Group collaboration

     A wise man once said "teamwork makes the dream work" and today was a perfect example of how working together has helped me improve my project, as well as help improve members of my class's project. Working together, although we each have different projects and ideas, allows us to shake bad ideas and push forward good ideas, helping everybody involved in the process.

      Firstly, in discussion with my group, they helped me pick a time frame that i will hopefully set my film in, 1980s. They also contributed good ideas in which to film certain aspects of my film opening, such as various shots of rundown Miami or skate parks with lots of graffiti to get the desired look. Another vital idea offered in the discussion was the idea of costume design, in which our character should be dressed in run down clothes, along with clothing such as long cargo pants and white t-shirts that fit the desired image our film is ultimately going towards.

        The other aspect of group discussion that was highly helpful was the ability to give comments to others, and even discuss aspects of popular films that could help me in mine. In one instance, the discussion of raw emotions as displayed in "The Dark Knight" by famous director Christopher Nolan, helped give my group many ideas on how to create feeling in our film opening. Although the Nolan film is different, certain aspects especially on how to evoke raw emotions were essential and ideas such as creating the tone to display this idea is essential for the type of film opening i want to create.

Overall the group discussion was very helpful and i'm glad to have the opportunity to learn from others.

Films that move me

                                                 How watching Mid90s impacted me



     Stephen King once wrote, "You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself" when asked for tips on writing. The same ideas can be applied to film making, however, and this weekend I had the pleasure of watching Mid90's. The movie stuck with me, with a lot of characters that reminded me of myself, as well as people I know. Often the best stories have a lot more to do with the characters and a lot less with the plot, and Mid90's was a perfect example of this because the plot was not a major detail of the film. The characters grow on you throughout the course of the film in which you can feel their pain as they deal with different situations and create emotions for the audience. The movie to me braced issues our society ignored and overall ended in a manner that was truthful to the situation. The movie as a drama did a great job in my opinion of creating emotions for the viewers as it shared a sad story. It wasn't made to make the audience feel good but just to feel, and in that retrospect the film definitely succeeded.
        In creating my own film opening I want to create a character that is understood by the audience. The character will need to be relatable and the film opening will tell a beautiful story using the power of emotions in order to spread a vital message. I think the best film I could create, would be one that makes the audience feel, as Mid90's made me feel. The aesthetic of Mid90's is something else I would like to mimic, with a strong nostalgic feel that would resonate with the audience. Who doesn't miss the past after all?

The Most Popular Genre

                                                                           DRAMA

     The genre Drama can be seen as one of the most powerful conventions a movie can enlist in order to send us into a film. From Casablanca to Pulp Fiction, dramas have dominated the film industry, creating countless classics that envelop us into characters that will surely live with us for the rest of our lives. Socrates once boldly stated "the unexamined life is not worth living" and dramas give us the opportunity to examine the life's and actions of others and apply it to ourselves, changing our thoughts and behaviors while often teaching us vital lessons. The ability to push emotions onto the audience is a key point of a genre movie and is what separates the genre for me as one of the best.

        In preparation for my film opening, I will begin to examine other genres to grasp a wider understanding of creating my ideal film. A key aspect of the drama genre is the ability to mimic real-life situations and often spread wisdom in which the film deals with certain scenarios. I view this ideology as very enticing as it allows the film to spread a message about a certain subject, that can be applied in everyday life. I would want any media created by me, to portray a message that would leave the viewers thinking about a range of issues that need more attention and the drama gives me that ability. This has caused me to shift more towards creating a film opening in the drama genre.
        
        Emotions are what in my opinion, help create a film that truly impacts the viewers. A mediocre film will brace the viewer, but a grand film will shake the viewer. Impacting the audience in my opening is going to be a primary goal for me, as those are the films I feel have made a difference in my life. The conventions in the drama genre included all the necessities that I will enlist in my film opening. Overall, my shift from horror to drama will help me create a film opening that I would be proud to stand behind.