Transitioning into the Cambridge Portfolio Project

Hello Cambridge, I'm exited to announce that from now on, my blog posts will document the development of my Canbridge Final Project! In my previous blog posts I learned about important topics that will help me improve my film opening. With that in mind, to start the project, my class and I learned about the film openings and how important it is to create a clear purpose using a spesific approach: 

From these approaches, I would like to go deeper into character development and introducing the main characters. I like this approach especially with the rom-com genre. Developing a character involves interactions with other characters, actions and behavior, showing their room or personal space, costume design, and more... In my opinion developing a character in a rom-com film opening by showing their bedroom/house/objects that represent them, etc is super cute and fits the atmosphere. In addition, it can foreshadow future events that will happen in the film. 

Another approach that i'd like to use in my film opening is establishing background and creating mystery. Since we need to create the first two minutes of the film, establishing the background would come natural and help develop the plot. In addition, creating mystery would be ideal in the case of the crime drama genre to hook the audience and defined the genre. 

Music Marketing #2

Link to the video

Music Marketing #1

 The music marketing project that my group and I are creating is about a singer named Bella Moon. Bella loves the alternative genre, promotes herself mainly online, and is about to release her first music video. 

To create the brand 'Bella Moon' we had to do some research on the alternarive genre. We created a chart detailing two production companys and two artists/bands that are signed to the label. Each member of the group was researcing a different alrernative artist/band, mine was Coldplay. When I researched on Coldplay I found so many new things. For information I went to sources like wikipedia, Coldplay's official website, and other people's blogs and reviews on Coldplay's music and concerts. In the research I included about the band's history, identity, target audience, and digital and non-digital marketing. Writing all of this information, I learned a lot about marketing in the alternative genre which helped my group and I prepare for the next part of the project. 

In the planning process for the music marketing project we took the information and knowledge that we gain during the research and applied it to our brand. We learned that a good way to promote content and connect with fans is throgh social media, so we will be opening Bella Moon Instagram and TikTok account, in addition to her own professional website. My group and I planned to meet 3 times this week to film Bella's music video and work on her socials. 

I enjoyed researching about Coldplay since they're one of my favorite bands, and I am very exited to finish and present the rest of the project as we worked very hard on it. 

Romantic Comedies Reaserch

Romantic Comedies, or romcoms, are feel-good movies that most people enjoy, even though they are very similar to each other... The basic plot of a Romcom is that two characters meet, part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then at the end, realize their love for one another and reunite. 

Romcoms are mostly popular between teenage girls and couples. For couples, it creates a nice atmosphere to enjoy each others company. Romcoms also often explore first love, friendship, and self-discovery, which are relevant for teenage girls. 

Genre conventions - content

Romcoms crutial element is two loveable characters. These movies center around a romantic couple that the audience root for.

EX: Jenna and Matt (13 Going on 30)

A "meet cute" is when the two characters meet in a cute way. Usually, a meet cute will be awkward, an embarrasing situation, a funny misunderstanding, or mistaken identity situation.

EX: Wedding planner Mary gets her Gucci heel stuck in a manhole cover at the same exact moment a dumpster is barreling down a hilly San Francisco street, heading right toward her. Then, Steve, comes to her rescue by shoving her out of the way. (The Wedding Planner)

The conflict is the most stressful part of the movie. There's often a central conflict or a series of misunderstandings that keep the couple apart or make their relationship seem unlikely, adding to the story's drama.

EX: In the movie "50 First Dates", Lucy suffers from short term memory lost, which makes relationship with Henry seems almost impossible. 

Grand Gestures are a huge part of romcoms. In the climax, one character makes a big romantic gesture to prove their love, often leading to a dramatic reunion or declaration of feelings.

EX: In the movie "Anyone But You" when Ben got over his fear of heights and flew on a helicopter to Bea to confess his love for her.

Genre Conventions - productions techniques

- Romcoms are usually centered around a female character. The audience follow the point of view of the female character instead of male since most of the target audiece is girls. 

- The lighting would be high key lighting or natural lighting as these types of lighting bring out the bright atmosphere that is needed in romcom. Romcom's are less serious then other genres, and are designed primarily to entertain the audience.

- Romcoms films use various kind of editing and transitions. Usually the pace is not as fast as an action movie. Cross cuts and fade out would be mostly used. 

Marketing

The marketing logic behind using characters faces on romantic comedy movie posters involves a few psychological and aesthetic factors: Character focus, emotional connection, showing the cast, and visual organization. Usually on a romcom movie poster, you will be able to see the two main characters looking at each other or interacting in some way, foreshadowing on their relationship. 

EX: The Proposal (2009)

Samples

 

The film 13 Going on 30 (2004) is a feel-good movie about a girl named Jenna who turned into a grownup overnight and finds out the life she dreamed about are not that fun... The first thing she does as an adult is looking for her childhood bestfriend, Matt. Their "meet cute" is an awkward situation where Jenna had to lie that she's a pizza delivery guy so Matt will let her in his apartement. He helps her to find herself in this new reality that she was thrown into, and the more they spend time together, the more they realize that they are in love with each other and are ment to be together. But unfortunately, theres a problem... Matt is engaged to another woman, which creates a conflict where Matt needs to pick between Jenna and his fiancée. Luckly, Jenna returned to be 13 again and kissed Matt the moment she saw him. The kiss is a grand gesture because Jenna cares a lot about other peoples opinions and she was ashamed in Matt since his not popular. But after turning 30 and back, she didn't care as much and just wanted to be with him. 

10 Thing I Hate About You (1999) is an emontional movie about an intelligent girl named Kat who doesn't attract many boys because of her sarcasam and unapologetic attitude. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca, house rules say that she can't date until Kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set her up with someone, Patrick. The more time they spend with each other, the deeper Kat and Patrick fall for each other. The conflict happens when Kat finds out Patrick is getting paid to take her out. She is very upset and stops talking to him. Fortunately, Patrick gets her to forgive him by making a grand gesture and buying her the guitar she wanted, showing that he paid attention to her interests and genuinely cares. Another famous grand gesture from this movie is the serenade, when Patrick publicly sings Kat the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" over the school's PA system, complete with a marching band. This shows his feeling for her and the willingness to look foolish to make her smile. 

Some Romantic Comedies To Consider:

She's the Man (2006)

Love Actually (2003)

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Notting Hill (1999)

27 Dresses (2008)

Clueless (1995)

Representation in "Back to the Future"

"Back to the Future," directed by Robert Zemeckis, is an exciting film with a great time travel story. The two main characters, Marty McFly and Doc Brown, show us different sides of youth, science, and friendship. Their different personalities complete each other as they work together to go back to the future. 

Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, represents a typical teenager in the 1980s. He is a relatable character, and has many common traits that are easy to connect with. For example: he is always on his skateboard, loves music, and is experiencing lots of things for the first time. In addition, he deals with the pressure of fitting in, fear of rejection, standing up to bullies, and more... While Marty's character is supposed to be a stereotypical teenage boy in the 80s, it's important to recognize that not all teens experience life the same way, and that Marty doesn't represent all or even most of them. 

On the other hand, Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, represents a completely different character type. While Marty is the typical teen, trying to find himself in this time travel mess, Doc is more experienced and is represented as the mad scientist. He is focused on his passion for science and is always trying to learn new things. With his wild hair, interesting outfits, and out-of-the-box ideas, Doc is often misunderstood and rejected by society. Doc's character is exoticized, emphasizing his strange behavior and unique way of thinking.

"Back to the Future" brings together two very different characters, Marty McFly and Doc Brown, to create an exciting story about time travel, friendship, and personal growth. Marty, the typical teenager, faces the common challenges of youth, while Doc, the mad scientist, is driven by his passion for discovery and is often misunderstood. Their different personalities complement each other, making the film even more enjoyable to watch. 

Sound Project review

 In the sound lesson and assigned videos, I realized how important sound is for setting the mood of a scene. For our sound project, we had to tell a story using sound effects and other audio techniques, and we also had to create four of the sounds ourselves.

During brainstorming, my partner and I worked together to come up with the best scene for the project. The outline was really helpful in keeping me organized since it listed all the sounds we needed, so I didn’t forget anything. I used Premiere Pro to edit everything.

Next time, although my partner and I worked well together and managed our time efficiently, I think the outline could have been better. A more detailed outline would help make the process smoother.

Link to the project: MoreiraBrauneGonen soundscape per5

OWF review

 For the "One Word Film" project we had to create in pairs a 1 to 1.5-minute video with no dialogue allowed. The short film needs to represent a word that we were given. Each member needs to edit the video for their version. 

I enjoyed making this project, it was very fun and refreshing to go out of the classroom and film. During the brainstorming, my partner and I sat together and considered the best way to illustrate our word: curios. After a few minutes, we both agreed on the best option that came to mind and started drawing.

The storyboard was very important because we talked and drew together the scenes, making sure that we were on the same page. To edit my video I used Adobe Premiere. For next time, my partner and I worked well together and did a good job in filming, but I think we could've made our film a little more interesting...

Link to the project: OWF_Gonen