planning - script final

      As a team we were able to collaborate and agree on a final script, we went through many ideas and storyboards of how we pictured these scenes to play out. In the end we combined dialogue, ideas for camera angles, and actions. 

    For instance we unsure of how to film Alejandra picking out her clothes, we needed to be able to hear the dialogue while also viewing her actions. Therefore we decided on an over the shoulder shot, this allowed us to see the characters emotions and action as she is talking on the phone. My peer, Jocelyn, came up with this great idea and i'm very happy that we were able to include it in the final script.

     Overall, after lots of brain storming and collaboration I am very happy with how this script turned out. Now we will continue the script with the girls' trip to school. 

Planning - Title

     The title gives the audience their first impression and overall helps determine the tone of a film. While alot of my focus has been on filming and editing, I worked with my teammates to come up with a title that reflects both the message of the film opening and the style of a teen coming of age film.

    In films, titles are often seen as title cards within an opening sequence. The placement of the text, the font, the color, and the timing of when the title is shown can influence how the audience interprets the film. 

"Beautiful Life"

    Our original ideal for the title was "Beautiful Life", it radiates a positive and uplifting tone. It focused on the experiences of growing up while also appreciating life as it passes by. I also really liked that this title leaves a lot open to interpretation. The audience is given the option to imagine what the story could be about based on the opening. This title reminds me of the 2006 movie "Little Miss Sunshine", both titles imply personal growth and joyful times. This aligns well with the coming of age genre. 

"Off Script"

    

    As a group we decided to change the title, we figured the original title no longer felt right. As the new title implies, we decided to go off script and call the film opening "Off Script. Personally I prefer this title, it has a deeper meaning. It insinuates that characters do not follow the norm, instead they make unexpected choices. This accurately fits how teenagers are known to live life. The name "Off Script" can also reflect the directors view of the film opening. The characters are seen breaking away from routine as they think about ditching school. This makes the film opening more engaging as it hints toward acts of rebellion and fun while still fitting into the coming of age genre. 

Importance 

   Film titles are often short and memorable, they are made to give a very short preview of what is expected throughout the film, however it is still vague enough to create curiosity, grabbing the audience's attention as they want to learn the meaning behind the title. Titles may also act as a form of branding, giving the film a distinct identity.

   The placement of the title is just as important. I am still debating where exactly to place the title within the opening, however I am thinking of introducing the title in the first 30 seconds, maybe even during the makeup scene. 

   To conclude, developing a title for the film has shown the importance of collaboration within a group, we had to come together to share our ideas and in the end choose a name. Even though we did not stick to one title name, it shows how we can adapt and express new ideas.  “Beautiful life” created a positive tone, while “Off Script”  ultimately aligned with the storyline and theme. 

Planning - distribution studies

    I explored different distribution practices, I learned how films within the coming of age genre are shared with the audience. It helped me understand what methods I could use for my own project. 

Independent Distribution

    Coming of age films are often produced and distributed by independent studios like A24. This studio is known for creating small budget, artistic films. These types of films focus on emotional stories that are often about personal themes and struggles. Some of their most known coming of age films are "Lady Bird", "The Florida Project", "Moonlight", and many more. Even though these are low budget productions, they became insanely successful. They mainly gained recognition through awards and theatrical releases.

 

Streaming platforms

    Streaming platforms, in modern media, have become one of the most common ways to access films. This includes platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Peacock, and more. Netflix for instance has many successful coming of age films like "To All The Boys Ive Loved Before", "Tall Girl", and "Moxie". These types of platforms are a key part of modern distribution practices since they allow films to reach a global audience very quickly. 

Film Festivals 

  Independent, coming of age films are very commonly seen at festivals. Events provide a space for filmmakers to showcase their own work to a large group of fans and even industry professionals. Festivals are valuable as they can help small films transition into mainstream recognition. 

    

    All in all, my research into distribution practices has shown me that there are many ways films can reach audiences. From film festivals, to streaming platforms, and even major studios. While large distribution methods may not be the most realistic for my project, understanding them has greatly benefited me. For my film opening I plan to use YouTube as my main distribution platform, it is free and easy to use. YouTube also has potential to reach a broad audience. This allows me to share my work while also applying the proffesional concepts I have been learning.

Planning - Prop list

    As part of the planning process I wanted to focus on the use of props and how they contribute to the story being told in the film opening. Props are apart of filmmaking, they help build mise-en-scene and establish a setting. Since my teen, coming of age film is inspired by the 2000s I had to carefully choose props that would reflect thus decision. The props would need to not only reflect the time period but also the personalities of the characters. 

        In my opinion one of the most important props is Alejandra's alarm clock shown in the beginning of the film opening. Although I was unable to locate and purchase an exact 2000s "Timex" clock, this simple digital alarm clock perfectly fits the theme. This prop introduces the character in a comedic and relatable way. The sound perfectly drives the scene. 

    In a similar way phones are important props, especially when this film opening includes a phone call shown on both ends. While we could not use actual 2000s phones, we chose older iphones with cases that reflect that specific era. The iPhone seen being held by Alejandra is an iPhone 6, with a vibrant tinker bell phone case. These help maintain the illusion of a different time period without overcomplicating the production. 

    Alejandra's makeup bag is another key prop, it is seen on the bathroom counter along with many other makeup products. We borrowed Jocelyn's every day makeup bag because of the iconic cheetah print. The 2000s was filled with animal print. This prop reinforces the character's style, adding personality to the scene. 

    Overall, props are not just small details nor are they background objects. They reinforce theme, play a huge role in adding to a person's character, and provides visual storytelling. By selecting these props to match the 2000s aesthetic, I am also matching them to the character's personality. 

Planning - storyboard

     When planning my film opening I decided to create storyboards, this helped me visualize how each scene will look before filming. Even though I already had a general idea of how I wanted the opening to run, storyboarding helped me organize those ideas into a visual way. It overall made it a lot easier to understand how each shot will connect and contribute to the narrative. Storyboards can reduce the amount of mistakes made during filming, there is a clear plan to follow, this will save time. 

    When creating my storyboards I focused on two important scenes during the opening. I plan for it to begin with an establishing shot of the house to give the audience a sense of time and location. I also decided that this shot would not include a dialogue but instead rely on sound, specifically the alarm clock. 

    The next storyboard then skips ahead to the third scene as one of the main characters is getting ready. This is a wide shot, it focuses on the upper half of the character as she is looking in the mirror. The camera will be placed at an angle where the character appears to be looking straight at the camera from time to time, instead it is revealed she was looking into a mirror. This shot does not include dialogue, it uses sound like Alejandra's humming. 

    To conclude, creating storyboards has been very helpful in organizing my thoughts, it allows me to think more carefully about shot composition, the use of sound, and even deciding what scenes are considered vitual to the storyline. Moving foward, I plan to create more storyboards for the rest of the scenes and then discuss with my group. 

Planning - Casting

     Now that a plot has been decided for our teen, coming of age film opening, the upcoming step would be to decide on the casting for the acting roles. As a team we discussed who would fit each role, in the end I, Gabriella Offredi, and my peer, Jocelyn Villa, will be acting in the film. Our third group member, Sophia Espinosa, will be taking on the role of director. She will guide our performances to ensure the actions align with the elements of the subgenre.

    Sophia knows both me and Jocelyn very well, she suggested that Jocelyn should play Arianna since she felt her personality could shape the charcter in a very authentic way. Since we are both the same age as the characters being portrayed I agreed with Sophia's statement since it would be easier to capture the emotions of teenage girls. 

    I will be playing the role of Alejandra. Even though I am not a trained actor, I believe my lack of experience actually benefits the film since the coming of age genre highlights the awkward moments of teenage life. Our natural behavior will insinuate the genuine experience of being a teenager. 

    Casting has now been finalized, these decisions were made based off collaboration and authenticity. The next step of this process will have to be developing dialogue and creating a script. 

Project Proposal

    My name is Gabriella Offredi, I am working in a team with my group members Jocelyn Villa and Sophia Espinosa. We aim to create a film opening for our project. Throughout this process I plan to collaborate with my partners throughout the planning, filming, editing, and production process. We have decided on a Teen, coming of age film. This genre and sub genre was chosen since it allows us to explore relatable experiences, this includes themes of friendship, growing up, and identity. 

    

    Our target audience includes mainly teenage girls and even young women, this age range is roughly between 13 and 18. The storyline focuses on the experiences of teenage girls, making it relatable towards this demographic. We aim to appeal to viewers who enjoy nostalgic content. The audience is likely to have interest in social media, friendships, school life, and fashion. Although this is our main audience, the universal themes of friendship and self - discovery means a wider audience is still able to connect to the film. 

    Rather than relying on stereotypes, our film opening aims to represent teenage girls in a realistic way. We made sure to highlight the importance of individuality and also friendship. We also made sure to introduce the pressures that come with being a teenage girl. This may include the need to fit in and expectations made by others. By doing this we hope to create characters that are relatable and genuine. 

    For the filming process we plan to use a Nikon D5000 film camera, along with a tripod to be able to set up the camera and stabilize the shots. When editing I plan to use Adobe Premiere Pro, this platform allows us to organize and edit the footage effectively. Throughout this process I hope to improve my skills and have a better understanding of camera techniques. 

    The characters Alejandra and Arianna are two students in their final year of high school, their senior year. The film opening will begin with a typical morning routine scene, where my character, Alejandra gets ready for school. This light hearted and slightly chaotic scene reflects on the coming of age genre. The storyline then continues as she interacts with her best friend on the way to school, the difference in personalities is quickly established. The opening will then end in a way that suggests many more events are to come, this will encourage the audience to continue watching.

    

    To help prepare for the creation of the final product we plan to experiment with different camera angles and shots, we would also need to test lighting and the different set ups for each scene. These exercises will help improve our skills to ensure our final film opening is perfect. All in all, I am looking forward to applying what I have learned throughout this process to create an amazing film opening. 

Planning - Script draft

    As a group we had a clear understanding of the story we wanted to tell, however we were unsure on where to start. Therefore, we decided to start with the characters and how we thought they would act in a situation like this. 

    To begin the story, Alejandra wakes up to an obnoxiously loud alarm clock. She is seen trying to repeatedly turn it off with no success, she eventually rips the alarm clock out of the wall to stop the sound. This is used to create a humorous scene while also giving the audience an insight to the character's personality. Next, the film opening continues with a shot of Alejandra getting ready for her day. She is on the phone with Arianna as she realizes she is running late and still needs to pick up her up.  In addition to their dialogues and personalities, having Arianna call Alejandra, "Ale" shows their close friendship. 

First draft of the script

    When creating the first script it was definitely a challenge to be able to express my thoughts into verbal ideas. I was unsure what parts of the story would need to be further explained on and what parts may even need to be cut out, out of fear of overcomplicating things. When researching coming of age films it was helpful to discover these films often introduce dialogue within the first 30 seconds of the opening. 

    Changes are mostly likely going to be made since this is the first draft however, however my goal is to introduce characters and begin a storyline that will make the audience want to continue watching. This process has shown me that writing a script takes lots of planning and also attention of detail. 

Research - Lighting

     I decided to continue my research to explore how lighting is used in cinematography to express mood, highlight characters, and influence how the audience interprets a scene. I have learned that lighting is a very important visual tool when filmmaking. For instance, without the addition of a dialogue or even a change in action the tone of a scene can still be completely changed just by altering the lighting. 

Types of lighting

    There are many types of lighting, however the main two that are mostly focused on are high and low key lighting. High-key lighting is when a scene is brightly and evenly lit. Often seen in comedies or light hearted films. Low-key lighting is the use of shadows to create contrast. This is used in darker and more dramatic films. 

Natural lighting

    Natural lighting is when a source of light is the real world sunlight. This type of lighting creates a realistic and authentic setting. Especially at certain hours of the day like golden hour, the warm glow gives a joyful feeling. It expresses nostalgia, which is usually seen in coming of age films. This is something I will be using in my film opening to reflect a relatable setting.

Practical Lighting

    This is the lighting that comes from physical light sources within the scene. This can include lamps, vanity lights, phone screens, or streetlights. This type of lighting can help ground the film, making it feel real rather than a skit. For instance, a lamp can make the audience feel at home since it produces a warm mood. 

    In conclusion, I plan to mostly use natural lighting to create a nostalgic and relatable feel.  My research into lighting has helped me understand how lighting choices can add emotion and meaning to a film. This research has influenced how I will film the opening, I will make choices that accurately support the storyline. 

Research - color theory

     You may be asking, are the colors frequently shown throughout a film purposeful or does it happen to be a coincidence? Well, color theory in cinematography is used to create meaning and influence the emotions of the audience. I learned that color is symbolic, it can communicate many things like moods, themes, and even character development. Therefore, film makers intentionally use different colors to shape the way an audience feels about a scene. 

Color Theory

    The basics of color theory includes comparison between cool and warm colors, complementary colors, and color symbolism. Cool colors like green, blue, and purple create feelings of sadness, calmness, or even isolation. On the other hand, warm colors like red, orange, and yellow insinuate a feeling of warmth or energy. This will help me decide how I want my film opening to feel emotionally. 

 Application

    Color is expressed through lighting, clothing, set design, and the use of color grading during editing. Editors use color grading to either enhance or completely change the tone of a scene. Color palettes are often made by filmmakers before filming to ensure consistency. Depending on the intended effect a scene can become brighter and nostalgic or the scene can become darker and more dramatic. Character representation through color is another common use of color theory, colors can be associated with specific characters to show emotional states or even personality traits. 

Examples

Barbie (2023)

    Bright pinks and pastel colors are intentionally used to create a vibrant, artificial world that represents themes of girlhood, femininity, and perfection. Barbie is known for her infamous shades of pinks, making her easily recognizable. When you think of pink you think of Barbie. "Barbie" shows how cinematography can reinforce theme and branding. 

The Batman (2022)

    Batman on the other hand uses dark, desaturated colors. Throughout the film the color palette focuses on the color black, grey, dark red, and overall deeply desaturated warm colors as seen in the clip from "The Batman". This is used to describe Batman's character as mysterious and isolated. The dark setting also resembles the violence and action seen in the film. "The Batman" demonstrates how color theory can shape theme and mood. 

    My research into color theory has expressed how much of an effect color can have on storytelling. It has shown me the importance it will play when constructing my film opening. I will use these techniques to create a visually engaging film. 

Research - Premier Pro

     As part of my research I explored how to effectively use Adobe Premier Pro in order to create an engaging yet professional sequence. During class I often used Premier Pro for small projects, this helped me become more familiar with the editing software. I will say I was quite confused by the many features provided by the platform. Using online videos, tutorials, and by reading a few articles I was able to eventually get the hang of things. This software allows me to use a wide range of editing techniques to bring my ideas to life. Especially for my 2000s inspired short film it was important to provide additional details that were not included during the filming process.

Clip Formation

    One of the very first skills I learned was how to import, arrange, and trim, this step is often overlooked since it may seem like a simple procedure. However it is easier said than done. Especially with a limited runtime, I practiced cutting clips precisely to remove unnecessary footage. It was important to make sure every clip contributed to the narrative. Organizing clips in a sequence helps control the pacing of the film opening while also remembering to engage the audience. 

Audio

    Audio includes any sounds or music that is heard throughout the film. This is a very important part therefore I had to make sure I knew how to do this part correctly. I learned how to remove background noise, layer audio tracks, and adjust the volume levels of certain clips. This includes different tracks such as dialogue, sound effects, and music. Audio perfectly enhances the mood of a scene.

Transitions

    I researched many different types of transitions, such as hard cuts, how to fade in and out, jump cuts, and more. It was important to know also how they can affect the flow of a film. Even after research different kinds of transitions I found that simple transitions are much more effective. This maintains continuity, it also ensures that my film opening would run smoothly instead of having the transitions distract the audience from the scenes. 

Text

    Premiere Pro makes adding titles and on screen text very simple. Simply by using the Type Tool (T) text can overlay the clips on screen. Using the program monitor one can experiment with different fonts, sizes, and even color. This can all be used to match the aesthetic of the film. This was very helpful since my film opening will be inspired by the 2000s. 

Visuals

    When editing many clips together there could potentially be many discrepancies in color and lighting. Color correction tools such as adjusting brightness, saturation, and contrast can help form consistency across the film. 

    Overall, my research on Adobe Premiere Pro improved my creative and technological skills. The decisions made while editing can influence the audiences understanding of the film. This will be essential in helping me produce a film opening that is engaging and that will match my intended style.