Shots, Sci-Fi, and More

Before creating the storyboard, I decided to conduct research on cool shots that I could use in the film opening. I began by watchingYouTube videos on classic sci-fi films. When going through videos, I stumbled upon a YouTube channel named Cinefix. They post "top 10" lists in which they discuss the best films openings, adaptations, stunts, and other features of films. Some of the videos I watched from their channel include: "Top Ten Science Fiction Films of All Time", "Why Does Science Fiction Love Dystopias?", and "Top Ten Sci-Fi Movies That Will Become Classics."

From these videos I learned a lot, but mostly I caught the repeated themes seen in sci- fi films. For example, the film is either set in the past or future, which is most of the time in a dystopian world.  This world Then a major problem arises that most often has to do with the advancement of technology, an alien species, or a foreign disease attacking the world. The reason these themes are seen quite often is because the genre tackles all forms of speculation and paranoia. The genre addresses issues that people fear would happen, but seem near impossible. However, each film has some element that makes it unique from others, which is why although many films have the same theme, the films don't seem repetitive.

Another video of their's I watched was "Best Shots of All Time." I kept in mind that these lists are created based on opinion, however the channel has almost 4 million subscribers and receives lots of support from filmmakers. Therefore, I do believe their opinion is significant and it's good to take into account what they believe are the best shots. Not to mention, they also listen to their subscribers feedback left in the comments to improve their next parts of this series. They were able to choose the best shots based on: angles, subject relationships, movement, purpose, and size.

Alien (1979)

I learned that to introduce my main character, I would most likely use a close-up because this shot allows me to show the emotion the character feels, in an intimate way. I could combine a close-up and point of view shot right in the beginning of the opening to immediately place the viewer in the story. In doing this, the viewer would feel the same way the main character does because of the situation they're placed in. Like the shot in "Alien" with the close-up of the astronauts face as he views space. From this shot you can see the astonishment the astronaut feels.

Schindler's List (1993)

Then there's the long shot, meant to show the whole body and what it's doing. In this shot, the attention is no longer just on the face of the character, but on the character's movement or distance from another character. This conveys the relationship between two characters, or how the character acts in a specific environment. Like the shot in Schindler's list in which Schindler stands talking to another character in front of a burning mountain. Here, the attention is placed on more than just one sole character.

Most of the scenes featured in this video consisted of close-ups and long shots. These are two basic shots but when used the right way, they can show the character's emotions and environment without the use of any dialogue.

In order to complete one of the tasks on my checklist, which is to do research on technologies used in sci-fi films, I will watch another video I found on the same channel that features the best tech innovations that are seen in sci-fi films. Hopefully, this video inspires me to come up with what I want the implant to look like. Since I can't actually create a new technology, it will only be used as a prop for the film, however I want it to look as realistic as possible. If I make it a small device that is within the character's skin, then I don't have to worry much about the looks of it, I can just focus on using makeup to create the design on the character's arm. However, if it is on the exterior part of the arm, then I need to design a small shape that looks like a new form of technology to the viewer.

I have so much to think about! Ok I'll be back soon with updates.

Just An Update

Hello, it's been a while since I last posted on here, but to be honest, I haven't been doing much for this project, besides brainstorming. My next big task is to create the storyboard, but I wasn't feeling very creative this week. It was quite a busy week with SAT's coming up and having to prep for an important exam like this takes time. Therefore, I came to provide an update of where I'm at in the process of creating the film opening.

In the last post, I was pretty certain in which direction I wanted to take my ideas for the opening. However, just yesterday, our class viewed an excellent example of a film opening made by a student. The story created a sense of inclusivity, meaning you felt as if you were there and viewing from an insider's perspective. The film opening starred a young girl, known as a "groupie" getting ready to go out with the bass player of the band. The reason I thought this film opening was amazing was because it genuinely felt like the beginning of a film. The opening successfully captured the interest of the entire class, and left us wanting to know more, even though it was in a genre that not everyone in this class would typically watch. This made me really think about my idea. I know I have a good idea and I hope to properly execute it, however how much of my idea could I really include in a 2 minute film opening? And where would I be leaving room for the rest of the story?

I think the biggest part I failed to consider was that I'm only creating the first few minutes of the film, therefore I can't give some long story. It has to be just enough detail in which the audience is intrigued but not so much that the audience knows the whole plot from the start and then loses interest. These thoughts slowly led to doubts in my original idea.

Then just this morning, I shared the idea with a friend and his reaction when I told him the full story was perfect. He loved the idea and thought it'd be a challenge for me to create but nevertheless it would be possible. This worked only to motivate me to make my idea come to life.

As I was brainstorming I came up with two different ideas for the progression of my film opening. The first would be a normal progression in which the opening scene is the man waking up in the middle of a field, and he slowly begins to figure out how he has gotten to this position.

Meanwhile the second idea was placing the character in the climax of the film, and just before something big is revealed, the film flashes back to the beginning in order to explain how the character got to that point.

I think I'll end up going with the second option, however I believe this one may be a bit more difficult to execute and it could confuse the audience with the time jump. Therefore, if I do end up choosing this, I need to work hard to make the story clear. By tomorrow, my choice should be revealed in the storyboard I create.

Till next time!

The Idea

Greetings Earthlings.

Last post I mentioned I'd be creating a mood board/mind map to display the idea of the film opening, and I think it may have sounded a bit confusing since a mind map is very different from a mood board, but I wanted to combine both ideas to show the visuals I hope to create in the filming process and also share the set film opening idea. The mood board doesn't contain many words, besides the description, the rest is key words that are critical to the plot of the movie. However, I also wanted to create this post to further explain the plot of the film just for background.

Like in many sci-fi films I will incorporate the use of technology, more specifically implants to work in the character's advantage. This implant will show flashbacks that slowly explain how the character has gotten to this situation. Next, I'll use a location that seems like an abandoned city. The film begins in an open field,, shown in the mood board, but will progress to a city that doesn't look abandoned, but to the character's surprise, it actually is. Next post, I will give further explanation on the plot of the film along with the storyboard. See you then!

A Look Into the Future

Ok hello again! So, as you may know I created a checklist a couple days ago to just have a clear set up of what I wanted to accomplish, however I realized I never really enforced due dates. For me this is important because it allows me to have a sense of discipline. When I have due dates, I tend to work harder to complete my work on time. Not to mention, I hope to have a couple days or so just to go over the work and make any adjustments I feel are necessary.

Here are the calendars I created:

I chose to give myself 2-3 days for each of the final posting of both the CCR and the completed film opening that way I have a bit of a flexible schedule, just in case any conflicts arise. However, with this calendar I will use the deadlines to be more organized and productive. 

Also, just a little update on the checklists. I skipped a couple of the first tasks, but I found two potential locations to film that I think would both work really well to create the atmosphere I want. Now the trouble comes in choosing which one of the two I want to use. The first would be an empty golf course, but that kind of puts restraints on the time that can actually be used to film. And the second is a park that has a bunch of open fields. I'm leaning towards the second one, but hopefully with time I can make my decision. I've also found the camera I want to film with, and it'll be Canon DSLR camera in order to get good quality shots, that will later have that futuristic look added in the editing. 

And the last bit of news, I will be creating a mind map/mood board for the opening that'll be featured on the next post, so stay tuned!!

Here's the Plan

Benjamin Franklin once said "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" and I believe it's important to take this advice into account when working on such a major project. I've learned, especially with creating films, that proper planning is vital in order to successfully create what you envisioned.

So the planning process began...

Just when I thought I was done researching, here I go again looking for the best way to prepare before filming. A website focused on video and marketing insights named "Tubular Insights" shared an effective strategy that would help in the planning process, which was creating checklists. Now, I usually use checklists to write my homework assignments in an agenda, or even for tasks I want to complete on a day-to-day basis, so I thought why not try it to prep.

I'll admit I didn't think this strategy would be very effective, but to my surprise it was, and it also made me realize how much more I had to do!!

So, here are the three main checklists I've created:

These lists are important because for me, having goals set makes them easier to accomplish since I know what to focus on. However, these lists are just drafts because they will constantly be expanding as more tasks come up. So, having them on an online document allows me to ensure they're safe, but I can always add to them.  

For now I will begin working on the first checklist and updates will be provided on the next post! Here we go!

Sci-Fi Films

In order to start my project I knew I would have to do plenty of research on the genre and creation of film openings. As I kept looking for great examples of sci-fi films I stumbled upon an article published by Wired named, "The best sci-fi movies everyone should watch, 1970-2019." The reason this title caught my attention was because of the 49 year span of the list. This article showcased popular sci-fi films from each year, but more importantly how the genre has developed through time.

Alien (1979)

Directed by Ridley Scott, the film tells the story of a crew flying on a spaceship who suddenly encounter this deadly creature that is known to leave a trail of death behind it. The film shares the techniques seen in most classic sci-fi films, but one unique technique they used in the original film was to never show  the full horror of this "Alien." This tactic was a great way to build suspense. Not to mention, this film was considered one of the most advanced sci-fi films at the time. 

Following this major hit in the sci-fi world, several films within the same franchise have been released:

Aliens, 1986
Alien 3, 1992
Alien Resurrection, 1997
Alien vs. Predator, 2004
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, 2007
Prometheus, 2012
Alien: Covenant, 2017

Many fans believed that this franchise should have ended after the success of the first film, but that's not to say that the sequels, prequels, and sequels to the prequel, didn't gain enough attention. In fact, just last year it was rumored that Disney was considering buying the Alien franchise with hopes of resurrecting it and having Ridley Scott return to produce a prequel and sequel to the original Alien film. 

E.T the Extra Terrestrial (1982)

E.T. is considered classic sci-fi film that features the friendship between an alien, left behind on Earth, and a young boy. This friendship ensues trouble from their shenanigans, but it's seen in a sweet way by the audience. This film greatly differs from other sci-fi films with the same alien concept, because Spielberg focuses on the bond formed between the child and the extraterrestrial.

Since Spielberg's goal wasn't to create the most impressive looking alien, there isn't the same visual effects seen in most alien films, making this film unique and heartwarming. This also goes to show that the target audience may have been different than the typical older male audience. This film was geared more towards kids, opening the genre to a broader audience.

Tron (1982)

Tron gained as much fame in the 80's as The Matrix did in the 90's. At a time, special effects weren't widely used, as most who tried to incorporate them in their films often failed. Tron is an action and adventure film starring Jeff Bridges who is a computer programmer trapped inside a world of software. In order to create this setting, computer animation had to be used. One of the reasons this film was so popular was because of it's success in creating the atmosphere of the film through animation. Further than that, the film subtly explained the meaning behind being a human, which is why sci-fi fans continue to enjoy this film.

Men in Black (1997)

The film Men in Black is based on the comic book series that led to the creation of an exciting science fiction film which worked to show that the genre didn't always have to be serious, in order to make it worth watching. Men in Black is about a secret organization that is responsible for supervising the extraterrestrial beings on Earth, in order to keep the humans around them safe. This film that has plenty of witty, comedic moments broke the standard for the science fiction genre. 

Rise of the Plant of the Apes (2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the first live action film whose main character was a fully self-aware animal. The film follows Will Rodman (played by James Franco), who is testing a potential cure for Alzheimer's on chimpanzees that goes wrong for humans. However, it works in the favor of apes which are led by Caesar, the intelligent-enhanced chimp. 

The film utilized advanced photorealistic CGI instead of the normal use of prosthetics and animal suits applied on humans in order to make the apes look truly realistic. One of the most important elements in bringing these apes to life was having actors that could fully recreate the movement and habits of chimpanzees. This was a difficult task but both performers, Andy Serkis and Terry Notary were able to pull it off and actually guide others in becoming the background apes. The whole process began with research. The crew chose to observe actual chimpanzees at the Wellington Zoo in order to really study them. Then the crew at Weta Digital began to virtually create what they saw in the real world. This meant starting from the skull and bones of the animal and adding more and more layers until the best representation of the animal was complete. Several other steps played major parts of this process, but after a long time, these once imagined apes had been brought to life. 

Conclusion

Throughout the research process, I learned that even some of the most successful sci-fi films don't follow a set of guidelines within the genre. Some of the most popular actually gained much of their audiences attention because of the different approach taken in making the film. I hope to follow this same idea in the creation of my film opening, and wish to include the use of creative techniques in the production process exemplified by the films listed above. 

After completing this research and having a sci-fi movie marathon, I decided it was time to jump in and begin the planning process for my film opening.

To check out more examples:
Wired. “The Best Sci-Fi Movies Everyone Should Watch, 1970 to 2019.” WIRED, WIRED UK, 14 Feb. 2020, www.wired.co.uk/article/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time.

The Start of an Awesome Project

The Start

Hello all! I'm starting my media studies portfolio project and I wanted to document my progress through several postings within the next few weeks. This first post was made to announce the genre of the film opening I'm going to create, and to give some background on it. Deciding on this genre took some time as I had many ideas for what I wanted to do, but after HOURS of overthinking I finally chose a genre. So, here it goes:

[Insert Drumroll]

SCIENCE FICTION!!

Science fiction, also called sci-fi, is a genre that typically deals with advanced technologies and futuristic concepts in order to explore innovative ideas. Other concepts mainly seen in this genre are space exploration, extraterrestrial life, time travel, and parallel universes, things many people speculate but have never been proven real. This genre has created several films so greatly produced and presented that thousands have begun to believe in the ideas represented in these films.

A Futuristic City

Photo from "The Martian"

A film about space exploration

Target Audience

This genre entertains many conspiracist’s beliefs, but it also intrigues the general public. Most sci-fi films have a target audience of males ranging from the ages of 18-29 year olds typically from the middle class. However, the genre never fails to broaden its audiences, seen by the numbers of those who have attended viewings of some of the most popular sci-fi films. Below I've shared the statistics found online, regarding the target audience for two popular sci-fi films:

Actors

The sci-fi genre has constructed a set of actors that are commonly used in sci-fi films. However, a shift in actors has been seen in this genre that audiences very much approve of. For example, a woman has recently been casted to play Doctor Who for the British series, which has never been seen before. It is now a time in which audiences expect more diversity within actors, and the sci-fi genre is encouraging this change. 

Doctor Who Series Poster

Technological Aspect

Not to mention, it has also predicted many of the technological inventions that are seen in today’s society. The genre utilizes amazing graphics and impressive action sequences in order to attract their audiences. Throughout time and advancement of technology, the visual effects used in these films have constantly evolved and improved. Some of the most popular science fiction films have gained great attention because of the visual effects the film contains. Examples will be shared in the next post.

Conclusion

Overall the sci-fi genre is one of the coolest because of it's exploration of unique situations which we don't often see in today's world. Not only that, but because we get to see the relationship between humans and non-humans, such as aliens and made up monsters, or the reaction of humans in artificial environments. Because of these themes seen in sci-fi, I chose to this genre for my film opening. 

Music Marketing Campaign

The Pop Genre

Pop music is the genre meant for popular music as any hits nowadays are in the pop genre. A common theme is seen throughout this music of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and catchy lyrics that creates a sense of familiarity for the listeners. This feeling is what makes people enjoy pop music so much. The typical target audience for the pop genre are teen girls ranging from the ages 13-25, and most are in the working class. Their jobs may include part-time jobs, full time jobs, or even being a student.

Marketing Trends

Some of the most popular trends seen in the Pop genre are the use of teaser trailers leading to the release of a music video, album, or single. One of the most successful examples was seen with Ariana Grande’s song “Thank U, Next.” She released teasers that were each a couple of seconds long featuring well known celebrities. This caused massive excitement between not only her fans, but those who were fans of the Mean Girls movie as well, since she made her music video a Mean Girls Parody.

Another marketing trend seen is the creative single song release Billie Eilish and her team does. Although she composes a full album and markets the album as a whole, she releases each song one at a time. In doing so, she is continuously entertaining her fans and keeping their attention. Not only that, but she gives them time to truly listen and obtain their own message for her music. These techniques are effective for the marketing of her music.

Developing the Brand 

         

Immediately before starting our marketing campaign we came up with a brand for our band, which was capturing the feeling of youth and freedom. After establishing this, we took several approaches to convey this feeling to our listeners that wasn’t just through the music. Through the use of social media, merchandise and live events our band is able to do this. For example, on social media we constantly used the same hashtags such as #youngandfree, #yandf and #newband in order for both bring awareness to the band and to keep this theme of living young and free throughout the Instagram page.

Next we chose the best locations in which our target audience would enjoy the performances. Keeping in mind that we don’t have a large audience or much money yet, we chose small but popular venues in locations such as Miami and Wynwood. These places were great choices because they are both realistic and these places are locations where our supporters would typically spend time in. Another reason these venues were chosen is because they truly capture the essence of youth.

Our merchandise also included this same phrase “young and free” to promote both the name of the band and the feeling we wanted our music to convey.

Merchandise

As shown, most of the merch designs are very simple which we found to be the best selling within our target audience. It’s more likely that the fans would wear a simple, but meaningful phrase such as “young and free’, rather than a photo of the band on a basic sweatshirt. We offered some variety by using different colors and products, yet still keeping to the band’s theme of two cool colors, blue and yellow. Since the band is still up and coming, we knew that we weren’t at the point where we could create an extensive collection, so as a group we chose the products we believed would be the most popular for our target audience. This explains why we made the choice to sell hats, phone cases, and stickers as well. These products don’t cost as much to produce but are still great items to represent the band.

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest things I learned throughout this project was the effectiveness of appropriate planning. The production of the video took a lot of time, but it was mainly because we changed the original idea we had. This led to having to go with a simple, promotional music video with no entertaining storytelling aspect which can be difficult for a new band to pull off. I believe that with effective planning and being truly passionate with the idea, would have led to an easier production process and being more content with the results.

However, this idea was completely different with the marketing campaign. I believe our group had a couple of creative ideas, but our campaign would’ve been better if we didn’t choose to focus so much on the rubric and instead accepted the spontaneous, exciting ideas.

Overall I learned that sometimes planning can have different effects, but I hope to learn from the mistakes made on this project in order to improve for the next one. I will also try to encourage the outgoing ideas and be more accepting of them.