Casting

 I don’t really have any dialogue written for my opening. I did this intentionally with the goal of having my main character convey their thoughts/emotions through their expressions and actions. According to an article by StageMilk, “The goal of casting is to find the right people to tell a story” the article then goes on to explain the casting process and the role of a casting director. 

After reading the article, I decided I had to play the casting director with my group of friends. Following advice from my research I was looking for three things:

1. Acting skill.

2. Physical resemblance of the character. 

3. Availability. 

Acting Skill

As I mentioned before, I chose not to incorporate much dialogue into the opening. Since I am forcing myself to be so reliant on the actor to tell my story, I need someone who can clearly convey emotions with their body language and facial expressions.  

In this clip of I, Tonya, actress Margo Robbie is able to convey her character’s emotions of frustration without ever having to say a word. From her facial expressions and actions alone, we know what she is feeling and that she is attempting but failing to cover it up. In some ways, I think my character is similar to Margo Robbie’s in this particular scene so I really would like someone who I think could be as clear and expressive as she was here. 

Physical resemblance of the character. 

I feel that so often when I see shows or movies depicting high-school students the actors themselves are adults. This is troublesome considering that a major pillar of the coming-of-age genre is relatability. I need to cast an actual teen as my character because my target audience (teens) need to actually be able to see themselves in her. 

Therefore, the person I need to cast is a teen girl. 

Availability 

From my research, I also found that the goal of a casting director is to find actors who fit the part but also help the filming go smoother. As such, I decided that I need to find someone who I can rely on to be available for filming. I don’t want to be pressured to rush my filming because of scheduling difficulties with the actor. 

Taking all of these casting tips/requirements into account, I have decided I want my friend Sophia to be the main character of my movie opening.

1. TEEN GIRL

2. Member of drama club/Very expressive. 

3. Does not have a job so no conflict with work schedule. 

4. Has access to her own car. 

5. Agreed to be in the opening. 

   
   

   Sources:

   Team, Written by StageMilk, et al. “What Is Casting?: What Does Casting Actually Mean.” StageMilk, 4 Aug. 2017, https://www.stagemilk.com/what-is-casting/. 

   “What Do Casting Directors Look for in Auditions? (Its 6 Things!).” Method Acting for Me, 3 Sept. 2021, https://methodactingforme.com/what-do-casting-directors-look-for-in-auditions-its-6-things/. 

Technical elements: Sound & Editing

As I’ve stated before, representing the main character is major for coming-of-age openings as the genre is based on the emotional growth of that specific character. The problem I want to represent in my character is that she is someone who struggles with desiring an image of simplicity and order that she cannot always maintain. I plan to utilize technical elements of  editing and audio layering as storytelling devices within my opening. 

Editing

To represent my character and the story,  I want to start out with slow-paced editing and as the opening progresses, speed up the pace of the editing. I knew I wanted to do this to juxtapose calm and chaos but I also wanted to have more info on how exactly this would impact viewers. 

I found this article with a lot of great information:

https://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2233986

To sum it up, the article reaffirmed the effect that I was hoping this manipulation of editing pace would have: 

Slow pacing can represent calm but can also create feelings of anticipation. This will also convey the tension that is associated with the character trying to keep up her facade. 

Rapid Pacing represents intensity and gives the viewer almost no time to think. This will emphasize the chaotic actions that the character does without even realizing she has dropped her facade. In a way, the faster pace will show how absorbed the character is in her work.  

Audio Layering

To represent my character through sound, I want to start the opening with quiet and then have the character's inner thoughts slowly increase as she works. Eventually, I want to have different thoughts of hers overlap over each other to give a jumbled and disordered vibe (I’m so sorry I said “vibe” I can’t think of another way to communicate this). 

I’ve watched Youtube videos on how to add/adjust audio layers and make audio all the same volume on adobe premiere pro (which is what I will be using) and so far it seems like this idea is possible. 

Here are the links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yKgrxEYxds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAQbLnz3F3k

I will have to experiment with this plan more but as of right now that is my idea. My back up plan if the audio does not work is to use music and either increase the volume progressively or find a song that builds in intensity. 

Sources:

How to Make All Voices and Audio Same Level ... - Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yKgrxEYxds. 

Peachpit, https://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2233986. 

Premiere pro - Adding and Adjusting Audio Layers - Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAQbLnz3F3k. 

Character Representation: Set Design

Another way I want to represent my character’s personality is through set design. Since I’ve decided that the opening will take place in her bedroom, it seems important that this location be reflective of her personality/inner thoughts. 

For inspiration, I looked up the bedrooms of iconic movies to see how they were used to  represent characters/give insight. 

For example, 

Troy Bolton's room from High School Musical reflects his interests in basketball and tells viewers that being an athlete has major significance in his life. As such, his room is able to work as a storytelling device since his basketball career plays a role in the movie's conflict.

Devi’s room from Never Have I Ever reflects a blend of more traditionally Indian details (bright colors, patterns, etc.) and modern western elements (unicorn dabbing, dreamcatcher, etc.) elements. This blend is central to Devi’s character as she is someone who struggles with embracing or rejecting her culture. 

Seeing how the set design can be used to propel storytelling and represent my character I have brainstormed some things that I think I will incorporate into my set design. 

My character is someone who is trying to project this “put-together” image. Due to this, I want her room to be simple and clean. I also think that I should place objects such as self-help books and essential oils/diffusers in her room. I believe these objects will imply to viewers that this peaceful and neat image is inauthentic and purposefully constructed. I think this should be emphasized by posters with quotes that promote her intended lifestyle. In doing so, I think I will be able to communicate that this “image” is not real but a goal. I plan to brainstorm other ways I can represent this juxtaposition in the upcoming weeks.

Sources: 

Colussi, Mary. “24 Teen TV and Movie Bedrooms Ranked from ‘Eh’ to ‘I Would Live Here as an Adult.’” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, 2 Aug. 2021, https://www.buzzfeed.com/marycolussi/tv-and-movie-teen-bedrooms-ranked. 

Mendelsohn, Hadley. “The 20 Most Unforgettable Teen Bedrooms in Movies and TV.” House Beautiful, House Beautiful, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/g33012624/best-teen-bedrooms-in-movies-and-tv/. 

Character Representation: Color Research

 Since my genre focuses so deeply on the main character, I established in my last post that they need to make a strong impression of who they are in the opening. One of the ways I decided to present this through color. 

Color Research 

For my story it is essential for me to juxtapose order and calm with passion and disorder in order to represent my character. I want her to be someone who desires to have this tranquil and peaceful image but underneath is a bit all over the place. Since I want to show this right off the bat in the opening I need subtle ways to display her mental state/emotions. I decided a perfect way to subtly but firmly unveil this characteristic is through the use of color. 

According to “The Psychology of Color in Film” by No Film School, one of the best ways to get an emotion to resonate with your audience is to pick and present a color that associates with that color. This technique is used as a key plot element in many movies and is especially popular in director Wes Anderson’s productions. 

If you want to read more from the article:

https://nofilmschool.com/2016/06/watch-psychology-color-film

I watched this video on how Wes Anderson uses color in his productions here is the link (I recommend skipping to 4:40, everything before that is mostly summary): 

https://youtu.be/XOgFEEqhWgM

Here are some more specific examples from the video that represent what I aim to do with color:

Sam in Moonrise Kingdom shown in Yellow to display the anxiety, insecurity, and naiveness associated with his character.

Chas Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums shown in red to display his erratic and intense nature.

Now that I have an understanding of how to utilize color, I have selected which colors I think I will utilize to convey the persona of my own character. 

For the facade of tranquility, I will utilize the colors of light blue and light green. From my research on color (the video and article), I have found that these colors can be used to represent calmness, peace, and health. These characteristics are what my character wants to project. I will incorporate these colors into what the character is wearing and heavily into her room’s decorations/colors. However, I want to show the antithesis of these characteristics as the opening progresses to represent the sort of ‘unveiling’ of her true self. 

This ‘true self’ will be represented by the colors of red and yellow. Red will represent her passionate and intense nature and yellow will represent her obsessiveness and give a slight aura of madness. I will begin to introduce these colors slowly through the character’s appearance and the props she begins to interact with (hairclip, shirt color underneath jacket, scissors, string, pens).

Sources:

Fusco, Jon. “The Psychology of Color in Film (with Examples).” No Film School, No Film School, 27 Mar. 2019, https://nofilmschool.com/2016/06/watch-psychology-color-film. 

Representation Research

 Movies of the coming of age genre focus on the vulnerable part of life that is the transitional period from childhood to adulthood. This period of time is generally marked to be ages 12 to 18. According to the article, “Identity vs. Role Confusion in Psychosocial Development” psychoanalyst Erik Erikson found that this stage of development is marked by the search for identity. (Where do I belong? Who am I? What should I believe in?). Due to this uncertainty, this stage may be characterized by insecurity and low self confidence. As such, many preteens and teens can fall victim to trying to pretend to be something they are not in their search for belonging/validation. 

Here is the article if you want to read more about this stage of development: 

https://www.verywellmind.com/identity-versus-confusion-2795735

This transitional period affects females and males in different ways. I have decided to focus my research more on the effect on females since I know I want my protagonist to be a girl. 

Through my research, I have found that for girls reaching maturity, there seems to be immense outside/societal pressures. A major pressure being the emphasis on a “perfect” outward appearance (fit body, makeup, overall well put-together etc.).

Here are just some of the videos I found that speak on this subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhGOLYMkdYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mP5RveA_tk

 Teen girls talk about the pressures of societal beauty standards forced on them at a young age by social media as well as how this has affected them. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC9da6eqaqg

Reshma Saujani shares how young girls are taught to avoid risk while boys are encouraged to  and the effect this has on self-confidence as well as opportunities down the line. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

Dove tackles the harmful stereotypes around girls and the impact they have on self-confidence during puberty/later in life. 

This research has certainly given me greater insight into the difficulties of girls in this age group. It has also helped me develop my protagonist as I have a better understanding of what her emotional conflict could be. She is someone who has put up a persona so as to appear “perfect” and gain outside validation. Despite this, she cannot always keep this “act” up and her internal struggle comes from her ideal self vs her true self. 

Genre Overview

Since my last post I have decided I want to do a coming-of-age movie opening. Since deciding, I have conducted some research to better understand conventions/ the target audience of this genre and how it will relate to my project. 

According to “Coming-of-Age Movies: What is the Coming-of-Age Genre?” by Masterclass, this genre focuses on “the interior lives and emotions of the characters, rather than an outside action or adventure that’s driving the narrative” and “the characters’ mental, emotional, and personal growth” 

Here is the article if you want to read more: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/coming-of-age-movies#3-characteristics-of-comingofage-movie

In terms of my movie opening, this means that leaving the audience with a strong impression of my main character and their personality is much more important than immediately/explicitly expressing the ‘conflict’ of the film. This is because I need to present who my character is in the beginning of the movie to show growth at the end. 

Further, the target audience of this genre are usually people ages 12-18. This information is essential seeing as the people who I can expect to watch the opening are ‘coming-of-age’ themselves. Therefore, the main character of my opening needs to be someone who is, at least on some level, relatable.  My audience needs to be able to see parts of themselves within the character.

Popular movies within this genre which display these characteristics in their openings:

1. Ladybird Movie Opening 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ASX4HL90mk

Through Ladybird’s dialogue in the exchange with her mother, we as viewers can see that she is idealistic and somewhat unappreciative. Through her actions of jumping out of the car, we can see that she is also impulsive. Her impulsivity and idealism are also aspects that teen viewers can relate with. Now that we have insight on her character, we see her emotions/thoughts towards her environment, and we can expect to see her growth throughout the film. This illustrates the importance of having the character make a strong impact on the viewer so they have a good idea of their personality.

2. Clueless Movie Opening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UOcp9ydcM0

Through mine-en-scene elements of her house/clothing and sound elements of narration, we get to know Cher as a carefree and wealthy teen girl. This characterization can also be represented by her crashing her Jeep and introduction of her friend Dion. Although her lifestyle may seem un-relatable, her naivety and relationship with friends are things that teens can see in themselves. In doing so, we get to know her persona at the beginning of the movie which seems to hint at the developments in character that will happen throughout. These characteristics are all based on the impression that Cher gave in the opening.

Sources:

MasterClass. “Coming-of-Age Movies: What Is the Coming-of-Age Genre? - 2022.” MasterClass, MasterClass, 24 Sept. 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/coming-of-age-movies#3-characteristics-of-comingofage-movie. 

“Why Are Coming of Age Films so Important to Us?” Edinburgh International Film Festival, https://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/latest/why-are-coming-age-films-so-important-us. 

Week #1 Inception of the Movie Opening Project

Going into this portfolio project, the task is to create a fictional movie opening of about two minutes. I have decided to map out my thoughts towards this project by breaking it down into several steps.

Step 1. Research/Decide on Genre. 

To start out, I need to watch movie openings of various genres on Youtube. This is so that I can narrow down exactly what type of opening I would like to make and what the conventions are of that genre.  Once I decide on genre, I can understand my target audience. Once I know who I’m creating for, I can also have a better idea of exactly which conventions I want to try to challenge, which groups I’d like to represent, and how I can effectively distribute my work. Essentially, I can identify which techniques to employ in the opening in order to actually capture their interests. 

Step 2.  Brainstorming 

In a TedTalk, Pixar’s Andrew Stanton advised that the key to good storytelling is talking about what you know. Therefore, keeping my selected genre in mind,  I need to think of personal experiences or interests of mine that I can realistically recreate. That being said, I don’t want to just retell something that I have experienced, I need to find a way to make it interesting for my audience. I also need to think of how many characters I will need, what the setting will be, and what the conflict will be, and how to introduce all of this within the span of two minutes without shoving information down the audience’s throat. 

I know I want my opening to be engaging but I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot. That being said I think that I need to set the tone for what the conflict will be in the rest of the movie so I’m struggling with ideas that may be too simplistic and ideas that will be way too much. 

Step 3. Challenges of Production.

I think I’m going to choose to work alone on this project. Since it will be a reflection of my knowledge to Cambridge, I would prefer to remove the factor of compromise with other people on my ideas. By working alone, I believe that I have a better chance of putting forth a project that feels more authentically mine. 

However, working alone also comes with pros and cons. 

Pro: 

• I get way more freedom. I get to choose exactly how I want it to look, what I want to say, and my own schedule.   

• I don’t have to compromise my own ideas with those of a groupmate since I don't have one. 

Con:

• Not collaborating means that all the ideas I come up with are my own and so I don’t get input on how to improve or what might be a better option (i.e. “two heads are better than one” not happening here). 

• My skills in editing and production are not at a level that I can be comfortable with and I won’t have the option of working with someone who has better experience in this area (i.e. TV production kids). 

Acknowledging these cons, I have come up with the next step. 

Step 4. Trying to Fix Cons

I think that to prepare for this project I will definitely need to watch more tutorials about editing on Adobe Premiere. I also want to watch more videos on Youtube for inspiration on different ways to use dialogue, lighting, composition  and camera movement to improve the quality of my work. I will also need to spread filming/editing dates out so that I still have the ability to refilm things that I would like to change and adequate time to produce quality editing. 

Lastly, just because I don’t have a partner does not mean I can’t ask other people for their opinions. I think I should ask friends who I trust to be objective with their thoughts on my ideas and my work. That way, they can give me suggestions on what to change and I can decide if I will employ their suggestions.