Filming day 2

Today was the second and last day of filming.

We started off with make up and all the actresses went through their script to remind them of their actions as there was minimal sound.

We filmed in chronological order from scene by scene, I'm very proud of the footage I filmed, The mes en scen, location as well the amazing contribution of my cast gave me something to look forward to edit. I think I have a lot of various types of footage which I can play around with on Final Cut Pro.

One thing that could've been improved is the positioning of lighting, perhaps if I used a different location which was bigger so there was more space to move around and place things also it may have been more effective also I would have had shots and angles from different background, nonetheless we managed to make it work well.

Filming Day 1

Today I filmed the flash back scenes, it went really well. I organised the filming in terms of scenes, so I filmed all the scenes that do not require all members of the cast on one day and will film the zombie (or basement scenes) in a few days provided that all memers of my cast are present.

Using tips and techniques from the preliminary task was useful. Originally we were supposed to film in a park however, it was very windy and the ambient sound would have been very distorted thereofre the main charcter- Sarah played by Hajera and I decided to film in my house instead which worked even better than the orignal idea.

Overall, it was a productive day filming the flashback scenes.

Photos from film for poster

These are a few still shots from filming day 2 which I could be potential use for my poster. The mes-en-scen is perfect for the look I want on my poster which is dark and creepy also this fits in well with the horror genre.

Preliminary task- using green screen

   

Carrying out this task has helped me uderstand how to use greenscreen, the exposure of light also how to edit it in Final Cut.

When I film the green screen footage for my film I will make sure that the exposure of the light is consistent and bright as news reports often have a bright exposure of light. Also, if the lighting is not consistent and is dark then this will create issues for me when I am editing. Moreover, I will use a microphone to ensure that the sound is clear and concise, I will then dub the voice with the footage so the audio has a nice smooth tone to it. Also, during my editing stages I will need to effectively dub the audio so it is in sync with the video. An important factor for when shooting the green screen scene I will make sure that I fully straighten out the green screen curtain as it did cause troubles for me when editing because the footage looked unprofessional and fuzzy.

Reflection from the BFI

Reflection from the BFI trip

The trip to the BFI which took place on the 5th of February gave me a detailed insight about posters and trailers.

We looked at a range of trailers and looked at key features in a trailer by commenting on the mes-en scene, sound, camera shots and the way editing was used in trailers, one of the trailers we collectively looked at was Frank audience members were required to comment on the various features such as the colours used alongside the type of sound, pitch and tone of the sounds used that made it effective and catchy. One feature of trailers that is very important is the continuity editing- the fast paced and montage of shots that are placed together in a rapid motion are very important to film trailers. We also looked at how trailers appeal to specific target audiences for example, we looked at The In-between 2 and how all the scenes induced humour to appeal to it's existing target audience.

We also looked posters and what makes a good and bad poster, commenting on the negative parts of a poster we were aware of what not to do which helped us keep a good focus on what we should include in a poster. We analysed various posters such as The Queen, and Submarine. I learnt that depneding on the type of story that iis being told and sold the types of colours, composition of subjetcs on a poster is vital. The fact that in the poster The Queen- the colours red, white and bloye werer used connote that the story will be about British history and the monarchy, I was able to point out specific techniques used by the editor- the colours used on the quotes, author and title were in sync with the picture of the Queen- started off as grey, (Queen's hair) then blue (her eyes) and then red (her lips) this is an effective way of editing as it's stylistic and has a unique look to it.
I learnt that the use of colours in a horror poster is often dark with low-key lighting, there are simple and minimal photography.

During the Q&A with guest speaker Hannah, who creates advertising products for various block buster films. One of the main things that caught my eye, was when she was asked why posters appeal to the second generation, her answer was thought provoking, she believes that posters are typical for thos who enjoy the art of photography and appreciate the traditional methods of marketing than our (21st) generation who prefer to watch and listen to trailers and enjoy getting a thrill off of the visual medium. Also, when asked about the conventions of male voice overs- Hannah said that there reason why there isn't really a shift in the male voice overs and the reason it stays as a convention is because it's something that is a cultural norm for film makers also a shift in the paradigm will not be as appealing to conventional audiences, she does however, hope to see a change in this and wants to hear more female voice overs in trailers!

One of the things that I will defiantly take away from this experience is the ways in which I chose to position my poster, the colours I use and the composition of all my items on the poster, also I will make sure that when I am producing my own trailer I use continuity editing and a range of sounds to make sure I meet my audience expectations. Also, I may chose to challenge the convention a female voice overs on trailers by using a female voice over. 

Updated treatment

Updated treatment

Updated film script with changes

The Placebo

Discussion with film practitioner Adam King

After a detailed discussion with film practitioner Adam King, I decided to rearrange a few scenes.

I told him my ideas and the key themes, he read my script and helped me improve the storyline.

I was fully aware that my film entails a complicated storyline and a complex plot, which is why I spoke to Adam about scripting to help me express my ideas fully. 

In my original script the flashback scenes were when the protagonist (Sarah) was a young child i decided to include this to convey the scientific element to the story, however when talking to Adam he advised me to open my story as Sarah as a zombie and then change into Sarah as a human (the flash back scenes) and to make present day as Sarah as a zombie in the haunted house. I agreed with this decision as I thought it would create a binary opposite also add to the enigma. He said that one effective way to show the connection between zombie Sarah and human Sarah is by using a physical icon of Sarah which when she sees/touches she becomes nostalgic and then has a flash back. 

I think this makes it more clear as to how Sarah ends up in the haunted house and what role and significance she has in film.

Radio trailer script (draft)

Radio trailer script (draft)

Audience feedback on poster

 

Poster draft

 

Initial ideas for poster

These are the initatil plans for the way I would like my poster: 
                                                                    

Youtube clips about camera work

These are a few youtube clips that I have watched on tips of filming and the type of angles along with camera shots in practise:

 

There are many tips which I will be using form these clips in my short film, I will make sure I pre-set the settings on the camera I will be using (Cannon 600D). I will adjust the Aperture and ISO to make it look as professional, also I will think carefully about the composition of my shots to ensure the angles are correct and I have a range of shots.

Preliminary task- film

Anamatic

\\

This is the animated version of what I want my final product to look like.

Final script

The Placebo

Updating my script using Celtx

Learning about camera work

 

During a class lesson we learnt how to set up, use and handle a camera and filming equipment.

We were taught the rulings of filming and how to take a shot- the 3 aesthetic rules: rule of thirds, lead room and head room.

Rule of thirds:

Rule of thirds involves dividing an image 3x3 the four points by the intersections of these lines can be used to align the features of the image.

When the subject is placed in the middle of the gird it makes the subject more dominant and makes it the most important thing in the shot. Aligning the subject onto one of the points creates tension, energy and interest in the photo making it visually attractive.

Lead room:

The lead room refers to the space in front and the direction in which the moving object is facing towards. When the human eye scans an image it expects to see a bit at the front of the subject.
For example a shot of a moving car, there would be space at the front to show that the car is not stationary and is moving, the space shows the direction is it travelling and also that it is moving.

Headroom:

Headroom refers to specifically the distance between the head and the top of the frame.
The amount of headroom that is considered physically attractive is a dynamic quantity; which changes according to the amount of space the subject is taking up. Headroom changes according to camera zoom, the closer the subject the less headroom needed.

White balance:

This is the method by which the camera knows the main source of light this is so an accurate representation is the true colours in a scene, this is done by matching the colour temperature to the light source.
White balance is required so that the camera can adjust to the lighting and temperature of the room, this is very important when moving from inside and outside as the colour temperatures are very different. This can be set both manually and automatically on a camera.

Depth of field:

The distance between 2 subjects in which one is more shaper than the other which is in a shallow focus. There can be small depth of field shots which give a shallow focus, where everything the background except the foreground is in focus. Whereas, shots with a greater depth of field there is deep focus where the subject in the foreground is blurred and the subject in the foreground is in focus so you can clearly see what’s in the background.

28 Days Later- trailer analysis

28 Days Later- trailer analysis

I decided to analyse the film trailer of 28 days later, as it is in my own sub-genre of zombie horror.

Some of the key elements in a trailer picked upon are that almost all trailers include the production company right in the beginning, so for this film the logo for ‘FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES’ was presented to make the organisations that contributed to the film known. The director’s name is another key convention of a trailer, which is included here as well as the credit in the end.

Aside from the conventions of a film trailer I have come to understand that the occasional use of wording is very important although the visual is available, in my opinion when there is writing it leads the audience gets them to think about what the director wants them to think about in relation to the visual. In 28 Days later key points were noted down such as ‘the first day’ ‘day 5’ ’28 Days’ and all that comes after relates to the fist day of the zombie take over to the last, the constant reminder in words excites and heightens the audience’s experience as it’s gripping and working both the imaginative and logical side of your brain.

The shots used for the trailer are often the raw and gripping parts of the film, which effectively sell the movie in general.  Within the first 30 seconds along with sounds, the trailer grips the audience’s attention by including graphic scenes such as a tragic fire and a naked man in a hospital bed. Another factor which makes the trailer exciting and intriguing to watch is the length of each shot, for example when it came to ‘Day 22’ most of the scenes were fast paced and passed in a glimpse, long enough to focus on detail however, when it comes to the naked man in the hospital bed, detail is drawn to that as the shots change from high/long distance/birds eye view to extreme close up and slow shots and then the pace is picked up again after the main character is revealed. Although the pace picks up the transitions are not as rigid and sharp as before there is a unique smooth flow in the shots not as intense but equally gripping. I have noticed that in this trailer after the plot is explained- a little context given to the situation the shots again begin to pick up and become rigid, sharp and the sound also intensifies. The trailer consists of a range of subtle to very graphic scenes drawing in all types of audiences.

The use of audio in this film trailer is very important. Sound is not only used clearly but also manipulated to interlink with the visual that increases the excitement levels. The very intense and loud eerie sounds are used straight away in the trailer, sounds of screeches and wails on top of the hollow, metallic and strong sound effects. As an audience I think it’s to grab the attention of the audience from the beginning and to bring the attention of not everyone who watches it but to the correct target audience as from the beginning the audience are fully aware that the film contains graphic and strong sounds which does not appeal to everyone. There are varying sounds when the words are presented on the screen ‘Day 3/15/28’ which are different to the diegetic sounds that are more harsh. In the trailer there are moments of silences with extremely low levels of ambient sound. The mode of address just form one character in the trailer varies from a sound of helplessness to confusion to sinister in the end brings an edgy atmosphere of self conflicting and gives the trailer a personality of distraught. Almost half way the soundtrack comes in, which is a contrapuntal music as it brings gaming/competition style music that could relate to the idea of ‘survival of the fittest’ in the dystopian society they are part of. Towards the end of the trailer, more and more speech form the film presented, almost like reeling in the audiences bit by bit by giving more information each time regarding the plot. Towards the very end, from 1:40s- 1:50s there is 10 seconds of slow, emotional music that makes the whole event a reality as it brings you back from the surreal, edgy and risk taking atmosphere to real emotions being felt due to the context of the film- people surviving an infection and then right in the end there’s the same gaming style/heavy metal music, these two pieces of music together play with real emotions which makes the film far more exciting and thrilling for audiences.

  

Dead Rising- trailer analysis

Dead Rising - trailer analysis

Conventionally the trailer begins with the production company at the beginning. The trailer begins with news report is being filmed and in that, narrating the story and providing the audiences with background information to the zombie take over. The audience are presented with the narrative but then get to see it through also, in which immediately is shown in the trailer where the zombies begin to break out making it in your face and up front.

The trailer is spilt into two parts almost one where the audience can see what is happening in real life, long and short camera shots of zombies climbing up and down and then on the other hand you have the commentary by the news reporters in the studio. There is a voice over in this trailer- the news reporter saying all the things the audiences are possibly thinking. This is quite a different trailer as the music and plot is based on a video game and therefore has the heightened element of intensified violence.

The trailer has key scenes in which may be important in the film, the graphic movement and imagery of the zombies is shown throughout the trailer. The trailer has highlighted its main parts and given a short yet detailed summary of the plots using both audio and visual elements. In this trailer the audio used is speech, sound effects and music which go hand in hand with the gaming side to the film. 

The Best Medicine- textual analysis

^{The best medicine- Short film (Virgin Media Shorts)}

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAhnmsvqilM

Plot:

This short film is about a female who is finding it difficult to go on dates as she cannot find someone who is willing to accept her flaw- a weird laughter.

An establishing shot is used to present the artificial setting along with the music of violin; it creates a sense of fantasy and adds a mythical element to it. Immediately the shot changes to a female who enters a shop seeking advice, the representation of the protagonist, is a typical female in a modern world trying to be accepted, the use of potions and somebody who is older and wiser links back to the conventions of a fairytale.

A 180 degree camera shot is used when the 2 women are talking very briefly. The sound gets louder and shaper when the female opens the box to connote it’s importance. The mode of address varies among the two, the younger female has a rather annoyed/lost of hope tone to her voice, whereas the other female has a reassuring yet tempting manipulative tone to her voice, this is important as they both bring 2 different personas and feelings to the short film.

After the fade there is a change in the non-diegetic background music, a panning shot is used to set the scene of the bedroom, a nice big room with a stylish dressing table where the protagonist gets ready. The close up shot of the potion along with the focal zoom on the potion brings the importance of the potion to the main character as she levels it with her eyes making the audience realize that she really wants it to work- for there to be magic in the potion which will help her find love. The slow violin gives a certain hint that the date will not go very well, as each date goes by and the potion along with the laughter of the protagonist change, the repeated and continuous shots of the protagonist doing the same thing everyday for her date and ending up disappointed each time, these shots are used to connote a cyclical and no change in her luck, which creates empathy as an audience for the protagonist. Each day the character is wearing different stylish clothing represents the persona that comes with putting on the clothing, except for the last date where she doesn’t have time to dress up and forgets the potion. At this point a zoom is used to signify how forgetting the potion relies heavily on how her date will go. Synchronized diegetic sound is used to bring the story back to reality. Despite the fact that the character is not wearing any makeup/nice attire and has a weird laughter she finds the person she was seeking because that person was willing to accept her for whom she is and her flaw- (weird laugher) without using the potion she was happy and found her match.


By analysing a film from a different genre made clear to me how the use of sound, specifically is used and manipulated to create a different atmosphere. One important factor that stuck to me is the fact that the shot variations a very similar to horror films- both horror and non-horror films use the same shots but due to post production of manipulating the lighting and shots pieced together are what distinguish a horror film from a non-horror film. Therefore, when filming my own short film in order to ensure that I am portraying the horror genre correctly I will use low-key lighting, short shot durations, zooming into specific shots. 

The Black Hole- Textual analysis

The Black Hole - Short film (Virgin Media Short)

The film starts with a faded side zoom, as the zoom gets closer the focus on the tall figure begins to clear and the protagonist releases a long sigh. There is a clear view of the setting, a normal cooperate after-office hours, straightaway the audience are made to feel unease as the low-key lighting and dull background induces an element of horror. The transitions between each shot are quick and snappy but also flow, as the protagonist reaches for the paper the camera shot is a close up using the rule of thirds, in which he is placed in the middle making him the dominant focus in the shot. A high angle is used when showing the character drinking his water, through he view of the black hole, showing the distortion, also the fact that it has a circular outline it sort of acts as though we are looking though hole. There is a camera shot where the protagonist is at eye level with the camera and the audience can view his emotions at face value. This perhaps connotes the seriousness of the black hole. There is an extreme close up of the protagonist’s expressions. Moreover, every time the black hole is presented it is often in the middle of the shot denoting its importance. The shot which appealed to me the most is when the shadow of the protagonist was shown from a long shot, also the headroom of the protagonist offers a mysterious look as he walks in his head is placed in the lower thirds of the frame, when he switches the lights on there’s an instant flash, with which the positioning of the camera shot it makes him far more dominant and gives him the undeserved power he wants. At this point his body language is far more awake, his sigh is short and breathless making him look like the most important figure in the room. The camera shots changes from a quick pan, to close up, to long distance, to right angle shot, the variations in the shots which are snappy and quick are in sync with the character’s actions making him appear desperate and hesitant in what he is doing.

The protagonist’s costume is an everyday work attire, which links with the setting he is in, clearly telling us that perhaps he is working late hours, overtime.

The posture in which he carries himself creates a tired and fatigue persona, which is also apparent in the way his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows trying to create verisimilitude by recreating real life scenarios. His facial expression throughout the film varies, however not significantly. In the beginning he is annoyed as he rolls his eyes and raises an eyebrow as he kicks the photo copier, this changes to a confused and distressed look as he begins to squint his eyebrows and his eyes become small. His movements are steady yet sharp as he pulls back and examines the room to see if he’s alone. At 1 min and 17seconds his tiresome eyes are still there but his lips and cheeks come alive as he gets excited mildly and goes to the vending machine. There are minimal colours throughout the film, which are cool, deep and cold colours that are conventionally associated with the mystery genre.

There is ambient sound which occurs from the beginning, the low level of background noise alongside the photocopier as well as clock reveal the quietness of the room, as an audience it made me feel as though he is alone, as the lack of voices and movement often found in a busy office is not there. Moreover, I have noticed a sting associated with the black hole, every time the character physically touches or the back hole is the main focus there is a deep, fading sound effect, inducing it’s significance as well as danger. The audio levels are manipulated as the reoccurring volume and fade time increases as he finds the safe with the money.

By analyzing this video, I have found that although there is no speech throughout the film, the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist is clearly expressed through the facial expressions, body posture and speed of movement. I have learnt that through just by the posture the audience can read the characters mood and any change in this area will be noticed and picked up by the audience therefore in my own short film I make sure I keep in mind the pace and composition of my main characters movements.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-EljUcL-DM