Creative Critical Reflection

The Beginning Flare

Just like the beginning of a song, we need a pick up to introduce that song. This movie should be introduced like a song. My plans for the beginning are to basically have a drummer start off the movie by starting off the song that will play in the background of the future shots.

Long shot of drummer walking to his instrument and setting up for the show.

Extreme close up of him making a deep breath (indicates how human he is).

He cracks his knuckles further emphasizing a hint towards the start of a song.

Close-up of his hands grabbing the sticks.

Medium shot of him finally positioning his hands to play. 

   

     Once the pick up to the original score ends, the screen will go black and the title will pop up word by word. Each letter of "B-L-U-E  B-O-S-S-A" will come indicating the final countdown for the show to start.

Final Project

Sneak Peek

Of course... I am near the end of my film making process which means that of course you will need to get more tastes of what the opening will be like, so here are some shots:

These are all stills of what I have filmed. I really hope I have really captures what I have intended to give you people: the spectators of this hell of a show that we are going to have. 

The Art of Whip Pans

Since the visual effects of my opening is supposed to provide this chaotic and energetic feel to it, I felt like whip pans are the best way to justify it. I have recently ran into this video where it displayed every whip pan that is used in a Paul Thomas Anderson film. One of his films, Boogie Nights, has incorporated a bunch of these tricks of fastly rotating the camera to blur the vision. Like my film opening, this movie had a bunch of scenes that presented an energetic environment with the camera panning from one character to the other. In some shots, you could notice the after the whipping movement, the camera also dollies a little closer towards the subject indicating a sense of importance that comes from the person or other thing you have in front of your eyes. Here's an example below:

                                                     https://vimeo.com/52970914

What my plan is now along with close-ups of the instruments and the medium shots of the complaining students,  with the whip pans, I will transition from a medium shot of a student performing to another medium shot of a student performing.... Now this... people... is called a conversation between two instruments. In Jazz band, there's always a moment when one instrument has a solo and then another solo from another instrument follows it... yet then the solo from the first instrument returns. You see what happens? The two instruments are playing back and forth, almost as if they're arguing over something but its a beautiful argument. This trick is used often in modern arrangements to really captivate the spectators eyes. Let's see if you get captivated by this "conversation" that is used in Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash":

What you just saw is exactly what I am going to do (but two instruments rather than the conductor doing this). This will obviously further emphasize the art of playing music as people who are not really into the category of performance arts will soon understand how layered and expressive an atmosphere like this can be.

This Week To Come

Spring Break is coming to an end and my opportunity to film is coming. Since my film opening requires a band room to film in, this job won't actually too hard since (if you read my previous post) the musical room will definitely be in action. I would soon be working on a detailed storyboard to get you acquire an exact idea of what I want to portray in my film opening. Wish me good luck!

Glorification of the Band Room

After setting up the plot for this particular film opening, I have also began to think of how all of this could be visually executed. My biggest inspirations for the visuals of my story where the shots, editing, and mise-en-scene techniques used in the following movies:

Whiplash:

     Although the plot of this movie is pretty different from mine, it still took place in a band room as it also enhanced the beauty of playing a jazz instrument (although it is followed by the hell of rehearsing the music ["cough" abusive teacher "cough"]). The techniques used were a couple of close-ups side shots of the instruments in and out of action as well as some fast paced editing that was blended in to the beats of the music played in the rehearsal chamber. Let's just say that every cut is a half note to the music: this not only might make you feel like you are a part of the music, but it could also establish a sense of consant movement that happens on a space.

Close Up of a Single Cymbal In Action. This can really immerse audicences into the object. 

This shot could follow the previous one showing the relationship between the conductor and the player.

My So-Called-Life:

          Although this story may not seem anything like mine, the opening sequence for the premiere has really cought my attention. We straight up have medium shots of two girls talking directly to the camera as like the editing from Whiplash, the shots for this sequence are fastly paced. With the young women looking straight at the audience and a handheld camera taking quick shots, wouldn't the viewers gain a sense of chaoticness and presence in that area where these girls were walking? Anyways, if you blended the elements of Whiplash with ones with my So-Called-Life, you basically have something that I want to make. 

My Exact Goal:

      What I want to do is basically represent a band room in quick shots going back and forth between close-ups of the instruments in action and a couple of students looking directly at the camera and talking to the audience about their problems while the music still goes on. These confrontations between the viewers and the performers juxtapose the glorified immersions to the instruments, thus supposedly giving away two themes that are battling at each other. One being of the beauty of being a part of the musical landscape and the other being a representation of the struggles a band has to get through. I really hope my planned scene can work out as I will keep you guys updated on the specifics that I will work on as well as notify you on any changes that I will make into my introduction. Stay safe and watch a good movie! 

Anatomy of a Scene

From the beginning of this video, you can come to a conclusion that the opening sequence to a film as actually one of its most vital aspects if not the most. This commentary on the beginning scene for the movie "Whiplash" has greatly convinced me that one single movie scene can establish the theme of an entire movie and that is exactly what I want to do with my film. I hope this video helps anyone who needs inspiration.

Background Knowledge

Without any evidence of a school band being depreciated, my story could not have a purpose in the media world. Cypress Bay High School is known for its great variety of activities that are all glorified and taken in proud consideration such as the Student Government Association, the soccer team, the swim team, the mu alpha theta competitors, etc. There is also a program that the school also receives awards and trophies from but about half of the students haven't even heard about it much: and that will be the band program. The Sound of Thunder band program is known for their excellent Jazz band, Wind Ensemble, and a percussion program that was even crowned 1st place in competitions several times! An honor that wasn't even mentioned at the eighth period announcements alongside with the accomplishments the other programs had! On weeks when the Wind Ensemble gets straight superiors on their concert evaluations, speakers shout out: "congratulations on the water polo team for participating in the regional competition! Although you guys didn't win, you tried really hard." Yes, there are times when we have better days than the other programs and yet we still don't get any recognition at all. And don't make me talk about the unfair spending that is involved here at the school......... there was! The way Cypress Bay handles is budget is to heavily fund the sports programs and the media center alone for newer things. The media center, or the "Wave" never needed any remodeling in the first place and yet our principal payed thousands of dollars on tens of unnecessary flat screen TV's that nobody was even watching, and touchscreen pod technology that nearly anybody didn't use. The staff members wasted money here rather than replace our outdated instruments with newer ones, and doing that is actually not as expensive as refurbishing a single library!

Finding the Right Story

Hello, my name is Mark Grinker and I am a 12th grader in Cypress Bay School currently undergoing the process of filmaking for a creative Media Studies course. There's been too many days where I have juggled too many stories in my head that can work for a film opening that is feasible for the time and equipment that I have bestowed upon me. There were stories that I made up that eventually required filming on foreign locations, visual effects (CG), and stuntsmen, which were things that are impossible for a high school student to acquire (unless your parents are rich directors and producers). If you are a student with only a camcorder or a smartphone, you will only be able to achieve a simple live action film that will look like an indie film unless you have the rare talent or position in which you can make a million dollar hollywood blockbuster. I have began to focus on a story that can happen in my local community, something that can be filmed not too far away and can be really relevant to a place like this... and to me as well. I have also began to think of problems that can be addressed in a suburban area full of schools and then went more specific to find something that can come from my school and I finally got it. As a member of the Cypress Bay band program, it has caught my attention that this particular program has been underappreciated by the school board, meaning that budget cuts, lack of (school) media representation, and vague mentionings involved. I finally decided on the possibility of a story where a single person can help the musical program achieve a better path into the light and hopefully, a chance to break free from the underground cave.