This is an example on one film review that I read and used when creating the content for my own review.
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Planning Film Review
To plan the content of my film review I have been searching for film reviews to use as inspiration, specifically short film reviews. The best website I have found is thelondonfilmreview.com . i found this website helpful in planning the content for my review, i liked the style used on the website as it came across more chatty and colloquial with the reader. this is the same style that I am aiming for in my short film review. I also found that the website reviews a range of different types of film which was helpful to see how different genres are reviewed in different ways.
This is an example on one film review that I read and used when creating the content for my own review.
This is an example on one film review that I read and used when creating the content for my own review.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Film Poster Plan
I have created a plan for my film poster using publisher. I will use this as a guideline for the positioning of the features on my film poster. Using publisher I used different shapes and colours to outline the position of the elements on my poster. This will be useful for me during the creation process as I will have a guideline to follow outlining where items need to be placed. My poster will follow conventional rules in film posters by using only one image, as I think this will have the strongest impact and it is very rare to see more than one image so I think audiences will be more drawn to familiarity. Other features include a billing block, cats members, title and slogan. These are all elements typical of film posters so I have followed the stereotypical positioning of a film poster.I think the image will be the most important part of the poster as that is what will lure the audience in.
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Film Poster Planning: Billing Block
A billing block usually features at the bottom or top of a film poster. It contains the credits given for the creation of the film. I think it is important that all aspects of my poster look authentic so I will create my own billing block. For inspiration I have found some from the internet to ensure I know the conventions of billing blocks and what to include.
All of these billing blocks have similar conventions. There is varying font size used when it states roles and names to make the names stand out more and create diversity so it looks less uniformed. Also the fonts style is the same in all of them giving me a clear idea of what font styles work in billing blocks. The colours are all back and white which is useful as I know not to over complicate the billing block, it needs to be more subtle and not take the focus from the main features of the poster. At the very bottom there are also other features such as the film website, institutes that have endorsed/produced the film along with the rating for the film.
Planning my billing block:
All of these billing blocks have similar conventions. There is varying font size used when it states roles and names to make the names stand out more and create diversity so it looks less uniformed. Also the fonts style is the same in all of them giving me a clear idea of what font styles work in billing blocks. The colours are all back and white which is useful as I know not to over complicate the billing block, it needs to be more subtle and not take the focus from the main features of the poster. At the very bottom there are also other features such as the film website, institutes that have endorsed/produced the film along with the rating for the film.
Planning my billing block:
- Production Company - Revolution Productions
- Starring - Charlotte Liggins and Will Harris
- Music - 2hear/turkitron/PacmanGamer/DirtyJewbs
- Casting Director - LG & Co.
- Costume Design - LG & Co.
- Editing - Lucy Stafford
- Written by - Lucy Stafford
- Produced by - Revolution Productions
- Directed by - Lucy Stafford
This is my final billing block that I created. To do this I typed everything out on word and changed the font and sizing to make it look professional and to give the look of a real billing block that would be used on a real produced film. To the bottom I added the website for the film in a standard bold font I think this stands out well form the rest of the billing block which is important for the audience so they know where to get more information on the film. I also included my production company that I made and an already existing production company as every billing block seems to have more than one institution in it. Then finally there is the rating that i think my film would receive as this is often a common feature of billing blocks.
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Film Poster Planning: Font
This is the first option for the text in my film poster. I want to keep the style similar to what features in the first scene of my film, I think this keeps continuity and creates a set house style for this film. I like this font but I don't think it fits in at all with the genre of film and the content. I also think that it won't be bold enough if I used it in my film poster. I need a font that will stand out strongly so it lures the audience and I don't think this font would work well.
I prefer this font because it is a lot bolder. It still uses a similar style to the one in my film which is important. I think the boldness of this font will make it stand out clearly in the film poster. I also like the font style because the lines aren't perfectly straight which makes it appear less clean and gives a distressed effect.
This final font is my favourite. It still has the typewriter style that I think is important to keep the house style of my film. The lettering is also very bold ensuring that it will stand out. I think the best thing about this font style is the distressed look to it. It isn't overly distressed so is still readable but that slight effect on the style embodies the horror theme and hints at the distressing narrative of the film.
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Storyboard
I have used a storyboard to help in planning my short film. This has allowed me to clearly plan out every scene so it will be easier to film. It will also be useful during editing as I will know my original ideas for the film.
I haven't gone into a lot of detail regarding sound because that is something I will decide upon during editing but I have specified the type of shots I am planning on using to give me a guideline for filming.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Planning : Camera Shots & Angles
The use of different camera shots and angles creates strong variation in a film. The use of a different camera shot or angle creates a different effect for the audience.
Examples of shots I have used:
Extreme Long Shot:
This shot gives an overall idea of the scene for the audience. It is the only shot from the film that shows outside and only the stalker is shown leaving the house, this can be interpreted by the audience. This may portray the idea that only the stalker can walk free from the situation where as something has happened for the young girl.
Long Shot:
This shot shows the whole of the character in the frame providing detail of the scene for the audience. The audience can gage the idea of the setting and character's lives.
Medium Long Shot:
I have used medium shots when the scene is darker to show a bit more detail but at this point I didn't want full detail of the characters face to be seen by the audience to still keep an element of mystery, I think a medium long shot does this.
Medium Shot:
This shot type provides the audience with a better understanding of the frame and scene. More of the character can be seen but there is still a balance with the background as well.
Medium Close Up:
This shot provides a full view of this character making her more personable. The camera shot is also from inside a cupboard giving an unusual point of view for the audience that is different to most films and camera shots.
Close Up:
This is a more intimate type of shot that opens the character up to the audience. Her emotions can be seen in this type of shot and I think it is important to vary shot types and include these close up shots.
Privileged/Over the Shoulder:
This is an unusual angle/type of shot but I think it gives a good effect on the audience. The idea of a stalker in the narrative comes through from this shot as it gives the impression of someone looking over this character's shoulder.
Low Angle:
Low angle shot's provide an indication to power. Often they are used to symbolise the character shown inn the low angle shot has a higher power but in my short film this is not the case. The character shown has less power and is more vulnerable which is a contrast to the stereotypical use of a low angle.
Other camera movements I have used include:
Panning: I will use this a lot of my film as I think it is a smooth camera movement that allows you to see a lot more in a scene. It will be effective in showing the audience more of the setting to build on their understanding of the plot. I think it is especially effective in reflecting so I will be using it a lot at the end of my film showing each room in the house to allow the audience to come to their own conclusions about the plot and what has happened in the film with the last few shots.
Planning: Sound
Sound is a key feature of a a film and is especially crucial in the making of a horror film. For my own short film I have decided to keep the sound simple. There will be no dialogue in the film as I think this would be hard to present in the format of a short film and may over complicate it for the audience as it is only a short amount of time. Keeping dialogue absent form the film also develops a strong sense of mystery for the audience which I want to be continued through the narrative also.
There will be a mixture of diegetic and nondiegetic sound in my film to create a realistic but sinister effect. The diegetic sound from within the scenes will create a strong sense of realism. Sound such as a kettle boiling and TV playing will be heard which is something that would be heard from an average household. There will also be screaming in the diegetic sound which is a typical feature of horror films and instantly instils fear with the audience. I will also add non diegetic sound in the form of background music to be played over certain scenes. I think this will be a key element in adding more fear to my film as it will be creepy, sinister music. Also loud sound effect will be used to create a jumpy effect, shocking the audience.
Websites I will use to find copyright free music and sound effects:
www.freesound.org
freeplaymusic.com
www.royaltyfreemusic.com
I have used freesound.org the most because I found this easy to sign up for and there is a wide range of sound and music that can be used for any film type. I managed to find the necessary sound effects and music that I wanted to create the effect for my film. The website is also easy to use and it provides free downloads with no copyright or royalties.
There will be a mixture of diegetic and nondiegetic sound in my film to create a realistic but sinister effect. The diegetic sound from within the scenes will create a strong sense of realism. Sound such as a kettle boiling and TV playing will be heard which is something that would be heard from an average household. There will also be screaming in the diegetic sound which is a typical feature of horror films and instantly instils fear with the audience. I will also add non diegetic sound in the form of background music to be played over certain scenes. I think this will be a key element in adding more fear to my film as it will be creepy, sinister music. Also loud sound effect will be used to create a jumpy effect, shocking the audience.
Websites I will use to find copyright free music and sound effects:
www.freesound.org
freeplaymusic.com
www.royaltyfreemusic.com
I have used freesound.org the most because I found this easy to sign up for and there is a wide range of sound and music that can be used for any film type. I managed to find the necessary sound effects and music that I wanted to create the effect for my film. The website is also easy to use and it provides free downloads with no copyright or royalties.
Planning: Cast & Costume
The cast was an important choice as it changes the plot and the target audience. I used a young male and female to play the characters. This makes it more appealing to teens as it is relatable for them. Using a girl as the victim on the film adds more vulnerability as stereotypically girls are seen to be more at risk so my film is in keeping with traditional horror films. Then the male is the villain, which again coordinates with traditional film characters. I think using a man as the villain also reinstates the power that he holds due to stereotypical views from audiences.
The costumes I choose needs to be suggestive of what the characters are like so it is very important. As there will be no dialogue the characters will show who they are through their costume. The young girl will be wearing a very typical outfit for a teenager of jeans and a jumper. this is something most girls will wear making them empathise with the victim. The male will wear all black with a hooded jacket. A full black outfit instantly indicates a sense of danger and mystery which is what the character portrays. The hood adds to this as it is harder to identify the character fully.
Example of girl with costume:
The costumes I choose needs to be suggestive of what the characters are like so it is very important. As there will be no dialogue the characters will show who they are through their costume. The young girl will be wearing a very typical outfit for a teenager of jeans and a jumper. this is something most girls will wear making them empathise with the victim. The male will wear all black with a hooded jacket. A full black outfit instantly indicates a sense of danger and mystery which is what the character portrays. The hood adds to this as it is harder to identify the character fully.
Example of girl with costume:
Example of male with costume:
Planning: Setting & Props
The setting and props in a film work together to create the overall effect and impact of the film. They will establish the genre, plot, how the characters will act and create the building blocks for the entire film. In horror films setting and props can vary greatly. With more gory films often we often see weapons, blood, dead bodies, torture instruments and they can often be set in a remote location. But in paranormal films it is often set in a 'normal' house with a 'normal' family, a sinister twist is often added to this with older props that have a greater meaning in the plot.
My film involves a normal young girl being stalked so I feel that a 'normal' setting and props would be more appropriate. The setting of the film is a house and different scenes are filmed in different rooms of the house. The office room has props that would be typically seen in an office and the main character is completing homework giving an idea of her age and making younger audiences relatable. The kitchen is shown to have normal props e.g. kettle, mugs, sink and cook. Everything appears completely normal building the suspense of the film. The lounge shows a tidy room with sofas and a TV giving the effect of a normal home. Then the girl makes her way to her room which gives a further idea of her age. The room has all of the normal props that would be seen in a teenage girls room. After the climax of the films plot every room is shown with the props in the same places. This shows the quick transition back to normal after the man has entered the house and left.
Examples of the setting and props:
My film involves a normal young girl being stalked so I feel that a 'normal' setting and props would be more appropriate. The setting of the film is a house and different scenes are filmed in different rooms of the house. The office room has props that would be typically seen in an office and the main character is completing homework giving an idea of her age and making younger audiences relatable. The kitchen is shown to have normal props e.g. kettle, mugs, sink and cook. Everything appears completely normal building the suspense of the film. The lounge shows a tidy room with sofas and a TV giving the effect of a normal home. Then the girl makes her way to her room which gives a further idea of her age. The room has all of the normal props that would be seen in a teenage girls room. After the climax of the films plot every room is shown with the props in the same places. This shows the quick transition back to normal after the man has entered the house and left.
Examples of the setting and props:
Planning: Narrative & Plot
Narrative:
For the narrative and plot of my short film I decided to explore the idea of a stalker following someone. This is quite a classic feature of horror films and can be seen a lot, often girls are followed home when it's dark and no one else is around. I first began to think about someone being followed outside as they are walking somewhere but I think this is quite an obvious route. So it is instead set at a young girls home where the stalker appears. I think this idea will have a greater effect on audiences as it becomes more intrusive and relatable. I think audiences will feel more intimidated by the plot because it unfolds in a normal house.
The plot of my film involves a lot of mystery and gaps that need to be filled by the audience by them interpreting it in their own way. At the beginning the stalker is shown to be at the window of every room the girl is in. This then jumps to him being in the house and in her room. Then he leaves and an empty house is seen. I think the mystery created by this narrative structure for the audiences is a good thing as they will come up with their own ideas. No one knows why he is there, how he gets in or what happens to the girl, this is completely left for the audience to individually interpret. The absence of any dialogue also contributes to the mystery created.
I think the narrative i have created is quite simple but I feel this is an important element when creating a short film. As you only have a short amount of time to showcase a full plot to the audience I think keeping the narrative simple is key. So in doing so I think my short film will be easier for the audience to follow and keep up with, whilst the mysterious elements of plot will keep them engaged.
Todorov's Theory:
The narrative of my short film fits in well with Todorov's narrative theory that a film contains an equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. I wanted to ensure this structure was present in my film to make it easier for audiences to follow. The equilibrium is the young girl being stalked, then the disequilibrium comes through when the stalker comes into the house and her bedroom, this develops into a new equilibrium as he leaves and the girl is missing.
For the narrative and plot of my short film I decided to explore the idea of a stalker following someone. This is quite a classic feature of horror films and can be seen a lot, often girls are followed home when it's dark and no one else is around. I first began to think about someone being followed outside as they are walking somewhere but I think this is quite an obvious route. So it is instead set at a young girls home where the stalker appears. I think this idea will have a greater effect on audiences as it becomes more intrusive and relatable. I think audiences will feel more intimidated by the plot because it unfolds in a normal house.
The plot of my film involves a lot of mystery and gaps that need to be filled by the audience by them interpreting it in their own way. At the beginning the stalker is shown to be at the window of every room the girl is in. This then jumps to him being in the house and in her room. Then he leaves and an empty house is seen. I think the mystery created by this narrative structure for the audiences is a good thing as they will come up with their own ideas. No one knows why he is there, how he gets in or what happens to the girl, this is completely left for the audience to individually interpret. The absence of any dialogue also contributes to the mystery created.
I think the narrative i have created is quite simple but I feel this is an important element when creating a short film. As you only have a short amount of time to showcase a full plot to the audience I think keeping the narrative simple is key. So in doing so I think my short film will be easier for the audience to follow and keep up with, whilst the mysterious elements of plot will keep them engaged.
Todorov's Theory:
The narrative of my short film fits in well with Todorov's narrative theory that a film contains an equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. I wanted to ensure this structure was present in my film to make it easier for audiences to follow. The equilibrium is the young girl being stalked, then the disequilibrium comes through when the stalker comes into the house and her bedroom, this develops into a new equilibrium as he leaves and the girl is missing.
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Audience Profiling: Analysing Results
How will audience profiling help me in planning my short film?
The results form my audience profiling questionnaires are useful in helping me to plan for the creation of my own short film. Majority of my questionnaires were filled out by people of age 17 and 18. These ages are part of the age group I am going to target my film at so the results will be very useful.
The choice that I made selecting the genre of horror for my film was reinforced by the feedback as horror seemed to be a fairly popular genre. Although there were a few responses from people who didn't like horror but I was expecting this result as I gave my questionnaires to a variety of people. So I know that a lot of this age group enjoy watching horror films.
I saw a surprising mix of people who watched short films and people who didn't. For the age group that my responses came from a lot more people actually watch short films which is good because I now know there is an audience in the younger generation for short films.
Most people said they heard about films being advertised via trailers, TV ads and on line and less people heard about them via print and radio. So this suggests how I would need to advertise my short film on more popular media outlets, and if I decide to use the less popular media outlets then the techniques I use would need to be very effective.
I also asked why people like watching horror films and what they expect to see in them. People really enjoyed the suspense and atmosphere created by horror films, being scared provides an adrenaline rush which a lot of people said they liked. Suspense was a big element that people expected to see in horror films and a lot of people said the stereotypical elements of blood, ghosts darkness. I have used this response as I know suspense is a key thing that should be in a horror film, there are also elements that I am not going to include form this response such as blood because I want to create something that doesn't fit to all stereotypical views of horror films
The choice that I made selecting the genre of horror for my film was reinforced by the feedback as horror seemed to be a fairly popular genre. Although there were a few responses from people who didn't like horror but I was expecting this result as I gave my questionnaires to a variety of people. So I know that a lot of this age group enjoy watching horror films.
I saw a surprising mix of people who watched short films and people who didn't. For the age group that my responses came from a lot more people actually watch short films which is good because I now know there is an audience in the younger generation for short films.
Most people said they heard about films being advertised via trailers, TV ads and on line and less people heard about them via print and radio. So this suggests how I would need to advertise my short film on more popular media outlets, and if I decide to use the less popular media outlets then the techniques I use would need to be very effective.
I also asked why people like watching horror films and what they expect to see in them. People really enjoyed the suspense and atmosphere created by horror films, being scared provides an adrenaline rush which a lot of people said they liked. Suspense was a big element that people expected to see in horror films and a lot of people said the stereotypical elements of blood, ghosts darkness. I have used this response as I know suspense is a key thing that should be in a horror film, there are also elements that I am not going to include form this response such as blood because I want to create something that doesn't fit to all stereotypical views of horror films
Monday, 20 October 2014
Short Film Practice
To begin thinking about the short film or trailer that we are going to make for our final project we were given the task to work in groups to create a mini short film as a practice to get used to using all of the equipment. We were set a narrative to use as the plot and also added some of our own ideas onto the end.
The Narrative
The main narrative was already given to us. It was of a girl in a room who goes into a day dream about walking down a corridor and entering a room, She then meets someone in the room. After this she comes out of the day dream. This was the narrative we were given and then as a group we decided to add an extra bit. When the girl comes out of the day dream she goes back to work and then sees the person she saw in the day dream standing at the door. This is how it ends.
Camera
We needed to include a variety of camera shots to practice for our final project. Also we had to use appropriate shots to compliment the narrative which made us choose our camera shots more carefully.
Editing
Using Adobe Elements I worked on editing the clips filmed for this short film. The software wasn't the best in what it provided editing wise so I didn't change that much. I cut some of the clips down to make them flow better and to cut out any unwanted footage that wasn't needed in the film. As well as this I edited the final clip to fade to black at the end of the film signifying a complete end to the narrative. Then I put in the rolling credits with all of our names at the end. However I didn't like the theme provided by the software so I don't think it is best to use to provide a professional finish.
How will this help me...
Doing this practice short film in preparation has been very helpful to ensure that I have enough knowledge for when I film the final project. It was my first time using any editing software for a film so I think it was a necessary task and it allowed me to explore the different options provided by the software. I now know how to cut footage down and use different edits for clips and transitions. This will come in very useful when I have filmed my final project and come to edit my footage.
The Narrative
The main narrative was already given to us. It was of a girl in a room who goes into a day dream about walking down a corridor and entering a room, She then meets someone in the room. After this she comes out of the day dream. This was the narrative we were given and then as a group we decided to add an extra bit. When the girl comes out of the day dream she goes back to work and then sees the person she saw in the day dream standing at the door. This is how it ends.
Camera
We needed to include a variety of camera shots to practice for our final project. Also we had to use appropriate shots to compliment the narrative which made us choose our camera shots more carefully.
This is an example of a medium shot from our short film. We used this at different points in the short film as it a good shot size to get enough in the shot without it being too zoomed in. In this frame we can see what is happening clearly and the unnecessary parts of the shot aren't included.
Here we have used a long shot to get the full effect on the corridor. This allows us to see the person walking down the corridor. As the camera was static at this point in the film the character gets closer to the camera as she walks around the corner which adds a good effect.
Here we have used a medium close up in the conversation that was had in the room. This enables us to focus on the character who is speaking. We also used reverse shots when the conversation was happening so we can see the character who is talking.
This is an example of an extreme close up in our film. This is of the main character's eyes as they look to the door and see the other person there. This shot adds a lot of emphasis to what she is looking at as we can only see her eyes change direction and look to the door in the shot. I think the use of this shot separates the use of medium and medium close up shots.
Here the other character is seen at the door and is shown with a low angle. This gives the character power showing their importance in the narrative. The camera pans up to this shot from the floor which adds more suspense as to who will be at the door and makes the end shot when we see the character have even more impact.
Our final shot was a high angle shot of this character again. This contrasts to the previous low angle shot and shows less power. The idea of this character having less power is emphasised by her turning away at the end and not wanting to see the other character.
Using Adobe Elements I worked on editing the clips filmed for this short film. The software wasn't the best in what it provided editing wise so I didn't change that much. I cut some of the clips down to make them flow better and to cut out any unwanted footage that wasn't needed in the film. As well as this I edited the final clip to fade to black at the end of the film signifying a complete end to the narrative. Then I put in the rolling credits with all of our names at the end. However I didn't like the theme provided by the software so I don't think it is best to use to provide a professional finish.
How will this help me...
Doing this practice short film in preparation has been very helpful to ensure that I have enough knowledge for when I film the final project. It was my first time using any editing software for a film so I think it was a necessary task and it allowed me to explore the different options provided by the software. I now know how to cut footage down and use different edits for clips and transitions. This will come in very useful when I have filmed my final project and come to edit my footage.
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