Deaf characters in film

There is not a lot of deaf representation in movies, so it is very special thing to see when deaf characters are able to make an appearance on the big screen played by actual deaf actors. However, a common thing about deaf characters in films are that they are usually never the main character and their only personality trait is that they are deaf. I do think that deaf representation is getting much better as time progresses and they are finally getting storylines that show they are people too. 

A popular deaf character in a recent film was in the movie "A Quiet Place" and its sequel "A Quiet Place 2". These movies are about a family trying to survive in a world where they can not make any noise because there are these creatures that attack anything that makes a sound. The family is all hearing except the eldest child who is deaf. Since they live in a world with no noise, they family uses ASL to communicate which they probably already knew very well because of their deaf daughter. When the family signs to each other, there are subtitles at the bottom. The movies also use audio techniques to show an absence of sound to show how the daughter's hearing is different from the rest of the family. Another important thing about these movies is that they gave the character more traits than just being deaf, in fact, she was one of the bravest members of the family. 

A Quiet Place 2 (2020)

Millicent Simmonds as Regan

Another example of a deaf character in a recent successful film was Makkari in Marvel's "Eternals". The character is played by Lauren Ridloff, who is a deaf actress. In the movie, Makkari is a superhero with superhuman speed. In the movie, she communicates through ASL and facial expressions. Once again, when she signs there are subtitles at the bottom of the screen. The other members of her team have no problems when communicating with her, some even use ASL when talking to her. This is a very important character because Marvel is a very popular company with a large audience. These introduces the deaf community to those who may have never seen a deaf person before or it may show the deaf youth that they are able to do anything. 

Eternals (2021)

Lauren Ridloff as Makkari

It's all coming together

Big and exciting news guys, we have officially decided the plot for our film opening!! Ok.. ok don't everyone clap at once! My partner and I have decided upon doing our idea about a coming of age film about a deaf character. We are both currently learning ASL and are very interested in the language. We have also seen how there is very little representation for the deaf community in movies, and if they are in movies, they are always just side characters. 

Most times when deaf characters are in shows, their only personality trait is that they are deaf. In our film opening we want to develop the character's personality and interests to show that deaf people are just like everyone else. Our idea for the film is about a deaf child born into a hearing family. Their whole life, they have been babied by their parents trying to protect them while they see their hearing sibling live the normal teenage life with no restraints. Our main character then meets a new student at school who is also deaf and is from a place with a large deaf community. The main character starts hanging out with this person more and turns into more of a rebellious child to combat all of the years that they were told they couldn't do anything. 

In our opening, we want to obviously establish that our character is deaf through audio techniques and through the use of ASL. We also want to establish that the older sibling is allowed to do basically whatever they want while the deaf sibling is constantly told that they can't do things. The main character will get into an argument with their parents and storm out of the house while some rock music plays. This is also where we are thinking about placing the title. After the title, we will continue the scene with an awkward car ride with the older sibling to school to show more of their relationship. 

An incredible discovery!!

Hi guys!! The final details of the plot of our film opening is still being determined but in the mean time, I have made an incredible discovery. Even before we started finalizing genres and possible plots, my partner and I knew that we wanted to focus on music because it is a big interest for both of us. We also think that using music in openings is also a very common thing and is a tool that can make the audience more interested in a piece. 

The problem with wanting to use music was that we would have to use copyright free music or we would need special permission from the artist to use their music in our opening. So instead, I made a quick google search for copyright free music today to see if there was even anything good available that we could possibly use. In my search, I found this website called "Uppbeat". My partner and I put in our headphones and began listening to the songs and to our surprise the music on this website was very good. We are keeping our eyes on the songs "What a Feeling" and "Wrong Way". We would use the first song at the beginning of the film while we show the credits because it is has a very upbeat sound. For the other song, we were thinking about using when the main character is storming off because it is like a rock sound and would fit the direction that we are trying to go for our film. 

How to make the "perfect" opening scene

Coming of age films all tell different stories but there are specific characteristics of these films that include them in the genre. One example of the characteristic of these films is that while the film openings have different content, the structure is typically the same.  The opening scene introduces the audience to the main character and will present the main conflict of the film, in most cases, the conflict is person vs self. However, sometimes it could be person vs person or person vs society. 

In the movie "The Edge of Seventeen", the title is shown at the very beginning. Then, the camera follows the main character walking through the halls of school with a popular song playing in the background that is asynchronous. While she is walking, the other credits of the film are appearing. At the end she sits down with her teacher and says "I'm going to kill myself". This shows the person vs self conflict, shows some of the main character's personality, and shows that the character already has a developed relationship with their teacher. After her conversation with her teacher, it transitions into a voiceover. 

The opening scene of "Booksmart", has a recording of a woman speaking while showing one of the main character's rooms. This shows the person's character and how they have dedicated their time to school as they are the valedictorian. It also builds the idea that the main character thinks she is better than others. The next scene shows the two main characters dancing and being silly with each other. This highlights the character's friendship with each other and once again shows more of their personality. 

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" starts with a scene of the main character Ferris pretending to be sick in bed so that he doesn't have to go to school. The credits are just shown on the screen while the scene is happening. Then the tone and speed shifts after his parents leave. Music starts playing in the background and Ferris starts to have a conversation with the camera, breaking the fourth wall. This scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie and is a very good example of showing the unique personality of the main character. 

So what even is a "Coming of Age" film?

A coming of age movie is a film that illustrates one or more young protagonists facing an important moment of personal growth in their transition from childhood to adulthood. In most movies, the protagonist is faced with their first major conflict or personal decision or they come to a realization about what their future entails. These movies might show the first major romance, graduations from high school or college, breaking a law, or any other major event in a young person's life. 

Since going to the movies is an activity that is very common amongst teenagers, coming of age films are usually aimed towards the teenage audience. However, sometimes coming of age movies are marketed towards an older audience to try an appeal to their feeling of nostalgia of growing up in a different time period. Coming of age films often cross over into the romance genre as they sometimes depict a young person's first love or romantic event. In recent years, coming of age films have started to show young LGBT members' first loves or encounters. 

The Breakfast Club (1985), is one of the most well known and well loved coming of age films. It depicts five teenagers in Saturday detention who originally resent each other but find that they have many things in common. Pretty in Pink (1986) is perfect example of showing a teenager experiencing their first love and all of the problems that come with it. Lady Bird (2017) is a coming of age film that depicts the conflict of the main character's troubled relationship with her mother. Call Me by Your Name (2017) is a coming of age movie depicting an LGBT youth going through their first gay love. 

Pretty in Pink (1986)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Lady Bird (2017)

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Did you hear that?

 YAY!!! We have finally decided on our genre and we are not going to change our minds anymore. We have decided that we will be creating an opening for a coming of age film. Now the next challenging part is to actually think of ideas for the plot of the film. My partner and I have thought of two different ideas so we are just deciding which one we like better and would make a better film. 

Both of our ideas have to do with sound or the lack there of. Our first idea is to have the main character wear earbuds and then music starts playing, becoming the main sound. Therefore, the music being listened to is synchronous sound and exists in the character’s world. The credits will be playing while the character is walking and then we they try to cross the street comes they almost get hit by a car and the music suddenly stops. Our other idea would be about a deaf character because both my partner and I are involved in ASL and the culture. The sound would switch between normal sound and then a muffled sound to represent what the deaf person would be hearing. However, we will continue to think more about which idea would be the best to carry out.

Music is Key

We still have not 100 percent decided on a genre for our opening but we have cut it down once again to either a horror movie or a coming of age film. However, we are heavily leaning towards doing a coming of age film because we have more interest in these types of movies. We have been talking about different ideas for potential plots and we had way more for a coming of age. We believe that we can do something more creative with this genre and that it will be easier since we can relate to the typical target audience of these films since we are teenagers. 

In all of my ideas and pitches for the plot of our opening, I noticed that a special focus on music was present in all of them. I think music stuck out to me because it is a common tool used in these types of movies. My idea is to have the main character listening to music through their headphones and then they get disturbed by something and the music stops. This will show that the music was synchronous and actually existed in the character's world and I think it will be pretty cool. For some reason, when thinking of this music idea I think of the opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy where Starlord is dancing to the music that he is playing on his walkman. 

Above is the scene that I was referring to. I just love this scene so much and it is very appealing to me for some reason. I will update you guys when the details become more finalized! :))

Genres, Genres, and More Genres

Choosing the genre for the film opening will probably be one of the hardest decisions of this whole process. The genre will decide what the story will plan out to be, how we decide to film, and what techniques are utilized. My partner and I have no decided which genre we want to chose for our opening, but we have narrowed it down to three choices. We have chose horror/thriller, coming of age, and fantasy because these are the genres of movies that we enjoy watching the most.

Scream (1996)
Horror/Thriller

Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Coming of Age

The Hunger Games (2012)
Fantasy

The genre of a movie will greatly impact what the opening of the movie may focus on. For example, in a horror movie, the opening would work on developing a sense of mystery about what the main protagonist is. In coming of age films, the opening usually focuses on introducing the character and developing their personality. In fantasy films, the opening tries to establish the setting or explain the backstory of the world that the movie is taking place in. 

Me and my partner will continue to discuss which genre would would like to pick, We will evaluate the pros and cons of the three genres we selected and decided which one we would be able to make the best opening for. Talk to you guys later when we have made our decision!

Time to start something new

 It is now time to switch my focus over to creating my film opening. Film openings are probably one of the most important parts of any movie because it is when the audience decides if they want to spend their time watching the rest of the film. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure to make sure that the opening of your film is enticing to the audience and makes them interested to find out what happens next. Andrew Stanton who is known for writing movies like Finding Nemo and Toy Story says that one of the most important parts if a story is invoking wonder. 

In class, we learned that there are many ways to start a film. For your film opening you can establish tone, develop characters, establish background of the story, establish the setting, establish the type of conflict, or create mystery. Most of these opening work very well in a specific type of genre, for example creating mystery works well in horror movies. 

Right now, I am still thinking with my partner about what genre we want to choose for our movie. Once we know our genre and have some idea of a storyline, we will begin our research and plan out a schedule for our project. I am excited to share my journey!!

Music Marketing Blog Post #2

 The first part of this project was to brainstorm different ideas for how to market our band and song. We selected the song "Something from Nothing" by the Foo Fighters because we felt that the song had the most potential and overall just sounded the best to us. From there, we conducted research on other bands and artists that fall under the rock genre of music, these include Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, and Kings of Leon. 

The next step of the process was the plan out the music video and shoot it. We decided to do a mostly promotional music video with some storytelling elements throughout. We chose a promotional music video since we are a small band that is still trying to get their name out into the world. From our research, we also saw that other bands in the genre typically had promotional style music videos. We created the storyboard for the video and then we met up one day to film the music video. Filming went very well and we got all of our clips so we began editing the video.

Next, we focused on the actual promotional part of our marketing campaign. We decided to focus mainly on social media because our target audience was teenagers and young adults, and this is where the audience seems to spend a majority of their time. We decided to start off with just an Instagram account and a Twitter page. The Instagram account gave us the ability to make a more personal connection with the band's fans. The band would interact with their fans and have different special events to influence more interaction. The Twitter page was more informational and this was where the band would share upcoming information for the band. They would talk about upcoming music videos, new album, and tour dates. We plan for the band to join more platforms at they get more popular. 

As part of our marketing plan we decided to release a new album that was titled "The Ruthless". We thought that the self title was a very interesting thing and made the band stand out. Also, the band is still trying to become more well known and promote the band itself, so having a album under the same name would be much easier to promote. As well as an album, the band has clothing apparel and other branded merchandise. Merchandise is important because it allows the fans to feel more connected to their favorite band or artist and make them feel like they are helping to support them. Last part of the campaign was a small tour with three locations where the band would perform their new song and album. The smaller venues make sense for an upcoming band and makes the whole experience feel more personal for the fans.

The presentation went fairly well for the most part. All of the necessary information about the band and their marketing campaign was provided and spoken about in the presentation. My group did a good job of taking turns and adding any more information if they felt there was anything else needed. Personally, I think I needed to work on my public speaking. I get very nervous when speaking in front of a lot of people so I started messing up some words, but I think overall I managed to present my information in a professional way. 

In the end, I think this project was very fun and I enjoyed putting it all together to see the final outcome. I worked in a group with people I did not know but we quickly became friends with each other and worked very well together. I think I learned from this project that working with new people is not as scary as I once believed and that this will be something I will continue to do in my future. I also learned how to be a respectful group partner and complete my work in a professional manner. Aspects I am taking from this project for my Cambridge portfolio is to put a lot of effort and though into my project so that I am proud of what the final outcome will be. I will definitely take all of the positive things I learned from this project and adapt so that my Cambridge portfolio project is the best it can be!

Title slide from presentation with name of band and tagline.

Album cover for "The Ruthless"

Clothing and other branded items for fans

Tour dates and locations.

Music Video: