If there’s anything in the world I adore more than a freshly baked cookie… it’s film. Whether it’s a trilogy about laser swords or a 5 hour time-lapse of a flower growing, my love is guaranteed. 

Ok, ok. It’s not always guaranteed. Some films are absolutely unbearable.  

Last year, we learned how to take pictures. However, this time, we were able to take a step forward. Our latest Maker project has allowed us to immerse ourselves into filmmaking… and my excitement could hardly be contained. 

Anyways, this is the 3rd blog post I’ve written this week and my fingers are dying from constant typing… so let’s get started!

Through this project, we were able to learn the basics of filmmaking. This meant understanding the differences between the following nouns:

  • Film
  • Movie
  • Cinema
  • Video

In small groups, we were each assigned to understand one of these terms. At first, I found it tricky to define them, since I’ve often mixed them up myself. For example, I’ve definitely swapped between “movie” and “cinema”.

My group was assigned “movie.” 

Looking back, I think I would change the definition we created, but the other things still hold up. The live action 2010 Avatar the Last Airbender is still a non-example, because it’s horrible. 

Ok, fine. I’ve seen worse, BUT IT DOES NOT EXCUSE THIS CATASTROPHE.  

A bird is also a non-example, because birds are obviously not movies… or are they- I should shut up before I accidentally start another bird conspiracy. 

With these definitions in mind, we set off to create our own videos and short films. Along the way, we were introduced to the history of movies. Obviously, THIS WAS AWESOME. As an obsessive movie geek, I was happy to review some good ol’ film history. I even learned new facts along the way… just some more information to rant about. 

When I was little, I would watch documentary after documentary about the history of animation (and Disney.) So when I heard terms like “zoopraxiscope”, “phenakistoscope”, I was thrilled. However, I had no idea Thomas Edison was involved in the invention of the kinetoscope and that the earliest surviving “motion picture” was a film of him sneezing. 

I also was not aware that the first narrative film was “the Great Train Robbery”, and that it was a precursor to Westerns. This film also used parallel editing, location shooting, and minor camera movement, which was innovative at the time.   

We learned about a lot of things through this project, including studio monopolies, actor contracts, and talkies. Although I don’t think I’ll have time to describe all the detail in this blog post, I recommend y’all to look it up yourself. It’s very interesting! 

If you’re interested in animation (like me), then you should watch this:

 

We didn’t exactly have a “final product” for this project. Instead we were taught different film skills, and then put our learning to the test. For each skill, we created a short film/video. I really liked this process, and it was fun testing my film knowledge. 

For our first skill, we learned to “think like a moviemaker.” The goal was to explore the “Clips” app, and get a feel for moviemaking. We each created a video introducing one of our hobbies. We had to include an introduction, a montage, and a storyline while using some of Clips’ features. 

Since I’m totally extra™, I decided to use my ultimate power… comedy… 

I really enjoyed making this film. I got to use my prior knowledge of camera angles (that I learned from a free film camp over Spring Break.) It was cool to try a new editing software, but I’ve come to the conclusion that iMovie is still superior. 

In case you were wondering, I used my foot to hold the camera, because I’m too broke for a proper tripod. Well… I could definitely afford one if I wanted, but I’m also too cheap for that. Why should I buy one, when my foot works PERFECTLY WELL… totally. 

In conclusion, this was a great introduction to moviemaking. I’m happy I got the excuse to film  a video. 

Overall, I’m most proud of the work I did for this skill. I got the opportunity to create a silent film while practicing angles and shots. 

Unfortunately, my feet would not work as a tripod this time around. I also wanted to incorporate moving shots, since I was intrigued with the cinematography of “1917” (which we watched again during one of our Humanities projects…) So, I enlisted my mom to film,

Puppeteering the lizard was also difficult, even when it was comically attached to a string. We had to take many shots, and I even asked my Lola (grandma) to help with the string.  

Through this project, I’ve also discovered that I’m inexperienced with sound. I’ve always found it hard to work with in the past, and this skill made me realize how little I know about it. 

In fact, I found it easier to focus on the cinematography of this film, because I didn’t have to worry about it. In the future, I hope to learn more about sound.

I felt very awkward acting, and editing was a nightmare (since I can’t stand watching myself lol.) In the end, the video seemed more 50s than silent era, but I’m still very happy that I managed to do it! 

For this skill, we worked in a team. I was with Max and Cole, and we created a tutorial video. We had to focus on planning our shots before filming. 

One of the main reasons I joined PLP was to learn how to work in a group. Normally, I’d say that I’ve been improving my teamwork skills. HOWEVER, filming is different… which is strange since movies are built on teamwork. 

…Aka I’m a control freak. 

In terms of moviemaking, there’s two ways I’ll go:

  1. I’m too scared to explain my ideas, so I just end up doing everything… Then I wallow in self-pity, because I’m a terrible teammate. 
  2. I avoid sharing ideas at all costs, and just watch it all unfold. This also ends in self-pity… 

It’s just a lose/lose situation… which isn’t good, because in this household, we follow the 7 habits. 

This time around, I was more of the second. Our video turned out well, but I felt like I didn’t contribute much. To be fair, I did accidentally crack my iPad while filming, so I was extra distracted. Next time around, I want to be brave and communicate better with my teammates (whether that means doing less or more.)

In our video, we aimed for a car commercial vibe. Looking back, I think we did well in delivering the comedy (Cole’s jazzy hands were spotless!)  

I’ve definitely learned from this experience, and I hope to continue to improve in the future.

I was absent when we got to work on this skill, AND I’M STiLL DISAPPOINTED SINCE I LOVE SPECIAL EFFECTS. Too bad 😔

For this project, we also had to complete at least 2 “challenges” prompted by the teachers. 

Here’s mine: 

The first challenge that piqued my interest was this one. We took a real life situation and added a song to it. Off the top of my head, I immediately knew what I wanted to do. We saved up our Shoppers points and got a free Nintendo Switch last year… which ultimately resulted in Zelda for my birthday. I managed to film myself getting repeatedly killed and added “another one bites the dust” to the background. 

For this other challenge, we had to utilize green screen. I bent the rules and overlapped a short animation over a photograph I took. It resulted in MORE HAPPY MUSHROOMS!!!! So, I’m obviously satisfied with this one, because happy mushrooms give me serotonin. Unfortunately, colouring would have taken AGES, so I kept it as roughs… maybe one day I’ll do it. 

As I have made several other films in PLP (and outside of it), I think I’ve improved. First off, I now understand the technical terms for certain shots/transitions which I’ve used loosely in the past. I also recognize the importance of b-roll, which would have helped in last year’s DI challenge (editing was a nightmare!)

Now that I’ve completed this short “project”, what’s next in my filmmaking journey? Well, my teamwork skills definitely need improving, and I’d like to learn how to do dialogue properly in film. 

For the future, I plan to teach myself bravery and learn how to pitch my ideas properly. 

This blog post was way longer than I intended it to be, BUT I’M FINALLY DONE ALL THE BLOG POSTS DUE THIS WEEK. I’ve been stressing over these for awhile now. 

Goodbye! I can let my fingers recover now!