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Final Mastery Journal

Sam Buckner

Business In Film

Mastery Journal

My master Journey has come to an end and overall I can say it was a pretty educational year in which I feel as though I have a more than solid understanding of the workflow in the film industry. Through the span of my courses there were a lot of good experiences as well as bad but by far I would have to say the most influential class, being the one I got the most out of is the Business in Film Course. Up to this point in the Full Sail Mastery journey I had learned plenty of information concerning on set protocol and how to shoot a film but I never really learned the aspects of how to market myself in order to get that next film job. Business in film taught me this. My whole journey, although I was learning things, I felt lost but once I got to the final course It wasn’t so much about what I know but who I knew and who I can get to know. I feel as though the placement of this course is perfect because it manages to subtly encompass all of the past courses, so that the student is able to take all of that gained knowledge and become either a successful entrepreneur or join the studio work flow. It is a tough industry to work in and honestly it’s not what I originally thought of before entering into this program. The program helped me to understand that the industry is kind of like the school, meaning you get out what you put in and that pretty much sums it up. I am getting ready to move to Los Angeles to become a screenwriter and jumpstart my career in the industry now that my mastery journey has come to an end. The words of Henry Ford keep me motivated. He states; whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right!

2018. Henry Ford (Amazon)

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Mastery Journal -Post Production

Sam Buckner

062218

Post Production

Mastery Journal

This month’s class narrows in on how every single film production relies on post production to bring the story to life. After going through this class I now find that to be self-evident. Over the course of the month I learned a lot of things to do with post production and editing in the film industry. I found it to be interesting that our course director said to ,metaphorically throw away our script during the editing process but the move I sat through the class and learned the more  I could say that I agree with him. The continuity of a finished production screenplay vs. the final film edit can come out as vastly different products that communicate the same message or even communicate a different message than intended. I learned that the placement of the footage in post has no exact chronological order it must be placed in, it must simply tell a story; beginning. Middle, and end.  

In addition to learning how editing plays a part in bringing the story to life, I also learned a complete new editing software in Avid. Avid is known to be the film industry standard when it comes to editing. At first I found the software to be very dated and confusing but the more I practiced it and learned how to maneuver around, I would actually prefer to use Avid over other editing software. It may be confusing to beginners but the detail and exactness it allows you to incorporate into your finished product is in my opinion better than any other.

Overall, I would have to say that this course was very helpful, and with my newfound knowledge of Avid media composer and approximately how a industry editing workflow of a project is supposed to go, I feel confident in my continue practice to perhaps edit one of my future products with a sense of credence.

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Production- Mastery Journal

This month in my mastery course, the course did not really meet my objective but it was still helpful in teaching mw things about production I wouldn’t have otherwise learned. Over the course of the month we not only dove into production but more specifically into how our assigned position would help to make the production better. My position for the month was the Second Assistant Camera, also known as a Clapper Loader.  According to the Set Lighting  “Technicians handbook, 4th edition” The job of the second assistant camera is to be responsible for all camera equipment and paperwork as well as slating and marking the actors. All things involving the camera, slating and marking of actors. Over the course production, doing these things I learned that production could be very overwhelming and the job of the 2nd ac is a lot busier than what may appear to the eye. The 2nd ac does not get a break or time to rest because he must be ready and on call for any camera related needs of the production.  In reading “First-Time Filmmaker F*#^-ups”, the author says “Most problems on a film set do not need the attention of the director”.  I completely agree with this, but this months learning experience in our class didn’t exactly go this way.  If I would say we could do one thing better, it would have to be staying in your role on a film set. No one likes to feel stepped over, and so when it comes to perhaps working one day in the industry, if I would like to keep my job and continue to getting new ones. I must be able to accept authority.

Overall, This month of the production course was chaotic and although we weren’t required in class as much it was extremely draining and time consuming but I feel as though it did make me understand the industry a bit more. I would say over this course I did become a better filmmaker.

 Box, Harry C. Set Lighting Technician's Handbook: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution. Safari Books, 2013.

 Goldberg, Daryl. First-Time Filmmaker F*#^-ups. Safari Books, 2011.

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Mastery Journal - Pre-pro

Sam Buckner

April 25th, 2018

Mastery Journal

Pre-Production

 STUTTERER

The assignment of this month’s mastery journal is to watch a short film outside of class and write a breakdown analysis of that short within 750-1000 words. The short I chose to analyze is an Oscar award winning short titled “Stutterer”.  The premise of the short film shows, communication, like love, is never easy. It is carried out to be a to be a light-hearted drama with a few comedic elements. The mood and atmosphere of the film is very isolated and darkly lit to show isolation of the protagonist. It does a great job at showing how he has shunned himself from the world due to his own beliefs.

 The basic dramatic structure of the short film, follows a you English  male with a stuttering problem. His problem gives him low self-esteem in which he has resorted to online dating. His problem comes when he must decide whether to finally meet face to face with the object of his desire of stand away from fears of his speech impediment. Majority of the story is his contemplation of whether or not he should follow through. Once he finally decides to meet her he discovers that she is def, and he feels silly for letting his fear get the best of him.

 The primary set of the short film is the isolation of the protagonist’s apartment. He lives completely alone and spends majority of his time at his computer desk on his computer talking to the girl. Everyone’s clothing is very natural and earthy. Nothing in the film is exaggerated as it is all supposed to seem like a real world scenario, which leads me into cinematography.

 The cinematography of the film is very close and intimate. The focal length of the short for the most part is on an Medium Close up angel for the majority of the film. The depth of field is shallow and directly focused on the character with a Wes Anderson style shallow background. Although some shots are caught on camera from a side angle majority of the film shoots on a straight forward shot of the characters face, which I feel also does a great job at showing the intimacy of the story.  Another cinematic element that plays a heavy role in the intimacy of the short is sound.  The film score is very slow with a melancholy feel. The music selection is neither happy nor sad but sets a mood for the film. Diegetic sound in the film such as the keyboard typing and phone sounds are highly intensified which in addition adds to the loneliness of the stutterer.

 Lastly the editing of the film is slow and drawn out to avoid the jumping action cuts that make it look like more is going on than it actually is. The editing of the film is done with purpose and every cut is put together and reveal something no matter how minuscule it may be.

 Finally, the film helps me to address the central question of  what Cinematic Storytelling or production elements will you employ in your film and for what dramatic purpose? In doing the analysis of this film it helps me to breakdown my own personal Zero to Low budget project. I’m not completely aware of the exact price to make the film but I believe it could have been made on a fairly low budget due to the story line. The film only requires 3 key actors for which we only follow one character for 95 percent of the short. The natural selection of an apartment home also allows the set decorating to be simplified for a real world home appearance. I will keep the notion in mind to always thing of simplicity when shooting a film on a zero to low budget film. One other question that the short helps me to answer is How can the practical challenges facing your film be overcome through creative solutions? I believe the practical challenges that we face in shooting our short Lucid in particular are comparable to perhaps the same problems that were faced in “Stutterer”. Both films have 3 minimalistic settings that don’t require a cast of more than 3 central characters.

Overall, the short film “Stutterer” does a great job at using its assets to tell a beautiful yet simplified love  story between two people with fear of over- coming their insecurities so that they are able to be with one another. The films message of  communication, like love, is never easy was successfully executed with all of the cinematic elements.

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Law - Mastery Journal

This month’s addition to the mastery journal compared to the others focuses on entertainment and communication law. Before going into the class I created three goals that I would like to obtain by the end of the course. The three goals I set for myself were learning legal issues concerning film, understanding the finances that go into making a film, and gaining more knowledge about film industry and contract negotiations.

 All of my goals in some way were met during this course in pretty much how I expected the course to go. The assignments we were given really dealt with real world involvement containing legal issues on a smaller scale. The content in the course taught me things such as required licenses, copyright registrations and protections, production insurances and more. The most interesting thing that I did learn in the course is distribution and how a filmmaker gets paid. Payment within the industry through any forms of distribution is a highly confusing process and actually a lot more complex than expected.

 Overall I feel as though the information that I gained this month on my road to mastery at full sail university was very beneficial to my film career and perhaps the most important. I plan to take all gained information from the entrainment and communications law course to not only apply for the rest of my time at full sail but even applying it to my career. Knowledge of law and protection is a valuable asset in any form of business and although the film industry is not structured like any other industry at the end of the day it is still a business.

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VST- Mastery

Before I ever stepped foot in the visual story telling course at Full Sail University, I expected to gain a lot from this course. This is the course I felt I would gain the most and be the most beneficial to my career building skills as far as story-telling is concerned. In the course, I originally expected to learn the various mediums of story-telling and how I would be able to use my platforms to propel my art to the next level. In actually taking the course, I did not get exactly what I expected although I still did get a variation of it. In this course, I learned how to better my cinematography skills and the purpose of camera movements. It could be rendered as common sense but I actually had not been previously aware of the fact that every single thing in film has to be motivated by something. I grew up with the impression that some things could be pure serendipity and accidents could often revert to uncanny genius works of art.

The first day I stepped into the class, I was overwhelmed with the work load in which we were assigned. I was sure that I would be in a stressful state trying to complete all of my assignments to a decent degree. By far I would have to say the hardest thing which was completely unexpected would have to be the Photo recreation. This assignment alone caused me to grow a few grey hairs from a stressful environment. The class’s environment was so stressful it also managed to tear our cohort apart as well as bring us together in moments. The best thing that I felt I gained from this class wasn’t even technically a skill that can be taught from the course but it was actually dependency. I learned how to trust and rely on the other people in my class this month. Without all of us working together as a unit I feel as though it would’ve been almost impossible to successfully survive this course. We all met together to complete multiple projects as we would rely on one another to help create the highest quality art that we could possible.

Overall this course is very helpful and oddly enough the placement of it perfect in my perspective for two reasons. Reason 1 being the fact that it is the climax of our time at Full Sail in this program and is a class that allows you to be your most expressive with your creations. The second reason I feel as though the placement of the class is great is because as I previously stated It is not only a turning point for the program but is also a turning point for the class. This course alone can determine whether your class will be strong and hold together through the rest of the time or whether or not we will separate from one another, and I feel like our class will be alright in the long haul.

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Mastery Journal- Experiemtnal Film

Sam Buckner III

January 25th, 2017

Experimental film

Mastery Journal

 Throughout my time spent here at Full Sail I have enjoyed all of my time spent in the 5 courses that I have taken thus far. When going into the course titled experimental film, I had no idea what to expect from the course. I had initially intended for the course to push my boundaries as a filmmaker and make me explore other options of film making that do not fall under my typical umbrella of narrative film. If I had to explain my experience during this class IO would say it did just that but not in the way I expected.

 Viewing forms of experimental short films was a portion of the class and this made me think about my film works in a different way. When we were assigned to make a short film or documentary of our own I thought I was going to be forced to shoot something unconventional that would force me to step out of my comfort zone. Once I was aware that we could pick our project I then chose to shoot one of my original narrative scripts in one of the most unconventional ways that I could think of. I used the knowledge I had learned from the different types of experimental films such as; Narratives, Music Videos, 360 contents, or Abstracts works. Aside from my script being a Narrative I tried to create abstract art within a traditional piece.

 Although it might not be as apparent as I would like, I tried to encompass all of the above into my project for this month which overall met my expectations for the course. I would say that I successfully pushed my boundaries and stepped into another level of my filmmaking process and cannot wait to continue absorbing knowledge from this educational environment.

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Mastery Journal - Directing Talent

When I first read about taking the Directing Talent course I was frightened.  I had not previously directed any works and felt as though I was going to be a bit behind the bus. I had not previously understood the scope of a director’s task. In this course I learned a lot and it seemed that I actually knew more than I originally expected. In the course I was able to learn exactly what it is a director does on a film set and not only what directors cues to give but in distinct detail on how to deliver those same directors cues. After taking this course in directing talent and learned how to resolved set problems with both crew and talent I feel as though I am very capable of becoming a director in my career if I continue to practice and perfect my craft. The question I am tasked with is how might I apply what I have learned in this course to my life personally or professionally? I believe that I will do both of the two. As far as personally I can take the courtesy rules that I learned in this class and simply apply them to my everyday life. This class teaches you how to deal with people in general not only those on a film set. This also applies to me professionally but in focusing on my professional aspects of directing, majority of my work that lead me to want to work in the film industry is as a screenwriter. This course has taught me that I am able to expand my talents as a director or other things that actually require me to be more in a prominent role on a film

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My mastery blog

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Mastery Journal - Gregory Go Boom

‘Gregory Go Boom’ is in my opinion one of the most entertaining short films of all time.  The story follows a parapalegic young man played by Michael Cera that wants to go out into the world on his own. The comedy comes, when Gregory gets exactly what he wants in his steps to becoming a man but it takes him to a breaking point thus, he set himself on fire. To place this story in a specific genre I would have to say that it is a dark comedy with a real satirical tone. Sets and costumes design for the short film do not appear to be very extravagant. The story follows a young man growing up in a trailer home in the modern world so it doesn't cause for much crazy design work to create a whole imaginary world. Throughout the film his clothing appears typical as does the world around him. The only special effects work required throughout the whole film is actually the ending when Gregory has finally had enough with life and decided to theoretically "GO BOOM" and set himself on fire.

In discussing the camera work and cinematography of ‘Gregory Go Boom’, its has a very interesting way of being shot. Overall I would say it was shot very basic but it did however use both a deep depth of field as well as a shallow depth of field. The reason I say this is because a lot of the shots appear to be a super flat singular background but it shifts into a more dynamic shot with depth in the background. One example in the film is when Gregory rides on his electric wheelchair past the train tracks on the old dirt road. The shot is flat because we only see the Train behind him but would it technically be considered a deep shot as well because we can see the sky above the train and the gravel below it.  

After the camera work I'd like to the Sound that I feel also plays a big role in this film, whether it is diabetic or non diabetic music as well as dialogue. The films score is very unique in setting a tone for the film to let you know that it is still suppose to be a comedy although such dark things occur. One interesting point in the film that stood out to me the most is when Gregory is in a woman house and her boyfriend comes home. He begs for forgiveness at the door while he breaks inside the house, but rather than have him act it out they put the dialogue on a loop about 4 times. Im still not completely sure why this was done. Perhaps it was to explain him creating a distraction while he tries to break into the house.

Throughout the film we see editing use to eliminate a lot of time and still manage to get the story across. The most noticeable cuts I love throughout the film are the two scenes involving the Gas can. Gregory goes to the gas station appearing to just have to use the bathroom but is asked to by something for use. He then yells that he wants a gas can. The man responds by asking him what for as Gregory responds in an undermining why "gas". From this point it cuts to him leaving the station with his gas can. The gas can the comes back in the very end of the film when Gregory has reached his limit and drives his electric wheelchair out to an empty field and begins to poor gas onto himself. The screen then cuts back and flashes back with an image of himself on fire briefly before it cuts to credits.

Watching this film really helps me to understand how editing can be everything when making a zero to low budget film because it allows you to create the illusion that something happened without actually having to do it. This also falls inline with practical challenges you may have to face. Editing allows you to create thoughts in the audience heads through connection points without actually having to be visible for the audience itself.

Overall, I feel as though the short film ‘Gregory Go Boom’ is a great film and entertaining story and any aspiring filmmakers should give it a look, especially those interested in the zero to low budget range of film work. The film utilizes every element of film making to its highest extent and really gives you a grasps of connecting with the character.

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