Let's Do This

Planning my Opening 

So...the time is approaching, my creativity must arise. Last class, we spoke about our film openings. All the techniques and elements used to create an audience luring film opening. Prior to this, we watched a Ted talk in which Andrew Stanton, a major creative source in Pixar, spoke on what he thinks is important in achieving a successful story. There were three things Mr. Stanton said that influenced my ideas and approach to my opening. 

https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story?language=en

1. Use what you know and draw from it
2. Evoke Wonder
3. Every character has a spine

Pre-Planning Thoughts

Before hearing this, my mind was all over the place and I was truly struggling to generate an idea. There's so many stories that could be told. There are so many genres to choose from. I decided to use some of the things Mr. Stanton said, starting with "Use what you know and draw from it."

I live in Weston, Fl the town where life resembles a bubble. Every family knows each other and a large majority of the population is wealthy. The houses are beautiful and spacious, don't even get me started on the cars. Although I live in this what you'd call suburbia, this doesn't mirror my mother and my lifestyle, at all.

The Spine

Diana Szabo, my mother and my main character has always had a tough life. She was born in 1987 to a strong Cuban women who immigrated to Budapest, Hungary. At the age of 9 years old, they decided to move to Miami Florida on their own. My grandmother did not know the language or anything about America so my mom was mostly on her own. My grandmother also was not very financially stable which meant the school she went to and neighborhood she lived in was not the best. She felt extremely racially discriminated and out of place....until she met my father. Now we all knows what happens next, adventure, love, hate, and me of course. She had me at the age of 20 fresh out of high school. This is when she knew she wanted a different life for me. My mom currently lives paycheck to paycheck for me to go to an amazing school and live in a safe neighborhood. To be surrounded by what she wish she had, regardless of the miserableness.

The big Idea (s)

Now for my idea for the opening. The opening will focus on my mother as I mentioned before. I had two ideas for the stories route, both under the drama genre.

Idea 1

We begin with my mom at her job. She works in a very spacious area, hinting emptiness in her life. There will be multiple shots of her doing different things at her job and then she closes and goes home to her one bedroom apartment. Once she's home, she checks up on her daughter. Shortly after, she unwinds and looks at all her bills and papers. She throws the bills in a frustrated manner and they meet with a picture of her when she was younger. There's a large zoom into the picture, the screen goes black and we hear a school bell ringing.

Idea 2

Idea 2 would also begin with my mom at her job. However this time, t's a Saturday night, she's busier, and her daughter keeps calling her. When she finally picks up the phone, it's her daughter asking her for money because she's out with her friends. Mother goes to her account with Zelle and there's not enough money, but she sends what she has. When she gets home she's alone (a lot like her younger life). She begins to look at the bills all frustrated once again, but this time when she throws it by a picture of her and her daughter. We zoom into the picture, the screen goes black, and we hear a baby crying. 

As for a title I'm still not sure, all I know is it will probably have the word life in it :)