And finally... the CCR!

Relfection on the making of "The Deal"... Enjoy!!!

https://voicethread.com/myvoice/thread/10700115/62267786/60174455

Final Project! I'm done!

     So, after all the hard work, my project is finally complete! I am very happy with the outcome, and I can't believe it's finally over! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z34C9AI36P8&t=9s

     Unfortunately, as you already know, I had some difficulties during this project. About two weeks ago, my computer broke. It costed $500 to fix my computer, so I'm very grateful my parents allowed me to get it fixed at all. However, since I didn't have my computer for over a week and the due date of the project was nearing, I had to begin editing the film opening on my phone using iMovie. It was definitely more difficult having to edit my project on a cell phone rather than on a computer. When my computer was returned to me repaired two days ago, I tried transferring my project from my phone to my computer, but I couldn't and I didn't want to restart editing, so now I have to continue editing on my phone. Unfortunately, it is difficult to edit out the sound of the wind in the outdoors scenes of my film on my phone. Also, it's difficult to edit the credits into the video on my phone. The iMovie on my phone does not offer many different fonts for me to choose from. I wish my computer did not break during this project, as it happened at the worst possible time. But, I was still able to overcome these obstacles and produce a wonderful film opening!

      In my film opening, there is a scene where the detective texts the drug dealer. The texts use language like "you good" and "50 hard." My father, who as you know does these types of things in real life, decided we should use this type of language in the project to make it seem more realistic. I did not know what these things meant at first, but my father later explained to me that this is how he actually texts true drug dealers to set up an undercover deal. When my classmates view the project, they will probably not understand the text messages either, so I will have to explain what my father told me. Also, for the scene of the drug deal, I cut up a white birthday candle into tiny pieces to look like real drugs and placed them in a ZipLock bag. I had so much fun shooting the scenes of this project with my father and my best friend!
      I want to thank my dad, Andrew Bolonka, for starring as the main character in my film opening and for working hard to help me come up with ideas for the project. Also, my best friend, Jose Hidalgo, who played the drug dealer. And lastly, my best friend, Paulina Patruno, who gave me ideas for shots and angels while filming because she is also an AICE Media student. I had so much fun filming and I'm sad, yet also relieved that this project is over and I am finally confident in the final outcome!

Why did I chose my genre?

      I have been asked by my class mates and friends many times why I chose the genre of crime drama for my film opening. I chose this genre because I am passionate about the topics discussed within this genre. My father works in law enforcement, so I have been surrounded by situations like this my whole life. I have grown up around police officers who have become family, some who have even been killed in the line of duty. Situations like this have especially made me passionate about supporting law enforcement and defending them when others look down upon them. Charlie Scavuzzo was an uncle to me, he was the father of my best friend, a friend to my father, and the Captain of the St. Lucie County Sherriffs Office. Charlie passed away this past September. It was unbelievably beautiful how not only the Sherriffs Office, but police officers from around the country came together in mourning of Charlie. Police officers from Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Maine, and New York came together as a family in the passing of Captain Charlie Scavuzzo. Witnessing this was heart wrenching, but amazing and beautiful. Sergeant Gary Morles, another police officer for the St. Lucie County Sherriffs Office, and another friend to my father, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop for speeding. Again, the Sherriffs Office came together as one. I realize the hard work and dedication law enforcement puts into their jobs, and I believe they deserve the utmost respect for their work. The stories my father has told me since I was a young child of what happens at work have interested me since I can rememeber. So, when hearing about the portfolio project in the beginning of the school year, the genre of crime dramas automatically came to mind. I was lucky enough to use a real member of law enforcement, my father, Detective Andrew Bolonka, in my film opening! I believe your best work is produced when you are passionate about the topic, therefore, choosing to work with a crime drama was the best decision for me!

Group Meeting

      In class on Friday, we had our group meeting. This was my first group meeting since I was absent  for the previous one. I think this group meeting helped me and I received lots of suggestions from my class mates. First, I was told during the group meeting that I should begin using iMovie on my cell phone to edit since my computer is broken. Then, I was given advice and suggestions on how I should trim my video clips. I enjoyed the group meeting because I felt better about my project afterwards, and I no longer felt as if I were so behind because I know other classmates are moving at the same pace as me. I am working on editing my project on my cell phone using iMovie and will begin working on my Creative Critical Reflection as soon as possible. It’s crazy how close we are nearing to the end of this project!

       So, I have a big problem. I called the Apple Support to fix my computer and nothing they could do over the phone could fix my computer. So, I made an appointment to go into the store, where there were multiple other measures taken to fix my computer. Unfortunately, I learned my computers hard drive was completely bad and I lost everything on my computer, absolutely everything. I was informed at the store that my computers hard drive would cost $500 to repair. So, I left without it being fixed. Today in class, Mrs. Stoklosa offered that I should use iMovie on my phone to edit my portfolio project. I’m not very fond with this idea, but it looks like I might have to take that route to complete my project. I hope I am able to complete all edits I had planned to my project on my cell phone. I can not believe this happened right now, a week before my project is due! This is the worst timing ever. My computer is currently being fixed, and I hope it is at least fixed by the time I need to post my CCR on the blog. For now, I plan to edit on my phone using iMovie. Until next time!

     I just realized how close I am to the due date of my project! I am so excited to see the final outcome. I can’t wait to start editing... however, my computer still is not fixed. I plan on calling tonight to see if I can get help over the phone, or else I’ll have to take it in the store which will probably set me behind. On the other hand, I started looking over my video clips that I filmed on my phone, and noticed talking and unwanted noises in the background. I think I want music in the beginning of the film opening, and starting with the sound effect of a police siren. I will have to email the company for persmission for the use of the song I chose, which I plan to do this week during class. However, I don’t want music the entire film opening, which means I need to find a way to edit the voices and sounds out of the scenes towards the end. I’m not sure how I can do this, so I plan on playing around with the editing on my computer when it is fixed to come up with a solution for my problem. I am nervous about how close we are nearing to the due date and I hope I am not falling behind. I hope my computer has an easy fix to it’s problem so I don’t have to wait a longer time to start editing, since I still need to make time for my Creative Critical Reflection. I’m going to try to fix my computer tonight, and begin my editing magic tomorrow morning!

I have a problem!

     Ok so, big problem! When I went to turn my computer on today, it wouldn’t turn on. The screen was completely black. After a few minutes, it started flashing a question mark on the black screen repeatedly. I looked this up on the internet, and supposedly it means my computer is not recognizing its software and will not turn on. So now, I am blogging off of my phone and as of now, I have nowhere to edit. I need to call Apple, and hopefully they can help me fix it over the phone or else I am going to have to take my computer into the store to be fixed, and who knows how long that will take. I want to start editing!
     On another note, I’m nervous about editing my film opening on my own! I have edited numerous project before, but always with help and never under this much pressure. I hope I can edit my project to look realistic and professional. If I feel I am having trouble, I will ask my friends who are also AICE Media students who are working on the project as well or my classmates for tips and suggestions. I hope my computer is an easy fix so I can start editing immediately and finally upload my clips from filming onto my computer!

    Good news! I finally filmed! I feel such a weight off of my shoulders since I know I got that out of the way. I feel very confident that the clips I captured will make the perfect film opening I have in mind. I enjoyed filming very much. My dad lives 2 hours away and I only get to see him every other weekend, so I felt this was a good bonding experience since he was the main role in my film opening.   I changed some of the ideas I had in mind to film, like how the drug dealer took place and the opening scene of the film opening. I have planned to start editing on Monday, and I couldn’t be any more ready!

     I am nervous about the outcome of my project. I have just learned that my friend who was going to be the main role in my film opening, can not star in my project. Since he does not have the same Spring Break as me, I do not think he is going to be able to help me. I really wanted to role to be a male, because I feel it fits the story line better, however it might need to end up being a girl in my film opening, I am wondering if I am behind, and if other people have started filming yet. Once I finish filming, I will have a big weight off of my shoulders and won’t feel so behind anymore.

Interview Questions

   I have decided that before I start filming my portfolio project, I should get a deeper insight on the everyday life of an undercover police officer. So, I have created some questions to ask my dad, who is an undercover police officer, to better understand his job. These are the questions I came up with:

1. When doing undercover work, what is a typical day like for you?

2. Do you think I am representing the job of an undercover police officer correctly in my film opening?

3. Are you ever scared or fearful in your line of duty?

4. Do you have any suggestions for the film opening to make the story look realistic and accurate?

     I think it is important to accurately represent an undercover police officer in my project because I want the film opening to look realistic. I will report back when my dad answers the questions, and I will be sure to incorporate his suggestions into my project!

Technique

     In my film opening, there is a scene of my father, who plays the undercover officer in the film, driving through a bad part of town. I have a feeling this might be one of my favorite and one of the most important and meaningful scenes in the project thus far. I want to add a unique touch to this scene to make it stand out. After the filming of my project, I plan to start editing immediately after.
     I plan to place a filter on the scene of the police officer driving through the bad neighborhood. I plan to get this filter from iMovie, where I am editing my portfolio project, however I still need to browse through some filters on iMovie. If I do not find the perfect filter on iMovie, I will ask my classmates for suggestions on apps that provide good filters. I plan to go with a light brownish or grayish type of filter, to really dramatize the obscure setting of this neighborhood.
     To further this dramatization of the scene, I might even show my father at a low angle shot, to suggest his superiority as a police officer to the others residing in this not so well off neighborhood.
     One difficulty I might encounter during the filming of this scene is the background noise. Since my father’s police car is a large truck, the background noise might be very evident to the audience. In this case, I will cover it up with a unique selection of music or will attempt to edit it out.

Credits & Obstacles

     Recently, I have been considering different options for the credits in the beginning of my film opening. I wanted something unique and something that will make my film opening stand out. I want to write the names of my actors on objects in the beginning of my film opening and pan over them. For example, writing Andrew Bolonka, the leading role, on the police laptop, then panning over to Jose Hidalgo on maybe the radio or handcuffs. I think this will draw the eye of my audience and intrigue them instead of just trying the names of my actors and watching them slowly appear on the screen as credits. If my idea does not work out or doesn’t look right, I will choose an interesting and unique font and color, to make my project stand out from the others with maybe some unique background music. 

      On another note, I am worrying that I am behind on my project. I do not regret working alone, but I wish I had the reassurance of a partner to know I am moving in the right direction. I am still content that I took on this big project by myself, as I find it easier to work in solitude. However, I just want to know that others are moving at the same pace as me. I want to film as soon as possible, because I feel that after I film I will feel confident in my hard work and can begin the editing process. I plan to film within the next week and a half and I hope everything goes as planned!

Feedback

      Unfortunately, I missed the group meetings in class on Thursday. Due to this, I didn't have the opportunity to get feedback from my peers on my progress on my project so far. Now, I need to find a way to get feedback on my ideas. I told my parents, and my friends who are also AICE Media AS students about my film opening idea, and received all positive feedback. However, I feel this was not enough. In class this week, I plan to get feedback and criticism from my classmates on my project thus far. Then, during Spring Break, I plan to finish all of my filming and begin editing.

      Now that I have come up with an idea to film for my film opening, I have began stressing about the filming location. I am worried I will not have permission to film at the gas station, or the places I plan to film will not look as good on camera as I pictured. If this is the case, I will have to change my filming location. However, I think I'm just overthinking and it will look perfect! 

Film Opening Idea - Finally!

      So, finally I have come up with an idea for my film opening. I talked to my dad and my best friend who will hopefully be the main roles in my film opening, and decided spring break would be the perfect time to film! So, here is what I have finally come up with:

- Pan of awards and pictures in uniform in home, then dad changing into normal clothes with a bullet proof vest underneath, then show the gun holster

- Upon entering the car, show the lights, the siren, badge, computer, but show the normal outside of the car, suggesting he is an undercover officer

- Drive through bad part of town and film from the inside of car, hear the sound of police radio in the background

-Pull up to a gas station, and enter drug dealer's car, get in the car and show illegal buying of fake drugs

- Undercover gets out of car, walks to driver window, gets dealer out of car

- Dealer against car, hands put behind back, begging handcuffed and hearing "you're under arrest"

     This is what I have in mind to film, however it's not set in stone. If any problems arise, like not being able to film at the gas station, there will be a change in the storyline or location of filming. I am so happy to finally have an idea of what I am going to film, since I felt lost and behind for so long. I am excited to start editing and share the final outcome of my project!

    This weekend, I talked to my dad, who is the main character in my film opening, about some ideas for the project. My dad works as a detective, so he serves as the perfect lead role in my crime drama film opening. Some ideas we had we came up with were my dad working as an undercover police officer who ends up arresting a drug dealer he pretends to buy drugs from, or filming a whole endercover operation between my father and his coworkers. By the end of this week, I will have my film opening idea set in stone, then I will create my storyboard, and finally be ready to film!

Crime Drama Case Study

   Welcome back! Since I am doing a crime drama for my film opening, I decided it would be a good idea to get more information on other films within this genre. I chose The Departed and Miami Vice because they both include the work of undercover police officers, and that is an idea I have in mind to portray in my portfolio project. Enjoy!

Case Study #1:  The Departed 

- Genre: crime drama

- Directed by Martin Scorsese, written by William Monahan

- Remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs

- Released October 6, 2006

- Revenue: Worldwide Box Office: $289,660,619

- Total Est. Domestic Video Sales: $144,159,483

- Production Budget: $90,000,000

- Distribution: Initial Entertainment Group, Plan B Entertainment, Vertigo Films, Media Asia Films

- In this film, Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Boston cop Billy Costigan, goes undercover to infiltrate the organization of gang chief Jack Nicholson, who plays Frank Costello. Matt Damon, Colin Sullivan, then infiltrates the police department and reports their activities to his bosses. Both organizations eventually realize what is going on, and must figure out each other’s identities to save their lives. 

- Main actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farming, Martin Sheen

- Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, Academy Award for Best Director, Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Academy Award for Best Film Editing

- Rated R: strong brutal violence, pervasive language, strong sexual content 

- Marketing Techniques: The Poster- the main selling point for the movie, each of the three leads: Damon, DiCaprio, and Nicholson got their own character-centric poster, show brutality in facial expression, visually appealing to audience

- The Trailer: good outline of the plot, Van Morrison covers Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”

- The Departed Official Website: www.thedeparted.net 

Case Study #2: Miami Vice

- Genre: crime drama

- Directed by Michael Mann, produced by Michael Mann, Anthony Yerkovich, Pieter Jan Brugge

- Focuses on vice detectives Tubbs and Crockett as their respective personal and professional lives become dangerously intertwined. The detectives work undercover transporting drug loads into South Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders.

- Rated R: strong violence, language, some sexual content

- Release Date: July 28, 2006

- Budget: $135, 000,000

- Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $100,327,090

- Main actors: Colin Farrell, Gong Li, Jamie Foxx, Naomie Harris, Marc Macaulay, Justin Theroux

- Based on Miami Vice TV series (1984-1990) by Anthony Yerkovich

- Distribution: Universal Pictures

- The original TV series heavily integrated new music and culture in to the show, became noted for it’s integration of music and visual effects

- Awards: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama

- Film Poster: Reads “Miami Vice” shows two main characters with intimidating looks on their face, indicates what the film is about, guns in hand, sunglasses on both characters to show inhumanity, seriousness, intimidation

“The Departed (2006).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/.

“The Departed (2006) - Financial Information.” The Numbers, www.the-numbers.com/movie/Departed-The#tab=summary.

“The Departed.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Mar. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Departed.

“Miami Vice.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Mar. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Vice.

“Miami Vice (2006).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0430357/.

“Miami Vice (TV Series 1984–1990).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0086759/.

Thilk., Chris. “Movie Marketing Madness: The Departed.” Chris Thilk, 4 Oct. 2017, christhilk.com/2006/10/04/movie-marketing-madness-the-departed/.

Genre & Target Audience

      Crime drama is a genre that deals with law enforcement, crimes, criminals and their motives. Types of crime that are typically displayed in crime dramas are gun crime, prostitution, rape, fraud, knife crime, drug related crime, murder, blackmail, and robbery and theft. Films within this genre appeal to audience by dealing with issues and problems the audience is aware of through engagement with current news and worldwide affairs.
      During my research today in class, I concluded the target audience for crime dramas is middle to upper class men ages 40-70. Middle to upper class men are less likely to participate in crime and are more likely to side with law enforcement, therefore this was chosen as the social class for my target audience. Also, men from ages 40-70 are more interested in the topics discussed in these films, especially retired or current members of law enforcement, so this age range was chosen for my target audience. Usually, in a crime drama, a male is the leading role and in charge. Men enjoy watching crime dramas especially in this case because of the powerful way they are being represented. The British Board of Film Classification created certain classifications to indicate what is appropriate for the audience, typically rating crime dramas age 15 and up for viewing. This is due to the taboo topics usually discussed in crime dramas like shooting, killing, drugs, sex, and prostitution.
      Also, I talked to my dad today about him possibly being the main character in my film opening and he happily said yes! I feel so happy to finally be coming up with ideas for my portfolio project and plan to have my ideas set in stone by the end of this week! I want to start filming as soon as possible so I have time to edit my film opening until it is perfect and have lots of time for my creative critical reflection.


Perks, Whitney. “My Media Work.” 2010, 1 Jan. 1970, jammydodgers91.blogspot.com/2010/.

“ .” Crime Drama Research -  , kawalmedia.weebly.com/crime-drama-research.html.

prezi.com/84mlnnznudwq/the-target-audience-for-crime-thrillers/.

      Welcome back! In my previous post, I was deciding between the genres of thriller, drama, and horror. Since I am having difficulty finding ideas for my film opening, I decided picking a genre would help me choose. So finally, I have decided on the genre of drama for my film opening. I decided drama was the best genre to chose for my project because drama is more of a broad genre in my eyes. I could follow any subgenres like crime drama, melodrama, comedy drama, and many more. Dramas are intended to be more serious rather than humorous, and that is the type of tone I aim to create in my film opening.
      One genre that particularly caught my eye was crime drama. In crime dramas, character development is based on themes involving the legal system, law enforcement, and criminals. I would like to pursue a mysterious, suspenseful tone in my film opening, so crime drama would be the perfect genre for me. Also, since the beginning of the year, when I first began thinking of ideas for my project, I had numerous ideas with film openings that involved my father. My dad is in law enforcement, and since I have seen his life put in danger so many times and have had others taken from us on the job, I have been passionate about topics like these. I believe covering a topic I am passionate about will result in my best work. I have researched crime drama films, and I plan to watch some of the them to recognize techniques I need to use in my film opening. Some films I plan to watch are "The Departed" and "No Country For Old Men" for guidance and ideas. I am excited to finally be moving somewhere with my project, because before I was feeling stuck, lost and behind. I can not wait to start filming and see my amazing final product!


Coen, Ethan, and Joel Coen. “No Country for Old Men.” No Country for Old Men (2007) - Rotten Tomatoes, 1 Mar. 2018, www.rottentomatoes.com/m/no_country_for_old_men/.

“The Departed (2006).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_(film_and_television).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_film.

     Welcome back to my blog! Unfortunately, I am still struggling to come up with ideas for my film opening. I am interested in taking the route of a thriller film opening. I think a suspenseful film opening with an edgy and dark twist would be something I am interested in doing. Though I am still deciding between film opening ideas, I have come up with a schedule to follow during the course of my project. During this project, I plan to improve my time management skills, so this schedule will aid in my improvement. I am excited to start filming, so I'm working quickly to decide on the route I want to take with my project!

Week 2/26 - 3/2
Create blog and create postings, Project Planning

Week 3/5 - 3/9
Planning and genre research

Week 3/12 - 3/16
Begin working on project, get feedback and criticism from other students

Week 3/19 - 3/23
Work on project, begin filming, Begin editing

Week 4/2 - 4/6
Work on last minute filming if necessary, Finish editing

Week 4/9 - 4/13
Last minute edits, Creative Critical Reflection

      Hi, my name is Payton Bolonka and this is my blog for my upcoming film opening.

      I am overwhelmed and stressed at the thought of beginning this project. I am finding it difficult to come up with ideas for my film opening and I feel a bit lost. I chose to work alone on this production because I prefer to have total control over the ideas and content of the project and it's final outcome. I find it easier to work and focus in solidarity, plus I can work on my own time! I was encouraged by my cousin, Danny Cooke, a former AICE Media AS student, to choose a film opening as my final project. My cousin produced "Subjected" as his final project, which impressed me and made me want to produce my own film opening. After watching "Subjected" and viewing many other sample projects from previous students, I have very high expectations for myself. Since I am finding it difficult to come up with a storyline for my film opening, I decided to research genres and hopefully find some inspiration. Some genres I am possibly interested in following for my film opening are thriller, drama, or horror. Aside from the stress I am feeling over my lack of ideas, I am ecstatic to begin this blog. The thought of having a blog has never crossed my mind, but I feel this blog will be a  great tool for me to organize my ideas, track my progress, and stay focused and motivated. I am still on the hunt for inspiration for an idea that will lead me to a great final outcome of my film opening. Until then, welcome to my blog, my new favorite place!