Two shoots, one week

I had two shoots this week, one with my actors and one with my dancers. The shoot with my actors went well but I was not able to do everything I wanted to do because we ran out of light. This might have been because the shoot started late due to some schedule constraints and I ended up waiting about 45 mins to be able to start. I knew about the potential hold-up ahead of time so it was not a problem and I was able to get other stuff done while I waited. So I had to cut a few shots I wanted but the actors and cinematographer were great sports about having to be covered in paint, whipped cream and confetti. It was a blast! It is just getting more difficult to shoot during the golden hour at the end of the day because daylight savings time is cutting daylight more and more everyday. But I think I have everything I need for the music video but I want to shoot another day for my singing. 

The dance shoot was great too! The dancers had a great creative energy and met together to choreograph their spot before the shoot. Their work was so synergistic and they were great dancers. We filmed in a grove of trees which gave the footage a dreamy look. We filmed for a few hours and the dancers had a great time. I was really worried that one of the dancers would injure her foot because she came barefoot with footies and we were filming in a forest. I ran around clearing out branches from the path and she has really tough feet because she dances on pointe. And all is well. Everything ran smoothly and it was a successful shoot.   

Festival Budget

I created an Excel Spreadsheet for my festival budget but I could not figure out how to import it into this blog so here it is below:

Entry Fees:

50

55

40

40

30

0

25

Total Entry Fees: 240

Shipping Fees: 50

Attendance Budget: 500

Of course I will not be able to attend all the festivals but I will be able to attend the two local events and I will pick one event to travel to.

Festivals for "Take Me Away"

California Women's Film Festival

Next Deadline: 12/03/2014

CATEGORIES:

◦ Short Film

◦ Feature Film

◦ Documentary Short

◦ Documentary Feature

◦ Student Film

◦ Animation

◦ Experimental Film

◦ Foreign Film

◦ Music Video

◦ Short Script

◦ Feature Script

MISSION & OBJECTIVE:

The California Women’s Film Festival is deeply honored to celebrate women filmmakers, artists and writers by providing a showcase and networking forum in the heart of Hollywood.

This is a good film festival for “Take Me Away” because it showcases women filmmakers which narrows the competition in an often male driven career. It also has a music video category and that will make sure my video is not pushed to the side because there is not a good time slot to screen it and it will be competing against other music videos instead of against short films in general. 

Chicago International Movies and Music Festival

Next Deadline: 12/05/2014

CATEGORIES:

◦ Feature Film

◦ Feature Documentary

◦ Short Documentary

◦ Out of Competition

◦ Short Fiction

◦ Music Video

MISSION & OBJECTIVE:

Movies. Music. Inseparable.

This festival’s mission objective caught my eye, showing me that this festival appreciates music just as much as the films they feature. What venue could be better for screening of a music video? 

Zero Film Festival- Los Angeles

Next Deadline: 12/12/2014

CATEGORIES:

◦ Animation

◦ Music Video

◦ Mid-Length

◦ Short

◦ Experimental

◦ Feature - Narrative + Doc

◦ Web Series

MISSION & OBJECTIVE:

Zero Film Festival is the first and only festival EXCLUSIVE to self financed filmmakers and the authentically independent films they create.

ZFF, originally founded in downtown Los Angeles, is a not-for-profit organization firmly committed to supporting under-represented filmmakers and screening the world's best self-financed films for cinema lovers everywhere. ZFF focuses on community, inclusivity and good times on planet Earth.

This film festival is only for self-financed productions which makes the competition fair to the little guys like me who are not hollywood filmmakers taking a joyride with their ridiculously expensive cameras. It also has a music video category which means that the unique challenges that you face while making this type of film will also be faced by my competitors. To top it off, this festival is in LA so the location gives the festival more weight because of the sheer amount of filmmaking occurring in the area. I like that the mission statement says that they focus on “good times on planet earth” which is what my video is all about! 

SENE Film Festival

Next Deadline: 12/12/2014

CATEGORIES:

◦ Feature (non-documentary)

◦ Short (non-documentary)

◦ Animation

◦ Documentary (feature and short)

◦ Gay & Lesbian

◦ Screenplay

◦ Music Video (less than 360 seconds)

◦ Sci-Fi/Horror

◦ Comedy Short

MISSION & OBJECTIVE:

The SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND (SENE) FILM, MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL seeks to involve audiences in a full range of cultural opportunities, combining film, music and art into events designed to cross‐promote the works of filmmakers, musicians and artists to new audiences.

This venue is interested in cross-promoting artists, filmmakers and musicians. This is perfect because my music video is intended to promote the song so this festival is really catering to filmmakers like me. 

Tiburon International Film Festival

Next Deadline: 12/15/2014

CATEGORIES:

◦ Fiction

◦ Documentary

◦ Animation

◦ Comedy

◦ Experimental

◦ Music Video

◦ Sports

◦ Student

◦ Children

MISSION & OBJECTIVE:

The Tiburon International Film Festival seeks to provide a greater understanding of the world and its many cultures through the artistic medium of film, and through the top quality films made by the independent filmmakers from around the world. TIFF wishes to enhance tolerance between people of all backgrounds. TIFF strongly believes in its motto "Understanding the World through Film.”

I really like this festival because it has a global perspective and I think my video has some breathtaking shots of our regional terrain. I believe the beach should be represented in all its glory in any festival that seeks to embrace a multicultural outlook. 

"Cucalorus is a joyful amalgamation of interdisciplinary art, a top-quality selection of international and local films, and an intimate bonding experience fueled by bonfires and moonshine." -- MovieMaker Magazine, 2013

I chose this film as my free festival because it is free to enter local films that are made by local directors/filmmakers. This gives a maximum payoff for literally nothing. I also like this festival because I have lived in Wilmington for quite some time and know a lot of the cinephiles of the area so I can count on that support. Plus, I think it will be an advantage to be a local and a film student.

The Cape Fear Independent Film Network is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization.  It is a bit smaller than many film festivals but it is growing rapidly so that is an advantage. I also think this is a good regional film festival to choose because I have volunteered for it in the past and have a good relationship with its founders. I have also been to screenings for films I acted in at this festival so I am already established as a local filmmaker and know a lot of the festival regulars.
 

Reservations

I'm starting to get frustrated with the locations manager for UNCW. I have been trying to reserve a stage for over a month now and have contacted three different people multiple times and nothing has worked. This is getting ridiculous. I have sent emails asking if there is anyone else I can contact and I am still waiting for a response to that! Now I am asking local dance studio owners to see if I can film there but I might have to shoot outside... I think I will probably end up filming in my favorite grove of trees which is visually striking and it will tie the dancers to row footage I have already filmed. I am also considering filming in an old abandoned warehouse that is by the river downtown because I know the owners and it has a striking appearance. If anyone has any location ideas I would love to hear about them! I also was considering filming this segment on the north end of Wrightsville beach because the rolling dunes are quite picturesque but I’m concerned with the time limitations that filming under the sun directly would impose. I want each location to add to the visual appeal of the footage so I don’t want any location that is not bursting with life and character. 

Paint Shoot

I was so nervous about filming my paint shoot but it turned out really well. I filmed in a grove of trees and nailed up a white drop cloth to the biggest tree. I wore a white eyelet dress and bought a lot of paint to pour over myself. It was verve racking because I was wearing white and the colored paint was not something I could just wipe off if I messed up. I had no idea if the shoot would go as I envisioned but I took the chance and poured paint right over my head. I got paint in my eye, in my mouth and everywhere else but the footage looked awesome! I felt kinda stupid dancing and singing while pouring paint over myself, I wondered if I just looked like I was filming a strange fetish film. The people at Walmart looked at me like I was crazy when I bought a hammer, nails, paint, a plastic tablecloth and paintbrushes. And as I drove home covered in paint I just hoped I was not pulled over for looking like a crazy person but you have to step out of your box to create art sometimes and I want the video to be memorable and striking.

Dancers

I cast my dancers for the music video early on but now my lead dancer is not responding to my messages. I also have a few others who are acting a bit flaky and one dancer that I was told passed away. I sincerely hope this is not true, it is quite a shock. Putting this together has not been smooth sailing. It is a lot harder to cast large groups of people instead of using a small cast. I might have to feature individual dancers based on who shows up. Luckily, I have a good core group I feel like I can count on. So I have some other dancers working on solo pieces so I can still shoot the segment this weekend. I am auditioning another solo dancer tomorrow. I really wish I could offer my talent compensation. They deserve it and it is also hard to motivate and count on people who are not being compensated. I am so grateful for the people who have helped me on this project because they have done it as a pure labor of love. For the dance shoot I want to get a lot of close up details and capture the dancers bodies from different interesting angles.

My tentative filming schedule, rough budget items and casting needs can be viewed at the link below.


http://prezi.com/dlgg5c2fypbj/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Initial Treatment for "Take Me Away" Music Video

"Take Me Away" is a high energy dance song with themes of romance, escapism and the freedom of youth. The video for this song will be a vibrant, colorful montage of rhythmic edits and images of love, independence and the liberation of self-discovery. The style of the video will emphasize camera movements that intensify the excitement of the song and extreme closeups will draw the viewers attention to the beauty that lies in life's little details.  Textures like silk blowing in the wind or sand stuck to skin will also be featured. Vibrant paint spatters will be used to smooth the visual transitions.
At this point in the development of this project I would love to hear about any visuals that you (the listener) believe would capture the spirit of the song. Maybe your idea will be featured in the final edit! I believe that it is always good to hear the ideas of people who are not as familiar with the song; fresh ears can present brilliant ideas to work with.
The first shot will show paint dripping down the screen until the beat drops and then brightly colored paint will splatter at the screen in time with the music. As the song talks about "packing bags", a series of quick, rhythmic cuts of purses and bags being packed will illustrate this line. Then when I sing about "riches to rags" a series of still photographs will flash onscreen showing a transformation from high fashion to boho chic. Then as the lyrics "footprints don't show what you done" are heard, a series of closeups of male and female feet (wearing various fashions) will flash and change to the next shoe shot each time the female left foot hits the ground. This brings us to the end of the first verse.
The chorus of this song is a huge explosion of music and the video must reflect it. I am leaning toward going sky diving for the first time and having it filmed. This will be edited together with footage from a roller coaster showing lots of movement and excitement. This will share an experience of pushing through my own fearful boundaries  to feel the freedom of being taken away on the whims of the wind. This segment will transform into a brief section of rotoscoping that allows me to actually "fly away" with my lover into a land of boundless potential.
The second verse will open with a shot of my lips in an extreme close-up with a blindfold hiding my eyes as I sing. Then shots of my lover and I from the back will show us running on the beach. There will also be a shot that recreates Bonnie and Clyde's famous picture and then shows them run away with immense urgency.
The second chorus will reflect the timelessness of true love by depicting grand ballroom dancing and 20's inspired dancing/choreography. This is also an area where found footage of star-crossed lovers and the drama of young love can be included. This segment also might be a recreation of these concepts that is filmed for this specific occasion instead of utilizing found footage.
The bridge of the song will show champagne being uncorked and poured.  "My gypsy relationship" will be written on the beach in the sand during this segment. The final chorus will begin by showing me from the back in business attire and a tight bun but I will open a door and a huge celebration will be revealed and everyone onscreen will exude excitement. Even the ludicrous and unexpected will make its way onscreen during this grand finale. Longer shots of epic landscapes interspersed in this segment (ex: wearing a long flowing dress standing out on the rocks in the ocean at Fort Fisher) will build the cinematic quality of this segment. The song will end with the image of a beautiful and intricate sand mandala that I blow away.        


To listen: https://soundcloud.com/celestial-pennington/take-me-away
The music video that inspired me to focus on imagery rathe4r than narrative for this video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRk1yHsDYA8