The Hidden Premiered

Well, the title pretty much explains most of it. After months of work, arguments and compromises over the story, tons of caffeine, pop tarts for breakfast on set, seemingly endless film days, and sleep deprived editors, we showed off our finished, polished movie on the big screen. It was an emotional moment for us, letting outsiders see our baby and applaud it. My contribution to the film was as a writer and art director, so here's a little reflection on it.

As A Writer

Well, the first job I had in The Hidden was as a screenwriter. We discussed the story, and split it up so we each had a part to write. I had the first part of the 3rd act. We spent a lot of time with the script, and read and revised it both privately and with the class to see what they thought. And after that, we all met together and revised it vigorously to make the script you all know and love (well, probably not yet). For that job, I was really in my writing element, so I enjoyed it a lot. One thing I need to work on like I do with all my writing: revising. Usually I would leave it alone for a long time, then go back and change everything I no longer like. But we were a little rushed for time, like we were for the whole film. It was hard to figure out what elements of the writing were good, and what needed changing.

As An Art Director

Everybody had to apply for a production role. I didn't really feel too strongly for any production role at first, but I applied to be Art Director, citing my work in Sentio. Well, I ended up with the role, and I quickly began studying what to do with the script. I think the first thing I did as Art Director was during the end of Pre-Production: making a prop list. I read the whole script a few times, and wrote down whatever items I noticed were being used. I got everything one filming day at a time, and usually showed up with everything we needed. For some of the props, I asked around the classroom if anyone could get this or that. Occasionally, I had something at home I could use. As a sort of last resort, I bought some props at the dollar store.

The first day on set, Señor Director Brady Stanfield told me I was in charge decorating the set, taking pictures to keep the continuity of the set, and a magical thing called resetting (the art of running into a room to reset all the props into their original place at the beginning of the shot). I took resetting to heart. The word "Reset" became a mantra, a spell, a calling. Anybody could say it, and thump thump thump...boom! I burst into the room and frantically start moving things. As we all got closer as friends as the film progressed, it became an inside joke. Recently, I was awarded with the Reset Award for my contribution to the film.

At times though, I got a little lazy, and a little too careless with props. Twice, we had to get a prop or two by leaving set. For the most part though, I had everything. Especially when we were nearing the end of filming, I got pretty lazy for the film in general, and doing anything on set. So that's definitely something to improve for next year's film.

In Conclusion

I'm really proud of working on my very first feature film. There was a lot that I could've done better, but it was still a great step to take. I'll keep this all in mind for next year's film. I will be working on this blog as well as another project over the summer, when I have more free time. Until then, see you guys!

Sort of Life-Changing Analysis of a No Film School Article

So as a little assignment, we're looking at a popular filmmaking site, finding an article that pertains to our specific interest in film, and blogging about it. While I'm still trying to figure out where I fall specifically as a filmmaker, I've always liked writing, and I've written parts of the script for The Hidden and some short films. So I guess I'm more of a screenwriter than every other role.

Anyway, the article I'm referring to is here. I was a little taken aback by the title. I had always thought of screenwriting as a type of structured writing, instead of a liberal prose like any other work of fiction. This really opened my eyes to what makes great screenwriting, well, great.

You don't have to completely confine your script to exactly just what's on the camera. If the plot calls for it, you're allowed to use descriptive and figurative language in the action lines. In fact, it can strengthen the really impactful parts in the story, eg. the huge eyes-pop-from-the-skull plot twists, the protagonist thinks they've saved the day but, unbeknownst to them and the audience, they only made things worse, a sudden unexpected change in mood that, if done well, the audience will the think the temperature in the theater dropped.

Being descriptive can also really guide the actors specifically to create the mood of the film. So, instead of writing "Ben looked at Sarah," it's more specific to write "Ben peered into Sarah's eyes, trying to see if she actually had a soul after that horrid statement." It can really tell a lot about the characters your actors are portraying outside of dialogue.

With everything though, you can overdo it. You don't need it when the story won't benefit from descriptive script writing, like describing a camera movement or characters having a simple conversation during the exposition. It slows the pace of already slow-paced scenes, and portraying them as significant will bore your audience to death.

Before you write your script, you should know the story inside and out, forwards and backwards, everything stated and unstated, and how all these little points connect into your film. So, like I said earlier, save the big words and metaphors for the hugely impactful, hair pulling, nail biting, parts in your story. Think of a script as a film on paper (which is basically what it is). What parts do you want your audience gasp or cry or scream like they would if they were reading your film as a book? Then, buckle up and stretch your fingers, and write a jaw-dropping script.

Where Have I Been? + Changes Coming Soon to This Blog

First post of 2018! In May...

Hello again readers! I've expected to write another blog post sooner, but if you've followed, you know that I've been working on my first feature film, "The Hidden," over these past few months. Well now, we are done with Production, and the editors are working hard and overtime in Post to finish it for the premiere. That means I have some free time to work on other things.

First of all, Mrs. Smith informed us all about creating a portfolio. Not a blog, but a website specifically for showing off our best work, specifically for the senior show. I'll still keep this blog up, and probably link to it, but just to tell you, that's coming up. (Future Ariel: This is my website).

While looking for videos to put in my portfolio, I realized something: I can do A LOT better than that. Recently, I've had a burst of creative energy which resulted in a new scripts. Plus some scripts I've written and pitched, but they didn't get anywhere past that. I'll make a few revisions and get a crew together. Altogether: 2-3 short film ideas. Originally, I didn't think I could work outside of class because I couldn't get a crew together, but dumbly enough, I just realized I'm in a whole classroom full of filmmakers. I probably don't need a huge crew for a few short films, and there's plenty of sources to find actors. So after The Hidden and during summer, I'll be busy working on short films.

Another thing: change up the layout and coloring of this blog, because it's always nice to improve your design skills and change up your blog a bit. I don't think this layout has changed in... 2 years probably? Yeah.

Well, that's basically it. Also "The Hidden" premieres on May 9th at a local theater. I'll write about that, probably as part of my reflection. School's out in a few weeks, so yeah. I'll keep it in mind to update over the summer about short film filming, so until then, see ya next time!

Junior Semester One Reflection

Well, it's that time of year again. It's time for winter break, and time to wrap up the semester and reflect on it. So without further ado, here it is:

PSA: Teen Smoking

Here's the first project I did this semester, and the first of the year. Basically, I worked with others to create a humorous PSA about teen smoking. It took only a few days to film, and a few to edit. The main challenge was that we couldn't get good enough shots, until someone pulled out their iPhone and we filmed with that. Another challenge was how windy it was that day. We tried to film when the wind had toned down for a few seconds, and then edit out all the rest. Yet, it was a little hard to hear. There wasn't much we could do to change it after that feedback, but tried to make it slightly better. However, on my part, I really like the color correcting I did for my edit, though it does seem a little inconsistent for some of the shots. Overall though, it was a great start to the year.

Short Film: Sentio

On the flip side, the short film I worked on was dramatic. My friend Brett had a really cool idea for a type of surreal psychological thriller. We went more into planning with this one. I took on the role of art director and location scout, and was in charge of the set, props and consistency of them. The actors were a little hard to find, as only one person showed up to the audition. Yet, Brett has friends who can act. We used the weekend to get the shots of the restaurant, and after school at Brett's house. Production went quickly, but post-production took quite a long time. Plus, Brett is a really self-sufficient and advanced editor, and he insisted that he could do it by himself. Props to him, it looks great. The only issue we had was that our audio was way to quiet for a few shots, but we were able to rerecord that. The class said it was great, although the plot was a little confusing the first watch. It was one of those films where you have to really think while watching it, and I love that.

And now for a little sneak peak of something we're working on right now:

Feature Film: The Hidden

So every year the class works together to create a movie-length feature film. The plot of ours was originally conceived by Brady Stanfield, but expanded by the whole class. As of writing this, we have most of our actors casted and pre-production almost done. Without going into too much detail: it's about a girl who finds the cure to cancer in a world where the government forbids it. No spoilers for you. I took on the roles as one of the script writers. The original script Brady wrote was like 12 pages, but the final is 88 pages. I can't make too many exclamations, but... dang! This is going to be huge. We also applied to production roles, and I am pleased to tell you that I will be the art director again. Today, I just finished the prop list, and I'll send it out to the crew and try to start collecting the props we need.

Productivity

A lot of the time, I feel like I have nothing to do in class. Whether it's because we finished a project early, or because I've done all of my work on the project, I have some free time in this class. But, to stay productive, I've taken to working on my skills. Script writing and pre-production has always been my forte in filmmaking, so I like to work on independent projects. I have a few scripts and treatments I write to keep myself occupied. Also, I told you about this in a separate blog post. If I have writers block and no creative juices, I try to hone the technical side of filmmaking by analyzing short films.

My Strengths

Like I said earlier, pre-production is my forte. I'm a creative person who has almost too many ideas for short films and feature films. I really like focusing on story and character arcs. As an avid writer in general, I enjoy treatment and script writing. Also, being an art director has taught me to be visual.

Areas of Improvement

Well, like an average human, I won't be good at everything. While my editing has improved from freshman and sophomore years (cringes), I'm still not a very cinematic editor. I haven't been able to figure out that "look" that a lot of great movies have in Premier Pro. What I can do now is watch a lot of movies and try to imitate the lighting and colors in my own shots.

Guest Speakers

This year, we had some guest speakers come in and talk to our class. It was really cool to listen to local industry professionals talk about filmmaking. Both of them work in advertising, and one is Mrs. Smith's son. We got to view their work, and they told us what they did to improve their skills until they were hired. We learned that pre-production is the most important part, because if you don't really create something good at that time, then production and post-production are bound to fail. One of the speakers also looked at the script for The Hidden, and gave us feedback to work on the dialogue. We did.

MX4D

We also went on a field trip to a local theater to watch an MX4D movie, brand new theater technology. The seats move around, a breeze and mist are blown at you, and the smell of grass is used. We discussed making moving and sensory movies, since this is the future of theaters.

Summary

Well, it's been a great semester. I really felt like I grew a lot as a student filmmaker. Even with some mistakes, I wouldn't change anything, because the mistakes have helped me grow. I'm really exciting to work independently this break, and see what I can do for The Hidden. Until then, Happy Holidays everyone! Speak to you next year!

MX4D Experience: Justice League

So recently we went on a field trip to a local theater to see Justice League. The theater we went to had recently remodeled to include an MX4D room, a brand new movie experience. Today, I'll talk about that, and how it enhanced the movie.

What it MX4D?

Have you ever been in a 4D theater at Disneyland or somewhere like that? Well, MX4D is basically that with big production HD movies. The seats move around, air and water spray at you, a grass smell effect, and there's even sparse snow and rain. Currently, there are only 5 theaters in the nation to have this technology (the one we went to is the first in the midwest). The reason a lot of theaters are going to start building them is because many are in a financial struggle right now. Most people don't go to the movies anymore, they use Netflix and other streaming services. The goal of MX4D is to give viewers a movie experience they can't get at home. This is the future of movie theaters.

What do I Think of MX4D?

When I first heard about this, I loved the idea of it. For one, it sounded very fun, like an amusement park ride and a movie all in one (which it basically was). I also thought it was great to revive the glory of movie theaters. Don't get me wrong, I still thought this was pretty darn cool, but after experiencing MX4D first hand, my opinion changed a little.

One small fear I had was that it would be uncomfortable. It wasn't too bad. Although my friend, who wears glasses, said that whenever water sprayed her glasses would be fogged up. So if you're going to ever see something like this, contacts are probably better.

A small issue: I don't think I was fully invested in the movie. It was exciting to be moving around with the movie, but that amusement park ride and movie comparison I made? This leans more towards the ride part. Unlike 2D or 3D movies where I can talk about all my favorite and least favorite parts immediately after the movie ends, most of the plot details seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Looking back, I remember the movie is about DC superheroes. If your going to experience MX4D, it's probably best to also see the regular movie earlier.

Also, MX4D seems limited on what movies would be showing. For Justice League, we were completely still, watching the movie during the non-action scenes. Mrs. Smith also said that the theater has played horror movies like It in the MX4D room. So if a movie has no action or scares, it seems like an MX4D experience would be slightly awkward with it.

However, I still thought it was a lot of fun to go see, just mostly for the moving seats. The grass smells, well, those could be improved.

MX4D And Filmmaking

Before and after seeing Justice League, the class discussed that if this is the future of movie viewing, then what does that mean for us, future filmmakers? Well, it's to include more sensory imagery. Crane shots are also great, because the MX4D seats will move with them.

Conclusion

Well, that day was very cool to experience something that was previously only available in California and the northeast. It's also good to know where movies are going, and I'm excited to see this in other theaters, and go to an MX4D movie again.

Some Short Films I Was Watching

So whenever I don't have anything else to do in class, I usually go to YouTube and watch short films. It's great to study other filmmakers and see their methods, stories, characters, and how they flesh them out. It's also great to watch a lot of films for technical reasons. You can see what shots they used, how they framed their subject, and how the lighting and editing appeals to the story. So here is a few I've watched:

Andy

So here is the first one. Out of all of these, it's probably the one I, personally, can relate to most, being an average teenager and feeling pressure to do what everyone else is doing. I can really understand Andy and why he falls into peer pressure. The framing of his character is also something I caught. He seems almost inferior to everyone else, which was good for what the film makers were portraying.

Emily

Warning: Very emotional video above. I mean, just from the thumbnail you can tell this is about a girl going through a rough time. Emily dares to touch sensitive topics like depression and suicide, and if executed poorly, it would have offended a lot of people. But the film crew knew this and were very careful with how they portrayed it, while still giving enough to stab the viewer's heart. Very sad and very good. Congrats on the award, it's well deserved.

The Hit

So after the previous two films, I needed some comedy to lighten up. I clicked on this one because I once had a film idea of the same name. It was pretty short, but creatively executed in that short time. The humor felt original, and I held back laughter in class.

The Gunfighter

I don't watch a lot of Westerns, but I felt I wanted to branch out. Overall, this was a very clever idea I didn't know I needed until I watched it. I've bet all of us wondered how the story would play out if somehow the characters could hear the narrator, and The Gunfighter executes that concept well. It was also a little unexpected that it'd be a comedy, but not that that's a bad thing.

Time Trap

I also don't watch a lot of Sci-Fi, so I felt I wanted to branch out a bit more. I really liked this. Usually when I do watch Sci-Fi, it confuses me too much since all the characters talk about complex math and aerospace. This helped by not having much dialogue, and the viewer is focused on what the robot is doing, not what he's saying. The humor whenever he goes back in time was also nice.

Alone Time

This is probably the most life-like one here next to Emily, except there's no obvious conflict. The main character is just exhausted with her average life, and goes camping to find peace and relief. The editing of the forest and shot choice is very beautiful though, so "Alone Time" is more aesthetically driven.

Nadia

This has to be one of the most interesting films I have ever seen. It is a short film with the way it has characters, a plot, and conflict. But if you watch it, you'll notice it's also a PSA about abuse, and it doesn't try to subtly hide that. The man tells us facts and statistics about child abuse in the UK, while also tying it into a fictional, yet sadly realistic story.

Sentio: A Short Film

So we made this and recently presented to the class. This was the short film me and the group (Brett, Lizzie, Damien, and Brandan) created. We each had our own ideas for a short film, but we chose to make Brett's because we thought his was the most compelling, yet doable for a high school project. And then we got to the process.

Pre-Production

We started by splitting production team roles. Brett was the director, screenwriter, and editor. Damien was the cinematographer. Lizzie was the production designer and makeup artist. Brendan was in charge of sound. I was the art director and location scout. To find actors, we decided to hold auditions. However, we only posted flyers day of, so we ended up having to go around the school and find people willing to audition. Yet, we managed to find good actors.

The storyboards took a while, since the script was 18 pages. Lizzie drew up most of them, but we all drew a few scenes to help get them done.

Then I went out to scout a location for the restaurant. It's actually a church youth-group room. The lack of windows meant we could make it dim and evening-like while filming in the middle of the day. The only tables they had were quite big, but that's easy to compromise. The other location was at Brett's house.

Production

This only took two days. The first day we all showed up to the church in the morning. Korbin and Avery were dressed formal for the scene, while Connor put on the entity costume (and scared us all when he emerged from the hallway). Brett and Damien had the DSLR camera with some changing lenses. I was in charge of continuity, so for those scenes it meant keeping track of whether or not they had food in front of them in the shot. While this was happening, Lizzie was practicing her makeup skills for when we would need them. The first day went very well and we were done within 3 hours.

The second day I could only be there for an hour. This was at Brett's house. Lizzie couldn't be there at all, so Damien and Brett were the only crew members seeing it through. That day, we had the boom mic, so I was operating that while I was there. I heard the rest of the filming went well.

Post-Production

This was pretty straightforward. Brett is a self-sufficient editor, so there wasn't much for me to do at this time. Still, I made a few suggestions. At this time, we found out that some of our audio was too quiet. Brett met up with the actors to redo those shots. Since we finished production quickly though, we had a lot of time to edit and really make it good.

In Conclusion

I am super happy with the way this turned out. I daresay it's probably the best short film I've ever worked on.