First Real Shoot

I've just got back from the first real shoot and I think it went quite well. We did have some major issues at the beginning when it started to rain. It sounded really bad but we recorded some atmospheric sound that we'll replace with the real sound of the shoot. We also had big problems with cars as there seemed to be one on the road for the whole of the outdoor shoot but we did manage to get shots when there were no cars so it worked out ok, although at first I was getting very stressed over it, as although I knew it would happen on our test shoot there seemed to be a lot less cars. After having our lunch break with the two actors, our male actor (Barney) left and we started shooting with our female character (Laura). These shots went a lot better than the outdoor ones did. The lighting was all good and the shots worked exactly as we planned, as we obviously didn't have the issue of the weather. We were also really lucky to have amazing actors who played their parts really well and didn't complain about anything even though we had them standing out in the freezing cold and Barney had to film in the rain for quite a long time without an umbrella. However, all our shots took a lot longer than we thought they would and we ended up leaving Alice's house at 10.15, but I think this was better than leaving the shots for Friday as if they didn't work on Friday we would have had no time to reshoot them.
Overall I think today's shoot went well and hopefully when we watch it all back we wont have too many shots to retake. However, we do still need to record Barney's dialogue and need to record Laura and Barney laughing together, which we will do as soon as we can this week. We also need to check for continuity with their dialogue, the light and her leaving the bathroom. There are pictures on the group blog of the shoot.

Actors

We have now got our actors, Laura and Barney, who are going to be perfect for the characters. Laura has the exact features that we imagine for our actress, and we knew almost straight away that she would be perfect for the character. Barney also has the perfect look for the character he's going to play. We want the character to look slightly anxious, the audience is supposed to feel sorry for him and I think Barney is perfect for that r0le.

In our lesson and meeting we managed to get loads done so we're completely ready for our first real shot.
We:
- Finished the storyboard, and made sure that we got our continuity completely sorted. We're going to put a cross on the floor with masking tape so that Laura knows exactly where to stand each take.
- Completed the shooting script - we did this so we don't have any stress on the day and so that Barney and Laura didn't have to each wait around while we were filming the other.
- We met with the actors to take a picture of them which I will now post on the group blog. We also told them what time to arrive and discussed with them what they should wear (Laura - red nails etc, Barney - Black coat, smart shoes).
- We also decided who's bringing what. I need to remember:
- White towel
- Red Roses
- Red Lipstick
- Photo of the couple
- Red Napkins

In our lesson today we managed to finish capturing our sequence and we edited a part of it too. It helped us to see that we did have some issues with continuity but those can be easily resolved. It also helped us see which of our shots we like best and meant that at lunch we managed to get started on a final storyboard. We've also cast both parts now, casting of the guy was starting to worry me as both people we had in mind couldn't do it but we've found someone perfect for the role, so now we can give both actors scripts, which me and Alice have done today (see below). We also need to think about what times the actors will arrive for the shoot, which is something Alice reminded me of, so we have to think of that when completing the shooting script which hopefully we can get started on tommorow so that we don't tell the actors too last minute. We also need to take a picture of the actors together, which we will put in a photo frame on her dressing table. We'll post this picture along with a picture of Barney, the actor we cast as the guy, on the group blog as soon as possible.

Script:
Girl: "Darling - you were meant to be here at 8:00. You're two minutes late "
Guy: "Ahh gosh yes I know, Sorry I'll be there soon. I'm just at the bottom of your road."
Girl: "Okay - well ... It's almost time (small pause?) for dinner."
Guy: "Okay I''m on my way - Love you."
(both hang up)

Test Shoot

Our test shoot has really helped me (and I'm guessing Aarti and Alice as well) realise that a test shoot is really important. It made us realise a whole list of things that we didn't think would be a problem, most importantly lighting. After today we decided that the best time to film outside would be 3.30/4 till about 4.30/5. But for the real shoot we really need to plan a lot better. Everything took a lot longer than we expected and for the real shoot we need to make sure that we have an exact plan to follow.
But not everything about the shoot was negative. It was so much fun and we managed to get loads done. We shot almost every shot we wanted to and set up the bedroom, which Alice said she'll leave exactly how it is. We also tried different props and finally got the scene with the candles, right. And we got the dining table set up exactly how we want it which I took a picture of so that we get it exactly the same next time. We also all got a chance to act, direct, shoot, do lighting and be a PA, which we didn't get a chance to do in the preliminary exercise.
All together I think the test shoot went really well, and it's going to be so helpful for the real thing.

Fifth Meeting

After Friday's meeting I feel so much more calm. Now I feel like we actually know what we are going to do on the day of the test shoot and I feel more relaxed about the equipment etc.

Fourth Meeting

I'm glad we've agreed on dates etc. for our filming but the meeting really made me realise that we're going to have really big issues with lighting. We're having another meeting later on today and hopefully once we've sorted out a completed storyboard, shooting script etc I'll feel a bit more relaxed about the test shoot.

In the second part of our meeting we started doing a storyboard and shot list as well as a final treatment. I'm going to think about how we can get the continuity to work in the sequence, as are Alice and Aarti, so hopefully by the end of the day Friday we're completely organised and ready for Monday.

Third Meeting

We've now got a pretty much completed idea, which I really like. I love the idea of having him look nervous, as if he really wants to look good and impress her. And I think having her rushing will work well. I also like the idea of all four of the possible actors, so hopefully we've chosen who we are definately going to cast by the end of this week.

Second Meeting

In our lesson today we were working on planning our sequence. We've decided to film in Alice's house and street as it works best. We've also decided on pretty much the whole sequence now, so we're all going to roughly storyboard parts of it. It's going to be useful because I think we all see parts of it working in different ways so it'll be good to know how we each want the sequence to look.

First Meeting

Me, Alice and Aarti had our first meeting today. We've come up with our idea for the opening, just trying to figure out where we're going to film it, so me and Alice are going to take pictures of our houses/local area etc and in our meeting tommorow we'll try and decide where to film it. We also started thinking about actors to be in it and have come up with two people who we think would be really good but we need to ask them and make sure they don't mind giving up their time to be in it. When we get our group blog, we'll write up our idea, and hopefully by then we would've done auditions and cast the roles.

Evaluation Of Preliminary Exercise

1- Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked with Selina, Ben, Hannah and Daniel. Ben and Daniel were the actors in our sequence. Hannah was the production assistant, Selina was the cameraperson and director and i was in charge of sound. We didn't change roles during the course of filming as we didn't have a large amount of time to film and so it saved time. I found this useful as it allowed me to get experience in sound which I had little experience in and will be useful in our test and real shoots.

2- How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use?

After we decided what the sequence was going to be about we drew a storyboard. This meant that we could see exactly what shots we were going to take and what shots would work well together. After this we did a location recce to see were we could film the sequence, and decided on one of the media classrooms. After this we wrote out a shooting script, so that we knew exactly what shots we were going to take and when. We also wrote out a script for the actors to ensure that they said the same thing in every take.

3- What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

During production we used a camera, tripod and a microphone which we attached to the camera. In post production we used non linear editing to edit the sequence.We used Adobe Premier Pro. We used the timeline to help us and cut up and trimmed the clips, as well as reordering them. We used the output and source monitors to watch the clips and finally we added a title.

4- What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

When planning, shooting and editing our sequence we had to take into account that we only had an hour for each, this meant we made sure we planned our sequence well, and made sure the shots weren't too elaborate but that would show continuity. We also had to consider whether or not anyone would be in the location, and whether we would have permission to film there. We also had to take into account the brief, ensuring that we included everything that needed to be in the sequence.

5- How successful was your sequence? Identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?

I think our sequence was quite successful. We included most of the criteria and followed continuity rules, for example didn't break the 180 degree rule. We didn't manage to get a shot reverse shot, because although we had a lot footage from different perspectives when we tried to do a shot reverse shot it didn't work. Therefore if we did this again it would be better if Ben was sitting down and we would have to ensure we took shots of Ben and Daniel at the same distance, this would have meant we could have successfully included a shot reverse shot.

6- What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

We learnt more about the filming process from this task (how to start a shot - camera ready, sound ready etc) and this will be useful when filming our real sequences. I also learnt a lot about sound as that was my responsibility during the shoot, although during the test and real shoots I would like to direct and film as well. During editing, I was reminded of various aspects of editing that I had forgotten so that will be useful when editing our real thing.

Film Budgeting

At first, filmmakers would do a rough budget to show production companies. Once they’ve got the go ahead to do the film they would put together a more exact budget during pre-production.
These are the things that they would consider:

- Story Rights: You need to buy the rights to produce a film based on a play, novel, or new story.
- Screenplay: A well respected scriptwriter would be paid tens of thousands to write the first three drafts of a script.
- Dialogue Writer: They would also be paid tens of thousands.
- Director: A director would be paid minimum can be paid around 250,000 for one movie up to it’s first release, for a minimum of ten weeks' work. Usually, the director's salary is around 7% of the final overall budget. For example, in Spiderman 2 (2004, Sam Raimi), Sam Raimi got paid $10 million, the overall budget was $200 million.
- Cast: A-list actors will cost a lot more than unknown actors and can ask for millions to be in a film, as well as a trailer, entourage etc. More unknown actors will usually be paid a minimum. For example, for Spiderman 2 (2004, Sam Raimi) Tobey Maguire got $18 million.
- Production Costs: This is the overall cost of shooting the film, including location filming, sets, hotels, wardrobe, make-up and transportation of all this. The crew is also included in this.
- Visual Effects: These, if needed, are also very expensive.
- Special Effects: These are added in after and also need to be considered in the budget
- Music: Top film composers can ask for a six-figure salary, so if the music is original in the film then it would cost a lot.
- Advertising: The filmmakers would need to pay for all advertising, except word-of-mouth advertising.

The spending can be split into three groups: The cast, The actual filming (crew, set etc.) and post-production (effects, music etc.)

Our Film Budget:
- Whenwe are filming we will not have a budget. Therefore we will have to find actors who are willing to be in our films without being paid, we will have to find places to film where we dont have to pay and if we want sets made we will have to make them ourselves or get someone to make them for free. We would also not hire a scriptwriter or a crew, we would do these jobs ourselves.

How Costume Shows Character

How costume hints to character:
Camille (Olga Kurylenko) in James Bond: Quantum of Solace (2008, Marc Forster) :
In this shot we see Camille wearing a simple black dress. This is because she was at a black tie event, however the simplicity and practicality of the dress shows her character. She needs to be able to fight in the dress but at the same time needs to use her sexuality to get closer to the men that she is trying to get revenge on. This shows in the simple black dress she wears and also in the high-waisted khaki skirt she wears to meet one of the men she is trying to get revenge on. Both outfits show that she is practical but still feminine, and this comes through in her other outfits during the film as well.

Mr Smith (Dane Cook) in Mr Brooks (2007, Bruce A. Evans) :
We can see that Mr Smith wears very plain and average clothes. His 'uniform' is a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and jacket. The clothes he wears show that he is just an average guy and although he wants to be like Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner), he is essentially just like most other people. Even his unoriginal choice of fake name (Mr Smith isn't his real name, he just uses this with Earl Brooks) shows that he is just an average Joe looking to make his life more interesting. His style during the film highlights his average life.

These characters are very different, while Camille is a heroic character seeking revenge for the death of her family, Mr Smith is an average guy who wants a chance to kill people, and this shows through their costume. Although, they are not the same gender it’s still possible to compare the two. They are similar in that both wear practical and comfortable clothing. However, Camille varies her clothes and they show that she has style and class. Mr Smith on the other hand, wears pretty much the same thing everyday and doesn’t have a very interesting variation of clothes. This shows the difference between the heroic Camille and the average Mr Smith.

Sound

Diegetic Sound:
-This is the sound that is inside the world of the film, whether on screen or off screen.
-It makes the film seem more real.
-Off screen diegetic sound can be used to give us clues to what’s happening around the characters or to the location the characters are in.

Non-Diegetic Sound:
- This is the sound that is not inside the world of the film.
- It’s sound that is added on later.
- For example, music playing over the top of a scene.

Sound Bridges:
- The sound from one scene carries over into the next or we hear the sound of the next scene before we see the images.
- Sound bridges give a wider and coherent diegetic world.
- Therefore, sound bridges are part of the films continuity

Parallel and Contrapuntal Sound:
- Parallel sound is when the sound we hear complements what we see, for example romantic music at romantic moments.
- The tone and mood of the music matches the scene
- Contrapuntal sound is when the sound doesn’t match what we see, for example in ‘Jaws’, the sinister sound we use as a signal for the shark coming, played over a scene with holidaymakers on Amity beach.

The Foley Track:
- This is the track of the sound effects
- Some sounds would need to be enhanced and others need to be created and added in later, for example the dinosaur eggs hatching in ‘Jurassic Park’ (Steven Spielberg)

Sound in Trainspotting (1996, Danny Boyle) :

The film starts with the sound of footsteps, with Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his friends running along a street. This would have been enhanced or added on in post-production. At 0.04 music starts, this non-diegetic. The music is fast and upbeat, and suggests that the film is not going to be serious. A voiceover (Ewan McGregor) accompanies the music, this is also non-diegetic. When the car brakes at 0.20 the sound of the breaks are enhanced or added in later on in post-production, as would the sound of Renton's head hitting the floor at 1.17. At 2.50 and 5.19 we hear a baby in the background although it is off screen. This makes the film seem more realistc and more three dimensional. At 5.37 we hear the sound of keys in the door and then see Renton close the door. This is a sound bridge, we hears what's happening before we see it. At 6.32 we hear the sound him putting the glass down although the glass is off screen. This again makes the film seem more realistic as we would expect to hear the glass being put down, in real life. When Renton comes through the front door at 5.37, music from 'Carmen' starts. This is contrapuntal to what's happening in the scene. The music is enhanced at 6.40 when he has broken the boards and has left his flat, which would be done post-production.

Scriptwriting

Notes taken from www.filmscriptwriting.com on how to write a good script, how to write an opening sequence and how to present a script

The story structure of a script:
Generally 100 to 120 pages. Each page is on average one minute long although this depends on how much goes on in the page. If you go under 100 pages it is assumed you don’t have enough material, if you go over 120 pages then the script is seen as boring and too long.

As we are going to be doing the opening sequence I researched how to write the beginning of a script in more detail:
Act 1 – The Beginning (roughly 30 Pages)
The first ten pages of your script are the most important. You need to grab the reader’s attention or they’ll move onto the next script in the pile. In the first ten pages of you need to establish the following:

- The Main Character – Who is he/she? Strengths? Weaknesses? Lifestyle? What’s normality for the character?
- Location– Where does the main character live? Where is the film mostly set? What is the mood of the location?
- Genre – By the end of the first ten pages the genre of the film has to be clear.
- The Premise – What is the basic story?

After the first ten pages there are two important plot points in Act 1:
- The Inciting Incident – A major situation occurs which the character will have to try to resolve during the film.
- Plot Point 1 – Around page 25 another huge event occurs. ‘ Thus far the story has been driving along and now is the time a tyre blows and sends the car careering off in another direction.’ This event will test the main character.
Here is a list of several ways to open a film. You can use each one separately or you mix a few together:

The Blatant Opening - Within a few moments you know exactly who the hero and the villain are and what the film will be about. This works well in action films.
A Regular Day – This shows a regular day in the life of the main character. Then and event which changes the normal life of the character will occur and they will need to resolve this to return their life to normal. For example, in ‘Wanted’ (2008, Timur Bekmambetov).
True Beginning - The script starts with the start of the story for the main character. For example, they might have just landed in a new country.
Dramatic Irony – The main character would not be in this opening. Instead the audience will be given some information that the main character would not know but that would soon affect their life. Dramatic irony allows the audience to be in a superior position and sets up both tension and anticipation.
Foreshadowing - This opening takes place before the main story begins and anticipates what is going to happen later on. Like the dramatic irony opening the audience is put in a position to predict what’s going to happen. This is used for horror films.
Narrator - The narrator can be the hero, another character or just a narrator. They tell the audience what happened to the main character at an important time in their life.
Flash Forward - The flash forward has two stories running side by side at the same time. The ‘B’ story has a narrator who tells the main story, which has already happened. At certain points there’s a flash forward to the narrator who continues with their story. The ‘A’ story is the main story and the ‘B’ story is of the narrator looking back.
Montage - This is the best type of opening if you have a lot of information to get across before the main story begins. Also known as a shotgun opening, a collection of short clips accelerate through the information until the story properly begins. Then the speed of the story can slow down to a normal pace. In a few of minutes you can explain years of your main characters life.

How to Present a Script:
- The industry standard font is Courier or Courier New - font size 12.
- The left margin should be 1.5 inches while your right margin can be between 0.5 inches to 1.25 inches. Both the top and bottom margins should be 1 inch.
- Dialogue should be 2.5 inches away from the left margin and should not go past 6.0 inches from the left margin.
- Actors instructions should be 3.1 inches away from the left margin and no longer than 2 inches.
- The characters name should be 3.7 inches from the left margin
- Each page of the script should have about 55 lines, not including the page number and blank line after the page number.
- Page numbers should be in the top right corner, 0.5 inches from the top edge.
- No page number is required for the first page of your script.
- At the end of the script you should signify it is the end, either with ‘The End’, ‘Fade Out’ or ‘Fade To Black’
- If there is somewhere in particular you want the opening or closing credits to appear then you can include this in your script.

There are three bodies of a script. Each of these has three points to remember:

Headings:
- Master scene headings which include:
a) Camera location - EXT. (exterior or outside) or INT. (interior or inside)
b) Scene location (LOCAL RACE TRACK)
c) Time (DAY or NIGHT)
- Secondary scene heading
- “Special headings” for things such as montages, dream sequences, flashbacks, flash forwards, etc.

Narrative Description:
- Action
- Character and settings (visual)
- Sounds

Dialogue:
- The name of the person speaking appears at the top, in CAPS.
- The actors direction (AKA parenthetical or wryly).
- The speech.

By the end the script should look something like this (Pulp Fiction, 1994, Quentin Tarantino)

Horror Genre

Iconography:
Mask
Bloody dagger
Frankenstein
Silhouettes
Distortion
Blood
Gore
Shadows
Mist
Mutilation

Props:
Weapons
Masks
Blood
Cloaks
Candles
Entrails

Settings:
Home/school
Abandoned buildings
Haunted houses
Dark places
Castles
Mountains
Forests
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Gothic settings
Hospitals
Dark alleys

Narrative:
Stalking
Spying/Voyeurism
Running away
Entrapment
Death

Characters:
Victims typically pretty/innocent females
Couples
Children common
Killer
Hero
Men usually killers

Themes:
Suspense
Fear
Death (impending death)
Gore
Secrecy – element of unknown
Tension
Obsession
Revenge
Jealousy
Lust/Crimes of passion
Torture
Bad weather
Feel claustrophobic

Camera shots:
Angles
Tracks
Slow movement
Shaky camera work – Handheld
P.O.V Shots
Close shots, CU, ECU etc
Attention drawn to something important

Sounds:
Screams
Heartbeats
Creepy music
Creaks
Breathing
Silence
Thunder/Lighting/Rain