Final Project Components

SHORT FILM:

 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Q0vfMcsRCteolq2vE042Dhxl4iND1VCT?usp=share_link 

SOCIAL MEDIA:

https://www.instagram.com/outofhand.shortfilm/

PRINT:

FRONT:

BACK:

Reflections/ Final Thoughts

 "PRELUDE"

This project has been the most incredible learning experience for me. Although I've had several obstacles with time, although I haven't been able to dedicate much time to sleep and mental health and such, now that it's over I understand why I do this in the first place. There's something just so beyond special about creating, and finding new ways to tell stories, I finally get to experiment in this medium!

CCR Reflection Critical

'Out Of Hand' is a comedy about a Tom, a relatively normal guy attempting to engage cordially while avoiding the infamous handshake from his co-workers. 

Generational gaps are a common occurence in the office workspace at GERS. In fact, we had 3 different generations in one room the day of filming. In the film itself, this oftentimes affects the way the workers perceive each other and ultimately, how they interact with one another. This is mildly touched on throughout the film, however these dynamics are more so displayed throughout the social media. Many of the extras characters were highlighted for their nuanced qualities. 

Hansini, played by Ayami Ratnayake, is set apart for her age, for her values in 'curiosity, intelligence, and hard-work.' In the film Out Of Hand, she is depicted as more than self-sufficient and has earned her respective place at the GERS Energy Company with an internship. Although Hasini still utilizes Gen Z slang, she is skillfully equipped to code-switch, and as a result, she successfully communicates with a plethora of social groups.  Although Hansini is not a prominent character in the plotline of the film, the character Hansini holds an important position in the movie through simply providing representation for the youth and POC communities,  demonstrating that they have just as much of an impact on society as outside groups, if not more. 

This excerpt was extracted from 'Out of Hand's' Social media. Hansini is displayed as opinionated, spunky,  judgmental, and intelligent. 

Next featured in the office is Alejandro, played by Bernardo Caicedo (on the far left in the picture). He is much older compared to Hansini, and he has difficulty alternating from Spanish to English.  However, much like Hansini, he values 'curiosity, intelligence, and hard-work.' They are all connected through these underlying values, but each worker has their own way of taking action towards these values based on cultural and social influences throughout their lives.

Many of the issues presented throughout the film stem from working in a male-dominated environment, where power is largely concentrated among a specific, privileged group. However, Alice challenges this dynamic by stepping outside traditional expectations and taking initiative. She takes on a leadership role by distributing a directive for a plan and becomes the driving force behind addressing Tom’s seemingly harmless, yet suspicious behavior.

In order to advertise this film, we decided to add a QR Code to our print component, to make the instagram account even easier to access. At the front of the card, we put the writer and director of the film (me) and left the rest of the credits for the back of the postcard. Considering how previous advertisements for movies have been made, I took a similar approach to the credits where I left the position itself much smaller than the name carrying it. For example, "Directed and Written by" is much smaller than the title "Martina Rodriguez" because the name is significant and recognizable, it jumps out at you. Same with the rest of the credits for each cast and crew member involved in the production. The light leak added into the card makes it feel dream-like almost, like they are conspiring and making major progress. 

The elements of my production work cohesively to establish a clear and recognizable sense of ‘branding,’ primarily centered around a specific comedic tone. From the vibrant or exaggerated color palette to the playful sound effects, everything is carefully chosen to amplify humor and maintain a consistent mood throughout.               

Furthermore, acting choices lean into caricature or subtle absurdity, reinforcing the satirical nature of the piece. Additionally, the use of abrupt cuts not only enhances comedic timing but also contributes to a fast-paced rhythm that keeps the audience engaged. Together, these stylistic decisions form a unified identity, making the production instantly identifiable and memorable within its genre.

When working on a piece as demanding as this one,  it was imperative that we create a cast that was familiar and comfortable with one another. Otherwise, the comedy and humor of the piece would take time for them to warm up to. Thankfully, all of the cast members were familiar with each other, especially Andrea, Daniel, and Lito, who had to interact the most with one another.

Our target audience would typically range at around ages 13 and up, as this age group may have a better grasp at some of the humor and larger implications on society in our film. They are also just the age group that may typically find the piece the most engaging. Our products engage with the audience through humor and a light-hearted tone, making them both entertaining and accessible. However, beneath the comedic surface lies a subtle yet meaningful message; a reminder that we rarely know the full breadth of what others might be experiencing inside. Through this balance of humor and heart, we encourage viewers to reflect on the importance of empathy, understanding, and mindfulness in their everyday interactions. By blending comedy with emotional understanding, our work invites the audience to laugh... and then think.

My research informed my products by allowing me to understand the specific structure of a short film, and my why. I learned a lot about how to structure a story and write a script, skills that have taken me quite a long time to master (still a work in progress) for this project. I felt better equipped to tell the story with having a basic foundation of what it means to write a short film, how it's different from a full fledged movie, and how to structure it. I believe my film challenged conventions especially with the ending, it's so utterly unexpected that it defeats the initial heuristics we use ourselves while watching a movie to try and figure out what outcome certain scenes or actions may lead to. This is the kind of ending that took me so long to write, because I became so inspired by the other student short films I had seen previously that took an unexpected, yet satisfying turn at the end.

FILMING COMPLETE!

 Hey hi!! So we finished filming, we took from 11am-4:00 pm but we were able to get all of the shots and I'm so happy we were able to finish it.  It took a lot of time and energy to bring this project into fruition with all of the other things happening around me but I'm really happy that we've been able to bring this idea to life. 

This whole week I also had tech rehearsals for a show I'm in, called SIX the musical. So I've been editing those videos intensely. 

This is the trailer for my cast in case you want to check it out :)) I filmed all of the shots (except the ones of me) and edited all of it together. We performed tonight and just closed the show. It went SO well. This is such a difficult show to execute and I'm so proud of my cast for sticking together and working hard to make it a good one.

For a large portion of our film, we stayed true to the shot list. There were some times, however, that we chose to experiment and honestly it added so much to our film. We were able to get 3 extras to be a part of the office and I'm so glad we did because it made all the difference. 

We also had a really great group of actors that were super amazing to work with and just so professional. They memorized the lines prior to us filming and it really sped up the process for us as well.  I'm so glad we really took the time to squeeze in that preparation because it was absolutely necessary and it helped in the long run.

Here we have one of our extras Ayami Ratnayake looking over the script, we are so grateful to have her on set with us. She has been in a multitude of shows at Inside Out, and it's always such a pleasure working with her. She is just so beyond expressive in this film and adds so much character.

In truth, I was just so worried that we weren't going to be able to get this done, because of external factors like SIX, other school assignments, and just life, but we pulled it off and I'm so happy we DID end up going through with the plan, and that our actors were just so committed and so into it. For me it's just so crazy to think that this idea came around and evolved so much. I feel so much respect for this art form and a lot of times it was hard for me to focus up, especially with everything else happening in my life, but I'm glad that I was able to hard core discipline myself into making this happen because getting into this medium of communication was something I've wanted for the longest time. We'll see how it turns out in the editing process!

SHOT LIST/FILIMING TOMORROW!!!

 So excited to say that we will be filming our short tomorrow!!!!

BRAND PRISM Social Media

 At the beginning of the year, our media teacher had us do a brand identity project, where we did some self discovery to see how we would market ourselves out in the real world. My group and I decided we would apply our knowledge from the previous project to do the social media branding for our short film Out of Hand.