Genre Film Reflection

In this film, we attempted the subversion of the road film genre.  Some things worked out almost exactly as we envisioned but others gave us a bit more trouble. For example, we struggled a lot with sound because we couldn't figure out how to minimize background audio, especially in the pottery room. If I were to do this project again, I would definitely make sure to place a greater emphasis on making sure the sound was clear and pleasant to listen to. In addition, I felt that maybe the film was lacking in camera movements. I really like how the reverse tracking shot looked, and I felt that perhaps movements could have been used to further enhance. 

On the other hand, I really liked how the composition turned out and the way color correction enhanced the feel of the different scenes. For example, the bleach bypass made the initial scene appear more bleak, which was helpful in creating a somber mood. Later, in the field, a warmer color correction was useful in suggesting more hope for Neena. I also liked how the voiceovers sounded and it worked really well with the purpose of the road film since the viewer can directly listen to Neena's progress as character. Overall, the film was successful, but there were definitely a few places where we could have taken more time to better it. 

Production Check 3

While Ali and Shay got the location release on the bowling alley and focused on that scene, I've been thinking about how to make the car scene doable.

Initially, I had an idea that the two cars would pass each other in a heavy traffic situation, but that is impossible to shoot with the experience and equipment we have. I thought of several alternatives that I'm going to pass on to the group.

First, I was thinking we could film in a relatively remote location like we did in Ariel's scene. While this is different than what we initially had in mind, it is also a pretty acceptable alternative and would perhaps even emphasize the closeness between the two friends if we showed their two cars alone on the road.

And to capture Jonah's emotions, we could use shots similar what we used with Ariel and shot from behind Jonah to show his perspective in seeing June drive away, upset. I am not entirely sure what the original plan was to be because it really wasn't practical, but if Ali and Shay are okay, I think that this would also be a great way to capture the essence of the conflict between Jonah and June that would lead to the climax at the bowling alley.

We understand that we have fallen behind schedule due to some of our schedules and the actors' schedules, but we are hoping to get a lot done this weekend and see how our film shapes up.

Independent Study Checkpoint 5

Production Check 2

Foremost, we were able to get a replacement for the actress, which is exciting since Ariel is also someone who acts in plays and has experience. We were all really pleased with her performance during the two scenes we shot on Friday, Nov. 11. So far, we have shot the scene with June driving after the conversation with her mother and the scene between June and Nora in the kitchen.

During our time filming, we did face some small troubles but we were willing to be flexible in making changes, so it didn't end up being a major problems. A few of the things we had to overcome was the fact that the microphone reciever wasn't charged, so Shay couldn't record the car sounds that day. We tried to charge it with the time we had as we were shooting a different scene, but it didn't charge enough for us to be able to choose it. Fortunately, we could still record with the regular boom mic, so we just used that for the kitchen scene and decided to record the car sounds later. We also had to be creative in filming the car scene since this wasn't anything we had practice with. We did what was within our means by filming a long shot on a hill, and this actually came out really well given the sun was positioned well in the shot. For the interior car shots, Ali sat in the passenger seat and I sat in the back seat to film June's close ups. We generally liked how these came out, but felt that we might need something more.

With the challenges we faced with this first shoot, I anticipate that there will be many more in our future sessions and that we need to continue being flexible to finish our project. I really enjoy making changes as necessary, instead of trying to struggle to get everything as we initially wanted because I like seeing the project evolve into something more practical and genuine than a simple idea.

One of my concerns for the future scenes is shooting the scene in which both June and Jonah are both in two different cars. We had difficulty shooting with just one, so I'm wondering if it will even be possible for us to get a genuine-looking scene. We may either need to edit that scene or research ways to film it. Other than that, I am excited to see the rest of the film come together.

Independent Study Checkpoint 4

Production Check 1

Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to pick dates to shoot yet but we plan to finish a significant amount through the next two weeks as we solidy our cinematography plans and dates with our actors. We began communicating with them this week and are in the process of finalizing dates and times according to their schedules. We actually may have a problem with the lead actress, and are most likely going to replace her. We are hoping this works out with our replacement actress. Right now, Ali tentatively has scheduled the car scene and the house scene on November 12 and the school scenes either on Wednesday the 16th or Friday the 18th.

As for my cinematography roles, I wasn't able to get access to the school over the weekend or the bowling alleyto get angles to compare for each of the scenes, but I am comparing using photos from films to figure out which angle will work best for critical shots according the emotions we want to evoke.
For the shot where Jonah looks over at June, I was considering a medium shot but I didn't really specify the angle. Out of the two below, I like the one on the left better because it doesn't identify with any particular character. I think that's important because this is the first scene and, at that point, we still want to create anticipation and confusion within the viewer.
                                                                                          
                                                                                       https://i.ytimg.com/vi/j47Ms73NG6s/maxresdefault.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSCgk3Hc9ambSp2oMd-T3ZQvHdIQ01clGel32qsPfx8tCJBeWW7

For the shot that is June's reaction to Jonah calling her perfect, I want to begin to reveal the protagonists' insecurities slowly. With these being low angle and high angle, I like the high angle one because it creates a sense that the character is defeated. I really liked the shot exactly as it was, with his head bowed and the camera focused on his hesitancy because it works exactly with the idea that we were trying to create.
 
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/169448004700408618/
http://media.gettyimages.com/videos/high-angle-extreme-close-up-man-with-stubble-beard-sticking-out-video-id642-94?s=640x640

Below, I have two ideas for the final scene in which Jonah reveals his own internal struggle. The first image on the left is useful for us in establishing the scene and for the rising action within this scene. I really like the visual on the left because I can feel a sense of hesitancy in that shot and I want that to be present when we reveal that Jonah, the supportive friend, is also battling something.


https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRfJHmUlNGBS4l9ROvdOo4_eZ1uZ0fntL7Ff6ErygxgST4v0LFMPA
https://readjack.wordpress.com/2014/12/28/two-people-on-a-park-bench-the-wire-and-the-art-of-conversation/

While we are behind in that we are not shooting yet, I think we still are on a good track with planning and after identifying shots like the ones above, I have a much better idea as a cinematographer about where I am going to place the camera in each shot, which will make the actual shoot go by much more efficiently. Likewise, I know Ali and Shay needed a little extra time to get all the releases and the sound stuff totally done. I am pretty happy with where our group is right now, even though we are facing a little bit of a dilemma with the actress. Hopefully, we can figure that out and be on schedule as planned.

Independent Study Checkpoint 3

Fourth Production Check