FINAL OPENING!!!

SOSOSO HAPPY ALL THE HARD WORK HAS PAID OF!!!!!

OUR FILM OPENING: 

google drive link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/176ku3PfavFIJdPYpPhu8q1cccz7Ttblt/view?usp=sharing

CCR!!

FINALLY FINISHED!!!

Our editing process is going pretty smooth the only thing is that our video was cut too short a few seconds. As a result we had to find new ways that we were going to contribute to the opening by demonstrating the person Elena is by adding clips of some objects in her house. We decided to use a Colombian shirt and a note from her mom.

 The Colombian shirt will demonstrate her ethnicity, and make an emphasis on that.

The use of the note is to express a feeling of familiarity and since it's in spanish it emphasizes on that as well. 

Editing Issues (Resolved)

AUDIO


The video taken during the conversation has audio that isn't that clear due to the background noises. Since the actual conversations were being overwhelmed by background noises, we tried lowering the music, but that did not change anything. As a result, we had to obviously lower the music, but another thing we did was change the video into an audio file and overlap it so that it would be clearer.

The official music we decided to use was the TIK TOK trap that was mentioned in an earlier blog post. This constant beat contributed to Elena's determination and drive.

In the image above, you can clearly see the audio file that has been inputed.

This is the platform we used to input the audio so that it could be overlapped with the rest.

Reflection

During the duration of my portfolio project, there have been several challenges we have been faced with. When we began the project, we originally had many parts to the opening, including her injury that she eventually recovers from in time for her race. After consulting with our teacher we decided that it would be better if we shortened it and only focused on introducing the main character, Elena. Another challenge that we had to face was Corona. Due to this, we had to make some modifications to the scene with the counselor. We did this by having a phone call between the coach and Elena instead of a conference face to face. Our project along the way has undergone quite a few changes, but at the end it has all come together in one piece. These changes were done in order to introduce Elena and her current situation with college, as well as her love for track.

Production skills throughout project

At the beginning of the project we had many original plans regarding the film as a whole. For example, we had originally planned on using Ms.Boroom as our coach at the end of the opening when she is consulting with Elena. This obviously changed when COVID-19 became a major issue for everyone across the globe. As a result, we made accommodations and we decided to have a phone call where it was clear what Elena was talking about with her coach. Every decision made was to keep the original plot and not have any major things affecting the entire opening and film as a whole.

When we first were deciding to make the plot, we included a major part of the rising action in our opening. This changed after consulting with  our teacher who believed that we were adding too much to the opening and we weren't going to have enough time to execute it properly. As a result, we decided to only introduce the characters and her current  financial condition.

Challenging Conventions/ Representation

Some conventions that are present in a sports drama are having a sports competition, an athlete, a narrative, a constant state of emotion, disruption, resolution, success, and failure. We do not challenge these conventions but we do comply with them.

In the film there is a sports competition which is the state finals where all the scouts are going to be. We also establish characters and create an emotional connection between the viewer and characters. We do this by demonstrating how Elena is financially unstable and is struggling. This connection will drive the viewer to be more attached and have her success in the ending to become a lot more impactful. 

Although the other parts are not being included, we comply with the genre conventions by having her go through an injury, but recovers right in time fro her competition. Obviously, like most sports dramas, it would end with a positive ending; Elena winning states and entering the college of her dreams.

Editing/ Problems

So since we finished filming, we have no started the editing process. There are some issues with the music we chose. It is not downloading correctly, which can possibly cause major issues and for us to backtrack. We have already started looking for new music just incase we cannot fix this problem, but we are trying our best.

Another issue that has arose is the problem of omitting background noise in our video. We filmed this in a park so obviously there is going to be background noise, but we want there to be more of a focus on the main character, Elena. There are some applications that can help with this. The names of one of these application are "Babble labs clear cloud."

Update On Music

Like I said before, we are looking for hispanic upbeat music. We thought this would be good since it would go with the energy of the film and would work best with the cuts. This was probably one of the hardest tasks since the music has to be non-copyright. There is one song I had in mind which was "I Like It" by Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Cardi B. I dmed Bad Bunny asking for permission, but like expected he did not answer. Therefore, we decided to look for some non copyrighted music. We came across the sound "TIK TOK (No Copyright Sound) Rap on Beat HamburgHood Records - (FREEMUSIC, Trap, Instrumental, Beat). This fits the the vibe of the music and is upbeat.

Bad Bunny is ignoring us )):

Film Day 2

Today, we finally finished filming. We went to two locations. The first one was at a trailer park. We decided to film in this location specifically since we felt as if it were a safe location and would picture Elena's financial state. This location was near home and and was able to portray Elena's financial state effectively.

Trailer park photos:

The picture below is from filming day 2. We filmed the second part of the opening in Savannah. We decided to do this so we could have a change in scenery. The main area where we filmed the second part is near the rinks at Savannah Commons. This area was also covered with caution tape which helped contribute to Elena's profile.

Here are some pictures:

Script

The final part of our opening would be Elena on a phone call with her coach. In the clip, we can only hear Elena talking, not the coach. Despite this, we can assume what she is stressed about college. We also made an emphasis on FAFSA and her financial state.

Script:

-Oh, hey coach!
-Yeah, I'm actually training right now.
-Yeah i know...this week is really important
-Actually, I've started filling out the FAFSA last night, but I haven't finished because I'm so stressed.
-No don't worry, I'm not overtraining... okay bye coach

Film Day 1

Today we were able to meet up at one of our friend's houses and we started filming! Everything worked out and we were able to get all the footage we were planning on getting. We only filmed the beginning part of the opening where there are only still shots being used. We did modify part of them. Instead of having completely still shots like we had before, we decided to use slightly moving ones. We thought this would seem better and since we plan on using up beat music, we believe it would fit our video best if we made it like this.

So far everything is looking good and I'm happy that we finally started filming since editing is a long and tedious process that requires time. Hopefully the rest of the filming process goes this smooth, can't wait to film the rest!!

Finding Props

Like stated before, Elena does track and for the beginning we decided to have shots of her room and these would establish her interests and her financial state. Thankfully, my dad has several medals from triathlons and marathons so there was no shortage of props implying that she does track. We also not only used medals, but we also used race numbers, the one that is worn during races, making it more realistic and to emphasize on that aspect of Elena, her love for track.

Medals:

Running #s:

Another prop we created was the financial aid papers and the "past due" documents. For the financial aid papers, we printed out a FAFSA documents which is what students use when they are not financially stable and need help paying for college. We partially filled this out to show she is in the process of figuring it out and to demonstrate thats her biggest obstacle at the moment. We also created ourselves "past due" documents. We did this with enveloped and papers we receive from colleges from a daily basis. We wrote "past due" on every one of them and also opened and made it seem like a mess so to show how stressed she is and how she is also in the process of figuring it out like I said before. 

FAFSA:

"past due" documents:

How The Corona Virus Has Affected Our Project

Recently, due to a worldwide epidemic, the corona virus, many have been affected. Not only are numerous people being rushed to hospitals, but everyone is being quarantined or at least practicing social distancing. As a result, this has affected our filming as a whole. One of our partners is not allowed to leave the house so as a group we decided to film part of it with just the two of us instead of us three. We are still working on the technicalities regarding the rest of the opening since we were planning on having our guidance counselor play the part of the coach.

We believe that our project is manageable and can be easily changed. For example, without our counselor we were deciding whether to have a phone call or one of our parents. Clearly, this issue can be easily resolved and all communication will be done through group facetime for the most part. 

From this chart, it is obvious that this outbreak is rapidly spreading and even though it has affected many of our projects it is important that we help the world by staying at home. This would prevent the virus from spreading to others and possibly save many lives. We are greatful for having a very versatile idea and have found ways to cope with this obstacle.

How We Plan On Distributing

Since we are new to the industry and aren't under any big distribution company such as Sony. As a result, we decided to use the platform "FilmHub." This platform not only requires no money in order to use, but it also comes with several benefits. You also keep you r rights to whatever film you decided to distribute and the reporting is transparent. This is very important especially to producers in order to protect their product and not allow anyone to steal anything.

Some other benefits include the 80% profit going to the creator with no deductions or fees. FilmHub is also very helpful to producers informing them when it's best to distribute and what to promote. This is one through the use of analytics that they provide to aid in the distribution process to receive the most interaction with the film. There's also no upfront fee and payments are consolidated fast. The uploading process is also very efficient and easy, not requiring any application process.

As a whole, FilmHub would be very useful and easy for us to use since we are new to this process and would be very helpful throughout the process. Obviously, when we receive a wider audience, we would change distributors that is more well known and help us grow as a whole.

Target Audience

Although it may be pretty obvious who the target audience may be through the use of the characters in the opening clip. We decided to officially present the target audience to establish the goals that we have. The target audience is very important to establish so we can focus specifically and grab the attention of that specific demographic.

In our opening film, our target audience are teenagers and people who are in a low socio-economic class. The film's main character, Elena is 17 and a senior in high school. This will be very relatable to younger audience, making out target audience 14-25 years old. This film will depict Elena's life, demonstrating all the challenges she faces on a daily basis. Many who attend school no matter the grade can relate to the amount of stress one can receive. The struggle and pressure to do the best you can is applicable to everyone, especially to the ones entering college. Not only this but there is a great emphasis on her socio-economic status which many who rely on financial aid can relate. 

The use of a target audience is vital in the creation of the film since many decisions are based on this. Since our target audience is 14-25 years old and people of low socio-economic status, we will make sure to expand on this and make the film more marketed to this group through several decisions.

Costume Design

Our main character, Elena does track and is not financially stable. Our actor playing the role of Elena will be wearing average running attire. This would consist of a pair of running shorts and a nike hoodie or dry fit shirt, depending on the weather of the filming days.

Here are some examples:

In the scene where the coach (Ms.Boorom) and Elena are discussing her future, Ms. Borom will be wearing wearing formal attire since the scene will be taking place in her office. This attire would make her seem more professional and have a sense of power. Elena would also be wearing casual attire since she is at school. For example, jeans and a shirt.

Possible Filming Locations

Since Elena is not financially stable, we decided the scene where she is going to be running in her neighborhood we will be filming in a trailer park. This way the viewer is aware of her financial state without explicitly stating it. In our film, there will be many implications regarding her financial state. By doing this it make it obvious and would allow them to know the main issue in the film from the very beginning. 

Kings Trailer Park

Sunshine Village Mobile home park

Cheron Village

Title Fonts

I believe fonts play a big role in portraying the "vibe" of a film. As a group, we want to find a font that are sporty. We used the site called "Font Space" to find the font we needed.

Here are some fonts we came across:

We decided to use the first font, "Thunderbold" since it literally screams track. Option three is to serious and option to has too much going on. Not only this, but option one is a lot more simple than the rest and simplicity is key.

Casting!

Since our main character, Elena is hispanic we decided to use me as the main character. Every one of us in our group is hispanic, but as a group we collectively decided I would be the one to play that role.

The other character that would be featured in the film is her track coach. We have decided to use Ms.Boorom. She is the guidance counselor at our school, specifically for athletes. This would work out nicely since she is a very energetic person that would contribute to the personality of her role; a coach. Her room is also college themed and has a lot of sport themed decorations that would also play a part in developing her persona as someone who is dedicated to being a coach.

Opening Title

Since our film opening is a sports drama, we decided to make a pun. Since the sport that Elena does is track, we decided to make the title "Running Out." Elena is being put under a great amount of pressure due to college. She is relying on scholarships in order to attend college since her family cannot afford it. Therefore she is literally and figuratively "running out."

We also decided to use this title since it also lets the audience know what the film will be about. According to our research many sport dramas such as "The Blind Side," "Miracle," "Supernatural," and "Eight Men Out" give the audience somewhat of an idea of what is occurring in the film. With the title "Running Out" it is clear there is some type of obstacle that needs to be overcome and something is literally "running out."

Group Meetings

Within our groups, I received a lot of feedback and advice for my project. My only major issue was and still is finding a sound for my opening. My group gave me amazing advice. They suggested some websites such as Purple Planet and other copyright free sites where I can find a variety of sounds that can possibly fit my opening video.

They also agreed that having hispanic music in the background may be best because it would be upbeat and since it will be opening with her morning routine, it would make more sense. It would also let the audience know she comes from a hispanic background.

Sound For Intro

The sound element is very important, especially for the opening scene since it sets the tone for the whole film. As a group, we believe that the music should be hispanic or motivational. Hispanic music would establish the fact that Elena is hispanic. The use of the motivational music would be because she has an obstacle presented in front of her and she is determined to overcome it.

We had a very hard time finding the right music to fit the mood of the opening, and are still figuring it out. We did not want it to be too motivational and dramatic. If we were to go the hispanic side, we would like to use a song such as "I Like It Like That" by Boogaloo. This song is upbeat and would grab the audience's attention while simultaneously informing the viewer of her ethnicity. If we were to go the motivational music route, an example of the type of song we would use is emotional cinematic background music/ambient piano instrumental by Ashamaluev Music. Both of these options could possibly fit our opening scene, but as a group we still need to decide which would be best from the songs everyone has chosen.

Mise-en scene

In order to embody our character we decided to have still shots of objects that are in her room that show her interests. We will be doing this during our opening credits. These objects would range from financial aid applications to medals and portraits that would be hung in her room. This would show her financial state and interests.

Modifying Storyboard

Our original film opening started off with Elena's lower class neighborhood and then Elena, our main character running. We decided to do this since it would show her socio-economic state and allow the audience to know she is a runner.

After viewing other sample openings, we decided to start our rolling credits with still frames of things that matter and characterize Elena. For example, the use of still images such as the college she wants to attend, medals, and race souvenirs. The purpose of this would be to demonstrate her interests and goals. We will also be using still shots such as financial aid papers, an empty refrigerator, and other still frames that signify she is financially unstable. We decided to create this sequence of stills shots since it looks more professional and wraps the persona that we are creating, Elena. As a group, we believed this was a better instead of jumping into the running scene so the audience can be more familiar with Elena's persona.

Modifications like these are going to be made throughout the process in order to make the film opening introduce Elena in the most efficient way possible. Since we have such a limited amount of time for the film opening, every decision made is very important so we are aware as a group that we will be making several changes.

Socio-Economic Status And Film

With college, there are many issues that have to do with someone's financial state. Films such as this one opens the eyes of the audience to the harsh reality of paying college tuition. It can be both relatable and inspiration to those who may be going through the same situation. In the chart below, it is clear that college loans are very common and can cause a great amount of stress to different individuals.

Some examples of films who demonstrate financial issues are "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "John Q." In both movies, there are financial issues that are faced and eventually overcome. In our film opening, our main character is struggling financially, and will eventually overcome this obstacle. The purpose of the film opening is to introduce the obstacle present, college, and to introduce the main characters.

Examples:

"The Pursuit of Happyness"

"John Q"

Storyboard

In order to make the production process easier, the storyboard below was made collectively as a whole. We already went through the brainstorming process and have a clear idea of what we are going to be filming. This will save us a lot of time since we will not be confused on what we want to film. Obviously, the final product will have some different qualities and more scenes, but this will make the process easier.

Shooting Schedule

Here below is the shooting schedule that my group has put together as a whole that we will be following for the remaining time we have producing this film opening. This will help us stay on track and manage our time more efficiently. Since we all have busy schedules, this will allow for us to get through this process with no rush. There are so many components to the production process such as editing that will be time consuming. With the use of this schedule, it will benefit everyone and result in a better product as a result.

Film Openings-Drama

"Lord of War"

"Lord of War" can be considered a social drama due to the fact that its underlying theme is the casual cruelty of gun trade. Andrew Niccol manages to create a symbolic opening representing that overall theme that is present through the depiction of how a gun is made. With the use of special effects, it show the origins of a bullet, in a factory, until they are being used by the public. This in a way foreshadows the plot, allowing the audience to know what the film will be about.

"Magnolia"

In the film opening, "Magnolia," the narrator, Ricky Jay describes three coincidences that occurred that day having to do with three murders. The first murderer was a man who was murdered by beggars. The second one was the death of Patton Oswalt who was a blackjack dealer who death in a freak accident with a drunk pilot who had previously assaulted him at a Casino. The third death was killed by accident as the man was attempting to take his life. It then continues to introduce the characters that take part in the film. By having so much action and importance occurrences in the opening segment, it really grasps the attention of the viewer and make them stay hooked and be excited for the rest of the film.

"Trainspotting"

In the opening of the film "Trainspotting," it begins with action of a young man running. As the film continues they are introduced to several main characters that have important roles in the film. Animation is used to display their names, which is a fun and unique way to introduce the characters. The use of several camera angles and shots that are short make the scene seem as if it was full of adrenaline. This is also mixed with the use of a voiceovers explaining his perception of life and his values. The point is to show the people who Renton, the main character associates himself with, which eventually gets him into trouble, allowing the audience to know what the main idea of the film is.

Sources:

https://www.slashfilm.com/15-of-the-best-opening-scenes-in-the-movies/3/
https://www.slideshare.net/millieoconnor12/film-opening-analysis-trainspotting

Genre Research-Drama

Genre Conventions-Content

Drama films are created to represent a realistic scenario. This includes realistic characters and settings. Through the use of social interaction, it shows how the characters develop. They do this while simultaneously keeping the audience engaged. Their overall goal is to get the audience emotionally attached by creating a bond with relatable characters. This increases engagement and tension throughout the film, especially at the climax. They also tend to address current problems that the world is facing at the moment.

"The Hate You Give"

In the movie "The Hate You Give," they create a connection with the main character, following the genre conventions presented. Not only this but this film is a social drama. Meaning that the main idea of the film is to address the problem with the police and prejudice. Through the use of a strong connection and several obstacles, the message of the movie is supposed to have a bigger impact on the viewer and allow them to be more aware of the issue on an everyday basis.

Genre Conventions-Production Techniques

This genre relies heavily on the use of climaxes and anticlimaxes. This is used to keep the audience emotionally attached. Through different depictions of pain, difficulty, hardships, and struggles, it would make the audience emotionally attached. By creating this emotional attachment, it allows there to be tension present. Another common technique used is to have some form of realization at the end, usually a happy ending. This allows the audience to have a sense of relief after going through the plot with several conflicts.

Example: Jack saying his last word to Rose in "Titanic:

In the movie “Titanic,” it challenges the drama genre conventions. Drama movies typically end with some type of revelation or happy ending. In this case, one of the main characters, Jack (Rose’s lover) ends up dying in the ocean. Although they did not follow all drama conventions, they did create an emotional attachment between the viewer and characters allowing the ending to be impactful, and the movie to be successful as a whole.

Watch List:

"A Star Is Bron"

"Me Before You"

"Breakthrough"

Sources:

http://bca2media2013group14.blogspot.com/2012/09/conventions-of-drama-genre.html

https://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html

Music Blog Post

My music marketing project was based on the genre of indie pop rock, and the song that we chose was "Fire" by Beth Ditto. Our genre lead us to make the decisions we made with everything regarding marketing, distribution, etc. Since our target audience for the indie pop genre are college students, we decided to make everything more affordable in order to attract more people while making it more convenient. Another aspect of our research that we discovered is that since they are all young (16-25), majority of them use social media. This made us come up with the idea that using social media may be the best choice and allow us to grow more as an artist.

We chose to come up with the artist "IZZA" who is a bold, independent, and angsty women. We decided to create her with this image due to the song and the appeal of our target audience. We developed her as an artist by dying her hair pink, heavy eyeliner, red lipstick, and edgy clothing. Along with this, we decided to have a theme throughout the website, presentation, and merchandise as a whole. They would for the most part be black and neon pink. Our merchandise ranges from hoodies, vinyls, etc. We made certain choices such as vinyls for our target audience since they are more inclined to liking more tangible items.

I learned that production and the development of a marketing campaign taking a lot of thinking. The success of an individual, despite all there talent, relies heavily on the marketing campaign they have and how they sell themselves to their target audience. When not done effectively, it can lead to them not receiving the attention they deserve. I also learned that creating a music video is not as easy as it looks. Although it may seem effortless watching, every take and syncing of the lips takes a lot then just filming and cutting takes. Overall, the process is tedious and vital in the development of a band/artist, and needs to be successful in order to make it.