CCR

When exporting the audio got displaced so its out of sync >~< sorry.

ccr

:) reflection time. and by reflection time i mean time for me to beat myself up

Gosh, where do I start? This project was a rollercoaster of high expectations, what felt like brick walls, and the overwhelming urge to either punch something or give up entirely. I didn't do either of those things, btw. But I did freak out, a lot. At first, the whole project was going rather smoothly, and other than some personal issues with actually getting myself to do the required work, I was super excited. And then Ms. Rona hit the scene and Jesus did it throw me for a loop. The second quarantine started, my brain basically shut down. I'm not kidding, my depression was fine because I was still on my antidepressants, but my ADD? My ADD saw its chance and freaking ran with it. All the productivity I had worked so hard to create in the past few months since being diagnosed, out the window. My executive function crashed, any semblance of routine was gone and even better, I was stuck at home with my entire family and zero way to escape or be independent. Oh my god was quarantine was hard. And obviously, my project took a massive hit. As soon as we got into quarantine, any and all school work, or anything related to school work just stopped happening entirely. My brain looked at it and was like yea no, lol. So I just stopped working on my project for a whole 2 freaking weeks. Except it didn't get any better from there, because we were still on quarantine and uh oh, my project was still due.

So I handled it like a champ! And by that I mean I freaked out, bombarded Mrs. Stoklosa with emails, and generally freaked out more. I had to change the script, the actors, literally everything except for the core parts of the script. Jeez, I even ended up changing the name of the film cause I like totally forgot I didn't have a gold crown that I could use, and I couldn't even buy one on Amazon that would arrive in time. Then the real work began, cause sure, I can change stuff, but having to implement and follow through with the whole project, two weeks away from the deadline? That was really really rough. 

Ultimately, a lot of things went wrong. Filming locations didn't work out, my brother was a pain in the butt to work with, my parents were also pain in the butts, and I hated every single thing I filmed. And I know I sound like I'm being dramatic, but that's cause I actually am being dramatic. That was another really big problem. Because of quarantine, all my emotions and frustrations were magnified 100% because I didn't have any other distractions or outlets. And that made the project even harder, cause I never really had the chance to step back and reflect on my project, it was just constant panic. 

So that's kind of how my project went, which sucks because I really loved what I was beginning to create before quarantine, and then I let the whole situation get the best of me, and I ended up letting this project become rushed and not what I originally wanted. 

There was still some good that came out of it though. For one, I think I did a really great job on the editing. It was probably one of the hardest parts, because I did it all in one 5 hour period, and I ended up having to reshoot some stuff, and cobble together extra seconds from random shots I had, but all together, I like the way the editing came out. 

I also really, really love the key art I made. It felt so quirky and bright and looking at it, I see parts of the film I originally wanted to create, and that makes me happy, cause it means that even through all of this struggle, I was still able to create at least one thing that the me from a couple of months ago would be happy with. I also just love graphic design an insane amount, which is something I learned thanks to this class. Even outside of class, I'm always using Canva and other graphic design software to make fun stuff, like a cute character I made for my friend. 

All in all, as much as I beat myself up for messing up so badly, I still appreciate the project I created. It shows growth, perseverance, and one of the first times of me not giving up just because my brain decided to take a hike. I hope one day I get to return to this script and make something that fulfills every single one of the ideas and hopes I had for the film.

Alright folks, I'm heading out

Not really, but I am finally done! The links to the different components are below.

Website: https://olliesmason.wixsite.com/theblackcrown

Video: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1PAVqLuMeEor5c0uPLCdoacaP-fgnby6u

Postcard: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HXEn_hcTxRtaS-CIi0KxktvkDQWgPya-

I'll hit y'all with the reflection and the CCR later. Bye!

-Isa Ollie Mason

So maybe I've been exaggerating

BECAUSE HOLY COW I LOVE THE KEY ART I DESIGNED AND WOW THIS PROJECT COULD NOT BE GOING BETTER. Jk, I still have a ton of work left to do but HEY, at least its getting down. So yea here's my key art. Was it hard as heck to make? Yea, yea it kind of was. But I'm super proud of it. At first, when I started off I hated it. It felt too dull, too not me. But then I kept at it, I added the quirky little touches that I felt would suit this kind of film in terms of genre, and I actually fell totally in love with what I ended up with. Do I love it as much as I love the other movie poster I made a while back? Naw not really, but to be fair, nothing could ever top the sci-fi masterpiece that was that poster, so I'm very much happy with it.

 -Isa Ollie Mason

Second day, same trials

The second day of filming was hell. We started off on Route 27 and at first, it looked promising. And then everything went to hell. There weren't really places to stop, and everywhere was just kinda meh in terms of potential shooting locations. So we kinda just drove all over town. We went to Markham park, but it was closed, and the one area that kinda looked good for filming we got kicked out of, and then we went here and there BUT. But then my brother remembered the empty field and wetland area next to our old church and lo and behold it was perfect.

Except for the fact I got a bunch of cuts on my legs from the sawgrass and my brother wouldn't stop complaining and complaining and complaining. Eh. You win some, you lose some. We still didn't get everything done, which sucks cause I'm literally down to the line in terms of this project, but I do have enough to edit together most, if not all of it, and I can always go back out and shoot more. I guess I should be more worried in terms of time, and I'm really beating myself up over doing such a bad job managing my time and letting it get away from me, but most of the time I'm just numb to be very honest. It's kind of awful, to be honest. But hopefully, I'll be able to keep my productivity up enough to finish this project (and then eventually go back and redo it all cause I actually really love this script and I hated how it all went so bad.)

Well, until the next time we meet,
-Isa Ollie Mason

Revisions, Revisions, Revisions

Alright, so some changes. I'm not filming in a parking lot anymore! Yay? Lol, so after having a meeting with my teacher about my project I'm more confident in it coming out good but also I got a lot of good ideas from the meeting. One of those is the location. Since I couldn't shoot in a forest anymore, I decided to use the mall parking lot, but after talking to Mrs. Stoklosa for a bit, we came to the conclusion that it would be a hard thing to show that it was a mall, especially since I can't go inside, because duh it's closed, so the effect of an empty mall would kind of be lost. Plus, personally, I want a place that's more mystical, more adventurous, and the mall parking lot really wasn't doing it for me.

In that vein, I remembered Route 27, a highway behind my town that I like to take sometimes for the scenic view. On one side is a foresty area and on the other is a huge sea of grass, and especially at sunset, it looks absolutely gorgeous. Also, there are places to stop along the way, so it would probably be super ideal for shooting in. My only worry is that there might be wildlife like snakes and stuff that could injure us, but hopefully, I can find an area where that's not the case and we'll be fine. I'll update you more on changes, but for now, that's all!

-Isa Ollie Mason

Yay! Costume Design!

Now that we're on the second day of filming I figured I would talk about my favorite part of any film process, the costume design. I saved this for the second day of filming because today is the day we film all the alternate world films, so I wanted to save it for today.

So I felt like an important part of differentiating between the real world and the alternate world, especially since I can't film in the forest, would be to make the outfits between the two worlds dramatically different. I also wanted to highlight the character's real personality through the clothes he wore, so I wanted to definitely create a look that was unconventionally, but would still suit a teenage boy.  So after some thought, I kinda realized that I would kind of just use my own style, which includes a lot of oversized clothing, graphic t-shirts, jackets, stuff that is kind of artsy but also represents a sense of dreaminess, not quite there.

So this is the look I came up with! Its simple, and it might not seem like a big deal, but to me, it feels like it represents what I see in my brain when I picture the vibe of this film. I was originally going to add makeup, but the actor really didn't want to wear makeup and Jesus christ I did not feel like fighting him on this.

So there's the look! My next posts are going to be an updated shot list, more filming day stuff, and a self-reflection of this project and the obstacles. The last post I'm going to be dreading the most because a lot of stuff has gone wrong and in terms of my mental health, it's really hard for me to confront those things, but I feel like I have to in order to really be honest about my project and feel some sort of satisfaction about this project.

First Scene done!

I shot and edited one 30 second scene and I already feel like death... can't wait for what tomorrow brings!

Okay so actually being serious, hello! Today was the first of two days of filming and it actually went pretty great. Like I said before, working with my brother is like pulling teeth, and oh boy did he live up to that sentiment. Anyways, so we got the second scene, the sidewalk scene, done and it actually only took about 20 minutes to shoot. Like I said in my vlog, I left my tripod in school so I was forced to come up with a DIY solution, and it actually worked out! I didn't end up using the lamp, instead, I found two candle holders, one tall and one shorter, and they work perfectly for all of my needs.

After we finished shooting, I decided to sit down and edit for a bit, which ended up turning into editing for an hour. Lol. At least I finished the scene! I used Davinci Resolve to edit this one specifically just because I wanted to toy around with the color-grading tools and figure out how I wanted to make a distinction between the normal world and the alternate world. It worked out fine, its a really complex editor so I got lost at some points, but otherwise, I enjoyed using it, especially the color wheel. You can watch the scene below, and I'll be updating y'all on the filming process in the coming days, so look out for that
-Isa Ollie Mason

Vlog - Pre-first day shoot

Mise-en-scene and other stuff

Wow, this project is slowly driving me insane. I'm going to keep my blog posts less casual and more informational from now on just so I can maintain a bit of my sanity. Cause tbh, writing blog posts that sound like a real human is ridiculously hard for me unless I just go full text-speech, which is obviously unacceptable for a formal school assignment.

Currently, I'm working on costume design and reading over the script with my brother so I can make sure he knows what he is doing. I have to make the crown, figure out his wardrobe, convince him to wear light makeup and find a ring that fits the description from the script. His wardrobe will most likely be posted later today as well as preliminary makeup and accessories ideas. Also, I'm going to be playing the role of the friend, so I have to prepare myself for that, which trust me, involves a lot more than me just reading the lines.

Also, I have to figure out the tripod business. Most likely I'll end up ordering one off Amazon and waiting until it arrives to start filming. I'll actually probably start filming on Wednesday or Thursday, and since I'm working with my brother, we'll probably finish quickly and I'll be able to hop right into editing, which is frankly the easiest part for me.

Also, I have to figure out where exactly I'm filming because my mom's house does not at all reflect the vibe I'm trying to go for, so I'll probably end up shooting at my dad's house and working from there.

I think that's all my updates for now. Honestly, I'm really really nervous about this project. I hate having to change the premise from a forest world to just an empty one, because I feel like it takes away from the dream punk aesthetic I was originally planning on, and I'm also scared I won't be able to achieve the same Wes Anderson style I want to go for. But hey, maybe I'm just being silly and it'll actually turn it all just fine. Ha.

My next two posts are going to be about wardrobe and my updated shot-list, so keep an eye out for those. Until the next post, ciao!

-Isa Ollie Mason

New Script

THE NIGHTMARE

Black. Beat. The sound of scene panting slowly fills the screen. Sharp cut to a POV shot of someone running, sound filtering in overwhelmingly. There are heavy, plodding footstep in the background, something chasing them.

OCTAVIO

Why am I running?

(VO)

The feet trip over over thin air and fall. The ground rushes up, a flash of gold.

Cut to MS-EL of Octavio sitting up in bed, panting. WS-EL/LA of Octavio sitting up in bed, shoulder rising up and down. He tilts his head back and falls back into the bed. Title card starts from WS-EL. The Golden Crown. The main song (Drain Me - Bad Moves) starts playing like boom.

THE SIDEWALK

Octavio walks down a sidewalk, staring down at his phone. He hears a ring drop behind him. Octavio approaches it cautiously, crouching down to pick it up. he studies it for a second, then looks around but sees no one. Shrugging, he stand up and slips the ring in his pocket, walking on. (MS/CU-HA)

THE FRIEND

Octavio gazes off CS-EL, everything is kind of quiet, slowly you can hear someone calling Octavio's name. A basketball hits the fence behind him, His head whipping back. Friend walks into view of the camera, talking at the same time, before sitting down next to Octavio. Octavio is fiddling with the ring at the same time.

FRIEND

Are you ok? I've been calling your name for like 10 minutes

OCTAVIO

Huh? Yea I'm fine

FRIEND

You've been weird lately. Not talking, dozing off. It's like, idk, you're fading away.

Octavio bites his lip and looks down, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

OCTAVI0

I had the dream again

The friend offers him a sad smile

FRIEND

Still messing with you?

OCTAVIO

Yea, I don't know, I kinda like it. It's better than

Hand wave

All of this

FRIEND

What do you mean?

Octavio shrugs, looking away

OCTAVIO

Life. There's no fun. No adrenaline

No adventure

FRIEND

Huh

They sit in silence for a few seconds.

FRIEND

Hey, did you hear about what happened with Jess-

Octavio shrugs and looks down at the ring, slipping it on, the friend disappearing.

he's still looking down at the ring, moving it back and forth

OCTAVIO

Huh.

(beat)

It's kind of loose.

His eyes widen and he looks up, looking for his friend. The golden crown sits in front of him.

OCTAVIO

What the

He looks down and slides the ring off, his friend coming back into frame, still talking.

FRIEND

-ica, apparently she like totally lost it at Michael's party and-

Phone rings, octavio has just been staring down at the ring in a trance snapping out of it at the sound of the phone ringing.

FRIEND

Shit, its my mum, I have to go.

She gathers her stuff

Hey, why don't we go to the mall later? Steal some shit, you can watch me break my diet, it'll totally be an adventure!

Octavio shrugs, sort of in a daze

The friend stands up and leaves, skating off or something. Octavio stares down at the ring

OCTAVIO

O-oh my god

suddenly a smile lights up on his face

Oh my god!

Cut to black

THE SECOND EXPLORATION

Octavio sits on his bed, MS-LA, looking at the ring.he thinks for a second, then reaches out to put it on. Cut

Octavio sits on the floor of any empty parking lot. he slowly looks up, CS-LA, his mouth dropping open as he stands up, the camera spiraling around him, shifting into a CS-EL until he's done. he smiles.

OCTAVIO

Woah

Cut to WS-EL, second song starts (cell-calpurnia), Octavio strolls out of frame (note the new clothes.)

(insert general having fun in empty places scenes, including him balancing on something, slowly shifting from the parking lot to his neighborhood.)

THE CHASE

Crack. The music stops. he freezes as the sound of plodding footsteps fills the air. Without looking back, almost like a knee-jerk reaction, he starts running. Camera shifts to POV shot of his feet, same as the dream.

OCTAVIO

Why am I running?

Foot trips, the ring falls off (flash of gold), the sound of a text tone going off in the back ground

Octavio falls out of his bed in our reality and sits there panting, staring at the ring on his bed. Slow focus pull back to the ring. Beat.

Octavio shakes his head and reaches for his phone, checking it. He sees a text from his friend - the camera lingers on it for a second. Octavio looks down at it for a second. He breathes, his face is only illuminated by the phone screen. Sighing, he shuts it off, reaching forward and picking up the ring, slipping it on. It fits him this time.

THE FINAL MOMENT

Octavio is back in the basketball court, the crown sitting in front of him again, LS-LA. This time he walks to its determinedly and puts it on, CS-El from behind of him putting it on. Footsteps start again and he whirls around, first scared, the smiling wide, still CS-EL. Black.

END.

Oof

Hi. It's me. And its definitely been a while, unfortunately. The ongoing pandemic has effected my productivity and existing mental conditions to an unfortunate level, which led to my general disappearance from this blog. In addition, again, given the pandemic, I'm now forced to change my script and aspects of my production, which really hit me hard. In the short time I spent working on my short film before all of this started, I absolutely fell in love with the premise, the script, the images I saw in my head of all the different scenes. It felt like this grand production, like with all of these elements together, I could create something absolutely incredible. And now, it doesn't feel that way. I have to change actors, from an experienced actor to my little brother, who working with, is like pulling teeth. I have to change the locations, from this huge forest to whatever I can find that will replicate at least a little bit of that mystery and fantastical elements. I don't even have access to the same equipment I had before or the same level of practical manipulation. So all in all, this sucks.

But unfortunately, I don't have a choice in this. So screw it. The world may have dissolved into a panic, but I guess that doesn't give me an excuse to slack off either.

So here are the changes to my project.

1. Like I said previously, I'll be switching from my previous actor to my little brother, which also means I'll be changing the gender of the main character and the name.
2. Because all national parks are closed in light of the pandemic, and I have no other access to a forest (thanks Florida), I've decided to change the premise from the alternate reality being a forest-based reality, to it being a reality where all people have disappeared, and thus I can take advantage of the current quarantine rules and gain access to areas that would otherwise be quite full, like mall parking lots, so it would be an easier premise to pull off.
3. Because of this, I'll have to go back and edit some of my scenes to fit this new location. I'll be posting an updated script next, so keep an eye out for that.
4. I also no longer have access to equipment I was planning on borrowing from BECON TV (our public school media/news organization), which means I'll have to improvise. I also don't have a tripod anymore (I left it at school), so I'm going to have to either buy one off amazon or figure out an alternative.

There are probably some more little things that are going to have to change, but that's about the bulk of it. Oh well. When the world bursts into flames, the ants still rise in the morning and march in their lines.

-Isa Ollie Mason

Location update

So a quick update on location - because of conflicting schedules, I'm going to be filming down here in Florida instead of Atlanta, which makes things kind of easier. I think because of that I'm also going to be looking for a new actress, but I'm not quite sure about that yet. I have a couple ideas in mind, but everything is kind of swirling around and not totally organized, which sucks cause I like being organized and on time, but once I know what I'm doing, I'll update y'all properly!


-Isa Ollie Mason

The Moodboard

Heyyyy, so I finished the mood board! I actually finished it like a while ago but I couldn't get around to posting it but now I am!

A quick update on location - I'm going to shoot in the Atlanta Old Forests - it fits the vibe of the story really well and I'm going there for spring break so I'll already be there, so might as well. If that doesn't work out, then I'm probably just going to film here in Florida (still over spring break) because I did find some locations that might work.

Anyways, here's the mood board! I'm also going to link it below so it's easier to look at and zoom in to.

I'm not really going to explain it much because I feel like it (like everything else) speaks for itself and its more of a collection of my previous posts in a visual format.

I really liked the software I used, Mural. It made putting all my ideas together super easy, and even though there was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning, it was still pretty easy to overcome and use. I'm also rather satisfied with the actual mood board (i.e. the collection of pictures in the middle) and I think it conveys my vision pretty well. I think the only thing I'm missing is a reference to a Wes Andersen shot, but I'll probably add that in a bit later (which is why you should totally check the link, it takes you straight to the original doc and any updates I do from now on!)

So that's that! From here I'm going to work on more concrete character design, a shot list, and practicing the more complicated shots I want to do. My next update will most likely be a full shot list (scanned because I prefer to write it out) so keep an eye out for that!

Thanks for now
-Isa Ollie Mason


link

Script revisions

So we did a group meeting. And I can officially say I'm sick of being talked over about my own movie. There's a lot of stuff I could like rant on about cause I'm that kind of person but instead let's talk about the actually productive part!

Uh so basically I cut down my script to make it shorter. Do I think it's too short now? Yea, kinda but like oh well. I cut out the mom scenes (tears, tears), and the short little montage. I think to make up for it I'm going to spend more time in the forest world having her explore it. I'll also probably still film to mom scenes just in case I end up having time for them (particularly the second scene). I made the revisions to my script already so I'm going to post it here.

-

THE NIGHTMARE

Black. Beat. The sound of scene panting slowly fills the screen. Sharp cut to a POV shot of someone running, the sounds of the woods around them filling overwhelmingly. There are heavy, plodding footstep in the background, something chasing them.

OCTAVIA

Why am I running?

(VO)

The feet trip over a branch and fall. The ground rushes up, a flash of gold.

Cut to MS-EL of Octavia sitting up in bed, panting. WS-EL/LA of Octavia sitting up in bed, shoulder rising up and down. She tilts their head back and fall back into the bed. Title card starts from WS-EL. The Golden Crown. The main song (Drain Me - Bad Moves) starts playing like boom.

THE BATHROOM

Octavia walks into the bathroom, MS-EL of her staring in the mirror, dark circles under her eye. She grabs her toothbrush and starts brushing, leaning back against the wall and observing herself.

OCTAVIA

Why do I like it?

She groans and spits out the toothpaste before stepping out of the room. Music cuts out

THE FRIEND

Octavia gazes off CS-EL, everything is kind of quiet, slowly you can hear someone calling Octavia's name. Her head whips back. CU to friend, looking worried.

FRIEND

Are you ok? I've been calling your name for like 10 minutes

OCTAVIA

Huh? Yea I'm fine

MS-EL, friend picks up her stuff and moves over to sit next to OCtavia, TS-MS-EL

FRIEND

You've been weird lately. Not talking, dozing off. It's like, idk, you're fading away.

Octavia bites her lip and looks down, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

OCTAVIA

I had the dream again

The friend offers her a sad smile

FRIEND

Still messing with you?

OCTAVIA

Yea, I don't know, I kinda like it. It's better than

Hand wave

All of this

FRIEND

What do you mean?

Octavia shrugs, looking away

OCTAVIA

Life. There's no fun. No adrenaline

No adventure

FRIEND

Huh

Silence. Phone rings

FRIEND

Shit, its my mum, I have to go.

She gathers her stuff

I'll see you tomorrow, yea? Don't give up yet. You'll find an adventure.

She stands up, turns away, hesitates, then turns back, bending over and kissing Octavia's head, making Octavia smile. Friend leaves and Octavia looks down, smiling.

Montage of her in different wacky positions. Eventually, her phone rings and she stands up to go, slinging her bag over her should. She hears something drop and turns around slowly, seeing a ring on the floor

THE RING

Octavia approaches it cautiously, crouching down to pick it up. She studies it for a second, then looks around but sees no one. Shrugging, she stand up and slips the ring (MS/CU-HA)

Cut to Octavia in a forest. She's still looking down at the ring, moving it back and forth

OCTAVIA

Huh.

(beat)

It's kind of loose.

Her eyes widen and she slowly looks up and around the camera following her gaze in a circle.

OCTAVIA

W-what?

She looks down at the ring, then looks up to see a crown on a rock in front of her. She looks down in a trance and takes the ring off

Cut. She's back in the school hallway, phone ringing. She gasps and drops the ring on the floor.

OCTAVIA

O-oh my god

suddenly a smile lights up on her face

Oh my god!

She grabs the ring, shoving it in her pocket and running down the hall.

Cut

THE SECOND EXPLORATION

Octavia sits on her bed, MS-LA, looking at the ring.She thinks for a second, then reaches out to put it on. Cut

Octavia sits on the floor of the forest. She slowly looks up, CS-LA, her mouth dropping open as she stands up, the camera spiraling around her, shifting into a CS-EL until she's done. She smiles. Cut to WS-EL, second song starts (cell-calpurnia), Octavia strolls out of the clearing through the forest (note the new clothes.)

(insert general having fun in the forest scenes, including her balancing on something.)

THE CHASE

Crack. The music stops. She freezes as the sound of plodding footsteps fills the air. Without looking back, almost like a knee-jerk reaction, she starts running. Camera shifts to POV shot of her feet, same as the dream.

OCTAVIA

Why am I running?

Foot trips, the ring falls off (flash of gold)

Octavia falls out of her bed in our reality and sits there panting, staring at the ring on her bed. Slow focus pull back to the ring. Beat. Octavia reaches forward and picks up the ring, slipping it on, it fits her this time.

THE FINAL MOMENT

Octavia is back in the first clearing, the crown sitting in front of her again, LS-LA. This time she walks to its determinedly and puts it on, CS-El from behind of her putting it on. Footsteps start again and she whirls around, first scared, the smiling wide, still CS-EL. Black.

END.