WELCOME, MODERATOR

Welcome moderator! 
I am Agatha Parry 1150 

I worked with, Demi Collins 1290, Kate Bradford 1208, Sophie Bennett 1289

I hope you enjoy looking at my blog, which contains my work on the G321 and the titles and openings of a fictional thriller film which I named "The Unhinging". My preliminary exercise follows immediately underneath. My evaluation questions are above. 

FILM OPENING: THE UNHINGING

PRELIMINARY

We planned, filmed and edited a short scene involving a shot, reverse, shot. Demi, Kate, Sophie and  I decided as a group to set the scene in a police office where an officer and her boss discuss a murder case:

• When filming our preliminary we made use of a tripod where possible to ensure that our footage would be better quality
• we made sure to demonstrate various shots including a "shot, reverse, shot"
• after filming our preliminary we began choosing clips for our video 
• we edited the video cutting clips where necessary
• music was also used to make the video more interesting and effective 
• we altered audio and music to make sure the people featured in the video could be heard 

Below is a screenshot taken whilst editing:

What I learned from this experience:

I learnt about the best way to use a tripod and was able to experiment with various camera angles. I've found out more about the way to best use the camera including the ability to alter the focus on a shot. When using props we've encountered issues and I feel it will help me when creating videos in the future as I know that I need to carefully consider how they should be used in each shot.

Editing our video has shown me new ways to make my videos more effective through use of fading techniques and it has highlighted the importance of balance between audio of actors within the film and the audio of music or sound effects. When using music in our video to create the atmosphere we found that we had to alter the sound of the audio so that we could still hear speech within the video.

I've found that it was best to use a tripod where possible when filming as we found that the shot was clearer and more level. For instance, when shooting for the video we wanted a shot where the camera would pan up as our female actor walked towards the camera. This was most effective when using a tripod to keep the shot steady. 

editing our preliminary video

CONSTRUCTION: EDITING MUSIC

Today I edited the music for our film opening using iMovie.

I took sections of music and created a mash up or mix or our track and split the end product finding sections of the music that worked best for each shot of our opening. Our opening is fast paced and particularly in specific sections of the film where shots are short and involve a lot of cuts. 

I used the clip trimmer on iMovie to be precise when choosing sections of the music to include. I was able to view the sound waves on iMovie which allowed me to look for sections of the music that were loud or quiet. This made it a lot easier to select appropriate parts of the music for the clips in our opening. 

Where I had cut sections of the music I had make sure they flowed well and that the transition was smooth and unnoticeable. Using the precision editior was important here. I also changed the settings of the section of audio in places to fade out.

I also had to line up the music so that certain actions would happen exactly on a louder beat such as when Jack (the kidnapper) punches the mirror and the there is a short burst of louder sound. 

A section of our opening involves a 180 degree shot in which India is seen looking around her in the Forrest. I selected a section of the music that gradually built in sound. Lining the sound up with the moment India begins to run again built the tension and was effective at showing the panic of the character. 

CONSTRUCTION: EDITING

I helped to edit sections of the film today. I edited with Demi working to add the opening credits choosing appropriate font and placing font in the right places where there was plenty of space. We wanted to follow the coneventions of a film opening and we therefore had to make sure to add credits in and use the correct names and roles within the opening. Placing the font in correct positins was also important. In order to expand our choice of fonts we looked on After Effects and not just iMovie.

We also needed to decide on how to edit in the phone call that takes place between India and the emergency phone operator. We decided to place the audio in the clip before she is seen speaking on the phone. To ensure the audience could understand that India had made the call I suggested we place the font "dialling 999..." at the bottom corner of the screen. I suggested that the tone of the phone dialling could be heard while "dialling 999" was seen to flash on and off the screen. We did this section on iMovie placing in layers of the words that would come in consecutavely to give off this sense of flashing on and off the screen.

CONSTRUCTION: COMPANY IDENT

Above shows the company ident I have created with my group. We chose to  include the music from the musical Chicago entitled "razzle dazzle". We included a pun playing on this title calling our company "razzle rainbows". We used iStopmotion to create the ident using the technique of onion cutting to move the rainbow and letters in order to show the rainbow and letters appearing.

Below shows our distributors company ident for Warp. This was placed at the beginning of our film.

CONSTRUCTION: OPERATOR SCENE

Today we filmed a scene featuring a female operator. This operator would be on the end of the emergency call made by our female character India when she is in the forrest. We used this footage to end our film as it made it visually interesting to see a new character and shows the way in which our film could continue. At the end of the scene the female operators gaze shifts as if to look at someone. We did this to suggest that this would lead to a motivated shot. I wanted to include this as I want to show that our opening has a story line that could continue; it is important to us that it doesn't look like a trailer. We felt doing this would avoid it looking like a trailer. 

I assisted with directing in this scene as I was the actress. I was able to give feedback to Demi who was filming, with the position of my face in the shot and how close up it should appear. I also made decisions about my script and what I felt should be said. I also suggested that I use a headset as this made it appear more realistic. We considered that the environment needed to be believable and so we filmed in the ICT room where there's plenty of space and desks. Although it is subtle we felt it was key to have Sophie in the background also wearing a head set. It allows the mis-en-scene to make the scene look believable as there would of course be more than one operator working in the office. 

This image shows Kate and I directing and watching footage back. From here we both talked through what changes we might make and discussed what worked well in the clip. 

Here I can be seen playing the female operator. 

CONSTRUCTION: ORDER OF CREDITS IN FILM OPENINGS

27.03.2015 EXAMINERS UPDATE ON ORDER OF CREDITS IN FILM OPENINGS

From examiners report 2014

When constructing and editing our film we have had to consider adding opening credits to my footage. During the filming I have had to consider where we could place names on the screen. Now that I wish to add names I would like to place names and roles in the correct order to show that I have thought my opening through and so that it will look more professional.

During the final process of adding opening credits to our film opening, we encountered a reference to film titles in the examiners report to centres (2014).

According to last years Media Studies entries "There was still an over-reliance solely on actors' names and film title to constitute film titles, showing a lack of understanding of the range of titles expected of a film opening and of their construction, appearance and timings". 
Looking at the report reinforced this need to look at the corret order of credits and use this where possible in my opening. Credits are determined by guild rules such as SAG, the DGA, WGA and other Media unions. We took into consideration that credits are billed generally following their importance to the film. 

For example below shows how this worked for our film 

1. The Production Company presents - "RAZZLE DAZZLE PRODUCTIONS presents"
2. A .... production - "A PARRY PRODUCTION"
3. A ...... film - "A BENNETT FILM:

Thereafter, the list of importance is flipped and work backwards to the most important role of the Director.
4. Title
5. Lead Cast
6. Supporting Cast
7. Casting Director
8. Music Composer
9. Costume Designer
10. Associate Producer
11. Editor
12. Production Designer
13. Director of Photography
14. Executive Producer
15. Producer
16. Writer
17. Director

In our group we decided to have a name for every role that would be listed in a film opening. We used our own names where possible and to avoid repetition created other names that we could use to make the opening look more professional. 

We tried to keep to this layout and use the roles from the list in the correct order. We found however that we could not put the title until further towards the end of our opening. Contrary to this being near the beginning on the list we planned our entire opening around the title appearing at the end and we felt to amend this would ruin the effect of our opening.

CONSTRUCTION: BASEMENT SCENES

We filmed various scenes in the basement of my house.

The image below shows that we filmed India's eyes. This is an extreme close up that will begin the opening. The mis-en-scene helps to create an eerie and cold atmosphere straight away. We made sure the lighting was dark to create this effect. We wanted to present the genre as dark and as a thriller straight away. The use of the extreme close up helps to portray the emotion and the fear as India remembers her ordeal and has a flashback of being taken.

We filmed a shot of the kidnapper, played by Jay, reflected in the mirror. We had to create this shot in two stages. We took a shot of Jay punching the mirror. He acted as if to punch the mirror without actually meeting the mirror so as to avoid injuries. We have had to take into account safety issues with broken glass here as we knew we had to break the mirror. After we were happy with the shot I placed a towel over the mirror and broke it using a hammer. After this we had to film another shot of Jay pretending to punch the mirror. We made the shot realistic by using fake blood on his hand as well as applying it to the mirror. 

In this shot below I filmed a tracking shot. The lighting used is fairly warm here. We wanted to provide a homely feel as the male kidnapper Jack is mentally ill. His personality contrasts with the appearance his house gives off as he lives in a homely, old fashioned house. The cold side of his personality is reflected in his violence and in the horrific dark cold basement that India is locked in.

CONSTRUCTION: FORREST SCENES

Today I will focus on the filming that we have done in the forrest.

Our film has various scenes set in the forrest. I have filmed and directed in various scenes in the forrest.

In the scene below I was filming a 180 degree shot. This had to be shot freehand as the ground was too rough to use a dolly to move the camera on a tripod. I had to move carefully and slowly to film. We decided we liked the idea of shaky camera work as it provided an accurate insight into the tension and stress felt by the terrified character. The close up of the character's face enables us to see her eyes and her head dart as she looks around. The spinning gives the impression that India does not know where to run to.

I also film a panning shot in which India is seen running past the camera. I experimented with various angles. I used the tripod to gain height with the camera angling it downwards so that her legs and feet are seen running past the camera. I eventually moved the camera with her panning it so that it provided the audience with a feeling that they are also experiencing the feeling of escape that India is going through. It helped to make the audience feel they were going with her. I also did a panning shot that consisted of a mid shot of india running. We eventually decided that focusing on her feet put emphasis on the desperate escape she was going through. The dark lighting helped to show the despair and therefore shows how we have considered the mis-en-scene in our opening. The leaves on the ground clearly signal that she is running through woodlands or a forrest.

In this scene it was necessary to show India running towards the camera. Kate filmed Demi using a close up and extreme close up of her mouth and her cheek. We used these close ups as we wanted to show the fear and we used audio to emulate this fear. We used heavy breathing to show her fear and the effort she had put into her escape. The mis-en-scene helped to establish this as the cut on her face can clearly be seen in one of the shots. I assisted with directing this and decided how best to do this; we discussed whether to use a panning shot here and filmed at various angles to show the cut on her face.

CONSTRUCTION: FINISHING THE WEBSITE

I have created a prototype for how our website would appear. Our website is important as it enables us to share details about our film with our audience. I have created it using photoshop. The image below shows the homepage. 

I created the home page using photoshop. The background image was created by duplicating one image and flipping it. I then used the tools available to remove any background that I didn't want and i matched the images. I used paint brushes and tools to make the hair and enhance the colours of the cut on the girls face and the hair. The title of "the unhinging" is largest as its the most important part of the site. It was also important to include key information such as the release date. 

This image shows the home page of the website. I have included links in the bottom right hand corner. I viewed other film sites in which to base this on so that I was aware of what to include within the links. The cursor image shows the way in which when hovering over the word "Share" changes to show various social media symbols like Facebook and Instagram  Our group has created accounts with all of these options so as to involve our target audience and portray key information. 

This screen shot shows how the bar on the side of the page can open to show a menu with links to different pages on the website. These pages would include relevant information about our film as well as clips and a trailer. I have tried to create a website that would work well for android and apple products such as an iPad or iPhone. It would work well as this bar can be swiped to the right or left on a touchscreen. The layout is also very simple for these products. 

EVALUATION QUESTION 1

Ident

Every production has a production company ident that promotes their company. Ours set out out to be eye-catching and dynamic with show business connotations.We made use of music from the musical Chicago entitled "razzle dazzle" to compliment the name of the company Razzle Rainbows. We used iStopmotion to create the ident.


High angle shot
The angle shot allows us to see Jack perching above a mirror. We can see his facial expression and

Operator
The mis-en-scene is key to creating the atmosphere and tension in a scene. In this scene we have used mis-en-scene to portray the environment the character is in. We use a headset with a microphone to display that it is a helpline. The close up of the female operator creates suspense as we are able to hear her speech and see her reaction.

Motivated shot
Using a motivated shot offers the viewer a different perspective of the character. It allowed us to change  the location of India succinctly as she appears at a different angle when walking away from the camera.

Up the stairs
The panning shot of India walking upstairs creates suspense and allows the audience to follow the plot easily. The shot compliments the shot that follows which is of India coming out of the basement.


Tracking shot (hallway)
The shot begins as a still as an over the shoulder shot. This goes into a tracking shot allowing us to follow the character. We are able to experience tension that she experiences as we follow her as she walks through the house. The shaky camera provides suspense; we wanted to make the audience feel as though they were accompanying India. This would heighten tension and engage the viewer.

180% shot
Use of a 180% shot enabled us to show the perspective of the main character in the story. It enables the mis-en-scene to show the tone and the mood within the shot. The effect of the shaky camera also enables the tension to be conveyed. 

WEBSITE

I have begun to create the website for our film (opening). I decided to use photos from the photoshoot for the poser of the film. Kate worked with me and suggested creating a mirror or reflected effect with oen of the shots of Demi's profile. I took this into photoshop and I created the design by flipping the image. I then had to remove some of the image to blend and murge the two images of the face together so that they apeared reflected.

From here I altered the opacity levels of the images and continued to blend and alter colours so as to make the join/blend seemless and more accurate. I then built up various layers so that I might alter the colour of the image. I wished to create a darker image so that any text and information would be visible. Although the image can be seen I hope to create a darker less obvious background here for the website. It is important to make the background visually appealing and interesting however on a website I  the links, titles and other fonts used needed to be very clear and visible. This darkness works well for the tone that we wish to create.

I looked at websites for films of a similar genre to ours to make sure that I was creating something with a similar feel:

As I go on to develop the website page I may try to encorporate elements I have noticed in these film websites where the logo is included and there is often a hidden bar or set of links so that the background can be appreciated more.

POSTER

Today I worked with Kate who is in my group, to come up with ideas for our poster. We have had a photoshoot in which we took various photos of Demi who plays the main character. As a group, we've decided that the main character should be the focus of the poster. I also feel our target audience will engage a lot better with someone of Demi's age. It allows us to use someone's face as we want to be mysterious about who the killer is. We also make sure to create suspense by deciding to use half of Demi's face either as a profile shot or by placing her hair in front of her face slightly. I also suggested using branches and leaves to cover her - this is highly relevant as it highlights the way in which her character is running through a forrest. It allows the audience to know more about the setting of the film.

 These two photos are shots demonstrating the various angles we have considered as a group. I took into account where we might place the font and left room on the left of each where font and relevant information would be placed.

I created this image using Photoshop. I selected the photo with Kate and from here I took it into photoshop and edited the background where we can see shades of red and green. I used an airbrush and used several layers to build up the colours on the image. I then added filters and I altered the lighting and contrast of the image. I built up a variety of darker colours underneath other layers to create a slightly darkened image. The murkiness to the photo creates an eerie vibe and the colour red has connotations with danger, blood and violence. I kept the character separate from the background and the girl is highlighted as she is a contrasting light colour to the greens and reds. I felt the green used could suggest earth, woodland or a forrest. 

CONSTRUCTION: FINISHED POSTER

Our group has created a final poster after creating several different drafts. We worked as a group to decide on fonts and colours used. Demi took the photo into photoshop and worked to make the background slightly distorted as we wished to create an eerie feel that would reflect the genre of our film opening. 

We have used key features we believe to be necessary for our film such as dates of the release for our opening as well as the title and a tag line. These are important to really attract and address our audience and inform them about the genre and topic of our film. The use of an age restriction also informs the audience of the genre and alerts our audience to whether the film would suit them.

PLANNING: STORYBOARD

Today, we worked as a group to create our final story board so that we can plan out our scenes for filming. We can now easily establish our plot to ensure that it incorporates codes and conventions of film openings, such as a the use of a protagonist at the beginning of shots and the use of opening credits. Using the storyboard ensure that our story makes sense and will flow well as we have lots of very short shots in our opening and its important to make sure the plot can be followed. We can see which scenes need to be filmed and which actors are necessary for this. We have been able to start making our call sheets as another way to manage ourselves and out time. 

PLANNING: GROUP DISCUSSION

RESEARCH: AUDIENCE