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Showing posts from March, 2023

Filming Blog: The Final Takes

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Hey guys! Time to update you all on the rest of the filming process. During the first day of filming, there were a few more shots I had left to film. The first two shots were extremely easy and I finished in no time. For the first, I positioned the camera for an over-the-shoulder shot of Giulia reaching for the door, and then I captured a close-up of Giulia's hand turning the door knob for the second.  Next, I had to film Giulia opening the door from outside the house, and this was a little more tricky. I used the tripod for this shot so that I could capture Giulia's full body as she looks for the note. At first, I struggled to set up the camera, but then I tried setting the tripod on a chair and got the perfect angle. I made sure that the camera was positioned correctly and that the camera was zoomed all the way in, and then I signaled to Giulia when I was ready to begin. As soon as she opened the door I had to zoom all the way out from the doorknob, and once she picked up the

Filming Blog: Making the Magic Happen

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 Hey guys! I just finished day 1 of filming with Giulia and I wanted to update you all on how it went. I showed up to her house bringing the tripod, my phone to use as a prop, the storyboard, and the weapon to use as a prop. As soon as I got to Giulia's house, I started preparing for the first scene. I first pulled up the song "Somebody's Watching Me" on the phone being used as a prop and centered it on the kitchen counter. I practiced where to position the camera to capture the high angle I wanted, and then I directed Giulia on what I wanted her to do for this scene. I showed her how to swipe the phone to the left and how to swipe the cutting board into frame from the opposite side. I also told her the timing for these actions to make sure that each item would be on the screen long enough and so that there would be enough time for the titles. I took three takes of this one scene so that I could later chose which take I liked best to use for the film.  Next, I made su

Filming Blog: Almost Ready!

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Hey guys, time for another update! After coming back from Orlando, it was time to get back to work on my opening sequence. The next thing I had to do was obtain filming equipment. I first looked online to try and buy a camera and tripod to use. However, when I looked online, the equipment was extremely expensive. I kew that I didn't have a tripod laying around the house, but I did remember that my dad had an old camera stored away somewhere. I asked him if I could borrow the camera, but apparently he sold it!  It was time to find some alternatives because it wasn't feasible for me to spend hundreds of dollars on a camera and tripod. So, I decided that the next option would be asking my teachers if they had equipment I could borrow. I went to the journalism teacher, as my friend told me that she has many cameras, SD cards, and tripods. There was only one problem, I wasn't her student and I wasn't a part of the journalism class or club. So, I asked my friend who is a part

Filming Blog: A Very Hectic Week

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Hey guys, here's an update on what's been happening. The last thing I told you all about was the props I bought for my film. Since then, I have not done much in terms of production for the film. These past few days I was unable to begin filming with Giulia or obtain the camera and tripod I needed to film. This is because I was in Orlando for a mock trial competition. I left for this competition on Wednesday, so I missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of school. Then, I was also busy competing during the weekend, and I returned home around noon on Sunday.  For those few days, life was very hectic. On Wednesday I woke up very early to pack and get ready for the trip, and by noon I had left for Orlando. Later that night, I settled into the hotel and spent the rest of the night with the team in Disney Springs, so there was no time for me to make any progress on the production of my film that day.  For the next 3 days, I was incredibly busy. I woke up early every morning and compet

Filming Blog: Obtaining the Perfect Props

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       Hey guys! So, I want to tell you about the rest of the props I bought for my opening sequence. After the cutting board, the next prop I had to buy was a "scary mask" for the killer to wear. To avoid spending more money, I first tried to ask some friends and family if they had a similar mask lying around. I assumed that someone would have to have one as a part of a past Halloween costume, but unfortunately that wasn't  the case.      The next step I could think to do was head back to Amazon, as I've learned based on my last experience that it's the cheapest and most convenient way to buy my props. I started online shopping, and within a few minutes I found the perfect mask. It said that the mask would arrive in three days, which is perfect, as I won't need it for filming for another week.      After the mask, the next thing I had to obtain was a large knife to use as the murder weapon. I didn't have to buy this prop because I already had a few kitche

Filming Blog: Preparation and a Lot of Money

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Hey guys! So, I wanted to update you all on the status of the opening sequence. Before I can get started on the actual filming process, I had to take care of a few things first. The very first thing I had to do was figure out the props. Based on the storyboard I created, I knew that one of the first things I needed was a wooden cutting board. This is what's going to be used in the first scene, and since I am filming the opening sequence in order, that scene was also going to be the first one I filmed. Therefore, this prop was my top priority.  I first decided to look in different stores to see if I could find something that would work. I found many cutting boards to chose from, but the only problem was that they were all very expensive. Since I had more props that I still needed to buy, I didn't want to waste all of the money on this first prop. My solution to this was to check Amazon online to see if there was a cheaper option, and sure enough, I found it! The best part was th

Planning Blog: Storyboard

Hey guys, so we just finished the storyboard for our opening sequence. Below is the explanation of each page of our storyboard, and all the way at the bottom is our storyboard pages for you guys to look at.  Page 1- The first scene opens showing a phone playing music while resting on a kitchen counter. It is playing "Somebody's Watching Me," by Rockwell. This is shot from a high angle and is a close-up of the phone. With the same angle and shot, a hand appears hovering above the phone. The hand swipes the phone to the side and out of frame, and the first title appears on the empty counter which is going to be the "*name of studio* presents." The hand then swipes a cutting board into frame, same shot and angle. The second title will appear on the cutting board which will show the production company name. The next scene shows the person standing behind a cupboard door. It will show the body from the side in a medium long shot with another title appearing on the cu

Title Research: Blood Quantum

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Hey guys! Another opening sequence we analyzed was from the movie Blood Quantum made in 2019. We found this opening sequence from the website "Art of the Title," and our observations are down below.  1. What titles are displayed during the opening sequence?  During the opening sequence, the first title card shown is the title of the movie "Blood Quantum." Then, 8 different titles pop up on the screen, each is of the actor's names. Next, the casting by, costumes by, 1st assistant director, music composed by, sound design by, production designers, director of photography, executive producers, producer, written by, directed by, and edited by are all shown.  2. What images are prioritized during the opening sequence?  In the opening sequences, many images of the open sea are incorporated. In the beginning, we also see an abandoned structure near the ocean with one man standing. Throughout, a town by the sea and a bridge are also shown. A cemetery is featured as well