Creative Critical Reflection

Final Project

Final Entry

it's over! I had a lot of fun (and stress) making this but I got it done and learned a lot. Much love to everyone who helped me with this from my teacher to my friends. I wish I would have kept my blog more updated with my process but I hope my final project reflects the hard work I put in. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful life.

- Jose Puche

Entry Nine

     Today I filmed with yet another friend and helped out on another project. Although I like what he is doing, he has waited too long to film and it is piling up on him. I still need to finish editing. I was planning on finishing today but I took so many shots I really don't know what angles to cut to and use.
     I will work for another couple hours and hopefully finish my opening entirely and focus on my creative critical reflection over the weekend.
   

Entry Eight

     After finding out I was using the wrong terms to research my audio issue, I found out about ADR, automated dialogue replacement, which is used in the post production process for many problems including mine, poor recording on set. Although it would be the best option if I cared about having the best possible quality, I am pressed on time and there are more important tasks at hand. ADR is also known as being an annoying and expensive process to directors and actors, so I most likely will just take the advised route of simply amplifying the sound. 
     I would just contact a friend who owns a camera microphone and re-shoot the scenes with it, but one of the main actors recently left to Finland and I want to use the same exact people because most of the non dialogue shots came out really good. 
     Something I haven't mentioned before is the process of learning first hand how someone exactly like me handled this project. Last Thursday, my good friend (who is also creating his film opening) had me help him out by acting as the main character and aiding in some decisions for the shots. He plans on redoing one of the scenes today due to bad video quality. His process helped me learn from some mistakes he made to make my process go smoother. I'm also helping with another project tomorrow as an actor once again. I feel like helping out in other projects gives me a lot of helpful insight to see what I'm doing right and wrong.
     

Entry Seven

     With the due date approaching and still a good amount of work to do, I'm eager to see what my final piece will look like and pushing harder than ever to get it done. After exporting everything I filmed Saturday, I realized that my camera's built in microphone is of very bad quality. I was anticipating this to some extent and was prepared to recreate sounds but even the dialogue sounds way too quiet. Although I could just amplify the whole audio track and then equalize and compress out the undesired frequencies that also became louder, I was maybe considering completely stripping the audio and rerecording everything through foley and matching up the created audio track. After I tried researching if anyone has ever tried this process and finding nothing, I'll have to go with my original option and see how it turns out.
      I decided to not include any music in the traditional sense and instead, I'm making some intensely frantic instrumental tracks that resemble the band Tool's "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" or Death Grip's "You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it's your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat" with wailing high pitched notes and no real sense of rhythm. These songs provoke a sense of confusion and insanity and fit the sound I want for the final fight/flash forward scene. I also have some fake production company titles (one of which I included below) that I may want accompanied by either a short ambient sting or complete silence, I still have not decided. 
     Looking to finish basic editing tomorrow and scripting my director commentary, there is still a lot to do.

Keenan, Maynard. Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann), 10,000 Days. Tool. 2006. CD. 

Burnett, Stefan. You Might Think He Loves You for Your Money but I Know What He Really Loves You for It's Your Brand New Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat. Death Grips. Andy Morin, 2013. MP3.  

Entry Six

Aesthetic 

    

      These are some stills from various TV shows and movies that resemble the "look" and filter types I find would fit for my project. I included a black and white still from American History X because there is a flash forward in my opening scene and I feel a change in that color direction may be a good way of exaggerating it. Again, I am leaving out a lot of detail but tomorrow there will be a barrage of posts going in depth about everything I talk about and filling in the holes I left in my absence. But for now, I am half asleep and worn out from filming for twelve hours today so I need to rest. 

     Most of these stills are from dramas or thrillers in which no formalist elements are implemented, like mine. I need a realistic feel, and the first two, although very different in their own ways, are my favorites and the ones that I will most likely have to decide between. This, along with the font choice and letter positioning of the titles, will be my biggest challenges in editing.

Fincher, D., Milchan, A., Uhls, J., Linson, A., Chaffin, C., Bell, R. G., Pitt, B., ... Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc.,. (2002). Fight club. Beverly Hills, CA: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  

Gatiss, M. (Writer). (2010, August 8). The Great Game (Season 1) [Television series episode]. In Sherlock. London: BBC. 

Scott, R., Shaw, R. R., Perenchio, J., Yorkin, B., Fancher, H., Peoples, D. W., Deeley, M., ... Warner Home Video (Firm). (2007). Blade runner. Burbank, CA: Distributed by Warner Home Video. 

Kaye, T., Morrissey, J., McKenna, D., Hess, J., Norton, E., Furlong, E., Keach, S., ... New Line Home Video (Firm). (1999). American history X. S.l.: New Line Home Video.

Entry Five

     Although my blog postings haven't been as consistent as I would like them to be (so much has been going on in the recent weeks), I managed to finish filming today for the story I finalized Wednesday last week. I decided to cast close friends as the actors I previously created for my leading roles. The genre ended up being a coming of age drama with suspense undertones. I will edit a behind the scenes video tomorrow and post it to show the consistent errors we had due to none of the actors having any sort of experience. There were only two setting and thankfully they both had good lighting. I chose my friend's apartment and a truck loading station behind a building to film and both of them fit the aesthetic I was visualizing the best I could with no budget. I was lucky enough to get a DSLR and a tripod so I was able to mess with focus pulls and get steady shots. I only wanted hand held in the final scene of my film opening (a fight scene) so making sure the shots in the first scene (apartment scene) are as steady as possible to make the handheld stand out was crucial. Because of the acquisition of a tripod (thank you Luis), I got the desired effect. I'm aware I haven't spoken much about the plot and I would go in depth right now about it but today was exhausting but I felt it necessary to include a little update as to where my process is right now.

Entry Four

Ode To David Fincher

     An interview with acclaimed director, David Fincher,  specifically relating to his use and views of film openings has given me insight into the techniques used by a director known for creating fantastic title sequences. His opening for Seven(1995) has become iconic and one I feel is crucial to analyze in order to create my own. Uncomfortably eerie and alluding to the antagonist, the film's genre was perfectly reflected in every aspect of this opening. As a crime thriller with psychological, horror, and neo noir undertones, the opening made the audience feel uncomfortable, confused, and disgusted with the close-up shots of the serial killer antagonist, John Doe, doing acts like cutting his fingerprints off with a razor blade and obsessively writing in his journals. Of course, at this point the viewer has no idea who this is (John Doe appears almost 90 minutes into the movie and they never show his face in the opening), but the inclusion of the previous scene of the characters Detective Mills and Detective Somerset discussing working in homicide (which also sets up character development for both of them) followed by the creepy title sequence puts the idea far back in the head of the viewer that what is being presented to them will relate back to the two detectives previously shown. It alludes to the conflict, sets the tone extremely well, introduces the three most important characters, and captivates the audiences full attention in the span of only five minutes. Not to mention all the technique that was incredibly used to create the tone like sound and editing just to name a couple. Fincher really smashed this film opening and has done so again and again in nearly all of his films. A true master of cinema, but why? What does he do that makes his openings so admired? What's important to show the audience and what isn't? After fully reading the interview, I no longer have to infer.

   
     

Kopelson, A., Brown, S., Greenwald, N., Panitch, S., Harris, L., Saperstein, R., . . . Westmore, M. (Producers), Fincher, D. (Director), & Walker, A. K., Shore, H., Francis-Bruce, R., Khondji, D., Bottin, R., Albiez, P., . . . Picerni, C. (Writers). (1995). Se7en [Motion picture]. United States: A New Line Cinema release.

Perkins, W. (2012, August 27). David Fincher: A Film Title Retrospective. Retrieved March 29, 2016, from http://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/david-fincher-a-film-title-retrospective/

De Semlyen, P. (2010, October 15). Anatomy Of An Opening Sequence: David Fincher’s Seven. Retrieved March 29, 2016, from http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/david-fincher-fight-club-opening-credits/

Entry Three

WEEKLY SUMMARY

     I feel like I have accomplished the major part of what was needed this week. I finished the bigger part of character development and came up with an immense amount of miscellaneous ideas like thoughts on lenses, shooting locations, and sounds to start creating through foley. I've been creating music with this project in mind and I have made some songs that I feel could be useful for any film introduction. Some ambient tracks, some intense tracks, all different types of instrumental music. Here's some previous work for reference. Been thinking about using that song but I want to make something new for this (this will get it's own entry at one point for sure). I've created a situation that I feel I can work many different types of plots off of  ("Suburban teen get involved with a bad situation and isn't ready to live with the consequences"). I'll do another entry soon going more in depth into the visions I have for that. The constant web browsing and readings have given me an edge in research as well.

      This week was purely planning and research, and I am confident that I did a good job.

WHAT'S NEXT?
      Research and more research. The basis of next week will be finalizing all my ideas and beginning to create visual mockups for the scene (storyboards and a screenplay). I plan on creating a blog entry dedicated to David Fincher's masterful technique of creating a title sequence. I need to work on the characters more in terms of casting and design. I will research calligraphy for the titles and freshen up on my film production terms and techniques that I learned in the past year. I'll also do some reading on more advanced use of editing software to be able to recreate my visions well when I reach that part of the process. As long as I keep with the same pace and remain focused, I'll do well.

Entry Two

      So this one is a bit late but I still feel I should go over the meeting I had yesterday with my group. I got really good feedback and I feel comfortable on where I am. Also I feel like I gave good help to a member in my group working on a fashion magazine by telling her about my friend's clothing brand. I told them about my ideas with something in the style of film noir and after getting some interest in that idea, I may consider to do my piece in that style. I was told that due to my film (if it were to be completed in it's entirety) being character driven, then the process I'm taking of starting with character development is a good idea. I've been spending time mapping out every tiny detail about my main character from physical appearance to creating a life story. I have images in my head for certain scenes and I'm getting to really know him. Where he lives, what he wears, how he responds in situations, what he eats, who he would vote for, and if he believes in god. I feel like once I create someone I know as well as myself, I'll be in good shape. 
      I'll be including some pictures from the notebook I spoke about previously to show the process of getting to know him through the use of a character questionnaire. I found those fifty questions online (Since I couldn't find an author or publication date, I'll just give full credit here to thescriptlab.com) and I think it's a fantastic resource. Through those questions where they ask about things like personality traits and background of your character (which I found extremely fun to answer), you et a clear vision of who you are creating. Basing my answers off real people I felt was something important to do. I forgot to cover this in my last entry but I absolutely want to go one hundred percent with the route of realism, and no formalistic elements whatsoever. Having this in mind, making my character (most likely named Linston Hill) as real as possible by relating him to personal experiences and people seemed like a necessary step to take. I'm pretty much done with creating my main character so the next processes will be filling out the questionnaire for the supporting characters, considering who to cast, and giving them life in a story.
     During the meeting with my peers, I also brought up the idea of messing with excessively  intense visuals like in the title sequence for Enter the Void(2009). The opening sequence is purely artistic and won't aid me in setting up the main character's story or development but still, the explosion of fonts, colors, and sound used looks so awesome and catches the viewer so off guard that I want to incorporate it in some manner. Plus, the interview with the designer who created the titles and visuals at the bottom portion of where I linked Enter the Void to, Tom Kan, gave me a lot of insight into the art of typography, font selection, and color choices. Definitely something to keep in mind. 
     Really feel like everything is coming together. It's happening slowly but surely. I just really want to create something quality that I'll be proud of.

Noé, G. (Director). (2009). Enter The Void [Motion picture]. France.

Kan, T., Albinson, I., & Ulloa, A. (2011, November 21). Enter the Void. Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/enter-the-void/

Entry One

     I'm not really good at introductions so I'll just hop into it. My name is Jose Puche. I am seventeen years old and this blog is dedicated to follow the process that I will go through creating a film introduction. As of now, I am researching the genres I have considered to do my film's title sequence on (crime-suspense, psychological thriller, and neo-noir) and  beginning to develop my story along with the characters in it. If I were to complete the full production, I would definitely gear towards a more character driven film instead of having the plot be the main focus. 

     A movie I enjoy which has many similarities to the idea I have in mind is Taxi Driver(1976) by director Martin Scorsese. I like the laid back city ambience along with the development of such an interesting character like that of Travis Bickle.  The introduction of this movie was done excellently as well, with the soundtrack shifting back and forth from intensely orchestral to a mellow saxophone lick.  The visuals of New York City from a taxi cab (which Travis Bickle always saw as a disgusting mess of crime and sin that he felt necessary to "clean") are blurred and seen in a haze. Beautifully ambient and striking, not only does the introduction of Taxi Driver appeal to the eyes and ears, but the inclusion of the chaotic shift between music and the eyes of Travis Bickle scanning the city which he will grow to loathe tell a lot about the mental stability and the way Travis sees the world from the very beginning. This title sequence is one of my favorites and although I will most likely add a portion of dialogue to my opening, the way Taxi Driver says a lot about the main character's personality and mystique from the very start through only the use of editing and soundtrack is something to appreciate and learn from.

     I will be creating a list of film openings that I believe are important to watch and ones I will study closely in the creation of my own introduction in the upcoming days and posting it. I plan on researching techniques used by the great directors and learning more on the process of character development and scripting. In a legal pad, I have messily taken notes almost in the form of a stream of consciousness. Covered with the names of directors and films I admire along with ideas like taking use of a frame's quadrants for story telling or considering the use of narration, this notepad has many proposals to research and expand upon. 

    I'm planning on creating my own music for my piece as to create something specific for the tone of my film introduction and to save the headache of working with copyrights. I am also creating a schedule which would entail having my story and a rough idea of the scene done by this Saturday, March 12th. This week is ground zero of my project, and making sure that I have all the research and preparation done is crucial to ensure that the guidelines of my project will be well set and will make the rest of the process of creating my production go smoothly.

Scorsese, M. (Director), Schrader, P., Herrmann, B., Lucas, M., Chapman, M., Parmelee, T., Warner, F. E., . . . Rudloff, T. (Writers), & Phillips, M., Phillips, J., Goldfarb, P. M., Smith, D., Rosen, C., Mulligan, H., . . . Perri, D. (Producers). (1976).Taxi driver [Motion picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures presents.

Caron, A. (1997, September). The Last Temptation of Travis Bickle. Retrieved March 10, 2016, from http://offscreen.com/view/taxi_driver

Marine, J. (2015, January 31). How the Cinematography of 'Drive' Utilized Quadrants for 'Tightly Composed & Weirdly Unpredictable' Frames. Retrieved March 09, 2016, from http://nofilmschool.com/2015/01/nicolas-winding-refn-quadrants-cinematography-drive-tony-zhou