My name is Ella Budgett and my candidate number is 8120. The other two candidates I am with in Group 1 are Eleanor Lynch (8450) and Pru Carter-Phillips (8128). Our group photo can be seen on the right. To see my portfolio evidence, please click on the three labels on the right named A2 Research and Planning, A2 Construction, and A2 Evaluation.
Production
The production company we decided to use is Stealth Films Limited because it is London based and has produced four other low budget British films like ours and so has good experience in this particular area of film. One of the films we looked at when exploring further to find similar ones to ours was Kidulthood, and this was also produced by Stealth Films so we feel it all fits together perfectly.
Their website is currently under construction.
Distribution
The distributor we decided on using is StudioCanal UK as its headquarter's are located in London (although it is a French company) and they have worked with independent British films, including Tyrannosaur which has similar themes in it to ours.
Our film is mainly targeted at students and people of similar ages to us as we thought we would be able to relate with people of our own age more. This means people aged 15-19, however after discussing this further we decided that it wasn't broad enough and so we extended it to people aged 15-24.
Although our opening sequence focuses mainly on a girl and her drug misuse, the rest of the film explores the dynamics within a larger friendship group, which involves boys, and so for this reason our film isn't targeted at particular genre. We spoke to our friends in school and told them about our idea and they all seemed very intrigued and wanted to know how the film would end, giving us confidence that we had chosen the right target audience. Secondary Audience
We also thought that because our film deals with domestic violence and mental downfalls, it could be directed at awareness campaigns for these particular areas and potentially schools which are keen to promote the awareness of drug use and it's major consequences. Furthermore, our film is a British indie film and so is also directed at fans of this particular genre.
As group, we wanted to look into other films or TV dramas that were targeted at the same age category and we soon discovered that both Skins and Misfits have very similar themes to those that can be found in our film (e.g. teenagers figuring out the ropes of life and experimenting with certain things), and so are targeted at the same age group.
Our group came together to discuss a few things such as; when and where we will meet and what our working principles will be in order to make our project as successful as it can be. During week 1, we decided that we will meet on Tuesday for an hour after school (4pm-5pm), Wednesday at lunch for half an hour (12:30pm-1pm) and Thursday during period 6 for 40 minutes (1:45pm-2:25pm). During week 2, we decided we will meet on Wednesday at lunch for half an hour (12:30pm-1pm), Thursday for an hour after school (4pm-5pm), and Friday during period 1 for 40 minutes (8:50am-9:30am). All of the meetings will take place in the media block so that when available, our teachers can help us and give us advice on how to progress with our project.
The working principles we established in our group are as follows:
1) Arrive on time to all scheduled meetings and let each member know in advance if you are unable to attend one of the meetings for a suitable reason.
2) Make sure that each task/job allocated to you gets completed promptly and to its full potential.
3) Bring forward ideas at each meeting and play a keen participating role in order to make sure our project is the best it can be.
This short film (Ex's) is about two teachers who meet in a classroom after both having had long days teaching disruptive school children. One of the teachers reveals that the new head of department is in fact her ex-boyfriend, and leaves the sequence on a cliff-hanger.
1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
I worked in a group of three, consisting of Flo
Donald, Alexander Nicolaides and myself. In our first session allocated for
planning our task we discussed the storyline that we wanted to use and came up
with the idea that two teachers would have a conversation (in a classroom of
some kind) and make small talk about how their days have been and the new
teacher that joined the school who turns out to be one of their ex-boyfriends.
We then needed to focus on individual roles within the group and decided that Alex
would be the camera man and Flo and I would be the actors. As well as this,
Alex drew the storyboard and Flo and I worked on the script and shot list. In
terms of group dynamics, I feel we were all able to work well together to get
things done and set little tasks which each took the same amount of time as
each other to make it equal. Personally, I took the lead in writing the script
because I'm better at the writing aspect of things rather than organisation
(the shot list) which is something I will get better at as the course goes on.
Evidence for No. 1 - Group Photo
2. How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try and take into account?
We first planned our sequence through a group
discussion where we all put forth our ideas and then we tried to blend them
together to get our final idea based on the brief we were given. We then
developed a storyboard so that we could see clearly how our sequence would work
and what we may need to change in order to gain continuity and fluidity in our
story. We worked out some of the shot types we needed (eg. LS and MS) and in
what order we would shoot them so that we could be organised and know exactly
what we were doing when it came to actually shooting the sequence. Next, we
made the script and tried to make it slightly humorous so that there would be
an element of comedy and it wouldn't be boring to watch. A main thing that we
had to think about was blocking the sequence and focusing on the arrangements
of furniture as well as character masking and how we would avoid characters
from being in the way of each other. After all this, we did a walk through of
the sequence and figured where the camera would be positioned for all the
shots, and how we would adhere to the 180-degree rule, match on action and
shot/reverse/shot (as outlined in our brief). The most important theory we took
into account was the aspect of continuity as this was what the whole sequence
was trying to achieve and was the main component of the brief. We also
considered other theories we've learnt about such as characters (how they
interact), narrative (how the piece flows and what happens), genre (we wanted
to achieve a comedy) and setting (ours was just a classroom).
Evidence for No. 2 - Storyboard, Shot List (Shoot Schedule) and Script
3. What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
The main components of the task were shooting the
sequence and then editing it. For shooting, we used a camera (Cannon HFG30),
tripod and microphone. We use the camera in order to shoot the short film and
we used this specific one because it is light and portable yet did all the
things we needed it to do. It was positioned on a portable tripod as to prevent
any shaking which might have occurred had the
camera been hand-held. The microphone (shotgun mic) was necessary in order
for the actors (Flo and I) to be heard, and Alex (cameraman) wore a set of
headphones to detect what could could be heard, including any background noises
like doors slamming, so we could retake the shot if needed. For editing, we
used a PC based edit station with running Adobe Premier Pro. This was needed in
order to cut our shots and link them together in the right order to actually
put our sequence together and create continuity. The main tools we used were
the 'in and out points' and the 'trim tool' as these were vital in aiding us to
make perfect cuts.
Evidence for No. 3 - Cannon HFG30, Shotgun Mic and Adobe Premier Pro
4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
The underlying factor we had to take into account
whilst planning, shooting and editing was whether or not we were sticking to
the brief and if not, how could we change it so that we were. For example, the
brief states that two people need to be sat opposite each other and at one
point we had them sitting next to each other so it's minor things like this
that we had to change. The other factors we had to consider were time
arrangements and how we were going to fit everything into the time allocated,
so we had to be reasonably precise with our shots and make sure we got
everything done. We also had to account for the things like the bell going off
and whether this would affect out shots, other groups that were shooting and
how to work around them (hence the shot list - we filmed things in a different
order than to how they would appear in the final sequence) and availability of
space (we had move furniture around).
Evidence for No. 4 - Brief
5. How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?
I think our shoot was quite successful as we
stuck to the brief and therefore completed the task at hand. We aimed to show
good continuity throughout the sequence and managed to do this to a good
extent, except for a few minor errors such as the folders being a different
position in the pan shot and the master shot and our body positions changing.
These however aren't that noticeable and don't necessarily subtract from the
continuity of it to the audience. What worked particularly well was the fact
that we were able to stick to the 30 degree rule when there was a close up of
the door handle, and also our acting was quite believable. In hindsight, I
would probably like to incorporate a few more shots to add length to the
sequence and allow the audience to gain a better understanding of the
storyline. As well as this I would have liked to try and do close-ups of the
characters faces to add variety to the shots. Overall, though, I feel like we
made a good continuity sequence that we can be proud of.
6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?
From doing this task I have learnt that it is
very important to always plan so that you can be efficient with your time when
it comes to actually shooting and so that you're not unsure of what you are
supposed to be doing. Also I have learnt to make sure you are keeping with the
brief, otherwise the task hasn't been carried out properly and to consider
every aspect involved in making a sequence, such as theories you want to focus
on, the planning process and shooting schedules. Looking ahead, this will help
me because it taught me how to use different technology and this is important
in our main task where we will need to use the same technology but probably in
more depth. It also helped me understand how to make a sequence continuous and
the importance of it in the sense that the audience needs to feel a sense of
reality and be involved in the story.
At the very beginning of the clip, the camera arcs around the actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) as to position him as the centre of attention, and is at a high angle, possibly to show that he is powerless in the middle of the ocean, as well as showing some of the surroundings and allows the audience to see that he is on a boat at sea.
This then cuts to a mid-close up which tracks forward to close up of his face, allowing the audience to have an insight into his emotions and witness that he looks melancholy, giving some context as to why he is standing at the front of the boat (perhaps to clear his head about something). In the background, another actor (Kate Winslet) speaks and at the end of this shot, Leonardo can be seen to start turning his head, which shows that he is reacting to her voice as one would and therefore creates good continuity because his actions makes sense.
This shot beings with a match on action as Leonardo continues to turn his head from the same position it was in at the end of the previous shot, which is vital in continuity editing, so that the audience feels like the film is reality and it doesn't 'go back in time'.
Then there is a shot/reverse/shot between the two actors (meaning the shots go back and forth between each actor), with their eyelines matching to give the audience a sense of the space and their equal relationship (if one was looking down onto the other then they would possess the power in the relationship). This shot finishes with with a pan of Kate walking towards where Leonardo is standing. The pan is useful in following the natural movement of the actor and establishing a setting, in this case, they are at the front of a boat
The shot cuts to Kate now standing where Leonardo is and then more shot/reverse/shots are seen, before a long shot is used. This helps to establish the setting further and show the beautiful sunset which sets the romantic mood and makes the scene feel believable, that they really are out at sea, which is very important in continuity - the audience should feel like what they are watching is real.
Later, an over-the-shoulder shot is used to frame the image of what they are seeing, which is an amazing view of the sunset over the sea, allowing the audience to feel involved in the story and a part of what is going on. This is commonly used in continuity editing as it shows the characters point of view which always interests the audience.
A crane shot is used as well to show the vastness of where they are and show the epic nature of the large set. It makes the actors seem like the only people on the boat, which serves to make the moment even more special and amazing. This shot also makes the film a bit more intriguing as it is majorly different to most other shots.
The idea we had for our film was that a girl would be killed (by an unknown person) and later found trapped in a hole alive. She ends up being possessed and the demon inside of her wants revenge on the person who killed her and hid her body in the hole/dungeon. In the opening, the girl is seen dead (hanging) and a series of spooky events occur as she begins her mission to find whoever killed her.
In the film opening, the audience are introduced to the main character as well as being made aware of her death and strong determination to find revenge. The genre (horror) is made very clear through the showing of blood and disturbing images such as the baby doll's head and the girl's feet both with blood dripping down from them.
The titles include images that all connote fear, panic and darkness which obviously links to the film as these are all common features of the horror genre. They also focus mainly on the girl and her possession which helps to show that the film idea is mostly about her.
By the end of the opening, the audience should be intrigued as to what will happen in the rest of the film because we chose to keep it quite ambiguous as to leave room for mystery which another key feature of horror films. If the film opening was how we hoped it would be, then the audience should be left feeling unsettled and scared, due to the disconcerting images.
We included the introduction of the main character in order to add some sort of understanding that the film would be about her and to allow the audience an insight into her life and personality before the rest of the film goes on to explore other things. Also, we included opening credits as these are required by the law for all film openings, they show who the producer/director/etc is. Furthermore, a variation of camera angles was used to make it a bit more interesting as it would be boring for the audience if they were all the same. The different camera angles also help the understanding of the film, such as the low angle shot on the baby helps to show that baby is perhaps powerful and important and could be significant later on in the film as the story progresses.
I think our film opening was successful to an extent as it portrayed all the characteristics of a horror film that we wanted and appears ambiguous and intriguing. It also makes use of a variety of shot types and camera angles, which broadened our knowledge of them and enabled us to put them into practice. Ultimately, looking back on it, I would have liked to experiment further with lighting as this could have helped emphasise certain aspects more, such as the element of mystery.
The opening sequence above is from a James Bond film called 'Casino Royale' and is a part of the action/thriller genre.
The short opening sequence doesn't reveal a particular setting or time-scale as it is a montage of different events and unique animations, however, if the film is watched, it can be discovered that it is set in many locations such as Miami and Montenegro and takes place over the course of a few days/weeks.
The events that take place aren't put in a specific order as they are mostly just intricate designs and animations of guns being fired and the reoccurring theme of violence, as a blacked-out figure who we presume to be James Bond is seen fighting and killing people. Towards the end of the sequence, an image of '007 is confirmed' is shown and this gives the audience a brief insight into James Bond's life and what his occupation might be. At the end, a close up of Daniel Craig's face (who plays James Bond) comes into view and breaks away from the non-naturalistic style of the opening sequence. It was put at the end to finally bring the film to reality and allow the audience to feel more involved in the action.
The events are mostly distinct and unconnected, except they all involve some element of violence (which is a main part of James Bond films) as well as the underlying theme of casinos and cards, as often the audience can see clubs (a card suit).
The character James Bond is introduced as he is the main character and story revolves around him. He can be depicted as quite violent and powerful as he is seen to fight people (possibly the 'baddies'). Also, the idea that he is wearing a suit could suggest his profession and formality.
Not much story information is revealed, creating ambiguity and leaving the audience wanting to find out more. The fact that the opening sequence is made up of animations creates intrigue because no one knows what is yet to come and is aesthetically pleasing to watch. The main thing that is deliberately withheld is who James Bond is and what he does that would involve such violence.
At the start of my film, the audience would need to know who the main character is so that they have some kind of insight into who the story is about and they would need knowledge of the genre so that they know what to expect.
The first opening sequence is from 'Casino Royale' and the second one is from 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'. The one from Casino Royale shows images that have a lot of the colour red in them, connoting blood and violence, which contrasts greatly to the one from 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' which consists of a variety of colours and rainbows which suggests that the film is less intense. The colour scheme of each sequence hugely implies the dissimilar genres; action/thriller vs adventure/comedy. However, both sequences are animated and introduce the main character(s), allowing the audience some insight into the stories. Both films have a disjointed order of events that aren't significant to the understanding of the stories and have underlying themes (eg. in Casino Royale it's violence and casinos, and in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs it's food and joy). The aesthetic styles are both visually attractive as they each involve interesting images and are non-naturalistic and obscure.
