Pseudoscience? Man with schizophrenia? Maybe, who knows!

 Hey, blog!

I had AICE Media today, so I thought I'd update you guys a little bit on how the project is going, and well, this is what we have so far...

So basically, the idea was to create a film opening that starts with a flash-forward to a scene where the man is in an all-white room in a psych ward, and once one of the 'guards' calls his name the scene goes to present-day and the same man is in a business suit, at his office job on the phone with his wife about getting home for dinner. Once his coworker who has known him for five years notices he's not staying to go out with the rest of the team once the work day is over, he questions the man about how come he has never met his wife, despite them knowing each other for five years.

The man then says that he doesn't really know why, his wife is just more on the shy side, and then he gets going to be home for dinner. When he gets home, the idea is that he is shown setting the table, pouring glasses of wine and simply completing domestic tasks before sitting down with his wife for dinner. At the end of the opening, he would ask if he can clear the table, and then the scene would cut to a shot of him throwing away his wife's plate, still full of food.

The conflict is that in reality, the wife doesn't exist nor did she ever exist. While I don't LOVE the idea, and I think it would be hard to produce as we would need kind of a lot of actors, I also think it could potentially come out well. After speaking to Mrs. Stoklosa, she did point out something that I agree with: the plot of the schizophrenic person in films has become quite common recently, and we would like to create something different.

I am also a little worried that this plot would require a lot of dialogue, which we didn't really see in the film opening examples shown in class, and since none of us are actual actors, it could come out cringe. Zain is researching pseudoscience because she wants to do a film opening that incorporates that in some way, and honestly, that is more original than the guy with schizophrenia, but I do worry that it'll be hard to capture the essence of it within just two minutes.

We did decide to plan for (at least) the next two weeks, to have everything set as to how we want the film opening to be, and then start shooting. I want to try to come up with other storylines aside from the two we already have in mind, I feel like we might be aiming too high with these.

Either way, researching pseudoscience has been fun and super interesting, here's a link we used in some superficial research in case anyone is interested in checking some of those things out (and yes, I know it's a Wikipedia link, but I did fact check everything under the psychology, sociology, and racial theories categories): 

Initial Research (Alfred Hitchcock)

 Hey, blog!!

This week is what I like to call an "A day" week. That just means that there are more A days this week rather than B days, which I like because I like my classes more on A days rather than B days. But honestly, this week is different because since I'll only have AICE Media twice, that gives me and my group one less day to work on brainstorming for our project, but so far I think we're on the right track.

All four of us are actually quite excited about this project! We haven't decided exactly what genre we want it to be yet, but I am leaning towards psychological thriller, which is probably my favorite genre of all time. Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Flanagan, and Stanley Kubrick are DEFINITELY some of my favorite directors of all time, I mean come on... The Shining? Perfect. Eyes Wide Shut? Flawless. Psycho? Simply the most iconic movie of all time.

After some research, I found this video that goes over multiple techniques that Hitchcock used in his films in order to create that atmosphere of suspense and anticipation that viewers experience. He also believed in showing the audience what the character was unaware of, which I think could look really cool in our production if we are going for a mystery/thriller vibe. 

I know for a fact that all of us want to establish the tone/mood of the production through things such as lightning, like the blue tones used in the scene from "Scream" (1996) where the protagonist first picks up the phone and the TV light is blue, which slowly creates a sense of uneasiness and anxiety in the viewer, which I think is the feeling we are striving for. We agreed to have me as the main writer for the film because I tend to get pretty creative when coming up with thriller/suspense stories, so I'm excited about that. Nadia and Vanessa agreed to be actors in the production which is good because I definitely don't want to be IN the film, and we will probably all direct it together.

The details aren't quite sorted out yet, but either way, I am looking REALLY forward to this project. I have a feeling it might be one of my favorite projects I've done throughout high school. I don't know. I guess we'll see. Well, blog, this is where I leave you for today. I'll be posting more this week as I talk to my group and we decide more things and get going with our research, but for now, I leave you with my favorite quote by Hitchcock, which is also what I am using as my mantra throughout this project:

Transitioning to portifolio project

 Hi blog!

I have some news today: We are officially starting our portfolio project!! I say "ours" because this project truly is as much yours as it is mine. Over the next eight weeks, I will take you guys along every single step of the Cambridge Portfolio Project. I'm honestly excited about this project. It seemed daunting at first, simply because it's such a huge project/grade, but I look forward to putting to use everything I've learned this year.

I'm pretty set on working with three other girls in my class; Zain, Nadia, and Vanessa. Even though we were advised to not work in groups of more than three, I'm confident with this group, and I believe we will all work well together. I could also make use of Zain's knowledge in film production/editing from CBTV, I know she's really passionate.

I'm thinking of doing something related to horror. It is by far my favorite genre so I feel like I have a better understanding of how to direct those films, simply because I've watched SO many. No joke. I've probably watched the entire Netflix catalog for horror films. I'm thinking of using specific lighting to establish a tone, probably blue or red lighting.

We will get together in our groups next week and start the actual brainstorming process. I'll keep you updated!

Music Research Project #2

 Hi blog! 

I'm here to talk about the music research project again! This time, with the final product. Honestly, this project was fun! It was hard at first because my partners for this project worked really differently, and we all had busy schedules so it was hard to find days that worked for everyone and a big part of it was me having to clarify things for some of the group members.

We started out in class by doing some research on country music, some country artists, and how country music is marketed and distributed. Personally, I wasn't looking forward to it because I am not a fan of country music. I researched Zach Bryan because he has one song that I can stand listening to, so I figured it'd be the most bearable one.

After working on the research chart for about two classes, I got really sick and missed probably a week's worth of class, and my group didn't work on the project at all! Once the due date started to get closer they started to get more worried as we were missing a lot of things. While sick I worked on the marketing campaign for our artist because my partners texted me asking me to take care of the marketing part because of my past knowledge. 

Developing the marketing campaign was actually my favorite part of the project. It was really nice to have the liberty to bring a completely new artist to the spotlight through marketing, so pretty much I could choose what to do as far as merch, social media, websites, etc go.

Once I wasn't sick anymore and returned to class, we started catching up on all the other components of this project that we hadn't yet done. Last Friday, we left together after AICE Media and went to Chick-fil-A and towncenter (with me as chauffeur as the other people in my group aren't old enough to have their licenses yet) to record some of the scenes for the music video, which was good because since I used to work at the Starbucks in town center, my ex-coworkers were willing to participate in our video.

After that, we went back to one of my partner's house to record the rest of the scenes. She had a huge house! Super nice and modern. I love going to other people's houses, its fun! Anyways, we printed a bunch of photos and spent like 20 mins cutting them for our next scene. By the time we finished recording all scenes, it was around 7pm and I dropped my other partner at her house and drove home.

After that, came the editing part of the video, which I didn't partake much in because I SUCK at editing and using all those different softwares and stuff. Luckily, one of my partners is kind of techy, so she took over that part meanwhile my other partner and I took care of putting the presentation together.

Overall, this was a cool project. We had a lot of freedom to pretty much create whatever we wanted out of this artist, and I think we did a good job. I learned that most of the music videos I've seen from other artists are storytelling, and it's interesting to see how they serve a purpose to the song

Here are a few of the slides from our presentation!

Music Marketing/Research project

 Hey, blog!

Long time no see! It's my fault, I know. And I'm sorry. But in my defense, I've been busy. First of all, I was super sick for like three weeks! And I had to make up work from the days I missed when I was sick. I also went to Tallahassee and signed my lease for FSU. I'm excited! But nervous.

Okay, let's cut to the chase: The music marketing brand project! Honestly, it was pretty interesting to learn about music and music videos, and I think the project is coming together nicely now. It wasn't at the beginning, because I was sick and had to miss a lot of class and my partners were kind of losing it by themselves. But once we all started to work together on the brainstorming sheet, things started to go smoothly.

I took over the entire marketing part of it as well as designing our presentation mainly because of two things: 1. All these years paying DECA Co-curricular fees of $50 had to serve some purpose. And 2. Mrs. Staklosa said I'm good at marketing and that was a really nice ego boost. It's hard to get compliments from her so I feel like it means more.

We ended up all going to one of my partner's house today after school and we spent the ENTIRE day filming. It was quite fun actually, and it's funny working with sophomores and seeing things that wouldn't really matter to me matter to them.

Now, we just have to put all the information from the brainstorming document onto the presentation, do the voice-over, and edit the video. I'm pretty proud of how much work we got done today! I still have to work on some little things for the marketing/brand establishing over the weekend, but honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to it!

Media Representation: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 Hi everyone!

Today's blog post is actually more interesting than usual, mainly because of two things: 1. I get to pick what film I want to talk about, and 2. I will be analyzing how the film represents teenagers. The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been one of my favorite movies since I first watched it in 7th grade, still living in Brazil, and it's actually quite funny because the title of the movie is in Portuguese "The Advantages of Being Invisible", which was what drew me to the movie in the first place.

Probably one of the reasons why this film is one of my favorites is because it avoids illustrating youth in terms of traditional social stereotypes. Instead, it emphasizes the fluidity and complexities of their interactions. Brad and other "popular kids" aren't narrow-minded bullies; beyond the confidence, we see vulnerabilities and concerns. Sam and Patrick's "alternative" crowd isn't just a monolith of revolt; their uniqueness shows through, showing internal tensions and undiscovered layers to teenagers' minds.

The piece is also not afraid to go deep into teenager's concerns, issues, anxieties, etc. The protagonists struggle with self-doubt, peer pressure, and the ever-present adolescent crisis. Charlie's battles with depression and trauma are portrayed with raw honesty, whilst Sam and Patrick's battles with self-identity during a deciding year of their lives showcase compassion but also the loneliness of the process of moving away.

https://youtu.be/P4FFolmhr3Q?si=LefMJenk7gD4jpCq 

The film's ultimate strength is its worldwide and timeless appeal. While the novel takes place in a particular time and setting, the themes of self-discovery, loneliness, and a desire for belonging are universal among the youth of all places and cultures. The adolescents in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" are more than simply characters; They mirror teenager's feelings and thoughts, showing the audience that although sometimes lonely, it is something we all have in common.

Funny business: The genre of Comedy

Comedy is one of the most popular genres in modern-day TV. People like to forget about their problems and lose themselves in laughing and comedy. In a playful and amusing style, this genre frequently tackles many aspects of human nature, relationships, and social follies. Comedies' relevant and universal themes make them appealing to a wide audience.

Modern comedies, such as those directed by Judd Apatow, frequently explore the difficulties of growing up, managing relationships, and coping with the funny parts of life's ups and downs.

“Bridesmaids”, for example, is an ideal instance of a successful modern comedy film. This picture, with its keen humor and likable protagonists, made approximately $288 million, demonstrating that comedy has enduring appeal and can cater to a wide range of audiences.

Typical target audience of the genre:

Comedy films have an expansive appeal and are often aimed at a diverse group of people, such as families, teens and young adults, and grownups. Some comedies, on the contrary, are more expressly aimed at specific groups, such as college students, urbanized millennials, or parents.

Genre conventions – content:

• Comedy films often include a range of elements of comedy, such as wordplay, irony, and satire.

•  Although often times addressing important subjects, comedy films frequently have a cheerful tone.

• Comedy films frequently feature happy endings in which the main character surpasses obstacles and accomplishes their objectives.

Genre conventions – production techniques:

• Fast-paced editing is frequently used in comedy films to generate an atmosphere of enthusiasm and vibrancy.

•  Music and sound effects are frequently used in comedy films to further develop the humor and generate tension and amazement.

Institutional conventions - narrative image, marketing, etc.:

Comedy films are frequently advertised as fun and light movies that are bound to make viewers smile. They might be advertised to families, young adults, or individuals seeking a chuckle, for example, "The Hangover" was promoted through a series of enigmatic teasers and TV advertisements that alluded to the film's dark and comic tone, while the movie "Bridesmaids" was promoted through a series of amusing and sympathetic advertising trailers, as well as a social media campaign in which fans were urged to contribute their unique bridesmaid tales of terror.

Film sample #1: The Princess Bride (1987)

The piece follows many of the standards of the genre. The movie has a wide range of comedic elements, such as slapstick, wordplay, and sarcasm. Despite the fact that the narrative features a princess being abducted and a farm worker attempting to save her, it has a cheerful tone. The film concludes with the princess and farmer marrying and living happily ever after.

Film sample #2: Grown ups (2010)

Viewers say that the cast's compatibility is one of the factors that makes Grown Ups so entertaining. Sandler, James, Rock, Spade, and Schneider have all been close friends for a long time, and their friendship shines through the film. The five performers complement each other brilliantly, and their lines are delivered with hilarious timing. Slapstick humor, crass gags, and over-the-top set pieces abound in the film are classic examples of comedy traits.

List of 5-7 other film examples within the genre (with links or images of these examples):

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Airplane! (1980)

Superbad (2007)

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

The Big Sick (2017)