ccr prep post of... shreck?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 ooooooooooooooooookay ccr time..... 

I decided that for the first 2 questions of my ccr I will be doing a director's commentary podcast style thing. Kinda like a heart to heart kinda thingie magig and stuff. I started looking at other director's commentaries like the following ones that I'm linking literally right now as you read this very sentence...

example

but no seriously I watched this whole thing it was eye opening. 

Anywho I also started looking at podcasts, like the actual ones with good production value not like the stupid ones where people just sit and read stuff. 

I wanted to introduce the question "How does your product challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues" With a personal anecdote of how I actually thought of the idea for the film and so that's exactly what I did. 

Here's the first half of the script I made. You don't get to read the second half because I don't want you

to. I dont know how to put emojis on here, or better yet I forgot how to put emojis on here so this is the best you get for my current reaction: [face_sticking_out_tongue_winking_emoji]. I don't even know if that's the correct notation or whatever you call it, or if this emoji even exists, but that's what I want to do and you can't stop me. 

Back on the topic of podcasts, I noticed that they have little chimes and noises and stuff and the best way I can illustrate this in a manner that I don't find boring is by referring you to go watch Bill Wurtz's "The entire history of the world, i guess" Youtube video where he does it like the whole time. So yea go watch that. I linked a youtube video explaining the video im talking about because it wont let me actually link the video I want... 

okay shreck time

post production post of despair (2)

 okay this one is an actually informational one. 

Sound design is a really important part of the film opening, especially because... I didn't use a microphone.

Ooops! kidding I did it on purpose. The main reason being that I wanted to do it. I know I know, why would I do that to myself? I dont know either actually. 

I did some research on foley because I knew that these sound libraries are lowkey buns... and because I would rather do it myself. 

I also looked at some sound design videos online and found this video from vox that gave me a great idea for the film opening. Throughout the first scene I want to make a white sound riser that makes the stress in the scene even more intense and fast. This will be good because I will like it. It will also because the climax of the scene will be exemplified and grandiose. 

article 1                     article 2                   video from vox

here's a screenshot of my timeline because i worked really hard on it. 

in regards to everything else, the edit is done. Like straight up it's just done. It's like 2:15 which is a bit on limit but in my defense it was way longer so. 

BOOM SHRECK

post production post of despair (1)

 ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh frick.

I genuinely hate editing. Like don't get me wrong, I'm very good at editing. Like very good.

The problem is i don't like getting it started. It's the hardest part to get started on editing. And the worst part is that I know that after I get started, it's not a problem to keep going but that first hill is suuuuuch a hassle to get over. 

whatever. I did it. 

The first day of editing I focused on getting all the timing for the film done and all that basic stuff to make sure everything else goes very smoothly. This was the hardest part because I have to watch everything like a bajillion times to make sure all the timing is nice and peachy. 

Unfortunately I got carried away... 

Or I guess fortunately? I don't know. The point is that I ended up doing the color grading for the film.

AND THIS THING IS FIREEEEEEE 

HOOOOLY LOOK AT IT 

GAHHHHHLYYY HOOOOLY CRAP

H - E - DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS

Anywho these are some examples of the coloring I did. Pretty cool right?

(this is my favorite shot of the lot if you havent noticed) 

okay bye now. (no shreck today... but dont get comfortable)

production post of doom (3)

 oooooooookie dokie... the actual filming.

So filming, it went pretty smoothly. We were able to finish all of it in the one day that we allocated ourselves (because im a cinematography GOAT). Sam was all like "whaaaat i ain even kno u got dat dawg in u fr" and I was all like "maaaaan ain nun but a thang". 

yea... 

Anyway, in all seriousness filming did go very smoothly. No complications or anything arose which was a nice surprise. We were able to film the pool scenes first which was the hardest (and most important shot), then we got the outside scene, and the gym scene was last.

I'm lowkey super duper happy with the outcome of this. 

here is a still for your enjoyment

now Shreck says bye bye

group meeting but like with other people

its like an actor's roundtable but for little kids with juice boxes

By that I mean that it's very relatable. The majority of us haven't filmed and we're all over the place. It's refreshing to see new ideas and stuff. I appreciated their compliments on my amazing humor because they
said literally word for word "Matias, you are literally the funniest person I've ever met in my entire life." And I was all like "yea I bet." 

Suuuuuuuuper nonch (Nonchalant).

In all seriousness, their comments on my ideas were all appreciated (especially since it was mostly positive). 

In regards to my idea, they all thought it was good which was pretty neat not gonna lie. 

Some advice I got from my group:

1. CCR should have movement and substance (MAKE IT INTERESTING)

2. Don't fall into the short film hole, have a place for the story to expand.

Okay thas it byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

production post of doom (2)

 over the last couple of weeks, this has been hard.

With our film opening, there is one tricky part that I must acknowledge, the opening credits.

Opening Sequence

hoooly crap are these so small yet such an important part of the film opening. For these opening credits we thought that making a huge big deal out of it wouldn't fit into the type of character sam is. So to include the film credits, we decided on this. The framing of the shots before the swimming will be slightly open to be able to put any credits in the shots.

There was also the idea of  just putting them wherever they fit in the scene, but I didn't think that to be fair for anyone in the video or on my team. 

As for how we might know what to do for each shot, I've created a shot list that makes sure we stay on course to hit every one of the requirements as well as make something truly unique and intentional.

Hey! I've revisited this post, filming.

Closing Sequence

I realized that the opening sequence was far too chaotic and too important to disturb the natural flow of it and overall vibe. SO I have a solution. The following sequence! This sequence is much more calm as opposed to the opening sequence. The credits wouldn't be disturbing here, and instead they would help ease the film and support the composition. In theory, the credits would be working hand in hand with the shot composition.

okay das it. Enjoy a picture of Shrek for your travels.

production post of doom (1)

 lets talk about it!

For this production post I want to focus on the Close Up of Sam in the pool. 

Obviously cameras and water are a TERRIBLE idea. But, when you gotta, you gotta. Since I want the shot to be a full frame close up of his face, the most logical train of thought would be "oh well use a prime for the aperture", but I'll tell you why that's wrong. 

Since we're suspended over the water, using a prime lens gives us little to no safety over the water, due to the fixed zoom. Instead, we'll use a zoom lens. "How would this help?" you ask? By using a zoom lens we reserve the possibility of switching the shot composition at any time from a safe distance, not going anywhere near the dangers that would be using a prime lens inside of water. 

Ideally I would stand fully outside of the pool to be as safe as possible and get the same effect that the prime lens would give me, but one of the main issues is the floor. Since the pool is lower than the floor, actually filming past it could be an issue. So to trouble shoot this I would veeeeery slightly put the camera over the edge and level it to get the effect I want.

I think that overall this will be the hardest effect to pull off, but who knows maybe it's really easy.

It was pretty easy. I ended up doing exactly that, and the shot came out pretty #awesomesauce.

my production logo? if you can even call it that?

okay so idk how to start this

Okay so boom. 

I'm sitting here looking at my open canva project thinking to myself... "what do i even name my production company".

And so I say to myelf, "this has to be a joke".

And in my head, a lightbulb lit up and opened my eyes to the world of niche names that are cool but you can tell they tried to be. And so that's what my logo is. 

It's sleek

It's nice.

It's cool.

It's perfect.

Anyway this is my production logo, I don't really know how much more I can elaborate because I mean it's just a production logo.

planning for ze film

 im not used to planning so this is new.

Our planning started by deciding the location we would be carrying this opening out. We decided on a gym and originally thought to go location scout and so on so forth, but that didn't end up working out so

we have to pivot. We wanted to keep the gym location, so we instead decided on my neighborhood pool and gym (talked about in my last blog).

Apart from this, I went ahead and annotated the script for the film opening which includes a lot of valuable info including the shot list which is made in accordance to the script itself.

We also got the outfits ready, equipment, and other aspects that continue to the film vividly. We've prepped everything we need to make the film in an efficient and straight forward manner. 

All in all the planning has been going fine and I'm excited to get started. I'm also really hungry.

Link to the annotated script

mise en scene and stuff n' stuff (2)

 hoooooly crap more of this. mise en scene.... ominious yet sincere.

For the location of the opening, there were two courses of action. Go for a bigger gym and pool, kind of like a more professional and organized scenario, or use a smaller more at home diy kind of gym and pool.

Smaller than this,
but you get the point

For the sake of efficiency and ease of filming, we decided to use the gym and pool  of my neighborhood. This however happened to be a happy accident. 

As I was thinking, I realized that Sam is not they type of person to be working on himself only for the sake of competition, but rather because it is something he loves to do. In my eyes Sam goes through the struggle for the love of the game. He enjoys working hard and pushing himself to new limits. This scenario promotes that aspect of him by emphasizing his willingness to work out in any place, showing that Sam doesn't just love the sport, but needs the sport, which is much more clearly seen in the "workout anywhere" type of location. 

Another small aspect that many people might skip over, but one that to us makes sense in the overall world of the film.

mise en scene and stuff n' stuff (1)

blahhhhh mise en scene

As we near the beginning of production, there must be choices made...

Wardrobe is one of them. 

For Sam (who is the only character), we should convey the dedication he has to the sport. Modern workout attire is very relaxed and laid back. For Sam though, we want to show that he takes his training seriously. 

Not this. This is not dedicated enough.

For the message of his hard work to be                                                                         shown, he should wear something that                                                                            shows more commitment and seriousness. 

                                                        This is a lot more committed as                                                                     opposed to the other picture.

                                                        The main thing that differentiates                                                                from the top picture is the obvious                                                                dynamicness of the clothes hes                                                                    wearing here. 

                                                        We know that these clothes are more                                                            efficient and optimal for working out                                                            so we identify it as seriousness and                                                            commitment.

For the pool shot, I feel like                                                                                    professional-esque swim                                                                                goggles are the best choice.                                                                                        They show a lot more proffessionalism                                                                than swimming without goggles                                                                               or the big ugly clunky ones.

In conclusion, the main thing to keep in mind about Sam's attire is the message we want to convey about him, and in this particular instance we want to show his dedication to the sport.

Audio and such

The most important thing your film has is it's audio. We realized that once we could actually put it into movies. So what did I decide to do with the audio? I decided to use it as a tool to express the current mental state my character is in. 

I will explain. 

In my story, Sam is beginning to feel the burnout of an unregulated passion. This passion being swimming. We can achieve a smaller way to foreshadow this story by paying attention to the sound. In my opening we will start with a slow fade to ease the viewer into the scene in a calm way. This not only works as a way to build tension later in the scene, but also as symbolism to what this sport meant for the character in the past. 

Suddenly this sound will be interrupted by the loud clanking and slamming of weights which interrupts the calm narrative that the brevious soundscape was creating. As the scene progresses, white noise progressively gets louder and louder paired with the also increasingly louder sounds of the machines and workouts. This agitates the viewer and creates stress in the scene. 

Eventually when Sam gets back in the pool, the noise settles in and we're left with a more relaxed and tranquil sound, again showing what the effect of the pool is on Sam. After this opening sequence the sound stays calm and diegetic.

Overall the sound design in the opening is not only meant to influence the audience and compliment the images, but also symbolize and represent Sam's original intentions behind the swimming and what it means to him.

tnempoleved retcarahc (character development)

 well well well well well well well... how development have the character.

When it comes down to, my opening has very little character development but not in the sense that you're thinking. It develops a small part of who he is, but if you dig deeper into the scene you can really see how he is in detail.

I'll raise an example, the standalone shot of him moving into frame from under the water. That shot may as well be to dissolve tension and transition effectively into the following scene. However, it doesn't only serve that purpose. The shot is also a sign as to why Sam swims in the first place; swimming gives him calm and tranquility. He swims because it's what puts his mind at ease and lets him turn off the noise for just a second. And this conclusion can be brought about when we introduce several other aspects of the production itsel, like the sound design. A rapid and disorienting soundscape contrasted against the almost chillingly quiet of the pool shows us what is going on in Sam's mind. Another great indicator of this is the rapid editing. These two techniques both serve the same purpose and concrete the ideas we have about Sam.

Another piece of very specific character development is the edit in of water and close ups of swimming (even though the audience can't tell what it is exactly). We can connect these flashes of the water with the reveal of his swimming, and come to the conclusion that all the training and working out is with a single goal in mind, to swim. 

These small details that often times get disregarded make up the character that is Sam. It is not just a story about Sam. Rather, Sam is the story. 

media theories and stuff n stuff

To be honest, media theories aren't especially my strong suit. 

But when we speak about integration of media theories and how they apply to my opening, look no further than George Gerbner's Cultivation Theory. Ahhh yes, an oldie but a goodie (1960's).

Cultivation theory mainly focuses on how watching films or tv can distort our own reality and make us see the world in a way that may not be sometimes, and although this sounds a bit pessimistic, it works perfectly for me. The majority of the human population (I think) does not experience the heightened state that most if not all athletes or any person with a passion, and although this may seem as a con, many of them do want to see how the other side lives and so with this desire to experience passion, the Cultivation Theory plays a great role in the success of this opening and I'll explain why.

The main theme I want to explore in my film is burnout and exhaust, but furthermore I want people to see what it really is like to live with a constant need to achieve something, and how that can hurt you in the long run. And so Cultivation Theory helps my message come across in a much more impactful manner. If people watch my movie what they'll do next I hope is synthesize this message and see how all these world class athletes cope with life and accept all the hardships. The Cultivation Theory will help me make society a more inclusive and understanding world for athletes or anyone experiencing burn out.

Maybe, like George Gerbner theorizes, my message will be adopted at a major scale, and be able to show people that it's okay to flip out sometimes and it's okay to be burnt out. That way we can all be a little understanding of what athletes go through every day...

ughhhhh this is like the most tedious part..... (scriptwriting)

 okay... so it's about time I show you my true power.... 

All jokes aside scriptwriting is kinda my jam, but it's also my biggest opposition to making anything. I hate writing scripts but I loooooove writing them, ykwim (you know what I mean)?

Anywho I'll start off by explaining where I learned to script. Although the majority of my undeniable talents lie in the effective art of repetition, I do attain some credit to this youtube video I watched once. In all seriousness, Marriage Story is one of my all time favorite movies of all time ever in all the times, and Noah Baumbach is undeniably my favorite filmmaker (so far). I mean Marriage Story was amazing and all but you have to look at the The Meyerowitz Stories too because my god is it a good film. Anyway enough glazing, this youtube video really helped me understand the concept and principle of correct script writing format and allowed me to create my scripts into things that could actually be read for once. 

The main thing I understand about scripting is that it's almost just like writing a book but in a different format. It is equally as descriptive and intricate as your favorite novel, yet has the flexibility to be adapted onto the silver screen. 

My script (which you can view if you click this blue text right here that you're currently reading at this present time)  although short, I think is very descriptive and does a good job at conveying characters and establishing the plot, without giving too much away. 

Anywhom that's all I have to say about that but if you have the chance go watch Noah Baumbach's films. Theyre both on Netflix and they're both amazing.

my idea...

For this upcoming project my idea is very concrete. I want to focus on the effects of obsession and burnout when overexerting a passion. This would be the main idea of the whole film. And you may be asking yourself, "but matias! this is just the opening!". And yes, it is just the opening. However, I think it's important to atleast have an idea of what the whoooooole film would be so that I know where to begin. 

For this particular film, I would begin where it all takes place. There aren't many ways for a swimmer to swim, seeing as though they both require the fundamental anchor point of a pool itself. These two ways would be by training, or by competing, and I don't like the idea of starting at a competition so I'll start with the training. I want this to be almost like a horror movie where the villain instead of being a monster, it's the feelings you truuuuuly feel deeeppp inside (ooooooooooooo!). I know self reflection is scary, but nonetheless we're here to exploit our inner fears and make it into art (in like a respectful way you know?). 

And im sure that right around now you're asking yourself, "matias... how do you even plan to do this?". And to that I would say "well aren't you a curious little child", but since we're not children and I don't believe you're particularly curious, I'll tell you anyway. The most disorienting things an edit can do are the following: rapid editing, loud sounds, and seeing things that have no explanation. And I plan to use all three of those little techniques to make you so friggin tense during my film opening you're gna be all up in your seat being like "darnnnn son im tense as heck!!!", and that's when I know i did my job. 

I'm mainly taking inspiration from the amazing works of art Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme, which both happen to be the spawn of such beautiful mind Josh Safdie. Both of these movies do a great job at inducing stress and making you want to rip open the silver screen and put you out of your misery, but thats like the good thing about it I guess?

All in all I have high hopes for this prject and it ending up looking pretty good if I do say so myself.

Anywhom, stay safe and cya l8r!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meeting no.1

 Alllllllrighty 

Team meeting number 1. It went well! 

The majority of the time was spent discussing the overall idea and communicating what we wanted to incorporate in the film opening. We planned out some plot points to hit during the first couple of minutes and just talked about how we wanted to do it and what role we would each play. 

We decided that I would film and edit and my partner would act in it, since I have a lot of experience in film and him not so much.

We also talked about potential shots we would like to use and where the film title should come in. Something good we talked about was the shots of being in the water, and having a good place to do them. The biggest chance of it right now is a gym here in weston but we've yet to see whether or not we can actually film there.

Overall, this meeting was good to grasp where eachother was on the ideas side and deciding what role each of us would play in making the project.