Film 6: Director's Reflection

NAME: Josh Allen

DATE: November 29, 2016

FILM: Master w/Coverage

DP: Howie Burbidge

TMA 285 DIRECTOR’S REFLECTION

Reflect on how your film turned out. Have the courage to evaluate your work not only with a self-congratulatory eye, but also with a critical eye. Step back; pretend the film wasn't made by you. Be exacting. Be demanding. Don't let yourself off the hook. Be completely honest about your performance.

- Turn in a hard copy of this statement the next class session after your film screens

- Upload the statement to Learning Suite the day after your film screens

- Post this to your blog with your film the day after your film screens

Overall response (2-3 paragraphs):

In 2-3 paragraphs, write an overall response to your film: Were you successful at achieving what you set out to achieve? What are you proud of? What would you do differently if you could remake this piece? What did you learn? 

            This was a fun film to make.  I don’t think I was completely successful with what I set out to achieve because a lot of things went wrong.  I didn’t really achieve the look I wanted with the location or the actors.  However, I am very happy with the way the scene turned out considering all of the problems that I had.  I think it looks nice (Howie did a great job!).  I’m proud of the way the shots are set up.

           If I could remake this piece, I probably would have filmed it somewhere else.  Also, maybe I would try different actors to get a different look for the scene, even though they did a good job.  I learned that it is really hard to make a short film over a holiday break.  I also learned that you have to improvise the shooting schedule when your actors aren’t memorized!

Briefly answer the following:

What, specifically, did you want to communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not?  I wanted to communicate the difficulty of a relationship.  Honesty is a difficult thing, and I wanted to show that.  I personally think I was successful because I showed Melanie fidgeting when she admitted that she had lied.

How, specifically, did you try to say this? What visual elements, techniques, etc. did you use? I tried to use lines to create some tension.  I also tried to have my actors show some discomfort in the situation.

What did you learn about storytelling: I learned that you can find really unique ways to tell a story!  You can set up some really cool shots that help tell stories in fun ways.

Working with actors and getting performance:  Working with actors is really fun!  There are ways to get around when an actor is not memorized, so that was cool.

Blocking — camera and actors: Cheating is such a wonderful thing.  In order to get the blocking I wanted, I had to cheat a few things, and I think it worked well.

Visuals — composition, framing, visual elements: One of my favorite shots in this is when the camera is down the stairs looking up at Melanie and Mitch.  This shot had so many cool lines.  Lines can do a lot for a piece.

Design & Art Direction: Actors will not always wear the colors that you told them to.  So that’s a difficult thing.  Also, sometimes it is hard to control a location.  I didn’t like the fire extinguishers, and I wish they weren’t there.

The Production Process — collaboration with crew, the logistics of making this piece: Working with Howie was really great.  He takes direction really well.  It was too bad that Spencer wasn’t able to make it, but I was able to get some good sound (I think)!

                  

What was it like to watch your film with an audience? Did they understand it? Miss the point? Why did they respond the way they did?  I enjoyed watching this film with the rest of the class.  I think that they did understand that point behind it: sometimes misunderstandings can create unhappy feelings in a relationship. 

Other observations:

Film 6: Scene from THE BIRDS

Photos 13

This week's photos focus a lot on contrast:

I like this photo because of the contrasting reds of the trees and the gray/blue of the sky.  I think the trees really pop, and I love that.  There are also a lot of contrasting lines in this photo: the trees have many different lines and the horizon is horizontal.  I think that the yellow/brown building in the back is a little distracting though.  I wish that I had framed the photo without that building in the back.

This is Buster, my pitbull.  He is so cute!  I love the yellow of his little jacket and the blue of his leash; those two colors really stand out against the gray background.  Also, just within his face there is contrast of color.  His brown spot is in high contrast against his white face.  

This photo really stands out to me because of the orange flowers.  This was taken in my boss's office.  I saw his plants and could not help but take a picture of them because the orange one was one of the only ones with any real color.  Plants fascinate me, and they are actually serving as a contrast to the building that they are in.  They are surrounded by computers, technology, and books: the one pure, natural thing in the room.

FILM 5: Director's Reflection

NAME: Josh Allen

DATE: November 20, 2016

FILM: Film 5

DP: Jase Van Meeteran

TMA 285 DIRECTOR’S REFLECTION

Reflect on how your film turned out. Have the courage to evaluate your work not only with a self-congratulatory eye, but also with a critical eye. Step back; pretend the film wasn't made by you. Be exacting. Be demanding. Don't let yourself off the hook. Be completely honest about your performance.

- Turn in a hard copy of this statement the next class session after your film screens

- Upload the statement to Learning Suite the day after your film screens

- Post this to your blog with your film the day after your film screens

Overall response (2-3 paragraphs):

In 2-3 paragraphs, write an overall response to your film: Were you successful at achieving what you set out to achieve? What are you proud of? What would you do differently if you could remake this piece? What did you learn? 

            I think that I was essentially successful in achieving what I set out to do.  The set design and colors were exactly what I wanted, and I think that I effectively portrayed the emotions of fear and anxiety that I wanted to portray with this scene from Gone Girl.  I am proud of the blocking of the camera and the actors; I think it all turned out very nicely, and I think it was all very motivated and purposeful. 

If I could remake this piece, I would have tried to help my actors give more convincing performances.  I would have spent more time going over the dialogue and the meaning of the conversation.  I learned that you have to be flexible when you are on set.  Not everything is going to go the way you envisioned it in your head, even if it could.  Sometimes things just do not sit right, and you need to change blocking or line delivery.  This experience was very beneficial for me because I was able to quickly adapt and change my ideas.

Briefly answer the following:

What, specifically, did you want to communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not?  I wanted to communicate the idea that being in relationship with someone (whether it be romantic, familial, or friendly) can provide extreme fear and anxiety.  I also wanted to communicate the idea that the fear of disappointing someone is a real thing that almost everyone experiences.  I think I was very successful because I feel like you could see it in my actors’ faces.  There was fear and anxiety in this scene between a husband and wife.   

How, specifically, did you try to say this? What visual elements, techniques, etc. did you use?  I tried to use color and tone to say this.  The environment was white and impenetrable.  However, the characters were dressed in dark clothes the represent their insides and how they were feeling.  Marriage is a beautiful, pure thing, but each individual can hide dark things from the other.  I also tried to use performance to help say this, which (as stated above) I think worked.

What did you learn about storytelling: I learned that visual storytelling is so heavily affected by light and the environment.  For example, Jase had to tape up the blinds to prevent a lot of light dots from spilling in and ruining the image.

Working with actors and getting performance:  Some actors have it and some don’t.  Some are meant to play certain roles and others are not.  I think both of the actors I had for this piece are amazing actors.  However, I do not think they were both right for these roles.

Blocking — camera and actors: Blocking can change, even if the original idea is possible.  Sometimes, there are better options when it comes to blocking than what we originally planned.

Visuals — composition, framing, visual elements: This assignment was actually a great testament to what I have learned this semester.  We were blocking unattractive light, and I removed things from the room that were distracting (either in shape, size, or color).  That is something I have never paid any attention to before this class.  The whole time, I was thinking to myself: how cool is this?  I am actually paying attention to things and removing things that could be distracting!

Design & Art Direction:  Again, I was able to remove things that did not fit the color or feel of the piece.  That was really refreshing and beneficial.

The Production Process — collaboration with crew, the logistics of making this piece:  When the whole crew is prepared, the process is so much smoother.  Luckily, we were all very prepared and organized, and it was an enjoyable experience because of that.

                  

What was it like to watch your film with an audience? Did they understand it? Miss the point? Why did they respond the way they did?  

It was fun to watch this with an audience because it was something that I was actually proud of.  I think that the audience understood it, and they liked a lot of the shots and footage that I really enjoyed as well.  It was an enjoyable experience, and the feedback that I got from everyone was really helpful.  It is really cool to be constantly learning and improving in this class.

Other observations:

Film 6: Director's Statement of Intent and Shotlist

Film 5: Gone Girl

Photos 11

While helping Kent film his scripted one-take, I took advantage of the location to take these photos:

I really like the affinity of colors in this one: they are very simple.  There are a lot of whites and browns, and it seemed very appropriate for this time of year.  There is a lot of tonal contrast in this photo: the door is very dark while there is a lot of light coming from the window.  I do wish that this photo was a little more interesting to look at: a clear subject would have helped.  

I like this photo a lot because of the diagonal line that points right to the statues head.  I also really enjoy the contrasting colors of the stained-glass window behind it.  I think the photo could have benefitted from having more lines pointing towards the statue's face.

This is my favorite picture of the three.  I absolutely love pumpkins, and the orange is so bright and cheerful.  Again, this is perfect for this time of year.  In addition to the pumpkins that are completely orange, I really like the little ones that are white with lines of orange.  I think the lighting in this photo creates some really nice tonal separation of the pumpkins, and it is just really pleasing to look at.

Photos 10

I saw this photo while walking and simply had to stop.  First of all, I love the fall colors.  What really catches my eye here though are the vertical lines.  The trees, the lamp post... they all remind me of a quaint little town.  I think it is a beautiful image.  The one thing I really do not like is the building in the background.  I wish there was something older in its place.

This is a photo of some lights I have in my room.  I took this picture for the contrast and affinity of colors.  The purple stands out in contrast to the browns, yellows, and reds.  However, there is some affinity with blue: they are both cooler colors.  This photo is also very flat space, which I think is cool: it helps isolate the purple light even more. 

I really wanted a photo with deep space, so I took some playing cards that I have for a game and lined them up with lighter cards in the front and darker cards in the back.  There are also some converging lines that I think look really nice.  I feel like this photo is not centered, which is something I wanted.

Film 4 Director/DP Reflection

NAME: Josh Allen

DATE: November 2, 2016

FILM: Film 4

DP: Josh Allen

TMA 285 DIRECTOR’S REFLECTION

Reflect on how your film turned out. Have the courage to evaluate your work not only with a self-congratulatory eye, but also with a critical eye. Step back; pretend the film wasn't made by you. Be exacting. Be demanding. Don't let yourself off the hook. Be completely honest about your performance.

- Turn in a hard copy of this statement the next class session after your film screens

- Upload the statement to Learning Suite the day after your film screens

- Post this to your blog with your film the day after your film screens

Overall response (2-3 paragraphs):

In 2-3 paragraphs, write an overall response to your film: Were you successful at achieving what you set out to achieve? What are you proud of? What would you do differently if you could remake this piece? What did you learn? 

            I think I mostly achieved what I wanted.  I was able to rotate around the event happening and get some interesting footage.  I am proud of all the different angles that I got.  I feel like I covered so much of what was going on, and I like that every person playing the game is shown.  I also feel like I mostly had good control over the focus.

            If I could remake this film, I would linger on faces for a little longer.  As discussed in class, it would have been easier to connect the people in the film if I had lingered on their faces for longer.  I also would have kept my hand on the focus ring.  There were a couple times when I accidentally grabbed the other ring that changes the F-stop.  That caused some problems.

Briefly answer the following:

What, specifically, did you want to communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not?  I thought I was successful in showing an aspect of comedy and entertainment.  The players were having fun and joking around.  The joy of playing together was one thing I wanted to communicate.  I also wanted to communicate the drama of playing a card game.  I do not think I was very successful in that regard.  There was a little more fun than competition present in the film.

How, specifically, did you try to say this? What visual elements, techniques, etc. did you use?  I tried to use camera movement to intensify the drama.  Having constant movement that kept the audience on its toes should have been able to express this.

What did you learn about storytelling:  Exposition of characters is NECESSARY when you want to have a good film.  I need to be better at that!

Working with actors and getting performance:  Well, since this wasn’t acting, I’m not sure what to say.  However, I did have to do interesting things with blocking, which I will explain below:

Blocking — camera and actors: I had to make my “actors” sit close together so that I could have enough room to move around the group.  It was fun filming whatever I wanted from wherever I wanted!

Visuals — composition, framing, visual elements: I learned that it is hard to get specific compositions in a small space.  I was never able to capture all four people at once.

Design & Art Direction:  I cleared out some things from the room to make the space look less like we just dumped ourselves on the floor.  I also really liked the red playing cards!  They provided a nice color to the film.

The Production Process — collaboration with crew, the logistics of making this piece: I learned that I need to make sure that I know exactly what I am going to do before I start filming.  My subjects had to wait for me to get the camera set up because I had forgotten things.  This wasted their time and caused me stress.

                  

What was it like to watch your film with an audience? Did they understand it? Miss the point? Why did they respond the way they did?  It was enjoyable to watch my film with the rest of the class.  I was glad that some people liked the first shot, and I think people understood what was going on pretty easily.  One thing that I noticed was something that Jeff Hein said.  When explaining the story of the film, he said something along the lines of: “a group of friends and playing Go Fish.”  This is exactly what my film was about.  However, I wish there was more substance to it.  I wish that there were a bigger story with some kind of conclusion or climax.  I felt like that was seriously lacking in this piece.

Other observations: