Planning For Final Film: BBFC Rating

For this task, we had to find out what our BBFC rating would be for our whole film. We have done this to further our understanding of our whole film in general and to let the audience know of what would roughly be the content shown within our film.(I have used the official BBFC website to gather this information).

 

The different BBFC ratings are - 

Uc/ U - This means that the film is suitable for all. 'The "U" symbol means universal. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child, especially at this lower end of the category range.'

PG - This stands for parental guidance.This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. 'A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.'

12A/12 - 12 A stands for cinema release suitable for ages 12 years and over and a 12 is for video releases suitable for 12 years and over. 'Films classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child.'  

15 -  This means only suitable for 15 years and over. 'No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age.'

18 - This means a film that is suitable for adults only. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy / rent an 18 rated video. No 18 rated works are suitable for children.

 Our film BBFC rating - 15

 Typical content shown within a '15' film - 

• strong violence
• frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
• portrayals of sexual activity
• strong verbal references to sex
• sexual nudity
• brief scenes of sexual violence or references to sexual             violence
• discriminatory language or behaviour
• drug taking

With our film being a psychological thriller, it would most likely fall under either the 15 or 18 certificate (as they often contain strong disturbing themes and graphic violence). We gave it a 15 because we felt that our film would just naturally not exceed anything stated in the list above and therefore that rating would be appropriate. Within our film, we have based our '15' rating on the whole film as opposed to just the opening scene as there are many elements of a '15' film that will not be shown in our opening scene but will be shown throughout our film. For example, no scenes of drug taking or sexual violence will be shown in the opening scene, yet they could be shown within the film itself.






Intended audience

The intended audience for our film is universal, however, the audience would have to be older than 15. We would want to create a film which could be enjoyed by all genders, ethnicities and ages. The film would not be intended for a conventional gender or age, if we were to continue on from the opening scene we would create more of an emphasis on  strong and independent female characters - we would want to create a positive representation of both class, sexuality, gender & ethnicity. This is important because there is a severe lack of positive representation of these groups in cinema and we would want to go against the conventions that are primarily seen amongst films.

Planning For Final Film: Costume Design

For our final preliminary task, we had to think about how/what the characters are going to wear and dress. The clothing is an important element of the film as it helps to reflects the characters and the personalities that they have and could foreshadow later happenings in the film which surpass the opening scene that we are going to construct.

How are your characters going to dress and how will this affect their representation?

The main character will dress in dark, bland, earthy colors as if to have the intention of drawing attention away from him.  The colours will shift towards khaki, moss green, navy blue and tan. Thus, hhighlighting the sense of him blending in to his surroundings and to avoid unwanted attention from others. The main character will follow a grunge- like appearance, possibly reflecting the dark mood or his imposition that he may/may not be carrying with him. Thus, helping to characterize and exemplify characters that are found in typical psychological thrillers.

The person who contributed to the kidnapping of his girlfriend will wear dark clothes, depicting him as being a shifty, deceitful, untrustworthy character. The character we have got inspiration from is Tate from American Horror Story, he is a character who is psychologically disturbed but hides behind this hides behind his gentle and kind personality. The clothes that he is wearing in both of these pictures helps to characterize and exemplify his personality as the top picture shows Tate as rather calm and relaxed but judging by the earthy colors that he is wearing, this could portray that he is having some dark thoughts about something or someone. The bottom picture shows Tate just before he goes on a mass-murder within his school, we can see that Tate is wearing a black coat and a black top, helping to portray his 'inner evil' and his 'dark side' that has came out to help him to wreak havoc amongst the school showing that he is a very psychologically disturbed person and the clothes help to portray Tate in this way.

How will this affect the way the audience engages with them?

The audience are given little information about the main character and therefore make assumptions based about how the costume design depicts the character. This creates an air of mystery and suspension surrounding the character which helps the audience to really try and engage with the character whilst wanting to watch on to unravel the mystery. This also helps the audience to feel a sense of anger towards the kidnapper and see him as someone to distrust as well as to feel a sense of empathy towards the main character to have his girlfriend so viciously taken away from him.

Planning For Final Film: Non-Digetic Sound

For this task we had to decide what music we wanted in our final preliminary task film. Within our film, we decided to not go for the high tension, eerie and rather generic music that is found in common psychological thrillers but to use some electronic music made by the film's main character (Burt Cope). By using music made by Burt, we don't have to worry about copyright being an issue, thus helping to keep the film very original and authentic. We also may ask Burt to make slight alterations within this track to help to add more depth to the characters and to the setting/ environment of the film.



The music that will be playing throughout our film -

Planning For Final Film: Script and Plot

For this task, our group had to create a script and a plot for our final preliminary task film. This has been done to further our understanding of the film that we are going to be filming and to help us think about where in the plot our film is going to take place in. 

Plot:

After his twin brother goes missing, all that Jesse (Burt Cope) is concerned about is spending time with his girlfriend, Alexa, who he sees is becoming more distant everyday. His attempts at keeping them together are causing his school work to fall (apart from his best subject, IT) and his friends to drift away. His mundane life soon develops into danger when his girlfriend is kidnapped and family secrets begin to unravel.

Jesse is online in his room when a pop up appears on the screen. As he goes to close it he notices that it shows Alexa, tied up and crying, with a large note resting on her reading 'HELP ME'. At the bottom of the image is a phone number which he quickly writes on his hand before running out the door. Jesse then finds the nearest phone box, not wanting his mobile to be traced, and calls the number. A deep male voice answers and shouts 'Listen!', followed by screaming in the background. The man hangs up just as a car pulls up next to the phone box and Jesse is told to get in. The driver then explains what he has to do to stop all this, telling him that the organisation killed his brother and in order to make it look as if he is still alive and simply running away from home Jesse needs to carry a bag through the centre of town, making sure that lots of people and CCTV see him. Jesse agrees, knowing that if he does not, he will loose Alexa too. He is then pushed out of the car, told to get the bag out of the boot and take it to Dex who will be waiting for him at the elevator in the multi-story car park.

As instructed, Jesse walks through town with the bag, clearly showing his face. He reaches the car park and gets in the elevator. Just as he goes to look at what is in the bag, the doors to the first floor open revealing Dex, who gets in and takes the bag. Jesse gets out and tries to phone Alexa's mobile to see that they have stuck to the deal and released her straight away. We then hear a ringing from the bag as the doors close. Jesse turns and runs to the doors, banging on them and shouting but he is too late. After running up the stairs to the roof, he looks down searching for Dex who is running to a car and driving off.

Jesse has to find Dex, the bag, and his girlfriend - dead or alive. The rest of the film consists of him hunting down Dex and trying to collapse the organisation that has torn his life apart. This includes returning to look at the pop up to find clues in the background of the image that reveal where they are keeping Alexa and hacking into a system that reveals what user created the pop up. When he has finally hunted down the organisation's HQ he poses as an employee, modifies the security and hacks into their computer system. He finds out that his brother is listed as an employee, but in the section of people that have been deleted (due to the fact that they have been killed by the organisation). He also finds that his parents are on the system too, with different names, and finally he finds himself - listed as a target. A linked file on his page shows a series of messages between his 'family', girlfriend and the organisation, feeding information and instructions back and forth. As the world he thought he knew crashes around him he runs out of the building, but on the other side of the main door that he entered not long ago is simply empty space, with the group of people who have deceived him all this time. They explain to him that his life has been an experiment to test a chip that creates whatever world the user wants to believe, his brother didn't agree with the test and created a group to trigger people being tested; they sent the pop up to him to crash his mental world and send him on a path that would reveal the truth. When Jesse asks why he is being told all of this, Alexa replies "Because none of it matters anymore. We need to continue working on the chip and make the mind less sensitive to triggers.". When he still doesn't understand she says smiling "You're our monkey. Now we don't need you, you can be put down". Two men appear behind him and drag him back through the doors.

Script of scene to be filmed:

Jesse grabs the bag from the boot of the car and begins to walk. 

Man in car: Drive.

The car pulls away quickly with wheel spin.

Overlaid audio:
While Jesse is walking, the sound of sections of the phone call and the instructions are repeated over the top of the visuals:
Man on phone: (Shouts) Listen! (The sound of a girl screaming)
Jesse: (Desperate) What do I have to do?
The man hangs up, causing a long beep.
Man in car: Take the bag to the elevator. Dex will be waiting for you.


Jesse reaches the car park and gets in the lift. The doors open and Dex can be seen. Jesse passes Dex the bag and walks away. Phones Alexa and ringing comes from bag. Jesse turns and runs to the doors that have just closed.

Jesse: (banging on the doors, shouting) Stop! Come Back! Come BACK! (hits doors again harder)

Jesse runs towards the stairs and up to the roof.

How does Todorov's narrative theory link to our chosen film genre

In this task, we had to describes Todorov's narrative theory and explain how it fits/ doesn't fit our chosen film.

These 5 steps are;

- State of equilibrium
- Disruption to that equilibrium
- Recognition that disorder has occoured
- Attempt (or attempts) to resolve a situation
- Return to that equilibrium or establishment of a new equilibrium.


The film I have decided to do is flight plan. Flight plan is a 2005 psychological/ slow boiling thriller film directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Jodie Foster and Peter Saarsgard. It is about a mother (Kyle Pratt) who was living in Berlin with her daughter (Julia) who is traveling home to Long Island in America to bury her husband who fell of the roof of their Berlin apartment. Within the  flight back to New York,  Kyle and Julia each decide to have a rest for their flight back home. When Kyle wakes up, she realises that Julia is missing and is nowhere to be found. This film does link to Todorov's narrative theory as there is a State of equilibrium, disruption to that equilibrium, recognition that disorder has occurred, attempt (or attempts) to resolve a situation and return to that equilibrium or establishment of a new equilibrium.


State of equilibrium -

Kyle Pratt has just boarded the airplane for New York from Berlin with her daughter, Julia and are now trying to find there seats. At this point in the film everything seems calm and nothing seems to be wrong.


 

Disruption to that equilibrium -

At this point within the film, Kyle wakes up from her nap and discovers that her daughter (Julia) is not in her seat. At this point we can see that there is drama and suspense being built as Kyle thought that she would be taking a nap and she isn't - which is making Kyle anxious. Thus, causing suspense and drama to be built and to cause a disruption to that sense of calm that was apparent throughout the beginning of the film.




Recognition -
 









After noticing that Julia is nowhere to be found. Kyle starts searching all of the cabins on the airplane in order to find Julia but to no avail. Kyle then goes back to Julia's seat and realizes that her teddy bear is still in Julia seat. Within this scene, there is a close up of Julia's teddy bear which reflects how valuable and sacred it was to Julia. This makes Kyle start asking questions as she knows that Julia would not go anywhere without her teddy bear. So then Kyle starts to get even more nervous and starts to panic even more then. Which then creates more drama and suspense.




Attempted resolution -

After not being able to find Julia herself, Kyle informs the captain that her daughter is missing. The captain then orders the cabin crew to turn on the fasten seat belt sign and to search every crevice of the aircraft in order to find Julia. At this point, Kyle starts to feel a little bit less anxious as she knows that the cabin crew will find Julia.




Return to that equilibrium -

After being claimed that her daughter died with her husband and that she was mentally ill. Kyle started to search the plane herself in order to find Julia but to no avail. Carson (the air Marshall) then goes and tells the captain that Kyle is a terrorist and the airline must pay Kyle 50 million dollars into a bank account or she will blow up the plane, although this was not true and it was Carson all along. The plane has to then make an emergency landing at goose bay airport in Newfoundland and all the passengers and crew have to deboard the plane but Carson stays on board with Kyle. Carson then admits to Kyle that he has kidnapped Julia. Kyle then hits him over the head with a fire extinguisher and begins to search the plane for Julia. She eventually finds Julia within the nose of the plane in avionics and discovers that there are bombs in the nose of the plane so when Carson comes inside the nose of the plane, Kyle and Julia hide within the cargo hold with the non-combustible walls to protect them and detonate the bomb killing Carson. After this Kyle, then departs the plane with Julia and proves to the passengers and crew that Julia was alive and was missing. This then helps to return to that calm stage that was apparent throughout the beginning of the film.

Analysis of band 4 final preliminary task

In this task, we was asked to watch a level 4 final preliminary task. We was then asked to analyse this preliminary task and identify the positive and negatives of this video according to the four elements listed by the mark scheme that you are marked on in your final piece - which include; Titles, sound, filming and editing.

Level 4 mark scheme:

There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the technical skills:

- Using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions.
- Using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
- shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
-Using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.




Positive elements of the film include:



Titles

Titles used in the correct places and the color and font of the text fits in well to the films genre. E.g. using white text on top of a dark background to make it stand out.

For example -
 












In the credits, we can see that they have used a very bold font with a white text colour - set on a dark background. They have decided to do this as it draws the audiences attention to the credits immediately - they have possibly used a dark background to display the credits in order to show that the film is going to be mysterious, evil and full of suspense as dark colors usually used to portray a sense of evil and mystery which is apparent throughout the clip. One could suggest that the colour white (shown in the credits) represents 'purity' and possessing a 'soul'. But, the colour white is shown on a background with water that is stained with blood which is being drained down the drain - which is possibly representing that an innocent soul is being washed down the drain - which is portraying the murder that the woman has commited. One could also suggest that the colour 'white' represents purity and innocence - as in this screenshot we see that the white is being washed away by the bloody water - possibly showing that the woman who committed the crime is having her innocence and purity washed away from her as she has committed a crime.




Sound


Sounds used in the film were appropriate and linked in very well to the film genre which made the film seem more aesthetically pleasing to its audience.  E.g. using appropriate sounds in certain scenes of the film to make the scenes seem more scary, intense and more hard - hitting.


For example -

In this scene, the audience can hear the subtle sound of the blood drizzling down the drain in the bath. From this we can gather that it gives the film a sense of eeriness which is apparent to the audience and it leaves them with questions such as - 'why is there blood in the bath?', 'who's blood is it? etc.





In this scene, the audience can hear the faint sound of a timer being used. This could be the woman's inner voices possibly telling her that she is running out of time to get rid of all the blood in the bath. From this we can gather that the sound in this scene creates a lot of suspense as it leaves the audience questioning what is going to happen next in the film and it puts the audience on edge.

In this scene, the audience can hear the sound of the woman coughing up her blood. This could be because she is disgusted with herself as to what she has done and this is the only way of trying to get rid of the disgust and sheer hatred she had with herself at that moment. From this we can gather that the woman is so horrified with her actions that she has thrown up - this could may have been used to show the severity of what she did.




 Filming

Within this video, there has been a broad and diverse range of camera shots and angles used which makes the video seem more engaging to the audience. E.g. extreme close ups used to show the true emotions within a character.

For example -

In this scene, the audience sees a close up of a vodka bottle with the main character in the background. They may have decided to create this type of shot as it makes the vodka bottle seem as if it is an important part of the story. From this, one could suggest that the reason the woman why she committed the crime was because she was drunk. In contrast, one could argue that she is having a drink of the vodka to drown her thoughts and emotions in an attempt to try and forget about the horrific crime that she has just commited.

In this scene, the audience sees a close up of the main characters hand. They have decided to take this type of shot as it allows the audience to view the fine details within the character. In this image we can see that she is rubbing blood off of her hand - we can see a close up of this as we can see that the blood has permeated through her skin and she is trying to relentlessly get it off in order to make sure that she has no evidence of it linking back to her.

In this scene, the audience sees a panning shot of the blood in the bath. They have decided to take this type of shot as it allows the audience to witness the magnitude of the horrific crime. From this we can gather that the crime is a lot worse than the audience was expecting which helps to create a lot of tension and suspense from within the film.







Editing

Within this video, there have been many different editing techniques - such as reversing the film which has helped to make it flow well and to keep it seem engaging to the audience.

For example -

In this scene, we can see that they have reversed the video to write the word 'delusion' within the blood. They have decided to do this as it allows the audience to come up with their own perception of why the word 'delusion' was written here. This shot is a POV (point of view) shot meaning that we are looking at this from the min characters perspective. The word 'delusion' usually refers to you seeing things so this could mean that the main character is just seeing things as she has become so hysterical because she

cannot believe what she has done

 

In this scene, we can see that they have deliberately blurred the focus of the camera. They have decide to do this as it enables the film to be more engaging and interesting to the audience. Within this scene we can gather that the focus is blurry because the main character has some vodka and having too much alcohol could result in having blurred vision so this makes the film seem more engaging as it makes it seem that the audience is the main character.






Mise-en-scene


Within this film we can see that mise-en-scene has been used. By using mise-en-scene this adds diversity and contrast from within the film to make it seem engaging to the audience.


For example -

In this scene, we can see that in terms of clothing. Mise-en-scene has been used. We can see that the main character is wearing a light coloured top which helps her blend into the background. By using a light - coloured top this creates an essence of 'purity' which has no been tarnished by the blood that is stained on her light coloured top. It also helps to make the blood stand out amongst the cream/white.

Genre conventions - Psychological thriller

In this lesson, we had to decide what genre we wanted to do for our final preliminary task. We also have to define the genre conventions from within the film and describe what usually happens in our chosen genre film. We also have to find YouTube clips that relate to our chosen film genre.

Chosen genre - psychological thriller 

For our final preliminary task we have decided to do a psychological thriller. 

In a typical psychological thriller you usually notice that they use a range of different camera angles such as mid shot, long shot, close up and extreme close up. They use a vast range of camera angles because it makes the film seem more engaging to the audience. We can also see that a lot of panning shots are used which helps the audience to become aware of the surroundings in which the film is taking place. The lighting in psychological thrillers is usually very dark - which helps to create a sense of mystery and uncertainty from within the film. There are usually very dark themes within the characters of psychological thrillers - this is emphasized by the use of characterization.  Psychological thrillers are also very suspense full which helps to add drama and to put the audience on edge.


Psychological thriller AS example




















Camera shots/filming techniques

Within this video, there have been many different types of camera shots and angles used such as  close up, mid shot, long shot and POV (point of view) shots which help to create a sense of uncertainty, mystery and suspense which is apparent throughout most psychological thrillers.

In this scene, the audience sees a close up of the main characters hand. Within this scene, the audience can notice that the main characters hand is on the ground. From this suspense starts building as the audience starts wondering why her hand is on the ground and starts thinking of questions such as 'why is her hand on the ground', 'is she hurt'. By using this type of camera shot you enable the audience to start coming up with conclusions as to what has happened to the character(s) and this causes drama and tension to occur from within the film. In this scene we can also see that the hand is on a dark background which helps to make the hand stand out and also makes it aware to the audience. We can also see that the sun is shining on the main characters hand - implying that it is either sunrise, sunset or dusk which could suggest that the body has been here for a considerable amount of hours as one could argue that the crime was probably committed within the night.



In this scene, the audience sees a close up of the main characters face. Within this scene, the audience is aware that the main character looks rather anxious and nervous which is common is psychological thrillers. Judging by her expression, one could say that the main character may think that someone is following her. Possibly someone trying to attack her which could trigger her 'inner evil'? The audience is also aware that the background is blurred in this scene which draws in more focus to main subjects face. This scene also creates a lot of suspense and it makes the characters the audience question what is going to happen next to the character.

In this scene, the audience sees a long shot of the main character by the side of the building along a pavement. The long shot in this scene gives the effect that the main character is vulnerable and unsure of what is going to happen next. This is a common trait amongst psychological thrillers as the films usually portray the characters to be vulnerable and unsure of what is going to happen next. By doing this, it creates tension and drama as to what will happen in the next scene.

In this scene, the audience sees a mid long shot of the main character departing her house. Within this scene, we can see that the main character looks rather emotional and distressed. This could be as she has just had a thought of someone slitting her throat with her house key - possibly her 'inner evil'. Which has left the character in a very vulnerable state which then puts the audience on edge as this adds suspense and drama within this scene.










Within these two two scenes, we can see that a POV (point of view) shot has been used. This type of shot has been used as it makes the film seem more engaging and enticing to the audience, as it makes it seem that the audience is the main character as you are viewing the key from the main characters perspective which entices the audience into the film. In the second image the audience is aware that the background is blurred which draws the audiences immediate attention to the key.









In this scene, the audience can notice that hand held filming is being used. By doing this, it makes it seem as if we are following the main character. By using this, it helps to engage the audience more as it makes it seem as if the audience is part of the video that is taking place and this helps to entice the audience further into the film.










Sound


Within this video, there have been many different background sounds which have helped to make the video seem more engaging, dramatic and full of suspense which has helped to entice the audience.

Within this scene, the audience becomes aware  of the main character getting her throat slit by someone - possibly her 'inner evil' with a key. In this scene, the audience cannot hear the sound of the girl of the girl screaming - yet, the sound of thunder rumbling in the background. The sound of thunder is a rather deep and mysterious sound. Thunder clouds are often very dark grey or black clouds. So this shows that as the girl is screaming she is letting out the darkness from within her and possibly her 'inner evil'. The audience becomes very engaged by this as it is unusual in psychological thrillers and any type of film to suppress the sound of someone screaming. By doing this, they are drawing the audience further into the video as it makes the it seem more engaging - thus, enticing the audience more.

Within this scene, the audience becomes aware that the main character is being followed by someone. From this scene we can hear the faint sound of a heart beating. One could say that the heart beating is the main character as she is aware of someone behind her - yet she is vulnerable and scared as she doesn't know if they could have a weapon on them to attack her. In contrast, one could argue by saying that the character in the dark coat may be nervous as she may be an innocent person and could be worried that the main character could attack her - even though the character in the dark coat seems to have done nothing wrong.



Mise en scene

Within this video, we can see that they have used things such as clothes and scenes to make it apply more to the psychological thriller genre. 


In this scene, we can see that the main character is being followed by another in a black outfit as opposed to her light colored outfit. By the main character wearing a very light colored outfit we can tell that the colour 'white' gives an essence of purity, innocence and harmoniousness which helps to portray the main character as being a gentle, vulnerable girl. On the other hand - we see a character behind the main character in an all black outfit. The colour 'black' and dark colors represent an essence of spite, manipulation and evil behavior. Within this scene, the audience could assume that the character dressed in black is the main character's 'inner evil' and that the image that we are seeing is a depiction of the main characters inner thoughts and personality. Although, one could argue that because the main characters coat is an 'off - white' this could mean that she posses a bit of her 'inner evil' in her normal personality.  Because of them using mise en scene this has helped to make the audience come up with there own conclusions as to what the colors are representing and if they do represent their personality traits or not. In typical psychological thrillers - one usually sees that the bad, evil people are usually wearing very dark clothes/outfits and that the innocent victims are usually wearing very light colored clothes/outfits so this links into the psychological thriller genre very well. By doing what they did in this scene it has helped to keep the audience engaged throughout it and to keep up the suspense throughout.




Editing


Within this video, we can also see that they use editing techniques such as match on action to help the video to become more engaging to the audience.



 

Within these, scenes the audience is aware that match on action has been used. Match on action has been used here as it helps bring the focus of a certain object to the audiences mind. In this case it is the key. We can see that they keep cutting and going back to the key to show that it is an important part of the film as we see that the main characters throat it slit with this house key - this intrigues the audience and helps to keep them engaged within the film.

Analysis of Sophie Barrett's band 2 (27 mark) final preliminary task

In today's lesson, we watched Sophie Barrets's 27 mark (level 2) final preliminary task. After watching this final preliminary task we was asked to describe the mistakes that Sophie has made in her film. We was asked to do this to further our understanding of mistakes made in this film and to make sure not to include any of these mistakes in our final preliminary task. We were also asked to identify the skills that she uses in her film that are needed of the practical element of our coursework.

Sophie Barrett's Level 2 (27 Mark) Final Preliminary Task


Mistakes that have been made in Sophie Barrett's film include;


Continuity issues - such as cutting scenes without making it flow.  For example -

    
From this we can see that one scene cuts to the next without making it flow. By doing this, we can identify that it confuses the audiences and distorts their mindset of the film - meaning that they start to lose interest in the film their viewing and start to get bored.



General mistakes - such as filming a screen with a reflection, and you can see the camera you are recording the film from with within the screen.  For example -

 








From this we can gather that the film loses its sense of being a story as the audience can actually view that the film is being filmed and from this we can gather that the audience don't feel as they are part of the film and the story, and the audience then start to lose interest in the film as it does not engage them as much now, knowing that it has been filmed.



Bad Acting - such as laughing in scenes that are very emotional and distressing. For example -

 










 
From this we can gather that the film loses an essence of reality, as the audience can assume that usually a person would not start laughing if they are mourning the loss of a friend. From this we can gather that the film becomes less engaging as it seems that the actors are not taking the film seriously and are not staying in their characters, from this we can see that the audience will start to lose interest in the film. On the other hand, one could argue that laughing is the friends way of coping with the loss of their friend.


Going over the time limit. For example -

From this we can gather that the film has gone over the time limit allowed by the exam board. By doing this, the audience start to lose interest in the film and start to get bored of it - as too much of the story has been portrayed.


Structuring of titles.

Throughout the film, we can see that the students that made the film did not follow the order as to here to put the titles within the film. Because of this, the titles are all over the place within the film. The audience is also never shown who made the film e.g. director/producers name(s). Meaning that the audience have no idea as to who made or directed the film.


Sound issues.

Throughout the film, the audience cannot always hear the dialogue between the characters. Such as, when the two girls are in the cemetery the audience can hardly hear what they are saying - meaning that the audience will not be able to know what is going on from within the story.


Filming issues.

Throughout the film, the audience is made aware of the bad filming. Such as; the camera shacking mostly throughout the film. By doing this, the audience find it hard to concentrate on the film and start to lose interest.



Positive elements of Sophie Barrett's film include;


Mise-en-scene - wearing appropriate clothes for certain situations. For example -














From this we can gather that the film uses mise-en-scene well as we can see that the friends of the girl who died are wearing black and very dark clothes as they are mourning- portraying a symbolic way of paying their respects to their that has died.




They have used a range of camera shots - such as long shot, mid shot and extreme close up.                 For example -


                                                    
The effect of the long shot is that it captures the whole subject in question, and it also helps to make the subjects seem vulnerable - in this scene - this is a very good shot to use as the friends of the girl who died are obviously in a very vulnerable and emotional state - so this shot helps to capture the emotions of the characters.


The effect of a mid shot is that it gives more detail of the subject in question, whilst still showing enough detail in the subject for the audience to still feel as if they are looking at the whole subject.




The effect of a close up is that it captures the finer details from the subject in question - this enables the audience to become more aware of how the subject is feeling and what he/she is doing. In this case the audience is shown the subject clasping the front door of her house with a jumper covering her hand - possibly implying that the subject feels very vulnerable and emotional.



A soundtrack has been used throughout the film. For example - 

The song 'someone like you' by Adele is the perfect for this film as it fits into the genre perfectly. But, alas a cover of this song has been used so it doesn't give the same effect on the audience as the original song would do, but by using the original song - then you would have been subject to copyright issues. Going on a no copyright free music website would be the best option for this film.



Good transitions used.

Throughout the film, there have been some good transitions used in some scene - which has helped to make the film flow a little but not greatly.

Opening credits analysis

Genre A: Romantic Drama

Film: Water for elephants - The opening credits for this film were not available on YouTube, so the trailer has been provided.

Sound/music - In the establishing scene there was gentle music playing in the background, but the audience can mostly hear the rain pattering down on the ticket office.

Visuals - In the establishing scene of the film, we can see the ticket offices that enable people to enter the circus, the establishing scene is from the films location.

Font -

How does it establish genre -







Genre B: Comedy drama

Film: The devil wears Prada - The opening credits for this film were not available on YouTube, so the trailer has been provided.






 Sound/music - In the establishing scene of the film we can hear the song 'suddenly I see' by KT Tunstall being played. This song has a very uplifting and joyful effect that helps set the scene for the film.

Visuals - In the establishing scene of the film we see the films main character Andrea (Anne Hathway) wiping steam off of her bathroom mirror implying that she has just begun her day and is about to begin her new career.

Font - A casual/informal font has been used for the opening credits. No capitals have been used for names in the opening credits, emphasizing an informal style. The colors used for the credits are warm pastel yellow and burnt orange.

How does it establish genre - The colors in the opening credits represent the emotion shown throughout the film as the warm yellow represents the happiness/humor shown throughout the film and the dark red represents the drama and devastation shown.








Genre C: Horror

Film: Halloween (1978)





Sound/music - In the establishing scene of the film we can hear piano music being played gently in the background but over a minute of this being played, the music becomes louder, more dramatic and more intense. This music implies that the film is going to be terrifying, dramatic and full of suspense.

Visuals - In the establishing scene of the film, it goes back in time to 1963 - when psychotic killer Michael Myers stabbed his sister to death with a kitchen wife.

Font - There was a very bold font used for the credits, this was used to make it stand out to the audience and to catch the viewers eye. The color of the font is orange. This color symbolizes Halloween as pumpkins are orange. 

How does it establish genre - The orange from the credits associate to Halloween as pumpkins are orange. The scary music that is played throughout the opening credits helps to establish the genre of the film to the audience.








Genre D: Comedy

Film: Last Holiday - The opening credits for this film were not available on YouTube, so the trailer has been provided.

Sound/music - In the establishing scene of the film we can hear gospel music being sung - this music creates a happy and uplifting tone for the beginning of the film.

Visuals - In the establishing scene of the film, we see a church group singing songs - this establishing scene also shows the films location.

Font - A very bold font has been used for the credits. The color of the credits is cream with a black shadow behind it. This has been used to make the credits stand out.

How does it establish genre - The white colour from the credits symbolizes the film's main character - Georgia as she sings in a church group and the white colour represents the purity and harmonious environment that is the church.






Genre E: Drama

Film: The Help - The opening credits for this film were not available on YouTube, so the trailer has been provided.

Sound/music - Gentle orchaestraic music is being played in the establishing scene of the film. The music creates a dramatic effect on the film and helps set the scene of the film immediately. We also hear the film's main character Aibileen and Skeeter having a conversation about what it is like to be a housekeeper.

Visuals - In the establishing scene of the film we see Aibileen sitting down and telling Skeeter about her life as a housekeeper and says that she was born into this

Font - A very formal and professional font has been used to display the credits. This has been used because as the film is a drama they had to keep the font dramatic as well.  The font colour is white which is set on a white background to make it stand out to the audience.

How does it establish genre - The colours in the credits are white and black. These two colours are separate in the credits and may have been used to portray and display the segregation of black and white people in the 1950s which was a very sad, distressing and depressing time. The orchaestraic music played throughout the credits and in the opening scene of the film implies the dramatic tones throughout the film.

Preliminary task: Analysis and Self-Reflection

For this task we had to reflect on our preliminary task and we had to give ourselves a raw mark out of 10 for how effectively we employed the following skills: shot/reverse shot, match on action, the 180 degree rule, zoom, tilt, panning shot and handheld filming. We then have to write an extended description of how you employed that technique, what it added to your film and how it affected the way your audience responded to that part of your film. We then have to write about  filming during the preliminary process and What mistakes are you going to avoid when constructing your final film?
We also have to say about what we have learned about editing during the preliminary process and What skills do you think are going to be most useful to you when editing your final film? We finally had to say about how we could improve our film.



Shot/reverse shot - 6/10. We used shot/reverse shots in the first part of our film. We created a shot/reverse shot by taking a shot of something and then turning the camera 180 degrees and taking another shot. We used shot/reverse shots in the scene in the first part of our film when Ella and Marco were talking. We decided to use shot/reverse shots as it engages the audience and gave them the sense of feeling as if they are in the film and the conversation taking place. Shot/reverse shot was also good as it did not distort the audience's sense of location of the characters in the shots.



Match On Action - 8/10. We used match on action throughout both parts of our film. We made a match on action shot by taking one shot and then by taking another shot making sure the subject is portraying the same action as in the first shot. This gave the sense that the film was more fluid and by giving a continuous sense of the same action as opposed to matching two things together. By using match on action the audience feels a sense of continuity throughout the film as match on action creates a 'visual bridge' which draws the audiences attention away from slight cutting or continuity issues and thus it kept the audience engaged throughout the film. 



The 180 degree rule - 7/10. We used the 180 degree rule in the conversation scene of the first part of the film. We made a 180 degree rule by drawing an imaginary 180 degree line and made sure this line was perpendicular to the camera's viewpoint. We also made sure to only film on one side of the line and made sure not to cross the line as it would break the rule and it would distort the audiences view. The 180 degree rule enforces continuity of the film and it also allows the audience to have a greater sense of location in the scene. 



Zoom - 




Tilt - 2/10. We used tilt in the second part of the film. We used this to address Marco when he walked in the room to meet Ella. Tilting was created by moving the camera lens up and down while keeping the camera on a vertical plane. Tilting is used to make someone look superior ans very significant.



Panning - 8/10. We used a panning shot in the second part of the film when showing the lockers. We created a panning shot by slowly moving the camera from left to right. Panning was used to add contrast into our film as the scenes before this were outside so this implies that the scene is now taking place inside. Panning shot shows the vastness of someone or something - in this case it was the lockers.



Handheld Filming - 7/10. We used handheld filming throughout the fist part of the film. Handheld filming means making the camera more mobile and it is used for following the action of a scene. This gives the effect of the audience being in the scene.




2.) Throughout filming this preliminary task I have learned many things about what I am going to do for my final film and what things I should include. For example, for my final film I would use an external microphone when filming the dialogue as I have noticed that it was very difficult to pick up on what the characters were saying as you could hear a lot of background noise which made it difficult to hear what was going on in the film. We would also use a tripod in most of the scenes in the final film as in the preliminary task we didn't have a tripod in the first part of the film - making it difficult to keep the camera steady - especially in conversation parts of the film, making the audience feel distorted and confused.


3.) Throughout editing this preliminary task I have learned many skills that I am going to use in my final film. For example, transitions, titles, sound effects etc. I am going to be using transitions in my final film as it provides a smooth and fluid transition from one scene to another and this doesn't confuse the audience as much as just cutting and matching two scenes together. I will be using titles in my film so the audience know who the director is, who the actors are etc. I will also be using sound effects and background music in my final film. I will be using sound effects and background music because it can make a scene seem sad or happy judging by the music that is used. I will find transitions most useful in my final film as it will help me to cut to a different scene very easily and will not confuse the audience.


One key way to improve my work would be to use a tripod as this ensures the camera is steady at all times and does not confuse the audience


 







 

Media Video

Storyboard For Our Extended Preliminary task

For this task we had to create a second storyboard for our preliminary task. We have decided to do this to tell the audience what happens next in the story, also to let them know what happens with the characters.

In these shots we have included scenes from the background, we have took these shots to set the scene and to make the audience aware of the surroundings in which the film is taking place. The shots included are - mid shot and long shot. we have decided to use these shots as it allows the audience to see the background and also the audience can tell that this scene contrasts from the first scene as this scene shows very dismal weather - letting the audience know that this scene is more emotional than the first part of the film.
This shot is showing a tap coming to a sudden halt, Representing Ella's sudden realization that she misses Jonathan. 

This shot is a panning shot. This has been displayed to display desolate environment engulfing the two characters as one of them is in sadness.

In these shots we have included scenes of Ella departing a building within school and going to another building to meet Marco. Within one scene, Ella is seen treading through a puddle - we have chosen to do this as it tells the audience how dull and dismal the weather is in this part of the film. The weather is reflecting Ella's personality as in the first part of the film the weather is very sunny and cheerful implying that Ella was very happy as at this point in the film Ella had just split up with Jonathon and had realised that he wasn't good enough for her. But, now Ella has had time to contemplate and she now realises how much she misses Jonathon - but Marco is there to comfort her and to reassure her that she will find someone much better than Jonathon.






























In these scenes we can see that Ella has picked up her phone and stumbled across a picture of Jonathon and then reminisced about all the wonderful times she spent with him. But then, she suddenly realises that she is better than him and that he isn't worth it. In these 5 scenes we have used; over the shoulder shot, mid shot, close up and long shot. We have decided to use a mid shot as it shows most of the subject to the audience and it also lets the audience know what the subject is doing. We have used an over the shoulder shot as it shows the audience the story from Ella's perspective and it also shows the audience what Ella is looking at. We have also decided to use a long shot. We have decided to use this shot as it makes Ella seem very vulnerable and in a state of distress and makes the audience wonder what is going to happen next. We have also used a close up shot. We have decided to use this shot as it shows the sadness in Ella's face and tells the audience how Ella is feeling.

In these scenes we can see that Marco is walking down the stairs and is coming to meet Ella. In these scenes we have used match on action, mid shot and long shot. We have decided to use match on action in these scenes as it creates a 'visual bridge' which draws the audiences attention away from slight cutting. We have decided to use a mid shot as it shows what the subject is doing (walking down the ramp) and this helps audience assume what is going to happen next. We have also used a long shot in this shot. We have decided to use this shot as it is showing how far away Marco is from Ella.

In these scenes we can see that Marco has swept in the room - unaware of how upset Ella would be. But, He is there to reassure Ella that everything is going to be okay and that he is here to support her through this difficult and emotional time. In these scenes we have used low-angle mid shot, long shot and close up. We have decided to use a low-angle mid shot as it makes it look like you are seeing the scene through Ella's eyes, this makes the audience feel like they are in the scene of the film. We have also used a mid shot in this scene. We have decided to use this shot as it allows the audience to witness more of what's happening in the scene (that Marco has put his arm around Ella to reassure her that everything is going to be ok). We have also used a close up in this scene. We have decided to use this type of shot as it allows the audience to see the characters expressions etc. By using this scene the audience is able to witness that Marco is trying to comfort Ella as she is finding it hard to cope.