Friday 11 May 2012

Final film clip, just realised the other one has writing on.

Script.

Spoken with lots of enthusiasm...

SECRET REVEALED AT THE END :O

bet you didn't see that coming o_0

More on institutions possible to use.

This table shows us that the USA have the most amount of releases and make the most money and so therefor we would have to put a lot of money in for them to produce our film, therefor it would be more beneficial for us to use a British independent film industry.

More on social groups.

Throughout the film we used various camera shots to represent teenagers...





The first shot of Ben represents teens in that we can see as the audience that he dresses as an everyday teenager, most teenagers want to be discrete which suggests why he is wearing a dark jacket, similarly in the picture just to the right wearing a dark jacket and trousers shows them to be average teenagers.



The next two pictures are a two shot, this allows the audience to see more of their reactions at the same time and there are quite a few of these shots throughout the video clip.

The next shot is a close up of Ben's face as this enables the audience to see that he is really shocked and so maybe they too should also be shocked.

The next picture is an over the shoulder shot so the audience can see from Ben's point of view and that maybe he therefore thinks that it is a silly idea to take the dangerous route rather than the safer but longer option.

The next shot is a close up of my characters face this enables the audience to see how shocked and scared she is, also you can see a hint of regret for not listening to Ben on taking the safer route.

This is followed by the shot of Ben dead and lying on the floor, and a reason for the audience to think my character had been silly to ignore Ben.

We then see my character come face to face with the killer, we have done a two shot of this so that the audience can see it as the characters experience it. Also the killer is placed slightly higher to show dominance.

Location tour.

So we started off near the Appleby Street sign...
Then we want on to walking around the block or 'to the party' until we reached our first alley way...


After these alley ways I got a little distracted, oooooo prettyyyyyyyy...

Finally, here is the place where the murder happened...

Corrections.

Let the corrections commence.

What I have learnt.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Technology.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have found this task really beneficial and i have learnt about things i never knew before, for example the technologies used in the making of the dark knight.

They spent a lot of money on this film however they also received a lot of money back.

I have also learnt a lot about the digital screen network and how it is beneficial to British independent companies.

I have also learnt about the importance of technological convergence and how useful it is when producing a film.

Monday 7 May 2012

Audience.

This took me ages -_-

hope it works o_0

How did you attract your audience?

How did you attract/address your audience?

As a group we knew that in most scary films the main characters take the dangerous route and we made this clear in our film.



We also knew that we needed to make the characters vulnerable for the audience to enjoy our film so we separated the characters as soon as the ‘scary music’ started playing so that the audience were in suspense.

Friday 4 May 2012

Darn.

Well I was uploading a video but it was taking forever so night guyssssss! absolutely shattered

Evaluation question 2.

question 3 is on its wayyyyy!

Evaluation question 1.

This is just part of my evaluation for question one only, question two is on its way.

Update.

So although I haven't posted anything I have actually got a lot done, as I dont have powerpoint at home and no youtube at school I have been printscreening all the pictures I need for my powerpoints. Riveting stuff, my evaluation should be on here later if I can get my movie maker to work :)

Time waster!

My internet is such a time waster, if everything didnt take so long to load I would probably have like 10 videos up by now!!!! grrrrrrrrr.

Monday 30 April 2012

Film Opening Analysis Texas chainsaw massacre Camera angles Mainly close ups and mid shots, only few long distance shots. Editing Very rapid movements to make the situation more tense and to make the story line more scary, fast pace and so the audience has to pay attention to keep up. Mise-en-scene Remote areas and dull dirty costume, in opening scenes usually more main characters show some nudity which makes them more vulnerable and scares the audience more as it is their worst dear, poorly lit lighting, usually of an evening hardly ever in daylight. Chainsaw used as a violent tool and a violent sound. Friday 13th Camera angles Similar to Texas chainsaw massacre in that they have a similar storyline, again a lot of mid shot and only a few long distance shots when showing the location. Editing More rapid than Texas chainsaw massacre as it is shown to be more of a chase and in some ways more realistic as they have more of a chance of getting away. Mise-en-scene Again in remote places and dark clothing. Saw Camera angles Close ups and shots which show flash backs and help the audience build up the story. Editing Rapid movements and often almost a tinted glass over the screen especially when in a gory scene showing the audience what is happening from ‘JIGSWAS’ point of view. Mise-en-scene Remote locations again, factories. Our opening Camera angles Various camera angles, again more close ups. Editing Various transitions and rapid cuts with slow motion and ‘bad film’ used. Mise-en-scene Remote location, field and dark costume.

Preliminary Analysis

Preliminary Analysis In our preliminary film we have used a moving shot from behind Ben, an over shoulder shot, shot reverse shot, close up and a zoom, the zoom was very affective however we could have improved the over shoulder shot. To make the sound more effective we knew we needed to do some voice over’s in places where dialogue may be more difficult to hear. We wanted to make our prelim slightly humorous so we though that a staple for props in mise-en-scene would fit in well with the dialogue. However we knew that in our final piece we would also need to think about lighting and costume and also make up. As Ben in out team went on the editing course he did most of the editing however Jacob also did a considerable amount and occasionally I had a go however when it comes to computers I am mostly incompetent so instead I just sat and had lots of input and helped with decision making instead, we didn’t really have many problems with editing apart from the sound. Lighting was not really needed in our prelim exercise as it was fairly light in the room anyway, so there were no issues with this. We used a shot reverse shot in the middle of the clip where there is the most action and the feeling is tense as using this shot would help build on this even further as the movements were very rapid. We tried to include an action match shot however we failed with this as we found it difficult. We have strictly stayed to the 180 degree rule and this is shown towards the end of the clip when the camera shot moves from my face to Bens.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

So I should probably upload our coursework video, would help if I knew how to do it...


This could take a while.

Sunday 15 April 2012

general update.

Have just started the final storyboard and its taking a while due to being a perfectionist I want it to look very detailed and neat, so all the boxes have been drawn, they look very neat so the drawing will be started when media next comes up on my revision timetable then it will soon be posted on the blog for all of my group as they will help with annotations and colouring :).

Friday 13 April 2012

Vladimir Propp, first draft.

Vladimir Propp came up with 31 functions in which most stories conform to, these are;

ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.

INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero is warned against some action (given an 'interdiction').

VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is away.

RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc.; or intended victim questions the villain). The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may speak with a member of the family who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.

DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location.

TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim). The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend and thereby gaining collaboration.

COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon) to actively working against good people (perhaps the villain has persuaded the hero that these other people are actually bad).

VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc., commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc.). There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story. In the first option, the villain causes some kind of harm, for example carrying away a victim or the desired magical object (which must be then be retrieved). In the second option, a sense of lack is identified, for example in the hero's family or within a community, whereby something is identified as lost or something becomes desirable for some reason, for example a magical object that will save people in some way.

MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc./ alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.

BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.

DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home;

FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);

HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him);

RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);

GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;

STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat;

BRANDING: Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);

VICTORY: Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);

LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);

RETURN: Hero returns;

PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);

RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);

UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;

UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero presents unfounded claims;

DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);

SOLUTION: Task is resolved;

RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);

EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed;

TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc.);

PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished;

WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

Those in which our story conforms to have been put in bold.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Pre-production checklist, first draft.

Pre-production Checklist.

Shooting schedule.

For our film we knew that for it to be traditionally horrific and scary it had to be filmed of a night time, so therefore it needed to be dark and we also knew that weekends would be beneficial for us as we did no have to worry about if we was filming late and worrying about school the next day, however some of us had work or football which made it difficult some weekends.

Roles and responsibilities.

Ben went on an editing course before the Christmas holidays and so he did most of the editing although Jacob had some input as well and we all had a say on how the transitions should be. Each of us were in charge of our own costumes and characters, this meant that Ben had to take two costumes, I was in charge of makeup, making Ben look like he had actually been killed. Jacob was in charge of looking after the camera and being the actual camera man. We all came up with different parts of the story line. If any of us had a good idea we took it into account and discussed whether it could be used.

Location.

The location was chosen to be near my house as there are a lot of fields and alleyways which were particularly helpful for our genre of film. (pictures coming soon)

Inspirations.

There are so many horror films which we could have chosen to be our inspirations however, our main inspirations are films like ‘Friday 13th’ and ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’ as masks and brutal murder are involved.

Themes.

Stupidity could be a theme, you know that when drunk teenagers walk through a dark field late at night, one of them is bound to die.

Mood progressions.

In the beginning of the clip the characters seem to be excited about the party they are headed to but as it gets darker, and more windy the scenery starts to change, everything is significantly more creepy and more alleyways appear one after the other, hinting at a possibility of getting lost. When in the field, a scary music sound affect is put over the top so that the mood has gone from really happy to really not.

Lighting.

As mentioned above, each separate clip in the short film show that it has gone from light to dark in what seems to be no time at all.

Props.

The torch gets discovered during the clip at the end of an alley showing that by the end of the clip there may be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Or maybe not. A mask is also used to cover up the true identity of the killer and a mobile phone is used to separate the characters so that they are more vulnerable and makes it easier for them to be killed.

Clothing.

Ben just wears normal average clothing such as jeans and a jacket and I wear a hooded jumper and plain black trousers with wellies, the character isn’t silly enough to go out in a short dress in cold weather showing that she is a normally intelligent person but still manages to be silly enough to go into a dark empty field on the way to a party in the middle of a forest.

Establishing the environment.

During the clip we show clips of the alleyways and safer directions but the characters always pick the unsafe option.

Camera movement.

The camera always focuses on the person talking and shows Ben walking ahead to show male dominance and a protective character.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Audiences first draft

Initial Audience.

Potential questions.

In media for our coursework we have been asked to create the opening 2 minutes to a film genre of our choice we have chosen horror as we believe it is gripping and appeals to our target audience, to see if we are correct we are carrying out this questionnaire.

What is your favourite film genre?

Comedy

Horror

Romance

Sci-fi

Adventure

Fantasy

Other, please specify

If you chose horror, what is it that appeals to you?

Plot

Spine tinglingly scary

Gory

Paranormal

Other, please specify

How old are you?

13+

15-16

17-19

20+

Are you male or female?

Male

Female

After hearing the plot to our film do you think it fit’s the purpose of the task?

Yes

No, if so, why?

Is the plot appealing?

Yes

No, if so, how could it be improved

production diary, first draft.

Production diary.

The first day we started filming it was a lot darker than we expected and was not successful at all, we even tried making it brighter through editing but it didn’t seem to work, everything we had filmed had to be discarded but this helped us know what to expect and when would be the best time for us to film, we decided to film around dusk, just before it gets dark, its light enough to get the filming done but dark enough to feel eerie and suspicious.

After this new discovery we went out to film again and was much more successful however it was very windy and so we knew that any other time we wanted to film it would need to be windy or a sound effect would need to be added, luckily that day of filming was in an open area and so when we filmed the alley way on a separate day it didn’t matter that it wasn’t as windy although we still added a sound affect but just made it very quiet, then we had to remember to wear the same clothes each time.

We then cam across another problem having to film the alley way, no matter how light, because it was covered in trees and fences surrounding it was very dark and so we had to include us miraculously discovering a torch. Filming the actual killing scene was a lot easier although we did have to do a couple of takes due to the pigs in the neighbouring farm squealing and then starting the cows off. We also had to ring my phone and hope that no one else would call in the mean time.

Taking lots of different shots at different angles enabled us to have more footage in case one didn’t work so that we wouldn’t have to go out again. We then went back to film the Appleby street sign to make sure the camera shot was steady.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

Filming

So far our filming has been non-successful.
First of all our torch run out and so all of the filming we had done was pitch black and had to be filmed again.
Then after this the camera broke and so we have had to invest in a new one which is again setting us back.
However this has allowed us to re-evaluate aspects of our coursework and refine them to a higher standard.
We now know how the layout of the area will work best and have been using shortcuts to our advantage and adding this in to our filming.
We are now including an alley way for dramatic effect and an old story telling to build suspence with the audience.

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Marketing: poster examples.


This is a poster from when the film Juno was being advertised annnnnddddddd this is the one from Sean of the dead:   

Preliminary Exercise.

Success!!

Ben going on the course at Hertford Regional College meant that our preliminary task was edited well and wasn't accidentally deleted by myself as I tend to do this on a regular basis. We filmed our preliminary at school when we had a free period. Jacob did the filming which went extremely well.

In out preliminary task there are various shots including shot reverse shot and close ups. At the start of the short clip we see Ben walk through a door and sit down opposite myself. Ben then continues to say "have you got my stapler?" to which I reply "have you got my money?" The scene then feels tense and so Ben says "no." The camera spins to me and I say "well the deals off then." and proceed to storm out of the room.

It actually took us two times to film it as the boys kept giggling :)

The editing actually went really well and even Jacob had a go, Ben had the ability to edit spontaneously and every time it seemed to work out perfectly.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Juno is a tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high school junior, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the Penny Saver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Juno MacGuff is a tiny force of nature. An intelligent, articulate, teenager with a sardonic wit who seemingly has a ready wisecrack for every occasion that might arise in her small Minnesota town. But her bravado masks deeper emotions. The film goes beneath the hipster surface and gives many of its characters an extra dimension that goes beyond Juno's perception of them. This film empathizes with all of its main characters. The heart of Juno is Ellen Page, and her coming to terms with her feelings for her best friend Bleeker. Sure, it takes getting pregnant for her to realize the man of her dreams is the wimp in yellow shorts, but then, the characters in Juno aren't like normal people anyway. Ellen Page’s touching performance and Reitman’s skilful direction that make it a fantastic movie. Like its title character, Juno is funny, charming, honest and incredibly smart. Released in 2007, directed by Jason Reitman. The film is approximately 96 minutes long.

Sunday 1 January 2012

seven questions

Shooting Schedule
In class, my group and I all decided that Sunday afternoons were a good day and that any other time we will contact each other when we are free, also due to the fact that a film is a horror it will be filmed at night time or when it starts getting dark. Contact with parents is easily accessible as they live two minutes away from the location.
Roles and Responsibilities

There are various roles which we as a group have discussed in detail. Jacob is the director and films the clip. I myself am in charge or any organising needed to be done and make up on set, Ben also has jobs, but I cant remember them :) soz.
Inspirations

All of us, especially myself, enjoy watching horror films and it seemed befitting to do one ourselves. Horror films also seemed like a fun thing to do as it can get really messy with fake blood and really getting into roles with loud screaming and jumpy moments in our clip. The location we have chosen can look really eerie and creepy in the right setting which is why we will be filming when it falls dark. Thick forests surround the area where we are filming which could make the film have that added horror factor. Obviously it will be difficult to film in darkness, but our storyline really aids us as it is from Jacobs point of view we don’t need big lights to light the area, we have big torches which give a very bright light and will also go with the horror theme.
Our opening film

Our opening film follows a horror film, which means we are going to try and make it as jumpy and as gory and scary as humanly possible. At the start of the film the mood is excited as the characters are on their way to a party in a bunker in the film however as walking further into the Appleby fields the characters sense something is wrong, once separated they are picked off one by one and so a chilling feeling is projected to the audience. The location starts from a house and then it shows the characters journey to or partly to the party, but they don’t make it. As previously mentioned, each character will be carrying a huge torch which provides a lot of light. Not many props will be used apart from a fake knife which the attacker will have. The characters will also be holding alcohol in their hands as they are heading to a party. The costume will be casual but a light coloured top will be used to that blood can be seen easily.
Pictures will be posted at a later date :) the scanner thingy is on the blink.