Update

A quick vlog to update you on what has been done so far, credit ideas, music options and also my lovely mother being our 'cab' driver!

Camera shots

It became quite clear to us today that we have been thinking way to much into our actual film rather than including the all important camera shots. So today Rachel produced a list of shots that we plan to use. Looking at the footage we have already, we think atleast half of these shots have been done but from now on, we need to always be thinking of the camera shots, camera movements and camera angles!

 

Various angles

This is some of our footage that we have of the toilets. We decided to all film from different angles to ensure we have a wide selection of footage to choose from when editing. We have a high angle shot, birds eye view, a close up and a dutch tilt. All of these could be used rapidly, to coincide with our genre of action.

Our Introuction to Editing

Yesterday, Anna and I stayed after school to begin editing. We have now got 20 seconds of our film and I think we now understand how time consuming it will be to edit the entire opening.

Storyboard

I completely forgot the entire idea of what a storyboard is and didn't include diagrams, so here is more of a list of what we hope our final opening will include. We have our definite locations and props that will be used and we are now moving on to filming in London.



Update

Today we did a quick vlog updating you all on what the group has been getting up to and also what is the plan for further filming. We have finished filming at Heathrow and despite maybe a couple more shots from the bathroom we are also done there. We are now moving on to London and we have planned a day to all go down and start filming, where we can get shots of some iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, The London Eye and also some footage of MI5 headquarters.

Stopwatch

Here is the group excitedly discussing our concept and also explaining the plan to have a stopwatch in the corner of the screen near the end of the 2 minutes so it counts down to her next mission and showing the transformation is complete!

Filming

The most hygienic location yet.... the toilets! We need shots of Anna's transition into a spy and the transformation begins in the toilets. At the Airport we got some footage of the bathroom, but we were very rushed and we had not planned this part of filming very well. So we have started to redo these shots in our school toilets which surprisingly look like airport toilets.

We wanted shots of Anna changing and also removing/applying her makeup. Lucy, Rachel and I shot from different angles. Lucy positioned the camera on the floor and we got a shot of Anna changing her shoes behind the toilet door. Rachel climbed on to a couple of tables and filmed a high shot from the next cubicle and I had the fortunate job of standing on the toilet and filming Anna from above. We also have some footage of Anna by the mirror taking off her bracelets and her makeup, showing the beginning of her transformation.

Here are some images of Lucy creating Rachel's platform to stand on, to get the over the door shot.

Heathrow Filming

On Thursday last week we completed our trip to Heathrow Airport. We jumped on the Piccadilly line for an hour and a half and luckily we all had work to get on with; Rachel's attempt at writing an essay on her phone was interesting! Once there, we had no idea what was in store for us, so our best option was to sit down, have a cup of tea and gather our thoughts. As we were at the third busiest airport in the world, we knew we could not spend ages there and we had to be as discrete as possible. We all grabbed some form of videoing device and surprisingly we filmed most of the footage on iPhone's which was actually very good quality.

Lucy, Rachel and I each filmed Anna from different directions so when we merge the footage it should all flow. We have an idea of rapidly showing a variety of angles of Anna walking through Arrivals in our film which connects with our genre of Action as it will be very fast and lively.  As well as the shots coming out of Arrivals we also have some footage of the toilets and her starting her transformation in to the spy. Our footage of the toilets was a really good starting point as we knew the shots we wanted, but we were all very aware of the time we were spending in the toilets and completely forgot that we had to keep redoing the shots from different angles. We now have started filming from our school toilets which in fact look very much like airport toilets and we have the time to ensure we get the correct angles. All in all our time at Heathrow was memorable, we got the footage needed, relaxed and had some tea, and we even managed to ask a member of staff to take a picture of us with the Christmas tree. Success!

Tube Vlog

We have finally started filming! Today we went to our most dreaded location, Heathrow Airport. Overall, I think we got the shots we were looking for and hopefully this means we will not have to return for more footage. Me and Anna did a quick Vlog before, explaining the plan for the day.

Costume

As the character is going to be transforming from an almost innocent student into an intense female spy, there is going to be a change of costume. Our idea is that the character should wear very casual clothes to begin with, and throughout the opening you can see her stripping away this student character into her true identity as this powerful spy. I very much doubt Anna will let us anywhere near her hair, but this image from Salt shows the true change of identity from one character into another.



Our transition will not be so drastic, but we plan to have a change from the casual clothes into more striking 'spy' clothes, her hair tied back and darker make-up all of which will show a more mature character. These images show a similar idea of the transition we wish to have.

Preparing for Heathrow

Instead of us going to Heathrow Airport next week we have decided to go tomorrow after school. We have researched international arrivals to insure we are going to the right place for a start but we can also incorporate this into our film as we want it to look as if the character has just arrved home from an exotic location. We are all quite terrified to be going to Heathrow, as we are sure one of us will be tackled to the floor by security, but the filming we get tomorrow should look really effective with the footage we already have of a journey on a plane.

 

Inspiration

We are using Mr and Mrs Smith and Salt as inspiration for our opening as both are based upon spies and their missions.

We had a clip of 'Mrs Smith' walking into her work place but we were unable to get it onto our blogs so here is the trailer which shows the action packed film.




This is the action packed trailer for Salt which relates to our genre and it is also similar to our theme with a strong female protagonist.

Change of idea

So we have changed our idea... again. We have all been really indecisive about our idea but for now, I think we can say we have our FINAL concept. We have now changed from a psychological thriller to the genre of action. The concept is going to include all the locations in Central London we had already agreed on but instead of having the girl running in London it is going to be her transition from a student into a spy.

Pitch

In Fridays lesson we pitched our idea and I think we expressed our concept quite well. We were all certain and very positive of our idea so it seemed easy for us to explain it. We have agreed on all our locations and the variety of shots going to be used. We have organised most of our concept but there are few things that need to be finalised.

We were going to finish the opening with a panning out shot with the back of the psychiatrists head and the protagonist in a wheelchair. We thought this would give it the shock factor and it would also represent disability in our film. But Miss Foster pointed out that it would look too much like an ending to a 2 minute film, rather than the opening 2 minutes to a film, and sorry Lucy; who was extremely adamant to use the chair, I do agree, as the wheelchair would reveal too much.

We may end with a panning out shot of the protagonist seated, and then fade it to black before the chair is seen. We also have the alternative of the character lying down on a psychiatrist sofa and panning out of a close up of their face to make it look as if they have just woken up from a dream or coming out of the flash back into the present time. We are not completely sure of our finishing but we hopefully soon will have an idea, or we may just see what looks best when filming!

Storyboarding

In today's lesson we decided to do a rough storyboard (apologies for my very poor art skills) just to outline and give us some ideas on how we can organise ourselves for filming.These basic drawings are going to be expanded and in much more detail which can then help us when we start filming our openings.

Concept Vlog

We made a vlog about some of our ideas and also possible locations and shots. I think we were all quite shocked with how quickly we came up with our concept and also how we all loved and agreed on an idea.

Concept

Today we had a really successful group meeting and came up with a general concept. We discussed the possible location of our opening, the genre of our film, the various shots needed and also an idea of who we are casting. We are all very keen to take advantage of where we live and central London seems to be a perfect setting, which will add to our concept and there are numerous shots we can get using the scenery. With what we have come up with so far, the genre of our film is seemingly going to be a Psychological Thriller as it is going to include some sort of mental health issue or disability. We think we are going to cast someone within our group so it shall be interesting to see who is in front of and behind the camera! Here are some of our ideas that we got today

118 Advert

The video shows this years very short 118 advertisement clips. A couple of months ago I actually witnessed them filming one of these clips in a park close to where I live. At 1:00 it shows the last small advert which I saw them film. It was really interesting to see the equipment they used and also quite surprising to see how many times they had to repeat the shot in order for it to be correct. A dolly shot was used as it follows the two characters as they are running. In order to get this shot there was a track which the camera run along and it created some very smooth footage. In our film openings we obviously won't have this kind of equipment but we hopefully will be able to produce these impressive shots; maybe the trampoline is going to have to make another appearance.

In the other clips there is a variety of camera shots and movements. Very subtle Panning and Tracking Up shots are used when the characters are playing cricket. In the boxing advert there is a good use of Close Ups and Over the Shoulder shots which brings all the action into a small space and really shows the characters emotions (terrible acting). An Aerial shot is used in the snooker scene. All of these different shots entice the viewer and also allow them to understand the comedy factor to the adverts.

Film Opening from Media Student

I think this is a really powerful opening done by a media studies student. We watched this in class on Friday and it had everyone hiding behind their hands. I think the simple audio used is really affective, I have always thought that music would be quite a good option for a film opening but seeing this has really changed my opinion. The filming is also very good and they have used a variety of camera angles and movements. It is very haunting and a really brilliant film opening for what is obviously going to be of a horror genre.

 

Practise Film

Here is our final Practise film.

Behind the scenes of the Arc Shot and following the 180 degree rule

Here is a video of us creating an arc shot for our practise filming. We luckily had the markings on the floor for guidance so we managed to follow it to make a complete circle. There is also footage at the end of me and Lucy realising about the 180 degree rule so we made sure we didn't break it.

Vlog in Waitrose

We did a quick vlog in waitrose explaining the supposed point of view shot from a basket it also gives a slight handheld affect as it is a little wobbly. Me and Anna were very passionate about this shot and we eventually got Rachel and Lucy on board.

Individual Vlog Take 8589

Finally a decent (ish) vlog on the equipment we received in Fridays lesson and how we have started to film using a variety of camera movements.

First attempt at an 'Individual' Vlog

I think this is an example of what not to do when creating a vlog.

Video of us attempting to create a dolly shot!

Here is a video of our group trying to create a dolly shot. Lucy cleverly thought for us to use the trampoline in order to create the shot and it ended up working really well as we managed to get some really smooth footage.

Equipment Day

On Friday we were given our equipment; a tripod, camcorder and a flip camera, and we went straight to work on our practise filming. We had loads of ideas to try and create professional looking footage. We were really excited by our make shift dolly shot which we used a trampoline, where Anna and Rachel pushed it while Lucy was filming. We worked with what we had which I think shows our creativity and the shot turned out really well. This picture shows Lucy and Rachel trying their best to balance the flip on the trampoline.

Split Screens from Oceans Thirteen

These images are from the film Ocean's Thirteen. I love the fact that it is a multiple split screen as it really does add something to the whole scene. I find these shots really interesting as you get to see a certain shot from various different angles. The multiple split screen also shows the important figures in each specific shot as some images are smaller than others so it shows the dominant and also the powerless characters. This idea of the split screen shows you a huge amount of information in a short amount of time and the consistency of the action allows the audience to almost feel as if they are part of the action.

Opening of The Devil Wears Prada

Here is the opening for The Devil Wears Prada. I think this is a really clever opening because it shows the contrast between the different characters. There are loads of different camera shots used in this scene, an extreme close up is used with the women putting on their make-up, panning shots are used mostly panning up showing the confident and fashionable women, a tracking shot is also used once the protagonist gets to her destination. A lot of shots are used which entices the audience as it makes it very interesting and allows them a small incite to what genre the film could be.

Prelim Vlog

This is Rachel and I vlogging about our first Prelim experience.

Final Prelim

Our Preliminary has been completed! We have edited our prelim and added music, so I think that we have done well for our first taste at film making and editing. I have learnt that there was a variety of camera angles and a lot of editing involved for just 20 seconds of film, this shows and prepares us for the huge amount of work and editing which is in store for our film openings.

Prelim Outtakes

Here are the outtakes for our prelim

Film Openings- Taken 2

Yesterday I went to the cinema and watched Taken 2. I loved it, I thought it was going to be hard to live up to the first film but it exceeded my expectations. Whilst watching the film and specifically the opening of it I was watching to see the various camera shots used and how this added to the feel of the film. The credits and music used at the beginning was very edgy which connects perfectly with the genre of the film. I love the concept of Taken; especially the action throughout the film and the agonisingly long pauses, (which Rachel will definitely agree with) so we have been thinking that it could be inspiration for our film opening. Here is the trailer for Taken 2

Prelim Shots

In fridays lesson we made our Prelim. We came up with the concept of doing a Britney Spears inspired Prelim, with Lucy being a very enthusiastic Britney and Rachel a random intruder that likes to say the lyrics to 'hit me baby one more time'. It was mine and Anna's filming debut and I think we did quite well. We experimented with different camera angles and we also had the music video for inspiration which helped us with the different camera shots. We still have to finish editing our prelims but we are all really happy with how it is looking. Here are a couple of shots from the prelim.

First Vlog

This is mine and Lucy's first official Vlog. Very interesting...

Past Year's Film Openings

In last Fridays lesson we watched previous years opening films. I think it was really helpful as we now have an idea of what to expect and it gave me a couple of ideas. Heroine is my favourite from last year. It has been shot really well and has a variety of camera angles. The filming of it and the actual concept is very good.

Favourite Childhood Film

Well... Treasure Planet was my favourite childhood film and I still love it today. I was amazed by the animations and the idea of the film as a whole. This is by far my favourite scene of the film as I feel this short section of the film explains a lot and the music selected is very emotional and fits perfectly with the scene.

 

Favourite Actor

My Favourite actor is definitely Johnny Depp as he can literally play any and every character possible. I think the variety of characters he can play is extraordinary as they are so opposite and he just creates the character and makes them come alive. These photos are perfect as they show the variety of parts that he plays and shows that he is a very diverse actor.

ECS as and A2 Media Studies Course Booklet

John Lewis Advert

I love this advert! I think this has a really good concept showing the 1920s and today and I also like how they have used a split screen to show the differences. This could be a possible idea for the opening of a film!

Techniques

Here is a video of the different camera angles and camera movements used in film making.