Menace: Actors and People On Set

 This production is going to be rather limited in unique characters, at least at the moment. The good news is I've already secured myself a team of people who are willing to help me out. I introduce to you, my cast of 4: 

Daniel: A good friend of mine who I am hoping will play the main character and help me out with setups of lights and such. He let me use his aftereffects for text last year(something I definitely learned from to make better in the future)

Daniel F: I'm hoping he will play a 'guy in the chair' or hero's friend archetype because it would suit him perfectly. 

Daniel R(Yes there are this many Daniels in my close friends): I'm hoping he will play the villain because he has villain energy and his voice perfectly suits monologues and voiceovers.

There is a fourth guy that I want to bring in but I do not think he will be coming so I might end up playing the final role myself. I'm not quite sure what role it will be but if anybody on this list doesn't commit or if my fourth doesn't appear(he would play a notable officer). For reference here is an image of the boys I hope will make up the majority of my cast. Here are the boys in the order they appear

Daniel, Daniel F, My fourth actor Christian, my brother(will not be on camera but might help out later), myself, and Daniel R.

Menace: Shadows

Shadows can be used to create exaggerations in certain things. There are various gimmicks in old cartoons I've seen where shadows are used to make something harmless look scary or vice versa. I did a few tests and I want to see if I can try to lengthen shadows to make things seem like they're scarier than they are. Nobody that I'm considering for the role of the hero has a very intimidating stature and I want to try to gain a sense of otherworldliness or power with this character. Certain instances where this type of framing worked was Batman V Superman(which is a huge surprise but bear with me). In this scene below, Batman is portrayed as a powerful and scary individual, despite the fact that he's got nothing power-wise. Some of the use of shadows and overall the vibes that come from this single sequence I want to extend to my entire piece.

I think framing and shadows will play a huge role in the piece as it continues to come together conceptually and I hope that after I mess around with this mask a little more that things will start to come closer together

Menace: Guest Speaker Reflection

 One thing that I took from the presentations a few class periods ago was that the target audience is one of the most fundamental aspects of production, and their practical explanation of how those things worked within the media community was something really interesting. I realized that I haven't commented on those reflections from the in-class presentations and I think that now is a good time to do so. I was scrolling through Instagram and found various writing accounts that were using different hashtags to create their community space, and it got me thinking about this project and establishing the target audience. This revelation was one that got me to start thinking about the genre characteristics and the potential rating for the piece. By having everything centered around violent conflict, I'm learning towards a PG-13 rating, which will give me the leeway to do what I need to in terms of keeping the action in the story, but also won't up the rating so much that the piece ends up being rated R and limits audience members.

This gives me space to think about my target audience. By having people who typically consume this kind of media(typically males who are invested in the character or has a history with characters of the same franchise). By making this a darker piece, I've both alienated some of these audience members and brought them deeper into the piece itself, a tradeoff I'm willing to take. More research will need to be done but these decisions will inform more aspects of my production. 

Menace: Music Selection

     Finding music selections is going to be difficult for a piece like this one. The music needs to match the tone of the piece as well as provide a beat that is infectious and rhythmic enough to merit keeping it in the trailer. There are a few options I'm going for that I've learned of from last year. The first is Chosic.

 This service is a lifesaver and it's where I ended up searching for a lot of music last year. By having familiarity with this platform I think I can save myself tons of time while searching for music to place within this production. I've already discussed the newest batman trailer theme, but there are certain other themes that I think match the aesthetic that I'm going for. The Daredevil opening is one that calmly builds in melody, which is interesting to listen to and keeps engagement in an otherwise bland intro. One thing that I've noticed about my favorite themes, both for trailer music and for regular score music, is that the music has to build into a powerful melody, and there needs to be gaps. One perfect example of this is Torsion, a song on Spotify that was used for one of the Avengers trailers(or at least an edit of one of them I can't remember). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmlpk7OIwz8

I tend to get a little squirrely with music and the fact that I know what kind of sound I'm going for is something that will certainly help me in the search. 

Menace: Music and Framing

 There is a song in the newest Batman trailer that is literally fantastic. The main underlying melody is 2 notes played in succession( A and F I think) and they hit heavily enough to make the entire theme feel extremely dark and almost beyond what Batman does as a hero. The newest trailer for the film came out today and there were interesting bits of it that have helped me figure out how to frame my hero and villain. Batman and his villains are supposed to be unsettling by nature, and Batman is meant to strike fear into the hearts of criminals and is often framed with the camera showcasing his face, which is contorted into a mindless rage. 

This type of rage and shadow(which in the screenshot taken should probably use more lighting) is something that I think I can replicate with the mask I have already. The rest of the costume needs to come together but at the moment I think that having the character framed focusing on their expressionless face will give my audience the same kind of terror and unsettled anxiety that my piece is looking for. I think that having unsettling music and good voiceover work will make the piece feel much more driven, and will give the overall structure something to build tension and fear. 

As far as music is concerned, I wish I could rip them straight from these new Batman trailers because it's so amazing. Here is one of the best covers of it that I've found(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rCo94BFIe8) I think the choice of music can make or break the piece and having something to go off of as far as the type of sound I want to look for I think will help me narrow the search. If I am able to match the framing of the hero moments with the music I should have something extremely unsettling and dark, which I think will aid the story perfectly. 

Menace: Further Class Research Pt.2

 After examining The Dark Knight a little more closely I found that there was another scene that was interesting and helped define the sense of justice that I wanted to show conflict with. It's a scene in a prison cell, where Batman actively is beating up on the Joker, who laughs knowing that the hero will not cross certain lines(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jane6C4rIwc)

One line that sticks out is "They're only as good as the world allows them to be." The conversation in this interrogation is immaculate with dialogue. The Joker is something interesting and I think that Heath Ledger's can be a perfect model for the dialogue and ruthlessness that I want my villain to have. The camera work in this scene is also interesting, because the same high angles that gave the Punisher power in the argument with Daredevil, are used here when framing Batman, even though the context of the conversation shows that he has none of the power in the scenario. I think this choice was interesting and one that can be looked into more carefully when I start storyboarding Menace. Here's an example.

But overall I think this is another way to play with the conflicts that are within the pieces. This conflict is shown in the trailer when Bruce says that he knows what he needs to become, as well as hinting at the scene mentioned in the previous post, with Joker asking to be hit in the middle of the road. Overall I need to figure out where the story beats will go and how they would fit into a trailer for this kind of darker film(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXeTwQWrcwY)

Menace: Further Class Research

     There are various pieces that I have taken inspiration from for this project. Specific traits from comics, TV shows, and movies have led me towards an aesthetic that I think will match the type of conflict I wish to portray, which has both a psychological(the moral conflict with justice) and a physical(fighting and stopping the villain) conflict. There is one scene in particular from Daredevil that I think encapsulates the type of energy I want the moral conflict to convey. The scene showcases Daredevil tied up, with the Punisher justifying himself to the masked vigilante. The argument flows well, at least conceptually, with small differences in the overall structure (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWh6A6ZIpfo). Some of it is cheesy or overdone, but I think the idea behind the difference in opinion is something that I want to showcase in my piece. 

The other thing that I liked was the obvious power dynamic in this argument. The framing on Daredevil is oftentimes close up and looking sideways, to indicate he cannot physically be present as a functioning member of the conversation, whereas Castle is walking around higher up in the air, at one point with the camera looking up at him while he works on a billboard This type of dynamic adds to the weight of the scene and gives the conversation more meaning. 

Another example that comes to mind is the iconic scene in the dark knight where Joker is yelling at Batman to hit him with the motorcycle, and in the game of chicken Batman pulls away at the last second(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKl11EzMTAE). This scene is another that adds tension to the piece and it gives the hero v villain story an interesting spin, because in a scene where the villain is losing the audience feels as though they have won, and the hero continues to struggle along with the audience as their internal and external conflicts build

Menace: Key Art Initial Idea

 At the moment I'm not sure what I will do for the title and credits of the film, but I have a general idea for the key art or at least the focus of it. Here are two images that I messed around with to try and gain a sense of tone and detail that would have to be matched within the piece itself. 

This first image is a much more detailed version of the image, and I tried to focus on the grit/dirt that covered the mask. This image was a reference photo from the internet, and I will need to run actual lighting tests(this light was manipulated but I need to figure out if I can replicate it without so much work in post), and I wanted to try and gain heavy shadows to emphasize the 'facial features' or at least the structure of them on the mask to heighten the terror or uneasiness that is meant to be felt when coming into contact with someone wearing it. This version also makes use of a blue tint that gives the mask a ghostly kind of appearance, and although I like the color I'm not sure how it would contribute to the piece in any way or if it would even show up well on camera. 

This second version is actually the first test I did for this mask. The lighting is much softer and places an emphasis on the hollow eyes instead of the facial structure itself. This second version is one that I don't think looks as good and I will probably take the more detailed version of the piece that is shown above. As far as text goes, my initial idea was having the title of the film written across the mouth, but after getting some feedback I realized it would take away from the jarring nature of the face(or lack thereof) and it would make everything feel wrong. So I need to figure out whether the title will go above or below, or if I need to reframe the face by using a side profile or something of that nature to try and capture the face but still leaving enough room for the title and production credtis. 

Menace: The Project Idea/Initial Conflict

     Now here is a brief explanation of the idea I have thus far. It stems almost completely from an excellent Halloween mask that I have in my house(pictured below). This mask would be the one worn by the vigilante hero, and I'm currently facing the dilemma of whether or not I make it a physical costume(like the Batman suit) or another entity that morphs onto the hero(similar to a Venom) character.

Overall though I think that this face will be unnerving to people, and 'Menace'(the title I'm thinking of using at the moment) would have to incorporate elements of that unsettling insanity. As far as story is concerned I'm not entirely certain where to take the piece but I know the base conflict that the hero will face. Heroes like Batman or Daredevil oftentimes face the issue of morality and refusing to kill people. Others like The Punisher take the law completely into their own hands, and don't have any qualms about killing their targets. Having a hero with a limit, or a line they refuse to cross, is something I want the trailer to toy with, and that will lead me to the greater conflict and the villain(who I have no clue wat to do with at the moment). 

Essentially, 'Menace' would follow a hero that refuses to kill, instead delivering criminals to the police for the justice system to do it's work. This is both how my unnamed hero will justify their violence and will provide the framework for their sense of justice. However, the story challenges that philosophy through the villain, who will be an individual that has been 'put away' in the past by this hero. The villain will be similar to mercenaries like Deathstroke, who have no problem killing for whatever reason they see fit. Their physical presence in the story as well their direct challenge to the hero's sense of justice(because the villain coming back is 'proof' the hero's system doesn't work) will force the hero to take more drastic measures to catch the villain a second time. 

At the very least, this is the central conflict of the piece, with the hero fighting the villain not just to put him away, but to try to prove to themselves that their sense of justice is right and asking the question: 

Should the hero step up to be judge, jury, and executioner? Or will they refuse to violate that principle and try to continue with their old ways? I'm not sure exactly how this will play out, but that's the general idea that I'm toying with. 

A New Level: A Level - Previous Projects PT2

I know I promised a bigger breakdown of the idea I've begun formulating, but first I must comment on another project. The Documentary that I worked on this year was a test that proved to be a major learning experience, which taught me a lot about workflow and time management. This was before we did the trailer project, and was a new way of creating media, since I haven't explored documentary work in the past. There were a lot of issues with sound design and syncing, so I learned about things/processes to avoid when doing sound design in post. The documentary project was one that proved challenging, both with coordination as well as editing. 

    Thus I have a list of things I need to improve on for this upcoming project, which I have a couple ideas for. Logistics and coordination are two things that I have been struggled with in the past, and this project will require a lot of coordination and planning. For the documentary, one of the things my group struggled with was making sure we had correct timing for our interviews and making sure our subjects were available. One of our subjects in particular was hard to schedule and thus cost us time and energy that could've been spent improving other aspects of production. 

    Overall the documentary is something I've put behind me, and there are many things to learn from that experience. As far as transitioning goes. There are a few things I've already looked into since I heard about this film promo project.

    Now here are the details and preliminary inspiration ideas that I've been dealing with. I want to do a vigilante/crime thriller, very similar to products like The Dark Knight or The Punisher, where the hero is struggling with something that causes them to do what they do. The latest trailers for The Batman(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u34gHaRiBIU) have also given me inspiration for color schemes and potential lighting for any fights in the trailers, since Batman wears all black and fights at night, but still manages to be seen clearly in most of his films and in these latest trailers. 

    So that's where I'm going from an inspiration standpoint. 

A New Level: A Level - Previous Projects PT1

 There are a few projects that we've done thus far during the year that have helped prepare me for this upcoming portfolio project. The most recent of which emulates the type of project I would like to choose for the portfolio, which is the movie promo package. We did a distribution project and had to release trailers along with a marketing campaign for films given to us by another class, and the trailer I worked on, "But Still it Rained" was an interesting experience that I learned a lot from. 

The most notable of these lessons came from storyboarding. Our group found storyboarding to be extremely easy, but I found their workflow to be redundant. The original storyboard that we shot an entire preview of ended up being scrapped, with limited shots from that original vision making it into the trailer. Due to time crunches and a long day of filming, we ended up scrapping material that could've been put into the trailer had we not wasted time going over the storyboard multiple times, only to change it last minute. This redundancy, if avoided, could have saved the group time and given us more work for the final edit or other components of the presentation. 

Another contribution that I will note as difficult was working within an unfamiliar group. Although my team worked well together, we occasionally would have work done at different times or simply see different things in terms of shot placement. This forced compromises, especially since filming came down to the wire(something I want to avoid in the future moving forward since it has been an issue of mine in the past). I will compensate for this unfamiliarity by working alone as the director and only giving acting/supporting roles to individuals who I know I can depend on, who have worked with me in the past.

Another way that I've avoided coming down to the wire is by already starting to plan. I've known since this project was announced that I wanted to do the film promo package, and I already have an underlying genre/characterization that I want to display within the main character. I want to do a dark vigilante piece, where the hero struggles with the refusal to kill his assailants, but constantly must deal with the repercussions of letting them continue to cause trouble. I have a faceless mask that I want to use in production and have started working on costume/aesthetic mind maps to help tie together various bits that I want to include in a trailer while ensuring that a story starts to appear from those creative snippets.

More on that later...