E-Mail to Sony Music

This is a copy of the e-mail that i sent to Sony Music Records to ask them for permission to use Kings of Leon's song, Closer in our production.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to ask if i would be able to use Kings Of Leon's track Closer in a media project that i am doing at school. This track would be used for educational purposes only and will be completely non-profitable.
Yours sincerly,
Becky Morrish

Editing

When we had finished filming all of our footage we then uploaded it onto the computer so that we were able to see how the shots came out.

Once we looked through the shots we had filmed, we decided which shots would work well and which didn't look very good.

This then left us with a list of shots that we thought needed to be re-filmed. Before we went out to re-shot we decided to put all of shots into a film and decide which music would work well and what transitions etc, that we should use to make the shots flow better.

After this we looked at the different songs that would work well with our film, the list of songs that we came up with were;

Closer - Kings Of Leon

This song worked well with our film as it fits perfectly with the sense of wonder that we wanted to create as well as having no lyrics.

Said It All - Take That

This is also a slow song that we considered to work well with our film, until we played it along with our film and then found out that it wouldn't work as we thought it would.

Another reason for not choosing this song is that the lyrics start very early on in the film unlike 'Closer'.

Change - Daniel Merriweather

Due to the fact that we were going for a sense of wonder, this song was to up beat and didn't fit with our film at all.

Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon

We decided to look at another of Kings Of Leon's as 'Closer' works so well. However, this song didn't work because it was too up beat for the opening of our film.

After looking at songs for the part of our film in the woods, we also needed to look for a song that worked with the rave scenes in the film. This meant looking through a range of more up beating/dance songs. We then came up with these songs;

Tarantula - Pendulum

We looked at this song as we knew that Pendulum produce the correct genre of music. However, this song was too slow throughout for the scene that we wanted to use it in.

Warriors Dance - The Prodigy

This is the song that we have chosen to use in our production as it fits really well and compliments the action in this scene.

We decided that the two songs we were going to use for our film are;

Closer - The Kings of Leon

and

Warriors Dance - The Prodigy

After making the decision that these songs worked well within our film, we then had to e-mail their record labels and ask them if it was okay for us to use them. Above you can see the e-mail that we sent to Sony, asking if we could use Kings of Leon in our production.

Filming

Sunday 31st January;

On Sunday we decided to film the main part of our film in the woods located near Layla-Jay's house. We all met at 11 o'clock to go and start shooting from the story board that we had already drawn out.

We kept referring back to our story board to see which shots we needs to shot. However, when it came to some shots we were unable to film them as we would of liked which meant that we had to re-think how we were going to shot some of the shots.

One shot in particular that caused some difficulty shooting was a pan of Rose (Sophie) from above to make her look vulnerable. While trying to do this shot we had to try and find a way of circling her without making it look badly filmed. This meant that we had to try and use other methods to try and make it work as we had imagined them to work.

Another shot that we had difficulty shooting was a high angle shot of Rose (Sophie) running from what she thought she was being followed by, but once we were on set we found out that it wouldn't be as easy to shot as we had originally thought. We had planned to shoot this shot from a tree so that it would be a good angle to shot from. However, when we started filming we didn't really think about the position of the trees around us which meant that when we finished shooting the shots before, we ended up in a part of the woods with no trees around for us to film from, so we had to improvise and re shoot the shot before allowing us to film the next shot from a tree.

Overall, the filming went well which meant that we were able to get it all done to a good standard, hopefully meaning that we won't need to re-shot anything.

Shooting Schedule

As a group we came up with a shooting schedule that would suit us all. This meant that we would have enough time to complete the filming and editing in time to meet the deadline.

Equipment List

The equipment that we as a group are going to be using is;

Video camera

Video tape

Tripod

The props that we are going to use are;

Dress

Shoes

Heavy make-up

Tablet

Alcoholic bottles

Glass

Lighting

Shot List

We are using a range of 24 shots to create the opening scene for our film "BlackOut".

1) Establishing Shot of the woods

2) Long shot of Rose asleep in the woods

3) Close up of Rose's face

4) Medium shot of the party (flash back of the night before)

5) Extreme close up of Rose's eyes

6) P.O.V shot from Rose lead down (tree trunks)

7) P.O.V shot from Rose lead down (tree tops)

8) Long shot of Rose (in front)

9) Long shot of Rose (side)
10) Medium shot of Rose (in front)

11) Medium shot of Rose (behind)

12) Medium shot of the party (flash back of the night before)

13) Close up of the glass (drink being spiked)

14) P.O.V shot of the woods

15) Medium shot of Rose (behind)

16) Long shot of Rose running

17) Close up of Rose drinking her that had been spiked (flash back)

18) Close up of Rose falling over

19) Close up of glass

Potential Shots

Before we started to film our production we thought as a group that it would be worth while, to take the time and see what some of the shots would look like;

This is an extreme close up that we tried out before using in our film. We found that this shot worked well for what we wanted to use it for because it allows us to show the emotion on Sophie's face which is important for the situation in which she is in.

This shot is going to be used at the start of the film when she wakes up from her first flash back.

Another shot we thought it would be necessary to try out was this over the shoulder shot so that we could see whether the shot looked better with or without the should in the shot. We thought that the shot looked better with the shoulder in the shot, however in the circumstances that we were using the shot we thought it would be more sensible to film the shot without the should in the shot.

This shot would of been used when Sophie was running through the woods which meant that it would make it really hard to keep the should at the same place in the shot at all times. Also, another reason for us going against using this shot is that throughout the film we have planned to keep the viewers guessing as to what it is that is following Sophie, or whether it is just her imagination playing tricks on her due to her drink being drugged.

This high angle shot looked as good as we were hoping it to as we really wanted to use it to show that Sophie is vulnerable. This is important as we want to viewers to know that she is lonely and scared.

Another reason that we were pleased that this shot worked out was that it gives the impression that she is being watched by someone/something and this is what we wanted the viewers to think.

Digital Story Board

Once we had drawn up our story board we then decided to create a digital version so that we could get a better idea of what the shots would actually look like together.

Story Board

To start with, within our group we drew up a story board of the shots that we were planning to use within our film. This helped us to get a vague idea of what shots would work well together and which wouldn't.

Character Profile

The main character in our film is going to be played by Sophie Davis.
Her name is Rose Kensington, she is a privately educated young female.

She is 19 years old and comes from a rich, middle class family who have high expectations for their daughter.

Rose lives in a large country house in the suburbs of London.

Rose doesn't really care about her education as is more interested in going out and partying with her friends, which her family disagree with.

Scripts

We have chosen to name our film "BlackOut".

The film starts with an establishing shot of the woods to help us set the scene for our viewers. The camera then starts to focus in on Rose (Sophie Davis) who is lead on the floor, helping to create a sense of mystery as to why she is there. After waking up, Rose starts looking around herself and feels as if someone is watching her. However, due to the fact that Rose's drink was drugged the night before (which is found out later on in the film) she is confused as to where she is, why she is there and if there is someone/something watching her. To emphasise this, we are going to use a range of different shots such as; close ups and over the shoulder shots, to make it look like Rose is being watched by something/someone. Throughout the film we relate back to flash backs from the night before to help the viewer try and work out how and why Rose may have ended up there. All through the film Rose is drugged and looks really confused as to what it is that is watching her and how she ended up there. While Rose starts running, she looks back to see if there is someone there or whether it is just her imagination and then ends up tripping over a log, leading to a blackout!

After our opening film finishes the story continues..
The story then continues with Rose being kidnapped, and was never found.

Groups & Roles

The group that i have chosen to work with consists of 4 people:

Layla-Jay Fox

Within the group, we have decided that Layla-Jay is going to be one of the directors of the film so she is going to have to make decisions about how the film is going to be made and how each shot is going to be pulled off.

Becky Morrish

I am going to also be a director along side Layla-Jay, this means that we will be able to take the pressure off of each other and organise a shooting schedule to suit us both. Both of us are organised people who will both be able to work together to direct the filming so it turns out the way we want it to look.

Steve Hook

As a group we have come to a decision that he is going to be the main camera man. The main reason for us coming to this joint decision was because he enjoys making his on films in his spare time meaning that he already has experience is film making.

Sophie Davis

Sophie is going to be the main actress in our film. We have chosen Sophie for this role as she is currently at Gordano School studying A Level Drama, giving her the advantage over other people in the group of having experience in acting.

Mind Maps & Ideas

After watching a range of different film openings it was then up to us to create our own story line. So the first step we took towards this was to create a mind map including all off the different elements that need to be considered.

Once we had created a mind map including all of the aspects that we could include within our production, it was then up to us to make the decisions about what we were going to include. We have to think about this carefully about what we are going to include as viewers will make their decision as to whether they want to carry on watching the rest of the film within the first few minutes.

Disregarded ideas;

Genres..

There was a range of different genres that we could chose from which meant that the decision was harder. However, due to the fact that we had a very small budget it made our decision slightly easier as we then had to think about what would look good even though we had no money to spend on the set/stunt men etc. This meant that a comedy film would be quite hard for us to produce at a good enough standard as they usually include a lot of props and take a long time to make. Also, comedy films are very subjective because everyone has a different sense of humour, which meant that our film opening could be a complete disaster. Romance was another option that we considered however we didn't have any males that wanted to act in our production which then narrowed down our options to doing a horror/thriller.

Settings..

Once we had chosen the Genre of film we were going to use we then had to decide where we were going to shot our film. The main reason for not choosing to shot our film within the school was that we didn't think it really fitted the Genre that we had chosen. Houses are usually used for happy films, romance and sometimes comedy which meant that it wasn't going to fit the Genre we had chosen. This then left us with the idea of using the woods to shot of film which we decided would be the best place and would fit our chosen Genre perfectly.

Character..

We decided against using an older male to act in our film as it would portray the wrong image and wouldn't fit with the ideas we already had for our production. We needed the character to look innocent and vulnerable as we have chosen a horror/thriller film. If we had chosen a male actor we wouldn't have been able to create the correct image as they are more likely to be able to stand up for themselves.

Sound..

When thinking about the sound we should use within our production we quickly decided against putting dialogue in our film as we already had a vague idea of what the plot of our film was going to be. After watching Train Spotting we thought about using a monologue in our film. However, after thinking about this for longer and more in depth we realised that this would be very hard to make it work well, so we went against using this idea. This then left us with using fitting music to help set the scene along with sound effects such as; foot steps & heavy breathing.

Chosen ideas;

Genres..

The genre that we have chosen to use is Thriller/Horror. We have chosen this genre as we thought that it would allow us to use a range of different skills in which we have learnt though out the year. Also, we thought that this genre is more likely to appeal to a large audience rather than limiting it by choosing a chick flick or a comedy for example.

Setting..

We have chosen to set part of our film in the Woods and the other part of our film in a Club. The reason for this is to make our production more mysterious and keep the viewers interested in what is going to happen next. The woods are where most of the film is going to be shot as we decided as a group that this would be the most appropriate place to film and emphasise the sense of vulnerability that we are trying to portray. The rest of the shots are going to be filmed within a club as we thought that this would be the most likely place for someone's drink to get drugged if they are out in a crowed place.

Character..

A young female is the character that we decided to go with in the end. The main reason for this due to the typical stereotypes that females are weaker than males. This is an important factor in our film as alot of it in based around the main character being very vulnerable. This will help to create the correct atmosphere for the film that we are producing.

Sound..

We have chosen to use no dialogue within our production so this means that we will need to think long and hard about the music we are going to include. We need to make sure that the music we choose fits well with the story we are trying to portray to the viewers. Also, making a film with no dialogue leaves the viewers to make their own mind up about what is going on and may create a sense of confusion making them want to watch it for longer to find out what is going on.

Adding sound effects will help to remind the viewer that the main character is being watched as they will be able to hear heavy breathing and foot steps. This well emphasise the sense of vulnerability and mystery.

Introduction

The task i have been given for my AS Media Studies coursework, is to produce a film opening.

To complete this task we have created a group of 4 people (Myself - Becky Morrish, Sophie Davis, Layla-Jay Fox & Steve Hook), each being given different roles to help complete this production. Between us we have come up with a range of different film ideas, genres and story lines for us to chose from.

We have been given the instructions that we have been given are that the film opening must be no longer than 2 mintues and be all original footage that we have shot ourselves along with original music.

Initial Research

To start my coursework i am going to watch six film openings. While watching them i will write notes about what i like about them, the mis-en-scene, the shots used and the lighting and music used. Watching the first two minutes of six films will help me to see a range of different shots being used along with types of music and lighting, which i may then be able to take ideas from to include in my own film.

Slum dog Millionaire;

Slum dog Millionaire is a British film, produced by Danny Boyle. This is a very successful film winning a total of four golden globes, seven Baftas and eight Oscars.

This film has a very interesting opening as it keeps flicking between shots of who wants to be a millionaire and random flashing images that mean nothing to the viewers before they have seen the film. Also, throughout the opening sequence of shots there is a question in the top right hand corner which makes the viewers start thinking about 'how he won the 20 million rupees'.

I like the different shots that are used to create a sense of tension. The sound which is used in the opening a clock counting down for the viewers to answer the question. I like the chose of sound as it fits in with the story but also helps to create a tense atmosphere and wonder throughout the viewers. The fact that the use of dim lighting has been used also helps to create the sense of wonder as you are only able to see certain parts of each shot making you wonder what is going on around him.

The things that i would take from this would be the quick change of shots, which work really well together to keep the viewers guessing what is going on and what is about to happen.

Train Spotting;

Another film that i watched was Train Spotting, there were certain elements from this film that i liked and thought may work well in my own film production.

The part of Train Spotting that stood out the most to me was the fact that a prologue was used throughout the film opening. This helps to set the scene of the film and without even thinking about it the viewers automatically feel like they are in the shoes of the character who is speaking. I also like the fact that the film jumps straight into the action with music that fits in well with the speed of the characters running through a busy area.

Lost;

To add to the research that i had already done, i watched the TV series 'Lost'. Lost follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles crashes somewhere in the South Pacific.

The reason that i chose to watch this TV series was that the opening (which is what i was focusing on) was different from any of the other films i had already studied.

The opening sequence to lost is of a man who is very disorientated walking and running through a wooded area. This wants the viewers to keep watching to find out what happens next and how he ended up there. As a good we analysed the good and bad points about the opening and decided that we could use a few different things and incorporate them into our production. This included things such as the opening shot of the eye opening, we thought that this shot would work well in our production. Also, we liked the choice of music that was used. It was very appropriate for the scene and situation it was used in. This made us realise that we would need to choose music that fitted with the genre of our production.