Saturday, 9 April 2011
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Pink Booklet
Today i have been filling out the media pink booklet. For this i had to complete the brainstorm sheet with ideas for our opening sequence & questions about product. I also completed the shooting scheduale & information about the soundtrack, camera work, action, iconography, titles & visual style. The next job will be scanning these onto our blog.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Summary of problems faced in group work
For our first opening sequence about a girl being murdered we came across several problems. The first being meeting times. It was difficult for the three of us to arrange a time to meet due to people working & having other loyalties. However, we found a date where we all had to give up time to film for the sequence but managed to get the filming done in one night.
Once we uploaded all the footage to final cut we noticed that the lighting was not good & it looked quite grainy. It was also too long. We was not happy with this so we decided to completely redo our coursework
Another problem we encountered was that a member of the group was very often off school due to sickness or other reasons. This made it difficult to discuss as a group, ideas for the new sequence. To overcome this, myself & Vidur took control & created a new sequence without Saskia as she was off school.
When Saskia returned to school. We had already filmed our sequence & started editing on Vidurs Mac. As she was off school during all the planning & filming she did not know how she could help & would sit idle whilst me & Vidur completed the work.
A major problem we encountered was that Vidurs Mac broke. This meant we could not complete editing or sound on his laptop & would need to find another way to finish it. As we were very behind we could not finish work on the school computers as we did not have time. To resolve this, we used my Mac (which had final cut) to do the editing. This was good as we spent a lot of time over the weekend completing the editing & sound so we were up to date & ready for the showcase.
Once we uploaded all the footage to final cut we noticed that the lighting was not good & it looked quite grainy. It was also too long. We was not happy with this so we decided to completely redo our coursework
Another problem we encountered was that a member of the group was very often off school due to sickness or other reasons. This made it difficult to discuss as a group, ideas for the new sequence. To overcome this, myself & Vidur took control & created a new sequence without Saskia as she was off school.
When Saskia returned to school. We had already filmed our sequence & started editing on Vidurs Mac. As she was off school during all the planning & filming she did not know how she could help & would sit idle whilst me & Vidur completed the work.
A major problem we encountered was that Vidurs Mac broke. This meant we could not complete editing or sound on his laptop & would need to find another way to finish it. As we were very behind we could not finish work on the school computers as we did not have time. To resolve this, we used my Mac (which had final cut) to do the editing. This was good as we spent a lot of time over the weekend completing the editing & sound so we were up to date & ready for the showcase.
Evidence of how Opening fits with research
After looking at different horror openings we knew that they all had specific conventions which we would stick to, to make our opening look realistic.
The openings were all very dark & dull, there were no bright/vivid colours used which made the setting look scary. We also made our sequence like that. The shots were all dark but had been lit by natural lighting (candles) which made the setting spooky.
We also made sure that the mise-en-scene was good to create a scary atmosphere which is needed for a horror film to make the audience feel on edge.
We also noticed that the music was suited well to the film to give suspense. We made sure that when we added music, it built up tension & also created suspense.
Overall, i think we managed to stick to these conventions to make our real look as real as possible.
Evidence of how Opening fits with research
Se7en Opening Credits
This was the most influential sequence that we looked at for research. Due to having little time to completely redo out opening sequence we decided to adopt this style of film but change it to make ours unique. We used short, snappy clips in our opening sequence but ours were not as random as Se7en's & had more of a story as someone was going to get killed. We liked how they're credits were flickery so we also made our credits flicker & jump in different ways like flipping then round.
We also didn't want a character to be introduced as we wanted our film to be quite mysterious, which is also like Se7en as they did not introduce a character either.
This was the most influential sequence that we looked at for research. Due to having little time to completely redo out opening sequence we decided to adopt this style of film but change it to make ours unique. We used short, snappy clips in our opening sequence but ours were not as random as Se7en's & had more of a story as someone was going to get killed. We liked how they're credits were flickery so we also made our credits flicker & jump in different ways like flipping then round.
We also didn't want a character to be introduced as we wanted our film to be quite mysterious, which is also like Se7en as they did not introduce a character either.
Evidence of how Opening fits with research
Sorority Row Opening
This was one of the opening sequences we looked at hen researching horror films. At the beginning the film starts very dark & we noticed that the credits were shown over the shots. We also saw that they came into the shot in clever ways & faded out. When we did titles for our sequence we decided to use credits over our sequence & have them fade out aswell.
This was one of the opening sequences we looked at hen researching horror films. At the beginning the film starts very dark & we noticed that the credits were shown over the shots. We also saw that they came into the shot in clever ways & faded out. When we did titles for our sequence we decided to use credits over our sequence & have them fade out aswell.
Feedback & Improvement
We showcased our film on Thursday. Teachers & students gave us feedback on our movie. In general, the feedback was good but the main problems were that people did not understand who was trying to be killed & there was no main character. They also said it lacked narrative progression.
In order to improve on these things, we have tried to make it more clear about who is going to be killed by showing the image of the man more frequently & ending the sequence with a photograph of him with the word 'KILL' next to it. This should make it more clear for the audience to understand. I have also used more shots with the character in it so people can see him, however we do not want to give away who our character is because we want him to be mysterious. This will add to the suspense of the film.
In order to create more narrative progression, i showed the shot of the man in a shadow playing with hair, so people can see the character in the beginning of the film.
Once this was done we had to export it into garage band & move our sounds so they fit in with the new sequence. This has been a success & i believe we have now finished our opening sequence.
In order to improve on these things, we have tried to make it more clear about who is going to be killed by showing the image of the man more frequently & ending the sequence with a photograph of him with the word 'KILL' next to it. This should make it more clear for the audience to understand. I have also used more shots with the character in it so people can see him, however we do not want to give away who our character is because we want him to be mysterious. This will add to the suspense of the film.
In order to create more narrative progression, i showed the shot of the man in a shadow playing with hair, so people can see the character in the beginning of the film.
Once this was done we had to export it into garage band & move our sounds so they fit in with the new sequence. This has been a success & i believe we have now finished our opening sequence.
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Creating Music In Garage Band
We had to have layers of different music so that it all flowed & no music sounded out of place. We used loops & i also created our own song using the keyboard. I put it in different pitches so i could use all different sounds.
Individual Response To Idea
My response to the idea was that it would be good if we can make the effects & sound suitable & give it a scary effect. After creating the storyboard i was happy with the idea & was looking forward to getting it filmed & to start editing.
Inspiration About Opening
We created an opening sequence several weeks ago but we have now decided to change the idea because of complications.
To get inspiration for our new sequence we looked at different horror film openings & analysed the conventions of horror films.
Myself & Vidur then brainstormed & came up with an idea for our opening. We decided we wanted it to be mysterious & create an enigma for the audience. We decided to use props to add a scary effect such as candles, knives, & a bloody book. We made the colours dull & dark to add to the effect of the genre of horror. We decided the sequence would be short & snappy & include lots of titles to break up the footage.
We also had thoughts about sound, we wanted the sound to be eerie & strange to give it a suspicious & freaky effect.
To get inspiration for our new sequence we looked at different horror film openings & analysed the conventions of horror films.
Myself & Vidur then brainstormed & came up with an idea for our opening. We decided we wanted it to be mysterious & create an enigma for the audience. We decided to use props to add a scary effect such as candles, knives, & a bloody book. We made the colours dull & dark to add to the effect of the genre of horror. We decided the sequence would be short & snappy & include lots of titles to break up the footage.
We also had thoughts about sound, we wanted the sound to be eerie & strange to give it a suspicious & freaky effect.
Own Initial Idea Submitted To Group For Consideration
My first idea to contribute to the group was about a group of friends who have been dared to sleep in a forest that is notorious for murders. I wanted to group to set up a tend & film them in the evening & then they all get murdered.
I made a basic storyboard for this idea to show the group so they had an idea of what i wanted. After discussing this with the group, we came to the conclusion that this would be too difficult due to lighting problems & the sequence would be too long. We then came up with an idea as a group & created a storyboard for this.
Editing
I have now completely finished editing on final cut. I used many different transitions & video effects such as cross dissolve, fade out, cross zoom & dip to colour dissolve. I also used video effects such as gamma control, strobe, blur motion & decreased saturation.
The editing was a long process & took a lot of patience as sometimes certain effects wouldn't work properly. I also had to film some extra footage to put into the sequence as we filmed insufficient footage to make the sequence long enough. I also added a lot of credits to break up the footage.
The clips are very short & snappy, I did this because I wanted the sequence to be mysterious & edgy. I wanted it to create an enigma for viewers.
Once the editing was completed I needed to export it & save it as an mp4 file so I could open it in garage band to add sound. I then transferred it into garage band & started playing around with loops & the keyboard to make my own track from different types of sound. Vidur then came over & we decided on loops to use & where we should put them. I have completed quite a lot of the music now & I am going to carry on testing out different loops to add layers to the music & to make the sequence intense.
The editing was a long process & took a lot of patience as sometimes certain effects wouldn't work properly. I also had to film some extra footage to put into the sequence as we filmed insufficient footage to make the sequence long enough. I also added a lot of credits to break up the footage.
The clips are very short & snappy, I did this because I wanted the sequence to be mysterious & edgy. I wanted it to create an enigma for viewers.
Once the editing was completed I needed to export it & save it as an mp4 file so I could open it in garage band to add sound. I then transferred it into garage band & started playing around with loops & the keyboard to make my own track from different types of sound. Vidur then came over & we decided on loops to use & where we should put them. I have completed quite a lot of the music now & I am going to carry on testing out different loops to add layers to the music & to make the sequence intense.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Production
Myself & Saskia created the production about two weeks ago. We had many different ideas about what we could do, but we found that our ideas were too complex for the program we were using. Therefore we had to come up with a more simple idea. Creating the production was difficult, as neither of us knew how to use the program. With help from our media teacher we played around with the program & figured out how to use it. We decided to call our production 'Lightning Studios' & we made a lightning bolt flash on the screen & the name 'Lightning Studios' fading into the shot. This took a whole double lesson to complete & we had alot of trouble importing it into final cut but we managed in the end.
New Opening Sequence
Due to technical difficulties, we have had to restart out editing. We are now using final cut to complete the editing. I have played around with the program & tested different transitions & video affects to decide which ones are suitable for our type of film. I am now 1:20 into the film. Due to not enough footage, i am going to do some more filming to add to the sequence today.
I intend to complete editing by the end of the day & start adding music tomorrow so we are ready to showcase our film next week.
I intend to complete editing by the end of the day & start adding music tomorrow so we are ready to showcase our film next week.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
New Opening Sequence
We have decided to create a completly new opening sequence due to some problems.
Myself & Vidur came up with the idea on March 10th during our Media lesson. I then created a storyboard & we filmed that night at my house.
For the props, we needed a notebook with lots of writing & cut up pictures of people. I made this once i got home so it would be ready when we started filming. I also got all the other props together & arranged them on my desk, where we would be filming.
I filmed most of the sequence with the help of Vidur for some shots. Filming went well & we managed to complete it withing 1/2 hours.
We then uploaded the footage onto Vidurs Mac the next day & began cutting the film & arranging it in iMovie. The next step is to beging editing.
Myself & Vidur came up with the idea on March 10th during our Media lesson. I then created a storyboard & we filmed that night at my house.
For the props, we needed a notebook with lots of writing & cut up pictures of people. I made this once i got home so it would be ready when we started filming. I also got all the other props together & arranged them on my desk, where we would be filming.
I filmed most of the sequence with the help of Vidur for some shots. Filming went well & we managed to complete it withing 1/2 hours.
We then uploaded the footage onto Vidurs Mac the next day & began cutting the film & arranging it in iMovie. The next step is to beging editing.
Progress in Editing
We have now completed all of our editing for our film. The next stage is adding sound to complete the sequence.
I contributed to the editing stage by transferring the footage to FinalCut, cutting the shots & adding them to the sequence. I also did effects & transitions with the help of my group members who gave their input into what would be most suitable.
Editing went quite well, we all sat together & made decisions about which shots to use & effects & transitions. We tried out transitions & effects & decided which would be most appropriate & fitted in well with our sequence.
A main problem was that the sequence was too long; we resolved this by cutting out several shots at the beginning & shortening some other shots to tighten the sequence & to make the pace faster.
Me & Saskia made the 'Lightening Studios' Production using flash player. We worked together whilst making this.
I contributed to the editing stage by transferring the footage to FinalCut, cutting the shots & adding them to the sequence. I also did effects & transitions with the help of my group members who gave their input into what would be most suitable.
Editing went quite well, we all sat together & made decisions about which shots to use & effects & transitions. We tried out transitions & effects & decided which would be most appropriate & fitted in well with our sequence.
A main problem was that the sequence was too long; we resolved this by cutting out several shots at the beginning & shortening some other shots to tighten the sequence & to make the pace faster.
Me & Saskia made the 'Lightening Studios' Production using flash player. We worked together whilst making this.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Filming
This was the first day we met to film due to the fact that the whole group was unable to attended several other dates. Filming took place on the 26th January at my house. Saskia & Vidur came over at 5.30pm. We filmed for approximately 3-4 hours. In that time, we managed to complete all the filming for our opening sequence. For each shot, we did about 2-4 takes, this enabled us to have more choice when choosing which shot we would use during the editing stage. We also filmed each shot using several different angles, this also would give us more choice for editing. We did encounter a few problems whilst filming such as unwanted shadows & lighting problems. We worked together to solve this problems & continued filming efficiently.
I think that overall we worked well as a group. We all had a job & carried out that job well. The next step would be to upload the shots & start to edit.
I think that overall we worked well as a group. We all had a job & carried out that job well. The next step would be to upload the shots & start to edit.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Zombieland Opening Sequence Review
Notes: 2009
Director - Ruben Fleischer
Actors - Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone & Woody Harrelson
Opening Conventions: The institution sequence (Columbia) is played loudly at the start
There is a voiceover to explain where we are & what is going on.
Furthur on in the sequence the titles are shown over the sequence but they are placed asif they are part of the scene eg. letters break off if someone falls through them. This is effective as it is interesting & differernt.
Narrative Function: We can guess the storyline because we are told that there are no people left in America & we can see zombies chasing everyone so we can guess that it is about the survival of someone living in zombieland.
We do not start withing the story, we just have different scenes of people being killed by zombies whilst the credits are shown.
Characters: No charachters are introduced but we assume that the person who is the voiceover must be the main charachter as he is the only one that is being focused on.
Hook Audience/Enigma/Action Codes: The sequence is done very cleverly which makes it interesting for us an audience to watch & we want to watch more. Also, we want to see if the voiceover survives & what the storyline is going to be throughout the film. This film also used very modern technology & despite the slow-mo, it has quite a fast pace which keeps us interested.
Film Lang - MES, Cinematography (Light & Colour): There is a US flag at the beginning so its clear that the film is set in America. Horrific events are shown straight away so we know that the film is going to be gorey & a horrow but there is also a hint of comedy from the voiceover, The colours are quite bright & vivid which would give the impression of a happy film.
Director - Ruben Fleischer
Actors - Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone & Woody Harrelson
Opening Conventions: The institution sequence (Columbia) is played loudly at the start
There is a voiceover to explain where we are & what is going on.
Furthur on in the sequence the titles are shown over the sequence but they are placed asif they are part of the scene eg. letters break off if someone falls through them. This is effective as it is interesting & differernt.
Narrative Function: We can guess the storyline because we are told that there are no people left in America & we can see zombies chasing everyone so we can guess that it is about the survival of someone living in zombieland.
We do not start withing the story, we just have different scenes of people being killed by zombies whilst the credits are shown.
Characters: No charachters are introduced but we assume that the person who is the voiceover must be the main charachter as he is the only one that is being focused on.
Hook Audience/Enigma/Action Codes: The sequence is done very cleverly which makes it interesting for us an audience to watch & we want to watch more. Also, we want to see if the voiceover survives & what the storyline is going to be throughout the film. This film also used very modern technology & despite the slow-mo, it has quite a fast pace which keeps us interested.
Film Lang - MES, Cinematography (Light & Colour): There is a US flag at the beginning so its clear that the film is set in America. Horrific events are shown straight away so we know that the film is going to be gorey & a horrow but there is also a hint of comedy from the voiceover, The colours are quite bright & vivid which would give the impression of a happy film.
Film Lang - Movement, Framing, Editing & Sound: The use of the hand held camera at the start puts us in the point of view of the man who has just been attacked. It also allows us to have a closeup of one of the zombies. Also, the camera is tilted at the start which gives the idea of chaos & that the world is not right. The opening sequence is all in slow-mo, this allows us to focus on the horror & makes the pace not fast yet still not boring. The music is heavy metal which fits with what is going on. At the start the sound is diegetic as we can hear the sound of the man screaming & the zombie chasing him. Each rule is shown on screen which makes it interesting & it makes sure we saw the rule. Also, due to their being violence & swearing withing the sequence, we know that it would not be appropriate for children instantly.
 |
| Rules are written over the sequence |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)