Tuesday 7 May 2013
Saturday 20 April 2013
Evaluation Question 7...
"Looking back on your preliminary task, what do you feel you heave learnt in the progression from it to the full product?"
Evaluation Question 6...
"What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this media product?"
Evaluation Question 5...
"What type of media institution would distribute your media product and why?"
A media institute is a production company or firm which would distribute a film to certain cinemas. For example, a Hollywood blockbuster such as Harry Potter is distributed by Warner Bros. to the largest cinemas around the world such as ODEON and VUE.
Based of the narrative and story line of my film, I feel that it would fit better being distributed by a smaller, British film company such as Warp, or maybe even an independent company. I feel this because my film challenges quite a few norms and conventions of Hollywood films and it could be a risk for larger film companies to distribute my product.
I also feel that it would be distributed to smaller venues such as CinemaCity as opposed to ODEON etc. I think this because I have decided that my main audience would be viewers that label themselves as 'Mainstream Plus' or perhaps even 'Aficionados' at a stretch because it lacks certain qualities that mainstream films contain and that mainstream audiences thrive on.
A media institute is a production company or firm which would distribute a film to certain cinemas. For example, a Hollywood blockbuster such as Harry Potter is distributed by Warner Bros. to the largest cinemas around the world such as ODEON and VUE.
The types of films that these large companies would distribute would involve huge, A-List stars, teamed with award winning directors and a very sizable budget.
My film however, had none of these. Therefore realistically, the chance of a production company such as this or 20th Century Fox distributing my film would be practically impossible. Theoretically, however, I feel that even if my film were professional and had a larger budget, the type of media institution that would distribute my media product would be different to the mentioned above.
Based of the narrative and story line of my film, I feel that it would fit better being distributed by a smaller, British film company such as Warp, or maybe even an independent company. I feel this because my film challenges quite a few norms and conventions of Hollywood films and it could be a risk for larger film companies to distribute my product.
I also feel that it would be distributed to smaller venues such as CinemaCity as opposed to ODEON etc. I think this because I have decided that my main audience would be viewers that label themselves as 'Mainstream Plus' or perhaps even 'Aficionados' at a stretch because it lacks certain qualities that mainstream films contain and that mainstream audiences thrive on. Friday 19 April 2013
Evaluation Question 1...
"In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of conventional films?"
In cinema, there are a number of conventions that are widely used in the majority of films, including the way the character looks, the narrative, the genre conventions etc.
For example, the conventions of a romantic drama would include:
-A cityscape
-A young attractive female
-A young attractive male
-The two meet by chance and fall in love instantly
-Things are going well between the two and suddenly a crisis strikes which threatens to ruin the relationship.
-The crisis would be resolved and all would be happy again.
-Suddenly however, a tradgedy occurs forcing the two to terminate their relationship in a tearful finale.
I feel my film uses several conventions of the film industry in general which I feel makes the film appealing to mainstream views. My film uses conventions that are often found in characters. The actors in my film are slim, pretty teenage girls, some of which are blonde, which is seen as the norm for female characters, even in cinema today. Also, the girls are all wearing make up and look quite glamorus which adds to the convention further. Had this been a hollywood blockbuster, I would have casted the actresses to look this way because I feel it really contributes to the convention.
My media product also uses norms found in the horror or psychological thriller genre. The setting is a secluded road at night time, where the only source of light is the orangey street light from behind the actress. There is no one around and the pathway is over-looking a black, scary looking lake. These are typical things which would be found in a horror film. Also, slow, ominous non diagetics are present which is instantly recognisable as a feature to a scary film. Regarding the characters and story line, the pretty young girls are seen as 'the damsel in distress/ which is very common.
Developing a convention in a film can be quite difficult- it requires a lot of skill to be able to take a convention and take it a step further, and not many films do this as it can sometimes go unnoticed. I feel like I have slightly developed a couple of conventions in mine, but not fully developed them. For example, the typical convention of a female character would be as described above, but there would only be one. I decided to have it so there are 6, thus developing the 'normal' idea of female characters.
Also, I used flashbacks in my film (which already challenges the traditional narrative). Flashbacks are usually known to be in black and white to be able to fully distinguish between reality and the past. However, due to the contrasting tones in the scenes between flashbacks and the present, I didn't feel the need to make them black and white, so this could be seen as developing the conventions of flashbacks.
My media product challenges a lot of conventions set by film directors and producers. These include conventions in the characters. I have challenged these conventions by having the focus shared between 6 girls as opposed to 1. This is also challenged further because none of the girls in the opening would appear as a leading character had the film been continued. This is rarely seen in the industry. The typical narrative of films has also been challenged in my media product. It is commonly known that the traditional structure of any film, or even any type of media product e.g books or television shows starts with 'the beginning', continues to 'the middle, and finished with 'the end'. This may seen obvious. However, mine has flash backs cut into it between scenes, which messed with the prospect of a beginning, middle and end, because they are jumbled up. The film also begins with a voice over and a black screen. This is rare in cinema.
In cinema, there are a number of conventions that are widely used in the majority of films, including the way the character looks, the narrative, the genre conventions etc.
For example, the conventions of a romantic drama would include:
-A cityscape
-A young attractive female
-A young attractive male
-The two meet by chance and fall in love instantly
-Things are going well between the two and suddenly a crisis strikes which threatens to ruin the relationship.
-The crisis would be resolved and all would be happy again.
-Suddenly however, a tradgedy occurs forcing the two to terminate their relationship in a tearful finale.
I feel my film uses several conventions of the film industry in general which I feel makes the film appealing to mainstream views. My film uses conventions that are often found in characters. The actors in my film are slim, pretty teenage girls, some of which are blonde, which is seen as the norm for female characters, even in cinema today. Also, the girls are all wearing make up and look quite glamorus which adds to the convention further. Had this been a hollywood blockbuster, I would have casted the actresses to look this way because I feel it really contributes to the convention.
My media product also uses norms found in the horror or psychological thriller genre. The setting is a secluded road at night time, where the only source of light is the orangey street light from behind the actress. There is no one around and the pathway is over-looking a black, scary looking lake. These are typical things which would be found in a horror film. Also, slow, ominous non diagetics are present which is instantly recognisable as a feature to a scary film. Regarding the characters and story line, the pretty young girls are seen as 'the damsel in distress/ which is very common.
Developing a convention in a film can be quite difficult- it requires a lot of skill to be able to take a convention and take it a step further, and not many films do this as it can sometimes go unnoticed. I feel like I have slightly developed a couple of conventions in mine, but not fully developed them. For example, the typical convention of a female character would be as described above, but there would only be one. I decided to have it so there are 6, thus developing the 'normal' idea of female characters.
Also, I used flashbacks in my film (which already challenges the traditional narrative). Flashbacks are usually known to be in black and white to be able to fully distinguish between reality and the past. However, due to the contrasting tones in the scenes between flashbacks and the present, I didn't feel the need to make them black and white, so this could be seen as developing the conventions of flashbacks.
My media product challenges a lot of conventions set by film directors and producers. These include conventions in the characters. I have challenged these conventions by having the focus shared between 6 girls as opposed to 1. This is also challenged further because none of the girls in the opening would appear as a leading character had the film been continued. This is rarely seen in the industry. The typical narrative of films has also been challenged in my media product. It is commonly known that the traditional structure of any film, or even any type of media product e.g books or television shows starts with 'the beginning', continues to 'the middle, and finished with 'the end'. This may seen obvious. However, mine has flash backs cut into it between scenes, which messed with the prospect of a beginning, middle and end, because they are jumbled up. The film also begins with a voice over and a black screen. This is rare in cinema.
Wednesday 27 February 2013
Inspiration
My film opening script sees 3/4 girls explaining a horrible story that happened to them, and they each say a line or two each, which then links to what the other girl has to say. Almost as if the girls are finishing each others sentences. I lifted this idea and made it my own from the film '50 first Dates', a comedy starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The opening sequence of this films sees the girls in a scenario where they have all spent a week with Sandler's character, Henry Roth. They are all telling someone the same story of their time spent with him, and seem to be completing the sentence of the girl in the previous scene. I also gained inspiration in the fact that the main character does not immediately appear in the opening.
Here is the opening:
I find this style of scripting and editing effective because it really draws the audience member into the film straight away because they wonder what the characters are talking about, and why they all have it in common despite not knowing each other.
While there will be some similarities with my piece and this, the style of script and the main character not being shown until the final few seconds, the two will be different. Firstly, the genres are completely opposite, and the context and story line are very different. Secondly, this style was used for a comedic affect, whereas mine will be for more of a horror effect. There are also far more characters in this sequence than there will be in mine, and mine will involve flash backs instead of just dialogue.
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Film Opening Script- UPDATED- "Avenue 62"
(V.O) GIRL 1
it was…about a month ago
Dark empty back alley, girl walking alone on the pathway, footsteps can be heard closely behind her
INT.-LIVING ROOM- DAY-PRESENT
A young girl sits alone in a brightly lit living room, the expression on her face is one of sadness and nervousness. She is holding a mobile phone to her ear.
GIRL 2
I was on my way home
EXT.- DARK EMPTY STREET-NIGHT-FLASHBACK
Different girl walking alone, hears footsteps close to her and swiftly turns around with a frightened look on her face
INT.- BEDROOM-DAY-PRESENT
A girl is sitting alone on her bed, leaning against a wall. She looks tired and saddened. She is writing in a small diary.
(V.O) GIRL 1
I don’t like the dark…so I took a shortcut
EXT.- DARK EMPTY STREET-NIGHT-FLASHBACK
A girl looks around cautiously with a frightened look upon her face, she turns around and starts walking a little bit faster than before
(V.O) GIRL 3
I heard… something…someone
INT.-BEDROOM 2-DAY-PRESENT
Two girls are sitting opposite ends of the bed, one girl is close to tears and the other is providing a comforting look
GIRL 3
I should have been walking faster
EXT.- DARK EMPTY STREET-NIGHT-FLASHBACK
Girl being pushed to the ground by unseen figure, her face is decorated with bruises and cuts.
(V.O) GIRL 1
I was left there to die
INT.-LIVING ROOM- DAY-PRESENT
GIRL 2
The thing is, I never saw a single
person
*person on the phone*
Where did this happen?!
INT.-BEDROOM 2-DAY-PRESENT
GIRL 3
Avenue 62
INT.-LIVING ROOM- DAY-PRESENT
GIRL 2
Avenue 62
INT.- BEDROOM-DAY-PRESENT
(V.O) GIRL 1
…Avenue 62
EXT.-PARK-DAY-PRESENT
A young, fair haired girl is quietly sitting on a park bench, buried deep into a book. The wind is lightly blowing her hair across her face, and she keeps brushing it out of the way.
Directors notes: Girls
To ensure that the cast of any film/television programme/play to correctly portray the character well, the director must tell them exactly how they want them to look, act and what to wear. I've started out by making these notes for the girl cast members in both scenes they will appear in:
Walking down the street, being attacked:
Voices: There will be no dialogue in this scene, however they will have to gasp and shriek in horror and breathe heavily. While the attack is happening they will have to scream (which will be added in later).
Facial Expressions: Whilst walking down the street, they should look unphased by their surroundings. Upon hearing footsteps behind them, they should then start to look worried, their walking speeding up slightly and dart their eyes worriedly. Once the attacker reaches them their faces should be ones of horror- closed eyes and wide open mouths, screaming.
Makeup: As far as the story goes, the girls have just left work/ a friends etc, so their make up would be relaxed and how they would look everyday. Some of them will look natural, the others more glamorous.
Clothes: Pretty much the same as stated above. They shall be wearing paler colours such as white, cream, pale pink and blue etc to symbolise a kind of innocence in the girls. They should also be wearing jackets to symbolise the coldness of night.
Writing in the diary:
The actress in this particular scene will have a pained look upon her face and be breathing heavily whilst remembering the horrid experience. Her eyes will be filled with tears although she will not actually be crying, instead fighting back tears by frequently closing her eyes and blinking. Because she will be writing in her diary, there won't be any dialogue in this scene, so she will be writing hurriedly and messily. This character in particular will have faced the most emotional trauma, thus she is writing her feelings in her diary as she doesn't want to tell anyone what happened. She will have also experienced a lack of sleep, therefore her makeup would involve dark circles under the eyes and a pale skin tone. As far as clothes go, she will be wearing clothes that would be worn around the house to relax in, and they will be darker colours than before to symbolise the mourning of her innocent view of the world.
Talking on the phone:
The girl who is talking on the phone to her friend will have a similar look about her as the girl writing in her diary- dark clothes, worn out makeup and hair. However, because often speaking to someone about your problems sometimes causes emotions to come out, she will be crying, but not so her voice is affected; instead it will just be shaky.
Talking to her friend:
Instead of following the same hair and makeup scheme as the previous two girls, she will be slightly more made up, e.g wearing more makeup and dressing casually. This is to try to hide her pain in front of her friend so make her look and feel stronger, even though she isn't. She will too, however, have a saddened, confused look upon her face when she talks, and she will speak slowly and deeply, with her head down. Her and her friend will be sitting on opposite ends of her bed in her bedroom.
Walking down the street, being attacked:
Voices: There will be no dialogue in this scene, however they will have to gasp and shriek in horror and breathe heavily. While the attack is happening they will have to scream (which will be added in later).
Facial Expressions: Whilst walking down the street, they should look unphased by their surroundings. Upon hearing footsteps behind them, they should then start to look worried, their walking speeding up slightly and dart their eyes worriedly. Once the attacker reaches them their faces should be ones of horror- closed eyes and wide open mouths, screaming.
Makeup: As far as the story goes, the girls have just left work/ a friends etc, so their make up would be relaxed and how they would look everyday. Some of them will look natural, the others more glamorous.
Clothes: Pretty much the same as stated above. They shall be wearing paler colours such as white, cream, pale pink and blue etc to symbolise a kind of innocence in the girls. They should also be wearing jackets to symbolise the coldness of night.
Writing in the diary:
The actress in this particular scene will have a pained look upon her face and be breathing heavily whilst remembering the horrid experience. Her eyes will be filled with tears although she will not actually be crying, instead fighting back tears by frequently closing her eyes and blinking. Because she will be writing in her diary, there won't be any dialogue in this scene, so she will be writing hurriedly and messily. This character in particular will have faced the most emotional trauma, thus she is writing her feelings in her diary as she doesn't want to tell anyone what happened. She will have also experienced a lack of sleep, therefore her makeup would involve dark circles under the eyes and a pale skin tone. As far as clothes go, she will be wearing clothes that would be worn around the house to relax in, and they will be darker colours than before to symbolise the mourning of her innocent view of the world.
Talking on the phone:
The girl who is talking on the phone to her friend will have a similar look about her as the girl writing in her diary- dark clothes, worn out makeup and hair. However, because often speaking to someone about your problems sometimes causes emotions to come out, she will be crying, but not so her voice is affected; instead it will just be shaky.
Talking to her friend:
Instead of following the same hair and makeup scheme as the previous two girls, she will be slightly more made up, e.g wearing more makeup and dressing casually. This is to try to hide her pain in front of her friend so make her look and feel stronger, even though she isn't. She will too, however, have a saddened, confused look upon her face when she talks, and she will speak slowly and deeply, with her head down. Her and her friend will be sitting on opposite ends of her bed in her bedroom.
Slight Change...
Over the past few days I have been thinking more about my script and idea as a whole and while I still want to keep the story line the same, I have decided to make a few changes to the script.
Whats changing:
Whats changing:
- Instead of having 6 girls, I have decided to only have 4, simply to make it easier to film and also so that the girls will get more time on screen so that the audience can connect with them more.
- I have also decided that the girls will not be telling their story to a psychiatrist anymore, instead, one will be on the phone to her best friend, confiding her story to her, one will be writing secretly in her diary because she is embarrassed, and the other will be talking face to face with her friend. I feel that this makes the story of the girls more personal and also real, because most people would tell the ones they love and trust about something horrible that's happened to them. I think this makes the situation more realistic.
- Also, although it is not included in the script, I have decided not to go with the unoriginal idea of having a flashback in black and white, instead the sound will be echoed and the colour will just be duller than that of the present day.
Whats staying the same:
- The girls will still be voicing their similar story at different times, they will each just get more lines than before.
- The flashbacks of the attack will still happen on a road at night time, and there will still be eerie mood music playing in the background of these, to add to the genre of psychological thriller.
- The lines are pretty much the same with the same context, they have only been slightly altered.
- The title is still 'Avenue 62' and it remains the focus of the film
- The overall main character will only be shown in the last few seconds, as a sort of setup for the rest of the film.
Friday 15 February 2013
Character Development- Main Character
My film opening contains around 8 characters- 6 girls who act as victims and 2 males; a psychiatrist and a mentally unstable attacker. However, there is a noticable absence of a main character. The main character of a film serves as a point of focus in a film and the audience positions themselves with them. If my project somehow turned into a full length 90-or-so minute long film, the main character would not appear in the films opening 2 minutes, which isn't usually the case.
However, I feel it necessary to create a background for the eventual main character of the film, just so the audience can pre-position themselves with her even though they may only see about 5 seconds of her in the opening. So here is her background:
Full name: Jasmine Cynthia Harrison
Age: 18 and 3/4
Appearance: Shortish blonde hair, petite figure, bright blue eyes, pale skin, typical English Rose
Hometown: A quaint town a few miles NW of London
Parents: Olivia and John Harrison
Education: Reasonably good GCSE and A Level grades
Current living situation: Living with a roommate in student acomodation at university
Career: Hopes to be a journalist, currently doing work experience in between a part-time university course.
Likes: Coffee, books, quiet places, thick jumpers, bright nails
Dislikes: Untidiness, being in doors for too long, wasps, storms
Hobbies: Painting, reading, watching films, walking
If she had to describe herself in one word: Laid-back
Tuesday 5 February 2013
Storyboard (Draft)
Here is a mock up version of my storyboard for my film opening:
*
It contains 8 sections, some split into two or more individual frames. It is a rough version and a final version will be completed and uploaded.
*Where is says (F.B, B/W) it means Flach Back, and Black and White
*It contains 8 sections, some split into two or more individual frames. It is a rough version and a final version will be completed and uploaded.
*Where is says (F.B, B/W) it means Flach Back, and Black and White
Preliminary Task
This is our preliminary task. For this task , we had to use a match on action shot and a shot/reverse shot in order to show our understanding of the two and know how to use them effectively.
The two actresses- Zoe and Lucy, then constructed a typical conversation about a recent party so that shot/reverse shot could be used.
Here is the video:
The two actresses- Zoe and Lucy, then constructed a typical conversation about a recent party so that shot/reverse shot could be used.
Here is the video:
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Film Opening Script-Draft "Avenue 62"
(V.O) GIRL 1
It was… a few weeks
ago.
EXT.- DARK EMPTY
STREET- NIGHT- FLASHBACK
Dark empty back alley, girl walking alone on the pathway,
footsteps can be heard closely behind her
INT.- SHRINKS OFFICE-
DAY- PRESENT
Brightly lit room, man behind desk- his face is not shown,
girl sitting on a chair with a frightened/ distressed look on her face
GIRL 2
I was on my way home,
I took a shortcut.
EXT.- DARK EMPTY
STREET-NIGHT-FLASHBACK
Different girl walking alone, hears footsteps close to her
and swiftly turns around with a frightened look on her face
INT.- SHRINKS
OFFICE-DAY-PRESENT
GIRL 3
I didn’t know what to
do, I couldn’t defend myself!
EXT.- DARK EMPTY
STREET- NIGHT- FLASHBACK
Girl being pushed to the ground by unknown man- his face not
seen
GIRL 4
(Screams)
INT.- SHRINKS OFFICE-
DAY- PRESENT
GIRL 5
I never even saw his
face.
DR VAUGHN
May I just ask, where
did this all take place?
GIRL 5
I think it was...
GIRL 6
Avenue 62
GIRL 3
Avenue 62
GIRL 2
Avenue 62.
(V.O) GIRL 1
Avenue 62
Film Ident
Using Adobe After Effects, I created my own film ident which will appear at the beginning of my film opening. Using the research I previously conducted on film idents, I decided to link my production company name and theme of my ident to my film opening idea. I came up with the idea of a flash back, as that is the current focus of my film opening, so I titled my production company "Flash Back Films".
I then chose to have a cloudy background, and altered it to make it look darker. This symbolises the dark nature of my film, and the hypothetical 'storm' that occurs in someones brain when they are retrieving a painful memory. The title then fades into the background to look as if it is being taken away by the clouds, as someone would have their 'head in the clouds' while being engaged into the film. It does not currently have any sound but I may chose to add sound later on.
Here is my finished film ident:
I then chose to have a cloudy background, and altered it to make it look darker. This symbolises the dark nature of my film, and the hypothetical 'storm' that occurs in someones brain when they are retrieving a painful memory. The title then fades into the background to look as if it is being taken away by the clouds, as someone would have their 'head in the clouds' while being engaged into the film. It does not currently have any sound but I may chose to add sound later on.
Here is my finished film ident:
Tuesday 22 January 2013
Developing Character
Character vs Characterization
The function of character is top bring the story the qualities of characterization necessary to act out choices convincingly. A character must be credible. Each must bring the story the combination of qualities that allows the audience to believe that the character could and would do what he does.
Climax and Character
- Characterization is the sum of the physical appearences of a human being. These include: age; sex and sexuality; style of speech and body language; dress etc.
- The totality of these traits makes each person unique- each of us in one of a kind. This assembly of traits is characterization, not character.
- Character is revealed when a human being is put under pressure and they take a certain course of action. The greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice ti the characters nature.
- Pressure is essential. Choices made when nothing is at risk show little about someones true character. It allows us to have an insight to the core of the characters nature.
- For example; if a character choses to tell the truth in a situation where telling a lie would have no consequences, the choice is trivial. However if that same character insists on telling the truth when lying would save his life, we cxan sense that it is in his nature to be honest.
The function of character is top bring the story the qualities of characterization necessary to act out choices convincingly. A character must be credible. Each must bring the story the combination of qualities that allows the audience to believe that the character could and would do what he does.
Climax and Character
- A revered Hollywood axiom warns: "Movies are their last 20 minutes". This means that for a film to have a chance in the world, the last act and its climax must be the most satisfying experience throughout the whole film for all. If the final movement fails, the film will die over its opening weekend.
- A film may begin with a tedious 30 minutes, but may be gradually drawn in and the pace built up.
- Story is a metaphor for life and life is lived in time. Therefore, film is temporal art, not plastic art. An old saying accompanies this, "Save the best til last".
Target Audiences
In todays session we learnt about the importance of target audiences in cinema and film production, and how important it is to take your target audience into consideration before the marketing process begins.
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We also learnt about the different types of audiences.
We also learnt about ABC1. This is similar to the audience types, but refers more to the social classes.
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.JPG)
We also learnt about the different types of audiences.
We also learnt about ABC1. This is similar to the audience types, but refers more to the social classes.
.JPG)
Audience Profile
In our session today, we discovered how it is a regular occurrence for film makers to research deep into the target audience of their film genre and create a fake profile of one likely audience member, so here is my profile for my film:
Name: Liam
Age: 19
Liam is a typical 19 year old boy- he is currently studying engineering at his first year of college after taking a gap year, and has a part time job in a clothing store to pay the bills. He lives in a flat in the city with his friend, and he enjoys watching films on a regular basis. His favourite genre of film is horror, but he often watches other genres such as thrillers, action and comedy. His pass times are playing sports, seeing his friends and gaming. He mostly watches sports channels on TV but sometimes enjoys watching crime dramas. He is currently single. He would label himself as a 'Mainstream only' viewer.
Name: Liam
Age: 19
Liam is a typical 19 year old boy- he is currently studying engineering at his first year of college after taking a gap year, and has a part time job in a clothing store to pay the bills. He lives in a flat in the city with his friend, and he enjoys watching films on a regular basis. His favourite genre of film is horror, but he often watches other genres such as thrillers, action and comedy. His pass times are playing sports, seeing his friends and gaming. He mostly watches sports channels on TV but sometimes enjoys watching crime dramas. He is currently single. He would label himself as a 'Mainstream only' viewer.
Sunday 20 January 2013
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