Learning new filters

 Hey guys! Today I was thinking about my short film and how I could use filters to help me achieve the perfect mise en scene. I wanted to do this now because I want to see how it will look, to know whether I should but a lot of color coded props or not. It would be nice to have good filters and effects because it saves my money. The only exceptions are the clothing the main character will wear, as I know it's going to be moving and an effect might not look good (learned it from last year's project).

Playing With Color Tints

I love how simple this is. It can help me a lot on getting the vibe that I want.

Then I watched a video on color isolation.

 

Color Isolation

BASIC METHOD

⁃ effects->color correction->leave color-> “color to leave”-> select the color you want to isolate (you can adjust the tolerance to see how much yellow can be found, for example)

⁃ something to consider would be clicking on match colors-> color hue, so that only the colors I want show up.
⁃ quick and nice

COMPLEX METHOD

⁃ more customizable
⁃ go to effects panel, search up “lumetri color”
⁃ take it and place it onto the video
⁃ go to effect controls
⁃ in lumetri color, click on “curves”
⁃ “hue saturation curves”
⁃ take color dropper and put on desired color
⁃ you can keep clicking the dropper and it will add more shades
⁃ to desaturate the other shades, pull their dots down
⁃ more accurate

Changing the color of objects

instructions for changing colors in adobe premiere pro

METHOD 1- change to color effect

effects-> video effects-> change to color-> effect controls-> change to color effect
-hit color dropper and click the color that you wanna change in the box “from”
-click in the color you want it to change into in the box “to”
it is going to be on hue. You can change it but it might look weird, for that 

you can adjust the tolerance.

METHOD 2- hue vs hue

⁃ window-> lumetri color
⁃ hue saturation curves-> hue vs hue
⁃ pick euedropper and put on color
⁃ to perfect the color around edges and other harsher places, you can also select them with

 an eyedropper.

- if you want that color on a specific object and not all objects that have this color, you can create a mask at effect controls->lumetri color->choose a tool

⁃ after that, you’re going to click on mask path and keyframe how long you want it 

to last for

METHOD 3- HSL secondary

⁃ lumetri color-> HSL secondary
⁃ use first eyedropper and pick color
⁃ click on color/gray to see what you are selecting
⁃ you can use the second color picker and drag it all around the object to get

 the right colors

⁃ you can also go to the third (minus color picker) and subtract out an 

undesired color.
⁃ the S can help see how much you selected. the triangles at the edges show 

how much you can fade it.
⁃ to change the actual color of the object, go on the color hue bow and 

choose it.
⁃ if it doesn’t look good, you can click the three tiny circles on the corner

 of the color wheel, its going to open to the midtones, highlights and shadows.

(Day 6) Thinking about the setting

 Hey guys!!! I was thinking about some elements that were important to my production. Because of my plot, I think it would be very important to start thinking about setting early on. 

- I wanted to start off with a very yellow, monochromatic setting. The girl’s outfit is yellow, as well as elements surrounding her.

- I could find a yellow dress on amazon, and try out filters in adobe that could make things look yellow. On the last project I made, I learned how to apply an effect that filtered out colors and focus on one. 

- I do have some red, green and blue outfits that I could wear, so I don’t think I have to worry too much about it.

- some elements I would need would be colorful markers, a calendar and an alarm clock (if I find one that isn’t too expensive, it would look good for the aesthetics). 

- I want to film inside of my house for the scenes of the girl waking up and going to sleep, and I wanted to film a public place as well to represent the girl’s routine.

- I’d also need a place where I can make a fire for the last scene where the girl burns the calendar, it could be a very open and nature-ish place. 

- I could also have some scenes of the character doing exercise, helping display her level of motivation in different colors.

- I could add some naturally yellow elements for the “yellow” scenes: lemons, yellow pillows, sun, sunflowers, smiley face stickers

- for red, I could have some strawberries, stop signs, raspberries, ketchup, roses, hobiscus tea, apples, etc.

- for blue, I could show the sky, water, blueberries

- for green, I could have lots of plants. Trees, house plants, etc. 

- for the colorless world, I shouldn’t worry too much because of how I will just add a black and white filter

(Day 5) Genre Hunting

1- What are experimental films?

According to StudioBinder, "An experimental film is a project bucks the trends of conventional cinema and pushes the medium of film in unexplored ways. The spectrum of experimental films is extremely broad; this genre encompasses a great many types of projects of varying lengths, styles, and goals."

2- How is my short film going to be an experimental piece?

The piece I am creating is very different from any label for genres, it is not a comedy not a horror, but rather a random mixture that works very well. I am not working based on a genre, but rather a message. I want to make an experimental film because it allows me to think outside of the box and try out new styles that seem intimidating. When I first heard about "experimental" it seemed like something scary, I mean, how could I make something while experimenting AND make sure that it was good? The answer was that I just had to like what I was doing. The experimental genre shouldn't be a restraint, but rather total freedom. 

   The diversity/importance of colors on my project

I think that this piece is not fitting of other genres because of how it tells a story through unconventional ways. It doesn't have an everyday narrative where dialog is the main way to go through the plot, the focus is rather on colors and the character's reactions to those colors. It's not about outside situations, but rather a conflict within people. 

 I am a little confused as to whether my piece could be deemed as experimental. I watched some experimental pieces like "Shapes and Colors" in hope to find something that resonated with how I want my story, but it was very different.

Although I do think it's pretty cool, it doesn't match what I am trying to make.

I think the experimental films I've watched are a little too surreal, it wouldn't work with my project. That means, I am in a hunt for a genre, a label per se. I want to talk in class with my teacher to see if there is any genre my story could fit with. But what if it doesn't fit with any genre? Is that a problem? I hope it isn't...

     

Sources

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-experimental-film-definition/ 

(Day 4) Color Theory- Part 2- Color Terms/Schemes

 Hey guys! Great to see you! Today, I am going to research color theory. It is extremely important to know this well because of my story, and how different colors will help develop the plot. 

- there are two types of color schemes: balanced color schemes ( also called "color harmonies" or "color chords" and discordant schemes. 

Composition of colors

Tint

A tint is any color that has white added to it, turning lighter and softer. 

Shade

Shade is any color that has black added to it, making it more intense and rich.

Tone

When any color has gray added. Makes it look more dull and less bright.

3 Main Components

Hue- color itself

Saturation-intensity of color

Brightness- how dark/light a color is

Color Combinations

Monochromatic

Monochromatic schemes have the same hue in different tints and shades. It enhances that color's effect on the audience. 

Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom

A monochromatic scheme can also tell the viewers what a scene should look like. A good example is in Grand Budapest Hotel, where the scene is very colorful and has a very soft tint, but the scene going on is supposed to be serious. It gives the overall atmosphere a comedic sense of irony, and makes viewers not take the discussion too seriously.

Complementary

Complementary colors are opposing colors in the color wheel.

For example, red is the opposite of green, light orange is the opposite of dark blue, yellow is the opposite of purple.

When using complementary colors, the eyes of the viewers are brought to the contrasting object. A good example is the poster from The Dark Knight, where the dark, moody blue-green shade is complemented by a bright red-orange. The red-orange bat sign is the attention grabber.

Complementary colors can also help foreshadow a character's behavior and reveal personality traits. For example, in the movie Despicable Me 2, where the minions encounter their opposite: the purple minions. These two colors- yellow and purple- are complementary and therefore show their personalities' difference. While the yellow minion is sweet and happy, the purple minion is evil.

Analogous

                                                                               

Analogous colors are colors next to each other on the color wheel. These are magenta and purple, purple and dark blue, etc. Filmmakers usually choose one part of the color wheel to use: either cool or warm tones. These can create the same mood and overall harmony. This is a great alternative for monochromatic if you don't have everything in the same color but want to achieve a similar balance and vibe. 

Some examples of analogous color schemes in film are:

1. Alice Through The Looking Glass

In this scene, the color scheme is all warm.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

In this scene, the color scheme is cold and transmits feelings of sadness through its choice of  analogous colors.

Triadic

The triadic scheme is used when colors evenly spaced in the color wheel are chosen. An example are primary colors. However, this scheme is not used commonly. It is mostly seen in period pieces that want to represent the 60s or 70s.

Triadic color schemes can be selected by using the "triangle method".

A magazine cover of The Genuine Article.

Sources:

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/cinema-palettes-famous-movie-colors/

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes/

https://tongal.com/blog/tongal-taught-me/color-and-film-learn-the-rules-of-color-theory-and-how-to-break-them#:~:text=Wes%20Anderson%20is%20well%2Dknown,style%2C%20and%20characters'%20eccentricities.&text=Monochromatic%20color%20schemes%20have%20a%20dark%20side%2C%20too.

https://blog.knitpicks.com/color-theory-part-2-exploring-hue-value-tint-shade-tone/

(Day 3) Color Theory- Part 1- Individual Colors and their Psychological Effect

 Hi everyone! Today I will be discussing colors! On this blog, I will go through the first part, which is each color's meaning and effect on film and media. The research on this topic is a lot, so it's better to divide it!

Warm hues

Red

- energy, passion, power, excitement

- Danger, war, blood, fire, energy

- Stimulates faster heartbeat and breathing

-color of love, sexy connotation

- Appetite stimulant

(Day 2) Finding Ideas

 Hey guys!! It's great to see you again! 

Lately I've spent my time thinking of ideas for my short film (I've decided that since our last time together!) and I think I have a good one.

A world where you can choose how your day goes through your calendar, a girl has many markers with different colors to fill out her day. Everyday though, for the past years, she has been using the same yellow marker. One day, she sees that her yellow marker has scarce ink, and begins to get desperate. She gets in a manic episode where she tries to buy more yellow markers, search up what colors make you happy, and notices that there is no way she can stay in her comfort zone. Her only solution was to try out the other colors in she had. The short film showcases her different days as she goes, taking for granted the other colors she has in life. It gets to a point where all her markers end, and she starts living in a colorless world. She suffers, and decides to burn her calendar. The last scene shows a wide short of her in front of a firepit burning the calendar as the colors fade into her life.

The story is about how we want to feel some way for the day, and how we can't expect ourselves to feel happy and optimistic all the time. We need a balance, and we need to stay true to ourselves. The calendar shows the restraint in the character's choice for feeling what she really feels. Burning it meant that she would see all colors on her day to day life, feel free to let her choices throughout the day lead to how she feels.

The title of the short film would be "couleurs" or "cores" or "hue" or maybe even "calendário". I might change my mind though.

A great inspiration for the misé-en-scene of this piece would be Wes Anderson's.

this would be used for the "yellow days", for example.

The next blogs I make will be research on Wes Anderson's mise en scene, color theory and genre. 

I think this idea can be done really well, and I love exploring mise-en-scene elements, it's something I personally really find important.  Some of my favorite movies are my favorite because of their atmosphere. This story gives me a great chance to practice! 

Introducing The Website to A Level

 Hey guys!! I am SO excited to be back! I am using this website this time to document my progress and process for the AICE Media A Level portfolio project.

To begin, I wanted to reflect for a second on what I did wrong on the AS level project:

• The blog postings should be more regular (have a schedule!!!)

• The editing- learn more techniques, cut at the right times, etc. Make the shots smoother and the story easier to understand!

• Better equipment- get a good camera, get a good microphone! Remember to learn how to operate them!

• The CCR- now it’s an essay! Consider the information in the questions, start working on it early so quality is good.

I wanted to really pay more attention to my time management this time. I am so happy because I get to have another chance at making a portfolio project. These are some of the things I liked about last year's project:

• The mise-en-scene elements- I really liked how I was a perfectionist with the color theory, the costumes, the lighting, etc.
• The creativity- I hope I can make something as creative as last year's project.

I also wanted to have great quality on my CCR. I remember that I got feedback from it last year, not so good...Which it's totally okay, I get to have a second chance now! These are the questions I should keep in mind when developing the project:

• How do your products represent social groups or issues?

• How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of ‘branding’?

• How do your products engage with the audience?

• How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?

DECISIONS TO MAKE ABOUT THE PROJECT

I also wanted to talk a little about the options I have for this project. I can choose between a music promotion package, a film promotion package, a documentary package and a short film package.

The ones that appeal to me the most are the the film promotion package and the short film package.

I have the option to work with a friend (Larissa T.) but we are still discussing whether we should be on the same project or just help each other. No matter the decision, we are always gonna have a helping hand.

I also don't know the genre for the piece I will be making, so I you readers are probably going to see lots of experimentation through mood boards and research :) 

SCHEDULE FOR TIME MANAGEMENT

Week 1

- introduction to A level

- research on different short films from different genres

Week 2

- choose a genre- research- mood board

- mind maps

- more research on the genre's pieces.

- ?

* I will update the schedules throughout the week!

- That's it for now! See you soon!