CCR Transcript

          Ok, so I know I said in my previous blog post that I was going to be the interviewer and that my main character  was going to be the star, but…. I changed my mind.  I thought it would it make much more sense if I was the one that was being interviewed.  I am now going to be creating my transcript, so I stay on track and don’t ramble during the video. I will leave below the rough draft for the transcript!!!

 

 

 

Joseph: Hello everybody, today we are here with Jessie Schiller! She is the writer, director, and the camera operator  of ,“The Advocate”!

 

Jessie: Hello! Thanks for having me, everyone! I am so excited to discuss my new film.

 

Joseph: Ok, let’s get into this! I wanted to start by asking you, how does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

 

Jessie: Wow! Ok, well, to answer the second part of the question first, my film represents and focuses on  the Jewish religion and people. My whole film is based on a kid that moved from Israel to Miami. During this move, he experiences a lot of differences. Miami is a melting pot! It is filled with all different kinds of people of races, religions, cultures, and ethnicities; it has every type of group. But with the amount of diversity it has, it also comes with hate. And this is what Eitan (my main character) experiences on his first day of school. 

 

Joseph: Yes, I can confirm that! I was born and raised in Miami, and I’m as diverse as they come! I speak Spanish, English, and Hebrew! No one ever expects a Spanish person to be Jewish!

 

Jessie: Exactly, there is a lot of diversity in Miami which is a great thing. It allows everybody to be themselves, but it comes with different beliefs from all these different cultures. These beliefs can cause fights and comments, which is what Eitan experiences. As he is walking to school, a boy rolls down his window and asks him, “what is on your head?” and he responds with, “a kippah” he tells him to “take it off” and that he is a “dirty Jew .” This represents the prejudice that many people have against Jews. In my film, I don’t want people to pity the Jews; I want them to honor them. Honor them for sticking up to the hate and being strong.

 

Joseph: Wow, that is great! I love that you want to honor instead, of creating the theme of remorse. Let’s get onto the next question, how does your product engage with audiences, and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

 

Jessie: So, my target audience is mainly young adults and adults. Thirteen plus is what I think should be the starting point for people wanting to watch. I believe that schools and parents should educate young kids on anti-Semitism and prejudice. Still, I think young kids wouldn’t necessarily understand the concept of this film if they have not been educated on the topic yet…. It considers the prominent people that will draw attention to this movie will be minorities. These are the people that understand on another level. They have experienced it first-hand. Since my film is about prejudice, many people who have experienced any type of it, will relate to this and support this film. The main goal is to show how to stand up to those who try to oppress you and how by doing so can change the outcome.

 

Joseph: How do you plan to make your film available to this audience or any audience?

 

Jessie: Well, I will post my film on YouTube. Many famous stars such as Justin Bieber, Zac Efron, Russel Brand, and Gordan Ramsay all got famous on YouTube. So, just posting it to get any attention would be great. I will also be playing it at film festivals, specifically Miami International Film Festival, Miami Jewish Film Festival, etc.

 

Joseph: OH, those film festivals are great!! I hear the artists do so well, they get so much feedback! My next question is, how did your production skills develop throughout this project?

 

Jessie: I am excited to talk about this one! When I was first creating this film, I had no idea what I wanted the film to be about.  I wanted my film to be able to represent something about me, personally. When I thought of my idea, I realized there weren’t that many of these types of films made, which is why I wanted to create something like this.  Many people have their own perceptions of people, but when people watch my film, I want them to realize the impact that words have on others. I also want people to understand the power of standing up for something or someone you believe in and how important it is to educate people.

 

Joseph: How did you integrate technologies-software, hardware and online- in this project?

 

Jessie: While filming this I had a lot of issues with cameras at first. When I was planning my production, I knew that I wanted to use a Canon camera instead do my iPhone. I thought this would be a much smarter choice, and it would come out with such good quality.  Well, that failed miserably. I had never used the camera before (which is my fault), but I had watched YouTube videos and done all my research. I felt like I was educated on how to use the camera and I thought to myself how hard could it possibly be? Once I figured out how to film a video, I only got it to record up to 8 seconds, so I switched to my phone. That was my best idea yet.

 

CCR Brainstorming/Creation

           Last class my teacher went over the CCR creation.  We took notes of her presentation that included everything that should be in the CCR creation.  We also watched some example videos of students from the past to give us idea of what was expected from us to do.  For the CCR my teacher mentioned how this project isn’t supposed to be very serious and to have fun with it.  She mentioned how in the past some kids made a documentary, or a talk show.  When she mentioned the talk show, I was very interested in doing something like this.  I thought that I could include my main character in the video and make it almost like a new movie screening interview.

         In the CCR, I would interview my main character, while also explaining everything that was involved within the film opening (answering the four questions).  It would represent a basic movie interview and ask the star how they felt during the film, what it was like to film something like this, and anything else that would be beneficial to my project.  The only thing I’m a little stressed about is time.  I feel like this could take a long time to film, and I only have until Monday. So, I’m a little stressed, but I know I will finish everything intime to do so. I included an example below of what I’m trying to represent for my CCR to give you an idea.  Below is in interview with all three of the previous actors that have played spiderman.  (By the way, mine wouldn’t be this long!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDvUI5O_b3k&t=65s

Editing Continued....

 Since I had to re-film all the last scenes of the film, it set me back a day.  But at least all my footage is  perfect now!  This is a great example of learning from my mistakes.  I learned to always make sure that the footage is perfect. and that nothing is blocking the camera. After I filmed everything, I then added everything to my computer to be able to move it into iMovie. 

         After moving everything into iMovie, I began editing everything and making sure the footage is perfect.  Now that everything is prepared and ready, I am going to try and finish editing everything by the end of the week to make sure I stay on track.

Bump In The Filming Process

         Today when I was editing, I realized I made a mistake when I was filming. During the filming process, my phone case was covering part of the camera, so the footage was not able to be used.  So, today I will be filming all the ending of my footage.  Thankfully I filmed it at m y friend’s house, so it wasn’t a big deal to go and must refilm because everything is in the same exact place as it was when I started filming.  I mainly only had to film the last scenes of the opening, so I am very thankful that everything from the beginning was useable footage.

         After I filmed everything, I felt at ease because I only knew that I had to edit, and I had no filming left.  I was honestly very stressed at the beginning of the day because I didn’t think I would have enough time to film everything, and if it would look different, but I just pushed through my worries and continued filming.

Goals of the Week

     This week I am mainly focusing on finishing up all the editing for my film, to make sure everything is done by April fourth.  I know I said before that I was a little worried about doing the editing, but I honestly found everything that I had to do very simple.  I know from the past that iMovie is the one editing app that I feel most comfortable with.  When I tried using DaVinci I was lost.  There were so many different tools, I just found it so overwhelming to learn how to use every single button.  But since I’m using iMovie, I have no stress about editing.                                          

    One of the things that I really enjoy doing when editing it adding all the sounds on top of each other.  I think it ends up sound very realistic once all the sounds are playing at the same time. Since I’m focusing on finishing all my editing this week, I am confident that I will be able to finish it this week (hopefully).  It’s been kind of hard because its spring break, but there are deadlines, so I must continue working! But I am excited to be finished with the project just to be able to watch my film come to life.  I have had so many different ideas for this film so I’m just excited to see how its hoping to come out!

Creating Production & Film

         I created my production, my film, and my soundtrack.  I went on canvas to create different kinds of short clips make these videos.  I am between multiple different themes or layouts you could say.  I think the darker theme looks a little more professional, but I also really like the clouds as a background (I will link the videos below).

         Creating different kinds of layouts will give me options to decide what to choose from.  Coming up with a name was kind of hard at first.  I wasn’t sure of what to pick, or how to create a name.  for my production company, I chose the name, “Bromo Productions”.  creating a filming production was a little different.  I wanted to create something that was unique but still sounded professional, so I named it, “Passion Films”.  for the soundtrack, I went on many different copy right free websites to look for the perfect song.  After going through various of the songs on the website, I found the one. I made sure to add everything to my project, and it looks like its al starting to come together.  Below I listed some of the videos I made with the different layouts if anyone wants to check them out.

      

Editing Process

 

            This week I have started the editing process.  I was defiantly a little nervous to start the editing process because I have never done anything like this before.  I used iMovie to edit everything.  I started off by adding all the videos into the project so I could decide where I wanted everything to go.   Once all the videos were there, I went through putting them all in order.  I went for each of the videos and cut out any unnecessary parts of the clip that didn’t add anything to the film.  even though I just started editing, I feel like I still have made a lot of progress in the video. 

            I still need to add my song in the beginning, and any type of background noises that would amplify the noises in the back.  I am not worried for having to put in songs and noises because I am very comfortable with the tools on iMovie.  I also need to add all my credits to the film, and the title. I have decided that I am going to have the title at the end of the opening.  I think that this will look the best and will wrap it all together.  Tomorrow I am going to be looking into some songs to add in the beginning, and make sure everything looks good.

Class Meeting!

 

         Today in class, we met in groups to discuss our projects.  We went over our whole project, things that we needed a second opinion on, and anything that we wanted to share.  I thought this was a very productive way of getting feedback on my project and hearing about everyone’s ideas.  I needed some extra help with the ending of my film and my group helped me decide what to do.  

         I explained how I wanted the ending to have this solution on how my main character did something to stand up to the bully.  My group liked the idea of doing a live video of him streaming what happened to him on the way to school and standing up to this kid.  They thought this was a perfect way to go into the film, and that it would look cool.  The only thing is that it may be kind of hard to try and edit the whole thing together and include the live stream.  When I include the live stream in it, I want to include comments of what people are saying, the viewers going up, to show that his story is getting spread fast.  Other than that, we all just discussed our on individual things that we are trying to work on or fix for our project.

Filming Today!

           Today will be the first day of filming, finally! I will start the process around about noon. For my project, everything will have to be filmed during the day because this all takes place early in the morning, and I must show the progression throughout the day. I will start filming from the first thing on my storyboard, offering little clips of the house, Eitan getting ready, etc. These clips will be short, showing a little detail of his home and lifestyle. I want to include all the religious things he has in his house because it will give the audience context information. After I get the first couple of clips out of the way, I will find a street to film my main character walking to school. I need to make sure the road has people, but it doesn't look choppy with all the cars driving by, just in case  it takes multiple attempts to film.  

         Once I get to the scene of the kids screaming at Eitan, I will make sure to find a quieter street, so I don't interrupt any traffic or cause any issues. Finding a more peaceful road will make it much easier to film because we won't have to wait for cars to go around, honking, etc. I'm a little nervous about recording everything because I want it to come out good, but I'm excited to start this filming process. I will try and film everything I can today and attempt to get everything done, but if I need to do more scenes, I will continue tomorrow or next week.

 

Preparing for the Film!

     As I'm preparing to start filming tomorrow, I need to make sure I have everything ready for the filming to begin. This consists of getting the costume is ready, any props I may need, and start practicing little filming shots. I feel prepared for the filming process since I have been talking and creating this project for so long. I know what I want to film, so I think it will be easier since I have a clear vision of what I want.  But I am defiantly going to have to go over my character's personality with the person playing the role. It’s defiantly going to take a couple of filming attempts with his face is in it to try and get him to meet the kid's emotions.

    I have been watching some YouTube videos about filming, editing, etc. Watching these videos helps me with the process, while making me feel more comfortable using the devices. I believe doing research prior will benefit any project a lot. It makes it provides background knowledge that you never know you may have needed. The website, https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/tips-about-filming-yourself/, is the current website I’ve been reading about filming. It includes many types of tips that would be useful during this process. One of the tips mentioned was not to have shaky hands! That is my one stress for this process. My hands constantly shake, and I can't keep them steady. I will have to try my best to make sure my hands are good for my project! Other than doing research and watching YouTube videos, I am all ready for the filming process tomorrow!

Creating the Solution/Ending!

         One of the main things in my project that needs to be changed is the ending. I must come up with something powerful that will make the audience love my character for being so brave after what he went through in the morning. I want to create something that shows that Eitan stood up to these kids. If he stays silent, these people will think the remarks and jokes are okay, which is not the case. Therefore, I need to develop something that will stand up for him and anyone who deals with this.

         As I'm brainstorming ideas, I have thought of the obvious, protesting, educating students, involving parents, etc. There are multiple ways that I can go about the ending, but I want it to be something that shows their words can’t stop him or the Jews. I am thinking of doing something that includes social media because it’s the most used platform to get information out. Some ideas that I think could be interesting would be my main character creating a video explaining what happened and responding to the kids in a public way, and to provide a more profound message to his followers, friends, and anyone that needs to see it. I think he could take a video of himself with his Jewish star, explain what happened today, and then tell his followers that no one can stop him.  This will be his advice to everyone around him. He tells his followers that he could've let these kids ruin his entire day or his whole week, but instead, he pushed through even though it may have been hard for him.  After experiencing this, he had learned for himself that these kids should have no power over making him feel bad, or anyone feel bad.

Production Process and Key Moments in the Film

          I am excited to start filming next week and begin this new part of the project. Before I film, I have to work with my characters, review my whole movie, create a new storyboard with everything that I changed, and make sure I have a clear vision of what I want the film to come out as. For the beginning shots of the film, I want to focus on the little details that will represent his religion. For example, I will show a close-up of his mezuzah, his Jewish star necklace, the Shabbat candles, and anything that can give little details that will add to the film. Showing these little clips will add a lot to the story and provide some background information on Eitan’s lifestyle and the way he lives. 

         Before I film the scenes of my film, I will have to do a few practice scenes to get the hangout. I have never filmed anything before, and I hope it will turn out decent, but I'm more scared about the editing. Making sure everything flows ideally will be difficult, but I'm confident in myself that it's going to come out well. Whenever I am learning something new, I like to watch YouTube videos or do some extra research to learn more about the tools and how to use them. Some of these editing sites can be a little overwhelming with all the different tools included with them. But, I am excited to start this next step for my project and to be able to watch my work come to life

Changes To My Project

            In my project, there will be a couple of changes being made.  To start, I was torn whether I should include my title in the beginning, in the end, or in the middle.  I have decided that I’m going to include the title at the very end of the scene, and it will go to a black screen.  I think this would tie the whole opening together, and then it would be the introduction to the movie.  The following change is removing the getting ready scene in the morning.  I’m going to cut out the alarm, the text from his mom, and anything that doesn’t add anything to my film.  But I will film little clips of his Jewish star, the mezuzah, and some other clips of little things around his house that represent this religion.  I think cutting this out will make it look organized and not overdone.  I was worried that my project had too many clips, so removing these scenes would make the film flow better.

         Another thing that I need to figure out soon is what I will make the boys say to Eitan.  It’s awkward having to choose an antisemitic comment for one of the characters to say, but I need to choose it.  Once I figure that out, I must come up with something that shows after getting this terrible comment said to him, he continues to go through his day and pushes through. I haven’t decided what I’m going to make the solution be at the end, and I’m a little stressed.  I have thought about maybe including social media where Eitan explains his story and stands up or doing something to defend himself and the Jewish people.  Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do for the ending of the film, but I know it must be something big .  I want to be able to show people that even though he may act like he doesn’t care; he will never forget those words being said to him.  I am going to continue brainstorming and figuring out what to make happen at the end of the story, but other than that everything is ready for filming.

Class Meeting

        Last class, I met with my teacher to discuss my topic, ideas, and storyboard for my project.  I was nervous about meeting and discussing my thoughts because I was worried, she would think it was terrible or if she didn’t like it.  But that was the case.  This meeting was extremely helping for my process and was significant for my project.  My teacher helped me fix a couple of things and make a few adjustments to my storyboard.

         For the storyboard, I had a lot of different ideas ( too many) that I was trying to fit in, and I had to cut some shots out of the film. I removed a lot and thought about specific props that would be crucial for the scenes.  After that, we discussed why I chose to do this type of film and why it was necessary.  I chose this project because I have been through something very similar.  I have gotten Antisemitic remarks said to me, whether it was through social media or to my face.  I want to represent the impact that words can have on people and what it does to them.  I want my work to stand up for anyone who couldn’t when someone said something to them.  I hope that anyone watching my project can use this to give them a reason to stand up to others and for themselves.  My teacher also recommended the movie, “school ties” which I am very excited to check out because I think it could give me some inspiration to use whether its music, or just props, anything can be helpful.

I linked below a picture of the film is anyone is interested in checking it out.