When creating a film there are a lot of important things to consider like costume, props, location, script etc. however, in this post I am just going to be talking about location. I will be showing you different location, why they are important and what they represent. I will also be showing you the locations that we will be using for our own media product, our thriller Never Look Back. Below I have embedded some research that we did as a group about location.
I am now going to embed examples of the different locations that could be used and what they represent.
This location could be used for a scene where we could use a boys bedroom. For example, if we had a scene where a teenage boy was in his bedroom with his friends, this would be the type of location we would use. It is a typical boys bedroom as there are green walls and there is a guitar on the wall which suggests the boy could be quite musical.
This location could be used for a scene where we could use a girls bedroom. For example, if we had a scene where a teenage girl was in her bedroom with her friends, this would be the type of location we would use. It is a typical girls bedroom with the pink and light blue colors. Also with the decoration on the wall, the butterflies.
I am now going to add examples from real media products. I will talk about the location that is used in the scene.
In this scene from Pitch Perfect, there are different people auditioning for a part in the girl group. This scene then is stereotypically set in a theatre and not in a random room. This is a typical scene for a singing audition being set in a big theatre. It also makes it look daunting the fact that it is a big space. It keeps you on the edge of your seat thinking, are they going to get the part or not?
The next thing I am going to talk about is street dance.
This scene is set in a dance studio. A dance studio, obviously because of the name, is where people go to rehearse dance routines. This however, is quite strange to see in modern day dance films as dancers stereotypically dance in the streets. For example they will just start dancing anywhere like flash mobs etc. To see them using a dance studio in this modern day dance film is quite unusual. Also this film is about street dance and dance studios are more associated with ballet etc.
The next film I am going to talk about is The Simpsons Movie.
This scene is set in Marge and Homers living room. This however is quite strange as they have a pet pig. Pigs usually live on a farm although some people keep them as pets it is seen to be quite strange. This is why this location choice is weird but the Simpsons movie is meant to be a comedy so it fits in with the genre and the location perfectly. Its all about using the right location for the genre and the scene of the film.
I am now going to give an example of a scene in a film where they are challenging the conventions of the stereotypical room. The one I am going to look at is Bend it Like Beckham.
In this scene we are in Juliette's room. Juliette is a 20 year old woman. This room looks like it would belong to a typical teenage boy. It is quite messy and the colors are blue and cream, it also has football poster on the wall. In the film Juliette is a football player and plays for a local girls football team called the Hounslow Harriers. However, if we didn't know her background story we would automatically think that this is a boys room.
The next thing I am going to do is embed and explain the pictures of our locations that we will be using for our thriller opening Never Look Back.
The first location we will be using is the drama studio in school. This will be used for the first scene when Stacey and Alex are rehearsing for their drama performance.
Then next location we will be using is Stacey's house. This will be when Stacey goes home and Alex is following her.
Another location we will be using is the street Stacey lives in as we will see this when Alex follows Stacey home.
Another location will be outside the drama studio. Alex follows Stacey after she runs off.
Here is another location where Alex will be following Stacey home.
As part of our research we have to look at the different costumes that our characters are wearing. This is a very important aspect when creating a film as the character's costumes represent their character's personality in the film. It represents the type of person they are and it says a lot about them as a person.
Our First Character
Alex - Played by Kyle Scale
Scene 1 - School Drama Studio - Drama Rehearsal
The first time we see Alex he will be in the theatre practicing for a drama rehearsal with his friend Stacey. He then spots Stacey's bruises and threatens to tell somebody her secret. This is the outfit he will be wearing.
This is the kind of t-shirt he will be wearing. This t-shirt is very casual and the typical geeky kind of rocker look. This represents Alex character really well as he is a geeky and nerdy character that loves the typical rock bands like my chemical romance. He is a very casual and laid back character that doesn't really care about what he is wearing and what he looks like.
These are the kind of trousers that Alex will be wearing. Again these are quite casual jeans that a typical nerdy and geeky teenage boy would wear especially one who loves rock. He loves the colour black as we can see from the two pictures above. He loves to wear black skinny jeans with almost everything. Black however, is a very dark colour which represents the dark and dangerous side to Alex's character.
Alex will be wearing black vans as well as everything else. The black again symbolises Alex's character at the beginning of the thriller he is mysterious. Film Example - Airheads (1994)
In this film example we see theses typical rockers in black clothing with band t-shirts on. This is the exact representation of our character Alex in our very own thriller. He will be wearing typical clothes like the character's in the film airheads.
Scene 3 - Outside - Following Stacey Home
The next time we see Alex he will be following Stacey home. This is to make sure that she is safe and he is protecting her from her dad. The scene where he is following Stacey home he is wearing the same t-shirt, jeans and shoes however, the difference in this scene is that he will be wearing a hoodie because he is outside.
This is a typical band t-shirt hoodie that he will be wearing in this scene, it is a Marilyn Manson hoodie. Again it is very casual which represents Alex in this film very well. Again the colour of the hoodie is black however, it doesn't have to be black it can be any colour I just think it represents Alex's character really well.
Alex will be wearing a watch as he will be looking at the time from when he sees Stacey walk into her house. He will be sitting for a while before Stacey makes another appearance. Film Example - The Expelled (2010)
In this film the character is always wearing a hoodie. In the film it creates suspense and tension as no one knows the person underneath that hood. This is the kind of tension and suspense we hope to create with our character Alex in our thriller. We know it is Alex following Stacey home however we want the audience to think "what's going to happen next?"
Scene 4 - School Drama Studio - Kidnapping
Alex will be wearing the same clothes throughout the film as the series of events that happens all happen on the same day. The only thing that changes is the fact that he puts his hoodie on from scene 1 to scene 2. If we did change his clothes from scene 2 to scene 3 it would look strange as there could have been no way that he could have changed clothes so it would be a massive continuity error.
Our Second Character
Stacey - Played by Annie Sutton Scene 1 - School Drama Studio - Drama Rehearsal
The first time we see Stacey is in the school drama studio when she is rehearsing for a drama performance with her friend Alex. Alex then spots her bruises and threatens to tell somebody. These are the outfits she will be wearing.
These are the kind of jeans Stacey will be wearing in our thriller. Stacey is playing a more popular character in the film. We have portrayed this through her outfits. These jeans are casual but also stylish. This is the reason why we have chosen these for Stacey's character in our thriller.
This is the kind of shirt that Stacey would be wearing in our thriller. Again this is portraying the type of person that Stacey's character is. She is a popular girl who wears all the latest fashion so we feel that this outfit portrays her character really well.
Stacey will wear a jacket. As she is popular and likes to keep up with the trends and the latest fashion she will wear a blazer rather than a jacket. She might not always be wearing a blazer as she might take it off at some points in the film but this is generally what she will be wearing.
Stacey will be wearing converse as they are her favorite shoes. Converse are quite trendy as well so as well as wearing her favorite shoes she is still keeping up with fashion and trends. Converse can be worn with anything.
Film Example - Mean Girls (2004)
The character from mean girls Cady Heron played by Lindsay Lohan is the type of outfit we are going for. As you can see in the picture above Cady is the one standing right at the front of the group which signifies that she is the leader which essentially is what Stacey is in our thriller she is the popular one. The look of Cady is what we are essentially going for.
Scene 2 - Flashback - Stacey cowering from dad
The next time we see Stacey she will be in her house. Her dad will be towering over her as her dad will be going to hit her.
When Stacey is in her house she will change into more casual clothes and therefore will be wearing grey sweat pants. This shows another side to Stacey's character in our thriller and shows she can be quite normal and not really care what she looks like.
She will also be wearing a grey hoodie. This will also be another casual thing she will be wearing along with her sweat pants. This again shows that Stacey has a different and casual side to her personality. She isn't always popular and stuck up.
Film Example - Juno (2007)
In this film the character Juno is quite a laid back and care free character. This is portrayed through the clothes she wears. In this scene she is sitting quite laid back wearing a hoodie and some quite loose fitting jeans. She is being quite casual. This is what we want Stacey to look like when wearing her hoodie and sweat pants.
Scene 3 - Following Stacey Home - Outside
When we see Alex following Stacey home she will be wearing the exact same clothes as she wore in scene 1. This is because when she is walking home she is coming straight from drama rehearsals as Alex scared her off. This is why she will be wearing the same clothes as she does in scene 1.
Scene 4 - School Drama Theater - Kidnapping
In this scene we see that Stacey has kidnapped Alex and has him tied up in the school drama studio. Here is what she will be wearing.
We have decided to go with a black hoodie. This is because black symbolises danger. This is a great portrayal of what is going to happen in this scene. Stacey kidnaps Alex and a black outfit is a stereotypical outfit to use when we don't want you to know who the person is doing the kidnapping.
Again we have decided to go with jeans in the black colour. Again this is because black symbolises danger and this is a great portrayal of what is going to happen in this scene. Stacey kidnaps Alex and a black outfit is a stereotypical outfit to use when we don't want you to know who the person is behind the kidnapping.
We will also be using a white mask. Stacey will be wearing this is the scene as she doesn't want Alex or anyone else to know who she is. She wants it to be an element of surprise when she takes off the mask. In the 2 minutes opening we wont see her take off the mask but we do see her about to take it off and then the scene cuts. It creates a sense of tension and mystery.
We want Stacey's character to be all in black in this scene so we have gone with all black converse.
Film Example - Street Dance (2010)
Film Example - Step Up 2 the Streets (2008)
These 2 films I have used as an example because of the white masks. Even though this film and our film aren't the same genres the masks still have the same meaning. They use these masks to create tension and to create mystery as no one can see their faces. This gets the audience thinking "who are they". This is why I have used these 2 films for examples.
Costume Plot
Below is a table that I made for costumes. It basically says which character will need which costume for each scene. It will also inform the characters as to what they will be wearing throughout the filming of each scene.
In my next post I will also have to do the same as I have done for costume, however, this time it will be for the Location. I will be doing location research.
A script is written text from a film. It informs the cast and crew what is happening in each scene. It includes things like;
Fade in - This is the transition from how the scene becomes apparent to the audience. These should be the at the top of each scene.
Scene Heading - A one line description of the location and the time of day of the scene.
Action - The narrative description of the events of the scene
Character Appearance - The characters name should be in capital letters and should be lined in the center of the page and should always be above their dialogue
Dialogue - Lines of speech for each character
Parenthetical - Action or attitude direction for a character
Extension - A not placed after the character's name to indicate how the voice will be heared on screen
This is an example of a real Media product and its script. This script is Saving Mr Banks.
In this post I am going to talk about film treatments. A film treatment is a piece of work typically the step between scene cards and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture. It is generally longer and more detailed than an outline and it may include details of directional style that an outline leaves out. Treatments read like a short story but are told in the present tense and describe events as they happen.
Now I am going to embed the opening of I am Legend so you can compare it to the treatment above. See if you can find any similarities or differences between the treatment and the actual film.
A film treatment should;
Have a clear title at the start stating the name of the film.
Includes important dialogue only.
When a new character is introduced it needs to be in capital letters, so we can clearly see where the character enters the plot.
For short films a treatment is generally laid out as a short story. However, longer films can be up to 60 pages long.
Some include little directions which show how the scene will be portrayed or shown in the film.
This treatment for I am Legend differs from our treatment for our thriller opening because this treatment is much longer than our. Our treatment will be around about 2 pages long as we are only doing the opening.
Below I will embed our own treatment for our own media product. The opening of our thriller "Never Look Back".
Treatment
My next post will be the script (research and product).
In this post I will be talking about sound research. This involves what are the issues when recording sound on location? What are the solutions to these issues? and I will also be talking about associated terminology.
Firstly I am going to be talking to you about location recording kits. The sound recorder is the heart of any sound kit. Then you have the boom pole and the boom operator.
The sound recorder is a vital piece of equipment when recording sound on location. The sound recorder or the voice recorder is small in size so can be easily moved around from location to location.
The sound recorder can also hold a lot of memory so you wouldn't have to worry so much about running out of space when recording and having to put a new memory card in or something like that, that will delay you in recording.
You have the ability to edit voice or sound recordings. They are often uploaded onto a computer and then further edited or altered from there. In some advanced sound recorders you can edit on the recorder itself.
Below I have embedded a picture of a sound/voice recorder.
The next piece of equipment is the boom pole and the boom operator. Booming involves attaching the microphone to a pole called a boom pole and suspending it in front of the subject. This technique allows for considerable movement by actors. Professional boom poles should extend at least 12 feet. Some extend to as far as 18 feet. It is crucial that the boom pole be lightweight, yet strong enough so that it doesn't bow under the weight of the mic.
The mic is attached to the boom pole using a shock mount that suspends the mic. This prevents vibration travelling through the pole to the mic.
The rule when booming is to get as close to the subject as possible, which is just outside the camera frame line. The further the mic is away from the subject the greater the background noise will be so every inch closer improves the sound quality.
The mic is normally positioned several inches to a foot over the actors head.
The are 2 types of booming. Booming overhead and booming underneath.
Below I am going to embed a picture of the boom pole and the boom mic.
Below I am going to embed a picture of how to set up the location recording kit for those of you who don't know.
Then next thing I am going to talk about is the different types of sound that can be used.
Diegetic sound - Sound that is visible on the screen or is implied to be present by the action of the film. Foe example, the voice of the actors, sounds made by objects in the film, music represented as coming from instruments. Another word for diegetic sound is actual sound.
Non-Diegetic sound - sound that is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action for example, narrators commentary, sound effects which is added for dramatic effect, mood music. Another word for non-diegetic sound is commentary sound.
Below is some examples of diegetic and non diegetic sounds. See if you can spot them.
Other example of sound are asynchronous and synchronous sound.
Synchronous - Synchronous sound is sound that is matched to certain movements occurring in the scene e.g. when footsteps correspond to feet walking
Asynchronous - Asynchronous sounds match the action being performed however is not precisely synchronised with the action. e.g. the sound being heared is a train however what can be seen is a woman screaming. This is used to create tension as the viewer can hear a sound but cannot see its source.
Below I have embedded a video of the different types of audio technical codes.
The next thing I am going to talk about is ADR. This stands for Automated Dialogue Replacement. This is the process of re-recording dialogue in the studio in synchronization with the picture. There are at least three roles in the ADR process; The actor, the recording engineer and the sound editor.
Below i am going to embed an example of a film company using ADR. The film I have used is the Great Gatsby. This is an example of ADR being used terribly in a film.
The next thing I am going to talk about is Foley. A Foley artist recreates sound effects for film productions on a Foley stage in a post production studio. They do this using many kinds of props for example; car fenders, shoes, plates, glasses, chairs and really just about anything they can find. The Foley artist can replace original sound completely or argument existing sounds to create a richer track.
During filming, the location sound recordists tries to capture only the dialogue. Microphones are carefully positioned on set to record even an actors slightest whisper without the background noises from the camera and crew. Foley helps to add back in that layer of sound to produce a rich and realistic track.
Foley does no cover sounds like car engines, explosions or other mechanical stuff - driving a car around in the studio or blowing up a building is usually not possible although they have tried! They don't do laser blasts, dog barks or rain storms. These are the domain of the sound FX Editor.
Here's an example of what a Foley artist would do;
Let's say in a scene the actor grabs his gun, walks to his motorbike, starts up and drives away...
Foley would recreate the sound of the leather jacket and jeans as the actor walks, footsteps (heavy cowboy boots), the gun pickup and handling, handlebar grab and bike moves - and maybe some key sounds as he put them in the ignition.
The sound FX Editor would create the roar of the motorbike engine starting and driving away, a tire squeal and background ambiance (birds, wind etc.)
In an ADR studio the actor would record his lines "ill be back" which was inaudible on location with the motorbike engine running. The dialogue editor would conform the production and ADR into one.
Here is an example of what a Foley artist does;
The Foley artists are on the right and the film is on the left.
The next thing I am going to be talking about is the Wilhelm scream. The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect that has been used in more than 500 movies, beginning in 1951 for the film distant drums. The scream is often used when someone is shot, falls from a great height or is thrown from an explosion and is most commonly used in films.
Here is the very first Wilhelm scream being used in the film Distant Drums. The Wilhelm scream is used when the male character gets shot.
Here is a compilation of some of the Wilhelm screams being used in films throughout the years.
The next thing I am going to talk about is the role of the sound designer/editor. A sound designer is responsible for providing the sound for on screen action. On a big effects film, this may be before shoots begins on a big budget production. It could be when director have approved the final picture edit. The first task for sound designers is to identify the three main kinds of sound effects needed these may be gunshots, clocks, doors closing, dog barking, rain, wind, traffic, birdsong. There are also specialist sound design effects such as dinosaurs, aliens, spaceships or computers. They plan and provide the sound the sound effects in films. All the sound effects in a film considered as a whole make up the sound space.
The next thing on the list is the film score composers. The film score composer scores music to accompany a motion picture for film. This could include dramatic underscore as well as popular songwriting. The traditional role of a film composer is to provide the orchestral dramatic underscore and only more recently the popular soundtracks have begun to stand on their own.
A popular film score composer is John Williams. He has composed many popular soundtracks to movies. Here are just a few of them;
Jurassic Park
Home Alone
Harry potter
Jaws
The next thing I am going to talk about is audio codes. Audio codes designs, develops and sells advanced Voice over IP and converged VOIP and data networking products and applications to enterprises. Audio codes develops the IP media family of market-ready server system designed for the service provider environment. Audio codes media servers enable network equipment providers, application developers and system integrator to offer service providers revenue generating enhanced voice services.
The final thing I will be talking about is what is the impact of an inappropriate soundtrack. For example, if there the film is an action packed thriller and the music playing over it is quite happy and slow then the track isn't going to suit the live action that is going on in the film. This also works the other way around. For example, if the film is quite a happy and romantic film and there is fast paced heavy metal it wont suit the live action that is going on behind it. It also makes it into a comedy when there is an inappropriate soundtrack playing in the background. People will be laughing when it isn't meant to be a funny film.
Below is an example of an inappropriate soundtrack. This example is from the matrix.
