Thursday 26 September 2013

Writing A Treatment

The development of your idea from the proposal is called the treatment, and should include an indication of the size and content of the project, an initial script and/or storyline, an estimated cost for production, an idea of the personnel involved in the project, a contingency plan and any research carried out for the production.

In more detail, the introduction is a small opening paragraph of the treatment that summarises the first, original proposal, and also the approach that you will take to develop the idea further. This opening section is once again used to sell the idea, and attempt to attract and interest the producer, or whoever are going to be financing the film.

You also need to outline the script in order to understand what resources you will need within the production, and also the timeline of your work. This brings together the ideas into a way that can easily show how the product will progress during the different stages, and what it will look like when it is finished. You should have a clear picture of your project within your outlining script, in order to help things run smoothly.

As well as outlining the script, you also have to outline the budget of your production. It is essential that you understand the budgetary requirements of the planned project, as you will have to produce a realistic budget for the production. You should use real examples of equipment hire, and other costs when developing your budget, as well as stating ways and ideas that you are using to reduce the the price of the production in total.

The talent section of the Treatment is stating who is doing what. This should state who is acting in your production, as well as voice-overs - such as narrations - if they are used. Presenting this will give your client a clear understanding of how your production will look in the final stages, and also who is going to be involved during filming.

A breakdown of the production staff should also be included. These people are everybody in the crew, such as camera operators, directors, runners etc., who will be involved with the project.

Making a contingency plan is extremely important as it acts almost as a safety net, just incase things go wrong during the production, as there are a huge amount of different problems that can occur. All productions must include a contingency plan, otherwise the production could easily fall through during later stages, such as filming. This contingency plan should include ideas on how you will combat these problems, or prevent them from happening in the first place. Things that should be continued are ideas like if the client changes their mind about the contract of the project after an agreement has been reached, or even if the price of materials and/or equipment changes after the production has begun. If an actor is ill, or is unable to make the filming due to other commitments, this should also be taken into consideration, and have a back-up plan created in case such a thing happens - and the same goes for if a piece of equipment breaks down during shooting, or the weather is too severe to film, or a change in the weather half way through filming making the continuity difficult to maintain.

Research should also be included in the treatment. If any research has been conducted - such as looking at similar products, online research of articles, or even surveys should be added in and explained within the treatment.

Narrative Structure

3-Act Structure.

The usual structure of any film - whether it be feature length or simply two minutes usually consists of a beginning, middle and an end.

The beginning is usually an equilibrium, where the world that the film is set is in balance. This world is also established here, and we learn about the character(s) of the film, as well as what their goal(s) are.

The conflict generally happens in the middle of a film, and this conflict is often the problem that is stopping their characters from reaching their goal(s).

The end of the film is when these problems are resolved. Do the characters reach their goal(s), or do they fail?

Film Proposals.

A film proposal is a way to sell the idea to producers, or other people who will help work on or fund the film. It has to explain the concept of the film in a snappy way that attracts their attention, making the film sound interesting and exciting. It must also be achievable, as no one would fund a film that they don't believe would work.

The proposal must include your name, contacts and the company's name that you are part of. A working title, and a brief explanation of the concept of the film to attract their attention. There must also be a brief description of the main characters and the sequences in the film, and the names of any other major creative participants in the project - if any. Any major technical or stylistic considerations, for example, a particular visual style, SFX and how sound would be employed would also need to be included.


Thursday 19 September 2013

This Is England [Focusing on Editing]

We also watched the opening to 'This Is England' today, and looked at the editing techniques they've used to create this part of the film.

I feel as though he's chosen the clips for this opening to show that England is not all good, but it's also not all bad. He's thrown in a number of well known, positive events that took place during the 80s - such as Diana's royal wedding, but also events such as riots and wars. It shows the massive contrast between the things that have happened in England, and also what the country was like during the time that this film was set in.

It also appeals to a wide audience, as older people will be able to remember the events taking place, whilst younger people would be able to see the similarities between the clips and the country during the time they are living, as they have also seen riots and wars going on.

The music manages to help blend all the different clips into the opening, and it almost helps to smooth the jumps from clip to clip as the music is lively and upbeat. It was also a song made during that era, which helps fit into the film rather well.

As the names of the film makers appear on the screen, they are shown in a scruffy font, with a number shown beneath them. This is to make them appear almost as military personnel, who are just simply given a number on a dog tag as they go to war. This ties in with the film well, as a fair amount of violence takes place, as well as the main character losing his dad only recently in a war.

Technical Aspects in 'Marnie' [Mis en Scène]

Today we watched the opening of Alfred Hitchcock's 1964 film, 'Marnie'. We were asked to look at the mis en scène in particular.

There weren't many things to notice about the scene, however we did manage to pick out the fact that the camera is focused on an extreme close up of the bright yellow bag the woman is holding.This instantly makes the audience feel as though it must be important in one way or another - especially when the camera backs away slightly and you can see just how much of a contrast there is between the dark clothes she is wearing and the brightness of the bag.

She is also wearing very smart clothes, which gives us the impression that she knows what she is doing, and is there for a reason. The fact that she is also in the train station when it is completely silent makes us think she is going somewhere and doesn't want to be noticed, or is running away from something - which we find out later on that this really is the case.

The woman seems very mysterious as you cannot see her face, and this makes the audience wonder just who she really is, and why she's there. The way she is walking along the red line on the train station floor before finally crossing it onto the more dangerous side when she stops walking also seems to be suggesting that she has 'crossed the line', and knows that what she is doing is risky, though she will still do it anyway.

Technical Aspects In 'Blade' [Sound]

Whilst watching the opening of 'Blade', we were asked to specifically look at the aspects of sound during the scene. We had to think of how this created meaning, and how it communicates to the audience.

When the scene starts, there is barely any audio at first. There is only the faint sounds of what seems like wind rustling, or wheels turning, which gives an eerie and uncertain feeling to the audience. This is useful as it's already giving the audience an idea that something bad is going to happen before any video is even starting to play. There is also the faint sounds of music - which is only one sustained note that then slowly builds up as the scene progresses. This seems to foreshadow what's to come, and also adds to the tension of the scene, therefore engaging the audience.

The music and sound suddenly seem to appear properly when the doors open, and the patient is rushed into the emergency room on the bed. This allows us to instantly be able to tell that these are important people in the scene.

The digetic sounds such as the doctors talking seem incredibly muffled during the scene however, almost like you are hearing things from the patient's place, who of course wouldn't be able to properly make out any sentences as she is dying. We are able to make out certain phrases during this, though, such as 'bitten by an animal'. This is important because, although we do not know it yet, she was actually bitten by a vampire, and this plays an important part later on in the film and therefore this gives the audience both valuable knowledge of what's already happened whilst foreshadowing what will happen later in the film.

As the woman dies, the digetic sounds seem to stop, although the music continues, leaving the audience intrigued and wanting to know what will happen next, seeing as all of the excitement has suddenly come to a halt and is replaced by silence.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

It's Always Fair Weather.

Earlier today, we learnt a few things about the cameras that our college can provide us with. We also watched four clips from a number of different genres of films. These films included The Quantum of Solace, Hard Boiled, It's Always Fair Weather and Children of Men. We were asked to think about a few different aspects of the way these scenes were filmed, and specifically our group focused on the scene from It's Always Fair Weather.

During this scene, the character that the camera is focusing on is a man wearing roller-skates. He seems to forget that he is wearing them after noticing a woman in the rollerskating ring, and dances down the street in them whilst singing a musical number and gathering quite an audience of passerbys.

We noticed that mostly medium or wide shots were used during this scene - distancing the audience from the action, but allowing them to see absolutely everything that is happening in the scene. The main character the scene focuses on is clearly also doing all the dancing involved in the scene, and it is almost as if they want to show this. Instead of using a double for such things, and simply focusing on the feet as he dances, they've made sure to show the person and some of their surroundings - like the interest he is receiving from other people in the street at the time. Even though the whole of the musical film is filmed in a completely unrealistic way (because who sings and dances in the street whilst wearing rollerskates?), it manages to give the film a theatrical feel, as if being performed on stage.

The camera also tends to follow the dancing man through the street as he passes. There are only a couple of different shots, and the majority of the time, the camera is simply following after him on a track/dolly shot. On a few occasions - such as at the beginning of the scene where he is simply singing and not dancing - they do seem to use a tripod, or possibly a handheld camera to get a closer shot of him, however.

The whole scene gives the audience a happy and jolly feel to the film, and with all these things combined, it definitely does this successfully. I quite enjoyed watching the scene, and it made me want to continue on watching the film after the scene had finished.

Lost Connection and Change.

During today's class, I worked with Jemma to think of two different film ideas involving the ideas of a something getting in the way of a relationship, and a 'fish out of water' scenario - which is where somebody with an 'extreme' personality is put into a scenario that is uncomfortable for them. For example, a shy and timid person receiving a role as a cage fighter.

The first idea we thought of was called 'Lost Connection'. The basic idea of this film is that a couple end up being separated as the girl is forced to move to another country. They still keep in contact by videos and texts, and other similar things, but eventually the boy loses contact with her completely. She thinks that he has given up with her, and that is the reason he won't talk to her, but the real reason is that he's attempting to travel to her country to see her, and isn't able to get in contact with her whilst he's doing so. When he eventually finds her, she has developed a relationship with another guy.

Our second idea was 'Change'. This idea was a 'fish out of water' scenario, as a man with quite strong OCD, and desperate for money finds a job in a mental institution. The man's OCD is developed in such a way that he feels that he has to keep things tidy and symmetrical, and people find that his house and possessions are incredibly neat. Because he is new, he is assigned a job with just one patient, who happens to be a girl that is unable to keep things tidy - as well as other problems. Eventually, as the weeks pass, the two start to develop feelings for each other, and she attempts to start trying to keep things tidy just to help him cope with his job - which he is struggling with.

These two ideas both focus on the ideas of a problem/issue that is getting in the way of a relationship, and the film will be based on how this issue is affecting them, and what they do to get around it.

Thursday 12 September 2013

Technical Aspects.

Analyzing a film can mainly be split into two separate categories; context and form.

Context is about what the film is trying to show or explain. For example, the themes or issues of the film. A theme is generally the bigger, overall picture of the ideas and issues within the film - such as good vs evil, or love are two examples of a theme that can be running throughout it.

Then there is the narrative of the piece. The narrative is basically the story and the plot line of the film, and can generally be more easier to notice and pick out than the theme(s). The story is the events that take place within the film, whilst the plot is the sequence, or order of events. The plot is normally structured with a beginning, middle and an end, whereas the story may not.

Then we have the form of a film. The form is generally how the film makers manage to to make the audience feel one way or another about certain parts of the film, or makes it easier for them to understand the themes and narrative of the piece.

Cinematography/camera angles are one way that this can be done. For example, a long shot (L/S) leaves the audience quite distanced from the main characters, showing that they may not be quite as important at that time as other characters, perhaps. A medium shot (M/S), however, is quite closer - although still at a comfortable distance. This allows the audience to see clearly that the character(s) in the shot are important at the time, and also is at a good distance to allow a conversation to take place in the scene. A close up (C/U) is at an uncomfortable distance for the audience, which can easily show fear, anger, sadness etc. and is a good way to build tension within a scene.

The camera angle can also give the audience a good impression on different characters. A low camera angle makes the character appear more powerful and important, whereas a high camera angle makes them seem less powerful and insignificant, and finally a wide shot simply puts them on the character's level.

Meanwhile, the camera's movement itself can help set up a scene. A stationary shot is a relatively still shot, and is used mostly in calmer scenes, such as during a simple conversation, for example. A camera pan can help show what a character may be looking at, or put an importance on something within the scene, whereas a zoom can easily build tension or fear. A tracking or dolly shot can follow the movement within a scene, and helps put the audience in the middle of the action, whilst a handheld camera can be extremely effective if used correctly. Films such as Cloverfield and the Blair Witch Project use handheld cameras to allow the audience to see things from a character's point of view, and can easily make things seem more tense or scarier than they would with a normal shot.

There are two types of sound within a scene. Digetic and non-digetic. Digetic sound is the noise and audio which would be there in the film environment, and the characters would be able to hear it - the sounds of traffic, or passersby talking, for example. Non-digetic audio are things that were added within post-production, such as a character's thoughts or a soundtrack, and are added to evoke mood, or thoughts within the audience.

Mise en scène is generally everything visual in the shot, such as the setting, props, lighting, colouring and even the physical details of the actors, such as hair colour.

Editing is another big feature that takes place during post-production. A lot can be done with editing, such as taking out mistakes, or even adding to the mood and atmosphere of the scene. Normally, we would want the film to have good continuity - which means we would not want the audience to notice each individual shot, and would prefer them to flow into each other, and not draw attention to the fact that it really is just a film, as it would take away the atmosphere for the audience. Ways to hide this can be simple things like adding a soundtrack, or even just overlapping audio on the different shots to help take their attention away from it.

Transitions are another thing that can be done with editing. This can help cut out unessential and boring details of the character's day - such as going to the bathroom, eating breakfast etc. Examples of transitions can be straight cuts, fades, wipes or even fades to black. They keep the audience interested with the film, as they are cutting straight to interesting and/or important parts of the story instead of dragging things out.

Costs of a Production.

During any production, there will be some costs involved, and a budget will need to be decided on before the production even begins.

Things that would cost money could be things such as:
-Camera equipment.
-Sound equipment.
-Prop creation/hire.
-Costume creation/hire.
-Actors.
-Crew.
-Location costs.

However, if the film is on a minor budget, there are a number of things that can be done to minimise the cost. For example, equipment can be borrowed from people instead of paying to hire or buy them. This can save quite a bit of money as such equipment can be extremely expensive.

Props and costumes can be hand-made or borrowed instead of hired to save on money, or even brought from cheaper places such as jumble sales and charity shops. Normally these places have a number of different items on sale for a lot cheaper than elsewhere, and items that look as though they are from a different era can occasionally be found.

Instead of hiring actors and extras, friends and family that can act can be asked to take part in the filming for free. Even people that cannot act can star in the film as extras, which can save on money as actors normally would want to be paid for their work within a film.

Finding a location to film can sometimes cost money, so filming in a place that would not require money to fill out a release form would save on money and help the budget.

When saving money on one area, the money can instead be spent on improving other, different areas of the film instead.

Pre-Production [And Studying Short Film 'Sign Language'.]

Today we discussed the pre-production of films, and thought in-depth about what it consists of. We watched a short film called 'Sign Language' which was produced by Therefore Films, and discussed what they would have needed to do during the pre-production stage of the film's creation.

For starters, they would have needed to think of a concept idea for the film, and decided what they wanted the narrative to as well as thinking how the film would be portrayed to the audience. They then would have had to go on to write a script, and perhaps even a storyboard too.

Budgeting would have been a big part of the pre-production stage. Nothing would have been able to happen had they not decided how much to spend on each part of the production - such as camera equipment, sound equipment, costumes, props etc. They would have had to taken into consideration paying for food and drink for the actors/production team if the filming went on for quite a while.

A location would then need to be found to film the production in. Location scouts could be used to head out and find a suitable location to film, as they would need to make sure that it's safe, suits the scene being filmed and is the right environment to do so. A risk assessment would also need to be carried out, as well as filling in a release form if the land used is privately owned.

The weather would need to be considered before the day of filming as well. Although weather can sometimes be unpredictable, they would still need to keep an eye on weather reports in the days leading up to filming, just to make sure it will still be a suitable day, otherwise it would need to be changed.

Props and costumes would need to be decided on before the day of filming, to make sure they fit the budget, look as they are supposed to and match the script, weather and location - most people wouldn't wear a thick coat and a scarf on a hot sunny day, after all!

All of these things would definitely need to be considered before even stepping foot on location to film, as otherwise the production would not be able to take place successfully.


Stages Of Production.

Whilst making a film, the different aspects of planning, filming, editing etc. can be separated into three different stages.

Pre-production.
This is everything that needs to be considered before shooting the film. These would include such things as developing the concept for the film, script/screen-writing, scouting for locations, budgeting and putting out a casting call for actors.

Production.
This is where the visuals are created for the film. Lighting, sound, special effects and other similar things are included in this stage of production.

Post-production.
Everything that happens after filming has taken place is known as post-production. Editing the clips begins, as well as the creation of visual effects and additional dialogue recording (ADR) if it is needed.