Lately when we've been editing in the department, my group and I have noticed that we have a minor mistake in our editing. Whilst we were out shooting one day, the weather wasn't too good and once it was sunny and the next minute it started to snow.
When we got back into the classroom to edit our footage we realised this and concluded that this may cause problems with the sequence. Therefore we had to reshoot our footage. It was a treck and effort to do it all again because other bits weren't working as well as we thought they would but in the end all was good!
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Monday, 11 March 2013
Thriller / Crime Opening Sequences
The Narrative functions of the opening sequences are to introduce the
characters, setting, establishing the expectations that the audience get
as watching it. Some examples of thriller and crime movies that I have looked at are as follows:
This film fits in perfectly into the crime and thriller genre and with what me and the rest of my group are planning to film.The opening sequence of Harry Brown establishes the mood of the film. When we start watching the film, we can't clearly see the setting. We can however establish that it is filmed with a hand held camera and this creates a feeling of a real life story. It makes the audience feel really engaged because they feel that this is really happening but actually they all are actors playing a role in this movie.
From the start we can see the distribution company and from this we can tell that this is not such a big
The opening sequence intorduces the characters which later on appear in the movie but we can not see them clearly enaugh. We can only make this out through their voices. However, we expect them to appear later on anyway because if they wouldn't then this opening sequence woud not fit in with the movie and wouldn't make any sense.
Through props and set we can tell that these are characters who aren't nesccesarily from 'good homes', this derives from the fact that it's a dark night and they are out and about in what looks like a subway, shouting and acting quite unusually. And the use of lighting coming from the light in the subway makes this setting feel more dangerous. The fact that he is smoking either meth, weed or whatever else makes this scene make the audience feel even more shocked as they don't exactly expect young people like them to be doing these sorts of things.
The opening sequence does somehow introduce what the story may be about. Drugs are involved, violence and out of control shouting characters. They are just normal mates but this creates a feeling of them being a gang.
The lighting and colour are dark and mostly done at night to show the dangers of being out and about alone with all these groups and gangs out as well.
Harry Brown Opening Scene (embeding of the opening scene of Harry Brown was disabled by request on YouTube)
The film 'Ill Manors', starts off with a man sitting in front of a T.V. watching the news. This then starts to develop into a narrator rapping the story of characters in this film and this is how we get introduced to some of the main charaters that later on appear in the film. Mainly the first 5 minutes or so fully establish what the film is going to be about and what kind of characters are involved and what the genre it might be.
When the boy sits there we can see a cutting rhythm in the editing of this film. It is a medium close-up (MCU) focusing on the facial expression and head movement. Then the editing has been done so it looks like match-on-action, a shot of the man and at the T.V. and back to the man, and then to the T.V. again.
The main leading up bit to the film introduces some characters, the settings and gives away genre. This is due to Mise-en scene, which is what these chracters are wearing, the places they visit and what they do and how they act. We know this because the camera is moving very swiftly and slowly from different sides in different directions making watching this feel like time's going by quickly because the shots are fast at 2/3 seconds per shot. But really for us the flow movement from side to side make's it seem like we're taking a step back at what we're watching at the same time really pulling the audience in. This shows a fast cutting rate and the straight cuts are used to quickly tell the story.
The credits and text that appear at the start have been very cleverly made to appear as the rapper is telling the story. This has been done to remind us of the importance of the directors and actors and people that have been working on this film, but also not to pull us away from the story that is being told. Therefore we are aware that the film is only just beginning and hat we are being introduced to the characters and background information conveyed through the rapping. This links to sound and the sound clearly helps to portray the whole story and so does the dialogue.
The Mise-en-scene which is made up of setting, costume and make-up, the use of figure, expression, movement and character by actors and lighting. Whilst watching the opening, the audience are recieving their first impressions about the movie and what it is going to be about.
The action takes place in an estate and around town. It is a movie about a couple of teenagers from mixed backgrounds in West London. Straight away we know that the kids aren't from a high social class, this is due to their envolvement in drugs which are seen or may be thought to have seen in the opening. Their appearance and the way of speech make us stereotipically think of them as 'chavs', although I do not agree with that.
Some of the Enigma's that are created in this opening sequence are: At the start, the ECU focuses on the drill and this makes the audience wonder why there is an ECU on the drill? Who is drilling? Why is this significant? The opening sequence shows the cuts from someones P.O.V. ther
All three of these films content which shows, involvement in drugs, usage of guns and dangerous situations fit in perfectly into what me and my group would like to do.
- Harry Brown, 2009
- Ill Manors, 2012
- Kidulthood, 2006
- Adulthood, 2008
- Skyfall, 2012
- Taken, 2008
- Taken 2, 2008
- Snatch, 2000
Harry Brown
This film fits in perfectly into the crime and thriller genre and with what me and the rest of my group are planning to film.The opening sequence of Harry Brown establishes the mood of the film. When we start watching the film, we can't clearly see the setting. We can however establish that it is filmed with a hand held camera and this creates a feeling of a real life story. It makes the audience feel really engaged because they feel that this is really happening but actually they all are actors playing a role in this movie.
From the start we can see the distribution company and from this we can tell that this is not such a big
The opening sequence intorduces the characters which later on appear in the movie but we can not see them clearly enaugh. We can only make this out through their voices. However, we expect them to appear later on anyway because if they wouldn't then this opening sequence woud not fit in with the movie and wouldn't make any sense.
Through props and set we can tell that these are characters who aren't nesccesarily from 'good homes', this derives from the fact that it's a dark night and they are out and about in what looks like a subway, shouting and acting quite unusually. And the use of lighting coming from the light in the subway makes this setting feel more dangerous. The fact that he is smoking either meth, weed or whatever else makes this scene make the audience feel even more shocked as they don't exactly expect young people like them to be doing these sorts of things.
The opening sequence does somehow introduce what the story may be about. Drugs are involved, violence and out of control shouting characters. They are just normal mates but this creates a feeling of them being a gang.
The lighting and colour are dark and mostly done at night to show the dangers of being out and about alone with all these groups and gangs out as well.
Harry Brown Opening Scene (embeding of the opening scene of Harry Brown was disabled by request on YouTube)
Ill Manors
When the boy sits there we can see a cutting rhythm in the editing of this film. It is a medium close-up (MCU) focusing on the facial expression and head movement. Then the editing has been done so it looks like match-on-action, a shot of the man and at the T.V. and back to the man, and then to the T.V. again.
The main leading up bit to the film introduces some characters, the settings and gives away genre. This is due to Mise-en scene, which is what these chracters are wearing, the places they visit and what they do and how they act. We know this because the camera is moving very swiftly and slowly from different sides in different directions making watching this feel like time's going by quickly because the shots are fast at 2/3 seconds per shot. But really for us the flow movement from side to side make's it seem like we're taking a step back at what we're watching at the same time really pulling the audience in. This shows a fast cutting rate and the straight cuts are used to quickly tell the story.
The credits and text that appear at the start have been very cleverly made to appear as the rapper is telling the story. This has been done to remind us of the importance of the directors and actors and people that have been working on this film, but also not to pull us away from the story that is being told. Therefore we are aware that the film is only just beginning and hat we are being introduced to the characters and background information conveyed through the rapping. This links to sound and the sound clearly helps to portray the whole story and so does the dialogue.
Kidulthood
The action takes place in an estate and around town. It is a movie about a couple of teenagers from mixed backgrounds in West London. Straight away we know that the kids aren't from a high social class, this is due to their envolvement in drugs which are seen or may be thought to have seen in the opening. Their appearance and the way of speech make us stereotipically think of them as 'chavs', although I do not agree with that.
Some of the Enigma's that are created in this opening sequence are: At the start, the ECU focuses on the drill and this makes the audience wonder why there is an ECU on the drill? Who is drilling? Why is this significant? The opening sequence shows the cuts from someones P.O.V. ther
All three of these films content which shows, involvement in drugs, usage of guns and dangerous situations fit in perfectly into what me and my group would like to do.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Institution + Distribution
Our Industry Debrief Idea
For one of our homework/classwork group projects we were told to come up with an idea for a film we were going to make. It could have been our own idea or a film already existing only our own interpretation- remake, of it. Below is a copy of all the slides included in our presentation.
My project was about creating a Macbeth film. This would mean our project would be high budget due to the fact that we would have to recreate a Macbeth play into a really good, effective and a high standard film. Another factor due to which our budget would have to be a high budget is the actors we have chosen. Keira Knightly is a very recognisable actress and she would be expected to been payed a good amount of money for the role. This also goes for the rest of the characters. I know that a medium budget would just not be suitable for a Macbeth film , having to create a movie better and different to other Macbeth films ever made, would require really good actor, the top editors, distributors and director/directors. Top distributor would have to be willing to make this a 'loud' and an exciting release. It is a high concept project therefore a high budget , props and setting would be essential.
For one of our homework/classwork group projects we were told to come up with an idea for a film we were going to make. It could have been our own idea or a film already existing only our own interpretation- remake, of it. Below is a copy of all the slides included in our presentation.
What have I learnt about Film Prod. & Distribution?
My project was about creating a Macbeth film. This would mean our project would be high budget due to the fact that we would have to recreate a Macbeth play into a really good, effective and a high standard film. Another factor due to which our budget would have to be a high budget is the actors we have chosen. Keira Knightly is a very recognisable actress and she would be expected to been payed a good amount of money for the role. This also goes for the rest of the characters. I know that a medium budget would just not be suitable for a Macbeth film , having to create a movie better and different to other Macbeth films ever made, would require really good actor, the top editors, distributors and director/directors. Top distributor would have to be willing to make this a 'loud' and an exciting release. It is a high concept project therefore a high budget , props and setting would be essential.
Revolver Entertainment
Revolver Entertainment is one of the leading independent distribution companies in the world. It's a multi-award winning, marketing-led industry led with a unique, approach to managing film releases around the world. It was founded in 1997.
This is a perfect example of what Revolver do which is distribute.
They've produced 'Offender', 'Ill Manors', 'Anuvahood', 'Sket' and 'Skank'..
All of the above movies are at the lower bit of the 'shelf'. This means they're not high budget films but on the other hand they are very popular in many social groups. It is especially recognisable by teenagers.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Genre
Genre
Meeting audience expectations equals pleasure and success when allowing the audience to watch a film. This does not meet every body's expectations due to the type of film the audience are watching. This is GENRE. Everybody has a different "taste" when it comes to films. Some enjoy watching horror movies more than anything, and some prefer comedies. Genre creates a relationship between the audience and the producers which minimise the risk of financial failure. This means that the right people will go and see their preferred GENRE of film in the cinema and most certainly will not be disappointed. Films function like language; they get meaning across to the audience. I would say that Mise-en-scene is the thing that plays a huge, if not one of the biggest roles in a film, and it helps to represent that specific GENRE. Whilst watching a movie we consider its characteristics or key features. Another word for this is CONVENTIONS- features(ingredients) in a film, which help the audience classify it in one GENRE or another.
Conventions are broken down into 4 main categories that help us when talking about a film. These are:
The GENRE that my group have chosen to focus on for our video is Crime and Thriller. This means that our clip will have to be dark and shadowy, have low key lighting, have POV shots, have fast and creepy music and mainly create a sense of fear or at least tension. Some films which are the same type of genre as to what we will be filming are: Kidulthood, Taken, Harry Brown, Ill Manors, Adulthood etc.
I must say Taken must be my favourite film i've seen lately. Because it is crime it's really enjoyable for me to watch and fits perfectly with what out idea for our sequence is. Showing to sides of action but the violence and suspision in this film make it even more related.
g
Another film which I liked and remember watching with mum when I was very young is Pretty Woman. It is a Romance film and does not suit my preferences when it comes to film but I must say the movie did touch me. Editing is just not recognisable. As you watch this film it just flows soo well that you do not realise the editing is there.
- CHARACTERS
their roles, characteristics, relationships, names, dress codes - NARRATIVES
the plot, what happens and how- events - THEMES
the ideas behind the story, what the movie's about, reactions - ICONOGRAPHY
mise-en-scene, visuals, props, locations, colours, shooting techniques
The GENRE that my group have chosen to focus on for our video is Crime and Thriller. This means that our clip will have to be dark and shadowy, have low key lighting, have POV shots, have fast and creepy music and mainly create a sense of fear or at least tension. Some films which are the same type of genre as to what we will be filming are: Kidulthood, Taken, Harry Brown, Ill Manors, Adulthood etc.
Harry Brown
Adulthood
I must say Taken must be my favourite film i've seen lately. Because it is crime it's really enjoyable for me to watch and fits perfectly with what out idea for our sequence is. Showing to sides of action but the violence and suspision in this film make it even more related.
g
Another film which I liked and remember watching with mum when I was very young is Pretty Woman. It is a Romance film and does not suit my preferences when it comes to film but I must say the movie did touch me. Editing is just not recognisable. As you watch this film it just flows soo well that you do not realise the editing is there.
Monday, 11 February 2013
11/02/13
As we got back to school we found out that the previous Saturday there was a bulglary at our school and to our surprise the Media dep. got robbed of Mac's, camerac, tripods and some other stuff.. Why? We don't know.. Someone needed money but that someone was selfish enaugh to commit a crime like this and make it really hard for us to do any work in Media. We just got to wait for new equipment. Let's hope it comes quick!
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Narrative
Very briefly, NARRATIVE is the way the stories are told- how the meaning is constructed to achieve audience understanding. This then makes the film successful.
Tzvetan TODOROV discovered that folk tales and fairy stories all followed a similar structural pattern. This is known as the Classic Narrative Pattern. The Classic Narrative Pattern consists of 5 steps in the Narrative and these are:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VoTI7qtk8
In this video we see the Equilibrium through the man. He is walking as if nothing is wrong with nothing to worry about, but as the audience we see more than the actor in the video because we are introduced to the woman standing at the top of the building before the man is. Through this, as audience, we know that a Disruption is to unfold because A) she is standind at the top os the building (which is not normal)... B) she throws the shoe down to get the man's attention. As soon as the man sees the shoe, he looks up and immedietly reacts and runs to the woman. The Resolution at this point is when he tries to get her not to "jump" off the building and when he takes her to the cafe. There everything seems very 'normal', they look happy and everything is as it should be. But yet again things get out of hand once she starts to get too close to him. This is seen as another disruption as she begins to follow him and won't leave him alone. The Restored Order for the man comes when he finally gets her to leave him alone and for her when she runs back past the cafe, and up the stairs and finds herself at the top of the building. There she tries to "jump" off again, at least that is what we're made to think, until we see her throwing the shoe down again... This is a New Equilibrium for her as she clearly is trying to get closer to a man. This video shows a continuity in the Classic Narrative Patern suggested by TODOROV.
I have chosen a scene which links to the genre of the opening sequence of a movie me and my group are going to be making. This scene comes from a film called 'Ill Manors',
Vladimir Propp however, proposed that there are distinctive character types and actions that happen.. This was developed by Claude Levi-Strauss, he took it a stage further and looked closer at structures of stories. How can meaning derive from narratie structure not by looking at connected series of actions in a story but by looking for connections between story elements. He said that the meaning must be what it's not.. the opposite. Like a parallel, a binary opposite, a situation with two possible outcomes, for example:
a hero --> usually a villain
rich --> poor
fear --> happiness
danger --> safety
love --> hatred
In a film this could be:
police --> outlaws e.g. 'Ill Manors'
peace --> fighting e.g. 'The Pianist'
A film Narrative is here so that we, as audience, approach the film with certain expectations. For example we expect the opening of a film to give us background information so that we are not thrown into the movie without knowing anything. This background information would be to do with the characters and setting, so who it's about or who's in it, what it might be about or what it might lead to and where it is set. We can establish what might happen later on through this information.
- EQUILIBRIUM [means that everything in the story is in order, is 'normal' and everyone is happy]
- DISRUPTION [a disruption to the Equilibrium by the means of an event, an action, or a character]
- RESOLUTION [there is also a recognition to the disruption, and this is followed by an attempt to resolve or repair to the disruption]
- RESTORED ORDER [once restored order is achieved everything is back to 'normal' therefore we achieve a New Equilibrium]
- NEW EQUILIBRIUM [now the problem is solved and the New Equilibrium is achieved until a new, different disrupition takes place]
 |
| Classic Narrative Pattern |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VoTI7qtk8
In this video we see the Equilibrium through the man. He is walking as if nothing is wrong with nothing to worry about, but as the audience we see more than the actor in the video because we are introduced to the woman standing at the top of the building before the man is. Through this, as audience, we know that a Disruption is to unfold because A) she is standind at the top os the building (which is not normal)... B) she throws the shoe down to get the man's attention. As soon as the man sees the shoe, he looks up and immedietly reacts and runs to the woman. The Resolution at this point is when he tries to get her not to "jump" off the building and when he takes her to the cafe. There everything seems very 'normal', they look happy and everything is as it should be. But yet again things get out of hand once she starts to get too close to him. This is seen as another disruption as she begins to follow him and won't leave him alone. The Restored Order for the man comes when he finally gets her to leave him alone and for her when she runs back past the cafe, and up the stairs and finds herself at the top of the building. There she tries to "jump" off again, at least that is what we're made to think, until we see her throwing the shoe down again... This is a New Equilibrium for her as she clearly is trying to get closer to a man. This video shows a continuity in the Classic Narrative Patern suggested by TODOROV.
I have chosen a scene which links to the genre of the opening sequence of a movie me and my group are going to be making. This scene comes from a film called 'Ill Manors',
Vladimir Propp however, proposed that there are distinctive character types and actions that happen.. This was developed by Claude Levi-Strauss, he took it a stage further and looked closer at structures of stories. How can meaning derive from narratie structure not by looking at connected series of actions in a story but by looking for connections between story elements. He said that the meaning must be what it's not.. the opposite. Like a parallel, a binary opposite, a situation with two possible outcomes, for example:
a hero --> usually a villain
rich --> poor
fear --> happiness
danger --> safety
love --> hatred
In a film this could be:
police --> outlaws e.g. 'Ill Manors'
peace --> fighting e.g. 'The Pianist'
A film Narrative is here so that we, as audience, approach the film with certain expectations. For example we expect the opening of a film to give us background information so that we are not thrown into the movie without knowing anything. This background information would be to do with the characters and setting, so who it's about or who's in it, what it might be about or what it might lead to and where it is set. We can establish what might happen later on through this information.
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Evaluation of 'Feed the Fish'
The lighting on my face was appropriate to the action in the sequence, no bright light or a dark shadow was present, as I was a mysterious character. Another good aspect of our pleminary sequence was the over the shoulder shot. This shot established the power relations between me and the person opposite. Also what I thought that went well was when we shot the person walking up the stairs. It fitted quite well together and the camera movement was good. Altough I thought this was good I also think that the dissolve should not have been included as it ruined the whole effect of the shots put together.
I think that we should have taken more care with the shot where the person walks in to the room and then the shot filmed from the other side. Here you can clearly see that the door does not play well in the shot. Where we are filming him walking into the room, the door there has nearly shut. Then when we jump to the other side you can see that the angle that the door is at is much bigger. This happened due to the shortage lack of taking care with every little detail.
Next time I think we should think about the place that we filmed the sequence in. The echo didn't turn out to be good and it didn't go well once it was all edited.
Lastly, I think that we should have used music in this sequence. This would have a special effect on the audience as it would draw them into watching the sequence and not make them think about the editing.
Overall I would have changed a couple of things in this sequence but I do think that the idea behind it was good and that the varied types of shots we experimented with made it interesting to watch.
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