Sarah Mallard Costume
-Over sized cardigan
-Jeans
-Shoes?
-Plain vest top
Richards Costume
-Shirt and tie
-Smart work jacket and matching trousers.
-Smart shoes
-Black briefcase with lock
Brett Mallard Costume
-Smart looking suit with shirt and tie, much like Richards
-Smart work shoes
Props
-Honeymoon picture of Brett and Sarah
-Wedding ring (for Sarah)
-Richard's wedding ring
-Kitchen condiments- including sugar, tea bags and coffee granules
-Mugs
-Kettle
-Armchair
-Sarah's Jacket
-Keys
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Shot List
1) Long shot of Richards walking down a street
2) Medium Close up as he looks up at the house he has been looking for
3) Extreme Close up of the door bell as he rings it
4) Medium shot as he backs away from the door to take a look at his surrounding areas
5) We cut to a mid shot of a lady making her way down the last few stairs of a staircase
6) The camera pans round to follow her to the door, where she stops
7) The camera tracks a sideboard until it reaches a picture frame turned down, sarah's hand picks it up and places it up right
8) The camera slowly zooms in to the picture, it is a picture of Sarah and Brett on their honey moon.
9) Mid shot of Sarah's upper body as she reaches for the door handle
10) Over the shoulder shot as she opens the door revealing Richards with his back to her
11) Cut to an over the shoulder shot from Richards side as Sarah moves away from the door to let him in
12) As Richards walks through the door we cut to a medium shot from inside the house as Sarah closes the door behind him.
13) Long shot of the corridor from the front door to the kitchen as Sarah walks down it to join Richards
14) The camera slowly zooms back as sarah walks out of shot to put the kettle on
2) Medium Close up as he looks up at the house he has been looking for
3) Extreme Close up of the door bell as he rings it
4) Medium shot as he backs away from the door to take a look at his surrounding areas
5) We cut to a mid shot of a lady making her way down the last few stairs of a staircase
6) The camera pans round to follow her to the door, where she stops
7) The camera tracks a sideboard until it reaches a picture frame turned down, sarah's hand picks it up and places it up right
8) The camera slowly zooms in to the picture, it is a picture of Sarah and Brett on their honey moon.
9) Mid shot of Sarah's upper body as she reaches for the door handle
10) Over the shoulder shot as she opens the door revealing Richards with his back to her
11) Cut to an over the shoulder shot from Richards side as Sarah moves away from the door to let him in
12) As Richards walks through the door we cut to a medium shot from inside the house as Sarah closes the door behind him.
13) Long shot of the corridor from the front door to the kitchen as Sarah walks down it to join Richards
14) The camera slowly zooms back as sarah walks out of shot to put the kettle on
Developing Our Skills
Both mine and Miranda's final pieces in AS were tripod fixed, neither of us had experimented with different ways of filming. We were both particularly interested in hand held camera movement and so wanted to try making a short piece using this technique. We also wanted to try filming with a mobile phone to see what effects this had on our audience as well as filming and quality.
The story follows a young girl, who has a unstable relationship with her mother. She is alone and isolated from society, and has only herself for entertainment. She takes a trip to the arcade to have some fun, and then goes back home to meet her high tempered mother waiting for her return. Below is the end product.
The story follows a young girl, who has a unstable relationship with her mother. She is alone and isolated from society, and has only herself for entertainment. She takes a trip to the arcade to have some fun, and then goes back home to meet her high tempered mother waiting for her return. Below is the end product.
Genre Research and Adaptations
Genre:Dramas are serious, plot-driven films that portray realistic characters, settings, events and stories involving intense character development and interaction. They do not usually focus on special-effects, comedy or action sequences.
Adaptations:
A film adaptation is a transformation of a written text into the form of a film. Novels are frequently used, and they try to appeal to an existing commercial audience. The most recent film adaptations are;
The Harry Potter series - Originally a series of novels written by British author, J.K. Rowling - first film released in 2001
The Twilight Saga - Originally a series of novels written by American author Stephenie Meyer - first film released in 2008
The Time Traveller's Wife - Originally a novel written by American author Audrey Niffenegger - released as a film in 2009
The Adventure of TinTin - Originally a comic book created by Belgian artist Georges Remi - released as a film in 2011
Wuthering Heights - Originally a novel written by English author Emily Bronte - most famous adaption was in 1939.
Water For Elephants - Originally a historical novel written by Sara Gruen released as a film in 2011
Adaptations:
A film adaptation is a transformation of a written text into the form of a film. Novels are frequently used, and they try to appeal to an existing commercial audience. The most recent film adaptations are;
The Harry Potter series - Originally a series of novels written by British author, J.K. Rowling - first film released in 2001
The Twilight Saga - Originally a series of novels written by American author Stephenie Meyer - first film released in 2008
The Time Traveller's Wife - Originally a novel written by American author Audrey Niffenegger - released as a film in 2009
The Adventure of TinTin - Originally a comic book created by Belgian artist Georges Remi - released as a film in 2011
Wuthering Heights - Originally a novel written by English author Emily Bronte - most famous adaption was in 1939.
Water For Elephants - Originally a historical novel written by Sara Gruen released as a film in 2011
New Moon
New Moon is the second film in the Twilight Saga. An adaptation of the books written by Stephanie Meyer. A particular section of the book skips over four months, we wanted to see how the director- Chris Weitz- portrayed this movement in time.
We like the simplicity of the pan, and how the change in time was suggested through different seasons and nature. The slow movement and desaturated colours helped set the mood and suggested a long period of waiting and thought. This is exactly the type of colouring i wanted to add to our shots, we want the audience to feel for Sarah in the most simplistic way possible. I think Chris Weitz captures Bellas emotions well without over doing it.
We like the simplicity of the pan, and how the change in time was suggested through different seasons and nature. The slow movement and desaturated colours helped set the mood and suggested a long period of waiting and thought. This is exactly the type of colouring i wanted to add to our shots, we want the audience to feel for Sarah in the most simplistic way possible. I think Chris Weitz captures Bellas emotions well without over doing it.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Target Audience
As our film deals with the subjects of death and unstable relationships we didn't want to set the age limit too low, but none of these subjects are explored in great depth, things are only suggested and most of the time the audience can make up their own mind. Strong language appears only once and so we wanted to research the guidelines to see which bench mark our film fits into.
For a 12, the BBFC clearly states ''moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example 'fuck') must be infrequent.'' They go on to say ''mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.''
For a 15, ''There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘c**t’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.'' and in terms of theme ''No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.''
After looking into the two categories we decided to give it certificate 12.
For a 12, the BBFC clearly states ''moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example 'fuck') must be infrequent.'' They go on to say ''mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.''
For a 15, ''There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘c**t’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.'' and in terms of theme ''No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.''
After looking into the two categories we decided to give it certificate 12.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Character Development
Sarah Mallard
Sarah Mallard is in an unstable relationship with her abusive husband Brett. They were hopelessly in love, and married at a young age of 17. It has been 19 years since Sarah has been able to enjoy herself and her life. She is fragile, insecure and desperate for escape, and sees her husbands death as exactly that. Initially, she did love Brett, bus since they got married she has become a slave to him and, because of her weakness has been unable to stand up for herself, and so was submissive to Brett's demands. Because of this struggle her appearance suffers and she looks tired, haggard and drained.
Naturally she does feel heartbroken after the news of Brett's death, however, after some thought, she begins to realise that she is finally free. There is no one now, to tell her what to do or how to feel. From the characters severe heart disorder, when she finds out that Brett is alive, she suffers from a heart attack 'from the joys that kill'.
Richards
We know through Richards costume that he is in a well paid job. His briefcase implies he has a high position for the company he works for. He has known Brett since university, where they both studied Business and met Sarah on a double date, new years eve. Richards is a genuinely nice, family man and lives in a detached house with his wife and two children.
Brett Mallard
Brett lives for his work, which is all consuming, and he regrettably forgets his love for his wife. He turns to alcohol for comfort, and leaves Sarah alone at home most evenings whilst he is out drinking with his friends in the local bar. He comes home, violently drunk, and takes the rest of his anger out on Sarah. He is controlling and manipulative, and makes Sarah's life very difficult.
Sarah Mallard is in an unstable relationship with her abusive husband Brett. They were hopelessly in love, and married at a young age of 17. It has been 19 years since Sarah has been able to enjoy herself and her life. She is fragile, insecure and desperate for escape, and sees her husbands death as exactly that. Initially, she did love Brett, bus since they got married she has become a slave to him and, because of her weakness has been unable to stand up for herself, and so was submissive to Brett's demands. Because of this struggle her appearance suffers and she looks tired, haggard and drained.
Naturally she does feel heartbroken after the news of Brett's death, however, after some thought, she begins to realise that she is finally free. There is no one now, to tell her what to do or how to feel. From the characters severe heart disorder, when she finds out that Brett is alive, she suffers from a heart attack 'from the joys that kill'.
Richards
We know through Richards costume that he is in a well paid job. His briefcase implies he has a high position for the company he works for. He has known Brett since university, where they both studied Business and met Sarah on a double date, new years eve. Richards is a genuinely nice, family man and lives in a detached house with his wife and two children.
Brett Mallard
Brett lives for his work, which is all consuming, and he regrettably forgets his love for his wife. He turns to alcohol for comfort, and leaves Sarah alone at home most evenings whilst he is out drinking with his friends in the local bar. He comes home, violently drunk, and takes the rest of his anger out on Sarah. He is controlling and manipulative, and makes Sarah's life very difficult.
Location Ideas
We wanted to create an idealic, family home environment for our film. We want to confuse our audience about why Sarah is depressed about her life.
We knew that we wanted the scene between Richards and Sarah to be in a kitchen. We therefore needed enough space for Richards to sit down at a table, and Sarah to move around, making tea. When Sarah leaves the kitchen, she leaves to go to her bedroom. The chair by the window was a key moment within the original story, so we wanted to keep this element within our film. We also wanted to film a shot with Sarah looking out of the window and looking at the birds in the tree, creating a symbol of freedom.
I wanted to take a few shots of the location, and a few still shots of various close ups and long shots we are planning to use in the final piece.
There was a choice of three rooms for the bedroom scene. Each room has a chair by the window but decorated differently. I like the simplicity and neutrality of this room. I want to keep the lighting to a minimum and use as much natural light as possible, throughout every sequence. The only lighting effects i want to add are in after effects or premier.
We knew that we wanted the scene between Richards and Sarah to be in a kitchen. We therefore needed enough space for Richards to sit down at a table, and Sarah to move around, making tea. When Sarah leaves the kitchen, she leaves to go to her bedroom. The chair by the window was a key moment within the original story, so we wanted to keep this element within our film. We also wanted to film a shot with Sarah looking out of the window and looking at the birds in the tree, creating a symbol of freedom.
I wanted to take a few shots of the location, and a few still shots of various close ups and long shots we are planning to use in the final piece.
I really like the lighting in this shot, the light comes from under the cupboards, keeping the character looking slightly dull but we can see what she is doing with her hands.
The lighting in this room is perfect, there is no orange glow, everything is simple and easy to see.
There is a shot of a a bird in a tree that Sarah stares at for a while. This is particularly important as it shows her want of freedom. The three different rooms offer different views of trees. I decided to show the view from this window as there was a bird sat in the tree.
Although i imagined the door to be further away from where Sarah is sitting, it is still possible for us to ''cheat'' our way around this by using a completely different door as long as we match them up.
This is the second room, it would need a little clearing up, but the view from the window is slightly different. The colours of the room are darker than the last, and personally i prefer the simplicity of the last.
I think this shot shows too much of the modernized neighborhood.
Artificial light has been used here to light this shot. There is a slight orange glow, so we would have to experiment with the lighting. The stairs are in perfect distance from the front door and the kitchen.
At the beginning of the film the camera pans across a sideboard with pictures and other items on it. There is a sideboard just to the right of the door that we can use.
Costume Ideas
Sarah Mallard
We wanted to dress Sarah in a costume that represents her personality.
An over sized plain cardigan allows Sarah to almost hide behind it. The bagginess hides her figure, she is quite insecure and isn't happy with her relationship. This has an impact on her sense of style, she isn't keen to give much away. Teaming this up with a simple plain white top and a pair of boot cut jeans. Again, the jeans are baggy and don't complement her figure. She lacks confidence and her clothing supports this. I think make up wise- she should have little to none. Sarah is a tired, run down, unhappy character. Hairstyles need to be simplistic, a loose pony tail or loose waves in the hair. I don't think she needs anything extravagant, i don't want it to look as though she has made too much of an effort.
Richards
Brett Mallard
We wanted to dress Sarah in a costume that represents her personality.
An over sized plain cardigan allows Sarah to almost hide behind it. The bagginess hides her figure, she is quite insecure and isn't happy with her relationship. This has an impact on her sense of style, she isn't keen to give much away. Teaming this up with a simple plain white top and a pair of boot cut jeans. Again, the jeans are baggy and don't complement her figure. She lacks confidence and her clothing supports this. I think make up wise- she should have little to none. Sarah is a tired, run down, unhappy character. Hairstyles need to be simplistic, a loose pony tail or loose waves in the hair. I don't think she needs anything extravagant, i don't want it to look as though she has made too much of an effort.
Richards
I always imagined Richards as a well presented character. He has a sense of success about his character and this is obvious due to his costume. Although he has this sense of style, when he appears at Sarah's door he appears distressed and this could be shown through him having his top button undone and his tie loose. The lock on his briefcase will be used to show his awkwardness as he begins to play and pick at it.
Friday, 4 November 2011
What have i learnt from my analyses?
In The Magic Mile the sound helps us sympathise with the character, the silence helps us connect with her and the loud screeching noise startles us just as much as it does her. The Non Diagetic music at the beginning helps set the tone, and open the film. Our film focuses on emotions quite a lot and a good opening piece of music will help to set the mood and put the audience in the right frame of mind. The audience need to connect with Sarah as soon as possible so that they see her full journey. Silence is also a good and effective way, as it helps the audience focus on what you want them too. This would be another good technique for us to use.
Playground relies heavily on lighting to set their tone, the sound is kept to a minimal, and the lighting very de-saturated. The lighting plays a key part as it highlights key characters as perhaps a bit strange and menacing. The lack of lighting puts the audience on edge as we cannot see their surroundings. The blue hues suggest danger and mystery, but they also make the clip seem somewhat cold.
As well as the lighting, the use of close ups help progress the narrative. They allow us to see what he is looking at and they focus on specific detail, sometimes emphasising the fact that this man is a killer. (the close up of the bracelets hanging from the mirror- suggest that this girl is not his first) When picturing parts of our film i imagine a different coloured filter of hue placed over the top. I think subtracting the colours will make the film seem more cold and sad, and help set the tone. When it comes to editing i think it will be interesting to play around with the different filters.
Playground relies heavily on lighting to set their tone, the sound is kept to a minimal, and the lighting very de-saturated. The lighting plays a key part as it highlights key characters as perhaps a bit strange and menacing. The lack of lighting puts the audience on edge as we cannot see their surroundings. The blue hues suggest danger and mystery, but they also make the clip seem somewhat cold.
As well as the lighting, the use of close ups help progress the narrative. They allow us to see what he is looking at and they focus on specific detail, sometimes emphasising the fact that this man is a killer. (the close up of the bracelets hanging from the mirror- suggest that this girl is not his first) When picturing parts of our film i imagine a different coloured filter of hue placed over the top. I think subtracting the colours will make the film seem more cold and sad, and help set the tone. When it comes to editing i think it will be interesting to play around with the different filters.
Sound Analysis
THE MAGIC MILE.
When a deaf girl chances on an abandoned wheelchair, she discovers the incredible secret of the magic mile. Finding herself in a strange and unfamiliar world, she picks up on the trail of the wheelchair's owner who reveals that even miracles have their limits.
The film opens with an establishing shot of the beach, and a lady enters the screen from the left and proceeds to walk along the beach. The music is a non diagetic piano piece which seems to have a lot of ''feeling'' to it. It sets the tone and suggests that this piece is going to make us sympathise with the character. The lady herself is dressed in a green sweater and black trousers, the scenery around her is very grey and monochromatic making her the most dominant part of her shots.
The lady is alone which makes us as the audience question why she is there, has something gone wrong? is she ill? are there relationship problems? The music becomes quieter and we can hear the waves in the background. Everything is still.
The lady begins to walk through a set of planks before there is a loud screeching noise which puts us on edge. It isn't until we see a medium close up of the lady as she reveals her hearing aid that we begin to piece the footage together. The lady herself instantly falls to the floor and we feel sorry for her as she is alone. Everything becomes silent, we get to see life as she sees it.
This allows us to become her, the director put us in the characters shoes and we only hear what she does. Nothing. When the character enters the planks again she can hear things. As the audience we see her character change. She was, before, very quiet and insular. We see her change of character through a series of medium shots that show her being very inquisitive with the things around her. Her own laugh startles her her.
Without the sound we wouldn't sympathise with the character, the silence helps us connect with her and the loud screeching noise startles us just as much as it does her. The Non Diagetic music at the beginning helps set the tone, and open the film. Our film focuses on emotions quite a lot and a good opening piece of music will help to set the mood and put the audience in the right frame of mind. The audience need to connect with Sarah as soon as possible so that they see her full journey. Silence is also a good and effective way, as it helpf the audience focus on what you want them too. This would be another good technique for us to use.
Other Roles
I have taken on all of the post production roles and Miranda has taken on the role of cinematographer and director. Miranda will be in charge of the creative aspects in terms of how the film looks. As director she will also be filming.
What is the job of the cinematographer?
It is the cinematographers job to decide on the technical aspects of the image. These include lighting, composition, filtiration, lense choice and exposure. They often work vey closely with the director to ensure that they are supporting the directors vision of the story they wish to tell. In the early 19th century the cinematographer was usually also the director and the person physically handling the camera.
What is the role of a director?
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors.
Directors are responsible for overseeing creative aspects of a film under the film producer. They often develop the vision for a film and carry the vision out, deciding how the film should look- they make their vision come to life. They are responsible for turning the script into a sequence of shots. They also direct what tone it should have and what an audience should gain from the cinematic experience. Film directors are responsible for deciding camera angles, lens effects and lighting with the help of the cinematographer, and set design with the production designer. They will often take part in hiring key crew members. They coordinate the actors' moves, or blocking, and also may be involved in the writing, financing, and editing of a film.
What is the job of the cinematographer?
It is the cinematographers job to decide on the technical aspects of the image. These include lighting, composition, filtiration, lense choice and exposure. They often work vey closely with the director to ensure that they are supporting the directors vision of the story they wish to tell. In the early 19th century the cinematographer was usually also the director and the person physically handling the camera.
What is the role of a director?
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors.
Directors are responsible for overseeing creative aspects of a film under the film producer. They often develop the vision for a film and carry the vision out, deciding how the film should look- they make their vision come to life. They are responsible for turning the script into a sequence of shots. They also direct what tone it should have and what an audience should gain from the cinematic experience. Film directors are responsible for deciding camera angles, lens effects and lighting with the help of the cinematographer, and set design with the production designer. They will often take part in hiring key crew members. They coordinate the actors' moves, or blocking, and also may be involved in the writing, financing, and editing of a film.
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