Final Prep Before Filming

     Entry 24: 3/20/22

     Actually I lied, I am back. So we start filming tomorrow but Isa and I wanted to meet up and finalize literally anything else that was missing and prepare ourselves for the next few weeks. I was getting worried that Isa and I were so focused on making the documentary, that we were not following the guidelines for the AICE Exam and what we needed to do. We went through Mrs. Stoklosa rubric and make sure we had everything done and if we did not, we wrote it down on our checklist. 

Checklist for today

Checklist for things we are missing to follow the 
rubric.

     Honestly, this might seem like nothing but it helped SO much. It was like retracing our steps and seeing what we missed along the way and how to improve from it. We have a lot to still talk about in terms of this docu-series. But let me get back to what we did today. We drove over to Maya's house to pick up the equipment that she had which we needed. We talked for a bit and she was talking about her project and I am excited to see it. After, Isa and I did the planning things andddd we tried to come up with some names for the docu-series and the documentary. We came up with a few so I will list them below and talk about my favorite ones.

Doc NAME IDEAS:

THROUGH SOMEONE'S EYES

WATCHED

SCOPAESTHESIA

UNWANTED SCREEN

GAZE FEELING

LOOK FIXED

OCULUS PLEASURE

MAN IN THE MIRROR

THE MAN BEHIND THE LENS

Docu series name:

THEME: Bringing awareness to topic that are not normally talked about

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

TABOO

UNMENTIONABLE

BEYOND THE PALE

OUT OF BOUNDS

ARCANA

     Alright so to come up with these, we searched online for idioms or like the meaning of different feelings that our documentary + docu-series gives off. My favorite documentary name is SCOPAESTHESIA which means "the psychic staring effect is a supposed phenomenon in which humans detect being stared at by extrasensory means." The only issue for me is that I simply can not pronounce it and I know I am dumb but I just can not so maybe other people can't. I also do not know if Isa likes it. My favorite docu-series name which Isa does not like at all is ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. I literally love it and I think it fits so well but I want the decision to be liked by both Isa and I. This documentary is really important and the topic needs to be reached to everyone so I want the name to be a good one. The docu-series name is a little less important because we are not submitting it anywhere and it is only for this project but I still want it to be good. That is basically all that we did, it took a bit but it was nice to feel more prepared and focused on the project.

Everyone Accounted For?

    Entry 23: 3/19/22

     Alright let me just jump right into because this has been a problematic time, not really I just like being dramatic. First things first, Isa and I originally thought that I would not be there for the first 2 days of filming. My family friends were going to do me a favor and drive me up to UF so I could see the campus for the first time but certain things happened, which I can not disclose, and I was able to stay for filming. This was a huge relief because Isa would have so much more stress doing it by herself. While we thought that I was going to UF, we asked our most trusted friends to help us out. Even if I were not going to UF, we would 100% ask for their help because we want this documentary to come out even better than the last. I also forgot to mention the group chat that we made with the interviewees but basically I made that and asked them to give a short biography so that Isa and I could finalize the questions and send it to them.

Making the group with Isa, Alexander Duque (Wade),
and Samantha Perez.

Making the interviewee group chat.

Maya's BIO 

Sabrina's BIO

Tess's BIO pt 1 

Tess's BIO pt 2

     Now that we had a filming crew and the BIO's, we could finalize everything for filming. What a huge relief.

     In the middle of writing my blog, my screen went black and my blogs turned into that. I could not for the life of me figure out what happened. I shed a few tears and thought that I would have to like restart my entire blog or I got hacked. Very traumatic experience so I went to Google, my trusted friend, to cope.

     Google did not end up helping because I could not figure out how to describe that I got hacked by some foreign entity. After 10 minutes, I learned I just had to press a button at the top left. Would not recommend. Anyways, now, the moment we have been waiting for. The finalized questions!!!

 

     Yes, there are many questions, but think of them as conversation starters. Our interviewees are most likely going to answer 4 questions in one, but sometimes, a question can bring up a topic the interviewee may have forgotten. I also love these questions, they are focused and will bring out the interviewee's stories and we can follow our structure. Hopefully, all goes well next week, I will be updating you guys each day of filming. I shall see you on Monday.

Becon Journey

    Entry 22: 3/18/22

     FIRST DAY OF SPRING BREAK! WOOOO. But there is no break for AICE Media students who leave filming for Spring Break, totally our faults but YOLO. So now that we have the location and the props, we are missing the equipment. This is where my favorite man Jim Guarasci comes in. If you do not know him, he is a legend. Jim is the Executive Producer of BECON-TV, he also runs Shortcuts, and has internship opportunities. In addition to this, the studio he works at has a closet full of equipment for students in South Florida to check out equipment. It is like a filmmaker paradise.

    Because of CBTV, Isa and I are already well acquainted with Jim but to check out equipment, Isa messaged Jim on Instagram about three weeks ago and confirmed a few days before about pick up. We were going to checkout several pieces of equipment and also use some of the ones that one of our classmate, Maya, used. Today is also Isa's birthday, so her mom and I planned a little surprise, may have spoiled it. After the little get together, we went to BECON and picked up the equipment. When we picked it up, we brought Isa's cart and Jim explained how to use all the equipment. Most of it we knew, but since it was better quality cameras we make sure to pay attention in case of anything. 

     We then did something just out of pure curiosity, we asked Jim to give us a tour of the studio. We saw the office spaces, the control room, and then, Jim walks into a room where I almost shed some tears. The studio. We walk in their and this huge studio with white walls is right in from of us. Isa and I look at each other in shock almost like we struck gold. I speak up and ask Jim, do you allow students to film here. Jim, my man, says yeah the students just have to let me know beforehand. In the moment, Isa and I thought all our worries were gone. We almost ended up using the studio, but over the weekend, Isa and I thought about it and with all the props we have and only Isa and I, it would be impossible. Once we got all the equipment into Isa's car, we drove back and Isa ended up testing some of the sets.I think they look fantastic and I hope Isa's parents do not kill us next week when we demolish their living room for 3 days.

     Alright so the next steps are to make sure the interviewees are ready for next week and to start posting on the social media page.

Forget St. Patrick's Day, It's Props Day

    Entry 21: 3/17/22

     To start off the wonderful adventure that Isa and I had today, Isa checked out the props in the room today during her privilege hour and tested all the televisions out and even the big TV. After, she made a list of all the equipment we would need to bring to her house so we are more organized later in the day when we actually had to bring them. But then an issue came at hand, yes our TV teacher said we could borrow all of this for the documentary, but is the school going to allow us? We asked the technical director at our school and after a few hours of asking around and making sure, he said yes. WOOOO. What good news because if he said no I think I would just curl up in a ball and cry for a bit. Anyways, now, it came for the moving around part.

     Today really tested my ability to carry heavy stuff because holy smokes. Basically, all those props I uploaded pictures of to this blog, it was time to move those all to where we are filming, Isa's house. These props includes a number of old cameras, 8 old televisions, one HUGE television, and several other things. It took at least 6-7 trips from the television room to the car loop. We could not even fit everything into Isa's car nor could we carry the huge TV so we had to call in reinforcements. Isa's mom and her friend came to help us. They brought a bigger car and a cart so we could carry the big TV. 

    After a few hours of moving old equipment around, we were finally able to dropped it all at Isa's house. That was certainly a journey I was not expecting and it took a long time. Good thing it was right before Spring Break and there would be no school the next day. Last quarter of senior year is right around the corner. Not sure how I feel about that.

Group Meeting

    Entry 20: 3/15/22

     Welcome back! So in class we had group meetings with a few people to talk out our projects and ask for advice. Honestly, I was not looking forward going into this but in the end I think my group mates were able to help with things I was not thinking about. When we first started, it was obvious that many people were confused or lost on some things like myself and I was actually fun to be able to help everyone and give them advice on what I use. For example, someone was struggling on sound effects and we reminded them about foley or I said that maybe Youtube Audio Library has what they need. Youtube Audio Library has tons of copyright free music and sound effects for people to use. They also have categories to make it easier to search through the large amount of content they have available.

    When it came to talking about my project, I said that what Isa and I were most stuck on was where to film and the name for our documentary. Last time our interviewee helped us with the name and that made it easy, but now we do not know what to use. Anyways, the first recommendation I got was to use drywall while filming. It would give us that white, plain look and it was easy and cheap. I honestly was really considering using drywall because it would be simple to use. After, someone even hesitantly offered their living room. We obviously would not be able to accept because we would be there for long nights and move around their whole living room. 

    After, we discussed some names for the documentary. They told me to look for idioms with a dictionary website or to try and do a play on words. Someone even said to try and find a word that represents eyes watching you even when they are not there. A few options they recommended was

Sex Oculus

Eye Candy

Cotton Candy

    Maybe not the best recommendations but they really got the gears in my head turning because I realized we also need a docu-series name. This is going to be a painful task. Also, AHHHH we start filming NEXT WEEK! That is crazy, we are almost there I can not wait to show you guys what we coming up next.

Checklist Time

    Entry 19: 3/13/22

     With only a few weeks left until filming, Isa and I got a lot to get done. It has been such a stressful project because on top of the other things Isa and I have to do, we also have to keep our minds on this documentary because we want it to turn out to be top notch. To help us out, on the planning document I made a bit ago for us on Google Docs, Isa made a checklist of what we need to do before filming. I'll copy and paste it down below.

CHECK LIST:

RESEARCH

• Figure out how to do live feed thing

• Research TV tracking/masking

• Find what will be “playing” on the TVs in final edit

• Start thinking about music

• Genre research

WRITING

• Finish writing questions

• Finalize questions and structure

EQUIPMENT/PROPS

• Finalize equipment pick-up (contact Jim)

• Finalize prop pick-up (coordinate with dad, Cummings and Kim)

• Shot/sequencing/set-up ideas

• Pick up equipment

• Pick up props

• Get converter

PRE-FILMING

• 3D render of room?

• Start testing things out at home to see how they look

• Schedule interviews and filming dates

• Decide on interview “look” and location

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Social media post ideas

• Finalize branding of social media page and docu-series

• Take pictures of props, edit it and maybe post that as first post?

    It is crazy how it will all soon turn into an actual project. This week has been a HECTIC one but I promise I will be back up and running very soon. I wish we could use spring break as a break, ironically, since I know Isa and I need it but this documentary is going to be an experience of a life time so I cannot wait.

Location Idea

    Entry 18: 3/12/22

    Location update time. About a week or two ago, Isa talked to our AICE Media teacher and asked her for advice on where we could film. She told Isa that there was a place called the FAT Village Center for the Arts. Apparently it is an academy where they held art exhibitions and they support small artist so we thought that would be perfect. They even owed a big warehouse space that would be excellent for filming so during class, Isa and I stepped out so I could make a call to the place. I called two times and when a man answered on the second call, he said that he works at the nearby school and the academy no longer exist after it was shutdown due to COVID. 

    So, we tried calling a few other places and even looked again at my garage but that bad boy is filled to the prime with boxes and it would be very difficult for us to have to move all that stuff in and out each filming day. We had to think of somewhere else. To try and come up with some ideas, Isa talked to her dad about where he thinks we should film. During the conversation, Isa mentioned using their living room and Isa's dad said we could. It is obviously going to be a pain to move things around but the benefits override the moving process. Here are a few pictures of the living room.

    What a relief that we have Isa's living room available to us. Think of all the benefits of working inside your own home! We do not have to pay hundreds of dollars to use a set, most of our interviewees (who are our friends) have already been inside of Isa's house, we can move things around, test stuff beforehand without having to pay for extra time, WORK WHENEVER AND HOWEVER LONG WE WANT! This is such a plus. On our last documentary, we were limited to when the sun started going down so working inside is going to be a blessing. This location is not finalized yet but if we could use it, it would be the best thing ever.

Interview Questions PT. 1

    Entry 17: 3/11/22

    Now that the structure is nice and clean, we can jump into the fun stuff, the interview questions. I have to start off by saying that Isa wrote these and she wrote some real good ones. Basically her system was to focus on each section of the documentary and write questions based on that. There are a ton of questions for us to work with for the first few sections so I am going to paste that below.

QUESTIONS

-INTRO 

-ORIGIN OF MALE GAZE

Art shows personal vision/experiences/thoughts

Creating through careful, meticulous choices that creates a very specific version of reality

• Unconscious viewers are so consumed by content that tend to deem the information presented as the complete truth (don’t question information)
• State your name and spell it. Also description for lower thirds (ex: activist/filmmaker/artist)
• As creatives, we are constantly creating - whether that be films, essays, art, speeches, etc. How do your creations reflect who you are, what you believe, and how you see the world?
• Why do you think creators create?
• Every piece of art is created for a purpose, whether that be informing the audience, sending a message, or allowing consumers to experience a new point of view (often the perspective of the creator). What purpose do you think is the most common? 
• Why do you create? Do you think other creators create for the same reasons?
• When you are creating something, do you have a specific, final vision in mind? What do you do as a creator to make sure you accomplish this end goal?
• Do you believe that every decision made in the production of something new was made on purpose? That every choice is conscious?
• Is creating something completely unbiased possible? Is bias inescapable? 
• What is implicit bias? Do you think it is possible to remove that bias when creating something?
• How can the presence of this hidden bias affect a piece of media? How it is made, or the message it sends?
• Are most consumers aware of this hidden bias? Do you think most people question what they consume?
• How can someone consume consciously and critically?
• What effect can pieces of media have on unconscious consumers? Do you think that it doesn’t affect them at all, or that they tend to deem the information presented to them as the complete truth?

-EFFECTS ON SOCIETY

Gender norms are created and constantly enforced (social, romantic, sexual roles)

Women are portrayed in a specific way

Shots, character traits, costuming, etc. and the messages it sends

• People (especially those that have not experienced the actual truth/are uneducated) treat others based off of this information (base their behavior based on what they see)
• Why do you think that people act or think a certain way?
• How are people’s ideals and behavior affected by the media they consume?
• When people are uneducated, do you think that they base their behavior or thoughts off of what they “learned” from the media?
• What kind of people do you think are creating the majority of the media we consume?
• Do you believe that your thoughts, behaviors and ideals have been shaped or affected by the media you consume?
• How are women portrayed in the film/TV, magazines, art, etc.?
• What are the consequences to this type of representation? What messages does it send? (objectification, misogyny, etc.)
• How are gender norms created? How are they maintained?
• What roles do gender norms play in society?
• How do gender norms affect men and women? How they treat each other?

    Alright, obviously we are still missing a section and we already have A LOT of questions. This is going to be a hassle to edit in the end so we are definitely going to need to cut these down but having these options for us is excellent. I really love these but Isa and I need to sit down and talk together because we have been so busy we have not had much time to go over all the things we need to. I have also been a little sick so my mom has been taking me in and out of school this week but, we are all good now. These questions got my adrenaline running for this project. I literally can not wait to start the interviews and see what our interviewee's have to say.

Fixing Up the Structure

    Entry 16: 3/8/22

    I am going to jump into what this blog post is about, the structure! The male gaze is a tough concept. With so many intricate paths to go down with this topic, a structure to guide us through the documentary is essential. We have the one Isa came up with a bit ago but it was not as clear as we needed it to be. So, here is a refined structure that will help Isa and I a lot in the near future.

STRUCTURE

INTRO - ORIGIN OF MALE GAZE

• Art shows personal vision/experiences/thoughts
• Creating through careful, meticulous choices that creates a very specific version of reality
• Unconscious viewers are so consumed by content that tend to deem the information presented as the complete truth (don’t question information)

EFFECTS ON SOCIETY

• Gender norms are created and constantly enforced (social, romantic, sexual roles)
• Women are portrayed in a specific way
• Shots, character traits, costuming, etc. and the messages it sends
• People (especially those that have not experienced the actual truth/are uneducated) treat others based off of this information (base their behavior based on what they see)

EFFECTS ON SELF

• Women feel as if they have to act a certain way, if they defy the metanarrative, they risk being unwanted/”weird”/etc and do not gain benefits associated with being accepted (ex: social/romantic security)
• Often deviate from their “true selves,” causes both inner and outside conflict
• Present themselves differently to fit what is expected of a woman (change style, emphasize/omit certain personality traits, etc.)
• Performative femininity, even when alone (ultra focused on not just self-image, but others’ perception of themselves
• Change social behavior
• Internal misogyny (view women as less)
• Put down other women (view women as competition), all stems from jealousy and wanted to be accepted (sl*t-shaming)
• Sexuality/gender: “Am I even attracted to men?” “Am I even a woman?
• Led astray, often leads to untraceable dissatisfaction/failure 

SELF-DISCOVERY LEADS TO ACCEPTANCE/GROWTH/SUCCESS

• It all starts with awareness (realizing it is an issue in the first place)
• Maybe how interviewees found out about male gaze, or maybe how they're realizing importance 
• Starting the conversation
• Male gaze awareness on social media (YouTube, TikTok, etc.) - a lot but more is needed
• Importance of awareness: So hard to detect, so integrated into society that not many question it
• Realizing it is an issue, coming back to oneself and no longer allowing media to have an influence 
• Analyze, observe, and consume critically (male gaze is in media but its effects are everywhere)
• DO WHAT YOU WANT! BE HAPPY. Fight the narrative
• Fight for proper representation, start the conversation.

    Pretty exciting right? The structure is always a struggle to refine and clear beforehand so having this will keep our minds set on the message we want to showcase. This is going to help so much with out interview questions and later with editing so we do not go off into a topic that does not fit what we are trying to say. The AICE Media project itself is only a small sample of the actual documentary but Isa and I want to be able to submit this to film festivals and honestly create a full documentary so this structure is going to come in clutch.

    Anyways, now that the structure is up and posted, I am going to close off this blog post because I am going to go take a nap. Toodles!

More Props

    Entry 15: 3/6/22

    Alright last update for the week, I talked to our television production advisor and he said that we could use any equipment we want from our storage. Basically our club/class has been around for a very long time and they have really old equipment laying around in the storage room we have. I highly doubt any of them work but what a relief to find the props we want and they are rather perfect as well. I can see a lot of big things coming for this props so I can not wait to see what Isa and I do. 

    Again, the chances of them 1. working and 2. Isa and I knowing how to get them to work are so slim so we will probably have to start researching ways to make it look like they do. I hope it won't be too much of a hassle because the props are rather perfect for our b-roll.

Instagram Reboot

    Entry 14: 3/4/22

    Guess what! Yep the Instagram is up and running. There is absolutely nothing on it but you know what it is the though that counts. I have lots of ideas for this page, I would love to post pre-production pictures, a plethora of production content, and then our final bits and pieces as well. I am such a social media person I love posting pictures and videos so I know this is going to be a fun project to take on. I would like to have a list of ideas as to what to post so I am going to make one in this blog, just to keep some ideas in mind.

• pre-production pictures (working, planning, meeting up with Isa, etc)
• specific highlights for each interviewee
• BTS videos
• a word from those BTS (Isa and I)
• pictures of the set/b-roll
• exclusive screenshots of the final documentary
• interviewee take over 
• post-production BTS
• sneak peeks of the interviews (if we end up doing them in a creative way

    I honestly would also love to post the final documentary on that page as well. I feel since we would have been posting so much content about it, it would be cool to upload the video there as well. We would already have most of our viewers there and it would be an excellent way for us to get our documentary out there. Something that helped us was submitting to film festivals and sending our documentary around. Our friends promoting our documentary also was an extreme benefit to us. Since I am blogging about more future subject, I may as well start listing some film festivals we should submit to.

• NFFTY
• ShortCuts
• CineYouth Festival
• All American Film Festival
• NATAS Suncoast
• New York Times OP Docs

    I know some of these are very much a reach but I think if we put our efforts into this documentary we really can do it. Our last documentary has been entered into a few of these film festivals so I bet we could go even bigger.

Missing One Final Interviewee

    Entry 13: 3/2/22

    Ah what a relief it is when we message people and they happily agree to do the documentary. For the last week, Isa and I have been talking to people who would be interested in doing the documentary. We really did not struggle too much with the choosing because we really believe these people will benefit us a lot in the long run. 

    During the school week, we talked to Maya Eusebio and I DMed Tess Segal. When we asked Maya, it was almost instant that they responded. Maya had a few questions about the documentary itself and how we were planning on talking about a large subject like the male gaze. We reassured her that we would not get theoretical but more of how it is affecting women of our age. She was more than glad to be able to help us. Another benefit with Maya is that we are already friends with her so while doing the b-roll she will be more comfortable than someone who does not know us.

    The second person we talked to was Tess Segal. I DMed them on Instagram explaining what our next project is and how we would want them to be in it. Isa also learned that Tess is friends with Florence, one of our old interviewees, so we hoped that would help us convince Tess to be in it. After a day with no response, I figured I would have to figure out another way to contact Tess. After asking around, Tess eventually answered and said that they would love to be in it. Tess also said that they had seen our previous work and loves what we do.

    The third person is the only one missing. I have not been able to reach this person yet so I have to wait until I can talk to Isa about it in person. She leaves tomorrow and I wish her best of luck at her DECA competition!

    Despite missing one person, I am extremely excited to work with these people because they are genuinely really interesting and I'm sure they have a lot to say on the male gaze. I would really like to get more comfortable with them before filming so it is easier to talk to them so I will probably make a group chat once we have the third person.  

Production Schedule

    Entry 12: 2/28/22

    Hello again! We are now on week four and getting closer and closer to the deadline. Full disclosure, Isa and I are behind, maybe not by a lot, but definitely behind. To set ourselves straight, we have created a schedule for ourselves. It is definitely very basic but at least we have the major things in mind. I pasted it down below. 

This week (Week 4): 2/28 - 3/6

• Structure

• Interviewees

• Old equipment in CBTV room (possible props)

• 4 blog posts

Next week (Week 5): 3/7 - 3/13

• Additional props (thrift stores, craigslist)

• Questions

• Location 

• Equipment from Shortcuts

• Filming plan (detailed)

• 4 blog posts

Spring break (Week 6): 3/14 - 3/27

• Filming!! (3 days if possible, one interviewee on each day)

• Transcribing interviews

• Reviewing footage

• Create official social media page for documentary

• 4 blog posts

Week 7: 3/21 - 3/27

• Complete line-edit

• Start social media posts (use stills from project and other graphics)

• Begin working on magazine article for documentary

• 3 blog posts

Week 8: 3/28 - 4/3

• B-roll

• Color grading

• Sound

• Any final changes to documentary

• Begin working on Critical Reflection

• 3 blog posts

Week 9: 4/4 - 4/9

• Final blog post (closing thoughts)

• Critical Reflection Essay (post)

• Project with all embedded links (post)

    Things may not go as planned so I plan on being opened minded. Isa has also created a blog post schedule for herself. I probably will not be following this but it is nice to have in case I am stuck on what to write. We also have a planning document highlighting a few important things. Right now, it is relatively empty but soon enough it will full with our questions, film plan, and more!

Week 3: 2/21 - 2/27

• Documentary examples (research)

• Prop searching and ideas

• Location scouting and ideas

• Potential interviewees

Week 4: 2/28 - 3/6

• Class meeting

• Props: further search

• Location: further search

• Contacting interviewees

Week 5: 3/7 - 3/13

• Refined structure

• Getting props/equipment

• Plan for filming

• How to do live feed on monitor (if we end up doing this)

Week 6 (Spring break): 3/14 - 3/27

• Questions

• Filming

• transcribing/reviewing interviews and footage

• Starting social media page (getting stills from footage, making page bio, coming up with documentary name, etc.)

Week 7: 3/21 - 3/27

• Line editing

• Social media posts (progress update)

• Magazine article

Week 8: 3/28 - 4/3

• B-roll

• Color grading, sound, etc.

• Begin working on Critical Reflection

Week 9 (4/4 - 4/9): PROJECT DUE 4/1

• Closing thoughts

• Critical Reflection Essay 

• Project with all embedded links 

    The most stressful part right now is time. I feel like I can literally see a clocking judging me for how we are handling our time but I think it will all work out in the end.. hopefully. Happy last day of February, I'll see you in March.