Super Research!

"The beginning is the hardest part."

Starting my portfolio and ultimately my media opening will be an exciting endeavor for me to embark on.   I'm excited to use this blog to log my thoughts so I can refer back to my previous thoughts and ideas to utilize in the many different aspects of this project.

I recently watched The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, which follows a dysfunctional family of superheros.   Adapted from a comic book written by Gerard Way, lead vocalist of My Chemical Romance, this story from 2007 doesn't focus on the superhuman abilities of the characters, but their relationships as a family and how they cope with each others problems. 

The Netflix Series                                The Comic Book

    In a society where superhero flicks dominate the theatres (especially with Captain Marvel releasing in March and Avengers: Endgame arriving in theatres in April), the same story is always told.  There is a protagonist with unfathomable abilities who is faced by an antagonizing character with opposing viewpoints who challenges the hero.  The hero discovers their true strength and inevitably takes down the foe.  In Aquaman (2018) Arthur Curry must find the trident of the king of Atlantis to unlock his true power.  In Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Thor unlocks his ability to manipulate lightning.  Even in Deadpool (2016), Wade Wilson realizes that he can't just hack and slash his way through foes; he needs a team.  This shift in the hero intertwines with the message of the movie, either to have unity (Deadpool), fight for your home (Thor: Ragnarok), or fight for your birthright (Aquaman).                                                      

                                      

                                      

                               

      I'd imagine it's overwhelming to hear a tidal wave of information about superheros, especially if I'm expected to create a media opening with some quality and thought (haha because superhero movies consist of more action, fight scenes, and comedy than thoughtful storytelling (that joke might've been a stretch (call me Mr. Fantastic am I right?)).  I have always been fascinated by superhero movies.  The first one I had seen was The Incredible Hulk in 2008.  The sheer awesomeness of watching a big green monster smashing things on screen was blowing my six-year-old mind.  Ever since I have been following superhero movies on the big screen.

    The reason for mentioning the recent Umbrella Academy series is that the show captured the other genre that I enjoy: dramas.  In particular, I enjoy films that make people think about their place in the world and about fulfilling their purpose.  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) is still one of my favorite movies to date because I connected with the message at the end of the film: one can only live their life if they are uncomfortable and seeking a goal.  If you have no reason to do something, then why do anything?  This film captures my belief that movies should make you realize something about yourself at the end, whether if its a new opinion one must have on the world or if it's a call to action.

    The Umbrella Academy uses drama in the form of family conflicts to progress the story.  The characters always find themselves bickering at each other due to their father's death and also trying to save the world from an impending apocalyptic future.  These relationships between the characters make the audience more attached to the story because of the complexity of the individuals and their responses to other people.

     I plan on using these genres (Superhero(Action) and Drama) for my story because they have been significant in my life and are the genres that appeal to a wide range of audiences.   Superhero flicks target the male gender from ages 4 and 5 till the late '50s.  These films accomplish this through media convergence such as toys, videogames, and attire.  Dramas, on the other hand, appeal primarily to women ages 18 - the '50s.  Deep stories about struggles and hardships between characters attract the gender who is more social and emotional.  This combination of genres will allow me to appeal to not only to my personal interests but to a large population of society who enjoys movies.
                                                 - Jake







TODAY'S HERO: MR. FANTASTIC (AKA Reed Richards)



Back Story: 
After embarking on a mission in space, he and his crew encounter a field of cosmic radiation, giving him his powers.

Powers:
He can stretch his body into any shape he wants.

Other: 
- In Superhero Team called "The Fantastic Four"
- Married to Susan Storm of the Fantastic Four
- Has immense knowledge of aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering, physics, human and alien biology

Comic Book Origin: 
First appeared in The Fantastic Four #1 (1961)

Movie History: 
- The Fantastic Four (1994); played by Alex-Hyde-White
- Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007); played by Ioan Gruffudd
- Fantastic Four (2015); played by Miles Teller

Music Marketing Project

                    For this project, my group and I were given three songs to select for the project. We chose "Float On" by Modest Mouse.  The goal of the presentation was to create an entirely new identity for the band and create a marketing plan to release this song to the public.  Using merchandise, a website, and social media accounts my group and I created a plan to present to the class on how we would introduce this new band to the world, using the song we chose as our first single.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSEsMpMxkg4  <------------ Listen to "Float On" here!

                    The research my team and I gathered reflected exactly how we would bring out the band, called GLOWE, to the public.  By analyzing other bands of the alternative rock genre, my group saw that other bands such as Weezer and the Smiths would market themselves as "weird" and "different". These are typical conventions of the alt. rock genre and help separate them from other genres such as rock, who have similar sounds. Vinyl is additionally a distribution tool that we discovered alternative rock fans consume; we added them to the other platforms we would promote our music on (such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Prime Music).

                    Some additional marketing schemes my group created included websites and a music video used to promote the song. 

The GLOWE website can be found here: bit.ly/glowe-band

Our website included some tabs that were for tour dates, a photo gallery, an about page, and a store. These tabs offer more insight into who GLOWE is, in an attempt to connect the audience to the band.  We also created a Music Video for our song to make the audience have a specific emotion or attitude towards our song and band. 

Music Video Link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17gP_PMnI1gXAw7gog6rEfz7TO5v9IILo/view?usp=sharing

                    This marketing project has made me really appreciative and understanding of the tedious work that real marketing teams undergo when working on a project.  Lots of hours go into creating an idea that will attract the target audience in a timely manner to consume the product.  I'm excited to log my thought process in my portfolio and start my journey to create my final project.

Representation

The media chooses what they want the audience to see. They know that the audience is bound to stare at a TV commercial or trailer and see what the business is releasing to them.  By doing this, they can skew a preconceived idea to make people believe something false may actually be true.  This occurs with how men are always seen to be strong and be aggressive.

This is a topic I may want to explore in my project because primarily, I am a male so this directly applies to myself and how people perceive me.  Regardless if it is reality TV, action flicks, or romance, the male protagonist is always seen with a full six-pack of abs.  The AntMan, Captain America, Ironman, and The Avengers movies all display men in a way that is almost intimidating to all others who do not maintain the same figure.  Romances such as 50 Shades of Grey also display men with defined features.

I don't feel that this representation is appropriate because it is creating an expectation of men.  Men needing six-pack abs and bulging muscles is creating the image that guys are only valid if they have the level of muscle the editing team gives the actors in post-production.  Guys can still be strong without the physique; strong mental state and emotional state is important as well.

I would retain some characteristics of this representation because the muscle is a stereotype of a jocky, rude antagonist character meant to be the rival.  However, for a male protagonist, I would portray them as strong-willed and compassionate. These are two traits that I value more than physical appearance because I agree with the statement that "you can't judge a book by its cover".  By talking with a person, someone will effectively be able to decree if they are a good person or not.

New Genre....... Dramas!!

1. Genre

Dramas are the most common classification for films to fall under.  These stories are driven by serious and realistic plots that push the development of a character throughout the film.  New films such as Instant Family and even romances like Sleepless in Seattle fall under this genre.  Romances are considered one of the many "sub-genres" of the dramatic umbrella.  Among these sub-genres are romances, melodramas, historical dramas, and biographics.  Additionally, dramas (typically) do not contain graphics, special effects, or actions.

2. Genre Conventions - Content

Dramas, because of how large the genre is, does not have a defined structure.  A theme that is common in all dramas, however, is that there is one character that is followed throughout the film.  This character usually goes through a plethora of situations where they have to surpass obstacles. These characters are also paired with an event or another character that provides either positive or negative situations for the main protagonist.  This associative character/event can even be the comedic relief of the film.  An example of an event that would be paired with the central character is the music that plays on Baby's iPod in Baby Driver.

3. Genre Conventions - Production Techniques

In this genre, there are a plethora of "cheesy and sappy" editing techniques utilized.  Montages are used plentifully to show what a character does in a specific amount of time; these segments are often matched with close-ups and non-diegetic sounds that help the audience feel a specific emotion to how the character progresses from before to after montage.
       In addition to montages, the usage of costumes is reminiscent of clothing found in the real world.  Mothers will wear cardigans and jeans and fathers will usually wear collared shirts.  Teens all wear some form of denim and a jacket. Children are always seen in brighter colors.  These are all stereotypical outfits that these people would usually wear.

4. Film Sample #1



Forrest Gump follows a man (Forrest Gump) who discusses the various events that have occurred in his life.  Primarily, he frequently alludes to his childhood love, Jenny, throughout the film.
       This film utilizes flashbacks as a way to show the audience the various experiences that Gump has had in his life.  By using different actors and differences in costume design of the character, the audience can understand we are seeing Tom Hank's character at various ages in his life.  A famous montage is also used to show a passage of time from when Gump first starts running across the US to when he stops.  Costume design is used here as well, as a false beard is applied to Tom Hank's face to show his character aged.
       Another technique used in this film is the non-diegetic sound heard when the famous line "Run Forrest, run" is exclaimed by Jenny.  The music emphasizes how spectacular the brace falling off Forrest's legs is.  This allows the audience to feel the same excitement Forrest did when he began to run.  The voice over found in this sequence also allows the audience to recall that this is Forrest narrating the events of his past.

5. Film Sample #2



Instant Family is a film that recently hit theatres this year; it follows a couple that tries adopting children and how they eventually come together to form a happy family.  It attempts to capture the attitude of the parents when they are trying to raise adopted kids and express the emotions of the children who are trying to become accustomed to their new lives.
        This film uses a plethora of non-diegetic sound to envelop the audience into the story.  These songs make the audience empathize with the struggles of the parents and the children trying to become accustomed to their new and difficult life.
       Another strategy utilized by this Drama is that their mise-en-scene elements were reminiscent of real locations.  The family's home is large and clean, with no loose objects scattered around their living rooms.  This is typical of a higher middle-class family home, which is kept neat and orderly.  The home of the foster parents is dirty, unkempt, and the children are playing outside.  In a true impoverished home, the family probably cannot afford to keep the house in good conditions. There is also a home that is being demolished, so the support beams are visible as well as tarp that is outside the structure of the house. Tools are also seen around the inside of the establishment with diegetic sound present with the drilling of nails into walls of the home.


6. Other films in the "Drama" genre


- Crazy Rish Asians





- The Martian

- Gone With The Wind

- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty





- The Internship




- The Help



- A Star is Born