CCR

Here is the link to my CCR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO5Mq01Cx3U

That's All Folks

Here is my final reflection paper. 

Hi guys, my name is Mateo Grauer and this is my romance film, “Tulipan Sin Agua.” I worked with my partner, Ana Rubin for weeks to master what is now our finished film opening. Before we begin, I want to explain the meaning of the title. “Tulipan Sin Agua” translates to tulip without water, which means that even though tulips are beautiful, with no water, it has no chance for survival. However, the water does not need the tulip at all, much like our guy character who heavily relies on the girl he falls in love with, however, the girl does not require the water to live and is not affected by the life of the tulip. This can suggest the lives of the two main protagonists, as the girl is a free-spirited and confident human, and her dancing and actions can portray her personality, while the boy is a more keeps-to-himself and quiet kind of guy. He is more focused on his future, shown by the business podcast he is listening to, while the girl lives more in the moment. The sporadic cuts and different scenes were used to create a fast paced film but while also not giving too much away in the two minute time frame that we had. While most films portray the man as the heartbreaker, we decided to challenge that by hinting that the woman is in fact the real heartbreaker. However, apart from that, we wanted to remain in the general conventions of a rom-com film, so that the audience can feel a little more comfortable with our film while knowing the general outcome due to the conventions, but while keeping some hidden twists and turns. This results in Ana and I making the film a little bit more ours and personal, as breaking the general rom-com conventions allows us to have a little bit more room to be creative in what we wanted in our film. We also decided to use a somewhat pink shadowing when editing to give the film opening more of an aesthetic feel as well as an artistic feel. We used the public transportation of Miami to indicate the social groups being presented in our film, the middle class. The boy is shown going to work, which can be interpreted from his business casual look and the podcast he is listening to, “Entrepreneur 101,” a podcast that I designed on the idea that our boy is a potential future businessman, as his hopes desire. The girl is seen dancing for money, but don’t worry, that is not her real job. Ana and I discussed during our brainstorming process that the female actress enjoyed dancing for fun, as her free spirit indicates, which counters the organized life of the boy. This shows that the opposite personalities could be the reason that they breakup, as the girl does not want to think about the future, while the boy is thinking about opening a business. He is more structured in his plans with her, and her indecisiveness with the future could be what leads to the heartbreak. We also want to portray how breakup is an ordinary aspect of many lives, and we hope to lighten the effects of breakups by showing how normal breakups are, and how our audience members might have also experienced breakups. Ana and I decided that our film would best be distributed by a real media text by a company such as A24, a distribution company behind hit films such as “Lady Bird,” “Moonlight,” and “The Witch.” However, our film is more similar to films such as “Call Me By Your Name,” or “Blue Is the Warmest Color.” Our target audience is young adults anywhere from 16 to around 25. This means that our most effective form of promoting would be through the use of social media applications such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Having a distribution company that is large can allow us to gain some audience, which is why I believe that joining a distribution company would benefit in promoting our film opening. My production techniques have drastically improved since we first started recording the film opening. First of all, I learn to place shots and angles into place. For example, we recorded the girl actor from below, which indicates power, and as I said before, she is a free-spirited and someone who lives in the moment. We used a lot of close shots of the faces and actions of our characters, which allows the audience to form a connection with the actors by allowing them to see their actions and emotions. We also implemented a lot of two shot, which showed the relationship and the emotional connection between our actors, as lovers in the film.

We also used an establishing shot of the city to exemplify the location of the opening, which is Miami. We also recorded a lot of back up footage, as Miami is a far drive from where we currently live, and returning might have not been an option. Luckily, this worked out perfectly to create fluidity in the film and it ended up in us having many wonderful panoramic shots of the city. This meant that we had finished the filming ahead of time, and that allowed us to finish with spare time to master the editing and our final post, the CCR. Lastly, the camera we rented from BECON-TV was amazing. It allowed us to film high quality shots and make our film opening seem a lot more professional. We had to learn many aspects, such as the sensitivity of the microphone, how to correctly set up the tripod, or how to fluidly zoom in and out. Through the use of hardware, my group and I integrated technology into our film. Apps like canva allowed us to create moodboards for the outfits we wanted our actors to wear. Internet applications like YouTube and Google allowed me to conduct background research on the rom-com/ indie romance genre, and recording videos on YouTube helped me on how to effectively shoot different shots, such as establishing shots or closing shots.  A video that I watched on YouTube by RhinoCameraGear, was a concise video on the best way to shoot an establishing shot. This resulted in my group and I having an awesome establishing shot of the city and its train station. Finally, editing was the last process. I have never been good at editing, but Final Cut Pro allowed for easy accessibility and all the tools required to make our film look as clean and professional as possible. Like I said before, my group intended to use quick cuts to create the film opening seem quick paced, and Final Cut Pro made this very easy. Adding subtitles was a little hard though. We decided to implement subtitles as the song we are using, “Siempre Tu,” is in Spanish, and this might make it a little hard for our audience to understand the lyrics without the subtitles. The poem, which was made by Ana and was a voiceover from a mutual friend, was also in Spanish, from Eastern Spain. The accent gave a nice appeal to the film, which is the main reason why we decided to use Pau, our friend. Lastly, we used an application called LUTs, which I have never heard of before this project, which allowed us to add coloring to our film. There were thousands of options, and it took a very long time to figure out which one to go with, as Ana and I had narrowed it down to over 20 different shades, but we decided to go with a nice light pink, as it added a little bit of brightness to the film and gave it a nice aesthetic that both me and Ana liked.  This is my final movie, I hope you guys enjoyed.

Drum Roll Please...

Hi guys, so my group and I finally finished our opening. I am extremely satisfied with how it came out, from the editing, to the coloring, to how well our actors portrayed the roles. I want to thank my group member, Ana, for making this dream of making a film opening a reality. I had a great time filming and producing and I hope you guys enjoy it too. 

Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-t18Eb2iwE&feature=youtu.be

Final Title?

Hi guys, so a few post ago I told you guys that my group and I were discussing and brainstorming possible names for our film, as we would need one for the title shot before the opening starts. I had told you guys that I had really liked "Siempre Tu," after the song that our film will be focused on. However, my group and I decided on a better name, "Tulipan Sin Agua." In English, this translates to tulip without water. This has a nice connotation in that tulips are beautiful, but with no water, it has no chance for survival. However, the water does not need the tulip at all, much like our characters. The title also has a nice aesthetic that connects with the vibe we are trying to achieve. We're getting closer and closer to finally finishing the opening, and I can't wait to see my fans response to what we are doing. We put so much time and attention to detail to this project and I believe that it is on a path to success, and I want you guys to follow. Ride with me through the journey. I love all my fans and this would not be possible without you. Stay tuned!

Podcast

Hi guys, so like I stated in one of my previous posts, our male actor will be listening in on a business podcast to hint at the fact that he was maybe heading for an interview. However, I was forced to make a podcast, and I took some influence from fellow business podcasts such as "Start Up" and "How I Built This," two business podcasts that focus on the creation of a company. I decided to name our podcast, "Entrepreneur 101," a new up-and-coming podcast that will focus on how to successfully be an entrepreneur, which is someone who takes a financial risk to open a business in hopes of later turning it into profit. Different episodes will focus on different aspects, but due to time constraints in our opening, I have decided to only focus on what would be the first episode, which describes the basics of being an entrepreneur and 10 tips that no one wants you to know. 

Here is the dialogue we will be using:
M - "Hey guys and welcome to Entrepreneur 101, I'm your host, Mateo, and say hello to the podcast designed to show you the most efficient ways to run a startup. Today, I will be discussing 10 tips to run a start up. First and most important is you have to have the right mindset. Being an entrepreneur takes a financial risk, and if your head isn't in the right place about the money that is being put in, then you're in the wrong career path. Second,..."

THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT

Hi guys, so the most important aspect is sound. For our film, we have set four different sounds that will each have their own part within the opening, all in their own time frame. The four we have are:

1. Business Podcast - While walking and waiting for the train, the boy will be listening to a business podcast. This mixed with the boys clothing hints that he is a business-man, or is training to be one. Me and my group member will be making our own podcast, and we might be the hosts, ahh. 

2. City - The city sounds will provide a natural essence that will make the film seem more genuine. The high quality mic from BECON-TV does an amazing job at isolating and capturing sounds. We could potentially want cars, honks, birds, trains, or people talking, etc. 

3. Poem - The poem explains the whole purpose of the film. We found a friend that has the perfect accent for the poem and has agreed to do it for us. The poem will be from the boys eyes, and he will talk about his story with the girl. 

4. Music - Finally, the music is what pieces the whole story together. The slow melody allows for a tranquil opening with lots of meaning. It's going to be faint in relation to the rest of the sounds, but it should be loud enough that it is heard. 

All in all, the four sounds will work together to tie our whole message together to create a romantic film based on two young adults. 

Editing Process

Hi guys, so my group have started the editing portion for our film. We are using Final Cut Pro as this is the app that my group has readily available for use. We believe this app is amazing for beginner editing as it’s easy to use while still having professional features. I’ve never been fond of editing due to the hard learning curve that comes with it, but Final Cut Pro has slowly taught me the ways of editing.I am still nowhere near pro, but my group member has good editing skills and is willing to teach me everything she knows. 

However, there is a complication. Due to the fact that my group and I haven’t finished filming we are unable to finish the editing, and it is difficult to test fluidity within the opening if we are yet to finish the filming portion.We will test the sound, color, and cuts soon to test how the film looks. 

When will we finish?

Hi guys, so the question still stands, when will we finish? We initially agreed that we would finish it during spring break, but the day was never set. Due to our busy, busy schedules, we will need to collaborate to figure the plan. We came up with alternate endings that will allow us to to create an alternate thought in the mind of the audience, which hints at a breakup between the couple while still not giving too much a way. The alternate ending we have is the boy standing on a balcony, looking at a Polaroid of the girl,  meanwhile he remembers all the memories they had together. This will require us to borrow the camera equipment from BECON-TV again, but that is not a problem. 

Ahhh, the deadline day is slowly creeping on us, but no need for worry, I’ve always been good at time managing. We plan on editing in the next couple of days, and I am free a majority of this spring break, so that will be the most ideal time to finish recording. I'll see you guys soon. 

what’s the name?

Hi guys, so me and my group are in the process of picking out a name. We brought out many options to the table, such as “Nicotina,” “Fumar,”  “Ahogándome,” “Como quererte,” “Siempre Tu,” and “Dolor excito.” We had a lot more ideas but these were the ones that my group and I believed would fit our opening the best. However, I believe that the best option would be “Siempre Tu,” after our song, which translates to always you. In my opinion, this idea fits very well with the general theme of the opening in that he falls in love with this girl who is the complete opposite of him, but they end up breaking up, and the memory of her will always be a part of him. Also, "Siempre Tu" is the name of the song portrayed in our opening. This ultimately connects our story to the name, and it allows for the reader to foreshadow what the film will be about, while not giving everything away. 

WE FILMED>>>

Hi guys, so ITS THE 17th. This is post recording and I have to say I am exhausted. It took about 6 hours to film today and we aren't even done yet. We took hundreds of shots in all different angles to see what would fit best. I had an amazing time with my group and the actors we chose did extremely well, and Ari (female actor) did an amazing job with her ballet routine. I believe that we are on our way to making a great film.

However, we did have a dilemma. So, we began filming at around 3 PM, and it was amazing as the train station had people but it was the right amount of people to make the scene feel more natural. However, as time progressed, more and more people began commuting from the train. At around 7 PM, the train scene had gotten too crowded for us to record, so we decided to walk around and see if we could find a new spot and we tried recording, but it didn't fit the train station. The only solution we had was that we have to go back another day to finish the final shot for the scene.

WE GOT IT!

Hi guys, so I called the Miami Dade County Office to ask if me and my group would be allowed to record at Bay view Park Metro-mover for a school project this Sunday. They told me it would not be a problem, but we have to be safe. They don't want us recording near the tracks as it could potentially be dangerous, and security could become too focused on what we are doing. We have to distance ourselves, but honestly, I couldn't be happier, as we are taking baby steps and we are slowly reaching presentation day. 

We also got the camera gear from a nearby place knows as 'BECON-T' and I am in the midst of learning the mechanics of how to use the gear, as it is very expensive and difficult to maneuver. We received an expensive camera, which looks like this, a large tripod to be able to stabilize our shots, and ring lights to implement bright lights into our opening. We record in less than 5 days, wow! The camera we are using looks a little something like this:

EsTaBLiShiNG ShOt

Hi guys, so on YouTube I found this video, by RhinoCameraGear. It's a short video all on how to shoot establishing shots effectively and how to get our viewers more engaged with the film. My favorite point from the video was the use of three different camera gear to display different forms of establishing shots. Due to the fact that I want to use a drone shot for the establishing shot of my opening, I believe that the one that Rhino used in his video fit my liking the most. 

Here's the video:

I was really intrigued to the concept that our establishing shot has to be perfect. It will set the setting and the mood for the whole film, and I believe that a drone shot from over the train station, mixed with the natural city sounds will present our film well. However, the drone we were going to borrow is not readily available, due the the fact that the owner is on a trip. Hopefully, we can record the establishing shot at a later date and edit it into the video.


RhinoCameraGear. “Shooting ESTABLISHING SHOTS to Make Your Film More Engaging | Move with Rhino - Ep17.” YouTube, YouTube, 2 June 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_h6Eb4MwhI.

Clothing Moodboard

Hi guys, so we have a mood-board for how we want our actors to dress in the film. Due to the fact that the girl is a more outgoing and spontaneous individual, we want to look a little more hippie-like, with a wavy dress and some jewelry. Also, due to the fact that she will be dancing ballet, we would want her to wear ballet shoes so the audience can easily identify what she is doing.
For the guy, he is going to be more business casual. He is a little more shy and to-himself, which is the differences that brings them together early in their lives. He is wearing something a little more business-like, such as a polo or a button-down, as if he is going to work or to an interview.
Overall, I'm really happy on how easy it was for my partner to make this on canva, and I myself am becoming more and more fond of canva.

An actual storyboard?

Hey guys, so my group finally made the final touches and edits to the storyboard, and I have to say, it looks really good. I feel as if the use of a storyboard gives you guys (our audience) some insight as to what the film will look like. The location of our film opening, the train station allows for a lot of open shots with props that will add an emotional connection but can also make the opening seem more whole and genuine. I'm really enjoying blogging to you guys as well as finishing up on the final touches before we begin recording on the 17th, which is already next week! AHHH! I can't wait, and I'll make sure to tell you guys everything about how it went. 

Receiving Critiques

Hi guys, so in class today, we split into groups of five for feedback on each others projects. I found it too be really helpful as I was able to discuss my ideas and receive proper feedback. I shared my ideas and the process me and my group will go through to achieve our purpose through our film opening. I believe that the discussion in between groups was a great way to promote communication and ideas into one another's projects. The group I joined was very fond of my idea and they believed it had potential to be really good. I also felt like giving ideas to other groups gave me some insight into my project. It made me think about all the different ways my partner and I can approach the film. 

Storyboard

Hi guys, so me and my group have decided on what we want to do for the storyboard. After some discussing and brainstorming, our film opening will be split into 5 parts. 

1. Like I said in a previous post, my group and I want to implement a drone shot of the train station. This will be used as an establishing shot to set the location and time of the scene. In the shot, the introduction, such as the title, director, actors, etc. can be placed in a nice and minimal font, and the whole scene will have faint modern music playing the background. My group member suggested a group called Farmacos, and to be honest, I have never heard about them, but I trust in my group members ideas. 

2.  The second shot will be a close up of feet walking across the train station. This will show the actors movement in the film. A few seconds later, our male actor can start reciting the poem. (Still in play)

3. After this, the male actor will stop and take off the headphones he is using, and the music will stop with the action of him taking off his headphones. This can be set in a medium shot to express the actors emotions, actions. This shot will be used to allow the audience to see the man behind the voice. 

4. Classical music begins playing, and a young ballet dancer can be seen dancing around the train station for donations. She dances to the song, and money is seen falling into a bag. 

5. Finally, in a long shot, the dancer is followed using a tracking shot across the train station, where she trips, and is caught by the boy, and that is where the opening comes to a close. 

I'm extremely satisfied with the ideas of my group and I, and I believe that this film opening can be something really great, and I want you guys here EVERY step of the way. 

Snippetsssssss

Hi guys, so in terms of our poem, my group and I have worked on a possible poem that can be recited. It will be read in the Spanish language from North-Eastern Spain. My group member decided the best reason for this would be that it has a nice aesthetic to it, and it will undertone the immigrants living in the United States. We also share a mutual friend that speaks the language, and the accent itself adds a nice touch to the opening. Here's what we have so far in terms of the poem:


Soy un tulipan, y tu eres el agua

Me ahogo en tus infinidades
Me pierdo en tus aventuras

Corro en tus indecisiones

No me encuentro en tus locuras

Me encanto con tus maneras de confundirme

Eres mi debilidad
Estoy perdido en tu ignorarme
Ir escapar de tu principio de tu marchad
Soy un tulipan, y tu eres el agua

This translates to:

I am a tulip, and you are the water

I drown in your infinity

I get lost in your adventures
I run in your indecisions

I can't find myself in your madness

Charmed with yours ways of confusing me
You're my weakness

I'm lost in your ignoring me
Going and escaping from your start to your departure
I am a tulip, and you are the water

I have to give full credit to my partner who came up with the poem, and she took influence from a class she is taking, AP Spanish Literature.

Storyboard?

Hi guys, so me and my group are going through the process of making a storyboard. As soon as we finish up, we are gonna post it here so you can guys can see the process we go through. I believe that posting the story will connect us more to our audience, and it will create a connection as they follow us through our journey. The setting and location of the film is already set to take place at the train tracks, and hopefully we can get drone shots from up top in a cinematic view to creating a good vibe from our location. Recording in the real world compared a controlled environment can lead to certain problems, but our budget only allows us to film in an open environment. That does not mean our film will look cheap, as we will work as hard as possible to make it seem as high quality and professional on our tight budget. We have big plans, so stay tuned!

Romance Research

a. Genre - Romance
b. Content - Romance movies are usually movies centered around love and emotions. It usually centers around a classic theme of boy meets girl and they fall in love. However, a lot of the romances are centered around an obstacle the lovers must overcome, such as financial issues, disease, death, etc. The films are usually targeting female audiences, as the romance genre pertains more to females than males. Also, bright colors and more feminine colors such as pink, red, white, etc. are used in the films. Can sometimes end in a "happy ever after" story, but not always. 
c. Production - In a romance film, an establishing shot sets the setting of the story, and mid shots are used to used to show emotion in a character and create a connection to the audience. Two-shots show a relationship between two characters, in this case, two lovers. Long shots are also used to show the surrounding environment of a characters and their actions. There are many different forms of romantic films, sub genres that include romantic comedies, historical romance, chick-flick, or dramas. Sounds such as a musical instrument or everyday cues set the tone of the story. Also, clothes and makeup choice sets the time frame and the location. 
d. Film Example #1 - Titanic is a love story of two teenagers who embark on the R.M.S Titanic. Society girl Rose DeWitt Bukater is on her way to Philly to marry her snob husband, when she meets young aristocrat Jack Dawson. The film goes through their nights aboard the boat, dancing and having a fun time with each other.  The boat later crashes, leaving the film with a gloomy ending. 
e. Film Example #2 - Romeo and Juliet (1968) is an iconic romance film that begins with two families in Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, who are in an never-ending duel with one another. Young Romeo Montagues goes out to a party, and meets Juliet Capulet, and immediately falls in love at first sight. They each share affection towards each other, but know that they're families will never allow it. They both end up killing themselves in the end, yet again leaving the romantic film with a sad ending. 
f. Examples:

Railroads

Hi guys, so me and my group are in the midst of planning for the film opening. In terms of characters, we don't know how many people we will be using yet, but it will comprise of at least 2 people, and maybe more. The numbers are still in play as we decide the best move for the film. We thought that since this will be a romantic film, the opening should only focus on two main characters. We plan on using a guy, the male lover, recite a poem, sort of like a voice over. He told us he is readily available so that's wonderful news! Now, we are on the hunt for a young girl, who can potentially dance. We will let you know our process on finding the actor.

In terms of technical elements, as this is a romantic film opening, we will be using a slow melody to match the theme. The costume design will be of what we teens use everyday(jeans and a shirt). The opening will be centered on modern times and modern romance, so that is where we got the idea to keep the clothing modernized. We also plan to use as much natural light as we possibly can, to keep the shots bright and full of life as we tell the story in the film. A train station during noon will provide our opening with plenty of natural sunlight and a feeling of warmth. My group ultimately believes that a romantic film opening scene at the train station is the right way to go! Technologically, I believe that we should keep technology to a minimum, as I am someone who firmly believes that the use of technology hinders our ability to view around us, and the story of a romantic couple shouldn't start from technology, but instead love at first site in the real world.