(13) Updates on the Production Issues

Great news! :D After talking with my godfather I found out how I could fix my issue with the camera. It's a very simple fix too, I can plug the camera into my phone and my phone screen will project whatever the camera is capturing in real time! This will give make the production process of my project so much easier to do on my own and it'll definitely ensure I'm not wasting time by getting bad shots. I also talked with my boyfriend and he'll help me out with getting some moving shots. However, because of our schedules and the time we'll probably need to film, the only day that'll work for us would be following Sunday on the 21st. That date is a later than I would have hoped, but for the sake of getting good footage I think it's good to choose a later date rather than an earlier one where we won't have much time to work together. :0

On the subject of scheduling and dates, I thought this would be a good time to look over my schedule and see how much time I have to get things done. Looking back on my previous plans this would be my fifth week of the project, meaning I have around three weeks to get things done. While that is a constrained schedule, next week is spring break, meaning that I'll have plenty of time to knock out the production process since I won't have school getting in my way. >:P

With that being said, I'll have to work really hard next week to get all of my schoolwork out of the way so I can take the time to focus on my project during spring break and the following weeks after. It'll be hard work like always, but that's never something I can't handle! I'll keep you guys posted on that and tell you how it goes!

(12) Costuming and Mise-En-Scene

I've just realized something that's really important!

I never thought about talking about some other production components such as mise-en-scene and costume design nor have I really put much thought into those two things, so in this post I'll take the time to shell out some planning and research for it. I want to make sure that I cover every single aspect of the filming process within my blogs and I want to make sure I don't overlook the smallest of details, so let's get to it! >:D

For the mise-en-scene of my film I am mainly going to be using my bedroom as it is. Because this film is does have my own perspective and experience within it I plan to not manipulate what my room looks like and keep it in its most 'natural form'. I want to be able to reveal how my bedroom has been a space for me to go through the motions of grief and how in some ways its been a safe-haven. Having a space that is completely unique to me has given me the room to express myself freely, whether it be how I spend my time in my room or even just how I decorate it. 

As I mentioned briefly in some other blog posts, I want to use stop-motion in order to capture scenes and settings that portray various emotions of the grieving stages. I want to focus on using them for the stages with more intense emotions such as anger, denial, or depression. For me, going through those stages often feel like an out-of-body experience. At times they're so overwhelming that I don't feel grounded within my bedroom, and so I want to use more 'alien' sets to depict that. Since my film is an arthouse movie, I have the creative liberty to interpret these scenes in the way I feel about them. 

(I'm not a really great drawer so I pulled some images from the internet that sort of capture what I want to depict within my stop motion scenes :P)

Denial feels like you just got pushed put into the deep ocean without a warning. I feel like it can make you feel very exposed, so I want to set the stage of denial in a deep ocean scene to exemplify those feelings of vulnerability.

Bargaining is one of those harder emotions to put into moods, but if I were to imagine it as a setting I feel like it would be an endless maze. You're trying to escape by making compromises but when it comes to grief there is nothing you cannot bargain your way out. 

I feel like feeling of anger is pretty self-explanatory, and in my head I feel like if anger was a setting it would be like a hot planet such as Venus. It's desolate yet chaotic; your emotions are so intense that it can make you feel very isolated from the rest of the world and everyone else. 

In terms of costuming, I'm thinking of just planning to keep a simple outfit that doesn't obscure my movements. My inspiration is coming from performance art pieces in which subject wear basic clothes and colors to highlights their motions or props rather than drawing attention to their outfits. I also think wearing a simple outfit like basic jeans and a shirt will make it easier to prevent any continuity errors as I'm filming since I imagine it'll take me a few days to film all of the live action shots.  

And with that, I think I explained and shelled out those two components well enough. :D I'll keep you guys posted!

(11) Testing Out the Production Process

Hello everyone! :D

So for these past three days I attempted to start the production process on my own. Since all of the shots that I have are filmed within my house I expected the production process to go by easily. Unfortunately, I ran into an issue. Again. 

While there are some still shots that are easy for me to film on my own, I have loads of moving shots and shots with complex angles that make it very hard for me to film it on my own. I have a tripod that allows me to set up my camera a bit easier, but it's very time consuming for me to be constantly readjusting my camera for 10-20 minutes just for a few seconds of footage.  And on top of that, I really disliked all of the footage that I got today. :( The composition in a lot of my shots were very sloppy; in shots where I needed to be centered I was not, and in shots where I moved a bit I ended up moving out of frame entirely rendering the footage useless.  

I think I centralized I realized the cause of my problems is two things. The camera I have been using has a very small window that shows me what it filming, but because it's so small it very difficult for me to accurately know what I am capturing and how it's looking. In some shots I'm very far away so I cannot see what the cam window is recording so I can't tell if I'm out of frame or if it's out of focus.  Secondly, I don't have an extra set of hands to help me film. It would be easier to do this if I was not the subject of my project, but because I'm putting myself in it I obviously can't hold the camera for moving shots at the same time. 

And so, before I go any further with the production process I'm going to need to fix those two issues. I think I can get my boyfriend to help me out with holding and camera shots, and I'm going to ask my godfather about the camera I have and see if there's a better way I can see what it is capturing. 

This is the camera I have, it's called the DJI Osmo Pocket (maybe I can look at videos about it to help me find a way I can see what I'm recording while I'm filming...)

I also need to look into getting supplies for my stop motion animation, fast. I'll definitely try to knock those things out before next week, I'll keep you guys posted! :P

(10) Storyboard Down and Looking Beyond

 It finally happened! >:D

I'm very very happy to announce that today I was finally able to get the storyboard of my project finished! With that out of the way, I finally have the time to review and finalize all of my plans for this project. After writing up my entire storyboard and then completing a basic outline of my film to go with it, I want to take the time to think about the intended target audience and possible distribution plans could be for my film. I guess this post will be dedicated to looking beyond the production process. :0

NOTE: I'm trying to figure out a way I can scan my storyboard and put it into a google file, the moment I figure that out I'll update this post and put the complete storyboard for you guys to see! :D

Since my film is centralized around my experience with grief, then I believe my target audience for my project would be for young-adults (ages 15-25) who are also going through the motions of grief. Even though my project is personal, grief is an experience that is very similar amongst people who are going through it so I think it will still resonate among my target audience. Since my project is an arthouse film that also means that my film is for audiences who enjoy watching experimental movies/shorts. Because my target audience is so specific I'm going to have to consider looking at distribution methods that will be the easiest for them to access... Maybe I can submit my film to arthouse movie festivals and maybe try to share it with counseling groups that work with teens and adults who are grieving. :0

I'm also wondering if I should create a website that provides additional links and resources that can help individuals who are seeking guidance if they are grieving. I don't think that my piece will be able to have a profound impact if it's just about the stages and it does not attempt to provide additional information about things can can help with grief. I guess I'll look into it later but it's definitely something that I am going to think about as I am working on the production of my project. 

Speaking of production, this following week I'm going to start producing!! >:D I'm very thrilled to see how it'll go, I guess I'll let you know in the upcoming blog posts, I'll keep you guys posted!

(9) Some Research on Editing

Okay, okay, I know I already made three blog postings about research and brainstorming but this is something new, I promise. 

So these past two days I have been working on my storyboard and outlining my film and I'm happy to report it's going really well!! :D I'm not completely finished with it but I'd say that I'm halfway done with it. When it comes to storyboarding I usually come up with shot ideas on the spot; I just let the images of what I want to capture flow out onto the page. Now that I have taken my ideas and placed them on paper I can conduct some further research on what I want to incorporate or consider including. 

I want to include some visual match cuts in order to provide a smooth transition from 'real world' shots to animated ones. However, I am not very experienced when it comes to shooting visual transitions (let alone editing them together). I knew that I would have to look into how to perfect a visual match cut so I found a video and a link that I think will be useful for the production and editing stages. :D

https://blog.pond5.com/21323-5-types-of-match-cuts-and-how-to-use-them-well/

This research about jump cuts made me think about editing and if I'm honest it made me a little nervous (hehe ^^;). Now normally I wouldn't even think about editing until I finish production, but that's simply because in past group projects I would never be in charge of editing. However, since I'm the only person working on my film editing is something I'm going to have to think about. 

I typically use WeVideo or a little bit of iMovie in order to edit projects on my own, but those two editing tools are pretty limited in how they can edit footage. I wouldn't be able to manipulate the lighting or color of a shot in an accurate fashion or use software that can assist me with transitions. At the same time, I'm not sure if I'm willing to go out of my way to buy Adobe Premiere and learn how to use it just for this one project. I guess I'll have to see what are my options and come up with a more thorough plan later on...

Just when I feel like I planned everything out another factor I need to consider pops up. :/ As frustrating as it is it's really important that I do think these through. For me, blogging everything down and keeping track of what I'm doing through my posts has been insanely helpful. Hopefully I'll be able to get everything down tomorrow, I'll keep you guys posted!

(8) Okay, Here's the Plan/Stop-motion research

Hello everyone! :D

Right, so after looking over my past blog posts and documents I've been using to plan out my film project I have decided to set out a list for myself to complete before this upcoming Monday. By completing all of these tasks I hope that I'll be prepared to begin the production process this next week! Here's the list that I made below:

Since I've decided that I'm going to be using stop motion for some of the scenes in my project I want to lay out all of my ideas on how and why I'll be using it. :0

As I'm imaging some of the stages of grief I picture myself in various 'scenes' that capture the essence of that stage. Because of this, I would like to use my environment around me in order to symbolize some stages, but I don't have access to a set or the resources to make a full-blown scene at a life-size scale. However, with animation my limits as to what I want to capture or create dissolve. I can be able to place myself (or a representation of me rather) into any location. 

Of course, with freedoms comes responsibility, and knowing that stop-motion is very laborious I'll need to plan. I'm already familiar with the technical gear I'll need but I am not sure how if I would want to do 2D or 3D animation. 2D animation would be easier to execute, but since I want to do stop-motion to create scenes I think 3D is the wisest choice. Because Yejin used a 3D setting for their film I decided to get some insight and ask them for advice! :D 

They said that I should definitely try to have a strong source of light since it'll allow me to "create a sense of depth" if I'm using a diorama. Luckily, my art desk has a really strong light making it the perfect spot to set up a diorama so I'm set when it comes to my setup!

ta daaaa!

In my project last year I focused on the mise-en-scene of my film so I'm hoping that my experience will be able to assist me in creating the 'set' for the stop-motion sequences. Yejin suggested to use a mixture of both paper and clay so that means I'll probably have to go run some errands in order to get the materials I need (hence the note on my task list). 

There isn't much more planning I can for the stop-motion sequences unless I get the storyboard and the general outline of my film down first. Hopefully I'll get that done in time for the next blog post, I'll keep you guys posted! >:D

(7) Inspiration Hour

Hey everyone, it's been a minute. 

On Saturday I received a few emails from universities I applied to and unfortunately I got deferred from some of my dream schools. I was pretty upset and occupied over it so I had to take some time to figure out what I needed to submit (I think I figured everything out). Unfortunately, I'm off schedule, but instead of moping I'm going to do my best to knock out planning as soon as possible and complete a plan that I'm proud of! >:0

Alright, since I've been in a creative block I decided to take the time and brainstorm again to hopefully draw some inspiration. I was talking with my boyfriend about my project and what I had planned so far and we were able to bounce off some ideas (yay!).  

After telling him my plans he agreed that I should try to include some kind of script/voiceover within my film. However, he suggested that instead of a complete script I could also make it abstract in some sense. Since we're both spoken word poets he suggested that I use or create a poem as a voiceover to my project. While writing out an entire poem might take some work, I think the idea of using spoken word in my script is stellar! :D I think it will work well in an arthouse film style and the flow of a spoken word piece will sound really nice!

He also showed me a couple of Ted-ED videos that have animated visuals to a spoken word poem for some inspiration. I really like the style of these videos and they're method of storytelling; I'll definitely look to these when it comes to finalizing the organization of my film!

Yesterday I was scrolling on my Twitter and I saw that my friend Yejin Koo posted one a stop motion  project they have been working on (Yejin used to go to Cypress and take this class but now they're at Emerson College in Boston). They made a project about a young boy and his day at the beach and I absolutely fell in love!! I really loved the animation and it really inspired me to consider using stop motion within my own project!

I was on the fence about using stop motion animation it out but after seeing what Yejin did I knew I at least had to plan for it. Using some animation within my film will definitely allow me to include visuals that otherwise would not be necessary. It might be time-consuming but I think it'll be 1000% worth it.

Even though I lost a production week I'm not going to sweat it because this is necessary. I'm the kind of person that needs everything planned out before I even attempt to work, and for a project where I'm planning to tell story in an abstract manner it's crucial I have everything down. For these next few days I'll take the time to plan out everything I need and next week it's crunch time! I'll keep you guys posted! :D

(6) Equipment and Planning Going Wrong

As much as I love filming, I really hate the technical aspects of it. 

Don't get me wrong I love all of the cool stuff you can do with the equipment, but I'm never good with understanding how it works or knowing what I should use if I have a specific thing I want to include within a shot. Fortunately, I do know a few people who are pretty tech savvy and they were able to help me out!

This morning my godfather called me to just chat about life, and I was telling him about my film project he asked me if I had any of the equipment in order to execute some of the ideas I had. I was telling him about how I wanted to use colored lighting in order to symbolize various stages of grief, but when he brought that question up I realized that I don't have any lights in order to pull that stunt off. Luckily, since he works in the photography industry he is able to lend me a few lights that I can use! :D

He even offered me to borrow a camera that has a stabilizing feature in it so it would be easier for me to get handheld shots. If I'm honest, it sounds a little daunting for me to have such a high-tech camera so I told him that I would think about it. 

Last night I was writing out my script but it was not going that great. I planning to write out some voiceover only but as I looked it over I didn't like it at all. It felt very unnatural and I feel like if I were to use it within my film it would not help communicate my message any further. Since then I've been in a block; I haven't been able to finalize my plan and begin the production process. 

Everything that I write and storyboard isn't right and I don't feel satisfied with it. However, I don't have much time until I need to start filming. I definitely don't want to be off schedule like I was last year so I'm really hoping that this block passes and I'll be able to get back on my feet. I'll let you guys know what happens, hopefully it all goes well.

(5) Group Meetings and Music

Today in class I had a group meeting with a couple of other peers and we were able to bounce off ideas from one another in order to hear the advice of other people and to hopefully get some inspiration!

I was presenting my idea to my partners and they brought up something that I should consider first before expanding on my idea for the project: am I planning to use a script or just use visuals in order to tell the story? 

I never really considered the idea before, but the moment my classmate Dean brought it up I knew that was something I have to think about. 

The plan of my project so far has no script and I haven't really considered any audio components such as music or sound effects either. As I was looking it over I quickly realized there is no way I can't include no sound within my project. Because my project is relying on capturing the essence of certain stages of grief planning out a soundtrack and/or having a script to go with it will greatly boost the messages within my piece. So, I after the meeting I went to work in search of some music!

After a couple hours sifting through instrumental albums I already know and discovering some on Youtube I complied some songs that can be potentially used for my film! The songs that I chose encompass all of the stages of grief I plan to express; from peaceful to somber tunes I feel confident with all of my choices for music. 

here's the list!!

Now, I have two tasks I need to complete. I need to email all of the artists and ask for permission to use their songs and consider if I will be using a script or not. Since this is a school project I don't think that it'll be hard to get permission to use the songs, but in the chance that it does not work out my teacher did say to me it would be fine if used them anyway (I mean it's not like I'm selling my film right?).  I really have no clue if I would want to include a voiceover or dialogue so for now I guess I'll try to write something out and see what I can do with it. Well that's all I have for now, I'll keep you guys posted! :D

(4) Brainstorming colors

One thing about me is that I am an extremely visual person. When I'm planning a project I can always visualize how I want it to look like; visuals are always the first part a project that I like to shell out first.  For this project, when I think of the stages of grief I associate them with colors. Most people already associate feelings of anger with red and depression with blue, but I also like to think of the colors for the other stages. For me, I see acceptance as green and bargaining as lilac. 

Because such vivid colors are coming to mind when I think of my film and the story I want to tell, I decided to make a Pinterest that I can use as a guide when it comes to visuals that I want to capture. To me, I think the stages of grief are like uncharted waters. Every time you go through them there's always a level of uncertainty and the end of it is always shrouded in mystery, which is just like water ripples in my head (I hope I am making sense).  Anyways, I added the Pinterest link to my mood board below :P

https://www.pinterest.com/kathy0pericas0g/absence/