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Research and Planning G324

Research and Planning 

Just to warn you now - there are some slight technical issues with my blog, as the writing keeps going really tiny for some reason and I've tried everything I can to fix it! Its already deleted once so I'm not risking it again!




"Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in!..." - Godfather part III

 I couldn't have thought of a more accurate quote which represents my life in Media... 
Sorry for not introducing myself.. Hello, yes, I'm back... Again. But, I'm back with a really amazing group to work with, Leo, Cameron and Jordan, which will be very exciting!




So this year I will be studying A2 Media G324, and you get the fantastic opportunity to watch our journey into success.. Hopefully. This page is purely my research and planning for our 5 minute film we will be producing.
*Any text in red are things we have changed. 
*Any text highlighted in yellow are key areas/terminology
*Any text highlighted in green are good points
*Any text highlighted in blue are critical/negative points

so lets get into the nitty gritty... 

11/09/17 - Lesson Log

 In todays lesson we individually had a look at last years, year 13 Media Students blogs, so that we could get a rough idea of what to expect. I decided to have a look at Charlotte Hollands. This was very important to me, as I was able to identify and notice the jump from year 1 to year 2; the amount of analysis and depth of detailed work required is far more than last as our film is going to be longer, and will be able to expand our narrative. I can now prepare myself for my blog, creating time management systems and making sure everything is up to date as I do not want to fall behind.

LINK TO CHARLOTTES BLOG: http://charlotteholland2068.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html


 As you can notice in the screenshot above, she has used different colours to highlight various parts of her blog and sectioned her work very neatly. This makes it very clear and easier for us to read her blog. 


However an implication of her blog, is that some of her pictures and text is disorientated, which makes it look messy. Being able to criticise her work, allows me make sure errors like this do not happen in mine. 

LINK TO EBONYS BLOG: I have also looked at Ebony Palmers research and planning, as I really enjoy reading her blog - and I think that this is very important. 

http://ebonypalmer2115.blogspot.co.uk/p/g324.html


As you can notice, she has used loads of different colours, and kept it short and sweet but also very detailed at the same time - so it doesn't get to boring. Furthermore it looks very professional, as she has centred the text and pictures so it aligns each other and look really nice.

I have created a table below, to help guide me throughout my coursework and special time creating this blog :) 


DODONT
Make sure that my time management is organised and I am constantly keeping up to dateDon’t fall behind with any work which has been set, otherwise you will be very stressed out! 
Highlight key areas or terminology so that people can view it easierDon’t put too many images and vlogs, try to be creative and use various media platforms 
Just be yourself, otherwise it will look robotic and boring, give the blog some life!Don’t be too wordy! You can write, but keep it short and sweet – with detail of course
Make sure all pictures and videos can be seen

12/09/17 - Research into short films

"May the Force be with you" (to give me an A* please:)) - Star wars

Today I researched into short films which I found very interesting. I was able to criticise and notice errors in the mis-en-scene, which could be possible to occur in our film. Easy mistakes, such as using fake blood on somebody's skin, then changing the shots and the position has changed; an example of this is shown below. 

 EEIN


This is a short film I found from last years A level students which had many benefits; including the cinematography and brilliant editing techniques; my favourite editing technique is at [2.43] when Johnson fades into the girl, this is very realistic and clever, as it allows the audience to see the perspective of what the character is seeing. My favourite shot is the wide shot during the war scene with the solders, as they have put a sepia effect on it, making it more suitable to a warzone situation. However at [1:55], after the soldier had been shot, you can notice that he has blood on his short, but has no wound which makes it look messy and unrealistic. 

 BLUE









































































SO... in todays lesson I have come up with a BRILLIANT idea! I have expanded my idea from 'into the wild', basically, a business man goes into work everyday, he is very hard working and has always had a passion for rainforest, always donating to charities. One day he returns home, and decides to search for something in the loft, he happens to find documents which turn his life around completely. Adopted papers of his name, and real tribal family. He now knows what the marked symbol is on his shoulder is, and why he has already been an outsider - at this point, there will be flashbacks of him in his younger years, always being an outsider at parties. It will them cut back, to him writing a letter to his family who adopted him, then leaving with a backpack, walking, into the wild..  The last shot will be a establishing shot of him gazing into the endless rainforest, in search for his tribal real family.

JEEEESUS. This potential idea has changed a lot. Although this was a very creative idea of me to share with you, it is not realistic and attainable within the environment and budget we have. 
Below, we have introduced our new idea.

 14/09/17 - Critics

Ivan Kander, a Director and Producer. I have been researching Kander, as he is an indie film maker and knows how to criticise and judge other short film makers. He has created a website, which has a step by step guide for making a good short film. 

1. A short film needs to hook a viewer fast and early, in the first 10 seconds.
2. Make sure your sound is not muffled throughout, needs to be clear.
3. Needs to be original. 
4. Your characters need to be exciting. 

 This is very important to us, especially the sound factor as last year it was very muffled. So this year we need to make sure everything is perfectoooo.

 Coming back to sound - this was one of our biggest implications throughout filming, as we had to remember to turn it on when filming, and make sure the sound of the wind did not affect the sound of our dialogue, which is very crucial to our film. 

22/09/17 - Our Idea
"Love means never having to say you're sorry" - Love Story 

Wow. this quote is so relevant to our idea right now.

Today we filmed a group video of a discussion we had about our idea, as you will notice it will need some development, but at least we have a rough scratch of what we want to do!





 In the evening, we all did a cheeky little group skype call just to make sure we had our narrative sorted in depth, learning about the history behind our characters and why they do certain things. 

 Enjoy this photo of us all - very tired, but committed! 😴


 Our film idea step by step:

•A woman is having a meeting with two men who are unidentified to the camera/audience, signing a contract
•The shot cuts to later on that day, where the woman meets a man for the first time
•A montage is shown of the man and woman's memories of them (progression of their relationship)
•The shot then cuts to them in their house - present time - showing their morning routine
•The man is in the office either at work or home (whether we can get an office in London), creating a collage for his wife's birthday
•He begins to notice two men are always in the background of the photos
•When he gets home to his wife, he asks her about it, she changes the subject, an argument breaks out as he begins to figure something is wrong, things become heated leading the man to attack his wife
•There are knocks at the door shortly after, revealing the two men in the photos
•The man is killed
•The ending shows his wife back in a meeting with the two men, moving on to her next case


22/09/17 - Genre Research
"Hasta la vista, baby" - Terminator 2: Judgement day

Lets just start off by saying... WE DO NOT WANT TO DO A THRILLER!
as mentioned before.

During the past two years of taking media studies, I have done both thriller genres each year! So this year, my final year, I want a change and experiment the different things we can do.


We have decided to do a Drama with a subgenre being Politics, as we feel like we could potentially portray a good and clear narrative with the code and conventions of this genre, and also hasn't been overused by A Level students.

Drama's tend to be serious and plot-driven, as they portray realistic characters and settings while showing real life situations and stories. Usually the purpose of a dramatic storyline is to move the audience emotionally as they depend mostly on the development of realistic characters dealing with emotional issues. Most commonly drama films concentrate on ordinary everyday characters that are dealing with a conflict or dilemma. Dramas often give actors a chance to grow within their role so they develop as a character allowing the audience to form more of a connection with the character and engage with them more.

Conventions of Drama films: 
  • Portrays a characters journey and developments.
  • Exhibits real life characters, situations, settings and stories.
  • Dramatic sounds and exaggerated performance.
Below I have created a storyboard of what we need to include within a Drama genre, and how it links to our narrative and characters. The writing in orange is what we need to portray, and the writing in blue is how it links to our film.



Let me show you some examples of sound, editing, mis-en-scene and cinematography which has enlightened me within a Drama.


First of all  - Cinematography
In a Drama, it mainly consists of close ups, medium shots and reaction shots to express the characters emotions and the reaction of characters. These type of shots are very effective and significant as they help boost characters emotion, which usually have a huge impact on the audiences feelings - making them feel more involved within the situation.  Below shows the effective close up shots that Quentin Tarantino uses in his film, if you skip to [1;00] these are my favourite shots as they show so much detail. Cinematography is very important to us in our film, as we have a lot of wide shots and close ups - which allow the audience to look at the setting and understand where they are, as well as recognise their facial expressions and engage with their feelings. 



Sound

In a drama, it is so important (I think) to have the right amount of sound, which is effective and relevant to the situation of the scene. For example, if it was a fight scene, you would expect to have an upbeat fast soundtrack playing to create the suspense and tension. I have inserted one of my most favourite fight scenes of all time from 'The last Samurai', which I think has the most beautiful soundtrack. It starts off soft [0:35] and as the fight evolves and gets more brutal, the pitch and dynamic of the music begins to get louder and more upsetting. As Tom Cruise is invading their culture. Sound is very important to our film as we have an entire morning routine which needs a joyful song playing over the top, and we also have a montage of memories which will need a sweet love song playing. We also have a fight/argument scene which will have a tense soundtrack occurring in the background to build up the suspense.



 Mis - En - Scene

 Mis en scene is also another very important technique used in film as it represents many key details. I have inserted a short clip from Oliver Twist, as this is a brilliant example of this technique. As you can see, the setting is located in an orphanage which is looks dirty and cold. Therefore the children are wearing ragged clothes and have dirt on their faces. The dialogue "please sir can I have some more" also interlinks and suggests that the kids are hungry, as they clearly do not have the best life.
Mis en scene is very important to our film as our characters need to look professional due to their job they are doing. We also are set in a modern house, which has bright lighting - showing they are a married couple in they're own house.


Lastly - Editing

Editing is a crucial part of a drama, and of course to any end of a film. It is normally used to display characters emotions when engaged in a conversation or reacting to the conversation.  In this instance, we are going to portray Lucy and Gary Henderson's argument as a long take to make sure the audience feel involved with the characters emotions and situation.

22/09/17 - Treatment

"I feel the need - the need for speed!" - Top Gun 

Damn, I just want to get down to filming now.. 


Due to giving group roles in this lesson, I took the task of creating the first draft of the treatment, so that it made jobs easier for everyone else. Our group each had allocated tasks which helped us with time management. As you will notice, the draft is very basic and bland as it was a quick sketch of what we are roughly going to produce. 


Leo's treatment



Leo decided to do his own treatment using the information from mine, trying to make it more detailed and more specific to our narrative. As you can see, it is much longer than mine and has more detail involved. However, its "Quality not Quantity" guys!

Loki: "I'm listening.." - Marvel Avengers Assemble

My final treatment!


This is my new and final treatment I have created above. As you can notice it is much more detailed and clearly describes the narrative. Although it is shorter, it is much more specific with the narrative, and my group were all pleased with this final piece as it is appropriate and professional.

Loki approves too 👍



23/09/17 - Designating Characters

Designating characters is very important, because we need them to be able to act, and also look the part. Below I have listed the characters set for each role, which I think are going to fit the looks and character traits of our film. 
As it is a drama with a mature, sophisticated narrative our characters are mainly set around the late 30s and early 40s. Therefore we needed the males to have a beard, and masculine look, and for me the actress.. Well I just have to look like I'm in love and be good at shouting at Gary/David. 

Daniel Thompson - Garys colleague 

 
Leo Gilbert Jones - Gary Henderson

Maddy Ross - Lucy Henderson 

Jordan Sollof and Cameron Currie- The observers

24/09/17 - Audience Research

I know how ya feel mate^ 

Now for the boring statistic stuff, sorry guys.









I have created a questionnaire which allows the public to answer my questions. Therefore it enables me to receive a wider rage of answers and their opinions. 
I have collected data from the results, and put it into pie charts below; 







25/09/17 - Character Research

When you get to research famous actors in media, like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.. The best part. 


So I have decided to use these characters in my research, as they portray the traits and characteristics I want in our film. As you can notice, the three women carry similar traits to Lucy - blonde, blue eyes, pretty, look innocent. The three men in the second row carry traits of Gary - very handsome, look like business men and family orientated. Finally the men at the bottom look like detectives, which is what we want massively for the observers. Therefore these influence our characters massively as we want to represent these traits for our actors/actresses for our film. 



I have printed pictures off with annotations around the images, so that you can recognise the similarities and understand what characters we are searching for, as well as writing what characters I want and why in the other picture above.

let me elaborate on this for you, on a bigger spectrum 😊

Lucy Henderson; 
January Jones - Unknown


In the film 'Unknown', January Jones is represented as a damsel in distress, a typical female, due to her traits - blonde, blue eyed, good looking. It is also evident she has less power to the man, however, this changes as the roles some reverse and she becomes very powerful and dominant.  This is very influential to us as we want to create a similar character who appears to be a normal woman who supports her husband, but has a twist by the end of the film. So she becomes more powerful than him.

Lucy Henderson;
Angelina Joline - Mr and Mrs Smith



In the film Mr and Mrs Smith, both characters are living a lie to each other due to both of them being assassins which find out about their other half's job. This follows the same story line as "Unknown", as they are untruthful and dishonest. However, in this film its displayed a different as the audience already know what is going to happen. This has influenced our Lucys character, as we want to present Lucy as a weaker character compared to Gary which changes towards the end.

Lucy Henderson;
Amy Dunne - Gone Girl


 Finally, Amy Dunne from Gone Girl, one of the main factors that attracted me to this character is the fact she is very intelligent and manipulative. In this film the audience believe that Amy is the victim and the her husband is the antagonist of it all, however as the film unfolds she becomes the dominant one out of the two due to her manipulating her husband and the public. This is similar to our character in our film, as she manipulates Gary and their relationship, pretending that she loves him and that they are a happy couple but in reality Gary is just another number to Lucy and her job.

Gary Henderson;
Lee Neeson - The Unknown

I do love Liam Neeson.. One of the biggest attraction of his character is the fact that he is shown to be a normal man with a successful job and a loving wife, but when he is involved in a car accident everything changes for him. The audience are shown to believe that he is the victim of the story due to his wife not knowing him anymore and that he knows nothing about himself. However, further into the film you discover the truth behind him and his wife, changing the audiences perspective. This similar idea of memory is used in our film, as Gary believes that him and Lucy are in a serious relationship, but by the end of the film the truth unravels and that he finds out he is a convict of an experiment. 

Gary Henderson;
Leonardo DiCaprio - Shutter Island



Good ole Leo... Another huge inspiration for Garys character. In the film Shutter Island, his representation differs from the start of te film, to the end. It is very complex. So basically, he is a detective sent to an island called, shutter island, to investigate a disappearance of a mental patient, as you journey through the film you side with his character and hope that he escapes the island. However by the end of the film it turns out he is the patient on the island and that everything that happen was all just a game. This links to Gary Henderson in our film, as we want to portray him as normal person in society and make the audience feel for him when he is betrayed by Lucy, but by the end of the film we want to show his real identity and his past, having a greater effect and twist on the audience.  

Gary Henderson;
Brad Pitt - Mr and Mrs Smith


Brad Pitt. Yet another influence for Gary. In the film Unknown, like I mentioned before for Angelina Jolene's character research. Brad Pitt is manipulated ad lied to by his wife - Mrs smith. This interlinks with our narrative, as Lucy lies to Gary, being dishonest and deceitful of her job and experiment on Gary, which the truth later unfolds.

Gary Henderson;
Alex Lawther - Black Mirror

In the series Back Mirror 'Shutup and Dance', Alex's character massively influences Garys in our film, as he is portrayed at the beginning to be very innocent and sweet. However this then changes, as he has committed a very serious immoral crime which he is then blackmailed by, Alex becomes very weak and scared. This is similar to our narrative, as Gary finds out at the end, that he has committed a crime - becoming afraid and anxious of what is going on. 

The observers; 
Men in Black, and Detectives from Seven (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman)



In these films - Men in black and Seven, both of the detectives wear black suits and work together as a pair to find out there mission. They are also very powerful and work for a big organisation - which influences ours. Although men in blacks mission is eliminating aliens, their objective still fits ours. As the observers are part of the government and are working on a experiment to wipe the minds of convicts. - Just like the detectives in Seven.

27/09/17 - Group Responsibilities
You're not a true couple, if you don't argue over what food to eat 😬

Anyway, in context now; what do I want? (not food maddy..) 

I want to be a Director realistically, but due to very competitive people in this group who want this role, we have decided to chill out and relax about roles as we are all going direct, edit and take part within this film, AS WE ARE A TEAM!


We have created this video to show which roles we will be representing. But in our hearts, we are all Directors.
Do you like the prison theme? Cool isn't it 👮

As I am displayed, set editor, I am going to research some influences from films which I would like for our film and different techniques used in films which make the continuity flow and for effect. 

First things first, what editing techniques are there? 



I have created this visual video of Anna and Emily, to show the many different editing techniques that there are. I feel that these are the most crucial and important to our film, especially the morning scene   using quick shots. 

Annas and Emily's acting skills are A*



This is a short clip of the best editing techniques used in films. I have inserted this, as it helps me analyse and evaluate which editing is effective for the audience. For example, when action is occurring - used quick cuts and match on action to make the audience feel engaged with the situation and character.


27/09/17 - Narrative research


 Mr and Mrs Smith



 In this scene from Mr and Mrs Smith, it shows the couple revealing their secrets which they have kept from each other for years. This is influential and important to our film, as our Husband and Wife live a fake marriage, as the wife lies to her husband throughout their relationship. 


 What works well?:
  • Angelina is very skilled at what she is doing, protecting her and her husband - anti stereotypical female, challenging the dominant ideology.
  • The use of blue colouring used for the cinematography works very well - gives off a dramatic effect, gloomy and dangerous
  • The use of quick cuts to portray the chaotic atmosphere, making the audience feel really tense

What doesn't work well?:
  • I feel like the music could be different, its too upbeat. It is something you would hear in a cartoon, so I don't get the same effect. 
  • When Angelina Jolie slams on the breaks and Brad Pitt goes flying, he doesn't seem to be in any pain - lacks realism
  • They crashed into water barrels at a high speed and the front of their car is not damaged at all - also very unrealistic

 The Unknown



In this trailer of 'Unknown', its narrative exploits a mans life which he has forgotten, as his memory has been swiped. His wife is against him, working with undercover men. This influences our film massively, as certain parts of the story line fit in with our characters and narrative. The female character in this, carries the characteristics and traits we want to produce with ours - Blonde hair, blue eyes, with a subtle malicious look.

What went well?:
  • The music is eerie and mysterious which works well with the narrative, as it exaggerates the situation, making the audience question the protagonist even more
  • Good use of cinematography - quite a lot of close shots of important props 
  • Editing of flashbacks of their memories are very good - feel like we engage with the character
What doesn't work?:
  • The wife - Liz, was quite weak. I felt the acting from her in the ball room scene was not as strong as it could have been. Her performance was unrealistic
01/10/17 - Theorist Comments

I have made a prezi, which demonstrates the different theorists we will be referring to in our film and which relates to our film the most. 
For some reason, the website would not let me upload the visual presentation on here so I have inserted a link below which should take you straight there!



 'the secret of getting ahead, is getting started'

^ very true, we have started and got ahead of all of the other groups by researching in depth into our film, and making sure all of the roles, narrative, treatment etc, are organised. 

 01/10/17 - Title

I have been researching different drama films to see what their title is, and to see if it relates to their narrative. As you can see below, I have chosen these films as they are all drama genres which relate to what we are doing. Also I really love these!



I have noticed, that all of these film titles have a correlation to the films narrative. For example, The Dark Knight is  essentially about a dark knight who is fighting his opponement. Titanic, is about a boat called the Titanic, which sinked from hitting an ice-berg. Finally, Saving Private Ryan, is about the war, trying to save a soldier called Ryan. Therefore, for our film all we need is a title which represents what is going on in our film.


I have created a brainstorm above of potential film titles. 
However, we have already come to a conclusion of what to name our film. We are going to call it 'The Henderson's' as we feel this is appropriate for our narrative. Although it is plain, and basic, it is eye catching, appropriate and professional. 
02/10/17 - Location

Last night, I took photos in my house of potential locations we could film, depending on the scene and shots. We have decided to use my house to film, as it looks quite businessy and modern, which is what we want for our characters. It also looks like nice wealthy persons house, which is what Lucy's character is, as she is an undercover agent - which earn good wages. 

My house:














Leo's house:




Jordan's house:

Cameron's house:

We have decided to use my house to film, because it looks more businessy and professional which Gary and Lucy's characters represent, and it has more of an open planned space which will make it easier to use when it comes to filming. Also my house has good, soft lighting, which is what we want for our film. 

London:

 We are also looking at hiring out an office/warehouse for a day in London, so we can soot Gary's scenes at work and the observers and Lucy's scene with the contract - which is very important we have a professional setting.

We are not able to get an office in London now as most offices do not have licenses for us to film there - or either to busy. So alternatively, we have filmed in our school in an office in our sixth form block. Although we did not want to film in school, this was the only option e had left. So we had to make it as personal as possible to Gary (sticking pictures on the computer).

I have created a vlog, of our day out in London, looking at potential locations we could film. I would like to film in London, as it looks professional for a business man to work, and also has some very nice places in which would fit our narrative. 


 16/07/17 - Costume and Props

Every girl has had this problem, when you've tried on every outfit in your wardrobe.

Today, I thought we could make a funny video to show the costumes and props we need to make the film - possibly an interview or a shop. Me and my group decided to make a video of a shop, leo being the shop keeper and me and Jordan being the customers. Cameron unfortunately wasn't in today; so we had to make the video without him!


 I have found some costumes below online, of the similar items we are going to use. 
Lucy is going to be wearing pyjamas in the morning scenes when she wakes up, showing her natural self and representing her innocence. 
She is also going to be wearing business clothes in the meeting scenes with the observers when she is signing the contract - to show she is in high power and is conserved. 
 Lucy also has to wear casual clothes when she is at home on her daily routine, to show she also cares about her appearance - and in front of Gary she looks 'normal'. 


Gary is going to be wearing a black suit the majority of the time, as he is always well groomed and ready to go to work in London. This shows he is a business man and is very professional.


The observers are both going to be wearing grey suits, as they need to show they come as a pair and work together. They also need to show that they are dominant and under-cover, always wearing the same outfits.

15/10/17 - Shot list:

A shot list is a full log of all the shots you want to include in your film; essentially it is a checklist filled with minute details that will give your film a sense of direction and efficiency.
As you can notice, I have created my own shot list below which shows the order of the shots we are going to use. This will make it a lot easier when it comes to filming as we have a guidance of which shots to do for each scene. 


As you can see, we have quite a lot of close-ups. This is because our film gradually builds upon tension, and we like to show facial expressions clearly to show the audience how the characters are feeling - making them feel sympathy. 

I have inserted a beautiful list of different shots below, of me demonstrating them.
Photography credits to my Madre.

 CANTED


A camera angle which is deliberately slanted to one side, sometimes used for dramatic effect to help portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness

WIDE/ESTABLISHING SHOT


shows a great deal of background, be it the set, the landscape or the venue. They establish the scene for the viewer and to put the rest of the film into context. Also known as establishing shots.

EXTREME CLOSE UP


tightly frames a person or an object showing specific detail.

LONG SHOT


The long shot usually introduces the beginning of every scene. Similar to a wide shot.

CLOSE UP


Close up shots typically contain just the face and shoulders of a subject, with a little head room above. The most common of all as they can convey a real sense of emotion and help the audience to connect with the subject.

MEDIUM SHOT


a general, all-purpose shot. Medium shots are used for dialogue sequences, and they allow the viewer to pick up on the character's movements and gestures.

HIGH ANGLE

looks down on the subject making it appear smaller and less important. High angle shots are often used to make a person appear vulnerable.


LOW ANGLE


looks up at the subject. Use these shots when you want to make your subject appear larger, imposing, or more important to the viewer.

BIRDSEYE VIEW


A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird.

OVER THE SHOULDER


filmed from just behind a person. They tend to show the back of a person’s head (often cutting off the frame just behind the ear) and sometimes one shoulder.

16/10/17 - Shopping list:

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" - The Godfather

We have £50 to spend.. hmm what do we want? 

Due to creating another film, and having experienced filming a short film last year for AS, I know how important lighting is for specific shots. For this reason, I asked for a budget, if we could purchase this lighting ring to help us - especially coming into winter when the evenings are getting dark, and we need the light - this will be really handy.

In this lesson, we have created our shopping list, gathering all of the products and props we need for our film to make it better. Out of our budget of £50, we have managed to get a windscreen muff for our microphone for when we film up London - to erase all of the wind noises.


The smart tag alarm, is going to be used as a panic button for Lucy, at the end of the film which she uses to get herself out of the situation. Finally the ring light is going to be used to get the efficient lighting we need in each shot - this is significant for us as we are also able to attach it to our camera.

The alarm clock is going to be used as a prop, in Gary's and Lucy's bedroom, which we will be used in the first present scene of them two in the bed, waking up for their daily routine. 

17/10/17 - Script:

This is the first draft of our script, I wrote it in an hour so it is a little bit brief and not as descriptive as it potentially could be. However, my group and teacher have remarked it as 'impressive' :) 
But I have analysed and critiqued my worked, looking what I can change to make it better. You will be able to notice I have highlighted area's and annotated around the edge of what I am going to do. 

 Draft 1




Draft 2 

This is my new script I created, I added an extra 3 pages worth of dialogue and actions. I have added an extra day so that we can show the audience Gary's and Lucy's day to day routine of their 'normal' happy lives they live, before it all goes pear shaped. 







Final Script





This is our final script. As a group we decided to use Leo's script as he used mine a a rough guide of the  narrative, but shortened it down into 4 pages, but with more detail. This is also more descriptive and links to our narrative; including the shots, transitions, dialogue and setting. 

19/10/17 - Storyboard:
Creating a storyboard might just sound like an extra step in the process of making a film, but believe me — it’s a step you won’t want to ignore. These are the useful benefits of using a storyboard; 
  • Best way to share your vision
  • Makes production much easier
  • Saves you time
In todays free period, me and my group decided to go out and take visual pictures for our storyboard, to show a clear guide of the shots we are going to take of each action. I decided to do this, as we and the viewers are able to see what our intentions are to do when we begin to film. 











UPDATED STORYBOARD BELOW!











This is my new updated storyboard - I decided to create a visual storyboard of actual footage from our film. However, due to reviewing our film after it was put together, there are some things we have to change and re film so it flows continuity and makes sense. After we have edited in the new shots, I will create a new updated storyboard!! ahhhhh, I do love this :) 

05/11/17 - Equipment


We are going to be using the EOS 700D Cannon camera with the Rode microphone.
 -better quality
-easy to manage
-long lasting battery life


We are also going to be using the shoulder mount for specific scenes with need tracking, for example our first scene outside the cafe when the camera follows Lucy. 
-light, easy to carry
-good for dolly/tracking shots


This is the tripod we are going to be using.
-good for still shots
-folds up, easily accessible


This is a boom pole, which is used for sound, we are going to use this for when we start to film at my house so that we can hear everything clearly. 
-Easy to carry
-effective and clear sound

06/11/17 - Sound/Music

Today, on my day off.. I have decided to spend the afternoon looking at potential songs/soundtracks we could use in our film!
 I have been looking at songs which are upbeat and happy, with romantic lyrics. I don't want it to be too melancholic or depressing - I want the audience to engage with their relationship and daily lives; to get the sense of realism and naturalism.

 The first song is a cover of 'Cold Coffee' by Lij Gilmour.




“Cold Coffee” is about a relationship that is on the rocks, where the girl’s bitterness and disinterest is causing the relationship to fall apart. Ed - referring the girl to a 'cold coffee' suggests that this woman is cold and bitter when you least want/expect it; just like Lucy.
As you can see below, I have annotated the lyrics to the song as it helps me identify whether or not the song relates to the context of our film - which I think it does perfectly.


The second song is 'Fly Like An Eagle' - Steve Miller band
"Fly Like An Eagle" is about escaping into the future in order to be free and know oneself from the reality of what a unhealthy revolution can bring, but also can be about not running out of your mind for overcoming it; just like Gary reliving his life.




The last song is called - Baby Its You ;by Bark Studio Sessions

This song is about a woman who cheats on a man, and the man is extremely distraught about it, he still loves her.  This fits well with our film as Lucy is essentially cheating Gary as she is deceitful to him and lies to his bare face. 

07/11/17 - Music Confirmation 

 Today, Leo messaged the artists on YouTube asking for permission to use their cover soundtracks in our film - thank god, they both said yes! as long as we credit them - which is fine. 

WOOOOO!!!!!

Fly like an eagle 




Baby its you 


Now that we have confirmation to use these songs in our film - we can now edit them into our film, matching the lyrics up with specific shots. This is going to be difficult, as it is going to take a long time and the groups effort and hard work to make it perrrrrfecto!
08/11/17 - Audience

We have decided to put our film rating as a 15, as we feel this age group and people older than this are going to be able to understand our narrative and context behind the twist. Also, this age group fit the requirements for our film. 




Threat

There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context.

08/11/17 - Production Name and logo

 Todays lesson, I spent my hour looking and thinking about potential production titles we could use. I came up with 'NewVision Productions', which most people I asked really like, and 'Flying Fish Productions'. I interviewed Steven Spielberg in my video below, and got his opinion of what he thought. 


I have also been thinking about logos which will match the title, so it looks professional and realistic. I like the idea of a crystal globe, which represents the idea of a new vision. As you can see in the giphy below, this is a logo we could potentially be influenced by. Which my group agree with and also like. 


WE HAVE FOUND A NEW GLOBE


This is the new globe I found, and I absolutely love it!! This really caught my attention as it has the city and the glowing lights in the background which reflect and glisten the globe. Also it has a subtle movement, which I feel is more nicer as it synchronises with the music. It gives the sense of a New Vision as a crystal ball actually connotes the future, and things that are new.

 11/11/17 - Production Sounds

In todays lesson I have been looking at different soundtracks to use in the beginning of our film which will play over the production logo. Therefore I was looking for something soft and unique which will match the movement of our logo. 

0:00 - 0:10 'Piano Flurry' is a potential soundtrack we could use when introducing our production name at the beginning of the film, as it is short and elegant which represents that idea of a new vision. 


 Solar Flare is another potential soundtrack we could use for our introduction, as I think it would fit with the crystal globe with the lights moving in the background, as it gives the sense of a new vision.

11/11/17 - Credits

I don't want anything to big...

I don't want anything too small...

I don't want italic...

I don't want bold...

I just want a nice, Verdana Font.

I like the Verdana Font as I believe it looks very professional and neat. Especially the way we are going to edit our film, the credits appear in many different ways, but on very beautiful shots - therefore the font must look very nice. 

I have been researching some other short films to see what kind of credits go with what genre, and what order they put them in. 

  1. PRODUCTION COMPANY presents (distributor)
  2. a PRODUCTION COMPANY production (producer)
  3. a FILMMAKER film
  4. Film Title
  5. Lead Cast
  6. Supporting Cast
  7. Casting Director
  8. Music Composer
  9. Costume Designer
  10. Associate Producers
  11. Editors
  12. Production Designer
  13. Director of Photography
  14. Executive Producer
  15. Producer
  16. Writers
  17. Director
This is a screenshot of the credits from a short film - as you can see the font is very neat and tidy, and looks very professional.


 Now comparing to the credits from a mainstream feature film, they have used a nice font without using Bold - which ideally is what I would like for my film.

Below are videos of each filming day - so you better like the sound of my nasally voice because I am talking.. a lot.

12/11/17 - Filming day 1



Filming day 1 went reasonably well! I am very impressed and proud of what we have filmed so far for our first day! We have filmed some really beautiful shots (my favourite was the wide shot of the café when Lucy and Gary bump into each other). The only obstacle and downfall of the day was the weather - it was freezing cold and restricted us! 
17/11/17 - Filming day 2



Filming day 2, went well. Today we was only able to do two memories and some shots for the breakfast/morning scene. I'm just happy that we have started our film early and got some useful shots completed. The only obstacles we had from today was the dogs... There were a nightmare as they always wanted attention, however at least this gave us in insight for next time we film so that we can prepare and plan for this. 

 24/11/17 - Filming day 3



Filming day 3 went really well as we was able to get everything at my house completed! However, we did not expect it to take as long as it did juts for one scene. It took us 6 hours to complete everything we needed to today. This helps us for next time as it enables us to plan ahead and let us write a structured guide of what we are going to do for the next day of filming. All we have left to do now is the office scene and the final scene of Lucy and the observers.

20/11/17 - Bloopers

Are you ready to see our complete and utter failures?.. well then, sit back, relax and enjoy this video :) 

 These are bloopers from behind the scenes, from filming day 1.
These are bloopers from behind the scenes, from filming day 2. 




Research and Planning complete - checklist:



  • research into last years blogs
  • storyboard
  • lesson log
  • title
  • camera shot list
  • research into the narrative and genre
  • narrative ideas
  • genre ideas
  • theorists and critic
  • location scouting 
  • vlogs
  • questionnaire/survey
  • costume and props
  • character research
  • setting roles
  • script 
  • treatment
  • credits
  • sounds/music
  • time management
  • equipment
  • audience research









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Hello I'm Madeleine Ross, but you can refer to me as - Maddy. Welcome to my A2 media blog, where you can click on the tabs above and explore my world of creativity ↑
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