What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is a comedy horror styled mockumentary film that was just released in February of 2015. Directed by both Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, this film follows three vampires that live together in a flat located in the Wellington suburb of Te Aro. We follow these three roommates, all coming from different periods and locations in history, as they try to adapt to the very different and confusing 21st century culture. Unable to travel outdoors during the day, due to the fact that vampires burn up in the sun, they are restricted to out door travel only at night. Literal creatures of the night, most of the films plot and comedic effect comes alongside their struggle to fit in and live successful lives while they are unable to experience day life.

Jemaine Clement, most famous for his work in the New Zealand musical duo Flight of the Concords, brings his amazing sense of comedy to life on the big screen. Not only did Taika Waititi  and Jeamaine create the film but they also did an amazing job on screen, alongside Jonathan Brugh. The acting in this film was phenomenal. Each character added a lot to the progression and dynamic of the story; however, if it had not been for the cast the delivery would not have been nearly as powerful.

This film is unlike any other mockumentary I have ever seen before. Going into this film I had no idea what I should be expecting but I definitely came out pleasantly surprised. The cast was extremely entertaining to watch, the set and production design was interesting and eye catching. The only complaint that I could possibly have about this film is that the comedy did not go far enough. If you are to take anything away it is that the comedy stylings were unique in every way, which made it interesting throughout. I would recommend that everyone take the time to this film because everyone I have spoken with has walked away with a different opinion.

Parks and Recs' Mocumentary Style

My favorite comedy show by far is the sitcom, "Parks and Recreation" starring Amy Poehler and many other hilarious actors. The style that is used in Parks and Rec is "mockumentary" and the cinematographer, Michael Trim, conducts it in such a way that is so entertaining and flows beautifully. Many people compare the style of the show to "The Office," but I believe that "Parks and Recreation" exceeds the cinematography of "The Office" and makes it smoother and funnier.

The shots are sometimes rough and shaky, but that is an aspect of the mockumentary style that really makes it come to life. Throughout every episode there are several times where characters break the fourth wall and stare straight at the camera. The actress who stands out the most when doing this is Aubrey Plaza who plays the character of April Ludgate. In many scenes she makes hilarious faces and reacts to things that other characters say by breaking the fourth wall and it adds to the humor of the show perfectly.

The excellent zooms, pans, and various other camera movements follow the characters in a way that is intriguing and entertaining. There is never a dull moment because the camera is basically always moving. "Parks and Rec" has come a long way since its pilot episode, which was not the strongest, to their seventh and final season where I'm going to bawl my eyes out because this show became a television phenomenon. The mockumentary style was a perfect way to go about filming this series, and it really makes it easier not only to connect with characters but to be involved with the various different plots. The writing for this show is absolutely hysterical and the style of it keeps viewers entertained for hours on end. I highly recommend that everyone take some time out of their days and watch this show.

Final Project status

So the scripts been done and shooting is under way.    We have 30 pages worth to shoot in less then a week, and its getting rough out there.  Not really though.  We are making good progress and have most of it shot.  Lots of work to do tomorrow but after that we should be in the clear.

So for those of you who dont know, our project is a mockumentary about a college election.  The two candidates Brian Morgan, and Veronica Taft, compete against each other to win the colleges vote and become the new SGA president.  Along the journey there are highs and lows for each candidate.

So far the real difficulty I personally, have run into, besides for the lack of time, is the size of the project.  I personally have never done a project this large and when I worked on writing it I wasn't sure what to expect from length and preparation.  It is all new to me.  I do think that with the time we have and the ground we have to cover we are doing just fine.  A lot more has to be done so lets get at it.

Robert Cannon

Advice From Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I recently started watching interviews on makingof.com, a website I didn't know about until Arturo mentioned it in class. In an interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he is asked about his company hitrecord.com and gives advice that I believe is the main focus and goal for Park students and should be my mindset. JGL says his advice starting at the 2:50 mark. He basically says that in order to be known, you don't have to move to LA, get an agent, and know people. He believes that you need to create an idea, go out and make something, and try to get it out to people. He uses the example of someone who had no agents, created a film, and was able to show it at Sundance. I think this interview with JGL is extremely valuable in terms of advice and insight into the movie industry. I've been saving up for a camera, possibly the Canon T2i, and I've been writing short skits and stories that I plan to create. Honestly, I've been slacking and like Arturo said, there's no reason why we shouldn't be creating something new every week or so. I'm also working on a script for a mockumentary that I want to film over Thanksgiving or Winter break. I used to make movies every week when I was younger with my friend Jason, a BU communications student, and we're collaborating again and hope to create the mockumentary.

CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH JGL'S MAKINGOF.COM INTERVIEW


Also, check out www.hitrecord.org; JGL's website that features work from artists, filmmakers, and beyond. Maybe you can sign up and share your work there.
(P.S: Go out and see Looper. It's one of the better movies I've seen in years.)