Plot Aspects and Characters-Week Two

 We meet again!

     After all research and discovery for my main theme, I decided to strive looking into  my next approach towards my Portfolio Project which is discovering my overall plot and main characters. Since my project is based off of superstition and dark comedy I decided to make my protagonist a male teenager. 

    We all know bad things happen to people at any time of a given day. Though, we have never put much thought about misfortune because it does not happen constantly in a given cycle with a particular subject, this was not the case for Lucas Paine. Lucas is a cute, popular and cool 17 year old boy who goes to Cypress Bay High School as Junior. 

As I talked about in my last blog post Lucas begins to feel paranoid as he wakes up every day in an ongoing cycle of his car breaking down in the middle of the street as he is on his way to school. Not only is he late but nearly looses all his allowance in order to try and fix his flat tire. 

    Lucas lives in a small community town called Bayfront Hills. But there is one particular road where Lucas finds himself tourn down by his flat tire. South Post Road is Lucas's "unlucky" road. Every morning on his way to school one of Lucas's wheel pops right within the same street, the unlucky street. Anger and frustration flows the teens body as he finds no solution to overcome this catastrophe. 

Genre Research

     Genre Conventions

Hello everyone! I am currently on my journey of my Cambridge Portfolio Project and I have narrowed down a few ideas out all the different kind of research I made. I will be composing my film opening based on bad luck and superstition. 

    Superstition is a belief based on fear or ignorance and not specifically based on no rational substance . An example of this is thinking it is bad luck to walk under a ladder. A belief, not based on human reasoning, that future events may be influenced by one's behaviour in some “magical” way. Superstition and bad luck combined are what create a film that comedic but also traumatizing.

    After doing my research, superstition is mostly categorized as horror and the majority of films are scary, since it is an example of belief in ghosts. However I decided to take a turn of events and make my film translate more to real life situations.

Horror

    I researched horror as my first genre idea which contains different aspects of superstition. Overall what caught my eye from these three things is they all have one thing in common, belief of the supernatural world, although my film opening is going to strive form more of a realistic comedic outcome, the base of believing something that is not rational is a main factor for my film. These three films also contain young characters as the victims of the whole film. Taking this into consideration my subject will be categorized as a male teenager.

Supersstition(1982)
Its plot deals with a house haunted by a spirit of a dead witch, who has killed many in a span of 300 years.

Babadook (2014) - an Australian film about a woman reading a disturbing children's book to her violent son, who believes he sees the monster from the story. 

Insidious (2011)- Is a film about parents who suspect there are bad spirits in their new home, where their son falls into a coma.

 
    

Fantasy Comedy

Bad luck happens to all of us even when we least expect it. Watching an overriding cycle of bad things that happen to us can be stressful but after researching, film makers take that stress and that anger of not knowing why those things happen to them and simply turn those emotions into comedy. Jinxed for example is a teen who embarks on an adventure with her brother to break her family's curse of never-ending bad luck. Thunderstruck is composed differently elaborating the same message, "A teenage klutz (Taylor Gray) becomes the star of his high-school basketball team when he magically acquires the abilities of his hero, NBA star Kevin Durant -- but the switch leaves Durant unable to score." My film opening will acquire most of these comedic fantasy characteristics by making my character believe that he is reigned with bad luck and cannot find a solution to strain form it. 
 

    Usually when theres a course of bad things that happen to us we let it overtake us and out mental health will begin to get consumed with untrue scenarios. This could stand out as being a delusional disorder or overall feeling paranoid. My goal for my film opening is for my male teenage character to overcome this "delusional/paranoia" feeling and conquer his own mentality. 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superstition

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlucky

https://www.imdb.com/search/keyword/?keywords=superstition

https://bestsimilar.com/tag/4711-superstition

Week One 2/13

During the week of February 15th, I will begin working on my portfolio project. I hope to impress both my teacher and my examiner with my time management and dedication. My initiative is aimed at young people, preferably the 'Gen Z' generation. Despite the fact that my ideas may alter, I am aiming for that target audience in order to begin my portfolio.

Music Marketing Blog Post #2

 My group and I's Music Marketing Project evolved in a quickly and effective matter. We made sure to look at other bands that portray the same theme as our artist, which was pop, when we first started our research. We considered target audiences as well as the true meaning of the music genre.

We tossed around a few ideas before settling on the concept of a lone artist trying to find his way through a new passion, music, while in his sophomore year of college. In the same manner that our team always aimed to generate a sensation "outside of the box," our plan operated distinctively against other groups. 

A film's production process is always the most intriguing, but it can also be the most fatal. Having a crew with whom you can connect and share similar ideas might help you achieve more success. This same concept was used inside our group when we were recording some parts of our music video. It was helpful to offer ideas or shots that could make our video look more enthusiastic. 

For our group's presentation, I believe we could have sparked more interest in our audience and gotten them to engage in what we were sharing with the class. Presenting in front of others does not always make me feel confident, but striving to share your project with others does.

The biggest lesson I learned making this project with my teammates is how in depth marketing is, how many measures you have to take to make your artist look presentable and entertaining for others to see. It was a fun yet, challenging project but I got to learn a lot of the Music Marketing world that is made around the same music genre. All things in which i have incorporated through this project will help me in the long run with my Cambridge portfolio project; learning how to produce different editing, shot and production techniques.

Music Marketing Blog Post #1

    We've uncovered many resources that have similar factors to our music genre during our teams

planning and research, pop. We started looking into the many artists who are classified as adhering to the

same genre.

    Since our team noticed the difference between media platforms and how influenced they've-become in

todays world, we decided to create our own marketing and distribution plan. First

and foremost, Posts snippet of music video on Instagram and Tik-Tok to see fan's reaction and engage audience. Second,  Live stream on Instagram to get feedback and see when fans want the release. Third: Week after posting video he posts the release date, which is 3 weeks later. Fourth: Creates Tik-Tok trend to engage audience and promote song. Fifth: Posts pictures of behind the scenes of filming the music video. To conclude to our Music Marketing plan on  March 4th at midnight the song and video releases on YouTube, apple music and Spotify. 

Our social media profiles such as Instagram and Tik-Tok, are our key marketing goods. based on our

study, we believe it is the most effective technique t reach a larger audience, especially given our target 

demographic is the Gen-Z generation. Our Music Marketing plans rely heavily on social media. 

 Drama

Hot sitting, role on the wall, and still images are examples of conventions. Lighting, conversation, monologue, scenery, costuming, and entrances/exits are examples of technical norms. Split focus, flashback and flashforward, narration and articulated thought are examples of dramatic conventions.

-Slow motion video

-A monologue (a solo speech by an actor that gives an insight into what they are thinking)

-Using a 'aside' to add narration (when a character directly addresses the audience to comment within a scene)

-Bursting out into song (as in Musical theatre)

-Using a chorus to make a statement about the action

-Dividing the stage into multiple sections to symbolize various regions

-Placards (signs) are used to provide extra information to the audience.

-Use music to enhance the drama in a split role or multi-role situation.

Public relations plays an important role in theatrical marketing. A theater company with a good reputation and positive reviews has an easier job obtaining funds and selling tickets to the general public. For example, You may be a spokesman for a kids theater organization or a fundraiser

Film example #1-Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a homeless salesperson, in Gabriele Muccino's 2006 American historical drama film The Pursuit of Happyness. Jaden Smith, Smith's son, co-stars in the film as Christopher Jr., Gardner's son. Gardner's story is based on his roughly one-year experience as a homeless person. Gardner sees a mural on the wall outside the daycare center where his son attended, which inspired the unique spelling of the film's title. His film depicts Chris Gardner's struggles in attempting to provide a good life for himself and his child. Survival, determination, and never giving up on your aspirations are the primary themes of this film. Therefore convicting a dramatic yet subtle theme. 

Film sample #2 -TitanicThe way filmmaker James Cameron integrates the real Titanic, in its watery burial, with his fictional plot is one of the film's most powerful elements.The effect of the opening shot from the bottom of the Atlantic gives the film weight and heaviness. Standing in front of an actual ship that sank and feel like invaders in its solitude. The solemnity of those scenes adds legitimacy to all that follows; in a special effects-heavy film, Cameron begins with the ultimate reality of the Titanic. Therefore its dramatic and potential scenes embody what the genre itself; drama is all about. 

5-7 other film examples within the genre: Drama

1. Joker 

2. The Godfather 

3. House of Gucci 

4. After We Fell 

5. Cruella 

6. The Shinning 

7. A Quiet Place II 

Blog Creation

 Agustina 

On this date, I will start a blog that will assist people combine their ideas into a coherent whole. This frequently occurs when two people are discussing the same topic. These same blogs will hopefully benefit me in gaining a better grasp of my ideas and feelings. Many ideas are shared through blogs that would not have been possible otherwise.