Our Pitch Blog: Hitting All the Right Notes

    Welcome back! It’s been a few days since my last update and I’m glad to announce that we’ve moved on to concocting pitches for our upcoming short film. Part of the reason why this blog took a while to get out was because my team and I spent quite a bit of time deliberating back and forth about what we wanted our film to be about (having a hurricane narrowly miss us also factored in, but we all thankfully fared well). As you will see below, we took three major factors into consideration: casting, location, and budgeting. We also ensured to take the time to consider probable storylines before settling on the following three pitches because we felt that they demonstrated the most potential for developing into meaningful plotlines. 

Pitch A: 

An amnesiac’s life is about to take a turn for the worst.

    Despite this idea having been put forth towards the end of our musings, it was well-received enough to become one of our top three pitches. With this pitch, the age and gender of our subject are not restricted, so my team and I can easily find someone to fill the shoes of our primary actor. Additionally, given that this role will likely not require participation in any difficult to film scenes, one can also deduce that the acting required to make this film idea a success will not be too intensive, nor will it be overly time-consuming to the point that we will impede on the personal lives of our volunteer actors. As defined by the prompt above, our film will primarily be centered around a single subject, meaning that we will not need to rely on a large ensemble of actors, only having to involve about one to three characters at maximum. This, in turn, will save us the time and additional planning that would be otherwise needed to fit additional individuals into our short, an issue that some of us encountered last year when trying to work around others’ busy schedules.

    Shifting gears to focus on the topic of location, we found that this pitch does not really pose much of an issue in that sense. As any good pitch should be, this one was quite ambiguous, providing us with the opportunity to film virtually anywhere. Now, whilst some may find that having a multitude of choices is overwhelming, we believe that it is better to keep our options open as opposed to forcing ourselves into a corner by choosing a pitch that will most likely need to be filmed in a single location. The reason being that if we were to run into any problems with the location on the day of filming, where it has become unavailable to use for whatever reason, we’ll experience unnecessary setbacks that could have easily been avoided had we made more informed decisions from the start. Hence why we concluded that location would not be a major concern of ours if we do decide to follow through with this pitch. Having said that, once we eventually settle on an official location, we can begin to consider the financial implications of travel since my groupmates and I do not all live within the same area.

    When it comes to budgeting concerns in general, we found that this film concept would not be overly costly. This is primarily because we can utilize readily available props that we are already in possession of or those we can find at a relatively low cost, such as alarm clocks, mirrors, televisions, cellphones, and other common things of the like. That is not to say that the props we will use are set in stone because our film could be staged in any time period, meaning that whatever items we use must be time-specific and by extension relevant to the era, potentially hiking the cost of our film up depending on when we decide we’d like our film to be set. Since there's likely to only be one main subject, we do not need to worry about finding costumes for a large number of actors, nor do we need to trouble ourselves over the main subject’s appearance seeing as, aside from their malady with amnesia, they are an ordinary member of society that wears casual clothing and usually has on little to no makeup.

    Taking all of the above into consideration, my groupmates and I believe Pitch A to be a fair contender among our three choices.

Pitch B:

Three students on spring break contract an unforeseen illness.

    Right off the bat, my team’s initial reaction to this pitch was that it was well within our realm of capability. This belief was partially influenced by the fact that said idea, specifically the phrase “students on spring break,” insinuates that our cast would be comprised of either high school or college-aged students, a group of people that would not be difficult to acquire at all since we have contacts with people of those ages, either via friendships or familial ties. What this then means is that we would have one less area of concern to act as a hindrance to the production of our film. With that being said, however, one major drawback in the utilization of multiple people within that particular age bracket lies in the fact that said individuals, like us, attend school and take just as demanding courses, so finding a day that we are all free might not be the most realistic outlook.

    When it comes to the location of this film, we would likely need to recreate the visual aspects of a hotel room in order to stage our short in someone’s home, as to avoid the cost of having to rent a hotel room and film all of our scenes there, where we would be on a tight schedule and thus have less room for error. Even if we avoid this problem by doing the former, we would still need to purchase various props to make the set as true to life as possible. That is unless we were to play it off as a rental home that the subjects found via an online service, such as Airbnb or VRBO, which is a pretty solid option that we would of course decide on later in the pre-production process.

    Continuing on to the financial component of this film, costuming may become a bit pricey once we consider that our subjects will become afflicted with some form of sickness because depending on how we choose to flesh out our story, we may need to splurge on special effects makeup. Aside from that aspect, all other costuming would be rather inexpensive since the subjects are defined to be ordinary young adults who dress in standard attire. Once again, since we do not all reside near one another, the cost of driving (especially in this economy) is something we must assess.

Pitch C:

An unsuspecting bystander witnesses a crime they wish they could forget.

    This pitch was definitely an interesting one, solely because of the number of directions it could take. Would it evolve into a comedic spectacle where a person tries confusing the crime doer to get away? Would it become a thriller where the witness is stalked and driven mad with fear? There are a number of different avenues this pitch can take and that’s one of the biggest reasons why it made it onto this list here.

    When it comes to evaluating this pitch against our listed criteria, it fares pretty well, although it does seem to fall short when examining the potential locations where it might be filmed. Since it is a crime being witnessed by an individual who presumably has nothing to do with the culprit, that would mean that we would need to film in a public place. Last year, one of our teammates had to reach out to a couple public businesses to receive permission to film in one of them, and only heard back from a single location. If we have to put all of our eggs into one basket and rely on the unguaranteed compliance to film most of our shots, our short film could be spoiled before it even begins. Moreover, if we were to shoot our film on a regular street, there is a very slim chance that we would not have passersby in our shots, which would mean one of two things: either our shot is ruined, or we need to get permission from regular civilians to be included in our film, both of which are a hassle.

    Moving on to who we would cast for this short, we first needed to consider how many subjects we’d include. We decided that to make this film as realistic as possible, we would need about five actors, with three being our primary subjects, the criminal, the bystander, and the victim, and the other two acting in either supporting roles or as background characters depending on how we decided to spin the story. In terms of the actual plot of the film surrounding the committing of a crime, it is important to note that criminality is not restricted to a specific age group, although the actual act and severity of the wrongdoing does vary, and must be something that we need to take into consideration if we choose this idea.  

    The budget for this film would not necessarily be too high since it is a more practical scenario of events that does not require any extravagant costuming or props. At most, we might need to purchase a weapon or a simple makeup palette to simulate the look of injury on our victim, but casual clothing and accessories would suffice.

Our Final Pitch:

    After a thorough evaluation of our three prospective pitches, we have found that there are definitely some discrepancies in terms of their strengths and weaknesses in the three categories we outlined above. Looking at Pitch A, we saw that the kinds of props we incorporate may fall outside of our limited budget, which could potentially reduce the realistic feel of the film that we are striving to achieve. In Pitch B, we found that we fell short in two of the three criteria, seeing as issues in casting might stem from a lack of availability due to our volunteer actors’ prioritization of their own lives (since they are not directly affiliated with this project, which is entirely understandable) and that our budget may be exceeded when it comes time to focus on the “unforeseen illness” part of our pitch, which is contingent on the direction we wish to take in terms of our genre. Even in Pitch C, we discovered that location would be an issue because most of the short would need to be shot in public places and establishments, and since the setting of a film determines all the rest of its happenings, if we didn’t have that, we’d have nothing. Hence, we chose the pitch whose challenges we felt would be the most plausible to overcome, saving us both time and money, Pitch A. Even though we might need to obtain certain props or time-specific clothing (if we so choose to set our short in a different period), the fact that we were able to make this decision so early on gives us the opportunity to find and attain these items more easily since it’s nearly Halloween and a number of costumes stores are already open nearby. 

    We believe that Pitch A could produce an intricate, but also comprehensible storyline, which all of us found to be crucial to the filmmaking process. It’s vital to understand that there is a duality to every pitch and by extension every story, and that for a film to be successful, it must be something that is both easy to follow and compelling, a balance that can often be difficult to strike for most filmmakers. We feel as though Pitch A will allow us to achieve this careful combination and give us the unconstrained creative liberty we need to produce a film with originality, a trait that is hard to come by these days.

    Now, even though you might find that Pitch A was one of our favorite of the three choices, it is important to realize that just because we prefer one pitch over another does not immediately mean that it will be the one we choose. Although we did end up going with Pitch A, one that my team and I unanimously agreed upon from the very beginning, it was essential that we deconstruct each of the ideas we share so as to find the strongest and most reasonable of them and make that into a reality. Had casting, location, and budgeting not been major issues for our other two pitches, we may have well decided to produce equally as intriguing films in which we may have commented on witness unreliability or the risks posed by unawareness and a lack of caution for unsuspecting teenagers.

Closing Remarks:

    I’m glad that we finally reached a satisfying resolution to the days-long discussion of our short film’s potential premise, where each of us felt like we had contributed some aspects that made up the whole of a single idea. I honestly have the feeling that we might have just found the “...perfect pitch(!)” (Carl Cassette 2020).

Group Blog: An Official Recasting

    Hello again! After having reintroduced myself to you, I think that it's time for me to formally acquaint you with my group mates. This year, I've partnered with two other candidates, Ashley S. and Aja M. If you've looked back on my blogs from last year, you'll notice that their names aren't mentioned at all. The reason being that this year, my former teammates have moved on to focus on other interests of theirs. I am sad to see them go because I felt like I grew as both a person and a cinematographer with their help, feedback, and continuous creative discourse. I am, of course, eternally grateful for the time that my previous groupmates and I got to spend together, but I'm still very excited to see how far my new collaborators and I will be able to go. Working with different types of people and personalities is a valuable skill to have in any industry, field, or walk of life, so being given the chance to do so now for such an important assignment is definitely a helpful way of preparing for what the future has in store for us all. The fact that we can finally delve deeper into a project by producing a five-minute short film is such amazing news and is definitely a challenge that I’m looking forward to overcoming as my skills are put to the test in a way I have that I have never encountered before.

    When we convened for the first time today, we decided to establish that we would equally delegate work and share responsibility, holding each other accountable for anything that we choose to do. That way we know the extent to which we can rely on one another, giving us a healthy way to build rapport and meaningful boundaries. During the time that we conferred today, I also discussed some film ideas that I had devised over the break with my team. I found this to be a very insightful experience because I was able to surmise that they were a proactive and rather inventive bunch. Having taken courses and worked on projects with one of my two partners in the past makes me all the more confident in their capabilities, and those of my other colleague, seeing as they are long-time friends.

    As we went over some possible storyline concepts, they introduced a great deal of their own ideas, providing valuable insight that allowed us to narrow down some of our choices to those that were more realistic and executable with our limited budget and filming locations. Upon eliminating our more impractical ideas, we shifted our focus to more attainable goals, beginning to flesh out the conceptualizations that we felt had the most potential. In my opinion, I find that strategizing early on is essential to any filmmaking process, especially given all of our busy (and potentially conflicting) schedules as we move further into our junior year. I am glad that we were given the opportunity to engage in such a purposeful discussion today since it provided me with some perspective as to the kind of individuals my teammates are, as well as their interests in the realm of media. I find the latter of which to be particularly important, seeing as it will likely hold a great deal of significance in determining the direction our own short film will take.

    As today nears its close, I turn my eyes to the horizon and welcome all that is to come because "It's a new dawn, it's a new day..." and "I'm feeling good(.)" (Michael Bublé 2005).

Introduction Blog: I Guess You Wonder Where I've Been

    Here comes the sun!* It's been quite some time since you and I last spoke (assuming that the same person who followed along with me last year is accompanying me on my journey in AICE Media Studies A-Level this year, which I admit is pretty unlikely, so welcome newcomer!), so I thought an update was in order.

    Starting with my family, everything's been great! We're all happy and healthy, and really what more is there to ask for from life? My parents are still completely supportive of my decision to further pursue my studies in film (something that I am hoping to do in college because I really feel as though this course sparked a deep passion within me), so I'm glad to be back for what I'm choosing to call "The Sequel to End All Sequels." I'm really glad that I was given the opportunity to take this course in the first place because it genuinely feels like I've finally found my niche. For other people, I always thought that it came so naturally to them, like the fact that someone who's always had a knack for drawing would go on to become a skilled artist, or that someone who's always had a passion for music would become an accomplished performer to share their gift and joy with others. I've never been jealous, but I've always laid in wait for the day when I'd be able to say, "This, this is my thing(.)" and I truly believe that producing relatable, thought-provoking media is the reason why I've finally been able to make that statement. 

    Now that I've had about a year to feel my way around the convoluted, creative outlet that is media production, I'm ready to perfect my craft and produce something unique and meaningful with my ever-evolving sense of creative identity, as I originally set out to do. Whilst I did get a better understanding of the type of filmmaker and director I want to be after taking the first half of this course last year, like any other prospective artist, there are still those, such as the legendary Jordan Peele, Christopher Nolan, and M. Night Shyamalan, whom I wish to emulate in my work, out of respect, admiration, and just pure awe for all that they have created and accomplished. Believe me when I say that I spent nearly my entire summer daydreaming about ideas for my film this year and I can't wait to bring some of those concepts to life. 

    Enough of all of that rumination and self-analysis, let me catch you up on some of the major happenings that transpired in the last few months while I was away.

    First and foremost, I'd like to begin with what was probably the most significant event of my entire summer break, the end of an era if you will. After two long, arduous years, I can finally return to watching movies the way they were intended to be seen ever since the savory snack entered theaters in the early twentieth century. At long last, I can singlehandedly consume an entire (large) bucket of popcorn before the previews even finish. Joyous was the day I was finally freed from the metal jail in my mouth, more formally known as braces. Gone are the days when I'd have to suffer in starvation and anticipation for a film to take hold of the screen, stomach grumbling as trailers for movies slowly trudged by and my patience waned.

    Second on my list of importance (just kidding, this probably takes first place to be honest), I am now the Vice President of the honor society chapter at my high school (exciting, right?). I'm prepared to make a difference in my school this year with my position, as well as to make a difference in the film community by producing an original short film this year.

    Taking a step back, I'd like to say that I am still the same person you met a year ago, just with a little more common sense and life experience since I'm officially a junior this year. Crazy how time flies, isn't it? It felt like last year started in a blink and was over in two. 

    Here's a quick side-by-side comparison of me last year and me this year just so you can see just how little has changed.

    Moving on to how summer (and months after my last blog post) went, I've got to say that in terms of films I saw, it was about an even split between good and having to bite my tongue before I go off on a tangent about how disappointed I was. To spare you from that long-winded essay, I'll just highlight some of my favorites and briefly discuss one of my most significant let-downs.

    Starting with the good, I'm so grateful for the fact that my local movie theater upgraded and installed 4DX theaters because watching Top Gun: Maverick with two of my closest friends was quite the memorable experience. The rumbling of the seats timed flawlessly with the takeoff of the jets, the sprays of water in the scenes with snow, even the small puffs of air that accompanied the wind and gunfire, it was all absolutely impeccable. Experiences like those are the reasons why I love theatrical releases of films, and although I understand that with the recent increase in streaming platforms, it is only natural for more films to be released for in-home viewing, I can't part with the traditional ambience of a crowded theater on premiere day. 

    Another film that I was impressed with was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Granted, it was something I'd been looking forward to for a while, but it did not disappoint. Seeing Elizabeth Olsen take on the persona of a broken mother (Wanda Maximoff) driven into madness because she couldn't obtain the one thing any mother would want, to be with her children, resonated with me. It took an intrinsic human value to another level by framing it as the motivation behind the shift from a once heroic member of the Avengers to a cruel antagonist who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. I also really enjoyed the experimental music battle scene. I thought that it was so beautifully cinematically constructed, despite what many viewers believed to be an out-of-place and "ridiculous" waste of screen time. 

    It would be of the utmost offense if I didn't take the time to talk about Jordan Peele and the "spectacle" that was Nope. Going in, I wasn't sure of what to expect. Watching the trailer back in February was like eating breadcrumbs, I was hungry for more, and I needed to see what the main course would be. Everything was carefully crafted and as I made connections as the film went on, seeing the foreshadowing come to front was so satisfying when paired with the interlaced societal critiques, small detailing, such as the naming of the characters (OJ for instance), the nail-biting suspense, the gruesome subplot, the reveal at the end, it was all so perfect. Hence why I can't understand the audience members who claimed that they found it to be underwhelming. Of course, it wouldn't be the same as Us or Get Out, that I knew, which is why I wasn't let down at all. If anything, the expansion to new topics and a different kind of execution was refreshing and engaging, leaving so much open to the interpretation and mental digestion of the viewer. I've watched countless theory videos and they all seem to fall short of giving the film the justice and praise it deserves because they only ever capture a small glimpse of all that the film has to offer and say. 

    Now that I've raved enough about my film favorites this far in the year, I have to express my utter disappointment in what I expected to be a great addition to one of my all-time favorite franchises, Jurassic World: Dominion. It not only failed to do what Spider-Man: No Way Home succeeded at, with its careless reintroduction of old-time favorites, like Jeff Goldblum, but it devolved into a cash-grab, being riddled with rushed plots and underdeveloped characters; for lack of better words, it has become the Fast & Furious of the science fiction fantasy genre, except it isn't even enjoyable in a "watch it because it's bad" way. It has reached the point where I fear that it will go out worse than the dinosaurs did. 

    Aside from watching a number of different films, I did have a fun summer break. I spent time with my grandparents in Tennessee, made a pitstop to see my best friend on the way back down in South Carolina for a week, and even got to attend the Weeknd's concert as a birthday gift to my dad. 

    The fact that summer is so short really put a lot of things into perspective for me, especially regarding how precious life is and how essential it is for every moment, happy or sad, to be cherished because it's an experience that I'll never be able to relive again. Enough of this reminiscence, this year calls for me to become a more forward-looking and assertive individual, capable of handling any inconvenience thrown her way with poise and presence, to prove naysayers wrong and rise above self-doubt and inhibition. With that being said, I intend to make the most of this year, so look out Cambridge because "I'm making my move(!)" (Tommy Page 1988).

*If you don't get the reference I'd recommend checking back to the end of my final blog last year!