Storyboard (Day 10)

 Today I made the storyboard for my film opening. Here it is:

 

Group Discussion (Day 9)

     Today our class had been divided into groups. They were breakout rooms, so we could have been put up with anyone from the class. I ended up in a breakout room with David, Ella, Aurea, Tanish and Maria. We all individually talked about our projects: our initial plan, genre, blogs, and other things we had to do.

    I really liked listening to their ideas because they are all very different but really well thought out. They gave me advice on editing softwares, and told me how some things would go. One thing we discussed about was the filter I want on my film opening. I am not familiar with editing things like this, but thankfully Maria and David told me some info about it. They indicated that I could use Adobe applications and other alternatives, and also let me know that to achieve this effect I want, I might have to select objects frame by frame. I also asked them whether my opening should have audio or just the music. They told me they think just the music with some sounds would be better than dialogue, which I agree on. Ella sugested that I would make the woman (Marylin) a really calm aspect, like the things she is doing is not a big deal, and that I should play the role; while David suggested that I inserted a scene where Marylin has a psychotic breakout. I enjoy getting different views and comments on my videos, it gives a lot of perspective and options to choose from.  I also really liked how they pointed out they liked certain things on my plan I didn't give much attention to. Listening to their ideas opened my mind to doing other genres for next projects in life. I feel like it's safer to do things like dramas and comedies. 

Story Outline (Day 8)

1. Setting

• Time- The 1950's, no specific year.
• Place/location- My house, kitchen, living room.
• Mood/Atmosphere- Pacific, calm.
• Point of View- Camera accompanies the woman's moves.

2. Characterization: Developing the characters of my story

• Wife (Marylin)

 - Thoughts: Wants to kill husband to live in peace. Feels like the husband gives her unfair treatment and is toxic to her. She needs him out of her life to be happy, to start writing the next chapter of her journey.

- What do others think of this character: Others think she is nice and kind. She is the optimistic neighbor that is always offering help; trustworthy.

- This character's hobbies, jobs: Housewife. She dreams of being able to become a huge writer and businesswoman, but the standards of her time were not matching her expectations. She spends time cleaning the house and making sandwiches for her husband (which she hates). She enjoys writing and sewing.

- What does the author say about this character: Marylin is very complicated; inside she means well, but she has so much remorse and trauma from her childhood events that she has accumulated anger for specific people. She wants to be herself, but feels like nobody will understand her feelings.

- Background story of the character: Marylin has always wanted to be somebody. She would always get told to act nicely and friendly, to not raise her voice, to not speak unless spoken to. This has always kept her from being truly happy. She knew something felt wrong. She would get so many opportunities to be rejected because of her gender role in society. Now, she hides behind a happy face, still trying to figure out how to change her life and actually turn the pages on her book.

• Husband

 - Thoughts: Likes working, uses and cheats on his wife. Abusive, toxic, but works hard. 

- What do others think of this character: A hard working businessman, who is an example for others. Very well respected, and others want to develop a good relationship with him.

- This character's hobbies, jobs: Learning about cars, working on his business, listening to music.

- What does the author say about this character: This character is one of the stereotypes of the men from the fifties; he has the same ideal as one. Standards of sexism and inequality are quite common and normal for him. He is abusive but hey, it's the fifties. He does not think he is doing anything wrong.

- Background story of the character: A guy from a wealthy family; has always been told to achieve his dreams and being ambitious. Has been taught to speak and stand up for himself. He had a happy childhood with married parents.

3. Story

- Since this is only a film opening, I won't have a huge Climax or anything; the small story is supposed to just engage the audience on what the rest of the movie will be about.

- Beginning: 

Marylin washing the dishes while music is playing, doing housewife duties.

-Middle: 

Goes back in time; the music hasn't started yet. Marylin goes to the kitchen, turns on the music, and starts grabbing the dishes she was washing before.

- Rising action: 

Husband opens the door, saying, "Honey, I'm home!" Marylin does not let go of the dishes on her hand.

- Climax: 

Marylin kills husband; there can be seen the blood splattering, and tears on her face.

- Falling action / End: 

 Marylin starts cleaning the mess; taking the body outside, washing the floor, and finally, it goes back to the first scene, where she was washing the dishes. However, this time the camera is pointed towards her in a middle shot. The dishes are all bloody, indicating that that was her instrument for the murder. She is smiling, and the camera starts zooming in the blood.

Character Designing (Day 7)

 Today, as you can see, I will be doing the character design/drawings.

\

Research On Production (Day 6)

 Today I am going to research production for my video. 

This is going to include set preparation, helpful camera settings, important tools, certain editing skills, etc.

Set Preparation

Lighting

 Lighting can have a great impact on the look of a video production. It can make them look professional and polished, as well as amateur and low quality.

- When lighting a face for a video, it is advised that the light is put at a 45 degree angle to a side. A bigger light is also appreciated- it doesn't have to be an extremely powerful one- but the bigger the surface area, the softer and the more even the image will be. 

Sunlight can be really good for filming, however, you should not film with direct light from the sun, because it can give out really harsh shadows.

Having a mix of color temperatures could also be a risky move. When mixing the temperatures, the camera has to choose, and the outcome would be very unnatural.

- However, since I am filming scenes that are more dramatic, I will look for the elements that correspond to the mood and story of my video.

- The harsher the shadows, the scarier a scene or person can look.

-The less contrast in shadows, the more a person will look friendly and non- threatening.

- "Harder light, harder experience"

- You can direct a light to create more or less shadows, like for example when people tell stories in the dark- they put a lantern under their chin to look "scarier".

DIY Lights

These are some videos I watched and can go back to to get references:

Editing

For this project, I want to have really simple editing. The most complex thing I want is to have a black and white filter, but with the exception of the color red. I also want to add music.

The reason I want only one color to show up (red) is that the time frame of my video is in the fifties, and television would only show in black and white. Red can represent anger or passion, and can help foreshadowing my plot by using a red element at the beginning.

Camera:

The camera I will be using is most likely a Canon PowerShot SX420 IS. It is a very simple and affordable camera (that I actually got as a gift!) 

I was exploring the modes that my camera has, and I found out I could use plenty!

Portrait- best for people; blurry background.

FaceSelf-Timer- starts a countdown when detects a face

Low Light- Get a clear shot even in very low conditions

Fish-Eye effect: Shoots with effect of a fish-eye lens

Miniature Effect: Blurs top and bottom for a miniaturized effect

Toy Camera Effect: Darkens image edges to give extensive feel

Monochrome- records in single color tones

Super vivid-shoots images with super vivid colors

Poster effect- shoots images with a posterized effect

Long Shutter- Use longer exposure times for very dark scenes

Sources:

https://wave.video/blog/12-simple-tips-for-making-your-videos-look-more-professional/#:~:text=The%20sun%20is%20one%20of%20the%20best%20light,while%20morning%20and%20evening%20light%20is%20more%20flattering.

https://nofilmschool.com/2017/06/guide-how-use-light-communicate-emotion-film#:~:text=The%20direction%20of%20your%20light%20plays%20a%20role,with%20long%2C%20hard%20shadows%20making%20us%20look%20scary.

https://www.exposureguide.com/camera-modes/#:~:text=Camera%20Modes.%201%20Auto%20Mode.%20Automatic%20Exposure%20is,4%20Landscape%20Mode.%205%20Sports%20Mode.%20More%20items

Research On Fake Blood (Day 5)

 Hi Everyone! Today I have another really fun topic to do research on- making fake blood. I got this suggestion from my teacher (Ms. Stoklosa) because there are certain types of fake blood that create different effects.

Blood Types

Store-Bought blood is cheap and easy. However, it is harder to come off, and can have really bad or irritating ingredients. They also last shorter and actually smell quite terrible.

Scab blood is used for making fake wounds or scratches. It is quite thick also, so a little can go a long way.

Squirt blood is a bit different. It is water-based, so it's easier to remove. It is used to cover large areas, and it is perfect for making a person look like some blood exploded in front of their faces. However, it is not ideal to create actual wounds. Splatter blood is basically the same, and comes in a spray bottle to give it a more spread out effect.

Theatre/stage blood: Used specifically for active performances, so it can also be great for a video! It is safe to use around the mouth, and it doesn't dry.

Coagulated Blood: This one is perfect for deep, thick open wounds. It is very gooey and syrupy, and doesn't drip. 

DIY Blood Recipes:

#1- Edible Fake Blood 

- Red, Blue and Green Food Coloring (Stains!)

- Corn Syrup

#2- Bright Red Splatter Blood

-1/4 cup of water

- 4 drops of red food coloring

- spray bottle

#3- Dark, But Thin Blood For Spraying

- 1/4 cup water

-8 drops of red food coloring

-4 tbsp of corn syrup

2 drops yellow food coloring

1 drop green food coloring

#4- Realistic Thick Blood (Scab Blood)

- 2 tbsp Corn Syrup

- 4 drops od red food coloring

- 1 tsp cocoa mix

#5- Coagulated Blood

- 2 tbsp Corn Syrup

- 1/2 tsp dried onion flakes (to make it clumpy)

- 1/4 tsp water

- 6 drops red food coloring

- 1 tsp cocoa mix

#6- Thick Dripping Blood

- 2 tbsp corn syrup

- 2 drops red food coloring

- 1/4 tsp cocoa mix

SINCE those all have similar ingredients, I will let you guys know when I buy them or whenever I do one of these recipes.

Sources:

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/make-fake-blood-fake-blood-recipes-1105964

https://cosplayandcoffee.com/sfx-basics-different-types-of-fake-blood/#:~:text=SFX%20Basics%3A%20Different%20Types%20of%20Fake%20Blood.%201,Hazards.%20%204%20DIY%20Fake%20Blood%20Recipe.%20

Research On The 1950's (Day 4)

 Hi guys! I'm back again! 

Today I have a very exciting topic to work on, which is nothing more nothing less than the 50's!

I love so many aspects of the 50's! (except for human rights stuff, that's completely different) 

But anyways; here is my research on it!

The Fifties!

     - A little history first

The 1950's was considered the era of conservationism. Eisenhower had become president, which broke the pattern of  Democrat presidents. This marked the offspring of the end of WWII. Soldiers went back home, and birth rates went up dramatically. This was called the "Baby Boom Era". People also started wanting to move out of big cities and go to suburbs, mostly going south. The values were very traditional; women were expected to be housewives, families had to seem perfect, the husband was the bread winner, and talks of things like sex was taboo. It was a time of economic prosperity, where businesses were starting to flourish again and wages increased. 

    - Pop Culture

. Pop Culture from this era was very unique and bold. People listened to a lot of rock songs- including Elvis, Jerry Lee, Pablo Casals, Andre Kostelanetz, Chuck Berry- but other styles like Jazz and Blues were also present.

. Marylin Monroe was one of the most popular sex symbols of the era. She was an American actress, model, and singer. She took part in really famous movies such as "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", where she sang the famous song "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"; as well as being an actress in "The Misfits", "The Seven Year Itch", etc.

. Shows like I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, The $64,000 Question and December Bride were popular.

- Fashion

Now this is a very important topic since I have to incorporate it into my video. Making a historically accurate dress requires some good research.

Women's

The new beauty standard was to have an hourglass shape. Christian Dior in 1947 changed the history of fashion when he introduced a new collection of clothes that offered the opposite of what the 40's had given.                                                                                                                                                                     

The new look of fashion was in flattering, blodly feminine styles. Dress skirts were very full and voluminous; patting on busts was used to increase an hourglass figure and petticoats to provide fullness. You could see those in simple, cotton solid colors to checks and stripes. These were considered to be "house dresses". Women would many times wear it with an apron to keep it clean while doing house chores. They could also leave the house with their house dress, but usually adding a few fancier accessories. These could be pearl necklaces, earrings, high heels, a purse, and even gloves!

Along with the dress, inside the home, women would wear solid color flats or lower heels.

* Since I am only doing scenes indoors, I will most likely utilize only this information. I will add some more info though, just to give readers a full experience.*

Fancy dresses in the 50's were tighter. They could be 2 pieces as well. Some women even had difficulty walking in these, because the skirt would usually by shoulder lengh or lower, which would make their legs really close to each other.

Diamonds also became a thing in the 1950's. They weren't something so expensive and valuable until Hollywood stars started wearing them as a signal of status.

Men's

Men would wear a lot of coats; in occasions like sports, working, etc. In more casual occasions they would wear leather jackets with cotton shirts and even cotton vests.

Hair

 

Women's

Now, let's talk about the hair. The hairstyles of women in the 1950's varied with their hair lengh. However, shorter hair was way more common and represented. Short hair was usually associated with the housewives; Medium for younger girls, and long for Hollywood pin ups. 

Short Hair: 

• The Italian Haircut:
• Soft Bob:
• Bouffant
• Short Bangs
• Pixie Cut
• Poodle Clip / Curly Bob (this is the one seen in the picture)

Medium Hair:

• The Side Part
• Pageboy

Long Hair:

• Pony Tail
• Headbands & Scarves Hair Accessories
• Hair Flowers
• Hollywood Pin Up
• French Twist
• Chignon

- Hair colors were natural; women started to dye they hair, but with only natural-looking dyes. Some also bleached their hair to achieve a blonder look.

 

Men's

Most of men's hairstyles were very sleek and pushed back. They were very fresh looking and used a lot of gel. These are some of the hairstyles:

• Middle Part Slick Back with Pencil Mustache
• Side Part Slick Back
• The Johnny Cash Pomp
• Forward Swept Gelled Hair
• Peter O'Toole Wavy Hair
• Gary Cooper Widow's Peak
• Gelled Hard Part with Contour

Women's Makeup

Makeup was influenced by Hollywood stars such as Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. The classic makeup trend would be to emphasize the eyes by using eyeliner and mascara, while maintaining a natural look. The eyeliner could be subtle or even a cat eye look. Eyeshadows varied between tones of blue, green, purple and rouge. The eyebrows were quite bold, strong and arched. This look could be achieved by using a brow pencil. The color rouge was also very popular, they could add a healthy aspect to pale faces. Lipstick was usually consumed in brighter colors like pinks, corals or reds. An oval face was considered the beauty pattern, and many women would contour their faces with a brown-ish pigment to create that illusion.

Sources:

https://www.rebelsmarket.com/blog/posts/men-s-50s-fashion-what-did-men-wear-in-the-1950s.html

https://menhairstylist.com/1950s-hairstyles/#:~:text=%2030%201950s%20Hairstyles%20for%20Men%20to%20Look,middle%20part%2C%20it%E2%80%99s%20time%20for%20the...%20More

https://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/womens-1950s-makeup/

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-hairstyles/

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-fashion-women-get-look/

https://fiftiesweb.com/fashion/1950s-fashion/

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-fashion-history/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950s

Research On Psychological Thrillers (Day 3)

 So I was thinking about my idea and my genre and I have noticed that my genre doesn't really illustrate or accompanies my story really well. I think what would fit my idea best would be the genre of psychological thrillers.

Psychological thrillers are really interesting and mysterious. They give the audience a feel of excitement, surprise and suspense. Many people have watched some pieces with this genre, but don't really know what elements are necessary to make it. Directors such as Sir Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, and actors Anthony Hopkins, Leonardo DiCaprio  and Nicole Kidman are familiar with working in the genre.

But what is exactly a psychological thriller?

Psychological thrillers are movies and books that usually deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting

- The main character, or narrator, is usually unreliable. the story is told from someone that is psychologically stressed, and this lets them to share their distorted reality and perceptions with the public. An example of this is the character James from The End of The F***ing World

 

- Psychological Thrillers emphasize the mental state of their characters; their perceptions, thoughts, distortions, and general struggle grasp reality.

- They focus on mostly the story and character development, moral conflicts and choices to be made. The psychological stress on the characters usually lead them to take unpredictable choices. This can be seen in the 2019 movie "The Joker" , where Arthur Fleck starts out as an innocent person that is treated poorly all the way to become an insane killer.

                        This video is great to demonstrate how character development in this genre can go.

- They explore the uncertainty of the character's true motives and intentions, as well as their point of view in life.

- Many times these types of movies will share a certain type of information to the audience that makes them want to share it to one of the characters, creating anguish.

- On the story, there is usually a plot twist- like the movies Psycho and The Skeleton Key

- MacGuffin is a thing or goal that starts or advances the plot; it is used to increase suspense.

- Red herrings can also be used to mislead the audience's attention and make them take false assumptions about certain situations or characters.

Production Techniques

- Lighting- usually, in this type of genre, the lighting is mostly low to intensify fear and tension. The lighting is everything! It can create a much more dramatic feel to a scene or image. 

                            Notice how the lighting is on top of Joker's face, accentuating his emotions.

                             

- Sudden changes in camera angles and shots also are used, helping to create chaos and suspense.

- Camera shots such as POV, tracking shots and Dolly Zoom are great for this genre.

- The music used for these films consist mostly of eerie or high tension songs, or even old, creepy calm songs.

- Colors- the colors are usually not super bright; some movies can be in just black and white even. Cool tones often help with creating an empty feeling or a negative connotation. I am using imagery from "The Joker" once again to illustrate what I am saying because it is perfect for these examples:

 

                   Notice how the lights are quite green toned. Since green is a cold color, it emphasizes feelings of                                                                                             discomfort and darkness, night. 

- Small or crowded places are also good for creating a negative feel to a scene, making the audience feel claustrophobic, like for example in "Psycho", when the murder scene happens inside the shower.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_thriller

https://thrillerstudies.blogspot.com/2012/03/conventions-of-psychological-thriller.html

https://chasemediaproductions.blogspot.com/2017/04/characteristics-of-psychological.html#:~:text=Psychological%20Thriller%20Characteristics%20The%20%22thriller%22%20is%20a%20broad,heightened%20feelings%20of%20surprise%2C%20suspense%2C%20excitement%20and%20anxiety.

https://titles13group33.blogspot.com/2013/01/key-characteristics-of-thrillers.html 

Conclusions

To emphasize the feeling of thrillers and make my piece fit the genre, I should follow some of these techniques.

What's Next?

Since I have to do three more posts about research in week two, I (think) I will do the following:

- Research on the fifties (architecture, dresscodes, hairstyles, vocabulary, pop culture, etc).

- Research on fake blood (how to make it, specific types, what fits the best)

- Research on camera setting, how to get good definition, editing skills, lighting on set, etc.

Planning (Day 2)

 Happy Valentines Day!

As you might now, on the last post I have done, I was brainstorming questions that I felt were important to think of in advance.

After answering the questions, I have a clearer image on my head of what I want.

I have taken a final decision, and I want to do a MYSTERY/THRILL piece, a mixture of the things I was looking for.

I got inspired suddenly today and I came up with an idea for the plot

Idea #1

It's the fifties. A woman is cleaning the house and when her husband gets there, she kills him.

The setting will be the kitchen. The shots are all black and white, but the only color that is detected is red. There is a song playing, it sounds like a vinyl. (could preferably be the 1945 song Ït's been a long, long time, but I haven't figured out how its copyright works). The first scenes would be of the housewife doing the dishes. There will be close shots of the water running from the sink, establishing shots showing the kitchen, mid shots of the woman's face and long shots. The story then goes back in time a little bit, and shows a tracking shot of the woman putting the music from before on. She starts gathering the same dishes she was washing. Suddenly,  her husband opens the door and says "Honey, I'm home!" on a high angle or over-the-shoulder shot. A wide shot showing only their feet is when the interaction happens. The housewife kills the man, and it is very audible to the audience. His body falls down and all you can see is the blood starting to run, with the bright red showing. The same type of establishing shot in the kitchen happens again, showing the woman grabbing a bag, putting him in it, and cleaning the blood by using fade transitions in between. The video then cuts back to the beginning shot, where she was washing the dishes. The shot goes closer to the woman to actually show to the audience what is in the dishes, and it's her cleaning the blood out. The video then closes with that retro, circle frame closing.

I know this is a quite specific idea, and even though I might not be able to do all of it, I can still use the plot.

How am I going to do this?

Even though I have not gone way further into this, I know I can use my kitchen for the setting, and buy vintage attire from thrift stores. The price for outfits will be very low still. I can borrow a friend's vinyl, and I already have fake blood.

I need to study more about public domain to know if I can use the song I want. Otherwise, I can find another one. 

Thankfully, I happen to have a decent camera and a tripod.

I know my idea can seem ambitious with the details, but the general plot is quite simple and easy to make; there are only two people needed, no outfit changes, and the settings are all in my own house.

I want to learn further about culture and fashion from that era (1950's) so I don't make any big mistakes. 

Works that inspired me:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

(the part of this that inspired me was the passive-aggressive feel)

I Love Lucy

(the outfits and the era were a source of inspiration)

This is it for today. I will let you guys know when I start further research. I'm really moving forward with this project!

Starting Out (Day 1- Film Opening)

 To think about an idea for a film opening is actually quite hard.

But I know I will make it work.

Since my film opening has to be fiction, I know I am open to a lot of sub genres:

- Mystery

- Realistic Fiction 

- Historical Fiction

- Fantasy

- Science Fiction

-Horror

-Fiction-Action

and many others....

Questions to consider:

- Which is the most enjoyable? 

      The genres I am most used to or find to be more interesting are horror, mystery, and fantasy.

- Which area would I be most dominant at? 

     I consume a lot of horror content, so I am assuming I would be better at that.

-Which has an average budget that fits my own better (lowest possible)?

     This is a very general question, because you can always make something with a lower budget. However, I do not think that Science Fiction, Fantasy or anything historical would be suitable for a low budget. Maybe horror or mystery could be good, because there are no barriers such as costumes and setting, unlike the ones that were listed (historical would require costumes and a specific setting, fantasy could require a lot of editing skills). I need a genre that is more malleable. 

-Which has the most interesting, eye-catching openings?

        The genres that have the most interesting film openings are in between horror and mystery.

-Which have strong opening characteristics?

       Horror has the strongest characteristics because you can usually see a pattern of how things happen and what will happen next; many times becomes a cliché.

- What are my resources (people)? 

I can ask colleagues in my class period to help with the production, meanwhile I can have my personal friends or even family to be actors in the film opening.

- What settings can I have access to?

My house, my backyard, a friend's pool, public parks, etc.

- What are my strong points?

 My strong points are that I am quite resourceful and I can make a lot out of little. I am creative, and great with artistic skills (painting, drawing for storyboarding, makeup) and I can also sew! I have a camera and a tripod, and knowing y perfectionist self I will probably repeat shot after shot until I think they are perfect.

-What are my weaknesses?

Because I am a bit of a perfectionist (i know, annoying), I am aware that I can stress out about others being on command. I am not bossy though, but I get frustrated easily when things don't turn out the way I imagined them to. Technically speaking though, I am not super advanced in editing. I only have basic skills, but they are enough, and I can always learn more. I also am worried about time management in general, even with actors coming for shooting scenes.

Tasks/Homework to do:

- Watch film openings of genres I am thinking about doing;

- Choose a specific genre;

- Research needed skills and resources;

-Discuss different ideas;

- Take notes when noticing patterns;

- Do research on websites about topics.

Overall, I am really considering doing either mystery or horror.

Sources that inspired my writing (but no big research involved yet):

Write By The Sea: https://www.writebythesea.com/5-ways-to-start-mystery-novel/

Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_horror_movies/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-budget_film

Wave.Video: https://wave.video/blog/12-simple-tips-for-making-your-videos-look-more-professional/#:~:text=Shaky%20footage%20will%20make%20any%20professional%20video%20look,or%20set%20your%20camera%20on%20a%20sturdy%20surface.

Music Marketing Project Blog Post #2

 This project has truly been a rollercoaster. It was quite challenging, and me and our group tried to collaborate as best as we could to get satisfactory results. We were given a genre to work with, and four song choices. We had to do a research chart, storyboard, music video, PowerPoint and even social media accounts. 

  It all started with the research chart. We had to choose two music video companies, present information about them, along with examples of artists featured and two case studies of selected artists for each. We had chosen at that point in time that we would do Columbia Records and Republic Records. For Columbia Records, we discussed on Beyoncé's and Harry Styles' career choices to amplify marketing and consumption. For Republic Records, we wrote about Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. This assignment was extremely important for the foundation of our new persona, because it listed ideas for marketing and distribution techniques that ended up inspiring us. 

   We then had to create our artist, in another words, our whole brand. We had to introduce them as someone new to the industry, and, as assigned to us, work around the pop genre. Our pop song choice from the four options was the song "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5. We analized the story that was being told in the lyrics, and began thinking of what type of person would sing it. We had decided that Jax Dailey would be the name of this new star, he would be kind and passionate, and overall a very generous and innocent person. In this music video, he would be telling the viewers about a past experience he had with an ex girlfriend.

   The storyboard was quite hard to make. We had to make a great video, but try to follow social distancing guidelines as much as possible. This obviously would make things way more challenging, and even sacrifice potential ideas and quality. The original music video by Maroon 5 was about a guy that was friends with a girl that kept going on and off of toxic relationships. He would always accommodate her and help her, but what she didn't know was that he liked her. We decided to change the perspective of the song's narrator to instead be an insane, intense ex girlfriend. This was a creative choice and gave the song a fresh start. Ella was the one who insisted on making a storyboard as she got inspired by our idea. She thought of shots that would help create the feeling of a certain scene while she was socially distanced to the actors.

    The music video was filmed afterwards, and it included all of us; Mel (me), Larissa and David- but Ella, because she agreed to be the cameraman. I would be the ex girlfriend; Larissa was the new girlfriend, and David was the boyfriend. We headed to a setting that was accessible and potentially fitting for the aesthetic on the story. We even thought of color psychology in our outfits, for example, having me wear three different outfits; a black one to show sketchiness, a red one for anger, and a green one for envy. On vista park we filmed lots of scenes of actors angry in their cars, couples and even David getting out of a workout. We tried to make the scenes look their best, even though being far from one another could harm the camera's quality.

  After the music video was filmed, we had to edit it. David was in charge of that since the rest of us weren't exactly the best at this. On one of our meetings during class, he shared his screen so that we could see what was happening and what he was doing. It was nice for him to share it because we could get to see "behind the scenes". I also learned a little bit from what he was doing.

  For the PowerPoint, we decided to include social media for the artist, along with a logo and some merchandise. I took care of this part. I thought of a logo that reflected on "Jax Dailey" 's persona. I did a heart with some hand extending towards each other. I went on a business website to make actual merchandise drafts of hoodies, bucket hats and even stickers and phone cases of that logo (something fun about it is that we can order one of these products as a memory of our project). For the social media, I used Instagram, since its the most popular. I created an actual account with actual posts, but I had to photoshop the followers and likes. I thought that since the artist was new, he shouldn't have too many followers right away. I gave him 256 thousand followers, which is a standard number for smaller, indie artists. We talked about the whole project on the PowerPoint as well, and embedded the video.

   The presentation is something I can't comment too much on, because unfortunately I had a doctor's appointment at the time. However, I was first assigned to do slides 4-6, talking about the community, Instagram, and marketing on the artist's posts. 

    In this project, I learned a lot about brainstorming and creating new ideas. I understood how group collaboration works and how organization is extremely helpful. I did a lot of effort, which also taught me that these types of projects are never easy and that I should always work hard to become fully proud and satisfied with my work. I think the lessons I have learned will affect the next projects I do, and this will affect my Cambridge Portfolio for the better. Although it was a very hard and stressful journey, I am now better at this than before, so I 100% think it was worth it.