Production

I'm so happy the filming for our film opening is finished (so many Fs)!!! I couldn't have done this without Kyra. I felt like our creative choices were aligned with each other's, there wasn't a moment of strong disagreements.

Everyone wore black in order to fit the details I wanted to be put in there. The acting took some time to strengthen but in the end, the scenes we recorded were the best they could be. So much passion was put into this film opening by everyone who contributed - significant or not.

We recorded it in this secluded forest/highway area mix. It fit our needs perfectly. The cinematography and props I believe will be the highlights of the opening. I truly hope our theme and meaning will translate smoothly. Editing is the next hurdle but I am so excited since it will make the film complete!!!

Here are some pictures from today:

Today is the day!!!!

I'm so excited and very relieved that I am finally filming today!!! It's really been stressing me out since this is the only time I was free to film. I just came back from my extended spring break vacation and I am more than ready to finish filming today and begin editing. I will share more when I'm done filming by the end of today!

So much to do today... trying not to freak out.

Sound

The sound in the beginning of the film opening should be the most dramatic. Since the main character will wake up in a forest-like area, there will be lots of objects around that should make the loudest sounds. For example, dry leaves crunching as she walks, the mysterious wind, bird chirping. Some of these things may have to be done through foley or from a royalty free website, which I honestly find no problem in. The subtle sounds throughout the opening should be cars driving when she tries to find a ride or a group of people mumbling as part of the ending scene.

For music, I want that to be prominent at the end of the opening when she realizes there is something odd about the world she is living. As I shared before, I want the music to be futuristic yet creepy. My boyfriend produces his own music so it is a great option for him to make an original song for us, otherwise we might have to get music from a royalty free website, which I’m not to keen on doing. I want it to be original and unique.

I’m so excited to film!

Editing

One of if not the most important element in a film is its editing. Although I find it one of the most difficult and time consuming parts, it’s something every film must go to. I want to make the editing, more specifically the editing in the argument scene, to be similar to that of The Notebook.

I know the people fighting in my film opening aren’t a couple, but in order for the argument to look real I think the best situation to think of is a couple fighting. The emotions are out, raw, and unapologetic and the editing helps bring out the drama. I believe my friend (Leah) who is taking the role of the main character can deliver on her performance, the yelling and all!

The editing in this scene is calm-paced yet quickly focuses on the other character when it is their turn to argue with the occasional shot of the other character’s reaction. Since the fight shouldn´t be the main focus of the film opening, the editing shouldn´t stand out in the scene, but fit right in.

Cinematography

Even though the film opening I will be shooting is nothing like the movie Psycho, but I draw a lot of inspiration from the film´s cinematography. The film’s close-ups really allows the main character be the film’s focus, something I think the film revolutionized for the horror genre. A film can be just as creepy or frightening with a focus on a main character other than solely on gore. I think this kind of cinematography would work best for our film since we don’t have many if any adrenaline scenes.

My cinematography can translate as somewhat slow but simply to pay attention to detail. I think it’s important to take your time with a film and the best way to show effort it through cinematography and editing, but editing is a whole other hurdle! I want to help portray beautiful images in order to share a story.

A still from Psycho (1960):

Objects/Props

Props are a very important element in a film and for the opening, we need to make sure everything is set and planned before shooting. Props we are including in the films opening is a broken phone, which Kyra can provide. I also wanted to add odd props in the car of the stranger that she goes into. Possibly a knife or something that should cause suspicion.

I take a lot of inspiration from the film Legally Blonde because of its props. More specifically, her pink pen she used while in law school. Items like a pink pen bring out the small appreciative details of the movie and steal the spotlight for a moment. That is kind of what I want to be done in my film opening. The shot in Legally Blonde focuses on the object while showing the dichotomy in the background. I was thinking the man driving the main character in my film opening should have a sketchy object and it should be a clue of his sanity or lack there of. The prop should be the film opening’s focus for simply a shot.

A still from Legally Blonde (2001):

Complications

I'm very stressed about the production of the film opening because I'm going away to Europe early for spring break and I wish the filming process was a lot easier. But, I just have to remember the difficult process is what makes the final product worthwhile.

I will be gone for thirteen days in total. This makes our shooting days fall on March 30th and the 31st, leaving us with seven days for editing and room for improvement. Knowing this information, I planned somewhat ahead by having a lot of things ready for when we come back. I helped Kyra with the beginning of our script and will continue to help her out throughout my trip via text or email. Luckily for us, things like hair, makeup, and costumes are very simple and can be done with little to no help.

I just wanted to share my worries and hopefully things will turn out smoother than expected!

Actors

Kyra and I so far agreed on our friend Leah to play our main character. We believe she has the perfect personality that will translate naturally onto the screen. I previously said that I thought the main character should mirror characters like Leslie Knope and Alex Russo due to their unapologetic confidence. Kyra and I have a group of friends more than willing to help us shoot the film opening, so they would play as the group of characters at the end that reveal a glitch in the universe.

I was thinking the other secondary character should be played by my friend Jonathan. I haven't finished discussing this part with Kyra yet, but I believe my friend would be a really good actor for the part. He takes film seriously since he has written his own short film.

I want to do a kind of audition for my friends but if that were to happen, Kyra would take over and be the judge since I am going on a trip very soon. But, I don't think it's necessary to do an audition since I've seen all of their potential.

Storyboard

In class, I completed a storyboard to put my ideas to paper and overall make the entire shooting process easier. Kyra and I are working on a script at the moment and so far we agree with almost everything and we really like our idea. The storyboard does not include the brief detailed shots that will be in the opening. Most of the storyboard should stay the same. I absolutely love our story so much! I'm just worried about the complexities of it.

Details

I wanted my film opening to be one that kind of tests the audience. Because our plot is set in stone, I'm now picking out the small details I want in the film to portray the theme very well. For example, in the storyboard, the film opening has more than the normal amount of behind-the-shoulder shots. I wanted to do this reinforce the theme that someone is always watching/following. More small details I am including is that the majority if not all people at the end of the film opening will be wearing black. The black outfits won't be too revealing of the suspicious activity and will be just simple black outfits. Additionally, I really want to make sure the car the main character will be in is noticeably beaten up compared to other cars seen on the street.

Of course, all of this seems amazing in theory but I am also confident it will be just as amazing on screen. Although I'm not guaranteed to have one beaten up car and the rest being nicer cars due to budgeting and what Kyra and I are capable of, I know I can substitute that with a less complicated detail.

Production Design

It is most likely that most of/a big part of the film opening will be shot at Markham Park and will take place in the afternoon/evening. I want the production design to match the park, which is a very foresty/outdoorsey with bugs and trees. The area should give off the feeling of being abandoned.

I want to take away the most things that are green; the setting cannot look healthy in anyway. This creates mystery for the audience since after that point, she will be in normal places of setting. The order of one strange place will allow the audience to explore the possibility that something is not right or normal. The setting should also be shown to be large in order to emphasize the character's isolation in the forest-like area. I want to also add props that look as if they were abandoned. For example: she should notice a ripped shirt on the ground, a sock, anything suspicious.

For other parts of the production design, when she is in the car with a driver, I want the car to be old or look like it's broken in some way to match the driver's unstableness. In normal settings like a grocery store, I want to add things that look either too clean or too perfect. Extras (depends on how many we can get) should look too perfect in this society, creating suspicion from the main character.