Monday 15 February 2010

Pre Production documents

Treatment


Shot List


Story Board




Opening sequence
Detective Brown and his team take their first look at the crime scene as a body bag is wheeled passed them. Detective William Brown walks into the murder scene with a camera in hand and a look of despair on his face, he slowly paces around the room trying to find any clues as to who is behind these sickening murders. As he glance’s around the room he see’s the vital clue that links this murder to the previous four, the hand print of blood, the victim’s handprint.

As the team moves in to assess the crime scene Detective Brown starts by taking pictures of the scene. As he walks over to the entrance to take picture of the drops of blood on the floor, the flash leads to the audience first flash back of the murder taking place.

The flash back shows shadows of the murderer walking into the room. The flash back stops as the detective continues to inspect the room. He then moves on to taking pictures of indents in the wall which leads to another flash back as the camera flashes.

The second flash back shows the murderer attacking the victim in the room; we do not see the face of the murderer but just how violent he can be. The flash back stops and the detective moves over the broken furniture where he takes pictures. This flash leads to show the struggle between the girl and murderer as she screams for help and tries to escape. As we come back to the room the detective walks over to the hand print of blood, as he mumbles to himself he takes his final picture. This final flash back shows the murderer leaving his signature mark by printing the victims hand in their own blood, before finally leaving another scene of devastation. The opening sequence ends with a final flash.


Plot for the whole film
Five girls, one killer, this small town doesn’t know what’s hit it. Detective William brown is making it his mission to find the murderer. With a lack of evidence, will this murderer prove to be too big for this small town?

Less than a year ago, Detective brown attempted to solve his first murder case, a brutal attack on a young 15 year old girl was just the beginning…

This film begins at the end, showing the audience the final murderer of a local university student. We see how this girl is brutally killed and left in her flat for days until Detective Brown finds her following a phone call.

We cut back to a year ago, and as the year passes by detective brown tries to solve these murders, he finds a reoccurring clue that may lead him to the murderer, a handprint of blood from the victim. This gripping story shows the lives and troubles of all involved. We see each girl’s individual story and try and see if there’s any reason to these murders. Towards the end of the film we find out that the murderer is in fact Detectives Browns long lost son, just craving attention from his father. This gripping story shows the audience the tragic event of a son just trying to get the attention of his father.

As William puts the puzzle together, the clues take him to his main suspect Tom Brown. Williams tough questioning becomes too much and Tom cracks under the pressure confessing the whole truth to his father William. William is in a state of shock as he finds out that his son has committed the brutal murders. He doesn’t know whether to follow his heart or his head, should he arrest his son and never have the chance to see him grow up or does he take this chance to be a part of his son’s life and help him to fight his problems?

In the end common sense proves to be too much, as William realises that there is only one thing that he can do, arrest his son.

Script


Prop list
Body bag-dry cleaning bag
Door numbers
Sofa
Table
Desk
Broken chair
Table light
Pictures to hang on wall
Rug
Mug
Plate with left over food on
Wine bottle
Wine glass
Big cloth to cover fire exit door
Magazines
Folders
Paper
Pens
Red paint
Camera
White lab coat


Location Recce

Risk assessment
After looking at our loaction our next task we create a Risk Assessment a think of any possible hazards or injurys that could happned while we were filming,
  • Stair- fallinh up or down the stairs this can be prevented by taking care and holding onto the hand rail
  • Windows- even though the windows couldnt open wide enough to fall out, you could still trap your fingers in the windown when closing of if it was pushed from the outside. To prevent this from happening make sure when they are opening the safety lock has been pushed down all the way so the window doesnt move.
  • Plug sockets- There are 4 sets of plugs in the room including the kitchen. Make sure that you dont go near them with wet fingers or trying putting appilience in that dont fit correctly.
  • Doors- the doors close very quickly behind, so make sure you dont leave your fingers in the way of the door.
  • Fire Door-There is also a fire door loacted in the corner of the room this must always be kept shut due to health and safety
  • Furnisher- when moving all table and chairs make sure you dont hert yourself moving any equipment. Make sure you always bend your knees when carrying heavly furnisher.
Time lines of when title apear in an opening sequence



From looking at the three time lines of where title appear in an opening sequence, as group we decided on what order we would like our title to appear. We came to the conclusion that we would start with the Production Company and distribution company. The next title we would see would be the name of the film, we decided to add this nearer the beginning of the opening sequence rather than the end, as this would make it look more like a trailer. We would next see the names of the actors and finally the direct at the end to show the end of the opening sequence.

Questionnairr
As A group we handed out 40 questionnaires to friends and family asking their opinions on genre of films, how often they attend the cinema and what they like to see in an opening sequence. From the results we found that people attend the cinema between 1-2 a months and there favourite genre of film to go see was a mixture between Crime/ Actions and Drama. In addition we found that they like a film with a twisting story line and to have a leaves you with a feeling of an un-expecting suspense. Many of our questionnaires also showed use that the audience like to see good acting and follow the lives of main characters. After looking over the results it made it easy for use to come up with a genre and story line that people would like to follow, we also decided that the target audience of our film we will 16-25.
Job roles in film industry

Director
Directors are accountable for films artistic and films success or failure. The director’s main job is getting the script into images and sounds on the screen, using their own creative ideas. Director’s duties include casting, editing the script, shot composition, shot selection and editing. It’s very important that a director is always aware that they are running on schedule and aren’t going over budget. Directors have a huge amount of responsibilities and they must all be completed and carried out in order to create a successful film, they have to make essential decisions for example making sure they get together a good cast, crew and most importantly a good location to film. In addition they have to direct all departments such as sound, lighting, design and special effects. Directors must inspire and motivate his team to make sure they produce a high quality film. During production of the film all departments are working for long periods of time, but the director must stay focused and have the ability to remain calm and work well under pressure as well as having determination to succeed.
Most directors will have attended many training courses as well as studying art and craft of directing. Many directors work their way up the ladder form starting at entry level position which is normally getting first hand experience of what goes on while making a film, which is very important to get an understanding of filmmaking techniques and equipment. Working as a director is extremely competitive and a very challenging job to have as well as being highly respected.

Camera
Camera operators have a vital role in film production and carry out instructions regarding shot composition and development. The job is very physical and requires high levels of strength and stamina to keep up with demands from directors. Camera operators are normally the first people to get a first hand experience of what the film will be like for the views to watch. Camera operators work closely with the director of photography and together decide where potion the camera, what lenses and supporting equipment to use. Camera operators must be able to multi- task by watching what they are filming, listening and move quickly to any last minuet changes. They will have a close relationship with the director and will play close attention to exact shots that the director wants.
Most camera operators start their careers by becoming camera trainees or runners, which helps them to gain experience, whilst having this position they must gain experience and achieve high level of capabilities. From here they can become camera operators. Being a camera operator involves having creative skills, have advanced technical abilities, have a good working knowledge of camera systems, lenses and equipment. There are no qualification that you need to have this job but help get an idea you can join film school and training courses, as well as having a wide range of work experience. You could also have studies media, film and TV production at university.

Lighting
Lighting is a very important part of film production. Although we have natural life from the sun most film production will use the aid of artificial light to achieve the visual image they aiming for. Lighting, camera and the directors work very closely together to create the loom and feel of the images the capture. The lighting team have a wide range of lighting equipment to help achieve a variety of moods, atmospheres and effects. This all helps the actors and participants have the right look for their roles. The correct lighting equipment chosen it makes sure that they are meeting the production brief. Some scene have very minimal lights using a range of different lights e.g. lamps and wall lights, but on the other hand some dramas have hundreds of lights which are all computer controlled.
Having so many different lights needed for film production its clear that there are many specialised roles within the lighting team. Members of team work in studios or on location both inside and outside and all members must be qualified electricians to be able to fix any broken equipment onset without falling behind schedule. To work in lighting all members must have the ability to work for long periods of time, have good presentation skills, be patient and play attention to detail and have high levels of stamina.
Sound
Sound designers are responsible for providing required sound to accompany screen action. Most
sound designers will have a wide range of experience and will carry out full jobs at once providing sound for the whole film. There are specialised roles in sound such as creating sound impression for films e.g. explosions, car crashes as well as creating sound the enrich language and feeling of a film. All sound is added during editing of the film and help to enhance location, time period and moods. For sound designers they have one main task to identify the three types of sound that are being required. The first one is spot effect this consists of doors closing; clocks, and any background noises. The second is atmosphere effects this consists of rain, wind, and traffic. And the third is sound design effects such as computers spaceships, and dinosaurs. Once these have be recognises they can then use synthesizers, samplers and audio plug ins to enhance or distort unwanted noise.
Most sound designer start there carers in junior roles such as being a runner in picture or sound cutting rooms, they will work along side the professionals to help gain experience, they would have spent years recording every day sounds before entering the industry. Sound designers must have a good understanding of acoustics and an expert knowledge of sound recording and editing techniques.
Hair and make-up
Hair and make up designers have a key element in the overall design of film productions, which are responsible for creating contemporary looks for characters in relation to social class and time periods. The designers create looks but added hairpieces, extensions, facial hair, burns, cuts and bruises, tattoos and ageing. The job involves multi-tasking and is expected to be professional in both hair and make-up and work as one, they work very closely to the director, actors, photography and costume so overall they are creating the same image. Designers will go through the script to see id characters been and changes made and to make sure they will have appropriate male-up and hair to make the character believable. Hair and make-up work closely with the camera department to test shots and to see how it looks under different lighting. If scene go over for than one day its hair and make-up reasonability that all characters look the same and continuity is maintained. Make-up and Hair Designers must have artistic and technical skills, creative flair, a strong sense of colour, design and drawing, and have a wide knowledge on different cultures.
Costume
Costume department will start work before the film begins shooting. They are in charge of designing, creating, acquiring and hiring all costumes for Actors and extras. This must be achieved within strict budgets, and to tight schedules. As with hair and make-up they will break down the script by scene and work out how many characters are involved and what costumes will be needed. In addition they will come up with a costume plot of each character, this ensures that colours and styles all fit together and highlight the emotions by the use of colours. Costume Designers select and hire appropriate suppliers and Costume Makers, negotiating terms with them, and communicating design requirements. They make sure that fittings for Actors and extras are arranged. They supervise fabric research and purchase, and ensure that garments are completed to deadlines. Depending on the numbers of costumes to be created, and the scale of budgets, Costume Designers may decide to create a dedicated Costume Workshop. They should be on set whenever a new costume is worn for the first time, to make sure that performers are comfortable, to explain special features, and to oversee any alterations. Once filming is completed, Costume Designers are responsible for the return of hired outfits, and the sale or disposal of any remaining costumes
Location
Location manager job is to identify an idea location for each shot in the film while reporting to the director and production design teams. Its there responsibilities to find out cost of hiring the location, how many it will hold as well as access to the rest of the teams. A location director will work closely with directors in ensure that the image that is wanted is being put across, they will put together a photographic storyboard which is then reported back to the director. Location Managers are also responsible for ensuring that everyone in the cast and crew knows how to get to the filming location, and they must display clear 'location' or 'unit' signs along main routes. During filming, Location Managers oversee the health and safety of everyone using the location. After the shoot, they must ensure that the location is securely locked, and adequately cleaned, before returning it to its owners. Any damage must be reported to the production office and, if necessary, insurance proceedings instigated.
Location managers but have a wide range of skills such as having a strong imagination to visual potential locations, excellent organstation skills as well as keeping the location they have chosen in the film budget. They must also be extremely reliable and flexible - Location Managers are usually the first to arrive on location and the last to leave, so the hours can be long and unsocial. A high degree of motivation and enthusiasm are required.

























































































































Textual analysis of opening sequence

I have chosen to look at the film The Itialian Job for my Conventions for an opening sequence, i have looked at this film as it is in the same genre to what we have chosen as a group to produce. By looking at the same gener it will help me to understand what happenes in a typical opening sequence to a crime film.











































Recent films from Crime Genre

While researching into Crime films i have found many American films being produced by massive multi-million companys, while all these films did well in America and England i was more interested in seeing how small production companies from England did at producing their own movies. To do this i couldnt find any recent films from the genre of Crime this meant that i had to look further back a previour films. It was very intersting to see the differnce between American and English, such as production costs and box office prifits. Even through the films where made many years ago and time and money have changed it was clear that they both did well when they were first realsed, it was also good to see that even thou they where made on smaller budgets they still managed to be released in the USA. The two Bristh films where most important to our group as if our film was to be released it would be through the same procedure and was most revelent to us.


















































History of genre

History of Crime Genre

Group meeting

Throughout our project we have made many group meeting of ways in which we can improve our opening sequences, i have listed these below;

24th of November 2009
As a group we decided on what genre we would like our movie to be about, this took a long while as we had some disagreements over which we through would be best and would create the best storyline for the whole film as well as the opening sequence.

15th January 2010
Within our group we decided which tasks we would each complete. We split the tasks into equal amounts of work for each person and then looked over its all and came up possible suggestion on ways in what we could improve our pre-production documents. When we looked over our treatment and shot list it was clear that we had made many mistakes as the shots number didn’t match up. As a group we decided to redo out shot list and start again, even though this was very time consuming it was worth it as it would be used when filming.

19th January 2010
when we created our Location Reece it was clear that our pictures we had taken weren’t good enough to be used, as they didn’t line-up correctly. This meant that we had to go back and re-take all the pictures we had originally done to be used. Our second attempts of the photos were of much better quality and looked more professional.

22nd January 2010
As we was soon to filming we needed to create a prop list and start to get an idea of what we would like our location to look like. We decided as a group we would use some school resources as well as our own from home, we spilt the list between use and meant that we defiantly new they could be used in filming. At this time we also decided on who would be acting, filming and directing our film. We concluded that Emma and Hannah would be acting which me and Joanna split the role of filming and directing.

27th of January 2010
As a group we created a questionnaire that we would give out to friends and family from this we would be able to see what genre of films they enjoyed and how often they attended the movies, we each took some questionnaires and would but our results together.

10th February 2010
In our originally plans when filming we had chosen to use a small kitchen as part of the location however, when we went to film we found that the room wasn’t big enough to film and didn’t produce enough light to get a good quality picture. This meant that we had to quickly decide of an alternative location, we chose to film the whole opening sequence in the room and it worked really well.

23rd February 2010
When we looked over our filming we noticed that we didn’t have a wide range of shot sizes this meant that we had to go back and re-film a few shots. This problem was caused by use not following our shot list correctly and not moving our camera to different positions while filming. We also noticed that the lighting in the room at the time of filming wasn’t of a very good quality that meant we had to add in additional lighting during editing.

9th March 2010
When we went to re-film we had some trouble in finding the same props in which we had used for our previous filming, this meant that there was a change of continuity occurring. We tried to make it look the same by looking at pictures we had taken during filming to help place everything in to correct place, we also asked the actors to be dressed in the same clothes.

19th March 2010
During editing we all agreed on where we would like the shot to go and how long they should be shown for. While editing we had to decide on where we would like our titles to appear in the opening sequence, to do this we looked at other films opening sequences from the same genre and took notes. We then created our own title line of where we would like the title to go.

24th March 2010
During class we showed a rough cut of our film, at the time our film wasn’t completely finished. However the feedback that we had from the class was really useful and gave us ideas on ways in which we could improve on our opening sequence as well as what they though was good.

29th March 2010
As a group we all found looking for music very difficult as we soon realised that we wasn’t 100% sure on what we was looking for. We originally found some music from a copyright source however the website wasn’t very reliable and we never received the music. This lead to us having to try and find a new piece of music from a different website which worked really well. As a group we chose to have music that was upbeat rather than slow and depressing, the lively up beat music would be that it would make the opening sequence fast moving.

Conventions of an opening sequence

Within an opening sequence there is a number of differnt techniques that you can look for and comment upon, all these features should be able to be seen in every eopening sequence that you watch.

Analysis of media texts

Micro elements
- Camera (shot sizes)
- Sound (diegetic or non diegetic)
- Mise-en-sene
- Editing and special effects

Macro elements
- Connotation, meaning that is created
- Representation (action, comedy)

  • Camera
    - Angles (low angles shot shows a person taller whereas a bigger shot show power)
    - Shot sizes (extreme close up, long shot or establishing shot)
    - Ariel shot (shows location)
    - Movement (Crain shot, panning, tilting, tracking, jibbing)
    - Point of view shot
    - Over the shoulder shot
  • Movement
    - Dolly (which is a camera on a track and follows movement can either move forward or backward or left to right)
    - Steady cam (attached to a body suit)
    - Zoom (Hitchcock zoom, where tracking in a zooming out at the same time, which puts everything out of focus beside character)
  • Composition
    - Framing
    -Rule of thirds
    -Depth of field (area that’s in focus at one time, normally shallow to deep)

Editing

  • Cutting
    -Hard cuts (straight to one to another)
    -Fade out/ in (used to black at end or change in time period)
    -White fade (used in back in time or flash backs/ forwards)
    - Jump cut (anything between 30 degrees or original camera shot)
    - Shot/ reverse shot
    -Cut away (e.g. a shot of conversation but shot jumps to gun behind back, which adds information to the audience)
    - Parallel editing (story a and b running at the same time)
    - Match on action
    - Eye line matches (get the view of what the character sees)

  • Transition
    - Dissolve
    - Putting a title over the top of images
    - Slow motion
    - Add colour/ light for visual effects

All of these diffenent tequnices should be seen in an opening sequence. I have looked at the film Slumg Dog Millionair to look our for these in their opening sequence.






Wednesday 3 February 2010

Brief for main task

Main task brief: Thw titles and opening sequence of a new fiction film, to last a meximum of two minuets. All video and audio materials must be original, produced by the cadidates, with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.