Monday 5 December 2011

Update of Teaser Trailers Progress

We attempted to film our first couple of scenes where the car is in use and the boy is killed, however we ran into some difficulties such as the road we were using was a bit busy with cars sometimes getting in the way. Also another problem was that when the camera was filmed from the boys perspective with the car hitting him it was difficult to suggest that he was being run over without actually showing he was. Therefore we have decided to use the school drive as there will be no cars in the way and also we can use quick cuts from the boy to the driver without actually having to get near the boy with the car as it will be shot at different times between them. For instance the cars driving sequence will be shot first and then the boy walking down the drive will be shot after and then with our editing package, the narratives will be merged.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Studio Ident Research











For my teaser trailer I will have to create my own studio ident, here are some examples of film ident's that are used for films and my ident will be based on some of these and particular traits that they have. I have researched these particular ident's and have found out that "twisted pictures" produce horror films such as the famous "Saw" films. At this moment Lions Gate Entertainment is the most commercially successful independent film distribution company in North America. Pixar and DreamWorks are both producers of animation and are the most famous and successful animation companies in the world at this moment.

Monday 21 November 2011

Final Script of Teaser Trailer - Detailed Planning and Dialogue

Detailed Planning
Scene 1
The car is travelling down the road towards the point of impact with the boy, at this moment the boy is unaware of the cars presence. There is a small amount of dialogue in this scene.
This is the road we plan on using in our trailer as it will hopefully be quiet and also there will be little interruptions in terms of people walking up and down getting in the shot of the camera.
The shot size will show the road and the boy, and the car coming towards the boy. The camera movement will show a variety of different shots and views to offer different perspectives. The camera angle will be canted at moments to add effect. The lighting will be from daylight but it will be getting dark, which will bring tension.
The setting will be on a road near the school so it is easy to get to and looks more realistic as to a sixth former walking home. There will be a variety of props, such as the car and a mp3 player/mobile phone in order to set the scene that the boy is not concentrating on crossing the road but instead worrying about his music.



Scene 2
It is set in the evening, the boy has been killed in the car accident, there is limited dialogue in this scene but the boy will make a sound on impact and the driver will be panicking.
The shots are going to be close-ups of the car's point of view and the boys view of the car. The camera will be moving along showing the boys narrative and the drivers narrative in quick cuts of each narrative, the camera will cut out when boy is hit to suggest it was from his perspective and the blacked out screen reflects a negative connotation of the boys death. There will be lighting from daylight but it will be getting dark.
The setting is on a road by the school, props will include the car, and actors will be wearing casual clothes, this scene will take place with quiet mysterious music in the background, and it will climax on the point of impact with the child. The sound effects will be the screeching of the car and the impact on the boy.

Scene 3
Scene 3 is set in the daytime where the driver is walking through a relatively crowded area and is suddenly pushed into a bin by an unknown force, a little dazed and confused he stands up, brushes himself off and accuses one of the crowd of teenagers that are laughing at him. the diagetic sound from this scene comes from the driver falling over a bin and people laughing at him, in which he shares dialogue with them.
The length of the shot will be an mid-longshot, where the camera will be following the driver, assuming that it is from the ghosts perspective, it will go really close to the driver and that is when the driver will fall over the bin. The lighting will be from the sunlight. 
The setting will be in the school playground, and the props will be the bin, costumes required are casual clothes for the driver and school uniforms for the children laughing.


This is the school playgorund that will be used, the bins that will be props are located in the middle of the playground.

 
Scene 4
Scene 4 is where the driver is in his house and things are being moved around when he is not looking which makes him nervous but confused, the dialogue is of the driver panicking, whilst running around the house.

The starting shot will be an establishing shot of the house, then moving on to close-ups in the house. The camera will be following the driver around the house and capturing his reaction to the discovery he makes when he notices things are being shuffled about. There will be a variety of angles tracking the objects that have been moved around the house. The lighting will come from the lights on in the house as the scene will take place at night time.
This is the house I plan on using for all our scenes located in a house environment.
The setting is in the drivers house, the props in use are everything that is moved about the house, the clothing will be casual for the driver and the music will be fast paced and dramatic.

Scene 5
This scene takes place inside the drivers bathroom, where he will be having a shave and he will bend down to wash his face and as he looks up, back into the mirror he will see the boys face that he killed, in seeing this he will jump backwards in fright and realise that it was the ghost that has been tormenting him. The sound in this scene will be of the driver having a wash/shave then when the ghosts face appears a loud shocking non-diagetic sound will ring out followed by a lot of screaming and shouting from the driver.
The length of the shot will be a close-up of the driver in the mirror with the camera being directly over the shoulder of him.
The setting is in the drivers house, the props will be the mirror, shaving equipment and the sink with the water in, the driver will be dressed in pyjamas as he will be getting ready for bed.

Scene 6
This is the final scene where the driver gets dragged along the floor by the ghost, the dialogue used is the driver screaming.
The shot sizes will be average, just big enough to show the driver being dragged at a close angle, the lighting will come from lights switched on in the house.
It is set inside the drivers house on a landing/corridor, with menacing non-diagetic music and the sound effects of the ghost screeching.

Dialogue
Scene 1
Driver: I look good today (looking in mirror). (notices phone ringing) but why does she keep ringing me? I've had enough of this girl!

Scene 2
Driver: (When boy is hit) oh shit, where the hell did he come from! I didn't see him, he came out of nowhere. (Beginning to drive off) Fuck this I'm not getting caught.

Scene 3
(After the driver has been knocked into the bin)
Driver: who did that?
(Notices a group of teenagers laughing at him, he grabs one of them)
Driver: It was you, wasn't it? 
Teenage boy: No!
(A teacher sees this and stops it) 
Teacher: What is going on here!
Driver: He pushed me into the bin
Teacher: I don't care, let him go!
Driver: (gritted teeth) yes miss
Teacher: Now go to my room

Scene 4
(sees objects moving around his house)
Driver: oh my god, what is going on, shit, this is weird!

Scene 5
(Humming to himself until he notices ghost behind him)
Driver: arghh, what! It's you!? But your supposed to be dead, I saw you die, I killed you! So how are you here, just leave me alone you bastard!

Scene 6
(Driver is being dragged down the landing)
Driver: ohh my god! oh my god! Let go, get off me! Why aren't you dead??

Friday 28 October 2011

Narrative Structure for Teaser Trailer

This post will include details of storyboarding, scripting, the mise-en-scene, the setting and the props. Therefore covering the whole planning phase of the teaser trailer, so that we can begin to film after this.

The images below were taken by me to show that I have done my storyboarding and scripting in great detail.

This is a picture of one of our storyboarding sheets, this particular one was our second draft.

This is additional storyboarding, this was also our second draft.

The image shows our opening scene, where the car is heading towards the child but the child remains unaware of the threat.

This is our second shot where the camera will give point-of-view shots of the perspectives of the driver and the child.

Our third shot shows the child has been killed in the car accident, and the camera will track away from the scene to show the devastation 
Our fourth shot shows the killer being pushed into a bin by an unseen force, which later turns out to be the ghost of the child, who lusts for revenge.

The fifth shot will be of the killer having a wash in the bathroom and when he looks up into the mirror the child's face will appear, the camera angle will be directly over the killers shoulder so it seems from his perspective.

The sixth shot will be of objects being moved around the killers house when he is not looking which will freak him out and make him paranoid, it will be done as when the killer leaves the room something will be moved to a different place.

The closing scene will be left on a suspenseful cliffhanger, where the killer is being dragged across the floor by the ghost , the camera angle will be a close-up of the killer to start and will remain stationary throughout the shot.




This is final planning for the four main scenes, which required extra planning as they were more challenging to do. Things  such as settings, props, costumes, dialogue and sound have been considered and planned in further detail.

Thursday 20 October 2011

Final Case Studies that Relate to our Style of Film & our Synopsis of Teaser Trailer

We have been inspired by two films that are different styles of film but link closely with our ideas, these films are "Shutter Island" and "Tormented".

Shutter Island
Shutter Island is a American psychological thriller that came out in 2010 and was directed by Martin Scorsese. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role as US Marshall Edward Daniels, who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the titled island.
Theatrical release poster
This film was such an inspiration to our plot as it is a period piece that gives nods to film noir and the horror genre which is what many of our concepts will attempt to follow but set in present day. It also pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock's directing skills as it holds many traits and Hitchcock produced many successful psychological thrillers throughout his directing career.
We also chose Shutter Island as an example to follow the conventions of as it was generally successful in terms of reviews it received, while one reviewer claimed "After four decades, Martin Scorsese has earned the right to deliver a simple treatment of a simple theme with flair."

Tormented
Tormented is a 2009 British horror-comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer as a schoolboy who is the main bully of the school. The film was directed by Jon Wright.
Original release poster
We drew inspiration from this film as we plan to have a similar narrative in terms of a death occurring then the ghost returning to take his revenge, this film was a close comparison that we were able to make, so we watched it to gain inspiration and took notes in order to be able to make our production unique but also sticking to the conventions of this style of film.
This was a good example of a film to base our production on as it received mainly positive reviews, Total Film described it as "A slasher for the Skins generation". With Empire calling it "cynical, gruesome fun" and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis of our teaser trailer
A teenager is driving a car, he then hits a child that runs out in front of the car, who is then killed. Then the ghost of the child comes back and haunts the man who hit him, he haunts him because the man drove off after he hit him and he did not own up to his collision with the boy.

Thursday 13 October 2011

The Dark Knight Rises - Case Study

The Dark Knight Rises is a superhero film based on DC Comics super hero Batman. The film will be the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman series.

Filming has taken place in a variety of different locations, including India, London, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, New York and Glasgow.

Marketing
In May 2011, the films website was launched, it introduced a viral marketing campaign similar to The Dark Knight. A link to Twitter was on it, so that followers of The Dark Knight Rises were given access to the first screenshots of the film.

In July 2011, a teaser trailer was leaked online, it was then officially released 3 days later. Reviews of the trailer were mixed, Stephen Spencer Davies said that it successfully built hype, while other people saying it was more of an announcement trailer than a teaser. Outlaw implied that the scene with Comissioner Gordan in the hospital bed was too dramatic, with "hammy" dialogue due to his laboured breathing. They also said that the final swooping scene of Gotham City had poor CGI and was too reminiscent of the trailer for Inception.

Teaser Poster


Here is the link to the teaser trailer  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Humz3ONgk

The Avengers - Case Study

The Avengers is a superhero film that is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on a group of superheroes that span over many different Marvel films that come together and unite; the superheroes are icons such as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor.

Development of The Avengers began in 2005, with the success of the Iron Man film, The Avengers was scheduled for a July 2011 release but with the signing of Scarlett Johansson the film was pushed back to May 2012.

Here is a link to the teaser trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zatgnqdIefs

Teaser Poster
Premise
When an unexpected enemy emerges who threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, the director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team of superheroes to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.


Marketing
In July 2011 a teaser trailer was leaked on to the internet that was meant to feature post-credits for Captain America: The First Avenger. Entertainment Weekly described the footage as "shaky, fuzzy, flickering and obviously from a cell phone".


The first teaser trailer was released in October 2011, Comic Book Resources stated that "The two-minute teaser handily establishes the movie's premise" and is "heavy on the assembling, but fans are also treated to plenty of action, as well glimpses of Iron Man's new armour and, best of all, the new take on the Incredible Hulk. Naturally, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark gets the best lines".

Update of Progress - Change to Teaser Trailer

My group have decided that if we were to do a short film it would be too long to fit the whole plot in, so what we decided to do is that we are going to fit some of the main elements of our film into a shortened teaser trailer, that will aim to capture and intrigue the audience.

We have planned the locations of where we are going to film the scenes and will also plan on taking photos of the surrounding area and risk assessments of the potential hazards that are located there or that could take place. These photos will be added in a later post.

We have also planned out a schedule of when we will be filming over the couple of months we have to shoot the trailer, and we have based it on a variety of different types of days, depending on the weather and the time of day, which is important as we also need to determine when an evening shot or a daytime shot can be taken. We have to plan everything around this and if we had other times when we could be doing research or blogging we will have to put it on hold as the film takes top priority.

The trailer will be shot at these times during these days and if we need to get evening shots we will just do it after school, the reason why the times of the schedule are so regimented is because these are when our media lessons take place.

Friday 30 September 2011

Typical Conventions of a Teaser Trailer

  • Short (1-2 minutes)
  • None to little footage of actual film, with an approximate release date
  • Genre is made clear through the quick edits
  • Audience should not get to grips with the plot
  • Voiceovers
  • Cliffhangers
  • Balance - creativity and footage but not giving any spoilers away
  • Fast/high impact
  • Eye-catching

Typical Conventions of a Short Film

  • Key characters - protagonist
  • Propp's theory of characters - e.g. there always has to be allocated roles in films such as a hero and a villain
  • A genre is needed for the narrative
  • Clear plot - Todorov's theory is what most plots follow
  • Effective techniques (flashback/flashforward, cliffhanger's, separate narratives)
  • No budget - needs to be professional
  • Steady shots
  • Scripting, storyboard, location, props, costumes

Analysis of short films - "The Sandman"

"The Sandman" is a short film directed by Paul Berry, who also helped out with the animations of " The Nightmare Before Christmas". The Sandman is a chilling interpretation of an old European folk-tale and received an Oscar nomination.

Here is a link to "The Sandman"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjgHbRrnjhU

Narrative


Merge of Narratives




There are two narratives in the film, one of the small boy and the other is of The Sandman; there is a merger of the two narratives near the end of the film.

Face is shaped like a crescent moon
The Sandman's appearance is imprinted on the audiences mind as it is very unique, his facial shape mimic's a crescent moon which is a clever technique as it resembles his home which is a moon setting and also puts a subliminal thought into the audiences head, this is in terms of when the audience look at the moon in future after watching the film they will automatically think about The Sandman.

The boy is portrayed as rather timid
When the boy is in bed alternating from being awake to asleep, the audience feel a strong sense of the boys terror, it also reinforces his desperation to sleep in order to hide from his fears. This shows a contrast between him asleep where he can find happiness and peace to when he is awake where his fears and cons become his harsh reality.

Camera Shots and Angles
Close-up of The Sandman 
Close-ups of the sandman builds up the clarity in the audiences mind as it gives a major insight of his thoughts and how he is going to accomplish his aim in the plot.

Establishing Shot
The initial establishing shot of the room with the boy playing his drum and the woman knitting (presumably his mother) is one of peace and tranquillity, before the introduction of The Sandman as the disturbance in the narrative.

Close-up of Grim Reaper
This camera shot is the first that implies themes of the supernatural and of negative connotations.

Sound
When The Sandman attempts to wake the boy up with loud noises as he jumps around the boy, the audience begin to fear that the boy will lose his eyes. The Sandman begins to look increasingly more menacing and his task looks more achievable by each passing second. The eerie non-diagetic music throughout the duration of the film, fills the audience with wonder but adds negative connotations of fear. The music also heightens the mystery of The Sandman and makes the plot more compelling, it also gives the film a melancholy feel. The most effective diagetic sound in the film definitely comes from when The Sandman is climbing the stairs, it is so effective because of the mannerisms of how he ascends the stairs and also the pace of it, it is because of the pace and creaking of the stairs tension and suspense is dramatically increased as the audience can really empathise with the boy and fear for him not escaping The Sandman's clutches.  

Thursday 29 September 2011

Planning for my short film

Camera Angles and Shots



  • Many shots to establish the setting at the beginning
  • Zoom in on protagonist at the beginning. Zoom out at the end, shows emotions and a sense of realism which is mandatory
  • Point of view shots
  • Movement is important for introductory scene
  • Upwards tilt on main character creates height and power - makes character more significant
  • Panning - used for moving around - Point of view shot for when character is searching for something
  • Close-ups - shows intensity and thoughts of characters - can lead into a point of view shot so it shows what the audience should be focusing on and can then lead into a cut away from the main characters thoughts
  • Begins with far out long shot so the tone and location is built up in the audiences mind
  • Initial long shot of the main character at start to build a strong image and a central focus for the audience
  • Mid shots of the the main character allows the audience to familiarise themselves with the protagonist

Analysis of short films - "Gravity"

"Gravity" is a short film that addresses and highlights the dangers of guns and the damaging effects it can have on the youth of today and innocent peoples lives.

Here is a link to the short film "Gravity" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eak_lmYEps

Analysis


Point of view shots give the feelings and emotions of the characters. The angles of the gun in the film really showcases and emphasises the power of it.






 The fact that the audience doesn't see the child's face at the beginning of the film because his identity isn't prominent at that time and there is little footage of the boy throughout the duration of the film, makes it all the more shocking when the ending is established as it is so unexpected and the audience don't see it coming. The many close and simplistic shots throughout the film suggests it was made with a low budget.
 The shot with the mother hanging the washing on the balcony is putting forward a comment of a typical inner-city area with a harsh reality behind it.







The crane shots are effective as they show the landscape that has been effected by the use of the gun.
 The dark and dingy setting gives a scumy and depressing feel about the whole film.
Tension is built with the same sky background throughout as the audience don'y understand why it's so important on their first viewing.








The diagetic squeaking sound at the beginning isn't a initially positive sound, it is quite a haunting sound and when the swing comes into the frame a great feeling of poverty is felt. No non-diagetic sound makes the film very prominent as it makes everything feel a lot harsher. Throughout the film many of the sounds are for the audience to envisage as the sounds are highly reliant on peoples imagination, a great deal of tension is built through this. The laughing of the youths at the end of the film when there is a shot of just the sky gives the audience an horrific feel as the harrowing reality of what has just happened sinks in. Sound effects of the boy are important when he is holding the gun outside, as his level of maturity is highlighted along with his misunderstanding of how dangerous guns actually are.

The narrative is built through the shots used, in the first minute all the main characters have been introduced, the quick shots and cut backs show that the film is straight to the point. The roughness of the area gives a look of a poverty stricken, urbanised area, full of gangs on a estate, this has a high impact and is stereotypical for an inner-city area. There are two narratives, that of the youths and that of the younger children, the constant editing back and forth between them builds up the story and setting for the audience, there are stark contrasts between the two groups, the youth scenes are full of action whereas the children's scenes reflect peace and innocence. There is a major escalation in the underground den as suspense gets built up throughout that scene after the gun is introduced. When "Ben" begins to breath heavy it is a sign to the audience that things are getting out of control.

Research into Short Films: "Dipper"

I've been viewing a variety of short films and began to deconstruct and review them and try and categorise them into a genre, which is what I have began to do with "Dipper" which is a drama about a man who is framed for a murder he didn't commint, it is set out as a normal day in a normal town centre, the plot follows a thief who targets specific prey (looks like they are carrying money or wealthy looking) before pouncing. However during the film he makes the fatal mistake of under estimating his target, which leads to him getting into trouble.

Here is a link to the short film "Dipper" for references on the analysis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZ9fCwux64

Analysis
Within the film there are lots of eye level camera shots, the shots are directed at bags and pockets, tracking them which gives the impression that it's from the perspective of a thief that is interested in looting someone. There are lots of quick cuts which shows the speed that his mind is working and also reflects his efficiency.


Point of view shots show the thief's objectives/intent 






















There are angles of his mouth with extreme close up shots, which shows what he is implying and also portrays an insight into his character.

There are many long shots after this close up but then the camera pans to an extreme close up of the woman's bag by the travel agent which shows his interest.
The long shot establishes the character, which shows he is scruffy and is the centre of attention in the shot. It is also shot at a low angle which shows his dominance and power over the general public. It is very voyeuristic, almost like a documentary, the audience watch him, watching the world.
When the camera shakes when he is walking it shows his intent but highlights his complications as he is trying to manouver through people.
To establish the scene the camera pans around the street.
A two shot shows the "dipper" and the policeman which then leads into a reaction shot from the "dipper" which shows his emotion.


There are a large amount of edits in the film, here are a few listed:
  • Cuts to people which has a strong emphasis on how quickly they are walking and also their body language
  • Zooms on faces
  • The title cuts into the film which conveys a sense of drama
  • A faded effect is used for people in the background which implies they aren't prominent
  • Indents are used when words are spoken and the font changes
  • The word "happiness" spirals out of control which gives across negative connotations and implies that someones happiness is about to be disrupted.
  • Flashbacks are used to link the narrative
  • Fades out to the credits at the end of the film

There isn't much use of effective sound in terms of non-diagetic, there is the themed music throughout and also quiet mysterious music when he is following the woman or when a flashback commences. However sound effects are very prominent throughout such as when he is trying to find a target and is scouring the area. 

Friday 16 September 2011

Short Film Review - How To Tell When A Relationship Is Over In 90 Seconds

"How To Tell When A Relationship Is Over In 90 Seconds" is a very funny comedy, it is a light hearted and quirky comedy and is simply boy meets girl, boy gets girl, girl gets sick of boy, boy gets sick of girl. Big fight. The End. It is very appealing to the audience as it is one of only a few short films that actually has the capability to dazzle the viewers. This is by far one of the best short films around as it is engaging and also attractive to watch. It's a film that you could watch over and over again and not get tired of it as there is around 15 different scenario's that take place in approximately 90 seconds so it is impossible to take in everything in just one viewing and will probably take around 4-5 viewings to catch all the jokes. It is sheer comedy genius and is worth 5 out of 5 stars.

here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004p9wb

Short Film Review - Scene 26

"Scene 26" is set in a hotel, it is a drama which carries an element of surrealism about it, it also contains a theme of death and also has disturbing, gory scenes. It is about a man who wakes up in a hotel corridor with a plastic tube sticking out of his mouth which is awkward and not enjoyable, from then it gets progressively worse and worse. Therefore I rated this film 1 out of 5 stars.

Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004t6pg

Short Film Review - Malheur

"Malheur" is a clever, stop motion film with pieces of Lego used. It has a involving plot that carries themes of evil, fear and sorrow, all of which are effective in advancing and making the plot more suspenseful. However there are a couple of problems, such as at times it is perhaps a bit boring and also the duration is on a little too long at a time of approximately 6 minutes which for a stop motion film is longer than average and it gets a bit tiresome after a while. Therefore I would rate the film 3 out of 5 stars.

Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gxx5s

Short Film Review - Get Off My Land

"Get Off My Land" is a dark comedy about a young couple on a countryside walk who meet the farmer who owns the land they're walking across. This film is a very good example of how wars begin and how they are very easily blown out of proportion. At times it is perhaps over exaggerated and the ending is a bit unrealistic. Therefore I would award the film 4 out of 5 stars.

Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gs4yj

Short Film Review - Bubblegum

The short film “Bubblegum” is a music video by the band “Clinic”. It is quiet bizarre and random as it is about a cat the blows a bubble from some bubblegum it is chewing. The bubblegum then acts as a balloon and takes the cat through many strange scenarios, such as passing fields of exuberantly dancing popcorn, marching party poppers and giant knickerbocker glories. Despite the weirdness, it manages to capture the audience as they are mesmerised by what will happen in the video and the music in the video is enjoyable as it is quiet a groovy and melodic tune with good vocals alongside it. Out of 5 stars I think it would receive 4 as a good song is attached and the video is entertaining and engaging, however some people may take a dislike to it because the video may be off putting or not everyone’s preference.


Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gzzgq

Thursday 15 September 2011

Research into Short Film - Bait

Summary
A boy and his father are living alone. The boy makes his lunch (bait) as the father gets ready for a job interview. They leave the house and get the bus from Newcastle to Durham. Then they enter a cafe and the boy waits for his father while the father has his interview, which initially the father said he would only be 10 minutes but the way the film is shot, the audience get the impression that the boy is waiting a lot longer than 10 minutes. During the time the father is gone, a drunk comes in and the boy gives him the "bait". The father realises this on his return and attempts to get the bait back by fighting the drunk. However, the father realises why his son gave the drunk the food, it was because the drunk was worse off than them. The father lets the drunk have the bait and also gives him the rest of his spare change including their bus fare, the father then walks over 10 miles back to their home carrying his son on his shoulders. This is a positive end as it highlights the moral of the story, that there are always people worse off and people should show kindness to try and help them as best they can, the film also highlights a aspect of the strong will and goodness in humanity.

Analysis


There are only a few edits throughout the film but all are very effective in building the plot and foreshadowing the future events. At the end of scene 1 the screen fades to black which shows a skip in time but also there are negative connotations with the colour being black and also the duration of the screen being black, the colour black in the film represents the harshness of the society they live in and also the frailties between the father and sons relationship when they are apart, when the screen goes black, it stays that way for a few seconds which implies that there will be a long stretch of negativity ahead. Todorov's theory will also come into play here as the audience can determine that the disturbance will soon commence to liven up the story and so the equilibrium can be restored afterwards. When the boy is sitting in the cafe there is a clever piece of editing, as the camera shows the boy looking at his father walking away through the window, the camera flicks to the boy and back again as a point of view shot. The window glass conveys the boys segregation from the rest of the world and the audience can really empathise with the boy as it is shown from his perspective, so the audience experience the boys isolation as he experiences it, this could be a usual feeling the boy has when not with his father as he is fully reliant on his father.

In terms of the mise en scene there is quiet a lot to pick up on. In the opening scene there is a huge emphasis on the money jar as the camera angle shows there isn't a lot of money in the jar, the director also takes thought on the condition of the house and keeps this in mind when he is creating the setting and atmosphere. Both of these portray the poor conditions of their lives and the poverty they are enduring, this also shows the significance of how important it is for the father to do well in his interview as the family looks like it desperately needs a steady income of money. Another thing that is gained from the opening scene is that straight away the single parent scenario is portrayed to the audience as there is no sight or mention of a mother throughout the duration of the film. Throughout the film there is a keen focus on the "bait", an interpretation of this could be that the "bait" represents the boy's relationship with his father, in the sense that when the "bait" is around, their relationship is positive. However when the "bait" is lost, it highlights a gap of emptiness in each of their lives. The "bait" is purely a materialistic thing for them as it has no real baring after the fight which shows the importance of food when there isn't much money but also shows that company is more important as the relationship between them both is what prevails at the end of the film and the "bait" has gone to the drunk as that is the priority in his life as he has nobody else to consider.

In terms of sound there is only a limit on effective diagetic sound throughout the film, important sounds are the constant praising of the son from the dad, which is establishing their relationship. Also the most effective diagetic sound is that of the coins rattling in the jar which shows the lack of wealth the family has had to endure. On the other hand the non-diagetic sound plays a massive part in the suspense and development of the plot. For instance, at the beginning of the second scene, the harmonious music reflects the calm and settled relationship. When the drunk enters the cafe there is a sudden change in the music, as it gets more tense which implies the danger and threat the tramp presents towards the boy who, when the camera is on him has more calm and relaxed music which shows the stark contrast between good and bad, showing the differences between both. The music then changes again when his father returns which portrays  the hope and positive nature the father has on his sons life.

Throughout the film there are constant low angle shots cast at the father which shows the film is directed from the child's point of view, this shows he idolises his father and he is the biggest role model in his life. Throughout the film there are close-ups of the two of them in the same shots, which implies the the closeness and bond between them. As time goes on while the father is in his interview, there is a shot of the cafe that suddenly becomes empty which shows how long the father is taking and a sad mood is portrayed by the way the camera has close-ups of the boys face, by the expressions on his face the audience can clearly feel the lonliness and vulnerability of the boy when he is without his father.

To conclude, there is a significant use of effective filming techniques throughout, these effect the feeling and mood of the story, which builds up the tension and also introduces important themes of poverty and loneliness. The camera angles are specifically important as they show the emotions of the main characters, especially the close up of the boys face where the audience see his true feelings expressed through his facial expressions. The edits are also effective as there is a emphasis on time as the camera jumps from boy to where his father is when he is in the cafe shows the commitment and willingness the boy has towards his father, the black screen at the end of the first scene shows the time factor that the boy puts into their relationship, as the key focus is on the "bait" which is the only thing that the father and son have in between them. In the mise en scene there is two main focuses, that of the "bait" which is the central focus throughout the plot as it is the only thing that both the father and son have a true connection with apart from money, which is also a running theme throughout the film as there is always a importance of how much money the father has and also how necessary it is for them both to live. The non-diagetic sound is key as it involves the music which sets tones of seriousness, sadness, happiness and gloominess all throughout the film, it is able to set these tones with the style and tempo of the music which is discreetly layered into the background, the audience would find it difficult to notice the music unless they were analysing the film or distinctively searching for the non-diagetic sound, this is a clever filming technique from the director as he subliminally sets the mood, which is a lot harder to do than if you were to set the mood with obvious techniques, such as through speech or body language.

Thursday 7 July 2011

Short Movie & Evaluation

In the video that we created, we made it with loads of still shots with a camera and slight movements of the vehicle and the person. We also built the set from paper that had been shaped and cardboard and a base plate of lego. The people and car we used were also entirely created from lego. Whereas the blood we used was moulded from clay.