Production Role:
For my classes feature film, I was the Director of Photography. A few challenges I faced was mainly with ideas being communicated on set. A lot of the time, our director Brady had a very specific vision for the scenes shots which messed with the shot lists I had already planned. Their mainly needed to be more director to director of photography communication the day prior to set to make the shoot go a lot smoother. Along the way of this production, I learned more about camera equipment and planning shots. I began by storyboarding every scene detail by detail which ended up with a lot of my on set creative ideas being limited. As DP, you need to be able to make a general idea of shots before filming but should be open to finding new ideas based on your surroundings and actors the day on set. A lot of people believed the cinematography in our film looked very professional for a student film and it really reflects an artistic style that is seen in the movie industry today. However, there were some shots on steadicam that were not great and I would like for us to have more time next year to get familiar with new equipment. Overall I'm really happy with the way the cinematography looks in this film and I believe the artistic style added a lot to the movies theme.
Time in Class and on Set
During class, I mainly spent time collaborating with Amanda and Brady in making shot lists and brainstorming different shot ideas for each scene. When I finished early, I spent time watching film making tutorials on ways to make shots more interesting and on more creative ways to film dialogue s scenes since it is a style of filmmaking I don't have a lot of experience in. Outside of class, I usually spent more time creating shot lists and preparing my storyboards to have a successful time on set.
Strengths and Weaknesses
I believe I have a strong creative eye in visually telling a story and I was able to show that throughout this film. I have had a lot of experience creating videos but being a part of a feature film allowed me to work more in actual film cinematography.
However, I think I could have done more planning in shots and spent more time learning how to properly use the steadicam and become more experienced in using lights to illuminate a scene.
Summary
I really liked how personal the premiere awards were by the way the directors presented and the actors were recognized. I also really enjoyed the limo ride because it made the night feel a lot more special. Overall, I really enjoyed getting close everyone in the production of this film and making friends who enjoy creating movies like me and want to be involved in film in the future as well. I wish that the premiere had more time of us hanging out in the Limos in a more interesting environment instead of just around Overland Park. Altogether, this film has been one of the most exciting experiences I have gotten involved in this year and it has allowed me to meet amazing people and become more confident in film making. Next year, I really want to see more class participation and collaboration between juniors and seniors from the first day in class. I think our Entertainment students need to be open to try new things and try important roles on set and get involved because it is so worth it and so important to feel involved in your class. Overall, this film has greatly changed my perspective on film and has encouraged me even more to want to make movies the rest of my life.
