Creative critical reflection

Here is my creative critical reflection. Its uploaded through youtube

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Final Project

Here is my final project. It is uploaded through youtube.

Little Sneak Peak

I have decided to include a small video showing one of the very bad takes of filming. When I first watched this, I quickly saw what went wrong. The most noticeable part is that my actors, filled with excitement of working with a young aspiring director like myself, fund it hard to contain their smiles while filming. This was eventually fixed after multiple takes. Another problem I later realized is that I found some background noise that I did not want. This however is harder to fix. Instead of trying to cover the background noise, I think it would be best to eliminate the original sound and simply record the audio again in a much quieter location and later add some foley sounds to add authenticity. While it wile be an editing challenge to match up the dialogue with the images on the screen, I am willing to take on this challenge for the good of the film. Please have some mercy while you watch as the final version will not be this bad.

Extra Sounds

While I was editing my film, I found that just having dialogue sounds would not be the best in terms of adding a scare factor. I could add some music filled with tension just before the monster attacks. However, I feel that it would be even scarier to instead just have the sounds of the forest and some extra sound effects. I feel this decision goes best with the theme of the movie. I, as a director, am trying to emphasize the feeling of fear in an abandoned forest and in this case, when the whole forest is silent except for the sound of some rattling of bushes, I feel like that would frighten people more than if I were to add music.

While in the forest, I decided to record some of these sounds such as some bushes rattling and some footsteps on the forest floor. These sounds make the film much more authentic. I would use these sounds as the main characters move around the forest.

I also found a website that provide me with all the sounds I would need to make the film and I have even found some sounds that I am already thinking about using. The first sound I found is titled "Godzilla Roar". I'm thinking of adding this to the shot of where the creature attacks in the forest. The next sound is titled "slowed breathing". I would add this sound in the shot of the creature observing the victims in the forest. Lastly, the next sounds are titled "Rainforest Ambience" and "Nightime". These sounds are perfect to have as background noise while they are in the forest and would make the scene while they are in the forest much more real. 

P.S. Don't worry. All these sounds are copyright free. 

"About soundbible.com." SoundBible.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 

2016. <http://soundbible.com/about.php>.

Location, Location, Location

After some touring around some really creepy un-inhabited areas around South Florida, I decided on  small forest near the side of the road to shoot my film. I chose this place for various reasons. The first of which is the view from outside of the forest. From the outside, you only see the tall trees and the bushes that cover the lower ground. I believe this only adds to the aspect of a "forbidden forest" that I am trying to achieve. Second, There is a small little camp ground surrounded by trees that would be perfect for filming my film. The camp ground has many large thick trees where I could have the creature observe its victims before the attack.  

Here are some photos of the campground inside the forest.

I truly believe that this location will work wonders in terms of adding a scare factor to the movie that I am looking for. 

Passion

So I was getting ready to film, preparing the most minute of details of my film, and I began to think: how did Spielberg manage to create the fear specifically through out his film. Since Jaws has been my model through out my endeavor, I wanted to know what was his line of thinking in the year 1975 when Spielberg created his first major hit. So I began researching some interviews with Spielberg to see if he could spill some of his secrets. I managed to find one interview, not necessarily about how he created the film, but about all the struggles he went through in the making. He mentions how filming on a boat was especially difficult and how he almost lost his camera at sea. He also mentions the challenge of making an adaptation of a book.
Then he mentioned what drived him through out all this; his passion. Spielberg said that before making a film, he dives in so deep into the topic that it becomes his passion. "I have to be willing to dedicate the next two years of my life into a topic". In my mind, this undoubtedly helps a young film maker, like myself and like Spielberg was at the time. When you're passionate about something, you're willing to do anything for it to come out perfect. You're willing to put in countless hours of your life into a project because you care so deeply about it. I realized that for me to create the best film I possibly I can I have to have a "Spielberg mentality" if you will. Dedication cannot lack, not even in the slightest through my journey or the film will be nowhere near as good.

"Steven Spielberg Talks 'Jaws' In 1975 Interview." youtube.com. 

N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2016. 

     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRfTuNOV678>. 

Script!

Here is a short script pf some of the dialogue of the film opening.

Script:

Fade In:

The dog runs into the forest as the two boys chase after him. Nick arrives at the edge of the edge of the forest first and stops right at the edge of the forest first and abruptly stops. Michael, who was slightly behind him, runs past him and into the forest. Once he realizes that his brother would not go in the forest, Michael stops.

Michael:

What are you doing!? Why did you stop?

Nick:

I’m not going in there!

Micheal:

Nothing is going to happen to us, we’ll go in, get him, and get out.

They both stare at each other for about 2 seconds as Nick is still scared.

Michael:

I’ll protect you don’t worry.

They stare at each other as Nick is still filled with fear.

Micheal:

Do you wanna lose Max?!

Nick reluctantly walks into the forest with his brother right beside him.

As they slowly walk through the forest, they  both call out the dog’s name.

Both:

Max! Max come here boy! Max!

In the distance Michael hears some ruffling of leaves and turns expecting to find his dog but sees nothing except nature, so he turns back. The camera switches to the point of view of the creature, hiding behind some trees as he sees the boy on their search.

Both:

Come on boy come here!

The creature moves to a position closer to the boys. The boys in turn are surrounded by nature and appear with a lost look at this point. It is here when the creature attacks.

The screen cuts to a pitch black screen, where the title will be.

Nick regains consciousness as he is on the ground and appears dazed. He stands up and screams his brother’s name.

Nick:

Michael! Michael!

Nick decides to sprint back to his house as he is to afraid to look for his brother.

"How to Write a Screenplay: Script Example & Screenwriting Tips." 

www.writersstore.com. N.p., n.d. 

     Web. 2 Apr. 2016. <https://www.writersstore.com/ 

     how-to-write-a-screenplay-a-guide-to-scriptwriting/>.

Finalizing the Plot

After much thought, I have finalized the plot for my film. I ended up making a few changes to the plot I had originally thought of but it does not sway much.

The scene opens up with establishing shots of a rural forest, establishing the beauty that comes with it. The following shot would include the dog quickly running into the forest and a few seconds later, the brothers that are owners of the dog arrive on their bikes and stop just in front of the large trees. The two brothers contemplate going in given the history of the forest (there have been disappearances in the forest in the past). The two brothers make short dialogue but decide to go in. After walking through the forest for a few minutes and calling the dog's name they begin to hear ruffling of leaves around them. They initially think it is just a small animal but it is enough to call their attention. They are not aware that there is a creature in the forest that has been causing the disappearances. While they have their back turned, the creature attacks. I would portray this attack through point of view shots and having the next shot be pitch black. It is during the pitch black scene that I would put the title of the film. The next shot would be a close-up of one of the brother's waking up hours later, dazed and scared. He calls out his brother's name a few times but sprints back to his bike and gets away as quickly as possible.

The main change I made is having the two main characters be brothers instead of best friends. I made this decision because it shows more unity between them as they go through this treacherous adventure. It also made more sense to have them be brothers because it is not likely for a friend to go through so much fear for their friend's dog (I know I wouldn't do it). 

I also decided to add a backstory to the brothers. I got this idea after reviewing one of my classmate's blogs that did this and I thought it was a good idea. The two brother's are named Michael and Nicholas (everyone calls him Nick). Michael is 15 years old, Nick is 12. Michael got his dog at the age of 6 and it has basically been his best friend for all this time. This is why he is willing to go through so much trouble to rescue him. Nick is also attached to the dog but not to the extent of Michael. They have both heard of the rumors about the forest, however Nick is more scared of this, partly due to his age. Michael on the other hand wants to believe that the stories are random occurrences for the sake of his dog.

Another change I made is to open up in the forest and not to show the scene of the dog escaping from the brother's home. I did this because I thought it was not needed that much and I thought I could establish the escape of the dog without this scene. Plus, it gives me much more film time to show things like establishing shots and close ups of the brothers being scared.

Overall, I think that the changes I have made are positive ones and will only add to the story and the depth of the film. 

Opening Credits

Recently I started thinking about my film opening and all of the minute details that come with it. I started thinking, "where should I put the title and opening credits?" While most suspenseful thrilers arent big on opening credits, I think I can make it work.
I started researching opening credits and I found a video naming some of the best opening sequences in movies of all time. What I found to be the similarity in these openings was that all of them hafd their own unique form of presenting itself. For example, the Pink Panther movie had the panther presenting each section of the contributors in a unique way such as typing the names of the people who wrote the film.

The one I found most applicable for my film would be the opening to "The Shining" (1980) This opening credit used the beauty of nature while saying the names of the contributors to the film. I feel this is applicable to my film because since I am going to be working with the forest, I would be able to use establishing shots of its beauty while doing the opening credits. This seems to be the right move for the type of film I'm going for and I cant wait until it all comes together!

"The Pink Panther (1963)." artofthetitle.com. N.p., n.d. 

Web. 26 Mar. 2016. 

     <http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-pink-panther/>. 

"Top 10 Opening Credit Sequences in Movies." youtube.com. N.p., n.d.
 Web. 26 Mar. 2016. 
     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKlQ0XrLSYU>. 

Story boarding!

 Here is the story boarding I began. Some of this may change if I see an opportunity to do something better such as perfect lighting or something doesn't \look as well as I has visioned. Please excuse by bad drawing!

A Model

I found a particular film opening that resembles of what I am trying to accomplish. The opening is for the movie Jaws (1975).
The film opens up and immediately alludes to the main conflict of the movie, which is the shark attacks. The first scene includes a character named Chrissie innocently going for a swim in a beach and gets eaten by a shark. What I particularly loved about the scene was the fact that they were able to accurately show the attack without ever showing the shark. They used interesting techniques such as point of view shots from the shark, screams of fear and pain from Chrissie and tense filled music. These techniques are some that I feel I incorporate into my film opening in various ways. For starters, I can use different shots and angles to show the main characters being attacked in the forest without showing who attacked them. The Point of view shots are going to be especially important while doing this because it is going to show that there is something else in the forest and they are not alone.
This film has given me a fantastic model by which to follow and it will definitely influence how I will make my movie.

"Chrissie's Last Swim - Jaws (1/10) Movie CLIP (1975) HD."

 youtube.com. N.p., 27 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 

     Mar. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrEvK-tv5OI>. 

The Characters

For my characters, I feel that a pair of 13 year-old boys would be perfect for the part. The plot so far is that two boys lose their dog and while they go after the dog they go in the forest. I feel that at this age, a boy would be willing to take a risk like going into a forest late at night while still maintaining an innocent frame of mind. These two boys I found online resemble to what I am looking for in my main characters:

"Two teen boys at school. They are best friends." stutterstock.com.

 N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. 

     <http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-80600182/ 

     stock-photo-two-teen-boys-at-school-they-are-best-friends.html>. 

The Setting

For the setting, I wanted to use an upper middle class type house with a nearby forest to film. I thought the forest would make the movie creepier, as I am doing a suspenseful thriller and I thought that by making the home upper middle class, I could emphasize the innocence of the victims of the monster. Here are some images of what I am looking for:

For the first image, I really like the aspect of  the fog. It adds a scary aspect to the setting that would not be there without the fog. One problem I may encounter is the use of light. If I should shoot at night I would have to rely on moonlight or find a setting that allows for more lighting at night. If I cant find another setting, I may have to switch to filming during the day.

These are my ideas so far. I may run into some problems but that is why researching for a setting will be crucial!

"Middle Class House." pinterest.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. 

<https://www.pinterest.com/pin/

     512284526336539412/>. 

"Twilight Forest premade." deviantart.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 
19 Mar. 2016. 


<http://i-am-jenius.deviantart.com/art/Twilight-Forest-Premade-280507308>.

Ive decided!

After carefully reviewing of my options, I decided to choose to do a suspenseful thriller film for my project. Although not my favorite genre, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and try to do something great.  Something that enticed me about this genre above all else was that I believe this genre gives me the most opportunity to show technique, especially in camera shots, camera angles, and sound. I can use these techniques to further emphasize emotions during the film such as fear and the feeling of being watched.I have already begun thinking of the plot of the opening, dealing with a monster hiding in the swampy  areas near a neighbor hood. The plot of the movie is still in the works but I am very excited to finally start working on it.
Someone I already began looking at for research purposes is Alfred Hitchcock. Alfred is one of the most famous directors in the horror genre and has even been nicknamed "The master of suspense" for his ability to use technique to his advantage and have his audience on their toes. I believe that if I can incorporate some of his techniques into my film, it will definitely make the film better. I was able to find a website that went through some of his techniques step by step to help young filmmakers to incorporate the master of suspense into their films.
Some of the most important techniques I found that Hitchcock used were centered mainly around being able to put the viewer through an emotional roller coaster through the movie. He used specific techniques for adding emotion to each scene including many close ups and point of view shots. He also likes to be able to tell the story without dialogue, such as establishing shots or through the use of the character's eyes.
Not only can I know officially get started on building the type of intro I would like to create, but I have a model of how to best make it. I can tell this is going to be a film opening I am going to be very proud of.

"How to turn your boring movie into a Hitchcock thriller..." 

borgus.com. N.p., June 2004. Web. 18 

     Mar. 2016. <http://borgus.com/hitch/hitch2011.htm>. 

Engage Us!

What makes a good film opening? This question does not have a single answer, as every director can interpret it in any way and introduce the movie however they may choose. However, all great movies do one thing with their openings, and that is engage us. These movies make us care about the movie, whether it be by introducing the characters, establishing the setting, or alluding to conflict, these films make a promise to us, and that promise is to not waste the viewers time.
 In my research, I have found websites that give valuable advise as to how to best approach the opening. The first website alludes to the movie "Love and Basketball" and how the movie established the setting and introduced the main character of the film. The second website  references many movies that begin with a bang and reinforces the idea that movies must engage us right from the start. For example, the website talks about one movie called "Scream" and how the movie instantly engaged us by having a murder scene as the one to open the movie. Although I am still not 100% sure as to the genre of my project, I know I must engage my audience, whether it be through the content itself, creative use of technical elements such as camera angles and mise-en-scene, or a combination of both.

"What Makes a Good Film Opening?" slideshare.net. N.p., 19 

Oct. 2009. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. 

<http://www.slideshare.net/guestb419e3/what-makes-a-good-film-opening>.

"Movie Production: What qualities make a strong opening scene 
for a film?" Quora.com. N.p., 25 June 

2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. <https://www.quora.com/Movie-Production-1/ 

     What-qualities-make-a-strong-opening-scene-for-a-film>.

Deciding on a Genre

The first step in this process would be deciding on the genre. The genre of the movie dictates the tone that I must create in the opening two minutes of my film. Frankly, I found myself lost in the process pf deciding a genre because of all the different ways single genre can take you. A drama film can be about a tragedy that has occurred to one of the characters or it can follow a high school drama a teenager is going through.
I started researching the different genres available and I came across a valuable chart that might aid me in my decision making process. A chart by visual.y gives a pretty much complete list of  genres that have ever been known along with their respective sub-genres. I was honestly surprised by the amount of sub-genres and this has helped me on further narrowing my choices down to a selective few. For example. If I end up going the route of an action movie, I would lean towards doing an Action Suspense-Thriller rather than a Jungle and Safari Epic, simply for the fact of my resources available. I don't know exactly what type of genre I'll be doing but I know have a clearer mind to what my options are.

"The Complete List of Film Sub-Genres." Visual.ly. N.p., 

26 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. 

     <http://visual.ly/complete-list-film-sub-genres>. 

Introduction

Hi! My name is Sergio Schenquerman and this is my blog. From now until April 10th I will document and describe my thought process through every decision in the making of my two minute film opening. This project is by far one of the most creative and open ended I have ever participated in. I have the power to create a short piece of film about any topic I desire. I don't know exactly what I want to be the film about. As a matter of fact, I feel somewhat overwhelmed by all the options (that seems like a good problem to have). To make the best film possible there are a few pointers that I feel I need to live by: research well and stay on schedule. If I research well in making every decision regarding my genre and resources available, and combine this with staying on schedule but at the same time not rushing the process, I believe the film opening will be one I will be proud of. Welcome to my blog and I hope you enjoy the process, I know I will.