Happy New Years Eve!

 When I woke up, I didn't have time to check my phone. I promised my aunt I would help her clean and I woke up so late I could only have breakfast then go help her. After I helped her for a few hours, I was told I was going to go visit family. 

Unfortunately, the family I was visiting didn't have wifi and the area that they lived in, there was pretty much no service. I figured I would be able to edit when I got back and write my blog then. When I got back, I had to help prep for the new year party. I completely forgot about editing and school. 

After we prepped for the party, we started it. There wasn't anyone really here. I started with games at my cousin's house then went to my aunt's house next door. They had a first next door and I was going to cry if I didn't get to roast a few marshmallows. 

After that I went back to my cousin's house and I watched them play pool. School never crossed my mind. 

I counted down the seconds and it was the new year! I wasn't until I went inside to finish my plate of food that I remembered I had school. 

Below you will see a facebook approved photo that my aunt took of me and my brother at the bonfire. 

Yes, they are burnt marshmallows. It's the only way to eat them. 

Card games and sleep

 Today I didn't edit. I know, I know. I woke up with an insane headache and didn't want to look at my screen. Even with my glasses it hurt to look at my computer screen. I'm starting to think that I might have the flu, but I can't tell cause I can't go to the Drs. When I woke up I spent hours just lying on the couch listening to a podcast. Since I couldn't open my eyes without them hurting, I had to listen to a podcast. I need to have one of my senses occupied at all times. I needed to catch up on Rotten Mango anyway. Stephanie had three episodes I forgot to listen to cause I've been busy. 

After I could get up, around 1, I got off of the couch and found that mum had my laptop for school work! I started doing stuff so I wouldn't be so bored, since I couldn't look at my phone. It took me until 4 for actually be able to look at my phone, but by that time I was so tired I ended up taking a nap. When I woke up, dinner was being made. I went to go find my cousin and mum. They were outside about to play cards. I love playing cards, so I joined them. Then my brother ended up joining after we were done, so we played another game. After that we ate dinner.

After dinner I considered editing. I walked over to the computer and the prunes hit me! Earlier, while I was napping, my mum and cousin went to the store. I woke up for a minute and called and asked them to get prunes because my stomach has been messing up. So instead of editing like I wanted to, I was forced into the bathroom until it was too late to edit and write a blog in the same night. 

In the pictures below you will see me wearing a mask while I played cards. This was me taking extra precautions to keep them safe. This was also to make my cousin mad since she was very anti-mask. Yes, I am aware I have a rats nest on top of my head. I am washing my hair tomorrow. 

Wave of Sickness

 

This was me about 5 hours after I woke up. When I first woke up my mum was using my computer for her homework. That took about 2 hours. After she was done, everyone wanted to play cards, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to play cards. That took about two hours. I was feeling fine during all of this. Minus getting hungry and just keep playing. I ended up eating chips and dip. I figured I would due editing later in the day.  I mean, I had all day, right? Wrong. After cards, it was about 3 p.m. 

My aunt asked me to help her clean up the kids' rooms today. I went over there to make sure they were up from their naps and they were! I was thinking about the scenes that I had, making sure I had them all and everything just needed to be put together.

As far as I was aware, I had everything. I just needed to put it together. 

I cleaned up the boys bedroom just fine. It was when I got to the girls bedroom that I started losing energy. At first I thought it was just because I was thirsty. As I kept cleaning I kept losing more and more energy. My body was filled with waves of anxiety and stress. I thought I ate something bad and I just needed to use the bathroom. I went back to my cousin's house across the street to use the bathroom and it was on my way over there that I got extremely light headed and felt really sick. 

I was in a lot of pain, inside and needed to lay down. But this time it was 3:30, and I passed out on the couch and didn't wake up until after everyone ate dinner. It was about 7:30 when I woke up with a pounding headache. I took some aleve and tried to eat and drink something. I was also very warm. I thought I was sick. Maybe I still am, but after that nap and water and aleve, I'm starting to keep better. Unfortunately it's hard enough trying to write this blog, there's no way I'll be able to edit tonight. 

Waffles and broken pipes

 

I know I'm wearing the same shirt! Don't come for me. It was washed and it's comfortable! I started the day with a glance at my computer. I didn't get up until 10 a.m, which meant the whole house was already awake. I turned on my computer and instead of editing right away, I had to open everything and make sure it was all working so it wouldn't just turn off with nothing being saved. As I stared at my scenes at open shot, my dad called! Saved by the bell, as they say. I picked up and let my screen go to sleep. After the call, I was going to try to edit but I wasn't motivated at all. I ended up making waffles and biscuits for everyone. (11)

After waffles, I was going to eat at my computer but my mum said she wanted to use it for her homework. Instead of being nagged about it for hours, I decided to get off and let her have it. The thing is, she didn't even get on it! She started cleaning instead! My cousin ended up putting on a movie that I've been wanting to see so we watched that while my laptop sat, empty. After that movie we ended up watching another one. This time I ended up falling asleep. I justified watching these movies by analyzing the directors work throughout. 

When I woke up, I realised my mum left! There was no way she was going to do her work now. I decided to get online and start editing. I got as far as looking through what I already had before we found out the sink pipe broke! I had to help with that, likely it didn't take long.

After that, I had to go to the store to get stuff for dinner. After we got back I went through the entire first folder that was down and got the second folder of clips onto Oneshot, while my cousin made dinner. After that I called it a day. My nap didn't give me enough energy for more than a few hours.

We're finally editing!

 

It took a hot minute, but we're finally here. I saw 'we' like it's not just me working on this project. I recently travelled to see family for the holidays and brought my computer because I knew I was going to be here for my entire winter break. I couldn't edit on the 23rd because that's the day we left and I was too tired and it was too late to edit after we got here. I couldn't edit on the 24th because I was helping set up everything for Christmas like cooking, cleaning, wrapping, and last minute trips to stores. That took up my entire day. I didn't edit on Christmas, yesterday, because I was eating and spending time with family and didn't get around to it. I could have edited at night but after cleaning up, and eating all that food, I was too full and too tired to even think about opening my laptop. 

The next morning, at around 10 a.m I finally woke up. I pulled my laptop out and wanted to get to work. I got as far as putting in the SD card before I remembered I said I would make my scones for brunch. I had to stop what I was doing and make those. Luckily it only took about an hour and a half. I figured I would eat one as I edited. It took me a minute to figure out how to use the editing software again since I haven't used it in about a year. I first tried to download the clips into the software but it would only let me do it one at a time. I didn't have the time for that since I knew I was going to be needed for something else. I split the screen in half and dragged and dropped. It worked!

As soon as I finished that part, my cousin let us know that we were going to the store for after Christmas shopping to see if anything good was on the 'after-Christmas sale'. We found some good gifts for family that we didn't see yesterday. Why do they need to know when their presents were bought? 

After we got back from that, I wrapped up the gifts we got and by that time it was already 3 in the afternoon. We ate a late lunch and I went to see what my aunt was doing across the street. We talked for a little bit before I went to go hang out with my other aunt next door. They all live right next to each other so it makes it easier to visit for the holidays. By the time I was doing checking up on everyone, it was like 5 p.m and that's when I officially started editing. 

I only got through one folder of clips, so I'll have to work on the other two tomorrow. I basically just cut down the times on the really long ones and got rid of the repeated ones. There isn't too much work to do for edits when we first start. Just making sure everything is in order. That's why I like editing. 

Last Couple of days before I left

 So I didn't edit last weekend. I wanted to but I was so tired from midterm week that I slept almost the entire weekend. The time that I was awake I didn't worry about editing because other things were on my mind. I was stressed about the holidays coming up and having to visit family because I didn't have a choice. I was stressed about school starting again. I was stressed about getting chores done in the time that I had before I went to my friend's again the following week. Since I needed to finish filming, and we were leaving now Wednesday, I wanted to make sure my room wasn't a mess before I left for two weeks. This didn't count reshoots, unfortunately since I didn't do any editing. 

When Sunday night came, I made sure to pack up everything so it would just be a grab and go in the morning. Then I made sure to figure out who would be able to watch my brother while both of his parents were at work. I sorted it out that night and relaxed a bit. I also made sure to deposit my check after work so I would have money in my account when we went out to film and get lunch after.

The next morning I asked my mum if she was going to take me or if I was going to take a Lyft. She said she would take me. I packed my stuff into the car and before I got it, she got into the passenger seat. She was going to let me drive! After I got there, I realised I forgot my camera charger! I texted my mum and asked if she could bring it for me but she said she was already late and that she couldn’t do that. 

I used the few hours of charge that the battery still had and shot my scenes. I ended up having to film when the sun was setting because Ben’s bus was delayed and his bike broke. He didn’t get to Pixie’s until 3 and we didn’t film until 4 because we were slacking off. The ending scene was very rushed and only shot a couple of times because the sun was setting and I didn’t want to risk messing the lighting up too much. 

It wasn’t until Wednesday that I realised I forgot scenes! I’ll have to get those rushed when I get back because I won’t be getting back until late. Monday night I was able to get a ride back to my house to get my charger, so that wasn’t a problem for Tuesday.

I know we don't have any masks on, don't come for me, we all got our fast results that we were all cleared from COVID the night before and made sure not to see anyone before we filmed. When I go back for reshoots, we will have our masks on, unless it's not needed for the scene. 

First day blues

 Before my friend arrived for the first day of filming, I made sure to ask the owner of Wilton creamery if it would be okay if we filmed inside of the store. Obviously the outside of the store was for the public and it wouldn't matter, but I wanted to make sure that I could film then, the main actor, ordering his tea, as well as being poisoned. I gave him the days and times that we would be in the store and he gave the okay. This let some relief off of my shoulder as I was worried that he would say no. if you are is later when my friend arrive we went back inside the store to confirm that it was still okay to film, and the owner asked me if I changed the times because he thought it was only Monday and Tuesday, and not a few hours after I asked. I made sure to ask with those added few hours so he must have misheard me. He still gave them okay, and we were good to film. I realized as we started to film, that we would need someone inside of the creamery, to hand him his drink. I politely asked the worker if he wouldn't mind being in the movie and saying a couple lines so it sounded good on screen. He was extremely helpful and agreed to everything as well as worked insanely well on camera. Obviously this meant that we had to give him a tip at the end of his Oscar award-winning acting. 

Here's where everything started going wrong. 

It started when we wanted to start filming outside. After we got the camera set up and then into his character's clothes, we wanted to start with the first tea scene. We got him walking into the creamery and ordering his tea, with no problem. It was when we went to sit down at the table and record the first time he was there, that it got really awkward. Since there were customers going in and out of the store, there was a couple that sat just a table away from us. This meant that I had to angle the camera so they weren't in the shot, as well as all three of us apologizing the entire time they were sitting there. I felt extremely awkward, but what was like going to do? They didn't seem to mind, as they just spoke quieter, and let us know that it was fun. They seemed extremely nice and we're very understanding, I guess they did a lot of school projects around awkward adults when they were younger. Didn't so much as go wrong, as it was awkward. We worked through it and kept the film rolling.

The next thing that halted our production, was the delivery man delivering drinks to the creamery. Obviously we didn't mind this since this was normal things to happen and adult world, and we were just living in it. It did however, stop us from filming for about 30 minutes. Since there was still daylight, we didn't mind too much. It was the slight inconveniences that added up over time.

We eventually got every shot that we needed, or that I can remember. Thinking back on it now, we could have gotten more shots that we needed, but it was getting dark and I needed to go to work. Luckily there are days for reshoots as well as regular shoots, as well as editing. 

Peoples, Times, Dates The Whole Package

 Obviously this month is going by fast, and with the holidays coming up, I wanted to make sure I got everything that I needed before I had to go away for a week and a half. This meant I had to talk with my friend who is my actor for my movie and figure out when we would be able to film. I thought I had more time, so I didn't make it a big deal. At the beginning of the week I was checking the date and realized that I only had about a week so I wanted to make sure I got my footage in before then. Since I live so far from my friend we decided to both meet in the middle and film.  I wouldn't be able to have a ride in the middle of the day because everyone would be at work. I decided to make plans with another friend to sleep over at her house so I would be able to make it to my destination and have the day to film with my friend. 

This meant I would be staying over at my friend's house who wasn't in the movie, while I waited for a friend who was in the movie. After we situated which days would work I went to my mom and asked her if she would be able to drop me off those days. She said she wouldn't be able to and that we had to figure out a new date. This put me under a lot of stress since the end of the month was coming up closer and closer. 

I had to go back and forth between my friends availability dates and my mother's work schedule. I also ended up having to go through my own work schedule since I recently started working. after a very stressful couple of hours I decided to take charge of everything and tell everybody exactly the dates and times that I would need to go to my friend's house and I would need to have everybody at the first destination for filming. Everyone seemed to like the fact that I took charge (of my own project) and agree to everything that I set.

I eventually got to my friend's house and realized I forgot the SD card for filming. I then had to call my mom who was already mad that she had to drive so late at night because it took us a while to figure out the dates, and ask her to bring me my SD card. I finally got the SD card, and made sure to put it into my camera case, so I wouldn't forget when I went out with it. After it was in my camera case, I put the camera to charge and went to sleep.

The next morning, I made sure to check the times with my friend who was going to be acting and headed out with my friend who I had a sleep over with. We got to the creamery early, so I texted my friend to let him know and asked him when he would be arriving. He said he was running late and that he wasn't even in my city yet so to just find something else to do while we waited. I asked my friend if she wanted to go get breakfast while we waited she thought that was a great idea so we went out and got frozen yogurt. Well we ate I realized that I would have to be taking pictures and recording what happened as I was filming. I had the amazing idea to ask my friend if she wanted to do that for me. Being the super nice friend that she was she agreed to help me.

After froyo, we went back to the creamery and waited for my friend. He said he was still running late as there was a problem with the bus, so to just hang tight. I couldn't do anything since he was my only actor and there was nothing to film without him in it I was worried that it would be too late and he wouldn't make it and we would have to cancel. Luckily he ended up writing his bike the rest of the way and showing up an hour later. as there was still Semite we decided to take advantage of the time that we had and film the entire middle of my movie. 

#socialdistancing...halfway