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Mastery Journal: Business of Film Business of Film is a hard class, but Peter, the course instructor make the class interesting and fun. He provided the hand out material to further the information. And in class assignments are very hand on and helpful. For example, the negotiation assignment, Peter divided us into two group as the producer group and the director group. He gave us the situation, and we have to prepare ourselves for the negotiation. In the end, he use the result of the negotiation to create the letter of agreement as an example.

This class have met all of my goals for this class. I have learn about film marketing, I understand the distribution, and I have submit my thesis short film to the film festival. I have a chance to research film budget, and film festival all around the world. This class have open my third eye.

In the end of this class, I have a chance to create my website, www.sunsahas.com. It is a good opportunity to brand myself as cinematographer, and photographer. I am very grateful that this class do exist!

This is my last Mastery Journal for Full Sail University, Film Production Master of Fine Arts programs. I have learn a lot, and further my education even more than I expected. I came to this program with production experience as a producer and film administrator, but when I get involve with more project, my goal change from a producer to a cinematographer. I have worked on several projects as a crew member of a camera department.

From now on as I earned my MFA, I am going to head back to Thailand, and follow my dream as a professional cinematographer. It will not be easy, but from a great knowledge that I have earned from Full Sail University. The climbing will be faster and stable! “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today“

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Thesis III : Post Production Mastery Journal

In this class of Thesis: Post Production, I have learn a lot of stuff from the beginning of editing back to film era. I have learn how post production crews edit films before digital.

There was many limitation to it back then compare to right now, we can edit in software and everything made even more simple. Film editing had to go through a lot of process before finished and ready for distributed.

I have learn the history of film type and the evolution of films before the digital take place. It is very beneficial to know all this stuff even now we merely touch film magazine.

After we have learn all about film. This class also teach us about digital editing and process of digital editing, from codes to file type, from asset to delivery.

In this class, Rob teach us how to use Avid Media Composer software, which simulate film editing table, the software is very hard to use, but he teach us step by step from the beginning.

My expectation of this class is high, because deep inside my mind I also wanted to be a film editor and conform artist, aside from a film director of photography. This class does not let my expectation down a single bit. I have learn everything I need to know to be a good film editor.

The information and keynotes from this class is very useful. I can download it and read it whenever I want. The documents are industry standard, that means I can use it not just for school but also be able to use it anywhere in this film industry.

I have reach my goal for this class that I have set back in mastery, The instructor is really helpful and I have a very good time in this class.

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Production Class, Mastery Journal

In this production class, we have a chance to assemble full production crews to shoot a thesis short film. It is the best experience I had have. I have a chance to be a director of photography. I have chosen to be the director of photography since pre-production class, as I create a lot of documents related to my role, now I have a chance to hand-on to be a director of photography on set with full crews for the first time.

As I stated, my role for this month is to be a director of photography for thesis short film. I have a chance to learn new things based on my role, such as; reading the waveform to compare the light exposure, which is really hard for me for the first time, since I have never seen and know this before. Dino teach me how to read the waveform properly and I put it on paper as reference document to read the waveform along on set.

Director of photography is not an easy job for me, as in production class. On set, I have to make sure everyone on camera department including grip and electric department know what they are going to do by providing the document I have created in pre-production class such as; camera plot, lighting plot, and shot list. I have to rely on head of each department to set it right as we have planned.

The challenge I had was the limitation of the space. We were shoot at the apartment, barely have room for set dressing, we have to figure the way to put lights and controlling devices as creative as possible to save space and get the best of it.

The experience I gain in this class is beyond my expectation, as how to behave on set and how to be a good director of photography.

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Pre-Production Class, Mastery Journal.

I have watch We Summoned a Demon. It is a dark comedy shorts from Chris Mcinroy. Two friends perform a ritual to try and help make one of them cool enough to get a date with Brenda. Instead, they get a demon.

The short has a dark color with red and blue lighting all over the place, and the dialogue has a dark comedy tone to it. The characters have an inspiration from 80’s horror comedy as the theme of this short as well.

Starting off with Carlos performs the ritual to help Kirk looks cooler. He cuts the fresh chicken’s head to drop some blood on Kirk’s face, but end up pour load of blood on him, and It does not make him look cooler, as they test it out.

Carlos has another idea, they leave the place cover in blood on the floor. Suddenly, the demon raises from the crack under the blood pool. The demon pursue them. They try to run and hide, but the demon gets them every time.

In the end, the demon ends up choking Kirk as he tries to run away. Carlos tells him to be cool. Kirk gets an idea. He tries to be cool and asks the demon to go get taco with him. The demon settles down. Sadly, Carlos does not stop talking. The demon walk up to him and pull his face off, he died instantly, but Kirk and the demon are now friends some how.

This short take place in a warehouse at night. Set dresser is not dressing the set much, but the props is on point. They have got an old school turntable knife, and a chicken replica. It is very impressive how the make-up work for this short. A lot of fake blood and effect make up look real.

The lighting in this film is a phenomenon and effective for this short film. They lit it with blue and red colors spotlight through the haze, which create a small lighting beam, and make the shorts look scary, yet make the short look like 80’s horror film.

The framing compositions are interesting in this short. They try to mimic 80’s horror film style, which is work pretty well on the short.

The dialogue is right on point, as Carlos try to make a lot of serious conversation, but Kirk is so goofy, he just do not care at all. Sound effect pulls me into the story, and it is effective in every way.

Special effect in this short is not the best I have seen, but it looks real and match the theme pretty well.

As our short film will also be a comedy, we can analyze and try to adapt it in our short film, as well as the impact of the inciting incident, which is effective and happen right after the film start.

The practical challenge I have right now is the lighting. I have to come up with more effective lighting plan and plot to help bring our short film up.

I put the link below here for you guys to watch it as well

https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2018/12/11/we-summoned-a-demon/

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Visual Storytelling Techniques and Technology - Mastery Journal

Visual Storytelling Techniques and Technology is a handful, yet helpful class. I have got a lot of assignments in this class. It is not a bad things. These assignments help me understand storytelling thru visual much more than I used to before. Visual Storytelling is about visual and sub context of the visual itself. I have learn to tell the story by using visual such as, camera movement, framing, shot types, color, focusing length and lenses.

I have learn that camera movements can change the entire meaning of the shot, if execute properly. As well as framing and shot types. Framing and shot types can add a lot of sub contexts and can tell the story by itself.

Color is also a big part of visual storytelling. Each color have their meaning. I have learn how to place object in the scene to create meaning or context of the characters thru color of the objects.

Other than the helpful lecture, we also have a chance to explore the soundstage even more. I have a chance to learn about cinematic cameras and how it is work. I have a chance to learn how to set up track for dolly, and learn about the dolly itself.

Sony F65 is an amazing cinematic camera. I have a chance to take a close look at it, and have a hand on it. I have learn and try set it up. It is complicated at first, but once I have familiar with it. It is very impressive, how it is function and what it can do.

I have a chance to get my hands on dolly track and dolly, such as cobra. The dolly function smoothly. We set it up and learn about tracking shots, Push-pull, and pull-push is very hard to do and take a lot of time to perfect it, but once it is properly execute the resource is impressive, it helps deliver the emotion of characters.

Focusing length used to be my big problem as a camera operator. I have trouble figuring out how to focus when the object is moving further or closer. This class help me understand it and measure it perfectly with practice we have done in this class.

Lenses are very important to learn for director of photography, and camera operator. We have a chance to learn about lenses’s size and how much it can see. Which one is wider, and which one is narrower.

My original goals for this class have been fills in this class by the help of our instructor. I have learn a lot, beyond my expectation. He teach us to push ourselves, and I think, I have push myself a lot in this class, and I will continue to push myself even more. With the good mix of helpful information in the lectures class and helpful trial in the labs class, visual storytelling Techniques and Technology is by far my most favorite class since I have got in Full Sail University.​

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Experimental Filmmaking - Mastery Journal

                 Experimental Filmmaking class is all about trying and learning new things in fun ways. This month I have learn about lighting and electric, which can be use in a real film set. Calculate electric currency and try to balance it. We also learn about film crew positions and roles in film sets. JP let us try to do a position we want to do to shoot the film he prepared. We have shot a scene in Retribution with dolly, smoke machine and a proper light plot. I was a camera operator, and it was fun.

                 JP’s lesson is about the meaning of film and art. We have study about difference form of arts, such as abstract film, narrative film and 360 film. The videos he provides for us to watch as a homework are great. We have also learned a lot about difference type of films by watch his provided videos too.

                 My original goals for this class are to get to know more about experimental films and independent films. And I have learned them in this class as well.

                 This class has a good balance between lecture and sound stage activities. Lecture days is important too, but sound stage activities gave me a chance to work and try new things. It is a good experience to actually hands on something.

                 This month, we also have a chance to produce our own short film, from pre-production to production, and post production. I have learned that, if we prepare in pre-production process well, the production process will be easier and well organized, and that also lead to post-production.

                 Experimental filmmaking class is not just about experimental films or independent films. Experimental filmmaking class is also a class which we can experiment something, try something new, and make it work by the guidance of the instructor.

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                      I have watched Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone (2001). This is my first revisited after I have study film so far. My point of view of the film changes in a way. I remember first time when I watched it as a kid. This fantasy wizarding world is amazing. Everyone wanted to be a wizard since then, so am I. In this essay, I am going to criticize this film from my own point of view of the film. I am going to state Premise, Genre, Tone, Director Point of View, Suturing and Scenic Metaphor of this film.

                      Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone is the first adaptation film from the fictional series books written by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter. This film adapts from the first book with the same name, which publish in 1997, 5 years before the film aired.

                      A story of Harry Potter, a young boy with a lightning scar on his forehead, who just recently find out he’s a wizard, by the help of Rubeus Hagrid, a big, hairy gamekeeper, Harry Potter got into the wizarding school of Hogwards, knowing the secret of the philosopher’s stone. Harry Potter and his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They have to find out the truth behind the philosopher’s stone and the one who wanted to steal it.

                      Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone is a fictional fantasy film that take place in present world somewhere in Europe. The film feature with magic and fantasy creatures, like Giant Trolls and Cerberus. Magic in this film is what make it fantasy.

                      The film clearly shows its fantasy since the beginning of the film, when Professor Albus Dumbledore absorbs the street lights into the device, and when Professor McGonagall transforms back to herself from her cat form. But since then until the zoo scenes, the film focus on regular life my Harry Potter, who does not know he is a wizard yet.

                      Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone Tone divided into two stages. The first one is lightly regular family tone, which take place in the film introduction’s sequence. The Dursley’s family who live a wonderful life, over spoiled their own son, Dudley. Three of them are pretty close but Harry Potter is like an outsider of the family. The film tone become much duller and dark when magical included and become more mysterious within this stage. The film color palette changes from brightly color into dull colors when there is something mysterious happen in the film, such as magic. Toward the end of the film, when they familiar with the magic and creatures much more, that it’s not so mysterious anymore, the color palette changes to bright again.

                      The director chooses to focus on Harry Potter and how he sees the other more than every one else, So the film follows him almost entire time. The camera works included Harry Potter Point of view show that the characters matter the most in the film. Harry Potter is the key to the story and how to process the story. The director chooses to insert magical elements in the film much more than establish the magical world itself. His choice makes me feels like Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone is not only about wizarding and magical world that take place far, far away from the civilized world but also mind the detail of the magical elements within the film, such as, the candy. The candy can be such a regular candy like chocolate bar, but the story included chocolate frogs, which can walk and jump, and it jump out the train’s window.

                      The director also points the camera to Harry Potter first and include Harry Potter in almost every scenes as to remind that he is the main character of this film.

                      The film suturing to me as I was a kid. Everyone wanted to be something, have some power or magic

                      When this film first come out, it is a phenomenon. Everyone I know wanted to be a wizard then. It full filled my imagination of what is the wizard look like and how they live. The main characters are also kids, about the same ages as our when the film first come out. This fantasy wizarding world also teach us about morale, to be brave and do good. The bad behavior always leads to some kind of punishment.

                      The film take place in regular world at first then moves us into the fantasy world of magical and wizarding. This makes the audiences imagination go further as one day they can also be a witch or a wizard too. So it creates the Emotional Suturing to the audiences.

                      Whenever there is a magic include in the film, as a scenic Metaphor, the colored of the film will become darker and duller, as it’s mysterious and a little bit scary. As in the scene when Harry Potter get through platform 9 three quarters. The color of the film become duller and darker from blight colored of train station. Because it has a magic included in the shot. Another great example of scenic metaphor is Olivander’s scene. The film chooses to use Zoom in to shift from medium shot in to close-up into Harry Potter’s face in order to show how surprise he is when gets his wand.

                      In Conclusion, I have states every element I have mention above as the film premise, Fantasy Genre and why it is fantasy, Tone of the film, Directorial Point of View of the film, Emotional suturing toward me and the audiences and Scenic Metaphor.

                      I have a chance to watch this film again due to the assignment. It is a great opportunity to view my childhood movie again in a filmmaker perspective. My Fantasy dream of becoming a wizard in a wizarding world of Harry Potter is still there, but in this time my perspective of this film as a filmmaker change, and this make me wanted to improve myself to include these elements in the future and make it more effective toward my filmmaking career.    

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Directing Talents - Mastery Journel

                 Directing Talent gives me an opportunity to direct on several scenes that provide in class. My original goals are to understand the role of a film director, learn how to collaborate with the talents and learn the techniques for directing. I met those goals in this class and I am happy to learn it from Allen, our course instructor. He teaches me what should do and should not do with the talents during the filming process and during the casting audition. I also have a chance to help with Full Sail casting audition. I was a runner, help get the talents to the audition room and get them back to the registration. This opportunity gave me an opportunity to watch the audition process and gave me an opportunity to talk to the talents which are amazing. The talents have a wide range of skills and techniques so I can learn from them by watching them audition.

                 In this course, Allen teaches me to work prepare with filmmaking such as, fill out the Uta Hagen Questions to help gain image and vision for the characters, who they are? What are they doing? And What is the circumstance of the scene? Vision statements help me build up the vision for the film, what is the film going to look like? And after directing each scene in class. He also gave us an opportunity to reflect ourselves. He provides us with an example of being a good talent with videos of fences stage plays and other examples from another film.

                 To be a good director, you have to learn how to be a good actor first, to understand their feeling and their process. This course provides me both lesson to be a good actor and lesson to be a good director at a time.

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Review a short film. I have watched 7.2 (Manzoor, 2014), one of the best action short film in  The Sundance (sundance.com, 2018). It is an action short film take place in a private school. Cleo wakes up with no memories on a journey to find out the truth in a library to find out the truth with the associate of her friend, Mar.

The film starts with Cleo lose her memories and gets bully by classmates. She has no clue what is going on. Mar, a friend of Cleo, help her out in the first act.

In the second act, Cleo journey through the school passes the male dorm to the study room with an assistant of Mar. Her only friend. In the study room, she has found her boyfriend, Pemulis.

With the advice of Pemulis, Cleo gets to the library to confront Daisy, her enemy. Throughout the fight, Cleo memories got back with more fighting strength and techniques. Cleo wins the battle. I feel like the fight choreographer makes a right choice to prepare the fighting scene. In the Studiobinder website said that “Characters must realize that a fight is about to happen” (Risk, 2017).

The story takes place in a private school in Europe with gender-separate dorms. They wear school uniforms and speak with a British accent. Daisy is the only one wears sports outfit with cloth wrap around her hand to portray her fighting skill and her readiness to fight.

Hair and makeup in this short film are natural because the story takes place in a private school on a typical day. Each character has a different hairstyle. Daisy is the only girl braid her hair, Cleo has long wavy hair, and Candy has a short wavy bob.

The film opens with out of focus point of view shot to introduce how Cleo loses her memories. Also in the opening scene, we can see Cleo sitting on the ground from high angle shot to make Cleo vulnerable. Jennifer Van Sijill said that High-Angle shot occurs when the camera is placed above a subject with the lens pointing down. This makes the subject appear small and vulnerable (Sijill, 2018).

The film tone is quite dark with a little bit of green to sympathize with the adventure of Cleo. In Digital Synopsis website said on the topic How Filmmakers Use Color To Set The Mood Of A Film “In Filmmaking, color is used to set the tone of a scene before any of the actors has even uttered a word.”( digitalsynopsis.com, 2018). The restroom scenes have a progressive rhythm from basins and mirrors. Visual rhythm is a principle of Art. Progressive rhythm creates a visual beat each time it is repeated (ccsesaarts.org, 2018). Almost the entire short film uses the hand-held shot. Roly Walsh from Videomaker website describes that hand-held shot can create intensity to the scene (Walsh, 2012).

The fighting scene which is the climax of the film use dolly to track the fighting between Daisy and Cleo, together with close up shots and point of view shots along with wide angle to create an intense fighting scene. Wide angle lens keeps everything in focus and makes the audience feel like they are inside the room with them (Risk, 2017).

The film uses rockabilly genre score to gives excitement and fun feeling to the chasing scenes and fighting scenes. Siu-Lan Tan from psychology Today website said that The Non-diegetic music refers to music external to the narrative universe to mirroring the mood of the scene (Tan, 2013). The dialogue gives us a hint about Cleo’s memories time by time from the end of the first act until the end of the film.

This short film mostly uses a regular cut editing to tell the story flawlessly. What Cinematic Storytelling or production elements will you employ in your film and for what dramatic purpose?

What formal choices (see above) can be made in your zero-low resource film to support its premise? -    Production design has to create a set to look like a cell as much as possible with a low budget we have to do it cheaply and creatively. -    Costume and make up have to make the clothes dirty and make bruises on her body to portray the girl who has been thrown into the cell. How can the practical challenges facing your film be overcome through creative solutions?

-    The story takes place in a cell, and we have no access to the cell, so we have to find a room to set it up to look like a cell. -    The short film is a low budget film. So we have to work around the budget and have everything done with a low budget and to work it out as creative as possible. -    The story features a Rubik cube which has copyright problem if we are not asking for the permission. If the permission is not through, We have to use the other puzzle similar to the Rubik cube to replace it.

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My inspiration for this week is this picture I’ve taken on Japan trip in November 2016. This remind me “Human being always lock themselves up with something”. Sometimes we lock ourselves to the phone, Television and media and we forget to go out in a beautiful world. This picture remind me not to be jailed with something too much. Picture taken by Pongsakorn Sahasolarn, November 2016

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Mastery Journey Timeline 4

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Mastery Journey Timeline 3

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Mastery Journey Timeline 2

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Mastery Journey Timeline 1

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This behind the scene from Channel “RocketJump” inspired me as a filmmaker and as a creative person. They use real world element merge with video game’s call “Heroes of the storm”. This is their behind the scenes from the short film itself. This video educate me how to make it and how the film process goes. This video is from youtube channel, “RocketJump” called Hero of the storm - Behind the Scenes (youtube.com/rocketjump, 2017)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX3bxb3EmwM