A changed scene from filming!

Hi guys it's me Santi,

A still from the recorded shot (not color graded)

So day 1 of filming is done, as outlined before, and we made some changes to a scene! Originally we had this scene where Halley, our main character, just connects her phone to the car after one radio channel plays stuff about the rogue planet, but we scrapped that and changed it a little bit, so now she’s flipping through a bunch of radio channels, all of them covering the planet that’s gone off course, and it's upcoming impact, and she’s getting very annoyed and clicks the radio off. It’s longer than the old version and we’re all liking how it’s turning out, plus we even got some extra takes of her reacting to the static and voices, so we’ve got a lot of shots to play with in the edit.

The only thing was we spent so much time tweaking that scene that we were rushing with the outdoor shots, like I said last time, we wanted to shoot during dusk but ended up with night shots, so we’ll be color-grading most of the later shots to make it look seamless, but I think it’ll be worth it.

Until next time, Santi :

First Day of Filming Done!

Hi guys it's me Santi,

We just finished our first day of filming!

Like I talked about in a previous blog, we had to split the day into two, but what we DID end up filming ended up being pretty great! We got the shots that were in our shot list, and much more! We even got more shots than we needed, so it'll be easier when we edit since we overshot.

Our shot list

An issue we started having was that we originally wanted to film during dusk, but dusk only lasts so long, so by the time we were done filming it was fully night time, so during the edit we'll probably have to color-grade darker shots so that it all looks like it's happening within 5-10 minutes in the context of the film opening.



Since we're not filming the indoor parts for a bit, we'll begin a line edit (and VFX of the planet!) through the following week or so before continuing with the indoor scenes, as me and my team will be out of town this week so we can't film the indoor scenes.

Until next time, Santi :)

LET ME INNNN (the gas station)

 Hi guys it's me Santi,

So we recently tried to film the opening, and it was actually looking pretty good! (more on that in another post.) But we ran into a small problem. We first filmed the outside footage first, and then we were planing on going inside the gas station and asking for permission to film inside for a short while. You're probably asking "why didn't you call beforehand?"
We thought asking for permission in person would make it more likely for us to actually get the go-ahead to film there, since they can see that we're technically just a bunch of kids who want to do a project. The ladies in the gas station were actually really sweet but they said they couldn't do anything because their manager wasn't working during that time, and they couldn't call her. This left us with two options: record the rest of the opening in another gas station, or try again another day, which would end up splitting filming into two separate days.

We still had a lot to film, so we ended up deciding on doing the indoor shots another day, which would in turn give us more time to film outside, and give us extra shots in case we need more shots for the edit. For the rest of the shots, we're aiming to film around March 9th, which cuts into our post-production time, but most of the post-production (and the film opening) is the outside shots, so we should be fine.
I think.

Until next time, Santi :)

Planning the Planet (get it)

Hi guys it's me Santi,

So how exactly are we having a planet appear in the sky of our shot?

There are many ways for it to happen, but what I want to use is a mix of Blender and Adobe After Effects. I already have experience with both softwares, and I've made complex 3D environments before with Blender, and composited them with real footage in After Effects.

A CG Space Station I made entirely in "Blender"

A CG environment made in "Blender" and composited in "After Effects"
 

With past experience by making these, I'll be making a CG planet in "Blender", composited into real footage using "After Effects." For reference, I'll be looking at the 2011 film "Melancholia," which has similar visuals throughout it's film.

Still from "Melancholia" (2011)

I'll be updating the blog as I begin designing the planet, see you then!

Until next time, Santi :)

The lights also tell a story!!

Hi guys it's me Santi,

Let's talk a little bit about the lighting in the opening. Largely, the opening takes place in two settings: Inside of the gas station and outside in the parking lot (plus inside the car).

Inside of the gas station, the atmosphere is a bit cool, but there's enough saturation to make certain items pop, and as for neutral colors, we'll incorporate them into costumes a bit more to go along with the cool colors of the gas station.

For the exterior scene, the lighting shifts to warmer tones since it's set during dusk/sunset, and pinks, violets, and oranges will help depict this scene and set the right mood. Additionally, the giant planet in the sky will definitely add more color to the skyline. Now, her neutral tones definitely contrast against the almost beautiful planet and it's overwhelming colors, and this contrast gives the audience the first hint of what our character is feeling, and how she sees the world.

Additionally, inside the car it'll be cool lighting, though we want the lights inside of the car to be warm, so as she gets in she's being bathed in warmer light, and as she begins to drive the lights turn off, once again bathing her in a cooler tone, exemplifying how she feels as she looks at a picture of her and her friend, the reason why she's as sad as she is now. 

Not much left to do before shooting, wish us luck!

Until next time, Santi :)

Wait what's she wearing

Hi guys it's me Santi,

Now that we’ve explored Halley’s backstory, it’s time to break down how we’re shaping her visual identity, specifically through the costume and props.

For our film opening, we are keeping Halley’s costume and props simple, reflecting a bit of who she is. Here is a mood board that captures her overall aesthetic:

In the mood board you can also see the girl who will be playing Halley in our opening! The additional elements include her clothing, hairstyle, props, and the color palette that defines her character. Halley’s wardrobe reflects her emotional state, as she is struggling internally, and her choice of clothing subtly conveys that.

Halley's hairstyle is gonna be flat, again going along with the simple vibe that we're trying to give with Halley (also who cares about your hair when you're all gonna die in 5 months?)

As for her prop, we have chosen a pair of headphones, which will serve as her escape from reality, allowing her to block out the outside world and retreat into her own space. They also work as the prop from where we will be hearing music from, which happens throughout the opening.

Since Halley is our main character and the central focus of the opening, these details are crucial in shaping her presence on screen.

Until next time, Santi :)

(Not a lot to talk about in this one but her aesthetic is simple so you get a simple blog)

The sound of our opening

Hi guys it's me Santi

Sometimes, audio is even more crucial than visuals because it's what pulls you in and makes you feel like you're right inside of a scene, the right sounds can totally elevate the film by boosting emotions and taking you into the world we've created.

Throughout the class, we've learned about the different types of sounds we can use, from synchronous sounds to voiceovers, and in our film opening, we'll definitely be using non-diegetic sound, so any sounds that don't come from the story world, like background music. In our film opening, background music will be strongly shown throughout, helping to tell the story and immerse the audience.

Alongside the non-diegetic sound, we'll complement it with synchronous sound (grocery store sounds and car sounds) to give a sense of place as the story unfolds, so the audience can hear the environment where the story is set and pick up on background noises that are relevant. Synchronous sound is basically sound that's matched with what's happening on screen, like the noise of objects (like grocery store or car!!)

There's also a scene in our opening where a radio turns on and an multiple announcements are made, this is where we'll use a voiceover, it's not something you see happening on screen, but it provides essential information to the audience, the planet is heading torwards Halley (and the world) in about 5 months.

As for the music, we're still on the trying to find the perfect fit to match the vibe of the film opening. Music is super important because it helps set the tone, and it will be heard through a lot of the opening, as Halley gets her products from the store. We're exploring different options, and if we choose a track that's copyrighted, we'll make sure to get the necessary permissions (though that's unlikely since artists probably never respond to us...)

Our group member Sam contacted all of the artists that we might want music from!

Until next time, Santi :)