Pre-Production - Location and Mise en Scene Preperation

Mise-en-scene

My group and I tested the make-up and hair on our actress so that we could see what look we wanted for her in our opening sequence. We decided to put bruise and blood stains on her face so that she would look as though she was in danger. We also wanted her to look as though she had been in a fight. We also messed up her hair to create this effect.

Location

This is a photo that was taken of our location at Courtland School in Mill Hill. We took this photo so that we could arrange where we were going to put the camera and also how much space we had to film in. We liked this location as the playground was fairly large and was also empty which suited the mood of our opening sequence.

Pre-Production - Schedule and Production notes

Pre-Production - Animatic

Pre-Production - Storyboard

Pre-Production - Shot List

Pre-Production - Script

Playground final script

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Research - 5 Stages of Production

Stage 1 - Development + Research (script ready)

Stage 2 - Pre-production - preparing for production - storyboards, shot lists, locations, casting, scheduling, props list, costumes, equipment, actors/extras, make-up, budgeting and testing the camera and sound.

Stage 3 - Production - filming

stage 4 - Post-Production (editing picture + sound)

Stage 5 - Distribution + exhibition

Research - Tormented

This opening sequence from the British movie Tormented has inspired my own opening sequence. This is because Tormented is a teen horror which was the genre my group and I wanted to create. We have borrowed many of the techniques used in hope that we can produce a similar sequence to create the same effect on the audience.

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Research - Opening Sequences

Forrest Gump I chose this opening sequence from Forrest Gump as it hooks the audience from the second it begins. The first thing you see is a white feather floating in the sky. The feather begins to sway down and as it gets blown about by the wind and the camera follows the feather until it falls to the ground. The feather falls just by the main characters feet. I like this idea because it's as though the feather takes you to the story meanwhile showing you where and when the movie is set.

Mise en Scene

In two of these frames you see an old-fashioned looking American car which tells the audience that this movie is set around the mid 20th century in the USA. There is also an establishing shot which shows the audience that this movie is set in a rural area. The setting is naturalistic and is not glossy in any way.

Sound

The music in this opening sequence is a light piece of classical music which reflects the movement of the feather. Although the piano tune is jolly it also suggests that this movie might be quite sad and moving.

Titles

The titles of the cast and crew are a simple white font which matches the simplicity of the feather. The atmostphere for this opening sequence is calm and peaceful which suggests the movie is not going to be fast past.

I like this opening sequence as I like the idea of an object drawing you in and taking you to the story. It is also realistic which is the style I would want to use for my own opening sequence.

Saturday night fever I chose Saturday night fever as an opening sequence because similar to Juno and Forest Gump it is realistic and involves following somone/something which draws the audience into the action.

Camera work

From the use of shots in this opening sequence the audience can understand that the main guy is powerful and confident as some of the shots are low angles looking up at him. There is an establishing shot at the begining of this sequence which tells the audience that the movie is set in New York.

Mise en Scene

From his costume which is a red shirt and a leather jacket the audience can tell that this man has money and could also be suspicious. The audience can tell that the movie is not set in a modern time as the extras in the frames are wearing 1960's style clothes and the main character has his hair jelled back.

Sound

The music for this opening sequence is a song called "Staying alive" and is a mid-tempo dance beat, the character walks in time to this music. This use of music tells the audience what type of film it is going to be and in this opening sequence the audience would assume that it is a fun light-hearted movie.

Titles

The titles of the cast and crew are bright red and bold. The letters look like neon lights and stand out against the darker frames. The atmosphere for this opening sequence is quite casual however the audience want to know where the character is going which therefore draws in the audience.

I like this opening sequence as I like the idea of the main character being followed in the opening sequence so that the audience can understand what type of person they are.

Juno I chose the movie Juno as one of my research opening sequences as it is orginal, artistic and engaging.

Camera work

When watching this opening sequence the audience immediatly understand that the girl in the red sweater it the main character as all of the shots focus on her and there are no other people in the frames. We can see that she is going somewhere as the camera follows her down several streets. This is a nice way to open a film as the audience wants to know where she is going.

Editing

The frames have a sketchbook/cartoon effect on them however it is still the actresses face and body.

Mise en Scene

In most of the frames the only colour that stands out is the girls red sweater which draws the audience to look at her. The audience is able to get an idea of where the film is set as in the background you can see houses, shops, cars and street lamps which suggests that the movie is set in a modern day suburban area. We also know that we are watching a 21st cenutry teenager walk down the street as she is wearing jeans and casual clothes.

Sound

The music for this opening sequence is jolly and light. This creates a cheerful atmosphere therefore the audience would enjoy watching it.

Titles

The titles of the cast and crew are in a child-like font and look as though someone has drawn and coloured in the letters in a sketchbook. This helps the audience understand the genre of the film as a child-like font would not be used for a thriller or horror movie. From this opening sequence an audience would assume that this movie was a light comedy/drama, which it is.

This opening sequence has given me ideas for my own opening sequence as I like the idea of seeing the main character in the opening sequence as well as following them or getting an idea of who they are.

Research - Questionnaire

Research - Films and Genres

Twilight - Drama Fantasy Romance Thriller
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2T7d8j6I5I

The Shawshank Redemption - Crime Drama
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec4dGY46_1E

The Notebook - Drama Romance
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332280/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3G3fILPQAU

Meet the fockers - Comedy Romance
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290002/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Wyhq8f4fI

Finding Nemo - Animation Adventure Comedy Family
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfgeIZyrIM0

Preliminary task - Filming and Editing experience

Preliminary task

Preliminary task - Breaking the 30 degree rule

In our first attempt of filming the preliminary task my group and I also broke the 30 degree rule. In this clip you can see how this rule was broken as the angle switches from one shot to another. 

Preliminary task - Breaking the 180 degree rule

In our first attempt at the preliminary my group and I ended up breaking the 180 degree rule whilst filming. Here is a clip from the mistake we made. Due to this mistake my group and I are going to re-shoot our preliminary task.

Preliminary task - Animatic

This is my first animatic. It shows the frames from the storyboard I created for my Preliminary task. To create this animatic I used Adobe ImageReady where I collected the frames and chose the speed I wanted the animatic to be. I then uploaded my animatic to photobucket which allowed me to post my animatic onto my blog.

Preliminary task - Storyboard for re-shoot

This is my final storyboard for my preliminary task. I have included long shots, close-ups and shot reverse shot in my storyboard so that my preliminary task has a range of different shots to help create continuity. There are five different frames in this storyboard and a description of the shot and what happens in the shot.

Preliminary task - Storyboard

This was my original storyboard for my preliminary task. However this shoot was unsuccessful as the 180 degree rule and the 30 degree rule were broken. I learnt from this that it can be very hard to follow your storyboard exactly and to get the camera angles perfect. However it was a good experience for my group. I have created a second storyboard for my re-shoot.

Preliminary task - Shot map

This is a map of what is going to happen in my preliminary task. It shows character A walking into a room and sitting down at a desk then having a small conversation with character B. This map also includes the different camera angles and the order in which they will be shown. The arrow shows where character A will walk and which direction they will walk in. This map is useful as it will help my group and I not break the 180 degree rule.

Preliminary task - notes and diagrams

180 degree rule - This rule is one of the most important rules of film making. It makes sure that the audience is not confused by which way round objects or people are. For example if someone shot two people talking then cut and shot the next part of the scene beyond 180 degrees from where the first shot was, the people talking would be sitting the other way round and this could confuse the audience. Therefore there is an 180 degree rule which means the scene can only be shots within 180 degrees. However if the camera was to move round from one shot to the other breaking the 180 degree rule but in one shot that would be allowed as the audience would see the camera move from one place to another.

Match on action - This makes sure the scene has continuity. When shooting a scene you must make sure that whenever you cut, the next shot has to pick up from where it was left no matter what the camera angle is. Match on action makes sure that the same action and pace is kept from shot to shot so that it looks realistic and contineous. For exmaple in one shot someone may be holding their handbag in their right hand and the next shot they may be holding the bag in their left. The technique of match on action makes sure this does not happen.

Shot reverse shot - This is a common tenchnique used in film making. An example of shot reverse shot would be two people (A and B) having a conversation sitting opposite each other, the camera would shoot one part of the scene from the back of person B looking at person A, however you would see the back profile of person B so that the audience knows they are there. Then the camera would cut to the back of person A looking person B and the scene would keep switching between the two shots.