Portfolio Project Genre #2

 Hey blog!!!

Here's my romance genre research:)

Romance Research:

The romance genre, like the coming-of-age one, is very broad. Romance can be a part of any film, whether it's fantasy, coming-of-age, dystopian, quite literally anything. But it always focuses specifically on the love story of a couple, their falling in love and their struggles to make it happen. The target audience for this genre is mainly teens/young adult to adult women and is commonly watched with significant others. This genre really plays with cliches and stereotypes as well, making it cringy for some, yet it is one of the most used genres in the history of film and continues to infect screens worldwide. 

Content Conventions:

This genre consists of a love story/romantic relationship. Exploring themes of passion, intimacy, conflict, and personal flaws, these films follow the journey of two people falling in love, getting together, and staying together, facing an insanely large number of challenges to allow for this to happen. This genre relies on dramatic scenes leading up to a final one before ending with either a happy ending or tragic one.

Romance typically features relatable characters with common flaws for audiences to understand what these characters are experiencing and feeling, and basically allowing for them to put themselves in their place, imagining what it would be like if they replaced one of the characters. The use of tropes, crucial in romance, adds more depth into the protagonists' personalities and relationship, showing their way of thinking, reactions, how they interact with one another when faced with a conflict, and also simply makes a film more entertaining. The most popular and loved tropes are enemies to lovers, love triangles, fake dating, and grumpy/sunshine, which are all very different but still make up a romance. Other tropes include how a couple meets, like bumping into each other and dropping whatever was in one of the character's hands, being academic rivals since elementary school, and randomly choosing each other to fake date, all of which could happen to people in real life, making it more appealing to audiences. 

There are also many common settings throughout this genre that make scenes more romantic and visually beautiful for example the beach for picnic dates and iconic cities to create excitement. As mentioned before, this genre is very cliche and predictable, so basically everything that appears and occurs in these films are repeated. Using a bouquet of flowers for forgiveness is a classic example of this.

Plot wise, most romances turn out the exact same way. Usually, a couple meets in a cute way, instantly connecting. Sometimes they get together immediately, others they spend a longer time due to external conflicts. At first, there is always one character that refuses to get together, again, because of external conflicts where they simply cannot be together, but after enough convincing and suffering on both ends or the fact that they cannot stay away from each other, they give the relationship a try. At this point, the cute lovey dovey things occur and their chemistry is over the roof. They tend to work perfectly together, always on cute dates and always making the other the best version of themself, but eventually something happens where they begin to think that they can't have each other. Conflict is very important in romance, creating the angst needed to develop the plot. Dramatic dilemmas like family issues, misunderstandings, keeping secrets, and opposing lifestyles are all examples of this. After spending some time apart, the lovers realize, that this isn't possible. They can't stay stay away from one another, they need each other. After an emotional scene, they make up and end up together once again.

Technique Conventions:

There are multiple techniques that play into creating a romance film. The most popular ones being color theory and lighting. The colors used in the mise-en-scene throughout the film, along with the overall lighting helps create the ambience the director wants to show the audience. Usually bright colors start off the films, with yellow, blue, and red dress on the girls as they go through dates and are happy to be with the guy. The background involves hues of orange and yellow, creating that cozy feeling while everyone is happy. But once the conflict occurs, there is less lighting, and the focus is now on darker and neutral colors, emphasizing the sad tone. But once everything is well again, the bright, happy colors return.

To emphasize emotional turmoil and connection, showing face expressions is extremely important, so most of these films develop through mid-shots and close-ups, especially during intimate scenes. 

And lastly the soundtrack is crucial to a romance film. Soft love music is often used to better demonstrate the love shown from the characters, before it turns either very melancholy and, on other occasions, very chaotic and heavy as conflict is occurring. Emotional scenes where the protagonists get back together depend on emotional music that moves the audiences and helps them truly feel the overwhelming need each character has for each other.

Institutional Conventions:

The marketing for romance films isn't much different from those of other movies. They use the same strategies as every other genre, like trailers, social media usage, and collaborations; however, they tend to focus on the emotional portion of the film. Throughout all of the marketing, they really push the angst and drama by always showing the very emotional scenes, moving audiences enough to get them to watch the film. They also tend to show the beginning of the film a lot, the couple's happy scenes where they are seem like the ideal couple, to the point where one thinks that nothing could go wrong. Eventually those find out that that is incorrect once they watch the film.

Since romance isn't necessarily popular now, with people enjoying other genres more, the marketing of these films through social media is crucial. Connecting with audiences before the film is used by using popular actors doing interviews, starting or taking part in trends, and more, causes people to connect with the movie before it even comes out.

Distribution wise, romance doesn't usually do well in theatres, so they focus on putting these on online streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO, and Prime. Here target audiences can find these films by simply scrolling through their recommended and those who connected with them through social media, have easier access to them.

Films:

The Notebook

2004

"The Notebook" is a classic romance focusing on the love story of Noah and Allie. The intensity throughout the whole film makes this romance quite a good example of this genre too. Noah and Allie meet when young and after a few rejections, get together and become the couple everyone aspires to be. But, as expected, a conflict causes them to break up and they continue their lives separate. Years after, something brings Allie back to Noah where they realize that they never truly stopped loving each other. After a few more problems are solved, they end up together. And while, there are a few plot twists, the main plot is that of a typical romance film.

The protagonists face a lot of the same conflicts that other romance characters face, like family disapproval, misunderstandings, distance, and other relationships pushing them apart from each other. This movie contains a lot of emotional scenes, which is what makes it so enduring to watch and reels in audiences. Many can relate to it in some ways and knowing that in the end, Noah and Allie still end up together, showing their true love, really affects watchers.

The Notebook (2004). (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332280/

Sources:

Hellerman, J. (2023, March 6). We love the romance genre in film and TV. NoFilmSchool. https://nofilmschool.com/romance-movie-genre

Michellehui. (2016, February 27). Genre conventions: Romance. It’s Already Here. https://itisalreadyhere.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/genre-conventions-romance/

Pereira, G. (n.d.). The structure of romance. DIY MFA. https://diymfa.com/writing/structure-romance-writing/

Ringel, S., & Dagerman, D. L. (2025, April 23). “We uncovered just how many pain points exist”: Distribution case study of indie romantic comedy ‘You, Me & Her’. Distribution Advocates. https://distributionadvocates.substack.com/p/we-uncovered-just-how-many-pain-points

Portfolio Project Genre #1

Hey blog!!!

So, we have officially begun our film opening portfolio project! For the next few blog posts I will be researching specific genres and subgenres I'm interested in doing for my film opening and, well, I'll be taking you along for the ride. Obviously I'm not entirely sure in which direction I want this opening to go yet, but I do have some ideas and I hope more develop with this research! 

Coming-of-age

This popular subgenre is very broad, but focuses on the themes of youth, growing up, and nostalgia. As the name states, these films are targeted towards teenagers and young adults who are growing up and maturing, essentially coming of age and still exploring the world. Yet these films are for all ages and actually serve as amazing family movies, typically focusing on transitioning through life, life lessons, and self-discovery. 

Content Conventions:

The coming-of-age genre usually consist of a young protagonist progressing through different stages in their life and learning how to deal with these new changes. The whole point of these films is always to show a protagonist facing and overcoming a major dilemma or milestone that will eventually alter their whole life and teach audiences a lesson. These lessons typically include, self-discovery, acceptance, perseverance, friendship, family, and optimism, all meant to relate to watchers and make them feel represented and seen. 

While not exclusive, these films almost always take place when the protagonist is in high school, the stage in life where most people begin their journey to discovering who they are. Because of this, protagonists often face dramatic events that seem like the end of the world when younger, like first heartbreak, friendship conflicts, and pressure from social expectations. They also incorporate serious topics though, like family/home issues, overcoming naiveness, and mental health. This is to show younger audiences that everything they are feeling is valid and okay and they are not alone in the world. 

While not the most popular coming-of-age movies, there are still many, many films that focus on the process of becoming an adult, whether it is from starting college or simply turning a year older. These stories always include the protagonist feeling pressured to figure out their whole life ahead of time and feeling behind compared to those around them. In this case, the themes consist of accepting your identity, going at your own pace, optimism that everything will work out in the end, and overall resilience, not giving up and trusting the path you were meant to walk on.

This genre solely focuses on character growth and arcs over a period of time. To illustrate this, films typically include the same plot points, modifying it depending on the story itself. The movie begins with the protagonist living their normal, every day life. Whether this is a seemingly perfect life or a lonely, dark one that is clearly horrible, something occurs that makes them rethink everything they've ever known. They begin to question who they are, the people they surround themselves with, and their actions. After building up tension throughout the whole film, towards the middle-end of the story, the character tends to break down and finally realize a crucial lesson that will follow them throughout the rest of their life. And while this doesn't occur always, it is very common for this epiphany to happen when the protagonist converses with an older character that they look up to, reassuring them that everything will be okay, or a younger character to remind them of who they are and to follow what they believe in. Finally, a happy ending is almost always guaranteed, with a few exceptions. A happy ending leave audiences feeling good and optimistic about their future.

Technique Conventions:

To target these films for younger audiences, the wide variety of techniques are very important. The most important one, in my opinion, is the use of colors. Lots of bright colors appeal to adolescents more, but it also helps represent the idea of youth, where everything still seemed vibrant and new. This helps create nostalgia for older audiences and even those who haven't experienced any of that yet, it creates a more homely and comfortable atmosphere that exists when someone is young. Along with color theory, mise-en-scene is what makes or breaks this genre. Props and costume designs can determine how realistic and relatable these films are. The use of rooms full of posters, clothing trends, and specifics from when the film takes place all contribute to creating that youthful image throughout the film.

Music is also a crucial part in creating a coming-of-age film. Depending on the character's personality, the type of music they listen to really says a lot about their personality and reels audiences in. The songs in these films tend to be niche, relating to specific types of people, but the kind of music helps create the ambience the movie wants to achieve and convey. Music is also typically linked to teenagers as they listen to it 24/7, something adults simply don't have the time to do. 

Actual film-wise, these movies contain a variety of different shots, angles, and compositions to convey a youthful yet dramatic tone. Close-up and extreme close-ups are the most common type of shot, focusing on small details and specifics. Small reactions help create lots of depth to the characters personality. Tracking shots, as well, as they follow characters into what they are doing.

Institutional Conventions:

Coming -of-age films typically follow transformations, clearly demonstrating a before and after in characters' life. Also, taking place in 1st point of view is extremely common as to get a better insight into the protagonist's life and fully dive into what they're feeling and experiencing. 

The marketing for these films tend to really push the emotional aspect of the story in trailers, posters, and social media posts/reels as to attract younger audiences who would feel those emotions. Social media is the most common form of marketing for this genre, because, as I've said before, it is targeted towards teens and young adults, who are usually always on social media platforms. 

Also, the use of social media help create a fanbase where fans can connect with others who deeply understood the same films as them. This allows for new accounts to post behind the scenes, random pictures, collages, edits and more, leaving watchers with a lot more content to run to after finishing watching the actual movie. 

Films:

"Little Women"

2019

The film "Little Women" is a very popular coming-of-age film for young girls based off of Louisa May Alcott's book. This story follows the life of four sisters, specifically Jo, and how she deals with being "different" from other girls in the 1800s. The sisters learn how to navigate through the harsh realities of the world from their innocent childhood as they discover who they are outside of their family, experiencing major social expectations, love, loss, and economic struggle.

"Little Woman" dives into the theme of feminism and gender roles, something that wasn't accepted in the time period it takes place in. The whole film encourages young girls to seek their dreams, no matter what anyone says and not listen to the exaggerated sense of masculinity commonly seen in today's world. They want for their audience to feel powerful and as if they matter, even if it challenges traditional roles. It also focuses on natural parts of growing up and how it is okay to not be on the same page as everyone else because everyone is on their own path.

Film-wise, "Little Women" does, in fact, follow the small routine I had mentioned before, starting with the sisters' perfect life together before they began to grow up. They start attending parties, finding love, experience the loss of one of the sisters, and a lot more. Jo March though, feels as if she doesn't want to take part in this phase of growing up. She preferred staying inside and hanging out with her sisters. But she realizes, as her sisters grow up, building their own life outside of her, that she doesn't entirely belong in this society and does not allow for any expectations to affect her. Eventually, she overcomes a huge love drama that causes her to realize, with the help of her older sister, that she doesn't have to do everything alone, she can choose the life she wants to live. And in the end she lives a happy life. 

The color theory in this film is also very apparent, since the film is constantly switching from the past to the present. When in the past, hues of oranges and yellows are quite literally everywhere, creating a homely and nostalgic look. But in the present, there are usually dark colors, specifically blues, and the use of dark lighting really emphasizes the harsh reality hitting the main characters as they progress through life. But at the end of the film, this dark environment leaves and a sort of, "normal" colors are used, signifying that everything is okay, and while it might not be as bright as the past, at least the transformation has passed and everyone's happy.

Little Women (2019) [Film]. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/

Sources:

MasterClass. (2021, September 24). Coming-of-age movies: What is the coming-of-age genre? MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/coming-of-age-movies

Kench, S. (2023, September 24). What is a coming of age movie — Examples and characteristics. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie-definition/

Music Marketing 2

 

Hey Blog!!

Here's a behind the scenes of my group's music marketing project:)

Link- Music Campaign BTS Video

Music Marketing 1

 Hey Blog!

In the upcoming month, I will be working on a group project about marketing in the music industry that will be worth half of my midterm grade. My teammates and I were assigned pop music as our music genre, and we each had to research a different music production company or record label and their marketing process. We researched the companies' history and two artists that have released music through them, and their brand identity, history, and overall marketing strategies. Within the pop genre, I chose Republic Records for my music company and The Weeknd and Taylor Swift as my two artists. Each musician uses very different marketing strategies to get their music to the public and to establish their identity, but they are both considered mainstream and end with the same results: high number of listeners and visibility in the public eye. 

This research significantly helped me understand how the media uses specific strategies to reel people in to continue watching and listening to content, and will definitely help with the big project I had mentioned before. For this assignment, my group was given four songs from the pop genre to choose from; we chose the song "We Are Young" by Fun. Using this song, we must create a new brand/artist identity through developing a campaign to market this artist and song. To do this, we must create social media posts, performances, distribution plants, a music video, and other marketing practices. All of these elements will be put into a powerpoint, where we will record audios explaining all the slides, before submitting all of it. 

For a project this big, we have to plan exactly who is doing what and when. We received a paper that contained a calendar for the month of December, where we wrote down what each group member was "in charge of" and our personal deadlines to meet for each portion of the project. This planner will help us stay on track and finish everything we must on time. My group hasn't planned what we are going to do much yet, but I will keep you updated on our progress!

Multimedia Mise-en-scene Project

Hey Blog!

So, throughout the last four classes, I've been working on a Mise-en-scene project with three other students. For this project, we were divided in groups and each group randomly received a paper that described a character. Each group was meant to represent the character they received and illustrate who they are in an interactive way through three different forms of media: visual, audio, and tactile. On the last day, after we had finished developing our person, we presented our projects by setting up stations using what we had created to represent each of our characters and we moved around the classroom guessing what type of person the other groups had portrayed. 

In my group's case, we had to do our project on a tech-savvy middle schooler who loves tinkering with gadgets, is a quick problem-solver, is very shy around new people, and is fiercely loyal to her friends. To represent our character, who we named Alice Rose (AR), we decided to create a project on Scratch, a visual coding program as a common stereotype for people who are interested in technology is that they are good at coding. We created a graphic of her room on Canva and put it on Scratch, and then added sprites of objects in her room, which allowed other students to press on certain things and a pop up of a picture or text box popped up in the middle of the screen, either describing AR or indirectly demonstrating who she is. One of our sprites was a monitor, which when pressed showed a mood board with techy elements, illustrating her interests. Another sprite was a framed picture of her and her friends, proving her loyalty towards her friends, which we thought was important since we basically only selected showing her techy side, and not other things that may interest her.

Our Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1232512039

For our audio element, we created a playlist with songs and artists we thought she would enjoy and listen to. The playlist, mainly consisting of rock music, played in the background of our project during presentations. We also added two sprites, a robot and a box full of gadgets, which when pressed on made noises. The robot, which we imagined she built during her robotics class, further fitting into the trope of nerdy techy character, beeped and made typical robot noises when clicked on. While the box, which contained all her gadgets and trinkets, made metal clattering noises. 

Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4OrBbr83ca1xEEygSwT7mv?si=07e0f3607d65432d

And lastly for our tactile element, one of my group members brought a Lego-like robot she built when she was younger and two large Lego wheels demonstrating the gadgets and trinkets that AR would have created, used, or simply just had in her room. These objects were put on one of the desks in our table for other groups to touch and physically see when done exploring the Scratch. 

Overall, I think my group did really well with not just the project's end result, but the creating process as well. We all worked diligently and didn't waste any time, allowing us to submit the project earlier than I had expected. And it also made the whole project just a fun experience rather than difficult work, stressing us out until the minute it's due. While we did struggle a little with the coding since none of us had ever truly coded and we had a technical issue where one of our sprites wasn't functioning how it was supposed to, we were able to do some research and after a while of working on it, we fixed it. But I still feel our project was missing something that the other projects had included. I'm not sure what, but our project, while it took a lot of hard work, still had less information and things that demonstrated our character, making it seem too little and less interactive. I'm not sure what we could have added, especially since I am very different from AR, and genuinely don't know anything from her world, but one group created a diary/journal for their character and I feel that could've been a great addition to our project, with invention designs, and notes about certain things. Other than that, I think we did well using Canva and Scratch to create our project and make it what it is. 

Genre Research

Musical Genre

Hey Blog!

For this activity, I decided to research the musical genre, not only because it's basically the only type of film I watch, but also because I feel it is a very misunderstood genre, that people don't typically enjoy due to not knowing enough about it.

This genre has been around for quite some time, with films such as "The Sound of Music" and "The Wizard of Oz" gaining tremendous popularity over the past few decades, attracting audiences to the emotional appeal that the mix of singing, dancing, and storytelling bring.  Once Disney began producing animated films specifically made for children, like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" and "Pinocchio," the target audience only grew, now including younger children as well. But over the past few years, the musical genre seems to have changed, with the production of Disney Channel movies like "High School Musical" and more recently, film adaptations of already existing Broadway musicals like "Dear Evan Hansen" targeted more for teens. Although Disney continues to create animated musicals, people often associate this genre with these newer releases rather than the animated children movies. Today, this genre is mostly meant to attract singers, actors, dancers, and overall, those who enjoy theatre. 

Content:

The key component of a musical, is the combination of dialogue, singing, and dancing when telling a story; so obviously, every musical contains breaking out into songs and dances. These songs are used to express an idea or emotion that might be difficult to illustrate simply through dialogue. Most musicals have very similar song choices, with certain types of songs being used at specific times to better develop the plot. 

-They usually have a large group opening and finale number with upbeat and catchy tunes. The opening tends to be a long song that establishes the main characters and dilemma, while the finale is often a reinvented version of the opening number showing the resolution. 

-In the first half of the film, the main character will likely sing a dramatic song illustrating their personal desires that will be worked on throughout the film. 

-There also tends to be a big group number with a dance break near the middle of the film when the climax is developed or there is a dramatic change in the plot.

-Closer to the end of the musical, the main character will sing a usually slower, emotional song, demonstrating character development from their first solo song. 

Production Techniques:

The "behind the scenes" of a musical is crucial to make it what it is. Lyricists and script writers must work together to ensure the dialogue and music naturally flow and blend well in a scene. The lyrics must also perfectly convey what the character isn't able to express through dialogue, without any misconnections. Along with the actual writing of songs, choreographers must create dances and block physical movements that fit with the lyrics, rhythm, and beat of the songs, while still illustrating the theme or purpose of it. 

Camera angles and shots are also very important in the world of musicals. During songs and dances, the camera becomes a part of the choreography. So, close-up during emotional scenes, master shots capturing performances, and long shots during big dances numbers are commonly used in these films.

And lastly, set and costume design is another factor that makes musicals stand out from other film genres. Unlike dramas, horrors, and mysteries, musicals tend to be much brighter and colorful. In live theatre, makeup and costume is often exaggerated so that the whole audience is able to see a character even when they are running all over the stage. This custom carried over to films too, but since close-ups are available, designs are a lot more detailed. The set and costume also truly shows a characters personality and emotional being, often changing throughout the film.

Institutional Conventions:

This genre is marketed in many ways to appeal to audiences. The main one being releasing the soundtrack of the film before the release date. Since their target audience are typically teens and theatre kids, who are known for being highly engaged online, this allows for them to get to know the music beforehand, and begin to analyze and memorize the songs before the film even comes out. 

It is also common for musicals to cast popular actors and stars, even if they don't have any music experience. In some cases, it works well, while in others it doesn't. For example, in the live-action "Beauty and the Beast," Emma Watson, a Hollywood star widely known for her role of Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" film series, was casted as Belle. She attracted many audiences, but many were left disappointed as her voice in the soundtrack was heavily edited with autotune, making it sound too clear and not human-like. On the other hand, they also casted Ewan McGregor, another well-known actor who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels, as Lumiere. He was praised for his talented singing voice, which many did not know he had experience with when acting in "Moulin Rouge."

And lastly, referencing original live musicals when marketing an adaptation is often used to attract theatre kids into watching a film. While this only applies to a reinvention of an already existing piece of media, most musical films nowadays fall into this category. Trailers and posters mentioning that a film is based off of another show, attracts an already existing fanbase that love what will be shown in the movie. Sometimes it ends up not working out, but it still brought audiences wanting to see if the adaptation lives up to its inspiration.

Although this isn't a convention to reel in a specific audience, I thought it was worth mentioning to demonstrate the changes in the musical film industry as time passes...

Recently, there has been a growing trend in movie trailers, not marketing a film as a musical to attract more people. While this does not help specifically bring in target audiences, it is used as a market strategy solely to sell and gain more profit. "Wonka," released in 2023, and "Mean Girls," released in 2024, are two films that were highly anticipated. Both of the movies' trailers were made to seem like a non-musical film, not showing music numbers or including dancing and singing. This led to non-musical fans to want to watch the movies, not knowing that they would be left disappointed and frustrated for paying to watch something they were not expecting and don't necessarily enjoy. 

Samples:

In the Heights (2021)

"In the Heights" released in 2021, is a film based on the stage musical created by Lin Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes. Known for integrating Latin American music and culture into a section of media where it wasn't commonly seen, "In the Heights" quickly gained popularity and won multiple awards since its debut. 

This musical follows many characters, like Usnavi, played by Anthony Ramos, through a few days in their life, living in a predominantly Latino and immigrant-based neighborhood with fewer resources. Through the use of dancing and singing, the movie illustrates the struggles the characters face, their dreams and goals, and passion and pride for their heritage, which is illustrated in the hip-hop and Latin music used throughout the film. 

As expected, the musical includes a big group opening, where everyone is introduced, the setting is established, and a challenge is expressed; a finale, referencing songs sung throughout the film; and a big dance number involving the entire cast halfway through the movie. What makes this musical stand out from others though, is the casting and people involved in the creation of this film. Lin Manuel Miranda is widely known in the theatre industry due to the success of his works for example the lyrics in the soundtrack of "Moana," and "Encanto" and his most popular musical, "Hamilton," where he wrote the entire musical and played as the lead when it debuted. But before any of these, Miranda produced "In the Heights," his first Broadway musical. Like "Hamilton," he casted himself as the lead in this show, and had several actors who originally acted in "In the Heights" act in "Hamilton" as well. Actors like Anthony Ramos, Cristopher Jackson, and even Lin Manuel Miranda himself, were  brought back to perform in the film adaptation of the show, attracting already existing fans from past performances.

The Greatest Showman (2017)

The box-office hit, "The Greatest Showman," is a fantasized retelling of the life of PT Barnum, a 19th century showman and businessman known for the creation of his circus. The film, both a drama and musical, has become one of the most popular modern musical films since its release in 2017. 

The movie begins with the song, "The Greatest Show," a huge number in which pretty much the whole cast performs in, before it fades into a flashback showing PT Barnum's past. This long song is later used as the finale of the film, where audiences realize that the beginning of the film is actually the same as the end.

The design in this movie was crucial to making it what it is, with time accurate costumes, exaggerated circus costumes, and set designs. Since this film takes place in the early to mid-1800s, costumes must contain the former, period accurate attire, while including the artistic circus outfits. The set also needed to depict New York City in the 19th century with the differences in certain buildings from now. 

And while "The Greatest Showman" was not an already existing musical, it gained a lot of attraction with the release of its soundtrack 2 weeks before the release of the film. Certain scenes in the circus are also shot with characters in a spotlight, almost imitating an actual live performance on stage. 

Examples:

Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021)

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

La La Land (2016)

Grease (1978)

High School Musical (2006)

The Lion King (1994)

Sound

 Hey blog!

So, the past few classes we've been learning about sound techniques and how to utilize them. As someone who really enjoys focusing on the sound and music part of films and shows, I was surprised to learn how many small details really go into the sound of a production. We learned about the specific terminology of sound and how to develop it in a film and later used this newly acquired information to complete 2 sound projects. 

For our first project, we were assigned a partner, with who we had to come up with a scene idea and create a soundscape for, without any visuals. For our scene, we decided to represent the sounds a student would hear when eating in a school cafeteria when a fight breaks out. We recorded sounds that illustrated him buying food, sitting down at a table and eating, the fight breaking out, him running to the action to watch, and later him running out of the cafeteria, scared to get caught by security. During brainstorming, my partner and I thought of noisy environments and what are some things that could occur to make them even more noisy. 

After creating a concrete idea, we made an outline, listing all the sounds we need to create ourselves, foley, or find online, divided by scenes. This helped organize our work and project, and made it easy to know what sounds we still needed when we started recording. We edited on clipchamp in Office365, which we found was easy to access and offered us a lot of free space with our school account. 

Overall I think we did a good job for our first ever sound project. I really liked the beginning and end of the recording where everything blended perfectly and really immersed listeners into the intended environment. The beginning was a collection of school cafeteria noises; the ID scanner; talking; footsteps; and other small noises, like a water bottle falling, a bad of chips being opened, and the creaking of the bench when the person sat down. And the end had running footsteps, doors opening and closing, security radio noises, worried whispers and chattering, and panting after running, one of my favorite additions. We also added a zipper noise, showing the student opening their backpack to get a bottle of water out, which we then put in a noise of a bottle cap turning and drinking water. I really disliked how our fight scene came along though. It sounded very unrealistic, the punches sounded too harsh, the chanting in the back didn't sound good as we only recorded 4 voices saying it, and it was very hurried. I feel like if we had used more and different sound effects and recordings for this scene, it would have come out much better.

Link to project- FernandezRabachute_soundscape_per4

We also did a second sound project with different partners, this time with our partner from our first project, the one word film project. For this one we had to create a soundscape for our one word film, which if you don't remember was completely silent and muted, to portray the story. We were instructed to find all the sound effects and record all the foleys together, and then edit them into our video individually. 

The brainstorming process in this project was a lot harder since our story took place in an empty hallway, so to figure out what sounds to use we walked around the hallway and jotted down things we heard, like air going through the vent and distant toilet flushes. The outline helped us organize the sounds per scene and we used it as a checklist for all our sounds, highlighting the ones we would foley and search, and which ones we already found or were missing. 

We also used clipchamp on Office 365 for this one and I really think this was one of my favorite projects. I think everything was done very well, especially the distant bathroom noises as the main character was walking further away from the bathroom. I loved the occasional knocks on the door heard in the background and even the small squeak of shoes hitting the floor when the character was walking. We could have done better recording the "dialogue," which consisted of an "ah" and "oof," when the character tripped on top of someone. They sounded very fake and not at all surprised or hurt, but it still didn't sound horrifyingly horrible. I'm really glad with this project though.

Link- OWFSound_Fernandez