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Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Location Ideas

Below I have look at different places that I feel could be used as filming locations for our film.


Bridge - Dearne Valley Park, Barnsley

I really like this location and I feel that it would be really effective as our location for our final scene. The surrounding area, with trees foliage and ivy makes it look really isolated and a perfect place to get rid of an enchanted necklace. I believe it sets a really moody atmosphere and is also spacious enough to film on effectively so we could capture some excellent shots.

Footpath
1- Dodworth- Jermine Croft
2- Ripley grove, Redbrook
I feel that both these location would be suited for our film, they both set the right atmosphere and moods for our scene, they are also realistic and look as if they would be used as an everyday shortcut. They are both easy to get to by bus, and also are very spacious so would easily accommodate our camera and tri-pod.

Act 2 Scene 3 - Mirror Scene Storyboard


(Click to enlarge)


This is a simple storyboard that shows in stages the effect we would like to achieve in this scene; when the main character looks in the mirror we want her reflection to dissapear on screen. This is one of our suggested elements.

The Convention of a Thriller Film

In order to gain a deeper knowledge of how to successfully produce a thriller film, I have researched what a thriller film actually entitles. The conventions and codes of the genre thriller are the key features to producing a realistic film, and therefore in order for me to fully understand how a thriller film is created, I researched the main conventions of the genre.

Sound and Editing: Quick cuts and plenty of different camera angles as well as many changes. Jump cuts and elliptical editing is used quite frequently in thriller films to maintain the audience’s suspense, and to build tension. Music that further delivers the feeling of tension is also frequently used, with a major key tone, as a pose to minor, which are mainly used in horror films. As the majority of thriller films consist of an action scene, racy music is also used to add to the affect of the action on screen.

Lighting: The use of shadows, mirrors and stairs are also conventions of thriller movies that can possibly be implemented in. a particularly effective elements which we will include in our film, is the shot of an unidentified woman positioned in front of a cyclorama, with the light behind the screen, therefore her face will be shadowed by the light. Here is an example.





























Narrative: Thriller films are normally shown from the perspective of two characters; the first being that of the protagonist, which involves the audience in events and creates empathy for the character, and the second, influencing the protagonist in their situations. As thriller films aim to hook the audience, and give them excitement, they often consist mainly of action.

The themes of thriller films are commonly based around societes current fears and worries. They may be isolation, entrapment, murder, pain or terrorism etc, although pain and murder are usually more associated with the horror genre.

Iconography: Shadows, street lamps, confined spaces, running water, bars on windows, Cities/ Town, foreboding trees, night-light.

Setting The locations isn’t necessarely in a specific area in a thriller film, as they can take place in urban areas, isolated surbuban settings, and cities or quiet country villages.

Mise-en-scene Mise-en-scene is essiential in showing the genre of a film. Thriller films ususally consist of dim lighting to hide parts of a character, suggesting that they are mysterious, large threatening weapons for props e.g. large knives, guns etc. Camera shots are normally point of view shots, frames within frames, or close ups. The camera movement are often tracking shots, and panning to show a wider range of landscape. Elliptical editing is also used to show the passage of time between shots, but is also used to enhance the audiences anticipation whilst watching the film. Colours are also used to signify different emotions such as red which connates blood or danger, and blue connoting a cool feeling, further reflecting mystery or death. These colours can be shown through props and costume, but also through framing.

The Invisibility Effect

Invisibility is a main theme in our film, and we need to make the effect look as professional and realistic as possible. During Act 2, Scene 3 the audience sees that the character is slowly disappearing, due to the necklace which is found. This is a vital scene in the film, as it is the moment of realisation for the character, but also for the audience, as they are able to fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation, which the character Ruby Fox is in. However, as a production company, we are faced with the challenge of creating the invisibility effect professionally. As part of my research, I found a software which would enable us to create this effect quite easily. The following video demonstrates how the invisibility effect can be used, in films such as ours.




Although this is not a professional video, it is suitable for the effect in which we wish to create, and from viewing this video, we have a greater understanding of how to master the production of invisibility on film.

Final Draft - Header


This is our final version of the header. On this one we added "Red Lizard Production presents", made the logo smaller and changed the font of the word shadow bigger and also changed the design of it.
To make this header I used photoshop, adding each part of the banner to a new layer to make it look more professional, I also used google images to get the pictures of the girl/shadow and the original picture of the lizard, I added the writing to the logo using photoshop. The writing was done completely on photoshop.

First Draft - Header




This was the first draft of our header. We changed this as the logo on this version was too big and we felt it didnt look professional. On this version I used the Paint application and added pictures that I found on google and I had made myself.


Saturday, 25 September 2010

Short Film Analysis - About A Girl




About A Girl

Synopsis: As a girl relates stories about her ordinary teenage life, there is an uncomfortable sense of sadness underlying her easygoing tales.

Genre: Drama

Although this film is from a different genre to ours, I feel that it uses similar shots to those we plan to use in our film. ‘About a Girl’ is written and directed by Brian Percival, it is a 10 minute short film. The order of this narrative is linear however it does include many flashbacks to previous times in this girl’s life.

Screen Duration- 10.10

Although the film is a whole of 10.10 minutes I am going to be focusing on what I feel are the most important parts of the film as for most of the film it is similar as it flashes back to many of the same parts.

The film opens with a black screen, where the title appears, which looks like it is being written as a text message. This suggests that the film is about a youngerperson, and by the title “About a Girl” it becomes obvious that the title is about a young girl.


The opening shot is a long shot with low exposure helps establish the scene and introduce the main character but also adds a bit of mystery to the main character as you can’t see her face just her outline but can hear her singing and see her dancing. The low exposure could be added into our film as it adds suspense and mystery to the plot.

Throughout most of the film, a tracking shot is used; this follows the girl on her walk as she talks about her life and the different things that happen in it. The tracking shot is mostly a medium shot of the girl, showing her facial and body expressions to the different subjects she is talking about. Also as a medium close shot is used for the tracking shot you can see the different locations she passes, this further suggest that this girl is going somewhere. It would be good to use a tracking shot in our film as it could be effective for showing someone walking somewhere creating suspense.

Another effect used is Pulling Focus, although the girl is at the front on her phone, the audience’s attention is on what her mum and little brother is doing at the back, this lets the audience have an insight on to what this girls mum is like, and makethe audience to feel emotions for the girl.

Throughout the film whenever and new location is introduced, there is the use of a long shot, this establishes the scene showing the audience where they are, and letting them have an insight to this girls life.Throughout the film whenever and new location is introduced, there is the use of a long shot, this establishes the scene showing the audience where they are, and letting them have an insight to this girls life.


Also another way the long shot is used is to show in one scene the girl is alone, this could reflect on how the girl is feeling, lonely. It also gives a further insight to how the girl is treated by her parents; it also shows how she’s really feeling to what she says in her narrative.

Later in the film, there is a long shot where the main character walks into and out of shot. This again shows the audience the girl’s location at the time. It also gives further insight into this girl’s background and where she is living, this further makes the audience empathize with the character. Also for the first time it shows the audience that the girl is carrying a white plastic bag, this creates mystery for the audience as they would want to know what’s in it and where is this girl taking it.

Near the end of the film, there is use of a high angle, long shot,this gives the effect that the character is feeling inferior to something. Making the audience think about what they think it could be, leaving them guessing and wanting to know more. Straight after the high angle, as the girl throws the bag in it cuts to an underwater low angle this straight away shows that the girl feels in charge of her own life again

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When the carrier bag reveals what’s inside, it turns to slow motion of the baby falling out of the bag and floating away, this shocks the audience and makes sure they don’t miss it as it is a crucial part of the film. It also adds in extra emotion to the audience.

The last shot of the film is a high angle low shot, however it shows that this girl now feels happier with her life now she has got rid of her “secret”. The shot is also high exposure, suggesting she is happy with her life now.

I feel that in our film we should use the different shots that are used in this film as it makes the film more effective and helps the audience to digest more of what’s happening. I also feel that in our film we should use a flash back as I think it’s a more effective way of letting the audience know different things that has happened in the past.

Friday, 24 September 2010

Certificate Research :12A

After researching film certificates, I found out more about the certificate of our film, and what makes it the certificate that it is.

The categories are awarded by what material is suitable. The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult. However the ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

The Material that is suitable in 12A's are:

Discrimination
Discriminatory language or behavior must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs
Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.

Horror
Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Imitable behaviour
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not be in detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language
Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.

Nudity
Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sex
Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme
Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.

Violence
Moderate violence is allowed but should not be in detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Short Film Analysis - Belly Button



Written and directed by David Hewitt, the short film “Belly Button’s” non linear narrative tells a story of humanities perceptions of life and how people handle it, which can trigger certain actions. The narrative is wrapped in a framing device which allows the story to come full circle with the use of the crossword puzzle. The title of the film “Belly Button” is used as a metaphor for the whole film, as it is about how people develop in different ways throughout life, but the word is physically shown through the use of a cross word.

The morals and accurate representations of people are presented through the use of a voice over. The deep, male voice is suitable for the film, as it documents the characters thoughts and feelings without the use of dialogue from the characters. This is effective for the audience, as it enables them to have a deeper connection with the characters, but also is effective in showing how the characters react to certain things in life, such as theft. The film opens with a blank screen with the white text “Satellite Pictures”. This links to our film “Shadow”, as our film will open with the name of the distributor, which will present the logo of “Film Four”. Furthermore, the two titles sequences will also link together, as we will have a blank screen, with white text. This is a direct and informative way of ensuring the audience know the information about the film before it has begun.



Predominantly, the film incorporates nature, as a theme to represent the different emotions of humanity. This is immediately presented to the audience through the use of a mid-close up of a half naked male, jumping out of a river in slow motion, in synchronisation with a non diagetic sound of a gong. The voice over then begins, commentating on the mans actions, and why he is in that specific location. This instantly captures the audience’s attention, as it is enticing, and interesting. The six characters presented in the film are all from different age groups, but predominantly are associated in the adult age group. The way in which the film uses nature, and the parody of a voice over from a documentary, enables the target audience of adults, to be attracted to the film, and the narrative enables it to be both easily understood, but is also interesting. As the male voice over is most acquainted with nature documentaries, the film could be comparing the animalistic qualities of mankind.



This scene is then cut to a side-shot close up of a female sat on the ground, with the non diagetic major key music playing, with the male voice over describing what she is feeling. This particular shot should be used in our film, as when the protagonist Ruby Fox is thinking about her previous bullying events, the camera should be shot at a close up, to explore the characters sad emotions, but the side shot could further convey the idea that she is upset.



The framing then changes, as the shot continues, but the screen is then cut to a double screen, in synchronisation with major key piano music. This enables the audience to see movement of the character at one side of the screen, and a close up of her emotions at the other side of the screen. This influences our film “shadow”, whilst filming the bullying scene, as it can show her emotions, but also the audience are able to understand why she upset, so the side screen helps the narrative too be easily understood. So both shots are similar in conveying the characters emotions. The scene also relates to the idea of the film depicting the animalistic qualities of mankind, for when the narrator says “unlike humans, the dog will never know that one day it will die, it probably thinks that it will live forever”. This is a sinister insight for the audience, into the characters mind, but shows that she is a thoughtful character, and the double framing in which she is shot reflects her journey. The mid-long shot, in particular, when the character Kikki is walking down the steps, could be used in our film, for when the character Ruby fox is walking to college, but perhaps the shots could fade as she walks, so that we use elliptical in order to show the passage of time and so that the audience are not bored whilst watching the film.



In the next scene the character Mary is, is shot using eye line matches to her cross word puzzle. The director has cleverly used the crossword puzzle as a loop hole to link all of the characters together throughout the ending, therefore the close up shot of the puzzle is important. This is an important to the narrative of the film, and therefore we should have a similar shot in our film of the necklace shot, in order for the audience to gain a better understanding of the film, and for them to understand that the necklace is the key to the understanding of the film. Furthermore, the crossword which is used in the film allows the film to have a non-linear narrative, which is engaging for the audience.



The scene in which Mary is first presented is shot from a mid-long shot, with fast paste editing, so that she is framed directly in the centre of the shot, with the environment around her moving in different directions. This is a huge inspiration for our film, as I believe that this shot should be used when Ruby fox will be stood at a bus stop, waiting to go to college. It depicts the character emotions; that she feels lonely, and vulnerable, as the world just passes beside her. Furthermore, the over exposure of the shot, suggests that the characters world is pleasant, and enjoyable, and it makes the audience feel good about themselves, and the scene is filled with vibrant colours. In contrast to this, we should use under-exposure on the bus stop scene to suggest that the character is sad, and it will convey the same message to the audience.



The scene then changes to an over the shoulder shot of a man on a motor bike. Tracking is also used in order to gain a sense of travelling, as the audience feel like they are travelling with the character. This is an interesting shot as it gives the audience a sense of power, and control of the film – therefore it is dramatically pleasing. The voice over continues through out to explore how the character is feeling, and then the camera cuts to a long shot of the sky, to present birds flying. This could represent that the character feels that he wants to be like the bird: free. This could link in with our film, as Ruby fox feels enclosed in her own life, so perhaps we could use a similar shot in our film.



A graphic match is then used to cut to the next scene; which we could use in our film, as they are interesting for the audience to watch, and the continuity then looks smooth. The major key violin music which is then portrayed gives the audience a sense of uplifting. However, the long shot of the woman with a black umbrella links to the rain that is only portrayed in this scene. This portrays pathetic fallacy, as the weather reflects her mood, and the underexposure further implies her emotions. The male voice over then explain that the character has recently broken up with her partner, hence the moody atmosphere. This could be used in our film, as it is effective in portraying the characters emotions. But the scene is remained in high spirits due to the major key music non diagetic which plays throughout.



Elliptical Editing is then used in order to show the passage of time, but the film also then changes in tone, as a dark framing is used, shot at a high angle tilt, of the new character. The sudden change from major key non-diagetic music to minor key denotes tension, and is used to create an atmosphere, as a stressed gangster is filmed pacing pack and forth up the street, but as he paces, jump cuts are used in synchronisation to the music, to enhance the speed of the film and to ensure that the audience feels the atmosphere of the play. This is a parody of the genre thriller, which links to our film, as ours portrays the same genre, therefore we could perhaps use similar shots, and cuts, in particular jump cuts. Furthermore, the high angle tilt suggests that the character is inferior, and a weak person. Handheld, close ups are then presented to show that the character is scared, which we could use in our film, as it is a powerful and effective way in showing how a character is feeling, without the use of over presenting close ups.



A particularly engaging scene for me, is the one which beings after the non-diagetic voice over describes that the male character “wishes he had a girlfriend”. The next scene cuts perfectly to the character Kikki, from a long shot. This links the two characters together, and gives the audience a subconscious knowledge that the two characters will be together. This is dramatically pleasing for the audience, and could used as a device on our film, to keep the audience engaged. The character Kikki can also relate Ruby Fox from our film, as she feels “lonely”, in accordance with the non-diagetic voice-over. Therefore the medium and close up shots of her, could be used in our film. The elliptical editing which is used during the next two scenes, should definitely be used in our film, as it is an efficient way to shift the time around in the film, and enables the shots to flow smoothly – enabling the continuity of our film to be precise.



The way in which the character Kikki is filmed with a yoyo throughout the entirety of the films, is cleverly used as a metaphor for the film; she drops the yoyo’s string, and it continues to spin, and in order for the yoyo to continue to spin she put pulls it back up again. This can be symbolic for the way in which even though the character feels lonely and down, she pulls herself back up and continues on her path to life in hope that she will find happiness; which related strongly to the character in out film, so perhaps we should use a metaphor for the character, to interest the audience.



For me, the ending is particularly engaging; because the film has a non linear narrative, and it loops, the audience have been led to believe that each character is individual, walking on a completely different path. The medium log shot with high exposure however, during the end scene shows the characters meeting in the centre of the park, where the old lady featured at the beginning of the film on the bench, is sat; this could also be metaphorical for the characters leaving their old lives behind. Jump cuts and close ups are then used when the characters collide, to show how each character looks. The non-diagetic man continues to speak, but in the narrative of the old ladies thoughts, and this allows the audience to see her perspective of each character. The end clip consists of the elderly lady examining her cross word, in synchronisation with the major key music, and her realising that the final word is “belly button”: hence the title of the film. This word loops all of the characters together, and links to the film which we will be creating, as we intend to create a film with a non linear narrative, which engages the audience through the use of an interesting narrative, the use of a voice over, in replacement of dialogue which immediately creates a bond between each character, and the use of continuous switches from major key to minor in music. This combines with the interesting use of split screens, and fast paced editing made the film really engaging for me, and I feel we will definitely incorporate some of the shots into our film.

Genre Research: Thriller

Overview:
A Thriller is stereotypically a film whose main elements consist of tension, suspense and excitement. These are used to entice the audience and to keep them watching.
Thriller Storylines usually centre on Crime, Murders, Mysteries and Conspiracies. They normally use a gloomy tone to present society as dark and corrupt.

Characteristics:
The main aim of a Thriller is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and engrossed in the film. They will do this by using Red Herrings, Plot Twists and Cliff-hangers. The Plot will probably follow a common route which will involve the protagonist being put into a perilous situation where their life is threatened and there looks to be no way to escape.

Typical Characters-
· Criminals
· Stalkers
· Assassins
· Innocent Victims
· Menaced Women
· Terrorists
· Cops/Police
· Escaped convicts
Plus many more

Thrillers will usually be set in Cities and Towns however they can be set in more exotic and outrageous places.
Thriller will usually have a happy ending where the “bad guy” gets punished, arrested or dies. The protagonist will usually escape alive.


Sub-Genre
There are also several sub-genres of thriller, these include;
· Conspiracy Thriller
· Crime Thriller
· Disaster Thriller
· Erotic Thriller
· Legal Thriller
· Mystery Thriller
· Psychological Thriller
· Rape and Revenge Films
· Religious Thriller
· Supernatural Thriller
· Techno Thriller


Modern day thrillers are now being combined the horror Genre, we see more hybrid thrillers which involve gore and more sadistic themes. These films will include a lot more violence, terror and gore.

Examples of Thriller Films:

1990’s
Die Hard 2
Kindergarten Cop
Miller’s crossing
Misery
Silence of the Lambs

2000’s
What Lies Beneath
Along came a Spider
From Hell
Hannibal
Secret Window

2010’s
The A-Team
The Crazies
Devil
Shutter Island
From Paris with Love
The Green Zone










Similar Short Film Analysis - The Black Hole

This is a short film taken from the website :http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/



Synopsis: a sleep deprived worker discovers a black hole
Genre: Comedy
Although this film is from a different genre to that of ours, I feel that it uses similar effects and shots of those we plan on using in our film. 'The Black Hole' is written and directed by Olly Williams and Phil Samson, it is a 3 minute short film which was created for the London Short Film Festival and won the Virgin Media Shorts Award 2008. This short film is a dark comedy and centers around the themes of greed and invisibility.
The temperal order of this narrative is linear, and the temperal duration is as follows:
Story Duration- Years, the main character seems to be bored with his job and this therefore suggests that he has been working there for sometime.
Plot Duration- 30-60 minutes+
Screen Duration- 3 minutes

Analysis:
The film opens with a pin-hole effect, which then moves us into the main setting of the film.
The opening shot is similar to a shot we are planning for our film, the pan right helps establish the scene and introduce the main character. Also the the titles that fade out through this pan would look really effective in our film. The shot helps show the audience that the film is set in a sort of office as the props match the setting, you can see desks and computers and the main character is also wearing a shirt and tie. Another way the audience can establish that we're in on office is with the sound, you can here the diegetic sounds of a photocopier.
The third shot (see above), helps establish the character, we can see that his top button is undone, his hair is messy and his expression seems bored and tired. This allows the audience to sympathize with the character, they are able to relate to him as they too may have felt like he does at one point, furthermore they will enjoy the film more as they will feel connected to the character.
The next shot used in this short film is an eye-line match, the main character who stereotypically is male, is stood at the photocopier heard earlier, he is trying to photocopy something as we see him angrily push the button to copy.

The use of a low angle shot used here is effective at proving the characters importance, the low angle makes him appear larger and more dominant- which is a stereotypical trait of men is films. Men are mainly portrayed to be strong and dominant characters.
These shots (see below) are the main reason I chose to analyse this film, these shots are very similar to some shots we are planning on using in our film. Our main character Ruby Fox is going to be turned invisible and so we want to maker her, or parts of her disappear on screen. Here the main character can be seen putting his hand in the black hole, a garbage Matt has most likely been used to layer shots in order to create this effect.
The film also uses several close-up and medium-shots of the protagonist, again this allows the audience to sympathize with the character and relate to him. It also allows the viewers to understand how the character is feeling during different parts of the film, his emotions can be understood from the shots shown below.
I feel that we should use close-ups and medium shots of our characters expression in our production, I feel that it would make our piece for effective as it would allow the audience to relate to and feel connected to the character.

25 Word Pitch

After discovering an enchanted necklace, Ruby Fox’s life takes a disturbing turn. Trapped and with no-one to help, can Ruby escape this terrifying fate?

Wednesday, 22 September 2010

Costume Ideas

After finalizing our character profiles I am not going to look at costumes. Costumes are a vital part of media productions, as they play a key role in the presentation of characters and the representation of their personalities. We have several key character in our film who all have individual character traits and these can be portrayed to the audience through costumes.

Character 1 - Ruby Fox

Ruby is an adventurous girl, she has an outrageous style in order to portray her unique and individual personality. However she remains a quiet girl in and around school due to the fact that she is bullied.

As Ruby's style is outrageous and unique I feel that she would wear very simple clothes, but in bright bold colours, and accessorised with scarfs, jewellery and other features that will portray her flare.


I have chosen several pieces to construct an outfit for Ruby Fox, I feel that the blue dress combined with black tights and blue boots is a simple yet effective design, the style is slightly outrageous and is something I could imagine Ruby wearing, also the pale colours help to portray Ruby's quiet and innocent character. The pastel colours show Ruby as a victim.

Below is the full outfit together, I have also added some bolder accessories that help to portray the more outrageous and bolder side to Ruby's character.



Character 2 - Daniel Cooper

Daniel Cooper is the bully at Ruby's college he also attended Ruby's secondary school and he has been harassing Ruby for the past 5 years. He is arrogant and popular, and is also jealous of Ruby because of her intelligence and dislikes her outrageous flare.


Daniel's costume, I feel should be very simple but also very fashionable. As he is a popular and arrogant student it would make sense for him to follow trends and wear similar clothes to other people in order to fit in. Also as he is arrogant he will flaunt his money by wearing expensive and popular clothes.



Character 3 - Unidentified Girl

This character's personality is never revealed, she plays a vital part in the story but does an have sort of detailed portrayal. Her costume however is extremely significant and represents the entire purpose of her character.


I have selected several items to create an outfit for the unidentified girl, I have kept all of the pieces black as I feel that it portrays the idea that her personality is completely hidden, as there is no colour there is no hint at who she is or what shes like- creating mystery around her character.