Portfolio Project 2021: Social Media Page Profile Picture Rough Draft

I thought that I would try to create a profile picture for the film's social media page. I tried designing it by just testing out different fonts and playing around with different color combinations. It did not go very well, to be honest. The fonts that I was testing out were clashing with each other and it looked like I was trying to combine two different concepts. Long story short, I stopped messing with the designs because it kept getting progressively worse.

Here are the 3 designs that I created for The Art Of Manipulation's social media page:

FEEDBACK

I sent the (extremely) rough drafts to my sister, my friend Paola and my classmate Sil to get their opinions and help with the designs, and here's what they had to say about them:

PAOLA:

SIL:

ANEESA:

As you can see my sister did not really have a lot of creative criticism to offer me but I'll take what I can get. "It's cool but sort of eh" really helped out a lot (note the sarcasm). 

Sil suggested that I use a Sans Serif font. I'm going to have to find a specific font that goes with this type of font. The issue is finding a combination of fonts that work cohesively with each other. I don't like the way the fonts look together so I'm going to have to fix this. Paola also said that the dot that separates "man" from "ipulation" looks weird there so I completely eliminated it in the last design.

Who knew that designing a profile picture for a film production could be so challenging! I'm not done with this design obviously I'm just going to pick one design to go with for now so that I can make it the social media page's profile picture. See you in the next blog!

Portfolio Project 2021: Movie Poster Ideas

Hello everyone! In the previous blog, I discussed some of the components that I observed in the movie posters I researched. Researching those movie posters helped me think of creative ways to design my movie poster. I'm going to have to get creative with the design for this poster so let's get into some of my ideas!

Movie Poster Idea #1

In almost all of the movie posters that I researched the women on the poster are standing up but this idea does not require the women on the poster to be standing. This idea actually requires them to be laying down. In my idea, my sister and I would be laying on a black sheet so that the background is neutral like the backgrounds of the movie posters that I researched. This is an example of the angle that I am thinking of using:

(Vertical Option)

(Horizontal Option)

It's going to be a high angle of the two of us laying on a black sheet. I like this idea of doing a high angle because even though high angles are meant to make the subject in the frame look smaller, I can play around creatively with the surrounding items to make their power still abundantly clear. Jewelry and money will be scattered around us on the sheet to create the idea that luxury is a component of this film. 

I'm not sure of where I would want us to be looking in the movie poster. I was contemplating 2 different options: looking directly at the camera or looking at each other. I'm leaning more towards the first option because it's creating the illusion that we're looking directly at the viewer. Looking directly at the camera (the viewer) paired with the smug expressions on our faces will definitely create the idea that these women are lethal.

Movie Poster Tagline

In one of my first blog posts, I talked about the movie's tagline and I'm going to keep it the same. I was inspired by an image on Pinterest that said "How bad can a good girl get?" and this question inspired the tagline of my film. The phrase "...How bad can a girl truly be?" is the official tagline of my film! I love it because it's an open-ended question that insinuates that these girls can get pretty bad.

Movie Poster Idea #2

Another idea that I had for the movie poster was actually inspired by another image that I saw on Pinterest. This is the image that immediately caught my eye:

This image caught my attention because of the positioning of the model. Her eyes are hidden behind her hat creating a mysterious aura. She is wearing black which symbolizes sophistication, power, and elegance. She's also wearing gloves which contribute to her femininity as well as the dress she's wearing. The gloves that she is wearing make me think that she is of high class. Her identity is concealed but based on her costuming alone you can tell that she is a woman of class and status. In terms of mise-en-scene, the image is in black in white and this artistic decision is interesting. Black and white images remove color and this absence of color can be interpreted as containing various significant meanings. In this case, I interpret this image being in black and white as an indication of the idea that there is danger in the unknown. For my movie poster, I wouldn't want the image to be in black and white because the presence of color is imperative for the vibe that I am aiming to create. 

I was captivated by the mysterious aura surrounding this image. Her hidden eyes simultaneously conceal her identity which makes me as the viewer more intrigued to learn about who she is. Anytime something or someone is hidden, the audience is always going to feel inclined to figure out who the person is and why they're being concealed. Since there would be 2 subjects on my movie poster I'm not sure how I'd position us so that we both fit on the poster and it doesn't look awkward.  This visual concept definitely works for a singular subject but for multiple subjects, I don't think it would have the same effect.

I'm going to get the opinions of a few friends to get a general consensus on what they think would fit best because I already have an idea of which option I think will work best. It's always good to get other people's opinions on creative aspects like this! If anything I can design both concepts and just make one the official/ main movie poster and the other one a secondary promotional movie poster. See you in the next blog!

Portfolio Project 2021: Movie Poster Research

I have researched a couple of films that have similar plot lines and themes as mine to see how the film's movie posters were designed. I'll be addressing some commonalities that I've noticed these movie posters share. It was a little challenging trying to find films that had a similar theme as mine and utilized the femme fatale trope. But I ended up finding a few films that were close to the theme of my film and the trope that is going to be used in it.

Here are the movie posters that I've researched as inspiration for my own film's poster:

Gilda (1946)

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Heartbreakers (2001)

The Hustle (2019)

One thing that I've noticed is that in almost all of these movie posters the women in them are standing up and their legs are revealed. If their entire body isn't shown at least 3/4 of it is. They almost all are wearing dresses and gowns or they have revealing clothing on. Their femininity is showcased and highlighted through these movie posters.

In the movie posters for the older films that I researched, the color red is used in some way. On the "Gilda" poster, her name is highlighted as it is the only text on the poster in the color red. On the "How to Marry a Millionaire" poster, all 3 of the main actresses' names are in red as well as William Powell's. Marilyn Monroe is also wearing red in this movie poster. Both Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are wearing red on the original movie poster for the film "Gentleman Prefer Blondes". I assume that the color red was used on the posters of these films to catch the consumer's eye and highlight a specific aspect of the poster (for example: Gilda's name). 

For the DVD Diamond Collection of the movie "Gentleman Prefer Blondes," Marilyn is wearing the iconic pink dress that she wore during the song "Diamond's Are a Girls Bestfriend". Jennifer Love Hewitt is also wearing pink for "The Heartbreakers" movie poster while Sigourney Weaver, who plays her mother in the film, is wearing black. Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson are also wearing black on the movie poster of "The Hustle". Since I have put the films that I've researched in chronological order, it appears that as time progressed, the costuming of the women on these movie posters has darkened. 

If we compare the very first movie poster on my researched list "Gilda" to "The Hustle's" movie poster, there is a noticeable difference between the two. On Gilda's poster, she is wearing a light blue-colored gown and holding a cigarette while standing in front of a black background. In "The Hustle's" movie poster both women are dressed in black and standing in front of a luxurious car and a gold background. Gilda's costuming is bright which creates a contrast between her costume and the dark background while the costuming of Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway has the same contrasting effect but in the opposite way. They're both wearing a dark color and standing in front of a bright background which creates contrast but it does so in the opposite way than Gilda's does.

I found the "Caution: Dangerous Curves" caution tape wrapped around the hips of the mother-daughter duo in the movie poster for "The Heartbreakers" interesting. It has a double meaning and even though it's cringe and cheesy, it aligns with the theme and plotline of the film. This movie poster is also the only one out of the 6 that clearly shows a man. Having this man on the movie poster insinuates that he is involved with these dangerous women somehow. This is a good example of how there are various ways to convey the theme of a film with or without certain elements. 

I tried to research a diverse range of film productions that use the femme fatale trope or tropes closely related to the femme fatale trope. These movie posters have helped me better understand the direction that I want to go in for my movie poster. I already have a few ideas for my movie poster that I am going to discuss soon. See you in the next blog!

Portfolio Project 2021: The title of the film

We have a name!

I didn't want to create the film's social media page if it didn't have a title but I've come up with a name! The title of my film is "The Art of Manipulation". I chose this title because it sums up the theme of this film well and I want to get creative with the title on the movie poster.  

Since "man" is in the word "manipulation" I'm going to make the "man" part of "manipulation" a different color than the rest of the title. I was thinking of using the color red because it symbolizes danger, passion, lust/ desire, and power. During the group meeting that we had last class, I shared my ideas with my peers and they thought it was cool. 

Personally, I feel that this play on words is clever. That is part of the reason why I chose "The Art Of Manipulation" as the title of the film because I had the idea of putting emphasis on the word "man". I don't think the audience will have trouble figuring out the significance of the title or why the "man" in the word "manipulation" is in a different color. Even if its significance is missed by the audience at first, once they watch the trailers it should click that it's a visual play on words. 

I love the title of this film! It fits perfectly with the plot and theme of the film and the visual play on words on the movie poster is going to be fantastic! I have a few other ideas for the movie poster that I'm going to share with you. See you in the next blog!

Portfolio Project 2021: Mini Project Update

Ladies and gentlemen, we've gotten an extension! I don't think I can possibly put into words how happy I am that I have more time to complete this project. I can finally breathe and slow down a little bit. I was focusing on the due date of this project instead of the quality of it, which is not ideal. I feel a lot more intentional with all aspects of this project and I am a lot more diligent with my time. I am highly cognizant of the amount of time I have left to complete this project and I am super excited to continue working on it.

This blog is super short because I just wanted to share my excitement with you all and give you some insight into what to expect in the upcoming blogs. The next couple of blogs are going to be about more research that I've done, plans for the social media page, and an update on the first trailer. Things are starting to come together guys! See you in the next blog!

Portfolio Project 2021: Trailer 1 Storyboard

I reviewed the trailer ideas and shots that I had posted about in another blog and I've made some additions. 

I've finally come up with the names for the characters. The older sister's name is Azlynn Vanderbilt and the younger sister's name is Aurora Vanderbilt. This trailer is going to be from the younger sister's perspective, Aurora. She's going to be giving background information on her older sister, Azlynn. The purpose of this trailer is to inform the audience of who Azlynn is and the criminal activity that she's involved in. 

I'm not a fan of drawing storyboards. I'm a visual learner but drawing doesn't really help me, descriptive words do. Instead of using a traditional storyboard, I used words to describe exactly what shots I want to be paired with the words of the voiceover. I used the same method for last year's project. I color-coded the words from the script with its shot descriptions. This method is a lot more effective for me because I can visually see and read exactly what actions I imagined happening during the trailer are. This method also helps me during the production and filming aspect because I have laid out every shot that needs to be filmed.

Here is the official storyboard for the first trailer of my film:

TRAILER 1: Voiceover Script

SCRIPT

Meet Azlynn. She was varsity cheer captain, prom and homecoming queen,

valedictorian of her high school graduating class, and she’s my sister.

SHOTS

Mid shot of me flipping my hair over my shoulder and smiling

Senior pictures in a collage of me with pom poms

Split-screen left side prom right side homecoming of her smiling and waving on a

car if possible

Senior pictures of me in cap and gown (collage)

Picture/ video of me and Aneesa smiling, laughing, hugging each other, etc.

SCRIPT

Azlynn’s been my legal guardian since I was 16. Our parents died in a car accident

right after she graduated high school and that’s when she started taking her talent of swindling men a lot more seriously.

SHOTS

Closeup of me putting on lipstick in the mirror.

Mid shot of me sitting at Aneesa’s desk and looking at a picture of our parents.

Slow tilt upwards of a closeup on my face making a smug facial expression

SCRIPT

But she didn’t start scheming men out of their monetary possessions after the death of

our parents, It started off in elementary school. Taking little boy’s toys, taking

their lunches, then taking their lunch money. Then as she got older, it escalated to expensive pieces of jewelry, cars, money, and businesses. She has more bank accounts

than I can keep up with.

SHOTS

Tracking shot of me walking down the street, camera’s focus is on my feet walking.

Following is an upward tilt that showcases my outfit and my face (midshot)

High angle of jewelry on a table, then cut to a closeup of me wearing a necklace.

Another high angle of car keys followed by a video of me standing next to cars

dangling the keys (sound of car honking). High angle of a stack of money thrown

onto the table (sound of cash register), and another high angle of a stack of papers

being thrown onto the table then a midshot of me standing in front of a building.

Closeup of me reading a book

SCRIPT

She’s traveled the world, stayed at luxurious resorts, shopped at stores I've never even

heard of, and she's brought me along with her of course. She’s been proposed to

11 times by 8 different men. She’s kept every single ring too, I guess as keepsakes.

SHOTS

Pictures from vacations (Cozumel, Mexico, Puerta Maya, etc.)

Video footage from Hard Rock Guitar Hotel

Picture from SHEIN pop up shop

Pictures of me and Aneesa together on vacation, at restaurants, at SHEIN pop up shop

Pan showing all 11 rings. Closeup of ring finger wearing the ring.  Midshot of me

looking at the box the ring is in and closing it.

SCRIPT

She’s gone by a million different names: Lily, Sapphire, Jasmine, Angelina, Victoria, Coco, and a few others.

SHOTS

*TRANSITION*

Closeup of me sitting down sipping a cup of tea wearing a hat and glasses

Long shot of me getting out of a car

Midshot of me toasting a glass to someone off-camera

Low angle of me putting on a pair of sunglasses

(other option: closeup of me reading a book)

Tilt-up of me greeting a person (the camera) I’ll say “Hello, my name is Victoria”

in a British accent. Tilt is made all the way up to the sky.

Tilt down of me greeting another person (the camera) “Hi! I’m Coco”

said by me in an English accent.

SCRIPT

She studies her targets for months until she knows everything there is to know

about them and then, she goes in for the kill.

SHOTS

OSS of me in the car looking out of the window.  Low angle of me ruffling through papers.

Midshot of me taping a piece of paper on the wall. Closeup of me crossing of a name and

circling a time and place on a whiteboard.

Closeup of a smirk on my face.

SCRIPT

She’s the best at what she does and I want to help her out as much as I can. She’s gonna teach me the art of manipulation.

SHOTS

Long shot of me walking towards the camera in slow motion

The title of the film is shown followed by the release date of the film

Portfolio Project 2021: Trailer #1 Voiceover Script

 Here is the finalized voiceover script for the first trailer for my film!

TRAILER 1: Voiceover Script

Meet Azlynn. She was varsity cheer captain, prom and homecoming queen, valedictorian of her high school graduating class, and she’s my sister.

Azlynn’s been my legal guardian since I was 16. Our parents died in a car accident right after she graduated high school and that’s when she started taking her talent of swindling men a lot more seriously.

But she didn’t start scheming men out of their monetary possessions after the death of

our parents it started off in elementary school. Taking little boy's toys, taking their

lunches, then taking their lunch money. Then as she got older, it escalated to expensive

pieces of jewelry, cars, money, and businesses. She has more bank accounts than I

can keep up with.

She studies her targets for months until she knows everything there is to know about

them and then, she goes in for the kill.

She’s gone by a million different names: Lily, Sapphire, Jasmine, Angelina, Victoria, Coco,

and a few others.

She’s traveled the world, stayed at luxurious resorts, shopped at stores I've never even

heard of, and she's brought me along with her of course. She’s been proposed to

11 times by 8 different men. She’s kept every single ring too, I guess as keepsakes.

She’s the best at what she does and I want to help her out as much as I can. She’s gonna

teach me the art of manipulation.