Scheduling

 Alright so we met with our groups today and the biggest thing that I saw in my peers’ projects that I didn’t have was a schedule. Some people had full calendars with all of their tasks laid out day by day. I tried doing one on canva, but I strrrruggled. Instead what I will do is set up a week by week schedule(Monday-Sunday)  to make sure I am doing everything I need to. Here’s the recommended schedule, and here’s mine.

Week One:

-choose project genre

-begin developing full film plot

-research genre and story ideas

-post to blog

 

Week Two:

-continue research on project components

-continue to develop story – land on final idea for film opening

-post to blog

 

Week Three:

-continue to research project components (if necessary)

-develop script

-develop filming/editing schedule

-create shot list

-post to blog

 

Week Four:

-continue to research project components (if necessary)

-begin production of film opening

-post to blog

 

Week Five:

-continue to research project components (if necessary)

-continue production of film opening

-begin editing of film opening

-post to blog

 

Week Six:

-research information relating to creative critical reflection

-finish editing of film opening

-post to blog

 

Week Seven:

-research information relating to Creative Critical Reflection

-create Creative Critical Reflection

-post to blog

 

Week Eight:

-create final, overall project reflection

-post project and CCR to blog

2/27-3/5 : Shot list, Finalize script, character creation, consider casting

3/6-3/12  : Official cast, official shot list, 

3/13-3/19 :  Make sure all props, costumes, makeup are secured, make sure all actors know that they have to pull up on saturday, Review filming techniques and prepare alternative shots,   THIS SATURDAY IS MY FILMING DAY

3/20-3/26 : Edit, CCR research, begin CCR, finish opening

3/27-4/2 : Finish CCR

4/3 - DUE

The schedule is tentative because I need to secure the filming location, without it the schedule is pretty much useless. It may need to be pushed up a week in advance, but the rest is pretty accurate. The best part about this is that most of my friends have the props and costume pieces needed. I will have the guys in the band be the actual guys in the band, or honestly I might make my character a solo artist, but by the script is done this week I will have it figured out.

I can hear the bells

 
Today in class Tstok told us she was going to  be calling us back and telling us if we had any problems with our blogs, and that if we had any questions to ask her. I was ready to ask for insight on the dilemma I was facing with selecting the film for my opening, and then the PA system came on and said we were going to have a precautionary lockdown. We all had to move to the corner, turn the lights off, and we weren’t allowed to speak. We all worked on our blogs, but I couldn’t because I was still having this dilemma. I literally emailed Stok about what was going on in hopes that she’d be able to help me figure it out.

The email from class.

After a bathroom escort, and a relaxed feeling shared throughout the school, we began to work again. Stok said she’d be calling people to talk about their blogs, but I made sure to get my questions in before she went to her desk. I explained what was going on in more detail, and she definitely liked the rock idea more. We both agreed that it would be more extravagant, and her plan to combat the extravagance was to make it about a past-rocker, or a washed up rockstar instead. She explained that the biggest issues I’d face would be the set, and that the accuracies of a pre-show concert may be hard to attain.

I hit her with one of these, and she definitely understood that I was stuck to my idea. I explained how I could do my idea at the civic center, and explained my planned shots. She liked it and thought that it could be cool. I still explained how there was a chance that I couldn’t go through with this, and that I was worried I’d fall short of what I wanted to accomplish. Still, she liked the rock idea and wanted to see me do what I’d wanted to.  “This is supposed to be fun, have fun with it.” So that’s it, it’s official, I know what I want for my opening.

Broke my promise

 Alright, I know I said that I would have my idea done by Sunday, but I still can’t decide on the best idea for my film opening. After doing all of that research on comedy dramas I am leaning more towards the high school student that I was thinking about in my first post, but I still love love love my idea that I did in my second thoughts post. I do think that the first post and first idea would give me a lot more creative freedom and wiggle room with the opening, whereas the second post there’s not as much for the opening. But then also I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Though I have more room for that first idea I don’t have a concrete plan, but with my second idea I have a whole plan and a very specific vision for as to what I want the opening to be.

Yes, I do want to do this project by myself, but I think I’m gonna have to ask a lot of people tomorrow what their ideas are and what they think of my conundrum. Definitely I wanna talk to T stock about this because I feel like she would have a good judgment about the problem and she would understand why I want to get it done now so I can get the show on the freaking road. I really wanted to have a finished idea for you guys, but Sunday is running out and I just cannot pick one for the life of me. Call this blog The Cuban illy the way I took that L. I’m torn. If anyone’s reading this let me know what you think in the comments.

Those theatre masks had a baby, it's name is dramedy

  I didn’t even realize that this was the genre that I loved, but it really doesn’t capsulate so many of my favorite movies and TV shows. One of my favorite kind of media genres are biographies especially rocky memories and after doing research I figured out that like if you took the non-fiction aspect away from these movies they would all become comedy dramas. A comedy drama or otherwise known as a dramedy could be seen as a sub genre of both the drama and comedy genre… And honestly it will be one of those genres with the other genre just as prominent as the one that it is. One could call it drama with comedic elements, or a comedy with dramatic elements. Honestly I think with these films do is try to portray life as best as possible trying to really get the ups and downs of a specific character situation or whatever it may be that the film is trying to express. Most of these films have a theme that is rather serious or insightful that is told through both communication and dramatic elements.

I truly believe that dramedy is try to connect with the audience on a more personal level, especially when of the dramedy is a bow a specific character and the journey they go through. some find these movies therapeutic since they are truly able to tackle the complexities of certain characters in comedies that would not be tackled if they didn’t have dramatic elements. It brings true representation to comedic characters and adds more serious themes to those complex characters which are more realistic and I think really have more purpose in terms of being a film that affects society.

I really believe that a dramedy is something that is trying to make some things seem realistic. The setting of these pieces is almost always realistic… even if it is inhabited by animal celebrities. The characters are relatable to the audience, and often involve complex characters that can be deeper analyze through the films devices or are in complex situations where their feelings are able to be shown more correctly through the scope of comedic and dramatic elements. sometimes in dramedy it is not off in easy to figure out who is supposed to be funny and who is not as these characters are more themselves than they are comedians, but that’s what makes him so freaking good. Just like one of those animal celebrities one of my favorites is Bojack horseman. There is absolutely no reason that a show with animal characters guess the human spirit and mental feeling so right, yeah it does. Bojack Horseman is a television show on Netflix that follows the life of C list celebrity and family sit-com washup Bojack Horseman. The show deals with themes of substance abuse, cell fulfillment, romance, and so much more… But it is literally about a talking horse. If it dealt with all of these themes without the humor nobody would watch it it would not be funny it would not seem real. But please just watch this highlight reel of some of the funniest moments and you won’t even be able to control your laughter.

Funny moments from Bojack

Some of the most heart-wrenching moments from Bojack Horseman. SPOILERS!!!

Another one of my favorites is Atlanta by Childish Gambino or Donald Glover whatever you want. This show is freaking amazing. The Afro surrealist television show works to develop a community of Atlanta Georgia that explains hardships of racism, poverty, family strain, and so much more. The show follows the life of earn a manager for his upcoming rapper cousin paperboy. in this scene both the comedic and dramatic elements happen in the same place, which help develop urns thought process and economic situation at the same time.

I believe that the comedy drama is a genre that is used to capture life correctly, and communicate seems to audiences in the best way possible. People remember funny shit it’s true, I know if I told you to think about the hardest time you’ve ever laughed you would think of tons of situations right off the bat, and honestly if I told you to think about your most sad moments you would think about those too. I really love comedy dramas I think they give so much room to character arcs and plot lines, and are such a great way to story tell. There is no way I could do any other genre than a dramedy for my film opening.

HERE'S SOME FIRE DRAMADIES TO CHECK OUT!!!

Hm

  Last class I was so set on what I’d wanted to do for my opening, but now I’m not entirely sure. I hate that I’m having doubts, but I know that they’re valid. I literally did research on comedy dramas, have given so much thought to the concept, and now this? Maybe I shouldn’t have jumped right in, but I really do need to consider the other options. I know what a good opening needs, I know how to make a good character, I know how to make a great plot arc, but the thing that I’m struggling with is just what it should be.

I like the masculine “Fuck-around and find out” kind of vibe I was going for. I know no matter what I’m gonna keep it, but now I had the idea of it not being about a high school student, but instead about a frontman for a rockband. No matter what I do I know I will keep consistent elements like the themes of the character, and now that I think about it I’m going to keep it a comedy drama as well. I know that my story is very character oriented, and will show the maturing process of whatever character I pick. There’s that Will Hunting type character, there’s this Elton John/Tommy Lee type guy (Not like either I’m gonna make him my own), and there could be so many others, but I’m upset that I am having these reservations. 

Promo pic of Netflix's biopic of Motley Crue The Dirt. These guys are the definition of that masculine rockstar energy.

    Listen at the end of the day this is a class and this is my grade, I’d rather do something more impressive than easy, but I don’t want to overdo it and then suffer because I did more than I could handle. I know exactly what scene I’d do. Master shot outside a venue of the feet of all the peopl waiting to get in, that then goes through the back doors, passes bouncers, goes inside, then  I’m thinking I’d do it where my theater company holds its residence, and I’m sure they’d allow me to do it.

Me and the cast of SOMETHING ROTTEN! at the Civic Center

I’m forcing myself to know by AT LEAST this sunday, I have to decide because if I don’t I’d be working in two separate ideas and weighing things out, making my energy and work become split instead of perfecting the one. Yes things can change, but whole concepts can’t. I really would be throwing away time and energy. I know not being able to go back is gonna kill me, but also I know that tbh I could. I’ll keep you guys posted.

Our Time is Running Out. Haha get it... cause that's what it feels like. Haha.

Andrew Stanton, my knight in shining armor.

  To prepare for our film openings we watched a Ted talk by Andrew Stanton about storytelling. Andrew Stanton is a filmmaker who has worked for Pixar for movies like Toy story and Wall-E. I knew that I would enjoy the Ted talk because of its focus on the storytelling process. I believe that any good work of art tells a story correctly. Now as I am applying to many different arts colleges some thing that I enjoy is the fact that they even look for this. I absolutely loved the Ted talk and took many things away from it.

    I was very taken aback because even though this guy works for Pixar he started his Ted talk with a big fat F bomb. He explain how story telling a joke telling know your punchline your set up and running which I could not agree with more. It was a very unique way of seeing stories but as soon as he said it I made many correlations to other comedians specifically Dave Chapelle who I look up to a lot. The best comedians take from what they know they’re real stories and they make it funny they set it up in such a way where you have to work for your gratification in the entertainment.

Stanton talks about how you need to make the audience care. He says make me care, I don’t care how, just make me care. He says that for a good opening you need to catch the attention and make a promise that whatever you’re watching now will pay off in the end. He compares storytelling to a slingshot saying that you see the little pebble in the beginning and then it gets pulled back, pulled back, pulled back until the climax when it then releases. Getting that attention is only the first part, it is making an affective story that really matters.

He explains the concept through this scene from Wall-E

    Stanton believes the best way to do this is making the audience work for their meal without knowing they’re doing it. He explains the 2+2 rule. He says instead of giving the audience four give them two plus two to make them work for it and also to make the order of events matter. If it so happens to be a 2+2 story it’s a 2+2 story, but sometimes your story needs to have a little exposition and a big climax like a 1+3 story or vice versa. Nobody wants to know exactly what’s going to happen in the exact way it’s gonna happen, and everybody likes to have their best guess as to what’s going to happen. Stanton says good stories are predictable not inevitable.

    I think it’s really because of my theatrical background, but I love characterization and I love what Stanton had to said about a good character. He talks about how character should have a spine and a motive that drives them. He explained how he did this with Marlin from finding Nemo and I thought that that was pretty cool. He explained how right away you understand just how badly Marlon will care about Nemo because you see all of the other fish eggs that matter to him and his now to see his wife gone. Established by the conversation with the wife you know Marlin cares about these kids and now that there’s only one it makes this character so much more special. Even though Marlin may be mean to Dory at times he has such a heart and care for his son and you see it happen in his brain… you see the complexity of the character, but his most simplest of motives. And that touches on some thing that Stanton talked about to do you wanna have a character that’s like a ball but one that’s flawed. Pobody’s nerfect. 

Marlin in the opening scene of Finding Nemo

He really shows the flawed character approach with Woody from Toy Story. Woody is mean and selfish… and honestly I didn’t even notice this when I was a kid because he’s funny. Stanton goes to show that you like this character even though he’s mean and selfish because he’s funny, he’s giving you something that you enjoy throughout the film that makes you like him. Woody is a dick to buzz but you still like him he’s the main character. You see through his flaws because you’re understanding his story and you want to see where it gets to. Also he’s not a god he’s a man, he needs to be flawed to be believable.

Woody in Toy Story. I mean just look at this guy...

“You can’t not love someone after hearing their story.” When Stanton said this I totally fell in love. I’ve never heard something more true, and I have never felt such a connection to some random Ted talk. Knowing myself knowing others knowing a whole bunch of shit, I’ve learned over the years that you will never see somebody is full story until you listen and give them a chance to say it. throughout much of my second half of high school I thought about how I would tell my story, because I know it’s that important. 

Mrs. Stoklosa said after we watch the video most of what you say isn’t as important as how you say it. That was fucking crazy, mind boggling even. It further emphasized the claim that Stanton made saying that storytelling without words What is the purest form of Cinema. All year we’ve really talked about techniques and how they build meaning, but the storytelling being covered was literally… I feel like my mind shit a brick. It was all starting to come together in a way that truly mattered to me. Now I will take this and apply it to my opening, because Stanton said it best, “When an artist does that to another artist, you just have to pass it on.”

Love this guy <3

And so it begins...

     The big shabang is in full play… it’s portfolio time. I’ve been looking forward to this project all year.  One, there is so much room for creativity, and two, there is so much time to really get everything right for this project. I’m somebody who loves the little things, it’s all about the details. The project asks for a 2 minute max film opening, and I’ve had tons of ideas throughout the year as to what it would be. I think the most important thing, and what people so often forget, is that this is a film opening and not a whole film. So often I feel like past students’ submissions try to thread the film’s needle in the opening, but it’s not supposed to be like that. It’s a small part of a whole, which also really allows us to get it right and exactly how we want it.

The project's rubric

I’m not entirely sure what scene I will do for the opening, but I know that it will focus on the main character. The character is a high-school student who lives in Broward County SFL. This character is a CHARACTER. He’s crazy smart, but still struggles academically. He is very social at school, has a big heart, but also isn’t afraid to be snarky. There is a big focus on his mental health and experiences he faces with family strain at home. After really thinking about it I’ve concluded that the genre of the film will be a comedy drama.

The Guitar Hotel at Seminole Hard Rock Cafe, the Eiffel Tower of Broward

The film Lady Bird helped me figure out what genre my film would be. The many different elements of the genre that capture life were hard for me to figure out, but when I thought about it Lady Bird had similar elements and is classified as a comedy drama.

The more I think about it the character is similar to Matt Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting. Actually, the more I think about it the opening to Good Will Hunting is very similar to what I’m trying to accomplish. I just rewatched the first ten minutes of the film, and I was wrong. I don’t want to do the opening the way they do it, but instead keep it more like some of the beginning scenes of him and his buddies. Though very different, especially regarding the techniques used in the film, there are similar plotlines.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting

    I have a strong feeling I will work by myself for this project. TStok put it best, you don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen. I have a plan and I know exactly how I want it, it would really mess with me to not have creative power over a project I know will mean a lot to me. One of my idols Jonathon Larson says to take from what you know, and in his musical RENT you can see characters that go through and represent challenges and mindsets of himself and friends. I’m going to do exactly that, and take a lot of inspiration from real people, especially my friends. I have a strong feeling the opening is going to be the main character with a group of his “goons”(I’m gonna do a blog post about Broward teenage dialect that will explain the term) but it’s kids who are definitely not afraid to get into trouble or do stuff the way they want to. They’ll doing something that gets them in trouble or something… but my point is that these people are gonna be people that I know. I’d drawing from what I know.

Jonathan Larson

My buddy Jacob who is Deeeeefinitely a goon. You're gonna learn a lot more about him in the coming weeks.

    I’m very excited for this project, and I can’t wait to share this process with you. Cuban Lilly Ouuuut.

Music Marketing Numero Dos - Our Time is Runniiiiiinnngg out

For the music marketing project our assigned genre was rock. I thought we would be getting

songs I knew, but the genres were all subgenres I hadn't heard. We decided that the song

that could have the most to work with was an electronic rock song called Time is Running Out

by the band Muse. It’s lyrics gave a lot of room to work with. The subgenre was electric rock.

We all decided that we were all going to do an artist ourselves for the case study, and that

because we had a set amount of time to just get in done right away. I did Imagine Dragons.

The first day when we spoke about different idea we didn’t really come up with a complete

idea, yet we still decided to film on monday. I had a problem with meeting monday because

I was thinking how could we possibly film and get stuff done when we don’t even

have a concrete plan set for the video. We hadn’t even decided what type of music video

we would do. We agreed that the song’s message was about a relationship where somebody

is longing for something that is horrible for them and is described as drowning or suffocating.

We spitballed different ideas and shots. I left class very worried, uncomfortable from the lack

of content we had compared to the schedule that would be very ahead.

Spitballing

Over the weekend my fears didn’t go down at all. I even called Elliette to see what she was

thinking and she was having the same doubts I was. We like this (Fingers crossed emoji)

That Monday, thank the lord, we all agreed on a more put together idea. We decided to

make the video more promotional and had decided to storyboard some of the scenes

we brainstormed. The concept was to have a promotional video, following the

conventions of electric rock and punk videos, where I would be placed in situations

that represented the feelings of being in that 505, addictive relationship to something

unhealthy(I assumed relationship). We came up with two defined sets and situations:

me tied to a chair with lipstick smeared on my face in my pajamas to show that I was

put in a situation of literal strangulation contradicted with my costume that represents

something comfortable, and one of me singing underwater… maybe tied down? 

I was the only one with my case study done, so I was able to start working on the actual

brand. Since it would be easier to work with just me, I decided to make it one person and

not a band. When coming up with names I thought of something that would be very gritty

American teen and thought of cool rock names that could also be construed with something

real. Inspired from Alice Cooper I picked the name Alice Jennings.

Alice himself

The first day of filming didn’t go too well, but it was definitely needed. We were filming the chair

scene at an abandoned lot that is on a recently closed road near my house. You can’t drive

there, and that first day we walked. It’s a faaaar walk, but we did it. I brought the chair there

and back. We couldn’t use any of the footage because of how far the trek was, giving us a

sun that provided crappy lighting. However, this day was vital because the set was really

understood by Ren and Morgan, and we planned tons of cool shots around the lot. Because

of the opportunities, we completely scrapped the underwater idea and wanted to keep the

rugged aesthetic of the lot constant. The second day of filming we got a lot of stuff done.

That class we laid out a much better storyboard and had a great layout of the shots we wanted.

We got most of the shots of the chair done which was great progress. We left the chair there

though, no way in hell was I bringing it back again. The next day, we went back and took tons

of shots for the second half of the video, but also took a lot of B roll to have just in case.

We didn’t want to be shy of the 1:30

Shots from the music video

The creativity aspect for the brand was something I was great at. I was responsible for coming up with the marketing plan, and used direct evidence from case studies to back my claims, and do so in such a way that would make sense for a breakthrough artist in today’s world. For the presentation I thought ti would be such a good idea to play the artist. I’m the guy in the video, it’s so much more professional to be the guy in the room too. I wanna really sell it I should be there. 

Marketing campaign

Probably the biggest L I’ve ever taken in my life was not being forced to do that geometrix thing everybody does.

I totally understand what a good presentation should look like, but I really felt like a grandpa when I was trying to execute my vision.

Elliette made a canva originally… when I saw her in class I knew she could see the fear in my eyes and agreed to go to slides.

The slides that I created wasn’t even the one we did either. Morgan created a new one, and honestly she really clutched.

Mine was BAD. At the end we all had to come and work on the presentation, although it was only supposed to be me

and Elliette. However, we all knew that it was the biggest aspect of our grade and that we had to do a great job,

so we really put that work in. I was very proud of what we accomplished.

The final Slides