Baby Oil Reflection

The last 4 weeks have really been interesting and a new experience in my film studies career. Baby Oil was my first non-student/recreational film. It was also the first film I worked on that was filmed outside. When we first started I didn’t know what to expect. The video tutorials were helpful in explaining what a grip worker does and how the equipment they use works. Some of the information from the tutorials I already knew from past experience in my high school film classes such as how to properly wrap cables and technical terms like saying “Strike” when turning on a light. One of the most helpful things I learned was how to use c – stands. Before watching the videos I thought they were used to hold lights in certain positions. After watching the videos I now know that they can be used to hold just about anything from lights to flags to props etc. During the week we filmed I used c – stands to build a sound barrier for the generator and a canopy to keep the actresses and the camera cool. In addition to grip work, I also worked as a temporary 1^st and 2^nd AC where I helped move a dolly on track and took down camera reports. In the future I would like to take on more 1^s AC duties. Watching Adam doing the rack focus on the dolly looked like something that I would want to do.

There is so much more I could talk about but I’m going to wrap things up. I am thankful that I was selected to work on this project and being a part of a hardworking and friendly crew. I am also thankful about how kind and considerate everyone was when I needed to be with my dad because of his heart problems. Even though there were several hiccups with the weather, younger cast, and cranky neighbors I would say it was a positive learning experience. Going forward I now have some experience that I hope to put to use on other productions.

Blog 18: NOW this is the end

This is it, the final blog. It is crazy that a month has gone by just like that. A lot has changed since the first day of class. When I arrived on day one I was nervous both about my abilities in the class, as well as my interaction with others. In most of my classes in the past people usually stick to their own devices to get the work done, so I do the same. I had expectations that I was going to do the work on my own, whether it was an individual assignment or a group project where I would receive my assignment and I would go about doing it. However this class was different. Everyone was really nice and cohesive when working on projects. It definitely gave a sense of community throughout the semester. This was especially true with the last project, Bropocalypse. Not one day our group met to plan/record/edit really felt like "work". It was a pleasure working with Tristan, Cori, Kyndall, and Natalie. Viet and Paul were also great actors, very funny guys who fit their roles quite well. I am sure I will ask for their help on a future project I make, (The Shrekening or something about Joey from Bropocalypse). After taking this class, I feel more confident in my abilities to create short films. I hope to put them to good use in the near future.



As this semester comes to an end, another one begins starting Monday afternoon, yay!

Blog 17: This is the end......NOT!

Did you catch my movie reference? Hint, it is from a film about a reporter from Kazakhstan coming to America and making a mess everywhere he goes. A little off topic but might get laugh out of the reader. Anyway, onto the blog.

The summer-session one is wrapping up. Tomorrow is reading day, to which I will be available for any of the departments if they need assistance. Besides that all that's left to do is set up Thursday evening, hold the microcinema, and call it a semester!

Yesterday and today I contacted several bars in Wilmington that can be reserved for events such as our microcinema. Unfortunately, I only recieved one reply from The Satellite saying to contact the general manager because of how short the time-frame was. This also led to a dead end as He did get back to me in time. Fortunately the Silvas offered to have a bbq at their house as an alternative, which became our solution.

This evening Ian and I went to the Silva Compound to scout out the location and the best placement for the scree, audience area, cornhole game, and photobooth. The last thing to be covered is where the projector and the amps will be placed which I have to discuss with Viet and Paul. Shouldn't be too much of a big deal, just a lot of extension chords right?

The only issue right now is the weather. I checked this evening and while it isn't going to be raining when we have the event, the forecast shows thunderstorms close to start time. If this is the case the ground will be wet and towels may not be very effective. I would have to contact the programmers about this, and maybe have some tarps put down for towels. Or people can bring their own chairs. I'm not saying that is definite but it is something that needs to be looked into.

One last note before I call it a night. Before we all left the Silva residence, we watched a box turtle slowly make its way across the street. It was fun to watch, but did get a little aggravating when it would stop or turn and walk down the middle of the street. That turtle clearly wanted to live life on the edge.

That's all I have to say about that. Here's to a good semester coming to an end, and another beginning next week!

Blog 16: Readings

You know, it is really something that VHS tapes were once the popular medium for watching films over going to cinema halls. I remember having our small television set on top of a drawer filled with old tapes. I remember we owned many Disney films, including Snow White, Bambi, Cinderella, and others like Thomas the Tank Engine. Yup those were the days.

 Having smaller communities based on cinephilia was a great way for budding filmmakers to show their work and show unique work to a group of people that they cannot see elsewhere. Microcinemas can be a stepping stone going forward to larger film festivals, maybe providing critiques in a more casual setting. Another good thing about microcinemas is they can be relatively cheap to put on. For example, everyone can bring a few dollars for pizza or burgers and hot dogs and have a cookout in someone's backyard. Or you could have the event catered, the choice is yours. Having a microcinema in your town may also provide networking opportunities for those who also may not be ready to show their work at a large film festival. It wouldn't hurt to know a Director of Photography or a sound designer nearby that could be helpful in a future project. 

These screenings can take place almost anywhere.  Your parent's backyard, at an Elk's lodge, in an abandoned warehouse, (maybe not). I guess the point I am trying to make, microcinemas allow for much freedom when it comes to showing films. 

Not all films have to be high quality narratives that play in large theaters and bring in billions of dollars. While those are great, experimental films offer a greater sense of freedom, and can let the audience see the film in their own way rather than what a director is trying to show. Throughout this semester our class has done many obscure projects from painting on film strips, to creating a bromance apocalyptic sports film. There are so many opportunities to just have fun with it.

If this microcinema on Thursday goes well, it may be cool to try run one later this summer

Blog 15: Last project done

The past week has been really busy preparing, filming, and editing the final film for the semester. However, it was also a lot of fun working with my group. 

Our group spent two days planning for shooting. On Thursday we created a shooting schedule for the weekend. On Friday we set up at Natalie's apartment and took some test shots so setting up for shooting day would go more smoothly. Surely enough it did, and after twenty-two takes on Saturday Tristan was happy with what we collected and we called it a day.

The filming went really smoothly. Our producer Cori made timelines of when we should be setting up, when we should be filming, when we should be taking a break, etc. That really helped push the project forward. 

It was also fun editing with Natalie and Tristan to make his vision a reality. We worked diligently and had some laughs throughout the process. Everyone brought great ideas to the edit, making the film sound more apocalyptic as well as having some comedic features. 

It was a pleasure working with Tristan, Cori, Natalie, and Kyndall. They are all hard-working, reliable, and responsive (through text so the rest of the group knew if someone was running late/ there was a new idea that may work in the film). If I ever need a crew for a film in the future I would call them first. 

"We're all in this together" 

Now all that's left is the micro-cinema and I am eager to watch what the editing class has made. 

Blog 14: Self-portrait and film 6

Today we watched our self-portrait films. After watching the portrait made about me, I can say that I am completely blown away and impressed! Cori certainly went to great lengths to edit the film and it is better than anything I could have imagined. One of the highlights was how she removed the color making the film seem more like a memory in my head vs a film in real time. Also one of the things I was worried about was my lack of guitar skills, (which I am currently learning), being shown to the class. The edits masked most of my mistakes and made it seem like I knew what I was doing. I am grateful for this. I also enjoyed how she not only slowed down certain parts, but also reversed frames to go along to the music. It definitely seems like a dream sequence and that adds more emotion to the film. My favorite sequence from the film was how Cori slowed down my frustration when playing Call of Duty. I was playing online and there was an enemy player who was staying on my team's side of the map killing anyone that spawned in that area. Even though I reacted quickly, slowing the sequence down really helped bring out that emotion. Honestly I hope she reads this, because the film really did have a positive impact on me.


Looking forward I am excited to work with Cori, Kyndall, Tristan, and Natalie. I think we will some great ideas to bring to the table. I'm not going to spoil any of the ideas we have thought of so far, but I will say that it's something that will make the class laugh, or at least try to make them laugh.

Blog 14: Beatz progress

And just like that, film 5 is complete!

Today Cori and I did our filming for both our self-portraits. I had a lot of fun filming her paint and watch Netflix. I think that my edit shows the emotion and passion that I mentioned in my last blog. I hope that she enjoyed it just as much as I did.

I headed over to the edit lab around 7 PM and finished close to 11.  During that time almost everyone from our class was there. It was pretty great because it didn't seem like there was a plan to meet there all at once.

The music I used over the film was a piece that I discovered last semester. One day I was browsing Youtube and came across an hour long video with over ten tracks of relaxing music. The first three tracks are my favorites. I tried using the second song over the video and it seemed to sync up really well. One part that worked well was when the song adds on more layers and becomes more complex, Cori seems to be inspired and the film takes on more of a montage feel. After editing this project, I have also considered making a new edit only editing to music instead of the pattern that was in the guidelines on my own.

On a side note, I think that while I was at Cori's filming several birds decided to do their business all over the back of my car. Looks like I'll be headed to the car wash today.

Blog 13: edit to the beatz

Well Shannon was right, that first rhythm using the TV news people has been stuck in my head all night.

The other three rhythmic edits we watched definitely represented the format we are to follow for this week's assignment, (except for some playback issues which I have seen with more and more internet videos over the past year).

For the subject of Cori's project I will be playing some notes and chords on my guitar set music in post. Since I really enjoy music, I figured it would be the best representation of me. I played guitar many years ago, but put it down when I started school here at UNCW. Recently I have picked it back up again in hopes of getting my chops back. Fortunately none of the sounds I play will be in the film because it would be really scathing for the class to hear with my current skill level.

For the subject of my project I will be filming Cori painting. She is very passionate about her art and showing her painting will also show the emotion of her process.

We were going to start filming last night, however with a flash flood warning and tropical storm Colin about, we agreed it would be safer to do the filming on Tuesday. The goal is to get the filming done before five and begin editing from there. I am sure each of our filming will only take an hour or so and we should get to editing much sooner than five.

Blog 12: Animation Project Complete

As of Friday evening, the animation project is done! Our group worked vigorously over the past few days and finished with an impressive animation.

The idea for the project was to show the early stages of life and change them through aging and ending with death. We used both sand and charcoal techniques for our animation and over the two worked well together. One of the more obscure transitions we used included ripping the charcoal paper down the middle and then creating a large opening in the center. While filming this part, it was unclear how well the transition would work, but after viewing it in Premiere, it's safe to say that it played its role quite well.

One of the positive aspects of our group was that we worked diligently. Once we had an idea and started working there was not much to stop our progress. Something that could be improved upon however is how quickly we got to work. Each day had a bit of a slow start with going forward but once we started working the 600 frames were done in no time!

Being someone who loves animation, I am eager to see what the other groups did for their animations.

Our next project is one that I very much looking forward to. I have always loved creating rhythmic sequences and can't wait to get back to it!

On a side note I am sure my blogs may be a bit repetitive in structure but with the next project there should be some good things to blog about!

Blog 11: Animation Progress

Today was the official start of our project. It began with a late start trying to set up our camera's white balance and zoom. We also did some changes to our original plan about starting with the cocoon on a branch rather than using the tree as an establishing shot. After some time, things fell into place and began to move rhythmically.

One part that is unique about this section of the project is the transition at the end by tearing the paper. The transition starts with a tear down the center and gradually tears both sides to create a hole in the middle of the paper.

By the end of the day we have finished one quarter of the project using charcoal. Tomorrow we will finish the second half using charcoal and also begin the sand portion. It may have taken some more time than expected to finish today, but tomorrow things should run more smoothly. Before we quit for the day we put the pictures into Adobe Premiere and ran them through several times. Overall it ran very fluidly. Now the question of the night is "how will this section will work with the others?" specifically with the sand and the charcoal. It is probably best not to worry about it until we start tomorrow. Once some of the sand is on glass, then we can decide how it will blend with the charcoal.

On a side note, the weather this week has been really odd. Tropical Storm Bonnie has been rearing her head constantly but has not brought the heavy rain and winds that were forecast.

Blog 10: Animation Project

This week marks the halfway point of the semester. Time sure does fly when you're learning about different mediums of experimental film. This week we are experimenting with one of my favorite forms of film, which is animation. As a kid, I always loved watching cartoons or shows that weren't live action. They had a more relaxed feeling and had their own stories and morals. One of my all-time favorite cartoons has to be the original Teen Titans. I have re-watched the series many times over the years. The use of a complex and sometimes dark story, mixed with some anime humor makes the cartoon stand out from others

Today's work was not as in depth animated as those shows, but still created similar feelings when watching them. My favorite of the three techniques had to be sand hands down! The sand could be easily shaped and molded as the artist pleased. The sand was also easily erased, and could remove mistakes more easily than that of charcoal or paint.

My second favorite technique was drawing with the charcoal. The charcoal pencils were similar to regular pencils, allowing for more control than drawing with crayons, markers, or brushes. I was able to make more distinct shapes than that of the paint or the sand. However the charcoal was harder to remove for new work. The eraser didn't do much erasing, rather it just created smudges here and there.

My group is doing a combination of sand, charcoal, and paint, so it will be interesting how the elements interact in the final project.

Blog 8: Readings

After reading Caroline Leaf's interview, one word specifically comes to my mind: "wow". Leaf is a very passionate animator and has many unique experiences in the field. Understanding the story of how "The owl who married a goose" was made creates a clearer perspective on the nine minute film. It was interesting how the people reacted to her story, especially how the goose's eggs hatched much earlier than they should have. Leaf is inspiring to young filmmakers including myself who are starting out with animation. I also liked her technique of filming while she worked so that a one of a kind image is made. It will be something worth trying for this project if there is time, or later down the road.

The paint-on-glass animation article was also inspiring because it provided some good information to know when going into this project. Beforehand I was worried about transitions and how to make one distinct frame go on to the next. Now I know that the two images merge together, and thus create a smooth transition from frame to frame. On-glass animation is also a "no going back" form of art. One must have an idea going into the project and what comes after the previous frame, or the project as a whole may be compromised. Being a person who likes control and where everything must be made as it is envisioned, I must put that concept aside and just let the animation flow regardless of mistakes.

This will be a fun project.

Blog 7: Sound Journal 2

So many sounds, so little time to describe them all. However, one sound that also specifically stood out was the sound of a stick being scraped over a sewer grate. Adding reverb and treble to it as well as slowing the track down created a sound like a rock hitting a wall in a large cave. The sound could also represent icicles falling from the ceiling and breaking on the ground. There are many other interpretations that I will leave to the listener to determine.

As I write this entry, my ears continue to ring loudly. The shows at Ziggy's downtown are always fun, with lots of great sounds.

Blog 7: Sound Journal 1

Another day has come to an end. Today has been pretty up and down between missing a job interview from a miscommunication and a funk/ska concert. Today's assignment was pretty straightforward as my partner and I looked for ways to create an icy feeling soundscape. One sound that contributed to the soundscape was a sound effect of someone snorting. After decreasing the speed of the track and adding some reverb, the snort now sounds like a snarl from a monster. More specifically, the abominable snowman in a big dark cold cave. I look forward to the reaction of my peers at this newly created sound.

Blog 6.2 Sound Journal

While the echoing whisper was one of my favorite sound effects my group found, there was another that stood out. This sound was slurping from a water fountain. The slurping produces a funny low-pitched effect that can either be a bright sound, or one that is darker. The sound can also be rhythmic or change its tempo because of how the person slurps. Increasing the pitch of the sound effect, as well as adding some filters from pro tools should produce a cold sound. It will be cool to see what other sounds the other groups collected. There will be many sounds that can take a cold turn.

Blog 6.1 Sound Journal

Yesterday's assignment was very interesting and fun like a scavenger hunt. Throughout the class, my group recorded different sound effects, including a power saw, cicada chirps, slurping from a water fountain, and whispering near an echoing hallway.

One of my favorite sounds from the day was the whispering in the hallway. It was done near a staircase in Kenan hall. One of our group members went up a couple flights of steps and softly spoke some words. The environment muffled her speaking where her words were barely recognizable. Listening to the recording several times, it sounded almost ghostly. With my group's assignment being icy, I think that this sound has potential to send a chill down your spine.

Blog 5: Listening? Are You Listening?

Before today, I did not know much about sound and listening, only that our ears pick up frequencies and our brains determines what is causing the sound. After reading about the three types of listening modes: casual, semantic, and reduced listening, it is shocking that many of us use these types and don't even know it! 

One of the most common is causal listening. Whether you're listening to an announcer over the radio, cars driving down a busy highway, or even at a concert listening to your favorite band, all those sounds are processed into information.

Semantic listening is a way to break down a message from a sound and give it a perspective. After reading, I counted how many times I semantically listened to "code" this past weekend, and it was much more than I thought!

Last but not least, there is reduced listening. Reduced listening focuses on the actual sound being created, rather than the meaning that it holds. In a semi-embarrassing moment, I noticed yesterday the sound of my voice when I was talking to my friend. It was a casual conversation when suddenly my voice cracked. Hearing that unique sound was interesting and awkward!

The three types of listening are unique in their own way. Knowing and understanding these types of listening will really help with the next assignment of collection sound effects.

I am most excited to take the sound effects into post-production. I took the FST sound design class not too long ago and like building unique soundscapes!

Note: The title of my blog post comes from Australian punk-rock band Tonight Alive's song "Listening

Blog 4: Film 1 & 2 and end of week one

"And cut! That's a wrap. Strike the set, and see y'all next week." This first week has been a great start to the semester. I've learned many different techniques to alter film stock and produce unique results. Now it is time to apply these techniques to the first film project. 

It was a lot of work on Thursday. A few of us stayed several hours after class ended to continue work on the project. During that time, a magazine transfer, a scratched film stock, and a bleached and painted strip came to life. My partner and I decided to take on two elements each. He is doing fire and air, and I am doing water and earth. The magazine transfer was my favorite part of the assignment. I have not done this technique before and it was cool seeing the ink stick to the tape after soaking. In the magazines I found several designs that would work well with earth and water. All that is left to do is the one-hundred frames of animation, which I am still debating on what I should make. Perhaps something with waves and boulders, or maybe an island. It has been a relaxing weekend. Once this project is done and  my family and I have tacos for dinner tonight ( my favorite food ), I will be ready for week two of class, and another interesting project!

Looking forward. I can't wait to see how everyone's first film came out, as well as begin work on the next assignment!

Blog 3: A Collage of Magazines

Today's assignment was definitely an arts and crafts throwback. The last time I cut out pictures from magazines for a collage was for a solar system in my high school astronomy class. However, this was my first time attaching magazine clippings to a piece of film for viewing.

When going through the magazines, I found some that had different recipes for food such as pizzas and sandwiches, and even a full crab dinner. Since I enjoy food (who doesn't?), I decided to use that in my collage. Another part of my idea was to create a string of words including "FILM 2016" and "Cape Fear". After cutting out most of my magazine pieces, I decided not to use them in my collage because I wanted to cover more space on my piece of tape. One issue I had was my collage strips not sticking to the film strip. After soaking the strips for ten to fifteen minutes the strips refused to stick to the film. I re-soaked many of my strips and hopefully after letting them dry overnight they will finally cooperate. I am ready to do some more splicing tomorrow and begin the first project of the semester! Thinking of a project involving the four elements reminds me about the show Avatar the Last Air Bender that I watched as a kid on Nickelodeon. If you have not watched it you need to see it! It is a very memorable and unique cartoon series. However, before I get too off topic I will say that I am excited to see the magazine transfers look on the big screen tomorrow!

Blog 2: Destroy Build Destory (Not Really!)

Today was the start of a new perspective of film, and it began with creating and destroying film. 

Today's work was indeed like "arts and crafts done in Kindergarten". It was a lot of fun inking/painting and scraping the film strips. One thing that I particularly liked about my group's film strip was how the punched out stars moved across the strip when in the projector. It was like they were alive! I also liked how the inks and sharpie pens had their own unique patterns when the film was run through the projector. I also used nail polish to represent blood on the strip with the two men. Dabbing the polish with a cotton swab created a unique splatter effect. With my partner cutting off the heads of one of the men, it looked like a scene out of a deranged horror movie! One thing that I would have liked to do differently was to write words along the width of the strip instead of the length. The words I wrote on the film strips looked more like curvy lines than actual letters going through the projector because they were on the length. 

My favorite part of the work today was splicing together the film. The device was relatively easy to use. Quick and painless! The projector on the other hand looks a little frightening when the gears snap together.

Moving forward I am very optimistic about this new approach to film. After doing much creating with film today, I hope to do some destroying tomorrow. I look forward to what is next to come!

Blog 1: Deren and Brakhage readings

 Maya Deren’s writing is very awe inspiring. She sees the amateur film-maker as having many strengths instead of weaknesses. I learned that it is okay to be an amateur in film. Being an amateur gives you more creative freedoms that may not be as available to professionals. It also appeals to me as a confidence booster with being an amateur.  I always viewed being an amateur as one who produces sloppy results that must be improved upon. I am very timid about what I create fearing it will not be as good compared to what others make. However, after reading Deren’s work I have a different understanding of the word “amateur” and will use my creative and physical freedom to make the best work I can.

Stan Brakhage's writing was interesting to say the least. After reading the first two pages a few times, I came to the understanding that He was explaining what an mm (millimeter) film strip was and ways to alter it to create a story. This aspect of film is new to me, as I am so used to filming with high tech cameras and editing using computers. If there is one thing learned from Brakhage’s work, it’s that I have a lot to learn about using film strips.

Overall I learned today that experimental film making will reject most things I have learned so far about film-making. However, I must embrace them head on to have a more diverse perspective of telling a story in the form of a moving picture.