The Magic of Movies

Look back at your goals for the Fall and Spring Semester blog posts.  Were you able to achieve your goals?  Why or why not?  What could you have done differently?  Looking back at them, what could you have done to focus more on your goals in the course? I'd say I was able to achieve a lot of what I wanted to learn this year. I can definitely say I kept track of my time and made sure I was on top of my time management. Next year I can't wait to do more work harder and prove to myself I can be better. The only thing I'd say I could've done better is have stronger confidence and believe that I am capable. 

What unit did you enjoy the most?  Why?  What are three things that you learned from the unit?  What are two things that you'd like to know more about?  How could this unit be improved?  Please give detailed input. I enjoyed the camera unit the most. Why did I enjoy it? I enjoyed it because it taught me so much about how a camera operates what shots and angles are called and look like. I also learned great filmmaking techniques in this unit. The history of some shots and angles and what the best ones were in some films. I learned a lot that early 2023 me didn't know at all. This unit seems to just perfect the way it is we learn a lot in a short amount of time considering the class is 3 hours we learn a great amount. 

Now that you are finished creating a documentary, what are some things that surprised you about making one?  What are some things that you found challenging?  What could you improve next time?  What was your client/teacher's input on your final cut? The most challenging part in my documentary was losing lots of footage and learning how to still make a watchable documentary. We managed to cover this error by filming tons of b-roll the previous days. My client has not viewed my video yet so I am not very sure. I think I could next time have another camera rolling for the main footage in case of lost footage. This certainly was a challenging project and I hope I can do a better job next time if I get the opportunity to work on a documentary again. 

Reflect on your experience of the film festival.  What was it like to see your or your classmates' work on the big screen before a live audience?  How did this make you feel?  How could you improve in the future?  What would you do differently? It was nice seeing my classmates, getting to see their work was nice. It was a nice feeling getting to hear the audience laugh at our jokes some people understood it and others didn't. This made me feel like I am worth more and that I should work harder next year and improve. What I want to do differently is collab with more people and act in more. 

What kind of mood do the filmmakers convey in this short? What are 3 techniques that you noticed that help convey the mood of the film? This short video shows a realistic side of the country men that love comics. I like the color grading they did it's fun it has a nice vibrant colors. It has a lighthearted comedic style and it basically invites you watch. It had a nice introduction showing the store owner and his store. The mood is nice and warm and enjoyable. 

What are 3 techniques that it uses that you learned about in the documentary?  How does the documentary use them effectively?  Are there any techniques it uses that weren't in the keynote? The first technique I saw was the proper use for rule of thirds, no serif font a more blocky bold text. Second technique was the b-roll combination of ethereal space footage to down to earth talking head interviews. The third technique they used was they took a direct interviewing style, the interviewees are pressed on straightforward subjects such as mental health and a life without sex etc. This documentary helps you connect with the interviewees in a down to earth way it's quite nonchalant. 

What are 3 techniques that it uses that you learned about in the film?  How does the documentary use them effectively?  Are there any techniques it uses that weren't in the keynote? The colors define how this story is driven it's more cold and sad looking rather than warm and lighthearted. We get a good sense of his story he's telling us and showing us with A-Roll and B-Roll scenes to demonstrate. The sound in this film keeps us immersed with the music the sound effects. Lots of close ups, slow mo's, and all of the framework in general. 3D cameras were used to capture the intimate moments which normally isn't common for films. 

What are 3 techniques that the filmmakers use to tell a compelling story?  What kind of mood do they create?  How do they accomplish this? The first technique I learned was you want to have a mediative approach and presence you want your audience to be able to capture the sincerity in your work.  You want a strong and solid introduction to your film/story engage your audience into this world immerse them you can do this with sound.  The third technique I learned was lighting, good lighting is a key essential to your film. This documentary tells us about Roger and his story. This is a compelling story because he shares his creative idea with the highway theater. 

What is the status of your documentary?  What is each of your team members doing to support it?  What exactly have you been doing?  What are some challenges you've been having?  How can you overcome them? The status of my documentary is that it is complete and uploaded on YouTube although there is one finishing touch that I plan to fix/add so I am planning to re-upload/resubmit my project. Everyone in my team is on the path to completing their final cuts of the documentary, we're all watching each others and giving tips. The only difficult challenge my group has faced is losing our main footage that focuses on our topic but fortunately we managed to cover that inconvenience by filming lots of B-Roll, and using a second camera when filming A-Roll. 

In your own words, which of these three are the most important?  Why?  If there were one more mistake that could be added to this list, what do you think it would be? The first important mistake you don't want to make is not asking a question or choosing a theme. The biggest mistake people make is going ahead with a subject that interests them. This can result in a great film, but rarely. The second mistake I learned was choosing a worthy subject people who go into just choosing a subject that seems worthy gets them into a tricky spot. The third mistake I learnt was using poor technique to recreate events lots of documentaries when trying to recreate a past event tend to blur things use bad actors and go all-resolution. Another mistake I would add is not planning ahead for your documentary, not planning is a absolute setup for disaster. 

What are three key points that the presenter makes about lighting? Why are each of them important? What is one point that you would like to learn more about? 3 point lighting is key light, fill light, hair light. When it comes to 3 point lighting you're lighting for a subject a person or an animal, it's not necessarily lighting if it's for an environment or if you're going to be lighting a set. Hair light is to separate the subject from the background it hits the rim of you and it makes the edges of your body pop. Key light works as the main source of exposure for a cinematographer. Fill light is important to fill up the missing light in your video. One point in lighting I'd like to learn more about is hair light to me it seems a little more interesting and complex. 

What are three key suggestions that this video brings up?  Why are each of these so important?  How could you use them in future productions? The first important tip I learned was to choose the correct space. You want a spacious enough location that will fit nay props, cables, and camera equipment/lighting equipment. You want somewhere that won't have constant lighting issues. The second important tip was composing your shot, you want to either have a tight close up to capture an intimate moment or a wider shot to reveal the props in the back and for a more interesting setting, you always want to frame the subject to the opposite side that they're looking. The third tip I learned was you should run a second camera in your interview it can be extremely helpful later in the editing room. These are important tips in terms of good composition and a good setting for your interview. 

 A lot of interviews can become boring or inauthentic. The first tip given to me was when interviewing someone getting the best answer is top priority the way you do this is crucial how you ask the question is just as important so asking open ended questions is the best way to get the answers that you're looking for. The second tip I learned is you should prepare you questions and not go in blind to the interview it will come off as unprofessional. The third key tip I learned in this video is try and get the best most natural answers possible it's important to not give out your questions it is suggested you give a general idea on what kind of questions you'll ask. 

What are some key tips that this video recommends for shooting effective B-roll?  How can these help you in your documentary project? When you start with your B-Roll you want to start with a wide lens, shoot a tilt, pan, or diagonal pan/tilt of the exterior. You want to film your documentary from multiple angles for B-Roll while they do their job or whatever it is. You also want to consider your background and how good is it, if it looks messy or not pleasing to see you won't want to use a background that looks clean and not distracting. These can you by dressing your set up nicely for the interviews in your documentary and also keeping your audience intrigued. 

What are three key interview tips this video emphasizes? How could you use them in your documentary?  The first key tip I learned was when you ask a question you have to pay close attention on what you're being told because there are many times where the interviewee could make an interesting comment. The second key tip I learned was jot down 7-10 questions and that's usually enough to sustain a 45 minute conversation try and get detailed questions in order to receive high detailed responses. The third thing I learned was to dig deeper on thoughts, motivation, and feelings. You want to do this because it helps you build a connection and better understanding your documentary topic. 

What are three key interview tips this video emphasizes?  How could you use them in your documentary? A critical thing to do earlier on is build/establish a connection with your interviewee. You want to do this early on to create trust and comfort with your interviewee otherwise it'll be harder to get good A-roll due to the fact it'll be difficult for them to answer or know how to answer questions. You want to be able to communicate with the person in ease and not have to feel as if you're dragging them along to answer you. Practicing and articulate explanations will certainly help your interviewee respond naturally. Using these tips are critical to build trust, get a heartfelt answer from your interviewee. 

What does this article have to say about the importance of writing a documentary script?  What are three new things that you've learned to include in creating your scripts?  Why? Three new things I learned from reading this article is finding the story for a documentary. A documentary is enriched with storytelling elements, therefore it is important to acquire a good sense of narrative storytelling. Second thing I learned was you need to do tons of researching. Before jumping into the documentary script, you need to take the time to research it's a crucial step in the process. Third thing I learned was you need to plan a documentary script.  Once you discover and thoroughly research the idea, it's time to plan out the script. These steps are important in order for your documentary to have a good balance. 

Why are documentary scripts important?  What are some key things to keep in mind when writing them? The key tip I learned was to use the narrative elements at your disposal. Documentaries for the most part are written and it revolves around a written story, it inherits direct cinema, and written narration is the backbone of leading/carrying your documentary. The second key tip I learned about is to use different narrative points of view. Ken says "a combination of the two narratives creates something that's fuller and richer and more dimensional." This gives a lot of tension and reconciliation. The third key element of documentary scripts I read/learnt about is words are not set in stone. The writer's job is to just write the scene, so inevitably the process of working on a script is cutting/toning it down. Scripts normally undergo many drafts during the editing process. Some key things to keep in mind when writing a doc script are these tips because they're very ...

B-roll is essential for your documentary.  Check out this article with embedded videos for a closer explanation and examination of it. B-roll is essentially alternative footage to your main footage captured. A-roll is your main footage, for example if you interview a construction worker the A-roll will be them talking and responding to the interview questions. The B-roll would be different shots of them doing their job fixing or operating things etc. B-roll takes many different forms, for example stock footage, newly acquired footage, still pictures, animations, etc. The best time to get B-roll is after you film all of your A-roll footage. The main purpose of B-roll is to get the extra potential footage you might use/need. You might prefer something you filmed in your B-roll shoot rather than the A-roll you captured. It's very important to get B-roll in any sort of film you make. 

What are 3 key things that this article tells the viewer to keep in mind?  Why are they important? The first key thing I learned was you need to construct a story and character outline for the footage you've filmed. The characters need to represent a different facet to their complex relationships with their bodies. The second key thing I learned was you need a story that motivates the viewer to continue watching, it's important they have character development, conflict resolution, tension and plot of a fiction film. The third key thing I learned from this article is that you need to have good planning in order for the final cut of your documentary to come out good. These key tips are important because they give you good notes/advice on how to capture your audience and make a good documentary.