Main Task Location List.

Description and photos of each location and reasons which link to our synopsis.

Nisa Shop – Used for shop scenes that both the boy and girl will visit at different time periods. We will film outside to see both characters come out having brought items at separate times during the night and day. We may still have to ask permission to film outside the premises.

Paston Church – The place where the boy will visit the girls grave. The church is situated central to all our other locations so we chose this particular church to make it easier for us to travel to and from different locations.

Gravestone – The girls grave we will see the boy place flowers on. The grave stone we have chosen is next to the main pathway to allow us to place the camera on steady ground, not grass.

Girls Bedroom – Were she will wake from a drunken night out. We chose a bedroom that looked subtly girly and was big enough to fit the cameras and crew in without coming into shot. We also made use of the mirrored wardrobe to create reflective shots. The locations were all situated within the same area, we only had to travel a few minutes up the road to each location which made it easier to transport equipment.

Boys Bedroom – Where he will wake. We chose this bedroom because it was a typical male bedroom and again was big enough for the camera and crew to use.It also belonged to our male actor and therefore seemed perfect for his role.

Photos (on slideshow) taken by Kirsty Clark.

We also used another location in Gunthorpe to film the running over/car scene. We had planned to use the road near the Nisa shop, but due to safety issues we chose to use a quiet residential road instead. However in the final film it only features for a few seconds as we chose to cut out the character actually being run over to keep it more subtle.

Main Task Roles.

Roles in our Main Task Film.

Acting
Laura – (Katie) Party loving Female character set in the past.
Nathan – (Jeremy) Grieving Boyfriend set in the present.

Camera
Kirsty or Laura
Acting as Director, choosing the best angles to shoot, working with the actors to put the story across.

Process Photos
Grace or Kirsty
Photos to be taken at each stage of filming to create a story of how we achieved certain scenes and to show everybody’s evolvement. We will also use the photos to create a Process Diary of our filming schedule and scenes.

Production / Editing
Kayleigh
Developing our scenes, looking after props and creating transitions between shots, polishing off our final scenes and creating a flow.

We are aiming to film everything in about seven days spread over two months (Feb/Mar) so we are able to begin editing with enough time to complete it to the best of our ability.

Main Task Checklist as of Jan 2010

Checklist for Media

• Roles Laura - Acting, Nathan - Acting, Kirsty - Camera, Grace - Process Photos & Kayleigh - Production/Editing.

• Costume Description of each character with photos of them in costume with reasons why they dress that way, give dimension to the characters.

• Prop List Pictures of the props and how they will enhance the story.

• Location List Description and photos of each location and reasons, link to story.

• Synopsis Written version, notes.

• Storyboard Drawn version, rough version picture.

• Slideshow Anamatic on Windows Movie Maker Shows the storyboard as a moving picture like the film will look like and reasons for doing this.

• Filming Schedule Dates and times of filming and what scenes it will be, who is involved and descriptions.

• Improvements and any problems that occur throughout.

• Evaluations at each stage.

Main Task Research Questionaire.

Target Audience Questionnaire (Psychological Thrillers)

Example of our questionnaire that we will carry out to determine if our storyline will match up to what our target audience (16-25 teens) expects from a film of our chosen genre.

(Tally next to one only)

Gender
Male
Female

Age Group
12-15
16-18
19+

What makes you want to see a Thriller film?
Level of violence
Fear factor
Certain Actor appearing
Trailer/ Taster clip

What would scare you the most?
Clowns/Creatures/Monsters
Fantasy becoming a Reality
Suspense of something unknown
Masked Killers
Torture/Experiments

What convention do you consider the most important to a Thriller?
Dark isolated conditions
Blood and gore
Use of weapons
Suspense and fear
The Killer/Murderer

Main Task

Titles and opening of a new action film lasting roughly two minutes.
We have chosen a Demographic of 16 to 25.

Initial Idea
A girl and her family move to Houston, Texas from England. Then one night whilst watching T.V. a crazed man, who has just escaped from a local Mental Health Asylum, breaks into the house and slaughters Holly's family in front of her. He leaves her for dead. The movie is set 10 years after the murders and a nineteen year old Holly discharges herself from a psychiatric ward. The audience follows her pathway to a new life. She has no memory of her past as doctors trialled a new drug which has wiped her slate clean. A few months after her freedom she begins to suffer with flashbacks. Follow the journey of discovery but how will she handle the truth? and will the urge for revenge take over? (common conventions)

We chose not to use this idea because we wanted a storyline that wasn't as common or had never been used in a psychological thriller before. We also wanted to steer away from some of the more common conventions such as killers/murderers to give our audience a fresh outlook for the genre 'psychological thriller', without going to off track.

Chosen Idea - 'A distant memory'
Set in Britain, the movie follows the story of two teenagers. One teenager (girl) has a mental illness and has turned to alcohol to solve her problems. The other teenager (boy) is more reserved and seems to be troubled by something. We later discover that the teenage girl is living two years in the past and the teenage boy in the present. The girl had died those two years ago and her spirit had remained trapped there, reliving that moment. The teenage boy was going out with her at the time of her decline and has never really recovered from her death, making frequent trips to her grave. The movie shows her decline in health (through flashbacks and split screen editing), her addiction to alcohol and eventually her death. (Common conventions)

We chose this idea because it remained a psychological thriller but didn't have so many common conventions that would make it predictable, boring and uninspiring to watch. We believe that this idea would appeal to our target audience of teens 16-25 because it would create a fresh outlook on this type of genre as well as creating that enigma needed for them to continue to watch. Our film remains original whilst sticking to some of the conventions that keep it a Psychological Thriller.

Preliminary Task

Continuity task. This involves filming and editing a character opening a door, going across a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character with whom they will exchange words with. Demonstrate match on action, shot reverse/shot and 180 degree rule. (see picture.)


Match on action - A technique used in film editing that connects two different views of the same action at the same moment in movement by carefully matching the movement across the two shots.
Shot reverse/shot - is a film technique wherein one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.
180 degree rule - A basic guideline in film making that states that two objects in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other.

Preliminary

Evaluation

We had some problems with the editing and trying to get the individual clips to flow together as one. As a result some of the transitions are rather jumpy or not in sync. Also our Match on Action was a little weak and would need to be improved if creating a professional film.
We also had some problems with the sound equipment which resulted in some clips not picking up our conversation and this caused us to use voice over dubbing instead which made a noticeable pitch change to our speech halfway through.
In conclusion, as our knowledge of the camera and editing software develops we can prevent these problems from occurring in any future filming. We will focus more on the continuity between shots and the fact that re filming has to be scheduled in case of difficulties such as a lack of sound between shots. The preliminary Exercise has helped us to develop our skills in camera work and the understanding of camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
We also had a first attempt video with cut footage, which shows how our sound was lacking for the character in orange - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jefJTtImFzE

Gladiator- Timeline of opening titles.

0.02 Dreamworks clip begins but to match with feel of the film it’s in sepia, creating an older look and adds depth to the scenes later on. The sound track for the film is playing throughout instead of the usual soundtrack attached to the Dreamworks clip.

0.22 Universal clip begins, again in sepia to match the films setting and to create a distressed, older look. The soundtrack again is the films not the original Universal track.

0.46 “Dreamworks Pictures and Universal Pictures present.” Again in sepia and in a font most likely to represent how Roman Numerals would be displayed, perhaps Times New Roman. Fades in.

0.56 “Gladiator” fades in.

1.07 “At the height of its power the Roman Empire was vast. Stretching from the deserts of Africa to the borders of Northern England.” Tells the story and sets the scene, again its sepia with smoke creeping in and its fades in as well.

1.11 “Over one quarter of the world’s population lived and died under the rule of the Caesars.”

1.20 “In the winter of 180 AD Emperor Marcus Aurelius twelve year campaign against the Barbarian tribes in Germania was drawing to an end.” More story setting and again the smoke is present.

1.27 “Just one final stronghold stands in the way of Roman victory and the promise of peace throughout the Empire.”

1.40 Grasses scene, close up of a man’s hand running their fingers through the long grass. The shot is blurred as if the man is disorientated and the camera wobbles as he walks, it looks like the camera is walking with him. The colours from earlier scenes link to this first moving shot with the colour of the grasses.

Making a Film.

Development
Producers look for a story to turn into their blueprint for a film. This can either be an original idea or a story reproduced from a novel. They then create a detailed description of the story with moods, character ideas and sketches the help visualise key points.
This is then handed over to a screenwriter who will re write and develop their initial idea further to get the best from the story.
A film distributor may be contacted at this point to discuss the film ideas potential success and its suitability for an audience.
After this the producer and screenwriter prepare a pitch to present to their potential investors, if successful the contract are signed and they can move on to pre-production. By now the film should have a clear marketing strategy and target audience.

Pre Production
At this point the film is designed and planned. The production company is created and a production office is established. The film is made into a storyboard and visualised with the help of illustrators and concept artists. The production budget is drawn up to help them plan for expenditures.
The producer hires a crew which is determined by the budget and nature of the film.
Hollywood Blockbusters would hire a crew much larger than low budget independent films.

Crew Positions
A few key positions in the crew:

Director- Creative decisions and portraying the story on screen.
Assistant Director- Filming schedules and logistics of production.
Casting Director- Finding appropriate actors.
Location Manager- Finds suitable locations to film, may include closing off public areas.
Composer- Creates an original soundtrack for the film.
Art Director- Makes production sets, manages the Art Department.
Costume Designer- Works closely with actors to create the right look.
Storyboard Artists- Creates a visual aid for the Director and Producer.

Production
At this stage the film is shot. More crew are hired as required such as editors for the sound and picture.
A Script Supervisor will note any continuity issues and any technical issues will be logged. Additional takes may be required.
The Production Office is kept up to date with a report after every day shooting and production schedules are referred to.
Sometimes the cast will gather to watch the days filming to review how they think it went.
Work days can last anything up to 18 hours non stop and to thank the crew for all their efforts a wrap party organised by the Production Team often takes place at the end of filming.

Post Production
The film is given to the Film Editor. The original camera work is the converted and developed for editing with a computer editing software. Production sound is also synced to the video picture frames.
The Film Editor builds a rough cut of the film to select the best shots.
The Director works with the Film Editor at this point to get the best from his picture, they then create a seamless flowing version by shortening scenes and creating the story. This is then shown to and approved by the Director.
At this point it is usually previewed by the target audience and any feedback through questionnaires may result in further shooting or edits to the finished film.

Distribution and Exhibition
This is the final stage where the film is released to cinema or occasionally straight to DVD.
The film is duplicated as required for distribution to cinemas.
Press kits, posters and other advertising materials are published and the film is advertised. Film companies usually release a film with a launch party, press releases, interviews with the press, press preview screenings, and film festival screenings. Most films have a website. The film plays at selected cinemas and the DVD typically is released a few months later.
The distribution rights for the film and DVD are also usually sold for worldwide distribution. The distributor and the production company share profits.

Psychological Thrillers - Main Task Research.

Comparison between four Psychological thrillers, over four years and with a variation of age groups.

This can be used as research for our main task film to compare target audience and how that affects the story, conventions and whether we will stick to them or try something different, popular camera angles, lighting, colour and props (mise en scene) that will help us convey the right image.

The Number 23 - 2007 15

Synopsis
Walter, an animal control officer, is bitten by a dog at work. This event causes him to be late in picking up his wife, Agatha. Agatha is waiting for him in front of a book store, and decides to go inside to kill some time. Today is Walter's birthday so she purchases a book, "The Number 23," as a gift. As Walter reads the book, he finds the story is almost a parallel to his life, as if the writer was writing about him. The only problem is that people in the book become obsessive with the number 23, and they end up dying. The number becomes a curse to anyone who discovers its meaning.

Conventions
Murder, Obsession, Blood, Killer, Insanity, Fantasy turning into Reality, paranoia & Psychiatrist.

Camera Angles, Lighting, Colour & Props
Close up to show emotion, Shots from above to show the outside picture you are looking into the action, Shots from below to show intimidation and emphasis on height and dominance. Dark lighting, everything is poorly lit or takes place at night; very few scenes are set with clear blue skies. The colours are often subtle, sepia or a chilling blue (see poster). Props used are often scribbled on tatty note books, weapons such as knives and the vibrant red book; I think red was used for the book because of its connotations such as blood, the devil and hell.

The Strangers - 2008 15

Synopsis
After returning from a wedding reception, a couple staying in an isolated vacation house receive a knock on the door in the mid-hours of the night. What ensues is a violent invasion by three strangers, their faces hidden behind masks. The couple find themselves in a violent struggle, in which they go beyond what either of them thought capable in order to survive.

Conventions
Harassment, Murder, Paranoia, Insanity, Blood, Invasion, Killer & Violence.

Camera Angles, Lighting, Colour & Props
Close ups to show the emotion of each character, Panning shots towards the danger, Mid shots to get the bigger picture. Again the lighting is dark, poorly lit by either candles or torches. Most of the film appears to take place at night. The colours are again rather dull, sepia or subtle. Props used are masks for the killers which makes the audience more uncomfortable, their identities are hidden. Knives are used again to show a sense of vulnerability but trying to survive.

Lady in the water - 2006 PG

Synopsis
Cleveland Heep, a stuttering apartment superintendent, encounters a girl named Story swimming in the complex's pool. He soon learns that she comes from the Blue World, and has a message for mankind. Will he be able to help her complete her mission?

Conventions
Healers, Attack, Accident, Insanity, Fantasy turning into Reality, Invasion, Fear & Unusual.

Camera Angles, Lighting, Colour & Props
Establishing shots, Close ups on water, Hand held camera moving with characters adding fear as if you are there experiencing it. Most scenes take place at night and areas are poorly lit. The colouring is much the same, dull and subtle. Not many props are used in this film to add much to the story.

Hard Candy - 2005 18

Synopsis
For three weeks, 14-year-old Hayley Stark has been chatting on-line with 'Lensmaster319', a 32-year old fashion photographer, named Jeff. The two agree to meet at a coffee shop called Nighthawks. They hit it off, despite the massive age difference. Hayley appears to flirt with Jeff, and Jeff generally restrains himself, even admitting that he must wait 4-years until he can be with her. But his reservations are apparently not enough to decline when Hayley invites herself over to his house. Once at the house, manipulation becomes the name of the game and Jeff has to endure her torture.

Conventions
Torture, Violence, Psychopath, Abuse, Blood, Murder, Revenge & Stalking.

Camera Angles, Lighting, Colour & Props
Close ups on faces and eyes, Establishing shots and shots that show a change in time. Most scenes take place in a house during the day but the rooms still appear dark and cast shadows. The colours are brighter than expected for a thriller. Props used are unusual as well such as wheelchairs and scenes in the bathroom.

Films watched this month - Wide audience range.

This will help with our Research into Target Audiences and the variety of ways films are watched between age groups

What films have people watched this month (January), How & Why?

Two Older (50)

1. Land that time forgot 1975 – On TV, saw it when it first came out wanted to see it again now to remember it.
War of the worlds 2005 – On TV, not seen the new version wanted to compare it with the old version.

2. Land that time forgot 1975 – On TV, saw it when it first came out wanted to see it again now to remember it.

Two My Age (18/19)

1. Sherlock Holmes 2009 – Cinema had good reviews.
Toy Story 2 3D 1999 – Cinema, classic film from childhood.
District 9 2009 – On TV/DVD, word of mouth
Animal Farm 1954 - On TV/DVD, word of mouth
10 things I hate about you 1999 – On TV/DVD, word of mouth
My sister’s keeper 2009 – On TV/DVD, word of mouth
Snoop Doggs hood of horror 2006 – On TV/DVD, word of mouth.

2. Sherlock Holmes 2009 – Cinema was an interest of theirs.
Did you hear about the Morgans? 2009 – Cinema, Mutual choice, friend wanted to see it.
A walk to remember 2002– On TV/DVD, many recommendations.
Juno 2007 – On TV/DVD, needed to for media work.
Knowing 2009– On TV/DVD, was a Christmas present.

Two Younger (13/14)

1.Twilight 2008 – On DVD, was a Birthday present.
What happens in Vegas 2008 – On DVD, was a Christmas present.
Ghost Ship 2002 – On DVD, watched it at a sleepover.
The Haunting 1999 – On DVD, watched it at a sleepover.
Mean Girls 2004 – On TV, wanted to watch a certain scene.
Cinderella Story 2004 – On DVD, bored.

2. Narnia, The Lion, Witch and the wardrobe 2005 – On TV, sister had the remote
Twilight 2008 – On DVD, because it was in the DVD player
Ghost Ship 2002 – On DVD, watched it at a sleepover
The Haunting 1999 – On DVD, watched it at a sleepover

From this research I can conclude that younger people are more likely to watch more films and in a variety of ways, whereas older people are less likely to venture to the cinema or download a film, instead they catch films on TV.
Younger people are more likely to watch a film because they liked the look of it, through word of mouth or for social reasons such as a sleepover. Older people are more likely to watch a film because they had seen it before or wanted to compare a remake to the film they remembered.
Over a month younger people have the time to watch many more films and the older people have to fit watching films around other commitments such as work.
Teenagers seem to watch the most films, which is why our target audience research would consider this.

Research Into Film Industry - 'Coco before Chanel'

Who made... “Coco before Chanel”?

What kind of film is “Coco before Chanel”?

Genre - Biographical drama

Plot /Synopsis -The story of Coco Chanel's rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world. Several years after leaving the orphanage to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle Chanel finds herself working in a provincial bar. She's a seamstress for the performers and a singer, earning the nickname Coco from the song she sings nightly with her sister. A liaison with Baron Balsan gives her an entree into French society and a chance to develop her gift for designing increasingly popular hats. When she falls in love with English businessman Arthur Capel further opportunities open up, though life becomes ever more complicated.

Actors- Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillian, Emmanuelle Devos, Regis Royer, Etienne Bartholomeus, Yan Duffas, Fabien Behar, Roch Leibovici, Jean-Yves Chatelais, Pierre Diot, Vincent Nemeth, Bruno Abraham-Kremer, Lisa Cohen, Ines Bessalem, Marie-Benedicte Roy, Emilie Gavois-Kahn, Fanny Deblock, Claude Brecourt, Karina Marimon, Bruno Paviot, Franck Monsigny, Marie Parouty, Jean-Chretien Sibertin-Blanc, Marie-Josee Hubert, Patrick Laviosa & Kim Schwarck.

Who made “Coco before Chanel”?

Writers- Anne Fontaine & Camille Fontaine.

Director- Anne Fontaine.

Editors- Charlotte Lamy Le Loet, Natacha Louis, Maud Morot, Fabien Napoli & Nelly Ollivault.

Producers- Caroline Benjo, Philippe Carcassonne & Carole Scotta.

Production Companies- Haut et Court, Cine@, Warner Bros., France 2 Cinema, Canal+, CineCinema, France 2, Films Distribution, Cofinova 5, Banque Populaire Images 9 & Scope Pictures.

Distribution- Warner Bros., Warner Home Video, Festive Films, Golden Village Pictures, Optimum Releasing, RCV Film Distribution, Sony Pictures Classics, Svensk Filmindustri, Audiovisual, CN Entertainment, E1 Entertainment Benelux, FS Film Oy, IPA Asia Pacific, Luxor Entertainment & SPI International.

Budget- €19,430,000 (Estimation)

Media Terminology - Editing

Editing

Part of the Post Production process, editing 'sews' together all the individual shots to create seemless viewing.

Cut - The most common being the Straight Cut. Creates a sudden change of shot from one viewpoint to another, changing the scene. A Match Cut creates a simillar relationship between shots making them seem smooth. A Jump Cut abruptly switches from one scene to another to beging or end action. There are many other that are just important.
Dissolve - Brings a new shot into focus as the other disappears from focus, at some point both shots are on screen at one time.
Fade - The old image gently disappears before the new one appears.
Superimposition - Two images are placed directly over each other.
Wipe - The new image comes onto the screen with a distinct shape and pushes the other image off screen.
Split Screen - The screen divides into parts to show various images at the same time, they are normally simillar in action.

For our Main Task we intend to use Split Screen to convey our story of two people waking up but at the same time keeping them apart in both shot and time period.

Media Terminology - Mise En Scene & Special Effects

Mise En Scene

'That which is placed within the scene'

Location and Setting - This is where the scene will be set and could be internally based or externally based. They should be considered carefully to create the right place to add to the meaning of the characters or story which is required in the scene.
Set Dressing & Props - This is how the setting is presented to the audience and how it relates to the scene.
Costume - The clothes chosen will reflect the characters personality and status. They may also reflect a time period such as Victorian Britain.
Makeup - The right makeup can convince the viewer of wounds, illness or glamour in appearance. Makeup enhances a character and how they come across on film. It helps enhance the lighting and creates an impression for the final convincing effects of the film.
Casting - The actor will have to have the right look for the film to bring the directors vision to life.
Body Language and Expression - The actors style and their responses add to the meaning of the film.
Frame Positioning - This can explain roles of characters within the scene such as dominance in a conversation or importance in a household.
Verisimilitude - How true to life the film is.

Special Effects

Special Effects are added after filming and are used to enhance the images and sounds for a scene, they may also emphasise certain moments to increase suspense or emotion. Most effects are computer generated or created using blue/green screen to superimpose images.
verisimilitude

Media Terminology - Use of Camera (Framing & Movement)

Use of Camera

The main aspect of moving image media language is the camera itself. There are two ways the camera is usually considered - by considering the positioning of the camera (and its view of the scene) and the cameras movement. The camera can control what we look at and how we look at it compared to a play where our focus could wander.

Framing & Movement- (A few of the main Shots and Movements)
Long Shot - This shot may be used to allow an audience to view a location or to create scale in a scene. It could also show how a subject is part of a crowd or involved in a large battle scene. This type of shot may also be known as an Establishing Shot which is used to set the scene at the start. For example in 'Friends' Establishing Shots were often used to locate the characters.
Mid Shot - Often called a 'head and shoulders' shot. The subject can be clearly identified and some aspect of their location are seen. This shot allows the audience to see some detail of facial expressions and their responses to dialogue. This type of shot is usually used when shooting conversations allowing the camera to swap between speakers.
Close Up - This is where the camera is positioned close to the subject focusing on their face. This would allow the audience to see the subjects reactions or emotion. They may also be used to create an intimate feeling for an audience.
Extreme Close Up - A small portion of the subject fills the shot. They are often used to focus the audience on an important piece of small visual information. They may also magnify emotions or reactions.
High Angle - Viewing the subject from above creates a sense of scale and can make the subject appear small and vulnerable.
Low Angle - Viewing the subject from above creates a sense of power and importance.
Eye Level Shot - Viewing a subject this way will make the audience feel as if they are spectators, the camera is what they would see if standing within the scene.
Point of View Shot - The camera is used as if it is the subjects eyes and the audience is experiencing what the subject would see.
Crane Shot - This provides a sense of scale and information for an audience.
Track - Camera follows the action horizontally, moving freely with the characters.
Pan - Camera follows the action horizontally but remains fixed in position.
Tilt - Camera follows the action vertically whilst remaining fixed on an axis point.
Hand Held Camera - Produces a jerky unsteady image, creating chaos and immediancy.
Crab - Camera moves right or left.

My Favourite Film- Across the Universe

Synopsis

"A dock worker Jude travels to America in the 1960s to find his father (an ex American soldier who was stationed in Liverpool during the war). After success with his father he decides to stay with his new found friend Max. Jude takes a shine to Max's teenage sister Lucy. Meanwhile other stories take place where other characters are introduced and they all come together as flat mates along with Jude and Max. Lucy later joins them after her boyfriend is killed in action. When her brother Max is drafted to fight in the Vietnam war, they become involved in peace activism. The film title and main characters are named after various songs by The Beatles."
"Across the Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll. A combination of live action and animation, the film is paired with over 30 songs by The Beatles in various locations from the Liverpool Docks to Vietnam."

Target Audience
Older generation, interests in war, musicals, The Beatles and romance.

How?
Use of music, tone of film including colour, involvment with characters and a relevant plot.

Genre
Musical, war interest and romance.

Editing
Abrupt jump cutting from establishing shot to mid shot and throughout the raging sea frames.
Superimposition for most of the first 2 minutes.
Fades into the glitterball with the glittering link from the previous frame.

Mise en scene
Setting- Starts with a beach in Liverpool, cold, wet, isolated and deserted. Next you see raging sea and the waves crashing over superimposition. Finally a glitterball close up, which zooms out to an American school dance hall.
Props- Realistic setting to start with very little in terms of props, cutting to the seas there are scenes of war and rioting so military props are present and then there is the glitterball to finish.
Appearance of characters- Jude on the beach looks rugged and scruffy as if it doesn't matter to him, he is completely dressed in black. The war characters and Lucy are dressed in either millitary or 60's fashions to match the time period.
Facial expressions/body language- Jude looks troubled and emotional with no enthusiasm, Lucy is screaming and pushing through crowds as the police hold her back, the millitary are uniformed and marching.
All of this helps to convey an image to the audience about what this film is about and wether or not they continue to watch after the first two minutes.

Sound
The sound used is parrallel to the action portrayed on screen such as the rock version of 'Helter Skelter' when shown images of violence and rioting over the raging sea, this helps the audience to be drawn into the action on screen.
Across the Universe is a musical so it involves both diegetic and non- diegetic at one time within a frame. For example Jude at the beach is singing 'Girl' so the backing track for that would not be heard normally (non diegetic). You can also hear the waves crashing on the beach (diegetic).

Lighting
The lighting on the beach is natural and looks realistic, perhaps high-key.
Lighting used for the raging sea frames are flashes from cameras as if the press are photographing the riots and the lighting sources are from above.
Lighting with the glitterball comes from the mirrors and its more subtle in contrast to the previous frames of violence.

Camera shots/movements
Establishing shot of the beach, tracking and zooming in simultaneously as he sings till it becomes an extreme close up, showing his emotion.
When it cuts to the raging sea the camera stays still and the movements on screen contrast, the sea is raging fast and the image superimposed is either in slow motion or sped up over the top.
When it gets to the glitterball the camera is on a crane, up to the glitterball level and zooms out from there to get the wider shot as characters come in.
The audience has an objective view as onlookers to the story.

Colour
The beach scene is in colour but the area looks dull, wet and cold. Jude looks pale faced and wears dark clothes.
The raging sea scenes contrast to monochrome to emphasise its importance within the film.
When it cuts to the glitterball the colour returns but its subtle and not as harsh as the previous beach scene. The colours are dewy and bright.

Titles
The titles start with Jude. No names are mentioned of characters or actors in either font or spoken words.
The only indication of the film title is with the glitterball scene as the camera zooms out the titles fade in using glitter to link directly to the glitterball and subtle lighting. It gradually comes into focus as the camera continues to zoom out.
The beginning of the film is also seen further on as you watch and then makes sense towards the end. Its used to draw the audience in (flash forward).

My Ideal Film - What would make it a success. (Research for pre-production)

The Idea

A girl and her family move to Houston, Texas from England. Then one night whilst watching T.V. a crazed man, who has just escaped from a local Mental Health Assylum, breaks into the house and slaughters Hollys family infront of her. He leaves her for dead. The movie is set 10 years after the murders and a nineteen year old Holly discharges herself from a psychiatric ward. The audience follows her pathway to a new life. She has no memory of her past as doctors trialled a new drug which has wiped her slate clean. A few months after her freedom she begins to suffer with flashbacks. Follow the journery of discovery but how will she handle the truth? and will the urge for revenge take over?

Casting

Mum Kate Winslet
Dad Gerard Butler
Brother Zac Efron
Sister/Psycho Brittany Murphy - Younger self Dakota Fanning
Doctor George Clooney
Killer Crispin Glover
Boyfriend Ashton Kutcher
Director James Cameron

We chose actors that have well established fan bases and have worked either together or on these sorts of films before, we feel this would enourage an audience to watch because at least one of their favourite actors will be present. We chose James Cameron as Director because of his recent success with Avatar and feel he may be able to achieve the same effect with our idea. As he is now well known as a great Director that may encourage more viewers, to see what he has done next. Funding may be made more available if someone like James Cameron is involved.

Juno Task

Task- Film and edit your version of the opening of the film Juno.

*Notes added after filming **Plan before filming

Storyboard by Kirsty Clark

Juno - Kayleigh
Camera - Kirsty
Props & Production - Laura & Grace

Locations

Werrington Centre - Shop scenes
Bus Lane - Walking crossing the road scenes - We decided not to use this as a location because of the lack of traffic, which would not fit with a crossing of a highstreet road.
Cuckoos Hollow/ Lakes / Underpass - Walking scenes - Most of our scenes were filmed here in the end, with a few shots of surrounding housing estates.
School - Walking steps scene and Establishing shots - We decided not to use the School as a location because it would cause continuity between shots of lake scenes and a built up area such as the school grounds.

Props

Juno- Plastic Orange juice bottle, Jeans, Converse, Red hoodie - substituted to a similar cardigan & hair tied back.
Other- Cartoon sign & Tree branches for walking scenes.
Scenes we will focus on
Looking up, facing away drinking, opening bottle & two feet moving.

Difficulties during filming included the change in natural light between shots and the weather (snow) which, if we had to re- film would of caused problems. We also added our own take on the Juno opening sequence to make it more original to us and this allowed us to express some of our own ideas.

Evaluation- We used Juno to develop our editing skills to create a flowing piece that made the audience believe they were watching a continuous shot of Juno walking. We also developed our own ideas to create a different take on the original allowing us to better use our locations. If we were to do this again we would better prepare with schedules to be more organised when filming. Technical problems with the editing software also caused us to be delayed. If we were going to edit this again we would cut our frames down in size as some last longer than they needed to.

Analysis of 'Just Married' Comedy.

Comedy analysis – Just Married (2003)

Argument between newly married couple continues from their honeymoon to their eventual break up back in USA, later in the film we discover the events that led to the breakup shown at the beginning. Tom has a flash back about their perfect relationship and where the problems started.

Mise en scene

Airport terminal, bags from holiday, wearing casual clothing, natural setting and look, crowded area & main characters central within shots. Sarah’s family posh preened looking with a large house. Tom ordinary American with very little wealth and a grubby city flat. Complete contrast in appearance to show their differences and another reason why it was a doomed relationship.

Representation

Sarah - Daddy’s little princess, rich, blonde, fairytale lifestyle.
Contrast in American people who come together to be married.
Tom - Ordinary American with no money and average job.

Camera angles/Editing

The start has been edited to blur into focus as the titles appear, panning to show main characters, pauses as Just Married shows up, fight between them pushing and objects being thrown, close ups on expressions as they prank each other, shots looking up to show difference and when they are on the escalators, point of view from the car and focus on Tom in the rear mirror, match on action between the speaker and Sarah, crane shot as Tom enters his flat.

Lighting

Natural lighting from sun and then from lamps as it gets dark, looks as realistic as possible according to the situation. Maybe some use of Fillers to soften the shadows and create a realisitc character on screen.

Sound

Diegetic sound of airport terminal, crowd noise, quiet whilst they talk.
Non diegetic sound in the background of a song (‘Do your thing’ Basement jaxx) that isn’t really parallel to the image on screen.

Genre

Comedy Romance

Titles
The Beginning of the film is what happens at the end as the marriage breaks up.
Talking comes in later it starts with music and only their expression tells you something is happening.

Media Terminology - Lighting, Colour & Sound.

Lighting & Colour

Lighting helps to convey the mood or atmosphere of the scene we are observing. The audience's attention can be guided by brightly lighting an object or gesture important to the storyline whilst keeping other minor details in relative darkness. At the same time a director can also use shadows to build up suspense by concealing elements in the scene from the audience.

The Key light- The brightest and most influential.
The Back light- Helps counteract the effect of the key light, making the character appear more 'rounded'.
The Filler light- Helps to soften the harsh shadows that the Key and Back lights create, there may be more than one Filler.
High-key- This means that more Filler lights are used. The term means that lighting appears normal and realistic to our eyes. E.g. Brightly lit sets such as a sunny day at the park or subtly lit might scenes. Areas of dark and light will not be so pronounced as in Low - key lighting.
Low-key- This is created by using only the Key and Back lights. This will produce a sharp contrast of light and dark and deep dark shadows are created. This effect is known as chiaroscuro which comes from the Italian words for light and dark.
Underlighting- When the main source of lighting comes from below the subject. This tends to have a distorting effect on the character or object that is being lit, often used in horror films.
Top lighting- When the main source of lighting comes from above, highlighting the features of a character- adds glamour to a star.
Back lighting- When the light source is behind the subject. If little or no other lighting is used silhouettes are created.
Film Noir- Film Noir had a distinct style of lighting which became a key feature. Low- key lighting was used to give the films a hard, sharp look with strong areas of contrast between light and dark areas.
Colour- Colour works on the subconsious mind to create mood. Each colour has its own connotations which may be influenced by culture, conventions, history & beliefs. Before colour was widely avaliable black & white films were very popular but companies were eager to use colour to add drama and vivid effects. When we see a film today we expect to see colour and black & white is used to create drama quite the opposite to early film making.

Sound

The first demonstration of sound on a film is meant to have taken place as early as 1911 in the USA but sound technology was limited. Sound on film today is much more sophisticated with a digital synchronised soundtrack combining the elements of dialogue, music & sound effects.
Diegetic- This is sound which is part of the film world we are watching, it has to come from a source within the film such as spoken dialogue and music from a CD player. The sound can occur either on screen or off.
Non diegetic- This is sound that we do not recognise as part of the film world such as a voice over or background music.
Sound bridges- This is sound that continues from one scene to the next even though the visual image has moved on to the next scene. Sound bridges create a smooth transition from one scene to another enhancing the continuity.
Parallel & Contrapuntal- Parallel sound complements the image we are seeing and Contrapuntal sound doesn't fit with the image we see on screen.

Teenage Stereotypes- Waterloo Road

Media Stereotypes- Teenagers in Television Dramas

The T.V drama I have chosen to write about is BBC one’s Waterloo Road. This follows the controversial stories of both Students and Teachers at a troublesome comprehensive secondary school in Rochdale (Greater Manchester). The programme deals with the difficult issues of suicide, affairs, abortion, divorce and other social issues. I chose to analyse two episodes from the latest series currently being shown weekly on BBC1 at 8PM. Waterloo Road focuses on dramatised school issues and the day to day interactions between students and teachers; therefore I would expect to encounter various stereotypes typical of teenagers outside of school and as students. Previous series of Waterloo Road show you how the writers, producers and directors have considered character stereotypes and used them to their advantage by creating dramatic storylines that emphasise particular teenage traits.
Many of the complex characters that appear in every episode conform to the four stereotypes of teenagers. As it is a drama based around a school atmosphere you would expect a wide range of diversity for the storylines to progress. The BBC website gives you some information about the characters and their backgrounds, from this you can judge which stereotype they would fit into. This could be due to issues either with themselves, school, parents/home life or perhaps the way they come across in the programme itself. Examples of these stereotypes and the characters that fit them are shown in the table below along with some reasons why the character has become that stereotypical teen.
The first episode I analysed was episode two first broadcast on 4th November 2009. Sixth form student Bolton Smilie finds himself with no one to turn to when ex John Foster’s pupil Amy Porter accuses him of attempted rape. Also in the same episode the James sisters are facing the funeral of their murdered father.
Within this episode I discovered many stereotypical traits that would cause the characters to become ‘just like any other teen’. The episode starts with playground taunting between hard girls Lindsey James and Michaela White. This shows how teenagers deal with forms of aggression and confrontation compared to adults faced with the same situation. In fact the people who play both characters in Waterloo Road are in their twenties, so these stereotypes are used to make them appear younger and immature. Also within this episode we see jealousy between Michaela and Amy over Bolton, Ros changing to Waterloo Road uniform over John Fosters and getting taunted by Lindsey, causing trouble in the classroom, Bolton accused of rape and automatically to blame because of he’s look and attitude, the two school’s continuous rivalry and peer pressure between Amy and Siobhan.
These characters only confirm stereotypes but their authenticity of representation may counteract the reality. All the characters mentioned have some form of attitude and all have difficult issues to deal with at home, but because this is a BBC drama everything is over emphasised and the intensity between characters all the time are not what all teenagers would be like in reality. They never seem to show the good side of Waterloo Road and often the idea of a good teenager is forgotten because it would not be exciting enough to call it a weekly drama.
The other episode of Waterloo Road I analysed was episode three first broadcast on 11th November 2009. I wanted to see if the teenage stereotypes were maintained at one level throughout the series. This episode shows Danielle and Aleesha stagger into school still drunk from the night before. Paul’s solution to their hangovers places Danielle’s life in danger.
Waterloo Road Teachers use typical stereotypes and claim that students don’t get up till lunch. While the nurse claims teenagers are ‘stupid’ and ‘messed up’. Danielle and Aleesha are drunk at school, lie to their parents about where they slept and are only interested in the boy’s numbers they got the night before, Aleesha calls Danielle a light weight for still being really drunk and Danielle plays up to it later when she downs ethanol, Phillip who is socially awkward tries to chat up a girl which is typical American stereotype, Lindsey and Amy get tattoos that say ‘loyalty’ and pressure Siobhan into doing the same to be loyal to their gang, Paul sell the ethanol drinks to other students not realising the consequences and Karla is pinned down by Lindsey in the playground. The teachers expect the ethanol incident to be caused by Paul or Bolton before there is any evidence it’s their fault.
The comparisons between both episodes show how the stereotypes of each character as teenagers are continuous to the storylines. They use the diversity to their advantage to create such dramatic storylines.
The characters themselves are realistic and you could imagine them existing alone in schools, but because the whole school has over exaggerated personalities to add to the drama its authenticity fails. Waterloo Roads average audience age is that of teenagers so it’s difficult to understand why they would portray them in such a bad light. Is it successful because teenagers themselves like the way students of Waterloo Road are over reacting, therefore making reality and the audience’s lives seem a little more normal in comparison?



Dumb Teens-
Phillip Ryan.
Why? Not dumb in lessons but in terms of how to socially behave he has no understanding, fantasist, trouble fitting in & awkward.

Superficial Teens-
Aleesha Dillon & Danielle Harker.
Why? Bright but don't put it to their advantage, opinionated, image obsessed & confident.

Juvenile Delinquents -
Lindsey James, Denzil Kelly, Sambuca Kelly, Paul Langley, Bolton Smilie & Michaela White. Why? Disruptive, agressive, troubled home life, dyslexia, behavioural problems, follower, misses lessons, bullying & not to be messed with.

2007 Top 10 UK Box Office Films - Why Were They Successful?

1. Harry Potter The Order of the Phoenix - Success of books and previous films, has a large fan base.
2.Pirates of the Caribbean At worlds end - Previous film successes.
3. Shrek the third - Advertising and the influence of previous films.
4. The Simpsons movie - Success of the TV show and established characters.
5. Spiderman 3 - Prevoius film success and an established superhero fan base.
6. Ratatouille - Disney and avdertising.
7. Bourne Ultimatum - Previous film success.
8. Transformers - Well known for toys and TV and advertising.
9. Mr Bean's Holiday - TV show success and well established character.
10. Hot Fuzz - Shaun of the Dead success and actors.

It appears that to make a successful film you have to have a previous fan base, wide audience range or clever advertising. For Example Pirates of the Caribbean has had previous success and has a built in audience straight away, but still wants to attract new viewers. They therefore use advertising and the fact that its disney to create the idea that virtually anybody can watch it and enjoy it.Its the same with Harry Potter (previous films and books) and many others on this list. To create our own film we would have to consider our audience and if its too specific to one age range.

Research for Main Task- List of "Psychological Thrillers" released 2000-2004

To develop our research into our chosen genre (Psychological thrillers) we looked at films released over 5 years and how the genre increased in popularity, what they included (conventions) and who their target audiences were.

2000
Scream 3 - 18 Murders, woods, killings & fear.
The Beach - 15 Suicide, drugs, insane & travel.
The Cell - 18 Psychotherapist, FBI, serial killer & twisted.
Unbreakable - 12 Crash survivor, questioning existence, reality or not & genetics.

2001
Frailty - 15 Serial killer, FBI, flashbacks & religion.
From Hell - 18 Serial killer, detective, drugs & prostitutes.
Hannibal - 18 Asylum, revenge, victims & FBI.
Donnie Darko - 15 Psychatrist, crash survivor, insanity & end of the world.
Session 9 - 15 Asylum, complicated, personal history & mystery.
Soul Survivors - 12 Crash survivor, nightmares, spiritual & afterlife.
Vanilla Sky - 15 Wealth, crash survivor, dreams & psychology.
The Watcher - 15 Serial killer, FBI, psychiatric therapy & detective.

2002
Insomnia - 15 Murder, insomnia, detective & personal investigation.
One hour photo - 15 Photography, loner, obsession & secret
Panic room - 15 Burgulars, fighting for their lives, claustrophobia & threats.
Red Dragon - 15 Serial killer, FBI, evil & psychological scars.
Signs - 12 Freak accident, UFOs, religion & fear.

2003
Cold Creek Manor - 15 Old mansion, living nightmare, dark past & previous family.
Dot the I - 15 Wealth, fear, pushy & love.
Fear X - 12 Murder, wife killed, CCTV & security.
The I inside - 15 Hospital, time travel, memory loss & links to the past.
Identity - 15 Strangers borught together, killings, psychiatrist & blame.
In the cut - 18 Murder, passion, fear for safety & worry.
Phone Booth - 15 Threats, insecurity, fear & mental games.

2004
The Butterfly effect - 15 Blackouts, flashbacks, memory loss & confusion.
The forgotten - 12 Psychiatrist, mental illness, struggles with existence & sanity.
Freeze frame - 15 Paranoid, accusation of murder, psychologist & forensics.
The Machinist - 15 Insomnia, insanity, mystery & confusion.
Secret window - 12 Mentally ill, mystery, accusations & violence.
Suspect zero - 15 Serial killers, FBI, demons & hauntings.
Taking lives - 15 Serial killer, FBI, identity & trying to fit in.
Trauma - 15 Coma, Crash survivor, police & psychologist.
Twisted - 15 Serial killer, police, suspicion & murder.
The Village - 12 Pact, monsters, existance between reality and modern life & threats.

Common conventions across all of these films, with the exception of one or two were Serial killers, mental illness, FBI, supernatural incounters and crash survivors causing flashbacks or insanity. The target audiences across all of the films seemed to be that of older teenagers who were interested in crime cases and existence in reality. This research will help with the planning of our own Psychological Thriller because it will give us ideas as to what works in these sorts of films and what an audience of this age group expects.
Other group member Laura Harris will be doing the same but for the years 1990-1994 to see if conventions have changed over 10 years and how this has effected target audiences, we will swap information to come to some sort of conclusion.