Short film vs. Feature length film

    Both the short film and full length film have many similarities and differences. While both of the films have similar plots, the full length movie has a much more complex plot. In the full length movie, the evil creatures are still a main antagonist. However, there was an additional conflict of the main characters also trying to decode the reasoning for their existence at the same time. The full length film was able to include more background information on the characters. This helped create more character development for 9 and allows the audience to further connect with the character and understand the motivation behind each of their actions throughout the film. Dialogue was included in the feature film, whereas in the short film there was close to none. Both ways get the story across in a clear, interesting way. I do think that adding dialogue into the film created more of a story that made some scenes more intense because you could hear the emotions rather than just see them. I think the expansion of the plot made the story even more intriguing. 

    While there are some major differences, there are also many similarities! The mis en scene of both the films are almost exactly the same. There were a lot of natural colors used like dark/light green and brown. The lighting was also a huge aspect when it came to creating an atmosphere for the characters. The dark lighting made the scenes feel more intense and eery. The costumes of the character also added to the feel of the movie. 9 and his family are designed very simplistic and made to look more cute and innocent, while the evil creatures have glowing eyes and metal spider-like legs. All of these factors helped create the mood and feeling of each scene.  Overall, I loved both the short film and feature film. My personal favorite is the full length feature film because it was just as intense but there was more character development and a more complex thought.

Research 9, The Feature Film

       After watching the short film of 9, I watched the full length movie! The movie’s plot was definitely more complex. The evil creatures were still a main antagonist throughout the film, but there was an additional conflict this time. Another main conflict in the plot was that the main characters were trying to decode the reasoning for their existence. The mis en scene of this film really helped create the mood and feeling of each scene. There were a lot of natural colors used like dark/light green and brown. The lighting was also a huge aspect when it came to creating an atmosphere for the characters. The dark lighting made the scenes feel more intense and eery. The costumes of the character also added to the feel of the movie. 9 and his family are designed very simplistic and made to look more cute and innocent, while the evil creatures have glowing eyes and metal spider-like legs. 

       The main character, 9, was the same character he was in the short film, but now his past was unveiled. This helped create more character development for the character. This will allow the audience to connect with the character even further and understand the motivation behind each of his actions throughout the film. The movie also included dialogue! Adding dialogue added to the plot greatly. The extended plot, which now contains back story, makes for a more complex and interesting story. One of the main things I noticed was in the characteristics of 9. At the being of the movie, 9 was scared and shy. At the end of the movie, 9 realizes all that can be done to continue fighting and becomes brave and courageous. All of these factors go into what makes the movie to great. I think the expansion of the plot made the story a lot more fun, interesting, and intense.

Research 9, the short

     After watching 9, the short film, I notice quite a few things. The film is about a character, 9, living in a post-apocalyptic world, where there are evil creatures that kill these characters. 9 must kill the creature before it kills him. 9's character development started to unravel when a flashback was shown. In the flashback, 9 is with another character who I assume was like family or was family. A tracker that lights up when one of the evil creatures is near by started to blink. 5 tells 9 to go hide, so that's what he does. 5 ends up getting killed by the creature, leaving 9 all alone. This flashback makes 9 more complex because we know more about their back story and the motivation for killing the creature. It also became clear that 9 was very intelligent and strategic when he was fighting the creature and setting up traps. 

    I liked this short film a lot. There were many small details that brought the story to life even more. For example, the creature was wearing the suits of numbers 1 through 8. This element added fear because it shows the audience the creature already killed all of 9's family and 9 is the last one left to survive. I also liked the way the difference in the make up of both characters. 9 and his family members had big, innocent eyes to show they were the good characters. The creature had several bug-like legs and razor sharp teeth. Making the creature appear more terrifying and having 9 and 5 look more cute will convey to the audience each characters role in the story. Although the film was short, it was executed in a way that told the full story. Overall, this was a very thought out and amazing short film. 

Genre Choice For Film

      After researching three genres my group and I came to a decision. We chose the genre drama. We chose this because it relates the most to our film. The storyline of our short film is similar to other films in the genre drama, so we saw it fit. We were inspired to choose drama out of the other researched genres because of its accuracy. Comedy, doesn’t  apply at all to our film. Our film doesn’t use comedy in any dialogue and doesn’t use anything for a purpose of laughter. With thriller, while some aspects of our film are surprising, it isn’t a nail bitter. Nothing about our film will keep an audience at the edge of their seats, like thriller films do. And even though we do have an unexpected plot twist, it’s not enough to call this film a thriller. Our pitch doesn’t need to be tweaked. After the research, my group and I still stuck with our original plot and ideas. It was however very interesting to learn about the other genres and their common tactics.We still always felt compelled to the drama genre and knew that that would be our end result. Another reason why we picked drama is because of the similar CLAMPS. Drama tends to use dull lighting and the sounds tend to play cake the scenes. This is similar to what my group and I want to do for our film. We have many ideas on using sound to our advantage by adding intense music and sound affects. Since this is similar to what drama films do, we again found it fit to call our film a drama film. Overall, my group and I are ecstatic to start planning and filming our drama film

Genre Research- Thriller, Comedy, Drama

Thriller

    For the Thriller Genre, the common camera movements are, Low angles which are used to display power in a character, high angles are used to show vulnerability, and eye level is used to show tension between two characters. The movements traditionally consist of, panning and zooming because this generates tension during the film. In thrillers close-up shots are mostly used to create more tension, while wide and long shots are avoided because it takes away from the tension of the movie. The common costumes in thriller films are extremely diverse, but many films choose to use deep, dark colors so it can set more of a mood. The lighting is usually darker in thriller films, so low-key lighting is used throughout. The audience for thriller films are usually 18+ because there is violence, blood, mental illnesses, etc. Makeup is usually a minimum but on certain characters like monsters or nuns etc. use a lot of make-up. Props are a big part in thrillers because they can help create more of an eerie mood. In thrillers settings remain the biggest part because, they help create the tension because they use places like forests, old houses, and very dark areas. The editing process in thrillers typically consists of these major edits; jump cuts, elliptical editing, graphic matches, and fast/slow paced editing. Using sound in thriller films help create and set the mood for the audience. sound really does change the way a film is perceived. For example, in a quiet place, the director decided to choose sounds that are mostly diegetic sounds for the purpose of making the film more thrilling.  The elements of thrillers that I like are, the feeling of uncertainty, suspense, and how it makes you always think what's going to happen next. The elements of thrillers that I do not like are the terror scenes, I usually do not like "pop-up scenes" which are parts of a film where an object goes into the frame very fast.

Comedy 

For the Comedy Genre, the common camera movements are push/in out clips, perspective shots, for camera movements, most are just the most basic ones. The main movements that are being used are zooms, tracking shots and tilts. Zooms help show emotion in actors faces, tracking shots (in comedies) are usually running or car scenes and tilts can sometimes show costumes/makeup. The most common costumes in comedies consist of bright, bold colors. For example, in the movie Zoolander, extremely bright and excessively bold colors are used to produce an emotion about the characters. Lighting in comedies helps move the plot along, so using high key lighting is the best option. The audience for comedies is very diverse; some comedies are meant for families, but most comedies are also 18+ due to language, substances and many more. Props are used in many comedies because a lot of directors will use a prob as something that helps move the storyline along. Editing comedies is tricky because you do not want to leave any humor out, multicam editing helps ensure that they get each scene correct. Sounds in comedies are usually non-diegetic sounds, or sounds added into the film so that the audience can thoroughly understand what’s going on. The elements of comedies that I enjoy are, how it makes me happy and the laughter that comes from watching them. The elements I do not enjoy in comedies are that sometimes the storyline is often slow, and most comedies are very similar, just with different actors.

Drama

The drama genre often focuses on real-life events. Drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. Common camera angles, movements, and shots found in a drama include close-ups,  long shots, over the shoulder, medium shots, extreme close-ups, bird's eye, point of view, pan, tracking shot, and wide shots. Close- ups are used to emphasize the expression on the face of an actor. Long shots and wide shots can be used to show the character and their surroundings. Usually the actor or object focused on will be in the center while anything else is in the background. Over the shoulder shots can be used for dialogue or to see the emotions of a character as they Arte told something by someone else. Medium shots show the characters facial expressions as well last body language. Extreme close-ups can add a sense of intensity or focus to a scene. Bird's eye can be used to gain perspective and show that one is of lesser meaning than another. Point of view can be used to let the audience experience how the character feels as they do something. Pan shots are commonly used for transition or to show off a setting in drama films. Tracking shots are used to follow the actor as they go through something (whether it's an activity or just walking). Common sound in drama films include, diegetic sound, dialogue, and voiceovers. Diegetic sound is used to keep the film as real as possible. Dialogues between characters are common whether they are positive or negative (they can allow ones feelings to be presented). Voiceovers are common when there is a narrator telling the story. There is a wide range of types of dramatic movies which allows them to differ greatly when it comes to mis-en-scene. When it comes to costumes, characters are usually dressed in normal clothing whether it's streetwear, business attire, etc. In some cases, the drama could be a period piece or happen in a made up world. In this case, the costumes would be created based upon that (capes, ballgowns, etc.). The same idea goes for makeup (can be normal but if it's a drama about drag queens, the makeup will be extravagant), setting (can take place in modern day New York or medieval France) and for props (could be something as simple as a pen or as fun a a wand). The lighting can differ based upon the mood but usually makes the movie even more dramatic. The actors have to be able to have a range of emotion, not just be funny or energetic. Drama films can vary which also can lead to variations of editing. However, drama films use a lot of cutaways, jump cuts, shot reverse shots, and eye line matches. The cutaways and the jump cuts are often used to show that time has passed. The shot reverse shot and eye line matches are often used when the character visits a new place or meets someone new. When it comes to drama films, I love that there are so many different types and that you never know what twists and turns it will have. I dislike when the movies are bad but not not intended to be (sometimes it's too cheesy). Some drama films include Titanic, A Star is Born, Harriet, All the Bright Place and Juno. More example are included in the picture above.