Sophia Lascano AICE MEDIA BLOG by sophia lascano https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog en-us 2022-08-23 14:24:07 UTC 2024-04-01 00:34:58 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f995.png SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2270152385 For being the first assignment in AICE Media Studies, my group decided to film a short story movie called "The Loser". The film consisted of 3 actors portraying the roles of a bully, a bystander friend, as well as the bully's victim. Matthew's role included the director as well as the bully. Lily's role was the bully victim, while I was the bystander friend. To wrap up the film, Claire edited the film through photoshop.

The three minute film excelled in the vast amount of clips and its angles. We filmed many full body and medium body shots, in which the audience could put its main focus on the character's actions. The actors also succeeded in their acting in staying serious, with limited laughing and unnecessary faces. The editing and transitions were strong but also subtle, to which wasn't to distracting, but rather engaging. However, there were also some recommendations for next time, including using sound equipment for clear and loud sound quality. There could have also included zoom in on actors during a conflicting scene, to put its main focus on the character.

]]> 2022-08-24 14:13:47 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2270152385 Film Remake and Reflection SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2314372367 The Stalker film was originally created by another AICE Media Studies group. Our assignment focused on remaking and revising their film. To improve the original film, we used 10 different types of shots and camera movements. To also make the story clearer we decided to extend the days leading up to the climatic scene. This provided more suspense to the audience, rather than just jumping into the action. Instead of the victim being stable at the end, we also decided to take a twist in which left in a cliff hanger. The last scene we filmed consisted of the victim laying on the floor with a sudden gasp of air and widened eyes. This led the audience to be hooked and uncertain of the ending. The camera movements and shots we used included pan rights and lefts, three shots, two shots, depth, long shots, wide shots, close up, high angle shots, over the shoulder shots and POV shots. In the film my role consisted of being a fill in character, in which I was apart of the victim's friends. The role was easy to accomplish with the exception of only a few lines and body language. 

The acting in the updated and revised film was greatly improved. There was limited laughing in the shots, and the talking scenes were clear and concise. The scenes and transitions were also nicely edited, with the title scene causing suspense. Critically, what needed work was the final scene. The area wasn't clear when shot, in which caught the presence of two teenagers in the background of the conflicting scene. This caused confusion as to why they were just watching the victim instead of helping save her. The goal of upgrading the movie was achieved, as the story was clearer and understanding. The use of different camera movements and shots also allowed for a more realistic feel.

]]> 2022-09-26 20:40:56 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2314372367 GENRE AND REPRESENTATION REFTLECTION SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2367239010 The movie genres we covered in class included Animation, Family, Western, Shakespeare, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Documentaries, Superhero, Fantasy, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, History, War, Romance, Musicals, Comedy, Action, Biopics and Drama. We studied the conventions in which helped us signify what we could expect through the characters, settings and the values these films represented. The iconography also allowed us to understand the symbols and motifs you could expect to find in the films. The codes that we studied allowed for the understanding of what is expected through the camera work, editing, and special effects. The cinematic elements also pertained to the lighting in which can cause an emotion to be felt within the audience. For example, with horror movies the lighting is usually low-key, in which creates the emotion of feeling suspense or tension. We also went over the audience expectations in which describes the emotions and reactions they had during the films. For instance, in musicals there tends to be a content feeling as the films portray singing and dancing. For each genre, we were selected to find 3 movie clips from 3 different time periods. This brought a broader understanding of how the technology advancements improved amongst the camera work, special effects and also animations. Some of the clips we viewed in class were hybrids. Hybrid films focus on two or more genres rather than having a single genre focus. For example, the movie Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle can be characterized as a Family film as well as an action film. The movie is set to be viewed by a wide age range, but also included the action and fast-paced climatic scenes.

Based on my groups first film, we can conclude that the genres covered include Family and Young Adult. With hints of comedic scenes, the film The Loser, was created to be an anti-bullying film to relate to the audience as well as convey an emotional distraught feeling. We conformed to conventions by filming the setting to be in a school. Bullying tends to occur greatly in schools, so the story was set to feel relatable. The characters included a bully, a victim, as well as a bystander friend to the bully. The values that were represented included that good can triumph over evil. The bystander friend took action to stand up for the victim in which expanded the lesson being carried out. The iconography also included symbols like a nerd and a antagonists. We also conformed to codes by using wide shots and depth, to convey the setting and establishing shot. There were also many 2 and 3 shots that filmed the climatic interactions and dialogue between the characters. For the audience expectations, the film was set to give off an engaged and victorious feeling. The reactions can also include a plot twist as the bully's friend leaves the bully for the victim. The audience may also feel heart-warmth from this scene. However, the codes that were broken list that there wasn't any tracking shots or physical action from the bully. In Young Adult and Family movies you tend to see some action, but the film we created mainly on insisted on dialogue. The audience expectations also decline as the film was only 3 minutes so there was a distant connection from the characters to the audience. For the second film we created, The Stalker, my group can conclude that the film can be characterized as a Horror and Mystery film. We conformed to the conventions by created a stalker character as well as a victim. The setting was shot to be at school in which created suspense as the victim was clueless. The iconography also included a murder or attack weapon that was used on the victim, in which was a suffocation towel. We conformed to codes by also using many tracking shots of the victim and POV shots. We also used special effects and sound effects, to enhance the attack the stalker had on the victim. As for the audience expectations, we created a suspense feeling with the use of creepy music, as well as left the audience on a cliff hanger. This lead to the audience feeling engaged and wanting more. We broke codes by not using low-key lighting. For horror films lighting tends to be low-key, but since our film was shot at school in the daytime the lighting  became key lighting. This breaks the codes to the genre as the lighting was bright losing the effect of suspense. Conventions was broken as the iconography attack weapon wasn't very horrifying. It was a suffocation towel that might have confused the audience to how the victim died or passed out. The audience expectation was also broken as the film was only 3 minutes long so the connection to the characters was brief. 

My personal favorite genre would have to include Horror. For a final film project, the film can include the dark screen of credits and the words being red, comparing to blood. The synopsis can relate to a teenage boy in school facing hallucinations from sleep deprivation. The hallucinations that the boy sees cause him to outbreak in attack on the kids in his class. He thinks that he is fighting off some sort of demon, however he is only hurting the people surrounded by him. The school goes on lockdown, but the boy's mind is still in a different scenery. The codes in this film can consist of low-key lighting to create a suspense feeling. With a suspense feeling the genre of Horror can be easily reached. There can also be special effects in which include the hallucinations that the boy is seeing, like the supernatural creature. With the use of point of view shots, the film can create the drastic changes that the boy sees and what the teacher is seeing. This can give a clearer image to the audience of what is actually happening, and what is being hallucinated. The conventions I would also be interested in exploring include the supernatural character the boy is seeing. This would enhance the horrifying experience as it is something no one would want to encounter. The characters I would also like the explore include the teacher who doesn't know how to react, and the boys friends who try to bring him back to reality. The setting being in school on lockdown would also allow for exploration, as usually horror films are created in haunted mansions, hospitals and churches. This would be something new to explore as the setting isn't haunted, but rather the boy is. For the audience expectations I would want to create the feelings of sorrow as the boy hurts his friend without knowing. I would also want to have the audience feel engaged as the film leaves on a cliff-hanger of him coming back to reality and seeing everyone in his class dead. I would also want to explore the audience to feel suspense as the boy fights off what he thinks is supernatural.]]> 2022-11-02 18:59:06 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2367239010 Editing and Sound - Midterm Film SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2441778580 Through November and December of 2022, our class focused on the concepts of editing, sound, screenwriting and its format. We learned in editing the different types of transitions, cuts, and relationship the editor has with the director. Editing is a key component to putting the shots together and making the movie flow. We also completed assignments where we had to give examples of different types of edits in produced films. We also watched the "The Cutting Edge" documentary, in which detailed the responsibility of an editor and how color is used. In the sound lesson we learned the three main concepts of movie sounds being music, dialogue/voice, and sound effects. We learned the different types of sound like diagetic, non diagetic, asynchronous and synchronous. We watched movie examples to also get a better understanding when they are used and the effect they have on the audience. One of films we watched was "Making Waves", which was about sound basics and how they are created. With understanding screenplay, we read "The Incredibles" script and broke it down in how it was developed. We also created our own 1-2 page script containing features of horror. The individual films we had to create required the broad story plot of a character having a nightmare for our midterm project. To also fully understand the work put into the film making process, we were not allowed to have other people film us acting, we had to be in charge of the recording, the plot, the editing and finalization.

The midterm film project was required to be 1-2 minutes and relating to the genre of horror. Music was favored in the film rather than dialogue. It had to include sound effects, a title, no long-takes, and a minimum of three crosscuts between the actor and nightmare. It also had to be edited independently and uploaded and accompanied by a blog post. There were a variety of shots required including one close up, one dutch angle, one high/low angle, one low key light set up or one silhouette, one pan/tilt/track/spinaround, one zoom/dolly zoom, one subliminal cut/multitake/smash cut, one match cut, one J/L cut, slow/fast motion shot, one intentional use of color for story and emotion, costumes/makeup/outfits relating to film, one use of visual complexity in setting choice, three sound effects, one piece of incidental music or sound motif. To earn extra credit there were a handful of different choices like quick cuts, montage, wide establishing shot, split screen, POV shot, reflection shot, intentional break of the fourth wall, intentional break of the rule of thirds, rack focus or pull focus shot, intentional use of handheld camera work, use of color filters to create a dream like quality, fisheye lens or fisheye effect, and a company logo with high quality graphic. 

To adhere to the horror conventions, I filmed the movie in the airport. My movie was about a young girl who fell asleep at the airport and went into a dream of a plane crashing. It was set to feel realistic as the fear of planes amongst the population is greatly high. The values of the film went to show that sometimes our dreams can feel like reality. The young girl who had the dream went on to try to convince her brother after she woke up that their plane they were about to board was going to crash. The iconography of the film includes the symbolizations of the fear of heights and planes. As for codes we shot wide shots in .5, to grasp the environment the girl was in. It was able to capture the shakiness of the seats surrounded by her. We also used a couple of 2 shots in which allowed for the reactions of others, rather than just her being scared. For the audience expectations, the film was set off to give an engaged and suspenseful feeling. The young girl and her mother weren't aware of what was going to happen next, it which was also relatable to the audience. However, the conventions I broke included that I didn't capture an establishing shot. I feel that if i was able to capture one it would have been a more efficient way to ease into the setting more clearer. For codes I broke the use of different shots. I repetitively used pans instead of trying others like a dutch angle. For the audience engagement I felt as if the minimum dialogue made it rather confusing for the audience to understand. It was also difficult to make it seem as if the girl had fallen into a dream. I represented those who fear heights or planes. It is a very common fear that most people have, especially when traveling far. The film went about to say to them that it is very normal to feel that way, however the anxious feeling of being on a plane isn't enjoyable.

In my film the success was caused from the setting. Since i was truly in an airport and on a plane it made the setting realistic, with also strangers in the background. I think that also the use of an alarm and jet noise in the background made the film sound like it was really happening. I also had a success by using a point of view shot as if we were in her dream and seeing what she saw. I think the least successful thing about my piece included the lack of varietal shots. I wish that i would have focused more heavily on including the shots i needed, rather than worrying about the flow of my film. It was also troubling as when we were in the air the sound was very loud. It was hard to hear what was going on due to the obnoxious ringing of the plane. I used Arc Studios to create my original script on. This allowed for me to plan ahead of the order of events and transitions i could use. With shooting i used my IPhone 13 as well as my Airpod Maxs to try get the best film and sound quality. To edit i used IMovie and was able to turn down and up sound, especially when the shots were filmed in the air. To create my title, logo and credit scene i used snapchat to edit. I also used the music and sound effects that were free and available on IMovie, like the jet flying sound effect. Through the midterm project i increased my knowledge amongst editing. It was my first time editing so i had trouble at first, but later was able to get the hang of it. I also learned that you could have double audio so i used an alarm and jet flying sound over top each other.]]> 2023-01-12 04:53:40 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2441778580 TWO MINUTE FILM OPENING ANALYSIS SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2479765398 1. A one or two sentence description of the first two minutes. What happens? 
Within the first two minutes of the film’s plot, we are introduced to an older woman who is talking to a lawyer about her husband, and the financial protection she wants. The lawyer explains that she needs to grind him to the ground, and to do so she needs to threaten his image, as he is a politician. This scene then cuts to a new shot of an older guy who appears to be homeless, and a younger girl. They then walk the streets of a city. 
 
2. What is the genre and who is the target audience for this film? 
Curly Sue is a hybrid that includes genres of comedy, drama and romance. Its audience targets families and young adults, particularly men.  
 
3. Describe the opening credits and title sequences, including any company logos or idents. When do they appear? What color/font are they using? How does it "align" with the opening of the film? Anything else you notice? 
The film opens up with the company logo, being The Warner Brothers. It appears within the first ten seconds of the film and then transitions into credits of specific people. The credits appear over the background of different objects that relate to the characters. One specifically includes a duffle bag that is covered in different pins and keychains. The font is in white and looks friendly, as the background colors include tones of brown, red and yellow. It aligns with the film as the background clips relate to the characters, being foreshadowing. 
 
4. Describe it visually -- a shot by shot breakdown that includes type of shot/movement, if any. 
The scenes in the film of the first two minutes are medium close-up shots of back-and-forth dialogue between the older woman and the lawyer. The lighting appears low-key as it makes the scenes feel rather gloomy. This scene then wipes open to a 2-shot of the homeless man and younger girl coming up the elevator. The lighting is still lowkey in which grasps the audience to feel pity for the conditions the two are in. 
 
5. Describe the sound -- a "sound by sound" analysis of the entire first two minutes.   
The sound within the first two minutes has room tone silence with dialogue. The lawyer has more of an attitude while the older woman sounds more upset. When that scene transitions to the homeless man and younger girl, the clam, joyful music carries on. 
 
6. Describe how you felt at the end of the two minutes. Did you want to know more? What was left hanging, if anything? What questions do you still have? 
At the end of the two minutes, I felt curious as to where the script writing was taking the movie. I wanted to know more about who the characters are and how they relate to each other. I was left rather confused on how the homeless man and the younger girl knew each other. 
 
7. How would you describe the editing style in this clip? Any particular editing techniques you noticed, or length of shots?    
The editing flowed well as the back-and-forth transitions were engaging. The lengths of the shots between the lawyer and older woman were rather quick, while the tracking shots between the older man child appeared to be more present longer. 
 
8. How did these first two minutes adhere to conventions? 
The first two minutes conformed to conventions as the setting fit the characters. The older lady who appears to be wealthy is dressed nicely and talks to a professional. The setting matches the character as the silence also fills the room. For the homeless guy, the setting conveys the streets of a city in which relates to his character. His character appears to be more chaotic and outgoing, as the scenery is also relatable. 
 
9. How did these first two minutes break with conventions? 
The first two minutes, however, broke conventions as the audience didn’t have a sense that the film was comedic. It felt almost very formal, which goes against the aspects of a comedy film. 
 
 
10. How did these first two minutes represent social groups or people or issues?    
The first two minutes represent social groups as the lady is seeking help against financial protection against her husband. This is relating to the aspects of rather wealthy groups, particularly women, who struggle in marriage. Relating to the homeless guy, this aspect picks out the global occurrence of poverty and helplessness. 
 
11. Why do you think this film was originally distributed in the way that it was? 
I think that since this film is a comedy, the Warner Brothers distributed the movie to cinemas where it would gather the most attention. The film today is still available to watch on streaming networks, making it available to those subscribed. 
]]> 2023-02-13 15:30:30 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2479765398 Preproduction Requirements - Producer and Writer SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2484102072 As the writer, the script’s location had to be altered. In the original script, the setting took place in New York City. Since we do not have access to New York City, we had to fix the problem by relocating the setting to our local beach in Florida. We also decided that instead of the weapon item being a frozen hot dog, we should change it to a fish. With this change, the story makes more sense being that the setting takes place at the beach. Names were also changed in the story, and we decided to remove a character. The woman in the original story was taken out, for the story to have a clearer plot. The only concern I have regarding the film is that it may not be as comedic as we are envisioning it. We do not want it to seem immature, however, being a comedy film, some aspects contain levels of immaturity.  
 
 
Shoot Schedule: 
1st day: February 25, 2023, around 4-5pm 
2nd day (if needed): February 26, 2023, around 4-5pm 

Location List: 
Seagate Beach Naples, Fl 

Cast List: 
Sophia Lascano: Writer and Producer 
Ashley Kemp: Director 
Bella Gorelik: Editor 
Logan Miller: Cinematographer  
Eli Brawley: Actor (Sal)
Jason Diver: Actor (Brett)

Prop list: 
Food items; sandwich and Tupperware 
Homework; books  
Beach chair/or towel 
Fish/fake fish (weapon) 
Car (run over sandwich) 

Costume/Makeup/Hair list: 
Brett: Preppy clothes (collared shirt, swim shorts, hat/visor), no makeup, hair kept the same (brushed) 
Sal: Torn/worn out clothing (no shoes and rips in clothing), makeup to make him appear dirty/filthy, teased/unbrushed hair 

Music/Sound effect list: 
Slap sound effects (weapon in use) 
Car sound effects (running over sandwich) 
In the Stone-Edit by Earth, Fire & Wind (opening) 

Technical/Other Considerations list:  
Filming off IPhone 
Use of microphone for better sound quality 

Vision Statement:  
Based off research we hope to achieve a comedic film, with a clear plot. We want the audience to be engaged within the first couple seconds, and satisfied with the dramatic turn the film takes. 
]]> 2023-02-15 20:48:36 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2484102072 Independent Distribution and Marketing Plan -- Mr. and Miss Guided SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2508811962 1.  To distribute our film we would first upload it publicly to YouTube. We would also attend the Sundance Film Festival as we could gain popularity and experience. After trying to gain views on YouTube we would later submit it directly to streaming platforms, including HBO Max and Hulu. These streaming networks would be an efficient fit for our film considering that there are similar films on these platforms that represent the awareness of mistreatment in woman. From then we would encourage a film aggregator to partner up with our film cast. We would approach Amazon as we could upload our film on video and distribute it. Once that is all a success we would start the marketing process. 

2. Our final title for our film is called "Mr. and Miss Guided". The title fits as the film overall addresses how women are treated, especially on the street; catcalling. Its a rather short and catchy title that is targeted towards women. However, it is also sarcastic as it acts as if men know everything and a women is misguided. I think we overall improved our title as it was originally "Glizzy Bear Attack". The title brings a more formal and mature aspect pertaining to the film.

3. A tag line for our poster would be along the lines of "It's a woman's world." Its a a short tag line that hits the target of woman and that they are the future. It pertains to the way woman have to deal with the struggles of being mistreated.

4. Our target audience for our film includes women in their early twenties. This is because at that time in a woman's life is when they are being introduced to working and facing independence in their life. Their education would be freshly out of college, as well as working as an intern. Their income would be around $20,000-30,000. Their interest would include working hard to feel successful. This could include working in business, the medical field, and so forth. They care greatly for the feeling of success and the satisfaction of being capable independent. I think the most important thing to tell is knowing who they are. These woman work hard for themselves and put everything they care about first. They are part of organizations that help the community. They are mainly involved with their community and supporting others.  They are part of platforms like FaceBook and Instagram in which they post their inspiration of becoming successful. They follow other woman activists that include influencers like Greta Thunberg. Mainly they aren't involved with online games, they are more on the social media side. In real life they are hanging out with their other friends who are woman, as well as their close family. They read books that are autobiographies from other woman who face challenges in order to reach the satisfaction of their success. They dress very business causal, making them appear to be put together. They watch many reality tv shows that are shown on VOD's like HBO Max, Hulu and Netflix. They post their inspirational day in the life for entertainment purposes as well as for the encouragement for others to get active. They shop at high designer brands like Louis Vuitton. They eat at healthy and organic based restaurants.

5. Distributing our film to platforms like YouTube would freely allow us to try to gain popularity. We could also connect to smaller YouTubers in which they could shout out and sponsor our film. Virtually we would publish our ads and trailers on platforms like Instagram, FaceBook, TikTok, YouTube, Amazon and Snapchat. This would be beneficial considering in these modern days people are consumed by technology. It would be an easy way to capture and draw peoples attention by the influence woman have. Non-virtually, we would advertise with posters, flyers, billboards, and direct mail. We would mainly target these non virtual outside work areas as well as places like Yoga and Cycle classes. These are places where our target audience would most likely be found at. 

6. We engage our audience online by lifting woman up. This woman empowerment is engaging as it is something most woman don’t ignore. We would turn passive audience members active by hosting sponsored events like Yoga classes. They would click on the ad based off its bright colors and sarcastic tones towards the stereotypes business woman face. By partnering with smaller influencers, we would be able to branch out by their sponsorship with our film. This would inspire others, like their fans, to view and check it out.

7. With the advertisement of sarcastic tones towards the stereotypes of business woman, I think the story line can be added up. The genre is being reinforced as the drama aspect is being prominent. It is still a controversial topic today, in which would spark the variety opinions of this drama. With bright colors and humorous quotes, I think that the target audience would be drawn. Woman face negative remarks when regarding work everyday, so this advertisement would catch their attention as it is something they physically and emotionally experience. The repeating elements include the repetition of the business woman going to work everyday. In a series of 5 days we see her in studious manners as she is on her way to work. I would design the movie poster with a humorous controversial quote that woman don’t work as hard as men. This would not only attract woman but also men who agree. We would design it to be fresh to the genre as it is a drama film, and the controversy would bring forth arguments. The two colors i would use would include red and white. Red has the tone of strength as well as passion. The vibrant colors would also capture the humans eye more drastically as well. The background would include a collective group of business woman around a table. The iconography we would use would be money. This regards the challenge woman face everyday of not getting paid the same as a man would. Our fonts would be bold as we come off as passionate for their topic, as well as devoted.

]]> 2023-03-08 15:45:42 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2508811962 Production and Editing Reflection SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2530584728 During the production process as a group, we have learned how important it is to do our individual parts in order to be successful as a whole. With our initial cut we struggled with feeling confident in what we produced. Our editor felt as if it wasn't cohesive, and that the transitions didn't flow. This brought challenges as there was a want for a completely altered storyline. As a group we have learned the importance of communication. With the vast amount of disagreements, we were in need of better communication. We should have all sat down and viewed our film to reflect on it, rather than have only one person in charge of what it looks like. ]]> 2023-03-24 15:20:28 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2530584728 Critical Reflection SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2549485006 2023-04-11 02:06:16 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2549485006 Final Film- Mr.Miss Guided SophiaLascano3153 https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2549485885 2023-04-11 02:07:07 UTC https://padlet.com/SophiaLascano3153/aicemediablog/wish/2549485885