Hey Hey Heyyyy!!!! Sorry, it's been a bit since I've updated you guys on my progress, but I am glad to say things are looking up!!! My film opening is basically done, I'm just gonna get a second opinion from a friend, but all is looking well. I wanted to show some BTS with my friend that I think is quite hilarious. 

I also wanted to talk about a tiny issue we ran into. All I'm going to say is that I HATE mud with a passion, and I don't understand why of all days it chose to be in the exact spot I needed to film at. Other than that slight bump, we were also in a battle against time. By the time we finished, it was dark, and all the bugs were eating us ALIVE, AND I'M NOT EXAGGERATING.

Here is a clip of us after!! More from me next time!!

 

 Question #1 CCR

Hello, my supportive readers!! Today I'll be showing you all some of the research I've done for the first Creative Critical Reflection question. "How does your product use or challenge conventions, and how does it represent social groups or issues?" 

Challenging Conventions

 Josephine and Kat follow the teenage conventions in films in different ways.

Josephine goes along with the typical teenage dirtbag aesthetic.

Rodrik Heffley from the Diary of a Whimpy Kid franchise is an amazing example. He is a drummer in his own band, he bullies his younger brother, he wears eyeliner and darker clothes, and he stands out as a weird kid in high school. Although he is a relatively comedic character, his "look" is what Josephine embodies. 

Kat wears lighter colors and is very optimistic.

 Cher from Clueless takes the newcomer in their school under her wing and tries to help her. She's dependable, upbeat, not judgemental and is a very likable person. Meeting new people and making conversation comes naturally. She knows how to work the room, and she is just a people person. Cher is the perfect way to visualize Kat, especially as a teenager. 

Representing social groups or issues

The coming-of-age film Thirteen is what many people associate teenagers with. They are seen as rule breakers, unvalidated feelings, reckless, not emotionally mature, the list could go on. Josephine starts out following that path until Kat walks into her life. Many earlier coming-of-age films gave a one-dimensional message. They played into typical teenage stereotypes and followed the same format for every movie.

"Early coming-of-age movies were primarily about sex, drugs, and alcohol, with comedic moments exploiting gender and race. For example, 1978’s rom-com Grease transforms its female lead, Sandy, from shy and innocent into leather-clad and cigarette-smoking so she can better fit in with her boyfriend’s clique. By its end, Grease presents a one-dimensional message: teens must dress and act a certain way to be accepted." -Tegwyn Hughes (2018)

I made the choice to have Josephine wear dark colors and dark, messy makeup that went along with these social norms, yet the difference is that Josephine will end up changing later in the film for the better. Until next time, everyone!!!

Hughes, T. (2019, July 8). What the evolution of coming-of-age movies means for representation. The Queen’s Journal. https://www.queensjournal.ca/what-the-evolution-of-coming-of-age-movies-means-for-representation/

 Group Meeting #2

Hey guys! In today's class, we had another group meeting!! The last one was very helpful, and this was no different. In my group today were Abrielle, Clara, Isabella, Mateo, and Vanessa. We spoke about our production process, obstacles, and our ideas for the CCR while also giving each other feedback and advice. 

Some people in my group were a bit farther than I am, which gave me motivation to speed up the process on my film, and it also gave me some insight and inspiration on how others were doing on their progress. 

Here we are all together!!

Initially, I hadn't had an idea for my CCR that would tie into my film successfully. Yet an idea given by one of the people in my group was to have the question pop up, or have someone ask the question, and have both the characters, Josephine and Kat, answer the same question, yet at different moments. I really liked the idea and may end up using it if I can't think of a better way to do it. That's some of the advice I was given this time around. I'll see you in my next post!!

 Editing Software

In previous posts, I've stated that I have very basic editing skills, so in order to combat that, I've decided to ensure that all my shots leave me with the least amount of editing.  This also leads me to want to have the simplest time using whatever software I choose. I have a couple of options, yet I need to weigh the pros and cons for each. 

#1: Adobe Express

I have used this for past projects, and it was fairly easy to use. The controls are easy to find and adjust to your liking. This is a possible choice because of the easy controls and how accessible it is to me. This was also one of the first software programs to be introduced to me when I first began this class. 

#2: Clip Champ

This is a software that I am most acquainted with due to the fact that most of my projects were successfully completed on this software. Like Adobe Express, it is easy to use, and the controls are very straightforward. The only difference is that Clip Champ can do a bit more and is at a bit of a higher level, in my opinion. This software can also be easily accessed since it is provided by my school, and there are videos on YouTube that can further explain if I have any questions or just want to learn about more of the controls. 

 

As you can see, I am more acquainted with ClipChamp, so this will most likely be the software I use. Not wanting to risk another platform's outcome when I know that ClipChamp produces great quality videos may be in my best interest and in the best interest of my opening. 

 Production Post 

In a previous post, I have talked about having inspiration from Call me by Your Name and in that film, it takes place in Italy, and obviously, Italy is a very beautiful place, has a lot of beautiful things, amazing scenery and in order to capture that, I have taken into account, that the weather is going to play a big role in my film.

For a couple of scenes, I want the weather to be clear as day and to have the rustling leaves from the wind and just that feel of a fresh new day in order to contrast the tragedy that had just taken place. So, I've taken a couple of clips, and I have been going back and forth on where I would like to place them within my film, but they will most likely take place in the beginning and then right before Josephine and Kat meet.

So here are some of those clips. 

These clips that capture the essence of a breath of fresh air need to be included in order to contrast the recent traumatic event that happened to Josephine. This type of juxtaposition is essential in coming-of-age films, especially for teens. Teenage life is full of ups and downs and is often represented in the small details. 

 Company Logo

Hello everyone!! In today's post, I will be creating my company logo. I have a template that represents me well, yet the only obstacle now is the name. I have a couple of ideas yet, but I haven't decided which will fit best. 

An idea that I've seen done is to have a random word generator choose the main "word" for the company name. I've also seen people use something sentimental to them and turn that into their name, or they just use their name.

If I were to take the sentimental approach, I would use my first dog's name. Her name was Chance, and she was a rotwhiler, yet everyone called her Chancie. My company name would be "Chance Studio," and I would have to see it in different fonts to weigh out which one makes more sense. Some templates I'm looking at are as follows: 

#1

#2 

#3

The other option is to go with my name or a variation of my initials. Although a bit basic it has the ability to really enhance the opening. 

As I am weighing out my options and considering what's best, I will update you all on what conclusion I come to. In the meantime, I will be starting to post more about the production process of my film. 

 Audio

Hi! This post may be shorter, but it's for good reason. My idea for audio is quite simple in my head because half of my audio will be dialogue, and the other half will be classical music. In my post about my script, the only moments of non-diegetic sound are when the montage of photos happens and after Josephine and Kat finish talking in the second-to-last scene. There will also be Foley elements incorporated, but that will most likely take place in the bedroom scene, which is the final one. 

Music ideas:

#1: The seasons, Op.37a: No. 6, June Barcarolle - Fazil Say

The instruments in the beginning are very somber and reflect well on the emotions I'm trying to convey.

#2: Experience by Ludovioco

The tempo starts off relatively slow and then begins to pick up. In the middle, the tempo reaches its climax and then settles again. If I were to use this song, it would definitely be more towards the beginning before the songs pics up. 

#3 November by Max Richter

This song starts to pick up by the minute mark, and so far, this seems like the most likely of songs that I may choose. This song feels so deep, almost as if it touches your soul. 

 

Mis-en-scene #2

Hello once again!! This post will focus on my props and certain lighting techniques I may want to incorporate into my film.

Props

In my first scene, a red rose i seen droping infront of the feet of Josephine. This is an important element because it's used to signify the passing of her father. Red roses are common in funeral type scene since it is a typical thing to do at funerals. 

My next prop is old family photos/trinkets. In a previous post I made about the credit scene and a specific one from the film Call Me by your name made a beautiful choice that foreshadowed what was to come. There was a montage of photos of old Greek-type statues, and I want to use that idea, but instead of statues, they will be family photos. 

An alarm clock is the last prop I intend to use, and it's just to show the time of Josephine waking up late for school. Teenagers in films are represented as disorganized and lazy, but due to a tragic event that Josephine has just gone through, it makes a bit more sense for her to be out of it. 

Lighting

Ive have done a previous post about lighting and how it plays a big part in my film. To remind everyone, my idea and maybe add a bit more to my idea for Josephine is to keep her shown in darker lighting to mirror her life and emotions. To show Kat she will be in brighter lighting, and when she and Josephine are introduced, she will be like the light that walked into Jospehines life. The shots of the family photos and the trinkets the inspiration stems from the film Call Me by Your Name.

Mise-en-scene #1

Hello everyone!!! Coming back to our next update: mise-en-scene, specifically location and costumes. Every choice made in every film is made with the intention of enhancing the purpose and helping the development move more smoothly. All of my next documented choices will fall in line with this philosophy. 

Locations!

Possible Location #1: Neighborhood park

This is one of the easiest accessible locations to me since it's in my neighborhood and is also very big, which leaves room for different shots in the same place. It also helps develop the theme of teens going to a place that reminds them of their childhood, especially considering what one of my characters is coming out of. 

Possible Location #2: Backyard

 In the very first scene, we see the feet of Josephine, and I wanted to keep the location in order to enhance the shots quatlity. I feel as though since it's in the comforto my own home, I will have more of the creative liberty to make it very visually appealing. 

Possible Location #3: My room

The final scene is of Josephine waking up for school and realizing that she's late. Her room will be messy and disorganized to mirror the way her life feels at that moment. People's bedrooms usually show the audience who the character is and it is almost a glimpse into their mind. A teenager is not always perfect, and they tend to stick to what makes sense to them,m even if it doesn't make sense to everyone else. 

Costumes!

(clothing + makeup)

Josephine

A 17-year-old teenager who feels as if it's her against the world. She feels completely alone, and her clothing should represent that. For the funeral type scene, she would be wearing a variation of a long black dress with her makeup running down her face to represent crying/sadness. She'll have messy hair and an almost teenage dirtbag aesthetic. 

Kat

She is sunshine in a human body. Where she walks, flowers grow. Her character is bright, so her clothes being light colors only makes sense. She would fit into the category of "clean girl aesthetic." Her hair will be perfect, she has light, almost natural makeup, and she's always smiling. 

Overall, my locations and choices for my characters make sense and will come across the way I want to in my vision. In my next post, I will definitely go into more depth about how lighting will also be playing a huge part in this. I have not done a post like this yet, but I want to elaborate more, considering I now have more information that will come into play. 

Character Development

 

Charactersssss!!!!!  This might be one of my favorite posts since I adore character growth/creation. I also love the challenge of making and developing a character of my own. I understand this may be a bit difficult since I won't have much time to develop a full view of my character, and also because I want to ensure that the way I envision them comes across well to my audience. 

I've stated previously that I based my protagonist (Josephine) on Maren from Bones and All, and also myself and my other character (Kat) on Lee from Bones and All and my best friend, Kailyn. Both of them are teenagers, aged 17, and in most films, teenagers are perceived as moody or lazy and incapable of understanding their own feelings. Teenagers' feelings are most of the time invalidated by adults because they are "too young to have problems".

One of the perfect representations of this is the film Thirteen (2003)

Tracy starts off her film as a sweet and innocent girl in middle school. She is then introduced to "popular girls," and she becomes one of them by acting out and trying to present herself as older. Her mother doesn't understand why she's acting out and begins to act dismissively towards her as a response. She doesn't understand her daughter's emotions,s which leads them to begin yelling at each other and only worsens Tracy's behavior. 

Josephine just lost her father and chooses to be alone, and kind of give up on her own life. The difference that I want to make between Tracy and Josephine is that when Tracy got a new friend, she went down a dark road, but when Josephine makes a new friend, she is pulled into a light road instead of a dark one. 

Maren is determined in the face of misery and decides how she doesn't want her life to be. She is strong and driven to the point that her darkness won't catch up to her, and Lee helps her even when she feels like it's too much and she wants to give up. 

Kat is that guiding light just like Lee. Kat is the pushing force behind Josephine, and to be able to properly convey that, I might need to change the way it's usually done in other films. 

The mis-en-scene will play a huge part in how my characters are perceived. Things such as costuming, lighting, props, and other stuff of that nature will either make or break this film. I will go more in-depth in later posts about all of my creative ideas and where they come from, until next time everyone!!

Script/ Storyboard

Hello again!! After finalizing my film idea I went straight into writing my script. I wanted a clear visual on what each scene would be and I though it best to write a script since my drawings aren't the best and probably wouldn't make musch sense. 

Here is the final script: 

Herr is the link if the pictures aren't clear -Looking Ahead Script

 Project Idea and Major Inspiration

Hello again! I believe I have a clear idea of what my film is and where my ideas come from. Things can and may change, but this is the plan I will most likely follow because it fits my vision of what I'm trying to do. 

Film Summary:

Josephine feels like her world is ending. She just lost her father to cancer, and she's never felt more lost. She's only in her junior year of highschool and it feels like she has the weight of the world on her back. Preparing for college and focusing on the future seemsimpossiblee at a time like this. She tells herself that being alone is the way she likes, yet in the back of her mind, she prays for someone to save her, or at least be there to listen. 

Kat is a ray of sunshine and lights up any room she walks into. During Josephine's darkest time, Kat comes into her life and turns it right-side up. When Kat finds Josephine alone,e she decides that they will become friends and go through this thing we call life. 

Inspiration:

Maren - Bones and all (2022)

Maren was forced into her loneliness after her father decided he couldn't handle her anymore. She's fine for a while, but then she decides to try to find her mom. She set out completely alone and was determined to find out why. Why did her mom leave her? Why was there never an explanation? Why wasn't enough? All of a sudden, a boy named Lee comes into her life, and her perspective on life changes. Lee has always been a wanderer. He goes through life by taking it one day at a time and rolling with the punches. He sees the world for what it is and decides to see it with the glass half full. When their worlds collide, something beautiful blossoms from their messy and complicated love. 

The characters alone are verycomplex, and their relationship is even more complicated. Their story is raw and honest, and you can tell they have a lot behind them from the moment they are introduced to the film. That's the kinda character I want to achieve. In a previous post, I spoke more in depth about character development,pment but I hope my emphasis on it will be able to be conveyed in my film. 

Brianna - Me! 

Another huge inspiration for my character Josephine is me. I did lose my father to cancer my freshman year of highschool and it did turn my world upsidown. I fell into the habit of convincing myself that Idestinedstine to be alone, but then one of my most cherished friendships walked into my life and changed the way I viewed everything. My best friend Kailyn is the inspiration for the character Kat. Everything I said about Kat holds true about Kailyn, and I am eternally grateful to her. 

Our friendship has had its ups and downs, but any and all forms of relationships do. You know the saying "Right person, wrong time", well, in my case, it was right person, right time, and that's the feeling I want to give my characters. After a tragic event in Josephine's life, she meets someone who knows how to spin everything more brightly. 

Cinematography - Call Me By Your Name (2017)

This film, set in Itlay has some of the most gorgeous shots I have personally ever seen. Although they didn't have to try hard because Italy is already a beautiful place, the manner in which the shots were taken definitely enhanced the beauty. The lighting played a huge part in it because in all the shots, if the lighting had been even a bit lighter or a bit darker, the tone would havechanged completelyy, and the story they wanted to convey would not be conveyed in the way it was intended to. 

In my film, I intend to take the lighting aspect as seriously as they did in Call Me By Your Name. My editing skills are relatively basic, and I don't want to have to teach myself how to become a pro in an inadequate amount of time. With that conclusion, my shots will have to be as close as possible to what I envision without having to go through the hassle of editing my film to death. Hopefully everything will go according to plan, but I will definitely watch out for the weather and pray that on my filming days the forecast is clear skies and sunshine!!

Media Theory Incorporation 

Binary Opposition Theory (Levi Strauss): We experience life through the concept of opposites, like good vs. evil, birth and death. This theory relates to narratives where elements of the story are constructed through opposition.

In my film opening i want to introduce the concept of grief in the representation of the opposition of life vs. death. The contrast between the two is very obvious. Although I haven't been too clear on my idea for my film I do know that this is one of the therories that I find most intriguing. 

Coco (2017)

This film follows a young boy named Miguel and his family tree. Music is a big part during this time, especially during "The day of the Dead" (Dia de los Muertos). Miguel somehow ends up on te other side where the dead go and reconects with an uncle that was ostricised from the family for loving music. In the film that living and the dead are both shown and represented in different lights by different people. 

The Book of Life (2014)

This is a great representation of the Binary Opposition theory due to the fact that we get to see all of the phases, life and death, greif and happiness. Characters like Xibalba and La Muerte are direct opposites in the worlds they rule and how they are represented. La Muerte is in a vibrant red dress with and giant hat with candles all around while Xibalba is an acid green with black armor and skulls hanging around him. The juxtaposition is so eveident throughout the entire film.

In an upcoming post I will be going more in depth about what my opening will be about which will help explain why I want to use this theory. In a previous post I've mentioned what my character will be like and what they will represent which will help tie in thie theory. My character development will be my main focus on developing my film and enhance the resoning behind this theory. Experiencing life through opposition is what we do everyday but to be able to convey that in my film would be most satifying. 

Group Meeting

 

Group Meeting!!!

In this meeting, we were able to discuss among our peers about ideas we had for our openings and where we were getting stuck. Another part was being able to give our feedback and suggest things to do better, or what we liked about their idea. 

Names: Brandon, Sebastian, Amelia, Sofia, Abrielle,  Jade

Coming of Age - Drama: Abrielle

An upcoming DJ wants to play at a festival for a prize of sorts, but he is underage and can't get into the club.

Coming of Age:  Sofia

Overview: Girls' last summer before college, but she has a sick mom at home, so she contemplates going to college 

2000's theme 

Mystery: Jade

Title: Static

Overview: Strong Female representation of a woman who wakes up in a hospital and or jail

Location: Use a garage for a look of a jail or just a dark room/environment, An office to represent the present day

Props: hospital gown (going to make it dirty), security guard outfit, flashlight

Suspense: Brandon

Overview/ideas: boy walking home, killer involved, body being dragged, awkward camera angles, bloody rock 

Storyboard in process

Title: The pushover 

Locations: parks, libraries, one of the group members' houses/libraries 

Thriller: Sebastian

Inspiration: Jaws - the vibes and aesthetic, american psycho

The entire experience was very engaging and definitely helpful, especially in my case due to the fact that my idea of what I wanted to do wasn't too clear. I now have a better idea of what direction I want to go in for my opening. The meeting also gave me the persepctive of being able to explain your idea will help the development of your film come across the way you want and see what parts of you ideas need a bit of fixing. It was really fun and insightful and I'm super exited for the next one!!!