Task 10: Filming Day 2

For the second day of filming, we had to re-shoot the shots that were unusable on day 1. We started filming much earlier, which gave us much more time to prepare and ultimately film the scenes. This day was successful and we got a large portion of the filming done, however it began to rain and so we decided to stop shooting so that no equipment was damaged and also for continuity, as the rain would not have appeared earlier on in the film.

Task 10: Filming Day 1

We began filming using the JVC Camera. We used this because it had good automatic settings that would stay consistent from shot to shot, which is important for continuity. With continuity in mind, we noticed that the ovens had a time on them, and that it would change between shots. Fortunately, none of the shots in the storyboard required them to be in camera, and this problem did not trouble us. 

We decided to film near to sunset, as this had the most visually appealing lighting and helped to set the tone for the film, however an issue we had is that we began filming too late and so we only got to shot 8 before it started to get darker. We tried to avoid it being dark as it can cause lots of reflections, particularly as the set had lots of windows, and also we did not test how well the camera performs in low lighting conditions. 

This was the only issue we had with filming and everything else went as planned, so we are going to shoot again next week, after checking what footage is usable and what we need to re-shoot. We are going to start filming a lot earlier this time, so we have plenty of time to get the footage recorded.

Pitch Feedback

Your pitch was presented effectively using slides to outline ideas. You communicate well as a team and seem to have developed roles within the group.

I like the idea of an interrogation and it offers opportunities to explore lighting and mise en scene in a short scene. One concern was how this would be a short film  as it reflects the tropes of dram on TV. However, you explained how this would be overcome effectively.  Ideas such as use of colour sound interesting, make these clear.  Your answers revealed a depth of thought about the narrative which allayed any fears about the genre and medium.

Be realistic about where you film this. It is ambitious to use the library and keep e-mail communication to show planning. 

Why use a Go Pro?  Explain what different cameras bring to the style of the piece.

Can you publish a first draft of the script on the blog?

Comment on audience feedback received as part of the pitch. You will need this later for the evaluation.

Outline the roles allocated within the group.

Task 10: Recce

Below is a series of photographs taken prior to filming to get an idea of the location and to identify risks for the risk assessment. They also gave us a greater understanding of how we were going to frame our shots.

Task 10:Production Schedule

Monday, 28 September 2015

Production Schedule

DATE	TIME	SCENE	CHARACTER	DETAILS	LOCATION
02/10/2015	18:00	NONE	NONE	Set-Up	Protagonist’s house
	18:30	Radio	NONE	-	Kitchen
	19:00	Phone Call	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall) Vance (voice of	-	Kitchen
	19:30	Drink	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall)	Close-ups and Establishing shots.	Kitchen to Dining room
	20:00	Change in events	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall)	Triggered by outside stimulus	Outside/Garden
003/10/2015	18:00	NONE	NONE	Set-Up	Protagonist’s house
	18:30	Character Trauma	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall)	Canted angles/Fast cuts	Dining room
	19:00	Character goes upstairs	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall) Killer (Josh Wilcox)	-	Stairway
	19:30	Confrontation	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall) Killer (Josh Wilcox)	-	Second floor
	20:00	Police Phone Call	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall) Killer (Josh Wilcox)	-	Room on second floor
	20:30	Ending	Alton Keller (Reiss Hall) Killer (Josh Wilcox)	-	Second floor

Rutherford feedback

Thorough analysis of Lady Ga Ga videos.  Research is thorough and evidenced on the web-log. Thoughtful and perceptive.

Targets

• Ensure screenshots are used to illustrate the analyses.
• identify secondary sources in a bibliography post.
• Personalise the reserach by identfying influential short films and styles.
• Pick two film-makers such as Ramsay and Arnold to research.
• Identify codes and conventions of the short film.
• Waht is the purpose of a short film?
• Begin your planning and document on the web-log

Task 8: Pitch

 

Task 7 and Task 9: Role Allocation

ROLE	PERSON
Producer(s)	Sam Bowles Joe Hinton Connor Hanlon
Director	Joe Hinton
Cinematographer & Camera Operator	Joe Hinton
Script Writer	Connor Hanlon
Actor(s)	Reiss Hall Connor Hanlon
Editor(s)	Joe Hinton Sam Bowles
Production manager	Sam Bowles
Sound	Connor Hanlon

Task 6: Storyboard

Task 5: Script

Task 4: Target Audience

Target audience from sambowles1

Mr Judge Feedback

After our one to one tutorial on the 02/07/15, it was evident that you are making outstanding progress for your research and planning, unfortunately there are still some outstanding tasks that need to rectify as soon as possible. Please refer to the SMART targets that we set up previously and have them completed for my next session.

Task 2: Magazine Film Review Analysis

Task 2: Film Poster Analysis

Task 2 Research into Exsisting Products: Computer/Video Games (Fallout 4)

Fallout 4 is the latest game in the Fallout franchise, created by Interplay Entertainment, and is a mature ESRB rating.The game is post-apocalyptic, survival game targeted towards 16-20 year old male gamers in general; there is no clear social group that the game is targeted towards. The duration of this trailer is 3.04 minutes long which suggests that this wouldn't particularly be played on television channels unless it is shortened. It is more likely that the trailer will be streamed on YouTube and played during the adverts before films such as Mad Max, Star Wars or Jurassic World. These films will most likely be targeted towards the same group of people so there is a better chance of the product becoming successful with the people who watch these films in the cinema.

Content:
In the game, players play as the protagonist in an alternative history after World War II. The protagonist is an escapee from a vault after there has been a nuclear explosion. We know this due to how we are shown the explosion from behind the protagonists near the end of the trailer. The protagonist also has a dog which shows that, even in the worst of times, a dog is still a mans best friend. The trailer also shows the antagonists in the game; the mutants. The trailer gives the impression that you have to survive against these monsters in order to win the game. From the beginning of the trailer, we can infer that the protagonists are everyday people and are not part of the military or police because we can see them in their home before the explosion happens, when life was normal.
Mise-en-Scene:
The mise-en-scene in this trailer is particularly important in order fro the audience to understand the context of the game. The creators have made the setting have a vintage, yet futuristic look, to create the feel of the desired alternative history. We first see a vintage looking television set in a old fashioned house. The interior is set in the 1950's and the costumes of the characters also fit in with this time period. This is correct to the post WWII time period.

The house changes from before the explosion and after. We follow the protagonists dog around the house after the explosion, showing that barely anything is left and that there are no humans in the neighborhood.

As well as the suggestion of mutants in the game, there is also a suggestions of robots. The audience does not yet know whether these are villains or heroes which will encourage the audience to buy the game.

At the end of the trailer, the protagonist walks down a road with his dog. This is similar to films such as Mad Max and I Am Legend, which are films that the target audience may also enjoy. This shows the companionship between the character and his dog and the importance of their relationship.

Sound
The sound is important in setting the scene in the way of time period and showing that this is set in a post-apocalyptic situation. At the beginning, there are distorted signal sounds which lets the audience know that communication is now more difficult after the explosion. We can then here the song "It's All Over" which is sounds as if it was created in the 1950's/60's. When the footage starts to show more dangerous and frightening event, a soundtrack, similar to a film soundtrack, takes over from the calm, easy-listening song. This, along with the CB warnings, the audience can tell that the game is set in a life or death situation.
Editing
The editing has been used to show the contrast between the past and the present situations. There are cross cuts showing the difference in setting before and after the explosion. These show the extreme circumstances the protagonist will have to survive in, making the audience to want to explore the setting further. There is also a fade to black before the explosion. This is to surprise the audience before they are shown the huge disaster which the game is set around.

Task 2 Research into Existing Products: Music Videos (Johnny Cash, Hurt)

This song was a done as a cover by Johnny Cash in 2003 just before he died in the following December. The song was originally done by Nine Inch Nails in 1994 but could be argued to have deeper, more personal meaning to Johnny Cash. The song uses a lot of biblical imagery as well as other metaphors that suggest a theme of reminiscence and reflection in dark times.

The music video for the song adds in the biblical symbolism of which the lyrics suggests but also adds in archive footage to create the idea of nostalgia on the life he used to have. This video could be seen as an abstract narrative because it is partly a narrative of his music career. There is also some performance which shows Cash as the old man he is after coming out from all the troubling time in his past.

Deconstructing The Video:
The first image we see is a statue of Jesus Christ on the cross wearing a crown of thorns. The biblical imagery cuts with the beat of the music, showing that each symbol is just as important as the last. It also forebodes a future theme and idea for later on in the song.

The colour scheme shows that the song is being sung in the sunrise. The connotations of the sunrise is that something is at an end. As we can see Cash looking into the sunlight, we can infer that his life is ending. The sunlight is also shining on his guitar; the centre of his career, which could also suggest that his career is at an end as well.

The way he looks into the sunlight doesn't just connote the end of his life but also gives the impression that this is a moment of reflection and reminiscence for him as he is not looking directly into the camera which means he is not directly addressing the audience.

The mise-en-scene is important in this video as, not only does it have hints of religion, we can see Cash in his usual attire. During his career, Cash was known as the Man in Black because he wore all black suits. In the video, he is wearing a black suit in a traditional southern style to show his identity as the musician he once was.

It then cuts to an American flag waving in the breeze. This could symbolise patriotism and how Cash was once an American icon in his prime. The fact that the flag seems to be located in an isolated area shows that those times when he was a national hero have gone but he is still who he has always been.

We are then shown an abandoned museum which was once dedicated to Johnny Cash. The sign says that it is closed which shows that the majority of the public have lost interest in him. It could also show how everything he did have and all of his success is now worthless to him because he has lost everything he loved.

When Cash sings the lyrics "I remember everything", the scene cuts to a montage of archive footage showing his life when he was majorly successful. This is an example of anchorage where words and images combine to create meaning. The combination of these lyrics and the images of Cash when he was younger adds to the theme of reminiscence and reflection as he looks back on his life and how things have changed.
Another example of anchorage is when Cash sings the lyrics "Goes away in the end". At this point in the video, the camera shows a picture of an elderly woman on a wall, most likely Cash's mother. This suggests that his mother may have died and he is still grieving her.

The video then cuts to his golden record shattered on the floor. This is symbolic of his feelings towards his successes as he is now not interested in his achievements. The record is no longer important to him because he has lost the things and people most dear to him. It may also link to the next few shots where all the memorabilia is placed into what seems to be a bedroom; it could be in Cash's house. He doesn't want anyone to see him as a successful celebrity any more. It is as if he is ashamed of all his publicity and wants to go back to the average life he had before becoming famous, so he hides or destroys any evidence of his fame.

It then cuts to more archive footage of Cash visiting an old house that looks abandoned. This is linked to the theme of reminiscence and shows that this house has significance to Cash. It makes the audience wonder who's house this was and whether it was the house he grew up in or the house where he raised his family. We can then infer that, if Cash is thinking of this specific place, he wants to go back to that time as they could of been happier days.

Between these shots, we can see Cash at a banquet table. This links in with the religious connotations as it mirrors the last supper. Cash is in the role of Jesus Christ and his fans would be his disciples. However, there are no other people around the table suggesting that all of his fans are no longer supporting him or that he has pushed them away. There is masses amount of food on the table but they are rotting away. This represents how his wealth and fame are also rotting away to him because he doesn't want anything to do with it any more. It makes it seem that Cash has thrown away all that he built up during the peak of his career. This could be because he is alone and he feels that non of his fame and fortune means anything if he is alone.

Another symbolic feature at the banquet table is when Cash pours away the wine over the table. To me, this represents his blood and how he put his heart and soul into his career but now, nothing matters any more.



At the end of the song, there is a shot of Cash closing his piano lid. This is incredibly symbolic as it shows the end of his career and, possibly, his life. It shows that he has put his past behind him and that he is now ready to give up everything. Shortly after recording the video, Cash's wife died and so did Cash a few months later. This song could be seen as Cash's send off to all those who still appreciate him and his music, even if he had given up himself.