Costume Design

     I want to create a character that has an old school, vintage, unique, trendy style that represents her distinctive and confident persona. I want her to look as if she cares about her appearance and is happy with what she sees in herself as a person. With the use of blending fun colors in her clothing, it can help establish her personality as well as her attitude towards her life. What the main character wears has a large impact and will help distinguish the mood and style of the production. I want her to wear something that looks as if she is a trendsetter and a leader with ambition. Her costume will aid in the process of introducing her personality from the beginning just based on what she wears and how she presents herself to the people around her.

     I believe that some outfit inspirations I found on Pinterest is a great resource for my project. I think that this platform is going to be beneficial to the process of selecting the final outfits and costume props for the characters in my opening. In the links down below it includes the Pinterest costume design inspiration as well as another website that I obtained more information about costume design and the importance of it and the impact it has on the production. One specific costume prop I'm looking for is a painted denim jacket which I was inspired to do in order to show that the main character is an artist with boldness, creativity, and confidence.

denim jacket idea

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=painted%20denim%20jacket&rs=typed

outfit ideas

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=aesthetic%20outfits%20vintage%20school&rs=guide

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=unique%20outfits%20for%20school&rs=typed

costume design research

https://aact.org/costume-designer

            

Finally developed an idea...

     One idea was inspired by something I wrote for creative writing class. I wrote the first three chapters to a romance novel, I really enjoyed writing it and seeing it come to life would be really interesting. However, for this project I think it is cliche and may come across as quite boring. This plot idea is about a girl that lost her dad and gets anxious when she hears sirens because it gives her flashbacks about what happened. She has no interest in finding a boyfriend because she has a fear of losing her loved one as her mom did. If I were to use this as an idea I would establish the main character and then the first interaction with a guy, but I know with a more unique idea I can execute something better.
      Another idea I was thinking about would be establishing an idea that is relatable to teenagers in our generation which is two best friends, a girl and a guy, unexpectedly falling in love. Maybe something I can do is establish the main character as a girl and she is walking to class with her guy best friend and he hands her a paper that is a bucket list of  they want to do together and he waits outside. After thinking about this and discussing the idea with my peers I think it is also cliche and not that interesting.
     I think I want to take a more simple approach in which I can develop a straightforward two minute film opening. The first two minutes may not involve a romance element just yet because that may be an element that would be included further on in the movie. I would want it to be a scene involving  about this teenage girl that has a list of things she wants to do before she graduates and the main focus would be to show the credits in a unique way, develop the main character, and the concept of her being a teenager seeking for adventure and fun things in her life.

 Sharing film opening ideas and brainstorming with my classmate Briana 

Week 3 Schedule

This is my plan for staying organized with my production process for next week. I am hoping to complete all of my blogposts and come up with a strong film opening idea. This weekend I am going to a leadership conference in the Keys, so I need to make sure to be productive and get the work done during the week. I want to execute as many film techniques as I can in order to ensure my film opening is a strong piece and full of unique elements that will engage the audience. Although romance is not a popular genre used for this assignment, I believe that it will be a success with the hard work and motivation that I have. Organization will be important because it is an effective way for me to check in and make sure I get my work done efficiently and on time.

February 24
Begin outline of production
Brainstorm unique ideas for the scene
Start deciding who to choose for casting (the two main subjects)

Create a posting about this

February 25
Create a blogpost of a summary of the idea and how I plan to execute it and any other changes made

February 26
Watch more romance film openings for ideas and research about costume design

February 27
Create a posting about costume design choices and start thinking about the setting, and the best places to shoot (try to go to places or look online for pictures)

Color schemes and Lighting

 If I decide to go for a more positive and uplifting film opening I want the lighting and color scheme to display that. In this case I would make sure to include fill light and avoid key light or back light because it would make the subject appear darker. Some color scheme ideas for romance involves shades of warmer colors such as pinks, reds, and oranges. The purpose of this color use is to set the mood of the film by including colors that represent love, compassion, enthusiasm, and intimacy. Shades of brown is a natural color that displays a sense of strength and reliability. These shades also represent resilience, dependability, security, and safety. Brown also displays the feelings of warmth, comfort, and security. In my opening I am hoping to use color schemes as a way of adding to a simple scene and help improve the quality of my piece.

Another color scheme that can be used in romance films is shades of blue and purple. Blues are known for displaying a sense of peace, tranquility, security, and order. Shades of blue can also demonstrate the sophistication that a character may acquire. Lighter blues can add a soft element to the scene and an the other hand, it can even be used in parts of the movie when something sad is occurring. Shades of purple combines the effect of stability and calmness of blue and the fierceness of reds. Purple can be used to add ambition, devotion, pride, and luxury to the scene, in some cases can be beneficial to the overall mood of the romance film.

Shot ideas for my production

                                          

Close-up- A close up shot allows the audience to see just the characters face in order to make a judgment on what they might be feeling or thinking by displaying expression. In romance films these shots are usually used to show whether a character might be in love, hurt or rejected.




Mid-Shot- In romance movies these shots are used frequently in order to determine the character’s body language towards the other character. This can be displayed by allowing the audience to see whether they are shy around each other or comfortable around one another.




Long Shot- This shot allows the audiences to clearly see the character’s entire body along with some of the scenery. Long shots in romances can determine how much space the characters have around them and how close the two main characters are to one another. This is important because it can be a good judgement for an audience on how much they like or in some cases dislike each other at that point in the movie.



Extreme Long Shot- Although I am not planning on using this shot frequently it could benefit to to my film opening. An extreme long shot is typically used in order for the audience to see the scenery where the characters are and to establish where they are. In romances, the setting will usually be of a famous landmark or town so the audience can relate more to film as I said in my previous research.



Over the Shoulder- This shot is typically used to show that a conversation between two characters is taking place. This shot can also help establish a relationship between two characters as well as making the conversation or interaction less boring with the camera angle.





Two shot- These shots are used throughout romance films frequently to show how the characters relationship develops throughout the film. This shot is commonly used to have both subjects in frame and to show their interaction together.

                                                                                   

Romance Film Opening Examples

Dirty Dancing 

This opening scene is in black and white and is shot in slow motion. The importance of these choices are to add to the romantic element of the film and display a sense of connection between the two characters. The font of the credits are displayed in cursive and they are pink which display a sense of elegance and stands out on the black and white images. The opening scene is of a couple dancing to the non diegetic sound of the music playing in the background. The couple is dancing intimately and close together which displays their close relationship and relates it back to the title. Then a car drives by and the images change out of black and white to color and pans at it drives by. There is a cut to a woman reading a book in the car with the use of a voice over of her talking to introduce her as a main character and begin the movie. 

The Notebook

The opening of the notebook includes calm, non diegetic, piano music throughout the whole opening scene and fades away towards the end. The credits are slowly displayed in white text to contrast with the warm hues of the scene. The purpose of the color choices is to show that red is related to love,passion, intimacy, and romance, which is foreshadowing the vibe of the movie. There are birds flying throughout the scene and this may be to show peace of symbolism of something else. This scene is filmed in slow motion to set a more serious and soft tone to the scene. This scene involves simplicity and calmness and includes the perspective of the main character into consideration.

So I did some research on Romance...

The romance genre involves the theme of a love story and whether or not it has a happy or sad ending. Many times the plot may be based on a true story which adds a sense of realness and authenticity to the film. The romance genre also has many sub genres that add a different element to the film, for example Romantic-Comedies. This sub genre involves some humorous elements the lack of seriousness in the romantic relationship between the two characters.  For the audience, romantic films serve as a great escape, particularly if the two people finally resolve their challenges, declare their love, and experience a "happily ever after" which can be implied by a reconciliation and final kiss.

Romance films typically involve an emotional element or problem such as, the characters going through a loss of a family member, heartbreak, mental instability, financial problems, or any other hardship. The setting of these films are important because they typically commence in an urban environment or in a popular location that most viewers could recognize. Some examples of where romance films can be set in is: New York, on the beach, or at school. The main characters tend to be two alluring young adults, which is mainly to target the adolescent audience.    

                          
The mise-en-scene techniques help create a better representation of the passion between two characters. This helps achieve the overall aim of romance productions. Sound is a focal characteristic of the romance genre. The mood of the scene or how the characters are feeling can depend on the instrumentals or other musical effects that are integrated to it. These sounds can be either diegetic or non diegetic, and they both can add more emotion to a scene. The narrative of a love story with sounds that correlate to the mood of the scene can engender more intimacy between the characters, which is a consequential aspect of romance.    
Costume design is also another important element. The audience can learn a lot about the main character's personality based on their style relative to that time period. If there is a character wearing a dress with warm hues it may signify a sense of passion, excitement, and it may add a more loving connection in the plot. Red color clothing may add a more powerful, sexy connotation to the narrative. Whereas, white may add a sense of purity and innocence, both of them can show a lot about the character's inner self or how they are feeling about something or someone. Lighting is important in romance because it can also alter the mood of the scene. A more intimate scene would most likely include lighting that is far more dim to set a more romantic feel to the scene. Brighter lighting can be used when the two subjects meet or engage in a less intimate activity. Props can be incorporated to add a sense of symbolism to the story or to create a romantic connection between the characters.
Typically this film genre is aimed at women ages 13-18 and sometimes older. Romance films are conventionally revolved around the girl, so it magnetizes a female audience. Plenty of times the film poster will include a picture of the two main characters to draw the attention of the target audience. The main goal is to express the idea that the film will include the love story of two people that come together and establish a beautiful, romantic relationship. The movie poster can attract the audience by displaying the characters to be posing close together or in a romantically connected fashion. Another way romance's are marketed is by the film trailer. These trailers will include the highlights of the movie that may persuade potential viewers to watch the whole thing. Depending on the sub genre, it may either include a humorous or intimate scene. In many cases it will include well known actors, this is because fans will go out of their way to watch the film just because it includes the actors they enjoy watching.

Music Marketing Project

a. The genre for our music marketing project was Alternative

b. Current marketing trends within this genre includes the use of collaborations with other familiar artists. This is beneficial because it can help gain more exposure and build the fanbase for the other band or artist. Another marketing strategy is releasing sneak peeks or snippets of latests singles in order to add excitement for new music releases. This is used to further promote the artist/band and its brand. Another trend is using social media such as, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter to promote the band's latest music and merchandise. Another marketing trend is the use of  a website, this promotes and allows for the fans to receive more information about the band and upcoming events. 

c. We chose to develop the brand of our band by implementing a modern day 50's theme. This was to display to our fanbase that it is important for us to live with no regrets or worries. Similar to the 50's generation the teenagers at that time were less stressed and they lived their lives to the fullest. Our band seeks to inspire teenagers, which is the majority of our target audience, with our music in order to maintain that mentality and strive to live their best lives.  Another way we developed our brand is through the use of inspirational messages on Twitter. This allows Reckless X to develop a more personable relationship with the fans and have a positive impact on them. Our band also used photography as a way to at another artistic element to the brand. This is something that interests the demographic of the target audience and is a way to make Reckless X stand out from other alternative bands.

d. Some marketing products we created were a beanie and sweatshirt as well as tangible forms of our music such as vinyls and cassettes.

e. Throughout the process of creating a music video, what I learned during production is that it is very important to maintain organized and plan accordingly. My group worked together to create a story board for all elements of the song including the introduction. Through the use of costume design, mis-en-scene elements, and camera movement techniques the production was able to develop to brand and market the up and coming band. When developing the marketing campaign it was important to include creative elements of why our alternative group is different than the others and why it would attract the target audience. It was also important to include different ways to build a fanbase and what Reckless X would do to promote their group.