Friday, 30 April 2010
The Crew
Name: Chris Mellor
Official status: Actor, Director of cinematography, Co producer
Role in the opening sequence: victim, Craig Brookes
Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Questions 1-7
1. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of media products?
The genre of our film crime thriller, it is a crime thriller because the story is about a murder that leads on to other murders, similarly linked to CSI but our own style of the television show. It starts off with a murder and detectives are investigating it, which is basically quite similar CSI like its effects and its plot but a movie. We include flashbacks which very much shows the viewer what has happened but without giving too much away and the character/murderer away. The film is very dark, which is influenced by Reservoir Dogs a film by Quentin Tarentino, which includes a lot of violence, blood and swearing, our is a tamed version of a thriller as it is a 15 rating, it doesn't include much of what i said in some parts just toned down slightly. Reservoir Dogs is very well edited and in our film we have tried to keep it very similar but added our own touch to it, we have added plot twist which keeps the viewer on the edge of her seat. The influence is from CSI as we have increased the tension and added a personal level as we have added Detective Walshaw, he talks over the film after most scenes about what he has been through and what he is thinking at that moment in time. Our film contains less conversation as Reservoir Dogs as in Reservoir Dogs it is based in one big room rather than all over the city in our film. Our film contains darker lighting and later scenes are shot late at night to add a bit of horror to the thriller and to keep you on edge.
(For comparison pictures refer to Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 1 & 2 photo's)
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our film it contains mainly male cast members as any normal person would presume that males cause more murders than females, but we have a few female Crime Scene Investigators. Also the age of the characters are around 30-35 as they have much more experience than someone who has recently joined the force although there is one character who is a new CSI, who slips up quite a bit later on in the film. In our case our cast members are from Northern England so we all speak like we are slightly from Yorkshire, which is true to the area. The cast is mainly white male but there are a few from Asian descent and African cast members. We are trying to send a message out about knife crime these days and how people are getting affected by knife crime how it can affected anyone and it can happen anywhere. As we are trying to speak out for people who have been affected in the past and want to raise awareness of knife crime and help to stop it or rapidly reduce it, so we don't have to suffer anymore. This links to our target audience as it is for teenagers and younger adults plus old adults. The teenagers to teach them not to carry knives and to teach them that this is what might happen sometime in the future. The young adults to learn if they carry knives now what it could lead to and to the older adults to keep telling there sons and daughters that it is very bad to use knives and to tell them to not carry knives around with them and not to get sucked in with peer pressure.
(For Comparison pictures see blog entry Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 1 & 2 photo's)
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
This film is very low budget and uses a small production much like Shane Meadows's films and Warp Films. This film could prove to be a success as in America such shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: New York and CSI:Miami are very big and popular over in America. This shows that if a film is produced well and is talked about and advertised well. Such films as Reservoir Dogs are shot with quite a low budget and still sell well, this film would boost the economy of low budget British films such as This Is England which proved a big success and sold very well throughout England. I would class this as a TV movie because it is an independent film with similarities to the hit television series CSI, you can tell this from watching the opening sequence, it is set out in a way that looks very much like a TV show but is very much a movie. The film would be released over the Internet for a few pounds and if it receives good reviews and people want it on DVD then we would dispense it over the website and maybe dispense them to well known sellers such as HMV, WH Smith's and Asda. This opens up other franchises and merchandising, such as if the film does well then there may be a sequel to it, maybe turned into a television series or a spin off, or perhaps a book or comic, or possibly a video game, as in the past games generally do quite well after the movie has released. But it generally depends on how well the film has done as there wouldn't be any money to be made if the film only sold a few hundred copies of the title, it would have to sell a few million DVDs to sell any merchandise.
(For logo's refer to Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 3 Logo's)
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The genre of our film crime thriller, it is a crime thriller because the story is about a murder that leads on to other murders, similarly linked to CSI but our own style of the television show. It starts off with a murder and detectives are investigating it, which is basically quite similar CSI like its effects and its plot but a movie. We include flashbacks which very much shows the viewer what has happened but without giving too much away and the character/murderer away. The film is very dark, which is influenced by Reservoir Dogs a film by Quentin Tarentino, which includes a lot of violence, blood and swearing, our is a tamed version of a thriller as it is a 15 rating, it doesn't include much of what i said in some parts just toned down slightly. Reservoir Dogs is very well edited and in our film we have tried to keep it very similar but added our own touch to it, we have added plot twist which keeps the viewer on the edge of her seat. The influence is from CSI as we have increased the tension and added a personal level as we have added Detective Walshaw, he talks over the film after most scenes about what he has been through and what he is thinking at that moment in time. Our film contains less conversation as Reservoir Dogs as in Reservoir Dogs it is based in one big room rather than all over the city in our film. Our film contains darker lighting and later scenes are shot late at night to add a bit of horror to the thriller and to keep you on edge.
(For comparison pictures refer to Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 1 & 2 photo's)
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our film it contains mainly male cast members as any normal person would presume that males cause more murders than females, but we have a few female Crime Scene Investigators. Also the age of the characters are around 30-35 as they have much more experience than someone who has recently joined the force although there is one character who is a new CSI, who slips up quite a bit later on in the film. In our case our cast members are from Northern England so we all speak like we are slightly from Yorkshire, which is true to the area. The cast is mainly white male but there are a few from Asian descent and African cast members. We are trying to send a message out about knife crime these days and how people are getting affected by knife crime how it can affected anyone and it can happen anywhere. As we are trying to speak out for people who have been affected in the past and want to raise awareness of knife crime and help to stop it or rapidly reduce it, so we don't have to suffer anymore. This links to our target audience as it is for teenagers and younger adults plus old adults. The teenagers to teach them not to carry knives and to teach them that this is what might happen sometime in the future. The young adults to learn if they carry knives now what it could lead to and to the older adults to keep telling there sons and daughters that it is very bad to use knives and to tell them to not carry knives around with them and not to get sucked in with peer pressure.
(For Comparison pictures see blog entry Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 1 & 2 photo's)
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
This film is very low budget and uses a small production much like Shane Meadows's films and Warp Films. This film could prove to be a success as in America such shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: New York and CSI:Miami are very big and popular over in America. This shows that if a film is produced well and is talked about and advertised well. Such films as Reservoir Dogs are shot with quite a low budget and still sell well, this film would boost the economy of low budget British films such as This Is England which proved a big success and sold very well throughout England. I would class this as a TV movie because it is an independent film with similarities to the hit television series CSI, you can tell this from watching the opening sequence, it is set out in a way that looks very much like a TV show but is very much a movie. The film would be released over the Internet for a few pounds and if it receives good reviews and people want it on DVD then we would dispense it over the website and maybe dispense them to well known sellers such as HMV, WH Smith's and Asda. This opens up other franchises and merchandising, such as if the film does well then there may be a sequel to it, maybe turned into a television series or a spin off, or perhaps a book or comic, or possibly a video game, as in the past games generally do quite well after the movie has released. But it generally depends on how well the film has done as there wouldn't be any money to be made if the film only sold a few hundred copies of the title, it would have to sell a few million DVDs to sell any merchandise.
(For logo's refer to Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 3 Logo's)
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The main audience for our film would be a wide variety of over 15's, this film should appeal to most people mainly people would like shows like CSI and the general crime/thriller genre. The main gender for the film is male as males generally like horror/crime/thrillers rather than girls, but from our evidence from our research using a questionnaire that 60% of the women like watching crime/thriller films, although females are stereotyped as liking more softer films such as romantic, family and comedy films. From our research we have also found out that our main audience is in fact varied from the ages 20 - 40. A similar film to ours is a film called Se7en which stars Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman,it is another crime/thriller, which proved a very big success, which proves that a crime/thriller such as our film sells well. Our film is a classified 15 film as there are some slightly scary moment but nothing over the 15 rating, there are a few swear words used and one minor scene showing graphic detail within one scene which can be edited out if it proves a struggle to be appeal to the audience.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
We attracted the audience by making a film about things that were happening everyday, we chose knife crime, as ever murder in the film happens differently just with a knife. We thought that if we made a film that was touching and based on things happening around the world, that we would send a message out to the young adults and older adults and make people more aware about knife crime. From our research we found out that the audience that would watch us the most would be varied between 20 - 40 so we centered the scenes around something that would appeal to that age group. We researched a few films to see if a main character helps people understand the story more, so we added Detective Walshaw to narrate and tell his story about what he's been through, we thought that would be a good idea to use. We have used camera shots which gives the audience the chance to see a brief encounter of what has happened as we show flashbacks in the film but we do not give away too much detail, just the brief idea what has happened. We use quite a few point of view shots throughout to give the sense that the audience is actual witnessing what is happening. It is a good shot to use as it gives the audience a different experience when they watch the film and a few shots where they feel like they are in the scene with the characters from the film. We use close up shots also to show expression on the characters faces so without saying anything they can tell how the character is feeling. The different shots, if they are edited well will make a good suspense and will keep the audience on the edge of there seat.
6. What have you learnt about technology from the process of construction the product?
I have learnt that the camera is not as hard as you would think to use as the buttons are generally easy to work out how to use, we used a HD camera which made the sound and the picture much improved. The only problem was keeping the camera still on certain terrain as the base wasn't that adjustable, so had the just grin and bare the weight of the camera while filming certain shots but we only held the camera for the flashbacks to give a shakey feel to it, as if you were actually watching it happen. We had a few problems when filming but only minor issues such as finding extra actors for the film, but we had to rely on friends to help us do the filming but it proved to be a good decision as it worked out better than we thought. We had a few problems with the weather as we were set to film and then it started raining, which we thought might give it a crime/thriller type of atmosphere but we thought we would wait to the cloud passed, so the camera didn't get damaged and the actors weren't too uncomfy, the floor was wet when we filmed, so as i was layed on the floor i was very soaked when we stopped filming. We used a camera we had never used before in our film, the HD camera which we were used to using the small handheld camera, they were both easy to use as once you have had a fiddle about with the camera you know how to use it. We also hadn't edited before so the editing process was very new for us, but we felt like we did a good job at the end of the day, we used Final Cut to do our editing as we found it easier to use than iMovie we did the best we could. We found the sound blender very useful as the background noise was different in a few scene, so we blended them together to help the film sound similar between scenes. We used a song which was royalty free, so we could use it without getting into trouble for using it as it would be illegal to use a song in a film without asking the band/ record company for copyright reasons.
(For photographs of equipment we used refer to Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 6 Photo's)
7. Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Before we started the main part of the planning we thought about what type of film we would like to base our film on, after a big discussion we decided that we would pick a crime/thriller to film. We then started researching into the genre and watching films such as Se7en and television programmes such as CSI, we then decided that the sub genre would be detective/mystery. We then started on a script, we then changed the script one more time. We knew that we would need some good camera shots like a point of view shot and a few close ups to show the emotion on the characters face. I feel very confident about using the equipment now, the camera will be easier to the use the more that i use it. Also using Final Cut, I found it easy to use now as i have quite a few hours of editing experience now along with the other 2 members of my group. We did about 40 minutes of different takes that we edited down to 2 minutes of film, as we had a lot of backup film, so we could chose which camera angle or view we would like to use and if edited together it didnt look right then, we would have backup film to replace it. I think we have done very well to say that we had never used the camera before, never edited a film before and never had to plan a film to shoot, we found it easier than we thought it would be as, once we got started we didn't want to finish, and added an extra 40 minutes to the film which was then edited to 2 minutes. All of the group knew there roles in the planning, so we found it very easy to work on the film as we had planned everything we could possibly do. Apart from the incidents that we struggled on as I have stated earlier on in my evaluation, the only other thing we could have done a bit more on is presenting more evidence on the blog as we hadn't put as much things on as we would of liked to. But overall I think as a first time effort it was a success and I am very happy in the final product and I am looking forward to the next time we get to film the same sort of thing.
(For still pictures of our work refer to Final Evaluation / Chris Mellor / Question 7 Still Images)
audience review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvIjY7DQVp8
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Final evaluation/ Josh Woolhouse/ question 2
Question 2 comparison of photos and characters from an opening sequence of another film to The Crime Scene:
PICTURE 1
PICTURE 2
PICTURE 3
PICTURE 4
PICTURE A
PICTURE B
PICTURE C
PICTURE D
Here are two sets of pictures from opening sequences of a similar genre, photos A,B,C,D are from the hit TV series CSI photos 1,2,3,4 are from our film The Crime Scene.
the photos compare in many ways as they both show similar scenes, almost identical to each other, as detectives uncover evidence.
photos c and 2 are similar as it shows how the crew are very hands on and are helping and talking to the actors in the sequence.
photos A and 3 are similar as they are Both close ups of a dead body that is in the process of being examined. both photos show how our film matches a specific genre we set out to achieve and clearly shows how successful we have been.
PICTURE 1
PICTURE 2
PICTURE 3
PICTURE 4
PICTURE A
PICTURE B
PICTURE C
PICTURE D
Here are two sets of pictures from opening sequences of a similar genre, photos A,B,C,D are from the hit TV series CSI photos 1,2,3,4 are from our film The Crime Scene.
the photos compare in many ways as they both show similar scenes, almost identical to each other, as detectives uncover evidence.
photos c and 2 are similar as it shows how the crew are very hands on and are helping and talking to the actors in the sequence.
photos A and 3 are similar as they are Both close ups of a dead body that is in the process of being examined. both photos show how our film matches a specific genre we set out to achieve and clearly shows how successful we have been.
Individual task photos (lord of war) question 1
This picture is from later on in the film and shows Nicholas cage amongst chaos, this could be signifying what is to come later on in the film, you get the impression he is a lonely man as in the photo he is on his self in a dark suit.
This picture is from the opening sequence it shows the bullets journey to the front line on the conveyor belt as it passes through the hands of different people, notice the bullet is the only one looking straight forward, this could be to signify that the film will eventually lead to an overall point and will be very dominant and direct.
This is the well edited film cover for the lord of war, it shows Nicholas cage the main actor, the title of the film and gives a clue that there will be action in the film using the back ground picture.
This is a picture from the opening sequence, this shot i would say is a pov shot and a medium close up of the mans face, it could also be edited as an eye line match.
Individual task josh woolhouse ( research on film sequence)
Film researched: lord of war
Genre: crime thriller
Plot: An arms dealer confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an Interpol agent.
Link to film: http://www.artofthetitle.com/media/film/2005/lord_of_war.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=382&width=810
The films opening title sequence is a continuous, series of clips following the smooth transportation of bullets right from the start, the bullet is being made and prepared in a factory then moves along a chain to a series of different factory's, as the bullet is taking its journey to the front line where it will be used illegally we see a host of different officials where the bullet passes through there hands. right from the factory's, to airport control, to illegal guerrilla tribes in Africa.
The camera work through out the sequence uses a variety of different shots and angles, establishing shots are used to establish every scene and place the bullet passes through, close up shots are used to show peoples reactions, and specific parts of the making of the bullet of importance, the close ups also give us an incite into what rank or class of people the bullets are exchanging hands with. POV shots are used to give us the point of view from the bullet on its journey right from the beginning to the end where we see a young child murdered, this is to show how many times, their child life could have been saved and how easy it is to get illegal arms from one place to another. a high angle shot is used on the factory's to show the bullets mass productions and to signify how important theses bullets are for the people who depend on them, like the people who work in the factory's. different camera movements are used to vary the bullets journey, and to show different reactions,pan and tilt are used in consistency through the scene to keep the scene moving to a good pace as the bullet travels on a conveyor belt to its destination the camera movement echoes this, with pan and tilt, zoom is used when, you need to See something specific, for example how the bullet is made, where it is going etc...
The edititng through out the sequence is continuous and smooth, this could signify how easy it is to import illegal arms from one place to another, and how relaxed the process is, we also get a feeling of this as the non diegetic sound (backtrack) is very un nerving and relaxing, further more emphasising, the easiness of the situation as if it were an everyday occurrence, which the film gives the impression it is. credits are continuously rolled out through out the sequence, this is clever as we are seeing the continuous journey of the bullet, we are also seeing who is responsible for putting the film together, e.g director, producer etc... also the actors names are named, possibly to show there importance through out the film. eye line matches are used to show, different points of views and personalities, and destinations where the bullet travels.
through out the sequence it is consistently, dark and has dark factory colours, maybe to show the directors feelings about the certain topic or to just show the true, colours and setting of a factory, which is most likely. all props are of good quality and are being used in some way to develop the illegal hoard from place to place, every character is in character , and dressed accordingly to their surroundings.
over all the film sequence is very good, some special effects are used, but the main purpose of the opening sequence is to set the theme for the rest of the film, and what the topic is going to be surrounding, also to represent the, journeys in the films and how easily made they are, also how easy it is to get hold of illegal arms and who is effected by them, many different techniques are used, e.g camera movement, editing, sound , mise en scene and i have highlighted these to the best of my ability's.
Genre: crime thriller
Plot: An arms dealer confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an Interpol agent.
Link to film: http://www.artofthetitle.com/media/film/2005/lord_of_war.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=382&width=810
The films opening title sequence is a continuous, series of clips following the smooth transportation of bullets right from the start, the bullet is being made and prepared in a factory then moves along a chain to a series of different factory's, as the bullet is taking its journey to the front line where it will be used illegally we see a host of different officials where the bullet passes through there hands. right from the factory's, to airport control, to illegal guerrilla tribes in Africa.
The camera work through out the sequence uses a variety of different shots and angles, establishing shots are used to establish every scene and place the bullet passes through, close up shots are used to show peoples reactions, and specific parts of the making of the bullet of importance, the close ups also give us an incite into what rank or class of people the bullets are exchanging hands with. POV shots are used to give us the point of view from the bullet on its journey right from the beginning to the end where we see a young child murdered, this is to show how many times, their child life could have been saved and how easy it is to get illegal arms from one place to another. a high angle shot is used on the factory's to show the bullets mass productions and to signify how important theses bullets are for the people who depend on them, like the people who work in the factory's. different camera movements are used to vary the bullets journey, and to show different reactions,pan and tilt are used in consistency through the scene to keep the scene moving to a good pace as the bullet travels on a conveyor belt to its destination the camera movement echoes this, with pan and tilt, zoom is used when, you need to See something specific, for example how the bullet is made, where it is going etc...
The edititng through out the sequence is continuous and smooth, this could signify how easy it is to import illegal arms from one place to another, and how relaxed the process is, we also get a feeling of this as the non diegetic sound (backtrack) is very un nerving and relaxing, further more emphasising, the easiness of the situation as if it were an everyday occurrence, which the film gives the impression it is. credits are continuously rolled out through out the sequence, this is clever as we are seeing the continuous journey of the bullet, we are also seeing who is responsible for putting the film together, e.g director, producer etc... also the actors names are named, possibly to show there importance through out the film. eye line matches are used to show, different points of views and personalities, and destinations where the bullet travels.
through out the sequence it is consistently, dark and has dark factory colours, maybe to show the directors feelings about the certain topic or to just show the true, colours and setting of a factory, which is most likely. all props are of good quality and are being used in some way to develop the illegal hoard from place to place, every character is in character , and dressed accordingly to their surroundings.
over all the film sequence is very good, some special effects are used, but the main purpose of the opening sequence is to set the theme for the rest of the film, and what the topic is going to be surrounding, also to represent the, journeys in the films and how easily made they are, also how easy it is to get hold of illegal arms and who is effected by them, many different techniques are used, e.g camera movement, editing, sound , mise en scene and i have highlighted these to the best of my ability's.
Shooting Script - The Crime Scene
Shooting Script – The Crime Scene
Outside Flat 29 – Daytime
SHOT 1 – Establishing shot – ELS of Detective Walshaw pulling up in his car.
PAN left following Detective Walshaw leaving his car and approaching the crime scene.
SHOT 2 – Long shot – Detective Walshaw joining the other detective’s, Lodge and Jezza who are with the dead body.
SHOT 3 – Medium shot – Detective Adam apologizing for being late.
SHOT 4 – Deep focus shot – Detective Lodge knelt by the dead body responding to Detective Walshaw.
SHOT 5 – Medium shot – Detective Lodge knelt by the body.
TILT up to Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza talking.
SHOT 6 – Medium close up - MCU of Detective Walshaw.
SHOT 7 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza discussing the victim.
SHOT 8 – Medium shot – Flashback of victim Chris Burns leaving his flat.
SHOT 9 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza talking.
SHOT 10 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw.
SHOT 11 – Long shot – Detective Lodge knelt down, looking over the body.
SHOT 12 – Close up – Detective Walshaw’s shocked face.
SHOT 13 – Medium shot – Detective Lodge by the victim’s body.
SHOT 14 – Close up – Flashback of the murder.
SHOT 15 – Over the shoulder – OTS of Detective Adam discussing the murder with Detective Lodge.
SHOT 16 – Long shot – All three Detective’s crowded round the body at the crime scene.
SHOT 17 – Long shot – Action shot of the murder and the suspect.
SHOT 18 – Long shot – Murderer fleeing the scene down an alley.
Zoom in on the murderer running away from behind.
SHOT 19 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw answering his phone.
SHOT 20 – Medium shot – Detective Lodge reacting to Detective Walshaw’s phone call.
SHOT 21 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw still on his phone.
SHOT 22 – Medium – Detective Lodge.
SHOT 23 – Long shot – All 3 Detective’s at the crime scene.
SHOT 24 – Long shot – The three Detectives shot from the left. Detective Lodge crouches by the body.
SHOT 25 – Medium/Long shot – Detective Lodge by the body talking to Detective Jezza in the background.
SHOT 26 – Medium shot – Detective Jezza.
SHOT 27 – Long shot – Detective’s Walshaw and Jezza.
PAN slightly to the right.
SHOT 28 – Establishing shot – ELS OF Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza leaving the crime scene.
PAN right following them both.
SHOT 29 – Long shot – Detective Lodge still at the crime scene with the body.
ZOOM in on Detective Lodge closely scanning the victim’s body.
SHOT 30 – Long shot of Detectives Walshaw and Jezza in the car leaving the scene.
THE END.
Outside Flat 29 – Daytime
SHOT 1 – Establishing shot – ELS of Detective Walshaw pulling up in his car.
PAN left following Detective Walshaw leaving his car and approaching the crime scene.
SHOT 2 – Long shot – Detective Walshaw joining the other detective’s, Lodge and Jezza who are with the dead body.
SHOT 3 – Medium shot – Detective Adam apologizing for being late.
SHOT 4 – Deep focus shot – Detective Lodge knelt by the dead body responding to Detective Walshaw.
SHOT 5 – Medium shot – Detective Lodge knelt by the body.
TILT up to Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza talking.
SHOT 6 – Medium close up - MCU of Detective Walshaw.
SHOT 7 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza discussing the victim.
SHOT 8 – Medium shot – Flashback of victim Chris Burns leaving his flat.
SHOT 9 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza talking.
SHOT 10 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw.
SHOT 11 – Long shot – Detective Lodge knelt down, looking over the body.
SHOT 12 – Close up – Detective Walshaw’s shocked face.
SHOT 13 – Medium shot – Detective Lodge by the victim’s body.
SHOT 14 – Close up – Flashback of the murder.
SHOT 15 – Over the shoulder – OTS of Detective Adam discussing the murder with Detective Lodge.
SHOT 16 – Long shot – All three Detective’s crowded round the body at the crime scene.
SHOT 17 – Long shot – Action shot of the murder and the suspect.
SHOT 18 – Long shot – Murderer fleeing the scene down an alley.
Zoom in on the murderer running away from behind.
SHOT 19 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw answering his phone.
SHOT 20 – Medium shot – Detective Lodge reacting to Detective Walshaw’s phone call.
SHOT 21 – Medium shot – Detective Walshaw still on his phone.
SHOT 22 – Medium – Detective Lodge.
SHOT 23 – Long shot – All 3 Detective’s at the crime scene.
SHOT 24 – Long shot – The three Detectives shot from the left. Detective Lodge crouches by the body.
SHOT 25 – Medium/Long shot – Detective Lodge by the body talking to Detective Jezza in the background.
SHOT 26 – Medium shot – Detective Jezza.
SHOT 27 – Long shot – Detective’s Walshaw and Jezza.
PAN slightly to the right.
SHOT 28 – Establishing shot – ELS OF Detective Walshaw and Detective Jezza leaving the crime scene.
PAN right following them both.
SHOT 29 – Long shot – Detective Lodge still at the crime scene with the body.
ZOOM in on Detective Lodge closely scanning the victim’s body.
SHOT 30 – Long shot of Detectives Walshaw and Jezza in the car leaving the scene.
THE END.
Individual Task- Reservoir Dogs (Title Sequence) Chris Mellor
Title: Reservoir Dogs
Director: Quentin Tarentino
Year:1992
Link To Title Sequence: http://www.artofthetitle.com/media/film/1992/reservoir_dogs_480p.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=414&width=874
Camerawork
Just before the titles come on, there is a medium camera shot of the whole group in the cafe, which then goes into a panning shot of the 8 of them walking across the screen. Then the 8 of them are used in close up shots which shows each of them walking towards the camera while the camera backs away showing there real name. It then cuts to them all walking towards two cars at the bottom of the road. It then cuts to a black screen after the film crews names are shown, it cuts back to Tim Roth layed in the back of the car, which is a medium/ close up shot.
Editing
There is a few cuts to black through out the title sequence, It starts off in the cafe as they start to get up, it cuts to black, Then the film is edited very smoothly when it shows a close up of an actor, when they have put there foot down it is edited to the next actor and so on, then cuts to them walking to the two cars, then cuts to black once again, shows the film crews names. once again cuts to the film after you hear Tim roth screaming, it makes you wonder what has happened then it cuts to him laid in the back of the car bleeding.
Sound
The first sounds you can hear are the chairs scrapping on the floor as the characters get up from the table, There is a non diegetic sound which is the radio presenter Steven Wright playing K Billy, which is added to the scene to link the two up. As they start walking down the street a song called Little Green Bag comes on by George Baker Selection in carries on throughout the scene till you can hear Tim Roth screaming, you can hear him say "Oh God" then "I'm gunna die" which Harvey Keitel replies "hold on buddy boy", Tim then says "I'm gunna die" again, Harvey says "Hey" which Roth finally says "I'm sorry."
Mise-en-scene
They start the scene off in a cafe as the group are getting up from the table. There are 6 of them in suits and the other 2 are either in tracksuits or in a shirt and trousers. They walk down a street past a car and down the street, it then cuts to a wide shot of the street they are looking down. You can see two cars parked at the side of the pavement they are walking towards and one at the opposite side, while a few cars go past, it then rolls on the title of the movie 'Reservoir Dogs'. It shows the film crews names and then cuts to Tim Roth covered in blood, it looks as if he has been shot and Harvey Keitel is driving the injured man away from whatever has happened, while Tim Roth apologises for something he has done, maybe it is something to do with what has got him shot.
Director: Quentin Tarentino
Year:1992
Link To Title Sequence: http://www.artofthetitle.com/media/film/1992/reservoir_dogs_480p.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=414&width=874
Camerawork
Just before the titles come on, there is a medium camera shot of the whole group in the cafe, which then goes into a panning shot of the 8 of them walking across the screen. Then the 8 of them are used in close up shots which shows each of them walking towards the camera while the camera backs away showing there real name. It then cuts to them all walking towards two cars at the bottom of the road. It then cuts to a black screen after the film crews names are shown, it cuts back to Tim Roth layed in the back of the car, which is a medium/ close up shot.
Editing
There is a few cuts to black through out the title sequence, It starts off in the cafe as they start to get up, it cuts to black, Then the film is edited very smoothly when it shows a close up of an actor, when they have put there foot down it is edited to the next actor and so on, then cuts to them walking to the two cars, then cuts to black once again, shows the film crews names. once again cuts to the film after you hear Tim roth screaming, it makes you wonder what has happened then it cuts to him laid in the back of the car bleeding.
Sound
The first sounds you can hear are the chairs scrapping on the floor as the characters get up from the table, There is a non diegetic sound which is the radio presenter Steven Wright playing K Billy, which is added to the scene to link the two up. As they start walking down the street a song called Little Green Bag comes on by George Baker Selection in carries on throughout the scene till you can hear Tim Roth screaming, you can hear him say "Oh God" then "I'm gunna die" which Harvey Keitel replies "hold on buddy boy", Tim then says "I'm gunna die" again, Harvey says "Hey" which Roth finally says "I'm sorry."
Mise-en-scene
They start the scene off in a cafe as the group are getting up from the table. There are 6 of them in suits and the other 2 are either in tracksuits or in a shirt and trousers. They walk down a street past a car and down the street, it then cuts to a wide shot of the street they are looking down. You can see two cars parked at the side of the pavement they are walking towards and one at the opposite side, while a few cars go past, it then rolls on the title of the movie 'Reservoir Dogs'. It shows the film crews names and then cuts to Tim Roth covered in blood, it looks as if he has been shot and Harvey Keitel is driving the injured man away from whatever has happened, while Tim Roth apologises for something he has done, maybe it is something to do with what has got him shot.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
our film distribution company US, UK
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leader in the entertainment industry and one of the top suppliers of programming in the U.S. The company boasts a library of over 3,500 owned or licensed titles covering some of the most influential films ever made as well as television and direct-to-DVD films. Its units create and distribute animated and live-action programming including theatrical films as well as content created under contract for other media companies.
we would use anchor bay to distribute our films through out the us as there is a current gap in the market for detective films, and i feel an American audience would appreciate the contrast in styles, from there hit crime shows like csi to our film the crime scene.
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/
Working Title Films, the UK film production company behind box office hits including Four Weddings and a Funeral and Shaun of the Dead, is to launch a TV division.[3]
Working Title Television is a joint venture with the NBC Universal and will be based in London and Los Angeles. NBC Universal is Working Title's parent company.
we would use these to distribute our film through out the UK, as they have proven to be successful with other good British line films.
http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/
we would use anchor bay to distribute our films through out the us as there is a current gap in the market for detective films, and i feel an American audience would appreciate the contrast in styles, from there hit crime shows like csi to our film the crime scene.
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/
Working Title Films, the UK film production company behind box office hits including Four Weddings and a Funeral and Shaun of the Dead, is to launch a TV division.[3]
Working Title Television is a joint venture with the NBC Universal and will be based in London and Los Angeles. NBC Universal is Working Title's parent company.
we would use these to distribute our film through out the UK, as they have proven to be successful with other good British line films.
http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/
new story plot intro
Agent walshaw pulls up to yet another murder, this is his 3rd in two weeks, hes been in the force for around 10 years and its driving him mad, walshaw walks up to the crime with the expression on his face that something is on his mind, all ready present at the scene are dc neilson and dc lodge, they are both examining the body and area and looking for vital clues to help piece together the events leading up to the murder and clues to who the murderer might actually be, the three detectives engage in conversation over the body, and talk about different scenarios leading to several flashbacks, soon into the examination of the body dc walshaw get yet another call out on his phone and rushes off with dc neilson, is it another murder? is there a serial murderer on the loose? the two detectives walk off to the car and drive off.
Questionaire results
males: 50 females: 50
1. yes 82
no 18
2. comedy: 30
horror: 28
science fiction: 20
adventure: 10
action: 10
war: 7
musicals: 5
3. yes: 55
no: 45
4. italian job
god father
bank job
5. yes: 74
no: 26
6. trailor: 62
research: 38
1. yes 82
no 18
2. comedy: 30
horror: 28
science fiction: 20
adventure: 10
action: 10
war: 7
musicals: 5
3. yes: 55
no: 45
4. italian job
god father
bank job
5. yes: 74
no: 26
6. trailor: 62
research: 38
voice over script
(spoken in his head) detective walshaw:
detective walshaw, ten years in the force, the streets never seem to be clearing up
week after week, turning up to the same dam crimes
its like de ja vue
this.... this was the third in two week!
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Time schedule (6 week plan)
6 week plan
week one:
genre research
prop research
time co ordination
market and audience research
film company research
week two:
script
plot
story board
all preliminary filming completed
specific film sequence planning e.g shots, dialog, props
location research
week three:
brief actors, crew and cast
props on location
filming time plan
collect shots
week four:
edit shots together
edit film audio
collect film evidence pictures
week five:
complete film editing
complete blog
evaluation
week six
week one:
genre research
prop research
time co ordination
market and audience research
film company research
week two:
script
plot
story board
all preliminary filming completed
specific film sequence planning e.g shots, dialog, props
location research
week three:
brief actors, crew and cast
props on location
filming time plan
collect shots
week four:
edit shots together
edit film audio
collect film evidence pictures
week five:
complete film editing
complete blog
evaluation
week six
Target audience reults
Questions asked
Male / Female ?
Which age are you ? 16 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 60 60+
do you regularly watch crime films or shows? yes / no
results
male: 50
female: 50
we found in our results that more people between the ages of 20-40 watch crime genre films and shows. also we found that 60% of these are women.
women who answered yes: 34
women who answered no: 16
men who answered yes: 23
men who answered no: 27
Male / Female ?
Which age are you ? 16 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 60 60+
do you regularly watch crime films or shows? yes / no
results
male: 50
female: 50
we found in our results that more people between the ages of 20-40 watch crime genre films and shows. also we found that 60% of these are women.
women who answered yes: 34
women who answered no: 16
men who answered yes: 23
men who answered no: 27
Final Evaluation / Josh Woolhouse questions 1-7
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of media products?
Our film show cases the genre crime thriller, it incorporates this as the story line represents, a crime and the film is a thriller as it is fast tempo and you don't know just whats around the corner. our film develops this further as we see new leads opening up for the film direction to go in, we have a good plot that can branch off in any way it wants, it engages the audiences minds.
our film inspiration was that of csi, lord of war, and life on mars, lord of war has interesting camera work and is really deep, as in it has an underlined message through out the opening sequence, csi more compares to our films plot, and there are many similarities with camera editing, plot, camera angles and mise en scene. i have research lord of war, the lord of war opening sequence is very smooth, dark and gives straight forward showing of what the film is going to represent, as its straight to the point. there are a variety of special effects used and camera work. it is edited really smoothly and continuous, the colours light and diegetic sounds in the sequence are very consistent. through out the start of the crime scene, it is describing what has happened and giving the audience a head start into what the film is going to be about, the lighting, colour and mise en scene are also consistent to the genre, crime thriller, there is more dialog in our film compared to the lord of war and is easier to guess what the films plot is going to be like, the audiences minds are early engaged and the opening sequences open up many different branches of different plots the audience will soon try to figure out.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our film the crime scene represents two different aspects of today's society and shows two different classes and types of people, the main gender of people represented in the film are male, mainly because men are mostly associated with crime, and situations of unrest, this does not mean to say we are trying to suggest only men commit crimes and women do not feature and take a role in everyday life,the show represents, truth and how in real life it is mainly mindless, teenagers who are stabbing each other and committing crimes, the detectives are of ripe age and represent the more adult view of the audience, the film is targeted towards a wide range of people from old to young as the characters portray this in the style of how they act and the props they use to get into character. the film is mixed race but shows a true reflection of a northern society where white males, predominately outnumber foreign males, the film is true for the area, whereas if it was filmed in other parts of England the whole cast would have to be changed to show a true reflection of the area, in our case we represent a northern society.
what kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film is more of a small production and due to the current society we are trying to represent would more be a small production like that of films of Shane meadows, and produced by warp films, but as proven in America by the hit series CSI detective shows, and films can be marketed and made by big Hollywood company's who can add a certain Jena se cua, to the film with high budget special effects and props, also highly payed actors and a team of specialised editors to make the whole project come together. our film would more suit a TV movie, as it has a good plot, good script and would entice the audience for a lengthy period of time, as they would follow the story to eventually lead to a big finish as do all crime genre films. the film would be real eased as there is defiantly a gap in the British film industry for a good British murder investigation. the film opens many opportunity's up for merchandising and franchising the film, firstly if marketed and advertised in the right way, money is there o be made, DVDs can be sold also with more interest books and more stories can be followed off the film, to make other films following different characterbut using the same style of crime, writing, props, and acting. although you do not want to lose the seriousness of the film as it is not a funny issue like a comedy or cartoon based film where toys can be marketed, fun posters, and gimmick's. other doors open to the film could be through the use of various technologies like game consoles, this would be optional depending on how popular the film was within this particular age group of society. there are opportunities to franchise the film to offer spin off series maybe on television, or spin off films, and through books, where company's pay to use your company's name over there own projects.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience of the project would be a wide variation, as it involves many aspects of society but mainly over 16 years of age would be satisfactory for this film, as from this age people can understand and relate to the character and the events of the film, they would be able to understand the understated message throughout the film, showing how crime costs life's and is never the right option. in market research i did about this various subject i did however find that the main audience who would view the film would be of 20 - 40 years of age, and were 60% women, ( evidence on blog). harry brown released in Nov 2009 is a crime film showing the life of young and old in the country and the effects of crime, also has detectives in the film, but they play a less part than in ours, the rating for the film were good and showed how British people love a good British crime film related to real life in the UK. other British films have been, the krays, the bank job, green street and Italian job, all other successful British produced films.
Our film would best be classified at 16 as the violence is not appropriate for that of anyone under 16, although there is minimal bad language and graphic scenes, the ideas portrayed by the film would not be of best viewing for a young teenager or child. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
How did you attract/address your audience?
Our short film, expresses a fault in true society, and shows what happens everyday around the UK, as two of the films key actors are around the age of a typical student, the film appeal and shock this age group, it could make the audience think more about the subject surrounding knife crime, like the effects and the aftermath it creates, everyday everybody young middle aged or old hear of horrific crimes, we have really tried to bring this alive with a sense of seriousness, also using a light dramatic tense, so the audience can relate to the characters and follow them as the story progresses, seeing not only the effects of serial knife crimes on a side of society we do not often see but also how, detectives who see this sort of thing every day deal with such things.
Different camera shots are used throughout the film to try and show the audience different emotions of the characters, how the characters are with each other, there status, and how they are each effected by the crime. during the first clip we see a close up on one of the main characters ( detective walshaw) showing his emotion as he sees the horrific body, other shots used to create dramatic effect are extreme close ups, medium close up, pan ( to establish the scene) and zoom. The audience are really being allowed to put themselves in the bodies of the detectives and using cleverly placed flash backs throughout the scene, the audience builds up a picture piece by piece of how the victim was murdered, and begin to build there own case analysis together, just as if they are working along side the detectives, it engages the audience and as well as feeling an instinctive emotion towards the seriousness of the topic of the film, the audience instinctively tries to solve the riddle of the plot.
what have you learnt about technology from the process of construction the product?
The camera we used was very easy to use, although was quite hard to negotiate with different terrain, where it is hard to get a good footing sing the stand, the night vision on the stand was very useful as was the zoom in and out as it was very clear and enabled us to take many different shots to work with. the main weakness of the camera was really the mobility of it in un-even areas, as it was often hard to get an even base.
The filming process was quite a struggle, we planned our filming over a period of a week, briefing the actors, and timing when we would have the props at the setting etc... unfortunately on the day of the filming the weather was breezy, and raining but we due to the tight time line we had left, we had to grit our teeth and bear it, we also agreed that the bad weather could really add a certain mood to our scene, and entice the audience even further, other problems during our film was that one of our actors fell ill so we had to find a last minute replacement, fortunately we found one who plays detective Neilson in the film. In the face of such problems i think my team and i coped rather well and we came up with good plans and covered ourselves for any slip ups. editing the film was hard ad the start but during the course of two weeks i got use to the system of final cut, and working with different equipment like the microphone system to record the films over voice, and also finding suitable backing tracks to play throughout the movie. i learned many new skills using final cut, it is really quite simple, cutting and chopping clips and fitting them together so they play continuous and smoothly, where the audio matches in every scene and the on screen visual continuity also doe not differ. i used an added different effects like incorporating sound within the movie, sequencing and rendering the clips together, also adding special effects like a flash back. the audio is controlled through out the film, as i used final cut to edit where and how loud the sound will be. the effects used really brought the clips together and made the film what it is, the complicated story line would have been harder to incorporate into the film if it hadn't had been for clever flash backs using various special effects.
Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
During the pre-filming stage, i knew that research would play a key role in our film and how successful it would be so this was our main priority, we targeted a specific type of genre we would be interested in filming, that would challenge our imagination and technological skills, so we researched the area of crime, and different movies and TV shows, our research gave us many ideas of a storyline, props,characters, different effects and ideas for our plot and overall short film. our second but very important task was time management, so i wrote out a schedule of which we had to keep to a six week deadline that would spread our time out evenly giving us enough time to plan, film, edit and finish in time to complete our blog, (evidence in blog), the schedule was shown to each member of the team in draft and should be uploaded onto the blog.
now we had a time plan the next most relevant tasks were devising together a plot and from a plot we could draw together our ideas on a story board and eventually specify our main ideas and little details that make the film onto a script, which we had done twice as we modified it along the way, our ideas were discussed and the main plot of the story was typed up, we them moved on to write the script which was then printed off and gave to our actors. due to being let down several times by in sufficient actors, we postponed the filming and had to write a new script. the main purpose of the film though was to show and effect the audience, so to do this i realised camera angles were very important and would play a key role in how the film was judged and how the characters and plot would be perceived by the audience, so we carefully matched and linked in shots into the script to give us a bigger sense of direction and understanding of how we wanted the film to be perceived, long shots, medium, close, POV, pan tilt and establishing shots were all used during the film. the planning of the shots made it much easier to edit, as i knew what direction we needed to go in, and which shots to use to give the best effects,the planning must have saved us at least 2 days, of which we were still on the back foot off. planning is essential as the whole process is smoother and cleaner, everybody in the team was briefed and knew there jobs and what there main focus was, as showing in the blog evidence as we gave out cast titles. my main use of specific shot types has improved yes as i took control of a large percent of the filming, i learned new angles and skills and was keen to be experimental and see if different things could we used and if we could use the surrounding environment to create better shots, my tilt and pan shots improved and i am quite proud of them as they are dominant in the film. as well as filming i did a large percentage of editing, and got use to the equipment quite easily, so i am now very confident in using different technology, and also exploring different equipment, and learning to use it.
Through out the project i would say i took part in mostly everything and gave it all a try to the best of my ability, from planning, filming, acting, editing and researching, i feel the end project was successful especially the film given the time we was given to work with and on top of this the unfortunate incidents that held us back, but i feel we could have done more work to produce more evidence to show the hard work we put into the short film on the blog, and this is the only weakness i would say we have, i enjoyed the whole process, and we are very confident in the final piece we produced.
link to the audience review on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvIjY7DQVp8
This link, is an interview of the audience answering questions that we asked them to observe featuring our project.
Our film show cases the genre crime thriller, it incorporates this as the story line represents, a crime and the film is a thriller as it is fast tempo and you don't know just whats around the corner. our film develops this further as we see new leads opening up for the film direction to go in, we have a good plot that can branch off in any way it wants, it engages the audiences minds.
our film inspiration was that of csi, lord of war, and life on mars, lord of war has interesting camera work and is really deep, as in it has an underlined message through out the opening sequence, csi more compares to our films plot, and there are many similarities with camera editing, plot, camera angles and mise en scene. i have research lord of war, the lord of war opening sequence is very smooth, dark and gives straight forward showing of what the film is going to represent, as its straight to the point. there are a variety of special effects used and camera work. it is edited really smoothly and continuous, the colours light and diegetic sounds in the sequence are very consistent. through out the start of the crime scene, it is describing what has happened and giving the audience a head start into what the film is going to be about, the lighting, colour and mise en scene are also consistent to the genre, crime thriller, there is more dialog in our film compared to the lord of war and is easier to guess what the films plot is going to be like, the audiences minds are early engaged and the opening sequences open up many different branches of different plots the audience will soon try to figure out.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our film the crime scene represents two different aspects of today's society and shows two different classes and types of people, the main gender of people represented in the film are male, mainly because men are mostly associated with crime, and situations of unrest, this does not mean to say we are trying to suggest only men commit crimes and women do not feature and take a role in everyday life,the show represents, truth and how in real life it is mainly mindless, teenagers who are stabbing each other and committing crimes, the detectives are of ripe age and represent the more adult view of the audience, the film is targeted towards a wide range of people from old to young as the characters portray this in the style of how they act and the props they use to get into character. the film is mixed race but shows a true reflection of a northern society where white males, predominately outnumber foreign males, the film is true for the area, whereas if it was filmed in other parts of England the whole cast would have to be changed to show a true reflection of the area, in our case we represent a northern society.
what kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film is more of a small production and due to the current society we are trying to represent would more be a small production like that of films of Shane meadows, and produced by warp films, but as proven in America by the hit series CSI detective shows, and films can be marketed and made by big Hollywood company's who can add a certain Jena se cua, to the film with high budget special effects and props, also highly payed actors and a team of specialised editors to make the whole project come together. our film would more suit a TV movie, as it has a good plot, good script and would entice the audience for a lengthy period of time, as they would follow the story to eventually lead to a big finish as do all crime genre films. the film would be real eased as there is defiantly a gap in the British film industry for a good British murder investigation. the film opens many opportunity's up for merchandising and franchising the film, firstly if marketed and advertised in the right way, money is there o be made, DVDs can be sold also with more interest books and more stories can be followed off the film, to make other films following different characterbut using the same style of crime, writing, props, and acting. although you do not want to lose the seriousness of the film as it is not a funny issue like a comedy or cartoon based film where toys can be marketed, fun posters, and gimmick's. other doors open to the film could be through the use of various technologies like game consoles, this would be optional depending on how popular the film was within this particular age group of society. there are opportunities to franchise the film to offer spin off series maybe on television, or spin off films, and through books, where company's pay to use your company's name over there own projects.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience of the project would be a wide variation, as it involves many aspects of society but mainly over 16 years of age would be satisfactory for this film, as from this age people can understand and relate to the character and the events of the film, they would be able to understand the understated message throughout the film, showing how crime costs life's and is never the right option. in market research i did about this various subject i did however find that the main audience who would view the film would be of 20 - 40 years of age, and were 60% women, ( evidence on blog). harry brown released in Nov 2009 is a crime film showing the life of young and old in the country and the effects of crime, also has detectives in the film, but they play a less part than in ours, the rating for the film were good and showed how British people love a good British crime film related to real life in the UK. other British films have been, the krays, the bank job, green street and Italian job, all other successful British produced films.
Our film would best be classified at 16 as the violence is not appropriate for that of anyone under 16, although there is minimal bad language and graphic scenes, the ideas portrayed by the film would not be of best viewing for a young teenager or child. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
How did you attract/address your audience?
Our short film, expresses a fault in true society, and shows what happens everyday around the UK, as two of the films key actors are around the age of a typical student, the film appeal and shock this age group, it could make the audience think more about the subject surrounding knife crime, like the effects and the aftermath it creates, everyday everybody young middle aged or old hear of horrific crimes, we have really tried to bring this alive with a sense of seriousness, also using a light dramatic tense, so the audience can relate to the characters and follow them as the story progresses, seeing not only the effects of serial knife crimes on a side of society we do not often see but also how, detectives who see this sort of thing every day deal with such things.
Different camera shots are used throughout the film to try and show the audience different emotions of the characters, how the characters are with each other, there status, and how they are each effected by the crime. during the first clip we see a close up on one of the main characters ( detective walshaw) showing his emotion as he sees the horrific body, other shots used to create dramatic effect are extreme close ups, medium close up, pan ( to establish the scene) and zoom. The audience are really being allowed to put themselves in the bodies of the detectives and using cleverly placed flash backs throughout the scene, the audience builds up a picture piece by piece of how the victim was murdered, and begin to build there own case analysis together, just as if they are working along side the detectives, it engages the audience and as well as feeling an instinctive emotion towards the seriousness of the topic of the film, the audience instinctively tries to solve the riddle of the plot.
what have you learnt about technology from the process of construction the product?
The camera we used was very easy to use, although was quite hard to negotiate with different terrain, where it is hard to get a good footing sing the stand, the night vision on the stand was very useful as was the zoom in and out as it was very clear and enabled us to take many different shots to work with. the main weakness of the camera was really the mobility of it in un-even areas, as it was often hard to get an even base.
The filming process was quite a struggle, we planned our filming over a period of a week, briefing the actors, and timing when we would have the props at the setting etc... unfortunately on the day of the filming the weather was breezy, and raining but we due to the tight time line we had left, we had to grit our teeth and bear it, we also agreed that the bad weather could really add a certain mood to our scene, and entice the audience even further, other problems during our film was that one of our actors fell ill so we had to find a last minute replacement, fortunately we found one who plays detective Neilson in the film. In the face of such problems i think my team and i coped rather well and we came up with good plans and covered ourselves for any slip ups. editing the film was hard ad the start but during the course of two weeks i got use to the system of final cut, and working with different equipment like the microphone system to record the films over voice, and also finding suitable backing tracks to play throughout the movie. i learned many new skills using final cut, it is really quite simple, cutting and chopping clips and fitting them together so they play continuous and smoothly, where the audio matches in every scene and the on screen visual continuity also doe not differ. i used an added different effects like incorporating sound within the movie, sequencing and rendering the clips together, also adding special effects like a flash back. the audio is controlled through out the film, as i used final cut to edit where and how loud the sound will be. the effects used really brought the clips together and made the film what it is, the complicated story line would have been harder to incorporate into the film if it hadn't had been for clever flash backs using various special effects.
Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
During the pre-filming stage, i knew that research would play a key role in our film and how successful it would be so this was our main priority, we targeted a specific type of genre we would be interested in filming, that would challenge our imagination and technological skills, so we researched the area of crime, and different movies and TV shows, our research gave us many ideas of a storyline, props,characters, different effects and ideas for our plot and overall short film. our second but very important task was time management, so i wrote out a schedule of which we had to keep to a six week deadline that would spread our time out evenly giving us enough time to plan, film, edit and finish in time to complete our blog, (evidence in blog), the schedule was shown to each member of the team in draft and should be uploaded onto the blog.
now we had a time plan the next most relevant tasks were devising together a plot and from a plot we could draw together our ideas on a story board and eventually specify our main ideas and little details that make the film onto a script, which we had done twice as we modified it along the way, our ideas were discussed and the main plot of the story was typed up, we them moved on to write the script which was then printed off and gave to our actors. due to being let down several times by in sufficient actors, we postponed the filming and had to write a new script. the main purpose of the film though was to show and effect the audience, so to do this i realised camera angles were very important and would play a key role in how the film was judged and how the characters and plot would be perceived by the audience, so we carefully matched and linked in shots into the script to give us a bigger sense of direction and understanding of how we wanted the film to be perceived, long shots, medium, close, POV, pan tilt and establishing shots were all used during the film. the planning of the shots made it much easier to edit, as i knew what direction we needed to go in, and which shots to use to give the best effects,the planning must have saved us at least 2 days, of which we were still on the back foot off. planning is essential as the whole process is smoother and cleaner, everybody in the team was briefed and knew there jobs and what there main focus was, as showing in the blog evidence as we gave out cast titles. my main use of specific shot types has improved yes as i took control of a large percent of the filming, i learned new angles and skills and was keen to be experimental and see if different things could we used and if we could use the surrounding environment to create better shots, my tilt and pan shots improved and i am quite proud of them as they are dominant in the film. as well as filming i did a large percentage of editing, and got use to the equipment quite easily, so i am now very confident in using different technology, and also exploring different equipment, and learning to use it.
Through out the project i would say i took part in mostly everything and gave it all a try to the best of my ability, from planning, filming, acting, editing and researching, i feel the end project was successful especially the film given the time we was given to work with and on top of this the unfortunate incidents that held us back, but i feel we could have done more work to produce more evidence to show the hard work we put into the short film on the blog, and this is the only weakness i would say we have, i enjoyed the whole process, and we are very confident in the final piece we produced.
link to the audience review on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvIjY7DQVp8
This link, is an interview of the audience answering questions that we asked them to observe featuring our project.
production company
wild dog productions are the company producing, the 2010 crime film, The Crime Scene, wild dog productions are a new company, privately funded and are established in and around south yorkshire, mainly in sheffield, they have not done any other major films but have plans of working with, shane meadows, so watch out for the name.
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