Equipment..

The only equipment i needed to use to create my product was..

• a video camera
• imovie HD
• mobile phone

Editing..

Once I uploaded my film, i had to sit and edit different clips together, sort out the order, add transitions and credits and add my voiceover. This didn't actually take that long as I didn't really have much to edit, the transitions and titles probably took the longest.

Cutting

Flashbacks

Adding transitions

Adding credits

Final editing

Story boards..

After coming across the problem with the location for my filming I found a new place to use and re drew my storyboards with a couple of changes.

I decided to open my film with a establishing shot of the bridge, this tells us where the action is about to take place, it is set in an urban area. I have chosen to use a hand-held camera at the beginning to create a sense of gritty realism, almost a documentary style. I have employed a point of view shot which allows the audience to be involved with the action to the point where they view the world through the character's perspective. I am breaking the conventional narrative structure as outlined by Todorovs. My film begins with disequilibrium to instantly engage the audience. At this point I intend to include a flashback of the character with her friends at a party, this will introduce the state of equilibrium. For the next shot I have chosen to use a long shot so we can see the character, her approach and the scenery. Throughout the opening sequence I intend to show more flashbacks as to show the audience how my character got to the point she is at. This continues to bring the equilibrium. The high angle shot I have chosen to use of the character standing on the edge of the bridge looking over is used to show the authority she believes she has over her own life. The low angle shot used later is also used for this intention. The over the shoulder shot I am going to use in one of my flashbacks allows the audience to feel apart of the action. The high angle shot I finish my opening sequence with gives an overview of the scene. It also gives the sense of her looking down on herself and what she has left behind.

Voiceover script..

This is the script for the voiceover i will have playing throughout the opening scene of my film, i believe this shows just how my character is feeling and why she feels that way. I think i need this as it just helps explain my film a bit better and shows exactly why she is in the position she's in.

I recorded the voiceover on my phone as i thought this is how she would record it if it was real. i didn't want it to sound perfect. You can hear noises and sounds in the background and i think this makes it sound a bit more like reality. I wanted it to be just like these are her last words, and I feel it works this way.

After i recorded it on my own i sent it via e-mail to myself and downloaded it to itunes from there i added the soundtrack straight to my film.

Questionnaire..

I decided to construct a film questionnaire to find out what people want and expect to see in a film. I have asked about certain elements to help me decide what to use and what not to use for example flash backs, twists and turns or special effects. I asked an equal amount of males and females as i didn't want to aim at only females. I asked mostly 15-19 year olds as that is what i want the main age of my audience to be.

I found that i got very similar amounts of answers for all my questions, it came back very equal. I had almost equal results for the question 'do you tend to watch Romantic Dramas / Thrillers?' which tells me that this genre is not entirely popular or a favourite of all people although almost every female i asked answered yes. As it is my favourite type of film i still chose to use this genre. I found that people definately prefer twist and turns in a love story rather than a typical romance, flashbacks and special effects came back pretty much equal although i have decided to use flashbacks as it will be a way for me to explain exactly why my character comes to the decision she does. More people said they expect music in the opening sequence than not so i did think about using music but instead i have chosen to use a voice over to add effect and to show exactly how my character is feeling. As my last question states most people said they like to see action right from the beginning which is why i chose to go straight into the location of the jump and get right in there with the action.

Giving things a go..

I decided to go out and try to do a bit of filming, to get started, but when I went up to the location I chose I came across a few problems. I have realised I am unable to use that area so therefore I am going to have to rethink the location. I already have a few ideas in mind. I am glad I did this in advance so it wasn't left to the last minute and I wasn't left with nowhere to film. I decided to take a few images while I was up there to show the area and that I gave it a go.

Story boards..

When i looked over the storyboards i previously drew i realised it was not clear why the girl decided to take her life. The audience do not get to see any other part of her life so i have decided to add in some flashbacks as I think it then shows why she has come to her decision and does not just leave the audience completely confused and not knowing what is going on.

I got a bit confused with the sounds and music throughout my piece and have realised...

• The sound of the trains will be diegetic as the character will be at the station
• All the voice overs will be non-diegetic
• The music at the party will be diegetic
• The speech during the argument with her mother will be diegetic

Ideas so far..

I have created a few storyboards of my ideas so far. This is how I imagine my film looking, I want to go and try out a few ideas first though before I decide on it completely.

Analysing opening sequences..

Pearl Harbour opening sequence

The opening shot of the film presents us with an image of a sunset, the colours are not bright and bold, but rather stricking, this is code for dramatic. The golden hues and soft focus are code for romance. It is an establishing shot of the countryside, the mountains tell us that it is set in America. The land beneath the sun is very dark this gives the sense of mystery. Instantly I can see that the film is aimed at an audience of middle-aged females. The camera stays static and we see the entrance of the plane from the top right corner. This is the first bit of action we have seen this is code for adventure involving pilots. This is a convention of war films, what we expect to see. It brings heartache, pain and death, these are all conventions of war. The slow motion of the movement really allows the audience to think about what they are about to watch, we see a close-up of the plane which allows us to focus on it, the bright red colour of the plane draws attention. The camera switches from a long shot to a close up which is a convention of romantic cinematic films. We then see a fade exit and an image of the sunrise which is a code for romance and is the symbol of Japan. The title of the film fades into this image.
The colours then switch to reveal an aspect of realism. We are then presented with a low-angle, tracking shot of the plane which switches to a side view, tracking shot of the plane as it comes into land. The camera then switches to a high angle shot and we see informative graphics (Tennessee, 1923). The camera then replicates the flight of the plane on a dolly crane. We see a series of establishing shots telling us that the characters live by this barn, on these crop fields. This is a code for farming, lower working-class people. The non-diegetic music is very slow and peaceful this is code for sorrow. But this can also be seen as juxtaposition as the sounds you would espect to hear at war are loud, banging, screaming voices, and explosions, you don't get a peaceful minute. This represents the families still at home carrying on about there normal day.
The camera, in constant movement, then shows us a series of shots. We are then introduced to the first of the characters, two young boys. We can see them playing around, laughing and having fun. This is code for their relationship, for friendship. The fact that they are playing in their dad's plane shows that they look up to him, they have seen him fly and they mimic him. He is there hero, their inspiration.

Brokeback Mountain opening sequence

The first image we see as the audience is an establishing shot of a country landscape, we can see the warm colours of sunrise in the background behind the mountains, this is code for love, friendship and romance. The rest of the image is not in sharp focus, it's slightly blurred making the image softer. There is a blue tint across the image which gives a cold feel. These can be seen as juxtaposition as one represents the character's love for each other and the other, society's view on homosexual relationships. As the camera stays static we see the first piece of movement, a car entering from the bottom right hand corner. We then see an edit and the camera presents us with a close up on the vehicle. The mise-en-scene and old style telegraph poles tell us we are situated in a rural scene. As the vehicle comes into focus we can see that it is a truck which is code for working-class American's. The camera then follows the character in a mid-shot as he jumps out of the vehicle. His costume; boots, jeans, shirt, leather jacket and cowboy hat are all conventions of western films but also code for his character, this tells us he is a cowboy who works on horseback tending to animals on the ranches in north America. We are then presented with informative graphics, telling us that the film is set in Wyoming, North America in 1963. The character then exits to the left of the screen. The next scene shows another establishing shot, of a rural area. The colours of the buildings are very bland compared to the bright colour of the sky which is code for happiness and freedom but also for the feelings he is going to experience later in the film. The next image we see is a wide angle shot where again the mise-en-scene tells us we are in a north American town. The rusty truck, old wooden cabin, battered bin and patches of grass and straw are all conventions of this. The character is standing with relaxed body language, his head lowered and hands in his pockets. He is not tense or worried about anything. The camera stays static as a train rushes past but we can still see the character and he was not fazed at all by this. There is then an edit and the camera shows us a mid shot of the man where we can see he is smoking and he flicks out the cigarette with his finger. We then see a wide angle shot of the landscape which reveals very bright, warm colours, again this is code for happiness, warmth, love and freedom. Although the old style lamp posts, the train and buildings represent the time period the film is set. We can then see another vehicle approaching along the road. The close up we see next is really the first time we get to see his face properly and shows the character turning at the sound of the car this tells us this is what he was waiting for. His facial expressions show the first signs of him feeling a bit nervous. The camera then tracks the cars movement and as it pulls in we can see the this character is also wearing a cowboy hat. As he gets out of the car he slams the door and kicks the back this tells us he is not very calm, the language he uses tells us he is angry and not happy with the situation. As the edit changes to show us the new character from the other side we can see his entire costume and it is very similar to the first man's this is code for his job, his life and the area. From here we see a series of close ups and mid shots of both characters, there is no speech between them and they look away from each other. This tells us that the moment is a bit awkward and most likely unwanted.

A Walk To Remember opening sequence

The very first shot the audience see in a close up of the front light on a sports car, this is code for action and speed. The camera then pans across to the right as we see three teenagers get out of the cars this tells us they must be new drivers, we can hear the diegetic sounds of the car doors slamming shut. The costumes are all very dark, the first bit of colour we see is the bright red of the car entering from the top left corner. We see a mid shot of a couple kissing and the mise-en-scene is very dark, this scene is set in a rural quiet area, these are codes for troublemaking, teenage gangs, and sexualised behaviour. Their body language is relaxed, this tells us that they are comfortable and calm. From the character's accents we can see the film is set in America and the language they use tells us they are not necessarily well spoken, well educated people.

Saving Private Ryan opening sequence

The opening shot of this film presents a close up of an American flag, this tells us that the film is set here and is code for pride and patriotic emotions. The bright white background and sunlight behind the flag are code for freedom, happiness and eternity. The next scene begins with a close up of the back of a man's legs and feet walking away from the camera which tracks and tilts upwards behind him. The next edit then shows a mid shot of six characters walking behind the man. We see a close up of a male character taking a photograph and then we see the same image from the other side which reveals what he is photographing. This is also the first time we really see the male character properly from behind, we can see he is an elderly man. As the camera pans around the trees we see the man's face for the first time, he is looking past the camera towards something we can't yet see. The camera then switches and we see another image of the American flag. This tells us that he could well have fought for his country back in the war. We then see an image of the french flag this represents the battle between these countries in Normandy in 1944.  As the camera follows the man we see for the first time where they really are, the American cemetery in Normandy for the men who fought in the war. The white colour of the stones is code the peace these men are now at. We see a close up of the man's face which reveals the tears in his eyes, when he reaches his destination he drops to the floor and his family run over this shows the love they have for him. His body language and facial expressions are code for his emotions; love, sadness, upset, loss, heartbreak.

Analysing work already out there..

From this image we can automatically see that Pearl Harbour is a war film, but it also comes under the genre of romantic drama. We can see fighter planes flying high and low across the image, this is a convention of war films but also a code for drama and danger. The image is very dark and the clouds are black and grey, this is a code for death, pain and heartache, it tells us that a storms coming. The young woman has been placed in the centre of the image for a reason, she's an important character who we are going to see again. This image tells us that she is right in the middle of the war, she is involved somehow. Most likely, her husband is away fighting, this links back to the genre of romance, will he come back? will he not? The film already has you asking questions before you have even put the disk in the dvd player. The fighter plane on the right of the image is actually cut in half which creates a sense of an ongoing flight path. This places the audience in the middle of the action and is a convention of war film advertising.

On this image we can see plenty of conventions of  war film covers, we can see the film name, the main actors name and the tag line. We are told what year the film was released and details of other actors, the producer and director.

From the cover of 'The Lovely Bones' we can see that the film is centered around these two characters. The man is standing in the foreground, this shows his importance and authority over the young girl. The background goes from dark, dull and storm like on one side to light, happy and sunny on the other this is a code for the character's personalities. The man is standing in the dark, this is code for enigmatic. We can barely tell any of his features apart, this tells us that his personality is dark and frightening, he is a bit of a mystery and doesn't plan on being figured out. The young girl on the right is positioned slightly further back than the man and this tells us that she feels small and belittled around him. She is wearing a bright, bold costume which is a code for her happy, bubbly, extravert personality compared to his costume which is dark and dull. From her facial expressions and body language we can see that she is scared, she is standing very rigid, she was not expecting to see this man standing here.


This cover image has very similar conventions as the one above, we can see the film title, who the film is directed by and the tag line, 'the story of a life and everything that came after'. We are told when the film came out and who the company were that produced it.

Brokeback Mountain is completely different from a typical love story, it involves a great twist, which we can tell just from this image. The image of these two males is all we are focused on when we see this, we can tell something happens between these two. Their facial expressions are codes, they tell us that they are relaxed and comfortable together, enjoying each other's company, neither one of them are pulling away. The fact that both these character's are male automatically brings controversy and drama, this is not something we expect to see from a typical romantic story. Their costumes are code for their shared lifestyle. They are interested in the same things, they have many things in common. The costume is a convention of the western genre. The background is not particularly striking or bold in fact its faded and blurred in order to focus the audience on the central characters. The colours used are calm and relaxed, code for their relationship.


Again, this image has the typical conventions, the film title, actor's names and a tag line etc.




All these film titles are written in bold, white letters and they all stand out, they grab your attention, you cannot really miss them. This is exactly why they chose to use these fonts. In all these images there is not too much going on, in both Brokeback Mountain and The Lovely Bones we can see two characters, this tells us that they are important, ones to watch. Pearl Harbour does seem a bit more busy but is still rather simplistic. The fighter planes are conventions of war, we expect to see them. The dark, dull colours are a code for sadness and also a convention of war films.

• Pearl Harbour was released in 2001 under the director Michael Bay.
  
• It is set during the war of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, two childhood friends both serve as Army Air Cops but when love starts to blossom everything becomes complicated.
• Michael Bay went on to create more films but most of them being horrors of thrillers.

• Peter Jackson who directed ‘The Lovely Bones’ also produced ‘The Lord of the Rings Trilogy’ and ‘King Kong’. Both these other films involve scenes of romance and action and fantasy. All three films could come under the genre of drama.
  

• Brokeback Mountain directed by Ang Lee won 3 oscars and had another 78 wins. Ang Lee himself  is not a massive well-known director and hasn’t produced much work but brokeback mountain was a big hit.

Target Audience..

When creating any type of media product you need a target audience and I think the typical audience for any romantic drama is females and teenage girls but when crossing over into the genre thriller a film may appeal a bit more to males.

I want my main target audience to be teenage girls but I do not want to make a typical feminine film as I like twists and confusion. I want to aim my product at girls of around the ages 16-19 who are more than likely students either living at home or away at university, without a big income.

I believe my film will be the sort you could watch with your family, friends or parents so it could even appeal to an older audience. However while the appeal may be quite broad, my specific target audience will be young, typically feminine females.

I am going to encode my text using codes, conventions and aspects of media language as a means of conveying certain ideas to the audience. This will allow the audience to decode my product in a way that they will understand the text. I hope this will result in a preferred reading.

People that are interested in my film would also be interested in other films such as Titanic as it involves elements of tragedy and romance, The Notebook which involves elements of heartbreak or Love Actually which has aspects of all of these and also comedy. My target audience would be very caring about their appearance, be very interested in  fashion and enjoy being creative. They may enjoy shopping and love shops such as Urban Outfitters, Topshop, River Island or online stores such as Asos. These girls will love spending time with their friends, going out, having a good time, meeting new people. They may already be involved with relationships or beginning to be. They will have an idea of romance and

desire and have an idea of what they want from life. 

Brainstorm of work already out there..

Romantic Drama/Thriller

What's already out there?

• Titanic (1997), directed by David Cameron
• Pearl Harbour (2001), directed by Michael Bay
• Brokeback Mountain (2005), directed by Ang Lee
• The Lovely Bones (2009), directed by Peter Jackson
• The Lake House (2006), directed by Alejandro Agresti
• Ghost (1990), directed by Jerry Zucker
• Atonement (2007), directed by Joe Wright
• Romeo and Juliet (1996), directed by Baz Luhrmann

All very different films but come under the same genres: Romantic drama or thriller. The release dates vary and all by different directors.

I have chosen to work with this genre as i enjoy watching these types of films and find there can be lots of very varied story lines which i think keeps it interesting. You do not feel as if you are watching the same film over and over as some other genres may make you feel as they can be very similar. For example, all the films I named above are very different but similar in ways, they all involve romance but:

• Brokeback Mountain twists the typical 'love story',
• Pearl Harbour is a war film,
• Titanic being based on a true story,
• The Lovely Bones exploring life and death.

I feel this gives me the chance to mix a few different ideas and maybe include a few hidden twists!

Why I chose this brief..

I chose to do the opening sequence of a film for my final coursework task as I did not really enjoy the print prelim, I did not find it very exciting. I prefer working with moving images rather than stills, I feel it gives me more to work with and believe I have more to give. I also think I am better off working as an individual as I can try and and work on many different ideas before deciding on a final piece. When it comes to going out and filming, i believe working on my own gives me more of an opportunity as i can go when I want to rather than trying to find a day when everybody is free. I also think that working in groups can sometimes be harder as you normally get some people working more than others and working on my own allows me to take credit for my own work and if things do go wrong i understand it would be down to me.