Monday 28 February 2011
Task 4, Who would be the audience for your product?
How ever I don't think this group of people would be our specific target group, our thriller is not targeted only at the emo group but it is probably only appealing to watch if you are in the age group of 13-25 years of age but its still not going to be a blanket release. The Dialogue in the opening youtube sequence however does reflect on stereotypes of the feelings of "emos".
Task 3, What kind of media institution might distrobute your media product and why?
In 2002, Vertigo Films was created by producers Allan Niblo (producer of Human Traffic and South West 9), James Richardson (producer of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), director Nick Love (screenwriter and, prior to company formation, director of Goodbye Charlie Bright and The Football Factory), distributor Rupert Preston (distributor of Chopper, Chasing Amy and Bride of Chucky, among others), and entrepreneur Rob Morgan. The company was formed for the express purpose of distributing and producing two films, The Football Factory and It's All Gone Pete Tong; its current stated goal is to produce and distribute four films per year.
Our thriller would be good for vertigo as vertigo is a British film company and our film thriller Aftermath is a British film that probably wouldn't appeal to the American market as it has no one American in it. Vertigo also have DVD distribution so our film would have a DVD release. Most of Vertigo's films are low budget films with little special effects and are more "real" than most of the American big budget films. With themes of drama and Violence
Taks 2, How does your product represent particular socail groups?
We wanted the girl friend of the shooter to be a good looking pretty blond girl, this is because it breaks the stereotype that a high school shooter would be a weird nobody, as he is normal and enough and good looking enough to attract a girlfriend, also a little blond girl makes the shooters girlfriend seem more Innocent than if she was a goth chick with loads of piercings, this helps the future twist in the thriller to be more unforeseeable to the audience.
< high school shooter, he fits the stereotype of the high school shooter he is a quite student who flipped, and shoot up his school, he probably isn't good looking enough to have a good looking girlfriend. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Article/201101115896026How ever the killer in our thriller looks far more "normal" than Jared Lee Loughner. we choose to do this as it breaks the common stereotype of the high school shooter. The media represents high school shooters as quite loaner types we didn't conform to this stereotype with our killer, this is one of the USP of our thriller.
Taks 1 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The production company would be mentioned as they are the company who are in charge of 4 out of 5 of the stages of production, they are not usually involved with exhibition. They work on the film from beginning to the end they are funded by the distributor in this case it is Vertigo Films. we named the production company "sirated"
The distribution company would be shown in the opening titles as they invest the most amount of money so if the film makes a loss they will be the biggest losers so they are at the most risk, they fund most of the and they are behind the advertising of the film and they bring it to the audience choosing the right distribution company can make or break a film, the promotion budget is usually allot more than the production budget, as you can make a great film but if no one knows about it its not going to make any money.
The title is white writing on a black background this connotes the school film of the thriller the white writing being chalk and the black being a background the style of writing is messy as it sows the instability of the characters and themes of the thriller, the main title card comes in after an initial opening sequence as the title is aftermath so it makes sense to have the title "after" an initial event. by separating the title card it has more of an impact on the audience.
The shooter unoconvetianly has a gilfiriend with challanges the high school shooter stereotype that they are distanced from normall highschool/college life.The shot choice It is meant to signify the fact that although she is the narrative figure, she is telling a story from a subjective point of veiw, whcih creates suspense and is one of our thrillers usp, the story will keep going back to the interview room location much like the usual suspects.
The detective is shot up at from the over the shoulder as he is meant to be more powerful as he is in the stronger position but to signify the gradual turn of power to kate the angles will gradually change and put kate in the power position as the story un-folds.
Sunday 27 February 2011
Account of post production
Account of post production
Editing of the practical was different to the prelim task we had many different shots than the prelim task which made going through and finding out what shots we liked and were good took much longer. We still used final cut to do the editing of our practical task.
We were tried to make the initial you tube confession look like It was shot from a web cam so we edited it with bad continuity with the actor jumping over the screen and movement within the frame we got the idea from watching you tube blog videos and looked at the editing. We tried to give the suspect more screen time as the film will be about her and her point of view this makes the audience be on her side of the story it builds up the audiences trust in her we could then break this trust by having a really big twist in the story much like the usually suspects. we used a cross fade with some of our cuts to different shots to show the passing of time, we gave the tape recorder screen time to signify that it is importance to one of the themes in our thriller of being watched and how everything that people do is watch and recorded, a big brother feel, we also raised the volume of the click to also highlight the tape recorder's importance to the story. The use of a lift in the opening shot draws the audience into the story line along with the camera, the space is being reduced by the camera going down into the scene this helps to create a claustrophobic atmosphere in the thriller.
The diegetic sound of the speech in our thriller had to be mixed in order to keep it the same level throughout the thriller we also had background noise of air-conditioning which meant we had to go through all the clips and try to pick out the best sound, we highlighted important sounds to the story by raising the volume of them e.g. the tape recorders "click" sound is loud also we recorded the sound of the "click" specifically on its own in order to put it into our final edit. This helps to create a police interview room atmosphere, We used the sound from lots of different parts of are shoot and layered them over parts where we wanted to link the characters together and make the change in location and shot type smother by using the sound bridge we layered the sound of Alex's youtube confession with Kate in the interview room to link the characters together and reinforce to the audience that they were together this helps to build the story around her as the thriller is from her point of view.
Non-Diegetic sound of the gun shots and screaming is almost as if Kate can hear it in her head like a flashback and the audience can her it to, this once again makes the audience trust that she is telling the truth to the interviewer as she is being victimised, we chose an piano track to go with our thriller as the sound of the single instrument is quite vulnerable which reflects on how kate is vulnerable in the interview room also the subtle piano tone goes well with the thriller genre of our movie. At the end of the sequence we chose an elctro loud music which goes with our title card the loud noise has real impact on the audience as it grabs there attention to the title card.
Out titles in the thriller come in during and at the end of the sequence this is appropriate as the thriller is called Aftermath so the title comes in after an event. The text on the credits come in at different speeds and are not symmetrical with each other, this reflects the unstable nature of the characters in the thriller also the black background and white text reflect the high school theme as they are similar style to a chalk board especially the main title card an the end of the sequence looks very much like a chalkboard. The uneven layout of the lettering on the credits is also a reference to our production company "sirated" as the uneven lines on the letters is much like a serrated knife edge which are commonly associated with horror genres of films. The speed of the titles is fairly slow as we are trying to draw the audience into the film the slow titles and crane to floor shot do this well together. We kept the font the same for the credits as it looks better and our thriller also is still at a school so some formality is needed even though the lettering is uneven but this is a reference to the shooters un-stability, but for a British bigger impact the main title card is in a different font and has a more detail but it still follows the chalk board tittle theme.
We chose vertigo films to be the distributor for our film as they are a British company and our thriller is a British film so it wont appeal that much to an American audience as it has no American actors in it also vertigo films have a dvd distribution.
The title Aftermath will draw the audience in we also included references to the title in throughout the thriller with the shooting taking place after math in a school, also people who like to watch small British films will want to watch Aftermath as the distributor Vertigo Films is renowned for British films this attracts our target British audience to watch our film. In the thriller we will also have music from metal bands as this will attract our target audience and reflect the personality of our killer Alex
The diegetic sound of the speech in our thriller had to be mixed in order to keep it the same level throughout the thriller we also had background noise of air-conditioning which meant we had to go through all the clips and try to pick out the best sound, we highlighted important sounds to the story by raising the volume of them e.g. the tape recorders "click" sound is loud also we recorded the sound of the "click" specifically on its own in order to put it into our final edit. This helps to create a police interview room atmosphere, We used the sound from lots of different parts of are shoot and layered them over parts where we wanted to link the characters together and make the change in location and shot type smother by using the sound bridge we layered the sound of Alex's youtube confession with Kate in the interview room to link the characters together and reinforce to the audience that they were together this helps to build the story around her as the thriller is from her point of view.
Non-Diegetic sound of the gun shots and screaming is almost as if Kate can hear it in her head like a flashback and the audience can her it to, this once again makes the audience trust that she is telling the truth to the interviewer as she is being victimised, we chose an piano track to go with our thriller as the sound of the single instrument is quite vulnerable which reflects on how kate is vulnerable in the interview room also the subtle piano tone goes well with the thriller genre of our movie. At the end of the sequence we chose an elctro loud music which goes with our title card the loud noise has real impact on the audience as it grabs there attention to the title card.
Out titles in the thriller come in during and at the end of the sequence this is appropriate as the thriller is called Aftermath so the title comes in after an event. The text on the credits come in at different speeds and are not symmetrical with each other, this reflects the unstable nature of the characters in the thriller also the black background and white text reflect the high school theme as they are similar style to a chalk board especially the main title card an the end of the sequence looks very much like a chalkboard. The uneven layout of the lettering on the credits is also a reference to our production company "sirated" as the uneven lines on the letters is much like a serrated knife edge which are commonly associated with horror genres of films. The speed of the titles is fairly slow as we are trying to draw the audience into the film the slow titles and crane to floor shot do this well together. We kept the font the same for the credits as it looks better and our thriller also is still at a school so some formality is needed even though the lettering is uneven but this is a reference to the shooters un-stability, but for a British bigger impact the main title card is in a different font and has a more detail but it still follows the chalk board tittle theme.
We chose vertigo films to be the distributor for our film as they are a British company and our thriller is a British film so it wont appeal that much to an American audience as it has no American actors in it also vertigo films have a dvd distribution.
The title Aftermath will draw the audience in we also included references to the title in throughout the thriller with the shooting taking place after math in a school, also people who like to watch small British films will want to watch Aftermath as the distributor Vertigo Films is renowned for British films this attracts our target British audience to watch our film. In the thriller we will also have music from metal bands as this will attract our target audience and reflect the personality of our killer Alex
Account of shoot day
Account of shoot day
Our shoot went pretty smoothly over all. we tried to balance all the different roles and adapt our initial plan to compensate for new ideas for example the initial establishing shot of the interview room. We started shooting a little later than planned as we had to finalise the set ad get a few props, but we did plan how the set would look with our group so we had the general idea of what we wanted.
We filmed backwards to the story board as one of actors had to leave the set earlier then planned so we did all the shots the needed him in. we new exactly what we wanted are thriller to be like with the cramp environment of the interview room and we victimised the suspect through out. Our film is going to be a thriller as it has a crime theme our thriller will appeal to the audience as it’s is filmed from the girlfriends story not from the killers story which is a good USP.
We set up in a studio location as it made sense to be in a controllable environment with a level floor for tracking shots and a fairly sound proof location as a police interview room is fairly quite apart from the interview. We used props like a fairly old school tape recorder and a cheap laptop to help make the interview room look more real we also made our own props like the crime scene photos which had to be photo shopped to take out things like dates, and a police report for the interviewer to have to make him look more real, we dressed the girlfriend up in school uniform and it was meant to look like a boarding school uniform as high school massacre often happen in casual clothed schools so we decide to make ours look different we also used a blond girl where as a stereotypically a high school massacre suspect wouldn’t have a girlfriend or she would be an “emo” with dark hair and lots of piercing.
Our shot choices we tried to victimise the suspect by shooting her from high angles and when doing over the shoulder shoots we left in lots of the detective’s body to try and make her seem less powerful. We used a genie lift for our opening shot which really gave a sense of entrapment in the interview room. We initially didn’t plan on using the lift but we decided to on the day and it turned out really good it really added to the film, if I could change something I would have put blood on Alex’s shirt when he enters the interview room to really re enforce that he was the killer, this would help make the flash backs look better.
We dressed Seb who plays the killer in a school uniform with a slipknot T shirt underneath to denote that his dark side is trying to escape from under his innocence which was the white school shirt. The suspect in the interview room the killer’s girlfriend, was dressed in high school uniform from a boarding school which is a move away from the standard columbine non uniform.
Our original police interviewer was un available to make the shoot so we had top use another actor it was important to make sure they looked old enough to be a police detective so it wouldn’t look like something from buggies Malone, we choose the interviewee to be blond and good looking not a stereotypical emo alternative chick to move away from the high school shooter stereotype.
We used the studio lighting in the roof to light our set we also used a screen to reflect light onto the interviewers face to keep good continuity throughout our shots. We also used a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling to make the interview room seem dingy and old-fashioned. In the you tube confession we used a light string to make it look like a screen burn on his face to make it look he used a webcam to film the confession on. We made the light really bright to make it look like a computer screen glare, it was much brighter than a real screen. The bare hanging light bulb added to the interview room feel also with the really long wire it was on really gave the crane shoot an entrapped feel. I really liked the way the single bulb and the light string turned out.
We had the sound of the tape recorder been turned on we made sure we recorded this as it made the interview room scene seem more real and it’s quite a distinctive click. It created the suspense as it was just before she started to tell the story of what happened during the day.
My role in the production was mostly sound, holding the boom and noting down the shots list, I also Had to make sure the boom wasn’t in shot and made, I decided on the uniform that the actors should where the school shirts and a few other props were provided by me, also took on the role of filming some scenes like the extreme close ups on the girl I also helped with the white balancing of the camera in the different location.
We made sure we divided up our tasks evenly in preparation for the shoot and on the shoot day we managed to balance everything giving all of our group members stuff to do and get in all done, we made quite good preparation to the shoot and had planned what we were doing so this made the shoot day easier as we had planned well and new what shots and location we needed.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
The Script
INT: On Camera (youtube) Confession greenlit / computer screen /webcam look. Actor looks into camera and talks to his ‘audience’:
ALEX:
I don’t expect you to understand now, you’ll see though. I can’t show you until it’s done. Every single day, I watch humanity go about their business, so pointless, so apathetic, shit. That’s what we are. And now it’s time to show every single one of you what you could never see, you’re not so indestructible, you won’t feel so hard tomorrow when your teachers and friends are lain out, lifeless, in front of you, if you’re lucky.
By the time you see this, I’ll be gone and it’ll be done. And you’ll wonder, how could anyone do this, why, what was going through the head of that fucking psycho?!
My answer to you, there is no kindness in mankind, we’re selfish, every single one of us, I’m gonna show you how one insignificant psycho can change everything, not so fucking useless now am I?! By now, I’m dead, literally got away with murder.
Kate, you know you are my world, any time I’ve ever been happy’s been with you. I’m so sorry, but you need to understand that I had to do this. I love you, forever. I love you now, and I’ll love you still when you see this and I’m gone. Don’t go in to school, you don’t need to see this, you’re the only person in this entire fucking world I’m willing to spare.
In years to come, you’ll all be forgotten. Just another kid, tragically killed in that school. But everyone remembers the killer, the psycho that flipped out, killed himself afterwards and claimed it was all justified and in the name of something meaningful. Well let me tell you right now that this is all for the sake of beauty, Kate. The only understanding of real beauty that I ever had. Babe, I won’t let you grow up in a world that doesn’t understand the individual, just like me and you. I won’t let you live in that kind of place, nobody else is gonna change it for you, and you can’t change yourself for the world, so I’ll change the world for you.
INT: CUT TO Interview Room
INTERVIEWER initial insensitive approach, perhaps an element of personal anger over what has happened- shot focused on hand/evidence pictures, Kate out of focus:
So another senior school boy shoots up his school, posting a confession video beforehand, pretty much claiming it’s all for you and you’re trying to tell me that you had no idea about this? Come on, don’t mess me around here. You know it’s all gonna come out regardless of weather you try and lie to me or not.
KATE focus pulls back to Kate as she replies. She is quiet and emotional, signs of grief and shame strongly apparent:
(silent tears) are you fucking kidding me? He killed my friends….
Interviewer Same shot pulls back to OTS of interviewer, left shoulder and head in view, focus on Kate:
Just take your time, tell me everything that you know.
Kate Focus changes to Kate’s image in the evidence camera, she is blurred in the background.- Non- diegetic voice over of youtube confession plays over her tears
(Bursts into uncontrollable tears)
Interviewer Shot cuts to through one way glass, medium wide of the entire interview room, and focus on interviewer here:
(sighs)
Kate ‘I remember’ said in previous through glass shot, cut to close evidence camera picture.
I remember…. He said don’t go into school (dubbed with au voiceover from video- non- diegetic) – but I didn’t see the video in time, I went to school…..
Interviewer :
What did you see at school?
Girl:
I was in maths, at the very end of the main building……… I heard shots… and screaming…. The shots stopped, I went out…………. (crying)
Interviewer:
Go on….
Girl:
My best friend…. Was on the floor, I didn’t believe it, I tried to help…….. she was so pale (uncontrollable crying)
Interviewer:
I know it’s hard, is there anything else?
Girl:
There were so many more….. blood everywhere (crying) ………….then I saw him lying there, he was covered in blood….. (breaks down properly) with a gun in his hand (uncontrollable tears)
Interviewer:
Okay, I think we need to take a break.
Monday 14 February 2011
Costume Make Up Mise en scene
Costume
we chose to have our detective in a suit to make him seem more professional as the audience would expect him to look professional and smart, we are not going to use a police uniform as he wouldn't be wearing one if he was a detective. The girlfriend of the shooter will be in a school girl outfit as she is going to a private school this is one of our USP as most people would expect the shooting to take place in a state collage with no uniform, also the film is set in england were as most of the school shootings have taken place in america. we are going to dress the shooter in the same uniform as his girlfriend as he has just got home from school to film the youtube confession, also under his shirt he will be wearing a heavy metal t-shirt to connote to the audience he has a slightly dark twisted side. we are going to have it just visible through his shirt contrasting with the white innocent school shirt.
Mise en scene
In the youtube confession we will film it from the view of a webcam on top of a computer to make this look realistic we will use an under-light to make it look like screen burn from the computer screen, in the interview room we will use a pretty old laptop to show the evidence on to the girlfriend, its old as a police station would not have the latest equipment, we will also have a tap recorder on the table to make the interview room seem generally more real, the set will make it really plain as interview rooms are with little clutter around, also we will have bars over a window to make the room feel like its entrapping our suspect, we originally wanted one way mirror glass but we don't have and police interview rooms in england don't have them.
we chose to have our detective in a suit to make him seem more professional as the audience would expect him to look professional and smart, we are not going to use a police uniform as he wouldn't be wearing one if he was a detective. The girlfriend of the shooter will be in a school girl outfit as she is going to a private school this is one of our USP as most people would expect the shooting to take place in a state collage with no uniform, also the film is set in england were as most of the school shootings have taken place in america. we are going to dress the shooter in the same uniform as his girlfriend as he has just got home from school to film the youtube confession, also under his shirt he will be wearing a heavy metal t-shirt to connote to the audience he has a slightly dark twisted side. we are going to have it just visible through his shirt contrasting with the white innocent school shirt.
Mise en scene
In the youtube confession we will film it from the view of a webcam on top of a computer to make this look realistic we will use an under-light to make it look like screen burn from the computer screen, in the interview room we will use a pretty old laptop to show the evidence on to the girlfriend, its old as a police station would not have the latest equipment, we will also have a tap recorder on the table to make the interview room seem generally more real, the set will make it really plain as interview rooms are with little clutter around, also we will have bars over a window to make the room feel like its entrapping our suspect, we originally wanted one way mirror glass but we don't have and police interview rooms in england don't have them.
Sunday 13 February 2011
Story Boarding
Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive mediasequence, including website interactivity.
The storyboarding process, in the form it is known today, was developed at the Walt Disney Studio during the early 1930s, after several years of similar processes being in use at Walt Disney and other animation studios.
Its important to storyboard as it is a plan for the scene and all the different shots your are going to do, it helps keep your shooting focused on the objective of the scene, also you can tick of the angles and parts of the sequence you have done this makes you waste less time when shooting.
Saturday 12 February 2011
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Wednesday 2 February 2011
What Is a thriller / horror
Thriller is a genre of literature, film, and television that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as the main elements.
Horror films are unsettling movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers.
Horror films are unsettling movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers.
Thriller
Thriller Films usual have a plot which involves a build up of tension throughout the film top keep the audience on edge of there seats this is done through mystery and the producers of the film keeping some information vital to the outcome from the audience. The thriller films often have a crime genre involved with detectives and police men in them.Horror
Horrors usually involve murders and mutation of the body most horror films have this content, the main characters involved in the films almost always have a flaw or have something wrong with there face which separates them from the audience, this make the audience not feel sorry or relate to the bad guy. weapons in horrors are often knives or bats, as the are more graphic than shooting some one.
Analysis of opening sequence Shutter Island
i used a dvd to get the opening sequence from so i couldnt find the opening sequence on the internet.
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