maclproductions-blog

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Follow my production business social media for inside pictures and videos of what we are doing. #HardWorkWednesdays #BlackCEOBound (at Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxPoNYZgOrStpAcsE8kV5bDwfy5Iw53_7wSAV80/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=fw3a1lcqtzcs

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Rest in Paradise to the Legendary King who celebrated our culture by telling our stories and trailblazing the way for young black directors. Thank you for pushing the boundaries on cinema and giving us Culture Classics like Boyz in the Hood. Prayers and peace for the family, friends, and film community. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw4ch1zAXzpFKvbFQ9lAub4T9O_9RgsuT3kwiQ0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=uuq71fp9370n

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Prince George’s your Change has come. #ΑΦΑ #LB #Qu4d #TailSalute #PRSOC #blackmenmatter #voiceofthepeople #LongLiveApollo (at Prince George's County Board of Education) https://www.instagram.com/p/Brg3Jndgm0_uHoHUl-38v5Gym_5jeiNKd0oXr00/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1p0t0nnv9nokr

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Every Moment with you is my favorite. Happy Anniversary Babe! #Year1 #otr2tour #BlackLove (at Orlando, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bno28R5FZGCbnrfEKc_50JYr02prbNAgFfwLHw0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12xcoh7s0lytu

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They said we wouldn’t do it but 2 degrees 🎓never felt so good #Masters #FullSailGrad #Landrys #LOE (at Full Sail University) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRgjYUA1j3UVn7CmYRM3MsK4ASbD-w7mD7ahU0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ll02p3n5fr23

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Master’s Achieved

The end is always a celebration, but sometimes it’s hard to part ways. I truly enjoyed my time as a student here and I realize that it was completely worth the investment in my career. l will disclose the final month and then reflect on my time here at Full Sail University. I was amazed that everything that I have learned in each class in this program plays a small role leading up to the complete picture. This final class completely summed up my final month here. It is named Business of Film. My initial goal was to provide the finishing parts for the final product and that I will work on my sales, financing, and marketing skills for the film industry. My intermediate goals that will help to achieve the main goal is marketing films in the industry, create a trailer for the thesis film, and create a business model for the film. In this month, we learned through the lectures about important websites like the Hollywood Reporter, that will keep us updated on entertainment news. We learned about important information about marketing a film for distribution, festivals, and investors. I really enjoyed learning about how to finance a film as a business. In this industry, it is important to treat every service that you provide with legal protection because the wrong exposure or poor judgement could leave you vulnerable to lawsuits that will attack your company. The business of film requires a lot of marketing strategies whether it’s using social media or investors. I realize that investors are the next best thing, if you can’t get a loan from a bank. Yes, this does happen, and it is easier than trying to pitch to a studio executive or a rich investor. The best information that I learned was how to promote myself for jobs and movie pitches. My personal favorite of this month is the time invested on my personal branding website, videos, and imdb profile. This final class was exactly the right fit for the end of the program.

My overall view of the program is outstanding. Each class presented a new wave of information for which I had no prior experience. My favorite class was visual storytelling because it allowed me to practice some elements that I have already learned and apply them. I have to admit that my strength is seeing the visual in my head, but this class helped me create my vision. I rewrote my script Last Chance and directed and produced it as my first short film. I am proud to say that I will be finishing up the short film and submitting it for festivals very soon. The beauty of this school’s program is the ability to create with limited resources. The fact that everything we learn can be immediately used to create our own projects. That was the great things, but like we know everything isn’t perfect. I would have loved for our class to have a little more help with funds for thesis. The positive to that is that we learned as a group how to successfully campaign for the funds needed. Which brings me to the final point that the school gave us the best possible lesson in not just the industry, but in life. Collaboration is key. We learned how to utilize our resources. Our best resource is the people around us. You never know whose influence you will reach for your projects. This was important for me to see first-hand and the best possible way to learn is by failure. Failure was good to see. Now to clarify I personally didn’t fail a class, but I failed attempts of proficiently practicing the material in the program. For me, I can only learn by trial and error. Pass or fail, this program really cultivates the atmosphere to experiment and truly express the creative side while feeding the fundamentals necessary to be the best filmmaker you can be. Finally, I love that as a master’s program I wasn’t coddled with the information. I truly am grateful for my time at Full Sail University and will be a better filmmaker for it. So long for now to a school with great education and great hands on experience. Farewell Full Sail, but first an inspirational quote from my favorite filmmaker. 

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Here is the review for my sound Film Assembly course this month.

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Life of an Editor

In this class, Post-Production, I have gained a complete appreciation and respect for what may be the most underrated job in the industry. I wanted to learn how to edit media content and this course helped me achieve that goal. The three primary goals that I wanted to achieve that date back to the mastery course were fulfilled through the workload and editing concepts taught in class. The first goal was to learn the different approaches to editing. In order to achieve this goal, I had to understand the history of editing. The creation of the cut has been a standard practice that has evolved, but it still an essential step to the editing process. This was a time when the editors actually cut negatives from the film and paste them next to each other as a way of seeing how the edit would look. From here editors can establish aspect ratio, sound, color correction. The introduction of the workflow helped these editors plan the full process to make the editing stage easier. I learned that a workflow is the process of sequences that push the project from the acquisition stage to the delivery stage. Research is a vital part of the editing process. An editor is only good as the tools that he knows how to utilize and the capability of the equipment they chose. I know I accomplished this goal because we had an assignment dedicated to creating a workflow for a prospective project that we would want to create. My project was Black Panther: The Awakening. I have never been so challenged with trying to figure out what my project specifically needs. I realized that the editing software, storage equipment, and mastering requirements have to be at least thought about in pre-production. This will save the filmmaker time and money on the front end during the production stage. The second goal was to edit a completed project. This goal was achieved because we had to complete an editing assessment which was to take b-roll footage that has no purpose and we had to create a functional commercial. In this assignment, I learned that I think about cutting for the edit. Which means I look to capture exact shots where I can create the story with some simple transitions. Therefore, I would save time and resources by only capturing what I need and relying on cinematography practices like shot composition and camera placement to effectively tell my story. I discovered my specific editing process. The best part about the assignment was that I had to create on a deadline while in class. This presented me with a first-hand experience on what the industry will require of me and I know that I need to practice editing faster. Lastly, the third goal was to effectively use the strategies to perfect any of my films. This goal wasn’t a fool’s errand because I graduated from a clueless editor to being able to work in a complex editing tool like Avid media composer. I finished a trailer cut using the footage we shot from thesis production. The concepts I learned in this editing course has elevated not only my process as a filmmaker, but it has provided me with another possible skillset to utilize in the industry. I know I will want to work on compositing, practice creating visual effects, and practice using special effects properly. In conclusion, this course was not just challenging, but the most worthwhile. I learned how I can save my project when I don’t have the footage I needed from the production stage. Like my teacher says “Editors do problem solving to the cinematographer’s problem creating. It’s taking an imperfect puzzle that doesn’t have all the pieces and making a new puzzle that works well” (R. Sloan, Full sail Teacher).  

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That’s a Wrap on Lucid!

In this class, Production, we finally shot our thesis film that we waited and prepped for, for nine months. This class was centered around the production from the calendar schedule to the final wrap date.  It was about teamwork and seeing the project all the way through. The preparation that was in pre-production was done and it was time to utilize the months of knowledge that we acquired on a live set to make our class film. I took advantage of this opportunity and learned as much as I could on how each department operates, the importance of meetings, using set etiquette and finally performing the tasks of a crew position. My main goal was to commit to the full process of the project which I intend to all the way up until its premiere at grad fest and beyond while the film is in its festival run. I have been to every fundraiser and have raised over $300 for the film. This is all credit to my family and friends whom still choose to support my endeavors. I researched and worked my crew position and pushed others to perform theirs. My first goal was to learn the techniques of directing. I wasn’t the director even though I worked in the Assistant Director department as the 2ndAssistant Director (A.D.), so I focused on the readings and the discussion assignment on directing on the FSO website. On Charlie Rose’s YouTube channel, he hosted guest Director Sam Mendes where they discussed 25 tips to becoming a better director. One of the tips that resonated with me was when he said “Learn how to accept the blame for everything……. You gave them the thumbs up” (Mendes, YouTube). I pondered on this because it is very true. As a director, one has the final say on each department’s contribution to making the look that you set out in your vision. It is only befitting that the director takes responsibility on how the finished project. It was very refreshing to watch the video before production even though I wasn’t the director. In my position, I could have asserted a better understanding to the process so that it would be easier for the team to understand the full vision. Therefore, I know that by doing this work; this goal was achieved. My next goal was to learn the techniques of cinematography. Again, I focused on the readings and the discussion assignment on cinematography on the FSO website. When I watched the Robby Muller Master class video on YouTube, I saw an amazing perspective on how the light and shadows effect the mood of the scene. Robby Muller says “I hate to influence the director; that’s not my job to say that’s not possible. I get more satisfaction from contributing to the story and dream of the director” (Muller, YouTube). I realized from watching this video that the cinematographer and gaffer have to work together to create the look of the scene with keeping every movement in mind and try to accomplish this in every setup. The class presentation on the director’s vision and attending the in-class camera labs helped with my understanding of the cinematography needed for the film. For the film, I think our DP and Gaffer did a phenomenal job figuring the lighting plots out for the scene. The only thing that was next was to execute. I know that by doing this work; this goal was achieved. Lastly, I wanted to learn the necessary tools to work on a live set. For Lucid, we shot on the soundstage. I give a resounding applause to our art department for the creation of the bedroom set (Riley’s Loft) and how they utilized the space on the soundstage for the wedding reception and dream sequences. We originally planned on using a tent outside however the rain didn’t allow that to happen. We call that “Acts of God”. However, for this film, we utilized the whole soundstage and was forced to be creative for all of our black void dream scenes and I believe the look was even better. This is also what we call in the film world “a beautiful mistake”. As the 2ndAD, I scheduled location and blocking rehearsals for the cast and the director and a table read for the whole cast and crew. It is best to do the table read in pre-production so that any questions or concerns from the crew and cast can be answered and workshopped if needed. These rehearsals are ideal when the location is set so that the actors can get comfortable with the set and really build their character’s psyche. I also created the call sheets which inform the cast and crew what is being shot that day and who is needed on set. These are best to be released to everyone 24 hours in advance. If there are any changes, those must be released as soon as possible. On the days of production, I had sides prepared for every crew member so that are aware of the scene and the shots for the day. It is basically having a miniature sized call sheet that each person can fit into their pocket. I was the liaison between the crew and talent. I escorted the cast on and off set and made sure to keep them knowledgeable about what scene it is and to cater to their needs while on set. I would say I did a superb job. The cast had a great time even though we took a little longer than expected on scenes. I learned that in between the crew trying to workshop issues it’s best to keep the talent off set until the crew is really ready. This can be annoying for the talent, but you have to reassure them that the crew is doing their best and to keep their spirits up in order to get those scenes shot for the day. Overall, the team was professional, worked well with the cast, got the shots we needed, stuck to our script, and the scenes looked amazing. Next, we will be looking at dailies as head into post production. This will show us what we need to reshoot if the continuity is off or not. This was an unbelievable journey and I’m glad to have worked with a talented cast and even more amazing crew of my classmates. So officially stating, That’s a Wrap for Lucid!

Muller, R. Muller, R. (Actor). (2014). Robby Müller Cinematography Masterclass [Online video]. United States of America: Eyes on Cinema on YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqaL9so8CHQ

Rose, C. (Narrator). Mendes, S. (Actor). (2014). 25 Ways to Be a Better Director [Online video]. `New York City: YouTube. Retrieved May 21, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkqhXbrwP3M

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Mr. Happy?

In this short film analysis, I will analyze the crucial elements of the award winning short created by VICE productions, “Mr. Happy” starring Chancelor Bennett (debut) also known as Chance the Rapper and compare it to how I can employ those elements to help out my classes’ thesis film, Lucid. The premise of the story follows a young adult male who is depressed in his life. The logline would probably read as follows: “After dealing with depression and attempts at suicide he inherently hires a suicide service to end it all days before he finally finds happiness”. He has already tried several attempts of suicide which is made prevalent in the first five shots of intense close ups. The young man, named Victor, works for an office supplies store and is obviously unsatisfied with his life. Victor sluggish and nonchalant demeanor indicate that he could care less about his job. He seems disconnected from life and anything with hope. We see a shot of a sticker that says Smile you are on camera in yellow. His work vest is even yellow.  This motif lets us know that he is unhappy with even being alive. It’s an effective twist on the color and stirs the audience down the rabbit hole of depression. There are flashbacks that show his girlfriend cheating and not caring about him. As the story unfolds so does his desperate will to die and finds that resolve in a website with a customer satisfaction guarantee. Now that he has made his decision nothing is stopping his death which ironically will happen on Valentine’s Day. If it isn’t obvious by now the theme of Desperation versus Happiness are seen after the flashback with a montage of cuts showcasing his body and ways he dislikes his appearance. This tone of dark depression of human versus self creates conflict which will become clearer throughout the film. The short stays in low colors of dark grey and yellowish orange tungsten with high saturation to keep the tone consistent. When the camera pans around his room we can see that he is struggling with an addiction. Maybe they were from the pills he had just thrown up. The camera captures a beautiful mise-en-scene of how lonely and depressed he is. You can tell this because of the absence of light around him. Then when he reaches the computer the concept of death is easier than living life miserably as we see him get hopeful about being able to die. The is the first introduction of more positive colors like green and purple. The touch of visual effects is seen with the website information he finds on the computer and the smile that blinks and opens his eyes to indicate hope. However, the jump cut takes us to the next day in the store with his annoying coworker. This is where the story turned. He saw a woman cut her hand and eagerly rushes to help. Then is ten seconds the camera zooms in, a quick daydream flash, and zoom out leaves him startled. This is a unique approach in the editing to use a daydream of sexual fantasy to break his depressing mood. This moment and the end are the only times when we see the camera looking upward at him. After this another jump cut of Mr. Happy on the computer and then awkwardly enough a couple making out. Then we see a montage of intense closeups on the screen and then it cuts to him being stalked from a store. The breaks in the music create a dramatic and frantic riff telling the audience how intensely desperate and frightening this situation is for him. Then when he finally decides that it’s time, after he sees his checks with low amounts, we see the computer screen again with great sound effects of possible ways to die. He desperately finds a credit card in his trash and pays, and we see the beginning of a smile. Then he is confronted by the girl from the other day in the store and she invites him out to her show.  The dialogue couldn’t have been more sneakily clever as she answers “I think I’m going to live” to his question about her finger. The sublimely opens him and the audience up to the possibility of maybe life isn’t so bad. From this moment on she brightens the mood of the film even though the music intends on keeping us thinking something else may be up. At the show she tells him a sick story of death and then leads him down a light red hallway. This was my first indication of danger. As the night progresses so does the mood and dialogue as she tries to lighten his perspective on life. Then enter jump cuts of sex in vibrant colors. Then he wakes up and takes a shower. Here see him happy because of the sex. I immediately recognized that this was too good to be true. It almost tries to force the audience to forget that he is going to die tomorrow. Then he quickly wants to undo the order of death. We get startled by his fear when the phone doesn’t work, and the door knocks, and a repair stands in the dark with a plunger. In his eyes we see a gun. He is actually relieved it wasn’t a killer and proceeds to make a cabin date with the girl. They drive up to the cabin and he stops for gas. He is finally happy with one last final grimace plastered on his face as he is shot through the head by the girl. My favorite camera movement was the perfectly timed dolly shot from his lifeless body to the license tag “Mr. Happy”. This short allowed me to enjoy and learn filmmaking on another level. My input in Lucid would be to insert dolly shots that reveals our protagonists fear. I would recommend being consistent with one color to show the mood. Lastly give the dialogue much attention because there is more story in one or two lines versus a meaningless conversation just to fill the time. My future filmmaking will be forever impacted from this intriguing and brilliant piece of art. 

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Business beginnings

In this class, Entertainment and Communication Law, I learned the basic fundamental rights of law. I learned how to create a business entity and legally protect my rights and investments for any of my business exploits. This class allowed me to understand the effect that not protecting yourself by law could have on your artistic voice as a filmmaker. There are so many legal concerns that have to be well thought out before you even consider production. I took advantage of this opportunity of the set visits for the IP assignment to fully understand legal concerns that are on the set that everyday filmmakers don’t pay attention to. My main goal was to understand the legal issues the will be important for me to know as a filmmaker. As the month proceeded my goal began to shift and focus on more interesting topics. My first goal was to understand copyright and intellectual property law. I didn’t fully comprehend what I meant by this goal. However, I learned more than I expected about copyright infringement and intellectual property. I learned that once you create something you own it. The trick is to register the copyright for it or you can’t claim it as your intellectual property. When you create a production company you develop trademarks and patents that can help build your Limited Liability Company that will allow an individual to operate a business and not be held personally liable for the actions performed under the company name. I learned that every actor involved with the project has a right of publicity, which gives them the right to have their name and likeness used to promote and/ or be in a film. I learned that artist for audio visual works have the right to claim copyright infringement if their work is copied and the court will use the Fair Use test to determine how detrimental the copy is to the original. For example, the cases we read dealt with artists who created posters and contested in court because their work was copied, and no license was bought. They argued that the copy is substantially similar which means that it doesn’t transform the original in a creative way and doesn’t give credit to the owner. By learning this basic information, this goal was achieved. Many people don’t know this, and it would help keep them out of some serious jail time. My next goal was to learn how to be an agent. There wasn’t a clear and thorough conversation, but with the help of legal counsel I will know what to expect and how to treat my business that bests acclimate with what I want to do. It’s one thing to learn through lecture, but on a set and in the field, it is different to notice and fix the legal and safety concerns. Most of the legal issues has everything to do with drafting the correct documentation that will alleviate the issues of safety and production before we get to set. This is important because everyone person involved with the project has a right to sue for specific violations, this is known as a breach in contract. Contracts are an important factor of the film business. This legal document protects each person and prevents the option of being sued. Lastly, I wanted to understand how the industry negotiates. I know this was accomplished because I learned how to properly and efficiently discuss contract terms with proposed business partners. Also, I learned that it’s important to define what type of agreement like a collaboration or possibly a work for hire. For our document binder assignment, our group had a joint authorship, meaning equal in all parts, for the company that we created so that we can legally protect ourselves in case of a breach of contract from any member of the group. What I learned from this course is invaluable. I now know how to prepare for legal issues before they appear on set because it is crucial in a life or death situation. If you don’t believe me, please google Sarah Jones and hear about her tragic story which could have been prevented. I am extremely blessed and proud to be able to learn such amazing and crucial material because my dream is to own a business and this course has given me more than enough to start the foundation for my company. I will continue to learn and practice the decorum and terminology to be an effective team member on a set. Overall, this class taught me how to rely on your knowledge and team, but more importantly, to see the warnings signs and ensure everyone’s safety.

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#supportlucidfilm Fundraising Day 1. You can support at www.supportlucidfilm.com (at Full Sail University)

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My classmate is offering his talents in part of a raffle to help raise funds for our short film. More info on his page tagged below. @emackeycreates If you also want to support here is the official link to do so: dopeheart.com/raffle and scroll to the bottom of the page. Here is your chance to help us create a worthwhile project. Here is the website www.Supportlucidfilm.com #supportlucidfilm #creation #JointheProcess (at Full Sail University)

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This is it! Auditions for the Thesis Production: LUCID is this Saturday @ 1pm. See you there!!! #supportlucidfilm (at Full Sail University)

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Last Chance with VST 😢

In this class, Visual Storytelling and Techniques, I learned how to use a camera to adjust the technical elements that are usually manipulated in post-production. This class allowed me to appreciate the effect that lighting, and grip work can have on the look in the frame. I didn’t realize how exciting grip work was until our lab hours proved otherwise. I took advantage of this opportunity and learned as much as I could on how to operate and control grip equipment. My main goal was to understand the elements that I can and can’t control for a film or soundstage and learn how to effectively tell a story through visuals. My first goal was to learn the technical operations. I didn’t know exactly what I meant by this goal. However, I learned more about lighting in the labs and I understand a three point lighting setup much better. I learned how crucial lighting is to a scene. For example, if the backlight is overexposed it will mess up the overall look in the frame. By learning these techniques, this goal was achieved. My next goal was to learn staging and visual image design. The class lectures helped with this goal and I learned how different techniques will create a better staging environment for the actors. In staging, you have to course the actor’s blocking first then you have to set the lighting. The assignments presented an opportunity to apply these techniques. My immediate goal was to master these techniques because their value will help with my film for this month, Last Chance. It’s one thing to learn through lecture, but on a set and in the field, it is different to set the frame and you have to consider the lighting with these techniques before the camera hits record. The visual must be well thought out with blocking and camera movement in mind. This is important because the lighting has to be positioned properly in order to create the supposed look. I believe I achieved this goal by knowing what was asked of me by the key grip for the thesis film Killer Clown Car part 1. Lastly, I wanted to use this course as a tool to better my filmmaking. I know this was accomplished because I knew how to light and stage my scenes for my short film. Also, I learned that it’s important to rehearse the blocking and staging of the set with you Director of Photography before production day. For my production, I had to light and stage around the dive bar establishment, However, I was prepared, and it showed when I had to shoot around the establishment’s flow of business. What I learned from this course is invaluable. I now know how to prepare for problems that occur on set and when something happens, the best character trait to possess is flexibility. I am extremely blessed and proud to be able to produce two dynamic videos. I will continue to learn and practice the decorum and terminology to be an effective team member on a set. Overall, this class taught me how to rely on your knowledge and crew, but more importantly, to adapt. When something goes wrong, just adapt and move forward.

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That’s a wrap on Last Chance! S/O to my awesome cast and crew for helping my vision come to life. You all made the experience for writing, directing, and producing my first short film just PHENOMENAL!!!! Many Blessings Film coming soon.....🎥🎬 (at Oblivion Taproom)

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LUCID #supportlucidfilm Here is the teaser for my classes’ short film. More promotions coming soon. (at Full Sail University)