Evaluation

This is the website I have created for my evaluation:

http://sheepdawg08.wix.com/smax-evaluation

Final Construction (Opening Title Sequence)

This is the edit according to feedback we received about titles. The title of the film is now much more significant. We tried making the word 'In' in italics but in the end, we just cut up the title and extended it slightly.

Fatal Motive Final cut Feedback from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

Preliminary set task (Continuity Task)

Continuity Task from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

Job Allocation (Links to other posts)

We have had an idea as to the roles required on the day of filming as well as on other days. We have decided to write a list of roles (some discussed in previous posts) so we know exactly what we are responsible for. The list is as follows:

Note that musicians will not be required as I can play all the parts myself. and PhotoShop artist is also not needed

I have since made several posts expanding on how I carried out or experimented with these tasks. These posts act as a journal entry and evaluation of how each task was carried out:

• Composer (1) (2) (3)
• Casting (1) (2)
• Props (1) (2) (3)
• Storyboarding (1) (2)
• Camera Operator (1) (2) (3) (4)
• Lighting Operator (1)
• Foley Artist (1)
• Editor (1) (2) (3) (4)
• Audio Editor (1) (2)

Max has made posts on his jobs as well or his roles are detailed in mine (such as editing)

• Writer (1)
• Director (1)
• Locations Manager  (1) (2)
• Scripting (1) (2)
• Executive editor (1)
• Set Arrangement (1)
• Title Production (1) (2)

I have also made posts detailing the 'Other' Category:

• Animator (1)
• Cinematographer (1)
• Actors (under casting)

Actors feedback

The actors are really pleased with the final piece and are really happy to work with us again if we wanted to. They said they were extremely happy with the way it looked and how they were portrayed.

Group edit

Fatal Motive group showing from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

This is the video that I exported for after I edited the audio and we are showing several focus groups soon.

Audience Feedback

We plan on getting audience feedback With this final clip we have compiled:

Fatal Motive, Final from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

As mentioned in the Editing post, We had to go back and re-edit the titles as we didn't quality check the spelling, This has been a quick fix and we are now ready to present.

EDIT: We showed the film to our media class and we filmed it:

SMAX Feedback Group from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

We decided to put Max in charge of audience feedback and he gathered questions. We received feedback on our film being a neo noir based on reverse tracking and the music, which we understood. We also recieved feedback on audio levels being loud in places, but that was due to the volume of the piece when shown and in the context of the situation. The pen dropping is actually in the same soundclip and at the same volume as the voice so we decided to keep it.

We also had to answer questions based on thoughts that people believed were unintentional (such as the crackling voice clip), but when they were told why we made that decision, they agreed that it made sense.

We received positive feedback about the direction Max had given Jon (the antihero) regarding his movement, which was conventional, which we didn't really think of at the time but we are glad it came out the way it did.

A comment was made that it felt like a TV film, which is what we went for and we are glad it stood out as that sort of film. We also received feedback that the voice over helped to understand the story and characters, and since this was a late addition, we were pleased that it was a necessary addition.

We asked about tension and we found that they liked the build up of music and the slow motion, as they added to the suspense of the piece. They also said that we didn't give too much away, which was our intention from the beginning and we are happy that they want to know more than they do from watching the film.

When we asked about the titles, we were told that the font wasn't conventional and some of the titles could be shortened down. We agreed with this to an extent but typical noir films had more of the roles and credits at the start, and they understood the placement. We also received feedback that the main film title was unclear and it was really quick. We will remedy this immediately

We received an interesting comment about the fact that it felt like a trailer at the start, but then you understood that it was an opening title sequence once the other scene started playing.

We hope to play this to other groups and hand out questionnaires, to gain extra feedback and to see if the target audiences needs were met.

Music Problems

The music for the end sequence does not work in it's current state, this is due to the change of pace since our storyboarding changes. Before the change, we had a montage of pictures as the last scene, now we have an extended scene of the police role as we thought the montage was unnecessary and this is a better way of introducing the character.

This means that the fast paced, heavy music no longer works and I will have to revert to the earlier stage of the music to make it work but this means the conventions are kept truer to original film noir.

I am going back to the original idea as it is less intense feel and I believe it will fit a lot better. Here is the metal track:



And this is the original which I will be looking to re record:



EDIT: I have re-recorded a better version of the Jazz music as well as an extended version of the first piece which was changed to fit the length of the film better. This has been edited into the film.

Video editing

Over the past week or so, I have been up in the mac suite with Max and we have been editing the clips that we filmed last week together.I started by inputting all the clips we needed into the timeline, adding occasional effects such as transitions to test if they work. We then focused on making sure each clip lasted the correct amount of time and that the pace kept up with what we wanted. Here, Max overlooked my editing and ensured each clip lasted the right amount of time.

We then went about getting the right look from the clips. I went and changed the exposure and brightness of the clips, once again with Max looking over and making sure that the clip looked right. Once we had done this for one clip, we applied it to entire scenes. We monitored this for each individual scenes.

I then edited all the transitions together, which took a while to make sure that they lasted the correct amount of time. We played around with certain transitions to different sequences but the white flash fitted the best. Once we did this, it was up to Max to edit the titles together and then I exported it and edited it soundwise at home.

Audio Editing

 The audio editing was done partially on the Mac mini software iMovie 2013, but this was due to the footage containing dialogue and foleying that I wanted to sort out. The telephone ringing was a built in effect to the iMovie file defaults and this is why I edited it on there.

 I also tried the music editing there but this was a far too complicated mechanism for me to use. I am used to a separate channel under the timeline but this system was messing around with orders of footage and I had to reverse to a previous save before I started the audio editing. This meant I had to export the footage with some sound effects and dialogue and add everything else at home.

I was rather surprised with how quickly I finished the video once I took it home. I recorded reactions from the telephone and added distortion and echo, which made it sound like it was coming out the other end of the receiver. I added the gunshots that I had made using techniques from the video on foleying, edited the voice over and sorted out the music levels and added fades according to how I wanted to them to come in. 

An example of the interface I am used to.

Voiceover

Since our first rough edit, we have really thought hard about changes we could make to the scenes. We have considered a voiceover for a while now and after seeing the first scene, we feel that this is completely necessary for the piece to flow properly. We have decided to have a voiceover from the detective's perspective as this is a typical convention of noir films and can give some context to the scene.

Max has started the script and we hope to get this done as soon as we have finished the script.

EDIT: Max has got his dad to record the voiceover five times, each of which are slightly different, I will listen to all of them we will decide which is most suitable. We then have to place this properly, which Max will decide once he has seen the film.

EDIT: I have chosen Max's favourite, the third voiceover as it the most well spoken and the pauses are long enough for me to play around with.

Rough Cut

After playing around with the exposure and brightness of the clips, we have compiled a rough cut of the film:

Final production rough cut from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

The cut has no sound consideration and I think that this means it drags on a bit and once the music and sound effects are put in, the piece will flow better.

There are several things that people have pointed out to us that we haven't considered throughout the process. The first being the detective's accent, which does not fit with the rest of the voices or the mise-en-scene of the video at all. He's putting on a strong american accent whereas the others are using British accents. This means we will have to dub over this track if we want to resolve it. The issue is a setback but isn't too much of a hassle to fix or to keep (as people move countries).

The second thing we missed was the Femme Fatale's costume. Her dress is too short for the time period and she is wearing a bit too much makeup. We aren't interested in the fashion industry in any way so we weren't able to notice this at the time. Her costume is more of a modern take on the Femme Fatale and her costume would be good for a Neo-Noir setting instead of the classic 19050's setting.

Filming day 3

We switched the schedule around and are filming the office scene today so we can piece the rough cut tomorrow. We are focusing on continuity just as much as we have done with the second day of filming and we hope that we can get the perfect take that we will use for the final production.

Filming day 2

Today, we filmed the majority of the film and it was fast and effective. We arrived at the House Cafe around 4:00 to set up the place for the appropriate Mise-en-scene (we found that the place had several items, such as the radio, that fit really nicely) and the actors arrived at 4:30. We then went through the storyboard and carried out the filming. Max made sure furniture and the set was arranged well and directed the scenes, Matthew (the cinematographer) made sure it was all framed well and I set up the lights and camera equipment.

The actors were really easy to work with and enthusiastic about the piece and it was really relieving that this was the case. We filmed at the House Cafe for about half an hour, then we went with Jon to Elm hill, where we found that the location we had picked was too dark to film in so we chose another location, just across from the place we wanted to film initially. We then filmed for around 20 minutes and then we went home.

Apart from the location issue, we didn't face any problems and everything went as planned. The footage all looks good and we won't have to refilm anything from those scenes.

We are refilming the office scene tomorrow and we will be editing Friday for a rough idea of how the whole thing looks and what we will have left to do.

First day of filming

Yesterday, we filmed the office scene at Max's house with his dad. We thought the shots went well and the looked perfect but we didn't consider the actors facial expressions and body language s there are slight continuity errors. We think that unless we can find a way of editing it cleverly, we will have to refilm, which isn't a problem as we won't have any hassle rebooking actors or location. This has taught us just how much we need to consider this hen filming the rest of it today. The scene we edited is shown here:

office scene 1 from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

This has been a valuable lesson and I'm glad we made the mistake with this scene rather than the majority of the film. It does however show that we are good at getting the mise-en-scene and overall noir look right and that is very reassuring. The lighting looks perfect when edited in post and I think this scene will look amazing when refilmed.

Cinematographer

We are filming the majority of our film on two days, that means we need to get all roles completed for then. As we are a duo company, we need to get other people in to do jobs we are not competent in. I have therefore 'hired' my friend and A level Photography and Media student, Matthew Evans. I have worked with him in the past and I know he is more than competent and because we are good friends, he isn't afraid to tell me what to do. This makes him ideal for the role.

Today was the day I briefed him with exactly what I wanted from him. We went through the storyboard and I told him what I wanted things to look like and explored how he was going to carry out his role. He now knows exactly what we want from him and I am absolutely sure that he will add a level of quality to the footage we wouldn't usually get.

This is accepted practice in industry as camera operators may not have as trained an eye for detail that a cinematographer would have and the cinematographer may not have the technical skills to operate the camera.

EDIT 31st January: I am extremely happy with the decision to use Matthew as the Cinematographer, the shots look fantastic and he carried out the perfect job.

Music Final

These pieces are the final music pieces I have recorded for this piece.

The first piece is an adaptation upon the first jazz draft to make it more dark and heavy. This works as it sounds like a typical detective film song. I think this piece will work really well with the piece. I have had several people review and they all say that it works for what we wanted. 

The second piece is more of a sad piece, this will be where the murder takes place and the voiceover will be played over this. I think this piece breaks a lot of conventions but I think that the piece fits and we are creating a neo-noir so breaking typical noir films is not a problem.

Lighting Overview

As I have all the equipment necessary, I have been allocated the role of lighting operator. I have had previous experience with this as I have operated lights for short films before as well as setting lights up for school plays. I think this gives me a relative understanding of how things should be lit and I hope I can use my previous experience to my advantage here.

I have access to studio quality lights and I know that one of them is all we need. The scenes will be filmed in a relatively bright setting (for more control), which will then be darkened down and maybe I will mess around with other settings in case a change in brightness isn't enough.

EDIT: this is a shot from the blinds that the studio light shined through to the detective scene. This gave me a level of control of the light's reach as well as intensity. 

EDIT: The effect generated from this was commented on and they thought it was a really nice effect that made the piece look more professional.

Planning for Sunday (Updated)

We are filming all scenes with the detective on sunday. We have gone through our animatic to see exactly what we need to film so we don't waste time. We are filming at elm's hill at 1pm and the phone scene at 5pm. This means we have the light exactly how we want it and we will be able to get the exact shot we wanted.

UPDATE 27th January: We were not able to film on this day, but we have arranged to do the phone scene on tuesday. This means we will still have the scene done in time for me to edit when the other scenes are completed. 

Actors Scheduling Problems

Our female actress Marie has pulled out of the process, this is because she didn't realise we would need to film in the evening, which is when she works. We have therefore chosen another Actress, Natalie. She has a good showreel and looks the part. This is a setback and now we have to wait until next wednesday. This means that we have to have everything else decided before we film the clips so then I can just put the clips in and the film will be finished. We are filming the parts with Max's dad on sunday.

I think that this may be a potentially more appropriate role and that Natalie looks more like a Femme Fatale and Marie looks like a girl next door than the character we want.

Natalie, Our new Femme Fatale

Marie, our old Femme Fatale

Props: Final Items (Draft)

I have discussed in previous posts Props we will use and alternatives. I have now obtained all the props neccesary for the film. Here is a list of them.

We are using a realistic revolver toy

Honeyrose Herbal Cigarettes.

Gold, Plain Zippo Lighter

Kershaw penguin eight 20 camera


Spray painted Rotary phone base and mobile phone reciever

Composing Music for the Other Scenes

It has been a while since I have considered the music and It has come to my attention that I have only produced one piece of music for the film. As there is three scenes, I have to compose for at least two of them (I think the second scene will be silent). I have been struggling to see how Jazzy music from that era will fit with a murder scene (other than Juxtaposition, which I do not want to do). I will be experimenting with music as soon as I get home and I shall be recording the process to show evidence.

UPDATE: I had no such luck with music composition so I shall not be uploading the video. Since then, I brought my guitar and recording system into the school and pitched some earlier ideas at Max, We decided on one that will be put below. This took a while to make sinister and appropriate for the piece but I feel that I have done so effectively. This adds a layer of depth to the scene and compliments the scene in a way that shows the antihero's feelings of the murder.. 



As this scene is to appear once again in the middle of the film, The music has a second meaning. It has a sad, romantic feel to it before it gets sinister and the distorted guitar kicks in. This is because (as the rest of the Opening title Sequence implies) he is doing something he never thought he could for love. This means that the scene fits really well as the final piece for the music. I also think a voiceover will work over this piece really well.

Reverse Tracking (link)

Here shows me experimenting with one of the more difficult shots in the film:

SMAX Reverse tracking from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

I believe the results were respectable and I will be happy to achieve this on the day of filming.

The limitation we have is we are not in possession of a dolly track. This is the most common way to produce this effect (shown below).



Since this post, I have received a camera mount for shoulders to keep moving shots steady. This will help the shot look more professional and is easier on me for filming.

Casting

The listing I put up onto StarNow.co.uk

Casting was a problem we had pretty much from the start. As the film requires adults, we didn't know many people in the acting business. We always said that the role of policeman was to be played by Max's dad but apart from that, we were a bit stuck for ideas. I asked around on Facebook if anyone knew people that would be up for acting but didn't get any serious replies. After chat about using teachers, I found a website called Starnow.co.uk in which people advertise for actors and actresses. I put up a listing for a Femme Fatale and Antihero roles on this website with little hope and left it on just in case anyone wanted to act. I was sure to explain that these roles were unpaid and described exactly what was needed in the role.

I was surprised with the swiftness of everything and within a day I got two replies for the antihero role. One of which was Jon Bennett,  An actor an model that seemed keen for the opportunity and reassured me he had the costume. Upon inspection, he seemed perfect and I contacted him and gave him the script. He was happy and was looking forward to filming. I chose him compared to other applicants because he seemed to look most believable for the role.

The actors we are using for the final film.

We also got two applicants for the role of the Femme Fatale. The first not being located in Norwich and we couldn't arrange transport. We then received a Message from Marie Blake and she also seemed keen. We sent her the script and she was also excited to film.

We have informed them on days we can film and we have reached a decision to film next Wednesday (15th January) to film all the scenes involving them. We will film all other scenes next Saturday (18th January) for the other scenes.

Costume

We have recently started to consider the costume for Max, who will be acting as the body for the daytime scene. He owns an appropriate, black jacket and trouser set but we needed a hat. We looked in the media department and found two that were suitable. We are using the one on the left as it is in better condition and overall looks better with the rest of the costume.

Certificate

The film we intend on producing (Fatal Motive) will be a 12 or a 12A. This is based on the following

• Drug use (Smoking)
• Violence and Gore (Gun, Blood)
• Implied Sexual Content

Were we to produce the full film, These issues would be shown more frequently, but not intensified or glorified. The decision to certify the film as a 12 or 12A is based on the list from the BBFC website (mentioned in this post: http://asmediastudiessamshepherd2013.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/bbfc-and-guidelines.html)

This does not affect our target audience in any way as we are producing the film for people our own age. This does not restrict the audience from viewing the film in any way. 

Props Continued

The Kershaw Penguin

 Since I have started to find out about where I can source the props for this film, I have found several potential candidates. The camera is the biggest example of this as I have been able to get hands on with several cameras from the era that I need. The first is a kershaw penguin eight 20 camera which is pretty much mint condition which is essential to make people believe it is in that time period. The second example is a Seagull 120 film camera which is also in excellent condition. These are both from the photography department within the school so these are easy to borrow.

The Seagull 120 film Camera

The issue is that the seagull was originally made in 1964 which is way past our proposed timeline and whilst it does look like a vintage camera, it does not fit into the timeline we had hoped and we have therefore decided to use the Kershaw camera.  This is quite a good decision in my book as the seagull is nowhere near as iconic as the penguin.

The gun has also been re-evaluated and we have found a viable alternative to the one we had before (which Max pointed out was unobtainable in the United Kingdom). I shall be obtaining this within the next few days.

Copyright

Copyright is the protection of intellectual property, this can be any form of media from songs to literary works. The use of said property without authenticated permission from the owner is breaking copyright and law.

This is no issue of ours as we are creating all the logos, film and sound ourselves. I have proof of this in terms of music as that is all we have produced. This proof documents me writing and recording the piece. We also intend on doing this sort of thing for all other pieces that we produce.

Studio Name and Animation

From the beginning of the storyboarding process, we have established that our company name is SMAX studios. We tried to play around with logos but we didn't really want to stray from the initial design shown to the right. This is because it looks classic and is a quintessential logo design. We couldn't come up with any other drafts that we were any happier with. We knew we wanted to adapt it but we couldn't think of a way to improve upon it. Max came up with the idea of someone shooting something to complete the x and we were given time to think about it. I created this picture to show him what it would look like:

This is when we started playing around with the idea of a live action sequence. We started to think about starting the film with a clip as most studios do. This is when I said it would be much simpler to create using animation rather than live action as we would not need to use green screen and we could always go back and edit minor details whereas live action would require filming again. We then drew up this storyboard:


This adds a bit of fluidity to the beginning of the film as well as establishes the genre. The easiest way to carry this out would be to animate it. I know someone that could produce a high quality flash animation for us or I could attempt it myself. This depends on the time I have and commitments to other sections of the production of the film. I still feel that if I tell the Animator exactly what I want and give him a detailed description of the look of the models as well as the storyboard, it will still be considered our idea and work.

UPDATE: I have chosen to get my good friend Ben Lynch to animate the opening, I briefed him in the video here: 
https://vimeo.com/82369598

This is the first draft he sent me a day after I briefed him: 

I sent him feedback and he quickly returned with this: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByI99hlaIcanQ1pHdnYwX2JjdWs/edit?usp=sharing

An addition that he came up with and informed me about was the light movement and it add a slight feel of realism as the light would definitely move if shot.

Location

As Max is in charge of location, he has found several potential locations that we both want to use. The post can be found here: http://asmediastudiesmaxshearman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/locations-for-filming.html

the locations are exactly what I hope we'd find as they are not very modern and fit in with our film's timeline.

Fatal Motive: Genre (draft)

Our film went through several changes (from Film Noir to Neo-Noir) so the evidence o the blog seems rather unclear. We are creating a faithful Neo-Noir piece. We are trying to remain as authentic as possible in terms of Mise-En-Scene and atmosphere. This means we want to use a similar sort of music. In a previous post (Linked here) I composed a piece of Jazz to fit with the ilm which was very successful. I may experiment with other pieces but I feel that this is a fit for purpose piece of music for the genre.

We will however be using less conventional camera techniques (such as Reverse Tracking) which I believe to be good looking shots. I experimented with reverse tracking (on a post here) and believe I can achieve a good effect. We will also be using flash animation for the introduction.

Animatic: Fatal Motive (draft)

In today's lesson, Max and I produced an animatic for the shots we have in mind as they appear currently. This helped the ideas we had in terms of flashes, credits and camera movement come to life and we were very happy with the results.

Fatal Motive Animatic from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

We came across an issue with the music which I'm glad we flagged up as soon as it was. The jazz I came up with does not work for the scene I wrote it for. This is not an issue as with a couple more bars of drums at the beginning, the music fits perfectly for the later scene in which the credits start and it ends really well. In the animatic, the music is placed where it should end as opposed to where it starts. Apart from that, we are very happy with the results and we think that nothing major needs to be changed.

Music Consideration

I have created a piece we both believe to be suitable, I have footage of me creating it so that the examiner is assured it is all original.



Max wanted some jazz that built up to a climax, and I believe this does that quite well. Therefore, I think this piece will work.

UPDATE: Since the production of the animatic, we have found that the music works well as the end scene but doesn't fit well as the establishing scene. I will rerecord with an actual Bass guitar and maybe add more guitar layers.

Fatal Motive: Audience and Distribution

We needed to decide on an audience for our film and we were quickly on the same page. The audience we decided upon were teems (predominantly male) that have a relative disposable income. This is because of our proposed distribution method. We have said that if we were to produce the full film, we would stream it. This is due to the lack of hugely expensive equipment and lack of budget to distribute it elsewhere. We talked about art house cinema but we decided against it in the end.

Props

The list of responsibilities shows that we need a few props, so I have done some research into vintage cameras, I found a website that shows cameras first produced in the 40's.
http://licm.org.uk/livingImage/1940Room.html
This website is a vital resource for helping us get the right looking camera for the time.

I have looked at a flash for these cameras as this would improve the scene and found this:
http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/166389687/1940s50s-pocket-flash-gun?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_listing_promoted_en_gb&utm_campaign=vintage_low

This would add an aesthetic touch to the scene and would make in more believable. I do however believe that this is not an essential component.

I have found a potential prop for the gun:

http://www.airyear.com/revolver-shaped-windproof-lighter-with-jacket-p-38600.html

This is a cheap way to get an appropriate prop and I think it looks rather realistic.

I have emailed my friend James Ivett about a rotary phone as he was able to get hold of a replica last time one was needed, I have not got a reply as of yet.

The Zippo lighter will be courtesy of my friend Benny Herrington who has one and will happily lend me the item.

I will purchase herbal cigarettes so the smoking will look realistic.

The fake blood will be made with the techniques and items shown in this video:

The furniture, is something I am relying on people I know already having or worst coming to the worst, furniture will be hidden in darkness to stop anyone seeing that it is modern

Further planning

After last lesson's rough story plan, we decided to spend some time thinking about everything we will need to get before we can film. We have made some mild changes to the story just to establish a link between the shooting and the antihero (which will be evidenced in the storyboard) but this really doesn't affect the narrative. Here is a list we came up with all the things that we will need for the filming:

I have already emailed or contacted several people about music and props and I am now awaiting a response.


Initial story planning

Today, we decided who we were going to be working with and creating our final production with. I chose to work with Max as he seemed focused and capable and I believe that we work well together. The problem I thought we were going to encounter is his lack of media experience but it has yet to hinder us. He seems to be the driving force in terms of narrative and the storyline he has proposed is a really solid plot. We have made changes to weaker points in the plot to make it fit better with the noir theme but I really like the idea of the proposed plot as I think that we can experiment with lighting and produce a great looking piece.

The initial proposed storyline. We have added places for credits to go and changed minor details.

We then decided to plan the shots in the form of a condensed, brief storyboard. This was to get the narrative plot in our heads and to start to visualise the piece. Also, we got a better idea of how the shots would fit with one another and we could build upon our ideas from here. I found this helpful to grasp exactly what max wanted from the storyline and I could see what I liked and didn't.

 This is an example of changes we have made, I felt the knife wasn't in conjunction with the film noir genre and Max agreed. Since this photograph was taken, we added several shots that link the narrative better.

This will be the sequence in which the credits roll over, This is shown in the previous sheet with the post it saying 'Credits'. We have since refined what we want to put in here and there is more of a narrative flow. We have also decided to use a rotary phone and an old style film camera to cooperate with the expected mise-en-scene of the genre.

This is one of my proposed ideas for how we could introduce the street and the pictures could have replaced the jump shots. We discussed it's advantages and disadvantages and we decided there were too many impracticalities and it wouldn't have been a great aesthetic improvement. For this to work, we would have to either take original pictures or source photos from a third party and then style them as actual 40's photographs, then decide on how to film. For little benefit, it is a lot of work and we don't think it is worth our time.

All in all, I think this was a very productive lesson and we worked efficiently and effectively as a team. I am genuinely excited to get this sorted out and cannot wait to see the final film.

Foleying

Foleying is a simple process in which you recreate the sound effects of films. For example you can tap objects repeatedly against sand to produce a similar sound you expect to see along with horse riding. 

This is a video showing that example by a professional Foley artist called Gary Hecker:

I had a go with foleying a gunshot effect to see the ways in which I could use different objects for a sound effect completely unrelated to the sound needed. I chose the gunshot because you have to be creative if you want a gunshot effect as guns are hard to get original footage for and even harder to obtain one. The video shows the attempts I had at creating the sound effect:

I left some weaker attempts out of the video, for example an empty crisp packet as the sound was nowhere near enough to drown out the sound of me smacking it and the bang itself was weak. I chose the air packets as they had a nice echo that seemed like genuine diegetic echo and the bang was full and loud.

From this, I have learnt how to think creatively about objects and generally how important foleying is when considering sound you cannot create on the day of filming. I shall have to consider any foleying attempts necessary when planning and filming the final production. 

Continuity Task

We were given the task to produce the video below. The specification is detailed here:
http://asmediastudiessamshepherd2013.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-brief-continuity-task.html
The planning post can be found here:

This is the final production that we are presenting. I am quite pleased with it so far despite the lack of sound effects. I think they may not need to be added and the piece definitely works without it.
Continuity Task from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

Neo Noir Analysis (Improved Draft)

We watched several neo noir and noted how they both follow and break conventions. We looked at three films, Blade Runner, Red Riding 1974 and Mulholland Drive.

I have created a HTML table for this blog using http://truben.no/latex/table/ and I found this a good way of creating blog friendly lists for comparison. One problem is that there is little way for me to elaborate on the points I am making in further detail. Another is that it is not very visual or aesthetically pleasing and this bothers me.

Conventional Of Film Noir	Unconventional Of Film Noir
Swing music	Tension building music
Shadows	Bright and Vibrant
Femme Fatales	Happy Mood
Starts at the end	Superimposition
Urban Setting	Two Femme Fatales
Typical 1940's Costume	Car Crash (High budget SFX)
Red Lipstick	Modern Handgun
Cigarette Smoke	Set in LA (Not Chicago or New York)

I have made a mind map for Red Riding 1974 and I found Mind42 an effective way of doing so. I may use this for the future. It does however have the same problem as the HTML table as it does not let me elaborate on detail where needed.

All in all, I found that Neo-Noir is very experimental with different conventions whilst keeping certain aspects(such as narrative and Chiaroscuro). The Iconography is something that seems to remain constantly faithful. 

In my final production, I intend to set it in the 40's, which means I need to focus on iconography. I will also use chiaroscuro and try to use 40's style music. I will also use typical Film Noir characters such as the Femme Fatale and Antihero. I will however be breaking convention by using colour

Makeup Considerations

As I have already done this unit already, I know where my strengths and weaknesses are in terms of planning aspects of the film.One of the areas I lacked was costume and makeup, mainly with fake blood. In our last production, we had to cut a scene from the cut because the fake blood looked too pink. We had put no consideration into testing the blood beforehand and it looked unconvincing. This time around, I shall be considering this as and wen the scene is needed. This video depicts a masterclass on how to represent horror makeup.

BBFC and Guidelines

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is a company responsible for certifying all films screened in the Britain according to how certain age groups will view it. The BBFC give certificates according to the content of the film. This content can include:

-Discrimination
-Drugs
-Horror
-Imitable Behaviour
-Language
-Nudity
-Sex
-Theme
-Violence
-Titles

They may also give warnings if it is obvious it could induce seisures or cause harm and distress to any viewers if they have trouble with Photo or pattern sensitivity, motion sickness and reactions to low frequency sound.
All of the guidelines as well as the research to which the guidelines are based on can be downloaded on the BBFC Website

Lucy Brett from the BBFC joins us for FILMCLUB Live from FILMCLUB on Vimeo.

Planning the Continuity Task

So initially, we had a few concepts and then we spent a lesson playing around with narratives and scenes that most of us agreed on (Georgia wasn't present but she did like the narrative). Whilst we were all giving Ideas, half the group spent time doing a very rough storyboard for scenes we liked or wanted to see if they would work. After this lesson, I decided to redraw the storyboard for a more concise shot list with better consideration for framing. I also created a rough draft of the script to establish lines of dialogue and discourage improvisation. 

The Brief: Continuity Task

We were told to get into groups and produce a video. This video had to be created to certain specifications. We were told that someone has to walk through the door and exchange a few lines of dialogue whilst showing our understanding of the 180 degree rule. We also had to be aware of continuity within the film.

I worked with Chris, Sam, Max and Georgia as we have a wide range of skills and I believe the film should come out well. I will be acting as well as Sam, Georgia will be directing and Chris and Max have chosen to operate the cameras. This is to highlight our strengths and to experiment with weaknesses we have to see if we can overcome them.

Storyboard Vs Animatic

As I am now planning out my continuity task, I thought I should compare planning methods. As I also did this last year I believe I have a good understanding of what is asked of me. Last year, we produced a storyboard and an animatic to plan our preliminary task so I thought these examples would be the perfect way to show the advantages and disadvantages.

The animatic is good for later planning once you know what you are producing and have already produced a storyboard and script. This allows you to show the length of shots and see if any parts last too long and need slight edition. Producing this does mean you already need a detailed plan of the film to produce and as I am in a small group, we all have similar ideas as to how it will come out. This means a visual representation may be unnecessary.

The storyboard for me is the bare minimum when planning a film's camera and composition. This means you can choose which shots to use where early on in the planning of the piece and discourages improvising. This does not however show any indication of editing etc and only detailed ones will have sound plans to accompany them.

So in my experience, I have found the storyboard most useful and the most convenient as you have to produce a storyboard, sound plan and script for an animatic. By then, I feel that you have a fair understanding of how everything is going to be edited and the time you spend divising that, you could be filming. I also feel that you rarely find a shot lasts too long or not long enough when you get this far in the planning stages.

Genre

This video explains genres, hybrid genres and sub genres and how it affects audiences as well as institutions and industries.

Genre and Sub-Genre from Sam SheepDawg-OEight on Vimeo.

Experimenting with Film Noir imagery (Draft)

We were given the task of creating photographs that explore the use of Chiaroscuro in noir as well as the use of noir imagery. This is so we can get a better understanding of how to use such techniques when we create our own film noir piece. The results we got were some quite interesting shots with the use of shadows and light. We also used props to create the feel of typical film noir characters. We then used simple editing techniques (E.g. Desaturation) to enhance these photographs to give typical looking noir imagery.

This shot is one of the best in terms of Chiaroscuro, this gives a really good backlight on the man with the gun pointed at him and gives just enough light to highlight the arm holding the gun. Guns are in a lot of films and they have become accepted as Iconography for the genre. I intend to experiment with backlighting and silhouettes in my film to add mystery to certain characters and maybe use them as an establishing tool.

This shot came out really well for how we wanted to experiment with light. We have a concentrated, powerful light focused on the girl in this picture and she is applying Lipstick in the mirror.  Not only does the light contrast extremely well, but lipstick is another signifier of film noir. I really like the difference in light and I think I will aim for an effect like this in my final production. 

This Photo really highlights some of the conventional characters in a Film Noir. It shows the Protagonist and the Femme Fatale and this usage of costume really gives a good effect. This picture has been desaturated and contrast has gone up slightly to really enhance the photo. When it comes to costume for our film, this style seems to work incredibly well and I see no reason not to try and recreate it.

Film Noir Characters (improved)

Film Noir is a genre that has many of the characters already predetermined. The characters are the basis of a generic film noir plot. Characters such as the Femme Fatale play a role in the film as she will usually corrupt or lure the hero or antihero whether she works for the villain or she is in turn, the villain. Each generic character is described below.

An example of an Antihero from Sin City

Male
Hero (Protagonist)
Villain (Antagonist)
Antihero (Transforms form the Antagonist to the Protagonist) - Redemption, lust, flawed
Sidekick (Police/ Moral Majority)
Extras (Side plots/Workers/Crowds)
Female
Femme Fatale - Sexuality, Danger, Risk, Antagonist, Forbidden.
Girl Next door (Redemptive Woman) - Salvation, Honour, Sacrifice, Courage, Redemption.

Sin city has examples of all of them, especially as there are several stories revolving around different characters. This film may help when writing the characters for my film

(from left to right) Femme Fatale, Girl Next Door, Antiheroes and sidekicks (female sidekick it unconventional)

WHAT IS FILM NOIR?

Film Noir refers to a genre of film that spawned in the 1940's. The term "Film Noir" simply means black film and refers to the experimentation with lighting (or chiaroscuro). The Films will usually feature guns, smoke, and overly sexual women for the time. The owner of filmsnoir.net described the genre in a way I completely agree with: "I consider a movie a film noir if it has a “noir sensibility”. This sensibility must have a redemptive focus for me to value a film, whether redemption is achieved or not. This is what the great films noir have in common: a profoundly and deeply human response to the chaos and random contingency at the edge of existence." The theme of redempion is a common factor in many of the most critically acclaimed films of the genre and in a way, this theme is what draws many people to the films.

The target audience for film noir  titles is discussed in the slideshare below. I agree with the presentation to an extent. I do think the genre is aimed at males with the violence, crime, and women. I believe that the target audience has greatly changed since the genre has been established. At this point in time, the audience varies way too much to distinguish a certain demographic. Back in the time these films were made, they were rather explicit for the time and likely not made for a young audience. I would therefore say that these films were aimed at men between the ages of 20-40.
  

Film Noir target audience from SFDobson94

Audience and Pete Buckingham

An audience is a group of people experiencing an event.
(From audience)
Active - Preferred: an audience that is targeted.
Passive - Oppositional: Not the expected audience.

Preferred and Oppositional refer to How the experience is recieved as opposed to how it is sent.

Distribution: How the media is shown to an audience Streamed/Cinema Ticket/ DVD bought/TV broadcast Buy DVD
Rent DVD
Illegal Streaming
Legal Streaming
Download
Watch on TV/Freeview/Cable/Satellite
Pay to view
Cinema (Art-House, Multiplex)

Exhibition: How the media is watched from industry to audience.

Traditionalists

Streaming/Rental - Modern technology allows cheap, easy, immediate access.
Audience capability: Digital Processes

Audience pete buckingham what people go to see from Elaine Humpleby

This presentation is a visual representation of Pete Buckingham's paper that I will be referencing throughout the rest of the post.

Pete Buckingham suggest that several factors effect audience patterns in the UK. There is evidence that most international audiences follow similar patterns. These patterns are as follows:

• Level of Education and job status - He states that more educated people and therefore, people with higher class jobs such as ABC1's make up a higher population of cinema goers than people in the other categories. He says "ABC1's represent 49% of the population, but 60% of the cinema audience which increases to 66% amongst heavy cinema goers." This implies that a higher level of education makes a person more likely to go to the cinema. This Is because they would have more disposable income to spare so they can afford the cinema more often than people who have lower paid jobs.
• Age - He shows statistics that suggest that younger audiences (ages 15-24) make up a high amount of cinema goers. This trend drops as ages 35-44 make up a lower amount than the previous group and 55+ represent a low amount. People of ages 15-24 make up 32% of the population but 40% of cinema goers. People of ages 35-44 make up 38% of the population and  35% of cinema goers. People of ages 55+ make up 34% of the population but only 20% of cinema goers.

According to Pete Buckingham's method of classifying audience, I am closest to the hero seeker as I don't watch many films at the cinema (around 2 or 3 a year) and I never go on impulse, it is always well planned. The problem I have with this classification is that the groups are quite stereotypical and not everyone that follows certain trends mentioned will follow others and therefore, make them hard to classify.

Buying films on DVD Is the most frequent way through which I watch Films. I usually watch these with family although I do watch some with friends or by myself, depending on the interest they have for the film. I spend about 4-5 hours watching these a week. I do this traditionally.

I use Legal Streaming to watch a small majority of the films I watch, I do this at home, on my Xbox 360 console or my laptop alone. I tend to watch about one film a month using this method. I do this Hedonistically.
TV is the third most frequent way in which I experience film. I do this both alone and with others. I will tend to watch one film a month depending on what channels are broadcasting at the time. I will never plan to watch films on TV, I will just happen to find films on different channels. I do this traditionally.

If I were to want to find out more about audience trends, I could use all sorts of means and tools:

• Online surveys (Primary research)
• Interview and vox pops (Primary research)
• Statistics from Cinema's or BFI ( Secondary research)