Evaluation

For our media production coursework we decided to choose the noir/thriller genre, as it is an interesting style of film that we could replicate to look fairly realistic. The film opening uses conventions of real media products such as shot types, sound and music as well as noir elements. We decided to use a variety of shot types to show different angles as well as match on action, for example low angle and eye level as well as close ups and long shots, static and non-static shots. We challenged the original noir genre by deciding to shoot a modern version with elements of noir, such as using black and white and using the traditional female and male characters. The modern twist includes using modern clothing and creating a past romantic relationship between the characters, through the use of voiceover, which is not a usual noir element.

We showed the use of noir elements through the use of establishing shots of the femme fatale character. By using a shot of the woman’s feet with the voiceover, this creates suspense as the audience does not know who the femme fatale is, as it then cuts to a close up of her turning the tap on and getting a glass of water, which lengthens the suspense. How both characters are introduced in the opening mirrors each other, as there are two establishing shots of feet. We did this to show the similarities in the characters. The use of the voiceover is a noir element that creates the storyline for the film and provides background information on the characters past. This allows the audience to get to know the characters and their past. The editing is fairly slow which is typical in creating a noir style film as there is no action during the opening and suspense is then created, as the audience does not know who the characters are yet, from the use of close ups of feet.

Sound and music was also important to consider as they create enigma and provide the storyline for the film opening, creating the atmosphere that reflected the mood we were trying to create. We developed our ideas by researching and talking about traditional music that is used in film noir and used Garageband to create our own track, as then we could create the enigma and romantic feel and did not have to think about copyright laws. We used a piano for the opening music as this was slow enough to match the pace of the editing as well as still being interesting enough to help create suspense. The voiceovers for the opening were also important to create the right feel and the script was important as this tied the shots together and created the storyline of the film. We considered what we needed to say about the characters and how they were feeling to relate this to the shots used during the opening. The noir element to the film was also important this influenced what was said in the script about how the characters story unfolded. For example using the descriptive language and the expression of thoughts, such as “This empty train station was the only reminder of what we had....happier times ... past memories fade as each day goes by”. This is how other noir films also begin, for example in “Sin City” in the opening where voiceover and music are important elements. We challenged the ideas of traditional film noir by using a modern day setting, for example using modern clothes and locations as well as modern transport such as the train. We did this so that we could create a noir film opening that was slightly different to others, using the same elements and presenting them in a different way.

I think that our voiceover is effective as it describes the storyline and background to the characters as well as capturing the noir element of saying their thought aloud. However I do think that the pauses between phrases could have been longer, to feel like the characters are reflecting, thinking about the past.

There are two characters in our film opening, a female character is presented as a feminine character by wearing a dress and a male character who is presented wearing jeans, which shows him to be a typical modern young male character. We have also created certain representations of the characters, for example the female character is the powerful character as she presented in a calm way as she is in control deciding whether she should go to the train station. Using more static shots for example a long shot of her reading a book at eye level. Compared to the male character who is less powerful, nervous walking with his head down moving or walking in most of the shots. There is one high angle shot which looks down onto the platform watching as the male character paces the station. This shows that he not in control and the body language creates a sense of nervousness. We are representing a young middle class social group through the use of costume as well as using certain close up shots to emphasise emotions. For example when she is lying on the bed and there is a zoom in on her face, focusing the attentions of the audience to the emotions on her face, showing that she is attractive and quite glamorous.

The type of media institution that might distribute our media product would be the less mainstream companies, as the film is not the typical high budget blockbuster or mainstream hit that would be shown in a multiplex cinemas. It is more of a lower budget independent film that would be shown in small cinemas and viewings like at The Picture House in Exeter but only for a short period of time. These films have a more specialised audience and distributors would include companies that allow that certain niche audiences to buy the films. For example an independent distributions company such as Film Academy which produces and distributes films. Internet distributors may also sell our product for more specialised audiences for example Amazon and other websites such as Channelfilm.com. However mainstream channels such as the BBC would probably not show our product as it as a more specialised audience, although other digital channels that specialise in film may show our product, for example Film Four, but not at a prime time of 9pm but sometime in the early afternoon, or at the weekend.

The audience our product is aimed at is mostly females, as it is a romantic/noir film as well as couples who are in their forties or fifties. These are people who enjoy older style films and have time and money to spend buying films that are not mainstream, so enjoy finding new films and who are more of a niche audience than an typical fan of films. On the other hand this film does have young actors in it so would appeal to younger audience as well mostly females as it has an element of love to it. These people are probably working to middle class who have ordinary everyday jobs who have a passion for film and that enjoy using the internet to find new and classic films to watch in their spare time. It may also interest other independent or art house filmmakers. I think that our film appeals to this audience as it is not a big budget film and it is not the typical blockbuster genres of action/thriller, romantic comedy or latest animation. It uses conventions of noir such as a variety of shots including high and low angle as well as creating enigma through the storyline of the characters past. As these conventions create a style of film that is classic and simple, that appeals to the independent film fan.

We attracted our audience by the use of the genre conventions using the black and white effect as well as using a traditional femme fatale character, using close ups of feet and hands to create enigma before using a close up of her face to show the audience who she is. As we hear the characters talking before we see their faces this also helps create suspense. The soundtrack also attracts our target audience as it is a piano piece that has a classic elegance to it, which reflects the time that noir films were originally made. Even though this film opening has a modern twist we felt that the music was a key element in the overall noir feel. The overall style of the piece also attracts our audience for example the use of the font in the titles creates a classic, old style quality which reflects the other noir conventions.

We addressed our audience by creating a voiceover which addresses the audience directly, talking about their thoughts and feelings throughout the opening sequence. We did this by using a voiceover that explains the storyline and history between the characters, talking directly to them through thoughts about their past experiences. We also addressed our audience by using shots that involve looking directly at the camera, which also looks directly at the audience, which makes the audience feel more involved in the film. Although I think that the quality of our voiceover could have been better as it was a bit quite and muffled in some places and the some if it is read to quickly so there are pauses for effect.

From constructing this product I have learnt a great deal about the technologies involved. For example how to use the imovie programme to edit our film. Looking at how to change colours, add titles and cut clips and rearrange them to create the final product. I have also learnt how to use Garageband, another software programme that we used to create our soundtrack. How to find music clips that we wanted through selecting genres, such as orchestral and how to layer music to create the sound that we wanted. We also learnt about certain settings on the camera itself for example that when you use the screen to see what you are filming, the framing of the shot is not the same and objects that you thought were not in the shot, can be when you come review your footage at a later stage. I have also learnt about framing and composition as some of the shots are at eye level they had to include certain objects such as the glass. We also experimented with the framing only including half an object such as the clock and not including Rachel’s head when she walks away from the tap creating the mystery in the character.

From looking back at our original preliminary task and previous work I think that I have learnt a lot from mistakes that we made during that filming and editing process. For example the lighting during our preliminary task looked satisfactory on the camera but when it went into imovie to be edited, we discovered that in some shots the lighting was too dark and grainy. So when filming for our coursework task we paid special attention to the lighting and the shadows cast during filming, so that we didn’t make those same mistakes again. We also made sure that there was a greater variety of shot types for greater variations and to increase interest to create a pace to the editing. We also learnt about non static shots and that a tripod needs to be used but they can also mean that the panning shot does not move smoothly, so we had to shoot many takes to make sure it looked good. We also paid special attention to the mise en scene of the piece as the continuity and the sense of realism comes from the mise en scene. We then made sure in our film opening that there were the correct settings and when filming in public places that people or objects that were not meant to be in the shot were out of the frame. Another area that we have improved on is in Garageband, as there were loops in the music that did not fit, however when creating our own track this time we had previous knowledge of Garageband and used this to make sure that music loops were correct and that we found all of the clips available on the programme to make sure that it was successful.

Over all I think that our finished product does reflect a noir style film using conventions that make it appeal to its audience. For example using a variety of shot types, voiceovers, editing and an engaging soundtrack. I think that the quality of the shots is overall good but could have been improved in the non static shots. I also feel that the opening shot of the feet shuffling is too long for an opening. However I do think that there are many elements to our film opening which are good quality. We also put our film opening on YouTube and asked people to comment on it. We had some good feedback from people who said that they would like to watch the rest of the film. Some people could not comment on YouTube as they did not have an account although thy did tell us their comments. We found that overall we had positive comments on our film opening, which suggests that are no major flaws. We have learnt a great deal since our preliminary task from the use of shot types to correcting loops on Garageband and have used these skills and put them into our film opening to create a modern noir film.

evaluation notes

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

- You need to describe the forms and conventions of the film genre you have used. E.g. for Film Noir, the use of black and white establishing shots of the femme fatal, use of shadows and dark interiors, smoke, horizontal and vertical lines, half hidden faces, use of voice over, slow pace, type of music, titles etc.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

- How have you represented makes and females? Sexy, powerful/weak, in control?
- How have you shown villains and victims?
- Have you shown age? Young people, older people?

What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why?

- Is your film likely to be a large budget movie distributed by a major company like “Universal” to a wide, mainstream audience? Or is it a low-budget, more niche audience film, made by a small independent film company, likely to be screened by Film Four?
- Ask yourself where you would expect to see it and why you would see it there.

Who would be the audience for you your media product?

- You need to describe the profile of your audience in detail: age, gender, tastes, lifestyles etc. you must also explain why you think your film appeals to that audience and precise examples.

How did you attract/address you audiences?

- Think of the ways in which your film hooks in its audience e.g. through the titles, the actors used, the soundtrack, the use go genre conventions.
-How have used camera shots, editing etc to appeal your audience.

What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing your product?

- Most of you wrote quite well for this. Just check you mentioned use of YouTube and Garageband as well as cameras and iMovie.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression form it to the full product?

- Don’t forget to consider why you have learned in the following areas: Framing and composition of shots, use of variety of shots, use of mise-en-scene, type of pace of editing, use of sound/voice-over/music, using a tripod, as well as the advances in using editing technologies.

feedback on final product

Once placed on YouTube, this film opening has generated fifty five views and from this, some of them had commented, one person commented on YouTube, as many needed an account to do this, but not every-one who viewed this had one. It mostly generated good footage for example the one on YouTube read "I've not seen the film but it looked well produced to me ... nice one." Others who had commented about our film opening had said “Everything was so good, the music was used in the right places, black and white was effective, and good use of fades” and “Oh I wanted to see the whole thing”. This last one was important to us as it did show that we created a good sense of enigma, and hooked the audience in nicely. The latter two were from our target audience (15-25 females) and so this was really positive feedback. The first one was from outside our audience, but they were still able to appreciate, and took time to look at the editing side, which also generated positive feedback. There was a few who shared the same comment, however there was a little amount as we mainly had shown our target audience this opening as they would be the one's who'd watch it, making their opinion critical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pkluN9axuM

early draft of footage with review

This is an early draft of our footage after a few editing sessions. This footage is from the first filming day and does not have any of re shot clips in it. There is no sound on it yet as we wanted to make sure we were happy with the editing of our shots before we moved onto the editing of the music and sound.

We feel that the shuffling feet at the beginning do not move enough for an opening shot and that the panning shot is too shaking and shift as it does not look professional. The sound of the tap will be removed and replaced with the sound track and voice overs at some point. We are also going to remove the close up of the male characters eyes as they do not add anything to the film and have no really context within it. There is also a camera shake at the end of the zoom-in which will be cut. The titles also need to be added, at this point at this point we are happy with most of our shots and have some readjustment to make to improve the film opening.

editing process 2

After re shooting the panning, close up shot of the feet walking along the platform, we had to choose the best take and cut it down to the correct size that would fit into the previous panning shot which we felt was to stiff to use in our final cut. We then substituted this new shot with the previous one to create a more professional feel to the filming opening.

We also re shot the opening static shot of the shuffling feet, we wanted to create more of a nervous character and provide more movement in the opening shot. We took several takes of this on the platform and chose the best take to cut down the length of the opening as we felt it was too long.

we also added the titles into the opening including who the actors were in the film and which production company it is. We also decided that we wanted fades before and after the titles so that they were different to the other cuts in the film opening. However we could not do this on one of the fade outs as the clip that was before it was too short to allow this, so it had to leave it as a normal cut. Although it does cut whilst the female character is still moving so i think that it works better than a fade out as the movement implies that something is still happening whilst the titles are showing.

We also added our final music choice to the film as this was the main sound that would create the right atmosphere for our modern noir film opening. We moved the music around and decided where it would work best in the piece, we decided that using a film title to begin the music would highlight the main part of the film.

We also added the voice over this was one of the final things that we did to finish editing it. We first added the voiceover to it and the decided when each charcter would start speaking during the film. We wanted them to be fairly near the beginning as these wouold provide the background and stoeyline to the film.

filming process 2

This filming process we used:

• Video Camera
  


• Tripod
  


• Male actor
  


• Props (i.e. clothing; Jeans and plain shoes.)
  


• Location (Train Station)
  
  Our second day of filming we went to only to the train station as this was all that was needed. Due to some circumstances we couldn’t get hold of Chris Stubbs to re-film however, as we only needed to film from the waist down, we could have some-one with a similar build and similar clothing to that which he wore on the day and because of this Jack Blenkinsopp filled in the role of Chris.
  
  The weather for the second filming process was sunnier then it was for the previous day of filming which could affect the lighting that we had. As we filmed this mid-afternoon the sun was in the right position and the trees behind the station filtered the light so, when it came to editing the footage there was no clear distinction in the different weather types.
  
  All we had filmed on this particular day was Jack walking up and down one platform of the station whilst recording him on the opposite. The train station was a lot busier on this day due to the date and time of day, luckily we needed the platform that no-one was using, however this generated more background noise, and many people did walking into the frame meaning we would have to re-film. We overcame the ambient sounds by turning down all the sounds down when editing and placed a voice over so that it wasn’t too quiet.
  
  Another problem that we encountered was that the tripod was still stiff when we were panning up and down the platform filming Jack. We overcame this problem by adjusting the tripod so that it loosened and we also directed Jack to walk at a slower pace.
  We used two camera shots in this process; this was a pan and a static medium close-up. We used the pan when we were following Jack as he walked up the platform of the station with and the static medium close-up was used when we filming Jack looking agitated and nervous and moving his feet.

on-going editing process

After uploading all of the footage onto the computer we used iMovie HD to edit our film. As we filmed the locations separately we started with the indoor location first. We pulled out parts of the footage that we thought suited our film best and put them all in black and white. After this we started cutting our shots down in order for them to have a better fit within the film, more concentration went into the match-on-action tap sequence in order to make sure that it was exactly right cuts. Due to technical difficulties we had to re-do this process, however we knew where every-thing needed to be, and it worked out better as we found another shot that would have worked a lot better.

After this we then started to edit the train station scene. We repeated what we had done before, we drew footage that we thought was appropriate, made it into black and white and then starting cutting irrelevant footage. We placed this footage onto the back of the previous editing as it was easier to see what we had done and what needed to be done then it would have been if we out it into sequence. After we edited the footage, it became clear that we needed to re-film two shots from the film. These were a pan of our male character walking up the train station and also the still medium close-up of his feet.

There was a lot of ambient sound when we listened back to our footage and realised that the voice over that we planned would have sounded unprofessional and slightly muffled. Due to this we had turn the sound down on every shot excluding the final one of the train leaving the platform, which we kept running two seconds after the screen, had gone black. We kept this in as it would have generated a better effect and would fit in with the music, which would be playing at this point in the film. Four titles were then added, and we placed them so that they would break up the footage when cutting to the next character. The order of the title pages read “Chris Stubbs” then “Rachel Bennett”, then “A Whitworth and Cosway Production” and then finally “From The Past…” The third title was placed in the middle of Rachel’s sequence as it generated an ellipsis of time, and the final title was placed at the very end of the sequence to generate a sense of enigma.

We also tried to fade the two faces of each of our characters together so it gave the impression that there was some connection between the two. However when this was completed it made the film look unprofessional and it didn’t fit with the rest of the film. Instead of using this fade to establish the connection between the two characters we decided that the voice over could achieve this.

meeting to review footage and plan refilming

review: After uploading out footage we looked at the what we had filmed. We liked the shots that involved the interior bedroom scenes. We had shot a few takes of each so that we could chose the best one. For example this came in use when filming the zoom-in on Rachel's face when she is on the bed asleep. This took 6 takes to get a few choices of good zoom ins as we had problems with the speed of the zoom and the direction as it sometimes only had half of her face in the frame. We also looked closely at the other non static shot that involved panning we decided that this was not good enough as it was too quick and the framing was wrong as he walked out of the shot each time.

refilming: After viewing the footage that we had filmed at the train station, it is clear that we need to re-film the close-up tracking of the characters feet as it looks unprofessional and stiff. To overcome this problem we will re-film this scene at the station, with another tripod at first, and if the problem still persists we will place it on a pivot that will easily rotate.

filming process 1

what we need for the day of filming:

• camera -charged



• tripod



• tape



• actors



• props -clothing, dress for the female character and jeans for male character



• locations



• correct weather conditions- not to sunny not raining

On our first day of filming we went to both locations, the train station with Chris Stubbs to film the outdoor sequence with the train and we also went to our indoor location using Rachel Bennett, in the bedroom and the kitchen, which was picked for convenience, as it was at my house. The type of taps that are in the kitchen were also a factor in deciding where we were going to film, as it was important for the positioning of the hand, in the pouring the drink sequence.

In the morning we went to the train station, the weather was cloudy and windy so the lighting was good as where were no bright areas or unwanted shadow, however when filming on the bridge we did have problems with the sound of the wind being in the back of the shots. We first shot the close ups of the shoes walking away on the platform and the extreme close up of the face which were not used in the final cut as the close up of the face was not relevant to the other shots and created more of an intimidating feel which was not what we were trying to create, as the male character is wondering whether she will meet him at the train station.

We also had some shots of Chris walking across the bridge in a low angle looking up at him, however these were on a camera that Lissa owned and we could not upload these shots so they were not used. We also shot the panning close up of the shoes and legs as they walked along the platform. This was a shot that we took many takes of as it a non static shot which was hard to film a steady, slow panning shot that was not jerky, as we had problems with the tripod.

The long shots of the train pulling into and leaving the station were also planned as we chose to shot this in the morning on a Sunday, when we knew there would be less people at the station. We positioned the camera facing towards the train a few minutes before the train was due to arrive and waited until the train pulled into the station. We then turned the camera around a filmed the train leaving the station. We used these shots in our footage as they created questions in the storyline of the film. For example, does the female character meet him at the station ? Do they get on the train? Did she make it to the station in time?

In the afternoon we shot the scenes that were in the kitchen and the bedroom with Rachel Bennett. The match on actions sequence that involved getting a glass of water was filmed may times from different angles such as over the shoulder and a extreme close up of the of hand turning the tap. We felt that these shots were important as this type of non action shots are usually found at the beginning of a film. They focus the attention onto the titles and help create the storyline as well as creating suspense.

We also shot the scene where she is on the bed, reading a book and later falls asleep. These shots were filmed at eye level. There will be a title in between the two shots to create an ellipsis of time as she is first reading the book, then it will cut to a title and then cut back to Rachel asleep on the bed with the book by her side. We filmed these shots on the same day so that we were sure that there would not be any continuity errors. However there is the possibility that we could re-film if needed.

One problem that we had during filming was that our actress was wearing a Glastonbury wristband that she did not want to take off. This was a problem that would affect the continuity of the piece, as even though it is a modern take on the noir genre, it would not fit the style of the film opening. We over came this problem by using bracelets to cover the wristband, so that it was not noticeable. However we did have to reshoot some of the shots as the wristband and the bracelets did sometimes separate.

ideas for voice over

We needed the voiceovers to create the storyline and to give background information on the characters. We needed a quite room to record the voices and we had problems finding this as the main room was being used and there was noise from the computers so we had to use an office to record our voiceovers. We also had problems finding suitable people to read the voiceovers as our original actors were not available on the day that we had arranged. So we had to use different people.

The voiceovers for the opening were also important to create the right feel and the script was important as this tied the shots together and created the storyline of the film. We considered what we needed to say about the characters and how they were feeling to relate this to the shots used during the opening. The noir element to the film was also important this influenced what was said in the script about how the characters story unfolded. Which is how other noir films also begin, for example in Sin City in the opening where voiceover and music are important elements.

For example, in Sin City:
"she shivers in the wind like the last leaf on a dying tree. I let her hear my footsteps, she only goes stiff for a moment. Care for smoke?"

"sure, I'll take one. Are you as bored by that crowd as I am?"

For the voiceover in our film opening, we plan for it to tell the story of the two characters.

His part - " I was waiting for a sign, any sign that we were meant to be. This empty train station was the only reminder of what we had....happier times ... past memories fade as each day goes by. The day was cold, reflecting the mood of the moment. It was this day my hopes would either be realised or shattered. Would she return or leave me in this pitiful state".

Her part - "Wondering whether I should go was unclear in my mind. My past was starting to repeat itself, old memories re awoken. * But they are in the past, an old life i am trying to forget. Should i repeat past mistakes for a chance of future happiness or stay in my loveless marriage".

* we added another phrase to her part to show how times have changed.
" but many years have past and people change, some for the worse some for the better, there's only one way to know for sure".

Bold phrase- was removed as it did not fit in with the filming.

ideas for titles

The titles that would appear in the opening sequence needed to be dicussed and planned so that we had the correct number that would fit into the opening sequence. We talked about using a different title for each section such as editing, music and filming but decided that there would be too many titles for a 2 minute opneing sequence and that because we both made decisions on each stage of the filming process there would be little point. So we decided that there should be a title for each actor in the film and that our production company name should be included, as well as the film title.

We decided that they should also be in black and white as the rest of the film is, so this would continue the theme and reinforce the noir style. The font of the titles was also an important decision in creating the correct style, so we decided to use an old swirly font. I chose this film poster to show the black and white effect as well as as the use of font style, as it uses the elements that we want to create in our film titles.

plans for soundtrack

Sound and music is also important to consider as they create enigma and provide the storyline for the film opening, creating the atmosphere that reflects the mood we are trying to create. We researched our ideas and talked about tradition music that is used in film noir and used Garageband to create our own track, as then we could create the enigma and romantic feel and did not have to think about copyright laws. We used a piano for the opening music as this was slow enough to match the pace of the editing as well as still being interesting enough to help create suspense.

We have several songs that we created on Garageband using orchestral and other options to narrow the possibilities and find loops of music that would create the correct sound. For example, we knew that we needed a main instrument to create the mood. We needed a loop that fitted the pace and created the right atmosphere. Our first song did use a piano but was too repetitive and did not have variety so after listening to it a few times we decided that we could create another song that would create suspense as well as a romantic theme. Our second song was the final song that is used in our final cut of the film opening. It has the original idea of using the piano but also uses a range of other instruments to add variety as well as being a catchy.

feedback on storyboard

After meeting with our teacher to discuss our new plans. We decided that this idea was better than the other idea as it was simpler and still use element of the noir genre as well as adding others such as a love story and the element of enigma.

location list

There as been many ideas for location when filming and the majority have been dissolved due to different issues. Our first idea was to originally to film in a wooded area. This had to be reconsidered due to the lighting. Only a certain time of of day would provide the accurate light needed and as artificial lighting was not an option it would make it very difficult to film all footage we needed and more as a back up in this space of time. Also if we went back to this location continuity would be a problem making sure accurate lighting was in place, clothes, and also the mise en scene . Weather could easily make this inaccurate and change over the week.

Another idea of an outside scene was a pier. This would be another location where the male figure would be filmed. However once again this had to be dissolved due to the reason that when we had planned on filming it was too busy, which produce far too much ambient sound. If it was to be filmed earlier/later in the day it would take away the lighting that we wanted.

The final outdoor idea we had, and went along with was a train station. We chose this idea as it could easily fit in with a story line and both felt that is would fit in with the conventions of our chosen genre.We also filmed an indoor sequence, inside a house, doing every-day things. We chose a house as it emphasises the normality of these sequence. It would have natural, neutral lighting which means we can re-film if needed and so that there will be no continuity errors. We used a bedroom and a kitchen and minimised the used of props in the shot so that it could be seen as either modern or noir.

The indoor settings include the bedroom and the kitchen :

prop list

The props that was used in our film were typical items that's would be found around a house, i.e chairs, beds, lamps etc. We also used a glass of water and a book. We used all of these to once again suggest a "normal house sequence". This could also create suspense as it would suggest that some-thing would happen. We placed our filming around a train schedule so that we could get some footage of it coming and leaving the station.

props list:

• props - glass of water, bedside table







• other ideas include - ashtray? cigarette? photoframe?






• costume - modern clothes including dress for the female character and jeans for the male character and black shoes.







• other ideas include- hat? trench coat?

• setting - bedroom, kitchen train station

new storyboard

From reviewing the old storyboard we have decided to redo it as we think that it will be to hard to film and that some of the ideas that we have had maybe to complicated to film. We think that lighting in the woods may also be an issue as they it maybe too dark to get quality shots. For our new storyboard we have decided to change the location of the exterior shots to the train station as it is a more authentic setting for a noir film and we felt that our previous storyboard had more of a thriller element to it. Using the woods and the close up shots of the eyes and the storyline itself of the man who has been in her nightmare appearing in the room at the end of the opening sequence, which are all elements of suspense, thriller films.

The new idea for the film opening is that the character have had a previous relationship and have not seen each other for many years. He is still in love with her and asks her to meet him at the train station. Will she meet him or not? Although we have decided to keep some of the shot ideas for example the extreme close up when pouring the glass and using shots of the female character in the bedroom.

We will show this through close ups of the feet pacing to show how anxious he is feeling about the wait for her to arrive. The female character will be shown as the one is in control through the use of medium shots of her deciding whether to go or not. For example reading a book or getting a glass of water. We plan for the voice over of the characters to reveal the storyline and the background to the characters lives.

shots planned:

1. close of feet
2. medium shot of shoulder and head of male which establishes the character.
3. long high angle shot looking down onto platform
4. low level panning medium close up of feet walking down the platform
5. title -Chris Stubbs
6. low level medium close up of female characters feet
7. follows her walking
8. extreme close up of hand turning tap
9. close up pouring glass of water
10. over the shoulder shot
11. long shot of torso as she walks away - head not in shot to create sense of mystery
12. title -Rachel Bennett
13. static as train pulls into station
14. cut to medium close up of glass
15. titles - production company
16. long shot -reading on bed
17. long shot - walking at station
18. medium- zoom in on face
19. static long shot - as train leaves station
20. title - from the past...

title font ideas

These are some of the font styles that we looked at for the title of out film. We looked at the first one and decided that the font was not thick enough for the title of a film and didn’t stand out enough. We then discussed the second font and decided that it looked a lot like a font used in an old western film rather than a noir/ thriller. The third font is good because it has easy to read block letters in bold. It is also bold enough to stand out and be noticed however it does not have much style to it so this could mean that it doesn’t show enough character to what the films about. The fourth font is not bold enough to stand out and although the font does show style it is not very easy to read or very large compared to the other titles which are all in the same font.


The fifth font although it is big enough and is noticeable it doesn’t have enough style to show what the film is about and seems to have large spaces between letters. It also does not stand out on its own enough to show that it is a title font. The final font is a gothic font which although has style, it seems too formal and not bold enough to be our title font. Although I think that it could be used as a title font as the style reflects an older period in time.

title ideas

The title for our film opening has to relate to the story line of the film, as well as interesting the audience. We began by talking over our ideas and discussing which ideas we thought were good and which we didn’t think were good. We wrote our ideas in a spider diagram, so other title ideas developed more ideas.

Another idea we had was to involve the story line in the title. For example Out of the Past as this relates to the characters however we discovered that this title already exists and this is a film from 1947. Another idea we had was Escape From The Past, which also related to the characters and story line. This is an idea that we thought was original and thought it related to our film idea. Another idea that we had was The Revenge as this also relates to our story line however it does already exist and is not as original as some of our other ideas.

We began thinking of ideas for the opening of our film by thinking about what our film opening involved. For example in our new idea we use a train station scene or the storyline involves characters past and character relationships. One idea was to involve the train scene, for example The Four O clock Train or The Station. However the train station is not the main setting in the storyline of our opening so we decided not to use any ideas that involved this.

We decided that we liked Escape From The Past as our favourite idea but when discussing it at a later time we decided that it sounded more like a horror film than a thriller/ noir film. So we decided to use From The Past as this sounds less like a horror film and creates a sense of mystery.

original storyboard

Our storyboard involves the locations of the woods and an interior bedroom and kitchen. It uses the noir conventions of black and white, low key lighting and shadows as well as close ups of objects such as a glass, as well as faces and shoes to create a sense of enigma as the titles appear on the screen. It also involves some features of modern clothing and props when in the interior settings.

storyboard shots:

1. black screen with voice over
2. long shots of man walking through the woods
3. medium shot of some one asleep
4. cuts to man in wood close up of shoes
5. cut to extreme close up of face
6. cut to long shot of girl waking up in bed
7. close up of feet/ legs getting out of the bed
8. cuts to medium shot of man walking away
9. pans up to back and shoulders
10. cuts extreme close up of girls hand getting glass as titles role
11. medium close up of tap and water pouring into glass
12. cuts to mans shoes walking away out of frame
13. cuts to a long shot of glass of water by bed and girl sat on the edge of the bed
14. and cuts to medium shot of the man in the room
15. cuts to black titles

overall plan ideas and ideas for shots

The plan for our production piece was to film a noir piece using typical conventions as we decided that the thriller convention would be too hard to make look realistic with the time and budget that we have. We want to portray this using locations to create a mysterious feel. We have thought of some ideas for the locations to include an interior setting as well as an outdoor setting which could either be in a wood or at a train station. Another idea we had was to use a pier to create the older style feel that a noir film has. We also decided that we wanted to keep the main characters slightly mysterious during the opening to create enigma. We also wanted to change some of these typical noir conventions to create something different so we decided to create a modern noir. We decided to make it modern as this would add a different style to the noir film, by using modern clothing and settings whilst still keeping the femme fetal a feminine character and the male character masculine. We also decided that using modern clothing would be a good idea as it would be easier to find costumes and settings that would work with the 1940s 50 noir theme.

Shot ideas:
we wanted to try and create a mysterious feel through the camera angles and shots so decided that using close ups of feet and would create this feel however the audience does need to know who the characters are and so this is why we will use close ups of the face as well as long shots of the characters. Using long shots of locations would also help establish the settings and feel of the film.

genre ideas

There was a few genres that we had brainstormed at the beginning. These were Romance, Thriller and Noir.

We didn't go ahead with romance as, when evaluating and brainstorming, we came to the conclusion that the typical conventions of Romance are standard, mostly medium shots, and we wanted a bit more variety. As these conventions may not have been very recognisable, it may have been difficult to emphasise this genre withing the opening sequence.

Thriller was another idea we had in mind, but when looking at this genre, we found that the majority is filmed when dark/low lighting, and we didn't have the resources to the props that would be needed. As the lighting had to be specific it would have made it very hard to re-film as continuity errors may have been in place due to the timing of the filming. When looking at the typical camera shots within the film, it may have been difficult to replicate them and for them to look professional.

After evaluating other genre ideas, we discovered that Noir would be the best to film, as it was easy to establish what type of film it was with the editing and camerawork. (Black and white, and close-ups). After researching previous noir openings, it was clear that a mixture of the other genre story lines could be put in place and still hold the typical conventions of a Film Noir, and seeing as we had looked at possible story lines for the previous idea's, it would have been easier to use past research rather then start over again. This worked to our advantage as we could start filming earlier, which means we would leave ourselves with plenty of time for editing and re-filming if we needed to.

conventions of noir and thrillers

noir conventions:

• includes the use of shadows
• use of black and white
• establishing shot of femme fetale
• use of voice over
• slow pace
• music choice
• titles and fonts
• male character as the lead role

Thriller conventions:

• suspense - created by close ups and music
• fast pace of editing
• characters always include a hero and a villain
• some use of exotic settings
• element of danger -created by storyline and props such as guns
• lots of long shots of locations and establishing shots of settings
• involves medium and close up shots of action sequences

Research noir/thrillers

Film noir - genre of film, originally between 1940 and 1960, originating in the United States, using heavy shadows and patterns of darkness.

Film noir is a film style and mood primarily associated with crime films, that portrays its principle characters in a nihilistic and existentialist world. Film noir is primarily derived from the style of crime fiction of the Depression era (many films noir were adaptations of such novels) and the gritty style of 1930s horror fiction.

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist film cinematography , while many of the typical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.

The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir. While City Streets and other pre-WWII crime melodramas such as Fury (1936) and You Only Live Once (1937), both directed by Fritz Lang.

Most of the film noirs of the classic period were similarly low- and modestly budgeted features without major stars—B movies either literally or in spirit. In this production context, writers, directors, cinematographers, and other craftsmen were relatively free from typical big-picture constraints.

Thrillers - characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliff-hangers are used extensively. Thrillers often take place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, or high seas. The heroes in most thrillers are frequently "hard men" accustomed to danger: law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, seamen or aviators. However, they may also be ordinary citizens drawn into danger by accident. While such heroes have traditionally been men, women lead characters have become increasingly common.

In a thriller, the hero must up the plans of an enemy, rather than uncover a crime that has already happened; and while a murder mystery would be spoiled by a premature disclosure of the murderer's identity, in a thriller the identity of a murderer or other villain in typically known all along. Thrillers also occur on a much grander scale: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements. While a mystery climaxes when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others. In thrillers influenced by film noir and tragedy, the compromised hero is often killed in the process.

Deconstruction of Sin City

How character is established

• Character is established through the first shot with 2 people that are in the frame. There is a high angle shot in black and white except for the red dress and lips. they are in the centre of the frame establishing them as main characters.



• voice over also establishes character as the person doing the voice over is always going to be key to the story.



• The way they are dressed suggests they are rich and as they are at a party (the male character tells us in the voice over) the male character is wearing a suit and the female character is a dress.



• Two shots and over the shoulder shots are used to focus the audience to these characters, as they are the only ones that are in the opening.

How setting is established

• The first shot is of a rooftop looking out at the tall buildings. Showing the audience what the location of the film is, a city.



• As they zoom out from the characters at the end of the opening, the camera spins out with the centre point being the characters to show an ariel shot of the city which dissolves into graphics.

How enigma is established

• It is established through the voice over, as he is talking to the audience learns more about his thought although we don't really know anything about him until he unexpectedly kills the female character.



• The mystery and suspense builds because the audience knows very little about the characters and want to learn more.



• The shock at the end of the opening sequence when he shoots her surprises the audience as all the camera angles and voice over do not suggest in any way that he is about to kill her. Then there is a medium close up of the gun. the audience does not know why he has killed her creating questions in the mind of the audience.

Genre is also established

• Film noir is established through the use of black and white although there is a modern twist with the red of her lips and dress.



• Also the mans voice over is also an element that appears on film noir.



• there is also a seductive femme fetal character



• smoking is also an ingredient for a noir film - extreme close up of a cigarette and there is also smoke in front of the femme fetale which is a classic noir shot showing the how mysterious the character is.



• The lighting also reflects the noir as it is low lit and with only half the face is in the light it casts a shadow of uncertainty about the characters.

Deconstruction - city of God

Another film opening that uses camera work, editing and sound effectively to establish the setting, characters and enigma is ‘City Of God’. A Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund. It has an unusual and memorable start to the film which helps to establish the enigma and make the audience want to watch the film.

The characters of the film are established later on in the opening scene as the first thing that we see is an extreme close up of a knife being sharpened this creates a sense of danger also the sound of the knife being sharpened is amplified so it is louder adding to the sense of danger it creates as an opening shot. Between each shot of the knife being sharpened of a different side it fades between them so the audience can not see anything else in the shot to add to the enigma as the audience doesn’t know how the events will unfold. The opening scene uses a lot of close ups during the first few minutes as then the audience can only concentrate on small parts such as the knife, the chicken and the vegetables being chopped showing that they are preparing a meal. Even though at this point the audience doesn’t know who the characters are or where they are. Then we see shots of a live chicken followed by the dead chicken so it looks like it is starring at the dead chicken using close ups so he audience can see the live chickens face creating humour as it escape and runs away.

At this point more long shots are being used so that the audience can see more of the buildings and area around where this is taking place, establishing the setting as a poor, urban area. As there are no natural surroundings around it, with dark streets that have graffiti on them, we also know it is a dangerous place as there have been various shots of people with guns and knifes Tracking shots are now being used as the chicken is running away from the people with guns. The audience now understands the setting better but still has no idea who the main characters of the story are yet as the shots have been focused on the chicken whilst the film credits are playing.

It then cuts away to two people walking and talking down a street in a two shot this is important as these are the first characters the film has properly focused on. It then cuts back to the action of the chase where the main character becomes involved in getting the chicken. As the character gets closer to the chicken the camera starts to circle the characters establishing his importance using a dolly. As the camera is circling the character the audience is taken back in time as it fades to a younger boy standing in exactly the same position showing that the circling motion reflects a clock going back. Also there is a non diegetic sound of a ticking clock used to emphasis the change in time. This part of the opening scene establishes character as the audience is following the story of this character back in time.

Fast editing is also used to show how the pace increases which is also reflected in the music played in the background. At the start the music is happy with a Latin feel to it as they are preparing the food like there is something to celebrate, showing the mood to be happy. The happy music stops when it shows a close up of blood in a bowl suggesting danger changing the mood. Voices and movement of people running are amplified also the sounds of the chicken can be heard in the background. The music then starts again when it cuts back to the chicken running.

These two films are similar in the way that they establish enigma by not telling the audience a lot about what is happening and leaving questions to be answered. Also using some of the same kind of shots, close ups to focus the audiences attention on something in the credits that is not that important such as the CCTV screens and a chicken. Although these films are also very different with different ways of establishing character as in ‘Snatch’ the main character was established straight away, where as in ‘City of God’ we do not see any characters for the first few minutes. In ‘Snatch’ it establishes the main character so that enigma can be created, where as ‘City of God’ doesn’t establish the main character but this is also to create enigma.

Deconstruction from the introduction of ‘Snatch’

Snatch is a film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. It uses many clever camera angles and editing techniques to make the opening sequence and tittles flow, making it interesting for the audience. It also uses these techniques to establish the setting and the characters of the film in the opening sequence, as well as establishing an enigma to hook the audience into the plot of the story.

The characters of the film are established through camera work as there are close ups of every main character so the audience knows who they are. Also one of the first shots introduces us to the main character, Turkish, who will narrate the film to the audience. The voice over from Turkish also help the audience to understand him and like his character. The cuts during the opening sequence are slow so the audience can see the characters and understand them. This contrasts with the later opening titles which uses fast paced cuts to make it seem more exciting. We also get a sense of danger from the opening scene as money, guns and characters smoking all are stereotypes of the dangerous gangster image.

Also the music in the opening scene reflects the characters as when they are talking in the very beginning there is no music so the audience can focus on what the characters are saying. However later on during the sequence when they are in disguise as Jews stereotypical Jewish music is played to go with the characters cover. This suddenly changes when they take their disguises off and reveal guns. The music changes to a fast paced high energy song which reflects the change in the characters and helps draw the audience into the storyline.

The setting of the film is established through the opening sequence by using shots that show very little background so that the audience can make their own conclusions. Although we know we are in a city because there are urban buildings and surroundings in the film. We also know that it is set in Britain and probably London as the accents that the characters suggest this. Also some things that the characters say such as ‘I don’t have a very British name’ shows us that we are in Britain.

A sense of enigma is also created from the beginning through that narrator telling the audience things that make people want to know more and ask what happened? And why? So that they will want to watch the rest of the film. Enigma is also created through the action in the opening sequence as the audience will want to know more about the characters stealing the diamonds as the music is exciting and fast and the editing is also fast which reflects the fast action of the sequence and makes the audience want to know more.