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.