My blog for schoolwork

SUMMARY

Role

Director

Intention (SMART Goal)

By March 1, as Director, I will have evidence of managing actors, utilizing time efficiently, and cooperating and communicating with the set crew by following “Fincher on Fincher” for Session 4.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

The Social Network (2010) – IMDb: David Fincher

Things I noticed about directing:

• The development of characters, especially Mark, was very interesting.
• Cinematographer choices with angles, panning, lighting, and scene swaps were intentional and attention-grabbing.
• The emotions or lack of emotions were depicted very well.
• The intensity and some of the decisions of the characters was very interesting.
• The dialogue was very important and the characters interacted very realistically.
• Power dynamic shook the film a lot.
• The dynamic of the twins was very fascinating and unique

Training Source(s)

Fincher on Fincher

• Create the scene before setting up the camera angles. 3:19-3:51
• When two people meet for the first time, have them be even in the shot, but when one has more power, make them larger and have them take up more space in the shot, when one has less, make them smaller and have them take up less space. If they have equal control, make the shot evenly spaced between them. 4:02-5:01
• Make sure to have characters motivate camera movement to keep the scene active. 5:04-5:38
• As a general rule, follow the story of your film. Other takes on the script can be interesting, but keep it true to your vision. 5:42-6:18
• Do not be afraid to do multiple takes, and it will take time to become comfortable with requesting more takes. 6:19-7:04 & 8:34-9:26
• Mold the actors into the role. Make the actors identical to their character. 7:10-7:49
• Keep emotions consistent with the character and the story’s mood. You can also see more subtle flaws in emotion after having done multiple takes. 10:04-10:42
• Add variety to scenes and keep the audience focused. Remove distractions. 10:44-11:15
• You need to get exactly what you want from every member of the crew. 11:20-12:14
• Move people around according to what the scene needs. Keep actors in line and organized. 12:15-13:41
• Colors are attached to the mood of the scene. Pink is associated with happy and healthy people, destroy that concept as often as you can. Green is a good color for showing tension and drama in a scene, or it could be used to show empty characters. Yellow is a good color for darker shots and scenes, and obstructs your view of the actors. 13:43-15:57
• Creating a feeling throughout the audience is important. 15:49-16:07
• Good production designers don’t talk about the cost, but about the feeling they will evoke in the audience. 16:08-17:13
• Music can be changed to fit a scene. Being creative with music can create a better result. 17:13-17:48
• Creating a feeling for the setting from anything from design choices to content is very important. 18:08-19:02

Project Timeline

1. Communicate thoughts, goals, and expectations
2. Planning schedule and resources
3. Create a functional script and a final storyboard
4. Establish full rough draft of the script
5. Practice and record test shots
6. Begin filming and listen to recommendations for adaptation
7. Be sure to pack up the set after filming
8. Be sure to download ALL RECORDINGS from the camera
9. Allow the editor and director some time to review the recordings
10. Repeat steps 6 through 9 until you are satisfied with all the final shots
11. Allow the editor to piece the final film together and help in any way that you can.
12. Review the final film with the crew and if satisfactory, the director will sign off on it. If it isn’t satisfactory, the director will sign off on it anyway, because there won’t be enough time to change anything unless it’s in the editing phase

Proposed Budget

None

Evidence of Team Planning and Decisions

Slides

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

Film

Skills Commentary

Slides

I utilized time efficiently with improvements throughout development. I managed actors acceptably, but not to my liking, so I need to improve that. I communicated with my crew consistently, but it was not as effective as I would have hoped. Actor management can be seen on the right in the call sheets in my organization of their schedules. Time utilization can be seen in the middle, which shows part of the trello board I chose to ignore. Communication with crew can be seen on the left in the notes I left for the crew.

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

When our schedule was disrupted, we were able to change the plan quickly and effectively. We managed to make creative decisions that saved time for editing.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

We made choices and discussed them before taking action. All viewpoints were considered, and we went for the more effective options in a timely manner. Unfortunately, we were not always clear in our instructions or suggestions, and we need to work on that.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

I used my knowledge of campus to explore different options for filming locations, and I used the video to help me become more comfortable with retakes.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

I not only learned about myself, but I also learned that in order to have enough time to edit, not only do we need to finish filming sooner, but we also need to manage our organization and schedule more effectively, because we all can improve that.

Reactions to the Final Version

Although there was very little feedback for me from the professionals, there were a few peers who suggested changes. My decisions need to be more organized and sensible (such as the clock time patterns and moments without context).

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

I feel that we are improving and growing as a team, but we still have a lot we can improve. Our management of time, our communication, and simple mistakes and accidents which can or cannot be avoided hindered our project significantly.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly and spell check

Editor

Zac

SUMMARY

Role

I am the director for team one

Intention (SMART Goal)

By January 13th, as director, I will have evidence of applying myself to the production, managing the crew more efficiently, and improving my skills in directing by following “How to Shoot Effective Scene Coverage” for session three.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Steven Spielberg

Notes: Number 1 is story, and choosing specific themes. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances are difficult to pull off, but wonderful when done correctly. 2, production design focuses on putting characters in extraordinary circumstances which are larger than themselves. To grasp the understanding of the audience, scale can be used to help them understand the situation. Crowds can create more intense panic, and threats should be depicted as massive, bigger than anything around it. Sets will be massive to show how much bigger the situation is than the character. 3, color can establish tone, transport the viewer to a fantastic new world, or to attract attention. Color can help the viewer feel what the characters are feeling if used correctly. Color can also be used to attract attention on something or someone specifically. Brightness can heighten the extraordinary nature of something in a scene like magic or a spaceship. Tone can be defined through saturation and dim vs bright. Color can attract the audiences attention. 4, cinematography can be used with variety. Smooth vs gritty should depict different settings and tension levels. Silhouettes, reflections, and shadows are special cinematography choices. The moving camera should be one of the most dominant techniques, which is used in order to keep the audience focused on the extraordinary journey. The camera should be an active participant and make the viewer feel present in the scene. Moving camera can create layered blocking along with multiple shown areas in a single shot. Framing in long takes should always be changing, and this can be used to shift the attention of the audience in between different things. Long takes can be used to sustain momentum in action scenes. 5, editing should be designed to go unnoticed to keep the audience immersed, and focus on emotions can create tension in the audience. Editing can keep the viewer connected to the emotion and plot. Geography is highly important in order to keep the audience out of chaos. Suspense can be created when the audience knows where the threat is. Cuts should shift in size consistently. 6, sound can be great for telling an additional story, and can serve many functions. Sounds of clocks can add stress and remind the audience of the lack of time. Dynamic sound should have big and small sounds mixed together to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Sound can guide the storytelling, and sounds above soundtrack in suspenseful scenes can create a bigger feeling of suspense and for contrast. Quiet can be used to establish a presence using obvious quiet sounds and character silence. And abrupt interruption of silence makes a threat just that much larger. Unique sounds can also go a long way, can can even be used to establish a presence of power and authority. Sound should contrast between quiet and loud, and can be used to create emphasis onto what matters in a scene. And 7, music

Training Source(s)

How to Shoot Effective Scene Coverage

Notes: Takes should be taken in their entirety from one angle to and then try to cover as much of it as possible from each camera angle. Allow actors time to rehearse and become comfortable in their role. Be prepared to make changes to the script. Master shot to close up can be very important. Master shot: Most important action in scene. Close ups: To see actors. Having a variety of shots allows the director to be able to make decisions in the editing bay rather than on set. Varying shot size can increase the amount of coverage. Tightening shots can be useful to increase coverage without moving the camera.

Project Timeline

None

Proposed Budget

None

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

Film

Skills Commentary

Slides

My job during production was management of the crew, set, actors, props, and the film itself. My responsibility is being present, both physically and mentally, at all times during production, and keeping safety as a number one priority. Whenever a change was made, I was required to approve it. My goals for this session were not only developing my skills at managing the film, but also at managing my time and using effective communication, which I feel I have improved upon. As Director, I have to locate and obtain usage permission of an area to use as a set, monitor the transportation of all equipment and crew members to the location, manage and advise upon different decisions and changes to the film, monitor the return of equipment and ensure the set is the way we found it, ensure the camera and audio files are properly accessible to the editor, and then ensure that all equipment returns to their respective storage areas.

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

I was more flexible and patient when solving a problem, and we were able to manage our time effectively and creatively. When considering suggested additions to content, I put thought into which decisions were brought into the film, and which ones didn’t fit or were not appropriate to the scene.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

I communicated with my team to understand what they needed from me and to address what I needed from them. We were able to discuss what we were working on and what other team members could do to assist, and we were typically able to work on other things if we couldn’t help anyone else.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

I was able to use my knowledge of acting, spacing, blocking, etc. to shape the film to appear more fluid and realistic.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

I learned more about collaboration and the struggles of a director. I developed my skills in keeping people focused on the project. I utilized my time and I have improved my time management and organization.

Reactions to the Final Version

The beginning had a singular missing shot which included context to the situation, which caused general confusion. Cinematography was organized and efficient, and used techniques effectively, however, there could have been more creative expansion. Editing was fluid. No feedback for sound director or director. “I feel that the cinematography could have been expanded on more creatively.” -Advisor

“The lighting noticeably fluctuated from shot to shot.” -Peer

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

The film itself was very straightforward and clear about what the purpose was. The film was very confusing in the right aspects which was meant to catch the audience off guard and make them think. Sensory language was limited. No outside credibility. Frustration was expressed properly along with confusion, however, I feel emotion could have been improved upon. Stimuli and motive have been provided and built upon, however, they were both limited.

What I learned

The Directing of the film was highly dependent on communication rather than instruction. I was able to effectively communicate how I felt the time should be used, and also was able to ask what the other crew members needed. As for managing authority and focus, distraction was inevitable, and even though we lost focus from time to time, I feel I was effectively able to refocus the group back onto the film relatively quickly. The only area I feel I was lacking was my management of the editor. During the editing phase, there was very little I could do to assist or further instruct any of the crew, and due to the lack of time flexibility, my editor hardly had the time or focus to dedicate his time effectively to the film had I been consistently looming over his shoulder.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly and spell check

Editor

Samara N.