Project Evaluation

 Project Evaluation

Introduction

The Fiction Adaptation assignment has been an exciting experience, with a majority of independence and giving myself for the first time a lot of creative freedom, which has given me a thought of what to expect when I am working on my final major assignment. In this project evaluation, I shall be showing and discussing the chosen poem and of course why. Why I had thought and chosen an interpretation based on the poem, and plus, related films to my interpretation of the poem, research in new techniques I wanted to research and learn from Premiere Pro for when I came to post-production. The production stages of what went well, what I have learned, and what could have gone better. Including, mentioning all of the creative choices and why I did, from showing as much evidence from the previous blog posts and other photos/ raw files and showing the positives and negatives. 

The Poem, Poet & Idea

Poet: Maya Angelou (1928 - 2014)

The Poet & Poem

When beginning the assignment and reading through the poem options, I was curious about the poem 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me', by the poet Maya Angelou. I was curious because of the poetic words in the poem, describing multiple fearful words that could potentially be anything from anyone's own interpretation and I felt the concept is about one or even multiple specific fear/ fears, trying to not show the fear, however, the main character is actually afraid of the fear but is not showing it from a physical presence. Keeping the fear/ fears from a very internal conflict, however, depends on the reader's own interpretation if it's about an internal or external conflict. My overall opinion in choosing and feeling interested in the poem was it's a concept that can never be dated and always relevant for any reader's own interpretation and their own personal fears in life. 

The Idea/ Project Proposal

When I was thinking and typing up the idea on a project proposal/ treatment document, I wanted to focus on an interpretation and a theme in the year 2020. To be more specific, my own concept and interpretation were to focus on one character called The Protagonist which would be played by myself, and it's about The Protagonist going through his own demons and anxieties with an internal conflict against his own Alter Ego, who is telling him that he is going to fail his University assignments and The Protagonist also has an external conflict about the current situation that the world is facing. The story, Is about The Protagonist trying to keep his confidence, motivation, and coping mechanism going while having two conflicts trying to make him lose that confidence, motivation, and coping mechanism. I wanted to use the theme of 2020 as an interpretation, to show from a personal point of view, the struggles, anxieties, and strategies I myself went through during the start of the current situation, and I learned to keep myself going through the difficult time and year. However, my own treatment focuses the concept more of a visual and fantasy type story, compared to a much more realistic approach. 

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Research

From the previous blog posts of my research on the poet, the poem, five examples of The Kuleshov Effect, and three analysis relevant films on Polytechnique, The Lighthouse, and Inception. I also did some research on a couple of new Premiere Pro techniques I wanted to use, film, edit, and most importantly learn for my short film and for near future projects. The first one learning about the Film Noir effects on Pro and the second being about how to clone yourself in a single picture frame and the correct and new tools I had to learn, from needing to learn and use when I came to the post-production stage for the short film. Both of these new and two techniques were for the goal of capturing the moody tone of black and white in Noir Film, and with the clone effect, was to capture me as the main character and of course his own alter ego in the short film. 

1.) CINEMATIC Black & White Color Grading Tutorial| Adobe Premiere Pro CC

(TheyCallMeCotton, 2018)

Why I Wanted To Learn & Use This Technique

I have always had an interest and curiosity towards Noir in film, with that mysterious, classical, dark, and moody look and atmosphere that the genre has in filmmaking and storytelling. I also sometimes feel that the genre in Noir can represent a theme in isolation, and that is to the appreciation of choosing The Lighthouse for my three relevant films blog post, which The Lighthouse does an excellent job from that theme in its storytelling and presentation. From mentioning before the many different feels and look of Noir, I very much wanted to present my short film from those specific tones and moods. I was very impressed with what Premiere Pro's editions has in Film Noir and it was exciting to see the options and decide which one I would want to choose from. I was in the decision of choosing either between the effect of Noir 1965 70D and Noir HD 70D, and that is because of the satisfying final results quality they had when I was editing my video of my own version of The Kuleshov Effect. It shall be an interesting and possibility genre, effect, and tone when I make my next short film with those similarities in the genre of Film Noir. If I wanted to use Noir again for my final major project as an example, I would need to do a lot more research and study its history and inspirations for other filmmakers and storytellers. 

2.) HOW TO CLOSE YOURSELF! - Video editing tutorial

(Perkins, J. 2017)

Why I Wanted To Learn And Use This Technique

 Cloning yourself in a single frame has been another interesting and curious learning element in the filming and editing technique I've had in quite a while, and learning from this tutorial video really did surprise me from its final result and the huge patience process It does take in. For the short film, this was a technique I needed to learn for my main character of the story and most importantly, for the alter ego character to be in the frame of the film as well. When It came to the middle line between the two clones, I was a little concerned about finding what the final outcome would appear for my short film, and in the video, It did inform me of problem-solving to make the middle line dissaper with using the Edge Feather tool, however, I needed to be extra careful of my background look and from watching the tutorial video, it has a completely blank wall background and I needed to make sure I would do the same and by making sure as well that my filming background would connect with the single frame and the two clones. To be more specific, I mention this moment in my test shoots video blog post with my experimental two clones shot, and my improvement from that post was to make sure having an appropriate background and not showing too much detail and objects in the background. With more objects in the background, It would make the process more difficult of connecting the two clones in a single frame and take. By also, not seeing doubles of the background objects as well, for It to look a bit obvious for the viewer/ audiences to see. I felt by using this new technique, was helpful, and also a lot of effort, not in a negative way. This could be a technique in filmmaking and editing, I could use shortly, however, compared to Noir Film I may not have as much passion for the clone effect again and It's a clever technique to learn and make in the software for definite.  

Pre - Production

What Went Well/ What I Have Learned

For what went well during the pre-production stage, when we concluded the first term for the Christmas break, I decided during the first week of the holidays that this would be an appropriate and important time to work and complete all of the production paperwork and before beginning term two with the first hand in on the 6th January. I had managed to complete each objective of the production paperwork for each day during that first week of the holidays. From what I have learned, still being in these uncertain events a lot of my pre-production aspects had to be changed, this was due to the locations and crew members of the shoot. When It came to the locations of my interest and choosing, the safest option was to film at my own household for most of the scenes once again, and I believed the chosen rooms were appropriate to film with my own filming equipment and that is with regards to space between myself, the equipment and other safe parts of the room. Based on my project proposal, the script, and other pre-production paperwork, there is one scene where the main character wakes up in the woods, and then it was changed to a private alleyway that myself, other members of the household, and the neighbours own. The reason why the woods location changed to the private alleyway, I was concerned that the local council wouldn't give me permission to film and which was due to the current situation happening and with more sticker rules that were happening back in last December. When I changed my mind to using the private alleyway, I then once again changed my mind and this was to the risk of catching a disease from the waste and dangerous objects, for example, glass that was placed there, and I wasn't comfortable filming at the alleyway with its health risks, the winter season as well and I believed It would have been exciting for the film's final outcome, however, I was thinking of my own health and my sibling's health as well. My final decision was to film the dream/ wake up the scene in my back garden, and I felt this was the healthiest and safest option to film, and in the end and my sibling thought it was full of possibility and potential to film in the back garden and presenting a location that wouldn't give too much away as a garden. I guess what I have learned during the pre-production stage and on locations most specifically, is that anything can be possible and creative still of filming anything at your own household and problem solving of a scene/ location that you could create as a different location compared to the original location name of the garden. 

THE WOODS First Location Choice: The Dream Scene

THE WOODS First Location Choice: The Dream Scene

 

THE WOODS First Location Choice: The Dream Scene

 

THE ALLEYWAY Second Location Choice: The Dream Scene 

BACK GARDEN Third and Final Location Choice: The Dream Scene (Both sun chairs were removed and the shed was kept out of frame as possible). 

Even Better If/ What Didn't Go So Well

With regards to what didn't go so well and even better if, if the current situation wasn't happening I would have stuck to filming the dream scene in the woods, and of course I believed the council wouldn't have been as strict as they have to today. Another alternative route of the pandemic not happening could have been having one of my peers as my director of photography and by law, It would have been appropriate and safe for my fellow peer to attend my household to participate in the filming. For another alternative route with regards to the current situation happening, It would have been interesting to see what the local council would have said from me asking permission to film at the woods and making sure I show the risk assessments and my own COVID assessment that I have taken. I guess for not wasting time and thought, I should have thought about a worst-case scenario and for some reason coming to the conclusion of only able to film in my back garden, and this could have benefited my production paperwork, my tutors, and family members of keeping and staying at the filming location for the dream scene. However, these events happen and especially in the period of COVID, a lot of moments and stages in pre-production can get changed with how unpredictable it can get. 

Filming

What Went Well

When It came to the production period, this had been one of the most independent production shoots I have ever taken, and the events felt difficult, challenging, however, I still felt the overall shoot was still successful. For what went well, my own filming equipment really did an excellent job at capturing my chosen shots and scenes throughout the days I was filming my short film. I had used my own DSLR Canon 700D, a Rode microphone for sound, a Tripod to place my DSLR on, and for all of the static shots, and all of the shots and scenes were in a static format. Finally, for the use and experiments from my test shoots blog post, I had used my two and new LED Lights I had purchased back over the Christmas break period. Another element of what went well was I had filmed each scene per day instead of a full day from start to finish, and I did have in mind of filming the entire plot in one full day, however, I was given a very sensible suggestion to only film a portion per day, and I accepted and understood this suggestion, to take my time with the progress of filming, to make my choices of feeling either satisfied or not satisfied with the shots and scenes, and just feeling that I am not putting any pressure on myself, with by doing the route filming per scene for per day, instead of the entire film and I felt much more in my own confidence and keeping that process with a more comfortable feel towards myself and my older sibling who participated in filming a couple of the scenes, and I guess that learning lesson can go under what I have learned. I wanted to use my own equipment for the production, to experience what my own equipment can accomplish a five-minute short film, and to use my own lighting equipment for the first time as well. Considering I was fully aware that I could have borrowed the equipment from the store, however, as I mentioned using my own equipment with lighting for the first time and seeing the final outcomes I was going to achieve with using as much creativity as possible.

Picture 1: DSLR Canon 700D Camera, Rode Microphone & Tripod

Picture 2

LED Lights: Lights and Colours Off

LED Lights: Lights and Colours On

What I Have Learned

From mentioning earlier about the suggestion of filming parts of the film per day, instead of aiming to film the entire day, and another lession I had learned was when I had accomplished filming a scene, I had felt a lot more satisfied with the outcomes and just by knowing If I had rushed the entire production, I believed I would have felt less satisfied and I also believe that I would have placed myself in a difficult situation and by doing that I could have wasted a lot of time in my production time and a lot of creative time as well. I am very relieved for the first time, I haven't filmed a production In an entire day, even though I never felt any negativity from previous production shoots of filming in an entire day. I have felt by learning and making a decision of filming parts and scenes per day will very much make me feel more confident and comfortable for the near future projects, of knowing taking my time with knowing having enough time will be fine in any challenging scenes and shots I may face. This shall be a lesson and decision I will make again when I come to creating whatever the concept maybe for my final major project in the third year. Another tiny, but technical lesson I had learned when I was filming with my full independence was I came across on my lens to change its settings onto automatic at all times, and even though I film sometimes I manual, however with filming some of the scenes and shots with my own independence, I shall stick to filming in automatic settings and this is because It makes the unconstrained more supportive and very useful towards any filmmaker who is filming by themselves, whether they are in front or behind the camera. 

Even Better If/ What Didn't Go So Well

For both of either better if and what didn't go so well, there were moments and events when I was filming independently that were very difficult, challenging, and sometimes stressful. To be more specific, scene two in my bedroom was sometimes alsonce of the difference between the space of my own bedroom, then positioning my own equipment, and of course, positioning myself in between those spaces of my bedroom and the equipment. There were moments of problems when the tripod couldn't be completely placed between the bed and the bookcase of films, just to capture one of my aim shots, and the problem solving was more difficult to think independently instead of having another individual or two their for another opinion and idea. To explain what could have been improved, I guess I could have moved some of the furniture and objects around the room, however, It could have transformed into a very chaotic experience of problem-solving and by an endless movement of furniture and other objects in the bedroom. Another improvement, I could have just asked another sibling and family member in my household for their opinion and support when it comes to placing the appropriate space between the equipment and myself in front of the frame. Other small improvements that could have been improved, although, the shoot was a success, I guess if the current situation wasn't happening I could have hired and asked a professional actor, alonmention yearr in my year group to participate as the director of photography and by asking other and professional individuals to come abroad on the project, was to keep on asking their opinions, ideas, and problem-solving skills when It came to the errors of filmmaking. 

A shot from scene two, that was a challenge to film and by placing the tripod between the bookcase of films and the bed. By problem-solving, I had placed the camera next to the bedroom door and bed, which had more space. Then by zooming in on myself to try and still achieve this shot that I wanted in scene two. 

Post - Production

What Went Well

For what went well during the post-production stage, I had taken my time editing the short film using as much of my Premiere Pro skills as possible and of course, from my research, I edited the film in a Noir 1965 70D and cloning myself in the short film. I had also added in some sound effects which were all appropriate and I felt satisfied in using them, and for the first one being a heart beating sound effect, for when the character is feeling intense and is using his breathing technique to calm his heart rate. Second, some quick drone sound effects when in the film The Protagonist gets thrown a ball of paper into his face, and I wanted to use these sound effects to bring tone up more intense and from the quick drone sound effects, was to create that surprising and jump out of seat feel, which I do not want to say they are jump scares, and if I wanted to approach some jump scares, I would have made my short film into a horror film instead. Another moment of editing that went well was the appropriate use of changing the aspect ratio, and to be more specific, this was for the scene when The Protagonist wakes up inside his dream and of course, originally this was for the Woods and Alleway locations, instead of it being in my back garden and with the garden being an unknown location and out of control feel for the character. By using more of a cinematic aspect ratio and exterior location, was to show some of my creativity and representation of what a dream sequence can be shown for when I was editing my rough cut of the short film. 

What I Have Learned

Krupp, D. (2019) - (Video About The Bloom Effect)

After I had rough cut viewing, by having to make a few and simple adjustments and taking some curiosity about a Bloom effect in Premiere Pro and this was in a discussion about the dream sequence, and to really boost the improvements and representations of what a dream sequence can look to viewers who have of course experietechnically and visuallyd visual way. I had watched a short tutorial video about how to make this effect and what the outcomes will be and after I watched this video, I was very impressed and interested to see what the dream sequence scene will look after I made the instructions and steps I had to work on. I wanted to take and learn this new technique and challenge to learn yet another and new technique in Premiere Pro and really to improve more on the visual sides for myself as an editor, director, and storyteller for my short film and to show more of a representation and interpretation of what a dream sequence in a film and interpretability a dream is in the reality can be. While working on the progress of making the dream sequence scene to look more with a quality feel and look, It was enjoyable, experimental, and sometimes challenging with a lot of new tools and editions on the software I had never experienced and heard of before, after watching the video tutorial, I shall be using this effect again and mentioning before the curiosity I had in the effect, I wanted to learn about it to experience another quality and creative effect in the software and I was grateful from having the tutorial that it exists and it truly was an appropriate effect for my scene and I have learned for the first time a new effect, that shows the quality in Premiere instead of the quantity side. 

The final outcome of using the Bloom effect on Premiere. 

What Didn't Go So Well

For what didn't go so well, whilst editing the film and trying to stick to the five-minute limit, I had, unfortunately, was going over the duration limit and had filmed too much for the targeted time of the film, and which was a shame, however not a huge issue to infect the concept and presentation of my film. Regarding why it was disappointing, was how much effort and time I had taken filming everything that I created from the start of the project proposal, the script, shot list, and storyboard, and I very much wanted to include everything that was originally filmed and originally intended of being in the final cut of the film. To be more specific of the scenes that I had to cut was scene two watching the television and the phone, scene five waking up again in the bedroom with a more positive feel for the main character, and scene six which is the final scene when The Protagonist finds the piece of paper on the floor and leaves the house. Still, the positive outcome for post-production and filming, was that it was better I filmed too much instead of not enough to aim the targeted five-minute duration of the film. The overall cut of the film still shows the theme and message I wanted to present from my own interpretation of the poem and a beginning, middle, and end that I am still satisfied with, considering cutting out the other scenes and shots I filmed during the production stage. Another positive of this disappointing decision to make, from showing the screenshots below, I feel that If I had shown this scene and the shot of Good Morning Britain on the TV, this may have given too much information away of the theme I am trying to show and I could have also got a  copyright claim from ITV as a small concern. This made me decide, by cutting out this scene, I could show my own interpretation and theme of Life Doesn't Frighten Me with the same themes, however, , with more of a challenging and less giveaway to the audiences. With still feeling disappointed about making that decision of cutting out a few of the scenes, I am actually proud of the outcome of the final film still and showing more of a creative and challenging approach to the theme and interpretation to the audiences. 

Shot one, scene two, in the original cut that had to be cut out and nearing very close to the targeted five-minute  duration.  

Shot two, scene two

Shot one (A), scene two

Even Better If

There were some delays in slowing down the software in the graphics of creating subtitles, and It was making the progress very slow and making the rendering slow as well, and I believe this didn't help with the Bloom effect that I already completed and worked on. With mentioning the Bloom effect, this also had the black and white 1965 Noir 70D effect on, the adjustment layer changing the aspect ratio, and other effects on the software with video and audio files. By mentioning having those files, It started to make the progress of the edit a lot slower and a lot slower as well when rendering specific moments. For an even better if, regarding that improvement and not wasting any more time on the progress and rendering of the video, I shall work on the graphics (credits, subtitles), on a blank part of the project timeline in the software, and with it being blank, It shall not be near any other huge files on the timeline and It shall support the time and pace on Premiere Pro. 

Rendering the recent video files, slow progress with many and huge files rendering along as well. This was a moment in the edit, that I had to take in lots of patience and It shall be improved on making the graphics on a blank part of the project timeline.

Quick Change In A Creative Choice

A quick change of mind for a creative choice, in the dream sequence scene of The Protagonist. I wanted to reverse the audio of the dialogue from the voiceover from the phone, also reversing the buzz track audio background as well, and representing that extra bit of strangeness and surrealism when it comes to having a dream or a nightmare in reality. I had thought of this similarity from a David Lynch story, for example, in Twin Peaks S1 E3, when the main character Dale Cooper is having a dream and is in conversation with two characters in a red room and the reverses of dialogue, body language, and movement also represents that strangeness and surrealism feel as well. This was the first time I've experimented with this aspect in editing, and it was sometimes difficult to know which part of the reverse audio matches the subtitles graphics on the screen and I am hoping any members of audiences who watch my final cut, will hopefully understand the subtitles and have enough time reading the words when they're on the screen to watch and read. 

T, G. (2010)

Conclusion

In conclusion, having a lot of creative freedom and independence which I find that be a very positive opinion and outcome of the experiments of my new LED lights for test shoots and the final outcome of my film. This journey had a lot of twists and turns of doing too much filming, then having to cut out a few scenes in the edit to not go over the five-minute limit and changing one specific location three times. The twists and turns were of course unexpected, however, I didn't find those unpredictable moments to be negative or caused issues towards my journey of fiction adaptation, and that is because in any filmmaking experience there is going to be twists and turns and it only takes to have the problem-solving skills and I have felt in this evaluation I have shown, explained and justified the twists and turns and what I can do to improve for the near future. When it comes to the word interpretation, I have appreciated for the first time being given this opportunity to interpret a piece of fiction and by choosing the poem Life Doesn't Frighten Me, I had focused, and shown an interpretation from a very relevant, realistic and now that has become quite a historical theme, and of some of the difficulties and struggles in 2020 and for this being more personal towards me, I have shown my own difficulties from the presentation of the film, from real life and, towards my own interpretation from the powerful poem by Maya Angelou. 

Bibliography

1.] TheyCallMeCotton (2018) CINEMATIC Black and White Color Grading Tutorial | Adobe Premiere Pro CC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j345msEAzx4&t=42s (Accessed 14/12/20)

2.] Jamie Perkins (2017) HOW TO CLONE YOURSELF! - Video editing tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RhX2fZYK6E&t=3s (Accessed 14/12/2)

3.] Dominic Krupp (2019) BLOOM EFFECT in PREMIERE PRO + Free LUT download! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpqLolTKLK4 (Accessed 21/01/21)

4.] Giogras T (2010) Twin Peaks dream scene part https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujHWq5y9-8Q (Accessed 21/01/21)