Elements of a good story

Elements of a good story

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/03/4-elements-good-story

Conflict

It gets the audiences attention. It's entertaining. People can relate to it because life is full of struggles and conflicts. Without conflicts characters don't grow or change and that would just be incredibly boring. 

Stakes

Conflict is nothing if there is nothing at stake. There needs to be something at risk. When the stakes are high it is much more interesting, there is more suspense and tension. The stakes don't need to be global scale but they need to be big enough for people to care. 

Sympathetic Characters

People need to like the characters or at least be intrigued or feel some sort of emotions toward them. The main character doesn't need to be a "great person" but they do need to have some sort of redeeming qualities that people can relate to.

Transformation

The person that starts the journey needs to be different or changed by the time the story ends. Sometimes the main character isn't the one that changes but another supporting character changes in order to help or better the main character. For example, in The Little Mermaid Ariel doesn't change but her Dad does in order to make his daughter happy. 

Notes of film making

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/03/stanley-kubricks-notes-film-give-insight-mind-master

Notes of film making

Don't go in with preconceived notions

No matter the time or setting of the film you have to figure out the most interesting way to play it out. You have to consider all the possibilities for a shot in order to find the mosesting one. 

The best plot is "no plot"

Sometimes the best plot is one that isn't apparent at all. You have to make the audience care about the story before they will want to care about the plot. Using a slow start gets under the audiences skin and makes them want to care.

 

Cast and Crew

You have to get used to the people you are working with. Be able to know there habits and be able to understand what they do and why they do it at all times.

5 most used tools to help move cameras more cinematically

5- Lineman

A cable cam can get you into places that a drone can't. Like above crowds following them, flying through the forest, or even repeatable moves for visual effects. 

4- Came tv crane

A crane is better than a drone and has much better visual effects but is difficult to figure out sometimes to get the shot you want. Canes are more effective and can be used in move places than a drone can.

3-Rhino Slider

Motion controlled dolly is very useful when there aren't many people on set or other things need to be done. Good to use for time lapses. 

2-Ultradolly

Its made well, cheap, and simple. Uses PVC pipe as the dolly track. Limited to linear dolly shots. Not as mobile as some other options. Most used for cinematic camera use.

1-DJI inspire 

The drone is the most versatile object to use. Can reach in high places and is extremely mobile. 

DIY-Hamburger

The scope of this project was to create a DIY video that other people could follow to perform a certain task. I made my video over how to make a hamburger.

My dad was making burgers for dinner so I just filmed him while he prepared the meat.

Making burgers is a fairly simple task to perform, it just depends on how you like your meat cooked as well as the kind of seasoning and actual meat for the burgers.

This is a very quick tutorial but it is packed with all the basic skills and necessary items to make a good hamburger. This is a skill I believe everyone should have.

How to not lose clients

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/02/7-things-to-avoid-doing-if-you-want-keep-your-videography-clients

It is very important to keep clients and to do that the client needs to be happy with you and you work. The client hired you because they believe that you are going to do a good job.

1) In order to keep clients you need to understand what they want or what they would like to have. In order to do this it is a good idea to put together a mood board of some sort in order to find out their likes and dislikes.

2) Find out their likes and dislikes in order to fit your work to their needs and wants. Give them back what they want based on what they already like. Make it about them not you.

3) When things don't go as planned just embrace it and start looking outward to find a way to fix it. Stay positive.

4) Give them what they want but also give them something else that they wouldn't expect to like. Try different things because taking chances may help you keep the client.

5) Post your stuff to social media. Get the client and the clients friends excited about the work you did for them.

6) Be the first one to reach back to clients. Impress them with how fast you can get their stuff done.

7) Reach out to them even after the job is done. Send them a thank you card or gift. Make home remember you, don't let them forget you.

20 steps

20 Steps

The scope of this project was to film 20 steps with different shots and such.

For my project we decided that wasn't good enough so instead we filmed the steps of life. This video is the journey of several different people from the time they are young to the time they fall in love and graduate and start their careers. 

I used some of my brothers friends and some of my friends to show getting your first car and falling in love. I also used the kids I babysit to be the young kids growing up. 

This project took a very different turn in our view of how it should be done than the project originally called for. But in the end it turned out to be a pretty good story. 

Why movies make people cry

Why movies make people cry

Movies are a medium of actors on a fake set pretending to feel someone. Yet movies have the power to make people cry. Whether those tears are from happiness, sadness, or even fear the tears always find a way. 

The goal of an actor is to be so good at their job that you actually believe what they are saying and doing. You believe them so much and can become so attached to the character and his or her story that you start to feel what they are feeling. 

You put yourself in their position when you get attached to them and their emotions and the things that happen to them begin to relate to your own life.



When a character has you completely hooked on the story, that is when you ill cry for them. 

You become so consumed with the relationship between characters that the loss of one is a loss for you as well. You cry because you lose them too because you will never see them again. 

Within the story you get to know these characters and you as well begin to have a relationship with them.