robertvelasquezme-blog-blog

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Ghost Beef

Alright, well this was a hell of project to be a part of and I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to help. Originally set to help with just the crew, I was asked to help with acting due to people dropping out. The script was funny, the camera work was different and the two cinematographers were great. They made a really good duo. I was really into working on this set and being apart of this group and I’m thankful for them allowing me to be apart of the experience.

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The Final Ten

Now as much potential as the script had, as seen from the the footage... It fell pretty flat, now I’m going to point fingers and say who did/didn’t do what but I’m not very proud of this piece. Its definitely something I hope we can all learn from and eventually do correctly but for now, its not something I want to show to people and have them base our abilities off of. Like I said, it had potential and it had the talent behind it but I don’t know. It just didn’t seem to flow together as we had all hoped and I think for now, we’re kind of ashamed of it. I enjoyed working with the group I had, they were an amazing group of people whose talents I thought worked well but I guess we didn’t puzzle correctly. Anyway, I’d rather not share a picture or video of because, its not something I want to be set by. The standard of which we set ourselves is much higher than this film depicts and because of that, I’d rather keep it out of sight and out of mind. Better luck next time.

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Now for this ENMU Theater production, I was given the honor of being the Assistant Stage Manager which I had no experience prior to the show. Honestly though, it was perhaps the most enjoyable part of the entire semester and I’m glad that I was able to be apart of it. The show consisted of 10 one-acts written by both facility and students, the subjects of these acts were issue that we deal with now in our modern day society. I was given the job of working some of the most extraordinary people here at ENMU, both actors and crew alike. Watching the progress from the first day I got there to the opening night was amazing, everybody really put their all in bringing these situations and characters to life and based on just some of the reaction I saw from the audience, they loved it. As ASM, I got to work with actors, crew, sound, and just being present in all of those parts of the show gave me a good idea of what makes and breaks a show. It really is something watching everything in a show come together. Yeah, it got a little hectic at times but even then I was still having fun. It kind of made me regret my decision to leave ENMU because I saw how close everyone is here and I don’t know, they make you feel like you’re apart of it and that to me is something special. I hope I remember this for as long as I can because this was really something that I enjoyed and loved and it was really something. I love these people and I hope as move on, they just continue getting better and growing and making this place as big others as it was for me.

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Baked Alaska

Unfortunately, I didn’t remember to get any pictures and so thats a bit of a downer but being on set for this film was pretty fun. It was filmed at the Christian house during the time where we were facing life here in Portales without any water. I was an extra for the party scene and I believe I was filmed sitting on a couch next to Joe. It was interesting how they set everything up for the scene. I thought it was kind of strange how they had this huge space yet filmed in this little space but from where I was, it didn’t look to bad. The crew was very patient and very calm with us and they provided what they could to keep us from dehydrating. I didn’t pay too much attention to the story because I’d of rather seen it when it was all done and placed together properly. It was fun. This film was the only one to actually contact me and fill me in on the schedule and when and where they were filming. I had a great time talking to them and just really being apart of this experience.

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I'd like to thank my good friends for helping me get this project done, as always it was kickass working with them. If you're watching this, thank you. Criti...

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The End

Due to much procrastination, a fall in self-motivation, and much self doubt, getting this project done took a lot longer than expected but I’m pretty happy with what I came out with. My first attempt just wasn’t up to my standard and wasn’t really something that I wanted to be known for as it was pretty weak and used very little effort. Second time, I think I got it as good as I could get it given the circumstances that I got myself in to. I had fun, especially during the filming part. I didn’t get any pictures but I got a bit of film I haven’t used so I may post that. Anyway, I think its pretty good. Its got my kind of comedy mixed in with a rather dull script but it still finds a way to work.

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Review: Reckless

Although not a fan of holiday-like plays (especially when they don't coincide with the time of the year they are being performed at), I very much enjoyed this piece. From the cast to the set, it was a brilliant. Though I know a few of the performers, I was impressed to see how they transformed these roles and really made them into their own. The dialogue was clever and witty and at times serious yet it never took itself too serious and had a great balance of comedy and drama. The set yet simple was universal and this was due to how great the characters moved around it and not necessarily gave it a different look but more made it feel different. From a house, to a truck, and even a game show, the stage seemed to change with the story and again, I credit that to the cast as well as the director for setting up the scenes that way. The costumes were also a big help in understanding the characters and where they were and how they lived. Like they had Jonathan and Christine in sort of hand-me-downs and then they had Joanne in a nicer and less nappy clothing which gave us the audience an idea of where everyone stood when it came to either social class or even socioeconomic status. I enjoyed how the story just started off horrible with Ethan's character putting a hit on his wife and then it begins getting better and better and then it all comes down when Christine and Ethan are poisoned and then how Joanne and Jonathan's progress after the incident and it was all just beautifully put together and they helped make it work amazingly, you could really feel the chemistry between the characters. It was great.

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Film Review: Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

I first saw the trailer for this movie during the summer of 2014. The trailer was well put together and it previewed a story that seemed to be something that I hadn't yet seen. It appeared to be different from the other movies that were releasing trailers at the same time and it was because of that I felt the need to go out and see it. Though that was many months ago now, I'm saddened to say that it was only recently that I was able to see it... But it was without a doubt, worth the wait. "Birdman" was unlike any movie I have previously seen and it was just beautifully constructed. All the elements, from the story to the image to the acting to the sound and movement came together in a balanced and realistically genius way.

Sound

The sound used in the film was unlike any I've heard before, due to how it mostly consisted of the use of drums and percussion. The sound was almost completely in sync with the image, especially during transitions when the beat would either pick up for a rise of intensity or slow down for the calming of the situation. The director Alejandro González Iñárritu cleverly placed the drummer in a few scenes giving the drumming a sort of raw and natural sounding vibe to it, giving the overall feel of the film a realistic touch and it helped to make you feel apart of the experience as it was slowly unraveling. Aside from the drumming, there are a few stikes of genius that are placed in parts when Michael Keaton's character, Riggan Thompson, is having a sort of break through moment or some kind of mental hallucination when classical music is played. These moments seemed to be the parts when Riggan was either his happiest or most peaceful and I thought the timing of which they took place was smart and worked amazingly with helping better understand the mental states of the character.

Image

The way this film is shot is also very different from the average film, as its look is suppose to give you the feeling like the story is all in one take. Both challenging and also very discipline driven, the entire film is edited to be one long shot. Though some moments were kind of strange as one could easily feel the cut scene coming, it never did and so as the film progressed the intensity would continue to rise and it felt like a ride that refused to let you go to give you time to prepare before the next steep drop. The camera movement also helped in giving the film a POV kind of feeling as you would follow characters and stay eye level with them and at times it would focus on parts and you felt like you could understand the purpose of why a majority of things were happening. The POV type of filming also made the film seem more real, even in parts such as when Riggan was using telekinesis to trash his dressing room or when he is flying about New York. It made what the characters felt a lot more easier to understand and at times one could feel a change from being with a character in a room, to being the character in the room. Along with the POV shots were the close ups of both the surrounding environment to the characters during rising action which made the silent parts less awkward and more powerful.

Story

The story and the characters were unlike any I've previously seen in any movies I could remember. The story was filled with dark humor and even darker characters and from the surface it seems like a huge train wreck waiting to happen. The cast helped depict this screenplay masterfully, you had Michael Keaton's character Riggan who throughout the movie is just trying to find his identity and regain some kind of happiness. You have Edward Norton's character Mike Shinning, who is a complete ass to others yet has this deep dark fear of his true self and expressing it is almost impossible. Emma Stone plays Riggan's daughter, Sam whom has just got out of rehab and carries unresolved issues with her Father and fights with his to see reality for what it really is. Along with a few other big parts that go into this equation. As the movie progresses, you feel this sort of void that is keeping Riggan from being happy and no matter how hard he tries or how much praise he gets, he can't shake his past nor can he believe himself to rise above it. He does his best to break apart from his role as this TV superhero and creates this persona that is far from that yet the character of the Birdman still hovers over him and he ultimately must accept that no matter what he does, he will always be Birdman. This is truly an original piece of work and the story stands as its most amazing feature.

Rating: 9.5/10

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This was a project that I did for my digital film making class. Its basically my perspective of life as well as the other things that I connect to what I bel...

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Life Trailer

Well after having to change things up in storyboard, countless hours during the miserable process of editing, and a few days without sleep, I finally finished my project. It came out as well as I believe it could have given the circumstances that came about while attempting to put it together. Presenting to my fellow filmmakers went pretty well with the exception of the audio being completely screwed up but the show goes on. Watching others films was most inspiring and I hope to be able to work with a few them looking forward into the future. The whole experience was interesting to say the least but I learned a lot and carry that with me to the next challenge whatever that maybe. I'll post my project in awhile. Its good to be home.