2 Minutes till Curtain

     The time for filming has arrived! Real quick before I begin to assemble props and film, I wanted to create a shot list to make the process that much easier. In my past school projects, specifically for the music video where I was the camerawoman, I didn't follow any template for my shots and would try to get the shot in whichever manner I saw fit. While ensuring that the shot is aesthetically pleasing and accomplishing what I want, I also want to accurately display my knowledge of shots and compile the best shots to give my project a professional look. So, the shot list I created will hopefully prove to be useful in combining different techniques and camera angles. My shot list omits the specific shots of the inanimate objects around Alejandro's bedroom simply because those will all be fully displayed at the center of the frame and I didn't want to be repetitive.

    Below is my official shot list for my film opening. For the most part, it mainly consists of medium shots in order for the viewers to see Alejandro's movements as well as the background to know that the props previously shown were parts of his bedroom and important to his character. With the inclusion of a close up shot, my goal is to give insight on the characters' feelings and facial expressions as Alejandro is going through a lot of emotions. In shot 7 (labeled below), I had Alejandro facing away from the door and wanted to display the dad in the background in a shallow focus (Alejandro being the subject in focus) to emphasize how Alejandro feels alone and is beginning to shut out those around him. I wanted to expand on this sense of separation in shot 8 through the long shot of both characters on either side of the frame, creating a huge gap between the two. Writing down my shot list, I was also able to land on the idea of showing the title on the wall after Alejandro first puts the voicemail to record for the second time, as previously recommended by a classmate.

Shot	Scene Description	Shot Type
1	(interrupting compilation shots of props) Alejandro, with the towel hung around his neck, walks towards the desk and swipes on his phone. Voicemail plays	Medium Shot (knees up) Alejandro at the right third of screen
2	(end of compilation shots of props) Alejandro, shirt unbuttoned, spins around as the voicemail ends	Medium Shot (mid-torso up) Alejandro centered
3	Alejandro walks towards the desk and taps on his phone again Voicemail repeats	Medium Shot (waist up) Pan to the Right as Alejandro walks
4	Alejandro continues getting ready, focus on sad expression Knock is heard	Close Up
5	Alejandro lunges back to the phone to end voicemail	Medium Shot
6	Dad opens the door and peeks his head “Ale, come on. You’re gonna be late.”	Medium Shot (knees up)
7	Alejandro, phone in hand, speaks over his shoulder “I didn’t even answer the knock.”	Close Up Shallow Focus Alejandro slightly at left third
8	Dad stares at Alejandro with a sympathetic look, deep thought	Close Up
9	Alejandro moves to put on socks. Dad remains at the door “At least I knocked, hm? Hurry up, everything’s in the car.” Dad leaves	Long Shot
10	Alejandro sits on the bed for a moment and gets up, stares at thee distance	Medium Shot (knees up) Tilts Up as Alejandro stands
11	Graduation gown hanging on closet	Eyeline Match
12	Alejandro takes a deep inhale and begins to move, camera lingers on window for a moment once Alejandro leaves frame	Close Up

    Having to gather a few last-minute props to add to the set, I first want to record at least a rough draft of this mom's voicemail to be able to film accordingly to it's timing as well as for the cast to have a realistic sense of what is going on in the scene. My own mom has been casted as the mother in the film and I'll work with her for her to convey my desired tone, but I have a lot of faith that she can do it well, especially since it won't require much acting. The main actor for Alejandro, though, will have more trouble with conveying the emotions and acting as he has no experience with acting. For this reason, I tried to include as little close-up shots as possible for the project to look more seamless. I'm really excited to start filming and it's not long before showtime!