Evaluating our Progress from the Prelim Task to the AS opening sequence

1.Progress in Research and Planning 

Preliminary Task

The preliminary is completely without context - it is more of a chance to practise techniques than to create something with meaning. We approached it by planning a short sequence that would include the key techniques we were told to show, but had no idea what kind of sequence we were filming, where it would come in a longer text and what it would need to convey to an audience. Because of this lack of research and planning, we inevitably produced a sequence that does not create much meaning for the audience.
 

For example, the first shot in our Prelim task is taken from a mid to low angle  which should have an impact, possibly mysterious, but in the context of our sequence does not create any sense of atmosphere or meaning and doesn't add to the sequence. It possibly even makes it confusing as the techniques and content don't match. This was due to a lack of planning and not knowing what shots we needed to use and when - we filmed but without a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve.

We did not consider putting in any music and all of the dialogue was made up on the spot. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do but we did not create a story board so we were not prepared for what shots we wanted to take. The sound quality is poor as we chose the wrong location, a canteen where there is a lot of background noise.

Final Task

In our final task we made sure that we did a lot of research and planning. We produced a detailed storyboard after doing a lot of research into the techniques used in our genre in terms of sound, camera angles and mise-en-scène. This meant a lot of research into opening sequences that we split up between us to saturate ourselves in the genre and also to work out what the form of opening sequences actually needs, as we did not want to make the mistake of producing something that looked like a trailer or short film:

These are just two of the many films we looked into to collect our research.

Progress

From making our preliminary task we have shown a great improvement in our understanding of how research and planning affects your work. Initially, it makes progress slower as you have so much to consider; but ultimately it makes decision-making easier because there is a clear reason for your choices that you have already thought through. We have benefitted throughout as even now, when we are putting the final touches to our sequence, we are thinking back to our research to make sure our piece fits with the form and genre conventions we noted - we have just adjusted the music to run  more throughout, for example, as returning to our research reminded us this is generally the case in film openings.

Examples Of Our Research

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/exploring-our-chosen-genre.html
http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/chosen-genre.html

2. Progress in in Storyboarding and Scripting

Preliminary Task

We made a storyboard but with minimal detail. It contined only a few images explaining what shots we wanted to use, in written form as we were not at this time thinking visually and felt more comfortable writing our ideas. Often one post-it note combined a whole sequence of shots, as we had not learned to break down our filming shot by shot and thought more in terms of scenes and moments than individual shots.

Final Task

Compared to our preliminary storyboard, our final task storyboard was far much more detailed. We adapted it along the course of our planning as ideas changes as well as sound and camera movements. We added and changed it many times until we were completely happy with it. We presented it to others so that we could see if explaining the ideas revealed any weaknesses. We also annotated with comments to do with later editing so that our filming and editing would run in synch.

Photos Of Story Board

By making our story board it allowed us to have a clear view of what we wanted our film to eventually look like. From making the drawn story board, it helped us to realise that we needed far more detail in it for it to benefit us on our filming day. We ended up adding a lot more detail than we expected.

Photo Of Animatic

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/animatic.html

Doing our animatic gave us an introduction to editing, as we had not edited something like that before. It gave us a experience of different types of editing. Producing the animatic for our story board also helped us to experiment with different types of music that fitted our genre. We initially wanted most of our sequence to be filmed in a graveyard but due to external reasons thus was not possible. Therefore creating an animatic allowed us to see how we could fit a different location in to replace the one we originally wanted. We were also conscious of keeping to the two minutes, and our animatic helped us to do this. We were able to plan out our credits too and practise using LiveType to good effect. Overall, the animatic acted as a kind of dry run before we had even picked up a camera.

 

Very similar to a final credit shot showing that our planning worked.

 

Progress

Paying more attention to planning through the storyboard and animatic helped our filming to run smoothly on the day as we had previous preparation and we all knew what to do at certain moments in the day. Also, it saved us a lot of time as we didn't have to huddle around our storyboard moving things around and adding new things which would eventually chip away at our filming time. It also helped that we had practised some of the key shots and had worked out how to handle tricky camera movements.

Evidence Of Better Planning:

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/storyboard-second-draft.html

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cast-list.html

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/animatic.html

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/camera-movements-task.html

3.Progress in Camera Work

Prelim

As we had basic knowledge of camera angles and different shots we ended up having a jumble of random, awkward shots that we initially thought were good, but going over this we have seen our improvement in actually thinking about what shots to use. We were more interested at this stage in using a variety of shots than in really thinking what the best shot is for the particular situation. We were also awkward handling the camera and the tripod. We were clumsy in our set up and this slowed us down. We recorded over footage we had taken at one point, and did not always have the tripod set up so that it was properly balanced.

Screenshots of Awkward Shots

The shots above show poor framing and an unbalanced camera.

 

The use of a handheld camera at times led to jerky shots, with poor framing and composition, which overall affected our prelim task. Also we struggled with the tripod as we didn't really know how to position it which led to the legs being at different lengths making a crooked shot.

Final Task

We gained more knowledge of and confidence with the use of cameras and tripods which helped our final piece to look more advanced. It also made us think more realistically about shots we could do, for example we wanted to do an birds-eye-view of the graveyard, but realised that couldn't happen due to the equipment we had access to.  We practiced numerous shots to see if they were still applicable to our piece, for example in our planning we wanted a jump shot of the door but we realised we couldn't make it work with our location and the changes in lighting. We gained greater knowledge of techniques we could use and then applied them to our piece to show how we had progressed from our prelim task.

Screenshots of Effective Camera Shots

Handheld tracking had improved from preliminary and is effective

 as it gives the impression that someone is following her.

The close up was effective as we knew we wanted the title

 to appear here to have an impact on the audience.

The establishing shot was effective as it gives

 the audience a sense if location.

This handheld POV shot was effective as it made the 

audience feel as if they were in the characters position.

Evidence of camera confidence:

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/photos-from-filming.html

4. Progress in Editing

Prelim

As we had never used Final Cut Express before we had to adapt to it, and we found it difficult to edit quickly and efficiently. We did not add any sounds or titles or credit. We only edited everything we had filmed to a point where we had a sequence that ran fluently and did not think further about how editing can be used to convey a meaning to the audience. For example, we did not explore effects and transitions at this point, or any of the other facilities on the editing package.  Our matches on action were poor and didn't match up at times - although this was more the fault of the filming than the editing.

Final Task

Compared to the prelim task we had much more knowledge of the potential uses of Final Cut Express as well as increasing our efficiency to use it to its full capacity. For example using the layering skill to add sound and titles and credits.

Screenshot of moment where layers were used:

By using the layering technique we were able to see continuity layers, blips in audio and we were able to see where we should place the music. Enlarging the tracks helped us to check for any cutting errors.

Screenshot Showing Match

We used effects and transitions effectively as you can see from the image,

 we have deliberately altered the audio by selecting what part 

we wanted to play and by inserting fade ins and fade outs.

Progress

We had  much more understanding of the full potential that the package had and how we could combine techniques to make them more effective. Our editing was more accurate compared to our prelim task and we were patient with the smaller details, balancing different tracks together carefully.  Overall we created a layered piece that was very detailed and intricate. Perhaps our biggest improvement was in realising that you have to know how you are going to edit before you film or all the solutions on the package won't help - if the basic filming is wrong, there is not much you can do. We were much more careful to think of the edit from the very beginning of the planning this time and that is probably our most significant improvement.

Evidence of focus on editing techniques and potential:

http://ticktockgroupblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/progress-with-editing.html

Evaluating Use of Genre Codes and Conventions

Titles

• The main title appeared by fading into position, making it look mysterious and written by an outside agency, thus fitting our genre.
• We made the writing red to associate it with the common connotation of the colour; danger
• Red was used throughout our piece to create connotations of danger and blood, we wanted to make this apparent to the audience
• Each letter appeared individually and slowly to allow the reader to take in the title and to give it a type-writer effect
• We added a non-diegetic heartbeat on top of the title to add to the spookiness of our piece. It made a impact on the audience as people listen closely to hear the subtle heartbeat.
• The choice of the title itself is also significant - the door could be holding back something unpleasant or a gateway into another world. Ambiguous titles are important in our genre e.g. Sixth Sense (who has it?) or What Lies Beneath (beneath what? the water? or the person?)

Other Credits

• We used grey to make a contrast between the red blood flowers and to introduce a ghost-like feel as there are suggestions in our film of some kind of paranormal activity.
• The dirty grey colour added to the sinister atmosphere, linking in with the non-diegetic bass hum.
• Again, the writing appears mysteriously as if being written by an unseen hand.

• We chose simple credits as the atmosphere is a little sombre even when the girls are laughing.
• The credits appear in different spaces around the action to not distract the audience from what is happening on the screen
• The font is consistent and is simple but effective and floats on and off screen in a ghost-like way to create a sense of mystery - this is quite conventional in our genre.

Characters

• The representation of the mother goes against the common image of a homely, loving woman and she very much taps into the Disney stereotype of 'the evil stepmother'. Although she doesn't look evil from her image, but parts of her evil personality are shown as the piece goes on.
• We created protagonists and antagonists in our piece as it creates an atmosphere for the audience as the two groups of characters fight against each other.
• The sisters show a mixture of feelings towards each other  one moment they are arguing and then they are having a serious conversations showing their caring side. We wanted to make it as engaging as possible so by making the sisters act this way we were increasing the verisimilitude.
• By using young, vulnerable characters we were fitting into the genre of thrillers as most of the characters used are children to make the young adult/adult audience more scared and to have a more impactful effect on them.
• The old sister seems to look after the younger one, taking the mothering role as we discover the mum isn't around a lot. This fits into the genre as there is usually a unexpectedly wise character that takes care of the more vulnerable characters.
• From our research we found that use of young actors was common in films such as 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Insidious' as they are more vulnerable and are seen as weak.

Paranormal Activity

Insidious

Mise-en-scène

• The setting was a conventional family home. Although most thriller and horror films are set in desolate locations in the middle of know where, by using a common home we felt made it more hard hitting and scary for the audience, as they feel it could happen to anyone. This is a convention used since "Hallowe'en" in the 70s.

 

• By using a normal home also added to the verisimilitude as it is an everyday location.
• The  second location of the grave created a hallowed atmosphere, as the use of religious iconography of the statue of Mary and the flowers made it seem quite sinister and creepy. This kind of location is extremely common in thriller films as it adds a layer of the unknown to the plot and makes the themes of good and evil explicit.
• The costumes selected matched the ages of the characters, and they were ordinary clothes and added to the verisimilitude of our piece. It also had an effect on the audience as fear is increased when strange situations happen in what is perceived as a normal life.
• The props used such as the letter and the boiling pot of the mystery soup create a sinister feel as they lead the main characters to a key place and reveal things to the audience about the characters. The use of the love letter leads the characters and the audience to identify the door as suspicious and leads to the main plot of the story. The mysterious soup shows us the mothers evil nature as we do not have an idea of what is in it, and the red lumpy texture to it makes us think of the worst ingredients.

Props from "True Blood"

 

• Low key lighting is used when characters are alone to show the uncertainty of their safety and to show the dismal mood in the house and between the relationships.

Camera work

Feels as if mother is being followed in ghostly way

POV filming connects us with characters

 

• We used many close ups in our piece to show extreme significance of emotions or objects. For example the door handle being pulled down by a mysterious entity or person. This shows that there is more to what is seen, and that there is more to the story than what is first seen. This is a common convention of the genre.

Bath is significant in What Lies Beneath early on

 

• The variation of shots used to portray the sisters relationships show the different feelings they have towards each other. Two shots show their sisterly bond, showing their closeness however it can also show the hostile tension between them.
• The close up of the soup the mum makes show us that there may not be something right with it, as you can see the bright red colour and the lumps in it. These shots are used to make the audience question what they are seeing.
• The tracking shot of the mother in the grave yard makes it look as if she is being followed by someone, showing us that she is not meant to be seen or what she is doing is highly suspicious. It also gives the audience an idea of where she is going.

Editing

• By using transitions like fade to black we showed a change in location or time. This allowed the audience to get back into the extract and to realise that something has changed or the scene has ended.
• Shot reverse shots creates transparent editing, making the piece look more realistic, therefore adding to the fear factor. It also shows the relationship and mood between the sisters. Its quite slow showing the serious topic but is at equal heights showing both sisters are equal with each-other.
• Although these techniques are not genre specific, they are extremely common in opening sequences of many films - so we are sticking to formal conventions as well as genre conventions here.

Sound

• Our main sound used was the low bass hum, which we found to be common in thriller films. We made the sounds ourselves so that it matched exactly what we wanted and so it was genre specific.
• The music played when something significant was going to happen, for example the movement of the door handle or the serving of the soup. This is to show the audience that something is not right and to show an increase in tension.
• The dialogue shown between the characters allows the audience to build relationships with them. Also the more dialogue we put in, the more it matched the gender. Something new was revealed about the characters every time they spoke.
• The children as they are younger speak softly and gently, representing their characters nature. On the other hand, the mother speaks slyly and sharply.

Overall

We have not been very innovative here and have largely stuck to conventions, but this is true of the vast majority of texts. Our genre conventions are most obvious, and have been pointed out above. However, we have also kept carefully to the conventions of an opening sequence too - using credits, showing the title, establishing an atmosphere and introducing the characters without doing too much.

Evaluating Use of Genre Codes and Conventions

Title

• We used red text to symbolise blood and danger, very common themes in our genre.
• The way that the title appears on the letter gives it a very ghostly and creepy feel.
• Suits the strange nature of our genre.

Title

Credits 

• Our credits are very plain and do not obstruct the vision of the viewer as they are usually at the edge of the frames. This is a common feature in our genre of film
• The fade in fade out animation gives it a rather ghostly feel which adds to the creepy feel of the whole sequence.
• We used the same font for all titles and credits and also played them over some sort of action.

Discreet credit

Credit does not disrupt action

Characters

• The mother is a very mysterious character, as from looks she doesn’t look like an evil character but from the way that she acts it does give off that impression. Mystery is a key part of our genre.
• Very ordinary characters were used so that the audience can connect with them, which is a very common feature in our genre of film.
• Young teenage girls are used as our victims. This is very common in our genre as they seem a lot more vulnerable than people of older age.
• A family is often used in our genre of film as most of the time they are together and in an enclosed location like a house. This is a very common feature of our genre.
• A female villain is not very common in thriller films, this slightly breaks the conventions.

Mysterious mother figure

Vulnerable young females

Mise-en-scene

• We used a large house for our film as this is a very common feature of psychological thrillers as people generally find it more shocking to interrupt the lives of a wealthy family as opposed to a lower class family.
• We used flowers as they are very strong symbols of two different things. One of them is the idea of love and giving someone flowers as a gift and the other is commemorating the dead. When used in a mysterious way it can create a very strange atmosphere.
• We used a graveyard as one of our locations, which in itself has a reputation of being a rather creepy and scary place. This is also very common in our genre as graveyards are directly linked to death, and death plays a massive role in psychological thrillers.
• We used a slightly red coloured soup in our film to represent violence and danger and to create the impression that the mother might not be as kind as she seems - what is in her 'special' soup?
• Our opening sequence takes place in the day time. This is because usually the first two minutes is the time for the audience to get an idea of the story and also to prepare for the events of the night.

Ordinary middle class location

Flowers can connote death, mysterious when roses which connote love

Close up of soup gives it a sinister quality

Camera Work

• We used a POV shot of the girl searching through her sisters drawers. This is to allow the audience to see the rebellious side to her and also to see exactly what she is looking for.
• We used a tracking shot from behind the mum when she is walking along the graveyard path. This is a very common technique for our genre of film as it makes it seem like someone is following them.
• We used fade in fade out transitions to make the sequence run smoother and also to shot when a scene had ended.

POV shot

Tracking shot

Close up

 

Editing

• We used shot reverse shot in our conversation scene between the two sisters. This allows us to see both the reactions of the girls as the other one talks. This is a very common feature in many forms of media when they want to make a conversation seem real (transparent editing) - common in opening sequences
• We used cross cutting between the mum at the graveyard and the girls in the house. This was to show the audience what is happening with both sets of characters. This is common in many forms of media as it is a great way of portraying the story.
• We used fade in fade out transitions to make the sequence run smoother and also to shot when a scene had ended.

Shot

Reverse shot

Sound

• We used a prolonged low hum over some significant scenes of our sequence, for example when the mother is walking through the graveyard and when we first see the title of the film - classic horror sound.
• We also used a heartbeat when the title emerges to give it a very scary feel to it.
• Dialogue is used to give key information - we find out the sisters are worried about the mother's reactions if she finds them in her 'special' room and that they don't know what happened to their father. This creates key enigmas for the plot - what's in the room? Is the father dead? Dialogue is often used this way in opening sequences and especially in our genre.

Screen shots to show sound editing