Creative Filmmaking: Undercurrent

I think this chapter is an important element that should not be overlooked when making a film. WE know what the story is about and the scenes and all the elements that take place, but it is important to fully understand the message that you want delivered. It is the heart, soul, and lifeline of your piece. To me one of the biggest things you take away from a film is the emotion and the way it made you feel. That is what it is all about, because people forget details but they don'f forget the way things make them feel. Understanding what that is in your piece through developing and re developing is a good way to flush out all the right ideas.

Flash Fictions: Day at the ZOO NEW POV

I can see the top of Luke’s head and his mom in the driver’s seat of the van. I see his brother Jamie as well as we pass by his parking booth job on our way into the zoo. I no longer bounce my head against the roof as Luke gets out with me in hand. Finally I can s t r e t c h out. I have the best view in the whole zoo because no one can quite see over the gates like me, however I am terrified of the atrium. Poor Luke’s grip on me grows weaker as the day goes on and he becomes tired. Tired to the point that he loses his social disciplines and roars at passer bys as if he were one of the crocodiles in the exhibit. There is a lot of bustle as we leave the zoo and Luke’s mom takes a phone call. She answers, Luke lets go, and I go vertical. I see the whole parking lot. Luke stalks his brother Jamie who fell asleep on the job, Jamie’s boss fast approaches, and Luke’s mom frantically searches for him. He closes in…CHOMP!!! He startles him awake just in time as his boss arrives and Luke’s mom briskly grabs his arm. I saw it all as they grow smaller and smaller until my helium runs out…

Flash Fictions: Day at the ZOO

It is the start of the day and 8 year old Luke and his mom are driving to the zoo and they pass by Luke's older brother Jamie who holds a summer job as the parking lot attendant. With balloons in hand Luke gets out of the car with his mom and proceeds to the gates to start he days journey. The day was filled with lions, elephants, and animal exhibitions from every content. Luke's favorite thing of the day was seeing the crocodiles in their un-natural zoo abode. As the day grew Luke's energy shrunk as he became incredibly tired, slightly sunburn, and worn out. Often times when he felt this way he had the tendency to act a little funny or throw out social logic, so naturally he mimicked the predatory characteristics of the crocodile to the un suspecting passer-bys. At the end of this excursion Luke and his mom are on their way back as she receives a phone call. As she briefly searches for her phone in her purse Luke disappears. She franticly searches for him as he is off stalking his prey as if he we're a crocodile himself. With his eyes breaking the plain of car's hoods as if they were water, he has spotted his victim. It is his brother Jamie who is fast asleep at his post. Danger lurks just at the end of the row of cars as Jamie's boss is fast approaching to close the shift. Luke strikes with a big AARRGGHH jolting Jamie out of his slumber. Just in time too as his boss reaches the stand without realizing what he was doing. Luke's mom also sees and grabs his hand escorting him franticly back to the mini van. Luke smile's to himself knowing he just saved the day.

Creative Filmmaking:Creative Environment

I rather enjoyed this section of the book. I believe the environment described in this chapter is one that every artists hopes to have opportunities in. When every member in the crew feels value, appreciated, and that they are contributing, then you have the chance to create pieces that are detailed and original. This creates vision and momentum no matter what you are doing. When individuals feel they are given tasks rather than investing in what they are working on, you can very easily just be dragging on whatever project you have. When or if I am in a position on responsibility I want every voice heard and every opinion or comment taken seriously.

Creative Filmaking: Arguments worth having

I particularly liked this reading. It spoke about healthy dynamics with a team. These lessons are hard to learn and takes people sometimes a life time to learn. It is important to surround your self with people on the same page as you. In my opinion when you make a team of any kind it is best to surround yourself with people who are better than you. This creates a higher "average" and pushes the bar for the whole team rather than one oxen pulling the dead weight. Having a good team is important to collaborate. When one person is stuck on their ideas then you lose the potential for creativity and originality. I loved the part where the book talked about the crews end of the year meeting where everyone writes their top 5 worst and best parts of the year. This opens communication to understand everyones role, challenges, and accomplishments. This is brilliant. I can't tell you how many situations on projects or work positions where no one cares about your challenges no matter how big or small. It is important to stay openminded and communicate.

Return to my place.

I sit here in my place. As I return it seems as if I recognize everyone but no one can remember me. This time I am not welcome. All the energy and determination of the plants have faded with their color. There are very slight remnants of green, or any life in the matter, left for anyone passing by to see. The loss of leaves in tree has left all that it protected now more vulnerable to the elements. Cold and freezing temperatures is now a regular in the daily life of this ravine. The only feeling I can relate this to is a scene in movie that takes place in the waiting room of a hospital. In this waiting room there is a sense of no hope because everyone has already lost. Even the dirt on the side of the hill seems trampled and unsettled. Once a place of life my observation spot is now filled with lifeless place holders waiting for the seasons to come where everyone will return. 

Moments in Photographs

            A couple is sitting on the couch. The girl sits holding a gold necklace with a key looped in it that she had just been given. It was a rather nice gift but it lacked one thing, and that was innocence. The truth was that the guy only cared about himself and what he wanted. This was more than obvious in his actions and the way he treated her.

            The sun takes it time to rise over the horizon. The day hasn't begun yet but the night is far from over. She was supposed to be on her way home after a long night with her boyfriend when she passed an exit sign for the beach. There was too much on her mind to even try sleeping so the thought of sharing her feelings with the dawn sounded like a great idea. Sitting on the sandy shore watching the sun rise she cannot get out of her head the way he had treated her. A tear runs down her face as thinks about how in an abusive way he'd make her feel special for a moment and then use her for selfish attention.

            Now in silence after some time of contemplation she turns to her left and sees an old boat stranded on the sand. Once free roaming the sea it now has met its fate and lies helpless. She can see her self in the boat…helpless. Her stomach turns as her the tears grow and cannot be contained by her eyes.

She looks up at the stars still lingering in the morning sky. It hits her that they remain there all throughout the day and it’s not until the darkest times that they shine the brightest. She can now feel a growing courage inside of her that she has locked up for years. There is not any man or circumstance that can hold her back. She slowly stands up with a great determination in her eyes. She begins to run strait for the ocean. In full sprint she begins ripping the necklace he gave her off of her neck and throwing it into the air. The sun reflects into hundreds of fragments as it spins motionless suspended in the air. Her feet one by one break the plane of the water where the waves meet an end to their long journey to shore. As the necklace hits the ground you can seethe girl out of focus in the distance diving head first into the simmering morning sea.

Creative filmaking: Plenty of Rope

From the reading it is important to understand each individuals role in the film making process. We often times are visionaries and want to see the very thing that we imagined. However this can be limiting because we are really missing out on the opportunity to collaborate. The book says that the best directors are the ones who give you "plenty of rope" to work with. This breeds creative leeway. By collaborating we lose ourselves and our vision becomes greater than what we can imagine. With the right preparation and creative leeway true originality and authentic productions can be more be the result.

Basement Dwellers: Places hated as a kid

I am in line again. Just as predicted I can smell the same thing that I do every week. I can't really describe what that is exactly but it is some mixture of old people's perfume, moth balls, and vaseline mixed with stagnant gravy. You see, my parents drag me to this small town cafeteria every sunday after church. We stand in a long line where brick and and aged mortar keep us in file on the right and the troths of food line paralleled on the left. There is a yellow florescent glow lighting the atmosphere. It is then reflected by the serving utensils and the bars guarding the prized food to the eager generations. To top it off the workers serving the food seem to resemble parole workers who are covered in tattoos, hair nets and are just 'serving their time'. You can hear a chatter of noise just behind and slightly to the left of my family and I where the victors that survive the line go and take their food to the open seating. As I hide behind whatever I can from the embarrassment of anyone who might recognize me I realize that today, I am far from a victor. I am a prisoner of war and one day I will tell stories of this epic battle.

Clipping file

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/nyregion/15artists.html

Santa Fe Opera

Reading Creative Filmmaking

I love the thought that creative freedom comes from structured discipline. It makes total sense and other wise we would all be one of those crazy artists who has zero structure, goals, or discipline and lives under an interstate somewhere.
Hanif Kureishi, "I think ideas come when they know you're  going to be sitting there waiting for them. Out of the chaos of the rest of my life, I have to create space and time to write."
The book states that the film makers in the chapter capture the parodox of diligent dreaminess, focused play. We are all artists and we are all creative in a sense. It is really up to us how to harness that and what kind of barriers we put in the way. To me this chapter is saying that our creativity is a muscle. It is something that needs constant attention and daily routines for it to live to it's max. Other wise it is there but pale weak and hidden behind a metaphorical turtle neck sweater.