Group #1 meeting

Group #1 meeting
Last class, I was paired with Nicole, Gaby, Ava, Sofia, Creaser, and Macie, and we went over each plot, gave suggestions, and discussed how to overcome obstacles. Surprisingly, everyone chose the thriller genre, which was perfect because it gave us time to receive ideas and feedback for the specific thriller genre, and they knew what thrillers had done before.

Genre
We discussed why each chose the thriller genre, and mostly it was because of the creative freedoms it offers. Most thrillers feature a protagonist who faces several unexpected challenges or even successes, changing the course of the whole film. Another reason was that many other genres can be difficult to come up with ideas for, such as comedy, because the script needs to be funny without being corny, which can be very difficult for some. On the other hand, thriller movies can be very diverse and still great films.


Plot
When I went over my idea, I outlined a plot of three friends in a car in an empty parking lot at night, waiting for one other friend. One of the friends in the car notices a strange bag in the middle of the parking lot. He tells the others, then steps out to check it. When he opens the bag, he enters a trance. The others start yelling at him, and they also go out to see what he's looking at, but they are too caught up in their own trance. Then the scene cuts to the fourth friend walking up. When he gets there, the car is still running, with no one in sight except a strange bag and some of his friends' personal belongings lying on the floor. Sofi recommended thinking of the whole film idea since I was focusing too much on the opening. It may not make sense as the opening needs room to continue on from that point. Some other suggestions my peers recommended were not to have all three friends get stuck in a trance, to make it more realistic and suspenseful. Next, including a low-angle shot from the bag's perspective would make the bag seem more powerful and mysterious, as if it has a mind of its own, and using flashlights to light it up. The group overall said our idea was great, as it is within our capabilities and doesn't require over-the-top resources. This meeting also emphasized the importance of camera angles and lighting in creating meaning. So, when I create my storyboard, I need to make it effective as it affects how my opening is interpreted. 
 
Blogs
After going over everyone's film opening ideas, we shared each other's blogs and got a sense of what others were doing. I liked how Macie covered everything there was to cover, and she included plenty of pictures and videos to add more to her blog. Many people in my group agreed that I went in depth with my blog posts, used proper AICE media terminology, and included a descriptor under each image, so readers have an idea of what it is about. I offered Cesear some feedback on his blogs. For the future, when going through examples, he should make sure to do an in-depth analysis of what makes this film specifically special. A critique Macie gave me, and one close to the whole group, was about our grammar. We need to make sure to italicize movie titles, which is something I will do in the future for any of my blogs and other pieces of work. 

Obstacles
An obstacle that a lot of us encountered was the title of the film, even though it seems like a small part of the two-minute opening, it can hold a big message. My partner (Christian) came up with the name Hollow Point for our film. He came up with the title because "hollow" relates to the emptiest part of the parking lot, and to the emptiest of people's minds when they are in a trance. The point that came from the bag is a specific point from the hollowness of the rest. It hints at emptiness and danger without revealing the plot, making it effective for a thriller film, as it can spark curiosity. Another obstacle was Sofi's difficulty finding an effective film, because her plot was about runners. We came up with a couple of ideas first one was Tequesta Trace Park, as there is a track and a loop that goes around the whole track, and the other option was Markham Park, as there are plenty of trails there to offer different scenery options.

Reflection
I enjoyed getting together as a group to learn about each other's work and offer feedback to help improve our ideas. Also, being able to talk about my idea and have others believe it is a solid idea gives me mental reassurance, as I can work on things when I don't agree with myself. After seeing other people's blogs and talking about them, I now know my blogs are covering exactly what I should be covering; I just need to make sure I use proper grammar. I hope to do this again in the near future to receive more feedback in the later stages.