Feedback etc

For the clips we have taken we decided to record feedback from several people and get their opinions on factors which they liked and what they thought could be improved upon.

We decided to focus the feedback on the target audience to get an idea of what they thought as well as widening the spectrum slightly and asked someone over the youth audience to broaden the comments.

To start with we compiled comments from a male and female aged 16 and 17.
Their comments are as followed..
Joe Shrimpton thought

• the choice of song fit the genre perfectly and thought it reflected the genre of a Rom com quite easily.
• He found the sequence to be clear to follow and found the characters disorientated approach to be funny.
• He also could easily establish the target audience due to the fast paced editing, the ages of the characters involved and the situation which the character is in.
• Also the use of cerialin the titles was thought to be a good idea, however to improve on this he commented that more time needs to be allocated to that the audience are able to establish and read what is on screen.

Harley Marshall was the second person of the similar age range who we consulted on the clip.

• She commented on the comedy aspects saying that she thought that it was funny.(This occurring from both males and females proves vital as it means that the film has crossover appeal.)
• She also picked up on Joe's point about the time period of the cereal clip to be longer and clearer so that it really stands out.
• Also she said that it was easily noticed that the genre was a rom com
• Like Joe she thought the narrative was easy to follow and that the non-diegetic music fit the pace and mood of the clip perfect.
• However to improve the stumble needs a little work upon it to make it look a little false
  

Lynn Benisek was the person queried about the clip from the older age of the spectrum.

• Her comments where very similar to those that the others made. Making similar points around the issue of music, the ease of genre recognition and its comedic properties. As well as the improvements toward the titles.
• She also had a point to say about the logo making a comment on the logo mentioning that its of a high standard saying that it is impressive to say its not a professional job.
• Also due to the fact she enjoyed the clip shows that the clip has appeal to an audience wider than expected.
  

Rough Cuts

This clip is the rough cut which shows the full extent of the clip which is un-edited and with out sound. It contains the whole shooting process at the various times we filmed the sequence and the mistakes which were made. This block clip is mostly in order for the final cut and is at the stage now where vast amounts of editing need to be undergone including adding a suitable soundtrack,placing in the titles via i movie and cutting down unwanted seconds to make the clip fit into the two minute boundary.

The Group

The group which i am in consists of myself we each had a separate ideas mine and Ellis following the stalker horror genre where as Laura opted for a romantic comedy.


Laura Smith, this idea is the initial group idea based around a male protagonist getting ready in the morning yet is in some form of a rush and as a result of this becomes injured then narrative continues by following another character who then leads on to be the central protagonist.This was then altered to the character just falling then running off and not leading to another protagonist.


Ellis Clark,who ideas were mainly horror, based around the stalker concept also but in a in closed house scenario.

And Marian who will only be joining the group for a short period of time as she is an exchange student

The tasks will be shared in responsibility to achieve the best production possible under the set time period and circumstances.

Editing

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Cinematography

To achieve a finished copy, to which the whole group were happy with, many decisions had to be taken. The main hurdle which needed to be overcome was the titles, and in what method they would be incorporated into the opening sequence. We then, as a group, had an open discussion and settled on some ideas:

• a name written in condensation
• the name burnt onto toast
• composed using cereal

• made using fridge magnet letters

These were then discussed further to find out which of these methods would be achievable. Straight away the toast concept was eradicated, due to its vast complexity, as it seemed to hard to a) fit the desired text onto a slice of bread and b) how were we going to format the text upon the bread.

This then left the group with three concepts which were tested in the filming process. The condensation effect was created by holding a mirror next to a hot shower for several minutes. then writing in the desired text. However, this was not visible looking through the lens and the amount of steam in the room would cause the lens to blur. So this idea was modified as the steam couldn't be extracted because the condensation would have vanished. So toothpaste was used as a substitute, which was easily visible, could be applied under normal circumstances and was easily removed after use. (Also links with scene as character is brushing his teeth.) So this was kept and captured as part of an over shoulder shot, so as character leans to spit in sink the text is revealed.

Cereal was next on the agenda:

• took several takes to get the correct distribution of cereal knocked onto the table.
• then used a close up on the cereal which was arranged to form another title construction words from cereal and randomly placing pieces around text to make it appear less staged

There was an alternate shot for the cereal being disposed of, this being with vacuum cleaner rather than a sweep of an arm, this was originally an out-take, yet added to comedic feel. However, we opted to avoid the idea due to background noise.

Next came a concept which was thought of on set which was to write a name on a letter and have it come though the letterbox. We created this to go along side the scene where he received the post.

The issue which made this scene susceptible to several retakes was the speed at which the letters were posted.

The other scene shot at the doorway also had timing issues. We needed a suitable time for the character to leave with his bag, closing the door behind him having enough time to zoom out then move him to return and pick up an item he had forgotten, without causing an awkward pause. This issue was corrected fairly quickly after watching the footage back.

Final title inclusion was the fridge magnet lettering:

• due to availability of product wanted we opted for a piece of paper with name on attached to the fridge with a fridge magnet.

Finally due to the lack of filming time my name was not included into the title sequence.

Software

The editing process will be undergone on the macs available using i movie 06 a piece of editing software which is distributed by Apple.

There are numerous features which can be utilised and the attached link provides

 an instructional video, giving a step by step guide to the editing process which will be helpful .

http://www.apple.com/support/ilife/tutorials/imovie/

Adding a Sound Track

An easy way to change an ordinary clip into something with a bit more excitement is to include a so

undtrack. The pr

ogram included on the macs i movie enables us to do so either via an alternate program named garage band which allows you to create your own original piece, as well as the option to import sounds from a CD, from the i tunes library or from i movie itself as it is preset with a default 

soundboard.

How To Add A Soundtrack

1. Select the timeline view button
2. Place the play head to where you want the sound clip to begin
3. Click the media icon then select the audio icon. Once in this area, in the top right corner of the program several drop boxes are available from where music can be imported from
4. From these various options select a song , And click o the file to import it. I will then be added to the timeline at the bottom of the program.
5. Volume can be controlled using the clips volume controls under the audio track. You are also able to adjust the length of the track by dragging the end of the song toward the middle of the timeline(or from the start).
6. To place a soft fade at the end of the song, select 'show clip volume levels' via the view menu. A separate line through the middle of the track will appear, to create the fade effect drag the line down below the middle.
7. And to preview and clips before use select the icon to the left of the file name

These are the basic principals to include a soundtrack.

Adding Titles
Imovie is inter grated with many title styles, of which are customisable in font, size, and the colour of the text. There are effects which can be put into place such as setting the titles to fly in from off the screen. Captions and credits can also be used as well as a picture or solid backgrounds.

How to place titles into an imovie project

1. Open up the clip viewer and click on the return button, this will set the location for the title to be at the start of the production.
2. Select editing function and then click on the titles button.
3. Select centered title (or any of the other options) from the list of available styles. There will be a preview window showing the sample.
4. Then enter the titles wanted into the space required.
5. Your able to edit the size of the text and the font as well as the speed and duration of the titles. Then select an effect for the background and click on 'Add' to incorporate the title. This clip will then be added to the start of the movie and a small red line should appear beneath the clip representing the update.
6. After the update more customization can be undergone using the drop arrow will reveal more options.
7. Your also able to choose the direction of where the text will enter the screen using the arrow button to the left of the written text.
8. To remove the titles from a separate slide, then deselect over black and select update. This will then play the titles over the opening scene of the video clip.

Using Video Effects

Imovie has effects which can be used to enhance the movie. Effects can be applied to both video clips ad still image, and these effects can be applied to one or all of your clips.

To apply video effects to a clip

1. Start by selecting the editing button and then clicking the video effects button.
2. Select a clip which has no transition added to it, then choose form the option either fast/slow/reverse.
3. Using the speed slider to change the speed of the clip, a preview of this change will be shown in the movie monitor.
4. Click apply after selecting an option and a small icon should appear in the top left of the clip viewer. And after the clip has been fully rendered you will be able to play the clip back fully.
5. A second effect can be laid upon this and will be shown by s number 2 icon.
6. To remove this second appliance choose undo from the edit menu. The icon showing 2 will then disappear.
7. The save the finished project.

The pros to this software is what has been described in that there are a vast array of editing features which will spruce up even the dullest of clips.Yet there are also vast amounts of negatives to go along side this. To start with for someone who has never used the program before its rather difficult to use things which have some form of large effect on the production, also its a very time consuming process however when it works it improves the standard of the clip vastly yet some of the features can look rather amature for a sequence which is serposadely the opeing of a film. As well as this it has several options for everything which can be confusing for first time users.


How to upload pictures onto blogger

• To upload a picture is an extremely rapid and simple process.

1. Firstly select the image required and right click on it
2. Then select the option save image as from the list of avialable options.
3. A seperate window should appear which asks where would you like to save the image to.
4. Then select an area to save the file, change the name to something appropriate then click in save in the bottom right of the window.
5. To upload this image click on the add image function which is the icon thrid from the right on the icon list when entering a blog.
6. Select browse and tpye in the file name.
7. After selecting the image click import and choose a where on the page the image will go.

Equipment

The camera we will be using wont be the cameras

provided by school but instead, a camera owned by one of the group.

The camera model is a Sony Handy cam and the features are as follows

• Standard definition video recording on affordable mini DV tape.
  
• There is a 40x optical zoom and a super steady technology built in to provide a higher quality during shaky circumstances. Yet if this is not an effective measure then a tri-pod can be used to achieve the shot needed.
• There is a 800k pixel ccd sensor with a Carl Zeiss lens showing that the camera we are using is of a high quality.
• The focus adjustment is both automatic and manual which allows the group to have control over what is in focus in the scene.
• The microphone is inter grated into the camera with stereo sound, however to improve on this a boom mike could be purchased to have a higher quality of sound and would avoid such disadvantages as excluding background noise and being able to block out more ambient noise when the subject is a distance away from the camera.
• There are several shooting modes which are available on the camcorder including the various shooting modes -spotlight, landscape, portrait, sports mode which is used to eradicate blur when filming fast moving objects and various others which are modes for different lighting so little manual tampering needs to be undergone such as a twilight and sunrise setting.
• Another set of effects which is custom to this model is under the category of special effects and includes such visual effects as solarisation, sepia (which gives the impression that the sequence is aged yet original), mosaic ( which almost pixelates the frame), pastel ( which washes out the colours), monotone aka black and white and finally negative art.

• In terms of the white balance feature on this camera there is the option to have a custom white balance which can be manually adjusted or use and automatic white balance. Then extending into indoor and outdoor modes.
• 

To take the stills of the location a simple camera phone was used with a reasonably decent camera function. The model of this phone was a was the LG viewty.
The camera phone has a five mega pixel camera which has a 2592-1944 pixels resolution so it will still retain its quality so when sent to a computer it wont pixelate.
It also has an auto focus feature which enables stills to be taken even with a shaky hand. There are other features around the camera such as a sepia, black and white and negative aesthetic. This would be useful if the film would be edited in these ways as it would portray the picture.
The phone also has a USB port enabling the pictures to be easily imported on to the PC which can then be uploaded onto blogger, as well as blue tooth which enables the files to be sent directly to the macs.

Locations

filming will need to be undergone in several locations to have the desired effect of which the group wants to achieve.

For the establishing shots, the sequence will be shot in Eilis's house using his bedroom for the waking up sequence and the bathroom for the brushing his teeth, which is where the editing style will be used incorporating the bathroom mirror to have a name of the production cast written on it in the condensation.
Also as we have already tested the waking up scene this seems an excellent location to shoot this part of the task using the alarm clock which is readily available for the hand slamming down on the alarm clock scene.However the position of Eilis's bed is near to two walls so the actor must get out from the end therefore the camera will be needed to placed further back into the room, this was a problem which occurred during testing. For someone to hold the camera and get the whole of the camera in is a tight issue so to improve this slight adjustments to the furniture will need to be made or a tripod put into use. As the scene would be pointless if part of the character weren't included in the frame.

So far as a group these are the only locations which have been verified.


Now that the majority of the filming has been completed i am able to clarify the locations.
The setting of the opening sequence will be set in a modern household with stereotypical furnishings of a regular housing template.Using Ellis one of the group members houses for the setting it will allow easy access in a regular basis for filming and wont restrict time.
The costume used for the male character in the opening sequence will be typical male pyjama wear consisting of boxer shorts and a plain t shirt the out fit which was used included blue plaid boxer shorts and a plain blue tee shirt, representing the stereotypical male attire. Then he changes into a formal suit representing that he is preparing to go to a day at work and that the character is mature and of a representable nature.
And the female character will be wearing smart casual attire to emphasize her assets which will help create an appeal for the males gaze as well as signify that the male protagonist is attracted towards her. Both of the characters out fits need to represent that they are in a modern day setting and in the middle class area of socio economic status.

The location where we set the film was in a nice neighbour hood in a reasonably large modern estate house, this seemed a good setting however adjustments had to be made to create the effect that this was a male character who had just recently begun employment in some form of important job, this is anchored by the suit attire which he sports in the scene, as well as the brief case.Also we want the audience to get the preferred reading that this scene is filmed in a small house and that he lives alone so the settings will need to no be immaculate when it comes to the filming process to avoid a oppositional reading.


This image is the setting for the bathroom scene where shots will be taken for when he turns on the shower, brushes his teeth and then realises the time and rushes out of the bathroom. Also the room is rather spacious and will allow us to place the camera in several areas avoiding cropping issues. The photograph on the wall will be replaced by a mirror which will be used to have certain aspects of the titles written upon it.

The kitchen is an area where certain complex shots will occur and enough space will be needed to create the cereal effect which will also have title aspects incorporated into it.The table will need to be long enough for a large amount of cereal to be spilt upon and the writing(which will be constructed using the cereal) to be large enough for the audience to read.

This setting is where the character will leave the house and the letter box needed for when the letters will come through. There is also and adequate amount of space next to the door on the left for the characters items to be stored which will stay in frame as he leaves the house.So when he forgets something it will be noticeable to the audience.

The stair setting is where the character will come down from whilst getting dressed and will run into the kitchen to the left which nicely will link into the next scene as the camera could do a reverse shot.

Finally the bedroom, this setting needs to have stereotypical aspects of a late working teens room, this is represented due to the mature colour scheme the computer, TV and computer games system and the state of which the room is kept. This will need to be emphasized.

Casting

There was no actual casting session for the main character in the production as the character was of a very wide spread description, they needed to be of an age range of between 16 to 18, male and Caucasian as well as having a mature appearance about them.


The male actor Stephen Smith
Playing the role of the character Jake
The male actor we originally opted to use in our sequence is named Ash Caton and was chosen due to his acting ability.Filming began using this actor however due to issues around continuity and availability he was no longer available to play the part therefore we opted to use someone else for the male role in the sequence, choosing Stephen Smith in his place.

Due to the idea of the film being based on Laura's concept, she had he majority of the vision over the personality traits and aesthetics of the characters.

For the male protagonist, named Jake, the ideal character would be someone to be who is stereotypically British to enable crossover appeal to foreign markets(such as the characters which Hugh Grant tends to portray). Personality wise he needed to be looking for love (which will be reflected in his stumble due to him gazing a female character.)

The actor is named Stephen Smith and is the same age as the character, at 19, and suits the description - lesser posture, doesn't hold himself well to reflect upon his disorientation.

The female actress Livia Walsh
Playing the role of Claire
The female character, Claire, is an attractive character who lives across the road from Jake, and is of a similar age. The name Claire has a deliberate inter textual reference to Four Weddings... She is self confident in her traits and this would be shown in how she holds her posture. So the two characters are binary opposites in their social awareness.

Livia Walsh will portray this character as she ticks the boxes required, and as well as Stephen they will both be regularly available.

Production Schedule

so far

shot: waking up sequence

shot type: there will be various shot types used throughout this sequence including high angle mid shot as the character is waking to represent there vulnerability. Also a tracking shot to represent the aspects of social realism in this clip.

location: Ellis Clark's house and the residential area surrounding.


Tuesday 17th
Shot: where the character is getting ready in the morning including the brushing of the characters teeth sequence.

the information above was just a brief idea to see if the setting was suitable.


Week beginning march 23rd
Wednesday 25th march
On this date the majority of the footage will be filmed and it will under go from 4pm onwards till around 6:30pm, however this finish time will be dependent on the availability of natural light.

4:10 at this time we need to have the scene ready and the male character played by Stephen Smith in costume of male pyjama wear, we will start by taking the shot of his hand hitting the alarm clock using a close up upon the alarm clock with a slight high angle to show the characters vulnerability.(the time in the alarm clock will signify that its late in the morning presuming that it is a work/school day.)
Moving from this shot it will develop out to him getting out of bed so the camera will be placed around a metre from the foot of the bed placed on a tripod to enable clear picture the shot type will be a long shot and catch the character from the side sitting on the side of the bed.
Then leading from this the next shot will take place from where the character has got out of bed and will show him walking out of the door from the right hand side of the screen. Using and over the shoulder approach to start the transition to give variety to the sequence.
Then we will shoot the scene of him walking out from the bedroom across the hallway and into the bathroom making sure the doors are closed to allow continuity later on in the scene. Placing the camera on the tripod and taking a long shot we will be able to anchor the setting and time period with out the use of overall exposition.This scene will be taken several times to see what speed would be ideal for him to cross the hallway to prevent blur.
(aiming for a finish time at this point of 4:30 pm)

Then the bathroom scene will need to take place. For this scene 20 minutes or so at the maximum will be needed to assemble the scene. As the mirror for the titles will need to be moved to a more appropriate situation above the sink (initially we intended to write the titles in condensation on the mirror however on film this was not as clear as we would have wanted so tooth paste was chosen as a substitute.)
Yet during the condensation scene we decided to use the shower as part of the characters morning routine which will be created using a shot along the characters arm to follow into the next scene which will lead onto the next shot.
Then shot will move directly to the character brushing his teeth this shot will be taken from behind the male character then he will lean down to spit into the scene and as he does so the writing on the mirror will be visible on screen, this will be and over the shoulder shot which will be at a mid shot zoom.
Then the character turns and looks to his watch and realises the time, a mid shot will be used and the character will then move out from the scene moving towards the left of the screen, allowing the continuity of the scene to flow.
We will then move back to the hallway spot using the long shot approach with the camera still on the tripod which it will be throughout out most of the filming however this time the long shot will have an increased tempo as the character will be in a rush. Using the mid shot angle as well. Using the continuity i already mentioned the character will close the doors behind it.
(These scenes should lead into around 5 where there will still be sufficient light available due to the season.)

Stephen then needs to change into his suit to signify that he is preparing for work and when he emerges from the bedroom he will be half dressed and stepping into his trousers to give the exposition that he is in a rush. Camera will be placed closer down the hall way nearer the door just to slightly emphasize the characters emotion. He will then move toward the camera.
(Then around 5 minutes will be needed after this to set the camera up downstairs ready for the scene when t he character runs down the stairs.)

After moving downstairs the camera will need to be positioned so that no part of the character is cropped as he runs down the stairs continuing to get dressed. After testing this we opted not to use the tripod as it wasn't able to be lowered enough to avoid cropping issues.
This will need to be shot several times using a steadied shot which is zoomed out enough that your able to see the character turn round the corner after coming down the stairs and move into the kitchen which links to the next setting.
(Then 10 minutes will need to be allocated to preparing the kitchen scene.)

The scene will involve a mid shot of the character sitting down at the kitchen table at a slight high angle to represent vulnerability, then we will stage the knocking over off the cereal to see which method would create the best effect.
We will then film the sequence of him knocking the cereal packet and pause the scene after the product has just been knocked over (perhaps opting for some form of product placement using the cereal brand) Then we will take five minutes to create another name included in the production using the cereal to spell out the name then using a high shot to enable the full image is in screen.
(At the end of this process the time should be around 6 so yet due to the rest of the sequence will be filmed inside lighting wont really be that crucial.)

After this the time will be around 6:15 and at this point we will move filming back upstairs, filming the letter box where the letters come through with another persons name written up on one of the letters using a long shot with a high angle.Then we will use a over the shoulder shot to create the impression that we can see what the character sees. This will be recorded as both two separate shots and one continuous to see which is more effective.
(this should conclude what was aimed to be completed in this time period.)


Friday 27th March
After getting the majority of the footage completed on the 23rd this date is seen as an opportunity to film the outdoor sequences in daylight, using the lesson time to do so.
To start with we will set up the scene when the character leaves the house then forgets an item and has to return inside using the tripod we will focus the camera directly on the bag then when he grabs the bag and leaves the house a gradual zoom outwards will be used to show that hes left the front door and still allow the forgotten object to remain in the frame.
This will need to be shot several times to get the perfect timing for when he exits the house then reenters, so not to create such a large pause.
We will then move the camera outside to film the female enter the sequence and use a long tracking shot to follow her movement. This may take time due to environmental factors.
We then will move on to tracking the actor Stephen who runs down the road and stumbles after looking at the female character.When he stumbles we will shoot the shot from the back to give the impression that he has fallen out of shot.
Use a mid close up on the female who shows affectionate expression towards the male and exchanges some slight dialect.
The male then gets up from a stationary position on the floor and runs out of shot with his things (making sure the items are the same as previously used to create the impression of continuity.)Using a high angled long shot which is the most occurring type through out the sequence.
(This filming should be adequate enough to fit into an hour long filming block.)


Tuesday 31st March
This will be the last filming block and in this section, it will be the sequence when the names of cast and crew are placed upon the fridge using alphabetical fridge magnets to create the effect. Mostly mid shots will be used to show the actions of what the character is doing and to make the text able to read,( This block will be filmed else where to the majority due to the suitability of the fridge).
This period of time will also be crucial to re shoot after receiving feed back or if anything after looking good through the lens doesn't appear as good on the screen.

Screenplay

INT: BEDROOM – MORNING

View of an alarm clock set at 7 o’clock buzzing (alarm is going off). A hand comes into shot hitting the alarm off, as this happens non-diegetic, cheery and light music begins.

Boy gets out of bed and sits on the side looking tired, in his pyjamas. Camera is behind curtains; JAKE opens curtains and looks out over camera, stretching, then glances at the clock. Bedroom is plain, the room of an average 17 year old boy.

JAKE

Shit

JAKE walks briskly to the bathroom and shuts the door.

INT: BATHROOM – MORNING

JAKE has towel wrapped around him with wet hair (has just had a shower) and is brushing his teeth. He bends down to spit and written in the mirror is a title. JAKE stands up and walks out the bathroom.

INT: STAIRS – MORNING

JAKE is running hurriedly down the stairs pulling his jumper on at the same time.

INT: HALLWAY – MORNING

Post drops through letter box, written on an envelope is a title. JAKE picks up letter and flicks through them.

INT: KITCHEN – MORNING

JAKE gets some orange juice out of fridge and then closes the fridge door and walks out of shot. On the fridge door in letter magnets is a title.

JAKE is sitting at table eating cereal with a cup of orange juice, he reaches for the cereal box in front of him and knocks it over.

JAKE

Shit

On the table written in the cereal is a title.

Toast pops up and on the toast is a title. JAKE walks into shot and grabs toast, burns self and promptly drops toast.

JAKE

Shit

INT: HALLWAY – MORNING

Camera is looking at door, his bag is by door. JAKE walks into shot, picking up bag and walks out door. Camera stays looking at door, after a few seconds JAKE runs back through door- he has forgotten his file.

JAKE

Shit

Jake runs back out through door, slamming it.

EXT: STREET – MORNING

Camera is following JAKE from behind as he walks down his drive. JAKE then falls over out of shot suddenly, the non-diegetic music stops.

JAKE

Shit

Main protagonist STEWART is at that point crossing the road and steps over the crumpled JAKE.

STEWART

Morning Jake

Camera then follows STEWART as he walks down the road. He is the main protagonist.

Due to changes in the final pitch the screenplay had to be altered to fit in with the updated narrative.

INT: BEDROOM – MORNING

View of an alarm clock set at 7 o’clock buzzing (alarm is going off). A hand comes into shot hitting the alarm off, as this happens non-diegetic, cheery and light music begins. Boy gets out of bed and sits on the side looking tired, in his pyjamas and rubs his face in an effort to wake himself up. JAKE is tall and has tufty blond hair is and quite attractive, he is quite skinny. Bedroom is fairly plain, the room of an average 20 year old boy. He has a double bed with the window behind it which has blue and green blinds. A wardrobe is opposite him as he sits up on his bed. His room has a TV and computer in is slightly unorganised. JAKE gets up off his bed and walks towards the camera, JAKE then walks past the camera, leaving the room.

INT: HALLWAY - MORNING

JAKE strolls across from his bedroom into the bathroom still in his pyjamas, turning on the light and shutting the door.

INT: BATHROOM – MORNING

Hand is shown turning on the shower followed by a shot of the shower head with water coming out of it. JAKE has towel wrapped around him with wet hair (has just had a shower) and is brushing his teeth. He bends down to spit and written in the mirror is 'With Steve Smith'. JAKE walks towards a watch and picks it up, is surprised by how late it is.

JAKE

Shit

JAKE runs out of the bathroom.

INT:HALLWAY - MORNING

JAKE runs across from bathroom back to bedroom holding onto his towel.

JAKE

Shit shit shit shit

INT:HALLWAY - MORNING

JAKE comes bursting out of his room and is hurriedly pulling on his trousers whilst trying to run down the corridor.

JAKE

Shit shit shit

INT: STAIRS – MORNING

JAKE is running hurriedly down the stairs tucking in his shirt and doing up his tie at the same time and runs through into the kitchen.

JAKE

Shit shit

KITCHEN – MORNING

JAKE gets some orange juice out of fridge and then closes the fridge door and walks out of shot. On the fridge door is a piece of magnets held on by fridge magnets which says 'Directed by Laura Smith'. JAKE is sitting at table eating cereal with a cup of orange juice, he reaches for the cereal box in front of him and knocks it over.

JAKE

Shit

On the table written in the cereal is 'Livia Walsh'.

INT: HALLWAY – MORNING
Post drops through letter box. JAKE picks up by an over the shoulder shot we see on the envelope is written 'Produced by Ellis Clark'.

INT: HALLWAY – MORNING

Camera is looking at briefcase by the door. JAKE walks into shot, picking up briefcase and walks out door and a work book is left behind from under the briefcase. Camera stays looking at door and begins zooming out, after a few seconds JAKE runs back through door- he has forgotten his work book.

JAKE

Shit

Jake goes back out through door, slamming it.

EXT: STREET – MORNING

Camera is following JAKE from behind as he runs down his drive with the workbook over his head-it's raining. CLAIRE then walks down the steps from her house and JAKE is too busy looking at her to watch where he's going and trip over. CLAIRE is a pretty, attractive and thin brunette, she is wearing a high waisted skirt and a long cardigan with a handbag as if she is just going out, not going to work. Head shot sees JAKE suddenly falling out of shot. CLAIRE walks past him.

CLAIRE

Hey Jake

JAKE is on the floor, briefcase and work book in front of him.

JAKE

Bollocks

JAKE picks himself, his briefcase and his work book up and runs out of shot. Title of 'Just Another Day' fades onto road where JAKE was lying.

Screenplay

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Story Board

Story Board

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Prelim Task

There was also a small micro drama which was to be produced however due to the clips were deleted from the camera before being imported we avoided this section. This micro drama was to be based on the principals of both Vladamir Propp and Todorov.
Propp had seven character types which a narrative could be built around.

1. The villain - the character which struggles against the hero.
2. Donor- prepares the hero or gives the hero an item which contains magical properties.
3. Helper- this character helps the hero in their quest.
4. Princess and her Father- give a task to the hero, they also identify the false hero, the princess marries the hero often during the narrative. And Propp also stated that the princess and her father could not be clearly distinguished.
5. Dispatcher-character who sends the hero on their quest.
6. Hero or victim/seeker hero- this is the type of character who responds to the donor and weds the princess so a fulfillment of several roles.
7. False hero/Anti hero- this character type takes the credit for what the hero has done and attempts to wed the princess.

Then Todorovs principals were based more on the narrative of the film.

• Saying that every story would start with a situation/equilibrium which would then lead to some form of conflict which would disturb the equilibrium and cause dis-equilibrium, which would then be resolved in some way and form a new-equilibrium. This resolved situation would differ to the original due to the disturbance.
  

this initial video does not consist of all of the shot types necessary and is part of the prelim task not the micro drama. So i decided to complete another task which has improvements and lessons which i have learnt from the mistakes made in this movie. Firstly a point which will defiantly be put into practice in the final piece will be the use of a tri pod, as it is of a reasonable difficulty to keep a camera in a fixed position without moving. Also a higher variation of shot types would be crucial as the same shots over and over will start to bore the audience. Also aspects such as shot reverse shot could be put into place to speed up the tempo of the scene and add to the levels of variation in the sequence.Also in this mirco drama the 180 degree rule needed to be enforced which was excluded yet in the clip below it was made sure that an attempt at this was made. This basically means that the camera is not allowed to cross along a certain point to give a sense of realism in the shot and if the shot then passes the line it is then referred to as a reverse shot this alters the viewers sense of perspective, which occurs in the clip below toward the end of the dialect.

Analysis: this clip isn't perfect to start with there are several aspects of the camera work which can be improved on. To start with the quality of the camera work to achieve steady turns and transitions really a tri pod should have been put into use however under the circumstances this wasn't achievable, and secondly the variety of the camera angles, several other angles and shots could have been incorporated into the scene to give the sequence more variety.Another factor which could be improved is the setting of the sequence the corridor where filming took was rather narrow therefore it was difficult to achieve widely panned shots so location would be a factor i need to take into account when planning my final piece.The casting for this clip could be a little higher in standard also which is a key factor for any sequence especially if the scene needs to be taken seriously.The plus sides from this activity is that i now have a vast knowledge of imovie which will allow me to have better editing on my final group task. Also i have learnt a variety of techniques for example the use of the 180 degree rule and use of the dutch tilt in the first clip (these being used to create separate effects).Also in this small film we tended to move away from the rule of classic continuity editing as effects where included to show distinct differences for example using the ghost blur effect form imovie to signify that the character in the point of view shot is inebriated , and this effect also helps the audience to recognise when this character is being focused upon. On the other hand though i decided to crop each scene to create a larger scale of emphasis on what was going on as well as giving the clips a slight sharpness about them.

Initial Group Idea

The initial group idea was thought up by a member of the group and has been developed slightly from there initial idea. The task is to complete the opening two minute sequence for a feature film. The plot for this clip is based around a young male aged 16 to 18 ( who will most probably someone from the school who is willing to play the part) getting ready in the morning to go about his daily routine and as the sequence goes through the cast and production names etc, however using editing and props the names will appear in the sequence for example the name of the writer could appear on a note left upon the fridge as what is thought to be the central protagonist is getting ready, another idea following this pattern would be to write names into the toast these are ideas which will be put into place whilst filming to see whether they are achievable. Throughout the sequence it will show the character preparing in several rooms including the kitchen bedroom and bathroom, the genre for this clip is a romantic comedy and it will be set in a modern day setting in a modern house, ( limitations to this idea would be the fact that the majority of this filming would be outside of school so little work would be completed during school time also this editing style writing the names on the screen may not be as noticeable as we would prefer. Then following with the the sequence towards the end as what we think is the central protagonist leaves his house he is struck by a car then the camera moves onto another character which is followed for several seconds to lead the audience believing that this is now the central protagonist.(the major factor behind this concept would be the running over sequence which will be a disguised sequence for example the character walks round a corner and emphasized tyres screeching is fed into the scene using imovie ), therefore a car would need to be a prop as well as the items located in a scenario in a modern houses interior. This clip would be set around Ilkley and in a house of one of my school members., and use a variety of shot types ranging from close ups to long shots as well as dutch tilts to create the effect that something in the narrative isn't quite right and high angles to make the character appear vulnerable. The age of the character being 16 to 18 reflects the audience and the if this were to be broad casted on television then its BBFC rating would most likely be a 12 due to the car accident scene being a real life issue.






Modifications
There have been slight alterations toward the approach to the end of the film. to start with there will be no major accident occurring, this will be replaced by the male character falling over due to he is concentrating more on the female in the scene rather than where he is going.

On top of this there will be no second male in the sequence due to availability reasons with actors and due to time is valuable this is an issue which can easily be worked around.

My Initial Ideas

Idea one: Starts with the production company logo which is in the effect of a spray painted stencil effect( this could be achieved using an unused area), this can be an affect to lead into the establishing shot were a character ( in the age range of around 16-18 male) will be engaging in anti social behaviour in the form of graffiti art. This will then lead to a diagetic sound being introduced into the frame in the form of police sirens(which can be achieved via i movie). The basic narrative of this opening sequence links fairly into the simple opening sequence i created earlier in my group work. It en voles the boy being taken in my police (this could be achieved using costume) using shots close up on the door handle and emphasizing on the facial expressions on the boy in question. Using over the shoulder shots the investigators identity can be kept out of show to create a sense of narrative enigma. Throughout the scenes there can be evidence of exposition using dates, times and a location in to the corner of the frame (also using methods available on i movie).
This set of scenes will have a oppositional reading perhaps giving the impression of a crime drama.
The narrative through out this opening sequence could either be based around the child running away from the police to show a stereotypical view on the youth of today. Taking setting into account the sequence could be filmed in and around either Ilkley or Burley. Most probably opting to shoot in the day time due to the lighting would be clearer however shooting in the night would give a darker feel towards the narrative. Another idea would be just to shoot the dialogue in an interrogation sequence however the setting may be difficult to re-create. I think the more higher tempo would be more suitable for an opening and if the character in the scene will tend to reflect the target audience in my opinion i think this would appeal to a youth market rather well.
The main downside to this idea though will be the filming of the actual spray painting so this idea may have to be altered somehow this is a point in the sequence which could have more development.
To take into account the age restrictions i think this film would most probably rated as a 15 as it shows activity's such as anti social behaviour which may influence a younger audience.

Idea 2:My second idea would be to take a complete other genre opting for horror using the moors as the setting opting for inter textuality with 'The Blair Witch Project'. Mainly opting to copy the style of a perspective camera view,using a docudrama style to show the fact that the production is extremely low budget. The central protagonist will be the character who holds the camera(this sequence will appear more effective if shot in the dark using shadows to create the effect that the central protagonist is being followed). The production titles could be in the effect of a shadow to anchor the effect of horror. Also to create a sense of suspense and horror in the sequence the camera can be tilted using the effect of a dutch tilt to give the impression something in the narrative is not quite right.The central protagonist could be either male or female however i think i would prefer the character to be female who is being stalked as the victim in most horrors tends to be a female character. For narrative enigma i think that the audience only have the identity of the character revealed just towards the end of the sequence.To build up tension in the scene i will use i movie to over emphasize the footsteps that the character takes or perhaps their heartbeat increasing. On the other hand i could always use a non- diagetic sound track with a high level of base to create the same effect. This idea though on a whole is limited due to the setting, the moors could be achieved as a setting however limited filming could be achieved during lessons and would mean that the majority of the filming would need to under go out of school. Also to anchor the genre i will need to study several existnig films which run into the same style I'm looking to achieve and inter grate into my own idea. As well as this the quality of the filming would be poor due to the first person affect as the person would be required to run to create the sense that they were being followed and constantly moving the camera to show that they are uneven and suspicious of their surroundings. So perhaps using several characters would help to create higher quality filming.
Taking into account the age restriction for this idea i would also say that this would be a 15 certificate as the narrative is a non fictional horror





To go more into depth on my second idea the basic narrative is around a young Caucasian female (aged 16-18 preferably blond to tie in with the stereotype). Who is alone on the moors(this is achievable as i will be able to facilitate the Ilkey etc moor side) in the evening, she is walking and is weary that something/one is stalking her and all that is given away to the audience is the characters shadow creating an element of suspense as well as narrative enigma due to the audience are unaware of what lies in the darkness.Therefore from this basic plot it would mainly tend to be a horror perhaps leaning into the slasher element however this is an idea which can be developed. So baring in mind the central protagonist in the shot will be one of a youth full age range it will tend to reflect upon the target audience that this is aimed upon, steering toward a youth audience (ages 15 to 34). Which will mean that the minimum certified age rating for this film would need to be 15 due to the reason that it is not a fictional occurrence, and could perhaps encourage a younger audience.
To anchor the genre of horror i would use high tempo non diagetic music to build up suspense perhaps long drawn strings, as well an over exaggerated heart beat or a highly based song to show the increase in the characters own heartbeat to show that what ever is out there is getting closer. Also the foot steps of the stalker could be exaggerated also to create a similar effect.
To create a feel of which the audience feels most involved with the scene i will use mainly perspective shots to create the atmosphere though both of the characters points of view.Using quick editing methods to build up tension and suspense and extreme close ups on the females eyes to emphasize emotion, as well as dutch tilts and high angles to represent that something is about to disrupt the narrative and to show that this character is vulnerable and alone in her surroundings (perhaps ending the scene with a false scare).However the fact that there is only one character from perspective will mean that the quality of the film will be rather poor therefore there are options to either expand the cast or to vary the shots the second of these options being the more sensible.
The location as i have already mentioned is in the surrounding moorland however the fact that it will be shot during night time will mean that very little work will be able to be achieved during lesson time.Also on the topic of casting the female playing the role will need to be prepared to work outside of school hours (that is if the person chose to play this role goes to school).
Props in the sequence will be very limited all that will really be used is the camera itself and the surroundings as this creates a less artificial effect, perhaps using the shadows as another method to build up tension( this outcrops another problem this time being that lighting will be limited so the night time setting may need to be negotiated).
This will easily be able to fit into the two minute guideline of which is set as the tension building sequence dose not need to be lenghty to take affect.To gain more knowledge around similar narratives i fill research similar media texts such as the Blair Witch Project and see how the director has used methods to create the preferred reading of horror.
Throughout this narrative dialogue will be restricted to a few lines, of which will indicate panic and a sense of distress.

Codes And Conventions Of Film Openings

In my opinion there are several common characteristics of an opening sequence. An opening sequence tends to create a mini narrative, these narratives on average seem to be faced paced to draw in an audience and keep them enticed for the rest of the film (using rapid camera work and high tempo soundtrack)
.This mini narrative leads into the main narrative which is opposite of the the mini. Also the opening scene needs to allow the audience to establish several factors starting with the genre(lighting can be used to set the mood or genre), it needs to create a preferred reading in the case of a horror scaring the audience or building up tension to create a scare. Secondly the scene needs to establish the setting of where the film is taking place and along side this goes the time period which can be anchored with the use of editing styles such as the font of the titles also the props which are used throughout the scene and the type of music, for example if the sequence is a comedy there will be light bubbly music to create and eased mood where as in a horror long drawn strings would be used to create a sense of tension or a false scare.
Also in the opening sequence the audience needs to establish quickly who is the central protagonist for the narrative to continue, and link into the main story which tends to be different to the opening sequence.
In most of the high budget films they tend to always use titles before and opening sequence which show the production companies (which can be set into a style to suit the film for example 300) etc. Also its common for this information to be presented upon a black screen to show the text up easier.In most cases exposition is presented in a similar way which is also used to set the scene and anchor the time period.
Certain films such a Layer Cake have the opening sequence as the end sequence so the remainder of the film builds up to the opening narrative however this is not commonly used.
During the title sequence the editing style tends to represent the genre of the film which is common in films for example in Psycho the way the bars come into and out of the screen give the impression that the film will be a slasher.