Friday, 17 April 2015
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Evaluation: Question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
We wanted to choose
an institution which is relevant to our opening scene, so we decided to choose Columbia
Pictures. We chose this institution based on the fact that Columbia Pictures has
been involved in many spy thriller genre films including four James Bond films
which are Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, Skyfall and the upcoming film,
Spectre. Columbia Pictures also helped distribute Men in Black 3 which contains
elements from spy thriller films for example fast paced music and costume. I
took inspiration from these films by using there costume ideas and adapting it
to our sequence, for example in Men In Black, the commonly worn costume is a
black and white suit which we had our antagonist wear. Whereas in the James
Bond films the female is portrayed as a sex icon as often wears clothing which
is appealing. However we wanted to both make our female protagonist independent
and powerful yet attractive and appealing to men.
The institution, Columbia
Pictures is in fact a major film studio and is owned by the parent company,
Sony Pictures Entertainment. This entire branch of different institutions falls
into the big six therefore this would be best if our film would be sent to
cinemas for the release instead of a DVD release. Within our opening sequence
we didn’t include Columbia Pictures logo; however we did include the name of
the institution near the end of the opening scene. We decided to have text
shown instead of a logo as text helps keep continuity throughout the sequence
as helps make it appear more professional.
Monday, 9 March 2015
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Audience Feedback
I decided to get a small group of people of both genders to watch the opening sequence and have them write there opinions down because this will help give us an idea of what a real life audience thinks because the feedback we have had so far has only been teachers advice and by having both genders watch the opening scene, I can find out which gender this appeals to more and which parts appeal to them as well.
Talia Skelton
This is an image of the feedback given by the female gender.
Henry Worthington
Friday, 27 February 2015
Editing Issue
On Friday 27th February, was our sponsored walk however this begun at approximately 8:30AM and this ment that for the next couple of hours the sixth form split up into individual groups to collect money. But we decided on this day to meet up after the sponsored walk to go back and edit the opening scene. However Amber and Kayleigh were together on the sponsored walk day and they were told that the event ended at 10:30 whereas I was on one of the busier roads near school where a huge majority of sixth form were and we were all told it ended at 11:30 so when it was 10:30, Amber and Kayleigh went back to edit and then finished between 11:50 and 12:00 which was the time I got back to school, so therefore I was not present at this editing session.
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Editing: Day 7
| I rotated the text so it was alligned with the wall. |
Firsly, we decided to complete the opening credits. From previous editing sessions we completed part of the opening credits so we needed to finish it off. We all contributed, for example Kayleigh copied and pasted the text, I arranged and positioned the text and Amber wrote the text. After we finished the opening credits we watched the entire sequence from the beginning to look for any errors.
| I went through the sequence, to look for all the sound errors. |
| We discussed what company to inlcude. |
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Editing: Day 6
This is the sixth editing session we have now completed,and in this session we wanted to complete all of the opening credits.
Firstly we each presented our information on opening credits which we were asked to complete. After talking and discussing the information with each other we then decided to pick out the most relevant information for example who it was directed by and who the casting was by. After this we then started to add the text into the shots and used the chosen font from last lesson which we all agreed on and applied this to the text. However we didnt know which order for it to go in, so I numbered each of the credits and placed them in order so we could increase our producivity and therefore have more work completed. After this we then started to type the information in, and for the first name which was Amy's we placed the text near the bottom which helps show the white text more clearly due to the fact that we placed it near a dark area.
When we were placing the first part of the text onto the sequence we used the different features of Final Cut Pro which could alter the transparency of the text also it could add a shadow and blur effect. When adding the credits we decided to only use two colours because then this looks more professional. The colours we used were white and black, on the shots which had high key lighting we used black text and on shots were the lighting ws low we used white to help contrast the colours so the text was always clear throughout.
When it came to including the directors names, Amber suggested we should have the text along side the wall to help it appear like its part of the setting. Me and Kayleigh liked the idea so we attempted to do this, however Amber wasnt sure how to turn the text so I took over and used the transform keys to rotate the text so that it is more inline with the wall, however we noticed that there was a large gap between the previous credit so we decided to change this.
| I started to apply the text, and included the font and different colours. |
| I used the features of Final Cut and added a blur effect. |
| I rotated the text so it is alligned. |
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Editing: Day 5
This is the five editing session we have now completed, however on this day we actually had two hours because of two media lessons which gave us more time to edit. In this session we mainly concentrated on the sound and completing the teachers feedback.
We begun by adding the sound which we uploaded onto the iMacs in the previous lesson. However we found it difficult to add the sound file to Final Cut Pro and we all attempted to import the file. But I realised the file was in a zip format so I opened up the file and then dragged the main file which was inside, into the Final Cut Pro Timeline. Once the sound had been successfully imported into the software we all decided to listen to the whole sequence so we know that we are happy with the track chosen. As we listened to the track we watched the shots and looked out for anywhere that may need the sound to be cut shorter or just to adjust the volume.
One part of the sound sounded very natural and contained noises which would normally be associated with the rainforest so this didn't match the conventions of a spy thriller. However the rest of the soundtrack matches the genre conventions and works really well with the opening scene. Also the soundtrack matches certain scenes with the type of tensions and suspense. However the point of view shot, which is the part which builds up to a dramatic scene had music which is to loud and so I changed volume of the soundtrack by using the cursor to edit the sound on the timeline therefore the tension was increased.
The first 10 seconds of the track were cut due to the sounds being related to rainforest and animal noises. Here is the sound file: http://www.freeplaymusic.com/search.aspx?q=maneater
Another part of the sound which we did was near the beginning. Amber cut the sound track into sections and then deleted the parts which werent needed. Then I simple copied and pasted the sound parts and placed them next to each other. This helped create an effective opening part as the sound amplied the suspense.
After we were happy with the sound we watched the entire opening sequence again to ensure the sound was fully correct and there was no issues. After this we moved onto the opening credits and and decided on a font. However when searching the font list we didnt see a font we liked so we decided to go onto Dafont. We saw several fonts that we thought were good as they matched the genre conventions and had spy elements to them. For example the image on the right shows a code like text which refers to the spy thriller genre. However we didnt know how to apply this font into Final Cut Pro so we carried on searching through the font on the current software and discovered a font that we all liked which matched the genre conventions.
This is an image of the teachers feedback which we were given to help us improve our opening sequence.
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| I suggested the text should be altered so there is consistency. |
This is the chase scene with the soundtrack which helps create suspense and a dramatic part in the sequence.
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| I cut the soundtrack so the music was related to the genre convention. |
| I edited the sound and altered the volume and tone of the music. |
Another part of the sound which we did was near the beginning. Amber cut the sound track into sections and then deleted the parts which werent needed. Then I simple copied and pasted the sound parts and placed them next to each other. This helped create an effective opening part as the sound amplied the suspense.
This is the scene where Amber cut and deleted the soundtrack and where I copied and pasted the parts of the the sound and placed them in there correct poistions so it is in time with the movement.
| This is the sound effect we wanted for the scene. |
In the normality scene, we added some extra sound effects and this
helped improve the scene. When we listened to Agent Boyer her voice was
hard to hear and therefore we couldnt understand what she was saying. So
I increased the volume of Agent Boyer's voice so that it was clear to
understand what she was saying and also when searching through the sound
section we came across different mobile phone sounds, so we decided to
include one of these sounds in the normality scene so it appears that
the phone is ringing and this helps make the scene more realistic. Also
Kayleigh noticed that at the end of one of the sounds a mans voice
appears however this wasnt very clear so we decided that we could crop
the mans voice out of the track and place it after Amy speaks. I
adjusted the mans voice so that it was clearer and easier to understand
and then this made the whole normality scene more realistic.
In this shot we added a different sounds to help make the scene more realistic. We added a phone call ring sound and also a mans voice which helps make the scene more mysterious.
| This is one of the font we found on DaFont. |
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Teacher Feedback
Within our fourth editing session we sat down and watched our entire sequence with the teacher observing and making notes. Once the we had finished watching the opening scene we listened to the teachers suggestions and her opinions and then we explained to her certain parts and what we were trying to create and the effect of it.
Teacher's Suggestions:
- Create a establishing shot which helps the audience visualize the setting. Also this establishing shot may work the most effective at the beginning of the sequence.
- Remove or edit the static shot of Paul walking towards the camera. The effect which has been placed on the shot makes Paul appear blurred and fits in with more of a science fiction film rather than a spy thriller. Also the shot is quite long and the audience may loose concentration and become bored.
- Neaten up the entire sequence. This is so that the opening scene has clean shots which swiftly move into each other without there being any timing delays.
- Make sure that the Protagonist and Antagonist are clearly identified. This is so the audience knows who's bad and who is good and ensures that the audience doesn't get confused.
- There is no clear shot showing that the Protagonist sees the Antagonist following her. This is because there seems to be a gab missing in between two shots. One shot shows her walking and then it cuts to a shot of her running.
Teacher's Suggestions:
- Create a establishing shot which helps the audience visualize the setting. Also this establishing shot may work the most effective at the beginning of the sequence.
- Remove or edit the static shot of Paul walking towards the camera. The effect which has been placed on the shot makes Paul appear blurred and fits in with more of a science fiction film rather than a spy thriller. Also the shot is quite long and the audience may loose concentration and become bored.
- Neaten up the entire sequence. This is so that the opening scene has clean shots which swiftly move into each other without there being any timing delays.
- Make sure that the Protagonist and Antagonist are clearly identified. This is so the audience knows who's bad and who is good and ensures that the audience doesn't get confused.
- There is no clear shot showing that the Protagonist sees the Antagonist following her. This is because there seems to be a gab missing in between two shots. One shot shows her walking and then it cuts to a shot of her running.
Opening Credits
I decided to complete some research on Opening Credits. I have done this because I believe that if we have credits in the opening scene, our sequence will look more realistic and professional. Also from the first editing session, we noticed the lighting had changed and that some areas were very dark, so including names in the dark areas will actually enhance the entire sequence.
Some of the opening credits which are usually included in the opening scenes of films are:
Performers
• Cast Members - Cast
• Main Characters - Starring
• Commentator - Commentary by
• Introduced by
• Presenter - Presented by
• Narrator - Narrated by
Some of the opening credits which are usually included in the opening scenes of films are:
Performers
• Cast Members - Cast
• Main Characters - Starring
• Commentator - Commentary by
• Introduced by
• Presenter - Presented by
• Narrator - Narrated by
Writers / Creators / Format
• Adapted By
• Based on an original idea by
• Based on the book by
• Deviser - Devised by
• Dramatised by
• Format devised by
• From an idea by
• Screenplay by
• Series Creator - Series created by
• Series Deviser - Series devised by
• Writer - Written by
Production / Editorial
• Producer - Produced by
• Director - Directed by
Editing Schedule
As a group we plan to complete all editing in lesson time and so for our editing sessions are very productive and we manage to get a lot of work complete. In our sessions we aim for each of us to input an equal amount of work. While one person is editing, others observe and suggest what we could do.
Our filming is complete so have focused purely on editing and so far we don't think we have to re-shoot any scenes. However we have only done a rough edit of our whole opening scene because our teacher wanted to view what work we have already done. However we think we will complete all the editing in lesson time, but if any problems occur we can finish it in our own time.
The next time we will edit will probably be next week in lesson because we are currently in a half term break so we cannot complete any extra editing.
Our filming is complete so have focused purely on editing and so far we don't think we have to re-shoot any scenes. However we have only done a rough edit of our whole opening scene because our teacher wanted to view what work we have already done. However we think we will complete all the editing in lesson time, but if any problems occur we can finish it in our own time.
The next time we will edit will probably be next week in lesson because we are currently in a half term break so we cannot complete any extra editing.
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Editing: Day 4
This is the fourth editing session we have completed, and in this session we finished cutting and laying the shots of the timeline so it was then ready to be watched.
Firstly we sat down and watched the whole sequence from the start and then we begun to get to editing. I suggested we move the title animation between the chase scene and the normality because this will help create tension and suspense for the audience and also this is a good way to separate the two periods of time. Also in this session we discussed the transitions we could use, but only a few were used because we didn't want our opening scene to appear like a slideshow.
Once we had completely finished cutting and laying out the sequence, we then decided to get some music for our opening scene. But before this editing session, we assigned roles for different tasks, and Amber was in charge of the sound. So we went onto Free play music which was the website Amber used for her research. There were three types of audio which Amber had selected and the tracks were Peacekeeper, Man eater and Army Angels. We sat down as a group and listened to all three and discussed which one we liked best and out of the three, we thought Man eater was the best track. This was because the speed of the music and the tones used would be suitable for our opening scene. The track has a total length of 2 minutes and 10 seconds so we have plenty of audio to use when inputting the sound to the sequence.
This is the link to the audio track: http://www.freeplaymusic.com/search.aspx?q=maneater
After choosing the music, we sat down with our teacher and watched the entire sequence on the iMacs. After viewing the opening scene, suggestions were made on how we could improve the opening scene. One suggestion was to include an establishing shot which will help establish the setting. Fortunately, when filming we filmed a train going passed when we were filming on the stairs, so we could use this at the very beginning of the sequence to both, establish the setting and to meet the conventions of a spy thriller. Another suggestion was to be extra precise when using the blade tool as there were very small mistakes made which where visible when watching the sequence.
After our teacher finished giving us feedback we then took her advice on board and another one of her suggestions made was to delete a certain shot of Paul walking to the camera because this revealed his identity and looked out of place. We deleted this shot entirely and then we watched the sequence again and we believe this made more sense as Paul appears more like a antagonist.
Firstly we sat down and watched the whole sequence from the start and then we begun to get to editing. I suggested we move the title animation between the chase scene and the normality because this will help create tension and suspense for the audience and also this is a good way to separate the two periods of time. Also in this session we discussed the transitions we could use, but only a few were used because we didn't want our opening scene to appear like a slideshow.
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| This is the website where we downloaded the audio track. |
This is the link to the audio track: http://www.freeplaymusic.com/search.aspx?q=maneater
After choosing the music, we sat down with our teacher and watched the entire sequence on the iMacs. After viewing the opening scene, suggestions were made on how we could improve the opening scene. One suggestion was to include an establishing shot which will help establish the setting. Fortunately, when filming we filmed a train going passed when we were filming on the stairs, so we could use this at the very beginning of the sequence to both, establish the setting and to meet the conventions of a spy thriller. Another suggestion was to be extra precise when using the blade tool as there were very small mistakes made which where visible when watching the sequence.
After our teacher finished giving us feedback we then took her advice on board and another one of her suggestions made was to delete a certain shot of Paul walking to the camera because this revealed his identity and looked out of place. We deleted this shot entirely and then we watched the sequence again and we believe this made more sense as Paul appears more like a antagonist.
This is the Raw Footage of the shot that we decided to delete. This shot shows the antagonist walking in throw the main entrance without being cautious. This is not realistic and the antagonist needs to be more sneaky and aggressive.
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Filming: Day 3
Introduction
We all decided to meet up at 11:00 AM to complete our next filming session, however we didn't actually begin filming at this time because Amber and Amy were late and we started filming at 11:45 AM.
Camera Shots & Locations
In today's session, we first decided to finish the part of chase scene which occurred on the stair case. This didn't take as long as we thought and we worked very well as a team to get a variety of extra shots as well in case we want certain shots changing when we come to edit our footage in our next editing session. Weather was not issue on this day and we managed to use the weather to our advantage because I suggested that we have a shot where we see the protagonists and antagonists shadows when they were running. Also I filmed Amy running to the bottom of the stairs with Paul chasing her. Then Amber filmed the continuation of my shot with Amy and Paul running up the stairs. After this we moved the camera and the rest of the equipment upstairs and Kayleigh suggested we should have a high angle shot of them running up the stairs so we were looking downwards at them while filming, so I filmed the high angle shot however we filmed two of these types of shots. Kayleigh filmed a high angle shot half way up the stairs and I filmed mine higher up the stairs. Within this location we filmed a few additional shots including the camera shot showing the characters shadows which Amber filmed.
After we finished filming in this location we needed to find another location which helped show that the characters appeared to run into another setting which in fact was another location else where. This took longer than expected as we walked to various areas to see if we could match the two locations together. Eventually we managed to find a location and we then set up the camera and tripod in the right place. Me and Amber went to the area where Amy and Paul where going to continue to run and Kayleigh filmed from a balcony above. We gave specific instructions to the actors and then moved out of the way while Kayleigh filmed. We had the actors run through a gate which looked very similar to another gate which was in another location we had previously visited. We then walked to this location and spent a while filming in this new area.Amber filmed Amy and Paul running through the gate so it matched the previous shot and then I filmed a pan shot which was match on action shot to Amber's shot of the characters running through the gate. We decided to have Paul and Amy split up when running so that the character confront each other as Paul appears to take a short cut. When the characters separate they go down two separate alley ways which then meant we had to find a new location, however across the road we knew there was a part where there were various alley ways and therefore we filmed at this new location.
This is Raw footage of one of the shots I have filmed in this session. It shows a pan shot of Amy being chased by Paul.
At this location we had Paul run through one passage way and then to run behind a wall which shows that he is waiting for Amy. Amber originally attempted to try to film a pan shot of Paul running however she couldn't keep the camera steady due to the cold, so I took over and filmed this particular shot. Next I also shot a static shot of Amy being grabbed by Paul who was waiting for her, this took a few attempts because the way Paul and Amy acted wasn't as realistic as we wanted.
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Editing: Day 3
This is the third editing session we have completed and in this we continued to cut and edit the opening scene.
Firstly, we decided to watch the opening sequence from the beginning to check for any errors we might of made so far. After this we begun to start cutting the chase scene but we encountered some difficulties within this process because some shot which we were using had been re-filmed therefore there were some noticeable differences for example lighting.
One problem which we encountered was that the match on action shot of Amy running up the stairs was more difficult to complete than we thought. First Amber attempted the cutting of the shot to match the continuity however this was very difficult and then I had a turn at the match on action shot and after several attempts I managed to create an effective shot.
When discussing the whole arrangement of the scenes, I suggested that the opening titles should go just before the normality scene, when we moved this part into the suggested place it made more sense and helped create a more mysterious atmosphere in the first two scenes. Also by placing the opening title in this position helped create a barrier between the two times of the flash forward and the present day. This also helped remove a problem for us as we were still unsure how to separate the two times.
Firstly, we decided to watch the opening sequence from the beginning to check for any errors we might of made so far. After this we begun to start cutting the chase scene but we encountered some difficulties within this process because some shot which we were using had been re-filmed therefore there were some noticeable differences for example lighting.
One problem which we encountered was that the match on action shot of Amy running up the stairs was more difficult to complete than we thought. First Amber attempted the cutting of the shot to match the continuity however this was very difficult and then I had a turn at the match on action shot and after several attempts I managed to create an effective shot.
When discussing the whole arrangement of the scenes, I suggested that the opening titles should go just before the normality scene, when we moved this part into the suggested place it made more sense and helped create a more mysterious atmosphere in the first two scenes. Also by placing the opening title in this position helped create a barrier between the two times of the flash forward and the present day. This also helped remove a problem for us as we were still unsure how to separate the two times.
Saturday, 31 January 2015
Kingsman: The Secret Service
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| Kingsman: The Secret Service Film Poster |
This film had conventions of spy movies. For example that the secret agents who wear the protagonists in the film wore smart formal clothing which is shown in the picture below. Also the secret agent wears glasses which help hide part of his identity which is another convention which we have already adopted into our sequence. Also this character stands out more due to props and costume, which is what we have tried to do which are actor, Amy who plays Agent Boyer in our sequence. This has been done as she wears completely black and that her hair is quite distinctive.
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| The Spies wore very formal clothing. |
Friday, 30 January 2015
Editing: Day 2
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| We decided on which effect looked best. |
First we decided to continue to cut and lay shots onto the timeline so that we have our order correct when we come to add any other elements like sound, effects or transitions. We each took turns in cutting each shot which we did with the blade tool. We carried on from the shot where Paul is walking out of the gate and once we had the timeline fully complete we watched the entire sequence to ensure we hadn't made any obvious mistakes.
Next we begun to add the effects into the opening scene. We choose our effects from Final Cut Pro and went through each one till we all agreed on one which we thought would go well with the chosen shot we were intended to add an effect to. One shot which we wanted to add an effect to was when Paul was walking towards the camera. We added an effect which made Paul appear blurred and his identity slightly hidden. I thought this worked well as it then made him appear as a sinister character and also made him different in the opening scene. However this effect does possess a certain sci-fi quality which might not fully meet the genre conventions, however we can always change this later on when we come to watch the entire sequence.
This is the Raw footage of the shot which we thought an effect should be added to because we wanted to hide the antagonists identity as much as possible to create mystery around this specific character.
Another shot we added an effect to was the point of view shot. This shot shows Paul following Amy. In this shot we added a light flashing effect which gave the sense of confusion. This worked really well and helped create a great opening part to the chase scene.
This is a video of the shot with the flashing effect appplied.
This is a video of the shot with the flashing effect appplied.
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Title Animation
I have chosen to research Title Animation because we can use it in our own sequence. Instead of having text, we can apply some animation to help create a more professional and sleek look. This will also help us continue to apply more genre conventions to the spy thriller genre.
There are many examples and ideas of title animation on various websites which show how creative you can be when creating the animation, however during the research some examples I found had been completed on other editing software such as After Effects. I then looked at title animation which has specifically been made in Final Cut Pro which is the software we are using for our sequence.
Below is a video which I found on YouTube, which shows all types of animation which can be completed in Final Cut Pro, however some of the animation cannot be adapted into our own sequence because they do not match genre conventions and wouldn't be associated with the spy thriller genre. Within this video, I have found a title animation which could potentially be used in our sequence, it starts at 1:07 and finishes at 1:17. I like this title animation because it gives the idea of spilled blood after being shot or attacked, which is related to a spy thriller genre. Also I like the colours used, as there is white and black used which is like good and bad and relates to characters within the genre. Also having the colour white in the background helps define any animation occurring in the foreground which helps grab the audience's attention.
I have also researched film animation which is used in more well known films. One title animation which I have focused on is Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. I chose this particular title animation because this film has been made in the past 5 years so the technology used is recent and up to date and that the film's genre is a spy thriller which matches our sequence. I managed to find a video on YouTube showing the animation of the title. The title has a bold font which helps show the text clearly to the audience. The colour matches the light which is sparked before the title animation begins and this shows that the title animation is all relevant.
There are many examples and ideas of title animation on various websites which show how creative you can be when creating the animation, however during the research some examples I found had been completed on other editing software such as After Effects. I then looked at title animation which has specifically been made in Final Cut Pro which is the software we are using for our sequence.
Below is a video which I found on YouTube, which shows all types of animation which can be completed in Final Cut Pro, however some of the animation cannot be adapted into our own sequence because they do not match genre conventions and wouldn't be associated with the spy thriller genre. Within this video, I have found a title animation which could potentially be used in our sequence, it starts at 1:07 and finishes at 1:17. I like this title animation because it gives the idea of spilled blood after being shot or attacked, which is related to a spy thriller genre. Also I like the colours used, as there is white and black used which is like good and bad and relates to characters within the genre. Also having the colour white in the background helps define any animation occurring in the foreground which helps grab the audience's attention.
I have also researched film animation which is used in more well known films. One title animation which I have focused on is Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. I chose this particular title animation because this film has been made in the past 5 years so the technology used is recent and up to date and that the film's genre is a spy thriller which matches our sequence. I managed to find a video on YouTube showing the animation of the title. The title has a bold font which helps show the text clearly to the audience. The colour matches the light which is sparked before the title animation begins and this shows that the title animation is all relevant.
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Filming Schedule Cancellation
We had spoken to each other at school on the Monday we were supposed to be filming, however we decided not to go ahead and film. This was due to a number of factors, which was that the weather conditions caused us to cancel because it would ruin the continuity in the sequence and that it was going darker outside sooner than expected and that the amount of filming time would be reduced dramatically. So we have now decided we will rearrange the filming time to Sunday 1st February.
Date & Timing
01-02-2015: On Sunday we will finish filming the chase scene. We will begin filming at 11:00 AM and finish 4:00 PM this will give us 5 hours to film the rest of the chase scene. Also this time we will begin filming at exactly 11:00 AM and so we will have more time filming than if we had filmed on Monday.
Date & Timing
01-02-2015: On Sunday we will finish filming the chase scene. We will begin filming at 11:00 AM and finish 4:00 PM this will give us 5 hours to film the rest of the chase scene. Also this time we will begin filming at exactly 11:00 AM and so we will have more time filming than if we had filmed on Monday.
Problems
Problems that may occur might be caused by weather like it did on the Monday we originally planned on Monday. However there has been a change in weather over the past week so hopefully the ground will be safe enough to film the rest of the chase scene. Also Kayleigh is going to ensure her camera is fully charged however the camera battery may not last as long as 5 hours.
Problems that may occur might be caused by weather like it did on the Monday we originally planned on Monday. However there has been a change in weather over the past week so hopefully the ground will be safe enough to film the rest of the chase scene. Also Kayleigh is going to ensure her camera is fully charged however the camera battery may not last as long as 5 hours.
Saturday, 24 January 2015
Editing: Day 1
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| Kayleigh showing me and Amber the title animation. |
Firstly me and Amber looked at what Kayleigh had done originally, however the opening title had the incorrect font and isn't what we discussed. But the opening title animation looked good and the colours used were white and black which are typically used in spy thrillers. Also the animation appeared like blood which will help the audience identity what genre film this is going to be.
After watching the title animation, we then started laying out the timeline. I used the software to drag the shots and to layout the timeline. This consisted of watching the shots and choosing which clips were appropriate and good enough to include into the sequence.
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| I planned the timeline and the camera shot order. |
Next we wanted to edit the shots of Paul walking through the gate, however we wanted a match on action shot which looked professional and didn't have incorrect timing. But this was harder than expected. So me and Amber took turns in attempting to get a match on action shot which appeared professionally. After this time consuming part which eventually managed to get the cutting of shots correct.
Later on that day, Amber and Kayleigh went back at lunch to complete some more editing, however I could not be there due to a school commitment.
Friday, 23 January 2015
Filming Schedule 3
We have spoken to each other within school hours and decided that we were originally going to film on Sunday but Paul has become unavailable and therefore we cannot film. So now we will be filming on the 26th January 2015. However this means we will have less time to film because we are starting later in the day than normal.
Date & Timing
26-01-2015: On Monday we will finish filming the chase scene. We will hopefully begin filming between 3:30 and 4:00 because school finishes at 3:05 and we will have to allow time for the actors to change within the school facilities and to travel to the location. We predict that we will have 2 hours of filming time before it begins to go dark. This is important because we want there to be continuity in our sequence.
Date & Timing
26-01-2015: On Monday we will finish filming the chase scene. We will hopefully begin filming between 3:30 and 4:00 because school finishes at 3:05 and we will have to allow time for the actors to change within the school facilities and to travel to the location. We predict that we will have 2 hours of filming time before it begins to go dark. This is important because we want there to be continuity in our sequence.
Problems
Problems that may occur might be caused by the weather and there may be rainy conditions or that the temperature may be cold and the ground may become to dangerous to run across in order to film the chase scene. Also previously when we have filmed, the camera battery hasn't lasted as long as we have hoped considering the camera is fully charged to begin with. However we are only filming for 2 hours, so we are hopeful that the camera battery will last.
Monday, 5 January 2015
Opening Scene Research
I have chosen to complete research on opening scenes. This will help give us ideas of what type of camera shots and movements, lighting, sound and atmosphere to use for our opening scene. Our group will use all research to help create a professional opening scene which will adopt all genre conventions and use different elements correctly.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
From watching the opening scene from Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, I have found out a great deal of information. This will help me vision what our opening scene will look like, however even though this film is not a spy thriller, it has certain aspects which can be used our sequence. Firstly the title of the film is shown at the beginning of the film instead of after the opening scene which some films include. This could be used in our sequence before the opening scene starts, however we want to create a dramatic feel for the audience so revealing the title last in the opening scene maybe more appropriate considering our sequence involves a chase scene. An aerial shot is used which helps set the location and the lighting used is natural lighting from the sun, we could use this as the location we are now using, offers both plenty of natural light, as well as artificial light. Also in this opening scene the aerial shot is from high up, however this is not possible as we don't have the necessary equipment to do so, however there are balconies, and rail road bridges very close by which we could use to help set the location. Another type of shot used is a high angle shot of main characters silhouette which helps hide his identity and create slight tension for the audience. This type of shot could easily be used for our sequence as we could use our protagonists silhouette created from the natural light and help gradually reveal her identity as she does play a secret agent in our opening scene. Another type of technique could be that the protagonists face is zoomed in with the camera and there is also a slight high angle shot which has been used, this helps show that the hero is vulnerable and in slight pain and danger. I think we can use this for our sequence to show that the protagonist is being chased and is in danger with the antagonist and have a cut off point straight after the close up of the protagonists face and then our flash forward scene could finish. Dramatic sound has been used in this seen with a weather shot to show the mood is changing, this becomes more fast paced when the characters are running which matches the action on screen. For our sequence we were already going to use fast paced music with the chase scene, however it could be gradually introduced as the chase scene begins to help create a dramatic effect.
The Bourne Ultimatum
From watching the opening scene from The Bourne Ultimatum, I have found out a range of different elements which can easily be applied to our sequence. One part of this opening scene that I liked was that near the beginning the screen had no film footage but the location was shown in the lower right hand corner, this helps give the audience some more information about whats happening in the film and decreases the chance of them getting confused. This could be used in our sequence when we come to edit the footage we have filmed and add text with a suitable font which relates to the genre of the film. Also a shot of his feet has been filmed which helps hide his identity, this could be used in our opening scene to help hide our secret agents identity. After this shot, a mid body shot was taken which follows him as he moves. Also there is limited lighting so the audience can not see his face clearly, which helps keep his identity hidden. I would like to add this to our sequence when the protagonist is walking to a destination, however in this opening scene there is artificial lighting from the lamp posts and this has been filmed near the end of the day so it is dark. But we are filming in the day but because our location is a underground car park there is only lighting produced by the ceiling lights so this is very possible to do. Another part of this opening scene which we could adopt to our sequence is that a close up shot of the protagonists face is used and no sound is used except the sound of heavy breathing produced by the character, which tells us that he is panicking and has just been running. We could use this and fit it in, after the chase scene which will also reveal the identity of the character.
What I have now learnt
From watching these opening scenes and various others on YouTube, obvious mistakes and faults in the film we have shot already have now been revealed. However this doesn't mean all the filming we have shot is now not needed. In many opening scenes there is lots of very short film footage which is played straight after another and they range from 1 - 5 seconds, this helps create a more thrilling and exciting atmosphere for the audience instead of footage that lasts 8 or more seconds playing one after another. Clips of footage ranging from 8 seconds or more could potentially make the audience bored and lose focus especially in a chase scene. Also from this research of opening scenes I now believe there are some parts of the location that we could take full advantage off and that lighting we have on offer could be used more effectively.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
From watching the opening scene from Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, I have found out a great deal of information. This will help me vision what our opening scene will look like, however even though this film is not a spy thriller, it has certain aspects which can be used our sequence. Firstly the title of the film is shown at the beginning of the film instead of after the opening scene which some films include. This could be used in our sequence before the opening scene starts, however we want to create a dramatic feel for the audience so revealing the title last in the opening scene maybe more appropriate considering our sequence involves a chase scene. An aerial shot is used which helps set the location and the lighting used is natural lighting from the sun, we could use this as the location we are now using, offers both plenty of natural light, as well as artificial light. Also in this opening scene the aerial shot is from high up, however this is not possible as we don't have the necessary equipment to do so, however there are balconies, and rail road bridges very close by which we could use to help set the location. Another type of shot used is a high angle shot of main characters silhouette which helps hide his identity and create slight tension for the audience. This type of shot could easily be used for our sequence as we could use our protagonists silhouette created from the natural light and help gradually reveal her identity as she does play a secret agent in our opening scene. Another type of technique could be that the protagonists face is zoomed in with the camera and there is also a slight high angle shot which has been used, this helps show that the hero is vulnerable and in slight pain and danger. I think we can use this for our sequence to show that the protagonist is being chased and is in danger with the antagonist and have a cut off point straight after the close up of the protagonists face and then our flash forward scene could finish. Dramatic sound has been used in this seen with a weather shot to show the mood is changing, this becomes more fast paced when the characters are running which matches the action on screen. For our sequence we were already going to use fast paced music with the chase scene, however it could be gradually introduced as the chase scene begins to help create a dramatic effect.
From watching the opening scene from The Bourne Ultimatum, I have found out a range of different elements which can easily be applied to our sequence. One part of this opening scene that I liked was that near the beginning the screen had no film footage but the location was shown in the lower right hand corner, this helps give the audience some more information about whats happening in the film and decreases the chance of them getting confused. This could be used in our sequence when we come to edit the footage we have filmed and add text with a suitable font which relates to the genre of the film. Also a shot of his feet has been filmed which helps hide his identity, this could be used in our opening scene to help hide our secret agents identity. After this shot, a mid body shot was taken which follows him as he moves. Also there is limited lighting so the audience can not see his face clearly, which helps keep his identity hidden. I would like to add this to our sequence when the protagonist is walking to a destination, however in this opening scene there is artificial lighting from the lamp posts and this has been filmed near the end of the day so it is dark. But we are filming in the day but because our location is a underground car park there is only lighting produced by the ceiling lights so this is very possible to do. Another part of this opening scene which we could adopt to our sequence is that a close up shot of the protagonists face is used and no sound is used except the sound of heavy breathing produced by the character, which tells us that he is panicking and has just been running. We could use this and fit it in, after the chase scene which will also reveal the identity of the character.
What I have now learnt
From watching these opening scenes and various others on YouTube, obvious mistakes and faults in the film we have shot already have now been revealed. However this doesn't mean all the filming we have shot is now not needed. In many opening scenes there is lots of very short film footage which is played straight after another and they range from 1 - 5 seconds, this helps create a more thrilling and exciting atmosphere for the audience instead of footage that lasts 8 or more seconds playing one after another. Clips of footage ranging from 8 seconds or more could potentially make the audience bored and lose focus especially in a chase scene. Also from this research of opening scenes I now believe there are some parts of the location that we could take full advantage off and that lighting we have on offer could be used more effectively.
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Editing Software: Tools & Transitions
The editing software we used for our Preliminary Task was called Final Cut Pro. This software is installed on the iMacs and caused issues when we came to edit the Preliminary Task as we had not used it in the past and was not familiar with its tools and features which it had to offer.I have completed research on this software and how to use the iMacs more efficiently. This will help increase the pace at which we will work and help complete the editing quicker. This will then give us more time to look over the final sequence and look for any errors made in editing so we have time to fix them, so the sequence looks more professionally done.
Editing Tools
The select tool allows the user to grab and move a clip around the timeline to the place which they want. Also the select tool can shorten or lengthen a clip at any time when its in the timeline.The Trim tool allows the user to change the duration of the clip, however it can be used to trim what footage the user needs. Also within the Trim tool, a slip edit can be done which allows the user to change what is being shown but the duration stays the same.
The Position tool allows the user to move a clip in the timeline, however even though the select tool does this there is a difference. When moving a clip with the position tool it doesn't alter the timeline and leaves the duration of the entire footage the same without automatically moving other clips together.
The Range Selection tool allows the user to select a portion of the clip and help add a element such as a transition or a colour effect.
The Blade tool allows the user to cut a clip into sections and choose which parts they want to cut out and delete and which to keep.
The Zoom tools allows the user to help either zoom into a section of the timeline or help enlarge the entire timeline to edit clips more closely to achieve more effective results.
The Hand tool allows the user to move easily through the timeline to see the whole of the users work and to see where errors are. Also any sound added can be seen where it finishes and any missing transitions can be added using the hand tool.
Transitions
A Transition that can be added in Final Cut Pro is a Cross Dissolve. This transition is done by the user selecting the select tool from the tools menu and then clicking one of the edges of a clip of footage. The footage has to be already in the timeline in order to do this. Next the user has to choose the edit button and then click add cross dissolve or a quicker way to do this is to use the shortcut on the keyboard which is to press 'Command & T'.
Within the Final Cut Pro software there is a large range of transitions that can be chosen in the transition browser. This can be used to either add or change a transition. First the user must go to the toolbar and then select the Transition button. This will open a library full of transitions for the user to choose, the user can even preview these transitions, simply by moving the cursor over the desired one. Once the user has chosen his/her transition they then drag it to the desired place onto the timeline section or if they want to replace a transition they simply move it on top of the existing transition. Friday, 2 January 2015
Assigned Roles: Fonts
I have chosen these film posters because they are all spy thriller genre and they all possess unique fonts which are displayed on there posters. On the Casino Royale poster they have cleverly used the lettering to help create the numbers ''007'' which is the characters secret agent 's name in the film. Also they have used a weapon which is a convention of a spy thriller and used it for the number 7, this title reveals many aspects of the film to the audience, like that the film is a spy thriller and that the characters name is revealed, which is hidden with the text.
Another film which I have chosen is the Salt film poster, this displays a sleek and professional title which looks very technology related, also the font is clear and in bold letters, which could mean that the name ''Salt'' is very important in the film. Another film I have chosen is one of the more recent James Bond films, Skyfall. This film poster displays its title and from first glances its significantly different from the James Bond, Casino Royale title. This title has more spaced out lettering and is very clear to the audience, also it has a damaged effect on the text and makes it look more related to violence and war, this helps relate the title to the genre of the film.
The last film poster which I have chosen is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, this film poster displays a bold text which is in the colour red. The colour red represents danger, death and blood which relates to the genre conventions of spy thriller films.
The images on the right hand side show how text and an image can be mixed together to create an effective title. As a group we could use this idea for our title ''Project Pursuit''. We could use a prop which is related to a spy thriller movie, for example a pistol, which is shown in the images. Also we could use our title ''Project Pursuit'' and choose an appropriate font which would match the genre. This would help show the audience that its clear that the film is a spy thriller genre.
I have researched some font types which may be suitable for the main title of the film. This will be shown in the opening scene and will reveal the title of the film to the audience. In order to research different types of fonts I went onto the internet and browsed through a selection of websites. I have chosen 5 appropriate fonts of a website called Dafont. Each of these fonts share a similarity that they have a stencil like writing which is associated with the Army and Spy elements. Every font I have chosen also is very unique, for example whereas the last font has a clean and professional look it also is very serious and would be aimed for more mature people as this wouldn't appeal to young children. But the font, second from the bottom has a distorted look which has a element of mystery and also this again wouldn't appeal to younger children.
Filming: Day 2
Introduction
We all decided to meet up at 11:00 AM to complete our second filming session, however we didn't actually begin filming as a group till 1:30 AM due to many issues that occured in this specific session.
We all decided to meet up at 11:00 AM to complete our second filming session, however we didn't actually begin filming as a group till 1:30 AM due to many issues that occured in this specific session.
Filming
About 2 days before filming, texts were sent out however there were worded incorrectly, therefore some of us believed that the day of filming had been changed, therefore me and Paul were late due to a lack of communication. So due to this error we were 1hr and 45 minutes late, and when I arrived Paul told me he only arrived at the location 20 minutes before I did but no shots were filmed with him before I got to the location due to dicussions that were wasting time.
When I arrived at the location where we were filming, Amber and Kayleigh had shown me what they had filmed, however I was suprsised that they filmed some shots that didnt need to be re-shot as they could have still been used and wouldnt of disrupted the contiuity, but this wasted time itself so the time but I wasnt there when the decisions were made which meant Amber and Kayleigh werent as productive as they could of been.
After discussing what to film next, a group of youths came to the car park and were making it difficult for the us to film, therefore we all decided to leave the car park for 10 minutes and wait inside Tesco which was nearby but Amber and Amy got side tracked therefore we were in tesco for 20 minutes till we returned to the car park. When we arrived back, the youths had disappeared and we relized that almost 2 and a half hours had gone and only a few shots were filmed and these particular shots were re-filmed shots.
This is Raw Footage of one of the shots I filmed in this session. It shows a static shot of Paul walking towards the camera.
| This is the beam which we filmed behind. |
After the match on action shot I filmed Paul walking round the corner which is a continuitation of the previous shots I filmed which was a match on action shot of Paul. With one shot walking through the gate and the other out of the gate. The shot was a static shot of Paul walking towards the camera, however after I filmed this we all watched it back and though that the shot was to long but I suggested that we can make it shorter when editing.
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| I tried to film Paul from behind. |
Another shot I filmed was of Amy walking past the metal beam, however Kayleigh first attempted this and the camera was on a angle due to the unsteady ground and the camera was slightly shaky, so when Kayleigh offered if anyone else could try I attempted the shot and managed to get Amy walking past the beam as best as possible even though it was quite tricky.
PUBLISH FOR FRIDAY 2 JANUARY 10:14
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