Blog #3 - Production Notes

When Sarah and I started work on this film we only had a rough idea; two individuals going about their day while, unknown to either of them, they begin to show a number of similarities in their activities and demeanor. However, the successful conveyance of this idea relied entirely on our scripting and storyboarding. Our initial idea was simply two separate sequences following each character along, with both sequences mirroring each other by the end. During the early stages of our planning, Sarah suggested we use a number of still images and edit them together to sync up with the rhythm of the song "First Day of my Life" by Bright Eyes. This decision set stricter guidelines for us on a technical level. First of all, we were now tied down to a specific time limit (the duration of the song). While this limited us in terms of which shots we could use, it also bookends our film and makes it easier to visualize the finished product. Secondly, it establishd that the editing of the piece would have to be taken with great care in orer to properly sync to the music.

Midway through the project our concept of [parallel characters and mirrored narratives was coming through. The syncing of the music created a common thread between the characters that the viewers could follow even though they seem to have nothing in common.What began as an idea in passing, ultimately tied the entire project together.

After our screening of the film in class, we seemed to get an appropriate reaction from the viewers. The parts that were intended to be funny got laughs and the rhythmic editing kept everyone curious about the direction of the plot. One comment afterward, someone joking about a further cut showing the two characters with a baby, shows that there was some connection established between the characters and the audience.