Capstone ideas/treatment

I have been wanting to do a documentary on Britton Shipp ever since I first heard about him and his story. It made the top 5 in the voting session in the documentary class. In essence the film will be about Britton's 4 wheeling accident, a lot about his time spent in a comma, focusing on the community, high school, family and friends and their inspiring reaction of support. I am still on the fence about reenactments of the accident or him coming home. I know there are many photos and videos that will hopefully be made available by the family. I want to go along the timeline of his progress to current time as he is learning again to talk, walk, etc.
The opening scene will go as follows. In the Pine valley area or wherever exactly the kids were riding at, the opening shot will have a low angle as the wheeler comes up over a hill. Different shots of slower motion 4 wheeling as the background audio will be of kids laughing and sounds of the motor and dirt. All of a sudden the audio changes to the panic and reenactment sounds of the accident and reactions, followed by chopper sounds. I would love to have a chopper reenactment. According to the story on the street, the area was so cloudly the pilot wasn't sure how they would find the kids, but the heavens seemed to have opened directly above him for only the time they needed to rescue him, then the clouds closed again immediately after.
As the multitude of people talking, crying, hospital noises such as heart monitors, doors, rolling wheels, etc. play through quickly there will be flashes of real life stills of the aftermath that quicken their pace gradually in flashes until landing on a present-day Britton sitting, looking into the camera. He then says something to introduce the film and/or title. For example. "My name is Britton Shipp and this is my story."
I think the ending and progression of the film will come as more stories are compiled from the events, individuals are interviewed, & also based on Britton's development and progression.

production updates

So the 3 of us have designed the title with the Velocity vector style and forward motion based off the ideas Phil & I had the class before. Everything is basically finished we are just waiting for the print to come out. Soon we will be able to shoot in Idaho the first scene & I am super excited. I would like to be apart of the camera crew or even try out a new role. Maybe production coordinator or something organizational. There are several of us that are excited about the summer production schedule. :)

Picabo Street Production Facebook Page

We are coming to an end! Here is the link where you can find our photos & collaboration throughout the semester.

Guest Speaker: Darrin Fletcher

Storyboard artist.
Started at 16. Drew a lot. Joined an elite art group at 15.
Competition pushes you past what you think your limits are.
Your path is different from everyone. Most of us will struggle for the first 10 years. The talented, tenacious people get over the wall.
Be good at networking and friendshipping.
16 year-old layout artist for Sat morning cartoons.
Working for free is almost expected when you graduate. But only one time.
Be a hard worker, be qualified/ready-doesn't have much to do with experience but with work ethic.
12 hour-18 hr days without complaining.
Gotta be able to stick it out.
Learn how to be a negative shooter and you will have work forever. Just know how to expose properly.
Do second unit.

Be grateful because we have access to equipment and leaders who guide us like Phil.
We could be making films every weekend. We are surrounded by a bunch of people who want to make movies too!
This business is about who you know.
Every project you ever do is vastly different.
A good director is a great listener. Lets people do their job. good ideas come from everywhere, don't you want to be the one listening to all of them?
Location scouting is essential in preproduction.
Know the lenses to use in preproduction, shot list.
It's okay to fail here because it's a safe environment.
Grateful he didn't get his big break till decades into his career, or else he would've blown it.
the audience only knows what you show them.

Production Book Updates

 Production Book Goodness:

Nicole, Jaleesa, Sam & I have divided the workload of who and what we are in charge of completing by the 16th of April. I am in charge of picking out the images we will use for the scrapbook design of the production book.

Scanning the information today for the Production Book did not go completely according to plan. Some of us gathered up clippings and images that will be useful, but thanks to technical difficulties we will have to scan on Thursday in class.

That one time I turned around and saw Picabo Street...

Picabo surprised us in class today and told us a lot of great stories off the bat. Obviously shooting will be easy since she is so charismatic and such a natural storyteller. She was very vivid in detail to the point that I completely felt like I was watching the story unfold in a movie sequence. Ironically that will be the intro to our hybrid documentary. Picabo went to the studio with all of us and shot the intro piece. Ben and Luke were also there helping. She then took photos with all of us and signed our books and magazines of her. She remembered all of our names and even waved to me on the street after class. She is everyone's newfound hero. 

Guest Speaker: Brian Strassman

Screenwriting professor at DSU

• Screenwriting is the true architecture of the whole business. Our voice is what gets us past the readers to the agents.
• 4 page double spaced treatment.
• Everyone has flops.
• Know your ending, know where you are going- the exact moments.
• The firm, great film to watch for structure.
• Midpoint- change of events.
• Plot point- most Hollywood/American films. 
• Ex. Dan in Real Life.
• Have your film take a hard left or right so people are left saying, "Whoa, what now?'
• Hardest to write in a screenplay.
• Treatment is just about your story, not necessarily the details of the characters.
• Know your subject.
• Picabo advice: Danger, what drives you?
• Velocity Girl.