Mundane Task

For my next project, filming a short clip of an everyday task was set, in aim to turn a boring and simple job into a creative and fun film using a wide range of different camera angles. After shooting just over 100 shots, I edited this piece using Final Cut Pro, learning new functions such as changing the speed colour and sizes of shots. I then edited a song to fit the length and mood of my film, using Sound Track Pro and using iMovie I created my clip.

Target Audience Research

As research for my 2 minute film opening I will be creating, I am completing some research to decide that the ideas I have will be popular and successful to my audience. From this research I hope to receive some interesting feedback to inspire my ideas further. 

For my first part of research, I am creating a questionnaire to send out via email to 30 people of various ages, personalities and cultures. I created the questionnaire in google mail documents, which is simple and easy to use, which also makes sending it to my participants faster. 

Below is my survey I will send out to my participants

Click here to take survey

Below is screen shots of me sending the questionnaire out, using social networking and internet messaging. 

To evaluate the survey results I received, I came to conclude that with the variety of different ages of people who took this survey, that action was the most popular genres of film. It then told me that a car scene and shootings are the most popular scenes in an action movie, the majority of participants like to get straight into the action in the introduction to action/drama movie as well as having a few main characters instead of lots of smaller roles. 

I then went on to create a demographic profile and interviewing my target audience.

Learning After Effects

Screen shots 

Soundtrack Pro Extperiments

Re-creating the soundtrack for the opening of the film Se7en.



Next I re-created the soundtrack for the film Panic Room. Both tests using soundtrack pro.

Here are some screenshots of me creating the soundtrack for Panic Room.

Animatic

I had an animatic feedback interview which I filmed and is shown below...

Equipment Proficiency

This footage was shot whilst learning about 3 pieces of camera equipment.
The equipment consisted of The Tracker Dolly, The Crane and Handheld Camera Base.

The Dolly is a useful piece of equipment where a camera on a tripod is placed on two extendable poles, creating a smooth movement shot, for example filming someone walking from the side. Below is a photo of me using the dolly and also a short clip I filmed using this piece of equipment.

The crane can produce many different angle shots, its most advantage would be the hight it creates. An example of using the crane would be filming someone looking down. This is a screen grab from the timelapse video of me using the crane.

The handheld camera base creates a comfortable stand for the camera, also providing a larger screen to see the footage clearer.

Here is a some footage of me experimenting with the crane and the dolly tracker. Also are some images of myself using the equipment

Camera Proficiency

Here is an image of me creating a short clip on video camera settings, shown below.

Lesson Planning and Time Management To Date

Location Shots

These are the locations I will be shooting my actors at.

 I will start my showing footage of a black car driving into the car park. I will have high and low angles of this action. This is an example of a high angle I will capture. 

 This is the car park I will capture the car entering and parking.

In a small section of the car park, such as this one, I will have the under cover spy waiting for the car to arrive. This is also the place where the driver of the car will hand a package to the spy.

The spy will then leave the car park and start making her journey through town to the conference room to drop the package off. Starting from this place at the top of town. 

This is the Royal Square where the spy will promptly cross. There is many trees, benches and birds in this square which means plenty of opportunities for people to be watching her whilst blending in to the crowd. 

 

 I will hide the camera as if I am watching from another persons point of view, for example here I am sat at a cafe watching people walk past. 

 High street shots of the spy walking down the street. 

 An alley way in town could be where the spy receives a call from her boss asking about her whereabouts.

 Final destination for dropping off the package. 

 When the spy exits the lift up to the penthouse office she will avoid going through the security glass door and cut through the kitchen trying to avoid as many people as possible. 

This is the conference room where the boss will nervously be waiting.

Story Board Sketches

Preliminary Task

Using the 180 degree rule, I had to complete a small project of a subject walking through a door, lift, archway, to cross a space and have a conversation with other subjects. I then uploaded it onto my youtube channel.

Initial Planning Ideas

Genre
Action, Crime, Detective, Drama

Actors

• Middle aged man - He is waiting to receive a package from an undercover spy. Wears a suit, has lots of technology around him, very important person in the black market. 
• Young woman - Under cover spy, delivering package to the big boss, early 20's, wears big coat, scarf, sunglasses, has an earpiece in connecting to the boss.
• Unseen driver of the car to meet spy.
• Team who are watching undercover spy - 3 members looking around one computer with tracking software open and running, watching the undercover spy from many angles. All middle aged, also wearing smart wear (e.g. suits). 

Locations

Central town (high streets, alley ways, open areas), underground car park, conference room, office for the detectives watching.

Narrative

Undercover spy collects a package from a creepy guy in an underground car park. She then hides it in her coat and makes her way to deliver it to her boss. She has to cross central town and make it to the penthouse conference room. 

In an office, detectives have realised what is happening and are watching every move the undercover spy makes. It takes them a while to realise who is the spy, but once she is spotted lots of different angles and shots are shown of her walking to her boss' office. 

Step by Step Plan

1. Footage of car driving towards the car park to meet the spy. 
2. Shots of spy starting to walk towards destination
3. Flashes between spy and detectives 
4. After effects added over character footage
5. Shots of boss nervously waiting for important package
6. Detectives starting to research what package could be 
7. Opening ends with detectives realising what the package is, after it has been delivered to the boss. 

25 word pitch on my narrative

An undercover spy collects package in car park, has to deliver it to her boss without anyone becoming suspicious, however people are watching her every move. 

Opening Credits Timeline

Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events

AS Media Opening Sequence Research

For my research, I have decided to look at films around the genre of action and drama as I am interested to create my own project inspired by the directors of great classic action / drama movies. I will also be looking at movies which use imaginative and useful after effects I can relate to in my film sequence, such as kinetic text and focus effects. I hope to find films which I am inspired by to re-create in my project. 

Opening Sequence Research 10

Se7en
Thriller

 I believe that the first shot should be interesting and mysterious, so that the audience should have to think about what is going on in the film. Here this shot shows this as a book could contain anything inside.

With the scary image in the background, I like how the credits have been edited to show the closer to the image the more distorted it becomes.

 This close up shot of these finger handling a small object makes the audience curious as to what the object is for and why it is being handled.

 Interesting shapes and figures also adds to the mystery of the sequence keeping the viewers on their toes at all times.

 In this shot, it began with only one hand writing, until it is doubled up with more transparent footage of the same clip. I find it very effective how this happens.

Opening Sequence Research 9

Bullitt
Action, Drama
1968 film

 This first shot of this opening is really captivating because of the lighting and camera angle. This close up is shot from down low which could show the importance of the characters. The lighting could also mean that there is something creepy or horrible people. However, it does make the shot creative and powerful.

 What I didn't like about this shot is that even though you can see the actor is hiding from some people, possibly the characters shown in the previous shot, the credits are just positioned right in the middle of the screen which distracted my view away from the footage to the bright writing.

 Similarly, to the first shot, the close up camera angle is again low, which could mean that this character is also important and powerful.

 I liked the setting of here, instead of being a simple long establishing shot of a car park, the layers of each floor creates interesting composition.

Opening Sequence Research 8

Control
Drama

 This opening scene has been the most powerful, yet simplest I have ever seen. Sometimes the basic ideas can be the most effective. What I like about this short clip is how it portrays this simpleness into an extremely powerful opening. 

 It starts with a closeup shot of this young man, in a dark room with only natural light, possibly shining from a window behind, creating a bright outline of the characters face. No music is playing in the background, until a voice talks over this slowly rotating footage of the actor. The voice, like the opening, is simple and not very dramatic, but very strong. 

 His head is slowly lowered creating mystery for the audience of what emotions he is portraying or situations he could have been in.

From the close up shots, only one clip follows in this opening. This still medium shot of the character in a dark room shows emotion and mystery. The voice says a statement and the opening ends to lead onto the beginning of this young mans story.

I would like to film some shots inspired by this director, Ian Curtis, as I like how strong they are. I think I could try to make them as powerful like he has.