CCR!!!!

Id, like to thank everyone who's helped me along this process here is my final component to the portfolio project!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q-VLO40gMR10CCFTGImEbyiPWGeWvRmX/view?usp=sharing
Bye forever

The final product!

Expression, The Short Film- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1StgVZdL6uSn6rDxDO5L-ZiggdWkqu4Q2/view?usp=sharing

Website- https://layladubreucq.wixsite.com/website

Post Cards- 

Front of Postcard

Back of Post card

Reflection

After nine weeks of working on this project, its bittersweet to see it done. The outcome is not exactly what I was expecting when originally starting this assignment back in February but I can definitely say it still ended well. 

This project was way more challenging than last year's portfolio project but also gave me much more creative freedom in telling a story. Last year I was working in a group with two other members and we often found it difficult to all agree on a certain shot, the music selection and even the plot of the film intro. But this year, working alone I was able to be in charge of everything. Though the control freak in me likes the sound of that, it also meant that anything that goes wrong is on me and that id have to find a way to work through that no matter how hard it may be. Developing the story wasn't that difficult as I adapted it from a different story that I was going to do with my partner before we parted ways. 

With this project, I have learned a lot when it comes to planning, production, and editing. The most important being how important planning is. While I was filming I felt as though I had more in detail storyboards because as I was shooting I either didn't understand what my past self had written down or I just didn't like the idea of the shot anymore. I also learned to have more patience within production. Since I have to act in it, it was difficult to prop up my phones on certain items or find a specific angle for my intended shot. But as I kept filming, I realized that I can either keep trying or find a new approach to the original shot which helped me lower my frustration. Then as editing time came, I found myself in the depths of youtube videos searching each function in wevideo to see how I can utilize the platform to my best ability. In doing that, I definitely feel more comfortable using the site and would be inclined to use it again for our next film-related project. 

Overall, I'm happy with all my components within the project. Though I feel like I could have done better, I'm sure we all did the best we could given the circumstances in the worldright now. 

Last Update!

Hey, blog!

Remember when I said I should be finished editing my film by Tuesday? Well....
Hear me out, I have everything edited together but I don't know if I want to add music during the scenes where the main character is painting. I personally feel like it isn't needed but I don't know if that opinion is too popular. I asked my mom and one of my friends and they both agreed on no music, probably because they didn't like the song I chose.

It's crazy to think that by next post, I'll be all done with this project, those nine weeks sure flew by fast.

Sorry this is such a short update, I just don't have much to tell you guys. Overall I'm happy with how this project is coming along and I can't wait for it to be all done hahaha. Were almost there!

Sound

So since I've been editing yesterday, I forgot how important sound was. Big mistake...

I was going through the sounds in wevideo and found a couple that I thought I liked, in which I inserted it into the editing in my last post. But as I keep rewatching my first edit so far, the more I am not liking it anymore.

 I've been going through Free Music Archive and their choices. Nothing seems to be exactly what I want and I'm already on the 8th page of the Instrumental tab... But I stumbled across this sound and I think I'm kind of into it. (Just wait until I listen to it over and over again until I hate it like the last one) I plan on only using that instrumental during the painting scenes to create a sense of peace and catharsis that the daughter gets when painting.

I also need to find a more "triumph" kind of instrumental to put in place near the end of the short film when the daughter begins to reach her most confident point. But this site has so many options that I'm most definitely sure that ill find something close to what I have in mind.

Current mood, Dwight

Editing

So I've begun to start going through and editing all the footage from yesterday and so far, the footage is falling nicely into how I've previously storyboarded it. The empty spots are where I still need to film the scenes of the daughter inside of the house and the mother, along with their arguments.

I plan on finishing filming this weekend when my mom isn't working online so we can wake up early and utilize natural lighting. She's not that great of an actress though but neither am I so hopefully we can balance each other out hahaha. With that being said I would like to be done editing the film entirely by Tuesday the 14th so that I can use the rest of that week to put finishing touches on the website and postcard.

Crazy to think that this will all be done soon. Sorry for such a short posting ill leave you with this.

filming day 1

Hi blog!

So my mom went to do some grocery shopping for my grandpa today since he can't leave his house and she was able to pick up the paint for me. In case any of you were wondering, it smells very bad. With that being said I decided I could start filming most of the scenes needing paint today. They mostly contained close-ups of paint being poured, brush strokes, and just painting the 4-5 pieces that I plan to incorporate into the film. (Saying 4 to 5 because one of them was just so horrible that I could do without it but I may just reshoot that to have some backup footage.)

I have a problem where I overestimate what I can do and get very discouraged when it cant be done and that happened today. I had specific angles in mind like overhead shots that I wanted to use within the piece but it's difficult when you're filming alone. This had me super frustrated so then I decided I could get that effect by trying to paint with one hand and hold my phone up higher with the other.

As you can see by the end of this video, I was getting super frustrated hahaha
But I was able to keep a steady hand and continue to film shots similar to that. So now I've got like a little bit over 60 recordings of various shots of painting and the different paintings I made.
Heres my favorite one!

Location "scouting"

So I've decided that I'm going to conduct the scenes where the main character is painting and being away from her mother in the porch of my apartment. During the day it gets really good lighting compared to the yellow tinted lights in my apartment that I don't think look that good. Also because everyone is self quarantining, there is little to no noise outside so I won't have to worry about that too much. The only noise that would be heard would be like the wind moving the trees against the porch which I could collect as foley and purposefully put in to make this porch seem relaxing like a "safe space". Actually, now that I write that, I really like how that sounds like juxtaposing the comforting and peaceful environment of the porch that the main character created compared to the hostility and the arguments that take place inside the actual apartment.

 This is the little workspace that I made for the main character. A little paint cooler if you will haha. I am going to buy more art supplies like actual wet paint that comes in a tube to make the character seem more artistic. But so far I just stacked a couple of magazines on top of each other, the only one being visible about painting to highlight how much the character cares about art and her improvement. Then I have watercolors open along with a little container of coloring pencils and markers, other art supplies just to further show the porch as an art room.

Updates

So originally I was going to have my friend Kayla play the main character in my short film but she is now unavailable. Like any other person self quarantining shes taken up more exercise like going on walks and just 3 days ago she was roller-skating around her neighborhood, fell and broke her wrist.

So now that means I'm just gonna play the part which is better because I can work on my own schedule and I know when I'm free so If I need to do any extra shooting it would be very easy. Plus my mom was gonna play the part of the mother anyways and now we can work together in this which would probably make her more comfortable since I had to practically force her to help me LOL.

With this being said, I still plan on starting filming next week, I just need to buy some painting products if I can't find my old watercolors. Also, I need to figure out where in my home I will be filming. But I'm very excited to start filming and seeing what I'm able to produce!

                  hehehehehe my mom hates this pic but its very funny to me, enjoy blog