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)
- 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
- Communicate thoughts, goals, and expectations
- Planning schedule and resources
- Create a functional script and a final storyboard
- Establish full rough draft of the script
- Practice and record test shots
- Begin filming and listen to recommendations for adaptation
- Be sure to pack up the set after filming
- Be sure to download ALL RECORDINGS from the camera
- Allow the editor and director some time to review the recordings
- Repeat steps 6 through 9 until you are satisfied with all the final shots
- Allow the editor to piece the final film together and help in any way that you can.
- 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
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)
Skills Commentary
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