LOCATION NATION

NEED to find the perfect spot!

I recently moved from my house ahead of schedule because of Corona. I was supposed to be moving this coming week, and being done with filming by then too. So, all the locations I was going to use for the home scenes, was supposed to be around my old neighbourhood, and since I was unfamiliar with what was surrounding me, and also I was pretty freaking bored, I got on my bike, grabbed the camera, and started shooting the spots I liked.

I found some pretty good places to shoot at and I'm pretty excited, but I still have a lot to figure out before shooting. The city might go into lockdown soon so I have to get to work. I also have to make the changes of the what to do about the kid scenes, who to use for the friend soon and consider my friends parents might have changed their mind about them going out, and also the guidance counselor thing.
I'm thinking of using an email and my house for the guidance counselor thing, that while it isn't ideal, it will have to make due. For the kids, I'm thinking of using the same character getting stuck in the merry go round or maybe an object instead of the kid, and for the other kid and the hula hoop, having the character get distracted herself. Again not as dramatic or cool how I wanted but it will have to do.
st!

What to wear what to wear......

I am finally going to shoot Saturday!!!
Since I can't go thrift shopping I was super worried about what I was going to do about the clothes, so I decided to do this mood board to see if me and my friends could come up with the clothes from our stuff.

I wanted to go with a modern eccentric look for each, to reflect teenagers today. I also wanted to contrast the laid back styles of the friends with the sweeter more put together style of the protagonist. I also decided that I wanted the friends to be smokers. As a metaphor to the irresponsibility behavior they have, that she does not partake in with them, they are more careless and irresponsible with their lives and their choices altogether, and since the scene is pretty short I thought it was a good way to use the cigarettes as symbolism.
I drew the styles from shows like Euphoria, because it was a show that was very good at giving each character an individual unique style. I wanted to make sure they were individual and exaggerated, also a little like Wes.
I'm super excited to see what we and my friends can come up with for the wardrobes!
st!

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

1. 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. 
2. 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

More examples:

The Diary of a Teenage Girl by Marielle Heller

The Edge of Seventeen by Kelly Fremon Craig

Ladybird by Greta Gerwig

Submarine by Richard Ayoede

Dazed and Confused by Richard Linklater

My Girl by Howard Zieff

Sixteen Candles by John Hughes

Y tu Mama Tambien by Alfonso Cuaron

st!

Bliography:

https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3056276/

https://www.filminquiry.com/beginners-guide-coming-age/
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eighth-grade-2018

https://filmschoolrejects.com/booksmart-acceptance/

What's the beginning of Zombieland again?

PROFUSELY worried. 
It feels like the beginning of an apocalyptic film. There is so much chaos and panic. It is completely worldwide now. It's affecting everyone. I have no idea what to believe. It seems as if we don't know everything. Why are countries panicking so much if it's just an intense flu for the majority? The economy is going downhill everywhere. Non developed or developing countries are going to struggle immensely. It's so odd. People are still acting normal in Florida. 
They canceled school. The closed all Broward schools entities. BECON TV is closed, so no equipment. My guidance counselor actress is pregnant so she is self quarantining, as well as the two kids that were supposed to act and the friends. I haven't asked my actress because I'm scared of the answer. I'm not even sure I'm allowed outside. Obviously my project is not the priority here. I don't know what I'm going to do. I could just use my camera, and buy extra stuff from Amazon, but where or better yet what am I going to film? 
I'm afraid I'm going to have to change my whole story. I was going to post my case study and screenplay but now it just feels silly and naive. I'm going to wait a little to see where things go. It doesn't look like they are going to get any better. Maybe I can make a film about my cabin fever in the self-quarantine. Looks like we're back to square one. Sadly. 
Everything is uncertain right now, are we even going to take exams? are we having graduation? are we going back to school? am I starting college when I'm supposed to? Is the global economy going to crash? How many people actually have corona if there is no testing being distributed to everyone? What's going to happen? 

the world is ending xx stay safe everyone, don't be selfish, and wash your HANDS!

st :(

Let the music draw in your head

SO, I went to a concert!! It was amazing. It was for local bands and they were all SO good. I was in search of a song that I could use for the bathroom scene, and I was at the perfect place. Last year, I asked a small Chilean band to use the awesome tune, and they accepted, so I have no doubt I can do the same this year. The show was composed of four local bands, all of them played original content and covers. The first one was called Greyt Adventure, and they had kind of a 70s vibe. The second one was called The Carmics, which was more of a rocky cage the elephant style. The third was more of a folky rock, and the fourth one was called We are the Boas, and was very indie rock. 

There was one moment were I knew I had heard the perfect song. I knew it had to be a song that was strong, that started intensely, that was danceable, and it had to be Rock. I filmed all the bits that made me visualize the scene. 

So the song I liked the most was 'Self Control' by The Carmics. I Dm'd them so we are currently waiting for the response so we will see 

st!

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS

BLEED out the inspiration.
So of course I had to get inspired by the king of kings, the father of color grading, aesthetic, mise en scene, creativity, the ONE, the ONLY, Mr. Wes Anderson.
I want my shots to be perfectly symmetrical. Th character will most of the time be in the center.

I also want the scenes to be very awkward. She'll be leaving abruptly, and the characters are always going to just be there, looking at her when she gets places. They are all going to have that odd vibe except her. Kind of contrasting her and her dilemma and the rest.

For the friend scene and the guidance counselor scene, I want to use these scenes from Grand Budapest Hotel as inspo. I want everyone to be in the shot for at least one exchange of dialogue.

For the bathroom scene, I want to use something like the bathroom scenes from The Royal Tenenbaums. I want the camera to be where the mirror is supposed to, and the girl to dance really awkwardly to it. Kind of wanting to let go, and give in to the music but not doing it. Taking a little from the final scene of Jojo Rabbit, by the amazing Taika Waititi

For clothing, I want each of my characters to have something that characterizes them. Even though we are just going to see them once, except for the protagonist, I want each and every one to have something different. The protagonist will have her anklet, and really heavy black eyeliner. The rest are still in the making, but I'm waiting to go thrift shopping to get inspired. Here are some characters that have the vibe I'm going for with the main character.

st!