sara's media studies: revamp

I went back to my old house today to try to reorganize the set and figure the shots out. I realized that the space was too tight to be able to work in because there was all this stuff on the floor to give it that "messy studio look" but since the camera doesn't really capture what's on the floor it excluded half of the set. At first I didn't know how to fix that since I didn't have any sort of table. So I went down stairs to snoop around and see what I could figure out and I came across three old yellow kitchen chairs in the backyard, which worked out pretty well since yellow's my main character's color. So I cleaned them, took them inside, and used them to prop up all the things I had lying on the ground (artist briefcase, a basket, a painting, etc.) Then I took a small stool I had borrowed from my mom and used it to elevate the paintings so I could get them in the shot. Lastly, the walls were pretty empty so I brought some posters and magazine pages to put up and add to the look.

Next was figuring out my shot list. Again. Getting pretty used to making those but I don't mind. I decided to make a clear shot list for the painting scene because, even though I had a good idea of what I wanted from when I storyboarded the scene with the Grizzly song, I figured I needed to be organized for the next time I film. I also wanted to figure out what shots were possible with the space and equipment I had so I tested out a couple camera positions/movements as I thought of them. I think planning things within the space I was going to be working in was probably one of my best decisions. Not only did it help me stay focused but it helped me figure out shots more quickly and keep them realistic. I did the same with shot listing the part of the film opening after my painting montage, the part where Byrdie goes into the bathroom and scrolls through social media before attempting to paint again. I don't really know why I split it into two different shot lists but it just sort of makes sense in my brain.

Anyway, the bathroom shots were pretty simple to come up with but I realized that the lighting didn't look that great so I think I'm going to bring in some colored plastic sheets to use as gels. I'm thinking of using green since it could be interpreted as envy (Byrdie getting jealous at others while on social media) but I don't have that much green and it usually comes out as this sort of ugly looking yellow so I'm not sure. I could also try out magenta or purple because I have a lot of that color. I know pinks and purples aren't really associated with negativity but I'll look cool and moody paired with the current light bulbs. I just want there to be a contrast between the bright art studio and the bathroom because that's where her internal struggle comes into play.

I'm tired. But I'm happy I got a lot done today, it makes me feel calmer about having to change my film opening. Ending this post with pictures of the shot lists as well as the new and improved set: