Practice for Production Day

Introduction 

Hello, and today I will be showing you what my partner and I did to test out all the equipment and also test out different shots and how we will be taking them, now that all of our equipment has arrived.

Lights 

So first off we tested out the different lighting setting the light we bought had to offer. The 2 light types w tried was the warm orange lighting and the bright white lighting.

 - This is a photo of my cat with no lighting from the tool.

 - This is a photo of my cat with the warm lighting and the intensity is at 100%

- This is a photo of my cat with the warm lighting but with an intensity of 50%

- This is a photo of my cat with the white light and the intensity is at 50%

These are the lighting settings we will use to create the vibe we are looking for .

Phone Stabilizer/ Camera Shots 

Now the next thing we did was try out the phone stabilizer and different shots we will be including in different scenes.

This video is where we used the phone stabilizer and tried zooming in and out since we use that in various scenes. The stabilizer made it efficient and easier to zoom in and out.

These 2 shots were the jumping transition shots which were an essential part of the film since that is when young Emily transitions to present Emily. As shown in the video the phone is static and this was done by using the phone stabilizer which proved to be a great help because we could adjust the height of the phone to the ground.

Here is a photo of how the stabilizer looks with the microphone and the light attachment.

Microphones

We wanted to try out the microphones by practicing the over the shoulder shots as there is the most back to back dialogue in those scenes. For these practice scenes we used Laura, and Emily's understudies.

 

This video is of an over the shoulder shot which we used the phone stabilizer for where we also were able to put the light attachment on too. This video has no microphone use, so the audio sounds muffled.

Now this is the same shot as the other video, but on the other hand the microphone is used in this shot and the audio sounds much better and clearer.

Conclusion

This practice was needed because now my partner and I know what to do and what not to do on shoot day. If we didn't plan this day we would have wasted more time day of shoot figuring out all the material and re watching shots to get everything right, hence my partner and I are glad we were able to do this. Until the next blog.

Production Day Timeline

 Introduction

Hello and welcome back to my blog. Today I will be talking about the estimated timeline for my partner and I production shoot day, since it is taking place Friday. This will help stay organize and keep us on track so we can work as efficiently as possible.

Timeline

So to start off, we were only able to book the gym space from 12:00 am to 3:00 pm. This means our gym scenes need to be a priority when it comes to filming.

12:00-12:30 

During this time we will just set up everything and leave time in case our actors are a tiny bit late. Also during this time we will make sure that the cast has the right clothes, makeup, and hairstyle so that we a start filming.  

12:30- 1:50

During this time we will be filming the entirety of the second scene as it is the most technical scene and requires the most time to get everything right. We may go over time with this scene because there are so many different components, such as the flip the spacing, and more.

1:50- 2:10

During this time we will have a 20 minute break for lunch this is important especially for the cast since most of our cast had to leave early from work or school and weren't able to get anything to eat. Our actors health is number 1 to us so we scheduled this time for them to eat and drink and it also serves as extra time for my partner and I in case of any mishaps to where we will need a few minutes to regroup.

2:10- 2:40

During this time we will be filming the opening scene/ the first scene. This scene will require. some time but not much since her is no dialogue. But in may take some tries to get all the movements as dynamic as possible.

2:40- 3:00

During this time we will be looking over all the footage to see if there are any shots that need to be redone before we have to leave the gym.

3:00- 3:45

This time will be for the last scene. Because the last scene takes place in the car we will be no longer using the gym, but the car scene will take some time because we will need to film while the car is moving and we will be going to different locations as the park so we have to take in account travel time.

Conclusion

Overall, my partner and I will be trying to stick to this timeline as much as possible. It also keeps us on track because if we go over time we know that we will need to wrap it up and move on, so by creating the timeline we will be well organized for shoot day. 

Items we will be buying for Day of Shoot

 Introduction

Hello, and today we will be going through the products my partner and I will be buying for shoot day to help us create the best film opening we can. We will be using Amazon to purchase our products and we will be making sure that the products we order will arrive a few days earlier before the day of shoot so we can be able to test them out. My partner and I will be splitting the money evenly and hopefully returning the items after we use them. We will be buying a total of 3 items, a phone stabilizer, mini microphones, and a light attachment.

Small Microphones

This product was one of the first things my partner and I knew we were going to need to purchase  ignorer to get great audio. So once on amazon we searched up small microphones and we picked one of the first ones that popped up.

This product is one of amazons best sellers and has amazing reviews and is also cheaper compared to other models making. it affordable for my partner and I. Also the microphones are small making them perfect to hide in the outfits so they don't appear on camera.

These microphones come in pairs which is very helpful since both scene 2 and 3 have 2 people talking meaning by having 2 microphones we are able to move faster and get all the audio as clear as possible. These microphones are bluetooth connected by plugging in a black small box to the phone which makes this very beginner friendly to use as the set up is easy to do. Now these microphones are the most expensive out of the 3  items costing a total of $24.99 which is still affordable for being our most expensive item.

Phone Stabilizer

This product was a little harder to find as it required a bit more scrolling to find it, but this product looks like a great a match for my partner and I

This product allows us to hold our phone, and attach the light plus the microphones without causing any issue. It also stabilizes the phone rather than if we were holding the phone the light and the microphone the video could become shaky causing unnecessary blurriness.

The frame also has a button on one of the handles where you can connect to your phone and be able to take pictures while pressing the button. This feature is very cool. but my partner and I are probably not going to be using it much since we are recording a video.

This stabilizer has good reviews and only costs $19.98 making it affordable and a great find as other similar products cost way more.

Light Attachment

The last thing out of our 3 items is the light attachment. This was pretty easy to find but did take some comparing to find the best one for our film opening.

This product had a bunch of different setting including a white and warm light and a Buch of different colors, they also have a flashing setting which is used for dramatic effect. There was also a button to where you can change the setting of intensity of the light.

We plan to use this in the first 2 scenes to show the difference from the warm lighting to the cool monotone lighting. This product costed $18.95 being our cheapest item but still a good deal since it has gray reviews and its a best seller.

Conclusion

The prices of the three items added together will be $63.92 plus taxes and shipping cost will give us a total of $57 for the three pieces of equipment so we will split this between the two of us and each pay $28.50.

Me and my partner are so exited to use our equipment ant test them out.  We used my amazon account since I have prime so it can arrive as fast as possible. 

Script Share

 Introduction

Hello, and today I will be sharing script our script to our cast members while also getting feedback from each actor on my partner and I'd script.

Script Sharing

My partner and I were only able to get photos of Isima and Shannon with the script because Gaby and Zara were too busy to meet with us or there was never a right time give it to them. Hence, instead we shared the script digitally to Zara and Gaby.

I personally shared a printed script with Shannon after one of my practices at the gym. Once she had the script we allowed her to read it and she shared her thoughts. She liked the script a lot which was great for my partner and I, then she helped us by telling us where we should shoot each scene that takes place in the gym and where we could get the best lighting. She also helped ease the concern my partner and I had about the air conditioning sound affecting the audio to which she replied "we can turn it off while filming." This proved to be a great help and we were so happy to take in her advice.

Isima was given the script from my partner Melanie at her house. Since my partner Melanie had the script on her I pad she let her mother read off of it to reduce paper waste. Melanie's mother liked the script the only thing she had to say about it is that she "yaps to much" but otherwise she liked the script and thought that her lines were written well. Also we reminded her that she would need the defender for the day of shoot which she agreed to tell her husband that she would be using the vehicle that day.

Now Zara was given the script digitally to which after reading over it she gave us a thumbs up on the script and had no feedback which was great because she will be playing the main character so her liking the script was crucial. After she gave us the thumbs up we reminded her of her costume and answered her questions about filming day.

Since Gaby is young we gave the script to her mother who was able to explain to her what she was doing and it was easy to get feedback fast since Gaby's scene didn't have any lines. In all, her mother and Gaby approved the script and told us that they would be doing gaby's hair at her house sine she likes the way her mom does her hair, in which we responded that of course she could do her hair at her house.

Conclusion

My partner and I are so happy our main cast loved the script because that means we won't have to make any changes to our scripts. Melanie and I will be staying in contact with our cast to make sure we are ready for shoot day. 

Cast List

 Introduction

Introduction

Hello and welcome back to my blog. Starting this post I have officially started the production period of my portfolio project. To start off the production period I thought that the best thing to post about first is the cast list for my partner and I film opening. A cast list is important to any film because having the right actors helps bring your character to life. Therefore here is the cast list in order of appearance

Young Emily- Gabriella Diaz

  

• Gabriella but preferred name Gaby is 8 years old and is a Xcel Silver gymnast at Alpha Gymnastics ( which is where I also practice)

• She has brown eyes and brown hair with a fair skin tone.  She is also 4'3 making her a perfect height for a young Emily. These  features will come in handy as they align with who we were planning to cast as her older version.

• She is a very talented and dedicated gymnast as she has scored 2 perfect 10's in previous competitions.

• Her instagram account is gaby_dgymnastics and her account is manly run by her mom due to her age. Her mom is super sweet and supportive of her daughter. We were able to talk to her mom since we needed permission to film her daughter and we were also able to address any concerns she had.

• Gaby also owns various different leotards so she is able to dress how we envisioned and her mom will be doing her hair therefore we won't have to worry about those details.

Young Emily Understudy- Bianca Buenaventura

• Bianca is a Xcel Platinum gymnast who has also scored a perfect 10, meaning she is all very talented. She is 4'10' has brown eyes and Brown hair but tan skin meaning she is a good but not perfect match for our character but  still a great actor and gymnast therefore she is young Emily's understudy.

Emily- Zara Gonzalez Puig

   

• Zara is 12 years old and an Xcel Platinum Gymnast at Alpha gymnastics where I also practice.

•  She has brown eyes, brown hair, and fair skin. She is 5'1 in height which is great because there is a gap between her height and gaby's showing the age difference.

• She is also very skilled as she is a 3 time state champion and has scored a perfect 10 at a previous competition. 

• She is also very comfortable in front of a camera as she is a Florida athlete ambassador for Clay Morgan Productions meaning she is regularly photographed and knows her way around a camera.

•  Her instagram is gymnastics.with.zara where she posts about training, competitions, and other accomplishments. Her instagram is also mainly run by her mom which we met in order to use Zara in our film opening.

• Just like Gaby, Zara owns various different leotards including the color leotard we want meaning we won't have to worry about costume. or hair since her mom will be doing her hair.

Emily Understudy- Noemy Buenaventura 

• I will be the understudy for Emily since I am also a Platinum level gymnast and I have received 2 perfect 10's at previous competitions. I am 5'1, I have brown eyes and hair, just like Zara meaning if anything were to happen I would fit right in.

Laura- Shannon Kennedy  

   

• Shannon Kennedy is 30 years old and a xcel coach at alpha Gymnastics. She has also been a Level 8 gymnast, an all star Cheerleader, has had a degree in cosmetology, and has been coaching gymnastics since she was 16 years old.

• Because she is a xcel coach at Alpha gymnastics she coaches Gaby, Zara, and me meaning we all are comfortable around her and she is easy to get in touch nice I see her almost everyday.

• And because of her degree in cosmetology she is can also help  in case of any hair or makeup mishaps.

• She is 5'6 inches tall which is perfect for our over the shoulder shots because there will be a change in angle which will be great because it will make he shots more dynamic and really show the dominance stance we wanted for the scene. 

• Her instagram is Shannon_77 which is where my partner and I were able to contact her for any follow ups.

Laura Understudy- Melanie-Justo-Chong

• My partner Melanie is the under study for Laura she is 17 years old, but is mature for her age and is the same height as Shannon meaning the over shoulder shots would still work in case of anything.

Veronica/ Emily's Mom- Ismia Chiong Diaz

  

• She is 43 years old which is a perfect age to be a mother of a teenager, and she is also 5'2 meaning she is still taller than Zara so there will be no problem there height wise.

• This is my partners mother so its easy for my partner and I to contact her and talk to her about any of our filming plans.

• She has had 20 years of driving experience in Florida plus 5 extra years in Cuba where she used to live. This means that the driving scene will be easy for her to do.

• She is her own boss at her company meaning she creates her own schedule and will be able to make time for our film opening. In addition she already has the costume we need since the clothes are normal everyday clothes.

Veronica Understudy- Noemy Barberan

• Noemy Barbarian is my mom, she is 5'2, 45 years old, and is also her own boss meaning there will be no  issue when it comes to scheduling. Additionally she has 20 years of driving experience in Florida plus an extra 6 years in Ecuador where she used to live, so the driving scene will be easy for her to do if any thing were to happen.

Safety Adviser- Shannon Kennedy 

•  Shannon Kennedy who is playing the coach will also be the safety adviser making sure that no one get's hurt. She is qualified for this since she is a certified coach. This helps us also feel more comfortable while shooting and helps us get a professional advise on different gymnastics skills we will include. 

Conclusion

In all, this is the cast list. And my partner and I made sure to have understudies in case of anything- this makes us better prepared for anything. Now on my next blog post I will be script sharing to everyone on the cast list.

Story Board & Script Writing

Introduction

Hello and welcome back, today my partner and I did our story board and our script for our film opening. This was. the next step since doing. a storyboard is essential to having a good rough visual layout of what you what to happen and see. This also makes it easier to script write since you follow your storyboard.

Story Board

When it came to storyboarding it was rough trying to find time to do its because my partner and I couldn't found enough time to do it.. But eventually we were able to set a date after school for us both to meet up at our local coffee shop.

This first photo was our first scene, and this was easy to layout because my partner and I had already  decided how much time and what we want in the beginning for credits before the title. And because we had already done a loose plot from one of the previous blog posts.

The next picture are in order and they are from scene's 2 to 3 and these also followed our loose plots but they were a little harder to do because my partner and I wanted everything to look cohesive together and this did lead to differences in opinions but overall my partner and I are proud of our story board.

The story board paper also made it great for when we start writing the script because under each drawing we were able to include camera focuses, shots, and movements that will be in that take while also including any gestures as well or loose script as well.

 

Script Writing

Now when it came to script writing we did have to do a little bit of research to know how to format a script correctly, but then after that we were able to start writing our script. We met up at my partner's house to write the script a few days later after we did the story board. Writing our script was easy because all we needed to do was follow our story board, the only thing we needed to add were the full lines that the character's were going to say for each scene but in all it was pretty easy to do. Here is a copy of the script.

Click here to open PDF of Script

Conclusion

Overall me and my partner were able to create a storyboard and a script that we like. In addition, I learned why storyboards are important when it comes to film making, its because they set the ground work for the film and make script writing a million times easier.  Since this was my partners and I's last week of planning, next week we are moving on to production. And the first thing I will be posting about next week is the cast list for our film, so stay tuned.

Title & Font Types

Introduction

Today I will be discussing what our film title will be, also what font we will be using for the title, and finally the estimated time for when all the opening credits will be coming out. This will help us be better prepared for our editing week because we will have this already layout.

Title with Font & color

So when it came to picking a title for our film we wanted to demonstrate a correlation with the sport gymnastics, while also including a dramatic theme to implore a struggle- especially since this is a sport-drama. This led us to creating two titles we thought would fit our concept. The first title we created was called Stuck in the Air and the second title we came up with was called Off Balance. Now both of these titles were good choices because they both had the concept we were looking for, but in the end we decided on the name Off Balance because it presided with us more than Stuck in the Air.

Next thing we needed to pick were Font types and color. So first off when it came to picking a font type wanted to pick something that showed control and was bold/ serious while also choosing a font that showed struggle and coming of age.  This led us to picking the font " Clarendon Condensed" as shown in the photo below. And then for the color of the font my partner and I decided on white as the color white shows vulnerability and the chance to grow.

Timing for text

So, throughout the beginning scene there will be some credits popping up on the screen such as director, writers, producers, and actors that are from the film and also once that is done the title of the movie will pop up on the screen. We decided that we will want the credits to pop up first before the title, and we want the title to pop up after the nostalgic scene before the transition of young Emily to present Emily. This meant we would have the first 15 -20 seconds for credits. 

In addition, the credits will pop up in different corners of the screen throughout the 15 seconds, and my partner and I decided that the size of the text should be small enough so the audience could see what is happening on the screen, as that is what we want the audience to focus on. But we still want them big enough so that the audience docent have a hard time reading them. Now each credit will stay on screen for 2-3 seconds and then they will just cut out and the next one would appear 1 second later in a different corner of the screen. 

Furthermore, for the final piece of text that will show up in our film opening is the title. And the title will take up most of the screen, plus it will be in the middle, and this will help show the importance of the text to the audience. Additionally, the title will be on the screen for 5 seconds max. 

Conclusion

In all this blog post helped my partner and I be better prepared for once we start editing our film opening and start including the text's. Now, all of this is subject to change depending on what will look more ideal on screen once we start editing but this created a great layout and out my partner. Well, see you in the next post when my partner and I start storyboarding and script writing.