Ladies and Gentlemen, we got a genre!

I guess you guys kept your fingers crossed! The genre we chose for our film opening is…drum roll please… THRILLER! 

Last class Sofi and I sat down and discussed different types of genres. We went through all the genres we did research on due to the previous assignments. We spoke about how doing the horror genre would be difficult to do justice to. How doing the drama genre could end up being too cliche. Finally, how action was just not our type of genre. We wanted to find a genre that excites us. That is when I introduced my secret weapon...the thriller genre! Once I explained my reasoning behind my love for this genre (Which I explained on my last post) Sofi got on board! Now our job was to research the different sub genres in thrillers. 

Example of  Religious Thriller
(Click for trailer)

One sub genre I researched was religious thriller. The genre often includes details such as ceremonies, objects pertaining to the religion, and themes. It is often seen to have a supernatural being or experience which include exorcisms,possession and religious cover ups. I was a little bit freaked out by this genre. The only type of movie I’m scared of include demons, so i have decided against this sub genre.

 Example of  Psych Thriller
(Click for trailer)

Another sub genre I researched was psychological thrillers. This genre includes some aspects of drama, as well as mystery. The [purpose of these films are to present a mental menace (aka psychological), instead of a physical one. Rather than using physical skills to defeat the antagonist the Protagonist in the film is setup to use his mental acuity to resolve the issue. Throughout high school my favorite subject I have studied thus far has been psychology, I loved it so much that I took college level psychology two years in a row! This sub genre truly intrigues me however, the genre may be difficult to develop within our limited time of only 2 minutes. 

Last but not least, I researched the sub genre of crime thrillers. The plot of these films often revolves around a serial killer, a manhunt, an abduction, or a robbery. The genre is made up of a crime plot that includes the suspense of a thriller. It is also observed to uses both psychological and action to create the suspense that is expected from a thriller. The film often focuses both the the protagonist and the antagonist, unlike the typical crime genres. Out of all of the sub genres I research this one is by far my favorite. This genre mixes psychology, suspense, and serial killers/ criminals… How much more interesting can a film get ? I believe this would be an interesting genre to create.There is a world of possibilities when creating the story line as one has so much to work with!

Example of  Crime Thriller
(Click for trailer)

Example of  Crime Thriller
(Click for trailer)

By the end of class after taking the research into consideration we decide to go with the sub genre of crime thriller. We are so excited to begin developing our story line! Keep a lookout for my next post if you want to find out our story line...Stay tuned !

Citations:

https://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/986-thriller/

Let's talk about genre

If you look back to my previous posts from November and December you will be able to see that I have done some research on genre. I looked at the Drama genre and the Horror genre. From each genre I reported about the genre conventions, production techniques, post production techniques and marketing. Through these research assignments I have been enlightened to what really makes up these genres and if I would be interested in creating a film opening for them. 

In regards to the drama genre… I love it. From Romantic Drama to Dramedy, it is simply one of my favorite genres to watch. I like how the main protagonist is mostly able to create an emotional connection with the audience. As I am a female, i also fit into their target audience, which would be helpful if I were to choose this genre for my film. It is also beneficial that Dramas take place in natural everyday setting as it could be filmed anywhere. The Drama genre is definitely on the top of my list for genre choices for the film opening.

Horror, Horror, Horror. Oh how I have a love hate relationship with your genre! To me the Horror genre is fascinating. Actually, of the most memorable films I’ve watched entitled, The Quiet Place directed by John Krasinsk, is within this genre. There is so much thought that must go into creating a horror film such as: Will your monster be human or supernatural or how will one execute a realistic killing scene. As interesting as the genre maybe, I believe it will be quite challenging to execute the horror genre in only 2 minutes, as in most opening of Horror films start of pretty normal. One challenge would be how to create a realistic looking monster, as our special effects makeup skills are sub par. We need to be realistic in what we can execute the most effectively and unfortunately, I believe that Horror is not the one. 

I wanted to continue exploring my options, so I decided to look into the Thriller genre. The Thriller genre is meant to keep the audience on the edge of their seat, as it revolves around the creation of suspense or anxiety. The story line is often realistic, which make the audience even more frightened because it can happen to them. Thrillers have a protagonist that is faced with a problem that is orchestrated by the antagonist. The antagonist is often hidden and slowly introduced to the audience. In this genre, They show the protagonist is a lot of close up shots, in order to show the emotion they are feeling. While the antagonist in order to continue to hide their identity, is shot with quick shots and indirect shots.Thrillers conventions also consists of low key lighting, quick cuts, shadows, and jump cuts. Music in thrillers is very important to give the scene the suspense necessary. The sound usually starts from slow and it speeds up. The antagonist is often found in darker colors while the protagonist is found in everyday wear.

Some examples of thrillers (click on picture for trailer!):

• Kidnap (2017)

• Bird Box(2018)

• The Purge (2013) 

In my opinion a thriller would be a great option as a genre for our film opening. It derives a little bit from the horror genre which I love, yet the antagonist is more realistic which is easier to execute. I plan on discussing my research with my partner Sofia the next class period I see her. It is essential to decide on a genre as soon as possible to move forward in our project and stay on schedule. Fingers crossed for Thriller! Lets see what she has to say… Stay tuned!

Citations:

https://www.slideshare.net/JasonsA2Media/codes-and-conventions-of-the-thriller-genre

The Time Is Now: Planning!

Finally! It is the time of the year that every AICE Media Studies AS Students has been eagerly waiting for. After almost 3 quarters of learning techniques ranging from shots to editing to the meaning of color, and doing other smaller projects, we are finally able to prove our knowledge on our Portfolio Project. I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't nervous as this project is a big part of whether or not I pass the AICE exam. This project is composed of several parts that require my greatest weakness… good time management skills. However, to overcome my time management challenge, I have decided that creating a set schedule with my partner is essential. 

Below, I will show you what my schedule I have created will ideally look like. This plan for the next 7 weeks is still open to changes, as I must discuss it with my partner Sofia. 

2/25-3/3: 

• Figure out what genre we will represent in our film opening.
• Do research on our chosen genre.(include: common content, character types, production techniques) 
• Create the story line to our film opening. 
• Come up with storyboard/shot list/ script

3/4-3/10

• Find actors and actresses for our film 
• Find locations to shoot our film
• Design costumes/ hair & makeup 
• Focus on: color, time period, and location.
• Begin filming

3/11-3/17:

• Continue research (if necessary)
• Search for no royalty sounds and music
• Finish filming

3/18-3/24

• Create Foley sounds needed 
• Begin editing

3/25-3/31

• Ensure to have all shots needed
• Finish Foley
• Finish finding any no royalty music 
• Finish Editing 
• Begin working on creative critical reflection.

4/1-4/7

• Finish and post CCR
• Post Film opening 
• Finish editing blog 

By creating this schedule, this will allow Sofia and I to be on the same page of what needs to get done each week to successfully complete our portfolio project. This schedule also is helpful in dividing the responsibilities between the two of us since it clearly shows all the responsibilities for that week. As we both have busy schedules, it is vital to have a set plan such as this one to ensure that we are working diligently and to be able to put forth our best work in regards to our film opening. 

Overall, I am extremely excited to see where the journey of creating a film opening will take us! Hopefully you will stay along for the ride. Stay tuned!