PLANNING - My Own Film

My Own Film

Obviously I've been planning and researching for ages now! So here is a page about my own film and it's process! It includes the Screenplay as well as all my changes that I've made!

Hopefully included in this post you can see the great development!

- Screenplay 1st Draft

-Storyboard (I did this on my screenplay)

-Shot list (Again on my screenplay)

-Shooting Schedule 

-Voice Recordings

-Recce Report for Locations along with Risk Assessment

-Casting Notes
-Editing

I don't have any exact screen tests and notes recorded down. But by the below evidence I think it is clear I put in all the work. And came out with a pretty decent first lot of film footage!

Screenplay, Storyboard, Shot list and Shooting Schedule:

 

Here it is the most valuable item that has been treasured and worn. Read and re-read edited over and over. To create my masterpiece! ... Or something like that haha! I decided that it would be better if I kept everything on one document. But, I do realise this is very messy for anyone who has not been there adding to said a document over the weeks! So do not fear a tour is here! 

I wrote my screenplay on Celtx and actually based my main character on my sister as I thought that would help with casting big time! Similarly with Alex the main boy I based him on one of my friends who offered to play the part, annoyingly a day before filming he shaved all of his hair off and dyed it red - crazy life of the movie star I suppose. Anyway in draft 2 you can see highlighted all the sections of the script that were changed slightly. For example no hair tousling could take place, also due to no printed off camera the said photograph ended up being a love note. All these were only minor changes and all meaning was still kept so I'm not to fussed! That's showbiz baby!

Talking more about my Screenplay it is clear to see there is no dialogue! This is because I cleverly decided I would record sound afterwards. And that my friends is what I did! I have attached my script that in the final film is running over the main footage just so that you special people get the full experience. 

I know what an emotional text! 

Voice Recordings:

And for such an emotional text I needed great voice actors! Even when putting the final pieces of my film together I wasn't content with all the voices, everyone had tried their best but some of the voices just weren't how I wanted them. So very near to the end of my project I took it upon myself to be one of the voices! Who is going to do it more the way I want than myself? It was good fun doing the voice recordings. I had already put all of my footage into a story line by this time so adding the voice over to it along with the sound effects gave my film the life I was looking for.

Recce Report and Risk Assessment:

It is very important before filming to check out the area and know it will be camera friendly. I actually chose a different cafe initially, before choosing the one I filmed in. On visiting my first Cafe, I realised immediately the issue with filming. It's location was easier for actors to get to but, all of the walls were covered in mirrors! Yes I know a filmmakers wort nightmare. I stared glumly at my reflection on all of the walls and knew it just wouldn't do. The second cafe however, (Somewhere I used to work) was a blessing. I was able to have the cafe for a whole day meaning that I could film my flashbacks all day and then wait for the night lighting to film the other parts! And NOT A MIRROR IN SIGHT!

Even though I knew this Cafe pretty well from having worked there I had to Assess those risks! Luckily I had thought ahead as per usual ;) And had casted a real Barista to be my you guessed it - Barista! SO... that meant she had had risk assessments for her actual job and was very safe to be working around all of the cafe equipment (Who knew such terrifyingly, dangerous things could be found in coffee shops!)

Casting Notes:

As I've said above. I wrote my characters based on people I knew. It just meant it would be easier, it would skip the audition stage and stop me being disappointed with who I had on camera. It allowed for me to have an easy time writing my script as well because, it wasn't all fiction I didn't have to make up the way any character looked, because ... that's right... they already exist!

Editing:

When all my footage was complete and I'd had a busy day filming finally finished, it was off to editing. I used Apple Software and Adobe Premier Pro. I had cleverly written down the timings that I had recorded footage I wanted to use on my original sheet so when slotting everything into the timeline I just slotted them in order to begin with! This saved lots of hassle. Next I chopped and changed my work around. One of the most drastic changes was when I decided to have my flashback nearer to the beginning. To give the film and Achronological order. This means that my original screenplay isn't the same as how my timeline structures. You can see on this edited screenplay where I have moved parts around.

This makes my film flow so much better and allowed me to add sound in that gave the film even more effect on everyone viewing it! Who knew even at the final editing stage I would be chopping and changing.

The life of a filmmaker really is all GO!