Location Considerations

As we began shaping the full vision for our film, one of the first things we considered was the choice of locations to bring our ideas to life. At the moment, we're focusing on three key locations that are central to the story and will help set the tone and mood we're aiming for. Each scene plays a critical role in reflecting the characters' experiences and emotions, so we want to make sure they feel authentic and true to the narrative we are creating.

Location #1- Plain Room

This location will serve as a dual purpose, establishing both the villain's presence and the therapy session that unfolds shortly after. For the first scene, the room should evoke a sense of coldness. I imagine a large computer screen, possibly even multiple monitors, casting a faint glow in an otherwise darkened scene. The atmosphere should feel unsettling, with the focus entirely on the desk setup, where the villain lurks, scrolling through the girl's social media. The rest of the room's appearance isn't crucial, as the darkness will obscure most details.

This same room could be used for the therapy session scene. A simple couch should be the only real focus here, placed within a plainly furnished room that subtly echoes the feel of a professional therapy office. I am using the therapy scenes in the show Never Have I Ever (2020) as inspiration for this scene. 

Still from Never Have I Ever (2020) showing Devi in therapy

Location #2- Teenage Girl's Room

This room should have a different vibe from the therapy room, as it's meant to reflect the personality of a teenage girl. Picture the girl going on the date applying lip gloss in the car, casually chatting with her best friend on the phone beforehand. The friend, on the other hand, will be in her own room during the phone call. I want the room to feel vibrant and a true extension of the girl's personality. For the phone call scene, I am drawing inspiration from the iconic Mean Girls (2004) phone conversation, aiming for that authentic teenage energy. While the plot is completely different, I want the dynamic between these best friends to come across as relatable and true to the essence of teenage girls. 

Location #3- Parking Garage 

This location will mark the pivotal moment when the girl finally meets the guy she's been conversing with online and agrees to get in his car. We've chosen the parking garage at the Promenade in Coconut Creek to set the scene. With its dim and empty atmosphere a sense of tension an unease will be created. 

Parking garage we plan to use

Representation in Film

My film group solidified our storyline first, and once we had a clear direction, we shifted our focus to identifying the key representation issues we wanted to explore and convey through the film. 

Digital and Online Safety 

Our film will open with the mysterious disappearance of a girl, leading the audience to believe that her vanishing followed a date with someone she met online. As online dating and social media continue to grow, issues like catfishing and cyberstalking have become increasingly prevalent. It's all too easy for people to create fake profiles, pretending to be someone their not. In the context of online dating, some individuals may use manipulative tactics to control or harm those they target, creating and unsettling and dangerous dynamic that our story will explore. 

Eighth Grade (2018) is an example of a film that also addresses this representation issue. Eighth Grade focuses on a teenage girl (Kayla) navigating the pressures of social media, online personas, and cyberbullying. In the movie, a high schooler contacts Kayla through social media and shows interest in her. The boy eventually tries to arrange a private meeting and Kayla is stuck between wanting to fit in and feeling unsure about what's actually happening. This dynamic shows how the high schooler used social media to exploit the vulnerability of a younger individual, putting Kayla in a dangerous situation. 

Mental Health 

If my group were to create a full film, mental health would be a central theme throughout the story, focusing particularly on the emotional and psychological impact experienced by the girl whose friend disappeared after a date. While this representation issue isn't apparent in most of the opening scene, the narrative will shift, and the first scene in this new timeline will take place in a therapy room, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of mental health throughout the film. Mental health is a very common issue explored in films, as it has become a growing concern in today's society. 

Still from The Edge of Seventeen (2016) 

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) is a great example of a film that portrays depression in a realistic way. Unlike how pop culture often simplifies depression as something that only arises from bad events, the film accurately shows that depression is a constant underlying struggle. Bad things may exacerbate it, but it's something that people live with, affecting their thoughts and emotions even when things appear outwardly fine. 

Film Openings

As my group continued discussing the plot of our film, we realized that we needed to stay focused on the fact that we're only shooting the first two minutes. We want the opening scene to set the stage for what's to come, providing essential background information while still being a crucial moment in the plot. There are two film opening types that apply to our film: Enter the Villain and Plot Catalyst

Enter the Villain 

'Enter the Villain' is a fitting description, as it immediately introduces the antagonist, setting the tone for the rest of the film. The Avengers (2012) uses this technique as it immediately introduces Loki, who is the primary antagonist in the film. In my group's film, we envision opening with a stalker lurking in the shadows, their face barely visible as they scroll through a girl's social media accounts. The only light comes from the glow of the computer screen, leaving the rest of the scene dark. This contrast will immediately set a tense tone, signaling to the audience that this character is the antagonist driving the story. 

Plot Catalyst

'Plot Catalyst' refers to the event or situation that sets the main story in motion, introducing the central conflict. Tangled (2010) uses this technique by beginning the film with essential backstory that lays the foundation for the entire narrative, setting up the events to come. I want to draw inspiration from the opening scene in Tangled for our film because I love how it seamlessly transitions from storytelling into "real-time" action. In our film, the opening scene will focus on a girl's disappearance, but the rest of the story will shift to follow the life of her friend, unraveling the mystery through her perspective. 

Choosing a Genre

Hybrid Genre 

My group will be making a hybrid film that blends multiple genres. While the opening scene may not introduce all the genres mentioned, we have a clear vision for how they would evolve throughout the film. To fully grasp the purpose behind creating a hybrid film, I watched the video below. A notable quote from the video is, "Hybrid films and their flexibility opens doors to narratives that would otherwise struggle within the confines of a single genre, making cinema more accessible and inclusive." 

My group considered different genres to see what combination would make the most sense for our film. 

1. Mystery 

Still from Don't Worry Darling, 2022 

The key component of a mystery film is the mystery itself. This mystery is usually a murder, theft, or disappearance. Mystery films often use non-linear storytelling and foreshadowing to enhance the plot. Mystery films also commonly show multiple perspectives to help the audience feel more immersed in the story. Close-ups are common in mystery films as they show body language and other symbolic elements. In Don't Worry Darling, the audience watches Alice (Florence Pugh) notice odd things about her seemingly perfect suburban life and her husband's behavior. Throughout the movie, there is a significant use of foreshadowing and close-ups to emphasize key details and build tension. 

2. Drama 

Still from All the Bright Places, 2020

Drama is considered a broad genre because it explores complex human experiences, such as relationships, personal struggles, and moral dilemmas, which can cover almost any subject matter or setting. Unlike genres that are defined by specific themes or narrative structures, dramas are adaptable to many different kind of stories. Dramas typically have an emotional tone as they often tackle serious issues such as mental health and addiction. They almost always depict realistic situations dealing with themes of love, loss, friendship, family, or social issues. All the Bright Places follows Finch (Justice Smith) and Violet (Elle Fanning) on their mental health journeys. This film demonstrates strong character development, a key element commonly seen in dramas. 

3. Romance 

Still from The Perfect Date, 2019 

The romance genre is a type of storytelling that focuses on love and romantic relationships between characters. While the genre often features happy endings, it can also include elements of heartbreak and tragedy. Similar to dramas, romance films also heavily rely on character development. Romance films typically include music to enhance the plot. Over-the-shoulder shots are commonly used in romance films to create a sense of closeness between the characters and allows the audience to feel connected to the characters. The Perfect Date is centered around the idea of online dating demonstrating themes of digital relationships and online personas. Online dating is an idea my group has for our film, but unlike The Perfect Date, where online dating works to their benefit, our film would tackle the dangers of online dating. 

Establishing Roles

Director 

For this film, I will be taking the role of director, a position I am familiar with, having also directed my previous film. With this experience, I have a clear understanding of what's worked well in the past and areas where there is room for improvement. 

Successful 

During my last film, I successfully communicated with our actors, providing clear details on when they were needed, what to wear, and what we wanted them to convey. I plan to use the same approach for this film, offering them detailed instructions regarding time, location, and costume. Beyond just telling an actor what to do or say, I focused on guiding them in a way that helped them understand the emotions we wanted them to bring to life. Since my last film had no dialogue, I simply shared the storyline and character context with the actors ahead of time. However, this film does have dialogue, so I will be sending the script to the actors in advance. By maintaining these communication strategies, I aim to minimize any potential complications on film days. 

Improvements

One area where I want to improve as a director is ensuring there is a unified vision of what will happen in our film before we begin shooting. During my last film, I realized mid-production that, despite discussing our ideas beforehand, my team members each had different interpretations of the vision. To avoid that this time, I've started writing down everyone's ideas as they share them. Soon, I will revisit these ideas with my group so we can decide on a final direction for the film, ensuring everyone's input is reflected in the finished product.

Additionally, during pre-production I want to prioritize completing the script before moving on to the storyboard. The storyboard is when we start envisioning how our ideas will come to life, so it's crucial we have a solidified script first to avoid any confusion. I also want to complete both of these documents as a group. In my last film, I wrote the script while our cinematographer created the storyboard separately, and I felt like these two documents didn't accurately correlate with each other. This time, working together on both will ensure a cohesive vision throughout the film. 

I watched this video for some more tips on directing, so I can ensure I will excel in this role.

Hello World

Beginning Again 

After my last film, I have learned many things regarding the process of filmmaking. I'm excited to start a new film because I have confidence that this film will be much better than my last. I am far more prepared and I feel like the topics my group have discussed are more interesting to me. My last film was a horror film and that genre is never one of my first picks when choosing a film to watch. My group hasn't finalized a genre/storyline but we are leaning towards a mix between drama, mystery, and romance. This mix of genres will create a film that I would actually want to watch on my own. 

In my previous film, I didn't focus on costume or location due to the limitations we faced, as we were working within a school environment. With my new film, I am excited to have the ability to film wherever my group wants. I also plan to pick specific costumes/colors for all of our characters to wear.  

Since my last blog post, I have seen a few films. One film I saw was Wicked. I loved the cinematography in this movie and I want to take inspiration from it for my upcoming film. Even though the storyline my group has been discussing isn't similar to the storyline in Wicked, we can still take inspiration from how detailed each shot looks. 

Wicked, 2024