Researching Drama Thriller Film Openings #5

American Beauty starts with a grainy and vintage capture camera recording of a young girl lying in bed. Conversing and dialogue between the young girl and the unidentified individual, the audience understands the female character is video calling a man. The young girl complains of her father and the man states: "Do you want me to kill him?" Replying, the young girl pauses as an element of suspense and replies, "Yeah. Would you?" The dialogue between the character and the undisclosed identity of the male figure provides the opening scene with an eerie, unsettling curiosity that engages further viewing. Following, in simple red straight-colored font, with a black screen behind, titles; "American Beauty". Introduced to a landscape-long shot of the setting from above addition to the monotone voice-over, the audience acknowledges the plainness and simplicity of the town. The meticulously manicured lawns and cookie-cutter houses paint a picture-perfect American life. However, the camera lingers on the cracks in the facade hinting at the dysfunction and unhappiness beneath the surface. "In less than a year, I'll be dead." The narrator mentions such a statement possibly correlating to the previous scene of intending to commit a murder. 

Girl Interrupted - The fogged window, architected in a jail-like structure, introduces the primary visual of the film's opening. The soft and somber music in the background reflects the sad expressions on the close-up shots of the young girl's faces. Shattered glass on the floor and almost updated sering are both symbolic features and details elevating the location's setting and environment. The voiceover of a young female during the film opening, questioning the audience, all announced in a meloncoly enunciation. Her dialogue is fragmented and cryptic, hinting at underlying mental struggles and a desire to resist authority. At the end of the voiceover, the female character refers to herself as a "Girl Interpreted". This scene is cold and sterile, dominated by its dim lighting. The grim environment emphasizes the clinical nature of the young girl's confinement and creates a sense of detachment from the outside world.

Brainstorming Ideas #3

My partner and I finally concluded a story plot! Inspired by the movie Gone Girl, we decided to develop a new character or identity as our main approach. Originally, we had planned to involve a psychological thriller pull to the storyline.

The film's opening stages a collective montage of a female character walking into a gas station towards the bathroom. (Tracking shot following her from behind along the shopping isles) Completely changing her identity, (utilizing a stabilizing camera) the character cuts and dyes her hair, darkens her makeup, and changes her outfit and accessories. Throwing the old garments and products into the trash, this scene represents a dramatic switch in her life. Meanwhile, a combination of flashback shots of a funeral triggers curiosity. "Who passed away?" "How does this funeral correlate with the female character?" Close-up shots of an urn, a pastor's mi-se-scene, a single attending guest, and a rose placed beside the urn are all captured in a grim and dark tone. Following, the audience is introduced to a framed picture of a young girl wearing a heart-shaped necklace. Viewers understand it’s the same girl changing her identity. "She’s not dead!?" Zooming into the heart necklace in the photo, the film transitions to a zoom-out of the same necklace worn by the female character in her new identity. Holding the necklace and yanking it off, she throws the necklace out of the window mirroring the idea of throwing her old life away. 

The scene in Gone Girl includes a voice over of the female character narrating “Cool Girl” who never gets angry, always in perfect character smiling, of a main goal to satisfy her husband’s happiness. This transformation of identity is a transformation in life, a switch to search something better and lose all the heaviness on the presence. 

Planning Scheduling Blog Post #4

Finalizing the genre and generating ideas for a basic movie plot for the 2 minute film opening, I planned an organized and well structured schedule to shape a path towards an aim. Defining goals and prioritizing a time frame with achievable and attainable tasks and activities within the deadline is the route to success. Thus far, the project is flowing in the right direction and ideas are aligning between my partner and I. Such a magnitude of a project has to include an arrangement to control a planters ideas, where breaking down the extensive project into smaller sections can identify the activities more approachable and definitive. 

The first month, February, involves the general initial steps. Researching genre, title font, color schemes, story blot, story boarding, establishing a script, allocating filming locations and gathering elements for mi-se-scene, etc. Following, the month of March consists of securing the collection of mi-se-scene features to commence the filming and recording process. By the 6th or 7th week, all recording should be finalized and ready for editing in order to develop responses for the Creative Critical Reflection questions. The last 2 weeks revolve around receiving feedback and reflecting.

• 1st week: Brainstorming and gathering knowledgeable resources on recommended blogging topics. Additionally, the first week includes researching and selecting film genres, developing a schedule and innovating a plot 
• 2nd Week: further analysis and developing a detailed story line to start creating the script, a story board, and possibly a mood board to understand location, colors, and tone elements.
• 3rd Week: primary focuses on writing the script and designating filming locations
• 4th Week: continuous research and developing elements of mi-se-scene. We will start recording the film opening (during weekend hours as well) 
• 5th Week: prioritizes continuing filming production and developing responses to CCR questions.
• 6th Week: Objective is to finalize the recording to begin editing. 
• 7th Week: Finish editing the 2 minute film opening and researching information relating to creative critical reflection
• 8th Week: creating Creative Critical Reflection with at least 2 approaches
• 9th Week: Completing the project on any final touches. This includes submitting and analyzing an overall reflection. 

Throughout the following 9 weeks in the project, I will update my blogs with 3 posts per week.

Research Film Opening Post #2

Today's class consisted of informational note-taking on Blogging foundation, including necessary elements of text and various media. Blog posts are forums that blend the transmittal of important information and personal reflection. Blogs are platforms to share and invite comments and critiques and design a space of unity amongst community. Learning how to appropriately and successfully divide a blog post, ideally, it should thoroughly include "Describe, Analyze, and Discuss." During the time outline of the project schedule, there should present a variety of blogging posts including a Planning Post (incorporate a storyboard with a detailed explanation of shots, angles, locations, and mi-se-scene for each image), Production Post (researching fonts and their purpose), and Revision Posts (discussing a problem and stating a fix or solution).

Research:

Psychological thrillers/thrillers (Shutter Island) 

- The film opens with a dark screen titling ""Shutter Island in bolded font and fading in and out. The diegetic music accompanying the opening is deep and scary providing an uneasy introduction. Following, the back screen lists the location and date to establish and develop the setting and background. 

- Introduced to a massive fog and loud diegetic horn sounds, the audience becomes aware of the powerful ship emerging in the cloudy and suspenseful environment. The main character is seasick and vomiting in the bathroom of the ship. Sweating and struggling, the clip is captured utilizing close-up shots to intensify the heavy emotions of the character. The continuous sounds of waves splashing, horns wailing, heavy breathing, and enthralling sting music enhance the disturbed yet gripping atmosphere. 

- Succeeding, viewers are presented with a new character conversing through diegetic dialogue. This interaction is a possibility of conflict or relationship between character vs. character. The conversation triggers a joyful memory of the main character's former marriage. The contrast of dull to vibrant colors represents the divergence between the grim present and the lively past.

Mystery/Thriller (Gone Girl)

- The film initiates displaying the official productions studio combined with a voice over of a deep male voice narrating about his wife head with disturbing comments provoking an unsettling and apprehensive attention. Visually, the audience is introduced with a fade in fade out of a woman's face while the voice over continues, asking profound and controversial questions about relationships.

- Following the actors, producer, movie title, etc. are listed in the certain of the scene, transitioning to various dull and grim locations of the town or city's landscape, including the beach, building, rundown billboards, empty streets and parks. Meanwhile the diegetic background noise consists of loud suspenseful music and nature sounds such as bird chipping to evoke an vacancy to the discomfort of the setting. Suddenly, a male appears in the center of the screen, standing on a street, in front of a house. 

Analyzing:

The fusion and union of sounds, visual colors, angles to express emotions or body language, and narration or character speech tone is key to creating and establishing the selected genre and introducing the mood or style. For my mystery media film opening, I will incorporate the elements of rusty, dark and dull colors and powerful agitating and appalling sounds to highlight the atmosphere of the movie. The opening scene is the first impression. It is crucial to spark curiosity and provide context or build the foundation of the narrative or setting. Whether suspenseful, humorous, or melancholic, the opening scene sets the emotional register for the outline of the film. I will add subtle hints of foreshadowing, rewarding attentive viewers.

Transition Portfolio Project Blog Post #1

 Today was day one of the 9 week portfolio project for my AICE Media Studies class. Normally, such an assignment would drive me into a spiral of nerves and apprehension. However, the reality is I’m truly looking forward to creating something of my own. This project is an opportunity to challenge my comfort zone and utilise the materials, resources, and tools I have learned thus far in the year and design a film opening that goes beyond my limits while representing me is certain aspects. Documenting about the planning, producing, executing, and scheduling process, blogging throughout the project timeline is an additional task to test my knowledge and an effective method to keep myself on track and maintain focus on achieving goals. 

My primary approach for the 2 minute film opening is developing character while embracing conflicts of character vs. character or character vs. self. I aspire to produce a film where the audience is introduced further in the storyline, triggering questions such as “how did we get here?” The story line would travel back and forth in time. Involving genres or themes of mystery or crime, where a character is wrongfully convicted or the betrayal between characters, the character builds a dark and twisted shell or personality. 

My second idea for a flim opening approach is either developing character or setting exposing a psychological thriller where the protagonist is divergent from the norm and continues to fight for themselves. Dealing with mental disabilities such as bipolar or schizophrenia, this heaviness and weight of confusion and self loathing from the character personally creates a certain deep empathy for the divergent figure.

Music Marketing Blog Post #2

Throughout the Media Music Project, our team continuously reflected amongst the same few questions. "What do we what to achieve?" "Are we on track of completing our goal and ambitious aim?" These questions were crucial to ensuring everyone was following through and collaboration with an even balanced of effort. 

Creating and launching a successful music band campaign involves a variety of strategic elements and factors including the teams goals to amplifying the reach. Developing a brand identity and image, we reflected the mood of the song, So Caught Up, and the music genre, blues rock, and incorporated such features in the recognition, personality of the band. Our group evaluated different ideas and congruently decided on creating a band embodying the aesthetic and aura of the 70's and additional older bands. Some examples include Fleetwood Mac and Rolling Stones. Designing the title of the band, "Lemon Drops" and designating the faces of each band member, this process highlight the roles and responsibility of each person in the team. We decided our band was a new independent Australian band from Australian. Camila and myself were actors in the band with 3 additional students. Veronica was responsible for majority of the filming, and Daniela's editing skill combined the short clips together on premiere. 

Initially, we divided the campaign within different sections. For the bands social media presence, Camila Sanchez's responsibility was to analysis the different platforms the Lemon Drops were connecting with the band through an online media platform. Designating Instagram, Facebook, X, and Tik Tok, we provided examples of the different band members tags on Instagram as a method for the audience and fans to connect and engage with the band on a personal level. Following, our team designed and allocated social media post examples such as the main female singer on a private trip, a promotional photo-shoot creating dating rumors between two band members, and a behind the scenes concert shot to generate an exclusive and more intimate relationship between fans and the Lemon Drops. For fan interactions, our team featured a post example of a band member liking a Lemon Drops fan accounts post. Furthermore, Veronica focused on an distribution method from the public to listen to the depute single. Creating a website with additionally direct access to the Bands socials, music link on different streaming platforms such as apple music and YouTube, and their online store to purchase the albums and vinyl's with pricing. Additional distribution plans included Spotify, Amazon music, radio, etc. Tracking the bands song views since the release data, a clear graph highlights the successful growth and increase. Daniela was responsible for selecting touring, performances and festivals the band will potentially partake in. For additionally marketing methods, I focused on Merchandising, posters, magazine and article publishing. Lastly, each team members had to voice record their individual slides.

This research and informational campaigning organization was key and beneficial to following through with the approaching the next step of the assignment. We appointed two locations, a backyard garden area to shoot a montage photoshoot scene and a garage to film a the band members playing the instruments. This is a combination of an artistic and promotional video. The purple lights and dark lit room with contrast of the vibrant light scenic locations provides a variation of contrasting elements: romantic and grungy, yet light and full. 

Our team had a good outline and organization of time. Dedicating two days for filming with enough to edit and reevaluate. Our project as a whole had its challenges yet the group was able to find collaborative solutions (common agreeance). I learn that with little products, our team was able to create props and creative elements with items we could find inside the house. For example, we didn't have a drum set or drum sticks, so we use boxes and covered it in black, and utilized wooden spoons as the playing sticks. This project will help when completing the Cambridge Portfolio because it was a training of fostering ideas and conducting trail and error.

Marketing Music Blog Post #1

After randomly selecting our music genre and appointing our prefer song within the 4 options we commenced our project diving specifically into Rock music. The music research stage was insightful, understanding the history, typical record labels and artists targeting such genre. For further and deeper research we analysed 4 rock bands that released music within the past 5 years. Such bands included the Crawlers, Inhaler, Phenix and the Teskey Brothers which produced the song we selected for the music video. The process of researching and organising information was helpful and impactful for generating ideas, tips, and improved overall outlook when creating the campaign evaluating aspects of marketing, distribution, branding for the campaign. 

Following the research task, our group design the Band name along with the logo or symbol resembling and representing the band. We came up with “Lemon Drops” with a lemon as our image. Afterwards, we created names and selected individuals to play the roles of the band members in the video. The main lead singers name is David Zimmer and the main guitarist/lead singer is Ruby Syner. Then the bassist, Matthew Barnet, the keyboardist, Jazlynn Brooke, and finally the drummers name is Sage Yoshida. Determining the main distribution and marketing platforms to the general public and our specific target audience, we decided our younger aimed listeners would be more in tune connecting to the band through social media including Instagram, TikTok, twitter, Facebook, etc, and music apps such as Spotify, Apple Music, sound cloud, YouTube, etc.

As for each team members role and responsibilities in completing the campaign, Camila Sanchez focused on the bands social media presences by incorporating photos of the bands daily life activities, magazine poster shots, and the individuals group pictures. Veronica Zavaleta immerse the band to the internet by creating a website and designing the album cover image. This required a deep understanding and analysis on the aspects of the band such as its earthy color tones and the 70s rock blues it exposed. Daniela saffon was responsible for highlighting the bands upcoming performances, shows tours, and its previous popularity on social media and the internet. As for myself, I was in charge of producing posters for publishing and sharing on the media. Additionally, I designed a T-shirt and guitar pick as the bands merchandise. This are both methods of marketing and connecting the band with the public in physical manners such as the posters in digital or print, and the goods. 

For step 3 of the project, the song had to come to life through a music video. With our real life actors, we decided to create a combination of a promotional video where the band was the main focus and a storytelling video to reflect and mirror the lyrics and intention of the song. We planned to film in a garage with instruments and immersing in the 70s blue rock through a specific attire. We organised who would bring certain props such as a piano board, speaker, guitar, microphone, etc. We set a time and date where we would meet our additional band members and began shooting. Initially, we intended to dive into the love story or relationship between the two main characters. However, due the filming process, we realised focusing more on the promotional features and incorporating artistic clips was a better approach.