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.