The music we chose for most of our opening sequence is "Chasin it" from the site
Audionautix which can be found at this site http://audionautix.com/html/country_jazz.html Jacob found the music and we all agreed that it fits the genre and on screen shots. Jacob has edited the shots so that it fits with the shots. We alsos the thought that the repetetiveness of the music reflects the protagonists life currently and when the music changes his life changes.
We also needed a piece of music to go with our end scene. Jacob found It at http://www.audionautix.com/html/rock_pop_blues.html and is
called "Purple Rider." We think that it fits the tone we are trying to portray and builds up the protagonist. It will also help the end joke to be more humorous which matches the genre. It is a convention to build up a character and then make him look the fall guy.
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Tuesday 29 January 2013
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Shooting Schedule
The filming of our opening is going to take place over 2 sessions.
One of these will be from 9:45-12:30 on Wednesday 30th of January where we will film the majority of our shots. These all take place at Adam Lewis' house. These are for the scenes in the house before and after school. This is also the time when we will take shots of the protagonist walking too and from school.
The second session will take place from 3:00-4:00 on Friday the 1st of February where we will film all the scenes that take place in school. This is a small amount of our shots and require a few extras to act as students so after school is a good time to find these extras
One of these will be from 9:45-12:30 on Wednesday 30th of January where we will film the majority of our shots. These all take place at Adam Lewis' house. These are for the scenes in the house before and after school. This is also the time when we will take shots of the protagonist walking too and from school.
The second session will take place from 3:00-4:00 on Friday the 1st of February where we will film all the scenes that take place in school. This is a small amount of our shots and require a few extras to act as students so after school is a good time to find these extras
Monday 28 January 2013
Timeline
Shot list
1 - Dollys in to the alarm clock
2 - Crane shot shows Glen falling out of bed
3 - Close up of glasses
4 - Glen walks down stairs and hit head
5 - Toast pops out of toaster and close up of buttering
6 - Toast falls on floor and Glen picks it up to leave name made of mise-en-scene
7 - mirror shot of shirt
8 - Close up of books
9 - Glen leaves the house and can't find keys
10 - Close up of stepping in puddle
11 - Back shot of him going into the school
12 - Walks past a girl and trips
13 - Close up of drawing
14 - Long shot of him getting cutlery
15 - shot of sky
16 - close up of clock
17 - Steps in puddle
18 - Long shot of going in house
19 - trips over door
20 - close up inside cupboard
21 - Close up of phone
22 - Back shot on laptop
23 - close up of computer screen
24 - Back shot of Glen
25 - close up of sleeve
26 - close up of shoes
27 - Back shot of Glen walking down corridor
Narrative
The opening title sequence gives background to the protagonist and builds up Glens character, showing him to have a normal life of a teenager going through college. At the end of the opening sequence he receives a message on his laptop. He then suits up and leaves his house. Glen signs up to become a British secret agent and in the early scenes of the film he is shown to go through training. He is then given a partner that is more experienced and capable than him and humour comes from him making mistakes and trying to recover. Just as he finishes his training MI6 is under attack. It is revealed that a number of MI6 agents were double agents. Glen and his partner must find out who did this and why.
Mum - Put a coat on love it's chilly outside
Script
(Glen walks down the hallway confidently)Mum - Put a coat on love it's chilly outside
Target Audience and Feedback
Our target audience for our film would be teenagers and young adults. It would mainly appeal to a male target audience as they would be able to relate to the protaganist therefore finding it more amusing, however females may also like the film.
Jacob carried out some research and this is from his blog
http://www.jacob-media.blogspot.co.uk/
When i had the chance to ask a group of teenagers (age 14-18) I told them our idea for our film and they gave me their responses.
From all the girls there was negative feedback. This was in the form of people saying it was too cheesy and unrealistic. However from the boys there was a positive response. They said that the film sounded intresting and one laughed because he found the idea of it relateable.
Jacob carried out some research and this is from his blog
http://www.jacob-media.blogspot.co.uk/
When i had the chance to ask a group of teenagers (age 14-18) I told them our idea for our film and they gave me their responses.
From all the girls there was negative feedback. This was in the form of people saying it was too cheesy and unrealistic. However from the boys there was a positive response. They said that the film sounded intresting and one laughed because he found the idea of it relateable.
First storyboard
These are pictures of our first draft of our storyboard, changes have been made and will be uploaded on a later blog post
Sunday 27 January 2013
Planning progress
We went to the location we would be filming and took photos which will form a storyboard. We also got a better idea of what shots would work and how the shots would be put together. We have changed the storyboard since then so more shots will be needed to form the storyboard.
The risk assessment and was made by Jacob and he has also started to research possible music and sound effects we could use. I researched the genre conventions and analysed opening sequences of Indians Jones and Johnny English. Later posts will contain our planning.
The risk assessment and was made by Jacob and he has also started to research possible music and sound effects we could use. I researched the genre conventions and analysed opening sequences of Indians Jones and Johnny English. Later posts will contain our planning.
Genre Conventions
The genre of our film is comedy/action. The conventions of this genre are as follows:
- Comedy action films usually focus on one r two characters. An example of this is Johnny English or Bad Boys
- Comedy films normally start by setting up the scene or describing the character. Hot Fuzz gives us background to the main protagonists. Then something crosses the protagonists path which they have to solve.
- Many comedy action films contain lots of violence so that it becomes funny, such as Hot Fuzz
- Weapons are used frequently and can be a source of humour like in Johnny English
- Music often conveys the tone of the film and how dark it is.
- Editing is used in comedy action films can sometimes have a fast cutting speed to show action.
- Montages are often used in comedy action movies, sometimes to make it comedic or to give the audience information about the characters.
- Films such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz use hypersensitive sounds.
- Comedy action films aren't filled with jokes as such but often use mise-en-scene for comedic effect. A good example of this is Johnny English
- Juxtapositions are often used for comic effect, comparing opposite things.
- Unlikely situations are frequently used. Hot Fuzz shows characters unlikely to be violent with weapons
Many of the genre conventions appear in this short clip from Hot Fuzz such as the fast cutting speed, violence, juxtapositions, weapons, music and mise-en-scene used for comic effect
Examples of films that have an action/comedy genre are as follows:
Hot Fuzz
Shaun of the Dead
Johnny English
Bad Boys
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Rush Hour
Kick Ass
Men in Black
Zombieland
Saturday 26 January 2013
Johnny English opening sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDrIGdCMwT4
The opening to Johnny English builds up the protagonist's character. The audience first see him wearing a vest and shorts which shows he isn't the stereotypical secret agent. He then practises a series of scenarios that he may encounter when being a secret agent which shows him as being a hard worker and constantly trying his best. This creates a juxtaposition when he makes mistakes and increases the humour when the protagonist is wearing stereotypical secret agent clothes and trying to fit the stereotype. It also shows that the protagonist's thinks he is a successful secret agent but it s clear to the audience that he is wrong but doesn't know it. When he chooses his gun he chooses the biggest. This could be phallic symbolism, showing his power, but when he sets it up wrong his superiority is lost. He walks with confidence until he realises he is lost. This shatters his secret agent persona. He regains his composure when he enters the room but when he throws his coat out of the window by mistake, he looses it again. The humour throughout this opening sequence derives from the constant subversion of the secret agent stereotype.
The blue and red colours on screen represent the union Jack and show that the protagonist is proudly British and fights for his country. The text is silver which signifies wealth. This could connote that wealth is a large part of the plot. The fast cutting speed when the protagonist is wearing different clothes adds to the humour and shows his desire to be perceived as well as possible.
The non-diegetic sound of the song lyrics describe what the protagonist thinks he is, but the audience can see that he isn't. The diegetic sound used when he attacks a coat stand shows he struggles doing so and this shows his incompetence. A non-diegetic swooping sound is used when a shot cuts to the guns on the table and the car. This could show his equipment is important and impressive.
Wednesday 23 January 2013
Raiders of the lost ark opening sequence
The opening title sequence here builds up the protaganists character. The camera shots don't show his face which makes him appear mysterious. The music also creates this mysterious vibe through the use of legato notes. The non-diegetic sound of the animals also help build up the scene of a mysterious jungle.
The low shot (shown on the right) connotes superiority. It is also quite dark again showing mystery about the protagonist and mystery about his surroundings and that he may be in danger. Many of the shots used show the protagonist through leaves or branches. This shows that he is in dense jungle and creating the mysterious tone of this opening sequence.
The jumpy and worried men that are following him show that there could be danger, this causes a juxtaposition between the scared men and confident protagonist which builds up the his character. A good example of this is when the birds fly out of the cave and scare one man. The protagonist then walks straight past the cave without flinching. The fact that he is leading the men through the mysterious jungle connotes his superiority and shows that he is the leader throughout the film. The protagonist investigates the poison dart first again showing that he is the leader and superior to the other men following him. The other men show their inferiority by not asking questions or talking to the protagonist.
The text used for the titles fades on to the screen and then off which adds to the mystery. The font has a slight black outline, matching the dark mise-en-scene used.
Preliminary task
The
Brief
Continuity task involving filming and editing a character sitting down opposite another character with whom he/ she exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.
Planning
Below is our storyboard. This helped our planning so that we wouldn't miss any camera shots out. It also sped up the editing stage because we knew the order in which to put the shots in. We didn't stick to this story board because we felt we could improve our film by changing the sequence and
adding more camera shots.
It is set in a school and there is panic because there is an unknown murderer in the school and someone is running around the school looking for survivors - he is the protagonist. He checks several rooms until he finds s mysterious person in the corner. The audience first impression that he is scared and vulnerable but as the conversation starts they should doubt this and then realise that he is the murderer. We tried to make the ending as shocking as possible and the music helps this.
In this first shot we are
introduced to the the person running. We used a wide shot to show the setting.
This cuts to a high shot of another person looking vulnerable. It then cuts a
close up to show his emotions. At this point the audience are confused to who
this is. This cuts to another shot the runner.
There is then a shot of the runner checking a room. To improve this we could have used an extreme close up of the handle. The runner carries on searching to build the tension and keep the audience asking questions.
The runner finally finds the the mysterious person and the music stops. Tension is released as the audience think the characters are safe. Again a variety of camera shots could have improved this scene.
The camera pans away
from the person in the corner to follow the runner getting a chair. This camera
shot didn't quite work because it took the attention off the mysterious
character. The series of questions that follow show the runners intentions and
that he is the protagonist.
In the last shot all is revealed as the mysterious person attacks the runner showing that he is the antagonist. We used a point of view shot to emphasise the shock.
We also wrote a risk assessment for the actors so they had full knowledge of the risks that they might take. The next step was filming. This was quite tricky and a lengthy process because it was our first experience of filming and acting. We shot at various locations around school and this made it difficult to get the continuity right but I could only spot one small mistake.
Our next task was to start editing. I was trusted to obtain suitable music which had a high tempo with a spooky tone and I think the music goes well with the theme and shots. The editing process did take a lot of time however it was something we full well knew before we started. A few lessons later we had finished and the the group and In were very happy with all our work.
Individual Performance
I feel I worked very well as part of the team. When we had been set the brief I came up with multiple ideas but not only that but took on board the groups ideas and took good bits from the two. I think I understood our genre well which allowed me to make a good music choice to go on in the background in the running scenes. I was committed to completing the project to a good standard and because of this gave up my free time. There were times when I could have been more professional to get the filming done quicker but in the end I don't think this affected the final piece. I found the editing tricky and because i was my first time using this software but I definately improved all mu skills throughout the editing process.
Group Performance
We worked well together as a group, especially coming up with ideas in the initial stages because we listened to each other and took good points from everyone. We shared out our responsibilities evenly and this helped us get on well. When it came to the filming I think we could have been more professional but we did manage to get all our shots done. One issue was that we only needed one person to operate the camera and the other two were actors so the other person was a bit distracting. In the editing process we all contributed to ideas and we came up with a professional final cut.
Continuity task involving filming and editing a character sitting down opposite another character with whom he/ she exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.
Planning
Below is our storyboard. This helped our planning so that we wouldn't miss any camera shots out. It also sped up the editing stage because we knew the order in which to put the shots in. We didn't stick to this story board because we felt we could improve our film by changing the sequence and
adding more camera shots.
It is set in a school and there is panic because there is an unknown murderer in the school and someone is running around the school looking for survivors - he is the protagonist. He checks several rooms until he finds s mysterious person in the corner. The audience first impression that he is scared and vulnerable but as the conversation starts they should doubt this and then realise that he is the murderer. We tried to make the ending as shocking as possible and the music helps this.
In this first shot we are
introduced to the the person running. We used a wide shot to show the setting.
This cuts to a high shot of another person looking vulnerable. It then cuts a
close up to show his emotions. At this point the audience are confused to who
this is. This cuts to another shot the runner.
There is then a shot of the runner checking a room. To improve this we could have used an extreme close up of the handle. The runner carries on searching to build the tension and keep the audience asking questions.
The runner finally finds the the mysterious person and the music stops. Tension is released as the audience think the characters are safe. Again a variety of camera shots could have improved this scene.
The camera pans away
from the person in the corner to follow the runner getting a chair. This camera
shot didn't quite work because it took the attention off the mysterious
character. The series of questions that follow show the runners intentions and
that he is the protagonist. 
In the last shot all is revealed as the mysterious person attacks the runner showing that he is the antagonist. We used a point of view shot to emphasise the shock.
We also wrote a risk assessment for the actors so they had full knowledge of the risks that they might take. The next step was filming. This was quite tricky and a lengthy process because it was our first experience of filming and acting. We shot at various locations around school and this made it difficult to get the continuity right but I could only spot one small mistake.
Our next task was to start editing. I was trusted to obtain suitable music which had a high tempo with a spooky tone and I think the music goes well with the theme and shots. The editing process did take a lot of time however it was something we full well knew before we started. A few lessons later we had finished and the the group and In were very happy with all our work.
Individual Performance
I feel I worked very well as part of the team. When we had been set the brief I came up with multiple ideas but not only that but took on board the groups ideas and took good bits from the two. I think I understood our genre well which allowed me to make a good music choice to go on in the background in the running scenes. I was committed to completing the project to a good standard and because of this gave up my free time. There were times when I could have been more professional to get the filming done quicker but in the end I don't think this affected the final piece. I found the editing tricky and because i was my first time using this software but I definately improved all mu skills throughout the editing process.
Group Performance
We worked well together as a group, especially coming up with ideas in the initial stages because we listened to each other and took good points from everyone. We shared out our responsibilities evenly and this helped us get on well. When it came to the filming I think we could have been more professional but we did manage to get all our shots done. One issue was that we only needed one person to operate the camera and the other two were actors so the other person was a bit distracting. In the editing process we all contributed to ideas and we came up with a professional final cut.
Tuesday 22 January 2013
Roles of the group
We have split the jobs that need to be done up. This will allow us to be more organised and to know as individuals, exactly what we have to do and when.
Me - narrative, genre and conventions, shotlist, mise-en-scene
Jacob - sound, editing, target audience research, risk assessment, timeline
Joe - storyboard, camera shots
Me - narrative, genre and conventions, shotlist, mise-en-scene
Jacob - sound, editing, target audience research, risk assessment, timeline
Joe - storyboard, camera shots
First things first
Hello, this blog will be used to record everything to do with my media coursework, hence the blog's title. I will be working with Jacob Simpson and Joe Cockburn to produce this piece of coursework. The genre we decided on is to be action comedy. We brainstormed a few ideas and it was agreed that we wanted to build up a character in the title sequence particully throuh the use of mise-en-scene but camera shots editing and sound would also play a part. We researched a few films that use this at the start - more detail in the next blog post.
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