Project: Timeline

 1/27/2026 - week 2 

Making Time

When I first got switched into AICE media, as well as assigned one of my first projects we were required to create our own schedules for the recordings and whatever else. Honestly I truly believed that it would be so easy to make a schedule and a timeline, after all you just have to write down what you'll do each week, so I thought it was something I needed little to no effort in...

I was wrong.

Timelines are essential for nearly every project, specially in this class. Without an idea of time of a plan to follow, you are completely lost. You'll have no lead and by the time editing comes about you realize for forgot clips, sounds, and other key factors that could easily change your project from leaving an impact to just being the bare minimum.

Yea I'm strongly opinionated about this... so if you're in any media form class, learn from my mistakes and do NOT skip planning... but again who am I to tell you what to do?

Regardless planning will take me around a few days since i quite literally have to plan the planning.

TIMELINE (sort of...)

FIRST 2 WEEKS

• Research
• Officially decide genre

WEEK THREE

• Start planning
• Storyboard 
• Find Locations
• Find out who will be in it
• Prob make a proper schedule...

WEEK 4

• Finish planning
• For sure have shots I want
• Have my mind set 

WEEK 5

• Recording
• Start with basic shots
• Record the parts I know for SURE i'll want

WEEK 6

• Probably still be recording

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Honestly this is all I have as of right now,

I know this is an 8 week project but since I have a lot of ideas and I'm still entering week 3 (planning week... scary....) I think it's not a horrible idea to leave an extra 2 weeks opened to better plan later on,

I'll make sure to update as soon as I have an official schedule set up as well as ideas I can say i'm pretty excited to incorporate and share on my amazing blog.

Portfolio Project Genre #2

 Portfolio Project Genre #2 - Teen Drama

For my second genre, while taking me a while to make up my mind, for now i'm considering doing a teen drama like production. 

The teen dramas sub genres, as the name suggests, are made for teenage audience, usually focusing on the everyday lives, relationships, struggles and the contrast between teen and adult life experiences. Teen dramas are defined by the stories they tell and the experiences they display, wether its relatable to the audience, or very different from what is usually experienced. (https://www.imdb.com)

These types of films explore the everyday life's of teenagers and young adults and highlights both their personal and social challenges,

 (for example a very common element would have the setting be at a school)

If we're not speaking of daily life and relationships teen dramas can also also often include high stakes events or turning points that drive the story (like breakups, betrayals, competitions, or major personal decisions. They also frequently explore what is referred to as moral dilemmas, social hierarchies, and the consequences of choices, which is used to add tension and keeps the audience engaged.

I think i could really work with this theme as a teen myself, i could highlight and really show the themes i'll be producing, but I do intend to do something more serious and more mature yet still in that genre.

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As i explained on my last blog, intuitional conventions focus on networks and studios marketing and influence. These institutions target specific audiences by scheduling streams or when its released at times where teen could and would usually be likely to watch them. 

For example, releasing the production on Netflix which is highly popular among teens. Their marketing strategies just like many other teen based genres usually focus on social media campaigns and teasers, as well as merch and posters. 

Teen dramas use certain techniques to make the story and emotion feel real and relatble (which is key for teen dramas). Close ups are often used to display characters feelings while sound and music helps set the atmosphere of the characters personality or what is going on. (ex: sad songs for breakup scenes) Voiceovers or inner thoughts are usually presented as well, but likely wont be used in my project as I personally view it something cheesy.

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Pretty Little Liars (Tv series, 2010–2017) – 

This show is a very popular and classic teen drama that mixes in some mystery and thriller elements as well. I got inspired by it because it’s a perfect example of a teen drama, it focuses on friendships, school life, relationships, and the struggles of growing up, while also showing the pressures teens face with secrets as well as social drama and themes like peer pressure. (link) I find it interesting because it makes everyday teenage issues look intense and emotional making it relatable but also keeping the audience entertained.

Thirteen (Film, 2003) – 

This film is a raw and somewhat realistic teen drama that shows the events of teen years that aren't usually as shown on TV. I got inspired by it because it shows the struggles of friendship, family, and growing up, but mostly because of the way its produced with the lightening techniques and how every emotion is displayed with a different technique. As well as I, myself, really enjoyed the film.

https://post45.org - teen drama article

https://www.cinema.com - Thirteen article

Portfolio Project Genre #1

 Portfolio Project Genre - Psychological/Thriller

Hey everyone..! It's been a while...

For my AICE Media Portfolio Project I was told to pick two genres to research for a film opening, as soon as I heard that, I can't lie, I was already overwhelmed. I'm really indecisive and I constantly change my mind or get better ideas after already making a choice, so when it comes to picking something I usually require way more time I don't have for this decision...

For the first genre I'm considering for my project, I've been thinking in doing a psychological thriller/drama.

I know I would like to produce something that will catch the viewer's attention and maybe even allow me to be used as an example for the following classes...

As I've always been into psychology and truly fascinated by the shock factor in thrillers when I discovered psychological fiction is a thriller sub-genre I can't say I wasn't excited.

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"Psychological fiction takes readers deep inside the minds of its characters" https://fictionary.co/journal/psychological-fiction/

When it comes to psych fiction the general audience is more mature (obviously) most being rated and recommended for an 18+ audience as it may include violent and naturally a more disturbing atmosphere a younger audience wouldn't be able to see through the meaning and the allusions presented.

On a realistic note, it might be challenging to filter to this sub genre and make it appropriate for a classroom since it depends on "uneasy" factors and feelings, but it's nothing I can't figure out...

The thriller genre itself is all about suspense and tension, it focus on keeping the audience hooked and on edge throughout the entire film instead of only at the climax. It usually involves a sort of danger or a mysterious atmosphere which I was thinking could be achieved with a lot of lighting techniques (specially low-key lighting) the only thing I'm a bit puzzled upon is the fact that thriller, specially psychological ones tend to have a weird crossover between reality and what's in the characters head ,making it harder to tell what is actually happening, which would usually not be an issue but since I have to produce a film opening with barely any context, it will be challenging to elaborate that in such a short clip (2 minutes).

When it comes to genre convention based on content, meaning, "a group of themes and topics that make the genre what it is" (https://www.studiobinder.com) In the thriller genre, this is usually presented by producing films with a tense storyline (murders, kidnappings, secrets, investigations, etc.) but when it comes to techniques, it mostly relies on camera angles, sound, editing, setting/props, narrative techniques and as mentioned before, lighting. The shift from a close up to fast cuts, or hidden meaning props highlighted with lowkey lighting is essential to embrace the suspenseful atmosphere.

Institutional conventions in thrillers are the best way studios and networks are able to form/shape the story and its atmosphere. This includes marketing like trailers, merch, posters, choosing where and when to release it and other key factors to intrigue and bring in audiences all over the world. 

Some productions that have inspired this genre for me, would be Euphoria  and Girl, Interrupted.

(Now I know both of these productions may be a controversial selection since they're obviously not appropriate for school projects, yet since the project only relies on the start of the film and not the following development I believe id be able to filter it and pull it off while still displaying they're hard feeling emotion. And yes both productions are listed as a psychological thriller.)

Girl, Interrupted (Film, 1999)

This film is a strong example of psychological thriller because it explores the mental struggles of the characters mental struggles in a psychiatrist hospital, focussing on their thoughts and emotions.

Euphoria (Tv series, 2019)

Although technically a "teen drama" it still includes strong psychological elements of mental health and struggles, as the series develops it transitions into a thriller by highlights trauma factors, and other thriller like genre conventions.