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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
In previous postings I have analyzed genre conventions within drama, representation within genre, researched the experiences of the people to whom this story will focus on in this film opening, and analyzed film openings in drama to get a feel for what works and what doesn't. Now I want to focus on sound. Why is sound important? Sound establishes the tone of the scene to the audience without explicitly stating the tone right away. It doesn't give the audience the answer rather it's a small component, but major aspect, of film that makes the audience work for the meaning subconsciously. Through a Ted Talk by Andrew Stanton, The Clues to a Great Story, which we viewed in class he mentioned to hide the fact that you're audience is "working for their meal", meaning don't make it obvious that the audience is working out the solution in their head. That rather than giving them the answer in total, make them put two and two together. He quoted "drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty." I believe sound is one of those important factors that should follow this rule because of the fact that it establishes setting and tone, and if done correctly can give the audience a clue as to what is going on in the story or what might happen next.
What are some sound techniques that can enhance your films?
Using sound bridges can help your story flow.
Creating an atmosphere with music or sound effects appropriate to the ambiance of the scene.
Emphasize actions with non-diegetic sound.
Use audio cues or 'leitmotifs' to help tell the story.
Build cinematic tension by gradually layering sound.
Diegetic sound is sounds that happen within the realm of the scene. For example if there is a door clicking in place after being closed and you can hear it within the scene, that is a sound happening inside the story- the characters are aware of it. This sound technique can help establish setting and sequence of events. An even more important sound technique specifically to the drama genre ( though it can be used for any genre) is non-diegetic sound. Non-diegetic sound is when the sounds used for a scene are NOT within the realm of the scene, meaning the characters are not aware of this music. This technique is typically used within this genre to establish the tone of the scene, what the audience is supposed to feel when viewing it. In this sense, non-diegetic music is an especially important component in the drama genre, as it is a genre that focuses on the human experience.This use of sound in film would be considered a convention to this genre. Some ways this technique may present itself within a drama piece would be incidental music, which isn't meant to be noticeable and adds tone to the scene and can aid the audience in connecting two scenes together and developing an idea of what the characters represent in the story, background music which can foreshadow an event or change in mood (for example: a slow, suspenseful crescendo of music to build up to a jump scare) parallel sound which is meant to match the content of the scene to enhance that part of the story (for example: a fight scene with enhanced noises of the fight as well as a fast paced music), and a sting which is a short stab of music used to enhance the drama of a situation within the film.
Examples of sound conventions used in drama productions
Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg - Chrissie's Last Swim Scene
This scene is the beginning of the film, and plays a key role in establishing the problem that is going to be taking place within the story. In the beginning, Chrissie is running towards the sea as she is taking off her clothes, a boy who is seemingly drunk is struggling to keep up with her and is running out of breath. The use of diegetic sound here are the waves of the ocean and the seagulls cawing in the background, and eventually the sound of Chrissie running into the ocean and the sounds the water makes as it moves while she swims further out. As the scene where we see her silhouette swimming from the perspective of being under the water, there's a slow zoom in with music that matches the pace. It's a slow crescendo of classical music that creates a suspenseful tone, insinuating that something bad is going to happen to her as she is the main focus of this shot and the camera gets closer to her body at the same pace as the music builds up. Then it shows her above the water as this music continues, and right when she notices something is wrong there is a sting utilized of a dramatic halt to this music, right before she begins getting attacked by the shark. As she is getting attacked the music is soft in the background but parallels the content of the scene in it's violent tone as her screaming and thrashing in the water drowns it out. Once the attack is over and it is clear that Chrissie is dead, there is a sudden deafening silence, the only thing to be heard now is the sound of waves. It starkly contrasts the beginning of the scene and the build up to the attack, and provides the context that she isn't alive anymore.
Braveheart (1995) Mel Gibson - Freedom Speech Scene
The two main techniques used throughout this scene are non-diegetic and diegetic sound. As the crowds of men watching William Wallace ride around on his horse rallying up the crowds as an army to revolt against the English British, non-diegetic music of traditional Scottish music plays. The characters within the scene are not aware of this music taking place, but it helps establish the culture of the scene, who these people are on this side of the revolution. The music fades into the crowd as rumors and questions spread which is all diegetic sound. As William begins to interact with the crowd, giving the speech that is iconic to this whole film, inspirational music picks back up, now there is a combination of both of these techniques. Due to the inspirational music and words to match, it makes it clear that this is a build up for an extremely important fight in the plot. The music here possibly the most important sound component of this scene, without it the audience wouldn't really feel the tone of it and know what emotion is meant to be evoked.
Carol (2015) Todd Haynes - Ritz Tower Hotel Scene
Most of the non-diegetic music takes place in the beginning of the scene. For the rest of it there is diegetic sound of the background conversation taking place in the dining room of the hotel, utensils being used, and it eventually fades into the background as Carol and Therese begin their conversation. This establishes the setting. However, as mentioned in the beginning the music is in the beginning, and this aspect may be the most important emotionally contextual part of this scene. This is the part where Carol prepares to meet up with Therese to tell her that she loves her. In the very beginning, Carol is placed in the right third of the frame where she is seen sitting in a booth of what appears to be a diner, writing a letter to Therese asking to meet her at the hotel that night. The music is a dramatic, hopeful but sad classical sound that helps the context of Carol's hopes for how she wants this meeting to go, but sad because when viewing the movie in full the audience knows what has happened (I don't want to give away too many spoilers here, this is one of my favorite films and I highly recommend watching!) When this music is paired with this blue lighting tinge, it really contributes to the overall tone. The same music and color scheme is used in the next part of the scene where Therese receives this letter, and it's understandable here that this is an important part of the overall plot, and the plot is meant to be an emotional one, and considering it is about two women who find themselves in love with each other in 1950s America, it's not going to be one with a happy ending for the two lovers.
How do I plan to utilize these conventions within my own production?
As seen in these examples and notes on conventions, there is a heavy emphasis and importance on conveying the tone of the scene through sound in drama, rather than establishing what is literally and outwardly happening explicitly through diegetic sound. Music being a big part of one of these components (typically used non-diegetically) that when paired with the actions of the characters makes a powerful impact on how the audience perceives the scene and understands the tone of it. I plan to use music within my film opening paired with intimate shots of the main character alongside the opening credits to make it understood right from the beginning that this story is an important one.
To start off with, I just wanted to update on the coverage my social media casting call is receiving. Since posting at around 10:30 pm, I have received so far sixteen retweets from people all over south Florida! I am extremely grateful for the people sharing my request, and I am optimistic and confident about the next few days as this continues to spread that I will have an actor suitable for the role of my main character. I will continue to update on the coverage and potential candidates for the main character's role throughout my future blog postings.
Filming Locations
My bedroom, specific mirror shots as well as lighting schemes due to my color LED lights
This will be where the majority of the film opening is located
Public settings - possibly a mall, though will be anywhere with a public restroom for a brief scene
Filming Dates
This schedule may change and adapt due to availability of myself and actors, for now this is how scheduling works out. I will also not be available for any potential filming during spring break as I won't be in the country and school weeks aren't possible due to being busy with school, homework, projects, after school clubs and activities so I am planning all filming dates on weekends, alongside one possible Friday date. The later dates are set to provide time to communicate with actors, design any needed props, to buy necessary costume and makeup pieces, and organize scenes in a reasonable order for filming. I will also be sharing this template with any important people throughout this process for open communication and clear scheduling.
Before I dive into discussing the script and scenes that will be taking place in my film opening, I think it is important to get to know our main character that we will be following the story of. As I was planning out who she was I decided to use mural.co to brainstorm how I picture her in my head. In it, I used a diagram to map out and organize the little bits of information about her that are important such as her name, physical and personality description, the support and challenges she may face, as well as creating a moodboard for her style and personality, as well as parts of her identity and what she stands for.
Here is her background so far, so I can establish how these things develop my main character into who she is. As shown here, I have decided on the name Maya Palmer. She is a 19 year old black trans girl navigating life after coming out and graduating high school. Her family is Caribbean, from the U.S. Virgin Islands and they moved to California when Maya was three. Despite growing up in a Christian family, she was raised by a young single mother and her grandmother as the only child and always knew she was a girl. Her family support her in her gender identity her mom being her biggest source of support when her dad left at an early age for disagreeing with the way her mother let her child express herself, and it helps her grow into the strong woman she becomes and is shown as in the film opening. She has a supportive and healthy background, and is generally surrounded by positivity in her life and while she had supportive friends in high school it wasn't all forgiving, especially the ignorant popular boys who didn't make her life easy being transgender and black in a mostly white and hispanic populated school. She works a part time job alongside going to art school with an internship in fine arts as she is in the middle of her medical transitioning process when news that raises controversy makes its way into her life. Does she protect her own self in such a vulnerable part of her life or rise up to the challenge and fight for what is right despite potential risks? Is this where she will find a loving community of people alike?
To cast the perfect person to play this role, I will be taking to social media, specifically Twitter and Instagram, as mentioned in previous postings, to make a casting call. I will be posting a tweet and sharing a screenshot of the tweet on my personal instagram story, and ask those who retweet to also post this screenshot on their own stories. In it I will be asking for the main character on here, as well as a person to play the role of her mother and grandmother (if needed as it should be noted that due to potential circumstances, specifics may be altered). Any additional background characters or secondary characters will be casted through reaching out to friend groups and people within my school and area who are willing to participate.
Twitter casting call
Stay tuned for the next postings where I will be featuring updates of casting integrated within my posts!
