Saturday, 29 November 2014

Film Full synopsis

My horror/ thriller film will be called "Refresh" and it will have a complex story line, and focus on the strange and supernatural. During the film, the character, Adam and a girl called Angle will experience incredible story together.

The story of the whole is that, Adam experiences traumatic dreams and memory's though the month of October, ever memory is the same Adam is in an open air field, with a knife killing a girl he doesn't know. Adam is very scared by these dreams, they are consequently on his mind. He also feels that there is something not right about his life. Though some narrative Adam questions it. During the film he meets the girl in his dreams. Slowly she falls in love with him, while they do have a short, happy relationship for a few days, Adam finds her too clingy and is also terrified of his dreams. When he does this, Angle goes crazy, stalking him, threatening him and killing off his other friends. Then one night, Adam's walking alone in the park, when he see her killing his sister, in a rage Adam tries to kill her. However when he does he finds him self losing his memory and ending up back at the start of the month, when only the killing memory left. It turns out that Angle has super natural powers and keeps repeating time so she can be with him, as she has loved him for a long time. To stop this from happening, Adam kills himself at the end of the movie, the last thing he sees is her face.

At the start of the film, (The part I'm creating for my coursework) will feature him having the dreams and seeing the girl for his first time at a train station platform.


Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Pitch for our Sci fi film.

In groups we had to make a story using a couple of characters and a genre. Our groups story was to create a film around that to sale to producers.
What genre and character we got:
.Sci fi genre
. Sally
. Josh and his age  ( 8)
. A gun
The film "Sally"
With this we came up with the story of Josh being an 8 year old boy in a orphanage who loved aliens and had a toy gun.  In this film the young boy would be played by Oakiee Pendergast, even though he is not well known we agreed that his look was right for the film. During the film he meets an alien who will be played by Zoe Sandler, who will bring in audiences as she is quite famous. We picked her because we thought that she would look the part as she has played aliens before.
During the film the audience will see the advantages that Sally and Josh, the opening we will see the boy find the alien, with the prop of a toy gun.
We did this as we thought that this film would get a good audience of Sci Fi fans and fans of the old film ET. As well as the film will help the audience think about their own relationship with an older generation.  The film will be rated a 12 for moderated violence, and maybe some swearing.

This is us doing the Pitch and The poster of ideas we made:

















Monday, 24 November 2014

Character profiles

Katniss Everdeen
The Hunger Games
She is from the highly acclaimed film the Hunger Games. She is 16-18 in  the trilogy. In this film the population their world lives in different districts. Katniss lives in district 12. She is fatherless as he died in the mines of district 12. She has a very deep relationship with the rest of her family such as her sister Prim.
She has one best friend, Gale, who's in love with her. 
She is young looking while be thin and lanky, with brown hair and green eyes. She is determined to survive and she is a introverted.
Though out the films she becomes more determined to do what's right and fight back. She is caring but bitter towards the capital.





John Bender
The Breakfast Club
John Bender is a character from the 1985 movie, The Breakfast club. His age is around 16/17 year old. He lives in America, with a abusive father and mother. He has a lot of friends but we don't see them in the film. He has a relation with the other character Claire which he shares a kiss at the end of the film. He is tall with brown hair. He is troublesome and don't care for the high power, often being hush and rude to those around him.


Regina George
Mean Girls
Regina George is a popular character from Mean girl, in 2004. She is from America and is 16/17, and lives with her step mother and her father. She has two best friends and is tall, blonde with green eyes. She is popular, cruel and materialistic. Her best friends are named Gretchen Wieners  and Karen Smith who are with her though the whole film, however stop being her friends near the end of the film.




Saturday, 22 November 2014

My film opening; characters

Some directors thing of characters before they think of the plot of there film as the characters move the plot forward. Plus the more complex the character the more impressed the audience will be, if the characters are  more interesting  and have a good back story the audience will have more of a connection between the characters.
The directors who do this pick characters that will fit with the story. For example Tim Burton in big fish thought of the character of Edward Bloom before the story. As Edward Bloom was such a well thought out character it was better to make the plan out the story based on his character rather than make a character to fit the story. I think that Burton did this so it would make the film process easier as events of the film would only work with that certain character. As the events are strange and would only fit with a character which who like Edward Bloom is strange enough and kind enough to live in the situation like them.
Characters are important to a story as they flesh out the plot and increase likability to the film. In my view the characters are more important than the story as a bad plot can be fixed by some great character as they are the more remembered and most relateble part of the film.
In the past many ( Although not always) where stereotypes of certain types of people. The Hero, The Villain ect. As time has gone on creators have become more creative with there characters and making them more complex. This trend has happened in all genres of the film memdiem. Strangely the time we are in now has changed the main idea of the Hero. The heroes dynamics in most media have ( mostly in young adult, adult films) have become more dark and depressing. The changes between Adam West Batman comedic of the 60s to the Christopher Nolan dark, edge films of this era.  The characters of today can be excellent and well thought out or terrible examples of writing and human concepts.











As my Coursework is only an opening few minutes I can not create a well establish characters as there is too little time but I can use my characters to show the genre of my film or the roles they will that be in my opening. As my film is the genre of Horror I want to show that my characters are mysterious and modern in dress and aesthetic.

Typical horror movie teenagers:









Friday, 21 November 2014

Openings of other genres

Romance
The conversions of a romance film are quite simple. A romance film should show two people fall in love with each other.

Here are three openings of Romantic films.

The Notebook displays ideas of the love though it's soft music and sweet romantic colours of red with the sunset. It gives an impression that it will be quite a famous love film because of it's simple but sweet opening.
And the river shows that maybe it's a quite famous part of the film.
The names coming up slowly also makes the film seem more simple and sweet.
As well as show the gracefulness of the characters.





The Fault In Our Stars
The fault in ours shows the character is high sprites, laughing, smiling ect. This shows that the film will have romantic ideas in it and the relationship will be full of promise.
However it mixes it with a rather depressing speech about how life is which shows the ideas that it could included sadness. The mix of the two shows that the film will included romance with tragedy, which this genre sometimes uses this convention.

10 Things I Hate About You
In contrast 10 Things I Hate About You is a more of comedic film with romantic intent. So this film shows a contrast between two types of people. It shows two girls driving to school, one girl has popular ( for the time) while the other girl (later we find out is the main character) is playing hard rock music, while having a sour face. This shows the that film will surround this girl. Her moodiness shows that this film will show to contrasting characters will be the ones in love, as the conversations of America high school dramas is that the girl and guy will change each other to fall in love. This opening is simple and doesn't really show the genre plentifully but does make the audience interested in the film itself.

Examples of openings that are in the genre of Horror

Horror uses the conversions of being scary and tense. Here are three examples of openings which use this genre:

Arlington Road
Arlington Road's road shows of what you could do to create something thrilling, but not using a lot of violence.
In the film, we see the main character see a strange dying boy on the road. The film manages to show the fearful part by showing the mans desperation when he runs to the hospital, in a almost alienating way. This helps the audience to understand simply that this movie will be a scary film without the need of too much screaming and violence. Here is a trailer of the film.




The Purge
 The Purge,  is about the horrifying concept of having a night of no laws against crime. Thus this idea by the population is treated as a norm. During the opening the audience see the violent  beatings and murders, the director uses a peaceful song in the background to contrast the differences, all the while the information appears on screen. This relates to the characters not questioning the horrors of the new law.
This opening lets the audience understand what the film will contain because of it's easy to understand.


Birdemic
This is an example how not to make a film. Even for amateur production, the acting, effects and story are all shocking bad. The acting is very poor even by low budget standers. The effects are laughable. Most of all the  opening gives no impression of what the film is going to be about. It seems to be trying to show 7 different styles at once as well as being very boring for the audience.
 Here is a awkwardly film scene of Birdemic, which shows all the faults of the film.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Film idea: Refresh

The opening for my film I want to show a horror.
For this I going to film a boy having bad dreams/visions about killing a girl, in flash back film
(Using a filter to show it's a flash back)
Then I want to film him standing on a train platform, a little scared. This will results in the boy seeing the girl in his dreams getting off the train, which then lead to him getting a text,(Which the audience will not see what it is) then the film opening will end.
The film will included no dialogue as it feel like it will make more of an impact with the confusion of script writing and it dialogue would interrupted the suspense of the opening.
 The film will be in the genre of horror and I will research more information on how to create horror and how to use cameras ad film works.

Monday, 17 November 2014

Narration

Narration is the technique of a characters talking over the film about what's happening.
This is used to show it's from their perspective so that the audience, like the audience is inside the head of the character.
Usually this happens in a teen movie where it can be more relatable for the audience, as it gives more of an incite in to the mind of teenagers. Films such as Perk of being a wallflower use the idea of him writing to friend and use that in a narration in some parts that are intensely tragic or need explaining. Other narratives can be used by many different people, such as being separated across many peoples minds, such as the idea of growing up or different peoples experiences with the same  topic.
The good parts of Narration:
.It can make a film more interesting as it can expand the amount of empathy that the audience could have for the main character.
.It helps the audience understand the views of different people
.It gives extra information of the film
.It gives an idea in to what the film contains and what the resolve is

The bad part:
.Narration can bore some audiences if they dislike the main character.
.Narration can detracting from the main action in the main film
.It can side track the film
.It can feel outdated

Some films use something to show Narration, e.g have the narrator telling a story to the other characters, such as Titanic. Its a good idea as it shows how times have changed in from the story to it being told.

Saturday, 15 November 2014

Villains

A Villains is a character who's actions and motives are "evil" which moves the plot forward.
In many films, the audience should feel hated about the villain, seeing there motives are horrible and evil, which make the audience want the hero to win. However this is not always the case.

The Villains motives in most films:
. World Domination- The dream of controlling the world and all it's people.
.Death- The dream of killing multiple people or planets.
.Getting rid of the hero- This Villain dislikes the idea of a hero doing good so spends they life turning to get rid of them.
.Revenge- The Villain has a bad past and wants to hurt those who made it that way.
 .Because they think what they're doing is right- Some Villains think what they're doing will help society.
Love- A powerful motive, a villain who would commit violent acts for the one they love
Self - Some Villains do horrible acts for ones enjoyment.

Over the uses, like all forms of the media ,villains have become more interesting and complex. The audience now can have many different reactions to newer films. Many now see the Villain as the best part of the film, if they are resemble and significant enough to stay with people. (The Joker in the Batman series for example) Some Villains of the last 30-20 years have had a the best and most fun lines. Directors and screen have put more thought in to the reasons and back story behind Villains, using from humorous irony to crashing horrors to create the Villain.
Some Screen writers make some Villains to make the audience get emotionally attached tot he Villain as they're back story is tragic and relatable ( This happens a lot in horror films where the villain is bullied or abused)
The Villain role has also changed over the years. In some films the perspective is the Villains, or there are lots of Villain characters. Or the true Villain isn't revealed until half way though the film.
In any case the Villain, at least in my view, is a valuable part of any part of the movie and can become a very interesting and enjoyable part of any film.

Thursday, 13 November 2014

The start of reasech

My project has started to make own film has officially started. For this I will look it to the film genres such as horror and thriller. Looking at examples of films and watching them, such as many Alfred Hitchcock films and other thriller works.
 Here are some films I might watch that go with my genre.































I will also research, different ways different directors make and start they're horror films, and more research into the Mis-En-Scene of horror films.

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Big Fish

Big Fish
Big Fish is a Tim Burton film, made in 2003, as it about Will Brooms (Billy Curdip) dying father, Ed Bloom (older-Albert Finney,  younger Ewan McGregor). During the film, it slides to the saddest of the death of Wills father, to the unbelievable, whimsical stories of his life which the father tells. Which all have mid 20th feel to them. It goes from the odd birth of the father, though the strange town he finds in his teenage years to Vietnam to the finding the love of his life. The father tells these stories to much to his family, so that Will is special of these stories, telling most people around him and his own father that they are made up. The ending of the film in true sweet fashion ends with the story's existing. The message of the film is fact vs elaboration of story telling and weather is right to discourage on for the other.

One of the parts of the film I found very good was its story. The story had similar feel to the 80s classic Forrest Gump, as the set up was the same. All though, the stories were impossible and verged on creepy, such as the Karl Giant and sometimes a little too cheesy, such as the moments with Edward and his love.
The story is also told though narrative, this means the film seem wholesome, interestingly  even it is the older Ed Bloom, Ewan McGregor takes centre stage as narrator, this is an odd choice from Buton as it the context it seems confusing. But the young voice of Ewan McGregor is soft and sweet to listen to as well as transporting us to the actual events of the stories.
However the story was enjoyable and a joy to watch resulting in some great messages about family and childhood. As this was a Tim Buton production I would have expected of more of a gothic style such as his later work such as Night Mare before Christmas and Sweeny Todd.
In this film however the film is stylised with deep and bright colours giving the film a childlike theme, giving the impression of a fantastic story being told. The effects are also a interesting aspect of the film, they rage from large fish in the opening to the lavutiving
popcorn when Edward meets the love of his life at a circus.
Big fish combines the use of intense story arcs and slightly sadder moments with the astounding visual effects and the use of colour, sound and whimsy.


The emotion in Big Fish is heighten though the use of deep emotional feelings of the relationships between the father and his son.
While watching the film I could feel the love between the father and son even after seeing there difficult relationship. There was a good moments such as when Will's father was dying, I feel like I was there in the film watching his father die.



 
 









Monday, 10 November 2014

Horror; Psycoloigycal

Horror is the genre which is main purpose is to scary or horrify the audience. The genre has changed in the resent years. Starting in the 1890s, horror was a style that included gothicness and  monsters. In recent times horrors have become move violent, as newer technology can be used to make the violence look real. The main idea of horror know is too Psychological creep out the audience, thus using fitting the idea of death with sexual violence.
America Horror Story a FX television show, excellently show cases what modern horror is about. It mixes the horrified social impact and the un human motives of different characters, as well as basic fear of the unknown. Created by Ryan Murphy, it shows though, story and the technical aspect of true fearful horror.













The pros of doing Horror:
  • Horror can expanded the creativity side of filming making, choses can range in creativity from music and settings.
  • The genre can really do it's intended purpose of  scaring the audience is the main point of fear is done well.
  • It's less subjective than a comedy, there is less to go wrong.
  • Scripts can be simple.


The cons of doing Horror:
  • It can sometimes be overly glorified violence
  • It can look faked if the effects are cheap.
  • The characters can be annoying and stupid.

Saturday, 8 November 2014

Company idents

In films, before the action it must pay respect to the company that produces/directed or funded it. Over the years companies have shown this in multiple different ways, which showcases a number of different techniques  to highlight the company.
Such 20th Century Fox logo is remembered as it combines the large gold font, stylist lettering and booming sound to have it stuck in the audiences head, it also gives the audience an idea of what scale that the production will be on because of the large and bold statement the logo makes.




Similarly the Disney logo, while it has change in the resent years when Disney main Blockbuster movies were 3D animation, the Disney castle is sweet and lovely animated. For Adults it brings back a sense on Nostalgia because of the impact of Disney films for a young age and the logo excites children because of it sweet romantic music and exciting castle.

In our own Media studies class, our task was to create a company ident , we did this on Adobe After Effects. As I wasn't experienced on this program  so my final ideas were very basic. With the program I wanted to make something quite scary to show that my film was going to be a horror movie. With this in mind I chose a picture of showing creepy and bloody.

I used different effects such as Glow and Fade to create the creepy shadowy effect. I chose these effects as they were simple to program and looked creepy with the scary picture I chose.
I will hopefully develop these skills to create a more interesting and simply logo with people will remember more. This ident will also help create image which will go with the theme of my film, the hand will show the scariness and violence that will be shown in my film. The faded text will show simple way I can show something creepy.

Thursday, 6 November 2014

What genres I'm considering

Horror

 I want my opening to be a horror film genre but not be very violent, and focus on the psychological horror and have a certain mystery to it. Films such as Memento will influence me for my opening which I will use different aspects of filming to create a psychological thriller. To do this I will research lots of horror films and short films as well openings made by other students on YouTube.

Monday, 3 November 2014

Ideas for my film opening

As our media studies class has moved on from doing practice in groups, I have noe thought more about my own film opening. I want my genre to be mysterious horror film, as I think it could be rather interesting to film and  this also means I don't have to included much dialogue which I didn't want to do because it would have been hard to think of a full script. As this is the first stages I will possibly change my mind, but these are my first idea I want my genre too be.