Student Television and Me

 Question: What are we going to do?

That logo up there is the logo for Student Television Network, or STN. It is a place for high schoolers (and middle schoolers) to compete against one another with their TV production skills. Why is this important? Because Madison and Safia, two of my teammates, are away on a trip to this competition for a week! We are down half a team for a whole week, I fear. That's fine because Kenna and I can go film on our own together, right? Wrong! STN is huge for our school's television production club/class so most of its members go on this trip, and because of that, they take most of the equipment and don't allow the leftover students to check out any of the equipment after school. We need a T8 Cannon camera to film our scenes, but now have no way of getting it! Having our whole group allows for us to achieve our ambition, as well as the right equipment. This is rough, so the question is what are we going to do?

Answer: What are we going to do?

This STN trip is really testing my collaboration skills and resourcefulness. If we can't film, might as well continue preparing the stage for our opening. I've begun looking for costumes around my house for my character, Aurora.

I believe this outfit is perfect for Aurora, to fit that dulled grungy vibe we're searching for her. I don't care much about the shirt so I can follow this helpful guide to make it even duller if we want! Alongside that, I found good wizard costumes and hats we imagine Sam/Atticus on Amazon that I can try to buy by the time our teammates (and the actor, funny enough) come back from STN. Finally, a huge contribution to this project of mine, other than editing, is my art. I can make some background pieces that'll be claimed to be Sam's as well as use some of my past art and set it up in the office we will be filming in.

Concluding

There will always be a complication in a project. Some big, some small. Unfortunately, we did get the big complication of a week of stand-by. But there is always something I can do. There is something you can always do. There is something we all can do, even if small. So if all I can do is gather all of my old art and draw new art, that's what I'll do. If I work on costuming, I'll work on costuming. For now, I'll be scrolling through my old blog posts and writing ideas I have brought up and searching for a way to make them happen by the time we actually film. 

First Steps of Filming

Time to Get Filming

As the title and heading imply, we have started to film! Exciting right? Yes and no... we didn't have the time nor supplies to come together and film a full-fledged out scene within our opening, so what we did was find a short period of time where team members could film non-character shots and/or close ups that don't show the character and their costuming. Soon we landed on the plan of meeting together after school to do some quick close-ups of Madison's car and their hand. Initially, it would be all four of us meeting and filming together, but due to the tight filming space and tight schedules, Sofia and Madison thought it better for it to be just them to film and have me and Kenna work on costuming and props.

  

Sofia and Madison checked out a T8 Cannon camera from our school's TV production class and filmed their shots using it! This is the camera we plan on using for all of our shots to make the opening look amazing and feel consistent. It is a great camera that Madison, Sofia, and I have lots of experience using!

These shots were all of Madison's car and some bits of Madison that we planned on having within our opening! These shots are great! Madison is planning on sending them to me so I can start editing as soon as possible to make up for some of the lost time we believe this entire week will bring.

To Be Frank

I'm very nervous about how few shots we have if I'm being honest. It's great to have these shots of course, but our group seems to be very busy with a variety of things and half of our team is about to leave for a TV production competition. I'm just nervous about the timing of it all and hope that things will work out in the end with scheduling. We went a little ambitious with our project and as it turns out ambitious people come up with ambitious ideas, but these ambitious people also have busy lives. I'm sure I'm overthinking and we can indeed succeed, but for now I'll sit worrying.

Luckily, I'm not at a loss. A majority of filming will be done at my house. If I start setting up now, the less time it takes to actually start filming. To keep my worries at bay, I will do what I can to make everything happen as smooth as possible.

Casting Calls!

 Casting

To make a movie, one has to get a cast. Our opening will have 4 characters, therefore we need three actors! Simple math right there! So who have we cast? Why have we cast them? How did you cast them? All will be revealed in the next few paragraphs! So keep reading!

Our Process

I wish I could tell you guys that we held a large-scale audition and went through multiple rounds of line reading before we found the perfect actors to play our characters.... but we didn't. We chose an easier path and cast some of our group members and a friend of the group that we knew for sure we could count on being in the opening. Time for the cast list!

Cast List

Kai........................... Madison!

Aurora................... Kaylee!

Sam/Atticus....... Sam!

Headshots and Characters and How they Fit!

Sam/Atticus

Sam was actually the character we as a group put the most thought into. We agreed that Sam needed to be played by someone who looks or can be made to look nerdy/geeky/dorky. Sofia and Madison thought, who better than their friend Sam! I've worked on a video with him before and believe him to be a great actor and can very easily fit the vibe we are trying to achieve. So I agreed to him very quickly. Although Kenna has never met him before, she trusted our judgment and we went on to recruit him and he kindly agreed. It would be cool for any social media marketing for our film if we joked around with the fact that he has the same name as the character he's playing. Just a thought that crossed my genius and ever moving mind.

Kai

Madison always wanted this role. From the very beginning when he was first made (Kai was the first character proposed). In truth, I think Madison built this role for themselves. Either way, there was absolutely no one to take the role away from Madison. Kai is a Mister tough guy that wants nothing but control. Madison may not look like a mean brute, but with the right costuming, we can make them look like that description and I know Madison has the ability to portray that personality. I know Madison will be awesome!

Aurora

Oh hey! That's me! Crazy! I'm a huge theater kid, so I definitely wanted to contribute some acting to this opening, so when Aurora's character was first brought up we all agreed she should be played by me! Her character, I think, fits me a lot with the grungey look she starts the story with and the interest in the arts and nerd culture. If only she was a Sonic fan, her character would be perfect for me! Who knows... there's still time to add to her character :)

Concluding Notes

Although none of us fully fit our characters, we each have the acting skill to adapt into the character as well as enough similarities, so it works out! I'm confident the characters we have will be portrayed properly. 

I love scripts!!

 Why A Script?

You're always asking me so many questions, aren't you? That's alright, I love to answer them! A script is where all the action and dialogue or a play, movie, or other media pieces is written out. They help keep the entirety of production on task and in an understatement of what is taking place within their pieces. It's a way to stay organized, on task, and in agreement. Not to mention tells the performers exactly what they are performing. 

Our Script:

CLICK HERE TO READ

This is our script! It's helpful to know exactly what the characters are going to be doing, the shots we need, and how they'll be edited together! With this script put together it looks very likely that we will be able to start production soon and what an amazing production this is beginning to look like! 

Some Focus on Sound!

 Audio!

It still amazes me how important audio is to a film or other media productions as well as the amount needed to make that audio. Finding the right sound effects, choosing the right music, and creating the foley is all hard work and takes a lot of time and thought. But that outcome is always awesome! There's a lot to talk about so let's not waste time and get right into it!

Music

Something cool about our opening is that Kai and Sam/Atticus are listening to the same song, which would play during the opening. The struggle was to find a copyright-free song that Kai and Sam/Atticus would realistically listen to. So it had to be a whimsical rock song that wasn't copyrighted. Easy, right? Surprisingly right! 

We used Bulletproof Bear which gives film creators like us easy access to well-made copyright-free music. And since Madison, Sofia, and I are in a class that already pays for using it, it's free! Madison must've used some special keyword in her search because she was able to find the perfect song within five minutes of searching. It's definitely rock enough for Kai, but has that whimsical element that fits Sam/Atticus. On top of that, it feels right to put it into a coming-of-age film!

The Song: Another Naive Generation

I'm very glad how easy that was. Now onto the harder parts!

Sound Effects!

As the main editor of this opening, I will be the main person to work on adding these sound effects, and boy are there a lot...

I have to think of the tiniest of sounds from the click of the volume button of a phone to the rolling sound a car makes. The music doesn't take away the sound effects, but just muffles it! I have to think about all of this and when it is right to put a sound effect of something and where to put it. I have to line up the sound just right to make it hit just right!

Naturally, I feel like we need to film first before I can gather my sound effects but the major sounds are a car engine if we don't get the foley of that, the sound of a pencil drawing, and the mailbox opening all feel like important sounds to have. I think a good idea for me to do is to write down sounds I hear while filming that I think are important to add back in during post-production.

Alongside Bulletproof Bear, I plan on using Pixabay which houses so many amazing sound effects all for free! I use Pixabay all the time so I trust it and know what to look for while using it!

Foley

Sometimes, the internet just doesn't have the sound I'm looking for so I got to make it! I have some previous experience with foley for my sound project and another foley project I did for my TV production class. Because of these prior experiences, I feel secure in creating some foley, especially with the help of my awesome team. It may be easy to get these exact sounds, or difficult depending on what we need, but I'm hoping it's relatively easy!

If it becomes difficult, it will be worth it for if we create the perfect sound we enhance the quality of our film!

Conclusion

Sound is already in the process of turning out well, but we all need to take time to focus on it and find the right sounds for the right actions. And if we can't find it, we're going to have to create it! But that's what's needed to create something we're proud of so that hard work and the rest of the hard work we're putting into this will all be worth it!

Onto Set Design!

 Remember My Foreshadowing? Time to Design Some Sets!

Set design is the environment created for actors to perform in character. Set design, like costume design, tends to represent the characters or their world, but this time leaning closer to representing the world. Creating a set isn't just building 3-4 walls, calling it a room, and being done. It's the props, the colors, the decor. Everything on that set is significant in both symbolism and representation. That's what we will definitely keep in mind when creating the 3-4 sets required for our opening!

I'm Sorry, 3-4 Sets???

You read me right! Our opening is a bit ambitious, but there are plans already set in place to achieve this goal. We will be filming in my house, my teammate Sofia's house, and our teammate Madison's car. Why? We will be showing off Atticus's room, which will be in my house. The mailbox part will also be in front of my house as well. Aurora's room will be in Sofia's house and inside of Kai's car (outside too) will be Madison's car! Now time to go into detail about these sets!

Sam/Atticus's Room

When Sam enters his room, he isn't Sam. He's Atticus. His room is where he can fully be himself and fully immerse himself in his fantasy and his art. It is his safe place and what truly brings him joy. Therefore every aspect of his room needs to be representative of his character. 

Here's a mood board of some inspiration from his room. Some whimsical elements layered on top of his drawings and art:

Sam's room is going to be filled to the brim with art supplies and objects that give off a fantasy feel. It will be a very maximalist room to help Atticus escape into his mind. I have a few DnD books and objects and some renaissance fair props that I could definitely put into the room. I also have a lot of art supplies that'll be easy to transfer from my office to the guest bedroom. My teammates also have some objects they believe help represent his character to bring in to show off who he is. For his drawings, I've already started a few drawings were able to put throughout the room, and we can even use some old drawings of mine. I have a few artist friends who would be willing to lend me their art as well!

Aurora's Room

Aurora's room is like Atticus's in the sense that it is her one safe place where you can see who she really is. I think it would be cool to show her dulled-out self in contrast to a colorful and light room, with photos of her old self being just as colorful. That'll show there is something currently not right with her and she isn't who she used to be. Her room needs to feel lively just as she used to be and will grow into being again. Alongside that, it needs to have some representation of her old passion for photography. Such as the mentioned old photos of herself and her friends as well as just random cute pictures. Some old cameras would be cool to have as well!

Here is a moldboard with pictures that helped give me an image of how I think her room should be designed:

 

To create this look I think my full team should combine all the easily accessible colorful room decor that we have which creates the vibe of a lively outgoing girl that can contrast the costume that we eventually give Aurora!

Kai's Car

Madison's car is a Mustang which we think will fit Kai a lot! Unfortunately, it is white, but none of us have the black or red car that we think would fit Kai, so a white Mustang it is! The interior is a little difficult to fully make so it represents who he is, but having a punk bobblehead on the dashboard and/or some kind of prop hanging from the rearview mirror could help represent who Kai is. Mainly, however, the car is to represent mostly Kai's recklessness as he drives the car like a madman.

Outside Sam's (my) Home

The opening ends with Sam on the ground in front of his home after an altercation with Kai. This is outside of his fantasy. Therefore everything seen here will be "normal". A normal home at a normal mailbox in front of a normal driveway. This is not meant to represent Sam, but his actual world. The real world he lives in. Not his fantasy.

Is there a Takeaway?

Sometimes, a set can represent who a character is. It shows their development or foreshadows a conflict. It is used to develop the story or as an important piece within the story. Other times it is used to establish the setting. Nothing more. Sometimes sets don't have any meaning passed, a house or a car. But inside that house and inside that car there could be something special. Something that really means something to the characters and maybe to the audience.

The Importance of a Costume

 Costumes and Why It Matters!

Costumes are the clothes a character wears throughout the narrative they are in. That is basic common sense, but what may not be as basic common sense is why costuming matters so much. Costumes represent either who the character is, what they are going through, or the world that character is in. What a character is wearing on screen is vital for it to fit the character and their circumstance. If it feels out of place then the story gets lost. There are many interesting story creators can do with costumes as well. They can make the clothing foreshadow something major or have some symbolic meaning. Overall, clothing within any narrative is very important and holds the power to do something important! Now, how am I (and my team) going to make our clothing important? Let's talk about it.

How Would We Use Costumes?

If we were creating the entirety of our film we would've had the costuming grow and change with the characters to represent their character development. For example, Aruroa would start the film in dull colors, with a very grungey look as if trying to replicate Kai's grunge look. As Aruroa finds herself again, she brings brighter colors into her fashion and begins to wear less grungey clothes and more cottage-core fashion. Meanwhile, Kai feels as though he is losing control as she begins to stray away from his own fashion so his clothing becomes more hardcore and aggressive looking. Meanwhile, Sam starts the film without having a sense of fashion and wears a lot of geeky clothing that represents the fantasy he is living in. As the movie goes on, however, his sense of fashion grows too and he begins to dress outside of that fantasy, at least for the situations that call for it. 

How About For Our Opening?

We are broke high school students, so although we will try our best to represent the characters we have created properly, we might not be able to. So please note that this is dream costuming and what we plan are preparing but not a guarantee!

Sam/Atticus:

Atticus imagines himself as a wizard! What better way to push that idea than having him dressed as a wizard while he works on his fantasy comic? 

THIS in my opinion is perfect for what Atticus should be wearing in the opening. Something kind of silly and clearly meant to be a wizard! It would fit him and what he imagines himself to be like perfectly!

The entire scene has him in this cloak as he draws his comic, then as he leaves to get the mail, he takes off the hat to enter some of reality, but still keeps his cloak on to feel more himself. Too bad this cloak makes him an easy target for jerks like Kai who notices it and nearly hits Sam with his car.

Aurora:

Aurora, in my opinion, will have the most interesting costume direction because of the growth of her clothing. Naturally, Atticus's interesting apparel may outshine hers, but she will be given the most symbolism through her clothing.

                       

Aurora's personality and self-identity are being suffocated by her bad relationship with Kai, therefore she wears dulled clothing that leans into more of a grungy feel. This look isn't bad, but it's just not who she fully is. But this look is somewhat what we're aiming for to styling her. 

This is how I imagine her to actually dress, with maybe some even brighter colors. This can be shown in pictures of her with her friends and family throughout her room. For now, though, she is in dulled-out clothing to try and match her boyfriend.

Kai:

Speaking of terrible boyfriends, Kai tries to dress hardcore in his clothing despite being a in my opinion poser. He wants control so he tries to control the way people view him, so he tries to be viewed as this hardcore punk so people fear him and do as he says.

This is like dark "hardcore" clothing I feel like Kai would aim to wear to try to be all punk-like. He wants to show off his mean-spiritedness not just act that way. In the opening we see him rocking out to an indie-rock song, but treating it as some heavy metal rock song. Situations like this go to show he is a poser and only acts this way to give the impression that he is some mean punk when he is just a wanna-be punk who is a complete jerk.

Foreshadowing Next Post!

It's great to have these plans in the working to create the cool looks of our opening. Clothing is very important, but I think equally important is the design of the environment the characters are in. If only I had some kind of blog to discuss what kind of set mise-en-scene elements in set design I want. Oh too bad so sad... ;)