Filming Part 1: Problems!

        We still have not filmed the second half of the scene, however others in my class have claimed to not even be close to finishing. The problem we are having consists of the filming schedule as Carlos is always super busy. We have to use him though as the main character as our completed scenes include Carlos and pictures of him. We have to film during the sunset because Maria's Nikon camera works better during the day because of the lighting, but here we found tips on how to film in low-light settings. Personally, I do not know many terms so I had to search them up, however Maria being the photographer/director she claimed to understand what the author meant.Through our WhatsApp group chat, we rescheduled to film on Sunday night.

Class Discussion

       By the end of the week, we finally shared all of our footage through our Whatsapp group chat. This week, we will be editing and composing the first major scenes to our film opening and incorporating them with the next filming. We will film with Carlos throughout the week and make sure his footage ties in effectively with the clips we have now. Once we watched all the little clips, we noticed we had a reoccurring pattern, extreme close ups on the stalker. We have no decided that will be a part of the footage where Carlos is running, and this creates a sort of brand to our film that people will recognize. In class, we discussed our idea with our classmates and they truly seemed to like our videos and blogs. That type of feedback only makes you want to keep going! :-)

Setting Up

        In my last post, I forgot to mention the process of setting up the scenes. We wanted a dark, mysterious setting, so we had to find the perfect areas to film and try and create an ambiance that fit these moods. In class, we learned that color pallets and the mise-en-scene are key components to a great film. Our setting was based on Carlos' stalker, who want to remain a mystery by wearing dark clothing. We took inspiration from Pretty Little Liars, in which A wears dark hoodies and masks. Here, you can see an example of how we took some ideas and implemented them in our own production. We created a sort of schemeful setting as well by having the stalker show the audience that they are tracking ever move and location. Lastly, one of the key components to creating this mystery were the gloves. By watching shows like Criminal Minds and Law and Order, I know that fingerprints are an essential way to determine someone's identity. As a result, the gloves conveyed that message which ties in with our overall plot.

Filming: Part One

    Yesterday, Maria, Isabel and I finally united to film the opening scenes of the film opening, We went to Maria's house to film the video, and we decided to use everyday objects such as black-and-white pictures, yarn, tape, and crayons to create this mysterious and creepy headquarters. We only filmed the scenes involving Carlos' stalker, so we dimmed the lights and brought out the black clothes. We created this office setting where the stalker has pictures of our main character Carlos on the computer screen, along with computer codes (to show how they are stalking and hacking his technological systems), and lastly notes showing that he is stalking him.
        The dim lighting contributes to the mysterious tone of the film opening as you cannot see the stalker's face. One shot will show the stalker putting on a hoodie and gloves, which conveys the message that they do not want to be known. We established another setting in the garage, where we turned on one lamp and had the stalker clean a sharp gardening tool, cut a gardening sheet aggressively, and lastly draw a circle and an x on Carlos' face. This shows the audience that the stalker is not fond of Carlos and eventually wants to hurt him physically. We wanted to film the same scene with several different shots and angles. Below, you can see we filmed a scene,which should be more of a wide shot, with a bird's eye view which may create a different dimension to our film opening. Soon, we will be filming the other parts that include Carlos, which will be him panting, running away from someone (who will be his stalker) and lastly hiding in corners and stairwells.

       

How We Found The Perfect Location

        We finally did it. Not only did we decide to base our film opening on an adventurous yet mysterious foundation, but we also chose the perfect location for the film: Downtown Ft.Lauderdale. This is where we filmed our music video, and we chose to return since the footage came put great with the perfect amount of lighting. Here, you can see how we included the mix between light and darkness to create shadows that would come to our advantage. The Ft.Lauderdale area is calming during the day as families and people of all ages go to enjoy the ocean and food it has to offer, but at night it transforms into a hectic hot spot for clubbing, loud music and large groups of people.

        These elements, if incorporated effectively, can create a hectic and stressful environment for our film. There are several tall buildings and a center called Beach Place where most people gather. We believe that our film can be mostly shot at night in which someone is going up and down the stairs to find something or someone. Certain cuts, such as jump cuts, show someone moving in a fast manner yet running out of time. If these shots and edits are used, the viewers should be feeling intrigued enough to keep watching the film to see what this person is finding. Although we do not have a general plot, we have a location and an idea that can turn into a great film opening.

Bonilla, Maria A. "Carry On - Fun." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2017. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Schedule Issues

        Unfortunately, our filming schedule did not work out. Isabel and Maria unfortunately couldn't make it to our arranged filming session, however we are going to try and film it throughout the week that way we are not too behind. Although it is annoying, I firmly believe that through cooperation and organization, we can make a great film opening that will be worth watching. To help out with our scheduling struggles, I look up certain tips we can use and this is what I found. Our next class, I think I am going to print out the breakdown sheet that way we can be organized and up to date with our deadline.


Citations:
Stoller, Brian Michael. "The Art of Scheduling a Film." Dummies. Wiley, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Attention: New Location

        It seems as if we haven't done anything, if I am gonna be completely honest. We have our story line and what we want to do, however we had to change the location to the Weston Town Center as it is closer and vacant, which allows us to film. On Saturday, we are going to film around 7:30 P.M as that is the time until the sun sets, that way we can have perfect lighting that is not too dark nor too light. Our main protagonist Carlos will be running around Town Center and hiding in stairwells. Luckily, there is an elevator that stays in place if no buttons are pressed, so we will try to ask security if we are allowed to use it in our video. If not, we will improvise and determine where Carlos can be found. Below, you can see how Town Center has businesses on the balcony, so we were thinking maybe we can include it in the film opening.