Obstacles

 Hello blog over the weekend me and my group began shooting and we will continue to so this week blogs will mainly focus on our filming.

Our first day of filming began at my partner Candelaria's house. We originally planned to film on Saturday however we ran into some scheduling conflicts. One of our group members, Ariana was urgently called to work due to an emergency so she was not able to film. In addition to this, our other member, Emma got grounded for the weekend so she also could not attend any filming day. With two out of four out, we changed our filming day to Sunday. 

Filming on Sunday went by really well. Thankfully, no challenges occurred during filming, however we had some issues with the props. One of the main props we will incorporate in our project is the calendar. Originally, I had a mainly blank calendar we were going to use, but my mom ended up getting rid of it. With the filming shortly starting, I quickly ran to Dollar Tree, and I jumped up and down with joy when I  found a calendar since they are rather hard to come by after January. I also gave some of my medals to be used as props, which was always fun since I got to go down memory lane! Once the props arrived, everything went nicely.

As for day #2, which was in the gym, it was extremely stressful. Originally, my gym had something called "Open Gym" which allows individuals to simply roam around the gym and use all of the equipment. However, one of the owners informed us there won't be an Open Gym this week. I and my co-worker and partner, Ariana in person went and asked the owner of the gym if there was any possible day we could use the equipment and luckily he said yes to filming on Friday night. But once again, since we changed the days, originally our actor Camila would be unable to help us film that day. To overcome this obstacle  I asked around my old teammates who could help and thankfully my good friend Valeria said yes! With this, we secured our actor and setting!

Of course, another obstacle occurred. Valeria could only stay for half of our filming time. On top of that, my partners were running late, so I tried to film as much of Valeria as possible. Thankfully beforehand,, we ensured that we wore similar clothes so we tried to do all the tricks we could. However, we had to make quick changes from one actor to another for the right black shirt. I work on Friday so I had only my uniform to go by not a black shirt. So yes we lost some time switching outfits but I feel it was worth it in the end. In addition to this, we forgot to bring a knee brace to the gym. However, we decided that we can filming Gianna wrapping up her knee with tape at home, before coming in to secretly train. We were stressing so badly because we forgot one of the most important props, but I feel as if it will turn out well, despite not showing the brace, but the tape underneath the leggings before walking in. 

Filming Day 1

 Hey Cambridge! This blog will be dedicated to our Day 1 filming. 

Over the weekend we tackled our first day of filming. We were missing one member due to some circumstances but we still got the job done, so I am really proud of me and my group! Ariana will be playing Gianna in this film's opening.

We began by filming Gianna arriving home. We used one of our group members' car, (Ariana) to showcase this occurrence. We attempted to use an actual film camera since Candelaria has one, but due to the darkness, it was rather difficult to truly see Gianna and what was being shown off-camera. My group and I ended up using our phones to film the scene. For this shot, we included the following shots: long and media, low angle, and a tracking shot. The medium and long shots were utilized when the car was pulling up into the driveway and then the low and angle and tracking shot for when Gianna was walking into her house. 

Once we got inside, we used Candelaria's camera to film the rest of the house/room shots. The camera enabled us to have much smoother close-ups and generally better quality. Gianna places her bag down and walks up the stairs, and the viewer sees this from a low angle.  Then, we see the calendar with the various appointments with doctors or physical therapists. This emphasizes Gianna's need for medical attention. In order to show the days passing by, Ariana (Gianna) switched into many different colored shirts to illustrate the different days, that we showed with close-ups. Then Gianna receives a message from her coach, this shot was created with a handheld camera and a mid shot of her laying down on her bed. After we transition to Gianna switching to her desk, going through a ton of papers with a close-up on her grades, highlighting her poor performance in academics. She then finds the consent paper for a gymnastics competition and we zoom in on the title to inform the audience of the context of this paper. The use of extreme close-ups shows how she ignores the rules of the competition of being injured and begins filling the paper out. However, there is a knock at the door and we shot various times of Gianna scrambling the papers around her desk, in an attempt to hide the consent form, truly captivating the secrecy Gianna has. 

Throughout our filming day, we mainly avoided excessively using the same shots such as backshots which we frequently used beforehand and of course, we overshot a ridiculous amount. This includes our Day1! of filming!

Here are some photos: 

Mice-en Scene #2 (Setting)

 Hey Cambridge! Every story has a setting and it plays a very crucial role, so this post will be dedicated to the setting of my film opening!

A setting is the time and place of a narrative world, whether it is fiction or not. Since a setting can be anywhere, as long as it has a time and place, it only matters how it influences a story. The setting can: reflect something (about characters or their situation), prove a point, or just be there to prove a point. In my film opening, we want to take a more realistic approach and it will have two settings. Gianna's room, and the gym. As for the gym, I have asked permission from my boss and we got it! Here is what the gym looks like: 

This opportunity to use the equipment will be amazing since it only makes sense since it is a movie about gymnastics and our main character's journey. We will get to show Gianna's true talent with gymnastics and I cannot wait to bring this to life next week!

Our other setting is Gianna's room. Someone's room will say a lot about the kind of person they are. Gianna is a teenager who is obsessed and in love with her sport, gymnastics so we will use some elements to portray this. For instance, we will display my old gymnastics medals around her room to illustrate the amount of skill she has and how successful she is. In addition to this, we will put up photos of famous gymnasts like Simone Biles on her walls. Due to Gianna's poor performance in school, we will also place school work with visible grades (bad ones) on her desk all scrambled out to show her lack of care for academics. These aspects enable the audience to gain a deeper understanding of Gianna, creating context and further heightening their engagement with the film. 

Why is a setting important?

The setting shapes the way the audience experiences the narrative. A setting that is well-chosen and developed will overall enhance the mood you are trying to give off. Whether it is an eerie scene, using dim lighting and weather would aid in portraying that, meanwhile, in a comedy it typically would be the opposite with vibrant colors and bright lighting. The setting also aids in character development and their actions since each setting provides its own unique challenges the character(s) must face. As stated previously, the setting can reinforce themes, symbolize specifics, or simply help tell the story proving the crucial role it plays in filmmaking. Overall, having a well-made setting that accurately portrays the film, can enhance the audience's engagement and leave a longer impression on them. 

Abreu, R., Rafael Abreu                                                                                                                                                                                Rafael Abreu received his M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York Univ, & Rafael Abreu received his M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University. He’s written reviews. (2022, December 4). Setting examples - how to use time and place in Film & lit. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/setting-examples/#:~:text=A%20setting%20is%20the%20time,widely%20from%20work%20to%20work.

Audio

 Hey blog, welcome back! We are soon to transition into the filming and editing process, and hopefully, everything will turn out well. With that said, this blog won't be about filming but about audio. 

In a film, sound is one of the most important factors. There are many things sound does to a film, such as adding dimension, emotional impact, providing information on characters, and assisting viewer perception. In general, sound complements the visuals. Without sound, the popular films we know and love today would not be what they are.

Sound techniques:

One sound technique I plan on incorporating is diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is sound that exists in the narrative world. It typically uses sounds from the environment, dialogue, and sounds made from onscreen objects. For instance, we could use diegetic sound to show the sound of the equipment rumbling under her feet as she jumps and lands. Another way we could use diegetic sound is the chatter in the gym as she trains. These examples would help create the setting and atmosphere of the opening, creating further context within the film. 

Another technique I will utilize is a sound bridge. A sound bridge is used to transition from one scene to another. I want to use this sound technique to switch from Gianna's training to her at home secretly signing up when she hears a knock. The sound of her landings will be used to create a similar rhythm to the knocking at the door. This would ensure a smooth switch from one setting to another, making sure the audience does not get lost along the transition of scenes. 

Background Music: 

Background music is used to create a mood, tell a story, or convey a message. In my film opening, while Gianna is training, I want to use a song that is sort of upbeat. The reason is that I want to emphasize her dedication and the joy she has for gymnastics. I have looked for some copyright-free songs and my favorite one that I came by is Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps. Unless I find a more suitable song, I am certain that this is the chosen one.

Foley: 

Foley is a form of art. You need to be very creative and have good timing to effectively create an accurate foley sound. Foley artists create sound(s) in a studio which is paired with a visual on-screen in a studio. Foey sounds are recorded separately and usually use strange objects. For instance, crab legs were used to create the sounds of the monster from the film A Quiet Place (2018). 

I want to incorporate some foley sounds for my opening and I have some ideas for what specific sounds I should do. The grips that the gymnast has on will be put on, and they contain e metal rings so we could do a foley using keys or rings to use the sound of the metal. Another sound we could make is the dropping of the gym bag. Maybe hitting a book or something of similar material would create the same sound. Finally, we could make the sound of Gianna's landings from her skills. We could create this by hitting a soft mat with the same force as you would when you land.

Overall, I am excited to use sound to elevate my film opening, allowing it to create a specific mood, including more context, or simply emphasizing the setting!

Mice-en scene #1 (props)

 Hey blog recently, I have been considering the kinds of props I will use in my film opening. This blog will be about props! 

I know that when the gymnast is training on bars, she will have grips on. There are many different levels of gymnastics, and once you reach the higher levels, more equipment is required for purchasing. Some things would be of course grips and Tiger Paws. These simply aid the gymnast while doing more challenging skills. In addition, chalk will be used to make a cloud and then our opening title will appear. 

Grips

Tiger Paws (wrist support)

The main reason why I wanna use these (at least the grips) is because I want the audience to understand how talented she truly is at gymnastics. You might wonder, oh just show her doing skills, but I simply want to expand beyond that and not show someone just flipping for an entire minute and thirty seconds. The goal of my film opening is to keep my audience engaged, and wanting more. 

Another prop we would have is a calendar. I want to be able to show how much Gianna truly trains. Some details like doctor appointments for her injury or the big competition day scheduled will emphasize her dedication to the sport while developing further context on the main character's injury. I think the calendar will allow us to show how much time is passing with her training while injured, preparing for the competition secretly. 

We will also be using school papers with poor grades, along with a sign-up sheet for a gymnastics competition. In the opening, Gianna will be secretly signing up for a competition, but as she's signing up her mom knocks on her door and she quickly hides the sign-up sheet in the mess of her assignments. The poor grades will emphasize her desperation for the scholarship since her academic career is not going so well. 

Finally, we will use a knee brace. The brace will show that Gianna has an injury on her knee that is still in the healing process. Her training regardless of her injury will help establish her character as someone who is very stubborn and dedicated to her commitments. 

I am excited to see how all of these props work to help elevate my film opening! 

Character Development- Meet Gianna

 Hey, blog, week #4 of my Project Portfolio has begun!  I had a nice long weekend and am ready to get back on track and keep moving forward. 

Naming Process!

When my group and I began pondering names, we began looking at popular baby names from the 2000s. The reason why is because the story takes place in 2024, so we wish to have our main character have a known first name and she was born in the 2000s so that is where we began diving. The main character is a Latina girl. She lives in the United States today, but she has roots in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Due to this, we delved into some popular last names from Venezuela to accurately portray her. With this research in mind, we drew up the name: Gianna Diaz! 

Here are some charts we found:

 Gianna's Character Traits

  As for Gianna's personality, she is a very stubborn teenager and dedicated to gymnastics. Gianna has been training ever since she was a little girl, truly emphasizing her love for the sport. However, she had an unfortunate injury causing her to put a pause on her hard work. Due to her mentality, Gianna simply goes against the advice her mentor gives her and trains regardless of worsening her injury. Her obsession with gymnastics causes her to have poor relationships with others and poor grades. This will be illustrated through the lonely tone in the film caused by the shots only containing Gianna. Throughout the film, she overcomes the challenges everyone doubted her on, and eventually meets her goal! As the film progresses, her life becomes filled with more people and just success overall. At the end of the film, Diaz learns a crucial lesson of learning to balance both hard work and rest, to efficiently achieve her future goals.

Storyboard

 Through the countless projects I have done in AICE Media, I have learned the importance of a storyboard. They are basically the blueprint and it helps you get all your ideas into one clear picture, making the filming process much smoother. From props to lighting, to costume design the list is endless. Storyboards also help you forecast technical difficulties which can be avoided then, saving money and time. In my class, we got the chance to either create our storyboard, or our script first and I am personally more of a visual kind of person, so naturally I chose to do the storyboard first.

Here is my storyboard: 

 

I have explained and elaborated upon my plot in the previous blog post so check it out! 

Vakhti n, Dmitry. “The Art of Storyboarding: Enhancing Script Breakdown and Pre-Production in Filmmaking - Filmustage Blog.” Filmustage, 29 June 2023, filmustage.com/blog/the-art-of-storyboarding-enhancing-script-breakdown-and-pre-production-in-filmmaking/.

            https://filmustage.com/blog/the-art-of-storyboarding-enhancing-script-breakdown-and-pre-production-in-filmmaking/

Project Idea

 Hi Cambridge! In my AICE media class today, I sat down with my group, (Arianna, Cande, and Emma) and pondered about our plot. We know 100% that we want to do a sports drama related to gymnastics. It was rather difficult to figure out the plot however since we really want to hook the audience in, and not make it boring. Since we know the genre I can tell you guys about the plot!

With this in mind, we plan to show a gymnast, with an ongoing knee injury who trains regardless of this. She does not have anything else in her mind besides gymnastics, she even has a great amount of apathy for school. We will emphasize her compassion for gymnastics through her room decor and her strength to train even with her injury. The countless medals and posters of star gymnastics, the rough hands from continuous training on bars, and many other elements will aid in portraying her character. Her overprotective mother and strict coach want her to stay off her injured knee and simply relax. However, the gymnast's ambition for gymnastics does not allow her to so she constantly is training. The real turning will be a big competition coming up which she constantly practices for (secretly) and she signs up behind her mom's and coach's backs. The plot will leave the audience wondering if she will get away with applying to the competition and if she will succeed, despite her injured knee. I feel like with this plot, I will have great opportunities to develop character and engage my audience with my film!

The plot illustrates the gymnast's internal battles, which is the main idea of this plot. Many gymnasts have internal battles every day, so we want to make the main character as relatable as possible. I recently watched some gymnastic films and I was inspired by these two.

Full Out (2015)

A 2nd Chance (2002)

Group Meeting #1 Reflection

 Hey, blog! In my Aice Media class, we were assigned to random groups to discuss all of our portfolio projects. My group members were, Sergio, Keyla, Pedro, and Tiziana. 

Sergio shared his idea first. He is thinking of doing a sports drama just like me but with bodybuilding. His main character is inspired by Batman. The individual is a student in a medical program, and they have been diagnosed with a disease. I felt that it would be a great idea to have the main character be the one who narrates the story, and he thought it was a neat idea! We thought it would be a great way to develop character, while still having that ""btaman" kind of inspiration. This would allow the audience to understand the main character more, developing the mood and tone of the film's opening. 

Then I shared my idea, and I am still trying to figure out what the plot of mine should be. Yes, I love the idea of gymnastics but I do not want it to be boring and generic. I was trying to get feedback on that, however, all my group members were at a dead end. I will definitely be thinking of some ideas though, mainly to be different!

Keyla went on, and she wanted to do a film opening about a girl in the 18th century. She went on about costume design, and I hope she has good luck finding those kinds of long dresses! She was very inspired by the film "Emma"'s film opening I believe and wants it to be very aesthetic, and floral. I thought maybe having her run in a big field with the sun shining would be a nice touch. At first, she didn't quite catch my vision but as I further elaborated she ended up liking it quite a lot. I love the fact she's doing it back in time and I can't wait to see how her psychological drama comes together! She wants it to be similar to the Truman Show, where the main character notices something off, and throughout the film,m they figure out and solve the mystery. She's struggling to find the sequence of events since she wishes to effectively portray her plot and context to really hook the audience in. I hope she figures out the order and executes her awesome plan!

Here is an idea of what the dress would look like: 

Tiziana went shortly after. She wishes to do something maybe like a mystery with a little sprinkle of thriller. Tiziana's idea included a woman who is seen as innocent but really isn't. She is still figuring out her plot so we were simply shooting ideas like that maybe she is a murderer and is being tracked down and in the end, she really isn't the bad guy. What I found cool is that she wants to film back in time just like Keyla. Maybe around the 1930s which I think is just as difficult to portray but the journey should be fun. I wish her the best of luck to get her plot down and I let her know that if she needs help, I am here for her.

Finally, Pedro went. His ideas were a little shaky since he was unsure of what he wished to do for his film opening. He scratched his original idea which was about a war veteran, but then changed it to a horror film, similar to Keyla's genre of the psychological drama/thriller. He wants to do a paranormal experience but is not fully sure how to completely accomplish that. It was near the end of class, so we unfortunately weren't able to give him a ton of feedback, especially since he had a. vague idea.

All of my group member's blogs looked great and I definitely took inspiration from some of the things they did and will be implementing them into my future blogs! I am glad I had this opportunity to share my ideas and listen to others as well! It helped me feel less overwhelmed since my fellow classmates are going through the same process as me!

Here is a picture of me in the group: 

Media Theory

 Hello! I am back and will discuss and research a specific media theory that I wish to integrate into my portfolio project. The theory I chose is... the Character Theory by Vladimir Propp. He says that characters can be classified into specific roles, and Propps argues that there are seven types of characters. I will go over and provide some details for each one!

Just to add before I explain these character types, they do not have to be actual characters, they can be symbolic elements, objects, or abstract forces too! For my examples, I will be using the Harry Potter series for my examples!

The first one is the Hero or Protagonist: This character is the main character, the one for whom the audience typically roots. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be likable, but the audience should relate to them and their desires/goals. Typically the character has flaws but over the film they conquer them. 

Example: Harry Potter

He is the main character of the series. Harry goes on many adventures and is the hero at the end. The audience roots for Harry Potter from the get-go too.

The Villain or Antagonist: They are usually shown as the "bad guy" or the "bully". A fun fact is that sometimes they are remembered more than the protagonist. The protagonist wishes different things than the antagonist, and the majority of the time, the protagonist is the ultimate winner. 

Example: Lord Voldemort

He is portrayed as evil and is Harry's #1 enemy throughout all the movies. They end up in a huge battle at the end, and their relationship drives the series onward.

The Dispatcher: This character informs the protagonist, of this "emergency" and tells them that they need to leave on their journey ASAP. 

Example: Professor Dumbledore 

Dumbledore introduces Potter to the wizarding world and provides Harry with very important advice and even he is shown helping him defeat Voldemort throughout the movies, through his mentoring and the information he gives Harry.

The Helper: They help the main character on their journey by providing support, but they do not take the spotlight. 

Example: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely

These two are Harry's support system. They have been together since they were little kids and they tag along Harry's journeys and always provide backup.

The Donor: This is the character that aids and prepares the character on their journey, sort of like a mentor.

Example: Hagrid

Hagrid helps Harry out, with many things and is always very kind towards him (showing clear favoritism) such as giving Harry an Owl for his birthday!

The Princess: They are the main character's love interest. However, they cannot have their happily ever after until after the bad guy is defeated. 

Example: Ginny Weasley 

is Harry's love interest and while they do hint and foreshadow their relationship, they do not end up together til the very end, when Voldemort is defeated. 

The False Hero: This character is jealous of the main character. They attempt to go against them, setting traps, and they take the glory for the protagonist's achievements. They aren't the antagonist, but share SOME similar characteristics. 

Example: Draco Malfoy 

Malfoy is clearly shown as someone jealous of Harry. He sees himself as superior compared to Harry and constantly tries to put Harry down either by embarrassing him or his friends. 

I would use this media theory in my project by having some of these character types portrayed in the opening. Our protagonist could encounter a challenge, perhaps an injury, or a traumatic family incident that she will have to overcome throughout the progression of the film. Another idea is for us to introduce other characters briefly such as a coach, who in this case would be the donor, or someone like the false hero, who is jealous of the protagonist and tries to sabotage her, maybe by setting up traps while she's training causing her to injure herself. These are just some ideas but I like the idea of the false hero. 

Cites I visited;

“The 7 Main Character Roles in Film: Ultimate Guide to Archetypes - Arc Studio Blog.” Www.arcstudiopro.com, www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/the-7-main-character-roles-in-film-ultimate-guide-to-archetypes

https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/the-7-main-character-roles-in-film-ultimate-guide-to-archetypes

Heckmann, Chris. “Antagonists Explained and What Makes a Great One.” StudioBinder, 27 Sept. 2020, www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-an-antagonist-definition/

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-an-antagonist-definition/#:~:text=An%20antagonist%20is%20the%20force,protagonist%20needs%20an%20antagonistic%20force. 

“Narrative - GCSE Moving Image Arts (CCEA) Revision.” BBC Bitesize, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zysrrdm/revision/5

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zysrrdm/revision/5

Color Schemes

 Color is one of the biggest things to consider when making a film. Color influences emotion, and tone, boosts storytelling, and character development in films. Different color schemes create different tones, and I want to gain a better understanding of color schemes so I can implement them into my film opening and create a certain tone. I will let you know about my findings! 

Cool Hues: Colors like blue and purple can represent calmness, seriousness, or sadness. I could use cool colors to represent a girl training by herself, early in the morning with dim blue lighting. This would emphasize her seriousness, yet calmness while training. 

Here are some examples of cool hues in films: 

The Revenant (2015)  (picture #1)

In this film, these cool hues emphasize the seriousness of the situation and the character's will to survive. This specific color palette also reflects grief and loss. 

Lost in Translation (2003) (picture #2)

In this film, the colors reflect the character's loneliness and isolation. The sort of "muted" pallet highlights her deep reflection and wish for deep connection. 

Warm Hues: Warmer colors such as red, orange, and yellow give off a sense of warmth, love, and happiness, but can also give off anger and hostility. Typically, filmmakers use warm colors to create something happy and lifting, or something related to anger (two opposites). Concerning my film opening, if I were to use warm hues it most likely would show happiness, maybe when the protagonist overcomes a challenge, or simply a cheerful flashback. 

 

Romeo and Juliet (1996)

The love and compassion Romeo and Juliet have for each other are magnified with the use of warm colors. These colors not only reflect the deep intimacy and love within their relationship but also contrast with their surrounding dangers in the film. 

Titanic (1997)

These colors represent the character's freedom and happiness, symbolizing her newly founded peace. Not only that, but the colors represent the awakening love between Rose and Jack (the two characters) as well!

Through this researched, I have gained a stronger understanding of the deep influence color has on films, from storytelling to reflecting emotions. From cool tones showing calmness and sadness, to warm ones emitting joy or anger. Every color scheme shapes the connection audiences have with a film so it is crucial when creating a film. In regards to my film opening, I will ensure I play and experiment with different color schemes to efficiently give off the tone I desire, whether it is portraying solitude and seriousness or happiness from overcoming an obstacle! 

Here are the websites I visited:

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/cinema-palettes-famous-movie-colors/

https://c-istudios.com/the-psychology-of-colors-in-film-influencing-mood-and-perception/#:~:text=Warm%20colors%20like%20red%20and,emotional%20response%20in%20their%20audience.

Blog Schedule

 Hello Cambridge! This is my layout for the project's schedule. I have 7 weeks to complete this project, and we are currently in week two! Our teacher gave us a schedule for our blogs as well, which I will implement into this schedule.

Week #1 (1/27-2/2): This is the transition to the project, we picked 2 dramas to research and gain more knowledge on. We mainly focus on creating a plot and generating an idea in the sports drama genre. 

Week #2 (2/3-2//9):  Narrow down to one main genre. Research the chosen genre, in film openings looking at techniques and fonts. As the week continues, we need to make an overall layout for the project and then continue researching specific film-making elements.

Week #3 (2/10-2/17): Research media theories and create a blog post that will integrate into our final project. The idea of the project needs to be complete and we need to summarize it in a blog post. In addition, the creation of our storyboard and dialogue should be done and blogged about. 

Week #4 (2/18-2/25): We should begin filming our project and finalize it, with the inclusion of foley sounds or voiceovers. The editing should be started and the first draft should be produced.

Week #5 (2/26-3/5): The first draft will be reviewed and cleaned up. Any re-shoots that need to be done will also be completed. The re-shoots will be to emphasize and improve the pacing and our emotional impact on the audience. 

Week #6 (3/6-3/13): Final revisions for the film will be made. The Creative Critical Reflection will be introduced, and we will edit and finalize the reflection. These two upcoming weeks will be simply focused on cleaning up the finalized production. We will compare the versions and decide on the best one. Then we will begin on the CCR and have it ready for the upcoming week.

Week #7 (3/14-3/21): This week is mainly for catching up if anything was missed or needs to be re-done. There isn't going to be anything new produced unless it is ABSOLUTELY needed.

With this schedule created, I am devoted to staying by this schedule and making sure I stay on task and ensure I have efficient time management. However, I cannot predict every circumstance but I will try my hardest to overcome and accommodate any surprises (knock on wood everything goes smoothly). The one thing that will kill the success of the project is procrastination so I will promise to avoid that at all costs.

In addition, I wrote the first 5 week's blogging schedule on my personal calendar: 

Film Openings Credit Research

 In my film opening, I need to include credits throughout the film. For my film to have a certain aesthetic or vibe, the font and color of the credits need to match the overall color theme. Looking at film openings in my chosen genre, (sports drama), will allow me to understand the techniques the producers used to create their film openings. 

Film Opening #1: An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars (2012)

The film's opening has blue and pink lights emitting through the gymnasium. The credits roll in every new clip, and they have the same pink and blue color scheme. I like the idea of the color scheme, maybe I wouldn't use the same lighting but maybe costume designs. The font they used is a sort of techno style, which goes along with the music they are playing. I think the animation of the credits rolling in is pretty neat as well and definitely will be using that since it will just make the film opening more visually aesthetic and engaging. Unfortunately, the film opening has poor quality so I will not be putting pictures, but here is the URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjNxGiWqeR4

Film opening #2: Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

The credits imminently begin with a football flying and the words popping up afterward. They use a deep orange color, with a sort of skinny font. The orange color represents happiness, confidence, and someone creative. Towards the end, they have the title of the movie, but the "Bend It' is green, and "Beckham" is in black. I really enjoy all the football-related details, such as cleats and the little football being thrown across the screen. Maybe I can try including something gymnastics-related with my film opening! All the little details add a nice cute touch and would build the vibe and mood of the film opening. Here is the URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NysSdbN02co 

Film opening #3: Black Swan

The credits in this film's opening are white and skinny letters. I think the choices represent this well since it shows her fragility. The white font portrays innocence, and purity fitting this specific theme extremely well. The simple nature of the credits goes well with the opening, too much going on with an elegant film makes it tacky. The classical music playing in the background makes this all the more angelic as well. Here is the URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BDTkid65K0

All in all, the font and color would help establish the tone and mood of the film, so it is important to choose wisely. I will be looking at different color schemes to see which ones work the best to aid in portraying the film's opening accurately. One thing I will definitely try implementing is some icon related to gymnastics, like the football in Bend It Like Beckham. 

Film Openings Research

 Hey, I am back Cambridge! Me and my partners decided on a genre and it is going to be.... A SPORTS DRAMA! To gain a better understanding of film openings in this specific genre, I will look at and analyze three film openings.

Film opening #1: The Blind Side (2009)

This film begins with a woman narrating a football play. She breaks it down and analyzes each play, pausing and commenting slowly. This enables the audience to gain a little bit of background information in not only football alone but in a specific position, the defender. Then, the woman asks what position pays the most, and shockingly, the second most paid position is the left tackle. The woman goes on to describe the typical characteristics of these kinds of players, and then the main character is introduced. He walks down a street and he has the same qualities, foreshadowing the film. These techniques work together. to inform and foreshadow the film, engaging the audience. A narrative approach would work well with my idea, and it will allow me to establish a character within two minutes in my film opening, so it might be helpful. 

Here is the film opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMLSd6NSuqs

(put picture for film)

Film opening #2: Rocky (1976)

 The film opens with a boxing match in the 70s. Two men are fighting and they use a mix of long and tight shots. The crowd is cheering as they fight, creating tension. During a time-out, the protagonist sits and his coach gives him advice and calms him down. The main character wins the match and the crowd boos afterwards. The camera techniques and the dim lighting create tension, meanwhile the film opening gives information on what the movie will mainly be about. The shots from the crowd make the audience feel like they are part of the spectators which is a cool technique. It would be a little difficult, however, since a crowd requires a big group of people in a small space, which I cannot really do. I enjoy the vibe and the mood the ring makes so maybe if I play with lighting in some shotsin my film opening it will help create a different tone. In addition, maybe including a coach or mentor would aid in storytelling.

Here is the film opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhs9jl3W9P8

(pictures of the film

Film opening #3: I, Tonya (2017)

The film starts off with people who the main character was close with, such as her mother, coach, etc, being interviewed. The Mise-en-scene is bland, and the characters are represented mainly through costume design. Then, they go back 44 years, when the main character was a little girl. They show her ice skating with her mother and the harsh training she went through. This approach overall establishes the context and background. I think the interviews are neat but it would be a little difficult to get that many people to be interviewed. However, what I do think we could do is a scene of the main actor back then when she was little, doing her sport.

Here is the film opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGYfhokQXM

Overall, these film openings inspired me and I will definitely keep these techniques in the back of my mind. Such as the narration, long and close shots, interviews, and going back in time. I like how these techniques will help me build a character or context, for example, the interviews would illustrate what different people think about the main character. (They would be interviewed to tell their story with the protagonist) 

Portfolio Project Genres

Hey Blog! I am back. This week,  I began pondering possible genres or ideas in general, I was bombarded with ideas. However, I concluded that I wanted to do something related to gymnastics, since I was a competitive gymnast for six years and now coach gymnastics. With this in mind, I believe choosing either a coming-of-age film or a drama would suit the idea well. 

Characteristics of a Coming-of-Age:

In a Coming-of-Age film, the main character is underage and typically undergoes a transformation, showcasing the hardships of life. The individual is taken on a journey to improve themselves and towards the end of the film, they are a "new person". These films can cover WIDELY different topics, such as an easy-going romance or something serious like mental health awareness. However, some coming-of-age can do poorly, due to unrealistic or inaccurate expectations. A high-quality coming-of-age film needs to have a clear mission and accurate character representation through things such as mise-en-scene, costumes, character personalities, etc to develop the character(s). The goal is to make the audience cheer for the protagonist on an emotional level. To connect the audience with the character, they need to be represented well. 

Here are some examples of coming-of-age films: 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Characteristics of a Drama: 

Dramas typically have a lot of conflict and a lot of pressure on the main character. Dramas have a very clear plot and are driven by emotionally-driven characters. They basically exaggerate characters and their setting, creating dramatic situations. A good drama film has well-developed characters once again using Mise-en Scene, (costume designs, props, lighting, music, etc) these characters connect with the audience and a well-written plot that is believable, and performed with good acting is crucial to achieve a high-quality drama film. Dramas can discuss various topics like love and family as well. However, if a drama does poorly, it is mainly due to the plot lacking something and/or bad acting.

Here is an example of a Drama:

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Citations: 

https://medium.com/@english_grammar/characteristics-of-drama-2d42c83e9a08

By: Education Help Published: September 10th, 2015 

Title: Characteristics of a Drama 

Date Accessed: January 30th, 2025

https://raindance.org/coming-of-age-genre/#:~:text=Their%20character%20arc%20often%20goes,coming%2Dof%2Dage%20film. 

By: Kathryn Butt 

Published: July 30th, 2018 

Title: What Makes a Coming-of-Age Film? 

Date accessed: January 30th, 2025