This project started in January 2025. A friend of mine asked if I was working on anything script wise. I told her that I wasn't. She then asked I I would be willing to write a script and if she could act in it. I loved the idea so much, the next day I came up with an idea in my digital media class.
My goal in dig vid that day was to come up with an idea to write about. I stared at the whiteboard wall and started drawing stick figures. I looked at the drawings I made for a while. THEN. An idea sparked. I took inspiration from a movie I watched recently, "Drive Away Dolls". The opening scene has a character running with a briefcase in his hand. He gets cornered by a bald guy who is pointing a weapon at the guy with the briefcase. I took this scene and put my own twist on it. I drew a briefcase.
I started to document my notes and ideas on a doc.
After a couple of days, I started my script. It took me around a month to finalize the plot.
After writing the script - I started pre production. I created a mood board, storyboard, shot list, found actors and crew and scouted locations.
The hardest part of pre-prod was finding people to act and do crew. I did some promo and put out an announcement on my high school news YouTube letting people know that I'm looking for crew and actors. At this point, I had two people wanting to act. No one reached out from the promo, so I asked my friends and other creative people. In the course of two weeks or so, I had a cast and a crew. From here, I had to find a day where everyone was available to shoot. I banked on April 12, 2025 and I got the money! Everyone (fifteen people) were free to shoot. We were all hyped.
Now that I had a set date to film, I needed to get all my gear. The STEAM space of my school had everything I could've asked for except a boom mic and boom pole, so I did some research and a week or so later a boom mic and boom pole were in the gear closet. I had everything I needed.
I used a camcorder, boom mic, boom pole, two clapper boards and phone flashlights. I did have better lights, but they couldn't run in the cold weather.
The shoot was so much fun!
We shot at one of the crew member's barn. We all cleaned up the upstairs. Then we started our day. The shoot took seven whole hours! Each scene took around three or so takes. We had to troubleshoot the boom pole because it broke. Two people on set fixed and we were back on track. The camera was also being weird. It was fully charged, but didn't turn on for the first shot of the day, so we had to run an extension chord and charger in order for it to turn on.
I edited on Adobe Premiere Pro. Everything was going smoothly. It took me a week to complete the final product. I was ready to export and be done. BUT. Adobe couldn't find a file. I tried to locate it, but it never showed. So I had to start over. This mishap was very frustrating, but it allowed me to understand the software better. I knew where everything was and it only took me two days to finish.
After finishing the film, I made a teaser/trailer. It only took me five minutes or so to put it together. After making the trailer, I posted it to my YouTube channel. Then, I made a blooper reel. The blooper reel was giving me some troubles because my flash drive wasn't responding correctly. It took me five times to successfully export it.
Teaser thumbnail
YouTube Banner
Bloopers thumbnail
film thumbnail
making of bloopers
After editing everything, the STEAM space of my school held a showcase for student work. I presented my film and bloopers to a bunch of community members. Lots of viewers laughed and said that the film was very funny.
TAKE AWAYS FROM THIS PROJECT:
- Pre production is very important (PLAN!)
- Pre-prod takes a long time (Have a clear vision of project before filming)
- Have a fun filming environment
- Work with people who want to help create your vision
- Post-prod can be very stressful (use any free time to edit)
- Even when things don't go right for you, stay calm and fix it
- Show your work to other people! Get feedback!!
- Have fun!!!
