Project Ratings

Rankings #1-7

#1. Multiplane Animation

This was one of my favorite assignments because I happen to really enjoy animation. I was intrigued by the idea of using the Bolex to do stop motion. I loved getting a chance to experiment with multi-plane animation in real life. I have always worked with computer animation using interpolation. Working by hand definitely made me appreciate the artistry involved in the processes I have come to take for granted.

#2. Camera-less Filmmaking

This was a great project to start out with. I feel like I should have done this in the 201 class. My generation of filmmakers are disconnected with physical medium itself. Just being able to touch and manipulate real film helped me to remember how new the digital age truly is.

#3. Bolex Long Take

Again, this long take was so important to me realizing how precious film really is, and just how much you can communicate in one minute. I though messing with the frame rate and loading the camera was fun. I loved being there for the whole process. It made the film so special to me, in a way DV never will (I mean it was basically like watching a child being born). Good times, loved planning and blocking, made the actually event seem so special because we really only had one time to get it right.

#4. Star-Wars

I like this because it was so spur of the moment, and creative. It was so fun watching just acting like kids again and pretending to fly into space. I loved that we didn't have to worry so much about the the aspects we normally do in film classes (lighting, exposure etc.).

#5. Recycled Footage

Had I not been held up by some serious technical difficulties I feel like this would have been my favorite project. But in the end I had very little time to get it done. But I love editing found footage to make ridiculous looking situations. I only wish this project were allowed to go over one minute.

#6. 48-Hour Video Race

Loved the viewing process, but I was irresponsible and waited until the last minute. Truly regretted doing that after seeing the other films because I could have had a lot of fun with it.

#7. Rhythmic Editing

Interesting concept. Glad I had to do it because it helped redefine the possibilities of the medium for me. For me, however, it just wasn't as fun as the other.

6x1 part II design

Here is a list of things I would do in 6x1 part II

Projects

1. Every group is given the same shoebox of materials and they all have to design and shoot their films within the class period. The parameters would be strict with regards to time limit and techniques used.

2. An "on the spot" exquisite corpse project. Assume there a four groups. In four rooms/spaces there will be 4 shoeboxes, each with a unique set of items. In 10-20 minutes each group has to create the first sentence of a story and film it using only the props given to them. Any editing must be done within the camera, on the spot, by rewinding/fast-forwarding and recording over bad takes. (NOTE: Voiceover narration of the sentence should not be done during filming). At the end of the 20 minutes each group should have their completed sentence filmed and edited. Before moving on to the next room, each group must rewind the tape to the beginning of THEIR finished sequence. Then each group moves on to the next room, presses play on the camera, and watches the previous group's sequence (with the volume muted). They then build upon the story by filming a new sentence based on their best interpretation of what the previous group's sentence was. Each group repeats the process using the only the props in the box and in camera editing. They continue to switch rooms every 20 minutes until they are back to their original room. At this point the tapes are taken to the editing lab where one of a few things could happen.

1. The teacher or student takes the written versions of the sentences for each group and adds makes a single voiceover track for each tape.

2. A member from each ads a voiceover track to only their sequence on each tape.

3. (An interesting twist) Each group creates a voiceover sentence track for the previous group's sequence based only on what they see.

Mystery Workshop Response

I thought the whole Star Wars uncut idea was really unique. Even through its going to be hard as hell to keep with the whole story when the scenes and characters are changing every 15 seconds, but thats just part of the fun. Its empowering to see how amateurs and professionals alike can work together at such a fast pace to recreate one of the greatest movies of all time. I happened to bring a lot of technical looking junk computer parts to decorate our set to be the inside of the millennium falcon. In my mind I had this fantastical image of how it would all look when we finished shooting, but we were so concerned with decorating that we forgot about camera, lighting and acting. Needless to say it looks like a piece of shit, but thats what makes it so fun because that piece of shit still has a good chance of making it into the final movie which would be hilarious and well worth the time. We had a green screen sequence in there somewhere, but I think we decided just to leave it up there fun comedic effect instead of mapping over it. In all it was a very fun project, it really made me think back to my days as a freshman when I truly loved film. I don't know why, but getting together with a group of friends, a camera, and some crazy ideas will never get old to me as long as I live.