Group meeting

Group Meeting #1

Hello! For the start of week three, my teacher put the class into groups so we could discuss about our project ideas. I was in a group with Simona, Emi, Sofia, and Isabel. The point of the meetings were to gather feedback from our peers.

Simona started with her project. She seemed to have most of her plan already. However, she was still deciding where to fit in dialogue, and the environment in which she was going to film. She has all her blogs posted and they focus on analysis and the reflection of her choices. Although she had a great idea and was headed in the right direction, we were still able to give her feedback. Also, is one of her blogs she already incorporated a media theory, the Active Audience Theory. The group also suggested it would be important to have diegetic audio, such as the sound of a shovel digging up grass.

Then, Emi shared her story of a western-style film opening about a cowboy that has a bounty. She already had the title "Death Is No Friend." Due to the surrounding environment where we live, we were skeptical how she was going to make a western-style opening. Western movies are typically shot in a desert, but in south Florida, grassland is everywhere. However, she was able to find a close spot to film that had the same style, but with a modern touch. It was also important to have the right color for the film. If she is going for an old-fashion western film, she may choose black and white. But if she wants to make it modern, she could film at sunset to make the film have a yellow hue. Additionally, her costume design ideas were very complex. We were surprised to hear that her group member was going to make the costume. The group gave her some ideas about what she could possibly include in her costume design. This could be a more modern-style western outfit:

I shared my idea next, and although I wasn't clearly sure which direction to be headed in, after the group's suggestions, I now know what I can do. I knew that I wanted to do an interrogation scene, but I didn't make a script yet. They recommended that I make a script ASAP. Also, they gave me some ideas for the plot. For example, Simona said that I could add a flashback to explain how the character got into the situation that he did. For my plot, I planned to have a criminal be interrogated by a CIA agent, who would use methods of getting him to admit what happened during an investigation. The group discussed that it was really important for me to get the lighting perfect as well. Without the key lighting, it would mess up the mood of the scene. After discussing with the group, I feel a lot more confident about my project.

Isabel went up next. Her opening scene was about a serial killer. The group was impressed about how she was going to do her opening credits. She got inspired from the movie "Se7en". Honestly, this is one of the best opening credit sequences I have seen. For her set and costume design, it was important to get the lighting down and get the costume design right. For her costume design, we recommended scrubs that a doctor would wear, as well as white gloves. Other than that, her project seemed already developed.

Last was Sofia. She was doing a dystopian film. For me, the story was a bit unclear how it was going to work. She wanted to base her movie off of "Divergent" and "The Maze Runner" by having society revolve around who has power. In her film, she wanted two girls, and one would be given the power. While making a dystopian film, it is necessary to film in the right environment. A farmland looking environment, dry and barren, would be great. The costume design was also important. The girls could have damaged clothes with stains on them. She was torn between doing a futuristic-style dystopian film or a film set in the present. We recommended that she should do a film set in the present. 

During this meeting, everyone got great feedback from our peers. It was nice being able to communicate and listen to other people. This helped me gain an understanding for where my project is right now and what I should be doing.

 Creating a Schedule

Time management is going to be important as I get into the later part of this project. When filming starts, everything is going to be hectic, so it is imperative that I stay on pace.

Schedule

    1. Research:

• I will research different film openings to brainstorm and get inspiration for my opening.
• I will research different film credit sequences to brainstorm and get inspiration for my own credit sequence.

    2. Developing the Plot/Planning

• I will develop the plot and write the script for the movie.
• Have all my music and sound assets ready to use.
• Finish the storyboard
• Choose set location and actors

    3. Production/Editing

• Film scenes
• Edit

    4. CCR

• Reflect on blog posts and decisions and why I made those decisions.

At the time I am writing this, I have 6 weeks to complete the project. I want to have some cushion if things go array, so I want to have at least a week of cushion.

Timeline

Week 1 (2/10-2/16)

• Research
• Plan
• Blog Posts

Week 2 (2/17-2/23)

• Research
• Develop plot
• Blog posts

Week 3 (2/24-3/2)

• Finish plot
• Finish storyboard
• Blog posts
• Decide film location and crew

Week 4 (3/3-3/9) 

• Film scenes
• Edit scenes
• Include foley sounds

Week 5 (3/10-3/16)

• Finish editing if needed
• CCR
• Reflect on decisions and review

Week 6  (3/17-3/25)

• Cushion
• Review final Creative Critical Reflection

I am going to do my best to stick to this timeline and if I encounter any setbacks, I will know what I have to do to bounce back.

Film Credit Sequences

 Creating a Credit Sequence

I've had this idea for a while now. I will have the credits in blood. Blood that was drawn from a gunshot. I believe this is a good idea because it will leave a weird feeling for the viewers. Seeing people's names in blood.

Movie Credit Sequences

The Shining's opening credits are iconic. The view of the mountains provide a calming feeling, although the steady yet shakiness of the camera, in addition with the ominous background music create this uneasy feeling. The sound is the most important part of this sequence; it makes the whole scene what it is. Stanley Kubrick is known for incorporating some crazy scenes in his movies to mess with the audiences.

Another great credit sequence is from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973). As the end scene of Leatherface swinging his chainsaw into the air, the screen cuts black and the credits begin. I really like the vintage look used on the credit sequence, although that may just be because it was 1973 and quality wasn't as well developed. I want my credits to look grainy and for them to have character, and instead of having just a black screen, I can incorporate some scenery from the set.

After researching, I want my credit sequence to be seamless, like a perfect ending to an incredible scene. I believe these two movies do this flawlessly. I plan to incorporate elements from both sequences into my credit sequence.

Film Openings Studies

 Film Studies

Content

For this post, I want to go over the story for each film.

It is a story in the summer of 1989, when a group of kids unite because of their traumatizing encounters with an evil clown. Together, the kids are determined to kill the clown. In the opening scene, Pennywise bites a kid's arm off and drags him into a street gutter that leads into the sewer. What is the most memorable thing that happened in this scene? It killed a kid. And because of the mini-series in 1990, many older viewers, now adults, sympathize with this scene. 

IT (2017)

For my opening scene, I originally wanted to go with a horror scene, but that was just too generic for me. I want my opening scene to leave a bite. Like this scene. I want it to have horror elements, but not follow a horror story. Specifically, I want my story to be crime related, following drug cartels and other significant terrorists attacks. Although this isn't an interrogation scene, the horror aspect of it is really well done. 

The filter over the camera adds to the mood of the scene. The grayer, monotone colors work in unison with the thunderstorm to create a darker mood. This sets the tone for the whole movie. A huge aspect of the movie is about the characters mourning the little brother that Pennywise killed. I would like to incorporate a filter like this to give the sensation of a more serious tone. This develops character and the plot for the rest of the movie.

Sinister (2012)

The way this movie starts off is crazy!! Immediately the movie gets into the action with 5 kills, and again this scene killed off a couple children. For my scene, I think I have an idea to kill off a character at the end. With a bullet rather than a tree. Because of the crime aspect I want to have, I think it should be in a police station or another area that would normally have access to such weapons. Also, the old, grainy filter used on the scene is a great touch again. This is definitely a must add to my opening.

Halloween (1978)

Halloween is another influential horror movie, as seen from its seemingly endless sequels and spin-offs. When Michael murdered his sister, it left a taste in people's mouths. All of these three films had kids as their main character. I believe that is such an important part about making a film memorable. In my scene, I plan to have a teenager and an adult together, and the adult influencing the teenager in some way.

Main Takeaway

I definitely have found inspiration for my film opening. By studying some film openings and researching what they do well, I have come up with some ideas of what I could do. I have decided that I will focus on more suspense elements rather than jump scares. I want my scene to give the viewer chills. I think that having a kid be affected in the opening will invoke that feeling.

 Choosing my Genre and Research

Last week, I began thinking about my genre. Horror movies and action movies have always caught my attention early. But after researching different film openings and what they do well, I think a suspense approach could be a better option. It incorporates elements from both the horror and action genre, as well as having it's own unique elements to it.

After researching a couple movies, I found something that really stood out to me. The beginning scene of the movie Zero Dark Thirty.

Thriller movies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OKwQTthj-A

It begins with an interrogation scene with the main character questioning the man in the chair. This scene includes the use of the shot-counter-shot technique, and viewers immediately know what is going on. The most important thing this scene does well is setting. In a dark, dilapidated room, the environment and tone is set up immediately without doing anything else.

Drama: How to develop an interrogation scene

Right off the bat, viewers know what is going on. In a dark, dilapidated room, with a man sitting in a chair tied up, the tone is immediately present. According to NBC News, viewers are exposed to the intense interrogation system used by the CIA on terrorists. For the movie Zero Dark Thirty, it was so effective because the character was tortured by waterboarding or other physically and mentally stressful interrogation strategies. Back in 2001 after 9/11, the U.S. took every measure to find the leader of Al Qaeda, and the government was often inhumane in their ways. By the time the movie released, these inhumane methods became illegal, and although Osama Bin Laden was caught, the FBI and CIA were facing serious trouble.

Studio Binder jumps into the topic of setting. For example in the movie Prisoners, viewers know they are in a police holding room. Guzikowski and Villenueve right away get into the drama. It is important to have pace, or viewers may lose interest, and rather than an intense interrogation, viewers may think of the scene as an interview instead.

The culprit needs to expose themselves. That is the whole point of an interrogation. To get information. So the interrogator needs to ask questions, heavy questions. They can often be physically and mentally draining to the criminal, using force to get any answers out of them. The scene is supposed to be intense, but also serves one of the most important purposes of the whole movie.

Horror

For an opening horror scene, the best strategy is to create a creepy atmosphere.

Unhinged

In the movie unhinged, the opening starts off at night and with rain. This already creates an eerie atmosphere. It makes the viewer get on the edge of their seats already. Next, we see Russel Crow take an alcoholic drink and take off his wedding ring. This makes it clear he is going to do something frightening. In the next sequence, he walks out his car with a hammer, breaks into a house, and murders his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. He burns the house down by pouring gasoline all over the floor and lighting it on fire. This scene is regarded as "unwatchable" by the Boston Herald. 

What does this scene do well? 

1. It creates a creepy atmosphere. This is the first step, according to Briana Morgan, to create a successful scene. The time of day and the thunderstorm inherently make viewers uneasy.

2. It uses sensory details. The murder scene is viscous in nature. We clearly hear the hammer bang into their bodies countless times. We can hear all the gore, which makes viewers feel squeamish. Most horror elements mainly develop their sequences through sound. If sound is present and intense, it will make for a good horror movie.

3. It sets the pace for the rest of the movie. Viewers know immediately that Russel Crow is a cold blooded killer based on his first two murders. The film is set to be a fast paced, engaging horror/thriller film.

Other examples of good horror/drama openings are:

Jaws (1975)

Scream (1996)

Transition into Cambridge Portfolio Project

 Transition into Cambridge Portfolio Project

Hello Cambridge!! This is the introduction to my Cambridge Portfolio Project. I plan to approach this project by first researching and collecting information by searching the web and studying how to create a great movie opening. Then, I want to plan production and start after planning. In class, we already discussed the directions and approach I should be headed in in order to succeed for this project. 

For my blogs, I will update all my decisions, as well as why I made those decisions.

Some of the elements I plan to incorporate the use of foley sounds as well as mise-en-scene elements. A film opening has to set the tone for the rest of the movie, thus developing tone will be a critical part of my opening. I will try to include a variety of shots and angles, as well as camera movements and costume designs and props. Props are BIG! They can help really set the scene and push forward the tone with the correct use of them. For my opening, it will also be important to develop context. I want to make it look like the beginning of a long, unfinished story and not just a two minute video. The setting and characters will dictate the context, creating for a great opening sequence.

Music Marketing

Research

    During the research process, I decided to look at big name bands. Imagine Dragons immediately caught my attention, as it is a popular band signed with Interscope Records owned by Universal Music Group. I used various sources to gather information and fill out the chart provided. I was able to identify their target audience/brand identity, and how the band uses different practices to market and distribute.

    Imagine Dragons' uses marketing techniques both digitally and nondigitally. Examples of digital marketing is making their songs available on multiple streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify. This helps build their audience and grow their brand identity. Additionally, examples of non-digital marketing are the selling of their t-shirts. Their t-shirts are designed to cater to a broad group of people. People wear these shirts and assist in spreading the image of the Imagine Dragons band.

Planning

During the planning process, the first step was to find out which artists we were covering. We each decided to do an artist that we were most familiar with. After planning that out, each of us had to do our own research and look at different websites to gather information. While looking at the websites, I took down notes and when it was time to transfer the information to the document, I was able to link everything together.