Minute Meeting Notes

Lo x

Development of our Opening Sequence; Research Stage

After sitting down with our teacher Jason, he started guiding us in the right direction in terms of research. We made one mind map showing research into films which follow the same idea or based on the same class of people, and then we developed a mind map based on locations and props. Before making any finalised decisions we are going to create an emaze presentation which lays out all of our research in a simple way making it easier for us to sift through as a group and make final choices.

Lo x

How would we make money from our film?

Films production companies don't just make money from screenings through gross ticket sales, but also through merchandising such as DVD's, t-shirts, games, toys and theme park rides. Universal Studio's is well known for it's theme park in Orlando which includes many rides based on films, an example being 'Revenge of the Mummy' which is based on the epic 'The Mummy'.

Because Rich Kids is targeted at an older audience perhaps in terms of merchandising more money would be made from DVD's and a more mature board game or T-shirts. Streaming movies on websites such as Netflix would help not only make more money, but also reach out to a wider audience who perhaps don't go to the cinema or buy DVD's. It's important to remember that majority of young adults watch movies online nowadays. This could be because it's less hassle, easier to watch and easily accessible.

'A successful Hollywood film can make about $120m from the box office...

On top of that, it can generate about $60m from ancillary products, such as videos, DVDs and pay-per-view.' 

(source BBC article, Mr Gaydos; executive editor of industry publication Variety in London)

Lo x

Why would Universal Studios suit our film?

I think that Universal Studio's would be the perfect film production company to produce our film. It all leads back to my inspiration for Rich Kids, which stemmed from Riot Club; a film about wealthy young adults who go to Oxford university and are part of a society involving only 10 people. Here is a description of the film which was sourced from their website; www.theriotclub.co.uk

"Set amongst the privileged elite of Oxford University, The Riot Club follows Miles (Max Irons) and Alistair (Sam Claflin), two first year students determined to join the infamous Riot Club, where reputations can be made or destroyed over the course of a single evening."

Here is the trailer to the film:

I was mainly inspired by the idea of rich youth and how they don't realise that their actions have implications. This is an idea which is heavily embedded in our story and will be made apparent in the opening sequence as there will be shots showing the rich kids in their natural state surrounded by extreme wealth, and then contrasting clips of them being interrogated and (mildly) tortured.

I believe that our film would fit in perfectly with the extensive list of thrillers already produced, and because Universal Studios has such a wide range of audiences our film could appeal to both the younger youth and also adults. 

Lo x

About Universal Studios

Universal Studios is an American Film Studio which has been around for 102 years. It is considered to be one of the Hollywood's 'Big Six' film studios. To this day, three of their films achieved box-office records and became the highest-grossing films ever at the time of their initial releases; E.T, Jurassic Park and Jaws (all of which were directed by Steven Spielberg).

Universal Pictures produces a variety of films over a range of genres, but thrillers are one of the most prominent film genre that this film studio produces. Here are some examples of their most famous thrillers...

Just as there are a variety of genre's, with that comes a variety of audiences. They have produced many films such as The Cat in the Hat, Peter Pan and Hop which are aimed for a much younger audience but majority of their films are aimed at a more mature audience (teenagers to adults) which is perfect for our target audience of 15-25.

Lo x

Evaluating my pilot

What were you filming and why?

 My group and I were filming the pilot to our opening sequence. We did this to get a taste of what the filming process is like, and to get a visual idea of how our sequence may potentially turn out.

What substitutions did you make in the test filming and why?

 Instead of using a male actor, myself was used to play this role. I used mime through this process, for example when I had to 'put on the cufflinks' instead of actually using the item itself I just made hand gestures to signify the cufflinks.

What camera angles did you make in the test filming and why? 

 We used a lot of extreme close up's, and close up's when filming my character 'getting ready' and walking out of the 'mansion'. We did this to emphasis the wealth that the characters have.We also used panning when taking a video of the the car. This was done to make it clear what status the characters represent.

Did you find this process useful as a group?

 Yes, we found this process extremely useful as it helped us understand what shots would work and what ones wouldn't.

What worked well? What didn't?

We found that panning shots looked quite messy, but that could be because of the hand camera we were using which made the footage wobbly. Other than that, the close up's worked really well as they draw the viewer's attention to all the items of the wealth that our actors will have. Subconsciously we would be drilling the idea of spoilt, 'rich kids' into our viewers mind so that when they see the rich kids being tied down in chairs and attacked they almost feel happy for them as they want to see them struggle.

Pictures of the process-

 

  Lo x

 

Understanding the concept of a pilot

What is a pilot? Why use one?

 A pilot is a television or radio programme which has been made to test an audiences reaction with a view to the production of a series. Film production companies generally use them to make sure that the series that they will be producing will be succesful. By testing a pilot of it on an audience, they can make a decision on whether to continue with the series of the programme based on the reaction they got.

What is in-camera editing?

In-Camera Editing is a technique where, instead of editing the shots in a film into sequence after shooting, the cinematographer instead shoots the sequences in strict order. The resulting 'edit' is therefore already complete when the film is developed.

How useful is this as a planning exercise?

This is very useful as we can get an idea of what our opening sequence would look like, and what camera shots and angles we are going to use.

Lo x

My Pilot

Here are two different versions of our pilot. We used a website called Magisto which puts all your footage together with backing music and transitions!

First Draft of our Storyboard

Pitch to Matt

Yesterday we pitched our idea to Matt and got some feedback from him. He told us that we should rethink using drugs such as cocaine because that might make the extract less realistic. Bearing this in mind we've had to reconsider all the props we're using and try cut out anything that might push the boundary between realistic and extreme.
Aspects such as the stripper were to be removed as well as the audience might find it funny and not take our opening sequence seriously. Overall Matt liked the idea, he just thought that there are some aspects of it that should be reconsidered as they might make the opening sequence less professional and effective in terms of the reaction we want from the audience.

Lo x

Updated Brainstorm!

Here is our updated brainstorm!

Lo x

Moodboard for our Thriller!

 

This moodboard represents all the themes that we want to encapture; drugs, sex, corruption, money and most importantly..wealth!

Lo x 

Genre- Audiences and institutions

Why is genre a relevant concept for audiences?

When genre is applied to a film, it implies that the film will follow specific set conventions. This is important for the audience, as every person differs in their preferences and if it is clear what genre a film is then it is easier for the audience member to make a choice whether they'll enjoy the film or not. This is because audiences have a set of expectations based on their familiarity with the genre.

How does genre effect film production companies?

The genre of the film has an effect on the film production company as, when they choose a genre they are generally expected to deliver on the expectations that the audience will have on that genre. This means that the production company would have to follow the conventions that make up the genre's structure. 

Why is genre useful for film distribution companies?

It is important for film distribution companies to know what genre the movie as they are in charge of the advertisement and are responsible for enticing audience members. They need to represent the genre accurately so as not to deceive people, or else the audience members will have expectations that can't be reached.

Lo x

Subgenre- Focusing on Thrillers

What are some of the thriller subgenres?

Action Thriller

Conspiracy Thriller

Crime Thriller

Disaster Thriller

Erotic Thriller

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Psychological Thriller

Political Thriller

Religious Thriller

Spy Thriller

Supernatural Thriller

What is my favourite type of subgenre? Give examples of films

I would say that my favourite subgenre of thrillers would be religious thrillers such as 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angles and Demons'. I would say that they fall under a hybrid-gene category as they have elements of mystery and action aswell. I personally find that these films make you think, and you have to solve the problem along with the protagonist; which as a viewer makes you feel very involved. 

Compare three film posters from the same thriller subgenre

There are many similarities in these three film posters which fall under the subgenre of psychological thrillers. They all consist of people starting off into the distance with serious and sullen expression. The colour templates used are all dark and dull, two of which consist of red and orange hues which connote danger. All three use black quite heavily, as black is a colour which signifies death. 

The font on the film poster 'seven' and 'the sixth sense' are both very similiar as they look like child's handwriting, which creates a very sinister effect.

Lo x

Genre- focusing on Thrillers

Task- Find two thrillers that are very different from each other and identify the key differences and also similarities.

 'The Dark Knight' and 'Bourne Ultimatum' are the two thriller films I will be comparing. 

In terms of the differences between the two films it's important to consider the actual storyline. In 'Bourne Ultimatum', Jason Bourne, played by Matt Damon, is trying to uncover his true identity whilst avoiding death by enemies from all over the world who want to kill him before he finds out the truth.

On the other hand, 'The Dark Knight' follows a completely different story line as Bruce Wayne (also Batman), played by Christian Bale, is to fight the injustice caused by the Joker.

But in some ways they are both similar as both protagonists have aliases, and are pretending to be somebody else. Also in terms of location, both are predominately based in big cities, leading to many aspects of the sound and mise-en-scene to be similiar as the atmospheres in big cities are generally alike.  

It can be said that both genres are hybrid-genres, as they have a blend of different genres mixed in them.

'The Bourne Ultimatum' includes:               

-Mystery

-Action

Similarly the 'Dark Knight' includes:

-Mystery 

-Action

-Fantasy

-Superhero Drama

Lo x

Introduction to Genre

There are many different genres in film, which refers to the narrative elements from which the film is constructed. Generally a film will follow a set of conventions that govern the genre's structure.

Source: Google Images

What is a genre convention? 

A genre convention is a typical or standard plot, character, setting, icon, theme or effect in a genre story. 

Give some examples of genres and examples of their conventions? 

• Horror; the protagonist is usually the victim, and the conflict faced is often between good and evil with religion playing a significant role. 

• Western; will usually feature a lone figure, an outsider, who will be skilled in fighting and have a specific moral code. They will generally effect the lives of people in the town/village, and after battling will leave alone.

• Rom-Com; they generally include two people who have to overcome situations to be together. The protagonist usually has a flaw which comes in the way of them finding true love.

What about sub-genres and hybrid genres?

Sub-genre is a subcategory within a particular genre, such as in the genre thriller there are sub-genres such as action thrillers, or crime thrillers. 

Hybrid genres are genres which mixes themes and element from two or more genres. An example of a hybrid genre is the film 'Cowboys VS Aliens' is blend of elements from the following genres; western, sci-fi, thriller, action. 

Lo x

Research - Eton College

ABOUT

Eton College is often informally referred to as Eton. It is an English independent boarding school located in Eton, Berkshire, near Windsor. It educates just over 1,300 males aged 13 to 18 years. Fee's, depending on scholarships ofcourse, reach up to £11,478 per term, which gives us an idea that the pupils attending this school have a background of wealth.

UNIFORM

Etonians wear a white tie that is effectively a strip of cloth folded over into the collar, apart from those appointed to positions of responsibility, who wear a white bow-tie.

Their status is indicated by different colours of waistcoat, trousers or buttons.

ETON SOCIETY

Commonly known as Pop. Over the years its power and privileges have grown. Pop is the oldest self-electing society at Eton. The rules were altered in 1987 and again in 2005 so that the new intake are not elected solely by the existing year and a committee of masters. Members of Pop are entitled to wear checked spongebag trousers, and a waistcoat designed as they wish. Historically, only members of Pop were entitled to furl their umbrellas or sit on the wall on the Long Walk, in front of the main building. However, this tradition has died out. They perform roles at many of the routine events of the school year, including School Plays, parents' evenings and other official events. Notable ex-members of Pop include Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Eddie Redmayne and Boris Johnson.

Resources-

Wikipedia, BBC News

Cohesive Group Brainstorm!

There are three of us in the group, and we decided to go with my idea of 'Rich Kids'. Romany, Christina and I took advantage of the lesson to make a cohesive brainstorm on all aspects of our opening sequence covering possible actors, to props and settings.

Lo x

Brainstorming a thriller idea

Lo x

Prelim Task - Final Version

Here is the end result of our Prelim Task...

How successful were we?

I'm quite pleased with the end results. Obviously there is still lots of room for improvement but in terms of experience I can say that I definitely feel more confident filming with the Sony NX5 and using Adobe Premier.

In terms of filming I have learnt that continuity is key, and that it's important to work cohesively and communicate clearly with your group. When it comes to editing I have learnt that cutting on action makes the cuts cleaner and allows the sequence to flow.


Feedback?

I will be producing a feedback questionnaire which I will hand out to my peers in order to gain helpful, critical feedback. I will post this in another blogpost in the next week.

Lo x

Prelim Task- Editing

I was extremely excited to start editing the footage that we had shot for our prelim task. The first thing we did was split our group of 6 into two groups and work separately on editing.

We worked on Mac computers and used the software Adobe Premier.

 After downloading our clips, also known as rushes, unto the software we began to thoroughly sift through every single one and created a log bin for the rushes that we were going to use. From here on we began the task of cutting and pasting the rushes to make up a one minute sequence.

One of the most important editing techniques that I learnt was cutting on action; which is a way of preserving continuity and makes the cuts invisible. This technique is also called cutting on motion, and is a useful way of transitioning between shots.

 We included a title sequence at the beginning of the clip. When doing so, we had to make sure that it was long enough to read through. A tip that Matt gave us was that you should be able to read it 3 times over in your head.




Here are some images of the editing process-

I will post the final result very soon!

Lo x

Prelim Task- camera angles & storyboard

On Wednesday 8th October, myself and four of my peers worked as a group to film our short 2 minute scene. 

We were given a storyboard which contained the camera angles we should use, and gave us the dialogue that the actors would be performing.
Storyboards are important as by planning each shot beforehand, directors and crew can understand what they are aiming to achieve and have something to build on.
Here is an attachment of the storyboard:

The camera angles we had to use were wide shot, over the shoulder shot and close up.
In this process India and I took on the role as actresses, whilst Sasha was the camerawoman, Francesca was the director and Phoebe was in charge of continuity and props.

Continuity is a very important element when filming. Continuity is the consistency of the characteristics of people, plot, objects and places. It is a concern in the production of film and television due to the difficulty of correcting an error in continuity after shooting has wrapped up; that's why there is always a supervisor who makes sure that continuity is maintained throughout shooting.

Here are some images of our filming process:

We will be editing the video's later, and I will publish the final product soon!

Brief Intro to the 'Preliminary Task Excercise'

What is it?

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

Match on action- where there is s shot of the character starting an action, and finishing it in the next shot. 

 

 Shot/reverse shot- an editing pattern that cuts to the view in the opposite direction.

 

180 degree rule- The rule of line-crossing is sometimes called the 180° rule. This refers to keeping the camera position within a field of 180°

I'm excited to start the prelim task because it will be my first time actually filming and editing. This will be helpful as the experience I will gain will allow me to go into the actual process of filming the opening sequence with much more confidence. 
Lo x

Sound Analysis of Sherlock Holmes scene

Sherlock Holmes- 'That's the Irene I know'

Official Film Poster

I will be analyzing an extract from 'Sherlock Holmes', the film released in 2009 and directed by Guy Ritchie. The soundtrack for the film was composed by Hanz Zimmer, who is well known for his compositions for films such as the Lion King, Gladiator, The Dark Knight and Twelve Years a Slave.

Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Robert Downey Jr, Guy Ritchie, Hans Zimmer

In this scene Irene, played by Rachel McAdams, defends herself from muggers and in turn ends up mugging them, whilst Sherlock, played by Robert Downey Jr, watches on. This scene uses a mixture of diegetic and non diegetic sounds to create suspense.

An example of diegetic sounds is a door slamming and quick footsteps down the stairs, which immediately creates a sense of rush and panic. There is dialogue between Sherlock and Watson, which leads to Sherlock jumping out of the window. His yell and crash landing on to the bin is another example of diegetic sound. The audience can physically see his jump, and the noise is one which the character would hear itself therefore making it synchronous. In the background a track is playing, which is either made up a violin or panflute. This is non-diegetic as the track has been edited on top. The mood that Ritchie, the director, is trying to convey is one of suspense and anticipation. The violin track is an excellent choice for this genre of film as it's increasing pace and high pitch evokes feelings of anxiousness and apprehension in the audience.

The music abruptly stops as it cuts to Sherlock hiding from Irene. The strings (or flute) then start up again, gradually building in volume. It is then layered with another violin/panflute which creates a polysemic effect. The track is foreboding, as the audience have a feeling that something bad might occur. Two men on the street attempt to make an attack on Irene but she manages to defend herself. In one sense the track is parallel to this sequence as it never reaches a climax, and neither does the actual action of the film because Irene prevents the attack.

On the other hand it can be argued that the non-diegetic track, orchestrated by Zimmer, is in fact contrapuntal. Majority of the music used in Sherlock Holmes is under the genre of Gypsy Polka music. This in itself greatly contrasts the setting of the film. Sherlock Holmes is based in London in the year 1891, whereas Gypsy music derives from Romani music which is mainly found in Eastern European countries. 

Overall Ritchie and Zimmer succeeded in grabbing the viewers attention, and evoking feelings of anticipation and suspense. This was done by their expert use of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The Gypsy-inspired backing track for this scene worked well as it created a mysterious, uneasy ambience. The asynchronous of the music worked well as it signified the hectic atmosphere in the scene. There is a lot going on, and the audience has many questions in mind such as; why is Sherlock disguised? How does Sherlock know Irene? Who is Irene? Because of this, the irregular beat matches the dysfunctional atmosphere which is represented in this scene.

Lo x

'Forrest Gump' Opening Sequence

Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is an Academy Award winning 'Best Picture'. It stars actors such as Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise. This film follows the life of Forrest Gump, played by Hanks, who manages to be a part of every major event in history. This film touches on many different genres, romance, comedy and drama; making it an emotional journey for the viewer. It was released in 1994, and has since been one of the most well known, loved films. 

In the opening sequence of 'Forrest Gump', Zemeckis uses soft, serene piano keys to set the mellow theme of the film. The music gradually builds up, and the piano becomes clearer and louder; which works alongside the journey of the feather. The opening sequence follows a feathers journey through the streets of Savannah, Georgia; where the sequence is set. The feather signifies Forrest, and how the film will be following his journey through life. When the feather lowers down, the music becomes more diegetic as the viewer hears general noises from the surrounding such as cars, the sound of him opening his case as well as the noise of the bus slowing down infront of him.

Camera movements such as tilting and panning were used alongside wide shot, also known as establishing shot, to film the path of the feather.

This allowed the audience to understand where the film is set; it establishes the context for the scene.

 

The closer the feather gets to Forrest, the closer the camera gets to the feather. Zoom in was used to achieve this. This allows the viewer to see the feather in much closer detail, and pulls their attention to the feather and not the backdrop.

Extreme close ups are used when Forrest picks up the feather. The camera tilts upwards, showing the audience details of what the character is wearing. Forrest has dirty and scuffed trainers on, which look out of place with a cream coloured suit he is wearing. The camera then moves upwards staying eye-level with Forrest, so the audience get their first glance at his face. The camera then stays at a high angle, looking down slightly as Forrest. This makes the audience feel as though they are standing infront of the bench that Forrest is sat at. The high angle makes Forrest seem inferior to the viewer.

By showing the inside of the case, the viewer gains a better understanding of Gump's personality. The contrast of the neatness in his suitcase, to the dirt on his shoes shows that perhaps he misses the most obvious details. It can be assumed from this short extract that Forrest is challenged mentally; which the viewers understands better as the film goes on. Gump shows many traits of autism a swell as being developmentally delayed.

The colours in this sequence are not too bright, but not dark either; the tones used are somewhat dull. The lighting is natural, which makes the opening sequence very realistic. The sequence makes the audience intrigued, as they want to find out where Forrest is going, and why he has a suitcase? The lack of dialogue also draws the audience in, as they want to find out more about the character.
In terms of the genre of film being made obvious in first few minutes of the film; it doesn't. The viewer doesn't have a clear idea of what type of movie they will be watching. All the viewer does know is that the opening sequence doesn't have the qualities of a horror movie, or action film; but other than that they are left in the dark about what type of film Forrest Gump is.

Lo x

'Now You See Me' Opening Sequence

'Now You See Me' is thriller, mystery and crime fiction film. It follows the story of four magicians who are brought together by an unknown benefactor. They perform in LA as 'The Four Horsemen', and for their final act they declare to rob a bank. I won't give away any more of the storyline for those who haven't watched the film, but it honestly is a movie worth seeing. 

 

Because 'Now You See Me' is a thriller, mystery and crime all combined together it is vital that the opening sequence captivates the audience and causes suspense. The soundtrack used in the background of the opening sequence is a very subtle aspect of the sequence which causes the viewer to feel anticipation and tension as the beat starts getting faster and gradually builds up in volume. On top of this background track, there is the general noise of people laughing and clapping; which overwhelms the audience as they are trying to focus on each of the magicians. There is lots of dialogue, which allows the audience to make a brief judgement on each of the magicians.

The camera angles used are another extremely important aspect as it can change how the audience perceives the film. The director, Louis Leterrier uses extreme close-ups of the first magician's (Daniel Atlas, played by Jesse Eisenberg) hand, deck of cards, and face. This draws the viewers attention to the magic trick he is performing, and his expression when doing it. Leterrier cleverly makes Atlas' face out of focus when he is performing the card trick, so the audience watch the deck of cards closely.

The magicians face is in focus when he isn't doing the trick.

The magicians face isn't focused when he plays with the cards.

Extreme close ups were also used to express the panicked emotions, such as on a mans face when the second magician, Merrit McKinney played by Woodey Harrelson, questions him about a business trip he took.

These extreme close up's to different parts of the face puts the viewer in the magicians shoes, as we can see what he sees. The quick movement of the camera from one shot to the other makes the viewer start to feel panic, just as the man is feeling on screen.

 Over-the-shoulder shots are used to make the audience feel as though they are a part of the scene, and are observing what's happening. It was used several times in the opening sequence.

Establishing shots were used several times, using camera movements such as tilt and pan. This allowed the audience to gain an understanding of where the film was set.

Some of the long shots were horizontal, and some vertical. This just makes the sequence more interesting.

Shaky camera was used when magician Jack Wilder, played by Dave Franco, is showing an audience on a tourist boat his spoon bending trick. Shaky cam is a hand-held camera and can be used to provide a sense of immersion, instability or nervousness. The director uses extreme close ups when a member of the audience spots another spoon in Wilder's pocket. This was done so that the viewer see's this man's perspective, and feel as though they are again, a part of the scene.

In the last few moments of the opening sequence, suspense and excitement is created when Isla Fisher, who plays Henley Reeves, gets stuck in the fish tank. The camera angle changes from extreme close up, to long shot, medium shot and birds eye view using movements such as pan, tilt and zoom. This creates a sense of panic, and causes the viewer to feel tense with nervousness. This was done brilliantly and is one of many reasons why the opening sequence of 'Now You See Me' succeeded.

Personally, I felt involved with the actors and was hooked to the film. The opening sequence was exciting and gripping, so kudos to the cast and crew for carrying out an amazing opening sequence to a very thrilling film.

Lo x