This past sesmester

in this past sesmester i have learned alot about film. much more of the production side and what goes into to making a film, i still feel and know that i have tons more to learn and truely understand before i can totally grasp on everything that goes into making a film which i would love to see and which i think should even be offered as a class at school. A simple one hour tcf credit class in just watching and discussing the making of movies. Everyone knows there are a ton of videos out there now breaking it down for us. i think it should be brought into our class rooms too. Besides all that mess, i honestly do believe i have taken on alot this sesmester, a little at a time starting with the basic, and going into the troubles and fun of getting to use a green screen and opening up so much opurtunity in filming. one thing i learned about myself is i need more, i need more classes like this, i need to see it all, its all good in all in books, but once i see it come together on set like when we would go to the studio what was said would finally make since. I understood the lighting when we would talk about it, but when we actually got to go and make our own lighting it changed everything. getting to move the lights around personally and see how the little things i did to move them, made the biggest difference, i got excited. i liked it. its all about how you look at it or how you want some one to look at it. you are making there precetion for them. I liked they control and freedom to be able to do that, with lights, who knew! i hope i can take what i learned from this class and bring it with me to furture classes so i can become the film whatever i want to be, i think once i figure it all out i can narrow it down to what i truly enjoy the most. until then i am just going to keep trying everything and see which one sticks!

Artist Statement

Ever since I was really young I was always into cameras and film. Not really knowing anything about them expect they can capture moments to show other people who might never get a chance to see something that I have had the chance to encounter. Even if it was just a kid doing a trick on a skateboard. Or my friends and me do a pretend talk show. I loved it, I liked being able to put my ideas with others and coming up with great humor. At the time we were just being kids and being silly. I never new that something I used to have so much fun with all through out my life was also a possibility for a career. Until I found out the school had a department for it. Although I didn’t have the same experience as most the other kids, I was still just as interested. Maybe not to the extent of making the same types of films. But I never had a class at the school that I had something in common with every student in my class, whether it is one thing or another. Which brings me to my main point for my artist statement. I don’t consider myself an artist, I am still very much so an aspiring artist. I have much more to learn until I can deserve that degree. But one thing I can say about me is, when do get passionate about something I never let it die and till I see it out. And I believe that will help me when I get more into film. Endless I feel strong about it or comfortable with it, it won’t seem to turn out right. You can tell when I know what type of idea I want and I want it captured on film. Ideas will start flying for more ideas, and soon I will get a perfect shot or the shot I wanted. When I work, probably not like other people. I like working with other people. I want to know there idea and I want them to know mine. I like comparing and sometimes adjusting. I am a strong believer of how many minds are greater than one. Some people see things that other people don’t, like a problem or a solution. And like I have seen in class if you have a director or a DP who isn’t quite looking at the whole situation he will tend to miss things and it slows down the whole production. Being a director would be an amazing dream; maybe one day I could do it. But being a director is like being a captain of a ship. They need to know the ins and outs of their craft before they can tell anyone else to do it. That what I want to know I want to learn it all. That’s the type of artist I aspire to be. A well-rounded artist. And in the future I hope my statement can inform you on how I did that.

Director

What makes a good director? there are many things that i believe can come together to make a great film. A few people say there are three things that make a great director and i believe they are correct. First thing that is said is a Vision, having a director who doesn't know what they want or where can cause major problems in a production. You need a strong voiced leader who can imagion a great shot and make it come alive on the screen. They also need to be about to talk and explain and be able to move people consistantly through a shot. The next term is blocking and they say the director need to choreograph what they wants. making sure the actor is in frame and stays in the path that the movie needs. they need to make it possible so that no one is standing in the way or ruining the shot that has been worked on for hours. One thing that everyone knows about production, it takes time and patience.To make a good reel for a director they need to be able to show what they are thinking. The best reel for a director would be the main or master shots or maybe the detailed shots. you want to show all your great work and the work of your teammates.

Green Screen

The green screen, its where anything can happen. It is most common in weather and news broadcasts. But more recently movies have gotten into it too. Filming many shots that would not be possible with out the technology of a green screen. Green screens can also be blue. But green tends to be the furthest color from skin tones, which makes it the perfect color to use. This picture is an example of how it is set up. This is the set for Spider Wick Cronicals set. Alot of set up process goes into using a green screen. You have to get the lighting perfect to the back ground or the actor will look out of shot. One of my favorite ways that a green screen is used is by the fake dricing sceens. not only is it cheaper , but much safer than to put an actor in a real car chase http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwY3pB_KYtE&feature=related Sin City is also a very famous movie that tends to use alot of screen screen. In the link above is a example of what the actors had to do to use the green screen and how diffucult it is to film with no surroundings. Its quite a talent to act on a green screen, there literally is nothing but same color sheets on the wall. Green screen is an easy and great way to get many different shots.

Dp Peter Deming

Peter deming has been around the production scence for a quite some time now, winning many awards like hte Independent spirit award for Mulholland Dr. and the Cinematography award for House Party. You may also have seen many of his older yet famous movies, such as, Scream 1,2 and 3 and one of my favorite movies, mystery alaska. personally i do not like the scream movies, not because its a bad movie but purely because i get so scared watching it. Peter Deming is know the set the mood. In many reviews and interviews it is said he spends most of his time talking and purely setting up the mood. and he does it well. scream is so dark and slow and heart pounding. like other scarey movies it has a slow eriry and them BAM some one dies, but the build up that he does is great it dark it gets you scared, it does the job. When Mr. Deming did the movie "the jacket", the director John Maybury, Mr. Maybury only had great things to say. "Can you talk about the director of photography?

Peter Deming? What can I say? He’s a prince among men. My last film, “Love is the Devil,” was shot by John Mathieson who’s a DP I grew up with. We worked on stuff from pop videos through to my arty stuff through to “Love is the Devil.” Unfortunately after he did ‘Love is the Devil” he did “Gladiator.” He just got nominated for an Oscar last night for the appalling “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.” And thankfully he didn’t win, although bless him he’s a sweetheart. He wasn’t available for this because he was doing “Phantom of the Opera.” I lucked out big time by getting Peter Deming, if only for his work on “Mulholland Dr.” and “Lost Highway.” It’s a gift. Besides his technical skills, as a human being he’s very atypical of a DP. He is a sweetheart. He is a prince among men."

JP Perry

Recently I was looking a few different DP reels, trying to figure out different ways that people shoot and different images of shots. I came upon one guy named JP Perry. He has done a few commercials also does a little camera operation. One major commercial you might have seen is a WNBA. Which is the women’s nations basketball association. The thing that attracted me to his work is the lighting. Most of his commercials have great lighting to set the mood of his shots. The WNBA it got a dark feel to it. Also a hazy color, just they way it would look in a gym that is lightly lit from the outside. It shows the women bouncing the basketball alone, but it’s an intense strong shot. The shots are slightly panning right to left, medium shot with little background. Drawling all attention to the women in the shot. In Mr. Perry reel, the colors that he is able to capture are just incredible. He does one golf commercial, when the color of the green is just popping out off the screen. Then he has very clean slow moving shots, which are very pleasing to my eye.

http://www.jpperry.net/com_reel.html

MOVEMENT

Recently I watched on of my favorite movies, Mystery Alaska. I like the camera movement in the movie for a few reasons. First of all it’s a lot of slow moving shots. I am not a big fan of a bunch of quick shots. Most of them are long moving shots. Mainly because of the location they are filming out. Its very beautiful mountain shots. Some of the shot like in the beginning when they are all in the locker room getting ready for a game. It’s a lot of medium close up, so the audience can get to know the characters. But also you can tell the camera isn’t free hand but it seem like it is on a free stand because there is a little movement but it isn’t shaky, I believe to give a more personal feel like I am in the locker room with them. One part of this movie I love is the crane shots. Like when he is riding on a snow mobile and after it passes the crane lifts and pans to show where he is riding too, and this incredible view of an Alaskan mountain is revealed.