Title Research: Thriller (Get Out)

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/get-out/

I decided to focus a bit more on the thriller genre considering I am creating a thriller related opening sequence, so I found another thriller-based film: Get Out. The opening sequence to Get Out had an overall eerie connotation and feeling. About 27 titles were present during the sequence, all appeared through a fade in and disappeared from the scene through a simple fade out. Majority of the opening was a very long-timed shot of forest and woods. To ensure its appeal to the audience a country-folk like score was used in the beginning of the sequence's background, creating a sort of contradicting mood. The score the switches to a song and the forest shot switches to still images of photos that have been taking by the main character, who is revealed to be a photographer soon after. 

Title Research: Horror/Thriller (Silent Hill)

https://www.watchthetitles.com/titlesequence/silent-hill/

Silent Hill, a horror and thriller-based film, has by far the most intriguing opening I've seen so far. A total of 25 titles were present in the opening sequence. The sequence held a sad, yet terrifying mood. Although I found the song choice to be a bit odd, it didn't stop me be from being interesting in the film, in fact it helped pull me in even more. Images of the characters in the film were the showed alongside titles. The title's font played a role in the sequences appeal. The genre was reinforced through the dark lighting and creatures present in the opening sequence. The editing technique of the opening was amazing as well, although the movie is live action, I thought it was interesting how it had an animated like opening instead.

Title Research: Sci-fi/Fantasy (Code 8)

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/code-8/

Code 8 has a quick paced opening sequence. A total of 33 titles were in its opening sequence. It felt as if a very complexed story was being told throughout the sequence. In the background were voiceovers and incidental music, which created an extremely intense and rushed atmosphere. Images of people working, and newspaper headlines and articles were prioritized in the opening sequence. They played a key role in piecing together the sci-fi aspect of the film. Titles would fade in, then suddenly glitch out and disappear. I found that to also play a role in reinforcing the film's genre. Technology was used very much effectively through the use of editing techniques and sounds.
 

Title Research: Sport/Drama (Creed)

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/creed-1/

During the opening sequence of Creed, a sports-drama based film, 26 titles were displayed. The film began with what I assumed to be some sort of flashback. In the opening sequence, still images of what was to come in the movie was also used. The still images carried a determined and intense, yet troublesome connotation. The genre throughout the opening sequence was reinforced multiple times through the still images. The still images showed the main character in action in a boxing ring and snippets of his troublesome childhood and love life. Intense score music was used to create its enigma, by creating an intense atmosphere to pull the audience into the film. Fade outs and fade ins were also common throughout the entire opening sequence as well. Together these components brought the opening sequence together. 

Watch the titles

https://www.watchthetitles.com/

I wanted to expand my knowledge on titles, so I decided to further my research. Another site I decided to use for my titling research is Watch the Titles. This site was helpful in many ways. From the start, everything was clear and simple to understand. I got to view certified published works of other students, which was amazing I might add. I watched a couple more opening sequences of films and they were all helpful. I learned a few new ways to display titles. I also learned that transitions such as fade in/outs were very common.

Art of the title

https://www.artofthetitle.com/

 Today I began my research on titles. As I searched the web, I stumbled upon this site: Art of the Title. Right from the introduction page, I grew amazed. This site features a ton of movie, TV show, and even documentary openings. It was extremely helpful. I was able to see the creative ways titles were used. There's an option to view the titles of many films, so I watched a couple. A few things I learned from this site would have to be not all titles use the same font. I also learned a few creative  locations for title placements. 

Genre research: drama

During the beginning of the school year, I was assigned a genre to research: drama. I worked in a group to deconstruct the elements of the genre. In the presentation above, you're able to see what we'd found. Drama is such a broad and popular genre. We researched the common camera angles, shots, and movement used to differentiate the genre from other genres such as action, romance, horror, and thriller etc. Further into the presentation, we switched our focus to the mis en scene and sounds of drama. We even provided a couple of film examples. Towards the end of the presentation we were able to add in our own personal thoughts on the genre's elements. An element that appealed to me in the genre would have to be the use of sounds. Personally, I love how in drama films, viewers are able to feel a character’s emotion through its soundtrack.

A pitch or a home run?

  I've managed to narrow down my pitch options. This was a bit difficult, considering my three pitches fit the thriller genre. While deciding on the two I'd stick with, I thought about many factors. Filming was one of my main factors, I also thought about a couple of mis en scene such as make up, costuming, and actors etc.

  The first pitch I decided on was "Tired of the torment she faces from her schoolmates, Grey, a devoted high school outcast decides it's time she takes matters into her hands. Her involvement in the murder of her nine classmates is traced through conflicting memories during a police investigation." While picturing how I'd film this, my thoughts were simple compared to the ones of other pitches. I alone could be the actress in my two-minute opening so, because of my preference of working alone, when it comes to assignments like these, I immediately decided on this pitch. Make up and costuming would too be simple. I would be able to utilize my everyday clothing and not change much about my appearance to fit the main character.

  The second pitch I choose was "A group of teenagers are suspects in a bank robbery, a crime they didn't commit. What will it take to prove their innocent?" Compared to the pitch I didn't select, this seemed to be more in my range. I wouldn't need to use any kind of excessive make up. I could easily use a couple of my schoolmates to play the role of the teenage group. Make up and costuming also wouldn't be too difficult to work on. I believe both of these are both really good for this assignment; they spark interest. The first one especially, which is why I've made my final decision to go along with it.

The final task

 I've participated in the making of a music video, now the time has come. Since the beginning of this journey, I've learned about many new things. From camera angles, to camera movements, sounds, and many more, it's time I put them to use. I loved learning about sounds the most, aside from editing techniques. While watching films and shows, sound was something I didn't directly pay much attention to. When you think about sounds in films, most people would think about how sound helps to create the mood. Although they are not incorrect, sound is much more than that. There are a variety of sounds and each has a different example. For example, 

 Today, I will be starting my final task, which is the making of a two minute, original, opening to a film. I also got to learn about pitching a film. A pitch is a Hollywood term used to describe an idea where a film is encapsulated in just a few words/sentences. The specific type of pitch I will be using is the elevator pitch. The vision used when it comes to elevator pitches is imagining oneself going up a couple of floors in an elevator alongside someone who is very important. You don't have much time to say your movie idea, and so this is where elevator pitches come in. You have 30 seconds to sell your movie idea. What will you say in that short amount of time? I've managed to come up with three elevator pitches. Although I'm still deciding on which one I'll be using for this project, here's what I've come up with thus far.

1) The life of Roman, a young boy who survives a neurological virus outbreak sets out to find a cure and discovers he isn't the only one.

2) Tired of the torment she faces from her schoolmates, Grey, a devoted high school outcast decides it's time she takes matters into her hands. Her involvement in the murder of her nine classmates is traced through conflicting memories during a police investigation.

3) A group of teenagers are suspects in a bank robbery, a crime they didn't commit. What will it take to prove their innocent?

Descript

Filming challenges

 This past week has been more challenging than anticipated. I ended up switching my storyboard around a bit. Sticking to it was much harder than I thought it would be. When it comes to the angles, movements and the type of shots I plan on using, I’m pretty confident. I’ve not had to worry about those just yet. Something I do indeed have to worry about is shooting my new scenes. I need to have solid back up plans if no one is to assist me with shooting. Overall, I was able to get a bunch of new shots, my music video is nearly complete!

 Over Thanksgiving break I spent the first two days filming morning scenes. When I woke up I made sure it was the first task I did. During my process, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to shoot every single take I was hoping to get from my storyboard. With me working alone, it didn’t come as a surprise. Therefore, as I was shooting, I made changes to my storyboard and continued on. Now I need to shoot a few more takes in a much different location than expected. I’ll be shooting some school and bus scenes this week, in hopes of sorting through all my takes by the end of the week.

 Furthermore, I never did get to purchase the mount I originally planned on using; therefore, I improvised. I made a tripod out of a toilet roll. I used a paper roll to hold it up and stacked a few boxes underneath. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was much harder than you think. Because I was shooting in different locations, moving the boxes were quite a hassle. My phone kept falling out of the “tripod” and the paper roll kept falling over.

 Moreover, my phone had been acting odd too. Whenever I’d place it at a certain angle, the camera would start glitching. It’s not as noticeable in majority of the shots I plan on using though. Even though this is occurring, it’s not ruining my shooting process. I’m still very much content with my takes. I’ve also already begun to edit my music video. I won’t be going far in depth with the editing, that I will save for another post. This journey has been interesting, yet difficult.

Music video filming

 Filming my music video has been serene so far. I hope it remains this way throughout my entire process. On top of that, I manage to stick to my storyline. These are all tiny accomplishments that I am extremely proud of. The Thanksgiving holiday is around the corner, which means I'll be on a short break from school. During this break I plan on taking all my takes, so I can spend a little more over a week editing. I only have two locations to work with and very few props are needed. Something I may struggle with though, is shooting the high angle I had plan on using for the bible scene on my storyboard. If I'm not able to find someone to assist me with it, I may end up changing a few things and improvising.

 For shooting itself, I haven't used the provided cameras yet. Using the camera was my initial plan, but that changed along the process. I have an iPhone 6s Plus and I'm content with the camera quality it provides. I attempted to use the camera a few days ago, but the time of day I needed to use for shooting was too dark for the camera to pick up any light and I didn't have the correct lighting to fix that. My phone was able to pick up lighting; therefore, I decided to stick with it. I've only shot with my phone so far and it hasn’t been giving me any trouble. I have enough storage to shoot to my heart’s content, that’s exactly what I plan on doing. Moreover, I need to purchase a tripod mount for my phone. Because I’m going to be panning and shooting some high angles, I need my phone to be as secure as possible.  Mounts are inexpensive, so it’s not much to worry about.

 Furthermore, I believe I filmed a good quarter of my music video. I have a ton of scenery shots that will go well with my theme. On my bus ride home, I plastered my phone to a window and shot a bunch of scenes as the bus was in motion. They came out beautiful. All I need now is the car scene and a couple of more house scenes. For the car scene, a backup plan surprisingly isn’t needed. Whether it’s raining or sunny, both will fit well with the music video. Also, If I have more time, I will be sure to shoot some random scenes. Who knows? The takes may just end up being a great addition to my music video. So, as I said again, filming so far has been a breeze. Hopefully it’s able to remain that way.

New project: music video

Today a new assignment was assigned: a music video. I'm excited to create a music video, especially since I've been able to learn about all the work and thought processes that go into creating such a thing. For our music video we are to create a 1:05 - 1:15 length video. I will be working alone on this. Currently, I'm not completely positive on what song I plan on using. I'm stuck on deciding between “Lights are on” by Tom Rosenthal or “Are you bored yet?” by Wallows. I am, however, sure on the genre I plan to stick with: indie. Both songs are from the indie genre. Wallow is a boy band, while Tom Rosenthal is a solo artist.

Conventions of the indie genre are simple in a way. The indie genre is based on passion. In indie music videos, artists tend to make their talent and skills the focus point. Some common props I often see are their instruments. When it comes to the lighting, lights are either behind the artist to create a kind of shadowing effect, directly in front of the artist so they, them-self are the main focus or just natural lighting overall. If natural lighting is present, a nature scenery is most likely present as well. I sat down and watched a bunch of indie styles music videos and majority of them had a lovely, calming, type nature scenery. The beach, mountains, and meadows filled with flowers where the most common amongst the videos I saw. Another amazing fact I found out was, indie music videos tend to have lowest budget, which I think is awesome. 

Flashy make up wasn't common either, it was more so natural or absent. The actors in these films were just the artist them-self majority of the time. It's as if they were trying to tell the audience to focus on them only. For costumes, regular everyday clothing was worn. Again, nothing flashy depending on the narrative, which was calm for the most part. Indie music videos are so good with grabbing their audience's attention. They made me feel so cozy and warm with just the artist's voice alone. The scenery just built up the warm feeling even more.

Onto camera shots, angles and editing. From tilts to pans, a variety was used. Lots and lots of close ups are used, but so are long shots. Dissolves and fades were common as well, the transitions were all smooth. Even the cuts were smooth. With cuts and jump cuts in indie films, they tend to be matched to the beat of the song.

Pinnacle studios

 Today I sat through a lesson about our camera procedure for the class and on how to edit. I learned how to use a tripod. In order to attach my camera to the head of a tripod, I must unscrew a disk on the head and securely attach it to the bottom of my camera. Once the disk is secure, I can then attach the disk back to the tripod with my camera attached. I also learned how to use the lock knob. I can tighten it if I want a stationary camera or loosen it to do camera movements such as a pan or tilt. Walking with the legs of the tripod open isn't such a good idea and is in fact dangerous because you never know what may happen. Instead, I must close the legs tightly, then I am able to walk with the tripod. It's the same exact steps when it comes to detaching the camera, just in reverse. First, I unscrew the disk from the head and unscrew it from the camera. Then, I simply reattach the disk to the head and I am all done. 

 For editing we will be using the software Pinnacle Studios. So far, it doesn't seem complex at all. Here's an example of what the program looks like.

 A tip I was given when it comes to importing to just import all of my files all at once, whether it be my takes, voice overs, or music, import it all. Once I've imported my files, I have to switch the default from organize to edit. After that, I am able to place my raw footage onto my working area. On Pinnacle Studios, there are three AV tracks. AV track 1 should be used for my titles, Av track 2 is for my footage and AV track 3 is for my sounds, such as music and voice overs. I must wait for everything to load before clicking, if I don't, the program will crash. From here I can use the play bar to cut clips. If I right click, a few options will appear. From here I can open up effects to add transitions and detach the audio. I can speed up my shot, slow it down or even reverse it. There's a T symbol that I can use to add my titles as well.

 These are a few extra things I've learned. When moving files from my SD card to my desktop, it'd be best to save everything in one folder. Another thing, Pinnacle Studios auto saves, so even if the program crashes, I am able to access all of my work as long as I click the correct options. I also learned a few key terms. Dumping is the action of moving raw footage from my SD card onto my desktop. Importing is the action of moving my files from my desktop into the program. Exporting is the action of taking my file from the program and moving it onto my desktop. Rendering is when the program takes everything that I have done and combines them together by smoothing and cleaning it up. When I save, I shouldn't replace my original file every single time. This makes it easier to track my work hope to go back to fix a mistake I've made. Overall this program seems simple enough. Editing won't be much for me as long as I am able to remember these things.

All about me

 Greetings, I'm Shenica. I'm 15 years old and am currently living in Florida where I attend high school. I am a sophomore. My friends and acquaintances would describe me as someone who is very impulsive, empathetic, bubbly, yet bashful. I'm constantly trying to find the light in every situation. I love sharing my kindness with others and just making people smile really. I love all kinds of animals, especially pigs. Currently, I don't have a plan for the future. I want to attend college, but am just stuck on selecting a career path. I let life flow.

 When it comes to my interest, I don't do much. I love being creative and learning about the world around us. Reading is something I really enjoy. Besides novels, I love reading the most random articles I can find. I believe I do this because of my interest in learning. Who doesn't love to learn about new things? Another thing I really enjoy would have to be editing. I do a bit of video editing on the software Adobe after Effects. Although I'm not into techno stuff, it's something I love doing. I got into editing around the age of 13, it just stuck ever since. I don't participate in any sports, but would love to try track and field. I also do a bit of dancing on the side for fun.

 In school I am focused. I always walk through the doors with a goal. Whether it be to make someone smile, or get a passing grade on an assignment. My favorite subjects would have to be math and science. I can be really good with numbers from time to time. I love the subject so much because it makes me feel good knowing I'm one of the only people who favor it. Biology is a science course I also extremely love. Learning about the world around you can be fascinating. I prefer working alone majority of the time, because it is much more easier to get things done and focus in my opinion; however, it doesn't mean that I don't like to work with me peers from time to time.