Issues/ Obstacles

 SORRY TO DISTRUB THE FLOW OF THE BLOG BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TO DISCUSS CAMBRIDGE!!!!

Me and my partner Adrianna were supposed to film two very important scenes at my house, unfortunately my house is no longer an option to film at and that caused some issues within our group dynamic, and we have decided to move forward with our projects without working with each other. Another group I have been working closely with outside of school has decided to let me work fully on their project and become a key contributor.

MORE ON THIS LATER..

Research and/or script for #1 question of CCR post

In our movie opening, our main characters, Ricky and Scarlett, are involved in a toxic relationship. The opening challenges and appeases normal conventions in its portrayal of love and conflict because while it covers a commonly explored trope of a toxic relationships in the drama and thriller genre, which often they focus on unhealthy dynamics like manipulation or jealousy  which we will be doing, we are also going above and beyond in our approach by centering the story over the toxic nature of their bond and illustrating how such relationships create internal and external conflict, which drives the rest of the story.

Our film also criticizes the normalcy of romanticizing the idea of love, many films portray love as this transformative and amazing force of happiness but because our film centers around abuse ad hate it critiques the idealization. Instead of presenting the perfect couple we present the darker side of relationships that appear to be perfect, showing how power imbalances, emotional abuse, or manipulation can manifest, offering a more critical perspective on love that is not really often seen.

Also, because we are focusing on Ricky and Scarlett relationship, we are also going to present broader social issues like gender dynamics, mental health, and the normalization of toxic behaviors in society. The power imbalance between the two and the need for Scarlett to slowly gain the strength needed to leave highlights societal expectations influence unhealthy relationship patterns and the portrayal of the psychological problems that come with being part of this type of relationship can take on both individuals can open a conversation about mental health struggles like anxiety or self-esteem issues. Ultimately, the film challenges societal norms by portraying the complexities and dangers of toxic relationships, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of love and emotional well-being.

Costumes!

Hey Cambridge! A fun fact about me is that I work at a high-end jewelry store in Weston. We sell, we do repairs and we even design. It was important to me that in our project we included well thought out details that capture the audience's attention, and I thought there was no better way than to use jewelry to create symbol for our characters given that there are so many different stones with so many meanings, and my boss, Mr. Terremagara, was kind enough to let use his products in our scenes.

I have finally curated the perfect jewelry set for Scarlett, it is comprised of a stunning multi-colored tourmaline gold cocktail ring, a yellow gold pear-shaped diamond bangle bracelet, a yellow gold rubies-by-the-yard bracelet, and a pre-owned rose gold diamond and pink gemstone Chopard Happy Hearts bracelet. These colors emphasize femininity, kindness, and love. these will highlight scarlets innocence as we want her sense of style to underscore her story.

Each piece represents different parts of the girl's experience in a toxic relationship. The diamond bangle shows her hope and strength, but also the emotional pain she feels. The rubies represent the strong and confusing emotions she goes through, like love and hurt. The rose gold bracelet with pink stones reflects her desire for love and care, but also the past emotional wounds she carries. Together, these bracelets show her struggles, confusion, and emotional journey.

FOLEY

Do you remember reading about foley sound creation? Cmon you must remember that I did a whole blog post on our project where we had to create a 2 minute long audio that sounded like a scene of your choice, we chose driving from home to a very popular bar, and we created the sounds of the ice clinking in a glass, drinks being poured, opening the garage, and spilling a drink. Well even if you don’t (but honestly how could you really forget?) I remember the project and it taught me a very special set of skills that have helped me prepare for my final project.  

As a quick recap... Foley sound creation is the process of recording sounds that you will edit to be in sync with your scene, you use everyday objects to mimic real-world sounds. Adrianna and I decided that before we start filming, we would create some of the foley sounds that we want to be emphasized in the film. We decided we wanted to the sound of the bottle smashing very poignant, so we didn't want to just use the sound gained from the shooting the film but add a created foley sound of glass smashing so I recorded smashing a glass into the wall. I'll be layering the audio over the scene.

I also recorded my car horn a few times, each of the recordings i will layer to make the toxic flashback abuse scene of them int he car where they almost crash even more anxiety inducing as it will sound very serious like they genuinely almost crashed into someone.

I also recorded the sounds of the waves; I'm planning on layering this sound while she is walking through the party to transition into the first flashback 

 

Costume creation (color schemes)

In every production, it is very important for costume designers to be able to confidently pick colors that will flatter the actor's skin, fit the mood and tone of the play, and develop a secret meaning into the color choices to give the audience a visual clue about the nature of the characters. 

We want the color schemes of the clothes to represent each of their characters growth as stated in the character development blog post, in the beginning Scarlett will wear a white skirt and top, the white is to symbolize her innocence and purity, while Ricky will wear red to symbolize violence and abuse, in the party scene ricky will be wearing white, but this is different to when scarlet did, Ricky is wearing white to try and exert an image that he is good and innocent and sorry, undeserving of any reaction to his awful behavior, while Scarlett will wear jeans and a darker color like black to symbolize this is her moment of strength that the rest of the movie will follow. During the scenes of them being happy, they will wear bright colors like yellow and pink, Scarlett will be wearing girls clothes; skirts and dresses, and in the abusive scenes Ricky will be wearing darker colors while Scarlett remains in the bright colors, it is so the audience sees a shift from the fastbacks and the original scene to the party scene and we see this is her first step towards strength.  

Scarletts makeup will be quite girly and glowy until the party scene where she will wear more defined and striking makeup with darker tones and colors, during the bottle scene, after the bottle is smashed, scarlett will have a cut on her cheek, this will be done using makeup and fake blood, some blood will get on her white dress.  

Prop Creation

Prop creation is crucial for a film opening because it sets the tone, establishes the world, and introduces key aspects of the story or characters. The props used in the opening scene can quickly immerse the audience in the film's setting, whether it’s a historical period, futuristic environment, or a fantastical world. They help build the atmosphere, provide visual clues to the plot, and offer insight into character traits or the overall theme of the film. Well-crafted props not only support the narrative but also add authenticity, making the opening feel real and engaging to the audience from the very first moment.

Me and Adrianna came up with a list of props a bottle, phone, fake blood, makeup, flowers (given to her). We divided up the items and got them all prepared for when we start to shoot. it was important that we got objects that executed the tasks they needed to do like making a believable smash against the wall that was truly impactful and fake blood that genuinely looked real, and beautiful flowers that symbolized love and betrayal through the colors and the meanings of the flowers, we chose to use orange lilies as the center focus of the bouquet, as quoted within an article from a-z animals "lilies represent hope, new beginnings, vitality, wealth, and joy. On the other hand, though, orange lilies can also mean hatred and pride. They can also represent the end of a relationship" so we felt they were perfect for the job.
All of our props have been sourced to start our filming this week!

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/insulting-flowers-that-represent-hatred-and-dislike/

Location scouting

Today we are diving into the very important production job, Location scouting! Location scouting for a production is the process of finding real-world places to have the perfect backdrop for your scenes. The locations are described in the script and found during the pre-production stage to ensure the story is visually captured in a suitable environment.   

Adrianna and I discussed and took a day to find the best places to film, the first scene is set in a lounge, it follows our main characters, Ricky and Scarlett, arguing in the lounge after just enjoying hanging out together, the argument moves outside where Ricky aims a glass bottle at Scarlett and throws it but she ducks and it hits the wall, my house is going to be used to film this scene as it has the perfect set up with doors to the garden next to the sofa.

My house will also be used for the party scene where scarlet moves through the party searching for Rickyy, this is perfect because my house is set up as a courtyard so there is room to walk around and make the scene longer, this is to build up tension and the audience's emotional anxiety towards Ricky rising as you get closer to him.

For the flashbacks of their toxic relationship, there will be a scene of arguing in a car while they are driving, the car almost crashes because no one is paying attention to the road they are just screaming, and this will be filmed in Adrianna's car.  

We will go to Markham Park and film another flashback abuse scene, this is to emphasize the idea that they could be having a lovely day out, but it can turn violent and upsetting at any moment and any place. 

The last abusive flashback scene will be at the mall, to highlight their lack of care for ither people and that they are so wrapped up in their relationship that they don't even realize their fighting in public and have people staring at them 

The sweet loving flashback scenes are to show that there is love in their relationship which is why she originally dated him but that love has been tainted by toxicity violence and abuse, and even though they'd love each other it's no longer healthy it's supposed to be a heartbreaking contrast, one will be filmed at the beach and the other will be filmed in cold stone.  

check back here for updates with pics of the location!!