My Creative Critical Reflection

Please enjoy my commentary on the creative process of this film opening!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1zgOjW7xgdTbXJyT2lqSlpYQ1k

"Beyond the Screen" Opening

Here is my film opening, enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1zgOjW7xgdTcVh2ZTMyZC1Bcms

Editing

As of right now, I am almost finished editing my video, but there are still many details that need polishing and decisions that need to be made.

I still need to find a copyright free song, but yesterday I started browsing through Ben Sound and they seem to have a good selection to choose from. I'm thinking about doing an upbeat jingle to demonstrate how this is Allison's normal day and how she's quite content with her life, but that all changes once she get into a car accident that kills someone, then she realizes the thing that made her the happiest is the thing that has ruined her. My video is about 2 minutes and 4 seconds long, so I need to shorten almost all the clips and show only what's necessary. Also, I'm a tad concerned about the credits because my film opens with credits written on the phone screen as the alarm but in the third shot I added more credits just written on the screen (rather than the something in the narrative world) because there was a slight pause at the end of the shot and it felt like a good place to put it. But, I'm not exactly sure as to where the next few credits should go. I'm thinking that I can add one on the shot where I'm brushing my teeth on the bottom left corner. I think I should space them out throughout the whole opening and end the opening with the title, since this two minute video is the introduction to the actual film.

The plan is to finish editing tomorrow and begin the CCR, but I want to be completely done with the whole project by Monday. Let's cross our fingers and see how this goes!

My Film's Purpose

As I was browsing through the internet, I came across an article about a 13-year-old girl who jumped onto the subway tracks in Queens to retrieve her phone. She was pronounced dead at Elmurst Hospital Center. As I was reading the article all I kept saying to myself is "this is why I'm doing what I'm doing." I'm sure the girl didn't realize the danger of jumping on the tracks, but why was it her first instinct to put her life on the line for a cell phone? I know what it's like to be a naive middle schooler, but I can't help but wonder if someone older, someone "wiser" would do this sort of thing. Then I realized that they do; everyday people risk their lives by texting and driving or driving with headphones on. The latter, by the way, is absolutely ridiculous since listening to music through speakers is much better. But it baffles me how this obsession has lead us to walk along the line of life and death. This encompasses the main purpose of my film, which is to demonstrate how this obsession we have with our phones has reached the point where it becomes dangerous. Although this is just a project that won't be seen by many, I hope that just by showing this to my peers, it can make them more aware and lead them to make a change in their lives. Through this process, as I mentioned previously, I came to realize how much I consume media and how it's my instinct to just scroll through Twitter whenever I'm bored. Well, I stayed off of Twitter for a full 2 weeks and now I only go on occasionally. This may not seem like a big deal, but I feel that now I have more time, I'm not just wasting it reading insignificant posts. If just creating this film opening has made some sort of impact on me, I hope that it can do the same for someone else.

The Filming Process

So, yesterday everything almost went according to plan. When we first started out, it went fine, until Juliette made a few suggestions and began questioning me on what the plot of my movie was and how this intro would flow into the actual film. I know she meant this only to help me, but it lead me to second guess myself and feel as though the whole film opening didn't even make sense. I then quickly tried to come up with other ideas for my film opening. I came up with an (awful) idea that still revolved around my plot, just a different film opening. Then I began thinking that the problem was the plot, so I thought that my new movie would open with a voiceover of a young teen introducing herself through her journal entry. After considering this idea for several silent, awkward minutes, Juliette said to just keep filming my original film opening and we'd work around it. So we went out to the car to continue filming, where it was apparent I was frustrated and just wanted to stop. So after sitting silently in the car for several more silent moments and after I banged my head on the steering wheel a few times, we drove back to my house. 

She suggested I try filming alone to get more of an idea on what I wanted, rather than continuing to doubt myself because of some constructive criticism. I usually do well with constructive criticism because it's actually meant to help you, but in that moment I became overwhelmed thinking about how this project is due in a week.

It went a lot smoother filming on my own because I didn't feel self conscious about someone watching what/how I was filming, which made the project enjoyable, rather than stressful. My favorite part was setting up the "stage" for the scene and moving my props to coordinate with the rule of thirds. I'm quite excited to see how this editing process goes, which I started today!!! Hopefully, I will be done in the next few days with the actual film opening so I can begin working on my CCR.

Developing My Character

If I'm going to be shifting the focus from the smartphone to the owner of the smartphone, I need to consider who she is.

My character's name is Allison Pierce and she is a 17-year-old high school junior. Her father was born and raised in California and is of English decent, hence the surname Pierce. Her mother was born in Venezuela and at the age of 10, her family moved to Florida in pursuit of a better life. Her parents met in South Florida while attending college. They are not a religious family, however her mother is always insisting they go to church. Some of Allison's fears include spiders and swimming. When she was young she fell into the pool and almost drowned, since the incident she has refused to step foot in a body of water. She has absolutely no idea what she wants to study in college, nor what career she wants to pursue. She is an average student and always does the bare minimum. Her favorite class is Anatomy, where they are always doing dissections and cool labs. Some of her positive personality traits are that she's kind, generous, and is always willing to help someone.
Some of her negative personality traits are that she isn't observant, she's lazy, and she believes everything she hears--no matter how ridiculous the information sounds. A defining moment in her life will be the car accident she causes and kills a middle-aged man because she was texting and driving. This moment will lead her to get off her phone and start paying more attention to the world around her.

Take Two

Tomorrow, hopefully around noon, Juliette is coming over to my house to wrap up filming. For the scenes that take place at school, I'm going to go to my local library and depending on how realistic the setting looks, I may or may not have to film the scenes at school. The one scene I know I have to film in school is the wide shot of my character walking through the hall after class. To make it realistic, the hallway has to be packed with students. I am, however, nervous about the quality of this shot because the whole film opening is filmed on a fancy camera, whereas this scene will be filmed on my iPhone.

Something I just considered for this particular shot is having the other students in the hallway also be on there phones in order to emphasize that it isn't just one teen who has an obsession with her phone--it's everyone. This may be difficult seeing as people are always in a rush after class and they're strangers, so I may just have to relay on the students to already be on their phones when the camera is rolling. Now I'm thinking for the mid-shot, where my character is eating dinner with her family, the mother can make a comment referring to something on Facebook, implying that she's also on her phone while they're eating dinner. I don't want to stray too far from my opening's main purpose, so I'll have to think about this.

Mistakes to Watch Out For

In order to better prepare myself, I watched a YouTube video titled "Top 15 Mistakes Beginner Filmmakers Make." As I watched the video, I compiled a list of tips I could refer to when the next time I film.

• Your character needs goals in order to tell the story and to keep it interesting
• Don't forget about sound
• Watch out for dead space; use the rule of thirds
• Doorways add depth to the screen
• Don't have plain white walls in the background; posters/frames make for a more interesting background
• Make sure you use good lighting techniques; "scenes that are not lit typically look flat"
• Don't add unnecessary insert shots
• No lingering shots, it slows down the pace of the scene
• Motion helps tell the story
• Try to keep the cliches to a minimum 
• If you use a cliche, do something to make unique and interesting
• Make sure music matches whats on screen

Storyboard #3

So as I was finishing my third storyboard, I realized that I completely shifted focus from the smartphone to the the owner of the smartphone. Although I really liked the idea of the film focusing on just the smart phone, I'm enjoying the idea of following this character on her average day and capturing this obsession she has with her phone. I think by following a person, rather than a smart phone, makes the film more relatable to viewers. I will continue to consider this newly emerged idea...

This storyboard begins the same way the others do-- close-up of the phone, wide shot with a pan, and an over-the-shoulder of the character brushing her teeth. The video will then cut to an over-the-shoulder/mid-shot of the character watching YouTube videos as she is getting dressed. This will be a mid-shot so we won't actually see the character getting dressed, but it will be implied. The video will then cut to a mid-shot of the character in the car scrolling through her music list and I'm going to put Juliette's student parking pass on the rear view mirror to hint at the audience that she's going to school. The video will then cut to a mid-shot of character inserting headphones and I'm thinking I can put the camera behind the steering wheel and scoot the driver's seat back so I can get a direct view of the character. I'm thinking of doing a wide shot (possible mid-shot) of the character walking through the parking lot and she'll be on her phone, of course. I think that it may be better to do this same shot but in the school hallway just to emphasize her location, but I'll shoot both just in case. The video will then cut to an over-the-shoulder shot, where the character will be on her phone until the bell rings. I'm thinking the video could then cut to a low angle of the character looking at her phone during class. Maybe the bell could ring again and the character is off to lunch where we will see a two-shot of the character with a friend and she'll be showing her something on her phone (this will have to be shot in the cafeteria to demonstrate that it's lunch time). The camera can then cut to a mid-shot of the character in her car doing the same thing she did that morning. The video will then cut to an over-the-shoulder of the character at home on the couch looking through nonsense on her phone. Next, a mid-shot of the character, who's supposed to be doing homework, procrastinating and going on her phone. According to the article "Eighty-seven percent of high school and college students are self-proclaimed procrastinators," about sixty-seven percent of high school females procrastinate by going on social media, so this will resinate with my audience. The video will proceed with a mid-shot of the character at the dinner table and she will be on her phone texting as she eats. To make it apparent that there are other people dining with her, I'm thinking someone can pass her the salt shaker or something of the sort. The video will conclude with a close-up of the character scrolling in bed where there will be very low lighting and I want to emphasize the bright light of the phone screen. The film opening will fade to black and the title will appear.

A New Idea?

I knew going into this process that I would be branching out and away from my original idea. Since I started my idea, I felt like I was trying to shove too much in my film opening which strayed away from my film's main purpose--to make people aware of how obsessed we all are to our phones and how this obsession can be dangerous. So I was advised to focus on the details. I have to let the audience get to know the character and fully grasp the obsession this character has with her phone. In order to do this, I can't just start the film with the car accident. So I'm thinking the film opening could consist with the character's full day routine and emphasize the little moments (checking phone during class, sending text at stop light, asking to go to bathroom and taking phone with her, etc.) to depict that obsession. Tomorrow I'm going to post a new storyboard and elaborate further.

Personal Research:

Since I began my film, I have been taking note on my own consumption with social media and with my phone. I have deleted most of my social media accounts in the past realizing how much time I wasted scrolling through pointless pictures. But recently I realized deleting the other social media accounts made me increase usage in my only serving accounts: Twitter and YouTube. This completely defeats the point of deleting the other accounts. So I have challenged myself to see how long I can stay off of Twitter and see if I'm able to manage my time better--it's been a day and half and so far it's been pretty good.

First Day Filming

Although I said we were going to start filming on Tuesday and finish on Wednesday, that didn't happen. Juliette and I started started filming on Wednesday and it was different than I anticipated...

Typically people say you shouldn't work with your best friend because you won't get anything done, but we actually got about halfway through the opening. Working with her was a quite difficult at times though because I didn't convey exactly what I'm envisioning for the film opening nor its' purpose. I was also experiencing trouble managing her camera and giving her directions, so this frustrated her which in turn would frustrate me. After a few scenes, we decided to switch places so she got behind the camera and I became the actress. I was still in control and remained the director-- just without having to fumble with the camera.

I think I was expecting the filming process to be easier since I felt that I did a good amount of planning beforehand, but I quickly realized this was not the case. I'm considering changing the content in the film opening a little and also delving more into specifics so hopefully when we film next week, I'll be prepared.

The Time Has Come...

The time has come, I begin shooting this week and I can't lie--I'm a bit nervous. 

My plan is to begin filming on Tuesday and hopefully wrap up any loose ends on Wednesday. When I first considered starting the filming process on Tuesday, I thought that it was too soon and that I needed more time to plan. But, I came to the realization that if I really want my film opening to be good, I'm going to need a lot of time to edit the video; especially since I need to really focus on sound elements. I suppose it's never to early to start that way in the event that anything goes wrong, I still have a few weeks to resolve any issues. 

I'm typically not a picky person and will usually work with whomever, but for this project I knew it was imperative to be particular in choosing the actress who would be playing the teen girl in the film. I need someone who I can be firm with and someone who will take the project seriously. That's why I asked my best friend, Juliette. At first I thought she'd be completely against the idea, but she actually went for it. She's doing the magazine portfolio, so she understands the importance of this project and its' meticulous process. 

Lights, camera, action!

Storyboard #2

Both storyboards are pretty similar, but this one delves more into the specifics and has a different ending than the first one.

The film would begin with a close-up of the phone on a dresser and the alarm clock would go off. On the screen we will see the first opening credit and after a few seconds the character's hand will reach over and grab the phone. The video will cut to a point of view shot (from the phone's perspective), then to an over-the-shoulder shot of the character scrolling through their phone in bed. The video will continue with a wide shot and a pan as the character is getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom. The video will then cut to a close-up of the phone on the back of the toilet and, as I wrote previously, we will hear the sound of the character using the bathroom. Then we will see a close-up of the phone by the sink, where the phone will get a tad wet. We will hear the character pumping soap and turning the water on and off. The video will then cut to an over-the-shoulder shot and the character will be brushing her teeth while simultaneously scrolling through her phone. The video will continue with a close-up of the phone on her dresser and I will use foley sound to emphasize the sound of the character getting dressed and the sound of drawers opening/closing. I'm thinking that as the character is getting dressed she can receive a few text messages to emphasize how she is always on her phone. The video will then cut to a wide shot and a pan of the character leaving her house, once again, I'd focus on the sound of the door closing and locking. The video will continue with a mid-shot of the character getting in her car. I'd focus on the sound of the door closing, the engine starting, and the air conditioner. As the character starts to drive, she will be texting and the camera will zoom-in on the phone (sound of typing will be emphasized). The character will then get into a car accident and to illustrate this, I will use the sounds of cars honking, heavy breathing, screaming, and an animated sound of a car crash. At the same time, the screen will go black (or possibly just cut) and then fade into a close-up of the phone cracked on the street. The camera will then zoom-in on the phone and a text message will come through saying "you there?"

Storyboard #1

I have officially committed to the smart phone film idea! *applause* I'm planning on starting filming next week so I have created a storyboard with one possible way my film can begin.

It would start out with a close-up of the phone on the dresser and the alarm will be going off. Some of the opening credit will be on the phone screen when it lights up and after a few seconds a hand will reach over  and grab the phone. The video will cut to a point of view shot (from the phone's perspective) and it will be a close-up of the character's face, where she will be mindlessly scrolling. As the character is getting out of bed, there will be a wide shot that pans to follow the phone in the girl's hand to the bathroom. The video will cut to a close-up of the phone on the back of the toilet and I'm thinking I could add more opening credits on the phone screen through text messages. While we watch the phone, we will hear the character urinating and then flushing the toilet. The character will then grab the phone and place it down next to the sink, where I'm thinking of having a close-up of the side of the phone and water will splatter on the phone screen. Then I could have an over-the-shoulder shot of the character brushing their teeth whilst on scrolling through their phone. The video will then cut to a close-up of the phone on the counter and we will hear the character getting dressed and trying to figure out what she's going to wear. I will use foley sound to emphasize the sounds of the clothing and drawers opening and closing. I'm thinking that this scene could end with a shirt landing on the phone. I'd continue with the use of a wide shot and pan as the character is exiting her house with her backpack on her shoulder and phone in hand. I will have to emphasize the sound of the door closing and it locking. The video will cut to a mid-shot of the character getting in her car (sound of car door closing) and she will place the phone on her dashboard. As the character is driving away, I will zoom into the phone and the character will be texting and driving. The car, although we won't see it happen it is apparent she is engrossed in her conversation, will begin to swerve. Here is where I really need to focus on sound--the character will yell, we will hear cars honking, and after the incident is over, the character will be breathing heavily. On the phone she will receive a text that says "you there?" Throughout the opening, except when the almost accident happens, an upbeat jingle will softly play in the background .

                                               

The Rubber Tire

My film idea about the smartphone was inspired by the movie "Rubber," directed by Quentin Dupieux. The film follows a serial killer tire, named Robert, and a group of police officers attempting to kill it.

Just by watching the trailer, it is apparent that Dupieux relied heavily on sound whenever the tire is onscreen by itself (the bird, the sand falling off tire, the tire's tantrum, etc.). Sound is so important in this film because it's just a tire, you have to rely on other elements to keep the audience engaged. So, since my film is focused on a smartphone, I need to focus on sound elements, such as the alarm clock going off, the sound of typing, the phone being picked up or being put down, and the voices of teen girls occasionally since we're following the owner of the smartphone's life.

Brainstorming

Currently, I'm considering the different aspects of my third idea before I fully commit to it. This means I have to figure out who my target audience would be, what would my plot be, and what genre it would follow under.

Considering the movie would be about a smartphone and the purpose of the film would be to demonstrate how attached we are to our phones, my target audience actually have to own smartphones. So my target audience would be both women and men because, according to Paw Research Center, there is only a 3% difference in female and male consumption. They would be young teens to young adults (roughly 13-early 20s). In the article A Smart Phone's Bff: Teens and Tweens, cell phone companies target primarily target 13-17-year-olds because they are the most tech-savvy and technologically driven individuals. As for their socio economics status, they would primarily be middle class. 

As for the plot, the film will follow a smartphone belonging to a young teen who, from the moment she wakes up, is on her phone checking her social media accounts and texting. To make the story interesting, since we'll just be watching a smartphone, I'm thinking that the teen could be texting and driving and cause an accident that kills someone. The smartphone would survive the crash and later be returned to it's owner. The rest of the movie could be the teen having to come to terms with what she did and the movie could end with her realizing how dangerous her obsession with her smartphone has become and the final shot would be the girl turning off the phone.

According to the article Texting and Driving Statistics, about 1.6 million crashes occur due to cell usage while driving. This element would allow my target audience to become aware of how reckless we can be because of our constant need to have our phone in hand.

My film would be a drama because it will show my character at their best and because of a tragic conflict they rethink who they are and where there priorities lay.

First Post Ever!

Hi there, my name is Natalie and this is my AICE Media Studies project. So I'm just going to jump right in and tell you the first three ideas that came into my head when we started planning.

So a huge part of my life revolves around running. Back in January I completed my third full marathon and just a few weeks ago I ran a 25 kilometer race with my dad. So naturally my first idea was a film about someone who is running their first marathon. I have a vision for what this opening could be, but I'm quite hesitant on it. Typically when I have to do something creative or when someone asks me what's important to me, I always write or talk about running. I want to do something different, something that will challenge me (cheesy, I know).

My second idea was a story about a brother, mid 20s, and a sister, early teens, who have an absent mother and their father just recently died. The story would follow their chaotic relationship and their struggle to move forward with their lives. If I did this idea, I would want to delve into mental disorders that go along with these traumatic events.

My third idea is a story following a cellphone. Nowadays, people can't go anywhere-literally anywhere- without their phones. So imagine living in a phones' speakers (that's a pun) for a day. The film would open with the alarm going off and follow a teen on his/her typical day, including the bathroom. Something I would have to heavily rely on is sound, since all we'd be watching is a phone. The only thing is I'm not sure what the plot would be...

Stay tuned to see which one I pick, or if I come up with something else!