Monday, 25 January 2016
Evaluation Question 5
Obsession Opening Sequence
29. Elijah, Omar, Sabina, Savannah from 283goswell on Vimeo.
Feedback after Screening
I edited my feedback on Final cut pro so I can attach the video as a whole.
http://slide.ly/view/327a9e44356857de36b73873b68b8ea8
Feedback after Screening
http://slide.ly/view/327a9e44356857de36b73873b68b8ea8
Evaluation Question 3
Distribution
We chose New Line Cinema because they distribute films that are similar to our chosen genre which was thriller. New line cinema fits our films best because the majority of the films that they have distributed are similar to our film. Also the films they distributed have been quite successful. The films distributed by New Line Cinema all have a similar target audience. They're aimed towards people who are teens and above who enjoy horror/thriller. They make their audience feel tensed as well as the suspense and that is what we're aiming for our audience to feel.
One of the films that we got a lot of inspiration from was Seven and it was distributed by New Line Cinema.
This film is very similar to ours because they both revolve around a serial killer. Both films are also a thriller.
If our film were to be distributed by New Line Cinema then we would expect it to be a national release at first and then slowly become a global release. This is more effective as it slowly builds up the audience which then makes it become more popular. It would have a theatrical release where it is shown in cinemas in the whole nation on the same date.
We would promote the film through advertisements such as posters, trailers, billboards etc. Also we would use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The distribution company that we used was New Line Cinema.
We chose New Line Cinema because they distribute films that are similar to our chosen genre which was thriller. New line cinema fits our films best because the majority of the films that they have distributed are similar to our film. Also the films they distributed have been quite successful. The films distributed by New Line Cinema all have a similar target audience. They're aimed towards people who are teens and above who enjoy horror/thriller. They make their audience feel tensed as well as the suspense and that is what we're aiming for our audience to feel.
One of the films that we got a lot of inspiration from was Seven and it was distributed by New Line Cinema.
This film is very similar to ours because they both revolve around a serial killer. Both films are also a thriller.
If our film were to be distributed by New Line Cinema then we would expect it to be a national release at first and then slowly become a global release. This is more effective as it slowly builds up the audience which then makes it become more popular. It would have a theatrical release where it is shown in cinemas in the whole nation on the same date.
We would promote the film through advertisements such as posters, trailers, billboards etc. Also we would use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Evaluation Question 7
Ideas/Storyboard
During the prelim, everyone in the group had their own ideas on what should happen. But we all learnt to put our ideas together to create one big idea. Our idea was then transferred onto a storyboard which really helped create a picture to our idea. This was very handy when it came to our title sequence because it helped us to see if the order we came up with was effective.
Mise en scene
In our prelim, we were given just an Arsenal flag as a prop and our location was the 73 bus. We managed to connect the two by coming up with the idea of having an Arsenal fan going home on the 73 bus after a match and encountering a rival team fan. But in our actual title sequence, we used our own props such as the knife, gloves, pictures of the victim, the laptop etc. Also in our title sequence, we had more than one location: the serial killer's bedroom, the house of the party and an abandoned street.
Lighting
In the prelim we didn't have to use professional lighting. Instead we used the natural lighting from the sun since we filmed it on the staircase. The lighting there was a bit too bright but I later on learnt what kind of lighting is best suited for which scene. Since the genre of our film opening was thriller, dark lighting was best for it. We managed to do this by using dim lights or just not using lights at all.
Camera Skills
In the prelim, some of our shots the framing was a bit off. In this shot, there is too much headspace.
Even though some of our shots weren't exactly perfect, I feel like we managed to get the hang of the 18o degree rule.
During the prelim, everyone in the group had their own ideas on what should happen. But we all learnt to put our ideas together to create one big idea. Our idea was then transferred onto a storyboard which really helped create a picture to our idea. This was very handy when it came to our title sequence because it helped us to see if the order we came up with was effective.
Mise en scene
In our prelim, we were given just an Arsenal flag as a prop and our location was the 73 bus. We managed to connect the two by coming up with the idea of having an Arsenal fan going home on the 73 bus after a match and encountering a rival team fan. But in our actual title sequence, we used our own props such as the knife, gloves, pictures of the victim, the laptop etc. Also in our title sequence, we had more than one location: the serial killer's bedroom, the house of the party and an abandoned street.
Lighting
In the prelim we didn't have to use professional lighting. Instead we used the natural lighting from the sun since we filmed it on the staircase. The lighting there was a bit too bright but I later on learnt what kind of lighting is best suited for which scene. Since the genre of our film opening was thriller, dark lighting was best for it. We managed to do this by using dim lights or just not using lights at all.
Camera Skills
In the prelim, some of our shots the framing was a bit off. In this shot, there is too much headspace.
Before the prelim, I'd never used a filming camera before or a tripod. Since the prelim, I feel like my camera skills have improved a lot. I now know the difference between certain shots and am able to tell which type of shot is better for a scene.
Editing
To edit our prelim we used Premier Pro. We were uncertain on how to use it since for the most of us, it was the first time we were using it. We mainly just cut clips to the right length and then put the scenes together in their order. Editing the prelim was great practice and it helped us get the knowledge that we have now on editing. For the title sequence, we used After effects and Premier Pro to add in the titles. 
Evaluation Question 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Thursday, 14 January 2016
Final Rough Cut and Feedback-Elijah
Our Final Rough Cut and Feedback
After watching our rough cut we received feedback on what was needed to improve our opening and what was effective about our opening.
The first minor problem that we got from the class was that our idents were too long as it dragged the beginning of the opening. This is easily fixed as it can be cut down to a quicker pace either within Premiere Pro or After Effects. Also the our distribution ident was outside of the recommended frame this is also easily fixed as it can simply be adjusted within After effects to fit within the frames.
Another room for improvement raised in feedback was the length of the titles especially at the beginning of the opening was too quick and that each title should last for a minimum of 3 seconds so it's readable. We also was told that the animation of the of the text of it being typed onto the screen works nicely and the link of the serial killer stalking her victim online and the text transitions is clear.
We were also told that shot of the phone with the messages on it is still too quick as the messages need to be clearly seen so the audience understand the narrative of the opening as the victim's mother is ordering her to leave the party this can simply be extended within Premiere Pro.
We were also told that the shot of Facebook page should have the face of Savannah so that the audience can make a definite link between the Facebook stalking and Savannah being pursued on the street. This means we need to change the profile picture of the Facebook account which is easily done and then re-shoot the shot of the computer and replace the original clip of the computer screen with the new footage.
The most important pieces of feedback that requires the most attention was the fact that the last few shots of the victim and the killer outside it is too dark and that the whole opening needs to have more layered sound to build more tension and to crete a more sinister atmosphere we will do this by adding uncopyrighted foley sounds and add them to the opening.
Another room for improvement raised in feedback was the length of the titles especially at the beginning of the opening was too quick and that each title should last for a minimum of 3 seconds so it's readable. We also was told that the animation of the of the text of it being typed onto the screen works nicely and the link of the serial killer stalking her victim online and the text transitions is clear.
We were also told that shot of the phone with the messages on it is still too quick as the messages need to be clearly seen so the audience understand the narrative of the opening as the victim's mother is ordering her to leave the party this can simply be extended within Premiere Pro.
We were also told that the shot of Facebook page should have the face of Savannah so that the audience can make a definite link between the Facebook stalking and Savannah being pursued on the street. This means we need to change the profile picture of the Facebook account which is easily done and then re-shoot the shot of the computer and replace the original clip of the computer screen with the new footage.
The most important pieces of feedback that requires the most attention was the fact that the last few shots of the victim and the killer outside it is too dark and that the whole opening needs to have more layered sound to build more tension and to crete a more sinister atmosphere we will do this by adding uncopyrighted foley sounds and add them to the opening.
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Editing Obsession opening- Savannah
Using After Effects and Premier Pro we added the title sequences and text transition effects to our footage. For our wanted effect we decided on having a type writer effect for the font incorporating the obsessions of the killer so we used a typing effect for each of the titles along with fade out and fade in effects.
Monday, 4 January 2016
Verbal Feedback on Rough cut.
Verbal Feedback on Rough cut
After viewing and receiving feedback our rough cut it is clear that we need to redo some shots to iron out creases that don't match up in the storyline.
The part of the opening where the serial killer is pursuing his victim in the car isn't clear to the fact that he is in the car as there is a shot of her walking and the car following her and then it cuts straight to the serial killer walking down the street right behind his victim. We now need to either reshoot these shot and show the link between the serial killer and the car or more likely to scrap the idea of the car pursuit and go straight to the serial killer following his victim on the street this will also build more tension and have more opportunities to make interesting match cuts.
The part of the opening where the serial killer is pursuing his victim in the car isn't clear to the fact that he is in the car as there is a shot of her walking and the car following her and then it cuts straight to the serial killer walking down the street right behind his victim. We now need to either reshoot these shot and show the link between the serial killer and the car or more likely to scrap the idea of the car pursuit and go straight to the serial killer following his victim on the street this will also build more tension and have more opportunities to make interesting match cuts. 
We also was made aware during the feedback that the shot of the phone needs to last longer this can easily be solved in editing and use more of the original clip which lasts a bit longer in order for people to read all the messages that appear on the phone to help make the narrative clearer and give a reason for her to leave the party.Production Schedule for Obsession film opening- Savannah
Production Schedule
Film Day 1- killer scene in his bedroom showing pictures on the walls and the killer searching for his victim along with him getting ready to get the girl. /2015
Film Day 2- Victim walking in exterior setting outside whilst killer is following victim on foot and in car. /2015
Film Day 3- Scene where victim is checking her phone and leaving the party. /2015
Reshoot Day 4- Scene where victim is walking and killer is following in exterior setting. /2016
Reshoot Day 5- Scene where killer is stalking victim's facebook profile. /2016
Reshoot Day 6- Scene where victim is leaving the party and checking her phone. /2016
Film Day 1- killer scene in his bedroom showing pictures on the walls and the killer searching for his victim along with him getting ready to get the girl. /2015
Film Day 2- Victim walking in exterior setting outside whilst killer is following victim on foot and in car. /2015
Film Day 3- Scene where victim is checking her phone and leaving the party. /2015
Reshoot Day 4- Scene where victim is walking and killer is following in exterior setting. /2016
Reshoot Day 5- Scene where killer is stalking victim's facebook profile. /2016
Reshoot Day 6- Scene where victim is leaving the party and checking her phone. /2016
Se7en Remake- Evaluation
For our remake we used After Effects and Premier pro to remake the film as premier pro provided a timeline to place the shots we made and clip them precisely to make the shots look more similar to the actual ones in the se7en opening. We used after effects to add the title credits on top of the footage with added animation to create the flashing and blurry fade in and out to the text that se7en has.
The props we used for the remake was scissors, a book, a paper, a large marker pen, a tea bag, a glass and a band aid. The location of the film was located in one room where we used a torch for the lighting to provide a clear view of what was going on.
The camera angles used were mostly close ups like the ones in se7en with a concentrated focus of the object highlighted in the shot.
During the filming of this we learnt how to become familiar with after effects as it was the first time in adding titles to our footage from premier pro. We learnt how to add effects and change the length of the text duration on the clip.
Sunday, 3 January 2016
EVALUATING THE ROUGH CUT - Sabina
1. The order that we planned our title sequence to be in was different from the one in the rough cut. After having filmed it and putting it together, we realised that it would be best to move a few of the shots around. The shots that we moved were the ones of where the serial killer is getting ready and his victim is leaving the party. The original plan was to show the serial killer getting ready first and then show the victim leaving the party after receiving a text from her Mom. But we decided to swap it around as it looked better and made more sense. The title sequence as a whole turned out to be a success as it flowed really well and we got the feeling of suspense that you would normally get when watching a Thriller.
2. The camera work needs to be redone as it was slightly messy but the angles that we shot the scenes from worked well.
3. I think we could've used a wider range of shot types. However the shot types that were used were indeed effective at creating suspense and setting the mood.
4. The use of lighting for the scene where the girl is walking down the street wasn't very good since it was very dark and we couldn't really see much. We should've taken lights with us to improve the lighting.
5. The performance given by the characters was really good. We could get that eerie serial killer feeling from Elijah. Savannah, who played Mariah, was very good at expressing her vulnerability as the victim.
6. The location of the serial killer's bedroom helped a great deal at creating the mood of the genre. However, I think we could've used a much better location for the alleyway that the girl was going down. The props were very effective at giving us an idea as to the intentions of the serial killer towards the victim. The costumes worn were effective to play its part.
Swot Analysis
1. Strengths
- I'm good at organising my blog posts
- Although my posts aren't fully expanded, they are still explained well
- I express my opinions with detail
2. Weaknesses
- I don't use enough visuals and so my blog posts lack creativity
- My posts aren't expanded enough
- Each of my posts aren't balanced with the content it contains
3. Threats
- I don't update my blogs regularly enough which means I have to rush them a little and they end up not being in enough detail
- My time management isn't that great
- There was a lack of communication with the rest of the group and so some of the posts are a bit messy and not well organised
4. Opportunities
- Since my blog lacks visuals I need to make it more creative
- I should use more pictures and videos to make it more interesting
- I need to go back on my old posts and make them more interesting
TARGETS
1. Make my blog more interesting by adding in visuals such as pictures and videos and gifs
2. Update my blog regularly
3. Don't rush my posts
- I'm good at organising my blog posts
- Although my posts aren't fully expanded, they are still explained well
- I express my opinions with detail
2. Weaknesses
- I don't use enough visuals and so my blog posts lack creativity
- My posts aren't expanded enough
- Each of my posts aren't balanced with the content it contains
3. Threats
- I don't update my blogs regularly enough which means I have to rush them a little and they end up not being in enough detail
- My time management isn't that great
- There was a lack of communication with the rest of the group and so some of the posts are a bit messy and not well organised
4. Opportunities
- Since my blog lacks visuals I need to make it more creative
- I should use more pictures and videos to make it more interesting
- I need to go back on my old posts and make them more interesting
TARGETS
1. Make my blog more interesting by adding in visuals such as pictures and videos and gifs
2. Update my blog regularly
3. Don't rush my posts
Evidence Audit
1. Research into similar products and audience
- The purpose of a title sequence and film opening
- How can a film opening attract an audience
- What makes a good title sequence according to Kyle Cooper
- Analyse two film sequences
- Target audience
- What are the 4 different types of film openings
- What is genre
- BFI Statistics
- Analyse 3 title sequences
- Why is sound important in film
- Film distributions
2. Organised use of actors, locations, props and costume
- Final ideas
- Half term homework
- The third day of filming
3. Work on shot-lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding
- The Pitch (1, 2, 3, 4, 13)
- Outline for title sequence
4. Presentation of ideas
- Final idea
- Each of my posts have a clear title and are labelled
- Each post has the name of the person who was involved in it
- I don't use much visual examples but have a lot of text
-
- The purpose of a title sequence and film opening
- How can a film opening attract an audience
- What makes a good title sequence according to Kyle Cooper
- Analyse two film sequences
- Target audience
- What are the 4 different types of film openings
- What is genre
- BFI Statistics
- Analyse 3 title sequences
- Why is sound important in film
- Film distributions
2. Organised use of actors, locations, props and costume
- Final ideas
- Half term homework
- The third day of filming
3. Work on shot-lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding
- The Pitch (1, 2, 3, 4, 13)
- Outline for title sequence
4. Presentation of ideas
- Final idea
- Each of my posts have a clear title and are labelled
- Each post has the name of the person who was involved in it
- I don't use much visual examples but have a lot of text
-
SWOT analysis
|
Strengths
There is a lot of research on film titles
sequences
The blogs are detailed
There’s lots of research into sound
There’s a lot of research into the titles and
titles order
Lots of research on genre themes and tropes
Lots of research into the genre of horrors and
thrillers.
Lots of research into audiences
Research into film distribution companies
Lots of explanation into our ideas for our
film opening
Lots of planning into mise-en-scene of our
opening.
|
Weaknesses
There is little visual stimulus that makes my
post more interesting
Blog posts late or in wrong order
Organisation of ideas meant that filming time
was reduced
|
|
Threats
My time management was bad so posts were late
and I needed to catch up on blog posts
The group didn’t have a way to communicate so
post couldn’t get organised as efficiently
|
Opportunities
I have an opportunity to go back and add more
multimedia to my blog posts to make them more interesting
|
Evidence Audit
Evidence Audit
Research into similar products and audience
Purpose of title sequences and film openings
Analysis of 2 titles sequences
What are the 4 different types of film openings?
What conclusions can be made from titles used?
What
makes a good title sequence according to Kyle Cooper?
Analysis of one of my favourite films-Captain
America
Audiences
that like horror/thriller films.
What is Genre?
Why is sound so important in a film?
BFI
Statistics yearbook-Genre preferences and audiences
Analysis of Terrified
Films
distribution companies
Who’s our target audience?
|
Organised use of actors, locations and props and
costume
The mise-en-scene- Locations and Setting
The mise-en-scene- Props and Costume
Reaction and action on pitch feedback
The first day of filming
|
Work on shot-lists, layouts, drafting, scripting
or story-boarding.
Preliminary Evaluation
The Pitch(7,8,9)-Elijah
Reaction and action on pitch feedback
|
Presentation of ideas
My individual ideas on the film opening.
Thinking about sound for our opening
Genre
Shortlist
Initial
Ideas
Sound
design
Final Idea
The first day of filming
Which institution will distribute our film?
Each post has a clear title and a word in
capital letters which indicates what stage of the process it done so it’s
easy to navigate through.
I've put labels of the names of who were involved with the post so it's easy to see who made the post
|
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Evaluation of Rough cut
Evaluation of Rough
cut
As a whole I think
the rough cut of the title sequence is structure of the sequence is good and
displays the narrative well and gives a good insight of the mood and themes
that arise within our idea and is fitted for the thriller genre. I feel the
order of shots works really well to build tension and works in the portrayal of
the narrative. The order of shots follows a similar order to our original plan but
doesn’t follow the storyboard exactly shot for shot, this is because in editing
as we were constructing the shots we felt that some shots were out of place and
alternative shots flowed more naturally with the order of the sequence.
When viewing the
rough cut it is clear that we are going to need to redo some shots due to bad
lighting, sloppiness of camera work. But there was some good shots of the laptop when the serial killer is typing as the lighting is dark with only the light from the screen and with the over the shoulder shot the light creates an almost silhouette of the serial killer which is nice and adds to the scary and mysterious atmosphere.
The was various shot used to make the opening dynamic and i think the quick cuts from shot to shot in the beginning of our opening in the serial killer's bedroom was effective to creating the quick pace and to create a jumpiness to the start which is typical of thriller films to contrast with the longer shot of the serial killer perusing the girl which built up tension slowly before the final shot where my hand reaches out for her.
We had some good use of lighting in the first shots within the serial killer's room but struggled to properly light the shots outside in the dark. We may have to reconsider shooting outside when it is dark and maybe set this during the daytime or find a way to make sure our shots are lit properly with additional lights off site.
When watching the rough cut I saw that the screen capture that we made of the serial killer on Camtasia doesn't really fit the opening as it's not how the serial killer is viewing the screen and it seems cohesive with the whole scene in the bedroom however the shots where we just filmed the actual screen of the laptop worked really well and I suggest that we shoot the part where he scrolls and views her profile on the actual screen.
The performance of the characters I feel was good. I think you can get the sense of vulnerability of Savannah's character, Mariah, and there is not much we see of the serial killer just silhouettes and shadows which we was aiming to do and i feel we have successfully portrayed him as a shifty character. 
The mise-en-scene help massively to create the mood and dark tones of the opening whilst also pushed the narrative along also. Items like the laptop and the knife help to communicate the intentions of the serial killer and the clothing like the dark gloves and jacket show a dark theme to the character.
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