1. It's tough to find the actors that I imagine would be the characters for my film
2. I would only have one week to film and edit this opening if I waited until I came back from my California trip
3. To be honest, I wasn't completely in love with my idea anyway
Therefore, I have decided that maybe it isn't too late to change my original idea. Of course, I was put off by the fact that I felt like it would set me back, but in all honesty, I had barely begun storyboarding anyway. And isn't that like the first step of production? So, I went with my gut and began brainstorming again.
The day I decided that this was the route to go, I was lucky because I had an hour and half of class time with all of my peers who could help me. Well, I must have gone through about five different ideas and genre types within those 90 minutes, none of which I was fond of.
At the end of the day, I lay in bed wondering why a creative person like myself was in such a slump. Then it hit me... I have great ideas but $0. :) I slept on it for the night and woke up the next morning determined to finalize my plan and begin storyboarding.
I spent the better end of my night on YouTube watching iconic opening scenes to some of my favorite films. These are some of my top picks.
1. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
2. Inception
3. The Matrix
I noticed that all of these excerpts are far out concepts, the characters seemed to already know what was going on in their lives/ story, and they were intriguing causing me to want to watch the rest of the movie.
I came to the conclusion that the reason these scenes are attractive to viewers is because they create some sense of mystery. That being said, I have not only decided to choose mystery as my genre but I will also use the technique of alluding to a mystery in my film opening.
The basic idea that I came up with is a guy running from two chasers because of an unknown reason (as far as the audience knows).
It would begin with the chase scene, immediately providing that sense of action and dragging in viewers. The protagonist of the film, wearing fancy attire and carrying a briefcase, would be running from two guys who are dressed in baggy clothing and primarily dark colors. This costume choice further divides the parties, making it clear that they are not all together, and that the so-called 'chasers' make up a team.
Eventually, the nicely dressed guy will end up isolated in either a bedroom or office. He will place the briefcase on a table and open it up. When he opens the top of the briefcase, the blinding light will flood out, and this mysterious light will turn off as he closes the bag. Suddenly there is banging at the door (it's the chasers from before). At the loud knock, the protagonist will look up at the closed door both shocked and terrified. Black screen.
This idea will attract viewers and get them hyped up immediately considering the fast action that occurs from the beginning of the film. This enhances their desire to want to continue watching, along with the fact that the audience will be wondering what is in the briefcase and why does it light up? Why is the guy being chased? What do the other men want from him? What the heck is going on!?
All of these questions are precisely what I want from the fan base. Isn't the point of a film opening to attract viewers and make them want to keep watching the movie?
Additionally, I already have my three actors and they will be on the school field trip with me in California so we can film in Anaheim. I have looked at google images at the surrounding area of the hotel, and the hotel itself that we will be staying at. I already know the locations that I want to use. Plus, I am positive that they will have the right outfits and props I need to film (and I'll have my camera and tripod with me to actually film).
Front section
Side view of the front, at night
Lobby
Hotel room
Because I plan on filming while in Anaheim, and I live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I will have to ensure that I over-film. This way I have more than enough footage when it comes to editing. However, I plan on filming Thursday, March 30th when we have some time to ourselves after our competitions. I want to begin naming clips and editing that night or the next day, so if anything I could re-film during my last day there.
Overall, I am very excited about this new idea and the boys who've agreed to act for me. I imagine it will be a lot of fun to film with them. Between packing and practicing for my upcoming competition next week, I will do more research on mystery films, audio techniques-- I want audio to be intricately planned out for this, and storyboard before getting on the plane Monday morning.
More to come!
L. (2012, September 13). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6cddFuTPBA&t=124s
T. (2013, March 04). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqyfMlnxmmI
A. (2016, April 25). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb6bA4J1Gbg&t=178s
M. (2013, May 08). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_diRgwPCS8
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