Upgraded Thoughts

R.I.P. to the bank robbery idea. To be honest, I never really liked it. It never had much of a path and  was always more of a back up plan. However, we kept focusing on it more and more because time was running out and because we had been getting positive feedback from our classmates.

This weekend, I sat down and dedicated a few hours solely to think. I made sure to rid myself of all distractions and began to watch as many film openings as I could. This is something I have previously done, but this time, I focused more on analyzing the openings without getting caught up in their entertainment. There are two things I noticed. One, we are far from having the skills, money, and technology required to make most of the amazing openings I saw. Two, a good, authentic idea is worth more than the skills, money, and technology we don't have.

I realized that though there are certain rules one should follow, going by a guidebook isn't the key. The openings I saw were amazing because they executed their originality perfectly and efficiently. Each of them was different, and as long as their differences grab attention, most of their job is done.

So instead of following my classmates' feedback word for word, or becoming too obsessed with what we can and can't do, I decided to learn from these things, make adjustments, but ultimately create what I want to create. I consulted with my group before making any major changes. Fortunately, they liked the idea. More details about our new path will be given soon so stay tuned!

Props

Now that our idea is set up, we can plan out what we will need during the filming process. Here are a few props and places we thought about:

Sunglasses

Dark Pants 

Black shirt

House

Gun/Weapon 

Black mask

Old car

Bank

Though we already have these props, we still need to find a bank. This may take some time. I doubt most banks would welcome the idea of four teenagers pretending to rob them. However, if we don't manage to find a real bank to film at, we can use creative camera angles and other techniques to make make another type of place suit our needs. 

Idea?

We all agreed to make our film opening about a bank robbery. Here is brief description. The opening would begin by introducing the main character through a sequence of events portraying his antisocial intentions. He would look at himself in the mirror, splash water on his face, and begin to dress up for what is to come. These events will be shown in chronological order with quick cuts showing his every move. Wearing all black, he would open one of the cabinets and grab a black mask with holes cut out for his eyes and mouth, somewhat like that of a stereotypical thief. However, we would emphasize his nervousness and anxiety through his facial expressions. The protagonist would not be an evil character, rather he is forced to rob the bank due to his life. The plot, given that our genre is drama, would be based on the main character, his reasons to rob the bank, the ramifications of the event, his life issues, and solutions. I do not want to give too much away just yet as this post is only an introduction.

The Hardest Part

I honestly did not think making a decision on what to film was going to be so difficult. My group members and I have been brainstorming daily yet cannot seem to agree on one idea. Based off my last experiences in this class, I have realized that we do not have the skill set to make anything we imagine yet. The tough part is not the process of coming up with an idea, rather the means of making it. We have had to shut down many options because of the the slim odds of being able to create it well. For example, we had thought of filming a scene of the action leading up to a bank robbery but realized that we don't have the props necessary to make this scene entertaining nor a "fake" bank to fake rob.

We must decide on an idea quick so that we can begin making it real. I know that once we have that figured out, things will flow easier and faster towards our final goal.

Research

Before beginning to film, it is important to go through a thorough learning process. Since the genre we have chosen is drama, I have done some research as to how to create the right tone, mood, and visuals for our movie opening.

Most of my research has led to camera movements. Given that we have a very limited budget, we will rely on camera movement techniques and editing to add flavor to our opening. When filming, there are no set rules on the techniques one can use. However, there are certain angles and movements that carry specific attributes. For example, a close up of a person's face reveals that person's feelings to the viewer and may even allow the viewer to empathize with the character. Through the use of different techniques, we can create the tone we want without the need to spend a lot of money.

Conveying what a character is feeling is an important part of making a drama film. These two examples do this well through camera movement techniques:

In the opening scene of 8 Mile, the protagonist, Eminem (Marshall Mathers), is shown in an unclean bathroom looking at himself in a mirror. The camera zooms in to his face many times, showing his nervous expression. While the close ups are happening, the camera also has pan movements showing Eminem's reflection in the small, cracked mirror. The panning is quick which enhances the anxiety felt throughout the scene. Lastly, as Eminem looks in the mirror, the camera also pans all the way to the bathroom door and back, showing hands banging on the door telling Eminem to hurry up, putting both his nerves and our desire to see what will happen next to the edge. Neither special effects nor crazy editing had to be used to create this opening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeI8graJ9_M

In the diner scene of Goodfellas, a combination of zoom ins and zoom outs mark Henry Hill's (Ray Liotta) realization that his best friend is going to betray him. During the shot, Henry is shown talking to his friend at a booth. The two friends are shown in the same frame, yet the zooming distorts the spacial relationship between them and the background, visually expressing Henry's disorientation and fear.

"Camera Movement." Film Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Planning

Week One:

1. My fellow group members and I will have completed our first blogposts
2. Brainstorm
3. Genre

Week Two:

1. Watch critically acclaimed good and bad film openings
2. Outline
3. Research on camera movements and angles that relate to specific genre
4. Brainstorm
5. Create title

Week Three:

1. Create shooting schedule
2. Write and memorize script
3. Get location
4. Acquire camera equipment and props
5. Start filming
6. Production Process

Week Four:

1. Complete filming
2. Start film editing
3. Show final cut to peers for feedback
4. Make final changes after feedback

Week Five:

1. Make final touches
2. Review our work
3. Send to Cambridge

Why Drama?

It really comes down to substance.

A Drama film can be comedic, melancholy, action packed, tragedy based, historical, political, really anything one wants to produce as long as one conveys some sort of meaning, or perhaps even social commentary, through a story. This genre offers a medium through which one can share an idea or a perspective on an issue through real life situations and character development. Drama films tend to be the ones that leave you searching for a deeper meaning.

For the target audience we are trying to engage, "Generation Z" (people born from the mid 1990s to 2000s), narratives of real characters involving modern issues seem most attractive. But our decision to base ourselves off of type of film lies more on the qualities of the genre rather than on solely impressing our audience. We want our film opening to be diverse in ideas, and show different perspectives, something we can best accomplish with the use of multiple characters who the film will be based upon, a unique quality of drama films.

"Drama Films." An Award-winning, Unique Resource of Film Reference Material for Film Buffs and Others, with Reviews of Classic American-Hollywood Films, Academy Awards History, Film Posters. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.

Buffam, Noelle. The Script Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.