Research – Dream Big. Set Goals. Take Action.

 

STORY:

  • What type of digital story is it?

Inspirational short video.

AUDIENCE:

  • Who do you think the story is aimed at? Who is the audience for this piece?

               Those who are lost on the road of their life.

MESSAGE:

  • What is the message / are the messages of the story/scene?

               Have a vision for your life.

               ‘You can do it!’

               ‘Nothing can be hard work.’

               Dream Big. Set Goals. Take Action.

STYLE/GENRE

  • How would you describe the genre of this piece? 

           Personal story: spoken word

  • What media and techniques do the artists used to convey their message? Do they use interviews, text, still images, video, performance, music, voice over, dialogue?

Interviews and voice over.

  • How do the audio and visuals contribute to the message and the story?

As the movie draws to the end, music becomes more and more intense and exciting.

Week 8 – filming preparing

In today’s lesson, we have learned something about filming preparing.

The filming’s order always followed by locations. For example, there is a mirror reflection in my film which is something happend in the same place at the beginning and the end. Of course, it seems like I should follow this rules in this part. However, I need different wearther to set off the protagonist’s different feeling. So, apparently, some shots I can not filming in the same day.

Therefore, it gets very important to set up a reasonable shot list first.

Shot list form

Use one form for each location.

 There are also lots of hirable film kits provide for us by Simon:

Tripods:

Mics:

Smartphone holders:

Lens:

Recorder:

And Simon also provides us an opportunity to shoot in front of the green screen:

unfortunately, I did not plan to set a fake scene, I felt very disappointed for that.

I’ll finished my filming this weekend, but the weather maybe terrible. Good luck to me!

Reaearch – The girl on the train

1. Point of view:

Although this video above is just a movie clips trailer, but I like this quick view version, it can make the audience interested in the story before they enjoying the whole movie.

“What you can see hurt you.”

Throughout this story of the three women, the entire movie actually explores three important issues in women’s lives: women as mothers, women’s relationships with men, women’s relationship with themselives.

2. Dramatic Question:

The pressure of life is suffocating, how to decide our own future?

“Why are you here?”

 

3. Emotional Content:

This ‘train’ is heading to the heart of married women, which can make you gradually feel the passive, submerged, desire for freedom and independence.

 

4. Voice (voiceover not dialogue):

Not so much.

 

5. Soundtrack:

As the story progresses, along with the mysteries that emerge one by one, the soundtrack becomes more and more weird and belts along at a cracking pace.

 

6. Pacing:

Follow the eye sight of Rachel, we can see many pieces of other people’s life. When different people’s story overlaps, the only constant is her sight.

 

7. Imagery (economy):

The commuter train which Rachel watch other women’s life penetrate the whole film.

 

Storyboard feed back

At this moment, I have received my storyboard’s feedback.

Like Simon said,  if I could show more detail about her before she meets her friend in the new city, it will make the story more understandable.

And about the reason for her depression.  If  I can set this shot at the end of my story, it will help to make the audience interested in why she is depressed.

 

to be continued….

Storyboard-first version

This is it. Terrrible storyboard isn’t it?

As you can see, I did not doing lots of research to finish this storyboard(audio and media list). Apparently, 29 shots is not enough to present my whole idea. I will do some reaserch as much as I could to figure out a best way to achieve my story purpose and the core message —- ‘Life maybe beat you, but as long as there is tomorrow, you should never give up. ’

 

Week 6 filming techniques in camera

Today, Simon have reviewed some useful techniques to help us making a better story.  Our group chosen Slow-motion and presented by tossing a coin. This short video aimed to show a student’s anxiety before he starts to study.

Here is my final video:

The sound effect of coin tossing is called “Crash Metal Plate Big Room”, and the background music is called “Impromptu in Blue”. They are both came from Youtube Audio Library. As you can listen, I had reversed the coin tossing’s effect when it has falling back to his hand. It made the coin’s tossing more vivid.

When I published this video and replay several times, I found that the times of head turn maybe too excessive. I will avoid this problem next time.

Elements:

Reaearch – short film porject about study’s aim

1. Point of view:

If you have an aim, you can move a mountain.

2. Dramatic Question:

Why I have to do this?

3. Emotional Content:

Study is never easy,  no pain, no gain.

4. Voice (voiceover not dialogue):

None

5. Soundtrack:

With the advance of the story, the rhythm of music becomes faster.

6. Pacing:

Using the contrast between the two boys, the study hard boy got successful , and the other has expelled.

7. Imagery (economy):

Different phones, dressed and study attitude made them be a different person.

The rich student did not take his chance. Even though he had a superior family environment, he was still lost to the poor student who study hard.

Research – Camera Movement Techniques

Unfortunately, Simon did not made it because of his illness. So, this week’s first class I had an opportunity to searched something about camera techniques.

Here are six basic camera moves can help me let the film more professional:

    Tilt、Pan、Zoom、Pedestal、Dolly、Truck

And also some advanced fancy camera moves:

    Handheld Shooting、Floating Cam or Stabilized Shot、Crane/Jib

 

Find more detail in: Camera Movement Techniques – By Kyle Cassidy

Reaearch – friendship and growing up

STORY:

   What type of digital story is it?

        Comedy, Drama, Romance

   What happens in the story?

        Four young girls grow up during a summer in 1970.

   What changes in the story/scene?

        Girls began to understand the difference between the sexes.

AUDIENCE:

    Who do you think the story is aimed at? Who is the audience for this piece?

        Family, young people

    How do you know? What in the piece tells you it was created for this audience?

        This film tells about growth and family.

MESSAGE:

   What is the message / are the messages of the story/scene?

        Childhood experience is invaluable and growing could transfor a person.

STYLE/GENRE

  • How would you describe the genre of this piece? 
    • Is it fiction or non- fiction?

It’s non- fiction.

    • Film genre? drama, horror, sci-fi, crime, teenage film, action?

Drama.

  • What media and techniques do the artists used to convey their message? Do they use interviews, text, still images, video, performance, music, voice over, dialogue?

Voiceover and dialogue.

  • What is the quality of the audio and visuals? Are they clear? Is the sound at a good volume? Are there objects or sounds that are distracting? 

The performance was great.

  • How do the audio and visuals contribute to the message and the story?

Vigor, enthusiasm and optimism. The value of the most important stage of life was set off.