This week is the week were everything should start to be put together, now I am not able to film this week so I spent my time working on finding props, clothes, and some voice lines that will enhance my film opening.
I also spent some time watching many other movies just to see if there are any other things I can implement when I actually film all of this. Once I am able to start filming next week, I will begin to post videos/pictures of the work I had planned the past four weeks.
After establishing the basic setting and props, I also considered other mise-en-scène elements that would enhance the film’s comedic and action-packed feel. These additional details will help bring the characters to life and create a more immersive visual experience.
1. Color Scheme/Set Design
• Alex’s Space: I will use cooler, darker colors like blues and grays to reflect his laid-back, somewhat messy lifestyle. Minimal decorations and scattered belongings will display his careless attitude.
• Mr. Brown’s Space: Warmer tones like browns and deep yellows will be used to emphasize his old-school, paranoid personality. His home will have vintage or outdated furniture.
2. Costume/Character Appearance
• Alex’s Outfit: Casual, slightly wrinkled clothes (probably a hoodie and sweatpants) to show that he doesn’t put much effort into his appearance. His look will reflect his relaxed (and sometimes lazy) attitude.
• Mr. Brown’s Outfit: A bathrobe, slippers, or an old jacket to suggest he’s retired. His clothes will be slightly scruffy, reinforcing his uncommon personality.
3. Camera Angles/Movement
• Low-angle shots on Mr. Brown will make him look more intimidating, despite his age. This will exaggerate his paranoia and make him seem epic.
• Close-ups on Alex’s confused expressions will highlight the comedic contrast between his normal reactions and Mr. Brown’s extreme behavior.
• Handheld camera movements during the action sequences will add an element of chaos, making the scene feel more intense and unpredictable.
Strong characters make a film more entertaining, especially in an action/comedy. In The Wrong Package, Alex and Mr. Brown are total opposites, and their differences create both chaos and comedy.
Alex
Alex is a broke, sarcastic delivery guy who just wants to finish his job and leave. He’s lazy, avoids drama, and doesn’t believe in conspiracy theories, until he meets Mr. Brown. As things spiral out of control, Alex is forced to think fast, and question what’s actually happening. By the end, he’s still the same sarcastic guy, but now he’s a little more paranoid, too.
Mr. Brown
Mr. Brown is convinced everyone is out to get him. Whether he’s a former spy or just watched too many action movies is unclear, but he does not trust Alex. He’s dramatic, over-the-top, and ready to fight. While he starts off defensive, by the end, he kind of trusts Alex, but still refuses to let go of his paranoia.
Why They Work Together
Alex and Mr. Brown’s opposite personalities make their interactions hilarious:
• Alex is chill, Mr. Brown is intense.
• Alex avoids trouble, Mr. Brown starts it.
• Alex is confused, Mr. Brown makes things worse.
They don’t want to work together, but their crazy situation forces them to. Their dynamic keeps the film fun, fast-paced, and full of ridiculous moments.
Sound plays a huge role in making a film feel immersive, and for my action/comedy opening, I want to make sure the audio helps enhance both the humor and the suspense. I’ll be focusing on three main areas: dialogue, sound effects, and music.
1. Dialogue
Since this is a comedy, the dialogue needs to be clear and well-timed so the jokes land properly. I’ll make sure to:
• Record in a quiet environment to avoid background noise.
• Use natural speech for Alex to show his laid-back attitude, while Mr. Brown’s dialogue will be dramatic and intense to exaggerate his paranoia.
• Add small audio cues like muttering or sighs to emphasize Alex’s frustration and disbelief during Mr. Brown’s crazy accusations.
2. Sound Effects
Sound effects will be used to add energy to the action scenes and make the comedy moments even funnier. Some key sounds I’ll include:
• Loud door locks clicking – Every time Mr. Brown locks his door, it should sound way too dramatic, like he’s guarding top-secret information.
• Frying pan hit sound – A classic cartoonish “clang” effect when Mr. Brown attacks Alex to make the fight scene feel exaggerated.
• Footsteps and movement sounds – Things like shuffling feet, running, and objects crashing will help make the chase scenes feel more chaotic.
3. Background Music & Mood
The music will change depending on the scene to help set the tone:
• Alex’s Scenes: Chill, laid-back music (light guitar or lo-fi beats) to reflect his careless attitude at the start.
• Mr. Brown’s House: Suspenseful music (low, tense strings or dramatic drum beats) to over-exaggerate his paranoia, almost like he’s in a spy movie.
• Action Scenes: Fast-paced, upbeat music (something like a heist soundtrack) to make the chase and fight sequences feel exciting and ridiculous at the same time.
• Sudden Silence for Comedy: Sometimes, completely cutting the music right before or after something ridiculous happens makes the scene even funnier. For example, after Mr. Brown dramatically locks his doors, an awkward silence can highlight how unnecessary it was.
After figuring my idea out, one of the things that was most important was where exactly I was going to film it. I decided that I will be filming in my house because it is a controlled environment, I have easy access to props, and it is very ideal for my film.
For the setting/atmosphere, I can record shots in my living room or hallway, which would help create a realistic and relatable setting for a comedic movie. Alexx's bedroom will be casual and kind of messy to reflect his chill/laid-back lifestyle, and many weird decorations like extra locks on the door, and messy papers can be used to show how paranoid Mr.Brown is.
For the props, I'll use many different items to describe and develop the my characters . For example, I'll use a frying pan to show how over-the-top Mr.Brown is, and pizza boxes and old laundry to show how Alex is lazy. Also, natural lighting will be used in Alex's room to show his relaxing and normal life. Warmer lighting will be used in Mr. Brown's house to develop a more intense atmosphere.
After figuring out my genre, I started to think about the story of what I was actually going to film and fully pursue for my project. I had originally came up with the idea of a police chase with cars, and a lot of action, however, that was not going to work out for me because I don't have enough people to help film that. So I finally decided that I am still going with the comedic approach with just less action.
My opening will revolve around a teenager who works as a delivery driver and is in need of money. He gets a notification of a big money reward that can be earned by completing a delivery in the same hour. He then goes to an old, grumpy neighbor's house, who confuses him for the wrong person, and they get in a big fight. The end of the film will reveal a comedic twist where the old man was wrong the whole time and the kid was doing nothing wrong.
After the group meetings, I had gotten an idea of what I could do, but after looking deeper, I realized that it would be very difficult to film a car chase, because I cannot drive and film. So, I have came up with the idea to make a comedic/action movie that I can film in my house and with 2-3 characters. This is also the script I will go off of as well.
Title: “The Wrong Package”
Setting: A house/apartment
Characters:
• Alex (Protagonist)
• Mr. Brown (Antagonist)
SCENE 1 –ALEX'S ROOM
(Alex lounges on his bed, scrolling through his phone. A half-eaten pizza box sits nearby.)
ALEX: (sighing) Man, I need money… fast.
(His phone gets a notification: “URGENT DELIVERY – $500 REWARD!” He sits up immediately.)
ALEX (grinning): Easy money!
(He grabs a small, weirdly wrapped package, shrugs, and runs out.)
SCENE 2 – MR. BROWN'S HOUSE
(Alex stands at a front door and knocks. The door creaks open to reveal MR.BROWN, who looks to be in his 70s, and seems suspicious.)
MR. BROWN: (gruffly) You the guy?
ALEX: (nodding, extending the package) Yup! Delivery for you.
(Without warning, Mr. Brown grabs Alex’s arm and yanks him inside. The door slams shut.)
SCENE 3 – MR. BROWN’S LIVING ROOM
(Alex stumbles into a cramped living room, confused.)
ALEX: (defensive) Okay, what the—
(Mr. Brown quickly locks the door behind them and, grabs a sturdy frying pan.)
MR. BROWN : (grimly) You work for them, don’t you?
ALEX: (terrified) What?! I just deliver stuff???!!
(Mr. Brown swings the frying pan at Alex. Alex tries to save himself, and a lamp falls over with a big collision)
ALEX: (shouting) WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
(Mr. Browns swings the frying pan again. Alex gets a pillow from the couch and holds it up as a shield. The pan knocks the pillow out of Alex's hands.)
MR. BROWN: (angry) You tell your boss, I ain’t paying a dime!
(Frustrated, Alex tosses the pillow at Brown's face and sprints for the door, but he sees it chained shut.)
ALEX: (muttering) Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…
(Determined, Alex dives behind the couch for cover. Mr. Brown jumps over after him. They engage in a clumsy slap-fight, each missing wildly.)
(Suddenly, the package tumbles off a table and opens, with several cans of cat food spill out on the floor.)
(Both freeze. Alex stares in disbelief at the scattered cans.)
ALEX: (blank face): Seriously? This is what it was all about?!
(Mr. Brown, panting, looks at the mess.)
MR. BROWN: (confused) …Wait. This isn’t my package.
(After a long, awkward silence, Alex shrugs.)
ALEX: (sarcastic) Oh, great. So I got whacked for nothing.
(He slowly pulls out his phone and begins dialing.)
MR. BROWN: (suspicious) And who exactly are you calling now?
ALEX: (flatly) A lawyer.
(CUT TO BLACK. TITLE CARD/CREDITS: THE WRONG PACKAGE”)
Today in class, we were put into groups to discuss our ideas with other students to work together and help improve each others work. For this assignment, we were told to be as honest as possible because it doesn't help anyone make their work better when you don't give them your real opinion.
The people I worked with were very helpful because I didn't have that much of an idea of what I was going to do until today.
I also took many notes of everyone else's plans to maybe get some more ideas of what I could incorporate into my own film.
Here are the notes I took,
My Project
-Opens during a chase after a robbery
-Credits shown during chase on different objects
Elisa’s Project
-Horror/thriller film
-supernatural type of movie
Robbie’s Project
-teen comedy
-unpopular teen that became very popular out of nowhere tries to hide the secret that he had a party at his parents
-Inspired by Roderick from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid
-Filming at a friend's house
-Title is “After Party”
Sophia’s Project
-teenage girls playing April fools
-they do pranks on each other
-thriller/horror
-Inspired by Dexter show
-Title will be “April Fools”
Isabelle’s Project
-horror/mystery
-inspired by the opening from S7VEN
One thing I've learned with this class, is to make a timeline first and staying committed to it is very important thing when you have to do a project. Here is my schedule for this project.
1. Week 1 Blogs(1/29-2/2)
-Ideate genre and plan for project
-Write about how I am handling the start and transition of starting this project
-Start thinking of the plot of the film opening
2. Week 2 Blogs (2/3-2/9)
-Research well done film openings + credit scenes from my desired genre(action/comedy)
-Do this assignment/schedule
-Talk about one of my previous posts on a new blog post
3. Week 3 Blogs (2/10-2/16)
-Reflection post about group meeting #1
-Research post about one media theory
-Post summarizing your project idea/script/storyboard
4. Week 4 Blogs (2/17-2/23)
-Planning post focusing on character development
-Planning post focusing on costume, set, element, props, etc.
-Post speaking about audio incorporation for film opening.
5. Week 5 Blogs (2/24-3/2)
-Any planning post from blog list
-3 production posts of my choice that show the process of the work
6. Week 6 Blogs (3/3-3/9)
-Production post
2 post-production process posts
-Start researching for first question of CCR post
2. Week Seven (3/10-3/16)
-Research for #2 question of CCR post
-Research for #3 question of CCR post
-Research for #4 question of CCR post
-Post regarding the CCR production ideas
Introduction/Purpose of Credits
After researching the genre I believe I am going to make my film opening, I needed to research the openings from some popular action/comedic type of films. First off, credits are mostly used during the beginning or end of a film to shoutout or give credit to all of those who worked on the project. However, in some films, mostly action and comedic films, the opening credits can serve many different purposes, like setting the tone, introducing the main character/protagonist, and engaging with the audience right away with fast visuals. When I say "mostly action and comedic films," I say this because in these movies, there are many cocky and funny moments that display the main character/s.
Deadpool (2016)
-In this opening, there is a very humorous approach to the credits, with funny replacements of what actual credits are supposed to say such as, "As written by Deadpool," "Some douchebag's film," "Starring a moody teen," "A CGI character," and, "A gratuitous cameo." Right off the bat, these credits show audiences that this is going to be a very funny film with many jokes.
The Nice Guys (2016)
-https://youtu.be/fkUg2E8Tfvg
(I couldn't get the video from blogger, however I put the link of it above)
-The opening of The Nice Guys is a mix of dark humor and mystery. It starts with a car crashing through a house, revealing a dying adult film star, Misty Mountains, in a scene that’s super shocking and ironic. Her final words are the same as a magazine ad, which sets up the film’s mix of comedy, crime, and 1970s style. This intro immediately tells the audience they’re watching a wild, unpredictable film.
21 Jump Street (2012)
-https://youtu.be/OtkcdGr90Qw?si=fRlPrYNOkzgVOJBc
The opening of 21 Jump Street is a funny high school flashback to 2005, featuring Jonah Hill as an Eminem wannabe nerd and Channing Tatum as the jock. Schmidt's character gets embarrassed trying to ask a girl to prom while Jenko's too busy goofing off to graduate. The scene sets them up as polar opposites before the action shifts to many years later when they come together in the police academy. It instantly set the film's self-aware, goofy tone and buddy-cop dynamic.
As we start working on our Cambridge Portfolio project, one of the first things we need to decide is our genre. The genre will shape our story, characters, and style, so it’s important to pick one that fits our plan. Right now, we’re deciding between action and comedy.
Action
Action movies are full of excitement, with fast scenes, fights, and thrilling moments. They keep the audience on the edge of their seats with intense chases, explosions, and brave heroes. Popular action films like John Wick and Mission: Impossible use quick editing and strong sound effects to create energy. If we choose action, we’d need to focus on movement, creative camera angles, and making every scene feel exciting.
Comedy
Comedy is all about making people laugh. Whether through funny dialogue, silly situations, or exaggerated characters, comedy keeps things light and entertaining. Movies like Superbad and 21 Jump Street use jokes, and fun interactions to get the audience laughing. If we go with comedy, we’ll need to focus on good timing, entertaining characters, and a script that keeps the humor alive.
Both genres have their strengths. Action would let us create exciting, fast-moving scenes, while comedy would allow us to play around with humor and creative storytelling. We’re still deciding, but either way, we’re excited to get started with out project.
From now on, my blog will focus entirely on my Cambridge Portfolio project. Everything I’ve learned and written about before has led up to this moment, helping me gain a better understanding of media creation. This class has introduced me to so many new concepts, and I feel much more confident about how to put a project like this together.
The first thing we did was thinking of ideas for our story. I enjoy coming up with plots and choosing a genre. We wanted to pick a story that really interests us and could grab the audience’s attention right away. Since the opening moments of a film set the stage for everything that follows, we need to make sure our beginning is strong and engaging. Establishing the right setting, mood, and direction early on will help us create something both entertaining and memorable.
Another big focus is developing our characters. I’ve always been interested in character creation because it brings a story to life in such a unique way. Figuring out their personalities, relationships, and even their clothing styles makes the project feel more real. It’s exciting to imagine how our characters will interact and evolve throughout the story. Even though we still have a long way to go, I can already tell this will be one of the most enjoyable parts of the process.
Overall, starting with these foundational elements is a great way to kick off our portfolio project. Setting our ideas early on makes everything feel more structured and achievable. This process is already a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see how our final product.
