So here is part of my script:
Hello, my name is Isabella Armas and welcome to the Creative Critical Reflection for my AICE Media Studies film opening entitled 'Lasting Leah'. I have to start off by saying that doing this project has been one of the hardest assignments that I've ever done. I challenged myself not only as a student or director, but as a person.
My film opening's main purpose was to introduce the main character, Leah Winters, who is a struggling artist that's a senior in high school, and who's also dealing with the fact that she'll soon be an orphan, since her father passed away six years ago and her mother has been diagnosed with a terminally-ill disease that will take her life near the end of the film. By directly involving viewers into Leah's character, I'm immersing them into her frustrations and passions, making the audience immediately create some type of connection with her.
-How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
Dramas are serious representations of life. They must show emotion and human conflict, usually revolving around the journey of the protagonist, who mostly goes through an emotional trek in which the audience can empathize. This is exactly what I'm doing in the film, especially the opening. Seeing Leah in such a vulnerable state of mind while she paints really gives audiences that raw emotion that is most often seen in dramas, forcing them to get under Leah's skin.
Additionally, I decided to utilize credits in the beginning of the scene because I still wanted my opening to have that traditional feel to it, with slow and extreme close-ups while the main credits occur.
Although I do follow the conventions mentioned prior, where I begin to diverge is the media representation of painters in film. In most films, painters are often crazed, narcissistic, self-destructive people, who usually slide into some kind of addiction such as alcoholism and drugs. Leah is completely the opposite of this stereotype. Although she's definitely a troubled character, she's more altruistic, and decides to obsess over her paintings as a coping mechanism for her hardships. For example, part of her motivation to become a recognized artist stems from her need to cover her mother's hospital bills caused by the treatment of her mom’s disease. This is where my film delves into a type of social commentary on America's capitalist society, where many families today are dealing with staggering health care debts.
On a similar note, painters in film are usually male, encompassing characters similar to Picasso or van Gogh. This is due to the inequality that women experience in the world today. Not only do we see this in our daily lives, but also in the movie industry. Personally, I never thought of making my protagonist a male, but I also never imagined that gaining popularity as a female artist would be so many times harder, making it even more challenging for Leah to flourish as a painter. Although I don't want my film to preach radical feminist ideals, I did think it necessary for my film to include this aspect in order to realistically portray Leah's situation.
Even though my film opening doesn’t explicitly state these issues, I wanted the beginning of the film to have Leah’s reaction, so that when viewers learned of the conflicts later on, they would be able to sympathize with Leah on a deeper level.
-How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
My film is targeted towards young adults ranging from ages 17 to people in their 30s, since my protagonist is a senior in high school. Everyone from this certain audience would be able to relate to that turning point in life, where you let of what you know and make decisions that will affect the rest of your life.
For 'Lasting Leah', I'm envisioning a full length film that will be distributed nationwide, hopefully reaching international territories in the later months. Some digital distribution that I'll focus on are definitely creating the official website of 'Lasting Leah', so that fans can get the behind-the-scenes scoop, interviews with the actors, director commentaries, or the chance to buy the digital version of the film straight to their technological device of choice after the film finishes airing in the movie theatre. In this way, the website will not only serve to keep interactive fans involved with the film, but also it'll serve as a way to sell more copies of the movie, especially since many modern consumers nowadays are leaning towards digital distribution rather than the conventional movie theater outing. Other aspects of distribution include the creation of social media platforms, as well as ads in Instagram and Facebook, which will target users 17-30 who have previously 'liked' other drama films that are similar to 'Lasting Leah'. I will also use YouTube as an opportunity to reach a larger audience, eliciting excitement in viewers by releasing trailers, soundtracks, or other videos, which will then attract them to visit the website, where they can get more information about the film.
-How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Throughout my AS Media Studies course, I learned all about shots, angles, composition, movement, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene. Although we did do small projects in class, this was the first time that we put all of these elements together to create a two minute film. And I’ve got to say, I’m extremely proud of the results. Besides, what better way to learn than to put all of that information into action! For example, I decided to start my film with a slow tilt of an extreme close up of Leah’s paintbrushes, to set that artistic ambient that will be present throughout the film. I proceeded with other close ups of Leah setting up to paint to keep that mood going. In the first long shot, viewers can see Leah for the first time, dressed in simple clothing and in an even more simplistic setting. The continuous close-ups and over-the-shoulder shots of the canvas allow the audience to step into Leah’s shoes for a bit, and see the world as she does. These shots, paired with the classical music, set a mood of tranquility, which slowly transforms into urgency as the music picks up the pace. The extreme close up of the paintbrush and the red paint is really important, as this is when I start playing with the viewers’ psychology. The color red not only stands for passion, which Leah certainly has for both art and her loved ones, but it also stands for intensity, stimulating a faster heartbeat. This, along with the close up of Leah’s anguished look with the close up of the paint suggest that there is some sort of conflict that’s tearing her apart. The medium shots of Leah painting allow the audience to see that her strokes have gotten faster, harsher as she gets more frustrated over her misfortunes. The extreme close up of the paintbrush falling to the floor, followed by Leah’s startled expression, provide a pause in the intensity of the film, which was heightened by the music. As Leah picks up the paint with her hand and starts painting once again, her emotions become more raw, more primitive in a way. The close up of Leah’s face while she dots the canvas show that almost obsessive behavior that she has for painting. The extreme close up of Leah signing the paintings will become important later on, as that will be her brand once she slowly attempts to rise to fame. Lastly, I decided to end the opening with the final painting and the title of the film so that the viewers got to see a visual of Leah’s emotions: jumbled, frustrated, and powerless.
-How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
The internet was one of the most important aspects of this film, as this is where I did all of my research to build up to the actual production. For example, for tutorials on different software or excerpts on other movies, I went to YouTube.
I utilized Blogger.com to keep a constant update of my filming process and research through the creating of a blog, which you can access by going to ialproductions.blogspot.com
For filming, I used my iPhone 6’s camera for all the shots. Since I didn’t have access to an Apple computer at home, I decided to use the iMovie app on my smartphone to edit all the videos together. This way, I didn’t have to transfer the videos to another device, and I could have access to edit my opening whenever I wanted, whether that be during lunch, in class, during rehearsal breaks, at home, or even before going to bed, it was all in the palm of my hand. Although I was certainly limited by the mobile version of this software, it was still competent enough to be able to make my film come together.
Lastly, I used voicethread.com to make this creative critical reflection.
I hope you enjoyed my project. Thank you for listening, Isabella Armas-Leon.
