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/