Shooting the Film

Today we filmed many shots however we were not able to finish all the shooting. We shot the first three memory flash scenes and the opening scene of the film. We were not able to do the car scenes as we did not have access to the car as Pamela's dad works during the week days so therefore we'll have shoot the car scenes during the weekend. Penultimately we decided to meet on November 10th to finish everything off.

Shooting the Film

Today we was supposed to shoot our film but due to the weather we could not. The weather really let us down. However, for next time we now know that we should check the forecast before we set a date for filming.

Research and Planning - Video

Research and Planning:
I produced a film on Xtranormal which was very interesting. However, the actors voices sound very robotic and is hard to understand. But if you pay attention you can hear what they are saying. Here is a link to the film..
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13849926/research-and-planning-the-movie

Below is the written version of my research and planning


What research did you carry out into similar products and your potential target audience? In your answer you need to refer aspects of your case studies that were useful as research for your own production (similar products) and the feedback you received from the class when you pitched your treatment.

I looked at 3 case studies which really helped in evolving the current idea we had. From each case study I took one main aspect which I will deploy in our film. The ideas that I discovered in the case studies have been very influential as they will enhance my film. One idea which was very influential was the kind of shots we decided to use in our film, this notion I acquired from ‘Dear Dad’. For example, the scene when our protagonist is heading up the stairs we will use a low angle to convey the power he has. Then when he has read the letter and runs down the stairs we will utilize a high angle shot to convey his powerlessness over what he just read. Another key aspect which derived from my case study was using symbols and editing to show motifs in our film. This idea was taken from my case study ‘Twenty Pounds’. Another piece of research we carried was pitching our idea to the class and receiving feedback. This was extremely helpful as we were told what kind of location we can use. And as most of the class are the same age as our audience, the feedback given by them has been key in making our film to appeal to our audience as we will add aspects into our film which they have told us. One student suggested that we portray the antagonist always feeling weary and looking pale to reinforce the fact that she is an ill condition.  Another student suggested that when we are editing our film we should utilize a fade effect on Final Cut Pro to display the transition between the flashback and real time.  The sound of this excited both me and my partner and also believed this was a great idea which we could utilize. We took all the ideas given to us on board and decided to add it into our film. All in all the feedback that we gathered from researching has been very effective in piecing together our film.

How well did you organise your actors, locations, costumes and props? Consider how helpful your release forms, recces, risk assessments and production schedules were. Talk about the role of team meetings.

At first we had a panic finding our actors as the two people that we wanted to use could not come on the day we decided to film. Therefore we had to find other people to act for us. We searched high and low and finally my partner found two people who were free on the day we are shooting and also were willing to star in our film. So overall I believe we did organise our actors well. The talent release form was gave us a better communication with our actors as we provided them with our mobile phone numbers and also gave us another surety they will be our actors. The location we decided to use was a house and the outside of a hospital. From the class feedback we got another location we can use; the park. So in the end we decided to use Pamela’s house, my partner, Whipps Cross Hospital and Whipps Cross Park. The reason we decided to use these locations was due to the proximity of each location. Filling out the location release form was helpful in preventing restrictions on the day of the filming. Getting permission from each location gave us a surety that we were not bending any rules. They were all in a close range to each other. This would give us more time to film as we wouldn’t waste time in moving from each location. Producing the recce was very helpful as when we visited the locations we got ideas of where we could film each scene in that location. Filling out the risk assessment form prevented us from any accidents that could take place on the day of the shoot, so this was very helpful for the safety of the crew and actors. The production schedules were extremely helpful as this helped us in our time management and due to this we could completed all our tasks on time.

Evaluate your storyboards and scripts. In your answer you need to explain how you divided tasks within the group, identify any problems you had, suggest how you could have improved. 

I believe that me and my partner distributed the tasks between ourselves very efficiently. We decided that my partner will carry out the storyboard and I will aid her after I had completed writing the script and the recce. After my partner had finished the drawing side of the storyboard I helped her in considering what kinds of shots we can use to highlight a motif and shots to portray feelings. The storyboard that we both completed is very unambiguous and it clearly states what camera shot, dialogue and setting we utilise in each scene. On the whole we did not have any problems in tackling the storyboard as we accomplished it on time and also had no difficulty in completing it. The script on the other hand was a slightly harder task. As we wanted to make some emotional scenes due to the storyline we had to have a script which was well written and emotive. The first time I attempted it I was very bewildered as I had no clue on how to write an emotive script. To tackle this issue I went onto google and viewed other scripts which were similar to the one I was trying to achieve. These scripts were very helpful and also had an influence on my writing as I now had an idea what to write and how to write it.  In general, the script was a concern at first but then this problem was tackled with ease and was then accomplished by me on time. To be sincere I don’t think we could improve our storyboard or script in any way as me and my partner completed each task to the best of our ability. However, if we received some feedback from our class, I’m sure they would discover an aspect we could improve.

Evaluate your own, and your groups time management.

I believe that I managed my time very well as I had completed all the allocated tasks on time. The group’s time management was also managed well as my partner finished all her tasks on time. I also had the time to improve my work due the efficient time management.

How well have you presented your research and planning?

Presenting this task has been challenging. I had been recommended by my teacher to use a creative technology to present the research and planning on. The creative technology I decided to utilise was called ‘Xtranormal.’ This software had been unknown to me and at first I felt alienated by it as I did not have a clue how to use it. I went through the tutorials and this assisted me in getting to grips with the software. Once I had the basics and played around with some of the tools I started on producing my ‘Xtranormal’ film. This software had aided me in presenting my film in an unorthodox way and made this task much more interesting. Generally, I do believe that I have presented my research and planning well due to the platform in which I conveyed it in and also due to the creative technology I used;  these aspects made this task much more interesting to undertake and also easier to convey.

Research and Planning - Video

Sunday 27^th October

Location: West Street Bus Stop, Leytonstone E11

Contacts: Pamela 07769 123456

Crew: Pamela (director / camera / sound)

Saleh (director / camera / continuity)

Unit transport: 257 bus from Stratford (10^th stop)

Directions: When you arrive at the bus stop, we all will meet there and go to main (Pamela). 

Equipment: Mini-DV cam, tripod, 2 batteries, charger, 2 mini DV cassettes, MP3

Props: Couple’s photo, flowers, keys, ring, mobile phone, clothes for change

 

Call times: 11 am on location

11.15 am at Pamela’s house (crew and performers)

 

Schedule:    11.30- 13.30 SHOOT       Shots 1-5, 19-34, 42-50

13.30- 13.40 BREAK

13.40- 14.10 SHOOT       Shots 35-40, 52,

14.30- 15.00 SHOOT       Shots 7-17

15.00- 16.00 SHOOT       Shots 53-60

 

Shooting Order:

Scene	Shot No / Storyboard ref.	Int / Ext Time	Location	Characters
1	1-5	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Gabriela
4	19-23	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas & Gabriela
5	25	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas
6	26-31	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas
7	32-34	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas
10	42-43	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas & Gabriela
11	45-46	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas
12	48-50	Ext / day	Pamela’s house	Lucas & Gabriela
8	35-36	Ext / day	Pamela’s Road	Lucas
9	37-40 + 52	Ext / day	A car	Lucas
2	7-11	Ext / day	Whips Cross Park	Lucas & Gabriela
3	13-17	Ext / day	Whips Cross Park	Lucas & Gabriela
4	19-23	Ext / day	Whips Cross Park	Lucas & Gabriela
13	53-60	Ext / day	Whipss Cross Hospital	Lucas & Gabriela

 

Research and Planning - Video

Location release form

 

 



Research and Planning - Video

Talent release form

 

 



Research and Planning - Video

Risk Assessment

 

 



Research and Planning - Video

 

Storyboard

 

Research and Planning - Video

Short film script

Scene 1:

Character 1: Honey I’m home! (Heads up the stairs)

Character 1: (Finds letter and starts reading it) From your dearest fiancée. You may have noticed that I’ve not been myself lately. Things happen for a reason. A few weeks earlier I was notified by the doctor that I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. I don’t think it’s going be fair for you to live with that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I made you go through all this sadness. If only you could look through my heart to see who it is beating for, you would know the depth of my love for you. And no matter the seasons that will come and go you will always be here in my heart. I will be watching you from heaven; I will make sure that you are always safe. The time we’ve had together has been sown by perfection. But now our time has come to a halt. An eternal halt. When I met you it felt as if destiny brought us together but destiny has now also departed us in the coldest way. Writing this letter is piercing my heart into pieces. You're my heart, my best friend, and my one true love. I’ll always love you.

…..

WHAT!

Character 1: WHY! (Punches the dashboard in anger)

Character 1: (In the car) How did I not realise what we she was going through! This is all my fault.

(FLASHBACK SCENE 1)

Character 1: Honey wake up, its past 12. We need to go.

Character 2:  Please baby 10 more minutes, I’m really tired.

(FLASHBACK SCENE 2)

Character 1: Hospital?! Oh it must be nothing, just them normal women things.

(FLASHBACK SCENE 3)

Character 1: Honey what are these pills?

Character 2: (Grabs pills off him) It’s nothing! Don’t worry about it

Scene 2:

Character 1: This all makes sense now.

Research and Planning - Video

Concluding the recce was extremely supportive because when I went to take the pictures of our locations I visualised where we could shoot each scene and shot. And also helped me in finding any obstructions that could be there. This ultimately helped in completing the risk assessment form. The recce was a very helpful task.

Research and Planning - Video

Recce

Locations:

-          Whipps Cross Hospital

-          Whipps Cross Park

-          Pamela’s House

The image on the left is the room that we are going to use to shoot the beginning of the film. Checking out this location gave us a good notion of where we could place our characters and the kinds of shots that we can use. We are going to use this location to show the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist, as they are living together it illustrates that they are in a serious relationship. We are going to use this house as a motif to show the solidarity of the couple.

 

On the right is the hospital that we are going to use to show the antagonist coming out the hospital. Here we are going to shoot the penultimate scene where the crash scene takes place. The hospital is going to be used as another motif. Hospitals generally connote trouble and death. So therefore, we are using the hospital to abode that something bad is going to happen. The proximity between Pamela’s house and the hospital is very close, this another reason we’ve decided to use this specific hospital as moving between the hospital and Pamela’s house will not be time consuming therefore we will have more time to shoot.

 

On the right is the park we are going to use to shoot the scenes where the couple meet and develop their relationship. This is a good place to use as it is very quiet and this will make it easier for us to film as there will be no obstructions. This is also a nice setting to show romantic scenes. Another we reason we decided to use the park is because it is placed opposite the hospital and this also makes things easier for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and Planning - Video

Completing the treatment was very helpful, it helped us consolidationg our idea. Both me and my partner were very happy with our storyline and the locations we could use. Also the feedback from the class was extremely handy as it evolved our ideas. This lesson I tweaked the treatment and made some improvements to it. I showed my partner and she agreed with the idea's in the improved version of the treatment.

Research and Planning - Video

Treatment

(This is the improved version of our treatment which consists of the feedback, which was given by the class, fused into it)

The film is about a couple and the girlfriend has health issues which she does not want to disclose to her boyfriend, she believes that it is not fair on him that he has to live with her illness so she decides to leave him. So one day whilst the boyfriend is at work she decides to leave. She leaves in letter explaining her reasons for leaving. The film starts with the camera is going around the couple’s room and this will establish the scene, also here we will see a girl on the bed writing a letter but the camera goes past and does not really focus on her. Then we use a close up shot to zoom into a photo of the couple. As the camera is zoomed into the photo, here we will us editing to add in shots of the couple a few years back having a picnic. We will show how they got together through flashbacks. These scenes are going to be shot in the park. When the flashback ends the girl is shown walking out the room. An hour later we are introduced to the boyfriend and he is shown coming into the room, we will zoom into a clock to show time going past. As the protagonist patrols the room he discovers a letter by their photo, he opens it and reads it. He is shocked by what he is reading, reading through the letter he finds out about her illness and that she has decided to leave him.

 

He runs out the house and drives around looking for her. Millions of flashbacks are going through his mind at this point and he figures out that she has been rather strange lately. We will portray things such as the girlfriend being tired most of the time, looking very ill and so on. There will also be a key scene here where he finds a letter, whilst in the flashback, addressed from the hospital in her name but however he does not pay attention to it. Here he will find out that he might have been neglecting her. We will use the fade effect to convey each part of the flashback and the transition from one flashback to another and also in the end we repeatedly switch from one flashback to another to illustrate that the protagonist is going ballistic and is not in the right state of mind. He drives past the hospital thinking she might be in there so he turns back. Driving at full speed to reach the hospital so he can see what is dearest to him, his girlfriend, maybe for the last time. He drives closer and closer to the hospital and is at a ferocious speed, not aware of his surroundings. He is just focused on reaching that hospital. Suddenly as he looks at his windscreen he sees a woman, he breaks but not hard enough and the woman comes thumping onto the car and then the floor. He rushes out of his car to see that it is his girlfriend. The protagonist, in disbelief, looks down and the film ends. Our film is a romance film which has a very different twist to it and is different from the typical love film where the lovers reunite in the end. We believe this will appeal to our audience.

 

The genre of our film is romance/drama. Our audience is people aged between 16 to 25, as the couple in our film is a young couple. We’ve decided not to make our film no longer than four minutes as it would be too lengthy and may bore the audience. For our film we will need only two people and we want them to be engaged throughout the film. Everything in film happens in the same hour so therefore we will not need many props. The only place we will need some props is the scene where the protagonist is going through the flashbacks. For this we will only need a change of clothes for each character and this can easily be attended to. The location of the film is mostly going to be on the roads so therefore we thought we’d use small quiet estate roads so therefore it’d be easier to film the crash scene without causing trouble for the public and other drivers. We are still working on the getting our actors but this task can easily be handled as we know many people who will be willing to be in the film but we just need to pick the right person for each parts. We are planning our film to be mainly on youtube, this will be our main platform. We are also thinking of also uploading our film onto facebook.