Brendan's AICE Media Studies Blog

After testing out equipment and coming up with some quick ideas during the previous class we began to plan out our script/finalize the story. Our editor, Sophie, and I each came up with our rendition of what we envisioned the story to be. After a brief discussion, we decided upon Sophie's version as it fits better within where we're allowed to shoot our film, as well as not requiring any additional actors. Overall it was a better story that was easier to understand. From there I spoke with our sound director, Kim, about what song(s) would fit best for our film. She began listening to a playlist she had found of "intense classical music." I suggested we use Sergei Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights . It was recently used in the 2021 movie, Sing 2 during a training and fight scene - as such I definitely saw even more promise in it.  Kim, Sophie, and I all listened and agreed it was a promising choice. I also thought there was a part in the song with a more intense bu...

We spent the end of our class going outside scouting out locations as well as learning how to use the equipment. Immediately we established that we'd be shooting our film in the courtyard on the benches as it allowed us to have our two actors sitting on opposing sides without it just being a lunch table - our only challenge would be getting a table or something else to put the chess board on. Overall though, it was an extremely productive 15 or 20 minutes as we were able to establish location, look at various angles, test out our equipment, and come up with some more story ideas. There is still some more planning to be done, but I'm confident in what we have done so far.  

During our second meeting, it was agreed upon that the mafia film was the best way to go with the film. As mentioned in my previous blog post the mafia genre is what called to us most, we had the most ideas for it, and as such, it is what we agreed upon.  In researching more about the mafia genre I learned about what is considered the 10 foundational points of a mafia movie: 1. Street-smart protagonist 2. Law enforcer 3. The mafia 4. Typically located in the city 5. Rivalry between groups/gangs 6. Guns, money, drugs 7. Family ties 8. A boss 9. Revenge plot 10. Violent climax - typically going out with a bang Unfortunately, we are limited by the location - the patio of our school. This not only limits our ability to create an authentic looking and feeling location but also what elements of a mafia film we can use. However, it is not a major issue as it is still possible to include a strong majority of the elements. Additionally, it is not a typical mafia film, as it centers around c...

After groups were assigned we immediately got together and began to discuss who was to have which role in our film's production. We quickly agreed cinematographer would be Bella, the sound designer would be Kim, the editor would be Sophie, and I was to be the director. I do feel a bit nervous being a director as the roles are a bit of a grey area - it was generally agreed upon though that would just mean I guide the production and ensure it stays on track. Initially, we just scrolled through a list of genres and picked a handful that spoke to us; action comedy, western, martial arts, mafia, heist, prison, sports-action, and video game. Off the top of our heads, we came up with ideas for what could be done to incorporate chess into each of the genres. Most of our ideas were limited by the area we were told we'd be allowed to shoot in, but we adapted well and still got some ideas. The one the group - and myself - seemed to be interested most in, and had the most ideas for was the...

Hello everyone, my name is Brendan. I am an artist, lacrosse player, and avid lover of nature. I have been creating art almost my entire life and have always loved doing so - both for personal enjoyment and when I am commissioned to create something. I often focus my art around things in nature, like animals. Since a very young age, I have had a deep love and interest in all things involving nature, especially animals. I volunteer at a local wildlife rescue, which allows me to spend time with some of my area's most fascinating and unique wildlife. Because of my interest in art, I have always had a general interest in the various arts. Specifically, I was always fascinated to see the beautiful videos, shows, and movies made by others - I craved to learn about they're made and how to make my own. I taking saw media studies as my opportunity to learn all the things that go into filmmaking.  Beyond learning media theory and the things that go into making a film I have also learned ...