Mustard Cambur: 2020-03-15

Cabin Fever

EVERYTHING is fine, it's not like I don't stay home only watching movies all the time anyways. I don't have cabin fever.

However!, I've been thinking, and doing my story in this circumstance, while it feels fitting because of the subject matter, I feel like I wouldn't be able to give it the justice it deserves, and THAT would make me go mad.

So, I've been trying to figure out how I could make it work. My cousin has a bunch of equipment he's going to let me borrow so that's that. I no longer have the trial for final cut, and purchasing right now seems dumb, since I'll be going to college in a few months where it's literally free. So, I decided to put my subscription to use and learn how to use Premiere now that I've got time. Will update on that! But the story is what I can't quite figure out. Yea I'll probably act in it, but what about every other character? I thought about playing all of them myself, the film being experimental and all, but that would take an incredulous amount of time, and editing, something I don't think I can do with the due date so close. I thought about making it all her, no other people, like you could HEAR them but not see them, but that would maybe make it boring. I though about doing a cabin fever story, but I feel like everyone is going to do that. I thought about making a film about a girl, breaking the fourth wall, figuring out if she should text a boy, and for some reason thought of this meme:

But nothing feeeeels riiiiight, at this point I'm just wishful thinking that everything is going to go normal soon and i'll be able to do my original story, which I know realize is HIGHLY unlikely. But I'm giving it until next week. After that I might start writing another script.

st!

IM GOING INSANE

GOT no sanity left.

While I gotta say this time to myself has been extremely nice I'm terrified of what's to come. It feels like time has stopped. Everything is so weird. I don't think anything will ever be the same after this. It's so crazy. The fact that we're not on official lockdown yet is also so frustrating because people are still going out and not helping to the spread, not flattening the curve and IT'S SO FRUSTRATING. I do not understand how people can be so ignorant and selfish! I've come to terms with the fact that this will go on for a while. But i don't know, it is just so odd. And the fact that is global makes it so much scarier.
In this times of uncertainty, I'm reminded of why I wanted to do my project in the first place. This feelings are not new to me. This not knowing is not new to me. This lockdown strangely is not something I haven't gone through before in Venezuela. No toilet paper and people going crazy is not new to me. Empty supermarkets are not new to me. What is new to me is this hysteria, that is not there yet but is palpable. I can see the snowball rolling, I can see that everything is going to go to shit soon, and we all know it, we're just awaiting the inevitable I guess.

st!

Why is a 23 year old playing a teenager?

I think this was long overdue.... so here is the research for coming of age films

Genre Research: Coming of Age

Coming of age: focuses on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. They tend to focus on the dialogue or internal monologue over action, frequently set on the past. Usually the subjects are teenagers. Change is an important characteristic of this genre.
Genre conventions - content :

teen entertainment but also social problems
personal, autobiographical works from directors
dramatize situations that encompass the child's initiation into new realms of psychosocial experience and the adolescent's and postadolescent's encounters with the delights and problems of modern life
leitmotif of identity formation
promotes the cultural fantasies of a commercialistic society
capacity for social criticism, irony, and self-reflexivity
usually features a young character, typically a teenager, who gets confronted by a mature conflict
goes on a quest of self-discovery
feels alone and rejected by adults in life
young protagonists who feel lost and confused
through the guidance of an older mentor, or on their own
they face countless hurdles to the stage of adulthood

3. Genre Conventions- production:

non-diegetic voiceovers from protagonist

represent the character's inner thoughts and feelings and their conflicts with an issue

catchy indie/pop soundtrack
bright, bold, interesting colors
usually shot in the daylight
Take place in everyday settings

make it more realistic --convey a sense of youth

usually simple shots
sometimes they break the fourth wall
close ups are rare ab character struugle

4. Institutional Conventions- marketing:

marketed by focusing on the teenager/young adult in the movie key art
use of bright colors to catch the audience's attention
advertisements on social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tik Tok
ads consist of the main character of the film speaking directly to the audience, informing them that the movie is out in theaters and they should go watch it.
trailers usually use montages
ads are usually short to catch the viewer's attention

Film example #1:

Eighth Grade directed by Bo Burnham

This film makes you feel like you're 13 years old all over again
mid-close ups as the camera follows her and she speaks on the phone makes you feel disoriented and confused much like she's feeling
disconnect between her and father
disconnect between her and her school life
deals with problems by poising herself as the expert in "Kayla's Korner"
The birthday party scene, makes it feel like a horror movie, using slow motion, electronic music, and closeups, which is perfect.
every social scenario has emotional peril
full of subliminal commentray
so grounded in reality
about what it feels to be 13

Film example #2

Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde

Two girls that worked hard through high school, want to prove they're fun and party the day before graduation, realizing they might've missed out.
representation tropes are relatable and not divisive
characters evolve past the stereotypes
they learn they refused to know their classmate because they wanted to feel superior
characters are accepting and multidimensional
long takes that allow for the characters to be immersive
pacing is amazing
comedy
color grading is light hearted
editing is pretty standard
follows known storylines in a unique way
very updated to teenagers today