The Blog of a Young Filmmaker

I have learned a lot this semester about not only filmmaking itself, but myself as a filmmaker. I have been able to learn more about the editing process (which I really enjoy) and I am glad to have gotten back into producing films. However, I wish I had gotten to write more in terms of scripts or screenplays. In any case, FST-201 has taught me a lot about the importance of teamwork. In high school, I carried the workload on my own--like an experimental filmmaker would. However, I have found that working in a small group is a lot more fun and a bit less stressful since I do not have to carry all of the production on my shoulders. There were times where working in a group was inconvenient, but I learned how to be a team player in this class.

Next semester, I am taking all film, English, and creative writing classes since I am finished with my university studies requirements. As of right now, I am taking Intro to Screenwriting, Writing about Film, Women in Film, Intro to Spanish Cinema, and Fiction I. I am very excited to be taking classes that relate to my major and minor.  Because of the competitiveness of enrollment, I was not able to get as many production classes that I wanted. I want to take advanced production courses and courses relating to editing.  I am happy to be taking Intro to Screenwriting since it pertains to the career I want. I would like to be a professional screenwriter in the future. As for the other courses, I did not originally intend to take Intro to Spanish Cinema. However, because of scheduling, it was the only other film course I could take. I realized that I do not know anything about Spanish cinema, especially since it was not covered in FST-205. I think it will be an interestin...

Cucalorus is a film festival that is held in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is an amazing opportunity to meet with filmmakers and view independent films that you cannot see anywhere else. The cheapest package offered cost $60 and individual tickets cost between $10-$15. Due to the finacial restrictions on my strict, limited budget, however, I was unable to purchase any tickets, leaving me unable to go to Cucalorus. While I could have (and would have liked to) volunteered and earn my tickets, my schedule had (and still has) very little room for anything else outside of academic studying. Additionally, my family, who I have not seen since August, traveled all the way from Pennsylvania to surprise me for my birthday. Next year, I want to volunteer at Cucalorus and, if not, at least be able to purchase a few tickets to see some of the incredible films and shorts shown at the festival. I deeply regret not leaving enough room in my budget for tickets, but hopefully, in the future, I will...

In the midst of making these projects, I accidentally mixed up the order of blog posts. I completely forgot to reflect on working with sound! When it comes to working with sound, I have never been a fan. Recording audio--good audio--is a bit harder than it looks. It takes a lot of patience and finess to make sure you are capturing the best audio and that background noises are not overpowering the dialogue. Because we decided to shoot our master shot scene in the Clocktower Lounge, I had to deal with the issue of high ceilings. The high ceilings created a bit of an echo and a lot of background noise was recorded. In post, I had to adjust the audio levels in order for the dialogue to be loud enough. This experience has made me realize that I prefer the processes of previsualization and editing in post-prodcution, but I still had a fun time working with my master shot scene group and learning more about sound recording.