Final Title?

Hi guys, so a few post ago I told you guys that my group and I were discussing and brainstorming possible names for our film, as we would need one for the title shot before the opening starts. I had told you guys that I had really liked "Siempre Tu," after the song that our film will be focused on. However, my group and I decided on a better name, "Tulipan Sin Agua." In English, this translates to tulip without water. This has a nice connotation in that tulips are beautiful, but with no water, it has no chance for survival. However, the water does not need the tulip at all, much like our characters. The title also has a nice aesthetic that connects with the vibe we are trying to achieve. We're getting closer and closer to finally finishing the opening, and I can't wait to see my fans response to what we are doing. We put so much time and attention to detail to this project and I believe that it is on a path to success, and I want you guys to follow. Ride with me through the journey. I love all my fans and this would not be possible without you. Stay tuned!

Podcast

Hi guys, so like I stated in one of my previous posts, our male actor will be listening in on a business podcast to hint at the fact that he was maybe heading for an interview. However, I was forced to make a podcast, and I took some influence from fellow business podcasts such as "Start Up" and "How I Built This," two business podcasts that focus on the creation of a company. I decided to name our podcast, "Entrepreneur 101," a new up-and-coming podcast that will focus on how to successfully be an entrepreneur, which is someone who takes a financial risk to open a business in hopes of later turning it into profit. Different episodes will focus on different aspects, but due to time constraints in our opening, I have decided to only focus on what would be the first episode, which describes the basics of being an entrepreneur and 10 tips that no one wants you to know. 

Here is the dialogue we will be using:
M - "Hey guys and welcome to Entrepreneur 101, I'm your host, Mateo, and say hello to the podcast designed to show you the most efficient ways to run a startup. Today, I will be discussing 10 tips to run a start up. First and most important is you have to have the right mindset. Being an entrepreneur takes a financial risk, and if your head isn't in the right place about the money that is being put in, then you're in the wrong career path. Second,..."

THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT

Hi guys, so the most important aspect is sound. For our film, we have set four different sounds that will each have their own part within the opening, all in their own time frame. The four we have are:

1. Business Podcast - While walking and waiting for the train, the boy will be listening to a business podcast. This mixed with the boys clothing hints that he is a business-man, or is training to be one. Me and my group member will be making our own podcast, and we might be the hosts, ahh. 

2. City - The city sounds will provide a natural essence that will make the film seem more genuine. The high quality mic from BECON-TV does an amazing job at isolating and capturing sounds. We could potentially want cars, honks, birds, trains, or people talking, etc. 

3. Poem - The poem explains the whole purpose of the film. We found a friend that has the perfect accent for the poem and has agreed to do it for us. The poem will be from the boys eyes, and he will talk about his story with the girl. 

4. Music - Finally, the music is what pieces the whole story together. The slow melody allows for a tranquil opening with lots of meaning. It's going to be faint in relation to the rest of the sounds, but it should be loud enough that it is heard. 

All in all, the four sounds will work together to tie our whole message together to create a romantic film based on two young adults. 

Editing Process

Hi guys, so my group have started the editing portion for our film. We are using Final Cut Pro as this is the app that my group has readily available for use. We believe this app is amazing for beginner editing as it’s easy to use while still having professional features. I’ve never been fond of editing due to the hard learning curve that comes with it, but Final Cut Pro has slowly taught me the ways of editing.I am still nowhere near pro, but my group member has good editing skills and is willing to teach me everything she knows. 

However, there is a complication. Due to the fact that my group and I haven’t finished filming we are unable to finish the editing, and it is difficult to test fluidity within the opening if we are yet to finish the filming portion.We will test the sound, color, and cuts soon to test how the film looks. 

When will we finish?

Hi guys, so the question still stands, when will we finish? We initially agreed that we would finish it during spring break, but the day was never set. Due to our busy, busy schedules, we will need to collaborate to figure the plan. We came up with alternate endings that will allow us to to create an alternate thought in the mind of the audience, which hints at a breakup between the couple while still not giving too much a way. The alternate ending we have is the boy standing on a balcony, looking at a Polaroid of the girl,  meanwhile he remembers all the memories they had together. This will require us to borrow the camera equipment from BECON-TV again, but that is not a problem. 

Ahhh, the deadline day is slowly creeping on us, but no need for worry, I’ve always been good at time managing. We plan on editing in the next couple of days, and I am free a majority of this spring break, so that will be the most ideal time to finish recording. I'll see you guys soon. 

what’s the name?

Hi guys, so me and my group are in the process of picking out a name. We brought out many options to the table, such as “Nicotina,” “Fumar,”  “Ahogándome,” “Como quererte,” “Siempre Tu,” and “Dolor excito.” We had a lot more ideas but these were the ones that my group and I believed would fit our opening the best. However, I believe that the best option would be “Siempre Tu,” after our song, which translates to always you. In my opinion, this idea fits very well with the general theme of the opening in that he falls in love with this girl who is the complete opposite of him, but they end up breaking up, and the memory of her will always be a part of him. Also, "Siempre Tu" is the name of the song portrayed in our opening. This ultimately connects our story to the name, and it allows for the reader to foreshadow what the film will be about, while not giving everything away. 

WE FILMED>>>

Hi guys, so ITS THE 17th. This is post recording and I have to say I am exhausted. It took about 6 hours to film today and we aren't even done yet. We took hundreds of shots in all different angles to see what would fit best. I had an amazing time with my group and the actors we chose did extremely well, and Ari (female actor) did an amazing job with her ballet routine. I believe that we are on our way to making a great film.

However, we did have a dilemma. So, we began filming at around 3 PM, and it was amazing as the train station had people but it was the right amount of people to make the scene feel more natural. However, as time progressed, more and more people began commuting from the train. At around 7 PM, the train scene had gotten too crowded for us to record, so we decided to walk around and see if we could find a new spot and we tried recording, but it didn't fit the train station. The only solution we had was that we have to go back another day to finish the final shot for the scene.

WE GOT IT!

Hi guys, so I called the Miami Dade County Office to ask if me and my group would be allowed to record at Bay view Park Metro-mover for a school project this Sunday. They told me it would not be a problem, but we have to be safe. They don't want us recording near the tracks as it could potentially be dangerous, and security could become too focused on what we are doing. We have to distance ourselves, but honestly, I couldn't be happier, as we are taking baby steps and we are slowly reaching presentation day. 

We also got the camera gear from a nearby place knows as 'BECON-T' and I am in the midst of learning the mechanics of how to use the gear, as it is very expensive and difficult to maneuver. We received an expensive camera, which looks like this, a large tripod to be able to stabilize our shots, and ring lights to implement bright lights into our opening. We record in less than 5 days, wow! The camera we are using looks a little something like this:

EsTaBLiShiNG ShOt

Hi guys, so on YouTube I found this video, by RhinoCameraGear. It's a short video all on how to shoot establishing shots effectively and how to get our viewers more engaged with the film. My favorite point from the video was the use of three different camera gear to display different forms of establishing shots. Due to the fact that I want to use a drone shot for the establishing shot of my opening, I believe that the one that Rhino used in his video fit my liking the most. 

Here's the video:

I was really intrigued to the concept that our establishing shot has to be perfect. It will set the setting and the mood for the whole film, and I believe that a drone shot from over the train station, mixed with the natural city sounds will present our film well. However, the drone we were going to borrow is not readily available, due the the fact that the owner is on a trip. Hopefully, we can record the establishing shot at a later date and edit it into the video.


RhinoCameraGear. “Shooting ESTABLISHING SHOTS to Make Your Film More Engaging | Move with Rhino - Ep17.” YouTube, YouTube, 2 June 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_h6Eb4MwhI.

Clothing Moodboard

Hi guys, so we have a mood-board for how we want our actors to dress in the film. Due to the fact that the girl is a more outgoing and spontaneous individual, we want to look a little more hippie-like, with a wavy dress and some jewelry. Also, due to the fact that she will be dancing ballet, we would want her to wear ballet shoes so the audience can easily identify what she is doing.
For the guy, he is going to be more business casual. He is a little more shy and to-himself, which is the differences that brings them together early in their lives. He is wearing something a little more business-like, such as a polo or a button-down, as if he is going to work or to an interview.
Overall, I'm really happy on how easy it was for my partner to make this on canva, and I myself am becoming more and more fond of canva.

An actual storyboard?

Hey guys, so my group finally made the final touches and edits to the storyboard, and I have to say, it looks really good. I feel as if the use of a storyboard gives you guys (our audience) some insight as to what the film will look like. The location of our film opening, the train station allows for a lot of open shots with props that will add an emotional connection but can also make the opening seem more whole and genuine. I'm really enjoying blogging to you guys as well as finishing up on the final touches before we begin recording on the 17th, which is already next week! AHHH! I can't wait, and I'll make sure to tell you guys everything about how it went.