Anyways, instead of boring you to death about how much I loved this class, I should probably review something! How about the lessons I learned during the production of this trailer and other projects in general?
This trailer did take a while to make even though we did not finish it all. Through the process of the creation of this trailer, I have learned 5 unique things about the production of a project.
Lesson Number One: Cast The Right Wayne
Many students in my class wanted to be Wayne in this trailer, however, I am so thrilled about the actor we have chosen for such a big role. When I showed the finished project to my family, they all said that Carter played Wayne exceptionally well. His energy poured through into the trailer, always leaving me and anyone else who watches it smiling and laughing along with him. I could not be more happy about this casting decision.
I have learned to always wait until the perfect person for the role presents itself.
Lesson Number Two: Kaitlin Salole is not Meant to be a Director (or a narrator for that matter)
I love media and creating videos, do not get me wrong. I just hate directing people, bossing them around, telling them what to do and when to do it, how loud they have to be and for how long. I do not like controlling people (or at least trying to). I am a much better producer. While editing the footage I captured for the trailer, I felt sorry for everyone because I was so repetitive with what I was saying, "3.... 2.... quiet on set!...1... action!". I felt like I was too bossy and too "in charge". I much prefer to be the one behind the camera listening to somebody else take charge of the shot.
As for being a narrator? No. I cant. I would much rather be a news anchor.
Lesson Number Three: Always Save Your Work as Much as Possible
I CAN NOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH.
SAVE YOUR WORK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
Why?
This was not the first version of the trailer. My computer crashed in the middle of the first exporting of the file, and without a reason, refused to open up the original trailer.
Just take my word for it and save your work all the time.
Lesson Number Four: Take, Re-Take, Repeat
Fun fact, I took over 150 takes for this trailer that is not even two minutes long. Never underestimate the amount of takes you should take for each scene. Always change up the lighting, the settings on your camera and experiment to see what works best with your project. Get creative with the technicalities of the movie and have fun, after all, thats what it is all about, isn't it?
Lesson Number Five: Have Fun
As I said previously, have with the project you are creating. Have fun from the very beginning. When you are told that you have the chance to work with some of your friends on a movie of your own, have fun brainstorming ideas. Think of the most wild, insane, creative idea that you could possibly imagine and look forwards to having the chance to bring it into reality through film. Write the screenplay. Take your time with the script and have fun imagining what each character is supposed to say and how they will say it. Make your characters come alive within the screenplay. Have fun with it. Have fun with the storyboards for your project. Embrace that inner Hitchcock and pour your heart and soul into the drawings of your characters. Find the right people to work with. Be a team player. Work as hard as everyone else, take a step back and let others run with your ideas for a bit and see where it takes them and your characters. Cast the right people for the role. It may take awhile to find someone who matches the idea of your character in your head, but you will find your actor. But do not limit yourself and close your mind to someone who matches the character completely. If you are feeling risky, cast a fantastic actor who takes the role and adapts it to their own personality and makes the character their own. Sometimes change is good. Have fun with your actors, be patient with them. Not everyone is born a star, but if you work with them long enough and well enough, you can transform them and you will see them evolve into someone completely different (in a good way- trust me) by the end of the project. Have fun with that. Have fun with the filming. Use your storyboards but do not limit yourself to them. Look at the shots you thought of and then have fun coming up with different ones. Take in other peoples opinions too, you will need it. Have fun with that. Have fun with the endless hours of shooting one scene. Try different lighting, different angles, different anything until you get the perfect shot that you have been waiting for. Have fun bonding with your actors and building memories that you will remember forever. Have fun in post production. Have fun importing all of your clips to your project and being the first one to see the raw footage. Remember what this footage looks like before you work your magic and transform it into your masterpiece. Have fun spending hours and hours on your videos, putting off all of your math or chemistry homework so that you can edit a video. Tell your friends that this class is so much more than just an open class and the homework deserves more time than your university level classes because you know that this is so much more valuable to you than math or chemistry ever will be in your future. Its more than homework or a school project, its a life style. Learn from your profs (even if they mock your favourite artists). They know more than you do, so always have fun listening to all of the wacky stories that they have to offer. You will find inspiration in them. Have fun with that. Have fun editing and editing the footage, knocking it down to every last perfect transition between clips. Spend hours finding the perfect song. Once you hear it you will know. Have fun with the nights you lose tons of sleep so that you can do a power edit with coffee by your side because those are the best nights. Have fun showing your friends and family the finished project before you export it because there will always be something that you should change, or a change that has to be made. They have not seen it as many times as you have and fresh eyes and ears always catch mistakes. When you're happy with your project and you know its your best work, find the perfect title. Let it play around in your mind for a few days, have fun waiting and waiting for the perfect title to pop into your mind, it is on its way, trust me. Have fun exporting it and posting it on social media for all of your friends and family to see. Be proud of your work. You did this. You created this wonderful video that you have took the time and effort to make. You have earned all the praise that is coming your way. Have fun showing your family members and your friends. Have fun watching your old work and seeing how far you have come. Have fun and with every single living fibre in your body and experience your film. Make sure that you have expressed yourself through your medium of text because thats important. Almost as important as being happy and having fun with creating videos. Because after all, having fun is the most important part. And if you are not having fun, then what is the point of making the video in the first place?
#FunFactOfTheBlog-- I love making videos. It is as simple as that.
See you all later,
Kaitlin Salole
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