Giving Ideas: Group Meeting #1

 What Do You Mean, Group Meeting?

I presented my ideas for an opening with a randomly created group to gain inspiration and improve my ideas. Alongside that, I helped them build upon their own ideas and discussed how they could improve their blogs too! 

This group meeting adds value because it lets us gain a better perspective of our ideas as well as understand what others are creating. With multiple people discussing our ideas, it allows for more creativity to flow which in turn inspires all of us. We were all able to build on each other and our constructive criticism which allows for better improvement! 

Group Meeting (long) Recap!

 I was put into a group with Peyton, Dani, Vicky, and Matias! All of them had great ideas and gave me some great advice and I like to say we helped each other a lot!

Peyton was working with a partner to create a Coming of Age film opening about an insecure popular girl. She had a great foundation but was unsure about the direction and shots she wanted to have within it. I suggested a few shot ideas and how to begin it, with a black screen but the sound of a bell ringing. I was very happy she really liked the idea. I believe it was Vicky who suggested that the lead in the opening eventually be in the school bathroom looking at herself, unhappily. That was a great addition I thought and even reflected on how I could add some emotional shots like that suggestion into my own film. Peyton was very grateful for the advice we lent her and only had the problem of actors and how many people she wanted or even could have in her opening. That unfortunately an issue we were never able to solve.

Dani was in a group of three that was working on a horror movie opening about a murderous boyfriend. She was very inspired by an example student film opening shown to us in class. She wanted to show a teenage boy wrapping red string between pictures that all eventually led to a singular girl. That girl would then be shown at the very end with the man who was wrapping the pictures, giving the tension that she is with someone who is unhealthy crazy for her. I suggested having a dynamic shot that followed the hand of the seen as it moved to connect to another photo. I also added that she should have a lot more than just photos on the board like writings and physical objects connecting to the girl. Dani said she would definitely add that. Someone also added to make it a little more obvious that the boy and girl are indeed dating and what he is doing is very wrong. A lot of foreshadowing needs to be done to create the tension that Dani and her team are looking for.

Vicky was working by herself and was struggling a lot to create a fleshed-out idea for another horror opening. All she had for us was a girl running in a forest. She wasn't really sure what she wanted to do to create the tension that horror needs, only knowing she wanted it to be a psychological horror. We were bouncing around ideas for her, but I'm proud to say she went with my super awesome idea of the girl trapped in the forest and running in a loop appearing where she was over and over again! Great, she finally had her idea! But now the struggle was to find a location, figure out editing techniques, and overall how to execute this cool idea! Peyton was amazing and found the perfect spot for Vicky to film while I talked about color grading and other cool editing techniques I have developed. Now all she has to do is figure out how she is to apply herself when it comes to actually filming. 

Matias, like Vicky, is working on a horror film opening on his own. He wants to create a slasher by having his opening show all kinds of weapons laid out by a killer. He wanted to keep things simple so we focused on discussing the props he would need and how he could obtain them or how he could create them. Unfortunately, we didn't discuss much of his project since there didn't seem much to discuss.

When it came to my coming-of-age opening, at the time all I had was loser nerd was pining after a girl in a toxic relationship and that the opening would have him seeing the two have an argument in the boyfriend's car. I talked about how my three other team members had mentioned the boyfriend splashing the nerd with water by driving through a puddle. The group members suggested that this encounter happened out in public and to make the argument very loud and aggressive. Alongside that, the topic of my credits came up and Dani was very adamant that the credits should be very artsy or unique to represent the nerd and his artistic abilities/nerdiness. These ideas are very good and will definitely discuss them with my team!

Blogging Masters

On top of aiding my group in the development of their film-opening ideas, me and Dani gave them assistance in improving their blogs and understanding what they had done wrong in their previous blogs since I and Dani were the only ones in the group to earn a 100 on all of our blogs. The main advice that both me and Dani gave to the other group members was that they had to add more. Not really more description, but more analysis and reflection. Peyton, Vicky, and Matias all did a great job at describing their different research topics but were very limited when it came to analyzing the importance of that information and especially limited in the way they described how they plan on implying their newly learned information to their openings. They had the "what" but needed to add the "why" and the "how" to their research in their blogs. Once that was achieved, their blogs would be on point!

I showed them my format of explaining the main idea of the research or activity first, analyzing everything related to the research or activity I have done, and then having my conclusion at the very end explaining how I will apply this new information to my opening.

Assessing their blogs also helped me understand what I was doing right and how I keep doing good. I will always double and triple check that my research always answers the big three of "what, why, and how" because it will allow me to get the most out of all the information I've gained and let me formulate a plan and understand how to apply it to what I am doing.

That Conclusion I Was Talking About

 It's now time for my favorite part of my blogging formula, the end. I like to talk a lot if that isn't obvious, but oh boy do I love to finish talking. Something so satisfying about "The End", don't you think? Enough yapping, time to answer the how! My group gave me some great ideas, and I definitely will discuss them with my team, but I think I gained more value by helping them! While helping Peyton, I realized I needed to figure out how my team was going to do our own shots and figure out actors. My teammate Madison wants to play the jerk boyfriend and I'm planning on being the girlfriend. But how about the nerd? That is something we ought to figure out! When helping Dani, I figured out that we too need to make sure our story makes narrative sense and not just sense in our minds. Vicky made me realize that getting a setting that fits the tone of my opening was very important and required planning as well. Helping Matias with his props made me think of the kinds of props I want/need for my opening and how they represent the characters of the film. Those props also require more research and planning than I initially realized.

So, although my group's feedback for me was valuable, what was more valuable was helping them. Now I have a full grasp of the effort needed to plan such a big project and a better idea of how to develop my story better!

Diving Deeper- Target Audience

 Targeting an Audience

Target Audience is very important to keep in mind when creating this project. Marketing Evolutions states that a target audience is "the specific group of consumers most likely to want your product." To put it plainly for myself, the target audience is who I want my product (in this case film) to be directed

for/towards. It is very important to have a target audience because it helps filmmakers create a film that'll effectively resonate with audiences and maximize engagement. For our opening, we are looking to target teenagers who enjoy coming-of-age movies, but the question is, what kind of teens enjoy coming-of-age stories? Let's dive a little deeper and find out!

Coming of Age; What are its impacts?

Coming of Age movies have a strong focus on youth, maturing, and a strong character arc that is the focal point of the entire movie. There tends to be something major happening to a young character that forces them to grow and mature to handle the situation appropriately. This in turn teaches young audiences the lesson that the character had to learn and shows them how they can grow. It shows the paths a young viewer can take and relates to them on what it's like to navigate the world at their age. It offers new perspectives and understatement. 

This is important for teens who feel alone or invisible. These types of movies let them know they are being seen. It can be in comedy format or drama format, a Coming of Age movie can reach out to a young viewer because it shows the experience of that young viewer.

Our Target Audience

Now that we have figured out what makes a coming-of-age movie so impactful, let's figure out just exactly the audience we want to impact!

1) Teenagers (13-19)

    ->So far our ideas center around high school students, which involves teenagers. We want to show the life of a teenager and relate to them

2) Outcasts

    -> Coming of Age movies tend to focus on the "outcast". Someone who doesn't feel like they fit in. Coming from a teenager herself, we all don't feel like we belong. However, some feel even more alone and even more like a loser. Those people who feel alone and like a loser are the people we want to target

3) Any gender

    ->So far for our opening scene, we have a loser boy pining after a girl who's struggling with her relationship with her jerk boyfriend. The boy feels alone because he's seen as a loser, and the girl feels alone because she feels trapped in a toxic relationship. Both genders can relate to this and feel the scene through this feeling. 

What's my mission here?

I want teenagers to feel seen and to learn the tough lesson that they're going to make mistakes. Not everyone is going to like you. You aren't perfect. Our idea isn't solidified, but great lessons of personal growth and reflection will be a foot and I'm very excited to get with my group and fully plan it out. A Coming of Age story can really help the teens feeling invisible feel seen and that's what we want to do with our opening.

Awesome Sources:

Marketing Evolution. “Steps to Find Your Target Audience.” Www.marketingevolution.com, 20 July 2022, 

    www.marketingevolution.com/marketing-essentials/target-audience.

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Kench, Sam . “What Is a Coming of Age Movie — Examples and Characteristics.” StudioBinder, 24 Sept. 2023, 

    www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie-definition/

“What Is a Coming of Age Movie - Impact and Examples.” Rfm.rezaid.co.uk, 14 Mar. 2024,

     rfm.rezaid.co.uk/post/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie.

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Opening with Credits

 What are Opening Credits?

Opening credits are the text shown at the beginning of a film, TV show, or even video game. It gives credit to the main cast and crew that worked on the media for the audience watching. Opening credits can be on top of a blank screen or on top of the action. The way these films showcase these opening credits can help set the tone for the entire movie. For my upcoming opening film project, I will have to create these opening credits and to do them correctly I will need to research how they are done within my genre! Let's get into it!

'Almost Famous'- Directed by Cameron Crowe

This opening credit scene is rather unique for it shows someone within the film writing the credits on a notebook paper rather than it just being edited on the screen. Important background props and posters help represent. 

The writing of the names signifies the importance of writing within this film, proven by the fact that the film is about the journey of a young journalist. Alongside giving a major focus on the writing aspect of the film there was an emphasis on the rock and roll elements the movie has through showing off posters and trinkets that are in one way or another related to the rock scene in the 70s. There are also other props used to give the aesthetic of the 1970s which seems to be when the movie takes place in the viewers' minds.

Overall, the visuals in the opening are simple. It is someone writing the credits on paper while shots of 70 rock and roll aesthetic pieces are shown. But this is impactful because it sets the tone and focus for the whole movie. It gives realism as you watch the hand that is writing correct some writing and take its time writing each name or word. The messiness of the room also feels realistic and relatable. The writing has a huge focus and stays in the viewer's minds throughout the rest of the film as well as the aesthetic of the 70s rock and roll room. 

The sound also helps set the tone and focus. Besides the music, all the audience hears is the writing, making it blatantly clear that writing is the focal point and main subject of the film. The music has a determination feel to it and feels as though it keeps building upon itself, representing the determined main character himself, William Miller, who keeps building on his skill and on himself.

This opening is simple but very effective and prepares the viewer to know exactly what they will be watching.

'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'- Directed by John Hughes

This opening perfectly represents what film this is going to be. In contrast to 'Almost Famous', 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' focuses on the scene rather than the credits, throwing them to the side. They pop up but the visuals keep your attention to what is happening within the scene rather than the credits. This makes it so audiences are immediately immersed in the story instead of what is happening with the credits. 

In turn, this tactic feels less impactful than the one used in 'Almost Famous'. Sure the tone and focus is set up through the scene being played out, but we don't know much of the character except he has a typical and loving family and is a teenager wanting to get out of school. The credits could've been applied in a way to show off Ferris' personality slightly more by having them stylized in a way that represents his character. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy this movie a lot, but I do think there could've been a lot of techniques used to improve the opening! These techniques I feel this opening is lacking are definitely techniques I will be including in my own opening.

Despite being less successful, it is nice to get right into the story and the world of the character. Even if the credits weren't used to represent the character, the background of his room, the way his actor conveys him, and the music playing certainly do. He is a little bit of a troublemaker teenager with there being a focus on his comedic aspects and the comedic tone of the movie. The music being soft and sweet when Ferris speaks to his parents, it gives a hint at the family values within the movie.

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'- Directed by Stephen Chbosky

(I was unable to find a clip of just the 1:35 opening credit sequence, so I had to use this video which shows the first 9 minutes of the movie. I only discuss the first minute and thirty-five seconds of this video)

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is a very interesting opening credit scene. I think it is very clever that before you see anything on screen, you hear a typewriter. That clues the viewer on typing or writing will be important to this film and the main character it involves. When the credits appear on screen, the font appears to be a faded white font in the style of old typewriters. It connects these credits to those typewriter sounds, which connects the creators of the film to the film itself. There continues to be typing as the stars of the film have their names appear on the black screen. Then, a ding is heard and the title appears. I'm not sure why, but I adored this little aspect. It's the little things!

The black screen fades away as street lights pass by with credits still rolling, just no more typing. The typing is replaced by the sweet music of 'Could it Be Another Change' by The Samples. This song I feel represents the tone of this movie with a feeling of bittersweet that the movie ends on and the feeling of moving on.

The camera appears to be strapped onto a car as it drives down a road and into a tunnel that is seen later in the movie! This lets the audience know this driving aspect is very important to the movie just like the typing and is solidified later on in the movie. It is simple and soft but holds the key aspects that a the focal point of the movie. I may not like said movie, but I do like this well-made opening.

Conclusion!

Judging the different aspects of these three opening credit scenes, I think the most important thing to do is to shed light or focus on the focal point of the whole movie. I do think having fun action like 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' is good to have for sure, but I would definitely want to include the techniques used in both 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'Almost Famous' to showcase what is both important to the character and the story since coming of age movies are heavily focused on characters and their growth. Having what is important to characters shine from the very beginning lets the audience feel the impact more whenever that special interest or focal point is seen again. Music is also important to keep the tone balanced and to clue the viewer on what could be the lesson taught.

My idea would be to have a main character be an artist/sketchiest. We (me and my group) can make an opening have a lot of action but include drawings somehow of the credits or characters within the story. Maybe another art form that hasn't been portrayed as much in media, like maybe sculpting! Credits could be sculpted out of Play-Doh or something simple and fun. An art form that is important to the main character showcased in the characters is all I really want!

BONUS:

Although not coming of age, the film 'Oscar' starring Sylvester Stallone has an opening credit sequence that greatly impacted my little mind. It's just so awesome!

 

Scheduling is Awesome!

Why Schedule?

This is a big project with a lot of aspects to do. We need a schedule to keep us on track to understand what is coming up. To create a good opening sequence we all need to be organized and in not procrastinate. Having this schedule and due dates for us will help in the long run! This is a rough draft, but I would love to create a checklist alongside it. Something that allow us to have that satisfaction of checking something off done!

 We planned our schedule for the project by weeks, as we have about 8 weeks to completely finish the entire thing. 

Week 1: 1/29/25- 2/1/25

• Decide group

• Discuss possible Genres

Week 2: 2/2/25- 2/8/25

• Decide on singular genre for film opening

• Research opening scenes in genre

• Research opening credits in genre

• Begin planning plot and target audience

Week 3: 2/9/25- 2/15/25

• Meet with Ms. Stoklosa to discuss potential plot idea

• Research media theories to include

• Finalize plot

• Create storyboard and script

Week 4: 2/16/25- 2/22/25

• Expand on characters depth

• Plan props

• Plan costume

• Plan set

• Begin deciding on potential song choices

Week 5: 2/23/25- 3/1/25

• Filming week #1

• Apply all previous research

Week 6: 3/2/25- 3/8/25

• Editing/ reshoot week

• Make any final details and put in audio and clips

• Begin CCR research

Week 7: 3/9/25- 3/15/25

• Finished with film opening

• Research for CCR

• Begin production of CCR

Week 8: 3/16/25- 3/22/25

• Finalize CCR

• Final reflections

• DONE!!!✨

As a group we will improve this schedule and I'll update this post when we do! :D

Time to Analyze Film Openings!

Finally a Genre! 

Herye Herye!! The decision for the genre has been made! I bet you wanna know it, don't you? I'll give you a little hint. It's a surprise genre that I have yet to discuss this genre in my previous blog posts... Have you figured it out yet? No? Okay, let me give you the biggest hint I can. This genre involves personal growth, especially of someone from their adolescence into adulthood. That's right, Coming of Age, baby! 

Coming of Age is a genre, as mentioned before, is a genre that focuses on typically younger characters' personal growth as they get older. In order to help me and my group create a great Coming of Age opening, let's take a look of the openings of my favorite Coming of Age films.

'Bring it On'- Directed by Peyton Reed (2000)

'Bring it On' has interesting themes on race, jealousy, and friendship. It's about a girl, Torrance Shipman, who became cheer captain of a powerful cheer team, Rancho Crane High, but then learns that the reason they were so good was because the previous captain had been stealing routines from an inner-city school's team, the Clovers. As they go into competition Torrance has to work to create a new cheer dance, but it is a lot of work, especially with the captain of the Clovers, Iris, working twice as hard to defeat her. 

The opening shows off a a cheer, lead by Torrance, that isn't exactly school appropriate. It is well choregraphed and everyone puts a lot of work into it. The cheer itself praises the team and shows how they feel about themselves. There is a lot of fun and interesting dances done and overall very fun to watch and listen to. When the dance is done, Torrance jumps down and pops back up without clothes. The entire school watching the cheer starts pointing and laugh at her and she freaks out and starts screaming. That scream transitions into her clothed self screaming as she wakes up from this dream. This sequence of events show that she and her team are a high level cheer team and think very highly of themselves, but it also shows that Torrance has a lot of anxiety regarding the team.

'Clueless'- Directed by Amy Heckerling (1995)

'Clueless' is a classic and fan-favorite coming of age film about a social class. This movie about rich teenager Cher, who lives her best life in Beverly Hills. She has a very high social status is beloved by the majority of her school. Throughout the movie she meddles in peoples lives thinking that she's improving them. When this meddling back fires she realizes how wrong she was and improves herself in the end. 

The opening scene follows Cher as she gives the audience an overview of her life. She gives a voice over saying she's a typical, normal teenager all the while flaunting her wealth. She starts by buying a lot of expensive clothing then shows off a machine that chooses her fancy clothes, her mansion, and her prized jeep. She talks to her father and that's where the audience learn that he spoils her and wants her to have everything she wants. As she drives around in her jeep she picks up a lot of her friends and goes to school where everyone waves and greets her. It shows her character of being ignorant of her wealth and being extremely popular. 

'My Girl'- Directed by Howard Zieff (1991)

'My Girl' is such an amazing and dare I say heartbreaking movie. It was made in 1991 is a mix of coming of age, romance, and family. It follows a young, 11-year-old girl named Vada Sultenfuss whos mother died when giving birth to Vada and father runs a funeral service. She is typically teased by other girls her age because of her being a tomboy, which is escalated by her best friend being a boy (who is in love with her). 

This opening sequence is of Vada showing off her fathers coffins to a group of boys who were earlier teasing her. It shows off the Vada's personality, her living environment, and her relationship with the boys in her neighborhoods. He being friends with boys rather than girls gives an insight on how she relates more with boys than girls, showing that she's a tomboy from the very start. It helps the audience grow attached to her and see her personality as she is currently.

What Have We Learned?

When it comes to Coming of Age movies, the opening typically gives the audience insight on the main character and who they are, their relationships, and what the do in the world around them. It clues us on what the character would need to improve on and how the story is going to progress. My main take away from this is that for my opening I need to show off the characteristics of my main character and give them room to grow as a better person. This will be fully through their actions with their world and the people in that world. We need to have a strong character with obvious and flawed characteristics to allow the film to change that character into someone better.

Opening Sequence- Time to Pick a Genre

 If you remember a few posts ago, I had researched the adventure genre for an upcoming "film pitch" project. I ended up falling in love with this genre, however, I can't be set on this genre without exploring other options. So let's research and dive into two more genres for me to widen my scope.

Horror

The main goal of the horror genre is to scare its audiences. It is my job to figure out what are the techniques used to accomplish that! 

First is creating the right atmosphere. When it comes to horror, the mood tends to be dark and eerie in order to get the audience's blood pumping and their anxiety high. This mood is just as important to create as a well-written story and characters. To obtain that mood the atmosphere must match. This atmosphere is usually very dark and very mysterious. As long as the atmosphere captures a feeling of suspicion, mystery, and fear, then it is doing its part.

Another successful static for horror movies is high stakes. Horror movies need to have a story that is tense and keeps viewers' heartbeats racing. The story should have a good build-up and ramped-up stakes. If the villain isn't menacing enough or the end goal isn't hard enough to reach the story becomes too bland and boring for viewers and starts feeling less and less like a horror movie.

The viewers also need to be able to have good connections with the characters. If the characters aren't written well or realistic it'll take the audience out of the movie and scare them much less. Since horror movies typically have major characters dying the characters need to be important enough to the viewer for them to care. The villains also need to be scary and menacing. They need to scare audiences and get the characters around them just as scared. 

The most forgotten thing needed is proper music and sound effects layered throughout the film. Music is very significant in horror films because it helps demonstrate what the characters are feeling and also guides the audience into what they should be feeling. Music has a powerful effect of raising one's heart rate and therefore needs to be used perfectly in horror films. This music usually is either mysterious and suspenseful or intense and loud. Both types of pieces raise one's anxiety and in doing so successfully helps create a strong horror movie.

If these elements aren't correctly used the movie could feel off and what is supposed to be scary could fall flat to audiences. 

This opening scene from the movie Scream (1996) is a terrific example of what I would need to do as an opening for my project in the horror movie genre. If I decide on this genre I would definitely take heavy inspiration from the techniques used in this film.

Romance

Seeing as I want to widen my range of genres, let's go to something more light-hearted, romance. The romance genre aims to focus on the romantic relationship between two characters and how it develops.

The atmosphere in this kind of film is typically lighter and has a feeling of sweetness. This is to showcase the ideal of love and relationships. The lighting should be warm, soft, and bright. This creates a nicer, calmer. and hopefully a romantic feeling. In the end, the atmosphere and mood must achieve a theme of passion, intimacy, and emotional connection. The story should end with a happy ending to continue that joyful and safe feeling that romance movies tend to have, however; many romance movies stray away from this idea. Instead, they try to have a darker tone or even have a sad ending. But those are special outliers
.

The background and ambiance are very important. Romance films should have a lively world around their two subjects and should have an almost whimsical world on the outside! It should feel warm and cozy to then give that feeling to the main characters. 

Speaking of which, the characters are the biggest focus when it comes to romances. They are the driving force in this genre, seeing as romance is all about the development of two character's relationships. Since the characters are so important to these movies, the world literally revolves around them. The lighting is perfect on them. Everything is for them to grow in both themselves and their relationship.

La La Land (2016) has an opening scene with a warm and light atmosphere setting the tone very well. There isn't even mention of the main characters, but there is a focus on the differences between everyday people and it shows their uniqueness and how they play a part in this film's world. If I choose romance I would definitely take this opening into consideration when coming up with ideas for my film's opening.

My Decision

I believe I still have my heart set out for the adventure genre. The movies in that genre give me a lot of enjoyment and I can never get enough. However, I am working with a group to create my film opening, so I must first consult them before making any haste decisions. I will present the research I have done here and of course what I did for adventure a few posts back. Then I will advocate for my favorite genre and hope for the best!

Thank You to my Sources

Ludy, James. “LibGuides: What Is Horror?: Home.” Westportlibrary.libguides.com, 27 May 2023, 

    westportlibrary.libguides.com/Whatishorror.

“10 Elements Every Horror Film Needs.” Www.amctheatres.com, 8 Aug. 2019, 

    www.amctheatres.com/amc-scene/10-elements-every-horror-film-needs.

“What Makes Horror Movies Scary? “We Do,” Says Baylor Film Expert.” News.web.baylor.edu, 18 Oct. 2017, 

    news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2017/what-makes-horror-movies-scary-we-do-says-baylor-film-expert.

McGregor, Lewis. “Filming Romantic Scenes.” Aputure, 20 May 2021, 

    medium.com/aputure/filming-romantic-scenes-b0326bdb1f09.

perlatkociaj. “The 3 Elements for Evoking Romantic Emotion in Films and Video.” Filmstro, 8 Feb. 2019, 

    filmstro.com/blog/the-3-elements-for-evoking-romantic-emotion-in-films-and-video/.

Hellerman, Jason. “We Love the Romance Genre in Film and TV.” Nofilmschool.com, 6 Mar. 2023, 

    nofilmschool.com/romance-movie-genre.

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Change of Direction: Transition into Cambridge Portfolio Project!

 

Transitioning

I am rather excited to announce that I will officially be transitioning myself and this blog into focusing if not fully, mostly, on the one, the only, Cambridge AICE Media Studies Portfolio Project! This project will require me to use all of the savvy knowledge I have gained about different media techniques in order to construct a dazzling film opening! Alongside this soon-to-be fantastic opening will be a Creative Critical Reflection and this very Blog! Need more information? I bet! Let's get into it, shall we?

(some of my media studies notes I plan on using throughout this project)

The Film Opening

The film opening is what I'm excited about the most! I believe I have the ability to create something great! To explain, the film opening demands me to make an opening to my very own fictional film! This sequence must be two minutes! No under, no over. Well, maybe the tiniest bit over. This opening also needs to include opening credits and a title! All content must be of my own creation and not stolen from another. To help prepare us, my teacher gave us great examples of real film openings that capture the use of the media techniques that we learned in class. It also helped me to understand how to structure a film opening and even ideas of what I should create. I'm still not fully sure what I want to do currently, but I know I want to focus on the character(s) of my film and their relationship with the world. I'd love to do the adventure genre, but I still need to do some more research before being fully decided (foreshadowing of next blog spotted?????). This is only the introduction of this massive project, so I do not have many plans nor concepts YET, but I am very excited to start! I will plan like no other!

    I do fear that I will get too ambitious and fly too close to the sun, however; I am working with three other people who are just as, if not more, passionate than I am. So if I do too much, they'll be able to support me and I'll be able to support them! Although, because I have decided to work with others, I have to understand that I will have to give up some of my ideas for theirs, but that just means possibly something even greater and better! My group is so cool so I have full confidence that we will all be able to make a story and opening that we are all proud of!

Creative Critique Reflection

The creative critique reflection, CCR, will be a reflection on me and my work. This will be in the presentation form of a slideshow with the bells and whistles of audio files, pretty graphics, and whatever I find that will be able to convey deep reflection and criticism of the production I had done to create my opening. To achieve a successful CCR, I will have to be able to answer these simple four questions:

• "How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
• How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
• How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
• How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?"

To answer these questions I must use the techniques taught to me about representation, target audiences, distribution, pre-production, and production strategies. That is to create a mildly successful film. To create an above-and-beyond opening I have to include even more and that is exactly what I plan on doing!

My Blog

My final piece is this. This blog! I will be documenting and analyzing my entire process. Here I will be able to give you insights on what I am thinking and the directions for me. I will be able to show off my process of creating hopefully both an amazing film opening and CCR. With this blog, I'll be able to plan more and be put in a well-balanced schedule seeing as I have a due date for each blog. It keeps me on track and keeps me thinking! I can't wait to update again, this time with more planning and more research! For now, you get my small concepts and my little transitioned. Hope you were entertained and continue to be entertained!