Final Course Reflection

I can honestly say that I learned a lot in the class. I learned what a DSLR camera is and what the difference is between single lens recorders and other camcorders.  I learned how and when to use nets, flags, and screens. I learned how to adjust lighting in order to show or eliminate shadows in the background. I learned how to create warm lighting, cool lighting, and even how to light dark scenes. I learned that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong and you have to be able to adapt quickly.

I learned that two heads are better than one, and that you have to be able to trust your production crew. I learned a great deal about the different cameras we have in the department, and which one will work best for specific environments. I was able to acquire more tech knowledge than I thought I would. I don’t think I am very tech savvy as far as cameras and equipment go, but I learned a lot about them. I was able to work with and develop a fond love for the Cannon T2i. I worked with the 5D before enrolling in the class and I liked it, but I think I like the T2i more. I used the T2i with the Zeiss primes when I was the director of photography for a scene assignment, and I adored the image quality.  I learned that prime lenses are a gift from God, and after working with them, you never want to be without them. They are like Visa, don’t leave the equipment room without one. J

Taking this class confirmed my interest in documentaries. Narrative films aren’t my thing. I enjoy watching them, and even shooting them, but it’s certainly not my area of interest right now. One day I would love to be the producer of a situation comedy, or even a drama, but my first love is documentary. I learned that you can never have enough pre-production. Develop a plan A,B,C, and D if need be. You can never be too prepared in this field. I learned that not-knowing is alright sometimes, and that sometimes you have to learn by trial and error. I learned that it takes practice. Working with a camera a couple of times will not make you a master of it. You have to keep practicing and messing around with different equipment in order to ‘get it’. I also learned that no one is good at everything, and that’s okay. Finding your niche- your piece to this production puzzle is what it’s all about. I understand that I am not where I could be, but I am certainly far from where I came. I have to keep working at it. Progress is key.

Reel Me In...

My DP Reel

The Artist In Me

I am passionate about documentaries because I enjoy the unveiling of real life situations that screen writers and script editors have no control over. Life is the best story ever told, and that’s what I want to give to audiences, real life situations that educate, entertain, and inspire. I hope to share the lived experiences of everyday people with the masses by captivating their attention with the beauty of simplicity and rawness. When I say simplicity I don’t mean boring, unelaborate and plain, but rather, clear, understandable and smooth. I want raw, unadulterated emotion to be conveyed through my work. I would love for every viewing to be a pleasant and meaningful experience for audiences.

“To thine own self be true” is my motto in life. I hope to maintain authenticity in my work by letting the story unveil itself without compromising its truth with my own perceptions of what a ‘’good story’’ is. Authenticity does not come natural. It is easier to fit in and conform to what is acceptable, popular and commonplace. But, I hope to burn all bridges to commonplace. I have no desire to be like anyone else. I have no desire to be like any other producer, director, cinematographer, etc… I am happy being me. I want to produce work that hasn't compromised who I am or what I stand for. Apart of me wishes I had more to say about what I am, or who I aspire to be, but I don’t. I’m just me. An aspiring legendary producer with plans of letting  my work speak for itself.

What makes it good?

Showing what you do best as an artist makes a good reel. Forget about the big time money shots that you think will awe an audience. Put the shots you love and those that represent you the best in your reel. Do not get me wrong, money shots are great, but a reel full of money shots could be a bit too much, or maybe even a bit boring. I want to see the artist represented in their reel. I think the reel below is fantastic because its shows the cinematographers wide range of skills. He has documentary, commercial, and narrative shots in it, and it is edited together well so that we understand each genre and don't feel overwhelmed. I would hire this guy because his work looks great, and because I see simplicity and consistency in his work.

    

Cinematography Reel from Travis Wears on Vimeo.

Here is another reel that I like. I would probably hire this guy for action shots. I enjoyed the fast-paceness of his reel.

Cinematography Reel - 2010 from Garrett O'Brien on Vimeo.

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As I Reflect...

I must say that I enjoyed shooting these scene assignments. I think the best way to learn is through hands on experience, and that has been the biggest lesson. You can read all of the books and blogs, watch all the movies in the world, and still not ‘get it’ until you actually have to do it yourself.  I think hands-on learning has been the biggest teacher because I was able to see what worked and what didn’t work in different environments. We pretty much used all of the equipment in class, but knowing what works and doesn’t work as far as lighting and shot composition is more trial and error. For example, figuring out the best way to cut out light for the same project, but different scenes- should we use nets, if so, how many, and what kind? Or, should we just use a screen? What gels will help give us the look we want? Should we mix gels?  All of those questions had to be answered, and although it got annoying, after a while we all seemed to know what worked. Figuring out what worked best in the moment, being flexible, and being patient were the biggest and most appreciated virtues held throughout the completion of the projects.

If I had to go back and do it all over again I would have my shot list in sequential order so that I could just go down the line and check shots off as I go. I would have used a different camera, or possibly prime lenses with the camera we used, I would have given my actor a couple of shots to take the edge/ shake the nerves off, and I would have chosen a quieter location because that was my biggest problem when editing. Another thing I would have down differently is pay closer attention to the small things in the shot. For instance, in one of the shots there was an exit sign in the background. I didn’t see it when I looked at the viewfinder, but it irritated me while editing so I had to zoom in and crop it out the shot. I was pleased with the cinematographer/ director relationship we had. Of course, in any relationship things could have been better, but for the most part I think it was darn good. Communication is a big deal on a set, and I think we all did that pretty well. All of us had a good working relationship. We were all under similar stress levels so no one got too fussy when people were annoyed, stressed, tired, ready to go, anxious, or whatever, because we knew the feeling. I don’t have a desire to be a cinematographer, or a director, but I see how time consuming those positions can be, and you definitely need to dedicate all of your time to a project for it to be flawless, because juggling three other classes,  a job and five other shoots was wearing me out!

The most enjoyable part is seeing the final project complete. I always have a smile on my face when it’s done. I like for everyone else that has helped out see that their work and time was not for naught. Another enjoyable aspect of the project was the jokes we cracked and laughs we shared on set. We were able to sit down (be it only a couple of minutes) and actually talk and get to know one another beyond the classroom walls. I’m always up for learning about people. Oh, and I can’t forget that I learned a new dance while on one of the sets! You can’t be that with a stick! I had my own personal choreographer and everything. J

My strengths were that I knew what I wanted and wasn’t indecisive or unclear about my expectations. I have said this before and I’m going say it again, one of my biggest strengths as a person, not just a director/ dp, is that I adapt well to change, and I usually can remain level headed when unforeseen incidents occur. Whether actors failed to come, we had to reshoot, lights blew, actors screwed up, equipment was missing, or things just didn’t work according to plan, I was able to adapt. So, if I had to do it all over again, the sleepless nights, 10 hour shoots, growling stomach, annoyed temperaments, terrible sound, and long hours editing, I would. I kind of enjoy this type of stuff. I know, weird huh? J

DSLR Advantages and Disadvantages

I have enjoyed using DSLRs for both photography and videography. I just used the T2i for a past project and was really satisfied with how those shots looked, but of course, it doesn't hurt that we  used prime lenses. Although the imagery of the camera was good, the small body of the camera was a problem because everything was so close together that it became hard to glide on the Glidetrack, fix the focus, and pan at the same time. Although size, and weight are some of the biggest advantages, it was hard to work with in our case.

Advantages

• Size and weight 
• Better image quality
• Less image noise at high sensitivities
• Interchangeable lenses
• Flexibility
• Speed: fast focus time, fast shot-to-shot time, and faster speed of operation
• Some love the design: Thumb and forefinger access
• Depth of field: DSLRs generally work well with crushing the depth of field without the use of lenses

Disadvantages

• Live-view option: usually cant see what you are capturing on the screen
• Shutter sound
• Depth of field sensitivity- the depth of field can be crushed too much when unintended by operator
• Increased complexity of lens selection
• Audio- voice recording and audio tend to be sub par on DSLRs
• Senor dust- happens when the lens is being changed
• Price- more expensive than fixed lens digital cameras
• Recording limit

Here is a video that was shot using a DSLR that looks great:

I don't have much of an opinion on the EX3 with the 35mm DOF adapter because I haven't seen what it really looks like due to all of the technical difficulties we had in the studio. However, I do think the two could make a dynamic duo because separately they produce great work, both the EX3, and the Redrock adapter. 

I'm A Sucker For Love- Scene Assignment

I have a confession to make... Im a sucker for sappy love stories, and romantic endings. With that being said, I decided to remake a scene from He's Just Not That Into You. My favorite line out of the whole entire movie is, "You are MY exception." Awwwwwwwww. It's just so beautiful. Its no Notebook or anything, but for what its worth, I love the movie. I have changed the dynamics of the predominately white cast to black, and have tweaked the dialogue just a tad, but nonetheless, I think it's still great. Let me know what you think viewers!

Can You Be My Motivation

A camera can tilt, pan, zoom, track, dolly, rack focus, or pedestal. Whatever movement the camera operator chooses to make, it must be motivated. Movements can be slight and subtle or big and blatant, but they must always be purposeful. You cannot move the camera just for the heck of it.

I love the movie Cool Runnings and this particular scene does a good job illustrating how camera movements affect the overall message of a shot. By starting from the feet of Yul and slowly tilting up to his face, Yul is standing tall in a position of power over the Russian bobsledder. They could have cut from the Russian to Yul, but my moving the camera up along his body it signifies power to the audience.I also think that tracking and zooming can make a scene more intense or increase an audience members anticipation of  what is to come. 

The camera movement in The Dark Night is executed beautifully and with precision! The aerial shots are amazing and every second of this movie has me wanting to see more. This movie has some of the best motivated camera movement I have seen! 

Who Shot You?

The Color Purple

 (Shot by Shot)

 

This is "Celie's Liberation" scene from the Color Purple. The scene opens with a shot of a plate setting at a dinner table with people talking and dishes knocking in the background. The next shot shows people talking and adding food from the table to their plate. That shot is then followed by a wide shot, which is used as the establishing shot. The camera then cuts to Shug Avery and Albert conversing. The image above is the first shot of their conversation. The lighting is deem and partially dismal to acquaint the audience with the mood and emotion to come. The light selection was also used to adequately portray lighting in the early 1900's.

In the mid-shot above Shug Avery leans in to Albert or "Mister" that she is getting ready to leave town and that she is taking Celie with her.

"Now comes the time for me to tell you, its time for us to go."

 Albert doesn't understand why Celie wants to go with Shug so he says, " Now whats wrong wit cha?" The camera slowly zooms in enough between Shug and Albert to get Celie in focus in the middle of the shot.

 Celie replies, "You a low down dirty dog, that's whats wrong. Its time for me to get away from you and into creation." In this close-up shot Albert looks at Celie in disbelief. He cant believe that she is standing up to him.

 This is a weird mid shot used during Celie's spill about getting away from Albert where she says, "Your dead body will be just the welcome I need."

In this medium close-up the dad chimes in and says, "You cant talk to my boy that way." Notice that Albert and his father are both sitting at the head of the table, which is an inclination of power and authority.

 Celie responds, "Your BOY? Seems like if he hadnt been your boy he would have made somewhat half a decent man." The lighting on Albert is bright enough to frame him as a  subject in the shot, while also keeping Celie in a close up.

This close up with little to no head room shows Albert still in disbelief (giggles) "Say what?"

"You took my sister Nettie away from me. You knew she was the only somebody in the world who loved me" In this low angled two-shot with natural light striking from the window, Celie explains to Albert that she is aware of his tactics and that she isn't going to stand for it anymore. 

 Close up of Albert looking ashamed.

 Close up of Shug with an expression of joy for Celie.

Back to the two shot. "And Nettie and my kids coming home soon. And when we all get together we gone sit around and whoop your ass."

 Cuts to close up of dinner guest laughing at Celie's comment.

 "Nettie. Your kids. Woman you talking crazy." Albert waves her comment of as trivial and unbelievable. Close up. 

 Medium close up of Celie's head held high when she assures Albert that she has children. "Oh I got children. My children living in Africa."

 Albert feeling embarrassed and intimidated. Close up.

 Medium wide shot and somewhat of a over-the-shoulder shot used to show all of the guests at the table, and to get Sophia at the table with her head hung low. Celie assures Albert that her children gone turn out, "a heap better than these fools you never tried to raise." In an attempt to defend himself, Harpo interjects and tells Celie to "hold on here."

 Celie cuts him off, "No hold on Harpo." Close up of her confidently standing up to Albert's disrespectful and "rotten" son.

 Close up of Shug's approval and admiration for Celie.

Back to medium close up of 'Paw' adjusting his glasses because he can't believe his eyes. 

In a two-shot Celie continues her speech and tells Harpo that the kids made her life living there hell.

And my favorite line out of the entire movie is when Celie musters up enough courage to look Albert straight in the eyes and tell him, "he ain't nothing but some dead horse shit."

Reflections

I have learned a lot in a little bit of time. The most salient lessons that stand out to me have been the ones on lighting and learning the TCF jargon. It’s a lot of abbreviations, changed names and nicknames used for equipment that I am learning. It’s a lot of technical jargon that I probably should be more excited to know about, but not necessarily interested in, that I have found helpful. Coming from a television production background I have found that terms are used interchangeably. For instance, in t.v. production the director might want a bust-shot, but in film production the director would want a mid-shot. It’s the same shot, just with two different names. A lot of the stuff I'm learning about lights is new, or it’s been so long since I worked with them or learned about them that it feels new. Learning to use light to create emotion and knowing when to use a key light or a fill light is interesting to me. I only remember learning about key lights in the past.

I think I have strength in shot composition and framing. I think that I adapt well to change, which is beneficial in working in such fast paced environments. Being able to work well with others, and independently is also one of my strengths. 

The most challenging thing has been keeping up with the technical jargon and professional language because sometimes I get confused, but I think I'm getting better. It also helps knowing that I'm not the only confused student in the bunch. I also find it challenging to plan a project out shot by shot. I don’t usually think sequentially. My brain is kind of all over the place, and that's usually how I form ideas. I really have to work on narrowing down my concepts, and developing them enough to make sense to others, because I know what I want and sometimes I just expect others to 'get it'.

By far the most rewarding thing about videography is seeing your vision come to life, which enables you to share with the masses. Doing the portrait of a place assignment brought me much gratification because it was a project that I cared about. It was special to me and it was a small piece of history that meant a lot to my family.

Portrait of a Place

For the Portrait of a Place assignment we had to tell a story visually without using dialogue. 

I decided to tell my family's story.

My great grandmother is the matriarch of the family, so it all starts with her and her home.

Let Your Light Shine

Honestly, I am not that familiar with lighting. I just know what I think looks good. I am definitely a fan of black and white images, because its something about them that speaks volumes without being loud. In some sense I think that color adds sound to an image, and by taking that sound away you have to be able to tell your story without it being heard. I think that's what black and white images do, and lighting plays a pivotal part in making that story told successfully.

I’m not really a history buff, and I know very little about paintings and art work, but when I was a sophomore at Savannah State University I took a Humanities course where we studied art work, natural earth formations, pyramids, structures, etc… But one painting in particular that I probably will never forget is The Crucifixion of Saint Peter by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. I love this piece because the only face you can really see is Peter’s, but you can see the shame and quilt of the persecutors by their body language. When everything seems dark in Peter’s life, it’s like God shines a light on him. I love this painting. The lighting is impeccable!

The lighting in Beyonce's album art work is usually phenomenal!

Beautiful lighting!!!

This is an alter-ego photo done be Derrick Blanks (I would have put his whole gallery up here if I could have), that man is amazing. He is powerful and very purposful  with his lighting selection. This is pretty cool and amazing to me

When I Grow Up...

When I grow up… my goal is to own a thriving and successful production company and production studios. My desire is to be a producer because I enjoy being in charge of the creative content’s execution. I think my niche will be in documentaries, and content centered on the portrayals and representations of African Americans in the media, but I also hope to find success in other veins of media such as situation comedies, docu-series, and various genres of film.

I am passionate about documentaries because I enjoy the unveiling of real life situations that screen writers and script editors have no control over. Life is the best story ever told, and that’s what I want to give to my audience, real life situations that educate, entertain, and inspire.

I hope that taking advanced videography will help me exercise my narrative lens, because I tend to wait to see how things turn out, rather than thinking sequentially or in terms of a story line. Therefore, I am hoping to expand my knowledge and increase my ability to visual storytelling.

Furthermore, I have never had hands-on training with the use lighting in the field because all the lighting techniques I learned about were in studio, so I am looking forward to learning how to effectively  use lights, filters, screens, and lenses to set the tone of whatever emotion I choose to evoke. 

Being a successful producer is my goal, but I would like to know how to do everything: cinematography, directing, editing, screen writing etc…. so I’m looking forward to honing new skills in all aspects of production.

I also hope to establish some good relationships for the future!

You Turn Me On...Visually :-)

When we were instructed in class to blog about what inspires us the first thing that came to mind was nature. I have never been a big 'outdoorsy' person. I love sports, but as far as camping, and hunting, and anything else that requires being outside for a tremendously long time, I'll pass on. However, I do love natural aesthetics. Despite my lack of excitement for physical interaction with nature, I feel most serene and connected with God when I am outdoors.

As far as I can remember I have always loved sight-seeing and looking at great architecture. Granted, at four years old I probably didn’t understand what architecture was, but I’m willing to bet I held some sense of appreciation for sky-scrapers and buildings that stood larger than life to me. I attribute those fantastic structures to great architects, and since God is the creator of all things, he is the ULTIMATE architect. I just came to this conclusion a few years ago, but I see the world as a masterpiece, despite how cliché it sounds. So, whenever I feel like I am at my wits end, life is too much to handle, my mind is clouded, the walls are caving in on me, or I just want to relax- I like to go to the beach.

In undergrad I used the beach as my escape haven, my prayer closet, and my vacation. Tybee Island was about 30 minutes from campus and I would just go randomly to look at the water. I appreciate all landscapes and sceneries: volcanoes, valleys, savannahs, marshes, mountains, clouds, deserts, etc… but my favorite of all are beaches. I think the beach is the perfect combination of land, sea and sky. I appreciate it because as far as your eye can see is nothing but water and sky, and who else could construct something so majestic and beautiful except a Great God.

I have said all of this to say that I am inspired visually by natural landscapes and formations, and when I look at films I tend to search for them. I appreciate the earth’s rawness and cleanness. I tend to favor things that cannot be constructed or crafted by man and I enjoy very wide outside shots that acquaint the audience with the environment.

One movie in particular that portrays this without one single spoken work is BARAKA, by Ron Frike, which in fact may be my favorite documentary (even though I don’t know if it’s technically a doc, but I assume it is because it has no plot, and no narrative). Frike did a tremendous job at evoking emotion by pure imagery.

 

I tried to upload my favorite scene from Blood Diamond when they hike up the mountain, but this blog wont find that video on the upload option so here is the link

Life series by Discovery Channel executes pure clean shots like something I have never seen before.

Love him or hate him- Mel Gibson is a BEAST!!!!!!!!!!! Apocalypto may be the best movie ever made. This movie is phenomenal and he did an amazing job at capturing the true essence and beauty of the jungle.

10 Things About Me

1) My all time favorite movie is Friday!

This is my favorite movie because no matter how many times I watch it it's still funny, if not funnier, than the first time I saw it. "C'mon Craig man! Stimulate your mind man, its Friday!" 

2) My second favorite movie is The Color Purple

This is my absolute favorite scene from the movie. I love how the women finally feel a sense of liberation and confidence. Ironically, this scene was intended to be very serious and intense because this is pretty much the climax of the movie, but I found it to be extremely hilarious!!!! 

3)My third favorite movie is Princess and, my the Frog (don't judge me :-})

People who really know me, know that I love cartoons, and Princess and the Frog happens to be one of my favorite cartoons. Although some of the representations in the film are potentially problematic , I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, especially Raymond!

4)My favorite food is CHEESECAKE! (Yes, its my favorite food, not just my favorite dessert.)

If you don't like Cheesecake I feel sorry for you, because you are missing out on life!! If you have never had cheesecake, I suggest you go to your local Publix and try some because they have really great cheesecake or try the Cheesecake Factory's Vanilla Bean Cheesecake or Red Velvet Chessecake. It's incredible!

5)My favorite past time is watching movies.

I tend to favor comedies and dramas, but I'm open to almost anything except scary movies.

6) My favorite way to express myself is through poetry.

To my first love, I am sorry that I have to go

Its nothing personal. I just have to follow

All of my dreams and aspirations

Seeing above those tree tops has always been- my motivation

To experience a world outside of my own

To embrace my strength and tackle this world alone

Looking over my life I understand that things are never what they seem

One minute people are praising God, the next minute they’re burning green

Some are shouting all over the place, while others are serene

If you let them tell it-everybody has been “saved by grace”, if you know what I mean

I’m so tired of the foolishness and the fakeness too

Don’t worry about me Love, just do you

Some of those so called Christians who are so full of shit

Live one way on Sunday, then throughout the week commit

Every sin known- to the heavens and earth

But do understand that I revere the Almighty, because HE defines my worth

Its not left to you Bible toters and Holy tongue talkers

Trying to convert everyone when they come to the alter

I attended Catholic school, but was raised Methodist

Got tired of all the titles- so I call myself a “Spiritualist”

Because it’s not about religion, but a way of living

The Almighty is all-knowing and most forgiving

So, HE knows that I was raised around a bunch of drunks

Alcohol was never my thing, but I will smoke a blunt

But that’s no excuse for all the wrong I do

I just hope HE finds it in his heart to see me through

This present journey that I wish to take

For along the way I will not forsake

Where I am from and my upbringing

“Home is where the heart is”- is what I’ll be singing

Because I cannot forget you- you are my foundation

You are my first Love, and for that I will always love you- Aiken

{This is a piece I wrote about a family member from Aiken, SC}

7) My favorite number is 7.

Seven is probably my favorite number because I was born on the 7th day, of the 8th month, in the best year of the 20th century- which I will not disclose. :-}

8) My favorite art form is music.

When everything in my life is going great, bad, or mediocre there is always a song that can explain exactly how I feel. Music truly consumes me and it gives poetry a run for its money when it comes to how I express myself. No, I am not a singer, but I love to sing and I love to listen especially to Neo-Soul and Gospel music.  

9) My ultimate career goal is to own my own thriving and successful production company and studios so that I can brand my name on everything like Tyler Perry :-}.

 

10) Last but certainly not least, one thing you should know about me is that I am determined to succeed. Failure is not an option for me. Before I ever knew what a destiny was, I was proclaiming that "My Destiny is Greatness" and that is certainly what I believe. Whatever the future has in store for me is going to be great!!!!