August 23, 2015
Jack and I have had our first meeting over Google Hangout about where to go from here. I suggested we share a google doc for story ideas that we come across. I also suggested that we use Pinterest to have pictures to get the certain look we want.
We haven’t decided on a story yet, but our google doc is slowly being filled with loglines. I know I want to make a comedy (or at least “not-a-drama” because good, solid comedy is hard to come by) because I think it’ll be harder for actors to take dramas seriously. Plus, I think it’ll take a certain degree of skill to pull off that I think not all of the actors could deliver. (Of course, the same could be said for comedy which is why I have the “not-a-drama” option.)
Since I plan on the cast being high schoolers (preferably ones from the drama classes), I want the time on set to be the easiest as possible (for I think it will be a struggle enough to get them to focus), so I want to design a script where the actors can be themselves. I think the more authentic their characters, the better the film will be. Of course, I haven’t met all of them (being the drama students) and I might not have found the true actos yet. I might be selling them a little short, but I’d rather be wonderfully surprised than disappointed.
I hope we find a story soon. We might not have as much time as I initially thought. I think I assumed we would be farther along by now. (I was thinking I finish a first draft of a script over the summer and have it be edited during this time.) Oh well, I think we’re fine if we find a good idea in about a week or so and start outlining and writing.
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August 26, 2015
Jack and I had our second meeting last Tuesday (August 25). In that meeting, we decided upon two things, the first being that we should come up with a character before the story. We’ve spent a few days trying to force ideas out of our minds (I myself know that it isn’t the best way to go about it for inspiration should flow freely, but we were pressed for time.) We wanted to meet our deadline by having a story to start working on by this weekend (August 26-27.)
Our method also involved coming up with the story before the character. Though it’s one way to go about it, I found myself coming up with ideas with greater thematic messages behind them. They were fit more for features, too big for a project such as this, which I fear is getting smaller by the week.
We hope that the character stories would be much more simple and easier to pull off. Our goal is to have something smaller (but challenging) executed well that a large ambitious piece executed poorly. I still have no desire to give up the elements to give it greater production value (i.e. visual effects, great sound design, color, etc.)
The second thing we decided on in our meeting was in regards to the behind the scenes portion of the film. I have always imagined that this would be a part of the project. Maybe even a standalone documentary about us making the film. (I’ve even come up with a working title called We Made a Movie.) The question was, how were we going to go about it.
I suggested that as we are going about making the main film, we have a camera rolling where we explain what we’re doing. Jack said that it would be too complex and time consuming and that our main focus should be on the main piece. I thought he was right. Plus, depending on how demanding this project is, we might not even have time to make the side documentary. We decided that the best way is just to document B-Roll throughout the project and if we have time to make it, we can do interviews with cast and crew members at the end.
So to be clear, my sophomore project topic is on filmmaking. My outcome is going to be a short film that is more than five minutes long (preferably seven minutes, but the story will tell.) This will be challenging for me because of the sheer amount of organization required and that I’m requiring myself. I want to have a detailed enough pre production that the shoots can go smoothly, (i.e. I want to create shot lists, storyboards, etc.), but the thing is, I’ve never done this kind of work before outside of film camps.