Pitch time!!!

 A normal day you bump into someone that can change your life, but the fate of your future is out of your hands.

Second time's the charm

 Just like last year, we were given the option to work in groups. Now, the thing is, I would prefer to work by myself. Last year, for the first few projects I had worked with a group. When I was in a group and turned in projects I weren't happy about, I blamed the lack of experience. Yes the lack of experience may have contributed but I think it was because of the difficulties working with a group brought. Finding time to film with all of our different schedules was probably the biggest problem. I liked working with my partners but since they were in their last year of high school, they put in the minimum amount of effort possible. This made my job harder. I was in charge of everything, the editing, the directing, and the filming. I figured that I should just do the last project by myself and take all of the credit. That's what I did. On the last project I worked by myself and I would've been able see out my expectations but the pandemic shut everything down. 

This year, I decided to take a different approach. Instead of stressing myself out my last year of high school, I decided to have a partner. I wanted to give this year my all. In order to do that, I need to think about preventing anything that might spread me out too thin. The final project alone requires a lot of energy. I'm going to put the past behind me and go through this year with a partner. My partner for this year is Jonathon Mungal. Although he might be in a different class period than me, he's still taking the same course I am. I hope I made the right decision in choosing to complete this year with a partner. I think it'll take some weight off of my shoulders. This way, I'll be able to make a project that I'm nothing but proud of. 

Back in business!!!

I'm back! Yes, the rumors are true, we are back in business. Taking the second part of this AICE course is very exciting. Brand new things are coming my way. I was pumped to take the second half AICE media studies because of the sad ending of last year. The pandemic really rained on parade last year. I wasn't able to really fulfill the vision I had for my final project last year. The place where I was filming closed and the actor I needed to film with had to quarantine. It became hard when I was trying to put the scenes I had together. It wouldn't make sense and it didn't match the idea I had in my head. I ended up having to change my storyboard a lot. In the end, I was able to put something together but it wasn't my best work. 

I learned a lot from last year. I know this year will be different. I feel like I'm prepared for anything. If I was able to make my final project with the circumstances the universe threw at me, I can accomplish anything. The final project for this year sounds really interesting. In class today we went over the different aspects to the final project. It's not just a short film. the final project actually has big components. We have to act as a marketing team, a director, and an editor all at the same time. I still have to decide whether or not I want to work alone. I know working in a group will make my life easier. However, working alone allows me to be most creative. Either way I'm super excited for this year. I can't wait to see what I'm capable of doing. 

Audience and Institution Practice essay

1. Assess the importance of marketing in the media area you have studied. 

When evaluating the success of a film, marketing plays a very influential role. Marketing is a strategy that has been used ever since the Victorian Era. No matter the technique of marketing, it is still important to the success of a film. 

Marketing is important to film because of the huge impact it can have on its success. Nowadays, films are considered successful based on the amount of profit they gain.  If marketed well, a film can make hundreds of millions of dollars. Marketing allows for the film to become noticed and gain a following before it even comes out. One of the main forms of marketing includes releasing trailers before the movie comes out in order to intrigue viewers. The film Jurassic World had released four separate trailers that were distributed online months before the release of the film. They had also aired little snippets of the film on tv before and after  the release of the film. This little aspect of marketing has proven to be successful for Jurassic World making it the third largest grossing movie of all time. 

There are different aspects to marketing. Like aforementioned, releasing trailers or snippets of the upcoming film is a small part of marketing. However, films use a myriad of marketing that leads to its success. Films like the live action Beauty and the Beast. While promoting the film, their marketing strategies included releasing trailers, cross promotions, merchandising, and even media convergence. Disney, the distribution company, had cross promoted with different companies that would reach their target audiences. Their target audience probably ranges from ages five to those in their late thirties. This is because Disney had also used the nostalgia of those who watched the animated version decades earlier. Using all of these techniques led to a large outreach which gained viewers. In the end, the film was successful and made almost 1.3 billion dollars. Another film includes Spiderman Homecoming. Just like Beauty and the Beast, Spiderman Homecoming used all kinds of marketing strategies that led to its success. While also using nostalgia as a way to gain an audience, the film used techniques like synergy to market. They had partnered with different companies, like General Mills, in order to promote the film. Spiderman Homecoming was able to make almost 900 million dollars, making it the thirteenth successful movie in it’s category.

Without marketing, a film that may be an amazing piece of art is left unrecognized.  Contrary to popular belief, a film does not need a large marketing team behind it. Marketing can range from word of mouth to setting aside millions of dollars for a marketing team.  Regardless, a film needs marketing in order for it to be successful.

Game of thrones Essay

Throughout this extract, the theme of how money in any form can rule the world was conveyed through various filming and editing techniques that the author used. It doesn’t matter what period in time the world can be in, money is going to be first priority for some individuals and that those in high positions are usually the ones with that mentality. The first scene had many components that support the author’s message. The diegetic sound of the rough waves in the beginning of the scene provides an auditive to establish the rough job that the sailors have in order to survive and earn a living. Towards the end of the scene, the action match of the ‘warrior’ with the main character is to establish and symbolize the authority he has over the other character.. It is shown that it is the equivalent to a great and giant warrior. In the second scene, the dialogue between the two acquaintances is for the audience to hear the discussion and familiarize themselves with where they are and the situation. Costumes used in this scene are used to establish the big difference between the social class and the amount of money each person has. The establishing shot is used to show where the workers are and the large room that they are in to let the audience know they are in some type of palace. The dialogue is continued with the two acquaintances and the head people of the town, this dialogue is used to let the audience know why the sailors are there. Dialogue throughout this scene stayed on the topic of money and its necessity in this world. The head of the town had asked about the food that was needed to feed the sailors crew, he referred to the food as if it were currency. The shot reverse shot is used to keep up with the dialogue and to also remind the audience of the difference between the sailor and the heads of the town. The shot reverse shots were also used to keep each character in their place and where they stood in what social class. The entire extract had different references to money and social classes. The differences between the sailors and the heads of the town. In their clothing, dialogue, and occupations. Even the transition from the first scene and the second scene showed the major difference between the workers' living situation and the heads of town’s living situation. 

Final Project CCR

This is the CCR to my final project. I chose to do a interview with myself in order to answer the questions. It was really fun being able to play a different person. I was by myself for this project so I needed to improvise. I think I did a pretty good job in finding a solution to that. I was lucky enough to have my filming equipment. Since there is a global pandemic going on, being in quarantine allowed me to put all my undivided attention towards my movie. I’m was able to set a good chunk of time aside just for my movie. My sister, Melanie, and my brother, Anthony, had helped me with filming and was a really fun experience. There’s definitely a blooper reel, it may never see the light of day, but I showed it to my family. 
In the CCR I answered the questions how does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues? How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text? How did your production skills develop throughout this project? How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

Final Project

I can't believe today is the day I post my final project for everyone to see! It was such a journey to get here. Filming this movie was really a fun thing to do. After doing a commercial and a music video, I feel like you really can see the progress I've made. At the beginning of this project I had to right three pitches. I chose "Momma always said “Don’t trust what you see, even salt looks like sugar”. Little did her victims know, their sugar was actually salt". I chose this pitch because it had to deal with people who didn't say who they truly are. The movie is called sugar. Sugar is loosely based off all the typical serial killers that prey on their dates. She is a woman that chooses her victims through social media and dating sites. A psychopath that craves to murder. However, somehow her next victim recognizes her. ‘Sugar’ never shares her real name and hides her life. Her poor dates never see it coming. The reality of meeting people is scary. Meeting people who hide behind a screen is terrifying.

Filming and editing my film was fun and easy. However, my film is missing a very crucial scene but do to the pandemic I was unable to film it. In order to really instill that shock factor, I was suppose to film a scene of the main character meeting her date. This is a somewhat important scene because the majority of the film is the killer killing her victim. If the victim were to come back then it would confuse the audience. Overlooking that, I think the film came out pretty nice. The music in the film is my favorite part. The song is called 'lovefool' it's a slowed down cover of the original song. I chose this song because if you listen to the lyrics you would be able to kinda put together what might happen.