Planning:

     To be able to have a everything in order and not to fall behind in any aspect for our project, I took the liberty to create a calendar with a schedule specific for our project. To be able to do this efficiently, I asked my partner about her schedule, so the calendar could fit both of our daily schedules and we could both follow it. This calendar is on "google calendar", which means I can share it with my partner, so she can also access it anytime she wants. However, I did add personal events such as blog postings.
      I color coded the calendar so it would be easier to follow: AICE Media (referring to the days we have in-school time to work on the project), Meeting (meetings with my partner outside of school in order to discuss about important decisions regarding the project, Filming (usually during the weekend, those are the days we plan to use to film the video), Editing (these days will include working on "Wevideo" together, choosing music, and other important aspects to create the video), and finally Blog Postings (this category is mostly for me, and to remind me to keep posting on my blog to keep everything updated).

March Calendar

      I felt creating a specific schedule would be very helpful, since there is so much my partner and I must do in a small amount of time. In addition, this will make sure we do not leave anything for the last minute, and we have time to go back and edit anything that we could be missing or we might want to change.

Choosing our Project:
My partner Lucia and I have decided to make a film opening. This will the the opening scenes to a thriller movie, which the name is yet to be decided.  In order to make the opening scene as well as possible, my partner and I will conduct a research about the genre.


Thrillers:

In order to truly incorporate thriller elements into our film opening, I went ahead and did some research if my own about the genre. This genre is based on promoting feelings of intense excitement, suspense, and anxiety on its audience. The thrill usually occurs when the main character is placed in an uncomfortable or menacing situation. This creates a the feeling of keeping the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats'. As the plot unfolds, the main character is constantly faced with these types of situations, which create even more thrill. 
      Since I will be only doing the opening scenes of a film, it is important to be able to create that suspense on the first few minutes, and making the audience want to continue watching. In addition, based on some recommendations made by our teacher, we have to make sure we do not make the opening scenes feel or look like a trailer, so we have to be really careful of how we plan to film and edit the video.

“THRILLER - SUSPENSE FILMS .” Most Influential, Significant and Important Films in American Cinema - The 1960s, AMC Network Entertainment, www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html.      

Music Marketing Project:

 Summary:
      In this project, my group and I had to create an artist based on a song previously selected by our teacher. We had to create a marketing campaign in order to be able to make our "up and coming"artist famous. To be able to properly market our artist, we had to research about marketing trends conducted by similar artists. Since our song was alternative rock, we has to familiarize ourselves with bands and artists that produced the same type of music such as Panic At The Disco! and Twenty One Pilots. After our research was done, we had to create different social media accounts in order to promote the artist. We also created a website to incorporate technological convergence. Furthermore, we made our own merchandise: t-shirts, hats, and sweaters, in order to  advertise the musician, and to create a connection with the fans.
      Finally, we created a music video of the song. The video represented the tone and mood of the music. Due to our research we learned what the message original band was trying to portray through their music, and with our music video we also tried to demonstrate a similar message. We utilized different techniques to be able to do this. For example, specific lighting, props, different shots and angles, all of these in order to be able to make a great music video for the artist.

Research:
      In order to be able to create and market an artist, my group and I had to conduct a research to learn more about the music industry and the genre of the song we had. The genre of the sonf we had was alternative rock, and through our research we learned different things that helped us with our final project.  For example, alternative rock is music that refers specifically to the punk/new wave-rooted style that emerged in the 1980s. It is influenced by folk music reggae electronic and jazz., and the catchy tunes and lyrics about situations that young adults usually go through. For this reason the target audience is 16-30 years old.
                                                                                                                           In addition, we had two case studies were we learned even more about the alternative rock genre. Panic At The Disco!, which they focus on highly produced concerts and live shows with direct fan interaction. Also, they elaborate guerrilla marketing campaign prior to the release of new albums including hints of release dates, teasers, social media posts, etc. They distribute their music in different ways: on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Radio, physical copies, Live shows, etc. Similarly, Twenty One Pilots has created a website where fans can purchase merchandise, look at videos, get informed about the latest  and future live events, and purchase concert tickets. They also have social media accounts such as Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. Both case studies helped us learn how to market our artist. For example, have social media accounts, and post daily to create a connection with the fans. Create a website is another important part for the artist, and having merchandise. Finally, we learned that our artist should have a care-free attitude because that is was the fans of this music genre relate to and like.

Marketing Creations: 
       To be able to market our artist "Agord" we created different social media accounts were people can be constantly updated about the artist's life. In the Instagram account, "Agord" posted images about upcoming events, merchandise, and the new music video. We utilized Instagram because based on our research 16-35 years old use Instagram more than any other social media, which is that age group is exactly our target audience. Instagram became the most important social media account.                                                                                                                                                                                                               
      In addition we created a website where fans can easily access the latest news about "Agord". In this website one can find the single "Badfish", which is the song we were given. Also, one can find the music video, upcoming tour dates tickets, a "learn about me" section where one can get to know "Agord" more, merchandise purchasing section, a "contact us" section where fans could send gifts and letters to the artists or can win give-aways. Finally, in the same website, there is a specific section for a blog. In this blog, "Agord" talks about his life and what he is constantly doing. This way fans can get to know him on a personal level. In addition, he talks about the releases of new singles and music videos. The website is the perfect way to market, and distribute the music and the artist.

https://marianaanzola02.wixsite.com/website     ----> Agord's website

Analysis:

      By doing this project, I learned several techniques I could use for my portfolio project. For example, I learned how to properly create a marketing campaign for any medium. Also, as my group and I created the music video, I learned new editing techniques that I could incorporate in the project. I learned how to work with colors and lights. Finally, I learned how to keep a whole theme throughout the video, and marketing campaign in order to have consistency and be able to keep an audience interested. 

Romantic Comedy
Genre Conventions- content: Romantic comedy films, also called "rom-com", consist of films that usually end in happy endings. Usually ending in marriage or two people ending up as a couple. Also, they are centered around the idea of finding "true love", where the main characters overcome many obstacles to become the perfect couple. The comedy content of these films derives from how the partners meet. For example, in unusual or comic circumstances. In addition another comedic aspect to these films is the existence of various obstacles between the main characters such as miscommunication or misunderstanding, and when the two individuals are separated the realized they are "perfect" for each other.  In the end rom-coms show a "meet-cute", which means how the characters meet, and the plot line for them to end up together with a happy ending.
Genre Conventions- production techniques: In romantic comedies, one of the main aspects is having the main character being a woman. Also, these films have usually smart, humorous, and snappy dialogue. To keep the audience happy and the film enjoyable, usually these films have a predictable happy ending. Finally these movies combine sexy and funny. The films must have scenes about love that include a comical dialogue to ease the tension.
Film Sample #1: Clueless directed by Amy Heckerling in 1995. Tells the story about Cher who is a spoiled rich girl that lives in Beverly Hills. When a girl named Tai transfers to Cher's school, Cher and her best friend, Dionne, give Tai a makeover. Cher decided that all of them should find Tai a boyfriend. During these quest, Cher realizes she wants a boyfriend of her own. She finds a guy named Christian, and she invites him over to his house, but while watching a movie it is clear that he wants nothing more than a friendship. Cher is told by her friends that she has been misunderstanding Christian, as he is "obviously gay".  In the end, Cher realizes that she was in love with her father's ex-wife's son, Josh,  all along who had always been there for her when she needed him, and they become a couple.
Film Sample #2:  The Proposal directed by Anne Fletcher in 2009. The main character, Margaret Tate, is a well known senior editor from Canada who works at a New York publishing house. One day US immigration officers come to her office, and tell her that she will be deported due to the expiration of her work visa. In that instant, she lies and tells them that she will be marrying her assistant, Andrew, who is american. The officers give her a certain amount of time to get married before she is deported. The two characters travel to Alaska where Andrew's family lives. In the time there, the couple ends up actually falling in love. The fake wedding is called off, but the fake couple become a real couple, and they go back to the US. In the end, the two characters end up engaged.
Other Film Examples: Pretty Woman, 10 Things I Hate About You, Never Been Kissed, Crazy Stupid Love, Princess Bride, 13 Going On 30.  

     

        During this project, there are several points I will need to address. In this case is about representation of a group of people. In films, different groups of people have  set characteristics that fit their identities. Sometimes these descriptions do not truly achieve to represent a group correctly. For example, in many cases women not represented well in films. Making sure women are represented well in films is an important point for any film.
        Women in film are, in most cases, portrayed the same. They are shown as delicate over exaggerated people that need a man to save them from trouble. For example in the film, 13 Going On 30, describes the story of how a young girl travels into the future. She is portrayed as this defenseless woman who finds out that in the time she grew from 13 to 30, she became a writer who only cares about money and sleeping with men. In addition, all her female friends are just like her. In the end of the movie she realizes she is in love with her childhood's best friend, and goes back in time, just to go marry him instead. This film is a perfect example how films do not represent women well. Films do not show any depth into a female character, and shows them as shallow. In these film, and many others, woman need saving from themselves, and need a man to make a life changing realization. In addition, in the film Pretty Woman, describes the story about this young woman who is a "lady of the evening" in other words, "hooker". One night she meets a very wealthy man, and he takes her to his hotel room and asks her to be his pretend girlfriend for a week. In this period of time, the two characters end up falling in love with each other, and she ends up with him, and no longer is she in the streets. All these examples demonstrate how poorly woman are represented. These characteristics are not fair, since all woman are different and have more depth than what is being shown.
        Even though most women are represented poorly, there are ways they have some representation. For example in Pretty Woman, works extremely hard to make some money, and  during the film, one gets to know the reasons why she ended up doing that job. Also in the film, The Proposal, tells the story of a woman who wealthy senior editor. There are several films that demonstrate hardworking woman who are successful. These characteristics should be retained. The only characteristics I would challenge would be how women are demonstrated as shallow. This is completely incorrect, and more now a days films should address this problem and portray women having real issues more than just needing a man. In addition, demonstrating how hard a woman works without any help, and becomes successful.

Thriller
Genre conventions-content: A thriller film is based on an exciting plot. Most of the times the story line

consists and  revolves around anticipation, suspense, and tension. With the purpose to create certain
emotions to its audience such as fear, laughter, surprise, and sadness. Aiming to keep the audience on the

edge of their seats.

Genre conventions- production techniques: These films consist of very specific lighting to portray

their intended message. For example, by using low key lighting  (a lighting effect that uses one light

source to enhance shadows in a scene) creates a very dark scene, and based where the light is placed

can cover half of an object; therefore, leaving the rest in the darkness. This creates disturbances and

gives an effect of mystery. In addition, thriller films generally use very dark filters to keep the idea of

confusion or mystery. Mysterious locations are also used often. Also, camera placement is essential for the story telling of a thriller movie. To bring out a specific emotion in the audience such as surprise, a sudden cut from wide to close-up will give that effect.  Furthermore, a strange angle above an actor will also enhance a feeling of confusion used by many thriller films. These variations are a way of controlling when the audience, and makes them feel the intensity.
Institutional conventions –  how is genre marketed: Most thriller films have been seen to be
preferred by men due to all the action involved. For that reason, and to keep the theme of suspension,
logos and commercials for these films are aggressive and dark. Further demonstrating the intensity of
the movie, and attracting more viewers.
Film sample #1: Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky. The film starts with frames that are pitch
black with white font showing the title ‘Black Swan’, which the color black  of the frame implies the
dark theme. Creates suspension and anticipation. Accompanying with the Swan Lake music that is
soft and slow This creates anticipation emphasizing the feeling of mystery, which is essential to the
thriller genre. As the movie continues, the color effects stay very dark and opaque maintaining the idea
of suspense. In addition these characteristics demonstrate the main character’s mental health, as Vincent
Cassel  goes crazy toward the end of the film.
Film sample #2: Get Out directed by Jordan Peele. This film embodies the genre social-thriller as the
plot of the story is about a group of people hurting another. The film starts as a normal film, then the
climax of the plot develops during the night time. This allows for a natural way to darken the
atmosphere of the movie, achieving the goal of suspense and tension, which is what a thriller film is
composed of.
More examples of thriller movies: Split, Jaws,Vertigo, American Psycho, and A Quiet Place.