Short Film vs. Feature Length Film

 Both films had many differences. To begin with, the short film was approximately 7 minutes in length while the feature film was about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Because of this, there was more that happened in the feature film. For instance, in the short film, the characters 9 and 5 had to defeat a machine. Once 9 killed the machine, the movie was nearing its end. On the contrary, once 9 defeated the monster in the feature film, another monster emerged. In addition to this, there were many more characters in the feature film because it had to take up more time. This led to more character development as well as dialogue. The short film didn't include any dialect, but the feature film did. I feel that this helped the plot move forward swiftly so the audience wouldn't be confused.

However, the two films had lots in common. For example, there were both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. Both films included intense music. This helped to intensify the scene, which kept the audience intrigued. In addition to this, there were many sounds such as grunting and explosions. These are examples of diegetic sounds. In addition to this, the characters were similar. For instance, 9 and 5 were both in the short and the feature film. However, more characters were added into the feature film. Lastly, the characters had major plot developments in both movies. In the short film, 9 learned to fight for what is right, even if it means sacrificing yourself. In the feature film, the character 1 who was cold and mean ended up sacrificing himself for the greater good.

Research 9: The Feature Film

 Overall, the movie was extremely intense. I could infer what the plot would be because of the short film. I was impressed with how Shane Acker expanded the plot into an hour and fifteen-minute movie. There were multiple antagonists and more characters. To begin with, the characters were 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, and 9. All of the characters had major plot development. However, 1 stood out the most in this aspect. He started off as the cruel leader, who didn't allow the other robots to go out into the world and do anything. But as the film progressed, he started to open up, and ultimately sacrificed himself for 9. This shows that underneath his thick skin, he had true feelings on the inside. This feature film had both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The characters in this film used dialogue to explain their emotions. Most of the emotions in this film were fear. This is because the robots were constantly trying to fight off the antagonist robots. Some other sounds that were used a lot included grunting, and explosions. Overall, this film was extremely action-filled and intense. In addition to this, this film was animated. This allowed for more dramatic special effects to be added to the movie. This allowed the audience to be glued to the screen and anticipating what is going to happen next. As a whole, this movie was pieced together well.

Research 9: The Short Film

 Overall this short film was interesting and kept my attention. However, the short film had a gloomy feeling. I was confused for the first minute or so until I realized that the main character "9" was having a flashback. The first flashback showed 9 and another character 5 sharing their belongings. Then a monster came, and 5 decided to protect 9. Unfortunately, this resulted in 5's death. It was a sad point in the short film. In a different flashback, 9 fought the monster, in which 9 was victorious. The monster was dead, so 9 continued to gather their belongings. 9 put together two green glowing objects, and many souls were released including 5. 5 looked back at 9 and then went to its grave. However, 5 was now at peace. This short film had a sad plot. However, I thought it was interesting how it was silent. I feel that the short film felt more solemn because of this. It showed friendship and trust without having to use dialogue. In addition to this, the short film was animated. The animations were very smooth, so it was difficult to tell. I think that the animations helped the storyline. Overall, this short film was interesting.

Genre Choice for Film

 My group and I finally chose a genre. We felt that thriller best fit our pitch. Our pitch is, "Bella is your average teenager. Nothing abnormal has ever happened in her life, not yet at least." This pitch is eerie and suspenseful and therefore fits the thriller genre. 

We decided not to choose horror because we feel that many other groups will be choosing it. In addition to this, horror films can be slow-moving until there is a jump scare. We feel like we cannot complete an entire short film about horror in 5 minutes. 

In addition to horror films, my group and I also researched mystery films. We felt that that mystery would be interesting. However, we didn't know how we would fit it into our plot. This genre is difficult to conduct because these films are typically intense. We didn't want to confuse our audience by squeezing in too much information into a 5-minute film. 

Ultimately, we decided to do a thriller movie. Our plot fits the genre of thriller the best. All of the aspects that we wanted to include were fit for a thriller film. In addition to this, thrillers are easier to film than mystery and horror. This is because our time limit is 5 minutes and we don't want to overload ourselves. We also liked all of the aspects of this genre. Overall, we thought that a thriller film would be the best fit for us. 

Genre Research - Thriller

 My group and I researched Thriller movies. 

Common angles found in thriller movies include close-ups and aerial views. These give the film more of a suspenseful and eerie feel. A popular moving is a tracking shot. The camera follows the character to give the audience a rush. The audience doesn't know what to expect, and therefore engages them to keep watching. Common sounds of thriller movies include car engines, police sirens, screams, as well as diegetic and nondiegetic sounds. These include music and monologues. 

The costumes are typically normal everyday clothing. The lighting can be dark or light depending on the location. In addition to this, the location can be anywhere: it depends on the storyline of the film. The makeup would normally be natural unless someone is injured or died. In this circumstance, the actor would have bloody and bruised makeup. The props can range from a chair to a car, to anything imaginable. The props solely depend on the plot of the film.

Common editing in thriller movies is zooming in. This allows the audience to be curious as to what is going to happen next. An example of a thriller film would be "Homecoming". Overall, my group likes the suspensefulness of thriller movies. We never know what to expect so we are always at the edge of our seats. We like everything about thriller movies.

Genre Research - Mystery

 My group and I researched the different aspects of mystery films.

In our research, we found that some common angles are close-ups. These are used to make the audience curious, and it is typically zoomed in a clue. Some popular movements include zooming in or out. This allows the audience to understand what is trying to be shown, so they can interpret the scene. Some sounds include screaming, creaking floorboards, and diegetic sounds such as music or a monologue. Sounds heavily impact the film, and can help the audience understand what is going on. Costumes typically include normal clothing. Lighting can be dark at times, and light at others. The makeup is typically normal unless there is a character that got injured or died. If this happens, then the makeup is bloodied and bruised on the actor. Props can range from weapons to furniture depending on the plot of the film. In addition to this, the location can be anywhere: it depends on the plot of the movie.

 Common editing includes jump cuts and flashbacks. At the end of mystery movies, sometimes there is a flashback to show what and how everything happened. There is normally a diegetic monologue over the flashback. Some mystery films include "Murder Mystery". My group and I like how the plot ties together at the end. In addition to this, we enjoy how the flashbacks give a recap so all of the audience's questions are answered. However, we don't like how the plot can be difficult to follow. Sometimes we are completely lost and want to stop watching the movie because of this. 

Genre Research - Horror

 My group and I have thoroughly researched the genre horror. 

In horror, common angles include close-ups. Close-ups are normally used to show the fear in the character's face which causes the audience to feel scared. This normally happens as soon as something bad is going to happen. Another commonly used angle is an over the shoulder shot. This is normally the antagonist looking down upon his victim. This belittles the protagonist and gives the audience a sense of fear for the main character. Panning and tracking shots are both popular aspects of horror films. Tracking shots are typically used to show an individual running away from something/ trying to escape. Panning shots are normally used to increase suspense.

Common sounds in horror include suspenseful music that is added to the movie, doors creaking, and people screaming. All of these sounds (whether they are diegetic or non-diegetic) are used to increase suspense within the film. Common costumes can range from typical everyday clothes to an intense scary-looking costume. It depends on what the particular movie revolves around and what the antagonist looks like. Common lighting is typically dark and eerie to create an eerie feeling. The makeup can be natural-looking, or it could be intense with a lot of gory aspects. For example, if one of the characters died, there would most likely be bloodied and bruised: this is done by makeup. Some props include weapons, and stairs. The antagonist is probably using a weapon to kill their victim, and a stereotypical scene is the main character falling downstairs. Most of the time, the location is in a house in which the main character is trying to escape.

When editing a horror film, timing is key. The editor might do split screens, jumpcuts, or anything to add suspense. In addition to this, they might add diegetic and nondiegetic sounds to ensure suspense. An example of a horror film would be "Bye-bye Man". My group and I enjoy the suspensefulness of horror films as well as sound and editing. The aspects that we don't like include the angles. Some of the angles make it difficult to understand what is going on during the film. 

Genres I Would Like to Research

 My group and I have recently finalized our pitch. Our pitch is, "Bella is your average teenager. Nothing abnormal has ever happened in her life, not yet at least." The next step is to research multiple genres that our short film could be. A genre is a style of an artistic piece. There are many different genres that would fit our short film. 

As a group, we decided that our short film should gear towards the eerie side. We decided to research the genres thriller, horror, and mystery. We feel that our film may include aspects of all of these genres. However, we have to research and decide from there. These genres have similarities and differences. Because of this, it will take intense research to decide which genre our short film should be under. In addition to this, we are still brainstorming the plot. 

We will need to have a basic idea of the storyline. This is so we can ensure that the genre will fit the short film. We are excited to begin researching. This will allow us to be confident in the genre that we choose. We will all research each genre, and compare notes and talk about what we learned. From there, the three of us will all work on our blogs. Overall, we are excited to begin researching.

Below are films from the genres thriller, horror, and mystery.