Getting Student Advice!! 🙌

Today, we were assigned to talk about our portfolio projects with assigned groups in order to get feedback and advice on what we have planned so far. Let me just say, I am so thankful for all the film experts and TV club kids my class is abundant with. Their expertise was—in fact—very much needed.

As of right now, my group has two ideas for the film's opening: a beach scene with a meet-cute, or the female lead moves into a new apartment and has a meet-cute with her neighbor. I pitched both of these ideas to my group and asked them which idea they were more interested in. One of the group members said they preferred the beach scene more; their explanation was that the move-in seen is too conventional and cliche for a rom-com. The beach scene is more fun and fresh. However, the entire group agreed that the beach scene would be a lot more difficult to film. We have to worry about the outside environment, have a lot more actors, and the quality of the video footage has a very good chance of being compromised. Not to mention all the trouble with the lighting. It was very helpful for me because I was able to take multiple of these aspects into consideration.

After explaining both my outlines to my group, I also had more general questions for them. My group and I are focusing a great deal on writing the script right now and I expressed that the writing felt very unnatural even if I worked extra hard to write conversational phrases and not actual grammatical sentences. To this my group responded with some advice. They said that I should visualize the entire concept first, write out the first thoughts that come to me as my script, and then go in and edit. This could help with the flow of the script and make it more natural. Also, one of the members of my group is part of the TV club at my school and said they he may be able to hook us up with quality filming, lighting, and sound equipment as I expressed one of my worries being not having access to the proper tools to produce this opening. He's actually such a real one for that—bless his soul.

This group thing was so much fun and I thoroughly enjoyed getting and giving feedback. Thank you to my wonderful teacher for organizing this.

Till next time!!

Changing

Writing A New Script

Hi blog!

My group and I already started writing our script, but there are a lot of mistakes and we have to relearn how to write a film script. 

According to StudioBinder 

The basics of script formatting are as follows:

• 12-point Courier font size
• 1.5 inch margin on the left of the page
• 1 inch margin on the right of the page
•  1 inch on the of the top and bottom of the page
• Each page should have approximately 55 lines
• The dialogue block starts 2.5 inches from the left side of the page
• Character names must have uppercase letters and be positioned starting 3.7 inches from the left side of the page
• Page numbers are positioned in the top right corner with a 0.5 inch margin from the top of the page. The first page shall not be numbered, and each number is followed by a period

Sample template:

Guide to Writing a Film Script:

Writing a film script involves several key steps to create a compelling and engaging story that translates well onto the screen. 

1. Develop Your Idea
2. Create an Outline
3. Write the Script
4. Focus on Visual Storytelling
5. Develop Characters
6. Craft Dialogue
7. Edit and Revise

In these steps, my group and I have developed our general idea and created an outline. However, we need to start backtracking and rewrite the script while focusing on the visual storytelling aspect, because that is essentially what a film is. In our script, we need to use descriptive language to paint vivid images for the watcher and guide the director and production team. 

We also need to develop better characters. We need to create well-rounded characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and arcs. We need to additionally ensure that each character serves a purpose in advancing the plot and contributes to the overall story. The dialogue needs to be authentic and reflects each character's voice while advancing the story. 

Safe to say there is a lot of work that needs to be done!

StudioBinder. (2024, February 18). How to Write a Better Screenplay. Retrieved from https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-write-a-screenplay/

Are Romantic Comedies Too Cringe?

The brainstorming process is still going! However, my group and I are running into more problems rather quick.

We started thinking of situations for our script, the setting being our decided beach one. When we started writing the script, we soon realized that it was far too cringe. In fact, it was unbearable to even read for us, and my entire group loves romantic comedies.

A sample of our script:

Justin

My bad. Can I get that back,

Chloe

No. You didn't even apologize.

Justin

Whoa there, you're feisty.

Yeah, it's rough. No matter how much we tweak it or re-structure the situation and wording, we can't stop the script from being overly unbearable and cringe. When redoing and tweaking the script we have to consider numerous aspects. 

The most crucial aspect of a successful romantic comedy is the natural chemistry between the lead characters. The script has to reflect natural chemistry. We have to avoid relying on overused romantic tropes. There needs to be originality in our storytelling to keep the script fresh and engaging. Additionally, we have to incorporate "mainstream comedy" into our script and keep it consistent. Because it is the film opening, we have to portray the characters in a way that makes them open to character development in the rest of the film. Although romantic comedies are very predicable and almost always follow the same formula, we have to focus on avoiding making the storyline too predictable. While romantic comedies have certain expectations, we need to find ways to surprise the audience within the genre's framework to keep them engaged.

This script has a long way to go, but I'm happy with our progress. Until next time!

The Start of the Brainstorming...

We just got two actors confirmed to act in our film opening! We're still going strong with the romantic comedy genre.

A worry that me and my group had about doing a film opening in the romantic comedy genre is that it could be seen as too "cliche". However, we really liked the ideas we had so we decided to go with them.

We started off by brainstorming different situations that a film in the romantic comedy would have in its opening. Some of these included:

              - meeting at a party

              - bumping into each other at a coffee shop

              - finding out they are working in the same office

Some of these circumstances are realistic to film at an amateur scale, while others aren't. After some discussion we came up with a scene at the beach. We additionally figured out a description for our characters. Chloe, the female lead, is a typical "good girl" who is focused on school, while Justin, the male lead, likes to have fun with his friends and is more extroverted. 

We came up with a basic outline:

- Chloe and her friend Sara are at the beach

- Sara is pressuring Chloe to get out more, especially after her breakup

- Justin is at the beach with his friends playing a ball game

- The ball hits Chloe

- They meet

- Their difference causes turmoil

What we want the beach scene to look like:

Now that we have a *basic* outline, we can start writing a script. I don't know how to write the script, so that research will be in next blog post! See you all then!!

Potential Characters

Going along with the romantic comedy genre, there are certain character types that are prevalent in almost all of them.

In most romcom films, the two lead character generally fall under these descriptions:

The Hopeless Romantic: Charming and free-spirited; probably a florist who believes in true love and "love-at-first-sight". Their infectious optimism and unwavering belief in soulmates make them the ultimate hopeless romantic. Their quirky personality and love for all things vintage make them a lovable and relatable protagonist.

The Charming Misfit: A witty and endearing bookstore owner with a penchant for classic literature and a fear of commitment. Their quick wit and undeniable charm often lead them into comical yet heartwarming situations. Their reluctance to embrace love makes them the perfect counterpart to the hopeless romantic. 

When planning out rom-com characters for a film opening, it's crucial to ensure that the main characters are introduced in a way that captivates the audience, clearly establishing their goals and motivations in seeking love. Therefore, it only makes sense to have both love interests in the film opening.

The opening should include a story that tells the audience the reasons for the characters seeking love, adding depth to their personalities and the overall story. 

Researching My First Genre!!

Romcoms are one of my personal favorite genres to watch, so it only feels natural for it to be the first genre I research. I also feel that "less serious" genres like romantic comedy are more feasible to curate as amateurs to the activity. 

Film openings in the romantic comedy genre often play a crucial role in setting the tone and introducing the central themes of the movie. One common feature of romcom openings is the use of a captivating and relatable meet-cute, where the main characters encounter each other in a unique or charming way. This serves to immediately engage the audience and establish the romantic tension that will drive the story forward. Additionally, romcom openings frequently incorporate lighthearted and upbeat music to create a feel-good atmosphere and draw viewers into the world of the film. By studying these elements in existing romcoms, filmmakers can gain valuable insights into how to craft an effective and compelling opening for their own film in the genre.

When creating a film opening for a romcom, it's essential to focus on developing endearing and relatable characters that audiences can root for. This can be achieved by introducing the protagonists in a way that highlights their individual quirks and likable qualities, while also hinting at the potential for romantic chemistry between them. Furthermore, incorporating humor and witty dialogue into the opening scene can help to immediately establish the lighthearted and comedic tone that is characteristic of the romcom genre. By paying attention to these key aspects, filmmakers can ensure that their film opening effectively captures the attention of viewers and sets the stage for an engaging romantic journey.

In addition to character introduction and humor, visual aesthetics and setting are important elements to consider when crafting a romcom opening. Utilizing vibrant and picturesque locations, such as bustling city streets or charming cafes, can help to create an inviting and visually appealing backdrop for the initial interactions between the main characters. Furthermore, paying attention to costume design and cinematography to enhance the romantic atmosphere can further elevate the impact of the opening scene. By drawing inspiration from successful romcoms and paying attention to these details, filmmakers can effectively leverage the conventions of the genre to create a memorable and enchanting film opening that resonates with audiences.

Starting My Cambridge Portfolio Project!

 

The time has finally come! We are officially starting our Cambridge Portfolio Project! This is going to be a huge task, but I truly feel that every assignment, activity, and project I have done in my AICE Media class has prepared me for this moment.

There's so much that has to be done, but before my group and I even start doing anything, there is going to have to be huge amounts of research done. When I first spoke about this project with my group, we all mutually agreed on studying multiple genres and watching countless film openings from each one. We additionally vowed to study and learn editing techniques from professional software like Adobe - I don't think CapCut will cut it for this project. 

It's going to be a large and difficult project, but I'm excited to take it on! I want to approach this project as headstrong as possible. That way I can ensure that throughout this process I am creating work that I am proud of!

Good luck to my future self!

Music Marketing Reflection

This project began with me and my group getting assigned "rock" as our respective genre. At first, we were perplexed as rock is not a genre my group was familiar with and we were still determining what course to take when figuring out the brand and styling behind the new artist we were assigned to craft. 

Knowing we had to figure out branding, we began researching and developing case studies about rock bands under two extremely well-known music distribution companies, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. While researching, we saw how rock bands were generally marketed and how their music was distributed. Researching well-known rock bands assisted in how we would create our own.

Therefore, we decided we wanted our new band to follow the grunge, rebellious aesthetic many rock bands utilize to create their brand. We wanted our music video to showcase notions of feeling carefree, rebellious, and youthful while remaining dark and grunge. After figuring out the locations we would use to film the music video, we designed our storyboard. We wanted the frames to match the sounds depicted in the music itself. As a result, we wanted the scenes during the pre-chorus to be slower while the scenes during the chorus would be fast-paced and inclusive of numerous jump cuts. When filming, we made sure we took numerous shots to be able to incorporate the fast-paced editing we wanted to do. 

Once we filmed and edited our music video, we had a much better idea on how to represent our rock band with branding and marketing. We coined the name "After Hours" for our band as we thought the aesthetic would be popular among our target audience, especially when it comes to the age we were going for (16-22 years old). From there, we were able to find out brand colors (white, gray, black, and red) and create a logo that symbolized the band. Taking advantage of concepts like technological convergence, we decided that the most effective way to market our artist would be to distribute their music digitally on streaming platforms and make their music available for purchase digitally. However, we also thought it would be innovative to sell their music digitally on vinyl and such; digital distribution is still the main form.

Overall, this project was the one I learned the most from. I got a real understanding of the type of work a large-scale project requires and how to take on the tasks it demands. Large projects have always intimidated me, but this made me more confident on how to tackle them. I believe this will be especially helpful when I begin developing my Cambridge portfolio.