Editing Research

From watching part of a scene from Bourne Ultimatum, shown below, I really liked how their interpretation of the main characters flashbacks have been edited and are very clearly presented as flashbacks.

From 1min 18secs in the flashbacks start with the music becoming very dramatic and exciting for the audience.



They have used Adobe After Effects to create this effect and I have researched tutorials to teach myself how to adjust my own footage to look similar for my flashback sections as I don't think that they are very clear as to what they are with out the effect. Below are some screenshot of myself creating this effect and will also show what I have produced from this.

I have created a short clip of my two edits of the flashback scene and compared them both.


I have realised that some of the clips with the effect are too bright, for example when the exam paper is shown it is completely white, I have noticed early so I will adjust that to make sure it is clearly visible.

Filming myself on the set

As I was shooting my film at night, the quality on the lower resolution camera used to film myself using the good equipment for the production, has made the film slightly grainy as I have resulted to raising the contrast, brightness and exposure on the clips.

After Effects

I have also decided to create a second after effects sequence before my film production. Using Adobe After Effects, I have successfully managed to create an energy wave effect when introducing the studio name. This is my final production and screen shots of me creating it.

Final outcome below.

Editing My Film

This screenshot is of me editing the footage on final cut pro of the flashbacks for my short production.

Actors auditions in costume

Below are some audition tapes I created of some of the actors.

Props, Costumes and Locations

My main character is a mentally ill patient, and I will start to shoot at a hospital, showing nurses and my main character (Beth) within the hospital. This will involve Beth wearing a hospital gown or an outfit shown with examples below...

These costumes are both white and the simplicity of the costumes deeply represent the mental stability of these people. Using a straight jacket shown in the left image could be possible, however, my character will be escaping the hospital so I could be making it harder for her to get herself out of a straight jacket. An ideal costume for her is the white gown or top and trousers shown in the top right image. However, when she is running I might get her to change into her own clothes, wearing simple outfit such as leggings a top and a cardigan. I will make the final decision at the shoot.


The extra characters I have in my production are only shown in a short clip as flashback shots, and is telling the story about her home life and family members, so they will be in their own clothes that look natural to what they would normally wear in the house hold. For example, Beth's little brother will wear jeans and a t-shit, whilst her dad in his tracksuit bottoms and sweater as these are normal for them to be wearing. I have chosen to do this because I wanted the flashbacks to look as natural as possible.

I am also going to be using lots of makeup in this film, as my actors do not already have any bruises or self harming scaring. So I will be using a range of products such as dark blue, grey and dark beige eye shadow, for bruises, red pencils and lip products for any bleeding or scars, as well as natural skin powders to make it look more realistic. Here is an image of the face makeup I did on the younger actor Laurie.

Props which will be used will include pills, spirit bottles, beer bottle (when the dad is beating his son), a marked exam paper, a suitcase (when Beth's mum leaves) , fake blood (made with red food colouring, water and flour)(used when Beth has found her dead brother lying on the road).

Locations of my film will include the inside of a hospital, showing the bedroom, hallways and the outside of the hospital. When Beth has escaped then I will be filming her walking to the pier at the harbour, including lots of different areas within the island as she is making her way. The pier at the harbour is the main location and most important as it will be leaving the audience with a cliffhanger. The pier is the islands local harbour and is very dangerous because it isn't the highest but is filled with sharp and ragged rocks at the bottom and is a serious suicide spot for islanders.

 This image to the right is the view of the main highest wall from a different perspective. If I needed a long establishing shot I will keep this location in mind to use as a different angle.




The picture below is from the main harbour building where to the left is the high wall, however I wanted to photograph this place because of the dangerous rocks below which are just covered by the sea making it incredibly dangerous.

The two images below are a very dark and cold area of the harbour with two different possibilities to commit suicide. I have circled these two posibilities in red on the image on the left, and the image on the right is a closer look of the best possibility from the left red circle in the first picture. 

 This was the third location I visited and I think it is  the best place to shoot. It has a good amount of light, but also not too much that it looks happy. It has the cold and spooky edge that I was looking for.








This is an image of the wall from behind where I can get good shots of my actor standing on the wall.

The shot above is the main location where the narrative begins. I will have an establishing shot at the beginning of my film to show where my character has been. I will also be adding a voice over explaining my characters situation and story.

Drama Opening Research

As many of my previous research is very similar to the research i have been looking up since I have changed my opening idea, I have added some different scenes and clips.

Its A Kinda Funny Story

This next clip is from the BBC's production of Sherlock, where Sherlock himself is committing suicide. 

I like how here Sherlock's face has been shown in a shallow depth of field closeup, as even in just this shot, in the background is the top of a building which makes me think that he is high up. Also, from looking at his emotions, I can tell that he is about to do something nervously or is looking at something scary or upsetting. In this case this would be the road below.

This establishing shot of Sherlock at the top of the building has great composition and really shows that he is so close to death. The fact that there is cloudy and dull weather also comes together nicely as if it was a sunny happy day then the vibe would not be as strong to the audience. This has made me think about the weather for my production quite a lot.

This closeup shot of Sherlock's foot is hanging off the edge of the roof is building up the tension and excitement for the audience as well as being prepared for death and sadness. I would like to include a shot such as this to have the same affect with my audience.

This establishing shot is really dramatic and I like how Sherlock is being filmed jumping off the building as many television series or movies cut from the top of the location to the land at the bottom. I think that because Sherlock was such as loved character from many series of connecting with him, it was right to see his whole death.

This shot is great from a pedestrians view. It is a very scary shot as a bystander on the side of the road would be petrified to see this man falling out of the sky right in front of your face.

Here Sherlock has fallen to his death on the side of a road with many people surrounding him. Even though this is very dramatic and exciting for the audience to see, I don't think that I want to do the same as I want my character to jump to her death off of a pier. I will not even show the audience whether she jumps or not to add some suspense and mystery. 

Actors

Bethany
Character: Beth Jackson
Age: 15 years old
Status: Depressed and lonely








Laurie
Character: Max Jackson
Age: 11 years old
Status: afraid and lonely

     

         Carl
         Character: Dad
         Age: 45 years old
         Status: relapsed alcoholic

Plan Of Action

The title
Nine Lives


Short pitch on my narrative
Beth has just escaped from a mental hospital, and running to commit suicide for the last time (jumping off a pier). 


Genre
Drama

Actors

• Teenage Girl - Beth Jackson a young girl (15 years old) with many problems. Her mother left 5 years ago, her dad abuses and doesn't take care of her and her brother, her older brother died in a shooting last year and she is failing at school. She is currently in a mental hospital as tried to commit suicide twice before - drugs and alcohol, and cutting herself. 
• Dad - 45 year old man, turned an alcoholic once his wife had run off with another man, sobered up after 4 years, and relapsed after the death of his eldest son. He has anger issues and is unemployed.
• Brother - 11 years old, Max, has a very shy personality and has little friends at school because always has scars and bruises he is to afraid to be seen with. He spends most of his time reading children's books in his bedroom staying out of trouble and pretends he is speaking to his mum every night before bedtime. 

Locations

• Mental Hospital 
• In the home
• Harbour pier 

Narrative

Beth has just escaped from a mental hospital at around 6pm. Whilst ripping off her hospital gown she is running away from the hospital in destination of the harbour pier to end her life. She is upset, and shown by the cuts on her wrists she has attempted this before. When she arrives at the pier, the waves are crashing on the rocks below and she takes a few moments before jumping. With a close up on her teary eye, flashbacks are shown of reasons why she is here (dad hitting her, brother's death, brother beat up, failing school, drinking alcohol and taking drugs). Her phone rings, and its her little brother calling for help, but Beth doesn't answer. The phone falls to the floor and the sequence will end with not knowing if she will jump or not. 

Props, costumes and makeup

Beth will be running from the mental hospital in a gown with old clothes on underneath, with slightly greasy hair, no makeup and scars on her wrists and faint bruises on her body.

Step by Step Plan

1. Footage of escaping mental hospital 
2. Coming to a walk, following her footsteps to the pier. 
3. Flashes between shots filming her moving, as well as shots as if she is the camera
4. Flashing to words mouthed by family (e.g. disappointed from dad, sorry from mum, help from brother)
5. Shots of destination in sight
6. Arriving at the pier, shots of sea and rocks below, and closeups of her emotions
7. Phone rings from little brother Max, picturing leaving him alone with her dad
8. Opening ends with a cliff hanger (does she jump or not?)

Idea Change

I currently had a change of idea for my opening sequence, one I had more inspiration and ideas for. From an action drama genre, I have decided to change my opening, which could lead onto a detective drama. I have decided just to create a drama opening, following the story of a teenage girl's potential last hour. I will be filming a suicide attempt and the moments leading up to this. It will involve a main character, and extra parts playing family members.

My plan is to film my main character, Beth, running away from a mental hospital, and going to her destination, being where she wants to kill herself. I want to use a wide variety of camera angles to film this and once edited, I want to add flash backs of things wrong in her life using After Effects. I would find creating sound tracks for this opening more effective being slow and powerful.