Research: Pre-digital era film or music production

Today in class we practiced how we would produce a movie in the pre digital era and what we needed to make sure it was available and advertised to people. 

These are some of the answers to the pre digital era questions: 

After this exercise I learned how to advertise film and how the experience of making movies before technology would have been challenging but possible.

Planning: Updated Script 

This is the final version of the script we are going to use for the final film opening 

The script we originally wrote was almost exactly the same but we made sure to finish the final part and make some minor changes to camera movements and small grammar mistakes. 

Since there was no dialogue, our script mainly consisted on what the characters do and how the camera would move. 

It also describes and explained the mood and environment.

Planning: Audience Survey 

Today I created an audience survey and sent it out to different people to see what demographic of people enjoy certain types of film and what audience we could address our film to.

These were the questions we asked in the form:

I sent the form to different people to try and get the most diverse results. I am going to wait another week for answers to assure the film is being addressed to the correct demographic. 

So far 85.7% of people who answered the survey have been between the ages of 16-18. 

71.4% of the people would rather horror films and 42% like thrillers.

85.7% were female, and 57% rather watch rated R movies.

I think that with our current answers the audience that will be mostly

interested in our film is females between the ages of 16-18. After a week I will check back on the form to see if anything has changes and make sure the demographic is correct.

Planning: script

Today in class I worked on the script with a member of my group Fabiana. We divided it evenly and decided to write it according to the story board. This is our first draft of the script, but I think that with time we will make some corrections and changes to make it better and fit it to the film.

 

 

 

I wrote the second half of the script all the way to the end. We are still missing a few details from the middle of the script, but we will keep adding and tweaking it to be perfect. 

 Planning: Costumes for film opening 

Today in class I prepared some ideas of what the costume design would be like. Since we will be having the “killer” be a girl, I decided that it would be best to have.

 

I first decided to search what color represents danger. According to St.Olaf College, the color red is the most representative of danger. 

 

I first wanted the costume for the character Sadie to be a red shirt with a regular pair of jeans, since we wanted to not make it obvious that she is the killer. 

 

But then after some more research, I am using the movie “Monster” as a stand point to base the costuming off Aileen Wuornos, which is the killer in the movie. She dresses very casually but wear a lot of darker colors like black. 

 Since our character is also blonde, I think the contrast between the two colors, and the casual but dangerous outfit, the character would be in perfect shape.

 

I think jeans with a black shirt and a blazer is most fit to the character, making her suspicious but normal at the same time. Since the film opening will be shot will it is getting dark outside, the dark colors will blend in with the environment making it the perfect way for the killer to e lurching in the dark. We don’t want the killer to stand out.

 

For Johnny’s character, his outfit will be relating more towards a typical teenage boy in this time. I researched some simple outfits worn by teenage boys, https://modernteen.co/outfits-for-teenage-guys/.

 

From this website I decided that since it will be later on throughout the day, to choose a simple flannel opened shirt with a shirt underneath and a pair of jeans. 

I enjoy choosing the costume design because I feel like it adds dynamic to the character. I still have to adjust and make some changes to the costumes but later on the cast will be trying out different clothes to see which would be a good fit. 

 Planning: Sound and lighting for film Opening 

Today in class we had time to plan further upon the film opening. Today I focused on the lighting and sound for the film.

 

Lighting: We are filming the opening in the late afternoon around 6pm when the sun is setting, meaning it would be dark. I decided that this time would be best because we could use the contrast between the gasoline lights and dark sky. 

 

When Sadie the killer is standing outside the gasoline store, I was thinking of putting her in a corner hiding within the shadows created by the light from the gasoline stop. Her whole body would be on the shadows and her costume will blend in with that as well.  

 

For Johnny, when he is inside the gasoline store the lighting would be regular store lighting and when he is outside he could stand in a well lit areas, contrasting the dangerous shadows of the killer and the bright light of an innocent teenage boy. 

For example Blanche in the movie A streetcar Named desire uses the shadows to cover her face. Shadows are a way in which Sadie would hide her identity and remain mysterious. 

 

We will not be using any other form of lighting apart from the one already and the gasoline station and the night sky. 

 

Sound: since there will not be much dialogue I was thinking of keeping the original sound from the video clips. Hearing the doors open and close and the bag of chips opening. While editing I wanted to add sounds to highlight some of the sounds like adding footsteps sounds for when the killer is walking towards Johnny.

For Sound equipment, I ordered a microphone off and online shopping source that can be connected to phones or even certain types of cameras. 

This microphone would make it easier to pick up on small noises and sounds that could be useful while editing, if any unpleasant sound is recorded I can mute the clip or replace it with sounds like footsteps. 

 

I decided it would be better to not add any music since it can keep the mystery and suspense up. The quiet and hyper fixation on the small noises can make the audience want to know what is happening and why every noise matters. 

 

I think that for lighting and audience we can take the most advantage of what we have from the gasoline store and the night without the need of edit in any lighting or add any songs.

 Planning: Audience In final film opening 

After analyzing our main idea and plan of the film opening, I researched what rating it would associate with the best. 

 

According to https://www.filmratings.com, rated R movies are movies that present sensitive material like bloody images, sexual content, and other adult material, meaning anyone under the age of 17 needs to be accompanied by a guardian. Rated PG-13 means that some content might be inappropriate for pre-teens. 

 

 

 

 

I decided that the targeted audience would be around the ages of 14-18, high school age average. That leaves the movie at a pg-13 rating. 

 

I decided on this target audience because after asking my peers in class what type of movies they like, a majority responded with genres corresponding to this rating. 

 

To make the film opening appealing to the audience I decided that it would be best to add a sense of suspense to get the audience hooked, since suspense makes the audience stay for more, especially when it relates to murder. 

 

We also wanted to appeal to a female audience, with representation. since killers are usually male, we decided to make ours female, although the audience might not connect with the killer it still give the opportunity for women to get leading roles in a movie especially with these type of films. 

 

Researching movie ratings

 

 

I will expand further upon the audience by conducting a survey to ask other people what type of movies they enjoy and enjoy to potentially change the rating and demographic. 

  Research: Further upon Money Confidential 

In class we continued to watch and finish the movie, Money Confidential. I found that this movie was inspirational since it showcased stories and people who worked hard for their success.

It also explained how there are many other ways to receive money. 

For example local governments can give funds to small producer especially from the film commissioner office. 

There are also trade shows which is a way in which producers or film makes can earn equipment by wining raffles or competitions. 

To save money it was also advice to plan the schedule ahead of time to keep costs down and know exactly howe much money is needed. 

the movie also gave great advice. A quote that stuck with me was that if you ask for money you will receive advice but if you ask for advice you will receive money. 

Showcasing your independent film in festivals is an amazing way to catch the attention of companies, showcase your work, and receive great opportunities. 

 

Apart from giving tips on how to earn money and showcase work, the movie explained how representation in todays society is important. For example in an interview in Salma Hayek, she talks about how she was proud to represent her Lebanese background apart from her hispanic background and how this made the film "The Prophet" successful.

I thought that this documentary was a great way to showcase how the film industry is an enjoyable but hard working environment that need many components to be successful.  

 Research: Review of Movie Money Confidential 

Today in class we watched the documentary "Money Confidential" which outlines the work that gets put into film production specifically in independent films.Multiple producers, director and budget coordinators explain their struggles and tips on how to succeed when creating any form of film. 

The documentary mainly focuses oil the independent film The Blair Witch Project which was successful in views and revenues. 

Personally, I enjoyed this film and found that it provided me with not only information that I could use in my short film but also information useful for the real world. 

This link is an interview with Louis Levison, thank about business plan: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7qqhs

I was able to learn what a business plan is and how without the use of any actors, producers or directors you cos get people to invest in the production of the film. 

This documentary enlightened and created some ideas on how my group and I will produce our film opening: 

1. How are we going to determine our audience?

We will be determining our audience by choosing a genre that we truly enjoy and feel passionate about in order toy produce the best film opening possible towards an audience interested in the same genre. In the documentary it was stated that if you only make a short film for money then it won't be successful so we are doing it with passion. 

2. How are we going to produce it?

First we have to have a business plan in which we outline the budget we will meed and find ways to meet our budget and accommodate to our economic situation. Then everyone in the group will be in charge of different aspects and come together to film. 

3. How are we going to raise money?

Since this is a student film and is only a short film opening, we will have to come up with our own funds mostly out of our own pocket. Since production cost will be low, the need to gather money is not necessary. Most of the technology used we already have and the sets will be places around the city. We might ask pitch

our ideas to our parents to see if they will help with funds. 

4. Marketing 

Through the use of social media I believe we can advertise of film opening to get people interested. I also believe that were can show our friends and teachers around school and play our film opening in class for other classmates to see. 

 Research: Narrative action and Enigma Codes

Today we learned about the importance of action and enigma codes in a narrative. 

According to Roland Barthes, a narrative has to follow a sequence of events for it to be successful. In order for this to be possible enigma and action codes are used. 

Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqdhrdm/revision/4

 https://media-studies.com/action-enigma-codes/

1. Enigma Codes: Enigma codes is the way in which a media form raises a question, and later on reveals the truth. 

It is a way to tease and grab the audiences attention since information is withheld from the audience. 

Enigma codes can usually be seen in media forms like a newspaper headline or click bate from a YouTube video. Usually used in mysteries or thriller films to slowly revealing clues to the audience. 

    

For example, in the movie Don't Worry Darling, small clips of "reality" are shown through the movie as the characters are in a idealized community, hinting towards the audience that something wrong is happening but not telling them why. 

In this YouTube video, the thumbnail uses an enigma code by posing a question but not revealing an answer until you click it, conspiracy theory. 

2. Action codes: Action codes are used in specific plot points in which the audience builds up suspense because they want to know the outcome of something. 

This usually happens during fight scenes where the audience is in suspense to know who is going to win. Action codes can also be a simple action like the dropping of a pen or a creaking of a door to create the suspense of the audience. 

For example, in this final fight scene in Enola Holmes 2, Enola and Tewksbury are in different fights, making the audience feel the suspense of who is going to win. When Enola gets stabbed with the fake knife, it leaves the audience on the edge of their seats until we find out that the knife was not real. 

in this scene from A Quiet Place, suspense is built when the simple action of a picture frame falling creates suspense for the audience since the noise attacks the monster. 

After researching the different types of codes used to create narrative, I was able to understand how they can add meaning towards a media form. For my final project, I now would like to use an action code when the murder opens a bag of chips when everything else around him is quiet, adding suppose to the scene. 

 Research: Narrative- Main component of a strong narrative 

Today we learned what narrative is. Narrative is the way a story is constructed or place together to create the most accurate meaning. 

There are theories that come with narrative 

1. Traditional narrative theory 

This theory identifies a narrative that follows a certain order every time. The theorist Tzvetan Todorov said that a narrative moves in chronological order. Meaning that one action follows another. 

This table from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqdhrdm/revision/3, shows the order in which a narrative happens in a traditional narrative 

This means that the narrative starts without any conflict, peace, then something interrupts that comfort. After that, there is a journey to restore the peace, there is a climax or an important event that lead to the resolution of the interruption. 

Some of the typical movies that follow this traditional narrative could be Christmas movies. 

For example The Princes Switch would follow this narrative

 

2. Unconventional Narratives 

This theory of narrative is the opposite of a traditional narrative, the stories do not follow a specific cycle and can go off track form the chronological order. 

This can include flash forwards and flashbacks. 

For example the movie Coda is an unconventional narrative since there was no clear equilibrium at the beginning of the film. 

Depending on the type of movie genre, a different narrative could be used. For example mysteries or movies directed towards younger audiences follow traditional since it is easier to follow. 

Action, dramas, or horrors usually take an unconventional route to add complexity towards they story.

Today I learned the importance of choosing a narrative depending on your genre and how narrative is what makes a story come together in a logical way. 

 Research:Sound Editing 

Today in class we learned about the effect that sound has on media and how it is edited. 

First we looked at the effect that sound has on the audience

Different types of sounds add meaning to a film, for example in horror film eery and creepy ,music is played to showcase the suspense, or during sad scenes melancholic music and sound is played. 

Some sound elements of sound include: 

 Harmony: the combination of multiple musical motes in a cord

 dissonance: no harmony within musical notes, clashing of notes

 discordance: no agreement or consistency

 Rhythm: a pattern of movement of sound

 pitch: the quality and vibrations of sound, high and low levels of tone 

and many more

Definitions from: https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

These different sound elements combine to add meaning to media. 

In the opening scene of Aladdin 2017, through the rhythm of the sound that flows and has different pitches on the deeper side, it gives a mysterious tone to the opening scene, intriguing. 

In certain media text there is diegetic which is sound coming from the media and non diegetic sound which is added to the media. 

For example in this scene from Top Gun Maverick, the music playing is non diegetic and the sound from the planes is diegetic sound 

Foley sound is sound effects that are created to enhance drama, for example, footsteps, heavy breathing or even gunshots. 

these sounds are edited together through different cuts 

L- cut: sound from previous scene continues through next scene 

J- cut: Sound from next scene starts playing through previous scene 

Source: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/how-to-edit-videos-l-cuts-and-j-cuts/

In this opening scene from Black Panther, the use of a J cut was first introduced as a character was talking while the screen was black and then changing to the next scene. 

All of the different types of sounds are used to set up the mood for the audience and create a deeper understanding to what is happening during a scene. 

 Research: Editing- Purpose of editing and techniques 

Today we discussed the importance of editing and the impact it has over  media, specifically film and TV shows. 

I found my information from https://curriculum-press.co.uk/resources/secondary/media-studies/p2?categoryTopic%5B0%5D=media-language

There are different aspects that add towards editing techniques including: 

- Shots and angles 

- Cuts/transitions 

overview: 

Shots- 

Some sots include extreme shot, over the shoulder shots, close up shots, long shot, medium shot, cowboy shot and many more. 

These shots add meaning to a film or TV show or are used in a way to establish the atmosphere and setting of a scene 

Some shots are done on purpose to let the audience know a deeper meaning behind something or to foreshadow something only the audience will know and the character will later find out, creates a deeper connection with audience

I will use some examples of my favorite shots from a TV show and a Movie that I really enjoyed 

In the TV show "Stranger Things" we get many extreme or establishing shots to show where the characters are located in contrast to their surrounding 

In the movie "Tick Tick Boom" we get a close up of Jonathan Larson's face especially his eyes so the audience can see the stress he is feeling

 

Cuts/Transitions: 

Cuts and transitions are used to put different scenes together and to make them flow in the way the editor wants them to be placed. 

Some cuts and transitions include, fade out, jump cuts, match cuts, dissolve, iris wipe, and many more. 

The shots can demonstrate the passage or moving of time between scenes or it can just be a way to place two scenes together in a continuous way. 

Using examples from some of my favorite movies, I will be showing my personal favorite cuts and transitions used

In the movie "Mamma Mia Here we Go Again," the transition used to show the passing or going back in time from old Donna to young Donna uses a match cut sliding down the stairs 

In the TV show the Vampire Diaries, Jump cuts were used a lot especially during flashback scenes and scenes when the vampires would "run" from one place to another

For example, in these flashback scenes, the jump cuts between flashback and current time are abrupt and un announced, which show the clear mark between the two times

In these scenes, jump cuts are used to show how fast vampires really are and their fast reaction time 

There are two ways in which the passing of time can be shown through editing:

- Continuity editing 

- Elliptical editing 

In continuity editing, the passage of time is alluded without showing everything that happens during the time that passes, it only shows what is necessary for the audience to understand 

this is the most common for of editing 

In this clip from "Legally Blonde", we can see continuity editing being used because it makes the audience feel like the events and conversations are happening in a continuous way, flows smoothly 

In elliptical editing, the passing of time is shown with tension and is used to draw the attention of the audience to what is about to happen

In Spider Man No Way Home, elliptical editing is used to shorten some clips as well as to show tension when a villain is about to drop a bomb or break a window 

From this research, I learned that every shot, angle, cut and transition add significant meaning to a movie or TV show and that each one is made with consideration on how someones else will interpret it. 

Research: Mise-En-Scene, Focus: Costumes

In class, we decided to focus on a specific component of Mise-en-scene and apply it to a certain movie to use as an example. 

The focus that I decided to choose was Costume design. To show how big a role costume design plays, I chose to analyze the costumes in the movie West Side Story, 2021.

West side Story 

Genre:Musical/Romance 

Director: Steven Spielberg 

Costume designer: Paul Tazewell

Source: Vogue:The Deeper Meaning Behind West Side Story’s Dazzling Costumes

The costumes in this movie played a major role since they were representative of not only the time period, but of where the character is from. 

In this interview with the costume dinner Paul Tazewell, he describes how he decided to choose certain designers and fabrics person costume. For example the for the character Rita, her costumers broke the conventions of a typical "old lady" by making her wear pants in the opening scene. 

Since this is a musical, the costumes had to be made with stretchy fabric, since the costumes need to be able to stretch and flow while dancing. 

dress of Maria, dress had to be easy to dance with 

The costumes also had to showcase the time periods of the 50's, but since there are two groups the Jets usually European/American background, and the sharks, immigrants from Puerto Rico, the costumes had to set them apart. 

For the sharks, it had to be considered that the come from "broken homes" and are struggling especially economically.Warmer yellow and gold, tropical prints. 

 The jets wardrobe is "shabbier" with lots of denim and leather, focusing on the color hues blue and blacks. 

The designer had to do much research on the 1950's street style, specifically focusing on gangs and colored pictures to look at the different hues of the clothing

For Anita's dress during the America scene, he wanted to make the dress an extension of what she was doing. The meaning behind the yellow dress was to showcase the energy and joy of being in America. 

Video from America scene, showcasing the yellow dress and how it flows while Anita dances 

From this research, I learned how costume adds meaning as well as dimension to the characters and the story line. I know have a better understanding for my final project on how I should choose the costumes and how it will relate to the message the film opening is trying to convey. 

 Research: What is Mise-en-Scene and its conventions 

Mise-en-Scene is all the aspects on the scenery of media like a movie or a play like lighting, props, costumes, camerawork, sets, and actors. 

These components make up the importance of a scene and can even challenge conventions. 

With the use of mise en Scene, conventions can be challenged by certain aspects of the scenery or of the actor not fitting into the stereotype, while some films fit perfectly into its genre conventions. 

In class we chose a film to demonstrate mise en scene and its conventions

 Enola Holmes 2

Genre: Mystery and action

Props, costumes, and sets: Since this film is based in England during the late 1800, so the costumes demonstrate the typical dresses and suits worn by men and women. 

Corset for women, neutral color suit for men 

The use of matches also played a big role since this was during the match girls strike, and the match factory was a major set that delivered the importance of matches during the movie

Women being detectives of having a mans job at this time challenged the typical convention of men being detectives by having a woman play one

Match factory 

Actors: The movie featured many famous British actors from a range of ages appealing to different audiences depending on age. For example Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Cast/movie poster

Camerawork: During fighting scenes the camera would usually use a wide angle shot to showcase the whole fight scene. In particular, the dancing scene with Enola and Tewksbury uses a series of low angle and close up shots to show the tension the have while dancing. 

Millie Bobby Brown describes in this interview shot by shot the dancing scene in her film as well as describing important shots and angles placed for certain effects. For example she explained the significance of the two candles landing between them dancing representing their love and connection.

 Planning: Final project brainstorm

In class today, we got together in our groups to plan the final two minute film opening. 

The first step we took was decide who was going to do what. 

Roles:

Valentina: Assistant Director, Casting director, screenplay, producer


Fabiana: Director, screenplay, storyboard, producer


Francesca: Sound, Editing, Makeup, Costumes, Camerawork, producer 

After diving the roles we started to brainstorm ideas of what the film opening was going to be like:

Description: A guy in a gasoline store gets chips, standing in a corner looks at garbage man taking out the trash, blood drips from bag and some body part falls out, eye contact between the two characters, man with chips runs away. 

We decided to do a thriller film opening because we thought it would be the most exciting and interesting one to film 

We now need to decide where we will film it and who our cast will be. 

The story is still being re arranged and changed as we elaborate and think of new ideas.