Props

 Within my piece, I'll be using props as one of my key elements of mise-en-scene throughout my piece. The most important prop in my piece is the umbrella, which is what the main character will use when investigating who's in his house. 

This umbrella showcases mainly the main character's fear and uncertainty, while also being a highlighter of his bravery. This is because the character chooses what's closest to him, but doesn't go for an actual weapon. 

The umbrella also helps create the shift in tone from suspense to comedy. As the friend is discovered, the friend instinctively responds with the umbrella, which creates the first comedic scene in the opening. This transforms the umbrella's hidden meaning from a symbol of fear to a source of comedy. It also allows the tension created within the scene to become relaxed.

I'll also use the backpack of the main character as a prop. This will contribute to the main character's personality, hinting at the everyday routine and establishing the initial equilibrium. 

All in all, I'm going to carefully place these props within this scene in order to support the development of my characters. I look forward to using the props to create a realistic environment while adding to the suspense and comedy of the scene.

Planning my Audio

 When working on my piece, I will include mainly dialogue. At the very beginning, I plan to include non-diegetic audio to gently establish the beginning and unease as the character is at work and comes home. I'm also going to incorporate a bit of foley sounds in the piece. These sounds will be used to model things like: creaking of door and floorboards, footsteps on the floor, & the sound of the umbrella opening. 

While the main character is walking through the house, I will be having suspenseful music in the scene. This helps me play my trick on the audience, and make them think that this a thriller rather than a lighthearted comedy. Once the character discovers the intruder, the music in the scene will switch to a score with a more lighthearted sense, and then close when the dialogue starts. 

My dialogue will create a dynamic which mirrors the friendship that my actors already have. This will help the scene feel much more natural. I'll incorporate things like laughter to add to the tone I'm trying to create. 

Overall, I want to make the audience become immersed into the experiences and the life of the character. I'll be sure to use my non-diegetic audio cautiously so it makes the scene seem more genuine rather than reduce the authenticity. 

Character Development

 In the opening of my film, I want to make sure the audience can immediately understand who the two characters are so that they can understand the message behind this piece. 

I introduce the protagonist as a regular corporate "slave". He arrives home to what appears to be the normal environment. This moment of calm allows the audience to see him as an ordinary and relatable person before the suspense starts. However, when he notices the door is open, his reaction immediately shows the brave aspects of his personality. Instead of running away, he investigates the house while holding an umbrella for protection. This shows that although he is nervous, he is also curious and brave.

The intruder scene plays a major role in shaping the tone of the film to comedy. When the friend jumps out, the audience experiences relief and humor, but this moment also establishes the dynamic between the two characters. Their interaction suggests a comfortable and playful friendship, suggesting that relationships will be important for the film.

My goal with this opening is to present characters that feel authentic and relatable so that audiences become invested early on. By mixing the moment of suspense with humor and friendship, I will be able to introduce key personality traits of the character. This ensures that the audience completely understands the purpose of my opening.

My Storyboard

 In preparing for my project, I've come up with a quick storyboard that creates a small track of how my piece will flow. This is what it looks like:

In the next few days, I'll be figuring out things like mise-en-scene and the small details that add to my piece.

Media Theory I'll Be Using

 The media theory that matches with my idea the most is Todorov's Narrative Theory of Equilibrium. This theory includes three key points: equilibrium, disequilibrium, and a new equilibrium. 

Here's how each part of my idea plays into the theory:

1. Equilibrium: The main character spends a very ordinary day working, and comes home.

2. Disequilibrium: The main character sees that his front door is open. This creates a sense of suspense throughout the piece. The main character follows and then starts trying to find who entered his home.

3. New Equilibrium: The main character sees his best friend and the tone of the scene becomes lighthearted again. Their conversation becomes very trip-focused, setting a new normal.

Here's how the theory has been seen in the films I discussed earlier:

The Hangover:

1. Equilibrium: A normal wedding weekend is expected.

2. Disequilibrium: The groom disappears.

3. New equilibrium: The groom is found and the rest of the friends make it to the wedding, but the friends returned changed men.

Superbad:

1. Equilibrium: Two best friends walk to school having a regular conversation.

2. Disequilibrium: They realize graduation is approaching and their lives are about to change.

3. New Equilibrium: They adopt a mission to create unforgettable memories.

Portfolio Project: My Idea

 I'm someone that is in love with films regarding friendships, relationships, travel, and adventure. Having watching and loving films like The Hangover, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Hindi films), I had to create something along the same lines when I got the opportunity to do this project. 

That's why I'm creating an opening for a film focusing on the adventures of a group of friends. I plan on having a suspense starting, where the main character walks into his house to see his door open, and walks around with an umbrella, trying to find who is there. He gets scared by his friend, who was the intruder, and the two friends then discuss an idea to travel somewhere and go on a group trip. My opening will consist of the planning, setting up the stage for the actual trip when it happens (later in the film). 

I'm still ironing this idea out. I'm working on a script/storyboard that I can use to visualize the idea, and will be making it both feasible while keeping the quality of the idea without compromise.

Group Meeting 1

 Yesterday was our first group meeting. My group and I (randomly selected) all presented our ideas for our film project, and were given feedback based on what we personally thought of each other's projects.

Listening to everyone's ideas showed me how inspiration can be used to create different and unique ideas.

Here are a few of the notes that I took during the meeting:

Group Meeting 1 Notes –

·       Gustavo is going for something similar to Bullet Train (comedy/action)

o   He needs actors, and he’s the producer/director

o   He wants to either make his music or grab it from Epidemic Sound

·       Sebastian is creating a car-based action comedy

·       My idea

o   Gustavo thinks dialogue takes longer than I would assume

o   Cut the first portion of the clip to around 20

o   Maybe something like the van scene from Ant-Man

·       Vitor’s idea is a fusion of some movies

o   He wants to show a band that is looking for success but is really bad

o   His idea might be a little too much for a 2-minute slot, and if it’s not done properly then it could feel really cramped

·       Lina wants to make a coming of age film similar to Juno

o   She wants to show an attempt to escape from reality, wants to show the opening following her day (something like my Ladybird)