Group meeting, yay!!!

This group meeting reduced my overthinking about the project so so much! I absolutely adored speaking to my peers about our projects. For some context, my group was 6 people (including me) and we all spoke about our projects and ideas, one at a time, and gave each other feedback about our ideas while looking at each others blogs.

I've always been was very mindful about trying to make my blog posts as good as I can, I have really grown to like blogging, it's very helpful and lets me get my thoughts organized. One of the first things my group members complimented was my blogs, which lit my face up. Knowing that other people find my blogs cohesive and informational is so validating and makes me so happy, I feel like my hard work is paying off day by day!

Another thing my partners really liked was my research, one of them even said some of the sites I cited were really helpful to him. I also have tried my best to incorporate research from articles and videos into my blogs so I can expand my knowledge on topics I may not know too much about. I will without a doubt continue to do the amount of research I do now, it has really helped me learn more about every aspect of my project. I started thinking about why research is so important, so I did some research on it (no pun intended haha)! 

I found this article about research and thought this section highlighted the importance of research very well: 

I found this to be very true, research allows us to learn more about a topic after having enough curiosity to research it. For a project like this, research is so beneficial because it allows me to take what I learn from the class and the research to use it in my opening. Doing research and planning is what I believe will get me a piece that viewers can tell I put my whole heart into, which is my goal. I want my piece to have soul and passion. 

I also gave some of my peers an idea, to make a shot list! They realized that I had done one and found it interesting. I told them about how the shot list really allowed me to get organized and some of them agreed that they should do one, I love helping people out so I'm glad they got an idea from my blog. 

This article highlights how shot lists can be beneficial:

I think my shot list had really allowed me to put my project together, it helped me to put all the ideas I had in my head into a single list, it made me feel more put together. Creating a shot list is something I recommend to anyone working on a project involving filming something, which is exactly why I recommended it to my peers.

Script research!

Script writing is something I adore, I love writing in general so I've been excited for this part of this project. Today in class we learned more about the formatting of scripts, which I found to be super helpful. I wanted to do some research outside of class as well to dive further into script examples written for the genre I have chosen, that being drama. I found this amazing website where you can view full scripts from movies, I found this to be a great reference for formatting my script, all the scripts on the website are also from drama films which is perfect! There's also a full script for Dead Poets Society on the website which is an awesome reference to have since that is one of the films I referenced when I was doing my film opening research. 

I wanted to find some advice from professional screenwriters, so I found this amazing interview:

Quentin Tarantino gave some advice in this video that stuck with me, that being that he found his dialogue and character voices. According to this article a character voice is how a character expresses themselves, this doesn't only have to be shown through their words but also their actions and personality. I want my piece to be as realistic as possible, so I want to make sure I don't add an excessive amount of dialogue since people don't always say what they're thinking, but rather show it. Having a character voice not only through words is so important and can elevate a film so much, so creating a character voice is something I will focus greatly on!

I thought it would be very very helpful to compare a script to a film side by side, so I searched for an example and found this cool comparison: 

This scene is from La La Land that shows that some lines were changed a bit when they were said out loud, I think this is a good thing because it makes the scene look very authentic, it doesn't feel forced, so I think once I do film my opening some aspects of the script may change a bit, but that's okay. Obviously the whole premise shouldn't change, but a word here or there changing is natural in my point of view. In this script you can also see that much of the dialogue is very short and simple, but the way both of the characters react to each other and the tone in which they speak really shows the frustration they were going through in the moment, this is a great demonstration of how character voice can be incorporated not only through dialogue but also through tone and actions.

                                                                              

Filming locations

 Choosing my filming locations has been something I've been indecisive about for a while. After doing my shot list, I realized I really need to decide on these locations so that I can make my storyboard as accurate as I can with the information I have. I knew I wanted to film inside a home but I wasn't sure if mine fit the aesthetic I was going for enough and if I should look for another home (like a family members) to use. But I've decided that with the right angles and props, some which I already have at home and some which I will purchase, my house is just the right place. My windows let in light that will show the audience it is blue hour, my walls are neutral, I just think it really works. 

I was afraid I couldn't make my room work, so i decided to do some research and I found this video:

And this video:

I think these videos are great examples of how you can make a simple space like your room feel very cinematic and powerful, these videos really reassured me. I want this film to be very realistic, since the storyline is realistic, so I think using a room that is clearly lived in is the most realistic approach I could use, I think it would be the best choice.

Another location I had to determine was the flashback scene, I imagine this scene taking place in a street or small field of grass, probably near a lake. I could do this at a local neighborhood park. I think the lake would be a nice touch of blue to the film and the sky would be visible, which is very important for my film, since it would be filmed during blue hour. I also know there's streetlights near the area I want to film at which could add an interesting use of lighting to my opening if I use the right angles. I also think using an open area like a park is a realistic place where friends would walk around and hang out, just like Georgia and her friend are, which again adds to the realistic approach of my film. 

Shot List

I've had a hard time deciding whether I should do my shot list or storyboard first, but I think writing everything down will make it easier to visualize. A shot list helps me get organized which is extremely important to me, I feel very stressed if I don't have things in order, so, having everything down will be very very beneficial for me. Also, I've decided the main characters name is Georgia, I chose the name that I feel would fit her the most from this list of girl names!

Here's my shot list: 

The opening will begin with a black screen where you hear crickets and sheets moving.

Shot 1: Medium shot- Georgia is putting a blanket over her legs, she's sitting up on her bed. She puts her leg towards her chest. 

Shot 2: Close up- Georgia bites her nails.

Shot 3: Close up- Georgia plays with her hair anxiously.

Shot 4: Close up- Georgia picks at her thumb and nails. 

Shot 5: Close up- We see Georgia's nails again while she picks at them, the camera tilts up and we see Georgia's friends eyes, this is a transition to the next section of the opening.

This section is a flashback.

Shot 6: Long shot- You see the Georgia's back and her talking to her friend. 

Shot 7: Medium shots- You see Georgia speak to her friend, we see the friends face while they speak.

Shot 8: Medium shot- The friend is suddenly mad. 

Shot 9: Extreme close up- of the friend's mad eyes.

Shot 10: Medium shot- The clip plays again but from the friends perspective, you see Georgia while they speak. You see Georgia become confused when the friend is mad.

Shot 11: Tight close up- of Georgia's confused eyes.

This is the end of the flashback.

Shot 12: Medium shot- You see Georgia on her bed again, it's the same shot as the first one. 

Shot 13: Medium shot- Georgia gets up. We see her walk to her desk.

Shot 14: Medium shot- We see Georgia get her journal, open it, and write in it. 

Shot 15: Close up- Georgia writes in her journal for a bit and scratches it out, we can see she's stressed.

Shot 16: Medium shot- She rips out the page and throws it. 

Shot 18: Long shot- Georgia walks to her door and walks out of her room. 

Shot 19: Medium shot- You see Georgia walk from her room to her bathroom.

Shot 20: Medium shot- Georgia walks into the bathroom, closes the door, and looks at herself in the mirror, in this moment, she contemplating. 

Shot 21: The doorbell rings, she walks out of the bathroom and is no longer in frame. 

This is my list for now! I have a feeling some things may change once I film and edit. In my past projects for this course, thing have changed then, which I think is a good thing, it shows growth in my opinion. 

I have noticed I use a lot of close ups in my opening, I have been hesitant about using so many, because I don't want to over do it, but I have a pretty clear vision of what I'm doing, so I'm choosing to trust myself. I decided to do some research and stumbled across this article, which I found incredibly interesting. It speaks about how close ups evoke and show emotion very well, they make the viewer feel like they are a part of what is occurring, which I feel like for my film opening, is very important. 

     This is a close up from The Godfather that I think is a great 

      example of how the characters emotion is shown with this style of shot.

Blue Hour - Story Outline

Story

I have finally come to a final decision with my plot and overall story! I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision, so I thought about this a lot. The very, very, very summarized story of the opening is about a girl who in her head, does things right and tries her best. This story will show an anxious girl, she fidgets a lot, which will show she is anxious and overthinks. She tries her best to do everything perfect, she wants to get along with absolutely everyone (which is impossible) but doesn't, even though she tries. She's very hard on herself and feels a bit crazy. 

The opening will begin with the girl being overthinking, there will be silence to create tension, and the girl will be bitting her nails and pulling on her hair and clothes to demonstrate her emotions. I also want to include a flashback of how something sounded in the girl's head versus how it actually came off to the other individual shown. I also want to include a shot where you hear all the thoughts of the girl. I want the last clip to end on a stressed note, since it is only the opening of what would be the film.

Title

Blue Hour is my chosen title. The meaning has two meanings, a literal one and a deeper one.The literal one is that the clips will be filmed during the blue hour, the time of day after the sun goes down and right before it gets really dark. The deeper one is supposed to represent the way the girl feels, that being blue, which represents sadness.

The color blue will help build up the overall melancholy tone of the opening. I think putting the word blue in the title will be a good thing, since it's associated with sadness. It will hopefully quickly tell the audience the tone of the movie. 

                                                          Here are examples of blue hour

Project schedule summary!

 If I'm being honest, I've overwhelmed myself a bit when it's come down to planning this project. I think I've been thinking about all elements at once, which has been a mistake on my part, so I'm going to take it one day and week at a time. I think making a schedule for myself would help a lot. That way I can see everything I'm going to do and when I am going to do it, which will reassure me that I am on the right track. 

February 18th to March 3rd

From now (February 18th) to March 3rd, I am going to define my story. I am going to put all of my ideas together to create a script, shot list, and storyboard. My overall idea currently is to tell a story about a girl who tries her hardest to be the best version of herself and yet fails. In her mind, she does everything possible to make other happy, she's a people pleaser, she never puts herself first, but other people do not realize that. I need to figure out how to put this idea into a two minute opening (without a resolution of course). I have a few ideas for shots but in the next two weeks I need to define them, which I think will lower my stress level since I like to visualize things. 

March 4th to March 17th

Production begins here. I am going to gather mise-en-scene elements like props and costuming. I want to have time to gather these elements because I want them to be meaningful and help cohere to the tone I am trying to create in my opening. I want a lot of blue in my opening, so I will for sure look for items with that color in specific. For costuming, I imagine the main character wearing things such as flannels and jeans, that's just an idea for now though, it might change. I also need to begin filming during this time, which will likely be a lengthy process, so I want to space my time out right. I will also begin editing what I have during this time, which usually takes me the longest when doing my projects.

March 18th to March 31st

Here I will begin my CCR. My research for my CCR will probably take a bit of time since I want to have a creative approach, CCR's are very important. I would also get feedback on my film opening and make any slight changes i can editing wise. I will film my CCR during this time as well. There's a lot to do so I have to use my time wisely. Editing my film opening will also occur within these weeks.

April 1st to April 2nd

I finish my project! I'll post my CCR and film opening to my blog and also a final reflection on project. 

Film openings!

Film openings can say so much about a story just in a few minutes. One of the film openings under the drama category that I absolutely adore is the Little Miss Sunshine one. The opening shot of the little girl's glasses just staring at the TV tells us that she is passionate about what she's watching without even seeing her full face or her saying a word. I would love to incorporate a similar technique into my project. I want a lot of tight and close shots to show certain feelings the main character is going through without dialogue. When dialogue is used it has meaning, which is important for a drama. I also like how much movement there is in this opening. Many zoom ins are use as well as low angles which I think added a lot of meaning to the actual scenes. I find this inspiring and want to use different techniques i've learned in class and incorporate them to add movement, representing how chaotic my characters life is. 

Little Miss Sunshine film opening

Dead Poets Society is another film opening that I find so inspiring and moving. The silence in the beginning is something i have always wanted to incorporate into my film opening, and i love that they did it here. I feel like it adds some sort of uncertainty as to why it is so quiet, it creates a tone. Since I plan to make my film opening sort of sad and melancholy, i think this is an important technique so that my opening's audience can have some sort of suspense as to whats going on, which will likely interest them. 

   The way the credits are imbedded into this opening is another aspect that really inspires me. I think the font matches the overall aesthetic of the opening, and it is white, which is the color I think is best to use for my opening since it doesn't wash out with other colors. I also like that the credits never covering anything important. The credits are always put to the side of a characters face, at the bottom of the screen, or in the middle if it's a shot just showing ambiance. That's important because the audience will be able to see everything even while the credits are set on the screen. That is something that i hadn't considered before but that I would definitely need to be aware of. It is something I have to consider once I start filming.

Dead Poets Society film opening

Genre, genre, genre

Drama! My favorite genre in the whole world. I have decided to do it for my project. I actually had some second thoughts about this choice because I thought about going out of my comfort zone, but the more I thought about it, my enthusiasm about drama would allow me to be extremely passionate about my project, which would likely produce a good result. To make sure drama was for sure going to be my pick, I decided to revisit this article. I had previously read this article and I think it perfectly describes drama, why I love it, and why it fits in the realm of the film opening I'm trying to create. 

Firstly, the article speaks about how dramas show realistic characters with conflicting situations and how they act towards their issues. This is something I would love to explore in my film opening. I love when films use realism because it typically makes the story feel relatable. That's exactly what I want to do with my opening, I want it to be relatable to others so they feel seen. 

Secondly, the article tells us drama is big on the use of words and how characters communicate. Using certain words with certain connotations can be so powerful, and I adore how drama indulges in that. I would be very careful when writing my script for this reason because I want things to be interpreted correctly since connotation is a big deal in drama. 

Lastly, drama is big on subtle reactions according to the article. Most if not all things a character does has meaning in dramas. And again, this is something I would use. I want there to be a bit of silence in my film opening, not the whole time (since dialogue is important), but at least in the beginning, and this would create tension. The silence of my character would have meaning.

"Kramer vs. Kramer"

This clip from "Kramer vs. Kramer" is a great example of a drama. At the start, the woman says "I'm leaving you." The man answers (while he's on the phone) with " Honey, please I- I- can't hear." Showing denial. It demonstrates how every word used has meaning even if it's a double meaning since he probably could hear her but didn't want to accept her leaving him. I also thought the use of mise-en-scene like the costumes and set were cohesive. They all have neutral colors which help make the scene depressing. I would love to incorporate cohesive mise-en-scene in my opening to create a certain tone.  

Beginning portfolio project!!

It's now time to start our portfolio project (yay!) and I am beyond excited. I feel like this project will allow me to really use my voice! I've been looking forward to this project from the moment I heard it was a part of the exam and to be honest I have been thinking about it so so much. I've been trying to figure out what to do.

We learned about a few ways to tell stories with film openings here in class. One of the ones I'm thinking of doing is developing conflict. I think having conflict within the first 2 minutes of a film would hook the audience to continues watching, therefore I think it would be a cool thing to add. I think I would do character vs. character just because it's an interesting concept since the person is really just going against themselves. With this I would want some silence within the film to create some tension while also having a bit of dialogue, but not too much.

I would also like to use the technique of establishing tone, I want the tone of my film opening to be very clear. I would use certain lighting to translate this. I would again also use a lack of sound to create a sort of tension within the opening. I want the opening to feel very melancholy, I would use a lot of blue within shots to also take advantage of color psychology (which we learned about in class) since blue is often associated with sadness.

Music Marketing Blog #2

 My project partners and I begun this project by researching bluegrass as a whole since that was the genre assigned to us and we had limited knowledge. We begun by researching companies that represented blue grass artists and what their aesthetic and target audiences are. Once we had some knowledge about blue grass, we began our brainstorming. My group and I had a few choices of songs, we ended up deciding on "Beg Steal Or Borrow" by Ray LaMontagne. We listened to the song and re-listened multiple times to read the lyrics and get a feel of the song. We began to think of concepts for our artist. We thought this song felt like a feeling of being glued to your hometown and therefore deciding to leave follow your passions. 

Once we knew what type of feel we got out of the song, we started looking for our artist. We decided we would use my brother as the face of the artist since he is what we had in mind when imagining our artist. Creating a stage name was also important, we looked through name books and decided on Austin Young. We decided this artists target audience age range would be from 18-30, so we knew social media would be an important marketing strategy. We decided to make the artist multiple social medias such as Instagram, Tik Tok, X, and Facebook. We also knew we wanted to create a trend with "Beg Steal Or Borrow" so we decided to use Tik Tok. People would use the song to show videos of aesthetic things such as sunsets and nostalgic home videos, this would also help us target a younger audience since it may come up on their recommended while also pertaining to our audience.

The Artist Introduction and Social Media trend!

Once we had our marketing plans down we decided to start the production of our music video! We begun making a story board to plan what would occur in our video. We decided to tell the story of an aspiring actor who wanted to chase his dreams though he felt stuck in his hometown. This contributed to our overall interpreted message of the song. We sketched 23 shots we thought would be good to include to our video. 

Once this was done, we begun to film! We filmed for a few hours and got all the shots we needed, we used multiple locations therefore it took a bit longer. Once we had our footage, we could begin editing. This part took long, but it was very interesting and we even changed a few details from before. We fixed little issues such as lighting in post-production with editing and enhanced the sound of the last clip because we wanted you to hear what the actor was doing before driving off, we thought it would make the music video feel complete. Once the editing was completed and we had all our components, we filmed the presentation, we divided slides evenly and did a voice over them so we could further expand on our ideas for our campaign.

Some shots in our music video!

This project allowed me to know how to manage my time wisely, this was a longer project with many components so getting to practice how to split up my time appropriately will help me with the Cambridge Portfolio, since the Portfolio also takes time. This project also taught me how helpful planning really is. Since we planned before hand a lot of what we were going to do, this project did not feel too tedious even though i thought it was going to be.