Creative Critical Reflection

This is the end for me


The last post of my career... Thank you and enjoy :)

Here is a link just in case ;)

CCR

The Light at the end of the Tunnel

I present to you... Hemoglobin Canvases

Don't forget to make popcorn!

Let's Look Back for a Moment

Cue The Final Countdown

My project is due in a few days and I want to reflect on this extensive journey and I'm taking you with me.

I'm going to tell you (and maybe even rant) about the whole process. From the beginning, to this moment right now. 

Let's start by saying that I did underestimated the amount of time that would take for me to complete this project. I really wish that I could have had organized my time better, I wish I have planned more days to shoots and re shoot some scenes. 

But I think it all goes back to the planning of this project, now that I think about it I was too vague with the goals and expectations that I had anticipated each week. Instead of specifying what I wanted to accomplish for each weak, I limited myself by dividing the process for this project into three stages: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Now that I have experienced what is like to create a film opening by myself, I wish that I was more aware about the amount of time that this takes. Obviously it was impossible to foreseen the obstacles that were going to be present in the way (Like the pandemic) but even when I was making the schedule I was not thinking of any obstacles AT ALL. 

I tend to get stuck if something does not go my way, and this project taught me that I have to be resourceful and work around situations and make the most of new opportunities that are presented to me. I had to build locations from scratch and film the same clip like ten times, which was sometimes frustrating.

Even though it was really fun and rewarding at times, sometimes I felt like the deadline was approaching faster and faster and I wasn't making any progress, which created more frustration.

With all of this being said, I'm really proud of what I accomplished in these two months. I could not be happier with the final project and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did when I first watched it.

Putting it all Together

As promised, I get to talk about editing now.
I have to say that it wasn't as difficult as I thought, but it takes a lot of time. I put most of the footage in order fairly quickly since  I already had it somewhat organized when I uploaded it.
Probably the most difficult part was figuring out the placement of the text. I also have to mention how annoyed I am with Wevideo because apparently I can only use the fonts that they offer in the website... The problem is that I realized that after downloading a bunch of fonts, so I had to settle with the one that you see on screen.
I choose that font mainly because I feel that it makes a good match with the score, it feels elegant and expensive which is something that I was going for in the first part of the opening to juxtapose it with the lack of resources of the character.
I also somewhat struggled deciding if I was going to put the credits during the first half of the second half of the credits. I was hesitant to put them at the beginning since the editing is fairly quick to match the score, but in the end it worked out and in my opinion it looks really nice.

We All Make Choices... Re-Shooting

Hi! I'm completely done with filming... Well, I was. But I had to Re-shoot the final portion of the scene (The Art Store) and I'm going to tell you all about it.

But first, a small disclaimer:
For obvious reasons I had to leave my house to film this scene,. I know that with the Coronavirus happening I'm supposed to stay home as much as I can. Don't worry, I still was careful in my surroundings, and while filming I made sure to keep my distance from other people.
Also, my mom was already going to the store because she needed to buy groceries :)

Now that I put that aside I have to tell you that most of the information that I included above is pretty much useless since i'm not using the original footage, but I'm going to tell you why.
So... I was going over my footage, putting it all together in the editing program (Minor spoiler for my next post) and I wasn't satisfied with how the shots in the store looked like... The background was all wrong and it overall looked muddy.. There was nothing interesting in the composition and the subject was getting lost (I have to admit that this is my fault and my choice of clothing).
Those collections of shots were taken at Walmart and one of the problems is that their prices are fairly low. You may be asking yourself, why is that a problem? If you have been reading my posts you know that one of the themes that I want to explore in my scarcity of resources (economically speaking) of the main character. So having low prices, and I'm talking like less than two dollars, visible on the screen didn't really made much sense for the storyline.
At that point I decided that I had to Re-shoot that scene. I wanted to do it in Michaels because everything there is Fancy and expensive but apparently all of their stores closed temporarily because of the virus. I didn't had a second option so I asked my mom of another store that was similar to Michaels. She gave me two options, either Home Depot or Office Depot. I went with the latter because I think that Home Depot is not the aesthetic that I'm going for with my movie.
The next day we were ready to go to the store (This time with my dad, and I have to mention that he is a much better camera person than my mom) and everything came together.

Original cut (Walmart)

Final cut (Office Depot)

As you can see from the comparison, the two cuts looks really different. At first I thought that dressing the character all in one neutral color and covering his face would help with to create some mystery. Even though that may be the case for the scene I think that he gets lost in the scene. For the final cut I kept the neutral color but I went with a lighter tone and I think that it works much better. Also, instead of covering his face I just tried to not show it and I think that it still works great.
I'm glad that I was able to re shoot that scene because I'm much more satisfied with the final product than with the original one.
I think that the items in the background are much more visible and that helps to tie the scene together.

Double Threat... Title and Score

This is something that I have not been thinking about a lot and I just realized that there is only like a week left so I better come up with something soon.

For the Score...

I have discussed this component in the past and I mentioned that I wanted to incorporate classical music into the opening. More specifically  I want something that starts slow and then progressively becomes a fast paced song.
I have been using different platforms to find music that is Royalty free and I found these options:

Solo Cello Passion
Restless Natives From Youtube's Audio Library
Mysterious Shadows

I think that so far these are the pieces that fit best with the tone that i'm trying to create, I'm going to keep looking just in case I'm not convinced once the film is edited.

And for the Title...

This has not been as easy... I think I have a problem with naming things.
I was thinking of naming my film as the name of a color like "Crimson Red" but I think it's too cheesy and in your face (If that makes sense)
I still have to work on this skill and I hope that by the end of this week I'll have something in mind.

The Happy Little Corner

I want to start this post by saying that this made me realize that I don't have as much space in my room as I thought... Seriously, I had to rearrange everything so I could create a space to film.

By this point I'm like 75% done with the filming process, I just have to get out of the way the scene of the gallery (but I need to finish the artwork first) and the scene in the store (I figured that I'm going to Michaels® since apparently is still open...)

Let's get back to discussing how the filming went... It definitely took longer than I expected but I think it's because what I was filming was not a linear story but rather capturing snapshots of a bigger scene (cue the se7en intro). I still needed to create a setting where all of those moments took place in order to tie everything together... And that is how The Happy Little Corner was born.
Note: This picture was taken after I began filming. I also added some hand-prints on top of the newspapers

As you can see there are many elements and overall the scene appears to be quite full and messy... It is completely in purpose. I want to create the idea that the main character does not take care of his surroundings since he is so focused in completing a specific task. I also added the jar full of coins next to the canvas to allude that he is saving up money to buy stuff and to show the theme of being from a lower class.


I tried to film everything that I could on my own, but for some scenes I had to ask my mom for help (Either holding the camera of moving the lights) I learned that it is way easier to work with a team than by yourself.
By the end of the day cleaning this up also took waaay longer than I would have liked to but i'm done with this part of the opening so now I just have to focus on the other things.

Making Skin-tones was More Difficult than I Expected

Everything couldn't be perfect and it seems like the Coronavirus is trying to intervene once again.
Remember that I was going to become a professional makeup artist? Well... Turns out that the package is going to take a little bit longer to arrive, getting here just a couple of days before the deadline.
I could try to wing it and film the scenes where I was supposed to use the makeup kit when it arrives, but I feel like that is way too risky since during the last few days I want to dedicate my time solely to the CCR. Instead, I remembered that there are like fifty more methods to create those types of visual effects so I gathered all the materials that I could find in my house.
Paint, glue, and paper towels. I needed to make it work, so after what it felt like an hour of mixing colors, I finally created one that somewhat resembled my skin-tone (It is way harder than you think, I even found several guides to make those types of colors).
I also noted that if I'm ever going to use this skill again, I have to make sure that I write somewhere the amount of paint I mixed to create certain color. Because if you have to mix everything again without a guide I bet you are going to have a really fun time.




But anyway, I figured out the skin texture fairly quickly and painting the blood was also easier than create the skin tone since I already had red paint... Obviously.
You may be thinking... Did it work? I think you should judge it yourself.
I think that I have already create too much anticipation so here is the final result....

 

I know that It doesn't look like it's worth a thousand dollars but it doesn't look terrible so I'm proud with the final product.
And with this obstacle out of the way It is time to continue filming..

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.