Filmmaking
Now Delivering in 30 Minutes - SmartPet
I was tasked to create an advertisement for a class final, and made an ad for SmartPet that does not deliver in 30 minutes yet, but thought it would make a good story. Filming went very smoothly as I had it so clear in my head a month before shooting. The ad is in Arabic, as I wanted it to be relatable, so by having the voiceover in Kuwaiti, the jokes “hit home” more for us Kuwaitis.
January 2023
This project has a mix of everything in the editing workspace. The voiceover may sound fast, but that’s the nature of some ads; they’re repeatable. Did some sound design with audio panning, and dealt with a lot of dialogue. Fit a lot in a 1-minute timeline, but the final product was exceptional. This holds up as my favorite project in terms of editing.
Star Wars: Orders | Stop Motion Brickfilm
I was tasked to create a stop motion video and decided it should be Star Wars related. I had to do some set design along with intentional lighting choices and use a TV for the background. The idea is similar to ILM’s The Volume but on a budget in my basement. This is my first time creating something like this, and although not perfect, I feel like some areas make up for the slightly rough animation like the lighting, set, and sound design.
April 2023
When combining the frames in After Effects, I was disappointed and unmotivated to continue working on the project because it looked rough. Then I started adding ambiance, music, and sound effects, and I got back on track. For visuals, I added elements like smoke for the crashed ship and did the lightsabers in FCPX. I also did some speed ramps since my stop-motion skills aren’t the best, which made things flow a little better. The edit saved the project.
A Short Film About Gear.
It took me 3 years to get a drone after losing one in the ocean due to my fear of an accident happening again. The film focuses on the idea of not letting expensive gear stand in the way of your filmmaking, and it’s okay to lose a few cameras here and there. Since this is a very personal project, I went solo as usual.
May 2023
After shooting the sunset shots, the first editing session wasn’t that great. I was unmotivated because the colors weren’t great, nor was my performance in front of the camera. But when you’re a one-man crew, the heavy lifting is in the editing. The exceptionally timed cuts are complemented by Kevin Kiner’s beautiful music from Star Wars, and just like that, I was finally satisfied.
Sand Dunes at Home
My favorite car is the Land Rover Defender. Creating an ad with the real one would be really fun, but requires the real car, and a small team. I made an ad using a Lego and a TV, then gave it a backstory inspired by real events. The first minute and a half seems to be completely unrelated, but it allowed me to come up with a quirky, yet relatable story based on the events at that time.
August 2021
While the majority of this timeline looks simple, this was the project that taught me to cut intentionally, and emphasize on sound design. Towards the end, the cuts had to be quick since it was a toy in front of a TV, but it is supposed to add suspense and flow with the sound.
RIP Leon | Apple Spec Ad
I was tasked to create a “spec ad” for a university project. I always shoot everything for my projects, but I was up for a challenge: try to fit into an advertisement created by a crew with a budget for one of the biggest companies in the world, Apple. I went to my basement and started setting up, only to be the man in front of the camera yet again.
Disclaimer: Some shots rightfully belong to Apple. I did this with the intent of learning and experimenting. You can find my shots below.
April 2023
The timeline looks relatively simple, and it’s a simple video. The challenge was replacing the original sound because I had to start fresh due to the timing of the shots. I also had to color grade in a way for my shots to now stand out in terms of quality. Yes, there is a big difference, and I’ll always improve. I trimmed down some of Apple’s clips by a few frames to improve the flow. I’m slowly being more intentional with the cuts, and doing some modifications to the audio if needed.
Star Wars: Shadow Remnants | Teaser
For a class project, I had to come up with a video game, create a disc cover, poster, and trailer. The trailer was made entirely in my basement using toys, a TV, and other props to bring them to life. A telephoto lens came in handy because it added compression, which made the background being a TV look more realistic. This project enhanced my knowledge of lighting, framing, as well as using props.
April 2022
This project had to be short and suspenseful as it is a teaser trailer. Since this is a Star Wars teaser, I had to focus on the music and sound design since I had to sell the idea that what’s on-screen aren’t toys, even though they were. I used artificial camera shakes, quick cuts, and keyframes the move the frame to add life to toys.
Das Krankenhaus | Covid Short Film
This short film was created with the intention of developing my skills, and making good use of new gear that I purchased at the time; it wasn’t anything fancy. This project opened my eyes to issues like flickering, and took me through most of the filming process. Since this was a one-man-crew home film, I had to frame the shot, then go behind the camera. Although this project isn’t as shiny, it is one that started it all.
December 2020
As a short film, I had to incorporate many angles, which is why it looks like there are many cuts. It appears that there’s a lot going on with the audio, and yes; I had to work with dialogue, foley, and music.
