Film has never been a medium that I found the want to create with. Obviously the “Better Futures” project required the use of film and I actually found that I do like it and that there are certain steps that can be taken to get good shots, successfully edit them together, and create a proper narrative. I feel that I may have misunderstood the prompt originally and my initial idea was nothing short of a cliche. However, after going through the first critique I gained a better perspective on what was to be accomplished.
With a fresh idea I was ready to think through what shots were necessary in order to convey it. I went to my sketchbook and created a storyboard, which I have included below. This step in the process was very important and enabled me to think through the shots needed. While what I drew was not exactly what I ended up shooting, it gave me a general idea of what I was looking for. It also helped me to keep shooting until I got what I wanted. Another beneficial element of the storyboard, that I really didn’t expect, was that it helped me to convey to my “actors” what I was trying to accomplish with each shot.
A limitation that I ran into was with the camera itself. The angle didn’t seem to be wide enough so it became a balancing act of getting close enough for the detail needed but wide enough to get the aesthetic of the shot I wanted.
After all my shots were taken it was time to turn to editing. I’ve worked within Final Cut Pro and After Effects before so I felt comfortable within the software but I was never the one who shot the footage. I felt as though I was stuck in the editor’s chair. I found it difficult to create the product that I forsaw from behind the camera. I’m not sure the best way to tackle this issue but hopefully in continuing to shoot and edit more I will merge the two together.
Also, another element of the film making process that I think I could work on more is the voiceover creation. I felt that I came up with some good content but there needed to be some better execution. Critique on this would be welcome…
Added post class critique:
Edit For Class:
I truly appreciate the comments that I received from everybody and will definitely be incorporating everything into a final rework of this project (which you can find below if it has been posted or please come back at a later date to view it). There were several things I thought about but had trouble accomplishing in the film on my own because I didn’t know the exact way to present the idea. However, each and every person hit on something and provided invaluable feedback and methods for accomplishing these ideas. I can’t wait to work them in!
In this whole process I have learned that the earlier the critique the better! It helps immensely in the production of a great work of art.