PLANNING: TRELLO UPDATE.

I have finally completed the blog posts needed for this terms work as you can see through my Trello I made at the beginning of the year. I will now make a list of the things that need to be done before the end of next term in order to keep on top of my work. 

PRODUCTION: FEEDBACK ON THE DATE SCENE.

PLANNING: YUDU ON NARRTIVE THEORY.

This is my YuDu on the narrative theories I have studied and how they relate to my film.

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Online Publishing from YUDU

PLANNING: NARRATIVE THEORIES.

In lesson today we learnt about different types of narrative: Todorov, Propp, Levi-Strauss, and Barthes.

Todorov made a theory he believed would work within any film, it suggests that narrative is when there is an equilibrium, disequilibrium and a new equilibrium. It should work like so:

• There is a state of equilibrium, when everything is going right.
• One event disrupts the equilibrium.
• This makes a state of disequilibrium.
• We then try to remove the disruption of the equilibrium.
• Which then makes a new state of equilibrium.

This relates to our film by the way in which there is a state of equilibrium at the beginning, represented by the quiet girl that leads a stress free life and visits the library regularly. This is then disturbed by the fact that she gains an admirer; this is the state of disequilibrium. There is a stage where there is slight confusion when he sees her admirer flirting with other girls, this reinforces the state of disequilibrium.  She tries to remove this and regain equilibrium by leaving the library. The new equilibrium is established when she drops the sticky notes and finds out her real admirer was not the boy from the library.

Propp had the idea that every narrative has eight different types of people within each film, these include;

1. The Villain       
2. The Dispatcher
3. The Helper
4. The Prize or the Princes
5. The Princesses Father
6. The Donor
7. The Hero 
8.  The False Hero

This relates to my film by the way in which it has a twist and the original hero turns in to the fake hero. In our short film we have three characters, the girl which in Propps theory would be the Princess, the Librarian which would be the fake hero and the boy who left the sticky notes who proves to be the hero. This helps to show the roles within the plot of our film. This theory makes our character recognisable and relatable to other films. The roles within our film are highly defined which helps in ensuring the audience have a definite understanding of the characters and can relate to the roles, maybe through personal experience.  

Levi Strauss stated that drama is linked with tension and that all drama is represented by conflict of some form. He said that there are binary opposites; these are opposites that are equally powerful which builds tension throughout the film. Within the film there should be a force of powers that clash reinforcing the tension. The narratives of the film should be simplified to binary opposites. He said that the hero of the film should fight the villain and that the story need to finish with the resolutions of the conflict as this may be visual and linked to light and dark or romance and hate.  

This links to my film by the way in which there is a conflict or fight between the two male roles who both want the girl, this is over the fact that neither feels that the other deserves the girl. This shown through different shot types that have the male representing the fake hero as the focus point and how he seems disinterested represented by his poor body language. The opposites are shown by the fact that one of the boys is a player and has bad intentions whereas the other is romantic and wants to attract the girl. 

Roland Barthes has two codes that he invented the Hermeneutic Code and the Proairetic Code. The Hermeneutic Codes refers to the element of a story that has not been explained in full and therefore is a mystery for the viewer. This provokes the viewer to predict the end of the mystery themselves giving a personal twist to the film. The truth is avoided in order to make it a mystery through snares, equivocation, partial answers or hints towards the ending, suspended answers and jamming’s that prove there is no resolution to the problem. The Proairetic code on the other hand, builds tension by linking to events or actions that hint that something else may happen and therefore letting the viewer decide what happens next. The two codes work together in order to dvelip the tension within the story, keeping the viewer interested. The Proairetic Code keeps the viewer on edge, wanting to know what happens next and what the final event will be and how the roles within the film with react.

The Hermeneutic Code relates to my film by the way in which we leave a mystery for the audience even though they do not know it. The film hides truths about the boy who left the sticky notes relating back to the hermeneutic code.

The Proairetic code links to my film by the way that we successfully make tension for the viewer leaving them on edge, making them wonder what will happen next in the series of events. The audience decide for themselves who leaves the sticky notes when the girl starts to follow them. This keeps the audience engaged. Tension is reinforced when the male is on the date with the female but seems to be interested in the waitress when the girl is not present, therefore making the viewer doubt their decision. This proves his intentions are bad from the start making the audience wonder how the film will finish. 

PRODUCTION: FILMING THE 360 SCENE.

Today I was not present in class however after consulting with my media group we decided we were going to make a stop motion sequence that covered a 360 degree angle in order to portray the idea she has been reading the book for a while, this is reinforced the sound of the clock in the background. 

PRODUCTION: FILMING THE BEDROOM SCENE.

PRODUCTION: FILMING THE LIBRARY SCENE.

Today in lesson we filmed one of the main scenes for our film. I took photos of the location in which we filmed and the camera and lighting set up. We did the filming with the Canon 550D but I used my iPhone to take the photos of our location. 

We had difficulties with the lighting balance as we found that attempting a long tracking shot made it hard to keep the whole frame bright. Therefore we had to move the lights numerous times to overcome this problem. Below are the photos I took whilst filming. 

Long Tracking Shot

The camera mounted on a dolly

We used four lights to light the long bookcase adequately

RESEARCH: FILM POSTERS: "FILL ME IN".

The film poster for this film is used to inform the audience of the genre of the movie. The main focus of the poster is on the characters that are positioned centrally within the poster. They are the main feature of the poster and the figures are dressed in bold colours juxtaposing the white background. The use of white in the poster draws the viewers’ attention to the figures reinforcing how they are the main focus point within the poster. The genre of drama is conveyed by the expression and body language of the main figures within the poster. The female on the right is presented to the viewer as irritated towards the male within the poster this is proved by her crossed arms and the look of disdain expressed on her face. The female on the left is shown to be leaning on the male looking in the opposite direction of the other woman. The male is the dominant figure within the film and is presented as if he is torn between the two women, the fact that one of the females in seen to be leaning on his back may suggest that romance occurred without the other female knowing, reinforced by the caption at the top of the poster “ Would you give him a second chance?”, this is presented in red capital letters with the word you “you” coloured in black, makes it stand out to the viewer and giving a more personal view to the poster. The red text of the title looks as if it has been shaded in; the colour of the text is related to the danger as well as love therefore proving that it has a double meaning, portraying the emotions of the film to the viewer.  The film was easy to find, this was proved when it came up as the first link to the film when searched on the internet, thus proving that it was a well distributed film. 

RESEARCH: FILM POSTERS: "HIGH MAINTENANCE".

Today in lesson we looked at film posters, specifically at the film "High Maintenance" we had to analyse them and say how publishing and advertising were used effectively. 

The film has a poster and trailer which helps to distribute the film widely and make the film more widely known. The main colour that dominates the film poster is black which is effective in portraying drama within the poster as it sets the tone, not only this but the dark colour informs the viewer of the genre of the film. 

The close-up image of the face is the main focus of the poster, in this image we see a beautiful young woman deep in thought which may be suggestive of the events which may occur. 

The bold font stands out from the black background as it is a contrasting colour which makes it easily identifiable by the size and the viewers eyes are immediately drawn to the title of the film, this suggests to the audience that the genre of the film is drama and romance. 

RESEARCH: FILM POSTERS: "COLD".

In today's lesson we researched P&A for short films and how they represent the genre of the film. 

We found that "Cold" was not very well advertised as it was a small budget film and was not widely distributed, therefore taking a long time for us to find the film poster. 

The film was developed by Ryerson University Media and is an independent short film by Perspective Pictures. 

It was released online by Vimeo, this is how the film describes itself: "In a city notorious for being cold to strangers, several lives intersect one night, oblivious to the loneliness that connects them all", the deep blue colours make the poster seem cold on its own which reinforces the film title. The film title "Cold" is in capital letters and a bold font making it eve catching for viewers. The colours used for the title match the colours of the back ground poster which are predominantly blue. Below the title we see the words "coming soon" which are written in a darker shade of blue, this colour is naturally a cold colour and is normally associated with cold weather such as rain and snow which proves the genre of the film. The posters make it look as if the viewer is looking out of a frosted window and the opacity of the word cold make it look as if it has been written in the glass. Therefore the poster overall suggest the genre of the film however due to the fact it is an independent film it was not widely known. 

The watermarks and over exposure used draw in the viewer and make them feel physically cold when looking at the film poster. We researched the film further and found that producers have made a twitter page.

RESEARCH: SHORT FILM FESTIVALS.

Short films are often screened at film festivals to attract the attention of distributors. 

The London Short Film Festival ( 9th-18th January 2015) gives viewers the opportunity to the see the "UK's best short films" through screening them at the festival. This is promoted by inviting the general public to submit entries into the festival. Film London offers bursaries and scholarships to fund short film makers.

The Sundance Film Festival, a programme of the Sundance Institute, is an American film festival that takes place annually in Utah. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival comprises competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature length films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including “Next”, “New Frontier”, “Spotlight” and “Park City at Midnight”, the Sundance Film Festival took place this year from the 22^nd of January until 2^nd February 2014.

RESEARCH: RADIO TRAILERS.

Today in lesson we looked at radio trailer using the "Blackhole Review Blog" using this resource we analysed radio trailers to films and how they were structured in order to give us a basis for our own, most radio trailers had the structure of an introductory soundtrack that signals genre, followed by dialogue normally spoken by the key character, the musical soundtrack underpins the dialogue helping to build tension and drama and finally the advert is concluded with a voice over with information on the release date of the film. 

RESEARCH: RADIO TRAILER ANALYSIS: "THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW".

The radio advert for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is upbeat and conveys the genre of the film. It is a musical comedy horror film. The music proves to the listener that it is a musical as parts of the advert play music without narration or dialogue. In many radio adverts for film there is dialogue however in this instance there is no dialogue and only music and narration. The screams behind the music at the start of the advert portray the horror genre. The dialogue that is usually in radio adverts is replaced with music from the musical. The narrator uses words to promote the film to the listener, the narrator say it is 'action-packed', this is portrayed by the fast upbeat music and narration that has no breaks. Finally we hear the narrator say the title of the film and the certificate and where it is being played, the fact that this is the last thing for the viewer to hear builds tension for the listener as it leaves them on edge until the end of the radio trailer. 

RESEARCH: RADIO TRAILER ANALYSIS: "NORTH SEA HIJACK".

This radio trailer starts within narration followed by an interjection of music and dialogue which starts together. The music is upbeat and has a patriotic ring to it, the dialogue is layered over the top and is useful in giving the listener a small insight into the film. The music is useful in building atmosphere and drama portraying the genre of the film to the listener. There is another interjection of narration which quotes the name of the film and the tag line "North Sea Hijack... When the next 12 hours could cost you £1,000 million and 600 lives, you need a man who lives second by second", this is useful in giving the listener and idea of what the film may entail. This is followed by more dialogue of the film. We then here the narrator give information on who is starting in the film, in this instance it was Roger Moore, this would help in drawing in viewers to go and see the film if they like the people who are in the film and their style of movies. We then hear where the film is being played and the certified rating. There is then a peak on the music which crescendos building drama. The trailer ends suddenly with the music stopping quickly, leaving the lister on edge, wanting to know what happens next. 

RESEARCH: RADIO TRAILER ANALYSIS: "ALIEN".

The radio trailer for the film "Alien" is successful in creating a sense of drama through the music, narration and dialogue. The trailer starts with quiet music which is then played underneath some dialogue from the film, this gives the listener a brief insight into the film and draws them into the film. When the narration finishes there is an interjection of narration explaining the title and certificate of the film "Alien, Certificate X", this is short and snappy and provides the basic information the viewer needs to know. The music continues to build and there is further dialogue from the film, this is followed by a sudden stop which makes the viewer predict what is going to happen next, making the film trailer more personal as it gives the listener the opportunity to make up what is going to happen next. This is then followed by further narration within the film and the final catch phrase "In space... No one can hear you scream" portraying the genre of the film which is horror. 

RESEARCH: RADIO TRAILER ANALYSIS: "JAWS".

The radio trailer for "Jaws 2" is successful in portraying the genre of the film; drama and horror. The Trailer starts with the narration "the legend continues..." which is repeated numerous times throughout the trailer. The end of the phrase sees an interjection of dialogue from the main character within the film. Behind the narration and dialogue the music starts to build and gain momentum, intriguing the viewer. After the final part of the dialogue and we hear a scream, which proves to the viewer that there is an element of horror to this film, this is followed by more narration telling the viewer to "see it... before you go back in the water", this is successful in persuading the viewer to see the film, the music builds further before a sudden stop, when the music is at its loudest. This invents a sense of drama leaving the viewer or listener on edge and intrigued to find out what happens next in the movie. this is a successful technique in promoting the film and selling tickets. 

PLANNING: THE CALL SHEETS.

1) Female enters library - sheet 1

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

Library Sign

Wardrobe:

jeans

jumper

or suit

2) Female gets nudged - sheet 1

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

Library Sign

Wardrobe:

Jeans

Top

Jumper

or suit

3) Library card - sheet 
Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook

Library card

4) Reading the book - sheet 2

Shoot Date: October/November

Location: Amber’s House

 Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina
 Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

Book

Clock

wardrobe:

jeans

shirt/top

jumper

(dressing gown?)

5) Following the sticky notes - sheet 3

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky notes

Wardrobe:

jeans

jumper

(or suit)

6) Player checks out her book - sheet 3

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky notes

Wardrobe

Agatha: Jeans / Jumper 2

Bryn: smart trousers, shirt, jumper, name tag

7) Girl is asked on a date - sheet 4

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky notes

Wardrobe

Agatha: Jeans / Jumper 2

Bryn: smart trousers, shirt, jumper, nametag

Player: trousers, shirt/top, jumper/hoodie

8) Girl’s bedroom - reflection in mirror - sheet 4

Shoot date: 17 october - 3rd November

Location: Amber’s House

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

Mirror

Jewellery

Make up

Phone (she’s talking to a friend)

Hairbrush

Magazine

9) Restaurant - sheet 5
Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

Fake candles

breadbasket

flowers

plates

cutlery

table

checked table cloth

menu

wine glass and bottle

Wardrobe:

Agz - Dress, pumps/heels

Player - suit/ smart casual

10) Seeing player with another girl - sheet 5

Shoot date: october/november
Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky notes

Wardrobe

Agatha: Jeans / Jumper 2

Brynn: smart trousers, shirt, jumper, nametag

11) Sticky note falling - sheet 6

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky note

Wardrobe

Agatha: Jeans / Jumper 2

12) Both lean in to get sticky notes - sheet 6

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:             Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******
Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky notes

Wardrobe

Agatha: Jeans / Jumper 2

Brynn: smart trousers, shirt, jumper, name tag

13) Clap eyes - sheet 7

Shoot date: october/november

Location: Claremont Library

Crew:

Crew:          Connie Dwan 0788******

Crew/Cast: Amber Saville 0795******

Crew/Cast: Georgina Self  0765******

Crew/Cast: Agatha Parry   0776******

Equipment:

Tripod

Camera

Lights

Props:

The notebook 

sticky notes

Wardrobe

Agatha: Jeans / Jumper 2

Brynn: smart trousers, shirt, jumper, nametag

PLANNING: NEW STORY BOARD.

Today in lesson we created a visual storyboard for our short film. On the template we listed the shot number, shot type, the action and location in which it would take place. from this, we then made our call sheets giving more detail to the storyboard and helping us to keep organised when filming. 

PLANNING: STORYBOARD.

Below is the storyboard we created in class today, it will help us when making the film to keep track of where we are however we have kept it open to edit and will re-post the final when everything is set in stone.