After having completed the Macbeth video in May 2003, I was fully charged to do another video. For English class, as a final project I decided to do another video. I started planning and brainstorming. I decided to film a ’scary’ story I heard back in 6th grade camp. The story was really ’scary’. I remember Mr. Hess (Cabin coordinator) was an excellent story teller.

I planned out the story as best as I could in my memory, and added a few elements of my own. The filming of this video took place over several days. We did the following:

• Spent ~ 2 days filming the forest scene at Van Saun Park.
• Spent one day practicing for the ‘fight scene’ at Van Saun Park.
• Spent an entire day filming the ‘fight’ scene’ at Garden State Plaza Mall.
• Filming was done using a Sony D8 camcorder.
• Spent about two and a half weeks editing on an iMac at friends house for 5-8 hrs each day.

Things to note:

• Filming was never fully completed because deadline for project was approaching

The following was the result:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1460514921656598622

This was my third attempt at making a movie ever, and second time ever editing on a computer.

Lessons:

• 1 day of practicing a fight scene is NOT enough to make a good fight scene. It should be practiced untill it becomes like fluid movement.
• Planning out what you want to film and how to film it is usually a good idea
• Its a good idea to have a script. This film didnt have any script at all
• The most action you have, the more editing will be needed to be done. Plan accordingly.

The winner of the epi-storm on my blog (Limited Immortality) was: A young man’s journy to Islam and the challenges he faces between culture and deen.

25 episodes will be layed out as such:

• Episodes 1-5 will be him getting introduced to Islam.
• Episodes 6-10 will be him becoming Muslim. Episode 10 he becomes Muslim.
• Episodes 11-20 will be the experiences of culture vs. deen, and learning the religion.
• Episodes 21-25 will be about marriage (what did you expect?)

The premiere and finale will be 5-10 mins each in length, while the other episodes will be 2-4 mins in length each. In this post I want to discuss and plan out the first five episodes.

[Episode 1 Mind-Storm Complete] - Aug 3, 2006:

Main character is drunk. He finds himself in the plaza, and sees a niqaabi with two other hijaabi sisters. He says some insulting things (he’s drunk so he doesnt know what hes doing really). He niqaabi respons in a way that throws him off.

From there he makes his way home. He’s still drunk and a lil high. His home is decorated with starwars stuff. he sits down on the sofa and begins to watch the news. some moments go by. He hears something move in his home. He’s all alone. A dark figure moves in the shadows. From a hand movement of the dark figure an object is thrown at him from a different direction.

The dark figure then attacks. its a niqaabi (a ninja from his prespective). he tries to defend himself. Niqaabi pulls out a light saber as he pulls out his. deul takes palce.

He runs from her as she attacks him. The two continue to duel each other. the phone rings, distracting him. In that moment the niqaabi disarms and corners him. She does her finishing move on him.

Our main character wakes up from a real bad hang over. His phone is ringing. (We learn his situtation was that he fell asleep watching the news drunk and high.) He answers the phone. Its his girl friend. She dumps him, last night at the plaza he got drunk, said things to her he shouldnt have, and left her there. (At this point hes confused as to whether or not he really did insult a niqaabi the night before or not)

He sits down to watch the tv, but b/c of the headach of the hang over he gets up turns off the news. He tries to get some more sleep yet he cant. he realizes that he isnt driunk enough… he goes to the fridge to get more alcohol… he realizes he ran out. He slams the door and decides to run to the store.

He doesnt have a job yet and he’s been sending resumes to a lot off places and going to a lot off interviews. Nobody hires him cause his drug tests come back bad. As he makes his way to the store he is still wondering ‘ How the heck that ninja chick beat me?’ considering he is a master at martial arts.

At the store he meets one of his buddies (A muslim) who tells him that he may have a job for him. turns out that the job is a Muslim place. They have lunch together (he woke up close to noon time). His buddy give the contact for the work place.

He calls the contact, and sets up an interview. He goes in. As he walks into the place, a niqaabi walks out.

- Episode 1 End