Planning: Possible Film Openings

As a group we have come up with two possible film openings. The reason we have done this is so that we can see what type of opening our target audience will enjoy the most. The aim is to present a group of people with these opening and get their opinion on which they prefer. When this has been done we will have a better idea of what will make our film opening a success. The possible openings are as follows;

Film Opening One

• Who: The Psychiatrist that will appear in the film as the main character and villain, and one patient that he choses as one of his victims.
• When: At the middle of the day, in a meeting between the two characters. The victim is a patient of the Psychiatrist so visits him often.
• Where: The two characters are sitting in the Psychiatrists office having one of their regular meetings, the patient is sitting on a sofa with his/her back facing the door with the Psychiatrist sat opposite.
• What: The Psychiatrist is asking the patient questions and recording the answers. After a while, the Psychiatrist excuses himself and walks out of the room. When he goes outside, he picks up a blunt object and takes his shows off at the door to avoid being heard. The Psychiatrist then walks back into the room, stands behind the patient and lifts the weapon - as he brings down the weapon and just before it makes contact with patient the scene cuts to titles.

Film Opening Two

• Who: The Psychiatrist will briefly appear in the opening, but just the character writing in a book or notepad, so the face of the character may not be included due to a lack of importance of any story.
• When: There is no time or date for this opening as it is an opening with no story, but based on the opening titles, like in Se7en.
• Where: Again, there is no story line in this opening so there is no location for the opening, however when the psychiatrist is briefly shown, it will imply that he is in his office even if the filming doesn't take place there.
• What: Like in the opening to Se7en, the opening will be wholly based on the opening titles. The structure of the opening will be a selection of clips of the psychiatrist writing, blood splatters across a page, glimpses of the psychiatrists head collection etc.

Target Audience Feedback

We got some feedback from our target audience about our potential openings. We showed two potential film openings to three people who we believed fitted our target audience and asked them for which opening they preferred and why. The feedback we got from these people was very important in helping us to decide which film opening was better to use.

Research: The Importance of Sound in Horror Films

Sound in horror films plays a massive part in making the film scary, making the film a horror. There is wide range of music used in horror films from your slow, high pitched music to create eeriness to your fast paced, low pitched music to create an immediate sense of danger and threat. Sound in horror has the ability and power to create a sense of danger and vulnerability just from an every day activity such as opening a door to a room. During a horror film, there are many different factors which affect the type of sound that is used. For example, in a blood and guts film such as jaws you would expect to hear a faster paced, low pitch sound accompanying the visual while with a film such as children of the corn you would expect a slower paced, high pitched sound to be used to create the tension.

The purpose of sound in horror films is to create a certain atmosphere which allows the audience to connect with the film more deeply and emotionally. It also enhances the overall quality of the film. For example, I watched a horror film trailer without any sound in it and it completely took alll the horror film feel away from it and lost the films sense of purpose.

Doing some research I found that the sound used in the majority of horror films, no matter how disimilar they may sound, plays on the instinctive fears of people. This means no matter of how fearless the audience may be, deep down there will be a sense of anxiety from each and every person watching the film. The class of noises used have been labelled as 'non-linear' sounds.

Psycho, arguably the most iconic horror film of all time, uses sounds extremely affectively and the sound used in the film is almost as big as the film itself. The sound in psycho became so iconic by how it amazingly ties in with the story of the film. An example of how effective sound is in this film is the use of the famous shrieking, staccato violin in the shower scene. This sound massively enhances the scene with the stabbing violin in compliment to the assailant's attack with a knife.

Here below in the video are examples of the sound used in some of the most iconic horror films of all time.

The Importance Of Opening Titles

The information you may be given during the opening titles of a film;

• The title of the film
• Cast in the film
• The production company
• The distributor company
• Director, producer, make-up, costume design, music

What is the difference between opening titles and closing credits?

 

The difference between opening titles and closing titles is the following; the opening titles are there to inform the audience of the people who played the more important roles in the film. This will include those such as the director, producer and the production company. On the other hand, the closing credits list everyone who was involved in the film making; from the director and cast to the costume design and music department. During the opening titles it displays the theme including font, colour and style. These have all a correlation with the genre of the film.

What is the importance of opening titles?

The opening titles of a film are very important in giving the audience a lot of information. For example, it states the most important people in the film to give the audience that information. The names are usually given in the order of importance with the most important coming first. An example of this is from the film 'Se7en' where Brad Pitt's name is the first one stated out of all the actors. This is because he is the most well known actor in the film and the star actor therefore coming first in the titles. Also, he would be first in the titles as he of the biggest actors in the world and a huge star in Hollywood, therefore by putting him first this will attract viewers to the film. There are other crew members mentioned in the opening titles too. These include the director, producer and executive producer, music and the distributors. It is also important to include these members for the same reason that they are capable of attracting possible viewers. For example, the director of the 'Se7en', David Fincher, is a very successful and well known and respected director. This means people who have previously recognised his stuff and enjoyed it are likely to watch 'Se7en' due to the fact he is involved heavily in the making of the film. Opening titles aren't only just useful for giving the audience information, it has symbolic coding which the audience can recognise. For example, in 'Se7en', the font and style of the credits, along with the the music and image used all contribute to the genre. It is easy to make out from the titles that the genre of 'Se7en' is thriller.

Research Into Target Audience : Pen Portrait

In our groups, we produced a mind map of what we would expect our target audience to be like. We allocated each person a different colour felt and everyone put down their different ideas. Below is a picture of our mind map and you can see each persons contribution by the key in the top left hand corner. 

Broadmoor Films - Horror Film Pitch

Here below is our groups, Broadmoor Films, 60 second pitch abut the horror film we're going to be producing. It is important to produce a pitch to give the target audience/viewers a slight preview into what the film is going to be like.

Planning : Getting Into Production Teams

I will be working with Jack Gardner and Scott Hackett for the main task. Our production company name is Broadmoor Films.

Research: Codes and conventions

What is a code?
Codes are elements that can be decoded by the audience to provide meaning. They can be divided mostly into two seperate groups of codes; technical codes and symbolic codes.

Technical codes include the 'technical' aspects of creating a piece of moving image media. Some examples of technical codes are things such as camera shots, angles and movements, editing, sound, titles and lighting.

Symbolic codes include the main elements of mise-en-scene within a film. Mise-en-scene is a french term which stands for 'put in the scene'. Examples of elements this may include are things such as costume, make up, setting and props. If in a film we were to see a girl in a short dress with red lipstick on  this would lead the audience to make an assumption about her. This is due to the symbolic value that comes with these items.

What is a convention?
A convention is very similar to a norm in the sense that it is what the expected rules are. In film, a convention is what the audience expect in a specific genre. For example, in a horror film we expect to see conventions such as the victim being stuck in a remote location (no help), a mobile phone running out of battery or having no signal when a call is about/needed to be made and quite often a young, vunerable female being the victim. There are many more examples of horror films conventions that could be used.

Research of films in the 1930's

Thinking about fear

For this task we got put into groups of 4 in which we each had to discuss our fears and then decide on which was each of our biggest fears. We then split an A3 sheet of paper into 4 sections and each person had a section each to write about their main fear. The criteria for this was to explain what the fear was, why you fear and how it developed. Here below is the work we produced on our biggest fears:

As you can, each individual had a very different fear to each other. My fear, seen in the bottom right, is the fear of the woods at night time (when it's dark). This picture shows a close up of my piece of what I fear:

In my piece I talk about what my fear is, why I fear it and how it has developed. The words in this image are quite hard to make out. I have written; 

'I'm scared of the woods at night time (when it's dark) because all the trees enclose it in so it just makes it look like a pitch black long tunnel. Also, you don't have a clue what is in there and this makes you want to stay as far away as you possibly can

I believe this fear has developed because I live just round the corner from the woods which means I regularly have to walk past them when it is dark. Although I have got more used to it, it is still a scary experience each and every time' 

Main Task : Set Brief

The titles and opening of a new teen horror film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.

Preliminary task evaluation

What did you learn from the experience of filming the footage required for your preliminary task? What went well and what could have been done better?

I learnt several things from the experience of filming the footage required for the preliminary task. Firstly, I learnt that the pre production stage is very important when it comes to the filming. For example, the story board was very useful to refer to and made the filming flow more smoothly. This was one of the things that our group did well. I also learnt that all the filming must take place in landscape. This is one of the things that our group could`ve have done better as some of the clips were filmed in portrait. In addition, I learnt that it is important to have good location planning so you know were each is going to be filmed and that the location is suitable for what you`re filming. Although our group did carry out a location plan, it wasn`t thorough enough and this led to us rushing around trying to find a suitable location for our filming. Again, this is another thing our group could have done better. Furthermore, I learnt that it is vital to maintain continuity during the filming. There are a few examples in our filming where there is a lack of continuity and this is another area we would look to improve upon. 

What is the difference between pre-production, production and post-production?

Pre production is the preparation that goes before any type of film, TV, radio etc. An example of pre production is creating a story board which can be referred to when it comes to the production. Production is the actual process of filming. For example, in our case the production was filming the clips for our task. Post production is the process that takes place after filming has stopped. An example of post production would be editing the filming.

How easy did you find editing in iMovie? Explain at least 4 different skills or techniques that you learnt during this process. 

I found editing in iMovie fairly easy and learnt several new skills in the process. Firstly, I learnt how to cut clips down to precise timings. This allowed me to cut a clip that may last 12 seconds down to 4 seconds worth of relevance because the other 8 seconds of clip weren't relevant. This is a useful clip to have because it will allow me to create a clip that has match on action and continuity. Another skill I learnt was how to add text into clips. This meant that I could add text into the foreground of clips to show a message to the viewer. This was an important skill to have for this task as I needed to add a title and credits. Also, I learnt how to add sound to clips. This meant I could choose from the list of sounds on iMovie and add them in where it was relevant. This was an important skill to have for this task as there was a clip where I needed to add a footsteps sound. Furthermore, I also learnt how to take sound away from clips. This allowed me to take out sound where it was needed/wanted. This was important for this task as there were a few clips where inappropriate background noise affected the clip therefore needed to be removed.

What is continuity editing?

Continuity editing is editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without causing visual inconsistencies. The purpose of this is to create an established story for the viewer.

What do the following terms mean; a) match on action, and b) shot / reverse shot

Match on action is where there is a change in the perspective of the camera and the and scene continues to flow. Shot reverse shot is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

Analyse your preliminary task as a piece of continuity editing. What are its strengths and what are its weaknesses. You may find it useful to include targeted screen shots (cmd+shift+4)to illustrate the points that you make

As a piece of continuity editing our film certainly had its strengths and weaknesses. A strength of ours was that we were able to create a good piece of match on action film from the filming we did. However, our preliminary task had its weaknesses too. An example of this is were we filmed a clip were the door was shut and when we re filmed that same clip the door was open which showed a lack of continuity. Another weakness of ours was that some of our filming took place in landscape and some took place in portrait. This showed a lack of continuity as some clips would be filmed in portrait and then the next clip would be filmed in landscape. The pictures below, along with the explanations highlights some of the strengths and weaknesses in our task. 

This is an example of one of the strengths of our production.
The pre production stage was important for this is we knew
when we wanted to include the title and the opening clips
was when we did this.  

This is another example of one of the things we did well as
we filmed this clip in landscape which was what we were
meant to do. However, there was a continuity error as some
of the previous clips were filmed in portrait. 

This is an example of one of the weaknesses of our production.
This is a weakness as we were meant to film everything in
landscape and this is filmed in portrait. This shows a lack
of continuity and also filming in portrait means you get black
strips down the side (as you can see in the picture) and
you don't get the full filming potential. 

Completed preliminary task

 

My first test edit and what I have learnt

For this task, we were given a selection of clips that were filmed by another group and our task was to edit these clips using iMovie into a series of clips that make sense. By the word 'sense' I mean match on action which means clip after clip that makes sense when all put together. Here below is my test edit and what I have learnt from it

I have learnt several skills from the process of editing the raw footage with iMovie. One skill I have learnt is how to cut the clips down to the precise timing. This is a vital skill to have when it comes to editing because you need exact timings so that your edited work makes sense. Another skill I have learnt is how to add and take away sound affects to each clip. This is a good skill to have when it comes to editing as it allows you to add and take away sounds which may have affected the clips that were filmed at the time. However, in my test edit I couldn`t add sound affects due to the time element but with more time I would be able to add sound affects if I wanted to. Furthermore, I also learnt how to add text to clips. This is another good skill to have when it comes to editing as it allows you to add text to your film where it might be needed. Before this task, I had hardly used iMovie so every skill I`ve learnt since the start of the task is completely new which means I can now do so much more on iMovie then I could before the start of this task.

All the skills that I have learnt from my first test edit will be extremely useful when it comes to the editing of the preliminary task. Firstly, the skill of cutting clips down to the precise timing will be helpful when it comes to my preliminary task editing because it will allow to me to make my short film footage accurate and it will make sense to the viewers. Also, the skill of adding and taking sound affects will be helpful when it comes to my prelim task editing because there are some clips where it is important that sound affects are added and there also some clips where sound needed to be removed due to background noise. In addition, the skill of adding text to clips is helpful with my editing of the prelim task because there some clips such as the introduction and the ending where text needs to be added so the title of the filming and the actors who took part in the filming can be stated. 

Planning : Casting

We found some possible candidates for our filming and once we identified who they were we had to see whether they were suitable for the role or not

This is Harrison. He is not suitable becuase he
 isn`t a good enough actor.

This is Marshal. He is not suitable because he
isn`t confident enough and gets camera shy
easily. 

This is Aberto. He isn`t suitable because he
is unable to get the time out of his lessons
for his filming. 

This is Jerin. She is unsuitable for the role
because she is too shy and we need someone
with confidence to fill the role. 

This is Matt. He is suitable for the role
and will be in our cast because he is a
confident and funny person. 

This is Panashe. He is the 2nd suitable candidate
for the role and will be in our cast because he is a
confident person and has good acting skills. 

Location planning

We took a variety of different photos; some of which are suitable for our filming and some of which are not suitable. The photos were took in several different locations too, of which some will be using and some that won`t be used. 

This location is unsuitable because none of
planning we have done requires the stairs
for the filming. 

There are several reasons for this location 

being unsuitable for filming. Firstly, the area is too

small which leaves the characters with their movement

restricted. Also, there are lots of things in the way 

which makes filming more difficult. 

This location is suitable because it has the
tables and chairs which we require for the filming.

This location is suitable because it is spacious
and is where a few of the scenes will be filmed

This room is suitable for our filming and is where
the majority of the filming will take place.



Planning : Storyboard

This storyboard is the first part of our planning stage. The step by step guide will help us into understanding what needs to be done in each stage of the filming. The storyboard needs to include the relevant shots, camera movements and locations. The storyboard will be vital in helping along the production flow when it comes to the filming and will just make the whole filming run more smoothly. It has given a clear idea of where and when the filming will take place along with how it will be done. It also means we can remove any scenes that aren't up to the required before the filming begins. Without a storyboard, there would be a lack of structure to the filming and it would result in the film being to a poor standard.

Planning : Preliminary Task Introduction

Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Groups

For the next set of tasks I will be working with:
Scott Hackett
Jack Gardner
Lucaas Chaiyaractha

Me as a consumer of media

There are many different mediums of communication, more commonly known as, the media. There are many different examples of media i.e internet, TV and radio etc.

When it comes to a personal preference, the internet is probably the type of media I use the most. I use the internet every day without fail. My usage of the internet varies from watching videos on sites such as YouTube and 101 great goals to checking my feed on Facebook to reading newspaper articles on the Daily Mail. However, my biggest use of the internet by quite some distance is keeping track with my Twitter timeline. Having the app on my phone means I can constantly check my Twitter whenever I please.



Another type of media I use quite frequently is the TV. I would probably say that I watch TV every day but the time I spend watching TV varies by the day. There may be some days when I spend 3 hours watching TV and there may be some days where I only spend 20 minutes watching TV. At a weekend I spend much more watching TV due to the football being on. Some of my favorite programmes include coronation street, a league of their own, the Simpsons and only fools and horses. TV is a large part of many peoples lives in this generation, much more so than before. This could be for several different reasons such as being so easily accessible, it has become such a big part in the everyday life and the fact it has become a part of the British tradition.

There are many more types of media I use but the amount I use them is much less than for example the internet or TV. One example is the radio, I used to be a keen listener to talkSPORT but for many people it is hard to find the time where you can just sit down and listen to the radio. Like many others, the only use of the radio I get is when I`m in the car and the radio is on.

Overall, I would say that I`m a large consumer of media and its a big part of my everyday life. Media is constantly expanding and for a large majority of people the media is also a very big part of their everyday life.