Creative Critical Reflection

And that's a wrap!

For the past 8 weeks I have spent so much time updating this blog about my project, so it is so weird to think that this is my last post. I never thought that I would get to this point in my project, but here I am! Here's my Creative Critical Reflection...enjoy!!!:)

CCR 1 YouTube Video:

If the embedded video does not work, try this...CCR 1 YouTube Video

CCR 2 PowerPoint Presentation

If the embedded video does not work, try this...CCR 2 Presentation

Film Opening

After 8 weeks of hard work...my film opening is FINALLY FINISHED!!! It has been a crazy journey but I am so happy with the outcome. I hope you enjoy!

What If?

If the embedded video does not work, try this...Film Opening

Reflection

It is so crazy that this journey is coming to an end. These past few weeks have been such a rollercoaster but I am so glad with the outcome of all my work. I have never done a long term project like this and it truly has taught me SO much! 

To begin, I am absolutely amazing at procrastination, but this project showed me how much that effects your workload. Anytime I procrastinated working on this project, it only caused me to have more stress. This showed me how I must create a schedule and stay on track to guarantee enough time to complete the project.

Another thing that I learned is to be more independent with my work. Before this project, I always relied on other people's input, so going into this project working independently really scared me. I was worried about making the wrong choices and not being able to come up with ideas that were good enough. Working on this project has significantly strengthened my decision making skills and I could not be more proud of that!

Overall, this project has been full of ups and downs, but I am so glad that I got to do it. It has been a huge learning experience and taught me many important skills that I will continue to carry with me. Although I know my finished products are far from perfect, I am still happy with the growth I have had in this class. In the end, I am proud of the outcome of my project and hope to do more like it in the future! 

Stay tuned for the final products...;)

Final Update

Final Update

Hey everyone! I'm here for my final update about this project! I ended up completely changing my mind about doing the voiceover since I couldn't come up with any ideas. Nonetheless, I FINISHED EDITING MY FILM OPENING!!! I decided that background music suited it well and I am so glad with the outcome. For the background music, I used a website called Uppbeat to find a huge selection of copyright free music. I ended up choosing a song called "Love and Sorrow" by AK, as I think it really contributes to the tone of my film opening.

As for my Creative Critical Reflection (CCR), I have finished editing the first one, and still have to complete the second one. I ended up using iMovie to edit my first CCR since I am experienced with using it in comparison to Premiere Pro. There's many parts where I have to edit text and pictures in and it is just so much simpler with iMovie.

For my second CCR I plan to do a presentation with a voiceover, so that is all I have left to do! 

Stay tuned!!!

Planning Week 8

Planning for the LAST WEEK

It is absolutely INSANE to me that we are coming up on the last week of the project. I am stressed about everything that I have to do, but I know I will feel so relieved after April 3. When this project was first assigned, it felt like April 3 was so far in the future, but these 7 weeks have gone by SO fast. I have never done a long term project like this so it was very different to learn how to manage my time.

When it feels like you have forever to complete the project, you don't feel a sense of urgency to get things done which is why planning has been so important. I definitely could have managed my time better since it would have been nice if I gave myself 2 weeks to complete my Creative Critical Reflection (CCR), but I can still get it done. 

Throughout this upcoming week, I need to plan, film, and edit my CCR. Between Monday and Wednesday I will plan which media formats I will use, as well as my responses to all the questions. Then during the rest of the week I will film and edit it all together. I am so nervous about how close the due date is creeping up...but I couldn't be more excited about finally getting everything done!

Finalizing the Film Opening

Finishing Editing

While doing the finishing touches on my film opening, I decided that I wanted to add a voiceover. I want to do this to add a more engaging aspect as well as give more context to the scene. I began looking at different openings which include voiceovers to get some inspiration.

Clueless (1995)

For this film opening, the voiceover provides insight into the character's personality and thoughts which is definitely my main goal. I love how this film opening combines the voiceover with music as well as dialogue within the actual scenes. Although mine won't include any dialogue, there will be diegetic sounds like keyboard typing that will be heard in combination with voiceover.

Twilight (2008)

In this opening I really enjoyed how it incorporated dialogue as well as the voiceover for context. I liked how simple it was yet effective at showing the state of mind of the character. I love how the first line of the voiceover was super impactful as it states, "I'd never given much thought to how I would die. But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go." This hits the viewer with a deep and thought provoking line which is something I would like to do. 

My Thoughts

Both of these voiceovers helped me a lot with gaining inspiration on what I want to include in mine, so I am very glad that I researched them. I want my voiceover to be simple yet deep and effective. Since I am currently on a cruise, I will probably have to wait till Friday which is a sea day until I have time to write the script for the voiceover. Once I get back on Sunday I will film it so I can be in a quiet space.

Editing Process

More Editing

Hey guys! So I have been working A LOT on editing and I am exhausted. I am so happy with the progress I am making though!

Canva has been a huge help for me while editing the credits. Once I combined all the clips and cut them down in Premiere Pro, I used Canva to edit the credits. Canva offers a variety of fonts and animations that are so simple to use. I knew I wanted a typewriter effect for the credits to relate to the social media and technology aspect of the film opening, but figuring out how to do it was a struggle. I looked up many videos on YouTube explaining how to create that effect on Premiere Pro, but after many failed attempts I gave up. It wasn't until I was looking at a past student's blogs where I saw her mention that Canva has the typewriter effect. This was a huge help to me and allowed me to quickly do the credits. The only thing is that I wish the effect was slower but you can only change that if you pay...and I wasn't going to do that.

While looking at projects from past years, I saw that any students opened with the logo of a production company, so I decided to do that. I named it Forg Productions, which is just a shortened version of my last name. Once again, Canva came to my rescue by having simple resources to allow me to create my logo. Just by selecting a design I was able to create this...

I am getting so close to the finish line with this project and I could not be more excited!!! Stay tuned for more updates!

Beginning Editing

Editing

YAY it is officially spring break!!! Despite going on vacation, there is still a lot of work to be done. I finished selecting and editing all of my clips together...which was the easy part. I am definitely not the best with working in Premiere Pro, and compared to my other classmates who have experience from working with it in other classes, I know very little.

When it came to editing the credits and the title, I needed to go to YouTube to find out how to edit many different things.

The video above is an example of how one of the ones I watched in order to try to learn how to edit my film's title on. Without having easy access to these resources, I don't know what I would have done as these helped SO much. I don't love the outcome of my editing for the title, so I am going to keep looking for other options.

Although I have a good start with the editing, I still have to add music. I plan to complete this all tomorrow since I must begin working on the Creative Critical Reflection as the project is due so soon.

Planning For Spring Break

Spring Break

As Spring break is approaching next week, the project's due date is getting closer and closer. After we get back, I must prioritize the creation of the Creative Critical Reflection (CCR) since I will only have one week until everything is due. In order to get everything completed, I must thoroughly plan out what I want to get done each day.

During the break, I'll be going on a cruise for the whole week. Although I am excited for a break, the editing process for my project has not even begun so I am worried about getting everything done. I have just finished the production process for my project and I am very relieved. I was able to complete filming over the course of two days. One of those days was an early release day so I had extra time after school to get it done.

Now the editing must begin. Between today and tomorrow, I will try to get a majority of my editing done. This is a very busy and stressful time since I still have to get what seems like a million things done before I leave for the cruise. Overall I am relieved that the production process is over, but now the next step of post production has just begun. I know once I finish editing I will feel much more prepared about being on track for this project.

Tomorrow I also want to begin to plan for my CCR since there won't be much time to complete it once break is over. I need to choose what two media types I will produce since they will probably require the help of my friends and family. This is another factor that plays into the time I need to complete the CCR as I will need to adapt to the schedules of others.

Although the remaining time of this project will be very stressful, I think the finished product will be very worth it. I have never done a long term project like this where time management plays such a major role. This has been a great learning experience so far and has really showed me the effect of my actions as procrastination has set me behind.

Second Day of Filming

 Day 2 of Filming

Since today was an early release day at school, we had a lot of time to film! Although we didn't need much time, it was nice to not have to rush and just enjoy the process. We were able to collaborate with different ideas based on my storyboard and Isabelle did a great job as being my actress. I had so much fun getting to try various angles to see which I liked best and just to have so much freedom. 

In a majority of our past projects, I have worked with other people, and whether it was with a partner or a group, getting to bounce ideas off each other and brainstorm is so different than working alone. I was nervous to work individually since I can be very indecisive, so I've always liked working with others for more support. This has been such a good learning experience for me to see how much I can grow to be independent with my choices and know what I want to do. 

Despite how much fun the filming process was, I am so relieved that it is over. It was a huge step of this project so I am glad that it is done. Now it is time for editing everything together!!! Here are some sneak peeks of the scenes we filmed today...

First Day of Filming

Day 1 of Filming

After school today was my first day of filming! After many scheduling issues due to extracurricular activities, we can finally got started. Since Spring break is next week, I won't be home to film and edit my film opening. This is why between today and tomorrow I need to get all of the filming done. I am so glad that tomorrow is an early release day which means that I will have extra time after school to complete the filming process.

When my friend Isabelle arrived at my house to be the actress for my film opening, I shared with her the details of my idea as well as the storyboard so she understands my vision for it. Despite previously explaining to her what she would have to do, she was definitely very nervous about it. She is a pretty outgoing person but it was very out of her comfort zone to do acting. I had to take a lot of time to reassure her that no matter what her acting abilities were like, it would've been ok (especially because she was my only option since everyone else refused to be in it). 

Storyboard

So during filming, we followed my storyboard but also added some scenes as well. I was definitely really nervous throughout filming that I wouldn't have enough scenes to meet the two minutes, but I ended up having much more. We filmed for about two hours today and we get a lot done. It was super fun to get to bring my ideas to life and we shared a lot of laughs while filming. I am super happy with where the film opening is going and I am excited to finish the production process tomorrow! Here's some sneak peeks of the scenes we filmed today...

Planning for Week 6

 Week 6 Is Approaching...

As week 6 is approaching, the due date is much closer than I expected. This is the last week before spring break and I am excited to continue working. My goal is to film everything between Wednesday and Thursday and then begin with editing, On Wednesday and Thursday I'll be filming after school and we are having daylight savings time this weekend so I'll be getting more light later in the day which gives me more time to film.

I am super excited to bring my project to life and begin the filming process. After having many conflicts with finding an actress and scheduling the right time, we finally figured it out so I am very relieved. As spring break is approaching, I am beginning to worry about how close the project is due as well as how soon the exam is.

This year has gone by so fast and it is absolutely crazy that AICE exams are coming up. It feels like just yesterday I was first learning how to write a visual analysis essay. Nevertheless, I do feel pretty confident in my abilities for this exam as we do a lot of practice. I am excited to continue the progression of this project, bye! 

Filming Planning

Filming Planning

The filming location will either be my bedroom or Isabelle's. I have to ask Isabelle if she would be comfortable with us filming in her room since her house is significantly bigger so it would be much easier to film. But if she rather not it will be fine because my smaller room can help create that more claustrophobic and stuck feeling that the character is facing.

I will be using my iPhone 13 to film as I have said before. Although I wanted to rent out camera equipment like I heard some people were doing, it would have been too difficult considering our varied filming schedule that isn't completely set in stone due to our personal conflicts. Nevertheless, filming with the iPhone 13 will be more than fine.

For lighting I will be using natural light from the outside, but depending on the day's weather, I may have to use an LED lamp like this one.

Finding an Actress

Actress Issues 

Recently I have been having trouble finding who is going to be the actress for my film opening. None of my friends are into theater or acting but I still thought someone would want to be in it. After many text messages asking and many responses declining since they were too embarrassed to do it, I finally got one person.

My friend Isabelle has been the only person to accept the offer and  I am so excited! The only issue is that she is a competitive dancer and as it is competition season right now, there is many scheduling conflicts that hinder filming. Because of this we decided on filming next week during the week after school.

I am glad that Isabelle will be the actress for my film opening because as a competitive dancer, she has some acting experience. Since my film opening is in the drama genre, there will be some serious scenes so it is important that I got someone who is comfortable with exploring different emotions like that. I am super excited to begin filming with her next week!

Scheduling for Week 5

 As week 5 is approaching, I really I have to get a move on with the production of my film opening. I have been working on my storyboard and script which I will be posting on my blog between Monday and Tuesday. I have finally become set on the film opening and am feeling more confident. Although I haven't been able to have an individual meeting with my teacher due to different conflicts in class, I am looking forward to it to help reassure my idea. 

Since my friend was not available this weekend due to a dance competition, filming will begin next weekend. I am very excited to begin to bring my project to life! Throughout week 5, I will finish any research I need to complete and will thoroughly plan the production process to prepare for the weekend. This will allow me to be ready to edit during week 6 and begin preparing for the Creative Critical Reflection.

These past 4 weeks have gone by so fast and what I thought would feel like forever working on this project has become much more miniscule. As a typical high school student, procrastination is my speciality so I need to push myself to grind through this project.

Target Audience

Drama Target Audience

While beginning to discuss the Creative Critical Reflection (CCR) in class yesterday, it was brought to my attention that one of the four questions focuses on the target audience of the film. I then noticed that I failed to do research on my film's target audience, so that is what I will be doing now!

In class, my teacher mentioned that we should describe our target audiences by age range, gender, and likes/dislikes. For the drama genre, the common age range is 16-30 year olds in the female gender. These films are targeted towards people who enjoy thought provoking films that explore more serious issues.

Lady Bird (2017)

This film has a target audience of 20-35 year old females. It is targeted towards those who are more individualistic and have similar experiences to that it in the movie as it presents a relatable and real issue.

My Film's Target Audience

My target audience will will be 14-25 year old females who enjoy common teenage girl activities like makeup and gossip. It will be most appealing to those who enjoy films focused on real life issues showing true experiences. I decided on this target audience because it not only relates to the overall drama genre's target audience, but it fits my particular film best since it is focused on topics related more to teenage girls and young adults.

Thoughts on the Creative Critical Reflection

 Creative Critical Reflection (CCR) Lesson

Today in class we began discussing the CCR and it is much more complex than I expected. This year, Cambridge has added an additional type of media product that we must make to respond to the questions which just adds to the complexity and the amount of time I need to factor in for this project. Despite my concerns, I am excited for it! 

We viewed a variety of samples of past students CCRs and it was really helpful in getting an idea of how we could do this. I loved how many students showcased their personal interests and creativity. One example was a student formatting her CCR similar to Vogue's 73 Questions series. I thought this was a super unique and engaging way to respond to the given questions while not just being a talking head. 

For my CCR, I think I want to do a director commentary and a talk show as my two types of media products to respond to the four questions. I like how both of these options allow you to be having a conversation with another person rather than being alone talking to a camera. I think it will be more natural for me and less uncomfortable.

The lesson in class allowed me to notice many things that I should keep in mind like taking pictures during the production process so I could include images throughout answering the question about the technologies used for the project. Overall I was able to gain many new ideas and notice areas that I should focus on in my blogs in order to help me answer the four questions in the CCR easier at the end of the project.

Developing the Protagonist

Protagonist

I wanted to do a more in-depth blog post about my protagonist to help me develop her character better. First of all, she will be a 16 year old junior in high school. Her wardrobe mainly contains colorful shirts with jeans. The reasoning behind this chosen color palette is that I want the contrast between how she is in the beginning and end of the film to be very apparent. I created her bright color palette for the beginning of the film which is shown below:

Within the film opening I want her to mainly stay with these bright colors as her bubbly and positive personality is shown, but near the end of the opening she will be slightly duller once she starts to become aware of the feelings of her peers around her. Within the color palette, the film will show society around her dulling her sparkle and uniqueness.

My Thoughts

As week four of working on this project has begun, I definitely have to focus much more as this week is the stepping stone leading to the shooting process. This is a very important time for getting stuff done and finalizing my plan. By Tuesday I will begin doing my storyboard and writing my script which I will complete by the end of this week. This will ensure that I am prepared to begin the shooting process next week.

Scheduling Week Three

Week Three's Schedule

Within the beginning of week three of this project, I will finalize my plot outline in order to be able to begin with other planning components. Throughout the rest of the week I aim to get done with my storyboard as well as my shooting schedule as I hope to begin filming during week four. 

Reflection on Weeks One and Two

So far the two weeks of working on this project have been alright. I have been concerned about the pace that I was going at, but the group meetings with my classmates did relieve a lot when I realized that we were all at similar spots. Whether I want to admit it or not, I have been procrastinating with finalizing my plot outline, so that will 100% be my first goal to get done during week three. I am really looking forward to getting closer to the shooting process and I am excited to continue working!

More Planning...Again

 More Planning...Again!

After a long week of choosing a storyline, I wanted to focus on more of the technical elements today. 

Technology

Since I don't own any other camera, I will be using my iPhone 13 to film my project. 

I think this will be sufficient to film with as it contains many different features like...

Location

For the idea I have in mind, the only locations I will use are my house and my friends houses. I think the more confined space of a bedroom fits the film's theme of feeling alone and facing your inner struggles.

Actors

The actors that I plan to use are multiple of my friends but only one will be the main character. I still haven't chosen who I want that one person to be, but I have an idea of what I want her to look like. I want her to look very clean and put together, similar to Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast (2017). This will contribute to the contrast of her mental state.

Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast (2017)

The First Group Meeting!

 Group Meeting #1

Today we had our first group meeting in class for our projects! I was definitely looking forward to this since I was worried about where I was in the project compared to my classmates, but it was refreshing to hear that we are all mutually worried. To begin, we went to each person and had them introduce their project and we were able to give tips on helping them move forward with their project.

Personally, I was having a lot of trouble on deciding the complete plot for my film along with what should be included in the opening. Some suggestions that my classmates gave me was to not focus too much on the complete plot, and rather just have an outline of where you want it to go in order to not waste time. I will definitely be focusing on this as choosing the full plot has been very time consuming.

Another suggestion that was given was to check out similar films that have common themes to my film, this is something that I have been researching a lot. One film that was suggested to view was Lady Bird (2017) 

This film explores themes like friendship and self-identity as it follows Christine McPherson (aka Lady Bird), as she navigates her world full of conflict and confusion. I definitely see some similarities to my film as the main character struggles with her relationship with the people around her which is something that my film will definitely involve.

My Thoughts

I am very happy with how the first group meeting went and I am excited to do more in the future! It was super helpful in getting another student's perspective on my project and to get help on areas that need improvement.

Planning the Plot

Planning

Storyline

After creating a brainstorming outline for my plot...I decided on idea 2!

Overall, I think I have created a good basis for my film opening. I have been focusing a lot on what the entire storyline of the film should contain as it will help me decide what should be in my film opening, but I was having trouble deciding the complete plot. What I do know is that I plan to have the film follow a 16 year old girl who is very genuine and always true to herself. The film will focus on her life as she becomes aware of the insecurities and struggles her peers around her are going through, which begin to have an effect on her. The film will follow themes about conforming to society, peer pressure, and how your surroundings effect you mentally. Deciding on how I want the plot to go has been very difficult for me, as I don't want the film to be too cheesy and stereotypical. 

Upcoming Group Meeting

In class on Thursday we will have our first group meetings about our projects and I am so excited! Getting insight on how my peers are feeling as we navigate through this complex project will be extremely helpful in allowing me to see where I am in the project compared to them. I hope the meeting will help me with deciding on my plot! 

Start of Planning

Planning

My biggest obstacle that is stopping me from moving forward with this project is finding one good, enticing idea for my film opening. For the past few days, I have been constantly trying to think of a good idea, and with the help of my research, I think I have begun to settle on one.

My Inspiration

From research that I did in a previous blog post, I analyzed The Perks of Being a Wallflower and gained a lot of inspiration from it.

This film follows Charlie Kelmeckis, as he goes through his struggles as being a freshman in high school. The film explores Charlie's journey with post-traumatic stress disorder, and how his life is effected when he meets two new friends. I want my film to touch on similar topics to this film like how the people you are surrounded with effect your mental state. I decided that my plot will focus on a teenage girl as she struggles to be her own person in the fabricated world around.

Next Week's Schedule

As I am approaching week 3 of this project, I will be sure to finalize my entire plot. Throughout next week, I plan to complete my plot outline, begin creating the storyboard, and to schedule out the filming process. Planning everything out will be sure to lower my stress throughout this project as well as make sure I am being efficient since it easy to lose track of time with a long term project. I am excited to see what next week brings!

Beginning the Brainstorming Process

 Brainstorming

Now that I have finally chosen my genre, it is officially time to begin the brainstorming process. I have been feeling so stressed and frustrated with not being able to come up with a good plot for my film opening. I decided I wanted to get an idea of what other students have done in the past, so I went to my teacher's website www.tstok.net to view some past projects. 

From viewing these projects and thinking of tips that were mentioned in class, I realized the importance of using personal experiences for my film opening since that is the best way to get an authentic storyline. I began to think of my own experiences that could be used in a drama film, but I quickly noticed that I haven't really had any earth-shattering ordeals...so I decided to go back to the basics and think of any issues that I've had throughout my teenage years.

As a 16 year old girl, many of the most common issues we face include our appearance, social status, and self-esteem. I started to ask around to my friends about their personal experiences with being a teenage girl, and there were many similar answers which included these issues. This helped me gain some insight on these common experiences  and I decided that I would like to explore them in my film opening, so I decided to begin writing my ideas down. 

I am leaning towards idea 2 since I think I can come up with a better wow factor for that than I could for idea 1. I am definitely having a mental block with coming up with ideas for my project but I think it's from overthinking it. I am going to continue watching more film openings to see if they spark any ideas.

Drama Research

 Drama Research

Yay!!! Step one of my plan is finally done, I have chosen my genre! But now, it is time to do some more research on popular drama film openings.

The drama genre really interests me because it allows you to explore raw emotion and real issues. Dramas tend to follow authentic conflict from everyday life. I enjoy how this genre can be based on very relatable topics that the viewer may identify with.

There Will be Blood (2007)

This film opens with its title which is displayed in a grotesque font which is followed with disturbing music by John Greenwood which sets the distressing and menacing tone of the film. What I love about this film opening is that it was able to introduce the main character, Daniel Plainview very clearly to the viewers. The use of little to no monologue allows the viewers to be focused on Daniel's actions along with the silence contributing to the overall tone. We see the scene begin with Daniel working at a silver mine, it continues on to show him peacefully sitting by a fire with a drink while there is a storm going on. He is later badly injured while mining, but he perseveres and we see him begin to crawl backwards as the camera moves on to a view of the mountains. With a combination of these simple scenes, it helps the viewer learn the basis of Daniel's character which throughout the film is shown to be stubborn and relentlessly focused. This opening did a great job at engaging the viewers and subtly hinting to the character's future plot line.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

This film opening is a great demonstration of introducing a character's personality extremely well. It follows the main character, Charlie Kelmeckis, as he explores the troubles of teenage life. The different scenes of him walking through the middle of the hallway as everyone around him has fun throwing their papers, as well as everyone in class raising their hand to volunteer except him, really shows the viewer a clear picture of him being the awkward introvert. This opening does a really good job at showing the dynamic Charlie has with his peers and it causes the viewer to anticipate how this may effect his future.

My Thoughts

After analyzing both of these drama film openings, I definitely think I am leaning towards similar themes of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, as it is touches on relatable issues that teenagers go through. I also enjoy how its film's opening clearly illustrates those issues of not fitting in and feeling alone. This has helped me a lot with beginning my brainstorming process and I am so excited to continue!

Genre Research

 Genre Research

Hey there! I am finally beginning the first step of my Cambridge Portfolio Project and I could not be more excited! I have narrowed down the genres I want to explore for my film opening to be drama and coming of age. I am having trouble deciding which I want to do more, so the best solution was to research both.

Drama

I think the drama genre gives me a lot of freedom to explore more serious topics and I think many film openings within this genre are extremely enticing and great at setting the tone for the entire film.

Trainspotting (1996)

Personally, this film opening is one of my absolute favorites of all time! With a combination of the monologue, camera movements, and music, it introduces its characters and the plot of the film very well. The scene opens with a group of heroin addicts and their audacious behaviors as they run through the streets of Edinburgh. This film opening quickly moves through the various characters and uses freeze frames to introduce each one. Within each freeze frame, it really reflects each character's personality. This opening also features a monologue from the main character, Mark Renton as he displays his mindset through his speech stating, "Choose life...But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin." Throughout this opening, it also features "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop as its opening song. This was a perfect choice as the song is literally about Iggy Pop's lifestyle as a heroin addict, and because it contains a very fast paced beat which correlates with the scene's content. Film openings set the tone for the rest of the film and should be used to hook the viewer in with anticipation, I think this film does an incredible job at that by showing a clear view of the character's personality.

Coming of Age

I love the idea of doing a lighthearted coming of age film opening that goes into the life of a teenage girl for the project. My only concern is that this genre of film does not tend to have the most interesting openings.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

I really liked how simple yet effective this film opening is. It begins with the scene of a hectic family who seems to be occupied with a million different events. As the parents discuss their day's schedules and the younger siblings antagonize their older sister, Samantha Baker, we see her just sitting down on the staircase listening in. The picture of her bustling family as she calmly sits is really effective as it shows the viewers that she is divided from her family. It becomes even more apparent that this means something with the dialogue ending with Samantha rolling her eyes as she says, "I can't believe this, they f*****g forgot my birthday." I enjoyed how after this, it cuts to the opening credits which includes scenes of high schoolers doing typical teenager things, like a girl putting on lipstick, a couple holding hands, etc. This opening scene did a great job at introducing the plot of the film as well as the family's overall dynamic.

My Thoughts

Both of these film openings did a great job at introducing the film's plot and enticing the viewer. This research has helped me realize that I want to lean more towards the drama genre as it can allow me to incorporate similar features of a coming of age film but in a more serious way.

Portfolio Project Introduction

 Cambridge Portfolio Project Introduction

After first hearing about this Cambridge Portfolio Project, I was overwhelmed by the idea of compiling all the information we have learned this year and applying it to one, single project. Where should I even begin? What genre should I choose? Should I work with a group? What should my story's plot be? From the many worries running through my head, I realized my only solution is to make a step by step plan for this project. 

My Plan

First: Choosing the Genre

I will begin this methodical process by researching an array of genres like romance, drama, comedy, horror, and much more. I will look at popular movies within each genre, as well as which I enjoy the most. By learning about the conventions of each genre, I can decipher which interests me the most and inspires me with different ideas for the plot.

Second: Brainstorming

Once I settle on a specific genre, I will start the brainstorming process. After watching filmmaker Andrew Stanton's TED Talk in class, his emphasis on the importance of stories beginning with a promise that shows that it is worth your time to keep watching really stood out to me. Just within the opening of a film, using the right techniques can hook the audience in right away. This is my exact goal and is something that I will keep in mind throughout the entire planning process.

Third: Building the Story

After creating the foundation of my story, I will do more in-depth thinking about the characters. Something that was also mentioned in the TED Talk by Andrew Stanton was the importance of each character having a spine that drives their motives. This idea will definitely help me create a clearer storyline with characters that make sense with the plot. Once I am finished with all of this, I can move forward to more detailed planning like a storyboard. I am so excited to see the development of this project!

Music Marketing Reflection

 Music Marketing Project Reflection

Research 

After receiving the rock genre and choosing the song "Many Shades of Black" by The Raconteurs for our Music Marketing Project, we were sure to do in depth research about marketing techniques used by popular rock artists and groups. Focusing on the groups Foo Fighters, Måneskin, Greta Van Fleet, and The Warning, we learned about the different ways they began to develop their brand. For example, our research on The Warning provided us with information on how social media impacted their brand when they posted a YouTube video of their cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" which launched their rise to fame. We used this information in the planning process of our artist's marketing.

Planning

Beginning the brainstorming process of for our artist's brand was by far the most difficult part. We had to be meticulous in choosing each aspect of his brand and campaign. We began with choosing a mysterious and easygoing vibe for his brand. We also created his stage name to be OBSID¡AN, purposely choosing an upside down exclamation point to replace the letter I in order to add to his overall style. We also decided on a black and gray color palette to create a muted mood. After creating a good foundation for our artist's style, we began on creating his campaign outline. Despite the rock genre's target audience being older within recent years, we decided that OBSID¡AN would be aimed at a younger crowd between the ages 19-30, who have an economic status of lower to middle class. Based on this, we chose Instagram as his main social media platform as it reaches a wide audience. We created his account but refrained from posting pictures with his face in order to continue his mysterious style. We also created a website for him which would sell his merchandise and provide links to his music. Throughout all the Instagram posts, along with the website and merchandise designs, we made sure to clearly incorporate his style by using a dark color scheme. We chose to have his concerts be pop up shows in order to show his spontaneous personality and also contribute to his brand's motto which is "live life in the moment". Pop up concerts would also be a way for him to connect and be present with his fans, helping him grow his brand. For our music video, we chose to do a storytelling video about a breakup which related to our song's lyrics. We also incorporated artistic elements with our editing. We planned this out by creating a storyboard for each scene in the video.

Campaign Outline

Instagram Account

Merchandise

Production

After creating the storyboard for our music video, our production process began. This part was definitely the most fun part of the project. We finally got to bring all of our planning to life. We filmed at Isabella G.'s parent's photography studio as it had many good spaces to use as backgrounds, along with a tripod, light sticks, and backdrops which we used in for the artistic elements in our video. Isabella G. and Lucas played our couple for the music video. We chose to not include Lucas's face in any clips since the main focus was supposed to be on Isabella G. By following the storyboard we created, the filming process was fairly simple. We began with filming all scenes that required daylight and finished with the scenes that were using the backdrop since we filmed in a dark warehouse with the help of a light stick for a dramatic effect. Grace, Angel, and I all contributed to the camera work while filming.

Scene with Backdrop

Post-Production and Presentation

Once we finished filming, Isabella G. edited the music video together and added many effects onto it. The decision of changing to the black and white coloring was chosen while we were storyboarding our video. The order of the scenes was determined by our storyboard which made this whole process much more efficient. For the presentation, we created a PowerPoint which outlined the rock genre, our artist and his target audience, and the marketing plan for him. We designated multiple slides to each person and prepared to explain each part that we had on the slide. The presentation overall went well and we were able to elaborate on our marketing plan with many details.

Slide from Presentation

Reflection

This project has been the most complex one that we have done all year. From all the research and planning, I have learned so much new information about marketing techniques used in the rock genre and how each artist/group utilizes it to develop their brand. I have learned the importance of incorporating your brand's essence in each choice you make, whether it is the design on the merchandise or the type of concert the artist will do. Each choice contributes greatly to the success of your artist/group. When developing my Cambridge portfolio, I will keep in mind the importance of doing in depth planning and research for the project in order to be most successful. Without doing this, I wouldn't have a good foundation to begin the production part of the project.

Music Marketing Process

 Music Marketing Project Process

Research

When we first got the rock genre for this project and chose the song "Many Shades of Black" by The Raconteurs, we wanted to gain knowledge on the marketing techniques used by popular rock artists. Doing in-depth research on bands like Foo Fighters, Måneskin, Greta Van Fleet, and The Warning, allowed us to find different ideas from the ways they began growing in popularity. After researching The Warning, we read how they began their rise to fame from a simple YouTube video of their cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman". Seeing how social media was able to impact this band really helped us begin to brainstorm marketing ideas for our new artist.

Planning

After researching the rock genre, we began with brainstorming our new artist's brand style. We decided on making our artist have a laid back, mysterious vibe. We came up with our artist's name to be Jude Corvin Walker, but his stage name is OBSID¡AN. An upside down exclamation point in his stage name was purposefully used as a stylistic choice. We chose to have his color palette be focused on mainly black and gray to create a soft, muted atmosphere. Once we had the basis of our artist's brand style, we began with outlining his marketing campaign. It was extremely challenging to make decisions on how we wanted to market our new artist since everyone had many different ideas, but we were able to collaborate and make a simple outline of his campaign. 

Campaign Outline

From the outline of the campaign, we went through each step and elaborated on it. Beginning with his social media presence, we knew we wanted him to mainly be on Instagram for marketing purposes, but he would be more private due to his mysterious vibe. We chose Instagram because it reaches a wide audience and as his target audience is 19-30 year old young adults, it works best. We created his account and posted photos that match his dark color pallet as well as don't show his face in order to continue his mysterious personality. We also created a website for him which would sell his merchandise. While creating the website and merchandise we focused on making his style clear throughout each choice. We made the decision of having his first performance be a pop up show as it will show his spontaneity and go with the flow personality. As we move forward, we will continue to make decisions that help build on his brand.

Instagram Account

Merchandise