I Still Have Hope... Filmmaking at Home

I was scrolling through twitter when one of the accounts that I follow posted an interesting article. It fits perfectly with the circumstances of this project.
It is a compilation of movies that were made in the home of the filmmaker
Homemade Cinema
(I recommend Coherence)
This made me feel a lot better about the place that I'm in right now and I found a motivation that I can make a great project even if my resources are limited.
Im going to study some of these films in my free time to observe the techniques and learn how can I take advantage of my space!

And so the Filming Begins

Finally
                             Finally
         Finally
            f         i          n          a          l       l             y

I just finished filming a small scene for the opening, it took way more time than I expected but I really want this to be perfect. I'm experimenting a lot with different shots and the lighting... Oh the lighting. I basically have to film everything twice because i'm working with both white and colored lights and unlike I find a way to connect two parallel realities (One where I work with color and one with white) I'm going to have to do everything twice.
Here is my little set up

I filmed this inside of my bathroom since it does not have any windows so it is way easier for me to control the light source with the lamps. I'm also using two lamps because it is easier for me to switch between the one that has color and the one that does not.
Also, ignore everything that is in the background. It is a little cluttered but that is not going to appear on screen, I'm only filming what is inside the sink.

For this scene I used red food coloring to create the appearance of blood... It was really fun to use it but also really messy.







Here is a little sneak peak :)

Playing with Lighting... A Multi-Colored World

I been trying to figure out this whole lighting thing.
Let's go back to one of my earliest post when I talked about neon lighting being incorporated in my opening. I decided that I was not going to buy the lights but instead I'm using the method with the colored papers.
Lucky for me I already own two lamp that are really useful because I can easily move the thing were the light bulb is... I don't know how to explain it but i'll attach a picture later on. I went on a short trip to my local supermarket to buy the cellophane paper, unfortunately there wasn't any available. I still had some hope so I continued to look for something that had a similar texture/transparency so that the light of the lamps could pass through it.

And that's how I found these plastic-like bags!

 




I didn't really knew how these bags would react with the light so I began playing with them. It was fairly easy to get result that I wanted, and I figured that the easiest way to work with them (since i'm doing this alone because of COVID-19) was to tape them to the lamp.

The first picture is how the light usually looks and the other three pictures show the light with the colored plastic in front of it. (And don't worry, the light bulb does not gets hot so the plastic won't melt)
I learned a few things while experimenting.
1- Some of the bags don't have are more transparent than other (blue and yellow) so the color is not as bright. To fix this I simply stacked a few of the sheets and that made the color brighter.
2- I can also put different colors on top of each other to make new colors. Blue on top of yellow make green.


Overall i'm really happy with the result and I definitely will be incorporating this element to the opening.

I Have ~almost~ Everything Ready

I already have the studio of the artist ready, I realized that since a few of the shots I'm included are close ups I don't really need to create a setting. Instead, I'm going to film in a dark location (My bathroom, because 1. It does not have any windows and 2. It's big enough to accommodate the props that I will use) so that I can create a more dramatic lighting.
I also owned most of the stuff that I was going to need to create the artwork, which is one of the things that I will be focusing and updating more next week.

I don't want to spoil anything yet.. See? I'm creating anticipation... So as I begin to film I will insert pictures of the sets. I also have to polish some details so that everything comes together.
I almost forgot to mention that while browsing on the internet I found a makeup kit to create the fake wounds on the victims, it has everything that I need and it's relatively inexpensive so I'm getting it and It should arrive by next week!

This is everything that it includes:

• Four Color Special Effects Wheel (1oz.)
• Nose & Scar Wax (1oz.)
• Stage Blood (0.5oz)
• Spirit Gum (0.25floz)
• Spirit Gum Remover (0.5floz)
• Liquid Latex (1floz.)
• Black Eye Pencil
• Flat Brush
• Sponge Applicator
• Stipple Sponge
• Color Directions   Yields 10-15 Applications Per Kit.

Oh and by the way I also found a mini-tripod (Seriously, is like less than 6 inches) for my phone. It was laying around in my house and apparently my brother bought it a few months ago, and I was informed that it was part of a toy to make slow motion movies... Or something like that.

Some Critical Changes

Good news!

We had an online conference with our teacher and she gave up an update on the due date for this project. Apparently the deadline was extended which means that I'm going to have more time to work on this!

I also took some time to think about some of the changes that I'm going to make.

- Since my friends can not longer appear in the opening I'm planing to appear as the main actor aka the artists. I'm going to use my family as the victims since I don't really have to show much of their face and they don't have any dialogue so I can work around that.

- The scene in the gallery previously showed a person talking with the main character. This is still a key moment in the opening as it triggers the flashback that explains the background of the character so I could not cut this part. Instead, I plan of simply not getting the other person in the frame, either by making it appear as if they are behind the camera or I may be able to show their hands but not their whole body. I'm hoping that it doesn't look awkward so I will have to play a little bit with that specific scene.

-I was debating whether or not to change the location for the Art Store scene since most businesses are closed, but I still want to include that in my opening since it is a key moment for the development of the character. I have two options for this: Either film it in my house with the materials that I already have or I can visit Walmart since they have an art section and they will remain open since they are considered an "essential business". I could also wait until march 31st to see if the stores hopefully open but I don't want to risk not having enough time so I want to have a back up plan.

I Wasn't Expecting This... Help

I'm back with an important and unforeseen update.
So... School was canceled this week and I think that I'm going to have to change my filming schedule. You may be asking yourself (or not) why?

Here enters COVID-19... You know, a global pandemic, the usual :)
Thankfully i'm not in the "critical" age group so even if I get the virus (which I really hope does not happen) it won't be fatal... The recovery process would be extensive but that's not what I'm here to talk about.

This is a big obstacle for the production of my film because I was relying on having some of my friends appear in it. They can no longer do this because all of us are in quarantine (We are fine by the way, it's only to stop the spread of the virus). I may also have to change one of the locations where I was going to film (The art store) because they are closing most of the stores as a precautionary measure.

While I come up with alternatives to overcome this obstacle don't forget to wash your hands and stay indoors.

I'll keep you updated, see you.

~Currently practicing social distancing~

My Career as a Special Effects Makeup Artist will Begin Here

I'm trying to do something different here.
I want to add some shocking factor to the my scene opening, which is why I decided to showcase some of the wounds of the victims. I already have some experience with these types of effects with liquid latex on the skin.
I reached the conclusion that the materials that I'm going to need are:
Toilet paper or paper towels
Either latex or glue (I'm not alergic to latex so I think I'm going to use that)
Makeup that matches the color of the skins of the "victims" and a lot of fake blood.

The process is fairly simple.
1-Apply the latex on the skin and put a piece of paper on top of it
2-Repeat step 1 at least one time
3-Let the latex dry
4-Make a cut in the tissue with a pair of scissor (Be careful) or with tweezers
5-Apply the makeup (Liquid foundation) around the hole that you just made.
4-Apply fake blood and red makeup directly to the "wound"

It should end up looking like this:



I'm going to try to recreate this and tell you how it goes, wish me luck.

Connecting with an Audience

So... I decided to dive a little deeper into research the target audience of my opening film based on the genre. I need to understand the demographics (gender, age, ethnicity, and income) to improve the decisions that I will be taking from now on.

Why is it important?
Identifying the target audience is a key element to develop marketing strategies. Many distributors focus on a specific set of people as they are most likely to purchase the product.
In the film making it is important to identity it during the pre production stage (like I'm doing right now) as it will affect the content of the film.

Target Audience.
I'm diving the target audience of my film into the thriller and mystery genres as the opening of my film will contain elements of both.
The first thing to keep in mind is that these types of films are usually targeted to more mature audience as they may contain strong language and graphics scenes.
    -Age: Considering that the content of the film is not suited for younger audience, I will focus on young adults (18-25)
     -Gender: I think that both genders will like this type of movie. Both will be interested in the action of the movie.
  I will be doing a survey and updating this posts with the results :)
To compile this information I created a Google forms survey that I will be sharing with my friends and on social media
Click here if you want to take the Survey

Turning a Small Film into a Blockbuster

We are back with some critical research.

Lets set the scenario that I'm planning to shoot and release the complete film rather than just the opening. In an ideal world, I would profit from this production but first I have to ask myself, how can I get my film to a mainstream audience?

Film Festivals

It is important to connect with your audience at a local level, which is why i'm focusing on festivals that take place in South Florida. It is both convenient for me as these locations are close to me and technically I wouldn't have to spend a lot of money in travel expenses.
The filmmaker usually can get acknowledge for completing work and submitting it, it also increases their potential to gain recognition among audiences. It is also an opportunity to meet people that have similar interest, they can share their thoughts and give feedback to each other.
Film festivals also facilitates securing deals with distributors.

     -Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Nov. 3-19

The only requirements to submit a film for this festival is to pay a fee of $40 dollars before the deadline. It is one of the biggest motions pictures events in Florida. If you are a filmmaker there are events like parties, receptions, and galas.
Last year (2019) they made about 200 screenings of 186 films from 41 countries.
Fliff Website

     -Popcorn Frights Film Festival Aug. 6-14
Unlike most festivals, this one focuses on showcasing a specific genre of film. It is especially designed for horror lovers and filmmakers. They accept from full length movies to animations, even work in progress projects.
Popcorn Frights Website

Independent Film Distributors

Some distributions companies focus on finding the voice for unique independent films.
Companies like Indie Rights Movies makes it easy and convenient for film makers to distribute their independent films. Submitting your movie is completely free but they do ask for 20% of royalties in exchange to distribute it in a wide range of platforms (Limited Theatrical, Retail DVD/Blu-Ray, etc...)
There is also the option to of video on demand platforms (VOD), these include:
     -Transactional VOD, audience pays for individual videos. Ex. Itunes, Vimeo
     -Subscription VOD, audience pays a subscription fee for access content. Ex. Netlix, Amazon Prime.
     -AD supported VOD, content is free with advertising. Ex.YouTube.

Digital Platforms (Social media services)

The advantages of these platforms is that it enables filmmakers to reach fans without spending
large sums of money.
Usually creators use platforms like YouTube or Vimeo to upload their content.

One of the most useful social media platforms that I found for new filmmakers and overall content creators is Reddit, they have a community that is exclusive to Filmmaking. With over 857k members, it is the best place to get and share feedback on these types of projects.

Some Character Design

This post is going to be fairly simple and short as this is not a big concern because as you may know by now, I'm going to rely a lot on close ups.

1- The Artist
The character will wear a white shirt that will have some stains of paint to showcase his job as an artist. The shirt will be paired with jeans although I don't think that the viewer will be able to see the lower half of the body of the character during the first half of the opening.
For the gallery scene, the artist will pretty much keep the same clothes but instead of being stained they will be completely clean to show how he is on a higher level of the socioeconomic status.
For the last scene in the store I want to clearly establish that the viewer is seeing a flashback, which is why the artist will once again have stains in his clothes.

2- Secondary Characters
These are the characters that are in the gallery. They will be wearing darker colored clothes to create a contrast between them and the main character.

Location Scouting

The Studio-

The opening of my movie will take place mainly in a studio like setting where the artists is going to create his masterpiece.
I'm going to set up a space in my house that is going to mimic the look of a studio. My plan is to make something that can be assembled and disassembled fairly quickly and without too much work since I am working within a limited space.
At first I was planning to film the movie outside, but with proper consideration I decided to stay indoors as it would be more convenient both for continuity and time.
I already own some of the materials that I'm
going to use in the first time of the opening.

These images serve as the inspiration for the studio, as you can see in the examples I'm trying to keep things fairly simple or "minimalist". Unlike the image on the right, I will refrain from showing the source of light (windows) because I want to create a claustrophobic and confined atmosphere that mimics the mental state of the main character (Obsession)

The Gallery-

This is probably the hardest location that I'm going to have to create. As with the studio, I want to create a minimalist space where the camera will not focus on outside space but the space will be limited to a single room. I'm planning to create an ethereal atmosphere by using white for both the walls and lights. This will create a nice contrast with the painting of the artist who will have warm tones.

The Store-

This is the last location for the opening and the easiest to film in. I can go to any store that has art supplies and film there. 

Music Makes the Movie

Why is it so important?

It is important to consider the score for the movie as it helps to create its tone. Film scores typically encompass a variety of styles of music, depending on the nature of the film.
Film often have different themes for important characters, events, or ideas which are prominent throughout the whole movie. These themes are known as a motifs
- Ex: The numerous themes in Star Wars associated with characters like Darth Vader.

Choosing the Perfect Soundtrack.
I did some research and I compiled some information that affected the score that I'm planning to choose for the film opening.
- Use an unique song, try not to use songs that have become famous in other films. The bond that is created between the audience and the music will be forever associated with your film, so try to create a new experience for them.
- Your music should complement the subject matter of your film. If you don't think about the scene's importance and tone then it may evoke completely different feelings among audience members.
The pacing of the scene is also extremely important. For example, during actions sequences the editing is fast paced which is why there's usually a rock/electronic song playing in the background.
-Sometimes less is more. The combinations of sound effects and the atmosphere can be enough to set the tone of the movie

Ask for permission!
Make sure to have the proper licences and permissions to use the music in your film. Using music without the permission of the artist/label puts you in risk of your project being taken down.
There is also the option of using copyright free music like Bensound, Purple Planet, and Artlist as long as you credit the website.

Music for MY opening...

For my opening I am planning to choose a score that falls under the "classical" genre or at least has that classical feeling... I don't really know musical terms so try to stay with me.
I feel like that type of music is appropriate for my scene because I'm going to showcase the process of making a painting and I want to create an ethereal feeling. The music would also create some juxtaposition with the parts that are going to show the victims of the main character.
While doing my research I found that No one owns the copyrights to the music written by any composer before the 1900s so technically I could use the compositions of Mozart or Beethoven.

Enjoy my Beautiful Drawings - Storyboard

The storyboard is complete! Meaning that i'm almost done with the pre-production process, finally. After three long weeks of figuring out the story for my opening I present to you the final version of my storyboard.

These are some overview points:
-The opening is divided into 3 scenes:
     The first one and the longest one takes places in the studio of the artists, this part of the opening will be like a montage of the artist creating his masterpiece and showcasing his victims. This is one goes first to establish the tone of the movie.
     The second one takes places months later in the gallery. The audience will be partially introduced to the main character and this scene is key to establish the motives of the character and his goals.
     The third and last scene is a flashbacks and takes place in an art supply store, I choose to include this scene to establish the background of the character and explain more in depth his motivation to kill people to create art.
I rely a lot on close ups because I want to create a sense of intimacy and at the same time establish a relationship between the audience and the main character.
I also want to keep the identity of the artist somewhat a mystery, at least during the first half of the opening, to create a sense of anticipation until his full identity is revealed.

Now that I completed the storyboard it will be much easier to make other decisions and ultimately end the period of pre production as I finish planning.

Time to Create a Killer Masterpiece

One of the most important props for the opening of the movie is the actual piece of art created by the artists. Not only does it help to advance the plot but it also introduces the theme of homicide.
I want to thank the universe for being an art student so I already have a few ideas in mind to create the physical artwork.

These are a few examples of some works created by me. The idea for the prop that is going to be used in the opening would ideally include some human features like the eyes and ears seen in the work on the left.
The prop would be more grotesque that the examples here because I want to create some shock value for the audience. I'm planning to use fake blood or incorporate some type of red paint into a canvas to give the appearance of a "Bodily fluid" used for the artwork.
I'm also want to play with latex to add some texture to the canvas and give the appearance of human skin, i'm not sure if gluing latex to canvas would work but i'm going to experiment a little bit with those two materials.