A couple of changes

Talked with Ms. Stoklosa and we decided it is best to not do the phone scene because 1) goes against time period and 2) might be straight up boring. Always down for some change and since it is still early in the production process, I'm not as stressed out as I thought but knowing me, that will change soon.

We may do a school scene where a boy is talking to Lana by her locker and as he is talking, her friend Harmony walks by and Lana can only focus on her. This hints the idea of her being gay without outwardly saying it, and not exposing too much in the film opening. Small changes that make big differences.

Some inspiration pictures:

Almost there but not quite

My group has come up with so many ideas it's hard to keep up. But the more the merrier!

The main plot is the idea of two best friends, Lana and Harmony, that have a either a secret romantic relationship (already established or forming) but cannot come out because of the homophobia (or are unsure) in that time period. More details to come later but we have the main concept planned out and we all are feeling motivated and on the same page!

We hope to show the time period through mise-en-scene instead of outwardly saying "It is 1970-whatever.'' Our first concept we considered is using a phone call to introduce the two main characters, Lana and Harmony and how they have a secret relationship dynamic. It would be set up in the same way as the iconic "Mean Girls" and would not only show both of their bedrooms but the phones used represented by the '70s, showing the time era through mise-en-scene.

   

Being a harsh self- criticizer and perfectionist, I always like to question my choices and truly ask "Why?" So, these are some things I've considered and I would want to keep building upon: 

- I want the film opening to speak for itself, not too much dialogue and too many answered questions, I want our audience to genuinely enjoy the main character(s) and wonder how the story will continue.  

-  If we show that she already knows she is gay, it would go against the idea of self-discovery and the homophobia in that time period.

- I also really want to incorporate depression and the misunderstanding of what depression is, and how Lana struggles to get better and then along the way discovers she's gay. This would definitely talk about social issues and I feel like our film opening would have something to say and relate our "coming of age" genre.

Here's our storyboard: 

SUuuuUuper brief, but putting three brains together is a lot more difficult than I thought!!!!!! 

 ~~~~~~the 70's~~~~~~

Based on my research of the 70s, it was definitely a time to be alive. The seventies encompasses the word 'groovy' and truly has iconic pieces and pop culture like no other time era. Popular artists like ABBA, Elton John, Cher and Queen were on the rise and came with their influence for the decade. Teen pop culture includes a lot of drugs and smoking supported by the festival Woodstock, flower power and rollerskating and disco or roller-disco. Since it was a post-war time, most teenagers protested against war and advocated for peace on earth and questioned the intentions of the government. 

"In the 1970s, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and political and economic liberty of women, continued to grow. The hippie culture, which started in the latter half of the 1960s, waned by the early 1970s and faded towards the middle part of the decade, which involved opposition to the Vietnam War, opposition to nuclear weapons, the advocacy of world peace, and hostility to the authority of government and big business." (quote from this website)

   

         MOST POPULAR BANDS       

                          

MOST POPULAR EVENTS

MOST POPULAR SHOWS

THE 70s AESTHETIC 

Too many brain dumps 

Met up with the rest of my group and we've all decided on some main plot ideas:

- will be set in the 70s or 80s
- includes a teen girl either dealing with depression and/or is questioning her sexuality
- will begin with her in her messy room and the room will reflect the time era

Very brief but can honestly be taken several different directions. Here are some songs that inspired the plot and I could definitely use as an opening song<33 : (just realized they might have to be 70s songs if set in the 70s... will work on that and hopefully a soundtrack soon!)

when you die - MGMT
buttercup & oh klahoma - Jack Stauber
white teeth teens - lorde

also check out my song recommendations on the side bar ;)


Planning, planning and mooo planninnnnn !!

More inspiration:
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The Process Begins

Jumping straight in

Leaning a lot towards Coming of Age. Specific issues I can include are:

- depression and anxiety (non-glorifying)
- transition and changes in social life (senior year/expections vs reality)
- family and financial issues (single parent)
- self-discovery and exploration (LGBTQ)

I also want to play around with breaking down that fourth wall of film and speaking straight into the camera. A good example of this is the new show High Fidelity with Zoe Kravitz that narrates her daily life and plays around a lot with the idea of being apart of her daily routines. Monologues interest me a lot since we get to see deeply into life and mentality of the main character and if they are speaking straight into the camera, it creates a new aspect and layer to the film. Lots of brain dumps on the way and a lot of mini plans being made. Next up: ideas for the actual plot

Genre: Film Opening

Indecisiveness: Horror or Coming of Age? 

In order to make the right, well thought out decision of which genre I am going to choose for my film opening, I decided to research both horror and coming of age. The decision will be made (hopefully) soon! (I do realize horror and coming of age are polar opposites and will be impossible to combine if I decide to get creative, but the more research the better!)

What (I think) a film opening should include:
- developing the main character
- introducing plot
- engage audiences
- create questions

Now let's compare the two genres I have chosen:


Horror 

Horror is definitely one of my favorite film genres, but how much can be said just through the film opening? One horror film opening that comes to mind that develops plot thoroughly is Jaws (1975). Jaws establishes the plot by ~~~having something drag her under ooo ahhh~~~~~ but we (the audience) do not know what it is. It takes place at dusk, which we infer that the issue will come forward in the morning. This film opening is simple yet effective in creating
the eerie feeling through music, mise-en-scene and overall the idea that something pulled her into the water and the audience does not know what it is, creating suspicion and engaging audiences. One issue with horror movie film openings is that 1) they can be extremely cheesy and predictable and 2) they do not really reveal much about the plot until later when shiz really gets real. However, a horror film opening that does establishes the main character is Scream (1996). Even though (spoiler alert) she does not live very long, the opening to the film is effective in crafting interesting characters that people can connect with and want to understand, consequently genuinely making you want to keep watching to see if those characters will get killed. Yes, in some ways, it was predictable but it never made me feel like I knew exactly 100% what was going to go down.


Coming of Age

LadyBird(2017) is the most accurate form of Coming of Age. This movie reflects family issues, social issues and teenage life and how 'LadyBird' (Christine) overcomes them. The film opening in itself displays the problems LadyBird has with her mother and her own dreams and aspirations. People in coming of age films tend to have strong and unique personalities and main characters that keep the plot interesting and engaging. Another form of coming of age is The Perks of being a Wallflower. Charlie is a shy teenage boy who becomes friends with two charismatic teenagers and goes through the journey of high school with them on the search for self-discovery. This movie that I think should be incorporated into my film opening is mental illness. Charlie suffers with PTSD and is cared for correctly by his friends and family. I want to present the issues of depression and anxiety realistically into my movie, without glorifying it or making it something it is not. I believe for me, coming of age has the most to work with and I want to bring up a lot of social issues and representation which I think horror will not offer. Coming of Age shows life realistically and truthfully, which I think is the most relevant to 2020 and we need to include more of.

CLUELESS: Day 1 of Portfolio Project

The Rundown of my Portfolio Project

I, Irene, am a person that gets random bursts of inspiration and motivation and then zones out roughly 5 minutes later. My main goal for this portfolio project is for those 5 minutes to last just a little bit longer. Maybe 5 minutes and 30 seconds? And in those 5 minutes and 30 seconds I hope I can write/produce/direct the best work I can possibly create, telling a story and really letting my personality show through. 

I, Irene, also am a person that can be controlling and often take my creations and art too seriously -which my boyfriend makes fun of and claims "It's not that deep." - but I think could end up being a good thing with this specific project.  

So, let us begin this journey together to kicka$$ with this portfolio project and let my bursts of inspiration last just a tad bit longer. 

Xoxo, Irene 

P.S. I will be naming all (when I remember) my blogposts after movies, and I think Clueless is the best movie name for a blank slate of a project. And because I am clueless at this very moment.

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Music Blog

         LIVINGLOUD 

         For my music marketing campaign, my main genre was alternative rock with the target audience being primarily males ages 16-25. We decided to name our band LIVINGLOUD, as it has an "indie" feel to the name. Regarding the actual marketing strategies, we incorporated latest technology of Snapchat and Instagram filters in order to reach younger audiences but to spread the LIVINGLOUD logo of a lightning bolt. Even though our genre tends to rely on more lowkey and unique style, we felt as if the lightning bolt filter would appeal to new audiences but we would still maintain the same indie brand. The alternative rock genre relies on personal relationships with the artist or band to market, and this can be done through personal blog posts by the artist or band members or regular updates and replies on Twitter and Instagram. Consequently, the fans will feel a connection to the artist, creating a strong relationship and long-term bond which can be spread through word of mouth and will appeal to other people within the target audience.

        We chose to develop our brand through mainly the music video, which incorporated The Breakfast Club inspired shots and plot to emphasize the nostalgia feel of the band and to incorporate rebelliousness and teen angst.  Throughout the marketing campaign, I learned how important it is to create the artist or band as one of a kind or unique. The main question I always asked myself was "What makes our band special?" There are millions of artists out there that people will have access to, so why would they choose your band over another? Creating a brand and individual iconic look for the band is what we knew was going to be successful and the most effective. Our target audience wants a band with personality and individuality, or a look that will keep them interested and to create a relationship with that band which I believe LIVINGLOUD definitely has potential to be that for them.