Film Idea

Hello blog! So after much thinking and brainstorming, my group and I finally have a somewhat idea of what we are planning on doing for our final project. Here are some of the characteristics of our film:

- Action film
- Money laundering
- Dunkin Donuts

Now, you might be thinking, what the heck do Dunkin Donuts and money laundering have to do with each other? The answer is: absolutely nothing, but in our film, they are very much involved with each other.  Our story revolves around a Dunkin Donuts that is a secret site for money laundering. The main female character Cris and her friend are really in the mood for donuts when they realize that it's free donut day. As they head to Dunkin Donuts, they are unaware that this famous chain is actually a secret site for money laundering. What Cris is also unaware of is that she happens to have the same name as a man who stole a bunch of the laundered money from this particular Dunkin Donuts.

For now, this is all I will be mentioning about the plot of our film as we still need to work out specific details. I hope you guys enjoy our idea so far and I can't wait to show you guys the finished product!

Schedule

UNOFFICIAL SCHEDULE

Hi blog! So after working with my partners Juli and Paola, we have finally created our unofficial schedule for meeting up to work on the project. 

  

Now at first glance this schedule may seem a little hectic, but we do plan on revising this and working around everyone's personal schedules so that it is convenient for all the members of our group. While this schedule looks like we would be meeting up everyday, we plan on cutting it down so that we can meet up at least twice a week. Again, this is just a rough draft so our actual schedule will look a little different and will have the accurate time of when we will be meeting up. The one day we for sure cannot meet up on is Tuesday, as everyone in our group usually is busy with other extracurriculars on this day.

Film Openings

Hi blog! Today I will be posting about some of my favorite action film openings, and how they are representative of this genre. Many film openings in the action genre utilize the same characteristics for their film openings to introduce and help develop the story.

THE DARK KNIGHT 

The opening scene of The Dark Knight introduces just one of the many conflicts created by the villain, The Joker. The villain of this movie, The Joker, is introduced during the opening scene as well as he executes a bank robbery during the opening scene. The opening scene displays traditional characteristics of an action film because it 1) takes place in a location in an urban area, 2) is fast-paced and introduces part of the conflict, and 3) introduces the villain of the movie. 

CASINO ROYALE

Casino Royale's film opening also display traditional characteristics of the action genre. During the opening scene, the hero of the film, James Bond, is introduced. While the opening scene does not make it clear whether or not James Bond in this context is a hero, it does establish conflict between Bond and the man in the scene. The beginning of the film displays the location of the scene as Prague, an urban area. A flashback of a fight between James Bond and an unnamed man is also displayed during this scene. All of these characteristics are representative of the action genre because most action films contain fast-paced fight scenes and take place in urban areas that the hero is meant to protect.


BABY DRIVER

In the opening scene of Baby Driver, the hero of the film, Baby, is introduced. The villains of the movie are also introduced. The opening scene introduces Baby as a getaway driver during a bank robbery which is being executed by the villains of the movie. The bank is located in an urban area which is common with most action movies. This opening scene also contains fast-paced editing and camera movements to match the pace of what is going on during the scene. This represents the action genre as most of these characteristics are present in most action films. The contents of this scene are similar to the other films I discussed in this post, which shows how the action genre uses many of the same characteristics.


RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

The opening scene for Raiders of the Lost Ark is a bit different from some of the other action films I have listed. Nonetheless, it still displays traditional characteristics of the action genre. The opening scene introduces the hero of the film Indiana Jones and the quest that the hero is embarking on. This is typical of action films, as the hero of the film typically has some type of quest or goal that they are trying to achieve. While this scene does not take place in an urban area, there is still conflict being introduced which is very typical for this genre. 

Action Genre

INTRODUCTION

Hello, welcome back to my blog! Today starts what will be a very long and complex process of making my very first film opening. Although I won't be working alone, this process won't be easy for the both of us. For this particular project I wanted to stray away from the genres that I have researched in the past such as the indie genre and the drama/thriller genre. This film opening will be the opening for an action film. I don't have all the details worked out yet, but I will for sure keep all my readers updated with the production process and the details for our film opening. Happy blogging!

ACTION CHARACTERISTICS/CONVENTIONS

The action genre is unique as many of its characteristics differ from other film genres. Films within this genre are fast-paced, have high energy throughout the film, and spectacular events that are meant to leave viewers either on the edge of their seat or mesmerized. Action films typically have a clearly defined hero, villain, and victim.  Since these films have clearly defined characters, all of these characters all interact throughout the film. The hero fights the villain and saves the victim from whatever chaos they are putting the victim through. The hero also has to take down the villain in order to prevent them from causing anymore harm. Some subgenres within the genre of action as a whole include:

- Action-Adventure; Person vs. Nature

- Action-Duel; Person vs. Person

- Action-Epic; Person vs. Large Organization

- Action-Clock; Person vs. Time

Villains in this genre are not limited to people: they can be environmental factors or a larger group of people. Action films usually take place in urban areas or cities where there is usually a lot of action. This is done in order to keep up with the sense of speed and danger that is portrayed throughout these types of films. More specific locations include skyscrapers, banks, casinos, powerplants, etc. The target audience for this genre is males aged 16-25. Action appeals to this demographic because it contains the content that they enjoy: fast-paced scenes, violence, and sexual content.

Music Blog Post

G E N R E

The genre my group researched is electronic rock.

M A R K E T I N G  T R E N D S

Many younger artists within the electronic rock genre have a tendency to make music with similar themes. Artists such as Twenty One Pilots focus their music on personal issues such as mental health. While the members of the band Muse are a bit older compared to Twenty One Pilots, both artists have a similar age range and both have songs with similar themes such as love and failed romance. Since their target audience is younger generations aged 16-25, these artists have a active social media presence as this is the best way to reach out to younger audiences. These artists are not the only artists who do this as most famous artists in today's society have an active social media presence since this is the best way to advertise and reach out to all audiences.

D E V E L O P I N G  O U R  B R A N D

My group decided to develop our artist Killer Venus based off of what we believed was missing in terms of representation in this genre. While some well known artists in this genre such as Grimes and Le Tigre are famous female artists, a lot of their songs do not focus on themes such as female empowerment like our artist does. Our artist is based off of the roman goddess Venus, the goddess of sex, love, and beauty.


M A R K E T I N G

The creation of a website for our artist is one way we plan on marketing our artist. We also plan on having an active social media/streaming service presence to keep her fans/followers up-to-date with what she is doing. Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are some of the most popular social media services used among Killer Venus' target audience age group. Killer Venus is also present on the most active streaming services; Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud. All of these strategies are utilized to make sure that we can maximize the amount of exposure for our artist. The website we created for Killer Venus contains information about our artist and a section where merchandise can be purchased. Information about upcoming tour dates is also listed on the website to easily allow fans to get information for the tour.

W H A T  I  L E A R N E D

After producing this music video, I have realized how difficult it is to make a video of this sort despite it looking like it takes little effort to create it. If you are going to make a music video, make sure you know exactly what you are going to do and that you have the resources to execute the music video properly.

Representation Analysis

WHAT IS REPRESENTATION?

Representation in regards to media is the way in which the media presents and deals with gender, age, ethnicity, national and/or regional identity, and social issues to an audience.

WHY IS REPRESENTATION IMPORTANT?

Representation is important because it reflects all of the members of a population, not just a specific section or group of people in a population. When people view films in which the main characters appear more like them, it is easier to relate to those characters. Minorities have a more difficult time with this process since most main characters are played by members of the majority. Often times, when characters are played by minorities, the characters often conform to stereotypes about a certain group of people; for example, the sassy black sidekick or the rude female boss. This can be dangerous because it causes minority viewers to believe that this is all that is expected from them by members of society. Representation in regards to social events is also very important because it can bring awareness to a certain situation that not many people know or are educated about. 

AXE COMMERCIAL

The Axe Body Spray commercial shows a very obvious lack of representation. A majority of the women portrayed in the commercial are white, blonde women. All of the women in the commercial are wearing bikinis and have an ideal body type. The one man in the commercial is a white man. This lack of representation is dangerous because it reinforces the idea that in order to be considered pretty, you must be skinny and have a perfect body.

H&M COMMERCIAL

The H&M commercial is very inclusive and has an excellent use of representation. First of all, much of the cast consists of people of different genders and represents people of many different races and cultures. The commercial challenges traditional stereotypes by having members of the cast wear items that go against traditional stereotypes, such as men wearing skirts and women wearing suits. The presence of diversity in this commercial generates the idea for those who watch it that they do not have to conform to societal standards and do not have to look like the majority. 

Genre Research

INDEPENDENT "INDIE " FILM

Hi blog! Since we're now learning about the different genres of film and representation in class, I have decided to do this genre research activity about the independent or indie film genre. 

WHAT IS THE INDIE FILM GENRE?

Independent film, more commonly known as indie film, is defined as any film that is produced outside of the major film studios. Rather than being produced by major studios such as Universal Pictures or Columbia Pictures, these films are produced by independent companies, such as A24.

INDIE GENRE CONVENTIONS - CONTENT AND PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES

The term indie can be a little misleading, since indie films are any films not produced by conventional systems of production. This allows the term to be very broad, but the indie genre has evolved over time. Many indie films share characteristics, which has allowed the genre to have its own distinct characteristics. Lots of indie films are low-budget, but now major film companies have created their own separate branches that produce films that can be labeled as indie.  Some common characteristics of indie film are:

• Low budget, although some may have large budgets
• Realist techniques; many of these films tell the stories of average people
• Minor use of effects
• Few characters
• Many indie films do not use large A-List actors/actresses, but major film companies with separate indie branches often cast well-known actors/actresses

INSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS - HOW IS INDIE MARKETED?

Prior to being released in theaters, most indie films are sent to film festivals for viewing and eventually may be sent to theaters. Many films produced by major film studios are sent directly to theaters rather than being sent to film festivals. Indie films rely on heavy use of marketing and advertising. Many indie films tend to have a marketing and advertising budget that is much more than the actual production budget.

INDIE FILM #1 - MOONLIGHT

Moonlight is classified as an indie film since it was produced by an independent company known as A24. The film is centered around the life of a young black man growing up in Miami. The film's budget was very small, as its budget was around $4 million. The film first made an appearance at the Telluride Film Festival in 2016. There weren't many big actors/actresses in the movies, and the cast was relatively small.

INDIE FILM #2 - JUNO

Juno is classified as an indie film because it was produced by an independent company known as Mandate Pictures. The film tells the story of an average teenager who becomes pregnant and falls into some trouble with the family that was going to adopt her child. There are few characters in the movie, and compared to other major films, the film budget was relatively low at around $6.5 million. The film does not rely on heavy use of special effects and focuses on the life of an average teenager, hence the use of realist techniques in the movies. The film was first displayed at the Toronto International Film Festival.

INDIE FILM #3 - LADY BIRD

INDIE FILM #4 - BEFORE SUNRISE

INDIE FILM #5 - RESERVOIR DOGS

INDIE FILM #6 - BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

INDIE FILM #7 - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

INDIE FILM #8 - DAZED AND CONFUSED