Coming up with the Story (Ideas and Inspirations)

    Now that I have established the theme, representation, and genre, it is finally time to begin planning my storyline and main idea for my movie opening. So far I have two main plot lines, and I'm not sure which one is the right choice yet. Both ideas follow a teenager girl who is a dedicated taekwondo black belt. She attempts to do a difficult skill and ends up becoming injured. However, the way I convey the story through the setting and the time (past/present) is what's different about the two versions.

Plot line #1

    The girl is at a competition, she is competing on the mat and performing a complex routine. The crowd cheers. She is doing well so far, with no falls or imperfections. Then she gets to a difficult part of her routine. You can see a slight hesitation in her face as she attempts to perform a hard skill. She ends up landing wrong and injures her foot. Being ousted from the competition, the crowd gasps and she is helped off of the competition floor. The scene cuts to her on the sidelines with a second place medal around her neck and a wrapped up foot. She looks at her medal and sighs, as flashbacks of her winning gold rush into her mind. The opening ends with her coach tapping her on the shoulder, waking her up from her memories.

Plot line #2

    The girl is at her dojang (training gym), practicing a complex routine. She gets to a moment in the sequence where she begins to hesitate. To try to get back into focus, she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She visualizes what she needs to do in order to accomplish a difficult skill that comes next in this routine. After she pictures a perfect landing, she starts to attempt the trick. However, she overthinks it and ends up injuring her foot in the process. It cuts to her in her bedroom lying on her bed with an injured foot. She looks at her medals and trophies on her wall and flashbacks of her with happy memories of taekwondo appear in her mind. This creates nostalgia and motivation for her to not let that injury define her. The opening ends with someone knocking at her bedroom door so she snaps out of her flashback.

   After comparing these two versions, I have decided to choose Plot line #1. Although the first story is a great idea, it would be very difficult to film that because I would need to be at a competition and use the mats. This wouldn't work because there would be no time to film on the mats and I would need permission from the organizers of the competition. I picked the second story because I feel like I can easily film at the dojang that I train at and I can use my house as another setting. It is more convenient and I believe I can execute this film opening storyline better.

    My main inspiration for this film opening is The Karate Kid (1984). I have mentioned this film before in my previous blogs and I just think that it is a great film that truly represents what martial arts is all about. I wish that there were more movies that gravitated more around sports, especially martial arts. It deserves appreciation, and although sometimes the topic can be a little cheesy, it has great life lessons that come with it overall. The Karate Kid gives themes of resilience, determination, and finding inner balance. Furthermore, I want to emphasize these lessons into my own martial art production, Especial the theme of "never giving up".

Images from The Karate Kid (1984)

Resources:

Synergy Martial Arts. (2024, August 16). Five life lessons you can learn from The Karate Kid. Synergy Martial Arts. https://synergymartialarts.ca/2024/08/16/five-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-the-karate-kid/

Group Meeting #1

    Last class, we did our first group meeting. I was grouped with Carolina, Arantza, Andrea, Lidia, JP, Mateo, and Eli. During the meeting, each person shared which genre they had chosen, and discussed a little bit about their ideas for their film opening. After we heard their ideas, we gave feedback and helped each other brainstorm to help each person expand and gain more opinions on their choices. Overall, it was a great way to get more ideas for the film opening and share more knowledge to help others with theirs.

   When I proposed my idea to my group members, they recommended that I could use filters and different coloration settings to make my flashback scenes look more timely and realistic. It was nice to have a several opinions for this project because if the story isn't good, it cannot be produced properly or as well. They liked the idea of my film opening and suggested that for the flashbacks I should utilize more videos rather than pictures because it is more visually entertaining. Although they said if I were to use pictures, they would have to be quick flashes of them in between other flashback videos.

    Carolina said she wanted to do the mystery genre. She explained that her and her group were going to film their opening in a dark garage. She explains a story of a crazy woman in a prison cell, getting flashbacks to a murder that she is implied to have committed. Carolina will play this character and she wants to wear a dirty robe and will try her best to use make up to make her look older and crazy. She asked us for some ideas on how to incorporate a flashback scene into her opening. We then suggested she could use a transition of her writing on the prison wall, to panning into a flashback, where her arm would transition across the screen.

Here is her blog: https://carolrabacrepa200928.blogspot.com/

     Andrea wanted to do a Dystopian themed opening. She discussed that the beginning would start off with a woman scrummaging across a destroyed street after a war, looking for food. She then wanted the next scene to be of the woman when she was little, eating at the dinner table with her family before the war. We suggested that she could transition the future woman about to take a bite out of food she had found from the street and then it cuts to the younger version of herself eating a food of the same shape or dimension. To get actors, she has a friend who is an actor who will play the role and her mom with most likely play the future woman. 

Here is her blog: https://andreasmstudiesblog.blogspot.com/

    Arantza wants to do a coming-of-age film genre. She explained that the movie will start off in the summer with two best friends who are excited to go to college together. After certain events, one friend passes away. The rest of the film would be about how the other friend griefs and overcomes their best friend's death. She said she was inspired by the "Barely Legal" film opening we had watched in class and wants to incorporate that type of aesthetic into her production. That means she is going for a vintage, 90s look. Our group suggested her to use the seasons to evoke the emotions of the main character. For example, in summer there are warm colors and sunshine, creating happiness, spring is rainy but colorful, bringing hope, autumn feels nostalgic, and winter gives off sad emotions through cool toned color schemes and dull weather.

Here is her blog: https://mediastudiesblog2526.blogspot.com/

     Lidia is looking to do something Sci-Fi related. She wants her film opening to be of a scientist who creates these futuristic glasses that can see into and predict the future. When the scientist puts on the glasses, he sees himself being murdered and sees that he is going to be killed in five days. She wants the story to be about how he tries to change his fate. She was having a difficult time in coming up with what happens after he sees his fate through the glasses. One of our group members suggested that after there could be an extreme close-up of his reaction, and then I suggested that after that there could be a knock at the door. The knock implies that the video is just the film opening and that there is more to the production.

Here is her blog: https://blogging4scool.blogspot.com/

   Eli wanted to do something with psychological horror. Her idea was that there are many mentally crazy people going to a therapist in the same town. They all recall a story of a traumatizing, such as a shooting, but all of their stories are different. As she said her idea, we suggested that the therapist should be the main character and she can become a detective in solving what really happened at the tragic event that took place. So she ended up thinking about if she wanted to take a more mystery genre type route or a more horror type route. Maybe she could incorporate both if she chooses to.

Here is her blog: https://eliwritess.blogspot.com/

    JP decided to do a horror/thriller type film. His story is that there is a boy who was killed by his bullies. The thing is JP didn't know how he was going to execute this. Carolina suggested that one of the bullies could throw a rock at the boy's head. Then I had suggested that a shadow of the boy being killed is a better option because it is easier to produce. We had also advised him to include a voice over of mean words or phrases the bullies would call him, so every time he would be hit by the rock, a cruel word could be heard at the same time.

Here is his blog: https://mediajean.blogspot.com/

     Last but not least, Mateo chose to do a crime film opening. His production is inspired by mafia movies. The opening will take place at a big event, like a wedding, and it will introduce a family who all have committed foul crimes. This will be done through a narration of going through each and every family member. I suggested that he could use freeze frames to create emphasis on each individual criminal. He is also planning to film his opening at a place in Weston Town Center so the event looks more realistic.

Here is his blog: https://mateosuperawesome.blogspot.com/

Here's a resource that one of the group member's had suggested when finding music for our project:

https://copyrightalliance.org/faqs/how-to-get-permission-to-use-a-song/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

(Proof of Life)

Our group:

Representation of Taekwondo

      As I have stated previously, taekwondo will be the featured sport throughout my film opening. I have chosen this specific martial art because I am confident I can represent it accurately. I am a taekwondo player myself and I have trained as one for more than a decade of my life. As a result, it's safe to say that I do know a thing or two about the community and the culture of taekwondo.

      One of my main goals is to share, teach, and praise the trainings of this martial art in my production. You see, not only do taekwondo students train physically, they also train mentally. Furthermore, this educational style impacts the moral character of these athletes.

 Taekwondo teaches these major principles for the mind: 

-Focus                                              -discipline 

-Self-Control                                   -resilience

-Courtesy                                        -dedication

-Integrity                                      -perseverance 

 World Taekwondo. (n.d.). Poomsae World Championships [Photograph]. World Taekwondo.

     To apply these principles to my film opening, the main character will be a disciplined, focused, and dedicated taekwondo student who is about to attempt a difficult skill. They will try to calm themselves down, showing self-control, and will have the dedication to try dangerous movements. This shows the significance of how practicing this martial art not only comes with physical struggles, but can also be mentally challenging as well.

     I will also represent the friendly and supportive community taekwondo has built for me in my project. In a flashback scene, I will include past pictures of me and my taekwondo friends at competitions and at training. It will clearly emphasize the connections and relationships taekwondo students have made on their journey to become better athletes. By doing this, the audience members who may also participate in a sport can relate to and emotionally connect with the main characters memories, thoughts, and struggles.

     There are three main sections of taekwondo: Kyorugi (Sparring/Fighting), Poomsae (Techniques/Forms), and Demonstration (Board Breaking/Tricking flips & kicks). However in my film opening, the protagonist will be more focused and interested in performing the poomsae and demonstration skills of the martial art.

Kyorugi

International Olympic Committee. (2024). Paris Olympics 2024 combat sports [Photograph]. International Olympic Committee.

Poomsae

World Taekwondo. (2024). Hong Kong world taekwondo championships [Photograph]. World Taekwondo.

Demonstration

Kukkiwon. (n.d.). Kukkiwon demo team USA taekwondo [Photograph]. Kukkiwon.

World Taekwondo. (2024). Hong Kong world taekwondo championships international [Photograph]. World Taekwondo.

Resources

The Oxford Review. (n.d.). Media representation – Definition and explanation. The Oxford Review DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Dictionary. Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://oxford-review.com/the-oxford-review-dei-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dictionary/media-representation-definition-and-explanation/

Taecole Tae Kwon Do & Fitness. (n.d.). The history of world taekwondo: From tradition to global recognition. Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://taecoletkd.com/blog/152053/The-History-of-World-Taekwondo-From-Tradition-to-Global-Recognition

Researching - Film Credit Sequences

      A film opening isn't a film opening without its credit sequence. Credit sequences and the title displays are not only beneficial for crediting the people who worked on the film, but also crucial for setting the tone of the movie right from the beginning. The pace, the color, the font, and the size of the credits all matter when establishing the aura/vibe of the production. Therefore, I have observed a few credit sequences that I believe will help me choose how I want to include it in my own film opening.

Example 1: "Happy Gilmore"

Credit Sequence: https://youtu.be/3RlQttqJXVM?si=Bo28uDVjx1Rwprff

      Due to the fact that this movie was released in 1996, it has a rather simple credit sequence. The opening starts off with a black screen while slowly fading in and out credits. The font is a very basic white and in all caps. After the title of the movie is presented in the same style, the film begins to show clips from a tiny frame shaped like a old time television and the main character of the story starts to narrate his life story(developing the character). The clips keep playing on the tiny frame to the right of the screen, while credits still fade in and out on the left of the screen. To end the credit sequence, the tiny frame disappears and an abrupt close-up of the protagonist's face is shown getting smooshed into a glass wall of a hockey stadium, representing a snap back to reality/the present. This credit opening takes a more straight forward approach because it wants the audience to focus more on the film visuals and the narration of the main character.

Example 2: "Bend It Like Beckham"

Credit Sequence: https://youtu.be/NysSdbN02co?si=TcqAMbvqvXW3UDBa

     This credit sequence is somewhat similar to the "Happy Gilmore" credit sequence. In the beginning, a black background is displayed and credits fade in and out. However, these credits have a more stylistic appearance to them because of their orange font. Diegetic sound of a sports commentator and cheering can be heard, letting the audience interpret the setting with their own imagination. Additionally, because this movie is about soccer, the transition from the credit scene to the visuals connected to the audio, is created by a soccer ball panning from right to left across the screen. After a scene with the main character's mother, another soccer ball is used to transition the film to the title display. The title sets a sporty tone for the movie as the letters are bold and a soccer cleat is seen hanging off the letter "C" in "Beckham". This opening creates a more personalized approach, as the credits are more themed to the story.

Example 3: "Miracle"

Credit Sequence: https://youtu.be/TTO8M9Bx6_s?si=MYHpA3ep2S3zOOQi

     The opening credit scene for "Miracle" utilizes a creative style choice, as the film is sectioned in various colors, filtering the visuals as well as the text credits. The opening includes montages of what was happening in the world at the time, setting the intense and emotional tone for the movie. The credits fade in and out on top of the visuals being displayed. There is a cool editing effect that the editors incorporated when a color filter was covering the text. The part of the text inside the color filter would become a different color. This created a unique style choice that enhanced the production. A bold, capital blue title is then formed at the end, with an ice background to represent ice hockey. This perfectly symbolizes the theme and personality of the film.

Overview

    After conducting my research, I want to produce a credit sequence that is more similar to the film "Bend it Like Beckham". This is because I do not want a distracting credit scene, that will overstimulate my audience. Although I like the credits for "Miracle", I think that style will be too much on the eyes for the viewers because I want all the attention to be on mostly close-ups and establishing shots. In general, that tone just doesn't fit with the style I am going for. Sometimes the simpler the better.

My Schedule

   The portfolio project is a 7 week long project, meaning I need to organize every week accordingly. The worst thing that could happen is not having enough time to properly execute this project. Due to the fact that I don't want to leave everything for last minute, I created a structured schedule for each of the 7 weeks, planning when I will brainstorm, research, plan, film, and edit.

Week 1 (1/18-1/24)

-Research and choose genre

-Brainstorm film opening ideas

Week 2 (1/25-1/31)

-Come up with storyline (characters, setting, conflict)

-Plan where to film

-Find people to help film

-Figure out mise-en-scene (costumes, props, settings)

Week 3 (2/1-2/7)

-Begin filming the setting (close-ups and establishing shots to give representation to setting)

-Gather and record videos for a flashback scene

-Record scenes with main character 

-Start looking for background music

Week 4 (2/8-2/14)

-Choose the most fitting background music

-Record foley sounds

-Record voice over if needed

Week 5 (2/15-2/21)

-Start the editing process

Week 6 (2/22-2/28)

-Review the film opening and edit final details

-Research ways to create the reflection

Week 7 (3/1-3/7)

-Film the reflection

-Edit the reflection

After these seven weeks, I will have a few more days to make any changes, edits, and revisions needed for my film opening and my CCR.

(The final project is due 3/17)

Researching - Film Openings

   Before starting to come up with a film opening, it is reasonable to see some sample film openings that are in my chosen genre. This way I can have an idea of what approach my film opening should be.

Example 1: "The Karate Kid"

Film Opening: https://youtu.be/FwHq6hM3ILk?si=M1bL6fRKvlCR_k2T

     This filming opening is approached by establishing the setting. It follows a car, which may hold the main character, as it travels across the canyons. Due to the representations of the town in the beginning and the journey through the canyons, you can infer that the characters inside the car seem to be moving away to another place. This approach leans more into the coming-of-age genre as the main character is going to try to fit in with their new home. Many establishing shots are used to let the audience know where the car is going.

 (Both pictures from the "The Karate Kid" film opening)

Example 2: "Hoosiers"

Film Opening: https://youtu.be/r74qegjbF28?si=PawFdTFGCikGeogG

   This opening also is approached by establishing the setting. You can see a car, driving through empty roads. Long shots of the car are displayed, some of them slightly shaky to resemble the bumpiness of the road. We see an old man that could be assumed to be the main character driving the car. They also develop the character of the man as we see him to be drinking a cup of coffee, glancing at two kids playing sports, and arriving to a building with many sports medals and trophies inside. The audience can infer that he could be a coach for a sports team.

                                           (Both pictures from the "Hoosiers" film opening)

Example 3: "Kung Fu Panda" (I chose this example simply for the martial arts aesthetic)

Film Opening: https://youtu.be/6lT6PgFnNWE?si=CJZ4bLjNJqgX4TQq

    This film opening has a slightly different approach than the other two examples, as it establishes a comedic and vibrant tone through the funny dialogue and and the pop of red and yellow colors. The opening was also used to develop the character of the panda. The dialogue was the main way the audience could interpret the character. The visuals included montages of battles and mysterious places that the panda had encountered. Other side characters are also developed throughout these scenes, including "The Furious Five". This opening also uses many diegetic sound effects to emphasize certain movements, such as foot steps and fighting.

                                       (Both pictures from the "Kung Fu Panda" film opening)

Overview

     I noticed how all these film openings included nondiegetic, instrumental music, in the background. I would like to include something like that in my film opening as well. I can find a non copywrite, calming, and maybe Asian style song to fit the martial art aesthetic. I want to create my opening more like the "Hoosiers", however I do not want to include a driving sequence. What I liked about this specific opening was that towards the end, the main character is observing trophies and medals. A scene like that would be great to develop my character. However, like the "Kung fu Panda" opening, I would like to add more action scenes to establish the sport and the skill of the main character. Additionally, I would like to incorporate diegetic sound effects to emphasize certain movements. For example, a kick or punch would sound stronger if a sound effect is included.

Transitioning into the Portfolio Project

     After researching two genres for the film opening that interested me (adventure, sports coming-of-age), I had decided to produce a coming-of-age sports film opening for my Portfolio Project. I want to create something that is significant to my life and a representation of  myself. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I am a taekwondo athlete/competitor and I find this genre in films enjoyable and entertaining to watch.

    During class, my peers and I were taught the various types of ways to present a film opening. Specifically, we talked about how the beginning of movies play an important role in establishing the tone, genre, purpose, and introduce the characters and/or the setting.

Notes from class

     To approach my project, I want to introduce the character by establishing the background and context. Ways I can do this is incorporating a narration or voiceover to help the audience get to know the backstory and history of the main character. I would also like to develop the film by establishing the setting. I can utilize iconic and symbolic representations of a sport so viewers can easily understand what sport will be shown and what the movie will possess. To illustrate, if I were to represent tennis, I would include close-up shots and angles of tennis rackets, tennis balls, nets, and perhaps an establishing shot of a tennis court.

     The sport I wish to highlight in my film opening is taekwondo. Taekwondo is martial art that was originated from Korea. This type of combat style is learned through discipline, self control, courtesy, respect, integrity, and unbreakable spirit. As the main protagonist does taekwondo, it is a way of developing their character, their personality, and their desired goals.

Resources

Guest User. (2024, August 30). The role of narration in film: Enhancing storytelling through voice. Buddisystems. https://www.buddisystems.com/blog/the-role-of-narration-in-film-enhancing-storytelling-through-voice

Sport & Motion. (2023, April 3). 7 techniques to use in your sports production. https://sportandmotion.com/7-techniques-to-use-in-your-sports-production/

United Tae Kwon Do, Inc. (2025). The Five Tenets of Taekwondo. https://utkd.org/for-students/five-tenets