Update 3

Today I shared my presentation with the class and got some really good feedback, which I used in tinkering with my first two parts. I worked around with the sound and the editing to fine tune the first two parts. I also started gathering clips and examples for the next two parts, Meeting With the Mentor and Crossing the Threshold, as well as some for Tests, Allies, and Enemies. I put together part of Meeting with the mentor and hope to have over half of my project done before the next class.

Final Project Presentation

The Journey of the Chosen One in Films

My questions for you while watching:

• Is my point/purpose clear and self explanatory without the need of further explanation?
• If so, what what would you suggest?
• Should I go through the entire structure of the journeys, could I get away with skipping over the less important elements of the hero’s journey?
• Did all of these clips fit with their respective plot points?
• Are there any other films you can think of that use the Chosen One theme? (I know… Star Wars… I’ll use it, I just couldn’t find any good clips for the first two parts?
• Is the sound mixing too cluttered or annoying at times? (Though, there’s not much I can do about it)
• How’s the pacing?!!

Why I chose this project

My original topic was not going to focus on a specific  theme but, instead, just the structure/journey of the main character/protagonist from any movie, because for some insane reason, I thought that would be easier. Also, I thought it would be cool if I wrote a speech and found clips of characters saying those words and putting a super super cut together, of them reading the speech. For many obvious reason, which I discovered as I attempted that first idea, that would never have worked.

So, I decided to keep the structure of the Hero’s Journey idea, but narrow it down to one kind of main character, The Chosen One. I really love chosen one movies and there’s a lot of them that follow very similar patterns and include similar elements and dialogue, which makes this project way easier to accomplish successfully.

The purpose of this project is to celebrate the Chosen One theme and to highlight the similarities of the movies that fall under its genre.

What this project is composed of

I knew from the beginning I wanted to make a cool and unique super cut. Using clips from these movies, I tried grouping them together in a very specific order so that the dialogue or the images match up and flow together. I also had writing to show which element of the Hero’s Journey they were on and to have a relevant quote about the Chosen One in the beginning (please let me know if you think I should keep the quote or not). Lastly, I used the main theme from Lord of The Rings to add drama to this project.

My process so far

First, I researched the Hero’s Journey: A structure of films that most movies follow, especially Chosen One movies.

Then I compiled a list of Chosen One Movies:

• The Matrix
• Harry Potter
• Bruce Almighty
• The Hobbit/LOTR
• Lego Movie
• Star Trek
• Kung Fu Panda
• Ender’s Game
• The Green Lantern
• Star Wars*
• The Terminator*

Then I went through, PDF of scripts to find the right parts of the movies that I needed, went through youtube to find the clips and used a clip converter to get them into iMovie.

Video Essay Update 3

Today, I have finalized the direction of my project. I have decided to focus just on “Chosen One” films and the similar structures they all have. In “Chosen One” films, an ordinary character is selected by a prophecy, or the universe, etc. to save or protect mankind. I have a list of films so far that include, The Matrix, Harry Potter, LOTR, The Lego Movie, Bruce Almighty, Kung Fu Panda, Ender’s Game, Star Wars, and I will be actively looking for a few more. The only one of those movies I have yet to see is Ender’s Game. I have decided I will break up the video essay by plot points in the Hero’s Journey Movie Structure (The Ordinary World, The Call To Adventure, Refusal of the Call, etc.) I may not use every plot point, but I will use the important ones that matter. Today, using iMovie, I almost completed the second part, The Call To Adventure, in a super cut of 6 films. I’m trying to make the dialogue flow from clip to clip so that it makes sense. My only issues so far, have been finding the perfect clips, sound mixing, and pacing. The latter is the one I am most concerned with. I have also been thinking about adding Voice Over in between each section to argue my points, but I will want to wait and see after I have several sections edited together.

Script First Draft

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m afraid I won’t be able to use my script the way I wanted to, but I can still use it as an outline or a guide for my project.

I am the protagonist. I am the main character. I am the hero. I am the one (The Matrix). I am the chosen one (Harry Potter)! I am front and center on the movie poster. I am played by the biggest stars. I can be a badass. I can be a wimp. I can be cool. I can be smart and clever. I can be funny. Quiet. Tough. Nice. Etc. Etc. Etc. I’m what this video essay is all about. And this is my journey.

Often, the first thing I do is wake up in my bed (Dodgeball, ). Or maybe I’m chasing a bad guy (Bourne, Starskey & Hutch, Casino Royale). Or you maybe you’ll learn a little about my childhood. You’ll get to see my background, where I come from, but that’s not where I am supposed to be. Whoever I am at the beginning is not who I am in the end.

What shakes it all up is my call to adventure. Something happens to my world or some inner desire is boiling up. Change starts to happen, but something makes me hesitate the call. Maybe I fear the unknown or someone is telling me about the danger and the uncertainty that lies ahead. (You’re a wizard Harry)

Which is why I’ll need to find a mentor. They’ll give me the training, the equipment I need, or just some much need advice. Then I have everything I need to cross the threshold: The end of the first Act. I embark on my journey and leave my Ordinary World.

I’m tested with the challenges of the new world I’m in. And I find out who will be on my side for this journey. I begin to approach and prepare for the major challenge of this new world.

And then… I face a big problem! I confront death or my biggest fear. Out of this moment comes a new life. Out of that close encounter, I take possession of this new treasure. We may celebrate but there is a danger of losing it again.

I then must head back to my original world with my new treasure. I have not yet completed my adventure.

And I approach my climax, the final and most severe test of my strengths and weaknesses. I must be purified by a final sacrifice and there must be another moment of rebirth.

And finally I return home with my prize. I am different than how I started, but I succeeded in my journey. Maybe I found a new love or saved a group of people. All journey’s are unique, but a lot follow a similar road.

Final Project Update #2

So, I’m starting to doubt that I will be able to pull off my original idea the way I initially intended it to be. I spent most of today looking up clips that could work, and that itself was an excruciating task. I don’t think I will be able to have all characters speaking each word of my script as if it were from the first person because I think it will not be aseptically pleasing, both visually and audibly. I think I’m going to shift the direction of my project to focusing on presenting the Hero’s Journey through cohesive movie clips. I still think I can demonstrate it in a cohesive essay without the use of a voice-over, but instead through flowing examples. Today, I started making “The Call to Adventure” part on iMovie using clips from The Matrix, Harry Potter, Bruce Almighty, The Lego Movie, Star Trek, and the Hobbit. I realized that I may have to focus on one theme of movie protagonists for this project: “The Chosen One.” I think focusing one theme will make narrowing down films much easier for me. I had a script going into class, but I fear I won’t be able to use it word-for-word because I’m changing the nature of my project. However, I still believe I will be able to use it as a guide for the Hero’s Journey outline when it comes to looking for clips.