Friday, December 22, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Stage Production -
Will and I set up the green screen, and the stage area for movie making. We built the set and constructed the light system. Will searched for the exact background image he wanted to use in the first scene, and we made notes on how he saw the action to proceed in this image. He then placed the actors on the set and found the camera angle that matched his background. We worked hard to make Mark and Tony seem natural within the set furniture and setting. We just got to the point of starting the filming, when we ran out of time. We made plans to meet over the holiday to capture the first scene and start the magic. Homework: schedule time to continue filming after Christmas.
Assignment
Homework: schedule time to continue filming after Christmas.
Friday, December 8, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Screenplay/Hats -
Will and I completed the two missing storyboards for his movie. We then examined the hats we had constructed several weeks ago, and determined, after checking the storyboard, that in light of the amount of action they will see, they needed some work. Will worked to complete the hat for Tony and I finished Mark’s hat. We discussed our shooting schedule and decided that it would be best to start shooting only after the Christmas break. We also talked about the small details that were part of each scene, including props and backgrounds. We searched the internet for background images for the scenes where Will was not certain he had a suitable image from his vacation photos.
Friday, December 8, 2017
8:30 - 9:00; 30 min. -
Photography:
Screenplay -
Will and I reviewed the storyboards we created last week, in preparation for our class later today.
Friday, December 1, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Screenplay /Green Screen -
Will and I hung the green screen in his side room, to see how the filming environment will work. We attempted to steam out the wrinkles in the screen, but decided to try again later. I showed Will how the light array will attach to the stage, and the how our filming will proceed. We then moved to creating the storyboard for the shooting schedule. The storyboard will provide us a list of camera angles to use and the number of shots from each angle we will need. We completed the storyboards for three of the five scenes before we ran out of time.
Friday, November 10, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Hats -
An important feature in Will’s new movie is hats, to be worn by his actors. We used this period to make these hats, in the fashion of a famous French general. This was a challenge, as the hats must stay in shape, be able to be worn and removed during the shooting, and be slightly exaggerated for effect. Will worked on the hat for the dog, and I made the same hat for the boy. Will was smiling throughout this session, and remarked that he felt re-energized from the effort. I explained that creativity will have that effect and it came from his passion and hard work.
Friday, November 3, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Screenplay -
Will used the prospectus to start writing the screenplay for his next movie. He was instructed to describe what he sees when he imagines the opening of the movie, taking care for details. We reviewed how a screenplay is constructed and formatted. He wrote the dialogue, and described the action, for the first scene. Once the first was complete, he proceeded to the other scenes. By the end of class he had a complete screenplay, consisting of five scenes, and a list of props that must be made before filming can start.
Friday, October 20, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Actors and clay -
Will completed the actor known as Mark. We worked together to finish the wardrobe of Alex. While we worked we also worked through some parts of the script, using current events to inform the humor. When we were satisfied with the sculpting, we made a list of the props we still have to make. Finally we typed out some of the script for a complete review next time.
Friday, October 13, 2017
12:30 - 2:30; 120 min. -
Photography:
Macro lenses -
Will brought a macro lens; a gift from his grandfather, to class. I showed him how to attach the lens to his camera, and how to use the zoom and focus. This lens is an older model and required manual focus and some discipline to use. We toured the Zen garden behind the school, and Will was tasked with photographing several flowers and objects of interest; first using his regular lens, and then again with the gift lens. We then downloaded his images and compared the result. We determined that the older lens and his existing lens captured very similar images. Although the older lens still works with the newer camera, it is a manual focus only, and is considerably heavier. Will concluded the lens provides no benefit over his existing lens. We then turned to the Claymation actors and Will created a pair of shoes for his actor Tony. We discussed some of the script that still need to be written.
