In today's blog post, I will be researching title ideas and conventions. There is usually a lot of thought and meaning put into a movie title, so here I'm going to be trying to come up with a fitting name for my brief.
RESEARCH
Character Name/Label Titles: In many movies, the title is usually just the main character's name and/or what they're doing. For example, movies like "Juno","Forrest Gump", and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". Although this would be unaffected since I don't have my character's name yet.
Descriptive or Symbolic Phrases: These type of titles are usually common in films of growth, which would be perfect for a coming-of-age movie. It's usually a metaphor or very important message in the film, for example: "Call me by Your Name","Stand by Me", or "Say Anything". I like the idea of this type of title, but I'd have to come up with a good phrase.
Time-Based or Numerical Titles: Highlights specific time, or age. For example, "13 going on 30", "17 again", and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". I also like the idea of this kind of title but then it would be really similar to "13 Going on 30".
After brainstorming for a while of different names for my films, I decided I really like the name: "Not My Time". It explains House she's not exactly in her generation, but she still embraces her old self/ style throughout the film.
When it comes for the font and color of my film, I am thinking of something like:
I think it perfectly captures the time period I want, and I want a simple color for the finished product, but it depends on my post production.
REFLECTION
Today's research was a huge step in becoming closer to finally starting my production. Figuring out my title and the font I wanted was a long process, but I really like how it came out and hopefully I don't change it throughout the process. Now I'm finally getting closer and closer to starting my actual production, I can't wait for the next post in my blog!
Before starting the production process its crucial to understand the target audience for my film. So in this blog post, I will be analyzing and researching about what my specific film target audience is going to look like.
RESEARCH
Age Demographics According to recent studies, young adults and teens make up a large portion of the film audience today. About 75% of of moviegoers are under 45.
Younger audiences tend to watch more movies in the film genres like:
-Coming of Age
-Superhero
-Drama
-Comedy
Middle-aged audiences tend to watch more movies in the film genres like:
-Romance
-Comedy
-Sci-Fi
-Action
Older audiences tend to watch more movies in the film genres like:
-Historic
-Nostalgic
-Drama
-Heart warming comedies
With my film being a coming-of-age drama which includes sci-fi content like time travel this concept should already bring in the younger and middle-aged audience. Since my time jump timeline is from the 80's this also includes the older audience because it would brings back nostalgia from their childhood.
REFLECTION
Todays researched informed me of exactly my target audience, which helped me keep in mind that I need to have significant features that bring in each audience. I didn't change my direction in this post, but it allowed me to form a better idea of what I want for my brief. In my next post, I will be brainstorming on the title of my breif.
For my research today, I will be analyzing two different coming of age film openings to see more of an idea of what an average film from this genre looks like. I will also be jotting important features I notice and how it tells the beginning of the story. I am making this step in my portfolio because it is really important to see a lot of example of film openings so I completely understand how to make mine.
For my first film opening I will be pulling an extract from a very popular, and high-rated coming of age film:
The Fabelmans
In the first 20 seconds of "The Fabelmans" the title slate was shown, along with the location and date when the movie takes place. This is really important to the audience because it introduces the timeline and setting for them to get used to. Shortly afterwards, we see a small boy communicating how he is scared to go into the theater, explaining the background with all the people in line. We then see two adult figures trying to talk him into it, hinting they are his parents. Given the context of the dialogue, we can tell its the son's first time going to the movie theater and his parents are persuasive on having him go in.
We hear diegetic sounds like a car passing, people talking in the back, and music coming from a distance. At first, we don't see the adults face, only a tall figure hovering over the young boy and a soft female voice. But then the "father" leans down to explain to his son how the theater actually works and how the movie is actually thousands of pictures, creating picture motion. After revealing his face, his excitement comes off as fascination towards the subject.
Within the first 2 minutes of the film we are able to piece together a lot of information about the movie and can form an idea of what it's about. This is a very important because it makes the audience invested in the story and can be analyzed like how i'm doing so.
The next extract is of course another coming of age movie, but also a musical:
Dear Evan Hansen
In this opening, the first thing shown is a computer with the title of the movie typed out. On top of the text we hear a voice over and a slow music beat. They show a sequence of shots, his face, his hesitant hands, medication on his dresser, and his eyes. The more he began to type, the more the audience can understand how he talks, overflowing with words, indecisive, and anxious. After a few seconds, the camera pans to a calendar reminder, it is his first day at school, probably the reason for his nervousness.
The audience can notice by the medication bottle, that his name is Evan Hansen, so he is writing the document to himself. It can be taken as him trying to motivate himself for school, saying to be himself and be confident. Based on what he is writing, the parts like "be approachable"and "be interesting" can indicate, he probably doesn't have many friends and wants to be more liked this year. During the voiceover, he reveals or rather gaslights himself that he isn't anxious or depressed and admits to having no friends. This makes it very clear to the audience what kind of person he is.
Evan then shuts his computer in frustration and begins to sing. The first song, "Waving Through a Window" seems to be about how he feels like he tries to connect with others but his efforts go unseen, as if he is talking through a soundproof "window".
REFLECTION
I feel like this post was really helpful for my understanding of my brief. I haven't changed my original idea, only strengthening my confidence in my ability to make it. For my next post, I am planning on centering my focus on the target audience of my film.
Lighting is a very important key element in films and TV. For todays research, I will be analyzing lighting techniques used for different types of films within my genre and deciding which to use for my brief.
RESEARCH
Key Lighting
Key lighting is the strongest source of lighting in each shot. You usually use key lighting to make someone/something stand out. I will be definitely be using this lighting techniques when focusing on my characters motions
Fill Lighting
This lighting fills in the dark areas/shadows that key lighting creates. With fill lighting, the audience can see the scene more clearly, creating a well balanced look. Many films do good with just key and fill lighting alone.
Backlighting
Backlighting is used to create a silhouette of a subject and creates a three-dimensional scene. These three lighting techniques together create a very popular tip: three-point lighting.
Practical Lighting
Practical lighting is the use of a regular light source on the set like a lamps or candles. This technique is usually used when the subject had to interact with it like turning off a lamps.
Bounce Lighting
Bounce lighting is the use a reflector to create a bigger area of light that spreads out. This creates a very soft light and is very helpful when you need to light up a whole environment.
High Key Lighting
Creates a bright scene that is shadowless, and overexposed. This lighting was first popular during the 1930s and 40s and is used in many movies, sitcoms, and commercials.
Low Key Lighting
The opposite of high key lighting, uses a lot of shadows and one key light source. It creates mystery and suspense for a scene and character. This is commonly used in horror and thriller films.
REFLECTION
My newfound knowledge from today taught me all I need to know for the cinematography/production portion of my portfolio. I am on the right track for success and my next step is to research about other production/post-production conventions.
For my film opening, knowing that I am going to include the time travel concept, I want a girl main character similar to Jenna Rink from 13 going on 30. Jenna carries traits like loyalty, passionate, and is self-centered. I don't want to copy her character, but instead, add some of her traits to mine.
RESEARCH
Dynamic/changing character- A character who changes throughout the media, could be going from evil to good or vis versa. Some examples are Harvey Dent and Anakin Skywalker. Since my brief is only a two minute film opening, its hard to include alot of major character development.
Static/unchanging character- A character who stays the same throughout the entire media. Many of these characters are produced by bad writing, but can also be important later in the story. Along with dynamic characters, my time slot will only allow minimal growth so I will probably have an unchanging character.
Symbolic character- A character used to represent the big picture in the story. Usually isn't revealed till the end of the story to make sense to the audience.
Since I am not certain what kind of character I want, I am now going to research about iconic characters I can get inspiration from:
Hermione Granger
-Smart, loyal, sharp minded, and disciplined
-This would be a fun character to work with but doesn't fit my time-travel concept vision for this film.
Elle Woods
-Confident, determined, empathetic, and intelligent
-Love her style and demeanor, fits early 2000s time more then an 80's time
Max Mayfield
-Sarcastic, tough, loyal, and independent
-She is a really good character that I would consider using but I decided I want my character to be very preppy and egotistical
Cher Horowitz
-clueless, confident, fierce and optimistic
-she is exactly how I envisioned my character to be, super fun, outgoing but also oblivious and fierce
REFLECTION
Today's research was really helpful and now I have enough starting knowledge on my character to start scriptwriting in the future. For the next step in my research I am planning on learning more about camera lighting and its impact on films. I am in the right direction and hopefully much more helpful research is to come.
After researching about the films '13 going on 30' and 'Back to the Future' i've decided I want to merge the two ideas into making it a time jump 80's movie, rather than a time travel 80's movie. I want to include the iconic 80s 'look', including funky clothing, hair and makeup. In this blog post I will be searching for the exact 'look' I want for my film.
In my brief, I wanted to include a scene of her getting ready, super 80's vibe despite her being in a different generation. For some reason when I picture this scene in my head, my brain automatic thinks of music like "Girls on Film"- by Duran Duran or "Material Girl"- by Madonna. I want it to be very fun, funky and colorful. Even though I am not able to use copyright music, I still want to incorpote this vibe in my film.
RESEARCH
In the early 1980's, (1980-1982) the style was still somewhat still 70's, normal outfits would be high-rise jeans, puffed sleeves, oversized blazers.
In the mid 1980's, (1983-1986) the fashion style was bold. Girls would wear colors that would pop, makeup that would glow, and style that you cant miss. The biggest "in's" were: big hair, neon colors, mini skirts, shoulder pads, long socks and large jewelry.
In the late 1980's, (1987-1989) they dominated materialism. People of wealth would wear, faux fur, leather, and mini skirts.
Most hairstyles in the 80's contained LOTS of hairspray. Big blowouts, brushed out curls and high ponytails paired with headbands were very in style. Make-up would consist of bright eyeshadow, light lipstick and lots of jewelry. When it came to necklaces, girls would usually layer chains. They would also wear lots of bracelets and waist chains.
REFLECTION
This research is very helpful when it comes to creating the set and styling my actor while filming. I am aiming for the mid 80's look for clothing, hair and makeup. I haven't changed direction since my initial pitch of my brief, only making me more confident for my production. I am excited to enter the next phase of my pre-production journey!
Now that I have finally chosen my genre, I now need to do further research on coming of age genre conventions. Im researching for pre-production factors like the type of characters I want to include. Some conventions of coming-of-age movies are character growth, dialogue and social commentary.
Some examples of popular coming-of-age movies are the following:
The Breakfast Club (1985)
-This is a very popular film about a group of teenagers who are all very different, become trapped in a Saturday school detention.
-A group of teenagers is a good idea for my brief, however it would be hard to find and film multiple actors with just myself filming.
Lady Bird (2017)
-A teenage girl applying for a college away from home whilst dealing with the stress of an over-bearing mother.
-A mother-daughter film would be an interesting concept but its also very hard to find adult actors.
13 going on 30 (2004)
-Awkward 13 year old teen wishes to grow older into her thirties and overnight her wish comes true. She attempts to navigate through her new adult life.
-I like the idea of the time jump, though without including the age jump. This can potentially be an idea for my brief.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
-Summer romance that takes place in Italy. Story is about a teenage boy's first love and how he deals with his soon departure.
-I don't want to make a romance, however I love the visual aesthetic of this movie.
Back to the Future (1985)
-Teenager is accidentally sent back in time in a time machine created by his scientist friend. He now has to make sure his parents meet and fall in love to preserve his existence.
-This movie include the time travel concept I want to use. I also like the time period this movie was made in.
For my film opening, I am considering including the time travel concept. I want a girl main character similar to Jenna Rink from 13 going on 30. Jenna carries traits like loyalty, passionate, and is self-centered. Since I am not certain what kind of character I want, I am going to research about iconic characters I can get inspiration from.
Hermione Granger
-smart, loyal, sharp minded, and disciplined
Elle Woods
-confident, determined, empathetic, and intelligent
Max Mayfield
-sarcastic, tough, loyal, and independent
Cher Horowitz
-clueless, confident, fierce and optimistic
REFLECTION
After this deep-dive of different personalities I can utilize, I decided I want my actors character to have traits like Cher Horowitz. This research was definitely helpful for my portfolio, and I am in the right direction to making a plan for my brief. The next step in my research process is to learn more of the visual aesthetic I want, the clothing style, and the time period I want the film to be in.
For this part of my portfolio I am expected to pick a genre for my film opening. For a movie opening, i'm trying to consider interesting genres that would engage the watcher to want to watch more than 2 minutes. Therefore, genres that I immediately hook on are: Mystery, Adventure, and Drama. I will begin my research by analyzing each one and how it fits with the actors I have, sets I can use and ect.
MYSTERY
The structure of a mystery novel, usually includes the following:
-The crime
-Investigation
-Twist
-Breakthrough
-Conclusion
Given that the brief is only a two minute opening, that would only allow for a small plot development. Of course there are multiple types of sub-genres inside of mystery, like:
Hardboiled Mystery: More realistic, about the characters journey.
Cozy Mystery: Typically takes place in a 'small town', less violent tone compared to other sub-genres.
Legal Thriller: Focus on the legal system and the justice system.
Psychological Thriller: Intense, focuses on characters mind.
ADVENTURE
The structure of a adventure movie, usually includes the following:
-Inciting incident
- Journey starts
-obstacles along the way
-climax
-resolution
Making an adventure film, would differently engage the audience but this genre would be hard to film, considering a lot of adventure movies are shot in a exotic location or in the jungle. There are multiples different sub genres you can chose from:
SwashBuckler: focuses on swords, romance and historical settings most of the time.
Survival: The movie is the main character or person trying to overcome harsh environments.
Disaster: Focuses on big catastrophes and include charactering trying to survive it.
Expedition/Exploration: Includes journeys to find lost land, missing item or person.
DRAMA
The structure of a adventure movie, usually includes the following:
-Exposition
-Rising action
-Climax
-Falling action
-Resolution
Given that drama is a very broad category, it is flexible and can include other big genres into one including:
Coming-of-Age Drama- Focuses on teenage years and the transition to adulthood.
Family Drama: Shows relationship and conflicts within a family.
Romantic Drama: Centered on the emotional connection of a love story.
Historical Drama- set in a historical time line with interesting storyline.
REFLECTION
This part of my research was crucial for the future steps in my portfolio because I have to be certain about the genre I want to choose. After my analysis I am confident about which of the three to use for my brief. Now for the next part of my research is to learn more about that specific genre and get ideas of what my film opening us going to look like.
