Group Meeting #1

Hey, blog!! It's officially week 3 of working on my film opening, time is rushing by. Today in class my teacher set up group meetings where we got to share our film ideas and give each other feedback. My group included my classmates Emi, Roman, Isabel, and Sofia. It was super helpful to see what everyone is working on and it was super helpful getting feedback, it really helped with opening up my project.

Emi - Western: Death Is No Friend

Emi's film is a classic Western, but there's one big challenge filming in Florida which doesn't exactly scream Wild West. The story follows a cowboy with a bounty chasing them. Emi is handling costume design and she showed us some and they were amazing drawings. One of her group members is going to try to sew the costume which I think is super cool. As a group, we recommended Southwest Ranches as a filming location as they have a bunch of barns and stables, which could make it look more Western. Another idea we gave her is to film in black and white to give it the classic Western movie feel, especially if they add graininess while editing. Emi also mentioned filming during high noon and the showdown ends at a sunset. I love her idea and I cannot wait to see how her group does her project.

This is an image I found online which was similar to Emi's designs.

Roman- Suspense: Title TBD

Roman had the idea of an interrogation scene but still doesn't have the full plot. He's planning on filming in his garage, which works perfectly as a closed-in setting and it's a very versatile environment. His dad is in law enforcement, so he has access to fake props that will make the scene look legit. The story centers around a Mexican cartel member, which will be played by Roman who gets interrogated by law enforcement which will be played by his dad. Wetalked about using a bag over the cartels head, and possibly adding some Spanish dialogue to make it more realistic. One intense detail Roman is considering is a waterboarding scene, which eventually leads to a confession. The biggest thing he needs to focus on is his final storyline and plot, but overall I am very excited to see the outcome.

This is the vibe I think Roman is going for.

Isabel-Mystery/Horror/Suspense: Title TBD

Isabel's film is going to follow a psychotic doctor who experiments on his patients by giving them drugs that slowly make them sick. She described his workspace as a mix of extreme organization and chaos, with jars labeled with patients' names and drugs that fill up over time. If a jar starts to get full, it has a meaning that the patient is close to death. One of the creepiest parts is the ending, he puts on his doctor's coat, answers the phone and someone says, "Hey doctor." Just a simple line but it seals the film opening with what the main character does with all those pills. She said she wanted to add the credits to the patient's files, which I thought was super creative. She's going to rely on close-ups. I am once again very excited to see how she executes this.

Having some files like this is what I think Isabel is going for.

Sofia-Dystopian: Fate's Deception

Sofia's film takes place in a chaotic dystopian society with a mix of agriculture and lower middle-class living. She's drawing inspiration from Divergent and The Hunger Games, which totally fits the vibe she's going for. In her world, people are given powers at age 15, but instead of being a gift, the powers are actually something bad. Depending on what power they receive, they are sent to either military or research labs. The film's opening focuses on two girls, and one of them gets their power, which causes major conflict. Costume wise Sofia is thinking of having the characters wear beige gowns to fit with the society. We suggested she used Markham Park as a filming location as it matched the agricultural vibe shes looking for.

I think this is what Sofia wants her costume to look like.

My Takeaway

Honestly, I loved getting to hear everyone's ideas and helping each other. Seeing where my project stands in comparison made me realize I'm on track with my progress, which was calming. I also got some really helpful feedback. I cannot wait to see how everyone's projects turn out!!