Film Companies

A24

A24 is a good fit for my film because it is an indie company that approaches films in a variety of ways and experiments with the horror genre. A24 is known for bringing us some of the most critically acclaimed horror films of recent years. I would like to create a terror different from thrasher or supernatural scares and implement traditional values. Sometimes the truth of the world can cause more fear than ghosts and serial killers.  

For example Midsommar is a haunting folk horror film that stunned audiences in 2019. The movie follows a group of college students who travel to a pagan festival in Sweden and get caught up in a terrifying ordeal. It had a very complex storyline and was successful in theaters and on streaming services. The film grossed $48 million and received positive reviews from critics. 

NEON

Founded in 2017 by Tom Quinn and Tim League, who started the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain, Neon quickly established its indie credibility in Hollywood by identifying compelling scripts and discerning filmmakers in an era when franchise blockbusters starring comic book superheroes are the norm. Movies acquired by Neon have won the Palme d’Or — the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival — the last three years. This company would be a good fit for my film because it will take advantage of my authentic theme and turn it into something unexpected. 

An example is Parasite. It is a film that does an exceptional job in showing the ways that those who are impoverished are treated poorly in subtle ways, and the effect that it has on them is greater than many would assume. Parasite grossed $71.4 million in South Korea, $53.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $133.9 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $258.7 million

Points of Interest

My favorite genre as well as one that I would like to work in is the Indie genre. An indie movie i.e. independent movie is a short movie that is made outside the big film studio system. But Indie movies are different by their style and content, and also by the way in which the personal artistic vision of the filmmaker is realized. I plan to work in the genre because it is easy to create a dramatic storyline while simultaneously creating a tranquil mood.

They are my favorites because when I finish watching them, I always ask myself "what?". Like when a film lingers in your mind for the next week, that's the process I go through when I finish some Indie films. They are so far off the line of normal but how is normal defined. Normal is an action film with the heroes defeating the villains and saving the day in the end. Blockbusters have made this storyline normal to people when in reality the hero should have died like 15 times already. Also, films produced by major companies end up being similar in some way to each other but with Indie films there is no control. The maker is free to put real, raw thoughts into their film. And that's why I like them- they show the other side of things. 

One example of a film in the Indie genre is Moonlight.

Moonlight follows Chiron, an African American living in a rough neighborhood of Miami. Bullied at an early age and seemingly outcast, Chiron knows he doesn’t fit in because of his sexuality. He hardly speaks to anyone, has no group of friends, and has a deteriorating home life when his mother descends into drug use. Chiron finds refuge in a drug dealer named Juan, who has profound and lasting effects on the trajectory of this young boy’s life.

The cinematography in the scene above places the audience at water level and the camera follows the movement of the waves, drifting under the water at times. The camera work makes us feel the tension of staying afloat just as Chiron is feeling. A major detail in this scene is the mise-en-scene and use of the setting. Chiron is learning how to swim to save him from drowning, literally and symbolically. He is learning how to keep his head above the water. Another element that conveys the meaning of the film is sound. There is powerful non-diagetic music playing in the background as Chiron takes his first steps into the water. The music enhances this moment of security and intimacy that Chiron has with Juan which he never had with a father. Lastly, editing choices expand the notion of the African-American image in film. Colors are vibrantly hot and bright, and facial and skin details are extraordinary. 

Music Video

For my first time filming, shooting, and editing, I created a music video with the song One More Hour by Tame Impala. The plot follows me, a young teen, who has been mentally trapped in a universe where she only has One Hour to find a way out. She must sift through her memories to remember where the "exit" is or what to do to get there. The memories have been manipulated to portray a happy past when in actuality she experienced numerous tragedies. She learns this and is regaining control over her mind. But the One Hour is over and she is put back into the endless cycle. 

I learned much about filming, editing, and mise-en-scene. For one, I worked alone on this project. So I had to find someone who understood the idea as much as me and could execute it to my liking. I also learned how to connect different shots into looking like a smooth sequence. For example, in the scene where I look down at the timer, the camera has to follow me as I pull my hand down, look at it, and then turn to run. Filming took multiple tries in order to perfect that consistent movement but at the end I had gained crucial experience. 

Editing was probably the biggest, most time-consuming thing I learned from this project. I used Davinci Resolve which is by no means a beginner editing software. I mean look at it, its like a dark matrix with so many little symbols which click into more symbols and weird technical names. I had totally bit off more than I could chew but with hours of me just tapping at all of the little buttons, I learned how to moderately maneuver the software. In doing so, I unlocked many cool features that you couldn't have on IMovie or other easy-to-use apps. 

Mise-en-scene requires a lot of planning I've learnt. I tried to match the lyrics of the song to the colors of the scene. So this lyric for example: "I did it for love"- automatically the scene has a pinkish tone and there has to be hearts somewhere. And I did this for every lyric where the beat dropped to really dramatize the whole video. Also a major part of distinguishing memory scenes and stimulation scenes was having a strong contrast between them. Choosing a levee for my main location gave me a fully prepared set and created the effect that I was looking for. 

                                                

Lucky accidents did not come often during my filming process but I can vividly remember one instance. I arrived at the levee at 5:30 ish which is like right before the sunset but I finished filming at the end of the sunset, around 6:30. When I got home and was sorting through the clips, I found two very similar shots but one was of the sun at it's vivid yellow color while the other was of the sun at it's deep orange color. Immediately I thought- "I could use this to imply a time-jump for my character and show the audience that the One Hour is quickly running it". And that's exactly what I did. 

                                                                                                                                                                                      

Problems came up mostly during my memory scenes where I had all the different colors and symbolization. While filming those scenes, I hadn't had noticed that I filmed them all while holding my phone vertically. I uploaded them to my computer and placed them in Davinci Resolve meticulously so they would correspond with the correct lyrics. When I watched the preview, there were these two black blocks on each side of the shot and I went oh no. I set up the mise-en-scene and filmed for almost an hour, for it all to go to waste. Of course the next day I redid everything and it worked out but this problem definitely slowed down the momentum I had. It will hopefully never happen again:)

Original Inspiration

For my AICE Media Studies final project I hope to draw inspiration from a few movies and shows that are either epics, historical dramas, or period films. 

    #1 Aesthetics 

For mise-en-scene and aesthetics I will imitate the movie Anna Karenina.

Anna Karenina has won the Oscar for best costume design at the 85th Academy Awards. The royal atmosphere will be imitated in my opening sequence and clothing will be adjusted accordingly. The lead will have the sharpest colors while the background characters have duller. Also, Anna Karenina carries a old fashioned tint with it will be applied onto my film. I want to create the aesthetic of a too-orderly place where you feel trapped. This will add to the storyline. 

    #2 Society

For the social ranks and politics, I will imitate the structure of Game of Thrones. 

Game of Thrones is known as intense, bloody, political, and dramatic. With my film, I want the viewer to always be in the unexpected and Game of Thrones masters that. However, only the political aspects will be taken because I still want to keep a systematized social setting that pretends it is perfect. The monarchy, family, and blood ties will play an important role. 

    #3 Storyline

For the storyline, I will follow the Gladiator's heroic plot. 

In the movie, Crowe brings a beleaguered nobility to Maximus, turning what could have been a generic action hero into a weary idealist who is literally forced by bondage into violence. I was inspired by this and want the viewers to take a journey with my hero as they go from being the best to the worst. Fighting will not be used as harshly as it was in Gladiator but I will rather focus on political destruction. 

Those are the main movies/shows I am inspired by but media is so vast and diverse that I am sure I will be influenced by many more!

Introduction

Hello! My name is Ashleen Kaur. I'm currently attending Coral Glades High School and am in 10th grade. Also, this year I'm taking AICE Media Studies. I would not call myself an avid film viewer or die hard fan of a certain fandom but I do enjoy a good watch. Every person has had the dream of being a superhero at least once in their life. I did too. I loved watching fantasy movies and shows which pushed me into a world with magic and victorious heroes. However, as I have matured, I realized that fantasy is only a fantasy. Those dreams are baseless and people cannot always win. Reality struck (in simpler terms). I still wish to be transported away from the problems and stress brought along with them in my life. But I would like to do it in a way that I can justify. 

For example, historical epics. A historical film is usually set in ancient times and an epic is a prestigious genre whose stories ranged from the Trojan War to the founding of Rome. These two coincide very well. Similarly, period pieces are rightfully interesting too. A period piece specifically refers to a film, TV series, or miniseries that is set during an earlier time.

Genres related to these have sparked a type of engrossment in me. The principle of them is effective in turning a trigger in my mind.

These accounts can be tracked back in time meaning they occurred somewhere and somehow. And this is what marks the difference between Harry Potter and per se Pride and Prejudice. The latter is realistic, although not a true story, realistic. But what of Game of Thrones- it falls into the same fantasy genre as Harry Potter. However, Game of Thrones has elements of survival and politics that once played along with society. Voldemort was not a part of society.

Needless to say, I am not fully confident in myself to do the epic genre justice. With the type of equipment and time (money) I have, it seems impossible, but I am willing to make it possible. An understanding has been created between me and an idea: the future will never be realistic but the past always will. And so I will expand upon this idea with my AICE Media Studies film opening or at least hope to do so.