Exploring genres for portfolio project

Genre Research 

The first step for my portfolio project is to choose the genre of the film opening. The genre will drive most of the choices in this project, as there are characteristics and conventions specific to each genre. I have not developed a clear story yet, but I have been brainstorming and found myself with two different ideas; a romantic comedy or a teen drama. One thing I am sure of is that I want my story to focus on teenagers as it is an age I can relate to and would like to represent from my perspective. Therefore, I decided to research and get a deeper understanding of each genre, so that I am sure which type of story I want to explore and tell.  

Romantic Comedy

In simple terms, a romantic story told in a comedic way that tends to focus on dating, marriage, break-ups, or finding true love. These are the types of love stories that make me laugh more than cry (but let's face it, I will always cry at the end of any romantic movie). There are various rom-com troupes but the ones that I enjoy the most and am interested in exploring in my portfolio project are when two characters meet by accident and an immediate spark creates, or when two very opposite characters are attracted to each other, or even when a misunderstanding causes them to spend time together until they like each other. 

Some of my favorite rom-coms are:

1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

This romantic comedy focuses on Andie who is a writer for a magazine whose next assignment is to write an article on "how to lose a guy in 10 days" and she takes it upon herself to make an experiment and try losing a guy in 10 days. Meanwhile, her love interest Ben is confident he can make anyone fall in love with him in less than 10 days. Once they meet, their plans get in each other's way. 

I love this movie because it is not only funny but it also tells the story of two people who managed to fall in love with each other when all the odds were against them. 

2. Anyone but You

This movie is about Bea and Ben who meet in a coffee shop and spend a night together, the morning after Bea freaks out and walks out on him, when she realizes what she has done and tries to go back she overhears Ben talking badly about her to his friend Pete, so she decides to leave. Sometime after that, they reunite in Sydney because Bea's sister Halle is marrying Ben's childhood best friend Claudia, and they have to put their differences aside to not ruin the wedding. 

I enjoy this movie because it is lighthearted and fun. The main characters' contrasting personalities and their constant bickering never fail to make me laugh, and the love story is heartwarming and cute. Things go wrong for them repeatedly and they have to work together to get through it.

I really enjoy these types of stories and would love to create one myself! Other romantic comedies I enjoy are: Spanglish, 10 Things I Hate About You, Blended, The Switch, and Clueless. 

Teen Drama  

Teen dramas are relatable stories about the universal experience of adolescence. Characters navigate their coming-of-age journey by trying to find their place in the world, experiencing love for the first time, overcoming peer pressure or other personal struggles. The characters tend to be believable and genuine as they represent such a key part of everyone's self-discovery journey. This genre is extremely popular because the internal conflicts about identity, self-doubt, personal relationships, and the transition between childhood and adulthood are relatable to teenagers and adults who remember their struggles as they were growing up too. 

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This teen drama focuses on the life of Charlie, a freshman in high school, who has never had many friends. He writes letters to an unknown friend where he shares his troubles and mostly everybody else's as he is more of an observer than a talker. The story explores his mental health journey and his relationships with his family, teachers, and new found friends. 

I love this story, since I read the book and watched the movie it has stuck with me. It navigates various topics that I resonate with and even though Charlie is someone who felt alone, he made me feel like I was not alone. Teen dramas have the power to connect with their audience and leave an impact on them. 

2. The Fallout

This movie navigates the story of Vada and Mia, two high schoolers who get trapped in a bathroom stall together during a school shooting. It explores the different ways teens cope with such a traumatic event, the trauma-based friendship between the two girls, and the impact the event has on them, their classmates, their families, and their community as a whole. 

The topic of school shootings is avoided most of the time but it is a real, contemporary issue in the United States and I think it should not be overlooked. I thought it was interesting to see how different people can react so differently to the same experience. Teenager's minds are fragile as they are still developing and a traumatic experience like a school shooting can have a lasting impact on them for the rest of their lives.

I would like to create a teen drama for my portfolio project as I would love the opportunity to explore overlooked issues that teenagers struggle with daily. Other teen dramas I enjoy are Five Feet Apart, All the Bright Places, Turtles All the Way Down, Mean Girls, and Easy A. 

Sources:

https://nofilmschool.com/romantic-comedy-definition#

https://glcoverage.com/2024/06/24/teen-drama-writing/

Transitioning to Final Portfolio Project

 The time has finally come!

From now on I will be focusing on my portfolio project for Cambridge, the two-minute film opening. I am a little nervous to start this process as it is the biggest (and most important) project I have had to create so far, and it feels a little overwhelming. However, I feel prepared to tackle it. All the activities and projects we have done in class so far,  have taught me about different genre conventions, camera shots and angles, representation patterns, mis-en-scene elements, sound elements, and editing techniques. As long as I apply all this knowledge to my portfolio project, the outcome is bound to be great. 

In the past two weeks we have learned about the different types of openings and the different approaches we can take. I learned that film openings can focus on different things like tone, character development, background, context, setting, conflict development, or even creating mystery. I am not sure exaclty what route I will take for my film opening, but the ones that I am considering the most are character or conflict conflict development.

One of the approaches I am considering taking is character development, as it can be a great way to start any genre of film since it introduces the main character and the personality traits that will be the most relevant to the plot. It can be explored through mise-en-scene elements that represent the characters' traits, their accent and register when they talk, and the interactions they have with others and the environment. I anticipate character development is going to be one of my favorite parts of this project as I enjoy creating characters and their unique personality traits and backgrounds. 

I am also considering conflict development because it dives right into the story and foreshadows the major plot event that the movie will be about. There are various routes I can take with this like character vs. society character vs. character or many others. 

I might decide to do a combination of these two but, it is going to depend on what genre and plot I end up going with. Nonetheless, I cannot wait for this project to slowly come together!

Music Marketing Project Part 2

Music Marketing Project Part 1

During the last few weeks in class, we have been working with music marketing and researching to develop a deeper understanding of the media world. We were assigned a group project to research an artist's marketing techniques and brand identity of an assigned genre. My group was assigned country music and I decided to research Carrie Underwood. 

I learned about her marketing techniques and how she takes advantage of technological convergence by utilizing a website, being present on social media, and even developing a fitness app to reinforce her brand's identity further. This gave me and my group a clear idea of how artists create their brands to stand out and attract their target audience.

The second part of the project consists of creating a new artist, their brand, and a music video for their first song. My group and I chose the song "Cold" by Chris Stapleton and renamed it "Shattered" which is sung by our new artist Noah Ryan. We brainstormed ideas and decided to create a storytelling-type music video and we used a story board to help organize our ideas for the music video. 

The song is about heartbreak and one person in the relationship deeply hurting the other, therefore we decided to tell the story of a relationship ending because of cheating. 

We established the target audience and overall message of Noah Ryan's brand and we created a plan for marketing and distribution, focusing on platforms like Youtube, Instagram, and Spotify and also creating a website.

Musical Research

How is it Musical?

The musical genre in television and film combines singing and dancing to tell a story. The characters dance and sing to show their emotions and feelings and to develop the plot. The visual and auditory elements present in a musical create an emotional impact that makes the story meaningful and memorable. 

The target audience depends on what the musical is about, but they are mostly targeted towards females and theater fanatics. 

Content: 

Most musicals include an opening number that provides context and sometimes introduces the main characters. The song is usually catchy and sets the tone for the story's development. An example is the opening scene of the movie musical La La Land, Another Day of Sun, where a lot of people get out of their cars and break out in song wearing a variety of vibrant colors and doing a choreographed dance.

Next, is usually the main character singing a solo song expressing their dreams and desires. This song reveals what their motivations are and introduces the start of their journey to achieve their goals. This can be seen in the song "A Million Dreams" in the movie musical The Greatest Showman. In addition, these numbers can sometimes be fantasy sequels, meaning that they transport the character to a world in their imagination to show their dreams and fantasies, however, this is not always the case. 

Moreover, there is usually a love ballad included in movie musicals. This pivotal moment is when two characters confess their romantic feelings for each other, changing their dynamic. In the movie musical Aladdin, the love song that unites the main character with his love interest is A Whole New World, which is a duet between them. 

Furthermore, in movie musicals where there is a clear villain present, there is a villain song. The songs usually have a darker tone and reveal the villain's motivations and how they plan to hinder the main character in their journey, developing character. An examplenis the song "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in the movie musical The Little Mermaid. 

Additionally, movie musicals sometimes include reprise songs, which are a different version of a song that appeared previously in the movie with altered lyrics and context from the original. This highlights the development of the plot and the character. For example in the movie musical Beauty and the Beast, the song Belle(Reprise) is an altered version of the song Belle that is sung earlier in the movie. 

Then, there is the 11 o'clock number, which is sung near the end of the movie to show a realization or transformation for the main character. The song "Revolting Children" in the movie musical Matilda exemplifies this concept. 

Lastly, there is the finale, which is the last musical number in the movie. It provides closure by bringing the main characters together and reprising some songs that were featured throughout the movie. The song that provides resolution to the movie musical Rent is the Finale B. 

Those are the most common genre conventions in content for movie musicals, but there are many more like dance numbers where all the characters do a huge coordinated dance in uncommon places like on top of lunch tables or in the middle of the streets. Dance numbers might include tap dancing since it is something very typical in Broadway musicals which is the feel movie musicals try to encapture. More elements are breaking the fourth wall, which is directly communicating with the audience, or parallel songs which are two songs happening at the same time that have a connection to each other. 

Production Techniques:

Movie musicals have varied production techniques since every piece will have a different style depending on the story being told. The one thing that stays consistent in all movie musicals is that all the songs are catchy and work with the visuals to move through the storyline and develop the characters. Each song is meant to evoke a certain feeling depending on what is happening at that moment. 

Movie musicals do not have a set structure, some have music throughout the entire film and others only include them in specific parts of the plot, once again it all depends on what story is being told.

One very common prominent technique used in movie musicals is dancing. Dances are incorporated during the songs to either evoke feelings or create a spectacle. They are usually intricately choreographed dancer that turns out to be impressive because all the characters dance in sync. 

The costuming and make-up are usually extravagant and over the top to match the exciting feel of musicals. It is also very common for every character to have various costume changes since their character development is commonly shown through their outfits and the colors they wear. Additionally, color is a very important component in musicals since characters or concepts are typically strongly associated with certain colors. 

Another trend in movie musicals is the recreation and reinvention of Broadway musicals. Movie musicals like Chicago, In the Heights, West Side Story, and many others are based on the Broadway version of those stories. Most of the time they include the same songs or altered versions of the original songs from the musicals. 

The production techniques in movie musicals mostly depend on the type of story being told and the stylistic choices made by the producers, but they are clearly characterized by the musicality in them and how they come together with the visuals to tell a story. 

Marketing:

Musicals tend to appeal to a very specific audience because not everyone enjoys watching a movie that has more songs than lines. Because of this, many movie musical productions like Mean Girls and Wonka were advertised without mentioning the musical aspect of the movie to be able to reach a wider audience. People that watched it without knowing it was a musical were surpised when the characters broke into songs throughout the entire production. 

Some people argue this marketing technique is deceiving since it hides one of the most important aspects of the story and some people might get upset that the movie is not what they signed up for. Others think that it takes away from the art of movie musicals since it underappreciates the musical component of them and falsely advertises the movie. 

Samples: 

The Greatest Showman

This movie musical embodies this genre as it is full of songs and choreographed dances that come together to tell a story. It includes an opening number, which is a big circus spectacle and it introduces the main character, but it turns out to be his imagination. Then the story transitions to the "I want" song where he reveals he wants to create a world where he and the girl he loves can be happy together. The main plot line is about him starting a circus and slowly gaining fame, eventually, he gets to a point where he forgets the reason he started doing everything and lets his ego and greed take over. Moreover, there is a love song between two secondary characters and their forbidden love for each other, which is a subplot in the movie. Furthermore, the main character realizes that money and fame will not bring him happiness but being surrounded by the people he loves will, that is when the 11' O clock number comes in, to show his character development and how he decides to fix things.  Finally, there is the finale where all the characters come together and celebrate by singing and dancing in sync. The songs, dance, and stylistic choices help to develop the plot and with costumes are used to show character development. 

Aladdin

The opening number for this movie sets the tone for the rest of the movie and provides some background and the second song is the one that introduces the main character Aladdin, which also has a reprise that reveals he is more than a "streetrat." Then his love interest Jasmine is introduced and she breaks into song to express how she feels repressed because her father does not listen to her and does not respect her wish to marry for love instead of status. Moreover, Aladdin meets the Genie and he introduces himself with one of the most iconic songs of the movie with a sequence of choreographed dances and a multitude of special effects. Aladdin turns into a prince with the help of the Genie so he can marry princess Jasmine and another huge musical number is used when he enters the palace. Furthermore, Aladdin and Jasmine sing a love ballad as a duet to show the development of their relationship. Near the end of the movie the villain, Jafar, almost takes over the kingdom but is tricked by the Genie. Aladdin and Jasmine end up together and the Sultan agrees to let Jasmine marry the man she loves. The dancing and singing in this production are key since they develop the whole story, in addition, the costuming, makeup, and special effects are extravagant since the movie is set in a fantastical world. 

More Samples:

Sources:

https://nofilmschool.com/golden-age-of-hollywood

https://raindance.org/making-film-musicals/#:~:text=The%20production%20value%20of%20musicals,from%20Singin'%20In%20The%20Rain. 

https://thesouthernnews.org/2024/01/31/movie-musicals-arent-being-marketed-as-musicals/ 

Representation in TV shows

The show Stranger Things has many characters who develop as the seasons continue, because of this there are extensive representation patterns.

One of the patterns is the representation of black people as it mostly sticks to the typical stereotypes found in media. One of the main characters, Lucas Sinclair, and his family are black and in the first season, the kids at school bully him for the color of his skin. Thankfully this does not continue prominently throughout the season since it focuses only on the friend group and they are not racist.

Furthermore, Lucas' mom does fit the typical stereotypes for black women in media. She is represented as a protective and intense mother, she cares about her children and does her best to stay aware of their whereabouts at all times. In the show the kids go on various dangerous adventures without their parents, however, she is the most attentive out of all the moms, excluding Will's mom because she is deeply involved with the plot.

In addition, her daugther Erica is presented as a smart and sassy teenager who is too mature for her age, she fits some stereotypes but differs from them often too.

Moreover, Karen Wheeler, one of the other main characters' mom who is unhappy and unsatisfied in her marriage is presented as promiscuous and sexy. She tries to get with a teenager but keeps appearances up at home by cooking and taking care of the house. She does not fit the stereotypes of a housewife because even though she does take care of the house, she does not conform to a lifestyle she does not enjoy, instead, she looks for ways to feel young and validated.

The show has many more characters representing several different groups some of them accurately and other times according to stereotypes.  

Sound Project

In class, we learned the importance of sound and how it adds emotion to scenes and manipulates the viewers' feelings about the scene even more than visuals do. We also learned about the different sound techniques and the use of Foley to recreate sounds. 

For the sound project, we were asked to develop a 1-2 minute audio that developed a story. At first, it seemed challenging since we could only use 7 words and could not include any visuals to help us develop the story. We had to create 4 Foley sounds to include in our scene and record ourselves creating these sounds.

My partner and I brainstormed to come up with a good scene that could be fully understood with sound only and we thought of a campfire where friends were enjoying their time until they realized there was a bear nearby and they ran in panic. Once inside the tent they panic and call for help but they have no service.

The outline was helpful in planning our scene since we wrote down every sound we needed and mande sure tha the backgroun noise was complete and this made the scene come together. 

We used Capcut to edit the sounds together.

I think we did well with planning the story, developing it, and creating and incorporating the Foley sounds, but we could improve the editing techniques to communicate the story more clearly and make it flow smoothly. 

OshinsBauer_soundscape_per5.mov 

OshinsBauer_foley_per5.mov