Genre Research: Spinning Man

    Some common camera angles that I found in the movie, Spinning Man, were eye-level angles and low angles. Some common camera movements that I found in this movie were slow pans and tilts, and tracking shots. Some common camera shots that I found in this movie were two-shots, three-shots, over the shoulder shots, wide shots, and medium close-ups. These shots mainly featured the main protagonist, Evan Birch, who is a detective along with other characters whom he may be interviewing.
    The costumes that I found throughout this movie were mainly business-related. As Evan Birch was a businessman, his attire would mainly consist of suits and professional work clothes. However, those whom he was interviewing were often found wearing regular, everyday clothing. The lighting in this movie was somewhat dim yet still used natural lighting. However in places like Evan's office, the lighting was also dim, however, it had a green undertone which helped to create an eerie mode. The actors in this movie were normally very serious as this movie talked about a serious subject matter, which was a crime that was committed. The makeup that can be found in this movie for women was mainly everyday, minimal makeup. There was no blood featured in this movie as no fighting or action scenes were involved. The props for this movie included a briefcase, along with a folder and a desk that could often be found in many scenes were Evan was at work. The setting for this movie again was in a workplace, more specifically an office. Some other settings in this movie also included a cafe and other people's houses of whom Evan would be interviewing.
   The common editing that I found throughout this movie included many jumpcuts, along with eye-line matches and cutaways. The common sounds that I heard throughout this movie were dialogues and diegetic sounds. This movie did not feature a strong soundtrack or even non-diegetic sounds as well. Some common elements in this movie that I found that relate to the mystery genre were the solving of a crime, along with the costumes that were similar as well. The costumes were normally always business clothes or everyday regular clothes.
    The element that I liked the most about this movie was the fact that Evan was actually able to interrogate and interview many people following the crime. However, one element that I did not enjoy about this movie was its lack of suspense along with the lack of a strong soundtrack. Though it was a movie with a good storyline, it was hard to remain interested while watching it.

Genre Research: The Commuter

       The common camera angles that are found in the movie, The Commuter, are eye-level angles and low angles. These angles were mainly focused on the main character, Michael, many times. Some common camera movements that are found in this movie are pans, tilt, and many hand-held shots as well. Some common camera shots that I found while watching this movie were dutch/oblique shots, medium close-ups, two-shots, and three-shots, which often feature the people who were on the train with Michael.
     The costumes that I found while watching this movie were usually work-related. For example, the main character, Michael, was always wearing his business suit as he was oftentimes going to work. Additionally, on his commute to work some people on the train, however, were wearing everyday regular clothing. The common lighting that I found in this movie tended to be somewhat bright, as Michael was outside a lot. However, the lighting was never made too bright in most scenes to create a vibe that translated to Michael's seriousness. The actors in the movie tended to be pretty expressionless throughout the movie, however, Michael's family or the random people he met on his commute were charismatic or happy. Generally, there was not any relevant makeup in this movie, besides the fake blood that was added whenever there was a fight scene. The props in this movie include everyday objects, such as a briefcase or a set of playing cards on the train. Yet for some fighting scenes, guns were also included. The setting of this movie is mainly on a train as that is Michael's way of commuting to work. However, the first couple of scenes also feature Michael's house briefly.
      The editing that was featured in this movie included mainly jumpcuts, cutaways, eye-line matches, and action matches. The common sounds that I heard were dialogues, diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound, and sound bridges. Common elements that I found throughout this movie that match the common elements of the mystery genre include suspense, along with murder. One important element that was also found was Michael's solving of the "puzzle" which can be similar to him solving a crime.
    The elements that I enjoyed about this movie were the action-filled fighting scenes, along with Michael's way of figuring out someone's identity by using the clues around him. One element that i did not enjoy about this movie was the setting that it took place on, which was the train. I felt as though there could have been more settings incorporated into the movie.

Decision Day

Previously, I had to research a genre and make a PowerPoint based on its conventions and camera and editing elements. Which was also followed by researching two other genres following the same format. For this research section, I decided to research the horror and mystery genre. I feel as though my pitch followed similar plotlines of which you could find in those types of movies. Similar enough, through research, I found that elements found in horror and mystery movies did fit to what I have envisioned for my film. However, the mystery genre is a much better fit in terms of its elements. A lot of gore and loud non-diegetic sound can be found in horror films and is actually one of the key elements of these types of films. Yet my film will not feature these elements. More fittingly, my film will feature suspense and crime which better fall onto the category of the mystery genre, which is why I chose the mystery genre for my opening sequence.

Genre Research: Horror & Mystery

For this project, I have decided to research the horror and mystery genre

        Some common camera angles of the horror genre include eye-level angles and high angles, which are frequently used to show the protagonists' faces. Some common camera movements found in horror films include very slow pans and tilts and tracking shots. Typically the pans and tilts will slowly reveal a location or subject. While tracking shots are much faster as they show cars driving or people running from an antagonist villain. Some common shots found in horror movies are extreme close-ups, two-shots, over the shoulder shots, and medium close-ups.
      For horror movies, the costumes vary heavily depending on the character. A villain, for example, may have very baggy and distressed clothes. However, in comparison, the protagonist usually wears normal everyday clothes, which later gets stained and messy as the film progresses. Lighting is normally very dark in horror movie scenes. Most of which feature no natural sunlight at all. Often the only lighting that can be found in horror movies comes from a flashlight. The acting in horror movies is usually very dramatic and intense. Both the villains and the protagonist have to be very serious in order to create tension between each opposing end. The makeup found in horror movies is again also very dramatic and intense. Usually, fake blood and FX prosthetic makeup are applied to the actors in order to give a scarier and convincing feel to the movie. Typically, props can vary depending on each type of horror movie, but mainly any weapon of sorts can be commonly found in horror movies, some of which include knives, baseball bats, hammers, and axes. The setting for horror movies frequently takes place in a house or in a forest. More specially, the basement or back yard of an empty house or a vacant cabin in the woods
     Common editing used in horror films includes shot-reverse-shot, cutaways, eye-line matches, action matches, and reaction shots. Common sounds found in horror movies include non-diegetic sound, diegetic sound, sound bridge, and dialogue. Suspense and intensity is a very common element that can be found in all horror films, it is a key aspect that makes a horror film a horror film. Along with this, typically a lot of gore and blood are featured, along with many killings and dismemberment of the characters or animals involved. Confusion is also an element that is featured mainly through the first half of the movie, which leaves viewers interested until the very end.
     What I like about horror movies is the style of editing that can be found in most of them. Typically, the editing is really fast-paced and exciting which keeps viewers like me interested. Along with the intensity of the movie, I also enjoy the dramatic killings and gore that can be found in horror movies. However, one thing that I do not like about horror movies is the lighting. I prefer movies with bright lighting and vivid colors so horror movies are not my favorite in terms of lighting.
     Some examples of horror films that have been released within the last three years include Us, The Prodigy, Child's Play, and La Llorona.

    Moving along, the next genre that I have decided to research is the mystery genre. Some common camera angles found in mystery films are low angles. Typically, this is to show a character waiting or walking somewhere. Some common camera movements also include slow pans, tilts, and zoom-outs, along with tracking and hand-held shots. Some common shots that are found in mystery movies are medium close-ups, two-shots, wide shots, and long shots.
     The costumes that can be found in mystery movies tend to look more professional than in most movies. Costumes can include suits, business or work clothes, and even everyday clothes are common as well. The lighting in mystery movies can vary heavily depending on the movie or the specific scene. For example, scenes may be very bright as they are outside with natural sunlight. However, some scenes may be filmed in an alleyway for example, which will include very minimal lighting. The acting in mystery movies tends to be a lot more serious than most movies. This is because the subject matters in mystery movies tend to be about murder or crime which is also a very serious subject matter. Makeup found in mystery movies is very minimal usually. This will include everyday, casual makeup for women and occasional blood on the actors depending on the scene. Props for many mystery movies include cellphones, police cars, briefcases, and knives for defense scenes occasionally, just to name a few. The setting for mystery movies can differ, however one thing that I have noticed in many mystery movies is that they usually feature a scene with someone in public transportation, such as a train or subway station.
     Common editing that can be found in mystery movies is cross-cutting, cutaways, shot/reverse shots, and jumpcuts. Common sounds that can be found in mystery movies include diegetic sounds, non-diegetic sounds, dialogue, and sometimes voiceovers as well. Some common elements overall that can be found in mystery movies are the subject matter of crime. Specifically, the crimes can be of a murder involving one's partner. Additionally, the protagonist is also either the one who committed the crime or the person who is trying to solve the crime.
      What I like about mystery movies is the common elements of crime or murder that can be found in many of them. This makes for a much more interesting plot as it leaves the viewer curious to see how it can be solved. One element that I do not like about mystery movies is the costumes. The costumes tend to be quite boring and usually have no interesting aspects to them as they rarely ever change styles throughout the movie.
     Some examples of mystery films that have been released within the last three years include Get Out, Wind River, and Murder on Orient Express.

Genre Research: Action

For this project, we had to work in a group to create a PowerPoint about a certain genre. Genres were assigned and my group was given the action genre. We had to describe the lighting, camera angles, camera movement, mis-en-scene, common elements, examples, common sounds, what we like about the genre, and what we do not like about the genre. To make the process go faster, we split the work into 3 slides per person. I was in charge of doing the common elements of the genre, finding example films, and common sounds. The first slide I decided to work on was the example films slide since I already knew many action films. Through making this slide, however, I've discovered many other new action movies. Next, I worked on the common elements of the genre, some of which include fighting scenes, CGI, and villains. Finally, I began to work on the common sounds of the genre, which can include loud music with beat drops at the climax of the scene.

Deciding the Final Pitch

After thinking deeply about which pitch ideas I favored the most, I've narrowed down to two pitches. The first pitch that I've chosen is about a hitman who just made another kill; however, someone spied on him, so he will have to come up with a deal with the stranger. For this pitch, the opening will only include the preparations of the hitman, along with the scene where he kills the victim. However, the last three seconds will be showing when the hitman turns around and sees the stranger behind him. This allows a cliffhanger to be made, without actually revealing the deal that will be made. I like this pitch idea because I feel like it would be fun to film with my friends. Additionally, I also have a song in mind that I feel would work perfectly with this film. I also enjoy the type of suspense that would be made while making a film like this. However, there are some downsides that would come in following through with this pitch idea. One of them being the lack of male actors. This would result in going to farther lengths to secure a male actor, or just not include a male character.

Furthermore, I have also narrowed down to one more pitch idea. My second idea would be about two friends who go on a road trip together, but one of them has secret plans for revenge and getting away with murder. For this pitch idea, I would be filming the two characters stopping to get food at a shop. Yet, when they try to continue driving, the car suddenly runs out of gas. This would lead to the actual killing of the other friend, yet the murderer would drive away, leaving the story on a cliffhanger. I like this idea because it would be easy to secure the actors. I also like this idea because it seems enjoyable to film with my friends. For this pitch as well, I also have a song that I feel would fit in perfectly with this scenario. However, there is one major downfall to using this pitch. Securing a location would be difficult as I do not have a permit to film.

For this project, however, I have decided to go with the second pitch. I chose this pitch because it is the most convenient one for me to do. Due to the limited amount of time that will be assigned for filming, it is important to keep deadlines in mind. Which is why convenience was the main factor in deciding a pitch. Additionally, this is also just the pitch that I favor more. I feel more passionate about wanting to film this pitch idea because I find it to be more exciting. Through this pitch, I feel as though I'd be able to express my creative side while editing. And lastly, I chose this pitch over the first pitch because my friend who has agreed to be an actor also prefers it over the first one. As the director and producer of this film, I think it is important for my actors to enjoy what they are getting involved in as well. This will make the overall experience much more enjoyable for both of us,

Starting the Final Task

Hello, my name is Karen and I am currently taking AICE Media Studies at Fort Lauderdale High School. I am 16 years old and currently in the 11th grade. I live in South Florida, U.S.A. as of now. I like to listen to music and play guitar for fun. Not much has changed since the last blog I wrote in October. One major difference though is that it is a new year. It is now 2020 which means that our final task is due in a couple months! Since I am in the Cambridge program at my school, earning this credit would be really important to me. I am determined to work hard in order to get this project done, however, this may be a difficult task. This is because I am working alone on this project. Although I've worked alone for previous projects, this task may be more difficult for me as the film has to be 2 minutes long.

Out of all the projects that I have filmed in the class, I have learned many new skills. Some of which including learning how to work a real camera, along with the settings and filters that come along with them. Additionally, I also learned how to set up a tripod. More specifically, which angles would look better with my scenes. Along with this, I have also become a better editor. This skill, in particular, has been challenging for me as the editing process takes a lot of patience. However, I've grown to appreciate the efforts that go into creating a finished product. I am excited to film this project as I can use it to express darker themes. These are themes that would have otherwise felt out of place in other projects such as the commercial or music video. Furthermore, I am also excited to work with my friends for this project as they would be used as actors for my film.

A pitch is a Hollywood term used to describe an idea where a film is encapsulated in 25 words or less. It is usually only one sentence. Currently, I have three pitch ideas for this upcoming project. The first one is a story about a hitman who just made another kill. However, someone spied on him, so he will have to come up with a deal with the stranger. Next, my second idea would be about two friends who go on a road trip together, but one of them has secret plans for revenge and getting away with murder. And lastly, my final pitch idea would be about two life long friends, yet one of them randomly disappears one day without saying goodbye. It's her friend's mission to find out her whereabouts