Discussing Credit Sequences

 Rocky II (1979)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone the credits are shown at the end of the film and I really like the artistic and bold approach taken. The credits are very readable with a nice contrast between the gold and black.

The Iron Claw (2023)

Directed by Sean Durkin the end credits are accompanied by pictures of the cast and the real-life family the film is based off of. I like the inclusion of the pictures of the main cast. Very simple and classic but well done.

When We Were Kings (1996)

Directed by Leon Gast the credits are shown in the beginning accompanied by dynamic pictures of the cast in action and because it is a documentary it shows pictures of them in real life. The contrast again with the gold and black is beautiful and very pleasing.

Discussing Film Openings

 The genre I chose was sports. Many incredibly real, and emotional stories within the genre inspired me to finalize my decision on a genre. I will discuss the opening sequences from three films I will be taking inspiration from. 

Rocky (1976)

Directed by John G. Avildsen the opening scene of the film begins with panning across huge text saying "ROCKY" in big bold letters. It then zooms out of a mural of Jesus and shows a boxing event taking place in an old rundown church-turned-boxing ring. Here we see Rocky fighting and looking very beat up. He goes on to beat his opponent to a pulp.

    This scene is very raw and shows what this man does regularly. I enjoy the realism of his struggle and again the rawness of the whole scene displaying two men trying to kill each other while in a religious place with a mural of Jesus Christ watching them. The zoom-out of the mural of Jesus which is a symbolic representation of peace and kindness then shows two men fighting represents the realness of the world Rocky is living in. I'm greatly inspired by how something so little that isn't even talked about holds so much symbolism.

The Iron Claw (2023)

Directed by Sean Durkin the opening scene in black and white shows a lit-up ring with darkness all around it then fades into a wrestler's screaming face while he is beating his opponent up. It then again fades to display text saying "THE IRON CLAW" in black bolded letters. The rest of the opening sequence contains the wrestler greeting his wife and two sons outside the event their father then begins talking about how to be successful and that you have to be the toughest. There is an emphasis on one of his sons while he is talking showing that he is really listening and taking this to heart.

This scene inspired me because of the way it depicts the grit and fearlessness in this wrestler to then him being vulnerable to his family and having a meaningful heart-to-heart with his sons.

Facing The Giants (2006) 

Directed by Alex Kendrick opens during a football game and we are immediately shown a player tackling someone. We see the coach on the sideline call a play and then the players break the huddle. This next play is important because the announcer reveals that if they win the game on this play it will be the first winning season for this head coach in 6 years. After the play is started the player just can't make the throw leading to a big loss for their team. At the end the announcer while blocking the microphone talks about how the head coach might not be keeping his job next year.

I enjoy this opening scene because it displays something that happens quite a lot which is losing. As a football player myself this was realistic. Not every play is going to go your way. It sets the rest of the tone for the film and does a great job of expressing how important a moment it is for the head coach.

 

Exploring Possible Genre Choices

 For the 2 minutes of a film opening, my first thought of a genre for this project would be sci-fi due to being mainly inspired by the film TRON: Legacy 

While also being one of my favorite movies it also has a lot of great cinematography and stunning visuals. This movie's genre is science fiction, or "sci-fi", a genre of fiction that explores the possibilities of the future through advanced science and technology. It often features space travel, time travel, and other imaginative concepts.

The second genre that came to thought was sports movies. While being underlined with motivation to get you going Rocky is a generational classic. 

This would inspire my film due to the many training montages and high stakes set for the character. It wouldn't have to be a good guy. It could be menacing, vigorous training depicting a certain character. Either take on this could be great.

Transitioning into the Cambridge Portfolio Project

 My blogs for the next few weeks will be all about my Cambridge Final Project. With all the notes I've taken, I'm starting to form some ideas. I looked at and studied many film openings and how to make them interesting.

My main idea consists of developing a character in 2 minutes that the audience finds mysterious. I need to find out how to make a 2-minute film opening without giving too many details about the character. To do this, I need to figure out how to grab attention and make people want to know more, but without giving away too many details. I’m exploring different ways to make it work.

The second idea consists of focusing more on the character's world and surroundings. Which could consist of a couple things shown in the film opening that revolve around making it feel familiar to the character in a way that the audience understands and believes this is a "real" person going through the motions of his "routine". I'm using that term loosely because my video will not be a getting-ready type of thing more of a montage to go hand in hand with my first idea of developing the character and his surroundings.

Music Marketing #1

 Planning My Music Marketing Project

For my music marketing project, I focused on research and simple planning. Here's how I worked:

1. Learning the Market

I studied music trends, popular artists, and how they connect with fans. Social media was great for seeing what works.

2. Knowing the Audience

I figured out who would like the music. This helped me decide where to post and what content to make.

3. Creative Ideas

I thought of ways to make the campaign fun, like social media challenges or playlists.

4. Making a Plan

I created a timeline for releasing content to keep people excited.

Here is a picture with my group working hard!

Genre Research Blog Activity

 Genre: Horror

Typical Target Audience  

Horror movies are mostly for younger people, especially those between 18 and 34 years old. People who like getting scared and feeling thrills usually watch these films. They enjoy the intense feelings that come from fear and excitement, and some horror movies even talk about important social issues.

Genre Conventions – Content

In horror films, common themes are fear, spooky stuff, and things that make you feel scared. The stories often involve haunted houses, monsters, or creepy situations. The main aim is to scare the audience and make them feel uneasy, using intense scenes and a scary atmosphere.

Genre Conventions – Production Techniques

Horror films use tricks to create tension. They often have dark lighting to make things look scary, sudden jumps to surprise viewers, and creepy music to set the mood. These techniques help to build suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

Institutional Conventions – How Is Genre Marketed  

Horror films are usually advertised around Halloween when people want to feel scared. Posters often show scary images or hints that the movie has lots of thrills. Trailers focus on shocking moments and spooky scenes to grab attention.

Film Sample 1: Get Out  

"Get Out" is a modern horror movie that mixes scares with social issues. It tells the story of Chris, a Black guy who visits his white girlfriend's family, only to find out their dark secrets. The film uses real-life fears about racism and makes the audience uncomfortable in a smart way. The production techniques, like tense music and sudden scares, create a chilling atmosphere.

Film Sample 2: The Conjuring

"The Conjuring" follows ghost hunters who help a family dealing with a scary spirit in their home. This movie uses classic horror elements, like jump scares and creepy settings, to build tension. The strong characters and real-life background for the story make it both interesting and scary.

List of Other Film Examples

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street - A classic slasher film about a killer who attacks in dreams.

2. The Shining - A haunted hotel story with psychological horror.

3. Hereditary - A family drama mixed with supernatural scares.

4. It Follows - A unique horror story about a curse that follows you.

5. Psycho - A classic that set the stage for many horror films.

6. Scream - A slasher film that also jokes about horror movie clichés.

7. A Quiet Place - A tense thriller where making noise can get you killed.

Sound project

 What I've learned these past couple of days from sound lessons and videos is that it is essential to convey the tone and mood during a scene. 

What I had to do for the sound project was make a short video entirely using only sounds with no visuals.

During brainstorming, I thought of different events or places where sounds are essential to how it feels. My outline was a football game and it helped by know what to look for and how I wanted the sounds to be arranged in my project. The editing application that I used was Premiere Pro

What was done well was the order and types of sounds used but what I would like to improve would be the timing of the sounds.