Group: Opening Sequence (final export)

Group: Lesson 4

Today in our lesson, each group presented a rough cut of their opening sequence. Each group took it in turn to exhibit a rough cut of their final piece,which then recieved feedback from the rest of the class.

AM: Font and Title Development

One word titles such as Brick (Johnson, 2005), Se7en (Fincher, 1995) are quite effective as titles themselves, and in marketing. They can be striking and memorable if used effectively. So, here are some examples and reasoning behind some one word titles;

Cane – The Antagonist's main weapon, he relies on it to walk (Mild disability), used to knock the protagonist out before he is taken to the cellar.

Lurk – “Lurking” is a phrase often used on the internet in forums and such social and media sites. It refers to a user observing people via listening to them, following their internet activity and/or posts without contributing or necessarily knowing the lurked victim. Lurking is often derogatory and has connotations of a creep, or loner. The word itself also has a unique acoustic value, which would resonate in the audience’s memory.

Others:

Don’t Look Down –

Down You Go! – This title satirical Implications, because of the possible friendliness and enthusiasm in the exclamation mark, however the genre would suggest otherwise. This may be difficult to portray as you could never be sure that the audience reading is interpreted as the same as the intended meaning. 

Gogo ZOmbie        C A N E   LURK  Down You Go!  

Capture it                                 c A N E                 L U R K          DOWN YOU GO!

ELEPHANT                            C A N E                    LURK           DOWN YOU GO!

Elephant                                     Cane                           Lurk                     Down You Go!

FUTURIST FIXED CANE    LURK    DOWN YOU GO!

Futurist Fixed Cane    Lurk   Down You Go!

Group: Planning (Film shoot 3)

After previous shoots, our group has come to a conclusion about whats needs doing and what needs to be changed.


Mise-en-scene 
The costume for the antagonist will need to be changed due to its ridiculous connotation, which came across more comical then scary. To fix this the antagonist (Joe) will where a costume more fitting to that of a psychotic murderer.


Lighting
The beginning shots will also be redone due to the poor lighting,that was experienced at our last shoot. This problem will be sorted out with the use of extra lighting - lamps, torches and so on.


Lists of new shots:

• Top button
• Card Discovery
• Going down stairs
• Front door
• Basement
• Phone (light)
• Knockout
• Awakening
• Computer shots

Equipment

To improve our shoots we have taken out the equipment as follows

Handicam

This will allow a more accurate and steady POV shot, as it will mean the camera is less 'jerky' whilst filming. It will be used for many of our close up shots when the protagonist has located his shrine

Steadicam

This equipment will mean a much more smoother pan, giving our opening sequence a real sense of professionalism. The main issue we face however is the weight distribution, which will hope will be sorted with the use of practise.

Group: Filming (Second Shoot)

Filmed on Sunday, during the hours we were on location, our group completed a number of tasks including:

• 1 minutes worth of filming which we will use in our final piece.
• More detailed storyline
• Turned the location of the cellar into something mysterious and eerie.

Successes - After playing with the depth of field, we managed to film some intresting shots and the advancement of mise en scene in the cellar.

Target - The intro (bedroom scene) needs to be reshot as the mise en scene needs to be changed.

Filming again on friday, after lunch.




A few pictures of the filming location:

Blog Update

Group:
Today we discussed the possibility of another film shoot this weekend most likely Saturday.Andy is progressing with the story board and is near to completiting it which means we can create an animatic next week at some stage.
we have filled out a call sheet and risk assessment and are defiantly filming this weekend.
Andy is putting up the audience research evaluation as it is missing from the blog .
overall we are on track .

Group: Sound-track

I have been looking at sound from other films such as resident evil 3 this genre of music would suit our opening credits as it is fast paced but creates suspense.                                    
I have been working in collaboration with Harry to create a sound track that emulates the pace but also the suspense that is heard in this track.

The sound is very much one you would associate with horror due to the long swooning basses and high-pitched xylophones sequences. It very much captures the horror feel as it will work with the tension of our film as well as become stuck to the audiences mind.

Group: Filming - 1st Session (Friday, 2nd March)

Strengths:

The filming session was very inventive and full of ideas, as well as our already planned shot. It was an opportunity to play around with our location (cellar) by incorporating interesting props i.e hammers and other grubby workman's tool.
On inspection the cellar was alot smaller then we thought, so other sections of the cellar are going to be used to give the idea of an almost homely enviroment for a killer.

Weaknesses:

When decending into the cellar we discovered the stairs to be quite hazardous due to one of the bottom steps coming loose from the structure. Another problem we faced was the battery life, this was fine to begin with however the camera soon died, putting a thirty minute hault to our filming session.

Roles:

The sequence with Harry in the chair features Andy in the background with Joe filming.
The sequence with the mobile phone feature Andy's hand with Harry filming.
The sequence featuring a POV down the stairs was done by Joe.
The sequence showing the weapons was filmed by Andy.

Research & planning - interim grade

This blog provides proficient evidence of your concept and technical skills development, however there are some gaps. There is some enthusiastic research and Harry is using the blog more regularly to record the process, however all three do engage with key concepts well to research similar media texts. Andy - you are missing a film opening analysis.

Some aspects of the research (film analysis) is a Level 4, however overall the research and planning at this stage is mid L3 for Joe and Harry and low L3 for Andy (gaps and less evidence of contribution to process)

Focus for improvement:

1. Andy - you need to document your contribution in more detail

2. ALL 3 need to comment on each other's posts to show collaboration and discussion

3. Post wilderness edit in the evaluation post

4. What is now your concept idea? The changes and developments need to be clearly recorded

5. Recces - clearly recorded and evaluated

6. Audience research - needs sample of questionnaire and a detailed analysis of methodology and results - how did this inform your concept

7. You should all be using the blog every couple of days to record your own contributions to the process and clearly show technical advances - by this stage there should be research into fonts, props, sounds etc

HL: Opening Analysis 3

Se7en (Fincher, 1995)

Institutional context

• In this opening sequence we don't directly see the actors, however the intro credits inform us of who will appear. The stars of this film include: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey and a few others.
• The film was an industrial film, produced by Arnold Kopelson (who is also know for producing Platoon (Stone, 1986).
• The marketing strategy was based around an alternative ending which was available through special features on the DVD, as well as being novelised in the same year of its release by Anthony Bruno.
• The production values are shown through a montage edit,with the use of a 'glitchy' and nervous soundtrack paired with these shots creates a sense of horror in the audiences mind, as these graphic images flicker between the antagonist making crafts.

Media Audiences

• The audience targeted is mainly male however with the use of big actors such as Brad Pitt, some females may also be interested in it.
• The probable audience reading would be that the being that is features in this montage is undoubtedly evil due to graphic pictures and chilling soundtrack. The possible audience reading could be someone locked up in a mental asylum.
• My personal reading isn't influenced by my age due to the mature understanding of horror films, however the montage does create a sense of uneasiness due to the vivid picture that it cuts too.

Group: Lesson 1 29/02/2012

In the lesson today, our group started on the animatic storyboard. We managed to complete half of the hand draw slides, as well as deciding on our diagetic and non-diagetic sound.

In are opening a few lines of dialogue will be used, this will mainly be done by the protagonist as the antagonist will stay silent. This paired with the robe not only introduces a fell of noir but also creates an enigma for the 'evil' character as their gender is hidden, creating gender neutrality.

Group: Pitch for Green Light.

After presenting our pitch we had a feedback session with other class members. During out concept development stages we were inspired by fairy tales and putting a contemporary spin on them as it is a reoccurring style in the film industry i.e. Red Riding Hood (Hardwicke, 2011) and Snow White and The Huntsman (Saunders, 2012).

We thought that using a visual motif such as a red piece of clothing would stand out, however upon criticism we decided to focus on the fairy tale Hansel + Gretle because the original is still quite sinister enough and we could adapt it with a modern twist. Also, in reference to costume, people instead suggested we could utilise a noir element by using a robe/jacket/hat to obscure the antagonist’s face to evoke the feeling of an enigma.

  

As for our story, people responded to us that it wasn’t particularly clear, so we need to refine our story and reduce the amount of points we aim to include in it. We need to make it clear in what it’s about and what the opening sequence could lead on to.

When listening to other groups ideas we thought that many of them avoided stereotypes of the genre they had chosen and media representations to keep it fresh, we think this is a good idea and we will try to keep it in mind in the development process.

Group: The Pitch - upload

The Pitch on Prezi

Group: The Pitch


Having issues, what shall we include in our prezi presentation?

Group: Reccie to Wilderness Wood

During the filming trip to Wilderness Wood, our group tested and tried a number of shots. As well as the experience of filming in the open air, we were also able understand the other aspects of filming such as call sheets and risk assessments.The snow added a much larger risk to the equipment but allowed for a more magnificent shot.

The shots taken included:

• Medium Long shot
• Canted Angle
• High & Low Angle
• POV
• Dialogue delivery
• Stills (Montage)

What worked:

The use of POV shots, allowed us to practice capturing a sense of verisimilitude.Medium Long shots were also very successful as they captured the beauty of wilderness woods creating some magnificent shots for all groups that took part.

What didn't work:

We found canted angles difficult as the shot we aimed for lead to the use of tree stumps and logs which in the icy environment were seen as a hazard. The tracking shot can also be improved due again due to the snow causing the track to slip. 

The Reccie Edit

HL: Technical analysis

Shrooms (Breathnach, 2007)

 

Number of shots	Shot type	Duration	Mise-en-scene
1	Handi-cam crabbing left	4 seconds	Female running through forest
2	Establishing shot	3 seconds	Rundown building
3	Medium CU	2 seconds	Blood pouring out of a bucket
4	CU	2 seconds	Puddle of blood
5	CU- left of frame	2 seconds	Hand in the puddle
6	Mid shot	1 second	Female running through bush
7	Handi-cam crabbing left	4 seconds	Female running through forest
8	Long shot- low moving steadicam	3 seconds	Dark hallway
9	CU- right of frame	2 seconds	Quivering dirty hand
10	Mid shot	3 seconds	Dark silhouette
11	Long shot	1 second	View of the females feet as she runs
12	Handi-cam crabbing left	4 seconds	Female running through forest
13	CU-placed in the centre	1 second	Moving piece of rope
14	Mid Shot	1 second	Flattened bird
15	Mid Shot	1 second	Figure will a potato sack masking its face
16	Handi-cam crabbing left (Women framed to the right)	4 seconds	Female running through forest
17	BCU	2 seconds	Hand and face shaking viciously
18	CU	2 seconds	Pile of maggots
19	Long shot	2 seconds	Hovering figure
20	CU	3 seconds	Mans battered face, focuses on the eyes

In our film, I think the use of interrcutting images will create a more dramatic impact to our audience as pictures envelop emotions as well as creating a sense of verisimilitude. This will allow us to properly put across our ideas, as well as scaring the audience.

Group: Treatment 1

The shot begins with a glass bowl, skittles are then dropped in it , as the sound will be amplified  for a dramatic effect. The shot will then change to a close up to a single red skittle with the 's' clearly shown, this will act as a visual motif, just like the bracelets used in 'Brick' (Johnson,2005).
This then fades into the title sequence of our title (which is still under discussion) in a font mentioned in our Concept Development post. The shot then focuses on the protagonist and his companion, whom are walking through the forest, to then bind things together, the shot will also contain the visual motif of the red hoodie out of focus in the background. The protagonist then gets a message from his secret admirer (the murderer) so he ushers his companion away, he is now alone. The character then pulls out a packet of skittles which is blown away by the wind. The character then follows the wrapper and notices engravings into the trees, on closer inspection they are arrows, they seem to be directing him somewhere.

Flashback: this shows the creep on a laptop talking to the protagonist as he pretends to be the attractive girl that wants to finally meet him.

The character ends up at a small secluded hut, on inspection it seems abandoned but surprisingly a pigment of light is seen. The hut is unlocked, but the door is closed with the use of a rock/log. As he enters the hut, he is greeted will a dark and odd low key lighting. A bed is present which implies there is a owner. Being nosey he examines more, the hut is covered in letters and other objects which no really link, i.e girl hair brush, axe. A laptop is emitting light, it seems very unfitting for its environment. The laptop is then opened to find the girls social networking site on the screen, this confuses the protagonist and starts to scare him. As this happens the man in the red hood enters the hut, a scream is heard and the clip ends.

Group: Preliminary task- Lesson 3

• When shooting our preliminary task i learnt that when filming there are many ways of moving and angling the camera to create specific effects for example ,running with the camera (Handy cam ) can emulate a chase scene as seen in many television dramas and films .
• The best shots that we were able to take were close ups of the protagonist and antagonist's facial expressions when dialogue is being used,these were our best shots because the non-verbal language we captured in these showed the mood and intentions of character's.
• The main difficulties we encountered when filming were when to start filming a shot and when to end it ,we found this difficult because we tended to give vocal signals which ruined some of our best footage.
• When editing i learnt that some of the best shots are the shortest,such as when we were trying to continuity edit clips such as a moving through a door scene small 1 second clips can make a huge difference in the realism and can change the tempo of a scene.
• During post production i learnt that when adding non-digetic sound it is sometimes more effective to add two lines of music ,this beefs up the sound and allows combinations of eerie thriller tracks and suspense tracks to make a more horror like track.
• The main strengths in our production are the shots of facial close ups and the facial expressions which they show, this non verbal language says more than a lot of dialogue .
• The main weakness in our production was the digetic sounds that came with our original footage this was because there were other peoples voices in the back ground and subsequently we had to turn down the digetic sound to salvage the footage.

When we film and edit our opening sequence my three main tips would be.

1. Make sure there are no unwanted digetic sounds such as loud voices or cars etc.
2. Make sure to take 2-3 takes of each shot so that you have a wider variety of shots.
3. Plan the sequence ,shots and events that are going to happen even if changes have too be made which is inevitable.

JN: Jamaica inn (Hitchcock 1939) Technical analysis

Shot Number	Camera	Duration (seconds)	Mis-en-scene
1	Close up fading into	4	Night: Aged wooden Inn sign swinging in wind
2	Establishing shot fading into MLS.	3	Shot of old, neglected, remote Inn on wild night
3	MLS slides into.	13	Man hurriedly exiting Inn – running down external  stairs and mounting horse. Cloak and hat typical of 19th Century
4	LS moving into close up slides into.	4	Horseman riding urgently down badly-made road across rugged moorland
5	Medium long shot –jumps into.	9	Man on horseback approaches lantern on cliff edge, dismounts and approaches lantern
6	MLS,jumps to	4	Man in profile, horses head in shot. Man desperately scanning the unseen distance. Lantern behind shining.
7	Long shot ,fades to	3	Foreground sea, breaking waves with white surf crashing over rocks in storm. Ship in trouble in long shot
8	LS, jump to	1	Sailor struggling with ships wheel , obvious rigging of sailing ship typical of 19th Century
9	Mid shot	1	Sailor continues battle with cumbersome wheel and against storm
10	LS from bridge, Jump cut to prow	5	Prow of ship,  prominent rigging in foreground, rough sea through spray and waves land sighted dead ahead
11	Mid shot, jump	6	Captain, denoted by white cap, helping battle with wheel as waves continue to batter over bridge/ wheel