The Quite Frusturating Process of Filming with Two Little Kids Who Ask A lot of Questions and were Promised Ice Cream by Someone Who was Not Myself

Okay so yesterday I filmed the opening to my trailer, and let me just tell you, that was quite an experience. First off, I babysit these kids for four days every three weeks. I pick them up from school at 2 and stay with them until 6:30 and it is exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids and I want to work with them in my future, but after an over 6 hour school day on top of waking up at 6 am everyday ON TOP of staying up late doing hw and studying, it is a lot. Normally it is not so bad, they are great kids but what kills me is the questions. Why so many questions kids? Everything I do I get ask why?Who?When?How? And I don’t have to answer once but usually four times. Not because I am not speaking clearly but because they get distracted and don't listen to my first answers. Anyway this relates I promise.

*I interrupt this program to introduce some of my actresses*

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Isa is on the left playing the homeless sister. Tali is in the middle playing younger Cat who is on the right. Abby is not pictured here, sorry about that I forgot to take one of her.

Now back to the story!

So I finish babysitting at 6:30 and Tali (one of kids I babysit) and I go to pickup my other little actress Abby who is the question queen. After explaining what they have to do three times, I go to Cat’s house to film and set up while we wait for her Mom to come home (her Mom is needed for my opening). Well, little miss Cat Castro decides to tell the kids I will get them ice cream after this, which I was not planning on doing because I am hungry, want to go home, tired, and as a matter of fact don’t feel like paying for both kids’ overly priced ice creams. If you know kids, you know they don’t drop topics. They keep pestering you about it until you answer them and are basically forced to say yes. Not me though, nooooo, I was going to stand my ground but then I felt like a mean person because they are doing me a favor by acting in this film. As I tried to divert away from their questions, I was quietly shunning Cat in my head actually I was greatly shunning her for even bringing up the two words.

Moving along this narrative, I had to see how I wanted to position the children for my shot which they did not appreciate this tedious process and all the step to your lefts, move forward, actually jk take a step backward, you get the point. This brings me to problem number 2, Tali is significantly shorter than Abby and even though they are only 2 years apart in age, they are many many inches apart in height. So, I had Abby go down on her knees which made her shorter than Tali and I wanted Tali to be the younger one. Which I don’t know why I could’ve just said that the older one be shorter or Tali hypothetically is the younger version of my oldest actress Isa, but like I said I was exhausted. This is why I had to play with a little thing called perspective in who was taller and it was just a process. Anyway we finish filming and refilming because it is a little difficult to work with non-actresses and I begin to capture my movie poster idea. This was probably the kids least favorite part because they were fed up with me and my repositioning. As we go to leave the house, I realize my poster was HORIZONTAL NOT VERTICAL- a definite face in palm moment.  I realize a movie poster can be horizontal and go against conventions, but that is not how I pictured it.

So now here I am sitting here, terrified to play back the shots I got and am praying that everything turned out more than decent

Side note: I had an idea that when I film Isa (the older one) I will use handheld camera to make it look more raw and relateable.

Anyways until next time,
-C

Did Someone Say Update?

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Okay, I have lots of exciting news and ideas! First off, if you saw in my vlog yesterday, I found my set for Isa's homeless scenes. It was a very creepy place and was very difficult getting up there, but we did it and it was worth it. I still need a couple more shots of Isa in that area but I am excited because I think it is going to come out pretty cool.

In other news, I found out how I am going to differentiate my trailers. One trailer is going to be a voiceover of Cat (sister who got adopted) and in her perspective while the second trailer will be Isa talking (homeless sister). I knew I wanted to have both of them talking and I knew my movie was going to jump between their perspectives, so I think delivering it this way will turn out pretty cool. Also it kind of goes against conventions (which I am always down for) by having two different story tellers in the trailers. I think this will make the movie more interesting and intriguing which is what I was worried wasn't going to happen.

Another idea for my website came to mind! In the hit T.V show The Fosters, Mariana creates a twitter page getting people to tell their secrets that they couldn't share with anyone else. I thought of Cat's character creating a website where she asks other foster kids their story, whether it be a positive or negative experience. She does this after she finds out her sister aged out of the system and wanted to see if this was a common thing that happened to others as well. Since I have to create my website for my film as well, I plan to have it look like Cat's character's website but replace the tabs with things that relate to the movie (trailers, about the cast, behind the scenes) while still maintain the character's design and format.

Finally, I have my actors!!! The two little girls are ones that I have babysat and I received permission from both their parents to use them in my movie. Also Cat's Mom will play the sister's biological Mother in the opening shots, which I plan to film Tuesday.

My plan is starting to finally come together and I am excited about how it is going!
Until next time,
-C

Once Upon a Storyboard

 FINALLY A STORYBOARD!!!!!! I have finally started storyboarding even though that is long overdue but it is okay because the project due date has been extended a week (thank gosh!!). This is the storyboard for the first trailer and it may be a little different then what I have described before.


The first row in the first picture is shots of the mother who is going to be drunk I think instead of high. The little girls come out of the room and look scared. The mother tells them to go to bed and when they stare at her she comes toward them violently. Then cue police sirens, the shots will jump to the girls being pulled away and that is when the shoe shots come in to symbolize one sister going through the foster system. The other sister walks inside the first time to show she got adopted and didn't have to go from house to house. There are shots of Isa under the highway (I will be scouting a place in Markham tomorrow to shoot this) sleeping.


Also there are shots of the other sister happy at the dinner table in the second picture. She then asks her Mom about her biological family and that is when she finds out her sister never got adopted. As the sister is finding out this shocking information, shots of the sister hitchhiking are shown. The trailer is going to finish with her looking for her sister and then ends with a bunch of fast shots then them hugging after reuniting for the first time (clearly I have not drawn this in yet, oops!).

 

That is all I have for today and will finish storyboarding at the beginning of next week. By next Sunday, I plan to be done filming. Cross your fingers the Markham location works out!

Until next time,
-C

Trailer Me Mind

Today I just want to quickly highlight some trailers I have been looking at and what I noticed, liked, and dislike about them.

The Short Term 12 trailer is what that I really enjoyed. It did not give away the whole movie and leaves the audience still wanting to see it. They used typical conventions with the time of the trailer being 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Like a lot of trailers, the transitions are ones that use kind of a fade in and out as opposed to harsh cuts. I fully understood what the movie was about, the genre, and the main character which is exactly what I am going for.

The Edge of Seventeen is a perfect model of what I do NOT want to do with my trailer. First off it is 4:44 sec long which is waaay too long. I feel like the audience would quickly lose attention even if what is being shown is interesting. Especially since I am targeting Gen Z with an 8 second attention span, having that long of a trailer would not benefit me. Another thing about this trailer is it basically gave away the whole movie plot. This can make the viewers feel that they do not need to even see the movie now because the trailer revealed all of it.

Room the movie has two trailers. One of them shows more of the intense moments of the plot. We get a clear idea of the storyline and what the audience can expect to happen. It is more suspenseful. The second trailer (linked here) is more emotional. It shows how being in Room had an effect on both Ma and Jack. We got to understand their relationship better and how much Ma loves Jack. I really like the approach they took with both of these trailers because like the movie, it is not all about their great escape but more on the effect being trapped in the Room with a child so young has. Jack now has to learn how the world works and it is Ma’s job to try her best and teach it to him. So overall, the idea of having one trailer be more suspenseful and intense while the other more emotional is a route I will definitely consider taking.

Deadpool released two different trailers, one of them clean the other restricted (each one is linked if you click on the words). The restricted one features more curse words that were blipped out in the clean version, but they still show pretty much the exact same content and shots. What is interesting about this was how they marketed it because at the end of the clean version they have the main character say that there is a more restricted Red Band version but “make sure you ask your Mommy.” The word restricted intrigues the audience because it is something they are not supposed to watch but want to anyway. This technique allows the audience to want to go and see both trailers and see what makes it restricted. Although my movie is clean considering I am also targeting Gen Z, the idea of the trailer reaching out to two different audiences is really smart.

That is all for today guys! I just came back from a State Thespian festival so I didn’t have time to storyboard so look forward to that this week and the beginning of my website creation!

Until next time,

-C

Targetted

Target Audience

Like I said before, I will be targeting Millennials and Gen Z (Age 14-24)

Millennials are conscientious with their money. They don’t jump from brand to brand and are very loyal. They tend to wait before buying things and use their money wisely. It can be noted that due to the large size of them, they have a high purchasing power and influence. They accept people for who they are and do not conform themselves to societal expectations and the roles they were set out to play in. They use social media to communicate with each other and express themselves (great thing to know for marketing). They know how to effectively use their voice to speak their minds. This highly informative article all about millennials says

“Millennials see technology not just as a device or platform for communication but as a way to improve life, make better choices, and contribute to society.”

They use their technology to make purchases out of their own convenience. They look for the easiest and manageable routes, and if does not grab their attention, b-b-bye-bye-bye.

The following piece of information that I found in this great analysis of Millennials is very important for marketing, “Studies have shown that Millennials don’t like brands that explicitly “sell” to them; but brands that sell by providing new, robust, relevant information will have more success and create repeat engagement,”(Gailewics). Basically saying that Millennials prefer to be involved in the brand and the experience for them to obtain satisfaction.

Gen Z

Technology has been ever so present in their entire generation allowing them to access the media in the palm of their hands. Gen Z is a generation with attention spans as short as 8 seconds so it is imperative you spark their interest quickly. They want to remake the content which is why campaigns with a little postmodernist marking where they achieve that one to one relationship with their consumer is ideal.

Having hashtags will be beneficial because they are memorable and allows them to share it with their friends. Inspiring them creatively especially with some sort of cause behind it really sparks their interest and makes them want to participate.

When marketing to Gen Z this article (which talks all about the best ways to do that) notes, “Although tech-savvy, Gen Z is losing interest in the likes of Facebook, favouring more visual and private social sites such as Snapchat. The study found 25 per cent of those aged between 13 and 17 left Facebook this year.” That is why I want to market my production over platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Youtube. These are very visual sites that cut straight to the chase, which is right up Gen Z’s alley.

Go to Bing homepage." Millennials - Bing images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

"Go to Bing homepage." Gen Z Marketing Campaign - Bing images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
"Go to Bing homepage." Millennials - Bing images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
Castleford Staff. "Ways to Target Gen z." Castleford. N.p., 21 Aug. 2021. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Gailewicz, Jamie. "Marketing to Millennials: The consumers to change the market landscape." The Next Web. N.p., 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
Wenig, Seth. "Generation Z: Young adults are now targets of brands' marketing - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 01 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Got Websites?

Conventions of a Film website

• Used to draw attention for a wider audience
• The design and features should draw the audience in, be interactive, give the audience a reason to return and tell others why it is significant they come
• Background may be the movie poster
• Reflects movie genre
• Trailer on the first home page
• Other tabs include: Tickets, Cast Profile, Photos, Behind the Scenes, etc

The following posting is very informative and even more detailed about the different conventions of a film website. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to make a film website for one of your productions, or if you are just a curious person. I’m just going to discuss features mentioned that stood out to me, and I might include them in my website.

  Behind the Scenes

• I love the idea of the “Behind the Scenes” tab. I for sure want to incorporate bloopers because I love seeing the cast interact with each other and jump from their character to their real selves. They are highly entertaining and something I always look for after viewing movies and television shows. I always want to show the bloopers of my projects in class, but it takes down the professionalism a notch so I usually refrain. This “Behind the Scenes” tab allows me to do whatever the heck I want   because it is for the audience’s entertainment.

    Merch

• Merchandise is something I am going to look into in creating as well. In other research projects for this class, one thing I have learned is that the viewer’s are walking advertisements. Providing them with cool gear may spark questions from their friends which will get them to check it out themselves. Marketing is a pretty manipulative process but hey you gotta do what you gotta do, am I right? I will be going over my strategies in another post, so stay tuned

    Tickets/Downloads

• Ticketing is another feature I will not ignore. I will insert a tab that automatically searches for where and when my film will be shown. It will also provide them with ways they can access it online if I choose to go that route (again, another marketing component for another time).

    Social Media

• This is going to be huge in my campaign because, especially considering my target audience, it is so so important and it is where Gen Z and Millennials go for information. This tab will link all the social media accounts so the audience can follow along and keep up with the movie.

Now I want to talk about a few sample websites that I found

Short Term 12

This movie’s website has some features I really liked, and some I didn’t like. For example, it has a great marketing technique, which is something I had planned to do similarly, in which they have people submit their idea of home. This allows for a creative, fun, and interactive experience that also

promotes the film at the same time. They can submit a drawing, poem, photograph, etc. I really love this idea and also want to create this kind of social media campaign. I might include a scholarship chance too (Again marketing post will be soon!).

What I didn’t like about the website was it became super glitchy. I do not know if this is my computer, but a bunch of text is layered on top of each other making it hard to see. Also it is only one page where you have to scroll down to then click on future tabs. While you are scrolling little square boxes follow you (I think it is a link to their Instagram) which could be a strategy to get you to click on it, but I just thought it was annoying. I personally also prefer tabs/a toolbar at the top because it makes everything cleaner and easier to navigate.

The Impossible

The Impossible is a website I chose because it is based on a true story and I want my film to be realistic as well so I thought maybe I could draw inspiration from it.When you first type in the website, it takes you to this page pictured above. There is options on how to buy it/stream the movie which is a clear marketing strategy. It is easy and cuts right to the chase for those who are just looking for a way to access the movie.

As you click to enter the entire site,

this films trailer immediately opens up

and begins playing. This is smart because it forces the audience to watch it. The trailer is captivating as well so it holds their attention. The site offers a gallery of images that automatically plays through a slideshow. There are tabs like videos, reviews, awards, soundtracks, and finally the really cool “true story” tab. I like how they included the real story on their website because it allows for some context and you can see what specific elements from the movie actually happened in real life.



Room

This site also opens to DVD/download options like “The Impossible” did. As I already noted this I want to talk about how the home page of the whole site has a GIF of Jack running ahead of Ma in the background. This is just a very cute personal touch that I loved. Also there is an audio on loop of Ma singing the song she sang to Jack to add to a more immersive experience for the site viewers. I really like the bright yellows and blue combinations scattered throughout the text. They also advertised a great marketing campaign about how “No one has to be strong alone” because Jack always talked about how his strong was his hair. If you click on that part of the site it takes you to a page like the one on the right. A video eventually opens up about Bri Larson speaking on this topic and I just really like how they got the cast involved.

***Just a quick idea I want to note for my website, I was thinking of having a page where I ask people their story. There they can share either a positive or negative experience they had with the foster care system. I think this will show the good and the bad that can come out of being in this system and will work to create awareness.

That’s all for today!

Until next time,

-C

I'm a Survivor

Okay so first set back...check, but I survived it!

I talked to my Dad and there is no filming allowed where I wanted because it is against the rules. My idea was really complex and would have been hard to film anyway. Which, I could’ve guessed that, I was just praying there was a glimmer of hope there, but bad plan, bad plan.

So naturally I was back to the same big issue, a plot. And then the best thing happened!! In class, we met at our new fancy school library “The Wave” which, as I may have mentioned in last year’s blog postings, features new and pretty gnarly technology. We get to project our blogs, that are pulled up on our laptops, onto an even bigger screen for our table to see. I guided them through where I was at and they really liked my idea but knew I needed help. Thus I have my brand new plot (which may make me change my title, but you know, that is okay).

Originally, my theme was to show the negative and faults of the foster care system. With this new idea, I think I will be able to show both the good and the bad. Okay, okay I will stop blabbering and get to it. In the beginning of the trailer, there will be a bunch of commotion, confusion, police sirens, low key lighting etc. Then you see two young girls being taken separately in two different directions (fictional story people).  This might not actually happen in real life but we’ll roll with it. Anyway, I still want to do the duffel bag shot with the shoes to show the different families one girl is going to. Maybe only one final drop to show the other sister’s situation and instead of her going to more people’s houses, she walks away with both parents inside (still only showing the feet) to show that she stayed with them. Then the trailer shows the contrast between the sisters two lives. One sister is at the dinner table laughing with her family (she got adopted), the other is laying on the streets at night, homeless. I think I want the two girls to have some sort of interaction where they meet each other, but maybe not know they are related (kind of Parent Trap situation, but still have to work that part out.)

My target audience is late Gen Z, early millennials so I definitely want both of my trailers to attract both audiences.

Short blog post today so I can catch you guys up on what’s going down. Stay tuned for THREE postings this week featuring research (f u n),  more on target audience, trailer inspirations, website information, and more!

Until next time,

-C

Just Plannin'

Hola!!

For my next two posts, I will be researching elements of the final tasks for the project which includes a movie poster and a website.

Conventions of a movie poster

• Eye catching. All the color choices and even the font works to captivate the audience and grab their attention
• A focal picture that immediately draws the eye and allows you to differentiate the genre
• A title clearly visible, big text
• A release date, production company, director, lead actors, etc.

Some movie posters I really liked (Sorry for the ugly format, blogger is being a little stubborn)

,

A Lot of film posters show more than one thing. Like the "Charlie St. Cloud" one, there are two different pictures in one. Most people should be able to tell what the film is about based on the poster. In "Room", you know it is about a Mother and Son and the background is very eye catching. The vibrant colors in both of them immediately drew my eye toward them. I also like the dynamic of the "If I Stay" poster with the collage of different images. The "Short Term 12" poster has action going on in the background which makes the image more captivating. I know the colors are not as vibrant, but the placement of the title and the background is appreciate I want my poster to highlight an important part in the movie.

So I was thinking...pause... *IMPORTANT IDEA ALERT* that I know having my main character have a sibling will make things more complicated, but I might be able to make it work. I thought if the whole movie was just about the girl and no other main character, it would be not as interesting. I wanted to give her a purpose. So here are highlights of the trailer and the basis of the movie.

• Mother and friends doing drugs
• Police sirens, police come in
• Two siblings drive away in police car while the Mother is sitting on the curb talking to other officer
• Rapid shots of four pairs of feet. Two are adults, the other two resembles the two siblings and a duffel bag dropping next to it. Then the feet from the siblings get bigger and bigger to show they are getting older
• Main character narrating the story saying she never got adopted, her sister did, but she aged out of the system
• Time passes now main character is homeless
• Robs stores to support herself
• Gets arrested
• Still no contact with sister until she is in juvie and hears “You have a visitor” and it is her sister.

Now this is the ideal case. How on earth can I make this happen? For the homeless parts, I may have to venture out of Weston *gasp* and maybe film in Ft. Lauderdale area where it is less...clean and put together. Or Markham Park has an area that is under the highway so that might work too. Now for the hardest part, the jail scenes. My Dad's work may give me something to work with here, so I will be able to ask him if there is a room I can use to film in for jail scenes. It does not have to be a jail, but something that looks like it. Kids come there for “Bring Your Child to Work Day”, so this might be allowed.

The reason I went slightly off topic (a very necessary off topic) was because I was thinking maybe the movie poster can be a picture of the sibling visiting the sister in jail and that first eye contact. I don’t know if there is an editing software, but maybe it could be divided like it is in "Charlie st. Cloud" and be a silhouette of the siblings holding hands when they were younger. I think viewers will be able to guess what the film is about if they see this which is the goal.  I will talk to my Dad tonight and get back to you guys.

Also here is a schedule I have set for myself so I do not wait until the last minute to do things like I may or may not have last year.

3/6-3/12

Finish all research for character background fact check, trailers, movie poster, and website

3/13-3/12

Finish storyboard for both trailers

Casting

Website outline

3/20-26

Filming!!

Work on website

Choose movie poster image

3/27-4/2

Editing, finish website and poster

4/3-4/8 

Creative Critical reflection script and creation

4/7 

Turn in project!

Until next time,

-C

Charlie Southam Follow. "Conventions of a film poster." LinkedIn SlideShare. N.p., 19 Mar. 2012. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.
"Charlie St. Cloud." Movie Poster Shop.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.
"ROOM 11.5x16 PROMO MOVIE POSTER Brie Larson Jacob Tremblay." EBay. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.
Short Term 12 Picture 2." AceShowbiz. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.
"If I Stay Blu Ray Dvd Cover Amp Label 2014 Pictures to pin on Pinterest." If I Stay Blu Ray Dvd Cover Amp Label 2014 Pictures to pin on Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.

So Typical

Part of the film production package includes a major task of composing two trailers. So I have begun researching typical conventions of trailers and the drama genre.

Trailer conventions-

• Logo- in the opening sequences of a trailer. People can see the logo and associate it with other films that company has produced making them want to keep watching the trailer.
• Title- typically shown at the end so people watch the full thing to see what the movie is called. Also at the end, it is easier for people to remember the name. For now, my Movie is going to be called “On My Own”  because my main character does not really have someone in her life that has stuck with her and everyone has always left her.
• This slideshow mentions that the coloring and font of the title foreshadows the movie genre and tone. For example, a comedy will have brighter colored title as opposed to a horror film whose title and background might be much darker.
• Actor’s names-  Trailers will say starring “____” so that the audience can associate them with other films they have been with. Although my film won’t consist of famous actors’ names, it is important to still feature them so that people know who is playing them and can look out for them in the future.
• A rating and release date- this gives the audience a glimpse on the target audience and who can watch the film. If it is rated G then the film is for younger kids. A release date is also shown at the end so people look forward to it and remember it. The trailer is not shown too far away from the movie where people forget about it, but just enough time to hype it up.
• A trailer is between 1:30-2 minutes in length. It introduces characters personalities and the main plot line. It highlights the movie’s most intense moments and sometimes even leaves the audience hanging.,
• Voiceovers and music help express the genre. Suspenseful music makes a horror film even scarier. Music helps to further dramatize the plot and make it more interesting. A voiceover, either from a character telling a story or a third person narrator, is used to introduce the plot and guide the story so the audience gets a clear idea on what is going on.

This definition of a dram film is exactly what I am going for: “Drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters.”

I want my film to be like something that can actually happen. I will be looking up stories of real life foster kids and what they have been through to help with the process of character development. But before I get into my film itself, I have to see the typical conventions of a drama film in general.

• Shows the journey of character interaction
• Really appeals to the emotions
• Conflict (inner/outer) reaching to a climax
• Characters the audience can relate to
• One interesting article I read pointed out that there are also sub dramas such as : Biography, dramedy, melodrama, romance, political etc. Mine in particular that is important to focus on is between a couple of these. It is partly a biography drama where there are many aspects that relate to a biography because it is capturing the chronological life of a group or person. Mine is going to be focused on my main character and how she overcomes the obstacles placed in her life. I haven’t decided if there will be a boy in my film fitting the sub drama of romance. The article states, "The plot usually centers on an obstacle that is preventing love between two people. The obstacles in Romantic Drama film can range from a family's disapproval, to forbidden love, to one's own psychological restraints.” This guy she might meet at maybe a place she ends up working at or maybe she knew him already from one of her foster homes in the past. Clearly I have a lot of work to do with the plot
• Many emotional scenes. These are especially highlighted in the trailer. The characters go through happiness, grief, sadness, anger, etc.
• Usually ends in a happy ending.

Researching these aspects are a little boring, but extremely important. I have learned the harder way how vital research is in these types of products. You can't just make up something and expect it to be good without looking up facts and information first. Gathering these things prior to the actual production allows you to take what you learned and apply it to your product so you can make something the audience believes is worth viewing.

Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
-C

Citations:

Tahmin Follow, Farjana. "Conventions of Drama Films." LinkedIn SlideShare. N.p., 22 Oct. 2011. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.

Buffam, Noelle. The Script Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.

Jazzyprince Follow. "Codes and conventions of film trailers." LinkedIn SlideShare. N.p., 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.