:)

Hello again my lovely
Today we had a delightful discussion with my teacher Señora Stoklosa. New updates and adaptations to online school. So much fun. Like I said in previous blog posts, I expected my media studies class to stay the same in the work given.  She does it fairly unlike other teachers who will remain nameless and anonymous (if they stay on my good side and do not act up).
Developments in my production.
So far I have no music.  The wonderful Matt Champion has yet to reply to my desperate pleas. I am not too worried because I have a feeling that I am going to have to change a few things.

Some nice, royalty-free music
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/Satin_1564/Kai_Engel_-_Satin_-_01_Augmentations

A Nation of Immigrants

Let's talk about REPRESENTATION, baby. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be........

Samantha NoLastName. A senior in high school. First-generation American.  Colombian parents with Colombian beliefs.
For the life of me, I cannot remember where (but here is something like it) (and an incredibly insightful study), but i read an article on the represenation of first gen kids.  Its different when your paarent grew up in a completely different country, with different customs.  Obviously, you take some of those customs but you grow up here and you adopt those as well.  Then comes the day where you cannot really identify with one group. You are either too "gringa" or not "American" enough.  You can relate to and identify with both (or all) cultures, but you're not completely accepted by either.
In 2 minutes I cannot convey this.  I will try to have mise-en-scene elements that hint she is a daughter of immigrants but I doubt I can convey Identity issues.
New York Times and the University of Southern California (my old dream school:(! ) find that Latinxs are grossly underrepresented in Hollywood. Representation is how the media portrays a group of people.  There are enough stereotypes about all minorities. Portraying this family in an accurately normal-ish manner would be beneficial. 

Some of my favorite Latinx Actors 

Salma Hayek

Pedro Pascal (I loved Narcos)

Luis Guzman

Zoe Saldana (Dominican Boricua actress who had
important roles in "Avatar" and "Avengers Endgame")

Penelope Cruz 

https://sundial.csun.edu/109126/opinions/first-generation-americans-in-conflict/

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/177598/pdf

Thank you to BBC for this insightful article

Call me Maybe

 Mrs. Stoklosa replied to me that this situation is still ongoing. No one really knows anything which is not super helpful.  This is unexplored territory for almost everyone.  I was supposed to be scheduled for 3 exams this testing season.  And now apparently I do not have any. What a year to be senior. It is so funny how every 100 years something happens. In 1820 we had yellow fever, 1920 the Spanish Flu, and now Corona.  My canvas page is constantly being updated with assignments.  Pointless and unrelated assignments are being posted and it's so dumb.  I know this is starting to sound like a diary entry but this is frustrating.  I do not understand why you are throwing useless assignments at me for no reason. It's more grading and then teachers get cranky because they have to grade so much.  I do not understand.

Anyways back to more important issues: Danni's film that she still has not come up with a title.  The due date is looming and I still have to work on my CCR. At least I'm home all day. Oh wait, how could I forget the million assignments I have due...

I do not want a cheesy name. But cheesy is easy. 

"MOVING" is an idea my Dad gave me. I am not too sure how much it relates to the plot.

"BABY" is my least favorite 

"EXTRA LARGE" I got from a random word generator. It is vague but it seems it needs, to be pertinent to something in my opening. I am not sure what. I like it.

"DRIVE" may be my favorite. I am very indecisive so I probably won't pick my title until April 12 @11:57 😎

A few of my favorite fonts 

(just realized blogger does not accept fonts so screenshot time) 

I did notice I tend to prefer the more "handwriting" type fonts. The film is from the perspective of Samantha, she is a teenage girl. What do (most) teenage girls have? Cute handwriting. Eventually, I will upload a picture of my sister's actual handwriting. It looks like a 3rd grader's chicken scratch. She claims last year one of her teachers called her out on her "great" handwriting and asked her to take notes for a person who was not there that day. I do not buy it.

TTYL

yOU did what now??

    I was having a great "Corona-cation" and then I receive this text

If only you could have seen my face

I double-checked the website to make sure it was not fake news a lo and behold it is your official website. I must say I am impressed.  I do not believe Collegeboard made the right move in moving their tests online. Most schools are not in session, and not one person can lead me to believe that online classes are just as effective as in-person classes.  We were just going to start finishing our learning and start aggressively and rigorously reviewing concepts. Mock season was just around the corner. This is making it so real it is crazy. 

I have read countless stories about teachers assigning busywork once their course transitioned to online classes.  That is not the way it should be. I can bet my bottom dollar that that will certainly be the case for a decent number of teachers at Cypress Bay.  It'll be a cold day in hell before that is true for Tstok. I'm sure it will be business as usual for her.No one in my family has ever experienced anything similar to the situation we are in now. When you read this I hope you find yourself well and healthy and that things are at least starting to revert back to normal. Honestly, this is a wake-up call for America. There are billionaires buying islands to escape and nurses and doctors are dying because they don't have the equipment, gear, and supplies they need to combat and protect themselves from the virus.  

Anyways, I did not understand the update. Sitting exams are canceled, and I assume that this component will still be required, it will probably be a big grade. No pressure. So many people are unsure what this means. I need my AICE diploma so I can receive 100% Bright Futures. I do have 75% but that is not enough for me and parents to send me away to college. I am sure other people are in the same boat too.  I have devoted much to you and I know that you will do the thing that benefits the most people, whatever that may be. 

Besitos

Love you 🥺

Good News!

Turns out my Dad actually had his drive in the attic! Also turns out that my mom has a backup. Why she just decided to share this information I am extremely unsure, however. There are THOUSANDS of pictures on the drive. I am so relieved.  
A little side note there are no baby pictures of me because in 2002 my parents were still getting the hang of digital photographs and cameras and put all the pictures of me on a computer that was fried after a bad thunder/lightning storm      :(
I have picked out about 40 pictures. I am not sure how I am going to execute this, however... Should I print the pictures and then record them? Maybe place them in the same frames changing the pictures out to show that Samantha is growing? Digitally upload the pictures and digitally add them to the opening?
Too many ideas I'm not sure, I would love a group meeting right now😩.

Amid the global pandemic, everything is fine with me. No worries here.  Except my mom is now transferring to the main hospital to take X-Rays of Corona patients since all the Xray techs at her hospital are short-staffed...I am a bit worried about her...Well, I'll let you know how it goes. 
I love you very much!! I hope that by the time you read this everything will be ok again.
Stay safe 
xoxoxo xoxo xoxoxo

News

I had my first online class today. Crazy.  The all-glorious Stoklosa debriefed us on what she knows.  On Friday my school announced that it would be canceled until who knows when.  It was a weird week. It felt wrong to have that much time off.  She let us know that our virtual learning is actually going to start on March 30th, which should be quite interesting.  Anyways, TStok did what no other one of my teachers did and let us know what she knows. Thanks to you guys for letting her extend the deadline, I know we are all going to need it.  I am worrying for Dominiq, he was supposed to film a lot of his opening in New York..... I am sure his travel plans were canceled....
My media teacher just said to work on the portfolio as much as we can.  Of course, the Corona Virus will affect us but we have to adapt, its a fluid situation. With all the great techniques she has instilled in us we will be able to overcome.  Also, almost nothing is set in stone. It is your project you can change it.
I do not quite know what this means for me... my dad still does not want people coming over. I have to start picking out the pictures that I want to use for my opening.  I still need the drive from my Dad, however.... oh god I hope the storage unit isn't closed. That would suck so much. Now I am scared. Ok I hope all is well with you and that you stay safe!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

La Musica!

I am so sorry I cannot believe I forget to tell you. Forgive me. It just so happened that while I was driving to Tallahassee for my initial shooting, I heard "Mansions" by Matt Champion on the radio. I thought that the song was so perfect because it had such a somber tone (and it talks about driving and monotony in his life😧!). When we were having our group meetings a few weeks ago I realized that I could just ask him on direct message through Instagram if I could use the song, so I have been trying to get permision to use the song. If he answers it will be great, but if he doesnt it will be fine becasue i am not sure whether i should use an english soing or a spanish song........ maybe even a Spanglish song (obvouisly by the Spanglish King Mr.305 [Pitbull] ).
The message I so thoughtfully and meaning composed states "hi matt!  I’d love to use “Mansions” in my portfolio project. I am a senior in high school. I have to create a film opening and Mansions would be the perfect song. This portfolio is part of an end of the year exam for AICE Media. If I pass this class I will get my college tuition paid for. All I need is you reply saying “Yes”. Even if it’s not ok thank you so much 🥺🥺"
As you can see in the video, he is not answering. Sometimes I spam him when I'm bored but I know that celebrities have a setting on their Instagram that only lets them seem activity from other celebrities which is most likely why he has not answered. 
When I first started looking into Mr.Champion I thought getting a hold of him would be really easy since he did not appear to be that famous, but I was mistaken. Turns out he is part of a band, BROCKHAMPTON, a band that captivates many of my contemporaries.  Like I said I am not that worried, but I would like to have a backup plan. 
Here is his beautifully slow, sad song.

Target Audience

More Research ;)

Right off the bat, the 2 main characters are a teenager and her father.  
Since this is a coming of age story for the teenager, the target audience is most likely preteen and teen girls, 12-17 years old.
The main character is a 17-year-old, people want to see themselves on screen so we are expecting most of the audience to be young Hispanic females.  Of course, other younger women from other nationalities and ethnicities will come see the film, Hispanic girls will identify with Samantha. 
As stated previously, Sam is an assimilated Hispanic American who lives a midclass life.  To get really specific 
Representation and Marketing/Distribution do go hand in hand with Target Audience, but they will be discussed in later blog posts. 
In this video, the subject explains that you don't make a movie for an audience you create. You make a movie and then, hey would you look at that there already a group of people who would like my movie! And thanks to the internet it is SO much easier to find and distribute media and content to these people since almost everything is online!
I am expecting this story to touch the hearts of families. The target audience are those children who come from a strict Latino family with overbearing parents  that are seeking independence. I expect for the base of the audience to be highschool or college. Obviously, some Moms and emotional Dads will come in to see the film too. 
This resource advises that I should label my audience into Life-stage categories and Attitude Categories. My Life-stage category would be Teens (<25 yrs) and my Attitude Category would most likely be socialites since my film is not going to be a movie made to go down in the history books.  







https://www.filmmakingstuff.com/define-your-movies-target-audience/
https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/advice-support/how-to-start-a-cinema/understanding-audiences/

Similar Films

Who doesn't love a little research?

I purposefully just stuck with "Drama" so that i can have a lot of wiggle room.  
The films that are similar to my film would be 

LOL (to a certain extent, more similarity with coming of age but not as promiscuous or serious as this movie)

and BoyHood (the child is ready to finally depart in their journey to adulthood). 

While none of these films are quite similar to my film, these films do have similar aspects.

In LOL, the main character is ready to leave at the end. She has a not so happy relationship with her mother (like my story!) and is fed up and as a result, does some not-so-smart things.

LOL did not do too hat i the box office. LOL was a remake of a French film, LOL. Most critics found it to be just another teen movie with no substance.  I do not plan on executing an incredibly profound, meaningful, and/or abstract film, I just want to convey a story that I have more or less experienced.  

BoyHood is what the Dad sees in my story. His daughter had grown up right before him.  He doesn't want to let go for his own selfish reasons. Critics found BoyHood to be very good.  The concept was simple, but the production was unique which allowed it to be emotionally significant.  Again. how the audience feels after watching BoyHood is how I want the Dad in my film to feel.  

Plot

As of right now, I cannot set anything in stone, especially since we have to deal with this global pandemic. Here goes nothing.....

Samantha is a typical high school senior. An only child to an overbearing Dad and distant Mom, Sam worked hard to get into her dream school.  Her Dad, Raul, does not want his baby to leave him. Samantha gets her acceptance letter and is overjoyed! (I did want to do a scene of her talking about it with her friends at school but seeing as how COVID-19 is affecting the Broward County Public School System, not very likely).  Her Dad is skeptical and does not plan on sending her hundreds of miles away and paying almost 20,000 thousand USD a year.  They travel to the college with a grain of salt, Sam tries not to get her hopes up but it is inevitable. 

A Little Change

So no more doggy park. My dad is still sick from Tallahassee, and amid all the threats from COVID-19, my family decided it is best to self-isolate.  We are now only leaving the house for school and work. My mom thinks that schools are going to get canceled very soon. 

My Dad is one of the main characters.  If he cannot leave and film I'm not sure where I am going to get most of my footage.  I am very worried. I was thinking that we can just go over to my dad's house and film there.  But I sincerely doubt he is going to want people over.  

I do have the footage of my dad and sister in Tallahassee, so if push comes to shove I can use that.  I am going to out my dad before this project. While Bright Futures sounds really nice to me I do like my father lol. The deadline for this project is sneaking up behind me.  I guess I could start working on the storyboard and those aspects however, I need footage to put together an opening...not very happy. 

Also, my doggy is feeling better.  He is 14 years old and I think we are going to know when its time. I do love that dog but I am not going to keep him alive for my own selfish reasons. 

The Lord's Day

Unfortunately, this blog will start with bad news.  My doggy is sick.  He is 14 years old so it might be time.  This is not the dog I will be bringing to the dog park, however, this might affect some of my previous scheduling so I apologize profusely in advance.  

This weekend I tried getting pictures of my family but there is not enough pictures of just my dad and sister in chronological order - I mean that the picture that are just of dad and Samantha are spaced like several years apart so it does not flow nice, big chunks are missing.  

My dad had the master drive with all of the photos in a storage locker that he does not know where the key is.  I am hoping that if I nag him enough he will get off his lazy butt and look for it.

Since my opening is going to take show different places, times, and events I do not know what type of music I am going to use.  I feel like I need a song with words for the beginning, but I am unsure if I want to keep that same music throughout my whole film.  I suppose that I will deal with this once I get more footage.

Good Night, Lovelies 

Schedule No. Dos

Just a little elaboration, I am going to the dog park Friday with my dad and sister so our puppies can finally meet! 

Lazy Daisy

Maxie Boy

I am hoping that once I have my storyboard done I can develop a script that my dad and sister can use so that they are not making dialogue up on the spot.
Also, due to the Coronavirus, my dad's trip to Italy got pushed to November.  Thank God, I need more time with the camera!




P.S. Today is 3/05 day (Miami = 305) so I will be celebrating with the family, so probably no blog post tomorrow

A Little Snippet For My Fans

This is what I managed to salvage from my trip.  I am not too happy with it.  This is not necessarily the sequence I will put it in, I just want to show you what I have. Again, I have not played with sound or lightning, nothing is edited.
Just to talk about some of the elements, this is my car.  I am 17 years old, so I am going to have "teenager" things in my car.  The air freshener is from "Rick and Morty" an adult cartoon aired on AdultSwim.  The little pink alien I have tied on the rearview mirror I bought at Cici's Pizza (one of my favorite places in the world, I pity you if you have not tried the absolutely amazing macaroni and cheese pizza, the brownies, and the D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S apple dessert pizza.

After research I have found there are no Cici's Pizza in England, thus none in Cambridge.  I advise that you buy a ticket right now and fly to the States so we can experience this together.  I will be 18 in June so let me know.
I digress.  All these elements represent the "teenager" that Samantha is, this comes with the quirkiness and rebelliousness that she will convey in the opening.

Group Meetings

'Ello Guv'na! Top o' the morrow to you!

Today I had a lovely group meeting with my contemporaries Brianna, Dominic, Juli, and Sophia. It went wonderful.  Like me, some of them did not have a clear and precise plan that they were following.  We all explained our ideas and described how we were going to execute our opening.  My group gave me a wonderful idea.  Since I am showcasing the relationship between a father and his daughter, I should open the film establishing this relationship with pictures!! Luckily I am using a real father-daughter (my father and his daughter) relationship so I have LOADS of pictures! Yay me!

Just a picture I happen to have
on hand

My dad thought he was a local celebrity back in the day so he always had his picture taken...that was before the divorce...Anyways I am very happy to have more direction in my film!! Good thinking, Tina.