STILL § ALIVE
2.About Films
Why Film
1. Instead needed all cast and stuff on set for every production, film only need crew for making phase, after release it can watch in any time any place with easy set up now days.
2. It could film in any location and can change scale later.
3. Can re--take, fake the shot, have advanced effect in editing.
4. Allows you to see the vision of filmed from closed up shot until millions times bigger till millions meters far away.
​
Why NOT Film
1. You can't change anything after you released. even you know there is some mistake you have to wait for next press.
2. You can't change the angle you watch as audience, you only allowed to watch everything that made by.
3. Comparing live performance, usually need more people in crew behind screen to make.
4. Generally needs more IT knowledge for shooting, and editing.
​
4 merits and 4 demerits, looks same? But actually that is very big weight on reason one why film : As maker, so much easier to arrange schedule than live performance. So convenient to get to watch as audience.
​
Through Dreamland projects...
Originally this is a title of series projects, I invite different creators for each role and try to do something. It could be different contents and different platform for each.
Vol. 1 'Utage' : I tried to do a live performance in the street in CSM kings cross. But I couldn't manage the time for rehearsal and booking for street, it became a filmed version in studio. I tried to not have any scenic elements except minimal key props and costumes.
​
Vol. 2 'LIES / TRUTH' : I tried to not use any dialogue during story part like silent film, and tried to use sound and limited words as Lyrics in music video part to help audience understand the story. Most of the audience understood that this story is about love triangle and girls' emotions, but It was many misunderstanding. Originally I wrote this as pure love and friendship between two girls (actress May and her friend July), May found a boy David also fall in love with July so decided to tell July she loves her as just not a friend, and feeling guilty for loving a girl. but most of the audience thought that guiltiness as May or July was in affair with David and May is in guilty or sadness to think suicide .
After these two projects I found it is very difficult to describe emotions and telling the story behind without using verbal language. I understand that there is some opinion says that is important to let audience think and have different thought and debate. But I want to let most of the audience understand in similar way (even beyond all different experiences and cultural background) as this is the first step toward the place I want to go.
​
Vol. 3 'Re Tour' : I used the knowledge I have got from previous projects. I tried to use even simple scenario to focus on Production management and design. As producer how to plan the schedule from finding idea until release. As story creator and designer I tried to link design and story concept, also I tried to make some special effect that can help understanding and the merit and demerit of the film.
​
Pre-Production
In this project, I decided to just make a simple scenario, and creating the story with the person as characters.
Finding Idea : Oct 2017 I had idea for using 3D printer and had desire to make a music box. I thought it would be interesting if the human figure on the typical music box and the figure of actual actor is exactly same.
​
Creating Story & Characters : For this project, I was try to use this as a tool for communicating with audience. So I chose "music box' as the key item, and I related it with Clock (Time continues and control) the most interest point of music box (especially spring type) is about it can play same melody again and again, but it will stop. Just likely our life, we spend days and months and years, and decades since our born till dead (the baby stop work). we are all in this rotation of the earth and moon and sun and universe. And there is no fair in this world, we born as our self differently chose our ways differently, that is why I fell "The balance in the unbalance" is very important in all of my work.
Fortunately I had one male and two female for dancer, it means already perfectly this is unbalanced and had one young actress and special guest old lady for story part. It means this is more unbalanced. but because of this unbalance, the weight of the music box became more stronger.
​
Creating Story with Characters : As I told the concept is about Music box and showed them the music and plot to casts, I decided to let them being themselves. It was quite luckily the dancer all has strong classical ballet background and that is what I was Imagined in my aesthetics. because I composed the music was fake waltz (on purpose) but dancers choreographed perfect waltz and they expand story and emotions in the dance. Compering dance (live performance...even recorded) the story part is the opposite. actors have to show their emotion in their eyes, I think screen acting should be as natural as possible. so I only set a word "Re Tour" as the line actor have to say, as a magic spell. rest of the line is all decided by actors. Because I believe that will be more natural.
For character making I combined their background and atmosphere, then made mood board to hair make up artist. still not 100% happy for some of the result, but I learnt so many things through this project.
​
Shooting ... Post-Production
Directing : I can say this is the first time to try directing people, I feel that is very difficult to describe what it want to be in word, so most of the time, is better to show how I want to adjust their performance in the way of I do the performance for them. I glad I had quite strongly performer bak grounds, then I can directly show with movement and emotion and timing.
​
After effects : Also I think special effect is one of the biggest reason Why we chose to watch film, it can show the thing difficult to happening in live performance (like magical power) also sometimes maybe just because Its looks cool! and exciting. I believe, that I making must to be entertainment, so I tried to add some effects. In this two weeks I think I have learnt all of the basics of using After effects.
​
Promotions : This is the most important time for any performance, but I am not good at.
I was handle in 56 special invitation card, and printed 400 small tickets 100 A5 poster, 20 A3 poster, but still couldn't get 'proper audience'
at live performance, there was 4 of our friends and one stranger. I just really don't know how I can get audience. or founding. I believe that if I can get enough, my dream will become true.