Creative Critical Reflection

Thank you for tuning in and being with us during this process, we greatly appreciate it! We hope you enjoy our film opening called "Paradox."

Overall Project Review

        After almost five weeks of creating this project, I still have no idea how I feel about it. My gut is saying its gonna be successful, but yet again someone recently told me they didn't think it was gonna be the best... To trust my gut or someone else's opinion? I'm a little shook over this project but I truly just hope all this effort is worth a good evaluation. Despite all the filming problems and busy schedules, this project has been fun to produce and film as my closest friends were a part of it. I can't wait to see how our final production turns out, and we'll see if Maria can work her editing magic and make this film opening the best as possible.

Please Don't Stop the Music (Background that is)

Today, we looked up more music that we can use for our film opening. I never knew how many websites there were where people have posted uncopyrighted background music. This is essential to us as we don't have to ask permission for the music and can use it at our own cost. We're trying to look for the perfect music notes to go along with our film opening. I found this  website where there is music for different types of moods and tones, such as a "dramatic emotional introduction." This one can definitely help us as it introduces the film opening in a dramatic manner, which is exactly what we needed. Therefore, our hunt for background music will continue.

Filming: Part Two! But what happened?

      We finally filmed at Town Center, and I don't know if it was successful or not. We had to redo a lot of takes because it was extremely dark as our main actor Carlos Leon was late to our filming. We haven't even seen the footage yet but I am so scared that it will look bad. I have faith in this project and I will do everything in my power to make it as great as possible. Although we are short on time, editing the last half of the film and turning it in is our main priority. We used the tips we read in the article from my last blog post, and I truly just hope for the best at this point. If not, fortunately we have time to refilm small snippets of the film opening. I'll keep you updated.

Editing

    Today, I am finally filming the second half of our project with Carlos, Isabel and Maria at the Weston Town Center. Although we did not finish the complete opening, we wanted to be more productive by starting to edit the clips and images we already have. As Maria has an Apple computer, we decided to use iMovie to edit our clips. It provides us with great editing techniques such as transitions, sound effects, voice overs and so much more. Here, you can see how the improved version will help us in the long run. By downloading any jingles or sounds, we can automatically incorporate them into our video with a click of a button. This week, we plan on finding the right music notes to include it in our video. I truly hope this week will be stress-free and productive in terms of how our video is going to turn out.




Schneider, Jaron. "Today’s IMovie Is Not the IMovie You May Remember… It’s Way Better." Resource. Resource Magazine, n.d. Web. 02

Teacher Recommendation

       In class today, Maria and Isabel were absent,so I had a chance to thoroughly brainstorm and think about our project. During the first half hour of the class, I was asked by a fellow classmate if our film needed dialogue and I did not know. I proceeded by asking my teacher, and she said we didn't need it but the majority of AICE Media students have a voice over and/or narration. All we have planned for the film opening is the interchanging scenes between Carlos and his stalker,proceeded by suspenseful music and loud sounds. When I get together with Maria and Isabel this weekend, I am going to ask them what they prefer annd why. Personally, I think it's best to use suspenseful music rather than dialogue or maybe even slight dialogue, that way it adds to the mysterious ambiance and keeps the viewers engaged. In this TED Talk, Andrew Stanton informs us on the elements that should be included in any story to make it comprehensible and entertaining. In the film opening, Iplan on using the method in which viewers must think in order to try and solve the mystery themselves. By giving them clues and foreshadowing in the first two minutes of the opening, we keep them engaged and entertained without revealing the complete story line.

Stanton, Andrew. "The Clues to a Great Story." Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story | TED Talk | TED.com. TED Talks, Feb. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. 

Filming Part 1: Problems!

        We still have not filmed the second half of the scene, however others in my class have claimed to not even be close to finishing. The problem we are having consists of the filming schedule as Carlos is always super busy. We have to use him though as the main character as our completed scenes include Carlos and pictures of him. We have to film during the sunset because Maria's Nikon camera works better during the day because of the lighting, but here we found tips on how to film in low-light settings. Personally, I do not know many terms so I had to search them up, however Maria being the photographer/director she claimed to understand what the author meant.Through our WhatsApp group chat, we rescheduled to film on Sunday night.

Class Discussion

       By the end of the week, we finally shared all of our footage through our Whatsapp group chat. This week, we will be editing and composing the first major scenes to our film opening and incorporating them with the next filming. We will film with Carlos throughout the week and make sure his footage ties in effectively with the clips we have now. Once we watched all the little clips, we noticed we had a reoccurring pattern, extreme close ups on the stalker. We have no decided that will be a part of the footage where Carlos is running, and this creates a sort of brand to our film that people will recognize. In class, we discussed our idea with our classmates and they truly seemed to like our videos and blogs. That type of feedback only makes you want to keep going! :-)

Setting Up

        In my last post, I forgot to mention the process of setting up the scenes. We wanted a dark, mysterious setting, so we had to find the perfect areas to film and try and create an ambiance that fit these moods. In class, we learned that color pallets and the mise-en-scene are key components to a great film. Our setting was based on Carlos' stalker, who want to remain a mystery by wearing dark clothing. We took inspiration from Pretty Little Liars, in which A wears dark hoodies and masks. Here, you can see an example of how we took some ideas and implemented them in our own production. We created a sort of schemeful setting as well by having the stalker show the audience that they are tracking ever move and location. Lastly, one of the key components to creating this mystery were the gloves. By watching shows like Criminal Minds and Law and Order, I know that fingerprints are an essential way to determine someone's identity. As a result, the gloves conveyed that message which ties in with our overall plot.

Filming: Part One

    Yesterday, Maria, Isabel and I finally united to film the opening scenes of the film opening, We went to Maria's house to film the video, and we decided to use everyday objects such as black-and-white pictures, yarn, tape, and crayons to create this mysterious and creepy headquarters. We only filmed the scenes involving Carlos' stalker, so we dimmed the lights and brought out the black clothes. We created this office setting where the stalker has pictures of our main character Carlos on the computer screen, along with computer codes (to show how they are stalking and hacking his technological systems), and lastly notes showing that he is stalking him.
        The dim lighting contributes to the mysterious tone of the film opening as you cannot see the stalker's face. One shot will show the stalker putting on a hoodie and gloves, which conveys the message that they do not want to be known. We established another setting in the garage, where we turned on one lamp and had the stalker clean a sharp gardening tool, cut a gardening sheet aggressively, and lastly draw a circle and an x on Carlos' face. This shows the audience that the stalker is not fond of Carlos and eventually wants to hurt him physically. We wanted to film the same scene with several different shots and angles. Below, you can see we filmed a scene,which should be more of a wide shot, with a bird's eye view which may create a different dimension to our film opening. Soon, we will be filming the other parts that include Carlos, which will be him panting, running away from someone (who will be his stalker) and lastly hiding in corners and stairwells.

       

How We Found The Perfect Location

        We finally did it. Not only did we decide to base our film opening on an adventurous yet mysterious foundation, but we also chose the perfect location for the film: Downtown Ft.Lauderdale. This is where we filmed our music video, and we chose to return since the footage came put great with the perfect amount of lighting. Here, you can see how we included the mix between light and darkness to create shadows that would come to our advantage. The Ft.Lauderdale area is calming during the day as families and people of all ages go to enjoy the ocean and food it has to offer, but at night it transforms into a hectic hot spot for clubbing, loud music and large groups of people.

        These elements, if incorporated effectively, can create a hectic and stressful environment for our film. There are several tall buildings and a center called Beach Place where most people gather. We believe that our film can be mostly shot at night in which someone is going up and down the stairs to find something or someone. Certain cuts, such as jump cuts, show someone moving in a fast manner yet running out of time. If these shots and edits are used, the viewers should be feeling intrigued enough to keep watching the film to see what this person is finding. Although we do not have a general plot, we have a location and an idea that can turn into a great film opening.

Bonilla, Maria A. "Carry On - Fun." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2017. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Schedule Issues

        Unfortunately, our filming schedule did not work out. Isabel and Maria unfortunately couldn't make it to our arranged filming session, however we are going to try and film it throughout the week that way we are not too behind. Although it is annoying, I firmly believe that through cooperation and organization, we can make a great film opening that will be worth watching. To help out with our scheduling struggles, I look up certain tips we can use and this is what I found. Our next class, I think I am going to print out the breakdown sheet that way we can be organized and up to date with our deadline.


Citations:
Stoller, Brian Michael. "The Art of Scheduling a Film." Dummies. Wiley, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Attention: New Location

        It seems as if we haven't done anything, if I am gonna be completely honest. We have our story line and what we want to do, however we had to change the location to the Weston Town Center as it is closer and vacant, which allows us to film. On Saturday, we are going to film around 7:30 P.M as that is the time until the sun sets, that way we can have perfect lighting that is not too dark nor too light. Our main protagonist Carlos will be running around Town Center and hiding in stairwells. Luckily, there is an elevator that stays in place if no buttons are pressed, so we will try to ask security if we are allowed to use it in our video. If not, we will improvise and determine where Carlos can be found. Below, you can see how Town Center has businesses on the balcony, so we were thinking maybe we can include it in the film opening.


                           

Thought Process

        Today, we discussed characters and who would be in our film opening. We finally decided to create a mystery-themed film opening as like we said our target audience is teenagers who enjoy the adrenaline rush. Earlier, we wanted to incorporate several people from different cultures to reflect a diverse population, however we decided today that we are gonna stick to one main character and put the focus on him. Our main charctaer is gonna be Carlos Leon, in which the opening scene will be him running and looking back at the camera. This establishes a stressful setting and will show viewers he is running from someone or something. Several flashbacks will be incorporated to create a mysterious tone, and the mise-en-scene will also convey a rushed setting. To determine which scenes we want to include in the opening and what shots and angles we want to use, we decided that next class we would make a Storyboard to put our thoughts onto paper. Below, you can see our planned film schedule and when we plan to do it.

A Process

        Today, my group members and I decided to work on the character base. Although we never decided what type of film we wanted to do, we believe we can create a film based on the cast's talents. If we want a modern film, the cast should be culturally diverse to represent all people and break down certain stereotypes. All of us come from different backgrounds. For example, our group consists of Colombians and Venezuelans. We believe we can incorporate elements such as food or culture into the film opening.
        We gained inspiration through the show Orange is The New Black, in which there has been controversy yet they have broken social barriers. This article has shown some of the pros and cons of the show. A controversial film brings attention to certain issues in society, such as this commercial from Cheerios and this Disney movie which includes diverse sexual orientations. These movies have been promoted on social media as innovative or problematic, however these elements appeal to movie critics who want to form their own opinions.
        About three weeks ago, my group filmed a music video for our music marketing project, in which we discovered we had fun filming at the beach at night as it involves a tranquil yet hectic setting. Aside from our characters, the next time we meet we will find a perfect location to film in the greater South Florida area.


Velasquez, Aria. "Don’t Buy The Hype: ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Was Always About “Black Lives Matter”." ThinkProgress. N.p., June-July 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.
Gullysiderz. "Funny New Cheerios Commercial With Interracial Family." YouTube. YouTube, 01 June 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2017
Movieguide. "Op-Ed: The Hidden Messages in the Animated Movie STORKS." Movieguide | The Family & Christian Guide to Movie Reviews. N.p., 11 Oct. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Initiation

        Today marks an important day in our production: the first one. On this day, thanks to this guide, I finally figured out how to create a nice template for this blog. My group members and I decided to brainstorm ideas for our film opening. We researched a list of the most popular genres, which can be seen here, to determine which ones would be the most appealing to our target audience. Since adventures are on the top of the list, we decided to create a movie based on unsolved mysteries. We went from crime as we gained inspiration from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, to a historical mystery like Amelia Earhart. We want to create a varied character base in order to reflect the cultural diversity that is seen in South Florida.
       To try and figure ou the overall tone of our films, we decided to list our favorite movies and see how we can incorporate our favorite elements into the opening. For example, my favorite movie is Silence of the Lambs. In this video, the narrator describes visual elements and shots and angles that create the overall mysterious and ominous tone of the movie. My group members prefer romantic movies such as Titanic and The Notebook, so we might involve romanticism as well. After discussing our brainstorm ideas for about half an hour, we still did not come up with a film opening nor a list of those who will participate in the video, however we have an idea of what we elements we want to include in this project.
     


"How to Use Blogger." How to Use Blogger - Blogger Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.
"Movie Genres by Revenue." Statista. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017
Everyframeapainting. "The Silence of the Lambs - Who Wins the Scene?" YouTube. YouTube, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2017