Quartz Kid

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  Quartz Kid Poster

Inspiration

We were inspired to make an action packed mini movie with only 6 of us to showcase our cinematic skills in the fight choreography, visual effects, and sci-fi action movie space. The goal was to make the highest end looking film we could with as little money as possible. As a female director/writer/editor I want to build my career in action filmmaking with heavy vfx and this was a way to showcase my talents & learn all the new AI technology at our fingertips in post production.

What it does

Our film proves what independent filmmakers are able to create on a shoestring budget by utilizing AI programs- alongside well planned and executed shotlists/storyboards/acting.

How we built it

The project started as something I wrote for both my directing/editing portfolio as well as our lead actor's reel to showcase him as an action lead contender in castings. It turned into a mini movie when we realized we could make high end looking effects by planning out shots to match the technology available in AI programs. We started with rehearsals and fight choreography planning. From that we storyboarded every shot (using my shotlist and an AI storyboard builder). Then I location scouted areas that could work well with natural light because we had minimal gear/crew. We shot for 2 days and followed our plan to the exact detail so our postproduction could be fun and seamless using a mixture of standard editing with multiple AI effects programs. Our film is a hybrid of practical and AI effects, which I see as a priceless workflow for all my future projects.

Challenges we ran into

We had various challenges many film sets run into- always wishing there was more time in a day to shoot. With a small crew we all took on multiple job titles on set. In post production the biggest challenge was learning all of the AI programs we used for my first time. The queing process was a huge learning experience for me and it took a lot of trial and error for me to grasp the workflow. But once we got the shots we wanted (and even some unexpected surprise shots), I couldn't be more motivated to continue using AI to push the envelope as a visual storyteller.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of setting out to make a Marvel style action sequence with 2 actors and 4 crew. The response people have watching it makes me very proud because they think we had a lot of money and a lot of people involved- neither of which is true. I also like the response when they find out a girl directed it :)

What we learned

I LEARNED AI PROGRAMS!!! I have been an editor for over 15 years and this project has changed me forever. I learned how to use AI programs I had never even heard of prior. I learned a new workflow and most importantly I learned what I would do in the future while shooting to make vfx easier to create with AI programs moving forward. The attention to detail in preproduction helped us a lot in post but I realized some mistakes we made shooting that could have been avoided now that I better understand AI video building/cueing.

What's next for Quartz Kid

We have a lot of interest in developing "Quartz Kid" into a TV series and/or a Vertical Series. The project set up a storyline that was written to expand into a action film franchise. We will be doing the festival route and are currently pitching it.

Built With

• adobe
• aftereffects
• chatgpt
• elevenlabs
• gemini
• higgsfield
• midjourney
• veo3