Main Task 4 - Group Meeting

My group and I held a meeting wherein we discussed the appropriate genre, plot and description of our opening sequence. Everyone contributed ideas to this discussion to come to a conclusion of a comedy genre and what we will be creating. I have highlighted who said what and what has been agreed.


My idea for out group was to use two of our group as the actors and plot out our story as if one character who was an outcast student, was taken under the wing of a popular classmate who had seen the outcast being serverly bullied. This would become a comedy through the actions of the two and how they grew in learning about each other and through a journey of self acceptance.
Sabene, part of my project group suggested the idea be about an excel student landed with the responsibility of encouraging a rebellious popular student to change their ways, the plot would include both characters growth in coming to understand one another.
The other person in our group, Hannah, had this idea of every character in a school being kidnapped, and it was the mission of one character to set them free. The story would focus on that main character and their journey as they solve the mystery of the missing students.
As a group, we finally decided that our film plot would be that of  two students who are left in a school, while everyone else had disappeared. The genre has been chosen as a social comedy, the plot about everyone in school disappearing with only two kids left whose personalitites contrast to provide the comedic element, and it is their mission to find the missing individuals. Our description of our opening sequence is as follows: it shall contain the conventional cast member credits and title, dramatic music which will contrast with the comedy on screen, set the scene and include hints at the plot of the film to draw in the audience.

Main Task - 3 Further look at opening sequences

Film opening sequence of 'Casino Royale' 

For this post, I made a Prezi, choosing the points I felt were the most significant.

Main Task - 2 Choosing your genre

To choose out genre, we sent out a questionairre to 10 people to find out what they thought about films and opening sequences, providing 6 questions, all of which are shown in the document linked below, a copy of the questionairre. With all the multiple choice questions, the person answering was able to tick as many boxes as they desired, so therefore those results have greater than 10 answers.

After we took in the results of the questionairre, I set out a page to order the results, with tables for each question. We looked over the results and decided that the genre for our opening sequence and our film, we were going to produce, was a comedy. As this was the genre that the has the greatest response in the question relating to what film genre they wanted to see more of.

The opening sequence for our film will have to include credits of the cast and crew, set the scene and have aspects which show what the film is about.

Below is a copy of the results of our questionarre, which showed us what genre of film we were going to produce and the features that people wanted within it and the opening sequence.

Main Task - 1 Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Conventions of film openings

Film 1: 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'

 

Details of Cast and Crew:

After 5 minutes during the opening of the film, an overhead/bird's eye shot of the train is shown, as the train goes past, the opening titles appear, leading onto the production of the film, the actors, and the director.

 

The film's title:After the opening film titles, of the production and the book that the film is based off of, the title of the film appears within in a wide shot of the train. This is then preceded by the credits of the actors and crew.

An Introduction to character or character type:All of the children of the family's names are not given until later in the film, except for Edmund, but it is evident that these characters are close siblings, each with different traits. The eldest boy is shown to be the protective, head of the group; the eldest girl is shown to be doting and motherly, her arm around her little sister though-out the train journey; the younger boy is shown to be rebellious and not on the best of terms with his brother, as when the elder goes to pick up his suitcase, he shrugs him off and picks it up himself; the younger girl is evidently the scared, naive little girl.

Indication of place:Although because of the character's accents and the country they're in, it is not obvious where in England they are, although it is assumed they are in London, as the opening appears to take place during the start of the Blitz. Through the train journey, it is evident the children are being taken away to the countryside, but where exactly is unknown until the end of the opening sequence, where the siblings are standing in front of a sign of the train station.

Indication of historical period:The opening consists of a family within a war, hiding in a bomb shelter while bombs are being dropped and the air siren is going off. We are then shows evidence of it being World War II, one the planes, the Nazi Swastika is evident and with the evacuation process of children taking place. The children of the family are shown to get onto a train, leaving behind their mother, along with many other children, the train leaves and during the opening sequence, when the train is in a station, a few children are shown to have the tags and are taken with the family they will live within the country. In relation to this, there is evidence of the evacuation, as the train goes though countryside, far away from the dangerous cities of the time the film is clearly set in. 

 

 

 

 

Information regarding mood and tone:
During the opening titles, the children are all shown to have forlorn expressions on their faces, evident that the mood is one of fear, curiosity, through the two youngest sibling's expressions during the train journey, and confusion, shown though the youngest girl's expressions and body posture during the train journey, on the edge of her seat most of the time.The mixture of both dark lighting and bright lighting suggest that the mood during the opening is dark and moody, but that through the rest of the film, the tone will be brighter than the tone of the situation these characters are in.

 

 

Information to signiture theme tune:

The music of the opening is a theme tune composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, a well known music composer for films and video games. This music used in the opening is titles 'Evacuating London', created using an orchestra  the composer has stated that he employed instruments used in ancient folk music to create 'colour' and to underscore the dramatic nature of the opening, along with the rest of the film.

 

Information about genre:
The genre setting isn't exactly set, as all we know of the film is that the main characters are four siblings evacuated from their home in the city to the countryside during World War II. All the the audience know, unless they are aware of the books and the story behind the film in the books,






 


Questions that the viewer finds intriguing:
Throughout the opening sequence the audience isn't aware of where the children are going, just aware they are going away from the city into the countryside.

Patterns and type of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film:There is quick editing between the faces of the characters, specifically done to emphasis the different expressions they all hold. There is also quick editing between the inside of the train and the outside, usually just after at least one of the chararacters is shown to be looking outside of the window of the train carriage.

  

Mis-en-scene and cinematography that will be echoed or elaborated upon, later in the film:

The Mis-en-scene of the film is evidently placed to set the time period the film is set in, around 1940. This includes the clothing of the children and adults, along with the accessories, such as the bags the woman is holding in the screenshot to the right, to the tags on the children, to the setting the film takes place in, such as the train station and the countryside that we are shown throughout the opening. The editing of the opening is both smooth and 'snappy' with quick editing specifically around the expressions of the characters, particularly the two younger siblings.

 

Prelim Task - Post 12 - Independant work towards targets

For the first target, I set out in my head a list of criteria that I wanted to follow when we decided on the location of the filming, this criteria was:

• Does the location provided the correct amount of lighting for the shots?
• Will the sound reverberate from the walls of the location, thus will this effect the shooting in a good or bad way?
• Is the location free to use when all of our group is free to film?

After going through the criteria I inputted to the group, that TC8 was the best fit location for the film. Then we looked at each others time tables and decided when everyone was free to film in this location, to match with when the location was free.

For my final, self, target, when we were given the edit suite, I looked at the program I would be using and looked through all the tools it had, looking through the sheets provided for help. For the first time using the program, I looked at the tools and decided which ones I would need and practiced with them. Then when I began editing, I was able to use them better than I had originally thought.

Prelim Task - Post 11 - Targets

The first target I set myself was to, when the group was deciding on a location, choose fit a list of my own criteria, when looking at the locations that were available and the timings available, we decided that TC8 was the location perfect for our filming.

The second target I set myself was that of most importance to me, when the group began discussions on the script and who would be playing the character, I decided to help create a script that, as a target, would match all the requirements of the preliminary task, have a flowing plot which was easy for the audience to keep up with and to have camera shots that were not required, but would give more depth to the film.

The third target was to set out the jobs for all the group equally, it was decided who would be acting, who would film, who would direct/organise and who would edit.

My final target was that of a self target, as had been decided with the third target, I would be the one editing the film, because of this, as a self target, I decided to use this opportunity to improve and develop my skills of using the editing suite available to me.

Prelim Task - Post 10 - Evaluation of skills developed

Below is the final video of our preliminary task

Evaluation of our film
Overall, I was pleased with our film, however there were aspects which definitly needed changing for our next project. The first of which being how organised we were, in the preliminary film, we were not organised and ended up having to do a lot of filming last minute; this meant one of our actresses was unable to film on the day we had prepared for.
During the editing, we also found that two of our consecutive shots broke the 30 degree rule, I then had to use a fading tool in the programme used to edit to make these shots flow into one another in a way which looked much less like a jump-cut.
We also found that after being exported, the opening credits of the film were severly cut short, for reasons we do not know.

Assessment of Skills
From this task, I learnt how to edit, with no previous knowledge of this process. Although the programme usdd (Adobe Premier Pro) was pretty easy to get used to using, and had avaible information to help me. During the editing, I found that I was able to cut the shots down well, this also meant we were able to notice the mistakes of the two shots which broke the 30 degree rule very quickly. I also managed to figure out a way to fix this to the best of my ability.

Prelim Task - Post 9 - Post-Production

These are our rushes, which label the timing of the shot in the filming and a description of each shot, followed by whether or not that take was used. After filming one shot at the end of the first table, we had issues with the camera which resulted in us losing some footage and the camera went back to the 'in code' of 00:00:00. This is explained in the first table to give reasons for why the second table starts again with 00:00:00.

Prelim Task - Post 8 - Production report

Overall, I believe the shooting of the preliminary task went well, even though there were some difficulties we had to over come when editing and filming.

In regards to filming, the problems occurred with the camera not fully functioning when we filmed out first couple of shots, as the battery was near empty and would record any footage to the tape,
we changed the battery and the issue was overcome. Also, the camera and tripod was an issue, the tripod itself had a few flaws, one of which was that there was no way to secure the positioning of the camera as that part could not tighten, therefore the person filming had to hold the camera steady on the tripod.

Along with these issues, during the day of filming, one of our actors was ill and was unable to come into school, so our set camerawoman had to step in to take her place. Because of this we had to get another couple of media students to help us film the shots we needed that day. This however meant that one person in our group did not participate in the filming of the task, meaning we had to explain a lot of what we had filmed to her, in terms of the timing, the schedule of filming and the ideas that we had during the filming itself.

When editing, we worked well as a team, although with the editing only one of our group could do the work, which I ended up offering and doing, however I had help from my group to set out the timing of the shots to capture and had input when we had finished capturing and setting out our film, with the overall editing, such as transitions between some shots which needed improvement as they didn't flow, and the credits. In regards to the rules we were given, we did not break the 180 degree rule, however we did break the 30 degree rule, but with the editing done, we overcame this issue, and included a number of camera movements/editing techniques, such as Match-On-Action, panning and tilting.

While I am overall pleased with the footage, there were some issues with sound, because of the nature of the classroom, a reflectively empty one that was large, there were noises which we did not want to be as loud as they were, such as the squeak of the door opening. However, in editing, this was overcome. We could have improved if we had a working bridge-plate, thus allowing the shots to be more steady and less shaky, but I think we did well with what we were given.

Prelim Task - Post 7 - Additional Pre-Production Documentation

Location Recce

During the first scene, the filiming will take place inside of the left side of the building.This photo also represents part of the panning shot that is in scene two.

The lighting of this is also a key aspect in analysing with this photo, it tells us that we will not need any artifical lighting for the shots outside, as the timing of out filming and the timing of these photos being taken were within a small time span, therefore we know we will have enough light outside for the filming to look good and work with the rest of the shot. The sound of the area in which this photo was taken has told us that we won't struggle with loud noises, classes will be on while we are present in this area, so there will be no cars moving and no loudness outside. However, we may have some noise from the classroom that is directly next to the room we are using. As the filming is outside, there is no power supply,so the camera we use much have a full battery so that we are able to film all that we need.

This location is part of the area which the panning shot of scene two will be filmed. As with the photo above, this helped us analysis the lighting and sound. (See above for that information)

This is the inside of TC8 where the inside filming will take place. This photo was taken with the artifical lighting from the cieling on. From this photo we know that when the lighting is on, we are able to see parts of the room better, but in comparison to the photo without the lighting on and only natural light, there is not much of a difference. The sound in this room was extremely echoey and therefore we know that the dialouge may not be as clear as we want and the cast will have to put a lot of effort into speaking clearly and louder than usual. The photo underneath those two is a photo showing the entrance of the room. This photo also helps up with the lighting side of these shots, ass now we are aware there are window on the side of the room that the door is located around. We are also aware there is are two exits to the class room, as there is a fire exit, along with the door that is the entrance and exit to the room.

 

This is a photo taken in the same room without the artifical lighting, with only the natural light from the outside coming through the windows.

This photo is the door at which HANNAH will be knocking to get into the room in scene 3. This photo also shows the direction of shot we are planning to do for these part of the filming. The lighting in this area is good, as it is right next to a door which has a lot of natural light coming through the window in it, so no artifical light will be required. The room this door is located in small and so the sound is not echoey and we should not stuggle with any unessassary noise, however, across from this door is another classroom which will have a class in it, this may cause us some trouble, as there will be outside noise.

Mise-en-scene table

This table above describes all the features of the 'mise-en-scene' within the production of our preliminary project. Containing information on: Set Design and Location; props we will be using; how the lighting will effect the shots and the type of lighting we will use; the character movement in the scenes; the costumes of the cast and the hair and make-up of the cast. Each member of the group was given a copy of this before filming.

Cast, Crew and Equiptment list:

Cast:

HANNAH - Hannah Findlay-Bada

LAURA - Laura O'Brien

Crew:
Camerawoman - Sabene Wilkin
Editor - Sabene Wilkin, Laura O'Brien and Hannah Findlay-Bada
Clapperboard worker - Sabene Wilkin

Equiptment:

Video Camera

Tri-pod

SD card

Charger for the camera battery

Clapperboard

Risk Assessment:

For our risk assessment, we went around the TC8 room and looked at all the features which could have posed a threat to saftey. One of the main features was the fact the classroom has wires loose near the front of the room, these wires posed a threat, as they meant that we could trip and fall over and hurt ourselfs; we could also damage the filming equpitment if the wires caught around and made them fall onto the ground. In relation to this, we had to make sure that there was enough space for all of the equpitment to move and be used safely. Along with this, we identified there were two exits, one being a fire exit located at the back of the room and the door through which we enter and exit the room. The windows of the room had safety locks so that they couldn't be opened too far.

Prelim Task - Post 6 - Shot list and Storyboard

This is the shot list that my group complied, this was detailed as to make sure that we were all aware of what we were doing in each shot. The listing of location also allowed us to later on sort out our shooting schedule.

The actors in the film were given copies of this, which have detailed information of what exactly they need to do in each shot, along with basic dialogue snippets to make them aware of when they needed to speak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After creating the shot list, we decided that when doing the storyboard, my group and I split the shots up between us, doing an equal amount each, below is the storyboard, with information concerning the shot size, the timing of the shot and other features. Below at all the parts of the storyboard, with basic details on one side, while the drawn out version is on the other.

Prelim Task - Post 5 - Jump-Cuts, Over-the-shoulder, Cutaways and Point-of-view shots.

Jump-Cuts

 

A jump cut is the name given to a transition between two similar shots which gives the effect of the film 'jumping', usually due to one of the shots having a different framing  This aspect means that the flow between shots is not smooth. This feature of editing is commonly used for short video blogs, 'Vlogs', as it is an easy way to film and edit.

Over-the-shoulder

Over-the-shoulder shots are used to help establish the positioning of characters within a scene. The framing of the camera is set behind one of the shoulder of an actor, who is looking in that same direction of the camera, this framing allows an area for another person to come into, or already be in frame. Over-the-shoulder shots are common during conversational scenes, to show both people talking. They can also be used to show both power and submission of a character, if the shot is placed behind a tall person, the shot will be directed down to the character they are talking too, presenting an image of power, and vice versa.

Cutaways

A cutaway is a sequence of shots which focuses on a different aspect of the shot each time, for example, in the picture the subject is walking, the next shot shows a cutaway of their bag, and the last shows them after walking a little further. Cutaways 
are used when a 'buffer' is needed between 
shots, often to speed up the shot, or to 
benefit the editing process, but making it quicker.

 

Point-of-view

POV shots are used to show the audience the perspective of a character, the shot is positioned as if the character's eyes are the camera and so the view sees what the character would. Reaction shots are often a follow up to POV shots, incorporating around three shots of: The character, what the character sees and a reaction shot.



Prelim Task - Post 4 - Script Writing

The two pictures below show the script that my preliminary task. Within the picture there are comments on particular parts which needed some extra description, and the basis of script writing. E.G Actions, speech and the layout.

Prelim Task - Post 3 - Continuity

Continuity refers to the consistency of everything within a scene as well as technical details, such as camera positioning and equipment settings.When filming a scene, workers will look out for any details which will effect any continuity and so related shots will match up in the editing stage, thus making the film flow without any errors.
More information on continuity.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_(fiction) 

The rules and shots of continuity editing 

The 180 rule°

This rule states that there is an invisible 'line of vision' between any two actors in a film, this line of vision sets up the scene, showing who is on the left and who is on the right in the scene. The rule uses this line as its basis, stating that the camera must stay on the side of the line of vision that it started on, only being able to move 180°. This means that the characters in the film do not suddenly swap positions in the camera view, thus confusing the audience. 

Diagram of the 180° rule:








For more information:
http://www.solutioneers.net/cinema/axis.htm 

The Shot-Reverse shot

This is a film technique that involves showing a shot of one character looking at another character and then another shot of that character looking at the first character. This shot indicates that the characters are looking at one another, even though the viewer can't see that they are. 

Diagram of the shot-reverse shot:










For more information: 
http://www.artoftheguillotine.com/index.php?page=shotreverseshot 

The Match on Action shot

This shot occurs when consecutive shots match up an action, in the first shot, an action with start and in the next shot (or multiple shots) this action is completed. As an example, in the first shot, someone goes to sit down on a chair, the next shot is the chair being moved into position and the next is the character sitting down on the chair. 


For more information: 
http://www.infoplease.com/cig/movies-flicks-film/cutting-for-content.html

Prelim Task - Post 2 - Storyboard Drawing, Shot Sizes and Framing

Section A:

The picture above is my storyboard of different shot sizes, depicting the use of headroom and space around the person for movement.


Section B:

The images below are my examples of the different shots shown in the storyboard. Each states the shot size underneath.

ECU (Extreme close up)

CU (Close Up

MS (Medium Shot)

MCU (Medium Close Up)



3/4 Shot



MLS (Medium Long Shot)

        

   

LS (Long Shot)



















Rule of Thirds:

This photography rule is one of the most basic, imaginary lines are drawn dividing the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically, this creates boxes and lines in which certain parts of the face or body should lie. For example, in the first row, there is the 'eye line', where the eyes sit. This sets the framing of the image.

Link to a photography website, which explains this rule - http://www.silverlight.co.uk/tutorials/compose_expose/thirds.html


These two pictures below are examples of the 'Rule of Thirds'. The first picture is one which breaks the rule and the second is one that fits to the rule.

This image breaks the rules, the figure is in the direct middle of the image, and its not set on the imaginary lines the rule involves. This removes the depth to the image, thus making the image look cut off.

This image follows the rule, as the figure is not in the middle of the image, rather, it is in a position which allows the figure to appear as if it is looking out somewhere, creating depth to the image.

Prelim Task - Post 1 - Introduction

For our preliminary task we will, in groups of no more than 4, preform a continuity task which will involve filming and editing:

- A character opening a door

- The character then crossing the room

- The character sitting down in a chair opposite another character

- These character will then speak a few lines of dialouge.

We will do this task to show the 180-degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot.