ITS FINALLY HERE

Enjoy!

(click the video above or here to watch)

home stretch baby

 Here is my finished CCR! Click here to watch! 

(going to be honest i'm a little sick of hearing my voice after editing for so long)

the final reflection

(here is my favorite photo of fiona apple as a final farewell gift)

I just let out the deepest sigh... All I can feel right now is relief. Throughout this project I have learned a thing or two about myself... One is that man I get stuck in the brainstorming stage for way too long and two is that I have really really weird dreams (which were a huge source of inspiration for my project). You'll see what I'm talking about when I release the final film opening. 

Anyway this has been a very long process. I remember when my teacher first announced this project I was so sure that I was going to create a coming of age film opening (because that's one of the genres I'm most familiar with). But I'm really glad I challenged myself to create something different. Going to be honest... I did not think I was capable of bringing my ideas to life on screen. I thought that my dream sequence shots would look silly but they genuinely look so creepy. I am the most proud of how this portion of my opening turned out.

I will have to say, I am very proud of myself for the way that my opening turned out, but I do wish I did things a little differently. First of all, I wish I had managed my time better. Like I said before, I spent way too long brainstorming. I kept changing my mind on what I wanted the plot to be before coming to a conclusion. Second, I wish I had access to a microphone so the sound quality could be better. And lastly, some of my shots (from after Claire wakes up) could have been composed differently. Looking back, I could have added more visual interest.

Looking at the big picture, I'm proud of what I made. And I can't wait to keep making things that I care about.

(let's count how many times Shannon says "proud" in this blogpost! answer: 4)

music permission

I seriously can not believe it. It took such a long time for this email to come but it's finally here. I sent in my Synchronization Request Form nearly a month ago and I've finally received approval to use the Aphex Twin song in my opening. I'm so relieved because I had to scour the internet for free stock audios just in case I wouldn't receive approval. But alas it's here!!!

 

crazy last minute changes...

Ahhhh quick update but this was extremely last minute and I decided to refilm some parts of my film opening because of some inconsistencies. In the original clips that I had, the angle (which was supposed to be POV) was awkward and inconsistent. I attempted to crop the video to create a tighter shot but it still felt off. The last scene where Sophie asks "are you even listening to me right now?" was also an awkward way to end the opening. Luckily for me, Sara was free today and more than willing to reshoot some of the scenes so they flowed better. 

youtube is my new best friend

 I am officially done with filming, and the editing process has begun. I have little to no experience using Adobe Premiere Pro so I have been watching YouTube tutorials like a madman. Here is a little sneak peak for you guys:

dolly zoom life hack

Do you want to include a dolly zoom in your film but lack the fancy equipment to do so? Luckily, you have come to the right place. Here is another one of my shooting life hacks... All you need is a skateboard (or something stable with wheels) and a box of some sort and ta-da you're done! 

(me and my makeshift dolly)

stills from the first day of filming

 Here are some stills from the dream sequence... I'll break them down for you (what they mean, the supplies used, and my thought processes)

This is the first scene in the dream sequence. It hints at the causes of Claire's nightmares, which are generational and a result of unresolved family trauma. The old images seen are from the 1940s. Sara and I sorted through old family photos and procured these. The floral background that the candles and photos are resting on is an old scarf with floral details. I thought the combination of these three things would be visually appealing, foreshadow Claire's fate, and hint at a backstory.

While I was filming this and watching over the footage I was so disturbed (how did I even come up with this???) I talked to Sara about using hair in one of the shots for the dream sequence. She had cut her own hair over a year ago and for some reason she kept it (lucky for me!) In this shot, Claire slowly pulls hair out of her mouth. The harsh green lighting was inspired by Suspiria (1977).

Now this is where the fake blood came in handy! For mise-en-scene I chose to line the walls and floors with plastic drop cloth that I bought at Home Depot for $3 a roll. In my head I wanted to film this scene in a sterile lab-like environment, but with Covid-19 restrictions I knew I had to improvise. Nevertheless, I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out.

filming day two: set design is so fun

Set design time! On the second day of filming, I shot scenes of Sara (who was acting as Claire) in her bedroom. I brought two blankets, a comforter, and pillow cases to her house to redo her bed setup. I also gathered posters/pictures/record sleeves to decorate the walls with. I stuck with a neutral color palette to contrast with the heavy and dramatic lighting techniques used in the dream sequence. The items on Claire's wall also give a profile of what she's interested in (specific artists, artwork, etc.) A character's bedroom is like their inner world, and tells viewers so much about them, which was my goal while creating this set.

the promised fake blood tutorial

 Here is the long awaited fake blood tutorial! Due to the blender mishap, we had to use a bowl and spoon to mix the solution, but I highly recommend using a blender. Okay let's get started!

Materials you will need:

• Confectionary sugar
• Water
• Cocoa powder
• Red food dye 
• Blender (or a spoon and bowl if you don't have one)
• A container
• Good estimation skills

(The steps and measurements are based on estimation and eyeballing it... Adjust the measurements based on how much blood you will need)

Step #1

Combine confectionary sugar and some water into a blender. Blend until the ingredients are mixed.

Tip: The mixture shouldn't be too watery. Use a spoon to test the consistency and add sugar/water to your liking. 

(please use a blender for this step)

Step #2

Pour the mixture into a container. 

Step #3

Add as much red food dye as humanly possible (aka until the mixture is completely saturated)

Step #4

Add cocoa powder to your liking. This is done to deepen the color of the red (color theory yeah!)

Step #5

Add more food dye or cocoa powder to your liking. Basically just adjust the measurements to your liking. And Voila! You're done!

equipment used

The picture below is a flat lay of all the equipment I have used to far when filming this project.

• Canon EOS 60D
• Tripod
• CAT Hurricane Flashlight
• Plastic binder dividers (cheap and easy substitute to gels... which are very pricey)
• Plastic garbage bag (dilute the intensity of the flashlight)