Please write a blogspot response (in your comments field below, as normal) to the following question (individual response, 1 per person, this is not group response):
Reflect on the American Story project. Use at least 3 of the following reflective topics as a writing prompt:
- How do you get from conception of an idea to a fully implemented quality movie? What are the steps along the way? What was successful for your? What improvements would you make if you had to do it again?
- Like this year, this project has yielded extremely successful results in the past. What are the key ingredients in this project that draw student engagement, participation and desire to create a 'keeper' movie?
- Regarding your project from this year, did you create what you would consider a 'keeper' film, something you would consider for a student portfolio? Why/why not?
- Is the American Story a unique story, or is it a shared story among all Americans and the world? As a writer/director of such work, who is your audience? Is it you and your friends? Is it Americans? Is it an age group within American society? Does your project extend interest to citizens of the world?
- Why do the time honored traditions and industry standard tools such as script, shot sheet, storyboard, call sheet and schedules matter in the film, tv and video industries? What is the relationship between all of them? Why are they used? Are they all used for all productions?
- Role play that you are directing your American Story project again, but this time, you are being paid by the hour to develop and deliver a product in a 3 week time-frame to air on a broadcast cable network. What are the first steps as a director you would do to prepare? How would you ensure success of the project?
- If you are a student interested in applying to film school (any university), what have you learned from this American Story production experience that would be relevant to preparing a portfolio piece for application to a film program at a desirable university (this will require you to pinpoint a school, see what the 2013-14 admissions movie requirement was and use that as a starting point).
- The most successful creative teams achieve what is called "Group Flow". This concept emerges from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's work around individual creative flow (Prof. at Claremont College, studies collaborative and creative behavior). We see group flow within the most highly successful creative environments such as Pixar, Dreamworks, Google and others. Flow is described below. After you read the description of 'flow', do you desire to work in teams in which Flow occurs? Do you desire to create spaces for yourself in which you experience creative flow? How can you create environments and relationships within members of your group to promote healthy group flow and creativity?
A particular state of heightened consciousness. He (Csikzzentmihalyi) discovered that extremely creative people are at their peak when they experience ‘a unified flowing from one moment to the next, in which we feel in control of our actions, and in which there is little distinction between self and environment; between stimulus and response; or between past, present, and future.’”
1. to get from an idea to a feature length movie takes a lot of work from a lot of different people. the first step is transforming the idea into a shot sheet so the ideas become concrete. then a script should be written. actors, costumes, and locations should be chosen. then it tis time to start production. go down the shot list and do every one. afterward all you need to do is edit and turn it in.
ReplyDelete2. in order to yield a successful project, the project must have had enough time to complete it. in the case of this project i do not think that people had enough time, considering not a single group had a finished project at the fishbowl. i don't know why that is but it screwed everyone up. the prompt is good because it has a pretty open lay out.
3. in the time allotted our film is not considered a keeper, but if we were given more time before the fishbowl it probably would. the film is not completed probably a big part of the criteria for a keeper film.
1. When we come up with an idea we write it down into the script and the shot sheet then we look it over and use it to record our scenes.
ReplyDelete2. What really draws us all in is when the idea for our film ideas are interesting and we all feel apart of a team.
3. No our film shouldn't be considered anything more than a work in progress due to a cut on time and life obstacles that slowed us down.
4. Our ideas are unique but their based off of historical events and ideas. Our audience is simply the MAP class.
5. They help the crew and cast plan out shots and prepare for shooting, without them the production falls into chaos.
6. The first step I'd take would be to have my cast briefly act out the scenes and lines so they have it all ready to act by the time we start shooting.
7. I learned that planning is key t everything, write your ideas down, prepare to pick every piece of equipment and costume before you start shooting.
8. Absolutely, flow helps the team come together and work together, without that togetherness the project completely falls apart.
#3, #5, #6
ReplyDeleteIf I were directing another American Story, the first thing I would do is make a schedule, and plan everything out before I start. I would make shot sheets, read through the scripts alone and with the actors, and work on time management to keep everything organized and on time. The “honored traditions” in industry matter in the film, tv, and video industries because it helps productions stay on task and organized throughout the production. Not all of these “traditions” are used, but most of them are used to stay on task and organized. My project this year had it’s ups and downs; the intro and ending were good, but the middle part was not that good and could be improved. There could have been more revisions other than just the audio, and we could’ve changed the some of the scenes that were incomplete, or just had one angle. Some parts of my film could be used in a student portfolio, but other parts would not be included.
1)The improvements i would have made if i had to do this all over again is maybe think about how the story would play out. Definitely would have gone a little faster with filming and acting so we could have more time for editing. Take some more shots in order for a variety. The planning was great and the script was great help along the way but also finding the right people for the roles was really hard. The idea comes much easier and there is always time to change it but to make it into a movie is especially hard knowing the problems that you might have to face and how it will look as a whole.
ReplyDelete2)To create a project like that is just a huge accomplishment. We get to make that movies ours and to make it the way we want to. The students want to make something that will last and in this project they have a chance to show all of their skills one by one and to make something so great is a confidence booster for everyone. It shows you how dedicated you have to be to get it done and to work on it but also how it will be in the real world.
3)I did not. I know for a fact that it was getting there and that it could have been a keeper film but i just made mistakes and that was not an option for me anymore. The editing and the shots were really good in my opinion and the music i used like i had learn in the beginning of the year was really good but the middle shots got a little too long and boring for me and we made a lot of mistakes with time and filming.
1. The idea has to be completely and be fully fledged out and once a full and complete story has been created, it has to be scrutinized and any loopholes fixed. Next, one would have to make sure everything is doable with the resources we have and if not, find a way to make it happen or make a few adjustments. Success was seen when we all found creative ideas we liked that worked well. What didn’t work was when one group member changed the script on her own several times to a not so appealing version of it.
ReplyDelete3. No this is not exactly what I’d consider a keeper film as we were very crunched for time in finishing it, had a lot of issues with changing up the script and what not as well. It did not turn out very well either because we did not get too many great shots or as many as we had hoped for. I may or may not use this in a portfolio for certain shots however, definitely not as a main piece.
5. They are standard because they work and automatically eliminate certain problems by creating them. They pre organize your ideas and shots and help organize what props and all are needed for each scene and how long each scene will take, etc… No these are not all used in every movie in fact we learned storyboards aren’t used in every production either, along with other tools individuals.
3. No. This project was too rushed for me to produce a good project, especially with the time length i had for mine. I'm surprised i finished it.
ReplyDelete6. gather some people i trust to work with me in the planning and production process, then get to work on a script and storyboard. to succeed i would get actual actors and divert all my time to this project.
7. much more planning and time to produce a project like this is required for it to work.
1) I think that the completion of each step in the process is key to creating a quality film from pure imagination. You have to be able to work out all conflicts and create a schedule that is extremely detailed, which will create a more organized workspace and a more perfect project. I think that organization and execution are the key goals that a group has to strive for in order for their project to be the best it can be. I think that we didn't have this organization which ultimately failed us. We had the best plot, a wonderful script, but our organization and execution was poor. That's why our project isn't as good as it could be.
ReplyDelete3) I don't think that this project was a "keeper" because it was done in haste and wasn't done with the amount of desire and motivation that was necessary in order to produce a keeper. I think that the desire wasn't there because I wasn't very into producing this film because of our failures. In essence, I had given up on this project. Looking back on this, I realize that I shouldn't have lost hope, but how could I when I was bombarded with exams and sports. I think that had I been given more time to complete this film, I definitely would have made a far greater effort and the project would have been much more outstanding.
6) I think that I would first try and obtain as much information as I could about the topic so that I could structure the segment accordingly. Then I would I would create an extremely detailed schedule so that the whole group would have a plan to go back to. This would comprise the first week. Then week 2 would be devoted to b-roll, interviews, and any video or audio that is necessary to the project. The third week would be devoted to editing and any necessary additions. This would ensure the best possible final product.
1. First thing I would do is get a schedule done. and distribute the jobs evenly. Script person would work with person working on shot sheet. Costumes, actors and location would come next. Figure out who films and edits.
ReplyDelete3. Sadly, no. We did not have enough time to complete our film. It is a rushed film due to the little time we had to do everything.
8. Group flow is very important to get things done. Without it it would be constant bickering and nothing would get done.
1) You have to get a group together and then write a script, then get a shot-sheet down and write a schedule, and get equipment and actors and shoot the scenes, and then you have to edit and get music and create a finished product. We were successful in getting together a group and writing a script; however we were unsuccessful in getting a shot sheet done and it did affect our filming negatively in that we didn't have a concrete plan which we could use to plan out shots; we were partially successful in getting a schedule done, which also affected our filming negatively in that we had a lot of difficulty trying to figure out which shots we needed to get done and which group member was free when, etc.; our editing went well and we found appropriate music and were able to present a finished product.
ReplyDelete2) Student drive to do well, as well as teacher encouragement to do our best and good equipment with which to shoot and edit.
3) Yes. We put in a lot of time and effort into our project and even though we had a very limited time frame in which to shoot and edit the whole project, I feel that we managed to successfully present an interesting and polished final product.
This is the first real project that allows the students to have most of the creative control. The students want to formulate a project that is all their own, and have the ability to do whatever they really want. Though no one really did it this year, the allegorical option associated with this project really allows the student to expand beyond the same old depressing story of the Vietnam war.
ReplyDeleteI can not say ours is a keeper. Our ideals did not play out and we did not have the time to make it a keeper. Though this is true, it does not mean the experience was not worth having. We learned how to communicate with teachers to stretch due dates, work around actor’s complicated schedules, and began to understand how to apply history to a story that seems unrelated to the real world.
Overall, I learned that I need to make sure I have the time to plan, produce, and post-produce. I know I can do all of those things, but when it comes to making something for a university, I need to make sure I have it planned down to a T. It does not matter to me what the assignment they choose to give, so long as I have the tie to do it.
2. Some of the ingredients that motivate students to make a 'keeper' film are the integration of all three classes into one project to show what we learned. The historical connection we made to the project, the english techniques we used in creating the script, and our knowledge of filmmaking in creating elaborate shots and scenes.
ReplyDelete6. If i were to direct this project for real in 3 weeks some of the steps I would take to complete it would be setting up the shots, so that i know exactly who is going to be in the shot, where the shot would be, and scheduling each scene. The second thing I would do would be to create a timeline so that i can see if reaching the deadline would be a realistic goal.
5. I think that call sheets, schedules, storyboards, are all used in the film industry in a effort to save time. Schedules make sure that the group is on par with their deadline and are going to finish. storyboards are used to make sure everyone is on the same page with the idea of the film so that they don't waste time later on arguing over contrasting ideas of the story. Scripts work in the same in getting the same idea for the story. There are a wide range of different types of film ranging from commercials, to news reports, to TV shows. Although they are all different, they all have the potential in using these techniques to further their product.
1.) To fully implement a concept into a quality movie you need to accomplish three things: plot, shot clarity, and characterization. For a good story to make any sense you need to establish a very clear plot with, depending on the plot, an either clear or unclear main goal for the protagonist. Their goals and morals need to be relevant and very obvious by the time the credits roll around. Secondly, you need shot clarity. If you have a great plot, but you use an iPhone to shoot your whole film, your film is going to suck. So make sure to use a good camera and to have your shots in focus all the time, unless the shot calls for a slightly blurry shot. Lastly, you need to establish and maintain good characters. If your characters have no clear premise and show no development, aka a flat character, your movie will be mediocre at best. All of these things combined and executed properly will make for a great movie.
ReplyDelete2.) I think that the amount of creativity involved and how we have very minimal limits gives us the freedom to create a great movie. When we are given a topic of category that we must fulfill with a film, it is very hard to create a good film within such restrictive boundaries. This projects level of creativity and openness gives us the opportunity to make a ‘keeper’ film.
3.) I feel like my group created two very good ‘keeper’ movies with Ordentlich and Valley Between. I would definitely consider both of these movies for my portfolio and I would highly recommend for my other group member to do the same.
I think that reading "The Things They Carried" really helped in the process in making this film. Many were inspired by the collection of war stories to create their own, but all the projects followed the larger theme; "that sometimes story-truth is truer than happening truth". The stories themselves compiled for a pile of truth, in how soldiers must have felt when fighting, or at least how we as students in 2014 think they must have felt according to our past experiences in watching movies and talking with our grandfathers. We thought soldiers were scared in Vietnam, that they wanted to run away or had no intention of entering the war knowing they would have to shoot children. We thought as old men, they would walk through cemeteries with their wives letting memories sweep over them. The truth in how we, the generation who was not yet present, think we know what we do about war and all it's consequences. The truth is that we can learn from them, and I think that's why we focused our film plots on the conflict in Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteIn creating our video, we learned that there is a definite and unquestionable difference between a shot sheet and a script. Unknowing in the beginning, I began writing the script with particular shots in mind, and so in order to remember, I threw those shot calls in between dialogue. We know know that in the film industry, the role of the screenwriter and director are deeply separated by power and respect as well as role. A screenwriter would not tell a director how to shoot a movie, but rather, it is by coordination that the best possible shots are achieved by direction and technical knowledge through a stellar script.
Next time, which is I think when I'll be building a film school portfolio, I want to get "group flow" moving sooner. That's kind of a paradox because I know film school submissions must created by a single person, so I guess I mean finding that creative channel ignited by the prompt that I can follow to it's end. Constantly available for learning, I want to get actors and costumes together and at my feet sooner and the filming process better planned and executed with as few speed bumps as possible. To have excessive time to edit and re-shoot would be phenomenal and something I want to strive for in every project moving forward.
1. In order to turn an idea into a feature length movie takes a lot of preparation, and the first step is probably turning the idea into a script, a foundation in which a shot sheet can be made. The shot sheet should then be followed during production, but with enough flexibility to change if needed. The shots are then edited and put together to form the full movie.
ReplyDelete2. In order to create a successful project, all group members have to be fully committed to the project. If someone really wants to make a film, their full commitment shows they really want to make it a good movie, and that desire translates into better results.
3. I think the American Story is unique to every American, yet similar in many different aspects. The target audience is people who want to know more about the Holocaust but from the perspective of an American in Poland.
1. After we'd come up with our idea, we got a group together on facebook and asked the people in the group to gather props. We set a date to film far in advance and ended up getting a sizable turnout of actors. We wrote up a rough storyboard and then changed it as we filmed.
ReplyDelete3. Absolutely. I love both of our films, especially because of the amount of effort we put in. It is upsetting that our vietnam film did not export well but we will try to fix that. I had so much fun making the films and I think both turned out really well.
8. I think our group absolutely had creative flow. Everybody in the group cared so much about our project, and since we were all friends everybody was willing to work hard and shoot out new ideas. I would say that group flow is necessary to create a successful film. If I were to work somewhere I would try my best to obtain group flow because it is such a huge factor in a successful company.
Alex Hansen
ReplyDeleteMrs. Leather
Film Reflection
Reflect on the American Story project. Use at least 3 of the following reflective topics as a writing prompt:
1. You must first brainstorm the premise of your entire film, and then begin planning. A Script is completely essential to follow, but a storyboard is less important. What is important is that you have a vision in your head of what your shots will look like, and how you keep the same feel for the entire film. Our group was very good at seeing the overall qualities of our film in our heads, and following that throughout our filming sessions. However, it may have been beneficial to completely go over these views, for there were often disputes over how each shot should be filmed.
2. In order to be successful in this project, the students must be very excited about this project. They should want to make a film that impresses everyone else, and that they can be proud of.
3. Yes, I very much do believe we have. I, and my other group members, am very happy and excited with the work we have created. I would consider this for my portfolio because it adequately shows our skills and abilities to make films and work effectively in a group.
1.You must be able to write the script and complete the storyboard after the conception of an idea to clearly plan out your thoughts. Then, you must plan out days to shoot/edit the film so the entire crew has time to fit the film into their schedules. Planning was a success for our group, and that’s why the film felt so well-executed in the end. If we had to do it again, the group should have given equal assignments to everyone to evenly distribute the work, mainly for post-production.
ReplyDelete2.A universal goal and the desire to create a film that appealed emotionally to the audience. This key ingredient made us all very passionate about the films we created.
3. Yes, this is definitely a keeper film and would be a project that I would store in my student portfolio. Not only is the film painstakingly made, it emotionally connects with me, which is the most important aspect.
7.This American Story Project taught me how to create a film that was great quality, had excellent writing, and was edited with precision. It was a film that was a project that could be submitted to universities.
1.)After we had come up with our idea, we make a gantt chart with smart sheet to plan out what needed to be done. We planned out when we needed to shoot, when to get props and when to edit. The amount of hours we put into editing was tremendous. The time we put into editing was the one thing that made our films successful. If I had to do it again I would not change a single thing.
ReplyDelete2).Some key ingredients that made our project so successful was the amount of time spent in editing, having a compelling story and, being with people that want to do the work not people that have to.
3).This project is something that I would put in my portfolio without question because ours in particular was big. We had to manage making two projects in the same amount of time that others had and we had to organize having everyone in our group showing up on time and working without distraction.
3. The film "Music to My Ears" would be considered a keeper in my opinion because of the amount of effort we put in to it. It was a very flawless movie except for some minor details in the actual shots. Also our group worked very well with each other and we got everything done with efficiency.
Delete6. The first thing I would do is create a storyboard and script, these two are essential to producing a good film and it really allows the actors and other members of the crew to understand the main flow of the project. Second, I would make sure that all the people are actually competent, the rest should be fairly easy considering we have the planning already finished.
4. I think that the American story always differs between all people, for some it can be to get into a good college, for others to have a wonderful spouse and 4 kids, for others its to become a millionaire. The main audience for my American story can be anyone.
2. I think that one of the most important thing to have in a project is a creative license to pursue any idea that is reasonable. It is also important for every group member to have a specific role that they are pursuing. If the roles are not clear people tend to spread themselves thin and not do as quality work as they would if the work was evenly distributed. A clear leader also needs to be identified to inspire and coerce the group into working.
ReplyDelete3. I believe that this film is definitely a keeper because there re some shots that really stand out. One problem is that there are also shots and clips that are only average. There are times when the subject is out of focus, but I believe that the story is extremely unique. We were one of the few groups not doing the Vietnam war and the only group, to my knowledge, to do a project that takes place before the twentieth century I believe that this is a good piece, but not the best film I could possibly make. I think it was a good learning experience and it will benefit my film making experience.
6.I would make sure that I would create a storyboard to follow during the filming process to ensure that every shot is taken. It would also allow the editor to clearly see the path he needs to take during editing. Another benefit that would occur if I had a budget would be the ability to spend more time on finding the perfect location to film, this could allow my editor to spend less time editing out light switches and instead focus on audio transitions.
1. The first and most important thing is to have a solid script and a time line, and to have a solid idea of when the group is shooting and why they are doing the project i the first place, which is good for motivation. most importantly is to give the group sufficient time to edit and make changes if the group has to.
ReplyDelete2. To draw student engagement the one thing the student needs to have is being able to relate to the prompt they are given and the way that the students are doing it should be on their own terms.
3. The projects i've done this year are keepers for my portfolio, for the reasons that i really got to learn how to do a lot of things and learn how to establish shots.
6. If i were directing this project with a budget and a time limit, the first thing I would do is make a schedule for when each aspect of the project needs to be done, and make sure each person on my time is clear on what role they have in the project. Being the director, I would ensure that everyone on the team is doing their job in a timely manner, so that no one gets behind and throws the whole project off track.
ReplyDelete1. Thinking of an idea is just the first step of creating a movie. After you have the idea, you work to expand it into different scenes, and then shots. And eventually you put it all together to create a movie. For our project we had to change the storyline a lot so it would be possible to finish it by the deadline, but we were able to be very flexible with our story, and were able to plan out different shots very quickly.
ReplyDelete2. This project is often so successful because it is at the end of junior year when students are so ambitious and determined to do their best. We had been practicing with smaller projects all year and were finally ready to put all of our skills together to create a much larger and higher quality project.
3. Even though our project was not very long and the storyline is iffy, i'd still consider it a "keeper" because it is very unique and still looks very impressive even though it is only 25 seconds long. It would be great to put in a portfolio for animation because it is a type of animation not as often seen in a highschool class.
1. After we come up with an idea, we can write down a brief description of the story, like we did in the story pitch. Then, we can make a shot sheet to list all of the shots we need. Then, we can make a schedule for filming/editing the project. I thought that on our project, the four of us each worked really hard to make the project successful. If I had to do this project again, I would have started filming earlier in order to have more time to rotoscope.
ReplyDelete2. I think students are really excited because the project allows a lot of room for creativity. The students can also work with whoever they want to work with, so there is a lot of teamwork and not much clashing of opinions. It is also the last big project of the year that will be entered in smashn, so students are very motivated to do well on it.
3. Yes, this film is a keeper project. The project demonstrates the huge amount of effort and hours we put into the project. Even though it was a small video, it turned out really well.
1. In order to implement a quality video my group and I made a smart sheet where we would plan out our dates and shoot times. Beforehand, we planned out a shot sheet to plan out the type of shots. We used an artist to plan draw out our scenes to give our group an idea to implement our ideas. The amount of editing was tremendous and arduous for filming for a perfect 3-7 minute video. If I was to reshoot a film in the future using these techniques, its definitely worth the process.
ReplyDelete2. Some key processes to make our film successful is the amount of hours used to edit and film the movie, to plan out our shoot beforehand, and cooperating with group members who are willing to contribute to the overall project.
3. This project is a sentiment I don't mind putting in my portfolio because when I look back at in the future I know the obstacles and processes I have went through in order to achieve a quality video. This project will serve as a template for future videos
This project was a highly educational project. I learned how important planning is to make a successful product.Not only are they used for films, but they are also used for almost everything else including games. Even though we may have overplannned with too many unit types and countries, we learned how to plan accurately for the future. All successful teams achieve group flow, which when all group members are being creative and collaborative. This can be achieved by clear and constant communication between group members.
ReplyDeleteIf I was directing a game for the American Story Project I would create a clear plan for the project. First, it would start with input from all group members to brainstorm ideas. Then, when in idea is chosen, a very clear plan is made and shown to all other members. From here, group members regularly discuss their progress to make sure time is used wisely.
1) first we came up with the idea for the project and made a script. Then we planned out the shots and made a shot sheet, call sheet, and a finalized script. Making shots sheets and having a script helped us plan out the shots so when we filmed it was easier. I think we should have made sure our story made sense and read the script before we went out to shoot.
ReplyDelete2) This project had everyone involved and had everyone wanting to make a successful project. I think we needed more time to film and finalize our project because i felt we where rushed.
3) I don't think this is a keeper film because we did not have enough time to really get the shots and the audio we wanted. We did not have enough motivation to finish the project to make it a keeper. We needed to be better organized with our shots.
1) What we did was first all get together and fully explain the story, as we explain it we say it out loud so see if the story made sense and do small changes on the way. Then we scripted it, then story boarded it, and fix any other mistakes we made and added in some shots/scenes. Then we filmed! The main problem in this film is that there was a real rush of time. The success was that we actually got enough shots in time to make this project. Improvements that i can make is do more shots to make the story more clearer.
ReplyDelete3) I would consider this project as a keeper film because even though we were rushed, i believe we came out with a really good piece of work. That will show the collage/work place that even under a stressful time limit, we can still produce something that is good.
4) I think the American story is a very unique story because these projects that everyone came out with shows the depth and emotions of that time period.I think that for my story, there is a veteran out there that had the same experience as the solider in my group's story. My audience for this story could be anyone who wants the watch it. I think though that the age groups of Americans that would actually want to watch it will be much older, maybe in their 50s or 60s. I think there is a limited interests about watching a war film for people in their 30s and under.
1. We made a shot sheet and scheduled times to film. Things changed along the way but we adjusted to our obstacles and overcame them.
ReplyDelete2. All these films are a little different and it's amazing that we get to incorporate our ideas from our head onto the screen...I think interesting angles/shots keeps the viewer engaged and a storyline that does not move too slow.
3. I think I would consider this project as a "keeper" because I wrote a lot of it and it was all very collaborative work and it turned out to be a wonderful project.
1. In order to make a quality film it needs to start out with a strong story that has motivation to be done well through the group. After that, the next important part is group communication. If everyone agrees in the end it will go smoothly leaving it to the shot that everyone will picture in their minds thus leading to the shot sheet. Everything went well, the only thing I would want next time is more time to shoot and a spare battery.
ReplyDelete2. A keeper movie needs the whole group to want to work on it. It needs to be exciting and not totally outrageous. Something that can be in the bounds of what we have and can make it look good. It needs to have everyone involved.
3. I think I created two keeper films. Vietnam had a good story, and ordentlich looked very nice because of the detail we took in the lighting and everything. I would consider both for a portfolio.
2.) The reason this project has been such a success in the past is because it gives a lot of room for creativity. Students get to film something that they actually want to film, and they will therefore be motivated to be engaged in their topic and create a polished final product. Also, most students can easily relate to the topic of the American Story which causes students to have a variety of ideas and options for their project that they can pursue.
ReplyDelete3.) Even though the project looked pretty cool, I wouldn't consider it a "keeper". There was not enough time to create a detailed plot and resolution since we had to draw each frame individually, allowing barely enough time for the entire group to complete 30 seconds of animation in over 2 weeks. We had a lot of ideas for the story in the beginning, but we didn't realize how long the rotoscoping would actually take.
6.) If I had a 3 week time frame for this project, I would spend less time in planning and more time in rotoscoping. The planning should be minimal for this type of project; the filming is simple and rotoscoping takes up the majority of the time. Doing this would allow maximum time for the animating process so that there would be a good amount of content. Also, another thing I would do to lower the time used to complete the project would be have the actors and things in costume so that when I am rotoscoping, I don't have to change any details of the shot; I can draw over exactly what is on the screen.
8. I think our group absolutely had creative flow. Everybody in the group cared so much about our project, and since we were all friends everybody was willing to work hard and shoot out new ideas. I would say that group flow is necessary to create a successful film. If I were to work somewhere I would try my best to obtain group flow because it is such a huge factor in a successful company.
ReplyDelete2. In order to create a successful project, all group members have to be fully committed to the project. If someone really wants to make a film, their full commitment shows they really want to make it a good movie, and that desire translates into better results.
3. I think our film could have been better if we were given more time to film finish everything we started but i realize that we were on a time line.
2. What made the students want to work for this project was the freedom involved. The fact that we were allowed to go out and come up with our own idea, chose our own group and do it in whatever way we wanted was key in the students engagement. This made people WANT to do the project instead of view it as something they had to do. It made it more enjoyable to work hard for.
ReplyDelete3. I consider this a keeper project because it was well put together and definitely one of the best pieces of work that I have been a part of.
5. Scripts, shot sheets, and excel spreadsheets are all used to help plan the project and move it forward. This helps to set up the project and ironically, the better the plan for the project, the more room for creativity. It allows us the freedom to stray from the script. They all work together to help plan and carry out the project. Not all productions use them as some already know exactly what they want or they are tight on time.
1) We did all the planning stages required, although it still felt as though we didn't have enough time time to full develop our story and make the most out of our potential. Part of this was due to a poorly written script.
ReplyDelete2) A good plan is essential and a good basis for the story as well, we ran into problems with our scripts quality, which hurt our overall interest in the story.
3)No I don't think this story is a "keeper" we just didn't have a good enough script or the time to make an exceptional film.
3) I definitely think both films my group produced for this project were keepers. I've never had a film I felt so strongly about the quality and content before, and I think the storyline in our Vietnam film is really great and emotionally touching, and the shots in Mr Ordentlich. They were both really different topics but both films ended up turning out great and I would definitely put either/both in a portfolio.
ReplyDelete5) Before this project I had never really understood the importance of planning things out but after going through the experience of making a schedule, storyboard, and a very detailed shot sheet, it definitely changed my opinion. Making the shot sheet was really helpful for our group, especially for me since I was late to the group and didn't originally know the story quite as well, so it helped me understand the story and be able to picture all the different aspects of it.
7) I believe almost everything I did in this project would help me if I choose to apply to film school. I learned how to more efficiently plan and carry out a plan regarding our film, as well as work in a group with more set roles then I was used to, but overall helped us to all know what we needed to get done to make the film a success. I also learned more editing, after effects, and aspects of producing a larger scale film than I had before.
1. What I created for the American Story project was definitely a great coding experience, but it is not yet at the level to be considered a keeper by industry standard. However, since it was definitely the most highly developed games I have developed thus far and because it was one of the most intensive coding experiences I have had thus far, I, definitely, would consider this a keeper from the stand point that I would continue development.
ReplyDelete4.The American story is definitely unique in its particular successes, examples, and failures. However, worlds and civilizations of the past have, also, modeled the American story's ideals with their own unique examples. The American story is, essentially, a very strong example of a human story. My audience would be high school and college strategy gamers. While the target audience exists within this range, the game has enough appeal for anyone to play it who has a general knowledge of the Cold War. Students in Asia, China, South Korea, and Europe would also enjoy this game making the game have universal appeal.
8. I definitely want to work in teams that have group flow. I, definitely desire spaces that encourage creative flow. I can promote group and creative flow by placing ourselves in quiet focused environments, where everyone is zoned in on getting the project done. People should all have a positive attitude, supporting each other to get difficult tasks done when the other gets stuck.
1. It requires very much planning and strict deadlines and to stick to a schedule. Our shots were solid, but if I were to redo this I would do every shot multiple times at different angles for variation.
ReplyDelete2. To have a project that is as successful as those in the past, it requires a strict schedule and a group leader that can decide the important decisions. A story that all can relate too that is not too complex to create in 3-8 minutes.
3. I would not say our project was a keeper. Our actors were not serious, we did not have a variety of shots, our story was not very good(in my opinion), and to try and fit a short film of 3-8 minutes in that amount of time is not easy, especially with the strong leaders our group had with Sachin, Evan, and I. It was sometimes hard to make decisions.
1. An intangible idea in the mind of the director or writer must be translated into a real sequence of shots that can be produced in real time. The first step towards this was writing a script, and getting all of our ideas down in a coherent story. We also created a shot sheet, but it wasn't of a lot of use; we mainly did shots as we saw fit according to the script. However, we also had to cut out and edit parts of the script based on the amount of time we had and what resources we had at our disposal.
ReplyDelete3. I don't think this would qualify as a keeper film for us. While our ideas to begin with were good, the story itself was too ambitious and not incredibly engaging, and as a result we had trouble making it into a "keeper" even with some of the interesting shots and editing we had.
4. It is a unique story but one that has roots in existing films, although not intentionally. Evan created the story and I edited the script based on suggestions from Mrs. Leather and Mrs. Ritchie. Our story recreates the past in a future setting, and takes leads from "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "The Great Gatsby". It is more historical and therefore many Americans can understand it if they have learned about the prohibition.
1. Planning was successful because we did it really fast. I would improve on setting up the photoshop because it caused some issues.
ReplyDelete2. The key ingredient is planning and following because it made our project successful. We were able to follow it step by step so that we can go through them faster.
3. I consider our project a keeper because we put so much time in, and we need to focus on it order to finish the project.
1. To get from an idea to a fully implemented is a huge step. It's a long process that requires intricately planned out steps as well as application of the plans. Teamwork is also essential because you definitely need more than one working person to create a good movie.
ReplyDelete7. This American story project taught me the amount of effort required to create a film. How you need to plan out the whole script, edit, and collaborate. It shows how you have to be persistent to create something good.
2. The key ingredients to make a "keeper" movie is teamwork and planning. Without proper planning, shooting will be very ineffective and be a waste of time. Teamwork is also needed for maximum efficiency as well as creating the best ideas.
3.
i believe that my american story film was a potentially keeper. I believe it's a keeper but I don't think we finished yet or polished yet so we still need work. I blieve that indeed it does reach out to the American people because there were millions who came back from the war and their innocence was tainted. It was probably one of the most strongest works of my portfolio. I learned through this project that sometimes deadlines are more closer than you think and it gets tough but you have to push through because that's the only thing that will make you grow. The traditional uses of film norms are very much needed because they help us make films like the American story.Without proper planning ,shooting can be very ineffective and a waste of time. Ultimately, that's what ive learned not only throughout this film but also throughout the year.
ReplyDeletelist of shots and materials needed and cause and effects for events. yes. I would just relax more and not try to rush as much. A keeper must have good shots and a story that makes sense and I think we did that. I think its close to a portfolio film. If I got to work on it a bit more, it would. I think its to everyone. Anyone who has a close friend or a close sibling van relate with anton. Yes these tools were very helpful. I think the shot sheet was the most helpful because we needed to know what we had to do at what location at what time and with what. I can't think of a better way to get your film done. As a director a story idea is first. after that would be a script, then shot sheet, then shooting. If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. Whatever you make with planning is 10xbetter than what you couldve made without it. We all worked great together. We all listened to eachother and we all had great ideas to make it 4x better than it would be with only one. The flow with us came with sitting together and eating chips and salsa and planning our shots sheet. It was really relaxed and we weren't stressed about it which gave us a good feeling that helped us be really creative.
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