Finally, a story board! …Well part of one anyway

Today in class we worked on creating our storyboard. We weren’t able to finish yet, but we made some solid progress. Our project begins with a bucket and Amelia squeezing a sponge. We want to establish what she is doing before we reveal the character. The rest of the scene is her doing her job and collecting her check. We’ll do a close-up of her grabbing it and transition it into her room where she will place it on her desk. Then she’ll throw herself onto her bed. 

Here is a picture of Brooke holding the storyboard.

FaceTime with Brooke!

This week was a lot. There were two lockdown procedures that slowed down our week, so we didn't get much media time. Due to this Brooke and I weren't able to spend much time together to begin to plan our opening, but we weren't going to let this stop our progress. We decided to FaceTime and begin to discuss some character and mise-en-scene elements.

Our character is named Amelia as it means hardworking in German. Her typical dress will be in jeans, a t-shirt, and converse. This isn't too different from her cleaning outfit discussed in previous posts. The idea for our opening came from Princess and the Frog. Tiana was a hardworking woman who had a dream of opening her own restaurant, similar to Amelia who wants to open a small inn. The idea for the inn came from the Dragon Fly, an inn from the show Gilmore Girls. The mood board below shows pictures of the elements mentioned, with an addition of a color scheme for Amelia.

We both agreed that the place where she'd clean should be modern and minimalistic, so we came up with this for our living room setting.

Here is a screenshot of our call:

Better Together!

Today Ms. Stoklosa put us in groups to talk about our film opening. After she created my group she told us "I put you all together because I knew you still needed to flesh out your ideas." This proved to be true which is what made it so hard for us to begin to discuss. We all felt a little lost in some way. 

Tai went first. She told everyone about her idea for a psychological thriller. Josh had some trouble understanding the idea and told her to put it in "10 words." I found it funny that he gave her a word count, but then he changed it to a sentence. Tai responded with "history repeats itself." I thought this was a good exercise. 

Cyrus then told us about his idea for a boxing movie, but he was worried his idea was too basic. He wanted to add something different than you would see in other similar movies like Creed. He was also having trouble planning out his shots. He wanted to do a fight scene, but thought it would be hard to film. We told him they usually rely on camera techniques, so I hope that gave him a starting point. 

Josh wanted to make a movie about a basketball players life and his injury. He expressed that he did not know where to film. I told Josh that he could ask HOSA for permission to film there since they have hospital beds, so we were able to help him with that. He also had an idea of including a message about school shootings in his openings, but we all thought that would end up being one of those plot points that's left underdeveloped, so we suggested he leave it out or focus more on it. 

I spoke last. I shared my idea with the group and expressed how I was having trouble deciding on an idea. Most of my time up to now has been trying to solidify our idea, but we finally did. Since the idea was relatively new the group didn't have much to add, but they seemed to like the idea. 

Here is a picture of our group!

Our Genre... for sure this time.

Slice of Life Genre

Our idea for our film opening best fits the slice of life genre.

Slice of Life

The slice of life genre is centered around the workings of someone's everyday life. It is meant to mirror the real world. 

Content

Slice of Life films are typically aimed at younger audiences, teenagers, as it is a more "relaxing" genre that does not require much analysis. It is meant to show you the events of the characters' daily lives without added meaning. The main focus is the characters' relationship with each other and how they navigate through life. 

Production Techniques

Slice of life films can be heavily reliant on the setting in which the characters are placed, typically school, since the target audience are teens. This genre, like the coming of age genre, mixes elements of drama and comedy. The events the seemingly meaningless events they show about a character are usually to set up jokes or conflict later on. 

Marketing

Slice of life films are marketed toward teenagers as the genre is simple to understand. It allows the viewer to enjoy watching people navigate through their daily lives rather than having to reflect on messages hidden within the film. Teenagers can also find themselves relating to the characters and the events that take place. These films are typically marketed with television trailers. These trailers will typically introduce the main characters and the setting of the film. 

Samples

The Last Picture Show (1971)

The Last Picture Show shows a group of high schoolers living in a dying town in Texas and the events that go on in their lives as they become adults.

Boyhood (2014)

Boyhood is a story of growing up through the eyes of the protagonist, Mason. The movie was filmed over 12 years and follows Mason from childhood to adulthood. 

About a Boy (2002)

About a Boy is a film about a man who is taught how to act like an adult by a little boy.

Resources

https://filmlifestyle.com/what-is-slice-of-life/ 

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SliceOfLife

https://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Slice+of+Life

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067328/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1065073/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276751/

Hmm What to Wear?

Location

Brooke and I wanted to film all or the majority of our pitch inside to ensure the best audio quality. It also gives us more freedom to manipulate our environment with any props we may want. Due to this we had to brainstorm where our protagonist could work. We thought about a restaurant, but doubted they would let us film there. Finally, we settled on our protagonist working as a cleaning lady. This way, we could film inside one of our houses. After settling on this idea, we had to figure out what our protagonist would wear.

Costume Planning

The first idea that came to mind was the traditional costume maid outfit, but we did not think that was very realistic, so ZipRecruiter helped us out. It said that maids will wear comfortable clothes and shoes with an apron to hold cleaning supplies. We looked up other sources and they all said the same thing. It seemed like common sense after we researched it, but for a moment there we were puzzled. 

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/e/What-Do-Maids-Wear#:~:text=Most%20maids%20wear%20a%20company,allow%20for%20all%20cleaning%20activities.

The Costume

At this point we knew a t-shirt and sneakers would be best for our protagonist, but had not picked any pants. As we continued to research, we found a website with the subheading "Leggings are Essential," so we began to read. It stated that leggings prevent you from tripping, they are thermal, and they go with everything. This was a good point, so we'll be using leggings, a t-shirt, and sneakers we find out of our closets for our film opening.

https://www.landsend.com/article/best-outfits-wear-cleaning-house/

Something Simpler...

The brainstorming process has gone on longer than I expected… Last class Brooke and I thought we could do something about a man going off to war and having to tell his wife. The idea was fine, but we had trouble trying to figure out how to execute it. We aren’t passionate about any of our ideas, so we’re struggling to decide on one.

The idea takes place in 1944 during WW2, so we began to do research on the time period. We began by getting outfit inspiration from websites we found online. We noticed that every woman seems to be wearing dresses with long skirts which we expected, but still took note of. Something we didn't expect; however, was the hairstyle. Brooke didn't know how we would recreate them, but I've had to do a lot of different hairstyles for projects, so I'm sure we could figure something out.

The next thing we looked at where mise-en-scene elements for the house. This is when we realized how impractical this idea was. Recreating the style from the 1940s was not going to be easy. We kept having ideas we didn't like and wouldn't be able to create... until that changed.

We decided we need something simpler and suddenly I got an idea. A hardworking person who earns enough money to get something they've been wanting (like a hotel), the rest of the film will be her beginning to plan how to start the business and the struggles that come with it. I texted Brooke and pitched her the idea with a few of the shots. We're still working out the details, but we think it'll start with her at her place of work (cleaning someone's house).

I think we're going to stick to this idea and we will begin planning next week!

A New Idea

 

More Brainstorming

Brooke and I are still brainstorming ideas, but they are all within the coming of age genre. We keep coming up with new, half-baked ideas. Everyone around us seems to have an idea, so we are feeling overwhelmed. We have ideas that we could base our film opening around, but we are struggling to commit to one. Last media class, we came up with a new idea. It is centered around a character who is a perfectionist as shown below.

This image is the first draft of our idea. The purple represents the titles, the white is the content, the blue is for specific actions that would happen, and the pink is mise-en-scene. These colors are meant for our own organization, we have not yet developed a color scheme for our opening. 

The temporary title for this idea is "The Perfectionist." It will begin by showing the protagonists very tidy room, then panning to show her folding her clothes, but she is being very particular about it. Her friend is in her room at the same time, trying to rush her because they have somewhere to be, but she insists on making her fold perfect. Then they both leave and the title is shown. The last couple seconds include the protagonist walking back in to fix some books that are not perfectly stacked then walks back out.

The Coming of Age Genre

In order best portray our film opening, I decided to do research on the genre: coming of age.

Coming-of-Age

The coming of age genre is defined by a child's transition from childhood to adulthood. They usually depict a child begin to lose their innocence. Our opening will follow this norm, as our currently unnamed protagonist will be out past curfew and think of disobeying her mothers rules.

Content

Coming of age films are aimed at teenagers, as they follow part of the transition from childhood to adulthood. 

Coming of age films are usually follow the same storyline. The protagonist begins as immature, and over the course of the film, the viewer watches them grow up. There is typically a moment that marks the loss of the child innocence. This moment is the spark that lights the flame of their personal growth. 

These films typically include dramatic elements mixed in with some comedy and romance (usually the protagonists first romantic experience). Their purpose is to tell a story everyone can relate to, as we all went through similar experiences as we aged.

Production Techniques

Coming of age films typically have dramatic elements mixed with music or comedy. They are meant to follow slice-of-life narratives, telling personal stories. They are paced to feel like real life including major changes in the life of the protagonist. 

Marketing

Coming of age films are marketed toward teenagers. This is due to them following the transition of immaturity to experience. Teenagers find themselves relating most with the content which is why it is targeted toward them. 

Their marketing usually consists of television trailers. These trailers will allude to the main event the protagonist will face that sparks their transition. They are meant to catch teenagers interest as they may relate to a similar experience. 

Samples

Little Women

Little Women was originally a novel. It follows the four March sisters on their path to womanhood. It follows their growth in the world and how they find love. This film fits in all the key components to a coming of age movie as it has drama mixed in with romantic elements. 

The Wizard of Oz

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy goes on a journey with three new friends to see the wizard.

The Breakfast Club

In The Breakfast Club, five high schoolers that are all from different social groups have Saturday detention together. This movie shows how everyone is different while following the key components to a coming of age film. 

Resources: 

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/coming-of-age-films/ 

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie-definition/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women#:~:text=The%20story%20follows%20the%20lives,autobiographical%20or%20semi%2Dautobiographical%20novel. 

Coming of Age Opening??

 

The First Day

Today in class, we were shown a Nearpod explaining how to write these blog posts. I never really understood why we wrote them. I felt that there were other ways to document our process, but as I opened the Nearpod, one of the first slides was "why blogging?" Ms. Stoklosa has proven on several occasions that she does everything for a reason and this was no exception. After going through the Nearpod, I have a newfound respect for blogging. This forum is the best way for me to document everything I will brainstorm, research, and produce. So, without further ado, welcome to first brainstorming post. 

A New Idea and Partnership

One day later, we have come up with an entirely different idea. Before last class, I had an idea for my intro project, but I was not set on it. It required breaking a heel and ruining a perfectly good dress shirt, so I thought I'd pass on that. I had no idea what I wanted to do for this project, but I knew I did not want to work alone. 

In our media class, we have done SO MANY PROJECTS and I have worked with a handful of new people, but my favorite partnership was with Brooke. We did the sound project together. I figured we should work together for this too, so while we were in class... literally in front of each other... I texted her and asked if she knew what she was doing. As I expected, she had no idea. I shared with her my old idea and we decided against it, so with half an hour left of class, we began to brainstorm... over text for whatever reason... We listed some genres thinking it would help, it didn't, but it was worth a try.

Our process consisted of us giving a brief outline of ideas for the portfolio project. The class was dead silent and we were laughing so hard at some of our ideas, they were ridiculous to say the least, but about 15 minutes and six ideas later, we came up with a coming of age movie. 

The picture above details the roughest of rough drafts of our idea. It's about a girl who is out past her curfew and comes home late. Her mother gets upset, expresses concern about her behavior, and grounds her. The girl gets mad about it and the intro ends with her looking out the window thinking about sneaking out. 

Film Opening 1

 

MEDIA FILM OPENING

I was very overwhelmed when Ms. Stoklosa told us we would have to create a 2 minute film opening about ANYTHING. I was stressing to find an idea, I have one so far. I am not 100% committed to it yet, but the idea is of a woman who is clumsy and the opening would be that she has a job interview soon, but spills coffee on herself. Attached is the idea on my notes app.

I am still unsure if this is what I want to pursue. With so many genres available to me, I don't want to limit myself just yet. I will continue to brainstorm and write down other ideas that come to me. Overall, I love the idea of this project. It gives me the ability to create something I am passionate about. A creative vision turned into something real.

Music Marketing Blog Post #2

 Phase 1: Research

For every project we have been assigned this year. Ms. Stoklosa has STRONGLY suggested that we research. For this reason we were assigned case studies to fill out. We learned about the funk/pop genre through examples such as Silk Sonic and Kendrick Lamar. As we began to create our project, my group and I realized what a huge role the research would play in developing our own brand. We were able to use ideas from others making music in the genre and implement them into our campaign. We were able to support all of our decisions through our research and found ourselves constantly looking back at our chart. 

Phase 2: Planning

Another technique Ms. Stoklosa has STRONGLY suggested is planning. I have always been a planner, so this was not a big deal to me. Once we were assigned a genre and had picked a song out of her music folder, we immediately began to plan our project. We created a Google Doc where we copy and pasted Ms. Stocklosa’s instructions and assigned tasks. We put an emphasis on creating a cohesive look for our brand, so we decided on a color scheme and a vibe. From there, we storyboarded a music video and decided on a production schedule… that we did not end up following. We all knew what we needed to get done for this project to be submitted on time, we just needed to do it. 

Phase 3: Production

We wanted to ensure we had enough time to edit the video, so our main priority was filming it. We created a schedule where we would film a little everyday. Since it was a promotional music video, we needed a band. I was able to go into the band room and film my friends playing bass and drum set. We were able to incorporate this into the video, but we needed to find a star. My friend, Ana Sofia, volunteered and we got together with her to film her singing. We may have accidentally filmed her singing the wrong song… but at that point it was too late. We were able to edit the video to look old so as to try to cover our mistake, although it was still noticeable, we did our best. As for creating the presentation itself, that fell onto me. Most of my group members wrote their parts on the Google Doc and I designed the slides. For those who did not, I made their parts and told them what to say. The presentation was done by 10PM the night it was due and we were NOT ready to present the next day. 

Phase 4: Presentation

The first day of presentations came around and there were group members who had not contributed any slides to the project, so we were stressing. We knew we should have practiced before, but due to a lack of collaboration this ended up not being possible. As the clock reached 2:30, we were saved! We knew we had an extra day before we had to present. We took this day to explain to those who did not collaborate as much what to say and scripted our presentation. We practiced individually, but not as a group. I would have liked to, but the group did not see the purpose. On the day of our actual presentation, a group member was missing. We did not know what to do, so we split her slides amongst each other and hoped for the best. The presentation went well, people seemed to like the theme. Our main critique was the audio not syncing to the music video, but we knew that was going to be our downfall. 

Phase 5: Reflection

Overall, I am proud of the presentation we created. We learned the importance of collaboration and what happens when there is not enough of it. Next time, we should create a schedule with deadlines for ourselves, rather than simply distributing tasks, this will ensure we do not submit our project right before the deadline. This will be helpful to implement while creating my Cambridge portfolio project. I am excited to get started!