CCR: Ideas
Group Meeting #2 (3/11/25)
Film Titles:
TurbulenceAirborneInterludeTitanPearly Whites (mine!)
CCR #2: How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
" How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project? "
Planning:
While I was planning for this film, I used a ton of different online resources. Public medical research like Biomed Central and lectures and educational channels on Youtube also helped me get more concrete statistics on eating disorders, which helped me be sure I was correctly representing the disorder.
When I was watching films to research, I used streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as websites like Tubi or Internet Archive to find older stuff. Youtube also hosts some movies like Superstar, which I have a post on, and very helpful analyses of film choices in movies like Girl, Interrupted and Requiem For a Dream that helped a ton.
Production:
The technology used in production was relatively simple- just an iPhone I filmed on and a tripod that helped stabilize the shot. I also used a lamp behind the camera for better lighting. Looking back, I could have integrated more technology during the actual process to get better audio.
Editing:
My editing software was a combination of Capcut and Adobe Premiere Pro. I'm very used to using Capcut for editing, so I tried to use it for things I didn't know how to do on Adobe, such as importing fonts and adding and adjusting the color grading. Since I have an Adobe Premiere Pro account, I was able to do the things I would've had to pay for on Capcut, such as fixing the echoey audio and otherwise touching up the footage.
CCR #1: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
" How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text? "
Engagement
A film like Pearly Whites has a target audience. First, it would be mainly westerners since the west typically has more progressive ideas and audiences are more supportive of body positivity. It would also be mainly women since eating disorders mostly target younger women. The type of person who would relate to a film like this can be ageless since it goes through a couple decades of Marina's life, but I imagine it would be most popular among younger generations, like ages 16-25.
Pearly Whites challenges norms in films and would be sure to stir up discussion in its watchers. It goes against many ideas people associate with eating disorders and shows the weirder, darker parts that people are afraid to discuss or simply don't know about, and for that reason I believe it might resonate the most with people who are suffering with one.
While many films about eating disorders avoid the ugly and end up romanticizing the character's suffering, Pearly Whites wants to show all of it, to perform an autopsy on the condition and lay out every single aspect for watchers to see. I want to engage audiences by giving them multiple different perspectives to analyze, and, more importantly, give people who are struggling a sign that they are not alone.
Distribution
Pearly Whites isn't the type of film that would resonate with everyone. Lots of people, understandably so, wouldn't be comfortable watching something with such a sensitive subject matter, so I need to distribute in a way that targets the previously discussed target audience.
Since the target audience would mainly live in the west where body positivity is more accepted, I would ideally start by showing the movie at a massive American film festival like Sundance or the LA Film Festival. One movie I researched, Thirteen, premiered here and won an award before going on to become a cult classic. Releasing my film at a festival ensures that it is being seen by a large audience and, even if some people don't like the film, the target consumers are probably in the audience and could be interested in purchasing distribution rights.
I could then start releasing Pearly Whites in theaters in America, and depending on its success, into theaters internationally. The movie would likely have a rating of TV-MA due to its depictions of the disorder and Marina's other struggles throughout the movie.
Post-Production: Obstacles
I finally finished filming the first part of the scene, which was the hardest part. However, I need to reshoot the bathroom scene since my phone's quality is significantly worse than my sister's, which is what I used last time. I also need to fix the audio since I realized entirely too late that the dialogue sounds super echo-y. I need to figure out how to edit that in premiere, which doesn't sound that interesting, but it can't all be fun.
The quality of the footage shown isn't too bad, but some clips have great quality while other clips don't. I need to figure out how to even the clip quality out so that it doesn't look off.
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I'll try to make it work somehow, but that cutoff at my head is really bothering me.. |
An obstacle of a more psychological nature is that I HATE seeing myself in videos. I should've thought of that before casting myself as the star in my film, knowing I'd have to edit the whole thing and show it to a class, but here we are. The paranoid part of my brain's thinking that I should rewrite and reshoot the entire film so that I'm not in it, but I know that that would definitely create more problems then solutions. Plus, it's a bit ironic to reshoot my project about insecurities because I'm too insecure to see myself in it.
So, overall, post-production's pretty hard. I'm excited to finish up my project, and this is the final stretch, so I've got to get it done.
Production: Obstacles 2 - Electric Boogaloo
Production: Obstacles
Research/Planning: Superstar
You ever start watching a movie and right off the bat you know you’re never gonna be the same afterwards? Thats how it felt seeing Superstar, directed by Todd Haynes and available for free on Youtube, for the first time. I had heard about it a couple times before and I’ve always loved The Carpenters, so I turned it on last night and was shocked into silence too many times to count. There’s so much to unpack, and so much I can use for inspiration for my own film.
The opening was HORRIFYING. Hearing Karen’s mom walk across the house I could barely look at the screen since, knowing about Karen Carpenter’s story already, I knew what had happened. The way that tension was built was so effective. While I don’t want to be creepy in my own opening, I definitely got the vibe of Superstar from the start, which is what I want to accomplish.
The little cards giving us extra information about anorexia are a really interesting choice. I won’t use this idea, but it helps me visualize what I want my credits and title card to look like with the font. I also really like how much the cards discuss the relationship between eating disorders and women’s opression, even talking about the commodificaiton of womens bodies, which I always thought was a more postmodern feminist concept. They also talk about how eating disorders aren’t always just about weight loss, but about control in a world where women’s bodies have been controlled by others for so long. This is an extremely real theme that I have NEVER seen brought up in any other media surrounding eating disorders, further separating Superstar from other films.
“In a culture that continues to control women through the commodification of their bodies, the anorexic body excludes itself, rejecting the doctrines of femininity, driven by a vision of complete mastery and control.”
Of course there’s the elephant in the room, the dolls. While I was confused when I first heard about this film and wondered why dolls would be used in place of actors, I quickly forgot I was even watching dolls and, as Karen’s doll’s figure slowly slimmed down, I understood. Barbie dolls. Beautiful faces and cinched waists. The epitome of beauty and the haunting figure in a girl’s mind, telling her she can always look better.
Additionally, the film also has a sibling relationship as a major theme. The dialogue between the two characters, while a bit exaggerated, is realistic and something I can take note from.
“What are you trying to do, ruin both our careers?! Jesus..”
(Side note, the description of the disorder included in the film is suprisingly still kind of accurate:)
“The term “anorexia” means “lack of appetite,” yet those who suffer from it are obsessed with food and its preparation, while they deny their own hunger and their bodies need for nutrition.”
Even though there were very few real people shown in the movie, the portrayal of Karen’s anorexia was grittier and more real than any other representation I’ve ever seen.
Audio
Vomit (I know, ew)
First and foremost, one thing that's been plaguing my mind is how the vomit sound effect is going to work. Nothing will be shown and we'll only hear the sound from outside the bathroom door, but I really want it to sound good since it's the most climactic scene in the introduction. I have a couple options:Option 1: Find a fake sound effect online. This would be really easy if I can find a good effect. This also unfortunately involves sifting through tons of vomit sounds, and I have to find one that works spatially for exactly what the shot shows, so that might be difficult.
Option 2: Foley! This one's a bit less easy but will create a more convincing sound since it actually exists in the space. I could use something like oatmeal, but it would feel wasteful, and I can't think of something I could flush down the toilet that's not a food, but this one's a "maybe".
Option 3: Change up the scene so I don't need to make an effect. Maybe Marina put her hands under her mouth to be quieter. This not only removes the need for super realistic sound effect, but it also reinforces what I want to do with the opening, which is create sympathy for Marina and separate her from the disorder that hurts her. Not hearing the visceral sounds would have less of a gross-out effect. However, if it's not heard, it might be unclear to the audience what is happening, so I need to make sure that it is evident.
Music
Character Development: Marina
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Moodboard: Marina |
Mise-en-scène: Costuming
Marina
Daria
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a VERY rough sketch of their outfits (Marina, Daria) |
Script
Here's my script for Pearly Whites!
Click here: Pearly Whites
While the movie centers around this aspect of her life, I want to show how it affects one's life outside of it. How it drives you away from gatherings, how you scan the menu for the lowest-calorie item, and how people comment on your body constantly. I also would want to show recovery- feeling like you can enjoy parties again, regaining strength and health, and the feeling when you eat something and realize you didn't even glance at the nutrition label. These seem like insignificant victories, but they're incredibly important.
Mise-en-scène: Props
Cake
If you've read my plot summary, you know that in the intro there is a very important birthday cake in my opening. Since it will be in a lot of shots paralleling the sisters, I need it to be decorated well, and since I want to show their closeness, it should be colored in a way that is representative of both of the girls.Glasses
Research: Cultivation Theory
Cultivation Theory and Eating Disorder Stereotypes
Cultivation theory states that a consumer’s views are shaped through repeated exposure to media. This can develop stereotypes about groups of people that aren’t necessarily true, and my film aims to combat this.
The common stereotype for an eating disorder is a young girl who is thin, white, and beautiful. Even in the deepest parts of her disorder she still looks very put together, and she almost always has anorexia or another restrictive disorder. This leaves out the massive population of disordered individuals who are male, POC, not thin, or have binging disorders, and misrepresents the disorder as a whole. Showing these beautiful waif-thin women politely refusing to eat and garnering respect from others is not representation and only encourages the behavior.
The article, “Are Movies About Eating Disorders Fundamentally Uncinematic,” does an incredible job talking about this subject and points out how hard it is to portray eating disorders correctly on the big screen.
“ The reality of eating disorders does not lend itself well to script material—leading Hollywood to gloss over some of these diseases’ deepest pains, and foreground unrepresentative characters. “ - Elizabeth King
King also states,
“ A movie candidly depicting eating disorders, then, would involve little dialogue and a lot of repetition—elements that are worth experimenting with, but might not lead to box-office success. “
This gives another reason, besides easy stereotyping, behind how eating disorders are misrepresented in the media. Cultivation theory tells us that eating disorders are romantic and for young and beautiful women, which not trut. Eating disorders are ugly. They’re not pretty, They’re not romantic or aesthetic, they’re an incredibly isolating experience that takes over your entire life. This is what Hollywood fails to show, this is what the masses don’t see, and this is what I want to portray in my opening. Not the stereotype that’s pushed onto consumers making them think that it’s less serious than it is.
Storyboard
Storyboard:
Inspiration:
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Suicide Club (2001) |
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Insatiable (2018) |
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La Femme de L’Aviateur (1981) |
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Les Biches (1968) |
Film Summary: Pearly Whites
Group Meeting #1
2/10/25 - Group Meeting #1
In today's group meeting, all of us went around and discussed our ideas for the movie, and then discussed various other movies we had seen that we can use for inspiration. Everyone's ideas were really unique and gave me a lot of ideas for my own opening. One idea in particular I really liked was Ryan's. It was also a psychological drama but it was about a girl in a Christian family who lost her mom, and a lot of the ideas he had for the intro were really good ones that I might take inspiration from. I also got the opportunity to tell other people my idea, and they said it was interesting, so I'll take that as a good sign.
I also got to check out everyone's blogs, which gave me a good idea of how much other people are writing and how much I should be. Most people were writing in my range, but a few posts I saw had much more elaboration, and my teacher told all of us to stick to "description/analysis/reflection" for our posts, which let me know I should be writing more.
All in all, this was an important moment which gave me a lot of insight into what I should do for my own project. Even if we may have gotten off-track a few times, it was still really helpful to hear about others' projects and get advice for my own.
Research: Mental Illness in Girl, Interrupted
Mental Illness in Film: Girl, Interrupted
Girl, Interrupted, based on the book by the same name, tells the story of a woman and her stay at a mental hospital for 18 months. The woman, Susanna Kaysen, suffers from depression and borderline personality disorder as well as frequent dissacociation. During her stay, she meets many other girls who suffer from other disorders, such as schizophrenia, anorexia, bulimia, and sociopathy.
During the introduction, we see a flash of what is to come by the end of the movie, before starting the story at its beginning. As we go through the film, we see more of Susanna’s overall disconnection with time and the way that her mind wanders into memories through her frequent flashbacks of past relationships. This, along with the introduction being in the future, elucidates the idea that she is not grounded using film techniques. I think the idea of having the end of the movie be in the beginning is a brilliant idea, one that was also used in the movie Arrival, but I would rather show the past through flashbacks throughout the movie to showcase my character’s illness.
Mental illness is often presented as something to be afraid of, especially personality disorders or psychosis disorders. While some of the characters Susanna meets in the hospital are violent and angry, they are also depicted struggling and crying, showing the other side of their issues that are often ignored.
Some of the patients are also quiet and likeable people despite having stigma attatched to their issues.
Many patients, including Susanna herself, don’t have “visible” mental issues, showing how hypocritical people are when deciding who to put under the microscope.
All of these cases show how diverse the image of mental illness can be and how one size does not fit all. This is a film that not only was a big inspiration for the movie, but taught me these things that I need to keep in mind while making my film to avoid any kind of harmful stereotyping or misrepresentation.
Research: Film Openings
Girl, Interrupted
Girl, Interrupted, one of my favorite books and movies of all time, was a massive influence when coming up with this project. The introduction, which shows Susanna and Lisa by the end of the movie, is an unconventional approach, but I want to take inspiration from the dark color pallet and the overall tragic nature of the scene.
While researching this opening, I found a really good youtube video analyzing it and breaking down every choice made in creating the intro.
Donnie Darko
The introduction to Donnie Darko is similar to the one in Girl Interrupted because of how there is an element of mystery as to what happened, but it differs because it focuses much more on establishing the setting rather than maintaining that mystery.
Happiness
Research: Credit Sequence
The Eternal Daughter
The title sequence of The Eternal Daughter has a much older and gothic energy to it. It shows a background of simply trees and a gray sky while the text flashes over it. While I do really like how it looks, I don’t think it would fit the vibe I am going for for my project. However, I might use the font or at least take inspiration and find a gothic font to use for the names listed.
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Mr. Holland’s Opus shows a man playing piano and pretending to conduct, focusing heavily on the music while the cast is put overhead. One thing I really liked in this introduction is that the camera shot inside the man’s house is continuously moving, before showing the outside of his house. This not only establishes the man as a character who is passionate about music, but also shows us the setting while providing the credits in the corner.
Se7en
This credit sequence is very good in my opinion. I really like how the font looks and how the glitches are done, as well as the quick cuts among seemingly random objects. This sequence is very focused on the editing rather than the shots themselves, which is the opposite of Mr. Holland’s Opus. It also shows the tone of the film instantly, which I definitely want to do for my opening.
Schedule
Week 1: DONE
Week 2 (2/3-2/9)
Week 3 (2/10-2/16)
Week 4 (2/17-2/23)
Week 5 (2/24-3/2)
Week 6 (3/3-3/9)
Week 7 (3/10-3/16)
Week 8 (3/17-3/25)
Genre Research: Drama & Romance
Drama
Romance
Cambridge Portfolio Project
CCR: Ideas
I have a couple of ideas for my CCRs, and I need to do at least 2, so here are the two I'll probably use: