building the foley for dead by alliance

My job role in post production was to build the foley for our thriller opening dead by alliance.

Where i am at............

Okay so as a group filming our thriller as been a struggle and will be until the deadline which is fast approaching us next friday!!! Luckily we are still standing and hopefully we will face no more problems!

Anyway I though I would talk about my individual edit and what i've learnt on final cut pro.




(photos wont upload to be completed at school....)

9 frame analysis on The Happening

 This is the title of the movie. Here you can get an idea of what the movie is about as you can see the clouds and the film is about an organism being carried by the wind.

 This is where the concept of the movie starts, its just a normal day and everyone is milling about in the park. This is a wide shot.

 Here are 2 characters who we see first get hit by the organism. They had a conversation and then one gets 'possessed'. This is a wide shot.

 Here you see all the people in the park after the wind has come across them and they freeze. This is a wide shot.

 Here again is where the wind will hit next. This is a wide shot.

 Here you can see someone who has killed themselves by jumping from the building in photo above. This is a mid close up.

 Here are more people doing the same as the person above. This is a long shot.

 Here  is where the main characters get introduced this is a mid close up.

This is again one of the main characters and this is a close up.

BFI - The 10 steps to success

Step 1 - Take Stock
Whats the task?
Whats the assessment?
Whats the timeframe?
Whats the equipment?
Task and Assessment

• Titles Opening
• Up to 2 minutes below 3 minutes
• 20 marks for researching and planning
• 60 marks construction
• 20 marks evaluation

The Time Frame and Equipment

• Build your skills
• Build up your research
• Build up your planning

Step 2 - Set up a blog
Keep evidencce of everything you do

Step 3 - Build up skills
Sound
Camera Work
Editing

PRELIM
15 mars for showing prelim but it doesnt have to be good

REMAKE
Helps to build up your skills - camera, editing and matching sound.

Step 4 - Investigate
What do film openings look like?
What does other students work look like?

Step 5 - Brainstorming
Possible scenairos for pitches
25 word pitch
Moodboard treatment
Peer and teacher feedback
Realsitic expectations - keep it simple
Know the film but make the opening

Step 6 - Planning
Experiment with equipment
Test shots of locations
Examples of costumes, props and upload onto blog
Make a storyboard, moodboard and a anomatic
Logistics planning and risk assessment

Step 7 - The Shoot
The people, places, props and costume.
Rehearsing
Equipment and jobs that need doing on day.
Keeping record of the process and photos of everyone in action.

Step 8 - Edit
All having a voice and hand in filming and editing
Screen grabs of the process
Importance of audio and titles
Foley and not just music
Rough cut feedback anf peer feedback
An idea of the big picture before all the fine detail.

Step 9 - Evaluation
Seven question becomes seven tasks


Suggested
9 frama analysis
Split screen comparison
Voiceover or distribution
Ideal target audience

Common Problems
Looks like a trailer or a short film
Insufficient titles
Poor sound and poor lighting
Confusing for the viewer

Key Advice
Plan for everything
Keep all the evidence
Avoid the obvious
Pay attention to the details
Make blog varied
Learn from other work

BFI Trip - What I learned

In the opening to films we should understand the genre, narrative, character, atmoshpere and the setting. This is what we should aim to achieve in out own thriller opening. We should aim to give a sense of whats happenig without giving too much away.
When we edit the piece we should aim to layer as many sounds as possible to create a better effect.
We should try to intergrate the the titles and the fiml together and an idea of the characters, some ways of doing this would to be play around with the focus or change around the depth of field. We should also begin the build up of tension in the films title.

Speaker - Visual Effects
All movies now made have their titles made using digital effects.
The open credits - Begining of film
End credits - End of film
Roller credits - End role up - The eend role up
The opening comes before the titles

The title sequence should tell you the back story of the characters and introduce the characters.

Speaker - Dexter Flether Actor/Director
You should aim to get the audiences attention on the opening of the film and not on the titles.
Establishing shots should be used on the main character. This will allow the audience to know who the journey is going to be with.
Also a good effect to use in the filming to to create thriller tension is quick images and moments.
A good idea whilst still in the planning stage is to get trusted opions on work some tweake may be neeeded to improve the work that you didnt notice. Also all shots should be shot near main location as it makes it easier to move the filming equipment and actors around.
A good note was to find the location before finalising the script as the script may be needed to be changed or adapted to suit the location.
A good planning idea was to make a scedule and keep to it, it will help get the filming done.
In the opening the characters need to be defined so the audience knows who they are.
You also need to plan how your going to tell the story and present the character.
A note on foley which was helpful was to make your own and not spend ages trawling the internet to find a suitable match.

what we learnt this week

This week we learnt what an asset list is. We used the asset list to make notes on what props and costume we would need to use on the parity remake. I found using the asset list helpful as you used the different sections for different aspects used when planning for filming. I found it helped to seperate all the key aspects instead of writing them in a contiuel list and becoming muddled and finding it hard to find a certai item, this way you just look under the heading you need and will find it in no time.

Remakes

The dexter remake was eventful, hard but fun. As a group we decided that this would be the best one to tackle as it seemed to be the more diffucult to shoot and edit and we wanted the challenge. I think the finished product of dexter is really good (can be found on the groups blog) and allowed us to put our knowledge of using final cut pro to the test! This also allowed us to see the mistakes we made and hopefully learn from them in timefor the shooting for out thriller opening which we are hopefully going to shoot in the december holidays.

The Parity remake was surprisingly harder than the dexter remake. The shots were harder and the editing the students did to their work was outstaning and editing to match their work is going to be challenge, one as a group we are prepared to do our best at and hopefully achieve the same level greatness they did if not well then we shall have to work that bit harder to achieve a great grade like the one they so obviously achieved.

9 frame analysis on ONE HOUR PHOTO

 

This is the man who was the main person throughout the frame. Here he is in the police station after being arrested. The shot is a long shot. 

 This a close up of the police camera. The irony is the film is about a man taking photos of others, and the ironic part is here a picture is being taken of the man.

 This is a mid close up of the police camera.

 This a long, wide angled shot. Here the man is waiting to be questioned, the room is quite simple and stark.

 This an over the shoulder shot, Here the police officer is questioning the man. This is a mid close up.

 This is again an over the shoulder mid close up of shot. Here the man is answering the questions.

 This is a close up shot of the man. Here he is being interviewed and asked about his actions. The shot shows the emotions o his face and allows the audience to connect to the characters feelings.

 Here is a mid close up of the other characters within the main story. This is also one of the pictures shown of the family often throughout the film.

 Here is a picture of a camera and films, it as a high angle mid shot.This is similar to the camera that is used throughout the film. The shot shows what the film is about.

This is the title to the film.The titles changed colours. I think the colours they changed to were photo ink colours as the film was about pictures and a photo printer person.

25 Word Letter or psychological thriller

ON EDGE
A mans world is turned upside down when he makes one simple mistake means his life hangs in limbo, but for how long?

Brainstorm on psychological thrillers

PLOT: Mystery, Suspense, Fear, Mind games, Non linear, Murder, Confusion.

CONVENTIONAL CHARACTERS: Victim, Villian, Witnesses, Hero.

KEY EVENTS: Murder/Death, Build Up Cliff Hanger.

Thriller movies I have watched

Over the course of the holidays I have watched a great number of thriller films. I have decided to pick 2 out of my list of favourites. I am going to write about Salt and Awake.

Salt

I enjoyed this movie throughout. I sat with my dad and watched this movie. We found ourselves guessing whether or not Angelina Jolies character was going to be the good guy or the bad guy from the start. We also found that are decision kept changing all the time. I found the movie very thrilling and exciting. The film is really good, as I found out being a thriller novice. This was also one of the first thriller films I watched and this encouraged me to go on and watch more. The movie is about a CIA agent who goes on the run after being accused of being a Russian spy.

I have added the trailer of the movie so you can see how good this film is for yourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ40WlshNwU

Awake

Maisy went on a Hayden Christenson spending spree after falling in love with the actor after watching him in the latest star wars movies. She came across him in this psychological thriller. The film is about a man who suffers ‘anaesthetic   awareness’ and finds himself awake and aware but is paralysed during his heart surgery. He is listening to the surgeons and his new wifes plot for this to be his murder. The film is definitely by favourite of all time so far. The film cuts and is non-linear. The film is very thrilling and you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat from middle to end. The film is defiantly worth watching.

See the trailer to decide for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiY1SQGeqQ

BBFC Research

    

BBFC stands for the British Board Of Film Classification.

 Suitable for All

  This symbol shows what would be suitable for a small child to be able to watch. Even though its hard to predict what is suitable for a  small child to watch, but U means a child aged 4 or above. U films should be set with positive morals and if any violence, threat or horror is contained in the movie it should be counterbalanced.

   Parental Guidance

This symbol shows what is advisable for general viewing but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Children of any age may watch these films without an adult. Films with this labelling should not upset children aged 8 or above. Parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger children.

 Suitable For 12 Years Or Older

Films labelled as 12 and older have been labelled using the same criteria’s as before. They are aged 12 and over for the content shown, children under the age of 12 may be upset by the material. The ‘12A’ category is only used on films in cinemas; no one under the age of 12 would be permitted to preview a 12A film, unless they are with an adult. These films are not recommended for children below the age of 12, an adult may take a younger child if they wish, and the judgement is down to them. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy 12 rated films.

Suitable Only For 15 Years And Over

Nobody under the age of 15 may see a 15 rated film in a cinema, they are also not permitted to rent or purchase a film rated 15.

Suitable For Only Adults

Nobody younger than 18 may see an 18 rated film in a cinema, no one under the age of 18 may purchase or rent a film rated as 18.

To Be Shown Only In Specially Licensed cinemas Or Supplied Only In License Sex Shops, And To Adults Of Not Less Than 18 Years.

This category is a legally restricted classification, only used on explicit works containing sex or fetish material involving adults. These films may be shown in specially licensed cinemas and supplied to adults in licensed sex shops. Films rated R18 may not be supplied by mail order.

Film Company Production Research

An American film company – 20^th Century Fox

They are one of the six major American film studios as on 2011. They are located in the Century City area of Los Angeles. The studio is a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s news corporation.  The company was founded on May 31^st 1935. This was due to a merger between Fox Film Corporation and founded in 1915 by William Fox, and Twentieth Century Pictures founded 1933 by Darryl F. Zanuck, Joseph Schenck, Raymond Griffith and William Goetz. Stephen Blairson is the current CEO of the corporation.

Some of 20^th Century Fox’s biggest films include, Avatar, Star Wars, Ice Age, Die Hard, Planet of the Apes and The Chronicles Of Narnia, plus many more. Many famous TV shows have also been known to come out of these studios such as, The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad. The production companies first film star was Shirley Temple. Other major stars to have come from there are Betty Grable, Gene Tierney, Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. They also had the first African-American cinema star Dorothy Dandridge.

20^th Century Fox now are joined to other production companies which include Lightstorm Entertainment, Regency Enterprises, Blue Sky Studios and Spyglass Entertainment as well as many more successful production companies.

British – British Lion films

British Lion films Corporation is a film production and distribution company. They have produced 170 films. Until 1976 they were also film distributers as British Lion Films Ltd. British Lion Incorporated was founded in November 1927 by Sam .W. Smith, he was the brother of Herbert Smith. By the end of WW2 they had released 55 films including, In which We Serve. In 1949 they suffered financial problems and were forced to accept a loan from the National Film Finance Corporation. As they were unable to pay it back they went into receivership in 1955. As a results of this they were formed as a distribution company in January 1955. Until 1976 their distributer filmography included 155 films.

British Lion Corporation were taken over by EMI in 1976. They were sold to Cannon, then to Weintraub Entertainment, Movie Acquisitions Corporation which went on to be renamed as Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA) now with Studio Canal.

Low Budget-Coffee Films

Coffee Films came around in 1996. It has grown from the Naked Pony Theatre Company and Mr Spambapstic Films.

Naked Pony was a Fringe Theatre Company based in South East England. As well in 1996 Steve Piper produced the 4 minute short Televisual Man with friend Dave Smith, they worked under the company name of Mr. Spambapstic Films. An Orwellian themed experiment shot on a S-VHS tape, edited on camera and completed the same day. Unfortunately it would be 9 years before anyone in the public would see any of the film. Naked Pony wanted to take the theatre company forward. They asked for a grant from the lottery, which was refused. Instead the company assets  were sold to fund a short film of King Lear, their intention was to use this to move the company into film production. Shortly after completing the film, Piper settled into a marketing day job and started organising his own film production company team, Coffee Films. The team was made from all his friends who had little or no experience in making films. The intention was to prove that anyone could have a go at making films, huge budgets, films schools, special effects and stars was not as important as a tight knit team, determined to prove their point. 1998 produced 10 experimental film shorts, animated sequences and documentaries. In 1999 they became inspired by the achievements of Rodriguez thy started working towards being able to shoot a feature length film with no budget. Three scripts were completed and shooting started, but scheduling around the cast and crews day job was impossible so all 3 projects ended up on the shelf.

In 2002 shooting began on the final no budget short Dealer, due to be released to festivals and internet streaming sites. A few months later the script to ‘How to Disappear Completely’ landed in the mailbox from Canada. Towards the end of the year the first ever board of directors were established. Piper was managing director, television QC Rob Fairlie as technical director, and entertainment lawyer Vanda Rapti as director of legal and business affairs. Contributor Gelli-Graham set up a sister artist management company Coffee Artists, the rest of the original team stayed on the board as shareholders. They were used to fulfil roles from acting to location scouts. The company was incorporated in 2003 as Coffee Arts and Media Ltd.

Self Evaluation

Self Evaluation

I think my overall completion of the work could have been better as I have uploaded work much later than I should have, on as many of the posts I have tried to say who did which task. This is hard especially when you don’t upload their piece of work too alongside your own. For this I think I am about a level 2.

I do try to research we are set in class and sometimes it is not as good as I am capable of doing. I sometimes don’t write in as much detail as I do when taking noted in class. For this reason I think I’m again a level 2.

I don’t think I have been as creative as I can be in my research. I think i have struggled with the transition from doing research and just writing about it to blogging the research in a more creative way. I try to present my work as best as I can. I have been creative in some ways by using comic life and imovie making audios. For this I think I’m between levels 1 and 2.

Sometimes my bog can look bare and empty as I only upload my pieces of work instead of uploading everyone’s work that make a complete task. I upload the piece I have done and then refer to my group member’s blog to view the other pieces. For this I think that I am a level 2.

I think I could have done some tasks in a lot more detail and spend more time writing about movies I have watched outside of class. For this I think I am between levels 1 and 2.

Audience Expectation of a thriller movie

Audience Expectations from a Thriller

As an audience member watching a thriller movie I would expect suspense, dark clothing on villains or red on women portraying a ‘sexy’ character. I would expect violence, death; psychological aspects maybe even a conspiracy plot. I want the tension to be built up until the very last moment. You expect to feel tension and fear from the characters. In any thriller movies you expect to see a murder weapon like a gun or a knife. The setting to be in alleyways, suburban areas or even urban areas, depending on the plot or the storyline. I would also like to see close of shots of the villains and the victims so you can see their facial expressions in dramatic moments.

I’m sure audience expectations would be the same or very similar to my own, but I also think this depends on what type of thriller movie you enjoy. Some movies there is no conspiracy or murder plot. Also some don’t use the effect of music to add suspense to the scene.

Thriller music

Thriller music

Some thriller movies use music to add suspense to certain scenes. Music may be slowed  down or sped up depending on the type of suspense, whether it being leading to a major scene in the movie or being played through this scene to add to the climax. Many thriller movies don’t use music through the film just during the opening sequence and titles at the beginning and at the end credits, but none throughout the actual film.

I think that thrillers that use music in their movies are more, edge-of-seat-viewers so to say, when the music is used to add to the suspense I found the climax much more dramatic and entertaining.

A well known example of a movie containing music to add suspense is Jaws. This movie has a very distinctive piece of music which only plays when the shark is about to attack, this is known as incidental music.   

Independant Film Study

Here I will be researching 3 film companies and their logos and why they are suitable for thrillers.

I shall research 1 British company:
1 American company:
1 Low Budget company:

(information added presently)

Shot Reverse Shot

This is my research on shot rev shot.










Please refer to Joes for match on action and Danicas for 180' degree rule.

Iconic Directors

I decided to write about some Iconic directors known for their thriller movies.
I chose Alfred Hitchcock, David Fincher and Quentin Tarantino.

I have got my information from wikipedia, thriller bloggers.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK  

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13^th August 1899 – 29^th April 1980) was a well known British Film director well known for his iconic movie ideas. He was the person behind many of the thriller techniques widely used in thrillers today. He pioneered many of these techniques in suspense and psychological thriller genres. After he well established his career in silent films and early talkies in the UK, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1956. His career spanned over half a century Hitchcock became fashioned for, for his directorial style. His use of camera made to move in a way to mimic a persons gaze. He also framed shots to maximise anxiety, fear, and empathy and used ‘innovative’ film editing. A theme known throughout Hitchcock’s is ‘fugitives on the run from the law alongside icy cold blonde female characters’. They also all have twist endings, violence, murder and crime.   His techniques are so established that no thriller film is complete without using one of his techniques. ‘Hitch’ as he was also known by has influenced many thriller directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Robert Zemeckis and better known Tim Burton. As another name of his, he truly is ‘the master of suspense’.

DAVID FINCHER

David Andrew Leo Fincher born August 28^th 1962. David Fincher is a well known American film and music video director. He is well known for his movies, seven (1995) The game (1997) Fight club (1999) Panic room (2002) and Zodiac (2007).

Fincher has received many awards for his movies. Fincher received academy award nominations foe best director for his movie, The curious case of Benjamin button in 2008. He recently was awarded a BAFTA for best director and a Golden globe for his film the social network. His recent movie was 2011’s The girl with the Dragoon Tattoo.

Fincher was a young aspiring film director, he began to shoot his own movies at the tender age of eight years old using a 8mm camera after being inspired by the movie Butch Cassidy and John the Sundance Kid. His first job was loading cameras and doing other work for John Korty at Korty films. He used this experience to climb the ladder to director instead of going to a film school. After working for John Korty he was hired by Industrial Light and Magic in 1983. Fincher worked on productions like twice upon a star, star wars: episode VI-return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the temple of doom.  In 1984 he left ILM to direct commercials for the American Cancer Society. His most controversial piece was a commercial showing a foetus smoking a cigarette. This lead to Fincher to the opportunity to direct the commentary The Beat of the Live Drum featuring Rick Springfield in 1985. Fincher later joined Propaganda Films to improve his directing skills. He then moved on to feature films.

David Fincher’s first feature movie was Alien 3 in 1992. The film received an Oscar for its visual effects the film was hit hard by critics reviews. Fincher went on to have disputes with 20^th Century Fox over script and budget issues. In the “director’s cut” Fincher went back to directing commercials and music videos, during this time Fincher directed the Grammy Award winning track ‘Love Is Strong’ by The Rolling Stones.

In 1995 Fincher made his debut back into feature films by directing the movie seven. The film starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. The film grossed $11 million domestically and over $300 million internationally. Arnold Kopelson the chairman of new line cinema, refused to allow the filming of the ending climatic scene, with the aid of Brad Pitt, who said he would not be involved with the film if the ending was changed, which allowed Fincher to include the scene in the final Cut.

In 1997 Fincher directed The Game. The film was well received by critics but still got middling results in the box office. T he film starring Michael Douglass grossed $14.3 million on its opening weekend. It made $48.3 million in North America and $6.1 million in the rest of the world. This made a total gross of $109.4 million.

Fincher then went directed Fight Club 1999. The film featuring Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter and Brad Pitt. The film was an early disappointment at the box office and received many mixed reviews, the film went on then ruined by critics and alienated audiences leading to a box office failure in the US.  Later many critics and audiences changed their perspectives of the film and the film went on to appear on ‘best of the year list’.

In 2002 Fincher added to his impressive portfolio with the amazing Thriller movie Panic Room. Starring Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart. The film grossed $92 million in the US box office alone. Fincher himself describes the movie as mainstream thriller. He described the film as a “date movie” and a “really good B movie” about “2 people trapped in a closet”.

Fincher returned with vengeance 5 year later. In 2007 Fincher directed the movie Zodiac. The film starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Edwards and Brian Cox.  The film was filmed mainly using a Thompson Viper Film Stream Camera. High speed cameras were used to shoot for the Blue Rock Springs and Presidio Heights murder scenes slow-motion shots. It was meant to be released earlier but had to be set back as Fincher refused to cut 20 minutes off the end of the movie.  Zodiac was one of the best reviewed films of that year, but even so the film struggled in the US box office. The film only grossed $33 million. The film did better overseas grossing $51.7 million. After an aggressive campaign by the studio and expectations of Robert Downey Jr’s supporting performance, Fincher directing and Vanderbilt’s script the film did not earn any Academy Award nominations.

QUENTN TARANTINO

Quentin Jerome Tarantino born March 27^th 1963 is an American film director, screenwriter, produced, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990’s Tarantino began his career as an independent film maker with films employing non linear storylines and the aestheticization of violence. Tarantino is well known for his films, Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003,4), Death Proof (2007), Inglorious Bustards (2009) and upcoming movie (Django Unchained (2012). He has earned Academy Awards, Golden Globes, a BAFTA and the plame d’OR, as well as numerous Emmy and Grammy nominations.  His movies tend to be characterised by his influence from grindhouse, kung fu sand spaghetti western. Tarantino also collaborates frequently with fellow film maker and friend Robert Rodriquez.

Tarantino met Lawrence Bender at a Hollywood party, Bender encouraged Tarantino to write a screenplay. Tarantino directed and co-wrote a movie called my best friend’s birthday, during editing the film was destroyed in a lab fire but its screenplay would form the basis for True Romance. In January 1992 Reservoir Dogs screened and was an immediate h it with audiences and critics. True Romance was released in 1993 and his screenplay Natural born killers was sold. As of the success of reservoir dogs Tarantino was approached by big Hollywood projects such as Speed and Men In Black. He decided to declines these offers and instead go to Amsterdam and finish work on his next screenplay Pulp Fiction. After the screenplay pulp fiction was finished Tarantino directed episode 4 of Four Rooms. ‘The Man From Hollywood’ a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock presents which starred Steve McQueen. Four rooms was a collaborative effort by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell and Robert Rodriguez. This film was not favoured by critics. Tarantino wrote and starred in Robert Rodriguez film From Dusk Till Dawn.  The film got mixed reviews buy yet had 2 sequels which saw Tarantino and Rodriguez as executive producers.

For history of thriller refer to Joes blog and for the synopsis refer to Danicas.

Composistion

As I was going to be recording are preliminary task I thought it may be an idea to learn about Composition.
I learnt about the rule of 3rds. I learnt that this was the 3x3 grid, where the 3 lines intercept, where the audiences eyes would be drawn too as just placing the subject in the middle of the shot would just be boring.

I also learnt of Lead room. Always leave room where the subject is bringing interest to, otherwise they would look half cut out of the frame.

I learnt to pay close attention to the background and how to frame the shot to make it interesting to the audience.

One thing that I learnt more about was Head room. The ditance between the top of the frame and the top of the sunjects head. This is something that needs to be carefully planned as if you have too little you would cut off part of the subjects head and too  little would throw the frame off balance.

And I lastly learnt of Look/Nose room. This is the distance between the subjects nose and the edge of the frama as again you could end up cutting of part of the subjects face.

As the camera person for the task I thought it would be helpful to learn more on how to get good shots, I think this helped in the preliminary task.

Please look to Joes blog for editing and Danicas for lighting.