We ended up not actually using most of the footage we had recorded at the house except for the exterior shots. In the shot of the outside of the house, with the lamppost, we added a lens flare to make it look as if it was on. When Mike walks past the lamppost we made it so he would block out the light for a split-second. To combine the scenes in the alleyway and the house grounds, we faded to black to emphasise the time gap between the locations.
Throughout the duration of filming, we took lots of long takes and didn't cut a large amount of time off them for a thoughtful and naturistic feel. We used the matched cut to show the different angles of Mike answering his phone. This kind of shot seems natural to the viewer because they understand the action.
Because of the unclear quality of the diagetic sound we decided to remove all the audio and replace it with our own sound effects we had recorded and found on the internet. We found many sound effects on soundsnap.com and we tested four sets of footstep sounds before picking the best one and then cropping it to catch the single footstep. We had much difficulty matching the sound effect to the actual footsteps on-screen but it paid off in the end. We didn't add footsteps where the movements of the feet in the video didn't look as if they could realistically make a sound. Another sound effect we used was the sound of the pebble being kicked under foot. This was quite loud as it was mean to be heard by the main character (Mike).
We went through a lot of soundtracks from many films and TV series to find the most appropriate. We were trying to find a soundtrack that was both orchestral and dramatic but we needed to find something that didn't sound to American. In the end we found one that was most appropriate, "The Seeds of Time" from the "Monster" (the anime) original soundtrack. To make it match the footage we had to make some cuts and fade certain parts of the music into other parts. This matched the most dramatic parts of the soundtrack with the most dramatic parts of the video, and the quiet parts of the soundtrack with the relaxed parts of the film. The cuts in the audio are generally hard to notice, as we used fades and sound effects on top to make them as seamless as possible.
The last thing we added to the audio was the narration, as there was no dialogue in the film. We recorded four narration tracks using a microphone, two by Richard and two by Mike. We were fairly pleased with all four, but tested out Richard's second one with the video and never went back. We had to crop the narration audio into sentences so that we could place them wherever we wanted on the audio track, and set the lines that needed to be in specific places, then placing all the other lines around them. We raised the volume of certain lines to make sure that they werre clearly audible.
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Third Shoot
The third shoot was back at the alley in Southborough after we realised we needed to film another sequence to add to the tension of our film opening. Once again we filmed after school on a clouded day. We reserved the camera equipment and walked up to the location. The shoot went very well, mainly based around our lead character taking a phone call. Overall we were very pleased with the way the shoot went, gathering all the continuity and filler shots we wanted.
Second Shoot
Our second shoot was shot in an alleyway in Southborough on a clouded day after school at about four o'clock. We had booked the camera and tripod, and walked straight up, with all the props we needed. We had one person on lookout at all times, just to keep an eye out in case anyone wanted to walk past at any point. We had to stop about three times for passersby which in the long run wasn't to bad. At the end of the shoot we had achieved all the shots we wanted and walked back down to school to return the camera equipment.
We took atleast two shots of each sequence so it was ready for the edit. So overall the shoot was a success and we were pleased with the shot sequences we achieved.
We took atleast two shots of each sequence so it was ready for the edit. So overall the shoot was a success and we were pleased with the shot sequences we achieved.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Location Reccie
These are the two locations at which we are filming. The alleyway is in Southborough, which was discovered by me and Mike whilst we were out looking for the longest and most noir-esque alleyways in the local area. It runs behind a long row of houses and is almost always abandoned, making it the perfect location for filming.
The second it the house of a family who I know, which is easily the most impressive house that I could think of that I had any chance of being able to film at. The family kindly agreed to let us film there.
Monday, 17 November 2008
First Shoot
Our first shoot took place on Sunday 9th November and we booked the camera equipment over the weekend, picking it up midday on Friday and storing it until Sam could take them home. The shoot was set at the house of a friend, which we agreed to arrive at for 3 PM. The shooting began at 3:15, when the sky was still fairly clear. However, we had to race against time to keep shooting as the sky became increasingly darker over the next few hours. In the end, we got all the footage that was apparently needed and the parts that were too dark we decided we would either cut or adjust brightness and contrast on Premiere.
We used a clapper for all the takes, and always took at least two shots to make sure we had a choice in case there was something wrong with one. We had decided from the start that we would use sound effects and dialogue recorded later, since we could get a crisper quality of sound that way than with the camera's microphone - especially since it was quite windy during this shoot. The quality of film of image decreased a bit when we went inside the house, as it was much darker inside. To create the shadows that we wanted, despite no lights in the house being on, we used the torch from a mobile phone to provide a bit more illumination.
The equipment made it back undamaged on the Monday and we uploaded our footage.
We used a clapper for all the takes, and always took at least two shots to make sure we had a choice in case there was something wrong with one. We had decided from the start that we would use sound effects and dialogue recorded later, since we could get a crisper quality of sound that way than with the camera's microphone - especially since it was quite windy during this shoot. The quality of film of image decreased a bit when we went inside the house, as it was much darker inside. To create the shadows that we wanted, despite no lights in the house being on, we used the torch from a mobile phone to provide a bit more illumination.
The equipment made it back undamaged on the Monday and we uploaded our footage.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Props
The props needed for our film are fairly limited. In the alleyway scene, we require a can to be kicked. In the house scene, we need a table covered with scattered materials, specifically sweets and cigarettes. On the same table is a small and unobtrusive lamp. Also in the room is a wireless phone that can be picked up. Since we cannot use guns, the presence of a gun is implied when the detective reaches into his pocket. All of these props will be supplied by us, except for the phone which will be present at the house.
Costume
Film noir consists of many different characters with different styles of clothing. During our production of the film we will have to take into consideration the clothing styles of film noir and how the main characters present themselves. In the film noirs we have already researched, the main character tends to be a detective with a consistent dress sense of; large trench coast and a typical modern detective hat. We will try our best to use these stereotypical clothes but if we can't find them, we will adapt different attire to suit our film. We also found out that the detectives tend to wear suits combined with black ties, so it will be easy to acquire these costumes. In our film we are also using an anonymous character, so we will have to make his clothing distinctively different from the lead character.
Lighting
Within our film opening we will be looking to include all the conventional aspects of film noir, including low key lighting schemes, we will be taking two lamps with us on the shoot of different contrasts. Within our product analysis' we have realized that most film noir openings contain very dark lighting schemes, so we will also be using this style of filming. We will only have 3 shots of our lead character outside, as the weather could change for when we need to film our alley scene, we are hoping to shoot the other scene when the lighting and weather is similar. We will be filming in the late afternoon when it is becoming dark outside so that the lighting is perfect for a stereotypical film noir opening.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Treatment
An un-named detective prowls down a dimly lit alley. As he walks, he flexes his fist. Over the sound plays a narration. The man hears the noise of ma can being kicked somewhow behind him, stops, and reaches into his jacket. About a hundred feet away, a dark figure moves out of sight. The detective continues on his way.
Cut to a building. He walks into the porch and unlocks the door. After entering, it becomes clear that all the lights ore off. He flicks a light switch, but it doesn't make any difference. He checks outside once before shutting the door. He heads to a living room where he sinks into a chair and puts his hat down on the table. He switches on a lamp.There are sweets and cigarettes scattered on the desk. He reaches for a cigarette, but is interrupted by the old-fashioned ringing of a phone. After hesitating, he picks up the phone. The caller's voice isn't heard. The detective says "yes", "yes, "I don't think so", "then it looks like you and I have even more of a problem than I thought". There is a menacing knock at the door. He delicately puts the phone down and stands up.
Cut to a building. He walks into the porch and unlocks the door. After entering, it becomes clear that all the lights ore off. He flicks a light switch, but it doesn't make any difference. He checks outside once before shutting the door. He heads to a living room where he sinks into a chair and puts his hat down on the table. He switches on a lamp.There are sweets and cigarettes scattered on the desk. He reaches for a cigarette, but is interrupted by the old-fashioned ringing of a phone. After hesitating, he picks up the phone. The caller's voice isn't heard. The detective says "yes", "yes, "I don't think so", "then it looks like you and I have even more of a problem than I thought". There is a menacing knock at the door. He delicately puts the phone down and stands up.
Fade to black and the title appears: NOIR LIGHTS.
The ideas for our opening come from what we have learned in product analysis of film noir.
We are going to incorporate all the techniques of a film noir opening that we can, including narration, low lighting schemes, an orchestral soundtrack and dramatic camera angles.
Since our film will be neo-noir rather than regular film noir, because we can't recreate the 1940s, we have made sure to watch many recent noir films, such as L.A. Confidential, Sin City and In Bruges, to see the techniques used in contemporary noir.
Questionnaire Results
Our questionnaires contained 9 questions, and we gave out 15 of them. 10 of the people surveyed were teenagers and the remaining 5 were adults (three men and two women). We gave out more to teenagers considering that the character in the film is played by a teenager, and we are aiming it at a teenage audience, more than any other audience at least.
The first question asked if the viewer would mind seeing a film in black and white, and nobody minded. This was a relief, as it validated our plan to use black and white. The second question gave a choice of characters and asked which was preferred (out of private detective, police officer and civillian). 60% of people asked wanted a private detective, whilst 40% wanted a civilian. To compromise and please both groups, we chose a private detective with civilian aspects as the main character.
We asked them which films come to mind at the mention of film noir (after explaining what film noir was, just in case) and got a varied response. The most commonly re-occuring films were The Maltese Falcon, and Sin City (the latter specifically from the teenagers). When we asked what people like about film noir, people noted such things as the clever dialogue and the stylish black and white look. Some said how film noir focuses on such things as plot and character rather than special effects.
On the other hand, people said that when there are special effects, they tend to be weak and sometimes the lack of colour can make things a bit unclear on screen. When asked how important a soundtrack is to them, 40% said that it was a massive factor, 40% said it was quite important and the remaining 20% said that they don't really notice. Therefore we plan to use an unintrusive but noticable soundtrack, as nobody objected to a soundtrack - they just offered various degrees of entusiasm.
For an appropriate location, we offered 5 different suggestions. They were: an office, an alleyway, a rundown building and a modern building. 80% of of people chose the alleyway, and the rest took the rundown building. Half of our film will be set in an alleyway, and the other half will be set in a building, not exactly a rundown one, but an old and atmospheric one. Rundown buildings are hard to come by.
The survey contained the following four choices - witty dialogue, mood-building silence, specialist costumes and interesting camera angles - and asked the respondant to rank them in order of preference. Witty dialogue almost always came first and costumes last, with the others in a fairly random order. This means that we will lay a lot of importance on dialogue (in this case, narration) and not worry too much about the costumes. That doesn't mean we will disregard the costumes entirely though.
The first question asked if the viewer would mind seeing a film in black and white, and nobody minded. This was a relief, as it validated our plan to use black and white. The second question gave a choice of characters and asked which was preferred (out of private detective, police officer and civillian). 60% of people asked wanted a private detective, whilst 40% wanted a civilian. To compromise and please both groups, we chose a private detective with civilian aspects as the main character.
We asked them which films come to mind at the mention of film noir (after explaining what film noir was, just in case) and got a varied response. The most commonly re-occuring films were The Maltese Falcon, and Sin City (the latter specifically from the teenagers). When we asked what people like about film noir, people noted such things as the clever dialogue and the stylish black and white look. Some said how film noir focuses on such things as plot and character rather than special effects.
On the other hand, people said that when there are special effects, they tend to be weak and sometimes the lack of colour can make things a bit unclear on screen. When asked how important a soundtrack is to them, 40% said that it was a massive factor, 40% said it was quite important and the remaining 20% said that they don't really notice. Therefore we plan to use an unintrusive but noticable soundtrack, as nobody objected to a soundtrack - they just offered various degrees of entusiasm.
For an appropriate location, we offered 5 different suggestions. They were: an office, an alleyway, a rundown building and a modern building. 80% of of people chose the alleyway, and the rest took the rundown building. Half of our film will be set in an alleyway, and the other half will be set in a building, not exactly a rundown one, but an old and atmospheric one. Rundown buildings are hard to come by.
The survey contained the following four choices - witty dialogue, mood-building silence, specialist costumes and interesting camera angles - and asked the respondant to rank them in order of preference. Witty dialogue almost always came first and costumes last, with the others in a fairly random order. This means that we will lay a lot of importance on dialogue (in this case, narration) and not worry too much about the costumes. That doesn't mean we will disregard the costumes entirely though.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Exhibition of Film
The Film premiere is the first real viewing of the film. This is the first showing of the film and all of the stars of the film come down to watch it. Having more popular stars helps bring in a bigger audience as people may like that certain actor/actress. The biggest stars are those who can open a film really well and guarantee that the film will do well in the opening weekend. However, they cannot save the film if it is a total disaster.
Cinemas remain the most important market of any film, if they do well in cinemas the film is guarantied to be brought out on DVD, etc. Major films which audiences love are played by large exhibitors whereas the smaller films are exhibited on smaller, local cinemas. These cinemas help low budget film creators get their chance to show audiences their creations and at the same time gain a profit.
Hundreds of copies of the film are produced by the distributors and then rented by exhibitors who are screening the film. Specialist companies then transport the reels to different cinemas across the country.
The box office production in a major part in the film business. Data about the films is continuous printed out to see how each film is doing. If the attendance to a certain film is always low, it will be cancelled as cinemas do not want to risk losing valuable income. Popular films that are performing well, will be shown on many screens throughout the cinema to bring in money.
Producers will constantly check reports to find out how much money is being made by the film. But realistically this money will then go back to the exhibitors and producers as they need paying aswell!
Cinemas remain the most important market of any film, if they do well in cinemas the film is guarantied to be brought out on DVD, etc. Major films which audiences love are played by large exhibitors whereas the smaller films are exhibited on smaller, local cinemas. These cinemas help low budget film creators get their chance to show audiences their creations and at the same time gain a profit.
Hundreds of copies of the film are produced by the distributors and then rented by exhibitors who are screening the film. Specialist companies then transport the reels to different cinemas across the country.
The box office production in a major part in the film business. Data about the films is continuous printed out to see how each film is doing. If the attendance to a certain film is always low, it will be cancelled as cinemas do not want to risk losing valuable income. Popular films that are performing well, will be shown on many screens throughout the cinema to bring in money.
Producers will constantly check reports to find out how much money is being made by the film. But realistically this money will then go back to the exhibitors and producers as they need paying aswell!
Production of Film
An 'assembly' is created by the editor, which is where all the clips are compiled, this helps the director to see if the film is working as he wants it too, the next step is the process of the 'rough cut'. Then sound is added, for example special effects and background noise to once again give the director and editor that first look of seeing how the film is going to end up. This whole process also needs a certain amount of input from the producer, his/her job is to work with the film at the 'rouch cut' stage of production turning the film into a product that will sell. Once the team is happy with the result, the marketable product which is also know as a 'fine cut' and a 'picture lock' can begin in earnest whilst procution of the film once more continues.
Inputting sound into the film contains many different attributes, for example an orchestra could be used, in which specific music can be created for the particular scene. Also, alot of mixing is done, where sound effects can be created. One more sound technique used is dialogue, sometimes the film crew will need the actors to record dialogue so it can be entered into the film along a different route.
The next step is for a digital compositor to add the film credits, there are two kinds of credits including 'front titles' and 'rear titles' both important to production. Prestigous members of the crew are included within the 'front titles' and those not fortunate enough are included within the 'rear titles'.
Any digital efffects that are needed within the film are also created, these can be pure CGI or compositing. In most cases, the monet aspect of things prevents this kind of tinkering and it forces digital effects to only be used for ket scenes where it is absoloutly necersary for the director to acheive his purposes.
The colourist also plays a big part within the production of a film, his job is to make all the shots seem as if they belong visually to the same film. the director will also work with the colourist making sure it looks as he wishes, so the mood is perfect for what he is trying to create.
The next step is the final mix, this is where sound is absoloutly vital to create the mood that the director is trying to acheive making this step very important within the production process. Once 'picture lock' is established the sound mixer will begin dubbing and making final touches to the film, syncing it perfectly making the film look as professional as possible.
After the final cut where the producer and director examine the film, it reaches 'full lock', it is now finished and ready for duplication.
Inputting sound into the film contains many different attributes, for example an orchestra could be used, in which specific music can be created for the particular scene. Also, alot of mixing is done, where sound effects can be created. One more sound technique used is dialogue, sometimes the film crew will need the actors to record dialogue so it can be entered into the film along a different route.
The next step is for a digital compositor to add the film credits, there are two kinds of credits including 'front titles' and 'rear titles' both important to production. Prestigous members of the crew are included within the 'front titles' and those not fortunate enough are included within the 'rear titles'.
Any digital efffects that are needed within the film are also created, these can be pure CGI or compositing. In most cases, the monet aspect of things prevents this kind of tinkering and it forces digital effects to only be used for ket scenes where it is absoloutly necersary for the director to acheive his purposes.
The colourist also plays a big part within the production of a film, his job is to make all the shots seem as if they belong visually to the same film. the director will also work with the colourist making sure it looks as he wishes, so the mood is perfect for what he is trying to create.
The next step is the final mix, this is where sound is absoloutly vital to create the mood that the director is trying to acheive making this step very important within the production process. Once 'picture lock' is established the sound mixer will begin dubbing and making final touches to the film, syncing it perfectly making the film look as professional as possible.
After the final cut where the producer and director examine the film, it reaches 'full lock', it is now finished and ready for duplication.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Institution of Film
A film's Writer will need to find an agent who can ensure that the Writer recieves the best deal. However, they cannot get an agent without some proof of the quality of their work. The Writer then also needs a Producer to develop the film.
The Producer will pitch the idea to potential funders. Also, if a production company can be persuaded they may offer development money and the possibility that they will become involved with the film. They will usually ask for a disproportionate amount of future profits, as only a tiny amount of films in this process will ever be made. Sales companies may offer money to projects which they believe are marketable, in exchange for the rights to sell the film to Distribution companies, who distribute the film to all venues. Broadcasters may pay for the rights to show the film on television.
For the next stage of finance, it is important that some countries offer tax-breaks to those who fund films. At the same time, many other Producers are also searching for funds. Money can come from interested private financiers, as most production companies aren't willing to pay for all the costs themselves. Most commonly, production companies from different countries will share the costs and then take the chance to show the film in their own nations. Sales companies will take the right to distribute the film in return for the funding. There are also various organisations of public investment who may be willing to help, such as BBC Films. However, financiers may demand significant changes to the film.
When the film is complete, the Producer will need the help of film marketing companies to advertise it and release it to the general public. The sales agent acts as the go-between person for the Producer and the marketing companies. A trailer is made to try to sell the film to an industrial audience. A sales pack is then produced containing the trailer and all the important information about the film, in an attempt to win over a Distribution company in the heavily competitive market. The Distribution company will commission their own trailers later on to show to the public. Stars and critical acclaim help the marketability of films. Once a film has been sold to the Distributors, it is no longer the responsibility of the Producer in the territories agreed upon.
The Producer will pitch the idea to potential funders. Also, if a production company can be persuaded they may offer development money and the possibility that they will become involved with the film. They will usually ask for a disproportionate amount of future profits, as only a tiny amount of films in this process will ever be made. Sales companies may offer money to projects which they believe are marketable, in exchange for the rights to sell the film to Distribution companies, who distribute the film to all venues. Broadcasters may pay for the rights to show the film on television.
For the next stage of finance, it is important that some countries offer tax-breaks to those who fund films. At the same time, many other Producers are also searching for funds. Money can come from interested private financiers, as most production companies aren't willing to pay for all the costs themselves. Most commonly, production companies from different countries will share the costs and then take the chance to show the film in their own nations. Sales companies will take the right to distribute the film in return for the funding. There are also various organisations of public investment who may be willing to help, such as BBC Films. However, financiers may demand significant changes to the film.
When the film is complete, the Producer will need the help of film marketing companies to advertise it and release it to the general public. The sales agent acts as the go-between person for the Producer and the marketing companies. A trailer is made to try to sell the film to an industrial audience. A sales pack is then produced containing the trailer and all the important information about the film, in an attempt to win over a Distribution company in the heavily competitive market. The Distribution company will commission their own trailers later on to show to the public. Stars and critical acclaim help the marketability of films. Once a film has been sold to the Distributors, it is no longer the responsibility of the Producer in the territories agreed upon.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Pitch Feedback
Overall, the pitch didn't go too bad. The PowerPoint itself was decent, at least.
People wondered how we would be able to film at night, and on top of that what this would look like in black and white. This would be a problem, but we don't actually plan to film at night, so we're not too worried about that. If it's possible to change it to look like night on Adobe Premiere then that would be great, but it's not an important concern.
There was also the fact that film noir usually stars a femme fatale and we don't have one. A couple of the film noir and neo noir films that we've watched featured a woman in the opening, but the majority of them didn't and so we think we can get away without one, since our opening only features two characters anyway.
Because we obviously can't recreate the 1940s in which most of the film noir movies are based, we're forced to go neo-noir. The telephone in our opening could be an old-fashioned one, but as people said this would look out of place in the modern surroundings, so it would make much more sense to stick with a normal house phone. However, we could meet half way and use a stock 1940s ringing sound for the phone instead of its natural one.
People wondered how we would be able to film at night, and on top of that what this would look like in black and white. This would be a problem, but we don't actually plan to film at night, so we're not too worried about that. If it's possible to change it to look like night on Adobe Premiere then that would be great, but it's not an important concern.
There was also the fact that film noir usually stars a femme fatale and we don't have one. A couple of the film noir and neo noir films that we've watched featured a woman in the opening, but the majority of them didn't and so we think we can get away without one, since our opening only features two characters anyway.
Because we obviously can't recreate the 1940s in which most of the film noir movies are based, we're forced to go neo-noir. The telephone in our opening could be an old-fashioned one, but as people said this would look out of place in the modern surroundings, so it would make much more sense to stick with a normal house phone. However, we could meet half way and use a stock 1940s ringing sound for the phone instead of its natural one.
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