Social Media Research

Hey everyone! It's week three! I am starting to think of the social media aspect of my project, so I did some research on other science fiction/fantasy movies' social media pages. Here is what I discovered and analyzed about three productions similar to my portfolio project: 

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Instagram account

The Instagram page features a mix of content, including high-quality stills from the film, teaser trailers, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with cast and crew, fan art, and interactive elements like polls and Q&As. 

The branding is carefully designed to match the film’s style. The colors, pictures, and captions all fit the mysterious and adventurous feel of the film. This gives the page a strong and consistent brand image.

After seeing the Everything Everywhere At All Once Instagram page, I want to make my social media presence similar. I’ll post different kinds of stuff like pictures, fun things to do, and sneak peeks behind the scenes. I want people to really like what I share. Also, I’ll make sure everything looks and feels the same, like using the same colors and style, so it all fits together. Just like the movie’s Instagram, I want my followers to feel like they’re part of something interesting when they see my posts.

Don’t Look Up

Twitter account

The Twitter page included posts promoting the movie’s release date, exclusive photos and videos offering a sneak peek into the making of the film, polls, Q&A sessions, and hashtag campaigns to engage the audience. It also retweeted positive fan reviews, reactions, and interactions with the cast and crew.

The branding is developed through consistent use of the movie’s key visual elements- the movie poster, the comet icon, and a color scheme that matches the film’s tone. The tone is a mix of seriousness about the film’s subject and light-heartedness, reflecting the film’s satirical nature.

By looking at the Twitter page, I see how important it is to keep things consistent. I’ll make sure my posts have a similar look so that my profile has a clear and recognizable style. I’ll also interact with my followers by sharing things like polls and answering questions to create a community. 

Last Night in Soho

TikTok account

The TikTok page features a variety of engaging and dynamic content. It includes teaser trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the cast and crew, snippets of the film’s soundtrack, and creative challenges related to the movie. The content aims to capture the attention of a younger audience by using TikTok’s popular formats, like short clips, duets, and challenges.

The page has a consistent look with the movie’s logo, colors, and themes. It keeps a mysterious and interesting element that matches the movie’s style. By using trendy TikTok styles and challenges, the page connects the movie with what’s popular on the platform. This makes the movie more relatable and relevant to the audience.

To make my own mark on social media. I’d learn from the Last Night in Soho page. I’d make sure my profile looks consistent and stands out by using the same logo, colors, and themes. Joining in on the latest trends would help me connect with more people. I’d mix things up by sharing not just promotional content, but also behind-the-scenes and engaging videos. I can match my style with what people like on the platform, all while staying true to myself and being creative.

All these productions gave me good insight and ideas on what I want to include in my social media presence for my production.

See you in my next posting!

Developing the Characters

We started developing characters, names, and characteristics for each of them. We created a mood board for each character as well. Here it is:

 Protagonist: Olivia

• High school student

• Very clever

• Curious

• Twin: Morgan

• Interested in becoming a pilot

• Finds the ancient camera

• Always one step ahead of the antagonist 

Side character: Morgan

• High school student

• Complete opposites

• Not as witty

• Ditzy

• Interested in art

• Doesn’t believe Olivia about the camera

• Pulls switcheroo with camera

Side Character: Maddie

• Olivia’s best friend

• High school student

• Along for the ride

• Believes Olivia

Antagonist: Bennett

• College student

• He wants to get the camera back - something important to his family

• Smart

• Evil

• Trying to follow Olivia to steal the camera from her

Shooting Schedule

Now it's time for us to start planning our shooting schedule. This is a rough draft and is subject to change, but here it is:

Shooting Schedule:

Pre-production (March 2nd - March 3rd):

• March 2nd: Finalize scripts, shot lists, and storyboards

• March 3rd: Equipment check, location scouting, and final coordination with actors

Week 1 (March 4th - March 10th):

Day 1 (March 4th):

• Location: Trailer 1 - City Setting

• Setup and equipment check

• Film scenes 1-3

Day 2 (March 5th):

• Location: Trailer 1 - Indoor

• Setup and film scenes 4-6

• Move to Trailer 2 location, setup

• Film scenes 1-2 for Trailer 2

Day 3 (March 6th):

• Location: Trailer 2 - Outdoor Setting

• Setup and film scenes 3-4

• Film scenes 5-6

Day 4 (March 7th):

• Location: Trailer 2 - Indoor Studio

• Setup and film scenes 7-8

• Film scenes 9-10

Day 5 (March 8th):

• Post-production work for Trailer 1 (editing, sound design)

Week 2 (March 9th - March 16th):

Day 6 (March 9th):

• Post-production work for Trailer 1 (finishing touches)

Day 7 (March 10th):

• Location: Trailer 1 - Additional shots or pickups if needed

• Setup and film additional scenes if required.

Day 8 (March 14th):

• Location: Trailer 2 - Additional shots or pickups if needed

• Setup and film additional scenes if required

Day 9 (March 15th):

• Post-production work for Trailer 2 (editing, sound design)

Day 10 (March 16th):

• Post-production work for Trailer 2 (finishing touches)

Riley and I are ready for any changes by keeping flexibility in our plans. We will often talk with our actors and have backup plans ready. We will change the schedule if necessary, depending on how things are going and the feedback we get during filming!

Researching Genre

Hi everyone! It's a new week. Now that Riley and I have chosen the film promotion package as our project it's time to start researching the genre for our film. We want to create a film in the sci-fi/fantasy genre about a high school student who discovers an ancient camera that captures moments from parallel timelines. So, we decided to research these genres and other movies in these categories. 

Sci-fi and fantasy are two closely related genres that often overlap, but they also have different characteristics. Here's an overview of both genres along with some notable movie examples:

Science Fiction (Sci-Fi): Science fiction explores concepts rooted in scientific concepts, often dealing with futuristic technology, space exploration, time travel, etc. 

Examples of Sci-Fi Movies:

- Blade Runner - Directed by Ridley Scott, this film is a sci-fi classic that explores the nature of humanity through the lens of artificial intelligence

- A Space Odyssey - Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this epic space journey is known for its stunning visuals and exploration of human evolution

- Arrival - Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this thought-provoking film explores language, communication, and the concept of time

Fantasy: Fantasy involves magical elements, and supernatural aspects and often takes place in imaginary worlds with their own set of rules.

Examples of Fantasy Movies:

- Harry Potter series - Based on J.K. Rowling's novels, this film series follows the journey of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends as they confront dark forces in the magical world

- The Princess Bride - Directed by Rob Reiner, this fantasy adventure film is a fairy tale with a mix of romance, comedy, and action

After researching these genres and films, Riley and I feel ready to start creating our own story. Stay tuned for more!

Timeline

 Riley and I have come to a decision... 

We have decided on the film promotion project. We went back and forth between the film promotion and the documentary package. We ultimately decided that the film promotion was easier than the documentary because it was more difficult for us to come up with an idea about something that had happened or a current event. After discussing, it t was simpler for us to develop a fiction story than a nonfiction. 

Our idea for our project is to make a production about we thought about making a drama movie. One idea we thought of is about an old camera that a character discovers. Each picture on the camera has a story to tell. We believe there are so many possibilities for a movie.

For the film promo, we'll be working on two trailers, a social media page, and a movie poster over the next nine weeks. Now that we have decided on our project, Riley and I created a timeline for the next nine weeks. 

Here it is: 

Week One 2/12-2/18

- Choose project package

- Choose genre

- Post to blog

Week Two: 2/19-2/25

- Research genre

- Develop storyline/characters

- Create a shooting schedule

- Post to blog

Week Three 2/26-3/3

- Continue research of other components (poster/social media)

- Create storyboard/shot list

- Create script

- Post to blog

Week Four 3/4-3/10

- Begin shooting trailers

- Begin social media page

- Post to blog

Week Five 3/11-3/17

- Continue filming trailers

- Continue posting on social media

- Researching/planning poster

- Post to blog

Week Six 3/18-3/24

- Begin the post-production process of trailers

- Continue posting on social media

- Post to blog

Week Seven 3/25-3/31

- Continue post-production

- Start working on print

- Post on social media

- Post to blog

Week Eight 4/1-4/7

- Continue working on the print component

- Start Critical Reflection

- Post on social media

- Post to blog

Week Nine 4/8-4/14

- Finalize/post CR

- Post the final project to blog

See you all next week!

My Film Distribution Project

     Before being assigned the portfolio project, I worked on a film distribution project to help me prepare and practice for this portfolio project. I was put into a group with two of my classmates and given a story made up by the creative writing class in my school. We were assigned to create a teaser and trailer for a romantic and fantastical movie. 

     The title of the film is Red Thread and it is about a teenage girl, Amira, who wakes up one summer morning just like any other, only to find a thin, red string tied to her pinkie. No matter what she does, she does not manage to cut or pry it off! Eventually, she calls her mother to ask about it, only to learn a few rules of the apparent family 'curse'...

1. The string leads to your soulmate

2. No one else can see it

3. It will only go away once you meet your lover.

After receiving this storyline, we sketched and created a storyboard, and then got to filming. I volunteered in my group to play the main character, Amira. My two other group members came over to my house this past weekend and we filmed all our content in two hours. It was fun to film and it really helped me get ready for the portfolio project. I will attach one of the trailers below for you guys to watch and enjoy!

In my next posting, Riley and I will work on a timeline for our project. See you then!

Back Like I Never Left

      Hey everyone! I am back in my blogging era. Two months too long. I am now transitioning to the big project of the year... the portfolio project! I will work on this project with my good friend, Riley Orovitz. We have worked on projects together before and they have turned out great. She is easy to work with and I am excited to collaborate with her for the next nine weeks. 

     I have read through all four choices for the project and Riley and I are stuck between two options. We either want to do the film promotion or the documentary package. Riley and I have been discussing the pros and cons of each package- trying to pick the right one for us. 

Film Promotion Package:

Pros: 

- The social media component would be easy to capture since we are developing the concept for the film through the trailers

- The movie poster is a simpler task than others in the documentary package

- Trailers only have to be 1:30 minute 

- Can come up with a fiction story 

Cons: 

- Have to make two trailers 

- Must create an entire storyline for a full film 

Documentary Package:

Pros: 

- Create a magazine article - which would not be too difficult because Riley is a part of a newspaper and is good at creating articles 

- Only one piece of media (one documentary, not two trailers) 

- We are better at writing than making key art, like the film promo where you need a movie poster

Cons: 

- No archival footage can be used 

- Must come up with a concept for numerous episodes not just for the 5 minutes documentary 

- Length of documentary (hard not to go over 5 minute time limit)

- Social media page must capture the entire idea

We will discuss these pros and cons further together throughout the week and then decide which one we will do!