Ashley Mangan AICE MEDIA STUDIES by ashley mangann https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog en-us 2022-08-24 17:34:20 UTC 2023-04-03 02:13:23 UTC hello@padlet.com First Student Film/Reflection ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2270750820 This was the first film our group has made this year. Unfortunately, I was not at school for the duration of the time that my group filmed our movie, so I was not able to participate. However, once I was able to help I was able to discuss how we wanted to edit this film and how the story line was planned out. The story line was about a new kid who moved schools and was bullied, but later on he is able to find a real friend who helps to defend himself. 
After watching our film over, we lacked in the ability to make the sound clear which made it hard to hear the actors. Our story line also became confusing at some points during our film since some of our clips ended abruptly. We could have also used different camera angles in our scenes to enhance what was going on. Overall, for this being our first film there is definitely a lot we need to improve on, however we did our best with what we knew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=LigxqbiAROw&feature=share ]]> 2022-08-25 00:49:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2270750820 Film Remake and reflection ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2310893426 The assignment was to take one of the other groups original films and had to improve and rewrite the script along with including 10 different shots. The original plot of the film was a girl who went to New York with her dog, but ended up losing her dog and finding out that her lover had stole him. We changed the plot into two brothers who travelled to New York. One brother meets a girl but the girl ends up kidnapping his brother. He finds this out when he goes over to the girls house and finds his brother there. The 10 shots we included in this film were a long shot, wide shot, pan left and right, tracking, over the shoulder, close up, low angle, high angle, two shot, and three shot. The role I played in this film was an actor in one shot, and the director. Being the director I was able to create these different shots and envision what shots would look best for each scene.


In our film, we did a good job at executing each different shot and angle.  We also did a good job at executing the story line, however in some scenes we could have made the shots more clear instead they lead to confusion. We could have been more precise and thought through our shots more since some of them had certain aspects that could have been sharper. The sound throughout our film could have used some work as there was some back round noise that was distracting. In our film, one shot that we included was an over the shoulder shot in the scene where the one brother is texting the girl he met. This type of shot worked well in this scene because we were able to see the phone while being over his shoulder. Another shot we added was a three shot when the two brothers and the girl meet. This three shot was necessary since it contributes to the plot of the other brother being kidnapped. One other shot we included was tracking in many different occasions where the two brothers were walking. This worked well since we were able to "follow" them and see where exactly they were going in different locations. Overall, the different shots that we picked for each scene contributed to how the film was perceived in the end. I think all in all we did a good job at executing this film and that we improved from our first film.]]> 2022-09-23 17:53:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2310893426 Genre and representation reflection ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2365858000 We covered the genres action, horror, adventure, animation, musical, drama, romance, in class. Within each genre we studied the conventions which included the setting, characters, and stories, the does which covered the camera work, lighting and editing, and the audience expectations which included the emotions and reactions the audience would have while watching these genres. We also watched 3 different movie clips from 3 time periods that highlighted each genre. Some of the films that we watched were hybrids meaning that instead of it just being genre, some of them were made up of a mix of 2 genres.

Our first film that we made was a hybrid of drama and comedy. We conformed to the conventions of the genre drama because we portrayed ordinary people in realistic situations. We did this by basing our film off of 3 boys who end up turning on each other. We also conformed to the audience expectations for a drama film because the audience wouldn't have expected the one boy to turn his back on his friend for the new kid. We conformed to the conventions of the genre comedy because the characters exaggerated some scenes which made the film have humor. However, we didn't conform completely to these two genres. We could have added more fast cuts which are often used in comedy movies. We could have also used more dramatic changes in scenery and close ups to conform more to the drama genre. Our second film was more of a hybrid between romance and mystery. We conformed to the conventions of romance by there being the other brother who was preventing the romance as well as including two shots and close ups. We conformed to the mystery genre when the girl kidnap's the brother which would leave the audience asking why. We did not conform to the mystery conventions in the way that there wasn't al lot of active reader involvement, instead the audience knew what had happened.

My personal favorite genre is horror. A potential idea for a final horror film project could be of a group of friends that decides to go explore the woods behind one of their houses. Once the night becomes darker, they begin to realize they have lost track of where they are. The friends to begin to freak out and in reaction they begin to run and get split up. Two of the friends end up of friends who decide to go into the woods at night only to coming across what looks to be an old abandon house. Since they have no where to go, they decided to go in. That is when the rest of the group that had gotten out hears loud screams. They immediately run back into the woods to find their friends, however the group never returned. In this film there would be use of underexposure to create a dark and creepy tone. There would also be use of POV shots so the audience would be able to see what the characters run into from their point of view. Lastly, there would be use of dramatic music to intensify the mood.


]]> 2022-11-02 01:33:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2365858000 Editing and Sound - Midterm Film ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2437115117 In November and December of 22, I learned about editing, sound, screenwriting, and screenplay. In class we studied the concepts of film in the specific ways of watching and taking notes on documentaries as well as different film genres. We watched a specific video on the use of color to better understand the different uses of color in film. We also studied the sound basics and watched a documentary on cinema sound that was called "Making Waves." In these months we also studied film editing concepts and created documents featuring 20 plus kinds of editing techniques to get us familiar with editing. In the month of December, we began to focus on screen play by reading the screen play for "The Incredibles." By reading this screenplay we were introduced to how to format screenplays using a specific software called Arc Studio. After we became familiar with this, we had the task to write a two minute horror film opening. This film opening was about someone having a nightmare, and it was the basis for our midterm project.

For our midterm project, we had to create a one to two minute horror, or horror hybrid, film opening. Instead of a usual film that would have a beginning, middle, and a end, this opener was supposed to leave the audience wanting more. This film opener was supposed to have minimal to no dialogue, but instead mostly music and sound effects. Our films were also supposed to be composed of different shots and takes, not just one long take. Within the film itself, some of the things we were instructed to include were a close up, Dutch angle, high or low angle, and a lowkey light set up. Some other requirements were one pan, tilt, or track/push, one zoom or dolly zoom, multitake, match cut, J or L cut, fast or slow motion, intentional use of color as well as costume/hair/makeup, complexity in setting, three sound effects, one piece of incidental music, and one sound motif repeated three times. We have been focusing on these specifics throughout the past few months, so we have had practice with them and were familiar with what they were going into this. We were also given the horror codes as well as conventions so that our films fit into the horror genre. The film starts off in black with company ident, and/or the logo and title of the film. After this, the film straight cuts (or dissolves) to the first image. Throughout this film, there is supposed to a minimum of three crosscuts between the actor and the nightmare that they are having. By doing so the audience gets the full effect of the nightmare since they are seeing the actor physically go through it, as well as they get a "look" inside of the actual nightmare itself. After we have filmed our movie, we are expected to edit it and upload it as our midterm project. 

To adhere to horror conventions, I added a stalker/killer to the film. In doing so, it added a sense of fear because the actor as well as the audience doesn't know who this "masked man" is. I also made the setting of the nightmare outside because there is a fear factor to knowing that anything could be outside at any given time, whether you expect it or not. To adhere to the horror codes, I used low key lighting as well as underexposure. When you typically think about a nightmare, the scene usually has a dark and ere feel to it rather then bright and light. To adhere to the audience expectations, I attempted to bring somewhat of a shock, however the outcome may have been expected. When the audience heard the noise in the bush, they may have expected an animal, however instead an unknown person was in there all along. I represented a common theme which was a boy playing basketball. I did this because it is not something out of the ordinary and could have very well been a real life experience. Although some nightmares can be seen as "unbelievable" and not likely to happen in real life, I think that nightmares that are more realistic tend to have more of a horror feel to them. I broke the horror conventions in the way that the audience only saw the stalker for a short period of time so it didn't give off the same effect as it would of if the audience knew about the stalker before the actor did. I also broke the horror conventions because even though I added a chase scene, it turned out anticlimactic did not have the effect that would leave the audience on the edge of their seats. I broke the horror codes in the ways that I did not add a lot, if any, quick cuts or jump scares. These are common in popular horror movies because they complete the horror effect. I broke the audience expectations because the audience may have expected the outcome of the film. The way that I chose to direct and film my movie may have not had the audience anticipating what would happen next. I represented a teenage boy as the main character in this film. I did this because it is common for a teen boy to be playing basketball, but is also common for teenagers to not be cautious of there surroundings such as when they are outside. I represented a "killer" as an unknown man because often times you'll see someone like that wearing all black as in a way of hiding themselves. I represented the theme of the unknown because the actor didn't go outside to play basketball expecting to be attacked in the end, it was all unexpected.

I think my film was successful in the way that it represented a common theme and overall showed the visual of a nightmare as well as the nightmare itself. I think my piece was less successful  because it seemed as if the storyline moved on too quick for the audience to catch on. One obvious mistake in my movie is that one of my clips was filmed vertically instead of horizontally, making the movie not flow and have an obvious visual problem. I think if I made it more clear that there was a sound in the bush the audience would have been anticipating to find out exactly what it was. I think the story line had potential, however it wasn't executed to the best potential. To create my script I used Arc Studio. It was simple in the way that I could lay out exactly what dialogue, action, scene, and transition I wanted to. I shot this film on my phone and to edit it I used cap cut. This project definitely had a learning curve to it seeing as all the other movies we filmed this year were group projects, where as this one was completely individual. As someone who hadn't had much experience editing prior to this, I think I was able to become more familiar with the editing techniques and tried to use them to the best of my abilities. I learned that the process of making a film from start to finish takes time and effort and should be well thought out. However, based off of what we were taught in the months of November-December 2022, I was already familiar with what exactly I had to do which made the process go over a lot smoother. Overall this midterm assignment was a struggle at times, however I think I gained knowledge from it and got a better understanding of what exactly goes into the process of making your own film.

]]> 2023-01-09 01:28:13 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2437115117 Wonder Woman ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2466989704 1. The film opens in Themyscira where Diana is at an Amazon Athletic event. As her aunt Antiope and Queen Hippolyta  watch, she rides her horse through the course. Diana performs well at first, however she gets dropped from her horse and begins to lag behind her.
2. The genre of this film is superhero and is mainly targeted towards women.
3. The movie starts off by showing the Warner Media Company logo and DC.
3. The film includes many tracking shots as well as high and low angles. There are also spin around shots as well two shots and close ups.
4. Within the first 2 minutes of this movie there are many sound effects such as glass shattering. There is also action and high energy music when they are gathered together.
5. At the end of these two minutes, I was left wanting to know what was going to happen next because at the end of this two minutes I became intrigued.
6. The shots seemed to be rather long towards the beginning of these two minutes, however towards the middle and end the shots became shorter and faster.
7. These first two minutes adhered to they conventions in the way that there is a superhero and there is also adventure and action present throughout the movie.
8. These first two minutes broke the superhero conventions in the way that based off of the first two minutes there didn't seem to be a villain, which is typical in most superhero movies.
9. These first two minutes represent justice and equality and Wonder Woman herself represents hope.]]> 2023-02-03 02:04:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2466989704 ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2483963140
For this film, we will be using natural light, as we will be filming this during the daytime. The natural light is crucial to our film seeing as the entire script is based off a little girl who is playing outside during the day. However, if the weather does not work out for us the day we have chosen to film, we could consider adding a light onto the phone that we film this movie on to give a similar effect. We could also focus more on the editing portion and use higher exposure on the shots that may be in need of more light.

Our film will include many sound effects seeing as it is a superhero movie. For instance, the girl ends up flying towards the end of the movie, so we will add sound effects to extenuate this action. Once it is revealed that the girl has superpowers, we will focus on adding sound effects that add more to her character. As far as on set sound effects go, our film group has planned to focus strictly on the editing portion and additional sound effects rather than making these effects on our own seeing as they may not give the effect that we envision.

The entirety of our film is shot outside at a park. The first scene starts out with the main character (Lucy) playing by herself in the park, but eventually two boys join her. After the boys begin to mess with her, Lucy eventually reveals her superpowers. The setting and location being outside at a park is crucial to this specific scene because Lucy would not be able to showcase her superpowers as well if the film were to take place inside. Although this film keeps the same setting and location throughout, it contributes to the storyline.




]]> 2023-02-15 18:56:52 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2483963140 Independent Distribution and Marketing Plan- Secret Lucy ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2509253853 1. If we were to distribute this film independently, we would approach Bitmax. itmax is one of the worlds largest independent digital chain providers, meaning our film would have the chance to be seen worldwide. They also take care of the technical requirements, meaning you yourself can focus on more important things regarding your film. They also license and distribute premium VOD, SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD content, and claim to deliver your content all around the world. We believe that by choosing this aggregator, (Bitmax), we would have the best chance at getting our movie seen and making something out of it. 
2. The title of our film is "Secret Lucy". This title works with our film seeing as the film is based off of what seems to be a normal girl who ends up revealing she has super powers. This title perfectly reflects what the film is about, however it could be misleading seeing as the genre of our film is superhero. 
3. A tagline that could be used for this film is "Not your average girl."  Our film falls under the genre "superhero", so this tagline would fit perfectly seeing as the main character isn't the average girl that she seems to be.
4. The target audience of superhero movies in generally millennials and seem to be watched more by men. However, although our film does fit in the superhero genre, it also is about women empowerment, meaning our film may be watched more by females. Most people who watch superhero movies like to follow the story along, and enjoy their being a "good" and bad" guy. They also enjoy the ending of the movie when typical, the "bad" guy is defeated. Seeing as millennials are the target audience of these movies, they seem to be highly educated, as well as able to keep up with the media.
5. If we had to self distribute this film, we would advertise this first with an ad on youtube. Most millennials are farmiliar with this app and use it daily, whether it is for entertainment, or educational purposes. If they were to come across this add while watching a video, it it likely that they will become intrigued and interested in watching our film. Another place that we could advertise this film on could be social media. Millennials use social media daily meaning they would see this film being advertised. We could also advertise this by word of mouth. This would allow more millennials to hear about this film .
6. To engage our target audience, we will market our film over and over again, seeing as it takes most viewers 7 times before they decide to go and see the film. We could offer the first 30 people to watch our film some type of free access, or a type of merchandise that goes along with our film. This would lead to these 30 people talking about our film, leading to more and more people wanting to watch it.
7. To design our movie poster, we may take an unual approach compared to other super hero movies, and keep the poster simple. The viewers aren't aware that lucy has super powers towards the end of the movie, so we could keep the poster simple with a little girl sitting by herself in a park, which is how the movie starts off as. By doing this, it adds to the unknown sense the viewer will get while watchin the film. We will keep the colors simple using blues, greens, and white, while maybe adding a pop of red. We will add bold text, and the background will be basic, but we could add dimension. ]]> 2023-03-08 21:31:06 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2509253853 Production and Editing Reflection ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2531415434
The production process of our film put into perspective what it takes to make a film from start to finish. From the beginning of the year, we began to learn the steps that go into making a film, so our final project allowed us to showcase everything we have been taught. Moving through the editing process, we had gotten some feedback on a few changes we had to make in order to take our film to the next level. One of these changes was to adjust the sound on the clips to make the dialogue louder, which would allow the audience to be able to follow along the story line. One other piece of feedback we received was to attempt to use a green screen for the scene that Lucy begins to fly in. By doing so, this super natural action would come together smoother and would overall be a clean cut. Overall, this production process allowed us to practice what we have been taught, and will be rewarding once we watch the final cut.]]> 2023-03-25 18:24:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2531415434 Critical Reflection ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2541574724 2023-04-03 02:10:58 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2541574724 Final Film-Secret Lucy ashleymangan4418 https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2541575229 2023-04-03 02:11:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ashleymangan4418/aicemediablog/wish/2541575229