Evaluation Question 1

AS Media Opening Rough Cut

Phillip Cullen AS Media: AS Media Opening Rough Cut.

Sound
This is the first problem you will notice about our film. We must change the fact that you can hear our voices, we will do this by adding our soundtrack in. Our soundtrack will be a guitar played backwards and slowed down. This adds a very sinister effect to our film, that will suit our genre well. Some of the background noises will be amplified and made hyper-real.

Editing
The main part we need to change with editing is the length of some of our shots. As you can see our opening sequence is 3:38 minutes long, meaning that we will have to cut out 1:38 minutes. We will do this by shortening some of the shots that seem to go on for too long and cut out some of the shots that are just retakes.Titles will also be needed in the final cut. Lastly the order of which some of the shots are in will need to be changed.

Mise-en-scene
A shot of the masks that the killer has collected will be shown. This shot consists of 4 different masks being hung on the wall, some of these are suspended by the eye sockets.

Cinematography
The only problem we found regarding cinematography was the steadiness of some of the shots, this can only be helped by slowing down some of these shots therefore making the movements smoother.

Storyboard

Script

Our opening sequence consists of a collection of distorted close ups of a crime scene. It starts with a blurred shot of the feet of a corpse, this shot moves up the legs finishing when it gets to his knees. The next shot shows the killer stepping into some blood and picking it up with his hands. This will cut back and forth between the killer and the corpse, showing blood stained clothing and plastic sheeting. There is a quick shot of the blood on the wall and will cut back to the body's arm where it will track upwards towards the shoulder. At this point there will be a shot of Cam smearing blood on the walls with his hands. Next will be Cam doing his tie and straightening it. This will then cut to Cam putting on his jacket and turning to face the camera with his mask on. Phil's face is then shown in a close up which will then pull out with his eye being in the center of the shot. The last shot will be of a cup of blood from below being stirred by a paint brush. Here is where the titles will be shown and will then fade to black.

Opening sequence final cut

Cast and Crew

As our opening sequence mainly concentrates on mise en scene and the colors used there are very few people who are presented in the film. We have two people Phil, who plays as the corpse and Cam, that plays the part of the perpetrator. It is planned that neither of their faces will be shown to increase the effect of mystery in the film.

Director: JoeProducers: Cam, Joe and PhilCinematographer: JoeScreenplay: Cam, Joe, PhilEditors: Phil (Main), Cam (Secondary)Soundtrack/Composer: PhilStarring: Phil, (The body), Cam (Killer)

Analysis of our second day of filming

Analysis of our first day of filming

Props Used

Homemade Blood- We used this throughout the majority of our film, when combined with the red food colouring it proved effective at making realistic wounds. We found that on its own the blood was really faded and pick, so I came up with the idea of putting normal food colouring where the blood would be coming from.

Plastic sheets- This was used to make the setting look more like a crime scene, it was also helpful when clearing up the blood and making the blood stand out from the red floor. It was heavily inspired by TV shows such as Dexter and Breaking bad.

Masks- The masks we used were bought by Cam and came to a total of £12 excluding the flame mask which I already owned. These masks helped to improve my mise-en-scene and were used to keep the identity of the killer hidden.

suit- This was used to briefly show the background of the killer showing that he may be working in an office, he may be a sixth form student or he could just be wealthy. You will find that in a large amount films the killer will also wear a suit, an example of this is the film American Psycho.

Poster for The Art Of Evil

This is the poster we created to go with our opening sequence, we found that the most effective posters are the ones that are simple and mysterious. We also linked the colours of the poster to the 3 main colours used in our opening sequence. White was used to make the viewer focus on those objects, that are important to the story of the film.

Locations to film

When finding the set for our film we started by looking for what was the best in terms of mise-on-scene. So the first place that came to mind was an abandoned set of buildings in Annerly. This was an appropriate location as it was destroyed and burnt, I knew the owner and we were also allowed to mess up the floor with blood. The rooms were very wide and had a large space to film in and they were also covered in graffiti and dust. However, as it was an airsoft field we would be limited to a very strict filming schedule, only being able to film on Saturdays and eye protection would have to be worn. despite how nice it would have looked, it was just too inconvenient to film there and there would be too many safety precautions we would have to take as the roof on the building was very unstable.

The next location I looked at was a photography studio in Crystal Palace, this suited our film perfectly and was the right size for us to be able to film in. The lighting was also incredibly good, however there were some major issues, we weren't able to get blood on the floor and it would cost us £12 an hour.

Next I went to a friends farm in Otford, this was a similar case to the Annerly site, where we were able to do everything we wanted and the set looked amazing but it would also push us for time. As Otford was quite far away we would need to leave immediately, the lighting in the building was poor so we needed to arrive as soon as possible. We would also risk damage to some of our equipment as it was extremely muddy. It was disappointing not being able to film there as the building we were going to film in was incredibly isolated and was attached to a world war one bunker. 

I found that as our film played around with the focus on shots it wasn't 100% necessary to have a large filming location. So I started to moving the furniture around in my double length garage. I was able to clear half of the room and put up white sheets to block off that side. The red floor was a problem as it wouldn't show blood very well, so I put down some white plastic on the floor instead. The room suited our colour scheme well as it was mainly black and white once we had finished modifying it. One problem we did encounter was managing the light as, it was too dark and there was only one source of light. This was very close to us when compared to the other filming locations as it was only a few roads away from Phil and I lived there. 

Blood-How we did it

To make the blood used in our film we used the following ingredients:
Golden syrup
water
red food colouring
blue food colouring
yellow food colouring
corn flower

We started by pouring the golden syrup into a bowl followed by water and stirred. At this point I added the red food colouring and the corn flower giving it the strong red colour and making it less transparent. After, I added a small amount of yellow and blue food colouring to make it darker and more realistic. It took a few attempts to get right. One problem I did have was making the blood thicker, this was a problem as we needed it to stick to the walls and it did not, we resolved this problem by putting more corn flower in and filming very quickly. We additionally found that the blood faded in the white clothes, this was fixed by putting the red food colouring directly on where the wound should be, giving a more realistic effect.

Production-images

Our Pitch, The Art Of Evil

Shooting schedule

We will be filming on the 15th and 16th of February, leaving editing to be started on the 20th and continued on the 24th. Time does not matter as we are filming in a privately owned indoor location, this was a key part when choosing an appropriate place to film. Myself, Phil and Cam are able to make these days and will each have different roles, for the 15th and 16th I will be filming, Cam will be playing the part of the man in the suit and Phil will be the corpse. On the 20th Phil will be editing as Cam and I will be working on a separate assignment. We plan to be editing from 9:00 to 15:00, this is so that we still have time to spend once we come back if needed.

Maniac (2012) Opening Sequence

The film opens with illuminated text at the bottom of the screen, some of the text is brighter than the rest, this is to make the text look like street lamps. It allows the viewer to get a feeling of where the majority of the film will be set. A shot of Los. Angeles at night fades in, the camera tracks across and shows the inside of a vehicle, at this point the viewer understands that it is a POV shot as you are looking from the inside of the car. We can hear the main character breathing suggesting again that the film is in first person, in addition to this it shows that he is potentially dangerous. It then has a tracking shot of two women both in high heels and with their legs bare. When you combine this with his breathing, it makes the audience feel like they are hunting the woman themselves. This scene is the first part of the film that develops on the overall meaning of the film. Once you realize that you are viewing these women from the perspective of the man you soon understand that you are trapped inside a killer, much like the criminal himself.

The next few shots show the man following the woman in his van, she looks over her shoulder and starts walking faster once she spots the man following her. He then says 'I see you too' and once she falls over and runs off he says 'Okay, I know where you live Judy, see you later'. the camera then shows the rear view mirror and the criminals eyes are revealed. I like this scene because it shows that the woman is at serious risk and it also shows how dangerous this man is.

This then fades into another collection of POV shots of him driving, with the casts names appearing using the same effect as before. At this point ominous music cuts in and shows shots of Los. Angeles streets at night, focusing on the different parts of the nightlife. These are things like queues for clubs and groups of people socialising.

Preliminary Task

The significance of the British film industry

The British film industry dates back to the very start of the 20^th century with the establishment of The Gaumont company and Pathe amongst others.

Other key events from the early days of the industry include the establishment of the British Board of Film Censors in 1912 and the first studios opening in Twickenham and Elstree in 1913 and 1914.  Early pioneers include Birt Acres who directed mainly documentaries such as ‘The Derby’ and ‘The Opening of the Kiel Canal’.

Today the UK film industry contributes around £5billion a year towards the UK economy, employs over 40,000 people and is the largest exporter of films in the world after the USA.

To show the importance of the British film industry we must first decide what makes a film British. In my opinion a British film is a film that is directed by a British person for example 28 Days Later. Some films are dominated by British actors and are in a British setting but the director may be American or the funds may come from a Hollywood studio. So it is extremely difficult to find a successful British film. This may be because people in the British film industry move to Hollywood to become successful, so this shows us that there is a British influence on some Hollywood films, some examples of this are World War Z, Kick-Ass 2 and Red 2.

In 1989 Warp started up as a records company, they were seen as pioneers and exclusively involved with electronic music. The film side of Warp started in the year 2000 and their first film by Chris Morris. The film was shot in 2002 and won the best short film award in the 2003 BAFTA film awards. Later Warp films needed distribution funds, so they partnered with Optimum. In 2004 a film was released called Dead man’s shoes directed by Shane Meadows. This was the first film directed by Shane Meadow that was funded by Warp films.

Dead Man’s Shoes later was ranked 180^th in Empire Magazine’s ‘201 greatest movies of all time in March 2006. It also came 27^th in the ‘Best British Films Ever’ in October 2011.  Paddy Considine won ‘Best British Actor’ in the 2005 Empire Awards, beating Daniel Craig in Layer Cake and Simon Pegg in ‘Shaun of the Dead’.  This shows us that the film was only successful when picked up upon later.  This indicates that British films lack the funds to promote their own films and rely upon the quality of their film to be good enough to be shared by the viewers. An example of this is Breaking Bad where the viewers claim that it is the ‘best thing on TV ever’ and are willing to talk about the show to others for free.

In 2006 the British drama film ‘This is England’ was made.  They story centres around a boy whose father was killed in the Falklands conflict.  He becomes a member of a skinhead group during the summer of 1983.  The film educates us as to what British culture was like at that time.  It teaches the world about issues such as unemployment, conflict and racism in this country.  The film is an example as to why the British film industry is important; it highlights our social problems and contradicts the typical stereotype.

Monty Python’s Life of Brian symbolises a huge part in the importance of the film industry.  It is an iconic film, due to the controversy it caused, because it was deemed blasphemous and heretic.  The film would not have been made without George Harrison’s, who started Hand Made films, help in financing the cost of the film which amounted to £3million.

The storyline follows a young man (Brian Cohen) who is mistaken for the Messiah.  He unintentionally gains a following of locals who hang on his every word.  He speaks out against Pontius Pilate and joins the People’s Front of Judea.  He is eventually captured by Pontius Pilate’s soldiers.  The final scene shows Brian on the cross where he, and others, break into song with ‘Always look on the bright side of life’.

This film was banned in Norway and Ireland and many councils in the UK.  This boosted the publicity and the film gained notoriety. Christians believed the film mocked Jesus and his suffering by using crucifixion in a comical way.  This form of comedy was breaking new ground and gave it the stamp of individuality which is common in British films.  The film was a Box Office success.

The British film industry has many differences to Hollywood. One of these differences is realism.  Drug use in Trainspotting is the harsh reality, whereas in Pulp Fiction it shows us, in a very powerful way, how drugs can affect a person.  Trainspotting shows us that although things may seem different to the character, it is actually different in real life.  This also allows us as average people to relate to the characters and empathise with them. 

British film also allows people in our society to understand how others live and exist in their environment.  They may find having a film set nearby is more effective or interesting.  American and other cultures may find that a British film puts variation in the films you watch.  Whether that would be a different type of person or a different setting. 

In my opinion, the British film industry is very influential in the world arena.  It has a wealth of creative and forward thinking people.  We may not have the finance like the United States to put on an epic film, but we have the ability and skill to produce high quality movies.

Soundtrack Inspiration

The Decent has a soundtrack that suits Horror/Thriller films, is an orchestral song that slowly builds up.The soundtrack to The Decent matches the film and the events that happen thorough the film. The song at the beginning sounds very similar to the sort of soundtracks used in a war film, it does this to make the audience feel sad and to make them empathize with the characters. The sound track becomes more powerful and louder, this is to show the moment of disruption and the disequilibrium and when the real enemy is revealed. The end of the song allows the audience feel relieved and free, this is also combined with some more ominous noises to make you feel doubt at the same time. The soundtrack is perfect when making the audience feel certain emotions to suit the scene that is being viewed.

Far Cry 3 Soundtrack - 02. Heat is a song that suits a resolution scene perfectly as it builds up slowly and has an extended period where the story is allowed to progress with the music in the background. It also changes after the most powerful, and becomes more percussion based, this is useful as it can be played in a wide range of scenes. The song makes the audience feel like that this event is important and that there is conflict. It may also make you feel that there is progression in the story or that the main quest is complete.

TV Drama analysis

Joe Howse
TV Drama representations.

Dexter is a TV drama that centres on a serial killer that is also a forensic scientist. In this scene he arrives at a crime scene where he finds a body that has been drained of all its blood. One of the shots used is a point-of-view shot looking up at him from the body, a possible reason for this shot is that it represents the helplessness of the victim and the power that Dexter has when compared to her. He is also shown in the centre of the shot highlighting his importance in the storyline. In addition to this we can see that he stares at the body without looking away when speaking to the other men, something that the other characters are able to do. This abnormal behaviour suggests that he is captivated by the murder.

In this scene the sergeant confronts Dexter in an aggressive manner, to which Dexter replies in a more casual and relaxed way, this suggests to the viewers that the sergeant’s negative attitude is not retaliated and that he has no reason to dislike Dexter. Jokes are also made by Dexter but he still retaliates seriously continuing to give orders. This scene is dedicated towards letting the audience know about the sergeant’s suspicions towards him. 

Gravity- opinions

I had mixed feelings before watching gravity, hearing about other people loving it or hating it. Personally it didn't strike me as a particularly interesting film as it was based around space. I was also dissapointed when I had realised that it was in 3D because most previous films I had seen in 3D concentrated on it and lacked in all the other aspects of the film, I also felt that it was not properly utilised. After watching Gravity I found it was the complete opposite of all these criticisms.

The first and most important aspect of the film is that it is incredibly easy to empathise with the characters and understand how they feel in the situation that they are in. The film uses isolation in many different ways, for example the fact that she has no contact with Earth or that she lost sight of her crew. It also shows this by having silence throughout the film,as there is no sound in space. The audience really gets to know what it is like to be in that position.

I was pleased to see that the 3D effects were used appropriately and allowed the viewers to immerse themselves in the film. The special effects were realistic and believable, this helps the veiwers to see the danger of the debris.

On what seemed to be a very limated setting, the film manages to make every scene unique.