See you at the Emmy's

Last week I left off with our film production being halted due to a few technological issues. Four of our video files would not transfer to our editing software, which is understandably a production halting complication. But now I am elated to announce that during our last class meeting Eric Dietz was able to resolve our compatibility issues. Apparently, the three troublesome video files were of a configuration that was unrecognizable by our editing software. I have no inclination as to why only four files were of the wrong format but nonetheless our hindering issue was resolved.

So we thought…

Elizabeth contacted me a few days back notifying me that a couple of the files, our first and last scene, were MISSING! (For everyone’s information, our first and last scenes are by far the most important. The film would be incoherent without their presence.) But before I had time to conjure up any unneeded angst, Elizabeth explained that she had already done a bit of detective work and tracked down the missing shots. From my understanding, the two files were still on the camera’s tape, un-digitized. What a place for them to be! I was just relieved that they weren’t fortuitously lost in one of the many file transfers. Having to reshoot scenes this late in the production would have been a distressing calamity. Elizabeth said she had already contacted Eric Dietz to schedule a meeting so that we could rightfully lay claim to our missing footage …

Other than this minor episode Elizabeth sounded pleased with the current editing developments. I found this to be relieving because I will soon be working with the film since I am now the sound editor (although initially being a visual co-editor). Last class meeting the group met and decided that instead of having two video editors we should have one to ensure that a consistent editing footprint is maintained throughout the film. Elizabeth and I found this to be an excellent idea so we agreed that she could be the visual editor and I would be the sound editor. Lennon, who was initially the sound editor, had already spent an extensive amount of time acting in the film as well as aiding in the production. Thus we decided she had already fulfilled her production obligations and that I would fill the sound editing position.

So for now, I wait to introduce the magic of sound! Although this will be my last blog, I hope everyone has enjoyed this semester as much as I have. When the film is finished I will try to post it on YouTube and list the link here.

And the Window of Time Narrows

This past week has flown by without any major advances in our film production. Although our film has been digitized, the editing process has proved to be a technologically hindered process. Many of the editing programs available for free download either leave watermarks embedded in the final product or do not have the features necessary to properly edit our film. Our film class does have access to an ethnography lab, where professional editing equipment is available, but our group feared that the time allotted would be too scarce for the editors, Elizabeth Naglack and I, to fully assemble our film. Thus under the advisement of our film technology instructor, Eric Dietz, our group selected and purchased reputable editing software from our local Best Buy electronics store.

Now that we have collected all of the necessary equipment, we are ready to get serious into the editing! Well, at least that’s what we thought. When Elizabeth started transferring the video files into our newly purchased program she found three files that were not compatible with the software. And instead of the program posting notifications of why the files were incompatible, it would simply freeze solid. A real help for those of us who are new to the process! Also, one other problem that was experienced with our clips was audio quality. Supposedly, one of the clips features miserably low audio levels. Thus now we must rely on the beauty of voice over. For now we will be waiting for class this Thursday to see if Eric Deitz can alleviate some of our technological problems and although not our first round of technical problems, we are all hoping it will be our last.

We have less than two weeks of available days in the semester before our film must be finalized. I’m sure more time would be nice but it’s not exactly an option at this point. I don’t doubt our ability to finish the film but stress will certainly be mounting as the window of time narrows. I hold a strong sense of optimism because as soon as we settle our editing platform (mainly technology), I believe that we will be able fly through the editing process. Our screenplay is still concrete as ever and our shots are filmed so that they smoothly synchronize with the plot. Taking those qualities into consideration, I am confident that major editing feats can be avoided and the film will ultimately fall into place.

Time to Digitize…

My production group finished filming two weeks prior thus this last class meeting, which was dedicated to group filming, was not particularly productive for my crew, but nonetheless enjoyable. We are now at the point where we await to digitize our film. It seems that the cameras, which were unavailable last week, hold the key to digitizing our film. But with class cooperation I expect that we will be able to mass digitize each group’s footage this coming meeting. Despite being unable to advance in the production of our film, I still found that the class meeting was able to heighten my filming experience. By this time in the production process, many of the filming crews had already filmed or at least were able to experiment with the filming procedure. So for a portion of last class I wandered around collecting some of the other group’s experiences.

Although of little relation to the group film project, I have recently noticed an increased personal attention, or at least recognition, of the student film world. The campus information email system often announces the showing of a student production films. One such email recently announced the premiere of UCA’s first full length feature film, which from my understanding is an impressive feat for a university, especially one of UCA’s size. The email addressed that although many of the students involved had previous filming experience, most of their experiences had been limited to minor productions. It continued to point out that such experience generally limited the scope of their experience. Just as they would be getting comfortable in their specific role of production, the project would be finished. Such short lived exposures to the nature of filming and production were only enough to wet their feet (fairly similar to the experience of this Honor film making course). The recent full length movie project, though, provided many of those film students with the opportunity to oversee the complete spectrum of a full length production. After reading the email I was fairly jealous of the experience that these students had acquired. Although I’m sure they put forth great effort forth, even in an observational role, I feel that the experience that they came away with is certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that many students of this Honors film making class would surely appreciate.

Lights, Camera, Action

This past week, prior to last Thursday, was our opportunity to film. Although my role in the filming process, as co-editor, was not crucial to shooting I still thoroughly enjoyed the experience. For the short amount of time that I was able to witness the magic of our movie, I was impressed by the efforts of the crew. Everyone was continuously adapting to the role of their positions with a sense of flexibility that allowed the production to continue without catastrophe. The camera man, Michael, was exploring new angles, camera settings, etc. while our director, Doug, was envisioning the scene as if it had already been filmed. Once I was able to see one of our scene’s takes I was filled with excitement as I realized the full circle of filming that I had just witnessed.

Several weeks back, mid semester, was our group’s first film production meeting. The five of us sat down around my laptop and watched short films that pertained to the genre that we had be assigned. Each throwing out ideas as they spawned new variations of action, drama, and clever twists. Idea after idea we started making headway, a plot was forming, characters were being developed, and the recognition of potential was present. From this point forward our group slowly sculpted our original rudimentary plot into a well thought out progression of scenes. Then, through detail crunching labor we were ready to shoot… This succession in production stages all floated through my mind as I watched several of the scenes being filmed. It was not only wildly satisfying to see our film come to fruition but it excited me to see the rest of our footage. Which now brings me to my main function in this production process, editing.

Although I’m sure the editing work that waits ahead is more than I could ever wish for, I am excited and ready for it. I have witnessed Doug’s enthusiasm in directing the film and I think it will be contagious when I’m finally able to make my mark. Stringing the scenes of our film together into an exciting flow will be gratifying. Right now I have the scenes flowing around my head like individual still shots, waiting to be glued in order. I have a feeling that when I actually get to arranged the shots it will be like jotting down a long needed To Do list, oddly rewarding.

A fitting end to our movie presentations..

This last class we watched our final movie presentation of the semester, Adaptation, by Spike Jonze. The picture’s structure employs a technique where the audience witnesses the movie as it is being composed. Adaptation addresses the journey of a screenwriter who aspires to mold an un-filmable book about orchids into a movie. Despite Charlie, the screenwriter, wanting to stay true to the book and eliminate the sensationalized addition of cinema drama, the story introduces him to a spiraling spout of action. His wish to eliminate thrilling flourishes arises from his belief at that real life is drowned from tragedy and excitement. Due to the perspective of the movie, the events that Charlie witnesses become part of the movie he is compiling, Adaptation.

The film represents a sense of success out of failure, out of the lack of ability to make a film from the book provided. The layering of the movie raises a question of Jonze’s message concerning the role of the screenwriter. How the temptations, almost required aspects, of cliché movie additions are forced upon the writer. For the film embodies that despite the desire to create a worldly and insightful film, the industry standard forced grand action and wicked climaxes.

I found the movie’s spiral into cliché stunts of action quite entertaining. The interjection of drugs, scandalous affairs, gun battles, and car wrecks all twisted into an off the wall weave of events. For me the most enjoyable cliché was the dynamic enlightenment of Charlie’s character- a surprising ending for a post-modernism movie.

Charlie’s opening character was physically draining through a constant wine over his dull juncture of life, filled with insecurities and shortcomings. Because I’ve recently re-discovered the Romantic era of literature I found myself paralleling his character’s shift in mentality to William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of experience. The experiences of Charlie’s past had made him unnervingly apprehensive to life and the surrounding world but through the influence of his brother, Donald, he was able to see the integral importance of experience, regaining his innocence. Charlie’s epiphany exposed his once lost foundation of human spirit, hope and innocence.

Also, during this last week my film production crew has been filming. The experience has been enjoyable as well as a learning experience. As the editor, I have been mentally constructing the image that our director is trying to embody. I’m excited to get my hands dirty with editing tech.

Peer Pride

Last class period was spent developing ideas and concepts pertaining to the production of our short film projects. As a catalyst in the idea generating process for our film production we watched a short film called “The Last Summer.” The film was scripted, produced, and edited as a senior thesis by UCA’s very own Corey Womack. “The Last Summer” is a biographical short film, approximately 15 minutes long, that tells the story of a high school graduate who is fixing to leave his small town for the pursuit of a college education. Despite his ambitions for a life greater than his hometown can offer, his friends and more importantly girlfriend are having trouble letting go of their dear friend. The plot leads the audience through his mental tribulations and external conflicts that dictate his ultimate decision.

As purely a UCA student film production, its presentation served as an excellent building tool. Through examination of its evident faults the class discovered a few of the concerns of low budget productions. Lighting is certainly now a major fear. The movie relied strongly on artificial light which forced many of the scenes to be dark and void of detail. Much of the audience had trouble with character identification because many faces were indistinguishable in the lighting circumstances. Although I’m sure their low budget limited the availability of lighting equipment, a more natural lighting appearance, which is cheap, could alleviate some of the gloom in the film. Beyond lighting indifferences, the film’s ambiguous ending was just simply too indefinite. The audience wants to assume that the main character followed his ambitions of education but has little confidence in doing so. Womack, the student producer previously mentioned, said that he was aiming for a certain cinematic effect through the vague ending of his film. He seemed to be implying that if the film portrayed the plot as he intended then the audience should be able to carry out the story line. Although such logic could rightly apply to longer and more detailed films, I feel similar gambles should be left to the professionals. Needless to say, the class now certainly realizes the importance of a solid ending.

Despite “The Last Summer” having its share of amateur production traits, Womack’s pride in the film brought the production experience to full circle. His contagious enthusiasm even made me proud of his satisfaction in his final product.

Filming starts this week- wish us luck!

If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here.

The cynical motivations presented in film noir style films certainly create unpleasant antiheros. Last Thursday in my film appreciation course we watched the Robert Altman 1992 film, The Player. This movie told the story of a Hollywood production executive, Griffin Mill, who murders a screen play writer under the belief that the given screen play writer was the source of threatening messages. Though plenty of circumstantial evidence, the clearly guilty Mill escaped incarceration. Mill, as the antihero of the plot, had a sense of ambiguous morality that was maintained throughout the film. Due to ambiguity in his sense of moral judgment and selfish pursuit of success I experienced building distaste for his character. Mill repeatedly attempted to use his career’s demands for cutthroat studio decision making as an excuse for moral shortcomings but any variation of such personally found week bargaining power. Thus from the beginning of the film his character was relatively putrid. As the movie progressed I felt as that Mill’s regression of character could be compared to kicking a dead horse. I already don’t like the character and yet his nonexistent moral frame is still being degraded in the viewer’s eye.

My distaste for Griffin Mill as the antihero seems to illuminate qualities that deter from the movie’s film noir style. Most film noir antiheros roles tend to blur the line of good or evil. Such as in Sunset Boulevard where the audience is left to decide whether Norma Desmon deserves sympathy or admission to the mad house. Should you root for her, root against her, or try to reason out her situation? Despite Robert Altman’s inclusion of many film noir elements, I feel that his depiction of the movie’s antihero misses the mark and consequently loses some of my appreciation for his film. Altman appears to create a monster of a character where there is no doubt of dislike towards the antihero. I want the antihero to have a question of morality that battles my mind as I watch the film, not just building evidence of purely angelic character. The plot should tease my psyche as I battle a mental duel of love and hate over the antihero. I recently watched Law Abiding Citizen, starring Gerard Butler, and I found my moral frame being questioned by Gerard Butler’s motives as an antihero type character. For ninety percent of the movie I was cheering on his path of murder and revenge! His wit, intellect, and appealing vigilante motives kept me on his side despite such a violent path of destruction. I felt his character epitomized the relationship that an audience should have with an antihero and maybe Griffin Mill could take a couple notes.