Final Submission

Creative Critical Reflection

Creative Critical Reflection #4

In order to create our film my co-director and I used the Canon Camera and the Premier Pro editing software.

For each time we filmed my co-director and I used the same model of camera. The first time my co-director and I filmed it took some time to figure out the focus, distance and different aspects of the camera. We had to do many practice takes before we figured out how to operate the camera.

After filming, my co-director and I used the Adobe Premier Pro editing software to create the film. This allowed us to cut scenes, create transitions, and insert credits and special effects. We also used sound recordings to further enhance details in the film. This included music, nature sounds, and a scream.

Creative Critical Reflection #3

Over the course of creating our film, my co-director and I were able to progress our skills by practice of trial and error. My co-director and I were both completely new to filming, acting, directing, and conducting editing software. Our mid-term submission which was our first draft was difficult to compose because we had never filmed before and the outcome of the draft was rough. However, we used that first draft as an opportunity for practice, so when we began working on our 3rd quarter submission the process flowed more smoothly because we had a better idea of what we wanted our film to look like and how to execute it.

During our second time filming the camera takes went quicker because we knew what position to put the camera in, in order to get the angle we wanted. Filming the scenes also improved because the actors had a better idea of what their character's personality and intentions are and seemed to be less camera shy. Lastly, the editing and transitions improved because we used Adobe premiere instead of imovie, which limited our editing options before. Overall, our production skills did progress through practice.

Creative Critical Reflection #2

The genre of movie my co-director an I created is a horror/thriller film. This engages audiences because there is a certain level of mystery that adds to the suspense and build up of the film. My co-director and I purposefully created questions in the beginning of the film that remain unanswered till the end. This draws audiences in because it makes them think and try to problem solve in their heads.  However, it was also a balancing act between mystery and providing clarity because we didn't want the audience to be confused throughout the film and miss important details or other aspects of the plot. There is just enough suspense to keep the audience interested, but explanations are provided to give them understanding and satisfaction.   

My co-director and I have decided to do a straight to video release for our movie distribution plan. The straight-to video release makes the film accessible on home formats such as DVD and VHS. This technique has been especially successful for independent movie makers which is the category that my co-director and I fall under. This way our movie would skip release in theaters which is better for our target audience since younger people tend to watch movies from home. For the digital option, my co-director and I would want to release our movie onto other popular digital streaming sites such as, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. These would also be accessible options that would accommodate our target audience.

                           

Creative Critical Reflection #1

1. Our film challenges the conventions for a thriller genre and uses them as well. Throughout the film there is an-overlying sense of suspense and mystery which is a common theme in thriller movies. My co-director and I especially wanted to have mystery as a prominent element in our film to intrigue the audience. These elements are also designed to evoke fear and shock in the viewers.

However, the film also challenges thriller conventions because it goes back and forth between a normal light-hearted film showing the life of an average teenage girl; she does her homework, has a boyfriend, and goes out to socialize. Then the film goes back to a darker more suspenseful story line. My co-director and I also had to make sure the mystery was balanced and the audience was provided with answers and clarity as well. We found that if our film had too many twists viewers might get confused and would miss out on other aspects of the film.

The film represents social issues because it shows the power and influence peers can have on each other. It also shows that when power is abused, the individual is left helpless and alone. This is seen in the  relationship with the main character Chelsea, and her "friend" Piper, who isn't really her friend, but rather a bad influence who controls her. The unhealthy behaviors displayed in both of the girls also represents internal turmoil as well.

3rd Quarter Submission

Distribution Plan

My co-director and I have decided to do a straight to video release for our movie distribution plan. The straight-to video release makes the film accessible on home formats such as DVD and VHS. This technique has been especially successful for independent movie makers which is the category that my co-director and I fall under. This way our movie would skip release in theaters which is better for our target audience since younger people tend to watch movies from home. For the digital option, my co-director and I would want to release our movie onto other popular digital streaming sites such as, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. These would also be accessible options that would accommodate our target audience.

Distribution Research- Truth or Dare

Truth or Dare is another horror/thriller movie that has a similar young target audience. The film followed a standard release distribution plan as it was first released in theaters on April 13, 2018 and then went on to TV, digital, DVD, and online streaming.

Our film is going to use a different distribution model, but we do plan to release our film to streaming sites similar to the way they did for Truth or Dare. Truth or Dare was released on Amazon Prime Video for online streaming a while after being released in theaters. Our film was will just skip the theaters and go straight to online streaming.

Distribution Research- Happy Death Day

Happy Death Day is a horror/thriller movie that has a similar target audience to the film that my co-director and I are making. The target audience is for teenager to young adults.  Happy Death Day followed a standard release distribution plan because they used release windows. It was first released in theaters on October 13, 2017. Then it was released on digital HD, DVD, and Blu-ray in January of 2018.

Our film is going to use a different distribution model, but we do plan to release our film to streaming sites similar to the way they did for Happy Death Day. Happy Death Day was released on Amazon Prime Video for online streaming a while after being released in theaters. Our film was will just skip the theaters and go straight to online streaming.

Distribution Model Research

The distribution plan for a film is the process of making a film available for the audience to view. This includes marketing strategies such as: releasing the film to a theater, television, or personal home viewing (DVD, television programs ect.) The standard distribution for a film has three different options for the initial release.

First, there's the standard release model. This is the most traditional style and it consists of the movie being released in theaters for 16 and a half weeks. Then it goes on to VHS and after a few months it is released to Pay TV.  After two years, it goes on to free-to-air TV.

Next, there's simultaneous release. This is when a movie is available for viewing at movie theaters, DVD, and internet all at once. This allows viewers to choose the medium of viewing that fits their personal needs and preferences; however, because the film is released all at once this causes it to receive less promotion.

There's also straight-to-video release. This is when a film is released on home video formats and is never released in theaters. Independent movie makers and companies have found the most success with this strategy because of strong DVD sales.


My co-director and I would use one of these models to distribute our film by figuring out which release strategy would be best suited for our target audience. Our target audience is on the younger side, so we would probably use a release strategy that is the most affordable and convenient for them. That would be a straight to video release, so the film would skip the theaters and go straight to the internet. This way our viewers can easily access it.

Revisions-Changing the Mother's Character

After meeting with my co-director, we have decided to change the role of the mother to a sister or friend instead. One of the critiques we received from our class after showing our film was that the role of the mother was unclear because the actress was young and the script does not explicitly state her to be the mother. My co-director and I decided to revise the part by making the actress look older with makeup, but we realized that since all the actors we're using are our peers, it is just too difficult to make the mother look older. We think it will be easier to keep her role unclear as to who she is, but it can be assumed that they have some sort of relation to each other. 

Target Audience Research- The Boy

The Boy is a mystery/thriller film that was released in 2016. It follows a newly single young woman (Greta) who is struggling through life and takes a job as a nanny because she is desperate for the money. Upon arriving at the house she is introduced to the "boy" she is going to be taking care of, which turns out to be a doll. Throughout the film Greta is terrorized in the house by an unseen force which makes her start to question if the boy is really just a doll. The film was advertised with trailers that included jump scares, mystery, and fear which all worked together to capture the audience's attention. The makers of The Boy advertised their movie using the persuasive technique of appealing to emotion. The movie is a thriller/mystery movie and has many creepy elements that are portrayed in the trailer. This creates fear, apprehension, and suspense for the viewer. For mystery or thriller movie lovers, this appeals to them because these  are the main aspects of the thriller/mystery genre and it's what they want to see/feel during the movie. Other forms of advertisement includes reviews and articles online by critics.

The film my co-diretor and I are creating is similar to the genre of The Boy  as it is also a mystery/thriller film. The main difference is that we are incorporating a few horror aspects into our film, but otherwise the film's genre will be very similar as are the ratings. The Boy is rated PG-13 and my co-director and I plan to make our film closer to PG-13, so our film and The Boy will have the same target audience; younger viewers who can handle suspense and some scary elements.

Target Audience Research- The Curse of La Llorona

The Curse of La Llorona is an upcoming film scheduled to be released in April of 2019. It centers around the Mexican legend of a woman who lost her own children so she steals others in return. It takes place in modern times and the protagonist who is a mother and a social worker has to work to fight the evil entity. The film is currently being advertised like most movies are; through trailers that appear in between commercials for a minute or less. During the trailers the goal is to capture the audience's attention; they accomplish this by showing a few clips from the movie that give the general idea of the film in just a few minutes. The makers of The Curse of la Llorona advertised their movie using the persuasive technique of appealing to emotion. The movie is a horror movie and has many scary elements that are portrayed in just a few minutes of the trailer. Jump scares are used to shock the audience and make them feel fear. Characters are put in peril and danger; specifically children, makes the audience feel worried and concerned. Cliff hangers are used to make the audience curious and want to see the full movie in theaters. Once the movie is actually released, it will also gain advertisement through reviews and critics.

The film my co-diretor and I are creating is similar to the genre of The Curse of La Llorona as it is also a horror film with many creepy aspects. We want to incorporate jump scares and evoke fear in our film as well; however the target audience for The Curse of  La Llorona will have to be very mature as it is rated R. The reasons are unclear as to how it received this rating since it is not out in theaters yet, but the film my co-driector and I are making will be appropriate for younger viewers. Therefore our rating will be closer to PG-13.

Target Audience Research- Get Out

Get Out is a film that was released in 2017. It follows an interracial couple who take a trip to visit the girlfriend's parents. Upon arriving, the parents act strange and seem to be hiding secrets. The film was advertised like most movies are; through trailers that would appear in between commercials for a minute or less. During the trailers the goal is to capture the audience's attention, so they would show a few climatic scenes from the movie that were intense and eye-catching, but then leave viewers with a cliff hanger, so that way they come to watch the full movie in theaters. The makers of Get Out advertised their movie using the persuasive technique of appealing to emotion. The movie is a thriller/horror movie and has many terrifying elements that are portrayed in the trailer. This evokes fear, suspense, and apprehension in viewers. For horror movie lovers, this appeals to them because  are the main components of the horror genre and it's what they want to see/feel during the movie. Other forms of advertisement includes critic reviews and features in magazine articles.

The film my co-diretor and I are creating is similar to the genre of Get Out as it is also a horror/thriller film. The primary difference is that Get Out has many mature elements and themes that are geared toward adults as the movie is rated R due to language, sensuality, and violence. Our film will not have the same mature overtones as we want our film to be age appropriate and would probably be rated closer to PG-13.  Thus, our target audience will include younger viewers who appreciate the genre, but can still handle the intensity and suspense.

Revision-Deletion of Beginning Pans

After reviewing some suggestions from our class, we noticed that the overall consensus was that the intro to our film was too long. During the intro we had the credits displayed on the screen along with some pans of the bedroom we were filming in. We used the pans thinking it would be a nice background for the credits, but after receiving the suggestions to shorten the introduction my co director and I decided that this was the most practical choice. The intro took up a lot of our running time and my co director and I have decided to add some extra scenes to the end of the film, so we will need all the extra time we can get.

Revision-Changing the Murder Weapon

Originally, we used a small kitchen knife as the prop for the murder weapon. As my co-director and I were editing, the knife looked fine, but after watching the film on screen we decided that the knife does not look authentic enough. My co director and I plan to re-film the scene with the knife and replace it with a new more believable looking one that my co director found. We both agree that overall this will be an important detail in the film.

Revision-Changing the Mother's Appearance

After showing our film to the class, a few people had questions afterwards regarding Kelli's role. We had intended her to be the mother, but because that's never explicitly stated (and due to the fact that she looks young), many people were confused as to who she was supposed to be. Some people assumed she is a sister or a friend to the main character. My co-director and I decided that we needed to make it clear that the role is a mother. We plan to re-shoot the scenes with the mother and put makeup on her to look like wrinkles and put some gray streaks in her hair. After making these plans, my co director and I asked Kelli if she would be able to shoot with us again, but her schedule is busy and she can no longer do it, so my co-director and I have decided to re cast the role of the mother. Fortunately, a fellow classmate Christine, is able to fill the role.

Feedback/Revisions

My co director and I presented our film to the class and we received feedback regarding strengths and areas of improvement. Our audience enjoyed the camera quality, camera technique, the acting, and the story line. A suggestion to improve the film was to shorten the length of the intro scene because it ran a little long considering it's only a two minute film. Other areas of improvement included clarifying the role of the mother. Our actor Kelli looks young and her role could be mistaken as being the friend instead of the mother since it's never explicitly stated.

As of now we plan to make the mother look older by adding wrinkles with makeup and gray streaks in her hair. We also plan to cut down on the amount of pans in the intro scene to make the opening shorter. We will also edit the audio in the film to make the voices and dialogue more audible and clear for the audience.

Use of Conventions

Our film challenges the conventions for a thriller genre and uses them as well. Throughout the film there is an-overlying sense of suspense and mystery which is a common theme in thriller movies. The film challenges thriller conventions because it goes back and forth between a normal light-hearted film showing the life of an average teenage girl and then goes back to a darker more suspenseful tone. The film represents social issues because it shows the power and influence a parental figure holds over their child. It also shows that when that power is abused, the child is left helpless and alone.