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Activity Log Date20/06/18Initial ideasBeginning my EPQ, I’m not sure yet what my project title will be, though I know I want to write, direct and produce a short film. I spent a while today listing possible project titles, each exploring different stages of production. I also began listing sources and inspiration for the short film I want to produce. I want to create another psychological thriller, and have always loved the idea of exploring different narrative styles. So, I have been looking into films like Pulp Fiction which follows multiple POV’s of the same story, a Port Mando. Though I also like the idea of a ‘butterfly effect’ style short film too.21/06/18Finding SourcesI still haven’t decided on a project title, so I spent a while today narrowing down the ones I liked and discussing what each title would allow me to do and talk about. I also used this time to find some more sources, particularly interviews with Directors such as Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino, talking about their own writing styles and production processes. These videos helped me to understand that even well-known, amazing screen-writers/directors struggles through the writing process and don’t have a system of creating a story, it just comes to them.25/06/18More SourcesToday I spent some time looking into narrative structure, and trying to find some reliable sources talking about different structure styles.28/06/18Artefact EPQ/Narrative StructureToday I began looking at different Narrative Structures such as Linear, Circular, Episodic, and multi-strand etc. Relating each structure type to movies that I enjoy. I like the idea of being able to play with cinematic time and space with my short film, and exploring narrative structures allows me to do that. I don’t know how yet how I could turn exploring narrative structures into an Artefact EPQ without having to make multiple short films though. I did think about possible writing a short minute long story, then presenting that story through different narrative structures, putting them together in a showreel. - Ultimately though, I would prefer to create one longer short film, and I think using an episodic structure would be the most interesting way to do so.19/07/18Deciding my EPQ project title.Today I spoke with Jason about the different ideas I had for my artefact EPQ, and the various project titles I had in mind. However, we both realised that I predominantly just want to write and produce a really good film, one that I can possibly put forward for film festivals and use for my portfolio when applying to universities. After a long talk we came up with the project title: Independent Film Production: Writing, Directing and Producing a Short Film. I really like this project title, because it gives me a chance to showcase my skills but also work on improving my skill in other areas. 21/07/18Independent Filmmaking.I started by looking into the differences between making a short film independently vs. the major film studio system and found that the biggest difference is that an Independent Film Company is one which funds, produces and distributes its own content. I quickly remembered that back in October of 2017, I went to a convention for RoosterTeeth, An online video production company. While there I went to a panel called ‘Writer’s block Party’ where I was lucky enough to get the chance to ask the panel, including my favourite writers in the company, for some advice in becoming an independent writer/director myself. It was a humbling experience to not only get very constructive advice from a group of people I look up to, but for them to spend as much time and to get as invested on me as they did. On my blog I watched the video back of them answering my question, and analysed the advice they gave to me. 23/07/18Pre-production: The StoryWriting a screenplay, knowing that I will be making it into a short film, can be a difficult process when you are hyper aware of the fact that the world and characters you are creating, you will have to produce on screen during production. I thought about the different ways to approach writing a screenplay, knowing you will be making it into a film.Today I also came up with 3 different short film concepts: ‘Psychoanalyst’, ‘Pipe Dream’, and ‘awake,’. Giving a very brief synopsis to the idea, and talking about the different influences I had for each one. So far, though I would love to make all three, I think I am more invested in ‘Psychoanalyst’. 24/07/18Pre-Production:The Plot/Screenwriting.Before choosing which idea to go with, I decided to focus on just ‘Psychoanalyst’, which I have renamed ‘COMPOS MENTIS’, and ‘Pipe Dream’ as they were the two more fully formed ideas. Today I mapped out each act/stage of both short films to get a better understanding of the plots. Whilst also, again, talking about the influences I had for each film.I also took two of my sources, a video on Michael Hauge’s 6 act plot structure, and a video comparing ‘Whiplash vs. Black Swan - The Anatomy of the Obsessed Artist’; and analysed both of them, looking at the different ways a stories plot can be dissected and laid out. This gave me a really exciting, new incite into structuring my screenplay in an effective way before I began the screenwriting process. 08/18SummerOver the Summer I decided on perusing Psychoanalyst//Compos Mentis out of the two ideas I had, and began drafting the screenplay.18/09/18Pre-Production:The ScriptI have begun drafting my screenplay. I also began analysing another source of mine, a video titled ‘The Structure of Self-destructing’. As the main character in my short film loses control and spiral into self-destruction, this video helped me to understand how to portray this idea into film. 18/09/18Proposal FormToday I also filled out my proposal form, and put a copy of it on my blog. I plan to have a finished film, or at the least the final draft, for after the Christmas holidays. This gives me enough time to finish the screenplay and start production and editing.09/10/18Finding sourcesIn the EPQ session today, Jason told me that I should pick something more specific to explore while producing my film. He said ‘we know you’re good at writing, we know you’re good at filming and editing, why don’t you look into sound design’. At first I thought he was suggesting for me to design a piece of music for my film, but after a conversation about the definition of soundtrack I realised he meant to focus on sound itself. I spent the session looking into sound used in psychological thrillers, and after another student told me about ‘Infrasound’, I found myself falling down a rabbit hole of the used of infrasound to create a sense of unease in the audience in horrors/thrillers. I recently watch ‘A Quiet Place’ for the first time and had seen interviews on the sound design used for the film, as it relies heavily on sound. I remembered watching a specific video, ‘Telling a Story with Sound – Lessons from the Screenplay’ and became gripped what the writers/sound designers had down for the film. In the video, Screenwriters Bryan Woods and Scott Beck talk about how they ‘Threw formatting styles to the wind.” which is seen evidently in the screenplay itself. This concept really intrigued me as it was something I had never seen before, and captured the use of sound design and screenwriting. I showed Jason and he said ‘This is perfect for you!’ I found other sources too which looked deeper into the sound design and screenwriting of A Quiet Place.I have also been looking into Darren Aronofsky’s hip-hop montages in Requiem for a Dream, and the movie as a whole.Final ScreenplayAs I began to talk about last time, My script has taken influence on the ‘A Quiet Place’ screenplay, where writers Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and John Krasinski disobey industry standard formatting to integrate the use of sound into the screenplay itself. I love how the writers have taken formatting in the screenplay to a new level, not really seen before in the industry, and have taken influence for my own script. Though it was difficult to go against what I know when writing a screenplay, it was a fun experience playing with font and formatting to convey different messages to the reader that I wouldn’t’ve been able to before.18/10/18Pre-production Planning/props/sets etcBefore going out and filming, I wanted to find the perfect locations to film in; and also, to fill with effective props. I spent a long time today finding a location to film the ‘Dr’ scenes with Alfie in – I ultimately decided on a spare room above my Aunty and Uncles Garage as it used to be my Aunties study/Office, so she already has a desk, chair etc. I also spent a while designing props to use in the study, to create that decaying effect I have used throughout the script when returning to this location. I have taken two sets of pictures that I will place in photo frames within the scene and change as the scenes go on. 22/10/18Filming with AlfieFilming with Alfie Oldman, with the help of Hannah Carey, was a productive experience that took a lot quicker then I had originally thought thanks to my pre-planning. Shooting went well, and I got everything I needed. If I were to film these scenes again though, I would use a boom mic to pick up better audio. I will be re-touching/adjusting colour of these shots during post-production editing to achieve a darker feel to the shots. Overall, I am over-the-moon with todays shoot.24/10/18Editing Today I began editing the footage I have so far. In one shoot I have got almost half of the film, and have been cutting it down and blocking the material in preparation for when I have shot some more. I am really happy so far with production, and can’t wait to continue filming. I am really proud of Alfie’s performance as before filming he confided in me that he hadn’t had much experience nor confidence in front of the camera, and was used to being behind it. I think he did a brilliant job. 4/11/18Filming at take-awayToday I filmed with Frazer and Matt and the take-away. Apart from the odd disturbance during shooting, it went well and I got what we needed. During post-production editing I will need to retouch some of the footage to attempt to eliminate as many of the logos as I can. The last shot in this sequence, during production didn’t go exactly how I’d hoped so I may have to reshoot. In the script I tried to create the sense that there were many people in the background frozen, starring at him. However, I couldn’t get enough people together at the time to create this effect. I may wish to re-film this shot at a later date, Otherwise I will use post-production editing techniques to best create the atmosphere I had in mind while screenwriting.6/11/18EditingWhile editing the footage I got with Frazer outside in Lancing, I realized I was not happy with the footage at all. The shots inside the take-way are just what I needed, and just need retouching. But everything outside didn’t capture the atmosphere that I was going for. I will try my best with the footage I have, and play around with it, but I will probably end up re-shooting.12/11/18Filming with FrazerFilming with Frazer today was so fun, simply because of how weird the action needed to be, especially with the milk, cereal and fake blood. I am very pleased with the footage I got tonight, and believe it is going to work really well in the final thing. Again, it took a lot quicker then I was expecting to film due to my pre-planning. 13/11/18EditingThe drafting/blocking of the film is slowly coming together, there are only a few more scenes left to film. I am very methodical in that I feel I need all the footage ready before I can start investing a lot of time into editing, and perfecting details. But so far, in blocking the footage, I am very proud in myself and of the other people who have helped me so far. Regarding the last shoot I did with Frazer, the only thing I am having trouble with is when he throws the bowl, crashing to the floor. During production I couldn’t actually have him smash a ceramic bowl on my dinning room floor, so we improvised with an identical pre-broken bowl. However, it didn’t have the same effect as what I was hoping for, so I will have to play around with editing. Or otherwise refilm smashing the bowl.22/11/18Filming at homeToday I filmed with Frazer and Hannah, with the help of Chantelle. The shoot went really well, and I got everything I needed. I found It was actually very useful having an extra crew member/pair of hands to help me behind the scenes. Chantelle maned the boom mic for me, which took the ease off of me a little bit. I knew I could rely on her, and she was a massive help. The shoot went really well.25/11/18Filming ‘drugs’This evening I spent a long time filming fake drugs to intercut between the hip-hop drug montages in the film. This shoot was mostly experimental as I was playing around with maple syrup, fake blood and ink in a ‘crack pipe’. I also played around with dripping ink and fake blood into water – These shots came out really well and I am extremely proud of the quality. 29/11/18EditingThroughout editing, I am really proud of my upkeep with continuity. Nothing is more distracting to me more than when a scene isn’t good with continuity. With my film, this is mostly with action on screen. Taking two shots of the same action, and cutting between the action. For example, in one scene as Frazer is talking to Hannah, he moves around a lot. During production we got various shot lengths of the same sequence, which has let me be able to cut during an action like Frazer whipping his head around. It is almost like hiding an edit in a whip pan, but hiding the cut in the action instead. Or in other words, continuous editing. In my opinion it just makes the sequence look cleaner and more professional.02/11/18EditingToday I just continued blocking footage, nothing too exciting. I did however begin experimenting with the gaussian blur and masking effect to add a whimsical/disorientated feel to the sequence. Though, as I have said before, I don’t want to start defining scenes and editing in effects before I have all my footage. I don’t know if this is a smart idea, but I feel this is the most effective way I work when editing. 04/12/18Editing/WritingEditing the hip-hop montages has been more difficult than I had originally anticipated. Simply because I have so much good footage that I want to keep in, that the montages are either far too long or the snippet shoots themselves are too long where it takes away from the infamous ‘hip-hop montage’ vibe. I am excited to start playing around with sound design during the montages though, taking influence form Aronofsky himself, as I think the sound will make the montages more defined. In my last project I had a similar style montage throughout the film, that was so fast paced that it became disorientating. Which is an effect I am trying to achieve in this film, however, I need to cut shots down to do this. I have also been trying to organise my sources into one document/blog post for my bibliography. ................
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