Group meeting

Last class in Aice Media our teacher thought it would be a good idea if we discussed our project and ideas about our opening. At first I was a little skeptical about the idea because I didn't know how I would be able to help other people with their project. Once in the groups we talked about what we were struggling in, and it became apparent that everyone had similar problems so talking about the problems resulted with everyone being helped. 

While talking to the group, they asked me if I was going to make my movie on more of the shapeshifter physically attacking or more of phycological haunting. I have been thinking about this question and I don't have answer just yet. To find a conclusion to my question, I was planning to complete 2 different story boards and see which one my group member and others in the class like more. 

One of the things I was struggling with was naming my movie. I thought the title "SHAPESHIFTER" was a good idea but when the group heard it they immediately told me that it wasn't a good idea because it made it seem basic and it would also give up the monster in the movie. I asked what a good title would be and everyone struggled to think about one until one of the group members mentioned that "MIRAGE" would be a great movie tittle because of the relation it has to the movie. Mirage represents the monster because of the way he can change shapes and resembles and illusion.

Lastly, I want to include more symbolism in my movie because it will make my opening more interesting and as a result my audience will enjoy it more. Talking to my group I realized how important symbolism is, so I will add it to my movie. There are many types of symbolism I can add to my opening, but the only ones I can think of are the color red and grey. The color grey in my opening will symbolize the loneliness Frank experiences throughout the movie, this is because no one is willing to believe him about the shapeshifter. The color red in my movie will be introduced when the shapeshifter appears, the color red represents danger and violence in my movie.

Thanks to the group session we had, I will extend my research on phycological thriller and add more details in my opening to improve it. 

Analyzing research and conclusions

My story line blends elements of supernatural horror, mystery, and psychological thriller. It explores themes of disbelief, determination, and the consequences of confronting the unknown. The unexpected ending, where Frank is erased from the memories of his entire town, leaves a lasting impact and raises questions about the nature of the shapeshifter and its motives. Overall, my story creates a sense of unease and leaves the reader with lingering thoughts about the consequences of facing the supernatural.

Introduction of Supernatural Element :The shapeshifter introduces a supernatural element, creating an atmosphere of mystery and potential danger in Crestwood. This element sets the stage for the unfolding events and establishes a central conflict. Initial Encounter and 

Disbelief: Frank's initial shock and the disbelief from his parents add a layer of complexity to the plot. The skepticism towards Frank due to his playful history raises questions about the reliability of his perception, adding tension to the narrative.

 Quest for Answers: Frank's decision to seek answers in an old bookstore demonstrates his determination and a willingness to confront the unknown. The choice of the bookstore with a reputation for supernatural wisdom adds an intriguing element to the story. 

Ritual and Confrontation: The discovery of a ritual to expose the shapeshifter's true form and Frank's decision to confront it show his agency in the face of a supernatural threat. The confrontation in the dark alley builds suspense, and the shapeshifter's attack adds a physical and psychological dimension to the story. 

Unexpected Outcome: The twist where the shapeshifter wipes the memories of everyone in Crestwood, erasing Frank from their minds, is a powerful and unexpected turn of events. This outcome adds a tragic and lonely dimension to the story, leaving Frank isolated and raising questions about the shapeshifter's motives.

Over all, my story has all the horror elements I wanted to add. Researching the small details needed to make a good story line greatly helped me to complete the story with the twists I wanted to add.

Story line

1.)    In a town called Crestwood, there was a teenager named Frank. One day, he's walking home, minding his own business, and suddenly, he stumbles upon a dark alley. Frank sees this creepy shapeshifter changing transformations.

 2.)    Frank watches in shock, and the shapeshifter notices him. Frank runs home, eager to tell his parents. But his parents do not believe him because he has always been a playful prankster.

 3.)    The shapeshifter starts invading Frank's dreams, pretending to be his family and friends, while threating him. Desperate for answers, Frank goes to an old bookstore with a reputation for supernatural wisdom. He digs around and finds an old book named "death to the devil's sons"  in the book frank finds a ritual that supposedly exposes the shapeshifter's true form.

4.)     With the book in hand, Frank heads back to the creepy alley where he saw the shapeshifter. Frank starts performing the ritual, and the shapeshifter appears. The shapeshifter attacks, and Frank's doing his best to dodge its attacks in the dark. As the ritual is about to end, the shapeshifter freaks out and disappears into thin air. 

5.)    Frank runs home, ready to share the big news with his parents, only to find out the shapeshifter did a memory wipe on them. No one in Crestwood remembers Frank anymore.

Story line research

 Making a storyline to base our opening in is more complicated than I thought. My teammate and I don't want to go off another movie and change it up a bit, so we decided to do some research on how to create a horror story line. 

While researching I came across this website called "MasterClass". This website included many great tips to help me create an original  story line such as avoiding cliches and using my own fears in the story. In addition, "MasterClass" also gave me information on how to make a scary plot line, this is by adding proper pacing and unexpected twists. In my opening I would like to show off the monster at the beginning of the opening to catch the audience's attention due to the unexpectancy.

I kept researching because I felt like I needed more to create my story line. Reedsyblog helped me add that extra padding to my story by going in deeper on how I wanted my story to plan out. I had an idea in mind but I wanted my story to be different from the other horror stories, I wanted my audience to experience the feeling of unsafety no matter where Frank "main character" was at. This is why I thought a shapeshifter would be the best monster/villain to have in my story. A shapeshifter is a mythical creature that can transform into any living organism, my idea was that the shapeshifter would camouflage in Franks life as a teacher, friend, or his own family. This had a great result because it gave me a free range on when and where the shapeshifter would attack.  

 

Story plan

 In my opening, there will be a shape shifter that wants to kill Frank "teen" because he saw him transform from a human to a dog, Frank will need to avoid the creature and find out a way to defeat him. Frank will try and get help but no one believes him, resulting in a helpless situation for the teen.

    I had a shapeshifter as my villain/monster because it gives me free range of what can be considered a threat to Frank. The audience will need to be on their on guard because anything from a house cat to a teacher could be the monster.

    I haven't completed a solid story line for the opening yet, however I will continue my research on horror film elements to create a horror opening that will shock the audience. Watching horror movie openings such as "Get Out" and "Midssomar" give me inspiration to create a safe space for Frank when in reality its not. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vnghdsjmd0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzfpyUB60YY

Horror Characters

 I continued my research by investigating the type of characters horror movies introduce. The main types of characters horror movies introduce are the protagonist, his companions and the monster/villain. I found Dabble, this article talked about the importance of a character's backstory and the impact they have on the audience. 

Even thought it will be complicated including backstory in the introduction of the film, I will try working around it by adding quick flashes of the characters memories. Another element I want to add to the film that will cause me some problems with the time are strengths and weaknesses of the characters. I haven't really thought of a way I could work around this problem yet, but I will promptly. 

In my film the protagonist will come from an abusive household, where he is the eldest out of 3 siblings. His younger siblings are depending on him to survive, adding more tension to the opening. I decided that the monster shouldn't have a backstory included in the opening, this is because it makes him more mysterious and creepy. 

Elements 2/15

 I decided my genre being horror because I am simply more interested in using different types of lighting to create a sense of creepiness' and I had a better idea on what my steps were going to be in the film. Today I started my research and it was surprisingly difficult to find a horror movie that could influence my film. I ended up running into FAR OUT  that showed me successful movie introductions that could help my project seem more professional. 

Some elements I took from FAR OUT are the important use of lighting, sound, and character emotion. I will implement these elements into my film to portray a terrifying monster that will be able to shapeshift in the hunt of teenagers.

In my opening the shapeshifter will be able to transform into people and animals, the characters won't know where the monster is therefore creating unexpected attacks.  I will use the feeling of security on the audience to catch them off guard with the monster transforming into loved one's. 

Transition Blog Post

 Hello, my name is Antonio Navas and I attend Cypress Bay Highschool, and today I will be starting the portfolio project. For this project I will use my past experiences with other projects to make an introduction to a new film. Editing, composition, and sound are a few of the skills I have developed during the course of the year that will help me over come the portfolio project. 

As I decide the genres for my project, two options have captured my interest, horror and action. Factors such as lighting, camera angles, and shots play a vital role in creating the eerie and terrifying atmosphere characterized in horror films. Using these elements, I will craft a story centered around a group of teenagers striving to survive a monster capable of camouflaging itself within their daily lives, including teachers, friends, and parents. The teenagers will start a journey, researching old manuscripts to uncover the key to defeating the ancient creature.

In the other hand, I am considering an action film. Action films thrive on constant movement, including intense fights and chase scenes. This genre seems fitting due to the resources available to me, such as cars and diverse settings for filming. However, a potential challenge is maintaining a high level of excitement throughout the film without boring the audience. This project would revolve around two brothers fighting for the leadership position in their family's cartel like business, going in missions and encountering struggles along the way.