Today I made the storyboard for my film opening. Here it is:
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Friday, February 26, 2021
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.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
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)
- 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.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Sunday, February 21, 2021
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".
Lighting
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:
Thursday, February 18, 2021
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:
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
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
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:
- Pony Tail
- Headbands & Scarves Hair Accessories
- Hair Flowers
- Hollywood Pin Up
- French Twist
- Chignon
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:
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