Feedback on First Showing
We showed our first cut of our film opening to a small audience, and the feedback we received has highlighted aspects that we need to improve.
Many people pointed out that a lot of sound was uneven, too much silence was used in the wrong places, and although a lot of our diegetic sound worked very well, and the overlapping of our sound was regarded very highly, we needed to include other sounds such and breathing and breeze to fill unnecessary silences.
Other things that we needed to work included, colouring in some shots, as the saturation had been brought down to far, pacing was slow at times, and some of the audience were slightly confused by our opening, but also intriuged which was an aim of our opening as we wanted the audience to want to find out had lead up to the shooting happening, and continue to watch the film if it was there. The rest of the improvements that needed to be worked on have been and we know that our final cut has improved since this showing.
We also gained a lot of positive feedback from this showing, including comments on the quality of the camera work, variety of shots, framing and sound excluding silence.
Overall, showing the first cut of our film opening was very helpful, we took on board comments and have improved our opening accordingly.
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Alterations to StoryBoard
Like with every film opening, changes will be made so that the final cut will have similarities and differences to the original story board.
Some shots have stayed very similar, for example:
Whilst out filming and editing, many shots and edits have been inspired by further knowledge of our genre that we did not have when completing the story board, meaning that some shots have either been taken out, added, replaced or changed in order. While filming angles and framing may have also been changed depending on what look we felt would work best, and fit best with the genre. Despite many differences between our final cut and our original story board the outcome of the opening is the same, and the atmosphere that we wanted to create has still been achieved
Like with every film opening, changes will be made so that the final cut will have similarities and differences to the original story board.
Some shots have stayed very similar, for example:
Other shots have changed however, for example:
Whilst out filming and editing, many shots and edits have been inspired by further knowledge of our genre that we did not have when completing the story board, meaning that some shots have either been taken out, added, replaced or changed in order. While filming angles and framing may have also been changed depending on what look we felt would work best, and fit best with the genre. Despite many differences between our final cut and our original story board the outcome of the opening is the same, and the atmosphere that we wanted to create has still been achieved
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Film Research
While continuing with coursework it came to our groups attention that in the film industry at the moment, there were many other new releases, or upcoming releases that were exploring a similar theme to our own film opening. Including:
American Sniper
American Sniper focuses on the true story of Chris Kyle - The most lethal sniper in U.S. history, directed by Clint Eastwood. Described as 'intimate and harrowing', the film explores the Kyle's internal struggle and how he finds that once at home, it is the war he cannot leave behind.
Good Kill
Good Kill focuses on a fighter-pilot turned drone-pilot, based in Las Vegas, who fights the Taliban by remote control. However he starts to question whether he is creating more terrorists than he's killing, and whether is he fighting a war without end? Exploring another soldiers internal struggle. Directed by Andrew Niccol.
The Gunman
The Gunman, directed by Pierre Morel focuses on a former Special Forces soldier and military contractor suffering from PTSD who tries to reconnect with his long time love. It explores the effects of the former soldiers past employment and how it effects his future, and also exploring another soldiers internal struggle.
All these current films are also exploring the effects of war on soldiers, and focus on the internal struggle that they face, very similar to what our own film would explore.
While continuing with coursework it came to our groups attention that in the film industry at the moment, there were many other new releases, or upcoming releases that were exploring a similar theme to our own film opening. Including:
American Sniper
American Sniper focuses on the true story of Chris Kyle - The most lethal sniper in U.S. history, directed by Clint Eastwood. Described as 'intimate and harrowing', the film explores the Kyle's internal struggle and how he finds that once at home, it is the war he cannot leave behind.
Good Kill
The Gunman
The Gunman, directed by Pierre Morel focuses on a former Special Forces soldier and military contractor suffering from PTSD who tries to reconnect with his long time love. It explores the effects of the former soldiers past employment and how it effects his future, and also exploring another soldiers internal struggle.
All these current films are also exploring the effects of war on soldiers, and focus on the internal struggle that they face, very similar to what our own film would explore.
Technologies Used
To edit our film opening we used iMovie. This was downloaded onto the school computers and was relatively easy to use after being guided through different processes. By using iMovie we were able to make our vision a reality, we altered saturation of some shots to create a drained effect, overlapped diegetic and non-diegetic sound and created our titles using iMovie, creating a captivating and intriguing film opening.
The camera we used to record our film opening was a Canon EOS 600D DSLR, the quality of the footage is excellent and this can be seen through many shots. The quality of the shots was very important to our opening as we wanted to focus on small details, like facial expression and setting, as this sets the tone of the film and is the main focus of the opening, as there is no dialogue. The quality of the camera has given our film opening a very professional look, that we would not have achieved if filming on another camera or iPhone.
To record sound we used an iPhone and would then edit the sound using either iMovie or Garage Band on the macs to create the desired sound. This worked very well when creating the gun shot, breathing and breeze.
To edit our film opening we used iMovie. This was downloaded onto the school computers and was relatively easy to use after being guided through different processes. By using iMovie we were able to make our vision a reality, we altered saturation of some shots to create a drained effect, overlapped diegetic and non-diegetic sound and created our titles using iMovie, creating a captivating and intriguing film opening.
The text used in our film opening was American Typewriter, as we thought that it reflected the genre and action in our film, which is set around war.
The camera we used to record our film opening was a Canon EOS 600D DSLR, the quality of the footage is excellent and this can be seen through many shots. The quality of the shots was very important to our opening as we wanted to focus on small details, like facial expression and setting, as this sets the tone of the film and is the main focus of the opening, as there is no dialogue. The quality of the camera has given our film opening a very professional look, that we would not have achieved if filming on another camera or iPhone.
To record sound we used an iPhone and would then edit the sound using either iMovie or Garage Band on the macs to create the desired sound. This worked very well when creating the gun shot, breathing and breeze.
Talent Sourcing
As our film opening was to have no speech, our choice of actors was simple as we were able to pick someone on looks rather than acting ability, reducing the time spent on sourcing. For our opening, we wanted a man in their early 20's playing the soldier and a young girl in their late teens for his sister. Helpfully Anna had an older brother who was 20 and available for filming, which worked perfectly as Anna would be able to play his sister
Name: Robert St. Pierre
Age: 20
Role: Tim
Eye colour: Blue
Hair: Short, light brown
As our film opening was to have no speech, our choice of actors was simple as we were able to pick someone on looks rather than acting ability, reducing the time spent on sourcing. For our opening, we wanted a man in their early 20's playing the soldier and a young girl in their late teens for his sister. Helpfully Anna had an older brother who was 20 and available for filming, which worked perfectly as Anna would be able to play his sister
Name: Robert St. Pierre
Age: 20
Role: Tim
Eye colour: Blue
Hair: Short, light brown
Name: Anna St. Pierre
Age: 17
Role: Sister
Eye: Green
Hair: Curly, medium brown
Health and Safety
When filming the main risk of health and safety was the fact that we were filming near and on roads. As the crew we were only responsible for ourselves as our actor was over the age of 18, but as there were four of us working together, we were able to warn on another if any cars were passing by and overall, there was no risk to our health.
When filming the main risk of health and safety was the fact that we were filming near and on roads. As the crew we were only responsible for ourselves as our actor was over the age of 18, but as there were four of us working together, we were able to warn on another if any cars were passing by and overall, there was no risk to our health.
Friday, 6 March 2015
Story Board
Here is the Story Board of the opening credits to our film 'If I Should Die'. It is in two parts.
http://www.flipsnack.com/XyliaGrey15/if-i-should-die.html?b=1&p=16
http://www.flipsnack.com/XyliaGrey15/if-i-should-die-fdh3ypjuw.html?b=1&p=16
Here is the Story Board of the opening credits to our film 'If I Should Die'. It is in two parts.
http://www.flipsnack.com/XyliaGrey15/if-i-should-die.html?b=1&p=16
http://www.flipsnack.com/XyliaGrey15/if-i-should-die-fdh3ypjuw.html?b=1&p=16
Iconic Director
Social Realism in film has seen a huge development in the 21st century, with films such as Train Spotting (Danny Boyle), This is England and Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows).
Film director Steve McQueen is well known for his films Hunger (2008) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). His film Hunger was based on the story of Bobby Sands, an Irish republican who leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.
Hunger won the prestigious Camera d'Or award for first-time film makers at the Cannes film festival in 2008, went on to win the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival, it also received two BAFTA nominations, winning one, and was also nominated for eight awards at the 2009 IFTA's, winning six.
Responses included:
Social Realism in film has seen a huge development in the 21st century, with films such as Train Spotting (Danny Boyle), This is England and Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows).
Film director Steve McQueen is well known for his films Hunger (2008) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). His film Hunger was based on the story of Bobby Sands, an Irish republican who leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.
Hunger won the prestigious Camera d'Or award for first-time film makers at the Cannes film festival in 2008, went on to win the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival, it also received two BAFTA nominations, winning one, and was also nominated for eight awards at the 2009 IFTA's, winning six.
Responses included:
- Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times - "Hunger is not about the rights and wrongs of the British in Northern Ireland, but about inhumane prison conditions, the steeled determination of IRA members like Bobby Sands, and a rock and a hard place."
- Peter Travers of Rolling Stone - "Shockingly immediate and philosophically reflective, Hunger is an indelibly moving tribute to what makes us human." and praised "... McQueen's way of showing the body itself as an arsenal, arguably the last weapon any of us have to fight back."
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
A Reservist Before the War and After the War (1902)
A Reservist Before the War and After the War, directed by James Williamson is known as one of the most important films of its time. Renowned for its development of social realism in film and its ability to encompass contemporary social criticism.
The film centres around the return of a Boer War serviceman and his struggle with unemployment and his life back home.
In A Reservist Before the War and After the War the pleasant pre-war scene is poignantly contrasted with "a post-war scene of sickness, poverty and unemployment." [Royal Pavilion, Museums & Libraries]. This use of social realism became a key theme of British cinema.
This film was the first in its kind, giving a different spin on how we see film, and how it can be used to criticise society and its views. It gave realisation to viewers, allowing them to interpret the effects of war in a different light.
Myself and my group while coming up with the idea of our film opening, related to the intentions of Williamson, we wished to present the effect of war in a different way, allowing the viewers to understand that not all soldiers react in the same way, that war can consume and take over, leaving the former soldier as a thing of the past.
A Reservist Before the War and After the War, directed by James Williamson is known as one of the most important films of its time. Renowned for its development of social realism in film and its ability to encompass contemporary social criticism.
The film centres around the return of a Boer War serviceman and his struggle with unemployment and his life back home.
In A Reservist Before the War and After the War the pleasant pre-war scene is poignantly contrasted with "a post-war scene of sickness, poverty and unemployment." [Royal Pavilion, Museums & Libraries]. This use of social realism became a key theme of British cinema.
This film was the first in its kind, giving a different spin on how we see film, and how it can be used to criticise society and its views. It gave realisation to viewers, allowing them to interpret the effects of war in a different light.
Myself and my group while coming up with the idea of our film opening, related to the intentions of Williamson, we wished to present the effect of war in a different way, allowing the viewers to understand that not all soldiers react in the same way, that war can consume and take over, leaving the former soldier as a thing of the past.
Social Realism
In early British cinema Social Realism was first emphasised in James Williamson's 'A Reservist Before the War and After the War'. A film focusing on the return of a soldier from the Boer War, and his struggle as he tries to fit in with normality.
Social Realism in film was reflecting Britain's development through war, with films such as Target for Tonight (1941), In Which We Serve (1942), Millions Like Us (1943), and This Happy Breed (1944). Historian Roger Manvell explains that Social Realism was such a success in the 1940's as the public were "searching for relief from hard work, companionship, release from tension, emotional indulgence and, where they could find them, some reaffirmation of the values of humanity."
In the 1950's and 60's, a British New Wave movement emerged. British auteurs like Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson, and John Schlesinger were very popular. British New Wave films include Room at the Top (1958), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), and A Kind of Loving (1962).
Social realism as a genre grew dramatically during and after the first world war, it allowed its audience to gain a deeper understand of the situations surrounding them, and enabled them to reflect with others and not just alone.
In early British cinema Social Realism was first emphasised in James Williamson's 'A Reservist Before the War and After the War'. A film focusing on the return of a soldier from the Boer War, and his struggle as he tries to fit in with normality.
Social Realism in film was reflecting Britain's development through war, with films such as Target for Tonight (1941), In Which We Serve (1942), Millions Like Us (1943), and This Happy Breed (1944). Historian Roger Manvell explains that Social Realism was such a success in the 1940's as the public were "searching for relief from hard work, companionship, release from tension, emotional indulgence and, where they could find them, some reaffirmation of the values of humanity."
In the 1950's and 60's, a British New Wave movement emerged. British auteurs like Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson, and John Schlesinger were very popular. British New Wave films include Room at the Top (1958), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), and A Kind of Loving (1962).
Social realism as a genre grew dramatically during and after the first world war, it allowed its audience to gain a deeper understand of the situations surrounding them, and enabled them to reflect with others and not just alone.
Film Classification
Universal - suitable for all.
Focus on subjects which are generally suitable for younger audiences.
At the most there may be occasional very mild bad language.
Mild violence only. Some mild threat and menace is allowed.
Moments with ghosts, witches and monsters should be over quickly and not be too scary. Nothing at U should really frighten or disturb young viewers. The film or DVD should tell children that everything is okay.
PG - Parental Guidance
Focus on more mature topics such as crime, racism, bullying or violence in the home. There must be nothing which suggests these are good things.
Mild bad language only.
There can be stronger violence than at U, but without detail. Violence which takes place in a comedy, fantasy, or historical film may be treated less strictly.
Frightening scenes should not be too long or scary.
12a & 12 Ratings
15 Ratings
Focus on subjects which are generally suitable for younger audiences.
At the most there may be occasional very mild bad language.
Mild violence only. Some mild threat and menace is allowed.
Moments with ghosts, witches and monsters should be over quickly and not be too scary. Nothing at U should really frighten or disturb young viewers. The film or DVD should tell children that everything is okay.
PG - Parental Guidance
Focus on more mature topics such as crime, racism, bullying or violence in the home. There must be nothing which suggests these are good things.Mild bad language only.
There can be stronger violence than at U, but without detail. Violence which takes place in a comedy, fantasy, or historical film may be treated less strictly.
Frightening scenes should not be too long or scary.
12a & 12 Ratings
Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
The use of strong language (e.g. 'f***') must be infrequent. Racist language used as abuse is also a concern.
Violence must not dwell on injuries or blood. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated.Dangerous techniques (e.g. combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on things which can be copied or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be shown as glamorous.
There can be some threat and menace, including scary scenes which are intense or last a while. Only occasional gory moments can be shown.
The use of strong language (e.g. 'f***') must be infrequent. Racist language used as abuse is also a concern.
Violence must not dwell on injuries or blood. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated.Dangerous techniques (e.g. combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on things which can be copied or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be shown as glamorous.
There can be some threat and menace, including scary scenes which are intense or last a while. Only occasional gory moments can be shown.
15 Ratings
Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) can be allowed provided the detail of such is low so that it can not create too much of an impression of the viewer.
Frequent use of strong language can be permitted, although very strong language needs to be restricted and would have to be seen as reasonable in the context. Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) can be allowed provided the detail of such is low so that it can not create too much of an impression of the viewer.
Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. The same applies to references. Any sexual violence should be discreet and be strongly justified.
As long as the film is appropriate for 15 year olds, no certain themes are prohibited.
When reviewing the different criteria of each group, we have decided to classify our film opening as a 15, as it deals with sensitive issues and would distress younger audiences.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)