Filming is DONE!

Filming on "Rebirth" has officially wrapped! We filmed all day yesterday (5/2/11) and have hours of footage which we just finished digitizing.

After briefly looking over the footage that we recorded, I am very pleased. Although we have a great amount of footage to thumb through and edit together. We are currently going through music selections and deciding how to piece of film together. I will post some pictures from the set later as well as a post about how to handle a filming day!

We will be editing our film tonight starting at 4 pm and going through to 4 am. Bring on the caffeine!!

Locations and Sound

The term “film” is an extremely overwhelming one. Most people assimilate the term with either a huge big budget Hollywood blockbuster or some kind of action packed adventure.

The truth is there are hundreds of different types of films. As a student and an aspiring film maker you have the ability to make a “film.”

We covered the steps to creating your own student film but now I want to discuss some important things to keep in mind.

Location. Location. LOCATION!

As a student film maker, location is key. Having the perfect location is what helps to set the mood of the film as well as being aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. It is extremely important to find the location that best fits your scene.

In most instances, we are working with little to no budget. So what are we to do? Well, as I mentioned in my post about script writing, it’s important to have a script with realist and achievable settings.

Look around your neighborhood, community or even your school campus. There are so many beautiful and available places around us that we never even think to utilize. Think about the scene first and envision how you want it to look in your mind. Once you’ve done that walk around these local places and see where you can picture these scenes taking place. It’s a cheap, cost effective and productive way to get the scenes you need while working on a student’s budget.

The Sounds of Music:

Another important factor to keep in mind is sound.

“Locations are often very noisy,” says Professor Tom Campbell. “Using microphones, booms, and headphones are elemental to achieving clear crisp sound.”

Regardless of where you decide to film there is always outside noises that are also picked up by the camera. It is important for either the director or camera person to be listening to the sound being recorded through headphones in order to make decisions about how to handle the noise issues. 

"Love Will Set You Free" - The Britney Spears Story

I am very excited to announce, in my detail, the specifics of my final Video 1 project. As I announced a few weeks back, the title for this film will be "Love Will Set You Free." The Britney Spears Story.


This is a concept and a script that I have been working on for more than two years. It is an extremely personal and meaningful subject matter for me. Since the age of 7, when I first saw Britney Spears strut her stuff down Rendell High in the video for "Baby One More Time" I have been a super fan. She is more than just a musical pleasure of mine, she is my idol.

I am extremely grateful that I have this platform and opportunity to create this film and tell this story. I must point out that the script is based LOOSELY on her life, as I don't actually know her.

I have been blessed with an amazing cast and crew of people who have really embraced my passion and love for Britney and her story.

We began filming last night (4/26/11)and completed our first scene. It took about 5 hours to film but we were all extremely pleased with the outcome. It was better than I had even envisioned. I will post some behind the scenes photos later on. Filming resumes on Monday and we will shoot the remaining four scenes--including 2 fully choreographed dance numbers.

"Love Will Set You Free" is TENTATIVELY scheduled to premiere on YouTube on May 10, 2011 but I Will EXCLUSIVELY leak it here on my blog as soon as it's completed.

I will also be launching a Twitter and Facebook campaign to not only promote the film but to try and get Britney Spears herself to watch the film. She constantly watches fan made videos and tweets about them so here's hoping we can get our video to her!

(VIDEO) Final Cut Pro

Here is a video about how to edit on Final Cut Pro:

 

Check out Pro2Go95's You-Tube page for  more videos on how to use Final Cut Pro!

Blog Update!

Hello Bloggers!

Filming is beginning this week on my final project. It's a film written by me called, "Love Will Set You Free." I worked extremely hard on this script and am beyond excited to be able to film it.

My group and I will be filming select scenes tonight at Adelphis' Performing Arts Center and will be  filming the remander on location in New York City on May 2nd! I'll make sure to keep you posted on the goings on with the film!

I have also been working on an official banner for the blog and my own personal website. I'm hoping to have both of them up within the coming weeks. Also due to scheduling conflicts our podcast interview with Kim Pratt has been canceled.

Post-Production

We have finally reached our final step in the film making process: post-production.

Pre-production was all about laying the ground work for our film, production was about executing those plans and post-production is about taking what you have and creating your final finished film.

What is Post-Production?

“Pre-production is everything that takes place after filming stops,” say Professor Tom Campbell. “It’s about taking the footage that you have gathered and assembling it in a way that ultimately gives the best presentation.”

This stage of the film making process is where the young film maker is able to really take control and make the kind of film they have envisioned. It’s about piecing together all of the footage that they have gathered: compiling, fixing, and tweaking it to make sure that it is perfect. All of this is what guarantees a flawless final film.

Intricacies of Post-Production:

There are a lot of aspects that go into the post-production process.

In most instances, when we film we use cassette tapes to record our footage. You may be asking yourself, well how do I get my footage from the tape to the computer? This is an excellence question.

In post-production, we do something called, digitizing. What that simply means is that you are taking the footage that you shot and converting it to a format that will allow you to edit and view it on your computer. You insert your cassette tape into something called a deck. The deck is connected to your computer and allows you to choose what footage you want converted and sent to your computer.

For more information about decks and digitizing check out The Online Community for Filmmaking Forum.

How Do I Edit My Footage?

Once your footage has successfully been converted and is on your computer screen is when the real fun begins.

Generally, most student film makers choose to use Final Cut Pro as their choice editing software program. This is also what I use and speaking from firsthand experience, it is extremely user friendly and easy to operate.

Using Final Cut Pro you are able to make any adjustments you feel are necessary to your footage. You are able to cut clips, add music, adjust sound volumes and lighting as well as add text and effects.

For more information on Final Cut Pro check out their official website!

Post-Production is the last phase before your film is completed. Once you are happy with all of your edited and pieced together footage, the post production stage is completed and you have successfully created a student film!

Working With Groups

As young film makers, often our projects become like children to us. We create them and then nourish them into fruition. It’s a long and sometimes arduous process but it’s something that you’ve created and envisioned so ultimately it’s worth all the struggle.  

However, as we learned the film making process is not one that can be done on one’s own. Many people are required to help make your vision come to life.

What does that mean for you as the director? Relinquishing some control.

I know speaking from personal experience that this is an extremely difficult and daunting task for some. My personality is designed in a way that I like to get things done a specify way and if they don’t meet my expectations they need to be fixed so that they do. While this may get things done, it also is not the most productive approach. Trust me, when I tell you it creates more stress than you could ever imagine!

“I think part of the problem is that we, as film makers, want to preserve our visions,” say film maker and colleague James Papavero. “It’s about preserving the art.”

As the director, you are the one calling the shots and deciding the overall direction of the project. Knowing that, it’s essential that you designate positions or roles for people on your crew.

By delegating power and responsibilities you will not only alleviate the stress that you feel but will also make the production as a whole run smoother.

It is also good to listen and incorporate the opinions of others. When working on a project that you are very near and dear to it’s easy to get tunnel vision. Listen to what others on the crew has to say. They may see something that you’ve missed or have an alternative view of how to better shoot a scene.

Film making is all about communicating and having an open dialogue with others.