All I Want

All I want is a song written and created by Kodaline. And just by hearing the song with no prior knowledge the song sort of has this heavy sad essence to it. Not only does the piano and guitar add to this heavy mix of emotions but so do the lyrics. The lyrics carry such heavy meaning that I don't think a lot of people capture. 

For example, the lyrics of the song speak about a person who is lost, searching for answers, and is desperate to find someone who understands them. The very first line of the song is 

" All I want is nothing more 

To hear you knocking at my door" 

These lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song. It expresses the idea that they are in deep need for human connection and the sense of loneliness that comes with feeling disconnected from others. And with Elena, she just recently lost her mom. So for to feel these heavy sad emotions is normal. And to not have people in life along her way is obviously going to make her feel alone. 

Another lyric that resonates is 

"But if you loved me 

Why'd you leave me?"

These lines express the pain that someone feels after they've been abandoned by someone they loved. 

Again, Elena just lost her mother, and even though they didn't have the ideal relationship, it was still her mom who she loved. So, she feels this sense of abandonment. 

But beside all these things, the overall message for this song is hope. It's a reminder that even in the darkest moments of our lives, we are not alone. Everyone experiences pain, loss, and heartbreak. But these experiences also give us the opportunity to grow, to learn, and to find some meaning in our lives. Which I think Elena can relate to. And I think this song really says a lot about her character and how she feels. 

The Time Has Come....

Hello, my name is Briana, and I am currently a senior in high school. This is my second year using this platform, and hopefully I've gotten better at making blog content... Moving on, I have been really looking forward to making this project since April. When I was told that my school would be providing the A level Aice Media Studies Class, I immediately started thinking about my next project. I tried not to get too ahead of myself of course, because I still had a lot of time to finalize a story line and concept. But here we are, officially in pre-production of the Advanced Portfolio. And as excited as I am, I am also very nervous and scared. Because with A level it's definitely a lot more pressure and work, so I have to keep reminding myself to be on top of not only my blog post, but also of the production itself. AND I have to worry about my other classes as well, maintain my grades, and make sure that I graduate High School. But since the time has come, welcome to my advance portfolio :)

Picking our roles

 So as far as me, I would be taking the role of director, Brendan will be cinematographer, Baliey sound designer, and Karina editor. There was really no dispute or argument when it came to picking roles because we each are doing what we preferably like to do. Well, Bailey did want to be director originally, but she let me take the role because I originated the film idea, which was sweet of her. But even though we all have our separate roles, I will be helping each of them. For example, for Brendan there are certain shots that we want to be able to capture. So, as cinematographer he can hopefully do it, and if not, we can work something out that will be as equally good. For Bailey, since she is sound designer, I will be helping her with not only the sound, but also the music we choose. I knew since the beginning that I wanted to include at least two songs to play during scenes to add more meaning to the story. I want these songs incorporate certain chords and instruments to add onto that semimetal theme. I think it's a nice touch that would really draw the audience attention. But I don't just want to throw them into the scene. I want them slowly to fade in and fade out. So that's something we can both work on. And as far as Karina, liked I previously mentioned, I wanted there to be some sort of flashback sequence. This isn't exactly something easy to do. We aren't trying to aim for perfection, but we are going to try to make it work.  And I know it's something that none of us have her done before so hopefully it's something we can do and make it look nice. Because not only does it play a very big part in our film, but we think it would look really nice! 

Working with a group

 When I first originally thought of the idea, I was thinking about working alone. I knew my other classmates have different taste when it comes to creating a film idea. And this is something I didn't want anyone to steal either. But incoming into the new school year, I realized working by myself or with one of my friends Brendan, but that would've put a lot of weight on our shoulders. Because not only would have been a lot of work for two people, but also dividing the roles up between us. And I'm not saying I don't like being cinematographer, editor, or sound designer, but I'm personally drawn to the role of director. I like being able to come up with the ideas and create it in my own vision. But realistically it would've have been a lot of work for us. So, I am now working in a group with three other people. Brendan, Baliey, and Karnia. Being in a group with them has generally made it easier to say the least. Because even though I had my film idea set and done, but together as a group we were able to change the story a bit and make it even better. There are a lot of things that happen throughout the film, that will make the story make sense and tie it all together nicely. We were able to come up with a solid, in depth, beautiful story which we all are really happy with. 

Genres!!!

 As I previously mentioned, I decided to steer away from the mystery, thriller, and horror genres. I wanted to do something that I've never done before. So therefore, I decided to create a melodrama, heartwarming, sentimental type of film. I decided to look at these films for inspirations and to make myself more knowledgeable when it comes to these types of films:

 All the Bright Places; a film that revolves around the relationship of the two main characters, Violet Markey and Theordore Finch. Theordore eventually meets Violet shortly after her sister passes away from a car crash. And when they meet, it steers a lot of emotions that Violent didn't want to surface. But they change each other's lives forever. As they both struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they come together, discovering that even the smallest places and moments can mean something. 

I know this film is about a love relationship, rather than a mom and daughter relationship, but throughout the film it builds that idea of, even after losing someone that was really important and a big crucial part of your life, you can live your life and carry their memory forever. You find these littles things that reminds you of them and ties it back to them. 

 The Fault in our Stars; The story of Hazel and Augusts, two teenagers with cancer who fall in love. The movie explores themes like the uncertainty of life, the meaning of suffering, and the value of relationships. 

Even though both films are very similar, with this one it introduces the idea of losing someone to a horrible sickness, and them leaving behind some sort of letter, or email for them to find. I am very big on having a letter involved because one thing about my story is that when the daughter was younger, her mom would send her on a little treasure hunt with these little clues written in letter forms. So, this letter has meaning and ties back to the mom. And the scene where Hazel opens the letter, there is also somewhat of this flashback sequence. Where they show things that has previously happened while she is reading the note. That is another thing that I would love to incorporate in my film. 

Lastly, another film that I think portrays the genre(s) that I am trying to aim for is a short film that I found on YouTube called "Are You Still There." 

Are You Still There: A short film about a young girl, Safa who's been through a lot. How her car battery is dead in a dead in a strip mall parking lot. 

The film mainly focusses on the concept of grief and reminders of a person you lost. Safa lost a dad, and ironically the car she is sitting in is her dad. And when she has to call Triple A, she has to call under her dad's name. But however, he never registered her underneath the car name so there isn't anything for her to do. She hangs up, calls her mom and tells her what is going on. She waits in the parking lot for a couple hours until her mother comes to her recuse. During this time, she is just thinking about her dad, and the fact that the car she is sitting in is her dad doesn't help. It's a reminder of him. This is an important thing because for my film I want to have things that remind the daughter of her mom. It can symbolize the connection they have. It can range from a necklace, a simple drawing, or to a place. I want these things just to be random either, I want them to hold value and meaning. 

The Making of the Story

 So, since I was told that we would be having an A level Media Studies class all the way back in April, it definitely gave me a lot more time to think about what I really want to do. I knew that I wanted to do a short film. Because preferably that what I enjoy doing. I love the process and concept of making one. I find it really intriguing how someone can be really creative, make a whole film idea, and is able to tell the story cinematically. With that being said I wanted to create a film short film that was different from anything else I have ever created or worked on. I wanted to steer away from the mystery, thriller, and horror genres. I wanted to create something that was more heart-warming and touching to the heart. Something more semimetal. I know most people would prefer a film that has some sort of action or makes them happy. But how about one that makes you cry... Not because of how sad it is, but because of how beautiful it is, hopefully.  I think film is definitely going to make the audience second guess their relationships with their parents, but I don't mean it in a harmful way. I mean it in a more eye-opening and being more appreciative towards your parent's type of way. 

In the process of making the film concept, I found it helpful to write down any and all ideas I had down, and then try to connect it to the film. I wasn't exactly writing the storyline in order. For example, I knew I wanted the film to include something with a mom having some sort of illness, and eventually passing away, and then how it affected the daughter.  I knew I wanted the story to revolve around some sort of letter, a museum, and the mom and daughter relationship. It was just making the puzzle fit that was the difficult part. Eventually after watching movies like " To All the Bright Places" and " The Fault in our Stars" I was more knowledgeable on how to execute my film. I will talk more about these films in future post but watching them helped me understand how writers were able to make such a sad but yet beautiful story.