Christmas tree effect

CHRISTMAS TREE

IVE LEARNED A NEW TECHNIQUE.. Merry Christmas!!!

I learned that while comprising a story, the Christmas Tree technique is the most effective. It’s the idea... like this because you take one idea and then you expand on it can you take a smaller idea and then you also expand on it must mean at least you take the final idea and expand on that with this creates a looks like a Christmas tree. This will make a story much stronger and also make the view more connected to the story. The Christmas tree is definitely the way to go. During a competition I went to I also learned that human beings are all about what is on the screen but the moral of the story

Stn

STN... STUDENT TELEVISION NETWORK

I went on a trip that was truly eye opening. I didn’t only learn how to make a video and edit it but I learned what viewers want. Viewers simply just want a STORY! A story they can relate to. A story that is interesting and has multiple meanings to it. Humans want stories and through the editing process, I am trying to make it more relateable to the audience... high school students and of course the people from Cambridge! This trip taught me so much and i can’t wait to implement it into my own video!

🔵🔵🔵🔶🔶🔶🔵🔵🔵🔶🔶🔶🔵🔵🔵🔶🔶🔶🔵🔵🔵🔶🔶🔶🔵🔵🔵🔶🔶🔶

Relevance

R E L E V A N C E

In my short film, I realize that there needs to be relevance to the story...

I also realized that I have to relate more to society nowadays.

I have switched an outlook of it in which Hannah who is the main character is also stressed about school.

Being stressed about school is an ongoing topic in today's society.

Relating is ultra important because it makes the audience think about their very own life and it automatically connects.

I'm going to catch up on what is relevant and irrelevant in a short film like this.

STAY TUNED!

Timing

T I M I N G 

Timing is going to be of importance in my film opening...

My opening has to be extremely close to two minutes so I have to get all of my shots down in that amount of time. This will be difficult if their is a lack of planning...

Im planning my credits to be about 8 seconds which means I need one minute and 52 seconds of perfect footage

Effects

E F F E C T S

Sound

Whether it is sound effects or visual effects, these effects make people feel a certain way. I am going to use them to emphasize things. For example, In one of my scenes I am going to use a sound effect of a lightbulb.

This will signify that my main character has a great idea. Not everything in my film opening will be natural sounds so I need some good sound effects. Audio is more important than visuals so I need the audio to be phenomenal.

Visual

I am going to add an effect that is blurry, shaky, and cloudy. I am going to try to make it seem like the character is in a dream. This will give further information to the viewer and further information about the film. MORE TO COME!!!

Filters

F I L T E R S 

FILTERS are going to be a huge part of my short opening. Filters don't only switch the color of the shot but, also changes the mood of the viewer watching it...

Filters change moods. Why is this? 

Different colors produce different feelings and here they are...

Red- blood, fierce

orange- witty

yellow- happiness

green- earthly, rich in money

blue- smart and business

purple- regalness

I will be putting filters to play with feelings... It will match whats on screen. MORE TO COME!

Camera Angles

CAMERA ANGLES

My entire story is about Hannah so there will defintely be tons of angles representing her.

SOME ANGLES I THOUGHT OF ARE...

1. LOW ANGLE- SHOWS SUPERIORITY AND STRENGTH

2. HIGH ANGLE- SHOWS WEAK AND CAN'T BE HELPED

3. POV SHOT- HANNAH'S LIFE THROUGH HER VERY EYES.

The point of view shot will definitely be the most important shots.. It will give the audience the same feeling Hannah has...

This will further RELATE hannah to the audience.. RELATION TO THE AUDIENCE IS KEY!

can't wait for next weeks post as I will probably show a couple of STORYBOARDS!

LOCATIONS

LOCATIONS...

In my short film, location is super important and I have been planning on places to shoot. Here is my list...

CYPRESS BAY

HANNAH'S HOUSE

LOCAL RESTAURANTS

FALCON COVE

THE GYM... YMCA OR MIDTOWN

These locations require different types of lighting and sound. Some locations may be dim like school and some may have echoes... 

PLOT LINE

PLOT LINE...

The funny thing about my film is that it is more of a film in which it is a narration and not tons of action. The plot is hard to distinct in the opening of my film but I will definitely try to hint my plot during the opening. 

Things that can give the audience hints are certain facial expressions. In my film I WANT the reader to think that the main character is happy so there will definitely be a smile on her face...

FOR EXAMPLE: IN EVERY SINGLE MOVIE OR SHOW THE BULLY HAS A MAD FACE AND WEARS BLACK. SOMETIMES HAS A CLOSED FIST...

Facial expressions tell everything and that is definitely what I want to incorporate.

Feedback Session

F E E D B A C K  S E S S I O N

March 8th, 2019

In class I sat among a group of five other students and we had a feedback session. Within this session I had five different students critique my blog and tell me what I should fix.

The first person to give me feedback was Andrea Angulo. She told me that my blog had a nice appearance but, that I needed to add some meat onto my posts and make them more detailed!

The next person that reviewed my blog was Omar and he told me that my posts were good but, I need more information on my actual film instead of the techniques.

 Another kid named Dio told me that he had no idea what my film was about and that I need to write about the plot.

As a whole my group told me to write down my productions and not techniques... No more technical research but MORE on the film about HANNAH AND HER LIFE!!!

Can't wait to start filming... everyone please STAY TUNED.

4th wall

Breaking the fourth wall through a voice over instead of onscreen dialogue!

Several movies break the fourth wall through a voice over instead of onscreen dialogue and that is what I am trying to perfect. The fourth wall is invisible... 

The audience can see through it but the actor or actress is almost introducing them to the story.

In my story Hannah the main character is going to be doing on screen action along with a voice over. I am going to convey my idea through a detailed voice over...

One with many descriptive words because then on screen I can SHOW those descriptive words. The main difference between onscreen and voiceover is the action part of the film. A voice over allows for more action in production which overall allows more ENTERTAINMENT. 

Several ideas on how to form my voice over are formulating as I am writing this! Here are some examples of breaking the fourth wall... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTaN6wyMwCY

No matter how great the acting is, I believe my voiceover is what is going to carry this short film! 

DIALOGUE EQUALS MORE TALKING ON SCREEN EQUALS LESS ACTING

VO EQUALS MORE ACTION EQUALS MORE FUN/ENTERTAINMENT...

Shooting and Editing Schedule!

Part of The Production Schedule is here!

     My partner Hannah and I have finally come up with a schedule for the production! Some questions that filmmakers need to make are... 

1. In what order will you film your scenes?
2. What shots will be indoors and outdoors?
3. Are you allowed to film where you want to?

Production plans are essential to creating a successful film. A production plan will also help one identify any missing elements in one's storyboard. A production plan also helps one plan how to shoot raw footage in a way that is efficient. As a high school student, I'm always busy with either school work or an extracurricular activity so I need a set schedule for optimum productivity!

March 15-17 filming

march 21-23 ANY RETAKES

March 24- end date Editing

Natural sounds

Natural Sounds/Foley

Natural sounds: Sounds in my film opening that isn't dialogue nor sound effects.

Natural sounds are extremely important in film due to the fact that it makes the viewer seem captured in the film. One natural sound that I will most likely use in my film is a school bell ringing. This will make the viewer seem like they are in the school with Hannah! Natural sounds are a great part in films that BREAK the fourth wall!

According to my research, natural sounds are used in film to...

Examples: heighten a mood 

provide us with information about the location of the scene

advance the plot

tell us about characters in the story

Foley

Foley is a type of sound in which one makes the sound of a subject but not in a traditional way...

An example of this is a horse running. One can make this sound by clapping shoes on a sandy floor. 

Examples of this are shown in this awesome video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT9qaxkI6Ao

Difference Between Showing and Telling

Difference between Showing and Telling...

     In making a film or short opening, one of the most important things is showing your ideas through the camera not telling the viewer what they want them to see. For example show a lively beach with people playing in sunny weather rather than saying, "the beach was lively and people played." In my film opening, I am trying to break the fourth wall and explain to the reader but I realized I CANNOT TELL! I HAVE TO SHOW! The B-roll on the screen needs to match the narration. It's what the character does on screen that will develop my story. 

     "Action speaks louder than words"

     This saying is true for every day life and for film! In my opening, Hannah the main character is going to be shown on screen quite a bit so I need to show her actions and not my thoughts on who is she is and what she does. With a film opening similar to SHORTS we need to be careful not to be too similar!

     In my research I got a great situational example

One example is dinner conversation... The entire scene shouldn't be two people talking but show the reactions and body language of the conversation as well!

NEXT BLOG WILL BE ABOUT IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL SOUNDS IN MY UPCOMING OPENING.