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Mastery Journal Business of Film

The final journal and it’s been a fast year of learning something new every month. This month in Business of Film I truly learned a lot on the importance of paperwork and a paper trail for each step taken in any venture in the world of the creative arts. I chose the quote by Marshall Mcluhan “The medium is the message.” Because it really encompasses the reality of the ever-changing way we produce media and how we conduct business concerning intellectual property. Contractual was always a complex topic of, but actively getting to work on a project doesn’t have to be with a Letter of Agreement. I think that was a huge take away for me this month. The two parties must have a clear understanding of the paperwork but the detailed line by line breakdown doesn’t have to slow up the progress once signed. I once heard that hiring a business lawyer is great for business, just so long as you can hire another lawyer to watch the first one. Obviously as deep as your pockets are dictates these choices but the concept remains true. Watch your paperwork and read before signing anything. I truly enjoyed the different exercises we did as a class to get a feel of how a true negotiation would happen. It was like a civil game of chess with deep rooted strategy to gain an inch of ground without showing your hand. Essentially the give and take scenario works as long as both parties can win, or at least perceive themselves as winning. I don’t think I have ever had as much awareness of the definition of words in contracts as I have after this month’s class. I used to think that words carried the same meaning for the most part in a contract but that is surely not the case and if you aren’t aware of what the meaning for that specific word in that specific contract, you could essentially be signing your life away to work for free. It’s a scary thought but at the end of the day it’s our responsibility as a business professional to gain full understanding before signing anything. I truly enjoyed my professor Peter Gordon. Great time learning with him and I would recommend his brain for picking any day on this subject.

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Post Production Mastery Journal

This month’s Post Production Thesis class, I was a completely new outlook on the process of digital media and the steps taken in creating a visual after the process of capturing the raw content. I never knew the extent of the post process that deals particularly with color grading and color correction. Each step of moving the raw data of collected footage is a strategic movement of more than the footage; it’s a movement of file information that must be maintained in a certain format or even changed to another format to keep the original idea consistent as well as the original color consistency for the idea to even translate properly. At the end of the day, it’s the story that must survive the multiple level of file movement. I believe this has been the most challenging month concerning new technical information that has been a huge change up in the creative process of our film. There are many layers after the filming of the movie. This month has created an eye-opening experience in the world of codecs and the importance formatted material and the platforms in which the media is to be released. So many years exporting a project was such a minimal thought in the editing process due to my lack of information concerning the format of different platforms. A lot of times we put so much effort into the edit only to lose important quality in the projects visuals without properly formatting the work. I have taken more time to look at formatted footage before uploading or sharing my media. There were times where the information and the constant usage of acronyms at a whim was more than my novice mind could absorb, but it really gave me a greater insight on options available to make more creative options with projects I work on. Da Vinci Resolve has become a priority on my shopping list in investments to make.

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Mastery Journal_ Production

Mastery Journal

My month in Production has been nothing short of a constant test of personal perseverance. I found it very challenging in the sense that I only got a total of six hours of instructor training on the Zaxcom Nomad, yet because I took it upon myself do my own audio training via YouTube links, I created a workflow for my boom operator and myself for the shoot. It was a chance to allow me to take the lead of the sound department of this film and learn some new equipment while also adjusting to the many variables that come with sound mixing and recording with a wireless system. It was a great experience because I made it one. Sometimes the information isn’t handed to you and you simply need to find a way to get it done. My sound mix was far from perfection but my boom op and I adjusted quickly to new obstacles as the days of shooting continued. I have a couple of more sets I will be operating the boom mic on so this experience gives me a deeper awareness of the functioning of the sound department. There is still much info to learn and revisit to sharpen my audio knowledge for a film set, but this was an excellent start. Production has many moving pieces and the set can be chaotic at times but when you have a healthy relationship with your team it really makes the emotional energy centered and much more easily manageable. Both my boom operator and I are military so there was a certain structure in the way we moved and worked all the way down to the way we took a lunch break. I will also be working with the same person in his film next month so it will simply help us mold even more as individuals and as a team.

Inc, Z. (2012, August 14). Zaxcom Nomad - Recording. Retrieved March 31, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5Nb8IHGsro&t=307s

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Mastery Journal?Pre_Production

I reviewed Craig’s Pathetic Freakoutform my short film review. The logline for this film reads, “After smoking weed with a friend, Craig starts to worry he may be trapped inside a movie”. I Immediately think comedy when I read a log line like this. Being trapped inside a movie sounds like a comedic chemical experience for a character in a story. The inciting incident for this story began when Craig’s friend pulls out weed to smoke. Craig immediately became uncomfortable.  Craig’s friend can see that Craig is uneasy as tells him not to start freaking out, as he has frequently done in the past. Craig then responds by asking to partake of the weed insisting that weed doesn’t affect him. This creates a plot of proving the movies entire narrative. It subtly makes you want to see Craig unwillingly unhinge. They smash cut to the title screen of the movie with the distorted chords of a violin creating a different tension to the movie that differs from the relaxed living room setting that the entire movie takes place in. The script hooks you less than a min into the film when weed is introduced. Craig starts zoning out of the conversation unaware of questions being asked by his friend. Considering this was a low budget film, their use of the production in the storyline was a smart move for creating an interesting story along with sticking to the low budget aspect of the production. It really gave it a cinematic twist that isn’t common in comedies I am accustomed to. I finished this movie feeling very satisfied as a viewer. This film delivers a thorough comedic storyline without a stale moment.

Their usage of camera movements for certain moments during Craig’s outburst where key in keeping the small two actor film visually interesting. It shows you the importance of understanding the visual theory behind film. They made a film that took place in one room between two couches and still created movement within that space. I think the practicality of the film made it easier as a production.

As my production team and I begin our pre-production of our thesis film Sugar High, we will be analyzing the practicality of our film. The locationof our film is set in a school and a home which causes for a detailed look at practical set design and logistics of the camera shots and location. I noticed the difference in the character’s wardrobe in the film Craig’s Pathetic Freakout. Craig was dressed differently than his friend.There was a clear difference in the book shelves order as well. The book shelf behind Craig was very chaotic in the placement of the books while his friend had a bookshelf with a lot of order and formation. I noticed Craig had a glass of milk behind him almost as if he asked for milk initially before the other guy brought out the beer. All these subtle things on screen helps create more division between the two subconsciously.When the movie began, the two are laughing at a joke. Craig points out that the friend doesn’t get the joke, and the friend agrees, yet still laughing. When I first saw this film, I didn’t catch pay attention as to why that was so important. Going back and watching the film again, I now begin to wonder just how close these two individuals are. The friend was laughing at a joke that he clearly didn’t find humor in. I am beginning to think they weren’t close at all and Craig maybe just stopped by. Shortly after the bad joke, this “so called” friend of Craig, pulls out weed. It’s almost as if he was saying he needs to be high to be around Craig. You look at the title of the film and it describes Craig’s freak out as pathetic. That seems to be a crass description for the character of Craig. I like the psychological questions that are a result of this script. When Craig’s friend resets himself to resay his lines for this movie production that comes into play on screen, Craig completely loses it eventually punching a member of the production team as Craig leaves the house of his friend. The camera then scrolls back to the character sitting on the couch shaking his head as he says, “every time”.  It leaves the viewer wondering if Craig was truly an actor on set who freaked out, or was he experiencing these hallucinations due to the weed. It was a well thought film that delivers an entertaining plot. The editing process in this film will be vital in making this film come to life on screen I will enjoy the creative measures that we will take as a production team to make this short film Sugar Highcome to life on screen.

https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2018/07/03/craigs-pathetic-freakout/

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I had a great time this month in Visual Storytelling. I really enjoyed the hands-on labs with the equipment coupled with the lecture portion about each individual piece of equipment and the various terms to describe them. I always felt an overwhelming sense of confusion when looking at the massive cages of equipment in the soundstage put this month really brought things into perspective. I still have a lot to learn about being on a set but I have had the experience to be work on many different sets this year and I have taken note of the do’s and don’ts as not only a crew member but as a director and producer. I have taken on the initiative of filming the first footage of my martial arts series Brick –Fu and I am really excited to see how pieces have come together to make the dream happen. It is still at ground zero in production but the common senses about the idea has been a positive one. I think one of my favorite classes to date this month due to the open schedule and flexibility I had to really take the time needed to deliver on the assignments not only as an individual but as a team. I had a blast creating and recreating. I have grown a new appreciation for the set designers and the lighting crew to capture the perfect visual for the director. Things that people take for granted on camera are blood sweat and tears to a crew on the set. I have been lucky enough play a strong role in the audio department of our projects throughout the program but I am slowly finding myself being an asset on set in many other ways. I am a firm believer in playing your position when it’s game time, but when an idea comes to me on set about the shot or lighting or set design and I feel like it’s a productive idea; I wait for the proper time to interject in a subtle way. I can say that my team is receptive to most if not all my input. People always ask the question of do you see yourself as a director and I always respond with no. I believe that directing is the result of a great conversation that has already taken place. Meaning you don’t necessarily see yourself as I director, you just find yourself directing because you had a great conversation with individuals and they simply want to be a part. I think someone must find you trustworthy in your time before they can trust you as a director of theirs. I look forward to learning more about the sound department on the set of a major film set. I love sound design and the post side of production but I am very intrigued by each position on a set. I see the set and the production of a film much like a military operation. The team is trained, briefed, and prepared days before showing up to the set. I love the process and the lessons learned along the way.

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Berry Gordy’s Last Dragon B.G.T.L.D. In this paper, I will be discussing the film, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon. This film follows the story of Leroy Green; a local martial arts instructor who is not only known for his martial art skills, but also for his unique personality which often clashes with his surroundings. Leroy is forced to use his martial arts, going against his peaceful beliefs when a new nemesis threatens the one’s he loves.  I would consider this to be in the Action/Romantic/Comedy genre of films. This film has a unique urban feel to this martial arts genre that was one of a kind when this was released in 1985. In the golden are of rap, this movie encompasses the African American culture and the Eastern culture of martial arts that set a standard that has yet to matched in my opinion. This film had a stellar soundtrack backing throughout the movie that told the emotion of the character. He is in search of the final level of his martial arts training that is known by a sublime glow all over his body. There is a musical cameo by El Debarge just to give you an idea of the importance of music in this film.  Climactic scenes revolved around a dance club and the entertainment business. This film is set in New York with the usage of the Mafia style bullying and the heavy break-dancing hip-hop tone. I enjoyed the way the love story unfolded in an organic way. Leroy couldn’t see the woman in front of him due to his internal struggle of inner peace and out conflicts. Berry Gordy really showed the importance of inner focus to the protagonist. It really made the payoff for both characters that much more special.  The usage of color was very effective in the conflict between Leroy and Sho-Nuff who is the bullying nemesis who is constantly trying to humiliate Leroy. When Leroy is confronted in front of his cherished students during at class, he is wearing a bright yellow jump suit like Bruce Lee. Sho-Nuff is wearing a bright red outfit followed by a crew of his goons dressed the same. The yellow shows the caution that not only Leroy seems to take concerning violence, but it also signifies the dormant caution that Sho-Nuff isn’t aware of. I watch this film once a month and it is enjoyable every time. The constant banter between Leroy and his younger brother Richie shows how detached from the popular status quo concerning the African American culture.  There is a scene where Richie is riding Leroy’s shoulder as they are walking to meet someone at the club and Richie instructed Leroy not to tell anyone he was his brother. Great character development in this film. You know exactly where everyone stood. I also notice the emotional metaphoric use of color concerning their emotional state in the story. Laura Charles, who is the club’s voice and the host of each show taped was always wearing white or a very light color when introduced in the film. It really showed how innocent she was in the story and simply forced into very compromising situations. At one point in the film she voices how her life isn’t about drama and craziness. It wasn’t until she needed help and scared for her life when you see her in black for the second half of the film signifying the dark and lonely place she was in emotionally. Leroy on the other hand, when initially meeting Laura Charles, he was always wearing black signifying the lost feeling he had in search of the golden belt buckle Laura pick up from the ground after a prior scuffle that Leroy saved her from. It wasn’t until Leroy found not only his golden buckle, but also when he came to terms with what needed to be done concerning Sho-Nuff that you see him in white when with Laura and Laura is in black in search of a body guard having sought out Leroy. Finally in the end of the movie when all is well in the land and Sho-Nuff and his affiliates are handled, when you see both Laura and Leroy in white together really visually giving you colorful palates to organically translate the proper emotion to the audience. I think what was one of the most understated elements of what made this film was the excellent fighting scenes. It wasn’t often that you saw an African American doing Kung-Fu in a movie, so it was a refreshing modern twist on a black star. I noticed that in the final showdown with Sho-Nuff initially the music was very intense yet no words or song structure. I point this out, because throughout this film written musical backing was used keeping you in the vein of the modern feel to the film you were experiencing. I think with this musical choice for the showdown initially, really made you feel separated from all the emotions you felt up to that point of the story. Almost giving it a do or die feel because at that moment nothing that you knew is the same until this situation is handled. This aspect only lasted the first half of the fight after Leroy seemingly won until Sho-Nuff recharges up with a sublime glow sending them into the second half of the epic battle being musically backed by the theme song bringing you back into the scene with a feel of “we can do this Leroy.”. I recommend this film to anyone looking for a well-developed game changer in the film making industry on many levels.

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https://youtu.be/xL2X6-Flh_Q

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his is an original track from (Jahmal JRock Davidson) 

 HomeGrown Productions 2018

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Directing Talent Full Sail University

Mastery Journal

My month in Directing Talent has been nothing short of challenging. I really had to step out of my comfort zone in taking charge of a set. I got a chance to direct a scene from my original script and it really allowed me to envision the process in preparation while following up with execution of the vision on the day of the shoot. I wanted to get back to the emotional roots of where the actors are as a professional and as a person. I really enjoyed the casting aspect of the course. Getting the opportunity to be hands on in the casting process was an eye-opening experience. There are so many layers to the process of creating a film which creates more opportunity to be an asset to the team in my eyes. I never really saw myself as a director, yet I found myself feeling comfortable in that seat for the scenes. It was a great learning experience that has enhanced my overall vision of what happens on a set. Having a BS in Recording Arts I really enjoy the sound aspect of films and I showcased some of those skills in the sound of my scenes. I was fortunate enough to record ADR for two of my three scenes which helped deliver a clearer vision for the scenes sonically. I understand the need for focus on the set. The talent that is hired needs certain things in place whether it be proper communications or a certain drink. There is a focus that must be demanded by the Director to keep the wheels turning on the production vehicle. I have deeper respect for not only the Director and the talent, but also the camera operator. Regardless of how the vision looks in your head, the buck stops at the camera operator and communication and observation of his performance along with the talent’s, is essential to the production quality.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09SkvrIqxOs)

“You have to put a little skin in the game.” Amar Sidhu

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