Genre Research: Choosing Our Genre

      For our movie we mutually decided to choose the genre thriller. We believe this is the best option for our movie. We ideally want to produce something that will keep our audience entertained and attentive. When creating a thriller, it's much easier to leave the film on an open ending rather than a finished one. The thriller genre will help us accomplish that. The genre now helps us make sure our movie is not too serious. We will implement suspenseful parts into our movie so that the audience will feel like they are searching for more after the film is over.

Genre Research: The many genres

  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.
  For the Comedy Genre, the common camera movements are push/in out clips, perspective shots, but also most camera movements are just the most primary ones. The most principal 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.

Genre Research: Date Night

     The next movie I research that was apart of the thriller genre was Date Night. Date Night takes a whole new aspect on the thriller genre. This film is more comedic than most thrillers however, it is a good representation of the variety of movies that can be included under the thriller genre. Common camera angles used in this film include low angles, high angles, and eye level. The camera angles help the audience view a character from different view points depending on what the director feels is necessary to best convey the vision for each shot. Common camera movements included tracking shots and over the shoulder shots. These are used throughout the film when the camera is following where the characters are going or when they are speaking to each other. Medium close up, close up, and wide shots are a few examples of the types of shots used in this film.
      The characters in this film are out on a date when things start to go terribly wrong and sporadic. Because they were meant to be on a date, the two leading characters are wearing formal clothes. The female lead is wearing a cocktail dress and heels while the male lead is in a suit. The lighting in this film is not harsh, it is night time for a majority of the movie so it was vital that in each of the scenes where it was dark outside, the main characters were still visible. This movie targeted teenagers and adults because it included kids and a married couple who wanted a nice date night, however, they undergo a huge conflict that is less family oriented and more action packed. The make-up in this movie only extended to what a person would wear on a day-to-day basis. This movie used wine glasses, books, and computers as props. The movie takes place in Manhattan, New York, however, the setting was constantly changing throughout the film because the main characters were always having to escape or search for something all around their city. This movie includes cutaways and cross cutting. The way this film was edited is what makes it a comedic thriller, if scenes weren’t put together correctly, they may have not come across as funny to the audience or shocking to the audience. This movie uses diegetic sounds like music playing in the restaurant they’re at and dialogue between characters.
      This movie went against what most thriller movies do, which is take a comedic look effect. And yet, the movie still followed most of the conventions of a thriller. The movie had many heightening scenes and they appeared numerous times in the film. I liked this take on a thriller movie because it was different yet it kept me on my toes the whole time. There was not much of this film I didn’t like, I think it was a great demonstration of the variety of movies that can fit under a genre.

Genre Research: A Simple Favor

      The first Thriller movie I researched for this project was called A Simple Favor. This movie is a roller coaster of events and takes the audience to many different points. The first thing I will be analyzing is the camera angles, shots, and movements. For camera angles I noticed that the angles went along with what the character was doing. An example of this would be in the beginning of the film one of the main characters is opening her trunk. The scene cuts to a low angle and shows the character along with the inside of the trunk. Some of the common camera shots included in the film were eye level, over the shoulder, and two shots. The over the shoulder and two shots were used numerous times throughout the movie between the two main female characters. Camera Movements used in this film were long shots, close ups, medium close ups, and establishing shot. Long shots were used to capture the characters entire body and the entity of the character. The medium and close up shots were used to show the characters together in a scene but bring more attention to what the character was saying. The establishing shot was used to show the audience where the story was taking place in each setting.
      The costumes used in this movie varied. Stephanie, a lead in the movie, wore bright colors and outfits that were more kid like while the character, Emily, wore suits and luxurious clothes. The costumes represent each character's persona and their outfits in this film definitely reflect on who their character is. It seemed as though the lighting used throughout this film was meant to look natural and like the sun was providing the light in the homes of the characters. This movie targeted an audience older than 18 because it is rated R. This movie would bring interest to people who like mysteries and thrillers. For the make-up used in this movie, there was nothing drastically noticeable other than lipstick and mascara. Props used in this movie include an umbrella, a gun, a painting, and a few other basic props like plates or a bottle of alcohol. The setting of this movie changed a few times, however, the main setting of the movie was Emily's home which was in the woods yet, very expensive and big. Mostly diegetic sound was used in this movie. Mostly diegetic sounds were used in this film. The editing of this movie is what makes it a thriller. Editing can change the way the audience will perceive the film so it is important the editing stays on track with the thrilling events going on in this movie.
      This movie contains all the factors of a thriller movie. This film contains many plot twist, surprising situations, and suspenseful events. This is a perfect demonstration of a thriller and accurately represents the genre. I liked this movie because I was in shock numerous times throughout the film and it genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat (which is what a thriller is meant to do). The only thing I didn’t like about this movie would be the amount of surprising events. There was a part of the movie that maybe was not needed in the film, however, the movie was very suspenseful and definitely thrilling.

Genre Research: Drama

   
       This project was to do a power point on a genre picked randomly. My group mates and I got the genre drama. We researched everything there is to learn about the genre. We had to research and identify the common lighting, sound, music, and costumes for films in this genre. Along with the items previously listed, we also had to research the camera angles and movements commonly used in Drama movies. Some examples of drama movies include Jaws and Titanic. This was the first project my class was assigned. I think this project was a good introduction to this class. I still use all of the materials I had to use in the power point so in the end, this project was very beneficial. This project also allowed my group mates and I to be creative.

Final decisions: Pitch Edition

      Originally there were three pictures left to decide from. In this blog we will be narrowing it down to one. We have started by eliminating one idea to make our decision a little bit easier. We are getting rid of the second pitch, which was about two people racing on a beach when they discover a message in a bottle that contained a map to an unknown destination. Although this idea had potential, we thought it did not fit for this project and may not keep people interested enough.Two ideas remain.

      The first remaining pitch idea is about a women undercover who discovered some major news about an impactful person. This is a good pitch for the assignment because it will keep the audience intrigued for the whole two minutes. This is also more of an action packed and suspenseful beginning to a movie rather than a montage of somebody waking up in their bedroom or a comedy. This plot would also be a lot of fun to film. With this movie plot, there are a lot of impactful camera movements and shots that can be used to create and intense, interesting start to the movie. The only downside of this idea would be that there would not be enough time to have a backstory that explains why this person is impactful. Overall, this pitch would be very good to use for this project because it is action packed and will keep the audience wanting to know what happens next in the film after the two minutes are up.

      The other remaining pitch is about someone running away from authority after they steal something from a shopping mall. This could be a good pitch to use for the movie because it is also action filled. Since it is action packed, it will most likely not be boring or confusing. The downsides of  using this pitch would be that a person running away from security may not be long enough to last  the full two minutes. It would also be hard to find people to play the security. 

      The pitch we have decided on is... the one about the person who goes undercover! The full final pitch is a women undercover who discovers some major news about an impactful person. My group mates and I feel we can do a lot with this idea. Filming with this plot will make it so the audience can follow along and stay intrigued for the whole first two minutes but still leave them wondering what happen next after the time is up. This idea also seemed like it could leave a lot of room for creative freedom. Overall, we are most excited about this pitch and we will began planning the beginning of our film.

Start of Final Task

      Hi blog! Its me Savanna! This is my first time blogging since 2019 so I think it’s time for a recap on my life and what I’ve learned so far this school year. I am starting the new year back at school with all my friends. I am very excited to start our newest project in my media studies class. We are going to be filming the first two minutes of a movie, however, the movie has to be an original! I am actually very excited about this and I am excited to work with Haylie and Kelly. I am very happy that this class has brought me a couple close friends. This will be the final project that we will get to work on together (this school year has been going by so fast). The past few classes we have been brainstorming ideas for what we want our movie to be about. I am really enjoying the fact that this project is allowing me to be creative.
       This school year I have learned a lot about the ways things like lighting, music, and camera angles affect a scene. One of the many things I have learned this year is how to storyboard. Storyboarding is much more important than I ever would have imagined. It is how my group mates and I plan each and every one of our scenes or shots to ensure on the day of filming, the footage turns out almost exactly how it was envisioned. I have also learned a lot about camera shots and camera movements. Before coming into this class, I did not realize how much those two aspects of filming mattered. I am excited to use some of the really cool shots I have learned about, like a point of view shot or an eye line match. This will also be the third project we are doing this year so I am feeling a little bit more confident. The editing part is always my favorite! I continue to learn more about editing and cutting the scenes as time goes by. I am excited to use all of the material I have learned so far in my project.
      The word pitch is a Hollywood term to describe an idea where a film is Encapsulated and 25 words or less. A pitch is usually one sentence. For this project we needed to come up with three pictures and then choose one of them. The first pitch we came up with is a woman undercover discovers some major news on an impactful person. This second pitch idea we came up with is Two people are racing on the beach when they stumble upon a message in a bottle, inside is a map that leads to an unknown destination. The final pitch idea that we came up with was someone running away from authority after stealing and item from a shopping mall.