Category: blog posts

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1. Across the Universe: directed by Julie Taymor: The songs of the Beatles provide the sonic framework for this musical tale of romance, war and peace. 
2. Call me by your Name: directed by Luca Guadagnino: Ive never seen a movie with such authentic acting that makes you feel as if it’s not a story, but a reality. It captures the beauty of finding ones self in a realistic way and is sure to enphazise on the fear of newness
3. Midnight in Paris: directed by Woody Allen: Do you ever watch a movie where you’re so intrigued and fascinated by the characters and surroundings that when it’s over, when the credits roll, you can’t help but sit and comtemplate what you just watched? That’s exactly how I felt the first time I watched this movie.
4. Limitless: directed by Neil Burger: Simply a must watch film. The message portrayed is real and motivational which was much needed. Bradley Cooper did a great job at acting and the movie in general was well written and executed.
5. Christiane F: directed by Uli Edel: Christiane F. is an unrelentlingly grim German film that vividly conveys the physical and mental debilitation of drug addiction.
6. Less Than Zero: directed by Marek Kanievska: One of the best movies detailing the aftermaths of drug abuse. Marvelously depicted by RDJ (Julian Wells), this movie is a reflection of drug addicts, desperate for a helping hand.
7. High Fidelity: directed by Stephen Frears: As a film about males it`s amazingly insightful for women. The soundtrack`s another great plus. I just loved this film, even after reading the book.
8. Stuck in Love: directed by Josh Boone: It’s beautiful. Love is deep and love relations are something to be taken care of. I love it more as it is on the life of writers and their way of understanding and taking care of the things in their life.
9. Before Sunrise: directed by Richard Linklater: The most beautiful romantic movie I have ever seen. It surprises me how much details were there from the starting of falling in love with a stranger to spending the entire day talking about those random feelings, pouring your heart out to someone, listening to each others thoughts or silliness so patiently.

Breakfast in Bed

In this eerie and strange film my group and I wanted to create the perception that we were just normal teenage girls dancing in the kitchen and making food. However, the last scene, when the girls exit the room, a scream is heard which implies that they are holding someone hostage in that room. My group and I made sure to be meticulous about everything. From the clothing we wore, the camera angles, the music in the background, and the setting, we made sure to pay close attention to details. For starters, all three of us wore full black outfits to create a suspenseful mood but we chose an upbeat song to contrast the two. In addition, we used several kinds of camera angles like POV, low angle, high angle to create an illusion that the audience is there in the scene dancing with the girls. I mainly focused on acting and the wardrobe selection in this short film. I wanted the audience to think that Cassie, Katrina, and Kat were ordinary girls having fun in the kitchen but in reality they have just kidnapped a child. The subtle black wardrobe was used to represent the evil the characters bring to the film.

My teammates Olivia and Maria focused on editing, directing, and acting. We all brainstormed together to find different ideas to add to the film in order to make it different than others. We came up with the unique idea of using a dog to show the class the three young ladies have. Yorkshire Terries are used in other films and tv shows to show wealth such as Sharpay Evans in High School Musical and Lisa Douglas in Return to Green Acres. In addition, we also used ideas from the film Matilda in the scene of the kitchen.

Mood Board and Story Board

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1. I would rate my teamwork with Olivia and Maria a ten because of how well we worked together. Whenever one of us needed help with our individual tasks we would support one another.
2. We first brainstormed ideas for the film in a piece of paper. Then we added to ideas and made a google doc where we put the mood board and the script. What didn’t work in our film was the idea of showing the kidnapped kid.
3. It was difficult to direct and act at the same time. In addition, it was difficult to implement the song in the genre of the film because they are complete oposite. We had to get a friend to film for us because it was impossible to record ourselves and use different types of shots.
4. The most difficult part of editing was making the song fit in the film and choosing what scenes we should add or remove.
5. We first chose a song and then downloaded it in order to include it in the film. Then towards the end of the film the song was slowed down to add a more dramatic and eerie sound and feel.
6. If I were to do the film again I would emphasize the kidnapping more.
7. I am extremely happy on how the film turned out overall. I am very happy with the scene of us walking up the stairs because it shows a lot of mystery and intrigues the audience.

Storyboard

Homewrecker

Homewrecker (n): a person who is blamed for the breakup of a marriage or family, especially due to having engaged in an affair with one member of a couple.

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When filming a short clip, the director needs to be extremely meticulous about it and make sure they pay attention to every detail. Everything matters. From the angles of the camera, to the lighting, to the background music, to the storyline. It is important to have everything planned (by using a storyboard) in order to execute the film as perfect as possible. Considering it was my first time directing/editing/acting in a short film, I am very proud of how the production came out. My group and I made sure to keep things interesting with a mysterious and entertaining story that would hold the audience’s attention. We used certain effects (like the blaring colorful lights) to create an image of the party to make sure that the video would look as realistic as we could. Since we filmed in school, it was difficult to create a party scenario that would seem lively and fun, however, we used upbeat music to create the illusion. In addition, when the characters entered the bathroom, the music was heard as if it was in a different room to make the audience feel like they were in the bathroom with Jeff and Sydney. As a group, we made sure the story was shown well so whoever watches knowns exactly what is happening and does not have to reach into their brain to find a complex meaning. We incorporated different camera angles like POV shots in order to show the phones and as if the audience was texting. Altogether, the film was really well made and the story that my group and I created was enjoyable and comical.

The long shots allowed us to emphasize the drama and suspension of the acts that Jeff (Maria) and Sydney (Olivia) will get involved in. The lighting at the party allowed the audience to see that the characters were at the event and that it was the place that something between Sydney and Jeff would happen. At the beginning of the film the text message shows up right on top of a picture of me on Jeff’s phone, showing that Jeff is not a loyal boyfriend. In the scene where Jeff and Sydney are having their intimate moment in the bathroom, the phone call from Jeff’s girlfriend hints at that my character is suspicious about where Jeff is. In addition, when I call, the picture of Jeff and I together demonstrates Jeff’s infidelity and disrespectfulness towards my character. After Jeff and Sydney leave to go to the bathroom the music from the party keeps playing in the background showing that they are still at the party.

The acting was tricky since we used Maria as a guy.. Olivia’s acting portrayed perfectly the way a side chick, Sydney, would act in a party. She was always with the guys in the party and acted suspicious around Jeff. Sydney was wearing a black shirt to portray that she was the antagonist in the film.

My name is Dania, and I am a high school senior in Miami. Born in Cali, Colombia and moving to the States eight years ago was a drastic, yet necessary change that helped me shape my personality. My favorite movie is and will always be Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe, filled with Beatles’ songs that provide the sonic framework for this musical tale of romance, war and peace. As a film fanatic, I have always been enamored with the industry. From the Bollywood movies my mother forced me to watch to the iconic Disney Channel High School films to the ones with Oscar buzz, I am always down to watch anything that will hold my attention. Recently, I began a course in school called AS Media Studies which introduces all aspects of media including language, representation, audiences, and industries. This class gives students an overall and in-depth view of media and how it represents the world. Throughout this year, I will be posting on here about my process while I work with my classmates Maria and Olivia on our final project: a film opening.

I will be completing several Creative Critical Reflections and utilize a digital format.

As an end goal for this class, I hope to see films in a different, more technical and critical way, while also learning about the behind the scenes. This way, I would truly understand the inner workings of the process, story line, shots, and everything in between.

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