Examining ANOTHER Experimental Film

Hey blog reader! What's up? I hope you are doing well! 

After watching "Wake Up", I became more intrigued about experimental films. Thus, I watched another experimental short film called 5 Films About Technology. The film was composed of 5 "mini-films" all about people and the way they use technology. The mini-films featured "relatable", humorous instances in which technology can hinder, us not help us. For instance, in the first clip, we see girls sitting down for brunch. They are all on their phones. When the waiter comes to bring their food, they immediately get off their phone..but just for a quick "thank you" to the server. Then, they immediately take out their phones to photograph what they are eating, most likely for social media. This clip showed how people go out to"hang out" but in reality, are super disconnected. This mini-film ended abruptly, in the middle of them taking the photo. Classical music plays as a transition into the next short clip. Each clip is cut just as you are beginning to laugh. There was nothing unnecessary that was shown.

This short film was also created in square format. I think that was GENIUS because of its reference to how humans rely on technology and view the world through technology. The film's utilization of abrupt cuts and music transitions really helped to make the piece comedic. Since my partner and I are limited to very few shooting locations(our houses), it was a glimmer of hope to see that I can make a short film that is about a very simple topic. Also, if we utilize editing techniques and such, we can turn a simple story into a masterpiece!

Examining an Experimental Film

Hi blog reader! I decided to watch an experimental film called "Wake Up". It begins with the girl waking up in the hospital. She is disoriented and wants to leave. Once she escapes, she is amazed by the world around her, especially the fact that people are consumed with technology. People are pretty much unaware of her existence because they are so mesmerized by their screens. At the end of the film, we see the girl viewing a girl get hit by a car who was looking at her phone. It is the same actress. Since the film is experimental, it's not confirmed who the girl that got hit by the car is. The girl is waking up from the coma but she is also waking up to the notion that people need to be less engaged in their screens. 

The film utilizes sound to help portray the girls feeling as she escapes from the hospital.  In the hospital, a song plays that is very mellow and elevator-music like. When she escapes, the beat dramatically drops to show her feeling of happiness. At one point in the film, the girl approaches a collection of people on their laptops. The sound of multiple people typing can be heard in the background. There were so many people typing all at once that it sounded like a swarm of cicadas. I thought that was a unique way to highlight the idea that people were not doing their own thing, rather collectively just immersing themselves in another world. Towards the middle of the film, the girl
dangles herself off a ledge and in the background, you can hear diegetic car sounds that help explain the danger of the situation. There was also a repetitive, anxiety-inducing sound in the background to help convey the seriousness of the situation. Another sound aspect I liked from this film is when the girl is walking and you can hear all the thoughts in her head. It's a bunch of incessant whispers repeating reminders over and over. It showcased how all of our worries are in our own head. 

The sounds used in the film really stuck out to me. They aided in making me feel the emotions the girl was feeling. Also, I noticed how important it is to have a good actor. The girl's acting was extremely good and made the film feel more "real'. Elly and I better take some online acting lessons. Anyway, I'm glad I watched this short film because it opened my eyes to a new type of film making.

Thoughts in my Head

Hello lovely blog reader! I hope you are doing well! I am currently writing this with the biggest headache of my life. Want to know why? I checked the screen time on my phone and turns out I used my phone for 14 hours today. Not only are my eyes strained, I feel ashamed of myself. So much time wasted just scrolling through tik tok and Instagram aimlessly. This is a wake-up call for sure.

I have been in my house for over 2 weeks. I not allowed to go anywhere(except walks around my neighborhood) and people cannot come over. I'm bored. However, when I'm bored, that's when the best ideas strike me. Well, I don't really have any solid ideas right now but maybe I could make a short film about boredom but showcase it in a way that's not boring to the audience.  Just an idea. This was probably becuase Elly had me listen to a song called Paralyzer by Nf. It is about someone who feels "numb" and realizes they dont enjoy life like they used to.

I also had an idea of making a short film about maybe my brother. All he does is sit and play Roblox all day so it may be fun to explore that idea.  Then again I can't trust a 10-year-old with my project. I also had an idea to make a film about someone who is trying to cook dinner for their family but it all goes awry. These are just ideas that popped in my head but maybe they will inspire me to write a story. I am limited to my house, Elly's house, and thats it. Thus, I'm going to have to get a bit creative Who knows?

Also, my classmates informed me and my partner that we should really take a look into experimental films because we have limited actors and filming locations. That is something that I plan to research because that may be a route that my partner and I take. I am very inspired right now.

I hoped you enjoyed reading me babble.

Websites Galore

As part of the project, we need to make a website for our short film. While we are in a bit of a tizzy about that right now, I think it is important to research how to make a website. I have made a few websites in the past but I would not say that I am very good at it. Luckily, my partner Elizabeth is exceptional at website making so I am going to be relying on her a lot for this aspect of the project. In the past, I have used Wix to make my websites, but I have been informed that there are a plethora of other website designers so why not check them out! 


1) Wix

Wix, like I mentioned earlier, is something that I have used before. They offer many website templates. For instance, I worked on a music marketing project last year and I was able to specify that I was making a website for a band. Then, Wix offered me a template that would meet my needs. Wix has many drag and drop tools. While it can be a bit overwhelming and confusing, once you get the hang of it you can make some pretty nice websites. Also, Wix is free which is pretty neat and handy!

2) Go DaddyI have never used Go Daddy before but many people have recommended this website to me. Go Daddy is known for being a very quick solution to website building. It does most of the legwork for you. The issue with go daddy is limited creative control, which is something that may be an. issue. We want our website to be really creative so this may not be the software for us. However, it is still something to consider.

3) SquarespaceI have never used Squarespace before but this website has also been raved about. It lets you create websites that are very sleek and modern, very professional. This would be super useful because my partner nor I are professional website builders. This may be of use to us. Sadly, Squarespace is not free. They have a free trial we can sign up for but then we may feel rushed to finish our website within the allotted time. 

 

After examining my choices, I think we are going to use Wix because we are more familiar with it and also the fact that it is FREE!  What more could you ask for?

Online Class Meeting

Hey blog reader! In the midst of all this panic, my teacher decided to hold an online meeting today through Canvas to chat with my class about how we should proceed with our project. We will not be back in school for a few weeks(if ever) so I'm really glad we were able to have this meeting. It was very reassuring to kind of be back in the "classroom environment". She informed us that our project is still going on and to try to adapt. She said we may have to revise our ideas so that we can now film under new conditions.  Of course, many people are a bit concerned because they cannot shoot at certain locations or their actors are in quarantine. I told my teacher that I am not allowed to leave my house and I cannot have people over. She once again said that we must adapt. One of my peers suggested that maybe we try to make an experimental film because then I could possibly shoot just in and around my house. i have not watched many experimental films so that is something that I may want to research if I need to completely change my filming idea. I am a bit overwhelmed with having to do this project under these conditions, but I know that my partner and I will eventually accomplish the task at hand! 

My partner and I are still deciding how we want to approach the short film but we are working on it!

Um Excuse me Corona Virus You Are Interfering With My Aice Media Project

Hey blog reader! I hope you are doing well. I am currently under quarantine because of the coronavirus. My parents will not let go anywhere or allow anyone to come over. I understand this precaution because even if I do not fall victim to the virus, I could potentially give it to someone who may not be able to fight it off. While this is annoying, I know this is what needs to be done to possibly make the virus go away faster. With that being said, I am not allowed to hang out with my partner. This means that we are probably going to have to work on this project from the comfort of our own homes. Maybe in a few weeks, we could see each other, however, it is important not to waste valuable time. Luckily, we have facetime and skype so that we can converse with each other often about the project. We also have google docs which allow us to both edit documents from the comfort of our own homes. 

We are probably going to have to change our short film idea because it is no longer feasible because our shooting locations are closed and our actors are all in quarantine. This is a very stressful situation but I know my partner and I are going to get through it. Over the next week or so, my partner and I will devise a new approach to our project!

Stay safe! Practice social distancing!

Hazel's Costume Design

Hi friends! Welcome back to my blog! Over this weekend, Elly and I discussed what clothes we want our main character Hazel to wear. We want her to have a quirky, aesthetic vibe, thus we will put her in quirky, aesthetic clothes. Right now, the 2000s fashion is becoming trendy again. All the cool kids are wearing shrugs, cute little hairstyles, etc. Hazel will be emulating this style becuase we think it will make her appear "cuter'' and girly. This will help to play up the "love-stricken" aspect of the short film. 

I have many of these types of clothing because I myself like this style. I also have a terrible shopping addiction which meant I had a myriad of options to choose from. Thus, instead of going to the mall, I walked 3 feet to my closet to look for some fits. Elly and I previously discussed wanting to incorporate the color yellow into our film because it will add that the "quirky" factor as yellow is often associated with that. I noticed that I do not have many yellow tops but I found a couple that we can choose from. Hazel is going to need a couple of outfits so here are some of the clothing options for her!

SO CUTE RIGHT?