Final Scene
So this is an interesting project. I feel like I had a really clear vision for
it, and was really excited about it. I
got a couple actors that I really trusted and a great location and everything
was turning out really well. The thing
that threw me off was everything being really behind from the get go. The actors were in makeup too long and we
only had the location for a little while, so it was crunch time when we started
shooting. And because of that, I was
rushing through performances and not even looking at continuity. This caused a lot of problems in the editing
room and the final project is a little bit wonky and off putting. Maybe that’s helpful though because that’s kind
of what I was going for. But I
definitely think it distracts from the piece.
I was
trying to make a scene that was uncomfortable and dramatic. I chose to put it on a stage because the
scene felt really theatrical to me. So I
wanted the acting to be formalistic and grand and exaggerated. The actors did a good job with this stylized approach. The lighting I think was what turned out the best in the scene, and is
my favorite part of the final product. A
lot of thanks go to Lauren and Avery for figuring that out and making it look
nice. And then when it came to directing,
I actually had a lot of fun. I wanted
the psychological horror aspect of the film to come out in the male actor’s
performance, as he is the main antagonist.
And so when he gives his lines, I wanted the tactics and communication
to be confusing for the actress to further the chaotic mental state she is
in. The all black background was there
for that reason as well. However, I
think I wasn’t as focused on the girl’s performance as I was the guy’s, I wish I could have been there for her more. I also wish I could have
had more time with them, but it is what it is.
And I am fairly happy with the final product. Definitely not my best, but I am proud of
what went well and I am happy for the experience.
This shoot got off to a bad start, mostly because of me and my insistence that I can do it all. I ended up being an hour late to the set due to being on Cameron’s set in American Fork (trying to shoot 3 projects in a row turned out to be a bad idea). I also learned upon my arrival that we only had an hour and a half to shoot the entire project, which added some stress to the set. Luckily, when I got there, everything was ready to go, and we were able to start shooting almost immediately. I really admire Sariah’s willingness to experiment and her ability to stylize the film so dramatically. I loved what she did with the lighting and staging of the piece, and I think it adds a whole surreal layer to the final product.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had been able to meet with Sariah beforehand and discuss the project in more detail. I went into the project pretty blind, without a shot list or script to go off of. But luckily, Sariah knew what she wanted, so we were able to communicate effectively enough. Also lucky that the lighting setup didn’t require a lot of moving around, as the lights mostly stayed in place without much manipulation, save for turning them on and off. This project not only taught me the importance of planning and discussing things beforehand, but also the importance of listening and communicating during the project. If we hadn’t been able to communicate properly, the film most likely would not have been made under such an extreme time frame. But we did it, and I love how it turned out.