Ideas for the Opening Film

Idea of opening Film

First off the idea was to have both the Main male and female characters meeting in a restaurant on a date but the crowd and sound level and would be a problem, as well has the permission to film on the premises. So we changed the idea, keeping the main characters but different plot. Both Addison and Leland are getting ready for their date. Leland is rushing around at the last minute putting on clothes and rushing out the door. He turns up at the wrong house/apartment and see’s a female who is actually the one for him, laid back, not in neat clothes etc. At the same time, Addison gets a knock on her door thinking its Leland but in fact it someone called Luke who is just like Addison, serious, plain and posh. So both Male characters go into the apartments trying to get in contact with their actual dates.

Research For the Opening Film

We looked at a site for names for the main characters - http://www.listology.com/list/hippie-names

We choose for the main female character:

Darcy

Aurora

Ariel

Addison

Willow

Imogen

We choose Addison

We choose a name for the second female character- Scarlet

We choose for the main male character:

Glenn

Leland

River

Milo

Lucas

We choose Leland

From the list above we choose Lucas for the second male character.

List of jobs to do:

• Get photos for the photo frames
• Main Characters
• The main Characters location
• Sort out Ireland filming (Sydney will be going to Ireland during half term and wants to film some of the film in Ireland)
• Draw Storyboard
• Write Plot
• Update Blog
• Sort out music

Research and Ideas

Research

For this part of the unit I gathered some notes for my research by going to my local library, which was on site of the college I am at (Thomas Whitham Sixth form) and read OCR Media Studies for AS pages 31-42 and made notes on Continuity.

I found some really useful information that will help me when making the opening sequence to the film. I found that we must do storyboards and how they are vital which I understand is necessary as the group need to know what needs to be done for each scene, how it is shot, movement of camera, which shot it comes in from (Editing) etc.  

I found that a shooting script will be really useful alongside the storyboard as well as the ongoing process of filming it. I found that it is logical “to film all the sequences in one location at a time” this will make the filming process easier for us, as well has looking at the possibilities of locations, how we can get there, is it possible to film, do we have permission to film their etc.

I also looked at opening sequences to films. I kept thinking that the opening sequence is a trailer, I was thinking that it would look and be shown similar to a trailer. So by watching opening sequences to films it took  me off the idea of a trailer. I learned that you can fit a lot into a 2 minute piece of footage and that you can make it so that your audience want to see more, which is the general idea.

I brainstormed and came up with a few ideas.

Rom Com - a couple either boyfriend & Girlfriend/Fiancé/Husband - funny things happening between them:

• One of them eats the last chocolate.
• Putting the darks in the whites
• The male is watching Football and doesn't help with the female with shopping
• Arguments on the best way to deal with the DIY in the House

The male character goes to the Navy. At the end the female comes home from a stressful day at work finds the door is already open and thinks that he has come home. The camera follows her into the dining room, cuts to a mid shot of her walking in the dining room with the camera in front of her to see shock on her face and it goes black and a voice over says "but he was the last person I wanted to see"

Drama - A teenager Vlogs (blogs through video) only friend is his camera and the Internet/YouTube OR teenager makes films for YouTube but the stuff he films such as light saber duels are actually real and people actually get killed.

Rom Com - Title: The girl & her ghost

A teenage girl is grieving over her dead farther, a guardian angel/ghost is there to help her through her grieving and life. The male guardian is sent by her farther to make sure she is safe and happy and does well in life, fulfils her dreams. She falls in love with someone but realises she has feelings for her angel and she finds out he loves her too but they can’t be together because other people will be judgemental and no one else can see him, it’s not natural.

I really wanted to do a Rom-Com something different to everyone else has done, something entertaining too.

AS Media - Continuity Exercise & Brief of Opening Film Sequence

Brief

 For the Media AS Foundation Unit we are to create a 2 minute opening film sequence by using a variety of camera angles and movements, editing, possible locations and non copy write sound. Before going straight into this I took part in the first exercise looking at continuity using a DVR Camera and Tripod.

Continuity Exercise

We worked in groups using one DVR Camera and Tripod. I and the other 2 members of our group already have had experience using the DVR Camera and Tripod so it was easy for us to use. The task was to practice with the camera and making perfect shots of continuity.

The camera is on the tripod a few feet away from the door the actor will walk through and use a pan, tracking the actor in a mid range shot, while they walk to the door.

Another shot will be taken where they have their hand on the door handle and open the door.

The camera is then paused and moved in front of door a few feet away and then film them walking in.

Then we move the camera to the other person in the room reacting to the other person walking in. Then a shot reverse shot is used while they have a conversation.

When all is shot we then went for to the editing suite where we took the clips we didn’t need out and put the parts we needed in.