CCR

Hi, blog!

Here's my CCR! Enjoy!

CCR: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gcmcNQ53jzQyQxBRCGNlB4H76PrGG_YS/view?usp=sharing

The final product!!

Hi, blog!

Below is my short film along with my postcard and website. I hope you enjoy! This has been quite the experience for me and I'm glad you were able to join me for it. Here's Insatiable!

Film: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mmx-wYrvwsEEeU2w2a11iHXVVAtlMo_y/view?usp=sharing

Website: https://rlaynelevitz.wixsite.com/website-2

Postcard: 

Reflection

Hi, blog!

It appears this journey is coming to an end and I honestly couldn't be more relieved. This entire process has been extremely stressful but honestly an interesting experience. I ran into many obstacles due to everything that happened with the coronavirus. My original idea had to be changed to fit the circumstances as the actors I originally was going to use were unable to film due to being in quarantine. I had regrets about which project I had chosen to do, but ultimately everything turned out ok. I know I could have done better with my project if all of this hadn't happened, but it was a good experience and I think I handled it OK considering me nor anyone else could have seen this coming. I had to work with what I had and come up with almost a completely new idea, however, I didn't stray too far from what I had originally planned to do. The idea I ultimately chose to go with was still very similar to the main idea I was going for with my short film, basically how an obsession with someone or something can be harmful, or even deadly. From reading my blog, it's interesting to see my process of thinking through all of this and how I managed to work around the obstacles I was faced with. Even though I was extremely stressed out through it all, I think I made it out just fine and all I know is that I tried my best!

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Wrapping it up!

Hi, blog!

So I wrapped up filming today and I am so relieved to finally be making the final edits on the film. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything turns out. I will be posting a reflection blog in a couple of days talking about this whole process and how I felt about it. This journey is soon coming to an end, and wow what a journey it was. I have finished the website and postcard so that will be posted along with the final short film at the end of this week. I'm proud of myself for doing the best that I could with the circumstances I was presented with. I do wish things could have gone differently, but in the end, some things are just inevitable. This is a short post but just an update on what's going on with the project!

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Filming!!

Hi, blog!

So I got a lot of filming done today which is good because a lot of my stress is now relieved. I’ve been using my mom’s Nikon camera for filming because I definitely want a higher quality look rather than just filming from my iPhone, not that iPhone’s quality is bad but, you know. I did all of my brother’s filming today at our house so I just have to upload all of the footage to my laptop. I’m pretty glad I decided to go down this route for my short film as a lot of footage is the stuff that my brother does naturally, minus the steroids of course. Therefore, it was pretty easy to film him and he was very cooperative. Since all the gyms are closed for quarantine, my brother actually built his own gym equipment and has been keeping it in our backyard. I filmed my brother standing around and using some of this equipment which I think is a pretty good mise en scene element for what I’m going for. I’ve been on the fence about a certain aspect of my film: dialogue. Since my film doesn’t necessarily involve anyone talking to anyone, I don’t think I’m gonna have much dialogue at all. If anything I might include a voiceover monologue relating to the super fan’s obsession with the bodybuilder. I think this might be a good idea. Other than that, I have to now film all the scenes involving the superfan. This requires me to go to my boyfriend’s house (I know, I’m breaking quarantine rules but don’t worry I’ll stay 6 feet away!!) and filming him kind of doing a similar normal routine, with a little bit of a twist. Well, that’s pretty much it, just giving an update on how things are going and what I’ve gotten done. 

That’s all for now!


- Rachel

Storyboard final

Hi, blog!

So I have a complete storyboard all drawn and written out for my scenes for the film. It’s nice to finally have something you can work with without having to change something every few minutes. I’m still gonna add some extra filler scenes here and there but this is basically an entire outline of what my short film entails. John (played by my brother) is the famous bodybuilder while Alex (played by my boyfriend) is the super-fan that looks up to John and basically want to look just like him. I think it’s gonna be interesting to show this topic/theme in a kind of different than normal fashion. You usually see this kind of story like a famous singer, actress, model, etc. You don’t usually see these people in works that involve this obsessed fan mentality, so it’s kind of fun to show that in a different light, with a bodybuilder instead. In the storyboard, you can see I wanted to incorporate a lot of close up shots, specifically of the obsessed fans' eyes to create the idea that this person was obsessed with something. These close up shots are seen more on the scenes with Alex rather than John to distinguish between the two. That’s pretty much all for now, just wanted to post my final storyboard!

- Rachel 

Researchhh

Hi blog!

So I did a little research on steroids in order to make the ones in my short film look relatively real. Apparently one of the side effects of taking steroids is blurred vision so maybe I can like blur the screen as if it was the POV of the guy Alex in my film. I don’t know if that would be cheesy but it’s just a thought. Another thing I didn’t actually know about steroids is they are a synthetic form of testosterone. 

According to healthline.com, these are the main benefits of taking steroids: The main potential benefits associated with anabolic steroids are the following:

• increases in muscle tissue due to enhanced protein synthesis
• decreased body fat percentage
• increased muscle strength and power
• enhanced recovery from workouts and injury
• improved bone mineral density
• better muscle endurance
• increased red blood cell production

I could probably also include a scene of Alex looking at this same website and reading these benefits and reacting to them in a positive manner. 

and these are all the side effects:

• Increased risk of heart disease. AAS used in combination with resistance exercise can increase the size of the left ventricle of your heart, as well as blood pressure. This may increase your risk of heart disease and related death 
• Can increase aggressive behavior. Steroid use has been associated with increased aggression and impulsivity in male teenagers and adults 
• Can affect body image. AAS use and dependence are classified as a body image disorder in the diagnostic manual for mental disorders 
• Can cause liver damage. AAS, specifically those taken orally, have been shown to increase your risk of liver dysfunction 
• May cause gynecomastia. Defined as swollen male breast tissue caused by a hormone imbalance, gynecomastia may occur when you stop taking AAS 
• Decreased production of testosterone. Steroid use is associated with hypogonadism, which is characterized by the shrinking and decreased function of the testes 
• Can cause infertility. Due to its potential to decrease sperm production, steroid use may cause infertility 
• May cause male pattern baldness. The androgenic effects of AAS may cause or worsen male pattern baldness. This effect may vary depending on the specific drug used 

This is a pretty long list so I could have my character reading this as well, but obviously choosing to ignore it and following through with his purchase.

So this post was just me doing a little bit of research on steroids, because to be honest I didn’t really know much about them before.

Well, that’s all for now!

- Rachel

Website update

Hi, blog!

I continued to work on the website as well this week and have been playing around with themes and such to get a feel of how exactly I want it to look. I like the way it looks so far, obviously all the stock photos I have right now will be replaced with similar original photos.

This is what it currently looks like:

The Events page photos will be replaced by just random photos that I’ll take of the cast. All the photos will be replaced with similar photos of the cast. I really like this look for the website as it gives a subtle action vibe that also gives off a sense of drama or suspense. At the top where you can see what pages I have on the site, there’s the home page, a synopsis page, and a screenings page as well as the social media sites in the corner. On the synopsis page, the viewer is able to see a brief overview of what the film is about. On the screenings/events page, the viewer can see when the upcoming screenings for the film are.

Well, that’s all for now!

- Rachel

Postcard update

Hi, blog!

So this week I’ve been working more on my postcard. I’m pretty much almost finished with it. All I need to do is add the social media links to the back and replace the pictures. The picture on the back in black and white is going to be replaced with a very similar photo. For the front, on the left is going to be a side profile of the body builder’s face (my brother) while the right side is going to be a side profile of the other boy’s face (my boyfriend). These photos will be edited to look darker to give the postcard a sense of drama and draw the viewers in.

Here is what the postcard looks like now:

The pictures seen in the top photo are just random ones of my brother and his friends working out that will be replaced by the pictures that I mentioned above. The big white space seen on the back of the postcard will be ravaged with the social media tags of the short film.

Well, that’s all for now!

- Rachel

Finally I know what I'm doing

Hi, blog!

So I finally know exactly what I'm doing for my short film.

My short film is going to be focused on a bodybuilder (played by my brother) who is obsessed with working out and achieving what he believes to be the perfect body. However, this obsession takes a toll on him and it is revealed he has taken some unhealthy measures to achieve this. Sometime throughout the film, we find out the bodybuilder is actually kind of famous and is the idol of another boy (played by my boyfriend). This boy wants to be just like the bodybuilder and will do whatever it takes to be just like his idol. I think the "twist" is going to be when you find out that the boy actually looks up to the bodybuilder from the beginning and they both have this obsession thing going on.

This story sticks to my original idea of an obsessed fan in a bit of a different way but I'm pretty satisfied with it. I already know a ton of the shots that I'm going to use and have jotted them down in my phone. I am going to film next week. This week I am going to focus more on working on my postcard and website.

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

New ideas

Hi, blog!

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I was brainstorming some new ideas for my short film to make it easier for me with my limited amount of potential actors, as well as settings.

It was announced today that we will be social distancing and quarantined for another 30 days, so that's great. I really wish people would just follow protocol and stop with social gatherings 🙄. Sorry for sounding so angry but it's true!

Ok, enough of the ranting. I mentioned in my previous blog post that I thought about having the obsessive fan be a sort of aspiring bodybuilder who is obsessed with working out and getting bigger. Since my brother matches the role of an aspiring bodybuilder and he's just about the only actor I can use besides my parents, I think this might be the route I will have to go down. Plus, I wouldn't be changing too much from my original short film idea, it's really the same thing but in a different manner.

We have workout equipment at my house so I think I could get a lot of shots of my brother working out and stuff even though all the gyms are closed. This idea is just so much easier for me and makes a lot more sense for me to do considering all the obstacles I and the rest of the world have been faced with. I will ponder on this idea some more but I'm almost sure this is what I want to do and the idea that I will commit to. I have to think of shots, the script, and how I am going to go about dialogue for my filmI really hope everything works out. My fingers are crossed.

I hope everyone is staying safe and practicing social distancing!

That's all for now 💘

- Rachel

PS. I think this gif is hilarious & I love Jim Carrey haha

Maybe some small changes??

Hi, blog!

As I mentioned in my last post, things are pretty hectic right now. I'm sure COVID-19 has thrown us all off, especially us in AICE Media 😅. This was literally the worst time for this virus to happen, not that any time would have been good. But of course, this is happening when I need to get a five-minute short film done and turned in. Ughhhh why must this be happening?

I've been very stressed thinking about this project and other things so I've thought a lot about this and will probably have to go through with it as I'm very limited on time.

So, originally my short film was going to be about an obsessive fan who wants to be just like the celebrity they're obsessing over, driving them closer and closer to madness. Considering I needed multiple actors for this idea to be carried out the way I wanted, I've tried to think of a new idea that falls along the same line but does not require so many actors, perhaps a one-man show type of thing.

Ugh, I'm kind of dying right now because I'm kind of wishing I chose documentary instead of a short film. If I knew this was going to happen, I definitely would have done that and done an excerpt on bodybuilding. The only subjects I can really work with right now are my mom, dad, and brother. My brother is pretty much a bodybuilder, but he doesn't compete or do anything like that. He used to be a real skinny kid with almost no body fat to 270 pounds and full of muscle. I think this might've been an interesting documentary topic and probably would have been easier considering how limited I am on actors and everything.

But it's too late for that so I've been trying to think of some changes I can make to my short film to make it easier for me to film and complete.

I thought about possibly having my brother as the main actor and he's an obsessive fan of a bodybuilder and wants to be just like him so he pushes himself to look just like the bodybuilder, and possibly pushed to a breaking point. This is an idea that I've thought about for a little bit but I'm not entirely sure yet if that's what I want to do. But I know I have to think fast. This whole thing really sucks.

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

AICE exams are no más

Hi, blog!

Well all AICE exams have officially been canceled due to COVID-19.

This was a shock but at the same time, it wasn't as I knew there was no way we were going to be able to do the exams, at least in person, with everything going on.

So I'm not exactly sure what is happening in regards to the media exam and portfolio project but I'm sure we still have the portfolio project counted as a grade, at least I'd hope so.

With that being said, this post is really just an update on what's going on right now. I feel like I'm running out of things to write about, unfortunately. Everything is just so hectic right now. I would have never imagined in a million years that any of this would be happening. It's all so crazy.

Well, I hope everyone is washing their hands and staying safe!

That's all for now.

- Rachel

Branding

Hi, blog!

In this post, I am going to talk about branding my short film. As I continue to work on my website and postcard I am focusing on color psychology and key art.

Since my short film is about an obsessive fan, my genre falls in the psychological thriller category. This is one of my favorite genres as I love thrillers that explore the mind or even have the audience question their own minds. With that being said, I am focusing on using darker colors for my marketing content (postcard, website social media, etc.). I will be using lots of blacks, greys, whites, and reds. Red is a color that I associate with the thriller genre a lot and it's a color that I think really captures an audience's attention.

The website builder Wix makes choosing a color scheme super easy as they have a sidebar that allows you to choose from various different color schemes when building your site. This is really helpful and I love how easy Wix is to use. I highly recommend it.

I would use the same red, black, grey, white color scheme when it comes to the postcard. Using these colors lets the audience know that this film will be on the darker side. I've also come up with an idea for the key art. I like the idea of having the obsessed fan back to back with the person she's obsessed with as that kind of gives off the idea that she wants to be just like her, or that she (or he) is leading a double life. I would have the picture in a darker color scheme as well. This is the picture I would put on the postcard and the website.

I will provide more updates on this process later!

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Distribution

Hi, blog!

So I've decided to make this blog post dedicated to distribution, specifically how I would distribute my piece.

First, I would submit my short to various film festivals. Some of these film festivals would include the Sundance Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and the Tribeca Film Festival. According to the article "The Twelve Things You Should Know Before Submitting to Sundance," "A Sundance short requires the length of the film to be 49 minutes or less, though the average is usually between seven and 15. They can be narrative, animated, documentary or anything art-driven and experimental. Only 60 short films are chosen from a submission pool of around 9,000—all due on September 15."

There was another interesting part of the article that talked about saving money when submitting to a festival. It said, "Regardless of your film’s budget, it’s usually a good idea to save money and there are a few reasons why. Barrera advised the audience to add a festival marketing line item to your post-production budget. In the event that your film does get chosen for Sundance (or any other film festival), it’s going to cost you for deliverables prep, travel, lodging, materials, etc.—so it’s wise to think ahead and be prepared."

"Another way to save during the submissions process is to send Vimeo links. Although DVDs will still be accepted, the programmers highly recommend not wasting your money on them. Online links not only save money but time as well. Vimeo is the most common way filmmakers submit their films. "

As I read more of the article I realized there were a lot of things I didn't know about when it comes to submitting a film to a film festival.

If I were to then win a spot in a festival and have the opportunity to have my short widely distributed, I would distribute it through Netflix or Amazon Prime, or both. These are two of the most popular streaming services so I believe my short film would have the opportunity to reach a large audience if I ere to distribute it through these platforms.

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Stress!!

Hi, blog!

This coronavirus is really stressing me out in terms of my project. Since basically everyone is quarantined, I have no idea what to do about my project. It's too late to change my idea but I just don't know how I'm going to make it work.

Since I do live with my brother, I could try to make the lead a male instead of a female, even though I originally wanted the lead to be a female. But I just don't know what else to do and I can't exactly rely on anyone as everything is uncertain now.

On top of that, I feel like I'm running out of things to write about on here ugh. I'm just very stressed and I'm trying to keep calm but I don't know if it's working very well.

I will give updates about what's going on.

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Working on the Website!

Hi, blog!

So, as I said in one of my previous postings, I'm focusing a lot on working on the website and postcard this week.

For my website, I've decided to use Wix.com as it's my favorite website builder to use and is very user-friendly. Wix gives you the option to put in all the information you want on your site and builds a website template for you, which is extremely convenient compared to other website builders such as Godaddy.com. Also, Wix has its own app, which once again means I can edit from my phone!

I'm mostly just playing around with it today and seeing what kind of template I like as I still need to get pictures and other things for content for the site. This whole Coronavirus is stressing me out as they're starting to shut down more and more places and stores in order to keep the virus under control. This means I will more than likely have limited options for filming locations if I do decide to film in any public place. However, in my planning, I had a lot of the shots taking place in the main character's bedroom and house, so hopefully, this virus situation won't impact me too greatly.

When trying to view the website on my phone, it was formatted a little weird so I took a video from my laptop and have included it below:

I will continue playing around with Wix and see what works and what doesn't for this website and hopefully, Corona won't get in the way of my project!

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Working on Postcard!!

Hi, blog!

With Coronavirus messing up everyone's schedule, I decided now would be a perfect time to work on and complete both my postcard and website.

In this blog post, I'll be focusing more on the postcard.

I've decided to use the website Canva to make my postcard as I find it very easy to use and I've used it in the past for previous projects. I also like that I can edit from my phone.

I looked at some of the previous projects on Mrs. Stoklosa's website and liked the postcards more in the 2017-2018 projects so I took inspiration from some of those.

I've been playing around with Canva and I kind of like this format for my postcard:

Obviously I will replace those pictures once I can get them. I plan on putting the main character's face along with the celebrity's as the picture but split up as seen in the postcard if that makes any sense? I'm also not sure if this is what I want to call my short film but I will probably stick with that name or call it something very similar.

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Coronavirus!!

Hi, blog!

Well, this has certainly been a hectic week.

Due to the COVID-19 virus, aka Coronavirus, we are not in school for the next two weeks. While this does give me a lot of time to work on my project, it also presents new setbacks. A lot of people I know don't even want to leave their house, which may cause me problems when trying to gather my actors for filming. I know a lot of people in the class ar freaking out because they have nothing to film now or none of their actors can leave the house.

If worst comes to worst, I can always star in my own movie.

Yeah, no.

I apologize for the short blog post but I just wanted to give an update on what's going on right now.

Stay safe everyone!

- Rachel

Reading Other Screenplays

Hi, blog!

So I've been doing more research in between drawing and writing out my scenes and I read a few screenplays but there's one that I liked in particular.

Behind every great movie is a great screenplay, and that can definitely be said for Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan (2010). In Black Swan, Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As the rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge.

While this film doesn't deal with an obsessed fan, I love the way it captures Nina's obsession with her craft, which is ballet. Nina's obsession with being the best overcomes her life and in the process, she experiences many bizarre things.

I read a bit of the script for Black Swan and just loved it. It is very well written and I think captures the essence of what I want for my film very well.

Here are a few pages of the screenplay from the opening scene that I liked in particular:

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Mini Storyboard

Hi blog!

So I’ve started thinking of some of the shots that I want to incorporate into my short film. It seems like
I've come up with a lot of close up shots. 

I made a mini storyboard with some of the shots that I want to be included in the opening scene. I really want the opening scene to give off a suspenseful vibe and kind of have the audience guessing what the main girl is doing or why she seems uptight, or so drawn into what she is doing. Therefore, as you can see in the storyboard, I included various close-ups to try to achieve that feel.

Here’s the mini storyboard:

I’m going to come up with a larger storyboard for some of the other scenes but this is just my idea for the
opening scene. I don't like using any kind of software for the storyboard because I feel like drawing it out
myself gives me more freedom to make it look exactly how I want it to.

Hopefully, I’ll have an updated storyboard for some of the other scenes in some of my future blogs.

Well, that’s all for now!

-Rachel

Screenplay

Hi blog!

As of now, I’ve been playing around with the Celtx screenwriting software. It’s pretty practical and easy to
use so I think this is the software I am going to stick with. It’s also the software Mrs. Stoklosa
recommended for us to use. I also like that I can edit from my phone. 

While I’m still coming up with shots and lines, I kind of have an idea of what I want to do in regards to
these aspects. I think I am going to do a monologue with the main character’s voice as a voiceover in
order to let the audience know what she is thinking. Or, I could do no monologue at all and have the
audience see what she is thinking solely through her actions, but I think the voiceover idea might be
more effective in reaching the goal I am trying to achieve. 

I am going to watch some movies that have to do with obsession ants look at their screenplays. I plan on
looking at films such as Black Swan, The Fanatic, and The Fan.

Well, that’s all for now!

-Rachel

Casting

Hi blog!

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I am doing my short film on the idea of an obsessive fangirl that
wants to be just like the person she is admiring,

As of now, I must get an idea and come up with who I want as my cast.

I have juggled with the idea of whether I want my main character to be a boy or a girl. After thinking about
it more, I think it might be easier for me to use a girl as the obsessive character as I can do more with
that I think. I also feel like girls tend to be more fanatic-like when it comes to their favorite celebrities. 

With that being said, here is an idea of what my cast will look like:

Main character- girl in her late teens-early 20s who is obsessed with female celebrity

Main character’s mother- becomes concerned about her daughter’s behavior/or is completely oblivious
to this behavior and thinks nothing of it

Main character’s friend/or boyfriend- notices their behavior is excessive and attempts to try to stop
their behavior/encourage the main character to stop their behavior as they are getting out of hand

Celebrity that main character is obsessed with- singer/actor that main character is obsessed with (still
deciding if I want them to have a legitimate role in the film)

So, I’m still struggling with what I want to happen at the end of the film. One of my ideas is that the girl, in
the end, ends up trying to look just like the celebrity. My other idea is that the girl ends up kidnapping the
celebrity or something and it ends on a thrilling kind of note. I’m still kind of deciding.

Well, that’s all for now!

- Rachel

Finally have an idea!

Hi, blog!

Today in class we continued our Socratic seminar group meeting and I presented a few of my ideas to the
class. Eventually, I came to the conclusion of creating my short film focused around the idea of an
obssesed fan. I knew I wanted to make a short film focused on someone’s mental state and how
something in their life consumes them, so I think the idea of obsession is the perfect way to go about
creating my short film. 

These were some of the ideas I was given during the Socratic seminar:

Social media

Paranoia about sickness

Obsessive fangirl

Roommate 

Eventually, as I mentioned above, I decided to go down the obsessive fangirl route because I also feel
like I can do a lot with this in terms of creating a suspenseful kind of piece. I have the opportunity to use
a lot of different/interesting shots that I believe can aid me in creating a nice piece. 

As of now, I need to start coming up with some of the shots I wan to use in my film as well as the
characters. My next blog post will more than likely have to do with casting, I’m still trying to figure that out
though.

Well, that’s all for now!

- Rachel

I Thought of Something New

Hi, blog!

So I've thought of yet ANOTHER idea.

I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts that I want to explore someone's mental state in my short film. I believe doing this will give me a lot of things to do with my piece and will give me a lot of ideas. I really enjoy pieces that have something to do with this idea. Some of these pieces include:

Shutter Island (2010): "The implausible escape of a brilliant murderess brings U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) to Ashecliffe Hospital, a fortress-like insane asylum located on a remote, windswept island. The woman appears to have vanished from a locked room, and there are hints of terrible deeds committed within the hospital walls. As the investigation deepens, Teddy realizes he will have to confront his own dark fears if he hopes to make it off the island alive."

Suspiria (1977): "Suzy (Jessica Harper) travels to Germany to attend ballet school. When she arrives, late on a stormy night, no one lets her in, and she sees Pat (Eva Axén), another student, fleeing from the school. When Pat reaches her apartment, she is murdered. The next day, Suzy is admitted to her new school but has a difficult time settling in. She hears noises and often feels ill. As more people die, Suzy uncovers the terrifying secret history of the place."

Black Swan (2010): "Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As the rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge."

Each of these pieces includes someone's descent into madness or the exploration of their mental state ad how their surroundings affect them. I really like how these pieces portray that idea and I really want to do something similar.

Well, that's all for now!

- Rachel

Twilight Zone

Hi, blog!

So after work today I came home and watched the Twilight Zone with my mom. We do this frequently but today was different as I was doing it with the intention of getting ideas for my short film. Of the ones I watched today, none really jumped out at me. I'm gonna make a list of some of my favorite episodes to give an idea of the ideas I like.

Stopover in Quiet Town: "The morning after a wild party, a couple wakes up in a totally unfamiliar and artificial place." In the end, you find out the couple are dolls in a little girl's dollhouse.

The After Hours: A woman in a department store becomes paranoid when she realizes the floor she was just on doesn't exist. In the end, you find out that she was a mannequin the whole time.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge: "A Southern civilian escapes his execution at the hands of Union soldiers when the hanging rope breaks." In the end, you find out his escape was all in his head and he is hung at the last second of the episode.

Eye of the Beholder: "A woman's natural beauty makes her a freak in a futuristic society." In the end, when the woman's bandages are removed from her face, you find out she really is naturally beautiful, but everyone around her is hideous, which is the norm apparently. She is considered a freak due to the fact that she does not look like everyone else.

I like these episodes the most mainly because of their twist endings. I love twist endings so I definitely want to incorporate one or something like it in my short film. I just have to come up with an idea. I really want to do some sort of pastiche of the Twilight Zone. Hopefully, in my next blog I come up with something new.

That's all for now!

- Rachel

More Ideas

Hi, blog!

Ok, so I have a few new ideas for my short film that I'm kind of leaning towards now.

I thought of these ideas in the middle of our Socratic seminar in class (which I thought was great and hope we do it again).

So I absolutely love The Twilight Zone (1959-1964). `The Twilight Zone' was the brainchild of Emmy Award-winner Rod Serling, who served as host and wrote more than 80 episodes of the original show's 150-plus episode run. It's a strange mix of horror, science-fiction, drama, comedy, and superstition. Serling introduced each episode, and many of the black and white episodes concluded with a surprise ending. Actors such as Burt Reynolds, Roddy McDowell, and Robert Redford made appearances in some of the more well-known stories. 

I thought of another idea when I remembered the movie A Beautiful Mind (2001). A Beautiful Mind is a human drama inspired by events in the life of John Forbes Nash Jr., and in part based on the biography "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar. Early in the film, Nash begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while watching the burden his condition brings on wife Alicia and friends.

I like how this movie explores Nash's mental state and would like to do something similar in my piece. I think this would be interesting and could give me a lot of things to do with my piece.

That's all for now!

- Rachel

Writing a Script

Hi all!

So a little fun fact about me is I want to be a screenwriter. I'm going to school to major in English and minor in Film with hopes of one day becoming a successful screenwriter.

Behind every good film (in my case a short film) is a good screenplay. Mrs. Stoklosa told us in class the other day that she would teach us a lesson on writing a script/screenplay, so I'm really looking forward to that. I would really like to develop my skills so I can write a good screenplay for my short film.

I read an article online titled "5 Tips for Screenwriters: How to Write a Short Film" on screencraft.org that states the top 5 tips for screenwriters when it comes to writing a screenplay for a short film.

These are the 5 tips given:

1. Short films are the most important moments in a character’s life
Don’t waste time telling about non-essential moments or events. Focus on the decisions, actions, and goals that define who a character is or who a group of characters are. This might involve starting your story in media res, where the audience enters a story (or a scene) that is already in motion.

2.  Remember, film is a visual medium.
Movies are something we watch, so make sure you are delivering a story that uses visuals in an important/interesting/dynamic way. This is different from genre to genre. Action movies need to come up with exciting visual conflicts, spy films need to show people deceiving others or retrieving information in some way, and dramas need to hone in on a change in a character, or their situation, or their relationship/s.

3. Show the beginning, middle, and ending of the story.
Introduce characters with goals, show them encountering obstacles and trying to overcome those obstacles. Show us how they or their world has changed. Set up and resolve dramatic questions. If a story feels unfinished, the emotional impact will be diffused, and the third act will be anticlimactic.

4. Concept driven, more often than plot-driven.
Strong stories that work quickly are great for short films, but concepts are even better. Rather than investing in pages of twists and turns in a relationship or the deadly challenges of a war epic, a strong concept’s appeal is on display from page one. Shorts are useful for highlighting the urgency and originality of an idea we haven’t seen before.

5. There doesn’t need to be a twist.
As with any plot contrivance, if it works, it works. But if there are pages of the story devoted to building to the twist instead of telling the story, chances are those pages aren’t very interesting. Regardless of intent, expository dialogue or scenes that barely serve to develop the current story should be changed or eliminated. If a twist ending is dragging you into bad habits, then avoid the twist ending.

I found these 5 tips to be very helpful when it comes to deciding how I want to set up my screenplay.

That's all for now!

-Rachel

Finding a Genre

Ugh!

Even though this project is due in less than two months, I feel so stressed!

I've been watching a lot of sample projects from past A-Level students and have found that a lot of them embody the drama genre or the horror genre. These are the two genres I've sort of been juggling between. I like horror because I can do a lot of stuff with it, plus I'm a huge horror movie buff. I've always wanted to do a horror short film, but I'm just not sure if I really want to for this specific project.
Therefore, I've been leaning more towards the drama genre, also because most of the ideas I've thought of (mentioned in the previous blog post) fall under that category. I want my short film to kind of send a message or mean something if that makes sense. I love short films or films in general with subliminal messages that make the viewer feel something.

The thing that's stressing me out though is picking what I want the short film to actually be about. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been juggling a few ideas.

Even though I'm still struggling to figure out an idea, I know I have to figure it out soon. I really don't have that much time, and I don't want to procrastinate this project. That is why I need to come up with a plan and a schedule. I want to get everything done so I'm not doing everything at the last minute. My time management skills really aren't the greatest, so I really want to work on them for this project. It's a new year and a new me! I definitely don't want to make the same mistakes I made with last year's portfolio project.

Well, that's all for now!

-Rachel

Portfolio Project!!

Hi all!

So another year, another portfolio project. I am extremely stressed, to say the least. The project I chose was a short film. I have always wanted to make a short film, and I'm so glad I am being presented with the opportunity to make one!

The only downfall is I have no idea what I want to do mine on.

I've juggled with a few ideas such as a woman who is stuck in an abusive relationship, a person who struggles with anxiety (specifically social anxiety), or a person who has a difficult relationship with their mother (I saw a sample project that had something to do with this that I really enjoyed.) I know these ideas sound like really heavy topics, but I was leaning towards doing my project on a heavy topic. After seeing the movie Parasite I also kind of like the idea of doing it on class structure.

I have so many ideas and I'm so indecisive so this will be a process. I'm just going to watch more sample projects and some other short films on Youtube to draw some inspiration.

That's all for now!

- Rachel

Marketing Project

Hi again,

In this post, I will be reflecting on my marketing project. I thought this project was really interesting that taught me a few things. My partner and I chose to do our campaign based on a non-profit pet adoption/foster care organization called Wonder Paws.

My partner Camila and I began our project by researching two companies beforehand that were very similar to Wonder Paws. Conducting this research helped aid in us getting a background on what our campaign should be about and the things we should include in it, for example, information target audience, social media marketing techniques, etc.

I recreated Wonder Paws’ website into what I believe looked best and what fit with our campaign. I liked the way it came out as I managed to make it look for clean and organized, as before everything was kind of all over the place.

On the website, I added a section of merchandise where donators can purchase items, and in turn, their donation goes straight to Wonder Paws, and they have a cool new product. Items I included on this section were hoodies, t-shirts, and cups. Each product had our new Wonder Paws logo on it or the word “adopt.” I thought adding this was a good idea of drawing donators in as they get something in return.

I learned a lot about target audience specifically while doing this project. I learned that keeping targets audience in mind throughout your campaign or whatever your doing is extremely important as it is will help you when it comes to thinking of marketing techniques and ideas and how to make your campaign or project more appealing. I am looking to use these skills I learned in my portfolio  project as target audience is very important when it comes to making things like short films. Keeping target audience in mind will help me make a short film that is well made and well thought out.

That’s all for now x

A Level !!!

Hi, blog!

It's been quite a while since I last posted when I was still in Media Studies AS, and I am now in A Level! I wanted to create a different blog for my A Level project because I really wanted a fresh start and kind of wanted to compare the two blogs as I go along with my project.

Instead of a film opening, this year I am doing a short film. I'm a little nervous as I've never done anything this big before, but at the same time, I'm excited to start the process of thinking of different ideas and planning.

I'm working alone on this project, which is what I usually prefer when it comes to projects like this as it allows me to have full creative freedom. I already have a few ideas jotted down for the short film so I'm really looking forward to the next few months!

That's all for now x