My mood board!!

     So, I created a mood board to get an idea of what my character’s aesthetic would be like. I made some changes to what I thought my character would look like using examples from other films.

    For example, I pictured her having red nails, symbolizing danger, but I remembered that red can symbolize seduction, and with it being nails, it could definitely come off that way. I changed the nail color to black, representing rebellion, and added some hand drawings to the picture. The hand drawings could convey the idea that she is an artistic person who lets her mind wander.

    I also wanted her hairstyle to be more messy; she is running away from home, so her hair would be tied up for comfort, but it wont look styled. 

Here is the mood board for my character:

And here’s a mood board for her room:

    

Planning out the props I’m using

     First, the credit scene. In my outline I put that my credits would be items around the house including an empty pill bottle, a family picture in a fame with broken glass, and a sink full of dishes. I may have to do more depending on the amount of credits I have to do, but I am also thinking about introducing the character a bit with the credits; maybe it would focus on items in her room that capture the “essence” of her.

Family photo(this is my actual family before my parents divorced)

Pill bottle (I had to scribble out the prescription don’t mind that)

Frame that I am going to break the glass of (I may have to get a different one on Amazon because I haven’t broke the news to my mom that I have to break it yet)

    The next scene is my character packing her bag. I am going to get some pins on Amazon to put on the bag to kind of capture her character)

The bag I am using

Pins I am thinking of

    Oh, by the way, I am borrowing my friends pocket knife because I don't have one.

Here is what my room looks like currently

These posters would be good to add to my wall to create the vibe of the character.

    In the next scene she walks down the hallway…

These are the shoes I will be wearing ( I might doodle on them, suggesting that the character is creative and imaginative)

My water bottle

    After the water bottle filling scene, the window scene occurs… I am thinking about focusing the camera on the “ADT” sticker that I conveniently have on my window, provoking a sense of fear for the main character before she opens it.

My window

    I also got a tripod from Amazon to make my filming more steady.

My tripod

    Here is where I want to film my last scene when my character closes the window after the alarms goes off:

This is where the last shot would be- Of course, I will have to remove all of those leaves but there was a spider there so I will have to ask my mom to help me because I was scared :)

    In the next post, I will post my moodboard and the next one would be my shooting schedule that I am currently making with this website.

 

Developing a title

     After brainstorming my shot list, I realized that I am missing a title for my film. So I decided to do a bit or research to come up with it. 

Here are some of the tips I found from this website:

1. What is the story’s essence?

-What is it about? A girl who is trapped in an abusive household.

-Core conflict? She wants to run away but she is trapped.

-Overall emotion you want to convey in the title? Something that conveys the idea of being “trapped”

2. Characters name?

-Liana (means vine, symbolized how she cant escape her home), will never be mentioned in the opening though

-Alex

3. Location?

-The location of my film is not really important to the story. Plus it’s kinda boring.

4. Situations or feelings?

- “Don’t Wake Up” (character doesn't want her parents to wake up in the beginning)

     -Is it too similar to Don't Worry Darling or Don’t Look Up? 

- “Get Me Out”

    So far I like “Don’t Wake Up” as my title but I worry that its too close to Don't Worry Darling or Don’t Look Up. Also does it describe the essence of the ENTIRE movie? Not really. But I am going to keep thinking of it- I feel like it just needs time.

An in-depth outline of my idea

 -shots of objects around the house w/ credits

    ex. family frame(maybe the glass is broken, symbolizing a broken family)

        empty pill bottle tipped over (substance abuse)

        sink full of dishes (the parents neglect the house)

-over the shoulder shot of girl putting clothes in bag

-close up of hand putting pocket knife front pocket (the character will have red nails signifying danger)

-pan up to the face of the character, she has a bruise on her face (she was beaten up by her parents)

-close up of hand grabbing backpack

-over the shoulder of tossing backpack over shoulder

-close up of feet walking, walking slowly

-eyeline match: character looking into bedroom, medium shot

-eyeline match: bedroom door wide open

-close up of characters face

-over the shoulder, adjusts bag on shoulder (indicates she wants to still run away)

-medium shot of walking into kitchen

-medium shot of walking past sink

-over the shoulder shot of grabbing water bottle from drawer

-medium/over the shoulder shot of filling up water bottle with sink

-medium shot of filling up water bottle( eyeline match- she is looking at the empty alcohol bottles by sink)

-shot of empty alcohol bottles

-shot of mom passed out on table(flashback)

-close up of characters face, she turns away from the camera and realizes the water bottle has overflown)

-medium shot of turning off water

-close up of screwing on cap of bottle

-close up of putting water in bag 

-medium shot of character walking out of kitchen

-medium shot of opening bedroom door

-medium shot of character opening window, side profile view

-close up of hands opening up window

-medium shot of girl w/ shocked expression (the alarm sound goes off at this time), she curses

-shot taken from outside looking into window, she closes the window quickly, the sound of the alarm can barely be heard, and this shot lingers for a while

        

So… I changed my idea

     Originally, my idea was to create an opening about these two skater friends who are growing apart… but I have rethought and I think my new idea is better.

    My nerd idea is going to be dramedy/coming-of-age (same genre as the last idea) about a girl who wants to run away. While she is “packing” to run away- for example, putting clothes in her bag, getting money, etc.- she sees a couple objects that hint at the reason she is running away. For instance, there would be empty bottles of alcohol by the sink, which would flashback to a scene where her parent is passed out on the counter. Thus, my film opening would rely heavily on mise-en-scene. I would include pictures of her family too, to solidify the idea that these are her parents, and make the story clearer to the audience. 

    Originally, my thoughts for this opening idea were wayyyy to much. I was thinking about having flashbacks all the way to the beginning of her life (her mom walking down the aisle, and the whole marriage). I also thought of starting the opening with a 911 call, which would have been kinda cheesy and overwhelming. After talking to some peers and my teacher, I realized that I shouldn’t reveal too much in the opening- there shouldn’t be an insane amount of flashbacks because that would be overwhelming.

Here were my thoughts before the I edited them: (I had to make the picture really big so the words would be readable)

    The key kind of shot here should be the eyeline match. The girls sees an object, the object is seen by the audience, and she has a flashback revealing why she is running away. I read this article about the eyeline match and I found it really helpful. Some notes that I took about it were:

1. If done correctly, it should go completely un-noticed to the general audience.

2. The camera should be place on the same side of the 180 degree line, creating a harmonious blend between two shots. 

3. It keeps the audience engaged in the story.

These photos are taken from The Stendhal System(1996)

    The last and my favorite part of my story would be when she finally tries to escape… THE ALARM GOES OFF. This scene would pertain to the “comedy” part of the genre. Despite the serious parts of the film (substance abuse, child neglect), there will still be funny moments that would balance it out. 

Day 4 of research- Trying to get a final idea for my opening

    So, I have been thinking about that I want to do for my film opening and I have realized that there are a couple problems with my original idea.

1. The number of people- I wanted there to be 4 actors in my original idea: me, my sister, and my 2 neighbors. But then I realized that I would only trust myself to be the one who films it, and how can I film it when I star in the opening. Then I thought- how about I film it and only 3 characters would act? But 3 characters would ruin the dynamic I wanted originally. Now I am frustrated on how I want to do it. I wouldn’t want to ask any of my other friends to be an actor because the chemistry wouldn’t be there.

2. Is each person going to be equally focused on?- If each character is equally focused on( like Friends), I would need to put a LOT of work and thinking into the project. 

 

    Then I thought- what if there’s just 2 characters? The opening starts off with me, the main character, getting my makeup done by my best friend. The backstory would be that my friend used to be a pure and innocent person, but as high school started, he began to do rebellious things. My character just goes along with the rebellious things he does because she doesn’t want to loose her best friend. 

    I also landed on an idea for the title of my opening- “Smudged.” It would appear in the beginning as the best friend smudges my makeup. When fixing it, the dialogue would communicate the idea that the main character feels stupid with this type of makeup on (it would be more edgy and have a skater vibe to it). Her friend reassures her that “he”(her crush) would like it. She soon notices his backpack and asks what is in it. He pulls out alcohol, which makes her realize how much her best friend has changed. Although she is upset that this is happening, she sneaks out with him anyways because after all, he is her best friend. She is also scared that if she doesn’t follow along something bad will happen. 

    Her friend would say “Okay we should go now” and climbs out the window. As she looks in the mirror, I will use animation techniques to draw clown features over her, suggesting that when looking in the mirror, she feels like a clown. These sketches would go away as her best friend yells “COME ON, let’s go” from outside the window. She runs to the window, climbs out it, and grabs her skateboard( which is on the grass outside). Once she shuts the window, a long silence will occur( the video would be taken from inside the bedroom). The audience would be left with a worried feeling about the main character.

    I may have to play the best friend and have someone else play the protagonist, but thats the idea I have so far.

Here are some photos of me and my neighbors where I drew inspiration from.

Day 3 of research- Coming of age films

    A coming of age film covers the themes of growing up- the characters will progress into the new stage of their life, facing the challenges that come with adulthood. In my film, the coming-of-age genre will be blended with comedic and dramatic elements. 

    It is easy to bring relatability to a coming-of-age film because the events and characters are loosely based on my life. Plus, I belong to the younger generation that is part of the target audience, which makes it easier for me to connect with these people. Being a high school student, I want my film to show the trials and tribulations all teens go through growing up.

Here are some coming-of age-films I am going to take inspiration from: 

Photo: IMBd

Lady Bird(2017):

    I enjoyed the way this film commented on wide social issues- the financial problems the family faced were often brought up. It expanded on issues outside themselves, which I found really admirable. I also felt that it perfectly communicated the insecurities and problems many teenagers face. The ups and downs Lady Bird has with her mother are relatable to me; I strive to be able to do this in my own production. The characters in my film will also go through similar problems. These problems will draw from the actual actor’s lives, so it will be as authentic as possible.  I also liked the “indie” feel to it. My own production will probably incorporate this type of aesthetic since it centers around skaters.

    The opening to this film began showcasing the complicated relationship between Lady Bird and her mother. They are seen connecting with each-other, then out of the blue an argument starts. I thought that opening the film with dialogue and diegetic audio was a nice way to establish the characters. This inspired me to start my own film with group dialogue from all the actors.  Music that they all enjoy will be playing in the background so the audience gets a feel for what they are interested in- this was inspired from the book reading Lady Bird and her mother were listening to in the opening of the film. 

Film opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyNE-wVJ5eQ

Photo: Shutterstock

Mid90’s (2018)

    I like how this film follows the journey of “Stevie” trying to fit in with the wrong people. I feel like most teenagers go through this at some point. When thinking about what the rest of my film would look like(I mean after the opening), I picture the group splitting up because of issues trying to fit in, family problems, etc. I also liked how it is set in the 90’s and the actors are ACTUAL skaters. This brought a great level of authenticity to the film. My friends are going to be the actors in my film, and they actually skate too.

    The film opened with a high angle of a bunch of skateboards, establishing the objects the characters  will interact with. The film then showed the abuse Stevie faces at home, and the how he tries to act older as he is trying on his brothers clothes. I want to start the film in a home as well. I want to decorate my sisters bedroom the way a “skater” would decorate it, filling it with posters of numerous bands, and embracing the messiness of it. The actors in my film will likely be talking to each-other through a mirror, so I will probably use similar techniques as Hill did in Mid90’s.

I couldn’t find the film opening for this one, but you can rent the film on Amazon Prime, Youtube, etc.

‘

Photo: IMDb

I Believe in Unicorns(2014)

    Okay, so the reason I watched this film because I loved Natalia Dyer’s role in Stranger Things. And I thought that despite the darkness of the film, it was really nicely made. I loved the artistic qualities of it. I also liked that the fact that Sterling, Davina’s boyfriend, was a skater.  She deals with family problems, which is a common theme in a lot of coming-of-age films. Their family issues also influence the people they are: Davina still clings on to her childhood, while Sterling becomes abusive, like his father. They desperately want to become grown-up’s so they try to run away together, not thinking about their actual actions. I liked the poetic nature of the piece, and I thought that type of vibe would be a good inclusion to my own production.

    I found it interesting how the film began with video clips. This helped create some backstory to Davina’s life. I want to include a silence similar to the one at the end of the film opening as Davina comes out of the bathtub. In my film, however, I am thinking about doing it as one of the characters shuts the window after sneaking out. 

I couldn’t find the opening for this one either, but it is free on Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.

Photo: Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

    The reason I watched this film in the first place was because of my parents- they marketed it like it was the best movie ever created. Honestly, I did really like the film. I want to incorporate the fast pace into my own production. I really loved how the film was able to make a high school student’s day into the most entertaining thing ever. I also liked how there was different character types in the film. Although stereotypical, a guarantee that you are able to find yourself in at least on of the characters. I want to be able to create characters that resonate with the audience; thus, a range of personalities will be shown on the screen. Overall, I just really loved how it was just one mini crisis after another, and the humorous aspects were great as well. Although my film will be a little more serious, I want to use the same level of pacing that this film did. 

    I really liked how the film began with diegetic audio of the radio, his mothers voice soon interrupting calling Ferris’s name. This really helped introduce the character, the setting, and even the weather that was occurring at this time. The first picture shown was of their house, which introduced the setting well (suburbia). I also liked the design of his room. The one thing I loved was the introduction of Jeanie, Ferris’s sister; she was introduced first with her body language (the stomping of her foot, the tapping of her fingers on her waist, and then finally the sassy expression on her face). I am still thinking if there is a way to incorporate this into my own film because I love it so much. The dialogue was also very comedic, and I want to introduce my characters this way as well.

Film opening: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UX_rPkWzlq

Photo: Fox Searchlight/ Courtesy Everett Collection

Thirteen(2003)

    I thought this film realistically captured the struggles teenagers face in their life: trying to fit in, lacking parental figures, and desperately trying to become older, even if it is rushed. Tracy makes bad decisions as she becomes friends with Evie. When researching, I found out that the story is based on the real life of Nikki Reed, the actor of Evie. Similarly, the characters in my film are inspired by the actual people playing them, and the problems they face will be similar to our collective high school experiences. I see the development of my film covering similar topics: the engagement in sexual activity, self-harm, and the overwhelming want to fit in. 

    The first thing I noticed in the opening of Thirteen was the font the credits were in. I really liked the messy look of it. The intense and loud rock music that started playing helped establish the tone of the film as well. I want to include more indie music for the beginning of my film, but I was inspired by this idea. I liked the mise-en-scene as well- the washed out purple walls, covered in posters. The opening of my film will not be as crazy as this one but I liked the dynamic of the characters and want to have that in my production.

Film opening: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PxRcgIni1bc

Font used:

 

Personal Update:

    Watching these films really helped me picture what my opening would look like. One problem I encountered with the research process is the way I focused on the entirety of my film too much. I worried what the ending of my film would look like. But then I reminded myself that I am only going to produce the opening, so I don't need to have a clear idea of what the entire plot would be like. Viewing the openings to various films helped me maintain focus on the actual goals of my project. 

Sources:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie-definition/

https://medium.com/cinenation-show/lady-bird-a-modern-coming-of-age-classic-2c5589bff978

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/03/lady-bird-the-florida-project-coming-of-age-movies-oscars-1201936864/

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mid90s-2018

https://www.sundance.org/blogs/thirteen-turned-the-teen-flick-inside-out/

Day 2 of research- Characters in a Dramedy

    Life itself is a dramedy- meaning my characters have to bring relatability to the screen. The way my characters will interact with the conflicts they encounter and how they will input comedic relief into these situations will tie the dramedy genre together.

    However, the plot will also bring some coming-of-age aspects in it. The characters are young. They will go through things that the younger generation most commonly faces- heartbreak, family/friend issues, peer pressure- and eventually, they will evolve because of it, and detach from the friend group for the better. The characters types will be commonly found in a dramedy, but their youth will influence aspects of their personality.

Here are lists of the different character types in a dramedy. I will be using inspiration from these character type to create my eventual characters.

Characters in a dramedy:

1. The Anchor- The intelligent and grounded one.

    Ex in my film: The “mom friend” in the group. Keeps the rest controlled and thinks logically.

Lane in Gilmore Girls

https://www.warnerbros.com/tv/gilmore-girls

Photo: https://www.thelist.com/245306/whatever-happened-to-lane-from-gilmore-girls/

2. The Rebel- They drive the rest of the group into danger. Might have a “god complex”

    Ex in my film: The friend who suggests doing illegal activities, without thinking about the consequences.

Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/ferris-buellers-day-off

Photo: IMDb

3. The Innocent- The pure, innocent, and lovable one

    Ex in my film: The one caring for the rest and not letting the group get into trouble, maybe taking the blame for some of the things the rest of the group does.

Dorothy in Wizard of Oz

https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/wizard-oz

Photo: Shutterstock

4. The Eccentric- The quirky/unique friend. They are very curious and hyper-connected to the world.

    Ex in my film: The “hippie” friend who thinks everything is a sign. 

Phoebe in Friends

https://www.warnerbros.com/tv/friends

Photo: IMDb

5. The Cynic- Often negative, but still a good friend. Very pessimistic and sometimes rude.

    Ex in my film: The friend who sits out of activities and spoils the mood, but for logical reasons.

(I could not for the life of me think of a good example for this one, Squidward was the best I got)

Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants

https://www.nick.com/shows/spongebob-squarepants

Photo: Wikipedia

6. The Narcissist- The character who loves themselves and thinks they deserve everything they desire.

    Ex in my film: The character who doesn’t think abut the rest of the group. Probably spoiled at home also.

Regina George in Mean Girls

https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/mean-girls

Photo: Everett Collection

7. The player/womanizer/ manizer- The “life of the party” friend who never has long-term relationships. They hop around to different partners. 

    Ex in my film: The friend who is always flirting with guys, and doing stuff for the male attention.

Jeremy Grey from Wedding Crashers

https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/wedding-crashers

Photo: Everett Collection

8. The Neurotic- Often worried and nervous.

    Ex in my film: The friend who is always scared, prevents “The Rebel” from doing things. 

Stu from The Hangover

https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/hangover

9. The dumb one- friendly, but is gullible

    Ex in my film: The friend who has no idea what is going on most of the time, they just follow along. 

Joey Tribbiani from Friends

https://www.warnerbros.com/tv/friends

Photo: Everett Collection

Sources:

https://blog.reedsy.com/types-of-characters/

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/types-comedy-archetypes-9505/

https://www.flyingwrestler.com/2015/12/8-characters-of-comedy/

https://listenupgetdown.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/the-8-characters-of-comedy/

Day 1 of research- Genre “Dramedy”/ “Coming of Age”

    Researching my genre is very important to the development of my project. One of my genres, “dramedy,” blends the elements of drama and comedy (obviously). I want my story to be realistic and relatable- as there will be multiple characters in my film, it will be important that then characters will drive the plot. 

    Each character, in total 3-4 (I haven't quite figured it out yet) would go through separate problems in their own life, and these problems will consist of comedic elements as well. These very serious topics will be balanced out with comedic elements throughout.

Serious topics: 

1. Peer pressure

2. Family issues

3. Friendship

4. Teen substance abuse

5. Rebellion

    Character development is a crucial part of the dramedy and the coming-of-age genre. Especially since it is geared towards teens, including character development is crucial to the relatability of the film.The characters will battle problems, which will affect the other characters in the movie. Having this sort of group conflict will drive the plot of the film, making it more engaging. 

    The “coming-of-age” genre focuses on the transition from childhood to adulthood. The characters in my film will lose their childhood innocence and come to terms with themselves. The coming-of-age genre itself blends drama and comedy- they pull from reality to create their story. Another aspect of coming-of-age film’s is their commentary on social issues. An example of this would be teen pregnancy in Juno(2007) In my film, problems like drugs, sexuality, and violence will be present. 

Here is my current idea for the general plot of the film ( the exposition is the most important, so the rest of the plot isn’t fully developed) :

 

    I also had to consider the fact that this movie will be geared towards teens. Because of this, the genre would be tailored to entertain the teenager to young adult age group. I am thinking about bending some of the stereotypes present in teen films; for example, one of the characters may be popular but still hang out with her neighborhood skateboarders (her eventual want to fit in with the popular crowd may contribute to the overall breakdown of the group). In my film, all of the characters have met by fate/coincidence- they just happen to live in the same neighborhood; therefore, they will all have different personalities and fit into different character types. In my next blog posts I will elaborate more on the different character types present in the dramedy/coming-of age genre.

“ Real life is not strictly a comedy or a drama for most of us; it’s usually a combination of the two.” 

         -https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-dramedy-definition/

My sources: 

https://filmlifestyle.com/what-is-a-dramedy/

https://public.wsu.edu/~taflinge/dramedy.html

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/coming-of-age-movies 

Developing an idea: and what inspired the final result

     Walking into this project, I assumed it would take me a long time to think of an idea. But then I remembered a piece of advice we talked about in class- “draw from what you know.” At first, I was thinking to create an opening about having divorced parents, but I would not have actors for it; therefore, I had to abandon the idea. After watching the openings to numerous films, including Parasite, Lady Bird, and the student samples we were shown, I knew I wanted to pursue the “dramedy/coming-of-age” genre. 

    Drawing from my actual life, my opening would be an introducing a friend group, all of which who are neighbors and love to skateboard. I developed this idea from my actual life- my neighbors and I often hang out and go around the neighborhood skateboarding, biking, and listening to music. Of course, I will be exaggerating these characters to have this sort of teenage/rebellious vibe. Each character will have their own aesthetic- none of them will have a similar style- but their differences will be what brings them together.

Here are some of the inspirations I took from various film openings:

1. Parasite(2019)

When watching the opening to this film, I felt really engaged by the camerawork. I thought that the use of fluid camera movements, showcasing each character and room, would be a really useful tool in my project. As there will be many characters in my opening, each who need to be somewhat introduced, this technique will help the audience get a feel for the characters and the way they interact with their environment.

2. Lady Bird(2017)

I loved the dialogue in this film opening. I really think that using a conversational dialogue with personal elements would help create the personality of each character. I also liked the rebellious nature of the main character, Christine, and wanted to incorporate that into my own project. I will also introduce my characters with a song they all enjoy (this idea developed when Christine and her mother were listening to a reading of their favorite book). 

3. The student samples

    In whole, the idea of introducing the characters’ environment with objects in their room stuck out to me. Since the characters in my film’s opening are charismatic/rule-breaking teenagers, introducing their environment first will set the tone of my piece. I thought that with my plot, filming the opening in my own room would be suitable; after all, I’m a teenager myself and with just a little re-decoration, I can transform my room into one that would fit my group’s vibe. I loved the idea of incorporating an over the shoulder shot facing a mirror- this made me want to film my characters’ applying each-other’s makeup through the mirror- I feel like this would engage the audience more by creating a nostalgic/childlike connection with them. At the end of the opening, I want to incorporate a silence that will leave the audience feeling fulfilled. After getting ready, the teenagers will sneak out the window and then as it shuts, the diegetic music from inside the room will stop playing and the characters’ will grab their skateboards and run off laughing (or something to that effect). The title will subsequently show and the video would end. 

    By drawing from my own experiences, and incorporating inspiration from different film openings, I was able to put together a general idea of how I want to do the project. Of course, I still have to develop it a little bit more, but I feel like my idea would resonate with the viewers who perhaps had this type of childhood. 

 

Music Marketing Blog Post #2- Divya Mohan

    This project has taught me the importance of metacognition and planning. In order to fulfill the expectations of a project, every step must be taken into account, and analyzed on its contribution to the overall assignment.

    The first step, research, allowed me to take inspiration from other brands’ marketing techniques. My group and I drew a lot of our business strategies from other bands or artists, such as Vampire Weekend, Cults, and J.Y. Park. We were then able to have proof that our marketing techniques would work, given the success of these other brands. Although research may not seem like a crucial step to the process, gathering data is important to the overall ending of the project- why our campaign should be sponsored, and what proof shows our band will be successful.

Melanie Martinez’s color palette in comparison to our brand logo

    After carrying out research, brainstorming and planning must occur. This is the step where all our ideas come together, producing a general outline of what strategies out band will use. Reflecting on our case studies, we decided that our target audience would consist of teenagers to young adults. Using this information, we then developed a marketing plan that was tailored to fit this type of audience. For example, our primary medium of choice would be social media, including Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube and Tumblr- platforms that this age group frequently use.

    We also developed a brand image during this planning phase; we thought that our band would use a pastel primary color palette and a darker secondary color palette. The contrasting of these hues would create a defined image, which is crucial in order to differentiate ourselves from other artists. During this step, we also planned out the structure of our presentation. We created an order to which our slideshow would be presented to make it more engaging and understandable. Matching the brand aesthetic to our presentation’s aesthetic created a sense of consistency with the ideas being spoken and how they were shown visually.

    The most difficult part of the planning process was developing the idea for the music video. It was hard to develop a storyline that would be easy to understand, but also fit in with the image of our brand. Despite this, the storyboard really helped lay out our ideas and prepare us for the filming process.

Example page from our storyboard

    After the brainstorming process, my group and I started working on the pieces to our project. Each member would contribute to the project according on their strong suit. One of my group members excelled in graphic design and art, so she was excited to work on the logo, poster, and website cutout of our brand. I enjoy writing, so I put our ideas together on the presentation in a way that would be visually pleasing and comprehensible to the audience. My other group member really enjoyed filming and editing, so she took on the director/editor’s role in the production of the music video. By first brainstorming our ideas together, then contributing our strengths to the project, our end result became better. 

Example of slide from presentation with notes that explain why each design choice was made

Liminal Valentines poster

Liminal Valentines website cutout

    Because we had already created a storyboard, the filming process was relatively simple despite our few difficulties. One problem we encountered, was people walking into our shots, however we expected it as it was a public space. We had all the props we used at home, plus a tripod, so searching for materials wasn’t an issue. We did run into some problems with the special effects makeup- applying fake blood in the middle of the park wasn’t that easy. Despite this, we managed to take all the shots in one day.

The flowers that I already had at home that we used for the video

    The development of the presentation itself was just putting our ideas together in a way that can be shared engagingly and efficiently. We already had our ideas: the outline of our brand, the order in which it would be presented, the design of it, the image of the logo, the website cutout, and the poster we had already created. After putting together the slideshow, we assigned ourselves slides, and rehearsed them to make sure we satisfied the time limit and knew the material. Although we were slightly over the time limit, I am assuming it was due to nerves, which will definitely be worked on in future presentations. 

    The editing process was a little bit rushed as it was done lastly; we have definitely learned that with future projects it is very important to manage your time. There were a few difficulties with this step: cutting the videos, and removing the black lines on either side of the screen if it was shot in portrait mode. For the next project, we will be sure to make sure the camera is always in landscape mode to prevent future post-production difficulties.

The black lines that were difficult to remove in one of the clips

    The presentation itself was nerve-wracking at first, but as it went on, I felt more comfortable presenting in front of the class. One of the things that needs to be worked on is the timing of our presentation. Our time was a little bit over what it was supposed to be, 15 minutes. In addition, our flash drive with the presentation failed to work, so we had to go into our google account to find the google slide. Luckily, we had no issues with the debut of the music video; I feel like it ran smoothly without technical difficulties. At the end of the presentation, I feel that my group answered the questions effectively, which showed the class that we really thought about our campaign.

    This project helped me learn skills that will be valuable for bigger projects, such as ones that would be given in college. Having time management and planning skills is crucial to developing a project that not only fulfills the rubric, but exceeds its expectations. After developing this campaign, I feel more confident in my ability to make videos, preparing me for the music portfolio project. In addition, my mindset towards projects like this has changed- I now want to start early on them and think about the meaning and benefit behind each step I take. Symbolism and plot creation are huge aspects of the upcoming project, meaning metacognition would be an important skill to have. This past project has really helped me become into a meticulous thinker who reflects on how the little decisions I make will influence the whole message I strive to communicate.

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