enigmaticproduction

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May Mastery Journal Entry

     Well, I finally made it. One year ago, I started this journey to earn my master’s and now I’m finally here. It’s been an absolutely amazing experience and I was given every opportunity that I’d hoped I would be. What I’ll be taking away from this most, however, will be all of the lessons I learned about myself.

     In month one, my goals for this class were to learn how to better market myself, secure 4 potential job prospects, and further develop marketing techniques from the lessons. I didn’t remember writing any of that, so I find it quite amusing that I did manage to accomplish all 3 with the exception of the job prospects. I didn’t secure 4, but I did find 3. This class was actually a bit surreal for me because on many occasions I was surprised at just how much I already knew because of the information I retained from Entertainment Law class in my undergrad. Nevertheless, it was an excellent refresher and the teachings were most welcome. It was especially beneficial this time around because I will be starting a business with a fellow student of mine and all of the information will prove crucial for us as we set out to create something new and unique.

     As I walk away from this course and take stock of the year that has passed, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for some of the days gone by. The time really did fly right past and although I will miss certain aspects of the experience, I feel very different than I did finishing my undergrad. With the experiences I had this year, I now feel very capable of making it in the industry and I was actually becoming a bit restless these last few months. I was and am just so excited to get started and now that the time has come, I’m grateful. I’m grateful for every professor that imparted their knowledge onto me. I felt like this program filled in all the gaps that I had when I completed my Bachelor’s. I know that I don’t know everything but, I truly feel like my learning will be limited from here on until I get on a real set with professionals and learn some “tricks of the trade”. Now that I’ve absorbed all the theory, I need to be amongst mentor’s and specialists to get to the next level and that’s why I’m ready to go. I couldn’t be more satisfied that I decided to take the plunge and go after this degree. It has proven to be one of the best experiences of my life and I will forever be better and more prepared because of it. Thank you to all the instructors who helped guide me and I can’t wait to work with you in the future, as equals!

Time. Peele, J. (2018, July 29). Guillermo Del Toro.[Photo]. Retrieved from http://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217579/guillermo-del-toro/ 

“The saddest journey in the world is the one that follows a precise itinerary. Then you're not a traveler. You're a f@@king tourist.” ― Guillermo del Toro

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April Mastery Journal Entry

https://youtu.be/8LuzIUrJ3Xo 

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March Mastery Journal Entry

     This month was a bit of a challenge for me because the topics covered were out of my normal wheelhouse. While I felt that I absorbed the content and lectures well, it was difficult trying to describe my own potential workflow in an assignment, without fully grasping the concepts. That said, I really came away from the class with a much better understanding of the workflow process all the way through to delivery.

     Being exposed to Avid media composer was an experience, to say the least. As I am primarily a Final Cut Pro user, I found Avid to be antiquated in several ways and it was very daunting to me at times. However, by the end of the class, I think I was beginning to get the hang of it in many ways even though I still have many months and years to go before I truly feel experienced with it. I’d like to get to a point where I can become certified with the program because that will then allow me to demonstrate my prowess with several NLE’s and not just with Final Cut. It’ll also benefit me in that I’ll be able to command more compensation for my services in the future.

     What most excited me about this class was the newer software and programs that are making waves in the industry. Davinci Resolve is the industry leader in programs for color grading and in practicing with it, I find that its user interface is very similar in nature to Final Cut. In addition, Blackmagicdesign has expanded the Davinci Resolve line to include an entire suite of other post production programs and it’s really become a one stop shop for editing. Avid may be the industry leader but going forward, it would behoove me to learn Davinci because they are doing things with a much more modern approach and it’s far more efficient in its design.

     I was also very inspired by some of the comments made by the instructor about how much opportunity is available to the aspiring filmmakers of today. It seems that the days of needing to relocate to LA in order to be able to make any kind of impact in the film industry, are gone. With all of the tools that are at our disposal these days, there are numerous ways to garner the attention of studios and the only thing that’s really stopping people from executing their vision on screen, is themselves. That’s a very encouraging thought.

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February Mastery Journal

     This month was one of the most challenging I’ve had to date but it was also the most rewarding. I earned the role of Director of Photography on my cohort’s thesis project which essentially means that I am entirely responsible for executing the look of the film to the vision specifications of the director. An incredibly influential position, the DP works with the camera team, gaffer and key grip to execute lighting plots and camera setups in order to capture the director’s vision exactly the way they have it in their mind.

     In reviewing my goals from month 1 of this degree program, I realized that what I set forth to accomplish was not in line with the responsibilities of this position as I had set goals that encompass the role of a director. My story wasn’t chosen during thesis selection so, I couldn’t be the director on thesis, but I was able to bring on a crew and film it in another class. Because of this, I had already achieved my directorial goals that I had laid out for this month. I was quite excited to take on the challenge of lighting for a nighttime environment because it was something I hadn’t yet attempted. There were also many other challenges with regard to the location that I wanted to experiment with.

     Having the opportunity to incorporate all of the theoretical aspects from the lessons over the past several months, was invigorating. To take the time to block and set up each lighting plot, compose each frame as a still picture, and fine tune the camera movement to then be able to sit back and watch it come to life on a monitor, was incredibly fulfilling. The feeling I get from watching art finally come together on screen after so much time and effort by so many people, is difficult for me to put into words. With all of the shorts that I’ve done, I’d never felt quite a rush like that. After years of classes, I finally made it onto a fairly sizable film production and by the 3rdday, I really started to feel like I belonged. I was overcome by the revelation that all of my time spent learning the concepts and practices of filmmaking, had paid off.

     I’ve still so much to learn about with regard to the technical aspects of the camera and how it responds to light. I also have endless amounts of experience to gain in how to light different scenes and characters for different emotions and environments but, I’m on my way. My confidence in my craft really grew this month and I’m going to embrace it from now on. I’m only going to improve with the more I practice I have.

     Months ago, I watched a video tutorial on YouTube about how to light for darkness and the commentator said something that has stayed with me ever since. He said, “you are interpreting darkness, not actually showing it”. This really helped me understand the concept of night lighting a lot better and I’ll always keep it in mind going forward.

References:

Film Riot. (2014, March 28) How to Light for Darkness! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15tYFWR4cvA

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January Mastery Journal

     The short film I’ve chosen to review is called Laps. When a young woman is sexually assaulted in plain sight on a crowded New York subway, will anyone step in to help her? I first saw this film a couple months ago and was blown away by just how powerful a message it has within it. The film starts with a young woman swimming laps in a pool. She finishes, showers briefly, and boards the subway. As she keeps herself immersed in a handheld device playing a game whilst she stands, she is abruptly disturbed by a male who has seemingly gotten too close to her, even by the generally accepted standards of the close confines of a subway car. It quickly becomes apparent that this inappropriate embrace is in fact intentional by the male and he has no intention of backing off to give her back her space. Several passengers view the actions taking place but, not one decides to intervene. At the next stop, the woman quickly gathers her things and exits the car as she then struggles to regain her composure after what’s just taken place.

     This short is captivating on many different levels, in terms of filmmaking analysis and in visual storytelling in general. To start with- the camerawork is very immersive; claustrophobic even. Because the setting is primarily in the subway car, the camera is placed throughout the confines of people standing and sitting. Sometimes arms are outstretched and we’re looking over shoulders and at others, we are peering over two or three heads to see our protagonist. These angles coupled with extreme closeups of the woman and her aggressors body sandwiched together, make for a very uncomfortable feeling in the audience, and rightly so.

     After the woman exits the train car, there is a tracking shot that follows her from behind all the way until she stops to wait on another train, almost as if to say that although she got away from the man, his actions are staying right there with her. The composition of the frames was also extremely effective. There were several shots throughout that were intentionally framed to evoke a voyeuristic feel to them. This woman is being assaulted in plain view of several other passengers. They see it, and yet they do nothing about it. I think this is because often times when we see an injustice taking place, unless there is some sort of catalyst to spark action, we do nothing. With the shots chosen, I think they were meant to convey that we, the audience, are the same as those passengers on the train. We are witnessing the same things that they are and yet, we can’t do anything either. In this day and age, it’s a very slippery slope to accuse anyone of anything. Is the man sexually assaulting her? Or is he simply just too cramped in the train like everyone else? Everyone understands how congested subway cars can be. Is it fair to accuse someone of something in that environment without knowing for sure and more importantly, can you prove ill intention? It’s no wonder that people are often heard saying “I’m not sure what I saw”. The fact that the filmmaker was able to cull those kinds of thoughts and emotions from me as I watched it, is very impressive to me.

     Another area that was very effective was the sound design. After watching this short a few times, I started to wonder about the sequence of events that took place throughout and whether or not they happened in the order in which they play out on screen. This is all because of the sound design. As I stated earlier, in the beginning, the woman is seen swimming laps and showering before the title screen. She then boards a train. On subsequent viewings, I noticed that the sounds of trains riding along their tracks are peppered into the sounds of the pool water splashing as she swims laps in the pool. I also noticed that she was no longer wet when she is first seen boarding the train and it got me questioning- could the train incident have happened prior to her swimming the laps and is that what prompted her to take a therapeutic swim? This makes more sense to me because, with the scenes left the way they are, I find it hard to connect the two events in terms of a proper narrative structure but, when considered in this timeline, it makes perfect sense. Given that it’s such a subtle cue in the beginning, I don’t believe it’s a stretch to think that most people would miss it. I even missed it on the first few viewings but, It’s extremely important and informational. “Sound is a huge influence on peoples’ attention” – Walter Murch.

     This brings me to the production design and editing. The production design was very well done. The environment feels very confined, as it should on a subway, and it immerses the audience because of it. There were tears in the clothing of the protagonist and I noticed that as I watched the film for the first time, that stood out to me. I found myself unnerved by the fact that I couldn’t help but imagine what her scent must have been. The smell of chlorine and shampoo in her hair along with her natural body musk releasing pheromones in the air is intoxicating to men and having those thoughts briefly put me in the mindset of the male aggressor, which was scary, to say the least. However, this is how great filmmaking should be. I briefly mentioned my theory as to the non-linear editing but, I don’t have any confirmation on that. Other than that, I found the editing adequate but, nothing revolutionary. It didn’t need to be though. Its flow was perfect for the tone of the film.

     This film has helped ground me in my short film aspirations because so much can be conveyed with so little and oftentimes less is more. Camera movement shouldn’t be done just for the sake of having movement. Music shouldn’t be incorporated when silence is more powerful. Dialogue isn’t necessary when a look of emotion will say more. I’ve kept these jewels firmly planted in my mind since viewing this film and it has served me well ever since. I’ll continue to use them as I further my filmmaking career.

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December Mastery Journal

The film that I’ve chosen to review is Titanic. This film focuses on the fictionalized story of two star crossed lovers and their experiences, all against the backdrop of the fated British passenger liner ‘Titanic’ from 1912. I was 12 years old when I first saw this movie and even then, I knew it was something special. While this film is over 20 years old and very well known throughout the world, I recently re-watched it with the intention of studying it anew, now with a filmmaker’s perspective, so that I could discern how this movie was as impactful as it was, and still is today.

Titanic is a Tragic Romance/Drama that is packed to the brim with A-list actors, beautiful cinematography, a world class composer, an accomplished director, and state of the art special effects. It was, at the time, the most expensive film ever made and it showed. It maintains a consistent tone throughout that is uplifting even in the face of large- scale tragedy. There are perfectly placed, brief, moments of comedy peppered throughout the film and it helps to keep things from being too serious and risk alienating audience members. The sheer spectacle of what was accomplished and put on screen is simply astounding. However, after this most recent viewing of the film, I started to feel that one of the biggest reasons this movie fared so well with viewers is because of the character development but, not for just the actors. I believe the main attachment that the audience ultimately had was with the ship itself. Such time, effort, and detail had been put into recreating the Titanic in such a way that, when we as the audience saw it all come crumbling down, we felt as if we were losing a main character right before our eyes. In many ways, the ship itself follows the heroes journey structure, normally reserved for protagonists and commonly seen throughout films. It had a resting place (resting on the dock before the maiden voyage), call to action/ journey begins (it sails off), rising tension & conflict (engineer and captain don’t want to push engines before they’ve been broken in but the financier is only concerned about making headlines) etc.

The ship is very much a character in the story and James Cameron (the director) spent a great deal of time familiarizing the audience with it. Various aerial shots were utilized throughout the film to showcase the sheer scale of the ship. There were also many shots of nothing but the production design from hundreds of neatly stacked plates in the kitchen area, to ballrooms with dozens of pieces of expensive furniture. He also detailed the different classes of people and their respective quarters on the ship, and we got to see the stark contrast between those areas. Then there was the dialogue from the actors that constantly made mention of the grandiosity of the ship itself. Seeing all of it simply disappear before our eyes gave the audience a very real sense of what it must have been like to be on something so grand and luxurious and have it literally collapse under our feet. This coupled with the fear of knowing that you have nowhere to go to escape, makes for a very impactful storytelling opportunity and Cameron capitalized on it brilliantly.

Now, don’t mistake my meaning. The main characters and their plight were definitely a large factor in why this film was so impactful. Human stories centered around forbidden love are usually great motivators for people to go watch. However, in the case of Titanic, I think there was something more at work. While the audience was focused on the love story playing out before our eyes, Cameron sutured that blossoming love story and its beauty, to the beauty and grandness of the ship itself so that when one crumbled, it ultimately brought the other down with it. Even though the ship ended up at the bottom of the ocean, its beauty remained, much the same way for Jack in that, even though he died, the love that he and Rose shared, however brief it was, remained. This is demonstrated all throughout the third act of the film as well. All of the setup that had been established with the ship, as well as with their relationship, came crashing down together and the audience felt that loss of everything that we had just grown attached to over the course of 3 hours. The gorgeous backdrop of the Titanic- forever gone. The beautiful people who weren’t meant to be together but who ultimately found a way- were unable to live their lives out together. The aesthetically pleasing imagery of the ship and the idealistic love story were sutured together throughout the entirety of the film and then destroyed right before our eyes.

In Titanic, James Cameron found a way to tap into the subconscious of the audience and make us care about characters. This is the goal of most filmmakers and there are varying degrees of success. However, where Cameron really stood out with this picture is his forethought with regard to the ship itself. There have been many films that have depicted large scale disasters since Titanic and they have all come and gone without a second thought from the majority of moviegoers. They just don’t resonate like they should. By making the ship a character that people cared about, Cameron forced the audience to feel the tragedy in a much more acute way in that we felt like we were losing everything we had just grown to love. Seeing pretty, and valuable things destroyed has a psychological effect on people as well and that combined with the death of Jack and with him, their love, was a nice one- two punch on the audience. At the end of the day, filmmaking is about emotional manipulation and this film accomplished that in spades. Job well done James Cameron. You’ve had an enormous impact on my life since I was a child and I aspire to create great and impactful films like you one day very soon.

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November Mastery Journal Assignment

This month has been one of the best I've had in the 3+ years since I've embarked on my journey to become a filmmaker. I moved to FL this year to pursue a Master’s in film because despite my knowledge of film theory and the lessons I’ve learned over the years, I didn’t feel like I’d reached the level of understanding of how to really make a film from start to finish. Having made it through half of my classes now, I can safely say I made the absolute right decision to come down here.

All of the classes thus far have been very insightful but, I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at how much I already knew. It has given me the confidence to really chase after a career in this industry because I now realize that my knowledge of the basics is there. From now on, I won’t feel as self-conscience about my abilities and I can start to branch out and experiment more. That brings me to this month’s class.

This month, I was given the opportunity to take a project that I created and move it from script to screen. I was fortunate enough to have several passionate people come on board to help me and it’s turning out as great as I hoped it would. There were some logistical issues that kept me from executing everything that I wanted, to pull off a completely polished project but, that’s to be expected. There is only so much pre-production prep that can be accomplished in two weeks and I’m immensely proud of what we accomplished. I’m especially proud of myself because for once, I actually stopped to appreciate what I was able to do in my directorial duties. The major concern I had going into this project was if I would be able to get the actors to give me the intensity that I was looking for. They delivered, and it shows.

In addition to the wonderful performances from my actor’s, I had an absolutely fantastic crew that took all of their positions seriously. The shoot itself went very smoothly and although we did encounter some hiccups, we all worked efficiently and professionally. I couldn’t have asked for a better crew and coming out of this experience, I know that I’ve made some friends for life.

Not only was I able to pull off my passion project this month but, I was also exposed to on set equipment and I was taught how to use it correctly. This opportunity was precisely one of the reasons that I came to campus- so that I could finally get some training on set with professional grade gear and it was a phenomenal experience. Between that experience, the lectures of the professor, and the wealth of documents and information he provided, I come away from this month in a much better place than when I began, and I am very grateful for it. I��m very much looking forward to next month’s class also.

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October Mastery Journal Assignment

Well, this was quite an eventful month. In addition to participating in several lighting workshops and working on numerous class projects with other classmates, this was also the month in which we had to pitch our short story ideas for thesis consideration. Busy, busy, busy. It was, however, a very fulfilling experience. I was able to take a pretty ambitious short story written by a fellow classmate and execute it fairly well and within a quick, 1 day shoot. While that wasn’t the original plan, Hurricane Michael came through and derailed us on one of our 2 shoot days. Even with that, we managed to craft something that we’re proud of.

Pitching for thesis was the big project of the month though. We were tasked with putting together a presentation detailing all of the intricacies of bringing our proposed project together. How much it would cost, potential locations, desired aesthetics, lighting, shot lists, dream castings etc. It was a daunting task but, I was able to pull it off. Unfortunately, my project wasn’t selected but there were many factors that the selection committee needed to factor in and I understand that. Going into month 6 will be a lot of fun now because I’ve been encouraged to shoot it as my own project for the month and I’m immensely excited about that.

One of my big goals for this month in the program was to use some equipment that I hadn’t really had the chance to use before and that’s exactly what I did. I incorporated drone footage into our short and I checked out several pieces of gear for the shoot as well. It really gave me a chance to learn more about lighting and different lenses. I ultimately had a blast this month because so much was asked of me and I was able to deliver, and that feels great. Onto the next month!

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September Mastery Journal

This month was beneficial for me. I was able to take a few short scenes, cast for them, and direct to how I saw fit. Starting the class, I didn't realize just how many ineffective types of direction there were.It seemed that every direction that I might instinctively ask of someone to act out, was wrong. Reading and learning about action verbs and as-if scenarios as useful and effective forms of direction was very helpful and putting them into action really allowed me to see why they are used in lieu of adjectives.

           The first directing scene was nerve-racking. We needed to explain the scenario and the events leading up to the moment that the talent was about to act out. We had to get together with the DP and convey what camera angles we were looking to get for the scene. Of utmost importance was for us to pay attention to the performance from the actors and make sure we were giving proper adjustments so that we could pull off a great scene. We also had to execute the whole thing in 10 minutes while the instructor looked on. It was intense but a whole lot of fun. With every scene, I grew more and more confident in my ability to give direction and I see why it’s important for the director to be insulated from the goings-on around a film set. It is his or her job to “see” the film through the viewfinder before anyone else and if they aren’t able to bring the performances of the actors to life on the screen, then there is no reason to even be creating a film. Being in the Director’s chair was an eye-opening experience and I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to do it more in the future.

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Mastery Vlog Assignment

Month 3 Reflection: Script Production and Analysis

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Boniato (2015) Film Review

    Today ​I watched a horror short film called Boniato (2015). In analyzing and reviewing it, I want to start with the good first, because it really has so much going for it. In fact, It's hard for me to relegate this as simply a short film because its production value very much gives the impression that it's a Hollywood feature. It's that good.

    To start with, the cinematography is beautiful. The camerawork, exposure, depth of field, composition, and camera movement are all top notch. Not a bit of noise in the picture at all. In short films, I often find that the camerawork isn't as impressive, not because the technical mastery isn't there but, because the mastery of lighting a scene is under-appreciated and it ends up hurting the overall image. That isn't the case with this film. It is wonderfully lit and there is just enough shrouded in shadows to keep things nice and suspenseful.

    The production design was also stellar. The farm setting is very confining and locationally cryptic and it works for the story. In addition to the farm, there is the underground bunker that gave a very claustrophobic feeling to it once the story transitioned to that location. The creature sound effects were extremely creepy and effective and the music was a nice aide in crafting an imposing and scary atmosphere.  I did feel that the creature design fell a little flat in some ways as there were some moments where they exposed the hands of the creatures in full sight, well lit and they were not very convincing. However, that is a small gripe and it doesn't take away from the rest of the picture in any way.

    With the editing, once again, it was well done. Scenes flowed smoothly from one to the next and things never seemed to drag on. There was substantially more action taking place in the underground bunker and the faster cuts there were necessary to indicate the speedy attacks of the creatures. With that said, it brings me to the point at which this short falls flat. The story.

    Although we are introduced to the protagonist early on (Elisia) and we are given her dilemma (she wants to travel north to look for better work opportunities), things start to fall apart from there. She is taken to an area of the farm under a spotlight by her boss who seemingly wants to help her because her motorcycle won't start, and it is there that he abandons her, and two other passengers in the car, for the creatures to attack and kill them.  She is dragged underground where these creatures have been feasting on many different people as there are corpses strewn about. She is then attacked shortly thereafter and a man who we've seen only twice up to that moment, neither of which did he speak nor did the audience learn anything about his character or his motives, starts to fend off the creatures with some martial arts skills and a knife. It is he who helps her escape. He seems to give his life fighting the 'final boss' type creature in the end only to come walking across the field to hitch a ride with the girl who had just recently emerged from the ground moments prior shortly before killing the boss who left her in the car to die. They drive off. In the very beginning of the short we also see some mock, old footage of several women being hanged together, who are later revealed to have been sisters and we see this by some drawings on the wall in the underground bunker and a short dialog between the girl and the unknown man... what or where is the connection? I do not know.

    This short fails in the ways that count the most because the audience isn't left with any answers to the questions that were posed throughout the story. We also aren't given any kind of character development or backstory to help us identify with them or root for them to come out on top of all of this turmoil. No call to action was present. No climatic moment, really; just the appearance of one. No denouement. Because of that, this short really left me wanting. As pretty as it was visually, it simply wasn't enough for me to enjoy it and certainly not good enough to make me want to see it again.

    When my team and I tell our story via our short film, we will rely on the comedic conventions upon which the story is based on. If we keep the comedic tone in mind as we shoot our film it will give us some leeway with what we can do creatively to showcase certain, normally unbelievable, elements. One example would be to utilize a specific camera angle, P.O.V., to showcase the perspective of a certain character in our story. In using that method we will be able to keep the audience immersed in the story thats unfolding as opposed to the visuals which is a good thing for us because our budget will not allow for the flashy visuals that would be required to pull off our story. With those kinds of creative liberties being employed, I don't feel that the low budget on our film will hinder us at all.

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In my current course at Full Sail University, we were asked to submit this weeks assignment on our page. Here it is!

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Week 3 Inspirational Post - A lesson in Color Theory in film. Take a look! This will make you start to pay attention more when you catch yourself casually watching a movie.

Patreon. (2015, July 29). Colour in Storytelling.[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXgFcNUWqX0&t=866s.

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In my current course at Full Sail University, we were asked to create a logo with our name and snap a screenshot. This was a quick rendering I came up with.

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In my current course at Full Sail University, we were asked to create an account with Papaly and to snap a screenshot.

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In my current course at Full Sail University, we were asked to create an account with Feedly and to snap a screenshot. 

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In my current course at Full Sail University, we were asked to create an account with Linkedin and to snap a screenshot.