Research and Planning: Risk Assessment

Icy ground - Might slip over
To prevent this from happening we will walk careful and slowly along the ground unless it is appropriate to move quickly for the shots.

Kit can get damaged if you slip on the ground.
To prevent this from happening we will walk careful and slowly along the ground unless it is appropriate to move quickly for the shots.

Light equipment contains mercury which is harmful if you touch it.
We will be careful whilst using the lighting equipment and if we do break it we will leave it and make sure the appropriate person clears it up

Don't film on the road in case of cars going past.
There won't be any filming on the road but we will still be careful around roads.

Careful of wires on the floor
We will keep clear of wires on the floor and make sure none of them are broken and dangerous to anyone around us.

Sharp objects on the desk in one shot.
We will remove any sharp objects and put them in safe places just in case anyone cuts themselves on them.

Research and Planning: Costume

Research and Planning: Casting

We felt Harry was suitable because he is reliable. We thought he was good for the role of Tony Maloy because he took drama at GCSE and he would be able to give emotion to Tony's character. He is also available during filming time.
Connor is also reliable and available during filming time. We felt he would suit the role of Johnny very well as he looks like he could play an angry character or a compassionate character, which is what we wanted Johnny's character to portray.
Austin is also reliable and available during filming time. We felt he would be good for the role as he looks friendly and could play someone who is worried.
Emma like the others is very reliable and available during filming time. We felt she was perfect for the role for a 1920's inspired character. She was quite shy about talking during the film however her character doesn't have a speaking part. She is quite shy normally so she would be perfect for the role of Stephanie, who the audience are meant to be sympathetic towards.

Research and Planning: Audience Research

We created a Facebook group to get some ideas and thoughts from the target audience. We created a group and asked them to comment on some research posts such as costume, script and synopsis. We asked questions like:

Can you understand who is the villain?

Can you follow the story?

What do you think would be an appropriate costume for the leading lady?

etc.

We will use their answers so our film is more appealing to the target audience.

Animatic

Research and Planning: Shot List

1. Long shot of dead body
2. Close up on feet (see ankle tattoo)
3. Pan ,and zoom out, up the body until her head
4. Cut away to close up shot of a man's hand holding a gun and see background
5. Close up of man's legs walking away
6. Camera tracks the man's legs while credits roll
7. Camera tracks young men walking through the woods using a mid-shot
8. Close up on Connor's face looking manly and excited
9. Close up of Austin's face looking worried
10. Cut to long shot of office
11. Long shot of office from outside view through the windows
12. Mid-shot of woman doing something
13. Close up of her dropping an object
14. Close up of her picking up the object (see ankle tattoo)
15. Close up of man's angry face in darkness (Dialogue)
16. Close up of woman's face looking scared
17. Extreme close up of woman's eyes
18. Two shot of young men walking through the woods. Camera tracks
19. Mid-shot of Austin (Dialogue)
20. Mid-shot of Connor (Dialogue)
21. Two shot of them walking while camera tracks
22. Camera stops tracking as young men carry on walking out of frame
23. Fade to black

Research and Planning: Script

Scene: In office, when woman drops an object:
Harry: FOR GOD'S SAKE WOMAN!!
          (Harry huffs)
          Where are those kids anyway?

Scene: Second time the audience see young men in the woods:
Austin: What's this guy like? (Austin gives a worried look to Connor)
Connor: I dunno, I think he's a bit crazy to be honest (Connor slants face)
             But he's got a job for us so (Connor shrugs)

Research and Planning: Synopsis

The film will start with a view of a woman's dead body in a dirty, run down area. We will see a tattoo on her ankle and will pan up her body. We will cut to the view of a man holding a gun but not see who he is before the audience see the woman's face. The audience will then see a man walking away, but just his legs, while the credits roll. Then they will see two young men that are wearing modern, average clothing played by Connor Nicholls and Austin Davis walking in the woods but not know where they are going. Then they will see an office with a man, wearing a suit and trilby hat played by Harry Baldwin, sat at a desk and a young woman in the corner. There will then be a shot of the camera looking inside from outside through the wndow. The lady, wearing a black dress played by Emma Weaver, then drops an object and as she picks it up the audience will see her ankle tattoo. The man then shouts at the lady and we see his face in darkness. Then we return to the young men walking through the woods. They then talk about the man, as they carry on walking they leave the frame and it fades to black.

Research and Planning: Time Management

This is the time plan over two months for the film opening sequence.

Planning the Film

The characters that will be seen in the first few minutes will be a dead lady, the main bad guy, the young men and the alive lady. The villain will be noticed by using dark clothing and shadows. We would like to cast Harry Baldwin, Emma Weaver, Austin Davis and Connor Nicholls. The costumes will be 1920 influenced, the main character will wear a dark suit and trilby hat, the main lady might wear a red or black dress and possibly a red coat. There will also be modern clothes like jeans and hoodies. We are hoping to film in the woods, in an office and by a swamp or run down area. We want the set in the office to look business-like and unfriendly. We will use props such as a cigar, a lamp, a desk and a phone. We want to create a scary, mysterious and threatening atmosphere. So far the order of events will go; the audience see a dead lady who they do not know, the legs of a man walking in the same location then at a different time, the audience will see two young men walking in the woods and the main character and the alive woman who they now know was the dead lady in an office. We will use enigma codes such as not showing the dead lady's face, or showing the main character's face in full light. The action code we are going to use is not say where the young men are going but suggest they are walking to the office by making them walk in the direction of the office on the camera. The audience might be anxious for the young men and possibly the main lady. The titles will be in bold, old style font and the main title will be in red. All credits will fade in and out while the background is the shot of the man walking.

Target Audience Profile

A typical audience member for my film opening is a 25-35 year old male who is middle class with A-levels and possibly a degree. In his spare time he would read and do puzzles, watch old films and socialise with friends. He would listen to swing music and like the Rat Pack and Frank Sinatra and like bands like The Who, Yes, The Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Arctic Monkeys. When watching TV he would watch detective dramas like CSI,The Mentalist, Monk and Psych. When on the internet he might go onto websites like FaceBook and Wikipedia. He would like old films and be a fan of directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Martin Scorcese, he would also like poetry. To sum-up a typical audience member I would use the words slightly-nerdy.

Genre Research Summary

The titles in noir films are generally basic. They are mainly one same font throughout the sequence and have a plain background that doesn’t change much. The transitions are usually the same throughout the sequence too and the pace is relatively calm. We will mirror these aspects in our film so the audience are aware of the genre from the start of the film.

The usual non-digetic music is quite slow and classical. It is usually slow paced however some neo-noir films have fast paced fun music during the titles and background music. For digetic music there is almost always the sound of a gunshot that does not show who shot the gun or where the bullet is aimed. We will use this technique to keep the noir techniques. We may use fast faced music as the time period is more modern and not used to slow classic music.





The usual characters are in suits and have guns. The main character is a man, probably with a lady. Quite often the camera is at a low height and high angle towards the main character. The leading lady is usually shot from the feet first and then pans up the body.

The main mis-en-scene feature is the use of chiaroscuro. This is when there is high contrast, it creates big strong shadows and adds to the low lighting effect. There are many guns and suits possible drug props or other crime related props to add to the danger/crime theme. The most dominant technique is the use of black and white rather than colour. However neo-noir films use colour to make the film more viewable by the modern audience.

During the narrative the hermeneutic code is very prominent as the crime is partly shown at the start of the film, leaving the audience in suspense till the last few scenes when it is revealed. The proairetic code is shown by the use of guns and dangerous characters, it makes the audience believe the situation will escalade. The semantic code is not well shown in noir films however they might use shots to make the audience believe there is danger when there is not like the shot in Pulp Fiction during the boot shot. The binary oppositions are usually the characters dangerous and exciting lives against the ordinary boring life.

The genre is established mainly by using lighting to create chiaroscuro, low lighting and black and white. Seeing the leading lady by the feet first then panning up the body also shows the audience it is a noir film. The characters are usually similar as they are usually a man who might be a usual man who has been lured into a life of crime to protect or save a lady.

Research and Planning: Title sequence and Opening Scene Analysis

To analyse the opening scene and title sequence of Pulp Fiction, a modern noir film, made in 1994 and directed by Quentin Tarantino I will look at many aspects. These aspects should create character, narrative and genre.

To set up genre they have used classic noir techniques such as low lighting while they are stood by the boot, this creates a mysterious scene. Also during the boot shot there are many big shadows surrounding the two characters this also adds mystery to the scene. The costume and props sets up character. Suits are popular costumes for noir films as they show that the character is serious, this is slightly ironic as the men’s conversation is mainly about Europe being “strange” and McDonalds in France. The guns are also a popular prop for main characters in noir films, it again show the character is serious and also dangerous.

During the narrative, Barthes’ codes can be recognised. The hermeneutic code is mainly seen during the pre-title scene. The audience would ask many questions during the scene such as who is this man? Who is this boy? Who was his dad? Why is the watch significant? This adds mystery to the story. When the audience see the two new characters more questions would be asked for example, who are they? Where are they going? How are they linked to the young boy and man? Again adding mystery to the story. The proairtic code is mainly seen during the last few minutes while the men are preparing their guns and going into the building. This series of events suggests to the audience that a possibly dangerous event will happen soon. The semantic code can be found while the men are stood by the boot. The shot is looking up at the two men from inside the boot, this suggests that there might be somebody inside the boot that the audience are unaware of. Also during the narrative, Levi-Strauss’ theory of binary oppositions can be found. As the story is only at the beginning it is difficult to decide the exact binary oppositions however the most obvious so far is the lives of the two men, which are exciting and dangerous and out of the ordinary compared to the boring and ordinary lives of average people.

The title sequence is very contrasting. The titles and background is very boring, the background is black, the title is orange and the wording is white. There are some effects but are very subtle and calm. On the other hand the music is very fun this suggests that the film is not serious like the men’s conversation. The use of a radio dial changing the music is very strange and quirky also suggesting the film is not serious. It changes to another fun song which fades to the men talking in the car. The contrast between the fun music and boring titles could represent the binary oppositions, the music might represent the two men and their lives and the titles may represent ordinary people and their lives.

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Research and Planning: Neale Quote

Neale declares that “genres are instances of repetition and difference” (Neale 1980, 48). He adds that “difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre”.

This means that a film has the same aspects as other films with the same genre but it must has some differences to be successful.

In Brick, a film noir film, it is the same as a usual film noir film, as the narrative includes many aspects that are included in film noir films, for example crime and drama. However it is very different as it is set in modern day.

It follows usual film noir aspects because it has the usual characters, the main character is an average person lured into a life of crime. It also involves drugs and guns. However, it is different than usual film noir films as it is set in modern day and involves a young man. Most film noir films are set in the 1950’s with men aged 30+.

Research and Planning: Narrative Theories

Roland Barthes created a theory about narrative codes. A code is combinations of technical features that are meant to have a specific meaning. The first code is the Hermeneutic Code, this is when any element of the story is not fully explained and therefore leaves the viewer guessing and therefore intrigued, until the final scenes where all is revealed and closure is achieved. For example, in Dexter the use of close ups and making normal actions seem odd and set up mystery. This makes the audience ask questions like who is this man? and why are we following him? The second theory is called the Proairetic Code which builds tension and refers to any action or event that suggests something else is going to happen and therefore getting the viewer to guess what is going to happen next. For example, in Dexter the use of close ups, non-diegetic music and the blood dripping in a sinister way suggests that something unpleasant is eventually going to happen. The third code is called the Semantic code, this refers to the way images and/or music might be used to mean something else than the thing is shows. For example, the close ups give each action and alternative meaning, the images could be seen as something else is filmed differently.

Levi-Strauss introduced the theory of binary oppositions as a way to consider the meaning within the narrative. He said that the elements in a story are paired. For every element which represents something there is another one with the opposite or different representation. Some examples of popular binary oppositions are good vs evil, rich vs poor, hero vs villain. In Dexter, the binary opposition is Dexter's life vs ordinary life. We see Dexter performing everyday tasks however the way they are filmed give an insight into how he sees the world. It is quite dark and aggressive and suggests violence constantly.

Research and Planning: Title Sequence Analysis

In order to analyse James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me (Lewis Gilbert, 1977) I will need to look at many aspects to see how they are used to set up character, narrative and genre.

The details of the cast and crew fade in and out, like the images, during the title sequence. This compliments the music. One of the first names we see is Roger Moore, he is a very famous actor most famous for his roles as James Bond. We then see the title, The Spy Who Loved Me. It is written in very plain writing however it is accompanied by silhouettes of Roger Moore and an unknown woman, possible wearing an ushanka, with a backdrop of a Union Flag. Throughout the title sequence there are silhouettes of guns and women. This may suggest the expectations of the audience, they may expect lots of guns and women throughout the rest of the fim and possibly a Russian influence.

The first few minutes of the film establish the main character very quickly. We see James Bond first with a woman, then being chased by men with guns this shows he is a “ladies man” and dangerous. We also hear him say England needs him and him using a parachute with a Union Flag on it, this shows he is very patriotic. The setting adds a mysterious outlook as we do not know where he is but he seems very comfortable in the location this may suggest he goes to many different places throughout his daily life. The audience are not aware of the year the film is set from the scene.

The first few minutes of the film create an action-packed mood with lots of patriotism. This is created by the use and sight of guns, the Union Flag and women. The “James Bond Theme” is one of the most famous theme tunes in the world, this can be heard during the pre-title scene until it eventually starts during the famous gun barrel shot. During the title sequence Nobody Does It better by Carly Simon (who is now in the Songwriters Hall of Fame) is used. As a running theme, famous artist are asked to create and perform the new Bond Song.

From the pre-title scene and the title sequence, the audience can see that the genre of the film is an action. It is action-packed including guns, skiing and danger. It is very male targeted, as there are many images of women with guns. The pre-title scene creates many questions that would intrigue the audience and therefore be more likely to continue watching. These questions might be “Why is he being chased?” “Who are they?” “What is his job?”.

The most obvious aspect is what the audience are likely to expect. From the pre-title scene and title sequence it is easy to see the running theme is women and guns and action. The editing is very fast-paced to exaggerate the action, this will most likely continued throughout the film. The mis-en-scene also shows what is expected to continue for example the use of props like guns and gadgets. Also the use of colour to determine the “bad guys” during the pre-title scene, which shows the “bad guys” wearing black, will be likely to continue. The use of close ups, point of view shots and long shots will be echoed during the film. The use of close ups shows the emotions of the character, this has many benefits including showing the female leads face, the male leads face and possibly the “bad guys” face so the audience are aware what they look like and are not confused during the fast paced cutting. The point of view shots show the action from the leads point of view. The long shot allows the audience to be fully aware of the location.

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Genre Montage

Research and Planning: Introduction to Task

In this task I have chosen to work with Francesca Hickman and Jack Godfrey. We have to create the title sequence and first few minutes of a film of a genre of our choice. We have decided on the genre of film noir.

Targets for Main Coursework

My three targets for the main coursework are to plan more before filming so I am less likely to come across problems. Also, to look at all angles for the shot before filming in case there is a better angle than the one I was going to use. The last target is to be better at capturing so it doesn't take up too much time.

Evaluation

I have learnt a lot about continuity editing, planning, filming and editing. I have learnt how important each stage is and how it can influence something later on, for example when we filmed the conversation wrong we didn't realise until we had to edit and found it too difficult. I think our finished product is very good for people who have never filmed or edited before, especially the match on action when Connor (the first actor) pulls down the door handle and walks through the door. Next time we will record more footage but the main thing I would change is rehearsing the actors more because it took a lot of shots for them to say the correct thing at the right time or do the same action.

Post Production

When we had to capture the shots, we found it difficult because it was hard to find the shots we needed on the camera. This meant that capturing the shots took longer than necessary. We also had a problem because it was difficult to hear and so it was difficult to select and capture the correct shots. However editing ran very smoothly and we finished before we thought we would. I learned a lot about the programmes used for editing and how to edit and put shots together.

Finished Product

Production

Most of the filming went smoothly however we did have to re-film 2-3 times because our footage got lost/deleted. We had a problem when we found that the way we filmed the conversation was too difficult to edit, so we went back and re-filmed which made editing much easier and smoother. At first our storyboard helped us a lot however once we knew the order of the shots we did not need it at all. I learnt that you must have more than one take of a shot and you must really think about where you are going to place the camera around the room.

Preparing for Filming

We found a suitable location which we chose because it was very quiet so there would be little chance of people walking past. It was also useful because the room we used was on the same corridor so we wouldn't need to re-set the camera and tripod. We created a storyboard which showed each shot we planned to take, this included: Connor walking down the corridor, Connor opening the door, Connor and Austin facing each other, shot reverse shots for the conversation, the cut in of Connor's hand and leg and the cut away of Connor walking into the table. We decided to have this as our cut away because we did not have enough time to film outside so we decided to use the same room we filmed the conversation in to save time.

Preliminary Project: Risk Assessment

The corridor is on the top floor so there is no immediate fire exit. However there are fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment. There are some objects on the floor and there are lockers around so people have to be aware. The corridor is by the stairs so people need to be careful. There is a wall of glass next to the corridor so people should be aware. If the tripod is in the middle of the corridor people may trip over the legs so people need t be aware.

Continuity Editing: 180 degree rule, match on action, eyeline match

Continuity editing is when you edit shots so it is smooth and you cannot tell it has been edited. It is also known as invisible editing. It combines 180 degree rule, rule of thirds, “match on action” cuts, “eye line” matches, 30 degree rule, shot reverse shot and graphic match to create a smooth flow.
The 180 degree rule means the camera must always be on one side of the action, the camera can move within that side but cannot swap unless the audience see the camera move past the line. If the camera swaps sides it can confuse the audience because the characters will be on the opposite side of the shot.

“Match on action” means that gestures/movements should match between two shots. “Match on action” means that the action moves smoothly, if the action does not match then the audience will notice the editing.

“Eye line” match means that the direction of the eye line must be aimed at the object. This shows the audience where they should be looking and where the drama is. For example, if a man is looking off-screen towards the left at a television then the next cut should be the television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBPw9C57TuU

Introduction to Preliminary task

The task was to create a short film that included someone walking down a corridor, opening a door, a cut in and a cut away. Then we had to edit the film ourselves so we could understand continuity editing better. It also had to include aspects of the 180 degree rule and match on action. We also had to create a short dialogue script and storyboard.

Scene 2: Panic

The use of a hand-held camera allows the camera shot to be shaky and blurred, this implies Ben is panicked and worried. Throughout the scene close ups are used, this is to reiterate to the audience that he is panicked and shows his facial expressions. When the camera cuts in to Ben’s hands covered in blood this lets the audience doubt Ben’s innocence. The change in depth of field, when the camera focus onto the knife and then Ben’s face, shows the audience a possibility of what has happened and ads tension.

            The editing includes a fade to black, this indicates that a section of time has been missed out, this could be because Ben has passed out or fallen asleep. The shot reverse shot when Ben discovers the young woman dead, sudden realisation is shown by using a quick flash. The scene uses continuity editing so that the audience are more involved and part of the action.

Sound:

1.    Ambient= more realistic

2.    Incidental music= series of long tones that die out= makes audience thinks something is going to happen

3.    Sound mixing=breathing= shows panic

Mis-en-Scene:

1.    Lighting= dark room=alone, scary, shows late

2.    Costume= no clothes= shows he slept with the young woman

3.    Props= nearly empty alcohol bottle on table= shows he was drinking/ was drunk.