Hello! So my group and I met yesterday to plan out everything thoroughly. Soooo here we go film opening!
Jess will be filming this part: So Rae is onstage of the auditorium and she is acting out a monologue while there is a voiceover playing. So you don't hear the monologue I'm saying, only the voiceover that Rae is saying. Then Rae's voiceover gets cut off by the school bell. Time for class!
On Rae's way to class she runs into her friend named Maya who is freaking out about SAT scores because they had just come out and Rae reveals her SAT score. It happens to be reallyyyyy good which makes Maya freak out even more. You can tell Rae is very annoyed because she rather talk about her callback from Juilliard to which Maya completely shuts down. As they enter class, another friend of Rae's approaches her about SAT scores. Greaattttt... exactly what she wanted.
THIS PART IS OPTIONAL IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOOTAGE: Rae walks into class and her teacher says "Rachel. A word." Then the teacher lectures her about a bad grade and how she knows Rae is better than this and questions Rae's dreams of pursuing theatre.
BACK TO FILM THAT ISN'T OPTIONAL: Then the opening cuts to Rae at home and she's being yelled at by her parents. Rae got denied by UF but gets a letter in the mail from Juilliard to which she opens it and as she opens it there is a close up of her reaction... Bam. End of film opening :)
I have to write the voiceover and the home scene so wish me luck!! I also wrote the hallway scene :) I'm the main writer for this film opening which I'm pretty stoked about and I get to star in it! Yay
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Lights, Camera, Action!
OKAY so tomorrow my partners and I are officially going to write the script and ask my drama teacher for permission to use the auditorium in order to fully execute this piece. Meanwhile, as I delve into the realm of this character Rae, my partners and I think that she has the quirkiness of Zooey Deschanel from New Girl.
She kind of looks like me except she adds the more awkward factor.
She kind of looks like me except she adds the more awkward factor.
Also! I watched Easy A today for inspiration on my film piece and although it's a comedy I really appreciate the character of Emma Stone because I want Rae to be the same way. For her to have a hidden confidence that goes beyond what people say about her not being realistic about what she wants to pursue. After watching this movie, I was going through my closet for elements of mis-en-scene and I found this denim jean skirt that I DEFINITELY think Rae would wear. She's a little bit of an outcast but she can still be trendy am I right?
This entire film really reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite because like Mrs. Stoklosa described, that movie is a fun, simple piece that all kinds of people can enjoy. That's how I perceive this piece. We don't have much funding and we have this beautiful school to take advantage of. Although it's a simple story, I feel like simple really really works with this project. There's such beauty in simplicity and it reaches a large target audience.
Meeting Critiques
I meant to post this on Monday of last week but I couldn't get to it because of how hectic the closing of the quarter has been.
On Monday my class met with each other to discuss our storylines/topics that we will be using for this portfolio project as well as receive feedback on it in order to make it better.
My group really enjoyed my idea which I was very surprised about just because this storyline (I feel) is hard to portray in a way that my target audience will want to come see it (target audience: ages 14-20, basically those within high school/college realm). However! My group said that the storyline was very interesting and in order to add to the satire on "school corruption" maybe I could have the main character (which we named Rae, ALSO will be the movie title) studying for a test and the next day fail it while everyone else passes because they cheated. They also mentioned that Rae should be the type that the audience really gravitates to by allowing her to have a voice over within the film opening.
I'd love to do a voiceover it's just that I don't want it to be cheesy in the form of "This is me" ordeal. I want her to be a character that the audience can really connect with because we all have one passion aside from school that we wished we could pursue. I want to take this acting job very seriously because this film not only means so much to me, but to my group as well. We're going to begin filming this week in the auditorium and we're going to plan sometime tomorrow.
I have a good feeling about this film. PS: I think I'm going to watch the Edge of Seventeen because I feel like that quirky little movie might inspire me with this film opening :) Wish me luck!
We Have a Storyline, Folks!
OKAY SO, my group and I met up today and we brainstormed between the genres of horror and drama. I explained my gender roles idea and they liked it. However, the more we discussed it, the more we realized how hard it would be to make in regards to mis-en-scene elements. Then I posed the question, "What are you guys passionate about?"because it is much easier to make a film opening based off of something we are all four passionate about and agree upon. Jessica and Vicky both agreed that they're passionate about music while Tay said the school system and its corruption. I didn't necessarily agree because I appreciate the education I've received however I am open to the brainstorm because it would be very convenient to make considering we have an accessible school that we can film on.
After more brainstorming we came up with this idea of a girl who tries really hard in school but it just isn't cut out for her. She puts all she can into it but she just is not understanding the material. However, she is a theatre student and she happens to be very good at it. She wants to pursue acting even though everyone truly believes it is not realistic. This movie is something I am very passionate about because I know what it is like to go through this sort of process considering I wanted to pursue this exact same thing. Something even better is that, I get to act the part! I'm very excited to begin working on it.
After more brainstorming we came up with this idea of a girl who tries really hard in school but it just isn't cut out for her. She puts all she can into it but she just is not understanding the material. However, she is a theatre student and she happens to be very good at it. She wants to pursue acting even though everyone truly believes it is not realistic. This movie is something I am very passionate about because I know what it is like to go through this sort of process considering I wanted to pursue this exact same thing. Something even better is that, I get to act the part! I'm very excited to begin working on it.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Scattered Brain
I know my partners are loving this horror genre, but I am honestly still appreciating my original idea of the switch of gender roles. I was watching this show on Netflix, entitled "Love" because season two has just come out and it's honestly taught me so much about gender roles and what Netflix is trying to achieve. So basically this series is about a nerdy guy named Gus and this bad girl Mickey who is a sex, drug and love addict. As if it couldn't get more cliché enough, yes, they fall in love and try working things out and blah blah blah.
BUT, the reason I think the show is of importance right now is because this show also mocks gender roles. Gus is portrayed as a wimpy, nerdy, lonely guy while Mickey is this confident, masculine badass. However, they both accept each other for who they truly are and Netflix chose both of these actors because they're not sexually appealing. Their characters don't produce men to say "wow I want to be like that guy Gus" or for girls to say "I want to dress like Mickey." No, this series is about genuine love, and acceptance and the freedom to be who you are because of today's society. That's what I want my film opening's story line to be about.
Another research that I used on social norms is the play Hedda Gabler that I read in my AP Literature course. This play was written by Henrik Ibsen back in 1890 during the Victorian Age. This play contributes toward what I am trying to work toward because it was the first play to ever include a commonplace stage set, a masculine female, and the act of suicide. During its time, critics said that Hedda (the main character) was posed as "degenerate," "selfish," and that "her soul is too small even for human sin" according to an article written in the New York Times back in 1898. Long story short, the audience of its time hated the work and sought for others to dislike it as well. I want my piece to be appreciated in its time of course, but I am a controversial person. I want that to be shown in my work. I want people to question the social norms in my film, I want people to criticize, to analyze and to retain each camera shot, angle, composition and edit technique. Like every producer does.
I don't care about the grade I just want my piece to be something I am proud of and these resources are used for my research to help obtain that. My brain is scattered but the most troubled artists have the same mindset as mine. These troubled artists are the most successful and that is all I aspire to be. I will use what I have learned from class to further help me research what I am trying to achieve.
So, for now, my plot is something to criticize/mock the gender roles that have always been and hopefully by the end of my film opening, my audience will leave the room after having just watched it, in question of society and in question of what gender roles are versus what they should be.
BUT, the reason I think the show is of importance right now is because this show also mocks gender roles. Gus is portrayed as a wimpy, nerdy, lonely guy while Mickey is this confident, masculine badass. However, they both accept each other for who they truly are and Netflix chose both of these actors because they're not sexually appealing. Their characters don't produce men to say "wow I want to be like that guy Gus" or for girls to say "I want to dress like Mickey." No, this series is about genuine love, and acceptance and the freedom to be who you are because of today's society. That's what I want my film opening's story line to be about.
Another research that I used on social norms is the play Hedda Gabler that I read in my AP Literature course. This play was written by Henrik Ibsen back in 1890 during the Victorian Age. This play contributes toward what I am trying to work toward because it was the first play to ever include a commonplace stage set, a masculine female, and the act of suicide. During its time, critics said that Hedda (the main character) was posed as "degenerate," "selfish," and that "her soul is too small even for human sin" according to an article written in the New York Times back in 1898. Long story short, the audience of its time hated the work and sought for others to dislike it as well. I want my piece to be appreciated in its time of course, but I am a controversial person. I want that to be shown in my work. I want people to question the social norms in my film, I want people to criticize, to analyze and to retain each camera shot, angle, composition and edit technique. Like every producer does.
I don't care about the grade I just want my piece to be something I am proud of and these resources are used for my research to help obtain that. My brain is scattered but the most troubled artists have the same mindset as mine. These troubled artists are the most successful and that is all I aspire to be. I will use what I have learned from class to further help me research what I am trying to achieve.
So, for now, my plot is something to criticize/mock the gender roles that have always been and hopefully by the end of my film opening, my audience will leave the room after having just watched it, in question of society and in question of what gender roles are versus what they should be.
Plot Twist: Horror Movie?
Ok, SO, I talked to my project partner, Taylor Sweeney, and she had this idea of a horror film.
She explained it to me like this, somebody is breathing really heavily and then there are a series of shots that execute this idea of a person running really fast through a forest. He/she is running away from something, we just don't know what. I know what you're thinking, the storyline is really rough, and honestly I couldn't agree more.
HOWEVER, the new movie, Get Out , has me really inspired with the horror genre. I haven't personally seen it but my boyfriend did and he said it is one of the best movies he has ever seen. For a movie buff like himself, I know this is definitely saying something. If that's not believable enough, film critic Peter Rainer stated that this horror movie "is also about racial paranoia that captures the zeitgeist in ways that many more 'prestigious' movies don't." With this being said, I think that if horror movies had a purpose (other than to scare), they'd be so much more fun to watch and to analyze.
If I could create a horror that touches on social issues (e.g. my previous post) it would be the perfect combination. Since Get Out is receiving so much hype, I decided to watch the trailer on Youtube, and after watching it I noticed that it starts off like a normal movie, just as any other. A series of shots, counter-shots of the main character and his girlfriend conversing about a visit to see her parents followed by the racial issue immediately. Other than most horror movies, the first "jump" factor does not occur until after thirty seconds into the trailer. That's wild! And right after this scene, the director uses another racial conversation to reaffirm what this movie is truly about. Following this, we have a series of shots that further support this affirmation and it ends with the repeating statement "the mind is a terrible thing to waste" that is said throughout the trailer.
I like this trailer and the horror genre in general because it emphasizes sound and its importance to film. I always forget this major factor and I think it is important for me to learn its benefits. What a better way than to learn it than with this project? It's a perfect learning opportunity to further understand the different types of sound techniques without them coming across as cheesy.
She explained it to me like this, somebody is breathing really heavily and then there are a series of shots that execute this idea of a person running really fast through a forest. He/she is running away from something, we just don't know what. I know what you're thinking, the storyline is really rough, and honestly I couldn't agree more.
HOWEVER, the new movie, Get Out , has me really inspired with the horror genre. I haven't personally seen it but my boyfriend did and he said it is one of the best movies he has ever seen. For a movie buff like himself, I know this is definitely saying something. If that's not believable enough, film critic Peter Rainer stated that this horror movie "is also about racial paranoia that captures the zeitgeist in ways that many more 'prestigious' movies don't." With this being said, I think that if horror movies had a purpose (other than to scare), they'd be so much more fun to watch and to analyze.
If I could create a horror that touches on social issues (e.g. my previous post) it would be the perfect combination. Since Get Out is receiving so much hype, I decided to watch the trailer on Youtube, and after watching it I noticed that it starts off like a normal movie, just as any other. A series of shots, counter-shots of the main character and his girlfriend conversing about a visit to see her parents followed by the racial issue immediately. Other than most horror movies, the first "jump" factor does not occur until after thirty seconds into the trailer. That's wild! And right after this scene, the director uses another racial conversation to reaffirm what this movie is truly about. Following this, we have a series of shots that further support this affirmation and it ends with the repeating statement "the mind is a terrible thing to waste" that is said throughout the trailer.
I like this trailer and the horror genre in general because it emphasizes sound and its importance to film. I always forget this major factor and I think it is important for me to learn its benefits. What a better way than to learn it than with this project? It's a perfect learning opportunity to further understand the different types of sound techniques without them coming across as cheesy.
Where Do I Begin?
After thoroughly reviewing the rubric of this project and all the criteria needed to do this project efficiently, I must say, I am a little overwhelmed.
This is a heavy duty project but I had this idea that I've been thinking about in regards to the storyline and so I'll tell you about it.
I was thinking about what if we lived in a world filled with women who played the masculine role and men who played the feminine role? What if gender roles were reversed? For example, maybe the opening could be similar to the voiceover clip we watched in my class, Stranger Than Fiction directed by Marc Foster, which began with a day in the life of Will Ferrell's character's role. I envision a serious of those events but with multiple people, not just one specific character. For instance, the camera will see an establishing shot of a restaurant to which it then zooms into a lady holding a door for a man, the camera follows the man into the restaurant and then the camera pans to a couple of a man and a woman eating to which the woman picks up the tab (basically a long master shot.) I know master shots are hard to accomplish but it's go big or go home, am I right?
I would obviously have to clarify what it is I'm trying to achieve here because it is normal for a woman to pick up the tab or open a door for a man. I guess what I am trying to achieve is basically the obscurity of gender roles and how unnecessary they truly are. According to Google, gender roles is the role or behavior learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by prevailing cultural norms. "Cultural norms" are the key words here. This world is evolving each and everyday. My generation is so open-minded, so experienced, we are truly breaking barriers. I want to do something that acknowledges that and thanks them for it.
This storyline should be something I am passionate about, like the very first project we did in AICE Media Studies. Media is a form of art, I want to show mine in the best way possible and I know my partners for this project will agree.
This is a heavy duty project but I had this idea that I've been thinking about in regards to the storyline and so I'll tell you about it.
I was thinking about what if we lived in a world filled with women who played the masculine role and men who played the feminine role? What if gender roles were reversed? For example, maybe the opening could be similar to the voiceover clip we watched in my class, Stranger Than Fiction directed by Marc Foster, which began with a day in the life of Will Ferrell's character's role. I envision a serious of those events but with multiple people, not just one specific character. For instance, the camera will see an establishing shot of a restaurant to which it then zooms into a lady holding a door for a man, the camera follows the man into the restaurant and then the camera pans to a couple of a man and a woman eating to which the woman picks up the tab (basically a long master shot.) I know master shots are hard to accomplish but it's go big or go home, am I right?
I would obviously have to clarify what it is I'm trying to achieve here because it is normal for a woman to pick up the tab or open a door for a man. I guess what I am trying to achieve is basically the obscurity of gender roles and how unnecessary they truly are. According to Google, gender roles is the role or behavior learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by prevailing cultural norms. "Cultural norms" are the key words here. This world is evolving each and everyday. My generation is so open-minded, so experienced, we are truly breaking barriers. I want to do something that acknowledges that and thanks them for it.
This storyline should be something I am passionate about, like the very first project we did in AICE Media Studies. Media is a form of art, I want to show mine in the best way possible and I know my partners for this project will agree.
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