For this question we conducted our answer in a director's interview situation similar to those that the press will conduct to try and grab more behind the scenes information on the new film release. This meant our answers were almost acted in a way but because we used a scripted answer we had thought through what we wanted to say.
This powerpoint should explain all of the social groups we managed to define and represent in our final piece. (due to technical issues the powerpoint cant be uploaded onto my blog. It can however be found by clicking the link to Tims blog.)
For this answer we made full use of the new imovie features and applications by recording our answer and illustrating it with a scripted version of what we said. We even exported the video in HD to show how we made the most of the resources we had.
When finding a proper target audience for our project idea we looked into the big markets that are the most popular with the action genre by going directly to the websites of recent realistic action films and found that they aim their story-lines and best selling stuff to young adults. for instance Working Title. This is because the most interest into the film business comes from them, and also the passion for a gripping film. We also determined this by going to films with similar genres and stories and generally taking into account the ages of people watching. With this first hand evidence in mind we went further and said our target audience was males of 25 to 35. Before we filmed we thought our main target would be a well educated, well read enthusiast of spy books and films but realising this market was actually quite small we adapted our film after the draft to appeal to a much larger audience of general film enthusiasts that enjoy action the most. This is best illustrated by the picture above of a young adult called Elliott who loves film and values the directors behind them. Also mentioned in our target audience entry was how the target would be extremely interested in the film industry and his/her own creations, in fact after changing our audience we still kept this aspect because of the increase in creativity in recent years. So to appeal to this aspect we filmed with new techniques and made sure that all shots kept with continuity and tried new things to impress them the most.
To answer this question we altered our final piece on YouTube to have comments where we have talked about specific sections of the film that attract the audience and have pointed out the key aspects of the film that we concentrated on the most. The comments also provide reasons for doing some parts of a film which we haven't been able to comment on yet.
We have learnt about technologies by using a range of programmes and equipment when making our film.
When filming our preliminary task we used a camera and tripod borrowed from school. These were fairly simple to use. When we filmed our final piece we borrowed a camera from a friend and this was much easier to use and gave us better quality results. The only minor issue was the focus in very low light but this was probably unavoidable.
When we were trying out methods for our stop motion we used both digital and video cameras from school.
We made our ident using photoshop and then edited it on imovie.
The editing for the preliminary task, the stop motion, and the other camera tests was all done on imovie on the macs at school. This was reletavly easy to use but didnt have a massive range of features or editing tools. The editing for the final film was done on tims macbook which had the latest version of imovie. This was alot better than the version avaliable at school and this helped us produce the best film we could.
We uploaded our videos onto Youtube to put them on the blog.
We used Slideshare to upload powerpoints onto the blog.
For this we strung together our prelim and final movie and generally talked about the progression from the prelim to making the final piece. This was almost too general though as it wasn't planned and slightly rushed but we did answer the question and managed to give our opinions on the final piece which we haven't done yet. Please also note that the recording of our voices was quite quite so to hear at some parts the volume have have to be turned up.
These are photos from another attempt at the stop motion bullet we were planning to use. We eventually abandoned the idea as it was too time consuming and didn't look very effective.
Our original idea had a stop motion clip of a bullet and we did several tests to try out different ideas. This is the only one that we could upload onto the blog as a video but it is probably our best method. We did this by sticking an object to a wall then taking pictures while slowly moving the camera backwards. This was then reversed in imovie to give the effect that the bullet was coming towards the camera.
This is am 'appearance test' that we were considering elaborating on after seeing something similar 'The Bourne Identity'. However we never used this as we didn't think it would fit in with our final film.
To do this we put the camera on a tripod and filmed someone walking across with a piece of cardboard (this would be a car) big enough to hide a person. We filmed this twice, the first time with someone standing behind the cardboard and the second with no one there. Then we cut the two clips together to make it look like he had just appeared.
We decided that the best place to film our final peice would be typical home. So we used Tims house as as it was the most convinient place for everyone to get to. We got the inspiration for this from the opening scene of 'Hitman'.
We created our ident using a series of photos edited in photoshop. We took the blood splatter image and put the 'Urban Action' logo over the top. Then we removed some of the drops of blood in stages. Then we put the images into imovie in reverse order so that when played it would give the effect of the drops of blood appearing one by one.
Firstly we were looking into names for our institute that would reflect the right image for action films as we strongly believe the film institutes name and logo has an affect on the audience when they see it. We have decided on 'Urban Action' as we thought this reflected the style of our film.
We have decided that we are changing our idea slightly for when we re-film it. We felt that it was difficult to incorporate a good narrative into a chase scene, and that it didn't give us a chance to achive the best grades we could. Our new idea will still have some action, but will be more structured and will use flashbacks to help show a clear narrative. Our new film is inspired by scenes from film such as Casino Royale and Hitman. The main story is that a spy has been given a mission in order to move up a rank. There is a corrupt boss in the agency and our main character has to break into his house and frame him on order to bring him down.
We have got some feedback on our first draft from other members of our class and our teachers. From our class it was mostly positive with comments made about the camera shots used and the editing. Our teachers brought up the problem with the lighting towards the end and we knew this was an issue and would have to be re-filmed. They said that overall it was well filmed but it lacked dramatic tension and coherence. They also suggested that we made the chase shorter and add in the flashbacks that we had planned to use to give it more narrative. They also suggested that we add more close ups.
This is our first draft for our film. As soon as we started editing we knew that it wasn't as good as it could be. There wasn't much planning involved and some of the shit were just improvised. This was mainly due to the fact the we hadn't searched the area properly before. The main problem was the lighting. We were filming for 6 hours it got dark very quickly. This affected the look of the chase as it begins around midday and ends in pitch black. This also meant the final few clips are difficult to see. Also we didn't have time to put in any music and we think that this would have really improved the film. Some good points are that we think we managed to get some interesting and unusual shots in there, and this makes it look quite realistic.
I have added a mixpod to the blog with some different music that could feature in an action/thriller film. These include tracks from the soundtracks of existing films of the genre and some that i think could work well.
We have chosen our friend Karl to play the part of the 'target'. We chose him because he does a lot of martial arts and this would help make any fighting look more realistic. Also he's a good runner thats quite important considering we are making a chase scene.
At the moment Tim is playing the main character; the spy.
The original plan was to film most of our project at Leicester College but after contacting them we found that this was not possible. So we have decided to film in Lutterworth as is it is more convenient. We are planning to use the area around the church for the mojority of the film as it will fit in well with what we originally planned.
This scene is from the 2007 movie'Hitman'. This film is based on a video game so I thought it would be great for action and special effects. The first two shots we see in this clip are unusually quick zooms, first on our main character and second on a phone which begins to ring. In the second close shot we see his hand pick up the phone and then it cuts to the next shot of him talking. In this third shot there is some brief dialogue as the camera pans rounds the hitman. Then it cuts to an unusual high shot of a corridor that we assume is outside the room the hitman is in, and three people walk towards the door. Then the next shot is of the hitman on the phone, but this time its even more of a close up on his eyes and the phone. Then it cuts to a low shot of the people we in the corridoor, walking towards camera. Then there are four fast close ups. The first of someones boot stepping on some glass,then the hitman looking up, then something on the door, then back to the hitman again. These fast closed ups placed next to each other really increase the pace of the scene and gets the audience on the edge of their seats. Then we see a mid shot of the phone being dropped in slow motion as the hitman begins to run towards the window. Then we see the three people in the corridor breaking down the door in three shots from three different angles before two close ups of the object on the door which we know realise is a bomb. Then we see the classic action movie explosion in seven shots from various angles. The last of which is in slow motion and we see the hitman running towards the camera, then a close up of him grabbing something from the table before jumping out of the window. As he does this we see even more shots of the explosion as he falls making it a total of ten shots of the same explosion. This is extremely effective as we see that all the action is happening in a very short space of time. We see the hitman fall from a couple of different angles before cutting to a shot from inside a room as he crashes through a window. Two people turn round surprised and the camera cuts between them and the hitman as he gets up and goes to leave the room. The editing here remains very fast paced. Next there are a couple of mid shots of the hitman with a gun in the hotel before a panning shot where the camera follows him towards a door. Then there is a close up of him prising open the door. Then we see him opening the door from the other side. Next theres is a close up of a fire alarm as he smashes it before cutting to a mid shot of him jumping onto the elevator roof. Then there is a shot of two people that pans almost al the way around them before cutting to a short close up of one of their faces. We then see the hitman slide down onto the elevator roof and the camera follows him. The lighting has changed here from the brightly lit hotel to being dark and almost blue. Next there are some more close up of some people in the lift and one one them pressing the buttons. Then we see the typical shot of the numbers of the elevator, as they are approaching the floor that the two men we saw previously are on. It cuts between this an another rotating pan shot and back again, then we see a close up of the mans face. The next shot is from inside the elevator as the doors open. We see the man look down before cutting to a point of view shot of whats inside the lift. The pace is slowed down slightly as we see that all the people in the lift are dead. But then the action continues as we start with a close of of the mans face as he backs away from the camera, then a panning shot of him running up the stairs. We see blue flashing lights outside that light up the room and this adds to the sense of panic. Then is cuts to the hitman again. We see a shot following him down a corridor and then a similar shot from in front of him. There is a very quick shot of a man and then of the hitman turning around as the man tells him to freeze. The camera cuts between a mid shot of some people in the corridor and the hitmans face. Next there is a shot from behind the man as he runs towards the hitman, then the hitman kicks a door down and we see this from several angles. Finally the camera follows ths hitman into the room before stopping as he jumps out of a window. The final shot in the scene is looking down as the hitman disappears into the water below. This scene as a whole is extremely effective. The very fast paced editing and the use of lots of close ups create an atmosphere that gets the audience on the edge of their seats. I particularly like the use of close up and this is something i need to consider when making my film opening.
The article although well constructed and informative was basicly a hissie fit on the dissappointment the author had after watching the film. He included a basic interest and some fair sided comments but the main jist of his response was based on the lack of £7 he felt after the cinema had nicked from him.
The most unfortunate side of the authors aritcle was his comments on joe wright the accomplished, british director, who he tyhough was out of place and slanderised his work in this recent film forgetting the unusual setting he was in and his inexperience in the area he was filming. This responce was highly critical and indefinitely unfair.
Unfortunately I'm not making a superhero movie, but I looked at the opening credits from 'The Watchmen' because of the interesting way in which they are presented. The film opens with a dramatic fight scene before going into this titles sequence. The main reason i like this clip is because of the way they incorporate the credits into the scenes. The writing is all of the same style and colour, as are the credits on most films, but they are placed at various angles, and are sometimes behind objects. This gives the effect that they are in the scene and the audience can focus on them as well as the slow motion clips in which they appear. A shot i particularly like is the one of the plane, where the text stays level with the wing as it flies towards the camera. I can take this into account when thinking about credits in my film opening, in order to make them stand out. I couldn't find a video that i could embed so here is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONwcOSq1MHw&feature=related
While 'Wanted' might seem extremely far fetched, it does show some similarites to the kind of action we are trying to create in our film opening. In particular the shot of the flying bullet that can be seen in this trailer. Although we don't have much in the way of special effects equipment, we are attempting to make a shot of a bullet flying throught the air.
Needed! • Get tests onto blog with their descriptions • Search of primary area • Look into other areas • Mock up • Script • Thumbnails • Story board Extra stuff • One more film opening • Profile of actors • Research into names for film • Name logo • Research into corporation names • Corporation logo • Research into genre • Links to websites used and comments
This is the opening scene from James Bond film 'Casino Royale'. I have chosen to analyse this as it is a great example of the kind of film that I am trying to make the opening scene for. It also incorporates flashbacks to break up the action in a similar way to those which i have planned to use in my film.
The scene is shot in black and white which immediately leads us to believe that it could be a flashback. The scene begins with an unusual low angled establishing shot of a building and a car pulls up next to it. The wind can be heared blowing through the street and the setting is quite eerie. The location is revealed via text appearing in the corner that tells us that the scene takes place in Prague, Cheque Republic, however we are not told when this scene is taking place. The next shot is again from a low angle, showing a man getting out of the car. The audience at this early point in the scene are already wondering who this character is, and what role he will play in the film. Then yet another low angled shot, as the man is seen going up the building in an elevator and slowly ascending violin music adds suspense and also add to the fact that the elevator is going up the building. Then this is followed by a close up of the man in the lift, but this time from a high angle. We cannot hear the music at this point and this could, along with the close shpt of the man, create the effect of making the audience seem like they are in the lift as well. We then see a close up of the floor number going up. This shot again adds suspense as it is like its counting down, or in this case up, to something important that will be on a particular floor in the building. Then we have a mid angle shot of the character walking through the building and the camera moves slowly forward as if we are following the man towards his unknown goal. All we can hear is his echoing footsteps and then a creepy sound echoing effect. This tells us that the building in which the scene is taking place is almost, or completely empty. We are then in what appears to be an office and the door begins to open. We are in suspense for a brief moment before we see that it is the same man who enters the room. The camera move back and pans across, following the man as he crosses the room and turns on a lamp. This is followed by a close up of his face as he looks puzzled at something. The next shot could be a point of view shot, as the man looks at a mirror. Then we hear a second voice and there is an over the shoulder shot as the man turns to looks behind him and for the first time we see our main character; James Bond. The next few shots are mid angled, one showing Bond, one the other man and the other a slightly wider angle showing both, as the man sits down at the desk. We then see a close up of a drawer being opened which reveals a gun. At this point the music begins to get louder, with slow suspense building violins that are typical to any film scene where suspense is a key factor. Then Bond and our other character have a conversation with similar mid angled shots to the ones used a few seconds ago. This is followed by a scene showing a cricket match however this is only in the extended cut of the film so I have chosen not to analyse this as it would not have appeared in the cinema version of the film. Then we see another flashback. This time a man is running down a corridor, frantically looking behind him, and the music is faster paced with brass instruments, creating more of an atmosphere. I will take this into a account when considering music and sound effects in my own chase scene. The man runs into some toilets and then we see Bond burst through the door. This is then followed by a very faced paced gritty fight scene. Throughout the fight the camera is not always steady and the angles are quite unusual for example there is even an overhead shot. The editing is obviously very quick with a shot every one or two seconds. Another interesting shot to note is when a door closes on the camera and it is as if we are in the room watching the fight take place. This fight scene has given me a few ideas on how to create a fast paced action scene, and also i could try some of the more unusual camera angles used here. The fight continues for a few more seconds then is suddenly cut short and we are back in the office again, with our unknown character holding a gun towards Bond. The camera switched back to Bond and then back to the other man, although this time the shot is closer and focused on his face. He then pulls the trigger and to his surprise, the gun isn't loaded. This is a particularly enjoyable moment from the audience as we see Bond has in fact replaced the gun himself. We are then shown more of the flashback showing the fight in the bathroom, and we learn that the man Bond is fighting was sent by the man who was talking to Bond. The fight scene continues as it did before with extremely fast editing and dramatic music. The editing however, then slows down as Bond begins to drown the other man in a sink, but the music gets higher and louder in pitch, building up before stopping suddenly as the man drops dead. We then see a mid angle shot of Bond as he looks down at his dead victim, before returning to the scene in the office. This sudden end to the music is particularly effective as it leaves the audience slightly shocked. This is yet another effect i could consider in my scene. There is then a shot-reverse shot of the conversation between Bond and the man at the desk. Then suddenly Bonds shoots the man, stopping him mid sentence, and we have a higher shot of him falling back off his chair. This takes the audience by surprise as we are expecting him to finish his monologue. Then Bond gets up to leave and we are transported back to the bathroom scene, where Bond can bee seen picking up a gun. Then the man who we believe is dead grabs a gun and goes to shoot at Bond, who quickly turns and fires first. Then we see the classic James Bond shot of him firing the gun and the camera zooms out with him in the circle in the center and the music starts up again, leading into showing the title sequence. Overall i think this is a very effective opening scene. The use of flashbacks make it interesting and the fast paced editing in the fight scene, combined with the use of usual shots and dramatic music, make the scene very entertaining. The audience would most likely enjoy this scene and are undoubtedly gripped right from the beginning of the film.
For my coursework I had the choice of either producing a magazine front cover and article, or a short opening to a film. I chose to make a film opening as I think it will allow me to achive a higher mark and i feel more confident making a film that using photoshop. Me and Tim chose to work together and create a chase scene similar to the kind seen in spy or thriller films. However we wanted to make it stand out from all the other film openings of a similar genre and we came up with a few ideas on how to do this. These included incorporating stop motion into our film and using flashback clips or voice overs. Hopefully these ideas, along with unusual shots and sound effects will make our chase scene really stand out and help us get a top grade.
This is a mood board we created showing our targets audiences like dislikes etc. I can refer back to this when making my film to make sure my film is relevant and appealing to the target audience.
The feedback we received on paper was minimal but the feedback whilst presenting was fantastic. As pointed out by the class our ideas were going to make the scene different and stand out but we might have problems keeping continuity and not being able to film all of it in one night might ruin how realistic the film is. Other feedback included mentions of our stop motion idea being a very good one but that we should investigate other areas of filming the bullet to find the best one before start filming. But collectively me and Tim decided the best feedback of all was the advice on editing: in order to keep the audience hooked we need to use quick editing and unusual shots. Furthermore where most chase scenes fail is in the direction of shots, in other words most chase scenes can become confusing and the audience can't keep track of what's happening.
Paper feedback included: 'finding a place for chase and incorporating flashbacks may cause problems' 'use slow motion before each flashback and dramatic music during chase scene' 'have lots of close ups and mid shots' '2 second shots' 'experiment with sound effects' 'sounds like its well planned out' These comments however brief will also help massively when concentrating on each aspect of the film during editing, it is these comments that we can refer back to during any stage of the project, making sure that we always have something to think about or improve.
To get some feedback and ideas to help us with our project we put together a short film pitch to show infront of the class and our teachers. After presenting our pitch the rest of the class wrote down their advice and and any potential problems they could see, aswell as asking us questions about our film.
This short clip from 'The Bourne Ultimatum' shows a car chase typical to the action genre. The editing is extremely fast with 23 shots in 22 seconds. As this is more that a shot a second, the result is an extremely fast paced action sequence that grips the audience. Also the camera is not always steady and this adds to the effect, almost making the audience feel like they could be in the scene themselves.
This is the opening title sequence for the latest James Bond film,'Quantum of Solace'. I have looked at this because it is considered to be an action/thriller film. Also, as i need to make an opening titles sequence as part of my film opening coursework, i am looking at several title sequences for inspiration. The title sequence uses several edited effects on shots of the main characters. For example most are silhouettes and there is a slow motion shot of a gun being fired, and the bullet flying through the air. The names of the production company, main actor and author of the books are shows, before the title of the film. This is followed by the names of other actors/actresses who appear in the film. The music played over the top is the main song from the soundtrack to the film, and the titles are almost like a music video. Although the opening titles last for over 3 minutes, they keep the audience entertained mainly due to the combination of editing, effects and the soundtrack.
I have created a mood board using images relevant to the type of film opening i am going to make. My film opening will be action/thriller and so i have chosen some of the pictures from existing films from this genre.
