Blog Post #10: Course Reflection

This class has taught me so much. It’s hard to even imagine pre-TCF312 Lauren’s view on filmmaking. I’ve learned so much about how to properly use a camera and light a scene. I am much quicker at proper exposure now. Also, the videos we watched in class really inspired me. I didn’t know about the hierarchy on a film set before, either. That was interesting and very useful. I loved watching everyone’s film and giving each other feedback. It was super helpful. One of my films in this class was shown at Black Warrior Film Festival, too! After I tweaked it from the class’s feedback. The second major assignment, the scene assignment, had with it its own challenges. It was the largest crew I’ve ever worked with on a set and that was a really awesome experience. It was also cool to be just the cinematographer on Maggie’s shoots, not having to worry on anything but how the camera was capturing the scene.

Thank you guys for being awesome, supportive classmates. One of the main things I will take away from this class is confidence. I have more confidence in my abilities of camera work as well as camera functionality knowledge, editing, and communicating to a crew. I also am more confident that my own artistic ideas are received well by other people. Thank you all so much!

Blog Post #9: Reel and Artist Statement

Hello all. Here is my reel. My artist statement is below it.


Lauren Musgrove Reel Spring 2014 from Lauren Musgrove on Vimeo.


I acted in my first play when I was 4 years old. Since then I fell in love with acting which led me to film acting and then to filmmaking itself. I fell in love with the art of make believe and also of see it how it is; of sharing the world through a certain lens to discover something new.

I think the world is a really beautiful place depending on how you look at it. In my filmmaking I try to share this beauty. Even the "ugliest" of things like a trash can is still a representation of human life. The way light shines on all these things stops me in my tracks nearly every day just awing at it. I love seeing new places and new things. The world is endless. I like to film many places around the world. I thoroughly enjoy talking to people of different cultures and widening my perspective and making connections. By putting these stories into videos has the possibility to widen other people's perspectives as well and hopefully give humanity a larger acceptance window to bring about peace and happiness. Also creating an artistic vision tells a story as a more emotional, visual, and audial experience instead of just listening to someone talk about their life. I think both genres are important.

I hope to become a prominent member of a production team on documentaries and narratives alike. This world is full of stories and in the age of Globalization it's very important that we understand what the human condition is and that everyone on this planet has it. In the age of an environmental crisis, it's important that we appreciate our world and what it has to offer us. These, and the simple results of entertainment, laughter, and bringing people together in discussion and common experience is what makes me love being a filmmaker.

Blog Post #8: Scene Assignment

Here is my scene assignment! It's a scene from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. My DP was Maggie Brown and many members of this class helped with crew. Thanks to all who helped out! We used a Canon 5D.


Clementine's House from Lauren Musgrove on Vimeo.

Blog Post #7: "Best" Cameras

There is not one single best camera out there. Different cameras are used for different desired effects. A DSLR, for example the Canon 5D has a huge CMOS chip that allows it to shoot well in low lighting. It is also not too expensive and very portable. This camera would be good for action shots, or student filmmakers or anyone on a budget. The EX3 that the TCF department has is the "best" camera here. It allows you to adjust things like white balance and aperture without having to take the time to go into a menu. This camera is also very large so not as good for interviews where you don't want to intimidate the subject, or for handheld shots. For each project, shot, and filming situation there are certain things like low lighting, lots of movement, or small space that can be accounted for to choose the "best" camera for that shoot.

Blog Post #6: Inspiring Lighting Styles

The photographer/cinematographer's job, or art, is capturing light. Lighting can be used to create emphasis, spark emotion, and create entire moods for scenes that would otherwise leave the audience indifferent. The way an image is lit can express the inner emotions of a character and without light, there would be no character to be seen at all. So lighting is very important in filmmaking and photography.

Color palette can have a great affect on the tone of a scene. Such as bright blue light, like the sun, makes a scene feel very open and joyous. On the other hand, an interrogation scene in a dark room with high contrast and minimal color makes the audience focus on specific items in frame and creates a trapped, ominous feel.

Framing and composition with lighting are very important for the believability of a scene. For example, having a high light to resemble ceiling lights in a room. Using lights that resemble lights that would realistically be in the scene make the set feel more real and the actors' performance more believable for the audience.

Lighting can make or break a story, with continuity being important or the choice for a scene to break continuity being an important change in the story.

Here are several photos of lighting styles I find particularly inspiring, a few with a caption of the reason why.

1. Into the Wild. This silhouette shot with minimal color emphasizes the character's connection with his environment and especially the flying birds.

2. The Runaways.

3. The Doors. The variety of lighting in this movie is incredible. Each conveys Jim Morrison's journey through drugs and stardom, seeing many sides of the human experience.

4. Game of Thrones. This is a very sensual, intimate scene. This lighting illuminates the characters and creates a feeling of comfort and calmness. This scene is a break from many of the other intense, bloody battle scenes. The lighting reflects this.

5. Taking Woodstock. This scene is very colorful and lit with very white/blue lighting, making it feel like it is all coming from the sun (and perhaps it is) which makes the scene feel realistic. Also, it allows for variety of color which since this is an acid tripping scene, that's important.

6. The Social Network. The blue light is practical because of their location, however it also creates a feeling of falseness which in this scene is the middle of the main character's entrance into the world of high class people and fake friendships.

Blog Post #5: DSLR Pros and Cons

Pros of the DSLR: They're cheap so a wider range of people can own and use them. They have a huge CMOS sensor so can film well in dim lighting. They're lightweight and small so can be used to make interviewees less intimidated and also in occasions when a large bulky camera worth thousands upon thousands of dollars would not be best suited. Their sharp focus gives the footage a "cinematic" look. Nicer, more expensive lenses can be attached to them for improved quality.

Cons of the DSLR: They don't look as professional as other cameras. Their depth of field can be so small and their focus so sharp that things go in and out of focus easily. In hand held situations the video is easily very shaky. They are designed for photography, not video, so many functions are hidden within the menu and are not easily accessible like other cameras with hand-operated aperture, etc.

Overall, I think video shot on DSLR cameras can be very beautiful and these kind of cameras are a good investment for up-and-coming filmmakers.

Blog Post #4: Lessons Learned from Documentary Storytelling Assignment

Documentaries have recently taken a forefront in my interests in video making. To capture a real person's experience, and views is beautiful. There's a limit to choice, however, in that there is no script. It's an interesting battle between choice for stylization and sticking to what is real and actually already there.

I have interviewed people twice for a video before. From those experiences and this one I know it is very important to be prepared with all the questions you'd want to ask. It is also important to craft the questions so as to get long answers, not just a "yes" or "no".

Specifically with my subject this time, I noticed that he got more comfortable as the interview went on. I asked him to slate again at the end, because I knew he would provide more energy and maybe a clearer voice. It is very important to actively be engaged in what your subject is saying, so they give you the best responses they can. It's difficult to tell exactly what your story will be about until after the interview has taken place, and really not until after you decide which parts of the interview to use. Therefore, remaining completely engaged during the interview will give you the ability to add a question, or ask them to elaborate or repeat something you liked and will most likely use to give your project more of a defined story.

It is especially important to be organized when doing a documentary because you're not working with actors that have an idea of how projects like this are completed. Also, being organized gives the interviewee more reason to be relaxed and open.

More is better in a documentary. Having a variety of shots and sentences to choose from is better than a talking head, or not enough words to choose from to define the story. I found it enjoyable to create shots that would exaggerate what my subject was saying. I'm glad I got as many shots as I did and I got lucky that my subject was actually an excellent speaker about how important music is to him. However, his voice was very quiet so I struggled a little with audio, but I learned a lot in that process. I had to change so many levels but I think my ears are only better for it. Such is life when making a video about a musician.