NEW additions

RUNNING OUT

As of this week, we finally came up with the name of our film... RUNNING OUT!! This name was inspired by a show that is on Netflix, spinning out. This name represents the sport the show is focused on, ice skating. So we decided to focus it on track and change it to running out. Not only does it literally represent her sport but also establishes she is running out of time to apply for colleges. She is running out of time to impress the scouts so they will accept her into college. Although the title may be taken as a negative connotation, in this case, it is not. The title just serves to represent all the things she has left to do before she heads off to college (financial aid, college application, etc.). 

   

Elena

We also chose her name, Elena. Since she is of Latin heritage we wanted the name to be in Spanish But, we also wanted it to be easy to be said in English as she lives in the United States. We also decided on this name as it is not very common, especially the spelling, this way she can be seen as more unique. Elena also means shining light, as she aims to shine in front of the scouts at her track meet.

Improvements

STORYBOARD

Soo... we actually made a whole new storyboard as out other one needed a little work. We added more shots and they are more specific to the scenes for our film opening. 

Now, it begins with an alarm clock, as our main character wakes up to get ready for her morning run. The next few shots were designed to establish her track "career" and just her character. Then we allow insight into her socioeconomic class, being low. Then finally we conclude with the conversation she has with her coach about college. 

Character Development

CHARACTER

Our character (the name is yet to be determined) is a middle-to-low-class Latin-American teenager that lives in the US. She comes from a low-income household, lives with her mom and is an only child. She is in her senior year and is, therefore, seeking a university to go to.

 She does well academically, but that is not enough to send her to college. Track will be what will differentiate her from other students and provide her with the college scholarship money, so she can go to college. 

The main character is very determined and dedicated as she knows how well she is at the track will decide how colleges will provide her with scholarships. Her daily routine consists of morning practices at 5am, going to school to study, doing homework after school, and finally, around 6pm she has additional practice. 

She is a very organized person and therefore here is her daily schedule:

Weekends→ Saturday-Sunday

8-9AM Morning run

10 AM -12 PM Homework/study

1-4 PM Rest from week

6-8 PM Evening run

9-10 PM Get ready for bed

Weekdays→ Monday-Friday

5-6 AM Morning run/get ready for school

7AM-3 PM School

4-6 PM Homework/study

7-8 PM Evening run

9-10 PM Get ready for bed

Storyboard

STORYBOARD... a sneak peek!!!

This a series of shots we are thinking of putting in our film opening. It is a very rough draft and only has some shots that we are looking to include, as we are still coming up with the rest. This storyboard is subject to change as we are not one hundred percent sure this is what we're are to do.  

Plot research

Track 

General

Track and field is a sport that involves athletic competitions focused on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name derives from where the competition takes place, a running track and a throwing grass field and some of the jumping activities. Track and field are categorized under the athletics umbrella, which also includes road running, cross-country running and racewalking 

The competitor who completes it in the least time win the foot racing events, which include sprints, middle and long-distance runs, racewalking and hurdling.  Many track and field events are single-winner sports; the most popular team events are relay races which usually feature four teams.

Events are almost entirely separated by gender, though events for both men and women are usually held at the same venue. Records are kept at an international and national level, of the best performances in specific events. Nevertheless, if competitors are found to have violated the rules or regulations of the event, they are excluded from the competition. 

The Track

 A track and field stadium's two basic features are the outer oval-shaped running track and an area of grass within that track, the field. Most track and field stadiums are multi-purpose stadiums, with the running track covering a field designed for other sports, like the different kinds of football.

Project Schedule

Filming schedule

    Here we have our schedule and what we plan to do in about the next month. Although it is not set in place and is sort of a rough draft, this schedule will give us an idea of what we're gonna do for the project in the following weeks. This will also aid us in having a well-executed project instead of being rushed. Since we're in a group, dividing the assignments into days we can all meet up is good so we have a consistent workflow.

Film openings analysis

Sports Drama film openings

1) Rocky (1976)
The film opening for Rocky begins with an upbeat song as it introduces the movie name. The upbeat song alludes to the next part, the opening fight scene. This opening serves to establish the character and his boxing career. The brief shot of Jesus and then the zoom out to the fight itself that is literally under god's image symbolizes that fighting can be viewed as a sin. The glimpse of the fans cheering him on establish he is a known boxer and that this is not his first time-fighting. But, the close-ups of him struggling show that boxing is a difficult sport no matter how much experience you have.



2) Creed (2015)
The film opening also develops the character's struggles as he is in a juvenile correlation facility. The mis-en-scene, all dressed the same in the facility shows where there is control there are outbursts as the kids fight each other. When talking to what we learn is the wife of the child's dad, the close-ups display the lack of emotion he has and alludes to the hardships in life he has faced, losing his mother and father at a young age.





3) The Wrestler (2008)
Along with the other film openings, this one establishes the character's fame without showing the actual character. This is done through close-ups of magazines, photos, newspapers, articles and more about the main character. The voices of fans and are heard as seeing the credits to make viewers feel as though they really are at a wrestling match. The music chosen also goes well with wrestling because it is upbeat as is a match in reality and it seems as though it praises the main character that is being established.

Genre Research

Sport Dramas

So as for the genre, my partner and I decided to do a sports drama mainly because we both play sports and can relate to the character we plan to develop. This genre combines both drama and sports film conventions. Many films of this genre revolve around a famous athlete, but in our case it will all be fictional. 

General 

Drama is a film genre that revolves around the emotional development of realistic characters. Such dramatic themes are often drawn from serious, real-life problems. While dramas rely heavily on this type of development, dramatic themes also play a significant role in the plot. Whether heroes or heroines face an external conflict or a conflict within themselves, Either heroes or heroines face an external conflict or a conflict within themselves, dramas aim to tell a realistic story of human struggles. 

More specifically a sports drama's conflict is usually an individual or team struggle as they reach success for a sport. The outcome typically results in either the protagonist winning a large competition or losing and searching for their soul or sadness. The typical sports that are covered in sports drama are basketball, baseball, football, and boxing. 

Conventions

Sports dramas' conventions often include:

•  romantic storylines
•  psychological or sports injuries
•  social and political conflicts 
•  action-oriented climax
• audience relate to characters
• conflict is the main source of drama
• developed around a sporting event or athletes
• comparable to reality 

Themes 

A typical theme in sports films is the victory of an athlete or team that, despite the difficulties, prevails in the end. Although this is typical since these films are realistic it sometimes it is the opposite, and the athlete or team suffers defeat and therefore, learns a lesson from the loss. 

Major sport dramas

1) Rocky (1976)

2) Remember the Titans (2000)

3) The Karate Kid (1984)

4)Creed (2015)

5) The Wrestler (2008)

References

https://www.allmovie.com/subgenre/sports-drama-d965

https://www.ranker.com/review/the-wrestler/143915?ref=node_name&pos=28&a=0&ltype=n&l=2472395&g=US
https://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/952-drama/