and mud on a person getting them filthy and playing it in reverse.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Write-up on final shoot and rough edit
My final shoot went pretty good, it took almost the whole weekend to do though. I feel good about getting plenty of footage shot. There are a few minor inconsistencies but overall I am pleased. I think the most interesting shot was the most unpleasant to shoot because it was in the rain. I feel like everything came together well in the rough edit and I believe the timing of everything is pretty good. I went through with the razor tool and started going crazy cutting scenes up but I think it made and interest effect and helped the timing. I can't wait to get some feedback and see everyone elses work.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
in class further thoughts on idea
1. The reasons why the people are killed may be unclear. Also it may not be clear that friend 3 and the main character's girlfriend are having an affair. It will also be unclear whether this is a dream or reality but I want this to be unclear.
2. I need to further develop how I will show each characters personality and individuality. I also need to further develop the scenery to create this irony. I need to further develop the other characters' reactions to the murders.
3. I think I could push the conflict between the main character and friend 3 further. I also should push further on the reasons for the characters getting killed. I should push the idea that the main characters girlfriend and his best friend have secrets together.
4. The overall style of my piece will be randomness, irony, and a feeling that everything is out of place. It will be a silent narrative style film with low lighting and outdoor lighting. I plan on experimenting as much as possible with camera angles. I also plan on experimentally combining suspense and disturbing comedy.
5. I wish to translate a dreamesque quality to the viewer and hopefully make them experience an ironic mixture of emotions. I want the viewer to experience the emotions the characters are feeling. I also want the viewer to wonder if this is reality or a dream.
6. I will achieve this look by using random locations and placing props in the locations that do not belong. Also, the costumes will create a juxtaposition to their surroundings and their actions.
7. My idea is interesting because it shows four friends struggling to be the alpha male and they have no limits to what they will do to achieve this. They appear to not fit in with their environment and their actions contradict how they look. It is also interesting because it is unclear if this takes place in a dream or reality. It also will create a lot of irony by using things that seem out of place such as happy music playing when someone is getting killed, or placing a card table in the middle of an open field.
8. My movie should be made because it seems fresh and unique and it will take the viewer to a strange place in their minds. I believe I can create an awkward story that makes the viewer question every element of the video.
9. I am having problems thinking of a "fancy" place to use for the first scene. I will probably end up making my own set to solve this problem.
10. I am not too sure who will be my crew yet, probably friends in Arkansas.
11. I did not have enough variety in shots, not enough close ups. Also my last video was only in one location, which also made it lack variety. I was not clear enough in instructing my actors and crew. I did not shoot as much footage as I should have.
2. I need to further develop how I will show each characters personality and individuality. I also need to further develop the scenery to create this irony. I need to further develop the other characters' reactions to the murders.
3. I think I could push the conflict between the main character and friend 3 further. I also should push further on the reasons for the characters getting killed. I should push the idea that the main characters girlfriend and his best friend have secrets together.
4. The overall style of my piece will be randomness, irony, and a feeling that everything is out of place. It will be a silent narrative style film with low lighting and outdoor lighting. I plan on experimenting as much as possible with camera angles. I also plan on experimentally combining suspense and disturbing comedy.
5. I wish to translate a dreamesque quality to the viewer and hopefully make them experience an ironic mixture of emotions. I want the viewer to experience the emotions the characters are feeling. I also want the viewer to wonder if this is reality or a dream.
6. I will achieve this look by using random locations and placing props in the locations that do not belong. Also, the costumes will create a juxtaposition to their surroundings and their actions.
7. My idea is interesting because it shows four friends struggling to be the alpha male and they have no limits to what they will do to achieve this. They appear to not fit in with their environment and their actions contradict how they look. It is also interesting because it is unclear if this takes place in a dream or reality. It also will create a lot of irony by using things that seem out of place such as happy music playing when someone is getting killed, or placing a card table in the middle of an open field.
8. My movie should be made because it seems fresh and unique and it will take the viewer to a strange place in their minds. I believe I can create an awkward story that makes the viewer question every element of the video.
9. I am having problems thinking of a "fancy" place to use for the first scene. I will probably end up making my own set to solve this problem.
10. I am not too sure who will be my crew yet, probably friends in Arkansas.
11. I did not have enough variety in shots, not enough close ups. Also my last video was only in one location, which also made it lack variety. I was not clear enough in instructing my actors and crew. I did not shoot as much footage as I should have.
Production Package
1. Analysis of Script
a.
Main Character-control freak who seems to be the main cause of his friends deaths
main characters girlfriend- the main characters girlfriend who has secrets
Friend 1- friend of main character who is a belligerent drunk
Friend 2- egotistic friend of the main character
Friend 3- best friend who is secretly jealous of the main character and his girlfriend
b.
main character- his best friend and his girlfriend are hiding something from him
girlfriend- has a secret hidden from her boyfriend
friend 1- only obstacle is spilling the main characters beer and upsetting him
friend 2- his big ego gets under his friends skin and becomes the cause of his death
friend 3- is jealous of his best friend and causes the death of all of his friends
c.
main character- constantly wants to be in control of his friends and their actions
girlfriend- continues on with secret relationship with friend 3 and hides it from the main character
friend 1- wants to get drunk and have fun with friends but gets obnoxious kills the mood
friend 2- always wants to be the center of attention and irritates people with his ego
friend 3 (best friend)- kill all of his friends including the main character out of jealousy
d.
main character- takes place in ending his friends lives when they don't do as he wants
girlfriend- runs off with friend 3 after he kills the main character
friend 1- getting drunk and inebriated
friend 2- wins card game when gambling with friends which pushes them to the edge and causes his demise
friend 3 (best friend)- killing all of the friends and making it seem as if the main character is the main cause of the killings.
e.
main character- realizes his best friend is in love with his girlfriend and that best friend was the main cause of all his other friends deaths
girlfriend- runs off with best friend after main character is dead
friend 1- dead
friend 2- dead
friend 3 (best friend)- doesn't do a good enough job of making it seem like the main character caused the killings
f.
main character- trys to control friends and takes place in his friends killings.
girlfriend- keeps secret from boyfriend and runs off with best friend
friend 1- gets drunk and spills a beer
friend 2- wins card game and annoys friends with ego
friend 3 (best friend)- kills all the friends
2. Breakdown of Script
a.
1 female and 4 male actor
b.
main character-4 scences
girlfriend- 3 scenes
friend 1- 1 scene
friend 2- 2 scenes
friend 3 (best friend)- 5 scenes
c.
5 places
fancy place
open field
tool shed
levee road
riverbank
d. stunts
3 killings
e.
tuxedos
fake blood
mullets
f.
tools
playing cards
card table
beer
3. Location scout
a.
Main Character-control freak who seems to be the main cause of his friends deaths
main characters girlfriend- the main characters girlfriend who has secrets
Friend 1- friend of main character who is a belligerent drunk
Friend 2- egotistic friend of the main character
Friend 3- best friend who is secretly jealous of the main character and his girlfriend
b.
main character- his best friend and his girlfriend are hiding something from him
girlfriend- has a secret hidden from her boyfriend
friend 1- only obstacle is spilling the main characters beer and upsetting him
friend 2- his big ego gets under his friends skin and becomes the cause of his death
friend 3- is jealous of his best friend and causes the death of all of his friends
c.
main character- constantly wants to be in control of his friends and their actions
girlfriend- continues on with secret relationship with friend 3 and hides it from the main character
friend 1- wants to get drunk and have fun with friends but gets obnoxious kills the mood
friend 2- always wants to be the center of attention and irritates people with his ego
friend 3 (best friend)- kill all of his friends including the main character out of jealousy
d.
main character- takes place in ending his friends lives when they don't do as he wants
girlfriend- runs off with friend 3 after he kills the main character
friend 1- getting drunk and inebriated
friend 2- wins card game when gambling with friends which pushes them to the edge and causes his demise
friend 3 (best friend)- killing all of the friends and making it seem as if the main character is the main cause of the killings.
e.
main character- realizes his best friend is in love with his girlfriend and that best friend was the main cause of all his other friends deaths
girlfriend- runs off with best friend after main character is dead
friend 1- dead
friend 2- dead
friend 3 (best friend)- doesn't do a good enough job of making it seem like the main character caused the killings
f.
main character- trys to control friends and takes place in his friends killings.
girlfriend- keeps secret from boyfriend and runs off with best friend
friend 1- gets drunk and spills a beer
friend 2- wins card game and annoys friends with ego
friend 3 (best friend)- kills all the friends
2. Breakdown of Script
a.
1 female and 4 male actor
b.
main character-4 scences
girlfriend- 3 scenes
friend 1- 1 scene
friend 2- 2 scenes
friend 3 (best friend)- 5 scenes
c.
5 places
fancy place
open field
tool shed
levee road
riverbank
d. stunts
3 killings
e.
tuxedos
fake blood
mullets
f.
tools
playing cards
card table
beer
3. Location scout
fancy place- will probably be a created set indoors with available electricity most likely so lights can be used
open field- will be outdoors with no power and the only light source being the sun
tool shed- electricity available, available light is sun coming through the roof in the day or fluorescent lights at night
levee road-only power in car, only available light is the sun
Monday, March 3, 2008
Proposal for Film # 2
1. Film statement
I plan on making a short film called Living the Warped Dream about a guy that kills all of his friends for absurd reasons in a dream but it will only be suggested that he is dreaming. This will be an experimental film directed toward a general audience.
2. Overview
In this ambiguous dreamworld where everything seems out of place, time does not exist. An odd group of friends are separated by death, and the main character is the cause of it all. It will only be suggested in the scenery that this is a dream.
There are four characters that all appear very rugged wearing worn tuxedos. They travel to different random locations and do random things. They drink cheap beer in a fancy ballroom type of place, gamble their souls at table in an open field surrounded by nothing, they take a ride down to the river, they show off their belongings in a shed, and finally the main character walks alone down a levee road into the sunset.
The main character kills off all the characters for absurd reasons and acts as if nothing happened.
One guy is beaten to death for spilling the main characters beer, after he is dead the other guys continue on drinking and having a good time with his body laying in the floor beside them. The next guy is drowned in the river after winning a card game they were playing and gambling their souls. The last guy is hit in the head with a wrench for no reason in a tool shed.
3. Approach, form and style
I plan on arranging the scenes out of order and using random locations to create a disordered feeling of time and space. I also want the only audio to be music like old silent films.
The main character is killing all of his friends for crazy reasons or no reason at all. Some of the characters watch, while others help the main character kill each character off. They all seem to trust the main character and feel as if he wouldn't harm them, but eventually each one is killed.
The main character is very calm throughout the whole film, and acts very casual after he kills each person, and seems to think nothing about it. He also seems to enjoy being with his friends in the beginning but has no shame from killing them and in the end he is alone in the dreamworld.
4. Audience, distribution and marketing
I plan to aim this film toward an audience who likes horror movies, experimental movies and just strange movies in general. Hopefully it is odd enough to disturb or shock some people too.
In real life the only way I could get this to an audience now would probably be on the Internet through something like youtube. Since it wont be a very long movie it probably wouldn't go in theatres, unless it was played before a feature film.
I plan on making a short film called Living the Warped Dream about a guy that kills all of his friends for absurd reasons in a dream but it will only be suggested that he is dreaming. This will be an experimental film directed toward a general audience.
2. Overview
In this ambiguous dreamworld where everything seems out of place, time does not exist. An odd group of friends are separated by death, and the main character is the cause of it all. It will only be suggested in the scenery that this is a dream.
There are four characters that all appear very rugged wearing worn tuxedos. They travel to different random locations and do random things. They drink cheap beer in a fancy ballroom type of place, gamble their souls at table in an open field surrounded by nothing, they take a ride down to the river, they show off their belongings in a shed, and finally the main character walks alone down a levee road into the sunset.
The main character kills off all the characters for absurd reasons and acts as if nothing happened.
One guy is beaten to death for spilling the main characters beer, after he is dead the other guys continue on drinking and having a good time with his body laying in the floor beside them. The next guy is drowned in the river after winning a card game they were playing and gambling their souls. The last guy is hit in the head with a wrench for no reason in a tool shed.
3. Approach, form and style
I plan on arranging the scenes out of order and using random locations to create a disordered feeling of time and space. I also want the only audio to be music like old silent films.
The main character is killing all of his friends for crazy reasons or no reason at all. Some of the characters watch, while others help the main character kill each character off. They all seem to trust the main character and feel as if he wouldn't harm them, but eventually each one is killed.
The main character is very calm throughout the whole film, and acts very casual after he kills each person, and seems to think nothing about it. He also seems to enjoy being with his friends in the beginning but has no shame from killing them and in the end he is alone in the dreamworld.
4. Audience, distribution and marketing
I plan to aim this film toward an audience who likes horror movies, experimental movies and just strange movies in general. Hopefully it is odd enough to disturb or shock some people too.
In real life the only way I could get this to an audience now would probably be on the Internet through something like youtube. Since it wont be a very long movie it probably wouldn't go in theatres, unless it was played before a feature film.
Response to Questions in Class
After thinking about my ideas for a while and watching the movies The Science of Sleep and Pi, I have decided to change my idea up quite a bit. The ideas I had have already been done very successfully in these movies. I plan on making a random dreamesque movie about a character who ends up killing all of his friends for absurd reasons. I want it to be a silent movie and the music will add to the randomness and ambiguity. I will still take advice from the comments in class such as thinking a lot about how the camera and time is handled. Also I will definitely take the advice of not having anyone waking up or going to sleep to show they are dreaming. I will probably make it all one big dream.
Monday, February 25, 2008
A Few Ideas
1. A person's everyday issues in life are reflected in his or her dreams. Symbols and things that happen to the person are warnings and reminders. I got this idea from a few books I read through about symbolism in dreams.
2. Person takes hallucinogens and his or her nightmares come back to haunt them in a blurred reality. Person becomes confused between what is reality and what is a dream. A book called A Separate Reality, by Carlos Castaneda influenced this idea. The movie Requiem for a Dream had a part similar to this.

3. A person realizes that they are dreaming and takes control of his or her dream. This is called a lucid dream. I have read about this in a few dream books and it is also brought up in the movie Waking Life.
2. Person takes hallucinogens and his or her nightmares come back to haunt them in a blurred reality. Person becomes confused between what is reality and what is a dream. A book called A Separate Reality, by Carlos Castaneda influenced this idea. The movie Requiem for a Dream had a part similar to this.

3. A person realizes that they are dreaming and takes control of his or her dream. This is called a lucid dream. I have read about this in a few dream books and it is also brought up in the movie Waking Life.

Write Up on Digitizing
My digitizing process went pretty smooth, I got it done in about an hour. I think I've got the hang of it now. Hopefully editing the movie goes as easy.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Character and Examples of Style



I want to create a character who is lost within his or her own mind. I want the character to be in a kind of meditative state of mind. I want the lighting to reflect the tranquility and surrealness a person can create in their thoughts, dreams, etc.
I chose stills from the movies The Big Lebowski, The Cell, and House of 100 Corpses because of the intense lighting techniques. The Big Lebowski still is from a dream scene in the movie. There is a very strong backlight on the left side, and a fairly soft key light on the right. The still from The Cell is also a dream scene. There is a very strong light coming from the upper left and another one coming from the left side of the camera. The still from House of 1000 Corpses is not a dream scene but it is a scene of a trippy murder ride, I thought the lighting related. There is a very strong blue tintedlight coming from below shining up on the subject. There is also a hard backlight on the subject coming from the upper right. All of these movies used high contrast and strong manipulated lights to create a dream quality.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
write-up
I think this shoot went a lot better than my rehearsal shoot. First of all, I was not in the movie this time, so I could work the camera the whole time. That made things a lot simpler. I had a lot more people acting and helping out, this also made things easier. There are still a few downfalls, such as my dog popping in and out of scenes randomly, but hopefully it wont be too distracting. Since we were outdoors and there was no available electricity I couldn't use lights, so we used a bounce card. Hopefully the lighting and white balance comes out okay.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Lighting Quiz
1.
Key light- the main light, is the strongest and has most influence on the look of the scene, it is placed 45 degrees above and to one side of the subject so that one side is well lit and the other side has the well needed shadow. Increasing the horizontal angle of the key will emphasize skin features and produce and aging effect.
Fill light- is a secondary light that is usually placed on the opposite side of the key light, usually 30 degrees to the left or right. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key.
Back light- is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear, it provides definition and subtle highlights around the subjects outlines, it helps separate the subject from the background and provide more of a three-dimensional look.
2.
Use a bounce card or a reflector. Place it as you would place the fill light, where the subject is between the reflector and the sun. This will lower contrast, eliminate most of the shadows, and shine light on the face more consistently. You can make a bounce card out of foam core and you can make a reflector with crumpled aluminum foil.
3.
The 180 degree rule refers to staying on side of an imaginary line to keep the subjects on the same side of the screen and keep from confusing the viewer. Good examples are when filming two teams facing each other or just a conversation at a table or something. If you stay on one side of the line the people will both be facing different directions and remain on the same side of the screen, therefor keeping things easier to follow. If you do pass the line you must show the camera moving.
Key light- the main light, is the strongest and has most influence on the look of the scene, it is placed 45 degrees above and to one side of the subject so that one side is well lit and the other side has the well needed shadow. Increasing the horizontal angle of the key will emphasize skin features and produce and aging effect.
Fill light- is a secondary light that is usually placed on the opposite side of the key light, usually 30 degrees to the left or right. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key.
Back light- is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear, it provides definition and subtle highlights around the subjects outlines, it helps separate the subject from the background and provide more of a three-dimensional look.
2.
Use a bounce card or a reflector. Place it as you would place the fill light, where the subject is between the reflector and the sun. This will lower contrast, eliminate most of the shadows, and shine light on the face more consistently. You can make a bounce card out of foam core and you can make a reflector with crumpled aluminum foil.
3.
The 180 degree rule refers to staying on side of an imaginary line to keep the subjects on the same side of the screen and keep from confusing the viewer. Good examples are when filming two teams facing each other or just a conversation at a table or something. If you stay on one side of the line the people will both be facing different directions and remain on the same side of the screen, therefor keeping things easier to follow. If you do pass the line you must show the camera moving.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Response to Rehearsal
Shooting this rehearsal really helped me out in knowing how much time is needed for filming. We didn't start filming until around 4pm so you can see the daylight slowly receding as the scenes progress. I think the camera may be out of focus in some scenes, and I am not too sure how the white balance will look since it was constantly getting darker. I now know that I must be more clear about what I want the actors to do, and what I want the person working the camera to do. I am not used to telling that many people what to do. All of the actors and actresses did not show up so it made everything more difficult. People had to play multiple roles, and several different people had to work the camera. I need to think more about my placement on the screen throughout the shots and my movement. I also need to think about using more camera angles, because most of the angles in the rehearsal are about the same.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Steps 6-9
6. I will only need one day to shoot for the rehearsal and probably the same for the actual shoot.
7.
All actors will be at the field behind my
house at 3:30 pm Saturday, February 9th.
Actor/Actress Scenes
Me ---------------------------------scenes 1-4
Person I know w/ changing face------scene 1
Soulless Figures-----------------------scenes 1-4
Strange people Carrying dead body-----scene 3
Dead body-------------------------------scene 3
Girl with empty white eyes----------------scene 4
8. Contact sheet
Me-870 735 1544
Pace-870 732 0314
Trey-870 514 0024
Danni- same^
Justin-870 394 6551
Morgan- 901 503 4797
Drew-?
Thomas Kelty-870 318 7053
Thomas Smith-870 636 0367
9. All the actors know where I live or, they are getting rides from people who do.
7.
All actors will be at the field behind my
house at 3:30 pm Saturday, February 9th.
Actor/Actress Scenes
Me ---------------------------------scenes 1-4
Person I know w/ changing face------scene 1
Soulless Figures-----------------------scenes 1-4
Strange people Carrying dead body-----scene 3
Dead body-------------------------------scene 3
Girl with empty white eyes----------------scene 4
8. Contact sheet
Me-870 735 1544
Pace-870 732 0314
Trey-870 514 0024
Danni- same^
Justin-870 394 6551
Morgan- 901 503 4797
Drew-?
Thomas Kelty-870 318 7053
Thomas Smith-870 636 0367
9. All the actors know where I live or, they are getting rides from people who do.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Production Package
Script

-Characters
Me
A person I know with changing faces
Soulless Figures
Strange People carrying dead bodies
Girl with empty white eyes
scene 1
I look back at the person I know and say "Where are we?" I look away from them for a moment and then I look back and it is a completely different person staring at me.
scene 2
I slowly walk down the road and see soulless figures walking around aimlessly.
scene 3
I see two people walking toward me carrying a corpse down the road. When they walk the body by me I say "What the fuck!" then I vomit from the smell. When I collect myself I begin to run to try and escape.
scene 4
After realizing that I can not escape, I encounter a girl with empty white eyes. I stop and ask her "What is wrong with your eyes?" she says to me, "Your eyes are like that too." then stares at me and walks off. I grab my eyes and the scene spins out.
1. Analysis of Script
A
Me-I think that I am somewhere that I do not belong but I am actually stuck in my own dream and I blend in quite well. My goal is to escape the disturbing place.
Person I know-is a person I think I know, but the face keeps changing to confuse me and make me feel alone.
Soulless figures-are just people who walk around aimlessly in the middle of nowhere, they seem like prisoners of the disturbing place just like me.
People carrying bodies-their goal is to carry the body down the road to an unknown place. Makes me wonder why there are dead bodies in the middle of nowhere and disturbs me to the point that I want to escape.
Girl with empty white eyes-tells me my eyes are the same way as her's and makes me realize that I blend in with the disturbing scenery and I am just another person walking around aimlessly.
B
My major obstacle is the fact that I am stuck in an unknown disturbing place. I think I do not belong in this place, and I want to escape. The objective of the men carrying the body is to carry the body down the road.
C
The men carrying the body will be slowly walking down the road one on each side holding the body as they walk. They they slowly carry the body by me and then past the camera off the screen. I say "What the fuck" and start gagging then I grab my stomach and vomit. After vomiting, I try to run away but I am going in slow motion and realize everything looks the same and I cant escape. When the girl tells me my eyes are the same I realize I am just another soulless figure wandering around aimlessly, I grab my eyes in shock.
D
The men will slowly but steadily carry the dead body up the road toward the camera. They will have their head down as the walk past the camera. After I violently vomit, I will try to escape the place by running as fast as I can but it goes in slow motion and everything looks the same.
I will stop trying to run and continue walking slowly. When the girl tells me my eyes are like hers, I quickly grab my head, and think about how I am just another soulless figure wandering around aimlessly.
I will stop trying to run and continue walking slowly. When the girl tells me my eyes are like hers, I quickly grab my head, and think about how I am just another soulless figure wandering around aimlessly.
E
I begin to run as fast as I can but everything looks the same and is moving in slow motion. When I realize that I am going nowhere and cant escape, the place I try to escape the frame of the camera by running from one side of the screen to the other but it just follows me. Finally I give up and start walking slow down the road again, just like everyone else.
F
I will be looking around and slowly walking down the road. The soulless figures will be wandering around aimlessly. There will be two men carrying a dead body on a bed-like object. I will vomit when I smell the dead body. I will start to run down the road and realize everything looks the same, then I will try and escape the frame of the camera by running side to side.
2. Breakdown of Script
A
I will be the main character and will need two males to be the person I know with changing faces. I will need two more different males to carry the bodies down the road. I need one female to be the girl with empty white eyes. I will try to use all of the actors that are not in the scene we are shooting to be the soulless figures since their identity will be uknown.
Males-4
Females-1
Either Or-at least 2
B
Me-I will be in just about every scene
Person I know-one short scene for both actors
People carrying bodies-the 2 males and the person playing the body will be in one scene for a short time.
Girl with empty eyes-one female will be in one scene for short amount of time.
Soulless figures-I will use all actresses and actors as much as I can when they are not playing a major part in the scene. Will be in most scenes.
C
I will use one location on a dirt road surrounded by open fields. The same location as my first video assignment.
D Effects
-making the soulless figures unidentifiable
-making the bodies look dead
-making the girls eyes white
E
I want everyone to be dressed in either black or dull colors so everyone blends together. Special makeup will be required for the corpse and for the girl with empty white eyes. I may make everyone have make-up on their eyes to make them look more strange.
F
The only prop needed is some kind of board or table to carry the corpse on.
3. Location Scout
Sound Quality- probably windy
No available power
Only light available is daylight or headlights on a car.
4. Confirm Location
5. Block each scene
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Genre, Logline & Synopsis of Essay 2
genre: comedy
logline: A group of teens are drinking at a party, one guy drinks too much and enjoys his whole night in the bathroom floor.
synopsis:
A group of teenagers have a party at one guy's house because his parents are out of town. They have two bottles of liquor and an empty house to themselves. They hang out and take shots, but one guy keeps on drinking large amounts really fast. Soon after that, he stumbles his way to the bathroom to vomit. He lays in the bathroom floor for hours trying recollect himself. Later on that night, a girl runs through the door and pukes in the toilet beside the guy laying in the floor. It wasn't long until everyone at the party was standing at the bathroom door pointing and laughing.
logline: A group of teens are drinking at a party, one guy drinks too much and enjoys his whole night in the bathroom floor.
synopsis:
A group of teenagers have a party at one guy's house because his parents are out of town. They have two bottles of liquor and an empty house to themselves. They hang out and take shots, but one guy keeps on drinking large amounts really fast. Soon after that, he stumbles his way to the bathroom to vomit. He lays in the bathroom floor for hours trying recollect himself. Later on that night, a girl runs through the door and pukes in the toilet beside the guy laying in the floor. It wasn't long until everyone at the party was standing at the bathroom door pointing and laughing.
Genre, Logline & Synopsis for Essay 3
genre: drama
logline: A guy is having a good night at a bar, he is drinking beer and his band is playing a show, but his night quickly changes when bullets are fired.
synopsis:
A man is in a bar having a good time. He drinks beer and prepares for the show. His band will play tonight. Several cans of beer later, the band begins playing death metal for the drunken crowd. The aggressive music causes the listeners to go crazy. They are all running around pushing each other and throwing beer in the air. Some guy in the crowd takes things a little too far. This other guy is pissed and does not hesitate to punch him in the face. The guys pride is hurt, so he leaves. Once the death metal band is through with their set, all of the members left except the guitar player. He is hanging around to watch the last band, but his night quickly changes when two bullets fly through the window beside him. Glass hits him in the face and makes him bleed. People freak out but luckily no one was hit by the bullet. He finishes his beer and leaves before the cops get there. Who do you think the shooter was?
logline: A guy is having a good night at a bar, he is drinking beer and his band is playing a show, but his night quickly changes when bullets are fired.
synopsis:
A man is in a bar having a good time. He drinks beer and prepares for the show. His band will play tonight. Several cans of beer later, the band begins playing death metal for the drunken crowd. The aggressive music causes the listeners to go crazy. They are all running around pushing each other and throwing beer in the air. Some guy in the crowd takes things a little too far. This other guy is pissed and does not hesitate to punch him in the face. The guys pride is hurt, so he leaves. Once the death metal band is through with their set, all of the members left except the guitar player. He is hanging around to watch the last band, but his night quickly changes when two bullets fly through the window beside him. Glass hits him in the face and makes him bleed. People freak out but luckily no one was hit by the bullet. He finishes his beer and leaves before the cops get there. Who do you think the shooter was?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Genre, Logline & Synopsis for Essay 1
genre: Horror
logline: A guy is stuck in a nightmare and realizes that he blends in with the disturbing scenery all too well.
synopsis
A guy is having a nightmare. He is stuck in an old haunted school, where souless students walk the halls. For some reason, strange men wearing chemical suits are always carrying dead bodies out of the school. The obviously horrified guy decides to try and escape the school. On his way out he walks past a student who stopped to stare at him. She looked very disturbing with her large white empty eyes. She tells the guy that his eyes are the same way. He then realizes that he is just another souless student stuck in the school of death.
logline: A guy is stuck in a nightmare and realizes that he blends in with the disturbing scenery all too well.
synopsis
A guy is having a nightmare. He is stuck in an old haunted school, where souless students walk the halls. For some reason, strange men wearing chemical suits are always carrying dead bodies out of the school. The obviously horrified guy decides to try and escape the school. On his way out he walks past a student who stopped to stare at him. She looked very disturbing with her large white empty eyes. She tells the guy that his eyes are the same way. He then realizes that he is just another souless student stuck in the school of death.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Essay and Storyboard 3

I was in a run down, hole in the wall bar in Memphis becuase a death metal band I was in was playing a show there that night. It was a small bar that didn't even have a stage, the bands just played on the floor in front of everyone. There weren't a ton of people there but the place was fairly crowded. It was about one hundred degrees in there and it smelled like sweat and cheap beer. When our band played, our music was a little aggressive so people began to mosh. The drunken crowd ran around hitting us and each other throwing beer everywhere. One guy took things too far and another guy hit him in the face without hesitation. The guy flew to the floor and had a confused, embarassed look on his face. The guy who got hit had left by the time we were through with our set. After we were done playing, I was standing near a window, drinking a beer, and talking to a guy I knew. Most of my band members had left, and I was just hanging around to watch the last band. All of a sudden I heard a very loud bang, then saw everyone grabbing their heads and ducking down. I felt glass fly against the entire left side of my body. The glass hurt and cut my face. I looked around and everyone had a scared look on there faces and were running. I didn't realize what had happened until I looked at the window and saw two bullet holes in the glass. The bullets had flown right between me and the guy I was talking to. There were two bullet holes in the wall across the room, so no one got hit. I was walking around with my face bleeding, finishing my beer, and yelling "What the Fuck!" The band that was suppose to play after us said "fuck this," packed up their gear, then left. Soon afterwards the cops showed up, and I went home. The funniest thing about it is that our band played a show their again less than two weeks after that.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Essay and Storyboard 2

When I was about sixteen years old, one of my friends threw a party. His parents were out of town and there we were with two big bottles of Jagermiester. We could think of nothing else better to do, so we decided to get drunk. Me and my friends sat at the kitchen counter taking shots. Being young and dumb, I thought I was a bad ass and could handle my liquor, so I kept on taking shots and drinking from the bottle. I had that warm, burning feeling in my stomach. I stood up from the counter it all hit me at once, I knew I was pretty inebriated. It felt like the world was repetitively flipping over my head as my mouth started to water in an unpleasant way. The party hadn't even gotten started yet, but I knew I was through drinking for the night. I stumbled to the bathroom to vomit and get it over with. Those drinks did not taste half as good the second time around. I did not know if I was through getting sick so I layed in the floor against the bathtub for a few hours. The floor was cold and it felt good on my back. While collecting myself in the bathroom floor, my friend busted in the door and threw up right beside me. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy as she made grotesque puking sounds, but I knew how she felt, I was just in the same situation. A few moments later everyone else at the party walked to the doorway of the bathroom to point and laugh becuase they had been looking for me the whole night.
Essay and Story board 1

I remember a disturbing dream I once had, it felt very real. I was stuck in this old dull looking brick school. It seemed like every school I have been to in my life combined into one death trap. It was cold I had a constant uneasy feeling. There were lots of people in the school, I knew a few. Everytime I would glance away from them they would change to someone else. I remember the smell of death in the air. There were men in chemical suits carrying dead bodies out of the school. One body had been burned, I could actually smell the burnt flesh as the men in the suits rolled the scorched corpse by me. The smell was so strong I could almost taste it, it made me feel like I was going to vomit. By that time I was scared as hell, I walked through an alley between two school buildings tp get away from the bodies and a short blonde haired girl walked by me. She walked slow with her head down, then stopped to look over at me with a haunting look on her face. Her eyes were large and colorless, they had a cloudy white haze over them. I stopped and asked her, "what's wrong with your eyes?" she stared straight through me and said, "your eyes are like that too" then walked off. As soon as she said that I knew my eyes were like that too, it felt like they were rolled in the back of my head. The scene from the dream then spun away from me until I woke up in a cold sweat. It bothered me that she did not answer my question.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Write up on "Place" Assignment
After thinking a little deeper about "place," I've noticed that a place can be anything and can set off any emotion. A place can be: big or small, dark or bright, growing or rotting, low or high, empty or occupied, mental or physical, creepy or beautiful, and much more. A place could also be created in the mind, such as in a dream. In my video I used two video clips to make my self fade to another position further away and on the opposite side of the screen. I filmed it in an open field so there would be a lot of open space. Surrounded by nothing and everything at the same time. I only said one statement about place, "I am really just right here, but I am over there to you." This statement could be thought about in several ways, but I think of it more as a statement about perception. I believe different peoples perceptions of things give them different opinions. A good example is a guy getting kicked in the nuts and everyone else laughing except the guy who got kicked in the nuts becuase its not funny from his perpective. I am on top of the world and you are on the side just a little bit, but to you, you are on the top and I am on the side.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Sense of Place
People can shape places in both positive like building a community and negative ways such as polluting and destroying the wild. Places also shape people, like where you grow up and your experiences in places can influence the person you are. Have you ever heard a familiar song and let it take you back to the place you were when you first heard it? Places can range from the type of space you create in your head to the space where you go to bed. Dreams have places that do not exist in reality, are those places real? Is a day a space in time? What kind of places will we see when we die? Will we the same places in a different way?
Definition of Place???
A place could be where you stopped reading or started eating. We could be in high places or low places. A place could be as massive as a universe or as minute as an atom. It could be a decayed place or a place where you once played. What if I was in your place and you were in mine? Is your space occupied or empty? Can a place be erased? Mind confined in 5 places at the same time changing, rearranging, everything. Negative space??? Inverted space? Who owns this place? Do people really own any place? Where did you place in the race to empty space? Is the internet a real place? What if you stay in the same place but that place is moving?
Place Freewrite
I am REALLY just RIGHT HERE but I am OVER THERE to you. I am on top of the world, and you are on the side just a little bit. A place that is haunted or a place that haunts? Are you peaking in or out? I am melting into this familiar place, the place where i got my first taste. We ride high in the sky no headlights in our eyes. I remember dancing in outer space. Sometimes it is Hell! Surrounded my nothing and everything at the same exact time. Falling, Flying, Dying in this place.
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