Initial Research 29/8/18
Remarkable Openings
Catch me if you can- old fashion animation
Dr no- graphic design
Fight club -changing focus, moving the audience's attention
Lord of war- almost musical? telling story from different perspectives/pov shots of the bullet
Taxi driver-presents the perspective
Secondary Research
The reason I am conducting an experiment on secondary research is to watch film openings that already exist and see whether they are successful or not. This will hopefully give me a further understanding, inspiration and ideas to expand onto my media project.
The movie opening I have chosen to use as an example is from the movie The Greatest Showman, it has a unique touch as it starts with the song "the greatest show". What I personally like about this opening is the way it starts with a silhouette of the main character, with the audience's feet thumping onto the amphitheater, creating an anticipation and a hook to catch the attention of the audience. Together with using vintage frames and fonts to present the text, fitting perfectly with the theme of the movie. In the first few dialogues of the showman, he can be seen from different angles and directions in the backstage, as he is walking towards the show area, the circus crew can be seen following him, using his baton to act as if he can control the stage. The second where the light momentarily blacked out, to reveal in the next second the whole crew and the showman's face. The next couple of scenes are showing what was going on in the show, seeing everything happen at the same time, together with the music strongly grabs the audience's attention beautifully. Finally the transition from the showman to a boy standing outside a tailor, aligning himself with the showman's outfit on a mannequin; this shows a strong difference between who the boy wants to be, and who he is capable of being.
Another opening I choose as an example is from the movie Lego Batman. In the opening, the tone of the movie was set directly from the start, having a voice-over saying sentences like "All important movies start with a black screen" showing that the tone is set to be rather comedic and teasing the other famous movies. The unpredictable twist absolutely hook the audience right from the start, and the audience took very little time to get familiar with the background of the movie. Even though there was very little information about the crew at the start, it was presented comically, making the audience enjoy. It made the audience engage to the scene and manipulated them emotionally to laugh.
summary
As a result of this secondary research, I now have seen several movie
openings which I can use as an inspiration or reference, such as The Greatest Showman and
CASE STUDY : SAUL BASS 30/8/18
Saul Bass was an American Graphic Designer and Award-winning filmmaker. He has worked in many films as the title designer, and many of his works have became very famous, such as The man with the golden arm, around the world in 80 days, and Anatomy of a murder.
Saul Bass's top 10 works of all time
- The man with the Golden arm
- The seven year itch
- Around the world in 80 days
- Vertigo
- Anatomy of a murder
- North by northwest
- West side story
- Seconds
- Cape fear
- Casino
try clicking on the image!
summary
As a result of this case study, I can use Saul Bass as an inspiration in my filmmaking work, including graphic design and designer
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primary information 18/9/18
We have decided to create a survey in order to gain primary information from the our classmates. Our questions start simply by asking the user's age and gender, then continue to be more specific regarding the movie opening such as "What film genres do you like?" "What component of the movie is most important to you?" "What must a film opening have for you?" "What are you looking for in a romance/drama/slice of life film?" and "What makes a film opening realistic for you?". The answers have a wide range of variety, from cinematography, background music to plots and emotional manipulation.
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Initial ideas spider diagram16/9/18
In our process of brainstorming the initial ideas for the movie, we decided to write down a spider diagram on a piece of A3 paper and film it through time lapse in order to show our process of creating ideas. We came across the topic of "Attachment" and decided to use it as the main idea for our opening. After that, we drew down a couple of frames for the storyboard which will be adapted later to the plot of our opening.
click on this photo for the google forms!
summary
As a result of this survey, we have gained a number of significant information that can be adapted into our film opening
As a result of our brainstorming, we came across a more solid idea regarding the film opening, making us more certain about the background topic, which is attachment
Statement of Intentions 20/9/18
Our brief is to produce a 2 minute film opening for a romantic tragedy. I (Karnpicha Viratikul) will be in charge of the cinematography and editing, and Ploy (Supawee Surasingtothong) will be in charge of producing the story board and script for the opening. We will both be helping each other out on the filming and other aspects of the production. I hope that I will be able to develop my organisation and filming skills as well as writing skills. We will be focusing mainly on cinematography, using long-medium, close up shots and long shots through the panning of camera, we will also film mainly from eye level in order to allow the audience to empathise with the main protagonist. To clearly establish the genre of our film, we will be including two characters that are in love, but is unable to live with each other, and we will be using sounds to help build up the story. Furthermore, we will be following the theme of relationships and death, and the setting will be set in a house. We hope to represent the message of attachment in a relationship.
Our company name is Midnight Productions.
summary
As a result of the statement of intentions, we have arranged our roles and techniques which will be used in our opening.
Audience Profile 21/9/18
Our film will be targeting mainly young adults and adults demographics as the plot is more suitable for adults. We are targeting at mainstream audience, both male and female demographics which have disposable income that can be spent on our film. Furthermore, we will be targeting ethnicities including Asians and Europeans, as our cast and production team are all Asian, and the plot is also based on both Asian and European beliefs. The audience does not have to be English-speakers as the film opening will not consist of any dialogues.
summary
By researching audiences of films we think are similar to ours, including The Notebook, Titanic and (500) Days of Summer. We have gained information about the target demographic for our film.
Presentation 24/9/2018
WWW : clear and detailed research (primary information, statement of intention etc)
EBI : work on how to emotionally manipulate the audience
WWW : well prepared in terms of cinematography techniques, location and cast
EBI : more detailed storyboard
summary
Through these presentations, we have learned about other group's plots and techniques, which can be useful in adapting into use in our film.
WWW : good referencing and detailed synopsis
EBI : need to find cast
WWW : clear structure and plan
EBI : more detail on editing to make the opening fit the genre of psychological thriller
Genre Research 25/9/18
Romantic tragedy films are normally hybrids that has aspects of romance and tragedy. It tends to revolve around a love story which meets some kind of tragedy. The tragedy vary greatly, as it can happen in the beginning, middle, or end of the film, and the extent of severity of the tragedy also tends to differ.
Romance:
Romance films are usually based around a love story where a ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ meets, falls in love, meets with some kind of problem, resolves the problem, and results in a happy ending. They are normally aimed at female audiences as these themes seems to appeal to female audiences more than male.
Tragedy:
Tragedy films are usually films where the main protagonist (or main characters) are met with events that has a intense effect on those character(s). The timing of the tragedy is crucial as it has a huge effect on the audience.
The settings of a romantic tragedy are normally very realistic. This is mainly done to promote a sense of realism to the film, making the events that occurs in the film seems normal, encouraging audiences to empathise with the characters and the plot more, allowing them to engage, and develop emotional connections with the film.
The costume in romantic tragedy follows a very similar route to that of the settings. It consists of very realistic and normal clothes which are very common.
Character:
Romantic tragedy films usually focuses on two main protagonists. Most films of this genre will star two characters, generally a male and a female, and a relationship will develop between them. After that a tragedy will occur.
Camera Shots:
Close up shots are used to place an emphasis on the character’s emotions, so that the audience is able to grasp the feelings of the characters better or show the audience a significant object.
Shot reverse shot is a technique where one character is shown looking at another character and vice versa. This is used to clearly establish a connection or relationship between the characters.
summary
As a result of genre research, we have acknowledged other genres we might have never seen before, and decide on the genre of our film to be romantic tragedy.
Topic research 25/9/18
Our main topic of the movie is the idea of “Attachment”. We want to explore the psychological aspects of attachment, such as the attachment theory. Attachment in psychology is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space. It does not have to be reciprocal. One person may have an attachment to an individual which is not shared. Attachment is characterised by specific behaviours in children, such as seeking proximity to the attachment figure when upset or threatened (https://www.simplypsychology.org/attachment.html). The attachment theory in psychology mainly looks into behaviours of young children and babies, however, we will be looking into the attachment between a couple.
There are 4 types of attachment in a relationship; Secure, Anxious Preoccupied, Dismissive Avoidant and Fearful Avoidant. In our movie, we will be looking into Secure Attachment. Secure attachment is a form of attachment where individuals feel secure and connected with each other, giving support and comfort yet loving towards their partner. This is the healthiest form of attachment in a relationship. However, we will be looking into the idea of attachment in a situation when one partner is departed, coming back to the other person as a spirit because of their attachment towards each other.
summary
As a result of topic research, we have learned more on the topic of Attachment, looking into the different types of attachment in Psychology. We decided to go with Secure attachment in our film.
Fresh and Unique Research 7/10/18
One of the things we are planning to do to make our film unique is the camera angle. Close up shots and eye level shots will be mainly used in our film in order to show the emotions of the protagonist, and putting the audience into the protagonist's perspective. Furthermore, shot reverse shot will also be used to establish a strong connection between the protagonists. Also, we will be applying colour grading into the scenes in order to further manipulate the audience emotionally, using colours like black and white, grey or dark blue, these colours are known to have an effect on people's emotions by watching the film.
summary
As a result of this fresh and unique research, we have discovered what we can do to make our film opening unique from the ones that already existed, such as using different shot angles, sizes and motions
These are a variety of different camera shots sizes, angles and movements we can use in our film.
Protagonist Research 4/10/18
Name : Leah Cooper
Gender : Female
Age : 28
Occupation : Writer
Status : Well off
Hobbies : Photography, music
Education : University Masters degree
Personality : Introvert, Deeply attached, bottles up feelings
Background : Parents died, boyfriend died, halfway on writing a novel
Address: Life Asoke
Conflict (Problem facing) : Boyfriend dies, no money, have to finish novel, need money
How does she express her sadness: She bottles it up and bursts them out when she’s alone
Worst fear : Getting too attached
What makes her happy : Relationship, writing, reading, music
Sentimental Values: necklace, pictures
summary
We have learned more about the background information which builds up to create the protagonist in our film, Leah Cooper.
Antagonist Research 4/10/18
Name : Alan Porter
Gender : male
Age:29
Status: well off (dead)
Hobbies: -
Personality : kind, brave, caring
Background : In a relationship with Leah, died from a car accident.
summary
From the antagonist research, we now have a deeper understanding of the antagonist of our film, Alan Porter.
Driving action and Surprise Research 9/10/18
The driving action of our film is the protagonist’s desire to move on. The first catalyst of this is the protagonist’s boyfriend’s death, where she experiences grief. However, as time passes, the spirit of the boyfriend does not allow the protagonist to move on, so she must find a way for her to move on and for him to let her go.
The element of surprise in our film is the fact that the spirit of the boyfriend refuses to let the protagonist go even when he cannot be with her anymore. This is surprising as it shows that the boyfriend loves himself more than he loves his girlfriend and is afraid to be forgotten or that the protagonist will find someone better.
summary
From this driving action and surprise research, we have came across the driving action of the film, which is the female protagonist's desire to move on from her partner's death.
Environment Research 7/10/18
Most scenes in our opening is going to be in an apartment room, as we feel that it is the place where the two protagonists spend most of their time together, making it a very valuable and memorable place for the two of them. After the male protagonist have passed away, the female will be grieving over their past memories of the relationship in their apartment. We will also feature some scenes showing the male protagonist's death, however, the female protagonist will not show any sadness in those scenes, but will have a breakdown in the bedroom to herself.
summary
From this environment research, we now know the desired environment for the film to take place, producing the most effective outcome.
Theme Research 10/10/18
The theme of our film is life after death, love, and sacrifice. No matter how much you love or are attached to someone, you have to let them go if it is best for them.
In our film, we are conveying to the audience the effect of attachment after death and the sacrifices needed to be made when a person cannot let go of their past or loved one when they are supposed to. Presenting a question of how far do we need to go to show someone we love them and at which point do we need to stop. We explore the complex battle the protagonist and her boyfriend faces because the two physically cannot be together, and eventually one just move on from the other.
summary
Theme research allows us to look into the theme of life, death, afterlife and love. We have found a couple of works that resembles our idea, such as the movie "Ghost" made in 1990, and the music video of the song "Broken" by a Thai alternative rock band called "Tilly Birds".
Planning Issues Locations 28/9/18
Location 1 : Life Asoke Condominium
This location is selected because the atmosphere of the location was similar to a hotel room, which is what we are looking to achieve in our film opening.
Permission : Yes. This room belongs to my mother and she is pleased to let us use the room for shooting.
summary
After location scouting, I now know where my film will take place and I can develop a storyboard according to each location in the room.
Planning Issues Props 2/10/18
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photos (preferably polaroid) for the female protagonist, showing the past relationship between the two characters
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a necklace for the female protagonist, showing the past relationship
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a bouquet of lilies, for the female protagonist to hold, showing the death of the male protagonist
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in the closet
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a man’s shirt
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a ring to show that the male protagonist was ready to propose the female protagonist, but he passed away before he had the chance.
-
summary
From this research, we now know what props we need for each scene of our film opening, in order to add depth, mysteries or act as a metaphor in the story.
Planning Issues Costumes 5/10/18
Protagonist - Leah Cooper
Casual - white t-shirt, black t-shirt, white shirts, jeans, shorts, cardigans, sweaters, sneakers, necklace
Funeral - black dress, purse, heels, flower(lily)
Antagonist - Alan Porter
- white shirt, black trousers
Planning Issues Budget and Resources 5/10/18
Budget list
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Camera
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Tripod
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Lighting equipments
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Laptop
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Props ; ring, lilies, earrings
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Costume ; black dress, heels, t-shirt, jeans
summary
After budget and resources research, we know what equipments/props we need in order to manage the budget effectively.
summary
We have created 3 moodboards, 2 for the outfits of the protagonist. Casual and funeral outfit and 1 for the antagonist's outfit.
Planning Issues Roles and Specialism 2/10/18
Producer - Mr Simpson
Actors & Actresses - May A. (K12) & Jun (K12)
May V.
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cinematography/cameraperson
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art director
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props
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locations
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co-writer
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co-director
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sound editor/mixer
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picture editor
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co-presenter
Ploy
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storyboard & script
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music composer (+Bun)
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casting
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costume
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co-writer
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co-director
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production manager
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line producer
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assistant cameraperson
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sound recordist
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co-presenter
summary
Now we know who is in charge of what roles in the production, hence we can assign work to each of us respectively.
Planning Issues Other Considerations 3/10/18
Legal
Have you stolen someone else’s idea? ✖️
Will you use copyrighted material? ✖️
Does it contravene any regulations or standards of the industry? For example: ASA (Advertising Standards Authority, OFCOM (Office of Communications), PCC (Press Complaints Commission), ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) ✖️
Moral
Is your film offensive? ✖️
Ethical
Does your film put anyone in danger? ✖️
summary
We are considering whether our film includes something that could be accused as offensive, copyrighted or unethical.
Group Treatment 3/10/18
Title: Attached
Production Team: May Viratikul, Ploy Surasingtothong
Production Company Name: Midnight Productions
Genre: Romantic Tragedy
Synopsis:
The film is based around a man and woman (a couple) who are tragically separated by the death of the boyfriend. The boyfriend then comes back as a spirit to stay beside the girlfriend because of the attachment they both still hold for each other. As time goes by, the woman tries to move on, but the spirit of the boyfriend would not let her because he does not want to lose her to another person. Eventually the girlfriend becomes miserable as she finds that she cannot move on no matter how hard she tries. The spirit of the boyfriend later realises his negative impact on his attachment to the girlfriend and in the end lets go of her and allows her to move on.
Tagline: Attached, to heaven and back.
Characters: Leah Cooper, Alan Porter
Think (one movie title) meets (second movie title): Titanic meets Ghost
Target Audience: Young adults and adults, both gender.
Initial Research into Role 10/10/18
In the production of our film, I will be responsible of roles including cinematographer, art director and editor. Even though the roles do not sound like a lot, it involves several tasks being put in one, such as editing. I have had experiences editing both pictures and sound, making me more suitable as an editor.
Film examples
- The greatest showman ; several techniques/background music
- Sweeney Todd/500 days of summer/O Brother, Where Art Thou/The Grand Budapest Hotel/You, the living/ A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence ; use of colour grading
summary
In this research into my role, I did a research into the techniques of colour grading, which is one of the main skills I will be using in the post production process of my film.
Group Script
summary
After a script is created, we now have a much clearer idea of how the story is going to be executed in the opening.
Group Casting 5/10/18
Character - Leah Cooper
Actor name - Paruda Aurluecha (May)
Character backstory - parents died, boyfriend died, halfway on writing a novel, breakdown often
Character description - Introvert, Deeply attached, bottles up feelings
Why selected - May took drama in IGCSE and has had experiences acting before
Character - Alan Porter
Actor name - Injun Suh (Jun)
Character backstory - in a relationship but died from a car accident.
Character description - Kind, brave, caring
Why selected - Jun has a very open personality which makes the people he works with comfortable, and he was more than pleased to take part in our movie
summary
Now we have actors who we know have experiences acting/is happy to work with us in this film opening.
Group Release Forms 5/10/18
summary
The release forms cleared up the possible issues of working with young/underage actors such as consent from parents/ethical issues.
Group Storyboard 3/10/18
In the second draft of our storyboard, we have altered the script so the story is slightly different.
This is our first draft of the storyboard for our movie opening drawn by Ploy.
summary
Now that we have a storyboard, it is clearer what we will have in each scene of the opening, and we won't have to waste time thinking about it on set.
Group Shotlist 10/10/18
A shot list is a document that maps exactly what is going to happen in each scene of a film. It gives clear direction and expectations of the film. We based the shortlist from our script, splitting any scenes with a slightly different angle or size.
summary
As a result of creating a shotlist, we now have a much more solid idea of what we will be doing on the day of filming, so that we will waste less time trying to decide which shots to film in which scene.
Risk Assessment 9/10/18
A risk assessment is an overview of what can go wrong or cause harm in a film production set. In ours, we have included things like slipping, bumping, and fire alarms.
summary
As a result of creating a risk assessment, we now have protections and warning over possible hazards, which will minimise the possibility of having them on the real environment.
Call sheets 10/10/18
A call sheet is a schedule of each day of filming, normally prepared by the assistant director. It informs the cast and crew about what is going to happen during each day of filming.
summary
As a result of creating a call sheet, we have a much more scheduled filming plan, it includes the starting and ending time, the location and the scenes we will be filming in each day. This saves us time as we don’t have to decide what to film on set.