Post 12a: Evaluation - Audience Feedback

After we completed our film we wanted to know what some viewers thought worked and didn't work. To see this we took a group mostly made up of our target audience and showed them our finished piece and asked them to give us feed back on what the liked and didn't like.

http://youtu.be/AgKYQcO2WsY

Post 11: Final Opening Sequence

http://youtu.be/yUhyqbyCt1M

Post 10: Post-Production

After we finished our filming we then had to edit our opening sequence together. We started off with capturing the footage that we had recorded. It was here we had a problem, due to time and hardware constraints we chose to go against using a logging rush to capture our footage off the camera. Instead of just capturing the scenes we needed we went and captured all of the footage on the camera. This ended up aiding us rather than hindering us because it meant that we had more footage to play around with, thus giving the sequence more pollish in the long run.

The next thing we had to do after this was cut down the scenes to the individual shots. This is so that we can put it into the correct order and cut them down so that they're well paced. To do this I used the razor tool, selecting it with either C or by clicking on the razor icon. After we separated them we then got them all in order and placed them over 2 channels. This was so that if we accidental crossover shots they wouldn't be cut down.

The next challenge we faced was creating the split screen shots. To get this effect I started off by layering the 2 videos on top of each other so that they were running at the same time. I then clicked on the picture that was on top and went over to the effect controls of the video and selected the motion option. From here I then selected scale and lowered it to 50%, I then went to the position controls and placed it so that it was in the corner of the frame. To set the other picture I did the same but just moved it to the other corner of the frame.

One problem that we uncounted during editing was that for some of the shots inside the garage the lighting was very dim, to the point where you couldn't make out the actors faces. To get around this we used a combination of lighting effects and colour correction. We started off by using colour correction to brighten the picture up a bit. To do this we went to Video Effects>Colour Correction>Brightness and Contrast and then dragged the effect onto the video that we wanted to change. To change the brightness we then had to go into the video effects and play around with the numbers until the video looks better than it did before. The second thing we did was use a lighting effect to shed more artificial light in the scene. This was done in a very similar way to the brightness and contrast effect.

When we were done we then had to export the video as an AVI file so it could be uploaded to Youtube. To do this i simply went to File then Export, chose the file destination and then waited for it to finish.

Post 9: Production

Whilst we were making our opening we had a couple of problems. We started off with filming the scenes with Carlson leaving for work. The very first problem that came up was that we were missing a prop, it being the suitcase that Carlson is supposed to put his documents in. Here we realised that we were in fact missing it and that we hadn't checked before hoof to see if any one actually owns one. This meant that we ended up going for a laptop bag which whilst working, it didn't have the same effect as the leather briefcase would have done with the number combination clasp that is conventional in spy thrillers. From this we learnt that it is very important to have all props accounted for before we start filming as it can lead to time being wasted during the time we are supposed to be filming.

Another problem that we came across later on was that when we came to film the terrorist scenes, we had misplaced our script somewhere along the way. This meant that we weren't able to shoot the dialogue scenes that day, when we wanted to get it all filmed at once.
To get around this we organised the same ponies to come back a week later so that we could re-write our original script and film the missing scenes. Here we encountered another problem because we had to compromise our original storyboard and miss the last couple shots due to us not being able to get hold of a van or even a car in such short notice. This meant that we also had to change parts of our original script in which they would talk about how they had changed the plates and how it was parked outside. Instead of using these lines we chose to not mention any vehicle and instead leave it open. I feel that this did work but at the same time it would have added to the mise-en-scene to have a van or at least a car in some of these shots.


One other problem that we encountered when we were filming inside the garage was that it didn't have any power outlets, this meant that we couldn't use any artificial lighting. Having artificial lighting inside the garage, especially towards the back would have been very useful because our shots were all very dark meaning that we would have to try to enhance them in post production, making them look less natural than they otherwise would and also possibly compromising the video quality.

One thing that went well with our filming was that we didn't have to retake many shots. There was a couple mistakes such as Joel (The terrorist wearing the balaclava) dropping the guns magazine and also a couple of framing mistakes here and there but over all we didn't have too much excess footage that we have to sift through. This means that we are able to save a lot of time when it comes to editing because we wont have to choose which shots are better than others and edit the wrong shots out.

Overall i feel that while we did have a few problems and revisions but i feel that we dealt with them successfully and still got what we needed to a good level of quality and polish.

Post 8: Pre-Production Documentation

Full Plot Synopsis: Agent Carlson is getting ready for an interrogation into a recent mission uncovering the true intent of a higher up member of MI6; agent Darwin. At the same time a squad of terrorists are getting ready to kidnap Carlson and his daughter.

They get them away successfully and take them to a secure location.

Months earlier, Carlson was on an assassination mission in Iran were he was ordered to kill a high valued target. Through a misunderstanding with his head agent, Darwin, he killed the wrong pony without knowing and got home to find out that he had been punished for failing the mission, although he thought he carried it out successfully. This led to him getting demoted to a desk job.

In the terrorist’s captivity, Carlson starts planning his escape whilst the terrorists confirm that they have captured him and his daughter, they then realise that they have been double crossed by not being paid for kidnapping Carlson so that he couldn’t get to the interrogation. This makes the terrorists feel a vendetta towards the agent that hired them, Darwin. Instead of keeping Carlson in their captivity they choose to get onto MI6 and get a ransom for agent Carlson. Carlson escapes and frees his daughter leaving on his way to MI6.

While the terrorists start coming to terms with MI6 one of them realise that they have escaped, leading the terrorists to panic and choosing to go after them. On his way Carlson finds a payphone and he contacts Darwin asking to meet in a private area, Darwin agrees and then Carlson and his daughter turn up at MI6, rushing up to the head office, knowing that Darwin isn’t in the building.

Carlson gets up to the head office and sees the Director looking confused about why he is in such a rush. Carlson tells him about the whole affair, telling him about Iran and what has just happened to him and about how Darwin is working against the MI6. After some thought the Director believes him and they send out a task force to track him down.

Darwin arrives at the private location, confused that Carlson isn’t already there, shortly after the terrorist group also arrives, confused as well because they were expecting to find Carlson after following him on the run. During a confrontation the terrorists find out that it is Darwin that’s in front of them and they kill him in revenge for double crossing them. As they escape the task force that was set out to track down Darwin sees them escaping and manages to arrest them.

Opening Sequence Outline: Agent Carlson is getting ready for work at his job in MI6, feeling sad that he cant be with his daughter, at the same time a group of freelance terrorists are getting ready to kidnap him because they have been hired to by an anoymous source. The 2 scenes cut between eachother at different paces, with the terrorists having a fast and intence feeling, against Carlson who is relaxed and lethargic.

Risk Assessment:

 
Crew List:
Hugo King-Irwin: Camera Operator, Terrorist and Director
John Brookes: Camera Operator, Terrorist and Assistant Director
Max Halcomb: Camera Operator, Agent Carlson and Writer
Conor Westlake: Camera Operator, Producer and Co-Writer

Storyboard:

Pre-Production Report:

Our idea is to do a Thriller aimed at the target audience of young adult males. We had to do a number of different drafts of the script, so that it was more thrilling, engaging and so that it had a solid conclusion. One problem that we have encountered is that our cast is going to be somewhat younger than the ones that are presented in the script. We will try our best to solve this problem by casting people who look and sound a lot older than they actually are; we are also able to manipulate their appearance by using makeup and lighting to our advantage.

Another thing that we have found during our preproduction is to use lots of shots. This will benefit our piece because it will give it a good sense of pacing, something that we have found to be very important in the openings of thrillers. We have listed our shots in the shot list and illustrated them as well in our storyboard. This is so that we have something that we can easily refer to whilst we are filming.

Post 7: Focus Group

http://youtu.be/teCDFdWjW3w

For our focus group i went for 4 17 to 18 year old boys, who fall in our primary demographic. Over all i feel that our small focus group made up of our target audience all agreed that it was something that they would be interested in watching and paying bits for. This means that if it looks good for these members of our demographic it will probably look good for many other members of my target audience.

Post 6: History of Chosen Genre

Crime and Gangster Films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as post-war, film noir or detective-mystery films, because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms.

Some iconic crime thrillers:

Scarface (1932): One of the earliest crime films to deal with the subject of a man’s rise and fall from the top. Widely received upon its release and still regarded as a masterpiece it led to the 1983 film of the same name, which in turn was also highly successful.

The Maltese Falcon (1941): One of the first and most successful book adaptations of a crime novel, it was nominated for 3 Oscars and is number 109 in the IMDB top 250 today. It is also still reference even today I TV, Films and also Videogames.

The Night of the Hunter (1955): A very successful film that showed a darker and more serious side to the crime thriller with it focusing on manipulation and subterfuge rather than straight up violence. To this day it is still seen as an iconic piece of cinema with it being number 190 on IMDBs top 250.

 Bonnie and Clyde (1967): One of the first films to show bloody violence in colour, it showed that women can also be seen as violent figures. It won 2 Oscars and is still seen as a defining cult film for its genre as well as others.

The Warriors (1979): One of the most successful cult films of all time with a huge following, it showed a stylised and glamorized depiction of 80s gang culture along the east coast whilst depicting violence against both police and other gangs.

The Untouchables (1987): A remake of a 1959 film of the same name, is has become one of the most iconic films surrounding the fall of Al Capone in the 1920s, with an all star cast and acclaimed director Brian De Palmer it went on to become very successful and win an Oscar.

Heat (1995): A highly successful film about robberies and organised crime it had an ensemble cast including Val Kilmer, Al Pacino and Robert Di Nero. The film is well renowned for being incredibly action packed and having phenomenal shoot outs.