Reflection of Advanced Videography

       Advanced videography has taught me a great deal, not only about cinematography and the technical aspect of the look of film, but about myself as a filmmaker as well. When I began this class, I had no idea what exactly I wanted to do with my degree, but now I have come a few steps closer to knowing where I will be after college. 

One thing i learned is that every small detail that goes into planning has a purpose. From where the lights are placed to which camera is used, to the framing and composition. Everything has a purpose. Without even one small element, the film would not come out like the director envisioned it to come out. Most people do not understand how technical, tedious, and stressful it can be to make a film.

Camera choice is very important. I did not know about workflow and all the different recording formats. I thought you could plug any camera into a computer and it would work out. I'm glad to know that if I use a Sony HDV, that I'll need a capture camera as well. I might have chosen that camera for the beautiful colors and not paid any attention to how I would load and edit the clips. I learned a lot more about DSLR. I had done research on them because I knew I wanted one and I'm still saving my money for it. I'm glad I got the chance to actually work with them and learn more about lenses and the strengths and weaknesses of DSLR. I feel that as a consumer, I can make better decisions about what equipment to buy because of the class. I also know why I need certain equipment, which is also important because now I know what to save my money for. 

Before this class, I hated lighting and camera operating. I thought that I wanted to direct and produce, but after being in this class I've realized that I love cameras. I love framing up the talent and yes, even lighting. I do hate moving the lights and dealing with them but maybe one day there will be someone to do that for me. I can't wait to get a camera now because I love shooting so much. 

I learned more about sound this semester. In 201, I did not get to do sound very often and now I know how important and tedious it is. I learned about the software Pluraleyes. It makes life so much easier when you have a limited amount of time to sync music and edit. I am more interested now in audio than I used to be because there is so much you can do with it. Hopefully I can get a zoom recorder on my own and learn more about audio. A film is no good if you can't hear what is being said. 

Like I said in an earlier blog post, the planning a director has to do is very important. If the director does not have everything perfectly planned out, then they will not be able to communicate their vision to everyone else on set. I am already an organized person, but organizing for a film is different because there is creativity involved. You have to know how exactly to put your ideas on paper because no one can do that for you.

In conclusion, after this class, I have realized my true strengths, weaknesses, and desires. I'm glad that I got so much out of it and if I had to take it all over again I would. This is one of the classes I've taken that actually taught me a lot about what I am interested in. I feel like having this class helps me make better decisions about my future and my purchases. 

Artist Statement and Reel

Director/DP Reel from Katie Stewart on Vimeo.

      When I envision a new project, I envision real, beautiful moments in life. There are times when I wish I had a camera to document events or circumstances. If not, then I wish to re-create the moment and enhance it. I envision life as it really is to a person who is just a girl, or just a boy. Everyone is human. No one is perfect. People like to watch stories about people just like them. Why would we want to watch a film without a struggle? Life is a struggle and a story with perfection has nothing to root for or fight for. As humans we want to fight for love, root for the underdog, or strive for our biggest dreams. When I envision a piece, I envision a special moment or moments in life as they are, but  with better lighting and music in the background, of course. 

I love natural lighting because natural beauty is the most beautiful thing to me. I think every person is beautiful in different ways. My visual style is to portray a specific person's beauty in the way it was meant to be portrayed. Sunlight and candlelight is beautiful and natural just like people are beautiful natural.  Sunlight and a beautiful person are complements of each other. 

Because I am a musician, most of my ideas are inspired by a song or a melody. Whenever I hear a song, I imagine a story. I envision different shots with each part of the song. Every song can tell a story whether it has words or not because music conveys emotion. Any song can stir some kind of emotion in me and remind me of a past event, moment in time, or an imaginary story I've dreamed of. I can't imagine a world without music. I can't imagine my life without music. Lastly, I can't imagine my work without music. Music is and forever will be a part of my life, my dreams, and my work. 

My goal as an artist is to focus on the natural beauty of life in a way that displays life as it is, to just a girl, or just a boy through telling a story with music and truth. 

Inspiring Reels and Beautiful Shots

2010 Show Reel - Director of Photography from Marlon Torres on Vimeo.

      I searched DP reels on vimeo. I watched a few and I picked this one because it completely took my breath away. I love the colors from the DSLR cameras he used because everything feels so real when you watch it. I love the natural lighting and natural beauty of his shots. He uses a lot of outside locations to shoot. The beach shots are amazing. I feel like I am actually at the beach. I love his detailed shots. I am in love with tight shots that are very personal and show detail. He uses a great deal of these. The music went very well with his personal style which is very similar to mine. Personal, naturally beautiful, and breathtaking. I hope some day that my reel will be as beautiful as his.
      To me, a money shot is a shot that takes your breath away, a shot that makes you wish you were there where everything looks perfect and beautiful. Many of the shots in this reel are money shots to me because they feel real and beautiful.


 
MAMMOTH REEL 2010 from MAMMOTH on Vimeo.
      This reel is much different from the previous one. It is much more fast paced and incorporates many different genres. I love the use of graphics in this reel. It seems like they are used as transition points and they work very well. Even though the reel had many different types of shots, everything fit because of the way the clips were arranged with the music. I was entertained and wanted to see more. I like how the reel started with people and ended with people in the same type of shots. I love to see people laugh and I really like that they used people laughing to begin and end the reel. The movement in between is really awesome too.

Advanced Videography Scene Assignment: Adaptation of Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood Adaptation from Katie Stewart on Vimeo.

This is my scene assignment. I decided to do an adaptation or Red Riding Hood because I have recently been inspired by ABC's new series, "Once Upon a Time." I wanted to choose a fairy tale and it is very hard to do a fairy tale as a student project. I had recently seen Red Riding Hood's episode on the show and felt like it was a story I could convey and adapt without elaborate costumes and sets because it mostly takes place outside. I love natural light so this was definitely a challenge I was up for doing. I'm not completely sure that I pulled it off but I most certainly enjoyed being outside with a camera that takes amazing images.

Prepping for My Scene Assignment

       Prepping to do the scene assignment was quite a bit of work, but is well worth the effort in the end when you can watch your piece and know that you got everything you wanted. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but properly planning reflects the result of the film. I came out of this experience learning the hard way that detailed preparation and communication is the key to success. 

I am already a very organized person but I had not done story boards or floor plans or a shooting script. Learning these things is valuable because this is how you tell someone else what vision you see in your head. The director-DP relationship has everything to do with the director's planning and preparation. If the director doesn't know exactly what they want and have it on paper, the vision will not be able to come to life because the DP will not have a clue what to shoot and a lot of time will be wasted on shots that the director does not even like. 

In my case, I think me and my DP got along very well. I feel like I could have done a better job drawing and explaining exactly what I wanted. I also wish I would have looked at each and every shot but it is hard with the small viewing window. We should have shot more than we needed because when you have less, it is harder to edit. 

I learned a great deal from this assignment because so much went into the planning, scheduling, and communication. Movies can't be made without hard work during pre-production and I'm sure it doesn't help if you don't have a good relationship with your director of photography.

An Inspiring Short Film

This is a short film from the Campus Movie Fest at the University of Indiana. It inspires me because a student made it and it looks so perfect and professional. It's such a good story and it flows really well. It is so creative. I love that it has a choreographed dance scene. The planning that went into that must have been difficult, especially since you only have a week to make a movie in campus movie fest. It inspires me because as a student I get discouraged and think that my movies won't ever look professional. This video proves that if other students can do it, I can do it. I love the cinematography, the editing, the story, everything. It's such a fantastic short film.