Final Video

http://drive.google.com/open?id=186AXBXgw4bnbKLTy939ePjmFWdSiX3LG

CCR

Here is my CCR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5cW0ushzTk&t=256s

Final Blog Post

    Hey guys! It’s that time where we wrap up the project. The video has been finalized. I am currently doing the CCR and I got to say it is a struggle. The script is finalized but I really dislike the way I talk. I also dislike hearing myself. Aside from that I am having trouble finding good pictures to be able to not make the CCR very bland. It will be done very soon though. All in all, I am very happy about how the whole project turned out. I am also glad to have been on this journey with Alan and Layla because they were great partners. Thank you to everyone so much for keeping up with me and my journey. Stay tuned for my two final posts which will be the CCR and Final Completed Video.

Quick Update

After reviewing footage. We had a small issue. It isn’t really a big deal but it can be seen as either good or bad. The good news is that we had a lot of footage. The bad news is that we had so much we did not know what to go with. Another small issue was that the video was too long. After day one of filming, the footage edited was already more than a minute. That was not going to work with. As a result, we filmed again and managed to figure things out. Filming is officially done and now we just need to edit a little bit more to put all the pieces together. Make sure to stay tuned because the final product is almost here!

Day 2 of Filming

Hey everyone! I’m back (obviously). Another day of filming and I am quite satisfied. During day one of filming, only Alan and I were able to film but reluctantly got work done. Today we were all able to film together. We filmed at my house since it was best optimized to suit our conditions in terms of props and what not. The second day of filming consisted of filming Layla’s parts mostly. We had to change up the design of the room a little bit to make it seem more girly. We added a Mary Poppins poser and threw some stuffed animals to give it a more girly vibe. We know it’s not the best but it’s what we managed to find considering none of us have any girly rooms to film in. All in all I had lots of fun getting to see Layla act. We laughed a lot and talked. Quite the eventful day but we still have a little bit more to film.

Day 1 of filming

We started filming Saturday. Sadly we were missing one person due to a medical concern. Obviously we weren’t going to shoot the whole opening in order so we started filming the middle first since it was most convenient to us at the time. I’m not gonna lie, I thought acting was going to be easier, but I can assure you, it is not easy. We had so many takes of the same shot because I couldn’t stop laughing. I wasted so much time laughing that my partners camera died.





We decided to film the part where I wake up so we had to make the set design “boyish”. This is my room. Although I am a boy, it isn’t a typical boy room with sports blankets and posters of athletes. My room is very simple so we thought of how we can represent a boy’s room. That is when we decided to throw random things on the floor to make the room look messy as you can see in the picture above. We thought it would have been even better if we could get a half eaten pizza just laying on the floor but that would have been kind of gross. Plus we would have had to waited about 45 minutes for the pizza to arrive.





We also had a bit of a lighting issue but managed to solve it thanks to some tools that we created.





The lighting in my bathroom wasn’t the best so we had to improvise. The camera angles that we wanted would leave shadows on my face and in a lot of areas so we used a lamp and whatever we could find to fix that. Anyways, this was only one day of shooting and we still have a bit more to go. As always, stay tuned :)

Small Problem

So… we were going to start filming but then we didn’t feel prepared so we had to change up the script a little. At first, we wanted to film at school but since we wouldn’t have access to a school anymore we decided to film in a park. The whole point of the school scene was to show who is friends with who and how those friends would react. As a result, we decided upon a park where one of the characters would meet with one of their friends. Another problem we had was a bit more serious. We were going to all meet up in the morning but then one of the members in my group had to go the hospital. I’m not sure how serious the incident is but thankfully they are okay. With the core of our group being away for a day of filming it threw things off a little bit but the rest of us managed to pull through. My other partner and I met up to get things started.

Making a Schedule

Now that my group and I know exactly what we want to shoot, the order in which we want to shoot and the props we need, all we have to do is film and edit. Filming was going to be a bit of an issue since Layla and I have work but we all agreed that Saturdays in the morning, monday in the morning, tuesday morning and wednesday morning are a fine for us to all film. We plan to be done by the 27th. That way we can have about 4 or so days to edit which I believe is enough time considering there are 3 of us that are available to edit. I’ll keep you all posted :)

We are getting somewhere!


Hey everyone! So far we are making good progress I feel like. We began making the script. Well, it isn’t really a script but it’s more of a layout with some dialogue here and there of what people are going to do or say. Here is a pic:





This was made during class. I personally feel like we could get some really nice shots and transitions. For example: we are going to do a graphic match going from one characters feet to the other. My group members wanted the very first shot to be a POV of a character waking up. I didn’t agree with them and wanted it to focus on one character at first then do a split screen. We went up to Mrs. Stoklosa to get her input and thankfully she sided with me idea because it is more visually appealing

More Ideas for the Opening





I’m just going to talk a bit more about certain details that we wanted to include into the film opening. We wanted to add the credits in a nonchalant kind of manner. They just appear casually on the screen then disappear. Another thing to mention was that the female lead got her braces off. I know it’s pretty random but just thought it’s worth mentioning. One problem I was told was that it isn’t the most original idea. I completely agree, but making an original idea for a movie is hard in my opinion. Or atleast making an original idea work well. A majority of movies where people switch bodies includes the same gender switching bodies. I’ll keep you guys updated constantly so stay tuned for more :)

Small Update :)





What’s up! I’m back to give a small update. Just wanted to let y’all know that everything is going smoothly. We haven’t started filming yet but that’s because we still have very few things to figure out. Before we start filming we want to create a script so that’s what we have been working on. The script will be finished very soon and filming will most likely start sometime in the next 2-5 days. To go into more detail, the script will be done tomorrow in class and hopefully we can start filming either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Getting Feedback


Hey guys, it’s me again. This past Thursday in class, we had another group meeting. For those of you who didn’t know; in class, people from different project groups are mixed up into about 6 people at a table. We all sit in a circle and discuss our projects. After that, we receive any feedback whether it be ways to improve the project, concerns or critiques. Anyways, I told everyone my idea and they all agreed that it would be better if the main characters were a guy/girl rather than girl/girl because guy/girl helps include a comedic aspect. They also really liked the idea of doing a split screen in the beginning of the film two show both POV’s of the characters realizing they aren’t themselves.

Meeting With Mrs. Stoklosa





As you can probably guess from the title, we met with Mrs. Stoklosa to talk about our project. My group and I wanted to meet with her because we had some concerns about our project. It turns out, we were the last group to meet with her. We were so scared that we wouldn’t get a chance to meet but thankfully during the last five minutes of class we were able to talk to her. We were concerned about some inconsistencies such as: wouldn’t the main character notice right away that they aren’t themselves? Not necessarily, the main characters would be filmed just waking up and all sleepy. I also told her about doing a split screen and she was completely on board with the idea. Lastly, she does think our film is going to be a bit tricky to do but I believe that my group and I can make it work!

The Small Details Matter


On Friday, my group and I were discussing how we want the opening sequence to go. We decided to mix the credits into the scene. Now obviously this is something we should be doing regardless if we wanted to or not, but we found how we wanted to do it. We are going to incorporate the text right off the bat in our opening sequence of a women getting out of bed. Some films have an intro just for the opening credits. For example: the James Bond films have an intro that looks like montage designated for the movie. That’s not what we want. A better example of how we want to incorporate the opening credits into the film is sixteen candles.





Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvcGp91KgR4





I’ll give you guys a small run down of how the opening sequence is going to go. A girl wakes up, turns off her alarm clock. She gets out of bed and the audience would only see her feet. She puts on her slippers and goes to the bathroom. This entire time her face will be hidden. As she is in the bathroom and looks in the mirror she would realize she isn’t herself. She is in someone else’s body. During all this is when the opening credits would be going on. This isn’t the entire opening so don’t worry guys :) There is more to come so stay tuned.

The Switch





You guys remember when I said that we didn’t have any more problems? Well, talking it over more with my group, we realized that we don’t know how the switch will occur. We initially wanted to show it in the opening sequence but just didn’t know how. We found a way around it. I was thinking of just doing something cliche such as drinking a potion, getting hit by lighting or someone wishing, “I wish I was ____”. I wouldn’t have minded doing any of these ideas but it didn’t sit well with my team. They thought it was cringy or a boring idea, but I understood where they were coming from. It was the lazy way out somewhat. So this is what we are going to do. We are going to start the movie with them already being switched into each others bodies and in the opening sequence they will realize that they aren’t themselves.. This will give us more time to think of how we want them to switch bodies.

Making Moves


Hey guys! My group and I have been talking quite a bit and we have some results. We are all on board with everything we have said to one another. One problem we were facing was who the main characters are going to be. At first, I wanted it to be two females. I wanted two females from different worlds that way when they switch bodies, it would cause conflict. Anyways, now that we have the main characters established, we just need the actual actors. Alan and I didn’t know any females that would be willing to sit through about two weeks of shooting. So we were considering changing up the characters so we could actually find actors available. I personally didn’t mind being in the video but Layla and Alan don’t want to be in it, so that idea wouldn’t work. Layla ended up asking two of her friends if they would be in the project. She explained how it was for our media studies project and that it would take a lot of availability. Both girls were fine with being filmed and their schedule works because they are free a lot. I’m so glad we were able to find two females that were willing to participate.





Another small issue we had was scheduling. Layla and I have work and she is pretty limited on time. She works 4 days a week and I get a random schedule. I get my work schedule for a week in advance but any day of the week I could be put to work. I plan on taking days off if necessary to ensure that I can be their with my team when filming or planning. Aside from this, there aren’t any problems. I’m really glad we were able to overcome this obstacle and I can’t wait to start shooting. Stay tuned for more.

We talked it over
Hey everyone, I’m back for another post! So, my group members talked over our ideas and picked what exactly we liked from each others ideas. We decided to stick with the idea of two girls switching bodies so that’s good because I wanted that idea to go through. We have also decided to make the main characters be two girls and they are going to be from two different worlds.
I can’t say too much, but my group and I have figured out how we want to layout the opening sequences. I was a bit hesitant as to how this project would work out but I’m seeing a glimpse of hope that it’ll all turn out okay. Just wanted to give a quick update to let you guys know that this project is on the right track. As always, stay tuned for more. :)

Blog Post #4


I’m back everyone! I have been putting in some thought on the outline of the film or at least the film opening. This is what I invision:





An establishing shot of school





Female #1 is introduced and she is walking down the hallways of school all alone. She needs to be shown as someone who doesn’t have many friends and isn’t much of an extrovert.





Female #2 is introduced and she will be shown walking down the hallways of the same school as Female #1 but in the opposite direction. She will be stand out from everyone else with her clothing and be walking with friends all around her.





Both characters will bump into each other walking down the hallways and the popular girl will be mean to the other one. This is gonna show the relationship they have to one another.





5. Then, both characters will be shown walking home in the rain and then they switch bodies.





Now I know what you are thinking! That was kind of direct and straightforward with little detail or context in between. And you are absolutely right! I have no idea how to make them switch bodies. I was thinking that they get struck by lighting, but I have no idea how to edit that?!?! I was also thinking that they both drink some potion from a psychic but then I thought to myself, “Why would some loner girl be at a party?” So yeah, I’m a bit lost. In my next group meeting I am most definitely gonna ask for ideas as to what I can do for when the two girls switch bodies.

Planning, Planning and more Planning!


I was thinking about how my group and I can schedule our shooting. Our goal is to be done a week before the due date. That is one of our primary goals, which means we should start filming soon. In my opinion, we should film at least twice a week. On top of that, something that just came to mind as I write this is we should really be done maybe like a week and a half before the goal that way we also have time to edit. Since this project is due the 7th of April, two weeks before that date will be essential for our success because that will be spring break. Spring break is about 10 days so that is primetime shooting and editing time.


Next, this is what a portion of the film opening is gonna be like.











Now I know it’s not the most detailed but that’s because my group members and I still need to discuss where we want to take our film opening. That is just a portion of the storyboard but again, that’s because I don’t exactly know where to take it. I don’t want to go too far ahead without my group and I agreeing on something. To reiterate, the picture in my head of how I think the story should go is like “Mean Girls” and “Freaky Friday”.











Obviously we still have work to do, but no worries! The outline will be finished this week and filming will most definitely begin either at the end of this week or latest, the beginning of next week. Hope this helped give you guys a clearer image on where this film is gonna go! As always, stay tuned.

Another Update!


So, now that my comedy research is not being put into play, I’m going to have to look up a bit about Drama. Drama films are typically serious and can relate to the audience. Drama films include current issues, problems (internal and external), injustices, racial prejudice, religion and pretty much any conflict that you can think of. This is what my group and I want to focus on. Our film is going to entail a pretty silly theme. As mentioned before, it’s going to be about two people who switch bodies and need to switch back.





Now, I know what you’re thinking, “I’ve already seen this movie!” Well no you haven’t! I thought the same thing, but what I think my group and I should incorporate to make it a bit different is that one of the characters who switched bodies like their new life. It could be about two high school girls from two different worlds that change bodies and one of the girls doesn’t want to switch back. I feel like that would add even more conflict and drama to the film. Now that we know what we want to do, we just need to figure out how we are going to do the shooting. I know that Layla and I have to work and we don’t always know our schedules that far in advance since we get them for one week ahead. If anything, I suppose I could always take off days or at least try to but it doesn’t always work out the way I would like it to. We plan on making a storyboard or at least an outline so that should be out sometime tomorrow. Anyways, stay tuned everyone because this is only the beginning!

We Made A Decision!     

What’s up guys, I have put in quite some thought into deciding on the plot and genre of my film. Although I have done a lot of genre research. I am really considering focusing on drama. One of my group members (Layla) did a lot of research regarding Drama films and conventions. I’ll leave a link to her blog. Recently in class, I participated in a group discussion where members from different groups would meet up and discuss their projects and give constructive criticism to one another. At first I thought it was going to be pointless and that no one was going to talk, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. These group meetings were actually super useful! In the group I was in, we went around in a circle talking about what we each wanted to do with our films or magazines and talked about any problems we had. It really helped to get a different perspective on what I was thinking.

    Anyways, going into the group meetings, I wasn’t sure what to talk about. I honestly had no clue what I wanted the plot to be, let alone the what the genre should be. However, because of the group meetings, I think I have a goop idea of what I want to do now. Before that, I am going to discuss what my group members, Alan and Layla, found out. Alan proposed the idea of a horror film that is about this person doing a live stream on a website like Twitch where they play a board game and end up getting sucked into it. It’s like a combination of the films “Unfriended” and “Jumanji”. At first, it seemed like an interesting idea, but I don’t feel like it would be as entertaining as I would like and just wouldn’t appeal to the audience because the idea it somewhat like "Jumanji". "Jumanji" is just so popular and well done that our film with such a similar idea would never compare. Next, Layla mentioned her idea was about two strangers who switched bodies and they don’t know whose body they're in and the rest of the film would be about them having to figure out who they are and how to switch bodies back. I liked this idea more because I feel like the film opening would be more enticing and would draw in the audience better. Lastly, my idea was about two kids who were in love when they were younger but end up going their own ways as they grow up and leave school. They end up meeting each other randomly a while into their future. They both want to rekindle their love and romance but the man is married with kids. So the film would be about the male and female trying to deal with their love while dealing with external conflicts.

    My group members and I discussed our ideas and talked about which ones we liked best. In the end, we decided on going with Layla’s idea about the two people switching bodies. First of all, it seemed like it would be fun to film and would also appeal to our target audience best which is teens to young twenty year-olds. My group and I are going to be working on a storyboard and go into more detail about our film opening and the direction we want to take this film. Stay tuned :)

More Research!

   

Hey guys, It’s me again! I spent quite some time researching about the genre comedy. There are many conventions for comedy. To elaborate, most comedy films use diegetic sound when getting to the punch line of a joke. This is done so the dialogue can be heard clearly and can be laughed at. On the other hand, non diegetic sound is also used to put emphasis on laughter. The setting for most scenes are happier places or in crowded areas. In slapstick comedies, props are very common and crucial for most jokes.


Aside from this, many characters are used such as “idiotic” characters. These types of characters are usually laughed at and are the butt of the joke. Another type of character portrayed is the “awkward” one who is also laughed at a lot. As you might have guessed through the name of the character, many jokes are based off of his interaction in social environments and daily life. The last type of character that I feel is worth mentioning is the “eccentric” kind. This character is super hyper and is usually loved by fans. He or she is often used as the sidekick of the protagonist.


Comedic films come in different shapes and sizes. One comedy I think is worth talking about is Slapsticks. These comedic films issue jokes through pain or funny actions such as someone falling down stairs or being slapped. It’s physical actions that are meant to humour others. Another kind are “Gross out” films that often include sexual innuendos and vulgar humor. A perfect example of this type of movie is “Dumb and Dumber” or “American Pie”. These are personally the types of comedies I would like to focus on, obviously I would choose just one but these interest me the most and seem most appealing. Comedy is also a subgenre that works with many other genres like.


All in all, some really important things I noted while researching comedy films. Timing is really important for jokes. The main characters are usually famous people or actors that are already well known. This is especially important for when the film is being marketed and campaigned. The plots can be absurd or kind of out there because the main emphasis is on making the audience laugh. Even though I’ve done some research, I still plan on learning more and taking note of what I love most. Can’t wait to post again so stay tuned!

    

    

Comedy Genre Research Part One

Comedy is my favorite genre. The whole point of comedy is illicit laughter. If a comedy film does not do this then the film will be ruined. Who would ever want to watch a comedy but not laugh? Anyways, comedy is will be easily integrated into other genres making it a sub-genre. Most comedy films rely on a specific actor for success. Take Kevin Hart for example, he is known for being funny. Any time someone thinks of Kevin Hart, they most likely think of comedy. Comedy has many types of different characters. For example: the main characters are typically people who acts When I do more research I’ll go more into detail about characters just because there are so many different kinds that will be focused on. Plots in comedy can really be anything. They will be about someone trying to overcome a personal obstacle, to being a hero, to being an underdog. Basically, comedy will be incorporated into any plot. One thing that most plots in comedy films have in common is that they usually have a happy ending. That is one consistent recurring theme throughout comedy films. The first step for my group and I is to think of the type of comedy we want whether it be: action comedy, romantic comedy, black comedy, horror comedy, dramatic comedy, etc. We have so much to choose from! Aside from that, we also need to think of how we want to present the main characters and in what fashion. Needless to say, my group and I still have a long road ahead of us, but we are ready to take on the challenge! Stay tuned because I plan on going into more detail about this genre very soon.

Music Marketing Project


As of a few days ago I completed my Music Marketing Campaign. It was lots of fun to be honest. The most entertaining part was filming the music video. My group and I went to multiple locations and filmed a bunch of shots. My group and I were required to study the music industry and provide a marketing campaign along with a form of distribution for a new artist that we want to promote to the public. That being said, Ashton Stone was born and he was a new up and coming artist just trying to make it in the word. I’m gonna tell you guys a bit more on what exactly we did to prepare for the project.





We started by researching our the genre we wanted Ashton to be a part of and music groups that define themselves as being a part of that genre. We found two perfect case studies that we felt could represent what we want Ashton to be like. Ariana Grande was the first case study. Although she is a female, we wanted Ashton to act similarly. Not feminine, but to be heavily involved on social media like she is, and to be able to tour the world and have fans everywhere. Ariana Grande has rose to fame quickly and is making headlines every other day it seems like on popular article.