Storyboarding

   So today I made a rough storyboard with some of the visions that I have for this opening. This is not a full shot list, as I believe that it's too early for that. I wanted to create a drama opening where the main story involves a group of friends who decide to go camping, but then they realize they wandered too far off the trail, and are deep in the woods. The story takes place in the everglades, as there are spots near me where I can recreate the setting as I want to. Next up, I'll probably begin writing a script to have everything be exactly how I want it.

What I Am Choosing To Do.

   I'm at the point of this project where I really need too make my mind up. I've done extensive research on different types off genres, different types of film openings, and other foundation portfolios. After my research on genre, I've decided that I want to create an opening to a drama film,  rather than action. My main reasoning behind this is that for an action movie to look good, it's going to cost money. Blockbusters are expensive, and I feel with the resources I have, drama is a better fit.
   I had an idea for a movie a couple years ago that I feel I could adapt into a film opening. The story focuses on a group of friends, who innocently decide to go camping in the woods near their house. But then they get lost, and have to overcome many obstacles to make it home.
   The next step for me is to create a rough storyboard, then a small outline and maybe a script.

Drama Openings

   One thing that has been sitting in the back of my mind is, how to dramas typically open? Is it a cold open or more of a title sequence and then an introduction. I went to youtube and looked for some example openings. The opening scene for 12 Years a Slave begins with a cold open. The screen fades from black to a field with a group of slaves listening to instructions. This immediately establishes the setting and begins to establish the conflict for the plot. In another opening, specifically Titanic, it begins with a short title sequence. It introduces the production company, and then the title of the film. then it fades to a shot of submarines diving into the deep ocean. This film opening was different form the first one, and after watching both, I have a feeling I will go with the cold open style. It introduces the plot and setting in an easier manner, which I feel will make for a better story.

Research

   This week I really began to do research for my project. On Tuesday in class, I went over some of the portfolios from previous years.  I decided earlier in the year that I would be doing a film opening, so I tended to focus on those projects, rather than the magazine task. When I looked at these projects, I was really trying to just get an understanding of what I really was supposed to be doing. I looked at various blogs and noticed that many of the students had very detailed postings. I also realized that many of the students who chose to do film openings storyboarded their scenes. In the past, I was quite hesitant about storyboarding, specifically because I am not the most skilled at drawing. I felt that if I had an image in my head of what I wanted a shot to look like, it would be easier for me to just go shoot it, rather than attempt to draw it out first. But after looking at some other storyboards, I realized that I'm not alone in my lack of drawing skills. Many of these shots were extremely simple, including just the essentials for the shot. Now I am beginning to understand how the planning process works, and just need to decide which direction I want this film opening to go.