Casting

 We assigned me to the role of the main character during pre-production.

 However, we have to ensure that I am the best choice, compared to other possible options who are available.

A casting session will allow us to narrow down the actor choices and who we should use to play the character. Regardless of acting abilities, we also need someone that is willing and is a convenient choice.  

After the session we remained with having me and my sister Allison be the actors. 

We said our names, ages and heights. We also had our photos taken.

See the footage below:

Casting Call.mov

Editing

 1. Retrieving the footage

We removed the CFExpress Type A card from the FX6 and (using a card reader) plugging it into Eden's Lenovo Ideapad 3 However, the large file size produced by the camera made the footage take almost an hour to completely transfer. 

2. Viewing/playing back the footage

We used Windows Media Player Legacy to view and play back the video. This media player works very well with the footage from a Cannon camera, as it allowed us to use the cameras gyro-data to stabilize it. 

3. Select the footage

This part was tedious, we went through each individual file, viewing the footage in the Windows Media Player Legacy, and decided if footage was not needed/not usable, decent/possibly usable, optimal/Definitely usable, if footage was not needed/not usable, we left it.  

- If footage was decent/possibly usable, we put it in a a new folder (still on my SSD) called "Footage for edit", and we tagged it red.  

- If footage was perfect/definitely usable, we did the same as decent/possibly usable, but we tagged it green. 

 

4. Begin sequencing

Eden created a new Premiere Pro project. The project settings were 3840 x 2160 (Pixels), 4K UHP. She also changed to 16:9 to create a more seamless viewing experience for the majority of viewers. 

We put the "Footage for edit" folder into Premiere Pro and began placing the footage into the timeline. We used the footage which was tagged with green, and if there was none, we picked the best looking footage with a red tag. We did this process with a physical printed copy of the script handy. Eden also made separate notes on her own that she said she would like to discuss with me later.

With some exploring in Premiere Pro, we discovered some key frames which we added on a number of clips. These are subtle "fake camera movements" like pushes and pulls, as well as left-to-right and right-to-left movements. To make sure it wasn't too dramatic, we set the keyframes to "easy ease."

 

5. Further editing 

While it is very difficult, still in S-Log, and has a multitude of other issues, we now had a "rough sequence." From here, further editing had to take place, which included tasks such as music, sound design, special effects, colour grading, and credit design.  

Eden did add a simple conversion LUT to make the footage look more saturated, (colorful) and overall look like it came straight out of a camera.

Bedroom Scene Shooting

 Shoot Reflection #2: 

Last night was our second filming session, we already knew we would need more time to film in the second location, and we successfully were able to finish the first half of the film. Below are answers to questions about what we accomplished and what needs significant improvement. (The raw footage can be found below the reflection) Reflection and Summary Do we need more shots? Yes. We still need to film the establishing shots. Although we did finish all parts of the script and were able to film some match cut scenes. Can we make do with what we have? Yes, we made a large dent in the film needed to complete the project. There may be a few shots that need to be redone due to issues with figuring out timing of the camera. Do we need to re-shoot any specific shots? Of the shots we did shoot, majority was great. So, we will not need to re-shoot many any of the shots. With that said, we may need to reshoot additional shots dependent on if some areas do not look good once they are reviewed. Was the lighting okay? Yes. While it took us some time to get used to all the lighting equipment, once we understood all of it and how to control it, we were able to light all of the shots effectively. Was the diegetic sound okay? We used a ... microphone connected to the camera. When decided our original filming, since we were going to be close to the other members in the film, we thought it would be okay to use this type of microphone. We considered a boom box but due to the mirror in the filming location, it would not work. Overall, the sound was good and if there are any issues they can be fixed to make them louder in postproduction. Will we need to reshoot? We need to shoot the establishing shot and maybe get some additional film in areas that were a bit iffy. More will be decided once the footage is reviewed to see what we have and what does not look good. Raw Footage #2: After filming, we need to go over the shots and consider what needs to be altered. It is very important to show this footage because it shows the directors vision, and to appreciate the editing achieved in post- production. Here is the link to all our raw footage: 

It includes all the shots we filmed, even the unused shots. It contains all of them pre-color grading and before the editing. 

Airport Scene Shooting

 Shoot 1: Reflection + Raw Footage Shoot Reflection #1: Last night was our first filming session, we already knew we would need more time to film in the other main location. Below are answers to questions about what we accomplished and what needs significant improvement. (The raw footage can be found below the reflection) Reflection and Summary Do we need more shots? Yes. For starters, we only got through around 25% of the film, since we did our recording at the airport first. Not to mention, the shots we filmed today will be used in the last part of the film. The first half is significantly more complex than the second half, which is why we started with the easier section. Can we make do with what we have? All we currently have is a few closing shots of the planes, as well as clips of walking inside the airport, which help establish a scene, but no actual story (beginning, climax, or resolution). Do we need to re-shoot any specific shots? Of the shots we did shoot, all were great. So, we will not need to re-shoot any of the shots. With that said, we are thinking of making some revisions to the transitions as we believe that the current version could include more. It is likely that, if we do decide to make changes, it will mean using some of the unplanning scenes we filmed today and getting rid of ones that did not turn out as well because of reflections in windows, where equipment could be seen. Was the lighting okay? Yes. The lighting inside the airport was good; however, determining areas that were too shaded outside the airport under the overhang were challenging to shoot with the shadows. Was the diegetic sound okay? Majority of the focus on these filming scenes were not based on a script but instead focused on capturing background noises such as planes and overcomes within the airport. Will we need to reshoot? Yes. As I stated above, we have to still film the main bedroom scene, as well as the establishing opening shot. With this in mind, it would be most realistic to assume two more shoot dates. As for when, we are thinking of booking next Tuesday with my parents, as that day works best for everyone, and then we are able to review the footage the following day in class. Raw Footage #1: After filming, we need to go over the shots and consider what needs to be altered. It is very important to show this footage because it shows the directors vision, and to appreciate the editing achieved in post- production. Here is the link to all our raw footage: 

It includes all the shots we filmed, even the unused shots. It contains all of them pre-color grading and before the editing.