Thursday, November 27, 2008

Animatic

We spent this lesson doing our animatic sequence....
We tried to make the video as realistic as possible, however this made it incredibly boring to watch. The shot durations are really long which makes the video realistic. The shots will obviously be longer and more thought out when we actually film our sequence. At the moment we have considered almost everything we need to start filming which is a good position to be in at the moment. We are soon going to start filming where we will fit everything together. The animatic sequence is not exactly what we want our film title sequence to look like but as it is our first sequence that we have produced it is only a rough copy, which is ok at the moment. When we begin to film our sequence it will be a lot easier to understand and hopefully it will turn out like we want it to.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Animatic Storyboard

This is our storyboard animatic...


This is our animatic storyboard, we spent a long while producing this as we put a lot of thought into it. It gave us an idea of what we were going to produce with our final sequence, it helped us get the shot durations and simply putting the sequence together. It helped us a lot as it showed us a draft of our final sequence. Although we knew our sequence would be totally different it gave us an idea of what was to be included. It made us think about how the shots were going to be filmed and at what angles. We got an overall idea of our final production.

Production Meeting 4

Today we took pictures of our animatic, which will be uploaded soon, and made into a small animatic, but realistic, video of our story board. This should give us a real idea of how our title sequence will fit together. It will help us to understand the shot durations etc.

We also further discussed our ideas. We decided to call the title sequence 'A Broken Mind'
This fits in with our sequence as it is relevant to our thoughts and ideas.

we were inspired by a video clip called 'The eye' Some of the ideas from this clip gave us the ideas that would help us construct our title sequence, the hospitals sequence especially gave us the theme of white.


fG

Monday, November 24, 2008

Costumes

We have not yet fully discussed what costumes are going to be included but we have thought about character ones costume. We thought about putting him on a stall in a plain white room wearing all white... this creates the effect of purity and isolation. This helps the charactor think about why he is there.
This also sets the mood for the film as it produces the thought that the male is there for an unknown reason, and as he is in all whites, may suggest he is innocent, this may not be the case, however, it is put across to the spectator as this assumption.
The other costumes have not yet been decided as we have been thinking about many other things and costumes was not one of the most important.
We will talk about costumes in our next production meeting.
As we are getting closer to filming our title sequence we will need to be fully aware of everything needed for this.

This is the kind of thing we would like our character to wear. Even if it is just a white jacket with his arms tied or something similar.

Prop list

Here is a list of our props that we have decided to use:

  • A knife
  • A small rope
  • A lighter
  • Childs pens
  • A3 sheet of paper

Used to place on the second charactors table.

  • Table and chair
  • Stall
  • Stait jacket/white clothing

Any additional props will be added as we go along and added to our blog. We will further discuss our locations, props and costumes. We will more then likely add things to our production as we start filming

Location list

Here is a list of our locations that we have decided to use:


  • White studio- located on the college site-so we can film the main shots

  • An empty corridor with a room at the end-so we can film shot 12

  • A room in the college that has a table and chair so we can film the flickering shots

These are our main locations, we may add a few locations as we go along. Any changes will be added to our blog.

Here is an example of the sort of locations we are going to use, we will take proper pictures of our locations when we begin to film.

Titles

We discussed what our titles would be in the sequence. Ben and Scott were looking at thriller opening sequences to get an idea of what titles are included in title sequences. We decided to take well known titles out of sequences to make ours more realistic and similar to actual film title sequences. These are some of the ideas we gathered:

A film by BSCK Productions Presents
Actors: Scott Lansdale and Niall Folbigg
The film name: A Broken Mind
Director of music Ben Tomlinson
Costumes designed by Rachel Chaplin
Edited by Ross Macintyre
Director of photography Karl Lambourne
Co Producers Ben Tomlinson
Produced by Cassie Barker
Directed by Norman Williams

We will discuss the names that will be written later on in our blog...We got our ideas from this title sequence from seven.

Production Meeting 3

We decided the order of shots today and how we are putting the sequence together.

Order of shots:
  1. Long shot of male sitting on the stall but off centre a little. This is to be done in the white studio, All light so we can emphasis the male.
  2. A close up of the males feet to emphasis that they are tied up, to make the spectator wonder why he is sitting there. You hear sounds from the male but cant quite recognize what he is saying.
  3. A fast dissolve to another behind shot of a male sitting at a desk with many things scattered on it. You don't yet see any faces to keep the spectator guessing. A black screen with a duration of around 2 seconds appears to show the spectator the titles, like a subliminal message but with names on as titles.
  4. Flickers to another shot, in which you see the males feet from the side, the shot will gradually circle the character until you get to the face. But this does not happen all at once as through out this, there is flickering images of other things, E.g. the male at the table.
  5. A birds eye view of the male sitting at the table, gives the spectator a sense of what the male is doing, where you will see a lighter, a knife and a rope, and a large blank A3 sheet with some child's pens. This shot should only last about 2 seconds or less.
  6. This shot is still gradually getting to the characters face. Hearing him singing a song. 
  7. A side view of the character sitting at the table, should only last a few seconds. The spectator is kept guessing what the character is doing
  8. This shot is nearly revealing the characters face.
  9. Another shot of the character on the table, you now see him scribbling some sort of picture, keeps the spectator in suspense and wondering what is happening.
  10. The spectator never sees the characters face but sees the top of his head, this keeps the spectator unaware of who the characters are. 
  11. The character at the table is scribbling and concentrating hard on his picture. The spectator is now wondering what the the character is doing and why,
  12. The last shot cuts to an empty blank hall way, you see in the distance a dark door, The door slowly opens to reveal the room and the man slowly walks  out. END OF SHOTS

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Production Meeting 2

Today we analysed the sequence Switchblade Romance, after this we had a small chat about some more ideas we have.

We thought about where we were going to do our title sequence and we disscussed about either doing the sequence in a dark room with the lights off or a fully white room. The fully white room, is a studio on the college premisis which we will maybe have to ask permission to use and which we will visit our locations before we film to get a sense of how we will film and we could easily prepare a dark room... this would just mean turning the lights off when its dark and fixing a bulb or a lamp above the person sitting in the chair, this could keep the spectator in suspence
The other clips would be short duration so could be filmed almost anywhere... we had ideas of hands fiddling with a knife or something similar which could just be filmed on an ordinary table. All of our shots, apart from the first shot, will be short duration as this builds a bigger effect of suspense and tension. Many of our shots will be close ups, again apart from the first shot, as this creates the effect of including the spectator in the action and doesnt vary the imagination of the spectator as they have little information to start making interpretations, which helps to set the mood for the film.

We have not yet discussed what font type or style we are going to use as we feel this is irrelevant until we need to add it in, this is also the case for a soundtrack. Although we have discussed that the sounds should include scratching or screams of some sort etc, we have not fully discussed this but have some initial ideas.

We have decided we are not going to have any diagetic sound but all non-diagetic. It is easier to add a soundtrack in afterwards instead of trying to include dialogue etc.

In our next production meeting we will discuss our shot types and shot order, the roles of our group members and where exactly we are going to shoot our title sequence...

Analysis Of Switchblade Romance

Today we watched a sequence from the horror Switchblade Romance directed by Alexandre Aja. It was produced in 2005. We watched a sequence which has conventional thriller techniques such as Sound, Editing, Mise-En-Scene and Camerawork. We analysed this scene to try and get a better sense of what a thriller contains. We will then apply these techniques to our own thriller title sequence.

The Micro-elements were analysed by:
Editing: Ben
Mise-en-scene: Cassie
Sound: Scott
Camerawork: Karl

Editing: (Ben)
As the music slows in pace there is less cuts and an increase of the shot duration. As the pace and soundtrack increase you get a decreased shot duration. There is a variety of pace, sound and editing which makes the spectator feel tension, suspence and helps us to understand and take in her sense of panic. There is elements of parrallel editing, also known as spacial editing, when the shots go back and forward from the woman rushing around tidying up and trying to find a place to hide to the male walking up the stairs to find her. This also creates suspence and tension for the spectator as we are gripping the edge of our chair to find out what happens. It gives us the sense that the character is going to be found as she hides the most obvious place, which creates more suspence for the spectator.

Mise-en-scene: (Cassie)
The lighting is dark in the scene which creates a sense of fear, this is a well known convention of a thriller. There are loads of props to build up the scene, such as the blade that the male is carrying, this shows that he is the killer and he is the one looking for the woman and not the other way around, this is known as a traditional stereotype, as the male is the killer. Another prop is the telephone which plays a small part in the scene, the female trys to move the wardrobe to find a place to plug in the telephone, this links in with camerawork as it is very fast paced at this moment. The male is dressed in a boiler suit which makes him almost anonymous as it is everyday clothing, also to be compared to a convicts clothing. He is wearing a hat and big black leather boots which may suggest his masculinty and strength. It could also be used to help the spectator realise that he is after the woman as he is appeared to be more dominant in the frame. There is a close up of the males hand and you can clearly see he is wearing big rings, this could suggest that he has killed before and that these are the rings from the people he has murdered. The male has dirty hands which emphasises his impurity and carelessness. However, the females clothing is everyday clothing to prove that she could be any ordinary person, which suggests that this situation could happen to anyone The white shirt suggests her purity and innocence, which also looks like the sort of clothing a young person wears, showing she is maybe young.
The setting is in an old traditional home, which a small bathroom and small bedroom, which could emphasise the female being trapped with no escape as the rooms are small. These are the places that are used everyday and are familiar with, this is a key theme to a thriller. We see houses as a safe place to be in, you wouldnt assosiate a home with murder as it is your own personal space. This is all to keep the spectator in suspense.

Sound: (Scott)
The screams at the beginning of the scene connotate pain, anger or fear. The scuffling/dropping sounds imply a struggle The atmospheric music is very fast paces with occasional thudding noises, this could represent a heartbeat which builds tension and suspense. This has a big impact on the spectator. The spectator could even have a physical reaction to this, their heartbeat could increase as a result. This shows danger and expected action but the spectator doesnt know when to expect it which keeps the viewer interested and wondering. The spectator knows that something is going to happen/ shows off balance.
The tempo and volume increase to emphasise the danger growing, there is an uncomfortable element to the sounds that are heard and reflects what is happening in the scene.High pitched sounds are more awkward and uncomforting to listen to.
The breathing of both the male and female both reflect different things ont the spectator. The females breathing is very fast to emphasise her fear. Whereas, the males breathing is very slow and heavy which shows he is calm about his actions and suggests that he has killed before. We get the sense that the male knows what he is doing which makes the spectator uneasy. The subjective sounds from this scene, like the leather boots squelching and the floorboards creeking when he walks on them, also make the spectator feel uneasy.

Camerawork: (Karl)
The meaning is created through camerawork by the variety of shots, for example there are fast and slow pans to create effects of suspense and tension. Close up are used to help the reader to get involved with the action and put the reader into the scene. Close ups also limit the spectator to what they see to keep them guessing and wondering what is going to happen. Match on action is used to create suspense and help us to engage the two different stories as one. There are two stories happening at the same time, but the match on action helps us to separate them, but understand them as one. You never seem to see the males face, as if he has something to hide so they don't show his face. You see close ups of the props such as the blade to emphasis the danger of what is happening. It helps the spectator to join in with the action and understand the females fear. This is all to create suspense.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Thriller Conventions

Thriller Conventions we, as a group, need to keep in mind whislt filming and planning our title sequence. I decided to post this on our blog so we can easily refer back to this to make sure we stick to our aims, so we stay on track!

A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).
A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.
A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.
Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
Themes of identity.
Themes of mirroring.
Themes of voyeurism.
Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.
There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril.
Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.

Analysis Of Seven

Our group analysed the opening title sequence of Seven to get a see how a title sequence is contructed to get an idea of how to put our title sequence together and what effect we need to create on the audience.

Camerawork = was analysed by Cassie
Editing = was analysed by Ben
Mise-en-scene = was analysed by Karl
Sound = was analysed by Scott

Camerawork: (Cassie)
The shot types do not really vary in this sequence as all the shots are close ups. There is not any long or medium shots involved to keep the viewer to a minimum on the action. This is to influence the viewer and keep them involved in the action and suspence. A metranome is used by musicians to keep in beat with the music, there is a close up of the males hand pushing the metranome which may suggest the seconds ticking away. Suggesting that the males life is wasteing away or time is ticking for some reason. It could also show the pace of the males heartbeat or pace of the film or how time is ticking away. It could even suggest that life is precious and you should use every second you have. There is many interpretations to the significance of the metranome. This keeps the viewer in suspence about what the male is doing and unaware of what is happening. Close ups through out the title sequence make the tension stronger as we cannot see any surroundings but just the specific shots. Also repetition of the shots create suspence. Oblique angles are added to confuse the viewer and make them think about what the film involves and what is to come. Moreover, zooms on the males face suggest he is the main character in the film and shows the viewer the facial expressions of the male. This may suggest the theme of gender is about to occur and be brought up.
Overall, in my opinion, this clip creates the mood of keeping the reader oblivious to what is happening in the sequence to create the tension and make suspence for the film to come.

Sound: (Scott)
At the beginning of the sequence, the male pushes the metranome to make a diagetic sound occur. This sound is the ticking of the metranome, the reader is fully aware of this sound. This has been included for a reason, maybe to suggest the male is a waste of time or time is ticking away. A metranome is used for a pianist to keep in the beat of time, maybe this sequence is suggesting the male is keeping in time, or could represent his heartbeat. Throughout the sequence, eerie sounds are used to keep the viewer interested and sat on the edge of their seat. This has an influence on the viewers as they are drawn into the clip. This is a non-diagetic sound as the clips are edited together, which makes the charactors not able to hear the sounds that are added afterwards. Slow paced music is used at the start of the flickering images to build up to the suspence, after the mood is set, the music begins to get faster in its pace to suggest that there is suspence and action in the film. It suggests that the film is fast paced.

Mise-en-scene: (Karl)
Props that are used in this scene represent a lot. It also sets the mood for the film as it creates the tension and puts the spectator in suspense and ready for what is going to happen in the film. The props include things like razor blades to represent danger or pain. There are bandages on the persons fingers show the spectator that the person has cut himself or done something that represents pain or suffering to maybe show he has done something wrong. Another interpretation of this could be that the person is trying to hide their finger prints from doing a crime or doing something wrong and does not what anyone to trace his prints etc. The persons dirty hands represent his impurity and shows that he has done something wrong. It shows the danger of the film and sets the spectator up for what is about to happen in the film. There are a range of books in the opening title sequence maybe to show the person is clever and has a lot of knowledge. It could also show he has information on people or to stalk people. this gives that person power and strength. The knowledge of the person shows the spectator they know what they are doing. There could be many different interpretations to what is happening in this title sequence.

Editing: (Ben)
At the beginning of the scene, there is long duration shots to set the scene and make the spectator wonder what is happening. This creates suspense and tension and sets the viewer up for the mood and setting of the film. After the first scene has been set, they shots turn into short duration with flickering images, which distorts the spectators views on what is happening. The transitions between the shots shows us that the shots have been deliberately edited together to create the effect of building the tension on the scene. Some of the shots are repeated which helps the spectator to try to understand and put the pieces together to try and figure out what is about to happen, although it is done to make the spectator unexpected of what the film is about, this helps to create more suspense.

Production Meeting 1

Hello,
This is our first production meeting and we would like to welcome you to our group, consisting of four members who are Karl Lambourne, Ben Tomlinson, Cassie Barker and Scott Lansdale.

This video, taken from youtube, is the opening sequence of seven and it is an inspiration to our ideas. The flashing images in this scene help us to grasp our idea for our very own title sequence.



Our ideas consist of a man (Scott) sitting in a chair rocking from back to front, like a crazy man. With flickering close up images of different happenings, this will build effects to keep the viewers interested and minimise the viewers to little action, which keeps the viewer unknown to what is happening.
The setting of our sequence is going to be held in a fully white room, to build effects of loneliness and to keep the viewer in suspense. The flickering images will be held in different settings to suggest the change in scene and atmosphere.
In this title sequence we will set the themes and moods of the film, which will be themes of loneliness, crisis and despair.
Our protagonist is going to appear as the main character being afraid of pain and death.
Our sound track will be produced later in the making, but will consist of screams, scratches and other off putting sounds and effects. Our props will also be discussed further in the process as well as makeup, lighting and camerawork.

These are only our initial ideas and changes will be made later on... :)