Group Meeting #1

Group Meeting #1

It's officially week 3 of working on my project, and today's class was all about group meetings. We got together in small groups to share our story ideas and get feedback. It was really cool to see what everyone else is working on and get some new perspectives on my project.

Group Members!

My group included Marissa, Sebastian, Gonzalo, and Oriana.

What Was on the Group's Mind?

Marissa is working on a vampire film. Her story is packed with content in the opening, and she's considering including a flashback to add more depth. We talked about how to manage the pacing to keep the audience engaged. As a group, we concluded that maybe she should cut her film opening in half to ensure it doesn't feel like a full movie in itself.

Sebastian has a complex story with potential problems around his filming location. He's figuring out if he can film in the restaurant he wants to use. As a group, we suggested he consider a homely diner to create an atmosphere that sets the tone for a horror movie. We also recommended using sound effects to enhance the atmosphere and adding some foreshadowing to make the story more layered.

This is an example of the type of diner we suggested to Sebastian for his film opening location.

Gonzalo is working on a film where the murderer is introduced early on. He emphasized the importance of proper casting and using lighting to set the mood. We discussed that his film opening might have too much content and that he could focus on the key elements to keep it concise. The overall movie vibe is yellow, which I think will really set the tone nicely. Through our discussion about his project, I really understood how important mise en scene is.

Oriana was the group member with the most figured out. She's still brainstorming her unique idea and considering putting opening credits in the middle of the film opening for continuity. Her concept is well-developed, but she's still fine-tuning it. Her blogs are great and she uses sources effectively. She wants to add a touch of realism to her character. She showed us various images of supermarkets (her desired filming location) and asked our opinions on which one would be the best for the vibe of her sci-fi film.

We decided on a gas station similar to this one to bring out the vintage feel for his story. Oriana emphasized wanting to convey that the location is a small town. Therefore, vintage gas stations like the one above are perfect for her project.

My feedback

When it was my turn to share, the group gave me some positive feedback despite the limited time we had. They appreciated the setting I chose for my romcom, noting that it has a lot of potential to bring out the humor and romance in the story. The idea of a 70s-themed romantic comedy set on a retro ranch was well-received, and they thought the nostalgic elements would make the film opening stand out. They also suggested focusing on the chemistry between the lead characters and using visuals like bold patterns and retro props to boost the 70s vibe. Overall, the feedback was encouraging, and it gave me some new ideas to explore. 

However, they also had some constructive criticism. They felt that the initial scenes might be a bit too slow and suggested adding more dynamic interactions between the characters to grab the audience's attention early on. They also recommended paying close attention to the color palette to make sure it consistently reflects the 70s theme without overwhelming the viewer. Lastly, they thought it would be helpful to include some subtle hints about the characters' backstories to make them more relatable and interesting.

The group discussion about colors inspired me to explore and decide on a consistent color scheme for my own project!

Above is a picture of the entire group together!

Conclusion!

Overall, I enjoyed the experience since talking to classmates really lets me explore how my peers are doing on such a unique task like this film opening. It helped me understand other people's perspectives on my film and help me gain more understanding on what I should improve.

Sources

1)20+ American Diner Design Ideas. (2021, January 23). The Urban Decor. https://theurbandecor.com/2021/01/23/american-diner-design-ideas/

2)Awesome Vintage Gas Station Wallpapers - WallpaperAccess. (2019). WallpaperAccess. https://wallpaperaccess.com/vintage-gas-station

3)happilymarketing. (2021, November 20). 70s Color Palette: Design in Retro Style. Happily Marketing. https://happilymarketing.com/70s-color-palette/