FILM

Wow. What an experience today has been!
Really threw me into a "real world" perspective type thing.

I awoke to my dismay this morning at 5 o'clock A.M. after receiving five hours of sleep. I had planned out what I was going to wear the night before, as my mind is generally numb at that time in the morning and with as little sleep I got.
It felt so weird to drive to UMHB at such an early time. Let me tell you how afraid I was about falling asleep while driving! My anxiety was so high that it completely nulled the effects of my medication (I'll be sure to let my psychiatrist know that I'm ready for a higher dosage).
After surviving the drive up to school (with the help of blasting my iPod), IT WAS STILL DARK OUT! I made it to school at 5:50, so I sat around in my car and drank my breakfast replacement shake.
I'm not a breakfast person, but I knew I needed the energy from the sugars and vitamins. Chocolate flavor it definitely my favorite! It doesn't taste fake or gross!
But that's an aside.

As soon as I walked into the York Science building the work began. I helped bring in supplies and food/snacks/drinks/eating utensils from the parking lot all the way up to the third floor.
Thank God for elevators. ;)

It was SUPER busy from 6 a.m. all the way to 8 o'clock. We were setting up the sets, lighting, and sound/cameras, as well as getting the actors prepared for their lines, make-up, and costumes.

We started running a little late and half an hour off schedule. But we finally started to film!
One thing I will say, is that in the film industry no matter what your part, you are expected to know EVERYTHING you need to do. I wouldn't say that higher-ups are rude, but they aren't sweet to you and they don't say please. So you really need to turn off your normal emotional responses, and try to get in your head that these people aren't being rude, they're just SUPER specific to how they want things, and get VERY upset when you're wrong.
I wanted to cry several times, but I'm a big girl, so I held it in. ;)

I always sort of had an idea that it took a long time to make a film, but who knew in order to film an 11 minute movie, it would take 15 hours!!! Twelve hours today (6-6), and we're filming for another 3 or 4 tomorrow (Sunday)!

Another thing I sort of expected but didn't all at the same time is that scenes are shot out of order. We in particular are going backwards. There are 6 scenes in all, and we filmed scenes 6-2 today.

But you don't film a scene just once! There are a few rehearsal run throughs initially before each scene is filmed. Then it takes about 2-3 minutes to prepare! Starting with the announcement "QUIET ON SET!" and finally ending with the director shouting "ACTION!". Talk about crazy.
Then each scene is filmed as a "master shot"; a camera view that gives the viewer a visual on the setting, and shows all the characters acting together. Then the scene gets shot again for each of the actor's close ups. Actually, it's called a medium shot (this is how most T.V. shows are filmed). And each of these get filmed 2, or 3, or even 5 times depending on if something goes wrong! Anything can go wrong! Sound (like an airplane all of a sudden, or someone out in a hall way or even the air conditioner turning on!!!). An actor can mess up his/her lines or actions. Or the director or director of cinematography could not be "feeling" scene.

Sometimes close ups from different angles are required too!

Just absolute craziness! No; not craziness.
Managed chaos.
Yes. That's the correct definition.
If you didn't know while watching the movie, you'd never know that only a few INCHES away from the lens of the camera, just off view, was me. Holding the reflector for the lighting.
I find that incredibly cool.

However, I'm not planning to changing my career path to anything during production.
Today has shown me that I chose wisely in that I want to be a part of POST production.

Though I wish I was part of the editing crew, this was still a neat experience for me.
What I had in my head about what producing a film would be like, today FAR surpassed my expectations.

:)

By the by, here's a shameful self promotion that the film we shot today, "The Last Waltz", will be screening at UMHB on April 20th and the 21st in Brindley Auditorium at 11 am, and Lord Conference Center at 12:30 pm respectively.
MY NAME WILL BE IN THE CREDITS AS GRIP! :D

But no. I'm not prideful that my name will be in the credits. That is a common misconception.
;)