Final Links

Film openong link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHDe6p8FpA/-lUkCJmJ7im2a9qX3D_opQ/watch?utm_content=DAHDe6p8FpA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hbeb9422ec6 

 CCR Questions 1&2: CCR Video

  CCR Questions 3&4: CCR Video

CCR Question 4 and script

 Question #4: How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

An important role of technology in our film opening was played. In the case of hardware, we utilized a professional filming camera in order to capture the scenes and various angles and quality. In the case of software, we applied video editing applications to assemble clips, change the pace, and add sound and music with I Movie and non copy write music. The editing software was used to arrange our footage and to produce an easier final product. The online tools and research also helped us to look at examples of film openings, get inspiration in music, and get to know about the conventions of the genre. In sum, having hardware, editing software and web research enabled us to produce a more smooth and professional work.

Script for running "Kate Mackz Style" running interview: 

Interviewer: LOVE THAT!! Alright next question as we go around this mile, how and what technology did you use throughout the project?

Myself: There was truthfully a lot of technology involved in it. Our main hardware was cameras to literally film the scenes. Then we edited all of it together, changed the pacing, and inserted music and sound effects to create suspense. During planning, we also used the internet much to research the film openings and also to be inspired about the genre. Thus it was more of a combination of hardware, software, and web tools that allowed us to get to where we are with the entire project.

CCR Question 3 and script

 Question #3: How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

My production skills improved significantly throughout this project as I was planning, moving to the filming and time management.  I was primarily concerned with the general concept of the story, as the project progressed, however, I began to reflect on more technical aspects of camera angles, lighting, sound and pacing. I was taught how various shots may vary the atmosphere of a shot, such as a wide shooting to reveal the setting, and a close-up to reveal some significant information. Another thing I enhanced was plan scenes in advance by use of story boards and shot list. The other skill that I acquired was problem solving, particularly in matters of schedule change and changing locations. All in all, the project allowed me to realize the number of various steps involved in the creation of a film opening and how to work more effectively in the production process.

Script for running "Kate Mackz Style" running interview: 

Interviewer (behind camera): Alright Avery, we are about to start our mile, as we go,  im going to your thriller film opening extracurriculars!, My first question is how did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Myself: Honestly, they evolved a lot in the process. I was mostly at all times thinking about the plot, however, as we began shooting, I understood the importance of technical aspects, such as camera angles, lighting, timing, and especially sound. I also got to know the impact of various shots on the mood of a scene, particularly when it involves a thriller. I also improved on pre planning with shot list and story boards to allow easier filming. And we did have to problem solve in between with time schedule and location shifts, which allowed me to become more flexible in production.

Research Questions # 1-2

 Question #1: How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

Our movie opening conforms to many thriller tropes, like mystery and suspense. In the beginning, the viewers are presented with a typical high school environment where there is cheer and basketball practice which is realistic and ordinary.  Then the tone is altered as the main character is depicted rushing and packing drugs. This puts a strain and the audience begins to ask questions. We also break stereotypes to some extent since cheerleaders and athletes are typically portrayed in certyain manner, yet in our opening they are engaged in something secretive, which is unexpected by the audience.

Podcast Script for Question 1: 

Host: First question then, how do your film make use of or break the rules of the genre?

Myself: In our movie, the opening is made in the way of a thriller such as mystery and suspense. It begins in a normal high school scenario where there is cheer and basketball practice which is not new to the audience. Then the tone shifts when the main character is depicted to be in a hurry and stuffing drugs. This shift creates tension. We also break the stereotypes as cheerleaders and athletes are commonly presented in stereotypical manner but in our opening they are engaged in something more mysterious.

Question #2: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

We do not describe it all immediately, and this leaves the viewers wondering what is happening. The last line, Are you ready" also leaves the audience with questions. Had it been an actual film, it would most likely be streamed on such websites as Netflix or Hulu due to their availability to a large portion of younger audiences. It might also be advertised on the social media using trailers and clips.

Podcast Script for Question 2: 

Host: Wow!! im already hooked in, but how would your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Myself: What our film does is to create curiosity to the audience. We do not tell everything at all, and viewers desire to know what is going on. The last line, Are you ready? makes the audience ask questions. The full movie, it would most likely be released on other streaming services, such as Netflix or Hulu, and marketed through social media by showing trailers and clips to appeal to younger viewers.

CCR Production Ideas

 I am doing a total of two CCR's, and I decided that I am going to do one simple, and the other that is cute and creative!!

For my first simple one, I am going to do a podcast answering the first two questions. I love listening to podcasts and one of my favorites is the Jake Shane Podcasts its comedic and always has an interesting twist. I also love his set up, its so cozy and put together. I want to produce an atmosphere in my own recording, and to provide a space that would be both aesthetically refined and professional enough, so that I can approach these questions with both humor and seriousness.

"Therapuss" Jake Shane Podcast

My set is my living room to replicate that same feeling of being at the comfy home that Jake Shane allows his guests to identify with. Nonetheless, I want do the high level of production, I will be using a professional microphone set to make sure the sound will be of the studio quality. I am hoping to achieve a balance between the homely and the professional by using both quality sound equipment and quality camera equipment, such that the atmosphere is friendly.

My second CCR is going to be an interview but i'm gonna shake it up a little. Something I love to do is run and I decided to do what Kate Mackz does. She interviews celebrities and influencers while going on runs around that persons town. It's a great way to market new music, movies, and collabs. 

Kate Mackz

The setting would be at the beach to make it more aesthetically pleasing and not so bland. I will also use a phone holder and a wireless microphone just as Kate does to make these videos.

I will be filming at this beach (Fort Lauderdale)

Filming time management

 One of the main things while trying to stay organized during the stressful changes is making a detailed schedule.

Tomorrow we are going to be filming straight after school with about 10 people and about 5 have to be finished by 3:30 and school ends at 2:45.

Having to go to bathrooms to get in costumes and just get ready we would be out and ready to film at the courts around 3:05. We would begin filming and we already have our scenes and shots carefully planned out. We would hope to finished shooting all the group scenes by 3:30. 

Straight after that we would get the shots of our girl main main character single shots. 

We would head to my house (hope fully around 4:00), get all the props and change Miahs costume finish the room shots of just her because she has to be back home at 6pm. We would do the car scene with Miah and Trevor, our two main characters, and get all the shots and extra ones we need.

Now after shooting with all characters, my partner and I will head over to the Fort Lauderdale airport and get the shots we need of driving there and the imagery needed without characters. 

I am really confident that this will all work out and we will finish with all the shots needed. All me and my partner need is time and we both have all after school day for that! 

Setting Change

 The second biggest challenge that our group had to go through was the change of setting. At first, we were planning on using the basketball court and the room of Camila as our primary locations. The decision to select these settings in the storyline and the provision of an environment of a real high school. The room of Camila was also of great significance, since it enabled us to depict more personal and emotional scenes that contributed to the formation of her personality. This changed when Camila was not part of the project anymore, and there was no more possibility of using her room. That made us reconsider the manner in which we were going to shoot those character driven mise-en-scene. To add to it all, the basketball court incident was also a source of greater stress. We had settled on the indoor basketball court as the setting even if we couldn’t use the basketball team, and we discovered that it was being repainted and redone on the day we were to shoot. This totally disturbed our initial schedule. The access to the space and the time to shoot the film before construction started could not be shifted since the sports facilities are usually congested and have tight schedules. Due to these unforeseen developments, we were forced to have rapid adjustment. As we could not have filmed in the room of Camila, we settled on using my room and other sections of my home. This in fact played to our advantage as it provided us with greater control of lighting, sound and timing. We did not have to fear about interruptions and permission asking to use the space. In the basketball shots, we changed to the outside field basketball court of the school. It was not what we initially meant but we were able to maintain the athletic feel we had in mind. We simply needed to be conscious of weather, background noise and lighting as we were now shooting out on location.

Obstacles Part 2

Casting was one of the greatest challenges that our group had to overcome. At first we would have preferred everything to be as realistic as we could, we originally were going  to have a basketball team use our practice scenes, it would have been the real Cypress Bay basketball team. We believed that this would make the movie appear more real because they already possess the uniforms, chemistry and the actual experience of playing together. It was strictly prohibited to record at school and that just could not happen to me and my partner due to lack of time since we both are in full schedules at school and could not waste instruction time. It was not realistic to skip classes to shoot and it would have left us behind in terms of schoolwork.

Due to this that we were forced to alter our initial plan entirely. We had to have our other guy friends come and replace the basketball players in their positions rather than getting the official team involved. This solution was successful but it brought other problems. They needed to know how to position, to play naturally on the field and to make the scenes appear as real despite the fact they are not in the team. This also required us to have schedules that suited all our schedules after school which involved a great deal of organization by having to use group chats and constantly communicating with every single person.

The same was with the role of the girls. We initially considered having the real Cypress Bay cheerleaders in the film to make the scenes more authentic and school spirited. Unluckily, they were not given a chance to film after school either. This presented another challenge since we needed to do most of our shooting out of school hours. I chose to  fill one of the positions, as well as two of our close friends. This required a rapid change in choreography and costume arrangements and ensuring that the energy remained natural.

Obstacles Part 1

Through this whole process a lot has changed. 

Getting a bunch of high school students who all have their own things to take care of together is harder than you think. Our main character Camila, is no longer our main role, it is now going to be our friend Miah filling in! As for our boy main character he is on the school baseball team and it was hard to even get him to film just him. We were going to switch him out for someone else, but we found a day to get him after school and for the single shooting at night the same day!!

Overall this experience has taught my partner and I how during film production, communication and time management is key. We knew before starting this process not everything was going to go as planned, that is why we were prepared for things like this and had a plan B.

Production Process Update

 As of right now we have not began filming, but we have everything ready to begin such as people, props, film material, and settings. Today I will be discussing the things I just previously listed and how it will be in our film. I will also be going over how we are going to take on the scenes in all!

As for the people that are going to be in the opening are our four boys, the main character boy Conor, the other boys Rick, Nick, and Melvin. There will be 3 girls, the main character Camila, along with the two other girls Halle and Avery.

The boys will be using there basketball practice uniforms and athleisure wear, and the cheerleaders are going to wear there Cypress Bay Cheerleader merch. The costumes are obviously a great way to tell the audience that it is a high school basketball team and cheer team. When Camila is in her room rushing she will be wearing an all black sweat set. 

The props used are basketball, pom poms, cheer-bag, and duffle bag (drug bag). These are the main props used in both scenes.