The Airport Causes Productivity.

 

    Hey, blog!!! It's almost wrap-up time and I'm fighting against the clock! As you already know, I have been spending my spring break in NYC for the past week, so working on the project daily hasn't been super successful (it's not like I expected to). I dedicated Thursday to working on the project and got a good amount done, dedicating most of my time to my first CCR. Today is the day we travel back home, so I was planning on dedicating the three hours on the plane to writing my CCR #2 and finishing editing the first one. Let's just say the AICE Media Gods heard me because my flight has been delayed from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm!!! While you might be thinking "How is that a particularly good thing...", I tend to work better out of home, and so far the airport has been a hub for productivity. I want to dedicate this blog post, like the last, to update you on the progress I have been making regarding the opening and CCR #1.

The Opening

    For me, the hardest part of the opening (being the part I think will make or break the "professionalism") is the visuals of the file clips. What I mean by visuals is the feel, the look. What I'm drawing inspiration from is the old film pictures/ what you would find in your grandparents' old film footage (as I have done :)) There is a specific tint that sparks feelings of nostalgia, and while Doran at that point is starting to feel a tiny bit of recognition of his siblings in the clips, the feel I'm looking for is more distant, less cozy. It's supposed to come off as dusty and lost. All in all, I NEEDED THIS TO BE RIGHT. Isabel was also simultaneously looking for a font/ filter that can fulfill all of our hopes, and I think, so far, Adobe is coming through.

    I spent about two hours (no exaggeration) playing around with Adobe's settings, specifically Lumetri Color. This is where you can find a Basic Corrections tab (including conventional settings such as saturation or the temperature hues of a clip), or get more specific with coloration under tabs like Creative. The true definitive tool, however, I think is an overlay. An overlay is a video that can be found on YouTube (that's where I got them from) that, of course with the reassurance of no copyright issues, you can convert to MP4 and "overlay" it onto any video clip (meaning lay it over and adjust to your liking). I did this using a free website called wave.video, where I also converted an audio file to MP3 to be able to download it and import it to Adobe. I looked at a couple different options but was looking for two effects: that film, textured effect, and an old recording camera effect. 

    After trying out different ones and adjusting the opacity and blend mode of each one (some settings to make them fit well with the file clips), I finally got to a point I liked. Although I think there's always room for improvement, here is the final product, along with the overlay videos I used to get the wanted effects:

Blank VHS Tape

Kodak Vision Grain

Extract 

   

     As you can tell, the audio and cuts aren't yet complete, I was just focusing on the coloration. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, as it feels old and blurred by age. I was debating if it looked too blurry, but I like the mystery it adds, as you can't distinctively see the young girls' faces. Although it hasn't been 50 years since they filmed the files (as Doran is sent them when the girls were a couple years older), it induces mystery, and TESTS is secretive either way, so it makes sense for them to not want to fully expose their subjects.

    Another factor of part of the opening that I decided on is the music for the file scene. Having heard a snippet of it in the video above, I was in between three that would determine my approach to that scene, as the feel of each would introduce the film in different ways. For example, the first one on the website artlist.io called Tales of the Mind is consistent with its intensity, with less of a buildup but still evoking intrigue. It feels more melancholy than the other two, but not necessarily sad. With this one, because there is no buildup toward the title entry, the music would kind of dominate the scene. There wouldn't be "beats" to follow while editing which gives space for a more impactful feel. Because of the music's separation from the scene (how it feels to me) and with input from my sisters, I decided to look at my other 2 options.

    My final two options were on a website called fesliyanstudios.com, where there are very good overall options. One of the ones I liked was under the suspenseful category of music, called Too Crazy. It starts to build up after around 30 seconds of the song and continues a similar beat throughout. While this was a good option, I ended up choosing Broken Village under the sad category. I think that it matches the sounds of the old camera glitches really well, and it feels eerie from the start. It starts off tamer which I like, giving time to develop the suspense. At first, my sister was listening to it for her opening, and it automatically reminded me of what could be a dystopian movie trailer/ introduction scene. It gave me the impression that what Doran is finding is bigger than him, which is exactly the case.

    Making these important choices like what music to use or what coloration to develop is very important, as it will give off an impression automatically. Because of this, I wanted to make sure I was taking the time to make thoughtful decisions that gave me more confidence to continue making impactful choices.

CCR

    As for the CCR, I edited the first video (the NYC one) for three hours straight. I edited it on the editing application iMovie, as I've edited on there before for fun so I'm most comfortable there to make precise cuts. The song I ended up choosing is fun and complementary, allowing me to continue to diversify my video. The song is called South Side Slide, an alliteration that exposes the song's rhythmic attributes. I had a lot of fun editing it, and even more fun finding inspiration for stylistic choices that I will be experimenting with for the video... 

    Here are some of those:

• Light leak/ film overlays such as this one or this one ORRR these ones (Adobe)
• Fish eye lens effect with tutorials like this one, with inspo from this video
• Cool, personalized calligraphy with help from alishadinapop.art on Instagram.

    

    Additionally, I wrote down the two questions I wanted to answer in that video, giving myself almost four minutes to do so in editing, and an unofficial, very partial, very uncut script in my Notes app. At one point I accidentally deleted part of what I wrote which was very frustrating, and with the undo button not working, I depended on my memory and got through it.

    Below are screenshots of my notes for this CCR video:

  

       

   

    

    What's underlined are things I would say, with the rest being non-listed specifics of what I want to include. While thinking, I began to list resources that I have researched from and shown on my blog, making sure the credibility of sources is checked. While of course I only have 4 minutes (that I have given myself) out of 7-10 MAX, I will only include the most important things, as the screenshots aren't even all of it... (it's a visualization of my thought process.)

    

    The day has been productive, slightly tiring, but a gift for my project's progress! It's been really fun to edit and it feels so good when I conjure up ideas I can't wait to physically make come to life. Tomorrow when I get back home, I will write my CCR #2 script, film it, and continue to edit the opening. SEE YOU THENNNN

   

It's Go Time

 

   Updates

     Hey, blog. It's the last week of writing to you. I'm honestly feeling sad about that, considering writing every week for the last however many weeks has made me realize I actually really like to blog, especially when it means maintaining a consistent topic and developing something that feels more long-term, and more meaningful. I'm currently in NYC!!! I've done some really fun things, and while doing so I have filmed my first CCR. As I wrote about in my last blog post, one of my ideas was to film around the NYC locations I am visiting, including scenery the people. I wanted to do this to make my CCRs look more visually engaging and original than simply talking to the screen. Although there's nothing wrong with that, I know I can do more. I have to write both of my CCR video scripts and film my second one, as well as edit both videos of course. I will begin to edit the one I already have clips for, as I will voiceover my answer to the 2 questions onto that video.

    As for the actual opening, I have been researching and asking for guidance in terms of editing. The day before I left, one of my very generous and kind friends Maria came over to my house to give both me and my sister (she's also working on her opening) a rundown of how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, the editing software that we are both using to edit. Although I have used Adobe Premiere Plus before for a school video, both my sister and I had specific questions to ask her. For example, I wanted to know how to add a camera footage filter (which I now know is called an overlay) over the film clips, as well as for shots where Doran is being watched through his computer camera. I also wanted to know how to fix audio mistakes, such as if I wanted to input a voice recording of Beth's questions to the girls to make her sound more interrogative and less passive. 

    Below is a screenshot of some notes of features and directions for myself that I made while she was giving us a tour of Adobe Premiere Pro, along with some pictures of us from the day:

                                                    

Music

    I have also begun to look at options for music for both my NYC CCR and the opening. For the opening, I want to start with a more suspenseful backtrack that accompanies Doran's emotions, as the buildup will be necessary to make an impact leading to the title slide. For the rest of the opening, I was thinking we could use a mysterious, jazzy sound that lightens the mood but also introduces the work atmosphere of the teenagers: controlled, yet not as targeted as TESTS. Additionally, I want the contrast in music to transport the viewers to the present (being "5 months earlier") than the initial scene. For the CCR videos, I only want to include music for the NYC one, as I want to match the energy of the clips and the second CCR video will be more intimate and "raw". I was thinking of funk music, as NYC feels more spontaneous than classical music for example. I have found four royalty-free music websites, also including sound effects that I could use.

    The main two are shown below, excluding Epidemic and Fesliyanstudios, along with some of my options as I scavenged for music options for the opening/ CCR:

Soundstripe

    

Artlist.io

    I will update you about the progress I have made on editing which is my priority right now, along with writing my scripts for the CCR videos.

Beginning the Editing Process

 

    Hello blog! Now that we have all our footage we of course have got to get started EDITING. In this blog post, I will discuss some personal feelings towards editing, some reflection points of what the editing process tests me on, and how Isabel and I will approach editing our opening.

My Relationship with Editing

     I think it's important to show/ state my personal relationship and current experience to this definitive/ key part of the final product process because I feel passionate about this: I've always loved to edit. I have created my own works, as well as for school assignments (most especially for this class), but also incorporated editing and video creation into any projects that have allowed me to. For more background, ever since watching YouTube videos/ having access to any type of camera on my Ipad and applications (such as Videostar and IMovie) that allow for creative freedom, I've always felt drawn to making filming a part of the art I have loved to do. Whether it has been filming myself playing the piano, or making my parents film my sisters and I perform our self-choreographed dance in wildly expressive and thought-out costumes, filming has been a way to capture something I've loved. 

    When it comes to editing specifically, having the ability to control the outcome of something, as well as having the ability to place intentional meaning and provoke a reactive feel holds a lot of power, one that amazes me and excites me. This tasteful part of the video creation process has drawn me in very naturally. Before knowing tactics and placing labels on specific shots, etc... I would record my own videos and edit them, allowing my perfectionism to take control. This means that every beat of the music has to be perfectly synced to its cut, and also that editing for me usually takes a LONG TIMEEEE. In general, editing has been part of the process that I've felt dictates the final outcome, as I truly feel everyone's own style signifies their aim and approach to the flux of images at hand.

    

My Relationship with "Accepting Defeat"

    Due to my perfectionism and detailed-oriented approach, collaboration is truly a test. While I feel I am an active listener and am inclusive of my partner(s) ideas, I oftentimes feel limited when we don't see eye to eye and I don't feel like our work is to its best potential when it isn't necessarily fully developed. Because of this, I have had to learn to let go of all the control and allow everyone to have their go at dominance in the video creation process. AICE Media has definitely helped me practice the art of collaboration including forcing myself to not have control over every aspect of the process. While this has been a challenge that I'm still facing, I'm trying to find the balance between control and trust in my partner(s).

    Concerning this specific project, Isabel and I have worked together 3 times now (whenever we have the opportunity to choose partners we choose each other) and I'm happy with our dynamic. We play to each other's strengths and fill in each other's weaker spots, which we both acknowledge and are appreciative of. For example, she has told me that she has a hard time creating the foundational idea/ base from nothing, which I find comes easier to me. Also, I oftentimes get stuck in motion and find it harder to move fast to meet a deadline, which she helps me with. We usually end up having the same final vision which excites both of us, with true passion to actualize it. Although sometimes we have some communication problems (I understand one thing while she understands another), we stop and make sure that we are on the same page when that does occur and are understanding with each other. Overall, she has made "accepting defeat" easier, considering she is one of my best friends and has many great ideas to offer.

    Below are 2 of the projects that we have worked on together:

this was our first project, edited by me.

this has been our latest project before this one, also edited by me.

Our Approach

    Because Isabel knows my love for editing, she has allowed me to edit most of our projects, which I of course make sure is truly okay with her. With this project, our biggest current challenge is distance. I'm leaving for NYC (so excited!!!) on Sunday morning, and we need to get our editing done. So, we have decided that each of us will have the clips and we will both be editing the video separately, ultimately choosing/ combining choices to create one final product. While that might sound inefficient, we have given ourselves the resources and time in advance to know that and that is why I'm trying to get as much editing done as possible before I leave on Sunday, as we also have to focus on our individual Creative Critical Reflections. She will be using CapCut because she is most comfortable with it, while I will be investigating features on Adobe to ensure that that is the editing platform I will be using. I've used Adobe Premiere Pro before to edit a video and it turned out well, I just want to ensure that I feel in control/ comfortable enough with the platform so I can fulfill our vision!

    In the next blog, I will show research I am doing/ going to do on editing, see you there!

FILMING EXPERIENCE

 

    HEY BLOGGGG!!! THATS A WRAP ON FILMINGGGG!!! I'm very happy and proud to say that we finished filming on Sunday and now I want to go through the whole organizational process as well as the actual day of filming, including successes, challenges, changes, and everything in between. 

    Changes

    Before I get into our filming experience, I wanted to reflect on changes in our design/ plans. The day before filming, we had the shot list, storyboard, and (last thing we did) our script. I haven't yet shown all of those things, so here is our original shot list:

Scene 1 Part 1: Facility

Shot 1: Medium-high angle shot of Fidelia

Shot 2: Medium-high angle shot of Sage

Shot 3: Medium-high angle shot of Miriam

Scene 1 Part 2: Doran's room

Shot 4: Extreme-closeup shot of Doran's eyes reflecting the screen

Shot 5: Extreme-closeup shot of Doran's lips

Shot 6: Closeup shot of Doran's face (reacting)

Shot 7: Slow zoom into the computer screen

Shot 8: Dutch angle of Doran reacting

Shot 9: Medium-closeup shot of Doran, placed from POV of the computer camera

Scene 2: The Office

Shot 10: Establishing shot of workplace

Shot 11: Medium shot of Doran centered

Shot 12: Two-shot of coworkers talking

Shot 13: Medium-high angle shot of Doran 

Shot 14: Side profile closeup of Doran (thinking)

Scene 3: Flashbacks

Shot 15: Low-angle shot of Beth

Shot 16: Blurred shot of Doran running

Shot 17: Young Doran standing speaking

    I wanted to include it as well as the storyboard further below in this blog post specifically because it shows how new ideas forming and realizations can change planted ideas that we thought were rather finalized. For example, the flashbacks were something I had thought were very necessary to maintain/ secure the impact of the first scene in our opening when Doran is watching the file clips, full of questions. I had wanted there to be additional insert clips like blurry flashbacks that would intrigue the audience and allude to events or characters that would be significant in the whole span of the movie, such as the mother Beth, and even indicate him remembering as he watches his younger siblings in the videos. We ended up not going through with that idea and relying more on the strictly necessary clips, I think more because of timing and also we didn't think they were absolutely necessary. All of that to say that THINGS CHANGE! Some of the shots like the dutch-angle or the two shot we don't end up including in our opening and I think that's okay.

    Our storyboard was drawn by Isabel and highlights the most important shots that would let us know the order of shots, with more specification in our shot list. I do recognize that we could've taken the time to specify our storyboard more directly aligned with our shot list, as it would've allowed for a visual representation of our ideas. In the end, however, it all worked out and I think that knowing what we wanted but also allowing ourselves to take a more experimental route on set worked for us at that moment, as we had enough time to where we could do that and we didn't have to worry about dialogue-heavy scenes or any type of bigger challenging scene.

     Here is the storyboard:

Pre Filming

    The day before filming, Isabel and I were coming back from our theatre field trip in Tampa. On the four-hour bus ride back home, we finalized any remaining details we had to confirm, such as making sure we had all of our props and costumes ready. We also wanted to remind our cast of the filming schedule, as these past few weeks of school have been busy so maybe they for some reason forgot that we were putting on a production! To ease all these thoughts, we resorted to the group chat we made everyone we needed to film, as well as all the younger girl's big sisters (just one that isn't already playing a character). 

    Below are screenshots of texts from the group chat from the day before filming:

discussing costumes

challenges along the way... she ended up coming with a splint

          

                      

It's A Go

    It's A Go. On Sunday, March 17, we began to film! We had about 6 hours to film, as one of the girls and I had to be at a park to film for our friend's opening as well, so it was going to be a busy day. We met up at our first filming location- the office- as we had a time limit on when we had to leave due to cleaning at 2pm. My sister also came with her actors, as she's also taking AICE Media Studies AS and the office is big enough to simultaneously shoot two films in. Our actors got there at around 10:30, with plenty of time to set up. We were primarily going to use one area of the whole office, being this one:

                                   

                                          

                                                                                  Doran's desk

    We spent the majority of the time filming shots with the three characters in the scene (Doran, Miriam, and Fidelia), and while the cast got some food as it was reaching lunchtime, I filmed the rest of the shots we needed that would set the location.

    Here are some more pictures of the set/ props, as well as a BTS video:

Older Fidelia

Doran

Older Miriam

showing Isabel how to use the camera

trying to place Doran in the spot we want him

Next Location

    After filming at the office, we try to go to Isabel's house to film all the "file clips". One issue we had was with transportation. Isabel and I's dad were not yet finished filming my sister's opening, so we were left stranded... We also had to pick up my little sister from my house, as she plays the younger version of Miriam (whom I play). So, with the help of my friend Cecilia who arrived later with her little sister who plays Sage and Salvia (the twins), we went to pick up my little sister from my house and we went to Isabel's house. Finally, we all got there and we got straight to work as some of us had to go soon to film for our friends opening. We finished in around 30 minutes, with the clips containing limited and repetitive dialogue for the younger girls to memorize. One challenging part of the script was the different languages being spoken. While we didn't include the translations in our original screenplay, we used Google Translate to help us, with German being the hardest language to accommodate out of the four: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German. Isabel is the only one who has to speak these foreign languages and she plays Beth, who teaches the experimented children two languages to perform studies on them (as discussed in a previous blog).

    Below are pictures from that part of the shoot:

Young Fidelia 

Young Sage and Salvia 

Me trying to paint a fake mole to differentiate between the twins...

Comes To A Close

    I had to run to film my friend Julia's opening, but Isabel went with Sebastian (who plays Doran) to his house to film the reaction shots that are in the first scene of the opening, which turned out well.             Here's a snippet of a clip...

    THAT'S A WRAPPPP. The day after we wrapped I wrote the cast a farewell note that I was contemplating including because it's a more personal thing but why not share it. Overall, the experience was stressful at times but successful. Thank you for reading!! See you soon for editing ;)

The Creative Critical Reflection

    Hey blog! While I have been talking a lot about the actual film opening, the other portion of the Portfolio Project is the CCR or the Creative Critical Reflection. This part of the project is 20/50 points, almost half of the final project grade. While this information did make me realize the importance of this aspect of the project, I was still going to dedicate just as much effort to the CCR and am excited to incorporate different types of media products. In class on March 11th, our teacher gave us a detailed rundown of what we should do, with examples of student samples to help us visualize the instructions she was giving us. I want to dedicate this blog post to, putting it simply, rundown the rundown.

    Below are pictures of my in-class notes:

                                                                                                     

    

     

     

   

    The Basics

    The objective for the CCR is to reflect on the process/ development of the Portfolio Project creatively. We must answer the 4 specific questions asked while showing our personality and providing credible research sources. Our teacher advised us to split 2 questions into 2 videos and to not surpass a total of 10 minutes for the two videos combined (7 minutes being preferable). Each video/ chosen form to answer the questions must differ from the last, meaning we must have 2 types of media products minimum, ranging from examples such as a talk show, presentation with a voiceover, or even an enhanced podcast. This being what I expected, I was excited to come up with ideas from the beginning. Some of my initial examples include something inspired by...

• W Magazine's Screen tests w/ Lynn Hirschberg
• Actors Roundtable/ Actors on Actors (In this case it would be Directors on Directors)
• 73 Questions with Vogue

W Magazine

Directors on Directors

73 Questions

Questions

    The most important part of the CCR is of course answering the required questions. While how we answer them is also very important, making sure we give a meticulous and genuine answer to each of the four questions backed up by research (from the blog and not) is absolutely necessary to earn a high score. So, here are the four questions we must answer and how we should approach each one:

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

• Discuss genre conventions of the opening's genre 
• Discuss which genre conventions were chosen/ refuted and WHY
• Discuss representation- how choices made about individuals, groups, events, and issues are illustrated within the production.
  

     2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

• Define target audience (including age, demographic/similarities, and gender) and discuss how we arrived there.
• How did our production choices work together to engage our TA.
• How do I plan to make the film available to our TA? (REALISTIC distribution options)

     3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

• Reflect on the process evolution of the project ( all goods/ bads…).
• Discuss in how we began planning and researching (specific details).
• Discuss approach to production- what did we end up changing/ adapting?
• Reflection of where we started/ ended; May also discuss how previous projects done in class have helped with this one.

     4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

• Discuss technologies used while producing (software, hardware).
• Discuss HOW technologies were used.

Ideas

    After asking follow-up questions to my teacher, I crossed Actors on Actors off the list. My initial idea was to have Isabel and I ask each other questions about the process, as I watch those types of videos all the time and love learning about the insight of each person's own unique process, but because we need to have separate CCRs I don't think that will work out. The W Magazine idea came to me because I watch those videos a lot as well, as they make me feel more personally connected to the person being interviewed. The more raw and real feeling of the interview and the consistent person behind the camera (Lynn) make the short videos feel more intimate, which I would love to replicate in my video. I also like the stylized light black and white font along with the intensely black backdrop, which I know I can replicate as I have the resources, so this is a current option. The 73 Questions with Vogue series allows for an interactive and visually engaging approach, as I would move around the location while answering the questions. 

     As of right now, the W Magazine idea seems like the most reliant, as well as doing a segment in NYC (as I will be there during the break) and narrating the answers to the questions in a fun and connected way. I will update you on my CCR progress next week ;)))

     

Title Font Ideas

 

    Hey blog, we are almost beginning our production!!! Pre-production is all done, with the discussion of costumes and props with Isabel (as well as the cast) happening. To begin thinking about editing and stylistic choices, we began to think about something very important/ reflective of our opening tone: title font.

Exploring References

    Before definitively choosing one (which we still haven't as we are in that process), I decided to look at some actually chosen title fonts and how they add/ develop the story's tone.

    I began to look at dystopian movies/book title fonts, even if I'm not familiar with them so I could get an idea of common title fonts used in dystopias. Here are some I found:

Although I've never read this book series, I wanted to include it to depict the similarities between different dystopian books/ movies.

    

While each of these titles is different and specific to its own series, the strict structure and boxy shape of the Maze Runner and Hunger Games reflect the governmental control/ the enclosed atmosphere of the "games" in both series. Divergent is less boxy and "strict", possibly because the actual title stands for a unique group in the controlled society. Investigating how something as "seemingly small" as the title font is reflective of the story/ tone that is trying to be imposed on the consumer was really helpful to make sure we are making the right choice with our own title display.

Current Options

    After getting an idea of how important the font is not only for the title but also for the credits and additional writing, Isabel and I began to check out options. We looked into the video editing app Capcut's fonts, as we've used it before to edit projects, such as our One Word Film project. They have a pretty diverse palette of fonts and like many editing software, have the typing display option which we definitely want to integrate whether that's for the main title slide or the contextual slide that has the words "five months earlier". We want to lead into the title with a type-in effect because the opening scene has to do with files, as well as the leading scene in an office. The feeling that the typing gives off, almost as if leading the viewer to a final destination (with the viewer not knowing where it ends) feels intriguing and true to the opening. It also adds a dynamic to the quicker jump cuts/ pace of the editing giving the viewer a chance to focus in on the important title slide that reveals a lot about the movie. (they would find that out after watching the actual movie! Who knows maybe we will continue this story one day!)

    Our first option is this more rustic, detectivey font. It reminds me of files and gives me the impression that the movie will be about investigation/mystery. While that's true, I also want to truly emphasize the strict order of the society, and almost give a vague yet powerful impression, to initially illustrate the type of censored/ nonexplicit approach to the whole movie. This is a font that feels less stereotypical/ expected for a dystopian film which we are considering using.

    This font reminds me more of the examples I showed above of the dystopian books/ films. It steers less away from the traditional genre expectations but doesn't feel necessarily too repetitive/ recognizable from some of the examples. We would use plain white lettering and also probably the typing effect. This feels like a reliable option, as it's not too intense and allows the audience to truly focus on the title with no distractions. The contrast of black background and bright white lettering really enforces the title's importance to the whole idea of the film, and how connecting the protagonist is to the title (Doran appears in the last shot before this, with other additional shots from our opening alluding to the fact that HE IS the "lost file").

Overall Conclusions

    Although these are only two options, Isabel found them and I honestly think that they are very good ones. They don't feel too cheesy/ forced with our story, but we do need to figure out what we want to prioritize: an immediate visual representation of a more controlled/ less "creative" font to reintroduce the governmental order/ lessening of individuality as indicated by the very first opening scene, or a more "investigative" font that feeds the viewers questions and alludes to possible answers. We will keep discussing this week.

Screenplay (Draft)

 

    BLOGGGGG! The script draft for the cast is here! Isabel and I finished writing the dialogue for the opening while on our field trip, as we are both currently in Tampa! Here is the process of writing our script draft:

Class Notes

    Before we got to attempting to create the layout of the script, we learned about some of the structural elements and how to organize the information, such as character actions and the location of the scene at hand.

Additional Research 

    In addition to the class notes, I wanted a quick guide on the most important aspects of a screenplay, so I searched online and found this really helpful website. You can find that website right overrrr here. The website allows anyone who wants to write a script (professional or inexperienced) to do so, providing descriptions on aspects like parentheticals and how CHARACTER NAMES should be first displayed, along with a visual reference of "The 6 Elements You Have to Get Right":

    I did have previous experience writing a screenplay as I have demonstrated before (in 8th grade writing the original plot for our current film) so I was familiar with the formatting and what needed to be included, however, Isabel and I also wanted to a reference real used script that is slightly similar to our own opening. We decided to choose the Black Widow opening sequence that we were inspired by which I've discussed quite a bit, and found this script: here. We used this one just because Isabel is familiar with the story (I've never watched it), but also looked at the Titanic script (I'm not sure why I chose that one but I did, here it is). Seeing the introductory descriptions and the script as a whole helped me get an idea of the whole structure which I very much need to.

Writing the Thing.

    Now we got to writing it! We currently have our draft for the cast so that they can start to read their lines, even though there is a limited amount of dialogue. Our opening prioritizes not overexposing/ giving away the rules of their world, but instead alluding to/ emphasizing the societal tensions and stereotypical aspects of a dystopia such as surveillance and order so that the audience gets comfortable, but not too comfortable. We still need to put our script into Celtx.com and make a translated one (the younger versions of each character were taught English as well as a foreign language as a part of a psychological experiment). But for now, here is the script we will probably use for the cast!

Script

INT. TESTING FACILITY - DAY

BETH, the head of TESTS (The Experimental and Social Testing Society), sets up a camera to film the monthly updated file report on TESTS victims , grunting and mumbling at her attempt to succeed at the set up.

BETH

    (Slightly frustrated, still composed)

State your age.

FIDELIA

    I’m eight 

BETH

Just your age.

FIDELIA

       Eight

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             CUT TO:

INT. DORANS BED ROOM - DAY

Beth’s son DORAN (17) is in his darkly lit and enclosed bedroom. He is attentively watching his laptop, as he was sent a confidential/secret file from an anonymous source which we later find out to be his siblings: FIDELIA (14), MIRIAM (17), SAGE (15), and SALVIA (15). A CLOSEUP of a his hands on the keyboard are shown.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 CUT BACK TO:

  BETH

    Who are you.

FIDELIA

Fide-

  

                                                                                  BETH

The number.

FIDELIA

                                                                                 Oh, five

                                                                                                                                                       CUT TO:

Doran puts his hands on his face while he's attentively watching the screen.

                                                                                                                                           CUT BACK TO:

  BETH

                                                                         State your age.

                                                                       SALVIA

                                                                               I’m nine

 Doran skips ahead to another part of the file video.    

                                                                         

BETH

                                                                          Who are you.

SAGE

                                                                         Number three

SALVIA

                                                                         Number four

                                                                                                                                                       CUT TO:

Now, even more concerned.

DORAN

                                                      (Confused and lost)

                                                                             What the-

                                                                                                                                           CUT BACK TO:

BETH

                                                                       State your age.

                                                                     MIRIAM

                                                                               Eleven

BETH

                                                                         Who are you.

                                                                    MIRIAM

                                                                              Miriam.

BETH

                                                                    No. Your number.

                                                                            MIRIAM

                                                                        I am Miriam.

BETH

                                                                      (Frustrated sigh)

A guard of TESTS comes to get Miriam, pushing her out of the frame as the camera begins to wobble.

MIRIAM

(defensive, strong)

No! Stop!

A closeup of Doran's eyes perplexed and in shock almost covers the frame.

                       

BETH

                                           What do we do when children get out of place.

                                                           FIDELIA, SAGE, SALVIA

                                                                          Punish them

                                   

Doran, in shock and filled with questions, looks up at the camera of the computer and shuts it.

                                                                                                                                          CUT TO BLACK

The title of the film THE LOST FILE appears center screen, with a black background. The follow-up with a frame of the words Five Months Earlier will appear.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Sequential introductory shots of Doran’s workplace, being a center for incoming file reports, will appear with different angles. Doran’s sisters FIDELIA and MIRIAM are working there as well.

Doran opens his computer and begins to type, while occasionally looking around the room. Fidelia goes over to Miriam’s working station and murmurs a joke.

           

MIRIAM

                                                                       (Whispering)

                                                                              Fidelia go back.

FIDELIA

                                                                       (annoyed)

                                                     Okay, but you don’t have to punish me for it.