Intro

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Final Product

Website:

justluckyy.weebly.com

Poster:

For a larger,clearer version, click below!


http://justluckyy.weebly.com/uploads/8/7/8/8/87888180/movie_poster_just_lucky_woth_actors_and_orange.pdf

Trailers

Trailer #1

https://youtu.be/5c8CLLSsL0g

Trailer #2

https://youtu.be/2iuXewPB8hI 

Creative Critical Reflection

Here it is! My Creative Critical Reflection is in the form of a voice thread so that I can speak and add pictures while still pausing  in between ideas to collect my thoughts. Thank you guys so much for coming on this journey with me, it has been an incredible experience!

https://voicethread.com/share/9021927/

"Go to Bing homepage." Foster Care System - Bing images. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=wbdqxBJ1&id=66BF1FB30BBC156DAC671B082ED969719CDB3086&q=foster%2Bcare%2Bsystem&simid=608040252415609265&selectedIndex=2&ajaxhist=0>.

"Go to Bing homepage." Foster Care System - Bing images. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=UWrx0Zwp&id=35B151F4F0106C33325384E07D4DB1A88040502F&q=foster%2Bcare%2Bsystem&simid=608007726611825898&selectedIndex=13&ajaxhist=0>.

Goodbye!
-C

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Good Things Can Happen at 4 AM

Good news people!!!! I stayed up really late again last night (I was not tired at all) and finished my website!!!! I am IN LOVE. I worked so hard on it and I love how it turned out. When we made our own website in class a couple of months ago, I had so much fun designing it that I became really excited to make my movie poster one.

Some info:

The first page you have is the home page where I only have the trailers linked. This is very traditional for movie websites because they want the audience immediately engaged in the film.

Then I have an "About" page where I talk about the director (me), a synopsis of the film with a picture of my movie poster...side note: since my movie is not in theaters yet, I can't link the "Find tickets near you" so I just said "coming to theaters near you." I also talk about Cat and Isa where I give insight on their acting background (which are quite identical). Throughout my website I maintained the them of black letters and one word orange in places that needed a little color. Not all of them have it because it became a little repetitive but some uses of it really spice things up.

The next tab is "Behind the Scenes" where I created a short bloopers video, linked my blog, and a gallery where there is an instant slideshow of pictures playing.

In the "Contact" tab, I have links to the Instagram which is my main social media site, and an email. Also I made a petition that strives to stop separating siblings in foster care. This is connected with my movie because my two main characters got split up. I like this idea because it is a great way to make the audience feel like they can be a part of the cause.

My final tab is "What's Your Story" which allows viewers to comment there own foster care experience. This idea is based off of what Kate does in the movie where she created her website that gives people the chance to do that.

Overall I am really happy with the website and I hope others are too!
Here is the link (keep in mind you may see the website with only one trailer linked. This is obviously temporary but I am almost done with that trailer! I just need to change a few minor details and then it will be up before you know it): justluckyy.weebly.com

Until next time,
-C

Marketing Plan!

If there is one thing I learned this year I media studies (this is misleading, I learned many things) it's that your audience is your walking advertisements. They sell your brand. How you might ask?

Exhibit A: Snapchat filter: Part of my marketing campaign is the creation of a Snapchat filter so that when my film is about to make its grand debut, I have all kinds of Gen Z & Millennial-filter -loving folks sending their friends snaps surrounded by the "Just Lucky" filter frame. It will look something like this
The shoes will surround the filter and it will have "Just Lucky" written at the bottom with its release date. The brick blocks wont be in the middle though, that's for their faces to go.



My second marketing plan I want to talk about is how I am distributing my product. My main trailer will premier through a non-skippable Youtube ad because YouTube is a very common form of social media that both my target audiences use. While they are coming to watch their video, my trailer will pop up and I think intrigue them enough to want to watch all of it. I also created an Instagram for my film where I post pictures, videos, some off camera laughs, and exclusive opportunities. I will do a sneak peek of my trailer and then tell them to go watch the full thing on my website.

My second trailer will be advertised primarily through Snapchat. Snapchat has now started putting trailers in their ads so I will put my second trailer and then say swipe up for more. When they swipe up, they can see my main trailer, a synopsis of the story, and I will lead them to the website.

My film will be distributed through small select theaters and at film fests since it is not a full featured film that will go through all major theaters in the U.S because that's not realistic. In the month of June, it is film month in Miami and there will be lots of film fests which is a perfect platform to distribute my film. Also through other major film fests like Sundance festival because many people attend them.

Another aspect of my campaign includes a scholarship opportunity for anyone who was in foster care. All they have to do is write an essay about their experience in the foster care and how that has helped shape them into who they are today. The winner will win a $1000 scholarship and will encourage the education of foster children because the odds of them dropping out of school are high.

I also created a petition to stop separating siblings in foster care because that is a real issue today and a major part of my film. This illustrates post-modernist marketing because it gives my audience that one-to-one field where I give them the opportunity to be a part of the change.

Finally, there is a "What's Your Story?" tab on my website that gives people the opportunity to share their experience with foster care. This is an interactive opportunity that helps to create a family kind of environment where people feel like they can share their story and use their voice through that platform.

That's all for now!
Until next time,
-C

Friday, April 14, 2017

Another Day Another Accomplishment

Aaaaannnddd Trailer #2 is done!!!!

I am so so excited with how this one turned out. It contrasts the environments very well and at times, the difference with the element of sound in the environments came out exactly how I wanted it to. I am almost done with the main trailer, I just need the ending. My website is coming together so so nicely I am loving it. Also, new discovery alert!! I work very well after 12 am with this stuff. Since I am on spring break, I have been able to sleep in so, come night time, I'm not tired so why not work right?

Anyway, genius idea with my website! Making it look like Kate's (did I ever say the characters names in my blog?? If not, Jade is the homeless sister, Kate it the adopted one) website that she created was too...boring since I didn't really show Kate's website in the trailers. Buuutttt this led me to my new idea, each page I get to choose an image at the top and I decided each image will be a new set of shoes. So each page is symbolic for the new foster home Jade (and many other kids) went to. I am very proud of that idea let me tell you. I also created a bonus bloopers video for my "Behind the Scenes" page because it is important for the audience to be able to connect with the actors and see how they interact with the cast and how they are normally. Also in that page I did a slideshow of images including set pictures. This gives the audience exclusive looks at the set location so they can see the environment in full view. I didn't put too many pictures in the slideshow but just enough to get the point across.

More on the website tomorrow but for now, drum roll please, here is my social media trailer!

https://youtu.be/2iuXewPB8hI

Until next time,
-C

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Just Keep Working Just Keep Working

Hey guys guess whaaaaaaatt??!!!! I'M DONE WITH MY MOVIE POSTER!!

I struggled so much with the bottom text because you couldn't see it unless you zoomed in and I wanted the audience to see it a little bit without the zoom. So for hours I have manipulating the drop shadow I created, grouping and ungrouping, then I would notice a little detail and have to ungroup and fix it then redo the process all over again. #Exhausting.... anyway I think I am done! I am going to post it for now because I think this is the final version and if I need to change something, I totally can because I still have 5 days left. I will repost the link to the poster again on Sunday but for now *drum roll please* HERE IT IS!

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AqYPgJPzeT5BiFEzJKjsxyZ3e6L5

I'm almost done with my social media trailer too and half way done with the main one. And for the website? Well I'm doing my best but I got this guys, have faith.

Update: I did change my movie poster haha, I am so bad at decisions that I finally decided to change my mind about some of the look so here is the link to my updated poster. Again there will be a post in a couple of days (I'm so excited for that day to come) where I will link my final products in one post.
But for now I am posting in here so you can see my progression.

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AqYPgJPzeT5BiFR0SgZWYYeVo5Bq

Until next time,
-C

Sunday, April 9, 2017

I Actually Got Things Done??

Guess what?? I filmed people, I filmed. A miracle I know but I actually did it. I borrowed my teachers tripod and just went for it. I filmed almost all my scenes with Cat and my family (aside from the few that I forgot) and I filmed more of Isa's scenes. Funny story, Isa and I went to Markham Park at night which is just as creepy as the Hobo Hole (okay maybe not) if you ask me. Anyway we had to film Isa's hitchhiking scene (which I totally do not promote) but fake it because that is not safe. So as soon as the cars passed, I would already be recording and Isa stood on the side of the road and put her thumb up right when the last car went by. It was just funny because it was late, quite random, and pretty stressful but we got the shot (be sure to check it out in the behind the scenes tab on my upcoming website)! Disclaimer: No one was hurt or in danger in the makings of this film. It may look that way but that is the art of editing my friends. Also, the lighting made it all the worth wild because it was orange which made the environment of the cabana scenes look rustic and dirty, exactly what I needed. We needed to film under this little area that had a table, a vending machine, and a water fountain that didn't work (aka the perfect set). I also filmed Isa running away from her house and I think I got all the shots I need for my social media trailer!! Here are some pictures of the set, Isa running, and a video representing how long it took for me to film Isa in this one garbage can shot.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2B69AHbABiHNFJqQXJJeDVvOGlDalpqelQ2YlNLOENqWGZV/view?usp=sharing

If the video does not work, click this link for the 10 second blooper! I didn't want to actually put my phone in the garbage can, so I thought if I just held the garbage and put it in the camera that would be sufficient...except for the fact my arm and head was in the shot.




Now I am working on editing and am really really liking how it is turning down. I was worried it would be awful to be honest but I am loving the sequence of my shots. I know I am behind, but I totally got this and feel less stressed because of how efficient I am being! I am excited for you guys to see the final product in exactly one week from today (AH). Expect a marketing post this week all about my advertising strategies for this promotion package. This may be a short posting but it is because I have a million things to do but it is really just putting it all together.
Until next time,
-C

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Movie Poster Mania

As you guys will be able to see, I have many different options to choose from for my movie poster. I know for sure it is going to be shoes but the question is how will the shoes be arranged? As you guys read in my last post, the pictures I took that day did not fit the way I had wanted so I am hoping these will work better, well I know they work better. Again, the symbolism of the shoes is to represent the different foster homes the sister went through.








These next pairs of shoes on the duffel bag were going to represent the sister who got adopted. She is on top of the duffel bag because she stayed with one home as opposed to the other sister in front of the shoes because she went to many. However, I don't think people have my brain and will get what I am trying to say, rather I think it will just confuse them.





Now for the exciting part, I narrowed it down to two posters...


Pretend the text at the bottom is in both pictures and that you can read it (I am working on fixing it). It's hard to fix because it is so tedious and I am trying to create a drop shadow so that you can see the text but have to do it for each individual text box, it is quite confusing and hard to explain. I might change the orange in the title, but I think I am leaning toward the first picture anyway. Come back soon for my next blog post about my filming day!
Until next time,
-C

Friday, April 7, 2017

So Much to Do So Much to Say

Hello!! Holy cow, I have not posted until the end of this week not because I have not done anything, but because I have done everything!!!Well...almost everything but still so so much! I might just split it into a couple of different blog posts because it is different parts of the project.

I am going to start off with the movie poster.

I stood out in Florida's scorching hot sun looking like a crazy person taking pictures of a bunch of shoes in my driveway and rearranging them into different orders. Let me tell you, that is exhausting (especially since a water pipe in my neighborhood broke so that day they shut off our water). Here are the pictures from the first day ( I obviously took tons more but I decided I'd spare you of tons of pictures that look pretty much the same. I also took both horizontal and vertical versions of each pic, but since I'm only using verticals that is what I'm showing you.)





Then fun fact, I had to find multiple places to take these pics in front of my house because the sister is traveling through different foster homes. So, I ran out of places to choose from which meant I had to use my neighbors driveway who happened to be home. Casually, I walked next door and place sets of shoes on her driveway and repeatedly dropped a duffel bag while praying she does not look out her window and seem me #awkward. The next two pics are movie poster ideas I put together. I thought it would be cool to do a collage, but when I put it together, the duffel bags were in four different corners, the shoes were lined up weird next to the other pictures, it just looked off. To try to fix this, I rotated the pictures around so the lines of different shoes went along with each other like shown below. I think it looks both cool and weird at the same time, but I didn't love it.


This next picture, I tried just using one photo but I think it is kind of boring and a little to simple. I also like the orange in the title but hope it is not misleading of my drama genre. However, I did see that blue and orange are very popular combinations for movie posters because they compliment each other (but still go noles!).

 My other problem with these pictures is that I need room to put all the conventional text at the bottom but it will cover the black shoes which is not what I want. I think those shoes are an important part of the picture, so I am going to try to figure out a solution for that. Check back soon for another blog post on how I progress with my poster!

Until next time,
-C

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Cue the Lightbulb

Hola fellow humans!

I realized I never finished the storyboard for my first trailer so I finally got to that and here it is.


The adopted sister is going to scroll through multiple peoples posts on her website, sharing their story, and that's when she realizes how not everyone got the same chance she did. They al started the same, but she got lucky. As she is saying this to herself, a shot of her sister running from her last foster home is shown. Then the adopted one gets in an argument with her Mom saying how messed up the system is and the Mom responds hurt because the system is what made them a family. Then their is a knock on the door and the duffel bag drops for the final time.

I'm really excited with how this is going to turn out but am also extremely stressed out. There is not a lot of time left and I am really behind schedule. Plus with AP exams and tests in those classes every single day, there is a lot to worry about. These upcoming weeks are going to be the craziest and I'm honestly just struggling to get by.

On a happier note, we met with our groups in class last week which is always really helpful. I decided at that point that having the two trailers in different perspectives with different voiceovers maybe is not the best idea. I think it would be making my job even harder. Which brings me to my new idea, (cue the lightbulb) I decided to really play with sound in my second trailer which will go on social media. The point will be to contrast the two environments the girls grew up in. So the sound of cars over the highway vs. maybe laughter of the family, jewelry on one girls wrist vs. sound of change the homeless girl is scrambling to find. I'm trying to think of a way to incorporate this  into an overall message. I noticed a lot of my trailers are not requiring dialogue which kind of goes against conventions and I want to play that into the message. Something about using your voice to speak out in ways that don't require speaking or like how a lot can be said without using words. The girls have been through so much and have to learn how to use their voices in other ways in order to be heard, such as the sister creating the website.

This could lead to a great marketing campaign that will get the audience involved. As I am typing all the different ideas on how I can market this are flowing in my head! My goal this week is to come up with titles (Character names, Movie title, website title, etc). I wanted to wait to see how everything plays out before I made one, but now it's crunch time and I must decide.

Wish me luck!
Until next time,
-C

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Post(er) it

Hellooo everybody!

I have not been brave enough to look at all the footage just yet, but I did look at option one for my movie poster idea. Here are some pictures I shot








The one to the right is my favorite.  Some have the arms bent, other have one arm locked, the Mom is in some of the pictures and absent in others too. As you can tell, some are horizontal because if you read my blog yesterday, you would know that I did that accidentally. However, I do not hate it. The one to the right is my favorite. I think it will look even better with the title and everything. Also only a couple are edited but I still wanted you guys to see what kind of pictures I took. My only issue with the picture is I don't know if it gives off the wrong idea of the story.  My second idea is to do the shot of the shoes and the duffle bag that I showed you guys in my storyboard. Then I realized the people won't know what the story is about if it is just shoes, but then I just thought of what if I did a collage of that shot, with different pairs of shoes like in the trailer. This way it shows she is going to different houses. I don't know I will have to try it, but I think it could be cool!

That's all for today!
Until next time,
-C