Thursday, 16 December 2010
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Filming My Planned Shots (from my storyboard)
Setting - I decided to film my footage when it begun to get dark so that there would be no natural daylight because I wanted the lighting to be eerie and slightly artificial. I filmed the short shots in my house as they were mainly focused on Emma's face or body so her surroundings weren't really important. I filmed the main shot (of Emma running) outside on a grassy area with no other lights (eg streetlamps) to create a more mysterious feel.
Camera Angles&Shots -I wanted to include a range of shots that demonstrated varied angles. For example I filmed one shot that involved shooting my female character's hand from a worm's eye angle - this is an angle that is quite unusual so makes the viewer think twice about what they are seeing. As most of my shots were very short (1-3 seconds) I didn't need a tripod to steady my shots, I felt that I was able to do this with a steady hand. However, on my longer shots of Emma running I decided that I needed to use a tripod to make the camera perfectly still. On these shots (of Emma running) I wanted to film her running but from slightly different angles. Therefore I made sure she ran across the same area, so that when I come to edit these shots I can maintain continuity. As well as including different angles I wanted to include long-shots, mid-shots and close-ups to create further variety and depth to my finished product.
Lighting - I wanted to include a variety of different lighting techniques to create a contrast between light and dark, and natural and artificial. For some shots I used normal household lights to create a more realistic look to the shots. For example there is a shot of Emma sitting on a set of stairs with 'normal' light from behind her that puts her in shadow. The contrast between her shadow/almost silhouette and the realistic lighting I feel creates a more eerie atmosphere. I also used candle light in one shot as it flickered slightly which created some movement in the shot, and gave a softer light to Emma's face. As well as using these more 'normal', realistic lighting techniques I also wanted to use lighting that really played an important role in creating 'the look' of a shot. In my main shots of Emma running I attached a large light on the end of a stick which I got someone to hold behind Emma about the height of her shoulders. When filming in front of the light I was able to create lens flares which I feel created an interesting effect. The lens flares also created transparent circular blocks of colour which contrasted effectively with the darker, more rural setting.
Costume & Make-up - Being the main character in my trailer, I felt Emma's costume and make-up was important. As the main shot for the trailer involved Emma running I wanted to put her in a dress that would create more movement in the scene. I decided to put her in a khaki coloured dress that was very floaty so moved a lot when Emma did. The material was slightly sheer, so this was effective in the scene where I had a strong light behind Emma (as it shone through areas of the dress). The makeup idea for Emma was based heavily on the idea of a 'femme fatale' character; I used black eye make-up and red lipstick to give her a sophisticated edge. I feel that the combination of the makeup and costume used gave Emma a feminine look, but also a modern edge that the viewers could relate to.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Storyboard For My Teaser Trailer
- My storyboard includes a range of shots as I wanted to create as much interest that I could in a short space of time. However, I didn't include the specific timings (on the edge of the storyboard) because I didn't want to be restricted to a certain time period. Although I don't have a specific time period I know that it will be roughly 40 seconds because it is a teaser trailer that I have to create rather than a full length trailer.
- Within my set of shots I wanted to have a certain scene that underpins the whole trailer so it isn't too disjointed. In this case it is the one of the female character (Emma) running, which in my editing I hope to rewind and put in slow motion (so it looks as if she is running backwards). I recorded a number of shots of this same scene from different angles to add variety to the trailer. To feed from this paticular set of shots I recorded a series of short (about 1-2seconds) shots that were at angles and perspectives that the viewer may find disorienating (such as dutch tilts) - this will hopefully add a sense of ambiguity to my psychological thriller teaser trailer.
- For all my shots on the storyboard I have put 'no dialogue' in the description. This is because the only sound I want to include is a non-diegetic music track. I feel that by having no diegetic sound I can create a more eerie, detached feel where the viewer isn't necessarily focused on what's happening in the shots - rather more the look of the shots. At the moment my chosen piece of music is a Kings Of Leon remix of the song 'Closer'. The entire track has an errie, isolated feel to it, but the beginning and end of the song (with no vocals) has more of this feel. In the Adobe Premier Pro software I would be able to cut out these parts of the track to fit to my time period of roughly 40 seconds.
- In most of my shots I want to focus on the importance of lighting and having a variety of lighting -especially in my main shots of Emma running. I want to create lighting that adds further interest to the shots (such as lens flares) and where there is a contrast between light and dark. I feel that this would contribute to the Film Noir style.
Monday, 18 October 2010
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Magazine Title
For my second task I have decided to create a magazine front cover (featuring my film). I decided on the name 'NEOPOP' because it has a more modern edge to it and sounds more alternative. I'd like my magazine to be more art-house film related rather than the commercial magazines like Total Film and Empire. My magazine might also include elements of fashion and music - so may include references to soundtracks in films and fashion films. I think it is important that I've mapped out the concept for my magazine as it'll have a greater impact on how the finished front cover looks. The image above shows different fonts that I thought of using for the logo/title of the magazine...I have decided to use the third font 'Budmo Jiggler' because it stands out from the others. The 1st looks too much like the logo for 'Top Of The Pops' the 2nd doesnt stand by itself strongly as a logo and the 4th looks too abstract.
Friday, 8 October 2010
Final Poster
- I used aspects from my previous poster ideas that I thought were effective in creating a professional-looking poster. For example I used a 'grainy' image, white text to contrast with the darker background - and I kept my original image that contains the main characters of the film. I also decided to make the poster look like part of a film strip to give it an older effect. I also used a typewriter font to further create this look.
- I feel that the costumes of the figures combined with the car headlights gives a slight modern twist to the poster - which is part of the contrast I wanted to create.
- To make the poster look more professional, I added more text below the actors names (which I hadn't included in my previous ideas). I included things such as the producers name, the screenplay writers and a film production company (where I made up the name 'Blue Road' and a logo for this company)
- To make the poster in a more suitable format I changed the size and shape to a rectangle (rather than a square). This means that if my poster was used in the real world it would be the right shape to fit on a billboard, newspaper, magazine etc
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Experimenting With Different Layouts/Colours/Fonts etc
This was my first idea for a poster. I decided to increase the grain effect on my poster 'base' to create an older feel. I used a white font that looks old fashioned yet classic, creating a sophisticated look to the poster. However I feel the overall poster doesn't look 'polished' and professional enough because I don't feel the font truly 'blends in' with the background. Although I added a grain effect to the whole image I feel it doesn't look like one complete image - it looks quite fragmented.
Poster Two
After completing my first idea I decided that I had to try and make the whole poster look more complete and professional. Firstly, I increased the contrast on my poster base to make the whole image look more striking and to make the whole image look more 'merged' together. I put a black rectandle across the bottom of the image on which I placed the actors' names, tagline and half the title. Although this extra 'layer' is extremely simple I feel it adds a depth to the poster - making it look more professional.
On this idea I added a red based tone to the whole image to give the poster a more limited colour palette (to tie in with the conventions that I noticed when analysing other thriller posters). I then decided to use a typewriter style font rather than the more 'classic' font in my previous ideas. I think this font was more effective because the eye is drawn to the picture in the poster first and then the title and other text. This is also because I used a pale peach tone rather than white to make the text stand out in a more subtle way that tied in with the background more. I also decided to turn the title upside down - to give the impression that it was being mirrored. I think this created a more modern feel which contrasts with the typewriter font that it's in. I tried to emphasise the contrast between old and contempary through putting 2 black rectangles on the top and bottom of my more modern image. This gave the effect of it looking like part of a filmstrip which gives a more 'retro' feel.
For this idea I experimented more with the old/new contrast. I used a very modern -urban looking font and added a sepia effect to the image. I also blurred the image slightly to make it 'glow'. This softness of the image then contrasted with the sharper font which I thought was effective in creating a poster that was more striking.
Friday, 24 September 2010
The 'Base' Of My Poster
Above is an annotation of the 'base' of my poster. I decided to make a layout of an image that I could then place a title, tagline,actors names etc on top of. By doing this I will be able to experiment with different layouts and fonts. I will also be able to alter the image itself - for example i could make add a sepia effect of put it in black and white. This is my first poster image that I think includes the conventions of of thriller posters, but I shall make another 'base' of a poster so that I can compare my ideas and decide on one that's appropriate.
Friday, 17 September 2010
Pictures Taken For My Poster
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Further Developing Ideas For My Film Poster
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Ideas For My Film Poster
- Strong contrast between light and dark -creates mystery and unease as there are strong shadows that contrast with soft (but bright) light areas...This is especially effective on faces as their identity then seems ambiguous.
- People -rather than having a main picture of the setting, the posters I looked at are focused on a figure. As I also looked at the trailers for the films the figures featured on the posters are main characters.
- Limited colour palette -although most of the posters I looked at included colour, the palette was very limited. For example one poster I looked at (for 'Brick') included just blue tones, whilst a poster for 'The Uninvited' had grey tones. I feel the lack of variation in colour makes the image featured more striking as the viewer isn’t distracted by a wide variation of colour.
- Mystery – the posters I looked at all had an element of mystery and ambiguity to them, through the use of shadow (that I described earlier) that may make the viewer question events in the film even before seeing it..
- Taglines, Comments & Ratings – the comments and ratings from newspapers or film magazines are usually in a light coloured font to contrast with the darker background. The tagline is usually below the title of the film, in a very small font so as not to draw attention away from the title.
- Grain of images – in most of the posters I looked at (plus posters from ‘Se7en’ (D.Fincher 1995) and ‘The Silence of The Lambs’ (J.Demmes 1991) the images are quite grainy rather than crisp and sharp which gives the impression of age or a memory. This then links to a common feature of psychological thrillers – the flashback.
I hope to incorporate these main conventions of psychological thriller film posters in my own poster. I’ll use close-ups of faces of the main characters (in my trailer) illuminated very dimly to create mystery and drama. I will experiment with different compositions and layouts for the images I use and the text to feature on it. I will experiment with incorporating different images for a more complex poster, and just using one image. After exploring different layouts I will decide on one poster that best represents and suits my film.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Questionnaire
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Ideas For My Trailer - Setting
In the selection of images above I tried to seperate dark and light images to get an idea of the different atmospheres that would be created. Low lighting used in both an abandoned warehouse, derelict building, street or alleway creates a mysterious atmosphere and introduces ideas of fear and suspense as the viewer doesn't know what lurks in the shadows... On the other hand, the lighter images create different atmospheres. An empty alleyway or street filmed in the daytime would appear more 'comfortable' but the fact that it's empty would create underlying tones of unease. A run-down building or warehouse filmed in daylight would feel more exposed and open, so if a character was situated in this setting then they'd appear vulnerable.
Monday, 12 July 2010
Ideas For My Trailer - Characters
Ideas for My Trailer - Shots
Monday, 5 July 2010
Analysis of Empire and Total Film Magazine Covers
From looking numerous magazine covers of the two major British film magazines Total Film and Empire and by analysing two covers in depth I have noticed some typical conventions that appear:
- A large image of the main film featured in the magazine that is usually imposed over the magazine's logo giving a more professional look to the cover.
- Smaller images that give a preview of what's included in the magazine.
- Words that attract the reader to make them feel as if they are getting more than they paid for such as 'free!' 'plus!' 'exclusive!'
- A simple colour scheme that stands out against the main image featured on the cover - usually ties in with the main film featured.
- A barcode, website address of the magazine, date, issue number and magazine price
- A large heading of the main film featured (in a bold font)
- Smaller headings that may include what else is featured in the magazine or the names of famous actors, actresses and directors to grab the reader's attention.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Research Into Film Magazine Covers
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Research Into Modern Film Noir Posters - 'Brick' (R.Johnson 2005)
This poster consists of an image of an arm in water in the centre of the poster that has been digitally manipulated to look cartoon like. The rest of the poster is dark and foreboding especially at the top of the poster. The colours of the poster are dark around the edges but then lighter in the middle where the image appears to be glowing. The contrast between dark and light in the poster is also displayed in the trailer for this film. This chiaroscuro effect is often used in Film Noir films.
The title of the film is in quite an old fashioned, classic font that seems to give an eerie edge to the poster. At the bottom is information about the film such as directors and producers and the website for the film. All the writing featured in the poster is a cream/gold colour that makes the poster look more sophisticated. This contrasts with the image in the centre that looks more raw and disturbing.
Research Into Pyschological Thriller Posters - 'The Uninvited' (C.Guard 2009)
Poster One
Poster Two
In this poster there are 4 faces, 2 of which being the same character which implies the idea of identity/identities (a common theme in psychological thrillers). In the background there is a black and white image of a girl in old fashioned clothes that appears to be blurred - which suggests the idea of a memory or history.The overall poster seems quite grainy rather than a clear image so again brings up the idea of memories (in psychological thrillers flashbacks are often used). Woods are also pictured in the poster as well as an image of a house that is well lit up which could suggest isolation (physically or mentally).
In both posters there are female characters, however they look 'stronger' and more outgoing from looking at their body language. This contrasts with the typical vulnerable female characters often seen in thriller films, so could link more to the femme fatale character found in Film Noirs. For example in the 2nd poster an attractive female figure stands in the foreground who seems to look quite confident.This combined with the mysterious connotations of the rest of the poster would then attract a male and female audience probably ranging from 15-30.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
My Chosen Genre
In Film Noir films there is often some sort of mystery and ambiguity which is also often the case in psychological thrillers. As psychological thrillers are often based on mental and emotional conflict and ambiguity I thought it would be interesting to use this with a Film Noir style as Film Noirs are usually based more on literal conflict eg. a death or crime. By combining Film Noir elements with the psychological genre I feel that a more modern edgy trailer would be the result.
Although I found similarities between the themes of Film Noirs and psychological thrillers I think it would be difficult to incorporate the two. Therefore I have decided to mainly use the themes and content of a psychological thriller such as deception, the mind, identity, death (though some of these themes overlap with those of Film Noirs) . However I like the idea of using a femme fatale character in my trailer, so I will use some Film Noir content here. I will then use the Film Noir style when it comes to the technical part of my trailer. This means that I will use things such as disorientating camera shots, a contrast between dark and light, and dark mysterious settings.
As mentioned before, I feel that the psychological thriller genre combined with Film Noir aspects would best suit the resources I have. For example, psychological thrillers don't often include many characters which means I wouldn't need many people to use as actors/actresses for my teaser trailer. Also, I would be able to go to an urban setting such as London. However if i wasn't able to then I could always use rooms in houses or dark alleyways which would give a more mysterious feel to my teaser trailer. The dark lighting and the chiaroscuro effect would also be easy to achieve as well as skewed camera shots to create the feeling of disorientation.
I think that the target audience for this genre would be large because it would appeal to males and females. I think the age group could range from about 15-30 as teenagers would be attracted by fear and tension of the psychological thriller genre whilst the older side to the audience may be attracted more to the Film Noir elements as they may be able to relate it to Film Noirs they've seen previously. The fact that my teaser trailer may appeal to a wide audience in terms of age and gender means that it could be easier to include elements in the trailer that relate to the whole audience. However a poster and film magazine front cover including my film may be harder to create in order to appeal to the whole audience. Therefore I shall carry out research on thriller posters and film magazine covers to try and investigate how they appeal to a wide audience.
Monday, 21 June 2010
Aspects of Film Noir In More Modern Trailers & The Neo Noir Style
- Printscreen 1 shows a chiaroscuro effect as there is a strong contrast between light and dark. This printscreen also shows a telephone box and lamps that imply a modern urban setting.
- Printscreen 2 shows a gun being fired. In Film Noir film there is often a dramatic death usually someone being shot that shocks the viewer. A low angle shot is used to capture the hand and the gun. This unusual shot used may confuse the viewer adding to the sense of mystery that Film Noirs have.
- Printscreen 3 displays a femme fatale character typical of Film Noir films. However, this character doesn't look as sophisticated as those found in older Film Noirs which gives the trailer a more modern edge.
- Printscreen 4 shows a normal looking setting of a house or apartment. The low lighting used creates a more mysterious, uncomfortable atmosphere which contrasts with the 'homely' connotations of the setting. Film Noirs often include settings that are obviously 'dangerous' to the viewer such as an abandoned warehouse. The fact that this scene challenges this Film Noir stereotype making it seem more modern.
- Printscreen 5 shows a close-up of a hand in water. The hand is pale and lifeless suggesting that it belongs to a dead body - the theme of death is used in Film Noir films. The close up bird's eye shot used creates a sense of confusion for the viewer as they wonder who the hand belongs to. This theme of confusion and mystery is a common theme in Film Noirs.
- Printscreen 6 is a low lit shot where a hazy light reveals the highlights of a figure's face. The shot seems to have a disorientating feel as the viewer doesn't know where the light has come from. The low lit figure adds a sense of ambiguity to the shot.
- Printscreen 7 also demonstrates the chiaroscuro effect and creates ambiguity as the figure's features aren't made obvious.
- Printscreen 8 is an establishing shot showing the setting of an American high school. Although it could be argued that the setting is quite urban looking (the type usually found in Film Noirs) the setting isn't the kind you'd see in a typical Film Noir as it is more open and exposed - rather than being secluded and hidden like a dark alleyway.
Research Into The Film Noir Style
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Research Into My Chosen Genre
The thriller genre can be sub-categorised into different types although they all seem to share the same basic elements such as a unpredictable plot, heroes, villains, suspense and a link to reality.
These are some of the 'sub genres' that fall under the thriller genre:
- Action Thriller -usually invovles alot of violence, guns, explosions, fast cars etc. It would be hard to create a teaser trailer that projects an action theme as the props and effects needed would be hard to get hold of and expensive. An action thriller would have high production values as alot of money would be needed to fund things such as special effects and elaborate props.
- Crime Thriller -focuses on criminals or police and follows failed crimes or 'successful' ones. A crime thriller could be easy to do as you wouldn't neccesarily need many actors and actresses, and the setting would have to be somewhere reasonably urban (as crime thrillers are usually set in cities and towns). However if you wanted to include the police in a trailer then it would be difficult to get hold of them or a convincing costume.
- Disaster Thriller -usually based around a natural or artificial disaster such as an earthquake or the spreading of a deadly virus (for example in '28 days later' D.Boyle 2002) where the characters experience conflict or try to survive. This type of thriller would be hard to replicate in my teaser trailer as special effects would be needed to simulate a natural or atrifical disaster.
- Psychological Thriller -based upon mental and emotional conflict between the main characters sometimes resulting in a violent ending (for example 'The Uninvited' C.Guard 2009). This type of thriller would probably be the easiest out of all the sub-genres to caryy out in a teaser trailer as the number of actors or the setting is flexible. For example a pyschological thriller could include many characters or just afew, and the location could range from an isolated, rural setting to a busy, urban one.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Initial Ideas - Inspiration
- I liked the contrast between dark and light shots in the teaser trailer (shown in the image above) as the balance between the two seems to create a sense of unease about the trailer, consequently building tension.
- There was a wide variety of shots used in the trailer ranging from extreme close-ups to tracking shots. I feel this mixture of shots gives a more lively, exciting feel to the trailer.
- There is no dialogue in the trailer just music that begins slow then increases in pace as the movement within the shots increases.
- At one point there is a moment of silence then non diegetic gun shots and screaming. This surprises the viewer and could portray to them that the actual film may be unpredictable and surprising too.
- The cuts between the shots are very fast so contribute to the fast pace of the trailer and may add a sense of confusion for the viewer. This would then make them want to watch the film to find out what happens as the trailer is ambiguous.
*the resources I have