Genre Research: A Quiet Place

Common Camera Angles: 
-Tracking: When the family is walking around the store
-Low angle: When the deaf girl is standing over the counter looking at her mom
-High angle: When the deaf girl is laying in the sand
-Long shot: Right before the boy gets taken by the monster
-Close up: When the mom is giving birth

Common Mis-En-Scene:
-Costume: They all wear normal clothes, except they are barefoot. They do not wear shoes so they do not make noise.
-Lighting: Natural light from the outside. Low key lighting because it got dark in the house.
-Actors: A family of five. Three children and a mom and a dad.
-Makeup: The makeup is natural and light. Their hair is a little messy.
-Props: Backpacks, a gun, a toy airplane
-Setting: The setting in this movie is mostly a house that looks normal on the outside, but is weird on the inside. Everything in the house is close together to show that the family wants to keep close. It also takes place in the woods.

Common Sound:
-Diegetic: The breathing, walking, wind,  keys, and running at the beginning
-Non-Diegetic: The toy airplane, the static from the radio,  the monsters, and the animals
-Incidental: When something big is going to happen or to show things over time.
-Score: When they put on the headphones when they are dancing

Common Editing:
- Shot reverse shot: When the mother and son are having a conversation
-Jumpcut: Throughout the movie
-Fade out: At the end of the movie

Common Elements:
Common elements include running and this creates suspense. Fights between the villain and the "good guys" are also common. In this case, it would be between the monsters and the family.

Elements I liked about this genre:
What I liked about this is suspense, since there was not that much sound it made the suspense bigger. I was able to feel everything I usually would if there was sound.

Elements I did not like about this genre:
What I did not like the close up of the monster those the end of the movie.

Genre Chosen for the Final Task

In total, our group researched three different types of movie genres which include action, thriller, and dance. Out of the three genres, our group decided that our final task would fall under the genre of thriller. Our final task will be deemed as a thriller because the plot of the final task would revolve around the idea of someone being kidnapped. Particularly, the victim in the final task will be the person being kidnapped and the friend who tries to rescue the victim ends up taken out. The final task wouldn't be under the dance genre because our plot for the final task wouldn't fit the elements that go into a dance film. Additionally, the final task wouldn't entirely be under the action genre either because the plot of the movie wouldn't include a main protagonist vs. antagonist or the fight/rescue scenes that go into a typical action movie. Overall, the group settled on our genre to be a thriller since it fits well with the idea of the final task.

Finding Our Genres

The two additional genres our group decided to research on, besides dance, was action and thriller.

Genre: 

Action

Common Camera Angles:

High angles, in action films, are used to portray how the figure appears physically small and meek 

Low angles, in action films, are used to portray how the figure appears physically bigger and stronger 

Medium shots are used to distinguish what the actor is holding or elaborating with their hands (medium shot only shows the actors waist and up)

Two shot in action films are used to show the actors either engaging in a conversation or conducting a scheme 

Extreme close-ups, in action films, are used to create a feeling of intimacy showing how the actor is vulnerable and more human at the moment

Common Mis-En-Scene:

C- For the heroes of the film, the color scheme is usually bright and vibrant, while the villains are usually clothed in dark colors. Costuming, in general, could vary depending on the idea that is being filmed.

     Ex) The Man of Steel movie portrayed an actor wearing a superhero suit with a cape, while a  James Bond movie has the actor dressed in a fancy tuxedo

L- Low key lighting is used at first to indicate danger/conflict, then a high key lighting is used to signify resolution

A- The main type of actors portrayed in action films are heroes, villains, and the damsel in distress
     Ex) In The Man of Steel movie, Superman is portrayed as the hero, Lois Lane is the damsel in distress, and the villain is General Zod

M- The most commonly used makeup are bruises, blood, sweat, cuts, and wound marks

P- Props may vary for each type of action movie. However, the most commonly used props are helicopters, large vehicles, guns, bombs, and knives

S- The location of each action film usually takes place in either a popular country or an urban area
     Ex) In The Man of Steel movie, the film takes place in Chicago. In the Mission Impossible movie, the film takes place in New Zealand

Common Editing:
Establishing shot- Identifies the location and time of the scene about to be screened

Cutaway- Displays the object the actor has their eyes on and looks back at the main subject

Jump cuts- Has the actor seem like they are moving in a fast pace manner but in reality is not

Elements of the Genre:
Action films usually contains a protagonist that is facing a life-threatening situation or is placed in a scenario where the antagonist must be defeated by the protagonist. In most cases, action films tries to incorporate physical stunts, battles, races, explosions, high energy, and any types of rescuing to fall under the specific trope of action films.

Common Sounds:
Non-Diegetic sound- commonly used as background music especially for scenes that use background music to create emphasis

Diegetic sound- commonly used as sound effects through explosions, gun fires and shouting noises

Elements that I liked of this genre:
The main element of action movies that appealed to me was the incorporation of a main protagonist that contained human-like qualities and emotions that would connect the audience with the main character.

Elements that I disliked of this genre:
The main element of action movies that I disliked was the fact that antagonists usually gets defeated first in order for the resolution to take place in the end, however the protagonist should try reasoning first before having to finish the villain off completely.

Example films of your Genre:

James Bond

Man of Steel

Mission Impossible Fallout

Thriller genre

Common angles:

-High angle: This makes whatever is being looked down on look powerless and venerable

-Low angle: This emphasizes the amount of power the villain and makes everyone else feel weak

-Tilt: Adds a dramatic effect and increases the tension. An example is it acting like the victim is on the floor and you can see from their point of view.

Common Mis-En-Scene:

-Custom: The antagonist is usually wearing darker clothes and the protagonist is wearing brighter clothes. However, they are wearing normal clothes because it looks more realistic.

-Lighting: The lighting is usually low level to create suspense and make create shadows. Using this lighting helped to hide faces and or clues.

-Actors: There are usually a villain and a "good guy" or just someone trying to escape the villain.

-Makeup: This is usually natural or minimal

-Props: They can include weapons like guns or knives.

-Setting: This is usually filmed on a set like a house that has dark lighting.

Common Editing:

-Jump cuts: This makes the actor look like they are moving faster than they really are 

-Graphic match: Used to emphasize the action that has taken place

-Flashback: Gives insight to persons past and helps to explain why the person is the way they are

Elements in the genre: These movies usually have a protagonist trying to escape the antagonist. Thriller uses suspense and tension as its main elements. They affect the audience's moods giving them anticipation, uncertainty, and terror.

Example films in the genre: Get out, Silence of the lambs, and a quiet place.

Common sound: Non-diegetic sounds to build up suspense. The music usually starts off slow and then becomes louder and faster. Sometimes silence is used to create and sense of panic and tension.

Elements I like: I like that thriller gives you the suspense without the horror. There is a good balance of creepy and action. 

Elements I do not like: Most of them develop the same plot after a while.

Research Genre Powerpoint

Our class was assigned a project to research about the genre given to the person and our group was given the genre of dance. For the project, each team member divided the amount of findings to be transmitted over to the PowerPoint slides. As a whole, the genre of dance is one of the many genres that are listed in the film industry. Our group was able to find the most common camera angles, sounds, and edits that categorized the film to be under the dance genre. Additionally, common plot points and video/photo examples were included within the presentation in order to understand the elements the dance genre incorporates. The PowerPoint was pieced together by every group member's findings of dance. Every group member contributed their part in learning more about the genre of dance.

Let's Get Pitching!

On January 17, 2020, our group came together to discuss which pitch will be the main victor out of the three contestants. How our team decided to eliminate a pitch was by the amount of props that would be needed. Out of the three pitch ideas, only two remains so far. The pitch that got eliminated on the first round was "They say together until the end, but I say obsessed forever." The first pitch got eliminated because the idea came out to be too broad and the pitch would involve very few props. As a group, we thought that the right pitch needed to have just the right amount of props, not too little and not too much. As for the idea, the group rethought about the pitch and realized that it was too vague of an idea to be set in stone. The pitch brought in too many open doors and needed more details in order for the idea to be efficient. Since the success of the first elimination round, the numbers went down to two. Thus, two pitches remain but only one can reign supreme. 

  At last the group was able to narrow down to two pitches left. The pitch that came out as the runner-up was "Loyalty is like a knife stab through the heart." The pitch was not sufficient enough to be the lucky winner because the idea was way too similar to our main pitch and the idea was somewhat vague. The second pitch was supposed to be like a spy movie where there are two partners getting involved in a mission. The mission was to get a hold of a specific item but the partner ends up being the bad guy. To see if the pitch was going to be cut or not, the props that would be used was just the right amount. The main reason the pitch had to be cut was mainly because the idea was too similar to another pitch our group came up with. Also, the pitch did have some details but was still lacking in some areas. In the end, their only remained one main pitch that would be crowned the winner. After eliminating two pitches, the group finally has the main idea that would be used for the final task. 

  From the beginning of the competition, three pitches were deemed to be candidates for the upcoming final task. Now, only one remains and that one became the lucky winner. The pitch the group decided to run with is "betrayal is like a bed of thorns... it leaves you bloody." This particular pitch was selected for the reason being it was perfectly detailed enough to start recording the scenes necessary. The props used for the pitch would be the right amount being not too little or too much. The pitch presents a kidnapping story where one of the victims is taken hostage for ransom and the friends of the victim is trying to track them down. Little did the friends know there was a traitor amongst the group who reported the finding to the kidnapper. When one of the friends arrive at the location the kidnapper knocks the friend unconscious. Overall, the pitch presented a clear picture of what each scene will portray which is one of the reasons why this pitch came out to be the winner. The group is in the process of figuring out the setting of the film, the costumes, and the props that will be used during production. 

Starting the Final Task

   Throughout the media film process, I've grown and learned so much. At the beginning of the film process when I made my first blog, I knew little to nothing about making a film or video. My only knowledge was making sure the camera was focus and steady and cutting or transitioning awkward parts. Now I've learned so much and my love for directing and editing has grown tremendously. I've learned the different editing tools, camera techniques like angles, and what prep goes into a video before it's put out. I'm excited to continue growing in directing and editing because I truly believe it's my passion and maybe one day I will be as big as Jordan Peele and direct amazing movies that push the envelope to get people thinking deeply about a topic, but also entertaining them.
   My group members for this final project is Melshida Durand and Sabrina Mekic. We had a fun time thinking about the plot of the movie. Our process for making a film seems to be to come up with the plot and then work our way to the end, then to the beginning. That way we have all our ideas out there and it doesn't get confused with other ideas and projects. We like to go on the risky sides of making a story and put as much detail in as we can. For this project, we are challenging ourselves by having different ideas based off movies we've seen and trying to make it different and interesting. Our goal is to make an eye-catching movie that will bring recognition like oh I've seen something like this, but it still surprises them. Our film, whatever that is we choose will need to have an element that makes us unique. We are going to take our time with this project and do heavy-duty research to make our film shine.

What is a Pitch? a pitch describes an idea where a film is summarized in 25 words or less. As a group, we came up with three different pitches to contribute to the final task.
Pitch #1: They say together until the end, but I say obsessed forever
Pitch #2: Loyalty is like a knife stab through the heart
Pitch #3: Betrayal is like a bed of thorns... it leaves you bloody

Music Video Filming continued and Editing

My group filmed over the weekend. I didn't film because we decided to split up the roles. My role is editing and theirs is filming different scenes. We thought it was a good idea since some members won't be around on certain days. Monday, I got the flash drive and SD card that had the scenes they filmed and dumped them onto my computer. I deleted clips from the last project and added the new clips into a folder and changed the name to Music Video This is so I can easily know where the clips for the music video are. Then I started editing.

Transcription of Video:
Here's the music video that I'll be editing. So, I still have some more editing to do. Right now all I did was add some clips in. I still have to add more clips in later. And I also need to add in the transitions and the actual song for the music video. So, this scene over here is the popcorn scene, which is a flashback in the main character's POV. Then over here is still a flashback, but the main character will be watching a movie and it's still in the main character's POV.  Then over here, this is the ending of the music video where it will go from the flashbacks all the way to the present which is where the music video starts. So this is how it looks. I decided to make the beginning also the ending because I thought it would look nice and also be a recap of the events that happened in the music video. I always thought that the reverse concept in any type of video whether it was a music video or film was really amazing. And the reason why that these are POV shots is because when this was filmed one of my  group members thought it would be a great idea that instead of showing the main character, we should also try adding a new element in a music video, which is a POV shot because not many music videos do POV shots. It's usually a one-shot or a two-shot, so we decided why not try something new and different and hopefully it turns out great.

The process of editing will hopefully go smoothly. I have some great ideas for transitions. I would like for people to understand that certain scenes are flashbacks. The music video will go in and out of the present and past. When the song is added I pray that the scenes fit just like I imagined it to. When I add the rest of the clips in, the music video should meet the length requirements. We can't go over a minute and fifteen seconds. Nor can we be under a minute and five seconds. This shouldn't be a problem. My group members made long clips just in case we were under. I should be able to cut it down to meet the time frame.