Chapter 13: The Lost Plot

 Today, I have created a rough draft of what my plot for the 2-minute opening is going to be. In order to stay under the 2-minute limit, I may need to make some cuts, but for the most part, I think that this will be the plot I stick with and the one I use when crafting my shot list and my script. This will be good for keeping me on track to meet that March 13th and 14th shooting date.

This is a rough draft (using bullets for what actions will happen) of my 2-minute opening:

• Cassie wakes up, sees Agi next to her, clearly annoyed
• Agi rambles about things that can happen to Cassie as she goes through her day
• Cassie ignores Agi
• Cassie walks out the door
• Agi follows her as Cassie does her day-to-day
• Seen at the grocery store, coffee shop, driving, etc
• Agi is only seen when Cassie is paying attention
• The scene ends with Cassie yelling at Agi to shut up and other people see her screaming at nothing

Although a very basic plot, I believe I can incorporate a lot of technique into the opening and really allow my knowledge from the course to shine through. This will be a great effort towards making a well-done opening and expressing my creativity and knowledge.

Chapter 12: Followers

My film needed a more set tone for my follower character. Therefore, I have created an identity for the character. Everyone, meet Agi!

I decided to name the character Agi since it is an old Norse element meaning "terror". As Agi is the personification of anxiety, I wanted the character to be over the top with this emotion in a similar capacity to a cartoon character. In the film Inside Out, Fear is a very anxious character and is over the top with this emotion. Therefore, if Agi can be over the top with anxiety, then it is better conveyed to the audience that this character is a problem for Cassie to deal with.

In terms of character design, Agi is very manic and anxious. I wanted them to look disheveled and use makeup to make their eyes look heavy and red. I would also like to have them wearing something similar to Cassie, but less put-together. By designing Agi this way, it will be easy to see the link between Cassie and Agi. This will also create a contrast between the characters as Agi is more heightened than Cassie is.

Chapter 11: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

Today we had our first group meeting in class, and I have to say it was more beneficial than I thought. Getting feedback on my ideas really did help me streamline some of my ideas. Thanks to my group members (hi guys!) I think this 2-minute opening might really help me. My group members had 2 ideas that really stood out to me:

1. Standing Out

As my project has a lot of similarities to Death Note or Big Mouth, I really needed a way to stand out. Therefore, thanks to my group members' input, I had the idea to remake this character into a very manic and irrational being. This would differentiate from those other productions as this character would be clearly a bad influence on Cassie (the main character) and making her life more difficult than helping her with her problems. As in other productions, the follower helps the main character, this may be another way to stand out

2. Shooting the Characters

My project is reliant on the idea that the follower character is not an actual presence, but in the opening, I was having a hard time figuring out present that idea. I originally had thought of making my character have a conversation with a friend or parent, but that might be difficult as we only have two minutes. Therefore, it might be easier to use the camera to do that. If I can have shots of the character alone when they aren't speaking to the follower, then it might be easier to tell the audience that the follower is in their head. 

Another big thank you to my group, they were such a big help!

Chapter 10: Save the Date

March is a big month where a lot of projects need to get completed, so my shooting schedule may be a bit tight to be able to get all the editing for the project done. In order to do this, I have tried to find a weekend where some of my friends can help me out. If I can get their help, then filming may not take a very long time.

I started by asking some of my friends as to when they would be available. Most people responded by saying they could most likely help out on March 13th or 14th, which sets a deadline for the creation of both a script and shot list. However, having a date for these aspects of the project to be finished may be helpful in keeping me on track to getting the project done.

Now that there is a date in place for shooting, this is where the real work begins. I have about 2 weeks to get all the aspects of my project together in order to meet my deadlines, which gives me plenty of time to write out everything I need to do before then

Chapter 9: The Road to Character

I decided to try to develop my main character, I really had to examine what type of character would get followed by a personification of their own anxiety. So, in order to try to get inside their head, I had a few ideas based on my own experience and some extra research. 

First, I wanted this character to have more of an identity. That's why they FINALLY have a name! Everyone, meet the teenage protagonist, Cassandra! She goes by Cassie, but her name reflects her identity. In Greek mythology, Cassandra was cursed to be unheard by those around her, which reflects Cassie. Cassie feels unheard and unseen in her life, which is the reason her anxiety is so heightened that it actually follows her around. 

Next, I wanted this character to have some underlying reason as to WHY their anxiety is personified. Cassie feels unheard and unseen in her life, which gives reason as to see her anxiety that heightened. Cassie deals with social anxiety, which is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as feeling "symptoms of anxiety or fear in certain or all social situations". Having scenes that can explain her inner thoughts will be instrumental in explaining why she feels this way

Finally, I wanted this character to be relatable. Many people suffer from anxiety, and may be able to see themselves in Cassie. USC Amberg has found that "few characters across popular film and TV series exhibit mental health conditions", so having representation will be both beneficial to the film and to the audience, As well as representing anxiety, I would like Cassie to be going through struggles that are typical of a teenager in 2021, such as quarantine or having a social life. This would also make her relatable as teenagers can see their struggles reflected in her

Next week I intend to further craft this character and create the story around her.

References:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cassandra-Greek-mythology 

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness/index.shtml 

https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/media-misses-mark-mental-health-conditions

Chapter 8: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

    In terms of coming up with a full idea for my film opening, I will admit that I am struggling. In order to develop my idea, I would need. to create a full plot, and limit my opening to an engaging part of that plot. I had an idea to have the main character deal with a personification of their own anxiety following them. However, in order to make it engaging and show off technique I would need to develop this idea further.

    I had come up with an idea for an existential drama that follows the plot above, although engagement seems to be an issue. I would like to make the personification of anxiety more funny to add a more light tone to a dark story. I would also like to make the personification of anxiety and the main character a relatable character, so audiences can see their own anxieties reflected on screen. I would also like to make the personification of anxieties, similar to the anime Death Note where the shinigami Ryuk follows the main character and makes quips.

Death Note Anime - Light and Ryuk

    To further display knowledge of technique, I had an idea to use a lower angle shot and film the main character going through their day to day in different locations, which would be a cool way do display a series of match cuts. This would show both technique with editing and technique with camera shots, as this requires knowledge of the techniques as well as the skill to carry it out well. 

Chapter 7: Angle of Repose

 For the next step in my research, I dove deeper into the use of the camera in the drama genre. One technique that I found was the use of angles. The use of specific camera angles can emphasize the weight of a scene or relationships between characters, which is a significant part of drama films. Some angles can also emphasize the role of a character, as low angles establish the power of a character and high angles can display vulnerability. 

One example of the importance of angles is in The Dark Knight, as displayed in the photo. The use of a low angle is important here to demonstrate the power that the Joker holds. He is the villain of the movie, and the film needs to portray him as a worthy adversary to the Batman. It also introduces an identity for the audience to associate with the character, as when Joker is presented as a threatening presence the audience is supposed to feel threatened.

Another example of the importance of angles is in Avengers, as displayed in the photo. The use of a high angle shot in the film is to establish the heroes as vulnerable to the incoming armies. As the Chitauri army is incoming, the heroes, although being god-like, are still vulnerable to attack. This is used also to present these god-like heroes as more human to audiences, and communicate to the audience that there are stakes to the battle.

References:

https://www.matrix.edu.au/essential-guide-english-techniques/the-film-techniques-toolkit/ 

Chapter 6: Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence

 

This week, I have begun to further my research into the drama genre, as I feel that I could make a more compelling story by making a film in the drama genre. Today I researched some genre characteristics that will help my film embody the drama genre. I have also decided to narrow down my film to be an existential drama.

One film in particular -"The Truman Show"- really helped my research. Some genre characteristics this film embodies is an emphasis on character. The film centers on Truman Burbank, and choices in the movie all surround him add to his character. The film centers on people trying to control Truman, adding into the character study of a man that slowly unravels after being watched for his entire life. 

Each choice in the film serves a larger purpose in diving deeper into the character study of Truman. The scenes at the beginning establish what Truman already knows, and that he is oblivious to the fact that he's on a television show. The cuts to the audience establish that Truman is being watched, which provide reason for both Truman's realisation of his situation and the production company trying to maintain order and keep Truman from finding out about this situation. Every scene plays into how Truman eventually figures out what's going on, which plays into the idea of "having an end in mind", as well as keeping the focus on Truman.

The way that the film centers around Truman is integral to keeping with the type of drama this film tries to be. I intend on also doing a film that focuses on character, and I would like to use techniques that "The Truman Show" has laid out. I intend on working to develop character from start to finish, and use all my techniques to better focus on that development. As "The Truman Show" has established, a character study works best if all techniques work in unison to develop character.

Chapter 5: Just Enough Research

As I have started to research genres for my film opening, I have begun to do some research into drama openings. I watched the openings to movies like "Malcom and Marie", "Goodfellas", and "The Social Network".  What I have learned is to fully embody some genre characteristics. One genre characteristic that really integral to some dramas is dark themes.

Saving Private Ryan, a dramatic film released in 1998, is set during World War II. The film uses very dark and dramatic themes to capture the dark and dramatic aspects of war. By properly capturing those themes, the film was able to seem more realistic, which created more emotion from audiences. By embodying the proper theme, I can better create emotions from potential audiences.

I will continue to research genres, but I do like the idea of doing a film in the drama genre.

Chapter 4: Brave New World

 For the next part of AICE Media, we have been assigned to make a two minute film opening. I've decided to work alone for this project, which will contrast my experience from the music project where I had partners. This will hopefully give me some more experience with writing and directing. I'm hoping that this will give me some insight into the creative process, and be able to experience what its like to have full control over all parts of the process.

I am most excited for the directing aspect of the project. As a kid I really wanted to be a director, and this project will allow me to experience some part of that dream. I am very interested in being able to have my ideas front and center. While I like working with other people on projects, it can be difficult to talk about ideas without some getting pushed to the side. Therefore, I am very excited for the next few weeks, and you can see my progress here!

Chapter 3: The Music Experiment, Part 2

As we've just finished our music project, I wanted to reflect over all the steps of our project.

Research

When we initially began researching, we researched Fueled by Ramen. We researched the marketing behind Panic! At The Disco's newest album Pray For The Wicked and twenty øne pilot's newest album Trench. We found some interesting information that helped us in our research, such as the mail marketing campaign and cryptic posts that we used in our marketing campaign.

Research chart for Fueled by Ramen 

We later researched Elektra Records. We researched the marketing behind Kaleo's newest album Fight or Flight # and Ed Sheeran's album Divide. We found strategies to use in our marketing campaign, such as the high social media presence used by Ed Sheeran and using performances to boost album sounds. 

Research chart for Elektra Records

Planning 

We decided to make a storytelling video so that we wouldn't have to sync audio to mouth movements during editing. After a bit of brainstorming, the idea of a "revenge fantasy" video came to us. Our group decided to create a shot list to streamline filming, and to create a plot for our video. Overall, it was easier to create an identity for the music video, as we could add notes on techniques we wanted to implement. 

The shot list

Production

Once the shot list was completed, we were able to meet up and complete the project. We filmed for two hours, following our shot list nearly verbatim. We did have to cut some scenes due to location issues, but were still able to fit the idea of the "revenge fantasy" into the video. Nicole was our lead, and most shots involved her in some capacity. Emi, our villain, was in the beginning and end of the video, which were fairly easy to shoot. Maria, our love interest, was only in the beginning of the video, so she helped me shoot most of the music video.

Post-Production

Most of post production was done by Maria. She edited the video, and gave the "western" style shots the filter to make them look similar to movies like Django Unchained. Once she had finished the rough cut, she sent me the video to do the sound. I added in the song and the sound effects, which I feel were timed accurately. Once that was completed, we uploaded the video to our band's YouTube page to show to our classmates.

The completed music video

Aside from editing the video, we created our presentation. I was mainly in charge of the marketing materials, and created both a website and an Instagram. I created a website for the band, and tried to model it similar to the website created for Panic! At The Disco. I also created the Instagram for the band, which was modeled more after twenty øne pilots.

Website for Zero Effect

Instagram for Zero Effect

Presentation

We presented on Friday, and most of our presentation went off without a hitch. The screen sharing worked perfectly, everyone sounded energetic, and we had no tech issues with the extra components. I think our presentation was very well done, even though we had to present virtually. 

As the critiques on all of the presentations were made public, we found that a lot of our classmates really enjoyed our presentation. We got a lot of good feedback on both our presentation and our components. Most of our classmates enjoyed our website and Instagram, which was exciting for me since those were the major components that I contributed to the powerpoint.

Presentation for Zero Effect

Reflection

Overall I feel that our project was a success. We created a marketing campaign based on ideas that worked, and added our own take to make them feel authentic to the brand we were trying to sell. It also taught me a lot about myself and filmmaking in general. I learned to work as part of a team and how to bounce ideas around to create the best project that we could. I was also able to learn how to properly shoot a video, as we used multiple takes and a detailed shot list to coordinate how the video should be filmed and edited. The most helpful part of this project, however, was being able to take my vision and make it real. I got to block and film most of the project, and I enjoyed being able to have a lot of creative control. I believe this will help with my Cambridge portfolio project by having the experience of being in control of a project, and being able to be both a leader and a team player.