Crit-on-crit

Rachel Beede
Project #5
Midterm Project
2/23/11

I was really grateful for all of the advice I got. It's difficult for me to plan things out, I think I've had writer's block for a while now so it kind of scared me to try and think of a serious project. I agree the parents seem unnecessary now and it would be much more interesting to focus on a single character, especially since it ends up being more psychologically involved. I really love making "dreamscapes" and in my first video project at MCA in the IPC class I made a dream sequence scene and it was the most fun thing I've done with film so far. I hope to recreate a similar feel to that, and hopefully something more. I just saw the pictures of my parent's new house and I really can't wait to go film!!!! Oh, and my mirror which will be my main "item" in the film is fucking awesome . . .

Pictures of parent's house for Midterm Project

Here's the layout and pics my dad sent me for their house in Charleston. Since I've never been there, my dad was nice enough to do this for me. As for the church and other locations, I'll just have to see what's available.

How to Become a Clown in Less than 6 Weeks (AKA unconventional style)

Rachel Beede
Project #4
SRS Unconventional style
2/9/11

Here's my short film for the SRS unconventional style. I had a lot of fun with this one and I feel that the continuity works better, although it was probably one of the hardest parts. I definitely had difficulty with lighting since I don't have many sources or a good bounce card, but I tried my best. It was a lot of fun editing this project because I took more time taking extra shots and planning them out better. I also went back to shoot some "pick-ups" when I realized after editing that I'd left some important things out. I tried to work on a simpler story rather than like my previous piece where I tried to cram too much in. I even dropped a scene that I'd first planned out because it would've been too much. Instead I used the time to focus more on editing and "shooting for the edit" as Jill says. I hope it turned out alright :P

Plot Analysis

A girl goes on a journey back home to historic Charleston after hearing the news of her parent's death. She lives in a tiny apartment in Memphis, and even though she's going back home for a morbid cause, she feels release in the remote place her parent's lived, inside their large house. It gives her space to think, and with this though, she begins having flashbacks with her parents in every place that she goes. Her childhood dream was to become a director, and in her flashbacks, her parents constantly remind her of this. But, when she is alone, she feels there's nothing interesting for her to write about. Birds become a symbol for her entrapment and how she is unable to find interest in the world because she's run away from the past rather than confronted it. In the midst of her confusion, she finds another odd thing is happening. She becomes aware of herself, outside of the situation in physical form, seeing herself filming. In her memories, she also sees this "second self" while she is with her parents. Her flashbacks and her reality collide until she can no longer tell the difference, and it is at this moment that she realizes she must become the spectator, she must let herself out of the cage and find interest in the simple and everyday once more.

storyboard

The Shining

With the use of unusual camera positioning, angles, and dramatic colors (bright reds etc.), Kubrick gives his viewers an uneasy view. He breaks the 180 degree rule by crossing the line, but at an angle, showing only part of the speaker's face while showing the expression of the listener. Also, the position of the actors creates even more uneasiness since they are close to each other, and yet slightly turned away, as if hiding something. He moves closer as more secrets are revealed, bringing the viewer in as well while not lessening the tension between the characters.

SRS conventional

Rachel Beede
Project #3
SRS 180 degree rule
2/9/11

I enjoyed this project, but it took quite a bit of time for me to come up with the concept. I should've shot more filler shots so that it would flow much better. Acting was definitely difficult, but I feel like most of the shots turned out the way I wanted. I'm afraid that people will have a hard time understanding what's going on, which is why I wish I'd added more filler shots, but hopefully it'll make sense. Getting the match on action was also difficult, but I did the best I could with that.
It was a little hard for me to work with continuity but I tried my best.

location map w/ cam. shot views

Shot list: SRS unconventional

Shot List
Setting: Living Room
1: EST of apartment
2: CU of DVD
3: CU of Char. 1 putting DVD in
4: MS side shot of Char. 1 watching DVD
5: ECU of Char. 1 face watching DVD
Setting: Front Door
6: WS of Char. 2 entering apartment
7: MS of Char. 2 walking into kitchen
Setting: Kitchen
8: MS of Char. 2 putting something into a pot and turning it on
9: MS of Char. 2 leaving kitchen
Setting: Hallway
10: MS of Char. 2 walking to bathroom
11: MS of Char. 2 opening bathroom door
Setting: Bathroom
12: OTS of Char. 2 watching Char. 1 putting on clown makeup
13: 2S through mirror of Char. 1 seeing Char. 2, both with shocked/ embarrassed expressions
14: MS of Char. 2 closing bathroom door and moving to bedroom door
15: CU of Char. 2 opening bedroom door
Setting: Bedroom
16: OTS of Char. 1 smiling holding up a piece of paper
17: 2S of both char.
18: POV from Char. 1 cutting up paper
19: 2S of Char. 1 holding cut-up paper, smiling, while Char. 2 looks shocked
20. OTS of Char. 1 unfolding cut-paper
21: CU of Char. 2 face turning to look towards kitchen with surprised expression
Setting: Kitchen
22: WS of Char. 2 hurrying into kitchen
23: CU of food boiling over
24: Bust shot of Char. 2 disappointed, trying to stop it from boiling over
25: OTS of Char. 2 looking at Char. 1 smiling and holding a plate with a napkin over it.
26: CU of plate, Char. 2 lifts napkin and array of food appears under it
27: OTS of Char. 2 with despairing expression
28: CU Char. 2 turns towards watch
29: ECU of watch
Setting: Living Room
30: WS Char. 2 walking to front door
31: MS of Char. 2 opening front door
Setting: filler shot
32: FFW of sun going down
Setting: Front Door
33: MS of Char. 2 coming in through door
34: MS of Char. 2 walking towards dining table, something catches her eye
35: MS of Char. 2's hands picking up certificate
36: ECU of certificate
37: MS of Char. 2 putting down certificate, she sits down looking glum. fades out

shot list, etc.

Shot list

shot 1: EST of apt.
shot 2: setting: kitchen; WS of char. 1 cooking
shot 3: MS of stovetop and char. 1 cooking
shot 4: CU of char. 1's face cooking
shot 5: MS - puts turkey in oven
shot 6: CU of turkey in oven
shot 7: MS putting cake in oven
shot 8: MS of wrapping present
shot 9: CU of wrapping bow on present
shot 10: MS/ CU shot hiding present under table
shot 11: MS shot of kitchen, char. 1 walks in
shot 12: MS taking cake out of oven
shot 13: CU of her face
shot 14: CU of money
shot 15: WS char. 1 goes out door, turns around
shot 16: WS of char. 2 on drum machine. he turns around
shot 17. MS char. 1 closes door
shot 18: MS of char. 2 turning around
shot 19: setting: closet, high-angle shot of char 2 digging through closet
shot 20: MS of char 2 going to kitchen and looking in fridge
shot 21: CU of char. 2 looking in fridge
shot 22: ECU of char. 2 opening drawer and finding candle
shot 23: setting: dining table; MS of char. 2 coming from kitchen
shot 24. MS of char. 2 sitting at table and picking up card
shot 25: MS/ CU of char. 2 looking at card
shot 26: OTS of char. 2 looking at card then at door
shot 27: WS of char. 1 opening door and walking towards table
shot 28: CU of char. 2 sitting up and putting card down on table, just in view
shot 29: MS of both characters, char. 1 puts leftovers on top of card and walks into kitchen. Char. 2 eyes follow
shot 30: MS/ CU of char. 1 taking plates out of cabinet.
shot 31: 2S of both char. eating, present in view under the table
shot 32: CU of char 2 eyes looking towards card, then at char. 1
shot 33: MS/ CU of char. 2 picking up candle and eyeing card
shot 34: OTS of char. 2 looking at char. 1 then at card
shot 35: OTS of char. 1 looking down then looking at char. 2
shot 36: 2S, char. 2 gets up
shot 37: MS of char. 1, microwave clock in foreground, washing dishes
shot 38: MS/ WS of char. 2 on couch, char. 1 enters and sits, then pokes char. 2
shot 39: MS of char. 1 putting present on char. 2's lap, char. 1 lays head on char. 2's shoulder

Props list
microwave clock
beer bottles
present
burnt candle
fake flower in beer bottle
dishes
fake present boxes


Concept

Char. 2's birthday, he thinks Char. 1 forgot
Char. 1 bakes a cake and makes a turkey; both turn out badly
Char. 1 wraps a present and hides it, then goes out to get food
Char. 2 waits till char. 1 is gone, then searches for evidence that char. 1 remembers
Char. 2 finds a used candle, then finds a birthday card from the mail
Char. 1 puts the card out so that Char. 1 can see it and remember
Char. 1 accidentally covers up the card with the take-out box
Both characters eat the dinner, Char. 2 tries to get Char. 1 to see card, Char. 1 tries to get Char. 2 to find present under the table
Char. 2 gets up; Char. 1 washes dishes
Char. 1 finds Char. 2 asleep on the couch
Char. 1 puts present on Char. 2's lap then goes to sleep


Goal: To show how sometimes humans can make communication difficult, and the best intentions can go wrong in so many ways.

pre-production planning

revised project 1

Rachel Beede
Project #2
Sense of Place: The Never-Changing
2/2/11

I wanted to show a duality of myself in a more concise form with this second edit. I decided to leave out my East/West conflict but I did put it in subtly at the end. I wanted to use mirroring and some repeated actions, sometimes done facing the opposite direction, to show how there are two sides of me that are in conflict, the one being an adult, and the other being a child pretending to be an adult. My past is constantly with me, and I show how childhood affects me with the stuffed animals and pictures of my friends and family. The ending scene with the telephone wires repeats the image from the beginning, showing this as a never-ending cycle. I'm always moving but never changing, and everywhere I feel out of place.
I'm not very good at conveying my ideas, so I know this is definitely a weak point for me, but what I heard in the critique last time really helped. I learned a lot about how to sequence events while I'm filming and while I'm editing. Certain things have to be shot first even if they aren't appearing in that order in the film, and while editing, close-ups need to follow the same actions as the long-shots otherwise it looks off. I still had trouble with getting everything right with the details, but I tried to make it work. I tried to make it seem that when I switched clothes, it was either a different day, or I had changed clothes. Also, I shortened some scenes such as the scene of me in the car so that you couldn't really tell what I was wearing. I took it out of the work scene since I could still see my hair and replaced it with another shot of me looking through the rearview mirror. I know there's still a lot of room for improvement, but I hope that what I did do will be able to better communicate my idea.