Timeline

December 2015 - Location for filming is decided and confirmed. We will be using a public space and so we may have trouble having absolute privacy all day for filming, meaning we must be patient with our surroundings.
We also confirmed and picked up the props that we plan on using in the film, including weapon props and costumes.

Reasearching the audience - Film Survey

Shot List

Shot List



Long-establishing shot of the woods





Extreme close up-foot walking past frame





Medium-Character 1 walking into a clearing, the shot starts on the ground, then pans up to face





Close up-Character 1's hand, holding a compass





High angle-Character 1 looks up and continues walking





Long-Character 1 walking, the shot is partially obstructed by a tree





Low angle-Gasmask watches from a tree branch, holding a knife





Medium-Character 1 walking [rustling sound]





Low angle-Character 1 looks up into trees





Close up-Character 1 turns around





Over the shoulder-Gasmask stood in front of Character 1. He slashes with a knife, Character 1 ducks





Close up-Character 1throws bag to one side




[Several shots of a fight scene, yet to be established]




Longshot-Gaskmask knocked out, lying on the ground. Character 1 runs to the bag.




Extreme close up- Character 1 grabbing bag




Longshot-Character 1 running away




Medium-Character 1 still running




Medium-Character 1 running past a tree. Character 2 steps out from behind the tree. He his holding a gun and shoots Character 1.




Low angle-Character 2 looking down at Character 1's body.




Close up-Character 2 taking bag




Close up-Character 1's face. Character 2 runs away in the background. Title and opening credits scroll up

Storyboard

Storyboard

Mini Review - Opening scene - Goodfellas

Goodfellas - Opening Scene Mini-Review

The opening scene of "Goodfellas" features a close up shot of three characters all in one car. The majority of the camera's focus is centred on the closest character to the camera. This shot not only establishes the characters as the earliest shot in the film, but it also gives the impression of an importance behind the character whom the camera focuses on.

The dim lighting used in the next shot creates connotations of shadiness and fits into the setting of a crime film. The use of such low-key lighting indicates some sort of wrong doing as the three newly established characters conduct their business in what would seem a hope of not being seen. With such a dark setting, a dark tone is set over the scene, also.

The next two shots are locked down shots as the first character comes forwards and proceeds to stab a bleeding man in the trunk of the established characters' car. 

When the first character moves back, the second character moves forwards and points a revolver at the previously stabbed man. He proceeds to open fire on the bleeding man through a POV shot after stepping closer to the car.

The use of the point of view shot makes the audience feel as though they are involved in the criminal activity being shown on screen, immersing the viewer into the world of crime and thus, the storyline behind the characters and their illicit actions.

Fight scene inspiration

The fight scene taken from the film "Green Street" is the scene we decided to use as our largest creative influence and inspiration for our own film due to it's gritty nature and realistic tone. The scene also features several shots with multiple, quick transitions, implying a hectic and chaotic connotation.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_tqt4GCqCk

Self-reflection

THE GAME CHANGER

Starring:  Callum McLaughlin, Luke Robinson and Michael Corrigan.

Filmed by: Joe Anderson.

Filming our Preliminary.
What went well:

• Action packed scenes
• Innovative use of props
• Wide array of camera angles

What flaws were shown:

• Tripod for camera was left in one of our shots
• Changing of light in a key shot in the production causes the shot to go blurry
• In the beginning, there was struggle in understanding how to record the shots.

During the filming of the preliminary task, we encountered a few minor problems that have affected the outcome of the task:-
1) Tripod
This fault detracts from the execution of a beautifully orchestrated action shot. However it is easily solved. A simple background check of shots before filming begins will eliminate this problem.


2)Struggles with Technology:-
The use of the camera was a laborious process with having to learn as we went along and also having problems with using other attachments e.g. the tripod. This, similarly to the first issue, is easily solved. A short period of familiarisation and practise with equipment will prove to be beneficial for both the experience of our group in film-making and beneficial for the substance of the task.


3)Focus Flaws:-
There is an issue with the shot becoming blurry during a key scene. This affects the impact of the action shot on the audience because it removes attention from the scene. This is a case of shot choice needing to be re-evaluated as a longer shot may not have blurred but would have had a similar effect as a camera angle.



Despite the problems that were encountered in the making of 'THE GAME CHANGER', there were many positive points on which we as a group could build off of and further improve to leave our task as a stellar example of film-making. These positives include:-
1)Innovation:-
With limited props available to us and not many suitable filming areas in the vicinity, I believe that having to make the most of what we had significantly increased the creativity within the group. This creativity was built off of and became a staple of our task.
2)Action:-
The choice of shots, props and the general ethos of the group when working on 'THE GAME CHANGER' had a large impact on how the task played out. Every person was enthusiastic about the task and this was made evident in the performances made by the actors and the scrupulous editing to perfect all aspects of the task.
3)Group Contributions:-
The making of our preliminary task could have been dominated by a few voices with other participants remaining passive and allowing the others to work hard. This, however, was not the case. Every member of the team contributed a part of the film and these complimented other ideas that were already decided upon. This shows that the members of the preliminary task team are capable of adapted to suit their current tasks and this diversity in character only increases the strength of the film. These qualities stood out as building blocks for future projects.

The making of the preliminary task had its positives and negatives. The positives however outweigh the negatives. To improve we as a group must become more aware of what is in the shots and review the scene we set before filming and also familiarise ourselves with the ways in which we can produce a film e.g. use of the camera and editing skills.

Production Planning

Today, we discussed the idea of a combat scene featuring in the production. This lead to a joint decision that a combat scene will be featuring in our production however there were still issues of contrasting opinions.




An example of this is whether or not we would feature on screen deaths with a vote of 3-1 in favour of having an onscreen death. We watched fight scenes from various films and discussed whether or not we would be using weapons. Once again it was a case of voting which came out as 3-1 in favour of featuring weapons in order to make the on screen death more realistic.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_tqt4GCqCk




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GSgWzmR_-c




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLL9plgz0pg




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VKAggGisCc

Timeline

November 2015 - Planning comes underway, starting with a storyboard. As a group, we settled on the genre of the film, Action.

In what ways is Age of Ultron a typical Hollywood film?

A common trait shared by most high grossing and blockbuster Hollywood films is their extravagantly large budget. Marvel Avengers: Age of Ultron is consistent with this tradition as they're film held a very extensive budget of 280 million USD. With such editing and CGI effects as creating the colossal figure that is The Hulk and creating such epic battle scenes over vast plots of land would help aid their budget to be achieved.

An example of the intricacy behind the beast's features.

As well as the Hulk's obviously costly creation process, another majority of the money used in the film will be spent on the booming amount of Superheroes and their powers. With a full team of 9 characters, all with individual powers, The Avengers must pay a super price in order for them to have the VFX that can properly showcase their abilities. This may not completely be seen as all positive, as blatantly obvious effects can destroy the film's mise én scene, however, it certainly does provide enough evidence to show a correlation between itself and a vast majority of other Hollywood films.

Another reason as to how Age of Ultron is a typical Hollywood film is found through it's cast membership. With such a large array of protagonists, the film will need a relatively large cast and, being a Hollywood film, all parts must be filled by a "larger than life" actor, who will generally create an ongoing buzz, promoting the film by just being a part of it. The latest installment into the "Avengers" series is no different to other Hollywood productions with a cast of huge names such as Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson to name a few.

Overall, the most obvious reason behind Age of Ultron being a typical Hollywood film is evident through the box office success of the film. In total, Age of Ultron grossed over 1.4 billion USD during its running course in theatres. This gargantuan success, is parallel to the success of it's predecessor film, "Marvel's The Avengers" which was released in 2012 and had a recorded gross income of over 1.5 billion USD. The correlation between the abundant mass of money made by Universal in both films proves that Age of Ultron is another typical Hollywood film. Due to the success in terms of money that the original film had, Universal decided that they could make a sequel to the first Avengers title, in hopes of making another heap of money as the end product. Through achieving this goal, they have proven that their job is predominantly money oriented as opposed to being more about the creative aspirations of the producers and directors.

Potential Location

Oval Field/Bebington Cemetery



Pros: Perfect location for a horror film to occur. Large open land. Field has floodlights in case it's too dark to film.

Cons: May require permission to film on land.

Location of filming

Bidston Hill

Pros: Large open space for filming, lots of natural seeming props as a forest setting.

Setting is perfect for some form of horror action film.

Cons: The area is open to public at all times, lighting may be a problem if filmed during the night time.



Feminist and post feminist review - Shut up and drive by Rihanna.

In the song, Rihanna is clad in very tight clothing from the beginning and progressively loses more clothes as it goes on, revealing more of her body. This forward and seductive approach to videoing can be seen as very attractive to make viewers of the song, causing them to grow and interest with the songs video itself and thus the song itself, increasing the revenue Rihanna will make from doing it. 

Rihanna also uses her body in order to potentially gain more male viewers as she poses suggestively to the camera, once again stifling a positive reaction from the make audience who see the video. 

However the lyrics to the song, along with some parts of the video make Rihanna seem more dominant than some of the male audience, proving that women can be seen as equal to men. 

The lyrics, "Shut up and drive" combined with low angled shots of Rihanna prove to work well together in making her seem more powerful. The imperative she uses as a hook to the song makes her sound like she is some sort of boss, giving a worker orders as well as the low angle shots making her seem more superior as she looks down on you are evidence of Rihanna's dominant role in the video. 

It can also be argued that Rihanna is not using her body in order to exploit men in her videos and that instead she is showing confidence in her own appearance and can be seen as empowering for the female audience of the video. 

ABC1

The ABC1 table is a way that film producers categorise their audiences and estimate which demographic of people will watch certain genres over others.

Those who reside in the social grade of  "D" and "E" will spend money on basic essentials more than they would on luxury items where as, those in the higher social grades will have more money to burn and will, in turn, spend it on luxuries.

The lower grade classes of D and E will steer away from the drama genre more often than the higher social grades as many of these people may be going through hard times and don't wish to be reminded of this through a film or show that follows a similar plot to that of their own lives. Instead of the gritty dramatics of a slow film such as "To Kill a Mocking Bird", they would be more likely to watch something more action packed and fast, keeping them easily, and mildly, entertained, for example, "Fast and Furious".


The same can be said about the higher classes of social grading, too. The more wealthy population of the "A" to "C1" can be known to be attracted to the more detailed and intensely-dialogued films, rather than those that are entwined with action and violence. For these people, the gritty dramas, that the lower demographic of the social grading tend to avoid, are more interesting as it is different form what they're used to in normal life, giving them less to relate to and draw from. These people would be less likely to sit through the lower budgeted action films with lots of explosions and blood as they tend to keep a professional mind-set when spectating.

Representation- Gender

Gender

In the media, stereotypes play a large role in representation.  Producers and directors often use stereotypes to make it clear to the audience just what kind of character is being represented, making it easier for them to understand and follow the plot of the production. Stereotypes can either be positively or they can be subverted, meaning they do the opposite to reinforcing said stereotype.

Gender plays a huge role in representation when it comes to media. Women are much more likely to be represented in an objectifying manner in comparison to men. This can range from wearing revealing outfits to performing acts that can be deemed as sexual or sexually orientated. An example of this is the use of female dancers, predominantly (but not limited to) seen in pop or hip-hop videos. Female back-up dancers and background "displays" are often wearing very revealing clothing, if any at all. The lack of clothing and the seductive nature of their dancing makes them seem more like a part of the background or "wallpaper" as opposed to a contributing factor of the song itself.

The media also holds a stereotype over men, too. Medial influences convey men as being unlikely to share their own emotional problems or opinions and are, instead, portrayed more like robots due to their inability to display any emotions. Due to this, men are usually made out to be tough and independent.

In 1999, Children Now, a California-based organisation that examines the impact of media on children and youth, released a report entitled Boys to Men: Media Messages About Masculinity. The report argues that the media's portrayal of men tends to reinforce men's social dominance.

The report observes that:

-the majority of male characters in media are heterosexual

-male characters are more often associated with the public sphere of work, rather than the private sphere of the home, and issues and problems related to work are significantly more important than personal issues

-non-white male characters are more likely to experience personal problems and are more likely to use physical          aggression or violence to solve those problems.

Camera angles and editing

Match on action


Match on action is a reference to film editing techniques where the editor of the film cuts from one shot to another shot while remaining in the same action as the first shot. Although there could be many hours between each of the shots, the way that they're edited and put together make it seem like one, continuous take. With the same action occurring over the two shots, the audience are less likely to notice editing mistakes or even a change in the scene at all.

Mistakes can be made, however. Sometimes, due to the long periods of time between each shot to make up one scene, there can be slight changes to the action in comparison to the first and second shot. Examples of this would be slight changes to positioning of props or the way actors are standing.

There's an example of this in the film, "The Matrix".



Shot reverse shot

A shot reverse shot (or shot/counter-shot) is a filming technique where one character is shown looking at another character, usually off screen, and then the other character is shown looking back in the opposite direction. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

______________________

POV shot/Over the shoulder shot

A point of view shot, A.K.A POV shot or a subjective camera, is a scene that shows what a character is looking at (represented through the camera). It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction. The technique of POV is one of the foundations of film editing.

A POV shot need not be the strict point-of-view of an actual single character in a film. Sometimes the point-of-view shot is taken over the shoulder of the character (third person), who remains visible on the screen. Sometimes a POV shot can be for more than one person.



Camera Angles

Medium Close Up (MCU)- 

A medium close up is used when trying to convey the emotion on a certain character's face, as is the same with any other close up shot. 

High Angle Shot-

A high angle shot is used to not only capture the emotion on a character's face, but also to make the audience use their own interpretation of why it was used. One way high angle shots are used is to make the character(s) involved seem smaller and thus, inferior. These slight inferences can help shape the time of the film. 

Long Shot (LS)- 

Th long shot is mainly used at the beginning of scenes, especially at the start of a film. The long shot helps set the scene and make the first impression on the mind of the audience. From here, characters inside of the long shot can be zoomed in on and introduced to the audience in some way. 

Over the shoulder shot-

The over the shoulder shot is used for multiple

Different reasons. One reason that an over the shoulder could be used is to show that the characters are engaging in a conversation win each other, making it easier for you to keep track of the dialogue. One other way could be that the director wants the audience to feel some sense of relatability as you can see from the characters point of view. Seeing the film from this angle makes the audience feel immersed in the film, as if they are, only Briefly, a part of it. 

Genre conventions - Mise En Scene - Horror

HORROR

Horror films tend to follow the same, eery and dark approach when filming. The lighting effects are usually very saturated and dark in order to uphold the mysterious and sinister tone of the film. 

The soundtracks that are featured in horror films usually have a steady build up involved, gradually getting more intense until it finally reaches a climax in which a character may be caught by the antagonist on screen. The music and sounds displayed in horror films usually mirror what's going on, on screen and can also set the pace of the scene for the actors involved in it. 

Props that are featured in horror films vary depending on the specific tone of the film. Some films are more classic on their approach to entertain the audience with more subtle props, like a kitchen knife as a deadly weapon, where as others go for a more brutal and gorey outlook in using intricate props, such as booby traps, as featured in the renowned horror film, "SAW".

The make up that is used by the costume designers in horror films is also variable in style. Some films require a more artificial look, i.e.- the mask from "Scream", or a more natural, bloodthirsty look, i.e.- these up design for the girl in "The Exorcist".

Genre Conventions - Mise En Scene - COMEDY

COMEDY

In a comedy film, the soundtrack would be more upbeat and positive as opposed to the sinister tracks that are used more often in action films or thrillers. The lighting in a comedy film would also be potentially brighter as to reflect the mood and tone of the film; the brighter, the happier.

The make-up that's shown in comedy films is also usually more clean and colourful as opposed to the gritty, darker coloured make-up. This make-up technique is also used to set the tone of the film, making it seem more light -hearted and positive.

The costume designs in comedy films can vary. Although the films don't necessarily require certain shades of colours in order for them to be a success, some comedy films do use bright colours with lots of vibrancy in order to portray a sense of spontaneity. A great example of this would be the clothing and make-up used on Jim Carrey in the film, "The Mask".

Props in comedy films can vary in accordance to the tone of the film. Although, the most common kind of props are usually whacky or wild-seeming as to add to the "crazy" theme that may be involved with the film.

Genre Conventions - Mise En Scene - ACTION AND THRILLER

ACTION THRILLER

Mise en scene is French for "Setting the scene". Setting the scene consists of many different factors, including costumes, make-up, props, the location, lighting, stance of actors and the use of colour and sound.


In an action film, the make up featured would be rather rugged and macho, possibly including the vintage, "HARD-MAN" shaven head. The setting for such a film might be an open warzone, such as a re-creation of France's No-Man's-Land, or a cityscape, such as New York.
Props that may be featured in an action film, rather prominently, would be weapons. Things such as assault rifles and pistols may be a heavily re-used prop as to keep up the high octane pace of the action film.


The costumes that are presented in such films are usually more rugged and aggressive. The clothing that character's wear come across as dirty or damaged due to the high level of aggression demonstrated throughout the production. An example of this would be the costume that Bruce Willis is wearing in the film, "Die Hard"



An action film is known to contain loud gunshot noises and explosions. Fires and smoke, be it from a gun or flames, are no stranger in an action film. The lighting would be potentially dark due to smoke from the flames featured in the setting.

Development

Analysing the first two minutes of four productions from different genres.

I'm a year 12 media student; This is my blog.