Reshooting Moulin Rouge Design 6

Before going into this shoot I knew I would need to make a few adjustments to this character because of the difference between myself and the previous model. I felt quite confident in doing this because I have explored the character design and understand how I need to alter certain parts of a look in order for it to look better and more adaptable to my look. Reshooting the Moulin Rouge character, I needed to re-style the outfit due to the sizing differences between myself and the original model. I did not have time to order a new outfit and tried to resolve this problem by choosing a top I already I have. Doing this, I was aware that the styling needed to suit the Moulin Rouge character I created. The top I chose was black and I felt that a better thing for me to do was alter the makeup as it was too light coloured to match the black. I also thought that by using black eye liner too, this would the tears I needed more clearer to see when film. I tried to alter the makeup in a way where it was similar to the style of the original look but with a darker tone to it.

I also changed the hairstyle by not creating plaits and only curls. This was because I didn't think the head accessory was sitting nicely on top of it. Recreating the hairstyle without the plaits looked much better with the head accessory and I think having longer hair also suited this look more.

During filming I had someone else record the camera for me and help make sure that I looked presentable for the film on set. When filming, I felt that it was hard to know if what I was doing was correct as, obviously, I can not see it until after. I got a variety of shots including close ups. I also decided to change the handkerchief idea to just using tissues. The handkerchief I used was a synthetic and did not really look like a handkerchief. I think that by using tissues instead will make the crying scenes look more natural than using a handkerchief. Putting this into action, I do think it came off better and more natural.

Shoot 10: Early 1900's Baz Luhrmann

Makeup, Hair, Styling

Preparing for this shoot, my model had to cancel so I quickly needed to find someone else to be this character as the deadline is in less than 2 weeks. I resolved this problem and re-arranged the shoot 2 days after the original time.

For this shoot, I felt that creating the character was very straight forward and found it quite easy to create this look. I wanted the hairstyle to be a similar style to Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby and was a bit unsure on how to go forward creating this style so I asked my tutor for help. I am glad I did this as I followed the steps she told me and was really happy with the outcome. I think that this shows that when I am unsure about something, I am not afraid to ask for advice. If I did not, the style could end up wrong and take me longer to read just it.

I think the styling matched the hair really well as I had my character wear a suit including a bow tie. My model also had a beard and I think that this was a good reason to make him this character because it fits in with the Edwardian times these films are set in.

Before I had started filming I had made sure the battery was fully charged for my shoot so that it would not run out like the last couple shoots I did (I have been using the same camera for the last 3 shoots). After 10 minutes of starting my shoot though, the battery still ran out very quickly so clearly there was an actual issue with the battery. This made it more difficult for my shoot to go smoothly once again as I had to stop halfway through to charge it. I also had to do this shoot for a limited amount of time so I did not want to start rushing trying to complete this shoot. Luckily I was able to get the shoot done in time with a variety of video clips to use.

When it cam to directing my model, I think I did quite well in helping him understand how he needed to show different reactions. He a bit stiff on some actions but I was able to direct him in a way that made these actions look more natural.

Overall I think that this shoot went really well as I had managed to re-organise it in a short space of time. There were errors with the battery so next this happens, if I have time I will change the camera.

Mentor Session

This week I showed my mentor, Sharon the last two shoots I made - the modern Baz Luhrmann and second Moulin Rouge shoots. We went through what shots worked and what did not through the modern shoot. She was really pleased with the outcome of the shoot but some of the handheld shots I did were too shaky to be used for my film. I have learnt from this part of the session that I need to be careful when filming in a handheld technique and make sure the outcome does not look too shaky. I still like this idea though as it gives a raw feeling to the film but it looks too shaky to be part of the film then I will not include it.
When I showed her the Moulin Rouge look, I talked about how I was thinking of reshooting it and she agreed to this. I understand that everything about this shoot could be better other than the makeup. I have decided that I will be this character for the film as the deadline is less than 2 weeks and finding a model in time will be hard.

Shoot 9: Moulin Rouge Design 6

Going into this shoot I had a limited time to complete it so I did feel some pressure. Starting this shoot by applying prepping the hair, I had limited time and tried to get the styling done quickly. I was really pleased with the plaits I created but was unsure of how the curls looked.

With the amount of time I had though, I moved onto the makeup and this time round I had remembered to change my technique and start with applying the eye makeup before the foundation. I am so glad I had done this as eye shadow can get so messy underneath the eye area. In a previous shoot (the Moulin Rouge Design) I had felt that I was applying gems in a very controlling way and this time round I was using gems again but I managed to let go of that control and thought that this was the best I had ever applied gems with a really nice outcome. I am really happy that I was able to make some steps forward in my makeup skills by remembering to change my techniques and be less controlling with the way I apply makeup. Getting the makeup right at some points was very frustrating as I had made a couple mistakes but once I had finished the look I was really happy and thought this was the best makeup look I had done.

The bralet I used was too big for my model and I had not come prepared to bring safety pins with. Luckily the model had some and so we were able to fix the problem. Although I am not a stylist it is still my job to bring safety pins in my equipment when the shoots are my own. I have learnt that I need to remember to bring safety pins and any other equipment to shoot that helps solves these type of problems.

During the filming I did have a few concerns. Firstly I was still not happy with how the hair looked and I did try to fix it but I am not sure if this was portrayed well enough on camera. Looking back on it now, I am worried that I may need to reshoot it as it just looks too messy. I also am not sure of how the model came across on camera as to me, it looked a bit stiff. We did get some good shots but I do think the hair is what's holding the whole scene back.

If I do reshoot then I may just use myself for it as I am running out of time and finding someone to model will be very hard at this point. I will of course need someone to film but I will only need an hour or less of their time so hopefully they will not mind helping.

Another problem that happened while filming is the battery ran out as it did in the previous shoot. This put a strain on the shoot as I was running late on schedule and needed to pack up at a certain time and leave. I did manage to get all the shots I wanted in time but I know that I really need to remember these type of issues that can happen and check the battery charge before I start a shoot.

Going more into detail with my directing, the model did come off stiff but when we shot the crying scenes she relaxed a lot more which gave this shoot a much more natural feel to it. I am not sure if this was enough though because even though she looked more natural she was not exactly using the handkerchief properly. I am not even sure how I feel about the handkerchief in general as it does not exactly look like a handkerchief. I am starting to think maybe it would have been better if I had just used tissues.

Overall I need to think and act quick on how I want to take this shoot forward. I am going to ask my tutors opinion in the next mentor session and if I decide to redo the whole thing then I will need to plan and shoot it as soon as I can.

Schedule

At the beginning of this project, I tried to be organised by planning a weekly schedule for my shoots. As the weeks have gone by though almost every shoot I did had a reason to be delayed. I really did try to stay organised but I understand that plans can change, I just did not expect my plans to change at such an extent. Looking back at this though, I am so glad that I decided to not include a stylist or film student to help me as it has been easier to plan out the shoots with just a model and myself. Unfortunately even now I am still struggling to stick to the schedule as I had originally planned for the following week to test my film but I am still currently editing it.

Some of the reasons shoots had to be pushed back were because of mistakes I had made planning the shoot before hand. I have learned from this to always make sure everything is planned properly before every shoot I do. I have suggested in another post about how I can help myself by writing a list for this.

Shoot 7: The Great Gatsby Design 8

I had an idea of how I wanted the hair to look on this character through the concept of it being blonde and short like Daisy Buchanan's, but I also wanted to portray the style slightly different from her usual short bob. I went into the shoot with a rough idea and I was surprised with the outcome as it looked better than expected knowing I was not clear with what I wanted.

I can be very forgetful at times and realised this during my shoot. As I did the makeup I realised that I constantly make the same mistake when it comes to applying eye makeup after foundation as sometimes the eyeshadow dusts onto the foundation. I have noticed this mistake before but constantly forget to do this in reverse as I am so used to applying the foundation first. I wanted to remember to apply this correctly but once again forgot. Making this mistake again I realised that I really need to remember in future to do this the opposite way as it is time consuming correcting this mistake. It is about going out of routine to make a better one. Overall I was really happy with the makeup apart from the mistake I made but was able to fix it.

Styling this look, I thought that the outcome went really well as I was still trying to capture Daisy's couture, summer coloured style but with a heavily made up face. I had brought a few headbands for this look but the one I wanted to use did not come across very nicely and resorted to using a second choice. The 2nd headband looked much better as it suited the hairstyle a lot more as well as matching the earrings as they both were decorated with pearls.

The hardest part about filming my model was getting her hair to sit right as I struggled to keep the back of her hair pinned in place. I was worried that this would not look professional on screen and could not help but ask other peers for their opinions while shooting. They did say that it looked absolutely fine and that I should not stress so much on small issues. This points out how insecure I can be about how I style hair as I know that I still need to improve on my skills. I unfortunately am running out of time and do not want to result in reshooting anything at this point as well. I know that I need to learn to be more calm and I do think asking for someone else's opinion did help me relax more.
I was able to film a variety of different shots of my model but I did need to be wary of capturing her at the right angle by how the images projected on to her as her jaw line sometimes was not visible. I felt at the time that directing this character could be quite tricky as she is being portrayed as moody and bored but I do not want this to be a negative part of my film. I do have a love for the quotes from The Great Gatsby and think by applying these it will complete this character's scenes quite nicely. This character is about portraying the real Daisy and by using quotes that she says against this character, I think it will result in an interesting light as to how she is revealed.

I have chosen this clip to go into my final shoot because I like how you can see more detail of her hair as she turns her head. I think that when I edit this clip though I will cut it after 6 seconds as it is quite long. I asked her to look quite bored after she turned her head by breathing in and out in a disinterested way I am not sure if this will be portrayed in a positive way if it was added to the film.

Shoot 8: Modern Baz Luhrmann Films

This character needed attention specifically to the styling and hair. I had prepared the styling by asking the model to bring any clothing that could match the character as well as buy clothes myself. I felt that the choice of clothing I had would fit in with the character very well to portray the 90's style I wanted.

Going into this shoot I was a bit nervous approaching the hair style as I do not usually style boys hair/short hair. When I created the hair style though I felt like I was creating the hair style slowly so that I was able to understand how to get the outcome correct. I knew I had plenty of time and didn't see a reason to rush it through. I understood that this hair style needed to be created properly to capture the 90's style. Eventually the results came out really nicely and I was happy that I approached a task I am not used to.

Throughout the filming process there were some minor issues I had. This involved the battery running out and in need of charging. Luckily there was no rush to get the shoot done quickly so this was not too much of an issue. I did learn from this to be sure the battery is charged before the shoot starts. This type of error is quite hard for me to remember as it is not something that I think about when preparing for a shoot. Maybe in the future I should write down a list of what needs to be done during a shoot and if I include this point then it will remind me to check the battery charge.

In this shoot I included the character lighting a cigarette and I am just hoping that I am able to find an effect when editing to include smoke in these shots. I think adding smoke would create an effect that will makes these scenes more intriguing to look at. 

When I directed my model, I knew what actions I wanted for this part of the film but was not sure it was enough and asked my model if he had any ideas that would could be added to this part. I think by doing this, I was not afraid to be open to other ideas as I want to know what could benefit my film as much as possible. Directing my model went quite smoothly and I think overall this shoot went really well as there were not many problems that happened within the shoot. I am also used to how the routine of each shoot takes place so setting up each shoot has been a lot easier and organised.

Post Production: Editing

From the beginning I originally planned to have a film student help me edit my FMP film. When the opportunity came to start editing though, like how I filmed, I decided to edit the film myself. I decided to do this because by self learning how to film edit I will gain more skills. I also think that editing the film myself is a quicker process of getting the job done when I can do all the basic steps myself. There is a possibility I will still need some guidance by anyone who is more advanced in editing than me as I know that this would still be helpful to know any good tips and what can make my film look better. I am trying to be more sufficient within my work but am still aware that I am not exactly an expert and will need some help crafting my film together.

So far I am trying to edit my film in roughly through I storyboard idea I have written out. As I have not finished all of my shoots yet, I am aware that I can not fully construct how I would like each shot to go from one to the other. I showed my mentor, Sharon my starting process and she told me that some video clips need to be moved around. This is so that the film flows and make sense as each clip is shown through out. I have taken her advice and started to structure what I can in an order that will make sense to the audience.

I want to add subtitles to the film that are from these 4 films and I feel that the biggest issue I have had so far is fitting the subtitles in with the correct film clip and making sure that the subtitles are on the screen long enough that they can be read. I am really trying to look at this film from an audience's point of view and see how long it takes to read each subtitle as the film goes along. Perhaps the sequence that the words appear in is what is making it so short so I will try to resolve this by possibly choosing a different sequence. I do like the way this sequence appears on the screen but there are also many other options of showing this on the programme I am using - Final Cut Pro. I have decided to portray each film's subtitles uniquely by using different fonts so that the audience can see clearly which subtitle is from which film. I have also thought that to portray which film quotes are showing i should use a font that is similar to the opening credits font in these films. By doing this it will evidently depict the films from each other.
At this point in post production I am just being experimental and trying to understand what works within my film and how I can make my film look appealing to the watchful audience. 

Including Men

After discussing with Sharon on including men in my film, I have decided to go ahead with this and plan an extra two shoots. The film will consist of two men. I was thinking of having four and that each character would be inspired by each film, but this would result in having 12 characters all together which I feel would be too many in the film and would elongate the timing of the film too much.

Instead I have put these men in the role of how Baz Luhrmann uses different time frames in his films. Romeo + Juliet and Strictly Ballroom are set in a modern time whereas Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby are set in the past.

I am going to style the modern character with a 90's male hairstyle as Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo Montague) and Paul Mercurio (Scott Hastings) are sporting very similar hairstyles of the 90's era. I have an idea of what the styling will look like but am unsure of whether I should have him wearing 2 outfits representing the 2 films as their style is different. If I decide to have just one style then I think the character should wear a shirt similar to Romeo in the image below as this portrays the 90's style whereas Scott's style portrays ballroom dancing. I am not used to styling men's hair and am nervous attempting this style but I am sure that this will not be too hard a hairstyle to accomplish and look forward to trying something new.
I am worried it will be hard to find someone with this type of hair to style in such short notice as I would like to get this done by the end of the week. This way I will be finished with all my shoots by Sunday and finally have all my shoots in the process of editing together. I am going to search for the model but be wary on the style of their hair.

The film's, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, are set in eras not too far off from each other, although in different countries, they share similarities. Both stories are set in a post-war time resulting in an atmosphere full of freedom and celebration. Both films revolve around a fun-filled environment due to the durastic changes and new beginnings caused by industrial revolution and rise in the economy.

The men can both be seen dressed in suits and bow ties, therefore I think this would be a great solution to styling the character representing these two eras. The hair will be slicked back and smart but I am also thinking of adding a hat to the styling too similar to Christian's in the image below.

Mentor Session

Today I discussed with my mentor, Sharon the shoots I have done so far as I felt clarification was needed with what I thought should be re-filmed. Even though I

I wanted the 1st shoot to be re-done due to the change of background throughout each video clip I filmed. We looked through these clips again and came to a realise how the use of the black background looks much softer with the projected image on the face. 

I also wanted to re-film the 4th shoot because I thought that the model looked too unnatural. Again though, after reviewing the shoot we looked at the character's reaction in a different perspective. I will consider still including her in the film as I may just be overthinking how she appears as an actress. I am going to start editing her in but if I am still unhappy with the outcome I may have to result in reshooting for this character with a different model/actress.
We also discussed the idea of men being included in the film. This idea was suggested to me the beginning of my project but I had put it to the side. Now that it has been brought up again, it does seem like it would be a good addition to the film as it opens up the idea of men's reactions rather than just women's to films.
I think what I have learnt from this session is how to make decisions. I definitely feel more sure of my work when I ask for other's opinions on it. The fact that I thought I had to reshoot the Moulin Rouge character and Sharon disagreed instantly made me feel different and more positive about the shoot. I am going to continue to ask others opinions on this shoot as at the end the day they are the audience and I want them to be content with what they are seeing in my film. Although I know I am always open to ideas, rethinking about including men's reactions in my film has reminded me to not dismiss past suggestions when they can be just effective within my work. I am going to take this idea and rethink whether it is the best decision to include it though as I do feel there are some cons that could come with including men i.e. how many more characters, adding extra time to the film which could result in it being too long.

How has my concept developed and adapted over the project so far?

The concept of my project began as a film inspired by all aspects of Baz Luhrmann's style in film. In my proposal I had stated how I wanted my characters look with makeup, hair and styling, but since then I have put this part of the project to the side as a majority of it was confirmed. I have developed my project by researching more about how I should be filming these characters. This part of the project is just as important as the characters as I need to understand how to grasp my viewers with my film and make them want to watch it from beginning to end.

At the beginning of the project a majority of the makeup hair and styling was confirmed but as the project has progressed, there have been some changes. I have tried to think more in depth within the styling. Originally I wanted a stylist to help me but then decided to do it myself as I do enjoy this aspect in planning shoots. At first, I tried to reinterpret all these characters type of styling by making them more modern. For example, I wanted the Moulin Rouge characters to not wear typical burlesque outfits but something that would match the over exaggerate style of the film such as a sequinned or heavy embellished top. When re-evaluating this idea for the styling, I realised that by doing this it might be harder for viewers to recognised what characters I am re-interpreting and why they are dressed so modern. I think in some aspects, jewellery is more important than what they are actually wearing as we can only see the shoulders upwards of these characters.

Within the makeup designing, some aspects have changed within colours and textures I was thinking of using. I made changes because I felt that certain styles within the makeup I originally wanted to create wouldn't match the styling or what character I am trying to convey. For example, the face chart for Moulin Rouge Design 5 consisted of a bright red colour on her face covered with sequins but when I looked back at this I thought the redness might be too much and harsh against the skin. I had also decided on a red corset for the styling for this character, so if I applied more red within the makeup, the outcome would be quite excessive in red tones. When I actually filmed this look I swapped the red for gold as this colour is seen in Satine's room and also symbolises love, which is what the character's look is inspired by from the film.

I feel that the best way to see the development within my project and specifically my skills in filming and understanding of techniques, is by watching each shoot throughout the weeks as I feel there is progression after each shoots and I come up with more ideas and get a better understanding of how to film each time.

Update on Competitors and Target's Profile

At this point in the project I have noticed that since my proposal, the progress of my FMP has altered and changed how my film will look. Therefore I feel that my target's profile has changed too. I think that this is because I have involved more colour into the film and it looks much more creative than it did when I wrote my proposal.
I think the type of person that would be interested in my film is still a huge Baz Luhrmann fan, but also someone that loves colour and how it is used in a diverse way within art. I feel that their age would be between 18-30 and female because within this age group, many women are in the process of knowing where they want to go with their lives but still have access to having fun within their social life. With this side of women at in this age group, I feel that they can relate to these films because of party scenes within them as well as the romantic storylines too.
I think this person could possibly have a love for travelling but still strives in being an artist whether it makeup or even styling. They have a keen love for fashion and being colourful within their wardrobe.

Voyeurism

Voyeurism is when people find an enjoyment almost like a hobby in watching something or someone. This idea can be seen as relevant to my FMP as it is about people watching films, specifically Baz Luhrmann's.

There are a variety of films that are related to voyeurism. The film, 'Rear Window', directed by Alfred Hitchcock displays a way of seeing situations and looking at them in a certain way. The character

The idea of seeing something and becoming so enticed within watching what is happening relates to what I am trying to portray in the film I am making. These characters are completely drawn into the film they are watching and we can see this by the expression on their face. What can also be translated through my FMP is how 

What I am going to develop from this is the reactions we see from these watchful people and interpret how I can portray this in my film. When I watched 'Rear Window' I found it sometimes hard to read the main character's reactions. It can sometimes be unclear what people are thinking about something when trying to read their face. I think I could develop this idea by doing the opposite and make it quite clear from the character's expression or reaction how they feel about what they are seeing.

Shoot 6: Strictly Ballroom Design 1

This shoot involved creating and filming Strictly Ballroom Design 1 which is inspired by Fran's transformation in the film. I had prepared myself to create the hairstyle by practicing beforehand which I am glad I have done as it helped me complete the process of the hairstyling easily with confidence in what I was doing. With the makeup I a made a mistake with the eye makeup but was able to correctly this with a positive outcome. I think that I just need to be more aware that powdered makeup is more likely to brush off under the eye and ruin the foundation. Perhaps in the future I should apply the eyeshadow first before foundation or find a source that covers the under eye while applying the eyeshadow. It was difficult finding an outfit with the budget that I have but managed to find what resembled a ballroom dress successfully and it suited the makeup and hair too. I was really pleased with the outcome of the look because I felt that it was matching the interpretation of Fran that I had imagined.

My time management was slightly off during this shoot. It took me a little bit more time than usual to set up the shoot as I had forgotten to get my model the prop so we started a bit delayed. Once again I did not prepare for the shoot properly and need to work on this by making a list of what is needed for every shoot I do. Going into the shoot, I had a clear idea of what I wanted in each shot because I had done the test shoot with this model previously. She understood very clearly what I wanted and we were able to create a variety of shots together. I continued to film the scene at different angles and zoom ins.

Overall I think this is the best shoot I have done so far because of the clear direction given to my model/actress as well as being continuous within the techniques I am using within the scenes. I was able to collect I variety of shots that would be suitable for the final cut of the film. I do need to become more on top with my time management by being more organised before shoots and also put into action solutions that will keep the eyeshadow from falling onto the foundation.

I really like this shot I created of this character as the model portrayed her so well and the close up of her eyes makes it more intimate in a way. I feel like a true connection is made from her to the audience. For this scene I want to include a happy or meaningful quote from Strictly Ballroom to this clip.

Presentation

During the presentation I showed the 2 shoots of the film that I had completed so far in the production. After showing the differences between the back drop changes in the 1st shoot and the ongoing white backdrop in the 2nd we concluded that the white backdrop looked better. In comparison the white backdrop gives a clearer idea what the viewer is looking as the projected images are seen much clearer than with the black.

After looking back through the film clips I made in the 1st shoot i realised that I may need to reshoot as the best scenes i filmed were the ones with a black backdrop and I want the backdrop to be continuously white throughout the film.

Other than this discovery I need to look back on what has been successful throughout my project so far and what needs improvement.

I also need to establish the process of what sound I'll be using during post production. I have a variety of ideas that need to be tested when it comes to editing as already mentioned in my previous post of the test film shoot.

Further research into film is also another idea I need to do when it comes to observing people or something and the discussion of performers.