Week 2: Movie Poster

 

    The color palette of the poster strongly reinforces the film’s themes of violence, isolation, and survival. The dominant dark blues, grays, and shadowy blacks create a cold, tense atmosphere that suggests fear and emotional distance, reflecting the instability within the relationship at the center of the story. In contrast, the warm amber and orange lighting from the hallway and sunset adds a subtle sense of hope and escape, symbolizing the possibility of freedom beyond the darkness. The deep brown tones of the spilled beer and the dim interior lighting also contribute to the theme of alcoholism and turmoil, while the sharp contrast between light and dark visually mirrors the conflict between love and harm. Together, these colors create a moody, suspenseful tone that prepares the audience for a gritty and emotionally intense film.

    We chose the movie title "Glass Between Us" because we feel it represent our characters relationship. It shows how the relationship is double sided, as we open the film with our characters fighting, arguing, and almost killing each. To a jump back into time to show them having a loving, affectionate, healthy relationship; and using glass to symbolize this transparency helps to show how perspectives can change on relationships depending on how you look at them. 

Week 2: Equipment List

 Equipment List:

iPhone 14 ProMax- This will be our camera for the project. It might not be the best and newest, but it allows us to shoot a quality video in 1080p at 30fps and with the iPhone we will be able to change our focal point (deep or shallow). This allows us to create a deep focus on our characters, to emphasize facial expressions, action, or draw the audience attention to one thing.

Phone Gimble- For a clear clean-cut video, we will be using a gimble. This will automatically stabilize the phone so that our movie seems more professional. This also allows for handle-held shots to add more emotion to the scene. They will allow the audience to feel the characters rushing or chaotic movements. The gimble allow allows us to zoom in and out and move the phone in all directions, without touching the phone allowing for cleaner movements. 

Mini Mic Pro- To ensure crisp high-quality audio, we will be using these mini mics. They are small enough that we can hide on our characters or within our scene. The mics have a high quality; I have used them in the past on other film projects. 

HP Laptop-

Week 2: All About Me

 Hi, my name is Christopher Schrum I am a student from Sarasota High School. I was born in Eston, Pennsylvania and lived there until I was 10. When I was 10, I moved to Sarasota Florida where I still live. I played soccer for 14 years of my life and during my final years I also joined competitive Olympic weightlifting. I quit soccer to focus on Olympic weightlifting and will be going to college on a scholarship for it! 

    At first, I took media studies for an easy credit, but as I started learning about the emotion and beauty behind every shot. I started to love media studies and the process behind it. It has allowed me to see my favorite movies from a different viewpoint. Understanding why the directors chose to have the actors act that way or to have the camera move a certain way, how lightening can create tension, emotion, or mood. For example, "The Florida Project" was a movie that utilized natural lightening, but had moments are cinematic lightening. These shots helped to create emotion, in the photo example we see the owner of the motel smoking a cigarette thinking about something. we later find out he was going to evict them. This scene helped us to understand he was dealing with a difficult situation. The shallow focus on him pinned him as the main object in the shot and with the dark shadow over him, it helps us to know he is dealing with a difficult situation. 

Week 2: Genre Research

 Genre Research: Thriller/ Drama 

Do Patti (2024) – Opening Scene Analysis

Camera Shots, Angles, Movements, Focus and Framing

In the opening of Do Patti, the camera uses a mix of close-ups and wide shots to create mystery. Close-up shots of the main character’s face show her emotions clearly and make the audience feel connected to her. The camera often focuses sharply on her eyes, which suggests secrets and tension. There are slow tracking shots that follow the character as she walks, building suspense. Some high-angle shots make the character look small or vulnerable, while low-angle shots make other characters seem more powerful. The framing often places characters slightly off-center, which creates discomfort and hints that something is not right.

Editing Techniques

The editing in the opening is quite slow at first, using longer takes to build mood. There are smooth cuts between scenes, which create a serious and dramatic tone. In tense moments, the editing becomes slightly faster, increasing suspense. The use of crosscutting suggests that different events are connected. Fade-ins and fade-outs help show a shift in time or emotion. Overall, the editing builds curiosity and makes the audience want to know more.

Sound Techniques

The opening uses soft background music with a slow tempo, which creates a dark and mysterious mood. The music gradually becomes louder in intense moments. There is also the use of diegetic sound, such as footsteps or doors closing, which makes the scene feel realistic. At times, there is silence, which increases tension and makes the audience focus closely on what is happening. The sound design supports the thriller genre by making everything feel dramatic and emotional.

Mise-en-Scène (Lighting, Wardrobe, Setting, Props)

The lighting is low-key, with shadows around the characters. This creates a dark and serious tone. The wardrobe is simple but meaningful. The characters wear modern, everyday clothes, which makes the story feel realistic. Make-up is natural, helping the audience focus on emotions rather than appearance. The setting looks urban and slightly cold, suggesting isolation or emotional distance. Props like phones or personal objects show relationships and hint at secrets. All these elements together build layers of meaning about trust, identity, and hidden truth.

Production and Distribution Information

Do Patti was directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi. The film stars Kajol and Kriti Sanon. It was produced by Blue Butterfly Films and Katha Pictures. The film was distributed by Netflix, meaning it was released on streaming rather than in cinemas. Because it was released on Netflix, traditional box office numbers are not available. The cinematography helps create a dark and emotional look that matches the thriller genre.

Opening Credits

The opening credits use simple, clean fonts. The text is usually white or light-colored against a dark background, which fits the serious mood. The credits appear slowly and fade in and out. The placement is centered and balanced, which keeps focus on the mood rather than flashy design. The overall style suggests a psychological thriller genre. The dark color palette and minimal animation create a calm but tense feeling.

 Awards / Nominations and Reason for Choice

Since Do Patti is a recent release, major award nominations may still be upcoming. However, it has received attention for its performances, especially from Kajol and Kriti Sanon. I chose this film because it combines mystery, emotional drama, and strong female characters. The opening scene is effective at creating suspense and making the audience curious about what will happen next.

Week 1: Story Board

 

        I believe that the times we chose to shoot the film will impact the scenes perfectly; for the first half of our opening scene, it will be shot during the night. We will use the darkness to set our mood of the scene; this will create a menacing mood which will lead into our intensive high action conflict. This creates tension from the start which engages our viewer. For the second half of our opening, it will be shot during the day. This will lift the mood of the scene creating a happy and calming feeling within the view. Which will correspond with our scene and our actors. 

        Our utilization of different camera shots/angles/framing will help to create emotion within our view, conflict between our actors, and relationships between them. For example, one camera frame that will be shown is the juxtaposition frame. I will be utilizing it to show the separation between our characters despite how they act towards each other. We will also use POV shots to show what characters are hearing and seeing, for the audience this gives us perspective into the character and allows us to create a relationship to them. Lastly, our use of camera angles will help us to show what character is truly in power, despite how they act equal towards each other. 

Week 1: Location Scouting pt.1

 Week 1 

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    Today, the group (Hailey, Danny, and I) discussed our roles within the film, editing, pre and postproduction. As for preproduction I assigned myself to work on the shot list, film schedule, storyboard, outlines, and equipment list. As a group we will decide on set design, music, props, lightening, and do location scouting. As I will be editing and filming the majority of it, I assigned my partners to work on the costumes, additional props, title, and script. 

    For props needed we will split them up separately evenly, so not too much money is being spent by each person. Although, for our special effects (fake blood, blood packs, make-up) Hailey will be buying most of it as she will be our makeup/special effect artist. I'll be handling the non-character specific props (fake beer bottles and fake pan) and camera/lightening equipment. 

    We have already started fundamental steps for our filming planning process, such as scouting a location for us to film. We will be filming at my house for all the house scenes in our movie (we still need to scout for an office scene), we believe it has the most modern and is the most family style house. It also has the best natural lightening and most space for us to work with. 

As for group member roles pre/postproduction, Hailey is in charge of special effects, acting, editing, and set designer. Danny is acting, editing, and partial set designer. I will be in charge of the main video editing, filming, sound editor, and directing (setting deadlines, keeping production running smoothly, and fixing main issues). 

Week 1: Genre Research

Genre Research: Drama   

 

Camera Shots, Angles, Movements, Focus & Framing 

In the opening scene of It Ends with Us, directed by Justin Baldoni, the camera focuses closely on Lily. There are many close-up shots of her face, which help us understand her emotions. The background is often blurry (shallow focus), which makes Lily stand out and shows that she feels alone. The camera moves slowly with gentle tracking shots, creating a calm and serious mood. Most of the shots place Lily in the center of the frame, showing that the story is about her journey. Wide shots of the city also appear, making the setting feel big and showing that Lily is starting a new chapter in her life. 

Editing Techniques 

The editing in the first five minutes is slow and smooth. There are not many fast cuts. This slower pace makes the mood feel emotional and thoughtful. The scenes flow naturally using continuity editing, so everything makes sense and feels realistic. The calm editing style helps set up the romantic drama genre and lets the audience focus on Lily’s feelings instead of action. 

Sound Techniques 

Soft background music (non-diegetic sound) plays during the opening, which makes the scene feel emotional and reflective. Music helps us feel what Lily is feeling, as when she's feeling down/sad they use slow classical music or when she is feeling happy, they use high tempo music. There are also natural sounds like city noise and footsteps (diegetic sound), which make the scene feel real. The sound is not loud or dramatic; it is gentle, which matches the serious and emotional tone. 

Mise-en-Scène (Lighting, Costume, Setting, Props) 

The lighting is soft and natural, which creates a warm but slightly sad feeling. Lily’s clothes are simple and realistic, showing that she is a normal, relatable person. Her makeup looks natural, which adds to the realistic style of the film. The city setting represents change and new beginnings. The overall look of the scene feels calm and emotional, which matches the themes of love, growth, and difficult relationships. 

Production & Distribution Information 

It Ends with Us is based on the novel by Colleen Hoover. The film stars Blake Lively as Lily and was directed by Justin Baldoni. It was produced by Columbia Pictures and Wayfarer Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The budget was about $25 million, and the movie made over $300 million worldwide, showing that it was very successful. 

Opening Credits 

The opening credits use simple and clean fonts. The text is usually light-colored and placed neatly on the screen. The style is not flashy or animated, which matches the serious and emotional genre of the film. The soft colors and simple design show that the story will focus on relationships and feelings. 

Awards/Nominations & Why I Chose This Film 

The film received a lot of attention because it is based on a very popular book. It became successful at the box office and sparked many conversations online. I chose this film because it mixes romance with serious topics about relationships and personal strength. This makes it a good example for analyzing camera work, sound, editing, and other technical elements in a modern romantic drama.