Inner-City Filmmakers Day 44-End, Weeks Six-Eight (Editing & Distribution)

This blog starts way back after my last day of shooting Uncover'd. I've already detailed what happened the last day in my previous ICF blogs but here are the pictures (you can either scroll down and search for it or click on "Inner-City Filmmakers" in the tags).

Rehearsal (Directing is fun)

Filming

So after my team made a mad dash to Latana (the ICF headquarters) we turned in all of our equipment and started capturing on the Avid systems. I can't remember exactly what happened that day but I think we got a lecture from Steph about completing our shoots and getting through our editing and then we left.

When I got home I knew I'd be spending all my time at Latana. That means a week and a half of editing, a week and a half away from home entirely. So I packed a blanket and pillow, some food and headed off.

For my first day of editing I did twelve hours straight (from 6 PM - 6 AM) doing nothing but organizing and sub-clipping. When we imported my footage it was a clumped together as one big clip, essentially. So I made it my responsibility to organize all the footage by scene so that when I went in to edit I could easily filter through. I even went as far as to edit each scene separately which went from 1A-14B. At around midnight I started my first cut (which I'll post up somewhere when I feel like it).


After my first cut I waited a while because I wanted the co-founder, Fred, to see it before I moved forward but he wasn't going to be around for the weekend so I showed it to a few of the mentors and got good comments but was told that it would definitely need to be cut down (it was seven minutes and needed to be at three). That wasn't SO bad. There was one guy who had twenty minutes to shave off. So I went to work on the second cut.

When I finished up my second cut I was told once again it was nice and even paced well but it was just need to be cut down (it was five minutes at this point). Fred saw it and said the same thing but liked it a lot.

When I finished up my third cut it was at a comfortable four minutes and I thought I legitimately had a final cut but I was told again to cut down and it was really hard to do. From the first cut to the second cut it was really easy to cut some frames off of this shot or that shot but by the time I got to my third cut I felt I couldn't do that much anymore. At this point I had to cut away whole scenes or shorten whole scenes which would, to me, hurt my film. I also realized why the director and editor are separate. If a director edits his own work he's too attached to certain things like I was.


In any case though, I sucked up my pride and cut it down to three minutes and something seconds in my fourth cut and then to a final three minutes and four seconds in my final cut (this is all calculating without credits).

Although I think the time constraint hurt my film I'm glad I didn't blow up in Fred and Steph's face like some other students did. I mean, if I'm going to be a professional editor I'm going to have to listen to what the producers want. If I'm editing a TV Show I can't have an episode go over 22 minutes. Plus, my final cut still tells the same story but it feels more like a preview or a treat before the meal more than anything. Also, I'm sort of irritated that other students got to go much over three minutes (one actually going to seven) just because they didn't have Fred and Steph review their final cut before it went on the DV Reel. But I learned how to cut my stuff shorter so I'm not completely tripping about it. You'll never see dead space in any other film I do.

So when I finished my final "picture" cut I was told by Fred I was the first done. That was pretty cool. Little sleep and no shower (except for the bathroom sinks) paid off. Now it was time for sound, and a lot more goofing off (see the lightsaber pictures below).

My favorite

Lightsabers are ugly in light environments.

When I started on sound watched through my film a few times and jotted down notes on what sounds I needed and whether it would be foley or ADR (most of it foley, of course, and thank god for that). Anywho, after that I imported all the audio files I had retrieved from various sites and I placed them in where they went. When I came to the point where I had no more files that could realistically be put in for sound I went to record my own foley and ADR in a quiet room at Latana (ICF HQ). Foley and ADR is fun but I would never for the life of me do it for a living. The best sound I got was my captain, Jorge, chewing on a banana which I used for when my lead is spreading jelly on some bread and when she puts on lipstick.

After about two days I was done with sound and essentially done with my film (aside from color-correcting which I probably should have spent more time on). I watched the film over a bagillion times before I let it leave before graduation and boy was I nervous.

Graduation day came and I had a ton of butterflies. We had a mini-assignment to talk to all the executives that would be at the reception before the ceremony. I don't think I did to well. I didn't find too many people of "importance" but I did have a lot of fun. At one point I got interviewed by ABC 7 News but the footage was never used. You can view it here.


The graduation itself was fantastic. But there was this one long speech from this guy who was supposed to be important in some way I didn't get. The videos were the best part, including this one:



It was either before or after this video but they announced the winners for the Screenwriting competition and Sound Editors competition and it went something like this.

INT. SAMUEL GOLDWYN THEATER - NIGHT

ANTOINE sits in his comfortable seat, clutching the sides of his chair as he listens for the winners of the Martin Roth Screenwriting Award.

Sweat starts to glisten his forehead as the FRIAR'S LADY takes out an envelope with the winning names.

FRIAR'S LADY
In third place. Derek Sakata!

Antoine claps more out of nervousness than congratulatory purposes.

ANTOINE (V.O.)
He had a really weird script.
Were they looking for something
a bit unorthodox? Oh well there's
still second place.

Friar's lady opens the next envelop as DEREK takes his seat, his teammates clapping him on his back.

FRIAR'S LADY
In second place. Elizabeth Jeri!

Antoine claps again, this time truly enthusiastic that one of his teammates won something.

Elizabeth walks up towards the stage with frightened shock. She takes the award as the Friar's Lady gives her a kiss on the cheek.

Elizabeth takes her seat again to smiling faces.

ANTOINE (V.O.)
Her script was pretty good.
Really sweet. My film is sweet to,
near the end, maybe they'll ... no.
There's always that sound editing
award.

Friar's Lady opens the final envelop.

ANTOINE (V.0.)
ANTOINE BANDELE ...

She starts to speak.

FRIAR'S LADY
AND OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER IS ...

Antoine clutches the sides of his chair harder with each second.

ANTOINE (V.O.)
ANTOINE BANDELE ...

FRIAR'S LADY
ANTOINE BANDELE!

ANTOINE (V.O.)
WHAT!?

Antoine sits planted to the back of his seat as the crowd applauds more loudly then he realized.

ANTOINE
Oh my God.

Antoine watches as the Friar Lady begins looking around.

ANTOINE
Move. Get up.

TRACY pats Antoine on the back, urging him forward. He gets up tentatively but makes his way up to the podium slowly.

FRIAR'S LADY
Great job! You had a beautiful script!

Antoine is too speechless to say thank you as the Friar's Lady hands him his $1,000 scholarship award.

He turns around slowly to see the audience still clapping as he smiles broadly and a camera flashes him in the eyes.

ANTOINE (V.O.)
WOAH!

So yeah, through that dramatic short script I told you what happen to me. I won first place for the screenwriting scholarship! I was not expecting it at all. Sure, I wanted it. I wanted it to be my name they called. I'm sure 90% of the other students were waiting for their named to be called in the back of their minds but mine was called! When I sat back down the students sitting next to me were poking me and hugging me because I wasn't moving at all. I was looking dumbfounded straight ahead with the envelope lulling in my hand. (I'm also proud to say that my good filmmaking buddy, Ashten "Whoopi Winger, got second place for best sound editing! Hamilton High Represent! His film will be out soon). For once I really do believe I got an award I truly deserved. Outside of my own team I have not read many scripts but I went through fifteen drafts with Shawn Ku. Big shout out to Shawn Ku because this award would not have been possible without him.

Anyway, here is the actual film:



You all already know my biggest critique about it. But it still came out fine. "You're only as good as your next film" (nope, I didn't misquote). I'm hoping my next film will finally be The Devil's Company but I'm going to want some legit equipment for that but that is my next big project but my next small project will probably be with Casey Veggies (who's song "I'm Right Here" was featured in the party scene in Uncover'd). Then I'm doing a 48 hour horror film fest. But The Devil's Company will be my first real full short film. I'm completely reworking it now.

Here are some photographs from graduation.

My Family

Me and my supporting actor, Charles Chen

Me and my writing mentor, Ryan Roy (also helped bunches)

The original duo! Tearin' up ICF

Oh, and there was a cool party afterwards at an undisclosed location.

UPDATE:

Someone plugged me on their YouTube!

Peace

It's Coming

A Massive Blog is on it's way. I hope you all like reading! Here's a preview: look at the left corner of the poster:


Peace!

August 21, 2008

Be sure to RSVP for the screening @ (310) 264 3992


Peace

P.S. This is also the reason I have not been blogging. I have been in post-production and I'll be sure to post about that once I have completed the film (which will be Monday).

Inner-City Filmmakers Day 43, Week Five (Shoot#6: Day 2)

I'M DONE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DONE!

Today was not only the last shoot for my film, Uncover'd, but it was also the last shoot for Inner-City Filmmakers and my team. It went very well and almost sour at the end.

The beginning of the day was a "re-shoot." Our camera broke on us last week and I had to tell my actors to leave so we had to re-shoot the party scene today when my antagonist takes the protagonist from the party. That went very well, and we threw in some comedy as well to keep it light-hearted while something serious was happening in the background, which by the way I love. I was once a background performer. I was in this cell phone commercial, 7th Heaven, Bernie Mac, Clubhouse, and all that other good stuff as a background performer and I must say it's very fun. I know a lot of people just walk on by with no backstory and mine but that's no fine. Each time I came into the background I gave my character a history.

Example, for 7th Heaven, I gave made my character a nerd/geek who constantly got picked on by these two other guys (yeah, I got more people on the act). I start the scene off in the back of a middle school hallway looking at a flier when the two "bullies" come up to me to which I immediately back off and walk further down the hallway where I look at yet another flier, then the bullies tap me on the shoulder and I look and no one is there. I look over my other shoulder and they are there snickering to which I roll my eyes and pounce off pass the lead characters doing there scene.

I just really love background performers, especially when they do a good job. They add atmosphere and flavor :)

So after that shoot we headed to our next location which went smoothly at first. We had to shoot both a day and night scene so of course I did all the day stuff first. When we got there I called Marlene to let me in her house to do a few POV shoots and she made it seem as though I couldn't shoot there at all! Say what!? But it's okay, her dad is the manager and she had a key to a vacant apartment but we had to be out in like ten minutes! Impossible! But I accomplished what I needed. I headed downstairs soon after to get a more coverage and then we had a two hour break until the sun went down.

My team went wild with boredom. They were running in the treats, hitting each other with a prop sword, one of them even bit another one!

Well, when we start shooting. When we START shooting a neighbor decides just then to come out and ask us what we're doing and he definitely implied he was watching us for those two hours being general teenagers. If he had a problem with us then, why not say anything? Why wait we we start shooting!? I don't know, it's beyond me. So I promise him we'll be as quite as can be and any blame should fall to me, the director, and not anyone else if there was too much noise. When he left I turned straight to my team and scold them for their behavior before and told them to essentially to STFU because I couldn't afford for the police to be called.

So we began shooting and about fifteen minutes in I get an in articulate man shooting off at us: "WHO'S CAR IS THAT! WHO'S PARK IN MY SPOT!" I immediately call cut, rolling my eyes and getting angry. I turn to him and and I ask him which car and he points to this silver one that none of us own. I ask my team to double check and we definitely don't know who owns that car. But the guy was determined it was are and I was really in fear he would call the police just to be a jerk. Then his wife, or who I think is his wife, came up to us and asked us the same question more calmly and we give her the same answer and she walks over to her husband to console him and told us it's okay. WHEW! Dodge yet another bullet!

Later on about a hour before we wrapped some lady was coming out of the apartments we were shooting at and was like "Damn! I almost trip over your equipment! What the hell are you guys doing here! Yadda Yadda Yadda!" At first I hear this at a distant and I close my eyes, get up and walk over slowly to her and I'm trying to calm her down "Miss ... Miss". And then her expression changes and she starts laughing, "I was just giving you guys shit, don't worry". Whew! Another bullet dodged!

I think that was the last case we had to deal with although I know the crew came up to me at one point and said the cops were coming to which I said, "Okay, let's beat the cops". I was determined to finish.

All and all, I think I got what I needed but definitely not what was in my head. Not my vision. But a wise mentor once told us to capture what you can get, sure you're going to miss quite a few things, a lot of great things, but capture what you can get. And that's what I did. Thanks Jon Chu!

So we packed up and went to Santa Monica and captured our footage and I was there until four in the morning, organizing my footage.

'Twas a good day.

Here is the information for the graduation ceremony. Please RVSP ASAP!


Peace

Inner-City Filmmakers Day 42, Week Five (Shoot#6: Day 1)

TODAY WAS MY SHOOT! It went seamlessly, I'm very proud. Nothing major happen, no drama, no camera problems, it just all work. Seems kind of boring, right?

I didn't realize how much of a geek/dork I am until we shot in my room. One of the characters in Uncover'd named Buddy is a bit of a geek so we had to, well, geek up the room which wasn't so hard. That was sort of embarrassing. I started whipping out my home-made lightsabers, my star wars books, my graphics novels and my action figures and I never realized how many dorky and nerdy and geeky things I own.

Peace

Inner-City Filmmakers Day 40, Week Five (Shoot #5: Day 1)

Slowly but surely the shoots are coming to and end. Shoot #5 and #6 are the last shoots and I'm #6. No longer will I be on the sidelines watching others make thier films, now it's my time to go out there and do my thing, which is a bit daunting, to say the least. I got to shoot a piece of my film already last Saturday but that was a "share" day with another teammate and wasn't organized (I had to act as Director and Cinematographer). But that's another story for my shoot and another story for that blog. Now, it's about Kelsey's A Rough Day (Shoot #5, Day 1).


I will admit I was dreading today quite a bit. I had gotten a taste of the way Kelsey directs a week ago when she had her own "share" day with another teammate and she was very forceful and she didn't get her vision across in the ... right way. Instead of telling me where to go, for instance, she would pick me up and move me there which is not the way one should work. Also, there was a time she was angry with one of the crew members and she shouted at him through profanities right in front of her actors which, to me, was not entirely professional. I mean, I've heard on set there have been worse things said in front of the cast and crew but on a short student film like this you really don't want to piss of your crew or put off your cast. In any case, I was not looking forward to the day with Kelsey as the director but I was thoroughly surprised.


A few days ago Kelsey was in quite a bind. She lost her location and was missing a few actors on top of that. I couldn't do much with the actors but I could help with the location problem. As a last resort I called my grandmother to ask if we could use her house to which she said yes so I got the chance to go back to my old neighborhood today.


The shoot was fun, Kelsey's film is about teen pregnancy and the scene we were doing was a flashback of when the mother of the film got kicked out of her house. When I was filming, I discovered that some stories, some films, just need dialogue. While everyone was impressed with the actor's performances during the shoot I'm not sure that will translate as well when their dialogue would be ommitted to satisify the requirements of a non-dialogue film. I understand the exercise. It helps us to learn how to tell a story completely visually but it certainly is very limited and I can't wait to take off the shackles of non-dialogue film and be able to make, in my opinion, a full film. I know I might sound very immature about this all but really it's my opinion. Sure there are cases in films where no dialogue is much better but to be limited just to that stinks to me. But like I said, it's a wonderful exercise but some of our films will suffer from it.


We wrapped around 7:30 or 8 PM and they all left to do whatever it is they went off to do and I stayed back at my grandmothers house but I got a call soon after from my friends and I went out to Cafe 50s and came back.


When I got back though, there was a LAPD Helicopter (aka Ghetto Bird) circling the neighborhood. My friends stopped to drop me off but I seriously was too scared to get out, that spot light was rather close to us so I told them to drive around the corner and then I would rush out. So they did so and I rushed out and ran across my lawn to the front gate. All of a sudden a police car comes behind me with their lights on but no sirens and I really needed to rush to get in the house because I looked really suspicious at that point. I did eventually get inside, though, with a bit of a rush going through my veins.


Peace