Socializing is an extremely important activity for everybody and the sake of their mental and emotional health. While it's tough for everybody to quarantine themselves and confine themselves to their four walls, with nobody but family for weeks on end, this is especially difficult for those who need routine and consistent socializing to help take care of the mental health that they already need extra help to take care of. I am one of these people, since I have ADHD among the common comorbodities that come alongside ADHD, this has been especially difficult. Nothing beats proper socializing, which is speaking with people you enjoy spending time with face to face in person, however of course this is not plausible with the extreme importance of social distancing to try and stop the spread of this pandemic as quickly as possible and to make it easier for our healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to treat patients with the virus, and coming up with a cure or some sort of vaccination for COVID-19.
This said, I don't know where my headspace would be during this quarantine if it weren't for media. Like I mentioned, nothing beats proper socializing but in times like this, the media and it's different forms are the next best thing. The most obvious form being social media, especially the most popular platforms right now which are Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok. Through these platforms we can empathize with each other, because we are all collectively going through the exact same thing right now. It also gives us a way to communicate with friends in fun ways. We can start new hobbies and share them with people in a way that promotes this chain of creativity for when there's not much else to do. TikTok is especially good for this, with people creating new dances to different songs for people to learn this gets us to be active in a fun away. I also love to follow the artists who promote their art on TikTok, who also create their own challenges and as an artist it has fueled my creativity so much considering I can't draw much inspiration from the physical world right now. I have also been teaching myself how to play the guitar through YouTube videos, and what better time than right now to keep learning! People are using this time to make YouTube channels and TikTok content now that they have the time and enough boredom to begin a new project they may have been too hesitant to do before. As for Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat they are also wonderful sites to keep in contact with your friends and even to make new ones! People all over the world are advertising making quarantine group chats to meet new people to talk to, which is a fantastic way to further understand different cultures and lives, and will really help develop empathy for another during these trying times. They have been especially useful in finding out what's going on in the world right now, things I may not have even heard about.
Another incredibly useful form of media, though not much to do with socializing, are streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and Amazon. Personally, I've been watching a lot of Disney+ and Netflix. Netflix has especially been wonderful for some social connection because of a feature they have on Google Chrome, Netflix Party Google Chrome Extension. Once downloaded among all that you would Netflix Party with, you can pick a movie, share the link, and watch whatever was picked together. It includes helpful features , like when one person pauses the movie, it pauses for everybody else, same with playing, rewinding or fast forwarding. There is also a chatbox, so everyone can text throughout the viewing without having to pause or reach for their phones and can pay attention to the content. I have been using this a lot with my friends and girlfriend, it makes for an interesting movie viewing "hangout" or "date" and can be a lot of fun. I don't believe any other streaming service provides such an option, however I have also recently discovered an app called Rave. Rave allows you to do the exact same thing as the Netflix Party extension, not only with Netflix but with YouTube and music streaming services too.
Finally, last but certainly not least (it is in fact one of the more important points to cover here) is the fact that most of our educational experience requires online sources. Out of all eight of my classes, only two have never relied on online sources to complete assignments, projects, or homework. While in the rest of them it is usually a combination of online and old fashioned pen-and-paper learning, they all rely on online heavily. I have been doing online learning within my classes since the fifth grade, which was the first year the education system really started integrating technology in the classroom. Without years of using these resources, we may not have been properly equipped to transfer from a classroom setting to an online setting nearly as easily. Let alone lack of media at all, then we wouldn't be able to whatsoever. Using resources such as Canvas, Google Drive and all of its sub-features (Google Docs, Slides, e.t.c), Zoom, Microsoft Teams, e.t.c. have aided in making this as smooth a transition as possible. Though there are currently some complications, mainly with Canvas as it is currently overwhelmed and doesn't have enough servers to function for all the students trying to log in at the same time, once it does work it's easy to navigate since I have been using it since the very beginning of high school. The positives outweigh the negatives to online learning by a lot. The only negatives being lack of socializing and having a more delayed response to any questions about a particular lesson, since we have to use email. The positives though, is that unless there is a scheduled Zoom or Microsoft Teams conference for a specific time and date, completing the lessons and assignments are much easier to do and more convenient for a flexible schedule.
Overall, media while in quarantine has been vital to keep me level-headed and has given me as much of a structured day as being in quarantine will allow me to. After a while I'll admit it gets boring mindlessly scrolling through social media, and rotating between the same three apps, but balancing my media consumption healthily with other activities such as chores, taking walks in non- crowded places for some fresh air, making art, reading books, e.t.c. has helped me keep busy with and without media. Though it needs to be a healthy balance, I'm finding the media use needs to be there especially now as it is my only connection to the outside world and form of communication with those outside of my house.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Rescheduling Filming
Many of my posts during this time will have much to do with quarantine, since it is a major obstacle in how I plan to go about finishing this project. Just as of recently, Sun Sentinel posted an article on the 27th discussing the new quarantine policy for Broward County which is that violators could be arrested and jailed for 60 days or fined $500. This is going to be a major issue for filming, mainly in having my main actress being able to return for the final shots. As of right now, I do not have a solid schedule for how the rest of my filming will go, I will first need to communicate with Morgan with what works for the both of us and what doesn't. As of next week, I will be working on the construction of the radio prop, including vlogs, and will start uploading and editing the footage I already have to make the rest easier.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
My DIY Radio Prop: pictures, materials, steps
How to make a realistic cardboard radio
 |
| Example of the end result |
Materials:
- Pieces of cardboard box in the common size of three A4 sheets
- Paint
- Contact paper
- 10 tooth picks
- 2 caps of soda bottles
- Hot glue
Step 1) Cut and assembling the parts.
Print the pictures of the cut, paste on cardboard, and cut out the parts. Then, make three segments, a quad a cut to more frontal part without the holes of the speaker and the buttons and a rectangle to be bent and glued around the skeleton of the radio. After, place the "speaker" in front of a circle with tooth picks.
Step 2) Pasting the contact paper
Cut contact with drawings on it (I will just replace the contact with paint.) Use bottle caps as buttons and dials, and secure them with hot glue.
Step 3 is about the electronic circuiting, which I will not be doing this.
citation: Instructables. “Recycled Cardboard Radio.” Instructables, Instructables, 3 Nov. 2017, www.instructables.com/id/Recycled-Cardboard-Radio/.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Legalities of Using "Alexa", an Amazon Product
As per my last posting, I mentioned that finding a radio will be a difficult prop considering the limited areas surrounding me selling anything similar to what I need, and the fact that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I cannot leave my home to shop for anything non-essential. That said, I did some research on using any Amazon product within a production, specifically their product "Alexa". What I found leads me to believe that it is best to stray from using this product from my film opening, both for legal and artistic direction reasons. When I went into Amazon's website, and on the Help: Conditions of Use page, it doesn't say much except for within the copyright section in which it states: "All content included in or made available through any Amazon Service, such as text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, digital downloads, data compilations, and software is the property of Amazon or its content suppliers and protected by United States and international copyright laws. The compilation of all content included in or made available through any Amazon Service is the exclusive property of Amazon and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws."
With the most obvious point in mind, Alexa is an Amazon product and since it would be seen right in the beginning of the opening, it would be under the images portion of the copyright law. Not only this, but when brainstorming how I want those first few scenes to pop up, an Alexa device just doesn't fit artistically the way I envision it. As for the sound part, anything that is asked of Alexa she repeats back to you, which would have to be heard in the film opening, making it under the audio portion of the copyright law.
With the most obvious point in mind, Alexa is an Amazon product and since it would be seen right in the beginning of the opening, it would be under the images portion of the copyright law. Not only this, but when brainstorming how I want those first few scenes to pop up, an Alexa device just doesn't fit artistically the way I envision it. As for the sound part, anything that is asked of Alexa she repeats back to you, which would have to be heard in the film opening, making it under the audio portion of the copyright law.
After researching this, I came to the conclusion that it's best to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to the legal portion of this piece and decided not to use Alexa. However, artistically I don't agree with that statement at all. That is why since I won't be able to purchase an old radio of any sort, I am going to gather a bunch of cardboard, a carving knife, look up pictures of what I want it to look like as well as watching tutorials and looking up pictorials on how to make one, and then I will finally paint it, all of which I will be documenting on a vlog and posting within the following week. I have plenty of time to do so now that I am under self quarantine. It'll be my first time ever doing anything of the sort but it is ultimately the best option, and risks are important to take within art. It will also help show just how dedicated I am to taking this project seriously. Therefore, I will be attaching a tutorial and/or pictorial in my next posting with the supplies list I need and the steps.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
More COVID-19 Updates!!
Hello, things are proving to be quite difficult and a little stressful as time goes on and I am unable to get as much done as the day before due to constant new strict quarantine rules. As you know, finding props was difficult to do and is now even more so, I mentioned that I will be taking a modern alternative route. My idea for that so far is to use my Alexa. I will be doing research on the legalities of that, which i will be including in my upcoming posts. If that is not possible I will just use a phone playing music instead. In regards to the outdoor filming, that is going to be taken out and replaced with some more indoor scenes, and I have some ideas for that, those scenes will be replaced by the flashback idea I had and allows for more time to do so within my time frame. For now, going outside in public is just too risky a position to put myself or my cast in. I deeply apologize for the lack of quality within my most recent postings, this week has been extremely disorienting with all of the COVID-19 information, news and need to start nationally socially isolating. My next week’s postings will be back to their normal standard of care and quality I usually do my best to maintain.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Editing Techniques Part 2
How will I utilize these techniques?
Cutting is most definitely inevitable within this piece. It is a part of the majority of films and other productions out there. So are rolls, especially so in my own film opening because I have to provide the opening credits As for the rest, I have already come up with many ways I could use them in my film opening. For example, as soon as I saw the term J cut, I knew that would be used in the very beginning. The screen would be black for about five seconds as a song is playing in the background, and the title appears, showing the subject of the sound after it had been playing for a little while. Jump cuts can be beneficial for shortening the time so that I can fit it within the time frame. The montage editing technique suits the first thirty seconds of what I have already filmed to convey a message and emotion immediately from the start, so even though all I will be producing of my story is the first two minutes of it, the audience can already develop an understanding of the kind of outcome this film will have, as well as the underlying message of it.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Editing Techniques Part 1
Since I have filmed half of the production opening already, and will soon begin editing, I figured it was highly important to do some extra research on editing techniques, and explore my options. To begin with, I am going to go over every term. Then, I will discuss how I can utilize each technique within my piece, how it works and how it may not work.
Cut - A transition where one shot is immediately followed by another. This is a commonly used technique within film editing in general
Continuity Editing - Visual editing where shots are cut together in a clear and linear flow of uninterrupted action. This editing technique serves to maintain a continuous line of time and space.
Continuity Error - When the actions or elements of a scene don't match across shots.
Cross Cutting - Used to give the illusion that two storylines are happening at the same time by rapidly cutting back and forth between them.
Cutaway - The interruption of a continuously filmed action that is related to said action.
Dissolve - When the end of one shot overlaps the start of the next one to create a gradual scene transition.
Eyeline Match - A technique that lets the audience know what a character is looking at by utilizing a closer shot of their eyes looking at something, and then cutting to whatever it is they are looking at.
Fade - A visual effect used to indicate a change in time and place.
Iris - Not usually used in cinema anymore, though extremely popular during the silent era, a wipe that is a growing or shrinking circle depending on whether the film is opening or closing.
J Cut - An editing technique that first allows the audience to hear the sound from a shot, and then see it shortly after.
Jump Cut - An abrupt cut that creates a lack of continuity between shots by leaving out parts of the action.
ex: In the Mood for Love (2000)
L Cut - An editing changeover between one shot and another in film, where the visual and audio shift at different times.
Matched Cut - A cut joining two shots with matching compositional elements. This helps to create strong continuity of action.
ex: A Space Odyssey (2001)
Montage - A sequence of shots assembled in juxtaposition of one another, to create an emotional impact, condense a story, or convey and idea.
ex: Psycho (1960)
Roll - Graphics or text that move up and down the screen, typically used for opening or ending credits.
Rough Cut - The first editing pass done for a film. Usually is polished up for final takes.
Shot Reverse Shot - The alternating of a series of over-the-shoulder shots, used to convey a conversation taking place to capture who is saying what, and their reactions.
Cut - A transition where one shot is immediately followed by another. This is a commonly used technique within film editing in general
Continuity Editing - Visual editing where shots are cut together in a clear and linear flow of uninterrupted action. This editing technique serves to maintain a continuous line of time and space.
Continuity Error - When the actions or elements of a scene don't match across shots.
Cross Cutting - Used to give the illusion that two storylines are happening at the same time by rapidly cutting back and forth between them.
Cutaway - The interruption of a continuously filmed action that is related to said action.
Dissolve - When the end of one shot overlaps the start of the next one to create a gradual scene transition.
Eyeline Match - A technique that lets the audience know what a character is looking at by utilizing a closer shot of their eyes looking at something, and then cutting to whatever it is they are looking at.
Fade - A visual effect used to indicate a change in time and place.
Iris - Not usually used in cinema anymore, though extremely popular during the silent era, a wipe that is a growing or shrinking circle depending on whether the film is opening or closing.
J Cut - An editing technique that first allows the audience to hear the sound from a shot, and then see it shortly after.
Jump Cut - An abrupt cut that creates a lack of continuity between shots by leaving out parts of the action.
ex: In the Mood for Love (2000)
L Cut - An editing changeover between one shot and another in film, where the visual and audio shift at different times.
Matched Cut - A cut joining two shots with matching compositional elements. This helps to create strong continuity of action.
ex: A Space Odyssey (2001)
Montage - A sequence of shots assembled in juxtaposition of one another, to create an emotional impact, condense a story, or convey and idea.
ex: Psycho (1960)
Roll - Graphics or text that move up and down the screen, typically used for opening or ending credits.
Rough Cut - The first editing pass done for a film. Usually is polished up for final takes.
Shot Reverse Shot - The alternating of a series of over-the-shoulder shots, used to convey a conversation taking place to capture who is saying what, and their reactions.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Filming updates
Hello, this week has been extremely hectic and a little bit confusing due to one really big factor that is most definitely messing up my ability to follow the schedule I had planned to follow and have shown on previous blog postings. Quarantine and practicing social isolation, as well as many places shutting down due to COVID-19, this is making scheduling and filming pretty difficult. Though I am pretty prepared, considering this film opening doesn't need many actors, and the majority of filming is taking place within my own home, finding somewhere public, outdoors, and not crowded, will prove to be a challenge.
To start off with, going back to my challenge of finding an essential prop will be an even greater challenge, as non-essential stores places are being ordered to shut down across Broward County. So I am planning to replace it with a more modern piece of technology that I already own. Another part that was essential was the printing of newspaper articles regarding the issue presented within my own piece, which will also prove to be difficult. This time, not difficult to find but difficult to print out. My home printer is currently broken, and the only way I was able to print them out was through my dad's office printer, which is currently very restricted for workers such as my dad now with the strict social policies being implemented surrounding this pandemic. I will try to ask my dad when it's his turn to return to the office to print some out for me, or ask for the printer to be fixed considering the time we have during this quarantine.
With this in mind, I will be coming up with new ways to replace the things I will unfortunately have to cut out or modify quite a bit. However, I am halfway done with filming anyways, and will soon start editing after I've planned how the rest of my filming will go. For right now, this posting is about the changes that will officially will have to be made to my project. Stay tuned for my next postings introducing my new ideas and ruling out which ones don't work.
To start off with, going back to my challenge of finding an essential prop will be an even greater challenge, as non-essential stores places are being ordered to shut down across Broward County. So I am planning to replace it with a more modern piece of technology that I already own. Another part that was essential was the printing of newspaper articles regarding the issue presented within my own piece, which will also prove to be difficult. This time, not difficult to find but difficult to print out. My home printer is currently broken, and the only way I was able to print them out was through my dad's office printer, which is currently very restricted for workers such as my dad now with the strict social policies being implemented surrounding this pandemic. I will try to ask my dad when it's his turn to return to the office to print some out for me, or ask for the printer to be fixed considering the time we have during this quarantine.
With this in mind, I will be coming up with new ways to replace the things I will unfortunately have to cut out or modify quite a bit. However, I am halfway done with filming anyways, and will soon start editing after I've planned how the rest of my filming will go. For right now, this posting is about the changes that will officially will have to be made to my project. Stay tuned for my next postings introducing my new ideas and ruling out which ones don't work.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Costume and Makeup Design in Action
In my last posting I showed the ideas that inspired the makeup and costume I had in mind for my film and these are the results! Morgan, the actress for my main character, Maya Palmer, who are both 19 years old, was able to bring a perfect set of costumes. I provided jewelry and makeup.
The outfit consisted of a white t-shirt, a loose denim jacket
thrown on top, a pair of baggy denim jeans, and black boots.
For jewelry, we decided on a low hanging lapis lazuli necklace, and a pair of 60's-70's inspired leopard print geometric earrings.
For makeup, I decided to do something more natural that accentuated her eyes, lips and the high points of her face. *Disclaimer - I will be mentioning products I used, none of which are sponsored.* On her eyes, I used a couple of different eyeshadow shades from the Morphe 350 palette, Fenty Beauty's Diamond Bomb: How Many Carats?!, Clinique kohl eyeliner pencil in the shade intense black. On her nose and cheekbones I used Clinique chubby stick sculpting highlighter, and finally on her lips a simple clear lipgloss with Rimmel London's Oh My Gloss!
1) I began with using this light brown shade as a base for blending the colors together smoothly, mainly focusing it in the crease with a small blending brush.
3) Lastly for the eyeshadow part, I used this shimmery golden shade and swept it across the lid to contrast the deep crease, further helping the illusion of wide, big, awake eyes.
4) I topped off the eye look by doing a blurred out line of the Clinique kohl liner right by the lash line, with a blended out wing for wider eyes, and then lining her lower waterline with the same liner. Then, I added a little bit of the Fenty Beauty glitter product lightly to her inner corners of her eyes for an extra pop.
The outfit consisted of a white t-shirt, a loose denim jacket
thrown on top, a pair of baggy denim jeans, and black boots.
For jewelry, we decided on a low hanging lapis lazuli necklace, and a pair of 60's-70's inspired leopard print geometric earrings.
For makeup, I decided to do something more natural that accentuated her eyes, lips and the high points of her face. *Disclaimer - I will be mentioning products I used, none of which are sponsored.* On her eyes, I used a couple of different eyeshadow shades from the Morphe 350 palette, Fenty Beauty's Diamond Bomb: How Many Carats?!, Clinique kohl eyeliner pencil in the shade intense black. On her nose and cheekbones I used Clinique chubby stick sculpting highlighter, and finally on her lips a simple clear lipgloss with Rimmel London's Oh My Gloss!
Steps for the eyeshadow look:
1) I began with using this light brown shade as a base for blending the colors together smoothly, mainly focusing it in the crease with a small blending brush.
2) Then, I took this rusty, deep brown shade with a smaller precision brush and focused on only the crease, to deepen the shade and give the illusion of bigger and deeper eyes, barely blending it to keep the deepened look.
3) Lastly for the eyeshadow part, I used this shimmery golden shade and swept it across the lid to contrast the deep crease, further helping the illusion of wide, big, awake eyes.
4) I topped off the eye look by doing a blurred out line of the Clinique kohl liner right by the lash line, with a blended out wing for wider eyes, and then lining her lower waterline with the same liner. Then, I added a little bit of the Fenty Beauty glitter product lightly to her inner corners of her eyes for an extra pop.
Friday, March 13, 2020
Props, Costumes, Makeup Inspiration and More!
I have officially started filming! So I had to come up with some inspiration, again using Mural for my inspirations, and in my next blog posting I will show the results of this inspiration come to life. To start, I made one for the clothing, jewelry and makeup that goes into the character's personality. Though it is a retro, seventies kind of look, it is not taking place in the past. It is taking place in modern times. The purpose of having this as important is to develop the personality of the character, her likes and interests. It puts a face to the issue I am presenting through my production, forces people to humanize Black transgender women by putting my character in a setting of getting ready into her favorite clothes, surrounded by her personal items.As for the radio that is an important prop for the very beginning, the radio in mind is one that is hard to obtain and so I will change that either by eradicating it entirely or by another plan, I was thinking of a phone however that is a little more difficult to do, but it can be worked around. And as for the remainder of my filming process, there isn't much left to do. My schedule though will be completely turned around, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school being canceled, many places being shut down, and the encouragement to self quarantine/ practice as much social distancing and isolation as possible, filming dates will be extremely altered. Once done, the editing part and the rest of the blogging process, as well as my creative reflection, will run much more smoothly.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Target Audience and Production Distribution
Throughout my blog postings, I have thoroughly discussed representation, the conventions of representation within the drama genre, and how I am challenging those conventions based on the research I have presented. Now, establishing the target audience of my production is important in order to further research what platforms are best for their outreach. The representational aspect is most vital, as young Black transgender women hardly ever see themselves on TV, and if they do it's rare that the representation is good representation. However, these women and girls won't be able to see it if I don't cater to a more general target audience on popular platforms within said audience. For age range, my target audience would be heavily focused on Gen Z with some focus on Millenials. Though this is the target audience at a more general level than race and gender identity (and I will be doing research solely on platforms that cater to this target audience) I am hoping that a wide variety of people can see my piece, especially people who weren't aware of this epidemic of violence against these women, or people who have views that contribute to overall violence and hatred. I want people to see them humanized and in an intimate light, one that leaves them understanding that at the end of the day people are people and despite their differences to them that doesn't mean that they are any less deserving of safety, happiness, and basic human rights.
Regarding how these productions are viewed, it is obvious that watching cable television is becoming less and less popular with newer generations in the consumption and viewing of various forms of media, films and TV shows especially. It's all about streaming, streaming, streaming! Instant gratification leaves us all impatient the minute an ad plays because we want the content we asked for right then and there. This applies for all media, not just film. People are willing to pay for premium memberships such as Spotify and Apple Music for endless skips, free access to any song without needing WiFi, and no advertisements, and within film people are subscribing to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. Of course, it is also obvious that for upcoming amateur film makers and producers, these are not attainable goals for a very first production to get out there. So what are some ways to get your work out there on popular platforms that are still realistic?
Regarding how these productions are viewed, it is obvious that watching cable television is becoming less and less popular with newer generations in the consumption and viewing of various forms of media, films and TV shows especially. It's all about streaming, streaming, streaming! Instant gratification leaves us all impatient the minute an ad plays because we want the content we asked for right then and there. This applies for all media, not just film. People are willing to pay for premium memberships such as Spotify and Apple Music for endless skips, free access to any song without needing WiFi, and no advertisements, and within film people are subscribing to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. Of course, it is also obvious that for upcoming amateur film makers and producers, these are not attainable goals for a very first production to get out there. So what are some ways to get your work out there on popular platforms that are still realistic?
YouTube
YouTube is the world's second largest social media platform, with over 500 hours of videos being uploaded every day and more than 1 billion hours of watching time every day. The popular age range of watching is about 18-24 years old, but now there is a wide variety of ages consuming it's content for a diverse set of reasons. Due to this, this would be a great platform to post my first production to gain an audience.
YouTube's History:
- On October 9th, 2006, it was announced that YouTube would be purchased by Google for $1.65 billion USD.
- The first advertisements rolled out in 2007, allowing for content creators to profit off of making videos by monetizing their videos.
- In May 2010, YouTube served more 2 billion views a day.
- In March 2013, YouTube was seeing over 1 billion active users monthly.
YouTube's Important User and Usage Statistics:
- 6 out of 10 people prefer online video platforms to live TV.
- By 2025, half of viewers under 32 will not subscribe to a pay-TV service.
- 95% of American 18-24 year olds use YouTube in an average month.
- In 2015, 18-49 year olds spent 4% less time watching TV while time on YouTube went up 74%.
- YouTube can be navigated in a total of 80 different languages, covering 95% of the internet population.
- YouTube is watched at over 1 billion hours a day, more than Netflix and Facebook video combined.
- YouTube is the world's second largest search engine and second most visited site after Google.
“57 Fascinating and Incredible YouTube Statistics.” Brandwatch, www.brandwatch.com/blog/youtube-stats/.
It may come as a surprise that Snapchat is landing on this list, as it is predominantly a social media
app. However, as of 2019, Snapchat came out with yet a new feature on its app called Snapchat
Originals, an extremely clever marketing strategy on their behalf considering their main consumers
are Gen Z, who also are more likely to stream shows and films, and it's all free for the consumers
while the people behind Snapchat and the collaborators for their Original shows profit majorly. It's a
win-win! Here are some statistics and facts regarding the success of these Snap Originals:
Snapchat
It may come as a surprise that Snapchat is landing on this list, as it is predominantly a social media
app. However, as of 2019, Snapchat came out with yet a new feature on its app called Snapchat
Originals, an extremely clever marketing strategy on their behalf considering their main consumers
are Gen Z, who also are more likely to stream shows and films, and it's all free for the consumers
while the people behind Snapchat and the collaborators for their Original shows profit majorly. It's a
win-win! Here are some statistics and facts regarding the success of these Snap Originals:
- "Time spent watching shows on Snapchat has tripled this year alone"- Sean Mills, Snapchat VP of original content.
- Over 18 shows reached monthly audiences of over 10 million viewers, 12 of which are original productions.
- Originals are monetized by two or three six-second unskippable ads.
- Reaction lenses make it easy and a fun, interactive way to interact with their show's biggest moments.
Constine, Josh. “Snapchat Becomes the Mobile HBO with 12 Daily Scripted Original Shows.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 10 Oct. 2018, techcrunch.com/2018/10/10/snapchat-originals/.
Vimeo
Vimeo is an ad free, free video viewing platform and is one of YouTube's competitors. It
became the first video platform to support high definition videos in 2007. Vimeo allows
users to upload and promote their videos with a degree of customization "not found on any
similar service".
- 90 million registered members on Vimeo
- 170 million monthly viewers on Vimeo
- 20% of B2B marketers in North America use Vimeo to distribute content
- 710,000 of Vimeo users are on a premium membership
- 70% of Vimeo users live outside of the U.S.
- 42 million Vimeo users are in the U.S.
- Vimeo has users in over 150 different countries
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Reflection and Changes
Where am I so far?
Some of my filming dates have changed, as most Sundays just aren't optional days that work out. However, I will be filming every Friday and Saturday where I am free before I travel out of the country for Spring Break, where I may not be able to film certain shots. As for blog postings during that week, they will still be published throughout the week but in order to enjoy my time with family and being back in the country I'm from for a week, I will be writing each one the week before on top of the blog postings required to be published that same week, and will set the publishing dates for the blog postings meant for Spring Break to be timed to publish throughout that week. Then, throughout this week while I originally meant to edit any footage that would've been filmed today I am going to be thoroughly documenting more storyboarding and planning out any possible script throughout the week which will be documented on my blog, as well as uploading vlogs of my shopping for costume and props, and setting up any props necessary for my piece as well. I'm so excited to dive in to the actual creating part of this project! For lighting/color schemes I will be using LED lights in my room that create really ambient atmospheres that I believe with the right ones can really get the message across. They don't just stay on solid colors, they have different settings for color changing such as the "jump" and "fade" effects, as well as a "flash" effect where you have the option to change the pacing for any of these to quick or slow.
*FLASH WARNING FOR VIDEOS*
These are just some examples of how I can utilize these color LED lights in my room! And most scenes will be taking place in my room.
Finally, a brief introduction on the actor who will be portraying Maya Palmer in this piece. Her name is Morgan Hazel-Rose Firestone, her pronouns are she/her and she is 19 years old!
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Shot types and angles for each scene
Casting update: I have finally found my actor for the main character of the film opening! Just in time to start working on filming with her, so it is important that I start organizing the shot types for each scene now.
Storyboard:
What I have so far for my upcoming filming days!
I am going to start filming these scenes next Saturday and Sunday at around noon, and I will be posting blogs with vlogs attached going out to purchase any items needed, and may dedicate a post to the main character!
Description of scene:
The title screen appears with non-diegetic music in the background, and as the title fades into the opening scene where the opening credits will roll throughout, the music will become diegetic. My main character, Maya Palmer, switches the channel station to some news. The news isn't good, and it involves something that affects her. It was playing as she was getting ready to head out for the day, and as it makes her feel the need to mentally prepare herself, a series of close-up, intimate shots of her looking at herself in the mirror are played and as she closes her eyes a new news article involving the same topic pops up before she has a flashback to a memory of her own mother putting on makeup in the mirror. To distinguish the flashbacks from the present moment, I plan to use new light settings, different editing techniques (for example: a close up of her face closing her eyes that cuts to a past memory scene). This scene is meant to provide the context for the rest of the movie if this were to be produced as such, taking a more artistic approach with different lighting and color schemes, with mise-en-scene elements, more specifically focusing on makeup. I really want to convey the emotions of the character going through this scene, to convey what getting ready to go outside feels as a Black transgender woman.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Sound Track and Sound Effects
Since I have last done research on sound, I have spent a lot of time considering the music in my own production. What will match the mood of how I envision the results in my head the best? What will convey this feeling to my audience most clearly? And how will I utilize these sounds? There are a lot of aspects to consider, and this is a list of potential sounds and their purposes within my piece. Once again, keep in mind that this is not definitive or exhaustible and is solely for inspiration to come up with ideas that will help frame the camera work and the editing of my shots to blend them cohesively. Here is what I have so far (in no particular order):
This song is an ambient, instrumental piece that I think would be perfect for an ending or opening scene. Apart of my planning was that I want the opening sequence to be a series of intimate mirror shots with my main character where she applies makeup and takes a look at herself. She is seeing who she truly is in a world that can often times be cruel to somebody who looks like her, but she loves herself despite the need to mentally prepare herself before stepping outside.
Soundtrack (music)
This song is an ambient, instrumental piece that I think would be perfect for an ending or opening scene. Apart of my planning was that I want the opening sequence to be a series of intimate mirror shots with my main character where she applies makeup and takes a look at herself. She is seeing who she truly is in a world that can often times be cruel to somebody who looks like her, but she loves herself despite the need to mentally prepare herself before stepping outside.
Another ambient instrumental piece, this time with a more upbeat tone to it. This would be great for shots that show my main character thinking back to her childhood, a shot quite literally mirroring the opening scene, of when she was a little girl watching her mother apply makeup. I also think it would be a great transitional sound in general to the previous song listed.
This one has jazz undertones to it, and though I wasn't originally planning on using a more upbeat sound in the beginning, it helped me come up with an idea. The beginning would be a black screen for about five seconds while a portion of this song plays as the title screen appears and the song ends in the sound of a click, like somebody changing the channel on a radio. Then, the sound of bad news reportings would start playing before a fade in of the opening scene, where the opening credits will roll throughout. The irony between the upbeat jazz cut abruptly to devastating news would show that the issue represented within my film opening is dangerously ignored, and that the ignorance is fatal.
My plan for this would be to use the opening seconds of this song to play right after the news reporting clearly makes an impact on the main character, a static buzz that fills the space in between before the sequence of mirror shots. I feel that it could be really impactful, and set the tone of why she begins to examine herself in the mirror. It will let the audience know that the news she just heard isn't good, and it fills in some space for silence, a ringing tone used to really highlight the silence after.
Sound Effects
As mentioned before, this would be for the radio in the opening scenes, it would fit well within the timeframe of switching the music to the eventual news that would be heard playing that sets the scene and idea for the rest of the film.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Casting updates!
Hello, today's post is on the shorter side but my next postings will be detailed, I found it important to update you on the casting situation. If you've been following my most recent blog postings, then you will remember how I utilized social media to promote a casting call for my film idea's main character, Maya Palmer. As an update, so far nobody has come into contact with me about possibly acting for the film opening. However, on the bright side I have been referred to somebody who may be interested through a friend, and they are somebody with more friends that I can communicate with and potentially cast as actors in my piece. I have additionally asked people close to me to act as any necessary background characters. As another idea to broaden my outreach, I have decided to expand the county area for more possible people. Rather than just Broward County I will also be including Miami-Dade County!
My casting won't require much acting skills dialogue wise, as there won't be much dialogue to begin with. The majority of my film opening will include a series of intimate shots in which the opening credits will be placed. So, as soon as I get all my cast together and buy all necessary costume and prop designs (which I will be documenting in my blogs with vlogs of the process of these purchases and description of their purpose) I can start filming very soon! I am incredibly excited to start filming for this project, the representation and message to it is something very important to me and I hope to convey it accurately and artistically well. Keep posted to follow me as I document my physical planning process!
My casting won't require much acting skills dialogue wise, as there won't be much dialogue to begin with. The majority of my film opening will include a series of intimate shots in which the opening credits will be placed. So, as soon as I get all my cast together and buy all necessary costume and prop designs (which I will be documenting in my blogs with vlogs of the process of these purchases and description of their purpose) I can start filming very soon! I am incredibly excited to start filming for this project, the representation and message to it is something very important to me and I hope to convey it accurately and artistically well. Keep posted to follow me as I document my physical planning process!
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