Happy New Years Eve!

 When I woke up, I didn't have time to check my phone. I promised my aunt I would help her clean and I woke up so late I could only have breakfast then go help her. After I helped her for a few hours, I was told I was going to go visit family. 

Unfortunately, the family I was visiting didn't have wifi and the area that they lived in, there was pretty much no service. I figured I would be able to edit when I got back and write my blog then. When I got back, I had to help prep for the new year party. I completely forgot about editing and school. 

After we prepped for the party, we started it. There wasn't anyone really here. I started with games at my cousin's house then went to my aunt's house next door. They had a first next door and I was going to cry if I didn't get to roast a few marshmallows. 

After that I went back to my cousin's house and I watched them play pool. School never crossed my mind. 

I counted down the seconds and it was the new year! I wasn't until I went inside to finish my plate of food that I remembered I had school. 

Below you will see a facebook approved photo that my aunt took of me and my brother at the bonfire. 

Yes, they are burnt marshmallows. It's the only way to eat them. 

Card games and sleep

 Today I didn't edit. I know, I know. I woke up with an insane headache and didn't want to look at my screen. Even with my glasses it hurt to look at my computer screen. I'm starting to think that I might have the flu, but I can't tell cause I can't go to the Drs. When I woke up I spent hours just lying on the couch listening to a podcast. Since I couldn't open my eyes without them hurting, I had to listen to a podcast. I need to have one of my senses occupied at all times. I needed to catch up on Rotten Mango anyway. Stephanie had three episodes I forgot to listen to cause I've been busy. 

After I could get up, around 1, I got off of the couch and found that mum had my laptop for school work! I started doing stuff so I wouldn't be so bored, since I couldn't look at my phone. It took me until 4 for actually be able to look at my phone, but by that time I was so tired I ended up taking a nap. When I woke up, dinner was being made. I went to go find my cousin and mum. They were outside about to play cards. I love playing cards, so I joined them. Then my brother ended up joining after we were done, so we played another game. After that we ate dinner.

After dinner I considered editing. I walked over to the computer and the prunes hit me! Earlier, while I was napping, my mum and cousin went to the store. I woke up for a minute and called and asked them to get prunes because my stomach has been messing up. So instead of editing like I wanted to, I was forced into the bathroom until it was too late to edit and write a blog in the same night. 

In the pictures below you will see me wearing a mask while I played cards. This was me taking extra precautions to keep them safe. This was also to make my cousin mad since she was very anti-mask. Yes, I am aware I have a rats nest on top of my head. I am washing my hair tomorrow. 

Wave of Sickness

 

This was me about 5 hours after I woke up. When I first woke up my mum was using my computer for her homework. That took about 2 hours. After she was done, everyone wanted to play cards, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to play cards. That took about two hours. I was feeling fine during all of this. Minus getting hungry and just keep playing. I ended up eating chips and dip. I figured I would due editing later in the day.  I mean, I had all day, right? Wrong. After cards, it was about 3 p.m. 

My aunt asked me to help her clean up the kids' rooms today. I went over there to make sure they were up from their naps and they were! I was thinking about the scenes that I had, making sure I had them all and everything just needed to be put together.

As far as I was aware, I had everything. I just needed to put it together. 

I cleaned up the boys bedroom just fine. It was when I got to the girls bedroom that I started losing energy. At first I thought it was just because I was thirsty. As I kept cleaning I kept losing more and more energy. My body was filled with waves of anxiety and stress. I thought I ate something bad and I just needed to use the bathroom. I went back to my cousin's house across the street to use the bathroom and it was on my way over there that I got extremely light headed and felt really sick. 

I was in a lot of pain, inside and needed to lay down. But this time it was 3:30, and I passed out on the couch and didn't wake up until after everyone ate dinner. It was about 7:30 when I woke up with a pounding headache. I took some aleve and tried to eat and drink something. I was also very warm. I thought I was sick. Maybe I still am, but after that nap and water and aleve, I'm starting to keep better. Unfortunately it's hard enough trying to write this blog, there's no way I'll be able to edit tonight. 

Waffles and broken pipes

 

I know I'm wearing the same shirt! Don't come for me. It was washed and it's comfortable! I started the day with a glance at my computer. I didn't get up until 10 a.m, which meant the whole house was already awake. I turned on my computer and instead of editing right away, I had to open everything and make sure it was all working so it wouldn't just turn off with nothing being saved. As I stared at my scenes at open shot, my dad called! Saved by the bell, as they say. I picked up and let my screen go to sleep. After the call, I was going to try to edit but I wasn't motivated at all. I ended up making waffles and biscuits for everyone. (11)

After waffles, I was going to eat at my computer but my mum said she wanted to use it for her homework. Instead of being nagged about it for hours, I decided to get off and let her have it. The thing is, she didn't even get on it! She started cleaning instead! My cousin ended up putting on a movie that I've been wanting to see so we watched that while my laptop sat, empty. After that movie we ended up watching another one. This time I ended up falling asleep. I justified watching these movies by analyzing the directors work throughout. 

When I woke up, I realised my mum left! There was no way she was going to do her work now. I decided to get online and start editing. I got as far as looking through what I already had before we found out the sink pipe broke! I had to help with that, likely it didn't take long.

After that, I had to go to the store to get stuff for dinner. After we got back I went through the entire first folder that was down and got the second folder of clips onto Oneshot, while my cousin made dinner. After that I called it a day. My nap didn't give me enough energy for more than a few hours.

We're finally editing!

 

It took a hot minute, but we're finally here. I saw 'we' like it's not just me working on this project. I recently travelled to see family for the holidays and brought my computer because I knew I was going to be here for my entire winter break. I couldn't edit on the 23rd because that's the day we left and I was too tired and it was too late to edit after we got here. I couldn't edit on the 24th because I was helping set up everything for Christmas like cooking, cleaning, wrapping, and last minute trips to stores. That took up my entire day. I didn't edit on Christmas, yesterday, because I was eating and spending time with family and didn't get around to it. I could have edited at night but after cleaning up, and eating all that food, I was too full and too tired to even think about opening my laptop. 

The next morning, at around 10 a.m I finally woke up. I pulled my laptop out and wanted to get to work. I got as far as putting in the SD card before I remembered I said I would make my scones for brunch. I had to stop what I was doing and make those. Luckily it only took about an hour and a half. I figured I would eat one as I edited. It took me a minute to figure out how to use the editing software again since I haven't used it in about a year. I first tried to download the clips into the software but it would only let me do it one at a time. I didn't have the time for that since I knew I was going to be needed for something else. I split the screen in half and dragged and dropped. It worked!

As soon as I finished that part, my cousin let us know that we were going to the store for after Christmas shopping to see if anything good was on the 'after-Christmas sale'. We found some good gifts for family that we didn't see yesterday. Why do they need to know when their presents were bought? 

After we got back from that, I wrapped up the gifts we got and by that time it was already 3 in the afternoon. We ate a late lunch and I went to see what my aunt was doing across the street. We talked for a little bit before I went to go hang out with my other aunt next door. They all live right next to each other so it makes it easier to visit for the holidays. By the time I was doing checking up on everyone, it was like 5 p.m and that's when I officially started editing. 

I only got through one folder of clips, so I'll have to work on the other two tomorrow. I basically just cut down the times on the really long ones and got rid of the repeated ones. There isn't too much work to do for edits when we first start. Just making sure everything is in order. That's why I like editing. 

Last Couple of days before I left

 So I didn't edit last weekend. I wanted to but I was so tired from midterm week that I slept almost the entire weekend. The time that I was awake I didn't worry about editing because other things were on my mind. I was stressed about the holidays coming up and having to visit family because I didn't have a choice. I was stressed about school starting again. I was stressed about getting chores done in the time that I had before I went to my friend's again the following week. Since I needed to finish filming, and we were leaving now Wednesday, I wanted to make sure my room wasn't a mess before I left for two weeks. This didn't count reshoots, unfortunately since I didn't do any editing. 

When Sunday night came, I made sure to pack up everything so it would just be a grab and go in the morning. Then I made sure to figure out who would be able to watch my brother while both of his parents were at work. I sorted it out that night and relaxed a bit. I also made sure to deposit my check after work so I would have money in my account when we went out to film and get lunch after.

The next morning I asked my mum if she was going to take me or if I was going to take a Lyft. She said she would take me. I packed my stuff into the car and before I got it, she got into the passenger seat. She was going to let me drive! After I got there, I realised I forgot my camera charger! I texted my mum and asked if she could bring it for me but she said she was already late and that she couldn’t do that. 

I used the few hours of charge that the battery still had and shot my scenes. I ended up having to film when the sun was setting because Ben’s bus was delayed and his bike broke. He didn’t get to Pixie’s until 3 and we didn’t film until 4 because we were slacking off. The ending scene was very rushed and only shot a couple of times because the sun was setting and I didn’t want to risk messing the lighting up too much. 

It wasn’t until Wednesday that I realised I forgot scenes! I’ll have to get those rushed when I get back because I won’t be getting back until late. Monday night I was able to get a ride back to my house to get my charger, so that wasn’t a problem for Tuesday.

I know we don't have any masks on, don't come for me, we all got our fast results that we were all cleared from COVID the night before and made sure not to see anyone before we filmed. When I go back for reshoots, we will have our masks on, unless it's not needed for the scene. 

First day blues

 Before my friend arrived for the first day of filming, I made sure to ask the owner of Wilton creamery if it would be okay if we filmed inside of the store. Obviously the outside of the store was for the public and it wouldn't matter, but I wanted to make sure that I could film then, the main actor, ordering his tea, as well as being poisoned. I gave him the days and times that we would be in the store and he gave the okay. This let some relief off of my shoulder as I was worried that he would say no. if you are is later when my friend arrive we went back inside the store to confirm that it was still okay to film, and the owner asked me if I changed the times because he thought it was only Monday and Tuesday, and not a few hours after I asked. I made sure to ask with those added few hours so he must have misheard me. He still gave them okay, and we were good to film. I realized as we started to film, that we would need someone inside of the creamery, to hand him his drink. I politely asked the worker if he wouldn't mind being in the movie and saying a couple lines so it sounded good on screen. He was extremely helpful and agreed to everything as well as worked insanely well on camera. Obviously this meant that we had to give him a tip at the end of his Oscar award-winning acting. 

Here's where everything started going wrong. 

It started when we wanted to start filming outside. After we got the camera set up and then into his character's clothes, we wanted to start with the first tea scene. We got him walking into the creamery and ordering his tea, with no problem. It was when we went to sit down at the table and record the first time he was there, that it got really awkward. Since there were customers going in and out of the store, there was a couple that sat just a table away from us. This meant that I had to angle the camera so they weren't in the shot, as well as all three of us apologizing the entire time they were sitting there. I felt extremely awkward, but what was like going to do? They didn't seem to mind, as they just spoke quieter, and let us know that it was fun. They seemed extremely nice and we're very understanding, I guess they did a lot of school projects around awkward adults when they were younger. Didn't so much as go wrong, as it was awkward. We worked through it and kept the film rolling.

The next thing that halted our production, was the delivery man delivering drinks to the creamery. Obviously we didn't mind this since this was normal things to happen and adult world, and we were just living in it. It did however, stop us from filming for about 30 minutes. Since there was still daylight, we didn't mind too much. It was the slight inconveniences that added up over time.

We eventually got every shot that we needed, or that I can remember. Thinking back on it now, we could have gotten more shots that we needed, but it was getting dark and I needed to go to work. Luckily there are days for reshoots as well as regular shoots, as well as editing. 

Peoples, Times, Dates The Whole Package

 Obviously this month is going by fast, and with the holidays coming up, I wanted to make sure I got everything that I needed before I had to go away for a week and a half. This meant I had to talk with my friend who is my actor for my movie and figure out when we would be able to film. I thought I had more time, so I didn't make it a big deal. At the beginning of the week I was checking the date and realized that I only had about a week so I wanted to make sure I got my footage in before then. Since I live so far from my friend we decided to both meet in the middle and film.  I wouldn't be able to have a ride in the middle of the day because everyone would be at work. I decided to make plans with another friend to sleep over at her house so I would be able to make it to my destination and have the day to film with my friend. 

This meant I would be staying over at my friend's house who wasn't in the movie, while I waited for a friend who was in the movie. After we situated which days would work I went to my mom and asked her if she would be able to drop me off those days. She said she wouldn't be able to and that we had to figure out a new date. This put me under a lot of stress since the end of the month was coming up closer and closer. 

I had to go back and forth between my friends availability dates and my mother's work schedule. I also ended up having to go through my own work schedule since I recently started working. after a very stressful couple of hours I decided to take charge of everything and tell everybody exactly the dates and times that I would need to go to my friend's house and I would need to have everybody at the first destination for filming. Everyone seemed to like the fact that I took charge (of my own project) and agree to everything that I set.

I eventually got to my friend's house and realized I forgot the SD card for filming. I then had to call my mom who was already mad that she had to drive so late at night because it took us a while to figure out the dates, and ask her to bring me my SD card. I finally got the SD card, and made sure to put it into my camera case, so I wouldn't forget when I went out with it. After it was in my camera case, I put the camera to charge and went to sleep.

The next morning, I made sure to check the times with my friend who was going to be acting and headed out with my friend who I had a sleep over with. We got to the creamery early, so I texted my friend to let him know and asked him when he would be arriving. He said he was running late and that he wasn't even in my city yet so to just find something else to do while we waited. I asked my friend if she wanted to go get breakfast while we waited she thought that was a great idea so we went out and got frozen yogurt. Well we ate I realized that I would have to be taking pictures and recording what happened as I was filming. I had the amazing idea to ask my friend if she wanted to do that for me. Being the super nice friend that she was she agreed to help me.

After froyo, we went back to the creamery and waited for my friend. He said he was still running late as there was a problem with the bus, so to just hang tight. I couldn't do anything since he was my only actor and there was nothing to film without him in it I was worried that it would be too late and he wouldn't make it and we would have to cancel. Luckily he ended up writing his bike the rest of the way and showing up an hour later. as there was still Semite we decided to take advantage of the time that we had and film the entire middle of my movie. 

#socialdistancing...halfway

Thanksgiving week

 This week was hard for me to do anything regarding school. My mum wanted to go see family (yes, during a pandemic) this holiday, so she took the week off and forced me and my brother to go with her. In the chaos of the morning, I forgot to pack my computer to take with me. That being said, I didn't get any homework done, unless I borrowed a family members computer for the five minutes I had to myself. 

This also means that I didn't get to film, since I was away. I would have been able to get most of my shots, if not all of them, this past week, if I had the chance to stay. That being said, I have to plan around it. 

I also have to plan around the fact that my family that we visited is a bunch of rat lickers. (This meaning that they refused to wear a mask and/or social distance. This term was used during the plague when rats were the start of it all. Rat licker being coined as the people who carelessly spread diseases.) 

Now, while I did take my own precautions, wearing a face mask everywhere, even to sleep, and staying as far away from everyone as possible, I did still struggle when it came to meal time. I figured since it was outside and I still had the option to sit farther away from others, it wasn't too bad. 

This pictures of me without a face mask and very close to some family is because my aunt insisted on getting a picture with me in it. She threw a fit about me wearing a face mask the entire time, unless I was eating. She also got mad that I was sitting so far away from everyone, making it hard to get me in pictures. I figured one picture wouldn't hurt.

I am taking further steps into insuring my coworkers safety's by getting testing for the next two weeks as well as self isolating. This won't be hard as I am a hermit anyway and pretty much live in my room, on the other side of the house, away from everyone. 

                                                        

Music Friends Are The Best

 I decided to do the same thing I did last year in terms of music. I was going to ask my friend if he could make my music. He did it last year and he had everything I needed in it. I know to ask him because he, not only puts beats together that work, but he's the best musician I know. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my music I need for my movie. Or any time I needed music, for that matter. 

I listened to a bunch of songs that I thought would work but none of them worked with what I had in mind. I still have to send them to my friend so he can get a feel for what I want. When I first asked him to make music for me, I gave him a very vague meaning for what I was looking for. I said something like I had last year but eerier. He kind of understood what I meant, so I tried to follow up with random words that I thought would describe it better but it did not. We ended up laughing about the words I chose for ten minutes before we both realised I had no idea what I was asking for. 

I'll eventually get around to sending him the music that I want him to work from. I also figured that if the music was made for me, I wouldn't have to spend time looking for music from an artists and it would also save me a few very awkward conversations. Since I hate meeting new people alone, meeting a new person and asking them to use their music would make me feel very uncomfortable. I get to save myself that trouble by asking a friend. He owes me a favour anyway since I helped him with a few lyrics from his other WIPs (Work in progress).

The internet side

 This week we created all of our socials and our website that we would be using for the movie. One thing that my teacher pointed out is that we should just create an email specifically for the movie. I decided I wanted to make up my own production company as well. It took me two seconds to make up a name as I just threw two words together. I later found out that that email was already taken. I also found out that is was a real production company. Since I'm lazy, I decided to slightly change the name and use it. Since it worked, I ran with it. 

It was hard trying to get everything in order. I started with the website but soon realised I needed to have my social media accounts up first. So I went to do that instead. Then, I had to ask my friend about sending a picture of him and a few of my other friends who we're helping me, music and art wise. I needed to have pictures of them on my website and descriptions so people who went onto the website would be able to meet the cast and crew. 

I ended up making a Twitter, instagram, and youtube account to put into my wix site. After I was checking the requirements for the assignment, I realised I also needed a Facebook account. I was so tired after everything that I wanted to just turn in those three accounts. It soon clicked that this is the only class that I liked, and if I got a zero for not uploading a fourth social, it wouldn't be worth it. 

Planning; The Storyboard

 I ended up changing the script around to not only fit the change of characters, but also for the new ideas I had. I realised that I wouldn't fill the time with a simple scene of chasing, because, let's be honest, that scene wasn't going to late two minutes. I decided to change the scene from Ben being chased, to him walking into a bunch of cafe's as the days pass. As well as him doing online school. I wanted have the person who eventually kills him at the end to be in majority of these shots as it will add to suspense I want to build. I also want to change the genre from adventure to thriller, because it will set the mood I'm trying to convey. 

I decided that there might not be a friend, and instead, there will be a twin brother, played by the same actor. This will add to the thriller because it will change the ending, and instead of being a shut and done case, it could leave the viewers wondering what will happen next. 

I decided to make these changes for two reasons. The first one being that as I was filling out a storyboard template for my movie, I saw that there wouldn't be enough scenes to get to the time that I need. The other reason is that when I started the class, I genuinely had no idea what I was going to do for the movie. I threw together the first idea that I had and ran with it for the time being. Over time, after letting it marinade in my mind juices, I realised that there was a better way to come about with this. 

Planning; the basics

 

The picture of the outfit is the main characters first outfit. Ben and I decided it would be best for the main character through trying out the best shirts that we both felt represented the main character. Due to safety reasons, I had to lose my original actor and had to get hold of another person willing to be the main character. Which meant the original costume had to change and the script.

While writing out the planning sheet for the basics of the movie, I ended up editing the information that I already had down from previous work. After I finished writing down the information, I had to take a picture and send it to Ben for him to look over. I wanted to make sure that my main character understood what I was trying to write and understood the character they were playing. I made sure to write down as much as I could to keep everyone as safe possible from the current outbreak of the coronavirus. 

I am aware that the locations may have to change if we are not able to get certain scenes, that's why I wrote in pencil. Easy to erase, easy to edit. The schedule will have to work around what Ben and the creamery owner can do since my brother and I are good for any day. 

Dealing with one schedule was easy enough. I wanted to make sure we had days to negotiate so I had to add days to the calendar. Then I had to clear some of those days, or similar ones with the creamery owner, to make sure we could film at certain times on certain days.

I wanted the costumes to actually mean something in this movie, instead of my previous works where the clothes barely mattered. I wanted to give the costumes a chance to speak for themselves, let the viewers know what the person meant to the movie, from their costume. 

Short Film vs. Feature Length Film

     The short film had mystery, which the feature length didn't have, everything was explained. We were left wondering why there were no humans, why some robot was chasing this doll, how the others died, and what the significance of the green glowing device had. 

    The feature film answered all the questions the short film left me wondering about. There were back stories to the dolls, and a scientist who literally poured his soul into these nine dolls that the short film didn't include. 9 seemed more reckless and clueless in the longer one. In the short film, 9 seemed more heroic, if not honourable, fighting for his friends, and letting them free at the end. Although 9 bossed up and took responsibility for what they did. 

    I enjoyed watching the feature film more than the short film because I like wasting my time, which is my genuine answer. I seem to gravitate toward things that make me feel unproductive. Sitting and watching a two hour movie on Netflix is the definition of ✨ unproductive ✨. 

    I enjoyed watching the short film more than the feature film because, like the rest of GenZ, we hate spending too long on anything, we can't focus. I'm surprised we don't all have some form of ADHD, honestly. Being able to speed up the seven minute movie even faster was also a plus. Also, since I watched the feature movie before the short, I already knew what it was about, regardless of no dialogue and the feeling like the short film was basically just an ending of a movie that I missed. 

    Considering both movies, I have to choose the feature film over the short film because it answers my questions and if there's one thing I like more than fast videos, is my questions answered. I hate not knowing things, and the feature film is very thorough.

Research 9: Feature Film

     This movie started with a man building the future main character of the movie. There is a voice over that gives a brief explanation of the plot. When 9 comes to life, they find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world where humans died out. The only signs of life are rag dolls like 9 and the machines that hunt them. 9 convinces the others that the only way to survive against the machines is to stop hiding, and fight the machine. As 9 and the group learn, civilization is relying on their success or failure. 

    1 seems to be the leader, who is very defensive and willing to sacrifice  the few for the many. 2 is the first one 9 meets while they are in the middle of rubbish, and both end up fighting off one of these robots. We don't get to learn much about two because they were taken by the robot early and killed shortly after the others go to rescue them. 3 and 4, we learn, are twins. They don't speak much, they like to catalogue everything and are able to recall what they saw through projection. They are mostly cheerful the entire time. 5 and 6 both seemed to be friends, they were both willing to fight for their friends and do whatever it took to rescue and protect each other. 7 was a fighter, they were more rogue than the others. the dolls in 1's group were all about staying in hiding while 7 was traveling and fighting the robots when they crossed paths. They seemed to be protecting the twins. 8 seemed to be the bodyguard of 1. They had no problem doing what 1 said, and eventually got taken by a robot while on lookout for 1 and the others. 9 was the youngest, but worked their way to being the leader of the group. The were very ambitious and all about fighting for their friends. 

    The film consisted of many camera angles and edits that contributed. There was a lot of suspenseful and action packed music in the background as the numbers were hiding or fighting for their lives. There were many tracking shots as we watched many chasing scenes. There were also shot reverse shots when someone was in trouble and someone else was trying to figure out what to do. 

Research: 9 The Short

     The short film starts off with an establishing shot of the character I can assume to be 9 that is hammering a short of pole to a light. The light then shifts and the scene cuts to a monster, which I can only assume is looking for nine. Then 9 is found cleaning a device and a flash back happens. The flashback has another person in it, and they are showed fixing a light bulb into a portable torch for them. The monster approaches and the other doll has glowing green eyes. The take a device, which could be the same device 9 was cleaning before the flashback, out. They seem to know that the monster is near by, so the one eye'd other doll, hands the device to 9 and gestures them to hide while they fight off the monster. The monster captures one eye and takes out another green glowing device, similar to the one 9 has. This device kills one eye and 9 is left alone. The monster starts looking for 9 but gets distracted by another sound away from 9 and 9 is able to escape. The flashback ends with 9 running away and present 9 sitting in the same spot they ran away from with the device that is glowing green again. They run into hiding, and the monster follows. They end up in a chasing scene with tracking shots, pan angles, and wide angles. The scene ends with the monster being killed and cuts to 9 looking at a cloth with the number 5 written on it. 9 puts the glowing pieces together and out comes eight souls hat all walk to their respective graves. The doll labeled 5 turns around and nods at 9 before disappearing, leaving 9 alone. 

    There doesn't seem to be much character development except for the inference that I made which is that 9 was and the others were all about fighting and surviving, but as they all slowly died off, they became more humbled and played more defense. There were no people in the movie, and lots of rubble, so I'm assuming it's a post apocalyptic world where all the humans died. There is no dialogue. There is only music during the chasing scene and sounds from moving objects that contribute to the noises.  

Final Decision

 Going through my choices, I decided, off the bat, horror wasn't the right move for my project. Now it was between adventure and drama. I tossed both idea's back and forth, it was really hard for me to choose. On one hand, I could make a story about a girl who moves away from her family because of family problems and uses college as the excuse. But, the story could also be spun as a good thing, as someone starting a new chapter and making the good out a bad situation. 

At one point I thought I would try to mix both of the genres but I spent too long trying to figure out how to do that. I also realised I wouldn't have enough time to get both genres in the movie in a good way. 

I ended up making a list of the pros of each genre to figure out what I should do. It ended up coming down to what I thought my actress would feel better acting in. I took in account that my actress is a very happy person. I feel like she would feel better acting in a movie that didn't involve getting angry at someone who she wasn't actually mad at. 

When I made the list, some of the scenes were very similar and the only thing that would be different would be the mood that would be set. 

If the drama was about family, I feel like my pitch would have to be changed around if I did drama because then the story would be more focused on family issues than on the pandemic. 

I finally decided that writing and filming under the adventure genre. It made the most sense at the end. 

If a girl was moving, that already has a sense of adventure, so it also felt right to run with that instead of writing it under a different genre. 

Genre Research: Adventure

 Common CAMS are pan and tilt, crane shot, high angles, and hand held shots, which are more popular in todays time.

Common sounds are the sounds made for a fight scene, the intense music for the climax or fight scene, and the dialogue that is in every adventure. 

Common CLAMPS:

Costumes can range from normal hiking attire to a superhero's tights and cape. 

Lighting is usually bright, even at night, to make sure the viewers can see everything, unlike horror, which can get dark to add suspense, 

Acting is usually on completely different ends, like horror, there is a pro and antagonist, both against each other. 

Setting is usually in the big city or a jungle, there is no in between. 

Common edits are characters flashbacks, fades, and shot reverse shot. 

Examples are the Marvel franchise, just, the entire thing. Jumanji is on the opposite side of adventure. 

Elements I like are plot twists. When the bad guy goes to the good side, or the good guys lose. 

Elements I don't like are suspense. If you don't know who is fighting who or when or where it is, I feel like that's a part of adventure movies that can ruin the whole movie. 

Genre Research: Drama

 Common CAMS include zoom, pan and tilt, close up's, and cross shots. 

Common sounds are the music for intense scenes, as well as yelling, and voice overs.

Common CLAMPS:

Costumes can be anything in the setting is placed in. There could be a drama in outer space, in the 1600's or even under water. 

Lighting is usually bright. 

The acting can be fighting, or manipulation, usually one or the other. 

The props can be anything the setting calls for.

The setting can be anywhere. If there are people, people can and will always cause drama. 

Common edits may include flashbacks, cross cutting, and shot reverse shot.

A few films are 'Five Feet Apart' about two people who fall in love but can't be any close than five feet away due to a health condition than can lead to the death of one of them. "Little Women' is another example, it takes place after the civil war and is about women fighting for their rights. 

Elements I like are how wide range drama's are. A drama can come out of any circumstance at any point in time.  

An element I don't like is usually the plot of most dramas. Unless it's a sub genre for a movie, the plot usually turns out to be a sappy love story and chic-flics are so unrealistic it hurts my soul.

Genre Research: Horror

Common CAMS in horror are tracking, low angles, tilts, and close ups.

Common sounds are obviously the eerie music, whispering, and outside sounds to make the main character feel like

they may be going crazy.

Common CLAMPS:

Costumes - the main characters outfit, usually ruined by the end of the movie, and whatever the antagonist likes to

wear, usually dark coloured.

Lighting: Light before the problem is introduced. It get's darker as the movie reaches climax, then get's light again as

the problem is solved.

The acting is usually one person is overpowering the other, to get an end result of terrifying or killing them.

The make up for a horror movie without a supernatural villain will usually include the main character having no

makeup,

or it being completely ruined throughout the movie.

The props can be a weapon for protection or damage, as well as a vehicle that everyone in the movie will ignore or

forget about.

The setting can be anywhere, as horror movies like to remind the viewers that your life can turn into a scary one at

any

time in any place.

Common edits may include flashbacks for the villains back story, voiceovers, cut scenes, split screen, and shot by

shot

scenes.

Examples include '#ALIVE", a zombie movie based in Korea, 'SCREAM' a movie about a serial killer, and

'Halloween', a movie also about a serial killer.

I like the element of suspense in a horror movie. There's always the scene or scenes that put the protagonist in

danger, and leave the viewers wondering what will happen next.

I don't like the element of surprise when it's late in the movie. I feel like the movie is wasted potential.

Three Genres

     Genre research is fairly simple. When thinking of a genre that my movie could fit under, I first start by thinking about the movie itself. I can't work with a plot if I have no idea for any scene. Since I have a specific scene in mind, I want to form my genre based on that scene. Obviously the story isn't a happy one, a girl is moving away from her family to live in an unknown place with unknown people in a time period that is fairly new. It is a big and sudden change for anyone. She lives from one big roller coaster loop to another. 

     One genre that I would like to research would be horror. I feel like horror could be a good fit for the short film because in will be something short of a historical horror. We are currently living through a pandemic and there are plenty of students who are going to college, and for the first time. It has to be a scary thing to up and move during a time where everyone is to be avoided. 

     For genre number two, I would like to research drama. Since she did decided to move away from her family during this time, there has to be a reason. Why not take a gap year or take classes online? What made her move a better choice than staying home with her family? Drama is a big part of any family. Not every family is picture perfect and no family is expected to be. For a person to jump head first into a new  , they would have to have spent a long time convincing themselves it was a good idea. Or not and they had very good reason for doing so. 

     The final genre would be adventure. Being by yourself for the first time is a sort of adventure by itself. Learning the area, the people, the way of life by yourself is quite the journey. Now doing so when you have to avoid everyone and everything as much as possible is even more challenging. Dealing with a new chapter in your life that is crazier than you anticipated is makes the time an even bigger adventure.

Too Long To Ride The Elevator

 Trying to figure out a pitch in just a few weeks was stressful at first. It became even more stressful as the weeks counted down. A month, three weeks, two days. I felt like I was running out of time to come up with an idea. I didn't stress it too much after the beginning because I knew it would take me no time at all to come up with an idea. Since I'm working alone I wanted to run everything by my friend who isn't in the class, that said yes to being an actor. I wanted to make sure that the ideas I came up with, she would be comfortable acting in. 

When I thought of my first idea, I was in bed trying to sleep. Isn't that where you come up with the best ideas though? When you don't have the time or access to get them down. I actually already had scenes in my head but forgot all of them when I woke up. I decided I would run my ideas by my friend the next day, then forgot. As I was laying in bed the next day I realised that I had to turn in work for Media. I was freaking out but also too tired to move my body. Then I realised I forgot to do other homework too, then I forgot about it. 

My pitches, I knew would include my brother. I didn't want to shoot a video with one person in it. I went to Pixie with some idea involving them, she thought it would be a good idea. I thought, since we live in different houses, it would be a good idea to have her move for some reason. I thought that my brother would die or something, and pixie would be the sister, and be so sad that she left. But after thinking it over, I thought it would be a bad idea. 

I figured, why not make a movie about something that's currently happening? I mean, it happens all the time, does it not? I've watched at LEAST six movies about a world pandemic and scientists trying everything to cure the world. But, what about someone who isn't a crazy protagonist who has a side affair going on? What about the little guys dealing with the problem on their own? I felt that the best little guy wasn't a person who has to work during a pandemic. It isn't those staying home with their kids, for the reason that I don't have enough people to work with that. The best little guy, is who better than an older version of us, the students. Yes, it was simple, and probably overused by the end of the year, but since I'm living it now, why not take my own personal experiences and put them behind a screen? 

My pitch is: a girl has to cope with sudden changes. She decides to move to college during a world crisis. 

How Many Make A Team?

     Having I decide who to work with is a hard thing to do. Obviously I would want someone who would be good. I wouldn't want someone who looked to me for all the work. I also wouldn't want someone who I looked to them for all the work, not that I would. I looked through the list of kids in A level Media and none of the names I read didn't seem like any names that I recognized. I didn't want to work with people that I didn't know in case I didn't like the way they did stuff. I also didn't want to work with anyone during this time of crazy covid. I didn't want to risk getting sick for a project or two. 

     I decided to work alone because in the end, it would be easier. I wouldn't have to worry about someone else holding the equipment. I wouldn't have to worry about someone else getting their half of the work done. It'll be easier for me to get my work done without checking on the other person to see if they got their's done. Having to work with someone and not being able to be around them will make it hard for me. I know that it's been done before, but I don't think I would be able to figure it out well enough. 

     I'm also choosing to work alone because it'll take less time to figure it out what to do. Last year, working with Camila, it took us forever to figure out what to do for the plot. It also took forever to figure out what to do for every scene. Everything had to be ran by us a few times before we came to middle ground and agreed on something. Working alone will be also be easier when we have to plan days for shooting. I'm working with a friend who isn't in AICE, and she had a pretty flexible schedule. It's going to be easier for me to plan a day of filming around one person rather than two or three more. 

     Working alone could be hard this year. I won't have anyone to split to work with. As well as bounce ideas off of. But working alone could also be easy this year. I'm hoping for the latter so I don't stress myself out. The answer to the question is, one. One person can make a team, as long as that person knows what she's doing. I would like to think I know what I'm doing, for the most part. 

We're Back Baby

      Finally back to blogging, it's been awhile. New pandemic, new classroom, new me. I've been excited for A level since I started AS level. I couldn't have been happier to learn that the school counselors actually put me in this class. I've waited all summer and a month for this class to finally take off and here we are! I don't have partners this year, as far as I know. Camila, my partner from last year decided she didn't want A level this year. Being alone this year could be hard for me. Although, I have seen, many times on my Instagram feed, if you want to think "what ifs", don't keep them negative, make them positive. So, this year could be hard for me, or, I can learn how much I can do on my own. 

     Although, no offense to Camila, but to say I didn't do most of the work last year would be an understatement. Being able to blog, storyboard, write, plan, shoot, edit, etc. on my own will be amazing. But I won't have anybody to bounce ideas off of, and it could suck. Now, I've thought about being a director as a career, a few times last year, when I was really getting into Media Studies. I thought about me just starting off in hollywood, getting bogus films to start. I also thought about being famous, with every actor knowing my name and wanting to start in my movies. I thought about standing next to the directors of Harry Potter, every Marvel movie, all of the directors from my favourite films. To take A level Media Studies would not only benefit me if I did choose to study movie making in college, but it will also give me the exposure I need to see if this is something I like. 

     In fact, I was just texting my friend about how much I was excited to be in this class a month ago. Earlier today I texted her about how excited I was that we were finally diving into the work and process. I know it's not hard when it's broken down as it is, but I know it will be work. Movie making takes more than people moving stick figures around. More than being shot on a flip phone camera with some kid giving hem voices and call it a day. To feel the excitement of planning, shooting, and editing, repeatedly, is really amazing. Not just the excitement though. It's anxiety, but the good kind, like the kind you get from swimming in the deep ocean or climbing a mountain. It's the happy brain chemicals going off when the pencil and storyboard planning sheets meet. It's the way you watch a story from your head come to life, and not just in a book. 

       My friends always try to text me during Media, and it's not like I won't respond any other time, but I hate when my phone goes off when I'm in this class. But I don't want to put it on mute because there could be an emergency I need to have my phone on me for. 

     I've said it once and I'll say it a million more, shut up, don't disturb me, I'm in my favourite class, it doesn't get better than this for the next few years 

Audiences and Institutions Essay

Discuss the impact of funding on films.

     Funding on films has changed through times. Whether it’s from CGI funding, advertisement funding, or prop/actor funding, funding is a huge part in making and distributing a movie.

     When they first came out, producers didn’t need to spend money on things like wild advertisements because there weren't a lot of places to advertise. Back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, when movies were first released, there were only advertisements options for the radio, or the newspaper. Obviously there were cheaper ways, as well, with verbal sharing between friends or co-workers, but there weren’t billboards or social media to release ads on. There also needs to be a fund for advertising without the obvious television or billboard ads. Film companies like to use Synergy and cross promotions to get their movie out. For example, Spiderman: Homecoming had cross promotion with Target and synergy with Cinnamon Toast Crunch to get the word out there. This needs to be funded, Target and General Mills weren’t going to give Marvel the ad space for free, they had to pay for it. Yes, they could have gone without those ads, but I would have more than likely seen their advert while eating breakfast than I would have a billboard or from off the telly. This marvel movies target audience was anyone who watched PG-13 movies, and how most people who reported to watch marvel movies were teenagers and young adults. Since I’m a teenager, I’m a part of the target audience, and I don’t see billboards or watch television on my day to day. What I actually do, however, on most days is eat breakfast, specifically my favourite sugary cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Another example is what Disney’s, the Beauty and the Beast, did for advertising. They released their ads on a very popular reality T.V show, The Bachelor. From what I hear about this show, it’s very popular with teens and young adults. I don’t personally watch it, but many Disney fans I know do, which is perfect marketing.They also released clothing items such as T-shirts. Now, as a teenage girl, I love buying clothes, especially those that represent a movie, show, book, or even band that I’m into. My friend, who is a huge Disney fan, buys clothes for movies that are going to be released if she thinks she’s going to buy them. This is an easy way to get people ready to see the movie. This is why funding for non basic, easy advertising is important.

     CGI funding is also very important. Having proper CGI in a film can be the difference between Belle dancing with a beast or dancing with a human on stilts in a bear costume. The beast and talking teapots are some of the main reasons that people went to watch the film. Yes, Belle’s dress was beautiful and the soundtrack was heaven to listen to, but, I personally, like many others, went to see the film to see if they could make the beast look like a beast and how well they made the teapots, candle, and clock move. CGI plays a big role in movie making nowadays. It can be the difference between the approximate $1.3 billion that this movie made or the $74.6 million that the movie Cats made, which was said to be a movie full of extremely poor CGI editing. While that movie was written out to be a bad movie, it was only made once. Which can’t be said for the new movie Sonic, which got so much backlash for the first release that the creators were forced to remake Sonic because it was so bad the first time. This is why there needs to be a good fund for CGI edits, to get high ratings and only be released once.

     Having a fund for actors can also affect the movie's outcome. For a simple example, casting a high level actor like Michael B Jordan to play as the leading role in Black Panther after being exposed in other movies and to the media, is one thing that the creators of that movie did well. If they decided to cast someone else who hasn’t been exposed that well, they may not have gotten as many views. Having good, unknown actors wouldn’t have failed the movie entirely since it was made by Marvel and Marvel has an extremely high fan-base, but they might not have been as high if there wasn’t an attractive and incredible actor as the lead. This is why having a fund for actors is important, having the money for amazing actors and actresses is a great way to get the movie more views.

    Without the proper funding, movies could end up being a low rated film or may end up with a very low viewing rate. Proper funding in CGI, advertising, props, sets, or actors can lead to an amazing movie that will give the producers the push they need to make more great movies or let them be one of the big production companies, like Walt Disney Pictures or Universal Pictures.

Extract 24 Essay

The theme that the author was trying to convey was that staying calm is the best way to be in control. When you lash out, the issue won’t go your way. At least when you stand your ground and keep the situation under control, you have a chance at it going your way.

In the first scene between the cop and Nina, there were zoom shots, high angles, close ups, and mid shots. The zoom shots were used when the cop was assessing the room. He looked at Nina then the camera, which led the viewers to believe that he might do something or make sure that Nina won’t do anything. This showed the power to be ‘in the air’ since neither of them did anything to make us believe they had power. The high angle was used when Nina was looking at the cop. This led us to believe that the cop had power, even though Nina was sitting, and it would make sense for her to be looking up, the scene could have been a wide shot to show them both in power. Then there were the close ups that were on the folder, then Nina which leads us to believe she now has the power. It makes us wonder what’s in the folder and why it seems top secret. Finally there were the mid shots, these shots were used when showing both the folder and Nina in the same shot and portrayed the character in a sense of power. There were other shots as well, including shot reverse shot, when Nina and the cop were looking and talking to each other; over the shoulder shots, when Nina was looking at the cop; two shot, when there was more than one character on the screen; and in the last scene there was a long shot, when the other men were yelling at the cop to stop choking Nina.

There was also the mis-en-scene that set the idea for the theme. The costume that the cop was wearing seemed to be really casual clothes and Nina seemed to be in a jumpsuit or uniform of some kind. This gave the impression that the cop had freedom while Nina did not, and if you don’t have the choice of freedom, you're not the one in charge, this made me question if my theme made sense at first. The other men were also wearing suits, which not only signified freedom, but power as well, which also challenged the theme but, until the last scene, they were calm, so in a sense, they did have the power, they were hoping for the problem to go their way. The lighting was dark, kind of calming. This helped with the theme because it was dark where the other men were and, to me, I’d rather be in a dark and small room watching a screen then in a bright room, it’s less nerve racking, there’s less anxiety. If the room is calm, the people in the room should be calm as well, the other men were in a dark room. If the other men were in a brighter room, they might have been more jittery or more anxious to interrupt the interrogation. The props that were used were the folder and the table. The folder was used to create mystery, what was in the folder, why was it significant? This allowed a segway for the cop to start getting angry at Nina. He started asking her about the names and a bomb. When things got heated, the table was flipped out of anger and the cop lost it. The folder was a symbol of power, it held secrets that were known by only Nina and the cop, not the audience. Since it starts off with the cop asking Nina for something, it puts Nina in a position of power, she gets to decide whether she answers the question or not. The setting, make-up, and acting were all irrelevant when looking at this theme. 

The sound was dialogue between the characters. They started out talking, Nina kept a calm voice while the cop started yelling. This was the final tilt that gave me the theme. While the cop seemed to be in a position of power based on looks, Nina was the one who had the power because of sound. Now, it wasn’t just her words, but how she said them. She refused to get angry, she kept a calm tone throughout the interview. There was also the sounds of the table being flipped and the chair and Nina was sitting in being dragged across the room and thrown up against the wall when the cop got mad. This piled onto the idea that Nina was the one who really had all the power.

When I watched the extract the first time through, the saying “beggars can't be choosers” comes to mind. The cop was begging for answers but he wanted to choose what happened to Nina. He was ready to hurt her to get answers. Nina requested the same thing the entire time, and completely calm. By staying calm, she got to stay quiet while the cop didn’t get what he wanted. She wasn’t begging nor choosing, she was simply requesting. The angles and movements proved the theme by giving and taking power away during the extract. If it were to be watched without sound, it could be said that the cop won and that Nina broke, it’s hard to tell. The sound and edits really gave the theme the push it needed. The sound was the main instance, with the yelling and calm tones. The edits were another great example of the theme with the props, and types of shots.

The Final Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z30Q7U3YdT8

That is the unfinished movie. We only have as much as we could get done before we went on lock down. The time is off, it's also missing dialogue and music. I still feel it was better than my first two projects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Omh8AQ2Qs

That is the reflection. This took me about a week to make. I could have done better but with the time I was given, it made it really difficult. I also spent time stressing over the unfinished movie and having to work the dialogue around the movie being incomplete. That made it even more difficult.

Commercial

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?

Our product uses conventions by taking the idea behind needing coffee to function and Dunkins’
slogan “America Runs On Dunkin’” and making them work for us. By saying America runs on
Dunkin Doughnuts, it is saying that we run on their coffee. If we run on their coffee then we are
functioning on their coffee. By saying that we function on their coffee is saying that we need it to
be alive. In today’s day and age, to be alive is to be awake. If we need their coffee to stay awake
then we need their coffee. 

We’re not necessarily challenging conventions but we do challenge opinions and misled facts
flowing around right now. In the commercial, we bring up that students always seem to be tired.
This brings up the idea that students don’t get enough sleep at night. Since the scenes are school,
then we can infer that students aren’t getting enough sleep because of school. This brings up the
issue that school is necessary and important while also being a drag on students’ lives. This starts
to be problematic in the sense that this is an assignment for school and the commercial basically
calls the school out. 

The product was used to represent both social groups and issues within those social groups.
The social group that it was used to represent was the teenager and young adult groups. The
social aspect being that teenagers will more than likely recommend a specific brand of energy
enhancer, in this case, coffee, to another student if they know it works for them. If a student is
tired and groggy, and another student is drinking a drink that keeps them from feeling like that,
then they will more than likely tell the first kid about it. 

This brings up issues within our social groups. If students need coffee to function then we are
saying that we need another substance outside of our bodies to do a basic, everyday thing, like
go to school. This brings up the issue of whether or not coffee is healthy for us. If coffee is a
substance used to do a simple task of keeping us awake then it cannot be that healthy at all.
Coffee is not being used to keep us energized on top of the energy that we already have, it’s
giving us the energy that we were not able to get before.  

2. How does your product engage with the audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Our product engages with our audience because it is targetting to our audience in a way that
persuades them to buy our product. Think about it, if a kid is laying in bed trying to sleep or trying
to find the energy to get out of bed for the morning and they come across our commercial
*assuming it’s a well written and acted out commercial* then they might be tempted to buy a
coffee when they wake up or on their way to school to give them the energy to last through the
day. 

Another example would be if a student saw this commercial and already purchased the drink.
They wouldn’t want to hand their drink over to some tired kid, but they may be tempted to let them
know that there is a way to keep them awake. So in the end, it’s not only us that’s engaging with
our audience, it’s our audience who is engaged with others about our product which in turn,
makes us more money since they are buying our product. 

Our product would be distributed in many ways. Starting with the cheapest and most effective.
Everyone knows that most teenagers and young adults aren’t watching television now. They have
moved onto video networking applications for entertainment and social media, mainly Twitter, for
news and other issues. Getting an add on a videoing service would cost more but if it was on a 
service like Hulu, the teens and young adults would have to watch it. While, if the commercial was
on social media, as a video, people would scroll past it in a heartbeat while they look for the
funniest meme or most satisfying slime video. Our best bet would be to put our commercial on a
movie sharing app or service. 

3. How does your production skills develop throughout this project?

Before starting this project, I knew very little about production. I barely understood Mis-En-Scene
enough to write anything on it. Since I was given the opportunity to learn from the teachers in the
class, I was able to gain more knowledge on these subjects and make a commercial based on
what I knew. After we all chose our topics, we were taught more on how to produce a film, in this
case, a commercial. We were taught all about cameras and how they work. We were also taught
about Pinnacle Studios, editing software and how to use that properly to edit how we wanted. 

During the shooting of the commercial, I learned how to work with a camera. I used a camera
before for another class, but this was the first time I had to use it to record anything. Before I was
only using it to take pictures. This experience allowed me to learn more about cameras and more
about how they are used when shooting videos and recordings. 

After the shooting of the commercial, I had to edit it. Using software off of a laptop, I learned how
to edit a commercial using proper editing tools. By learning how to cut, slice, delete and edit our
commercial, I learned more about producing. At the end of the commercial, I had sharper
production skills and producing my next video assignment will be easier since I won’t have to learn
my skills all over again. 

4. How did you integrate technologies -- software, hardware, and online -- in this project? 

We started by recording our commercial with a camera that was propped up on a tripod.
This camera held an SD card. The SD card held our entire video that we would soon edit. After
recording with the camera, we downloaded our clips onto a laptop using the SD card and an SD
card reader. After we got what we needed, we no longer needed the SD card, the reader, the
camera or the tripod. From that point forward, we only needed the laptop. We edited the
commercial using software designed for editing videos. We used youtube and email to enhance
our commercial. We did not use cell phones for recording, or a microphone for sounds in the
commercial and not in the music.

     This is my critical creative reflection paper for the commercial project we did at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately I don't have access to my video, only the reflection. This was the first project that we did. It was the first project I got to do with Camila and Kendall. I thought we were going to work together on all of our projects, but I was wrong. I guess Kendall wanted to work by herself. Camila and I stuck together though, through the next two projects.