Research for CCR Question #1

So...It is time for the CCR! In total, there are 4 questions. In today's post, I will conduct some research to help me answer the first question.

For the first question, I must reflect on how I decided to use or ignore typical conventions for my chosen genre. Also, I need to discuss how my film represents social groups or issues.

First off, action movies usually contain these character roles.



For my film opening, I introduced the hero and the villain, with the rest being introduced later in the film.

Action movies also include escape scenes and police, both of which I included in my film. On the other hand, I did not use fast-paced cuts, which are usually included in action films. This is because I wanted to add more suspense to the opening, something that would've been hindered by using so many fast paced cuts.

Costumes

 Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! Today I wanted to share my plans for my film opening's costumes!

Before I do that, I have a quick update about the music. Yesterday, I sent the creator of the music I plan on using for my project a message confirming I had permission to use his work on my project. He responded and gave me permission! Can't wait to use it.

So. Costumes. I have an idea of what I am going to try to do. Since there will only be two characters shown in my film opening, I only need two costume designs.

Hero

For my main character, the assassin, I wanted to go with a design that's heavily inspired by military uniform.  I was thinking of something like this:

Of course, it wouldn't have so many equipment and details as seen in the picture, mainly because my character isn't in the military. Quite the opposite, he is actually a fugitive. 

To achieve this look, I would need to find some black clothes that cover my whole body and a black ski mask. I could also find some boots to complete the look. I think this is very do-able.

Villain

For my villain, I am thinking of going down a different path. Since the villain will not be completely shown and will be seen using a computer in a dark room, I was thinking of basing this costume on a "hacker". Hackers are usually shown in a dark room wearing a hoodie covering their head. That's how I want to depict my villain. Something like this:                                                                                            

This can be easily be done by using a hoodie and filming in a dark room.

 

In conclusion, these are the two costume designs I want to use for my film. Can't wait to create and use them! If anything changes, I will update you all!

Audio

 Hello all! Welcome back to my blog! Today I am going to plan audio elements of my film opening.

Non-diegetic

For my non-diegetic sound, I wanted to use a menacing and slow music. This will help build even more tension and mystery. 

This is the music I plan on using:

Although this is copy-right free, I messaged the creator asking for permission just in case.

Diegetic

For diegetic sound, I want to use various sound effects, such as thuds, gunshots, and loud footsteps. I will use various sound effect databases for this, and I will also follow Sofia's (my classmate) tip, and use Youtube Audio Library for sound effects. I plan on making the film very quiet (excluding the non-diegetic music) so that every sound effect will stand out as much as possible. 

I also plan on making many foley sounds! I learned how to make foley sounds this year, and I will definitely be utilizing foley sounds for this film project.

Mise-en-scene: Props

 Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog! Today I want to discuss another mise-en-scene element; Props.

According to studiobinder.com (2025), "A prop is any inanimate object that an actor interacts with in a film". Props are used to "move a story forward, define a character, or become a symbol in and of itself". 

Additionally, I think props are important so that scenes can actually take place. For example, for my film, I will use a toy gun as a prop so I don't have to use a real one. (I also don't have a real one).

                                  

                                   PROP                                          REAL

Along with this prop, I will also use a cellphone. This prop will be used when the character is talking on the phone. Also, I was thinking of integrating a scene where the villain is "kind of" shown. In this scene, there would also be a cellphone, along with a computer (monitoring our character).

So far, these are the props I will use, but this can be subject to change. How many props will actually be used? Only time can tell!

Mise-en-scene: Lighting

Hello!!! Welcome back to my blog! Today I want to discuss lighting. I'm excited to talk about this because ever since the beginning I've had an idea of ​​how I would like it to be!

My film is gonna take place at night. So, naturally, the lighting is gonna be dark. But, I want to take this to the next level. By this, I mean that I want there to be a reason for the dark lighting, not just because of the time.

I was thinking something similar to this:

Of course, my film would mostly be inside, but I think this is a good representation of how I want the lighting in my film opening to be like.

backstage.com (2025) states that "  low-key lighting creates a muted image that complements the tense drama created through the plot and characters of the film." This definition shows why I want to use low-key lighting. I want to build as much suspense as possible in order to convey a menacing/suspenseful mood.

Okay, but how will I achieve low-key lighting? 

This video really helped me understand HOW to achieve low-key lighting.

You should definitely expect low-key lighting when watching my film opening! I can't wait to start filming and editing to implement this!

Character development

Hello everyone! In today's post, I wanted to discuss character development. According to study.com (2025) , character development is "the collective observable changes in an individual's defining characteristics over the course of a narrative".

Here is a video I watched that helped me further understand character development:

So, in order to have character development in my film opening, I must indicate how my character will change throughout the film

The first thing I could do is to try to show his feelings in order to develop his character and personality. For example, when the police storm in, I could try to focus on my character's expression/reaction. This can convey how the character reacts to certain things, which can also show a glimpse of the character's personality.

Also, I can use interaction between characters to indicate character development throughout the film. This will be quite tricky, as I have a very limited amount of time, but a good amount of planning will help me make this possible.

Story Board

Hello everyone! Today I am going to share something that I think is one of the most important parts of planning for my film opening...

The Story Board!!!                                     

Here is my storyboard:

The story board is gonna be crucial in helping me create my film opening. It helps organize my ideas and illustrate my thoughts. I'm gonna use this a lot when doing my project. Can't wait!