Production Schedule

These are the allocated days that we will go out and film particular scenes.

Cast List

This is the potential cast list for our opening sequence, which shows character, actor, date/times, availability of actors, costumes required and items confirms.

Week 8 Production Log

At the start of the week I had to look at Robert McKee's 'classical narrative structure' - where he examines the narrative structure of a work and what makes a story compelling or not. The main components of a narrative structure includes:

• Exposition/protagonist
• Agent of change
• Conflict/complications
• Elaboration
• Climax/resolution
• Coda

From this I have been able to examine and describe me and my group's movie in great depth and detail. This has helped me improve my analytical skills because I was able to alter anything that needed to be changed or add anything that could improve it. 

We had also been asked to have a "pitch and focus group' which was when we gather a group of 6 or more people together and pitch our movie idea to them. This will be recorded and uploaded, as they will listen carefully and give constructive feedback/criticism  based on what they heard from us. This was a very useful as not only as we are able to get a further insight of what other people thought about our proposed movie idea but we are able to improve it/ change anything that they have pointed out.

After the pitch and focus group editing techniques was the next step of researching and understanding. Some editing techniques we looked at and watched examples of include:

• Eyeline match
• Graphic match
• Jump cut
• Cross cutting

By looking at these examples of editing techniques we can see why they have been used and the effect they have on the audience. 

Editing Techniques

Here are many editing techniques that we have been studying, with their definitions, an example and their impacts on the audience.

Eyeline match: It is based on the premise that the audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.

Here in this romantic scene between the two people, the visible eye contact between them emphasizes how much they are in love with watch other. The eyeline cut at 0:24 shows they they stare at each other for a few long seconds - intensifying the romantic atmosphere.

Graphic Match: The things you see and the sounds/music you hear is in synchronization.

 

Here in this scene from rush hour the fight scene matches the sound that we can hear of the attacks that they throw at each other. (Which are probably derived from foley sounds.) Furthermore, these sounds allows the audience to be more engaged because if the sound was off even by a small amount this would seriously disappoint the audience, as they would think that his movie is poorly produced.









Cutting on Action: where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action

Here this scene from Final Destination 2 shows multiple angles of the car and the motorcycle; it adds to the drama and tension to the movie. It also allows the scene to flow in a continuous motion when watching the edited film, which will really appeal to the audience, as they watch the whole scene in one go.

Jump Cut: an abrupt transition from one scene to another

Jump cuts allow the attention of the audience to be focused in a continuous way because of the sudden transitions between scenes. This gives the signal that the scene that has the jump cut should be focused by the audience.

Cross-Cutting: An editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different locations

The cross cutting which is used in many of Christopher Nolan's great films is used in order to denote the similarity between the scenes as they occur and this adds to the atmosphere in the scene. When both of the fights are taking place in this scene, it allows the tension to build up heavily, so it can finally reach the upcoming final climax.

 Parallel Editing: Is a technique whereby cutting occurs between two or more related actions occurring at the same time in two separate locations or different points in time

The parallel editing used in this scene from the Godfather allows us to see the scenes he is thinking of,  when the Godfather kills many people as he is going through a rather calm ritual. This adds dramatic irony and suspense to the movie, which will interest the audience greatly because of the contrast between the scenes that the parallel editing depicts.

Cutaway: Is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else

The cutaway in this Family guy scene allows the funny gag to be carried on, which makes it more humorous for the audience to laugh it.

Pitch and Focus Group

This is our pitch and focus group video, which shows me and my group explaining the plot and storyline of our movie, which is not the final plan, to a group of 6 people or more. By doing this, we will able to get criticism and feedback of the strong and engaging ideas and the improvements we can make to our movie idea.

McKee's 'classic Narrative Structure'

Robert McKee's 'classic narrative structure' examines the narrative structure of most scripts of films that are given to him and examines it to pin-point the whole layout and foundations of the movie. They are split into:

Exposition/protagonist: The main character of the movie.

Our protagonist is called Tate and is an average depressed teenager, 16 years old. He is depressed because of horrible family life that has made him isolated from people of society, except from his girlfriend who he only loves.  He lives in Central London, Stockwell and in an apartment, which shows that he is from working class background.

Agent of change: Something that occurs to have a knock on effect that leads to a conflict/complications.

Tate has a girlfriend, Bethany, who one day confesses to him of being pregnant, which leads him to being thrown in a fury. To make matters worse, the baby is not even Tate's and just storms out of Bethany's sight and wonders round the streets of a dark and dangerous London.

Conflict/complications: Something that heavily involves the protagonist in a negative way and must be overcome.

Tate wishes to find the culprit by narrowing down the suspects who he believes got his girlfriend pregnant and believes that it is someone who he absolutely hates. He wants to threaten him to a corner, with a gun he finds at the start of the movie, where he will confess his action that has driven him to a crazy state.

Elaboration: This is the agent of change, conflict/complications and even the main story plot explained in further detail.

He goes through various methods of deducing who could have impregnated his girlfriend, such as analysing who out of her current friends and links could be a suspect, stalking her house and actions. As he believes he has found out who it is, he gets him to a dark basement, away from anyone that could interrupt the situation and talks to him in a aggressive and patronising manner.

Climax/Resolution: This is near the end of the complications where they will be resolved and the climax of the movie will occur.

He points the gun at the culprit's head and repeatedly asks: "DID YOU DO IT!?" The culprit is frightened to death cries and confesses that he did cheat with Bethany. Tate finally knows who impregnated his girlfriend and just can't seem to kill him; he knows that killing won't solve anything that is happening in his life. He doesn't see the end point of killing and just breaks down crying while the culprit runs away in fear and confusion - his life has just been spared by Tate.

Coda: This is the end of the movie, where the equilibrium of the movie is restored back to normal.

Goes home and on the way decides that he doesn't want to kill anyone, which prompts him to dismantle the gun and throw it away in the ocean. As he heads home he thinks about his life without anyone who he truly loves now and goes into further depression, so there is no real coda.

Week 7 Production Log

This week I had to firstly find 3 newspaper or online articles with titles that would be suitable name for a British social realism film. I had to then plan out a story for the titles from the articles, come up with a story and the conventions/themes that would be included in it. This will help me have an idea of an opening sequence and movie that includes themes that are in British social realism movies.

I also had to research and understand the "Art of the title format". The Art of the title format is when the opening credits of a movie is split into 9 different parts of the most important parts of the opening credits. This will help give me a greater insight of the structure of the opening sequence of movies. After this, I had to make an "Art of the title format" for a movie, which I chose: Dawn of the Dead. Some of the main opening credits that I thought is important include: title, opening sequence, main actors/actresses, director, editor and a few more.

To finish the week off, I made a short "beach combing for inspiration" presentation. It includes the inspirational ideas of what I may or will include in my opening sequence. I had to find at least 20 things/items that I thought would be important or useful in my opening sequence.

Beach Combing for Inspiration

This is beach combing for inspirational ideas that I can or will include in my opening sequence.

Art of the Title format for Dawn of the Dead

The word "DEAD" of dawn of the dead is bigger then the other words to put emphasis on it. It lets the target audience know immediately of the horror genre that will be in Dawn of the Dead. The typography of all of the opening credits/titles all follow the transition of dissolving and splattering into the background as shown on the left. This makes it nearly certain it will be gory and many people will die very quickly.

At the start of the of the Dawn of the Dead it starts off with the institutional company that produces it because this allows the audience to know who created this movie and that they deserve credit first. For all of the opening credits that goes by, it follows the same concept of having a black background with big, bold and red font in the middle of it. The Black connotes to the darkness that is linked with the movie and the red connotes to the danger and blood that will be heavily involved in this movie.

                 Dawn of the Dead starts off the actors/actresses with Sarah Polley who is a well known Canadian actress, who has starred in movies such as Away from her and her documentary: Stories we tell. People know that she can star in a variety of different movies and this movie is no exception, which allows the audience to know that the main heroine in this movie will be really professional and realistic in it.

When the movie wants to show the other actors/actresses that aren't that well known or famous to the audience, they show multiple names at one time, as shown on the left. This allows the opening credits to roll along quicker, shortening the duration of it and keeping the interest of the audience.


  This credit tells the audience who gathered and casted the actors and actresses of this movie.
People can make an assumption that if they see someone who has casted great movies, then this means the current movie will likely to be superb too.

Again this credit allows the audience to be aware of who edited this movie, to see if the scenes flow well together, that there are absolutely no flaws to create a finished product. If there are scenes that do not have continuity or make sense then the audience will be able to know whose fault that is or vice versa: if the editing was excellent, the audience will want to watch future movies with the same editor.

The music is an important aspect of the film and the audience need to know who is composing the music. This is why the credit has been put in the opening credits, also the music needs to fit of the genre of the movie which is horror. If the audience feels that the music fits well with horror then they can applaud and remember who composed the music.


The production designer is in charge of how the movie is produced and what to include in it. For example he is the on responsible for the blood on the zombies, the amount of characters in the movie and things such as that. This is why the production designer is given credit in the opening sequence.

Zack Snyder is shown at the very end of the opening credits because he is the director of the movie. He deserves to get a lot of character and is why he is placed at the end because people will remember his name just before the movie starts.