Started filming in school

Julia and I started filming our scenes in school before we went on our spring break or vacation from school. We filmed our scenes for the opening in one class period. Mainly because of how we planned it out with our shot list.

Amber walking to the class to steal the money. This is during a lunch period so she can go into class to take without anyone seeing her. We wanted to show how cautious and scared Amber felt during this scene. We had her walk slowly and look paranoid. In the hallway, sometimes people walked by and making noise. We had to retake shots once in a while in case the background noise effected what we were saying.

Amber and Josh talking in the hallway. We wanted an eye line match and shot counter shot for the conversation. We wanted first did a film shot of the camera pointing at me the whole time. Then we did a whole shot of the camera only looking at Josh. Then Julia stepped back and we did a two shot for the last angle. 

Amber stealing the money. We wanted this to be a high angle and Amber grabbing the wallet quickly. We did other takes of this scene of when Amber took the wallet slowly. The shots included close ups of the material and my face, mid shots and . The close up of the face shots helped show Amber's emotions: fear and distress. We plan to have this part with more cuts to show more chaos. 

Started Filming at Home

Julia and I went to her house recently to start filming the scenes at her house.We started with the recording for the voice over. First we did a video then we did an audio recording. It took a while for me to narrate slowly and coherently. I had to work on pronouncing each word slowly and leaving pauses between each topic. We wanted to show that I was recording so we made the beginning of the recording of me setting up the camera and fixing my hair. We made a setup for the first scene with the computer.

 We kept the outfit more simple After that we did the scene of me waking up and implying that I have been up all night because my eyes are open before my alarm goes off. We took several angles and shots of this scene to have a a lot of options. That clip is shown up above! Then we recorded the scene where I am walking outside to get the drawing of my "mom." Julia and I thought of making the drawing of what Amber thinks her mom was like. Lastly, we filmed the scene where I hand the dad the money. Overall we had trouble with having me animate the proper emotions. We got thorough it by hearing the narrations in other movies "The Edge of Seventeen" and "The Notebook". I saw how slow the narrators spoke and how they had longer pauses in between their statements. I also saw if the voice over was the main character they used a lot of details. We wanted to over shoot because Julia was going to be away for most of spring break.

CCR Planning

Hellooo readers,

Here is my VERY rough draft for the CCR....

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

Our film uses "coming of age" conventions by having the main settings be at school or at home. Characteristics of an outcast include someone who is not part of a main crowd or is very outgoing in school. They keep more to themselves and don't dress to impress. The story revolves around the teenager facing difficulties in her life and how she is reacting to it. The lighting was natural not including the low key lighting in the bedroom. The camera angles were mostly close ups or mid shots to see the characters emotions as much as possible. It allows the audience to be more connected to the character and her emotions. The iconography of the props was demonstrated in our film with school backpacks and . The sounds that are the most evident tare the voice over and upbeat music. The plot used genre conventions such as the teenager facing problems everyday and she will eventually learn a life lesson. Her mom did pass away due to an illness which is another common convention.  

-How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
The Target audience includes teenagers and young adults in lower or middle economic classes. This can relate to people going through this stage in life. Trying to figure out who they are and what they want in the future. This would be distributed in movie theaters then on streaming applications such as Netflix or Redbox. It's good to start in the movie theaters to promote through trailers and large audiences.

-How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Julia and I learned it is important to over shoot because having more options when editing is better. Also, overshooting is done by capturing the scene in different camera angles (high and low) or having different close ups of the subject. It is does take a good amount of time to think of the different angles and shooting the shot continuously. I learned how important research is to know how to produce a project. There are so many details especially with the mis en scene that a director would have to know. Such as (EXAMPLES) . We were able to stay organized with our shot lists and scripts. We spent less time wondering what to film while we were filming because we knew what we needed. This saved time as we were taking our shots. Planning out our opening was intricate because of all the changes. Also, figuring out our purpose of the film. The creative process was much longer than I had expected. There were constant changes from us wanting to stray from our original ideas to what we want now. 

-How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
Google  docs for script, CCR, shot list, BME and character development sheet.

Detailed Plot

Julia and I wanted to develop the story more so we came up with a more detailed plot. Mainly to know the climax and what Amber was going to do to get out of this situation.

Background:
The mom died when Amber was younger because she got sick. Before this the mom was in the CIA and graduated from Stanford in criminology. The dad turned to alcohol when she died and Amber did not cope well with the loss.

Ambers' life later in the movie: 
The dad realizes he has wasted a lot of money on alcohol and the bank is taking their house. As the dad and Amber are packing Amber finds an unopened box in the back of a closet. The box has old photos of her mom, her CIA badge and other belongings. Amber asks her father who for once is not intoxicated. He finally tells her more about her mom: personality, looks, her job and how much she loved Amber. Amber gets inspired to change herself for the better to be like her mom. The dad starts to slowly stop drinking. Amber starts taking school more seriously by studying and paying attention in class. She becomes friends with people who take school as seriously as she is. She stops stealing and starts to draw more as a form of escapism. Her dad and her start to a healthier relationship because he is sober more often. She starts applying for colleges and hopes her academics help her get into a prestige four year university.

Ending:
The last year of having good grades was not enough for most four year universities. She is devastated and runs away to find the criminals herself. She feels lost ans she has no where else to go. Her dad finds her not long after. He explains to her she does not need to start at a four year university. She can start small and keep building her way up. He believes she will continue to take school seriously and follow in her moms footsteps. With this hope she takes his advice and begins at a community college. She will keep trying to get to where her mom was in life.

Casting process

Hello readers,

Julia and I wanted to find out who would be Amber based on how we acted. Julia and I did a practice session for the "audition." We agreed that I would be Amber for the opening. We decided to not have Amber be extremely different in real life versus online. The contrast would be too much and that isn't our main focus. The contrast is important but it's the way she acts within the contrast. We want to show the persona of having a decent life like any stereotypical teenager. Then her in real life there are a lot of flaws. She is not coping with them well because of underlying reason. We want to show this more with her actions than her looks.

My audition for Amber video is down below!

Production name AND Final Script

So much progress was made !
Julia and I wanted to have a production name that represented us. We wanted to do our initials but we trashed that idea because the combinations sounded boring. So we looked up American production names which revolved around using numbers and real names or initials. They honestly did not help so we went on Reel Rundown (link down below) which gave advice about naming productions. One point they made was having it be unique and personal. I asked Julia what her and I both like. We chose the beach and started going off names that relate to that. We finally went with:

Production Name: R u s h i n g  W a t e r s

So Julia and I had to take at least two class periods finalizing the script because we kept finding problems. Mostly with how the teenagers were talking. We printed three copies: Amber's character, Broody's character and a spare script.

Script:

FADE IN:

INT. BED - 5:30 AM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face in a close up, eyes wide open. Alarm starts blaring as she looks off into space.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BEDROOM - 7:00 PM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face. She is filming a video. AMBER looks hesitant before she begins filming.

AMBER

(exhales)

Hey, I haven’t filmed in a bit and, uh, I guess I’ve been a bit busy.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. AMBER’s ROOM - 7:00 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Um, so, I won’t get too far into it but, y’know, just the regular school stuff no one needs to really hear.

CUT TO: AMBER walking past knocked out dad on couch.

DISSOLVE TO:

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. SCHOOL - 8:00 AM

School is shown in an establishing shot.

DISSOLVE TO:

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. CLASSROOM - 8:15 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Like, to prove my point, when I got to math, I looked at the board and saw we had a test on old material. Boring stuff.

(AMBER is shown looking at her hand for cheats, then looking up, concerned.)

DISSOLVE TO:
------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. HALLWAY - 9:30 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

I guess the highlight of my day was just, like, seeing my friends in the hallway.

AMBER is talking to a few people in the hall.

BRODY

So, then I asked her if she’d wanna, like, get together sometime and she said yeah but that I can’t tell anyone so her boyfriend doesn’t find out! Like, is she serious?

AMBER

(unenthusiastically)

Wow, the audacity.

BRODY

Dude, by the way, did you ever reach out to Dylan?

AMBER

Nah, he’s not really for me.

(Checks time)

So um, can we talk later? I really have to go study for my test next period. It’s, like, thirty percent of the grade.

BRODY

(jokingly)

Whatever, see you later!

AMBER unlocks an empty room with discarded belongings.

DISSOLVE TO:

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. EMPTY ROOM - 9:35 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Honestly, hearing me talk about school is probably boring, so I guess I’ll just talk about my job. Uh, I like it. Yeah. Good coworkers, good hours.

AMBER is rummaging through the belongings, taking money from them.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Oh, in case you’re wondering, I work as a cashier.

AMBER close up on saddened, distressed face.

DISSOLVE TO:
------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. PARKING LOT - 4:00 PM

AMBER is shown walking down the street.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Uh, I think that’s all I really have to say. It doesn’t sound like much, but I’ve been busy. Promise I’m not blowing this off. I’m working on a schedule now, actually, to make my posts more consistent. So, sorry for the inconvenience. Don’t unsubscribe, please. Just kidding, you can if you want...but please don’t.

AMBER sits down on a parking spot, pulls out a notebook and draws inside of it. Her drawings are depressing: they are dark.

DISSOLVE TO:
------------------------------------------------------------

INT. AMBER’S HOUSE - 8:00 PM

AMBER

Hey, dad. I know it’s late, I know, but they held me a bit, and, I waited on a rich guy.(scoffs)

(inhales deeply)

Here, this should get us through the week...

(extends arm with pay)

FADE OUT


The source where we got our inspiration for the production name: 
Tatiana. (2017, June 20). 50 Film Production Company Names. Retrieved from     https://reelrundown.com/film-industry/production-company-names

Plots and Titles go hand and hand

Hello readers !

Developing the entire plot was the only way Julia and I were able to come up with a movie title. The plot was going to be the mom leaving when Amber was younger or have the mom run a away and come back. When she comes back she inspires Amber to do better and improve her life. After a good hour Julia and I came up with a beginning middle and end rough draft of the plot.

BEGINNING: Amber is introduced as poor and struggling. Spends time constantly scrambling for money. Finds out she and her father are officially poor and have to majorly downsize.

MIDDLE: As Amber is looking through boxes while packing she finds her mom’s diploma, pictures of graduation, and pictures of her mother and father happy, proof that she was a successful and highly respected FBI agent. Her father explains that she died on the job, after having told her that her mother had died due to being ill. Amber, seeing the potential her mother had, becomes determined to fill her shoes and help end criminal violence, outraged that her mother died this way. She starts seeing the school counselor to help her avoid making bad choices and to improve her grades. She begins applying to colleges.

END: Amber goes to Sante Fe community college after getting rejected from every four year university she applied to, and receiving the best financial aid from Santa Fe and someday UF. She begins her path of criminology, and her father goes to intense rehab to solve his addiction issues.

Who is our character? Amber Chase. A high school senior with an absent mom and alcoholic father. She has no motivation and does not care to be better in life. She gets motivation and begins to change who she is. She doesn’t get everything she wants like getting into four year universities and ends up rebelling. She decided she doesn’t need college she’ll find the criminals on her own. After running away her father finally gives her a life lesson: She has to start somewhere and she will eventually get to the top. She goes to Santa Fe or community college.

What does Amber want? She wants to go to college away from home. The mom died when Amber was four and both her and the dad developed bad coping mechanisms. The dad drank and Amber becomes closed off and begins not to care about life. When Amber finds out that her mother was a highly respected FBI agent killed on the job who attended University of Pennsylvania, she develops a drive to avenge her mother and work in criminal justice as well.

What causes her to fumble? She gets rejected from the top schools she applied to, and even some of her back ups. She decides to run away to avenge her mother on her own and ends up stealing a lot of money in the process. Her father catches her and stops her before she has the chance to get very far, and he talks to her about how her success is the only hope he has for the family.

The planned movie title for a while was "What lies behind the Outcast" but as we did the plot (Plots and scripts go hand in hand post) we didn't like it. We wanted to make the title reflect the characters journey. Not just Amber but people who are in or have been in her shoes. A teenager who changes who they are for the better even with obstacles. We were thinking "An Endeavor" and "If They Only Knew." Then we thought what does Amber want to do with her life and about ten minutes later . This whole process took weeks but after knowing exactly what the plot should entail we came up with.....

Movie Title: To Remove The Grime

Overall the creative process for our title was long and a lot of back and fourth. I didn't know how much pressure the title would be. However it is the first thing people will hear if the film was ever finished and released.

Group Meeting

On Friday we had our group meeting so other members in my class can give advice. One thing Julia and I had trouble with was deciding what music to use. The other members suggested instrumental rock music so it would be modern and upbeat. It was also suggested that we edit the video so the format is as if someone is watching YouTube not in full screen So the video would be going and underneath would be the followers and likes. So this would show the numbers going up as she records. It would be hard to do this because neither one of us know how to edit the video onto a YouTube background. We can play around with some apps if we wanted to pursue that.

After the group meetings Mrs. Stocklosa  talked about the CCR's we have to do at the end. This cleared up a lot of questions I had about how I can display the CCR. I definitely want to take this into consideration when the time comes.
1. Use Screencast (computer program) to get the have pictures during as you do a voice over.
2. Have a script and practice before hand
3. I can use a PowerPoint and do a presentation with images to make it more engaging.
4. Be very specific with all the research and how you incorporated it.
5. Do NOT wait until the last minute.
6. Should be around nine or ten minutes.

7. Be realistic with the distribution because this is the first opening we do. 

Shot List

Julia and I completed a shot list so we know what we wanted to film. We both reviewed it several times and felt very confident with it 

1. Close up on Amber's face
2. Black screen flashing title
3. Mid shot of Amber's room
4. Shot stays still, Amber comes into shot
5. Long shot of Amber walking to door
6. Mid shot of parent passed out on couch, high angle
7. Establishing shot of school
8. Pan and long shot of Amber walking into class and sitting down
9. Mid shot of Amber at desk
10. Point of view and close up of Amber's hands
11. Close up of Amber looking concerned
12. Close up of her pulling her sleeves to cover her hands
13. Pan of Amber walking in the hallway to find her friends.
14. Shot reverse shot/mid shot of Friend 1
15. Shot reverse shot/mid shot of Amber
16. Shot reverse shot/mid shot of Friend 1
17. Shot reverse shot/close up of Amber
18. Eye line match to classroom door
19. Long shot of Amber walking to door
20. Close up on Amber getting bobby pin
21. Close up on Amber's face
22. Close up on Amber picking lock
23. Long shot from inside the room, door opening, switching on light
24. Pan across room to show disregarded bags and personal items
25. Close up of ground, Amber walking over to a bag and lifting it (still)
26. Close up of her distressed face
27. Mid shot of her rummaging through bag, pulling out money
28. Close up on distressed face
29. Close up on Amber's hands counting money
30. Close up on face, looking away, leaving room, turning off light
31 (option). Tilt down long shot of Amber walking forward
32 (option). Still long shot of Amber walking forward
33. Mid shot of Amber sitting on parking space
34. High angle showing Amber's drawings
35. Point of view shot on drawings
36. Establishing shot of house at night
37. Mid shot of Amber entering house from inside
38. Tracking shot of Amber walking forward, extending arm

The Language of Teenagers

As Julia said "I can't write like a teenager. Gabby make it sound more like a teenager." Julia and I realized that teenagers don't describe their day as waking "up bright and early with lots of sunlight." So I took Julia's request and made the script more colloquial and informal. I skipped to where friend one and Amber are talking and made their answers more care free and choppy. By adding "whatever" and "oh my gosh" it sounded more like dialogue. I went back to the top and continued adding more sass to what Amber was saying to make it sound more interesting. I took out the more formal words such as "I finally concluded". I made it more realistic by having Amber say how much she dreaded waking up. Instead of her saying I woke up with lot's of sunshine. I feel like this updated version gave Amber more of a  personality and the dialogue more colloquial.


INT. BED - 5:30 AM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face in a close up, eyes wide open. Alarm starts blaring as she looks off into space.

INT. BEDROOM - 7:00 PM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face. She is filming a video. AMBER looks hesitant before she begins filming.

AMBER

(exhales)

Hey, guys. It’s been a minute since I’ve filmed. Basically, I guess today’s been kinda of a busy day.


INT. AMBER’s ROOM - 7:00 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

So my obnoxious ass alarm woke me up at seven a.m. I dragged myself out of bed and started getting ready.

CUT TO: Amber packing the last of her materials for school. Pan of AMBER walking past knocked out parent on couch.

I said bye to my dad and ran to catch the bus.

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. SCHOOL - 8:00 AM

School is shown in an establishing shot.

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. CLASSROOM - 8:15 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

So I had to take this math test in first period. BUT I did study all night for it so I was't nervous at all.

(AMBER is shown looking at her hand for cheats, then looking up, concerned. Pulling her sleeves down to cover her hands.)

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. HALLWAY - 9:30 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

After class, I went to talk to my one of my MANY groups of friends. I wanted to ask them how were their college applications going.

AMBER is talking to a few people in the hall.

FRIEND 1

I asked her if she’d want to hook up sometime and she said for sure but she’d have to hide it from her boyfriend! It’s so annoying!

AMBER

(unenthusiastically)

Wow, the audacity.


FRIEND 1

Hey, oh my gosh, did you ever respond to Dylan?

AMBER

No, he’s not really for me.

(Checks time)

So um, can we talk later? I really have to go study for my test next period.

FRIEND 1

Rolls eyes

Whatever, see you later!

AMBER unlocks an empty room with discarded belongings. She uses a bobby pin and looks around for any security or people hanging around.

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. EMPTY ROOM - 9:35 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Finally,I went to lunch. I was obviously starving at that point. But I worked a lot of hours this week so I had enough to pay for lunch. 

AMBER is rummaging through other people's belongings, taking money from them.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

In case you’re wondering, I work as a cashier at a near by makeup store which I won’t name.

AMBER close up on saddened, distressed face.

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. PARKING LOT - 4:00 PM

AMBER is shown walking down the street.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

After school I just went straight to work. Then ended my day by doing my homework for tomorrow. You’re probably tired of me ranting about my day, so I’ll end the video here. Thank you guys so much for watching, and please like, subscribe and hit that post notifications button down below if you enjoyed. My social media links are in the description so bye for now babes!


AMBER sits down on a parking spot, pulls out a notebook and draws inside of it. Her drawings are depressing: they are of her succeeding, with the world around her dark.

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. AMBER’S HOUSE - 8:00 PM

AMBER

Hi, mom, sorry I’m home so late. I worked extra hours tonight.

(inhales deeply)

Here’s everything I earned, tips included. This should be enough for the week.

(extends arm with pay)

Lighting Shots

Julia and I are going to start filming next weekend. We do not know who's house to do so I took some shots to test the lighting. I took some during the morning when the sun was fully out. When the sun wasn't out it was hard to get lighting to see the subjects. Julia and I don't want to use artificial lighting so the scenes look more natural. When we actually film we may do it at sunset so we don't have to be at one of our houses at six in the morning.

The shot below would have the first shot of the film: Amber with wide eyes looking at the wall. Her alarm would go off on the night stand next to her. I have people over my house right now so my night table was moved out for space. However it would be there when we film.

This would be the scene where Amber walks by the passed out parent. The lighting can be more low key to create more mystery but the audience will still know what's going on. Especially with the bottles near the couch that we will have.

This is one place Amber could film with the bright window in the back with green plants. The pillows can be nicely arranged and she would be in the middle of the nook. Like I said I have family over so I did not want to ask a lot of them to move for the shots I had to take. So some of them aren't angled as well as I would like them to be.

This image is where Amber would film her YouTube videos. She could have an aesthetically pleasing set up with all her art work or makeup. Hopefully this scene can be edited with a filter to make it look like a more camera and not a phone. Such as the top left saying "REC" with the red dot and the date/time in another corner.

New and Improved Story Board

After making the script I made an updated storyboard. I know I am not the best artist so please excuse my amateur skills. Thanks !!

In case you can't read the descriptions... reading left to right
Box One: Close up, focus on Ambers face, Alarm starts, changes focs
Box Two: Mid-shot of Amber starting YOuTUbe video, looking pretty.
Box Three: Amber start talking about her day (Mid shot)

Box Four: Long shot and two shot of Amber looking at her passed out father on couch.
Box Five: Establishing shot of our school/ Ambers school, wide shot
Box Six: Voice over about test. POV/ close up of hands with formulas.

Updated Script

Hey guys it's been a minute since last time,
Excuse the slang, that was to get you ready for Amber's introduction to her video. A minute is slang for a while or long time that American teenagers often use today. To make the film more current we want the alarm to be a phone and be charging right next to Amber's' bed.
 Amber will be making a YouTube video for her channel; she usually talks about her life. The video scene will be shown once while the rest of the opening will be her voice over while going about her day in real life. Having the contrast between how she is on camera versus in real life might throw the audience off. They may think the purpose is to show how people on the internet aren't as perfect as they seem in real life. To avoid this Amber will show herself in the camera once then the rest can be a voice over. The script is down below and as of now it is officially done. We tested it our as being around two minutes.


INT. BED - 5:30 AM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face in a close up, eyes wide open. Alarm starts blaring as she looks off into space.

INT. BEDROOM - 7:00 PM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face. She is filming a video. AMBER looks hesitant before she begins filming.

AMBER

(exhales)

Hey, guys. It’s been a minute since I’ve filmed. To sum it up, I guess today’s been a bit of a busy day.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

I started my day off bright and early with lots of sunshine.

CUT TO: AMBER walking past knocked out parent on couch.



I said goodbye to my mom and ran to catch the bus.


------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. SCHOOL - 8:00 AM

School is shown in an establishing shot.



------------------------------------------------------------

INT. CLASSROOM - 8:15 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

I then had to take a math test, which I’d basically pulled an all nighter studying for.

(AMBER is shown looking at her hand for cheats, then looking up, concerned.)

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. HALLWAY - 9:30 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

After that, I went over to talk to my group of friends to see how they thought their college applications were going.

AMBER is talking to a few people in the hall.

FRIEND 1

I asked her if she’d want to hook up sometime and she said yes but she’d have to hide it from her boyfriend! Can you believe that?

AMBER

(unenthusiastically)

Nope.

FRIEND 1

Hey, how about you? Did you ever respond to Dylan?

AMBER

No, he’s not really for me.

(Checks time)

Look, I’d love to keep talking about this, but I really have to go study. I’ll talk to you later.

FRIEND 1

See you later!



AMBER unlocks an empty room with discarded belongings.

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. EMPTY ROOM - 9:35 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

Then, I went to lunch. I had to work long hours after school, so I need to fill my stomach with as much as I can during the school day!

AMBER is rummaging through the belongings, taking money from them.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

In case you’re wondering, I work as a cashier at the local convenience store which I won’t name.

AMBER close up on saddened, distressed face.

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. PARKING LOT - 4:00 PM

AMBER is shown walking down the street.

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

After school I just headed on to work, and then finally concluded my day by doing my homework for tomorrow. You’re probably tired of me going on about my day, so I’ll end the video here. Thank you guys so much for watching, and please like and subscribe if you enjoyed. Bye!

AMBER sits down on a parking spot, pulls out a notebook and draws inside of it. Her drawings are depressing: they are of her succeeding, with the world around her dark.

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. AMBER’S HOUSE - 8:00 PM

AMBER

Hi, mom, sorry I’m home so late. I worked extra hours tonight.

(inhales deeply)

Here’s everything I earned, tips included. This should be enough for the week.

(extends arm with pay)

Welcome....Amber Chase

Drum roll please....

We have our star....

Amber Chase is our eighteen year old senior in High school. This past weekend Julia and I started developing Amber's character. We chose the name because we wanted a name that was not too common but rebellious.

Defining looks: female and depending on who plays Amber her physical looks will vary. We want to carry the contrasting costume designs and her personas.

Defining traits: lies frequently, reserved, acts natural (“normal”), awkwardly hides truth, friendly.

Defining hobbies: makes YouTube videos, takes things (money) from people and pretends it’s her work income. We thought she should have something shocking about her such as stealing. As a form of self expression she likes to draw/do artistic things (possibly write, take photos etc.). But wanted to add some interests of hers.





What does Amber want: to make it in the world; to make her family proud of her; to succeed in times of struggle; to survive.

Amber = THE SURVIVOR.

Wardrobe: I focused on her wardrobe and getting some inspiration pictures. On camera she makes a huge effort to look like a stereotypical Instagram model. She wears crops tops and high waited jeans. She perfects her hair and makeup before she goes on screen.

       

Wardrobe: While off camera she has her hair in a bun, baggier clothes and no makeup. She has a jacket she always wears to easily hide anything she takes. This shows her virtual life versus her reality.

Likes: She uses her paintings and drawings as a self expression. She likes to make and edit her YouTube videos. She likes to have her headphones in to listen to music. She likes animals especially dogs. She does like stealing for the thrill of it and the money.

Dislikes: She doesn't eat often. She will not follow her parents footsteps in drinking and what not but she does steal. 

Side characters: We want Amber's friends to be less generic to show teenagers in reality. One friend can be talking about the news when Amber gets to the group. While another can talk about his new job. Another can be studying for an exam.Instead of what teenage movies usually talk about: parties, gossip, and romantic relationships.

Amber’s Dad:
The character will be shown only when Amber is ready to leave for school. The dad will be "passed out" on the couch with a bottle of alcohol next to him to indicate he was drunk last night. Have his costume design be run down and messy hair. 

Friend 1:
Female who is closest to Amber and is the one she will talk to the most about.  Very supportive of  Amber and gives her undivided attention when she is talking. It is obvious the two are close because when they greet each other their voices will get higher and their facial expressions will be exaggerated. The two can have a side conversation from everyone else to show.

Friend 2:

Person likes to wear lighter clothing and is new to the friend group. This person is studying for a test and throws in  little complaints about how hard the topic is. This person doesn't give much eye contact and is wearing baggier clothes. Seems nervous about the test with fidgeting and making confused faces.

-Exists for dialogue

Friend 3:
We are still developing this character. They will most likely be there with little dialogue to further introduced the plot.

EXTRAS
- Probably media classmates.

Formatting Blog Theme

Hey there!

Today I felt a bit creative and wanted to change the format of my blog. I wanted to make it a stereotypical teenage background at first. 

I realized the collage is too busy for the entire blog so I scratched that idea. 

I thought maybe I should go more blue because the story will be a bit dramatic and sad because of the Amber's life. Light blue in set design is usually symbolizes sadness. 

I didn't like it because the format was the picture repeated several time in boxes. Not the background being that one picture. I didn't realize that was the style that would come out. I don't want one solid color I would prefer an actual picture of something.

AND THEN I FOUND IT!!! Official picture that I found up with is down below. I realized that teenagers like to draw when bored and the main character will have an artsy side. These doodles were simple and can be found in most side bars in an artistic students notebook. The image looks blurry because it is supposed to be transparent and I found it on Bloggers' layout under the "transparent" tab. 

 

After choosing the picture I decided I would wanted the font of the body text to be Georgia. The blue and yellow theme was deleted and will now fit my preferences. I adore the color blue so the blog title and description has changed to a blue theme. 

Changes Are Hard

Wow is this hard!
Coming up with unique ideas but not too extreme was the hardest part. Also, to have ideas that are not usually portrayed in films. Overall Julia and I had writers block and had no idea what we wanted our purpose to be. We still wanted to have the film have teenage issues. To help ourselves we watched openings to films such as "Ten Things I Hate About You", "Love Simon", "Eighth Grade" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." In the end the purpose will be to show the hard hitting reality teenagers can be faced with. The genre will be drama with some comedic elements in the script. We went back and fourth with having stereotypical friends who broke the conventions the media portrays. We thought of the friend that is a nerd but also a cheerleader. Or the jock who is sensitive and is going to a good school for his brains and his athleticism. 

Julia and I came up with an overview for what we want the main character to be portrayed as:

Main character: Outcast

Name: Amber Chase

Personality: She is a smart and does try to do some school work. She is also a slacker because of her personal responsibilities at home. She may have a job that doesn’t let her study as much as she would like to. She is a generally nice person but doesn’t show how stressed she really is. She is acting like everything is okay even though it’s not. Her individuality is seen as cool.

Costume Design: She will have a light and girly aesthetic. She will have a secret talent of being extremely good at art. Possibly crop tops, high waisted pants, chipped nail polish, short nails and hair in a bun,

Plot: Amber has a job that she works more hours than she should. She gives all her money to her mom so the bills can be paid. She tries to balance this and school while not telling any of her friends about it. If we show her friends we want to show contrasting stereotypes such as the sensitive jock, pretty nerd with friends or the smart cheerleader. 

 

Julia came up with a rough draft for our script: 

INT. BEDROOM - 7:00 PM

Camera opens on AMBER’s face. She is filming a video. AMBER looks hesitant before she begins filming.

AMBER

(exhales)

Hey, guys. It’s been a minute since I’ve filmed. To sum it up, I guess today’s been a bit of a busy day.

------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. SCHOOL - 8:00 AM

School is shown in an establishing shot.

------------------------------------------------------------

INT. CLASSROOM - 8:15 AM

AMBER (VOICE OVER)

My morning started off with a math test, which I’d basically pulled an all nighter studying for.

(AMBER is shown looking at her hand for cheats, then looking up, concerned.)

While she did that I came up with ideas for the story board. Here we wanted to have the girl making video diaries for her YouTube channel of her life. However her persona online is different than the one in real life. She makes her life sound a lot better online. We also feel that the making YouTube videos can reflect for our target audience. For the first few opening scenes are shown below: 

First box: Girl pressing record but awkwardly introduces herself. In a mid shot. 

Second box: Establishing shot of school/wide shot

Third box: She says to the camera "I've been having a busy day. I pulled an all nighter studying for a test today." Same mid shot from first box. 

Fourth box: Point of view shot of Amber looking down at her hands with math formula's, the audience can assume she is cheating. 

Fifth box: Back to her talking to the camera "I just got my paycheck and I bought new heels"

Sixth box: Over the shoulder shot of Amber giving her mom the paycheck she received at work. The mom thanks her and says it will do towards this months rent. She shows gratitude toward her daughter. 

After this we decided to change the rock song Julia had because it did not fit the time period. We are leaning towards modern rock such as Fall Out Boy. 

Lastly....Shooting schedule:

One week to work on script and storyboard, finish by 3/10th. Choose cast in process.

Take ten days to film. Try to finish by 3/20th.

Edit/record voice over up until 3/30th.

Seven days for the CCR. Finish on 4/6th. Submit on 4/7th.

During all of this we really did struggle which we wanted our purpose to be so it wasn't a stereotypical teenage movie. However with research we were able to figure out what we wanted to show to our audience. We are both happy with the results but there's much more work ahead! 

Teenage Queens

Part of being these coming of age movies is having the mean girl. The one who only cares about her self and her high status. Always having an attitude and putting others down in the high school social status.

 She is usually combined with a cheerleader, punk, secret nerd or party animal. 

They are known for their stylish clothing and perfect hair and makeup. She can also be known for her AND her posy of one or two more friends. 

She has great comebacks with every argument to keep her status. She won't let anyone walk all over her. 

Personality

We want to have our main female character have a dominant personality. If the girlfriend is prevailing her actions can be excused for her personalty and no filter. The boyfriend is expected to "take it like a man" and not get mad over her little remarks. The girlfriend will be less physical but more verbal abuse and pressure. She will strike only when she or her social hierarchy is threatened. People are afraid to stand up to her because of how she may "ruin your life." She tends to come up with evil schemes to destroy anyone who tries to get in her way. In most situations she is extremely dramatic and wants to be the center of attention. 

Options

I feel that Julia and I can go two routes with this character. One can be a darker, rude and have dark humor. The bedroom and her clothing will be stylish but also black. While the other one is more stuck up, peppy and possibly a cheerleader. Her bedroom can be brighter while her clothes are based on brands and are chic. 

Characteristics

The main actress could have the following characteristics: 

-Gossiper

-Hot boyfriend

-Be looked up by others

-Pick on nerds 

-A flirt but chooses carefully

-Loves revenge and ruining enemies

Examples

-Sharpay Evans- High School musical

-Amber Maines- Clueless

-Jennifer Check- Jennifer's Body

-Regina George- Mean Girls

-Marianne Bryant- Easy A

-Heather Chandler- Heathers 

References

The Mean Girl. (2015, February 27). Retrieved from https://teentvcharactertypes2.wordpress.com/the-mean-

Advice From Peers

Today Mrs. Stoklosa had us go into groups to peer review what our ideas were so far. Personally I loved getting outside perspectives from other creators. It helped solve obstacles and give suggestions of ways I can improve how I portray my film opening.
I first gave my input on how Rhea (first speaker) should do a post on research about OCD therefore her OCD character can be more obvious to the audience. We mentioned that having the character take pills to show they have a more serious problem. Isabella was the second speaker and she was having trouble in showing the scenes with the victim being murdered. I suggested she has quick shots that are close ups of the knife going near the body. Having stings of cutting and gushing liquids would be helpful. The low key lighting and the murderer pulling the body will show the body is being . Lastly I said slime could be attached to the "heart" when being pulled out of the body could show the gore more.
The members helped me with some new ideas and ways to overcome my obstacles. A scene I wanted to do was the teenage boyfriend drinking alcohol. My peers suggested the scene could be his point of view and it would be in slow motion. The environment would be faded like the editing in the Adele music video "Send My Love." However the opening may not be able to have the girl waking up, going to school and having the boyfriend. It may be better to eliminate the drinking screen or shorten the morning scenes. Isabella mentioned using an animated character that looked like the real life female character. It would be like the "bitmoji" characters from Snapchat instead of the voice over having her talk. The bitmoji would have her own scenes of her talking about how she really feels and is thinking. Speaking of the voice over it should be in the perspective of the speaker. The mise-en-scene of the teenagers bedroom should heavily reflect on her personality: dark, messy and grunge. So should her dark clothing and hair/makeup. Julia told me she got feedback saying if we go the satirical comedy route we must make it cheesy as possible. To exaggerate how much coming of age/ teenage films
Next post will be a case study of rebellious teenage characters so I know how to portray our main character. See you soon!