Ecomm Final

Nathan Contreras 2019 senior year recap

short film

This project was our short film that I helped to make. Carson Bird was the director, script writer, and set designer. for this film I was an actor I also helped out a little bit with editing but Carson wanted his vision so I backed off a little. This project took about a week to write and a week to film and edit it went smoothly the second time we filmed it because on the first time the actors where not really prepared as well as we should have been so we remade the entire film and made some cuts so that the film would go smooth. I think that this film turned out really good because of the cinematic quality and also the scrip was really good. The only thing that I would change will be the fact that we where playing uno instead of a real card game. 

camera assignment 1 

This project was one of the first that we made this year and I think it turned out really good because the group that I was in was very talented with Mary porter as the script writer and the DP. I was lighting boom operator and helped with editing on this film. I was also an actor. this project took about 1 week to make the script and plan and then took 1 day to film and a week to edit which is one of the reason that it turned out soo good because we had allot of time to peer edit the video and make it fit the best. feedback that we where given was the black and white with no sound because we had a challenge along the way when we lost the SD card and had to redo the film or the better option was to make it with no sound so we went with plan B. Something that I would change would be the actors including me because I am not a good actor so it would look more professional if we got actors and not friends to play roles. But other than that I thought this film turned out exactly how we planned and it was allot of fun. 

Comercial project

This was our second film that we made this year and it was easy one of the best that I was in. Mary Porter was the director DP and script maker. I was the gaffer, sound, and lighting. This film took a few days to come up with a script and then a day to film with almost like 2 weeks to edit. The more time you have to edit the better the film will be. challenges that we faced was that Marys car broke down on the way to our filming location because the car had a broken head gasket so the car was literally melting itself apart. but we got the film done then got home late. We learned that when you spend the time to go to good locations instead of doing the close non cinematic ones than that's when the film looks really good. I don't think that I would change anything in this film because I really liked the outcome. This film was definitely one of my most memorable and I made more friends in the class because of the events that happen on filming night. 

In class I would say that this year I have been less productive but balanced. because when I have a project that I am apart of I will be over their helping ( if help is wanted ) but other than that I will be looking at videos on how edits are made or how to use the adobe software getting ready for the feature film. 

My areas of strength are definitely editing because I just have a creative mind and can see differently than others in the class which is good because it adds different perspectives Into the film. And I am also really good with any of the adobe software. I just know how they all work and how to use them the right way and the most productively. 

My areas of improvement I think need to be behind a camera because I have a creative mind its just I don't think I'm that good at taking action and leading a film to capture right image I am good at leading an edit tho. So I am going to try to get more comfortable with a camera. 

I think that all the guest speakers where helpful to the class but the person that stood the most out to me was Morgan Cooper. He was a really nice guy with allot of knowledge about film production and his tips will definitely help me get the upper hand on this feature film. I also liked Ryann Burnetts tips on how to make the editing side of the feature film to go smoothly. 

This year I am the post production head editor and I will bring allot of good information on how to smoothly edit and import/ export software because I have that prior knowledge. I am also really good at problem solving and making sure that the film is what the director sees inside of his head. I will execute this by getting to know all of the editors not in a classroom but on a personal level to find their skills and ideas on how to edit because they might bring even better perspectives into the film. I am looking forward to this year 100%. 

I loved most about this semester was the people that I met and the films I helped to produce because they look really good on a portfolio and website reel and I am proud to say that I helped with that film unlike some of the other years. Something that I would do differently would be Carsons funny level. to try to bring that down and use real props instead of funny uno and 1 dollar bills on the table. this semester I learned how to make a good film and all the pre production and editing that goes into them to make a good one. as in the more time you spend editing and pre production the better it will be. A goal that I have for second semester is to lead a crew of editors to the best of my ability. My final thoughts Are that film is a passion of mine and I love this class and the people in this class wouldn't trade it for the world.