MEET OUR CHARACTER CAMILA

 In creating our main character we wanted her to be natural and not over the \

op or stereotypical. We were aware of the fact that she had to blend perfectly well within the high school setting but there had to be an element of mystery to her as well. Camila symbolizes a person who will fit into the regular school life, while the twist at the beginning is more successful. We did not want to make her clearly suspicious, but to create an impression of a person who is calm and barely noticeable at the first look.

When she was developing her identity we considered how minor details would make her who she is. Her presence on screen is the manner in which she conducts herself, the manner in which she responds in times of stress and even the speed of her movements. She is not too emotional or dramatical. Rather, she is intense with subtle facial expressions and restrained body language. This aids in keeping the mysterious feeling of the beginning. 

We have also thought over her character in the world of the movie. She is placed in an environment that appears to be ordinary and common, and her actions become more crazy and out of the ordinaru afterward. Such a contrast is crucial as it makes the audience doubt their knowledge about her. We do not tell you everything about her life, we just show the viewers and ask them to make their own opinion.

CAMLIAS VIBEE

EDITING

 Editing is one aspect of our production process that is very crucial as it is what unites it all. We have checked all our clips and then selected the best ones after filming.

In the initial scenes in the gym, we will use slower cuts to demonstrate the regular school life. We do not want the pacing to be hurried either early in it since this assists in creating contrast later.

In the packing scene, we are also going to utilize faster cuts to increase the speed. It will enhance the intensity of the scene and make it more stressful. We can also make the color a little darker so as to suit the serious tone.

We will also do a close editing of the final car scene to make the final line effective. The suspense before Are you ready? will be significant to create suspense.

Editing helps with mood and pacing and this is extremely crucial in thriller-type openings.

LOCATION

 Our two main locations in the our film "Extracurricular" are the school basketball court and our main character Camilas room.

We are going to first film in the basketball courts and make sure to get the various camera shots including wide shots that will capture the entire gym set up, and medium shots where the main characters will be positioned. There were also several tries of the mysterious look between two characters to ensure that it did not seem artificial.

Schools basketball court that we are using.

Background noise at the gym will be one of the obstacles that we are likely to encounter. Gyms are echoing so we needed to ensure that our camera was in place and the audio was comprehensible. We will consider the possibility of making a few improvements in editing in respect to some sounds. Recording of these scenes aided in setting up the scene of normal school before the atmosphere changes in the later stages of the opening.

In the second setting its going to be dimmed lit in the characters room. Giving a completely different vibe from the beginning. 

LOGO

 For our logo we decided to keep it simple and professional. 

At first we were thinking to into it trying to connect it to our film, but as we looked at the time it was angel numbers! My partner and I then decided to go with "333 Lucky Productions". The number design would almost repersent a four leaf clover to symbolize the luck.

In coming up with the logo, we gave attention to simple font and graphics in order to make sure that it was not crowded. The time it would take on the screen was also a consideration to us. The majority of professionally made logos in production are very brief and direct hence we ensured that our version took just a few seconds at the start of the film.

Overall, helped the project feel professional and real, and made me more excited for the final product!!

Our production logo

Mis-en-scene part two: props, lighting

 One of the most important parts of the scenes is the use of props which makes the scenes appear realistic and believable. There is also the use of props at the start like cheer pom-poms and basketballs to clearly demonstrate the school setting. The scene is made to be very natural and relatable as these props are typical of a high school sports environment. They also aid the audience by letting them get to know exactly what is going on without having to tell them.

Lighting also plays a very significant role in mood and atmosphere creation. The lighting in the school scenes is more natural and brighter. This kind of light is common in a gym and it contributes to the realization of the setting to be normal and familiar. The brightness also enables the audience to clearly observe the environment and get the place.

Overall, the mise-en-scene elements of our film opening, props and lighting, ensure the creation of realism, the establishment of mood, and the visual narration of the scene. These things contribute to the fact that the opening will be interesting and effective to the audience.

Audio

 Audio is important in any thriller, but especially our opening. As music is crucial in any teen movie - which is what we are displaying in the first scene, but towards the end when it has a more rushed tone we need to transition those audios and tones together.

Using foley sound is one of the things that we are considering, this is sound effects recreated and added in the editing use. As an example, this may be footsteps, the movement of fabric, door opening, or picked up objects. Foley is able to make the scenes more authentic and bring the audience closer to the movie. But, however, we are yet not certain whether it will be natural to sound, and we intend to test it and know whether it will enhance the quality of the opening. When it sounds good and is realistic, then we shall incorporate it in order to improve the overall audio.

In the first scene, cheer practice and basketball practice, we desire the sound more to be natural and realistic to be in line with the school. Among the methods that we are considering is the diegetic sound, which involves the environmental sounds that include sneakers on the ground, the sound of balls bouncing, cheers and talking of the people. The other idea is to adopt light background music like calm or neutral instrumental music. This may assist in setting the scene without excessive tension being set too soon. This enhances the suspenseful music that comes later due to contrast.

Mis-en-scene part one: clothing, set

 In our short amount of time in the opening mise-en-scene is extremely important. Costume and set are some of the main aspects we paid attention to in order to make the scenes believable and easily demonstrate various locations and situations. These factors of costumes, background sounds and setting allow the viewer to learn the atmosphere with no dialogue.

In the first scene we have the clothing pretty planned out, cheer uniforms, basketball jerseys, basketball court, but as of the scene of being in her room while packing the drugs and rushing we haven't determined. We are stuck between if she is going to be in a more normal clothes or a spy attire. 

Leaning to the more normal side, the comfy clothing suits the house environment and makes the scene look natural and real. The costumes also are more neutral and not as bright compared to cheer uniform, which contributes to the more serious aspect of the scene. This juxtaposition of costumes assists in demonstrating the contrast in settings, the school and the home.

Another mise-en-scene element is the set. The school setting including the cheer practice field and basketball court contribute to the formation of a familiar high school setting. These are open settings that the viewer can identify with and this makes the film real and identifiable to the viewer. Home environment is more intimate and contained and this makes the atmosphere different. This shift of location contributes to developing diversity and makes the audience interested.

Character Development

The development of our two characters is a major part in the film. While keeping both our characters mysterious but also revealing their personalities. We did not want to fully explain who they are, but rather used actions, expressions and contrasts to hint at a deeper level, as well as to stimulate audience to pose questions.

At the beginning of the film, the female character is depicted during cheer practice, thus appearing like a typical high school student. Cheerleaders are perceived to be participating in school activities and having an ordinary teenage lifestyle. This assists in making the audience view her as a person who is common and likable initially. The scene changes to her at home, and her character begins to grow. She is in a hurry and is loading drugs fast, and this indicates that she is having a different life and life that is not even similar to the one she is portraying at school. This contradiction depicts that she has been living a dual life. Her personality is also serious and concentrated since she does not speak and expresses herself in her actions and expressions. This makes her out to be more mysterious and leaves the audience to wonder what is the motivation behind this.

The male character is also introduced at basketball practice which makes him appear as a normal student. Basketball players are perceived to be self assured and disciplined. As he shares a look with the female character is an indication that he is aware of something about her or is somehow involved with her. This scene shaping his personality as a conscious person. It turns out at the end of the beginning that he is the one driving the car that picks her. When he questions, Are you ready? it is indicative that he is already in it and aware of what is going on. This makes him appear more mature and it demonstrates the fact that he is a part of her mysterious existence.

Inspiration

We are currently finishing up week 3 of the portfolio project and me and my partner both a have sturdy full idea of the whole film opening!

My partner and I film opening idea is the movie begins with a teenage girl, who seems to have a typical life in high school, starting with her at the cheerleading practice, and shots of boys at basketball practice. These are the points where she shares a quick, mysterious glance with a basketball player, which makes it intriguing but no romance. The story is then changed to her house, in which she is depicted rushing and getting ready to leave, which alludes to a secret side of her life. The beginning ends with the picking up of the girl by a car that turns out to be driven by the basketball player in the previous segment whether she is ready or not. This denouement also leaves questions in the minds of the viewer and creates a theme of secrets and two lives, making viewers want to watch more.

The major inspiration of this film was including drug abuse in any way we could. I thought it would be a good idea to include that because, although a very talked about topic it can be displayed in many unique entertaining ways. One of my favorite drama films, Beautiful Boy, which demonstrates a drug addiction perfectly with the good and bad times about. Even though our film will be nothing like this I wanted to film and make a film including that. 

Media Theory

One media theory that will clearly be in our film opening is cultivation theory. Cultivation theory in media is gradually shapes viewers' perceptions of social reality to align with the media's portrayals, creating a shared "mainstream" worldview, like heavy TV viewers believing the world is more violent. 

We use Cultivation Theory in the very beginning of our movie when we contrast a typical life of a teenager and something much more frightening and hidden. In the beginning part, the audience is introduced to some more familiar and recognizable and teen film settings such as cheer practice and basketball practice that are usually perceived as the typical high school life. These scenes are a continuation of what the viewers already know of in teen dramas and sports movies and routine is reinforced. By starting the opening in the such a way, we create the belief that the characters are ordinary teenagers among millions of others. 

Cultivation Theory is also supported by the very mysterious look exchanged between the cheerleader and the basketball player. Though it is not a romantic moment, it leaves a feeling of tension and curiosity, and makes the audience assume that there is something deeper or a secret between them. Media usually triggers viewers to believe that characters that exchange a glance of some sort are somehow related in some manner and we exploit this fact to get the audience to watch.

Overall, our film introduction uses Cultivation Theory to shape the way viewers see the details of the teenage life fusing what can be seen as natural with the elements that cannot be anticipated. This mixture causes the viewer to question appearances and believe that what might be viewed as normal at the surface might be a more truth behind it.

Script

 Down below is the script by partner and I will be following throughout the opening. We decided to do minimal talking and have the shots, expressions, and actions let the audience decipher whats going on and who the character is. We can make it more detailed, whereas instead of Character walks to the door, we can say Character hesitates at the door, his hand too long over the handle before he moves, to show hesitation or fear. 

SCRIPT 

Group Meeting #1

Group Meeting #1:

Hey guys!! Today is now week three of my portfolio project, and our teacher put us in groups with other students in the class to get feedback and more planning time. 

The classmates in my group are Sam, Selena, Christian, Trisha, Ethan, Meilyah, and Sonakshi. This group was full of unique great ideas leaving me with a clearer view on my own project. First off, Sam has a small idea and seems a but unsure on his full plan. What he does have and know is the equipment, mise-en-scene, and setting. He stated how he wants to do a thriller and have it based in the medical field. It sounds difficult, but he has the resources because of a parent. His blogs don't have a lot of information on the full plan because he is unsure. 

Selena on the other hand, seems to be pretty strong on her idea but not to sure on the genre. She says that she really wants to film a horror because she loves it, but it is pretty difficult to capture. Due to our group we told her if she has a passion and really believes that she can do the genre justice then to do it. She said that a girl would be running/chased by something by herself that is not identified in the opening. She seems to like the idea of a treehouse in the setting. Based off other work she seemed to really succeed in a action horror music video!

Dark and unsettling effect Selena wants to give. 

Then, Christian seems to have the main idea of the story but no small ideas, he proceeds to tell us that it is a group of people. The setting is outside of the car when the group discovers a bag and something is inside of it and almost puts a trance on them. He then told us that him and his partner are still deciding if there for sure set on the trance idea. Our group then told him he could keep it very mysterious in the bag and undeciphered so it grabs viewers in and making it more of the thriller genre like he wants to have.

Meyliah has a very good grasp on what she wants to do. She really wants to schizophrenia but is trying to avoid that because it is a very common film opening. She began by saying it would be a psychological thriller, but throughout her telling us her plan we told her it sounds more like a drama. The beginning setting would be at the beach in a long flowy dress with a someone, she then gets home to be laying in the bed and her mom comes in saying something implying that the person she was just with isn't actually there. We even recommended to not fully discuss or discover within the opening if its schizophrenia, a ghost, imagination, a dream, ect. She really wanted to include a mental health problem in the film.

Ethan had his opening pretty planned out and even had two options. He is doing a sci-fi stop motion film based on astronauts in space. His first option he said needed more professional lighting and he said that might be a slight problem because the light would need to be moved around which he has never done before, but i personally think based on his experience he can. In the second there would be two astronauts on basically a space-cation. He said the lighting would be much easier because it would just stay in one place, rather than in the first option where the ship would be crashing. The group told him to challenge himself and do the first option and the lighting would be mastered as he was doing it. I thought this idea was pretty diverse and cool on what i've heard others were doing.

As well as Trisha she seems to have hers pretty planned out and just need input on the smaller details. She is going to do a thriller where the technology in her whole house turns on her and is basically evil. I thought this was so cool and something I would love to watch. The setting would be in the characters bedroom. Selena pitched a great idea where the ring or the Alexa can say something to imply that the technology is fully the problem. Trisha said she really wanted to do something with technology due to technology being so advanced and how we basically rely on all our devices. Can't wait to see how everyone executes their films!

Finally, the feedback on my film was great and very helpful. When I pitched my idea everyone loved it! I then told them that my partner and I were a little stuck on the credit scene and when to put the title. They told me that I can incorporate the credits in the beginning during the basketball and cheerleader practice. They told me that I should keep in the dynamic between her and the guy to add to the plot. Im so happy i got to hear other ideas and get feedback on mine!!

 The film 'Baby Driver' credit sequence blends action and thriller still ends with the music driven style, using an upbeat visual flashes from the story. Although a thriller, it keeps the audience emotionally attched to the romantic character dynamic between Baby(miles) and Debra. The choice of this relationships softens the film and makes it differ from another thriller films. 

Another thriller film, 'Gone Girl' that truly kept me drawn in the whole movie and a mind twister. The use of the same shot in the first clip of the movie being used in the last clip of the movie was ironic because of how much the two characters lives change through the film because of her. The expression changes though in the first clip she has a very concerned look, and in the last she has a look of victory. One of the best villains in all of films in my opinion. One of many thrillers where the bad guy wins and you have to guess that the danger, manipulation, and psychological games continue kinda leaving viewers in shock or uneasy.

Lastly, the movie 'Drive' uses very tense and moody music even after the story ends there is there is still lots of threats and moral ambiguity that went unfinished. This does not resolve the situation, which  intensifies the sense of psychological tension created in the movie and implys that there is even more danger out there. The music and slowness help the viewers take in the violence without losing the tension of suspense that is characteristic of thriller genre.

 My partner and I decided we wanted to film the thriller genre. 

One of a very popular thriller movie, Scream 1, an iconic loved film that keeps an audience at the edge of their seat with just the opening. In the opening scene, it escalates very quickly starting off with a very chill vibe and ending with a girl getting killed brutally. The reason for this is to sustain suspense for the audience. The use of mis-en-scene  in this opening is crucial, the lowkey lighting which gives a creepy mysterious vibe. The close-ups to display her emotions and the wide shots to show dramatic irony. 

The opening for the thriller 'Jaws' creates a suspenseful and terror while revealing a shark, relying more on the anticipation rather than the visuals. The underwater pov shot is used in almost every shark attack movie. Wanting to jump through the screen and help her. The use of sound in the opening scene was a primary part. Using it for tension and making it lower and higher during underwater scenes and stopping it right when she gets killed. The character being isolated although there is someone just feet away that is not able to help, fills viewers with anxiety as if they are going through the same thing. The strategic planing of all the sound and timing defining the opening of Jaws. 

Lastly, an absolute classic 1960s 'Psycho' unlike the other two thrillers mentioned, the opening rather than beginning with a kill scene it gets to know the character on emotional conflict creating more suspense for the character herself. The music is sharp and un-canny and this helps to create the feeling that something bad may happen at any time. Using focus on anticipation, secrets, and uneasiness, the opening proves that thrillers can be scary without action being displayed right in beginning. 

Week 1:

-Three blog posts

-Start thinking of ideas

-Create schedule

-Create deep analysis of details we want for our opening

Week 2:

-Four blog postings

-Finalize overall idea and approaches for film opening

-Research techniques and similar film openings to correctly execute genre 

-Confirm permission to film in cheer practices/confirm with the planned actors

Week 3:

-Four blog postings

-Begin writing script

-Finalize what mise-en-scene, lighting, and sound elements we want to implement

-Go through a couple of possible media theories

-Start storyboard

Week 4:

-Four blog postings

-Look for possible audios that are available

-Begin filming (specifically the one on one scenes)

-Gather all filming resources like camera, stabilizer, tripod, editing software

Week 5:

-Four blog postings

-Finish filming

-Begin editing

Week 6:

-Four blog posts

-Finish editing

-Review, edit, and add anything that needs to be

-Begin CCR

Week 7:

-Complete CCR

-Confirm that everything is completed and ready to be submitted

Main Planning:

confirming film plot and idea, finding actors, get filming equipment, write script, create storyboard, find audio/mise-en-scene element, confirm filming locations

Production:

• film scenes
• film foley audio (if needed)

Editing:

• edit actual film opening together
• add in title and credits
• add in any audio

Revisions:

• meet with teacher to re-analyze film opening
• make edits or re-edit some clips
• rewatch project to confirm everything is correct

CCR:

• do research with information relating to topic
• make the reflection
• edit and review CCR

Next step: Find props and be fully prepared to begin filming