Monday, March 29, 2010

Video Sidebar

All of our videos (blog updates, trailers, features, etc) will now be viewable in the sidebar on the right-hand side of your screen. Just hover over each video for titles and click to view!

(DISCLAIMER: IF THERE ARE NO FINE ARTS 2 VIDEOS IN THE YOUTUBE SIDEBAR, REFRESH YOUR BROWSER UNTIL THEY APPEAR)

Behind the scenes feature coming very soon!

Tickets on sale Tuesday, the 30th for only 5 dollars!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Interview with Sound Rabbit Hannah S.

The FA2 team met with Hannah S., one of the sound rabbits for the film, to ask her about her experiences so far with the film making process.


FA2: What all do you do for the FA2 film?
Hannah: I'm on the sound team, premiere team, and costume team. For the sound team I hold a mic all day with a sound belt around my waist. I have to listen to any ambient noise, paying attention to both boom mics. I try my hardest to ensure that we get the best sound quality possible. Earlier in the year we also discussed and typed out all of the costumes we would need for each scene. For the premiere team I have been responsible for securing a premiere location. Once the premiere gets closer I will be responsible for advertising the movie, selling tickets, and basically getting everything ready for the night the movie shows.


FA2: What do you dislike most about being a sound rabbit?
Hannah: Cords. They are...always getting wrapped around my feet and making me trip!


FA2:What has it been like to see the film evolve over the year?
Hannah: At the beginning of the year I thought our film was way too ambitious for the abilities our class had. However as filming has progressed and the weeks of hard work have been accomplished I've realized how much skill, talent, and hard work our class possesses. So I think our film is going to be fantastic and will definitely be achieved.


FA2: Since you also acted in the film, how different is it being behind the camera as opposed to being in front of it?
Hannah :They are two completely opposite spectrums. On screen, people are dependent on you, because the acting is one of the more important components of a scene. You have to know your lines and its just more stress, for me at least. Behind the scenes people are still dependent on you but its not as much pressure because you can always voice over bad sound.


FA2: What have you learned from being in a FA2 Production?
Hannah: I think I have definitely learned that you have to depend on and trust each other whether that be everyone being on time or listening to each others ideas. You just become a family in all the essential ways especially by gaining a fun, loving, respectful relationship with everybody.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Interview with Editor Michael M.

The Fine Arts 2 Blog team sat down with Michael M., one of the main editors of the movie, to talk a little bit about the editing process so far.

FA2: What has editing been like so far?
Michael: The editing process has been very long, it has taken a lot time. I have spent probably close to 40 hours editing scenes and working on some of the music.

FA2: Has it been tough?
Michael: There are times where some scenes can be finished quickly, but it can be challenging. Recently I edited a whole scene and then found out the footage was not uploaded to the computer properly and the fullscreen/widescreen proportions were messed up. Prior to that I spent 5 hours working on it. I had to delete the whole scene and footage and upload it and edit it all over.

FA2: Have you had any prior experience editing before the movie?
Michael: My friends and I have made some comedy rap music videos and I edited those.

FA2: What do you like about editing the most?
Michael: I like making the scenes flow, for example, if someone is sitting with their arm on their leg and they start to move their hand up in the air. It has been fun to match that movement with different camera angles, meaning while they move their arm up I switch to a different angle, but their arm is still moving. It flows smoothly.

FA2: What has the editing process taught you overall?
Michael: Patience. It takes a lot of time to edit a scene. I'm used to editing quickly, but I have to carefully watch every single thing in a scene to make sure everything flows properly.



Friday, March 12, 2010

Austin Trip

Here are some shots from our road trip to Austin last weekend!


Miss Julie with a real 1940s Life magazine!
















Our awesome conductor





















All dressed up and ready to film












Hannah and Will waiting to board the train. (disregard the 'future technology' in the background ;) )











Connor!


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Interview with Music Producers Connor and Caleb

FA2 Team conversed with the music producers for the FA2 Film Correspondence to find out what goes through their minds as they write the music.

FA2 - What has been your musical inspiration to write this style of music for this FA2 film?
Connor - Probably for the most part groups such as Benny Goodman. They have really been the main inspiration for me at this point.
Caleb - To be honest, most of my inspiration has come from Conner! He usually commits the general theme to music and I come back in behind him and critique it, change it, alter some of the notes, and he either agrees or disagrees. We've butted heads a couple of times over that last part!

FA2 - When you write this music do you tend to write it before or after the Fine Arts team has filmed it and you have had a chance to see the scene?
Connor - I tend to write the music before I see the scene, just because I have had a surplus of music already finished.
Caleb - To put it in perspective, we started writing music the first week of school and didn't touch a camera for Correspondence until mid January.

FA2- What is your favorite instrument that has been involved in the process of creating your masterpiece ?
Conner - I think I have probably enjoyed the piano the most.
Caleb - Conner's mind.

Fa2- How much time would you say you have put in so far in this whole process of writing?
Connor- To put it in terms any MCA student could understand, easily an MH worth of time (about 20-30 hours).
Caleb - Oh gosh, I don't honestly know. I mean, we are even using some music that we began writing last year, so I would guess closer to the 100 hour mark.

FA2 - Is your job stressful at all, or does it just come naturally?
Connor - I think it is easier for me than most because I do not find it stressful at all.
Caleb - I would say it's within every person's character to enjoy music. For us, music is our passion and so we enjoy the writing process as well as all the other aspects. It's been a lot of fun to be working with this project.

FA2 - If you could do this whole process over again, making a movie, writing a soundtrack, would you?
Connor - Yes, I would for sure do it again, it has been a real enjoyment.
Caleb - I would say yes. There are some things I wish I knew that could have kept me from making so many mistakes and wasting time along the way, but absolutely, yes.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Actress Lydia D. Interview

The FA2 crew sat down for an interview with Lydia D. She is one of the many actresses in our film and has done a fantastic job so far & we have no doubt she will continue to do great! Here is what we got from her during our interview!


FA2: “What is your role or character in the movie?”

Lydia D: ”I am Louise, the fiancĂ© of Anthony.”


FA2: “What is it like having a big part in the film?”

Lydia D: “First off, it is a lot of fun, yet it is both challenging and an adventure. I am always eager to go out & produce the best product possible. I’ll do my part to make it great.”


FA2: “How much time have you spent on this production?”

Lydia D: “I would have to say at least twenty hours. In the beginning, we spent several long months just prepping for the movie, such as coming up with an idea, writing the script & figuring out all the props & costumes we will need for every scene. We have also had several 12+ hour Saturday’s filming since January. But it has all been worth it!”


FA2: “What kinds of things do you do before stepping in front of the camera?”

Lydia D: “I do my hair according to the time period, put on my makeup, dress in the right costume, get into character and mentally focus. Sometimes it is a challenge to get focused.”


FA2: “Why is it challenging to get focused?”

Lydia D: “Sometimes, I just like to be goofy and have a good time, but most of the scenes require me to be calm and serious.“


FA2: “How do you get into character?”

Lydia D: “The night before (Friday night) I go over my lines by myself and then again right before we film. For the more intense scenes I try to think of something that will get me in the mood.”


FA2: “What has been the hardest scene for you personally?”

Lydia D: “The last scene. It was hard to portray the right emotion for the closing of the movie, because this scene is a “make it or break it” to our whole movie. We had to do a good job pulling off the last scene in order for our whole movie to be great.”

~~~

Stay tuned for more interviews and behind the scenes footage!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Brown-Dorsey Medallion Home Interview

The FA2 crew sat down for an interview with Diann Dow, one of the caretaker/operators of the Brown-Dorsey Medallion Home, to see what she thought of all of this crazy filming that has been going on lately, and here is what we got!

FA2: "What was your first reaction when a bunch of high school kids wanted to film in your house?"
Diann: "Well... I was surprised that y'all wanted to do something so ambitious! But then after I was told the story about what y'all were going to do, I was just as enthused as y'all were. Y'all were just so sincere and I thought that y'all could really make a go of it!"

FA2: "Were you ever fearful for the safety of this house? I mean after all, we are a bunch of high school seniors!"
Diann: "Nooo, because I was going to be here to watch y'all! (hahahaha) I had other people that I consulted with to get the go on it, it wasn't just me. Pat McDaniel, who is the director of the Haley Library and Museum and involved with the Midland County Historical Society, is in charge of the house, and so we agreed that it was a wonderful project and that we should support it wholeheartedly!"

FA2: "Is there anything that your most excited about in our movie? Maybe a certain scene that you've seen filmed?"
Diann: "Well, my dad's brother was a pilot in WW2, and he wrote letters home, and my grandmother was waiting on letters from him, too. He was fighting from out of North Africa, and was flying planes into Italy, and in a way he was doing the same thing that this story is telling about. So, our family kinda went through the same thing. It's almost felt like deja vu! The same thing was happening in the house again that had happened in 1944. [...] I'm glad that this house can be remembered in such a way."

~~~

We are so thankful and appreciative of all the people at the Brown-Dorsey Medallion Home for their generosity in letting us film there for the past 6 weeks and look forward to being able to share with them in the excitement of the April 30 premiere!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Blog


Epic...

Blog


Our warm cabin

The Creek


Actor

A rare occasion when Noah was able to bundle up and be warm.

Sound Rabbit


The never ending journey of sound.

Camera


Rock out Rabbit!

Camera


Joel told me he must stash his mustache in a mustache and this is his tree-stashe.

Camera


Eyes of the story teller

Consumer


iPhones are almost useless in Switzerland.......

Camera


Dude.......

Camera


Mike prepping his camera hands

Actor


Dustin taking in the beauty

Camera


Getting those epic wide shots!

Blog

Joel getting the behind the scene stuff.