mise-en-scene 60% assessment

Costumes:

Main character (women):
Suit-smart clothing 

Shofar: 
Black suit and tie-shofar hat 

Character 2:(Guy that she meets)
Smart shirt and jeans
expensive logo-connotations of wealth 
expensive watch-connotations of wealth 

Body Guard 1:
Black suit and tie 

Body Guard 2:
Black suit and tie 


Locations:

• House/garage
• Corner of a street
• Inside a car
• A alleyway 

Props:

• Briefcase
• Large box
• Cork board
• Polaroid photos
• String
• silhouette of a suspect 
• Ear phones
• Watch

Research

 Research:

Why we have chosen a women for the main character:

Our group decided to choose a women for the main character as after researching the top 10 thrillers the vast majority of them had a women being the victim, After seeing this we wanted to brake the stereotype. Therefore we have subverted the expectations and have decide to have a strong women being in power.

Our idea was also inspired by kick ass. As in kick ass there is a young man that abuses his fathers money. Therefore from this the man that she will meet down the alleyway will be a young man that lives off his fathers money. So we will also have body guards behind him to give off the connotations that he is worth something.

Our Idea

Our Idea:

Our groups idea is to start the opening scene with a shot of a cork board that leads to a silhouette of a person in the middle. Whilst this appears our titles with be placed under the polaroid photos , as shown above. It will then lead on to a shot of our main character walking to a car with a briefcase, whilst the main character walks to the car they will take a headphone out , when doing this we will use non-diegetic sound.


It will then lead to a shot of the main character opening the boot of the car, then placing the briefcase in the boot on top of a large box. It will then carry on to a shot of a alleyway where the main character will get out to meet the other characters. After this the other characters will gather round the boot of the car.The main character will then open the boot and take out the briefcase and hold it by their side, whilst the other characters look at larger box.

The opening of our scene will then end with the camera in the boot of the car, looking up at the characters and the boot door being shut by the main character.

Animatic

Storyboard

Research -Art of the title

Sion Roe workshop

 Sion roe workshop:

Sion roe conducted a workshop where he showed us how to create and add affects to our film clips.





The photos above show my attempt of trying to add text on top of my film clips.






Overall the workshop was very helpful , as i learned new and interesting techniques about editing. 

Editing styles/techniques

Editing:

Cutting on action:
Cutting on action is when it cuts from one shot to another with the character/subject still in motion.

Cut away:
A cut away editing technique is when a small shot that is not always necessary ,however then is cut into a scene showing a related action. An example for this could be when a couple is having an argument , therefore being the main scene, but the editor may choose to include a cutaway shot of their children crying before cutting back to the couple arguing.

Cross-cutting:
Cross-cutting is often used in films to establish continuity.Cross-cutting is where the camera with cut away from one action, to then another action. Therefore because the shots occur one after another, it is used to suggest simultaneity of action. 

Jump-cuts:
A jump cut is when a cut moves to a similar cut of the same scene, however will be missing something/a piece of action. An example of this could be when a character in on one side of the room, and then is on the other , however we do not see the character walking.

Match on action:
Match on action is where a cut splices two different views of the same action together at the same moment in the movement, therefore making it seem uninterrupted.

Fade in/face out:
A fade cut is a type of moving image , where the image gradually fades and disappears , leaving a white or black screen. When fading to black it often gives of he connotations that time has passed or a situation has ended. Therefore by fading to white it often suggests a dream of some sort/ a dream sequence.  

Dissolve:
Dissolve is when the first shot on the scene and then the second shot starts appearing on top of it , more and more until you can only see the second shot. This editing techniques is often used to link two scenes or two people together.


Wipe cut:
A wipe cut is a technique that involves one image wiping another off the screen. Therefore this suggests that whatever scene/character pushes the other one off the screen , is more important or powerful.


Audio shot:
This is when the sound from one shot is carried along to another shot.


J-cut:
A j-cut is when the audio starts before the next shot , therefore this meaning you hear the sound before you see it. For example it could be on one shot with music playing then the next shot could of a radio playing the same music.  

Mise-en-scene

The importance of Mise-en-scene:

Mise-en-scene is made up of 5 elements:

• Settings and props
• Costumes, hair and makeup
• Facial expression and body language
• Lighting and colour
• Positioning of characters and objects within a frame

Mise-en-scene reinforces the idea that the films are constructed nothing happens by chance , it all has been carefully placed so that the audience can be drawn into the storyline of the scene.
Overall mise-en-scene is very important when making a film as it helps tell the storyline, therefore when making our opening to a film, we will take our time to make sure everything fits together.

Student film openings:

Film openings:Captive- AS media film opening

We looked at other peoples opening films so that it can help my group get some inspiration, and it also helps with research, as well as it helping us get to know editing skills and different camera angles, that we could use in our 2 minute film opening. Overall by looking at other peoples works helps me understand the code of other peoples work. 


Camera angles:

• Establishing shot- see the surrounding
• Close up- by doing this you can see the characters facial expression. You can especially see their eye- therefore the window to the soul
• Over the shoulder shot
• Zoom shot
• Medium close up
• Fade focus- to represent him opening his eyes

Sound:

• Dramatic music-adds affect
• 
  

Editing:

• CCTV clips added in - therefore see the rest of the building/rooms
• Ident- Blood orange productions
• Flashes in and out of shots(one shot then goes black , then another shot)
• Flashbacks
• 
  

Mise-en-scene:

• Clothing- rough/dirty
• Makeup- blood- therefore giving off the connotations that he has been in a fight/been hurt 

60% research/planning

Preliminary task review

Review:

My group consists of the following people, Emily Redman, Martha Keats and myself of course. For our task we decided to film a short film.Throughout the film we used many filming techniques such as match on action, this occurs when he is entering and walking through the gate.We also used a over the shoulder shot whilst he walked towards the door. Furthermore,  we used the 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot whilst the characters were having a conversation.

Throughout the whole process we had many high and low points. Personally i enjoyed the filming , as it was enjoyable to.

Overall from the task we have learned that editing is very time consuming, and that it is better to work with more footage than you need.

60 % task storyboard/timeline

Preliminay task story board

Assessment:60%

• Titles and opening of a new fiction film 
• Up to 2 minutes 
• 20 marks- Research and planning 
• 60 marks- Construction
• 20 marks- Evaluation 

My group:

Amy (me)- Camera 

Martha- Editing

Emily- Sound

Our group has chosen to do a thriller for our 2 minute opening scene, as we all thought it what be the best to film , and we all enjoy , these types of films.  

A guide to taking better pictures film clip:Notes 

Youths film:

• It shows how people can hide their identity on the internet 
• By using good camera angles and editing you can change your appearance online
• It shows us that people hide behind screens and may not be who they say they are online
• People are afraid to be who they really are, as people judge
• The media uses these techniques to make models seem/ look perfect 
• Youths try to copy this, as they think the media is portraying the truth 

Dr Martin: opening scene:

Camera angles:

• 3-shot-Introducing more/another character
• Mid shot
• Medium close up 
• Close up-To see facial expressions  
• Shot reverse shot-To show that a conversation is happening, therefore seeing how the other person reacts 
• Long shot-shows the setting/surroundings 
• 2-shot- Introducing another character

Sound:

• Leaking tap-Shows chaos/disruption/something wrong
• Barking dog-shows confusion/disruption/something wrong 

Mise-en-scene:

• Clothing-suit-therefore giving the connotations of elegance/smart
• Clothing-overalls-messy occupation 
• By having people dressed differently is shows the clear divide in their occupations.

Research

Thrillers:

Our film opening is a thriller, we have tried to make this easily identified in the opening sequence by using the characteristics of this genre. 

 

Thriller: A novel, play, or film with an exciting plot which often involves crime and suspense.

 

Match on action

Match on Action:

Match on action is a editing technique used in many films. Match on action is where you continually edit a shot , so that one shot cuts to anther shot portraying an action. For example walking through  a door the shot would be outside the door then when the character walks through the shot would quickly move to inside the room. This creates a sense of continuity. By doing this it draws the viewers attention away from the slight cutting / editing.   

Different camera angles

Different camera angles:
By learning these different camera angles is very important and helpful for me as i am working the camera for my group. Therefore by learning these different camera angles it will help me to construct good shots and a large majority of different shots , so our film can have a bigger range of camera angles.

Big close-up:

By doing a close up it allows the viewer to see the characters facial expression. By doing a big close-up it is very personal and can be portrayed as very intense as well. Also they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, therefore it allows the viewer to connect with the character on a personal level.
Close-up:

By doing a close up it lets the viewer identify the character. Close-ups are often used within romantic films as you can see the faces of the characters and there facial expression.

Medium close-up:

By doing a medium close-up it allows the viewer to establish a character and the setting around them. It also allows the viewer to see what the character is wearing.

Mid-shot:

A mid-shot allows the viewer to see more of the characters outfit and to see if they have any sort of props such as a gun or a weapon.

Medium long shot:

A medium long shot allows the viewer to see more of the background, to set  of the scene. It also allows the viewer to see the position and posture of the character.

Long shot or wide shot:

Again by doing a long shot/wide shot allows the viewer to see more of the setting around the character, to see where the scene is set.

2-Shot:

By doing a 2-shot it introduces another character to the scene. By doing a 2-hot it also informs the viewers that there is a relationship between the characters, whether its a family member, a friend or they are in a couple. 


3-Shot:

Again by doing a 3-shot it introduces another character into the scene.


High angle-shot:

A high angle-shot is when the camera is looking down on the character, it makes the character appear smaller , therefore making the character venerable to there surroundings. A high angle-shot is also known as a birds eye shot.

Low angle-shot:

By doing a low angle-shot it gives the connotations of a bigger person, therefore makes the character look in power. It makes the character appear strong and powerful.

Over-the-shoulder:

By doing an over the shoulder shot it allows the viewer to see that there is a conversation taking place between two people. It allows you to see to reaction of the other character as the 1st character speaks to them.

By learning these camera angles it can help us within our film as we can use a variety of shots to portray our character.

composition

Composition: 

Composition consists of the following:

1.The rule of thirds 
2.Golden rectangle
3.The rule of odds
4.Leading lines
5.Strong diagonal
6.lines of sight 
7.Point of view 
8.Framing 
9.Simplify
10.Fill the frame 
11.Active space 

1. The rule of thirds:

Check out my other blog post that goes in detail about the rule of thirds.

2.Golden rectangle:

The golden rectangle is based on the golden ratio , this being a mathematically formula that is often observed in nature, however is also in art and architecture.

3. The rule of odds:

The rule of odds is based on having an odd number of people/objects in  a composition. By doing this it means your eyes/ brain find it harder to pair each thing up as there is an odd number. Therefore there is always something or something left over , so your eyes keep looking across the composition.  





4.Leading lines:

Leading lines are lines that guide the viewers eye to the middle of the image , for example a bridge or track of some sort.



5.Strong diagonal:

A strong diagonal is a form of leading lines, in many ways it can transform a dull composition into a dynamic one. 







6.Lines of sight:

Lines of sight are created when the subject/something/someone is looking at something within the painting/ image. By doing this it cause the viewer to follow the line of sight to the object that is being viewed.


7.Point of view: 

Point of view is when you move the subject matter/ person above or below something to create a more dynamic and interesting piece of work. 


8.Framing:

By creating a frame within the image , it makes the subject of the image stand out more due to the fact that by adding a frame it helps to draw the viewers eyes to the main subject. Also by adding a frame it can create more depth to the photo.


9.simplify:

Simplifying is when you have limited  things within the image/ painting as by doing this it does not distract the viewer.



10.Fill the frame:

Filling the frame is when you fill the entire space with the main subject, as it is not always necessary for the entire subject to be shown , sometimes it is more interesting to crop out some of the subject matter.



11. Active space:

Active space is when you leave space between the side of the frame, and also the subject matter , by doing this it allows the painting/image to feel balanced.   
 

The rule of thirds

The rule of thirds:

By learning the rule of thirds is very helpful , for me as i am in charge of the camera work for our tasks, therefore by learning the rule of thirds it will help me construct each shot well.

The rule of thirds is a well known technique used in many places. The rule of thirds is simply breaking an image up into thirds, this being both horizontally and vertically , so that you are left with 9 parts. Where both lines cross over each other this is called the intersection, as shown in the photo to the right.

The grid identifies the four important parts of the image that should sit in the intersections of the grid. The theory behind the grid is that you place the interesting parts of the photo in the intersections or along the lines ,so your photo becomes more balanced. When viewing an image people normally go to one of the intersections points naturally , rather then the centre of the image. 

180 degree angle

180 degree angle 

The 180 degree angle rule is a filming technique used in many films. The 180 degree angle rule consists of a imagery line called the axis, that goes through both characters. The axis connects the characters. The line represents that the camera should not pass over the line whilst filming, but however should maintain on the same side, as shown in the photo above. If the camera passes the line , this is called crossing the line, and the shot then becomes a reverse angle.

By learning this technique it will help me for our preliminary task and our final 2 minute opening scene.

Here is  my version of the 180 degree angle rule:
https://youtu.be/gh3UfqHnm3g

shot reverse shot clip

This is a short clip showing the shot reverse shot rule.Within the clip we use the over the shoulder technique, to represent two people having a conversation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY5vL1Gdno4&feature=youtu.be

film poster deconstruction

By doing this poster deconstruction i have learnt, different ways to present characters through the use of mise-en-scene, and that every part of the poster is important.By looking at the poster i have learnt that it is important to pay attention to detail.

Preliminary

 Preliminary task:

The object of this task is to create a continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door , crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character , with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.The task should demonstrate match on action,shot/reverse shot and the 180- degree rule.

what is shot/reverse shot

What is shot/reverse shot?


A shot reverse shot is a key technique used in many films. Shot reverse shot is where one character is shown looking at another character ,and then another character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are both looking at each other, having a conversation. The cameras are normally positioned behind the shoulder of both characters, therefore if a character was speaking the camera would be over their shoulder, so you could see the other characters reaction.

However you can also have the cameras positioned in a wide or medium shot too.By doing this editing technique it allows the viewers to get a sense of their surrounding , to allow them to have a greater understanding of their location, for example if you saw Big Ben you would know that the film was based in London. 

An example of shot reverse shot is within the film -wolf of Wallstreet.  

https://youtu.be/wM6exo00T5I 

5 favourite music videos

1.  Sia-elastic heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZGAExj-es

 

Elastic heart is one of my top favourite music videos due to that its different , and out there. I especially like how Sia never appears within the video , however the little girl is representing Sia. The music video is of to people dancing around , within a huge bird cage. However the music video was hated by the critics due to the wide age gap between the two dancers, and due to the fact that both dancers are wearing minimum clothing.However this being said it is still an amazing video.

 

 
2. sigala-sweet lovin 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj5zT4t7S6c

Sigala - sweet lovin I a great music video for many reasons. I especially I like how the music video is different. The music video consist of people rolling around on roller blades however having dry paint coming out the back of their roller blades. I especially like that when the performer/dancer passes people the trial of red smoke, causes them to whip out their own moves , to the infectious track.                       


3. Ed Sheeran - Drunk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2fOum_KWQU&list=RDG2fOum_KWQU

Ed Sheeran - drunk is one of my favourite music videos due to the fact that throughout the music video he becomes best friends with a cat as they play video games, drink and look after each other through the dark times of love. Its a rather strange music video , however that's why I like it , its different therefore it stands out from million of other music videos.  


4. Sia-The greatest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSRyLdjsPA

Sia- The greatest is another favourite of mine for a number of reasons . The music video is based around the Orlando shootings, It was in memory of the innocent people who lost their lives within the club. Its a breath taking video and well worth a watch. The video consist of many talented young dancers,.dancing their way through a run down building. Overall its a great music video.


 5. years and years - king

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_uoH6hJilc

Years and years -king is a great music video as it is different. Throughout the music video the main singer sits on a sofa in a empty room, whilst people dressed in white dance round him. Throughout the video the dancers move the main singer around , almost like he is a doll. Also during the music video the main singer starts floating. Therefore this being rather unusual and different which adds to the music video. Overall its a great music video. 

















                                                          

Top 5 favourite films

Top 5 favourite films:



1.  Forest Gump:

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYSnxZKTZzU

Forest Gump is one of my top favourite films for many reasons. Firstly it has a great story line, it highlights someone with a disability overcoming a challenge. Forest Gump is bullied from a young age this being due to that he has a disability, this being that he struggles to walk. However this being said, he still manages to over come this, and do amazing things. I like forest Gump as it has many different cultures and historical moments , from hippies to Vietnam, from Sweet Home Alabama to California Dreaming, too Elvis, the film has everything. Overall its a breath-taking film.



2.  Kingsman:

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl8F-8tR8to

Kingsman is also in my top 5 due to that it has everything you want in a film. It is a mixture between action and comedy. I also think that the film consist of many great actors such as Colin Firth , Taron Egerton, Samuel l.Jackson and many more. Kingsman is also a great film due to its fantastic story line.

   


3.  Step brothers:


Directed by: Adam McKay

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Z7PEvedHQ

Step brothers is a great film , for many reasons. Its a great comedy, partly due to the great actors who work amazingly well together. This being Will Ferrell and John c. Reilly as well as the great story line. Step brothers is one of those films were you can watch it over and over again and never get sick of it.

4.  The Shawshank Redemption

Directed by: Frank Darabont

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdWZBvd0-pg

The Shawshank Redemption is a great film and has a great story line, and includes some amazing actors , such as Morgan freeman. Shawshank redemption shows us that life is not always fair, when an innocent man is sentenced to a life in prison. Shawshank redemption will have you glued to your seat, as well as bring tears to your eyes.

5. Deadpool

Directed by: Tim Miller

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtTfd6tISfw

Deadpool, its not your typical superhero film, its better .Deadpool includes some amazing actors to make the film that extra bit better , such as Ryan Reynolds and many more. Its a great comedy which will have you laughing the whole way through the film , its pure gold.