Update & CCR Question #4 Draft!

Hey guys! I've had more free time on my hands lately due to us being stuck in quarantine, so I decided to create a draft of one of the Creative Critical Reflection (CCR) questions which you will see once we complete our project. But first, I just had a quick update on the current status of school. 

Earlier today, our county's school superintendent announced that schools will not be reopening till at least May 1st. 😭 If you've read my previous blogs, originally they told us April 15th would be the earliest but that got pushed back since this virus has only kept spreading. The chances of me getting to go back to school for the end of my senior year are looking slim unfortunately. But anyway, let's get onto the draft of the CCR question.

 How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

  Throughout the process of my portfolio project, Nick and I used various electronic resources. From the very beginning of our project, we have been using Blogger.com to document every step of the process. Within my blog, users are able to see all the struggles and challenges we overcame, as well as an insight to our thought process when creating our short film and additional components. This is the same site I used last year to create my film opening, "Ninety Degrees", for AICE Media Studies AS. 

  Another tool Nick and I have found super helpful was the Collaborative Notes option through iCloud. I’ve never used this tool before Nick mentioned it and since we both have Apple products, we were able to share information through this Note. As we were brainstorming story ideas, character names, and solidifying our story line, we used this as a central location where both of us were able to access any critical information we needed right through our phones. Even if we were out and about, Nick and I were able to easily access it and jot down any ideas that came to our mind. Sticking to Apple applications, Nick and I relied on FaceTime to complete this project. This was an easy way for both of us to verbally express our ideas and concerns since we weren’t able to complete the project together physically due to the Coronavirus quarantine. 

For the production of the short film, Nick used a Canon Mark IV. Both of us are highly involved in our school’s television production program and have a good understanding on the functions of this DSLR. This allowed us to get the key art shots needed for the website and postcard, as well as the crisp shots for our short film. For post production of the short film, we used Adobe Premiere Pro CC to edit its entirety. This is the same program we use in our tv program and both of us are certified in this software. 

For the website component of our project, we decided to use Wix.com. Wix is a free site which allows anyone to create a website on their own, allowing us to fully customize the website to our liking. For the postcard, we relied on Adobe Photoshop. Our tv program has allowed us to become familiar with these programs and has greatly benefited us in completing this portfolio. 

Nick and I are currently working on the script in Celtx and I'll be sure to share that with you guys when we are done. Until next time...

                                                                                                                                    ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://media.giphy.com/media/Ln2YqWzi4xPD3HS43G/source.mp4

Finalizing the Story!

Hey guys! With classes being done online, Nick and I now have more flexibility of when we can discuss this project.

Surprisingly, the workload is a lot less than I expected from the transition to remote learning. Earlier today, Nick and I FaceTimed and came up with a more thorough concept to our short film. Here is what I wrote down on our collaborative Note as a basic concept for our script:

As soon as Nick and I ended the call, I began writing the script in Celtx. Be sure to check back for more updates! Until next time...

                                                                                                                                    ~rtmedias

Drama Alert!

Hey guys! Nick and I have finally figured out an idea for our short film which we think we can pull off within this quarantine situation. However, I really wanted to do some genre research before I jump in and start writing the script. 

From the very beginning of this project, Nick and I always liked the idea of sticking to the drama genre. According to The Script Lab, "drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters.” 

Some conventions of drama include: 

- exhibits real life situations with realistic characters, setting, and stories

- portrays journey of character development

- intense social interactions

If you haven’t read about Nick and I’s most recent idea for our short film, be sure to check out my last post. Our storyline follows a subdivision of the drama genre known as suspense/thriller drama. 

Some conventions for thriller/suspense drama include:

- slow/eerie tempo music

- heightened diabetic sounds

- tilt shots/disorientating angles to create discomfort within the viewer

- close ups of the protagonist

- films typically begin with an equilibrium which is disrupted throughout the film

- dark color palette

- low key lighting 

I definitely think that Nick and I will be able to incorporate some of these conventions throughout our piece to help demonstrate this genre clearly. Be sure to check back for updates! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                                            ~rtmedias

Sources: 

https://media.giphy.com/media/5WXqTFTgO9a7e/source.gif

https://www.slideshare.net/esmeroberts/codes-and-conventions-of-the-drama-genre

https://www.mindmeister.com/685037204/conventions-of-the-thriller-genre

New Idea!

Hey guys! So yesterday, Nick had work but suggested that I talked to some people who graduated from our tv program about some ideas for our short film. Both of us were truly stuck and didn’t know what to do so I decided to FaceTime our good friend, Carolina Rapp :)

I shared the ideas Nick and I previously mentioned and she suggested we go for the last story idea about the girl trying to overcome a break up. She suggested that we try and find a bigger picture to the story. What is the purpose? What could make this story unique from the average film about a breakup? She also suggested that we try to develop the story of the break up to help us reach that five minute goal. These were all valid points and I decided to bring them up to Nick the next day. When Nick and I got on FaceTime once again today, he didn’t sound very confident about this idea. He mentioned how it was cliché and I agree but we couldn’t think of anything else. Since we were way behind our original intended schedule due to the Coronavirus, he just wanted to move on and be able to complete something. I completely understood where he was coming from. Both of us are worried about finishing on time, however I want to make sure we are both on the same page before we continue. We ended up leaving it on that idea and ended our FaceTime call because Nick had to go to work. I knew he wasn’t fully for this idea so I decided to keep searching and in that process, I decided to FaceTime my partner from last year: Eugenia Scheuren. 

Eugenia and I worked on the film opening together last year for AICE Media Studies AS and is currently studying Broadcast Journalism in college. Eugenia and I are still really close friends to this day and I casually began telling her about our situation with this short film and she started suggesting some story ideas that Nick and I could potentially use. The first idea she started telling me about was about this family who moves into a new house and is told to never open a specific door. One of the characters becomes curious and opens that door. When she first mentioned it, I was a little hesitant but then we just started going back and forth on how Nick and I would be able to add to that storyline and ended up with this: 

• A character moves into a new apartment and is told to always make sure one specific door/closet is locked (creating suspense/mystery). At night, the character hears a strange noise coming from that door/closet. The character is curious since it keeps them up at night and attempts to open it. Once they open the closet, they find a single box. Suspense is built to only learn that it was an old toy making that sound. (adds a bit of comedy) 

I honestly liked this idea a lot better than the previous one Nick and I “agreed on”. I knew Nick was at work but I decided to text him that idea and he would reply whenever he sees it. Nick also agreed that he liked this idea much more. I asked him what we could add and here was what he thought of:

I really liked his idea of adding the scene where the power company mentions they are testing their signals once the family moves in. It doesn’t give away the ending of the film but adds a slight hint.

Nick and I both prefer this idea and I’m glad we both like it. I’m going to start writing out the script and Nick is beginning to think of a film title and character names! Hopefully we can get pre-production done quickly since we are running a little short on time. Until next time…

                                                                                                                                    ~rtmedias

The Struggle is Real!

Hey guys! As I previously mentioned, Nick and I are now thinking of new story ideas. We liked our previous idea, however due to the situation around us, we wouldn’t be able to produce it how we would have liked to so we both decided we should head back to the drawing board. 

On the collaborate iCloud note we have, we started to throw out some potential ideas throughout the day as shown below. 

At the end of the night, Nick and I decided to FaceTime so we could throughly communicate our ideas and explain/tweak any potential ideas we thought of. While we were talking on FaceTime, I decided to share a short film I found earlier that day. I was researching some other short films as inspiration for any ideas for our short film and I came across Dig. 

I sent this link to Nick and told him to check it out. Honestly when I first watched it, I was shocked by the simplicity of it. The full 10 minutes is quite literally about digging a hole, however the deeper meaning shows that it’s from the perspective of a child looking into the adult world and creating that bond between the daughter and father. This prompted Nick and I to try and think of simplistic ideas similar to this film. 

None of the ideas we wrote down really stuck out to either of us. We decided to sleep on it and share any more ideas we thought of the next day. Nick and I set a deadline for ourselves so that we would have a finalized idea by this Saturday being the absolute latest. The spread of the Coronavirus really messed up our plans but we are trying to work around it as best as possible. If you have any ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments below! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                     ~rtmedias

Making The Most Out Of The Situation

Hey guys! If you’ve read my previous blogs, you would have seen that Nick and I are in a predicament due to the Coronavirus. However, earlier today we were able to meet with our fellow classmates and teacher to get some advice and updates on our project. My teacher was able to set up a conference call with all of us using BigBlueButton.

During this conference call, our teacher updated us on everything she knew was going on and was reassuring us about our projects. Similarly to Nick and I, many of our classmates have the similar issue of not being able to film. Unfortunately, there really isn’t much we can do other than try to work around the situation. 

Nick and I were thinking that we may have to change our storyline of our short film. Although this may be more work to completely scratch everything we have planned thus far, it seems like it may be the only way for us to be able to complete the portfolio project. Since Nick and I aren’t allowed to leave our houses, we were thinking that Nick may have to film using his sister and parents within his house. I wouldn’t be able to film since neither of my siblings are living with me and my mom still has work everyday. The only way we see a work-around for this scenario is if Nick would film and edit the short film and I would create the postcard and website. Although this is not what we wanted, this seems like it may be the only way for it to work. Nick and I both have the Adobe Suite so we would be able to email the Premiere Pro/Photoshop files back and forth if we wanted too but that may cause some confusion. However, if he does ever need me to fix something, that will always be a possible method for us to use. Nick and I will still be working hand-in-hand on planning the entirety of the film, website, and postcard, however in order to see them through, this seems like it may be the best method due to the unfortunate circumstances. So as of now, Nick and I are back to the drawing board for more simplistic ideas which he would be able to film entirely within his house using his sister and parents. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments below! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                     ~rtmedias

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

Hey guys! So we are in a slight predicament… Our county has just announced that schools will not be reopening until April 15th! FOUR DAYS BEFORE OUR PROJECT IS DUE!!! 

It’s not guaranteed yet but they have announced the earliest date we will be returning to school is April 15th; however, we may be out for even longer. This just threw a wrench in the class of 2020’s senior year. 😢 After 12 years of waiting for the end of senior year, we may not even have one at all. I don’t think anyone truly understood how serious this virus was until it spread across the world like a wildfire. Many seniors are upset since their last sport seasons have been cancelled, last competitions have been cancelled, prom may be cancelled, and senior bbq, senior shaving cream fight, and graduation are all questionable. I don’t think anyone ever imagined saying this but we truly wish we were back in school to experience our last few months of high school. 

With all this being said, Nick and I have hit a wall. Since this virus has been spreading rapidly, Nick’s parents and my parents don’t want us leaving our houses. We really aren’t sure what to do. How are we suppose to film if neither of us can leave our homes? Another thing is that the potential actors were thinking of for our film aren’t allowed to leave their houses either so we are stuck. We aren’t really sure what to do right now but we are hoping we can figure something out within the upcoming days.

In other news, my brother’s school in Nashville ended up closing due to the virus, so instead of us going up there, he’ll just be moving back home sooner than he was suppose to. He should be moving down sometime next week or the following week once he’s done packing up his stuff. 

If you guys have any suggestions for Nick and I’s filming dilemma, feel free to leave them in the comments below! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                  ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://media.giphy.com/media/HUkOv6BNWc1HO/giphy.gif

Update

Hey guys! I just have a quick update! 

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, our county has decided to close schools for this week. So we have this week off, as well as next week since that is suppose to be our spring break. Over our spring break, my parents were planning on visiting my brother in Nashville, Tennessee. However, due to the outbreak, my parents decided it was best if we stay home. Since I won’t be going to Nashville, Nick and I have more time together to finish planning and begin the filming process. 

Since our county has closed school a week early before spring break, our project deadline has been extended to April 19th! Although it’s only a week extension, Nick and I are so grateful! Be sure to stick around for more updates! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                   ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://media.giphy.com/media/FP47IFqWyXfdKYU6VG/source.mp4

Character Names!

Hey guys! One of the elements needed for our short film which we haven't decided on yet are character names. 

Nick and I decided to create a collaborative iCloud Note where we could share interesting names we found which we could potentially use. We have decided that we both want the character names to be meaningful. The character names should reflect that character and the scenario they are in. So for our short film, we wanted one name to reflect C1 which is the character who is comfortable in their loop and doesn't want to change their cycle. C2 would be the character who wants to stop the loop and begin a new lifestyle. 

Here are some possible names Nick and I found: 

As you can see above, I listed the name, the specific gender the name was meant for, the meaning, and the country of origin. Nick and I particularly liked the names Mora as C2, Conni as C1, and Pave as C1. All of these names reflect the characters and their preferred lifestyle. 

You may be wondering how we found these names. In all honestly, I have no idea how Nick found the first few names. However, when I was researching names, I literally went on baby naming sites and looking at the meanings of each name. It may sound silly but it was honestly really helpful. One site I used was momjunction.com, as shown below.

Websites like this one provided the meanings of names, along with their intended gender for the name, so it was helpful when it came to filtering them out in order to best fit the characters Nick and I need. 

Out of the list Nick and I created, we have two female names which we really like, Mora and Conni, and one male name, Pave. For our film, we only need two main characters; however, when it comes down to which gender is needed, it honestly doesn't matter. The gender of our characters doesn't affect the storyline of our film. Since we are cutting it close to our deadline, Nick and I are hoping to relate our film's characters to whoever is able to act within our film. So whether that be two females we find, we have both names set. If we end up finding two males, Nick and I will need to find one more male name, and if we end up using one female and one male, we'll use Pave as C1 and Mora as C2. Now we just have to work on finalizing the script and finding actors. Until next time...

                                                                                                                                          ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://www.name-generator.org.uk/character/

Forced to Reschedule!

Hey guys, I’m back home after having to cut our competition trip short and it all feels like a dream. I still can’t believe that STN was cancelled and I’m now back in Florida. 

Earlier today, our superintendent held a press conference explaining what will be happening within the public school system due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

In all honestly, I truly did not expect this virus to create an outburst like this. Stores are sold out of hand sanitizers, wipes, water and even toilet paper! I don’t really understand the need to stock up on toilet paper but I digress. The superintendent has said that all public schools in my county will be closed for the next week in order to limit the spread of this virus and keep students and faculty safe. Soon after this was announced, the entire state of Florida’s public schools said they would be closed as well. As for my school, we have this week off due to this and the following week is our spring break, so essentially we have 2 weeks off from school. 

Many are taking this as a long vacation, however for Nick and I, we have no idea what to think! With our project’s due date rapidly approaching, our schedule must change. Nick and I planned to finish preplanning in class but now that we don’t have school for two weeks, we must figure out another way to work on this project. We hope to finish the script by this Sunday and then from that point on, we’ll start finding actors and begin filming. 

As for my Nashville trip, my parents are unsure of whether we will still be going or not due to this virus being spread. However, they would like to go due to the recent tornado that went through the city. Luckily my brother is safe and wasn’t affected by this disaster, but they would still like to go visit him. If I don’t end up going on this trip, Nick and I would have more time to work together but regardless, I’m always on my phone and can help him out whenever needed. Hopefully this virus soon starts to die down and operations can resume normally. For now, make sure to watch your hands and avoid large crowds! Until next time...

                                                                                                                                                            ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-maps-and-cases/

Sad Times :(

Hey guys ☹️ A week that was suppose to be filled with fun times and memories has ended much sooner than expected. As I’ve previously mentioned throughout this blog, my tv production program travelled to Washington D.C. for the Student Television Network (STN) Convention on Tuesday. Competitions were suppose to begin on Thursday, however while we were exploring the city on Wednesday, we heard the unfortunate news that the convention had been cancelled. 

The D.C. Health Department mandated that any event with over 1,000 people in attendance be cancelled or postponed due to the spread of the Coronavirus across the world. My team was devastated. We spent countless days since September practicing and preparing for this competition for it to be cancelled the day of registration! None of us really saw this coming. On Tuesday after our flight left Fort Lauderdale airport, our county banned trips outside of the state in order to limit the exposure to this contagious virus, but since we already left, we all thought we were in the clear. 

Personally, this was heartbreaking to hear the news about STN being cancelled. As a senior, this was my final trip and I wanted to end it with a bang, and quite literally, that’s backfired. I had the opportunity of being Executive Producer for one of our competitions and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I just truly wish we were able to compete and show off what we are capable of. 

Since the convention was cancelled Wednesday night, we had to take the next flight back to Fort Lauderdale airport at 6:30am on Thursday. Although we were only in Washington D.C. for 36 hours, it was truly a memorable story that will live on forever since this is the first time they have ever had to cancel the convention.

Below is a short recap video of our trip made by one of my fellow seniors. 

Even though it’s still very upsetting to think that my last STN had to end this way, I will forever cherish the little time I had to spend with my CBTV family in Washington D.C.

              

Until next time... 

                                                                                                                                    ~rtmedias

Postcard Research!

Hey guys! Before I leave for my competition trip to Washington D.C., I decided to do some research on film postcards since that’s another element needed for our final project. 

Postcards are typically used for short films by smaller productions. This is a simpler and more cost effective way for these smaller productions to promote their film. Typically, they are used during film festivals. It’s an easy way to share information and spread the word about an upcoming production. 

On the front of the postcard, usually the title, key art, film nominations, quote/tagline, website, and production crew can be found. The front of the postcard needs to be eye-catching to the potential audience and should make them want to watch the film. Positive reviews of the film could also be used to help entice the person to watch the film.

On the back of the postcard, usually one can find contact information of the filmmakers and screen timing times if used during a film festival. While doing some more research, one unique idea I saw was to add a QR code to the back of a postcard. Since today’s world has become the technological era, this easy process of scanning the code could make it an easy method to share and access the film.

Similarly to a movie poster, a postcard should reflect the theme of film. A similar color scheme, font, and structure should be followed throughout all the elements engaging with the film. If a film has a dark tone to it, the postcard shouldn’t consist of bright vibrant colors, it should be dark as well. 

There are a few elements (title, font, color scheme) that Nick and I need to discuss before we create our postcard, but once we figure those art, we can easily put one together soon. Wish us luck at our competition! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                                            ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://www.written-off.com/film-news/2018/2/7/julien-dubuque-international-film-festival-iowa

https://bikerumor.com/2010/10/13/londons-bicycle-film-festival-kicks-off-tonight-with-art-show/

Hectic Upcoming Weeks!

Hey guys! As Nick and I continue to work on the script for our short film, I wanted to let you know what will be happening in the upcoming weeks. 

Currently as I’m writing this blog post, I’m in the process of packing for the Student Television Network Convention (STN)! If you’ve stuck along with me for a while, this is the same competition I attended last year in Seattle, Washington. This year, the convention will be in Washington D.C. from March 10th-15th and Nick will be coming with me! While we are away, me and 22 other students from my tv program will be competing nationally to create an 8 minute news show in 8 hours based on a prompt they provide on site. This competition is known as Crazy 8 and I’m the Executive Producer for it! We also do individual competitions where we are in a group of 2-4 students competing in a variety of competitions such as sports highlight, psa, commercial, convention promo (which I did last year), nat package, short film, video tip and more! I will be competing in video tip this year with Alexa Podalsky, who is currently enrolled in AICE Media Studies AS. Video tip is essentially a “how to” based on a television/film prompt which is also provided on site. For this competition, Alexa and I have 3 hours to plan/film and 2 hours to edit. I’ve been attending this competition for the past two years and I can’t believe this is my final year as a senior. I can’t wait for this final experience, but I know it’s going to fly by so I’m going to cherish every moment. Hopefully we can come home with some wins under our belt!

Since Nick and I will be at our competition, we will be trying our best to work on this film whenever we get a chance. Nick and I have already planned to watch the entirety of the film “Stranger Than Fiction” on the plane ride to Washington D.C. Since we want to follow a similar format as the beginning of the film, we got recommendations to watch the entire film since neither of us have before. As for completing the script and start thinking of a shot list, Nick and I will continuously be working on that whenever we get a chance. I’m hoping to start the website while I’m in DC as well, but if not, I will definitely do that the week we get back! 

The week we get back from Washington D.C., we have our final week of school before spring break! Nick and I hope for those weeks to be our filming times! Although we are definitely cutting it close, I believe we will be able to pull through with it and give it our best effort with everything going on for both of us. From March 16th-23rd, Nick and I have dedicated most days to fully work on this project. On March 24th, I leave for Nashville, Tennessee with my family to visit my brother. I’ll be gone for a few days then but that week, we decided that Nick would edit the short film and I would continue to work on the website and collaboratively work on the postcard together. Although I won’t be physically present, I always have my phone on me so we can still talk about the project. If we run into any issues, we can easily call or text each other so we can fall back on one another. Nick rarely answers his phone though so I need to just make sure he’s more alert if one of us needs any help.

We have just a little over a month left till this final project is due!! Although we’ve been falling behind and some obstacles are getting in the way, I believe Nick and I will be able to handle them. Wish us luck in Washington D.C.! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                     ~rtmedias

Beginning the Script!

Hey guys! So Nick and I have finally started to work on our script! 

We decided to make an outline of the script before we wrote out the entire script just to make sure we fully understood the idea we created. Below you will see the outline:

Outline of Script

Show C1 go through a full day and loop. Their day would include them saying hi to C2. Once in the middle of the second day when C2 waves, go slow mo and rewind to show C2 go though the loop. To portray the loop, show oddly specific events that happen (3 times).
To introduce C2 either show them going through the loop OR show C2 cut into C1’s routine. Have C2 get upset and talk with C1 about how they want to stop the loop but C1 does not. Have C2 try to screw up C1’s loop in a way to break them from their routine and have C1 throw a fit. Then have C2 try to convince C1 to break the loop. Cut to the intro loop shot with the alarm clock.
Have C1 be meticulous with the way they plan their day. Have them count as they brush their teeth and have them have a stop watch for all the tasks they do daily.

The daily routine:

• Wake up
• Brush teeth
• Get dressed (show same clothes in closet)
• Show them put on their watch
• Make breakfast
• Get in car and go to library
• At stop light have someone scream at someone else
• Have them pull up to library and have someone almost drop a book but C1 catches it
• They read a book and then stop watch goes off
• Say hi to C2 
• Go to watch a movie 
• Go home 
• Shower 
• Go to sleep 

We also just started to create the script on Celtx.com. This is a free program which allows anyone to collaborate with others and create a script. Below you will see what we’ve done so far.

Nick and I are continuing to work on the script, however I just wanted to share our thought process thus far! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                    ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://media.giphy.com/media/XIqCQx02E1U9W/source.gif

The Time Has Come!

Hey guys! This is going to be a pretty short post but I just wanted to let you guys know that Nick and I finally have decided on an idea for our short film! 

We decided to stick to the stuck on repeat idea. Our finalized idea is to follow the day to day life of two friends. Both of these friends know that their lives are stuck in this continuous loop, however one tries to convince the other to break this loop. One of the characters is bored of knowing what will happen to them instead of living life of the edge and making decisions in which they haven’t done before. Neither of these characters have been able to truly enjoy life since they only follow the same schedule everyday.

Here’s the breakdown of how Nick and I were thinking of showing this story:

-act 1 (2 mins): establishing the loop between both characters/ they know each other are both in the loop (2-3 times repeated)

-act 2 (2 mins): Presenting conflict- why one character wants to break the loop and trying to convince the other to join

-act 3 (1 min): resolution- (similar to the film “Inception") alarm clock goes off at specific time, 6:45am, every morning/takes 10 seconds to turn off alarm, time ticking to 6:45:10am for the audience to wonder if they ended the loop or continued.

Essentially the ending would be up to the audience’s interpretation, however both of us really liked this idea. We finally have agreed on an idea which we both like and are starting to work on the script! Be sure to check back for more updates! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                    ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://foroalfa.org/en/articles/some-ideas-are-too-big

Brainstorming Part 2!

Hey guys! Nick and I have continued to brainstorm some potential ideas for our short film over FaceTime last night and here are some ideas we thought of. 

One of the movies we are most inspired by is Stranger Than Fiction. We liked the idea of the opening of that film and wanted to follow a similar path to show the repetition of the character’s lifestyle. 

Idea 1

We want the opening to be similar to the film opening of "Stranger Than Fiction” to represent the loop in our character’s life. This person is happy to be stuck in the loop since they are able to know what is going to happen before it occurs. Once that is shown, the character is broken out of the loop and wish to get back into it. We wanted the audience to interpret how the character fell out of the loop, however as we kept talking about it, we thought that the story might feel incomplete if we don’t properly portray it. This is the breakdown as to how we thought the story would be broken apart:

-act 1: establishing the loop (2-3 times repeated)

-act 2: loop breaks/conflict occurs (character wakes up late 6:46am, instead of 6:45am)

-act 3: resolution 

Alternate endings

1. We liked the thought process of this idea, however we were unsure about the ending. I thought of maybe having the character be in a coma and the character stuck in the loop would represent their day to day life in a coma. Once the loop breaks, it would represent the character waking up from the coma and how their life has a purpose. With this idea, we were thinking that the audience wouldn’t learn that the main character was in a coma till the very end, however as we kept discussing it, Nick brought up the valid point that it seemed cliché.
2. We also thought of just forcing the character to adapt to their new way of life as the ending. The character would be unable to get back into the loop and would be forced to alter their way of life. This was our back up idea in case we couldn’t think of any other storyline or ending. 
3. Another tweak we thought to this idea was if there was a specific object or idea which triggered the character to break the loop. The character would then have to figure out what the trigger was in order to place themselves back into the loop they are comfortable with. The issue Nick and I had with this idea is that it would be a lot to fit into a five minute short film.

These are just some ideas that Nick and I have narrowed it down to. Be sure to stick around for my next post to find out our finalized idea for our short film! Until next time…

                                                                                                                                     ~rtmedias

Sources:

https://media.giphy.com/media/1YhRc4YE5FeZKBWh2m/source.mp4

Quick Update

Hey guys! So as I previously mentioned, I got sick 😞. I got a flu shot, along with a few other shots, on Wednesday at my doctor's appointment and after that, let's just say it's been rough. Luckily, I started feeling a lot better Friday afternoon. However, since I wasn't able to go to school on Wednesday because of my appointment and then getting sick on Thursday, I missed a class discussion where we were able to discuss our film ideas and get advice/recommendations. I heard from Nick that he got some really good ideas from that discussion but with both of our hectic schedules, we haven't been able to meet up. Yesterday we both saw each other, however we were at a competition practice and then Nick had work immediately after. We were suppose to meet up today and try to finalize an idea but Nick had to finish up some things in order to register for college. Although we haven't been sticking to the schedule as much as we would have hoped for, we are praying that we can pick up the pace and once we finalize the idea, it should be a smoother sailing. As we are officially 9 days away from our out of state competition, things are still hectic, especially since we are both of the Executive Board of our tv program, but I believe that we can get the ball rolling as soon as we finalize an idea. It's grind time 😎. Until next time...

                                                                                                  ~rtmedias