Locations

For our final piece we had to think of a few locations which would suit the ideas behind the storyboard. This is so it fitted the ideas of where a teenage girl would most likely be at certain times and also where the pin board investigation scene could be shot.

For the pin board scene we can film this in school in an enclosed area like an office in the media department as we would have space to prop up the pin board in an area in which people are not going to distract the filming. This area also suits this part of the project as we can switch off the lights for a fully dark scene, so we can use a torch with the camera for the effect of a spot light on the pin board which further gives the effect of the discovery of this mapped out plan on the board of the kidnapping.

For the location of the scenes after our credit section, Chalfont St Peter common we found worked best. This is because it is an open area to people of all ages, which can be seen for the open field for adults to use and also for children as there is a park so the idea of a teenage being at this area would be considered as normal. We want this as it would be very cliche if the teenage was in an ally or an enclosed area as it would be simple for someone to kidnap somebody there and wouldn't add the dramatic effect wanted as it would be too obvious for the audience. The common also works well as there are woods in the background which further connotes the idea of the unknown.

(Credit to Matthew Hersey) 

Updated Continuity Task

This is our updated continuity task as our first cut of it did not work out well. As a group I do not think that we understood the 180 degree rule as much as we should have done which is why the filming did not go too well therefore the product looked messy and it did not hit the criteria. After getting critical feedback from Mr Ford about our first edit of our continuity task, we had to re-evaluate how we are going to fix it and what we need to do in order for it to be complete to hit the criteria. 

Challenging the Practice Shot

In our second session of filming, after shooting practice footage of one of our hardest shots we have on our storyboard, we decided to film the shot again, applying the improvements I stated in an earlier blogpost. We set up the tripod so we can use it to keep the camera movement steady and consistent. The shot was difficult to shoot in our practice shot because Lily was not stationary in the shot, she was walking at a pace which made the camera footage look shaky and disorientated. We did not want the shot to be perfectly still because that would look unrealistic but having shaky footage also makes it look unprofessional and unrealistic. The tripod was simple to set up and it helped Matt keep the camera steady and accurate. We also asked Lily if she could walk at a slower pace to simplify filming the shot. Luckily, challenging the practice shot was successful today, we just hope that it will flow nicely with our other footage that we filmed the other day. If it does not flow well with the other footage, we will have to re-evaluate methods that we could use to improve and fix this shot.    

How We Handled Filming

Today, we started to film shots from our storyboard that were outside as we do not want to leave these until last due to weather changes and longing out the process. Matt H and Matt B focused mainly on camera work, Lily and I are actually in our final product. I feel that it would be helpful if Lily and I were more clued up about being able to use the camera properly and knowing what to do with it because it would help when only part of our group can attend a filming session as at least one of us would know how to use the camera and to film. Also, knowing how to use a camera would broaden my knowledge of this subject and I would be able to apply this skill in the future during my A-Level in Media. 

Time goes by very fast when we film and I think all of us struggle with time keeping. Because we started filming outside first, time was also strickened as weather changes and other people around our location which makes filming look messy and unprofessional. Also, the camera picks up noises from around our location outside which also makes our footage look messy - the sound does not match what is going on in the footage. We have to pick certain times of the day when it would be relatively quiet: before school finishes as children come walking in our chosen outside location and there is normally an increased amount of cars on the road which increase irrelevant noise levels in the background of our footage.  

We had to keep revising our storyboard to make sure that we are filming everything that we have drawn out, that we use the correct shots and we are using the technical areas in the correct way. So far, I think that my group handled filming well today but there is still lots to be revised and lots to do. Unfortunately we have left filming a little late, but if we put the hours in we can finish it by the deadline.

Typography

I decided to play around with different styles of typography to get a sense of what colours and styles we would use for our credits. I am not so good at editing as much, but having a go at creating different styles of typography has made me progress a little bit further in this area. Our selected genre is Crime Thriller and I tried to use colours that match to the theme of a Thriller; dark reds, black and maybe purple's depending on if it suits with our storyline. I have created some that turned out a little too grunge for my liking, some of the edits look like they would be more suited to a Horror film rather than a Thriller. 

In The Frame Animatic

Analysis of a Practice Shot

We went out filming again this week, shooting more practice shots to see how they look on camera and if they work or not. On our storyboard, there are some shots that are slightly difficult. For example, there is a very tight over the shoulder shot of Lily typing on a phone on our storyboard and today when we attempted to film the shot, it proved to be very difficult as it was quite sunny/bright on this day which washed out what Lily was typing on the phone. Another aspect that was hard was making sure that the camera was not shaky as it is hard to balance the camera and make it still. 

How are we going to overcome these challenges?

With this particular shot, Matt H said that he can adjust the lighting a little bit more when it comes to editing our footage. We discussed as a group that it is not a priority for the audience seeing exactly what Lily types on a text, but the shot definitely needs to be clearer. When Matt H attempted the shot of Lily, he hand held it which made the camera shaky due to it being in an awkward position. To improve and overcome this challenge, we are going to use a tripod to balance the camera and make sure that it does not move and shake as much. This way, the shot will be a lot clearer and more professional looking. 

Props

Final Product: Props: Flower Backpack

The colour connotations present within the backpack will be used to portray our female teen protagonist; the floral print represents youth, beauty and innocence- three things in which a male stalker (antagonist) is stereotypically quite likely to prey on. The individual compartments of the backpack is typically associated to the life of a student or someone who attends full-time education; this will benefit the mise-en-scene as it will create a sense of vulnerability towards our protagonist (role to be played by Stephanie Jones). This will be reinforced as a school folder will be visible from inside the bag; this will portray the protagonist as defenceless and therefore cause the audience to feel fearful for the teen as the music alongside the setting will create a tense atmosphere in which her safety may or may not be put in jeopardy. 

Final Product: Props: Black iPhone

A black iPhone will be another prop in the possession of the teen female protagonist. The newly updated technology will represent the modern day  teenager and the stereotypical ideal that young people are consumed by media. The phone will also connote her lack of attention/focus therefore acting as a distraction causing her to be unaware of her surroundings; this puts her at risk which will be shown within the opening clip.

We will also be using a smashed phone in which will be presented through the use of a canted angle (Dutch angle). This will portray elements of distortion creating a sense of unease which will hopefully be interpreted by our target audience. The initial smashing of the phone will be unknown of cause therefore following the traditional convention of a thriller in which antagonist identities are not revealed early and the audience will be left asking questions therefore keeping them engaged within our opening 2 minute clip. We chose to show a functioning phone in use and a broken phone on the ground without cause in the same 20 seconds to symbolise the deterioration of routine and the break down of safety; this will also connote conflict which is prominent in most crime thrillers in which we found out through the research process.

Final Product: Props: Headphones

Much like the iPhone, the headphones will also represent a community of young people consumed by modern day technology. The headphones reinforce the protagonists lack of alertness when in relation with the phone due to two of her senses (visual and audio) being preoccupied. The idea of music seperates the protagonist from reality and therefore from any threats which may or may not be of relevance to her.

Final Product: Props: Pinboard

Our initial opening shot consists of photographs being added to a pinboard. Pinboards are often used as memoirs; a collection of photographs or tokens to remind an individual of past events in their life; for example a selection of keepsakes. This association will be used to our advantage as the audience will be unaware of the identity of the person who owns the pinboard; is it the antagonist (stalker) or is the pinboard part of a police investigation in which the antagonist (stalker) is the target/aim? The pinboard will also give my group the opportunity to produce an efficient graphic match as the pinboard will contain pictures of the protagonist (Stephanie Jones) who will be introduced later on in the opening clip. The pinboard also gives my group the opportunity to experiment with lighting e.g. high or low key (we have discussed the use of a torch attached to the camera so the lighting and camera match and are in sync with one another) and movement e.g. pan shots. 

(Lily and I had a discussion together about props - written credit to Lily Sutherland)

Changes With Our Characters

Last week, we were discussing as a group that Lily should be our main protagonist due to it being a lot more convenient for our group to be all together at once as we have lessons together and more non contact periods that we can use to film. We are still sticking to our narrative and we have not changed that since. We will all be in our opening sequence at one point, we are not going to use any of our friends to be in our opening sequence due to having to rely on others and as a group we decided that it just would not work and we would not get it done on time or leave enough time for editing.