Editing Gone Wrong

Last Friday we begun editing our footage. We did not get very far because of technical difficulties with the editing software. However, on Tuesday we attempted to edit our footage again. For some unknown reason our editing software, pinnacle studios, would not open. We tried it on multiple computers and multiple accounts but had no luck. We went through that class waiting for it to startup but it never did. This led to us being very unproductive throughout the class period. Also, today we went into class to edit our footage and the same problem arose. None of the computers we tried would startup. After being in the class for an hour and trying almost everything the problem solved itself. The computer finally loaded up pinnacle studios. Unfortunately, it took so long for it to load we only had about 1/3 of the class left to edit. We started off right away in an attempt to get the most work done possible. To start off the editing process I opened up pinnacle studios. I then preceded to put the SD card reader into the computer. I did this so that the footage we filmed can get dumped onto the computer. I read all the usual popups and dismissed the ones necessary. After Amy completed her part of the editing process I got back to mine. The class was about to end so all that I did was delete all the unnecessary footage such as failed takes. Unfortunately, all of our days of editing were extremely unproductive and we are going to need to put in a lot of extra time to make up for this.

Filming Again

Today we started our second day of filming. We ran into a few problems filming again. Firstly, we were supposed to film over the weekend but one of our groupmates forgot the tripod on her bus. We were going to film anyways without the tripod but decided against it because we didn't want our shots to be shaky. We chose to wait until we had the tripod because we want the movie to be a good quality. The second problem we ran into was that the camera was not charged again because my other groupmate forgot to charge it. We used the same solution as last which was getting an extension cord. This has happened the past three times we have filmed. To stop this from happening, from now on I will look after the filming equipment to make sure that everything is working correctly. The third and last problem was that the screw that holds in the tripod handle was missing. To fix this we manually moved the camera on the tripod. Once we finally started filming it went relatively smoothly. I believe that today we were more focused and efficient. We knew exactly what scenes to do as well as how to do them. All of this helped us complete today's filming process quicker. We completed a number of scenes in today's filming. Firstly, we finished the scenes where Amy wakes up in a mysterious room. Then, we filmed the scenes where she is walking around the house and discovering her surroundings. Lastly, we filmed the flashback scenes where I am kidnapping Amy. These scenes were filmed outside and the extension cord did not reach. Due to this, we were on a bit of a time constraint because the camera only had 20 minutes of battery at this point. We swiftly filmed these last few scenes and finally completed our set of scenes needed for today. All in all, it was extremely successful and I cannot wait for our next day of filming.

Filming Blog

Our filming plan was to film this past Sunday. Unfortunately one of our group mates, Amy, forgot the filming materials at school. So instead we filmed today to make up for the lost day on Sunday. We started off by setting up the filming materials. We used materials such as a tripod, camera, and tripod camera attachment. We had to pull out the tripod legs as well as apply the tripod attachment to the camera. As we started to film we realized that the camera's battery was about to die. To fix this we got an extension cable so we can film all around the room. Another problem we had is that the end of the tripod handle was missing. To fix this problem we decided to just use our hands to physically move the camera. Once we've found the solutions to our multiple problems we finally started to film. My job in today's filming process was strictly filming. We filmed a total of about 20 scenes out of the 60 needed so we got through a substantial amount. The scenes we filmed were the ones of Amy after being kidnapped and waking up in an unknown room. To set this up we had to give Amy wrist restraints, a blindfold, and a gag. At times it was hard for Amy to stop laughing so we had to calm her down which wasted a bit of time that could have been better used. I also had to fix the lighting in the room to get it the correct amount of light. I tried a few combinations such as the ceiling light only, one lamp only, and two lamps only. After this trial and error, we decided the best type of lighting that we were going for was having only two lamps on. I also had to look at the storyboard and tell my groupmates what scenes to do next. At the end, we packed up all the filming equipment back into their respective bags. All in all, it was a very productive day of filming considering our time constraints and problems that arose.

Planning Blog: Storyboard

This google slide consists of our storyboard blog. Storyboards are the basis of how our film is going to look. They're helpful in ensuring that our vision will come to life while we're filming and editing. Directors and movie producers use the storyboard they create while they film each scene. The storyboard is almost one-hundred percent accurate. Sometimes weather or environmental factors may change a concept entirely however, we will try and stick exactly to the storyboard. Each box of the storyboard would normally be approximately six seconds long. For this project though, we wanted to make sure that everything was perfect so we made each box last around two to three seconds. This is more accurate and will make it the process of filming easier. Storyboards are tedious to create, but without them, no film project would come out as well as they already do. 

Planning Blog: Title Design

When considering how we were going to incorporate titles into our film, our group took some time to carefully make decisions. Our genre for the movie is crime/thriller therefore, the font and size would have to be appropriate and match. We acknowledged the concept behind the movie for each choice that was made. Choosing a title took a good portion of our time as we wanted to ensure that it fit the movie accordingly. We also did not want any titles on the screen that would confuse the audience or imply something that was not intended. This blog mentions how leading and tracking will be used in the film. It will also explain why some decisions were made, such as the size and the color of the titles that will appear. To add to the movie's mysterious mood, titles will fade in and out. The outcome of the movie's beginning is determined by how the titles are approached and executed. This means that a small mistake in font or color can throw off the viewer's experience. Though the details seem small, they make all the difference. 

Planning Blog: Schedule, Location, Participants, and Safety

This week, my group and I fully discussed our plans for making the project. We talked about when we would each be available or busy or what days would be the best for everyone. We came to the conclusion to have multiple filming dates in case we need to record some parts here and there. We also decided to give ourselves enough time to edit to not feel rushed in the long run. As for the locations, it had already been decided that the majority of the film would be filmed at Kathy's house since there are lighting and rooms that match our original pitch. Some of the movie, however, will be filmed at Amy's house. Each group member will be fully participating in this project, whether acting as a director or an editor. We will all be seen in the film as actors at some point. Safety and health aspects were well-considered too as we all are prepared for any emergency. Parents or supervisors will always be around in case we need assistance with anything serious.

Planning Blog: Sound Script

In this PowerPoint, we talked about the different types of sound we will use in the film. We used different sounds such as diegetic, non-diegetic, and incidental music. I will use the different types of sound to present the elements of the film. A film such as this one, crime/thriller, needs sound in it to build suspense in the movie. We used more upbeat sounds in the flashbacks when the main character is safe. However, we use creepy sounds when it shows that she has been kidnapped. In the film, there isn't much talking but is more sound-oriented. This element increases the spookiness of the film by leaving the viewer without explanation. The limited dialogue that is in the film is between the bad guys of the movie even further increasing the suspense. I believe that between the eerie dialogue and the creepy sounds this film will truly accentuate the elements of our genre.

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

This is a PowerPoint of how the shooting will be done. This shooting script will be about 95-98% accurate. The accuracy is not 100% due to conditions like weather and lighting that we are unable to control. We only film a few scenes outside, so something like rain will not affect the whole film that much and won't be that big of a deal in the grand scheme of the film. Shooting scripts, like ours, include things like movements of the characters and camera, angles, and setting. We will follow this while shooting, so we have more structure. Without this outline, shooting would go a lot slower, due to having no format during our filming time and not knowing what to do. We use all sorts of angles, like high angles, low angles, and a trunk shot. We also have a lot of different movements, like a tracking angle. This shooting script also allows us to see how our film will follow the crime conventions.