What I Have Learned About Myself As A Filmmaker

I am very thankful for taking FST 201 because it has afforded me an opportunity to get a closer look at the technical aspects of filmmaking and what is to come in the future. Coming into this class, I knew I wanted to eventually become a producer or work on casting, but this class has opened my eyes to another field of study: sound design. I have really enjoyed using the H4N this semester (1. Because it is easy to use and 2. Because it can pick up some really good sound). So, in addition to producing and casting I want to look into sound design as a possible field of study for me in the future. As for my learning about filmmaking in general, I have learned that it is very important to keep in mind of what each department requires for the project while working on the project.

Next Semester

This semester has just gone by so quickly, and it is hard to believe that summer is just around the corner. A couple of weeks ago I signed up for classes that I want to take in the fall; however, I only was able to register for one of the five classes that I wanted to take (FST 330: Producing). Other classes that I signed up for include FST 317 (Writing About Film), FST 385 (Japanese Cinema), FST 363 (Producing UG Film Magazine). The class that I was really looking forward to next semester, before I got waitlisted, was Screenwriting I. I’ve been waitlisted for this class and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for openings until the fall. I also want to try to take some FST classes during the summer if possible. I am disappointed about the registration period not going as smooth as I had expected, but I feel like I got into some good classes and I cannot wait!

Directing for Wild Card Project

So, for the Wild Card Project I have been assigned as the director. I am very excited for this opportunity and I believe we have the ability to make a great film. I am very excited because we found out recently that we will be able to shoot at the type of location that we had initially planned for (a hotel). We will be shooting on Thursday at the Baymont Hotel, and the owner has been gracious enough to let us shoot there for FREE! Last week, for the first rough cut, we recorded the majority of the dialogue and other sound effects. Because letting us shoot in the hotel for free is a huge favor, I know we will need to shoot everything on Thursday and get good coverage. I cannot wait until Thursday because I am excited to start filming at the Baymont Hotel located on South College Road.

Overhead, Storyboard, and Shot List for Wild Card Project

Sound Editing Experience

This past week Kelley and I have been editing the soundscape for the second part of assignment 3. Our topic is “Thickly keeping out the light.” It is an interesting concept and I think we have done a good job thus far. It has been fun going through each group’s sound libraries and picking out sounds that relate to our concept. There are so many sounds that intrigue me, but unfortunately we cannot use some of them. There were a lot of sounds that really stood out to me. One of these sounds was the sound of a ticking clock. We have inserted this sound into our project and I believe that we have made it work well with our concept. Another sound that stood out to me was the creaking of a chair. So far, after listening to all of the available sound, it has been difficult to stick with the conceptual aspect of the project because there are so many sounds that can be used to create a great sound narrative. I think I will want to go back in my free time and try to create my own sound narrative after the semester concludes.

Sound Recording

This past week our group recorded sound for the third assignment. I think our group has recorded some really good sound and I had fun doing so. I really like our sound and cannot wait to edit it for the second part of the project. I did learn a lot from this task. For instance, I learned for the second time how important it really is to check the sound levels and the headphone levels. When I was recording one of my sounds I found that I had recorded it too low so I had to scrap that recording and I ended up recording an even better sound. This project has also encouraged me to become more aware of the sound that surrounds us throughout the day that we typically dismiss. I tried to record some of these sounds like drawers closing, the sounds of doors locking, and the sounds of doors shutting.

Master Shot Editing Experience

So far the editing experience for my project has been interesting. I am really happy with the product so far, and I think we have the tools to make this project a good one. When we were first discussing our project we had come to the conclusion that we were going to make this a black and white film and we have managed to stick with that idea all the way through the post-production process. I have been amazed by some of the effects that Final Cut Pro will lets us do. I do not want to give too much away, but I really like how we were able to manipulate our master shot to mimic a security camera look. I also enjoyed editing the match-on-action shot. For some reason, I just find it fascinating to create that illusion of movement. So far, I am very proud of our product and I cannot wait until we finalize our project.