Portfolio Project - Updates

Editing and more

I am currently editing everything right now and color correcting and can I just give myself a pat on the back because I think I did a really good job so far. I was really able to use my knowledge of the class and bring it to life. I even used a lot of the representation tricks that we saw in the visual analysis essays to help create my character. My friend Kevin did a great job with the acting, he was already a basketball player but I loved how he really started to connect with the character like I do. 

Tunnel Vision is something that I think holds more value because it is so exclusive to children. From a young age there is a lot that out parent look to us for and put a lot of pressure on us. This reminds me of the Turning Red movie Pixar just came out with about a girl to is growing up and turns into a fox which is just a metaphor for puberty. Similarly to this, our main protagonist is struggling with trying to be perfect at such a young age when imperection is all that is present. I like to think that what I'm making is much more than just a project but a real message

Here is the first look at 'Tunnel Vision' a Chocolate Muffins production.

Much more to come!!!!

Portfolio Project - Post Production Plan

 Working in Post

I am now in the post-production stage of my film intro 'Tunnel Vision'. My plan is to be finished editing before the end of spring break or at least cut it by the end of the break and do a little tweaking when we get back. Hopefully, all the planning and preparation will be enough as I spent hours trying to perfect every scene and make it memorable. I kept in mind the idea of 2+2 instead of the instant gratification of 4 so as I begin to edit I will continue to make that a central theme. 

The plan.

- Sort through footage. See what I like and don't like to add to the project

-  Piece together

- Add any text or effects

- Color correction...this will take the longest since I shot everything in such flat colors

My biggest fear is making something that will be more of a montage than a film intro, I want things to be cohesive and make sense which is why the storyboarding process of this was so important. I kept organized (mostly) and that will show throughout the production process. I will keep updating as I finish my production but this is a great start and I'm excited to start on the second part of this project. I want to put my all into this and hopefully, that will be conveyed throughout the film (and in my grade tehe @tstock ;P ) 

Portfolio Project - Filming Day

Filming 'Tunnel Vision'

I filmed my film intro today and things went as planned. We got a lot done and were able to open the Cypress Bay gym and shoot while we were there. I shot on my trusty Sony a6600 and filmed in S-log3 so I could get flatter tones for my color correction process. The day started as I picked up my actor (Kevin Pazmino) before we headed out we shot a few of the scenes inside of his bedroom to get the "day in the life" feel. It was great to be in the space of an athlete and I was able to get lots of shot of his trophy and jersey and much more.

I haven't started the post-production process but here is a clip from an unedited portion of my intro.

This depicts one of the final scenes and I am very happy about how it came out. 

Something that I would love to convey throughout the piece is the sense of commitment. Although our main subject is constantly faced with different problems throughout his life and the film he still remianis faithful to his passion at whatever the cost. This beautiful relationship between man and craft is an age old tale that people can relate with. However, the question is, what will one do for that craft and to what extent? Is he willing to give it all up?...there's only one way to find out. This sense of suspense is something that I will develop throughout the intro and real film. 

Portfolio Project - Sunday Sitdown

Tomorrow

I am ready to film and tomorrow is the day. I spoke with my actor Kevin and we have the gym booked for just us. We have been planning this for months and it is late but i'm excited to get started. Although, I do fear that I won't be able to get enough broll but hopefully it will all run fine.

A few things I want to do well is camera movement. There is a lot of movement when playing basketball but I want to get the full movements just right so planning those out is crucial. I want to avoid filming in unnecessary angles and keep the shots tight.

Here is the plan for tomorrow.

7:00am : Film in the morning when sunrises to get shot of him running and get morning shots

8:00am : Eat

11:00am: Head to the gym

11:30am: Get gym shots of dribbling and shooting in different attire (to make it seem like multiple days) 

1:00pm: Go back to house

1:30pm: Get shots of eating and drinking (day in the life vibe)

Thats it.

Hopefully everything goers well but I will keep updated. If things change it will also be in the next blog post but I don't think that will be the case as I am confident in my preperation.

Portfolio Project - Thespians Trip

What Have I Been Up To?

So I've been on a trip and I am writing this on the train ride back. Surprisingly I got a lot of information about how to improve my project. The trip was called the 2022 Florida State Thespians Festival. At the festival I performed a piece called "Turn It Off" from The Book of Mormon. What's even better is that I went to a ton of workshops. One was a dance workshop where I learned a dance from Moulon Rouge from the choreographer and former broadway dancer Andrew Cao. 

Here is a video from the workshop.

However, I learned the most from a workshop entitled "Producing 101" from Gary John La Rosa who has been in so many pieces on broadway including the original production of "Fiddler on the Roof". He also worked in production in Hollywood. He taught me a lot of info on how to get a good footing in the industry. I asked him about my project and how I could make it GREAT. He told me "when you stop trying to make something other people want to see and make something that you would want to see you will see an improvement in your work". This resonated with me and can help me bring my intro to the next level.

He left early but here is me and a few students I met from the convention center. 

It was truly a memorable experience and I'm glad I could spend my last year in high school doing it. 

Portfolio Project - Group Discussion

 Group Talks!

In class today we went over our projects in order to get a better sense of where we are. In media class, we are constantly getting feedback from others to get better at our craft. One thing that changes from our different class periods is the kind of work that we do. Some things that are consistent with the class are  out visual analysis essays. In this we view a clip of a film and analyse the techniques used using our vocabulary and other methods of showing understanding. 

Here is what it looks like.

BUT TODAY, we did our group talks where we discussed our projects. I spoke about location (mentioned in a previous blog post). I talked about how I would incorporate the location into the character and make it a part of the film it self. I was debating whether it should be indoor or outdoor and with the help of the group I decided it should probably be inside because it gives off more of a sense of hard work and isolation which is something I was going for.

I got to hear what the others said and gave some advice about how they could improve their projects. \

Here is a pic of us. 

It was a fun experience and I got to learn a lot about the people in my class that I did not know before. The next step on the project is to finally FILM!!! 

Portfolio Project - Preproduction Thoughts

A Slight Reflection

Firstly, I want to change my approach on my blog and film. While I do love doing research I think it is important to think about the overall film process so that is something I'll try to do a little more of. I want to make this project good but I am struggling to find someone suitable to act in it and I'm running out of time. If worst comes to worst I'll have a friend act in it and try to make it as realistic as possible. I'm also struggling with time management. I have so much on my plate: Lightning Oscars, Aftershock, Drama State Thespians etc. It feels like I'm not putting my all into this and it is making it hard for me to effectively work.

My next course of action will be to reevaluate everything I've come up with so far and creating a good shot plan in which I can fully reimagine a lot of my ideas. Many things seem like a good idea but I want to stick to one because I know too much can make the story hard to follow. The most I've done thus far has been pre production but I really want to get into the grit and try to film by next Monday and edit throughout the spring break. For right now my plan is to find a location and map out how I want the shots to look.

Location

I have a lot of ideas for location and I wanted to capture some images to give a nice reference to. I want there to be three main places: Home, Neighborhood, Basketball court, maybe school. I also wanted to limit those areas as time goes on because an important part of my image is to speed it up and remove the unnecessary parts of the locations. After a long period of time it will shift to the more important scenes like basketball and food (the basic needs of life to our character). 

Here are a few images of the location. 

I haven't chosen a location for the bedroom yet but I do want it to be small and cramped to give a sense of entrapment for the character. The only open space will be the court because it is where he can truly be himself. The only debate is whether the court will be indoor or outdoor. Only time will tell but I know the general direction I want to take this and hopefully, my vision can come to life. 

Portfolio Project - Music

Music

I was thinking that within my film intro there could be a score in the background mixed with diagetic sound to give the impression of a drama. This will be a drama btw lol. But the more important thing is that the music conveys emotion and sympathy for our character, because while we want him to succeed we also experience his pain and that's the hardest part of the "adventure". 

I know I can't use copyrighted music which kind of stinks but oh well that's the rea world where everyone owns a piece of everything. I do want to use a more somber tone of music because I feel like that will convey more mention. It isn't supposed to be a very happy film so I want to show that within the isore as well as the character and how they act or interact with other characters. The most important part of the film is how the audience feels so that's why music comes into play a lot.

I feel like something people neglect when they are creating films is the audience's reaction to things. Pacing is so important and a big part of that is the ride you bring them on. That's why it is important to get that shot and have an idea of what it's going to sound like and how people are going to read into that and how that is going to tie into the next clip and the film as a whole.

Here are a few ideas I had for music. 

 Here is one I found on Youtube that is copyright free and gives off the vibe I want there to be throughout the film intro, however there are some parts that are far too heavy so after I film I'll have to see if it matches with the rest of the clips and if it's something I like and this will go well with the feeling of the intro. 

Here is another intro I was thinking about. It is also copyright free and it differs from the one previously because it has a much darker tone. I am not sure yet if this is what I want but I think the clips will tell if it is right whilst in post-production.

I know thinking about post-production in preproduction might not be the convention but I like doing it because it makes the editing job so much easier especially if it is your responsibility to edit it. 
 

Portfolio Project - Updates

 This week has been very hard for me to film, mostly because I am doing so much at once. Especially Lightning Oscars, because it takes a lot of time to edit every video we make and do all the things that are required of me. In addition to Aftershock which is also a huge time commitment. As of right now, I am editing three videos and in the process of filming another project. Tuesdays have been eliminated for me because I have to drive to downtown Miami for my Posse meetings.

Little Side Note: Posse is the name of the scholarship I received to study film and business in California.

The only thing is that they require me to see them every Tuesday at their headquarters in Miami which is so draining. I think it is important to be in control of your mental health but right now I feel like the world is spinning too fast for me and I'm just getting dizzier by the moment. I feel like I can't create good content until I truly know my feelings about the project. There are things that I want to work on so I really can't wait until we go on break to get that extra needed boost. 

I have still been brainstorming and trying to come up with different ideas for the film intro. The thing that has changed from the original game plan is that I want to create a longer intro and space out the clips more. My main goal is to create tension within the scenes and that is hard to do without any dialogue. With no dialogue, there are things that are harder to convey especially when you have no real actors. 

Overall, life has been hard but I hit back harder so I WILL finish this project and it will be great. In the next few blogs, I will be going into detail about some of the ideas I spoke about earlier. 

Project Portfolio - Marketing

Importance of Marketing

    

A film's marketing is a crucial aspect of its production. Without advertisements, no one will be aware that a film exists. In order to convince spectators to watch a film that is currently in production, it must be sold in the same manner that any other product is.

    Film marketing is a method of promoting a film. It entails figuring out how much you'll spend on the movie, including DCPs, VPFs, trailers, advertising, and more. This is when the P&A enters the picture (Prints and advertising budget). You plan out what you want to do in your film.

The way your film is promoted will have a huge impact on its popularity. Isn't making a movie a costly endeavor? Films are expensive to make because if the public does not buy tickets to see them at the theater, a large amount of money is lost. This not only wastes all of your money, but it also wastes the insane amount of hard labor, literal blood, and sweat that goes into making a film. A major studio film's average production budget in 2007 was $70.8 million. However, with a gross budget of $106.6 million per picture, studios invested an additional $35.9 million in advertisements to distribute the film to the general audience. Smart marketing does not market to find an audience it markets to adhere to one.

Case Study - Deadpool

Marketing for the Deadpool movie has been seen as one of the best ever. Not only did it conform to the comedic aspect of the film but it truly captured the essence of a proper marketing campaign. Let's start with the time period, in December two weeks before the movie's release the marketing team came up with "12 days of Deadpool" where they created new images and posters for the film and were marketed by different companies before the film's big release. Another thing the movie did was during Halloween when Ryan Reynolds (the actor who plays Deadpool) showed his Deadpool costume and interacted with trick-or-treaters dressed like X-Men characters.

To summarize, the franchise did a great job of keeping the audience engaged without having a movie out to prove anything. Their strategy worked because they knew what their audience was; comedy. They knew if their campaigns were funny and dumb enough people would go and watch the film and that they did as it grossed over $783 million worldwide making it one of the most successful films of the year and hitting the top 100 most grossing films EVER.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-mar-06-fi-boxoffice6-story.html

Project Portfolio - Target Audience

Genre and Audiences

   Genre is an important aspect of conforming to an audience. You can't force an audience to watch something that doesn't fit in with what they're already not interested in. People's target audiences are always for a specific niche – a collection of people with specific interests who are of a certain age, gender, and have certain interests, among other things. Yes, there are times when films don't fit into one specific niche (and it happens more frequently than one may think), but the actual broad appeal in the film industry is a very uncommon, almost extinct situation.

    Whenever you hear anyone saying “this is a universal film that will be loved by everyone” just shake your, a distributor, investor, or producer hears such wording in a pitch you can forget about getting a good deal. In fact, forget about getting any deal at all. While it’s sometimes important to follow the example of other filmmakers and try to make them love your job, remember that they are NOT your target audience. These aren't the filmmakers who buy billions of movie tickets, buy your DVDs and merchandise, or make up the "paying" segment of your target audience. So, if you know that one of your coworkers will dislike your work but that the public will adore it and sell out the tickets at the box office, consider what is more important to you.

   You don't have to eliminate people who don't fulfill your exact criteria just because you're targeting a specific market. Take Smurfs, Lost in Village, their main audience was obviously little children so they used a partnership with McDonald's happy meal to adhere to that. Targeted marketing, on the other hand, allows you to focus your message on the correct audience – and the individuals most likely to buy from you. You may spend less on customer acquisition costs and earn more by targeting the most valuable leads in your network if you have a target audience definition to work with.

My Audience

For my film intro I want to attempt to adhere to younger teens between the ages of 12-17. My film is all about trying to be perfect in a hard and cruel world. I think something that will move kids even more is knowing that they have felt this way before and bringing that reality on the big screen. Having this audience is not only important for the production side but it is also crucial for the marketing side of the film (I will talk about in another blog post). Marketing to a younger audience has never been easier with apps like TikTok and Instagram where you can put ads for all age groups to see and target certain ones with he push of a button. The strategy and approach that the recent 'The Batman' movie took was brilliant. Not only were they smart in using social media platforms for their younger audience whom love both action and superhero movies but also used other tactics to attract action lovers.
 

Portfolio Project - Color

 Why Color?

When constructing any film or piece color is majorly important because it connects all aspects of the much-needed representation of the film. While we already spoke about representation color helps in a way to develop character and help to give meaning to many of their actions. the filmmaker is a visual artist. To be a great visual artist you need mastery of the color palette. Many of the greatest Directors, Cinematographers, and Production Designers have extensive backgrounds as visual artists themselves. There are many ways to use color in film. production design.

Color can be written as an entire character in your script. I'm talking about taking each one of your scenes in the storyboard and assigning a color to it—even if you don't end up using it. A subtle way to make a scene resonate emotionally, there may be no better way than choosing a color associated with the emotion you are trying to evoke. Color in the film is about more than aesthetics. The use of color can evoke a mood or set the tone for a film. There are three main components of color, they include hue, saturation, and brightness.

Hue – the color itself. The combination or degree to which a color is of the primary colors red, blue and yellow. Secondary colors include green, orange, and purple which are created by the mixing of primary colors.

Saturation – the intensity or purity of the color or the amount of grey that is mixed into the color.

Brightness or Value – how dark or light a color is. A color’s luminance.

Case Study - Midsommar (Ari Aster)

    Midsommar's use of color is very different to the typical sense of representing especially with the color yellow. Throughout the film, there is a motif of the color yellow. The tubes Dani’s sister uses to pump carbon monoxide into the lungs of her and her parents are yellow. The entrance to the Harga village is yellow. The triangular building where Christian burns is yellow. Yellow is a happy, bright color, but in Midsommar it represents death. The use of not only hue but also the saturation of color with intense yellows highlights these same themes to a higher degree. 

The whole experience in Halsingland is taking place in the bright, and very yellow, sunlight, so the theme of death lingers in the background. Perhaps a bit of a stretch but how I felt the representation of yellow was symbolized. 

Midsommar is a vibrant break-up movie set in the land of the midnight sun — bright daylight, striking yellows and greens, nature and captivating whites blasting at you everywhere you look. This is a stark contrast to what audiences might be expecting when they think of the horror genre, but the film ultimately still succeeds in its mission to creep us out. With a deeper understanding of how this is done, combined with knowledge of the movie’s different variables good color choices make sure this uneasy desaturated technicolor metaphor of heartbreak lands in front of the right audience at the right time.