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Showing posts from December, 2023

Final Task: Genre Research III

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Welcome back guys, I want to look at a few cinematic examples of the mystery genre to further my research. I'll be exploring Rian Johnson's film "Knives Out" today. Camera Angles Movements and Shots: High Angles Low Angles Tracking Shot Eye Levels Establishing Shots Over-the-Shoulder Shots Point-of-View Shots Two Shots Three Shots Mis-En-Scene Character Wardrobe Natural Lighting Naturalistic Makeup Symbolic Props Mansion Setting Editing Inserts Action Match Jump Cut Shot Reverse Shot Fade Out Sound Non-Diegetic Sound Sound Effects I like a lot of things about the film, like the way the old mansion setting creates a spooky and mysterious atmosphere, the way the angles highlight the power dynamics between the characters and advance the plot, the various props, such as the knife in the study, and the diverse outfits that each character wears that correspond to their personality. But I don't particularly like the chosen music; I think it could have sounded more myster

Final Task: Genre Research II

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  Welcome back guys, next, I'll be exploring Kyle Newacheck’s film "Murder Mystery" today. Camera Angles Movements and Shots: Wide Shots Close-Ups Tracking Shots Pans  Eye Level Shots Zoom Medium Close Ups Two Shot High Angles Low Angles Mis-En-Scene Character Wardrobe Varied Lighting Naturalistic Makeup Mystery-Related Props Cruise  Hotel Editing Insert  Fade-Out  Action Match Sound Suspenseful Soundtrack Score I enjoy the variety of camera angles, movements, and shots that are used to show different ideas, like how they showed everything in the scenario with a wide angle, and their distinct clothing, which emphasized the mystery, like when one of the killers removed her hat. The cruise set, however, I dislike it since it keeps a lot of the mystery contained in that one tiny area, making it seem unnaturally small.

Final Task: Genre Conventions I

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  Welcome back guys, finally, I'll be exploring Harry Bradbeer’s film "Enola Homes". Camera Angles Movements and Shots: Low Angles  High Angles Tracking Shots Wide Shots Close-Ups Long Sots Zoom Eye Level Shots Medium Close-Up Mis-En-Scene: Character Wardrobe Naturalistic Lighting Naturalistic Makeup Period-Specific Props Period Set Design Editing: Jump Cuts  Inserts Shot/Reverse Shots Sound: Score Suspenseful Soundtrack Especially in the chase moments, I enjoy how the tracking shots are used during the action scenes. During investigation scenes, Enola's intelligence and drive are revealed through close-ups of her face. I also like the Victorian England set because it provides some historical detail to the plot. But since Mycroft Holmes is portrayed as an antagonist, I don't like the way he acts. His performance, in my opinion, could have been more strongly emotional.

Final Task: Genre Decision

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 It was super interesting researching all these genres. They are all similar and overlap slightly, but they have enough difference to effect a final product. The first genre that I knew I was not going to do was action. Action is usually brash, bloody, and masculine. This does not really fit the vision I had in mind for my movie. This caused me to strike this genre right way! I do think it is a good genre but it is not my favorite. The next genre I am crossing off the list is mystery. I really wanted to do mystery and it was very close to being my genre, however the best part of mystery (the ending) would not be included. If I was doing a longer project then this might've been my choice. So, that leaves thriller! I choose thriller because I really enjoy the conventions of the genre. I think the use of thriller conventions with my project would make a really interesting contrast. This is why I choose this genre!

Final Task: Genre Research III

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This is going to be the last genre that I am researching! This time I am doing mystery, another genre I don't have that much experience with. Let's do it!   Common Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Point-of-View Shots  Low Angle Shots Over-the-Shoulder Shots Dutch Angles Tracking Shots  Extreme Close-ups Bird's Eye View Shots Zoom Shots Common Mis-En-Scene: Dim Lighting Urban Settings Symbolic Objects Cinematic Lighting Cluttered Spaces Character Costumes Common Editing: Cross-cutting Fade-In and Out Cutaways Common Sound: Suspenseful Music Sound Effects Voiceovers Silence  Whispering or Muffled Conversations Examples in Films: "Chinatown" (1974) "Se7en" (1995) "Knives Out" (2019)  "Zodiac" (2007) "Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) I am really enjoying this genre. I like the interesting mental challenge of trying to figure out the mystery and connecting the dots. Also the feeling at the end of the movie is so satisfying

Final Task: Genre Research II

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 I am continuing my research on genre! This time I am working on thrillers. Let's get into it. Common Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Close-ups  High and Low Angles Tracking Shots  Overhead Shots  Pan POV Shots  High Angles Common Mis-En-Scene: Low Lighting Urban Landscapes Confined Spaces Technology and Surveillance Masks and Disguises Common Editing: Jump Cuts Inserts Fade-Outs Common Sound: Silence  Subtle Ambient Sounds  Eerie Noise Examples in Films: "Psycho" (1960) "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)  "The Sixth Sense" (1999) "Prisoners" (2013) I love this genre! I don't watch many thrillers but I love the conventions. I think this genre will really suit my pitch. The only thing about this genre that could be an issue is that most of the time there can be a lot of gore. However, there are some thrillers which do not have a lot of blood and guts. (such as Midsommer!) 

Final Task: Genre Research I

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Hey! In this blog I am researching action movies to help me understand the conventions of my genre. I also need to decide which genre to use and why. Like I said, I am researching the action genre today. I don't really watch action movies so this will be pretty new to me! To be honest, it's not really my favorite but I want to make sure I give it a chance. Common Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Wide Shots Long Shots  Tracking Shots Aerial Shots Close-ups  Pan  Extreme Long Shot  Low Angle Shots Point-of-View Shots Common Mis-En-Scene: Natural Settings Protagonist Attire Artifact Props Natural Lighting Special Effects Common Editing: Cross-cutting  Dissolve Action Match Jump Cuts Inserts Common Sound: Epic Scores Dialogue  Sound Effects  Silence  Nature Sounds Examples in Film: "Indiana Jones" series "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy "Pirates of the Caribbean" series "Jurassic Park" (1993).     

Final Task: Pitching it

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 Pitch A: A girl gets lost on her way to her school, and finds a mysterious park where there are many strange creatures and the laws of the natural world do not seem to apply. She looses herself in the happening of the park dwelling creatures, but not to no cost to her life before. Pitch B: A group of teenage girls pushed to the fringes by society find themselves in each other and discover the magic of girlhood. Their magic opens a passageway between their bedroom and a strange beach where time passes much slower than their dull reality. I might go with pitch A because it could be fun to film and would be unqiue. However, it would be a challenge to film the creatures. It is also set in a park which I already have in mind which means planning will be much easier. I will also only use one actor which would make filming easier. I think pitch A is the most practical option which would allow me to plan fast and come out with a beautiful product.   Pitch B is a little generic but I think it

Final Task: Staying solo!

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  When it came to this project, I made the deliberate choice to go solo. The reason behind it is that I have a very specific vision in mind. I didn't want to impose my vision on others and make things complicated. Plus, dealing with all the logistics of a group didn't seem very appealing. At one point, I did consider joining a group because teamwork can be beneficial and could help pick up some slack . However, upon further thought, I concluded that I'd be more effective working independently. I do recognize the value of collaboration in general. But for this particular project, I genuinely believe that a solo approach is the way to go. It's essential to acknowledge that this project is substantial and challenging. Despite the workload, I believe that working alone will minimize potential hurdles. Going solo allows me to maintain full control over the project's direction and execution. It ensures that my vision is realized without any compromises. Sometimes, group d

Final Task: Introduction!

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 My name is Ellis. I am 15 years old and I go to Fort Lauderdale High School. I enjoy to read, collect, and annotated books. I organize them on my shelf by color, even though some people think its inefficient. To me, my bookshelf makes sense. To others it can be a little confusing but my bookshelf is just for me anyways. I love Art and painting. I am creative and value my originality. I am confident and I like to speak my mind. One of the most important things in my life are my friends, and they mean the world to me. I show my love by planning things for us to do together and making sure everyone enjoys them. I love to take pictures of my friends and have a large collection of photos and videos of them. I love to dress well. I have a lot of clothes and use a lot of thought when picking them out in the mornings. Usually, I have a very specific vision and stick to it, which I believe creates my best work. I think up the concept and create it, no matter the effort I have to put in. Some p