1.

In this class I want to learn more about everything about the pre-production process of film production and the interdepartmental collaboration and communication that may be required. Learning how to complete a film project on a small budget with maximum quality builds the foundation for the producer I might become. The completion of a film mainly includes pre-production, production and post-production. As a producer, in the early stage, you can not only think about the cost of pre-production and production, but also pay attention to the cost of post-production. Thinking of more backup options and spare money before shooting is also something that producers need to consider to ensure that there are no accidents during the production process of the film project, especially during the shooting process, and the unexpected money may need to be resolved after an accident occurs.
I think this class is the first step in getting us closer to filmmaking. The class begins by analyzing how other successful micro-budget films have kept costs under control, by introducing the possibilities of mise-en-scene, including: some family and friends who might help, own apartment, own equipment, and so on. Listing these in the lead-up to the film helps minimize costs. It also excites me that we can also think and write our own screenplays within micro-budget later in the study.
My goal in this class is to be a qualified micro-budget producer who can fulfill the intent of the director and the crew and deliver a film to the masses that pleases them. When watching a movie, I especially like to see the names of all the people who contributed for this movie that scrolled at the end. Seeing these names is like seeing the figure of their hard work for this movie. I hope that my name will be in it one day.

 

2.

What impressed me the most during the three weeks of study was the script breakdown in week 2. In the template, I saw that the script decomposition is very detailed, including interior or exterior scenes, scene synopsis, shooting location, props, actors and so on. When completing the script breakdown, you must have a full grasp of the shooting content, including cooperation and communication with the director and the camera department, and then communicate with the props, costumes, makeup and other departments according to the needs of the scene. The best way to ensure the smooth running of the shooting is to be fully prepared before shooting. If the shooting is carried out without preparation, the film project cannot be guaranteed to be carried out at a micro-budget.
The script provided in the class mentioned the action of cleaning the dining table. My thought was to put a plate with food scraps on the table with half a glass of orange juice left, but the candles mentioned by my classmates was surprising me, it is very suitable for the setting of the whole script. Room lights could be used as light sources, but candles are more suitable for this script than room lights. Recording the tone of the room is also something I didn’t think of before. You can record a section of the sound in the room, which may be helpful for post-production.
When filling in the script breakdown, try to be as specific as possible. In this script, the action of cleaning the table appears, and the screen may need to be taken through the kitchen. At this time, it is best not to only write about kitchen supplies, so that the props department may not be exactly the same as the needs of the film project when preparing. Specific to a bottle of salt, a bottle of pepper, six forks, etc.

 

I was most impressed with The rider by Chloe Zhao. It’s an excellent micro-budget movie. In this movie the character is a horse trainer, and he is an excellent horse trainer in real life, which saves a lot of money and time on the cost of the movie.
Chloe Zhao, the director, she almost made the film into a documentary. It took a lot of time to understand Brady’s life before filming, and gradually perfected the script creation through understanding and talking with him.
I think a lot of the shots in this movie were shot hand-held, because the footage looks so breathable, which makes the movie more realistic. The shooting camera should be relatively expensive, which is conducive to controlling the final picture quality. The filming location is in Brady’s home, and the horse that appears in the movie is owned by him. The actors in the movie are basically his family and friends. There is almost no cost to the actors in the whole movie. The biggest expense of this film should be in post-production, sound engineers, editors, compositors, etc. We can see their professionalism in the final film.
For riders, being unable to hold the reins or enduring a severe skull injury, which one is going to be harder to accept. Sometimes it’s harder to give up than to hold on. The young cowboy Brady suffered an accidental head injury. The doctor advised Brady to stay away from the tournament, but he did not compromise. After trying and failing again and again, he gradually realized his limitations and had to give up. This story only presents the rider’s own little world, but it is a spiritual force for the audience.

 

3.

https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2021/09/22/ice-ball/

The link above is a micro-budget film I’ve watched, it’s called Ice Ball, “Ice Ball follows renowned polar explorer Will Steger and his band of ice harvesters as they carve, saw, and extract ice for the warmer month’s powerless refrigeration” This film draws our attention to the topic of global warming and the melting of polar glaciers. This is an old topic, but even if it is often brought up, this problem does not seem to be effectively solved or even intensified. This is a documentary film. I could feel the cold while watching this film, through the snow on the hats, the water vapor coming out of people’s mouths when they were talking, and the ice hanging from their eyebrows.
I think it’s a micro-budget film. It is a real event, and the filming team just had to form a group and follow the polar explorers to document how they cut the ice. No need for any actors, props, costumes, everything is real. The interview room that appears in the movie can also be interviewed in Will Steger’s room with his consent.
I think the cost involved: the people and equipment needed for the shoot, the house to live in during the shoot and the voice actors, sound engineers and compositors needed for post-production.
Regarding the risk management of this film, I think it mainly includes: the number of batteries in the shooting equipment should be sufficient, the battery may not work at low temperature, and the machine should be prevented from entering water/snow. To avoid people suffering from frostbite also needs to be paid attention to. The filming team must be aware that the amount of footage must be sufficient, and there may not be spare money to cover the situation where missing shots lead to reshoots at the shooting location.
I think this movie can be used as a story. The film interviewed many people, including those who have been cutting ice for decades, and some young people who want to have a more in-depth experience and return to the city tomorrow to continue their life. From the film we can feel the explorer’s love for nature.
I also noticed that the background music has been changed for different emotions in the film. At the beginning, the music that introduced the film was very cheerful, but when the film entered a deeper place and lead the audience to think and resonate, the music was very gentle.
Although this is a micro-budget film, the quality presented to the audience is very high. Regardless of the topic selection and planning in the early stage, the quality of shooting and post-production synthesis is very high. The film presents a deep thought, and the picture has a uniform tone of finely crafted composition. These are the things the entire film team wanted to bring to the audience.
The topic of human and nature can be made into a series, and even go to the tropics and ocean to explore more about the relationship between human and nature.