Final AS Media Film Opening

My final cut for my two minute film opening entitled 'Reece'.

Evaluation Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task what do you think you have learnt from the progression of it to your final product?

https://prezi.com/berbmbjjzu_l/present/?auth_key=rbq4oi9&follow=l35fuzljaihj

Evaluation question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

https://plus.google.com/107852596158127392356/posts/EdkF1GC2mMC

This question is in the format of a slide show.

Evaluation Questions 4 and 5

Who would be the audience for your media product?
How did you attract/address your audience?

These Questions were answered in the format of an interview with the director (me)

Evaluation Question 3

What Kind of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product and Why?

A media institution is a company that owns numerous companies in various mass media; i.e. television, radio, publishing, motion picture, and the Internet. A media institution that would distribute my film would be one that deals with films and also subjects within my media product.

My media product would be distributed by a media institution that distributes similar products on similar topics to me. The UK Film Council is a media institution that would distribute my media product. The UK Film Council (UKFC) was a non-departmental public body set up in 2000 to develop and promote the film industry in the UK.

The reason why I would choose this media institution or one similar to this is because it has distributed many media products like mine. For example, it has distributed many British dramas about lives in Britain before such as Harry Brown, Tyrannosaur and bullet boy. All these are quite gritty British dramas about the lives of individuals in real life Britain; like my media product. The UK Film Council has also produced and distributed many films about teenagers/youth before such as Submarine and Attack the Block. Attack the Block in particular, despite being a comedy/horror film showed a very similar social group of youth that I am. All this makes the UK Film Council familiar with my sort of media product and its genre/topic.

Furthermore, UK Film Council is quite a big company therefore having my film distributed by them will allow me quite a large audience to access and watch my film. Also the UK Film Council is known for specifically distributing non-mainstream UK films and this is what I believe my media product to be. The UK Film Council also fund various film organisations; such as First Light and FILMCLUB, that encourage younger people to get into films whether it be watching or making them. The UK Film Council also part-funded the British Film Institute which champions moving image culture, education and cinema heritage to benefit as wide an audience as possible and aims to deepen and encourage public debate about film. All of this makes me want them to distribute my media product as getting young people into film is something I really want to encourage because being a young person myself its something I am very into and want to get others of my age into. Therefore, any media institution promoting this is one I would want to distribute my media product.

Evaluation question 2

 How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

https://plus.google.com/u/0/107852596158127392356/posts/MoC6nP9fSNN

This question is in the form of a newspaper article 

Preliminary Video

Images on Set

There aren't many pictures from shooting because when we were there we got straight on with the filming and didn't want to waste any time. We tried to work as productively as possible whilst filming and therefore didn't have much time to stop and take photos. These are the only ones we got:

I also got one image of me editing the film:

Rough Cut

A rough cut of my final piece with no editing to the footage or sound.

Audience Research Feedback

For my audience research i asked a number of questions to 7 members of the public. 5 of these 7 people were within my target audience and the other 2 were of an older generation that my film wouldn't initially be targeted at. All 7 people were asked the same questions, some were about their consumption of film, how they view target audience of different media products and what they thought of my idea.

What have you learnt?
I learnt that people within my target audience much preferred streaming a film to actually going to the cinema or buying a DVD. Also i learnt that most of the people i interviewed said that they go to see a film depending on what they see online about the film or what their friends say about it.

What was the general consensus towards your own idea?
All the feedback on my idea was very positive, many people said that only having one character in the opening made it a bit more intriguing and mysterious, this was good for me because i spent a long time working out wether i should include more characters in my opening. Also a couple of people said that him being alone might give them the idea that he's lonely and possibly troubled, this is exactly what i wanted to convey.  I was also surprised to see that both the adults i interviewed who weren't in my target audience said that it was an idea and an opening the mint attract them to go and see the film.

What developments/changes will you be making to your own idea based on these opinions?
All the opinions were very positive towards my idea and i therefore don't believe any further changes need to be made.

Audience Research Video

Final Locations

Anglia Square 

Underpass (Norwich)

House and Bedroom in House in Hethersett

I chose these locations as they fitted perfectly with the style and feel of my film. The house is a very typical house on the edge of a city in a slightly lower income area which is where my film is set, having the kind of exact area I'm trying to create in my film around me was very helpful. The room is very typical of a teenager, messy and music dominating the style of the room, this is exactly what i want my character to be like. I was careful to leave out the computer anything expensive in the footage so that it would feel even more like working class environment. The underpass and Anglia Square are both located in a city (Norwich) this is because my film is set in a city and it once again fits the style of my film, very grim and deprived looking. Both the locations were easy for me and my actor to get to which was a big factor in choosing them.
The setting i am using helps to construct a mise en scene by creating a very dark atmosphere. The graffiti and abandoned look of the locations in the city help to create a dark and menacing environment which is what i want. Also the graffiti fits in and is very much associated which the skateboarding and youth culture and image i am trying to represent in my film. The locations i have chosen are very typical of where you expect a tearaway teenager to be.

Characters and Casting

Final Character Profiles:

Reece Scott                                             

Age - 17

Played By - Jack Cooper

Profession - Doesn't have one, is meant to be a student however he rarely attends his college course.

Likes - Skateboarding, Hip Hop music, smoking, drinking, drugs, hanging out with mates, parties, getting into trouble.

Dislikes - Police, posh and rich people, people trying to tell him what to do, politicians.

History - Got excluded from school in year 9 and never properly bothered to attend another one afterwards. His mum left his dad when he was 6 due to him being an alcoholic and he hasn't seen him since. Got into drugs when he was 16 and now he spends most of his time out drinking, skateboarding and doing drugs with friends. When he was 9 he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and wasn't completely cured until he was 12. Ever since he has hated the world and this was when he started to go of the rails at school.
Personality Traits - Can have a very short temper. He is angry and reasonably aggressive to everyone who isn't his friends or mum. Around his friends he's quite funny and jokey however to others he comes across as very dark and intimidating.
Friendship Groups - Has a pretty tight group of 7 good friends. Has other friends but these are who he mainly hangs around with. Has a fellow best friend called Tyler who is one of the reasons why he got into drugs and has been a big influence on his road to rebellion. He sees Tyler as a brother and a positive thing in his life however others such as his mum and the college he attends can see that Tyler is leading Reece on a bad path in life.
Influences - His mother is a big influence in his life however he still finds himself on a path that his mother doesn't agree with. Is very much influenced by Hip Hop music especially the rebellious attitude it can give out. Also heavily influenced by skateboarding culture and this comes across in his clothing.
3 Words to Describe Them - Troubled, hateful, rebellious
Costume - Reece will be dressed in black jeans with a black jacket on and beaten up black skateboarding shoes. His costume is very dark to represent the darkness of his surroundings and how they effect him and to also represent his dark and rebellious nature. He will also wear a white hat to show that the is some good in him as white is often associated with good and hope.

Reece is the only character in my two minute opening to a feature and will be the main character of the entire film.
All costumes have been sourced through the actors own wardrobe. I especially chose this actor because he has a good understanding of youth culture and is associated with skateboarding and the general scene i am portraying in my film. This meant that carefully chosen pieces of his usual attire gave me the perfect costume for my character and made my actor look even more natural in the role.

Prop List

Phone
Seen very briefly as main character (Reece Scott) picks it up as he leaves his room.

Yellow Lighter 
Seen at the same time as the phone as Reece Scott picks it up as he leave his room.

Skateboard
Seen close up at the start when Reece Scott picks it up as he leave his room and then seen either being held or ridden by Reece throughout the rest of the opening.






The majority of my opening if filmed out and about on the streets, therefore very few props were used and most of the objects seen in the opening scene are how they are in real life and not a prop, therefore my prop list is minimal.

Examples of no Dialogue

Examples of no Dialogue in the Openings of Genre Films:

Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery (Comedy)


The Woman in Black (Horror)

Mad Max the Road Warrior (Action)

Gladiator (Drama)

Fifty Shades of Grey (Romance)

Positive Effects of Having no Dialogue in These Examples:

There are many positive effects of having no dialogue in the opening two minutes of a film. Often having no dialogue allows the viewer to be focused on one thing in particular. For example in the opening two minutes of Fifty Shades of Grey the whole thing is completely focused on the two main characters getting dressed. This means there is no dialogue and all the attention and focus is on the two characters, this means the audience knows the entire film will focus on these two characters and it allows you to know things about them. For example from focusing on Mr Grey's movements and actions you straight away know he is very organised and clean. Having no dialogue also allows the audience to focus on the action in the opening, in Mad Max The Road Warrior the opening purely focuses on the car chase and has no dialogue. This makes the car chase seem more exhilarating as theres no pause for dialogue and straight away sets the faced paced action mood for the film. In Gladiator the use of no dialogue allows the viewers to focus on what is going to happen (a great battle) and this helps to build of suspension. Another way that having no dialogue in the opening two minutes can have a positive effect is by creating mystery. This is done in the opening of The Woman in Black. The use of no dialogue here helps to create mystery as to why the children killed themselves. 

Negative Effects of Having Dialogue in These Examples:

 Often having no dialogue in the opening two minutes is something that is carefully thought out so that it has a specific meaning, such as focusing on certain character actions. However there can sometimes be some negative effects of it. For example in Mad Max, The Road Warrior having no dialogue can cause some confusion. The film just goes straight into it with no build up of suspense of story telling. Also sometimes having no dialogue can mean that the opening two minutes can be lacking in content and this could have the effect of not drawing viewers in. This is seen in the opening of Fifty Shades of Grey, all you see is two characters getting dressed and not a lot happening.

Examples of Dialogue

Examples of Dialogue in the Openings of Genre Films:

The Hangover (Comedy)

28 Weeks Later (Horror)

Skyfall (Action)

City of God (Drama)

Sliver linings Playbook (Romance)

Positive Effects of Dialogue in These Examples:

There are positive reasons for the dialogues in the opening 2 minutes of all these examples. Dialogue in the Silver Linings Playbook, The Hangover, Skyfall and City of God all immediately lets you know about the persona of one or more of the characters. For example in city of God through the conversation at the start lets you know that the two character ares poor and desperate. In The Hangover the dialogue lets you know that Tracy is a concerned and stressed finance through her worried and angry phone call with another character. In Silver Linings Playbook the dialogue lets you straight away know that Pat (Bradley Cooper) is a troubled man who wants his wife back. Similarly dialogue in the City of God, Silver Linings Playbook and The Hangover let you know about key parts of the plot. The Hangover starts at the end of the film and the dialogue in it lets you know that the film will be the tale of the disaster they are talking about. Similarly in Silver Linings Playbook the dialogue allows you to know that the story will be about this troubled man who is coming out of a mental health hospital to win back his wife. The dialogue can also help to set the mood of the film. In 28 Weeks the Dialogue is very loud rushed and frantic. This helps to create a panicked mood in the film which is what is trying to be portrayed in the crazy situation.

Negative Effects of Dialogue in These Examples:

 There aren't many negative effects of the dialogue in these examples, usually dialogue is used very carefully in the openings of films to aid the story telling or build of character profile. Therefore there is very rarely a negative effect of dialogue in the opening two minutes of film. You could say that the dialogue in the opening of Skyfall somewhat slows the action and suspense of it however it is still needed dialogue to inform the audience of the situation.

Dialogue

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters as a feature of a film. Narration is not a form of dialogue. Dialogue is not necessary in the opening two minutes of a feature film, many openings have no dialogue in as it can help to add some mystery to the opening and draw viewers in. Also often no dialogue is used in the opening two minutes as it is just used to set the scene and this is more easily done without dialogue and with very scenic panning shots. However dialogue is commonly and can easily be used in the opening of films as it can help to introduce the audience to certain character sand can inform the audience of events that may have already happened and are relevant to the plot.

What Issues Would I Face in Using Dialogue in my Coursework:
It would be difficult to use dialogue in my opening because i am only using one character in my two minute opening. This would mean that any dialogue would have to involve my character speaking to himself or bringing in a different character however i don't want to do this as my whole film will be based on the life of this one character therefore i want him to be the only character in the opening two minutes. Furthermore involving any dialogue in my opening two minutes would mean i would have to find a good actor to say the lines of dialogue, this would be difficult for me as i have limited access to good actors. Furthermore not having to focus on getting a proper actor to say the lines means that i can focus on getting someone who really fits the look and mood of my character more easily.

What Issues Would I Face in Using no Dialogue in my Coursework:
Using no dialogue is also difficult. This is because i will need the actions of my character in the opening to be louder and more intriguing than any words he could be saying. Also having no words will mean i will have to pay closer attention to putting detail into the costume and setting of my opening as the attention of the audience won't be on any dialogue therefore it will be purely on the setting and look of the film. I will also find it difficult to have content in my two minute opening as often dialogue takes up a lot of the content of a scene. It will also be difficult to introduce my character as effectively as often dialogue is one of the main way to find out about a character. To make all of this easier and less of an issue to me i will put some narration over the top of my two minute opening. This will give my opening some more content and will more easily allow me to introduce my main character (Reece Scott). This will help to combat the issues i would experience from having no dialogue in my two minute opening.

Casting

There will only be one character in my 2 minute opening. Because of my choice to include no dialogue in my opening it made casting much easier, if i would have included dialogue i would have needed to find an actor who was good at acting and could get into a role they may not necessarily be like very effectively. Therefore i only had to find someone who could fit the role of a 17 year old rebellious teenager. The only real detail i needed from them is to be able to skateboard so as to make my opening look more realistic when they skateboarded. Even though my casting didn't need to be very specific i believe i found the perfect actor to play my character. In the process of finding the perfect actor to fit my role i had to audition two actors.

This is the first actor that i auditioned to play Reece Scott. His name is Joe Kirkendall. He lives in Hethersett which is one of the locations for my filming and skateboards, both these factors are why i auctioned him to play the role. In addition he is very familiar with the youth culture i am trying to portray and is at the same age of my character and going through similar experiences.

However i also auditioned someone else, his name is Jack Cooper and i decided to use him as my actor in my opening to play Reece Scott. He is a friend of mine who lives near me and i know him mainly through skateboarding, this immediately made him a good candidate for the role. Furthermore he has the look and style that i wanted of a kind of dark and street teenager. He is also very familiar with the youth and street culture that i am trying to portray in my film, therefore it was easier for him to be natural infant of the camera and help me to create what i wanted. Also as he lived near my chosen locations so filming would be easy to arrange.

Final Cast list:

• Jack Cooper - Reece Scott

I haven't got a video of a script run through as he didn't actually have any dialogue to say in his role in my film.

Character Profiles of my Characters

Name - Reece Scott
Age - 17

Profession - Doesn't have one, is meant to be a student however he rarely attends his college course.

Likes - Skateboarding, Hip Hop music, smoking, drinking, drugs, hanging out with mates, parties, getting into trouble.

Dislikes - Police, posh and rich people, people trying to tell him what to do, politicians.

History - Got excluded from school in year 9 and never properly bothered to attend another one afterwards. His mum left his dad when he was 6 due to him being an alcoholic and he hasn't seen him since. Got into drugs when he was 16 and now he spends most of his time out drinking, skateboarding and doing drugs with friends. When he was 9 he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and wasn't completely cured until he was 12. Ever since he has hated the world and this was when he started to go of the rails at school.
Personality Traits - Can have a very short temper. He is angry and reasonably aggressive to everyone who isn't his friends or mum. Around his friends he's quite funny and jokey however to others he comes across as very dark and intimidating.
Friendship Groups - Has a pretty tight group of 7 good friends. Has other friends but these are who he mainly hangs around with. Has a fellow best friend called Tyler who is one of the reasons why he got into drugs and has been a big influence on his road to rebellion. He sees Tyler as a brother and a positive thing in his life however others such as his mum and the college he attends can see that Tyler is leading Reece on a bad path in life.
Influences - His mother is a big influence in his life however he still finds himself on a path that his mother doesn't agree with. Is very much influenced by Hip Hop music especially the rebellious attitude it can give out. Also heavily influenced by skateboarding culture and this comes across in his clothing.
3 Words to Describe Them - Troubled, hateful, rebellious

Filming Review

I only filmed on one day - Thursday 28th of January.
Review of Filming:

What Worked Well? 
The locations were very good for what i wanting to achieve and looked very good on the camera. All locations were easily accessible meaning filming was easy on the day and gave us lots of time to re-shoot scenes to get them just right. Another thing that worked well was how comfortable my actor was whilst filming, this means all the shots look very natural and realistic.

What Didn't Work as Well?
One thing which didn't work as well was that because the scenes in the city were shot at evening/night, this meant that often lighting was poor so we had to pick the camera shots very carefully so that you could actually see what was going on. Also because i chose to shoot some of my sevens in the city it was reasonably busy and often this meant that some scenes we had to wait to shoot or shoot multiple times so that people weren't in the shot.

Anything That Might/Does Need to be Filmed Again?
One short scene does need to be filmed again. It is a shot of Reece (the main character) walking down some steps into an underpass. This was a very busy place so we had to wait a while to get the shot, once we did however we failed to notice that on the floor is the shadow of the camera on the tripod. Its not very noticeable however its a silly mistake and it needs to be filmed again. It is a relatively easy scene to film again as its very short and simple plus it was done at night in very normal weather conditions so it will be easy to replicate. It is also an easy location to get to for me and my actor therefore it won't be difficult to arrange to shoot again.

Did Everything Run Smoothly?
Yes everything went very well, apart from the one scene that needs shooting again and the city being busy.

Any Changes You Are Making?
No the filming went as planned and no changes were made during filming.

Any Ideas You Got as You Went Along?
No, i got a couple of ideas on what i could include in my narration but no ideas in terms the actual content of filming.

Did You Use Your Storyboards to Good Effect?
Yes, we both familiarised ourselves with the storyboards before hand so we knew exactly what was happening this meant that i didn't have to explain what we were doing whilst filming which meant we could get on and do it as quickly as possible.

Storyboards

Narration

Narration is a voice over or commentary used to accompany a film. It helps to tell a story through a particular characters point of view or can inform the audience of an event. Narration is mainly used in comedies, dramas and romantic films, it is very rarely used in horror films.
Here are some examples of narration in certain genres:

Trainspotting - Drama/Black Comedy

Trainspotting is a film about a group of heroin addicts and their life in a run down Edinburgh. Ewan McGregor plays Mark "Rent Boy" Renton as one of the heroin addict and its this character that provides the narration throughout the film as it follows his and his friends lives. The use of narration in Trainspotting allows the audience to more clearly understand the thoughts of a heroin addict and also aids the story telling.


The Wolf of Wall Street - Comedy

In The Wolf of Wall Street Leonardo Dicaprio plays Jordon Belfort as the film recounts his years as a stockbroker in New York and his rise to riches. Narration is used in the film to help tell the story of Jordon Belfort's life and to try and give a more personal feel to the accounts given.







Layer Cake - Action

In Layer Cake Daniel Craig plays a successful cocaine dealer who gets two tough assignments on the eve of his retirement. Narration is used to show the feelings of Daniel Craig's character and how he wishes to get out of crime and lead a normal life. The narration helps to tell the audience information or feelings that may not be as easily conveyed through normal screenplay.



Zombieland - Comedy Horror

Zombieland follows geeky teenager Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg, as he travels and try's to survive through a zombie apocalypse. Narration comes from the main character Columbus and talks us through his weird and structured instructions to surviving a zombie apocalypse. It helps to tell the story and gives a weird and quirky way on looking at a zombie apocalypse that adds to the comedy element of the film.



Up in the Air - Romance

In Up in the Air George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham an isolated downsizer who falls in love with a fellow frequent flyer and how this makes him question his lifestyle that before he was so happy with. The narration in this film helps the audience to see Ryan Bingham's feelings as his views on life change with his newfound feelings.





A good voice able to convey emotion and passion is needed for some good narration. This is because often narration shows a characters feelings or view on a situation. A very good script and purpose is needed for every piece of narration to ensure that it has a good effect on the audience and actually aids the film.
Narration is something I will be using in my film opening because my film will be a drama film, a genre which commonly uses narration. Furthermore I believe it can be a more effective way to introduce a character than normal dialogue. Also my film is about a troubled teenager growing up in a rough society and I believe narration is very good way to convey personal opinion of tough and real life environments that people live and grow up in. I will need to make sure that the narration spoken is written to a high standard to make sure it is effective and also to make sure I get some one who can speak the narration in a way that will fit my film style.

Script - Final Draft

My opening contains dialogue therefore the script is simply directions for the actor.

Character

Characters are one of the most important parts of a film, often films are driven by the leading and supporting characters and their personality, for example the film Big Fish is a film in which the narrative is completely driven by the main character Edward Bloom. Characters can either lead a narrative or support, improve and add to it greatly.
Here are some examples of iconic characters in films and what they add to the narrative:

Lou Bloom  (Jake Gyllenhaal) - Nightcrawler

Lou Bloom is a former thief who starts filming crime scenes selling the footage to local news channels as a stringer in Los Angeles. Lou Bloom is a very determined and riven yet quite creepy and mysteriously dark character that has a noticeable lack of empathy. This dark and very creepy persona is what makes Lou Bloom such an iconic character. To all but the audience for the majority of the film Lou Bloom can be seen as a driven and slightly nerdy, weedy character when in fact he's a much more twisted and dark character who won't let anything stop him from achieving what he wants. Lou Bloom as a character adds much to the narrative of the film, his complex character and the dark things he is prepared to do through his lack of empathy adds a lot to the narrative. Without the character Lou Bloom in the film the film would have no sort of narrative. Within the first 2 minutes of the film you straight away get an idea of what he is like, you seem him trying to steel some copper wiring. He is found by a policeman and he beats down the policeman and takes his watch without a blink or sight of remorse. Within the first 2 minutes you straight away know that he is quite a dark twisted character with a lack of empathy and emotion who is prepared to do pretty much anything to make money.

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) - No Country For Old Men

Anton Chigurh is the main antagonist in the film No Country For Old Men. He is a cold hearted psychopathic killer hunting down Llewelyn Moss to retrieve a satchel containing $2.4 million. His extremely cold and psychopathic character is what makes Anton Chigurh such an iconic character. He is also particularly iconic for his short and clever word play. In addition he is iconic for flipping a coin when deciding to kill someone or not. He has a twisted sense of morals and his cold personality adds a lot to the narrative. This cold psychopathic character he has helps to emphasise the fear experienced by Moss when being chased by him. Without this character the film wouldn't have as much of a thrill to it and the character of Anton Chigurh is definitely one of the main components in the narrative. In the opening not much is given away about Anton Chigurh, you simply see him put into a police car whilst some narration plays over the top, you do however through the narration find out within the opening 2 minutes that he is a ruthless killer.

Han Solo (Harrison Ford) - Star Wars episodes IV, V, VI and VII

Han Solo is a smuggler, pilot and hero in the Star Wars series. He is a particularly iconic character in the Star Wars series due to his sarcastic and often funny personality. He is also particularly well known for being a bit rebellious and very reckless. He isn't the kind of character that you would usually see as a hero but through his almost accidental involvement in becoming tied up with the rebel alliance ends up becoming a big hero. He also very famously falls in love with the rather innocent looking Princess Leia. Although Han Solo isn't one of the main characters he does have a reasonably big role in all the films he features in and is often considered on the greatest Star Wars characters ever. Han Solo definitely adds some wit and sarcasm to the Star Wars franchise he is also a very likeable character in the series and is one that as a viewer you always want to come out on top. Han Solo adds a much needed role in the narrative to the Star Wars films as an almost accidental hero. Han Solo isn't featured in the opening 2 minutes of any of the Star Wars films, he is first introduced part way into episode IV. You do hear his voice as he speaks to Luke Skywalker through a transmitter in the opening 2 minutes of episode V, however you don't see him and it doesn't give away any thing more about his character as you already know most things about him from the previous film.