Mid Term Submission

We made a few major decisions during the filming of the movie;

• Filming at night, this made it at times difficult to see our actors, however this worked perfectly for portraying the dark reality of these types of situations.
• We at one point were supposed to have music throughout multiple scenes, however due to time constraints we were unable to add it in, this will be changed in the future
• We attempted to portray this situation in the most realistic way possible, however we did want to have comedic elements  
• We aimed to portray Shawn Biza's character as inexperienced and nervous, certain lines were written in the script and edits such as the short takes of him at his car, portray this.

Scouting Locations

Me and my group member Shawn, went out on 11/2/19 and scouted locations.

We went to the STC parking lot, this location was a very wide open spot, however it was too public of a place being on a main road and ultimately we decided it wouldn't work well for our film.

Ufer Park, this spot didn't have enough space to film, although it was more private of a spot, we voted against filming here.

Colonial Oaks, this spot was perfect, there was a good amount of space to film without being too open, it also wasn't too busy of a spot.

Red-Bug Slough back entrance, this spot was probably our second favorite, we really liked the privacy of the spot, we could film here very easily, however we liked colonial oaks more.

Shot List

I am contributing the final three scenes of the film. I am going to film these three shots because at this point in the film, I am no longer an actor. The high angle close up of Giovane in pain emphasizes his pain and puts him below Daniella. Then the close ip of Daniella when she steps into the light is the big reveal of her and what she looks like, it adds to the fear Giovane is feeling. The final shot of Giovane on the ground zooming out with him at the center of the composition, shows his low status and establishes that the story is about him. I also came up with these shots, due to inspiration from other films similar to ours.

Story Board

The final scene I contributed, I really like this scene because it establishes Giovane as the main character and the focus of the story, it also shows him a low point and makes him appear small. I also thought of the scene of Giovane waiting for Alto to show up, ai had the idea of using a bunch of jump cuts of Giovane to make it appear that time is going on and he is anxious.

Schedule Filming

We plan on filming for the first time this upcoming Sunday the 8th of December. If we need to, we will re-shoot later in the month. I have informed all my fellow group members of the date and they have agreed on it. Our goal is to film all scenes of the movie.

We had our shoot on the the 8th, we were able to film the opening scenes of the film at my house, this was successful.

However, our group member Tyanna had time conflicts and was unable to film with us. Therefore, we filmed parts that she is not in, and had to reschedule the rest of our filming for this upcoming Thursday, the 12th of December. Our goal of this shoot will be to complete the movie and film the outside portions of it.

Casting

All group members plan to act in the film.
I will play Alto Proffito, an easy going candy buyer. I feel I be a good choice for this character because i can be very easy going and goofy, similar to how this character will be.

Group member Shawn Biza will play Giovane Ragazzo, a candy dealer new into the game, who is nervous and anxious to get into the game. Shawn will be good for this role because he a very young look to him that would fit the character well.

Group member Tyanna Denord will play Daniella Vecchia, an experienced candy dealer that controls the area Shawn wants to sell in.

Rhianna Revicki will play teen wanting to play basketball, she plays often in his everyday life and has an innocent look that will be prefect for the character.

We will all take turns recording scenes.

Script

Premise of Film: Giovane is a young man looking to get into the candy selling business, something that is illegal in this movie. The movie follows him as he transforms from a anxious young man who tends to get pushed around, to a professional, emotionless, old man, due to years of selling candy and learning from his mistakes. He meets his rival in the beginning of the film and by the end has become what he first apposes.

Research- Better call Saul

In the first two minutes of Better Call Saul, we immediately hear incidental music, the song is an older sounding song that is very calm and soothing. We see cuts of P.O.V shots of a person making a cinnamon roll. It then switches to a low angle shot of a women doing what we previously saw, we can tell; she is at work, there are other people working, and the establishment is a Cinnabon. Different angles and types of shots switch at an easy going pace, just showing people as they work. There is an insert of the window looking into the restaurant with a sticker on it, the camera is focused on the sticker which reveals the Cinnabon is in Omaha. The shots continue to switch around people working, then it is an insert of a man working, the camera tilts up and becomes a close up of the mans face, we recognize him as Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad, except he is much older. We then get different camera shots of him as he performs different task at the establishment, meanwhile, viewers who know this character from Braking Bad, question what he is doing working here. There is then a over the shoulder shot of him performing a job, when the camera focuses on a man in the background, who see's the characters and makes a puzzled face while staring at him. The shot then switches to a close up of Saul, we takes a double take as he notices the man staring at him. Then man gets up and begins to walk towards Saul, we get a P.O.V shot of the man walking, we can see in this shot, that Saul is very nervous. The man walks right by Saul and hugs a women he recognizes, establishing Saul is paranoid of being recognized. There are no film titles seen in the intro scene just described. While it is difficult to find a definite budget of the film, it is speculated to be about $1.5 million per episode. I was unable to find the earnings of Better Call Saul. However, it has been nominated for multiple Golden Globes and Prime-time Emmys.

Camera Shot Activity

High Angle

Low Angle

Canted Angle

 Mid Shot

 Extreme Close-Up

Wide Shot

Film Project Genre Research- El Camino

In the first two minutes of El Camino, we see an establishing shot of a lake and sand dunes in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This shot establishes where the characters are and that they are alone. There is ambient sounds as the scene is very silent, we then hear footsteps as someone walks into the view of the camera, making the shot into a over the shoulder shot, however the character is out of focused. This shot stays the same and we hear two voices talking, the one character is giving advice to the other, when the character on screen turns so that we can see his face, the camera focuses on him, and the viewer recognizes him as Jesse, from Breaking Bad. Then the shot changes to a two shot from a wide angle in which we can see who Jesse is talking to, who we also recognize as Mike. The camera then changes to an Ariel shot in which the two talking are seen from a higher angle, this shows us they are completely alone out in the wilderness, meaning their conversation is secretive. Then Camera then changes to a two shot from over their shoulder, then to an angle from the water in front of them in which we see them from a lower angle. There is then a close up of Jesse which emphasizes him saying he could, "Make things right". The same shot is then showed, except it is of Mike saying, "That's the one thing you can never do". We then see a close up of Jesse as he realizes what Mike has just told him. We know that this conversation takes place before the events of the movie, and that the advice Jesse has received will play a large role in the movie. El Camino had a budget of $6 million, but due to the movie being released on Netflix, a streaming platform, and not in theaters, we're unable to know how much it grossed. However, using analytics such as, an average minute audience of 6.5 million the first weekend it was released, we can predict it would have been Number 1 in the box office and earned $58 million in the first weekend, if released in theaters. El Camino is a very new release and therefore has not won any awards yet.

Research- Pulp Fiction

In the first two minutes of Pulp Fiction we see at first a black screen with the definition of "Pulp" placed at the center. We are then shown a scene of a male and female having a conversation at a diner table. This is a mid shot, and the camera stays on one shot until a waitress enters. Once she leaves, the shot returns to what it was before and the two characters return to their conversation about a story of robbing a bank, which juxtaposes with what you would expect to hear at a diner. The camera sometimes switches between close shots of the two talking individually to emphasize what they are saying. The conversation then begins to turn into talking about the ease of rubbing a restaurant, like the one they are in. They then agree to rob the restaurant they are currently in, then the male pulls out a gun and there is a insert shot of the gun on the table. They then jump up and aim at everyone exclaiming that this is a robbery, the scene then pauses, incidental music then plays and the movie creator is put on the screen, along with director, and cast. The films budget was $8.5 million, but grossed $213 million. Pulp Fiction was nominated for 7 academy awards, and won best original screenplay. 

Research- Scarface

In the first two minutes of Scarface, we first see a black screen with words moving vertically, the words are informing the viewer of history involving the influx of Cuban criminal immigrants after Fidel Castro opened harbors. There is ominous incidental music playing, then a insert shot of a historic video of Fidel Castro rallying citizens to not want the criminals there in Cuba. The music then changes tone into a much brighter and happier sound, and the producer, director, lead actor, side actors, castor, head of music, executive producer, visual consultant, editors, art director, photographer, and name of movie, are all showed while we see real videos of Cuban immigrants coming to Florida. Scarface had a budget of $25 million, and grossed $65.8 million. The movie was nominated for 3 Golden Globes, including; best performance by a lead actor, best original score, and best performance by a supporting actor.

Film Project Genre Research- Breaking Bad

In the first two minutes we see a scene that starts out slow but then is suddenly very tense. We are given no indication as to how the characters got there. As the scene progresses we are introduced to the main character, he gives a monologue in which he is very vulnerable and shows his true intentions. This is shot on scene in Albuquerque New Mexico, in the desert. It utilizes many different camera angles, that move fast similar to how the scene is moving fast. We later find out the scene takes place weeks in the future. In the intro, the only named listen is Vince Gilligan the creator.
It is said that Breaking Bad cost about $3 million per episode, the show went on to make a large profit of money. The show won 16 Emmys, Bryan Cranstan received the Outstanding Lead Actor in Drama Series statuette four times, and supporting cast members Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn were also awarded multiple times. Breaking Bad was also the highest rated Tv show.

Project Section-My Decision

My decision
I have chosen to work on the film due to the great enjoyment I would be able to derive from it. I have lots of inspiration that give me an idea how I would like to make my film. The enjoyment I experience when watching film is the main reason why I chose to make film. I am looking forward to express myself and emotions through film. I have skills in reference to editing due to my prior experience editing short clips for recreation.
The Film
I am planning on producing a drama film with some comedic elements. There will be tense scenes with mature and emotional dialogue, that will push the film forward. Hopefully the film will be like Breaking Bad, but have something such as candy substituted for drugs, to keep the project school appropriate.
Group
I will be working in a group with other members. My other members have the same vision and inspiration as I do which is why I think this group will be successful. We will all most likely act in our movie at some point and also film the movie too.

Project Selection-Film

Interest in Film
I am very intrigued about producing a film. Watching film is something I often enjoy, i tend to also break down movies and attempt extract extra meanings within them. Producer's ability to artistically express themselves and put secret meanings in their movies, such as in Ferris Beuler's Day Off, is something I have always admired. I am excited to possibly express myself and flex a creative muscle that I have never done at such a large scale before.
Prior Experience 
I have experience watching movies and also the behind the making of movies. This has shown me the steps taken to make film. I also experience editing videos for fun, these usually are funny videos made for social media.
Challenges
There are many challenges with producing a film. Many challenges could appear at anytime, such as; weather, people, and issues with a camera. It would also be my first time producing this long of a film, which would mean I have many lessons to learn still. Finding actors could also be very difficult, being that we have no money to hire good and experienced actors.

Project Selection-Magazine

Interest in Print Journalism

I feel that print journalism would be an enjoyable experience. It would allow me to artistically express my feelings and design on a certain topic, while also fulfilling the enjoyment of writing on a topic. What I have seen thus far in The Newsroom about print media is that it must interest an audience. There would be a certain level of challenge in attracting the attention of an audience. 

Prior Experience

I have taken a photography class at the school, therefore I have experience taking photos at certain angles.  This also taught me how to be proficient in Photoshop, something that would be necessary for a magazine.

Challenges

I would face several challenges in print media. Mentioned earlier, gaining the attention of an audience with a magazine would be a challenge. Another challenge would be choosing a topic to focus on. Finally, writing on a topic would be challenging, I would have to publicly share opinions, something that can be difficult.