Creative Critical Reflection

In this CCR I will be telling you my personal experience on the journey of this project, which from now I can say it was an amazing one where I learned from every single one of my mistakes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcEqtdEK3pc&feature=youtu.be

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7JhHhx8WI1UNV83TjZVWmZGR3M

Final Project

This is my film.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did in creating it :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83gj9CRhdKc

Song Update

GOOD NEWS:

Since no one answered our emails to approve our songs, my partner and I were able to find a song that fit to our tone perfectly. We searched on youtube and came across this song which is copy right free. To make sure we didn't need any approval and to prove it, I took screenshots of the owner stating it himself. The only thing he asked to do though, was to give credits, which we did by adding his name as the song owner in our film.
                             Down below, you can see exactly what he included under his song.

sources: "♩♫ Emotional and Inspiring Music ♪♬ - Interstellar (Copyright and Royalty Free)." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Aug. 2014. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Meet The Protagonist

ADELINE:

                                   (This picture was taken during our shooting)
               

The main reason why my partner and I decided to chose her as the protagonist for our film was because of her vibrant and carefree personality. Addy's personality matches very well with our main character's because she easily portrays the non-typical average teenager. What I mean by this is that, even though our main character went through a lot in her life, hence the fact that she was abused by her father, she decided to move on with her life and make it a better one for herself instead of being in a state of depression. As seen in the film, the protagonist is seen wandering around and "escaping" her past life. Although at times she seems frustrated, due to the fact that she's going through a stressful situation, she tries getting the best out of it. The protagonist is focused in depth throughout the film because we're trying to capture her character development. I'm very satisfied with her acting and i'm glad she was able to help us out because she was definitely the perfect fit!

A Small Bump In The Road

This week, my partner and I are facing a moment we never wanted to encounter. Offcourse, we knew we would most likely run into a problem of some sort throughout out process. The problem we're facing isn't too bad but, we still need to do something about it. As of last week or even a little before, we had been trying to contact various music companies in order to get our song approval. After days and weeks of waiting, we still haven't received one email back. We emailed a total of five companies because we figured that whichever company answered us, we would use in our film due to the fact that all five songs we chose worked perfect in our film.  At this point in the project, due to the fact that were quickly reaching the end of it, I began to panick. In my opinion, and i'm sure many people agree, the music is an essential part of the film. It's what brings light to it and makes it exciting. Because of this, I felt extremely overwhelmed over the fact that we didn't know what to do about our music.

 My partner and I have built a strong and firm project which is why we decided this would not bring us down. Instead, we decided that we would research on legal music we could use without the need of a song approval. I'm quite glad I was faced by a challenge throughout my project process because not only did it help me find a way to overcome it by working as a team with my partner but also, being faced with this challenge defined my ability to succeed through my mental attitude. If i would've kept my negative attitude, I would've probably never came up with a solution to fix it, meaning that I would've ended up with no music for my film. Tomorrow is the day that we're planning on finally finishing all touchups for the film as well as including the background music. Without a doubt, I will keep you guys informed on any updates that are made!

Updates

The journey is already coming to an end... Surprisingly, it went a lot quicker than I expected. Because of my organization, everything has been running smoothly. For the past two weeks we have wrapped up shooting and as of now, we have been editing, finding song approvals and writing the script for the voice over. Tomorrow, we will record the voice over, edit it and finally include it in the film. For being a stressed person, I was actually pretty calm due to the fact that I didn't leave everything for last minute. I'm very content on how the film is looking and excited to share it soon.

I decided to share a sneak peek of some shots we are including in our film, off course without any music or editing added to it yet, so you guys get the feel of what were going for.

These short clips were filmed with a drone and these are some shots we are including in the beginning of our film as an introduction. 

Peer Reviews

This week, we had a peer review session. I heard a lot of positive and interesting comments from my classmates while helping me through my process. As I explained to them what my film would be about, they gave me feedback on what to do and not to do.  One of my biggest concerns is the editing of the film but luckily, I had a great editor in my group who showed me tips and ideas of what to include on my scenes and how to make them flow nicely. I showed my peers a short piece of my film to get opinions on it. Since I decided to start my film with a few establishing shots to create a mood of the setting, I had to make sure the timing was right for each shot. With that being said, my peers told me to make each shot a little bit longer. My partner and I decided we were going to include diegetic sounds in the background of each setting shot and once the protagonist first appears, the music will begin. Although, throughout the whole film we will have the voice over playing. Im extremely glad I was able to have this opportunity in discussing with my peers because I was able to get an opinion from the audience.

Editing Process

Since we last filmed, my partner and I have begun editing. Truthfully, It has been harder than I expected. Although our shots are simple and concise, I need to find a way to edit them in order for them to stand out and somewhat exaggerate the dramatic tone. In my opinion, I'm a descent editor but to gain more knowledge and skills, I decided to look up videos on youtube of editing tutorials. Also, I did a little research on the top editing apps/ tools. Off course, the one that benefits me most to use is iMovie.  So far, I've found many pros in using iMovie and I recommend it to anyone. One of the most beneficial things it has is that I can use it not only on my computer but also on my phone. This gives me the opportunity of getting my editing done faster and wherever/ whenever i want.

As I've been brainstorming, I came across a great idea for editing my film. Even though my partner and I still don't know what the title of our film will be, I think we should end the opening scene with a shot of the main character's face dissolving into the title of the film. Not only will it look visually appealing but also it will create a sense of excitement for the audience. To remain with the mysterious mood of the film, my partner and I will add an effect/color to the shots. I think our best option is to make it seem gloomy to match with the settings where this is occurring. To do this, the color schemes have to be darker shades which will always help the red coat stand out more, hence the fact that the red coat is one of the most important parts of the film.

Searching For The Perfect Song

Including a song in a film is an essential component due to the fact that it's what creates the mood and tone. Specifically for my genre which is drama, I decided to research to see what type of songs fit best. In doing so, I came across a website that allowed me not only to see a list of songs perfect for dramatic moments but also it had an option to hear each song straight from the website. Although my first concern is closing the right songs, my second concern is actually getting the song approved.

In order to chose the song, my partner and I need to vote on our top options and see which ever one we get approved, that way we know if we could use it. Since we are adding a voice over in our opening, we decided to use only the instrumental part of the song and not the lyrics. For drama, we need to be precise with our song because it has to have a slow yet up-beat tone. This is to create a sense of mystery and excitement for the audience to make them want to keep watching which is the goal of any film-maker.
Two songs I have in mind are:
1. Just Give Me A Reason by Pink
2. All Of Me by John Legend




Sources: Media, United. "Soundtracks | Drama." Soundtracks | Drama | Best Music by Theme | YookaMusic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

Voice Over

    In our film, the voice over is an essential part due to the fact that it's the explanation of the protagonist's life & what she's going through. Because of this, we need to make sure that the voice over we include fits in perfectly with the overall plot. In order to do so, I decided to check out some movie examples to guide me. As I was searching, I found a great article that included the top 10 voice-overs in film. Not only did they list the movies, but also they included exactly what the voice overs said in the film. Below each voice over, they added an explanation of it to show what each film was going for. This article is very helpful because I feel more prepared to create the script of the voice over according to the specific mood that were going for, which in this case, it's mysterious.

Some examples included were:
1.The Fight Club (1999)
This scene demonstrates the voice over by showing the audience what was going through the protagonist's head as he was being smashed in the face.

2.The Royal Tenenbums (2001)
This scene is presented with a voice over of the narrator introducing the plot of the film.
The voice helps to break the stillness and emotional vacuity of the film, as well as lighten it up a little.

3.Taxi Driver (1976)
In this scene the voice over is told in the form of rambling diary entries, it is important to recognize that the character isn’t actually talking to his audience; he is talking to himself, and we have no choice but to listen and try to find some sort of understanding.


sources: Sinyard, Ally. The Script Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2017. 

Filming Report

My partner & I were able to begin filming this weekend. Although many things didn't come out how we envisioned previously, it all worked out eventually. A problem we came across was the location of the shooting. Our original shooting location was supposed to be in miami but due to the far distance, we weren't able to shoot there and ended up filming in markham park at a place called the "hobo hole." Luckily, we were able to find a very cool place according to our theme/genre. We used a canon camera to film. Also, we used a drone to capture the view of the location as well as some photographs of the protagonist.

This week we will begin editing the first portion of our filming and make any changes needed. Next weekend, we will finish filming our last shots to wrap it up. This will help us use our time wisely and not be so overwhelmed in having to do everything at once. Even though we had a small road block because of the location, we were able to make the best of it. Overall, i'm content with my footage and plan on adding some specific details later on.

Here are some of the shots we took which will help you get the vibe of the location where we filmed
                                                                         ⇊⇊

                   

                   

Preparation For The Big Day

In two days to be exact, my partner and I will begin shooting for our opening scene. As exciting as that sounds, I need to make sure I'm set and ready to go. In order to create my film, I need quite a few things organized which is the reason why I made this list below.

1. Location: Choosing a location is essential, which is why it was so hard to pick the perfect place to fit in with our genre/theme. We decided to start off in a run-down street or field with trees and old-fashioned houses to give the audience a sense of where the protagonist came from. Also, we chose to do some parts at Wynwood to fit in with the mysterious-tone that she's running away from something due to the fact that Wynwood has places that could go well with the story. Also, a key element in the story we're trying to convey is the contrast of colors and luckily, Wynwood has infinite amount of options. In our case however, due to the fact that our tone is dark because of her past life and she's wearing a red coat, we need dark and gloomy backgrounds. According to this website, I learned the psychology of colors to know exactly how to make my audience feel. Besides those places, we also decided to finalize it in Brickell because it's where the protagonist "ended up" being completely opposite to where she started. This will be able to clearly show the contrast of the two places since brickell is full of high buildings and full of lights opposed to the rural city being empty and dark. 

↖
↲Wynwood












←Brickell




2.Actress: The protagonist in my story is the only character introduced in the opening, which is why it's important that I get an actress who understands what I'm going for and can deliver the facial/ body expressions naturally. I was able to convince my friend in doing the part and I definitely feel like it was a great idea since not only is she part of the drama club but also, her personality is great for the part.

3.Equipment: I plan on starting the film with quick cuts of the different locations, which is why I'm going to use my drone to capture the perfect shots. Also, the drone could help me get good shots while the protagonist is walking. Another tool I'm going to need is my camera recorder because not only can I capture great pictures with it but also, I can film certain parts of the opening. 

4.Costume/make up design: First of all, I'm going to need a red coat because my film relies heavily on the significance of it and luckily, my partner and I found someone who could let us borrow one. Besides the costume design, we need great make up in order to express the emotions/feelings the protagonist will need to convey. In this case, she was abused which is why we need her to have a scar and bruises. I'm not very good with make up which is why I decided to look up on the internet for inspirations/ guidelines. I was able to find a video that served as a guide in making the exact make up look I was going for. 

Now that I have all of these steps done, I know I'm ready to begin filming!

Sources: "Psychological Properties Of Colours." Colour Affects. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. 

"Bruises and Scars Makeup Tips for Halloween." Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Staying On Track

As we know, it's almost the end of the second week meaning, there's only a couple weeks left. With that being said, I not only need to make sure i'm on track with my project but also, I need to make sure I finish on time. In order for everything to run smoothly, I decided that the best thing for me to do was to create a schedule. As a very organized person, this schedule allows me to be more stress-free and have everything ready to go without any problems (hopefully). Below is my schedule which shows how I separated the tasks needed throughout the weeks. I tried making it in a way that the days wouldn't interfere with other tasks just in case of any inconvenience that might occur. ↓↓↓

Hopefully everything will go as planned but if any changes are made, I will surely let you all know. As of now, my partner and I are making sure we have everything set for our filming this weekend!😀

Let The Imagination Burst

Story Board-ing Time!

Creating a story board allows me to visually "see" the outcome of my project before even filming it. It is one of the most helpful tools due to the fact that it acts as a guideline of the production. Although I'm not the best drawer, I still had to give it a shot. I came across this useful website that served me as a guideline which provided not only examples of story boards but also, tips to make a story board.

Something very important to keep in mind when making a story board is the "story board language" techniques that should be included. I'm glad I came across this website because they even had a sample of stick figure story boards for people who can't draw... AKA me!

Although I had plenty information, I decided to keep researching on tips and other information needed to create the perfect story board. By doing so, I found a great article called "Storyboarding Tips from DreamWorks" which instantly caught my eye. The main reason being that DreamWorks is a huge film company so off course I wanted advice from them. Here's what I got from them: Avoid flat staging unless when necessary, lay down grids to help "ground" your characters & compositions, use foreground, mid-ground, background, & far background to sell depth, and when dealing with multiple characters, logically group them. These tips served me as a guide and were extremely useful since they came from a trusted source.

Now, it was time to create it. Due to the fact that I had already laid out the main ideas and scenes in my head, it was much easier to make it. Below each drawing, I included a short description of each shot and movement that was going to be included in order for me to know exactly what needs to be done at the time of the filming. Even though, I will most likely add more in the future or make some changes, I'm now a step closer in being prepared to begin shooting!
Here are the first six shots of my opening, or at least how I'm planning for them to look like:

Sources:
"Storyboards." Storyboards. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Renée, V. "Storyboarding Tips from DreamWorks." No Film School. N.p., 21 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

The Star Of The Show

My main character is someone who I will detail precisely and make her stand out like no other, hence the fact that she's the star of the show. To begin my creation of her, I have to think and answer specific questions:
"Where did she come from?
How old is she?
Where does she live?
How does her life make her who she is?
How was her childhood?"
As of right now, my thoughts on her are simple yet complicated. Her name is Anna and she is 19 years old. She was abused when she was younger by her father and his friends. This incident has damaged her both mentally and physically which is the cause of the bruises and scar on her face (as well as on several other parts of her body).
She's lived trapped inside a life where she doesn't want to live in any longer. It's not that she wants to kill herself, it's that she finally wants to escape from her past life. As I stated on my first blog post, she will be wearing a red coat. This red coat will have a great significance in my film.
In my opening scene of the film, her face will not be shown until the last shot in which she will turn around and "face the audience" showing her reality full of bruises and scars. The red coat is significant in the sense that it contrasts from her past being emphasized by the location where this will be taking place.
This scene will take it a step further in getting the audience's full attention by creating a sense of mystery mixed with thrill.
To emphasize on her past life,  I'm thinking of including a voice over of my main character talking about the fact that she was abused since a young age.

Eye-Catching Genre

     Deciding on what I want my genre to be is actually quite difficult due to the fact that there's so many options! To match it with my initial idea , I have to pick a genre leaning to the dark side...

Drama? Thriller? Horror?

Throughout my research, I stumbled upon an amazing site which helped me look into what most people like to see. Clearly, as shown below we can see how Adventure, comedy, action, drama, and thriller/suspense are the top 5 most viewed movie genres in 2017. The fact that my movie doesn't really relate with happy genres, I think drama or thriller/suspense is my go-to for this project.

These statistics prove that I will get more audience by choosing drama or thriller rather than horror. 

Also, I decided to investigate on the target audience according to my genre. With that being said, I found an interesting article that interviewed certain age groups ranging from 16-35 year olds on why they enjoy watching drama films as well as what they expect from them. Not only is this article useful in the sense that it provides me with the information on who my top viewers will be based on the genre of drama but also, it includes what the viewers are used to seeing. This is an advantage because off course I want to stick with my target audience but also, I need to create a plot like never seen before. Here's what I got from it...

TIPS ON WHAT NOT TO DO FOR MY FILM

1. include death  

2. have boring characters

3. have women complaining about their lives

Sources:            
Claindelune, By:. "Why Does My Target Audience Enjoy Watching Drama Films?" Collettealevelmedia. N.p., 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

"Movie Genres by Box Office Revenue in North America 2017 | Statistic." Statista. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.         

Inspiration

INSPO

   Hi there, my name is Sylvana
Welcome to the place where I will be expressing my feelings and thoughts throughout my project experience. Today, is the first day and a step closer to the day I have been waiting for this whole school year... MY FINAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR!!
      I have been brainstorming a lot and have frequently come across great ideas for what I want my opening scene to be about. Although, the one that stood out to me the most inspired me when watching the show Pretty Little Liars. I felt extremely interested when an anonymous character was introduced wearing a red coat. Introducing my main character as one wearing a red coat gives the film a sense of mystery in which the audience will immediately feel intrigued and wanting to watch more. 
     The red coat is symbolic for two reasons. The first being the fact that i'm planning on filming in dark settings to somehow express her horrible past and how the fact that she's destroyed on the inside. Also, the background settings will contrast with the coat color to make it more visually appealing. The second reason is that it's psychologically proven that the color red means strength, power, and determination due to the fact that the main character is trying to leave her past behind and continue with her life.

                                                                                                    

Pretty Little Liars