CCR

Film (Final Cut)

The changes that Jairo and I added were that, based off of complaints, zoomed into the main character at the end of the film. This way the extra that moved when time had apparently stopped was now out of the picture. The only other complaints we had were that people could not think of what would happen next, or that they did not understand what genre this was. The genre of our film was action comedy, and since it was the beginning of the film we felt like we did not have to add anything that tells the audience what happens in the whole movie. We also felt it would look unusual if we wrote what type of genre it was in the title, and felt that the viewers could figure it out themselves.

Film Link

Editing! Week 2

This week we continued to edit, but stumbled onto some issues. We struggled to coordinate the ticking of the clock with the actual film of the clock. To fix this we add to cut out certain portions of the film, so that the sound lined up. Also we had to cut out some of the ending to the film because one of our extras was moving during the scene where time had stopped. Jairo and I also learned how to make sound gradually grow and decrease, which we used for the climax moment of when the clock's  ticking, and time comes to a complete halt. 

Editing! Week 1

For the titles we used we decided to name our film Dr. TickTock, after the protagonist, which we may change because that is not a very good name. We also decided to name are film studio Owen Whiting Productions, a person who is featured in the film, and we gave ourselves credit as being the producers of the movie. For the font, we went with a black and bold concept to stand out from the background. Some video effects include the ticking of the clock, and using a still frame to make it look as though the movie as stopped. The cuts we made were simple, and flowed nicely, making it go from shot to shot. Both Jairo and I were involved in the editing, and some problems we faced was that we didn't know how to make the film fill up the whole frame, but we learned how to fix that by asking our teacher. We have decided to not do any further filming, since we are already at the time limit. 

Filming! Week 2

This week we began editing our film. The editing consisted of the voice over that we are planning to do for the main character, which is why the film is relatively silent in its current form. At first the voice over was difficult to do because I could not come up with what to say, but then I took a statistics exam recently and found that my thoughts during that test coordinated well with how our character would think in the film (confused, and frustrated). Jairo and I also began adding the ticking sound from the clock to the film, and we cut out certain scenes that did not fit with what we were trying to say with the film.

Filming! Week 1

Before we actually filmed Jairo and I decided to practice what were going to do when we arrived the following day to Dr. Strathman's classroom. We wanted to be professional and not waste any of Strathman's time. Here we had me practice pretending to look at other student's papers, and act frustrated with the test material.

Here we are reviewing are takes from the previous hour. Jairo and I both agree that for our first shots we have done very well, and soon hope to add the inner monologue and the ticking of the clock in the  upcoming days. 

Preparing to Film

Actors: Jairo will play a student, Scott will be the main student with the inner monologue and can stop time. These roles, however, can be reversed. Either Dr. Strathman, if we ask nicely, or a student can play the teacher.

Costumes: We will just be wearing our regular clothes, as the budget is tight, and since we are portraying students similar to ourselves we want the most authentic costumes available, that just so happen to be in my closet at this very moment.

Props: Jairo and I will print out sheets of paper with the words 'Literature Final Exam' on top and blank lines on the following pages, so that it would look like the characters are taking an actual exam. We will also just use the clock already in Strathman's room, if he lets us, to show the time, and his desks as well. A water bottle will also be used to show the main character's anxiety as it will be used to spill onto the exam and look like the character is extensively sweating.

Locations: The entire film opening will be filmed in Dr. Strathman's room, or in the AICE Media room if he will not let us film there. We will probably film during lunch time.

Dates and Times: Monday we will begin to get the crops ready, and by Wednesday we should begin filming once we gain permission by Dr. Strathman. We also need to find a good camera man.

Scripts: So far only an inner monologue will be written, and it will be played over the film, so it will not be used during the actual filming. There is relatively no talking in the actual film, except for the teacher saying 'get to work' or something like that, so we will only direct the actors and hope for the best.

Film Equipment: A camera from the AICE Media lab will be used for filming, but other than the editing on the computer, that will be all we need.

Storyboard

Summary: Our action comedy film, which has yet to have a title, will start out in a classroom where students are taking a test. Since we have limited access to where we want to take our film, we thought it would be easier if we filmed at the school. In the first picture the shot focuses in on a specific student's id badge and then pulls away to show the entire class taking the exam. Then viewers start to hear the inner monologue of the character, who is unprepared for the exam, and is trying to look at other classmate's papers. Then we will have the teacher slowly walk up to the student from behind and awkwardly put their hand on their shoulder and look at the blank paper for 45 seconds exact. Using a bottle of water we will completely spill it out onto the paper, and have the student exclaim to himself that he is sweaty since he is nervous. The teacher then will leave without a word. Shots of the clock and the student will go back and forth faster and faster, and the ticking noise will get faster as well, but then it will suddenly stop. Time has come to a halt. The student realizes this and looks to see that his fellow students are completely still. He then goes over to another student's desk takes the paper and reads it, only for time to start again. Everyone stares at the student very confused.

Brainstorming

Notes:

• Make sure to use a variety of shots
• Maybe add music or a soundtrack to set the mood
• We can tell the story through the camera not just by speaking
• In the soccer video the producers seemed to focus on the talents of the actor, so we should focus on our own talents
• We can have a fake studio 
• What the heck was that second video about?
• Film the environment not just the actors
• Don't use bad words
• We can try animation
• Let's not do animation I can't draw

Summary:

The first student film Rise influenced us more than the other films in how we are to go about making the beginning of our movie. This is mostly because it was the first one we saw, so it contained a lot of the interesting shots that the films that followed had as well. We decided for our film that we should include music, and focus more on showing than telling in how we present the story. We should also focus on our own talents, just as in Rise where the actor showcased his soccer skills. To do this however we need to find out what we are talented in. 

My Inspiration

 For our film opening my partner Jairo and I have picked action comedy as our genre. We were inspired to do this genre because we wanted to be as involved as possible in our film opening, and thought we would have more fun if some high stakes were also included. Action comedy films also are really the only genre to manage to mix both serious events and humor. This makes the audience feel more relaxed and enjoy the film more because they are not stressed due to the events that take place in the film because the characters that are in the film are not stressed about anything either. We thought action comedy would also take some weight off our shoulders in that we didn't have to really try and act, because most action comedies are parodies of action movies so the characters are caractures of those in action moves. Thus, this genre fits best with our limited acting skills. Some action comedy movies also tend to break the fourth wall, such as Deadpool, which we also thought was an easy way to entice our viewers, and make them laugh, which gives us better reviews throughout the public, as people share their unique experiences with their friends.
    Some action comedy films that influenced us to choose this genre were Marvel movies such as Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as more independent films such as Scott Pilgrim vs the World. The opening scene of Guardians of Galaxy, for example, starts off more than an action move than anything else. We are introduced to a character that is masked, so we do not yet know of his intentions. Then when he enters some strange building he starts to dance to the song of Come and Get Your Love. Music is something that is unique to this action film, and specifically this sequence, because the film uses the music to move along the plot in what would be inappropriate instances in normal action movies. This unique attribute drove Jairo and I to choose this genre, because no other genre had this spontaneous feeling of laughter to it.
     Scott Pilgrim vs the World, was also a major factor in why we chose this particular genre. In the beginning of the film, there is awkward dialogue balanced by an unusual sounding music. This subtle awkwardness gives this action comedy its own style, and we hope to challenge the same awkwardness without even trying. The art style in this film is also interesting in how vibrant the colors our, and while we may not have the editing skills or the technology to pull off something like what is from the film, we can certainly add our own special effects for our film opening.
     I feel that the action comedy genre is perfect for both of our styles, and can is the best way we can get a high score for our film opening. With this genre we will also be able to add our own unique ideas, as each action comedy is a different genre in its own right.