Filming Day 1

    Hey blog!! Today was a super exciting day because it was my first day filming the project. I filmed the first few shots of my opening scene right after school with a few of my friends. It went super smoothly and the lighting was exactly like how I envisioned. I still need to edit it and filter it to make it a little more warm but overall I am very happy with how they turned out. 

   I filmed the very first scene which is the one in the car. This scene was showing the girls driving to the beach singing and having a fun time. Before you question my driving skills WE WERE VERY SAFE. I happen to be an amazing driver and while I was singing and having fun filming I was paying VERY CLOSE attention to driving. Anyways now that you guys don't think I was trying to kill my friends, back to the scene. I will be editing in a song during these couple of seconds to create the vibe of the girls having fun. I am so so grateful for my friends Emily Reveiz, Sophia Villamizar and Sofia Morales for helping me out while filming, they were absolutely amazing and made the process so much fun. Tomorrow I will be filming majority of the beach scenes with them again so stay tuned for tomorrows blog!!

Here is me and my friend Sofia during the filming process!!

CCR Planning #1 and #2

Hey guyss today I am planning on how I am gonna do my CCR and how to make it fun and creative.

Before that though I need to figure out how I am going to answer the questions I need to answer. The first question I need to answer is:

"HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCT USE OR CHALLENGE CONVENTIONS AND HOW DOES IT REPRESENT SOCIAL GROUPS OR ISSUES"

To answer this I need to really consider the following...

• Discussing genre conventions
• which genre conventions I chose to challenge or why I chose not challenge genre conventions
• Discuss representation

The second question I need to answer is:

"HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCT ENGAGE WITH AUDIENCES AND HOW WOULD IT BE DISTRIBUTED AS A REAL MEDIA TEXT"

To answer this I need to...

• Discuss how I arrived at my target audience
• Discuss how my choices engage my target audience
• Discuss how I plan to make my film available to audiences
• Consider how I am doing this since I am an amateur film maker

How am I gonna make this creative you may ask... WELL while I was typing this blog, I thought of the literal best idea in the world. Since my film is a treasure hunt, why not do the same for the CCR. AMAZING RIGHT?? Anyways, to do this I am going to do a mini scavenger hunt where on the way to find the "prize" at the end I need to answer two questions. There will be hints on where I need to go to find the questions that will then lead me to the prize at the end which will be a signed autograph picture and the props I used in the film. There will only be 2 stops located around the park area in my neighborhood before the prize which is going to be question 1 and 2 which I must answer to get my next hint that leads me to the prize. 

This CCR part will be filmed in my neighborhood since I have a large park and grass area.

Group Discussion 2

   Hi blog!! Today we had our second group discussion. It was the exact same as last time; we got assigned a groujp and we all talked about our plans and how we can all help each other improve. I was given a couple critiques on how I should go about filming. 

   One of my group members told me I should download an app called final cut camera to make filming on my phone simpiler and help enhance the camera quality. He also told me it would be a good idea to use imovie when creating my film to make the process easier for me.

   The actual critiques I got were to make my jar look a little more destroyed since it is supposed to be old and washed up. They said I should maybe color it to make it look as like it actually was missing for years. They also told me to make sure the weather is good and sunny for when I film to make sure my shots come out perfect. They also told me to make sure I add dialogue in my film (which I was already planning), since they were worried it may look to much like a montage.

   One thing my group complimented about my project was my map. They said it looked really good and very realistic. I am super proud of this!!

So my overall take away from the tips I got was that...

• Use final cut camera
• imovie
• fix jar (make it messy)
• I have a great map
• make sure weather is good
• have a lot of dialogue

Here is my amazing group that helped me out!! :)

Creating my Props (part 2)

   Hey guys!! Today I finally finished my jar I will be putting my map in!! When I went to the craft store the other day looking for the color to make my map, I also looked for jars or bottles I can place the map in. I ended up buying a mason jar because I had a vision for it. I also bought a couple of warm colored charms to hot glue on the top of this jar just to give it more personality! I am really happy with how it turned out and think it fits perfectly with the other elements in my film.

Here is the finished jar!!

Creating my props (part 1)

   Hi guys!! This weekend I worked on creating my props for when I begin filming next week. I decided to look at some films that include a map to get an idea of what they sorta look like. I noticed they all have a old yellowy brown tint to them, so I went to a craft store close by and went to look for watercolors that look like that same color most maps have in films. Unfortunately they did not have what I was looking for, BUT... I found a marker that was just the color I was looking for!! I then went home and searched online black and white maps in images that look not cartoon like because I want this to look very realistic. After a long, long, LONG time I finally found one that was not super cartoon and pirate like. I then printed it and colored it all in. I then crumbled it so that way it looked distressed so it looked even more normal and realistic.

Here is the end result!!

Its gonna be rolled up and tied with a beige ribbon when I place it in the jar I am working on making. 

Audio

    Hi blog! Today I wanted to focus on what audio elements I want to add to my film. I am searching for 3 things: 

• a song
• bird sounds
• soft wind and waves

Most of the sounds I am using are going to be natural that I made myself or found in nature. Since I am filming at the beach, most of my sounds will be diegetic. I really want to find a song that represents the beach and the girls very well.

   I found a website that I will put the link for below. I went through many of these websites to find copyright free music I can use for my opening that I actually liked and felt matched the vibe I was going for. The song is called "Get out of my way". This is PERFECT for the characters because they do not let anything stop them from chasing after the gold and what they want.

Uppbeat

   While searching the website, I also saw that they had sound effects as well. This website was where I found other sound effects such as wind blowing palm trees, bird sounds, and soft beach waves. Although I will be getting a lot of these sounds in real life, I wanted to have these as well to make the sounds more dramatic and noticeable.

Creation of my Company Logo

   Hi blog!! I decided to make my logo for my film company today, it is called DCR productions. It is called this since it is my initials which makes it my own! 

   I wanted to make it a sun since my film is going to be almost entirely outdoors and at the beach in the daylight. I thought the golden sun logo would fit my aesthetic perfectly! 

   Not only does it match my films aesthetic, but the sun has a deeper meaning. It represents a source of hope and energy. It gives off a very positive vibe, bringing a sense of peace and a fresh start to the world every single day.

  Here is my logo:

I love this logo because its very simple and elegant. It is very neutral and is going to match any background it is put on. This logo also represents me since it uses my initials and my favorite color!!

Character Development

   Hi guys!! For my character development I wanted to research Gen-Z. I think researching the overall about teenagers is important to developing my character. Gen Z is basically the first generation that was born with a phone in their hand. Since they’ve always had the internet, they’re very good at finding stuff out and calling out anything that feels fake. Their personality is very unserious and laid back. Since I am Gen-Z I know our whole vibe is fully based on jokes and memes since we don't take a lot of things that seriously. We are very good at knowing how to live and adjust to the world around us and to figure out stuff the smartest way possible. 

How am I going to Develop my Character:

   I am going to use all that I know about Gen-Z and mostly myself when making my character. I kind of want the main girls to just represent who me and my friends are in real life. I feel like if I make the characters most like me in real life it will perfectly match the idea I have in my head of how I want the characters to be. 

   I really want all the girls to be super adventurous and outgoing. I want them to not take life too seriously and find light in every situation. I want the to always make jokes about everything but still are intelligent when it comes to finding their way in this whole journey. I want them to be determined to get the treasure and not ever want to give up on anything. 

How will I show this in the Intro:

   Although I only have 2 minutes to develop some parts of my character, I want the intro to focus on how fun and free these girls are. I want them to always be happy and brighten the place when they enter. This will be important for the rest of the film after the opening to show that they are never going to be ket down by any set back.

Lighting

    The next thing I want to consider for my project is the lighting. The things I need to consider are what time of day I want to film, the type of filters I want to use, and the extra lighting. 

   I definitely want to film it in the middle of the day around like 1pm when the sun is at its peak. I really want to make my film appear as natural as possible. I want it to just look like the audience is watching a friend group at the beach in real life rather than a fake or mythical look. 

  For the filtering, I want to use a warm toned filter on top of my film just to give it more of a golden undertone and give it a soft, sunny quality to the clips. For example, in the tv show Outer Banks, the creators put an orange brownish color undertone filter on top of the film to give it more of a sunny and "golden hour" kind of vibe. This really adds to the vibe of the tv show and makes it very pleasant to watch.

Here are some scenes from the show that show this filter very well:

   Moving along, I also need to consider addition lighting (like flashlights etc.). There is one scene I would like to use a flashlight that will be considered a prop in my film. When the girls find the item in the sand they pull a flashlight out to see it better when the low angle is present. This will show that the girls are looking at an unknown object.

   All of these lighting strategies are gonna ensure that my film is going to give the right impression with what vibe I am going for. All of them are gonna work together to create the overall vibe of my film!!

Props

    When I am free this week I am going to create a map for the most important part of my opening scene. The map will be found in the sand when the girl steps on it, but the map is going to be inside some sort of item. I am considering having the item be in a bottle, but I feel like that is way to basic. I want to try and make something that looks realistic but also really cool. I want the map to have a circle around a location and say that there is the lost gold located there. The map is going to be of their state rather than the world just because I feel like it is unrealistic for teenagers to be traveling around the world for this gold.

    I am super excited to create this since I grew up on these kinds of movies and I feel like I know how I am going to incorporate the map into the film without making it look unnatural. If I end up doing the bottle, I am going to make the teens sort of make a joke out of it because that is a very gen-z teenager thing to do. I think the easy would be to do the bottle since I am unsure where else I would find something to fit the map. I could try and find and create a box for this map aswell. 

   After thinking about it, I feel like the box could be my better option since it is more natural to find than a message in a bottle. I am going to make the box look very old and faded so that way it shows that this box has not been seen or found in a very long time or even ever. The map will also be the same way since it was inside the old box. 

Costuming

    This week I am trying to get all of my ideas put together so that way I can begin the filming process. Today I wanted to focus on costuming!

   I want my costuming to be a very specific look. I am going for a very specific costal casual style. I want it to be super beachy, like baggy t-shirts, jean shorts, tank tops and bathing suits. I am going for very warm toned clothing items since it is going to match the aesthetic I am going for. I want to also include a lot of beachy jewelry, such as puca shell necklaces or other kinds of shells and suns. I also want to include other accessories like sunglasses and flipflops just to add on to the costal vibe. 

Overall, the vibe I am going for is EXTREMELY casual since my characters are not rich in any way shape or form and they live on the beach so the costuming is attempting to match that aesthetic

   An example of this is shown in the show my main inspiration is from, Outer Banks. Actor, Madeline Cline wears the exact same vibe I am referencing while playing Sarah Cameron in Outer Banks.

I found this website that helped guide me when figuring out the clothing style of my main inspiration!!

Outer Banks Costuming

Another film I looked at that matched the vibe perfectly was Blue Crush. This is another beachy film that is fully based on surfing. The costuming is a lot like Outer Banks with the warm, bright colors, jean shorts, and bikinis. Here are some pictures of actor Kate Bosworth playing Anne Marie wearing her outfits!!

Titles

   Hi blog!! While making my storyboard, I realized.... I have NO TITLE. I am trying to come up with something super simple but represents my film very well. I would like one word that means something to the film. I came up with a few different ideas.

Here are the ideas I am considering:

• Unburied
• Drift
• Tides of Gold
• High Tide
• Washed up
• The hunt
• Gold Rush

After thinking about it, the one that I feel works the best is for my film is "Unburied". The reason I really like this title is because it is very simple, short and direct. It gets the point across that this movie is going to be about what the girls "unbury" from the sand. I also chose this because it fit the best on the screen with the way I want to show the title in the film. So yeah!! My title for my film is going to be "Unburied"!!

Storyboard

    This week I created my storyboard to gather my thoughts into shot ideas. Obviously my drawings are not the best but it give me and you the general idea of what I am going for!!

This storyboard is going to be used as my guide to create the opening scene of my film and help me to bring it to life!!

Types of Shots

 Researching Types of Camera Shots, Angles and Movements I Can Use for my Film

   Hello!! Today I wanted to focus on what kind of shots I should be thinking about doing. I researched different kinds of camera shots, angles and movements typically used in drama films to make them more dramatic. Instead of just filming, directors use these views to show emotion and power.

Camera Shots

Here are the main shots I found when researching drama films:

• Close-ups- They are used to focus on faces to show raw feelings.

• Medium shots- They show characters from the waist up to highlight conversations.

• Still shots-  They are used to keep the camera steady to build tension.

• Extreme Close-Up- This is used to zoom in on a specific detail, like just the eyes or a ringing phone. It’s used to show intense focus.

• Full Shot- This is used to show the character’s entire body from head to toe. It’s used to show how a character fits into their surroundings.

• Two Shot- A shot that keeps two people in the frame at the same time. It focuses on the connection between them

• Moment of Drama- (This was a new technique I learned from a video I watched that I will put down below), but this shot, the camera is stable and it starts as a closeup shot. The camera doesnt move the entire time, but the character slowly steps back either in shock or fear.

Camera Angles

Here are the main angles I found when researching drama films:

• High/Low angles- They are used to look down to make someone look weak, or look up to make them look powerful.

• Eyeline match- This angle is used to show the character glancing at something off screen to then cut to show what their looking at. It also makes the character feel equal to the audience, creating a sense of connection and empathy.

• Dutch Angle- This angle is a tilted angle that creates the sense of confusion, madness, or chaos.

Camera Movements

Here are the main camera movements I found when researching drama films:

• Slow zoom in- The camera moves toward a character's face very slowly. It signals that the character is having a deep thought, a realization, or is about to say something very important.

• Pan- Used to move the camera from left to right to either follow the character or to show new information

• Tilt- Used to move the camera up and down

• Handheld- Used to make the shots appear shaky and natural.

Overall, all of these techniques work together to make the movie a Drama. All these camera techniques show feelings without using words. Changing how the camera moves or looks makes you feel what the characters feel. This makes a simple story feel real and emotional. I am definitely going to be incorporating a lot of these camera techniques to create my teen drama film opening.

Here are the videos I watched to get more ideas:

9 Best Camera Movements to Create Drama

Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles: Every Camera Shot Explained [Shot List, Ep. 3]

Group Discussion

Group Meeting Day!

 Today we had our first group discussion! For this we got put in random groups just to share our ideas, discuss obstacles and possible ways to overcome these obstacles, Share useful resources, Offer suggestions and ideas and Offer honest, constructive criticism. 

 This meeting really helped me decide what would be the best way to go about filming my opening scene. After sharing my idea, my group gave me good feedback on how I can fit all the things I want to put in the my scene in two minutes. They told me to cut it where the kids find the artifact and not knowing what it is yet to build more suspense. They also told me I should film during the afternoon when the sun is at its peak for the day and add a warm toned filter to add on the the overall beachy vibe. One of my group members even shared and app I can download on my phone to make sure my film looks professional and good. This app is called Final cut camera.

  This group meeting also allowed me to get more ideas of good ways to film, and also future blog post topics to share with you guys! I was able to ask questions about things I were unsure about with my film and they shared honest and good feedback that really helped me out. I also got to help my group members out by listening to their ideas and considering how they can improve them. I helped with things like how to make the film more smooth, costuming, editing techniques, and even where to go to film their shots.

   Overall, this group meeting really helped guide me in where to go with my film and what I should add to make it the best possible. Hearing feedback from others made me realize what would be best for my film and am overall super happy with how it turned out!! 

My Film

I Made my Decision....

   After considering the options I had for my film I finally decided I want to do a teen drama similar to Outer Banks. 

The story I am creating follows three teenage girls who are all best friends living a tough, working-class life where they constantly juggle school and part-time jobs to help pay rent and just survive. One morning, they decide to ditch their classes to hit the beach and go surfing before having to work in the afternoon. What was going to just be a fun, peaceful day turned into a life-changing day for these girls. While at the beach one of the girls steps on something in the sand. After digging it up they realized it was some kind of ancient artifact. Curious about what this was, the girls went back home and looked it up on their computer. Realizing what it was, the girls are excited about the journey they are about to go on. 

I am super excited to create this piece since it is something I know a lot of teens my age can relate to. It is also a super fun and exciting journey they get to see.