Group Meeting reflecton

 Group Meeting #1

  Hi blog! I'm in week 3 of working on my project and blog. Today in class, our teacher divided us into six groups, separate from our project groups. The main goal of this meeting was for us to share our ideas and give input on our peers' projects/ideas.

 My group for the meeting consists of 6 members: Nick, Adil, Beatrice, Santina, and Ana. The first thing we all did was share our genres. After this Santina was the first one to speak about her opening, It is about a young and lonely girl. This girl isn't very popular and doesn't have many friends, it is the last day of school and once it ends she goes straight home. Once she gets home the credit sequence begins, she closes the blinds, and then the title appears. I suggested that to present the title she incorporate it in the opening, by writing it down in an actual diary. Beatrice also said that she should add more backstory about the girl, so we know why she is lonely. Beatrice then spoke on her opening; she is doing a horror opening where a girl gets cursed and she is trying to find ways to break the curse. The curse thrives on depression and can only be healed with love. The girl is depressed because her mom passed away a few years ago, and her father is taking out his pain on her. When she gets the curse a tattoo appears on her body, which the killer also has. Santina suggested Beatrice should develop the curse with flashbacks, I thought it would be best if she added more depth to the curse and went into greater detail. Ana did a coming-of-age film opening, where a girl who had just turned 21 went out with her "BFFs" or so we thought. This is the girl's first time drinking and she has overdone it, she then starts feeling sick and passes out. Instead of helping her, her friends were just standing here making fun of her. One of the girls takes a picture of her lying on the ground to then post it online, making a fool of her. Beatrice added that she thought the idea itself was good but, told Ana she should add more analysis and go deeper into the story. She also included researching recently produced films similar to this one.

  On the other hand, Nick, Adil, and I were not set on our ideas. One of Nick's leading ideas is a zombie apocalypse with only 2 survivors. The opening starts with the 2 survivors running from a beast. To escape they run into a dark forest, once they get into the forest they believe they escaped. Then the survivors use a map to try and guide them out of the forest but then suddenly hear a branch break, when they turn around they see this zombie-like creature creeping up on them. The creature pounces on them and then the film ends there. I added that running gets boring quickly and most people don't want to see it. Adil told Nick that it would be nice to see the origin of the apocalypse. Adil initially had no idea what to do but once he and his partner met with Mrs. Stoklosa she presented them with a good idea. Adil's film opening was inspired by "Godzilla" and having a similar dynamic to the Jurassic Park (T-Rex escape scene). He and his partner are still working on the plot so this is all the info he has about the story. Nick added it would be pretty awesome if he wore a big blow-up costume to represent the extra-terrestrial creature. As for my project; me and my group are still not sure but, we have been brainstorming. One of our thoughts is a man relaxing at his house after a long day of work, he goes about his day. He then gets a phone call from a mysterious person, once he answers the voice says urgently, “YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW BEFORE...” (cuts off), and then the man wakes up. It was all a dream. Nick said he liked the idea, but thought I should add more overall detail. He also said I should make it longer because he doesn't think it will reach the full 2 minutes.

Picture from the meeting today.

This group meeting was very helpful, and I loved the constructive criticism everyone gave. I would love to do this again later in our project journey.

My group decided to take notes on this meeting. Here is what we wrote down:

https://gabeaicemedia.blogspot.com/ -Gabe 

Genre: Thriller 

Setting to film: Park, or any house 

Plot: Not sure about the idea yet, has a couple options. A man relaxing at his house after a long day of work and he goes about his day. He then gets a phone call from a mysterious person, once he answers the voice says, “YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW BEFORE...” and then the man wakes up. 

No title 

Critique-Nicholas: Overall, solid idea, try to add more detail and extend the opening. 

https://nickminds.blogspot.com/ 

My name: Nicholas 

Genre: Horror/Psychological Thriller 

As of Monday, my group does not know what we are going to do but we have some ideas and some films we are inspired by.  

Plot #1: One idea was a zombie apocalypse with 2 survivors in a forest running away from a monster on a dark, foggy night and they stop running after a couple seconds thinking they escaped. The 2 survivors start walking with the map they got of the park and then they suddenly hear the sound of something breaking but don’t think much of it. They suddenly hear a monster creeping up on them and the scene ends with the zombie on top of the person about to eat them. 

Critique: -Gabe, minimal running. Running is boring, no one wants to see running.

Some films I am inspired by films like The Shining, Halloween, and Jaws as I really enjoyed these movies and would want to create something like this 

https://superawesomekidcook.blogspot.com/2025/02/researchanalyzediscuss-three-film.html 

Name: Adil 

Genre: Thriller  
Plot: A Godzilla-inspired film, given by Mrs. Stoklosa due to the fact that our group had no idea what to do. The setting takes place in a dark forest (Mark and Park), story dynamic may be derived from Jurassic Park (T. Rex Escape scene) and how science will be humanities un-doing (Life finds a way) Take the new Jurassic World rebirth trailer for example, the new abnormality that is the main focus is a dinosaur called D-Rex/Deformed Rex (Image below)

This can be a mirror towards my film as my monster escapes from containment as scientists get too full of themselves and think they have full control over the monster. (That is all the information as of now) 

https://santinamp.blogspot.com/ 

Santina Moreno 

Genre: Drama 

Title: Dear Diary; 

Plot: The main character is a girl who is very isolated and doesn't have a lot of friends, so when the last day of school ends, she goes directly home to find no one there either. During her car ride home, we want some non-diegetic music in the background and start the credit sequence until she goes into her room and closes the blinds, and the title appears. When the camera pans to the bed, the girl is going to be writing in her diary until her mom comes into her room and takes her out for some ice cream. 

https://anasblogrincon.blogspot.com/ 

Genre: Thriller & Coming of Age  

We don't have any title yet 

Setting: At the beach during the sunset  

Plot: A girl who just turned 21 went to the beach to drink and celebrate her birthday with some people who she thought were her friends; (There's also a scene where she is in the car with her friends getting to the beach) She gets really drunk and one of her friends takes a picture of her lying on the sand and posts it online. The picture became viral, and her parents found out that she was in a bad state and no one was helping her.  

 

  Critique- Beatrice: I think your movie examples are good but maybe you should offer more analysis and responses with depth. This way you can learn more about how to use things and what to add into your opening. Maybe try to research more recently produced films, to have better examples.  

 

Beatrice: my blog  

Genre: Horror 

-Plot: A girl gets cursed and is watched by a killer, she is trying to break the curse. The curse feeds on depression and can be broken with happiness and love. She is depressed because her mom passed away a while ago and ever since her dad has been taking out his anger on her, making their house unsafe and their relationship weak. When she gets cursed, we see a tattoo appear on her, its matching with the killer. The title will be seen when she's looking at herself in the mirror, distraught, after being cursed. 

-Setting: House of the family  

-Title: Haunted Memories (?)  

Critique- Santina: develop how she got the curse with a flashback 

Gabe: add more depth to the curse 

 

Credit Sequences

1. A Quiet Place

 This film is unique; it does not include a post-credit scene. Instead, it ends suspensefully, leaving the viewer with uncertainty and curiosity. The film ends with the mom and her children facing an attack from the aliens after the mom has figured out their weaknesses. Why does the no-credit scene work, you may ask? because it works as a cliffhanger. The viewers are left with the knowledge of the aliens' weaknesses but are not able to see the outcome.

2. Mission Impossible: Fallout

   This film's opening credit scene is very dramatic. The film uses many factors to aid the dramatic effect. For example, the use of active visuals gives the audience some eye candy showing what the movie has to offer. Another factor the film uses is music. Loud and intense music is used to establish the dramatic tone of the film. This is also a very fast-paced production, which most thriller films are. Thriller films are full of suspense and excitement and the fast-paced music helps with that feeling.

3. Bird Box

 

 The film takes a seamless approach with the credits, focusing on the story instead. This film begins with a mother firmly telling her two children that they must not take their blindfolds off. We can see how stressed and tense the mother is in the opening. Bird Box does not have a typical opening credit scene, it instantly focuses on the tense tone of the story which is set immediately.

Research: Lighting

 Many people overlook this media concept, but it is very useful in filmmaking and lighting. Lighting can set a tone, create an atmosphere, and draw the viewer's attention. There are many different types of lighting techniques, all of which can be utilized for different purposes.

  The first lighting technique is key light, which you will see most of the time in a film. This light is used to show or highlight an object or person. The second technique is fill light, which is a very dim light source that fills shadows. Another technique used is backlight. As stated in the name, this is a light placed behind an object or person. The light behind the subject creates a visible outline, giving the viewer a small glimpse of what it could be.

This picture displays the difference between these 3 different types of lighting.

 Other lighting techniques used in films are hard lighting and soft lighting. Hard lighting creates contrast between the light and shadows. On the other hand, soft lighting removes shadows and creates an even spread of light.

Even though the difference is subtle you can see how the light in "soft light" is more evenly spread out"

The last main lighting technique used in filmmaking is lowkey lighting. Lowkey lighting is used to create shadows and an intense/dramatic look. This lighting is used a good amount in horror and drama films.

Lowkey lighting is used. Creating that intense look.

Schedule

   Creating a schedule is one of the best ways to stay organized during a huge project. It makes completing the project easier, so I decided to make a schedule for my project. Helping me complete it flawlessly.

I felt that splitting the project into weeks was the best approach. Here's what I did.

Week One (1/29-2/2)

• Think about film opening ideas
• Post 2 initial blogs

Week Two (2/3-2/9)

• Research film openings
• Research genres
• Go more in-depth about film opening
• 4 Blogs

Week Three (2/10-2/16)

• Research/brush up on media theories
• Finalize project idea
• Make script and storyboard
• Meet with group; discuss group meeting
• 4 Blogs

Week Four (2/17-2/23)

• Research misc-en-scene and how you can use it in your project
• Start discussing characters and how to develop them
• Find the best auditory technique to use for our particular genre
• 4 Blogs

Week Five (2/24-3/2)

• Plan the date & time of filming
• Plan location
• Buy any extra supplies/props needed
• Use storyboard to plan out shots
• 4 Blogs

Week Six (3/3-3/9)

• Start filming the opening
• Make changes to the film along the way
• Complete filming process
• 4 Blogs

Week Seven (3/10-3/16)

• Edit film opening
• Revise the filming and editing
• 4 Blogs

Week Eight (3/17-3/25)

• Add finishing touches
• "Buffer week"
• Extra time to ensure the completion of the project
• 4 Blogs

Thriller film openings

1. A Quiet Place

"A Quiet Place," directed by John Krasinski, is a Horror Thriller film. 

 A Quiet Place takes place 89 days after a disastrous event causes an apocalyptic world. This event brings mysterious, never-before-seen creatures. These creatures attack everything and anything that makes a sound. They move very quickly, so most people have never seen them. The film follows a family that is trying to adapt to a new horrific reality.

  The film depends on techniques such as visual storytelling and minimal dialogue. The "show, don't tell" approach is utilized in films with minimal dialogue, such as this one. It can give the viewer background and information by using a few words.

2. Mission Impossible: Fallout

"Mission Impossible: Fallout," directed by Christopher McQuarrie, is a Thriller/Action film.

In this picture, we can see a glimpse of the action the movie has to offer.

  Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team do everything in their power to stop a terrorist group known as the "Apostles."

  In this film, many techniques are used to create excitement and thriller. Shaky camera movement is often used to create an imperfect shot, creating the feeling of danger. Typical thriller adventure tactics such as high-stakes scenarios and time limits. Creating tension and suspense. Stunts are done to execute the dangerous parts of the film, people who specialize in stunts are hired for films like these so the main actors don't get hurt or injured. One exception to this is Tom Cruise, he is one of the very few actors who perform their own stunts.

Tom Cruise performing his own stunts above.

3. Bird Box

"Bird Box," directed by Susanne Bier, is a Horror/Thriller film.

 Bird Box takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. This film follows a mother who is trying to survive and protect herself and two kids from these supernatural beings. These hidden creatures cause anyone who looks at them mental despair and force them to commit suicide. The only way to prevent this from happening is to wear a blindfold, as seen above in the title screen.

  Since the characters in the film are blindfolded the film focuses on the perspective of the blind a fair amount. So they must do a good job with the sound because if nothing is seen we have to be able to hear what is going on. When the viewer is able to see from an outside perspective the visuals are limited so we don't get much more information than the characters. In the opening, the first thing seen is a mom guiding her two kids to safety while wearing blindfolds. We also see flashbacks in the opening and throughout the entire film, in the first flashback the audience sees how the apocalypse started and the monster's initial attacks. They set a scared tone from the beginning of the film telling us it's going to be like this for most of the story.

https://thegeekwave.com/2024/06/a-quiet-place-review/

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-a-quiet-place-built-terrifying-opening-sequence-without-words-2020-4

https://chicagomaroon.com/26469/arts/bird-box-fails-think-outside-box/#:~:text=The%20film%20opens%20with%2C%20and,immediately%20crazy%20and%20commits%20suicide.