Reflection

The development of my portfolio project was pretty rocky because I had to make many changes especially because of the whole lock down. It wasn't hard once I chose the horror genre to develop the idea of a stalker.. This I feel reaches out to any type of audience especially females who may not be aware it is happening to them. In the beginning I had a different view on how the stalker was going to be portrayed. I had the idea that the stalker would be following the girl. I can be a stubborn person so having to stray from my idea was difficult for me to overcome at first. I had my cast all set but I'm glad as to how it played out because it was easier to shoot with no cast or dialogue since it gave me more time to focus on the content and the props that I made. The props were a huge part of creating the tone of the piece so I made sure to pay attention to detail when creating it.

Something I really struggled with was communication. I would often work on the project but not post about it until after I finished and I guess as I went through I I started to get a little more comfortable on the page and share a little more, but that is definitely something that I needed to work and focus more on.

I'm very happy with the end result of my project nonetheless since I accurately represented my original thought. I was scared at the beginning of the project that I would stray away from what I wanted my main idea to be, which is to invoke fear, not through monsters with masks on but from the ones hidden in plain sight in society. I honestly felt kind of strange putting myself in the shoes of a stalker and as I progressed in the project I became uncomfortable putting the props together. For example I would have my dad or my brother follow me around with the camera as I was walking my dog or as I was working out and the further I got into the project the more I realized how possible it is for it to happen to any girl or even boy. I could have gotten carried away with playing around with editing or the music but throughout the whole thing I was able to keep focus on the idea and the message that I wanted the audience to capture. I feel like my final project did this and I'm very happy about the result.

Final Product!

I'm finally done! Here's the result :)

https://www.wevideo.com/view/1683883051

Editing

I started editing what I had previously filmed and am struggling a bit with transitioning between images. I had thought of doing quick pans between images but because there will be so many images this may overwhelm the viewers. This meant I had to cut those parts out of what I filmed and make tight shots of each image. This definitely calls for more props now that I need to make more screen time.

Filming pt 2

Hey guys! It is day 2 of filming and I realized that I am going to need to make more props to include in the video. With what I have now, I will not have enough for two minutes, unless each prop gets more screen time which is something I do not want to do. I would rather create too many props and cuts some out rather than making the video seem as if it was last minute or not well thought out.

Filming

Today I started filming my opening! I put all of my props and taped them to the wall and got my lamp with the red cloth and started playing around with the lighting until I found the angle that looked best on camera. I shot about 30 seconds of it. I took longer clips of each segment (each segment being a polaroid or a piece of paper) so that when I edit it later I can cut whatever I need out.

Props

Hey guys today I finished making the props, which consisted of the rest of the Polaroids along wih writings of schedules and information such as "friends" and "family" to show the extensive research that the stalker had made of the girl. I made sure to have my dad write it down to give the handwriting a sloppy slant to reinforce the idea of it being a man.

New decisions

Hey guys, I was going to make the storyboard so I can start filming today but I realized I thought my concept was still a little unclear. I an still working out the logistics on how to transition between the close-up shots. My  initial plan was going to be to just show a series of close-up images of Polaroids and other information about the victim but I realized that it would seem disorganized and would show no storyline so I think it will be easier to begin with a picture of the victim and string lines coming out of the picture and each string becoming a whole different section. This way I am tracing back to the idea of a stalker board rather than just images to make it seem more organized and it would just be easier to film as well. I also decided to use low lighting in my room and on my lamp placing a red shirt to give it a darker shading and create the tone of the peace

Music

For this blog post I decided to cover the music of my piece. Choosing the right song is essential since there is going to be no dialogue. I went on purple planet, a website that offers royalty free music, to start looking for the music to play in the background. After browsing through the "tense" category I found a sound that will portray the genre of horror and accurately convey this message to the audience. The sound is called "Turning the Screw", here is the link to the sound! https://www.purple-planet.com/tense

Mise-en-scene

Today I started making the Polaroids that will be included in the board. I had my brother take pictures of me walking my dog and in different parts of the house. I am wearing different clothes to show how they are taken on several occasions and there will be a glass reflection to show an outsider looking in. In addition I will have him take more pictures tomorrow during different times of the day to really capture this idea of continuous stalking.

New Opening

Hey guys. I was planning out the days for my filming with my parents and I was told that I am fully quarantined!! This meaning that I will need to rethink what to do for my opening. I was going through my notes from the course which included examples of  film openings and found the movie Se7en. 



These are images from the opening which is a series of close up and extreme close up shots. With this idea I can film everything in my room and include dark lighting to make the mood more ominous. I am still going to make my board as the main prop and just slowly include small clips of the board along with hands quickly scribbling down information.

Quarantine

Hey guys it's been a while!
Due to the quarantine from the Corona virus, I have been set back on the whole schedule. Luckily, my location for shooting is my mom's office and the actors are my dad and myself. The days I am allowed to go to the office are not set but in the meantime I can work on the props. I was researching what a "stalker board" would look like. I researched investigation boards and came upon this one.

I thought this would be a great idea to replicate because it allows for me to include a variety of information in a small space. I can use my Polaroid camera and have someone take pictures of me in my house or walking my dog as well as post its with notes, times and random facts in order to establish the idea that it is a stalker. It can also give an insight as to the personality of the stalker. Creating the board as such can indicate that the man is unorganized, lacks organization and is rather impulsive.

If going to the office becomes too much work, I can change the opening to just be a series of extreme close ups of the board so that there is no need for a background or set location. Stay safe everyone!

Location

Okay I was just thought of the best idea. Initially I was going to make the stalker's lair in a room so that he can peer outside a window to see the girl. However, I was driving to my mom's office when I realized that that was the perfect place to film. It's only one room that has enough space for me to decorate and has a huge window that takes up one wall. During the day you cannot see into the office but whoever is inside can see those outside. I thought this was perfect because it makes for a perfect stalking room. I do not have pictures of it right now, but I will stop by tomorrow so I can show it!

New Casting

I was going over my cast, literally just two people, and I realized that although there is no dialogue, I have very little representation. The girl whom I chose to play the victim is blonde, much like every girl in the stereotypical horror realm. That is why I decided to change it to a Hispanic girl. This not only shows diversity but it is also something much more relatable to me and is easier to work with.

The task now is to find a new actress. I have many people in mind but am still debating if it is easier to just cast myself. Seeing that I am already behind schedule, trying to coordinate with a whole new person will only be a setback. Either way I will keep you guys updated!

Distribution

Hey guys! I have come up with my distribution method plan for the release of the film. Not only will it be released through YouTube, but it will also be shown in local film festivals.

YouTube
The film will be available to stream through YouTube, which provides free and easy access to the movie. The film will appear under the Watch Next section whenever viewers see things related to horror or independent movies or use key words as well.

Film Festivals
The film festivals will be a great way to expose the film towards an audience that is interested and open minded. This is a great way to compare films with others and gain connections that may facilitate the distribution process in the future.The film festivals best available in Florida are:
- Miami International Film Festival
- Florida Film Festival
- Orlando Film Festival
- Freak Show Horror Film Festival

Target Audience

As I was working on the project, I realized that I need to determine the target audience for this piece. For the horror genre both males and females watch at an even amount, 52% to 48%, so the age and gender is not specifically set in stone. However, the target audience is typically teenage to young adult males. This is because many horror films satisfy that sense of vengeance and violence.

For my opening there will be no violence depicted, so I intend for a larger base of females to enjoy it as well. I am not making this adhering to a specific group of people. On the contrary, I am keeping the conventions as basic as possible in order to appeal to a larger audience. The lack of dialogue will help in this because I won't have to create jargon that only a specific group uses and instead use the silence as a way to intrigue the audience.

Casting

I finally found my actors! I decided to use my dad as the stalker and my cousin as the victim. I was initially going to use two friends I had in mind, but the schedules rarely coincided and would have been too difficult to coordinate. The characteristics of the actors remain the same nevertheless. Since the antagonist’s face will not be shown it is uncertain to the audience how old he really is. I used that to my advantage to cast my dad, who is tall and with the right costume design can look younger. I was not looking for anything in specific regarding the physical appearance of the victim, so casting my cousin was the safest and easiest option. In addition I will not need to be worried about how good the acting is because there will be no dialogue and a large portion of the intro is close ups and extreme close ups.

Shooting Schedule

Hello everyone! As I move forward with my project I decided to make a shooting schedule to better organize myself in the weeks remaining. Since this is due in the beginning of April here is what I came up with:

03/09-03/12: prop/ set design

03/13: prop/ shooting

03/ 14:shooting

03/15: shooting

03/16-03/20: editing/ reflection

03/21: reshoots

03/22: reshoots

03/28: editing

03/29: editing


I have created this method of shooting on weekends for the month of March to prepare myself during the week, taking into consideration other schoolwork and availability of the actors. With this schedule, I will be able to finish a week early in case there are any issues or delays.

Creating the Title

Helloo! I just decided the title for my opening, I’m calling it Turn Around. I decided on this because I thought it captured the idea of a stalker and the irony of how turning around may have changed the fate of the protagonist.

Most movies include short phrases or adjectives to create the title of movies in order for them to be catchy and easy to remember. Some examples include Get Out, IT and The Conjuring. My title expresses the theme and lets viewers know it is a horror movie because it alludes to conflict. I thought of this idea when I was going over the last scene in my head, where the stalker looks through the window to see the girl walking by. If she had simply just looked she would have realized that someone was watching her and made her more cautious of her surroundings.

Group Meeting

Hey guys! I had my first group meeting in class earlier this week to get some feedback on my movie intro when I realized that I was not completely sure of the plot. My introduction seemed more like a scene that would occur later in the movie rather than the beginning. With that being said, I have come up with the final movie intro.

There will be no dialogue, just music playing with the credits along with the clips. The scene begins with short and close up shots. There will be a bulletin board with a girl’s face on it and many strings coming out of her picture that connect to different pieces of her life. All that is seen throughout the scene is the back of a man or his side, but never his face to keep his identity a mystery. This will go on throughout most of the scene up until the very end, where he looks at his watch and looks outside of his window to find that the girl he has been stalking is walking by. The scene ends with him walking out and turning the light off, which is where the title will later appear.

I think that the lack of dialogue will make the scene seem like a theme song of some sort that establishes the antagonist and alludes to conflict. My idea originally of a girl getting drugged at a bar was not one that I was passionate about and did not seem like a movie opening, especially because the change in scenery so frequently created the opposite effect. With this new idea, I can play with mise-en-scene and lighting to create an eerie feeling that will better reflect the horror genre.

Movie Outline Part 2

Hey guys! As I mentioned in my last blog I developed my idea for the opening so I am going to go over everything in detail including shots, angles,composition and lighting.

The scene will begin with a mid shot of a girl getting ready in her room. There is warm lighting to show comfort and familiarity. As she leaves her room and arrives at the bar the lighting turns cooler. Most of the mise-en-scene is dark colors to make her stand out.

A midshot of the bar scene includes the girl meeting her date. As the dialogue progresses ans he puts something in her drink a P.O.V shot of the room slowly going blurry becomes apparent. This scene ends with another P.O.V shot of her eyes closing as she falls to the ground.

The final scene begins with the same shot but of her eyes opening. The lowly lit room and old and dusty items show she is far from the world she lives in. Her costume design changes from a nice outfit to a ragged, black shirt that looks like a cloth. As the credits and the music begins, it alludes to something ominous. The last shot will be of the shadow of the man who drugged her holding a knife.

I am still not sure as to the specifics of what I want to happen, which is why most of these explanations are brief and leave room for change.

Movie Outline

I will be focusing on alluding to conflict in the intro of the movie and that way establishing suspense and mystery all together. I will also be focusing on introducing the main character (the protagonist), the antagonist and the setting of the film.


For example in the movie Psycho, about half of the movie went by before the main character was killed or there is any serious element of horror. Most of it was a build up, so I'm trying to create a similar aspect except that in the first two minutes there is some sense of mystery or suspense in order to make the viewers feel as if it is the horror genre.


With this being said I will not include much action in the introduction of the movie. It will begin with a young girl getting ready to go to a bar where she will meet a guy and begin talking to him. He will offer her a drink and she will black out. When she wakes up in an unknown location tied up, ominous music will begin playing and the credits will appear as she begins looking around to figure out where she is. As the door opens and the shadow of a man holding a knife appears the title will come up, concluding the intro.

Color Theory

The color schemes for many horror movies include the colors red and black. Red is used to symbolize death and danger while black is used to develop fear and mystery.


The lighting used in horror movies is unlike those used in comedies or even action movies because the lighting is much darker and gloomy in order to properly establish the tone. Some movies include blue filters and low key lighting in order to establish this. In about 80% of horror movies the color palette is monochrome or sepia tone intertwined with hot or cool shades of red and blue to create a dark and eerie settings alluding to death, rather than bright colors used in fantasy such as yellow and pink which establish the opposite mood.


For my film opening the mise-en-scene and costume design of the film will include neutral colors along with black and white and details of red. The main character will wear white to resemble purity while the antagonist introduced will be wearing black with hints of red. I will be using the same techniques and include a sepia tone with cool shades of blue along with the red mise-en-scene.

Horror Genre Part 2

Hi guys! This is the second part of the horror genre research for the film opening where examples are available.

Mystery 

The movie, Scream, does a good job establishing a sense of mystery in its introduction. The girl in the beginning is seen alone in her isolated house talking to an unknown person on the phone. The person behind the voice is not seen for most of the intro until someone with white mask and grim reaper costume is seen. Even then, it is not clear who this man is. The unknown entity and uncertainty of the killer is what lead to a mysterious movie.
Suspense
 
In 2018's A Quiet Place the use of sound, or lack thereof, was perfect for establishing suspense. In this movie the demon was sensitive to sound, so there was very little dialogue as the characters communicated through sign language. Most of what was heard was the monster or nondiegetic music to make the viewers feel on anxious. The audience was very attentive and on the edge of their seat waiting for a sound that when paired with the music, caused a feeling of suspense throughout the whole film.

Fear
 
The opening for IT created suspense that ultimately lead to fear. The costume design of Georgie of a bright yellow raincoat on rainy street drew attention to him. As his paper boat fell into a sewer drain, two eyes appeared in the drain. Suspense was created as the interaction between the boy and the clown developed. As the clown's intentions are seen as malicious and a sting is used, fear is created because the audience knows something bad will occur.

Horror Genre

For my portfolio film opening I have decided to work along the lines of the horror genre. There are three main characteristics of this genre that will be essential for the opening; mystery, suspense and fear.

Mystery

Mystery in the horror genre is not the same as the one seen in thrillers. While in both it involves an unknown situation or identity, within the horror realm the mystery does not have to be solved by the end. The supernatural, such as demons or ghosts, are often used as the source of mystery for films as the protagonists encounter it or battle against it. This can be done through mise-en scene elements to create mystery. Horror movies often take place in dark, abandoned locations that arouse the feeling of suspicion and doubt that later becomes mystery. 

Suspense 

Suspense is a crucial element to creating the opening that will keep the viewers enticed. This can be done through editing and audio. The editing will be quick paced and will speed up as the scene climaxes. The use of quick cutting will leave the audience disoriented and understand the sense of urgency of the scene. This as a result will create a feeling of  uncertainty and anxiousness. The audio chosen will be one where the wavelengths are not compatibles. When these wavelengths do not meet, they form an inharmonious sound which will in turn make the sound unpleasant or "scary". This will build up tension that when paired with the fast editing will create suspense. 

Fear

After mystery and suspense are established, fear comes into play. Utilizing the same elements as suspense and mystery, lighting and sounds will generate this from the audience.  As humans it is our innate fear of the unknown that will allow for the use of low lighting to scare the audience. Since suspense is already built up, any shadow visible will be interpreted as frightful. Pair it up with high pitched sounds and the audience will be in fear. A jump scare will be inserted right at the height of the scene that is ensured to cause fear by the end. 

Music Marketing Campaign

Young + Free
Pop Genre

Marketing Trends
Current marketing trends include the usage of teaser trailers along with reliance of social media to market it. For Ariana Grande's hit song "Thank You Next" she released small parts of the video as teaser trailers on her social media to create wonder until she dropped the song. Audience involvement is another trend as well. Maroon 5 was seen doing this for their song "Cold" where they made fans send in 15 second videos of themselves to include in their music videos. This allows for the engaged people to become intrigued and advertise through word of mouth since it may involve them.

Development of brand
The brand of the band will be developed through marketing techniques and the reliance on color branding. As previously stated, social media will play an active role in the marketing of the band. Instagram will be the "hub" where behind the scene photos, teaser trailers, and live streams will be available. The Twitter account will include hashtags and retweets to posts relating to the target audience to create the brand of relatable and nostalgic. Color branding usage will be used as well. All the social media platforms will include the colors navy blue, light blue and yellow in order for people to associate those colors with the brand. The icon, or image, of the band are two ASL hand signs of the letters "Y" and "F" for Young and Free.

Products
Some of the products created include shirts both short and long sleeve, hoodies, hats, phone cases and stickers. This allows for a range in prices depending on how much fans are willing to support the band. Since the target audience is mostly teens and young adults, there are inexpensive options such as the stickers. The shirts and hoodies are available for those willing to spend more.

Production
Through the creation of the music video it was evident that production relied on representation. The band is intended to be relatable to many people, which is why the members were not the typical white males seen in pop bands. It was important that the video followed the same aesthetic as the rest of the marketing campaign and conveyed the same messages in order to create a solid brand. Previously knowing that a promo music video is tricky because of the syncing of mouth movement to the song, the video included long shots where the mouth of the lead singer was not very visible and errors would not be easily detected.