Costuming: The "Golden Girl" Receiver

I created a production schedule and costume chart ahead of production week next week! I am going to send it out to my potential actors soon. Filming is primarily only 2-3 hours every day, for 3 days. Promotional pictures are going to be taken simultaneously while filming is occurring. I plan on taking an abundance of photos for the website, as I know audiences like a lot of visual information before seeing a film or movie!

For the costumes, I really delved into color psychology pertaining to the characters of Hader and Sephone. Hader is going to be dressed in darker colors, which I feel like is self-explanatory in understanding his darker characteristics and mindset. Beyond color psychology, I took a closer look at the script and remembered a line where Hader mentions, "I'm just your typical guy." Rather than try to make his clothing reflect his abnormal personality and beliefs, I think it is more important that his appearance reflects his statement of being typical. This would mean that he is able to manipulate and deceive the people around him by disguising himself as a normal person- making it easier to facilitate his darkness in plain site.
Why would Sephone be scared or frightful of a typical man?

Sephone is called "the golden girl" repeatedly by Hader, and it is because she is the tool he uses to facilitate darkness within the community. Because she is missing, her family and friends are terrified and grieving, police are tearing up the area looking for her, and she still cannot be found. No one knows if she's alive or dead. I decided her costumes should symbolize what Hader thinks of her- as the "golden" girl. She will be dressed in yellows and yellow-toned clothing, possibly golden jewlery.

I'm hoping that these choices challenge the audience to think more about the film and what it means. I think that the colors will shock and stun people and draw their attention to different aspects of the scene.

Obstacles: Red, White, and Time

I have an update! I am alive, I am no longer stressed!

The second half of February and the first two weeks of March were a long, stressful, exhausting journey for me. We began tech rehearsals for my last AMT show at Cypress, Mamma Mia, and the tension among the cast way high. There is a lot of drama in drama. I played Rosie's understudy, and only had one night to play the role. However, the understudy cast work diligently- as did the lead cast- and it became one big disaster of stress and exhaustion. All of this resulted in a small blow-up in the cast. It took a toll on all of us, and we missed a bunch of school to try to recover from so much missed work because we were rehearsing- we even missed school to rehearse. 

It was an experience that was tough, but worthwhile in the end. People are still recognizing us cast members out in the community and congratulating us.

Then, I went to my State competition with Drama Club for 5 days. That was a trip I will never forget, I had so much fun and I bonded with a lot of people in our troupe, and met a bunch of others as well! I learned a lot, tried lots of awesome food, and celebrated great victories within our club!

Then, Spring Break happened- I went on a trip with my Father and Sister to Orlando and worked a few shifts at my job. It was a nice, final break for the year. 

I really needed the time to allow myself to de-stress after a very intense period. I have started to adjust back into better school habits, eating habits, and exercising habits. 

However, I have now stretched myself a little thin regarding the time frame I have to do this project. I am scheduling everything, and believe I will be able to create the film I want to, in the quality that I want to, if i work hard and diligently enough. 

Titles: Here We Go Again!

I don't really like the title "72 Hours" for my project. It just doesn't fit the piece the way I thought it would initially. The script, as I wrote it, ousted the room for there to be a commentary about the "72 Hours" issue in the justice system. The film is more of a commentary on the existence of pure evil in the world, and how scary that reality is. The film will be better with only one focus, and it will allow for a more cohesive story-line and better conveyed tone and purpose.

In researching films that fall under the general crime genre and similar sub genres, a common theme is including only a few key words. Convention doesn't favor long, wordy titles. The titles are normally symbolic to the plot or describe the conflict. Movies like "Sin City", "The Departed", "The Town", and "Zodiac". I want the title to describe the psyche and persona of Hader Jones. I thought about translating the title into a different language, but decided that would be an insignificant and unnecessary effort. I want the title to be a singular, unusual adjective. I used Thesaurus.com, starting from general words like "sadistic" or "eerie". I eventually narrowed down to "Demoniac". It sounds evil, which is what I like about it, and it is unique enough to remember and hard to confuse.

Resources:
Thesaurus.com

A Very Scripty Sequel

I have finished the script! I will probably still be editing some dialogue throughout, but there will be no more major changes. I plan on printing a copy and making a shot list production notebook out of it. When i have finished the project, I will post pictures of it on the blog! I can't wait to start filming, but first- I still need to finish casting and filming!

The Google Drive link for the script is posted below!

I'm also going to include the link to the document where I first outlined the film and where I did initial character analyses.

Bye for now!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H7vhZSv_gyi1BytKUmmwMZH06r_UZyzZO5BMv7geV5E/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OikEtLKLfJE4asO7s6-ZPPj9wKJ3E8G4qkA1p-98Fq4/edit?usp=sharing

2 Busy 2 Compose

I had originally envisioned composing my own music for the project, but I do not think I will have enough time to do so.

I have been watching a lot of movies and television shows with the same tone as the film, and I've noticed the suspenseful music, with stings and fast paced beats. It really contributes to the mood of the piece. However, I also want to include music with a modern twist on past thrill movie scores. I want viewers to understand that the film takes place in the current era, and every aspect of production will reflect that.

I want to incorporate a kind of "mini-soundtrack" into the piece. Last year, I only used one song in my portfolio project, and it was primarily because the film was only two minutes and was supposed to be a "film opening", and not reflect an entire story arc. I plan on using at least two or three royalty-free compositions in the project to emphasize different feelings and emotions.

I did some research into general crime genre films to understand what an excellent soundtrack should be for my specific type of film. The website, criminalelement.com, gave the names of the composers of the score for the piece as well as songs from the soundtrack. Because of copyright issues, I will barely be able to use any actual "songs", and the film will be full of instrumental music. Specific scores that stuck out to me included the piece "Oraculum"  by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the film "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". It isn't the typical slow, brooding tune one would expect, but full of clashing and clanging that has an eerie effect. An abnormal score such as this may fit in well with the piece, matching the unusual character of "Hader".

While I was thinking about odd score choices, I remembered a song from "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri". The song was used throughout different parts of the film with tension and action- an operatic ballad. It added an odd sense of validity to the piece, seeing as a piece of such grandeur was in a setting of chaos and confrontation. The song is called "The Last Rose of Summer". The vocals make the violent action of the scenes feel beautiful, like a piece of art. I also think that this notion fits very well with the character of  "Hader".

To find the music, I am going to use a website given to us by a county administrator that provides royalty-free music for a certain fee. Killer Tracks is easy to use and searches using wide parameters and multiple genres.

I'm excited for this specific aspect of the project, especially since I only used one song last year. I can't wait to explore the music library, and select some of these "odd" choices that I hope will challenge the audience's senses and disturb them even further.

Resources:
http://www.criminalelement.com/face-the-music-five-crime-films-with-first-rate-scores-and-soundtracks/ (Information on stellar crime film soundtracks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDB6qzRp0s (Oraculum)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_(soundtrack) (Further research on the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack)
https://www.soundtrackmania.net/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri-soundtrack.html/ (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Soundtrack and "The Last Rose of Summer")

An All Week Vacation

I wanted to dedicate this blog post to my plans for the next two weeks, as it will prevent me from getting a lot of work done. This Wednesday, I leave for States with my drama program, and will be in Tampa until early Sunday morning. I am so excited to have a blast with my friends, especially since  it will be the end of the quarter, and I can focus on starting anew next quarter, plus I will be heading right into spring break when we get back.

March has been a hard month for me. Since late February, I've been rehearsing for the school musical, Mamma Mia! It was emotionally and physically exhausting, and I was in a bad mindset for a while. Coming off the show's run was a weird shock, because I was actually going home on time and having time to complete homework and study. It's a shame that I let my grades somewhat slip this quarter, because of all my commitments and time constraints. I plan on focusing a lot on school next quarter, so I can end high school on a good note!

I am excited to work on this project over spring break and hope to be ready way before the due date!

Casting: 2 the Streets

Today, I asked my friend Aitana if she would be open to acting in my short film. She is one of my good friends from our advanced musical theatre class and drama program. She is a phenomenal actress, competing at our annual States competition in the Monologue category multiple times, and scoring high level ratings. I think she will be able to show the terrifying vulnerability and traumatic energy pent up in Sephone, the victim.

I was deciding how to find adult actors to portray the adult characters, and eliminated posting a call to Backstage after talking to my teacher and learning about a price. I will probably post something on my Facebook page, as I am connected to a lot of actors in the South Florida area, or people who know actors. I am going to do this by the end of the week, so I can start filming as soon as I get back from Tampa next weekend.

I also contacted a mentor and teacher of mind, Robin, for help in looking for some of the adult roles. I think she may even be in the film herself as the psychologist! She is a phenomenal actress, and I hope I am able to use her as she will bring everything to the character I imagine. We primarily discussed the character of the kidnapper, as it will be a very difficult role to fill- the actor needs to have great acting ability and must be believable. She gave me a few names, and I plan on reaching out within the next few days to secure the actors. Something else on my to-do list is create a production schedule, that way I will be able to give the people I am reaching out to a finalized commitment.

Untitled: A First Draft Part 2

I have started writing the script! It is a few pages long, but I'm really enjoying the process of writing it and creating characterization through dialogue. Its fun to play around with different types of attitudes and implications conveyed in speech, and it will also be interesting to direct actors with this in mine. I am attaching the first part of the script below via Google Drive link!

The dialogue of the kidnapper, Hader, is short and witty, and sort of ominous. The attitude of the character reminds me of Hanibal from "Silence of the Lambs." I believe that this sort of attidue will further disturb the audience on top of the act itself.

The psychologist is inquisitive, genuinely curious, and at some points vulnerable. She asks about hypothetical reasons for Hader committing the crime, and he responds sarcastically, creating a speaker and listener relationship. This background information will help progress the narrative from the point of view of the psychologist.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H7vhZSv_gyi1BytKUmmwMZH06r_UZyzZO5BMv7geV5E/edit?usp=sharing

Basic Outline 2

I wrote an outline during class time so I could start developing a script this week. I'm afraid that there is too much material, and it is becoming evident that time constraints are going to be a huge obstacle for me. Creating a detailed, cohesive narrative in only 5 minutes in a huge challenge. I have so much story and detail I want to add, to develop characters, but the development is adding time to the piece. My scenes are going to have to be cut or quick paced. I will leave the outline below. 

All of the character names are temporary. I tried to play on Greek names with meaning, because I feel like this haunting tale is as dramatic as mythology and will exhibit modern, let similar characteristics of a dramatic story. Kidnapping is associated with the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades so the names of the victim and kidnapper are plays on their names. 

Running through the woods

Running into police station

Police debriefing on Hader for Psychologist

Psychologist interviews Hader

Flashbacks and Inserts of Kidnapping/Situation

Somewhere in the middle on the interview, we shift to trial

Psychologist testifies?

Sephone testifies, Hader winks at her from the stand, she declares she is done being questioned

Slow zoom on Hader as Sephone keeps pleading to be finished answering questions

END

Show Week 2: Bruise Control

The past 3-4 weeks, my musical theater class has been intensely preparing for our musical, "Mamma Mia". We were very devoted to the show, and took a lot of time to make sure every detail was perfect because people  wanted to see Mamma Mia, and it is such an iconic show. Yesterday, we closed our 4-day, 2 sold-out show run, and I've never been more drained. There have been weeks and weeks leading up to this moment, even years and years, and now it is finished.

These rehearsals and my schedule have prevented me from working on a lot of other things, but now that it has finished, I can breathe, and get back on track. This week, I plan to do a lot of work for this short film- like writing the script and location scouting, but I also plan to have fun with it.

Overall, this post is dedicated to me saying that now that another chapter has closed with Mamma Mia, another can open for the short film, and my work can really begin!;)

Psychology: Back in the Habit

I was thinking about the role the psychologist should play in the movie, and how she affects the resolution of the film. I want her to have to testify about the kidnapper's mental state during a trial, and I also want the film to be told through a frame narrative which takes place from her point of view.
My vision right now is that she interviews the kidnapper, comes to the conclusion that he/she is aware of the wrongdoings they have committed but only wants to see the world burn- there is no mental health diagnosis, it is just his demeanor. She thinks for this reason, he should be fully responsible for the crime and serve his sentence behind bars. I think she is very disturbed by his thought process, and really wants to see justice served against this vile man.
My research on this character was primarily to find out how a psychologist works within a criminal trial. I wanted to understand the schematics of the impact of a psychologist testimony in a trial, and how they can play a major role in a case.

I plan to start typing a script this week, because I will have so much free time now that Mamma Mia is coming to a close. I want to start filming over spring break, to give me sufficient time to edit and get production shots. I'm so excited to watch this film grow!

RESOURCES
http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/forensic-psychology/psychology-and-law/roles-of-psychologists/
http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/forensic-psychology/psychology-and-law/roles-of-psychologists/
https://www.justcriminallaw.com/criminal-charges-questions/2017/01/27/should-criminal-defendant-testify/
https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/victim-witness/handbook