Setting Up Scenario.

Hello bloggers, I come back to you guys with an amazing surprise! Since we are all practicing social distancing and are basically in quarantine it limited our spaces were both Luis and I could tape. The only available space was my home more specifically my bathroom and room which is where most of the filming will take place for the opening scene. I had to redecorate my room to somehow fit the character that we were trying to portray in the opening film. Since we couldn't go out to buy tools and supplies I decided to get creative and I found some decorative tools that could be of use in the film. I ended up decorating my room with small fairy lights, bookshelves, flowerpots, and a couple of blankets to really culminate the look of the room. Below you guys can see how the room for the opening scene will look!

Lyrics and Melody Combined.

Welcome Bloggers, I have decided to upload a little part of our song by video combining both the lyrics and melody to get an idea of how the song will sound the opening film! Since I'm not a great singer I've considered asking a very close friend Alejandra Ruiz to sing the song for us in the actual opening film since her voice is more developed and it fits better. For now, this is will be me singing, hopefully, it doesn't sound as bad as I think and will and you guys enjoy it!

Filming Day Changes.

Welcome bloggers, once again we had to rearrange our filming schedule due to the announcement that Cambridge released earlier this week stating that all examinations were to be canceled. Confusion, of course, began stirring up as to whether we should continue to develop and finish our project. Even though examinations were canceled we were still demanded to culminate this component of the exam so here we are back again arranging another filming schedule! We will now film between the days 28-29 of March right before we go to an online school. We thought this was perfect timing to get over the most important part of the project before having school coming at us again specially in this situation we are in right now! Thank you, bloggers, again for being so patient with us since we have changed the schedule several times now!

Distribution Process.

Hi bloggers! Welcome back, we have been spinning our heads in the dilemma of how we are going to distribute and expand the audiences that will be able to reach our film production. This was something significant to consider since we are beginners and one in the industry, we managed to find some ways to slowly spread the word out of our film. We decided first to go local and from there. We also had to consider our budget as a new production so here are some events we found that could help us with our distribution process!

First, we found some film festivals in Florida

Outshine Film Festival 

We have the Outshine Film Festival which will be held in Fort Lauderdale (Oct. 6-15) and in Miami (April 20-29). This festival is very well known and it is held annually, it is to be considered a Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. We might have an interest in conflict with the audiences since some might be having similar issues with the (Protagonist) Ana since she herself is trying to find who she really is and where she belongs. 

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

We also considered the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival held usually November 3-9 and in Hollywood. This festival is usually for productions that are a little more known and popular in the industry which is why our thought gather around this festival since it could be a future and possible event we could attend as our film increasing its popularity.

We also came across the idea of uploading the film online where people can easily get a hold of it. In the modern world, we live today technology surrounds our daily lives so what better way than making it accessible thru digital media. Through research, we found some formats that are needed to distribute a film online. According to https://www.rev.com/blog/indie-film-distribution these are some formats that we would he to convert our film into if we want to release a digital copy online. 

• online streaming and download-for-purchase platforms accept Pro-Res 422 .mov format.
• In addition, files may be submitted as AVC/H.264 in .mp4, m2t, and .ts format. 
• MPEG-2 formats are also accepted.

Online Platform: 

Youtube.
We chose Youtube because it is one of the most platforms used by users around the world where videos are shared. According to CBS News,  85 percent of U.S. teens, ages 13 to 17, use YouTube which would fit perfectly to our main target audience with this film. 
Filmhub: allows filmmakers to upload your film for free, while streaming channels discover, order, and stream your work - worldwide.

Once revenue starts flowing, 80% of the profit would go to us. 

SOURCES: 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/youtube-dominates-social-media-use-among-teens-as-facebook-fades-survey-finds/
https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/distributing-your-film.html
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sf-arts-guide-film-critics-picks-20171008-story.html

website, social media, blog, facebook (PROPAGANDA) 

Melody Added In!

Welcome bloggers! After we finished editing and composing the song we have finally added the melody to it! The song ill be played in an acoustic guitar and only that instrument will be heard. After trying several chords and string we came up with a warm nice and upbeat melody for the song. There are four chords for this song and are constantly repeated throughout the lyrics these are C, G, D, Em. Below is a small video where you can hear the melody of the song so you guys can get an idea of how it will sound!

 

Filming Day Established.

Hi Bloggers, I came back with some updates on our final filming day! With these odd and unusual weeks in regards to the whole epidemic going on we decided that we will film Tuesday the 24th of March. The filming will be held at home where all characters will be safe from the Virus that way since health is a priority for all of us. We had to make some changes along the way since Luis will not be able to film anymore. My father will now take his place.
Since he is not knowledgeable about the different shots, angles, and camera movement I have been teaching him several techniques so that way when it comes to the day of filming he knows exactly what Luis and I are looking for. I'm this filming day even though Luis might not be in the same place, we will be connected online via Facetime making sure all arrangements and changes we make on filming day will be completely and easily informed to him. He and I as a team have learned to adapt and move forward with this project in such difficult and severe situations. e plan to continue working this way which we believe we can still be successful as a team by working away from each other.

Song Coming In!

Good afternoon bloggers, after weeks of brainstorming and constant editing the song is completed! We wanted to make sure this song somehow complemented the plot of the movie, it describes how Ana is feeling at the moment. the song will also be used as the opening scene begins after the credit since is a song that Ana Cubeddu (Protagonist) composed and it is seen for a couple of second in the opening as she plays the guitar, but hey! no more spoilers... Below you will be able to see the first rough draft and the completed outline of the song!

Final Version. 

First Draft.

Costume Design

Now that we have our characters settled, I've come up with great costumes and outfits each character will be wearing as another way to resemble their personality traits. the characters will be dressed ready to go out to a party later in the opening film.

For our protagonists, the set of clothes she will be wearing will be a nice white shirt filled with red little flowers and blue jeans with some small rips to resemble the kind of character she portrays, which is a very soft girl with a kind personality, she will have half of her wait down while the other half tied up in a nice ponytail in the back, her makeup will be soft as well. Here are some examples of similar outfits and makeup Ana will be dressed in.

 


Sources for: 

Shirt: https://us.shein.com/V-neck-Lettuce-Trim-Ditsy-Floral-Crop-Top-p-726387-cat-1738.html?url_from=adplaswtee07190424968S&gclid=CjwKCAjwsMzzBRACEiwAx4lLGzJMxIJ0qsBZKJBQb_aWEfRSzd57hYriT9or9UN1pYdyHHEADChbvhoCmsAQAvD_BwE
Jeans: https://borizjerseys.com/products/women-jeans-stretch-washed-denim-ripped-holes-mid-waist-distressed-sexy-skinny-pencil-pants-slim-light-blue-female-sexy-trousers
Makeup: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/woman-beauty-face-portrait-girl-with-soft-skin-natural-makeup-gm956606082-261194949

For our second character Alexandra, she will be dressed in a more showy and outgoing outfit to fit her personality, her makeup will also be a little more extravagant. Here would be some examples of her attire.



 



Sources for: 

 Shirt: https://us.shein.com/Snake-Skin-Print-Crop-Tank-Top-and-Leggings-Shorts-Set-p-633166-cat-1780.html?url_from=adplatwopiecemmc181107701L&gclid=CjwKCAjwsMzzBRACEiwAx4lLG8M5MRCVmuwoz1GFaWTw1eTtSOQAaG7tbS0hA4bvWoi3yarLGeVmlRoCy44QAvD_BwE
Jeans: https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=391896
Makeup: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/249668373072411178/


Lastly, for Nate's outfit both of us were thinking about a more casual attire since teenage boys are more careless about what they wear when they go out to parties, here are some examples of his attire.

  

Sources for:

 Shirt: https://onewaytruthlife.com/shop/christian-clothing/mens/shirts/black-one-woven-label-tee/
Jeans: https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/us/p/hollister-epic-flex-skinny-jeans-35026885?seq=06&utm_source=googleshopping&adpos=&scid=scplp637116570&sc_intid=637116570&cmp=PLA_637116570_1392127869_55774683100_566039109551_c_pla_online&gclid=CjwKCAjwsMzzBRACEiwAx4lLGxZGUhsDCiTzGFueScCj8__eLSz799Ij8v6bwiywjKOqDvEYpSTYnRoCRRgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Changes.Changes.Changes

Welcome back, It has been an odd week for the rest of the students at least in Broward County, with the rapid spread of the Coronavirus Epidemic, the schools have made the decision to shut down the system and remain in quarantine for at least 14 days. There are many unsolved questions but we have to keep going and see the positive side of it.
Our filming schedule had to change but we managed to find a way through it. We had to make some changes with the characters since others were not able to participate due to the quarantine. So we have incorporated a whole new cast crew for this project except for the main character.

First, we will have the Protagonist:

                                                               Ana Jurado-Blanco
                                                               Role: Main Character
                                                               Name: Ana Cubeddu
                                                               Height: 5'7
                                                               Color hair: Blonde
                                                               Color eyes: Hazel

 Personality:  Ana is the typical teenager who is seeking to find her true self, she is very kind and well known in town. She finds herself conflicted. She hopes for the best in people and is always giving the best of herself no matter how she feels on the inside. 

Then her "closest" friend: Alexandra Sanders.
 Played by: Isabel Jurado-Blanco
 Role: "Best Friend"
 Height: 5'5
 Hair color: Blonde
 Eye Color: Brown
 Personality: Alexandra is a very outgoing individual who is obsessed with her boyfriend Nate. She is basically the party animal. She is constantly consumed by social media, she doesn't care about what people think of her as long as she is the center of attention.











Third Character: Nathaniel Stuart

Played by: Juan Jurado-Blanco
Role: Alexandra's boyfriend
Height: 6'1
Hair Color: Light brown
Eye Color: Brown
Personality: Nathaniel goes by "Nate" one of the most popular boys in school, consumed by popularity and "fame" in his town. Very upfront and cocky attitude on first hand but on the inside, he is very kind and sweet. He hides his feelings to avoid getting hurt.









Drastic changes were made due to the consequences of human isolation because of the pandemic currently occurring. As we all do, we try to adapt and make the best out of these situations, I have been able to notice that all problems have a solution and when times like these come around we just have to look upfront, hope for the best and try to arrange one's schedule to proceed with the plans that have already been made.

Not Satisfied... Yet.

Okay, I believe I might be going a little mad and mixed up about this project, I can't seem to find any research about by a lower group of my target audience since they are teens and NOBODY conducts studies of them especially for film productions. I am not going to lie, I am a little stressed. On the good side, I found some interesting data for my higher group of TA.


 according to Statista.com, these are some demographics and statistics on genre-based films where different ages of group are asked what genre they enjoy watching the most.


Another demographic  showed a similar result




For now, I will continue to research and find more information about my lower lever of target audience since it will most definitely our main approach since we believe teenagers can relate to the plot and conflict of the movie since they are often going through similar struggles in that "coming of age" stage.

Characters coming in!

In our opening film, we’ve decided that there will be 4 characters in total in the opening film. One main protagonist and three other characters that take the role of the protagonist’s friends. Below are the selected characters for the opening film. We chose them due to their familiarity in the drama and theater world. Somehow they have all been involved and experienced situations in the field.

 Artist: Corina Vera
Role: Friend
Name: Isabella Weight
Height: 5’2
Color hair: Blonde
Color eyes: Green
Personality:

 Artist: Alejandra Ruiz
Role: Friend #2
Name: Alexandra Sanders
Height: 5’5
Color hair: Light brown
Color eyes: Green
Personality:

Artist: Valeria Arango
Role: Friend #2
Name: Monica Wells
Height: 5’2
Color hair: Brown
Color eyes: Brown
Personality:

 

 Artist:Ana Jurado
Role: Protagonist
Name: Ana Cubeddu
Height: 5’7
Color hair: Blonde
Color eyes: Hazel
Personality:


Luis and I as a team decided that these were the best individuals to take the role of these characters also since we all have a base of friendship where confidence and comfort are already developed. Additionally, all chosen artists are very extroverted and outgoing which is exactly what we need for their roles.

Audio process

After patiently waiting for around 3 weeks, we never received a response back from Ice Cube’s  record label to borrow one if their soundtracks for the opening film. We began worrying about what we were going to do with our audio and music of the opening film. We’ve finally decided that both of of are going to compose and write the music in the opening film.

As a hobby, I’ve learned how to play both the guitar and the piano for the past 3 years. I’m a self-learner and  often times I write up lyrics and make up melodies. Few individuals know really what I do on my free time and since it’s something I enjoy doing l believe  something awesome can turn out from it.

To record our song and make the lyrics if it we are actually contacting one of our close friends who can get us a studio to record the songs.

Storyboard

Happy baby Friday bloggers, I finally finished the final draft for our storyboard, the drawings aren't as professional due to the lack of artistic knowledge and techniques when it comes to drawings hehe! For our opening, we wanted to make sure and involve a series of different types of shots and techniques to demonstrate diversity and knowledge of the different types of shots.

Below you can see an image of the storyboard!!!

  Page 1/3



 Page 2/3

 Page 3/3

Team Work Makes the Dream Work.

Welcome back to another blog post for this week. Today in class our teacher actually changed the normal routine of working on the projects. We actually got in teams of 6 classmates and we each discussed our ideas and issues on our project. It was used as a way for us to receive both feedback and help for our project.  the teammates that helped me were, Sydney Surico, Camila Criscola, Jessica Briceno, Oliver Sulla and  Trella.

In my group discussion they all contributed and helped me create a title for the opening film, in this case it would be "My Own Way". This correlates perfectly with the plot of the story
since its this teenager trying to find her true self and choosing between two completely different paths. I also helped out each person dealing with their own issues and doubts about their project, the group as a whole worked together to combine ideas that would benefit our teammate the most.

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to gather and hear other people's opinions about my project. I am now more confident and satisfied with the changes I've made with my opening film!!

A Coming of Age, Teenage Drama.

When it comes to the genre of drama, more specifically a coming of age, drama; according to Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, a coming of age is a stage that occurs in a time of adolescent children or teens from ages 12-18. It is a period of time where they question their personal identity and they try to seek who they really are. It's the period of time where children transform and reach adulthood. 

Now for the sub-category of this drama genre, a coming of age as stated previously focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. There have been several amazing and successful films that have this same based genre. Some of the most popular movies would be;

"Love, Simon" (2018)

For "Love, Simon" the protagonist, Simon Spier is currently stuck in a delicate and desperate situation as he hides this truthful sexuality to his parents and friends and simultaneously tries to find the identity of the sexuality of a classmate he has fallen for.









"The Edge of Seventeen" (2016)

  


  In this movie, director Kelly Fremon Craig resembles the idea of the main character "Nadine" trying to find common sense and positivity n the "unfair world" where she lacks social skills and uses creative sarcasm as her defense mechanism. 







"Clueless" (1995)





Emma Woodhouse as a self-made Cupid who is, in actuality, a selfish meddler who needs to learn what love really is, even as she plays at making couples out of those around her. In her own dilemma, she finds herself falling for a specific character that drives her to mature and learn who she really is. 









"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012)

Charlie, the protagonist of this movie has always been on the sidelines watching all. The film depicts his depression and anxiety as he goes through his journey in high school making new friends.