Brainstorming...

I am completely wiped out from watching so many sample film openings from our teacher’s archive. I’ve watched so many I lost count...but it’s not for naught! I feel much more inspired and motivated to work on our master plan after watching them. I quickly figured out what I personally look for in an opening scene—the drama of a plot twist. This one sample video I saw in particular did an excellent job at creating what appears to be a dramedy (genre combination of drama & comedy).

In the video, a narrator outlines the life of a successful businessman in a humorous way. At the end of the scene however, there is a freeze frame of the businessman’s face and the narrator informs the audience that he is not in fact living this lavish lifestyle at all. The final images in the scene show the narrator—the assumed main character—as a destitute homeless man who only dreams of living a better life.


The contrast and shift that occurs within this film opening is really striking and definitely sets it apart from the other projects. I would love to come up with an idea for our master plan that provokes the same effect without being too similar to this one.

Check it out for yourself!: https://youtu.be/Ec_rflhTBOs

I also loved the creativity put into the title sequence. It is a simple idea, but stands out in terms of unique quality, and sets it apart from the other projects that I have seen. I would like to do something similar in terms of unconventionality.

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Welcome.

Hello viewers! This blog is where I will be posting periodical updates that should provide some insight on my upcoming film project...which has yet to be named. In fact, as we are in the preliminary stages, my partner Lexi and I have only just begun the process of searching for conceptual inspiration from the vast inventory of film opening examples that our teacher has made accessible to us.
We shared some of our favorite projects with one another and now that we both have an understanding of what did and did not work in each piece, we can more efficiently plan for the long road we have ahead of us. I am excited to post about all the progress we make throughout the course of the next seven weeks and eventually see our finished product 😻

However, until that moment arrives, we have a lot of work to do.

Lexi and I have both agreed to do the absolute most when it comes to ideas, planning, and preliminary research because we both wholeheartedly trust the power of a well thought out plan. Although the final product doesn’t have to be an exact match to our storyboards, we know from past experience that it is ESSENTIAL to have a vision and construct a detailed plan that we can work towards executing together.

Read on for more postings about our master plan!

 

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Preliminary Research: Representation


     The media tends to represent women as pieces of meat, arm candy, or sex objects. This representation is antiquated, as it has been a long-known virtue in media that "sex sells". Take for example Marilyn Monroe, an idolized sex symbol of the '50s, the countless barely-there shots of models on the cover of Sports Illustrated, or the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show that parades underwear models around. However, this fallacious representation of women comes at a cost. A young girl growing up surrounded by messages from the media that all the females have to offer is physical, might give up on other skills or talents that she might have shown potential in. Additionally, if this young girl was dissatisfied with her physicality, and was always told that it was all she had to offer the world, she could become very depressed and feel as though she has no purpose in life, which is not only sad but dangerous.
     When the media is not objectifying women, it tends to generalize most mothers as "supermoms", the kind of matriarch that establishes order around the house (cleaning, cooking)--all whilst looking immaculate doing so. This representation of women can take it's toll as well, as many moms could see this idealization of mothers in media and aspire to embody the traits of a supermom...little do they know, these kinds of women simply do not exist. Keeping a house is not smooth sailing for most, and in portraying these tasks as "simple" or "natural" for women, it only perpetuates the unrealistic expectations for women.




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Preliminary Research: Genre Conventions

Conventions of Horror Genre:

Content:
  • An element/aspect designed for the purpose of unsettling the audience
  • An element involving death 
  • A monster/evil that the protagonist must face and/or defeat
Production:
  • Low lighting--creates a dark and evil atmosphere
  • Dark colors on set to establish a more sinister tone
  • Props like weapons (knives, guns) to fight off evil
  • Masks and dark colors for costumes 
Institutional:
  • The marketing technique of "less is more" is often used to engage younger audiences (young adults) who enjoy the mystique 
  • Teaser trailers-- non-revealing and hype up the film 
Film Example #1: Halloween (1978)
  • https://youtu.be/aMCLVSlk1Tk
  • This film represents the horror genre well, as it incorporates several of the standard genre's conventions
  • Michael Myers = the evil that the protagonist (Jamie Lee Curtis) must face
  • Low lighting used, most notably in the iconic scene nearing the end of the film when Curtis' character is wandering the house in search of her attacker
  • Michael Myers wears a mask
Film Example #2: The Exorcist (1973)
  • https://www.youtube.com/YDGw1MTEe
  • This film is a classic and certainly embodies several characteristics of a true horror film
  • An element (demons) designed to unsettle audience
  • Low lighting throughout the majority of the film
  • The trailer successfully entices viewers, while not giving too much away
List of 5 more films that embody the horror genre: 

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