Font design

TITLE FONT IDEAS...

 So I feel like so far I'm really coming to like the name "Passing Bye" for the title of my film. I started looking for a font and I'm utilizing the website font space to find something. But I didn't want to go into it without some research. I had an idea of the way I wanted to include my credits and title but I wanted to find a font that could be used for both so I created a uniform brand. I looked into some different font inspirations before I looked for the font for my film though to find something that matched what I was looking for while still being creative and a choice that aids my opening's overall meaning and purpose.

 Inspo

I found inspiration for what I'm looking for on the creative market but because I have to pay for the font instead of using it I'm going to search for something in a similar style. So as you can see here this is the font that I was inspired by and the main things that I liked about this font were the bolding on the lettering as well as the base of the letter. I didn't want something that was rounded because at the end of the day, I wanted that abrupt and straight-to-the-point feeling with the font. I also liked the idea of possibly not using capitals and putting "passing bye." I think that the intensity of having the period and having a bolder way of showing this could be cool to utilize but at the end of the day, I think that decision will be made based off of my progress and how the film really comes out at the end. 

This is possibly another inspiration for my title card. It's from a UK film called Becoming Elizabeth.  I really liked this site because although I only included this image they had a lot of different examples of their journey through titles and credits. I do want to include a bolder font like the first font but I mostly wanted to include this because I'm debating putting something on the lower third such as a flatline and putting the text above it. I'm not sure if I'll like the look of it but it is definitely something I'm interested in looking into. I also like possibly using a slight color to make the image pop more but I'm not against the idea of using color only if it adds to the story though.

Finding the font  

Ok so obviously the next step would be to look for a font to use that I think fits these two inspirational pictures. This took a lot of different steps. I was utilizing Canva to see how my font may look and ironically I found that the font I thought I was going to like shown here I just didn't like. It didn't give off the vibe I wanted to emulate and I decided that I should possibly look for something a little bit simpler than what I tried to do. Although I started this blog saying I wanted a bold font I think that maybe something thinner. So I looked into the font type "Merriweather" You'll see it below I think I like this a lot better. I also think I'm deciding to use a black background and white font even though I think the color could possibly look cool I just don't think it works for the vibe I'm trying to emulate with my title. For my credits, however, I think that I will use colors like either yellow or green to make the credits a bit more cinematic at the beginning of the piece. 

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Possible vibe?

This is the thought for right now but it's definetlyyy subject to change as I learn and adapt to changes made in the project. But to be so honest with you I really can't wait to see where this project goes. I'll update you soon about the progress with scheduling and I believe we also are doing some group meetings to get critiques and comments about our work

I'll update you soon 

- Emma 

Script Writing

 The script is done... Well mostly 

Yesterday in class we had a lesson on script writing and I spent a couple hours after school script writing on Celtx. We learned a lot about voices and how to write with a specific character in mind and although I'm still planning on changing the script a little bit, I want to show you what I have so far.  

So those are my two different pages of scripts. I'm really excited to see how this comes out but in the meantime, I'm working on finalizing a name and I'm thinking I really like the name Passing Bye. I am still researching a title font and I'll update you later today with a font type

- Emma 

Genre Research... Part 2

Film Opening: Soo... even more drama

To develop a theatrical and realistic scene I wanted to dive more into what this genre entails regarding the importance of music elements and shot composition used to make the film feel like this could happen to anyone.

Drama Genre in my Film

As stated in  "Drama Films", an article by Supersummary, the drama genre is typically focused on a serious story that involves a realistic situation containing a conflict with the main character. In the case of my film opening, the conflict would be more defined as man versus self, however, it is a lot more than what can be defined in those three words. A conflict is regularly defined as "armed encounter, or battle" (“SuperSummary”). Drama films are all about subtle scripting and actions so to attach this to my characters. I want to be very meticulous in how I write the script to make this relatable and focused on the inner conflict of Gabby.

Setting in my film

Even though any setting works inside a drama piece due to the conflict of Gabby losing her mother an extremely significant set for this piece is the hospital room. The normal set for a drama piece also has a lot to do with representation and normal places. One of the main important factors of a drama film is the relation that the audience can have with the piece. For example, a piece like "It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini is about a teenager who checks himself into a mental health clinic. Although this topic is very recognized amongst the generation z, it is also important that they use sets like his apartment. This made him feel more relatable to the audience making us feel more connected to him as a character. This film is more realistic due to the warm and real feeling that sets such as apartments or homes bring to the movie. Audiences may connect further when they feel as though this is something that could happen in their lives and not only on movie screens.

Genre mash-up

As stated in "No Film School", dramas tend to have a lot of subgenres that are used with specific films. In the case of the film opening, the subgenres would be family, biopics, and dramedy.

Family - A family drama "follows a family as they deal with a crisis" (Hellerman). This will be perfect for my film as the opening will be tracking Gabby and her dad Henry through their coping nature of living life without Nicole, Gabby's mom.
Biopics - A biopic drama "deals with the dramas in one person's life story" (Hellerman). So for instance, as this movie will be following Gabby through her life this story will be dealing with her coping factor. Even though Henry will be a significant and extremely featured character in this the film is at the end of the day centered around Gabby and not him.
Dramedy - A dramedy drama is "the natural meddling of comedy and drama to tell a character-driven story" (Hellerman). Not that I plan to utilize this throughout the entire film but I do think that having slight dramedy throughout my piece will lighten the air to still make the film enjoyable to watch.

Editing a genre film 

I started to look into how to fully edit a drama piece since I'm typically used to editing more lighthearted and fast-paced pieces. So, I watched a YouTube video "Film Editing Techniques: Timing Your Cut to Enhance the Drama" and I learned a lot of good tips and tricks for when I start editing my project. 

The first thing they talked about was building the tension to a climax. So I think something I learned was to give the audience time to breathe and grasp what it is I'm trying to show them. So for example, in the first scene, the girl is getting ready for prom so the shots will be quick-paced and more lighthearted but after Gabby gets the phone call that her mom is passing on the shots will become slower to emphasize the scene's emotions. One way to give the audience time is also to cut to a shot to give the viewer time to think over what has just happened. The way I plan on utilizing this is by cutting to a black title screen after the flatline starts beeping and the girl is crying over her mother's bed. This 5-10-second cut to black will give the viewer time to process what has happened.

Overall Drama in my film 

Ok so wow I just said a lot about the genre in my film and how I'm gonna use this but like so what? Well, I think by having all this research in place and understanding the drama genre further I will be able to utilize the skills I have learned throughout this year and in the past to create a more realistic and emotional opening that will truly make the audience feel something. Being someone interested in media is such a powerful role because we truly hold the viewer's minds in our hands. Drama is such a make-or-break genre because without the proper shot sequencing and without the proper script writing it won't be effective in conveying a message to the audience. But I hope I'll be able to do this with added research and with help from others 

Until next time 

- Emma 

Websites that helped with this research
Some of the resources I used in this research included:
Explore the Drama Genre in Film and Television
Drama Films
History of Drama Movies
Drama Film Examples
Conflict

Editing platform

 

Preplanning Production and Postproduction

So after some brainstorming and coming up with a concrete concept in my head, I realized that I should come up with a more specific schedule of what I'm doing each day/week. Also, I began thinking about the coloration of credits and a title screen so my plan is to do my credits during the opening few shots and then my title to be after Nicole passes away.

Platforms: 

The two main platforms I'm going to use are Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects. Since I've had lots of experience with Premiere Pro I'm excited to see what I can do to the coloration and keying. I will be using Adobe After Effects to create titles and graphics I plan to use however my main platform will be Premiere Pro. I still need to learn a little bit more about how to really use After Effects however because I haven't been that advanced in it in the past. So I watched a few videos including a YouTube video "5 Title Text Animation in After Effects" and "How to make an Aesthetic Title on After Effects" where I'm beginning my research on what I need to learn to create my own title. My thought is to use a more minimalistic title and edit each credit into a more natural spot. I'm really excited to use both of these platforms to better my piece and can't wait to update you more on my journey of After Effects!!

Equipment:

I have a few things in my head when it comes to Equipment, So first I am lucky enough to have my own camera at home so I'll be using a Canon T8i as well as a Sony tripod for all filming. My only struggling factor for this film is the audio. Because I know I'm going to use dialogue in my opening I need to figure out how to get the audio from dialogue. With a past in news production, I'm used to using Lavaliers but I don't really know/feel comfortable with using a shotgun mic that will really pick up audio differently from just a rode microphone. I also am planning on using a GVM light kit that is led so I can use a yellow color making Gabby's atmosphere at her home more warm-toned while making the scenes in the hospital very light and white looking to be symbolic of her mother passing away by the end of the scene. 

Schedule:

        For the next couple of weeks, I plan to follow a schedule to give myself enough time to really film and edit the opening to my liking while also developing a great film opening. 

Week of 2/20-2/24:

Find actors to play the role for the film opening. 

Create storyboards, script, and shot list

Week of 2/25-3/2:

Location Scouting

Week of 3/5-3/11:

Meet with cast and crew to set up dates for filming.

Start filming!

Finish filming and make sure there is no need for retakes.

Week of 3/12-3/18:

Start editing.

Figure out fonts.

Add special effects and title.

Week of 3/17-3/23:

Finish editing 

Add music and any other things needed for the opening.

Week of 3/24-4/30:

Get feedback from my advisor

Turn in the project :)

        I think by having this schedule and being more organized in what I'm doing each week I'll be more successful and I can't wait

Until next time 

- Emma 

Character development

 And so the plot thickens...

    Ok so essentially I'm starting my script writing and storyboarding but I decided that I want to first do a post on each of my characters and their development. So I will have three main characters in my film opening: Gabby, Nicole, and Henry. After my brainstorming phase, I wanted to further define who each of these characters are but also how they develop and thicken the story. I also included storyboards of what each of my inspirations and aesthetics are for each of the characters. I'm excited for casting soon and have begun thinking about casting a possible family of actors to be in my opening or making sure that Gabby looks similar to Henry and Nicole. 

Gabby:

Gabby is a 15-year-old sophomore attending Marriet High School. She is one of the main characters of the film and is the daughter of Henry and Nicole. She is very focused on music and fashion and has formed a very close relationship with her mother and father. She is very inclined to wear a more neutral color tone like greens, orange, and white with slight pops of color in each of the pieces she wears. SHe has more earthy tones to symbolize her more down-to-earth persona as well as her less than chaotic personality in a more than-chaotic situation. The plan is to include brighter more intense colors around her to accentuate her as different from others. She is incredibly caring and intelligent and through her relationship with her family, she forms bonds with people very quickly. Gabby is very emotional and tends to blame herself for things out of her control such as her mother's condition. She is representative of teenagers who may have lost an immediate family member as well as someone who isn't stereotypically popular. 

Henry: 

Henry is in his mid-40s and is Gabby's father. He is married/widowed to Nicole his wife of 15 years and has a close relationship with his daughter Gabby. His main color scheme is neutrals with pops of red to symbolize his undying love for both his wife and his daughter. He is very friendly and supportive of those around him and tends to go around situations that have happened rather than facing them head-on. Throughout the film, he goes through a lot of character development learning how to raise a child without another female in the house.

Nicole: 

Nicole is in her mid-40s and is Gabby's mother. She is dying of Leukemia in the first scene of the film and says her final goodbye to Gabby and Henry. Throughout the rest of the film, she would continue appearing in flashbacks however she is not as prevalent of the two characters. She expresses herself through tears but tries to hold it together in her last message to Gabby about growing up. Her main color scheme is yellows and blues to symbolize both the joy and pain she brought to her family. She was a shining star in this family and without her, Gabby and Henry struggled to continue and nurture their relationship as Nicole brought everyone together. 

So those are my three characters! I've started looking into costuming and where I could possibly find these pieces as well as more set design elements like the vanity for Gabby to get ready with. I'm really excited to start the casting process within the next few days and can't wait to update you further!

- Emma 

Brainstorming period

Landing on an idea


So these last few days I've been working on brainstorming my film opening. After watching my inspiration films "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" by Susan Johnson, "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks, and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" by Zoe Cassavetes I finally figured out what I want to do.




So what you see above is my current brainstorming for my film opening. I think something I really want to do is plan meticulously before filming to ensure I get the proper feeling to my audience. So first I wanted to think about each of the characters in my piece as well as all of their characteristics before beginning my script and storyboarding. So as you can see my three characters are going to be Gabby, a high school sophomore, Nicole, Gabby's fallen mother and Henry Gabby's dad. I also started thinking about conflicts that would arise in Gabby's life and how this story would develop past the film opening so that I can foreshadow and include elements that hint towards where the story is going.
Here's what my story is being thought of as:

A girl named Gabby is getting ready for her sophomore prom. There are numerous shots of her doing her makeup, hair, and getting dressed for prom. Then when she is putting on mascara she gets a call and it shows its from the hospital. On the phone she is informed that her mother is taking her last breath and she needs to get to the hospital asap. Once there she is able to say her last I love you before her mom passes away in her arms. Gabby then must go through the rest of her high school experience without a mother figure and someone to share it with. The rest of the story would then include Gabby and her dad Henry and their dynamic as a smaller family.

So I'm really excited in developing this story some more and coming up with costuming, who I really want for each of my characters as well as set design. I think I am starting to decide more about coloration of my film and how I want each of the characters to dress but I want to create some story boards tomorrow that will establish who my characters are further..

Something really exciting that I know I should wait to talk about but I just can't is my securing a hospital room to film the scenes of Gabby and Nicole. I think using an actual hospital room will definitely help my actors get more into character and will guide the story along and yeah I'm really excited about having that secure.

So until next time, Emma

Drama Research

Film Opening: Drama, Drama, and some more Drama 

    So this past week we began learning about our film opening portfolio projects. I instantly began brainstorming different concepts and ideas for what I could do for this and it just clicked in my head that I wanted to do a drama. Honestly, I've always been more interested in romance and horror films when watching but I realized that in my creative journey, I think I can just do more with a dramatic film. Thinking about who I am as a person and how I've grown this year I have learned how important research is so I began looking into the drama genre.  

    

    The genre drama typically heavily relies on the emotional and relational development of a character. In genre, there are many different subsections but the one I am most looking at is tragedy. Tragedy is a movie where there is a downfall that causes something to change in a character. Some movies that represent tragedies are The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman. These types of films constantly show self-destruction and flaws that the character has as a result of death or degradation. 

The Type of Drama Needed in My Film 

    In my film, I want to center it around one person in particular who has gone through a loss in her life but I still want to have other supporting characters that could be emotional relief to a more difficult-to-see story. I also wanted to look into how dramas are shot in this scenario. According to Adobe Creative Clouds article "Different types of shots in film" Charlie Chaplin states "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up" I originally knew that I wanted to include lots of these shots in my film but this ensured that I was looking into proper techniques when researching cinemtography. Since close-ups help the audience to understand what the character is feeling I especially want to use these types of shots when I am trying to make the audience feel a particular way. 

    Some of the movies I have been researching to engage with the audience in the same way I do are "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" by Susan Johnson, "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks, and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" by Zoe Cassavetes. I really wanted to learn from these films in how to portray the feeling of death in a loved one and investigate how they can make a dramatic film with comedic and still happy bits included. 

Analysis 

        To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a film that was created in 2018 that was a technical romantic/comedy however the real reason I wanted to look into this piece was due to the content of Lara Jean's family life in having not grown up with a mother. I also wanted to look into this due to the intensity of some scenes and how the composition of each shot was framed. This was a great inspiration for my film in not only mise-en-scene elements but also specific dynamics I've been looking into like stereotypical popular high schoolers as well as more introverted characters. I definitely plan to go back and look into particular scenes that can help to appeal to the emotions I am trying to get out. 

A Walk to Remember is a film created in 2002 that is dramatic. In this film, Jamie, a teenager discusses with her significant other her leukemia and how she hasn't been responding to treatments after months of chemotherapy. This film is about support given to someone who is getting progressively more sick and is a true dramatic tear-jerker film. I wanted to research more into a film like this because even though I do want some light-hearted scenes I understand that this film will be more intense to audiences similar to A Walk to Remember. 

Other dramatic films include:

My Sister's Keeper (2009)

Now Is Good (2012) 

The Fault in our Stars (2014)

From pre-projects to my portfolio

My growth this year      

    Through this past year in Media Studies I have been working on many different projects that have helped me to grow my skills of editing, planning and creating media. I think one of the main lessons I have learned over this year is the importance of attention to detail and I'm intrigued to see how these technical abilities are going to help me with future projects in Media Studies. For example, through my Foley project where I created a scene using only sounds I realized how important natural and acoustic sounds are to having an aesthetically pleasing video. Also, through my music video just created I began to think more about not only how I'm doing something but why every shot and sequence is done to overall tie back into the purpose of the video. After having just finished my Music Marketing Project in which I had to create an entire music video and campaign I'm really just excited to get into something more film based and begin my two minute film opening. 

So lets talk more about my plans for the film opening. In researching and watching other openings of films I have seen how important setting and tone of pieces are in creating something representative of my genre. I think one of my main goals in my film is to emotionally attach my viewer to my main protagonist and I plan on doing so by utilizing a lot of color theory in my work. In my current thoughts for genre of the film I was thinking of using drama so for my main character I plan to use muted colors and for all other actors I plan to use bright coloring. I want to learn how to grow in my planning out of mise en scene elements before any other stages of production are to be completed. My thought it to also engage with audiences through more relatable content. 

I can't wait to see what's to happen with this piece and I'll update you soon :)

- Emma 

Music Marketing Reflection

    Throughout the past few weeks my three partners and I worked on a Music Marketing/Brand Development Project. In this project we not only looking into a genre of artists and production companies but branded our own artist. In the beginning of the project we were given the country genre to research and analyze and in my research I found out lots of useful information about the genre that is country. For example the general audience for country music are blue collared workers ages 20-40 who are typically more conservative or enjoy a "honky-tonk" type of music. I also looked into how music companies such as Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music markets their artists which is typically through social media, tv presence and engagement with fans. 

    Once I researched about the genre and marketing of country music itself the next step was to create and develop a country artist of my own. Using what I learned in my research I created an artist "Bryce Henderson" who sang the song cold. Along with my team, I storyboarded and created a music video to be his first ever release to the public. Through our research we also investigated how Bryce Henderson who we developed as a new, young country artist attempting to reach a slightly younger audience should use social media, perform ecetera. 

    We decided in pre-production to use a cooling color palate in the video along with elements of vignette to create a very specific artist. All mise-en-scence elements such as costuming and set design were also specific to our artist and who we wanted him to appear as to his audience. We created a minute and a half long music video and really thought deeply as to how this music video alongside other production tactics would benefit his campaign. 

    Next our presentation was to be created where we defined Bryce Henderson as an artist and provided many different examples of social media posts, websites, merchandise, as well as how we planned to reach our target audience. This presentation was integral to our development of this artist and created a better understanding and analysis of how you can properly support an artists marketing technics. 

    Throughout this project I found that I learned a lot more about the country genre as a whole but also how important not just music videos are but the entire brand of an artist. Through my research of other country artist I recognized that certain website designs, collaborations and cross-media convergences really sets a precedent to who they are as an artist and changes audiences perspectives. I also learned that coloration as well as editing techniques is integral to making a good brand as without a coherent image of an artist the overall message that the artist is trying to portray blurs. Some aspects that I belive will help me when developing my Cambridge portfolio include the editing techniques I have learned as well as the utilization of pre-production before filming to ensure that I get the exact and meticulous shots that I need for my project.