"Tinder" Account

In the opening we really wanted to show Elana opening a dating app, since its a crucial point of the plot. To do this we first tried to actually make a tinder account... but that didn't work as we would have to have the fake message which would mean chatting with strangers which is weird. So that was a no go. But then Juan had the great idea to make it on Canva which is an online graphic design platform. 

First we needed to find stock pictures. That was HARD. Because we wanted to choose attractive natural  looking guys and most stock images look very fake. After picking out the best ones. But after that it was easy to place fake messages with dates and profiles. 

Here is the final result. 

fake blood fiasco

Okay so we ran into some issues during filming BUT we found a solution.

We already had fake blood that we bought. BUT it stained like really bad, and we didn't have like any other fake bloods with us so we were stressing. Then we realized red light makes colors look different. So we used something super random to make blood that wouldn’t stain my floor… soy sauce and Taco Bell sauce! 

We experimented with ketchup with vinegar first but it looked like water on camera… so I raided my entire pantry looking for the darkest sauces, and that’s when I came across the soy sauce. But the sauce by itself was wayy too watery so I mixed in some Taco Bell sauce and it looked awesome on camera.

Of course without the red light it seriously looks silly .

But here is an image of it under the red light: 

(More) Planning

Story Board

(Hopefully) My last planning post as we are filming this weekend!! Excited!! Here is the story board for the opening: 

Okay so as you can see I don't really have any artistic abilities BUT that doesn't matter because storyboards aren't for others to admire but to help yourself. This makes the filming process like a million times easier since all the shots are planned out. Now I have this a a reference while i film, and all group members are on the same page regarding the cinematography.

Character Development

Okay here is the whole shabam: 

Our main character Elana is a murderer. But she obviously has to a have a motive for all the men she has killed. We were thinking, Elana is trying to find the perfect person for her (using an online dating app). But she is just set up for disappointment over and over again. Most of these men prove to be disrespectful and disappointing. So she rids them from the world by luring them for dinner at her house. Until she meets Jackson. We will have development happen when Jackson comes over for dinner. 

She has everything ready for the murder. The knife, the cleaning supplies, the food. Yet something will make her change her mind, and make her realize she shouldn't continue doing what she is doing. Jackson will be the one to help do this. He is actually a really nice person. He is sweet, thoughtful, and respectful. He will help change her perspective on men. She will come close to killing him, but ultimately decide not to.  

Elena will have growth and realize she's made mistakes. And decide "hey, not all guys are disappointing"

More mise-en-scene: Lighting

Red VS Warm Lighting

In this post I will delve deeper into what kind of lighting we want/need for the opening. Here are our two top picks: 

Red lighting is often associated with emotions like excitement or fear. In fact, it is proven that the color red increases heart rate and evoking strong emotions. In films, red lighting is used to create drama, mystery, or even an ominousness. Which are environments we are aiming to create in the film opening. It can also reduce details, since it is a low light environment. This is extremely useful for the flash back scene as the body cant be recognizable and the blood has to look believable. 

Credit: cinematography.com

Warm lighting on the other hand typically ranges from yellowish to amber tones. It creates a sense of warmness and coziness, and is perceived as inviting. It is most often used in homes, restaurants, and any place that has hospitality. Which is why we want to incorporate warm lighting in "setting up the table/dinner" scene. It is meant to feel safe for the victim, so they don't suspect what is to come. Unlike bright white or blue, warm light can enhance the audiences mood, making them think everything is normal.

Credit: talalighting.com

We will achieve these lighting effects with an RGB light kit from my TV production class. I seriously love lights and color theory so I am excited.

Credits 

Mack Sennett Studios. “How Lighting Affects Mood in Film.” Mack Sennett Studios, 25 May 2021, macksennettstudios.net/how-lighting-affects-mood-in-film/.

Filmmakers Academy. “Filmmakers Academy Premium Education.” Filmmakers Academy, 5 Feb. 2025, www.filmmakersacademy.com/blog-movie-color-palettes-red/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

Audio!!

Foley is officially my new best friend. In order to elevate this film opening I have to include a lot of natural sound. It will give it that personal feel. I don't want the opening to feel artificial. To achieve that I will be incorporating tons of foley!! There are great databases full of royalty free SFX out there. For example, I often use Pixabay to find the perfect foley sound. You just type in what you are looking for like "chewing" or "footsteps on grass" and Pixabay will show you a variety of top results.  

They have a great variety to choose from. They also have a lot of different ambiences, perfect for making your own soundscape. I will be using this website to find some generic SFX like stings and risers, and some really basic foley. But I will for sure make my own foley for any effects I cant find on the data base/ foley I need to be really specific. I want the footsteps of Elana's heels to sound exactly like they would on my dining room floor. And I also want the cutting sound of the cucumber to be precise. 

Link to Pixabay here

Props

Hey blog!! 

Sooo after going through the script, Bella made a list of props that we need for the opening. The good thing is we have most of these props so we do not need to go out shopping.

In the beginning we want Elena to play a vinyl on a record layer, we will be using my navy blue player, and this really nice Queen vinyl in a red pressing. We think the color red definitely makes a statement to the story. Since red gives off "dangerous" and "passionate". We also want her to wear a black dress, as this is still a dinner date. We chose black because its mysterious.

 

Elana is setting up a dinner, we gathered a bunch of stuff we think would be incorporated into a house dinner. 

- Place mats

- Tablecloth

- Napkins (2)

- Fork+knife (2)

- Plates (2)

- Flowers in a vase

- candles (2) 

- Glass cup (2)

- Wine bottle

- Wine opener

To make sure everything was coherent I set up a mock look of dinner. Here's a picture of it!!

Lastly, for the kitchen scene: 

- Rotisserie chicken

- Sauce for chicken

- Platter for chicken

- Cucumber

- Cutting board

- Bowl

- Cutting knife

- Fake blood

- Cleaning gloves

- Towels

We will be buying a rotisserie chicken and fake blood. The fake blood will be smeared onto the towels and gloves (which will be placed in the trashcan). That's it for now!

Script

Script is finished!!!!

Hi blog, 

Juan finished up writing the script today. I am so excited because this means we are one step closer to filming!! As a team we decided on the set story together, but Juan is a very strong writer so we let him write and it came out great. Now, Bella will be making a prop list and I will be working on the storyboard. Traditional scripts are a written document that outlines a films story, characters, dialogue, and action. Like this example from The Writers Guild Foundation:

Our script is a bit more informal, but it helps the 3 of us understand better, so it works out.

 Click here to view script :)

Credits: 

“The Writers Guild Foundation.” The Writers Guild Foundation, 18 Dec. 2020, www.wgfoundation.org/blog/2020/12/17/writing-your-screenplay-while-social-distancing-music-and-musical-numbers. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Media Theory

Good afternoon blog!! 

On todays post we will be discussing a media theory we would like to incorporate into our project. Media theories are ,in my opinion, one of the most interesting things we have studied in this class. They basically reveal how consumption of media shapes and changes perceptions, influences society, and creates meaning. 

I think the media theory we would like to integrate is the "Hermeneutic or Enigma" code. Which is basically when the narrative world withholds information from the viewer to develop a mystery/plot.

For the plot of our story, the audience does not figure out that our main character is going to murder her guest until much later in the story. We have to keep the audience engaged by not giving away her murderous habits in the beginning. They will want to keep watching just to know what happens. The flashbacks will only occur in the opening, so the audience will probably think that (A) Elena (the woman) is hiding a previous murder, or (B) about to murder someone new. The actual reason is: she plays around with men on dating apps online, lures them to a dinner at her home, and murders them. And she has been getting away with it this far. And this man is her newest victim.

As the dinner progresses, more and more clues will be dropped. The audience will gain knowledge little by little until they can piece everything in the end. Something shown in the opening that will help the viewers figure out Elana's motive is the texts. You can see past messages from different numbers also stating the fact that they are outside her home.  

So, through the use of hiding information, we will create mystery and engagement. 

Image credits:

Lydia Whitney Media (May 2014)

https://lydiawhitneymedia.wordpress.com/tag/barthes-five-codes/

Finalized project idea

 hihi 

I know I mentioned the main idea in another blog post but this is the finalized version of the film opening!!

Genre: horror 

A woman is seen setting up for a dinner date she is hosting at her home. it starts with her playing a vinyl record (classical music), she then starts setting up the table. The credits will be incorporated into different elements of the scene. (Ex: a cutting board being moved and revealing a credit underneath.) We will include things like candles, nice plates, rose petals etc .But every time something is set, its cuts to some quick flashback where the lighting is dark and red(the music will remain the same but will be distorted, we are also including blood splatters in some scenes. When she’s finished setting up the table she picks up the knife and touches the blade and it suddenly shifts to the last flashback. The knife is still in her hand but this time, there’s blood all over the knife, her hand, her arm, and the camera shifts to see a body on the floor. It shifts back to see the woman get a text. She puts down the knife, takes out her phone to see who has texted her, and a guy (name unknown) texted her saying “Here” and on the phone screen, you can see several other guys who have texted in the past, their last messages saying “I’m outside,” “Just got here,” etc. The woman is seen smiling menacingly at the text and the doorbell suddenly rings, the title card being shown in sync with the ring. 

Group Meeting

Hello! Its week three of working on the film opening project, and today we did something different in class. Our teacher set up group meetings, where we were put into groups of 4 and took turns sharing our ideas and showing each other our blogs. As well as giving and receiving feedback. I was put in a group with Rehan, Vicente, and Emma. 

I went first. I explained the main plot, our genre, and important details of the production. The group members really liked our idea, and they thought it was interesting. They thought the lighting details and music I want to include will really elevate the production. They did give me some feedback, they recommended I include something to symbolize all the men the main character has murdered. Or show a reason why she is a man murderer. Which I completely agree with, so I have to start brainstorming ideas with my group.

Rehan went after. I like his idea I think the genre is original. He is doing a thriller action bank robbery sequence for his opening. It may be a bit difficult to execute but I think its super interesting how hes throwing in thriller elements in a typical action sequence. We all also gave him advice on what type of music he should include and cool title ideas. 

Emma then explained her film opening. Which is also something I was not expecting, a sport drama! I honestly have never seen a sports drama but I've heard great things about movies in that genre like Rocky and Challengers. She and her other group members also want to center it around gymnastics which made me nostalgic, I loved watching gymnast movies in my childhood. She may run into some issues with having an empty gym to film in. And she wanted to cast a young girl to play the younger version of the main character, which could be complicated. But with the right execution it should go well. 

Emma was super inspired by this movie from her childhood named "full out"

Finally, Vicente shared with us his culinary drama film opening. He didn't really have a lot of details or story but he still has time to figure it out. It is definitely inspired  by The Menu and The Bear, which is good because he should try to use similar elements. Overall its not something generic which is good.

I'm honestly really glad i got to talk to my classmates because it helped change my perspective on a lot of things, and gave me motivation to make adjustments to my film opening. I think its always good to change perspectives and work with different people.  

Schedule

 Alright so here is the schedule I have set for myself to make sure everything runs smoothly. I will say I have always been an agenda person, I have no idea how others just squish everything into their heads. If its not on my weekly agenda then I will literally forget it exists... so this was easy for me. I am also grateful that I haven't developed a chronic procrastination habit like every other person in my generation. 

And yet that doesn't solve all my problems, as I am a very VERY busy person. I am super involved in my television production club. I am the only sophomore on the board (I'm vice president of fundraising!!). I'm always scheduling fundraisers and organizing carwashes and things of that sort. AND I'm also competing nationally with my tv club. Its called STN (Student Television Network). I wont bore you with the details of the competition but I practice every Saturday from 7am-5pm with my team. 

But I will make sure I stay on schedule and do not push things back, time is key for this project. 

Okok enough yap here is my schedule: 

 Schedule Timeline:

Week 1 (2/10-2/16) 

★ Write official script
★ Complete storyboard

Week 2 (2/17-2/23)  

★ Have list of mise-en-scene elements 

★ Select music that will be incorporated

★ Select filming location

★Finalize filming days and times

★Make title card and define credits

Week 3(2/24-3/2)  

★ will be at STN from February 27th to March 3rd

★ Make sure all mise-en-scene elements have been purchased/gathered

★ Start finding/making foley

★ Film (before I leave)

Week 4(3/3-3/9)  

★ Start the edit (and finish by the end of the week)

★ Start researching for question 1 of CCR 

★ Find/make any additional foley we miss (and/or any other post production elements)

Week 5(3/10-3/16) 

★ Revise any last editing elements

★ Research question 2 of CCR post

★ Research question 3 of CCR post

★ Research question 4 of CCR post

 

Week 6(3/17-3/25) 

★ Finish up any research for the reflection.

★ Create the reflection.

★ Finalize and review CCR.

The schedule is a bit tight, but I am confident everything will go according to plan. I am so grateful to have amazing project partners and I am sure that we will create something great!!

Titles

 Okay so we finally settled on a name!! I'm so exciteeedddd. But I also wanted to take this opportunity to briefly explain our plot so that my blog posts make sense. Of course when we have a fully developed story and story board I will share so that you all understand as well.

A woman is seen setting up for a dinner date she is hosting at her home; (we never see her face, just her hands and back so that it is mysterious) it starts with her playing a vinyl record (classical music), she is then and setting up the table. The credits will be incorporated into different elements of the scene. (Ex: a cutting board being moved and revealing a credit underneath.) We will include things like candles, nice plates, rose petals etc .But every time something is set, its cuts to some quick flashback where the lighting is dark and red and their is blood. When she’s finished setting up the table she picks up the knife and touches the blade and it suddenly shifts to the last flashback. The knife is still in her hand but this time, there’s blood all over the knife, her hand, her arm, and the camera shifts to see a body on the floor. It shifts back to see the woman get a text (this part may change because we aren't sure). She puts down the knife, takes out her phone to see who has texted her, and a guy (name unknown) texted her saying “Here” and on the phone screen, you can see several other guys who have texted in the past, their last messages saying “I’m outside,” “Just got here,” etc. The woman is seen smiling kinda menacingly at the text (we finally see her face) and the doorbell suddenly rings, the title card being shown in sync with the ring. 

So basically I came up with name manslaughter. But the "man" will be in bold as this woman is a man murderer (I know man slaughter is for both genders but i thought it was fitting). 

Okay now that we have set the premise here are the different fonts I'm thinking for the title card. I definitely want to do it on Canva since they also have great text animation. What I know i want for sure if for it to be loud and bold, maybe even intimidating. Bold big fonts help achieve that.

Option one: 

The font names are Gagalin and Horizon. I would love to have the "Man" be white at first and then fade into red.

Option two:

This font is norwester with a neon effect. it is more simplistic but still effective. Maybe even have the neon flicker. 

Credit Sequence Research

What’s up!! 

Today I will be analyzing three credit sequences from horror films (we have fully changed our theme to just horror, no drama). But you see, I have a love hate relationship with credit sequences. When I’m trying to watch a Disney classic like “101 Dalmatians” or “Beauty and the Beast” I feel like the credits just drag and drag and draaaaggggg. Like yes a bunch of important people worked on this film and they deserve all the credit but can’t it just wait till the end of the film!! That’s a personal opinion, but anyways I really want my titles to fit my theme and be creative, not just boring fonts. Maybe different sizes, some stretched out, some thinner. But we will see!!

#1 - Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

I like that this credit sequence introduces you to the setting of the movie without giving too much away. The slow pans over the location lets you take everything in and use context clues to figure out it is a children's party pizza place. I also noticed the accent lighting of the claw machines and disco lights, as the rest of the building is very dark. In my film opening I want to have a similar vibe. Somewhat establish the setting without giving everything away. We want to have our main character setting up a romantic fancy dinner, and we could incorporate slow pans over the table as they set the table cloth and the silverware and such. The FNAF opening also leaves a bunch of context clues to the story like the children's drawings. Even though we are just doing an opening, we want to leave "clues" like maybe a broken picture frame. (I'm getting off topic let me write about the actual credits)

I love how the font of the titles "glitch" to other colors. I want to do something like that with ours, but like mentioned earlier, have blood splatters on the text (or maybe it progressively getting redder and redder). I also like how the font matches the vibe. How its like video game pixelated because the movie is based off a video game. I like how the beginning titles fade in and out instead of just popping up. It makes it feel like less of a jump scare. And finally, I like the fact that the text appears in different parts of the screen and not just in the middle.

#2 - The Silence Of the Lambs(1991)

This movie is a bit older but still a classic horror staple. I will say I do not like the color of the titles I feel like its very aggressive and too "bold". Especially for my own film opening, but I'm sure it fits perfectly with this movie For the aesthetic of my film I want the opposite. Smaller titles maybe in one of the 4 corners. I like the consistency of all of the titles appearing in the center. I would definitely use a similar font, just a bit smaller.

#3 - Fear Street Part 1: 1994 (2021)

I genuinely love this credit sequence. It is so engaging and foreboding at the same time. It also scares you a little with the screams, pictures, and blood. An insane amount of context to the storyline and environment in included through the use of the news reporter voice over and newspaper headings. I love how the titles are sort of incorporated with all the graphics. The only con is that its all graphics, none of it is film. But that doesn't mean we cannot be inspired from it. I love the use of the animated "doodles" I would love to include something like that in the opening. Maybe like during the "flashbacks" it can have doodles like that all over the screen. The title card is also something I would want to do similar. The scream as the red 1994 shows up is so perfect. I would love to do something similar in mine. 

Credits: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtCY-MVf3V8 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GYbDzoEwfs

Analyzing 3 drama/horror film openings

 Hello!! 

Today I will be analyzing 3 different film openings from my chosen genre, drama-horror. Hopefully this research will give me inspiration and ideas on how to make my film opening great. My group and I have sort of decided the premise of our opening which I will discuss soon.  I will admit, I don't think a lot of drama/horrors exist (most of the time its horror/mystery or horror/thriller), but that doesn't mean I can't try and create something original.

EX 1: The Shining (1980)

horror/mystery

I loved the use of very scary sounding music throughout the whole opening, even though all of the visuals are nature, and colorful and pretty. To me it gives a sense of foreshadowing. Everything in the atmosphere feels normal but something will happen soon enough. I really want to incorporate foreshadowing into my film opening. Not only by possibly leaving clues but also a bit more "disruptive" foreshadowing (when I have a clearer idea I will explain in a blog). While reading the comments of the embedded video, I came across a comment that said that the camera was "chasing the car" sort of like how the evil is reaching for the characters and I thought that was symbolic as well. What I don't like is the way the titles just fly through the screen. For my film I would like still titles.

EX 2: Scream(1996)

horror/mystery

I love the use of foley. It just brings a certain vibe. Its very down to earth. Like this girl is just living a normal life while getting ready to watch a movie. I love how it starts to create a "desperate" vibe without the use of music. I definitely want to include a lot of foley in my film opening just like they did here. I also like the fact that they put the title card at the very beginning and not later. The title card itself is really creative too, as it goes from white to red, most likely representing blood. I would love to have the title card do something similar like that and fade from white to bright red. Or have the title card be white and then the letters get splattered in red blood followed by screaming (definitely have to design title card in advance). For the purposes of my film opening I think the title card fits best towards the end.

EX 3: Whiplash(2014)

Drama

Okay bear with me I know whiplash has nothing to do with horror but i wanted to study at least one opening that was a drama to see if there are any techniques I would like to incorporate. I loveeee the coloring, its legitimately perfect. I will definitely be using lights for my film opening (and of course incorporate all of that color theory). I definitely want to use lighting and color grading to differentiate between scenes. If we incorporate "quick flashbacks" the different colors could help make it even more clear (i will explain what I'm thinking for the opening in a different post). 

NOTE: *I wasn't able to download all of the video clips with audio*

Credits: 
All of the wonderful people who worked on all 3 films
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx-1Bmx427U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn5SkCvPEYo&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjLip2FZLuA

Possible genre choices

In this post I will be talking about two genre choices that i am interested in doing for my film opening, Drama and sci-fi. They are both really strong genres and could even work as a hybrid. I can also work with them in a very creative manner, which is my goal. It was pretty hard to narrow down only two genres... but I think these are 2 possibilities that fit the best.

DRAMA:

Typically centered around a specific strong emotion. Arguably lighting, cinematography, and sound play the most important part. Dramas also rely a lot on tone, so it is important to those techniques to help develop that. These films are also very character and plot driven, as they tend to explore human emotions, relationships, and moral dilemmas. Which are all represented with a lot of emotional depth and character development. Drama is regularly mixed with other sub-genres because these films heavily rely on character-driven stories. 

Whiplash - (2014)
This film has great sound design and lighting techniques that take the drama aspect to a whole other level. The loud drumming compared to utter silence amplifies that emotion in the drama. The cinematography is also extremely clever, Andrew and Fletcher are often framed on opposite thirds, reinforcing their clashing dynamic. Another important detail was that the pacing. The editing style just adds so much dimension. 

SCI-FI:

A genre that typically revolves around the super natural and technologically advanced concepts. It often goes further into humanity’s relationship with science, technology, and the unknown. While blending realism with imaginative elements. Often times they take place in the future, or parallel universes, and include different concepts like space travel, time travel, the supernatural, and dystopia. Sci-fi relies heavily on mise-en-scene, as most films of that genre do not take place in our current and present world. Different settings and clothing are necessary to fully capture the essence of whatever world setting they are trying to establish. Sci-fi often has unique audio and sound effect elements, that most of the time have to be created from scratch for a specific film. They also rely heavily on CGI, visual effects, and color palettes. 

Interstellar - (2014)

This film is a great example of science fiction. They tackle supernatural elements like time relativity, different dimensions, wormholes and more while also developing deep "human" like themes, making it both engaging and emotionally powerful.