Pictures of the Filming Locations!

Okay, now I have a couple of options when it comes to filming locations. There is a beautiful park and field near my house that I have considered using. 

As you can see, the scenery is very beautiful and there is an area for my characters to sit down and talk.

The other possible option is the regional park near my house. 

There would be lots of options to sit and the scenery could be very realistic in terms of places that teens would go to meet up. 

In terms of rooms that I could use, I was considering using either my best friends room or my own room. 

I am heavily leaning towards using my best friend's room (the second image) because the aesthetic is nicer than mine.

Stay tuned!

Shooting Schedule!

I have chosen my two actors that I want to use for my short film: my best friend and my boyfriend. Both have acting experience and would be happy to help me. Here's the problem: our schedules are vastly different.

My best friend is a college student because she chose to get an associates degree at the local college during her junior and senior year. She also has a job with random shift assignments and no way to turn them down. This means that we do not have the same school schedule, and her weekends are very unpredictable in terms of free time.

My boyfriend is possibly transferring to another school at the moment, so he is quite busy as well. He also visits his dad (who lives 30 minutes away) every other weekend, which drastically decreases the time that I would have to film.

As if this is not enough, I also have to go on a trip for my dad's job this upcoming weekend, and visit colleges for the entirety of my spring break. 

Because of all of the obstacles in my way, I want to leave a lot of options open for when I can possibly film. Since this weekend is not available, I am considering filming on the days of March 11-13. If somehow this is still not a possibility, my backup dates are March 3 and March 10 after school. I will probably film the first scene on Friday, March 11 after school for optimal lighting. The second scene then can either be shot on the 12th or the 13th, depending on what works best for everyone's schedules and the weather.

Until next time!

Film Idea Outline

Next week, I will be uploading my storyboard and script for the project, but for now I will just be doing an outline where I throw around my ideas and scenes I want to include in the two minutes.

First, the film will open with a couple shots of the main character frantically writing something and looking slightly frustrated. The entire opening will be narrated by the main character as they describe their thought process and elaborate on certain details about the situation to the audience. They will be crumpling up sheets of paper that have reject writing on them and tossing these to the floor. The camera will then zoom out to get a wider shot of a room that is slightly messy with low lighting.

After this, the main character will look defeated and I will make a point to emphasize that they are on the last piece of paper. The main character then sees a polaroid picture of them and their love interest on the wall and the initial inspiration is ignited. They then complete the poem with ease.

There will then be a transition that changes the scene from the dark room to a beautiful sunny day in the park, and this will be where the audience meets the love interest. The main character will continue to narrate, and the audio will pick up just as they are finishing reciting their poem aloud. They will look nervous for the love interest's reaction, and their face will drop when the love interest begins to stifle laughter. They will ask what is wrong and the love interest won't respond right away, instead looking off into the distance and thinking to themself. 

The main character and the love interest will then proceed to have a conversation about how the poem was corny and that the love interest wasn't sure if the main character was being serious or not, which is why they laughed. The love interest will say hurtful things under the guise of being humorous, and the main character will pretend to laugh, even as the love interest leaves the scene.

The ending scene will feature the main character staring dejectedly out into the distance with narration playing. The script will end with a sentence that will invoke interest in the viewer, something that signifies the story continues beyond the opening. For example, "At the time, I thought this was the worst decision of my life. Little did I know, that poem would end up being the best thing to ever happen to me."

That's all for now. Until next time!

Dialogue Research!

In my research, I have found numerous ways on how to make dialogue sound normal. Here are some of the tips and tricks that I came across.

One thing I found is that it is important to mix dialogue with narration. Long runs of dialogue can dislodge the reader from the action of a scene, so make sure you interspersed it with descriptions of the actors' physical postures and other stimuli.

Knowing how to punctuate my dialogue can ensure that my reader stays immersed in the story. Remember that question marks and exclamation points go inside quotation marks. Enclose dialogue in double quotation marks and use single quotation marks when a character quotes another character within their dialogue.

I also need to use dialogue tags that are evocative. Repeating the word "said" over and over can make for dull writing and miss out on opportunities for added expressiveness. I should consider replacing it with a more descriptive verb instead.

When writing a script, it's essential that I know my characters in depth. I must try to portray dialectal differences between my characters or peculiarities in their diction. Readers will find it exhausting to read a book loaded with misspelled sentences or undecipherable words.

My dialogue will flow better if I choose short sentences over long sentences, and do not always include the verb after the intervention of a character. I must be concise, be dynamic, and keep up the pace of my story.

When I write the dialogue, I will try to play the role of your characters and perform their conversations out loud to see how it sounds.

Interruptions are a also good way to make it realistic and dynamic. I will insert questions and comments in my dialogue to make the conversation more fluent.

The dialogue must also transmit the life inside my characters, such as their mood, the way they change their mind, and their reactions when they feel happy, undecided, angry, or annoyed, etc. 

Also, I will not info dump!!!!

That's all, see you guys next time!

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/strategies-for-improving-dialogue-in-your-writing#8-writing-tips-for-improving-dialogue

https://www.liternauts.com/ten-keys-to-write-effective-dialogue/

https://nybookeditors.com/2017/05/your-guide-to-writing-better-dialogue/

Coming of Age/Gen Z Genre Research

I have finally chosen between the two possible genre options: coming of age! I decided on this one because I myself am coming of age right now, which means it will be easier for me to pull from personal experiences.

Coming of age films are based on following the process of a teenager growing up and becoming an adult, and the experiences that come with that. I plan on focusing on toxicity in relationships (most likely between family, friends, or lovers) through how a toxic character reacts to the writing of my main character. Even if I change my mind on this idea, though, most of my other ideas also fit into the coming of age genre anyway, so this information will be useful regardless.

Early examples of coming of age movies include Little Women (1933) and Rebel Without A Cause (1955), which highlights how younger adults and adolescents feel as though they don't fit in within society, and are often ostracized. 

In the 80s, the coming of age genre was very popular due to the film director John Hughes' influence, who released a slew of insanely popular coming of age movies, such as Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986). A common theme of these movies is teenage friendships and relationships, and how adolescent peers interact with one another.

Coming of age relies heavily on character development to move the plot forward and show how time and aging impacts the maturity levels of the main character. 

Another very important aspect of this genre is dialogue, which is something that I need to research in depth on how to make more realistic. Dialogue is meant to emphasize the relationship between to characters, and the lack of dialogue can also convey tension or the lack of a relationship. I will make sure to utilize this when I am trying to show the uncomfort that comes with being around someone who is toxic.

10 Examples of Coming of Age Movies:

West Side Story (1961)

The Parent Trap (1998)

The Karate Kid (1984)

Stand By Me (1986)

Mean Girls (2004)

Love, Simon (2018)

Holes (2003)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) 

Empire of the Sun (1987)

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

In terms of the target audience being teenagers, this means that I need to understand the inner workings of Generation Z, as they are the current generation of teenagers. Considering I am one, I am not too worried about understanding who they are and what they want. For one, I know Gen Z has short attention spans, which I am going to use to my advantage and use fast paced shots and editing. I also will be sure to incorporate an element of drama into my film to keep them engaged.  

Gen Z is also very diverse (in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, etc.) so I know I need to find actors that match these descriptions in order for their generation to feel represented.

I also want to utilize technology in my film somehow, because this will also help to make it more relatable (for example, one of my actors can use a computer or phone).

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/coming-of-age-movies#a-brief-history-of-comingofage-movies

https://study.com/academy/lesson/coming-of-age-novel-definition-examples-quiz.html

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024933763/

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/

Some complications...

So, as I thought about it more, I realized very quickly that my initial plans are very unrealistic for this project.

In my excitement to create something "deep" that "sheds light on a dark subject that needs to be addressed," I forgot that I not only have a miniscule 2 minutes to use for my film, but it also needs to be a film opening...meaning barely any plot or plot development. My goal has changed from showing important subjects to me as a creator to just making something that will leave viewers wanting more.

Abuse in relationships has always been a topic that I feel very passionate about. When this project was first assigned, I had the clear idea of what I wanted to create in my head: I wanted to portray the anxiety you feel being entangled with a toxic individual and how it impacts day to day life. I wanted to show my main character nervous and uncomfortable, and include voiceover of them narrating on the time before "things changed." I would have had their voice be very nonchalant, a complete juxtaposition from the worried mess of the current portrayal of the character. The narration of implying that something big changes would be to invoke interest in the viewer, but now I understand that this is why too hard for someone with my skill set and available materials. Even as someone with personal experience with this situation, I don't even trust my own acting ability to truly convey the emotions behind going through something of this weight.

So, now I am leaning more towards a simpler topic, perhaps something to do with my creative interests. I would like to do my opening maybe on showing a character creating a poem or a song for a love interest, as this combines two of my favorite interest: love and art. The film would probably still include voiceover, but this time alluding to how things go at the time of the confession of the final product as a way to invoke interest, and hinting at something much more humorous and intriguing.

As I figure more out, I'll keep you posted. 

Until next time!

Character Research!

As discussed in a previous post, I love writing and have been writing since I was a young child. And yet, I do not know how to properly write a character. My writing tends to revolve around poetry and short stories. Because of this, I figured that I would research how to create a character, as I plan on utilizing character development heavily in my short film.

Something that I came across a lot during my research was the importance of character development. Characters must change and grow their personalities and morals based on their experiences. This process allows for characters to become more relatable to viewers as well as more dynamic and less static. This is very hard to encapsulate, and even harder when I only have two minutes to set up an interesting basis for a character that requires development. I did find ways that should make this easier, though.

A huge tip was to give the character strengths and weaknesses. I plan to make these flaws and abilities some that I can personally relate to, so the character will be easier for me to write. Another way to help the character have more depth is by giving them clear morality, although I don't know if I will have the time or need to do this.

I want to create realistic motives as well, and stay in my lane of dealing with my own experiences when making characters. For example, I don't want my character to have the motive of time traveling to the black hole age of the universe.

Another was to make them obviously struggling with something within themselves or with the outside world; give them a conflict that they must solve before the end of the story. 

This can include:

- Character vs. Self

- Character vs. Character

- Character vs. Nature

- Character vs. Supernatural

- Character vs. Technology

- Character vs. Society

Smaller details I want to include are smaller ticks and habits of the character that create a sense of individuality that can clearly be attributed to my mc.

Thank you for reading! Until next time.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-tips-for-character-development#how-to-develop-a-protagonist

https://self-publishingschool.com/character-development/

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-conflict-in-literature-6-different-types-of-literary-conflict-and-how-to-create-conflict-in-writing

Color Research!

I decided that regardless of the plot I choose, I want to incorporate color into my film. Color is a very prominent aspect of all of my photography, so I know I could do something great with that visual technique if I looked further into how to properly utilize it. It is also one of my favorite details in media, as it holds great power over the comprehensive aura of the piece.

Color is a pretty tricky tool to work with, as it can be interpreted vastly differently based on context and culture. For example, red is considered a lucky color in Asian cultures, while in Western cultures, its generally regarded as being sexual or passionate.

Example of red being used as a lucky color

Here, I will list the difference between how color can be regarded in the East versus in the West.

The West

Red: passion, love, power, but also heat, aggression, fire, violence

Pink: love, care, tenderness, femininity

Beige: quietnes, calmness

Yellow: joy, optimism, dreamy, but also illness, jealousy, hazard

Dark Blue: seriousness, knowledge, masculinity

Blue: clean, cold, tranquility, but also melancholy 

Turquoise: water, femininity

Purple: royalty, mystery, fortune, but also arrogance

Orange: energy, warmth, flamboyant

Green: good luck, nature, youth, but also greed, envy, misfortune

Brown: Earth, home, comfort

Gray: security, modesty, maturity, but also boring, aged, practicality

White: purity, birth, snow, marriage but also sterility

Black: sophistication, wealth, formality, but also evil, unhappiness, death

The East

Red: good luck, happiness, longevity

Pink: marriage

Gold: wealth, strength, evilness

Yellow: royalty, luck (in China, associated with pornograpy)

Blue: wealth, immortality, healing, relaxation

Purple: wealth, nobility (in China, associated with mourning)

Orange: courage, good health

Green: family, harmony, health, fertility (in China, associated with infedelity)

Brown: Earth, home, comfort

Gray: helpfulness

White: death, mourning

Black: darkness, glory

From my research, I learned numerous things about color, one of which is that filters of certain colors can be put over entire movies to change the mood or showcase themes. For instance, in the movie Up in the Air, the film has a blue hue, which represents the main character's unhappiness and the dismal environment.

Up in the Air (2009)

Something else that was new to me was contrasting foils, which is when one color pops out against a background of another color. For example, in the movie Schindler's List, this technique is used to highlight a character who moves the plot along. I plan to utilize this in a manner that shows the viewer that my character feels ostracized from their peers and the world around them. 

Schindler's List (1993)

As of right now, I want my main character to be emotional. I want to show that they are passionate and very in touch with their feelings. Additionally, I want to play with themes of loneliness and isolation. Although I don't know the plot yet, I know that this is important to me regardless, and I will use this research going forward to better my piece.

Until next time, bye!

P.S. Don't overuse black in character design!

Sources:

https://www.k-international.com/blog/color-meanings-around-the-world/#:~:text=Eastern%2FAsian%20cultures%3A%20In%20most,mourning%20in%20the%20Middle%20East.&text=Africa%3A%20In%20Africa%2C%20white%20symbolizes,purity%2C%20goodness%20and%20good%20luck.

https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/middle/color2.htm

https://media.codes/colour-symbolic-code-c1af9a09fde8

https://dreamfarmstudios.com/blog/color-theory-for-character-design/

Initial thoughts...

Initially, I was very excited for this project. I love to use my imagination to create amazing works. Now, I am a bit more worried.

I decided to work alone because I am a socially awkward teen that does not work efficiently in a group. I like to do everything myself and take control, yet I am too shy to voice my opinions to others. This was actually very awkward as I had to turn someone down who wanted a partner but...oh well.

Anyway, I expected to have this project in the bag, even if I have absolutely no prior experience with producing films. I figured I would simply pull from my other skills. Filming process? A breeze. I've been in photography since freshman year. Editing? No problem. I've been making video edits since sixth grade. Script writing? Easy. I've been a writer for almost ten years. 

Now that I've thought about it a bit harder, I realize that perhaps I am not as well off as I previously thought. All of my assets are slightly off the mark from where I need them to be. For example, I know how to create beautiful shots, yet I have no knowledge on how to move the camera in an effective way. I know how to edit, but not in a way that utilizes sound effects or sound techniques. I know how to write very well, but all of my dialogue is stale; I am very bad at producing authentic sounding conversations. At least now that I understand my faults, I know where I need to do the most research.

My next step is to do some more research with genre. I don't have an exact idea of what I want to do for my film opening, but I know I need to create something within my wheelhouse. 

Possible plots include:

- experiences with the guitar, writing, drawing, or photography

- experiences with abuse relating to love/relationships

- experiences with being a queer teenager

- experiences with being a person of color/mixed person

- experiences with living in a suburban town

Right now, I am leaning towards representing an abusive teenage relationship, so I will do more research on the coming of age and drama genres. If I change my mind, you guys will be the first to know. Stay tuned!

New Project Incoming...

Hello everyone! From now on, this blog will mainly be focused on my journey as I take on a huge end of the year portfolio project. I will be creating a 2 minute film opening, so if you're interested in my progress, stay tuned!

Music Marketing Reflections!

 In my last blog, I discussed the initial hardships of this project. Now that the assignment is completed and submitted, I will be looking back at the overview of my experience while creating DeeNah.

For the production, it was quite difficult to figure out how to coordinate plans with my group in a way that was compatible with everyone's individual schedules, especially since most of my group had jobs and extracurriculars to attend. To problem solve, we decided that it would be easier for only the required group members that would film and act to show up for the music video filming. Since I worked on the entire storyboard and research chart by myself, I was not involved in the music video filming process. From my understanding, my other group members chose to film at town center on two separate days. 

For post production, I was not very involved with this process either, as editing was assigned to another member of my group. In class, though, we discussed what type of editing techniques could be used to better portray the story. One thing we decided on was to add filters as a way to make the film more engaging to the audience and relate to the common Internet culture of using "aesthetic" filters. 

Ex. of a filter used in the music video

The presentation was an aspect of the project that I was heavily involved in. I developed most of the marketing and distribution techniques, as well as the rest of the Canva slides. From my research, I knew that DeeNah needed a social media presence before trying to develop any kind of of following in the music industry. Because of this, I envisioned her as a young Tik Tok star. While this would definitely sell, I thought that it was boring and overused. I wanted to give her a passion that made her relatable to the younger generation, while simultaneously developing a personality that is often not seen in other social media celebrities. I figured that environmental concerns would be an interesting route to go down, seeing as climate change advocacy has been skyrocketing in recent years, especially among our target audience (younger adults and teenagers). If DeeNah was a social media star that used her platform and musical ability to promote change, she would be more respectable as a role model for younger girls. 

Another common marketing technique used in the modern day and age is collaboration. Most songs on the radio, especially from up and coming artists, are singles that usually feature another artist. On social media as well, collaboration is a very common tool meant to reel in audiences from both content creators. I envisioned that once DeeNah gained traction, she would collaborate with other artists her age who had similar followings in order to pull more attention to her song. If that plan also incorporated promoting environmentally friendly content, it could blow her up even more. 

Ex. of DeeNah's Twitter account

Her social media was mostly created and handled by another group member, but on her social media accounts, I planned for her to be very active and headstrong about her opinions. This would be mostly where her fans would get to know her and interact with her, as well as understand what she stood for. For her performances, we decided that we would have her perform as a very low level artist at Coachella after initially gaining traction. Once this took off, we would have her go on a nationwide tour to major cities. 

Ex. of DeeNah performances

Another thing that I thought could help DeeNah gain traction would be to go for brand deals that could easily be marketed to younger girls. With the help of another group member, this came in the form of a stationary set from Office Depot, and a pink drink with a paper straw from Starbucks. A way I thought I could make this more unique and market it in a better light would be to have 50% of the profits go towards Friends of the Earth, a charity geared towards being ecologically friendly. I thought this would also raise her reputation as well. 

Ex. of Starbucks brand deal

For distribution, I knew that every other group would be using online methods to distribute their song, and I knew this would be the smartest decision for us as well. To add something more to ours, I decided to also release a vinyl that would be pink, sparkly, and in the shape of a heart. This would relate to DeeNah's brand and song while also being easily marketed towards the target audience. Among the younger generation, aesthetics are very important and by creating a product that would be considered as such, we could pull more attention to our artist. 

Ex. of the DeeNah vinyl

Something that this project taught me was that I am extremely terrible at working with others when I do not know them. I felt way too shy and insecure to voice my opinions openly on what I thought should be done, and instead tended to just agree with what other people suggested even if I didn't particularly like the idea. This went hand in hand with my lack of ability to ask for help or reprimand those that were not contributing at all. Instead, I simply picked up all of the slack from the members that did not help. I felt too embarrassed to be the only one trying to be productive in class, so I would quietly do the work and not act as a leader in the slightest. I also felt very controlling during this project, as I had a very specific idea of DeeNah in mind that my group members did not seem to share. I felt very anxious during the presentation every time a group member would share information about our artist that did not align with my idea of her. This was very eye-opening for me, as now I know I have to put effort into being more verbal when working with others and not try to do all of the tasks myself.