I have done my evaluation as a DVD commentary which can be found below
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Week 12 - Final Piece
This is my final piece of editing.
Could anybody reading this please comment below with positive and negative feedback. Thank you
After having responded to feedback from peers I re-attempted my opening sequence which can be found here
I will now begin on my evaluation
Could anybody reading this please comment below with positive and negative feedback. Thank you
After having responded to feedback from peers I re-attempted my opening sequence which can be found here
I will now begin on my evaluation
Week 11 - Editing
After filming my opening sequence I can now go into post production and begin editing my film.
I uploaded my film in iMovie as when I tried uploading into Final Cut Pro the sound would not upload with the film which was a mojor problem, however uploading into iMovie solved the situation.
After uploading I decided to piece the film together in iMovie as I find it an easier program to use for pieceing together a series of film clips. I then edited in Final Cut Pro.
As iMovie saves the film as a whole sequence and not a series of sequences I had to cut down each shot in Final Cut Pro with the cut tool.
I then began experimenting with different effects in Final Cut Pro as I was not familair with what each of them did, I did this untill the desired effect was achieved. I achieved this with a: Radial Blur, Colour Tint (green) and colour style.
Once I was happy with the visual editing I began on the auditory editing. I wanted the film to be mostly natural so there was mostly non-diegetic audio used however there is some diegetic sounds, which is used to build tension over the non-diegetic sounds.
I used garage band to create the music, I selected the base tracks that I thought fitted best into the film and used the master editing to change the tone and pitch of the notes, often changing each note indidually. It was a long task but was worth it I believe.
I then recorded a friend growling for the creatures growl and put a deeper vocals effect onto it to make it sound much more feral and eerie.
I also chose to have a soft tune in the background as the tension was raised in the scene.
I got inspiration for the title design from this website:
http://www.psdvault.com/text-effects/design-a-horror-style-text-effect-with-dirt-and-splatter-texture-in-photoshop/
Here are some images of my editing process in the titles:
I uploaded my film in iMovie as when I tried uploading into Final Cut Pro the sound would not upload with the film which was a mojor problem, however uploading into iMovie solved the situation.
After uploading I decided to piece the film together in iMovie as I find it an easier program to use for pieceing together a series of film clips. I then edited in Final Cut Pro.
As iMovie saves the film as a whole sequence and not a series of sequences I had to cut down each shot in Final Cut Pro with the cut tool.
I then began experimenting with different effects in Final Cut Pro as I was not familair with what each of them did, I did this untill the desired effect was achieved. I achieved this with a: Radial Blur, Colour Tint (green) and colour style.
Once I was happy with the visual editing I began on the auditory editing. I wanted the film to be mostly natural so there was mostly non-diegetic audio used however there is some diegetic sounds, which is used to build tension over the non-diegetic sounds.
I used garage band to create the music, I selected the base tracks that I thought fitted best into the film and used the master editing to change the tone and pitch of the notes, often changing each note indidually. It was a long task but was worth it I believe.
I then recorded a friend growling for the creatures growl and put a deeper vocals effect onto it to make it sound much more feral and eerie.
I also chose to have a soft tune in the background as the tension was raised in the scene.
I got inspiration for the title design from this website:
http://www.psdvault.com/text-effects/design-a-horror-style-text-effect-with-dirt-and-splatter-texture-in-photoshop/
Here are some images of my editing process in the titles:
Week 10 - Filming
This week I also filmed my opening sequence.
As my shots were uotdoors they were very weather dependant, luckily the weather was good enough to film in. I did however bring an umbrella along with me incase of rain.
Before I went out filming I ensured that the battery was charged and that I has a spare battery with me. I also ensured that the tape in the camera was new and brought along a spare incase anything happened to it.
Due to some time cheduling errors Jamie could not attend filming untill later in the day, I therefore made the deicision to change the opening to have Ruby studying in her room and recieve the text message instead of Alex, this decision has no relevance to the plot of the film but made filming easier.
I also took the time to familiarize myself with different camera shots and angles:
Shots
Long Shot - This shows the entire subject in the frame
Mid Shot - This shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject
Close Up - This is when part of the subject takes up the fill frame
Extreme Close Up - This is when the close up is shown in more detail, often just of eyes or a mouth
Two-Shot - A mid shot with two subjects framed similarly
Over-The-Shoulder - A shot of the back of one subject in the foreground and the front of another in the background
Point-of-view - A shot from one subjects point of view
Angles
Eye-level - This is the most neutral shot, it shows the subject as we would usually see it
High-angle - This shot has the camera at a high angle, looking down at the subject. It makes the subject less powerful and sigificant
Low-angle - This shot has the camera at a low angle, looking up at the subject. It makes the subject more powerful and dominant
I used all of these shots and angles in my opening sequence, which I will describe in more detail in my next post.
As my shots were uotdoors they were very weather dependant, luckily the weather was good enough to film in. I did however bring an umbrella along with me incase of rain.
Before I went out filming I ensured that the battery was charged and that I has a spare battery with me. I also ensured that the tape in the camera was new and brought along a spare incase anything happened to it.
Due to some time cheduling errors Jamie could not attend filming untill later in the day, I therefore made the deicision to change the opening to have Ruby studying in her room and recieve the text message instead of Alex, this decision has no relevance to the plot of the film but made filming easier.
I also took the time to familiarize myself with different camera shots and angles:
Shots
Long Shot - This shows the entire subject in the frame
Mid Shot - This shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject
Close Up - This is when part of the subject takes up the fill frame
Extreme Close Up - This is when the close up is shown in more detail, often just of eyes or a mouth
Two-Shot - A mid shot with two subjects framed similarly
Over-The-Shoulder - A shot of the back of one subject in the foreground and the front of another in the background
Point-of-view - A shot from one subjects point of view
Angles
Eye-level - This is the most neutral shot, it shows the subject as we would usually see it
High-angle - This shot has the camera at a high angle, looking down at the subject. It makes the subject less powerful and sigificant
Low-angle - This shot has the camera at a low angle, looking up at the subject. It makes the subject more powerful and dominant
I used all of these shots and angles in my opening sequence, which I will describe in more detail in my next post.
Week 10 - Storyboard and Casting
This week I completed the storyboards for my opening sequence which can be seen below.
My original storyboard was longer but I decided to shorten it as the opening sequence is only two minutes long and my original idea would have been much longer.
I also cut down the dialogue a lot to only one line at the end which will be Ruby's voiceover "Isnt it ironic, the day I died, my life began." This is the hook that will make the audience want to watch the rest of my film.
As you can see from the storyboard the arrows show the direction of movement and where the shot description is "shakey cam" it shows the narrative switch to the creature. The opening sequence shows a lot of movement which will also help build tension with the combination of music and camera shots as the audience will be curious as to what will happen.
The cast members I have chosen are
Ruby - Jessi Hill
Alex - Jamie Clack
I chose these actors as Jessi is currently studying drama at college and Jamie has previously studied it, therefore it seemed the logical choice.
My original storyboard was longer but I decided to shorten it as the opening sequence is only two minutes long and my original idea would have been much longer.
I also cut down the dialogue a lot to only one line at the end which will be Ruby's voiceover "Isnt it ironic, the day I died, my life began." This is the hook that will make the audience want to watch the rest of my film.
As you can see from the storyboard the arrows show the direction of movement and where the shot description is "shakey cam" it shows the narrative switch to the creature. The opening sequence shows a lot of movement which will also help build tension with the combination of music and camera shots as the audience will be curious as to what will happen.
The cast members I have chosen are
Ruby - Jessi Hill
Alex - Jamie Clack
I chose these actors as Jessi is currently studying drama at college and Jamie has previously studied it, therefore it seemed the logical choice.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Week 9 - Movie Title
After writing the plot synopsis I needed to think of a name for the film
At first I was thinking up longer names for the film, and then I started researching conventions of horror films.
They generally only contain one or two words related to either the antagonist or the plot of the film. Eg.
Frankenstein (1910)
The Golem (1915)
The Phantom of The Opera (1925)
Dracula (1931)
Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Psycho (1960)
The Exorcist (1973)
Alien (1979)
Friday The 13th (1980)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Predator (1987)
The Grudge (2004)
Based on this research I have decided to name my film
The Succubus.
"In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a demon who takes the form of a woman to seduce men in dreams to have sexual intercourse. In modern times, a succubus may or may not appear in dreams and is often depicted as highly attractive, while in the past succubi were depicted as frightening and demonic."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succubus
As you can see this description is similar to the creature in my film, I have just made the creature more modern, instead of appearing in just dreams the creature is real and is an actual woman who can just transform at will.
At first I was thinking up longer names for the film, and then I started researching conventions of horror films.
They generally only contain one or two words related to either the antagonist or the plot of the film. Eg.
Frankenstein (1910)
The Golem (1915)
The Phantom of The Opera (1925)
Dracula (1931)
Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Psycho (1960)
The Exorcist (1973)
Alien (1979)
Friday The 13th (1980)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Predator (1987)
The Grudge (2004)
Based on this research I have decided to name my film
The Succubus.
"In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a demon who takes the form of a woman to seduce men in dreams to have sexual intercourse. In modern times, a succubus may or may not appear in dreams and is often depicted as highly attractive, while in the past succubi were depicted as frightening and demonic."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succubus
As you can see this description is similar to the creature in my film, I have just made the creature more modern, instead of appearing in just dreams the creature is real and is an actual woman who can just transform at will.
Week 9 - Codes and Conventions of a horror film
Unusual murder/death – The killer is either unknown or known and is perceived as supernatural
My film follows this convention as the Other is an unholy supernatural being.
The title follows the horror genre – Blood splatter font etc.
My film will follow this convention once I am in the post-production.
Main characters – usually teenage or younger generally youthful
My film follows this convention as the main characters are teengers
Mysterious/unknown characters – Silhouetted characters, dubbed voices etc.
My film follows this convention as the Other is unknown untill near the end of the film
Heroism from the protagonist - Sometimes unsuccessful.
My film follows this convention as at the beginning there is an unsuccessful act of heroism as the male character doesn't save the female in time
Victim unprotected - Usually killed by the Other unless another supernatural force saves them
My film follows this convention as the victim of the creature at the beginning of the film is unprotected
My film follows this convention as the Other is an unholy supernatural being.
The title follows the horror genre – Blood splatter font etc.
My film will follow this convention once I am in the post-production.
Main characters – usually teenage or younger generally youthful
My film follows this convention as the main characters are teengers
Mysterious/unknown characters – Silhouetted characters, dubbed voices etc.
My film follows this convention as the Other is unknown untill near the end of the film
Heroism from the protagonist - Sometimes unsuccessful.
My film follows this convention as at the beginning there is an unsuccessful act of heroism as the male character doesn't save the female in time
Victim unprotected - Usually killed by the Other unless another supernatural force saves them
My film follows this convention as the victim of the creature at the beginning of the film is unprotected
Week 9 - Analysis of similar movies
I decided to analyse the opening sequence of three movies of the same genre to mine, to get a better feel of the codes and conventions of the genre, this also helps me better understand my own movie opening and what it should be like.
My first movie was Bram Stoker's Dracula
I chose this movie becuase it is a classic movie in the horror genre, and most people have heard of it. It also has a human-like antagonist similar to my own movie.
The second movie I chose was The Blair Witch Project
Again this is a very well known movie in this genre, it is also quite old like Dracula. However this movie also had a very low budget much like my own film.
The final movie I chose was Jennifer's Body
I chose this film because the antagonist of the movie is based on a Succubus, much like my own movie. It is also a teen horror film, like my own. It is the newest of the films I chose and I wanted variation in the release years of the films I chose to analyse.
Analysis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula opening
Before any image is seen on screen we hear music, orchestral, it starts off slow and quiet and builds up the volume and pace to add tension. This is done over the religious imagery of the crucifix falling and smashing on the ground. The voiceover then comes in and sets the scene and what has previously happened. It also brings in the title character, Dracula, but before we see him we see his silhouette in-front of fire, this connotes anger and passion. There is also a slight orange glow to everything we see which reinforces this connotation. We then see Dracula’s wife, which shows us that the man has a back-story and that the passion the fire connoted was true. We then see Dracula in his battle armour, which is red and appears demonic this connotes his anger and fury. Next there are shots of fire and Dracula fighting in the war killing those around him. The final image in the two minute opening is of the dead warriors that Dracula has murdered impaled on spears, with a red fiery background.
Overall this opening is very action packed and brings the viewer straight into the narrative, establishing the titular character and a brief back-story but also the gory murder that he commits at war. The dialogue is very small, only a voiceover that establishes what is happening to the viewer and the music does an excellent job at building tension.
Analysis of the Blair Witch Project opening
The film opens silently, which is a large contrast to Dracula. There is a black background with the title of the film towards the left of the screen, in a very plain font. Next there is a written description of what has happened before the film. The first image we see is of somebody’s hand using a home camcorder, the camera is very shaky but it is to get the desired effect. The female character on screen is describing what she is doing, which also sets the film for the viewer; she is taking a trip to explore the Blair Witch. The sound quality is very poor as it is filmed on a camcorder, but it is filmed in a documentary style which is done to bring the viewer into the film even more than usual, it is as if we are watching their memories, and seems quite voyeuristic.
Overall this opening is quite boring compared to Dracula, but it is also successful in drawing the viewer in as we want to know what the Blair Witch is and what is so interesting about it. The home documentary style filming also brings the audience in as I previously said it is quite voyeuristic in nature to watch somebody else’s home video but we want to know more about these people and what happened to them.
Analysis of Jennifer’s Body opening
This film opens with an establishing shot of a house, it is night time. There is also eerie music which builds tension. The narrative is split into two; one of which is introducing the main character with various close up shot of her scratching her arm and eating some sweets, and also some mid shots showing her lying on a bed watching TV, whilst the other narrative is of some creature running up to the house and creeping around to watch the girl the through the window, however we are unaware of whether or not it is a creature or not until the narrative switches back to the girl and we see the creature in the window behind her. The images of the girl all connote sexuality; the extreme close up of her eating sweet, the slow tilting of the camera from her legs up to her face etc. The talking in the opening is also very minimal, much like Dracula, as is only has a voiceover, however unlike Dracula this does not establish the scene it only says, “Hell is a teenage girl” and then the scene changes.
Overall this final opening is also different to the previous two, although it does seem to follow the general conventions of minimal dialogue and builds the tension of the film through music and camera angles, it is lacking in the action of most horror films.The title of Jennifer’s Body is also written in a very feminine pink curly font, which seems out of place in a horror film.
I have also decided to edit my opening script to minimalize the dialogue and also cut down the characters to fit in with the conventions I have found due to this analysis.
My first movie was Bram Stoker's Dracula
I chose this movie becuase it is a classic movie in the horror genre, and most people have heard of it. It also has a human-like antagonist similar to my own movie.
The second movie I chose was The Blair Witch Project
Again this is a very well known movie in this genre, it is also quite old like Dracula. However this movie also had a very low budget much like my own film.
The final movie I chose was Jennifer's Body
I chose this film because the antagonist of the movie is based on a Succubus, much like my own movie. It is also a teen horror film, like my own. It is the newest of the films I chose and I wanted variation in the release years of the films I chose to analyse.
Analysis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula opening
Before any image is seen on screen we hear music, orchestral, it starts off slow and quiet and builds up the volume and pace to add tension. This is done over the religious imagery of the crucifix falling and smashing on the ground. The voiceover then comes in and sets the scene and what has previously happened. It also brings in the title character, Dracula, but before we see him we see his silhouette in-front of fire, this connotes anger and passion. There is also a slight orange glow to everything we see which reinforces this connotation. We then see Dracula’s wife, which shows us that the man has a back-story and that the passion the fire connoted was true. We then see Dracula in his battle armour, which is red and appears demonic this connotes his anger and fury. Next there are shots of fire and Dracula fighting in the war killing those around him. The final image in the two minute opening is of the dead warriors that Dracula has murdered impaled on spears, with a red fiery background.
Overall this opening is very action packed and brings the viewer straight into the narrative, establishing the titular character and a brief back-story but also the gory murder that he commits at war. The dialogue is very small, only a voiceover that establishes what is happening to the viewer and the music does an excellent job at building tension.
Analysis of the Blair Witch Project opening
The film opens silently, which is a large contrast to Dracula. There is a black background with the title of the film towards the left of the screen, in a very plain font. Next there is a written description of what has happened before the film. The first image we see is of somebody’s hand using a home camcorder, the camera is very shaky but it is to get the desired effect. The female character on screen is describing what she is doing, which also sets the film for the viewer; she is taking a trip to explore the Blair Witch. The sound quality is very poor as it is filmed on a camcorder, but it is filmed in a documentary style which is done to bring the viewer into the film even more than usual, it is as if we are watching their memories, and seems quite voyeuristic.
Overall this opening is quite boring compared to Dracula, but it is also successful in drawing the viewer in as we want to know what the Blair Witch is and what is so interesting about it. The home documentary style filming also brings the audience in as I previously said it is quite voyeuristic in nature to watch somebody else’s home video but we want to know more about these people and what happened to them.
Analysis of Jennifer’s Body opening
This film opens with an establishing shot of a house, it is night time. There is also eerie music which builds tension. The narrative is split into two; one of which is introducing the main character with various close up shot of her scratching her arm and eating some sweets, and also some mid shots showing her lying on a bed watching TV, whilst the other narrative is of some creature running up to the house and creeping around to watch the girl the through the window, however we are unaware of whether or not it is a creature or not until the narrative switches back to the girl and we see the creature in the window behind her. The images of the girl all connote sexuality; the extreme close up of her eating sweet, the slow tilting of the camera from her legs up to her face etc. The talking in the opening is also very minimal, much like Dracula, as is only has a voiceover, however unlike Dracula this does not establish the scene it only says, “Hell is a teenage girl” and then the scene changes.
Overall this final opening is also different to the previous two, although it does seem to follow the general conventions of minimal dialogue and builds the tension of the film through music and camera angles, it is lacking in the action of most horror films.The title of Jennifer’s Body is also written in a very feminine pink curly font, which seems out of place in a horror film.
I have also decided to edit my opening script to minimalize the dialogue and also cut down the characters to fit in with the conventions I have found due to this analysis.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Week 9 - Script
Here is the script to accompany my opening scene. I will give it out to my actors this week to learn as I will be filming next week.
EXT. PARK/GRASSY AREA – DAY – LS.
ALEX, RUBY, LISA, JACK, ANNE, OLIVIA are gathered talking and joking together
OLIVIA (to group)
I am so glad today is over, that exam was terrible!
ANNE (to Olivia)
Yeah I nearly didn’t finish in time.
RUBY (to Group)
What does it matter anyway? Its just their way of making sure we are smart enough to be here and I am leaving in a few weeks anyway.
ALEX (to Ruby)
You really shouldn’t leave and throw away your future.
RUBY (to Alex)
But I’m not throwing it away you are my future.
ALEX (to Ruby)
Well this is our last year anyway; you might as well stay till the end.
RUBY (to Alex)
I just don’t see the point if I am failing. Anyway are you all coming to my party?
TWO-SHOT – LISA and RUBY
LISA (to Ruby)
Yeah! What time does it start?
RUBY (to Lisa)
7.30 so just come round any time after that
LISA (to Ruby)
Ok cool I’ll be there
TWO-SHOT – RUBY and JACK
JACK (to Ruby)
I’m going to be late; parents are out so I got to cook for my brother
RUBY (to Jack)
Ok, but you better be there!
PAN to RUBY and ALEX
RUBY (to Alex)
Do you wanna come round earlier and help me get everything sorted for tonight?
TWO-SHOT – ALEX and RUBY with others in the background.
ALEX (taking Ruby away from the others)
I don’t think I am going to be able to come tonight, I’m sorry.
RUBY (to Alex)
What? Why not?
ALEX (to Ruby)
I have another exam on Monday and after today’s exam I realised that I am not ready for it. Sorry. I can see you tomorrow still though.
RUBY (to Alex)
Wait… You are choosing college work over me?
ALEX (to Ruby)
Well you know how important it is to me.
RUBY (angrily to Alex)
More important than me?
ALEX (to Ruby)
That’s not what I am saying, I just need to pass this exam and then we can spend more time together
RUBY (to Alex)
You need to choose, me or college
ALEX (to Ruby)
Are you serious? … Ok then I’m sorry but I have to go
ALEX leaves the park JACK follows - MS
RUBY (shouting to Alex)
Wait!
RUBY (to others)
Sorry, party’s cancelled.
EXT. PARK, SAME DAY – LS
RUBY, LISA, JACK, ANNE and OLIVIA are gathered talking about ALEX
RUBY (to group)
So what are we going to do about this? He won’t answer my calls!
LISA (to Ruby)
There must be some way to get him to talk to you, he can’t avoid you forever
OLIVIA (to Ruby)
Yeah, how about one of us tricks him into meeting you sometime? He will think he is meeting us and you will be there, he can’t avoid you then.
JACK (to Ruby)
Here use my phone, he is more likely to come and see me than anyone here... Sorry, but it’s true I am his best friend... Just ask to meet him by the old tree
INT. BEDROOM – SAME DAY – MS
ALEX is doing college work at his desk. Phone message arrives. ALEX reads it, it is from JACK
EXT. FOREST – SAME DAY – LS
ALEX is walking through a field, pan of him walking, eye level angles
RUBY is walking through the same forest, pan of her walking, high angles
ALEX arrives at the tree, looks around to see if JACK is there
RUBY is still walking, more high angles
Narrative switch to creature running through woods, shaky cam to connote an animal, low angles watching and following RUBY
RUBY still walking unaware
Switch back to creature as it closes is
RUBY turns around and sees the creature, screams
ALEX hears the screams and runs, fast pan shot.
ALEX see’s RUBY’s body
RUBY (voiceover)
Isn’t it ironic... the day I died, is the day my life began.
EXT. PARK/GRASSY AREA – DAY – LS.
ALEX, RUBY, LISA, JACK, ANNE, OLIVIA are gathered talking and joking together
OLIVIA (to group)
I am so glad today is over, that exam was terrible!
ANNE (to Olivia)
Yeah I nearly didn’t finish in time.
RUBY (to Group)
What does it matter anyway? Its just their way of making sure we are smart enough to be here and I am leaving in a few weeks anyway.
ALEX (to Ruby)
You really shouldn’t leave and throw away your future.
RUBY (to Alex)
But I’m not throwing it away you are my future.
ALEX (to Ruby)
Well this is our last year anyway; you might as well stay till the end.
RUBY (to Alex)
I just don’t see the point if I am failing. Anyway are you all coming to my party?
TWO-SHOT – LISA and RUBY
LISA (to Ruby)
Yeah! What time does it start?
RUBY (to Lisa)
7.30 so just come round any time after that
LISA (to Ruby)
Ok cool I’ll be there
TWO-SHOT – RUBY and JACK
JACK (to Ruby)
I’m going to be late; parents are out so I got to cook for my brother
RUBY (to Jack)
Ok, but you better be there!
PAN to RUBY and ALEX
RUBY (to Alex)
Do you wanna come round earlier and help me get everything sorted for tonight?
TWO-SHOT – ALEX and RUBY with others in the background.
ALEX (taking Ruby away from the others)
I don’t think I am going to be able to come tonight, I’m sorry.
RUBY (to Alex)
What? Why not?
ALEX (to Ruby)
I have another exam on Monday and after today’s exam I realised that I am not ready for it. Sorry. I can see you tomorrow still though.
RUBY (to Alex)
Wait… You are choosing college work over me?
ALEX (to Ruby)
Well you know how important it is to me.
RUBY (angrily to Alex)
More important than me?
ALEX (to Ruby)
That’s not what I am saying, I just need to pass this exam and then we can spend more time together
RUBY (to Alex)
You need to choose, me or college
ALEX (to Ruby)
Are you serious? … Ok then I’m sorry but I have to go
ALEX leaves the park JACK follows - MS
RUBY (shouting to Alex)
Wait!
RUBY (to others)
Sorry, party’s cancelled.
EXT. PARK, SAME DAY – LS
RUBY, LISA, JACK, ANNE and OLIVIA are gathered talking about ALEX
RUBY (to group)
So what are we going to do about this? He won’t answer my calls!
LISA (to Ruby)
There must be some way to get him to talk to you, he can’t avoid you forever
OLIVIA (to Ruby)
Yeah, how about one of us tricks him into meeting you sometime? He will think he is meeting us and you will be there, he can’t avoid you then.
JACK (to Ruby)
Here use my phone, he is more likely to come and see me than anyone here... Sorry, but it’s true I am his best friend... Just ask to meet him by the old tree
INT. BEDROOM – SAME DAY – MS
ALEX is doing college work at his desk. Phone message arrives. ALEX reads it, it is from JACK
EXT. FOREST – SAME DAY – LS
ALEX is walking through a field, pan of him walking, eye level angles
RUBY is walking through the same forest, pan of her walking, high angles
ALEX arrives at the tree, looks around to see if JACK is there
RUBY is still walking, more high angles
Narrative switch to creature running through woods, shaky cam to connote an animal, low angles watching and following RUBY
RUBY still walking unaware
Switch back to creature as it closes is
RUBY turns around and sees the creature, screams
ALEX hears the screams and runs, fast pan shot.
ALEX see’s RUBY’s body
RUBY (voiceover)
Isn’t it ironic... the day I died, is the day my life began.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Week 7 - In depth planning.
This week I started planning my individual shots of the opening scene with shot angles and sounds.
The film opens with a long shot of a park/grassy area; a group of friends are talking. In the group is Alex, a male psychology student who aspires to be a psychologist and Ruby a female biology student who wants to drop out of college.
In the group is also Jack who is Alex’s best friend, Lisa who is Ruby’s best friend and several other members of their friendship group. Lisa asks Ruby what time the party she is having that night starts which Ruby answers, Jack says he may be late, as he has to cook for his little brother. Ruby asks Alex if he wants to come round earlier to help get ready for the party, Alex then takes Ruby away from the group and declines her invitation as he needs to catch up on coursework, they then argue about priorities, Alex’s being his college work and Ruby’s being to have fun. Ruby makes him choose between college and herself to which Alex chooses college and breaks up with Ruby storming off angrily; Jack follows him after exchanging worried looks with the group.
The next scene is Ruby meeting with the group to decide what to do with Alex as she doesn’t want to lose him, they decide that she should meet up with him and apologise, but Alex doesn’t answer her calls. Jack then offers to text Alex and ask him to meet up to talk to which Alex agrees, however Alex is unaware that he will be meeting with Ruby and not Jack.
They walk through the woods to the old tree; Alex arrives first and checks his phone to see that he is on time. The narrative switches to a creature running through the woods, it is behind Ruby and following her, the narrative switches back to Ruby as she is walking through the woods unaware of the creature following her, the creature is closing in on her Ruby hears it and is attacked by the creature.
Alex hears a scream in the woods and goes to investigate where he sees Ruby’s corpse on the ground, there is an extreme close-up of Ruby’s eye as it opens.
Shot descriptions:
Opening shot – Long shot of a park/grassy area showing the group of friends talking, this leads into a mid shot of the group talking about college. I will add in diegetic sounds of birds and people playing in the park.
There is then a two-shot/over-the-shoulder shot at Lisa asks Ruby what time the party starts, this leads into a two-shot of Jack and Ruby. Next there will be an over-the-shoulder-shot of Alex and Ruby when Alex tells Ruby that he won’t be going to the party, this shot will show Ruby’s reaction to the news, it will also show the rest of the group in the background listening in on the conversation. I will add in diegetic sounds of birds again here.
As Alex and Ruby argue there will be a mid shot and close of up Ruby as Alex chooses college work over her, from the background Jack runs into the foreground and past the camera as he follows Alex off the screen. This then blends into an over-the-shoulder-shot of a group member watching them walk off. There will be a combination of diegetic birds and non-diegetic music here, possible a steady drum beat.
The next scene will show clouds’ moving through the sky rapidly to show that time has moved on from the previous scene, there will then be a mid-shot of the group of friends talking about Alex, which will turn into a close up of Ruby as she gets the idea of tricking him into meeting her. This shot will have non-diegetic sounds of music similar to the last shot.
There will then be a shot of Alex in his room doing college work, this will be a low angle close-up and when he receives the text message there will be an over-the-shoulder shot of his phone.
There will then be a long shot of Alex walking up to the tree where he meets with Ruby. This will turn into a mid shot of Ruby walking through the woods towards Alex, when the creature appears there will be a high angle shot with a view from the creatures’ eyes (I will edit this after filming) this will be following Ruby until she turns around and see’s the creature and screams. There will then be a close up of Alex as he hears the screams, there will be a mid-shot as Alex runs through the woods to find her body. There will be a high angle extreme-close-up of Ruby’s eye as it opens. I will add in diegetic and non-diegetic sounds again in this shot, the music will be eerie to fit the horror of this scene.
I will now begin working on the script and shooting script.
The film opens with a long shot of a park/grassy area; a group of friends are talking. In the group is Alex, a male psychology student who aspires to be a psychologist and Ruby a female biology student who wants to drop out of college.
In the group is also Jack who is Alex’s best friend, Lisa who is Ruby’s best friend and several other members of their friendship group. Lisa asks Ruby what time the party she is having that night starts which Ruby answers, Jack says he may be late, as he has to cook for his little brother. Ruby asks Alex if he wants to come round earlier to help get ready for the party, Alex then takes Ruby away from the group and declines her invitation as he needs to catch up on coursework, they then argue about priorities, Alex’s being his college work and Ruby’s being to have fun. Ruby makes him choose between college and herself to which Alex chooses college and breaks up with Ruby storming off angrily; Jack follows him after exchanging worried looks with the group.
The next scene is Ruby meeting with the group to decide what to do with Alex as she doesn’t want to lose him, they decide that she should meet up with him and apologise, but Alex doesn’t answer her calls. Jack then offers to text Alex and ask him to meet up to talk to which Alex agrees, however Alex is unaware that he will be meeting with Ruby and not Jack.
They walk through the woods to the old tree; Alex arrives first and checks his phone to see that he is on time. The narrative switches to a creature running through the woods, it is behind Ruby and following her, the narrative switches back to Ruby as she is walking through the woods unaware of the creature following her, the creature is closing in on her Ruby hears it and is attacked by the creature.
Alex hears a scream in the woods and goes to investigate where he sees Ruby’s corpse on the ground, there is an extreme close-up of Ruby’s eye as it opens.
Shot descriptions:
Opening shot – Long shot of a park/grassy area showing the group of friends talking, this leads into a mid shot of the group talking about college. I will add in diegetic sounds of birds and people playing in the park.
There is then a two-shot/over-the-shoulder shot at Lisa asks Ruby what time the party starts, this leads into a two-shot of Jack and Ruby. Next there will be an over-the-shoulder-shot of Alex and Ruby when Alex tells Ruby that he won’t be going to the party, this shot will show Ruby’s reaction to the news, it will also show the rest of the group in the background listening in on the conversation. I will add in diegetic sounds of birds again here.
As Alex and Ruby argue there will be a mid shot and close of up Ruby as Alex chooses college work over her, from the background Jack runs into the foreground and past the camera as he follows Alex off the screen. This then blends into an over-the-shoulder-shot of a group member watching them walk off. There will be a combination of diegetic birds and non-diegetic music here, possible a steady drum beat.
The next scene will show clouds’ moving through the sky rapidly to show that time has moved on from the previous scene, there will then be a mid-shot of the group of friends talking about Alex, which will turn into a close up of Ruby as she gets the idea of tricking him into meeting her. This shot will have non-diegetic sounds of music similar to the last shot.
There will then be a shot of Alex in his room doing college work, this will be a low angle close-up and when he receives the text message there will be an over-the-shoulder shot of his phone.
There will then be a long shot of Alex walking up to the tree where he meets with Ruby. This will turn into a mid shot of Ruby walking through the woods towards Alex, when the creature appears there will be a high angle shot with a view from the creatures’ eyes (I will edit this after filming) this will be following Ruby until she turns around and see’s the creature and screams. There will then be a close up of Alex as he hears the screams, there will be a mid-shot as Alex runs through the woods to find her body. There will be a high angle extreme-close-up of Ruby’s eye as it opens. I will add in diegetic and non-diegetic sounds again in this shot, the music will be eerie to fit the horror of this scene.
I will now begin working on the script and shooting script.
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Week 6 - Plotting
Naw that I have completed my narrative theory research I can begin working on the plot.
Here is what I have come up with
Film opens with a group of friends talking about plans for their weekend, there is a couple in the group the male is called Alex and the female is called Ruby, Alex tells Ruby that he can’t meet up with her at the weekend because he needs to catch up with college work, this causes an argument which ends with Alex breaking up with Ruby and destroying the friendship group. Ruby and half the group meet up later on that day they decide to trick Alex into meeting up with them to resolve the issue. Alex is at home doing homework when he receives a text message from Jack, who left with Ruby asking him to meet them to which he agrees. Alex is unaware that he is really going to be meeting up with Ruby.
They both walk into the woods where they agree to meet; Alex gets there first, however while Ruby is still walking down to meet him she gets attacked by some unknown creature. Ruby is transformed into the creature but it is still unknown what she is, she attacks and kills Alex eating his heart.
One week later is Alex’s funeral, we find out that Jack was arrested for his murder because there is a text message from him asking Alex to meet up with him around the time of is death, but Jack had an alibi. Ruby is unaware of what she has become and what she has done. Jack questions her about what happened but all Ruby remembers is walking to meet Alex and seeing his corpse.
A few years later Ruby is getting over Alex and has not transformed since that night. She is out with friends at a club and a guy is flirting with her at the bar, she asks him to stop, as she is not looking for anyone. After Ruby and friends leave the club she starts to walk home, the man is seen following them, Ruby leaves her friends to walk home through the park the man follows, he then attacks her and she transforms into the creature and kills him eating his heart again.
The next morning she has flashbacks to the night before, there is dried blood on her lips, which makes her question what happened. She calls Lucy, who was out with her the night before if anything strange happened the night before which she confirms that there wasn’t. Ruby then cleans the blood off of her and retraces her steps from the night before; she walks back to the park, which is now a crime scene. Ruby asks the police officer what happened to which they reply that some “monster” murdered an innocent man. Ruby runs back to her apartment, where there is a news broadcast stating that he was a rapist, she suddenly remembers what she has done and what she has become.
She spends a few days learning to control her new powers, realising that to transform she must remember the anger that she felt with the attacker from the previous night and the anger she felt for losing Alex. In her transformed form she has heightened senses such as; “eagle-eye” sight, increased hearing, heightened smell. Along with super-human strength, razor sharp teeth and poison tipped nails, she also finds out that her skin is almost impenetrable.
A few months later Ruby turns into an anti-hero, helping the good by murdering the evil people of her city. There is increased suspense as the narrative turns to her victims, the audience is aware of their fate while they are unaware of what will happen. The suspense builds, as Ruby gets more creative in her killings, even causing them to accidentally kill themselves in some cases. But the creature is still unseen, when she is in creature form all that is seen is from Ruby’s perspective.
The tension of the film builds as she meets another of her kind, however it is clear that the second creature does not want Ruby around any longer. Ruby learns that the second creature is much older and stronger than her she is called Samantha. Samantha warns Ruby that if she keeps on murdering people that she will eventually be found out and the secrets that their race has been hiding for centuries will be revealed, which Samantha cannot allow to happen.
Jack returns to the city and meets up with Ruby, they haven’t seen each other since the funeral of Alex so they have a lot to catch up on. They go out together for a few drinks and Jack tells Ruby that he always loved him and she should have chosen him instead of Alex. Ruby is angered by this and accidentally turns into her creature form, which terrifies Alex. Samantha flies down and disposes of Jack, which alarms Ruby.
There is then a fight scene between Ruby and Samantha; Ruby is overwhelmed by her strength and is near death. Samantha gives her one more chance to earn the trust of their species; she must turn an innocent woman into one of their kind. The narrative switches to the new girls view as Ruby observes her life to find the best opportunity to convert her. As Ruby attacks the new victim this is the first time we see the creature form of her.
Here is what I have come up with
Film opens with a group of friends talking about plans for their weekend, there is a couple in the group the male is called Alex and the female is called Ruby, Alex tells Ruby that he can’t meet up with her at the weekend because he needs to catch up with college work, this causes an argument which ends with Alex breaking up with Ruby and destroying the friendship group. Ruby and half the group meet up later on that day they decide to trick Alex into meeting up with them to resolve the issue. Alex is at home doing homework when he receives a text message from Jack, who left with Ruby asking him to meet them to which he agrees. Alex is unaware that he is really going to be meeting up with Ruby.
They both walk into the woods where they agree to meet; Alex gets there first, however while Ruby is still walking down to meet him she gets attacked by some unknown creature. Ruby is transformed into the creature but it is still unknown what she is, she attacks and kills Alex eating his heart.
One week later is Alex’s funeral, we find out that Jack was arrested for his murder because there is a text message from him asking Alex to meet up with him around the time of is death, but Jack had an alibi. Ruby is unaware of what she has become and what she has done. Jack questions her about what happened but all Ruby remembers is walking to meet Alex and seeing his corpse.
A few years later Ruby is getting over Alex and has not transformed since that night. She is out with friends at a club and a guy is flirting with her at the bar, she asks him to stop, as she is not looking for anyone. After Ruby and friends leave the club she starts to walk home, the man is seen following them, Ruby leaves her friends to walk home through the park the man follows, he then attacks her and she transforms into the creature and kills him eating his heart again.
The next morning she has flashbacks to the night before, there is dried blood on her lips, which makes her question what happened. She calls Lucy, who was out with her the night before if anything strange happened the night before which she confirms that there wasn’t. Ruby then cleans the blood off of her and retraces her steps from the night before; she walks back to the park, which is now a crime scene. Ruby asks the police officer what happened to which they reply that some “monster” murdered an innocent man. Ruby runs back to her apartment, where there is a news broadcast stating that he was a rapist, she suddenly remembers what she has done and what she has become.
She spends a few days learning to control her new powers, realising that to transform she must remember the anger that she felt with the attacker from the previous night and the anger she felt for losing Alex. In her transformed form she has heightened senses such as; “eagle-eye” sight, increased hearing, heightened smell. Along with super-human strength, razor sharp teeth and poison tipped nails, she also finds out that her skin is almost impenetrable.
A few months later Ruby turns into an anti-hero, helping the good by murdering the evil people of her city. There is increased suspense as the narrative turns to her victims, the audience is aware of their fate while they are unaware of what will happen. The suspense builds, as Ruby gets more creative in her killings, even causing them to accidentally kill themselves in some cases. But the creature is still unseen, when she is in creature form all that is seen is from Ruby’s perspective.
The tension of the film builds as she meets another of her kind, however it is clear that the second creature does not want Ruby around any longer. Ruby learns that the second creature is much older and stronger than her she is called Samantha. Samantha warns Ruby that if she keeps on murdering people that she will eventually be found out and the secrets that their race has been hiding for centuries will be revealed, which Samantha cannot allow to happen.
Jack returns to the city and meets up with Ruby, they haven’t seen each other since the funeral of Alex so they have a lot to catch up on. They go out together for a few drinks and Jack tells Ruby that he always loved him and she should have chosen him instead of Alex. Ruby is angered by this and accidentally turns into her creature form, which terrifies Alex. Samantha flies down and disposes of Jack, which alarms Ruby.
There is then a fight scene between Ruby and Samantha; Ruby is overwhelmed by her strength and is near death. Samantha gives her one more chance to earn the trust of their species; she must turn an innocent woman into one of their kind. The narrative switches to the new girls view as Ruby observes her life to find the best opportunity to convert her. As Ruby attacks the new victim this is the first time we see the creature form of her.
Week 6 - Horror Narrative
In horror texts, a non-human villain often causes the narrative disruption: monster, zombie, vampire, werewolf etc. This disruption is characterised by violence and the resolution, therefore, will be the cessation of violence, usually with the destruction of the fiend. The binary opposition mobilised in the narrative is human:non-human.
“The monster, and the disorder it initiates and concretises, is always that which disrupts and challenges the definitions and categories of the ‘human’ and the ’natural’. Generally speaking, it is the monster’s body, which focuses the disruption. Either disfigured, or marked by a heterogeneity of human and animal features, or marked only by a ‘non-human’ gaze, the body is always in some way signalled as ‘other’, signalled, precisely, as monstrous” (Neale, 1980, p. 21)
Horror texts are ideal for articulating what is repressed, the Other, in the human psyche. Society necessitates the repression of certain instincts, what Freud characterised as the ‘id’. In the Victorian Gothic novel, for instance, we can see an expression of sexuality which was forbidden in ‘polite society’. Modern horror often deals with particularly male fears about gender roles.
“Whenever male bodies are represented as monstrous in the horror film they assume characteristics usually associated with the female body: they experience a blood cycle, change shape, bleed, give birth, become penetrable, are castrated.” (Creed, 1993. P. 118)
We can relate this to Neale’s description about how the narrative disruption is inscribed upon the monster’s body. Related to gender, we can deduce that the male body is defined as the norm and therefore opposed by the female body; women’s bodies represent the Other and are therefore a threat to masculinity. Carol Clover has linked together a number of killers, in the genre, by their sexual inadequacy starting with Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and including the Friday the Thirteenth series and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
“In a male-dominated culture, where power, money, law, social institution are controlled by the past, present and future patriarchs, women as the Other assumes particular significance. The dominant images of women in our culture are entirely male-created and male-controlled. Women’s autonomy and independence are denied; onto women men project their own innate, repressed femininity in order to disown it as inferior” (Wood, 1985, p. 199)
Horror films often disown femininity by destroying it; in Dressed to Kill (1980) the opening sequence shows a sexually desperate wife first masturbating and then having sex with a stranger, twice.
“On leaving his place in the evening, she is suddenly attacked and killed in the elevator. The cause-and-effect relationship between (illicit) sex and death could hardly more clearly drawn.” (Clover, 1992, p. 34)
Sexually trangressive women, which in patriarchal terms means those who are active rather than passive, are punished for their behaviour. One of the more subversive of contemporary filmmakers, David Cronenberg, has inverted this view of the female body as monstrous.
“The monster, and the disorder it initiates and concretises, is always that which disrupts and challenges the definitions and categories of the ‘human’ and the ’natural’. Generally speaking, it is the monster’s body, which focuses the disruption. Either disfigured, or marked by a heterogeneity of human and animal features, or marked only by a ‘non-human’ gaze, the body is always in some way signalled as ‘other’, signalled, precisely, as monstrous” (Neale, 1980, p. 21)
Horror texts are ideal for articulating what is repressed, the Other, in the human psyche. Society necessitates the repression of certain instincts, what Freud characterised as the ‘id’. In the Victorian Gothic novel, for instance, we can see an expression of sexuality which was forbidden in ‘polite society’. Modern horror often deals with particularly male fears about gender roles.
“Whenever male bodies are represented as monstrous in the horror film they assume characteristics usually associated with the female body: they experience a blood cycle, change shape, bleed, give birth, become penetrable, are castrated.” (Creed, 1993. P. 118)
We can relate this to Neale’s description about how the narrative disruption is inscribed upon the monster’s body. Related to gender, we can deduce that the male body is defined as the norm and therefore opposed by the female body; women’s bodies represent the Other and are therefore a threat to masculinity. Carol Clover has linked together a number of killers, in the genre, by their sexual inadequacy starting with Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and including the Friday the Thirteenth series and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
“In a male-dominated culture, where power, money, law, social institution are controlled by the past, present and future patriarchs, women as the Other assumes particular significance. The dominant images of women in our culture are entirely male-created and male-controlled. Women’s autonomy and independence are denied; onto women men project their own innate, repressed femininity in order to disown it as inferior” (Wood, 1985, p. 199)
Horror films often disown femininity by destroying it; in Dressed to Kill (1980) the opening sequence shows a sexually desperate wife first masturbating and then having sex with a stranger, twice.
“On leaving his place in the evening, she is suddenly attacked and killed in the elevator. The cause-and-effect relationship between (illicit) sex and death could hardly more clearly drawn.” (Clover, 1992, p. 34)
Sexually trangressive women, which in patriarchal terms means those who are active rather than passive, are punished for their behaviour. One of the more subversive of contemporary filmmakers, David Cronenberg, has inverted this view of the female body as monstrous.
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Week 5
Last week I began researching narrative theory and narrative theory of horror films as that is my chosen genre.
Narrative theory looks at the conventions governing the development of a story.
Tzvetan Todorov suggested that the stories begin with an equilibrium where any potential opposing forces are in balance. This is then disrupted by an event which sets in motion a series of further events. Problems are eventually resolved so that order is restored along with the original equilibrium.
Vladimir Propp looked at folk tales and suggested that each story had 8 similar character roles:
1. The Hero (The Protagonist)
2. The Villain (The Antaganoist)
3. The Princess (Who is the victim of the villains schemes and the reward for the hero)
4. Her Father (Who rewards the Hero)
5. The Dispatcher (Who sends the Hero on their way)
6. The False Hero (Who is mistaken for the Hero)
7. The Donor (Who provides some object to aid the Hero, usually with some sort of magic property)
8. The Helper (Who Helps the Hero on their quest)
I also did research into the dualistic nature of the narrative which includes:
Story - what narrative is: its content, consisting of events, actions, time and location.
Discourse - How the narrative is told: arrangement, emphasis/de-emphasis, magnification/diminution, of any of the elements of the content.
This week I will begin working on the plot of my film and develop the stock characters that Todorov suggests are in all stories.
Narrative theory looks at the conventions governing the development of a story.
Tzvetan Todorov suggested that the stories begin with an equilibrium where any potential opposing forces are in balance. This is then disrupted by an event which sets in motion a series of further events. Problems are eventually resolved so that order is restored along with the original equilibrium.
Vladimir Propp looked at folk tales and suggested that each story had 8 similar character roles:
1. The Hero (The Protagonist)
2. The Villain (The Antaganoist)
3. The Princess (Who is the victim of the villains schemes and the reward for the hero)
4. Her Father (Who rewards the Hero)
5. The Dispatcher (Who sends the Hero on their way)
6. The False Hero (Who is mistaken for the Hero)
7. The Donor (Who provides some object to aid the Hero, usually with some sort of magic property)
8. The Helper (Who Helps the Hero on their quest)
I also did research into the dualistic nature of the narrative which includes:
Story - what narrative is: its content, consisting of events, actions, time and location.
Discourse - How the narrative is told: arrangement, emphasis/de-emphasis, magnification/diminution, of any of the elements of the content.
This week I will begin working on the plot of my film and develop the stock characters that Todorov suggests are in all stories.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Week 3
This week I finished editing my preliminary exercise. I then showed the continuity scene to my peers in my class to get feedback from them, overall everyone thought it was a well thought out scene with a wide array of interesting camera angles and shots. The main criticism I received was that some of the shots were quite dark and the sound quality wasn’t great.
To improve this when I film the opening to my movie I will use a boom microphone to improve sound quality and better lighting to improve the light levels.
I also wrote up my preliminary exercise and evaluated everything I have done, which can be found below.
Preliminary exercise
I began my preliminary exercise by planning the continuity scene, which can be seen in my original storyboard. However upon shooting the scene I realised the impossibility of some of the shots I have planned, these would be awkward shots due to the lighting levels and angles that were available at the time.
The next step was to obtain a video recorder; I chose to use a HD camcorder because it would mean increased quality of the video. The downside to this was decreased sound quality due to the sound being recorded from the camera itself. I also suffered decreased lighting levels because I used indoor lighting; I thought this would create a more realistic light level however I later realised that more light would increase the quality of the video, I will bear this in mind when I shoot the opening to my film.
I chose to use people studying performing arts to be the actors in my video to increase the quality of the video, people who are used to being filmed while acting made more sense to me than using whoever was available at the time.
Here is a description of the editing process:
After I filmed the shots I began piecing them together and editing them. First I had to decide which shots to use, because I had filmed so many it gave me a wider choice which also made choosing which ones to use harder. After I chose the shots I put them all in the logically correct order. I used “Final cut” to edit my video because it is the best video editing software available to me and does everything I require.
I had to continuously render the video files so that I could edit the shot length. I did this by clicking Sequence>Render All> Both. This then rendered the video files and the sound so that they could be edited.
I then started to cut down the video files to the size I wanted. Because I filmed each shot to the required end, e.g. the female character walking all the way to the door in each shot and the whole dialogue in the room, it was easier to use match-on-action. I had the whole sequence of movements to cut to and from so the scene flowed easier.
Finally, once all the shots were cut, in sequence and rendered I had to save the file and export it as a QuickTime movie so that it was viewable. I did this by clicking File>Export>QuickTime Movie.
Here is a shot-to-shot run-down of my video:
My opening shot involved the female character walking down the hallway. I chose a high angle shot for the opening because high angle shots make the character seem smaller and less significant, this also distances the audience from the action as they feel they are above it all.
The next shot contrasts the opening, as it is a low angle shot, this creates disorientation for the audience as it moves from high to low angle. Low angles make the character seem taller, which causes the audience to feel fear towards the character as they psychologically dominate them. The audience goes from feeling superior to inferior in one shot.
The third shot is an eye level shot of the female character walking up to the door. This shot counter acts the previous two shots, as it is a neutral shot. An eye-level shot is positioned as though it was a human eye observing the scene. This shot could also add confusion as the previous shots are designed to alienate the audience and then the third shot is neutral.
Next is a close up of the door handle with the female characters hand coming towards it, this magnifies the door handle being opened so that the audience knows that this is important.
After this I used another high angle shot, this is also known as an over-the-shoulder shot. This again alienates the viewers from the action. As the door is opening we would see what is behind the door before the female character does, however the shot changes before we see what is behind the door.
Next I used a mid shot; this was done to frame the overall action in the scene. It frames the shot so that we know where the characters are, we can see that they are in a darkly lit room which also adds atmosphere to the scene.
I then used a low angle close up shot of the female character when she says the first line “The eagle has landed.” The low angle shot shows the power of the female character, even though she is informing the male character of what has previously happened, this adds more confusion to the viewer. The shot is also quite dark on the female characters face which adds more atmosphere and mysteriousness.
Next I used a slight high angled close up on the male character as he says, “So soon?” The high angle suggests that he is inferior to the female character even though the dialogue suggests that he is superior as she is reporting back to him.
After this the shot goes back to the female character with an extreme close up on the mouth as she says, “He dropped this.” This was used for dramatic effect; all that can be seen is her mouth, bottom of the nose and slight background detail which adds more mystery for the viewer.
The final shot is a close up of the item being passed between the two characters; it is a dark shot to add more mystery and confusion for the viewer. The audience will wonder why the item is so important and what it is.
After I finished editing the scene I showed it to my peers to get feedback, generally everyone thought it was a well thought out scene with a wide array of interesting camera angles and shots. The main criticism I received was that some of the shots were quite dark and the sound quality wasn’t great. To improve this next time I will use a boom microphone to improve sound quality and better lighting to improve the light levels
This week I will start researching my chosen genre of film and find out about codes and conventions of the genre.
To improve this when I film the opening to my movie I will use a boom microphone to improve sound quality and better lighting to improve the light levels.
I also wrote up my preliminary exercise and evaluated everything I have done, which can be found below.
Preliminary exercise
I began my preliminary exercise by planning the continuity scene, which can be seen in my original storyboard. However upon shooting the scene I realised the impossibility of some of the shots I have planned, these would be awkward shots due to the lighting levels and angles that were available at the time.
The next step was to obtain a video recorder; I chose to use a HD camcorder because it would mean increased quality of the video. The downside to this was decreased sound quality due to the sound being recorded from the camera itself. I also suffered decreased lighting levels because I used indoor lighting; I thought this would create a more realistic light level however I later realised that more light would increase the quality of the video, I will bear this in mind when I shoot the opening to my film.
I chose to use people studying performing arts to be the actors in my video to increase the quality of the video, people who are used to being filmed while acting made more sense to me than using whoever was available at the time.
Here is a description of the editing process:
After I filmed the shots I began piecing them together and editing them. First I had to decide which shots to use, because I had filmed so many it gave me a wider choice which also made choosing which ones to use harder. After I chose the shots I put them all in the logically correct order. I used “Final cut” to edit my video because it is the best video editing software available to me and does everything I require.
I had to continuously render the video files so that I could edit the shot length. I did this by clicking Sequence>Render All> Both. This then rendered the video files and the sound so that they could be edited.
I then started to cut down the video files to the size I wanted. Because I filmed each shot to the required end, e.g. the female character walking all the way to the door in each shot and the whole dialogue in the room, it was easier to use match-on-action. I had the whole sequence of movements to cut to and from so the scene flowed easier.
Finally, once all the shots were cut, in sequence and rendered I had to save the file and export it as a QuickTime movie so that it was viewable. I did this by clicking File>Export>QuickTime Movie.
Here is a shot-to-shot run-down of my video:
My opening shot involved the female character walking down the hallway. I chose a high angle shot for the opening because high angle shots make the character seem smaller and less significant, this also distances the audience from the action as they feel they are above it all.
The next shot contrasts the opening, as it is a low angle shot, this creates disorientation for the audience as it moves from high to low angle. Low angles make the character seem taller, which causes the audience to feel fear towards the character as they psychologically dominate them. The audience goes from feeling superior to inferior in one shot.
The third shot is an eye level shot of the female character walking up to the door. This shot counter acts the previous two shots, as it is a neutral shot. An eye-level shot is positioned as though it was a human eye observing the scene. This shot could also add confusion as the previous shots are designed to alienate the audience and then the third shot is neutral.
Next is a close up of the door handle with the female characters hand coming towards it, this magnifies the door handle being opened so that the audience knows that this is important.
After this I used another high angle shot, this is also known as an over-the-shoulder shot. This again alienates the viewers from the action. As the door is opening we would see what is behind the door before the female character does, however the shot changes before we see what is behind the door.
Next I used a mid shot; this was done to frame the overall action in the scene. It frames the shot so that we know where the characters are, we can see that they are in a darkly lit room which also adds atmosphere to the scene.
I then used a low angle close up shot of the female character when she says the first line “The eagle has landed.” The low angle shot shows the power of the female character, even though she is informing the male character of what has previously happened, this adds more confusion to the viewer. The shot is also quite dark on the female characters face which adds more atmosphere and mysteriousness.
Next I used a slight high angled close up on the male character as he says, “So soon?” The high angle suggests that he is inferior to the female character even though the dialogue suggests that he is superior as she is reporting back to him.
After this the shot goes back to the female character with an extreme close up on the mouth as she says, “He dropped this.” This was used for dramatic effect; all that can be seen is her mouth, bottom of the nose and slight background detail which adds more mystery for the viewer.
The final shot is a close up of the item being passed between the two characters; it is a dark shot to add more mystery and confusion for the viewer. The audience will wonder why the item is so important and what it is.
After I finished editing the scene I showed it to my peers to get feedback, generally everyone thought it was a well thought out scene with a wide array of interesting camera angles and shots. The main criticism I received was that some of the shots were quite dark and the sound quality wasn’t great. To improve this next time I will use a boom microphone to improve sound quality and better lighting to improve the light levels
This week I will start researching my chosen genre of film and find out about codes and conventions of the genre.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Week 1 - Preliminary research
I have decided to do a video for my AS media coursework, my preliminary task is to film a continuity scene which involves; a character opening a door. walking accross a room, sitting in a chair opposite another character and exchanging two sentences of dialogue. We also had to observe three continuity principles:
Today I filmed my continuity scene so I will start editing it this week. I will also upload my storyboard when I have scanned it.
- 180° rule - This is where the cameraman creates an imaginary line in front of the actors, the camera cannot pass this line and can only film 180° on this line. This rule prevents the camera from passing an imaginary line connecting the subjects of the shot.
- Shot reverse shot - This is where one character is shown looking at another character who is usually offscreen and the other character is seen looking back at the first character. The characters are therefore seen looking in opposite directions but the viewer presumes they are looking at each other.
- Match on action - This is when an action is cut from one shot to another seamlessly. An action that occurs before the cut is edited seamlessly in the next shot, e.g. when somebody is walking and the shot changes the leg movements match perfectly.
Today I filmed my continuity scene so I will start editing it this week. I will also upload my storyboard when I have scanned it.
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