Film Final Edit

Evaluation Question Seven

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you think you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Evaluation Question Six

What have you learnt about technologies during the process of constructing your media product?

Evaluation Question Five

How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation - Question Four

Who Would The audience For Your Media Product Be? 

Evaluation - Question Three

What kind of Media Institution would distribute Your Media Product and why?

Evaluation - Question Two

How does Your Media Product Represent different social groups?

Evaluation - Question one

In what ways does your media production use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Post-Production: Adding Sound

For our audience testing of our first rough draft of the film opening (containing no music) we gathered information, opinions and preferences from members of our target audience about what sort of music we should be adding to our opening. The majority of them agreed that the music we add should be eery and should gradually build up tension. We started by searching for copyright free scores or instrumental music that we thought would fit the opening well. Although we found some good lullaby tracks to add, we were having trouble finding one that fit well with the tempo of the opening. We also needed to display a significant shift in emotion through the music when the darker flashbacks started.

However in the end we found a good clip on YouTube of copyright free music that fit our opening well. To build up the tension during certain scenes, we added a deep bass sound subtly under the music. We also added a sound effect of a kettle whistle to help create tension as well. For the darker flashbacks, we found a more sinister, sadder music piece from a copyright free channel on YouTube and added it into our piece. We also added the same kettle whistles and bass effect to add tension for this as well. Both the kettle and the bass sound effects were downloaded the website http://www.freesfx.co.uk.

Towards the end of our opening, we have a fast paced section of quick edited flashbacks which builds up the our main character looking directly into the camera at the end, to help build the tension we added bass sounds and high pitched effects as well as the music. We also added a heartbeat sound effect into this section to represent our main characters panic at her actions. At the end of our opening when she looks into the camera we took away all the sound effects and just left the bare music for the sound. This creates a unsettling feeling as the music makes it sound quite childlike, and her unstable mental condition creates a sense of destroyed innocence.

During the happier flashbacks in our opening and the tracking shot of the bench scene we added bird song in the background to create realism as they are sat outside in the countryside. We added the word song from a clip on youtube. We did this because we wanted to show that their memories are vivid. Another example of this is for the scene where the girls are looking into the pond, we added swirling water sounds, bird song and laughter. The laughter we had pre-recorded earlier while filming and for the swirling of the water Georgie recorded herself moving her hand in a sink of water.

Post-Production: New Sound Ideas

Although we had originally planned to ask Georgie's brother to help out with making music for our opening, we later decided that it would be a better idea for us to produce our own music through copyright free music online. This was due to the tight tim schedule we were on and we thought this would be the most time efficient method. There is also a wide range of music to be found online, therefore we could try many different techniques and ideas in a shorter amount of time to find what we want.

We had previously spoken about using a lullaby for our opening and getting one of our actors, Lauren Barlow, to sing it. This was due to her having lots of experience singing and we thought it would add depth to our opening as she would be singing a repetitive tune, a sign of obsessiveness. However, after some consideration, we ruled this idea out as due to our lack of resources and budget we wouldn't be able to access a recording booth.

Production: Making Credits and the Title

Initially to find some inspiration for the credits for our film opening we looked at a few different clips from films in the same thriller/ psychological orientated genre. One example of this was The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. This film uses the font style to suggest that the narrative is an account of Charlie's (the main protagonist) life, similar to a diary entry.

Title:

We chose the typewriter font as we wanted to create a sense of enigma. The font could represent a diary entry or it could represent a police report for a murder/ disappearance of the friend.   

To make our credits we wanted to keep it as simple as possible as we didn't want to overdo it and have it come across as unprofessional due to our small budget. To create the title, I used the computer programme PowerPoint to create the basis for the titles. I created a different slide for every letter (in the font courier which greatly resembles a typewriter) added to the title. As the animation we were aiming for was the effect of a typewriter typing it across the screen. I then took screenshots of each slide and inserted these as images into iMovie. I then downloaded a sound clip of a typewriter from YouTube and inserted a section of this clip into the iMovie file. I timed it so that when the letters appeared (approximately 0.2 seconds apart) the sound would be in sync. I also downloaded another sound clip from YouTube of the 'ding' of a typewriter when it movies across the paper. I then added this onto the end of the file. I then exported this and added it to our final film. 

Credits:

To create the credits we used the credit option on iMovie as we thought this would be the easiest and most efficient use of our time. We used the font 'Courier New' to create our credits. We chose this due to feedback we got from a focus group of members of our target audience. We also thought the would be a good idea as well due to the theme of literature and writing appearing throughout our narrative. An example of this being the typewriter style ending title, as well as props such as books in the opening with plots hinting at the issues our character is facing e.g. darkness, depression. We used a simple fade transition for the credits as we didn't can't it to seem unprofessional or childlike. We chose to place our credits in the bottom left hand corner of the shots showing the bench scene, this was so they weren't a distraction to flashbacks which were essential to the plot.

Production: Deciding Credits Focus Group

For our credits we created three different styles we could possibly use with different fonts. We wanted these to reflect the feel of the film whilst it still seeming professional.

We tested out three different fonts to use for our credits:

Didot:

Courier New :

Chalkduster:

Focus Group:

After creating these example credits we then decided to audience test the fonts with a group of people who represented our target audience, young adults between 15-25. We asked Chloe Scanlon 18, Molly Braggins 16, Jessica Underwood 16, Emily Marsh 16 and Anna McAllister-Little 17. 

After showing our focus group a rough cut of our opening, we asked them to select the font they thought was the best fit in our narrative and genre. The results are shown below:

Didot: 0

Courier New: 4

Chalkduster: 1

After they gave their vote we asked them for their reasoning why they chose a certain font. Some popular opinions from our group was that the typewriter font linked well with our narrative and worked well with the end titles. It was also suggested that it gave a dated feel to the opening and added a sense of mystery and enigma. It was widely thought that the font 'Didot' was too simplistic for the narrative and also harder to read than preferred. Although it was mostly agreed that Chalkduster could have worked, many felt it looked unprofessional and childish compared to the Courier New font. 

Based on the response from our focus group we have decided that we will use the font Courier New throughout the credits for our film. 

Filming: Day Three

On this day we chose to film the flashbacks for the murder scene. For this we didn't bring our actors in as we didn't think they would be necessary as our shot only needed a hand and not the actually actors face or clothes. We thought it would take such a short amount of time to film that it would waste time getting our actors to come to set as they had other commitments. We chose to film this at night as this is is a typical convention for when crime takes place. We used Georgie's hand for the hand in shot while I controlled the camera. We chose to use a bright light from behind the camera to light it as it it creates an image that she has just left the scene where the murder has taken place e.g a house. We also tried to make the background as dark as possible as this contrasts how bright the happy flashbacks were. We used fake blood and a wooden kitchen knife for the scene. We chose a wooden kitchen knife as we needed a realistic weapon that a teenager could get hold off in a rural village were weapons such as guns wouldn't be available.

We used close ups of her hand as when holding the hand she slightly trembles, this emphasises the intensity of the situation. We also used a point of view shot of her our main character looking down at her blood stained shaking hand, this also shows the audience the horror she is feeling due to her actions. 

Call Sheet Three

Post-Production: Editing A New Draft

After our feedback session with members of our target audience, we started adjusting our rough cut to the changes recommended in the feedback. Firstly we cut down some of the shots, two examples being the shot of the two girls walking down the street and the shot of the main characters friend getting up to check the schedule at the bus stop. This was because the camera was out of focus for the majority of the shot.
We also thought we needed a bigger build up to create a greater impact at the end of the opening when the main character looks directly into the camera. Therefore we took bits and pieces from our clips and put together fast paced montage of all her memories. This could represent her life flashing before her eyes and the adrenaline she feels before coming to the realisation that she has hurt her friend.
We also got rid of some of the scenes we had previously and instead used the footage for small jump scares for the audience.
We also started adding music to our production through the use of different sound clips we had downloaded from copyright free videos on YouTube and other websites.
After we added music we started adding credits to our opening.

Post-Production: Changes to the Ending

After we showed are focus members our first edit of our production, we received feedback about the ending our production needing a bigger impact on the audience. Some members of our target audience also stated they were too confused about what happened to our main characters best friend. They weren't sure if she was killed, if they had an argument or she wasn't real in the first place. To solve this we decided we needed to change the ending to our production.

To create a bigger impact we decided to edit a montage of small clips from the memories and flashbacks we filmed. This would act as her life flashing before her eyes due to the trauma she is experiencing. We decided we would also time these flashbacks to the rhythm of a heartbeat. This would show the audience the complete decline of her mental health from the happier memories to the penultimate moment when she is sat alone on the bench without her friend.

Some other feedback we got from our focus group was that the fate of her friend wasn't clear in the production. It was too confusing whether she was real or had never existed or if she had been hurt. Although we originally wanted to leave this up to interpretation, we decided we needed to add a few shots into the opening to give a brief explanation for what happened to her. To do this, we set up one extra evening for filming a quick scene with a hand holding a knife dripping with blood. We chose not to include our actors for this as it would take us a very short amount of time and we could use our own hands for the shot as the persons face and clothing won't be shown in the shot. These shots would show for a very brief amount of time but would hint to the audience about what happened to her friend and would give reasoning for why she is sat alone at the end. We also included a Point-Of-View shot of her looking at her blood stained hand, this represents her realisation of her actions. As most of the clips used for the montage were of our main character, it would be clear that the hand and the POV shot were her.

Production: Ident

After researching different film openings, we decided the best option for us to make our opening as professional as possible is to create our own ident from scratch. To do this we used PowerPoint and iMovie.

To do this we used the image, text and colour options in PowerPoint to create an image/logo we liked. In the end we came up with this:

We used a black background to symbolise danger, death and loss of identity. We used red imagery and text to symbolise danger, blood and death. These two colours make the audience immediately aware of the genre of the film. We kept the imagery simple.
We then added this image into iMovie. We selected an option that animates the image slightly. Initially it starts off just an image of the house and eventually zooms out the reveal the whole logo. We thought this slight animation made it look much more professional. To add the sound effect we downloaded a sound clip from a copyright free website and took a section to fit the Ident. The slow hum of the sound, dramatises the ident preparing the audience for the start of the film.

Ident Research

From my initial research, I learnt that filmmakers used replaced well known ordinary idents with much darker colours. This is done to reflect the genre of the film, letting the audience know what to expect from the film before it even starts playing. Some popular colours used in these idents are black, blue and red as these colours have connotations of danger, death, sadness and loss. I will consider this research when designing my own ident, especially the use of colour. Here are some examples of idents used in successful thriller films:

Pre-Production - Rough Cut 1 Audience Test:

We created a focus group from people who represented our target audience (15-25). We showed them the rough edit of our first draft and asked them questions about what they thought we did well and what we needed to improve upon. The focus group consisted of 4 females, although we would have liked a mixed gender group, these were the only people available to us at the time. The people in our focus group were:

• Emily Marsh 16
• Molly Braggins 16
• Jessica Underwood 17
• Anna McAllister-Little 17

Here were the results:

Are there any parts of the footage you think we could improve on?

• Some of the shots of the bench scene are very bumpy. Make them smoother to improve the look of the shot. 
• Scene at the bus stop, a lot of it is out of focus, your opening may be better if you cut the shot or cut down the timing of it. 
• The shot of them walking down the street is too long. 

What sort of the music do you think we should add?

• Something innocent but eery
• Something that subtly builds suspense, but you don't want it to be too dramatic. 
• slow music that slowly builds up to create tension.

Does the opening set a good tone for the rest of the film? Can you get a feel for the narrative of the film just from the opening?

• Yes, it sets an eery tone and leaves you wondering what the full story is.
• I thought it was a good first draft, I think the music would really bring the opening together for the rest of the narrative. 
• I liked the constant contrast between past and present in this opening. It makes me very intrigued for the rest of the film. 

Do you have any extra feedback?

• I think it needs to be made more clear what happens at the end to the girls friend because its quite confusing. We aren't sure if she was real or not.
• I think there needs to be a bigger impact with the ending. 

This feedback from our focus group helped us get a good range of ideas on how to improve our opening to create the final edit. We also got some good feedback for which music would work well with our production. 

Production: Rough Draft 1

Film

This is the first edit of our final media film. We edited all the clips together to create an outline of what our final film will look like. In this edit we haven't added music yet or any credits. By making this first edit without key components such as music allows us to take feedback from our audience on the storyline alone and make it the best it could be, as music creates a large impact and could mask some improvements we could make.

The Reaction:

We asked two members of our class to watch our first edit and tell us their thoughts, this was Molly Braggins and Jessica Underwood. We thought they would be helpful people to ask as they are in our target audience in terms of age as they are both between 16-17 years old. They are also media students themselves so we thought they would offer helpful advice from an education perspective. After we showed them the clip we asked them some questions for us to get some constructive advice.  

What We Did Well:

From our feedback we gathered that we told the story well through the use of filters and makeup and editing to show the deterioration of her mental health. Another piece of positive feedback we received was that ambient sound added was good and fit into the scene well. The example they used was the bird song added during the beginning of the opening, our feedback stated that it added a calming tone to the scenes 

Editing: Dividing the Work

As myself and Georgie each owned the software we needed to edit our film on our own laptops we decided that it would most efficient to divide up the flashback scenes equality between the two of us to edit. Each flashback scene will be edited in a separate iMovie project and then once edited they will be exported and put into one final project that will be our final film. By doing this is allows us to spend more time editing as we don't need each other to be there whilst we edit. It also allows us to contribute equally to the editing process and allows us to include our own creative ideas. However to avoid wasting time we will show each other our finished flashback before we export it so we don't have to go back and make changes. This will be a quicker method meaning we can spend more time on editing our film as whole.

Filming Day Two

Our second day of filming took place on Monday January 11th. For this day, we focused on filming the flashbacks for opening, making the most of our time to film as many as possible.
We started the day by using the first hour to prepare both the girl's makeup for the flashbacks. For the first part of the day we were filming happy flashbacks, therefore we did both our actors makeup in the simplistic, natural look we planned beforehand. We then filmed the happy flashbacks, for example, the photo and book reading flashback, as well as some flashbacks outside on the street.
We then went back inside for the second part of the day and adjusted our main actors makeup from the natural makeup to the darker, more sinister, vacant makeup. We then filmed scenes such as the mirror scene and the crying scene. By the end of the day we had filmed all the flashbacks we needed.

Our next step is to put our clips together and create a first rough edit and get feedback from our target audience. During editing, we will also see if there is anything we have missed and will need to do on another day of filming if needed, this could also give us an opportunity to re-shoot anything thats not the quality we expected.

Call Sheet Two:

Filming - Props:

One very significant prop that we will be using for opening is a bench, this is used for the tracking shot of the two girls. This is what the entire narrative revolves around. We will be using a bench in Georgie's garden (where the scene will be filmed), but we will be re-positoning it so the it is in front of the house. For this scene we will also get our actors to wear black hoodies in order for them to appear more mysterious and to introduce an ominous element into the beginning of the film.

Another prop we will be using is a mirror for the scene where the main character is looking distressed at her reflection. We will be filming this in Georgie's bathroom. The mirror will be key for this scene as it reflects her battling with her mind.

For one of the happier flashbacks, we will be filming the two girls taking a photo together on a phone. For this we will use either mine or Georgics iPhone. Other props we will be using for happy flashbacks include blankets, pillows and cushions to make the characters seemed relaxed and comfortable.

For the scene of the two girls reading books together we carefully selected books which would subtly link to the plot of our opening. The books we chose were 'The Shock of the Fall' by Nathan Filer, which explores a narrative around grief and madness, as well as'A Hundred Pieces of Me' by Lucy Dillon which explores memories and the past. As these books are aimed at the same age group as our target audience there could be a chance that they are recognised it and therefore this would give them a sense of what the narrative is. 

Filming - Makeup

Filming Day One:

Character One

On day one we were filming the rotating bench scene. For this we needed Lauren to look gaunt and vacant. To create this look we used purple and yellow eyeshadow to create the bags under her eyes. We also added red eyeshadow close to the bottom waterline to give her eyes an irritated effect, as if she had rubbed them a lot. We added yellow, grey and a slight purple tone to her cheeks as it made them look hollow and empty as if she hadn't been taking care of herself. We used purple and yellow eyeshadow to create the bruise on her chin. Lastly we covered her lips in concealer to get them paler, we then covered over this with some purple in the edges of her mouth to make her seem void of all colour and life.

Filming Day Two:

Character One 

Character Two

For the second day of filming we used an hour at the beginning of the day to get the makeup done. In the morning we were filming all the happy flashbacks, therefore we needed to create a innocent look for both the girls. We used a thin coverage foundation, as we didn't want to take the youth from her face. We used an eyebrow pencil to lightly fill in her brows and added a golden eyeshadow to her eyelids with a small amount of highlighter added to her cheeks. Our aim was to enhance their natural features. We wanted them to appear to not be wearing a lot of makeup, therefore we stuck with a natural look. For Lauren Barlow, who was playing character one, we added a red lipstick as whilst it still looks innocent with the rest of her makeup, the colour red also connotes danger, this therefore foreshadows whats to come for her character.  

Later in the day we filmed the darker flashbacks. For this we needed to alter Lauren's makeup to a similar look like the one we created on the first day of filming. We used all the same techniques for her makeup from day one of filming. On top of that we took a wet cotton bud and smudged her mascara she had previously been wearing from her earlier makeup look down her cheeks to create the effect that she had been crying and rubbing them.

Character One

Equipment and Software:

To film our opening, we will be using the camera EOS 700D. We were fortunate enough to borrow this camera from our friend, who is also playing the lead role in the film. This camera shoots in very high definition which we think will be a large advantage to us. This camera also has a function allowing us to easily adjust the focus a lot easier. On the days we are shooting we will also use a SD card to hold all our footage to later upload onto a computer.

Along with the camera we used the Velbon CX 888 tripod. This is a tripod that I had already owned. this helped us in the filming process as it helped steady shots as well and shoot at different angles. For the bench scenes we will be using a bike to balance the camera on due to it being a tracking shot.

In the post-production stages we will be using a Mac computer as well as a Macbook Pro laptop to edit on. These devices have a retina display meaning we can watch our clips in high quality. 

We will be using the software iMovie to edit our film opening as this is software that both me and Georgie feel confident using after using it for our preliminary. 

Filming Day One

On our first day of filming, we decided to focus on the tracking shot of the two girls sat on the bench. We had limited time to film as our actors were only with us for a small amount of time due to other commitments they had. We used half an hour in the morning before filming to do Lauren's makeup as we had to make her look vacant and void.
To create the bench scene, we tried a variety of different techniques to see which would create the smoothest shot, as a tripod would be useless. First we tried holding the camera in our hands and walking around the bench, however this turned out extremely bumpy and in the shot you could clearly see the steps of the camerawomen. We thought about many different objects we could use to create a steadier shot, we considered a wheelbarrow and an office chair however in the end we decided a push bike would be easiest. This technique was effective because whilst I held the camera steady on the seat; Georgie was able to steer the bike, therefore giving us good control of the movement of the camera.
We then had to capture some close up shots of Lauren Barlow (Character One) sat alone on the bench, one of these was her looking straight into the camera. We initially tried using a tripod, however we couldn't get this close enough to her face due to the positioning of the legs of the tripod against the bench Lauren was sitting on. To get the camera close enough to Lauren's face without using the zoom, we had our other actress lean over while we placed the camera steadily on her back and got the close ups. This allowed us to get the close ups and extreme close ups thats we wanted without having to compromise the quality.

Filming Close Ups

The bike we used to film the bench scene

Me balancing the camera while
 Georgie steered the bike

Call Sheet one:

Planning: Storyboard

This is our storyboard we created. This allowed us to discuss ideas and different shots to use as well as how we would set certain shots up. We draw the shots as well as writing in the box below what type of shot they were. We also wrote in the bottom corner the length of time the shot would be on screen for as well as what type of sound, editing and camera movement there would be. This will help us when it comes to filming as we will know how much timing of a shot we need. It also will help us in the editing process placing our shots in the correct order. We used a wide range of shots, we focused a lot of our plot into the tracking shot of the girls on the bench. However we did also incorporate lots of close up and medium shots as well. Overall this gave us a clear structure of our film opening.

Pre-Production: Initial Sound Ideas/Inspiration

Up (2009) 

Our opening will have a clear shift of tone and mood around half way through as flashbacks become darker. The beginning, during happier flashbacks will have peaceful and calm instrumental music, along the lines of the music from a jewellery box. We decided not to include lyrics to the music as we wanted the opening to have no dialogue as we use visuals to tell the story. We thought a lullaby would be perfect for our opening because it adds an eery tone due to its connotations of corrupted innocence. At the same time the tone of the opening changes, so will the music. We took inspiration from the montage from the disney film UP as the music really carried the clip and dramatically changes the mood and tone of the clip.

The Woman In Black (2012)

             

The music in this scene really holds the whole clip together. The music, with the lack of dialogue creates a really eery tone. I hope to add music like this during the darker memories of my opening.

We will also be adding diegetic sounds like bird song and laughter into the happier memories and beginning shots of the bench. This will add a sense of calmness, almost like the calm before the storm. In darker memories, we will static sounds and a high pitch sound of a kettle boiling. This adds tension and creates an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Pre-Production: Risk and Hazard Assessment

Pre-Production: Location Permission

Fortunately, this step was not necessary in the pre-production stage of our film opening as the majority of the scenes will be filmed on Georgie's property in her home or garden. We will be filming other scenes such as those on the streets will be filmed in public areas that we won't need permission to use.

Initial Planning - Communication

To communicate with the other member of my group, Georgie Whitehouse, we set up an online Facebook chat as way to contact each other any time of the day when we thought of an idea. On this chat we spoke about camera shots and angles we could use as well the score for the opening. As it got closer to filming we discussed makeup, props and locations. This was a useful medium of communication as we could exchange screenshots which inspired us and useful photos that we needed. 

To communicate with our actors as had a separate Facebook chat including both actors, me and Georgie. On this chat we explained to them the outline of their roles and we sent them links to clips similar to what we hoped to achieve. We also arranged filming times, and told them locations and what they would need to bring with them to set on the day of filming. This was effective as it was an instant form of communication and we could reach them very quickly if it was needed. It also allowed the actors a way to ask us questions and contribute their own ideas towards the scenes. This was helpful and they are in our target audience. 

Initial Planning - Classification

As our film is a psychological thriller we knew we would have a high classification due to the typical conventions and themes such as mental health that will appear in our opening. Our film will demonstrate many psychological issues as well as an implies murder so therefore it will not be suitable for a young audience. When researching classifications on the BBFC website we realised the age rating 15 would be most suitable for our film.

The following elements are typically seen in a 15 rated film:

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

Although many of these different elements do not appear within our film, we will be including some such as strong acts of violence and explicit language. We have chosen against classifying our film as an 18 as we won't present elements such as sexual violence or strong portrayals of sexual activity within our film. This would also limit the range of our target audience. Its also very common for psychological thrillers to be rated a 15 an example being Limitless.

Initial Planning - Makeup

Our opening will include happy flashbacks and sadder, more intense flashbacks. To express the difference in the main characters mental state in different memories, we will use two different makeups looks to reflect her feelings.

Character One during happy flashbacks and character Two's makeup throughout the opening:

For the happy flashbacks we will use simplistic makeup to make them look young and fresh faced. We want them to look innocent therefore we will use products with a light coverage such as BB in instead of foundation as heavy makeup won't be necessary. I will use products such as mascara, blush, eyeliner and natural eyeshadow to enhance their natural features. This will make them look healthy and happy. I will also use highlighter on them both as it will create a dewey and luminous fresh look. This look will contrast to the bleak, demented look character one will have during the darker flashbacks.

Character One during darker flashbacks:

For the darker flashbacks the character will be very vacant and tired. Therefore I will use red and purple toned eyeshadow under the eye to create bags, implying a lack of sleep. We won't be using makeup products such as bronzer, highlighter or blush as these will add colour to the face. I want to create a very bleak pale complexion therefore these products won't be helpful. I will add grey toned contour to the hollows of her cheeks as this will create the illusion that she hasn't eaten regularly. This will show the audience that the character hasn't been looking after herself due to the emotional trauma she has been through.

Initial Planning - Props

For our film opening we have decided to use different props to help convey the storyline. One prop we will use is a garden bench. This will be for the two girls to sit on during the tracking shot. This is quite an ordinary piece of equipment and won't be hard for us to get hold of.

Another prop we will use is two fictional books. These will be used during the scene where the two girls are lying on the floor and reading. We have decided to use these props to hint at the themes within our production. We will be using books which have plots relating to darkness, memory and depression. This means we have subtle hints about the fate of the characters throughout the opening. The two books we have decided the use are: 'The Shock of the Fall' by Nathan Filer and 'A Hundred Pieces of Me' by Lucy Dillon. These books are also aimed towards teenagers meaning they have a better chance of being recognised by our audience.

We will be using an ordinary iPhone for the scene where the two girls take a photo together. This phone when filming will either be mine or Georgie's. 

Initial Planning - Locations

Bench Scene:
For this scene we needed a large area as this would be the scene with the large tracking shot around the two girls at on the bench in a semi-circle with the girls facing away from the camera. We chose this area as it was in front of an old house which would reflect past memories which would be filmed inside. This area will also be very accessible to us as it is Georgie's front garden, who is the other member in my group. The dead trees in the background also create an eery atmosphere for our opening.

Flashbacks:
We will be filming these flashbacks in rural remote areas. This will make it easier to film as there wont be many people about. for the location we chose the main road in the village Middleton Cheney. This road is normally empty. This will allow us to convey the idea that the flashbacks are taking place inside character 1's mind. This is also convenient for us as it is next to Georgie's house, there will make it easier when transporting equipment.

For the flashbacks that will be filmed inside we will use Georgie's living room as it has good lighting during the day and has a homely feel to it. We will also use props such as blankets and cushions to add to the cosy feel. We will also use other rooms such as the bathroom to film a scene where Lauren looks into the mirror.

Initial Planning - Costumes:

As well as makeup, we will also use clothing to represent the emotional state of the characters during different parts of the film.

Happy Flashbacks:

For the happy flashbacks, both characters will be wearing clothes made from bright, warm colours. They will wear ordinary, comfortable clothes to add a sense of realism to our film as we want the girls to look like normal everyday people. We will also include elements of clothing which add a pop of colour. This will express the happy mood of the characters. This will contrast the darker clothing from the sadder flashbacks. It will seem as if nothing could disrupt the happy lives of these two girls. 

Darker Flashbacks:

For the darker flashbacks and the bench scene, character one will change into darker clothes. She will wear black trousers and a black jacket. The lack of colour in her outfit and face due to makeup, will represent the lack of emotion and joy in her life. As her mental health declines she will care less about her appearance which will be shown through her clothing. During the bench scene both characters will be wearing darker clothes as it adds to the enigma of the opening. The black clothing will dig up feelings of death, grief and loss for the audience who will, with each flashback, put the pieces of the plot together. 

Initial Planning - Casting

Character One:

This will be the main character throughout our opening. The opening will be surrounding her and the decline of her mental health. This character will enter the story a happy, healthy teenager with a strong friendship with character two, however over time she will become a vacant shadow of the person she used to be.

Lauren Barlow - We have chosen Lauren Barlow to star in our opening. Lauren has experience in acting as she currently studies Musical Theatre at Stratford College. She has a lot of experience in performing arts as she has taken on leading roles in school productions and has performed in front of large audiences such as Wembley Arena. With a lot of acting experience we felt she would be able to understand the complexity of the character and would be able to portray it well. She is also fits our age range perfectly.

Character Two:

This character will be character ones best friend. This character will deliver the main psychological element to our opening as she will be what provokes the mental decline of character one. Although it isn't directly shown exactly why their relationship declines, this keeps the narrative open for the audience to question what happened to the second character, some evening questioning the existence of her. This character could be a genuine friend, or a figment of the first characters imagination. This will also be implied by the constant appearance of the second character whilst the first complete breaks apart. 

Lauren Bricknell - We have chosen Lauren Bricknell to play our second character as she has also had a lot of acting experience as she has taken leading roles in local performances. She also studies musical theatre at Stratford college and has a great understanding of representing different characters. We felt she would understand the character well and she also fits the characters age range as she is a teenager. 

Initial Planning - The Treatment

Our opening will be based on the friendship between two best friends as their relationship slowly falls apart resulting in the decline of character 1's mental health. We will present this story through flashbacks of memories between the two. These will be linked back to one continuous shot of the two sat on a bench. The memories will begin happy showing the two characters full of life and energy. Gradually these memories will turn sour and become sadder, eventually leaving character one in a vacant, emotional unstable state. The bench scene will start behind the bench with the two actors backs facing the camera. The camera will then turn in an anti-clockwise circular motion towards the bench. As the camera gets closer to the bench, it will show character two missing and character one will be sat alone staring into oblivion. There will be a close up to reveal her face looking vacant and hollow. This will then cut to black, followed by the title sequence. The themes present in our opening will be: friendship, mental health, trauma and death.

Our opening will be from the perspective of character one. Therefore we will focus on the emotions she is feeling during them. For example in the happy flashbacks we will focus on her smile and her happiness. Whereas in the sadder flashbacks we will focus on the loss she is feeling and the trauma she is experiencing. Character two will be character one, our protagonists, best friend. She will be a happy, healthy teenager. In the sadder flashbacks this character will jump in and out, therefore making the audience question her existence. We decided to make both character female as they are seem as innocent, this would have a greater impact when character one becomes emotionally corrupt.

For the scenes filmed on the bench, we will be filming on a large garden in front of an old looking house. This will represent her looking back at past memories, as the house will hold a lot of her history. For flashbacks set outside we will be filming if rural, remote areas e.g a village on quiet streets. This will make it more personal as the scene won't be full of distractions from other people on busy streets. This could also enforce the idea that these events are taking place inside her head as the setting they are in is deserted. We will be suing natural lighting during these scenes to make them seem realistic.
Other flashbacks will be filmed inside. Happier scenes will be filmed inside a cosy living room, this will give a sense of fondness and happiness. We will use props such as pillows and blankets to also make the scene appear cosy. This will reinstate that the two friends were both comfortable and happy during these times.
Some darker flashbacks will be filmed inside. This is so that we have better control over the lighting  of the scene. For these scenes, the lighting will be bleak, dull and gloomy to reflect the feel of the the characters in the scene. We will also film a flashback of character 1 looking into the bathroom mirror, the lighting in the bathroom will be uncomfortable, stark and similar to that of a hospital. This will give the impression the character is disorientated and sick.

We will be using a wide range of shots during our opening. For the bench scene we will use a medium tracking shot moving anti-clockwise around them. During flashbacks we will use lots of close ups to clearly display the emotions of the character during the time. We will also use a close up of character 1's face as the last shot in the sequence as she looks directly into the camera, thus breaking the fourth wall. We will use over-the-shoulder shots while they are arguing.

During the editing stage, we will use filters and adapt the tone of shots to also help set the mood  for some scenes. For example we will darken, put full, grey, blue tones over darker depressing sadder scenes. Where as happier scenes, we will brighten and whiten colours to make them seem dreamlike. We will also add in flashes to white and black transitions between clips to represent gaps in time and memory (between the present and past).

Research: Blocking A Scene

There are five stages to blocking a scene:

1. Block - Deciding where the actors will be standing and where the camera will be positioned.
2. Light - This is time for the DOP to light the set and position the camera.
3. Rehearse - Time for camera rehearsal of the first set up with the actors and the crew
4. Adjustments - Time for making lighting adjustments and other adjustments needed. 
5. Shoot - Shooting the first scene (repeat the process)

Blocking a scene is simply working out the details of the movements actors make in relation to the camera. You must make sure the actors, crew and camera all move smoothly and harmoniously together. This is often done to create a path for a character and make sure everything fits together. It saves time and ensure everything will play out the way the director wants it to. 

Inspiration:

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)




One thing I really liked about the film the Perks of Being A Wallflower was the title font they used at the beginning of the film. The white typewriter font (courier) on the black background looks simple and classic and creates a sense of nostalgia which I think would reflect well in my own film.

Another section of this film that inspired me for my opening was the

scene with Charlie's mental breakdown. This subtly plays memories from Charlie's past which have resulted in the deterioration of his mental health. An example of one of these was the car crash which killed his aunt. This short flashback is what inspired the shot flashes of memories throughout the opening. It links to past to the present for the viewer and makes it clear that the mental breakdown is a result of all his memories flooding back at once. These flashes back and fourth between the present and past display Charlie's fragile state of
mind. There are also subtle actions throughout the shot of Charlie walking down the street, for example him pulling at his tie, therefore suggesting he is struggling to breath. These hint at whats happening without outright telling the audience.

Another element of this clip which I thought was good to add into my own opening was the minimal dialogue followed up by the phone call to his sister. This tells the audience that the flashbacks are inside Charlie's head. The phone call with Charlie not being on screen suggests to the audience that Charlie is very far away from reality. Followed by the shot of his empty room makes the audience think something has happened to him. The editing of this is what really inspired me, the way the shots are fitted together to create an emotional impact is very successful. There isn't any extreme flashes or transitions to suggest its a memory it just displays the clip which makes it more powerful as these memories are very prominent in the characters mind as this is what sends him over the edge.

Teen Wolf - TV Show 



In this television show one of the character called Stiles, becomes possessed and faces a mental battle between the good side which is Stiles's character vs the darker spirit that has possessed him. He becomes very aggressive and troubled as he slips further away. This gave me inspiration as Stiles went from a normal, happy relatable teenager into a trouble, unrecognisable and frightening character, this is similar to the main character in our opening. We want to create a similar tone in our opening like the tone on Teen wolf of lost happiness, emptiness and loss of hope.
The makeup of this character also inspired me as it really emphasises a lack of sleep of the character with the red around the eyes. It signifies restless nights and a unsettled mind which is what we want our main character to come across as. It also creates a large impact on the audience as its disturbing. The cold toned filter and low key lighting also create an eery tone and emphasise the darkness of the character. This is something we will use for our own opening.

Up (2009)

The film Up opens with a 5 minute montage of Carl and Ellie's love story. The montage starts with happy memories from the beginning of their relationship and some of their first happy memories together. However throughout the montage these scenes get sadder first with the news of the couple not being able to have children and secondly Ellie's death which ultimately leaves Carl alone.
The music is one element of this that really inspired me. In the beginning during the first few happy memories the music is happy and cheerful. However once the memories become sadder, the music changes tone and becomes sadder with it. The music is noticeably the same tune but slower and sadder. This really pulls the whole montage together making it extremely emotional to the audience. I think the music is what makes this montage successful and we thought we could use a similar process for our montage opening.
Another element which I liked was the lack of dialogue. This makes it more believable as a memory. This also leaves room for the music to capture the emotions and the tone. Less dialogue works well with montage and this is something we will consider when creating our opening.



500 Days of Summer (2009):



I got inspiration from these two clips as they show both the same sequence of events, one clip on a good day and one clip on a bad day. They show the same scenes with the same people in the same location but the events on the different days reflect the different mood he is in. This is something we will include in our own opening as it reflects the change within the character. This film 500 Days of Summer also inspired me through its non-linear narrative as you see flashbacks out of order. This makes the film really interesting as when Tom (the main character) tells people (usually his sister) about his memories with Summer they are exaggerated and perfect, this leads the audience to think his relationship with Summer was perfect. However later in the film we see the same flashbacks without the distortion of seeing it through Toms eyes. This shows that the memories weren't that perfect. This tells the audience how delusional Tom was and that he was more in love with the idea of being with Summer than Summer herself.
This use of a non-linear narrative would work well as we are trying to tell a story in a short space of time. We also want to be able to create a clear change of tone even in the same locations. This will show the clear emotional shift in the character.