Group meeting input/research on building character!

    

Today, our teacher set us up in groups to discuss the process of our film opening;

We got to communicate our ideas and share with the group to speak on anything that may need work or improvement. The main thing that was assessed by my peers was that my script should include names for the Kid and the neighbor, just to establish a better sense of self in these characters. Here's some research I gathered after our discussion to go into a deeper analysis of character and production, as I might want to make some minor changes to my script. 

I understand that the characters take some time to develop throughout the film, but I want to utilize the film opening to establish a strong sense of character.






The video helps to explain writing in a character and the drive of theme and plot. It explains the disparities between a want and a need; it categorizes a want as external and a need as internal. There are several parallels drawn between the two, but one of them was about defining a want as a unique drive while the need is universal and tied to theme. I find this important to keep in mind when establishing the main components of the film opening, there has to be an external motive that drives the plot, but also an internal realization that is implicit but acts as the conclusion/resolution in the end, and leaves people satisfied. The internal can also be characterized as the lesson learned in from the want. I will reference the research in this blog so that tI can continue to build character!




This is a ted talk I found, about how culture drives behavior, some food for thought! In summary, this video explains how the lens in which you see the world shapes the reality. Everyone has a view of the world and may see it through cultural glasses. He talks about how we can benefit from diversity and open our minds to different cultures. This is a very important factor to keep in mind when I shape my characters as well, I remember we had a previous lesson in our AICE media class about representation. For character's like the aunt, who is older and pertains to an older generation, she may view the world through a different lens since she has been through different experiences. I think this is key in understanding how to write better characters, and I believe this will help me in strengthening the personalities of each one.



In my next blog, I'm going to apply this knowledge in a deep character analysis.

Draft of the script for the Opening WOOOOO!!!

This is the script for the film opening of a story that reflects some of the challenges of adolescence when one faces self doubt. The character, Natalie, is full of creative ambitions from youth and searching for approval. As an artist, she second guesses the value of her art and attaches it to her self worth, she is hesitant about sharing her creations with the world... afraid of what the consequences may be. 

As shown through her past interactions (this unfolds throughout the script), she doesn't have many companions and often finds solace in solitude.  Her isolation offers her some protection from the prejudice she may face from society for her individuality. Natalie faces the struggle between reaching proximity with her peers or choosing to see the light in her gifts and journey to see the potential and beauty in her art. 

 

Project/Blogging Schedule

 Alright! So today I'm cranking down on the days that I have available to devise a decisive schedule so I can hold myself accountable and meet deadlines. From here on out I'm going full steam ahead!  

I want to give myself enough time to perfect and review all aspects of the film opening, and organize the components before time runs out. These are not clear cut deadlines, but it's between this week that I want to really solidify the base of my project, my time to hustle! So here's the tentative schedule I'm working with:

2/25

I want to ensure that the Outline as well as the script for the opening are released; incorporate how the genre research has inspired this opening and address the reasoning behind my choices. I want to have this out early on in order to effectively proceed with the project and make true progress. 

Note: I will also be scouting out for potential actors available on this day, at the filming times listed later on.

2/26-2/28

These days I will hold myself responsible for creating the shot list for the opening as well as the storyboard, I'll plan the shot list in accordance with the intended filming locations. I want to make sure that I take these next few days to plan so that the project can come out as a success!

2/29-3/1

I will utilize this time as a review; revisiting this project schedule to ensure that there are no conflicts with the actors and with the crew... I would also like to take this time to check my equipment and mark off what I will be using, as well as what other equipment I could potentially include, since there are some specific technical distinctions that I definitely want to take into account since thankfully I have that option. (I will make a blog post to explain this further).  I want to research some more techniques, and dig into some previous research I've gathered on achieving certain looks when it comes to cinematography and mis-en-scene. I really want to develop my mis-en-scene elements during this time to prepare for filming.

3/1-3/3

Many of the actors I've considered will have conflicts past 3/3 due to the fact that march is show season... so that's a deadline I'm going to have to push for. If I really take this week to flesh out the storyline then I will alleviate some of the stress at the end and make sure that my choices are guided not by impulse but through careful consideration :)) 

Blog: Once the script and outline are out, there will be a blog post specifying the way the time will be managed throughout the course of this weekend.

3/4-3/10

These days I will start the editing process, and create a rough draft of the opening. I most definitely will take this time to research how I can integrate the film titles into my opening, and look back on some of my genre research for past examples. I will mainly focus on the distribution of time and how much time I will be allocating to different shots of the film (derived from my planning). I will definitely be keeping up to date on any changes throughout, assessing some of the choices that possibly changed the direction of the opening or maybe some alternative choices

3/11-3/17

During this time I look towards developing my CCR, and planning what are some of the ways that I can address the concept of the film and figuring out how I want to communicate these choices so that they are understood.

3/17-3/24

I think during these weeks I'll use the time to gather my research to implement into my CCR, and then look back and review some changes that I've made to see if they were necessary. These weeks will definitely 

3/25-3/31

During this time, I definitely want to look through my CCR to ensure that I incorporated everything and review what I might've missed so that I can make any final changes or add any final ideas to support my findings and my work. 

4/2

submission dayyyy woop woop!

GENRE RESEARCH!!!

The past few weeks I found myself conceptualizing a plethora of scenarios to truly convey the struggles of adolescence. For that reason, I knew this film opening would become categorized as a Coming of Age. However, while I brainstormed, I caught myself attaching it to its usual adjacent genre "Romance" and wanted to expand further...

As I dug through the nuances of my experiences and memoirs for ideas, the ideation led to countless possibilities. I realized most of the ideas I had considered in past concepts could be challenging to develop in the span of a 1-2 minute film opening... so I debunked the romance inclusion and dove into the "Drama" genre for more creative freedom and sublimation. 

I took notice of the lack of empirical data as an opportunity to build on it in this blog, so here's some of the research I gathered that will come of use in the process of creating my film opening:

 Forest Gump is one of the most iconic movies of its time. The scene establishes a lot of the environment, and brings in a significant subject that stays in focus at constant; the floating feather. The feather is a symbol of Forests' way of life; its trajectory is dependent on the direction in which the wind blows; regardless, it floats on(like the song!). The visual metaphors speak volumes on the potential themes of the film. They are also very telling of the philosophies that guide the character and the story, which is a very beautiful form of visual storytelling that I would love to incorporate. Although its film opening may be perceived as simplistic, it successfully establishes a lot about the story through the various minimalistic choices. 

Good Will Hunting is another great film and houses some extraordinary philosophies that explore ultimate themes of fear.  It emphasized how sometimes listening to our impulses, our ego, will hold us back from our true potential. The editing techniques applied in this opening establish character, and really help to harness a true understanding of what the protagonist is like. For example, the hexagonal frames while he's reading assess that the character is often alone, reading books and solving equations during his free time. The editing guides the storytelling and reveals certain aspects that make up the cognition of the character.

Whiplash is another great film that explores the driving passion of a young man to success. It contrasts Good Will Hunting in the sense that the protagonist is willing to go great lengths in order to become the best jazz drummer. There is a lot of symbolism in this piece that one can extract, particularly the use of color. Andrew, the protagonist, is dressed in white under a light illuminating him, implying his purity and naivety amidst the world of hungry musicians.  The abusive conductor Fletcher, the antagonist, is dressed in black symbolizing his strategies full of malice. From the start of the film, as shown in the opening,  Fletcher uses his unpredictability in order to gage control and reach successful results. Whiplash's take on its film opening contrasts from the first two listed above, as its heavily reliant on dialogue. 

Stories like these create connection through revealing human truths. It opens up society to conversations that we may struggle to place ourselves in. Everyone has struggles yet once we acknowledge our issues, once we understand the destruction and pain they cause, we can also understand why its important to break down those habits. This is part of what I love about films and what really inspires me to be a storyteller; that is the goal for this film opening and future projects at hand. 

Plotline

  I developed concept, background, character, and function of the story, but I was missing the structure. I have these storyteller cards my mom got me for my birthday that serve as an amazing guide for nearing stories in the right direction.

I toyed around with a few to see if I could get a good outcome out of the "structure" cards and here were the results:

I love this card in particular, because I feel that life does not get gradually get better or worse, it has it's ups and downs. As humans we are susceptible to encountering obstacles but the way we handle them is what leaves a lasting impact on our lives. This card is special because adding that nonlinear flow to the storyline humanizes the characters a lot more. 

I did note that the card starts off with a "problem," however I think in this film opening the problem (the perceived love interest) will be merely sugar coated as a convenience that is subconsciously an inconvenience to the protagonist for lack of better words. After some thought, I do feel that I might be dipping my toes in a shallow pool, I might want to explore the themes of self-discovery and self-actualization a lot more, we'll see if that gets anywhere!

Romance/Coming of Age (establishing tone)

I started to think about what sort of feeling I wanted to evoke and how I should even begin. Sometimes when I don't always have an exact idea, music helps to guide me in the right direction.



One of my favorite parts about movies like 500 days of Summer, Garden State, and Juno are their soundtracks, I remember what it was like growing up with those songs and looking back now to make this film opening I listen to it through a different lens, the lens of my experiences.

I put my earbuds in and took a tame bike ride in my neighborhood around golden hour and that's when the ideas started to flow.

I took inspiration from some of my go to artists like Kings of Convenience, Simon and Garfunkel, Daryl Hall and John Oates, I created a playlist of songs that I would incorporate if I were to make this a full fledged film, just to establish tone. I imagine the entire storyline mapped out and how much I am going to reveal to my audience about the characters during the film opening.

I also curated this playlist and labeled it the "Aftermath" in case I may need to consider any future plot points of the film for the film opening.

Although it's a romance, a marriage or relationship would not be the end result of this film. I don't necessarily want that to be a given from the beginning, but I do want to foreshadow as well as open the piece up to ambiguity during the film opening.



I'm working hard on the storyline because I believe that the story should serve as a strong framework and base for the opening, I want to find a way to incorporate several plot points that would occur later on in the film at the start. For the film opening, id like to emphasize that our protagonist will take a strong risk, and that risk will impact the sequence of events that follow throughout the movie.


The idea is a bit abstract, I haven't structured the beginning with the exact style but I'm thinking of the start being a montage that establishes the two characters, and having the music under be calm and serene, like two acoustic guitars playing harmoniously. I've thought a lot about the color psychology and I really want to incorporate yellow as this harness of optimism and green that resembles growth. I love the different meanings that come with these two colors, their versatility will serve as a strong force in this film, I want to make a huge emphasis on change and facades.


One aspect I appreciate about "500 Days of Summer" is its refusal to vilify either protagonist despite the relationship's failure. While acknowledging that not everyone behaves perfectly, I want this film to illustrate how individuals can enter our lives for meaningful reasons, sometimes contributing positivity without necessarily harboring purely benevolent intentions.

Portfolio Project

        The genre I'm leaning towards is romance but I definitely would love to pull from some other genres as well. I've been thinking about the storyline for the film opening, and after some time I thought I'd want to create something that showcases the challenges of adolescence with a primary focus on relationships. I'm so career-oriented and busy that I never truly gave priority to my social life in high school until this year. Although it's been really fun, it also came with some challenges...

       I mainly connected with the following films; 500 Days of Summer, Garden State, and Good Will Hunting. The storyline communicated in these pieces felt so pertinent to my junior year of high school, so much that I've even drawn parallels from some of the movie's clips to my own life experience. Like the movies listed, I plan to communicate a side of relationships seldom told, since it's not the most excitable part of the process. With that being said, I hope that what I create can truly resonate with others, and I would love for this project to become a cathartic experience and serve as a creative outlet of free expression. 

Music Marketing Blog #2

Marketing Presentation   

The start of the project we had to conduct some research on "Bluegrass," a musical genre that incorporates blues, folk, soul, jazz, country and some other unique sounds that are used interchangeably. 

Music Research 

It's a very niche specific genre so we knew that we had to dig for a lot of information that may not be provided on the surface. We were able to gather research that touched on several aspects of marketing artists including the history, merchandise, distributes, the social media market, target audience, and even color palette. 

We researched several articles using key words such as "origins of bluegrass" "bluegrass artists" and "record labels upholding the bluegrass genre." Then from reading those articles and ensuring whether we trust the sources or not, we continued to search for key points that we wanted more elaboration on for further research. 

  One of the factors that made the Marketing Project process so efficient was allotting certain chunks of the work to each of our group members and setting deadlines. We started off with a clean outline of the project, so that way we had the ability to distribute work amongst our group members and tackle down the project into bits and pieces.

Music Video

Pre-Production

As for the concept of the music video, the idea the song was trying to convey was difficult to grasp, as its true meaning was mitigated by several analogies and metaphors that masked the message of the song and made it less conspicuous. The storyboard underwent several processes until finally, we created a rough draft that would become our reference in the filming process.

                                               Final Draft of Storyboard

Some of these shots had to be altered a bit due to difficulties with editing softwares but it came around and was reimagined very similarly to what is on the storyboard above!

Storyline

The more we listened to the song, the more we wondered if we were interpreting it correctly. We had to break down each verse to understand the breadth of the message, what story the artist was trying to tell, and what that means to him as well as how he would want it communicated to the target audience visually. 

After evaluating the lyrics and looking for substantiated evidence to prove what it was really about, we came to the conclusion that the song was conveying the story of someone who wants to go out and chase their dreams no matter what other path people are taking, they're gonna take the risks to go out and get what they want. 

Production

The music video was filmed over the span of 2 days, and we were fortunate enough to work with an experienced actor who fit the description of the role and approached the task professionally. The first day we made sure to knock out all the shots that included him and then any scenic shots were filmed the next day.  The storyboard was a great reference and the pacing of the movie wasn't much different from what was drafted on paper, but some minor changes had to occur. 

This section of the music video displays the character doing some financial paperwork but then turns to his script and becomes engulfed in his artistry. This close up shot gives context and helps the viewer understand that he's keeping himself financially stable as he continues to chase after his dreams.

Many of the images consisted of our actor being in front of a green screen reciting lines for an audition, indicating that he is in search of greater opportunities. 

The match cut to this shot with the key light marking the side of his face, acts as a spotlight illuminating his right side to make the image appear more intimate, and give off the impression that he is truly enjoying his work and will reach great heights if he continues to pursue his dream with that passion.

The shot of him on the stage was from a prior production that I was fortunate enough to capture and repurpose for this music video. The shot is displayed while the lyric "but one of these days it's gonna be right soon you'll, find your legs and go, and stay gone..." 

The character was displayed with a suit, and this served in showing that he was gonna go out and get a gig, and he's gonna shine bright.

Post-Production

The last stage of the music video was editing the piece and stringing it all together. Once again, the storyboard was followed sequentially and therefore saved time in the line edit draft. 

We wanted to make sure the message was clear and comprehensible for the target audience to do little work in the analyzing. In the marketing sphere, much of the work comes from viewing an art piece through the lens of its target audience. Artistic techniques such as the flashes and transitions were placed in order to further the message of the song rather than misconstrue it. 

                                            

This video displays several editing techniques, including some jump cuts at the audition scene to demonstrate the passage of time. 

The difficulties came with the ambitious ideas adjacent to the line edit which we unfortunately could not 100% go through with due to time. As shown in this image, an editing technique had to be left out due to the software being slow at operating. 

Marketing Campaign

Outline

  This is an example of our outline from the beginning, we made sure to add some important details that serves as the backbone of our presentation so that way we could distribute the work evenly and dive into the Presentation with an idea in mind.

Target Audience 

The marketing portion of the presentation determines meticulous choices made in the music video

I can only speak for myself when I say I felt that this song truly resonated with me.  However, I knew it would be unprofessional to view a music video through my own lens, since I am not the conventional target audience, and the true audience has disparate values from mine. Good marketing practice is ensuring that a piece is created with close consideration of the target audience, which has its own distinct taste when discovering music and envisioning the visuals that correspond with it (music video).

Although not every individual may go through these stages unanimously, there may be a younger audience that resonates with the message as well, so we adjusted the age range to include 18 to as old as 30. The genre may not appeal to younger audiences but the content of the lyrics may, and emerging artists may look to the song and become inspired with the message.

The primary target audience in terms of gender is male. To this day, we are still living in a male-dominated society. There are several factors that may support this statement but the most relevant distinction would be their dominance in the workplace. Traditional values picture men as the independent figure, providing for their families by contributing financial stability. Although this stereotype has been attenuated in the modern day, the Bluegrass genre's target audience encompasses individuals with conservative views, so the artist may approach with caution when it comes to rebelling against that notion.

It's true that the artists authenticity should not be undermined, but the community of fans with pre-established taste must be considered in order to be successful and profitable. Both can be achieved if one is open enough to compromise.