During the weekend I assisted some friends with shooting their own zombie film, I played the role of news reporter. The experience was beneficial in highlighting potential issues when shooting, for example:
Background noise proved especially hard to record against, additionally the background in general was an issue as we found many were passing through areas where we were shooting. Which is problematic if the film aims to depict a zombie outbreak.
It was raining at one point which put the camera at risk, luckily someone improvised and used a plastic bag in order to shield the camera.
Some actors didn't know their lines - this was an organisational issue - given the time constraint, the scripts were only given out on the day resulting in a lack of quality acting.
Gathering the shots seemed to also be an issue as the group didn't have a storyboard properly made, which meant rerecording scenes for potential use when editing.
Some of these issues can be avoided though. Firstly, in regards to sound and background interference, it is probably a good idea to keep on-set lines to a minimum or to add dialogue in post; I could even just do a voice over or not include dialogue altogether.
Secondly, in regards to location, sound can be an issue as well as interruptions from the public (i.e. passers-by), for this I would aim to shoot in relatively secluded areas. Alternatively I could either keep dialogue to a minimum or just add it in post; it could certainly be effective if the main protagonist/protagonists don't necessarily speak, instead focusing on the outbreak/downfall of society like in Dawn of the Dead (2004).
Lastly, organisation in terms of writing the script and planning a storyboard appear to be key. By completing a script I would be able to hand it out sooner to the actors and have them rehearse, additionally a storyboard would make organising shots easier - making it easier to focus on continuity and whether or not I have all of the shots needed. This will ensure that my work is very efficient and to a high enough standard.
Above are the people I worked with during the shoot and it seems to be a good decision to work with them in order to shoot my own video. We both have the same focus of genre and I am then working with a previously established group - putting me in contact with a make-up artist and even actors or an additional camera worker. I will work on asking them to work with me and hopefully get organised soon.
It has been beneficial for me to work on this project as it has put me in contact with Lauren who has kindly offered to do make-up for my video. Furthermore, I have been able to discover new locations for filming, some were quite public and therefore not what I would wish to use, however it was still useful to get an overall idea of potential areas; evidently a full day of scouting for locations to shoot would be required as some shots of mine might disrupt the public - if I attempt to use weapons and even through the use of zombie make-up which might appear too realistic.
Overall, it appears that working on a zombie film would be more efficient - I've already helped shoot one previously, I am a fan of the genre and culture, it is an affordable genre and so one Furthermore, zombies are iconic and thus are entertaining, if I am able to grab people's attention with a typically trope-filled genre then perhaps my development into the representations enabled by zombie films will stand out more.
I decided to analyse the openings in my last post mainly as they were the first ones to come to mind, although I did find some interesting openings in a WatchMojo Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKlQ0XrLSYU), it's also comforting to see two of the openings I analysed included in the WatchMojo Top Ten video as it appears that I picked iconic opening sequences. I also found that Superbad and a couple of James Bond films are included in an online top 30 Opening Sequences list (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/30-unforgettable-movie-title-sequences/) which suggests that I've analysed some relatively successful title sequences. I believe that the openings are simply memorable or different which is why they're successful, however with the Bond franchise I believe that they have achieved a sense of notoriety for being very artistic/compositionally great.
Now, in this post I will be discussing which genre I would consider focusing on for my final piece. In order to decide I'll have to weigh the constraints and benefits of the films; my initial understanding is that I should avoid major blockbuster elements as they usually cost more money and time.
Action
I am unsure as to whether or not I will focus on the action genre - I may include elements of it but perhaps not all. Many action movies tend to be blockbuster films produced by large conglomerate companies, they would be needed as the films include may special effects and stunt specialists. Not only would shooting cost lots of money, it would also cost time to learn how to edit in explosions, bullets, bullet holes, debris, gunfire and blood. Additionally, there is an issue with using prop weapons as they can cause public concern if used in a public area; action films tend to use many weapons and so they would be difficult to transport, conceal and act with without drawing attention or increasing concern.
Romance
It is unlikely that I will produce the opening to a romance film as I am not very confident. Understandably a romance film can be low budget and be shot in a short time however it would be difficult to cast two actors capable enough of showing a true connection in such a short time, they'd have to learn their lines and perhaps even get to know each other better in order to play the roles convincingly. Not only this but I personally don't feel confident enough in shooting a romance film, not having watched or researched many - in fact I struggled to think of a romance film to analyse. I feel as though I could work more efficiently on a genre I am comfortable with, in which I am aware of its tropes too.
Comedy
The humourous jokes and gags would certainly make my final piece more enjoyable as many are entertained by humour. I am confident in my knowledge of comedies to begin with and would certainly enjoy further research, it'd even be a low cost and time-effective genre to focus on as it doesn't necessarily require high-end effects, Although, writing a truly entertaining script can be another issue as I would have to decide on what particular comedy I would like to create. Furthermore, the opening that I did analyse would be difficult to replicate as I don't believe I have the artistic capacity nor the time and skill. Perhaps I could include some features of comedy such as jokes or light-hearted music/bright visuals to entertain my audience and engage them during the opening sequence.
Zombie This genre has always been an interest of mine, with the idea of a post-apocalyptic world and focusing on survival and human interatctions - given the breakdown of society after the outbreak. Many zombie films are quite accessible in terms of budget, the main concerns being special effects, extras or make-up; one way of getting around this could be to focus on perhaps one zombie and suggest gore rather than show it or even adding effects in post. Films such as Night of the Living Dead, Evil Dead, Redneck Zombies and the Zombie Diaries tended to be lower in budget yet have cult followings. I could also add in features of each of the other genres to a zombie film as atleast the genre gives a basic setting and structure of narrative - breakdown of society followed by survival.
Comedy
Comedies seem to use light hearted music and jokes/physical gags in order to generate humour, which in turn would interest the audience. Often comedies use exaggeration of characteristics, sarcasm or hyperbole for comedic effect; the oldest comedies - during the silent film period - often focused on slapstick humour as they had to rely on visuals, given that there was no sound. A notable feature of feel-good-comedies is the use of narration too, this can be used for the protagonist or narrator (who is usually the protagonist) to make amusing commentary over certain events.
The opening to Superbad is quite strange but artistic, in the sense that it doesn't fit the movie. It features a song that is quite funky, which certainly fits the visuals used; the credits are featured alongside coloured silhouettes of the main duo dancing - the credits are even in the appropriate order as discussed prior. The visuals show quite a disco dance by the duo which certainly fits the song, both giving off a 70s vibe. The reason this is strange is because the movie is set in the 2000s and doesn't appear to have any connection to the 70s culture, regardless it is artistic in the sense that it is obviously vibrant and stylish - grabbing the attention of the audience. Perhaps this is why it was done, it makes the opening memorable and catches the attention of the audience to draw them in, furthermore it's very lively and upbeat making people feel good; the idea of a comedy is that it's amusing and makes people laugh/happy and so the opening sets up the feel-good-movie of this teen comedy. This opening doesn't seem to use a narration but it certainly appears to use the light hearted music and exaggeration of dance moves to come across as a comedy.
There is a large use of transitions such as the slide/wipe and the clock/rotation transition, these work with the composition of the dancing silhouettes to make the opening seem very smooth. Additionally the effects are quite cheesy and obvious, making it again seem like the opening to a film from the 70s - even the Columbia Pictures title was edited into the opening in a grainy 70s design.
In terms of representation we see, throughout the movie, the main characters trying to be 'cool' and 'popular' when obviously they are unpopular and low in the social hierarchy, however, they try to be wild and rebellious in order to gain popularity and the 70s was certainly a time of freedom in which social norms were combated. It was a well-known period in which people would go to the disco, dance and drink, as such it seems appropriate that Superbad is showing the young people embracing this idea. On the other hand, it only goes on to perpetuate the stereotype of teenagers being rebellious party-goers, since the film is based around a party and the opening feels like one.
I believe the opening is quite good in the sense that it is bright and colourful - gaining the viewers attention. Additionally it is certainly memorable and sets a feel-good mood for the rest of the movie, although it certainly seems like it could be difficult to replicate. It would require a significant amount of artistic awareness of planning and composition.
Zombie
Zombie movies have had a large influence (from their initial introduction into pop culture) from George Romero who made the '...Of The Dead' series. From Romero we see the classic slow hordes of zombies that feast on brains or flesh however recent interests have focused on the idea of making zombies more scientifically-plausible, leading to developments in the genre such as fast zombies or 'infected' (who aren't necessarily reanimated corpses). It is common for Zombie films to include conventions of other genres, for example Shaun of the Dead plays off of the tropes and makes blatant references to zombie stereotypes, but the most common theme throughout the genre is the idea of survival.
Dawn of the Dead's opening conforms to the conventions of opening credits, crediting those involved in the normal order. It does so in a brilliantly simple way: the credits are given on a black screen to break up the clips used helping to transition between them and affect the pace. The words are in red,appearing to move like blood being sucked/slurped (given the sound effect used) and the text is placed on a black background in order to stand out better; the credits are on long enough to read but aren't on too long, they switch between footage of the world, the news, the infected (zombies) and medical imagery. These clips are short - quickening the pace of the film - but they provide exposition in regards to the collapse of society due to the zombie outbreak.
The song used is by Johnny Cash and sounds relatively upbeat but melancholy; the lyrics suggest a 'man coming around' which can either apply to soldiers coming around in order to control the situation or perhaps to death itself. The personification of death would be interesting as it would show how chaotic the world has become, people would be surrounded by death according to the opening. There is even use of screaming, growling and tearing to indicate the activity of the zombie attacks and how they act in general, giving exposition in terms of alerting the audience as to how the infection affects people. This works well with the visuals as it relates to the idea of the 'living dead' but the contrast in the pace of the song to its lyrics and what is seen during the opening seems to amplify the tragedy. In the end the song could then be seen as solemn.
Mise-en-scene is interesting as it clearly shows a variety of people - different religions and races - who are all affected by the outbreak, even the make up for the zombies is impressively realistic, further immersing the audience. The selection of clips used show news reports and the collapse of society, even at the end when the news reporter is attacked we see the final outcome for civilised society. We can infer that the world has fallen into disarray due to a lack of structure and safety, even public broadcasting and electricity would be affected. This can be shown through the editing effects which mix static with the footage and cracks in the screen, which suggest damage to live footage or that the live footage is interrupted.
The break down of society seems to affect all creeds and races which is interesting in terms of the infection, in a sense, treating people equally and affecting all humans. Romero's films deal with the concept of society's collapse but the collapse of a structure puts all survivors on even ground, the interactions between survivors could reflect their true beliefs and prejudices - for example violent actions against other survivors and why.
Personally I like this opening as it seems to correctly adhere to the conventions of an opening title sequence but also it is very good visually. The fast pace and use of different news clips shows the downfall of society and provides exposition without necessarily using commentary or narration. It even introduces the zombie outbreak as an infectious disease and even gives an action-based end that will carry on throughout the film.
Action
Action films tend to include action sequences at the beginning in order to build tension or excite the audience - generating interest to watch. Action films contain many tropes too such as one liners, the protagonist walking away from an explosion slowly, sexual scenes/seduction, explosions and fast chases (by foot or car); the openings don't necessarily have any importance on the plot, in movies such as James Bond we see Bond completing one mission before actually focusing on the mission that the movie is about. The openings are typically used for getting the audience immersed or in order to introduce characters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfYC_CBNtiM
Here we see the distributor logo followed by the production studio, adhering to the conventional features of a movie opening sequence. We also see a gradual zoom - used as an establishing shot - which is broken up by quick/short shots of the car, bullets/guns and the eyes of the protagonist. The music at the beginning is also a slow instrumental which fits the establishing shot, making the scene seem peaceful. However, the long shot is interrupted by the small clips which increase the pace and tension; finally it is revealed that James Bond is in the middle of a mission - a chase scene. The music cuts out as the scene starts, focusing on ambient sound to immerse the viewers: gunfire, car engines, crash noises.The sound effects even become muffled after James has a particularly bad crash, this leads in to the new music fading in - which is more dramatic, being quite 'jumpy and reaching a crescendo before James eliminates the final enemies. In doing this we see the scenes' tension accentuated by the music, which reflect what is occurring; another point is that the original music is interrupted by the chase scene, making the action stand out as it stops the incidental music and introduces a tense and fast-paced action sequence.
The mise-en-scene indicates that there are a few local police officers that are chasing Bond, however they are no match for the 'villains' and are quickly dispatched. This could suggest a degree of incompetence on their behalf, given that they were unable to subdue the criminals; the stereotype of the police is that they are typically lazy/incompetent, usually arriving late or after the damage has already been done. Here we see the officers respond to the situation very quickly however they are killed/injured during Bond's escape - as suggested by the devastating crash that their car endured. Their actions contrast to Bond's in the sense that he is able to escape and complete his task (mostly unscathed). Perhaps suggesting that the police are inferior to spies, in terms of catching/dispatching of criminals.
The opening finishes as he finishes his mission, followed by the iconic James Bond theme - the use of which interludes to the opening song, which includes the appropriate credits in the traditional order. The use of the James Bond theme is so iconic that it prepares the audience for the action that is suspected of a James Bond film, given that he is a spy. It's a good opening in the sense that it helps to set the overall pace of the film, including many conventions of the action genre: there is an intense car chase, lots of debris from car crashes (on-par with explosions to a degree), and follow up the end of one of James Bond's missions.
Romance
Romance films seem to include the same formula of [boy] meets [girl] and somehow is forced to win her back - finishing with a kiss or happy ending. However, there are romance films that filter into comedy, action and horror; the genre usually contains sexually-explicit scenes or jokes/references. Another common note is the use of symbolism through colours, such as red, due to its connotations of love and desire. This is evident from the DVD covers in most cases, such as Love Actually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEy5-ysvbKc
In the Princess Bride opening scene, we see the distribution and production logos feature in the traditional order followed by the title however we don't see any other credits, instead we see the movie begin as soon as possible. The scene opens with a child coughing, introducing one of the characters. Mise-en-scene establishes that the coughing child is ill and that the movie, or at least his portion of the film, occurs in the 80s as shown by the clothes and the video game used at the beginning; the room is littered with toys and junk food - indicating that it is a child's room - and that the child is ill as the room is messy and the child is in bed (the dialogue exchange also confirms this). The movie begins with a light-hearted approach, with the grandfather reading a book in order to make the child feel better: the narration by the grandfather over the scenes of the book then become the main focus of the film, the story appearing to be a 'cheesy' or stereotypical romance. This is exaggerated to the extent that it is almost a parody, it appears to be used for comedic effect - given that the boy doesn't enjoy the aspect of it being a 'kissing book'.
The characters in the book - Wesley and Buttercup - continuously gaze at one another and Wesley repeats the phrase "As you wish", which is apparently his way of saying "I love you". The slow music helps indicate the romantic aspect of the film, it is calm and uplifting in an effort to get the audience to hope the two "live happily ever after". The use of long duration shots slows the pace of the film and also indicates the 'loving gazes' of the two characters; there appears to be very little use of red, which usually symbolises love, however there is a shot of the two silhouetted in the sunset, kissing each other. This does adhere to the conventions discussed prior, to a degree, as boy and girl do meet and fall in love although they do kiss prior to the end.
In terms of how people are represented, we clearly see both the young and old stereotyped. The young boy's room indicates his interests but they are notably modern (at the time) in contrast to his grandfather's interests - i.e. books. There is a clear divide in terms of what each age group deems entertaining and we can clearly see the boy become exasperated and bored at the aspect of adult themes - such as romance - in the book; the grandfather even talks about how he "didn't have TV" but instead he had books. The old are typically presented as 'boring' or unable to adjust to modern technology/disapproving of it, meanwhile the young seem to have a lack of interest in older objects as they are (again) 'boring' or inferior forms of entertainment; the disconnection between the two at the beginning is shown by the boy's lack of interest, through his mocking demeanour/dialogue and his bored facial expressions - the grandfather clearly disregarding this and proceeding to read the story as a tradition, having read it to his own son when he was ill.
The opening is clearly useful in giving exposition on the events within the book and even introduces characters that can comment on the events, in order to connect with the audience and provide comic relief, however it doesn't necessarily credit the appropriate people involved. This may be in order to better immerse the audience or simply allow more focus on the plot.
I have improved from my prior video, Numbers, as I have clearly adhered to the conventions of continuity - which was an issue before. I've met the criteria that I was set for the project by including: an action match shot, use of shot/reverse shot, and focused on maintaining the 180 degree rule. However, in terms of use I feel that the action match shot could have been more effective had it been used with the handing over of the 'Flash Drive'.
Similarly, in terms of effectiveness, the shot/reverse shot could have included more variation; I originally planned to add a long shot of the two characters talking, which would have been an issue given that I recorded the actors separately. However, I planned to crop the two shots together in order to make them appear as one solid shot, the issue was that on my second shooting the camera was slighty out of place and so the shots wouldn't have matched up. I decided to go back and edit my video to improve it, based upon the issues I discovered:
Another issue that I identified was audio, the music seemed to be louder than the dialogue despite how I faded it. I decided to alter the volume of the music and the dialogue, even altering the fades for the music. As seen below, I also tidied up the audio files as I origniallly used 4 separate spaces for audio; pinpointing the fades and matching them up was then made easier by this.
Visually I felt as though the sequence worked, it felt realistic which contrasted to the use of meta comedy in order to make the video funnier - maybe even improving the effect of the use of the 'Flash Drive' as that is not what one looks like, it is instead a car and a torch for visual humour. Although I don't think the credits worked well; adding the credits at the end on a single slide seemed lazy or clumsy. Furthermore, the begining felt empty as it was a single shot of a corridor, so I decided to include the credits at the beginning. Given my new knowledge of the conventions of title sequences, I decided to also include some still images to break up the start - adding the credits in order on the images. Improved Continuity Video
To my own knowledge, there seems to be some conventions that are shown throughout multiple films however I am not entirely sure I know all of the features or why they occur; the final piece is supposed to be a film opening that I have created - which adheres to the conventions I discover in relation to a 'good film' or 'good opening title'. Distributors and Production Studios From my own knowledge, I am aware that distributors and studios will add their icons/logos at the beginning of an opening title sequences. However, Wikipedia notes that usually Distribution companies show their icons first, followed by the Production companies'. The film Blitz for example, shows this: Lions Gate is the distributor and so is credited first, followed by Davis Films who is the studio that produced the film. This is shown in the link provided below:
Here is a list of a few Production companies and Distribution companies:
Paramount Pictures - Production and Distribution
Warner Bros. - Production and Distribution
Columbia Pictures - Production and Distribution
Lions Gate - Distribution
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) - Production and Distribution
Universal Pictures - Production
Disney Pixar - Production
Davis Films - Production
Conglomerates
Some are known as conglomerates which is a multi-industry company; a company that works in multiple forms of media can be counted as a conglomerate i.e. being involved in television, film, gaming and music (or any combination of two or more). For example, Time Warner is the main company responsible for Warner Bros. as well as TT Games.
The order of credits, according to Wikipedia:
(NAME OF THE STUDIO) or (NAME OF THE STUDIO) PRESENTS
(NAME OF THE PRODUCTION COMPANY)
POSSESSORY CREDIT/S (A [name of director] FILM)
STARRING (MAIN ACTORS)
(FILM'S TITLE)
FEATURING or WITH or ALSO STARRING (MORE ACTORS)
CASTING or CASTING BY
MUSIC or MUSIC COMPOSED BY or ORIGINAL SCORE BY
PRODUCTION DESIGN or PRODUCTION DESIGNER
EDITOR or EDITED BY
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PRODUCER or PRODUCED BY, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
BASED ON [INSERT SUBJECT]
(SCREEN) STORY or STORY BY
WRITER(S) or WRITTEN BY or SCREENPLAY or SCREENPLAY BY
We were tasked with producing a short video, focusing primarily on continuity and maintaining it throughout the video. I have organised a video titled (appropriately) as Continuity; I produced a storyboard and script myself, recruiting actors and operating the cameras on my own. The audio was recorded on a phone and I was able to place it close to the actors for the sound to be clear, the phone being out of frame due to the computer monitors.
I used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for editing, the music used is Two Finger Johnny by http://incompetech.com/
I have decided to use incompetech again, for my video's music as it is royalty-free and has a wide range of music types. The song I have chosen is titled Two Finger Johnny, the link is given below:
I primarily chose this as it is lively, setting up nicely for the non-serious piece I aim to film; my video notably is quite meta and exaggerated, therefore I feel the song fits well. It also doesn't have any lyrics and therefore wont take away from the dialogue - I will fade the song as the dialogue begins.
Given that the task focuses on continuity, I made sure to indicate where the continuity features appear in the video. Firstly I decided to go with the script I'd written prior and decided that the classroom would be an appropriate and easy place to shoot; I've even decided to go with some of the potential shots from my scouting, as seen in the 3rd drawing where I decided to place the camera on top of one of the computers and pan across the room - making sure to track Person 1.
I've included some alternative shots for each portion of the video, aiming to film both before deciding on which one to use. For example the first shot of the corridor could be shot from over the shoulder or as a still camera looking into the hall.
Upon realising that my script involves two media students talking, I believe it is quite appropriate to use my Media classroom as media students tend to work in classrooms; it involves little travel requirement and ensures that where I shoot is safe, warm - for the actors, as they wait for me to set up - and able to provide electricity, in case a camera loses charge.
I am also able to control the lighting and somewhat the sound (turning down heaters or air conditioners) which will prove useful. Poor weather and natural lighting will therefore not be a concern for this piece.
The corridor is not usually busy during lesson or after school however it gets darker after school, so shooting during lesson time would probably be a better option, although the lights can be controlled so it might not even be an issue.
Potentially a first shot could be of the corridor?
The room is large enough to shoot the video: I think that I can situate one camera on the opposite side to the actor speaking and record him saying all of his lines - acting as if the other was saying their lines too. This way I can get all of the shots for each actor and keep both bits of audio separate, making it easier to edit them. It also saves me the issue of operating 2 cameras.
Although I would like to get a long shot of the actors in the room, if I recorded both scenes separately but kept the camera in the same place, I could crop both clips together and make them look like one shot. I could cut to this to give the audience a change from the shot/reverse shot of the conversation.
I will have to ensure the room is tidy as loose paper/litter could move and cause continuity errors; another continuity error may be the computers being used so I should aim to keep the actors on the same computers.
Controlling the lighting will be easy, notably there are numerous lights to ensure that the scene is bright enough for the camera to pick up. If it is too sunny then I could also adjust the blinds. A potential concern is other students during the shoot, if it is done in lesson. I would have to clear with them prior that I am shooting and request they do not interrupt or get in the way. However, this isn't necessarily a major issue as I'm sure other students will be understanding. Equally they could be shooting elsewhere at the same time.
The image to the right could be used in the final video perhaps. Panning across the room to follow Person 1 to their seat in the classroom.
Person 1 enters the room, hand firmly on the door handle. Person 1 seems to be holding a camera - suggesting they are a Media student. They walk over to one of the many computers, pulling a chair out and sitting down with a sigh of relief. They then begin to talk with Person 2 who is sat on a computer directly opposite from them.
Person 1: Hey [Person 2], how's the editing going? Person 2: It's going pretty well, just can't get the continuity right on some of these shots Person 1: That's a shame, are you gonna have to re-shoot them? Person 2: Probably *Sigh and rubs eyes* How's your video going? Person 1: Me? Person 2: Well yeah Person 1: Oh well... I'm done! Person 2: Really? That was quick Person 1: Yeah well I just finished the action match shot for my video like *Looks at watch* Around [30?] seconds ago Person 2: Can I see it? Person 1: Sure Person 2: Where's your flash drive? Person 1: Here you go *Hands over a toy car with a flashlight taped to it* Person 2: Thanks man Key Notes I have not selected actors yet however I will substitute Person 1 and Person 2 for the real names of both actors as it will make rehearsals easier, since they can just keep to their real names. Additionally, this scene is meant to feel really natural and casual, due to this I will aim to pick two actors who know eachother relatively well as it will again make things easier. The information placed in '[ ]' is subject to change in order to better fit the script i.e. the time Person 1 says must be as close to how long it will seem to have been in the final video. Another note worth making is that the script is subject to change in order to cater towards the actors' speech, in order to generate a more realistic performance.
We have beem tasked with producing a video focusing on 'continuity', the main focus is to ensure that we get it right in this video.
Our brief also claimed that we should include:
Action Match
Shot/Reverse Shot
The 180 Degree Rule
A character that opens a door
A character that crosses a room
Exchange of dialogue
Each point listed above seems to correspond with the one in the second list, in that order
Although we have to include all these features in our final video, we are given freedom to plan, shoot and recruit as we see fit for this project - making storyboards, scouting for locations and aquiring cast members. This also means that we are given free range to create a script of our own, an opportunity we were not given during the 'Numbers Project' as that was to test our camerawork and editing capabilities.
I am unsure as to what scenario I wish to film however I will try and create a plot that is short - as to avoid any unwanted continuity errors - since the longer the film, the more risk for continuity errors. Presumably my story will consist of a conversation between two people sat across from one another.
What is "continuity"? Continuity is the maintenance of continuous action and detail in the various scenes of a film or bradcast, typically these details are kept the same in order to better tie scenes together or help them make sense. For examp, a continuity error leads the audience to realise that the piece they are watching is not as real/convincing; continuity errors can even go on to potentially spoil the immersion provided by certain pieces. The consistency of the characteristics of people, plot, objects, and places seen by the reader or viewer essential for maintaining a believable or effective piece. It links into making a nicer flow for the audience or generally making sense of the situation. Avoiding Continuity Errors Shooting for television and film is typically non-linear, making continuity especially difficult; due to the importance of continuity in certain media, it is easy to understand why supervisors are hired in order to look out for continuity errors - attention to detail playing a major role in this. Filming all the shots for a particular scene (and consecutive scenes) together; the scenes taking place together, with no break between them in the film's timeline, can be edited together easily. Actors are able to remain in costume, character, and the same location to prevent issues. Linking into the idea of lighting, it is ideal to shoot on a set or in a studio as they provide more control over lighting and environment - unlike the weather which can change. The 3 Main Rules There are 3 main things to look out for, in terms of continuity, when shooting a film. You should mainly look out for:
Action match
Shot/Reverse shot
180 degree rule
These tend to help the audience remain 'spacially aware' of the scene. Firstly, the 180 degree rule ensures that the characters involved all maintain a reasonable flow of contact - looking in the same direction during a particular sequence as to establish where other characters are. The shot/reverse shot is typically used during conversations and can be used with an over-the-shoulder shot in order to better immerse the viewer. Finally, the action match can be used to better build dramatic tension and similarly they can be used to point out certain bits of symbolism; certain objects or actions can be highlighted or stand out if they occur across 2 shots (or more) - for example if a door was being opened.
I found continuity to be an issue, with both scenes being shot on different days, as Number 2 (Daniel Bennett) is wearing a different shirt in both scenes and in the Int. scene, he does not have a hoodie – however this was due to the fact that light was coming in through the window and I wanted a quick solution.
I feel that it is a good video given that it is my first
major attempt at video editing, audio and scouting for a specific script. A
large challenge was the audio as I could not record it to a clear quality
throughout; I recorded nearly an hour of audio as I recorded it as a single
piece – whereas it’d be more efficient if I only recorded during the acting
scenes rather than the recording session on a whole. I could potentially record
things in post too, getting actors to rerecord their voices.
I don’t feel that certain shots work well in the second scene, it may be in my best interest to storyboard a project fully before shooting the scenes. The clips don’t merge
well or flow nicely; the first scene seems to maintain a nice flow and the use
of the audio seems to help, perhaps I should include some faint music during
the acting scenes if a build-up and continuation of tension is required (which
in this case, it was). I still stand by the choice of locations and actors as I
feel they fit the script well.
After being tasked with producing a short video based around a script, I produced the following video titled Numbers. This was my first attempt at full video editing with voice audio too, I had to sync this up as I recorded the audio using a phone - in an attempt to get the same clear volume of audio throughout the video.
I used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for editing and the music used is called Simplex by http://incompetech.com/
I have been unsuccessful in finding an appropriate abandoned building to film the opening, since the two buildings available were under construction during the day - and night time would be too challenging to film due to light constraints.
Due to this I have decided to film in an alley only, leading to a door in which the next scene will occur. By reducing the lighting for the interior scene, I can make it seem like the two areas are linked.
Exterior:
This is a shot with a decent amount of open sky, this could be used for the opening and I could recreate the storyboarded scene, using a zoom in on the sky.
This area is also a rather secluded path, making it a good place to shoot since I wont be disturbed or inconvenience anyone else.
The foliage adds to it a bit too, making the area seem very abandoned/rarely used (as it is).
The alleyways are quite narrow which can further add to the mood set throughout the piece, if shot with less light then the alleys could appear more intimidating or again link to the idea of the area being abandoned or rarely used.
The script clearly indicates that Number 2 is heading for a door, it doesn't specify how he opens it and unfortunately the door shown here has no opening mechanism.
Potentially I could simply film the actor in question pressing their hand against the door before cutting to the next shot.
The next shot would be a low angle shot of Number 2 entering the room and this could be shot in the interior location. All these shots were taken in Durham City centre.
Interior:
The room I have picked for the interrogation to occur in is a small classroom, there is a lot of school equipment however this can be placed off screen and potentially some of the furniture could be used for the scene.
We would need a table and a chair for the interrogation scene and for lighting someone could stand on a chair outside of the shot while holding a light.The light from the door's window could be an issue but I'm thinking that simply placing something over it.
I could also place a phone on the radiator in order to record better quality audio, granted it would have to be hidden but in the dark it might be pausible to ensure it isn't hidden without it being covered.
We were tasked with shooting a script and the script we were given includes two characters - Number 2 and Number 6 - and one is being interrogated by the other. For this I would like to shoot it as shown below and the character designs I did are relatively basic, Number 2 is given a hoodie in order to create mystery for example.
I would like to use an abandoned house for the opening and the rest could be filmed in an alleyway - with the sky out of frame in order to make it seem indoors. If this isn't possible then simply shooting in an alley would suffice.
I have included alternate shots for some areas in which it would depend on the location for. Overall I feel that the mysterious nature of Number 2 is conveyed here as the character would be silent and not give much context.
Here are some design ideas in regards to the costumes of the characters.
I feel as though Number 2 would be hooded for a small period of time in order to create suspense through the fact that Number 2 is unknown.
For Number 6 I feel that more people would empathise with a female protagonist as they have proven quite popular in recent films i.e. the Hunger Games. Due to this the character is in practical clothing, setting the mood for potential gritty action if the script needed it.
I haven't storyboarded the next scene however during shooting this could be beneficial if I decide on new shots depending on the location. I need a small room in which I can darken and potentially use a light for illuminating the scene how I see fit.
This is a compilation of different forms of camera movement. The task was to film various types of camera movement, editing them together. Through this task I learned the terminology used in filming and how to film certain types of camera movement. The quality of the clips is ok but some parts seem out of focus.
I used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for editing and the music used is Can't Explain by the Who .
This is a short video compilation for experimentation with shots. We were tasked with filming different shots and then editing them together; this helped me learn both the terminology used in filming as well as the skills needed. I feel as though some of the shots are quite similar or not as defined, which is something I may want to work on.
I used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for editing and the music used is the Theme Song (Tralala) for the Banana Splits.
This is my first video for Media, we were tasked with creating a 30 second advertisement of ourselves or someone we know, in a positive light; I decided to do myself and my advert is done with a fast voice-over in order to replicate the quick-pace of many amateur advertisements. The speed helps to make the product (me) seem more appealing or exciting.
This is my first video and I have never made one before but I used Windows Movie Maker for the editing.
