Genre Film: Small Indifferent Neena

In the making of Small, Indifferent Neena there were a variety of factors that went into its completion. I took on the role of director and so I worked on getting a couple of the necessary releases.


These are examples of a location release and a talent release. The first major step in making this film was brainstorming the idea and then writing the script. Our genre was a road film. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions of the school building and school day, the use of a car was not feasible. Therefore, we decided to zero in on the tradition of a notable method of traveling by giving our protagonist crutches. Additionally, we subverted the genre due to our protagonist. In road films, the protagonist is conventionally a white male. Not only is our protagonist a woman, she is also a person of color which aids in the subversion of this genre. After the script was complete, the storyboard was easy to complete. Around this time, I got releases from the actors and the property manager of the school. Then, it was mostly the production process of organizing actors, technology, and locations. It wasn't until post-production that we truly applied the new skill of color correction and color grading. This was a really interesting process and I feel like it was a huge success in upping the quality of our film. If I were to do the project again,  I would try to use a consistent microphone throughout for volume consistency. 

documentary 12 pages complete

production check!

We were scheduled to finish filming over the last couple weeks, but due to scheduling conflicts, we were unable to coordinate everyone's schedules to coincide. However, we are set to film next weekend and are keeping our fingers crossed that no conflicts will arise before then. However, this week, Shay and I went to the bowling alley to obtain permission to film there. Unfortunately, I forgot my location release at home, but we did obtain verbal permission to film there from the owners! Of course, when we go to shoot there we will obtain a signature from the individuals who gave us permission on the location release form. I am super excited to see if the shot works out. A complicated factor of shooting in a bowling alley is sound, as there is a lot of loud and noticeable background noise. It will be up to Shay to choose the best microphones to get the best sound quality possible for the dialogue. It would also be cool to record the background sounds to play during the pauses in conversation. Additionally, I am excited to see how the lighting turns out as much of the bowling alley is lit by colorful, neon lights, which could make for really cool shots, especially close-ups.
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The bowling alley is called ABC West and I feel like it plays into the small town aesthetic that we are aiming for within the film. Additionally, in the image above you can see the pairs of seats that would be effective in filming the main dialogue scene. The lighting will create hopefully a sort of glowy and hazy effect that reflects the confusion of youth, a central point of conflict within our script. Excited to see how it looks!

Documentary Update

Production Check

Yay! We finally started filming and definitely accomplished all that we wanted to at this point. We filmed two separate scenes with Ariel Brown, who is our actress for the role of June.
The first scene we completed was the scene with June in the car after her discussion with her mom.


It was a little chilly on the day that we filmed, but I am really happy with the results. The fall colors of the exterior provide nice contrast for the cooler colors inside the car. We ultimately decided not to use my car, as I had suggested in my previous post, but Ariel's because she was more comfortable driving her own car which is completely understandable. The lighting also turned out to be spectacular, allowing for nice shadows, as seen in both images, but sufficient lighting that they did not turn out too dark. I am pleased with the way that this scene turned out, both in terms of cinematography and productiveness. The filming process went smoothly and Ariel was an excellent and willing actress. I also feel as though I work well with Shay and Pranava which is so nice to be able to take on this project with them.

We were able to get a lot of different angles despite the slight chill. I am slightly worried about continuity issues as the sun was beginning to set, but we will work that out once we reach post-production.  Additionally, we were able to film the dinner scene between June and her mother, Nora. I am super happy and impressed with our level of productivity as were able to complete both of the scenes in a timely manner. My mom stepped in to play Nora because originally, I was planning to but I felt her age would give the film more of a sense of authenticity.

Pictured above is the dinner scene. Additionally, this scene has an interesting feel because of the warm tones of the room but the tension of the dialogue. Overall, I am pleased with our progress and look forward to wrapping up production within the next two weeks. We only have two more major scenes to film, the bowling alley scene and the classroom scene. We are looking at doing the classroom scene during or after school on the first week of December. The bowling alley scene is scheduled for November 26th but we are still waiting on confirmation for availability from the actor playing Jonah. Looking forward to how the rest goes!

Documentary Check!

Production Check

We are finally beginning production which is exciting as we have emerged from the planning period. We have officially scouted for locations. In the next two weeks, we plan on filming the scene in June's home and in June's car. If time allows, we may also try to fit in the scene in the classroom at school. However, due to the holidays, there are definitely some time constraints. 

This is the car that we will be using, my car. It is a Volvo named Agnes. Because my dad officially owns the car, I got him to sign a location release for it (located in my sketchbook). We will be shooting from multiple angles, the primary one being the passenger seat. I will probably clear some of the mess out but I like the aesthetic of clutter because I think it makes the car feel less like a set and more like a real, liveable setting.
This location will be used for the following portion of the script.


For the scene with June and her mother Nora, we will be using my kitchen. I also got my dad to sign a location release for the house.
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The dining table will be used for the brief conversation between Nora and June and then the kitchen/countertop area will be used for their conversation over the clean-up.

We are planning on filming the house scene and the car scene, if possible, on Saturday, November 12. The classroom scene will be filmed on either Wednesday, November 16, or on Friday, November 18th. It might be ambitious to organize everyone for both of those days but hopefully at least one of them is successful.
I have a red sweater that I want June to wear and a grey shirt that will work well for Nora.
 One of the positive aspects of collaborating with other students in the class is the help with all of the work and the decisions that go into the process of making a film. However, it is extremely hard to coordinate, especially for production timing with so many crew members. Additionally, it seems that our original choice for June, Emily Joyce, has a conflict for the next two weeks as she has a theater production. This is extremely unfortunate so we are scrambling to find an alternative as postponing for the next two weeks would set us back quite a bit. As most of our scenes include June, we are trying to find someone else. Our major prospect right now is Ariel Brown who we feel would do an excellent job with role. We are just trying to run all the dates by her. Once we have her confirmed, I will give her a talent release. I am upset about this setback but that is just one negative aspect about working with high school students: their busy schedules. Hopefully everything will work out and we will have completed at least one scene by the next checkpoint. I feel as though, despite setbacks, this film has taken greater form during these past two weeks and I am excited for what is to come.

Documentary Progress Check!