These storyboards that we created helped us to get a idea of how the film would run, what shots would be used, the props, the dialogue (if any) and the effects that would occur in those particular shots.
5.2.10
Meeting 3
*We decided against our final idea as not all of us felt confident with the locations and planning of it, so we therefore improved one of our idea being the thriller plot and made the storyline comfortable for all of us in the group. We prefered our new idea as we all preferred all the conventions associated with thriller and were more focused and comfortable, and in addition it was more suitable when it came to filming, locations and characters in comparison to the inital idea.
*We produced a brief synopsis, so give a relatively good idea of what the opening sequence had to consist of.
*We then had to create a new storyboard to match our idea.
*We decided on inital characters and their characteristics, so that the main protagnoist could research on similar characters that they could relate to.
*We produced a brief synopsis, so give a relatively good idea of what the opening sequence had to consist of.
*We then had to create a new storyboard to match our idea.
*We decided on inital characters and their characteristics, so that the main protagnoist could research on similar characters that they could relate to.
4.2.10
Initial Idea
Horror:
As a group we decided with the horror as our film genre, therefore we then created initial characters, locations and a plot. The main idea was that ‘Sasha’ would be being stalked by ‘Michael’. We scouted around for potential locations to establish the right setting in the film, this task was difficult due to lighting, and we had to film at a precise time as it got dark vey easily and our location was situated outside. In addition we created a storyboard to help us with where everything was meant to be, and what order everything was meant to go.
As a group we decided with the horror as our film genre, therefore we then created initial characters, locations and a plot. The main idea was that ‘Sasha’ would be being stalked by ‘Michael’. We scouted around for potential locations to establish the right setting in the film, this task was difficult due to lighting, and we had to film at a precise time as it got dark vey easily and our location was situated outside. In addition we created a storyboard to help us with where everything was meant to be, and what order everything was meant to go.
3.2.10
Meeting 1&2
For our film, as a group we thought of three particular genre's that we would find best to do our opening sequence on, we therefore decided on the following genres; thriller, action and horror. To pick our final genre, we came up with a storyline for each of the different genres.
Thriller: This plot situates itself around a middle aged male with a history of murders, all being his ex-girlfriends. This horrific history therefore spirals out of control as his obsession over his current long term girlfriends becomes intense, planning on commiting to her for life, he decides to propose only to find she doesn't want the same thing as he does. From this precise moment, his psychotic behaviour becomes outrageous; to express his past, flashbacks of the murder's he's commited will be edited into the film to cause dramatic effect which will interlink to the present point in the film. This will be achieved by using different camera techniques and special effects to illustrate the correct atmosphere of the film. In addition, the soundtrack for this film will have to be subtle in the minor parts however very strong in the major parts to demonstrate a sinister mood.
Action: This plot centres around a distinct life of a man who is a bounty killer, the open ing scene will involve a male figure having a rough fight with another mail which suggests danger, however on the other hand there will be a switch with this life and his normal life, which will be represented by dancers to induce a softer and quiet side to his life. To show the major contrast, we would use harsh editing techniques, to emphasise the contrast we will incorporate a split screen effect to show the comparison of his two life's, this would be effective as the dancers will be moving in sync to the soundtrack which will be running throughout and as the clashes of the fight happens, the beat of the soundtrack will drop to make it very effective.
Horror: This storyline is based on a stalker who has previous history on attacking young, helpless girls, for his own pleasure. In the opening sequence he is portrayed by using extra close-ups of certain features of his face, this is effective as it hides his identity to create mystery in the sequence. He then targets one particular girl who is by herself as she makes her way home tipsy from a party the previous night, this makes herself more vulnerable to him. As she waits around for the next bus home, not knowning that this man is taking continuous pictures of her. Then to add more suspence to who the man is, his silhouette then jumps on the girl, then he proceeds to assult her and a flash from his camera ends the opening scene, and the title of the film appears. The music used would be slow but high pitched to give a sense of mystery to the atmosphere.
Meeting 2
*Talked about different techniques which may be incorporated into the opening sequence such as: fading, bluring, filters etc.
*We decided on a final idea being our horror idea, so we could start all the other planning for it.
* We created a storyboard for this idea, so it would make things easier to film and it could help with planning.
*Scouted for locations, so we could see what props and weather we would need for it.
*Decided on inital characters:
Sasha: The girl being stalked.
Michael: The stalker.
Thriller: This plot situates itself around a middle aged male with a history of murders, all being his ex-girlfriends. This horrific history therefore spirals out of control as his obsession over his current long term girlfriends becomes intense, planning on commiting to her for life, he decides to propose only to find she doesn't want the same thing as he does. From this precise moment, his psychotic behaviour becomes outrageous; to express his past, flashbacks of the murder's he's commited will be edited into the film to cause dramatic effect which will interlink to the present point in the film. This will be achieved by using different camera techniques and special effects to illustrate the correct atmosphere of the film. In addition, the soundtrack for this film will have to be subtle in the minor parts however very strong in the major parts to demonstrate a sinister mood.
Action: This plot centres around a distinct life of a man who is a bounty killer, the open ing scene will involve a male figure having a rough fight with another mail which suggests danger, however on the other hand there will be a switch with this life and his normal life, which will be represented by dancers to induce a softer and quiet side to his life. To show the major contrast, we would use harsh editing techniques, to emphasise the contrast we will incorporate a split screen effect to show the comparison of his two life's, this would be effective as the dancers will be moving in sync to the soundtrack which will be running throughout and as the clashes of the fight happens, the beat of the soundtrack will drop to make it very effective.
Horror: This storyline is based on a stalker who has previous history on attacking young, helpless girls, for his own pleasure. In the opening sequence he is portrayed by using extra close-ups of certain features of his face, this is effective as it hides his identity to create mystery in the sequence. He then targets one particular girl who is by herself as she makes her way home tipsy from a party the previous night, this makes herself more vulnerable to him. As she waits around for the next bus home, not knowning that this man is taking continuous pictures of her. Then to add more suspence to who the man is, his silhouette then jumps on the girl, then he proceeds to assult her and a flash from his camera ends the opening scene, and the title of the film appears. The music used would be slow but high pitched to give a sense of mystery to the atmosphere.
Meeting 2
*Talked about different techniques which may be incorporated into the opening sequence such as: fading, bluring, filters etc.
*We decided on a final idea being our horror idea, so we could start all the other planning for it.
* We created a storyboard for this idea, so it would make things easier to film and it could help with planning.
*Scouted for locations, so we could see what props and weather we would need for it.
*Decided on inital characters:
Sasha: The girl being stalked.
Michael: The stalker.
2.2.10
Analysis of 2 opening sequences
How does the beginning of ‘Batman Begins’ introduce the movies characters and themes through mise en scene?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6prDFbjn_QMise en scene is representation of everything in the frame, ‘Batman Begins’ uses a variety of mise en scene elements in the opening scene to introduce their theme and characters such as colour, facial language etc.
The meaning of the opening scene is extinguished straight into a close up angle of an older man, signifying that the boy in the opening sequence was in fact him and that it was a flashback into his past. The flashback used in the opening scene introduces the central protagonist into the story, showing the audience that his character is an important part as the opening is mainly based on how he’s inter linked with ‘bats’. The facial language used in that shot explains that it was a nightmare and that looking back to it is painful in some way. Low key lighting is used on one half of his face to hide the full impact the nightmare had on him however, the other part of his face is in high key lighting revealing some of his expression. The setting has changed which is exposed by the shot of metal bars demonstrating that he’s in danger or in a bad place such as a prison.
The appearance of the protagonist and the people around him give an immediate indication to where they are, in addition to the period the film is set it. The over growth of the characters facial hair shows that they have been at the same place for a long time without any luxuries. The sudden conflict of two prison mates which is related to the protagonist shows the audience the main theme and genre of the film which action, the opening scene immediately already has a fight which shows the audience there is still more to come. The facial expressions used in the frame by the other character on the scene indicates anger towards the central character which could be because of his race, status or what he did to be in prison, this could’ve created him a bad reputation.
The positioning of the characters show that he doesn’t have people who he can rely on; he’s more of an outsider in the prison as it might be because of his race. The distance of which everyone has of him represents the type of relationships that he has with everyone there. The loneliness of the central character brings the audience’s attention to him in the frame, which is the main goal of the positioning.
Overall, Nolan uses the elements of mise en scene to introduce the vital protagonist by using flashbacks to show the audience how he is linked in with the whole idea of ‘Batman’. The theme is established by the positioning of characters and their actions, their conflict shows that the main theme of the film is action and violence. Using mise en scene helped the audience feel more interacted with the character and understand why certain elements represent a deeper meaning into the plot of the film.
‘Compare and contrast the opening sequences of two working title production films’
The opening scene of ‘Love Actually’ rapidly establishes the theme of the film to be about love, the narration in the background emphasises the actions which are visible, and therefore the title of the film is linked in with the actions and the narration, as ‘love actually is all around’. On the other hand, the opening scene of ‘Notting Hill’ is vastly the opposite, the theme isn’t established in comparison to ‘Love Actually’, however, one of the central protagonist is identified as the whole scene is made up of close up shots of this one person, in addition to the soundtrack in the background, the lyrics is a reflection of her, as it talks about one woman.
The major difference between ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Notting Hill’ is the content of the opening sequences. ‘Love Actually’ displays various storylines and various characters, therefore not having a minimum of 3 central characters. However, in comparison, ‘Notting Hill’ focuses on the introduction of the two persistent protagonists of the film.
The setting is established in both opening scenes, ‘Love Actually’ used mid shots to set the scene of London, showing the audience where the film is set, being a city. However, on the other hand in the opening scene of ‘Notting Hill’, the back voice of the protagonist explains step by step of all the places in the setting, therefore letting the audience to be aware of what is in Notting Hill. This is all shown by using the tracking shot which follows the character through each thing being said whilst using a bird’s eye angle to capture places in which he is not placed, to ensure that the audience knows what he is talking about.
Tsveton Todorov’s theory is incorporated to a point in the opening sequence of ‘Notting Hill’, the equilibrium and disruption is conquered slightly as it builds up later on in the film, as the meeting of the two protagonists has a clash further on in the first half of the film. On the other hand, ‘Love Actually’ doesn’t introduce the theory into action in the opening sequences of the film unlike ‘Notting Hill’.
1.2.10
Saul Bass
8 May 1920 – 25 April 1996
Bass was known as one of the best ever graphic designers for film in the 20th century. He created over 60 film title sequences, one of the most famous ones being Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. His titles were known to intrigue the audience as you could tell what was going to happen in a film due to his designed titles. His career was very successful, as he put his skills into storyboards, visual concepts and most importantly the title sequences in the 20th century.
Some of the other film titles he has created are:
*In Harm’s Way (1965)
*Goodfellas (1990)
*Alien (1979)
*West Side Story (1961)
*Spartacus (1960)
Kyle Cooper
"My job is to make people in the theater feel like they don't want to be anywhere else."
He is a title sequence director who has made a huge impact single handedly to make a main title sequence be portrayed as an art form. He has created over 150 title sequences but some have out shined the rest, such as: Se7en (1995), Kyle Cooper made this title sequence to be the most imitated main title ever to be made.
Some of the other film titles he has created are:
*Spider Man 2*Dawn of the Dead
*RocknRolla
*Superman Returns
*Flubber
He is the founder of two of the most internationally recognized film design companies, Prologue Films and Imaginary Forces. He earned a M.F.A in Graphic Design from the Yale School of Art, where he then went on to become a worldwide success in producing outstanding main title sequences.
(Title sequence of SE7EN)
2.1.10
Preliminary Evaluation
Describing, planning and researching for the pre-production and production processes for my preliminary task I worked with two pupils from my class called Riham and Georgina to complete this task. With the help of two other students, it was much easier to complete this task rather than working by myself. During the time we had to complete this task, there were a few errors that occurred however, we overcomed the problems to finish this task.
The main criteria for this particular task were to include:
-A character opening a door.
-A character crossing a room.
-A character sitting down in a chair opposite another character.
-Basic dialogue.
-Match on action shot.
-Shot/reverse shot.
-180’ degree rule.
Planning and research
To get an idea of a preliminary task, we looked at examples of AS preliminary tasks from other AS students in past years on ‘youtube’, this was helpful to grasp a plan on what type of task we were going to film. We tried to find different examples of the preliminary task which was located in a school; therefore this could give us an outline on how to produce ours in the correct way. In the planning process of the task, we did mind mapping of different ideas which we could include in our task, in addition we tried to include everyone’s suggestions and ideas in which we tried to incorporate into our task.
As well as using class time to the fullest, Riham, Georgina and I made time aside out of class to share ideas on different aspects of the project, to try achieving the best outcome to the task. Having several meetings helped to identify each others ideas and give a better understanding on the project, what will be the content of the dialogue spoken and what other elements we would include. Together, we decided on a location which was to be based in school as it best fit the limited time we had to complete the task, we had the correct facilities in school to complete our task so therefore school was the best option we had. Using a specific classroom, we therefore had to get permission to use the room which was easy to accomplish, where as filming outside of school would have been much more difficult to achieve.
Furthermore, the location for the school was best fitted into our main theme of the task which was going to involve the head teacher excluding a student for bad behaviour. We all therefore agreed on the characters which were going to be played within our group to make it easier rather than involving others into our task, we did this pretty easily without any delays.
On another meeting, we all decided on what order we would put the certain shots we had to use in, and the different techniques which we would contain in our task. With a couple of meetings during the week, as a group we searched for a location within the school premise, we were thinking big and thought to film in the head of media’s or the head of sixth form’s offices however this was not successful as the teachers were busy working within the classrooms and a lot of noise was being heard outside the offices.
We then got permission to film in one of the media classrooms, and chose on how to re-arrange the furniture to fit the setting of a head teacher’s office, we also decided to film in the corridor to add effect within our filming. Within deciding all these arrangements, we resolved into creating our storyboard with each scene, the storyboard helps us to know which shot and effects would be included in each scene and a rough outline on the whole task. By the end of the week, we all knew what dialogue was to be said by creating a script and learned the lines off by heart.
Pre-production planning
During the making of our film, we created a video journal on most of the out takes of our journey on completing the task. The main elements used in the video journal were the major parts to the film which were:
Name: OUT!
Location: school classroom
Props: table, teachers file
Lighting: low key; walking up to door to create mystery and tension. High key; inside classroom
Casting: Anisha: Teacher
Riham: Student
Costume: Uniform/ Smart clothes
Consent issues: get permission from teacher in classroom.
Filming deadline: 6th November
Editing Deadline: 9th November
Walks along corridor and opens door: Shot/reverse shot
Walks across room: Match on action
Sitting down in chair opposite another character: 180’ degree rule
Overall, meeting all the criteria for the preliminary task were done successfully. We completed all filming to the deadlines we set ourselves, as the filming took place over two dais, therefore a slight clash of costume was an issue as the protagonists were wearing different clothing on each day, and the setting of the task were based in two different locations, which made the final cut seems abit out of place. To improve the filming, we could have been more consistent with our theme, location etc. However, using editing programs such as Adobe Premium Pro helped to cut and edit the final scenes of the task to make the outcome quiet triumphant.
The main criteria for this particular task were to include:
-A character opening a door.
-A character crossing a room.
-A character sitting down in a chair opposite another character.
-Basic dialogue.
-Match on action shot.
-Shot/reverse shot.
-180’ degree rule.
Planning and research
To get an idea of a preliminary task, we looked at examples of AS preliminary tasks from other AS students in past years on ‘youtube’, this was helpful to grasp a plan on what type of task we were going to film. We tried to find different examples of the preliminary task which was located in a school; therefore this could give us an outline on how to produce ours in the correct way. In the planning process of the task, we did mind mapping of different ideas which we could include in our task, in addition we tried to include everyone’s suggestions and ideas in which we tried to incorporate into our task.
As well as using class time to the fullest, Riham, Georgina and I made time aside out of class to share ideas on different aspects of the project, to try achieving the best outcome to the task. Having several meetings helped to identify each others ideas and give a better understanding on the project, what will be the content of the dialogue spoken and what other elements we would include. Together, we decided on a location which was to be based in school as it best fit the limited time we had to complete the task, we had the correct facilities in school to complete our task so therefore school was the best option we had. Using a specific classroom, we therefore had to get permission to use the room which was easy to accomplish, where as filming outside of school would have been much more difficult to achieve.
Furthermore, the location for the school was best fitted into our main theme of the task which was going to involve the head teacher excluding a student for bad behaviour. We all therefore agreed on the characters which were going to be played within our group to make it easier rather than involving others into our task, we did this pretty easily without any delays.
On another meeting, we all decided on what order we would put the certain shots we had to use in, and the different techniques which we would contain in our task. With a couple of meetings during the week, as a group we searched for a location within the school premise, we were thinking big and thought to film in the head of media’s or the head of sixth form’s offices however this was not successful as the teachers were busy working within the classrooms and a lot of noise was being heard outside the offices.
We then got permission to film in one of the media classrooms, and chose on how to re-arrange the furniture to fit the setting of a head teacher’s office, we also decided to film in the corridor to add effect within our filming. Within deciding all these arrangements, we resolved into creating our storyboard with each scene, the storyboard helps us to know which shot and effects would be included in each scene and a rough outline on the whole task. By the end of the week, we all knew what dialogue was to be said by creating a script and learned the lines off by heart.
Pre-production planning
During the making of our film, we created a video journal on most of the out takes of our journey on completing the task. The main elements used in the video journal were the major parts to the film which were:
Name: OUT!
Location: school classroom
Props: table, teachers file
Lighting: low key; walking up to door to create mystery and tension. High key; inside classroom
Casting: Anisha: Teacher
Riham: Student
Costume: Uniform/ Smart clothes
Consent issues: get permission from teacher in classroom.
Filming deadline: 6th November
Editing Deadline: 9th November
Walks along corridor and opens door: Shot/reverse shot
Walks across room: Match on action
Sitting down in chair opposite another character: 180’ degree rule
Overall, meeting all the criteria for the preliminary task were done successfully. We completed all filming to the deadlines we set ourselves, as the filming took place over two dais, therefore a slight clash of costume was an issue as the protagonists were wearing different clothing on each day, and the setting of the task were based in two different locations, which made the final cut seems abit out of place. To improve the filming, we could have been more consistent with our theme, location etc. However, using editing programs such as Adobe Premium Pro helped to cut and edit the final scenes of the task to make the outcome quiet triumphant.
1.1.10
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