A Big Introduction Out of Few Items

     We filmed the introduction for the film! It feels like we have so little left to film that we can already start on the editing and everything else. It’s ridiculous how fast time passes without one even noticing. For the intro to the film, Nico and I had already storyboarded the entire thing, so we hoped the process would be quick and easy. For starters, we will need our actress, Paz! To not pick her up and leave her waiting as we prepare everything, we decided on having everything ready before so we can film quickly and drop her back off at the house. What are we going to need for this scene? A table, chair, markers, pencils, glue, scissors, papers, boxes, the notebook, drawings, etc.

     Since Nico’s house is almost empty, we had to do some digging to find everything. In some closets, we found his little sister’s markers and paper. We kept looking and found a little table and chair that were left behind in the office. With everything being packed away already, we got  only two empty boxes, but also found a suitcase that could add a nice touch. Finally, we grabbed some poufs, a blanket, some colored paper, and other random items we felt might be useful.

      The first thing shown once the film opens are the drawings. Since Paz needs to look like an art lover, we have to include several different drawings that could have been made in her past. The good thing? Since she was moving, we can’t fill the room up too much, meaning not as much preparation. For starters, Nico and I cut up some papers in half because the walls are very large so it would not be noticeable, and it was easier to fill it up with smaller drawings that look like a lot when joined together. At first I looked up drawings made by children and tried to replicate them, but then Nico and I started using our imagination because it was taking too long. I did what I could and even started using my left hand to make them look childish. We also grabbed some colored paper and tried to make different cut-out drawings to add some variety. Some drawings looked more child-like than others, making it look like some are more recent and some are quite old. I absolutely love how the drawings turned out!

     Now that this was done, we scouted the house. His little sister’s room is located inside of his parent’s room. It has a beautiful window and the best lighting in the entire house. Right away, we both agreed on this room and made a plan. As I put everything together, Nico would go pick up Paz! He left the house and went to get the actress as I taped the drawings to the window and brought everything upstairs. I prepared the tripod and light, the boxes, and everything else involved. Suddenly, my phone starts ringing. Nico called me to say that although it had been pouring all morning, Paz’s soccer practice never got cancelled. We. Have. One. Hour. To. Film. I finished setting up everything in two minutes and as soon as I heard the door, Paz and Nico came running upstairs.

     We filmed everything we needed just in time! We got all we needed for the introduction from several different shots, angles, and overall compositions. We always overshoot everything to later check what looks best and it definitely went well with this scene. It was a bit of a struggle because Paz came with a friend and she struggled keeping a straight face while acting in front of her. We also had to film a scene in which I spoke as the mom and called her to leave, yet after constant reminders, Paz never seemed to remember to not stare at the camera. Every video consisted of Paz looking straight at the camera and us sounding frustrated. However, we finally finished everything and got Paz to her practice on time.

     After she was gone, I put together some boxes and the suitcase I found to finish up the introduction. I went home afterwards and Nico finished up what was left for the introduction with some extra scenes of the papers I prepared. Now all that is left is to film my scenes! I will be starting some post-production editing and other components involved to get ahead and not run out of time.