Evaluation Part 8: Directors Commentary

One of the main aims of this production task was to represent and challenge the possible stereotypes and misconceived ideas around mental illness and how anyone can be affected by a mental illness even a seemingly normal young man like the one included within the film. We represented this through the transitions between the character wearing white or grey, which could be connoted or decoded by the audience as pure and innocent in contrast to black, and red which is connoted as evil and infected. Throughout the film these transitions continue until the final few shots of the sequence in which the two personalities split and it is unclear whether or not which one is reality.

Whilst these transitions are taking place we have included the earthquake effect. This has been included to represent the state of mind of the main character, which is essentially all over the place.

One of the props included a mobile phone; we used this prop to make a connection with our target audience which is teenage boys aged 13-18 who are generally associated with being obsessed with their phones and the latest technology.

The knife has also been included for the audience to decode the other darker personality as evil and to back up their initial suspicion of this character being evil.

Throughout the clip we see the inclusion of long shots, we have included a large amount of long shots signify to the audience the character’s isolation from society.

We filmed on a dull miserable day to emphasis and demonstrate the cloudy and unclear mindset of the character.

During the editing process of our opening sequence we took influence from Shutter Island, which as a result of the dark blue colour gives off a melancholy feeling, we attempted to do this within our opening sequence with the blue colour correction representing the emotion of the character.

The sound we used within the sequence generally conforms to the type of music seen within thriller films this being music full of suspense allowing a build up of emotion in particular tension and suspense within the audience.

This music may also be used as a sting, forming an association with either personality and building up the particular emotion built during the opening sequence.

Through including the binary opposition of both good and bad characters we have conformed and challenged the general conventions of a thriller film.

Evaluation Part 7: Reflection

Looking back at your preliminary task? 

Before starting this project I had very little experience in all forms of the production of any form of creating a film or movie opening sequence the only little experience I have had was in Media in year 9 were we did a small bit of filming fr a term. I think that this was demonstrated in our preliminary task which was at best a good example of the 180 degree rule. I think this was due to our lack of experience when it came to filming and editing and also due to the first time any of us had worked together as a group. In addition to having to learn how to use some of these complex programs I had no experience in terms of using filming equipment such as cameras and tripods this although relatively easy to pick up along the way. 

Despite knowing very little at the start of the production task our group completed our preliminary task fairly quickly which could be a reason for the preliminary task's minimalistic and unprofessional finish. From the completion of our prelim task up until now I feel as if I have learnt acquired a large variety of skills in both editing and filming. I have leant about the different shots and how they not only effect the way that the film looks but the way that the audience will decode the messages form the film. I have also leant that use the different programs in lesson like After Effects which I found challenging at first but afte a few lessons using the software I soon had a grasp of how to mask text and other clips over wach other. Also Final Cut I learnt how to use the different gradients and transitions to help create a better theme that fitted with the conventions of a Thriller film. I also learnt the struggle of finding a locations and making sure you can use that location when you entend to, as when filming or opening sequence we wanted to film parts n a tube station, however we dint know that we had to have a permit t go and film there so we lost almost three hours of filming for that day.

The lack of timing still plagued us during the production of our clip as many groups including us struggled to reach deadlines in editing this was mainly due to our lack of experience when coming to use the software as it would take a while before we could edit clips to there required length and put filter and transition in 30 mintes. Also many groups including ours lacked professionalism when it came down to the final product, this is best shown during the last few lessons of the production as we stepped off the gas peddle and eased off the work we were doing however for what we lacked in professionalism we had in bucket loads when it came to the talent and creativity that we had, if we had been more professional with our time I think that we could have easily created a film that mach the grades that I think we deserve. 

The thing I enjoyed most of all was not the creative part at the start or the filming or the production it was the role that I got to play in our group although I was not the most talented, I always have a lot to say and I had no fixed role, some lessons I would do Blog work with Adam and Toby helping them get the correct parts doen and in the correct way to it how we wanted it. Other lessons I would do editing with Jacob, this meant sitting next to him and making sure that all the shots fitted in with the conventions of thriller and of our film. I would also sit and discus were we could take the film creatively with Toby and the teachers this role gave me the freedom to enjoy media again as it made me feel like I was in charge and it made me feel very proud of the opening scene that we made. In fact the role that the group gave me made we think about picking up a career in the subject in the future as I feel that I have a lot to say and do about the industry in all forms.

Evaluation Part 6: Technologies

Evaluation Part 4 and 5: Audience Identification and Appeal

Evaluation Part 3: Institutions

Institutions

Institutions play a vital role in the creation of films and the funding behind them. Institutions are what many people think about when they go to see a film some are the most famous companies in the world are Institutions and the Film Oligopoly are made of some of the biggest two of which are Universal and 20th Century Fox are two of the most well known example of Institutions with Universal being behind many famous films such as Back to the Future and 20th Century Fox behind such films as I,Robot . However some of the best films are created by Institutions that have less money and power this is because these Institutions give more of although to what films they give funding to allowing for a more complete story and film as they don't just create a film to make money the do it to create a good film.

Our film would be disputed by a number of companies this is because our film was made and targeted for a niece, independent minded audience this is because of the narrative subject manor not only is the idea of a having the mentally ill protagonist risky it is also hard to find funding for though many of these films do receive good critical acclaim in the  world of cinema this is because of the low hitting box office figure that film like this receive this is due to to the film genres being more popular than our one.

Films such as…

BATMAN: DARK KNIGHT

£11million

GRAVITY

£33 Million

12 YEARS A SLAVE

£551 Thousand  

All apart from one of the three were more popular in terms of box office figures on opening weekend then.......

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

£136 Thousand

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

£264 Thousand

AMERICAN HUSTLE

£442 Thousand

All of these films received circle acclaim from many people including Silver Linings Playbook receiving an Oscar and American Hustle receiving a BAFTA companies like Universal or 20th Century Fox would not produce your film a company like Summit Entertainment who produced The Perks of Being a Wallflower. this is because our film would take many hours of convincing of the CEOs of Universal or Fox just see our film the only reason that American Hustle was produced by Colombia Picture was because the director of this film also directed Silver linings playbook which was awarded many oscars.  

One film that was a huge influence on us and the production of our opening sequence was  Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island. Our film, being a psychological thriller based on mental illness and split personalities is largely similar to Shutter Island which is based around a mental patient living a different life in his own head. One of the biggest influences the film had other than the narrative was the darkened colour of the shots, just like typical thriller films the lighting is generally low key in an attempt to place emphasis on the shadow. Something in which we discussed including and planned to include was a flashback, used effectively within Shutter Island and commonly used within thrillers to answer the questions brought up by characters. Shutter Island was produced by Paramount Pictures and directed by Martin Scorsese. The reason why we stopped the production of the fl was because we ran out of time and overall patience with waiting to get a room to film in.

Evaluation Part 2: Representation

Evaluation Part 1: Forms and Conventions

Counterpart- Finished Opening Scene

Weekly Update

Today I created the opening credits on after effects is was a hard task as masking is a complex thing as it requires you to move anchor points almost every frame so that you create a smooth translation. I created all four credits overlaying the London clips of various different London landmarks and places in the city.
I used this as the guide on how to make the mask.


 I also created Blog post on the creating of the credits as this is the best way to show the way and the difficulty in using after effect.

Opening sequence credits editing process

Opening sequence credits editing process

This is the composition tab were the clips are kept and you can transform shapes and any text through moving them on an an axis.

The text need to be masked over so that it can hide behind verticals during the opening this vital so that it gives the world a depth and realising.

Once drawn on you have to manipulate the mask  around the object in the clip that you want to hide the text behind, you do this though creating separate anchor points throughout the clip this allows the mask to move around the screen with the moving object.

For the credit section of our opening sequence we used After Effects as it gives a professional finish to the credit section. We wanted to hide the text behind cars driving past in an attempt to make our opening sequence as professional as possible, to do this we needed to use masking. We did this through watching a watching tutorial videos on youtube. This is the video which we took note from and used to develop our masking skills. I already had some experience working with after effects having a trial run with the program when we had the idea of incorporating a Sherlock element within the film however this idea was dismissed along with the idea of our opening sequence.

Deciding the New Title

Our original name for our opening sequence was Run! however as the core events within the movie change it was clear we needed a name change. Due to the opening sequence consisting of the audience seeing the two very different personalities emerge. As a result of this we decided to call`` our film Counterpart. The reason for this being counterpart is essentially a different word for opposite which is reflective of the split mind/personality of the protagonist. We feel that the title of the film would give the audience an idea into the nature of the film.




Other possible names in which we were considering using consisted of:
Alter Ego, once again the reasons for using this was obvious, it suggests a split personality/mind much like our own main character however we felt that the name did little in adding an element of mystery.

New and Updated Story

New and Updated Story

After much debate our group finally decided on a new storyline for our opening sequence. We decided that the new sequence would be a a psychological thriller. A few examples of psychological thrillers which have influenced us whilst making our own thriller sequence includes films such as Shutter Island and Se7en.

Our Idea:
Our final idea consisted of the mental challenges encountered by a man and his mind as he has to deal with the overriding problems he encounters hallucinations which develop an alter ego in his own mind. The problem worsens and flashbacks of his latest psychiatrist visit who dismisses his condition with the intention and hope of the protagonist's condition steadily getting worse. The problems get worse and the hallucinations become more frequent causing his 'bad' alter ego to slowly take over leading to his eventual suicide. 

Title:Our original name for our opening sequence was Run! however as the course events within the movie change it was clear we needed a name change. Due to the opening sequence consisting of the audience seeing the two very different personalities emerge. As a result of this we decided to call our film Counterpart. The reason for this being counterpart is essentially a different word for opposite which is reflective of the split mind/personality of the protagonist. We feel that the title of the film would give the audience an idea into the nature of the film.

Gradients

Gradients

This is a shot from the film 'I Spit On Your Grave' i think the gradient used in this clip is very effective. The saturation has been removed which gives a element of purity, that is effective in this clip as the characters are naked which also adds to the pure element, the pale fleshy colours use alsoo imply that the characters may be emotionless.

The blue gradient gives the film 'Shutter Island' as glum and gloomy felling, the idea of the two protagonists travelling to a mental institute shows that the film may not have a happy thrill. Blue is a melancholy colour which represents resent and sadness. 

This is a clip from the Oscar nominated film Django Unchained the gradient that is used in this film is one that has a high contrast. THe film uses bright sun light and the yellow overlay. The saturation has increases this allows for more brightly and colourful film this is in contrast with the subject matter of fighting slavery. 

Cast Call List Re shoot preparation:

Cast Call List Re shoot preparation:

Essentials for Re-filming

Essentials for Re-filming

Our opening sequence, despite being a minute and a half long after discussing it with a small group of our target audience it was decided that the nature of the edited footage didn't fit into our genre of thriller it was suggested that it was too light and needed to be darkened so we decided to film extra footage later in the day to get the darkness needed, this could also work as a juxtaposition between the light of the home and the darkness of the tube station

This will be done through: 

• Entering of new character antagonist mimicking the actions of the protagonist making breakfast. This is vital as there will appear to be a link between both protagonist and antagonist. The light and dark as mentioned before would have a juxtaposition effect.
• Shots of London Tube network and interior of Modern. This is also vital as we need show more scenery and it will also show the location and as the tube is really busy and complex is similar to the mind of a killer

Safety Hazards:

Safety Hazards:

Whilst we were filming both at Matt's House and up in London we identified many different potential hazards that we could encounter which could either ruin a shot or injure any of the cast.

In London the hazards included:

The constant traffic, this both poses as a safety hazard and something which could mess with the continuity of the shot, despite this not being that much of a worry as a result of all our shots of London being edited into a montage there was still some concern over how it should be filmed. As for the potential hazard the traffic around London is busy and dangerous and it was a possibility that one member of the crew could have been injured as a result of the traffic for example stepping back too far into the road to get a better shot.

Thieves, due to us filming with valuable equipment there is the possibility of being targeted by thieves, this was a constant threat as a result of us filming in the evening.

A vital part of our filming was completed in a tube station therefore there a re a number of possible risks associated with tube stations the first being as mentioned earlier thieves, the valuable equipment could possibly be a target for thieves. The constant threat of getting hit by a train, the busy platforms could result in a member of the public or the film crew getting seriously injured or even killed by a train.

Inside and outside the house the hazards included:

Dropping props, the filming required us to use many different props commonly found around the house including glasses, plates and knives. All of these are potential dangers with the possibility of them being dropped, smashing and cutting the members of the cast.

Tripod, whilst filming we used a tripod in an attempt to produce a good shot, the problems with using a tripod is the possibility of cast members falling over injuring themselves and breaking the equipment.

Once again traffic was an issue although only minor it could have caused injury, whilst filming the house scene in an attempt to add effect and suspension through cross cutting we needed to film the killer outside the house. To get the best shot one of the cast members needed to stand in the road this causes potential injury through cars

After Effects Trial

During the editing process and today's lesson we decided to add another feature commonly seen in the popular TV series Sherlock, it consists of the camera movement slowing down with a vast array of words and sentences describing the character on screen and possibly hinting towards the audience the reason why this particular character is targeted or wanted for example we decided to include phrases such as 'BNP Supporter' and 'Police Officer' causing the audience to speculate the reason for him being targeted. The program that I used was to insert these words into the footage is called After Effects and the screenshots below show my practice run using the program. From having a practice attempt at using this program I identified some problems and possible improvements for when we include this in the final sequence these included:

1) The amount of phrases used, as seen in Sherlock there are many different words which are only onscreen for a split second but have a profound effect on the audience.

2) The movement the words take. After a long process of trial and error we finally came up with the movement of the words flying across the screen, we decided on a very slight movement making the word readable for the audience.

3) When recording the footage we didn't take into account the fact that the sequence would look better with a quick zoom in, we were able to do this within the programme itself however the end result was more pixelated ao when it finally comes to refilming small parts of our opening sequence we will take a high resolution picture to keep the shot looking sharp.

Essentials for Re-filming

Essentials for Re-filming

For our opening scene we have a good minute and a half of footage but our target audience have given us the feedback that it was fitting into the genres conventions nor doers it fit to the Mise en Scene. As the scene has elements of comedy as well as the scenes being to light and the action on scene being to dark.

So we don't need to re-film the whole of the scene as the ideas and shots within the small clips are good but ewe need to film small aspects of the scene to create a better Mise en Scene.

• Entering of new character antagonist mimicking the actions of the protagonist making breakfast. This is vital as there will appear to be a link between both protagonist and antagonist.
• Shots of London Tube network and interior of Modern. This is also vital as we need show more scenery and it will also show the location and as the tube is really busy and complex is similar to the mind of a killer. 
•      

Our First Attempt

This is our first attempt of our film "RUN!" we have been told by our target audience that the props and lighting doesn't fit our audience. We are going to fix these problems by re-filming most of the film having an equal share of both the protagonist and antagonists screen time, this will make the film fit more into the conventions of a thriller film and will engage the audience more then the current one does.  

When it came to the editing process of the clips we had already filmed we decided that the majority of the clips were too light and didn't fit in with the dark tone of the film. So we have scheduled a new day to start filming. We decided to change a large majority of the sequence. This included changing the props being used, the costume worn by the antagonist and the time and place where we need to film, we also decided to change the amount of screen ti e that the two characters would have so that it was an even split. 

Firstly, in the original sequence the prop used as the murder weapon was a pink cricket bat. This doesn't fit with the dark tone of the thriller film it most probably wouldn't have been the weapon of choice for a top secret organisation set with the task of murdering a conspirator. So this needed to be replaced with something more suitable for the role, this being a gun. In addition to this in the sequence we only see the victim recieve one blow from the cricket bat, although possible it is unlikely the victim would be killed as oppose to one shot from a gun.

In addition to this, the costume worn by the antagonist needed to have a more threatening appearance, this involved the antagonist wearing dark clothing with a balaclava. This would clearly indicate the intent of the killer to the audience.

Finally, the location needed to be included and changed. For our idea of cross cutting to work the lighting would play an important role in setting the scene as seen in our first attempt the lighting didn't represent a typical thriller film. It was too light. So when it comes to filming the new shots included needed to be filmed in the evening as the lighting fades creating a sense of suspense and tension. 

Props

As we analysed our first footage we decided that my character would need a more lethal and discrete

appearance.









We decided to buy a balaclava as it adds a mysterious feel to the character and hints to the audience that he wants to be anonymous. 













We decided to buy a toy gun with a silencer, this is because i am playing a very effective assassin and it makes more sense if the murder weapon was more efficient that a bat, Also the silencer helps to add to the mysertious feeling as it implies i dont wasn't anybody to know.

Indent Ideas

For our Production company we chose the name of Flusspferd as it is a very distinct name for a production company and stays in peoples heads. We chose this name due to the originality and its german translation of Hippopotamus as they are docile creatures which is in complete contrast to the films that will be in production.

The plan for the indent is to have an african safari scene and for the camera to pan up[ into the sky and then for the name to be revealed and the for it to go to black.

Second Day of Production

Second Day of Production

We started the editing of the filming we had done over the christmas holidays.
It went well as all the footage we had shot uploaded onto the MAC, and the editing went well too. However the music that was put over the filming changed the whole complexion of hate film and made it seem like a comedy. This meant that we will need to re film some of the shots, for Example the shot of the protagonist making toast and the shot of the antagonist hitting the protagonist. We will fix the music problem through the medium of reediting the film so that it will sound more lie a thriller then an comedy.