Storyboards and Supplies

  My big filming day is tomorrow!

  Now, I've made some changes to the filming and plot due to the amount of time I will have with my actors and because I wasn't 100% with my characters and their dynamic.

 I have cut the "resurrection" because while I was planning I realized that the master shots I was picturing would eat up a lot of my time and I just think the resurrection wouldn't fit in the two minutes. Because I'm not planning on having the Queen come back to life, but I still want her to say her iconic line "Boogie's Back," I've decided to also cut the idea of Boogie dying. 

  Instead of making the film about Boogie's death and revenge, I have decided to change it to begin with the point where Boogie made it to the top and became"The Queen" and then having the rest of the film be kind of a "flashback" to Boogie's rise, how she met Thelonious,

and what exactly happened in their relationship for them to turn into dancing rivals. In order to achieve this I've decided to center the opening around the death of Thelonious, symbolizing Boogie finally making it as the Queen and also having an event that will trigger audience intrigue and make them want to continue watching to find out more about these characters. I think hearing Thelonious' voice over and description of Boogie paired with watching him "die" seconds later will also create some viewer intrigue.

  To balance these big cuts I have also decided to bring back the dance battle, but just have it be a quick montage instead of an epic fight scene.

 I feel like this idea would create much more interesting characters and by showing the thoughts of the "villain," it creates a fine line between who the real hero and villain is.

 Although I had pictured utilizing my extras a lot during the opening scene, after gathering up a couple of my friends I realized that I didn't have enough people or enough time to direct these people to heavily include them in my opening. For this reason, I have decided to instead use my beautiful friends as background people just to, basically fill up space and make the scene feel like an actual party and not just two people dancing in an empty room. 

Storyboard(1)

Storyboard(2)

  With the big day being tomorrow, I also gotta ensure I got all the art direction and supplies together. Last night, I talked to my actor Mina and we've decided on a costume and make up

design for her character, the Queen!

MANY OPTIONS

Groovy, furry coat

  We've decided on this beautiful, big furry coat that Mina owns to be the main piece of her outfit. For the top underneath I thought that a simple crop/halter top would fit perfectly with the time period and with Boogie's character, and lucky for me Mina had many clothing options so I just decided to go with a striped halter top to go underneath.

   After sifting through many options for pants(high-waisted leather pants, skirts, etc) I decided that plain, high-waisted denim jeans would be the perfect match for the all-white coat because I want to portray Mina's character as good and holy, so sticking with lighter colors would support that. As far as make up goes I decided to just go with Mina's classic makeup look, white eyeliner and a purple/red lip. The makeup design fits well with her character and I think she'll look great as the Queen!

I've already asked a friend to borrow a tripod and a spotlight, but it was up to me to buy some items for my set design. Yesterday I went out and purchased some last minute supplies for the big day including:

-some colored light bulbs that I will be using to change the atmosphere of my setting with ease

-party streamers that follow my color scheme

-a silver shimmery door curtain that I will be able to hang in a doorway, this could be a great way to add depth to my opening

-a couple balloons that I plan on placing throughout the room

  Besides that I will also have a few extra light fixtures, such as the desk lamp that is pictured, in order to have more control over the lighting.

  Oh! I should also make a quick update about  what's happening with my location. I talked to the neighborhood management and they said they had no problem with letting me use the clubhouse area BUT their only requirement is that I be accompanied with an adult. Sigh. Don't think I could ever get an actual adult adult to hang around with me seeing that my parents will both be working, but I've discussed it with the lady at the front desk and she told me as long as their 18+ it's alrighty!
  Wish me luck!
stay cool, kmp

Check List

With filming starting next week I have to straighten some things out before I begin:

1.) First and foremost, the idea. I have decided to go with idea number one because I would be able to show off more of my skill set and although my second idea would be easier to film, the main focuses of that opening would be the voice over and the Double Dolly shot which could lead me into some problems because the actress I am planning to use won't have enough time to record the VO outside of school and because I haven't even 
done a test shot of the double dolly so I don't know how well it would turn out especially if I was just planning on filming it with a skateboard. So I plan on running with the first idea and just cutting the long dance battle and instead changing it to Thelonious killing her with one move. I still plan on having the "resurrection," but instead just making it her opening her eyes wide when she hears the music and saying "Boogie's Back!" I also plan on Thelonious having a VO describing the Queen during the Double Dolly shot when she first enters the party to add some more information about their relationship and to, of course, add drama! I am confident in this idea and I am happy to see how it'll all turn out next week!

cool gal Mina, credits to her Instagram

2.) Actors: I have already contacted a couple of my friends that fit the image that I am going for and after bringing it down to two options, I decided on my good old friend Mina. We met back in our drama class and since then Mina has continued with theatre and she has tons and tons of acting experience, in school programs and in community theatre. Looking at her past roles and experience I know that she will be able to play the character and make it believable. She's already agreed to filming next week and she's informed me about her upcoming schedule and days where she will be busy. My problem is finding all the other characters. Besides the role of the villain, Thelonious, which will be played by one of my few guy friends Bryce, I had envisioned a group of people to be at the disco. I don't think it would be that much of a problem contacting a bunch of my friends to head on over in their best 70s gear, but I think the problem would be finding people who are willing to commit to the project and take it seriously. I plan on texting some of my friends this weekend and asking them if they are available.

3.)Location: There are gonna be two main locations for my opening; the disco scene and the "resurrection" location. For the disco scene I wasn't planing on scouting the ultimate location like a nightclub similar to the one in Boogie Nights or Saturday Night Fever, but rather finding a simple location that I will be able to manipulate and decorate as I please. I am in between filming at the clubhouse in my neighborhood or using a friend's living room. The clubhouse in my area is set aside only for community events and is rarely used so I know that there would be no conflict with the space being unavailable, however, residents have informed me that they have closed off the space for personal events such as parties so I am unsure if they would allow me to film in there. Hopefully if I describe to them that it is for a school assignment they would understand. Let's hope. 
As far as the "resurrection" location where the Boogie Queen will rise and claim back her funky tunes, I'll probably just utilize the same location and just change the set design. This would make the ride situation a little easier and would save a lot of time.

4.)Equipment: As far as equipment goes I've already got my trusty Canon camcorder that's worked well for me in the past, however it's quality isn't that spectacular and it wouldn't be able to achieve the pull focus that I had envisioned for one of the shots, but that shouldn't be a big problem. For this shoot I will also need a couple more lights, I already have access to a tripod and a spotlight but I still would like a few more colored light bulbs.

5.)Art Direction: The costume and set design are incredibly important for this project,
especially because I am trying to mimic a specific style and time period. Lucky for me, 70s fashion is back in style so it wouldn't be a problem at all getting some 70s clothes because almost all of my friends already own the clothing. My bigger problem with art direction would be set design. I plan on using purple and warm lighting but other than that I'm not sure how I should decorate the set. Later on next week I'm gonna be heading on over to a couple of shops, mainly Party City and the dollar store because this girl is on a budget! 

AHHHH much to do! I'll keep y0u updated


stay cool, kmp

The Big Idea!

  The distinct style that is prevalent in Blaxploitation and the directors that I have mentioned in previous posts has inspired to create something centered around the 1970s and disco/boogie music. I've decided not to go with what I had originally dreamed of centering it around a strong community of people because it would be extremely difficult to round up that many (20+) people and even more difficult to create an elaborate blocking scene in this limited amount of time. However, I feel that by still incorporating music from the same genre I will be able to capture a part of the vibrant culture that I want to represent.
  I've decided that my story will follow a dancing goddess, the Queen of Boogie, and the conflicts that she faces with her mortal enemy (and former friend), Thelonious and keeping that title as the ultimate disco dancer.
  I am truly in love with this idea! I feel as if it completely represents the genre and that it can properly include its conventions, but because this idea is so perfect for what I want to acheive, I am having trouble deciding on the exact direction I can go in with my opening. Blaxploitation films that I have mentioned in previous posts usually begin with a simple scene that sets up the conflict or they introduce the main character(s) in a dramatic way, typically through some sort of theme song or lengthy title sequence. Here are the two main directions that I am currently narrowing down:

  The first thing that I pictured when thinking about how I could open this story was beginning with the "death"of Boogie at the hands of Thelonious and then planning on having the rest of the film be centered around her seeking revenge and rising back to claim her rightful title. I feel like starting the film with the downfall of Boogie would be a great way to capture the audiences' attention while still creating a complex character that isn't "perfect."

Screenshot from Saturday Night Fever(1977) This is the kind of lighting
I had pictured!

 
1.) The opening would begin at a typical 70s disco party; various close-ups of people dancing under the purple, blue, and red lights would be shown as a typical funky track is being blared. I would specifically focus in on close-ups in order to intrigue the audience and not give away too much information in the first couple of shots.  I then pictured on having a medium, master shot of the camera moving backwards as the music slowly fades and the people whip their heads back, facing the door (and the camera) to basically witness Boogie
 enter the room, building suspense for viewers who haven't seen her yet. For Boogie's big reveal, I was planning on incorporating both the whip pan and Lee's Double Dolly shot, as previously mentioned. I would dramatically whip pan from the crowd to Boogie as there is a bright spotlight on her while she is being shown through a Double Dolly shot, basically appearing to "float" towards the crowd of people. This technique would add to the personality of Boogie, and how I want to portray her as almost godlike on the dance floor. Over this shot I was even picturing a sultry voiceover of someone saying "The Queen of Boogie," almost as if it were a theme song, as she glides across the room. For the rest of the scene Boogie would basically show off her beautiful dance moves until a looming figure in the background becomes visible; Thelonious.
  For Theo's character I was basically picturing the typical "pimp/alpha/gangster" character trope, seen frequently in Blaxploitation (see Willie Dynamite 1974). I obviously won't be including the elements of actual pimping into my character, but rather just the fashionable wardrobe and tangy speech. 

Stills from Willie Dynamite(1974)
Look at that wardrobe!

  Theolonious and Boogie would basically just have a sort of "stand-off" with some exchanging dialogue providing viewers with some background and then a dance battle scene where Theolonious would ultimately finish Boogie off in a single dance move, "killing" the Queen. Following that I either imagined the title credits beginning, ultimately ending with the main title, "The Queen of Boogie" or following her death with a black screen, muffled disco music, and then the Queen rising up again into frame and saying into the camera "Boogie's Back!," signifying how she plans on returning to the dance floor. 

HOWEVER, when I shared the idea with classmates and with my instructor, they warned me that this might be a little too much to cram into a 2 minute window and that I should think about either cutting from that idea or coming up with a simpler one.


2.) Which brings us to option number two. I am married to the idea of the Double Dolly shot and I thought about combining that simple, yet still very dramatic shot with the idea of the Queen resurrecting. For this idea, I would simply start with a black screen and muffled 
disco music in the background. I would then cut to an extreme closeup shot of the Queen's eyes and the once muffled music is now blasting as the Queen of Boogie opens her eyes wide, reacting to the music. The rest of the opening would be extremely simple, having Boogie set up on the Double Dolly shot, "floating" as she primps up her wardrobe by dusting off her stylish clothes and whopping out some lipstick to make touch ups. For this idea I really want Boogie to just be looking straight into the camera, remaining cool, calm and godlike. In order to clearly set up the plot, while still not giving away too much, I think the perfect fit for this would be recording a voice over of the Queen indirectly explaining the past events; her rival with Theo, how she used to be on top of the disco scene, where it all went wrong etc. I would then end the Double Dolly and her monologue by crash zooming into her face and then having her say, "Boogie's Back!" followed with the title sequence and then, of course, the title of the film "The Queen of Boogie." 

I am wildly in love with both directions and it's going to be super tough to choose, but I think the main cons with both ideas is that it's either too much for the time or could be too little and not enough to show off what I have learned this year. I think in the end I am going to try to find the balance between these two ideas because honestly it's so hard to just 
strictly choose one; it's like choosing only one child and killing off the other! Ugh. 

But I am just relieved that I at least have a solid idea on my general plot!   
stay cool, kmp

Get my head in the game!

This week a lot of my other peers have taken advantage of spring break and have begun filming for their projects. Aiding others with the filming process has opened my eyes immensely and I've realized I gotta get my stuff together asap! 

It's not that I haven't been thinking about this project enough, but that I've been OVERthinking it. I'm an extremely indecisive person, especially when it comes to film, and it's hard for me to just settle on an idea as soon as it comes to me.  I like to weigh out my options, make lists of pros and cons and map out everything to make sure it would all work out and run smoothly; I want everything to be perfect. But this project has taught me that in life there are set deadlines and going back and forth in your head about simple details can waste a lot of time so I have decided that by tonight I shall chose a single idea and stick with it! I already know what stylistic elements I would like it to have, certain actors that are available etc, but I just feel like I need a simple plot that I can build off of. Ugh. 

Gif from Jean-Luc Godard's Band of Outsiders(1964)

**Because I'm so down in the dumps I've been looking towards some of my film heroes for inspiration. Some of my first couple of heroes have been the leaders of the French New Wave (or La Nouvelle Vague); a wave of cinema that broke film conventions and forever changed how I look at film making. Auteurs, such as Jean-Luc Godard, had beautiful philosophies about just getting out there and making things that they wanted to see. These crazy cats literally just got out there and started filming, even getting kicked out of some places because they didn't have permission(which isn't something I'm planning on doing, don't worry), but the passion that they had to even break the rules is so inspiring. I gotta get in that daRn mood of just getting things done and getting on out there and doing what I set out to do!!

stay tuned and stay cool, kmp

Initial Idea?

I've been sitting on an idea since this project began, however I don't believe it is plausible at all unless major elements are changed.
Being heavily influenced by soul/funk music and it's strong presence in film, more specifically the genre of  Blaxploitation that was popular in the 70s mentioned in my last post, I developed an idea surrounding a community of people in a neighborhood:

-  MS of girl, wearing flared jeans and a bright colored crop top with her big curly hair down, moving along to funkalicious song through her headphones as she sits on the hood of a retro car, her face is not exposed yet focusing more on her body movements and the mise en scene of her outfit
-  I would focus on the warm colors of the scene though costume design and filming preferably during Golden Hour, or the time right after sunrise and right before sunset where the sky is a warm orange (something similar to the image below)

Pictured; John Singleton director of Boyz N The Hood
photographed by Aaron Rapoport (1991) 

           
- There is a sound perspective on the music, it's low at first focusing more an the sounds of the neighborhood ambiance, but it gradually increases as the camera gets closer and closer to her body (probably focusing on a small detail like her hands moving or her smile) until the music ultimately rises and she hops off of the hood along with a point in the song
-  The girl acts as a catalyst when introducing the rest of the characters, she jumps off the car and the camera whip pans to the rest of the people on the street
-  In my mind it would be a master-shot of all the characters interacting with one another in a communal environment similar to  Anderson's opening in Boogie Nights or Russel's in The Fighter
-In order to hook the audience I pictured a slight commotion occurring in the background of the shot, the upbeat music will slightly fade as the sounds of the arguing become more and more apparent in the scene
-  The camera would then make a dramatic 180 whip pan towards the argument that is going on from behind between a law enforcer and someone from the community
-  All the characters that were just introduced would move back towards the argument at the end of he street, dialogue would be exchanged like "What's going on?" "Leave him alone!" etc etc as the people walk into frame towards them
-  I then pictured the song becoming crazier and crazier with instruments that are heavily noted in funk music such as trumpets and hard drum beats as the arguing turns into yelling and the police officer becomes more aggressive with the man
-  As the music becomes more upbeat and frantic the camera will move through the crowd that has formed around the officer and man as the music and the arguing reaches a climax and then all the sounds would ultimately stop with a piercing gunshot and the screen will fade to black
-  At this point I pictured either the title instantly following or cutting back to the incident this time from a "bird's-eye-view" shot or aerial angle of the boy on the ground in the street, this time utilizing cool hues such as blue juxtaposing the cheerful, warm color scheme from before. The camera would slowly move higher and higher away from the incident as concerned people rush and kneel to his side
-  The blood slowly rushing from his head would be the only fraction of warmth in the shot which is very symbolic and juicy
-  The overall style of it would be similar to a Spike Lee film, very campy and dramatic yet still holding a powerful message 
But I'm not sure if its even possible. I shared the idea with my classmates and peers and they all agreed that it could be a good opening and they believed that it could be achieved. However, I know for a fact that if I were to try to attempt making this opening there would be NUMEROUS problems; finding a suitable location of an inner city while I live in a quaint suburb, gathering about 10-20 actors and ensuring they are all committed and all have rides, having control over my setting, blocking such a large amount of people in a strict time frame, ensuring that everyone has proper costume design, achieving a master shot of that caliber, finding a cop/cop car etc etc    
  The project would be way too ambitious and even if I did try to pursue the scene it would be extremely challenging and would never come out the way I had dreamed.
  I don't think I will do this exact opening, but I know for sure I want some of the main elements to be within it. I will have to go back to the drawing board and I'm freaking out because we have about three weeks left until the final due date. Ahh!

stay cool, kmp

Stylistic Elements

Besides the stylistic elements found in Blaxploitation films, there are some other specific styles that I plan on drawing inspiration from for my opening.

  One specific technique that has caught my eye is director Spike Lee's use of The Dolly Shot, a shot that is common in film where the camera is mounted on a dolly, a device on wheels that is pushed on a platform, while the subject is being followed onscreen. However, Lee's dolly shot, seen above, tends to feature his subjects and the camera both moving in unison as the background changes, making the subject appear to be "floating" and moving in a style that is directly emphasized and dramatic. This camera movement technique would be a perfect addition to the Blaxploitation-isque opening I would like to make. I have even found an article online that goes in-depth about each of his Double Dolly shots and provides some behind-the-scene images that show how the shots are made using a track. Since I don't have access to fancy camera dollys, I would be able to simulate Lee's Double Dolly by placing both my actor and camera on a wheeled apparatus(such as a skateboard) while I move them in the same direction.
 Another dramatic camera technique that stood out to me in a director's work is Tarantino's use of the Crash Zoom. I found a compilation video online that featured a ton of his crash zooms from his films and I think this type of shot would add to the dramatic feel I'm going for.
 Both of these movements are seen in work's of other directors, but through the video essays that I have found online it is clear that these techniques have become trademarks in their films.
**Besides camera movement techniques, I've been inspired by the way Ingmar Bergman sets up his narrative and how he always adds fantastical, dream like elements into his films. I don't just wanna make my film groovy, but I also wanna add some trippy, artsy elements and Bergman has inspired me to do so.

stay cool, kmp

Blaxploitation Conventions

 The 60s and 70s gifted us with flared jeans, funky tracks, political movements, and Exploitation films. This genre of film gained it's name due to the fact that it didn't cast big shot actors or have big production value, but rather relied on exploiting specific elements in their films whether it was sex, violence, action etc. 

  Through this genre emerged several sub genres;Spaghetti Westerns (Django 1966 dir. Corbucci), Biker Films(C.C and Company 1970 dir. Robbie), Women in Prison Films(The Switchblade Sisters 1975 dir. Hill), and the most notable and the one that I will be mainly focusing on, Blaxploitation films. 

  

  Blaxploitation, or Black Exploitation, is an ethic sub genre of exploitation films that was notable for producing some of the first films to regularly feature black casts and soundtracks filled with complex soul and funk tunes. I feel like this genre encapsulates the perfect marriage of my favorite things: rich soulful music and over dramatic editing/acting. Some specific films that I will be drawing inspiration from will be  Super Fly (1972 dir. Parks Jr),  Three the Hard Way (1974 dir. Parks Jr), and every Blaxploitation film directed by Jack Hill, including Foxy Brown, which I believe is one of my favorite films from the genre. 

Foxy Brown official movie poster

    For my two minute opening I would love to imitate the dramatic crash zooms, dialogue, and constant, rhythmic stings that are so prevalent in Blaxploitation. I have seen the influence of Blaxploitation in current media, specifically in the works of director Quentin Tarantino. The style of Blaxploitation can be seen the most in his film Jackie Brown that was created specifically to pay homage to the genre and even featured well-known Blaxploitatoin actress, Pam Grier, but also in some of his other works such as the Kill Bill series that also exploits violence and features a strong female lead.           
   I am directly influenced by the films that are focused on "bad ass," powerful women of color, more specifically films such as Foxy Brown or Coffy, both starring Grier. I am incredibly inspired by these strong female characters, especially when they are women of color, and I would love to create a film that not only has the over-the-top, dramatic style of Blaxploitation films, but also includes important representation. 

  Although the films did include discriminatory language and often used stereotypes when portraying its characters, I do believe Blaxploitation had a positive impact on the integration of races by frequently exposing white America to media filled with powerful, black characters.  Hopefully I will be able to capture it's unique style in my opening.

*I found a wonderful documentary on Blaxploitation films that features interviews from people who were influenced/involved (including Tarantino) and I HIGHLY recommend it if you are interested in learning more on the subject!

catch you mama jamas later...stay cool, kmp

In a perfect world...

  After falling head over heels for D'Angelo's album I decided to take a large leap of faith and contact the Sony Music Licensing company in order to get the rights to(hopefully)feature the song in my two minute opening. Not fully understanding how the process of copyright works, I wishfully sent out my request and hoped for the best.

"Sony music does not grant gratis(free) nonprofit requests."

 Of course things didn't go my way and the song of my dreams is illegal to use. Darn it. I can officially say this is my first bump in the road but I'm not breaking a sweat at all. I know of a copyright free music site online, Free Music Archive, and it should be no problem finding something among the thousands of songs that are available that is similar to the vibe I am striving for.

stay cool, kmp

Inspiration!

  Recently I've been hardcore listening to soul and R&B;artists such as Erykah Badu, Andre 3000, and Brandy have been playing repeatedly on my phone for weeks now. However, it was only until I rediscovered the powerful latest album of D'Angelo, The Black Messiah(2014), that something in me awakened.

 This specific song, Sugah Daddy,connected with me instantly. The song is beautifully produced and each element of it, from D'Angelo's distinct voice to the constant rhythmic clapping to the trill of the trumpets(ahhh!), captures the essence of passion and soul and the overall beauty of black music. D'Angelo specifically released this album early (if you call 14 years in the making early) in response to recent events that were occurring in Ferguson and across America. The important messages within this album towards the black community are clearly evident and I would love to base my portfolio off of something as important as one of his songs and capture that deep meaning.

 For my two minute opening I want to mimic this strong feeling of soul and passion and an overall sense of community that was inspired by the works of D'Angelo. The genres,soul and r&b, accompany so much history and beauty within them that I would love to make something that is based off of the culture. If I were to include this song (or something similar to it) in my opening I would picture pairing it with warm hues, including strong yellows and oranges, and earth tones which is something that is seen in major movies such as Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom(2012).

  Sugah Daddy has sparked a handful of visions, but so far no idea has solidified! I will keep you updated!

stay cool, kmp

Here we go

  And so the wild ride begins. There is no better way to start this project than by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Kiara Pomeroy and I am a 17 year old junior with a passion for anything creative. I absolutely love film and I can't imagine a more fitting project than this one. 
  However, not going to lie, I am shaking profusely in my boots because I don't yet have an exact direction for this project. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've got tons and tons of visions and vignettes, but my problem is tying them all together to create one coherent piece(not a big deal...right?) I, personally, tend to focus more on the visual and auditory aspects of film and let the story follow naturally to me. I have to see the film in my head in order to get a clear idea of what I will be creating. This could become a tiny bit of a problem for a project that has a strict due date and that must fully engage an audience in a two minute time frame.
  With all that being said, I know that I will face many challenges during this upcoming month(long nights, stressful decisions, low budgets, rewrites, even more rewrites etc), but I am beyond thrilled to be beginning my portfolio this week and am filled to the brim with joy, excitement and every other synonym that you could think of.

 Before I go, I just want to throw out this video by Lewis Bond in which he analyses the importance of color in cinema and how, if utilized correctly, it can establish a certain tone and heighten the emotion of the characters or of a scene. Because I plan on relying heavily on visuals in my portfolio project, understanding color schemes is extremely important in ensuring that I create something with meaning and intricate layers.
  
stay cool, kmp