More Changes

I have to add a few more seconds to the movie, as well as edit the credits because I have to add to creator of the royalty free music. Since the movie is missing about 20 seconds, I think I will add another scene in which Andrea's best friend, Evan, tries to comfort her after her encounter with Albany. Neither Andrea nor Evan knew why Albany was doing what she was doing, but Evan tried his best to help his best friend during this time in her life. Since Evan never told Andrea how he felt, he had no idea that the reason for Albany's bullying was because of his feeling for Andrea, nor did anyone suspect he had feelings for her. As the bullying progresses, Evan is left blindsided because he realizes what he does is not enough to help her and that the bullying is only getting worse. For this scene, Andrea will be arriving at Evan's house visibly upset. Evan asks her what is wrong and Andrea explains what had just happened. Evan then comforts her and even walks her home by the time she has to leave. I decided to make this the next scene because it shows that bullying affects the victim as well as the victim's friends and families. This scene will illustrate that even though Andrea had some support and was trying her best not to let it all affect her, all of it was affecting her in ways that neither her, Evan, nor her parents knew it could.

More Music!

For the second scene of the film, an emotional piano song will be playing in the background as Andrea and Albany approach their confrontation. I found this song on YouTube, copyright-free, and thought it was the perfect song for the scene. The song was done by  Mattia Cupelli. This scene happens three months before Andrea's suicide, and it was only the beginning of Albany's bullying. Bullying usually escalates because the victim gets ignored by their friends or hear their friends talk about them behind their back, or because more people take part in the bullying. This will shown during the rest of the movie as cutbacks in Albany's thoughts, as well as the rest of the kids who participated in the bullying. The movie as a whole will send a message to those who treat others poorly and to parents who may have a child going through this, or has gone through it. This movie will illustrate the effects bullying has on the victim and everyone around them, and the horrible consequence that can happen due to mistreating a person.






Sources ↘
Bullying Research Paper: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/eds/92/0/92_107/_article/-char/en
Youtube Royalty Free Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JYHk_D5A44

COVID-19

Due to the coronavirus, I have had more time on my hands to edit and fully work on my movie. Since I had a problem with the editing program, the virus, since it cancelled school, has given me the chance to finish editing the film once and for all. It took me a little bit longer than expected because I wanted to go through all of the new options I had before choosing which one I wanted to include in the film. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has cancelled school, which does not allow me to get feedback from my peers nor did it allow me to ask for help throughout the process of editing.
Although the coronavirus cancelled school, it has also cancelled most, if not all, activities worldwide, which is causing panic everywhere. There are three types of people right now, the ones who believe the coronavirus is being blown out of proportion and do not stay in nor take precautions, and there is the ones who are going to extreme measures to ensure they do not get the virus. The "middle-man" between both types of people is the person who is taking precautions and not going to crowded places, but are not leaving the house with a hazmat suit. My parents are those type of people, meaning that I am the one going to the grocery store, or getting anything they may need while they stay at home, protected from the virus. COVID-19 is no joke, and while many people here in Florida do not agree with that, I rather keep my family safe from the virus, hoax or no hoax, which is also why I have not been getting too much time to write on my blog.

Editing Complication

I ran into a complication while editing since I was editing on the wrong account. The school has accounts for their students on WeVideo, but I did not know it was the premium version of the editing program and I made another account, which did not allow me to export the film without the WeVideo logo appearing throughout the entire film. I contacted my teacher to see if there was something I could do, and she mentioned joining the two videos, therefore the accounts, but that was not possible since the account I made was not connected to a school, like the other one.
Since it wasn't possible to connect the accounts and pass the edited video to the school WeVideo account, I have had to edit the video from scratch on the school account. Although I had finished editing it, I did not have access to the premium features that I do now, so I decided to change some of the effects I had put on the other one.
For the title scene, there was a motion text effect which typed like a typewriter, which I decided to use as well as the font "Montserrat-Regular." I was also able to select another motion text effect for the transitioning text of "3 months earlier" which I chose the "Above The Horizon" motion, which brings the text up, with the font "CantataOne."
I was also able to edit sound more thoroughly, raising and lowering the volume of the independent shots, allowing me to create the ambiance I like. I lowered the volume of the first shot, raising the volume of the song to create a dramatic feel. I then raised the volume of the second shot, lowering the volume of the song to allow to audience to hear what Andrea's mom tells her as she is leaving the house, then raising the volume of the song to where you can hear the song as well as Andrea's sniffles/cries. Then, the volume of the song increases slowly, as Andrea finishes writing on her journal to create a sense of suspense and sadness as the scene finishes.
For the second scene, the volume of the song is steady until Andrea and Albany's collision since the audience has to be able to hear what Albany says to Andrea. The volume will then increase slowly until the finish of the closing credits when the movie ends.

Credits

The credits for a movie consist of the writer of the movie, the director, the producer, the cinematographers, the editors, the important cast, the less important cast (A.K.A. the extras), and lastly, any source where music involved in the movie was found. Some movies have the credits in the beginning of the movie, such as in the movie "Alien" (1979)( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJRvZ72fLs ) and "Godzilla" (2014)( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBQJjqnG1iI#action=share .)

In the 1920's, producers went from having no credits, simply the title of the show/movie, to having opening credits including the main cast and the major technical helpers. This did not allow the rest of the actors/crew to get more jobs in another productions because it was not known they were in the movie/show in the first place. In the 60's, audiences began to see longer credits, at the end of the screening, including everyone who helped in producing the film/show. One of the first movies with closing credits was Saul-Bass' "West Side Story" (1961), which includes the names of the actors/crew in graffiti on street walls and signs.
With the evolution of technology, credits have been getting longer, some movies with over 2,000 names in their credits. Action movies such as Iron Man include even more names, "Iron Man 3" with over 3,700 names, since they have to also include special effects companies and people who helped with the special effects. Some movie companies/producers make their closing credits creatively, with animations or mise-en-scene that is iconic to the movie. "Guardians of the Galaxies Vol. 2," "A Bug's Life," "Wall-E," and "Big Hero 6" animated and toyed with their closing credits so the audience would not get so bored during them. Marvel is also popular for their post-credits scenes, which most people stay for once all the credits are done.

In my movie, the writer, director, producer and editor are me, as well as Andrea, the main character. My friend Ayshe Can helped me record the scenes, being the cinematographer, while her sister, Aleyna Can was acting as Albany, the bully. My sister, Antonella Criscola, was Maria Victoria, Andrea's mother's voice, as well as an extra walking her dog as Andrea gets bullied by Albany.

Source: ↘
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/movies/why-end-credits-in-movies-are-so-long.html

So Scripted

Scripts allow the producer, director, artists, and everyone else helping to create a movie, understand word-by-word what it is the story is about. Since only the first few minutes will be produced, the script doesn't incorporate much dialogue since there is not much of it in the first few minutes, although much of the dialogue is done by every other character in the story other than Andreas' the rest of the movie. In the rest of the movie, there would be a few more bullying scenes from Albany's and her friend's part and it would go back to what would be life without Andrea. Life without Andrea for her family and friends includes many fights against bullying and the strong desire to help those victims who feel things they should never be feeling, those feelings that they couldn't help Andrea overcome. 

Quick changes

  To fully demonstrate that Andrea, the main character, is suffering in silence, I decided to incorporate a scene where Andrea's mother, Maria Victoria, lets her know that she will be leaving for the night, and that her dinner is in the fridge. This allows the viewers to fully understand that no one knows she is suffering, which is what happens with most bullying victims. 

It is very common for bullying victims to suffer in silence because they are often ashamed of feeling how they feel or embarrassed for being treated the way they are. Other victims are afraid of speaking about being bullied because they are concerned no one would believe them, seeing as though some parents have never experienced what it was to be bullied, or don't believe that words could hurt someone so much. Many victims also feel like they deserve what they are feeling, thinking they are truly what they are being said to be. 

Parents aren't usually told by their children that they are suffering, which is why it is important to see the warning signs that indicate that a child could be being bullied. As a parent, it is important to listen to your child and pay attention to any of their friends you haven't see around much anymore. When bullying is happening, victims experience being called names and getting embarrassed, but they also experience their "friends" choosing sides and choosing to leave the victim by themselves. It is also very important to watch their moods and grades. Bullying victims could be anxious and withdrawn, and can seem sad, moody and depressed after school or after being online. Kids who are being bullied also struggle keeping their grades up and find it difficult to concentrate on school work. 

Target Audience

My film will be unique. It will illustrate the outcomes of bullying on the young minds and the effects of a suicide by bullying on the family of the victims. It's a sad but true story which involves a spoiled teenager who loves a guy that, unfortunately, loves someone else. Since the spoiled teenager did not get who she wanted, she was angry and decided to release her anger on the innocent girl who the guy liked. The story of a sweet girl who chooses to end her life due to the words being said to and about her, leaving her family to grief and desperation.

The targeted audience for my movie will be a mixed gender of people ages 11-45 because my movie will illustrate not only what young kids have to go through, but also how most adults don't even know something is wrong. 

Music Always Helps

Music does a pretty good job establishing the mood and theme of movies. Music allows the audience to feel the mood of the film as they watch what is happening, and can create the tension, drama, or suspense necessary for the audience to understand the theme of the movie. Below is a link to the audio I will be using for the first scene of the film, the suicide scene.

 Sense of Loss

This track represents exactly the mood I am trying to achieve from the first scene. The music will be diegetic because it will be playing from the record player Andrea will have on, and it will play during the entire first scene. The music will get louder as the black screen approaches, and will come to a stop once "3 Months Earlier" appears on the screen. I believe this audio will help the viewer understand the mood of the scene, and ultimately the movie.

Filiming process

After many tries of doing the first scene, I decided that it was best to do it once it was dark outside because it is too bright for the lighting I want to achieve, so I filmed the second scene of the movie. Since the color blue represents melancholy and isolation, Andrea is wearing a blue jacket and carrying books from the library. After introducing Andrea  three months prior to her suicide, we see Albany staring her down and shoving her while saying mean things to her. I wanted to include this because Albany's attitude and actions towards Andrea is what ultimately drives Andrea to believe that she is not worthy of living anymore.
  At the end of the scene, Andrea can be seen walking away from the encounter with her head low and fast footsteps because she was embarrased and hurt from what had just happened.

Detail Thinking

While producing movies, it is always important to plan every single detail, whether or not the audience will notice them is another story. I have been concentrating on the details such as lighting, mise-en-scene and music because those details are an important part in helping set up the theme of the story.

For the first scene, I decided to include a two-point lighting, one of which will be a candle that will appear on the screen. I will use low key lighting will to create a sense of drama and unease, and will include the candle to demonstrate that there is not that much light in the characters' life. I will also include a sad song that will be a diegetic song because it will be the song the character is listening to while writing her goodbye letter. I want the viewers to interpret the character's emotions without the character having to say what she is feeling, which is why lighting, mise-en-scene, and music/sounds are very important in producing a movie.
For the second scene, I want to include the main character carrying books she had to return to the library because it helps establish her character and what she does on her free time. I had thought about filming this scene once the sun was set, but I decided not to because I want to show the viewers that bullying can happen whenever, wherever. I had a hard time trying to figure out what Albany (the bully) would say to Andrea as she tried to make her feel bad about herself, when I decided to include Andrea with her bag full of books and knew it had to be something relating to books. Bullies can make someone feel worthless, humiliated, saddened, etc. and will not realize how badly they are hurting someone, that is why I decided to include Albany saying "What a pity you're wasting your time studying so much when you're going nowhere in life... HAHAHA," and walking away laughing as Andrea picks up her books from the floor, again humiliated by Albany.
Lastly, I am trying to find the perfect song that could match with the emotions being showed and inferred during the first scene. It is very hard finding the perfect song, but these options cut close. Just from the song, I want to the viewer to feel what Andrea was feeling, and acknowledge what she will do. I also want to include a song as Andrea and Albany walk down the street, but the right song is still being searched for.

Words CAN hurt like sticks and stones

Along members from other teams, I was able to set the title for the movie. Sticks and Stones was mentioned as being related to bullying victims urging each other to stay strong, that words can not bring them down. I decided to make this the title to my movie because my movie highlights the fact that words can, indeed, bring people down, sometimes to the point where they cannot come back up. 
Sticks and stones originates from the rhyme "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Although many people are strong enough to not let words affect them,, not everyone is like that. Nearly 21% (1/5 students) report being bullied, 59% of students report to being cyber-bullied.  Approximately 18% of teens report self-harming, impacting 1/4 girls and 1/10 boys, and about 1 in every 20 teens commit suicide. Suicide attempts have almost doubled since 2008 and it is now the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. 
Even if words do not hurt as much, or do not drive a person to commit suicide, bullying and cyber-bullying victims are at a higher risk of low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, family problems, academic difficulties, delinquency, school violence and suicide attempts. 

Ana Cubedu, Sydney Surico, Jessica Briceno, Oliver Sulla, Robert Trela

Statistics gotten from : https://meganmeierfoundation.org/statistics

Shots and Angles

  Thinking ahead for my movie, planning the various shots that will make the movie in advance is an effective way to create the right shots and scenes. 

For the first minute of the movie, I decided to establish the setting in which the main character, Andrea, will take her life. The shot will pan through the dark room where a pill bottle will stand in the night stand. The scene will continue to a close up to Andrea's crying eyes to establish her emotions at that moment. A slow zoom to the letter will detail her emotions further, where she will be finishing the sentence "I can't do this anymore." A tilt up from the letter to Andrea's face followed by a pan, following Andrea's eyes, to the pill bottle on her night stand to establish what she will do..

  The movie will transition to the past by a black screen captioned "Three Months Earlier." A long shot of Andrea walking from her job to her house, carrying books in her bag followed by a mid-shot of Albany walking down the street. A two shot will establish their relationship, which will include Albany elbowing Andrea, making her bag and books to fall on the ground. Albany will then take this opportunity to make a rude remark at Andrea, making her stumble further.