Costumes Plan/Initial Creation

We only need three different consumes, two scientist's white lab coasts, and a military general's uniform. These costumes can be bought at many different stores like, Target, Walmart, and Party City. 

I went on two different occasions to all three different stores but they didn't have them in stock or in our sizes. When I mentioned the annoying circumstances to my parents my mom gained a sudden inspiration. She remembered the days she used to sew face masks for our entire family during the covid days. She was addiment that she was capable of completing the task saying "It can't be that hard." She managed to create the two white lab coat outfits, but they were too small. Thankfully, she had enough fabric to create two more in the correct size. We knew the military general's uniform would be harder to sew but it proved to be even more tricky than we had anticipated. She tried multiple times but ultimately couldn't get it to work. When I gave it a try I also failed.

Since the sewing for the military general's uniform was a bust and the costume stores I went to said they weren't getting any new shipments for a while since costumes were not in season, we were left with one more option. Amazon.com! 

We managed to find a costume for about $28. Although it is a little more expensive than we would've liked, we don't have many other choices. And with that, we have acquired all the costumes we need for our production!

Props

 Props:

• Laptop
• Projector
• Screen
• Lights
• Cups
• Paper
• Pens
• Monster Figure
• Double-walled tank

Acquired:

• Laptop
• Screen
• Cups
• Paper
• Pens

Needed:

• Projector
• Lights
• Monster Figure
• Double-walled tank

Plan

In my earlier blog postings I discussed how I was planning to acquire the missing props. Although the projector is not a necessity and can be replaced by the screen, I have asked my aunt whether we could borrow her projector for our project. The lights can be bought at a hardware store and don't need to be expensive. The monster figure will be made out of aluminum and clay which can be bought at a local arts and crafts shop. The double-walled tank will be made from wood, plastic, and paint. The wood would act as the floor and roof of the tank while the plastic would act as the walls. The paint is used to make the tank look metallic.

Errors 

The materials for the tank had arrived early and I tried to build it alone. Unfortunately, the plastic snapped when I tried bending it into the smaller circle for the interior wall. The outer one didn't break but became cloudy when bent due to the stretching of the plastic. The way I plan to fix this is making the tank bigger so the plastic doesn't need to be bent as sharply. Thankfully, the wooden disks remained unaffected so we don't have to buy more of those.

Planning the Production

Up to this point, we have only planned when we are going to start producing our project's film opening. In this blog post, I will plan how the production process will be carried out. This includes deciding where the filming will occur, building any props, creating or buying any costumes, and acquiring any cameras and microphones we may need.

Location

4 main locations appear in our film opening, the experimentation room, the emergency response room, the hallway, and the forest. For the experimentation room and the emergency response room, the room doesn't need to fit perfectly with our needs as we will make sure these rooms are kept dark only highlighting the important things in the frame. For the hallway, me and my partner have decided on filming in my school's hallway. However, one downside to this is that we can't reserve a hallway in the school so we have to be quick with our shots to ensure we don't get anyone else in frame. For the forest scenes, we will film at a nearby national park. I called ahead to make sure it was ok to film there at night and they said it was fine as long as we don't disturb any of the other guests.

Props Found/Bought

The props we need to find or buy are a laptop, a projector/screen, lights, cups, papers, pens, and clay to form the shape of the monster (we will only be using the silhouette of the monster so it doesn't need to look the best. Thankfully, we have most of the props we need except the projector. I asked one of my aunts who is a professor at a local community college and she said she might be able to lend it to us if she doesn't need it at the time we are going to use it. If we aren't able to obtain a projector, we can just use a screen instead.

Props Built

The props we need to build are the double-walled tank and the monster figure that will go inside. In my previous blog post, I described the plans for a double-walled tank. The materials needed for this are two wooden disks, two layers of pliable plastic walls, and metallic grey paint. I have ordered all the materials that are needed and they are scheduled to arrive in two days. The monster figure that will go inside the tank will be made out of clay and aluminum foil. Thankfully, because the tank will be filled with a murky liquid the figure inside doesn't need to be too defined, just a general shape of the monster will do fine.

Costumes

The costumes we need are two white scientist's coats and a military general's uniform. The costumes can be bought at various stores such as Walmart, Target, and Party City. To add more life to the characters I would like to acquire a pair of fake glasses of the Dr. Nathaniel character.

Recording Equipment

    For the recording process, we need a camera and a microphone. We can either find a high-quality camera for clearer shots or we could just use the cameras on the back of our phones. For the microphones, I bought some wireless clip-on microphones that we can clip on our clothes. Ideally, we clip it underneath our clothes so the audience doesn't see it. 

Audio in the Film Opening

     Just like the lighting, audio will play a crucial role that helps to develop the monster. We can't show the monster because we don't have the budget to create a realistic looking monster, so we will only imply the monsters presence. For this, audio and lighting techniques will be used.

Experimentation Room

    The only audio that can be heard would be dialogue between characters and the beeping of machines. The use of dialogue will be used to create a serious tone in the scene along with develop the characters that are speaking. In later scenes though, the monster will be heard banging on the tanks walls along with the monsters roaring. These sounds would be made extremely loud to show the immense power of the monster.

Hallways

    The only sounds in the hallways would be the sound of low speaking from distant scientists and their footsteps. Then when the monster roars in the experimentation room, we will cut to the hallways and dampen the sound a little to show that the monster can be heard throughout the facility. We will also add the screams of the scientists once the monster is heard.

Emergency Situation Room

    The only sound in the situation room would be the sound of the people talking. We wouldn't play the sound of the monster to represent how fortified the room they are all in is.

Forest

    The sounds in the forest would come from the nature. The wind blowing through the trees along with some bird noises. Cricket and other animal sounds would be added to create a more realistic feeling to the scene. We would then add a distant roar to represent how far the monster has already gotten which then reveals the speed at which the monster moves at.

Set and Props

    A very important part of our project will the be the set and the props in the scenes. Because we are still in high school, we have to keep cost in mind.

Experimentation room

    Set: Any room can work because of the dark lighting. Ideally the room would be rectangularly shaped though. The room would be mostly empty with some wires laying on the ground running to the tank in the middle of the room. The tank needs to be decently sized and filled with a bright green liquid. I was thinking we could use Mountain Dew the soda as the green liquid. We would leave it out to get flat so the bubbles aren't seen in the tank. Soda is not cheap so we would build the tank in a specific way. Because we don't want to use too much soda, we would make a double walled tank out of flexible plastic. We would fill the space in between the walls so the soda only runs up the side of the walls instead of having to fill the whole tank. This would be great as it would also allow us to put a light inside the center of the tank to make it look like it is glowing.

    Props: The main props would be paper, pens, a laptop, and a cup. The paper and pen would be used for the scientist to write stuff down. We probably won't show any of the stuff that is written down so we don't need any actual data or information. The laptop would be used as the control unit for the tank. The laptop doesn't need to have anything important on it either as long as it has things on it that looks like data collection and controls. The cup would be filled with coffee to show that Dr. Nathaniel is sleep deprived and not in the right mindset. We could also take a short video of the cup falling paired with the sound of electricity arcing to imply the the cup spilled on the wires controlling the tank.

(Where I got inspiration for the double walled tank idea)

Hallways

    Thankfully, this area would not need any props and the set would be almost completely empty. We may ask some friends to act a other scientists in the facility so they might need to be holding some papers or clipboards.

Emergency Situation Room

    Set: There would be a long table centered in the room with a projector placed on top of it aiming at the front of the room. We were considering adding some potted plants on both sides of where the projector is pointing to add some color.

    

    Props: The props would be paper, pens, laptops, and cups just like in the experimentation room. The papers, pens, and cups would not be used in the scenes but are there to add realism to the table. The laptop could be used to display any important information for the scene.

Forest

    Set: Thankfully mother nature has us covered on this one so we won't need to bring anything else to create the set. We will just find a local forest that would be good to film in.

    Props: The only props used in the forest scenes would be the flashlights that the soldiers are using to try to find the escaped monster

Lighting

     Lighting will play a crucial role in our project. Since we won't be showing the monster explicitly, lighting will be used to imply it. We can do this by using pieces of a shadow, or flickering the lights when we play the sound of the monster roaring. 

Experimentation Room

    The lighting in the experimentation room would be minimal to create a dark and mysterious mood. The main source of lighting would com from very dim lights on the walls, the brightly glowing tank, and the various monitoring screens.

Hallways

    The lighting in the hallways would be very bright. They would be illuminated by led lights in the ceiling. These lights will have a huge impact on creating meaning. When the monster roars, we can make the lights flicker a little just to show the sheer power of the monster. When the monster finally escapes and starts going on a rampage, we can also cut the lights for longer periods of time showing the damage that the monster is causing.

Emergency Response Room

    The emergency response room would be dimly lit with a projector aimed at a screen at the front of the room. The room would have more light than the experimentation room but not enough light to see anything clearly (This would help as we don't need to make the room look too realistic).

In the Forest

    In the forest there would be almost no light at all. The only light in the shots would be from the moon. (This means that the shots would be taken on a night with a full moon to get the best lighting possible.). Unfortunately, filming with dark lighting is quite difficult so for backup purposes we might bring a backup light. We also may change the scene a little so that there a people with flashlights in the forest so we can have more lighting.

Character Development

Throughout our project, the characters will go through some intense situations that will change the person they are.

Dr. Nathaniel

    At the beginning of the film, Dr. Nathaniel had absolute confidence in the human race. He believed that they had complete control over everything, including nature. With this confidence, he became too ambitious, conducting experiments he knew were dangerous. He thought that the technology was flawless and could shut down any outbreak that occurred. But when the experiment failed everything changed. He finally saw the naiveness of his beliefs and finally came to the realization that humans are at the mercy of nature, no matter how hard they try to control it. Unfortunately, he came to this realization too late and ends up dying in the film's opening.

Dr. Paul

    In the beginning, Dr. Paul was a very nervous person, always sticking to the side of caution. He would always bring up the risks of any experiment to his colleague, Dr. Nathaniel. He was clearly unsure of the experiments Dr. Nathaniel was conducting but usually trusted him after some convincing. On the day of the accident, all of Dr. Paul's fears came true. He started panicking and froze unable to move a muscle. After Dr. Nathaniel died he knew he had to do something. He gained a new confidence in his own abilities and did all he could to try to stop the monster from causing any more damage.

General Adil

 At the beginning of the opening, General Adil's beliefs were similar to that of Dr. Nathaniel's. He believed that with the military force that he commanded, he could defeat any threat they faced. These beliefs were fueled by the many victories claimed by the General. On the day of the outbreak, he believed that he and his forces would be enough to defeat the escaped monster so he decided to refrain from requesting backup. He was unfortunately overconfident in his and his men's abilities. He then, like Dr. Nathaniel, finds out the truth about the weakness of humans. He also ends up dying in the film.

Side Characters

 Being a well-renowned scientist, many of the lower scientists looked up to Dr. Nathaniel. They had absolute confidence in him and did whatever he instructed them to do, even if the instructions they were given could end in disaster. By the end of the opening, they all learned to not trust someone even if they are well known.

Film Opening Script

We have finally created the script for the film opening project.

Setting - A facility in a dark forest far from civilization

Fade in from black

Title: Titan

Scientific Facility - Nighttime

A huge modern building surrounded by woods. The moonlight shines bright as the wind blows through the forest.

Facility - Laboratory Area - Nighttime

In an ominously lit room, scientists wearing white coats work with their computers. Complex information is displayed on the monitors. In the center of the room a glass tank filled with a green liquid where an unknown figure can slightly be made out.

Dr. Nathaniel stands beside a control panel, hands shaking with nervous anticipation. His expression looks worried yet interested.

Dr. Nathaniel works quietly.

Dr. Paul stands behind him monitoring the tank. The mood of the room is filled with anxiety and tension.

Dr. Paul: (uneasy) Are you sure this is safe? The creature... it's changing every hour.

Dr. Nathaniel: (confident) It's what we signed up for, Paul. We engineered it. We control it.

A loud growl is heard throughout the facility, sounding animalistic yet unnatural. The growl is so powerful it interferes with the facility's lights.

Dr. Nathaniel: (stiffening) That... that can't be good.

Inside the tank, the creature starts to go wild. It throws its massive body against the tank's walls. The green liquid inside splashes around as the tanks shakes violently. The creature's figure finally comes into focus - towering with unnatural size. Its eyes glow a scary black and green.

Dr. Nathaniel: (shocked) it's... awake

The tank begins to crack from the sheer power of the creature's roars.

Dr. Nathaniel: Lock it down! LOCK IT DOWN!

Dr. Nathaniel trips due to the immense fear he feels

Alarms and bright flashing red lights start to go off further increasing the panic in the room. The creature slams its body into the glass causing it to shatter. The green liquid, along with some glass and metal, burst out covering the entire room.

Dr. Paul: We have to contain it! We can't let it reach the city!

The creature climbs over the lab's railings. Its huge body towers over the scientists as its large claws scrape the walls.

City Skyline - Nighttime

The peaceful city skyline comes into view. The peacefulness is broken by a monstrous roar in the distance.

Control Room - Nighttime

A military general, General Adil, stands in a corner staring at a screen showing the large creature heading straight toward the city.

General Adil grits his teeth in anger and frustration as he knows that the city will be destroyed in a matter of minutes and all his forces are not enough to stop the large monster.

General Adil: All units! Experiment T63 has escaped containment! Brace and prepare to stand against it!

City Streets - Nighttime

The monster emerges from the forest. Its massive body towers over buildings as it rips through the city streets, its roar echoing across the urban landscape.

City Skyline - Nighttime

An ominous shadow looms over the city, blocking out the stars as the creature's silhouette moves across the urban horizon.

Cut to black

Incorporation of Media Theories

A media theory that I would like to incorporate in my project is the authoritarian theory of communication. This theory states that powerful governments and organizations must control the media to protect the people from mass panic or propaganda. 

Although many depictions of this theory are extreme, I would like to incorporate a more tame version of this theory into my project. The way that I would incorporate this theory into my project is by showing how the local government blocks any media released about the monster to stop panic. But, instead of protecting the people from mass panic, it keeps the people ignorant of the danger, ultimately causing many more people to become the monster's victim.

More Specific Opening Analysis

In my previous post, I explained the idea my partner and I agreed on for our portfolio project. In it, I stated that the project would take place in a dark forest with an unknown monster. This monster is the result of a scientist's experiment going wrong. I also stated that our project takes inspiration from the Jurassic Park and Godzilla movies. For this reason, I thought it would be a good idea to analyze the openings of both movies.

Godzilla (2014)

The scene opens by showing a mountainous forest showing the scale of the movie. This fits the film everything is on such a large scale that it is hard for people to comprehend. It then uses text overlay to tell the audience where and when this happens. We then see a man holding a locket which usually means that he lost someone dear to him. It is then shown that they are arriving at a mine where it is revealed that the floor has collapsed. When the scientists go to investigate they see large fossils and what seems to be an egg. Then we see a hatched egg along with a hole leading to the surface and a trail that leads to the ocean. We then see what happened in the past which gives us insight into what may be happening now. This includes the monster and the heavy damage it caused to cities and civilization.

Jurassic Park (1993)

The film opens by displaying the credits and the title with ominous music playing in the background. It then cuts to a dark forest giving clues to the setting. We also hear some heavy banging along with the rustling of trees hinting that there is a huge and dangerous monster. We then see a heavy-duty container further fortifying the idea that there is something dangerous and strong inside. When the man opens the container he gets attacked by whatever is inside. He gets lifted so easily further strengthening the idea that the monster is strong. In the final part of the scene, one of the characters says "Shoot her" which implies that they own the monster. This is because if it was a random monster they had caught in the forest they would refer to the monster as an "it" not a "her".

Project Plot Idea

We have finally gotten to the part where me and my partner have created an idea for what our entire project is going to be about. Our project takes inspiration from the Jurassic Park and Godzilla movies. Similarly to the movies, our project would include a dangerous monster that was created by scientists that decided to mess with something they shouldn't have.

The theme of our opening would be about how little power humans have over nature and what happens when they try too hard to gain it. This would result in a catastrophic disaster that has the threat to cause a vast amount of damage.

The setting of our project would take place in a dark forest where the monster had escaped and is going on a rampage, killing anyone who enters the forest. The monster will be implied through sound and other techniques as we don't have the tools to create a realistic looking monster that would suit our needs.

Planning a Timeline

Why a Timeline?

    For long term projects such as this one, it is a great idea to create a timeline to make it easier to understand how much time you have to do the project. Otherwise, the work could pile up towards the due date making it a lot harder that it needs to be. So in this post I will be creating a timeline me and my partner agree upon.

Breaking down the project:

        1. Research

• Research various possible genres and decide on one with my partner
• Research some film openings and credit sequences from films within my chosen genre

        2. Brainstorming

• Creating a plot for the film
• Storyboarding the film
• Choose and necessary background music
• Choose a filming location
• Create a script for the film

        3. Filming/Producing

• Film the visuals
• Film any voice overs that needs to be overlayed
• Record any foley sounds for the film

        4. Editing

• Take the various shots and keep only the ones going to be used
• Put the takes together and trim them to they fit together
• Add audio over the video
• Display overlay of text of credits and title
• Add any effects needed

        5. Revise

• Watch the project as a whole
• Make any adjustments needed

        6. Critical Creative Reflection

• Create a reflection on the research, planning, production, and editing processes of the project

Project Timeline:

2/2-2/8

• Research genre
• Research film openings and credit sequences

2/9-2/15

• Brainstorm ideas for the plot
• Create a script and a storyboard
• Pick a location for filming

2/16-2/22

• Start producing the opening
• Record audio, voice overs and foley

2/23-3/1

• Edit the clips together
• Add sound
• Rerecord anything necessary

3/2-3/8

• View the project as a whole and revise any parts needed
• Create the creative critical reflection for the project

3/9-3/25

• Extra time incase something gets delayed or anything needs to be rerecorded.

No AUDIO?!

    Although the film A Quiet Place may not be in the psychological thriller genre, I thought it would be a great film opening to analyze. This is because the director stated that he intended for the film's visuals to portray enough meaning that the film could be completely understood with no sound at all. This is to fit with the theme of the characters not being allowed to make any sound in the narrative world. This would help me as with past projects I had struggled with creating shots that help create the meaning 

A Quite Place (2018)

    The scene opens with the parents with extremely concerned and scared looks on their faces as one of them takes batteries out of their son's toy. This immediately tells the audience that the toy attracts danger or is dangerous itself. Then the daughter gives the toy back trying to be nice. Next, we see the family walking on an obviously man-made trail of sand which implies that the sound needs to be dampened. We also see in the same scene that none of the characters are wearing any shoes further strengthening the fact of importance of making a little sound as possible. In the final scene of the opening, the kid's toy begins lighting up and making noises as the parents turn around with looks of absolute terror. The mother starts to sob as the father runs at full speed toward their son. We then see the son get killed by an unknown monster showing the audience the consequence of making a sound in this post-apocalyptic world. Each one of these scenes gives the audience more context to what is happening and at the end the audience has a complete understanding of the importance of it.

Genre Research/Analysis: Credit Sequences

    Although the main purpose of credit scenes are to give credit to the writers, producers, cinematographers, and stars, credit scenes can also be used to further develop meaning and tone. This is mainly done through the font type chosen and the movement of the text. The background music can also play a crucial role during the credit sequence. To understand this concept I have researched 3 difference credit sequences within my chosen genre.

1. Se7en (1995)

    The credit sequence displays all the main people and companies that played a role in creating the film. The font choice of the text is extremely sketchy and glitchy which creates the tone of uneasiness and unconventional. This choice sets the tone for the rest of the film which takes place in a dystopian city where a murder is on the loose.

2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    Similarly to Se7en, the credit sequence of The Silence of the Lambs also shows the names of important people and companies that created the movie. The font choice of the text was bold and easy to read which sets the tone as serious and official. This is an appropriate choice as the plot of the movie is of someone who works for the FBI trying to interview someone.

3. Gone Girl (2014)

    The credit sequence, like all others, also shows the producers, writers, cinematographers, and stars of the film. The font choice of the text is extremely easy to read as the film is about a man being the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife. It is also a great choice as many leads pop up that lead to nowhere. This is represented by each text suddenly appearing but quickly fading away.

Genre Research/Analysis: Film Openings

    My partner and I have finalized our decision to produce a film opening for a psychological thriller film. In general, film openings are supposed to establish the tone, include credits, have a title, and develop purpose. However, to gain greater knowledge specific to the genre of my project, I have analyzed 3 different film openings from my genre.

1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    The opening scene of The Silence of the Lambs starts with a display of the film's production company. The music played throughout this scene has a dark and heavy tone that builds anticipation. Directly after the production's signature, the film's title is overlayed on the screen followed by the listing of the stars, writers, and cinematographers in the movie. In the first part of the film, we see a woman running through a forest wearing an FBI sweatshirt. This immediately gives us the setting and a general idea of who the character is. She is then seen working through an obstacle course, revealing that she is still in training. We then see a tree with various signs with motivational messages on them. However, the sign that says "PRIDE" seems old and worn out, implying that the pride of the FBI has been damaged. When she is walking to her superiors office a close-up of a sign that says "Behavioral Science Services" is shown further developing the character.

2. Shutter Island (2010)

    The opening begins by showing the title of the movie in bold white text. The very next screen gives the location and year that this is taking place. Immediately after, a boat is shown giving further information about the setting of the opening. We then are shown the main character having sea sickness and talking to himself in the mirror, introducing us to the name Teddy. It is also implied that he is someone important as he is wearing a suit and tie. He then begins a dialogue with another character which gives us the background of both the characters. It is also revealed through the dialogue that both characters are marshals looking for someone. Lastly, it pans to the island where the background music becomes ominous foreshadowing that something bad is on the island.

3. Se7en (1995)

    The title scene of the film begins by showing the credits and title in sketchy text that is glitching out representing the unsettling theme of the film. The music also makes the audience uncomfortable with many screeching sounds like nails on a chalkboard. The music is paired with uncomfortable visuals such as someone cutting off their fingertips or a probe in a man's head to further make the audience uneasy. The last part of the scene is shown in a colorless city where gunshots can be heard placing the setting in a dystopian city.

    

    In conclusion, common characteristics of the openings from my genre are dark or uncomforting audio paired with visuals that reveal the setting. The font type of the text overlay should also develop the tone of the film. Various tools should also be used to foreshadow what may come in later in the film.

Genre Choices for Portfolio Project

    The next step in the production process of the film's opening is choosing a genre. This is a very important decision as the genre characteristics determines how the opening will be filmed. The two genres my partner and I choosing between are horror and thriller.

    Although horror and thriller may seem very similar, they are actually quite different. On one hand, horror usually focuses on shocking and graphic imagery usually based in the supernatural to make the audiences feel immediate terror. This is usually done through extremely gory and disgusting scenes that would make anyone feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, thriller focuses on building suspense through psychological manipulation. Thriller films are usually grounded in reality in order for the audiences to connect themselves to the protagonist in a way.

(Jigsaw - 2017)

    As an example of horror, Jigsaw follows all the conventions of a horror movie. The picture above is from a scene in the movie where lasers cut open a person's head. There is a lot of blood and gore displayed in the scene which had caused much discomfort within the audiences of the movie. 

(The Invisible Man - 2024)

    The Invisible Man serves as a great example of a thriller movie. In the movie an invisible man is stalking a woman but when she reports it to the police she gets dismissed. This movie builds suspense as we cannot see the threat but we know that it is always there. This caused an eerie and uncomfortable feeling in the viewers.