Test Screen

We had the test screen of our final piece today and it went really well
we got lots of positive feedback which was good but also people suggested things to change.

1. turn down treble on master shot of me
2. cut music down at end-too distracting
3. quiet down sound of keys
4. needs a change of music as montage starts-change of music for change of pace-also too distracting..
5. drone too loud
6. printer quieter

All of these are easily sorted out and we will change them tomorrow. After that we will be done!!

Shoot 3: How it went...

We completed our final shoot yesterday. We needed this shoot because we had some things to re-shoot and some new shots to complete. We had a half day from school and took full advantage. However none of us were very well which caused some problems

Favourite shot: the close up low angle of king-I had to sit in a really uncomfortable position btut it was worth it!!

Best part of the day: Having so much fun with everyone. It's like they're my own little media family!!

Worst part of the day: 4 sick people stuck in one tiny room-NOT GOOD
Everyone was coughing and spluttering and it was horrible, germs all over the place. but you gotta do what you gotta do

Overall the whole shooting experience has been great. I've enjoyed it so much. I think i have really stretched myself in my filming abilities.

xx

Shoot 2: How it went....

Shoot two went pretty good
We filmed all the stuff with lauras dad, and its looks BRILLIANT. We got so many angles and shots it's gonna look so effective. I thought the shot of him puttting thngs into the briefcase from his point of view was really effective and will look really cool when it's on the computer. It was lovely to meet King for the first time. He was so good at acting and picked up all the traits of the character immediately. He learn the script instantly and was really proffessional-whilst being really lovely.

Fave shot: the shot of King in the mirror

Best part of the day: Meeting king, and filming some of the briefcase bits

Worst part: Being crammed in the teeny cellar for about 5 hours!!!!!

Shoot 1: Reflections

The shoot went really well
we got MORE than enough footage to edit the girls part, and create some really effective match on actions

fave shot we took: the key board shot definately, it's really intersting but not invasive, i think it will really work well

fave bit of the day: filming the master shot, we were all so professional and got it all done

worst bit: When we/I started laughing. The lines was reading were so serious and I just got the giggles. In my defence Holly was laughing too-at the absolute rubbish i was typing, on the screen. None of it made sense!!
Can't wait to see the outtakes though-they'll be hilarious!!!!!


p.s. we've changed the storyline a small bit- no more 'Aunties' just an evil agony aunt but really a guy.
xx

Stage 2: Planning

Ok so we've started to plan our group film-and we've chosen a final idea
it's going to be based around the internet in which suicidal girls are preyed on by a character who goes by the pseudonym of 'Julie' to gain the trust of the girls, and eventually kills them. We've decided the editing and shooting style will be chopping and quick. We have also decided I will be the first victim and a friend of Laura's, called King, will be the main muderer.

Can't wait to get going now...

Stage 2: Test Shoot

I'll just fill you in our our stage two planning and how i contributed.
Firstly...

TEST SHOOT
Before going out on the shoot We needed to make sure we were prepared
Firstly we needed to check all of our equipment, that we had the necessary stuff to provide good test footage.
We also prepared a small script to ensure when screen testing both me and Laura, we had an adequate amount to say, and that what we said linked to our piece.

This is the test script we came up with for the female part:

Girl:

I've been doing a lot better this week.

My mum didn't drink this evening.You've really helped me.

Can I ask you a favour? (pause)

Would you come over this evening?

This worked well as it provided range, and gave us inspiration for our actual script.

Our test shoot-though missing one person, was successful as it gave us loads of inpiration for angles and shots for the real shoot. It gave us an idea of the lighting, and how the lighting in the cellar it pretty tricky, but we worked out that an eerie effect was created it lamps we placed in certain positions.
What I did: I shot a variety of different shotsin the cellar and in Laura's room, to give us variety, and show us what works and what doesn't. I tried to be experimental at this stage, because this is how you learn and choose what is right. I enjoyed the test shoot because it showed me that I can be more creative with my camera work.

Reflections of watching footage:

1. After watching the footage in the lesson, we realised some important factors to consider when doing our actual shoot, and made some observations and changes to the piece.
   It wasn't snappy enough (but we realised this towards the end of our takes after reviewing them).
2. We don't have enough continuity, so we need to change the action so that it involves continuity other than the conversation online.
3. We decided who would play the girl.
4. After watching the different shots of the murderer with the briefcase, we realised which lighting looked best, and discovered that a mixture of different shots and angles could look really effective. We can cut it up to make it SNAPPIER and show some more continuity by matching-on-action with sharpening knives etc.

Final Idea!!!

We are choosing an idea based around men preying on suicidal girls, killing them and making it look like suicide.

Synopsis- A murder organisation called "The Aunties" (possible title?) who victimise vulnerable, suicidal women/girls by setting up a help website where they are "agony aunts". they are really men. then they target certain women, get to know them, then find out where they live and kill them, making it look like suicide. The posts on the worry website are evidence of suicide.
This is our Final Idea

Stage 1

So we're getting started on our group project in my group with Laura and Holly. We've already planned our group idea and agreed on it but had already made a treatment for another idea so i thought i would put it down so you could see the contrast

PLANNING YOUR OPENING SEQUENCE
Please describe or explain the following:
1. The action: identify the event your idea is based around; what actually happens (discovery of a body, an illicit meeting, a witness seeing a crime being committed, a criminal act taking place, a telephone call, a chase, a short journey etc)?
My idea was based around two drug dealers in London who deal and take cocaine. The action in the opening sequence would be the dealers wrapping up packages of cocaine, and then you see/hear the dealers spiking one package with a poison of some sort to kill someone. They wrap three packages ready to post but you do not see which package is the poisoned one.

2. The theme(s): what should it make the audience think about or feel, what ‘issues’ will it raise (revenge, sexuality, voyeurism, stalking, obsession, greed etc)
Themes of death, drugs, London style and social scene, revenge, will make the audience feel angry and confused as they do not know who will be poisoned.

3. The narrative: how is it structured - classic narrative pattern or break with convention, real time or different time zones, flashbacks/forwards, dreams etc. Will there be dialogue? What about diegetic/ non-diegetic sound?
The narrative pattern will break the conventions, as it will use both real time and flash backs to try and piece together the story bit by bit. The aim is to be quite confusing to the audience, to make them think. . There will be dialogue between the two dealers about the drugs and about poisoning them. Any music that we have in the scene will be digetic as i feel non-digetic sound may make it feel quite Hollywood, and i think it should be quite gritty.

4. The character(s): who are they, identify their roles, what are their characteristics, including gender, appearance etc?
The only characters seen in the opening sequence are two drug dealers, in their mid/late-thirties. Both white males wearing plain darkish clothes in greys blues and khakis

5. The setting and choice of location: where is it set?
A London flat/house, showing the dealers must be pretty good and lead a averagely comfortable life. The flat would be nearer the centre of London. Nice looking from the outside but dingier from the inside.

6. The mise-en-scene: identify colours, lighting, dress codes, the overall visual look
High key lighting as it is in the middle of the day, I see bright-ish colours like reds and blues mixed in with whites and browns. Dress codes are pretty standard and casual. Needs to connote British street style.

7. The camera work: the style you are aiming for
Lots of movement shots: tracking, pans etc to create a better visual feeling. Jaunty angles to create a weird sense of something happening and confusion.

8. The editing: edited as a continuous sequence, use of cross cutting, use of montage, or combination?
Very choppy, and fast paced to reflect the British edgy-cool style of the piece. Use of montage when showing the making and separating of the cocaine.

9. Has your idea been ‘tested’ against the key criteria (the 8 questions)?
Yes, i feel it will work well

10. Group responses?
We all like the idea and think it can work well, as we would have the right location to shoot it, and we could use our dads as actors...

GROUPS!!!!

OK so we've been put in our groups and I'm with Holly and Laura-VERY EXCITED
Both of them will gel with me nicely as they are both very hard working and keen about film

Holly- My mole chum (private joke)
She is the most film obsessed person I know-she'll really help when it comes to research and comparisons for the film. She LOVES blogging which is another bonus (watch her preliminary task..I don't think she even needed to act :] )

Laura- Very close friend and very ginger. She is so hard working and determind to get 100% on this project. She, like me, tends to do too much work and way extra than you actually need-> not always a bad thing though

I am very excited to be working with two of my best friends and now just cant wait to get going!!!!!!!

xx