I don’t think we realize how much work and passion are put behind a film project. From an idea to filming and then to post-production editing. So getting a look at the process of films is one of the coolest insights behind the stories we love. There are multiple documentaries about what was happening while a film was being created, how certain discussions impacted the film, and detailed descriptions of different parts of the film (acting, makeup, filming, editing, VFX, and more).

And throughout college, I’ve seen multiple film students have to make a short film as their final project. All of their ideas and processes fascinated me. But this year, though, I met a new senior film student. Her name is Marjae. And when I saw the goals and hard work she was putting into her short film, I knew that, for my final, I wanted to talk about her story. Everyone, welcome to Marjae’s process of her film, Future Tense.

Final Studies: Bare Bones Camera Course of Film and Video

Firstly, I wanted Marjae’s story to be told as if it were a documentary, mixed in with the tech/futuristic atmosphere that Future Tense has. So for this final week, I went back to the Bare Bones Camera Course by Tom Schroeppel to see if I was missing anything. The only character I had left were Some Final Words, where he reflects on his time writing the book.

If I am being honest, the single-page chapter is really heartfelt. Schroeppel tells the audience to stick to a basic sequence and that it’s okay to learn what works and what doesn’t. Because Bare Bones works to teach people about filmmaking, Schroeppel also recommended taking your time with criticism. Learn why one thing was great or why audiences didn’t like a part of the work. He ends the book with a final goodbye, wishing everyone good luck in filmmaking.

Reflecting on the Book

Now that I’ve finished Bare Bones, I think I learned a lot, even going back to reread certain sections. I didn’t start with a lot of filmmaking wisdom. I mainly knew the post-production content, like graphics and editing, but not how to properly film. I think now, I know a lot more as a whole process, and I am pretty confident that if I were to continue making small film projects, it would be pretty fun.

And I had my ups and downs. I really loved learning lighting and physically filming through camera. But I still struggle a bit with narration and sound. If I can, I would like to learn the best methods of filming sound in the future. Editing sounds is fun, but it’s a lot of work on my end. But the best part of this experience? Film plays a role in my job. As a graphic designer, having that editing and filming background can lead to many opportunities and projects I can work on in the future. And I’m so excited that I got to learn through this book about the process of filming.

Marjae’s Story Will Benefit From Good Sequences

There was a small issue, though. I knew that timing and visuals would play a key role in making Marjae’s interviews more engaging for the audience. And there was a feature that had been mentioned in my class that I thought would be good have: L and J Cuts. Problem, though, I had no clue what they were.

So I did some digging and looked into my favorite media to find examples that I thought did a good job.

Matilda: Hammer Throw Scene

Funny scene her. Matilda’s witnessing the Hammer Throw actually starts off with a pretty good L Cut. It happens at the 10 second mark. I found this scene to a good job at the L Cut, because the cut represents how afraid the students are of Miss Trunchbull. The fact that Hortensia is telling both Matilda and Lavender the stories of what Trunchbull does to kids.

Plus as the camera zooms to her and then cuts to Matilda as she speaks, its really good to have suspense. Having them whispering, you get that them talking is meant to only stay with them as a warning.

Ekko vs Jinx: Arcane

Arcane is probably one of if not my favorite series of all time. And Ekko and Jinx’s fight is peak writing. But the part that introduces their fight is an J cut, and very well done one at that. The cut starts at the 9 second mark. What makes this J cut so well is that it serves as the perfect introduction to their fight.

Having Jinx laugh and call out to Ekko shows that even though they are no longer allies, they are still friends who care about another. Plus the cut is more effective with the lighting, having Ekko start out in the bright light then cutting to Jinx in the dark. Two opposites, forever to haunt each other.

How to Train Your Dragon Ad: Kit Harington & Toothless

I normally am not a fan of advertisements but I must say, Kit Haringtion’s ad for How to Train Your Dragon is so funny to me. At the 1:05 mark, there’s this cute scene where Kit is acting Jon Snow and it cuts to him yelling at Toothless for breaking the film equipment.

The cut is transitions so smoothly because of its comedic timing. Cutting from “TOOTHLESS NO” (first shot) -> “PUT IT DOWN” (Cut to Toothless biting equipment) feels perfectly timed, and really adds to the feeling this is a genuine behind the scenes with a dragon. Its a cute ad and one I admire when it comes to feeling like a genuine behind the scenes.

Oh, How I Can Hope For Future Tense

Marjae is genuinely one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Her passion for her project shows. As her roommate, I see her work day after day, juggling the stress of making a short film with her normal, difficult activities. I am honored to film with her.

I really did like making this project with her. While there are some things I would change, like the audio quality, I think the actual video content and editing were done very well and really showcase Future Tense as not just an idea made real, but also a way to show how far someone can go.

So I have a lot of hope for Marjae and her team. If you would like to, please support the Future Tense team! They currently have a promotional page on Seed and Spark. Because believe me, she deserves so much, and I’m so happy that she was the focus of this final project.