Critical Reflection: Forever In Our Hearts

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Final Project Film Opening: Forever in our Hearts

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Logo Design

     In order to make my opening look more authentic and credible I decided to make a film company logo. By using Canva logo design, I found it very easy to make a clean logo that best fit my opening. I chose the name "Up To The Sky Films" to give more meaning to the story as my grandfather used to tell me that he loved me up to the sky. This small detail gave the opening more meaning.

The Film Logo:

Sound

     For my music I decided to use a site called Purple Planet which a royalty free music website. Though this website I was able to search through many different genres of instrumental music. This made it easy for my to find one dramatic and one upbeat song. I decided to go with the song "Remembrance" for the sad portion of my opening and the song "Feelin' Good" for the happier portion of my opening.
     Additionally, I recorded my voice for the voiceover portion of the opening. I thought it was essential to include a voiceover because it helped give the audience a better understanding into the thoughts of the character as well as move the plot forward.

Editing

     The editing process has made my attention to detail very strong. The time and patience needed are two attributes that will help me make more short films in the future. From using IMovie, I have not only mastered editing, as I have used the software before, but now I am able to use it in ways I never have been able to before. I have been using cropping tools, cutting tools, and audio tools in order to make the message of my film get across to the audience.

  This image above is the software IMovie, that I am using to edit my project's, logo.

Film making Journey

     You never really know how much movie directors work until you experience making a short film. Given I only had to create 2 minutes and real life directors have to produce way more than that, I take my hat off to the amount of work, time, attention to detail, and dedication it takes to make a film. I learned much more about filming then I ever have from taking a walk in directors shoes. When following my shot list, I found myself creating each shot at many different angles, more than I had originally planned because I wanted to get the most out of each scene, and create a variety of shots that could be compiled together to produce and appealing opening.
     The journey from my initial ideas of a horror/psychological thriller genre to a drama, has given me the opportunity to research all three and figure out which one was the perfect fit for the story I wanted to produce. By filming a drama, it gave me the chance to relate to more people and better touch their lives. By showing the world my story, I believe it can help others going through the loss of a loved one and know they are not alone.
 

Filming

     I began filming my short film opening on 3/26/15. Overall, I was really happy with the results of what I filmed. I found that I tried out multiple angles and shot sizes for every scene making up the full final product. I felt that I wanted to film these different shots and angles to give the audience more of a variety in order to keep them interested and entertained throughout the duration of the film.
     For audio I am planning on using voice over to bring the audience into the minds of the characters as well as to create a more involving feel to the opening. I also used a lot of digetic sound but plan on adding in sound motiffs when I edit my final product.

Storyboards:

Final Draft and Shot List

     Through finalizing the revision of the first draft I have created a similar/new storyline that I am more passionate about and more confident about. The story I will follow is one that I have personally had the experience of living. When I was 12 my grandfather died and not only took a toll on my family, but on many others as well. His life touched and continues to touch others including myself. I know if he could see me today he would be proud.
     My opening will be the effects of his death to this day. This will be set at the cemetery and at his actual gravesite. An element I will include is a photograph that will be present throughout the duration of the opening.

Shot List:
1. Logo of the company producing the film
2. "Based on a true story" (dramatic music)
3. Low angle of the subject holding the photo which is not yet shown to the audience
4. As the subject looks out the window the camera follows
5. Car pulling up to the site of the grave
6. Pan of sky tilting to the headstones
7. Long shot of subject sitting on a grave (internal monologue)
8. Close up of subject still looking at photo
9. Subject walks away from grave
10. As subject walks away towards the car the photo is dropped
11.Close up on photo
12. Title: Always In Our Hearts

Revision of my First Draft

     After putting thought into my initial idea, I decided to change from the original plan. I changed my film idea from a genre of psychological thriller to a drama, a story based on true personal events. The story follows a young girl who previously lost her grandfather. The young girl has a hard time coping with the loss of such an important figure in her life. The opening focuses on her present struggles and sadness over something that will forever effect her life.
     My film opening will show the girl visiting the grave 5 years after the death. By visiting the cemetery, the 2 minutes will appeal to the emotions to the viewers. I feel it is essential to grow a connection between the audience and what is on screen in order to make an entertaining opening.
      By changing initial idea I feel more confident and passionate about this story and will be able to better create an emotional story by recreating personal experiences. Additionally, many people can relate to losing someone not only physically, like in my story, but emotionally losing someone in your life is something a larger target audience would enjoy. My target audience is from ages teen-adult. I have such a large target audience because I believe that the loss of a loved one is relatable across a vast age group.

Case Studies

      When I drafted my first thoughts for my film opening, and decided to take the murder suspense route my mind immediately thought of The Lovely Bones. This film was a highly popular book and movie which follows the story of the murder of a teen girl. The suburban home made feel to the movie is an aspect I would like to capture in my film. Additionally, the integration of an imaginative afterlife was an element of the film that many viewers thought interesting and I plan on including into my story.
     Additionally, the loss of a loved one is the theme of the Lovely Bones and is the main theme I plan on following. Since I have had the personal experience of going through the loss of a loved one as have many others, I feel that my opening will relate to the emotions of a wide range of people.
     I also would like to include some elements from the psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs. The disturbing creation of a psychopath and journey into his distorted mindset, is one of the prominent themes in my narrative that I plan on producing. This film has the ability to make the audience engaged in the film by repulsing them in a disturbing way that makes them curious as to what else possibly could come about in the film.
 

Citation:
The Silence of the Lambs (1991). (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.filmsite.org/sile.html

Critic, K. (2009, December 11). Review: 'The Lovely Bones' Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/11/entertainment/la-et-lovely-bones11-2009dec11

Using Sound Elements to Create Tone

     One important element of my short film I plan on putting a lot of detail into is the sound. There is nothing like eerie sound effects or even no sound at all that enhance the creepy tone of a film. Since i'm creating a psychological thriller mixed with a little bit of horror and mystery, the sound I create must facilitate the creepy mood of the story. According to Filmmaker Magazine, in order to build a suspenseful and scary atmosphere, sound is essential. For example, one tip they gave is to create sound off screen helps build fear because the audience hears something and they don't know where its coming from. Additionally from personal experience, I find it scary when horror movies have a few moments of no sound which is then followed by a lot of sound to enhance a jump scare or a view of something of screen.



Works cited:
So You Want to Make a Horror Film? On Jump Scares and Other Basics of Fright | Filmmaker Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://filmmakermagazine.com/76622-so-you-want-to-make-a-horror-film-on-jump-scares-and-other-basics-of-fright/#.VQX3uI54pcQ

Psychological Thriller

     Those films that always seem to get into your head and twist up your every thoughts are the ones deserving of the title psychological thriller. These films chill you to the bone and keep you guessing the entire film. Some of the best psychological thrillers are types of films that include elements of horror that I am planning on creating. Psychological thrillers most often deal with the mental state while incorporating  dramatic elements. Tortured relationships between characters may also be present according to Slide Share. Many film openings of this genre involve interrogations, insane asylums, and a glimpse into the minds of the characters. I plan on following these tips in order to make my opening very successful and engaging to the audience.

Cite:http://www.slideshare.net/tiffanyymchan/conventions-of-a-psychological-thriller-12728719

Genre

        After extensive researching on different genres, I have decided to officially start my journey of film making by choosing horror/psychological thriller as my genre. I came to the conclusion to choose this category of film because through changing movie themes over time, horror films  continuously frighten audiences time and time again. So then I posed the question of what components do I need to include in my film opening to not only engage the audience but to also make them feel all the emotions a viewer feels in more than just two minutes of a horror film? According to Filmsite.com, horror movies must build an unsettling, uncomfortable environment, which are perfectly designed to cause panic and fear to the audiences that are a movie screen away.
     With this genre as a potential contender for my film opening, the logistics behind it are essential for me to think out. The darkness, dramatic effects, and of course eerie music will all be a part of my new journey of film making.

Cite: http://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms.html

First Rough draft

          Through running many ideas through my mind of the kind of story I would like to create and brainstorming many different elements of sound, lighting, and colors, my mind keeps going back to doing an eerie suspenseful mystery film opening. My story line will follow an alternate route to the killer. I plan to open my short film with a setting that is post murder in which a serial killer is wiping away the evidence. For example, blood going down a drain symbolizing the death or life leaving a body. This with a mixture of darker lighting and grey colors will in turn make for a creepy tone for the clip. I am also experimenting with potentially having a voice over of questioning of different subjects, witnesses, friends, and suspects of the girl who was murdered while meanwhile the audience can see the murderer cleansing himself of what he has done.