Yesterday I talked to my mom about the canon camera that I intended to use for the filming of the project. However, my mom said that she gave the camera to my aunt to borrow. Additionally, my mom offered another camera that is very old and outdated.
Image of the older camera
The iPhone XS Max camera would probably be better than the older camera, therefore, I will need to use my phone iPhone camera if I am unable to find a better camera.
Is the camera really necessary?
Although the canon camera is not very necessary, it would make the quality of the opening professional. The iPhone is not as bad as I make it sound because I know how to navigate the camera and other recording features. Furthermore, quality of the iPhone is also very good.
Challenges with iPhone
- Camera shakiness due to the phone being small and more sensitive to movement
- Camera zoom-in may become very choppy
- Low sound quality
- Small screen to navigate
I will attempt to find a tripod to reduce the camera shakiness. Also, I will continue to search for a camera to use because I believe the professional camera will always be the better option. If I am unable to borrow a camera, the iPhone will be used for the production of the film.
In a credit scene everything matters. The font. The color. The position. Although it may not seem important, the credit scene can aid in the development of the tone/atmosphere of the film. Previously, I mentioned using bold font/text to add to the serious tone of the film. To gain ideas for my opening's credit scene, I researched films to gain inspiration and finalize on my ideas.
Research
All credit scenes serve the purpose of giving "credit" to the most influential people in the production of a film. This usually consists of the director, production company, main actors, editors, producers, writers, and more. Some film credit scenes are displayed on a black screen or can be displayed more naturally in the film.
"Saving Private Ryan"(1998) took a natural approach in the portrayal of the credits in the opening scene. Like many other films the credits were displayed on a black screen to add to the suspense and serious tone of the film. Because the film is about war, it makes sense that the opening credits of the film used sharp, "vintage" looking font. The use of this font further adds to the old setting of the film as it takes place in the 1940's.
"Raging Bull" is a sports-drama film about an Italian middleweight boxer. The film uses white-blocky letters in all caps to match the strong emotions of the story. The credits are centered in-between each rope, portraying the boxer as being "trapped" or "caged". Furthermore, the camera view is behind the ropes to make the watchers feel as if they are actually in the audience. I want my credit font to be very similar to this, but more of a modernized font instead of a very bold, assertive font.
After conducting this research, I've concluded that I want to display the credits on/near items that are important to portray the "moving" atmosphere. The font I am considering on using is the Walbaum Text because it is assertive, yet it keeps a modern text style.
To make it easier to visualize the set, I planned out the props and setting of the scenes. I carefully reviewed my outline and chose my props accordingly. In order to develop the "moving" atmosphere of the scenes, I have decided to look at my past items I've used from moving.
Prop List
- Jansport Big Backpack
- Duffel Bag's
-Boxes
- Bag's of Clothes
- Chargers
-Blankets
- Headphones
-Boxes of food
I was able to easily create this list by looking at items around my house and choosing items that I would carry during a moving trip. I chose blankets because during long drives, I often bring a blanket to sleep if the drive is hours long. Bags are also essential during long travels because it carries your essential items you use for the trip. Boxes are an obvious choice because they are used to pack up you items from your home and easily travel it. The other items are also appropriate for setting the "moving" atmosphere.
(Not my Picture. Just example of Jeep.)
(Not my Picture. Just example of Tesla Model Y.)
We will use my dad's Jeep Grand Cherokee because it has lots of space for filming and looks like an ordinary car that would be used by a moving family. The trunk has lots of space so we can fit multiple items inside of it. The other option for the car was a Tesla Model Y, but the car does not have that much space and would not be appropriate for the setting I am trying to portray.
I have decided to go with the drama film idea of the teenage character moving throughout their life. I am still unsure of whether the production of the film will come out as planned, but over the weekend I discussed my outline and obstacles of the film with my parents.
Obstacles:
1. Finding Actors
In the production of the film, I originally planned to record because I believed that I would be able to accurately capture my ideas. The problem is: If I am the camera man, who will be the actor? Throughout this week, I will ask my friends to see if anyone would like to star in my film. Although this may seem like an easy task, I need to be able to find an appropriate actor who will be able to act out the scenes. Additionally, I will need to plan the filming of the film accordingly to their schedule because it will be a very time consuming process as there is multiple scenes to the project.
2. Camera
Although I have an iPhone XS Max for the recording of the film, I may need to find a better quality camera to record the shots. To be able to fully express the emotions of the scenes in detail and portray the realism of the story, I need to be able to find a better camera for the film. I will test out recording on the iPhone camera throughout the week to see if the quality of the camera is clear enough for the intended shots.
3. Shots
The recording of the film may be too shaken at times without proper equipment so I need to find a stand or device to keep the recording device still. For example, when traveling in the car, we may need to travel at slow speeds and use a device to make the camera become less shaky. I can ask my parents and family if they have such devices for the recording process. If they do not have one, then I will need to perform research for a product that will be bought for the filming.
4. Mise-en-scene
To add to the realism of a moving family, I will need to gather boxes together to portray a "moving" family environment. Over the course of this week and next week, I will gather boxes together. Additionally, I will use one of my older backpacks for the character to carry when performing the airport scene of the opening.
Outline + Visions
1. Shots of objects inside of the car such as boxes, bags, and windows to convey the "moving" mise-en-scene
2. It will cut to a shot of the actor leaning against the window with decreased saturation. The actor will be in dark clothing(black, grey, whites) to portray the sad emotions
3. Cut to the actor sitting at the chair of the airport
4. Shot of the plane
5. The character will stand in front of his home while his parents bring boxes inside of the home. I am considering having the parents wear bright colors and the child wearing dark colors to represent the "disconnection" of the actor to his surroundings
6. The actor is in the restroom and a mirror shot with slow zoom in is used to show him looking at himself to fully express his inner conflict/ external conflict of moving
7. Title of film will be displayed
In the next few days, I will finalize the name of the character and create a more detailed outline.
Now that I have the foundation of the plot, I can now gather up more ideas and ways to represent the story. I will analyze similar films that relate to my story and try to incorporate some of the ways they were able to represent their story in the opening.
This film is about the life of a boy being taken care of by a single mother and the difficulties growing up. The film narrates his life as he matures. In the film, his family travels multiple times in his life, which also relates to my film where the main actor has traveled multiple times as well. The opening of the film introduces Mason looking up into the sky.
I was inspired from this film because it introduces the main character looking up at the sky as one of the first shots to convey the curiosity of a young boy. The text of Boyhood also has poor/scratchy handwriting to also represent that the film will be told through a young boy's life. In my film, I am considering incorporating a shot of the main actor looking through the window as one of the first shots of the opening. The shot will have decreased saturation of color to represent the sad emotions of the character. Additionally, I am considering using either a bold font or a sad/teenage font for the title to represent my main character. The title will come at the end of the film.
Nomadland (2020)
The film is about a woman who lost everything in the Great Recession and lived in the mid-west of America as a nomad. The bold font in the film represents the serious struggle the protagonist went through from living as a nomad. The opening of the film started off with the character opening boxes to portray her life of constantly having to move as a nomad. I am considering using a bold font for the title of the opening to also represent the serious nature of the film. At the end of the opening, I am also considering using shots of the parents bringing in boxes inside the house from the car while the main actor is looking at the house. Then the shots will cut to the actor inside of his room unpacking and that is when the title of the opening will be displayed.
Since I have a better idea of the plot and organization of the shots, I can conduct more research on the specific details that will be used in my opening.
Throughout the whole day, I was stuck on the idea for the film. Choosing a meaningful plot that is executable was the hardest part of the decision making because I want to make the production of the film as easy as possible for myself. I asked friends and family to brain storm ideas but had no luck. Possible ideas for the plot was either an immigrant settling in the US, a boxing film, or a film about the life of a person moving from places frequently. In the end, I decided on the moving from place to place idea because it connects to me the most out of them all. I want the film to represent the struggle of constantly making new friends throughout the years and finding your "true home".
The film will represent the emotions of the main protagonist from moving to a new place and making friends, to leaving thus friends in only a matter of time. Not only does this film relate to me, but it will also relate to thousands of other kids or teens that undergo the same experience. For the film opening, I will use shots of moving boxes, car rides, airplane shots, airport shots, and multiple other shots to capture the emotions of the actor.
Possible ideas for shots
Although I am still an amateur at film making, I am very passionate about the project because it relates to me. Editing and executing the shots of the film will be very difficult for me. I am considering having close ups of boxes, then the parent opening the door to talk to the actor which will also introduce the main character. After, there will be a scene at the airport and the actor sitting, which will capture their emotions. Then there will be a shot of a plane lifting off from the ground. Finally, the ending of the opening will portray the actor in a car ride looking out towards the window. The opening will represent the internal conflict the character has through the moving process once again and the physical moving process. Though this is the foundation of the plot, the plot will undergo various changes.
This project will be a fun and exciting experience. Not only will I learn from this, but I will be able to put out something I am proud of. I will continue to do more research and planning before entering the production stage.
Regardless of genre, film openings can set the mood and tone for the rest of the film. In order to gain knowledge of film openings, I have decided to review openings of successful drama films. Not only do these films produce successful openings, but they were also able to create a meaningful story.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Although this film was created in the 90's, the opening of Forest Gump is an excellent example of a successful opening that was able to set the tone for the rest of the film. The film is about a man who is considered ,"slow", and his ability to overcome multiple challenges in his life. The opening starts off slow, tracking a feather gliding through the air . Because the feather is being focused for a long period of time, it is implied to the audience that it is very important and the location it is going will also be important. The wide shots of the feather is used to not only establish the setting of the film, but introduce the main character of the film who is named Forrest Gump. Since the attire of the man is very unusual and consists of very dirty shoes and a business outfit, the director uses this to set a humorous tone to the film. Additionally, the soundtrack in the opening sets a lighthearted tone to the film, further indicating that the film will have a meaningful story. As Forrest talks through the opening of the film, his unusual speaking conveys to the audience his childish personality which would later be portrayed throughout the whole film. The mise-en-scene of the opening such as the natural lighting, business costumes of the men, the pedestrians in the film and the suitcase/box of chocolates Forrest Gump carries adds to the realism of the film. The suitcase is opened and contains various travel items, introducing the storyline of the film where Forrest narrates his life.
Gran Torino (2008)
This film was released in 2008 and takes upon various social issues. The film is about an old man named Walt who is angry and alienated in the society he lives in, but develops an unlikely bond with his neighbors. Themes include racism, gangs, friendship and death. The film starts off with the Warner Bros. logo in black and white which conveys Walt's mindset of being stuck in the 1950's. Also, the theme song of the film plays in the background, coveying a sad and heartfelt tone to the audience. Mise-en-scene such as cars, pedestrians, church organs, a casket, and various other objects are used throughout the opening to set the realistic environment of the film. A pan shot follows a man to introduce the main protagonist and a picture of his deceased wife. Because the photo goes from the picture to Walt, a sad tone is set and it is implied that his wife's death was very influential on him. Slow editing is used throughout the scene to add to this sad tone and also uses fast editing when seeing through Walt's perspective to portray his anger at the world(including his family). Additionally, mise-en-scene is used in the attire of Walt's family such as football clothing and a crop top at a funeral to imply the disregard or respect for Walt's pain. By doing so, Walt is conveyed to the audience as alienated from his society which is a prominent throughout the entirety of the film.
Both of these openings do an excellent job at setting the foundation for the storyline, theme and characters of the film. These openings have also helped me understand the importance of mise-en-scene, sound, camera shots, editing and lightning. In my film opening I will carefully choose the attire of the main character, the non-copyright score, lighting and editing as it will aid me set the tone of the film. My next step in my film opening journey is to decide on the plot and themes that I want to represent in my film.
Picking the genre of my future film project has been very difficult. Although it may seem like a simple task, I want to carefully decide on the genre because I will be working on the project for the next 2 months. I have been researching past films that I have really enjoyed. Drama and thriller genres had reoccured multiple times and I have decided to narrow down on the two.
Drama films are often very serious and represent the emotions of the protagonist very well. I am very interested in drama films because of the great suspense and realism of the films. I will attempt to implement conventions of drama films to build great suspense in my film. Choosing this genre will allow me to create a meaningful story.
Drama Film Topics
Although films in the drama genre have a variety of topics, majority of drama films revolve around current events in our world. Moonlight is an example of this, primarily focusing on the life of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community when you are a person of color. These films portray realistic character that often conflict within themselves and the society around them. Just like these genre films, I will take upon a topic that is based upon a current event in our world.
Additionally, films in this genre heavily build upon character development. Character conflict or internal conflict are forms to build the protagonists development. This further adds to the realism and emotions that are meant to be represented. In my film, I will attempt to implement the internal conflict of the protagonist to build upon their character development.
Dramatic Conventions
Slow motion is a very common way to build suspense WHEN DONE CORRECTLY. Slowing down a moment or action adds emphasis to the scene and causes the audience to recognize the importance. By utilizing this in my film, I will be able to emphasis important scenes in the film.
An example of slow motion in film is in , "Hacksaw ridge", last battle scene, to emphasize the grenades being thrown by the Japanese soldiers
- I will try to implement a slow motion portion into my film to emphasize the character and the environment they live in.
Sound
Sound is a key element in story building and can cause the audience to feel the emotions of the scene. Sound can elevate the emotions of a scene, often causing feelings of suspense or exhilaration. For example, a theatrical score can cause the audience to be on the edge of their seats. An example of this in modern films is in the soundtrack of "Dunkirk". Hans Zimmer uses a Shepards tone (repeated beat that tricks the audiences mind that the speed of the beat increases) to make the scene of the soldier running to the beach become much more suspenseful and dramatic.
- I will use a non copyright, theatrical score for my film to add to the drama and suspense of the introductory scene. Additionally, I can utilize certain theatrical scores to allow me to make the audience's emotions to feel a certain way.
Camera Shots
A close up is used to emphasize an emotion of a character or to emphasize key objects. Furthermore, extreme close ups of objects or people can draw heavy focus to the character's environment and their emotions. Not only will this emphasize the environment around the character, but it will also explain the backstory to the audience. Close ups also can set the mood and setting of the film.
An example of this is in, "1917", where the soldier looks scared and anxious
- I will implement close ups and extreme close ups to the objects around the room to fully represent the protagonist in my film. Additionally, I will use multiple points of views to build suspense and make the film more engaging.
After conducting this research, I feel more comfortable with the conventions used in dramas films. I have a picture of how my film will look like and the key elements that will be used in it.
Planning is essential in any type of project or task regardless of the topic. Over the past few days, I have been thinking about what type of film I want to create. The idea of creating an engaging and entertaining film has been overwhelming me. The plot, the characters, the genre, but most importantly, the purpose and meaning of the film. Working on a project for a long period of time requires careful planning and should be an idea I am passionate about. To make planning of the film easier, I have decided to divide it into separate tasks.
Task 1: Genre
I will select the best genre for my film by conducting research on 2 possible genres that I am interested. My research will consist of an analysis of successful films in the genre and their key elements.
Task 2: Brainstorming
To create a solid concept for the film, I will brainstorm with my friends and family. This will allow me gather multiple ideas and perspectives to decide on a creative idea.
Task 3: Plot
By planning my characters for the plot, I will be able to decide on actors to star in the film. Additionally, choosing a setting will aid me in locations for filming and the type of shots required.
By following these steps in my film journey, creation will become notably easier. Later on, this will guide me in the production of the film and the storyboard.
In my class, my group and I created and presented a music marketing campaign. We had a lot of fun in the production and planning of the project. To start off, we began with researching our genre.
What is country music?
Country was originated in the south/south-west United States. Popular musicians and artists in the genre drew upon traditional sounds from instruments, gaining large success in the process. These sounds and vocals created a foundation for today's modern country music. By drawing upon some of these traditional sounds and integrating them with new instrumentals, my group and I will be able to garner huge success for our artist, "Journee Fae".
How will we be able to attract younger audiences?
Country is one of the most popular genre of music, but 60% of listeners are ages 18-49. A challenge we encountered is the ability to garner a younger audience. What is wrong with country music? Most country songs are overplayed, have cliche stereotypes and use repetitive melodies. To differentiate our self from the norm, our artist will incorporate Neo Traditional country which emphasizes newer instrumentals and combines traditional vocals. Incorporation of traditional vocals is key to the success of our artist because we will be able to keep the older fan base through traditional means and build up a younger fanbase through the use of new instrumentals.
Marketing Trends
Social media is one of the most used marketing tool by all marketing campaigns, regardless of genre, due to the global reach it has in our modern society where technology is greatly embraced. Blake Shelton is a popular country singer that uses social media as a tool to market. He makes posts relevant to his songs and albums, promoting his music. He also has a website that offers an email subscription for fans to keep up to date with latest news and updates about his music. His social media accounts are linked at the bottom of the website page and include: Facebook, Twitter,TikTok, and Instagram. Another country singer that has gained popularity over the recent years is Maren Morris. Likewise, Morris has a website with all her social media accounts linked at the bottom of the page. The website also has tour dates, important announcements and merchandise. Additionally, almost all artists distribute their music on YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music. Our artist will use multiple social media platforms to communicate to her fans and post updates of upcoming albums.
Brand Development
With the genre we researched, my group and I thought it would be best to develop someone who is a role model type figure towards teenage girls. Because our artist came up from a small town and started to gain popularity, our artist will be able to inspire younger audiences. In addition, we strive to develop an artist who will stay within roots of country, but still try to be unique and differentiate herself from the crowd. To accomplish this task, our artists clothing/merchandise will include dark colors such as black, gray, and white. Although my group and I created merchandise with a variety of logos, we will decide on one to represent Journee Fae.
Marketing Products
For the digital marketing products we created an Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, TikTok and Twitter. Each platform will post relevant updates about Journee such as advertisements for upcoming songs, videos of the artist, and photos of her.
We have also created a YouTube channel . The YouTube will be used to distribute her new single ," Need You Now". Links to her social media's will be on the banner, allowing fans to easily access her accounts.
Additionally, we will create flyers and advertisements for her concert, meet-and-greets and pop up events. Although it is important to market digitally, we must not forget traditional means of marketing as everyone may not have access to social media. We will be placing posters, advertisements, and flyers at local shops or stores to reach a wider audience. By creating physical advertisements, we will be able to market our artist a wider audience and gain a following. Our artist will also go on local radios and podcasts to announce upcoming events, songs or albums.
Take Aways
Shots
- A variety of shots is essential in the production of videos to be more interesting to the viewer
Editing
- Use fast editing to bring different perspectives of the focus. Additionally, matching the rhythm to the song will make the music video become more interesting and captivating. Not only will this prevent the viewer to become less bored/uninterested, but it will also allow you to add more shots to further understanding of the video.
Conclusion
This project has taught me about the extensive work and planning that goes into a music artist's marketing plan. Many country artists have become well established in the music industry due to their amazing marketing team. Every post on instagram, set up on music video, production and other factors affect the way your artist is portrayed to the world. The presentation of the project has also helped me gain presentation skills/experience, to help me for future marketing campaigns. This project will be helpful when developing my Cambridge Portfolio because I have gained experience in creating a music video. I will also plan out my Cambridge Portfolio because planning will help me visualize and brainstorm ideas for the project.
