Bloopers of Prelim Video!

 

Whilst making the Prelim video, we did make a few comical mistakes whilst filming and acting, which we thought would be great to post on the blog as 'bloopers' (just for fun)! Above are some acting/camera errors. Enjoy!

The Final Prelim Video

This is our prelim video. The brief stated that we should have a match cut of the door, but we put the match cut after to fit with our video. We have over the shoulder shots, and shot reverse shots also. The over the shoulder shots were filmed at a high angle, which resulted in some wasted space, however, the overall video meets the purpose of the brief. It was a good experience for us. For our actual final film, we have learned to:

• Think about camera space: Framing
• Film at different angles
• Keep within the shooting grid
• Dont zoom in shots.

Prelim screen grabs of the editing process

These are some screen grabs of the prelim exercise we did. These images show the editing process on Final Cut Pro and how we put the film together.

 This is where we added text to the film. 

This is where we added sound to the film using Soundtrack Pro.

This is the overall project with sound and titles. 

Photos of the filming process (Prelim)

These are the equipment and props we used.

Us setting up the equipment, ready to film.

IN 3, 2, 1... ACTION!

AND THAT'S A WRAP!

Extra blogging on genre and sub genre

Fair Game

The genre is a Thriller and the sub genre is Action thriller. The key signifiers that tell you it is a Action thriller is the clothing the characters are wearing. They are dressed in black which could suggest they are detectives. Also their facial expression suggests they are out to solve a problem. The target audience of the film 'Fair Game' are mainly male audiences as majority of them enjoy this type of genre.

Dream House

The sub genre to this film is a horror thriller. The key signifiers which tell you this is the picture of the two little girls. There facial expression look haunting and scary which tells us it is horror as they have black bruised eyes and  pale faces. Also the picture on top look as if the characters are about to solve a mystery so this indicates the thriller side to the film. The target audience for this type of film is teenagers around 15+ as it is more of a thriller film than a gory, bloody horror film.

Friends with benefits

Friends with benefits is a romantic comedy. The key signifiers which tell you this is the facial expressions and the way they are posing suggests both the characters are cheeky and have a good sense of humour. The picture of the man and woman indicates love as they look as if they have a crush on each other and could lead to something more. The target audience for this type of film are teenagers and adults. Both the characters are placed in the middle of the poster this could connote equal characters and it is also to attract viewers as Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis are major stars.

Some more Thriller Inspiration for us!

BLACK SWAN

Another psychological thriller we can take inspiration from is black swan. Black Swan stars Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman as rivals for the lead in a ballet production. Throughout the film the competition increases and so does Natalie Portman's character's hallucinations. She sees things that aren't really there and becomes increasingly paranoid. This film really messes with the audience's heads and gets them thinking/questioning what will happen next. We want our thriller to do the same, draw the audience in and make them feel they are part of our film, which is why I feel this film is good inspiration. Below is the trailer for the film.

More on genre, sub-genre and audience

I have identified the genre, sub-genre and audience of the following films using the posters shown:

The Others

A poster of the film The Others (2001)

Genre & Sub-genre:
Psychological horror

The font of the title looks distorted and ghostly because of the white smudged effect, which gives the impression that the film has supernatural elements or a psychological genre. The darkness of the background and the use of colour black makes it clear that this is a horror film. The scared facial expression on the actress' face also adds to the horror genre, and they make this clearly obvious by using a close-up of her face as the main focus of the poster.
 

Target audience:  
The rating of this film is 12+
However, it is mainly targeted at adults due to the fact that it is a scary film which wouldn't be appropriate for children. Also, because Nicole Kidman is starring in the film - she is an actress that usually targets the older and more mature audience.

KEY NOTE: This film has inspired me to make our film opening in the genre of a psychological thriller.

Harry Potter

Deathly Hallows Part 1

Genre & Sub-genre:
Adventure Fantasy

The font of the title looks very wizard-like and magical, which gives the impression that the film has a fantasy genre. The mystical/foggy background and the setting of the eerie forest makes it clear that this is a fanasy film. The movement of the characters on the poster indicates that the film has an adventure element, it looks as if they are going to have an unusual and exciting experience. Overall, the poster makes the film looks very unatural feel/look to it, which adds to the fantasy genre.

Target audience:

The rating of this film is 12+
However, it is mainly targeted at young adults of both gender. This is clearly shown from looking at the characters (on the poster) as they look young and relatable to teenagers. Also, because the male character, Harry, is the main focus of the poster, it could perhaps suggest that young teenage girls would be more atractted to the this type of film.

A little more on Genre and Sub genre

The Genre and Sub-genre TOWER HEIST
Here is a action and comedy film. I think it is action due to the word 'HEIST', which means robbery, and you cant really have a heist without action. The way the two main characters are dressed, like robbers, indicates that they are ready for some sort of action.
The reason why I think it is a comedy is because of the actors. When you see Eddie Murphy on a movie poster you think it will funny, due to him being typecast as a comedy actor. Ben stiller himself is also known for being in funny films, so having them two on the poster gives me the impression that it will be funny.
Target Audience
Probably young adults, more male than female and no younger than 12. Eddie Murphy can have a rude sense of humour in some films.

The Genre and Sub-genre  FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
This is a rom-com (Romantic comedy). The way the actors are posing, quite cheeky, and the fact that they are male and female indicates something may happen between along with the title, which is intended to be viewed as good humour. Both actors have the same poster space and no one is placed in front of or behind anyone, so they are seen as equals and central characters.
Target Audience
Probably around the 15+ bracket for both males and females. Both characters attract the audience.

The Genre and Sub-Genre DREAMHOUSE

This looks like a horro movie. I can tell this by looking at the beackground, which is dark and spooky, and the two little girls standing infront of it. These children help create the spooky feeling you get when looking at this poster. The title has some letters bigger than others and some letters slanted, to create an eerie atmosphere.

Target Audience Because it is a horror, I would say around the 15+ bracket.

More on genre and sub genre

Genre and Sub Genre - Titanic (1997)

This is film is a romantic drama. The image of the two people, possibly lovers are potrayed in such a way that the audience can tell automatically that the film is about romance due to the way Leonardo DiCaprio is around Kate Winslet. Furthermore, in front of the image of the boat it says 'Nothing on earth could come between them' this also shows that the film is about romance as nothing could separate the two. Also, the name of the title grabs the audiences' eye because the film is a fictionalised account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. This portrays the drama side to the film as the sinking of the RMS Titanic had a loss of over 2000 people gone missing.

Targeted audience

 This film would be for the age rating of 12 and over as there are some parts of nudity. Also, this film would probably attract more female viewers than male due to the film being a romantic drama.

Genre and Sub Genre - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

This is a animated fantasy film.The three images instantly grab the audience's eye and understand that the film is animated due to it fictional. The first image of the person with wings relates to the part of this film having the aspect of fantasy within it. Also, the title informs the audience that the film will be related to fantasy as the film is literally about Howl's moving castle.

Targeted audience 

This kind of film would be targeted at all ages as it's suitable for all ages. Also, this film is targeted for both males and females.

Research on student film openings

Sound:

• someone sharpening the Knives against each other (Diegetic sound) 
• Cutting into an onion with a knife( Diegetic sound) 
• Hammering the meat (Diegetic sound)
• chilling, eerie( non-Diegetic music)

Mise en scene:

• The  blood stains on her hand could connote how dangerous she is and foreshadowing a series of bad events to come. 
• The water changing colour to red could emphasize on her character and how she has changed from a normal, happy person to a dangerous, murderer.
• The focusing of the knife could tells us that this is the main weapon used throughout the film.
• The setting is in a small kitchen/dining room and the lighting of the room is dark and bright in some areas of the scene. This could represent her dark, dangerous side and the bright lighting could represent her sympathetic, happy past.

Editing:

• Transitions  e.g. fades are used when their an image of the girl laying her head on the table with blood smothered all over her to when it fades into the girl eating the meat she had prepared.  This shows both these scenes are linked together.
• Slow motion of the red wine being poured into the class shows the effects of the drink changing into a different colour similar to the type of character she will play in the film.

Prelim storyboard

This is our storyboard for our prelim exercise. We were advised to have a a minimum of 20 photos depicting our story in order, but as you can tell we went over that!

More on genre and sub genre

Genre and Sub Genre - Scary movie (2000)

This is film is a horror comedy (parody movie). The name automatically suggests scenes with relations to horror/thriller as it is Scary and a movie. One thing that really draws attention is the masked person right in the middle of the poster, this relates to the comedy side of the film as he looks as if hes having a good time with friends possibly in the cinema, having some popcorn. Furthermore, the masked person is a relation to the film Scream - a crime horror film. Also, the male actor on the left holding a tee with "I SEE DEAD PEOPLE" written on it relates to the film Sixth Sense - a psychological thriller.

Targeted audience

For this kind of movie with relations to horror and comedy it would most likely be 15+. Also, this poster would probably attract more male viewers due to the females showing off their chest but still being decently covered.

Genre and Sub Genre - Hunger Games (2012)

This is a action adventure/sci-fi (science fiction) film. The name of the film relates to the film being about action due to the possibility of 'games of hunger'. Additionally, the picture of the girl looks like she is holding a bow which also related to the aspect of action as well as adventure within the film. Also, behind the name there is an image of something resembling a phoenix, this could relate to the aspect of science fiction within the film as a phoenix is a mythical creature.

Targeted audience 

Probably 12+ due to the fact that the main genre of the film is action, for both males and females.

Film title sequence - The Others

Convention of a tile sequence:

• Production company ident
• Distribution company ident
• Distribution company title
• Production company title
• Actor 1 (major star)
• Actor 2 (major star)
• Film title
• Actor 3
• Actor 4

 

Title sequence of The Others:

• Distribution company title - Dimension Films (0:00 - 0:05)
• Production company title - Cruise/Wagner Productions, Sogecine and Las Producciones Del Escorpion (0:24 - 0:28)
• Actor 1 - Nicole Kidman (0:31 - 0:34)
• Film title - The Others (0:37 - 0:41)
• Actor 2 - Fionnula Flanagan (0:44 - 0:47) 
• Actor 3 - Christopher Eccleston (0:48 - 0:51)
• Actor 4 and 5 -Alakina Mann and James Bentley (0:52 - 0:55)
• Actor 6 - Eric Skyes (0:56 - 0:59)
• Actor 7 - Elaine Cassidy (1:00 - 1:03)

The opening to The Others is very different to the conventional film opening but still has some similarities, as the first actor came after the distribution and production company titles. Whereas, the second actor came after the film title and then followed by 8 other actors . Also, in the title sequence we do not see the idents for both the distribution and production company which does not follow the conventional film title sequence.

Plan and ideas for Prelim exercise

What we plan to do is create a short film with a dramatic ending! We plan to have 2 people playing cards and the audience will see one player getting extremely agitated as the other player is winning. We will use a range of shots to show this, from close ups to over the shoulder shots. The audience will then see the agitated person lose all their money and very slowly pull out a gun from their pocket. The screen will then fade out and the audience will hear a loud gunshot at the end.

We plan on using a range of props including:

• A pack of cards
• Fake alcohol
• Fake gun
• Fake money

Prelim Brief

Brief: Film the following sequence, making sure to use at least one match cut (e.g. when entering the door), an example of shot/reverse shot and showing your understanding of the 180 degree rule (by not breaking it!).

Scenario: A character opens a door, walks into a room, sits down opposite another character and they share a few lines of dialogue. We changed it up a little so ours is two people playing cards, when one person loses the game, they end up losing their temper and pull out a gun.

We are going to film a prelim exercise in the style of one of the thrillers we have studied so far.

These are some photos of the props we will use when filming: pack of cards, cups, fake Jack Daniels whiskey, fake money and a fake gun.

Thriller Film - The Orphan

Over my Christmas holiday, I decided to watch any Thriller film to have a better understanding on how a film links their opening with the actual film and hints what's to come. The one I chose was: Orphan!

Genre and sub-genre: Orphan has a psychological/horror sub-genre and it has a thriller genre.

Storyline: The film is about a woman, Kate, who had a still birth and dealt with her grief through drinking alcohol. Kate and her husband, John, decide to adopt a child. They choose Esther to join their family, however, she is not what she seems - there is a twist in the film which engages the audience as it is so interesting and unique. Esther is actually a 30 year old woman, who has a disorder that makes her look like a child. She moves from family to family, trying to seduce the fathers. When she cannot, she kills the fathers and their families out of revenge! Freaky is all I can say!!

  

Camera Shots: Throughout the film, the director uses certain camera shots and manyclose-ups to reveal to the audience that Esther isn't as innocent as she seems. The reason why there are many close-ups and extreme close-ups in this film is because they want to show her emotion to the audience. Also to show the contrast between her young made-up face (that is hiding her true identity) with her real old wrinkly face. In the video below, the audience is shown that Esther's paintings are actually quite sinister and eerie. Also, the lighting used in this scene helps to show Esther's "dark" side.

One of the key camera shots is where Esther is taken from a slight low angle, which makes her appear very powerful. It also makes the sleeping Max look very innocent and vulnerable - it shows a clear contrast between the two, making Esther seem even more scary and dangerous. The director also used lighting again to add a creepy feel to the thriller. At first, it looks like nobody is in the room with Max, however, the flashes of lightning reveal that Esther is actually standing over her.

 

Sound: Non-diegetic music has been added in to the background of some scenes to increase the tension and to make the film more frightening. However, in the beginning, calming music is used in the background to give off a homely and loving atmosphere. 

The film opening with title sequence:

• In the opening, the distributor and producer idents and titles are shown: Warners Brothers and Dark Castle Entertainment.
• The titles are also shown in unusual looking font style, which shows what the film is going to be like and hints Esther’s character.
• It does not follow the all of the typical conventions of film openings, as we are not shown the setting straight away. However, we are introduced to the main character Kate and her husband, John.
• The scene is a dream sequence, and this is obvious because bright white lights are used throughout. 
• It also reveals Kate's history and the story of her still birth, making things clear to the audience. 

After watching this film, I would really like my group's thriller film to have a psychological/horror sub-genre! Because I like the twist in the plot, the mise en scene and how engaged I was to the movie as a member of the audience!