RUSSELL FINAL DRAFT

EVALUATION QUESTION #7

LOOKING BACK AT THE PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL PRODUCT?

EVALUATION QUESTION #6

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?

EVALUATION QUESTION #5

HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?

EVALUATION QUESTION #4

WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT

EVALUATION QUESTION #3

EVALUATION QUESTION #2

HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?

EVALUATION QUESTION #1

EVALUATION OF FIRST DRAFT

RUSSELL SECOND DRAFT

EDITING SCHEDULE/ BEHIND THE SCENES

We edited the rough cut of the film opening at school during lessons using iMovie, as well as creating the voicemail audio on garage band, but we knew that we wanted to use some more specialised equipment which was made available us outside of school. Consequently, we met on Monday 20th February from midday till 6 and in that time edited the lighting, audio and added the credit animation- completing the opening.
Here is some behind the scenes footage of that day:


Below are the difficulties during editing that we faced:

FILM SCREENING FEEDBACK

On Tuesday 22nd February we screened our film opening for the first time to our seven classmates and teacher and using the questionnaire below received the following feedback:

Overall, our film opening received very positive and encouraging responses.
The majority of the audience responded emotionally to the opening with fear, confusion and intrigue.


The main criticism we received is as follows:

• The second half of the opening was too quiet/ slow
• The film opening needs to be cut down to 2:15 maximum 
• The diegetic sound needs to be increased/ revised
• Titles need to be adapted (placement and size)
• Links between sound and visuals need to be developed

This feedback is essential to the film opening's development and we have scheduled a final editing session before our deadline of 28/2/17 where we will take everyones opinions into consideration and hopefully produce a film opening to be proud of.

RUSSELL FIRST DRAFT

STORYBOARD ALTERATIONS

Due to set rearrangement, the sequence of shots 26-30 had to be adapted quite significantly.

Firstly, shot 26 is frames a rocking horse in the left third with the protagonist in the back ground, out of focus. The rocking horse was not available for use on the day of our shoot so instead we used a decorative lamp which portrays a woman holding up a dove. The dove is illuminated by the light, and this symbol of freedom contrasts with the protagonists entrapment, so in many ways this adaption was for the better.

The most recognisable alteration occurs in the sequence of shots 19-26. Due to the rearrangement of furniture and a continuity error we had to adapt the protagonist's movements from standing up to being on the floor on all fours: instead of him walking after he takes the drip out he now falls to the floor immediately afterwards. This meant he was in a different position for the following shots which had been filmed beforehand. Therefore we had to cut some shots and create some on the day. This delayed our filming but I think we dealt with the situation well and kept the continuity.

VOICEMAILS: CASTING & RECORDING

CAST

VOICEMAIL GREETING: JOE DELLA-PORTA

DOCTORS RECEPTIONIST: GEMMA EVENDEN
DAUGHTER: GRACE EVENDEN
BOSS: MICHAEL EVENDEN
EX-WIFE: TRUDY BARBER
NEIGHBOUR: CALUMN KING

VOICEMAIL SCRIPT ALTERATIONS:

When recording the 'Boss' voicemail our group and the actor discussed the legitimacy of the script and decided that the actor, who had experience as an employer, would ad-lib with references to the main points in the script (e.g. the boss was sorry making this decision). The final voicemail recording was more effective than the scripted version.

Once we had shot the film opening and begun editing we realised that we needed to adapt the voicemail audio so to fit the 30 second time period dedicated to the tracking establishing shot. Since we were yet to cast the 'Girlfriend' we deemed it better to abandon this role as it didn't have as much significance in establishing Russell's character/ life as the others did.

SHOOTING DAY

We shot the film opening on Saturday the 28th of January from 10am to 2:30pm.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED/ RESOLUTION:

• Rearrangement of the set→ we altered the storyboard, specifically the movement of the protagonist in the clearing, and rearranged the room as best we could.
• Customer interference → we shot the majority of the footage in the morning when the shop was most quiet. As noon approached more customers began to arrive and we shot takes in between their visits to the basement. In some cases we asked them to refrain from entering the basement during whilst we were shooting a scene and they all understood and responded encouragingly. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY

NAME: MOAT PRODUCTIONS

LOGO:
















ANIMATION:

TITLE

FILM OPENING: FONT

We have decided to use the font 'Times New Roman' for our opening credits because it fits the dictionary layout we are mimicking. This style is original, especially when animated onto alternating monochromatic backgrounds/ fonts, therefore attributing to our films unconvential plot and niche audience.
The significance of the dictionary is established as the film explores the definition of life and its meaning/ value through the kidnapping/ interrogation and possible murder of Russell Simmons (a man who is taking his life for granted/ ruining his 'one chance').

Side note: It could be interpreted that there is not a 'dictionary' definition for 'what it is to be alive'.

UPDATE:
Due to the length of our film opening (the first draft was almost 3 minutes) we decided against using title screens and instead incorporated the credits into the shots to save time.

SHOOTING SCHEDULE

THRILLER GENRE: THE AUDIENCE

WHAT DO AUDIENCES EXPECT FROM THRILLER FILMS?

PRIMARY RESEARCH

I created a questionnaire, which I distributed to a random sample group of twenty, in order to research what the central thriller demographic was and why and furthermore what audiences expect of thriller films.

 

RESULTS

• 100% of the males enjoyed watching thrillers
• 100% of participants described the colour palette as being dark, with references to the colours black, grey and red
• The majority of participants recognised suspense, drama, fast pace and violence as conventions of thriller films.
• Those who stated that they did not like thriller films all argued that they were 'too scary/intense'.
• There was no correlation between participant's attitudes towards thrillers and how often they watch films, as the majority of those who liked and disliked the thriller genre both watched films 'sometimes'.

↳ Thriller demographic: males aged 16-30 years 

SECONDARY RESEARCH

source:

Thriller film research from jphibbert

Summary:

Audiences expect the following from thrillers:

• intense excitement
• a high level of anticipation
•  uncertainty
•  anxiety
• nerve-wracking tension
• a main character that is in danger

AUDIO EXPERIMENTATION

We sampled three microphones in preparation for our shoot. In conclusion, the YOGA microphone was most effective because it cancelled out the majority of the background noise and efficiently elevated the sound of the voice.

MAKE-UP, COSTUME AND PROPS

MAKE-UP

To achieve the protagonist's 'drugged' state we have taken inspiration from this article which gives tips on how to look ill. We expermineted using pale foundation, sun cream, moistouriser, colour correcting foundation and to make fake sweat we mixed glycerin and water.

We came to the conclusion that a mixture of the colour correcting foundation and 'fake sweat' produced the best results- shown below:


 NO MAKE UP

WITH MAKE-UP

natural lighting                                                               artificial lighting

This photo better depicts the make up transformation (on a model more appropiate for the role).

COSTUME

Regarding costumes, both characters will wear dark unbranded casual clothing to avoid the audience being distracted from the action. The protagonist's clothes may be dusty/ dirty due to lying on the floor and the shopkeeper will wear noticeably feminine clothes to contrast her stereotypically 'masculine' role as the kidnapper.

PROPS

Other than the drip, bought from eBay, we will use objects from the antique warehouse, such as the mannequin. One of the advantages of shooting at this location was the access to a variety of props.

RISK ASSESSMENT

VOICEMAIL SCRIPT: UPDATED

As a group, it was decided that the voicemail script should be adapted to sound more natural. Here is the final script, the changes are in red:

DOCTORS RECEPTIONIST:

Hello Mr. Simmons, I'm calling from Oakhouse Surgery to remind you to collect your prescription. Doctor Bateman is concerned that if you don't taken your medication, the consequences could be very serious. Please contact us back if you are unable to collect them. Thank you.

DAUGHTER:

Hey Dad! It's me. Mum said you were picking me up tomorrow from swimming. It finishes at 5, I was thinking we could do something after? Please don't forget this time. See you.

BOSS:

Russell, Craig here. Look, you haven't turned up to work or even answered my calls. I’m sorry but I'm having to let you go. I know you’ve been struggling and I’ve done all I can to support you but you've really forced my hand here. Call me back as soon as you get this and we’ll talk about the redundancy… and what needs to be done next.

DAUGHTER:

Where are you? Its me - Sophie!? I’ve been waiting by the school gates for like an hour and it’s raining! Have you forgotten again? You always do this! Mum’s on her way now, just forget it.

EX WIFE:

Russell, it's me. I've had to cancel my meeting to pick Sophie up from swimming. You've let her down yet again, she isn't coming round this weekend, by the way... You owe her an apology. Oh, and another thing, Dave said he saw you at our house again last week, you can't start doing this, it's my house. I don't want to get the police involved but I will if I have to. *PAUSE* I'll pick her up from now on.

GIRLFRIEND:

Where the hell are you? Why aren't you returning my calls? Have I done something wrong? I didn't mean what I said about moving in together, I think we should take it slowly, it's too soon...just please call me back, I miss you. This is like the sixteenth time calling in a week and you haven't picked up once. Was it me? Look, it was a joke! It’s obviously too soon… but please, call me back, I’m worried.

NEIGHBOUR:

Hey Russell, I haven't seen you around in a while.. you okay buddy? I heard you got fired and all.. I'm sorry about that. Oh and, your mail box is full.. Hope we can speak face to face soon, just give me a call back, okay? Thanks.

TEST FOOTAGE / LOCATION RECCE

EQUIPMENT USED
Camera: Canon 700D
Canon Legria HF G30
Audio: RØDE VideoMic
Editing software: iMovie

CANON 700D:

ADVANTAGES

• its bulkier size made it easy to handle
• vivid and clear colour

DISADVANTAGES 

• limited zoom
• auto-focus was delayed and hard to control

CANON LEGRIA HF G30:

ADVANTAGES

• sharp and quick auto-focus
• extended zoom
• can be connected to WIFI
• long life battery

DISADVANTGES

• the footage had a dull tone in terms of colouring

LOCATION RECCE: UPDATED

The lighting inside inside the warehouse is artificial meaning that we will not have to shoot according to the time of day because we are not dependant on natural light.

The lighting is fluorescent, which may produce a buzzing/humming sound, but we have used that to our advantage and written it into our script. 
As a result of the warehouse being a public area we will have to ensure that customers do not interrupt our shoot by preventing them from entering the basement whilst we are filming and not shooting during the busy period (12:30-13:30).
Although the basement is very large, there is a lot of furniture that could obstruct our shoot, which we will overcome by moving items if necessary. Furthermore, the arrangement of furniture is often changed due to items being sold, so the setting of the film could possibly look different to how it's depicted in the storyboard. However this is not a huge problem, because the items that we are deliberately using as props, such as the mannequins, are guaranteed to be available.

TALENT SCOUTING

ACTOR REQUIREMENTS:

PROTAGONIST: RUSSELL SIMMONS:

• MALE
• WHITE BRITISH
• MIDDLE-AGED 
• AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT (he is to be 'normal')
• PHYSICALLY ABLE TO CRAWL, STAND FROM LYING DOWN AND ACT AFRAID AND INTOXICATED

SHOPKEEPER:

• FEMALE
• MIDDLE AGED- ELDERLY
• PREFERABLY SMALL IN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT BUT THIS IS NOT MANDATORY
• RACE IS NOT SPECIFIED, BUT MUST BE ENGLISH SPEAKING
• ACTING ABILITY IS NOT REQUIRED AS THE SHOPKEEPER'S ROLE IS TO ACT 'NORMAL'

VOICE ACTORS:

• TEENAGE GIRL
• ADULT FEMALE x3
• ADULT MALE x3
• ALL MUST SPEAK ENGLISH
• NO VOICE ACTING ABILITY/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

ACTOR HEAD SHOTS:

ROLE: RUSSELL SIMMONS
NAME: ANDREW HART
HEIGHT: 5"4
AGE: 57
ETHNICITY: WHITE (BRITISH)

ROLE: SHOPKEEPER
NAME: ISSE OUCHI
HEIGHT: 5"1
AGE: 59
ETHNICITY: ASIAN (JAPANESE )

RESEARCH part III

the THRILLER GENRE

ICONIC DIRECTORS relating to the thriller genre:

• Alfred Hitchcock

Often referred to as "The Master of Suspense", Hitchcock developed many elements of the suspense and psychological thrillers and ultimatley helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre, beginning with his early silent film 'The Lodger'. He is most famously known for films such as 'Psycho' and 'The Wrong Man' (seen above). 

• David Lynch

Lynch is renown for his surrealist films and completely unique cinematic style. He has directed a number of thrillers, including 'Eraserhead' (seen above) and 'Blue Velvet'.

• Brian De Palma

De Palma, director of cult classics such as 'Scarface' and 'Carrie' (seen above), frequently explored the psychological thriller genre.

• Quentin Tarantino

Cited as one of the most celebrated directors of the late 20th century, Tarantino redefined the thriller genre, introducing hybrids of it with comedies and challenging audience expectations; for instance his films prompted a discussion of both the morality and the aesthetics of onscreen violence.

HISTORY OF THE THRILLER

🔪One of the earliest 'thrillers' was Harold Lloyd's film 'Safety Last' (1923) which followed a boy performing a daredevil stunt on the side of a skyscraper; which can be categorised according to Christopher Metz's theory as in the 'experimental' phase of the thriller genre. Included in this phase is the more commonly known 'The Lodger' (1926) directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
🔪As thrillers began to attract a mainstream audience in the 1940's, with Hitchcock releasing renowned thrillers such as 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943).
🔪Next came the developmental stage of the genre. 'Cape Fear' starring Gregory Peck was released in 1962 following Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1960), perhaps his finest film, that would rewrite the conventions of the thriller genre for the rest of the twentieth century.
🔪Later, in the 1970-80's thrillers tackled darker and more psychological fears; for instance Stanley Kubrick explored addiction, abuse and insanity in his cult classic 'The Shining' (1980).
🔪With the millennium on the horizon, the thriller genre thrived with films such as 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'Se7en' (1995) gaining mainstream and academic attention. Much of what was being produced can arguably be categorised as residing in the grey area of horror/ thriller which is often a result of repeated use of explicit violence in thrillers, for example 'Fire Walk With Me' (1992).
🔪In the present century, with the advancement of technology, thrillers have been able enhance their powerful impact on audiences, increasing tension and the fear through special effects and enhanced sound. This is evident in films such as 'Inception' (2010) and Mulholland Drive (2001).

NINE FRAME STRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF TWO FILM OPENINGS

8 1/2, DIR. FEDERICO FELINI (1963)

1. The establishing shot is a wide angled mid shot, positioned behind the protagonist's car. By deliberately introducing the protagonist from behind enigma is created.
2. The shot tracks to reveal the multiple lanes of traffic at a standstill. The lighting inside the tunnel is artificial and there are lots of shadows, again attributing to the enigma of the opening.
3. A close up of the protagonist shot again from behind implies the surrealistic atmosphere. The framing is tight, inferred not only by the shots positioning but by the setting. The cars surrounding the protagonist's suggest a sense of confinement. 
4. The camera pans to reveal the occupants of the nearby car, who are eerily indifferent to the situation. The almost deafening silence of these opening shots signifies the dramatic tone of the film.
5. The next shot hints at the impending danger has found himself in, as he begins to wipe the windscreen hurriedly. His face still hasn't been revealed. Later in the opening it is disclosed that this sequence was a dream. It can therefore be interpreted that the director chose to hide the protagonist's face deliberately because in dreams we can take on different personas, or perhaps its a reference to our inability to fabricate faces; instead every face that we see in a dream is one we have consciously seen before. Not showing the protagonist's face plays on this. 
6. Once again, there is a tight close up of the character from behind, this time it is more concentrated on his head. The car is starting to fill up with smoke and this shot indicates entrapment.
7. One of the key shots of the opening wherein the occupants of the surrounding cars are seen passively staring at the protagonist as he struggles to escape his car. The framing is dense which emphasises the eerie presence of the onlookers. At the top of the frame a bus is positioned, its passengers all stood up and pressed against the windows. Their heads however, like the protagonist, are unseen. 
8. Another shot of the protagonist attempting to escape his car. By cutting from shots of his car to that of the surrounding a powerful contrast is made; the protagonists supposed struggle against death with those around him's indifference. 
9. This shot from outside the window has a significant impact on the audience because by now the car has filled with white smoke and protagonist's actions of putting his hands on the window highlights his desperation and the seriousness of his situation. 

VERTIGO, DIR. ALFRED HITCHCOCK (1958)

1. In this establishing shot, the woman's face occupies the left third and therefore is the dominant in the frame. By using an extreme close up, enigma is created as to the identity of the woman.
2. The camera moves to frame her lips. This slow and partial reveal of her face attributes to the thriller genre.
3. The opening continues as the camera, using the pedestal movement, draws the audience's attention to the woman's eyes.
4. The camera begins to zoom into one of the eyes. Throughout the opening so far the framing has been tight meaning that the audience are restricted to view only what the director wants them to see, in this case features of an unknown woman's face.
5. The screen is gradually flooded with the colour red and the woman's eye widens, perhaps in an expression of fear. All of these unusual shots engage the audience's interest in the film. 
6. As the camera stays stationary, 'swirling' animation appears in the pupil and expands until it dominates the screen.
7. Lasting the next three shots, credits appear in the right third of the screen whilst various coloured animations occupy the other two thirds, contrasted against the black background.

BBFC RATING & DEMOGRAPHIC

The BBFC rating for our film (opening) will be a 15, as the film will contain strong language, imitable behaviour such as suicide, and threat and violence. It has a narrative of kidnapping and being held in captivity, which could be sensitive to some younger viewers.

The age range of our target audience is between twenty-five and fifty years, and will be focused on white middle-class males. This wide age gap adheres to the genre of our film and its influences. Directors such as Stanley Kubrick had their most critical success in the 1970's and the audience of such films would now have reached their middle ages and would be suitable viewers for new thrillers that have been influenced by the one's from their past. Young adults would be attracted to our film because it presents a new and different take on a classic film genre; this is our primary audience because they are more likely to actively view the film. Similarities across the age range are that the audience will have to have a substantial interest in film itself and be attracted to other thriller films, importantly ones that have influenced this film.

 What both age ranges have in common is their psycho-graphic. The film is targeted at males because that is the gender of the protagonist, and the film will deal with issues relative to his life. The film is set in modern day Britain and has cast only white characters, meaning that it is better suited to a white audience because again the issues explored will establish a connection with the white character and white viewer; this statement also applies to the middle class quality of the audience.

The status of our demographic can be better defined by the ACORN system whereby they would occupy the B and C1 social grades (middle and lower middle class). The demographic needs to have a sufficient amount of disposable income to view a film that isn't necessarily a box office hit, but more a film that requires problem solving and isn't attractive to the mainstream audience.

The mentality of our demographic can be described as that of a 'reformer' (those who are social aware, intellectual and seek out authenticity) and 'explorer' (people who are driven by a need for challenge and discovery).

According to Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' this film will challenge the viewers need for belonging and love as well as self-actualisation. The protagonist will go on a journey of self-realisation in the film, realising he is neglecting those around him, and realise that he needs to change; which could provoke a similar feeling in the audience.

Using Blumler and Katz's 'Uses and Gratifications' theory, it can be suggested that the audience will use this film for entertainment and relationships; the latter referring to its arthouse sub-genre which cites it as a niche film, therefore creating an inclusive audience that is likely to critique and discuss the film amongst each other. Entertainment can be derived from our film because it's narrative keep's the audience largely unaware throughout, resulting in the ending being largely anticipated.

(ALL OF THIS IS SUPPORTED BY MY AUDIENCE RESEARCH)

PLANNING: UPDATE

Since our film opening pitches, a lot has changed. Significantly, the narrative has been adapted to be a more conventional thriller, our protagonist has been drugged and kidnapped, and after being given feedback we have created the shopkeeper character; who's indifference to the protagonist provides enigma which is crucial in capturing the audience's curiosity. The series of montages used in our initial idea has been replaced with a varied range of camera angles, shot and movements. This decision was made so to boost the level of technique in our opening and really emphasise the skills we have to offer. Attributing to the change in narrative, our sound palette has been updated, for instance we are now including the enhanced diegetic sound of LED lights, as well as our colour palette (all of these changes are detailed in a recent blog post). Despite this, our location has remained the same. So far, research and planning have ran smoothly and we are on schedule.

LOCATION RECCE: UPDATED

We have permission from the shop owner of Hastings Antique Warehouse to film inside and outside the shop on our shooting day: 28th of January 2017. This location inspired the film opening narrative and is essentially the heart of the piece. It is really effective in creating the eery/ lonely atmoshphere we desire and has hundreds of props readily available.

SOUND AND COLOUR PALETTE: UPDATED

SOUND

In accordance with the adaption of our idea our sound palette has been updated. No longer will we use the 1930's jazz-style music or the white noise.  However, to emphasise the tension of the piece and to depict the protagonist's intoxicated state, enhanced diegetic sound will be used as the noise emitted from the overhead lights.

Possible sounds for the voicemail recording at the beginning of the sequence are listed below:

•   A message that describes the phone as being disconnected. This sound may be useful as it implies that the owner of the phone is stranded/ unwillingly unable to answer this phone; which attributes to the narrative of the opening (the protagonist has been kidnapped and is being held hostage).
• This standard voicemail message would be effective because it's mundane tone contrasts the eery and unusual atmosphere of the opening.
• However, both of the sounds above are voicemail greetings and it may be more adequete to use something like ' you have 9 new messages ' so that the audience are listening to the protagonist's voicemail. To achieve this we will needn to record this sound ourselves. 

COLOUR

Our colour palette was altered because our credit sequence vision was no longer compatible with the opening after the narrative was changed (it was designed to accompany a montage of shots). Also, the red and pink tones have been replaced with a deeper red because the walls of the basement are this colour and we didn't want to cause the owner of the set any inconvienance by setting up red neon lighting in the basement. This decision did not have a huge effect on the overall feel of the opening as when we took the footage for the test shoot we found that the wall and pained glass nightstands gave the room warm red lighting. 

SHOOTING SCRIPT

Above is our initial shooting script, which we then annotated in more detail and adapted below.