Tuesday 30 November 2010
30/11/10
We've nearly finished doing all of our concept board presentations, one more group to go! All of the feedback has been quite good from everyone, from the looks of it, most people are sticking to film noir conventions. Me and Joe finished doing our sticky notes animation thing today, so it should be up soon. Doing it has definitely helped us envision what our OTS will look like, although for the notes we've only focused on the very start and Vee's flashbacks. Should be filming soon, all of our locations are indoors so won't have to worry about the snow. Just need to organise everyone for a day, the most difficult part I think.
Veronica AKA Vee, 'femme fatale'
Although I will not be playing the role of 'Vee', I thought I'd experiment with how I want her to look. I want Vee to have the classic femme fatale look, but not the character. Our female character is not the seductive killer/criminal/manipulator, she is a woman seeking revenge for the good of her family. I want to use my dark brown fur coat, and lace dress, as I believe they are fairly stereotypically noir. Dark lipstick and eyes will also be added to our actor. We will be using my sister Mellissa as Vee, we have fairly similiar hair and such, so this should be a good representation of what she will look like. Although the look will be fairly conventional, the hairstyle will not be long wavy locks or glamorised hair, just simple bob cut, to show defiance against the role of 'femme fatale'.
Continuity Task
AS Media Studies, Joe Cracknell: Continuity Task: Mine, Joes and Matt's continuity task.
Creating this continuity task was an ideal way to find out how we would cope when filming our actual productions, seeing what our strengths and weaknesses are. As I feature in this piece, I could not experiment with filming/directing so much, but was able to give some direction whilst 'acting'. We used a variety of lighting to try and recreate the classical film noir effect, using LEDs and lamps etc. This was quite difficult in some ways, as the faces of the characters/their actions were sometimes unclear. Holding the lights steady was also quite a trial. This has persuaded me to try and create more of a modern piece for our production, as we struggled a tad with keeping to conventions such as lighting. Some of the camera work is a bit shakey, so we will need to work on how to hold the camera, and move it fluently. We stuck to most conventions of noir, having subtitles, a femme fatale and such. I am quite influenced by modern films, so I think that we will try to create a neo-noir. It would be interesting to play with conventions and try to create something different from everyone else. I don't like that the female character in noirs is always seemingly evil and used as an object of the males affection, so I would like to turn this around. Create a strong and independant character, free of male objection.
Storyboard of Continuity:
Creating this continuity task was an ideal way to find out how we would cope when filming our actual productions, seeing what our strengths and weaknesses are. As I feature in this piece, I could not experiment with filming/directing so much, but was able to give some direction whilst 'acting'. We used a variety of lighting to try and recreate the classical film noir effect, using LEDs and lamps etc. This was quite difficult in some ways, as the faces of the characters/their actions were sometimes unclear. Holding the lights steady was also quite a trial. This has persuaded me to try and create more of a modern piece for our production, as we struggled a tad with keeping to conventions such as lighting. Some of the camera work is a bit shakey, so we will need to work on how to hold the camera, and move it fluently. We stuck to most conventions of noir, having subtitles, a femme fatale and such. I am quite influenced by modern films, so I think that we will try to create a neo-noir. It would be interesting to play with conventions and try to create something different from everyone else. I don't like that the female character in noirs is always seemingly evil and used as an object of the males affection, so I would like to turn this around. Create a strong and independant character, free of male objection.
Storyboard of Continuity:
(clearer when full screen)
Monday 22 November 2010
Sound + Music
I'm not too sure about all the rules surrounding copyright and such, and the 'useful' website posted appears to be not so useful to myself.
I have pretty much decided what music and sound I want incorporated into the OTS, borrowing inspiration from Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.
Our main setting for the OTS is a bar, it's an old boating pub in wells, which has a nice nostalgic yet modern affair going on. To bring together both modern (the pub) and old, I would like to use the song 'Girl, you'll be a woman soon' (Urge Overkill) in the background. This song has a really nice western rocky feel too it, and contrasts with modern chart music. Yet it will also be appropriate to the modern themes in our feature.
Some of the sound effects in the Kill Bill films really appealed to me when I watched the movies, being a massive Tarentino fan, I would like to use some of them. I really like the 'whistle song' in the film as it has really quite a joyful sound to it, yet in the films it's used in moments of violence. The 'dramatic' music effect (linked below) I also want to use, for the ending of the piece. I would like to somehow figure out how to get a split screen effect for the end of the OTS and use this music over it. We're going to play around with some of these effects to see what we can fit in.
Links;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7sENFMLHIg 'Girl, you'll be a woman soon', Urge Overkill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENyGj_NQKkU The 'whistle song', Kill Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vtXRI32MQ Dramatic effect music, I couldn't find the original video for the sound.
I have pretty much decided what music and sound I want incorporated into the OTS, borrowing inspiration from Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.
Our main setting for the OTS is a bar, it's an old boating pub in wells, which has a nice nostalgic yet modern affair going on. To bring together both modern (the pub) and old, I would like to use the song 'Girl, you'll be a woman soon' (Urge Overkill) in the background. This song has a really nice western rocky feel too it, and contrasts with modern chart music. Yet it will also be appropriate to the modern themes in our feature.
Some of the sound effects in the Kill Bill films really appealed to me when I watched the movies, being a massive Tarentino fan, I would like to use some of them. I really like the 'whistle song' in the film as it has really quite a joyful sound to it, yet in the films it's used in moments of violence. The 'dramatic' music effect (linked below) I also want to use, for the ending of the piece. I would like to somehow figure out how to get a split screen effect for the end of the OTS and use this music over it. We're going to play around with some of these effects to see what we can fit in.
Links;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7sENFMLHIg 'Girl, you'll be a woman soon', Urge Overkill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENyGj_NQKkU The 'whistle song', Kill Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vtXRI32MQ Dramatic effect music, I couldn't find the original video for the sound.
Blogs.
I have chosen to evaluate an A2 students blog; http://sophieanna2media.blogspot.com/
I like this blog as it is very simplistic and clear to read. It does not include much of her personality, but this for me is a positive. I do not like to blog pointless rants about things that are not relevant to the work, it might make me a bit of a square, but I'm a down to the point kind of person. All of the posts are set out very neatly, each having a clear objective, which is useful for organisation of work. She does not have any useful links set out, which in doing so would make her blog more useful as a tool. I would like to think that this blog is vaguely similar to my own, as it is fairly straightforward and easy to read.
I like this blog as it is very simplistic and clear to read. It does not include much of her personality, but this for me is a positive. I do not like to blog pointless rants about things that are not relevant to the work, it might make me a bit of a square, but I'm a down to the point kind of person. All of the posts are set out very neatly, each having a clear objective, which is useful for organisation of work. She does not have any useful links set out, which in doing so would make her blog more useful as a tool. I would like to think that this blog is vaguely similar to my own, as it is fairly straightforward and easy to read.
revised; things i need to buy
So, our narrative has changed slightly to fit with the theme of an OTS, as our previous idea's felt like more of an ending to a film than a beginning. This means that my 'to buy' list keeps altering. We're scrapping the trilby's as we feel it's too old fashioned for our neo-noir, and we're sticking to contemporary hair styles. The guns are no longer needed, as the ending has been completely altered. We now require 3 sets of tarot cards, I already have one set from home and shall buy two more cheapish sets. Although the whole sets are not necessary, we need around 3 of the same cards. All shall be revealed on this front at a later date..
Most of the equipment we require is fairly modern so I don't believe there is anything specifically we need to buy dis including the tarot cards.
Most of the equipment we require is fairly modern so I don't believe there is anything specifically we need to buy dis including the tarot cards.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
16/11/10
This lesson we will be presenting our concept boards to the class, this will be filmed and uploaded to our blogs. Myself and Joe Cracknell have created a Prezi to express our ideas.
Thursday 11 November 2010
OTS Concept
When deliberating over what our story and concept should be for the Opening Title Sequence, me and my working partner Joseph Cracknell (http://asmediastudiesjoecracknell.blogspot.com/)formed a story to fit the conventions of Film Noir.
The basic plot is of three characters, who's lives coincide through the sharing of a common enemy. In the OTS we shall be including flashbacks and voice overs to try and incorporate the noir factors.
The story shall be divulged more thoroughly once we have completed our concept board.
The basic plot is of three characters, who's lives coincide through the sharing of a common enemy. In the OTS we shall be including flashbacks and voice overs to try and incorporate the noir factors.
The story shall be divulged more thoroughly once we have completed our concept board.
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Costume Ideas;
Femme Fatale: (* = need to buy)
- Silk cocktail dress
- Fur coat
- Black tights with back seam *
- Black heels
- Cigarette holder *
- Large jewellery
- Smokey eye-shadows and dark lipsticks
- Fake gun? *
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Ideas for OTS
Currently, I am unsure about what my exact concept for the opening title sequence will be, but I have a few ideas on what I would like to try and encorporate.
To try and adapt the idea of Film Noir I would like to try and create a 'Neo-Noir', with stylistic conventions from movies such as Sin City or 300.
I am not yet sure about which movie style to conform with, be it horror or comedy. I would like to create perhaps a thriller with some horror aspects. As attempting to create a purely horror piece would be difficult to execute at an amateur level with little budget.
To try and adapt the idea of Film Noir I would like to try and create a 'Neo-Noir', with stylistic conventions from movies such as Sin City or 300.
I am not yet sure about which movie style to conform with, be it horror or comedy. I would like to create perhaps a thriller with some horror aspects. As attempting to create a purely horror piece would be difficult to execute at an amateur level with little budget.
What has to be on my concept board?
Title
Genre - Film Noir
Plot - Order/Structure of narrative
Narrative - Story
Cast - Character, Representation (style,props,costume), Accents, Mannerisms
Conventions - Established or expected rules of genre
Set
Mise-en-scene
Signifier/Icon
Connotation - Suggestion/meaning/implied
Denotation - Emphasised/explicit/factual/stated
Sound - Diegetic/non-diegetic, effect, synchronous/asynchronous, foleying, contrapunctal, ambiance
Camera - Shot, pace, angle, transitions
Mood
Style
Target Audience - Demographics (factual data, preferred audience
Genre - Film Noir
Plot - Order/Structure of narrative
Narrative - Story
Cast - Character, Representation (style,props,costume), Accents, Mannerisms
Conventions - Established or expected rules of genre
Set
Mise-en-scene
Signifier/Icon
Connotation - Suggestion/meaning/implied
Denotation - Emphasised/explicit/factual/stated
Sound - Diegetic/non-diegetic, effect, synchronous/asynchronous, foleying, contrapunctal, ambiance
Camera - Shot, pace, angle, transitions
Mood
Style
Target Audience - Demographics (factual data, preferred audience
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