When I first set put to make a disposable media film, it was with the acting students and we had 30 minutes to get it done. After brainstorming a few ideas, we settled on a Gus Johnson Skit from youtube. With no script whatsoever, we luckily found a  TV next to the couch. We came up with a general outline of what we wanted to do and started to shoot. I think If we had a script it could have been a little bit more structured and the lines leading up to the punchline could have more context. I think the fact we only had a little bit of time made the whole process rushed and a bit forced. Because of this as well, we didn't have time to grab any lights too, making the shot a bit washed out and grainy however the camera is doing that as well.

We also had no shot list so we went off of what the video did which was quick cutting between the two characters. As I went back and edited the video, I realized how quick it feels and probably could have had a better way to do so. The problem was if we hadn't done this, you wouldn't have heard them due to the iPhones mic not being able to pick up on sound that well as displayed by the punchline of the joke when I had to raise the volume to actually hear it. However I think the actors really sold the performance well with the amount of time they were able to prepare and improvise lines, really making it sound like a natural conversation. I had also added the Seinfeld theme song at the end to add to the "meme" sort of format emphasizing the punchline. On the positive side of things I think the actors are framed well in the shot, leaving no dead space.

When I went to go shoot the second film this time I was by myself. I had no idea what to shoot but I remembered multipule music videos where a character is just dancing in place. So I thought that might be a good idea to do so to Drake's Hotline Bling. Throughout the class I was sight scouting locations on the spot. Thinking of places where it would be funny to see someone where they shouldn't be just dancing. I originally was going to dance in places where no one was around but I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and decided to dance in places like the library and Mr. Hunters class.

When setting up the shots, I wanted them to be a bit symmetrical like in the hallway and in the practice room. Others I wanted the shot to be framed in a certain way which was difficult because I was by myself and had to prop the phone up with my jacket, and get it aligned. This posed the problem with some shots that i was then unable to use because the phone had slipped or was in a improper position. When I went back to edit them, I added in hotline bling there and came up with the idea of fitting the sound to the space that I was in, whether it was to add an echo in the hallway or to cut low frequencies when I was in the practice room. I had no lighting as well so I had to work off of what I was presented with.

After watching the 15 beginner mistakes, I learned a lot about things that usually wouldn't have thought about during the process of filmmaking. Filmmaking, at my first glance, seemed really cut and dry; get an idea, make a script and story board, get actors and equipment, shoot it then edit it. There is so much that I had never though about in the process of shooting. The mistakes that stuck out to me the most were the cliches, weak starts, and the poor lighting that occurs.

One of the mistakes that stuck out to me the most were the amount of cliches that might occur when writing a script and shooting. This would include shots of waking up in bed, travel shots, and tracking dolly shots. One of the most overused shots I've noticed in cinema is the shot of traveling from one place to another with inspirational music in the background or like someone staring out of a window. However, they're are a lot of directors that have make use of this like Edgar Wright using quick cuts and sound to show movement or travel of one character to another place. Another cliche that is commonly used is the shot of someone waking up in bed or coming into frame. These cliches feel boring and make the movie unoriginal. In my movies, I hope to make every shot as original as possible by grabbing the audience and making them feel like they are watching something they had never seen before. 

Another common mistake is the weak start. This maybe someone waking up in bed or someone that doesn't immediately grab the audiences attention. You want the audience to care and know what happens in your film or else they will not watch it. The beginnings of films should start with something mysterious that makes the audience wonder or maybe even an action scene that wakes the audience up and makes them inquire to why there is action in the first place. An interesting start will make a interesting movie more watchable. 

Another problem that I've had quite a few times is the poor lighting that occurs in a scene. Lighting controls the mood of the scene and how watchable something is. If lighting is poor, you wont see any reactions, action, or meaning in a scene. Poor lighting will make a scene flat, dull, and uninteresting. If there is too much lighting, the shot will be overexposed and be too bright. If your lighting just right, it will make your cheap video look professional. There is many resources for this with youtube, behind the scenes footage, and magazines. When I light my scenes, I hope to have proper lighting on the actors faces but I would also love to play around with how they can change a mood and make a scene aesthetically pleasing.