ISSUE 21- TENTATIVELY STEPPING FORWARD

Quoted from: http://sophisticated-simplicities.tumblr.com/post/311075507

After viewing our fellow classmate's films (rough-cuts) yesterday in class, it's becoming more and more clear that we have some serious talent in our midst. Watching our rough-cut with an audience was a little daunting, and while it was clear that we have a lot to do editing wise, it was also relieving to know that we have created something that made our classmates laugh. 

There were some issues with crossing the line, but Paul informed us that this can easily be solved by implementing a 'flop' which is good to know. We also need to cut back more regularly to Jane's reactions to Ben's eating, just so we are reminded that it is her story, and her fantasy. The same goes for the kissing sequences. 

With this project moving steadily ahead, I am feeling more and more confident that we will do a good job - and this is thanks to superlative team members. Big credit is owed to Verity for assembling the rough cut viewed yesterday. Tuesday will see much more development made, with input from the whole group. I am looking forward to seeing what Keiran wants to do with music, and with how we can 'saturate' the fantasy sequences to alter the mood.

ISSUE 20

Verity has been an absolute lifesaver lately. She has begun capturing all the footage. I have wanted to be there to help, give my opinion etc... but I have been homeless for the past 3 months, and it came to the crunch this week. But, good news, today (TODAY!) I found a house!! Hip hip hooray! I am no longer sleeping on couches/boyfriends house/best friends beds. Ah the relief is palpable. So, all going to plan, I will be moving on in this weekend, and finally have all my things back in order again!

Anyway, back to Oculus Mentis. I have no idea how we are going to edit 1.15 hours of footage into a 5 minute short film. Ah the power of the decision, eh? I am guessing it will just be about using the most necessary and best shots. 

I am still hazy with FCP, so getting my teeth sunk back into it will be good. 

I haven't been able to go to the past two tutes (eep) due to a frantic house hunt. It's been crazy lately, but now, with only a few weeks left of work to complete, I am looking forward to giving it a proper crack.

This video is cool. I like the ambiguity.

ISSUE 19

So, the day of filming came upon us, and we did manage! It was a seemingly endless day, though. I awoke at 6am, arrived in Frankston at 9am, we began shooting at 10.30. We grouped scenes together so that we wouldn't have to do too much moving around or costume changes. Our actors were so sublime - the whole day ran relatively smooth, with barely a hiccup. I think this is in part, planning, and some excellent timetables written up by Verity and Kieran. I also think that it was due in part to actors who were quick to comply with us, and due in part to the whole team who all worked together really well. 
My aim for the day was to get as much coverage as possible, and make decisions quickly so that there was no dawdling. I feel we achieved this as a team, and I am so happy it is now all 'in the can'. 
The thought of post-production is incredibly daunting, especially as viewing what we actually filmed will be nerve-wracking. However, this is exactly why I wanted to cover as much as we could, so that out of, say, 5 takes, we would at least have one good one!


And so it begins...
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ISSUE 18

Actor Direction Reading was useful as it demonstrates the huge variety of actions an actor can perform, the many emotions an actor can portray, and how each of these vary with one another. Filming the 'beat' (the moment the actor performs the 'action') is of utmost importance. It was useful for me to get a better grip on all this language as I am meeting with my cast on Friday, and I would like to be able to speak with them with clarity and a clear vision of their roles. 

I am seeing Jane more vividly now, especially as we have the lovely Alison cast in the role. Alison has an immediate accessibility about her - a warmth and sense of relativity that I feel will give the character more depth. Sophie, cast as Wendy, is a vixen through and through. She nailed the audition and suits the role physically. I am looking forward to speaking with the girls about the film on Friday. As filming is coming up very soon, I am beginning to see the film in my minds eye more and more, imagining the saturated colours of the fantasy scenes contrasting with the cool reality of the cafe. 

It was great to have a talk with Christine and get some feedback regarding the production portfolio that our group submitted. I suppose that this semester has been a huge learning curve, as the expectations of us as 2nd years has now increased greatly, and things aren't explained to us in such depth. I still don't completely agree with the grading system that saw our work receive the mark it did, especially because it seemed to me that it wasn't graded against the criteria, it was graded in relation to other submitted work. It inspired a sense of competition. This might not be seen as such a bad thing, but there is no way of competing with other students in this project as each script is unique, each film vastly different. All we can do now is create a film that demonstrates our ability to its best.

I loved the lighting tute. I'm very interested in how light can create atmosphere and enhance the mood/character's perspective/audience's perspective. 

Our film will be shot with a lot of natural, outdoor light, however we have agreed that we will take a Redhead to softly light the faces of our characters, and to enhance any shadows that might be cast throughout the day.