Blogception

So I have been thinking about what my website will look like. I don't think I've ever seen a website dedicated to one specific short film. So I googled "short film websites" and I found this blog with a bunch of links to different websites with short films in them.

I clicked on all the links, and I guess the only one that I found to be most appealing was shortoftheweek.com!

I really liked the very dynamic and graphic aesthetic it had. Here's a screen recording!!

I also thought if the website for mid90s. I happened to do a case study for it last year, and the website design really stuck to me. I thought the split screen idea looked really cool. Here's another screen recording.

From what I found, here's a few conventions that film websites have, that I would like to include in mine:

• Dynamic
• Images that cover large portion of screen
• Very minimalist
• Usually link social media or streaming services where one could watch

I've never been THAT into website design, and I do admit it is something I would really like to master lol. I asked in the media group chat which website design services they suggested, and Luis HIGHLY recommended Wix. He said it was easy to use and had really nice designs so I followed his advice. I found the perfect template by looking up "film" on the template page:

This is the homepage!!!! It's perfect!!!! I think I will be going for this one. I have it all set. I just need:

1. content
2. a title

The title of this film has been making me lose sleep at night. I have no clue what to name it. I guess I'll come up with it at one point. It'll spark out of nowhere. That's usually how it happens for me. I guess I can listen to songs and come up with it??? Yeah, idk. I'll keep you updated on that.

Arts n crafts n goldfish

It's filming day 1!!

So I decided I would start off by filming the monologue scenes today, or as many of them as I could.

So I don't know if I mentioned this, but I do own a goldfish, and his name is actually Sushi. My sister won it as a price on a carnival she went in November, and somehow it is still alive and thriving and swimming around. The name was also her idea btw. A little cruel, I know. It's like naming your cow Stew or Burger.

I shot the fishbowl from different angles (experimental much) to see what would look best and just to play around really. Look at her experimenting and all:



I still don't know if I will 100% include these shots because my original idea was to simply show a decorated shoe box as the little "fish coffin" if you will, as I would speak about my goldfish dying.

But I did get crafty and turned this:

Into this:

I am now the queen of crafts. And it was also a nice therapeutic thing to do. You see that purple glitter heart in the corner? That was a mess. The little glitter container exploded when I tried to open it and I had to vacuum everywhere. Very really great stuff, I know.

I kinda felt like the worst human ever because I was making his fake coffin thing right in front of him. While he was alive and swimming and probably watching.

So because I had fish and art in my mind. I remembered this piece:
This is one of my favorite pieces from the 250 AP Art History pieces that I've studied throughout the year. It's called The Goldfish by Henri Matisse. It's just so nice to look at. It's so serene but lively at the same time.

And I was thinking that another option could be for my postcard to have fish in it??? 

I did this little concept doodle to figure things out a little. It's kinda like the symbol of the whole film. it embodies it which I like. I also think it shows a little more consistency in branding than my previous idea with the "Greetings from heaven". I still have to think about it a bit more. But I think it's a good idea.

So yeah! I got a bunch of footage for the monologue part, but I still have to put it together and fill in some parts. There will be more on these soon. As for the other scenes, my mom hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days and has stayed in bed because of a migraine (no, she doesn't have corona lol) so I can't really film the part where there's dialogue with her. So I am a little behind schedule, but I still have plenty of time. I have already started working on some of the CCR questions, and I will make a blogpost about those soon. 

Embracing Mr. Death

Just got off the meeting with Tina! In other words: we have answers.

We're sticking to loss. And I'm happy I am!!

The story will be the same, but here's some of the changes I'm making (or here's how we're fixing the little tingz):

1. The shots will be way more symbolic, experimental, tight, and detail oriented—show them as all the little parts of one whole piece. 
2. ^this applies to all of it, but more on the monologue—as I do not have a child actor, I will be making the visuals way less literal than I had planned. I plan to record the monologue first and then see what images would fit into it. Kinda like building a puzzle little by little. 
3. As for the old wrinkly hands, I could "share" footage with my classmates. Mariana happens to live with her step grandmother, so I could ask her to shoot something for me. Another option is to go for makeup?? I could play around with eyeshadows and shade my mother's hand?? Maybe?? Could work. We'll see. 
4. Transform individual grief (my own) to what the whole family is experiencing. Focus on mom and dad, brother and sister.

Tina really liked the idea of me shooting random things around the house. It is a way of building a story gradually, with no thought out goal. I will definitely get some really nice content out of doing this, so we will keep it going :)

We are embracing loss!!!!!!! And we are happy we are!!!! 

Talking about hugging death, remember that music video by The Strokes I mentioned a few blogposts ago? I looked up the artist on Instagram and he happened to post this scene that was cut off from the music video. This is what he captioned it: 

🎶🔛My favorite shot of the video, cut at the last moment because it was too sad. Kind of fitting for a video about loss. What do you think? Too sad or jussss right?

Yes Mr. Burakoff, my heart was torn but I also felt incredible warmth. Creativity is scary. 

This shot was so beautiful and I would've loved to see it in the video, but I do agree it might've been to profound for a song by The Strokes. I'm obsessed with it though. It's just so beautiful. And hey..."Kind of fitting for a video about loss". I am a fan of synchronicity.

Here's a link to the post!  His art is really cool. He also made the music video of When You Die by MGMT. (Warning: very really trippy)

We are really now on track. For real this time. I plan to shoot everything and edit this week (I have pleeeenty of time) and I will also be working on the CCR questions in the meantime. I have already started looking into platforms for the promotional website, and we'll also discuss those later :))

x

Uncertainty

I feel like this is the general theme of life right now. For everyone. Everything is uncertain. Even more than it was before. So I was thinking...should I make my short film about this? 

I kind of thought of a title as I was just making myself a cup of tea. I rushed to my room just so I could write about this. 

Subject to Change

Sounds good right? I feel like it would make a good title. And it would be very symbolic as well. Am I onto something??? Is this going somewhere? Maybe. I feel like a story with a title like this could be very experimental. But how would I develop a beginning, middle and end?

To be continued. (I set up a meeting with Tstok tomorrow, so things will definitely be clearer)

I went on a little walk around vista park with my boyfriend the other day (because I'm only allowed to leave the house if I go outdoors). It was a way of appreciating nature and getting a bit of inspiration. I took random footage of the things I saw around me, once again.

Here's what I collected:

Ok yes pretty nature footage and all but???? Short film potential?? Does it tell a story?? Relevant? Useful? ??? ???? so many questions. Also, my indecisive nature is no good. I question things a lot, which is a good thing and it is something that should be practiced. But with that also comes indecisiveness. I think things way too much. This whole project will be an exploration of...well an exploration of an exploration??? Things are uncertain. But I will hopefully have some answers tomorrow. 

I truly believe that not having answers and being a little all over the place is part of the process. I am okay with not knowing anything.

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES (turn and face the strange)

Cheesy title, I know. But appropriate.

So we just concluded our Totally Normal Online Meeting with Tina. In summary this is what's going on:

• 3rd quarter isn't over, there will still be more grades put up
• Online school starts March 30th
• We might have to change things up a little on this project

Basically we have two options:

a) Stick to the loss idea but change it up a little

b) completely scratch loss idea and make new idea

Do we have a preference? Yes. Ideally, I would like to stick to the loss idea, maybe change things up a little and replace a few scenes. I am kinda upset because that flashback scene with the wrinkly hands would have created the spine of the entire film. And now I cannot have wrinkly hand :(((((((

I am definitely going to be thinking this through more. For now, I will talk to my peers on what they advise I should do, and also email Tina for help. I will also be watching experimental films and get some inspo.

I have a feeling this project will turn out to be some kind of life lesson. Adaptation is so important, and it is a general theme I have found within my 18 years of life. This is a great opportunity to improvise a little and be able to adapt to this whole situation. 

I was also thinking, I will most likely be filming random clips as well as recording audio. Just so I gather content and hopefully create something with it. The other day I randomly recorded my parents from upstairs as they were drinking wine in the backyard. This is what came out:

My pupper was also there 🥺

A little off topic but: blog people, meet Kai, a 10 month Shih-Tzu (he's the cutest boi ever)

This is him when he was more of a baby!!!!

This is him more recently. A whole TWEEN.

So yeah lol that was my dog. But in regards to the clip of my parents. I feel like there was something so honest about their interaction. Idk, I just thought it was sweet and nice. That word "nice". Yeah it was just nice. I think I might be onto something. I will definitely post these random little snippets of the quarantine life I will be recording. For now, it's brainstorming time. And there will be a whole lot of it. 

Oops (and also good news)

Just realized the link for the script doesn't work.
Here it is!!!!!








I had to take screenshots of the pdf lol. It's the only way I could make it work.

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HI HELLO UPDATE:

SOME GOOD NEWS AMIDST THIS WHOLE CRISIS:

I GOT INTO EMERSON FOR MEDIA ARTS PRODUCTION!!!!! I also got a scholarship which I am very happy about :))) I really needed to hear this.

I am not sure if I will be going there yet, as the tuition is very expensive. But I'm happy to finally be accepted somewhere!

Call me Tentin Quarantino

Here is the script!!!

I decided to only script the parts that have actual dialogue, instead of describing every scene. This is all of course subject to change!! I could edit a few things while filming, it all depends on what sounds better. 

So update on this whole epidemic thing. The world is still ending. All I see in the media is related to coronavirus and I am very much sick of it. I just want everything to go back to the way it was. I wish the world wasn't on hold and I wish people would't have died. It's crazy how this is creating this huge ripple effect. I never would've thought that it would affect the production of this project, not only for me but for a lot of my classmates. I am thankful my piece has only one filming location (which is my house) but, I have two issues:

a) I need a female child actor AND a woman with wrinkly hands (so an old lady)

b) I (and a lot of my classmates) needed equipment from Becon TV but it's closed :((

I have my mic that I bought last year for my film opening, but it really isn't very good for dialogue. 

Also. My mom is being super strict about me leaving the house (which I kind of understand). But it means that I might not be able to act in any of my friends' projects, which I am very worried about because it isn't fair :( I know it's not my fault, but I feel bad lol. 

I guess this whole situation means that I have to cast myself as me?? It is more accessible and easier, and I can get help from my family or if any friend would want to come over and help. I still have to figure this out.

I guess I could start filming some scenes that have no dialogue. I could work on the "preparing tea cup as an act of rebellion" scene aka "grand finale". I could do the flashback scene with the wrinkly hands BUT I have no old lady and I don't think I can obtain one anytime soon (they are very prone to gettin corona). So yeah this whole situation is scary and I'm very worried about this project. I'm gonna have to figure out a way to pull all this off. 

We were all joking about doing documentaries instead and basically documenting our experiences while being in quarantine. Which would be kinda funny but I don't think the Cambridge people would find pleasing. You know, just a bunch of teenagers gradually going insane.

In summary, this is what I will do for now:

• Shoot teacup rebellion scene
• Stay inside and cry
• Watch movies to get inspired 
• Worst case scenario: spend $$ on mic equipment through Amazon
• Stay inside and cry a little 
• Contact old lady and little girl during times of quarantine (risky)

In the meantime: frick u times 100, Corona :')