Catchin' Up

Work this semester has been a rush as far as film class is concerned. Wrapping up the semester feels more like opening a big can of nasty and throwing it all over the place. Finally though, the pieces are pasting together like a beautiful collage of knowledge and experiences. I'm very happy to have undergone this class, especially with those classmates which enjoyed the film making experience with me. I've had to really pick things up and pump those arms hard towards the finish rope. No matter what the workload, I have learned so much about group work, leadership, formulating the best possible outcome for a group instead of just myself, and of course about filming and this history of the film industry. Who would have thought that the first motion pictures would come from horse gallops? Who would have thought that masterpieces of editing require so much skill and hard work? Who would have thought that the beginnings of the cameramen position required that an individual stand in public and film everyday life being carried out as it is.

The films we watched were all profound in their respective purposes and truly displayed the nature of Hollywood and its intricacies. From the happy musical beat to the creepy underbreathed life of professional murderers and amateur murderers our class films absolutely depicted the intense drama available in Hollywood. My favorite would have to have been "Singing In the Rain." It kept me feeling so upbeat and joyful. Also, the cinematography exhibited was gorgeous.

Couldn't have asked for a better semester!

Blog Intended for the week of April 11th

Filming the movie is requiring an intense amount of thought! We all are still really excited about everything and are brainstorming great details for the movie! However, a bit more tension builds up as time passes by. I feel like we will definitely pull the process off but I also think that it may be more difficult than I thought at first.

Being one of the latter groups to film has been a concern we've had to tackle as well. Timing and actor gathering are what seem to be the two most significant factors at this point. My only fear as of now is being able to find truly animated people who can portray comedy in their very soul. Even though this is only a class final, I like to look at the project as an opportunity which most others will never be granted and a learning experience that will catalyze my creativity.

As director it's been an experience. Everyone looks to me for group cooperation and the final decision. Sometime when leadership is thrown at you, you aren't completely prepared for how intensely people are counting on you. However, I was happy to be comfortable with my crew and appreciative of all input and cooperation each person attributed. From idea storming to idea changing finally to realizing the idea now has been a dramatic journey.

I am very excited to see the final product with the crew and all of our classmates as well as be able to see all the other films and how their genres went!

Blog Intended for the week of April 8th

The Player: known in today's youth and urban societies as an individual able to carry out numerous relationships simultaneously. Ironically, this definition fits right in with the 1992 film, "The Player." Robert Altman's film exhibits a mass array of ridiculous circumstances and final goals which take the audience on a rare journey through a mix of emotions and ideas. The role of the player is played by Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins). I think he is a fantastic fit for the role. His stature, tone of voice, and simply his behavior are attributes which add to his overall persona as a character in fear of losing his job, that he is being threatened, and that falls for the woman of a man he killed. It is very hectic because of all these issues taking place. The strangest part throughout the film as an audience is having the knowledge that Mill is a murderer and a less than admirable sort of man. However, he is the main character and considering that most probably related the character to that of a good force in the plot.

My favorite shot from the film was the breakfast scene where the camera manages to include two conversations by sound and frame though this editing created a strange feeling about the entire meeting. I felt as though there was a GIANT elephant in the room (even though they're eating outside). It was obvious that the rendevous between Mill and the other man contained extreme relevance to Mill's situation in Hollywood and others' opinion of him at the time which has, up to this point, been hinted as a main worry of Mill's.

Another great feature of the movie is the use of many actual actors in their roles at their home environment, doing the exact thing they do every day. Actors don't have to act! This sort of phenomenon doesn't happen often and for such a gathering to take place and become a full feature film is quite interesting to me.

Blog Intended for the week of March 7th

By this point, a full script has been turned in and we are on the way towards actually filming a movie!!! The idea brainstorming has been a rocky road but I feel like everyone has been pretty much on the same page as far as the type of humor is concerned. The great thing about making a comedy is the attitude of the group members. Every one seems to be pretty excited about how the project's going to go and I'm quite content with that groove.

This is the first time we've had to seriously take on the film making process for with legitimate cameras, a major goal at hand, and we have to do this with a group of people. The challenge is almost too anxiety-filled to take on responsibly! But then again... why film my FIRST movie with responsibility!?!?! I want to experience what it feels like to create novel angle views and camera shots! I want to feel the passion of the movie in my veins as I take on the power of film as a medium! I want to view the final product with pride!

Blog Intended for the week of February 28th

Creepy Creepy Creepy! "Blow Out" was an intense thriller that kept me on edge the throughout the duration of the film. The sketchiness of the plot was the first issue that bombarded my comfort zone, followed by a series of awkward, scary, and confusing events really provided the formula for an all-out knock-out! The massive amounts of complicated shots and screen views were a major factor in the film's tone.

The actors in this film really played their roles to a T. John Lithgow took the whole classes nerves by the chains and reinvited us into a world of mystery and fear. John Travolta really stood out as well with his youthful, energetic attitude.

Brian de Palma forces his audience to take the journey which he lays out in this detective like plot. The shots and choices of editing are genius and the proof lies in their ability to control the audiences emotions and train their minds.

Blog Intended for the week of February 14th

Starting off working on the short film project has been the most exiting portion of the semester. This sort of hands on activity is exactly what I looked forward to joining this film class. I understand that learning the "tricks of the trade" so to speak are important but I also mainly recognize what I have fun doing and that is making funny things and group projects. I was so happy to have gotten in the Comedy group. I've always loved comedian actors and have thought of how much fun that sort of job could be. I think what most worried me about the project was group procrastination which can be much more dangerous than individual procrastination. However, I was excited for the possibilities considering all the different personality types we have. I feel like that's a great asset as far as having unique input.

A couple of initial ideas that came to mind were plots based around an individual (college student) under the influence of some sort of drug. We felt that the audience could easily relate and find the scenario pretty comedic. One of the coolest parts of the project was looking forward to being able to act, write, come up with ideas, edit, and carry out all the dealings of film making. All these years, sitting in the theater without any idea of what goes on pre-release and only being able to imagine how certain optical phenomena were created and now I have gained at least a little access to the world of film making knowledge.

I am very excited about what is to come from this film project! I think that it will only increase my interest in the subject. I know that the journey required for film making is difficult and frustrating but it will most likely provide an amazing learning experience!

Blog Intended for the week of February 11th

Singin' in the raaaain! Everybody's singin in the rain! What a delightful movie! I, just as almost all Americans alive, was familiar with the tune though I honestly did not know where this upbeat legend came from. And this movie is most definitely that: legendary. It's no wonder why either. So many of the songs in the musical are memorable and catchy. Also the feel of the movie is extremely impressionistic. One cannot help but change emotions when watching this movie. It created an environment of laughter and joy around me just as I was watching it. I think the fact that it is a musical really attributed to this effect because singing itself can really push off an energetic mood. Also, it's always fun to see how the director and screenplay writers introduce songs and the scenes during which the songs are sang. The whole movie is full of outgoing, eccentric scenarios and images which kept me on edge for most of the movie. I enjoyed being able to have no clue what would come next in a plot that is really just a digressive love story in Hollywood. The development of "talky" films is also shown throughout the movie. Silent films are not even widely considered anymore. This day in age is so consumed with the next possible advancements that past history, although outdated, can still be quite entertaining and artistic.

I think my favorite part of the movie was how likable all the characters are. It's hard to not appreciate an individual's constant smile and glamour when it's so evident as the characters in this film can be. After hearing soooo many people talk about how great the movie is and how it's their favorite, or at least top five, I don't think I was so sure about how much I would like it. However, my skepticism was easily overridden when I realized that Singing In the Rain is absolutely one of the best movies I have seen!