CCR

At last, it has come to an end. I want to thank this class, my teacher, and my classmates for everything it has taught me. It was truly a pleasure. Here's to senior year.

CCR: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SdAEuhPOjYKM9K1LUDd_o1DRi7sObqSW/view?usp=sharing

Short Film, Postcard, & Website

HERE IT IS !!!!!!!!!! MY SHORT FILM: FLAMEDOUGH

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AuA83XdbokUM0kDzGZt2uywUXkxxfvUv/view?usp=sharing

My Postcard:
Front

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Eizlpu7lePt1xpb2lTPIK2HBkgk7DoVF/view?usp=sharing

Back
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XozD33fxDnIbScLYYIgtwok4-WoEftOC/view?usp=sharing

My Website:

https://gamboamariana17.wixsite.com/flamedough

Hope you enjoy! :)

Editing

This is simply a summary of how my experience went editing.




Terribly.



I hate my computer.





Get me another one.


I really don't understand why my computer keeps saying it doesn't have space when I ALREADY DELETED EVERYTHING! This experience has been truly stressful in the technical aspects. Somehow a few days ago, as I was editing, my computer decided to delete my project. This was terrible. I cried. I had to start editing all over again with my slow computer and it was just heart wrenching. However, I will say that if my project wouldn't have deleted, I wouldn't have gone through all of the footage again, meaning I most probably wouldn't have added all the new things that I didn't see before. Everything happens for a reason?

Another word I would describe this process would be very meticulous. As I was trying to figure out a way to make a present for the color grading of my film, I realized I couldn't figure it out. Instead, I personally color graded each shot. That's right. Each shot. And it took me about 2 hours :) Same thing with the audio when my computer decided to freeze about 5 times. I'm starting to think my computer is out to get me. Anyway, I did have some trouble deciding whether I wanted to keep some funny bits or not. For example, there is a blooper of Gianni running into a pole (he pranked my mom and I, we thought he hit his head against it, but he hit his hand and acted as if he hit his head.) Either way, it was really funny. I was about to leave this in the sequence where he is running. However, I then realized that it didn't make sense for me to insert it. Even though I wanted to add some comedy, it just didn't go with the film and was more likely a distractor from the plot.

Another thing is that I realized I had some trouble with the mood. Originally, this film was supposed to be kind of a ridiculous drama; a sort of mockery. However, it ended up being a romantic drama. I really wanted it to have a hint of quirkiness or comedy to it. Maybe in the scene where he sells his clothes? It pretty much ended up being a drama romance, but I am also happy with that.

Project Reflection

I will never doubt my words when I say that this project was the ultimate challenge of my senior year of high school. Throughout the year, this class had been teaching me so much about media and film. From the beginning of the year I was ready and excited to start learning in order to put my full focus on my work, considering this is the career I was to pursue. However, I could not have been ready nor was I ever close to expecting what senior year, or should I say 2020 had coming. In the beginning, I did struggle with choosing my story. I was so excited that I had way too many ideas and a big indecisive state of mind. For each idea I had to picture what style I was aiming for as well as what mood, theme, color scheme, and so on. It was very difficult since each idea was really complicated and each offered obstacles in the writing and overall storyline. After a long time contemplating which story, I decided to go with the pawnshop idea. I did have a plan to film at a real pawn shop, as well as have my actor run across downtown Fort Lauderdale. To be honest I was kind of scared that all pawn shop owners would've said no to me filming, and I would've ended up empty handed. However, as soon as I began planning locations, COVID-19 happened. Suddenly, there was a deadly virus that resulted in having all of the world quarantined, making it extremely difficult and complicated for me to film my short film in the locations I wanted. This event was a big obstacle in the making of my short film. Suddenly we were told we should alter our stories to fit the circumstances. Honestly, I believe that is the biggest lesson I learned from this class, and it happened involuntarily. I had to rewrite my script as well as accommodate new locations. At first, my motivation dropped below ground as anxiety creeped in due to a whole pandemic taking over the world. It was surreal, I could've think about anything else. Eventually, I realized that my education must go on as well as my creativity! So I got to work. Working with my actor meant wearing gloves in the process as well as lots of hand sanitizer. Compared to last year, I am seeing a huge improvement in my work. However, when I began filming, I realized that I was not as ready as I should've been as a director. Slowly, I started to understand how to get ready for shooting and how to plan ahead. Writing little notes on my phone, highlighting the script, and sending the script to my actors beforehand were some of those things I learned. Now here I am, with my finished product. I have to say that I am very surprised of myself. Sadly, I had low expectations of myself due to my pessimistic views during this pandemic. However, this time alone has made me reflect about a lot of aspects in my life and it thankfully gave me lots of strength so I could continue making this film. All in all, I have to say is that even though I am still an amateur filmmaker, I am proud of my hard work, and I only hope to get better.

How to Direct Actors

So I was saying before, I found myself having some trouble on communicating with my actor. I did some research and I found this article: The Dos & Don'ts on Directing Actors

Communication is key

When do your actors need to be ready for their next scene? What is their motivation? When's lunch? What do you want them to change about their performance? These things and so much more you need to communicate clearly and often to your actors so they know what's expected of them. This I found to be very helpful. My communication with Gianni has improved

Everything matters

If your actors bring up an issue with the script or ask you about a detail of their character's backstory, don't just shrug it off as something meaningless. If they're bringing it up it matters, and just because you haven't given it much thought don't mean that it doesn't. Let your actors know that you haven't really thought about it, but that it's something you guys can take a look at at a convenient time. My actor hasn't really questioned my choices that much. He just kind of does what I tell him. However, my mom on the other hand, she questioned everything I did. To the point where I was starting to get really frustrated because she questioned every single thing. I am not saying I don't accept help or criticism, but sometimes you have to let the amateur filmmaker figure it out for herself. 

Line readings

Don't tell your actors how to give their dialog. There are some who don't mind when a director gives them a line reading, but seriously -- you hired your actors for a reason and they're there to do a job, so let them do it. We did some practice line readings before shooting. A the same time, I acted out his part to show him in what way I wanted him to talk. 

Know what you want

The director who bumbles around and doesn't really know what they want isn't the director that inspires confidence in their actors. Know what you want -- even if what you want doesn't work. Kevin Smith says that directing is just about being able to answer questions:

All you have to do is be able to answer questions; that's what the job is -- You're always kind of open to suggestions, so really the direction job solely comes down to your ability to answer questions at a moment's notice and turn the ship on a dime if you have to. I feel like this is very difficult for me. I don't seem to figure everything out until the end. Sometimes I don't have a reason for everything. However, I realize that it is indeed important to have a reason for everything, even if the reason is simply for the aesthetic. This makes me more mindful of my process. 

Keep your direction clear and concise

Don't give your actors a 10-minute monologue about their backstory, which then turns into a speech about what their motivation is, which then veers off into a discussion about energy conservation and blah blah blah. You're literally giving directions, so make them simple to follow, or else your actor is going to just get lost. I think it was easier for me to direct Gianni this way as he doesn't question much, which I appreciate. For my mom on the other hand, she kept making me tell her the entire story and the reasons behind anything. I'm not going to lie, she did give me some good tips and opinions. But theres a limit. 

Encourage your actors

Be a good human. That's a great lesson to learn as not only a member of the human race, but as a director as well. A leader of a team, whether it be at an office, a retail store, or a film set, needs to be encouraging to their people. A "Good job," or a "That was great," or a "You got it," will not only help show them that they're on the right track, but will also help remind them that they're an important member of your creative team. I really tried hard to show gratitude and admiration towards the actors. I believe I did a pretty fair job in doing so. I don't know how much one should reward them, but I truly admire the talent and work of actors... It is a very hard thing to do. Also I think I wanted to show gratitude towards Gianni's acting because he is trying to make that his career. So why not boost up their confidence and admire their work.

Unexpected Problem

A few days ago as I was going about my day my actor tells me to FaceTime him.

He shaved his head.

As you can see this is a problem for me :)

He told me he didn't realize what he had done until he shaved it all off. Of course I get it. Quarantine is making us all bored. I didn't get bothered with Gianni, it honestly thought it was a pretty funny thing. At first I was down because it just made me insecure about my film because it will look so inconsistent and out of place to just have Gianni randomly appear without hair. However, my classmates gave me some advice on how to adapt to this sudden change of scenario. Because he will be pawning all of his belongings away, he event went to the extent to try to sell his hair. That is how ridiculous it got. 

Story change: Jack would now even sell his hair to get the baseball card for the person he loves the most. 

I guess this is a good thing because it adds to the story. It adds content. More for the audience to look at and observe. Of course, more doesn't always equal good. Like my teacher and many say, the simpler stories are the best. However,  I believe for my film in particular, I feel like a larger back story was most probably necessary. 

On the side track however, I've been getting very inspired lately. In what way would you ask? Well in the soul way???? I don't know. I feel like I can sometimes see what my soul looks like. I know this is super unrelated and weird I guess? But I feel very existential these days. This quarantine has pinned my soul down and made it realize who it is. I guess that means I am realizing who I am? I don't know. At the same time I feel like I have lived many past lives before. Or how else could you explain the way that I feel sometimes that have nothing to do with this Earth or what is going on. I feel like it is a spiritual feeling. Or maybe not. I don't know. I am becoming too aware of myself. One where I realize that I am solely a living thing in this universe. I exist. The fact that I exist and everything exists is just.... mind blowing for me. I know what I'm saying is super existential and obvious (like yea duh we exist). But if you think about it deeply it just makes me feel not human.

I don't know if it is the quarantine getting me this way, or its the typical thought process of a 19 year old in high school, or if it is just me as a person who thinks differently that others. Either way, I just sincerely hope that other people out there don't ignore their gift of life and existence. In this quarantine I have been thinking a lot about life. Some I'm positive, some days I'm negative, some days I'm tired, some days I'm curious. 

Most people feel like they have a purpose in their life. Their soul purpose. I feel like my soul was meant to be a creative soul. Even though I might not be the best right now, I feel like I have the duty to learn about art and creativity, so I can someday make something for those out there like me. 

Will continue to learn and improve my skills.

Converting my Garage

Filming Day 2 was much much better! 

I was much more prepared and as a result, better footage.

I have made new and more logical decisions. I decided that I wouldn't be doing the "animal" characters, just because I thought it would look inconsistent with the short and would distract of the story. I thought it would be too out of place. In addition, it would be a big hassle to handle my cat and my dog outside. With all of the corona fear happening, I wouldn't want people watching me do this anyway, I preferred to film in my garage, and have my mom act as the pawn clerk.

This is how I decorated the "pawn shop". I grabbed the most random objects from around my house and put them together. I mostly put vintage objects or stuff that would sell at a shop. I was really hoping it didn't end up looking like a thrift store, I didn't want it to look like junk. I hope I achieved that.

Filming was interesting. I think what troubled me most was to keep a consistent filming style. I shot everything from different types of angles. I am currently editing and trying everything together.

Editing & Revision

I need to reshoot some things! 

So as I was saying Day 1 of shooting wasn't me at my most prepared. For example.... I need better B-roll. It turns out that through a lot of the footage you can hear the camera focusing as shown below. This happened with about 60% of the clips so... I will need reshooting because that is NOT professional at all. Thankfully I won't have to reshoot all of scene one as I did get good shots.. I just need better b-roll.

Update on the objects! So as mentioned before I did not bring the objects to Gianni's room because I had completely forgotten about that. Anyway it turns out I couldn't use those objects anyway because they are my step-grandma's most valuable possessions and she did not let me use them. So I just asked Gianni if I could use some items that are already in his room. He agreed easily. Now the B-roll makes sense as I can use the objects shown before Jack wakes up as a type of foreshadow that he will sell those. That way we don't have too reshoot EVERYTHING. 

I am done editing the first scene for now. However it will obviously change once I reshoot some of the scenes.

Shooting Day 1

YIKES




I would rate shooting day 1 6/10... I am going to say that I was not as prepared as I SHOULD'VE been. But now because of this I know and I learn as the process goes on. On the good side, it helped me figure out how I am going to physically make this short. It helped me get back on my filming groove. I have not been making too stuff on my own for a while now, so I'm glad I'm back practicing what I like. My mistake for shooting day 1 was my mindset of "I'll figure it out" when I get there. I didn't have in mind that reviewing a script and/or storyboard along with all the factors inside it is essential to making something good. A plan. The good thing is that I'm realizing this as I shoot. I'll be honest, I'm not the most disciplined person. But I am trying and learning. I really want to be better and I am trying to better myself I really am. I will get there!

Anyways... Day 1 of shooting was supposed to be for the first scene of the short film. I wanted to film by location for practicality. My plan was to shoot the scenes of JACK in his room when he wakes up, the kitchen, and him running. A few things had to change however... Since I am going to Gianni's to shoot (very nice of their family to let me in), it is most responsible to shoot in Gianni's room only. They live with someone elderly and I would not be wise for me to be moving around the house. So that means that Jack will have to look at his calendar and drink his coffee in his room. That's fine. Something I didn't figure out (or realize) before shooting was that the objects that Jack pawns should be shown in his bedroom at the beginning, and to be honest I didn't bring the objects with me to his house. So now I'm contemplating whether I should use the objects that are already in his room for him to pawn or if I should just use the objects I was going to use... OR reshoot the whole first scene with the objects in them. However, I don't have much time on me to be doing that. We'll see what happens. Another very wrong thing I did was not charge the camera before shooting... C'mon Mariana... I was just not ready today. I had to wait a couple minutes in the actors room for the camera to charge. On the good side is that my actor is actually an old friend of mine. So we just talked a little before waiting for the camera to charge.


ALSO

I DID NOT REALIZE HOW HARD IT IS TO DIRECT ACTORS. THERE I SAID IT.

I realize that communication is an essential skill that directors NEED in order to successfully project their vision. I was trying my best with Gianni. My intentions were good, and I surprisingly was able to communicate the way I wanted him to act. However, I realize that the fact that I am not physically able to control the actor is frustrating. That means I will have to learn to be a good acting director. I am going to watch some youtube videos on how to communicate better, as I don't think I'm the best with words, but my vision is there... Gianni was great. He was patient and understanding that I am only learning to do this by myself. He really is a good actor. I just have to be more prepared next time, and right after writing this I am going to plan out with more detail! I want to be EXTRA ready for day 2 of shooting. You don't just show up and figure it out. You plan and communicate even before.

Bye ! :)

Actors, settings, and objects

My my... Getting an actor for this short was complicated. First I asked my younger step sibling to act as Jack but he denied... He's shy :(. However, the original person I had asked to act in my short actually accepted... He asked his family and they are okay with it, (he's an actual actor... he does professional theatre). However, we have to take the health and safety measures very serious. We have both been in quarantine so it is safe. We just have to be very very careful because we both live with elderly people... His name is Gianni and he will be playing Jack in my short. I told him I would pay him since that will be his career but he denied because I'm his friend. (Don't tell him but I'm still going to pay him, it's a huge favor he is doing for me).

However, I still found myself needing a guy's room so I can shoot where he wakes up in, and he said it is okay to use his room, so that's great! I will have to take the objects to his house and place them in his room. Because it will be his room, I still don't know if I will be able to make his room look empty (I don't think he will want to empty out his room). So I will have to see what I can do.

I have decided to use the forest in my neighborhood for the location of the pawn shop. I have a tapestry to use for the floor, a plastic table, and all the objects on top. I am still debating whether to use my cat or not as the store clerk, I will see about that.

I will start shooting this week.

I am thinking of using myself as the girl actress in the last scene because the only person I know my age is my step-sister but... I don't think she will act for me, she's very busy.
I still have to figure out some stuff: The weather can change and how will I make my cat act???

Talking about that, I asked my classmates about the cat idea and they liked in. Ana recommended I watch "What Did Jack Do?" by David Lynch on Netflix. It's about an investigator interrogating a monkey about a crime. It gave me confidence in using my cat as the actor, however I don't have the technology or the skill to animate the mouth, so I will have to use subtitles.

I will also have to figure out the setting for the bar or restaurant... I am thinking of using my dog as the waiter and using another outside location... Abstract right?? I guess you can say the workers in my short film world are all animals haha. I will think about it more.
I will also have to find some baseball cards.
On another note, if using pets is too complicated, I can easily use my mom and mom's boyfriend as the characters.
Here is the updated script (I had to make some changes cuz you know.... corona).

I CHANGED MY MIND

OKAY SO

I HAVE DECIDED TO STICK WITH MY STORY.

After thinking for a while about how I can make this story about coronavirus and the psychological effects, I have decided I don't want to do that.

It would be a completely new story make up with a lot of thinking. My previous story took me weeks to figure out. Also, I remember Yejin suggesting me to mimic the setting within my house. I thought about it and my thoughts went even further. I thought "Woah, this film could be an abstract one."
My obvious reasons for not doing it how I was going to do it are for the virus, but this can make me get more creative.

To have one thing in mind is that I live with 7 there people. This is really good because I can use people as actors. I live with my mom, my mom's boyfriend, his three kids, his mom, and his mom's husband (it's not his dad). Instead of using a guy around the age from 20-28 for Jack, I can use my little step brother. Instead of making this story about an adult who wants to buy something for a girl, I could make it about a 14 year old that wants to buy something for a girl. Cute, right? Instead of having an actual pawn shop, I thought about having my cat act as the pawn shop owner (this is where it gets experimental). I had a vision of my cat sitting there with a bunch of objects, and it all being in my backyard. The pawn shop is outside and my cat is the owner/seller. I was thinking of having my young step-brother talk to my cat and my cat answer in subtitles... Even though the pawn shop is in my backyard, I'm not going to show that. I'm going to make it seem like its a few blocks away from "Jacks" (my) house. This way I can still implement the scenes where Jack is running. However, it challenges the scene where he goes IN the pawn shop... Where would he go in in my story if it's the same house? The only way to do that would be to use another house as reference, and I'm sure none of my neighbors want me going or being in their front porch (get away corona). So I will have to figure that one out later.
Ty (my young step-sibling), rides his bike everywhere and I could have the option of him either running or riding his bike, I'll see.

Wait. I just realized my neighborhood has an area with a big patch of grass and some bushes and trees. Maybe that can be the "pawn shop". YAY I like how this is comping out. It's more experimental which I love :)))))))

I can have both my cat and my dog. I will have to train them to stay seating in their area, and even if that's hard I will get it done to get shots of the animals.

If having them outside will be a problem I can try to do the "pawn shop" in my dining room. I will think about it and talk to my mom about it.
The only problem is if I use my cat or dog, then there's no one acting it and I really wanted someone to act the pawn shop clerk... But I don't know if anyone in my family is fit for that role, and even if they were, how I  can make it good.

Blessing in Disguise

Alright,

This covid-19 isn't stopping me from doing my short film. One way or another I will make a short film. Possibly not the one I already wrote, or that one but alternated, or I can just come up with a whole new story.
It's very annoying to change the story because I already had mine very planned out and envisioned.

I'm currently thinking....

Every time I type a few minutes pass....

I think I want to make the short about the psychological and societal effects coronavirus caused, but more in a positive way.

I personally feel that these days, I am the happiest I have been in a very very long time.

And it's crazy ironic because can you believe I wasn't really enjoying my life all that much before this? I was always stressed, tired, anxious, behind.... It was a repeated cycle because I felt that life was going on too fast. I needed some time for myself to really grow and think about my life and how I am being... The habits I have that I can improve, my goals, my passions.... Who I am.

And I'm sitting here wondering if this blessing of a realization came from all the meditation (because I have so much time on my hands now), or was it going to happen even if Coronavirus never happened. I feel blessed because I remember feeling very happy, confident, and certain about my life before high school. I did grow a little in high school as a person, but I feel like I was stuck for a while. I saw everyone else growing and discovering who they were, and I had no clue. I am just now realizing who I am and what I love. I'm just now learning to be confident, not care what other people think, and really care about myself in general. That was my problem before. I didn't care for some reason. I didn't care about anything. I stopped caring when I lost hope for the world and thought there was no hope in ever being happy.

However I realize now that I am in CONTROL of my life. I'm so happy. It's a beautiful think to understand who you are and love yourself simultaneously.

This is definitely helping me more confident in my work, or art work in general. The other day I freestyled a painting just trusting in myself. And I really like the outcome.

This whole thing is really freaky to me... Something historic is happening in my life. Although it's not the biggest deal (it's not WW2 or Hiroshima), it's still something that affected society and our views on things.

I want to make a short film about a girl who learns to be happy again. Hoping it's not a bad idea, I will try my best to work hard on this story to truly make it good. I wish I could film anywhere... I love using different settings in film!!! However, this is a challenge that I will have to face. I'll have to make a bad ass short film using only my house and my family because I am doing this project in the middle of a damn pandemic.


Much love,

Mariana

Changes- David Bowie

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chANGES!!!

UGH.

I have to change my project.

Changes have been done. No more Cambridge exam. Short film is still on. Quarantine is still on.

My current story requires settings and characters that are currently not available due to the whole coronavirus/quarantine situation.

Lately I have been watching a lot of movies that could help inspire my new direction. I am now limited to my house, my neighborhood, and nature for my settings. However, for my actors, I am limited to my family members, and maybe some friends willing to help me, although that wouldn't be the best idea #socialdistancing.

I still haven't sat down to think deeply about how I will change my story in terms of plot, but I do have some other factors I would have to focus on more. Light, music, camera movement, are a few examples of things I should focus on more deeply now.

I think I would have to incorporate slower scenes and less dialogue for my short film. This would make my short film more dramatic... And I don't know if I want to do that since my previous idea was more lenient to more of a humorous "drama". I was going to use a very good actor that is able to make the character humorous in a successful way. Now I will have to use my family members (they're not very good actors, except my dad, but I don't live with him).

I have to think about the story, the genre, and the purpose of the story all over again. I will write again when I have thought this more thoroughly as of right now I am in a conundrum...

However, these are some films I have watched recently that have made me think about slower/home filming in which I could see myself doing.

The slowness of the Florida Project and how the whole film is mostly in one setting.

The slowness and cinematography of Midsommar.

Storyboard... Kind of ?

 Here is the storyboard I was in the middle of working on... I did not finish the whole storyboard because as I was working on it, I realized this story is going to be impossible to do at the actual stores and bars concerning this whole coronavirus thing... I will either have to completely change my story to something else, or adapt the current one to a house setting.

Here's my Script!

I know I know... I am a slow thinker! I am a perfectionist!
I have some doubts about this script because I am scared it is too long for 5-6 minutes. I am very scared of that because I spent a long time writing it and coming up with the story.

Here it is:

I feel like I wrote a whole episode for a 45 minute TV series. I am also hesitant on all the different locations I have chosen and the amount of people in my short film. Will people be able to act for me because of COVID-19? Will everything be closed? How will I manage to make this.... Oh dear. 

Location - Khalid

In terms of location, this is a tricky one... I was planning on using an actual pawn shop until I searched for pawn shops in Miami. They were a no no :((. 

I found this: 

They just don't match my vision at all!!! All the other ones also look like this. It doesn't match with the misc-en scene that I was going for: a vintage looking pawn shop with the most obscure items. Inside these pawn shops are only fancy jewelry sections. 

I really wanted something like Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor. It doesn't have to scream 1800's candy store, but I love all of the different colors inside, especially the red. 

I did some research around the area that Jaxson's is in to see if I could use the streets around the area to film.

I found these streets. They are okay. They still don't 100% go with my vision but I will keep looking.

Then, instead of searching for pawn shops, I thought maybe I could film at a thrift shop without the audience knowing it was a thrift shop. I found some locations I really liked!!!

Fly Boutique is the name of this thrift shop. It is quite far from here (40 mins), which can be a little complicated for all the actors and all my helpers to travel here. However, I LOVE the aesthetic of it. Messy!! I am looking for cluttered spaces with lots of items everywhere! I am truly considering this area to be the pawn shop. I would have to call the location and ask if I can shoot there. Cross my fingers! 

I will update how the call goes and will decide to go visit to see if it qualifies! 

Story Outline & Brainstorming

Considering all the current events, I still know I have to keep working on this project regardless. I don't know my exact schedule anymore, but I will continue to develop the story and plan.

I am slightly behind just because it took me a long time to decide how I wanted to tell this story and what route I wanted to take. At first I really wanted my story to be more on the ridiculous side. Not ridiculous as in the the film will be so bad it's ridiculous, but rather having a ridiculous set of characters and events to the point where it's so ironic that is comedic. Witdh that route I would've probably told the story in a way of having the man so desperate for love that he will give away all of his possessions just to have a girl. For the girl, I was planning on making her a gold digger type of gal. After her boyfriend gives all his things away in order to buy her the perfect gift, it turns out her dad owns the pawn shop and she has all his things anyway. This version of my story would've been with a purpose of shining light to people who are in toxic relationships and the negative side of love.

However, I did have another version of the story. Instead of making the characters unlikeable, I would have the story be a positive side of love and relationships. Instead, it would be about how there are people who will do something for the person they love even if their resources say otherwise. It is more about how actions are louder than words. In this version, the boyfriend prioritizes his girlfriend's birthday like no other. His girlfriend tells him that she really wants something for her birthday (I still don't know what she would want, but it would be something very niche and specific). He quickly looks for money but he only finds two crumbled up five dollar bills. He goes out to try and find the object his girlfriend wants. The rest of the story follows him pawning his own items and exchanging things in order to get his girlfriend's gift. Although this version is a more positive side of love and relationships, I am still planning on implementing sort of an exaggerated/ridiculous feel to it. In this version, I want Jack (the boyfriend) to appear unlikeable at first: forgetful, clumsy, and an overreacts a lot. However, as the short film goes on, the audience sees the measures he takes for the girl he loves.

Tina helped me pick which version of the story would go best with my short film and I completely agreed with her, as I was already leaning towards the second version. She explained that a short film is more liberally if the characters are more likable. I agreed with her. One day I will make the first version, but for now I want to make this story heartfelt with a hint of exaggeration.

Here is the thinking process as written in my Google Docs

Outline

Guy and his girl

Wants to buy something for a girl

But doestn have any money

He isnt poor though

Anniversary? March 10th

Opening Scene: He wakes up to a bed full of pictures of her. He loves her. Them together

BEGINNING: Realizing he has to buy gift, face is very expressive, hurries to look for money, doesnt find any.  to buy her something.

MIDDLE: runs past pawn shop, stops to look at it. pawns many items

END: gifts girlfriend present

Different days calendar

Reason for having no money

He wins her over.

 There’s always a way to prove your love to someone.

In the beginning shows him waking up to the day he gives her the gift, shows his empty and poor house, and a nice suit.  Looks really nice. Then when he gives it to her she asks how he got all that, and he remembers what he had to go through to buy the thing. 

He does a whole chain of events that lead him to be able to get the gift for his girlfriend. This version would be more about how much he loves her that he’ll do anything to make her happy, it is not abt the money but abt the love.

Other version would be him, a clueless man who is blidnly in love but he is very dumb and is manipulated by the girl.

Or I mix it and make it ridiculous but he still loves her. 

1. He has to please his girlfriend and he is anxious for her still loving him, to the point where its ridicuolus and makes him look like a very desperate man with a gold digger girl.

Has very little money and tries to buy something but people tell him its too little. Then he gets angry and decided to pawn all of his items. 

Girl at the end goes home, guy goes home too. Dad has all these new items and shes like oh qhats all this

You get a bad impression of him at first.

He wakes up, he gets anxious abt her birthday. Like its the most important event ever. 

COVID-19

So... A worldwide pandemic is kind of happening right now..... and..... I don't know what to do, how to feel or what to think. This is all just insane to me honestly. I never thought I would experience such a thing in my lifetime. As of now, COVID-19, known as Coronavirus, has infected more than 167,342 people with 6,455 deaths. The United States have stopped travel to and from Europe, Italy is on lockdown, our schools have closed, and the economy is plummeting.  It has been the only thing I hear about in the media for the past week, and it only seems to get worse. The whole world is in a state of panic.

Tonight I went to see a few local bands at this really cute coffee house with some Ana and some friends. I had a really good time during the show, but I couldn't help but be paranoid about the people around me. "What if they have the virus?" I would think. "What if I have it and I don't even know and I'm infecting everyone around me?".

After the show we went to a diner, and we couldn't help but talk about what is going on. We didn't know whether we as a society were overreacting or if this is something that is actually going to impact us hard. We talked about how we had never been germ freaks before, but now we can't help but turn our menus with napkins instead of using direct contact.

In the car Ana and I talked about all of it even more. It was so weird to see all the streets empty. We felt like none of this was real, like all of this is just a fever dream. Everything was normal just a week earlier. We are sad that it is likely that class of 2020 won't get the last good months of high school like everyone does: prom, graduation, after parties, etc.

Personally, I am just distraught by the effects of this virus on society. All of society is putting a pause to everything. The daily routine for everyone is to a stop. Something that has never happened before (at least in my lifetime). For some there's no work, for most no school.... The only thing to do is just stay home and be with your family. It's the fact that all of society can be stopped if it wanted to just proves the fact that it is all a social construct.


Politically, this virus is showing all of the flaws in our society, especially the United States. The team of pandemic responders that were hired by Obama were fired by Trump. Many people still have to currently go to work or else they won't get paid and they are risking themselves of being infected (including me), and what about the fact that no hospitals even have any tests for the virus!!! We are also in the middle of an election. Everything is just chaotic... I honestly feel like I'm in a movie and nothing is real. I was talking with Ana about all of this and it's all just crazy.

My classmates and I don't even know how we are supposed to film our short films anymore because many of our actors are not allowed to leave the house, and many of us were also planning on shooting at school. Not to mention lots of us were going to rent equipment but the place closed due to all of this.

Man....

Hopefully everything goes back to normal... Just a week ago everything was fine.

Cinematography, Shot Composition, & Camera Movement

At the very moment I am in the process of writing my script. Although I haven't started my storyboard yet, I did want to explore the way I want to shoot my film.

I am in a sort of dilemma because I visualize my film with a Wes Anderson style type. However, I want to make this original, as I don't want my film to just be pastiche; I want to stylize it myself.

My intention isn't to copy Wes Anderson, instead, by picking and choosing which techniques of his I like, as well as inserting other techniques in film I like, I can put together something I can call MY STYLE. I'm very excited because the story I picked is going to allow me to play with technique, something I believe I SHOULD be doing right now, at this age, and at this stage in my film education. This way I get to explore what I like and don't like.

These are some cinematographic techniques I would enjoy using in my short film:

Symmetry: Wes Anderson is very famous for his particular use of symmetry in his films.  I am not planning on symmetry to be the biggest characteristic in my short film, as I think it is just TOO Wes Andersony. But I do want to incorporate hints of it. I think symmetry is something very pleasing to the eye, and is very satisfying. 

Overhead Tabelux: I know I know, INSTAGRAM.
No, I don't want my short film to look like a 20 year old's Instagram feed in 2012.
Wes Anderson does use these shots a lot, which has made me realize how much the viewer can pay attention to detail in these shots. Because my film has a lot to do with objects (the many pawned items), I think I can do a lot with the production design elements. yay

Whip Pan: Okay I'm definitely using this. I LOVE IT. It's actually one of my favorite a long with the truck shot, but I just love the whip pan. It's very stylistic, and I also feel like it makes the film feel more real. It makes the viewer really understand what is going on in that time and space. We filmmakers manipulate video so much, that too much edited cuts can make the viewer feel like nothing is real. Plus, I just love how it looks <3

Center shot composition: Having the subject in the center is the most pleasing thing for Mariana Gamboa's eye. I LOVE IT! SO I WILL DO IT




yay

Organizing my Time

my last post was all about how hectic last year was for me, and why I don't believe I was able to reach my full potential. Not only was that because of family issues and all that, but because I wasn't very good at managing my time. Because I really don't want to make the same mistake, I've decided to create a schedule for myself with deadlines.

Here it izzzz

To do:

Write script

Storyboard

Production design research

Contact pawn shop

Gather items 

Cast Actors

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
					6-B -pay Day -IDOC -Work 4-9:30	7 -Start writing script -Watch movies for genre research
8 Blogs due Genre Research post Work 2-9:30	9-A Work 4-9:30	10-B -Brave New World postings -Script deadline	11-A Work 4-9:30 -Start storyboard	12-B -Deadline for storyboard	13-A	14 Work 3-9:30
15 Blogs due -Deadline for contacting pawn shop & casting actors	16-B	17 NO SCHOOL -Shooting	18-A	19-B Early Release	20- PAY DAY NO SCHOOL -Shooting	21
22 Blogs due	23 Shooting	24 Shooting	25 Shooting	26 Editing	27 Editing	28
29 Blogs due	30-A Editing	31-B Editing	1-A	2-B	3-A-pAY daY	4
5 Blogs due	6-B	7-A	8-B	9-A	10-B	11
12 PROJECT DUE DATE

Research Ideas: 

Genre

Cinematography

Costume Design

Reminders:

AS LEVEL EXAM