Graphic design is my passion

While our production has been put to a temporary halt, the blog postings must go on !

I thought I’d give you details of some miscellaneous notes about the website and other digital branding components we have to figure out for our film.

THE WEBSITE

• DEVICE DEPENDENT DESIGN!
• Our target audience is on their phone all of the time. While we could of course still get someone’s attention from a computer screen, we would best reach our target audience through a much smaller and accessible screen. Therefore, we must make sure the layout of our website is MOBILE COMPATIBLE!!!
• EMAIL CAMPAIGN
• We had already completed some research on websites made to market films (which Yejin and I found out was all with a singular website creator which was WHACK) and we noticed that some of them had a sort of newsletter that gave them details on the movie’s release. They told them about new trailers, where the film is being distributed, stuff like that. It would be good to have some direct communication with our potential audience.
• DARK MODE ?
• If we end up having a lot of white on our website, it would be good to create a sort of darker theme for it as well. A lot of social media have been giving “dark mode” as an option on their digital platforms, since it may give them less strain on the eyes. Maybe giving them this option would be good?

OVERALL DESIGN

• HANDWRITTEN TYPOGRAPHY
• So Yejin has always had an obsession with the sort of “handmade” look with most of the stuff they create, so it is only best we use handwritten typography. We were thinking of making some kind of font maybe?? We think maybe we could create lettering that looks like a child wrote it to reflect the perspective in the film.
• GIFS!!!!!
• Still images are a thing of the past! Throughout our digital marketing components, we will be using a lot of gifs :-)

SOURCES FOR RESEARCH:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/08/16/dont-skimp-on-these-15-essential-elements-of-your-marketing-campaigns/#4c338bdf285b

https://www.creativebloq.com/features/graphic-design-trends-2020

New Beginnings

PANIC ENSUES!
Okay so Corona is messing everything up with our planning, our main actors are currently being held under quarantine and there's a world of hysteria as of the moment.
So now Yejin and I are heavily debating the fact that we have to change our entire story due to not being able to have any actors last minute and nobody wanting to leave their house.

So were debating making the short film an episode of a show we thought of around a year ago titled: "Sam and Punko. This would be a comically animated show like "Adventure Time" mixed with "Family Guy", imagine dirty innocence. That's "Sam and Punko".

BUT animation takes a painstaking amount of time and Yejin would be the leader in this because she has the programs in order to animate so it puts me in a place of not being able to help as much as I'd like to. So we're going to talk to Mrs. Stoklosa and see what she says... pray for us... please.

I HATE IT HERE!

Corona, corona, corona... how I never expected you to turn on me like this.
Did I hope you would cancel school? Yes.
Did I hope the mass world hysteria would've gone down by now? yes.
Do I have toilet paper? That's something ill have to get back to you on.
(Why is everyone hoarding toilet paper, Corona is a respiratory virus, not a butt one)
ANYWAYS... Because schools officially closed Yejin and I can no longer pick up film equipment from BECON and everyone who we wanted to cast is now going through self-distancing and isolation for their safety. 
All of my friends are freaking out about their projects as well and there's been no news or any update on the due date of the project.
So like any sane person... IM PANICKING!
Over the next couple of days, Yejin and I will brainstorm and I'll let you know.

We Got Da Props!

Okay so we need quite a bit of supplies... so here's the prop list

PROP LIST

• Birthday party supplies (parts optional)
• Tablecloth 
• Matching color utensils + napkins
• Balloons 
• Streamers 
• Candy 
• Snack food (fake?)
• Party hats 
• Presents 
• Birthday cake
• Cake Candles 
• Cake sparklers 
• Toy of dog (dog toy)
• Worker Polo
• Name tag
• Graded papers 
• Missed bills 
• Battered crayons and pens
• Mac + Cheese
• Shoelace 
• Newspaper

NOW WE GOT THE PROPS!
I had to search into my archives of old birthday photos too see what we would need because neither Yejin or I have experienced a big birthday like we're planning for our character before.

SOPHIE AND HER LIL BRO SAVES THE DAY!

WE NOW HAVE OUR MAIN ACTORS WOO!!!
The wonderful Sophie Diebold (you'll watch her project and get to experience her amazingness too) has agreed to sacrifice her and her little brother as the two main actors within our short film! I've witnessed their dynamic, and though I've never actually met Sophie's brother she had said "He's a character"... so that's pretty good I think.

                           

 Mrs. Diebold!

                                  Mr. Diebold!

So now we have the roles of the big sibling and the little sibling filled! I will be the store person which catches the little sibling, and Sophies Lil bro can bring his friends for the party-goers. Now, all we need is someone to play the parent and the birthday kid :)

Location...Location...Loc..Oh Jeez

OKAY- So there are three locations planned for shooting, whether they will remain the same is another question for another day.  I included all the color charts for logistical purposes, later on, using these colors to our advantage in filming and later color coding.
(Please refer to my color study done for my AS project to understand my preferences in color choice)
Our first location: CVS (we won't name it or mention it in any way but that's just where we're filming)

(Preferred color palette due to darker, more action-filled mood)

We were mainly planning for CVS rather than a gas station simply because Gas stations don't really have good small toys, or at least not a good enough array. In reality, it probably would be easier to steal from there, but they get caught anyway so that's fine. Plus CVS is super diverse in stock so we can add extra shots of the little kid looking through different isles and coming up with different ideas for things to get for the birthday kid.

Next is where the two siblings live: Trailer (hopefully)

(most likely the trailer we'd be using won't have this monochromatic layout but a man can dream)

OKAY... I know what you're thinking, where are you going to get a trailer. Well, Yejin and I were looking at possibly renting one from Air b&b for a day or maybe two which have shown to be relatively cheap. Also, another option would be using our friend Jonathan's friend, as his friend has an RV and ould allow us to film within.

And last but definitely not least the birthday! AKA: My house

 (Preferred color palette due to bright, slightly primary colors, and variety in mood) 

(Yes, that blue-haired creature on the most left is I at my friends actual birthday party)

So I brought in this actual picture of me at a recent birthday party for prop inspiration (which you'll hear about later), this party wasn't at my house but I think manipulating my current living space could provide a perfect area to film and create a whole other world... a birthday world.

Taking away the guilt

Mrs. Stocklosa always tells us simple stories are better than convoluted twisted narratives, which I’ve become to embrace in a way. Yejin and I, through the guidance of Mrs. Stocklosa and my classmates, have cut the negative ending.
This may produce some issues mainly with time regarding our piece, but as you can see I’ve uploaded a completely new script which we are going to be adapting to which I have no doubt should reach the minimum requirements. Plus with filming, things never stick to plan- so it’s okay! The main reasoning for the change in script was because the negative ending I had planned would’ve made our main character look guilty, when what we really want to focus on was the kindness and selflessness they partake in. Though at the time of writing it sounding interesting purely due to the drama of it all, that is now the complete opposite of what Yejin and I would like for our project.


The previous ending:

SCHOOLMATE

KID PANICS BUT IS REASSURED WHEN SCHOOLMATE WALKS OVER, SMILES, AND BRINGS THEM TO THE CAKE

I'll bring you to it

KID AWKWARDLY PUTS SMALL GIFT ON TABLE NEXT TO ALL COOL ONES

THEY WALK OUT OF FRAME

SHOT OF PARENT NEXT TO FRIENDS IN FRONT OF PRESENTS

PARENT

OKAY EVERYONE! Time for presents!

EVERYONE GATHERS AROUND KID STILL HAS CAKE

MONTAGE OF BLANK OPENING PRESENTS 

LEAVING SMALLEST ONE FOR LAST 

YOU SEE A LARGE AMOUNT OF GLITTER AND WRAPPING PAPER ON THE FLOOR

SEE SHOTS OF EVERYONES REACTIONS AND KIDS EVER GROWING WORRY

ONLY BLANK IN SHOT SURROUNDED BY PAPER SYMMETRY (V WES ANDERSON)

PARENT 

Last but certainly not least… KID

PARENT HANDS KIDS GIFT TO BLANK

BLANK IS METHODICALLY OPENING PRESENT 

KID

Im sorry its really not that good i-

BLANK

Oh my god.

KID

I know, I know I shouldn't have co-

BLANK

THIS IS... THE SWEETEST PRESENT IVE EVER GOTTEN 

ALL FRIENDS LAUGH AND CLAP EXCEPT FOR SCHOOLMATE

BLANK LEAPS OVER TO HUG KID AS THEY STAND THERE IN SHOCK

SCHOOLMATE

THATS THE NICEST THING ANYONES EVER GOT YOU?

SCHOOLMATE STANDS THERE IN FURY THROWING DOWN PIECE OF THEIR CAKE TO FLOOR

BLANK

SCHOOLMATE I-

SCHOOLMATE 

You know kid stole that right? Why do you think they came here in our school uniform instead of real clothes, huh? THEY HAVE NOTHING!

BLANK

KID, is this true?

PARENT

VOICE ECHOS IN AND OUT AND HEARTBEAT GROWS 

I knew something was up im going to call 911

KID

NO! No, I- I have to go

SLOW MOTION? OF KID RUNNING OUT TO DOOR RUNNING INTO SIBLING ON THE WAY OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY

SIBLING

HEY! Are you okay monkey why didn't you call me i've been worried sick

SIBLING TAKES IN KID FOR A HUG AS YOU HEAR SIRENS IN THE BACKGROUND

CLOSE OF UP KIDS FACE WITH TEARS AS SCREEN GOES BLACK 

KID V.O

IM SORRY!