Short film vs. Full length film

 

Now it's time for me to compare and contrast the films. Although I enjoyed both, I definitely did pick a favorite. I felt more connected to the full-length film for a few reasons. I loved the way the characters made you feel for them. They both had a very charismatic sense to the protagonist in the sense that you rooted for them the whole way. In both the short and the feature film, they have antagonists to fight against. The objective in both is to save the supporting characters from the creatures. One of the things I really liked about the full-length film was the expansion of the storyline. They were able to explain a lot of things that my group and I were confused about. We discussed, after viewing the short film, that we weren't sure what the bright green dolls were. The feature film was able to provide clarity as to how they differed. We all agreed this was due to the amount of time they had to tell the story, in comparison to the 7-minute film. Something that they had in common was the action.  Both films had you on the edge of your seat, which I appreciated. It really gets the viewer interested in the outcome of the characters' adventures. I feel that this is key to a successful movie. Something I mentioned in a previous blog was the animation style. It was another way that I felt invested in the characters, Being able to see the emotion that was put into these films made it a great experience. I'm glad I gave these films a chance. 

Research 9, the film

 

I was very excited to watch this film, but also kind of nervous. I had seen the short film and thought it was definitely interesting. With the short film, I went into it not knowing anything about it. With the film, I had already had a sort of preview as to the characters and it was about. I knew that I had to give it a chance like I did the short film. It didn't turn out the way I expected but in a good way. The short film gave off very dark energy. Whether it was because of the lighting design or the events that took place, I felt very nervous for the main character, 9. Along with the protagonist, there were a few other characters. 5, 6, and 7 were 9's friends. One of the things I appreciated is that they had a female character. It may seem minor, but it's important for viewers to have that influence. Especially if they're children. This film also has a very unique way of showing character development One of the characters, 1 begins as fearful and shy, but ends up sacrificing himself to save his loved ones. There were a few moments where his friends weren't the most confident in his skills to help them. They all did their part in assisting, like 6 giving him advice, and 7 help save some of her friends. I felt that the ending was very appropriate. It tied the whole film together in an accomplishing way. I ended up enjoying this film more than I thought. It was interesting to be able to compare it to the short film and see how the director expanded on the story. 

Research "9", the Short

 

    Earlier today, I watched the short film "9". Before even watching, this interested me because it was made into a feature film. As a student in a college-level media course, I can only imagine how much of a dream come true it must've been to be able to make your short film into a full-length film. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the film because I tend to be particular about the animation styles I prefer. In the beginning, it definitely interested me, but not enough that I would've watched it on my own. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the animation. This short film has a way of getting you invested in the characters. They definitely started this by showing you the friendship that the character, 5 and 9, had. After that, they introduce the antagonist and the way it kills 5. It seems to be a sort of, almost robotic, spider-like figure. The rest of the film shows the different ways 9 outsmart it. An aspect of this that I enjoyed was the varying perspectives. It presents, at one point, a POV of what the antagonist sees, which was a good way of emphasizing the pressure 9 was under. I also appreciated the use of character development. 9 was clearly terrified of this creature, but he knows he has to find a way to survive. This short film has a way of growing on you and that is partially due to the endearing emotion that is expressed by the characters. Again, the animation style allows you to see the malevolence that exudes from the spider-like creature and the anxiety that is plastered on 9's face. I am definitely excited to see how Shane Ackman, the creator, expands on this story in the full-length film. My next two blogs will be analyzing that and how they compare. 

Genre choice for film

 We had a couple of options for what genre we wanted to label our short film as. There was LGBT+, comedy, and romance. We took enough time to research all of them thoroughly. We went through all of the common aspects of each. We were able to immediately rule out one of the genres. The comedy one didn't necessarily fit with the vision that we have for the short film. We were able to break down the ideas and compare them to the other two options. We considered the romance genre for a while because of the love triangle that is shown. While it is a very present part of the film, we didn't want it take take away from the message. We had to step back and look at the bigger picture. We want it to stand for all the LGBT+ teens that could use support. We felt that the LGBT+ genre was most fitting for our film. We believe the pitch is great as it is. It previes the audience to the LGBT+ aspect, along with setting the tone for it as a teen film. It stamps it as a tool that can be used for guidance. This piece will have the beautiful blend of giggles and tears that is so desired in coming of age movies. We could not be more excited to continue this journey as amateur filmmakers. This class has introduced us to the passion we have for promoting love through a screen. We are so ready to begin the process to do just that. 

Genre Research- LGBT+, Comedy, and Romance

 Some examples, CAMS in the LGBTQ+ genre, for costumes the characters usually wear modern clothes. this is because they are usually set in present day. Some common angles in this genre usually. With movements, this genre usually has tilts, pans, zooms and tracking shots. Sounds of this genre include music from either LGBTQ+ aritsts or music about sexuality. The Mis-en-scene usually is influenced by mood or tone. The lighting is usually adjusted to reflect how the character(s) is feeling. With clothing, movies in this genre can show character progression thruogh how they express themselves with their clothes. The editing in this genre is pretty standard, there is more of emphasis on drama. An example from this genre is Love Simon. Some elements I like about this genre the chemistry between the actors can be really good, and the movies can be really representative of the community. An element I dont really like is that some of these can be very stereotypical. For Comedy, some examples of CAMS is that some of the clothes can can be very goofy. Angles can range from being normal, or being really expressive. movies in this genre usually has tilts, pans, zooms and tracking shots. Music in this genre is usually goofy. Mis en scene usually has an emphasis on keeping things entertainingly funny. An example of this genre is WaterBoy. An element I like is that I can get a lot of enjoyment out of these movies. An element I don't like is that these movies can be a bit too childish. For romance, examples of CAMS are the characters usually wear modern clothes. this is because they are usually set in present day. Some common angles in this genre usually. With movements, this genre usually has tilts, pans, zooms and tracking shots. Sounds of this genre include music about love. For Mis en Scene scenes are usually  influenced by mood or tone. The lighting is usually adjusted to reflect how the character is feeling. With clothing, movies in this genre can show character progression thruogh how they express themselves with their clothes. The editing in this genre is pretty standard, there is more of emphasis on drama. An example from this genre is The Notebook. An element I like is that movies of this gnere can be really touching. An element I don't like is that these movies can be unbearably corny and tend to get repetative.

Genres my group and I are researching!

 The genres that my group will be exploring and researching are the LGBTQ+, comedy, and romance genres. My group and I agree that the film we are planning on doing fits in best with these genres. They share similarities of fun and young adult movies, which is what we hope our film will be. To start off, our film will be centered around a young girl who is figuring out her sexuality and if she likes girls, while also being in a straight relationship. Because we will be focusing on LGBTQ+ relationships, it would make sense to research the LGBTQ+ genre. We are excited to research the LGBTQ+ genre because we want to learn more about it because it is not a common genre. We also hope to bring light to LGBTQ+ relationships, which need to be talked about in the media more. Also, we think that romance will be a good genre to explore and see if we want that to be our genre. Our film will have 2 relationships, but they will not be the focus of the film. We have Cassidy's (the main character) relationship with her boyfriend and we also have her relationship with the new girl, and if she wants that to be romantical. We might not choose to do a romance genre, however. This is because the center of our film is not as much about her relationship with the new girl or her boyfriend and more about her exploring if she likes the new girl and exploring her sexuality. This will be a good genre to research, though. Even if it not the main part of our film, it does play an important part. Cassidy is trying to see if she wants a romantic relationship with a girl. The last genre we might research is comedy. This genre we are the least likely to do. Our film is about sexuality and romance and, even if it is funny, that will probably not be the basis of our film. We will look into it, though, to see if we would like to do it and what it entails. All of these genres have their similarities so it is our job to explore how they are different and decide on one.