Filming

          Filming this project was a hectic process. I have my own camera and tripod so equipment was not an issue, except I realized I had no battery charger. I then had to order a charger and hope it came in time. Luckily the charger arrived on time releasing a weight off my shoulder. My plan was to film on Saturday, November 30 with a group of friends in Hollywood Beach. My main group was going to be Jessica (main actress), Bianca, Dominic, Kc, Tekla and Jorge. Although most confirmed they could go, plans did not run that smoothly. For various reasons none of them were able to come when I checked up Friday. I was starting to get stressed so I asked if they could do Sunday instead; most of them did not respond. On Saturday my cousins from Atlanta were in town to visit and had a free day. My cousin Leah suggested we go to Wynwood,Miami since she had never been. I decided to bring my gear and tag along with them. Wynwood is a picturesque urban area located in Northeast Miami. The area is full of warehouse-turned-shops with colorful graffiti covering the walls. The city also includes bars, restaurants, galleries and various nightlife. On the way there I realized that my idea could still possible work but some changes had to be made to adjust to the location change.I also realized I had no establishing shot so I recorded a street sign saying Miami. Once we got there we stayed mostly in The Wynwood Marketplace which had several food trucks, pop-up shops and a large outdoor club. I taped palm trees to used as location shots to throw in there. The neon lights and surrounding colorful walls made the area unique and fun. Since I had no clear idea on shot ideas, I just taped things we did such as buy food, walk around, and admire the art. Most clips were offgaurded and unplanned. Once the sun was set, we left the marketplace and began walking around the rest of the city. We went into shops and Wynwood's largest gallery;Wynwood Walls. We got colorful, natural scenes that match the fun, dreamy vibe of the song. Not only did the shots turn out great, we had a great time shooting in the city. That night I reviewed some clips and sent Leah some of the pictures so she can post one for the next scenes we had to film. The next day she came to my house and we filmed the beginning scenes of my original idea. These scenes were quick to film and were easy to portray since she is a high schooler playing a student frustrated with homework. Once I finished filming I reviewed the film. I was content with the quality of my takes and had a good feeling about the video.

Filming

              This weekend, I did not get to start to film. According to the original schedule this weekend was my potential filming time. I, though, will be filming on Thanksgiving break. I was at my dad's house in Miami, so I knew I was not going to be able to film.It would be inconvenient to drive to Hollywood beach from Miami. I also had a lot of other homework this weekend as well. My dad was also working so I had no way of getting a ride. I scheduled my cast and I to shoot Saturday, November 30. This is on Thanksgiving break, so most of my group is available. The weather was also not suited for the beach. This past Saturday, November 23 was cold, grey and rainy. On Saturday, November 30, I plan on filming with my friends in the film, since that is the day we originally planned to film.

           I have my own camera, and I would prefer to film on my own. The issue was, I had no battery charger. My battery charger arrived this weekend, so now I can film on my equipment, which is convenient for me. For that reason I did not check out equipment last Friday. The equipment the school provides is a camera, tripod, and SD card. I have all the equipment I need though, since I will be filming on my own technology.

            My plan for the rest of this film is to film Saturday, November 30. Then I would upload it to my computer and transfer it to a hard drive. Then, next week I will edit. I would edit Monday and Wednesday, December 2nd and 4th. On that track I should be done before the due date, December 6. Filming on friday ensures my group mates will be available. I will also make sure to review my storyboard as well before filming. The intended filming time is between 2-3 hours. This is the updated schedule for my music video

StoryBoarding

                 Now that I have completed planning, I will begin storyboarding. My plan for this video is a girl being stressed out and checking her phone. The phone shows a picture of her and her friends at a beach. The video is then transported into her and her friends at the beach having the typical teen beach day. The video is to have a dreamy, mellow, happy vibe.
             
               The first scenes are dim, cool and send off a negative tone. A shot of the location will be shown, it will most likely be a library or small cafe. She is shown sitting with her knees up, doing homework. While doing the homework she gets frustrated. She sighs and checks her phone and opens Instagram. Her phone is shown opening the app, clicking on her page and looking at a photo of her and her friends at the beach. A reaction shot is next of her smiling. The camera goes back to the phone and once the beat drops, a rapid zoom transforms the image on her phone into real life. The graphic match follows, of her and a friend with peace signs in front of the beach. The next scene is an establishing shot of the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk. People will be shown skating, walking, shopping, etc. The next scene would be a clip of a friend diving into to hit a volleyball on a beach volleyball court. The next scene is Jessica, our star, walking down the boardwalk, flipping her hair, skipping, etc. The next scene will be at Ben & Jerry's, a local ice cream parlor. This scene would be of a worker handing a group member an ice cream cone. The next scene will be them sitting on towels at the beach, eating ice cream, talking, laughing, etc. The proceeding shot would be two group members playing soccer on the beach. Other group mates watching, cheering, etc. The following shot would be Jess and a driver in the front seat of a convertible, with Jessica standing putting her hands up. The final scene would be Jessica and friends watching the waves calmly, this shot would be semi-far.

           The overall feel for this video would be short-yet slow, dreamy clips. Transitions will be smooth and effortless. My goal is to leave people feeling happy and in an overall better mood. When playing the song, I visualized my storyboard to the music video and there are not many harsh beat drops except the one that changes the reality and flashback. This is good because I do not have to worry about visuals not matching audio. The storyboard is up to change in the even that a last minute-scene idea comes up. Such as a dancer or skater on the boardwalk, due to the fact it is a busy attraction. The total is 13 scenes, but that is up to change. My hope is that the video is not too long, as the limit is 75 seconds.

Planning

                    Now that we completed research, I will start to plan. To begin planning I need to consider the vision I have with the time frame and resources we have. For my idea, my actress will start off by looking at her phone while frustratedly doing homework. She then proceeds to see a picture of her and her friends at a beach in summer. Her reaction is a quick smile and then the photo is shown. The photo is zoomed into and transitions into the summer day. Clips of summer teen activities follow. This includes: playing volleyball, surfing, dancing, skating, etc. Our location would be Hollywood beach or Sunny Isles beach. Hollywood beach is near our actress as well as having a boardwalk specialized for biking, skating, etc. This would be our ideal location but if not we will have to work in Sunny Isles beach.
               
                   For our health, we will make sure to have safety kits on location in case of emergency. We also will make sure the beach is cleared with a green flag, if not, we will move to another beach. Our props would be a phone, towels, volleyball, skateboard, scooters, bikes, etc. Our cast will be wearing teenage clothing that is trendy and appropriate for a beach setting. Jessica will be wearing a tank top and sweatpants. Other cast members will wear shorts, tanks, tees, sandals, hats, etc. We are hoping the weather is clear with some wind so filming will not be too hot, but warm enough to make sense. I will also assure that filming is allowed, so no interruptions come about.

                Our schedule is simple. We will start with the sunrise, at around 6 AM, this scene will be the last scene as it will pose as a sunset. We do not get sunsets at the beach so we must use the sunrise. Then we will get breakfast and wait for the sun to completely rise. Our cast will start by playing a friendly volleyball game, while I film them. Next, I will film them riding skateboards, scooters, bikes, etc. We will then do shots of her walking on the boardwalk, this will be shot behind her (handheld). Then shots of her friends getting ice cream, swimming, etc. will follow. Next, we will shoot the scene of her in the convertible, (if possible). At the end we will film the scene of her and her friends with their peace signs up, which will also serve as the picture she looks at on her phone. When we film, we will make sure to film 2-3 takes per scene. If something that I think would be good for the video occurs such as a juggler or dance on the boardwalk, I will record it to fill the aesthetic.Ensuring that I will have all my actors has been the hardest part. Working around everyone's schedule is worrying me but I plan on filming November 30. Details and further exact angles are to be determined.

Research

                   We are now beginning a new project. Now we are moving past commercials and onto a music video. From the last blog I learned that planning and managing our time is vital to the filming process. Story boarding each detail is important to make sure filming is efficient and productive. I learned from the last project that it is important to choose partners wisely if you are particular on how you want things done. This project is to film a music video between 65 to 75 seconds. This project is to be filmed outside of class. We had to choose a song and our group first.
                  The song I chose is Surreal by Louis Futton. This song is an electric-pop song that has smooth melodies, mellow beat drops and an overall summer vibe. I chose this song because when I first heard it, images of summer, beaches, and good times ran through my head. This song puts me in a good mood and is very positive. I had originally planned to work with my past group members, but a disagreement came with the song so I decided I wanted to work by myself. My original group was Mariapaula and Darwin. They wanted to go with a slow, sad song but I wanted a different approach. I knew the vision I had and an upbeat song is what would match best. This not only gives me complete control, it also lets me work at my own pace.
                    Not many electronic-pop songs have music videos but some do. These videos have a common theme of good times. Many have different story-lines occurring at the same. Using cross cutting, they seamlessly merge these clips together to form a short movie that also serves as a music video. The lighting is often either bright due to sunshine or dim due to club lighting. The angles are often medium-close shots. The acting is usually not relevant because the actions match up to the beats of the song. Movements follow the melody or drums of the song. This causes the video to align with the music perfectly. Props depend on the video location but most are normal everyday items. This includes phones, headphones, drinks, etc. The shots depend on the song as well but usually start out long and get tighter as the song continues, then goes back to long to close it off. Editing is usually quick clips as well as rapid editing. They sometimes even include special editing for beat drops and melodies.

Editing

On October 25, our class were assigned to finish filming and use the school's computers to start editing. This applies to the students not bringing in their own computers. This assignment was supposed to be submitted by the October 29th according to the original agenda. In a turn of events although , when our classmates came to class and began to work on their commercials, the editing software seemed to malfunction. This made the whole assignment drag longer than expected. In compensation, our teacher extended the date to November 11, giving us approximately 2 more weeks. She also accommodated our technical difficulties by telling us that she will handle the situation. This gave my classmates more time to finish any final filming. In the meantime, the class was assigned to blog about inconvenience and how we handle it. They blogged about not being able to edit, and how it affected our timeline.

My group was completely unaffected by these issues since we brought in our own device because we preferred iMovie editing. The classes were spent blogging while our group was editing our commercial. We all had a vision for the commercial and after each putting in our final touches, we completed editing  and were content with our results. We finished and began exporting the movie, but then my group and I were told we had to complete an editing blog. That is my last blog entry where I discussed what we exactly did to edit our commercial. We managed to work all the way until the end of class and submit it before leaving. We had successfully finished by the original due date and had the assignment completed before the rest of the class. On Halloween, I reviewed our material to make sure our storyboard did not get messed up in the editing process. One of our group members, Darwin, left on a trip to El Salvador, so Mariapaula and I had a free day. In a conversation with my teacher, I told her we completed it and she wishes to see it and I gladly showed her with a smile. She ended up thinking that our commercial was very creative and loved the way it came out that she wanted to show it to a coworker which boosted my overall confidence on the outcome of our project.

On November 4, our teacher announces the new schedule for the rest of the class on how the editing process would go. She told the class that we would be allowed two more days to edit. My classmates were given the time to edit that they needed. This allowed them to create their commercial the way they wanted to and to creativity compare amongst themselves. My friend and I were just observing the other groups as they finished up their editing. I assisted one group that couldn’t figure out how to remove sound as well as we got to watch a PSA on vaping . We finally got to send our commercial to our commercial, ensuring it wouldn’t be submitted late. November 6 came around, and it was the class’s last day to edit. Some groups were done while others were adding their final touches. It was the last day to edit since next class we have to answer several reflection questions. These reflection questions and the finalized commercial are due November 11.

Editing Blog

On October 25 we completed the filming process.Today we began the editing process. We started by importing all the film on to the laptop. To import we plugged the SD card into the laptop. We created a folder to organize the entire project. Then we opened iMovie editor and began editing our individual clips. In total we had 12 scenes in the film to organize and edit. We then organized our clips according to our storyboard. As we started to organize our clips, we began to clip and trim our takes. Then we transferred the raw footage into Track 2 After organizing them and trimming them we began to edit the lighting and colors of the takes to make it more cohesive. We decided to keep the scenes bright and vivid. Many of our scenes needed to be sped up to keep into the time frame. When we started editing we thought the video was going to be short but it ended up being too long. Our longest scene was 16 seconds so we sped it up and trimmed off chunks. Also one scene needed an exact jump cut so we trimmed it to the exact second. Then we began to edit audio. We muted all audio from the takes so only the music was heard. After attempting several websites, we finally found one to download music off of at the best quality. We downloaded Blitzgrieg Bop by the Ramones because it was upbeat and had a rock-grunge vibe which is what we were attempting to show. We then added the audio to the folder. We imported to the audio to Track 3. Then we began to clip the audio to try and get the best parts of the song to match the best part of the film.  We repeatedly split, matched and added until the film was completely tailored to our liking. We then downloaded, imported and inserted the Vans logo to the final scene. To finish, we exported the film and watched it as a group. To export we saved it as a file in our folder.

Editing is one of the most important part of filmmaking because if not the raw footage has no meaning. Editing was one of the most tedious parts because we have to get an exact cut and tailor it to the exact way we want it. Getting a good song was important because it sets the overall tone of the commercial. We also were trying to get the message across that this commercial was for a shoe company and what the shoes can do. 

Filming Blog

Filming Blog

      Today I filmed the majority of the commercial scenes. To prepare for the filming, I made sure my crew all came prepared in costume in our Vans merchandise.  I also made sure to bring both of my skateboards to school that day go use as props. One group mate brought in several other pairs of shoes to use as well. When we got to class we checked out our camera and tripod. I made sure to bring in my own SD card to make sure we lose none of our footage. Once we got our film hallway passes we headed to our first location on campus to film. The first spot was the main stairs. We shot our first scene with the camera, resting it on a stair step of my group mate Darwin walking down the stairs. It took a couple of shots to get it stable, and just the way we envisioned it. 

       Next, we moved onto our next scene of Mariapaula jumping onto the skateboard; this was a close shot. Next we went to the front of the cafeteria and shot Mariapaula flipping up the skateboard. This shot was both an action shot and a close product shot. Next we choreographed the next scene, which was Darwin and Mariapaula meeting up and walking away followed by me crossing the frame quickly. This shot was the longest and took the most attempts. We then did a take of me walking up stairs with a Vans backpack and shoes. Next we shot our most difficult scenes which was the montage of foot action. The first one was me walking into the scene, doing dances with my feet, then alternating with Mariapaula and Darwin. To film these we put the skateboard on the floor and put the camera on it. It was difficult to film this scene because we had to make sure our feet lined up. Then on our next filming day we filmed mariapaula in the classroom scene and this scene was quickly done. We finished filming with a scene of Darwin walking up stairs and that concluded filming. I returned all equipment back and began reviewing. We took about 3 takes for each shot with some needing more.In our entire commercial, we wanted to highlight the shoes, so we made sure to not include any faces. We noticed in many footwear commercial, the film focuses on the product and since we have no voiceover or text, we wanted to accentuate the shoes as much as possible.

          Filming was the most fun part of the project so far. I learned the importance of planning, because we had to change the angles on-field which wasted our time. In the end, I think we got a lot done in limited time, which made me excited for the next stage of filmmaking.

StoryBoard blog

We made a storyboard during class with simple drawings and illustrations on how we plan to make our commercial. Since the commercial is approximately 25-30 seconds long, and each scene is about 5 seconds long, we needed to use 6-7 scenes in total. In the storyboard, we will figure out what camera angles and shots we will be using. As well as the roles we will be playing and how we will edit the raw footage to the final product. In the storyboard, the costumes and clothing we will be wearing will be decided and planned for when we will shoot.

 In our first scene, we sketched out our idea of a three-short of the three of us sitting at a desk together doing our work as the bell rings. In the scene, a person will walk to the right in front of the three students, and a graphic match will connect it to the next scene. In the second scene, the camera is still as the person walks down steps, showing their Vans apparel. In this scene the camera will flash pan to the right, transitioning into the third scene. In the third scene, it will be a medium close-up of a person’s feet, wearing Vans shoes, getting on a skateboard and skating away towards the right as the camera flash pans.

In the next scene, the person who was skating in the previous scene will have arrived to his destination and meet up with his friends as they walk into the cafeteria. This scene will be a two shot of him and his friend, who are both wearing Vans apparel. In the fifth scene, a new person appears as the two other boys disappear into the cafeteria. The new girl is walking to the left and the camera does a tilt/zoom into shoes. This scene is a medium long-shot. In the sixth scene, there will be different close-up takes with different pairs of shoes. Each take involves the same movement; walking and dancing. We will then edit the footage together to make a graphic match of all the shoes together in one motion. In the final scene, the last pair of shoes from the previous scene will be walking out of frame and down the stairs as the Vans logo appears.

All of our scenes will be mostly naturally lit using the sun’s lighting. However there will still be parts with artificial lighting from the rooms. When we actually start filming our commercial, we will shoot the first scene first. Then we will shoot the scenes with the skateboards first, because we have limited time with them. We will shoot multiple takes of the same scene in case of any unpredictable mishaps that may appear in the background or anything else. We will be bringing in a laptop form home and be using iMovie to edit. This is to make it easier to edit our film. All of this planning from the storyboard is done to have everything ready and prepared for when we shoot to maximize productivity. We go in depth with our misc-en-scene and our angles and other factors. In the end, we will have the film ready to edit and implement our plans on how we want to edit it.

Editing Lesson Blog

Editing Lesson

       Today our class went over camera equipment procedures and editing. Mrs. Marchionne discussed camera usage, tripods and SD cards. We went over Pinnacle Studios, which is the editing software available to us. There are several steps to properly importing and saving your footage. These steps are vital to making a clean, smooth, and eye-catching film. 

        First you want to start by dumping your footage from your SD card onto a new folder for the project. You can find your footage in the DCIM folder of your SD card. If you can’t find your clips then go through Private-AVCHD-Stream. A once you finish dumping your footage into your folder, your going to want to open your editing software. We will be using Pinnacle Studios, version 17,18 or 19. Once your editing software is open you’re going to want to click File-New Movie. Then you will want to import your takes. To import means to drag your film from your desktop to Pinnacle Studios. Once you click the import button on the top right corner then click desktop, then find folder. Once you choose your clips, start import. Your takes are considered your raw footage and will be located on the left panel. Three tracks will appear on your screen. The AV Track 1 is for your titles and text, your AV Track 2 is for film and your AV Track 3 is for audios such as voiceovers and music. If you would like to split a clip, you can use the razor blade button to split the take and remove any parts you don’t need. The highlighted section with an orange box around it will represent the item you are acting upon. If you would like to change the coloring, lighting or contrast you can open effects editor and edit the take. Right clicking the clip can also allow you to slow down or speed up your clip.You can make a voiceover by recording a speaker, detaching the sound and deleting the video. You can also add effects to the titles to make it slide in or wipe away. To export means to take out of editing to release your film. The exporting process renders your film, who puts it smoothly together and reduces gaps.You export films as a MP4 file not as a Pinnacle Studios file.

Planning Blog for Vans Commercial

      Today we will be planning a shoot for our Vans commercial. We are going to be deciding locations to shoot in, costumes to have our cast in, props we will need and a schedule of our process. We will need to decide everything we need as well as a back-up plan in case of any inability to film in a certain location.

      The Mis-en-Scene is everything you see on screen. This includes our locations, props, and costumes. Our locations will include; senior loop, bus loop, main stairs, the hallway between building 21 and the gym. Our props include a skateboard, school supplies, backpacks, and various Vans accessories. Our costumes will be various high school students dressed in Vans apparel and other skater-type clothes. This includes ripped jeans, chain belts, hoodies, flannels and various other delinquent-grudge style clothing. 

Schedule

10/11- Planning Commercial

10/15-Storyboard 

10/21-Quick Lesson and maybe with free time we can film a few scenes

10/23- Full day of filming

10/25- Finish whatever my group needs to film and we will begin editing.

10/29- Finish editing by the end of class (Due that day)

         Our back up plan if it rains is to shoot under one of the various sheltered walkways on our campus. This include the building 9 hallway and the hallway between the gym and senior patio. If one of our crew members does not show up, our classmate Emily will be an understudy. If our skater cannot skate, one of our crew members will substitute. 

Research Conventions and Codes

Commercial on Vans shoes and apparel

My group and I viewed shoe commercials on YouTube to get an idea on how we need to film our commercial. Then we looked at Vans commercials specifically to see how the product itself is. We identified that Regular commercials are usually of people tying their shoes, and wearing many different styles. The music of each commercial is up beat. There are close up shots of the shoes, and it cuts to a different situation/action that involves the shoes (skating, running, walking, dancing, etc). Examples of Cross cutting to a person wanting to take action, and cuts to her running to the road.

Their trademark is “Off the Wall” and usually INSERT it at the end of the commercial. The logo w ould pop up in the scene when the camera moves (pans or tilts) to a different part in the situation. Also in other commercials, there is a product shot where it shows their new styles and where the consumers could get them. We plan to take still shots of the shoes to insert at the end of the commercial to showcase the entire collection we have shown

With my group, we plan on bringing in our own pairs of vans to show the different styles. Also to have someone who skates in order to have a variety of action shots. We also want to have people wearing the apparel and accessories to show. We plan on editing the commercial with graphic matches and ending it with the logo. We plan on shooting in areas throughout the school like the track, courtyard, and hallways. We would go to the track and/or courtyard to shoot scenes with the skateboard showing tricks and close ups of the shoes on the skateboard

Introduction

                     Hello, my name is Macy. I am 15 years old and I attend Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida. I am Cuban-American, bilingual, and my birthday is March 22. I love movies and television shows. My favorite genre of film is either Crime or Action. My favorite television genre is drama. I like several genres of music especially R&B and I listen to music 60% of my day. I like the way music makes me feel and the way it transports my mindset.
                 
                    I am in the 10th grade and I take Pre-Calculus, AICE Media Studies, World History, Chemistry, AP Spanish, AICE Business and AICE English. My favorite class is business since I want to be an investor in the future. I play soccer at my school and I plan on enrolling in several AP classes next year. I want to attend The University of Florida in Fall 2022 with a major in business management with a minor in finance. I love photography and videography  because it is the way I can express myself creatively and leave a lasting impression on people. Making montages, taking photos, and editing them seamlessly is not only a skill of mine but as well as a passion. One of my favorite parts of this course is the making of a music video because not only is it one of my most exciting projects, it also is the first time I will completely direct, film and produce an entire music video. I do not like chemistry class, and country music. One of my biggest dislikes is racist, homophobic, ignorant,sexist or judgmental people. I do not like horror movies. I do not like homework but i have work ethic when I am interested.
             
                 In conclusion, I am very excited to take part in this course and further increase my knowledge on film production as well as the process directors go through.