Filming Part 1 Blog #12

The day has arrived to finally begin filming the 2-minute project film opening! FINALLY! 

At 10:30 am, Camila, Sienna Morel (Actress), and I met at our designated gas station filming location. Unfortunately, we couldn't film for legal and corporate reasons and had to redirect and decide a new filming location. Instead of arriving in panic mode, which is a common occurrence, I proposed to film at 7-Eleven. Thank god, after asking the man at the cashier, we were given permission to shoot footage outside the 7-Eleven, amongst the store isles, and inside the isles. For precaution, my partner and I thought it best to over record, and collect a variety of videos to later select the best and reduce the chances of having to reshoot after editing.  Starting exterior, we captured a long shot of the gas station as a title slide for introduction, and then the character walks into the store with a variation of close-up door handle shots, medium, and long shots. Inside the gas station store, we recorded the character making her way up, down, and around the corner, in between the isles from behind and in front. 

Following, although there were visions that were unsuccessfully executed, my partner and I found solutions and different perspectives. For example, in the bathroom scene, we had previously planned to cut the character's hair and dye it, however, due to limited time and achieving clear performance, we were resolute on converting her transformation by utilizing a wig and making it a prop or physical feature in the film. Although we had brought scissors, shampoo, and flour to complete the hair dye mix, and a towel for drying, my partner and I were still unsure how to avoid a fake look and make it the most realistic as possible. We shot the makeup and outfit transformation scene with a divergence of closeups, mid shots, over-the-shoulder shots, etc. To make the scene more interpersonal and isolated, we shot the character from behind, looking at herself in the mirror. We aim to gather these clips and shorten then to make a faster pace rhythm in the film opening, and ensure there's sufficient time for the following scene. In case of poor or limited timing, we created two endings for the 2-minute film opening. We filmed the character leaving the gas station, throwing the heart necklace into the bushes. Then we shot getting into a car and driving away, throwing the necklace from the window. There was nothing more stressful than this moment. Every time we went to start recording and moving the car, it felt like every person who existed decided to race the car and drive down the road. A true struggle. When the necklace was thrown out of the window, we had to immediately stop the car and run to pick it up from the ground. A true anxious moment, but ultimately, a success!

The next step is to begin filming the funeral scene and the voice-over. Most likely, the filming and recording will take place over the weekend to begin editing next week and remain on track with our planned schedule. Everything seems to be in control and effectiveness is in execution. Here are some photos to laugh at!