Creating the Photo

 Hi blog!

Today I'll be documenting the process of creating, printing, and framing the photo of JD and his brother. JD's actor, Gebble, explained our portfolio project to a tall basketball player from our school's team and he agreed to take a picture with Gebble and have it featured in our project. I think the picture came out very well, he even happened to be wearing a Harvard hoodie which we could allude to in the script itself.

I did some research online and found out that the closest photo printing service to me was at our local CVS Pharmacy. I placed an online order and within ~45 minutes it was ready for pickup. 

I found a photo frame in my house that fit the photo, this is how the final product will look in the film.

See you next time!

Film Project Casting

Hey blog!

Today I'll be sharing the official casting for our film project. Three of our group members will be in the cast, and we'll also have 2 people from outside our group/class in the film.

Here's the list:

• JD played by Gebble
• Coach Marcus played by Noah
• Player 1 played by Wyatt
• Player 2 played by Robert
• JD's mom played by Kamila

Kamila is a good friend of ours and a talented actress in musical theatre and she agreed to play the part of JD's mom in our film.

She plans to wear this (more of a "cool mom" vibe but it still works)

See you next time!

Storyboard

Here's our storyboard to match the script from a few blog posts ago!

See you next time.

Mise-En-Scene - Set Design

Hi blog! 

To design our set, we need to all gather basketball memorabilia. There are 4 different "sets". The basketball gym, the coach's office, JD's room and the weightlifting room / gym.

The basketball gym is straightforward, we can use the one at the YMCA or the one at school after school if we get authorization. The coach's office can be any of our teacher's rooms as long as it's empty, teachers all have big desks, the coach would be on the teacher's side and JD on the student's. The weightlifting room would be straightforward too, the YMCA or the school weightlifting room. 

The part that requires our development is JD's room. We'll need to have basketball memorabilia, including posters, a ball, and the photo with his brother. We've split this task up and we decided I'm in charge of the posters. We'll be filming next week so I need to get something quick, so I took to Amazon.

There's a set of 9 or 12 posters for $12.

This set has a bunch of different players

This set has a bunch of different kinds of posters all around Lebron

I think the second kind of set is better because it shows he idolizes a specific player.

However, an alternative is using our friend's room, since he has a lot of sports memorabilia as well as some jerseys we could hang up. We also have a signed basketball we could use. This is what his room looks like right now, before we develop it at all.

Our friend's room

Signed basketball

I'll have to see if more posters would be necessary or helpful, 12 is a lot either way and we'd only be able to use some of them, but I'm pretty happy with how we've planned to develop this set design so far. See you next time.

Developing Sound

Hi blog!

Today I'll be developing sound. 

Throughout our script, there are many mentions of sound effects, as well as a no copyright rap song that initially seems non-diegetic but is revealed to be diegetic, coming from JD's headphones.

My group will look into or develop other sound effects that were mentioned in the script, like the shoes screeching or the heart beating.

I will look for a no copyright rap song for the weightlifting scene. 

I took to YouTube and searched for "No Copyright Music Rap" and found a playlist.

I checked out a few songs, but I liked this one the most.

   

The description confirms this is copyright free, but we'll have to credit the artist (in the opening) 

That settles the song, for the sound effects like the heartbeat or the shoes squeaking, I'll explore the possibility of foley sounds in future production posts and of post-production sound effects in future editing posts.

Mise-En-Scene: Costuming

 Hi blog!

For the next aspect of mise-en-scene, costuming, we need to think about all our characters. 

Here's the list:

• JD
• Coach Marcus
• JD's mom
• Player 1
• Player 2

For JD, we'll have him wearing sportswear and basketball-type attire, and maybe some streetwear. During the game, both JD and Players 1 and 2 will wear jerseys and basketball shorts and athletic / basketball shoes.

JD's mom can wear anything a mother would normally wear, context and dialogue make it obvious that she's his mom.

Coach Marcus will be one of our group members, the oldest looking one, so he should wear a polo to look older and resemble a coach in the NBA.

That should be it, see you next time!

Character Development: JD

 Hey blog!

Today I'll be exploring how we can develop JD's character, as well as a few other characters, in our film opening.

JD as a character is a determined yet insecure underdog, driven by his dream of basketball greatness which was given to him by his brother's success. Throughout the film, JD would struggle with self doubt, seeking validation through external achievements and refusing to look within. Eventually, despite setbacks, JD’s character arc evolves from someone chasing his brother’s legacy to forging his own path. He reminds me of Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko is banished by his father and is tasked with capturing the Avatar, and obsesses over this task. Eventually, Zuko forges his own path and joins forces with the Avatar. This dialogue between Zuko and his Uncle Iroh (a Sage figure) exemplifies this.

In the opening itself, the first way we'll develop JD is through contrast between expectation and reality. The opening scene sets up JD's internal expectations (a heroic shot, with a slow motion intense focus) vs. his harsh reality (airball, with sarcastic comments from his team and his coach.) It shows JD is a dreamer but lacks execution, and the comedy's humor highlights a contrast between his self perception and how others see him.

The second way is through mise-en-scene. As I've mentioned before, his bedroom will be decorated with basketball memorabilia, including posters, jerseys, a signed ball, and a framed photo with his older brother. The props emphasize his obsession with basketball and living up to his brother. I'll explore this deeper in a later post about mise-en-scene, but there's so much we can do, there's a lot of basketball memorabilia out there.

One example of a "basketball themed" room

The third way is through dialogue, which builds not only his character but others. His conversation with Coach Marcus creates a mentor-student dynamic, and JD's forced laughter suggests vulnerability. JD's talk with his mother creates contrast again, between her reminder that he doesn't need to be like Jason and JD's internal pressure. JD's response "Yeah, I know", juxtaposed by him looking at the ceiling shows denial and unresolved feelings.

Last but not least, JD's actions develop his character. JD trains alone at the gym, demonstrating his tough character. Visual cues of his struggle emphasize how his efforts don't immediately translate to success. Him watching his brother's highlight reels signifies both admiration and envy.

Archetypally, other characters start to be developed. JD is obviously the Hero on his journey. His older brother Jason represents a Shadow figure. Coach Marcus is a Mentor or Dispatcher. JD's mother is a Nurturer/Mother (duh). The main theme being developed here is of course the pressure of living up to expectations vs forging your own identity. It makes JD not just a funny underdog, but a multi-dimensional character.

See you next time.

Film Opening Script

Hi blog!

Today I finished writing the script for our film opening. It might still need some revision, I have to wait until next week to ask my teacher in person, but I'd like to document the process and show you the script.

To write the script, after researching different free screenwriting software I settled on Arc Studio Pro. The interface was helpful in developing a properly formatted script. It helped me follow the conventions of film scriptwriting, autocompleting things like "INT" which indicates the start of a scene and properly formats dialogues and actions.

Here's my script:

INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYM - EVENING

(OPENING CREDITS ROLL OVER GYM FOOTAGE)

FADE IN AS SFX: faint bouncing basketball, shoes screeching, heavy breathing

JD stands at the top of the key, dribbling, focused.

Opponent crouched low, watching his hips.

JD [VO]

This moment. It's the kind you dream about. A single shot. Win or lose. Everything slows down. Every breath, every step, calculated. It's do or die.

He shifts left then right, testing his defender.

JD [VO]

You tell yourself it's just another shot. But that's a lie.

Explodes into a quick crossover. Dribbles between the legs.

Defender bites. JD steps back, separates.

SFX: Heartbeat thumps

SLOW MOTION: He rises. Shoots. Perfect form, release, arc.

LONG SHOT SLOW MOTION: Ball completely misses the hoop.

Silence, then:

PLAYER 1

Yo, was that a lob?

PLAYER 2

Nah, that was a prayer.

COACH MARCUS

Davis, you tryna take out a bird?

JD just stands there.

LONG SHOT REVEALS THIS WAS JUST A 2 ON 2 PRACTICE

CUT TO:

INT. COACH'S OFFICE - LATER

Coach Marcus leans back, arms crossed.

2.

JD slouches.

COACH MARCUS

Let me guess. You thought that was going in.

JD

I knew it was going in Coach.

COACH MARCUS

Confidence is good. But delusion?

That's another story.

JD

I just... I gotta get better. Jason was -

COACH MARCUS

Jason ain't you. You ain't him.

COACH MARCUS (CONT'D) But hey, keep throwing bricks like that, and maybe we can build a new gym.

JD forces a laugh but it stings.

CUT TO:

INT. JD'S BASKETBALL THEMED BEDROOM - NIGHT

SFX: DIEGETIC SOUND OF CRICKETS CHIRPING, WINDOW OPEN

JD stares at a framed photo on his nightstand - him and his older brother (Jason Davis, college basketball star)

SFX: KNOCK ON DOOR, CREAKS OPEN

MOM (O.S.)

You'll be late for school again if you don't sleep.

JD doesn't answer.

MOM (CONT'D)

You don't have to be Jason, baby.

JD finally looks at her. Nods.

JD

Yeah, I know.

He turns away and looks at the ceiling again.

3.

Mom watches him for a moment, then turns off the light in his room.

CLOSE UP: JD's face in the dark.

His eyes don't close.

TITLE: AIRBALL (NO COPYRIGHT RAP PLAYS)

INT. HIGH SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING GYM - MORNING

Music revealed to be diegetic from his headphones/speaker.

JD alone, training.

CLOSE UP: Sweat drips

CLOSE UP: Legs shaking during squats

SFX: Diegetic music pauses.

JD sits on the bench between sets, resting, scrolling through Jason's old highlight reels.

He exhales, locks the phone, and stands back up.

SFX: Diegetic music resumes. Back to work.

CLOSE UP: Struggling with bench press

WIDE SHOT: Reveals empty bar

THE END

Let's break it down. 

We start in the gym with the credit sequence playing over the basketball. We're going to incorporate diegetic sound in the background and the voiceover. We might even add non diegetic sound like music, but for now I didn't include that. As we build up to the shot I add sound effects like his heartbeat, which we can easily create ourselves, and then the shot which I made slow motion to really stress. I think it's important in production that we make sure the slow motion looks good and not tacky. 

The first real dialogue comes in from player 1 and player 2 and then the Coach, which I tried to make witty because it's a comedy. Then a long shot reveals it was a 2 and 2. Making this reveal better might mean adding non diegetic "crowd" sounds which would come from the protagonist's head (like the voiceover), however I'm not sure if that would confuse the audience.

For the second scene, dialogue with the coach builds both their characters and offers a hint at the larger theme of JD trying to live up to his brother's legacy. 

The third scene will be in his room, full of basketball props which we've already started to think about - including a signed heat jersey, basketballs, and a picture of his "brother" (an older player on our school basketball team that resembles the protagonist's actor). The dialogue with his mom contextualizes this theme of living up to his brother even more, and although JD says "Yeah, I know.", him looking at the ceiling suggests he doesn't. 

I put the title here because embedding it within the surrounding scenes would be too hard. Maybe we could have it right after the credits at the start but after he actually airballs, but this is a choice we'll have to discuss amongst ourselves and with our teacher. 

The final scene, in the weightlifting room will have what seems to be non diegetic (no copyright, preferably rap, we'll have to find the specific song later) music playing as JD trains alone, sweat dripping, squatting. Then, he'll take off his headphones and the music will be "revealed" to be diegetic (something I've seen in other movies like in Baby Driver's opening scene, but less exaggerated).

Then we'll have him go through his older brother's highlight reel while resting on the bench, building more character. We'll get the highlight reel from the actual basketball player's highlight reel with his permission.

Finally, the funny scene where he struggles to bench press, only for us to reveal there were no weights on the bar at all.

See you next time with the storyboard.

Incorporating Media Theory

Hey blog!

When structuring a film's overall narrative, we've learned throughout the year about various media theories that shape how the story unfolds. Our opening should acknowledge this and at least show a piece of a media theory, so after revisiting the narrative media theories (pictured below), I've found a few that could work for my opening.

Two theories that could work are Claude Levi Strauss's "Binary Opposites Theory" which emphasizes how narratives are built around contrasts, like good vs evil, and Propp's Character Theory (which in my opinion resembles Jung's archetypes and Joseph's Campbell's adaptation of these into his "Hero's Journey") in which characters can be classified into 7 roles: hero, villain, dispatcher, helper, donor, princess, and false hero. 

The protagonist's struggle in our film could be him vs his older brother's reputation or his late father's legacy, constantly battling expectations he can never live up to. The conflict in the film would be overcoming these expectations and the protagonist coming to terms with who he really is. As the first known philosopher Thales said: "The most difficult thing in life is to know thyself."

Propp's Character Theory could also come into play. The coach could act as a Dispatcher (Propp) or Herald (Campbell), initiating the protagonist's journey. If we choose the late father direction, the coach could be more of father figure or a sage (Jung). We don't want the coach to be harsh or destructive in the opening, but even if for some reason we did go down that path and force the protagonist to confront his shortcomings through suffering, this could still be compelling. As Nietzsche said, "to survive is to find some meaning in suffering".

While these two theories offer interesting ways to shape the story, Todorov's Narrative Theory of Equilibrium is the best fit. It follows the three part progression of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.

The opening would obviously only cover equilibrium, which is simply that the protagonist is an aspiring basketball player, but he’s bad at it, which we develop with the opening. The disequilibrium could be a disruption - a big game or realization that forces him to confront his system of values and reevaluate them. Maybe his skills in basketball don't define his worth. The title "Airball" as I've said before suggests a double entendre. Maybe he could pivot more into comedy; become the class clown, start doing comedy shows, become a famous influencer which would be the New Equilibrium and resolution. It shouldn't be a simple narrative about finally becoming the basketball player the world told him he should be. 

More updates soon.

Our New Film Idea

Hey blog!

Today in class I met with my group and we came up with a completely new idea: a sports comedy called "Airball". We brainstormed for about half an hour and came up with our idea, then met with our teacher who gave us some advice that changed our direction. I documented this process in my notes:

Our original idea was too cliche. It relied on a montage and too many voiceovers. The idea followed a basketball game where the protagonist shot with perfect form only to airball anticlimactically. However, as I noted in my original notes, making it seem like there's people is challenging. Then there would be a montage of him training and then a 6 months later scene where he is a new person: stronger, taller, confident, but airballed again. 

This would move way too fast and be too cliche. After meeting with our teacher, she gave us some guidance.

Our new idea keeps the humor but adds more depth. The first 20-25 seconds will still be a basketball shot, it'll seem like a game and we'll be in the head of the protagonist, but we reveal that it's a 2 on 2 practice, not a real game. The coach talks to him and then there's a scene change to his house where we'll develop his character more.

We need to work out the kinks on how exactly we'll do this, but we're thinking we'll develop a backstory through dialogue with his mother and mise-en-scene in his room. A picture frame could have a picture of him and his dad in black and white for example. Or the figure in the picture frame could have him and his older brother. The dialogue would smoothly explain this, either the idea would be he's the shadow of his older brother or trying to prove himself to his late father. Then we'd end it off with him working hard in the gym, straining to bench press, only for the camera to reveal there's no plates on the bar. Little moments can develop his character too without over-explaining.

The title Airball works as a double entendre - the protagonist sucks at basketball but the movie itself is a comedy. We just have to iron out the execution with the script and storyboard and we'll be set.

Stay tuned.

        

Group Meeting #1 Reflection

Hello blog!

Today in class I had a group meeting with members of other groups. We brainstormed about each other's film ideas and blogs.

Here were my full group meeting notes:

For Julia’s blog: 

• When mentioning a movie, add a link to the film’s IMDB or Wikipedia

• Add screenshots from the credit sequences you’re researching, a screenshot of the “delicate, elegant typography” of Black Swan, or “scratchy, handwritten-style font”. Although there are screenshots of the movie poster, they don’t add to the blog besides making it look nicer.

• You do good analysis and discussion of credit/opening sequences, but you’re missing reflection/takeaways in some.

• The formatting and how you include multimedia is good and make the blogs very smooth to read.

• Overall, I think you should just make sure to stay consistent, keeping relevant screenshots and links throughout your blog posts and making sure to describe, analyse, and reflect in each one of them.

For other group members:

• Zombie story, helped with credit sequence (flickers between “real” and “zombie” word) 

• Last day of school girl is depressed and doesn’t care about summer

• Beach party, “friends” abandon girls who blacks out on the beach, and then when she wakes up a figure in the distance comes towards her, helped with the “ending” of the opening, adapted an amber alert / missing poster at the end

• Psychological drama about toxic couple, guy is alcoholic, flashbacks to guy abusing her, adapted 

Notes from group:

Pivot from thriller, a lot of students are doing it and it’s difficult to do well.

From Julia about my blog:

The Thriller Film Openings post provides amazing stills of the opening for the three movies discussed with their respective Wikipedia pages. Even though the overall post is good, I would have liked to see a little bit more analysis for the techniques used and maybe a video of each opening also linked. I really enjoyed the research blog post on how thriller openings create suspense, the different approaches are accompanied by great examples that include links and pictures with a concise analysis of the decisions made.

Reflection

Overall, I think this group activity was helpful for all of us. We helped each other develop our ideas more fully for our films - for me, I realized with a little guidance from my teacher that perhaps thriller isn't the best genre to do because of how often it's done this year and how difficult it is, which doesn't necessarily discredit a lot of the research I've done, as I've still learned a lot about openings and their universal approaches. 

I also worked with one person from my group, Julia, trading ideas for how to improve our blogs and what to keep up. I thought her blog was very well formatted and developed for the most part but just needed more consistent reflection and relevant multimedia. 

Her comments for me were helpful too: keep it up but include a bit more analysis and embed the YouTube videos for the openings themselves.

I'll discuss the idea pivot with my actual group for the film opening and report back soon.

Stay tuned

How Thriller Openings Create Suspense

 As we start seriously considering ideas for our opening, I've been thinking about how thriller openings create suspense. Why some grip you and others don't. As I've mentioned before, thrillers thrive on tension, mystery, and unease. The best openings establish all three right away and I've noticed three approaches to this:

Throwing You Straight Into Tension (In Media Res)

Starting in media res means "in the middle of things", it's dropping the audience into the action without setup. It forces them to catch up and engages them immediately and it's extremely common in all types of narrative media, not just film.

But on the topic of in media res in film openings, Drive (2011) gives us a good example. It opens right on the action, the driver navigating a getaway. He doesn’t speak. You can hear a police scanner, and the tension builds as he times his movements perfectly. We don’t know the full situation, but we know it’s high stakes. The audience becomes hyper aware and scans everything going on for clues, they're active participants rather than passive consumers.

Making You Ask The Right Questions (Unanswered Qs)

Sometimes, the approach isn't about action, it's about creating unanswered questions in the viewer's mind. In "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011), part of the opening shows a man receiving a framed flower. He stares at it with emotion. There's no explanation but it's clear it means something. The audience is left with unanswered questions about what it means.

Letting The Audience Know Less Than the Characters (Restricted Info)

This is similar to unanswered questions, but the difference is we know less about what is actually going on. One example of this is in "Prisoners" (2013), Keller Dover enters an RV and searches it. We can tell he works for the police, but we don't know what type of criminal he's dealing with. As he searches, the camera focuses on his reactions, but we don't see everything right away. He sees something disturbing but the film doesn't immediately reveal what it is.

For our film opening, we need to decide what kind of approach to take: drop the audience straight in like in media res or create the feeling something is off or create a big question. Perhaps we can integrate multiple aspect of each of these 3 approaches. 

Until next time.

Film Opening Project Schedule

 Hi! For this post, I'm going to be making a personal schedule to keep me on track for the project.

Week One (2/10-2/16)

4 blogs:

- Reflection on our first group meeting - what we discussed, initial ideas, roles

- Research into media theory that could inform our project

- Detailed summary of our project concept and vision

- Initial script/storyboard ideas

So thinking about locations, shots, media theories and the idea for our film opening and takeaways from meeting with the instructor.

Week Two (2/17-2/23)

4 blogs:

- Character development deep-dive

- Two posts about visual planning (locations, costumes, props, lighting setups)

- Audio planning - music style, sound effects needs

So we'll be thinking about character development, props, and audio.

Week Three (2/24-3/2)

4 blogs:

- One final planning post

- Three posts documenting our filming process - challenges, solutions, progress

So this week we will be filming the opening and documenting the process.

Week Four (3/3-3/9)

4 blogs:

- One final production post

- Two posts about editing process

- First CCR research post

So the editing process and beginning reflection.

Week Five (3/10-3/16) 

4 blogs:

- Research posts for remaining CCR questions (2, 3 and 4)

- Post outlining CCR production plan

So creative critical reflection all week.

Week Six (3/17-3/25) 

4 blogs:

- CCR production documentation

- CCR post-production process

- Final reflection on entire project

- Post with all final links

So final reflections and the final post with all links.

I'll try my best to stick to this broad schedule with my group. We don't have a lot of time and we need to make the most of it to finish the film opening on time.

Thriller Films Title Sequences

 The title sequence is an important part of our film opening project. Today I'll be exploring 3 title sequences in thriller films, the title sequences of Se7en (1995), Casino Royale (2006), The Silence of the Lambs (1991). 

Se7en has one of the most disturbing and influential title sequences, which is why I've used it for both my opening and title sequence blog posts. It's a fragmented unsettling montage of the film's antagonist John Doe. The credits appear in a jagged, handwritten style and there are close up shots of his gloved hand and notebooks. There's rapid, erratic editing and an industrial, haunting soundtrack.

It's an abstract introduction to John Doe and immerses the viewer in his meticulousness before they even meet him, setting a grim and unsettling tone.

Casino Royale is a spy thriller and its title sequence is a bold reinvention of James Bond's iconic intros, using a graphic animation technique. There's card game symbols, stylized animation and a bold color palette. 

The title sequence signals a fresh start for the Bond franchise. It's grittier, more intense and thematically tied to the story, and the card imagery reinforces the film's theme of high-stakes gambling.

The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller like Se7en and takes a unique minimalist approach to its title sequence. There's cold, desaturated cinematography as Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) jogs through a foggy FBI training course. The simple, bold typography contrasts with the bleak background. There's no visual effects, just imposing text. The use of diegetic sound over the music, whether it being Starling's breathing or the rustling of the trees establishes an eerie mood. The sequence immerses the viewer in the film's atmosphere through realism.

All 3 films take different approaches to the title sequence. Se7en uses chaotic imagery to introduce the killer's psyche. Casino Royale uses animation to reimagine Bond as a more modern spy. The Silence of the Lands lets its realism build tension. Each sequence complements its film's style and subgenre, whether psychological horror, action thriller, or realism.

Me and my group will have to think about how our title creates meaning/tone in our film opening.

See you next time!