F I N I S H I N G // THE FINALE

Here is my film, Severance!
I hope you enjoy it, I worked really hard and am super proud.

T H E E N D // SEVERANCE TO SEVERANCE

CCR
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AKAcMwiMEQY9qWU-SHRPL2kHwU1VAlSx/view?usp=sharing

P R O G R E S S // COMPROMISE

OKAY SO IM VERY STRESSED CURRENTLY... to be honest, this blog is a checkup of my mental state regarding the opening and I can only imagine the spiral it's taken. My actors and I have very busy lives so filming has been quite difficult. We shot the first scene in one day, then as I started editing I noticed all the things we did wrong so I had to reshoot everything with still some inconsistencies a day or two later. Now we have to film the argument scene which will be tough because it must be at night, along with all my other outside scenes. My mother knows I'm not outside doing anything stupid so she's okay with me staying out super late to film, but I don't have the luxuries of my actors having that same parental "coolness" so that's meant a lot of me stress crying, talking to parents, and figuring out new filming dates WHILE I film at the same time.
ALSO, I might have to cut out the party scene but if I do then the opening won't make sense but I may also not have enough time soooooooooooo, either go over the time limit and have it be good and make sense or leave the people who watch my film opening very confused and grade it badly leaving me disappointed in all aspects.
Wish me luck!

P R O G R E S S // MISE-EN SCENE

Filming has probably been one of the most stressful things I've ever had to do mainly because of my cast of actors have the most complicated schedule ever. Filming has induced a lot of me stress crying over thoughts of "How are we gonna film this?!" as well as " None of what I

did makes sense" kinda breakdowns. So it's"s been a fun time!
As I'm slowly editing together the film I can see things starting to make sense and things I wish I knew now that need to be fixed could've been changed or altered by past me. Though filming has brought a lot of joy to my friends and I as its simply been quite hilarious at times. to be truthful, this is the most fun I've had with my friends in a while.

Here are some funny videos of my friends and I filming :)

B E A U T Y // SHOTS

I appreciate filmmaking so much, the cinematography is genuinely so beautiful and the very fact that I'm able to take part in such makes me extremely happy. I know this is just a raw clip but Olivia my actor is so enthusiastic about all of the art direction and aesthetic of the opening.
Here's a sneak peak!

M U T E // SOUND

Slowly I'm realizing the importance of sound more and more as the process of the opening is starting. Obviously, I know sound is important especially in the horror genre, but when you've started the process of editing things get so much more complicated. The beginning of what I have is so stark in audio and I know I most likely will have to put some kind of music but at this point, I don't know what tone of music I should go for. since my theme is horror and thriller related I'm thinking something dark in tone but it's all so complicated.

P R O G R E S S// BEHIND THE SCENES

Here is a little of the behind the scenes shots from filming on wednesday taken by my friend Natalia. 

Im propably gonna post some short clips of the openings on coming shots :)

Im so excited to see what I create with my friends!

P R O G R E S S// WORKING IN DEPTH

Filming has proven to be difficult, immediately as I started a wave of anxiety flooded over me. My first thoughts were whether I was doing things correctly, knowing my storyboard gives me a lot of room to mess with in between. I shot for the first time tonight and things became super complicated. I wasn't really sure how to do anything even though I have experience in film, though I know it was mainly my anxiety trying to set up high expectations. Already I've started editing and producing the raw clips, making the opening of my project!

C O M P L I C A T I O N S // DATES

SO! I was really hoping on being able to film this week but between work and my actors' schedules things haven't lined up like I hoped they would and honestly, I'm panicked. Natalia or "Charlie" leaves for spring vacation on Thursday of next week, and I'm going to be gone as well most of spring break so most likely I'll have to film on Wednesday of that week which may be difficult to be completely honest. Obviously, I know I can do it I just want to be able to produce the best I can as I love and admire this class and creating the things I have.
I'm extremely excited to film though, I really believe I have a great opening and if I portray what's in my head well enough others will love it as much as I love the concept.

Updates to the script and actions during the scenes have already been minorly altered or added to so hopefully it won't take too long to film either, I predict a solid 4-7 hours of filming, mainly because we only have two settings which cut time, but Natalia will have to go through outfit and makeup changes to be the "demon" version of Charlie so that will also contribute in time complexity and ranges.

L O V E // REPRESENTATION

The topic of abuse and mental health awareness is extremely important to me as so many people around and including me have dealt with either one, or even both topics I hope to portray. Abuse within couples is very often missed by others, not necessarily because the others around you "don't care enough to look", many just don't think to, which is seemingly pretty fair as nobody should expect someone they care about to get abused.
Abuse within the LGBT+ community is either extremely shunned or exaggerated depending on the context and who you're talking to (in regarding their own views and opinions).
I didn't explicitly plan Charlie and Drew to be portrayed as a lesbian couple, but I knew most likely it was going to turn out as such, mainly because most of my friends who act well are femme.
Drew and Charlie are going to represent a more "realistic" version of being a queer person, as no commonly used stereotypes of gay people, and specifically in this case lesbians, in the negative connotation of being "butch" or "flamboyant" will be added.
My goal is to simply spread awareness of abuse and how it can affect anyone and the repercussions of said abuse on a persons mental health.

R E V I E W // UNAWARE

 In studying for the creation of my own opening, my friends reminded me of a short film produced by BuzzFeed about abusive relationships called "Unaware". To be truthful, I didn't enjoy the acting along with the dialogue as many of the conversations didn't flow and created an unintended awkwardness. Watching the film gave me some ideas to avoid and stick to in my own opening, I also noticed how some effects I intend to use were incorporated which validated my choices.

The short "Unaware" paints the story of two best friends, the new boyfriend, and the girlfriend of the main character. Through the short, you see the spiral of small to eventually larger signs of abuse by the main character's girlfriend, the film goes through the warning signs and acts as a reference for emotional abuse while also displaying the diversity in such as the main conflict occurs within a lesbian couple. 

-Things to avoid

• Bad acting- Granted I know I can't control a persons acting completely, but both my charecters are being played by two of my close friends who are experienced in drama so I have faith.
• The incongruence of script dialogue- I've been going over my script many times to add and take away items to get the story across in a dramatic but comprehensible manner, during shooting lines are most likely going to change to emphasize these features.

-Things to embrace

• The use of angles- Within Unaware, shot reverse shot was mainly used in serious dialogue as it draws the audience into the conversation. Most of my opening is dialogue from the two main characters so getting proper angles along with over the shoulder and SRS shots so those are going to be vital.
• SOUND- Sound is so incredibly important within horror/thriller films, within Unaware specifically towards the end the crescendo and muffle of certain audible ques added new dimensions in the experience of the actions taking place. Sound triggers can be used in place of dialogue at points but work best when added to create said multi-dimensional experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpf0dbF0CFk&feature=youtu.be

S T O R Y B O A R D // DRAWN VERSION

Here's my storyboard so far!!

This is is very susceptible to change :)

R E V I E W // COMMENTS FROM OTHERS

In class we had peer review of our concepts and ideas for our openings or magazines, I went last in my group and I think that was a wise decision. In hearing others ideas I realized (at least in my group) that in every media project I focus on the grim and gory of the world, which I don't see to be a bad thing. I think I justify it by telling others I'm showing people what's really happening in the world but that sounds cocky to me. my other group members ideas were good and we all helped each other when it came to mine they got stuck in a way. Not that they weren't helpful, but they just didn't know what to add. I guess that gave me some sort of validation but I would've liked something to be questioned but they all really liked my ideas and explanations for events happening within my opening. the only real piece of criticism they gave me was how much content I'm trying to squeeze into 2 minutes which I now know I most likely will have to cut off the opening at the swerving scene. I remember when explaining my idea and even showing my script, one of my group members had just come back from the restroom to hear me saying "oh yeah they're gonna swerve off the highway as Charlie beats up Drew and then during that they're gonna see the demon", which he understandable yelled about in confusion as it was such a contrast to the other films talked about in our group.

L O C A T I O N S // OFFICIAL

OKAY! so, you know how I mentioned I didn't know how I would be able to film someone swerving off the road without actually dying? I FIGURED IT OUT!
My friend Natalia (elaborated: best and longest known friend) will be the one driving and I don't want to kill her but I do want the drama and anxiety caused by the swerve for my opening so I found a solution. Our old elementary school has a large parking lot that's usually empty late at night, the entire lot is beautifully lit with the perfect orange light I'm looking for as well. Most likely I will be using other internal lighting sources like my phone if within the car its too dark, but the surrounding orange will encapsulate Charlie's aura so perfectly. Also since the lot will be empty there will be way less of a risk of getting into an accident as she'll be able to not have to entirely focus on the road. I probably will get some shots of us driving on the 27 to use in some parts to give a more accurate context, my only problem is trying not to show our surroundings too much so that the audiences cant tell were just making 15mph circles in an elementary school repeatedly. Most likely ill just have to angle my camera specifically but that shouldn't be a major problem.

N A M E // THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT THE TITLE

SEVERANCE- The name within itself sounds cool and honestly I figured it out pretty easily. Since my film includes the fact of dissociation, of which I personally experience and go though I wanted to name it similar to that. In reality, I just looked up synonyms of dissociation and found the word severance, but I feel like it provides a whole new context for the film. My worry is that the film opening I want to produce will be too long, leaving me to most likely cut it off where Charlie and Drew swerve off the road (which I don't know really how we're going to do that safely), which I feel will leave more open endings and could be good for interest. I want the word "severance" to not only represent the dissociation felt by Drew caused by Charlie's manipulation and abuse but by the severance of their relationship as a whole, the split they'll feel within themselves.

H A R M O N Y // HOW DID THEY MEET?

The backstory for Charlie and Drew is complicated I think? I know I have the power to create it but even still anything I do is able to change within the filming process if I suddenly don't like something or want to change or embellish an idea.

HOW THEY MET- (this will probably change)

Drew is older than Charlie by three years, but their entire lives Drew had been abused by their dad and surround family while also being homeschooled and isolated from the rest of the world. When Drew left for school they finally met people who didn't physically or emotionally hurt them every time they spoke out of turn or asked for something. Drew acclimated to the real world, left with no Job nor knowledge on how to get one, and in being a college student, extremely broke. Due to this, they'd been couch hopping around their friends and even their friend's friends homes or dorms. This is how they met Charlie. Charlie was a friend of Drews closest buddy, in reality, it wasn't Charlie who took them in but rather their mother. They'd hang out occasionally because Drew hated the awkwardness that Charlie dragged into the room whenever they walked in. Charlie's awkwardness and anxiety looked as they had been wearing a coat of rotten cheese like he had constantly smelled, to Drew at least. One day drew and Charlie sat down having a real conversation for the first time ever, Drew told Charlie their story and Charlie had none to tell, they'd lived a healthy "normal" life, at this moment Charlie knew they had the emotional one-up on Drew. After a couple of years of forced bonding from Charlie, they began to date, and it all started going downhill from there.

S C H E D U L E // FILMING

I have my plot basically figured out along with the settings for where I'm going to film which is a bathroom, car, and a house party.

BATHROOM- For the bathroom its a little difficult because of the mirror but I plan on using that to my advantage. Im going to use my bathroom on the second floor of my house which has enough room to move around with a camera without being reflected into the shot by the mirror. The upstairs bathroom is also painted light blue which can assist with Drew's color palate and overall tone during those clips.
CAR- The car directly aligns with the casting of Charlie, for who I've picked as my close friend Natalia, mainly because she has a car and she can drive. The car clips will be taken at night with the highway lights beaming down, hopefully it will rain to give further ambiance. Although filming in a car will be difficult due to its confining spaces, I may be able to set a camera in its place to make sure I get the right shot while not driving dangerously. I also hope to get shots of the action from the windshield or window perspective so most likely we will pull over for those clips.
HOUSE PARTY// second bathroom-  This setting doesn't get much time but its as equally important. I think I will film at my house and empty out the main living room because its quite ominous as it is. Ill have a group of my friends come over and fill up the space while i dim the lights and cast them to a red tone playing into Drew's internalized fear of Charlie and showing how much it affects them.

For casting I'm having some difficulty, I've already chosen the actor for Charlie which will be my friend Natalia Munoz but my issue is who will play Drew. I'm a control freak and want to make sure everything goes completely to plan, because of this I very much want to portray Drew and I know I could do it, although I also have to film as well. Most likely I will have another one of my friends portray Drew so I don't overwork myself and have an outside objective opinion on what i'm doing.

S T O R Y L I N E // MISE-EN-SCENE COLORS & PLOT

Here’s my script so far!...

SCRIPT

Overall slight static in bathroom- when within their head
*Opening on a black screen (echoed voice coming in and out of clarity)* “HEY, HEY YOU READY? ”- Charlie
Opening visual on Drew's face in the bathroom looking at the mirror (his reflection) Slow movements - held back back lit
Series of close ups of face in and out of the mirror (focused on eyes, bloodshot?) Heard unsteady breathing
When drew looks at themselves in the mirror the camera turns into a fish-eye lens but not when its from a mid or long shot
“ You look like shit”- Charlie's voice (illusion of Drew hearing it within his head) Wash face (aggressive) Audio of sink (trippy visual?) <- squeaky Flash between looking at self and washing face
“Yeah, i'm coming” breathy seems annoyed and extremely dull seemingly questioning themselves
Turning bathroom lights off (flicker) seeing body(demonized version of Charlie) quick on and off

Quick and sudden cut to the car


Hearing patter of rain


Charlie is driving Drew in the dark on the highway






Camera is high on drivers side, mainly only seeing Charlie in frame in car, Drew in the passenger seat falling asleep


When Drew speaks a close up is taken from inside and outside the passenger window


Main argument starts


Charlie Drew

“ Im sorry for earlier..(looks over and sees Drew isn't paying attention) mumble curse *HIT* you fell asleep” “you good to come to this? You haven't slept”



“Im fine”


“ I don't understand why you can't give yourself a break”- getting more and more aggressive


“ Im fine”


“ Why do you do that to yourself? Huh?!”


“ What”


“ You let everyone push you around, treat you like a dog”


“ What like you?”

They begin overlapping in conversation


Drew barely raises voice


“ Fuc.. ridiculous, you're really gonna start now? After all I've done for you i'm bringing you to a party for christ sake”


"If it wasn't for me you'd still be on the street!"
"I never asked you to help me"
"WITHOUT ME YOU'RE NOTHING, YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING...

useless piece of trash... ill kill you if you make me look like the bad guy tonight..

you act like I don't love you"

YOU DON'T LOVE ME, don't you DARE tell me that you do!

YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS ABOUT YOU

.... charlie, charlie, charlie WATCH OUT"


Charlie lunged to hit Drew


Drew sees the demonized version of Charlie in the street

causing them to swerve but it again immediately cuts to Drew alone at the party








Dark lights in the party


Many people


Mid shot of Drew on the couch staring and messing with their drink


They look up and it ranges from the room being full to flashes of nobody


Someone talking to Charlie goes up to Drew

"hey are you okay drew you seem kinda out of it?"


Charlie is spotted by Drew in the crowd and turns around


Drew and Charlie make eye contact


Drew immediately puts head down and friend sees

"Is it charlie? whats going on are you two okay?"


Graphic matches of regular charlie and demon charlie walking over

(demon charlie is cryptically walking)


Static grows



Cuts between Drew and Charlies reactions to each other as the friends voice

who's trying to help gets muffled and echoey


Drew runs into bathroom panicked as they lock the door behind them

Static gets louder again aggressively washing face


Drew looks into the mirror and demon Charlie grabs him as Drew then falls to the ground as screams


The friend bursts in





"HEY whats going on what happened?"

Drew is mumbling and acting "crazy" pointing at the mirror

hysterically sobbing
"what?"

Charlie then also runs

C H A R E C T E R B I O G R A P H Y// COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

Color Theory: 

The psychology of color stems from the mental and emotional effects color(s) may have on sighted people, these can be very subjective but contain some generally accepted and proven effects. Color psychology is important in every film but I particularly hope to subconsciously impact viewers immediately as that would make the opening more powerful in topic and its subject matter. Colors impact how you may think of a person and I want to clearly portray who each character is not only through body language and speech but through what colors are associated with them.

From the reference picture given of basic emotions brought out by color psychology I've based my two main characters personality and appearance on these factors.

Charlie:

In my plot the character Charlie is the abusive partner, due to this I've chosen a striking color pallet which resembles such. The main color associated with Charlie is a dark grey which I'm using to associate them with power and authority over not only Drew but any and everything. The next most outstanding color is going to be a range of red and orange tones which is going to be used to convey Charlies anger and danger they are to Drew. These will be mostly portrayed through the Mise-en-scene of the scene through lighting during Charlies bursts of anger and violence toward Drew. The dark gray and neutral tones will surround his clothing as nobody really knows Charlies dangerous and violent behavior but Drew, so his clothing will act as a mask or barrier from his true self.

Drew:

In this plot the character Drew is the partner getting abused, not for their looks or size, but for their childlike heart which to Charlie is easy to corrupt. Drew is going to be associated with different shades of blue and white portraying the childlike innocence they once held which is now corrupted by the red tones of Charlie, sometimes forming green or becoming overtaken by Charlies orange or red. The surrounding blue tones will portray Drew's sadness and felt helplessness from their relationship with Charlie. 

References:

Deborah, et al. “Color Psychology: The Psychological Effects of Colors.” Art Therapy, 24 Dec. 2012, www.arttherapyblog.com/online/color-psychology-psychologica-effects-of-colors/#.XH6m5IhKjIU.

P L O T// THE DEVELOPING CHARECTERS

Main theme: 

I've slightly strayed away from the idea of isolated dissociation but rather add faces to it, within my plot I want to portray an abusive relationship which makes the abused partner dissociate. Dissociation occurs within many because of people experiencing extreme stress and anxiety which the brain can no longer handle which causes them to "break away" from themselves.

Character plots:

The main theme is going to circle around an unhealthy couple, Charlie and Drew and their everyday interactions. I chose the names Charlie and Drew because I wanted the freedom of using gender neutral names for the sake of finding actors easier and to break the stereotype that only women are abused when in reality any age and gender can become abusive or get abused.

Charlie: Born January 7th, 2001. Abuser

Charlie is honest, reserved, circumspect, honorable and strong-willed. Quietly ambitious within the realms of the possible, likes and takes on responsibility. 

Weaknesses: a sometimes bitter and mistrustful mind.

Drew: Born November 24th, 1999

They are good, idealistic, enthusiastic and warm-hearted. Drew is independent, has a taste for travel and freedom. Very curious and fair-minded.

Weaknesses: Drew is too adventurous and leaves things to chance: takes risks which cause problems: Drew is also rebellious and sometimes tactless when offering opinions.

References: 

“Birth Chart.” Free Astrology Birth Chart Report, astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php.

R E S E A R C H // INSPIRATION FROM HORROR GENRE

         I want to involve a series of "horror" dynamics from real life situations and experiences, which may seem like horror to some but everyday life for others causing a rift in audience relation and reaction.
Through this aspect, I hope to involve the theme of mental illness -specifically dissociation.
Techniques I plan on using are somewhat heavily inspired by Billie Eilish's music video "Bury A Friend"- I'm not the biggest fan of her but the video introduced a lot of new concepts I admire which circle around more explicit themes, harsher lighting and movements.

Dissociation is a special altered state of awareness in which a persons consciousness is split into two components: the hypnotized self and the hidden observer, often feeling like you feel trapped inside of a fishbowl. Focusing on dissociation throughout my opening the change in lighting and slight visual change is extremely enticing and an exciting technique to use in my opinion. These slight changes in lighting and visuals add new dimension and meaning to the film itself- creating an opening with visuals not all of the audience may understand completely but have a visual comparison to become educated.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHC9tYz8ik

R E S E A R C H // HORROR TECHNIQUE IMPLEMENTATION

      SUSPENSE!- Hundreds of films have influenced my paradigm of the genre of "horror" due to it being my favorite to consume- both visually and audibly.
My two favorite horror movies consist of "Get out" and "Silence of the Lambs" with an obvious love for cult classics like "The Exorcist" and "The Shining".
The basis for a horror movie includes darkness in color and lighting, as well as audio cues of a jump scare, although I mainly hope to focus on timing and vulnerability.
Timing within any film is extremely important- but for horror, it can make or break the built suspense and reaction. To this, I look to a short film titled "lights out" who has a movie remake of the same name.

The movie is alright but the short film utilizes the proper techniques in a more efficient manner. The plot of the short film surrounds a woman in her home, whos then haunted and ultimately killed by some sort of demon. The killer scene within the film is the conceptual confrontation of a human vs. a demon and Innocent vs. Evil. The timing of the main scare of this film is why that particular moment is so scary- it's long and uncomfortable.
Vulnerability is also important- within a short film, you have to quickly get the audience to relate to what's going on, even if they've never experienced it. Meaning you must rely on an empathetic bond between audience and your characters, in the short film the women is getting ready for bed-seemingly weaker and unsuspecting. Due to this, said confrontation is built upon in suspense which again completes the aspect of relation and impact.

Reference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPRppNlfaX8