[Prod 200] Film 3 Reflection

My third film was not as great as it could have been.  Like my Prod 398 project, the time during which I edited this was full of various setbacks and problems, to the point where my mental health was put into question.  Regardless, I ended up putting together something that I could show to my class.

There is a lot I could improve on for this project, ranging from the cut timing to the shot content to the sound effects and music.  It is still a pretty rough cut, but nevertheless, I was happy that I was able to come up with something given the challenges I ended up having to deal with.

[Prod 398 Reflection Series - Part 5

The release of my episode went more or less by my expectations.  It was viewed the most on Facebook and the least on Vimeo.  There was not a lot of traffic on any of the sites however and the view count was minimal.  However again, it was to be expected.

By far the biggest thing I learned from this was that nothing goes the way you want it to and that rather than try to avoid problems, I should simply be more prepared for the worst.

If I were more satisfied with my project, I will probably be willing to spend more time promoting it on various sites, and more consistently as well.  Snapchat, Twitter, and other popular social media sites would be places I would most likely spend more time working on.

[Prod 398] Reflection Series - Part 4

Disclaimer: In all honesty, I really do not like showing things I’ve made that I’m not proud of.  And this was one of those things.  So while I feel that audience outreach is important, most of what I say in terms of plans is hypothetical of what I WOULD do, given I had a product worth showing.

First off, and probably universal now given the climate of today’s online media, posting to YouTube is almost quintessential for a web series.  Other outlets I used were Facebook, Vimeo, and here on Tumblr.  Given my target audience, two other places that would have been effective sources for me to share are Instagram and Snapchat.  Daily promotions on Snapchat, posting extra footage on Instagram, asking friends to share on Facebook, and tweeting out on Twitter about the video could also help spread visibility and reach more people.  Gaining a following by consistently posting something is probably the next step.  Whether it’s behind-the-scenes footage or some sort of teaser trailer for the next episode, as many of the speakers in our class have mentioned, if I want to get anywhere, consistency is the best method for success.

[Prod 398] Reflection Series - Part 3

The rough cut of my film was well, really rough.  A bunch of setbacks put me in a very difficult spot while editing.  I ended up losing around half my footage for various reasons and the shoot itself was subpar at best.  I feel that the story alone was conveyed, but the sound, image, and overall quality was lacking greatly.  I was honestly extremely disappointed with it and frustrated over the number of things out of my control that went wrong.  I could understand if maybe one or two things happened that might have hindered my progress, but this was constantly facing obstacle after obstacle that I had no way of preventing.  Beginning with having to redo the concept entirely due to inability to secure a location, I then caught a bad cold from staying up for 48 hours straight in an attempt to remedy my now lacking new concept.  This led to a poor filming since I was feeling under the weather and had to still act and direct the shoot.  Following this, my hard drive decided to die and I ended up losing around half my footage.  I then caught bronchitis and could not finish editing the rough cut by the time I wanted.  Even more happened after my rough cut, but that will be discussed in a later post.  Bottom line: This could have been so much better than what it was if I did not have such poor luck.

[Prod 398] Reflection Series - Part 2

Originally, I had planned on having my series be more artistic and comedic, created for the purpose of entertainment and to answer a “what if...”.  But after altering my concept, this changed drastically into something that was deeper, more intimate, and inspirational.  “In the Moment” was meant to be bright, clean, and minimalistic.  The idea was to put an emphasis more on the dialogue than the visuals.  Although what the audience sees is an important factor in telling the narrative, I wanted to emphasize that sometimes things cannot be expressed in pictures and that people only realize things after hearing the words.  Ideally, I hoped for this sort of uplifting series to target those under pressure from work or school, meaning from young teens to middle-aged adults.  That being said, I think YouTube and FaceBook are two places where my targeted demographic would be best found.

[Prod 398] Reflection Series - Part 1

Being so caught up in the actual process itself, I always forgot to take a step back and reflect on what I was actually doing.  Thus, I decided to go through everything over again now, discussing the steps I took to get to where I am now.

This is the first installment of a number of blog posts detailing the creation of my “In the Moment” web series pilot episode, “Don’t Think, Feel”.

Starting from the very beginning, I must preface that my original idea was not what I ended up creating.  In fact, it was an entirely different concept.  During the early drafting stages, my show was called, “Pulling the Strings” and featured an indie filmmaker who wanted to attempt to create a real world drama series.  With that being said, the initial table read of that script went well.  Back then, I was still wholly set on shooting that piece and hearing the feedback from the first reading motivated me more.  That script, which was supposed to be lighthearted and funny played exactly as how I wanted it to when reading in class.  There were a few minor tweaks I had planned on making, including the removal of some of the monolog that began the episode out of a need to quicken the overall pace.  I also wanted more dialogue interaction and less narration.

These are the biographies for the old characters:

Yoon, late teens, early 20s: A witty, charismatic filmmaker whose biggest wish is to see people appreciate the gift that is life.  Yoon is someone who most people seem to pass by without even noticing.  Because of this, he has a strong ability to read into other people simply by watching them.  He’s creative and artistic, always coming up with new ideas about how to get people to experience the things life has to offer.

Rei, early 20s: Determined and driven, Rei is the eldest child of a poor family who is working to support her parents and younger siblings.  Pretty, but she has never really had time to focus on her looks.  As the secretary to a big time film producer, she is always too busy for socialization, especially if it involves getting into a relationship.

Matthew, early to mid 20s: The heir to his father’s entertainment company, he is surprisingly genuine and caring.  Money has never been an issue for him, but he does not take it for granted.  More often than not he would use his funds to help others rather than himself.  The standard nice guy, he has had the unfortunate fate of being taken advantage of far too often and has since developed a sort of wariness toward love.

After a semester’s worth of stressing, working, filming, and editing, here is the finished product of my pilot episode for my web series entitled “In the Moment”.  I can’t say it was everything I wanted it to be, especially after a number of uncontrollable setbacks that severely affected the process of creating it.  Nevertheless, I was able to complete it and get it out on time.  So with that being said, here is the episode.  I hope you enjoy.

[Prod 200]

My second short film, entitled ‘Titans’, turned out to be quite good for what I wanted.  This was by far better than my first one and a lot of the shots were better on camera than I had imagined them in my head.  I had a lot more fun editing this one as well, even with the difficulties in it.  Matching the sounds of the ping pong ball to video clips was frustrating but rewarding when I got it.

There are a number of things I would like to have done in addition to what I had, given the chance to redo it.  Some of my cuts could have been cleaner, shorter, and more precise, especially when dealing with black transitions.  More of an intro is something else I would’ve liked to have had, and perhaps some other shots of the room.  The biggest thing I would have added though was a shot of the cultists watching the ball with their eyes.  The flitting left to right of the iris and pupil would have been a really cool shot to use.  Overall though, it was a great experience, both in terms of filming and learning new things.  Unlike the first, this short film was one that I actively was trying to better as often as I could in terms of music, editing, or shot ideas.  Now, more than ever, I’m looking forward to my 3rd and final short film in Prod 200.

[Prod 200]

I was generally pleased with how my first short film turned out.  It conveyed the story I wanted to and it at least seemed aesthetically pleasing.  At the very least, I did enjoy making it.

Moving on to the actual critique, there were still things I would like to have gone back and done better.  One of the most obvious was setting the white balance properly.  I had left it looking a bit too blue and as a result was forced to do intensive color correction on all my clips.  Some of the shots in the video could have been done better as well.  I had trouble with some of them, especially the match-cut shots.  If I had more time to work that is one thing I would want to improve upon.  I also think that if I could find a way to have the film use a little less music yet keep the same mood intensity, it would be better.  By no means am I using this as an excuse, but more as a reason to look for improvement.  I filmed and edited the final cut running a high fever and a number of other cold symptoms.  Regardless of my opinion on whether or not I think this film would have turned out better if I weren’t sick, I know that this is the kind of work I am capable of at my worst.  In other words, I know that I have a lot to work on and a lot I can do better, in sickness or in health I can find new ways to improve my work.  Whether it be new angles to shoot from or new editing techniques to use, this film has shown me that I still have a lot to learn.

[Prod 200]

After editing together the visual sequence, I felt that it conveyed the story a bit better.  Granted, the plot itself is pretty straightforward and generic, but by adding music and sound effects, the overall quality of it was improved.  The quirky music keeps the tone of the sequence lighthearted and positive throughout, whereas before without the music, there was more of a melancholy tone in the beginning and it gradually grew into more of a pleasant atmosphere.  In terms of visual storytelling, I think that there is room for a lot of changes.  When I originally shot the images, it was under very short time constraints and as a result meant I took them all from the same angle.  Should I have the chance to go back and do it again, I would be sure to include more angles and better shots.  Two, in particular, would be a reaction shot of the lone boy’s face when he is upset and another when he is happy.  Overall though, I’m satisfied with how it turned out because it tells the story I wanted to tell clearly and coherently.

-Gavin Toy

[Prod 398]  Web Series Concepts

Obviously in order to create a web series you have to know what you’re making.  And to know what you’re making, you need to come up with ideas.  The problem is, they can’t just be any random thought that pops into your head.  Knowing the medium you’re working with, the funding available, and the time you have are all crucial in telling you what is and isn’t possible.  If you want to make a low-budget web series that can have an episode shot in probably one to two weekend’s worth, then you don’t have a lot of room to work with.  And once you’ve figured all of that out, you still need to come up with a good idea that targets the right audience and does so effectively.  All of this, of course, is much easier said than done.  But, as the saying goes, it is better to try and fail, than never try at all.  So, without further ado, here are my top three ideas for what I want my web series to be about:

Idea 1

Title: Fingers Crossed

Logline: A young filmmaker decides to try and create his own real life drama but quickly finds out that fate does not like being toyed with.

Synopsis: Fingers Crossed tells the story of a man who attempted to “pull the strings” and make it seem as though two random strangers were meant to be together.  Following him as he attempts to bring two people together, he comes to terms with the fact that fate does not like being controlled and that it likes to take charge in unexpected ways.

Audience: Young adults

Idea 2

Title: Brothers in Arms

Logline: Two brothers learn how to trust and depend on each other after the tragic loss of their parents.

Synopsis: Brothers in Arms is the tale of how two brothers learn how to accept change and overcome their differences.  The simultaneous loss of both of their parents forces Kevin and Kyle to get along and work together for the first time in their lives.  This series follows the difficult road that can only be described as brotherly love.

Audience: Males of all ages, especially those with siblings

Idea 3

Title: Ride With Me

Logline: Veteran Uber drivers talk about all of the crazy shenanigans that only they get to witness while driving others around.

Synopsis: Ride With Me is the retelling of various Uber drivers’ most interesting, wildest, and insane rides they have ever given.  It is completed with reenactments of the events and personal commentary for audiences’ enjoyment.

Audience: People who use Uber/Lyft frequently, young adults

“Away We Happened” - Web Series Review

Overall, this web series exemplified the kind of things I wanted to have in mine.  It had relatable characters, a fun, yet interesting plot, and a pleasant aesthetic.  It’s not surprising that the series, coming from Wong Fu, was a huge hit and garnered millions of views.  Especially focusing on the fact that they use Asian actors for almost all of their characters is extremely refreshing.  Being an Asian filmmaker and actor myself, who wants to bring more Asians into the business, I can say that I look up to and love everything that Wong Fu does and stands for.  The greatest part about their work is that although they, for the majority, use only Asians, their videos appeal to a much larger audience.  This show, for example, is something that could be enjoyed by anyone ranging from a young teen going through puberty to a loving couple looking to spend a comfortable night in together.  It was a very good series in my opinion and one that I highly recommend seeing.