Question 3
What kind of media institution may distribute your media product and why?
Our product
Amnesia is aimed at a reasonably mainstream audience of 11-19 year olds which are already a popular age for films to be aimed at as they the generation who spend the most money on film and within cinema.
We are also advertising our film as the film adaptation of a best selling book so the audience for the film should be just as big. Therefore our film will have a big budget.
The majority of the money will be spent on marketing rather than the film itself. Getting the film out there and making people aware of its presence is the most important thing and for this we need One of the big 6 production company's behind our film.
Production Company's:
A production company essentially helps to create the film- it assists in the budgeting, scheduling, scripting, casting and more. The company usually looks over the film from the initial idea to right though to release and further. They are responsible for finding a director and the majority of acting talent required. However they are also responsible if anything were to go wrong with the film, for example an actor being injured or property damage.
Our Distributor-
We chose New Line Cinema as our distributor as it has distributed several successful drama films such as 'The Notebook' and 'My Sisters Keeper'. The films distributed by New Line Cinema have found global success as they specialise in several sectors of film such as theatrical distribution, marketing, home video and have also become a shared owner of Picturehouse.
Runner Productions-
We chose my production company to go with our film as we felt it was the most developed and professional. We all liked the logo as it isn't messy and there isn't too much going on so the audience can focus solely on the film or trailers that follow. It appears at the start of our production just before the New Line Cinema to signify that that play the biggest roles in the production of our film. We chose to pair New Line Cinema with Runner Productions as it will help the film become more well knwon as they are one of the big six as New Line Cinema is part of Warner Brothers.
Question 7
What have you learnt from your prelim task to your final production?
Our process from prelim task to our final production has been a learning journey, we have learnt many new terms and ways of filming and making our film better with effects. However some of the basic skills have been used in both our prelim tasks and our final production but they have been adapted to make them more interesting:
for example in both we have used level shots from behind the main character whilst she is walking away. However in our final film we held the camera and followed Libby as she walked down the train whilst in our prelim task we simply held the camera.
Another example is the transitions between the shots. In our prelim task we simply just edited the shots together, there were very few transitions or effects used. However by the time it came to editing out final production we were much more familiar with premier so we were able to add in many more effects and transitions between the shots, these gifs show examples of this;
The prelim task transitions were also very delayed, therefore there were blank spaces between some shots whereas in our final production each shot connected smoothly.
Research-For our final production we had to do a lot of research and planning into films that were similar genres, titles, music choices, camera angles and more. We had to use our own imagination to figure out what we wanted to do, who we wanted our film to appeal to and the story and narrative of our film. Therefore our final production was much more independant learning than our prelim task as our teachers gave us the genre for our prelim task and we had more help with the editing and other tasks.
Our process from prelim task to our final production has been a learning journey, we have learnt many new terms and ways of filming and making our film better with effects. However some of the basic skills have been used in both our prelim tasks and our final production but they have been adapted to make them more interesting:
for example in both we have used level shots from behind the main character whilst she is walking away. However in our final film we held the camera and followed Libby as she walked down the train whilst in our prelim task we simply held the camera.
Another example is the transitions between the shots. In our prelim task we simply just edited the shots together, there were very few transitions or effects used. However by the time it came to editing out final production we were much more familiar with premier so we were able to add in many more effects and transitions between the shots, these gifs show examples of this;
The prelim task transitions were also very delayed, therefore there were blank spaces between some shots whereas in our final production each shot connected smoothly.
Research-For our final production we had to do a lot of research and planning into films that were similar genres, titles, music choices, camera angles and more. We had to use our own imagination to figure out what we wanted to do, who we wanted our film to appeal to and the story and narrative of our film. Therefore our final production was much more independant learning than our prelim task as our teachers gave us the genre for our prelim task and we had more help with the editing and other tasks.
Film Poster
This is our poster that we would use to advertise our film. This poster would fit and look suitable on London Underground stations, the side of buses, bus stops and in a general poster form. We used a still frame from the film so the audience are intrigued as to why they are walking along a pier and therefore enticed to go and see our film.
Synopsis
When filming we will need the following things and to visit these places:
A place for memories to be filmed: Southend, beach, amusement arcades, rides.
A train station.
A train.
A scrapbook.
A bag.
The characters in our films opening: We have three main characters which are Daisy played by Libby, Elyza played by Katie. Daisy is the girl that is suffering from amnesia and Elyza is her friend. During the film opening we go through Daisy's memories with her friend Elyza.
Location: Our film opening will be located in Southend using the attractions available, we are using the beach, amusement arcades and the theme park. We are also going to be located at chelmsford train station and on a train.
Costumes: The two characters will be wearing normal everyday clothing as we are showing memories of special day to day things so we feel we don't need anything special or unique to be worn.
Audience: We have decided that our audience will be from the ages of 12-18 however it can be viewed by anyone if they wish to watch it. The certificate is a 12A.
A place for memories to be filmed: Southend, beach, amusement arcades, rides.
A train station.
A train.
A scrapbook.
A bag.
The characters in our films opening: We have three main characters which are Daisy played by Libby, Elyza played by Katie. Daisy is the girl that is suffering from amnesia and Elyza is her friend. During the film opening we go through Daisy's memories with her friend Elyza.
Location: Our film opening will be located in Southend using the attractions available, we are using the beach, amusement arcades and the theme park. We are also going to be located at chelmsford train station and on a train.
Costumes: The two characters will be wearing normal everyday clothing as we are showing memories of special day to day things so we feel we don't need anything special or unique to be worn.
Audience: We have decided that our audience will be from the ages of 12-18 however it can be viewed by anyone if they wish to watch it. The certificate is a 12A.
Music Changes
After trying out our music options with the filming we had done we decided that a more fast paced, as the music we had reflected a film that was more sad than dramatic so we thought a tense piece of music would work better in building tension and suspense to start the film off. We did some research into some more music and found the following;
I suggested this piece of music as it has a heavy beat behind it which automatically builds suspense which is what we wanted to create through the music. However we can't use this music as it too well known.
Our next song choice is an instrumental version of John Legends song Made to love. Similar to our first option is has a heavy beat that builds suspense. There is also a change in the music which suits our film opening as we want a different kind of music when the memories of Daisy begin to play.
Our final choice is a song that none of us had heard before, I found it whilst searching for some songs using youtube. I came across it and immediately thought it would suit our film.
Photos
This slideshow shows the photos that make up my blog and the journey from planning to filming. I have also included pictures from task I completed before beginning planning our film opening.
Titles
In our film opening we currently have 9 titles. in the following order:
-Libby Collins
-Runner productions
-Frankie Edwards
-Katie Harragan
-Amnesia (film title)
-Directed by Simon Hull
-Executive Producer Andrew Lavin
-Sound Effects by Debbie Ellis
From our feedback we found that we need to added 4 more titles:
-Music by Philip Round
-Casting by Jacob Odd
-Production designer Melanie Smith
-Costume designer Leanna Clark
-Libby Collins
-Runner productions
-Frankie Edwards
-Katie Harragan
-Amnesia (film title)
-Directed by Simon Hull
-Executive Producer Andrew Lavin
-Sound Effects by Debbie Ellis
From our feedback we found that we need to added 4 more titles:
-Music by Philip Round
-Casting by Jacob Odd
-Production designer Melanie Smith
-Costume designer Leanna Clark
More feedback
We edited our final opening scene using the feedback we recieved fromoir draft. We then asked our teacher to watch it, she gave us the following things to change before giving in our final cut-
We need to look at pur titles research and pit the titles in the right order
They need to be 2-3 seconds each
Part of the coice over doesnt make sense so we will delete the part saying she want to 'achieving my memories'
More photographic effects- freeze frames before they play
Sort music out- they change to quickly so it doesnt make sense
Bowling alley and ice hockey shots are too long so we need to delete a few seconds off each
Script Changes
During receiving our feedback we had a lot of people said the script wasn't long enough so the story line was unclear. They also suggested that it came further back in the film and we rerecorded it to make the voice slower and more meaningful.
From this feed back we made the following changes to the script.
Originally the voice over said-
'The doctor said brain activity should be maintained, he said looking at old pictures and going through my everyday routine would help.
It is now-
'I'm on my way back from the neurology unit at the specialist hospital in London. There was only a single thought running through my head that afternoon. The doctors that brain activity should be maintained. He said that looking through old pictures and going through my everyday routine would help. This was my first therapy to help with the retrieval of my memory and i was determined to make it work'
Originally the voice over said-
'The doctor said brain activity should be maintained, he said looking at old pictures and going through my everyday routine would help.
It is now-
'I'm on my way back from the neurology unit at the specialist hospital in London. There was only a single thought running through my head that afternoon. The doctors that brain activity should be maintained. He said that looking through old pictures and going through my everyday routine would help. This was my first therapy to help with the retrieval of my memory and i was determined to make it work'
Things that went well
From our first draft we were able to see things that went well as well as things that didn't, from our feedback and personal opinion we found that these things went well:
- The footage is southend fits well with our genre and looks good.
-The idea of the film is original and creative
- The footage is southend fits well with our genre and looks good.
-The idea of the film is original and creative
- Putting some of the effects to go with the music was good
- People thought the final shot in front of the sunset was good.
-The parts that fit with the beat of the music work well.
-We included various camera shots.
-People likes the production logo
-The titles that are pushed by the train look good.
-We had many comments saying the editing was good.
-Most of our shots were steady.
-The parts that fit with the beat of the music work well.
-We included various camera shots.
-People likes the production logo
-The titles that are pushed by the train look good.
-We had many comments saying the editing was good.
-Most of our shots were steady.
Storyboard
This shows our storyboard, it includes locations, angles and the titles that will appear in each shot.
Feedback
Various classes watch our film opening and gave us constructive criticism and advice on what would make our film better and more successful. We received the following feedback:
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This person gave us what we considered quite harsh criticism.
This person gave us some criticism as they didn't think the genre was obvious and they thought we should use dialogue to help make it obvious.
This was one of the best marks our of 60 that we received. Their only criticism was that the voice over should be further back in the film.
This person gave us an average mark out of 60 and gave some good advice on how we could make the genre more evident.
Overall we received both good and bad feedback and on average we received around 37-47 out of 60 for our first draft. We are pleased with this mark as we know it will improve with our final cut. The main things that were brought to our attention that we need to change are:
-There are to many black outs
-Some of the shots are shaky
-The audience are unsure of the genre in some places
-The audience weren't sure if the black and white parts were in past or not.
-The voice over is good but should come further back in the film.
-Needs more dialogue to make the story line more clear.
Marketing Campaign
This prezi shows how and where we will market our film using inspiration from a film similar to ours.
First Draft
This is our first draft for our film opening. For our final draft there are various things we need to add and improve on:
-We need to film some more footage of the scrapbook and add it in where there are black spaces.
-The music needs cutting at the end and at one point it jumps so we need to change that.
-Some of the footage is wobbly so we will need to re film and add that in.
-One title is missing from this draft which needs to be in the final draft
-We need to move the voice over further back in the film opening as it comes to early on.
-The footage looking over libbys shoulder into the scrapbook jumps so we need to change or re-film that footage.
I am pleased with our first draft but it does need losts of improvements before we hand in our final draft. Overall I think we did well with the time we had to plan, film and edit.
Draft Feedback
After watching out film opening draft for the first time, our teacher re-watched it and gave us some feedback on what was good and what we needed to improve on.
First of all she said what was good about our film:
-The first shot of the lift was good.
-The titles that are pushed by the train look
She then gave us feedback on what we needed to improve on for our final draft;
-The voice over came to early on the film, if people were just sitting down to watch the film they might miss it. It should come slightly later and should be slower and more serious, we will rerecord this.
-The shot of her walking along the platform at the train station is too wobbly, we need to re-film this or find a way to make the image still.
-The flashing to black is good as it builds tension but it happens to much so it begins to get annoying.
-The shot of Libby sitting look out the window holding her scrapbook is a nice shot so it should be longer.
-To fill more time we need to include 2 or 3 still shots of the scrapbook as it is so significant in the film.
-The sound effects title needs to be moved as it may be cut off once we export it.
-The effect on the tea cups looks to dark compared to the rest. We will change the saturation to make it lighter.
-The last title needs to come earlier as only trailers finish with the film title.
-The film is too short so we need to film some ore footage to make it to the required 2 minutes.
Using Premier
I have previously used premier but only the basic features. Within our film we wanted to include some interesting effects and images, for this we had to apply our own knowledge and find out how to use these effects and if they would work.
One effect we wanted was sections where there was just a black screen, and then flash back to the footage, like a shutter effect. To find out how to do this we used youtube.
We also decided that the memories should be in black and white. I found out how to do this on my own by playing around with some different effects.
We also wanted some of the effects to be slower as it seemed quite rushed, again I found out how to do this on my own. I knew how to change the speed of videos so I used the same strategy with the effects.
Some of our shots were too wide so we had parts that needed to be cropped. We used this video to find our how to do this.
From our feedback we were told that it would help with the understanding of the film if we had parts that were frozen and reflect the pictures in the scrapbook. This video helped us with how to do this.
One effect we wanted was sections where there was just a black screen, and then flash back to the footage, like a shutter effect. To find out how to do this we used youtube.
We also decided that the memories should be in black and white. I found out how to do this on my own by playing around with some different effects.
We also wanted some of the effects to be slower as it seemed quite rushed, again I found out how to do this on my own. I knew how to change the speed of videos so I used the same strategy with the effects.
Some of our shots were too wide so we had parts that needed to be cropped. We used this video to find our how to do this.
From our feedback we were told that it would help with the understanding of the film if we had parts that were frozen and reflect the pictures in the scrapbook. This video helped us with how to do this.
Titles font
This is the final font we choose for out titles during editing. We think it is quite simple but not so simple that it is boring, we didn't want the titles to be too distracting.
Reflection
Throughout planning our film opening we have had to make changes to suit the amount of time we had, how things would look on camera and the facilities we have.
-The first change was to the script. We originally planned to have a doctor giving the character (Daisy) her diagnosis however we found this would come to early on within the film. It also meant that the audience would have no idea as to why Daisy was travelling on the train looking at a scrapbook of her old memories. So we decided to change it to having Libby record a voice over Daisy explaining the treatment subscribed by her Doctor.
-We also had to change the amount of flashbacks to memories we would have due to timing issues. We originally planned to to have two or three pictures with each one having a pictures in the scrapbook we would zoom into before the memory played. However we found once we began editing we had more time to fill so we added in some more memories. This wasn't a problem as we shot as much footage as we could on the day we traveled to Southend so we didn't had to spend another day filming unless necessary. We now have just one picture in the scrapbook which triggers the other memories being played.
- When filming our title sequences we found that filming them letter by letter wouldn't work, the rest of the page looked to boring and blank. So we decided we would create some interesting titles using premier pro when we begun editing.
-The first change was to the script. We originally planned to have a doctor giving the character (Daisy) her diagnosis however we found this would come to early on within the film. It also meant that the audience would have no idea as to why Daisy was travelling on the train looking at a scrapbook of her old memories. So we decided to change it to having Libby record a voice over Daisy explaining the treatment subscribed by her Doctor.
-We also had to change the amount of flashbacks to memories we would have due to timing issues. We originally planned to to have two or three pictures with each one having a pictures in the scrapbook we would zoom into before the memory played. However we found once we began editing we had more time to fill so we added in some more memories. This wasn't a problem as we shot as much footage as we could on the day we traveled to Southend so we didn't had to spend another day filming unless necessary. We now have just one picture in the scrapbook which triggers the other memories being played.
- When filming our title sequences we found that filming them letter by letter wouldn't work, the rest of the page looked to boring and blank. So we decided we would create some interesting titles using premier pro when we begun editing.
Filming
Today we went to Southend to film our footage for our film opening, overall it went well and we got everything we needed and wanted to.
We began at Chelmsford train station where we filmed some footage including Libby walking through the barriers, getting on the train and the train pulling into the the station. Luckily we didn't have to wait for a train to long as we looked into train times before we left to ensure we didn't waste any time.
We got on a train to Shenfeild, we had to go here to change to the train that went straight to Southend. Between Chelmsford and Southend we filmed Libby walking down the train to find a seat. We also filmed her looking at the scrapbook and looking out the window.
When we got to Shenfeild we filmed Libby walking down a corridor and up the stairs which took her to the platform. We had some time before our train came so we decided it would be a good idea to re-film Libby walking onto the train to ensure we got a good, still shot. Luckily a train was already pulled into the station and wasn't leaving for a few minutes so we were able to film it a number of times and get the best possible shot.
We got a train from Shenfeild to Southend which didn't take to long. On the way we continued to film some footage on Libby on the train looking through her scrapbook and out the window. We moved down the train to find a carriage with less people in so we didn't disturb anyone with our filming and we didn't have anyone else in our shots as we want Libby to look as alone as possible.
When we got to Southend we walked down to the sea front as the majority of our footage would be shot there. We first shot the lift footage as it took us down the sea front, when we got down to the sea front we noticed that no one was in Adventure Island Theme Park, we immediately went to asks someone if it was open or not and unfortunately they told us it wasn't. We were hoping to film some of our footage within the theme park so we had to quickly think of other places to film. We had checked the website for Adventure Island before we came and nothing stated it wouldn't be open.
We didn't want to waste any time so we continued with our filming while we thought of some more ideas to replace the footage we would of filmed.
We first went to an arcade to shot some shots of Libby and Katie playing on various machines. There was a miniature bowling alley in the arcade so we thought it would a good idea to film some footage of Libby bowling.
Once we had shot all the footage we wanted in the arcade, we went out to the beach were I filmed Libby and Katie walking along the small pier, i also filmed a panning shot of the sea. We did this just at the right time as the sun was setting and it a nice effect to the shot. We liked the sunset so much we shot it with Libby standing just to the left of the sunset.
Finally we went back to the lift we first used and re-filmed it and also shot some footage of us standing infant of the sunset.
Overall i think we planned the day almost perfectly. we checked the weather to make sure it was suitable for outside filming, we took all the equipment we required with us, we had enough time to film all the footage and some extra incase we needed it.
We began at Chelmsford train station where we filmed some footage including Libby walking through the barriers, getting on the train and the train pulling into the the station. Luckily we didn't have to wait for a train to long as we looked into train times before we left to ensure we didn't waste any time.
We got on a train to Shenfeild, we had to go here to change to the train that went straight to Southend. Between Chelmsford and Southend we filmed Libby walking down the train to find a seat. We also filmed her looking at the scrapbook and looking out the window.
When we got to Shenfeild we filmed Libby walking down a corridor and up the stairs which took her to the platform. We had some time before our train came so we decided it would be a good idea to re-film Libby walking onto the train to ensure we got a good, still shot. Luckily a train was already pulled into the station and wasn't leaving for a few minutes so we were able to film it a number of times and get the best possible shot.
We got a train from Shenfeild to Southend which didn't take to long. On the way we continued to film some footage on Libby on the train looking through her scrapbook and out the window. We moved down the train to find a carriage with less people in so we didn't disturb anyone with our filming and we didn't have anyone else in our shots as we want Libby to look as alone as possible.
When we got to Southend we walked down to the sea front as the majority of our footage would be shot there. We first shot the lift footage as it took us down the sea front, when we got down to the sea front we noticed that no one was in Adventure Island Theme Park, we immediately went to asks someone if it was open or not and unfortunately they told us it wasn't. We were hoping to film some of our footage within the theme park so we had to quickly think of other places to film. We had checked the website for Adventure Island before we came and nothing stated it wouldn't be open.
We didn't want to waste any time so we continued with our filming while we thought of some more ideas to replace the footage we would of filmed.
We first went to an arcade to shot some shots of Libby and Katie playing on various machines. There was a miniature bowling alley in the arcade so we thought it would a good idea to film some footage of Libby bowling.
Once we had shot all the footage we wanted in the arcade, we went out to the beach were I filmed Libby and Katie walking along the small pier, i also filmed a panning shot of the sea. We did this just at the right time as the sun was setting and it a nice effect to the shot. We liked the sunset so much we shot it with Libby standing just to the left of the sunset.
Finally we went back to the lift we first used and re-filmed it and also shot some footage of us standing infant of the sunset.
Overall i think we planned the day almost perfectly. we checked the weather to make sure it was suitable for outside filming, we took all the equipment we required with us, we had enough time to film all the footage and some extra incase we needed it.
Filming locations
These are the rece-shots we took on location of filming.
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| We shot the first footage on a train. |
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| Some footage was shot at Chelmsford Train Station |
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| We shot quite a lot of footage in this arcade in Southend. |
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| This was standing on a viewing platform in Southend where we shot some footage. |
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| The viewing platform where we shot some footage as it gave fantastic views over Southend. |
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| I took this from the viewing platform, we shot some footage at the places in this picture. |
Amnesia Representation
Representation is the way in which people, events and ideas are presented to the audience.
Characters-
Daisy-
Daisy is the main character presented in the opening sequence. She represents a teenage girl with amnesia, deliberately not a generic character representation. She is not presented to the audience as a typical girly girl character but she is portrayed as a troubled young girl dealing with the problems she has. To most people she will be an object of sympathy, they want to help her but can't physically do anything and neither can she.
Eliza Thomas & Naomi Waters-
These two characters are Daisy best friends. They have been friends for years and stay together through thick and thin and share many memories together. They represent Daisy's escape in life, they distract Daisy and the audience from other events in the film. They are both normal, healthy young girls to represent that Daisy is not in fact normal and healthy.
Places-
The main location in our opening sequence is a moving train. We are using the train to represent that everything around Daisy is still moving, her life is still going forward although she isn't remembering anything. Everything on the train is carrying on as normal to represent that everything around her is still normal.
The memories are in various locations, they all represent her past that is slowly fading from her memory as she tries to keep it alive
Shot List
Here is a list of our shot in the order they appear:
-The first shot is a level shot of Libby standing looking out the window of the lift.
-The next shot is a low shot of Libby walking up the stairs in the train station, we shot it from the top of the stairs.
-The next shot is a level shot of Libby walking through the barriers at the train station.
-Next is a static level shot of the train pulling in to the station.
-The next shot is a close up shot of the train moving past the camera.
-The next shot is a static shot of Libby walking onto the train from the platform.
-Next is a tracking shot of Libby walking through the train to find a seat.
-Another tracking shot but this time the camera is close up to Libby as she sits down.
-The camera pans around Libby as she looks at her scrapbook.
-The next shot is from over Libby's shoulder as she looks through her scrapbook, at the end of the shot it zooms into the scrapbook before zooming out into the next shot.
-The next 2 shots are both of the scrapbook, they fade into one another as the pages turn.
-Next it zooms into the middle picture on the right side of the scrapbook.
-It then dissolves into the first memories which starts as a still shot of Libby and Katie before paying round them.
-The next shot is from Libby's point of view as she walks through the arcade so it is close up.
-For the next shot we used the tripod to film a high shot of Libby bowling.
-The next shot is a long shot of Libby sitting looking out the window of the train
-The following shot is an extreme long shot of Libby and Katie walking down the pier.
-The next shot is an establishing shot that pans across the sea front.
-The next shot is of Libby and me playing air hockey.
-It then changes to a close up of the air hockey as if it were from Libby's point of view.
-Another establishing shot but this time of Adventure Island.
-The final shot is a static shot of Libby standing infront of the sunset.
-The first shot is a level shot of Libby standing looking out the window of the lift.
-The next shot is a low shot of Libby walking up the stairs in the train station, we shot it from the top of the stairs.
-The next shot is a level shot of Libby walking through the barriers at the train station.
-Next is a static level shot of the train pulling in to the station.
-The next shot is a close up shot of the train moving past the camera.
-The next shot is a static shot of Libby walking onto the train from the platform.
-Next is a tracking shot of Libby walking through the train to find a seat.
-Another tracking shot but this time the camera is close up to Libby as she sits down.
-The camera pans around Libby as she looks at her scrapbook.
-The next shot is from over Libby's shoulder as she looks through her scrapbook, at the end of the shot it zooms into the scrapbook before zooming out into the next shot.
-The next 2 shots are both of the scrapbook, they fade into one another as the pages turn.
-Next it zooms into the middle picture on the right side of the scrapbook.
-It then dissolves into the first memories which starts as a still shot of Libby and Katie before paying round them.
-The next shot is from Libby's point of view as she walks through the arcade so it is close up.
-For the next shot we used the tripod to film a high shot of Libby bowling.
-The next shot is a long shot of Libby sitting looking out the window of the train
-The following shot is an extreme long shot of Libby and Katie walking down the pier.
-The next shot is an establishing shot that pans across the sea front.
-The next shot is of Libby and me playing air hockey.
-It then changes to a close up of the air hockey as if it were from Libby's point of view.
-Another establishing shot but this time of Adventure Island.
-The final shot is a static shot of Libby standing infront of the sunset.
Risk Assesment
This is a risk assessment for when we go to various locations filming. There is a very low chance that we will have a problem with any of this risks but we completed this form just in case.
Opening Titles
When we decided to change our genre to a teen drama we had to research into some film openings within this genre. Through research i found '50 First Dates'- a film about a girl with short term memory who lives the same day every day of her life not knowing so.
Order of titles:
7-20 seconds- The Columbia (Sony pictures) production logo
20-24 seconds- blank screen
24- music begins to play
24-27- 'Columbia pictures presents'
28 seconds- picture in background appears.
30-33 seconds- 'a happy madison'
34-38 seconds- 'anonymous content'
39-42 seconds- 'and flower films production'
43 seconds- camera pans right to reveal film name
45-52 seconds- '50 first dates'
Order of titles:
7-20 seconds- The Columbia (Sony pictures) production logo
20-24 seconds- blank screen
24- music begins to play
24-27- 'Columbia pictures presents'
28 seconds- picture in background appears.
30-33 seconds- 'a happy madison'
34-38 seconds- 'anonymous content'
39-42 seconds- 'and flower films production'
43 seconds- camera pans right to reveal film name
45-52 seconds- '50 first dates'
Genre Changes
When looking at our overall films we found that the genre was not obvious and us ourselves couldn't identify the exact genre we wanted to portray. We had different parts showing different genres, the titles were very quirky so they created the feel of a teen drama, the music did the same however the events occurring were more mysterious. Mystery was the original genre we wanted. We have done a lot of research into mystery and drama films that have similar events to ours but they are all very clearly within the mystery genre, we can tell from the lighting, the music, the camera angles, the titles and the acting. So far in our planning and filming only the events are mysterious.
So we have decided to change our genre, we came to the conclusion ours was more of a teen drama than a mystery, the titles are quirky, the music is sad and the events are dramatic so it all fits within this genre.
Practice Titles
We filmed our titles today, however we found that they looked boring as the majority of the space in the scrapbook was blank, so it didnt look like a genuine scrapbook someone had spent time creating.
We decided that we would find a different way to show the titles. When i was shopping i came across some 3d letters we could stick on the pages, when trying this out it looked more original and quirky. So we have decided we will decorate the background of the scrapbook and then place the letters over the top.
Feedback
We have recieved the following feedback-
Mr Amato- 'The genre is confusing especially the titles which don't seem to match the genre, aside from this it is a creative, original idea.'
He advised that we add drawings, doodles and pictures do the background of our scrapbook.
In response to his feedback we have tweaked our genre slightly, it is now more a teen drama than a mystery film. The titles were too quirky to be associated with the mystery genre.
Izzy Payne- 'When filming the memories Libby will have to wear different clothes to show they are in the past, other than that it is a good orginal idea'
In response to this we realised she was right that LIbby will have to wear differnt clothes when filming the memories or it won't be obvious that it is in the past.
Mr Amato- 'The genre is confusing especially the titles which don't seem to match the genre, aside from this it is a creative, original idea.'
He advised that we add drawings, doodles and pictures do the background of our scrapbook.
In response to his feedback we have tweaked our genre slightly, it is now more a teen drama than a mystery film. The titles were too quirky to be associated with the mystery genre.
Izzy Payne- 'When filming the memories Libby will have to wear different clothes to show they are in the past, other than that it is a good orginal idea'
In response to this we realised she was right that LIbby will have to wear differnt clothes when filming the memories or it won't be obvious that it is in the past.
Genre Conventions
The genre of our film is drama, to fit in with this genre we used the following things.
-it exhibits real life situations and the reality of them, so the audience can easily relate to the characters and the events- which is the purpose of a drama film; to move to audience and take them on a journey throughout the film.
-The theme is dramatic and real.
-We have both tense music to build tension which leads on to the rest of the film.
-We have used little dialogue so there are many questions for the audience to ask about the film and want to watch the rest of it.
- During the memories we have used low key lighting.
-Many of the shots as long, establishing shots to set the scene.
-it exhibits real life situations and the reality of them, so the audience can easily relate to the characters and the events- which is the purpose of a drama film; to move to audience and take them on a journey throughout the film.
-The theme is dramatic and real.
-We have both tense music to build tension which leads on to the rest of the film.
-We have used little dialogue so there are many questions for the audience to ask about the film and want to watch the rest of it.
- During the memories we have used low key lighting.
-Many of the shots as long, establishing shots to set the scene.
Moodboard
This includes all the places we got inspiration for our shots and titles from. It helped us decide how we wanted to lay it out and what order. These shots are from the following places-
-LOL- train scene
-Sunrise music video
-Wolverine- train scene
-Avicii- wake me up music video
-Bride Wars- title sequence
-Lizzie Migure- title sequence
-Diary Of A Wimpy Kid- title sequence.
Music Ideas
We looked at various types of music that would fit with our film opening. We wanted something that reflected the tone of the film and fitted with the genre conventions. We narrowed it down to the following songs:
Our first choice is a cover of Amnesia by 5 seconds of Summer. We choose this as the title and lyrics of the song are the same as our film title and reflect the reality of amnesia so people can relate to it. We wanted a song that wasn't fast pace but also wasn't slow paced so this song was perfect for that, the tone is just right for our genre.
The next song is a cover of Say something by Jasmine Thompson, originally sung by Christina Aguilera. The pace of this song is slightly slower to the first option however it still reflects the events and goes with the conventions of our genre.
Our final option is a cover of Adele's song Dont you remember, covered by Rachel Mount. This is slower than the other options however the title and lyrics reflect the events and the struggle our main character Daisy is going through.
Institution Research
New Line Cinema-
New line Cinema was founded in 1967 and since then has produced Oscar winning films like The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and some of the most popular film franchises in the world such a Sex And The City, Elf, Austin Powers, and Hairspray. In march 2008 New Line Cinema became a unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment although they still maintain separate development, production, marketing and distribution but coordinates with Warner Bros. to maximize film performance .
We chose New Line Cinema as it appeals to a more sophisticated audience and that is what we are aiming for. Our film deals with a sophisticated, serious issue that wont appeal to teenagers and young children so we are aiming for a much more mature audience. It can help by advertising in the right way to appeal to this audience meaning our film becomes as successful as it can be.
New line Cinema was founded in 1967 and since then has produced Oscar winning films like The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and some of the most popular film franchises in the world such a Sex And The City, Elf, Austin Powers, and Hairspray. In march 2008 New Line Cinema became a unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment although they still maintain separate development, production, marketing and distribution but coordinates with Warner Bros. to maximize film performance .
We chose New Line Cinema as it appeals to a more sophisticated audience and that is what we are aiming for. Our film deals with a sophisticated, serious issue that wont appeal to teenagers and young children so we are aiming for a much more mature audience. It can help by advertising in the right way to appeal to this audience meaning our film becomes as successful as it can be.
Amnesia Script
During filming this may change and we may add more dialogue if we come across a problem but for now we are happy with this script and directions.
Audience research
The genre of our film is a teen drama so our target audience is from the ages of 12-18. This age go to the cinema the most as they have the most free time and want to spend time going out with their friends. The gender that will most likely enjoy this film will be mostly femaleas the film is about three girls and their friendship and lives. We feel as though anyone younger than our target audience would enjoy it however they wouldn't understand the main theme of the film amnesia.
A prototype of someone who would enjoy our film is Jane, she is 14 years old and in year 10. She is a stereotypical girl who enjoys rom-coms and drama films. She goes to the cinema at least three times a month to see the latest films with her friends. Our film would suit her as it is dramatic and she is of the age that would understand the theme of our film.
A prototype of someone who would enjoy our film is Jane, she is 14 years old and in year 10. She is a stereotypical girl who enjoys rom-coms and drama films. She goes to the cinema at least three times a month to see the latest films with her friends. Our film would suit her as it is dramatic and she is of the age that would understand the theme of our film.
More Studnet Film Openings
I would give this film opening 56/60 so it is a high level 4. I have now watched it a number of times and it has taken me around three times to actually understand what is happening. The writing in some places is to small and is only on the screen for a short period of time but is vital to know what is going on. This makes it almost impossible to figure out the story if you only watch it once. However once i figures out the story line I was intrigued to want to find out what happens next in the film, The acting from the girl is very believable so it engages the audience, the effects they have used are very advanced so I haven't seen them in any other film openings but they make it very realistic. They have used simple titles so they don't distract from the other text and images. To improve i think they needed to not rush through the text and also use some different camera angles as they have only used one or two.
I would give this film 53/60, again the story line is not fully clear to the audience, we don't know who the girl in the footage is or why they are in the middle of no where. However the voice over is very believable as his voice sounds robotic and shaky like he is nervous and being made to do something he maybe doesn't want to. They have used many different camera angles, tracking shots, low and high shots, mid/long, close ups and also used effects to make some shots blurred and some doubles or lapsed. To improve i would suggest trying to make the camera less shaky as in some places it moves a lot when the shot is supposed to be static. I would also say they need to change the order of some of the shots, one moment he is sat in the car watching the girl, the next he is sat on a hill, the shots don't flow into one another.
Amnesia Research
I did some research on different types of amnesia and how to treat it to really help us plan how the character will react to the news she has amnesia and how she will begin to deal with it, as well as how to act with the disease.
Title Sequence
Memento-
0-2 seconds- The opening title 'Memento' is shown. The theme tune to the film by David Julyan plays.
0-1.10- Throughout this time all the titles are shown and the music continuously plays. The titles include 'Music by David Julyan', 'Costume design by Cindy Evans', Editor Dody Dorn', 'Executive producer Aaron Ryder', ' Screenplay by Christopher Nolan', Directed by Christopher Nolan'. There were more but i picked out these as the most important as they are the ones we will list in our opening.
The titles all appear in the same font and most last for around 4 or 5 seconds to enable the audience to read them.
27- 32 seconds- the hand that appears to be static in the background begins to shake the polariod picture it is holding.
The same action occurs again at 53-55 seconds and 1.04-1.06 seconds.
The repetition of the action gives connotations of forgetfulness or a routine.
1.10-1.11 minutes- here the shot changes from the static image to a close up of a man's hands holding what appears to be the same polariod.
1.11-1.12 minutes- the camera pans left to follow the polaroid into the man's other hand.
Through these seconds the camera is specifically placed so we can't see his face, it is hiding his identity.
1.16-1.19 minutes- Here we finally see the characters face as the camera tilts up. There a two visible scratches on his cheek.
1.19-1.21 minutes- static shot of the mans face
1.21-1.23 minutes-The man seems to hide something in his jacket but it happens to quickly we can't see what it is.
All the shots that follow are static. This is significant as it shows nothing is happening, everything is still in this exact moment.
1.23-1.24 minutes- Shot of his face
1.24- 1.27 minutes- shot of running blood
1.27-1.30 minutes- shot of static bullet
Both the bullet and the blood have connotations of death, guns, murder and gives the idea that the genre of this film is a thriller.
1.30-1.31 minutes- shot of static glasses
1.31-1.34 minutes- shot of a head facing the floor, blood is splattered around the head. As the audience we presume he is dead.
1.34-1.43 minutes- Everything reverses in these seconds, the bullet goes back in a gun, the head and body facing facing the floor stand up before and the glasses are placed back on his head.
1.43-1.48 minutes- the final shot is a close up of a man's face that is half covered by a shadow, a voice over plays as this shot is carried out.
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