Timeline & Figuring Out Structure of Project

Timeline

Having a Schedule is very important since it will allow me to stay on track and finish the project on time. However, having a schedule can also allow room for error if something does not go according to plan. Below is an outline of what I must accomplish throughout the next weeks.

Breakdown 

1. Research for Portfolio Project, selecting Genre
2. Film Opening + Credits Research. 
3. Creating a Timeline for When Things are Due
4. Reflection, Incorporating a Media Theory
5. Storyboard + Script
6. Character Development + Mise-en-scene
7. Audio for Project
8. Fonts + Formatting
9. Filming Days 1-4
10. Editing Days 1-2
11. Research for CCR Questions 1-4
12. Production of CCR
13. Editing of CCR
14. Overall Feedback of Portfolio Project

Right now we are on week 2 out of the 8 weeks allowed to work on this project. The Timeline Below will give me an idea of when things are due, doing this gave me an idea of when I should do hard deadlines to make sure that I stay on track if for some reason I start to fall behind. Each Bullet point below is a Blog Post that will act as a due date for something important that will be used in the Portfolio, it could also just be research.

Timeline

    Week 1 - (1/29 - 2/2)

• Transition to Portfolio Project - Brainstorming                 ✅
• 2 Possible Genres for the Project - Narrowing it down    ✅

    Week 2 - (2/3 - 2/9)

• 3 Film Openings - From Chosen Genre             ✅
• 3 Credit Sequences - From Chosen Genre        ✅
• Schedule - Portfolio Project Due Dates    ➡️     (Current Blog Post)
• 1 Variety Post - Possible Sound/Music Choices

    Week 3 - (2/10 - 2/16)

• Reflection - Analyzing Feedback from Teacher
• Integration of One Media Theory - Choose Best Option
• Summarizing Project Idea - Breakdown of Film
• Storyboard &/or Script 

    Week 4 - (2/17 - 2/23)

• Character Development - Choose Character Traits & Tone
• Part 1 - Mise-en-scene - Selecting Costume, Set
• Part 2 - Mise-en-scene - Selecting Props, Lighting
• Audio - Choosing Audio for the Project

    Week 5 - (2/24 - 3/2)

• Titles - Fonts & Formatting Order of Credits
• First Day of Filming
• Filming Day 2
• Filming Day 3

    Week 6 - (3/3 - 3/9)

• Final Day of Filming
• Editing Day 1
• Editing Day 2 - Wrapping it Up
• Research for CCR Question 1

    Week 7 - (3/10 - 3/16)

• Research for CCR Question 2
• Research for CCR Question 3
• Research for CCR Question 4
• CCR Production Ideas - How to Answer Each Question

    Week 8 - (3/17 - 3/25)

• Production of CCR 
• Editing CCR
• Overall Feedback of the Project
• Links to Portfolio Project & CCR

Credit Sequence Ideas

 Credit Sequence Ideas

I watched the opening Credit Scene of "Joy Ride" (2023). Even though this Movie does not fall into the same Genre, the way that the credits were presented to the viewer was interesting. Every Main Actor/Character has a part in the Opening Scene which shows their name and a picture of them in the Movie. It sometimes includes something that shows some sort of key characteristic for them or an object that played a key part in the movie. Source: Art of The Title

Another Credit Scene that I looked at was "Pokémon Detective Pikachu - (2019)". This credit scene was interesting since it used Pokémon to show the Producer, Cast, Director, and many others. The reason behind this was not just because the movie was based on Pokémon but also to create a fun way to show the credits, leading people to stay engaged and watch the credits. So if including something to help keep the viewer engaged worked for this Movie, recreating this in my film opening would allow the viewer to want to stay and find out more. Below is the Closing Title Sequence for "Pokémon Detective Pikachu - (2019)".

The last Opening Scene that I looked at was "Catch Me If You Can - (2002)". The Title Sequence was interesting because it only consisted of animated things. For example, The animated people that are used throughout the opening title sequence are used to show places where the movie took place. Trying to incorporate this would be a bit complicated since the opening film project is only 2 minutes long, so spending time trying to explain where the movie will take place would take away time that could be used for other things. Although that might be hard to incorporate, the way that they showed the credits was interesting and was different from most movies, so incorporating this into the film's opening scene could help give it some sort of pop/standing out from other title sequences. Below is the opening Title Scene for "Catch Me If You Can - (2002)".

Action Thriller

Action Thriller

Knowing that I wanted to produce a film that would include some sort of Horror, or if not Horror a lot of suspense to help keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, I concluded that I would want to include a lot of foreshadowing. But then since my second option for the genre was Action, I could create a mix which would be Action Thriller. Choosing an Action Thriller allows me to create a lot of Rapid Cuts to create tension throughout the film's opening. Below is an example of a lot of rapid cuts used in the opening scene of "Mission: Impossible (1996)".

This film's opening uses a lot of scenes that were used throughout the movie to help give a little foreshadowing of what is going to occur. Using the mix of shots with the credits allows for the viewer to be engaged and pay close attention to both what is going to occur throughout the movie as well as who produced it.

The second Film Opening that I saw was "Fall Guy - (2024)". Since the opening scene is all a continuous shot it makes it look very good. It makes it feel as if the audience was there in person feeling all the action. Since a lot of stunts were used it helps give the action vibe and the viewer can expect this throughout the movie. Since the director was a previous stuntman it helped make the movie more accurate as to what a stuntman would usually act and think when working. Below is the opening scene for "Fall Guy - (2024)".

The Last Film that I looked at was "A New Hope - Star Wars (1977)". Since Star Wars is one of the most popular movie series ever, trying to incorporate some techniques that they used for the opening scene could help attract the viewer immediately. Since George Lucas started the film immediately into the action it helped attract the viewer immediately, without spending time to introduce everyone. This technique was interesting since when he was first starting no one knew who anyone was so having it start immediately without any explanation was a risk that he took and it turned out to be a good risk.

Since "Mission: Impossible (1996)", incorporated a lot of rapid cuts it gave me the inspiration to try and recreate it. "Fall Guy - (2024)" gave me the inspiration to maybe try to do the whole opening scene in one shot but it led me to realize that I wouldn't be able to include the credits as Mission Impossible did. "A New Hope - Star Wars (1977)" was interesting because it went straight into the action, it didn't introduce anything or anyone, this could be another technique that I could incorporate. Either way, all these opening scenes gave me inspiration on various techniques and ways to film the opening scene for this project.

Picking the Genre & The Story

Picking the Genre & The Story

GENRE

Still undecided about which genre to pick I have narrowed it down to 2 Possible Options. It could be the Action Genre or the Horror Genre. Both of these genres in my opinion would be the most fun to create a film intro for. Both usually have intense scenes at the beginning allowing the viewer to see what type of things would happen throughout the movie. 

    Action: With the previous post, I was talking about maybe creating a film intro similar to James Bond. Having an Opening Credit Scene is sort of like a trailer allowing the viewers to get a sneak peak at what would occur throughout the movie. With an action movie, it is important to show that this movie will include a lot of action shots and shots with fast pacing to help hook the audience. Having a well-made opening credit scene allows for a tone to be set throughout the movie, which is sort of like giving a taste to the viewers. This not only acts like a trailer to grab their attention but then it transitions to the actual film immediately after. The first Video would show what the opening credit scene would be and the second video would show what could be before or after the credit scene.

    Horror: A possible option for a horror intro for this project could be an opening scene where it is the present and something bad has happened. It could then lead to a transition where it starts to introduce all the credits for everyone who worked on this movie, at the same time while this is happening a beat starts to play sort of like an intense beat to show that something is going to happen. After this has happened it will transition into a flashback just before the main event happened or something around these lines to hook the viewer and see what is happening next. An example of a beat that is well known to show that something is going to happen is the JAWS sound effect when the Shark is about to attack. 

Overall whichever genre I decide to pick it will most likely include some type of music or beat to help show the viewer that this movie will be intense and would be worth watching. Having the right tone from the beginning can help let the viewer know if the movie will be fast-paced or if there will be parts where you will have to wait for something to happen and help bring suspense.

Transitioning into the Cambridge Portfolio Project

Transitioning into the Cambridge Portfolio Project 

Hello Cambridge, From now on the majority of my blogs will be about the Cambridge Portfolio Project. Everything that I had posted before has helped me learn and explore new topics that will help me create my Film for this Project. This project will hopefully allow me to show my progression from when I started at the beginning of the year to now where I have gained new knowledge.

Furthermore, When my class was introduced to film openings it was made very clear that the first few moments of the film should be made very carefully as this will help hook the viewer and leave them wanting more. A couple of ideas that came to mind when I first heard about this project were like creating a scene similar to the opening of "James Bond". Starting off with a scene in a casino or a heist, after this all happens then it proceeds to music playing where it starts to display all the credits and the name of the movie. 

This approach would help to sort of introduce the main character which could be both. Either the villain or the Hero, both ways seem very fun to create. This one stands out a lot to me since I believe starting a scene with an action shot helps attract people a lot faster. Having the ability to create whatever you want allows people to think outside the box. This project allows people to develop a character that can practically be from anything.

Blog Posting - Music Marketing #2

Crafting the Vision

From brainstorming to making the mood boards, our group has been working to shape Noah Ryan’s identity as a starting artist in the country music genre. Inspired by the mood and themes of Chris Stapleton’s Cold, we’ve designed Shattered to be a soulful and emotional experience for listeners. With every lyric and visual, we aim to tell a story that resonates deeply with our audience.

Marketing Strategy

To make Noah Ryan’s debut impactful, we are using various platforms:

Website: Noah-Ryan.com will serve as the central hub for updates, tour dates, and merchandise.

Social Media: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will showcase behind-the-scenes clips, daily life updates, and creative processes to engage fans personally.

Streaming Platforms: Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music will help Shattered reach diverse audiences globally.

The Video: Building the Story

The Process in Action

The teamwork that went into designing Noah Ryan’s brand.

The behind-of-the-scenes video: 

Shattered Behind the Scenes

Transcript:  

For our music marketing project, we started by choosing a song and developing a new artist. Our artist is named Noah Ryan, and his first song is entitled Shattered. It is a heartbreaking song, so we decided to create a storytelling-type music video. We chose to portray a story that would appeal to the already established country music target audience of middle-aged men and decided to expand his audience by targeting younger adults, too. We had fun creating a marketing plan for Noah Ryan and developing his brand identity, but I speak for all of us when I say recording the music video was our favorite as we got to be creative with how we wanted to tell a story.

Blog Posting - Music Marketing #1

 We decided to recreate the video "Cold" by Chris Stapleton for our Music Marketing Project. We decided to make an artist that is a solo artist and this song is his debut single. His name is Noah Ryan and the song name is Shattered. The personality and how our singer would look are still in progress but we have worked on the mood board a little, which is shown below:

Apart from making a debut single, our artist will also have a few forms of social media to help grow his fanbase and gain recognition from people who like the country genre.

• Noah-Ryan.com
• Instagram
• TikTok
• YouTube
• YouTube Music
• Spotify
• Apple Music

First having a Website will allow Fans to go to a specific place where information about the artist can be found as well as being able to purchase merch like clothes, Stickers, and various other forms of memorabilia. On the website, you can also add Tour Dates and sell them to see how many people click on the website and see if you are growing in popularity as time passes. This can help because a certain campaign is not working, then it's easier to determine the cause and can be used to switch either campaigns completely or change a few tactics.

Second, having Social Media can help promote the music/videos of the songs. It can show behind the scenes of the videos getting made or how songs are created. This will help gain listeners and fans as time progresses without actually having to release songs. Gaining Listeners/Fans through this also allows for different techniques to be used apart from being Strictly Only Music. For Example, they can comment on various other things like what's happening around them or a daily life blog.

Third having Various Listening platforms will help reach various audiences that listen on different platforms for various reasons. Spotify is one audience and then YouTube & Apple Music are other audiences, reaching all of these platforms can help promote and expand fanbases through various platforms to gain people who will support you along the journey.

Apart from this, we have also been working on recording the actual video, throughout the past few days and the weekend one of our teammates was able to record a few shots where various techniques were used to help represent our video more accurately. Today in school more shots and various photos were used with the rest of the classmates to further conduct the storytelling.