From Days of Research to Portfolio Project

     Hey Cambridge! For the past semester, I've been learning technique, terminology, and the most important factors to make a hit film. From now on, though, my blog will be dedicated to showing the planning and production of my Portfolio Project. Since I was informed of the final project being making a short production of my own, it's been the focus of every class. My mind has flooded with a thousand ideas already, but I'm still in the process of honing down on my final topic. Utilizing the knowledge from the case studies and research I've done previously, I'll be able to create my dream portfolio. To transition into this chapter, we were assigned a Nearpod assignment to note on about different styles of movie openings. We were shown different approaches to develop a film opening noted below.

    Having taken these notes on the different ways to establish purpose in an opening, the creation of mystery stands out to me further than the others. In the 2-minute film opening I am assigned to produce, I aim to create some kind of mystery. Not in a creepy way, but instead a curiosity towards why certain aspects aren't being shown or what pieces are missing. I'll do this through sound techniques like diegetic asynchronous sound to hint towards certain aspects of that 'world' that aren't being shown. The difference is that I won't use it to provide contextual information, but instead to contradict what the viewers are being told. I would also use contrasting mise-en-scene, much like in the film Emma., that would literally show innocent, beautiful, and gentle elements like dresses, gardens, and flowers, but depict them in a dark, gloomy, and rude way.

    Another approach I've considered is the establishment of the main character. The mise-en-scene would include the colors my main character is wearing and the costume design to show small insights into his or her personality. They could be wearing a necklace that says "mom" on it or a pin of a team they love. I would also ensure to include dialogue that would be contrasting like previously mentioned. Maybe they would speak kindly to one person and coldly to another. Leading from that, the interactions they have with other characters would tell a lot about the type of person they are. Though I'm working on this project alone, I'm planning to find actors in my theater class to have those interactions and dialogue which I'll direct.