Film Prep

It is time to prepare for filming. You need to think about everything that must be done to get ready. Post in your blog what you did this week in preparation for starting to film. You should discuss in detail the following elements:

actors- Reese, Nicole, Maddy,
costumes- camo outfit, airport casual clothing
props- hunting gear (knife), suitcases, car
locations- Maddy's house, airport
dates and times- Maddy's house (February 13), Airport (February 14-16)
scripts- Couple conversations as they drive to the airport. Talking about their day and what she's going to do on her trip. Also talking about him going hunting.
film equipment- a video camera

Story Board

This is our group's storyboard. The main plot of our film is a vengeful husband after he sees his wife cheating. The climax of our film is when the husband goes into his car and gets the knife and goes back into the airport to find his wife and her lover. At the beginning they are a happy loving couple sad to see each other go. And the character arcs shift as the audience gets to know more about the people.  Overall our film has many good aspects and develops interesting and deep characters

Brainstorming

The videos have had little effect on changing our genre. The horror openers gave me good ideas for color and different shots. The Garzon Production video was very good at making it look like a real opener. White Coat also gave good ideas to shot for a horror movie, the color over the video gives a more ominous vibe. The Soul Production was a horror opener that wasn't shot that well and thought out, it didn't give much background to the kidnapping. Always Watching has a good plot but the filming wasn't very good. Rise and Shine was very good at setting up the film and plot. Lost and Found was good at panning between different shots. Valle sets up and a good plot but could use more effects to establish the past and present. Gossen Production doesn't set up having a stalker well, but the acting is probably the best. The videos helped show what effects and shots our group should use to get the effects of fear.

What inspired you?

I chose the genre of horror because it is the genre that ekokes the most emotions from the audience constantly throughout the movie. I specifically enjoyed the Saw movies because of the way they set up the movies where you learn their pasts. The opening is always shocking and sets up the fear for the rest of the movie. In the last Saw movie, it starts with the body hanging from the underpass. This signifies to the police that the games are still going on. This sets up the plot of the police trying to figure out who the game master is and trying to find the people. Another interesting twist Saw movies give the audience is that everyone has a chance to live if they give up something. It reminds me of the Buddhist monks spending days and weeks on these extravagant sand art just to destroy them once finished. It teaches them not to attach emotional value to objects. While they are very different scenarios the underlying principles are similar. The people who are put in the game are not innocent either they have all committed crimes and the game is a twisted way for them to pay for what they did. The movies have many different intertwining plots and things going on. In the end, there is always a twist or something that was not expected to happen. As many horror movies saw is gorry and has death but unlike other cheesy horror movies like the Grudge it isn’t centered about killing people. Where many horror movies go wrong is because with all the death and killing they lose the plot and character development of the movie. Although many horror movies have the best opening out of all the genres. They’re always perfect to set up the movie and usually leave the audience feeling nervous and anxious for the rest of the movie. The opening of the Ring is probably the best opening for a horror movie that I have seen in the movies. When the girl demon thing crawls out of the tv and toward the audience it builds up so much suspense and fear. It structures the entire movie of what happens after each person watches the clip. When the person watches it seven days later they die. They hear the demon girl thing and go crazy than on the seventh day they die. Overall the movie is pretty good not the best though. But the opening so unnerving and unsettling it is a very good horror film opener. Many horror films just try and start off with a jump scare or something to make the audience scare without connecting it to the plot. The Ring did that very well connecting the opener to the entire movie and making it a very important aspect. By doing this it makes people want to see the movie and get drawn into it. The horror genre does a good job of drawing the audience in through the opener. Mainly by invoking emotions on the audience through death and fear.

My Film Opening Project - Genre & Group Members

Horror
Nicole and Reese

Film Opening Research #1 - The Irishman

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are only three titles displayed in the opening sequence of the film.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
Images of the nursing home or residential community are emphasized as the audience is going through its long dark hallway. This leading up to the main character sitting in his wheelchair. Also, the image of the gun at the wedding is a very prevent image.
What connotations do the images carry?
The images presented in the beginning give a negative connotation from seeing the man get shot and behind him has the wedding invitation. But the way the narrator is speaking gives us a normal connotation like it was any story he was telling.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre of drama is reinforced through the build-up of the plot from the time jumps. It jumps from the nursing home to the main character killing a man after the wedding. While they are driving to Detroit they take a stop and it ends up to be where Russ and the main character first meet. This trigger jumps the film back in time to when Russ and Frank first met.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
As the main character Russ, and their wives go to Detroit on their way the film cuts out into just a black screen with YOU PAINT HOUSES. This gives an enigma to the film while with the outside narrating it enforces it even more.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
It keeps the audience on their toes as it is about a crime family and a hitman. The drama is escalated through Frank growing into this power and status through dangerous and violent jobs. Frank is a character that you can hate and love because of the terrible things he does but, in the end, he isn't a bad guy he is just misguided and a family man.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques
Mostly through transitions when the time periods switch there is a shift using editing.

Genre Research #2 - PowerPoint