Filming Struggles

Some of the scenes that we were shooting require a gym and an indoor basketball court. It sounds easy enough to find, but with 4 people with 4 different gyms that don't have guest passes available to minors, we had to get creative.

At first we decided to shoot the gym sequence first, so we went to YouFit gyms as the workers that are there are usually laid-back and wouldn't mind us filming. When we got there however there was this lady that refused to let us in to film.

After that plan was foiled we regrouped and decided that the YMCA would be a great next place to try as not only did it have a gym, but also an indoor basketball court. Two of our members were able to get into the gym and was about to shoot the gym scene with the various shots when we realized we had forgotten the headphones at home. This key part of the scene made it impossible to shoot and as we were waiting for our other members to get through the workers figured out what we were doing and kicked us out.

After that our morale was down, it was getting late in the afternoon and everyone was demotivated and wanted to go home. This was until one of our group members remembered that they had seen a promo from L.A Fitness where you could get a 3-day free trial. Everyone signed up as we headed over to the gym. After multiple gyms we finally struck gold and was able to film both the gym and the basketball scenes at L.A Fitness is a short amount of time.

Even though the finished product may look like the process went smoothly, there are and will always be bumps in the road that we have to overcome to complete this film and make it look flawless.

Cast

 For this production there are several characters that help to execute this film opening properly. The cast is a mix of people from in our group alongside others that are not in the group.

• J.D is played by Gabriel(In our group)
• Coach is played by Noah(In our group)
• Player 1 is played by Wyatt(In our group)
• Player 2 is played by Robert(Not in group)
• J.D's mom is played by Kamila(Not in group)

This cast is the list of the different characters that have lines and will play a role in the opening.

Storyboard

 This is the storyboard that we have created with some of the frames that we hope to capture. These sketches are a good base point for figuring out what to shoot, how to shoot it, and in what order.

Audio Elements

 The film opening will be incorporating different audio elements into it to help add to the feel of the opening and it will aid in connecting the audience to the film.

There are many sub-genres that follow under the umbrella that is audio. From dialogue to music, there are many different ways to use audio in a film opening.

Our film opening will be including a decent amount of dialogue. This dialogue will be useful to the audience as it will be critical for the plot and progressing in the story. We will record this dialogue as we film so that we won't have to worry about lip syncing any of it as that can be quite difficult to pull off and make it look good.

Music will also have an impact on the film opening. In the last scene of the opening when J.D is at the gym, he is going to put his headphones on and once he does that, the audience will be able to hear the music that J.D is hearing like we are the ones with the headphones on. Once this occurs, the outside audio will cut off and the only sound will be the music from the headphones. This sound still is considered diegetic as J.D can still hear the music.

The type of songs that we were looking at were songs that were "hype" songs and the type of songs that would pump someone up. We haven't decided on the final song that we will be playing as it is a big part of the opening as it is the last few seconds of it, but we only need a minuscule snippet of the song to use. One of the songs that we have our eye on currently is Pitstop by LUKA. This song is not copyrighted so it is available to use.

Link to song

This song does include vulgar language at some parts but if we do end up using this song for that scene there won't be any content in the music that is not school appropriate.

Development of Costumes

 The costumes that characters in films wear is a huge part in the development of who their character is and the traits that go along with the way they dress. Some may think that the outfits the characters are wearing are random and unimportant, but in reality the costumes that characters are sporting can say a lot more about a character than dialogue or actions can. 

One example of how costumes represent a character well is Dwight Shrute from the hit television show The Office. Dwight Shrute is one of the employees at the office and he is very serious about his job and can be quite strict at times. This professionalism can be matched to his attire. Dwight makes sure to look his best as much as possible during work hours and outside the workplace.

As you can see by the suit and tie, this picture depicts Dwight to a tee as even though he is seen in the audience's eyes as a character to laugh at due to his actions and words, in the show his intentions are very serious and straightforward.

Our costumes for the opening have been selected with several factors involved in the decision such as representation of character, setting the scene will be in, and how the audience will perceive it.

One of our costumes that we have planned out for the beginning scene where J.D is playing basketball has checked off all of the factors listed above and would be a great way to incorporate the importance of costumes into the film opening.

The heat jersey was chosen due to its representation aspects of J.D's big dream of going to the NBA as well as fitting in with the scene of him playing basketball. The shorts were chosen as they were athletic shorts that would be the kind of shorts that you would find at a basketball court.The shoes that we picked aren't necessarily basketball sneakers, but this is for a reason. The more casual shoes that we picked out better represents J.D as it shows how even though he is trying very hard, he isn't even wearing the proper foot attire.

Overall the whole costume put together is perfect as it is very similar to an ourfit that you would see at a basketball court, it represents the hard work and desperation J.D has to make it as a basketball player, and the audience's first impressions of J.D will be them seeing him working really hard and grinding during practice.

Use of Props in Opening

During the production of our film opening a significant part that we will need to integrate into the story will be our props. Props in any movie or production are a way to further develop the plot by integrating items into the story to make the story seem more in-depth and accurate.

One great example of props in movies is Wonder Woman's lasso of truth. This lasso was her weapon and is one of the things that she is known for and recognizable by.

As you can see this lasso is a key role player in enhancing her character. Without this prop, the audience would be missing out on a huge part of her character. This also applies to all of the superheros with props as weapons as without them, it would be extremely difficult for the superheros to show their powers.

Similarly to Wonder Woman and her lasso, the props we are going to utilize are also being used with the intention of developing the story but more importantly, J.D and his character.

One of the props we were going to use was a picture of J.D with his brother. This picture would come into play when we are shooting the scene where he is feeling down and his mother is consoling him.

This is the picture we are planning to use. We wanted to place this in a picture frame to make it more natural to be holding so it visually is more pleasing on screen. There is a picture frame in my house that I plan to put this picture in.

In order to get the desired look we need to edit the photograph by adjusting the color gradients to give the image more of a nostalgic, older feel. 

This prop will be crucial in the development of this film opening and without it the story and plot wouldn't be as intricate.

Character Development

 The main character in this film opening is J.D. He is extremely passionate about basketball as shown in the film opening. His determination to the game comes from the desire to be just like his older brother. JD constantly goes to workouts and the gym to try and become a better player like his brother is.

During the course of the movie J.D will slowly start to lose passion for the game of basketball and go on his own path doing what he truly wants to do. He will realize that being a basketball player was his brother's life and he is his own person. 

We decided to not show this in the opening to leave a sufficient amount of content for the actual movie. This will not allow for any spoilers to be in the opening and keep the audience guessing on how the movie will turn out and the how the plot will unfold. 

Development of J.D

In the opening we will develop his character in the beginning of the film when he is still determined to progress in his basketball career. We can do this by utilizing what he does in the opening and what he says.

Actions:

During the opening J.D is working very hard to be the best player he can be. This can be shown when the audience sees him in the gym working out to get bigger for basketball or when he was practicing with other kids. His commitment to trying to get better at basketball is shown from the first seconds of the opening to the final seconds.

Dialogue:

J.D's dialogue during the opening is a key contributor to developing him as a character and adding layers and dimensions to J.D. His talk with his mom lets the audience see J.D when he is in more of a vulnerable state so they can further understand his feelings and the actions that occur due to these feelings. Some talks, like the one with his coach however, are more focused towards his progression in basketball and the team. 

All of this character development through the use of different aspects of acting all converges together to further enhance the plot of the story and make the movie in itself more refined and polished.

Script

INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYM - EVENING

(OPENING CREDITS ROLL OVER GYM FOOTAGE)

FADE IN AS SFX: faint bouncing basketball, shoes screeching, heavy breathing

JD stands at the top of the key, dribbling, focused.

Opponent crouched low, watching his hips.

JD [VO]

This moment. It's the kind you dream about. A single shot. Win or lose. Everything slows down. Every breath, every step, calculated. It's do or die.

He shifts left then right, testing his defender.

JD [VO]

You tell yourself it's just another shot. But that's a lie.

Explodes into a quick crossover. Dribbles between the legs.

Defender bites. JD steps back, separates.

SFX: Heartbeat thumps

SLOW MOTION: He rises. Shoots. Perfect form, release, arc.

LONG SHOT SLOW MOTION: Ball completely misses the hoop.

Silence, then:

PLAYER 1

Yo, was that a lob?

PLAYER 2

Nah, that was a prayer.

COACH MARCUS

Davis, you tryna take out a bird?

JD just stands there.

LONG SHOT REVEALS THIS WAS JUST A 2 ON 2 PRACTICE

CUT TO:

INT. COACH'S OFFICE - LATER

Coach Marcus leans back, arms crossed.

2.

JD slouches.

COACH MARCUS

Let me guess. You thought that was going in.

JD

I knew it was going in Coach.

COACH MARCUS

Confidence is good. But delusion?

That's another story.

JD

I just... I gotta get better. Jason was -

COACH MARCUS

Jason ain't you. You ain't him.

COACH MARCUS (CONT'D) But hey, keep throwing bricks like that, and maybe we can build a new gym.

JD forces a laugh but it stings.

CUT TO:

INT. JD'S BASKETBALL THEMED BEDROOM - NIGHT

SFX: DIEGETIC SOUND OF CRICKETS CHIRPING, WINDOW OPEN

JD stares at a framed photo on his nightstand - him and his older brother (Jason Davis, college basketball star)

SFX: KNOCK ON DOOR, CREAKS OPEN

MOM (O.S.)

You'll be late for school again if you don't sleep.

JD doesn't answer.

MOM (CONT'D)

You don't have to be Jason, baby.

JD finally looks at her. Nods.

JD

Yeah, I know.

He turns away and looks at the ceiling again.

3.

Mom watches him for a moment, then turns off the light in his room.

CLOSE UP: JD's face in the dark.

His eyes don't close.

TITLE: AIRBALL (NO COPYRIGHT RAP PLAYS)

INT. HIGH SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING GYM - MORNING

Music revealed to be diegetic from his headphones/speaker.

JD alone, training.

CLOSE UP: Sweat drips

CLOSE UP: Legs shaking during squats

SFX: Diegetic music pauses.

JD sits on the bench between sets, resting, scrolling through Jason's old highlight reels.

He exhales, locks the phone, and stands back up.

SFX: Diegetic music resumes. Back to work.

CLOSE UP: Struggling with bench press

WIDE SHOT: Reveals empty bar

THE END

Media Theory

 Todorov's Narrative Theory of Equilibrium

Todorov's media theory tells us that there is distinctive parts of every narrative. He believes there are many different parts, but three of the main parts is equilibrium, disequilibrium, and new equilibrium.

• Equilibrium: Audience is introduced to the characters at the beginning of the story.
• Disequilibrium: Includes the initial disruption, something that disrupts the protagonist's life, as well as other actions before the climax. Once this occurs, the protagonist will work to resolve this issue.
• New Equilibrium: Protagonist resolved the disruption.

Application

This media theory will be a critical part of the structure of our film opening. This structure will result in easier production as there is a stable base to jump off of for creativity and execution of our ideas.

Equilibrium: The first scene will depict the introduction of the main character and part of his life. This introduction of the character and his hobby allows for the future scenes to be developed and creates meaning. 

Disequilibrium: The next scene will show the main character going through a rough time and the audience will be exposed to this to let them know the reasoning for the main character's actions.

New Equilibrium: The last scene will be the start of the new equilibrium as the video is going to be just the opening of a film so the problem can't be resolved in the opening, but the main character gets on the right track to resolving the issue as he takes steps to progress.

This is our current plan on how to integrate this media theory into our film opening. This scene by scene framework allows us to further explore our options with using creativity to enhance the quality and overall feel of the piece.

Project Idea Summary

CHANGE IN IDEA

After a meeting with my group we have decided it would be best if we changed directions in terms of the project we will be doing. Instead of filming a thriller film, we have decided to take more of a comedic approach to this new idea. All of us are big sports fans and are very familiar with the comedic scene in the film industry and we thought this would be a great opportunity to combine both of these aspects.

Summary Of New Film Opening

The new idea is centered around this high-school aged basketball player that is comically bad at basketball, During the opening we are going to show him trying to get better at basketball and perfect his craft. We were planning to show this through the use of personal trainers/coaches, the gym, and possibly other effects. We didn't want the entire opening to be about his progression and the sports side of the story, so we planned to have a scene that lets the audience in and hints to them at the main character's motivation for playing basketball and why he puts all this effort into it. We are planning to name the film "AIRBALL". The title in itself has a comedic aspect to it as it is a term used when someone shoots a shot in basketball and misses everything including the rim, backboard, or net. This phrase is also used when someone makes a bad joke as someone may yell "AIRBALL" in a sarcastic manner to poke fun at the person trying to make a joke to let them know it wasn't funny.

The comedic parts of the opening is going to be coming from the humorous aspects of the main character. Things such as his clothing, his dialogue, and his actions will be for the purpose of making the audience laugh at the character. This can be seen in infamous films such as Dumb and Dumber, and Step Brothers.

Group Meeting #1 Reflection

Jayden-

His film idea was based around a girl that lost her mother when she was little and she lives with her dad. One day the dad was trying to move out of the house to move on, and the girl wouldn't leave so out of a fit of blind rage, he hit her and took a picture of her mother and burnt it. He was inspired by a director he enjoys and this film is a psychological drama. 

Jaydens blogs

Luis-

His film idea was based around a dystopian world where there are zombies that are roaming the world and there are regular people that are living and surviving amongst them yet the people that are still alive are turning on themselves and the zombies aren't even the biggest threat, its the people themselves. This horror/psychological thriller was inspired by Population X.

Luis's Blogs

Fabiana-

Her film idea was about a man going to work and going through his day, but he is and has been dead for a year. When he gets in a taxi cab he finds his own wallet and the driver automatically knows where he wants to go. This is because the man died in a car accident 1 year ago and he is still going through life denying that he actually died. This mystery was inspired by her dad.

Fabiana's Blogs

Amparo-

Her film idea is a mystery/ thriller film focused on a giant party where  everyone is having a great time and then after the party ends they realize something bad has happened to a girl at that party. They were thinking of filming this with a combination of focusing on the main character and a collection of digital camera shots from different perspectives of party goers. This film was inspired by the movie Project X.

Amparo's Blogs

Kailen-

Her film idea is about a girl that wakes up in the morning and when she opens the door her friend is confronting her about a picture of someone that looks exactly at her at a party. The friend is saying that she is in big trouble due to this picture yet she claims it isn't her and she was never at a party last night. This mystery is going to be based around the girl clearing her name and finding out who framed her and why. The inspiration came from her own thoughts and the group's brainstorm.

Kailen's Blogs

Sound In Thrillers

 Films across all genres incorporate music and sound techniques into their film to enhance the quality of the product and to emerge the audience deeper into the movie and the plot. Thriller films are no exception to this. Depending on the sub-genre for thriller the movie could include intense music to compliment a action scene or something of that nature, or it could include creepy, ominous music during a movie where there is spooky scenes or mysterious things happening.

Diegetic Sound:

Diegetic sound is sound created from the character's world that they can hear. This type of sound includes footsteps, doors opening, or any noise made from the characters in the film. Diegetic sounds like these are often used in thrillers for action scenes. In the movie Baby Driver for example, while Baby is escaping the cops in his getaway car, he is playing music in his earbuds through his iPod. The audience is hearing the music as Baby would during this scene. This film does a great job of incorporating diegetic sounds into the getaway scenes as they also include outside noises such as tires screeching and cops sirens blaring as the music continues to play. The layering techniques used in this film are top-notch and can be looked at as a great example of creating a soundscape using several different diegetic sounds.

Example of diegetic Soundscape

Non-Diegetic Sounds:

Non-diegetic sound is sound that is only heard by the audience and was added on from the world outside of the film. This often includes music or sound effects that have been added in post-production to add depth to the film. Thriller movies often use non-diegetic sounds to create suspense during a scene. For example, In the movie Jaws whenever the shark is approaching a person or is about to wreak havoc, an iconic sound starts playing for the audience. The characters in the movie can't hear this noise however. This noise indicates to the audience something bad is about to happen in the movie and builds suspense and creates a mood of anticipation among the audience.

Example of non-diegetic sound

Schedule For Portfolio Project

Week 1:

• Complete first 2 blog postings
• Begin thinking about what genre our group should do.

Week 2:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• Begin forming a well thought out idea for the film opening.

Week 3:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• Brainstorm and work on storyboard for the sequence of events for our opening.

Week 4:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• Start thought on the different elements we can use in the opening including lighting, color, and different shots and angles to further the quality of the piece.

Week 5:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• finalize costume and prop details that will be used for filming and make sure everything is ready to go.

Week 6:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• Film the opening when everyone has free time. Can be over several days, but would be better if all done on one day.

Week 7:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• Edit the film opening and add effects and other touches such as that to better the final product.

Week 8:

• Complete 4 blog postings
• Add the final small details and additions to the film opening to make sure it is ready to submit and everything is ready to go.

Thriller Credit Sequences

American Psycho:

American Psycho Opening Credits Scene

The credit scene for this film is taking place in a very fancy restaurant with Patrick Bateman and 3 others sitting at a table for which seems to be lunch time. Just like the opening scene, there is a sophisticated song playing in the background and Patrick Bateman is actually the most polite out of the 4 of them. This rivals the rest of the movie as he eventually spirals into mental insanity.

Baby Driver:

Baby Driver Opening Credits Scene

This film is centered around Baby and his love for music so it was only fitting to have the credit scene be him walking around Atlanta to the beat of the music coming from his earbuds. Some of the lyrics were incorporated into the setting as some of the words in the song were written around the street most often shown as graffiti.

Shutter Island:

Shutter Island Opening Credits Scene

This credit scene pictures the different items and places that will be in the movie. The ominous background music adds a level of uncertainty and uneasiness to the audience that would match the feelings of how the investigators are feeling entering this spooky mysterious asylum.

Thriller Film Openings

 The genre my group has decided on is a thriller. We believe that this specific genre will evoke the most emotion out of the cast and will in turn  make the film opening more appealing to the eye and will captivate the audience. Three great examples of thriller films over the years are American Psycho, Baby Driver, and Shutter Island.

American Psycho:

American Psycho was released in 2000 and directed by Mary Harron. Christian Bale stars in this thriller centered around a young businessman in New York City and his killing numerous people and acquaintances. Bale's unstable mental state throughout the movie plays into name and drives him to continue with these killings.

American Psycho Film Opening

This film opening is very calming and sophisticated as it introduces the Main Character, Patrick Bateman. During the opening there is a somber piano song playing to calm the audience. This song pairs with the actions in this scene as the sophisticated song goes hand in hand with Patrick's sophisticated morning routine. The majority of the scene includes a mixture of white, black, or gray colors. These monotone colors don't show much emotion. This color scheme represents Patrick and is emotionless state that he is in.

Baby Driver:

Baby driver was released in 2017 and was acclaimed as one of the top movies of the year. Ansel Elgort stars as Baby in this film. This film is about a star getaway driver that is music crazed and his journeys and adventures as he helps his crew escape from heists and cops around the city.

Baby Driver Film Opening

This film opening is full of action and adrenaline induced behavior which is a fit for the rest of the movie. The opening introduces a little bit about Baby to the audience, and the kind of work he is in. Baby is very unique compared to the other characters in this scene as he is very outgoing unserious as he is singing along to music while his acquaintances are robbing a bank. His red car he drives further represents this as red evokes emotion from the audience and the bright color attributes to Baby's personality.

Shutter Island:

Shutter Island was released in 2010 and directed by Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this film centered around two investigators going to an insane asylum to find out how an inmate escaped from this island. As DiCaprio digs deeper into this asylum he realizes the terrors that the walls have witnessed and realizes the levels of complexity this case has.

Shutter Island Film Opening

This opening introduces the characters of the two investigators and tells us a little bit about the island they are going to and foreshadows the events that could take place. The opening starts out with shots of DiCaprio throwing up due to the rough waters. This uneasiness suggests his worry for this upcoming investigation. There is mysterious music playing in the background which adds to the unknown that these two investigators are approaching.

Possible Genre Choices

During our initial discussion about selecting the genre there were a few that kept floating around in the conversation, horror and comedy. These two genres are very different from each other in several ways.

Horror:

Horror films typically include a mysterious, dark, and unsettling antagonist, and an innocent, weaker, protagonist. Often times the stereotype is a teenage white blond haired girl is the protagonist, while a mysterious strong man or creature is trying to hunt her. The soundscape plays an integral role in setting the tone for the scenes throughout the movie. Tense, spooky music that is playing in the background is a common attribute of horror films. The colors of the majority of horror movies include dark, monotone colors to add to the mysterious, spooky aesthetic. These elements blend together to make the audience feel attached to the movie and evokes strong emotions of fear, terror, and horror among them.

Comedy:

Comedic movies usually have more than one star in the film. Whether this be a co-star or a group of characters leading in the film, they use the multiple characters to create more funny moments for the audience. The plot in these movies can range in a variety of things, but a common theme is that the main characters are tasked with a mission or something to do, and along the way they run into many obstacles or have funny moments that delay them. Comedies often consist of bright uplifting colors, with upbeat light music to blend in with the actions of the characters. Comedies are often mixed in with other genres as well. Numerous movies are romantic comedies, action comedies, or sometimes even a horror comedy. Comedies are an extremely versatile genre that can be used in different ways to achieve a goal or desire when producing and directing a film.