Film Trope Blog Post #23

 Film Tropes found in our Film Opener!

Hi guys, welcome back to another blog. Today, I will be talking about the film tropes our movie opener contains and some movie inspirations we got them from. Ok, let's get started!

First of all, our film opener contains several recognizable horror and slasher film tropes. These help establish the genre and set expectations for audiences. In our film, we used the isolated victim trope. Our opening focuses on a teenager named Kyle walking home alone at night. This makes him vulnerable to something happening. This trope is common in slasher films since it allows for suspense to build because the audience is aware of danger before the character is.

Next, another trope in our film opener is the unseen stalker. For almost the entire opening, The Killer is hidden or only partially shown through POV shots from behind a tree or a shot where only The Killer's legs are shown. The limited visibility creates fear by making the audience visualize The Killer, while also making them witnesses to the crime that just took place.

The film also uses the trope of technology as a source of fear. The text message Kyle receives, which says "I see you," modernizes traditional slasher conventions. This illustrates the anxiety people may have online about being monitored and viewed. Instead of relying on a physical threat, the danger is introduced psychologically, which increases suspense before the violent attack occurs.

Another trope used in the film opener is the sudden aftermath reveal. In the film, we did not show the entire attack in detail. Instead, we cut away to black and later reveal what happened through Kyle's dead body. This allowed us to make it even more disturbing, and it makes the audience envision what happened before it cuts to black.

Lastly, our film opener is inspired by similar films like Halloween, It Follows, and The Strangers. These films all emphasize atmosphere and silence. Also, like these films, our opener uses familiar slasher tropes without using excessive gore, just realism and tension instead.

Rescheduling Conflict Blog Post #42

 Filming Schedule Update!

Hi guys, welcome back to another blog. Today, I will be talking about a problem we had during scheduled film dates that we had to postpone. Ok lets begin!

To begin with, we initially planned to film on December 26th, but we had to reschedule filming to December 29th due to a random trip my family decided to take to Universal. Since I was out of town, it made it impossible to shoot on that day.

Once I realized I was going on this trip, I contacted Amaar and told him as early as possible that I couldn't go to avoid any confusion. Since this project involved coordinating two people, this scheduling change affected us. Luckily, Amaar and I were able to accomodate to the new date and time, so this problem was resolved. While the change was unplanned, it actually benefited us a little bit. The extra time that we had allowed us to revisit our shot list and think more carefully about each scene. We also reviewed past blog posts during this time to ensure our plans still aligned with the vision. The delay overall gave us a chance to be 10x more prepared when filming finally took place. Finally, filming took place on December 29th, and it went smoothly. The location, which was Riviera Isles, was a fitting spot for our film opener. The natural light made the shots look realistic and we did not need to make any creative changes as a result of the delay. 

In conclusion, though the reschedule was a bit annoying, it did not negatively impact this final project and helped us stay ready and organized.

Watching Films for More Inspiration Blog Post #43

 Rewatching Films for more Ideas!

Hi guys, welcome back to another blog. Today, I will be talking about a film I rewatched in between filming days to get so many more ideas for shots and scenes in our film opener. Ok lets get started! 

To begin with, during shooting days, I rewatched Scream to get some new ideas and angles for our movie opener. I already stated on the Inspiration Blog that I watched movies like Halloween, It Follows, and The Strangers, so this blog will be about why I rewatched Scream and what I got from it. When I watched the movie, I focused on how it built tension before anything actually happened. Some scenes start slowly, with normal conversations, which eventually make sudden shifts more shocking. This made me realize that keeping the beginning of the opener slow and subtle would make the end even better. Another big idea I got from rewatching was camera movement and angling. Scream used a lot of tracking shots and wide shots to show the space around the characters. From this, I realized that showing the background and environment is equally important as showing the character. 

The sounds and their placement in the movie also gave me ideas for my opener. Scream used a lot of sudden and sharp noises that would scare the audience or make them alert. Because of this, I will make the notification that Kyle gets louder, so it contrasts with the constant background noise.

In conclusion, rewatching a movie like Scream between filming days really helped me make better decisions and improve myself as a filmmaker and editor.

Analyzing Character Blog Post #22

 Analyzing Characters 

Hey guys, welcome back to another blog. Today, I will be explaining and analyzing the characters found in our movie opener. Characters are a very important part of a film since they progress the movie and are key to the success of a film. Now to get to the explaining...

Sebastian

So, for my little cousin Emmanuel's character, Sebastian, he is supposed to be a little hispanic boy minding his own business late at night. He then encounters the dead body of Amaar long after he is gone. His character is supposed to symbolize innocence since he is a little boy. He is wearing a puffer jacket, since it is cold and drizzling outside. The colors of the jacket are blue and black, blue mainly symbolizing the cold and stillness of the environment. He is outside because he went for a late-night walk and wanted to clear his mind after being at a chaotic home. His goal is to make a better life for himself. His personality is chill, kind, and very emotional.

The Killer

For my character, The Killer, I am supposed to be a stalker who attacks his victims at night. I am the antagonist of the film. I target those who are alone and vulnerable. I am supposed to symbolize the evil and horrible things in this world. His motivation is to feed my hunger by doing these terrible things. My costume is a dark blue jumpsuit. Again, the dark blue symbolizes the cold and lifeless soul inside of my character. The character's mind is very unstable since he commits these crimes and does not feel any remorse. He holds an axe, which makes him dangerous and able to attack at any moment. The axe gives him power over others since it is a weapon that can cause harm. His personality is ruthless; he has gone through pain and will not stop until his job is finished.

Kyle

For Amaar's character, Kyle, he is supposed to be a high school student walking home late at night. He is the protagonist of the film opener, but since he dies, you can say he was unsuccessful. He is supposed to symbolize the vulnerable and helpless people of the world. He is targeted by The Killer late at night, and since the environment is dark, he does not know what hit him. His motivation is to become a top student and study as much as he can. He has just come back from the public library, since he does not have the money to get something better and closer to home. His mind is very clouded, since he has pressure from his family to become top of his class, and he wants to prove to his family that he is capable. His outfit is a normal teen's clothing, consisting of sweatpants, a black shirt, and Jordans. He also has a backpack, which shows he is coming home late from something revolving around school or his studies. 

Color Blog Post #21

 The colors in our film opening!

Hey guys!! Today, I will be explaining some of the main colors that we will use in our movie opening, and what message and feelings they will invoke. Since we do not have a large budget for our movie opener, we are going to try and show these colors through our setting and costumes. Now to the explanation for each...

Black

To begin with, the color black will be a very dominant color in our movie opener. This color naturally creates a feeling of darkness and danger. You associate it with the unknown and what we can't see. In color theory, the color black absorbs light and does not reflect it. This will make the viewers nervous for what may come next since you cannot see what may happen. We plan to use black in some of the environment (if possible) since it will hide details and create suspense.

Navy Blue

Next up is navy blue. Naturally, this color adds an unsettling tone since it is cold and lifeless. You may associate this color with isolation, sadness, and even maybe nighttime. I plan to use this color to make a scene feel unsafe. Also, I plan to make the killer's costume dark blue to make him feel soulless  and empty inside, just how a killer would be. A dark blue tint in the during editing may also make it feel more disturbing.

Dark Green

Lastly, I plan on using dark green in the background of the movie opener, especially like bushes, leaves, and trees. Normally, dark green in horror represents sickness or decay, but in our movie opener, we plan on using it to make the environment feel overgrown and shadowy. This will make it feel more threatening and scary for the viewers since something can be hiding in the bushes or that someone is watching from afar. Bushes and trees can look like figures in a way, which will make viewers second-guess themselves.

Costuming Blog Post #20

 The Costumes used in our Movie!

Hi guys, welcome back to the blog. Today, I will be talking about the costumes in our movie opener. We did not have a large budget, so we did the best of our abilities to get some good outfits.

This photo is of my character's costume. Since I was The Killer, we chose this because it was fitting for the character and similar to some other slasher movies. I am wearing a dark blue jumpsuit and black boots. The black boots add to the aura of my character since they look old and used. The jumpsuit makes the character look ready and experienced in doing something heinous like this. I also have an axe by my side. You also cannot see my face, which makes me mysterious and dangerous. The costume suits my character very well, and it was not too expensive, allowing us to use the money in other areas. 

This is a photo of my little cousin's costume for the character Sebastian. He is wearing a black and blue puffer jacket, and I believe it is a pretty normal outfit. In the movie, he is just a bystander and sees the lifeless body of Kyle. The picture I got of him does not show his whole body. The dark blue and black jacket fits him a little big, making him look smaller than he is (even though he already is a little boy), and it makes him look like a normal person. It is cold and static outside, which is why he is wearing the jacket. We chose this outfit since he already had it at home, and we felt like it matched the vibe of the movie.

Lastly, for Amaar's character, Kyle, we gave him a pretty normal fit used by many teenagers in America. He is wearing a black shirt, grey sweatpants, and Jordans. We chose this outfit since it makes him look casual and like Sebastian, a normal person. He also has a bag since he came from studious activities. We chose this outfit for a similar reason to Sebastian's outfit. Amaar had it at home, and since it was a casual outfit, it suited his role as the victim.

Screenplay Blog Post #19

 Screenplay for our Film Opener!

Someone Follows

Written by: 

Santiago Giraldo

Amaar Farooq

FADE IN:

EXT. EMPTY SUBURBAN STREET – NIGHT

An EMPTY STREET.
Streetlights buzz faintly.

Dense BUSHES line the sidewalk, unmoving.

Too quiet.

KYLE (17) enters frame — a teen with a backpack, relaxed, casual. He walks with an easy rhythm, scrolling on his phone, completely unaware.

CUT TO:

POV – BEHIND A TREE

We watch Kyle from the darkness.

Branches partially block the view.

Kyle continues down the sidewalk, oblivious.

CUT BACK TO:

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

Kyle’s phone VIBRATES.

He stops.

Looks down.

ON PHONE SCREEN:
Unknown Number
“I see you.”

Kyle’s smile fades.

He looks around.

Nothing.

His breathing quickens. He pockets the phone and starts walking faster.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON: LEGS

Heavy boots step into frame.

Dark JUMPSUIT PANTS.

Slow. Purposeful.

A foot SNAPS A BRANCH.

CRACK.

CUT TO:

Kyle spins around.

KYLE
Hello?

Silence.

Kyle backs up, panic setting in. He turns and RUNS, not knowing what made the noise.

CUT TO:

EXT. BUSHES – NIGHT

Hidden in shadow, THE KILLER reaches down and GRABS AN AXE.

The metal glints faintly.

The Killer steps forward, following Kyle — unseen.

CUT TO:

Kyle skids to a stop.

He turns.

His eyes go wide.

He’s spotted something.

CAMERA PANS RIGHT — toward where Kyle is looking.

Nothing there.

Empty sidewalk.

CAMERA PANS BACK TO KYLE’S POSITION —

Kyle is GONE.

CUT TO BLACK.

Silence.

A beat.

CUT BACK IN:

Kyle lies MOTIONLESS ON THE GROUND, face turned away.

A pair of boots steps into frame.

Hands grab Kyle’s legs.

He is DRAGGED OFF CAMERA.

CUT TO:

NEW ANGLE – TREELINE

The Killer drags Kyle into view and LAYS HIM AGAINST A TREE, his body limp.

The Killer raises the axe.

SWING.

CUT TO BLACK.

The sickening SOUND OF THE AXE CONNECTING echoes.

CUT TO:

Kyle’s body is now PINNED TO THE TREE, the AXE BURIED IN HIM.

Lifeless.

Still.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET – LATER – NIGHT

Small footsteps.

SEBASTIAN (10) — a little boy in a dark blue jacket — walks cautiously down the same street.

He stops.

Looks up.

His eyes lock onto Kyle’s body.

Sebastian freezes.

Horrified.

The streetlight flickers above him.

CUT TO BLACK.

TITLE CARD:

[MOVIE TITLE: Someone Follows]

FADE OUT.

And that's the screenplay draft for Someone Follows!