Disagreements Within Group

The due date for final cuts was supposed to be before break started, but it has been extended which means  a reshoot right after break may be possible since theater is done. My partner and I have had some complicated relationships and I need to reflect on how its possible we can move forward. 

Reflecting on a poor partnership in the realm of filmmaking is always a challenging exercise. It brings to light not only the shortcomings of the collaboration but also forces introspection on personal decisions and dynamics within the team. In my experience, I once found myself in such a situation, and it was undoubtedly a learning curve.

The partnership started with promising enthusiasm and shared creative vision. We both possessed distinct skills and perspectives that, in theory, should have complemented each other perfectly. However, as the project progressed, it became evident that our communication was lacking, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.

One of the primary issues was a disparity in commitment levels. While I was fully dedicated to the project, my partner seemed to lose interest over time, leading to missed deadlines and incomplete tasks. This misalignment not only slowed down the progress but also strained our relationship, as I felt burdened by carrying the weight of the project alone.

Moreover, there was a significant difference in our artistic visions. We failed to establish a clear direction for the film, resulting in conflicting ideas and creative clashes. Instead of fostering a collaborative environment where ideas could flourish, we found ourselves in constant disagreement, hindering the creative process and leading to a compromised final product.

In hindsight, there were several lessons to be learned from this experience. Firstly, effective communication is paramount in any partnership. Clear expectations, regular check-ins, and open dialogue could have mitigated many of the issues we faced. Additionally, setting realistic goals and timelines from the outset would have helped manage expectations and prevent disappointment.

Editing Trailer One (Part Two)

Choosing the final takes of the film was determined on their compatibility with the genre chosen; comedy. The takes needed to produce a humorous effect. So, actor impressions was heavily considered, ranging from the expressions conveyed to the tone of their voices and what emotions these could invoke in the audience. But more so the reliance on handheld shots needed to be differentiated – a balance between the shots being casual but not extremely unprofessional and appear misplaced in a trailer. Video between friends would not be professionally stabilized, therefore, takes that were goofy in their set-up were chosen.

Still from one of the final takes in the film.

This shot was chosen because of the close depth of field the girl has to the camera. You can see the discomfort on her face and the playful expression of her friend behind her as they mock her for complaining about sitting shotgun with a sound stick extremely close to her face.

Sequence I edited with emphasis on sound bridging.

To create continuity and reflect trailer's fast-paced typical styles, the song 'Thriller' by Michael Jackson aided me in developing this. I started the song using a J-cut to sound bridge the scenes together and lessen the harshness of them side by side. Furthermore, the title and credits applied sync to the rhythm of the song, a technique many trailers do that I learned in pre-production to heighten the fun atmosphere inhibited from a comedy trailer. 

Editing Trailer One

Once filming was wrapped up, I began to import our filming into Adobe Premiere Rush. Here, I noticed the issues of our production immediately:

• The sound – certain takes, especially ones resembling this found footage look we attempted to create, were muffled and could not pass well even as intentionally bad found footage, as the dialogue is meant to be heard to add crucially to what the plot could possibly be. Although I did forget the the sound equipment I thought I would be able to work with the sound through the video clips.
• The scenes themselves - there isn't enough shot differentiation and that transferred to the trailer; there are some scenes for example the gas station scene that looks complicated due to the lack of exposition of where the characters are or came from. The 'expert' appears out of nowhere and would make all the more sense if there was simply a shot of her looking above the isle overhearing them.  

When put all together the production looked... messy in a way that looked like there was no planning involved. Despite our differences I did trust my partner to try but the footage doesn't make sense and with issues on my own end I was unable to record with my main technology- the sound equipment. 

When faced with the issue I did ask my partner if there would be a way to reshoot and the answer was probably no due to the busy schedules and approaching time limit.  She told me to try to edit and if genuinely needed we could figure something out so that is what I will be doing. 

Here is an example of one of the shots taken in the gas station scene. Our actor messed up so the title scene I had in mind would not be possible, and there are some missing lines/scenes to make the trailer seem coherent. 

For example as soon as this scene is done they are in the forest with no explanation of how they got there. I know trailers are not supposed to be exact, however I want the trailer to at least flow coherently. 

Production!

 How filming went? forgot sound equipment, shots got, time limit, disagreements when we got there. 

Today was filming day! It went horribly. My car broke down and due to my distractions I ended up forgetting my sound kit. As I got there the expert was not dressed accordingly and I was worried if she would be alright in the woods with flared leggings. Besides that however there were some disagreements between myself and my partner since she did not have any sort of stabilizer for her phone, just recording normally. 

This was how she was recording, which I didn't like but there was nothing I could do about it since this was her section of the project. I was worried in the editing the shots would be shaky or uncentered but we will figure that out tomorrow. 

Since we had a 'basic outline' for a story board we didn't have exact shots and durations for them, and from an editors point of view I hope the shots aren't too confusing. For example in the phot to the right she ended up doing a tracking shot instead of the actor walking out of frame like it was in the storyboard, and that's how I practiced editing it. 

More to come, with theses problem I will try to use stabilizers in adobe pro and cut shots using temporal dimensions for appropriate time length if need to. So even if the shots are incorrect to how they should be filmed I will be able to edit them.  

As for my minor tasks I planned to capture, because of my car issues I was unable to pick up the camera and will have to photoshop the poster instead of taking pictures and editing to enhance my skills. 

However I did get the videos/interviews I needed with all the cast members. So I will follow up with that first.