The Genre of Our Movie

In total, our group researched three different types of movie genres which includes action, thriller, and dance. Out of the three genres, our group decided that our final task would fall under the genre of thriller. Our final task will be deemed as a thriller because the plot of the final task would revolve around the idea of someone being kidnapped. Particularly, the victim in the final task will be the person being kidnapped and the friend who tries to rescue the victim ends up taken out. The final task wouldn't be under the dance genre because our plot for the final task wouldn't fit the elements that goes into a dance film. Additionally, the final task wouldn't entirely be under the action genre either because the plot of the movie wouldn't include a main protagonist vs. antagonist or the fight/rescue scenes that goes into a typical action movie. Overall, the group settled on our genre to be a thriller since it fits well with the idea of the final task.

Genre Research : Discovering New Types of Genres

The two additional genres our group decided to research on, besides dance, was action and thriller.

Genre: 

Action

Common Camera Angles:

High angles, in action films, are used to portray how the figure appears physically small and meek 

Low angles, in action films, are used to portray how the figure appears physically bigger and stronger 

Medium shots are used to distinguish what the actor is holding or elaborating with their hands (medium shot only shows the actors waist and up)

Two shot in action films are used to show the actors either engaging in a conversation or conducting a scheme 

Extreme close-ups, in action films, are used to create a feeling of intimacy showing how the actor is vulnerable and more human at the moment

Common Mis-En-Scene:

C- For the heroes of the film, the color scheme is usually bright and vibrant, while the villains are usually clothed in dark colors. Costuming, in general, could vary depending on the idea that is being filmed.

     Ex) The Man of Steel movie portrayed an actor wearing a superhero suit with a cape, while a  James Bond movie has the actor dressed in a fancy tuxedo

L- Low key lighting is used at first to indicate danger/conflict, then a high key lighting is used to signify resolution

A- The main type of actors portrayed in action films are heroes, villains, and the damsel in distress
     Ex) In The Man of Steel movie, Superman is portrayed as the hero, Lois Lane is the damsel in distress, and the villain is General Zod

M- The most commonly used makeup are bruises, blood, sweat, cuts, and wound marks

P- Props may vary for each type of action movie. However, the most commonly used props are helicopters, large vehicles, guns, bombs, and knives

S- The location of each action film usually takes place in either a popular country or an urban area
     Ex) In The Man of Steel movie, the film takes place in Chicago. In the Mission Impossible movie, the film takes place in New Zealand

Common Editing:
Establishing shot- Identifies the location and time of the scene about to be screened

Cutaway- Displays the object the actor has their eyes on and looks back at the main subject

Jump cuts- Has the actor seem like they are moving in a fast pace manner but in reality is not

Elements of the Genre:
Action films usually contains a protagonist that is facing a life-threatening situation or is placed in a scenario where the antagonist must be defeated by the protagonist. In most cases, action films tries to incorporate physical stunts, battles, races, explosions, high energy, and any types of rescuing to fall under the specific trope of action films.

Common Sounds:
Non-Diegetic sound- commonly used as background music especially for scenes that use background music to create emphasis

Diegetic sound- commonly used as sound effects through explosions, gun fires and shouting noises

Elements that I liked of this genre:
The main element of action movies that appealed to me was the incorporation of a main protagonist that contained human-like qualities and emotions that would connect the audience with the main character.

Elements that I disliked of this genre:
The main element of action movies that I disliked was the fact that antagonists usually gets defeated first in order for the resolution to take place in the end, however the protagonist should try reasoning first before having to finish the villain off completely.

Example films of your Genre:

James Bond

Man of Steel

Mission Impossible Fallout

Thriller genre

Common angles:

-High angle: This makes whatever is being looked down on look powerless and venerable

-Low angle: This emphasizes the amount of power the villain and makes everyone else feel weak

-Tilt: Adds a dramatic effect and increases the tension. An example is it acting like the victim is on the floor and you can see from their point of view.

Common Mis-En-Scene:

-Custom: The antagonist is usually wearing darker clothes and the protagonist is wearing brighter clothes. However, they are wearing normal clothes because it looks more realistic.

-Lighting: The lighting is usually low level to create suspense and make create shadows. Using this lighting helped to hide faces and or clues.

-Actors: There are usually a villain and a "good guy" or just someone trying to escape the villain.

-Makeup: This is usually natural or minimal

-Props: They can include weapons like guns or knives.

-Setting: This is usually filmed on a set like a house that has dark lighting.

Common Editing:

-Jump cuts: This makes the actor look like they are moving faster than they really are 

-Graphic match: Used to emphasize the action that has taken place

-Flashback: Gives insight to persons past and helps to explain why the person is the way they are

Elements in the genre: These movies usually have a protagonist trying to escape the antagonist. Thriller uses suspense and tension as its main elements. They affect the audience's moods giving them anticipation, uncertainty, and terror.

Example films in the genre: Get out, Silence of the lambs, and a quiet place.

Common sound: Non-diegetic sounds to build up suspense. The music usually starts off slow and then becomes louder and faster. Sometimes silence is used to create and sense of panic and tension.

Elements I like: I like that thriller gives you the suspense without the horror. There is a good balance of creepy and action. 

Elements I do not like: Most of them develop the same plot after a while.

Genre Research Powerpoint

Our class was assigned a project to research about the genre given to the person and our group was given the genre of dance. For the project, each team member divided the amount of findings to be transmitted over to the powerpoint slides. As a whole, the genre of dance is one of the many genres that are listed in the film industry. Our group was able to find the most common camera angles, sounds, and edits that categorized the film to be under the dance genre. Additionally, common plot points and video/photo examples were included within the presentation in order to understand the elements the dance genre incorporates. The powerpoint was pieced together by every group member's findings about dance. Every group member contributed there part in learning more about the genre of dance.

And The Lucky Pitch Is.....

  On January 17, 2020, our group came together to discuss which pitch will be the main victor out of the three contestants. How our team decided to eliminate a pitch was by the amount of props that would be needed. Out of the three pitch ideas, only two remains so far. The pitch that got eliminated on the first round was "They say together until the end, but I say obsessed forever." The first pitch got eliminated because the idea came out to be too broad and the pitch would involve very few props. As a group, we thought that the right pitch needed to have just the right amount of props, not too little and not too much. As for the idea, the group rethought about the pitch and realized that it was too vague of an idea to be set in stone. The pitch brought in too many open doors and needed more details in order for the idea to be efficient. Since the success of the first elimination round, the numbers went down to two. Thus, two pitches remain but only one can reign supreme.

  At last the group was able to narrow down to two pitches left. The pitch that came out as the runner-up was "Loyalty is like a knife stab through the heart." The pitch was not sufficient enough to be the lucky winner because the idea was way too similar to our main pitch and the idea was somewhat vague. The second pitch was supposed to be like a spy movie where there are two partners getting involved in a mission. The mission was to get a hold of a specific item but the partner ends up being the bad guy. To see if the pitch was going to be cut or not, the props that would be used was just the right amount. The main reason the pitch had to be cut was mainly because the idea was too similar to another pitch our group came up with. Also, the pitch did have some details but was still lacking in some areas. In the end, their only remained one main pitch that would be crowned the winner. After eliminating two pitches, the group finally has the main idea that would be used for the final task.

  From the beginning of the competition, three pitches were deemed to be candidates for the upcoming final task. Now, only one remains and that one became the lucky winner. The pitch the group decided to run with is "betrayal is like a bed of thorns... it leaves you bloody." This particular pitch was selected for the reason being it was perfectly detailed enough to start recording the scenes necessary. The props used for the pitch would be the right amount being not too little or too much. The pitch presents a kidnapping story where one of the victims is taken hostage for ransom and the friends of the victim is trying to track them down. Little did the friends know there was a traitor amongst the group who reported the finding to the kidnapper. When one of the friends arrive at the location the kidnapper knocks the friend unconscious. Overall, the pitch presented a clear picture of what each scene will portray which is one of the reasons why this pitch came out to be the winner. The group is in the process of figuring out the setting of the film, the costumes, and the props that will be used during production.

Finally Beginning the Final Task!

   As presented, I am Sabrina a former student at Fort Lauderdale High School who is currently enrolled into the Cambridge program. I enrolled into AICE Media Studies not only to receive a Cambridge credit, but also to learn about the art of filming. Throughout the course, students were able to learn new lessons and put into action those skills learnt. The class provided a variety of lessons ranging from how to handle a camera to learning the terms that goes along with camera movements, angles and edits. Overall, my experience in AICE Media Studies has not been in vain. I was able to enjoy the film making process that I took part in with group members to accompany me. At times, stress would take over when it came the time to recruit potential actors or schedule days to meet with group members to record. However, my experience with the class has been most memorable and useful for, in any case, a future project were to come up. Specifically, the most important lessons that I learned from AICE Media Studies was how to operate a camera and the features that goes along with the camera. Also, another lesson that I learned from AICE Media Studies was identifying camera movements, angles, and shots.

   First, when the class learned about the features of a camera and how to handle a camera every student was preparing for the making of the commercial. In the beginning, I was feeling uneasy about how the camera works since it was new to me. However going from making a commercial to now making the intro of a film, I feel more confident in my skills in which I was able to enhance as the course went by. To be exact, from the first lesson about cameras every student was taught how to properly handle and shoot scenes needed along with discussing the features of the camera. This lesson stuck out to me because if I ever wanted to make short films of my own I would know exactly how to operate a camera. Next, the very first lesson every student was taught were the terms used for identifying camera angles, shots, and movements. Since the class conducted assignments that would help students remember the terms efficiently, I grew more comfortable knowing the terms with only slight hesitation. From the beginning, I would not remember any of the terms and what they stand for, but now only a few slip-ups would occur since I got comfortable with the terms presented to me. The lesson on camera angles, shots and movements is important to me because if I were to make videos of my own or produce any type of film I would know how to portray the scene. Also, by learning the terms I could easily identify each technique used within films that I watch on my daily life.

   What is a Pitch? a pitch describes an idea where a film is summarized in 25 words or less. As a group, we came up with three different pitches to contribute to the final task.

Pitch #1: They say together until the end, but I say obsessed forever

Pitch #2: Loyalty is like a knife stab through the heart

Pitch #3: Betrayal is like a bed of thorns... it leaves you bloody

Music Video Editing

On November 3rd, 2019, our team gathered together at the beginning of class to start the process of editing. From the start, both me and Melshida brought our recorded footage and presented the product to each other. Once when the whole team was present at the start of class, the process of dumping the scenes came to play. The first scenes that got dumped onto our team's personal Macbook computer was the scenes that was recorded with the setting of a backyard. I provided the scenes that was recorded in my backyard which was originally supposed to be recorded at Warfield Park. Next, Melshida dumped her scenes that she recorded onto the team's laptop to start editing. Melshida provided scenes that consisted of clips showing a movie being watched along with the process of making popcorn. Originally, instead of showing a short clip of a movie being watched the scene was supposed to consist of a slumber party taking place. All the scenes both me and Melshida recorded over Thanksgiving break was transferred onto the Macbook laptop. Once when all of the scenes was dumped onto the laptop, the editing process has begun.

Flash forward to November 5th, 2019, our team met again to continue editing our music video. The first step we as a team conducted was organize each scene. Rejoice from her laptop clicked and dragged each scene dumped onto their proper order. The orders in which the scenes were organized was based solely on the order presented within the storyboard. From what the storyboard presents, the scenes that was first included were the scenes that took place in a backyard. The scenes that had the backyard setting was reviewed to check if any scene had to be rerecorded. So far, the only scene our group decided to rerecord was the part where one of the actors walk up to the camera along with the scene where the actor pours water onto the other. Besides the two scenes that needs more attention, the rest of the backyard scenes was included and ready to be edited. The next scenes that was fixed onto the software was the popcorn making clip and the scene where the actor watches a movie. Both scenes was reviewed and the team found no mistakes that had to be redone. Following the scene came the clips that involved the schoolyard which was rerecorded multiple times to get the effect of the actor looking like they were falling.

Once when all of the raw footage was placed in chronological order, the team wanted to include an effect where at one point in the music video everything will reverse right back to the beginning. The team implemented the reverse effect to check which speed the scenes should be reversed in. By the end, we settled on the speed read 8x which makes the scenes less slow and appear more realistically reversed. Rejoice dragged the scenes that had the reversed effect onto the back of the music video. In the beginning,the music video will have all of the scenes playing normally at its moderate pace. Once when the music video reaches a certain point towards the end the duplicated clip of the music video will be played but in reverse. The music video will start in the beginning and end up right in the beginning. Overall, when it came to editing the music video as a whole, our team didn't do as much edits. However, we did drag the scenes from the laptop and placed it onto the IMovie program our team is using for the editing process. Our team as well, organized the scenes according to the order of the storyboard and we began the editing process with figuring out how we wanted the scenes in reverse to appear in the final product.

Music Video Filming

Before our team went on break, we had to re-establish the roles each team member will carry out for the rest of the project. In the beginning, our team had a whole plan listed going from what scenes will be recorded to when everyone will meet up together. Because everyone had a tight schedule before the break begun, it made it seem as if the team could not have a scheduled day to meet at a specific place and record all the scenes necessary. This situation allowed for the team to split the scenes that will be recorded for each team member to carry out. As of now, all of the scenes that was meant to be recorded at the park was carried out by me within my backyard. Instead of the setting being the park every team member agreed to record in, the setting became the backyard of my house. As of the actors of the scene shot in the backyard, I was in the footage along with my sister, Stephanie. For the scenes of the music video where the actor is found making popcorn and having a slumber party, Melshida took the initiative to provide footage for those particular scenes. As of the school yard scene, me and Melshida thought to save that scene to be recorded when we came back from break so that on Tuesday after school the scene could be recorded and used for the final product. Finally, me and Melshida decided to hand the job of editing to Rejoice since she was not able to record any of the scenes of the music video due to having a tight schedule. 

On Tuesday, November 26, it was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break started; both me and Melshida was present for class. During class, both of us rented out our own cameras and tripods so that over the break our scenes could be recorded and brought back for editing. Cameras and tripods was handed to each student during the last twenty minutes of class. While me and Melshida was waiting for the supplies to be handed out, we both were assigning each other scenes to be recorded during the break. We both as well changed a few details on the storyboard to make recording a bit easier for the both of us. For the scene where the actor was supposed to see various hallucinations of a specific individual, we changed it to be where the actor stands in the center with a shocked face while the camera will spin rapidly around the actor. Another scene that got changed was the part where the slumber party takes place; we both changed the slumber party scene to show an actor watching a movie or having fun on their own. Those two scenes were the main changes that occurred throughout the process; for the most part, everything else stayed the same. Flash forward to Thanksgiving break, on November 29th, Friday, I began to record the scenes that was meant to be recorded, originally, in the park right in my backyard. Both me and my sister were in the footage portraying the characters that was presented in the storyboard.

During the filming process, scenes were recorded out of order and not chronologically. For the most part, the scenes that was recorded first had the camera sitting on top of the tripod. When it came the scene where the camera had to flash around the actor quickly, the tripod was not used and the camera was hand held just for that scene particularly. The first scene recorded was showing the actor in the shot thinking and the camera tilts up to the sky slightly. Afterwards, a scene was recorded when a hand touches the actor's shoulder and the actor snaps out of a trance and turns back to look at the person. Following that scene came the recording of the actor walking up to the camera along with the actor dancing and coming forth to the camera. Next, came a flashback scene where two actors are seen walking up to the backyard while talking to each other. After that, the two actors was seen in the next scene where one of the actor spills water onto the main actor. The last scene that was recorded was the part of the music video where the scene had to be recorded by hand. The last scene consisted of the actor standing still in the center while the camera man runs around to create the effect of the room spinning around rapidly.