Planning - Pitch

This is my pitch for my film idea.

Planning - Script - Feedback

Following from my first script draft, I received feedback suggesting how I may be able to improve.

Comments that were common included: 

• The need to name characters - this is important because, in a script, it gives the character more importance in the film, whereas just calling them "MAN 1" implies that they are just bystanders who  almost have no real significance. However, in my opening, I want to make it clear to the audience that these two character are incredibly important in the film. Therefore, the need to give them names are important. Here are my name ideas: 

MAN 1 will be called Sean Saunders, which he will be referred to as 'Mr Saunders' during this opening extract. 

MAN 2 will be called Hugh Banes which he will be referred to as 'Dr Banes' throughout this opening extract. 

• Application of correct structure/text - this will make the script an easier read, as well as making it more professional and understandable. This is an important aspect of script writing which I must get the hang of.

Other comments I received were: 

• "I think one flashback would be better, as you risk confusing the viewer" - this is a good suggestion because the idea is to present my ideas clearly. This is definately something which I will take into account. They also added "if you are going to use two, perhaps only use sounds for the first one and build up to a full flashback for the second. Again this is something I will think about as it's adding tension to the film as it's building up the sequence. 
• "I like how you've started and ended the film in the same way by referring to the lamp. This makes me feel like it has a meaning, and makes me want to watch more" 
• "Good use of a close up on the watch. It's planting seeds for further into the film" 

Planning - Audience interview

This is a short interview this a few people who I believe fir into my target audience group. I have asked them a few simple questions to get an idea of what sort of films they are into, and whether they would be interested the genre of my media product.

Planning - Script - First draft

This is my first draft of my script. In this draft I have tried to use the structure and style of the script mentioned before, which I found relativity difficult as I had to keep adjusting and readjusting things so as to only include what is really necessary.
As the is a first draft, I am willing to make changes and to modify it if any comments are made in which I can use to develop this idea further.


FADE IN:

INT. DARK ROOM - NIGHT

A lamp flashes on and reveals a man (MAN 1) sat in a chair on one side of a table. His face is bruised. He is handcuffed. There are lots of pieces of paper on a table in front of the man. A knife sticks out of the table. At the other side is a second man (MAN 2). His face is hidden beneath shadows.

MAN 2

Is he dead? 

MAN 1 nods.

FLASHBACK, screams are heard. Distorted visions of a river's rapids are seen. 

MAN 2, bites off pen lid and ticks a sheet of paper. As he removes the lid he grins. 

MAN 2

Your father would be proud.

MAN 1, raises his head. His voice is raised. 

MAN 1 

You don't speak about my father like that, I thought we had a deal. 

MAN 2, chuckles gently. He pauses.

FLASHBACK, more screams. A figure can be seen looming over the river.

MAN 2, pulls out a picture from his coat pocket. 

MAN 2 

I need you to do one more thing. 

MAN 2, he slides a picture across the table. He is wearing a silver watch, MAN 1 looks at the picture. He looks up and shakes his head slowly. MAN 2 smiles gently. He mutters under his breath. 

MAN 2

Pity. 

MAN 2 reaches over to the lamp in the center of the table. He flicks the switch. 

FADE IN: 

EXT. TOURIST DESTINATION - DAY

One man is taking a picture of a statue. His camera flashes. 

Planning - Script Writing

In class, we have begun to analyse the art of script writing, in preparation for the script we will be writing for our 2 minute film opening.
Script writing has a certain format which must be followed, in order to get a realistic view of how long the film will be, and for it to be clear and easy to follow.
Here is an example of the format for which to follow when writing a script:

Our first attempt at script writing was to produce the first minute of our 2 minute film opening. Problems I found when writing my script was keeping to this format, which is arguably the most important aspect. I had to keep referring to an example. However I feel that this is something which I will be able to overcome with practice.

Alfred Hitchcock - Case Study

In Alfred Hitcock's famous thriller - Psycho, 1960 - he encorporates many different techniques throughout. Thesae techniques allow us to subconsciously see into the rest of the film. They force our minds to make judgements, and provide extensive detail into the matrix of the film. Throughout this essay, I will be analysing Hithcock's techniques in three diferent scenes, and exploring just what makes this film one of the greatest in cinema history.

Scene 1

The first scene I will be analysing is the policeman scene; as Marion stops for the night at the side of a country road, she is joined by a menacing-looking figure of authority. At the begi8nning of the scene, a long shot is used. It seems to suggest someone is looking at her from a distance, which would reflect the idea of paranioa which the policeman would inflict on her currently fragile mind. The mise-en-scene of this shot tells us a lot about Marion's current mental position. The clear skies and peaceful fields that are involved in the shot connote freedom, as the countryside seems to offer a place that's away from the rest of civilisation. This therefore provides a paradise that enables her to clear her conscience. \nevertheless, the car proves to look out of place, as the black colour of the car is in total contrast to the surroundings. This suggests Marion is trying to almost disappear into the background, however is unable to because of the byrden she possesses.
As the policeman approaches the car, one thing I noticed was the use of binary opposition - strong, authoritive figure of the policeman compared to the vulnerable, fragile Marion. This really emphasises the position she is in, which enables us, as the viewer, to recognise her almost as a victim. This of course would reflect the proceedings of the film. A reaction shot is also used of Marion, after the policeman knocks on her window. Hitchcock used this shot to allow us to see the panic and paranoia that she felt as she saw the policeman. It positions us with her, and allows us to almost sympathise for her. This shot also ends up being a close up of Marion';s face from an angle so as the viewer is looking down onto her. This again puts her in the spotlight and emphasises her vulnerability. Hitchcock emphasises the importance of expression Marion's vulnerability and innocence for the majority of the time she has in the film.
As the policeman peers into the window, an incredible POV shot is used og him. This shot defines his position of authority as the threatening close up puts us oin the shoes of Marion. He is almost peering into her life, as the car symbolises her cinfinement and inability to escape from the situation she has got herself into. The mise-en-scene is also a key focus in this shot. The large, dark shades seem to cover a lot of his face, whic almost inflicts fear, as you are unaware of what lies behind them. In addition, the square-jawed, patriarchal WASP looks reflects the traditional steriotypical figure of authority, of which is typical of this time period.

Scene 2

The second scene I will be analysing is the scene of which the troubled Norman Batesd invites Marion into his parlour for a comforting supper. The mise-en-scene used in this scene is crucial towards the regognition of Norman's state of mind, whom at this time I suspected little of him in terms of mysterious behaviour. The use of stuffed birds resonates the feeling of threat of which Norman may be towards the innocent and unsuspecting Marion Crane. This is created by the birds seeming to be pouncing on prey, such as the first POV shot shows when Marion enters Norman's parlor  This enhances Marion's vulnerability, as well as reflecting perhaps Norman's inner predator.
Another technique used in this scene is the incredibly well manoeuvred shot - reverse shot sequence. To start with, Marion is accompanied by the lamp - the only light source in the room. This could perhaps reflect Norman's conscience, as he is seeing her as almost shining a new light onto his monotonous life. This nevertheless leads to her abrupt death, as the mother inside of him takes over to destroy any feeling he may had for her. As well as that, the shift to a low angle shot on Norman suggests that he has suddenly become dominant and powerful. This occurs after Marion addresses the way that his 'mother' speaks to him, therefore perhaps reflecting the protection of which he provides for her. This change in angle also creates a completely contrasting mise-en-scene to the previous shot. Firstly, the birds in the background seem to be overlooking the conversation, which could echo the power which the mother has over Norman, especially as it arises over a concern involving her. This therefore leads the viewer to believe that she is always watching them, which in a way she is, and results in the overpowering of Norman over Marion of which we experience is some elements of the scene. Secondly, the nude picture behind Norman connote innocence as well as being exotic, which is in contrast to the menacingly stuffed birds. This contrast could reflect the two sides of Norman's troubles psychological state of mind. On one hand you have the murdering, mysterious mother side to him which is represented by the owl, whereas on the other, you have Norman's charming, caring self of which has been expressed towards Marion and is represented by the pictures. They could also be foreshadowing events later in the film, as they link to the events in the shower scene which of course follows on from this scene.

Scene 3

The final scene of which I will be analysing is the famous shower scene. Hitchcock used an incredible number of techniques in this scene; therefore I am going to pick out the most important and influential, in my view.

First of all, the use of white tiles in this scene connotes innocence and cleanliness, which really reflects Marion's state of mind at this point. She finally seems to have overcome all of her troubles, and the white, stainless tiles echo the 'clean slate' from which her new life can be built on. This subtle technique used by Hitchcock again reflects how he uses the mise-en-scene to allow the viewers to see into Marion's head. This is perhaps one of the main contributors towards making this film one of the best in cinema history. In addition, the white colour almost leaves an empty space for someone or something to fill. This leaves us to believe that an event is going to happen, which increases the tension and anticipation of the audience. This masterpiece of a scene has influenced cinema right until this day. In fact, recent programs such as 'The Simpsons' have manipulated this into their own work.
Another technique used by Hitchcock in this scene is the use of the rule of thirds. This is used twice in this scene, the first being a dramatic irony, where the silhouetted figure of the killer opens Marion's bathroom door. This effect gives the viewer a feeling of fear, as the shower curtain distorts the figure making it almost ghost-like. This technique also focuses on the shot onto the figure, especially as the camera pans towards it. this creates expectation and also vulnerability as we are being forced towards the danger. In addition, it creates another binary opposition; the clean, white, innocent Marion is in contrast to the dark and mysterious body on the other side of the shower curtain. This allows us to sympathies for her, as we know that no good will be resolved from the presents of this mysterious body. The second time the rule of thirds is used is after the stabbing, where Marion only fills a small proportion of the screen. The technique, in this case, is almost distancing her from the 'clean slate' from which the tiles represent. This is shown as she has her back to them, and therefore distinguishes her from her new life. In this film, this technique is used to very good effect. Hitchcock doesn't overuse them, which gives off an even greater impression in the times that he does.
Another technique I picked out as one of the most important in this scene is the use of accelerated montage during the stabbing sequence. The flash-cuts increase the pace of the sequence, and therefore entices the viewer. There are also many different shot types included in the montage. One of which is a top shot. The shot, in this case, is used for disorientation as it gives a completely different angle on the proceeding events. In addition, extreme close-ups of Marion's face connotes pain, both mentally and physically, as it emphasises the straining of her mouth. As well as that, a low shot is used of the killer, which expresses the dominance and danger which it radiates. This technique is a crucial one in considering why this scene is an notorious as it has become.
In conclusion, lots of influential techniques have been used in all of these three scenes in Psycho. They are the pinnacle in determining why this film is as famous and as well-known as it is.

Preliminary task

In this task, we were asked to produce a sequence involving evidence of match-on-action, application of the 180 degree rule and shot-reverse shot whilst two people are having a conversation.
The evidence of match-on-action was present as one character opened the door - we used one shot to show him opening the door, and cut to a close up of when the door is opened. This proved quite effective, and I am quite pleased with how the editing turned out.
The evidence of the 180 degree rule was present during the conversation between the two characters. This rule enabled the editing to be professional, without disturbances in the eye-line match. The shot-reverse shot technique was also used during this conversation, as there was a cut between both characters in relation to who was speaking.
All in all, I think this task proved to be quite successful, as it seemed to flow continuously, and included all of the key aspects which were expected on this sequence.

Ident - WEB productions

This is my finished production company ident. The company name, as stated in my earlier post, is WEB productions. I kept to the same template as that which I created as a rough guide. This is something which I found helpful, as it enabled me to stay on track and keep the sequence concise and appropriate. I also found that I am beginning to feel comfortable with this sort of software. For this task, we used Adobe After Effects, which is fairly different to Adobe Premier Pro which I have been using for most of my other production work.
Things I found challenging when doing this task was keeping everything in time, and making the key frames fit into their approriate places. This, I believe, I will be able to over come with more practise with the software.
If i was t6o do this task again, I would have perhaps added sound as, as shown in my research, would have enhanced it, and perhpas made it more professional.

All things considered, however, I think that this has been a successful task.

Ident ideas - continued

I have had a change in ideas for my ident.
I thought that, because my chosen genre is detective and mystery, my ident will need to reflect this genre, and the idea I previously had, I thought, would not have been a suitable match.
However, I have come up with a second idea for my ident:

• It consists of a spider web, which connotes hidden secrets and mysterious happenings, as they are always in the corner, unseen and untouched. I feel this will reflect the genre well, as will therefore make this ident a more successful one. 
• It will also include the name 'WEB productions' as the company name. I felt this was a suitable name since it was relevant to the ident. 
• I have included a rough copy of my plan for this ident, which shows four simple stages of the ident. 

1. The first one shows a shot of a block of houses or a backstreet, which will sort of set the scene and create a sense of realism and reality into the ident. This somewhat reflects the title sequence of Hitchcock's North By Northwest, as the urban city-scape injects a sense of reality into the sequence. 
2. The second shows how the camera zooms out to focus onto the spiders web. 
3. The third introduces the production company name and the spider, which could become an important aspect in the company's ident. 
4. The final stage shows how the background, including the web, disapear leaving just the company name and the spider. This makes these elements stand out, which, in my opinion, is important when making a successful ident.

Genre research - Detective and mystery - Title Sequences

Since I have chosen Detective and Mystery to be the genre which I intend to peruse, I have been researching title sequences of some films from the Genre.

• Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo 

This, in my view, is an extremely effective title sequence. The use extreme close-ups on a face at the beginning of the sequence almost suggests someone is examining the person, which perhaps ties in with the detective - suspect scenario. Also, the ECL on the eyes connotes mystery as we, as the viewer, are almost thrown in with the assumption that this person has done something wrong, as when she looks around it almost suggests she's hiding from something. In addition, the use of a woman makes it all the more compelling as you feel she is more vulnerable than if you were to use a man.

Another aspect of this title sequence which makes it successful is the bridging shot between the woman's eyes and the notorious spiraling shapes which really begins to introduce the film. These shapes give the impression of falling, as we slowly zoom in on them it makes us feel like we are falling into them. This reflects the need to link the title sequence in with the story line.

This is something which I am going to need to do in order to make my title sequence an effective one.

In addition, the music in this title sequence is also effective. The constant increase and decrease in dynamics gives it an unpredictable edge, which not only makes it intriguing, but relates to the film in the sense that there are a lot of twists and unexpected turns in the plot. 

• Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (2009)

This is the end credit sequence from the latest Sherlock Holmes film. The effects used on this, in my view, make it very original and very effective. The transition from the real life to almost a sketch on paper reflects the genre very well. It connotes mystery as the drawings seem to suggest a plan of some sort, which pushes the viewer to make the assumption that something has/is happening. It almost makes the sequence incredibly dynamic. The freeze-framed action shots make the sequence engaging and perhaps reflects the action side of this genre, which links to the gangster roots of the genre.

Genre research - Detective and Mystery

I have been researching different film genres to try and help me decide which genre I am going to use for my final AS piece.
One film genre I am considering using is Detective and Mystery. Films in this genre include:

• Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

• Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo

• Roman Polanski's China Town

Detective - mystery  films are usually considered a sub-genre of crime/gangster films that focus on unsolved crime. They emphasize the detective or person (usually an ordinary, plain-clothed policeman or detective) solving the crime through clues and exceptional rational powers. The detective studies the intriguing reasons and events leading to the crime, and eventually determines the identity of the villain (a murderer, a master spy, an arch fiend, an unseen evil, or a malignant psychological force). The central character usually explores the unsolved crime, unmasks the perpetrator, and puts an end to the effects of the villainy.
Suspense is added as the protagonist struggles within the puzzle-like narrative to gather evidence and testimony, to investigate all motives, and to discover the one essential clue or fatal flaw/alibi that betrays the identity of the culprit. The detective (or main protagonist) often succeeds in cleverly trapping the killer or criminal where law-and-order officers and local police officials do not. Intensity, anxiety, and suspense build to an exciting climax, often with the detective (or protagonist) using his fists or gun to solve the crime.

If I used this genre, I would be keen to introduce a likable, sort of innocent character to whom people would be able to relate to as the detective/policeman. I believe this would engage the viewers, and make it a more effective opening. This is used in Hitchcock's Rear Window as the viewers are positioned with the policeman/detective, which allows them to get to know the character, and then allows them to sympathies with him when the film comes to its famous climax.