Social Media

Immigrant Stories

As the main topic of our episodic documentary is uplifting immigrant stories, our main target audience are people who immigrated to the United States in hopes of a better life. We want to cater our social media to reach this audience, but first, research!

Target Audience

The United States Census Bureau states that the median age for immigrants in the United States is 38 years old, so we should pick the social media that this audience uses. 

The most used social media platforms are YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, so our decision is going to be between these three.

The Pew Research Center states that 75% of the U.S. population ages 30-49 uses Facebook.

Facebook

Facebook is the second most used social media platform and 75% of our target audience says that they use Facebook, so this is the social media site we will be using for our portfolio.

And now... MORE RESEARCH!

Media text: "Abstract"

Social media tool: Instagram

Types of posts: The main type of posts are ones that feature the artists of specific episodes, but there are a variety of different posts including videos, questions and answers, and thank you posts.

How branding is developed: Branding is developed through the use of the rainbow colors, a majority of "Abstract's" posts feature their iconic rainbow color scheme, it makes their posts very recognizable. The rainbow itself also adds a fun feel to it.

How this helps me: I really love all of the graphics that "Abstract" uses and I plan to include graphics in the social media page, but not too many as I feel it would be more engaging to see real people. We will also have several posts highlighting the subjects of each episode. Additionally, the question and answers posts is a clever, we plan to do something like this, but geared more toward fan engagement by having them ask the questions on the social media account.

Media text: "Life on Our Planet"

Social media tool: Facebook

Types of posts: "Life on Our Planet" mainly posts to promote their most recent episodes. The posts include a picture of the subject, a link to the episode, and a description of it.

How branding is developed: Each post is formatted the same which helps give the social media a cohesive feel, but the posts are not engaging, simply informative. There needs to be a better job creating the brand for this docuseries.

How this helps me: After seeing this social media page, I know that I should include posts that go beyond only promoting the documentary episodes. The posts should help our viewers feel connected to the whole story and the individual subjects, so we will be adding graphics, videos, teasers, and interviews to make our social media page more engaging.

Media text: "Our Planet"

Social media tool: Instagram

Types of posts: "Our Planet" mainly posts photographs featuring the animals in the documentary, there are no videos or interactive posts. 

How branding is developed: There is a cohesive brand identity through the pictures of the animals. The page has a lot of blues and greens to promote the idea of saving the planet. I would like to see more interactive posts, such as a video talking about ways to conserve the planet or a post encouraging people to comment on ways they have worked to save the planet this week.

How this helps me: I really liked what they did with the "Now Or Never" posts and this may be something I add onto the social media for our docuseries; however, I did not like that the only posts were pictures of animals. Although the pictures were pretty, seeing this page has encouraged me to prioritize adding videos and interactive posts to the social media. I also loved that they linked the website on the Instagram page. We are thinking about creating a website and we would definitely link it to the Facebook page.

Genre Refresh

Hey everyone! Before we get started with the documentary, I wanted to refresh you guys on the characteristics of the genre.

Documentary Genre Characteristics

A documentary is a product that illustrates a "slice of life." It is usually non-fiction and focused on a specific subject. It is shorter than a full-length film and uses a hand-held camera to make it feel more real. There is a narrative format with interviews that progress the story and an established point of view. 

For our documentary, the camera will be hand-held and we will have one subject per episode.

Technical Conventions

Parallel editing

Lighting techniques to create tone, realism, and establish POV

Non-diegetic sound (voiceover): we are unsure about using a voice over.

Sound effects

Selective editing to achieve purpose

B-roll

Techniques

Direct interviews: Isa will be interviewing Javier for the portfolio project.

Indirect interviews

The red represents the techniques we will for sure be using, although some are undecided and may be added during post-production or further planning stages. 

Team Roles + Shooting Schedule

Hey everyone, HAPPY FRIDAY!

Since we changed our project from the short film to the documentary package, I figured it would be important to update you on the several components that make up this project and who is the "head" of each component, this means if there is every a disagreement about what we should post or when, the head of the component gets the final say.

Components/ Team Roles

1. Documentary TV program! This is our major task. Isa will be in the documentary, interviewing her father, I will be producing it, Lucas will be editing it, and we will all be directing it. Nobody is "head" of the documentary as it is the major task and we need to come to compromise on it.

2. Social media page! We will all be working on this together, uploading posts several times a week, but the "head" of this minor task will be Isa.

3. Magazine article! We will all be contributing articles to this, but Isa will be in charge of the photography and I will be in charge of the layout. I will be the head of this minor task.

4. Blogging! This will be done individually, Isa and Lucas have their own blog where we all will be updating you guys AT LEAST 3 times a week. 

Shooting Schedule

Our filming will take place during weeks 4 and 5 of this project, for context, this is the end of week 2, so it is coming up!!

We will be filming on: March 8th, 10th, 15th, and 17th

And updating our blogs will sneak peaks into the film on: March 10th and 17th!

I know, I know, you want to see more sneak peaks earlier, no worries, our social media page will be up NEXT WEEK, and we will be uploading interviews with Javier, and other business owners, alongside with clips from our documentary and behind the scenes footage! STAY TUNED!

Post 180!

Meeting w/ T-Stok

After our 180 (changing our topic), we knew we had to get straight to work, so we met with our advisor, T-Stok, to make sure it was okay to take on this project, she said it was fine as long as it was a completely different documentary and we did not reuse ANYTHING from the old one.

Representation

Since this is an excerpt of an episodic documentary, we are going to focus on running and expanding the business rather than the process of starting on, like last time. We wanted to look at this documentary again because we feel that there needs to be more on-screen representation for Hispanic communities.

My parents were the joint owners of a restaurant when they immigrated to the United States, but they chose to close it down due to feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities. If they would have been able to have an on-screen community of Hispanics, like Javier, who have persevered and been successful running and expanding their business, maybe they would not have closed it down. This documentary is meant to encourage the Latin-American community to take the leap and follow their dreams.

It is also meant to break stereotypes of the Hispanic community being uneducated, lazy, and job-stealers. Showcasing several successful Latin-American business owners throughout the course of the documentary will prove that we are strong, educated, and determined. 

Character background- refresh

Javier is the founder and owner of Sumiflex, a company he originally started in Venezuela, but moved over to the United States. He moved here to make a better life for his family due to political conflicts in Venezuela. His daughter, Isa, is working on this project alongside Lucas and I. She will be interviewing her father and both of them will be on camera at once. This is meant to make the documentary feel more natural and flow like a conversation. 

Sumiflex is a packaging company, they have a warehouse in Miami. This is where the majority of the b-roll will be filmed. Javier's office is a room in his house, which is where the majority of the interviews will take place. We will also be showing him on his trips to the airport as he has to travel a lot for business.

Oops... I did it again...

Hey everyone! 

If you remember my blog from AS level, one thing you definitely would have noticed was my indecision toward what to do for the project... well... it seems that has carried over into A level. 

Decisions are hard, but anyway, this one is FINAL! I PROMISE! 

We are doing a documentary! 

You might be wondering why the sudden change, turns out flipping a coin is not a good way to make meaningful decisions and we wanted to be passionate about this project. 

We are going back to Make it Happen. We want our episodic documentary to be the same topic as "Make it Happen," but with SEVERAL key changes. The most important change is how we are presenting the story.

Javier will still be our subject, but he will be interviewed with Isa, his daughter, right next to him, guiding the story, rather than behind the camera. 

Additionally, as this is not a full-length documentary and only a 5-minute portion of the story, we were thinking about filming the process of Javier working, already having established his business, reflecting on what he has done and how he is going to expand his business.

Main idea: 

Uplifting immigrant stories

Idea for this episode:

The struggles that immigrants with language barriers face when running a business in the US.

Outline: 

The first time we filmed make it happen our outline ranged from introduction to challenges, so this time it is going to begin with resilience ranging to expansion. See Original outline here!

    I.    Resilience

1. Insights into resilience and adaptation strategies.

2. Begin speaking of effective approaches used to navigate language barriers.

1. B-roll of teams meeting

2. B-roll of leaving for a business meeting (airport - company is international)

   II.   Success

1. stories when it began getting easier and when you began adapting.

2. Stories when the subject began adapting to the new culture/environment. 

 

  III.   Expansion

1. How he plans on expanding his business

2. Meeting with his time

3. Explanation of importance of expansion

4. Conclusion from Isa and Javier

Project Schedule!

HAPPY FRIDAY! I wanted to update on the project schedule, so you guys know when to tune in! I plan on posting consistently 3 times a week for the next 9 weeks. My group and I, will be creating a social media page for our film, and posting weekly! I'll provide the @ in my blog once we set it up! Below, there is a recommended project schedule. I'll be adding notes under each week, detailing how my schedule will be different (and similar).

Recommended Portfolio Project Schedule – AICE Media Studies A Level

 

Week One:

-choose project genre

-begin developing full film plot/documentary topic/music video idea

-research genre and story ideas

-post to blog

This week we lost a class day to work on the project, due to a non-instructional day, so we will not be able to develop the full film plot. I will also post to the blog.

Week Two:

-continue research on project components

-continue to develop story – land on final ideas

-post to blog

This week we will likely be developing and finalizing the plot alongside researching researching the genre. I will also post to the blog.

Week Three:

-continue to research/plan project components (digital/print)

-develop script or outline

-develop filming/editing schedule

-create shot list/storyboard

-create social media tool

-post to blog

This week we will be outlining a script and storyboard, creating the social media, and creating a rough sketch for the print component. We will also be deciding who is the "lead" of each component. Although all group members will be working on each component, the "lead" will finalize that portion of the project and be the "final say" if there are any disagreements.

 

Week Four:

-continue to research/plan project components

-begin production of video component

-document production process (for social media and blog)

-post to social media

-post to blog

For week four, the school days will be set to finalizing our script and story board, and the weekend will be set for filming. We will make sure to document the process to keep our social media and blog updated.

Week Five:

-continue to research/plan project components

-continue production of video component

-start edit video component

-begin planning print component

-post to social media

-post to blog

This week, we plan to finalize filming and continue posting to social media and blog.

Week Six:

-continue post-production of video component

-continue planning of print component

-post to social media

-post to blog

Throughout week six, Lucas will be editing and Isa and I will be developing the print component. I will also post to the blog and social media.

Week Seven:

-research information relating to Critical Reflection

-finalize video component

- work on print/digital components

-post to social media

-post to blog

This week, we will be followed exactly.

Week Eight:

-research information relating to Critical Reflection

-finalize video component

- work on print/digital components

-post to social media

-post to blog

This week, we will be followed exactly.

 

Week Nine:

-create Critical Reflection

-finalize print component

-post to social media

-post to blog

This week, we will be followed exactly. 

Week Ten:

-create final, overall project reflection

-post all project components to blog

-Post Critical Reflection to blog

This week, we will be followed exactly.

Overall, the main differences are seen in the planning stages of production. Since I am working in a group of three it may take longer to finalize ideas, but production and editing should move along rather quickly.

A Level Portfolio... flipping the coin!

Introduction

Hey everyone! Happy Valentines day! 

I am so excited to being my A Level Media Portfolio Project. A problem I had last year was that I did not have any ideas for what to do, but this year I am full of ideas! 

I decided to work with Isa and Lucas. We work well together and have done several projects together this year! Once we figured out our group, we had to decide which project to choose.

Flipping the coin

After reviewing the options, I wanted to do the documentary, Isa wanted to do the trailers, and Lucas wanted to do the short film. Despite all of us having different ideas, it did not become a problem since we knew we were going to enjoy the process for any of these options. Lucas and Isa did NOT want to do a documentary, so we decided to flip a coin to decide between the trailers and short film. Since my option got ruled out, I flipped the coin. Heads for short film, tails for the trailers. It landed on...

Short film!

It landed on heads! We immediately starting discussing what genre we wanted to do for the short film. Lucas and I are set on producing a horror film. Isa agreed, despite her hatred and fear of the genre. We want to do a slow burn horror, rather than a fast action one, we felt a slow pace makes it feel creepier. We looked at a couple of short films on YouTube for inspiration and talked about Isa being the actor because she gets frightened easily. We know we are going to use a handheld camera, film in the darkness, have one main victim/ subject and one "scary" person, but we are still figuring out more specific details concerning the plot. Updates coming soon!!

Film Distribution Project

Haunted Forest

Hey everyone! Sorry I have not been updating my blog as recently as I used to, but I have some big things coming soon for you guys, so stay tuned! I do want to update you on my film distribution project, though.

For this project, I worked with a different group than usual, Morgan and Nati, but it was so much fun. My group and I worked on a horror story created by students in a creating writing class. The horror story was based on a girl, named Hazel, who goes to a haunted forest with her friends after they graduate high school. They decide to play hide and seek, but Hazel ends up getting lost and hearing ghosts voices in the forest.

We planned, filmed, and edited a full length trailer, a short teaser, and key art based on their story; we called it "Haunted Forest." We decided we would be doing a limited release in theaters in the Fort Lauderdale area and then work with distributors to release the film on streaming platforms. 

This google drive link contains our work! I would love if you all checked it out! 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1OrVrv4T3pBkjNSeXqunYK3ZpTe_dnLHy