soundtrack sequence 11- TBC

so far we have decided to use Its A Trip -- Joywave. the on concern I have had is that I down want out opening sequence too look too much like a music video, especially since we are recording music videos early next year.

bullet points of camera shots 10

•  close up shots of perspiring glass being drank by a man
• cuts too close up of women drinking from a wine glass and leaving lipstick on the glass
• cut out to man sat alone at bar 
• cuts too man walking towards door 
• mid shot from other side of door as man puts in headphones 
• camera pans along as he walks straight out of bar and turns camera follows him
• cuts to widow of cafe with girl inside zoomed in on her face 
• zooms out still focused on her as man walks she fades away/ disappears obvious she's gone 
• close up of her hand going in too light smoke 
• extreme close up zoom to her lighting cigarette in slow motion close up.
• back to close up of her removing lighter
• cut too mid and she's not there 
• sideways mid shot of him smoking 

early drafts of storyboard/. 9

early drafts of storyboard drawn by MIA    : 

Whole story -- opening sequence 8

backstory too our plot is that  

costume ideas

 

For the leading male: all I have in mind is a body warmer as a homage to a picture from shame. And probably a hoodie signifying a little younger than possibly expected yet still somewhat old as not many young people wear a body warmer.

Wife: long white trench coat -- sleuth like look without it being too obvious that that's what we are alluding to.

Woman 2: younger vibes clothes -- the stripes seem to me to add a more youthful/innocent persona to the mistress character. like it isn't her fault 

camera work- group title sequence 3

 

today we had our first lesson with Matt who showed us the basics of setting up and using the camera. a summarised version of these first steps are: 

1. take tripod out of kit bag 
2. extend tripod too height that is more or less at your eye-line
3. lock in place making sure legs are equal 
4. take camera from box and attach to tripod by sliding in 
5. tighten the two twist on the camera 
6. check the bubble, untwist the bottom of the tripod head and manoeuvre till bubble is centred and then twist back too re lock in place. 
7. place the battery pack on the back of the camera 
8. open the screen on the side of the camera and press the on button
9. record 

we will incorporate these skills into our sequence as we start to use the cameras more frequently in production. 

context -- group opening sequence 6

We're talking about name ideas for the characters and their stories for the rest of the film. I use initials too refer to my characters, as quicker too type and I don't like full names I write often. originally I referred to the male as CK, because he was a womaniser like 'Captain Kirk'. And the female was EXM a reference too Ex-Machina as she was built for purpose. now I that we have improved upon the script, and the characters have more depth we are brainstorming ideas for the rest of the plot.

To me names always need to mean something, too have a story behind, layers in layers and references too the original notion and spark of the idea. For example I wanted to call the male DB, as the man in the Glass Animals music video which I based some of this sequence off his name is Dave Bayley. or TS for T.S Eliot.

the W.B Yeats poem Politics. Gave me some ideas on how to manage the feelings of the male character 

How can I, that girl standing there,

My attention fix

On Roman or on Russian

Or on Spanish politics,

Yet here's a travelled man that knows

What he talks about,

And there's a politician

That has both read and thought,

And maybe what they say is true

Of war and war's alarms,

But O that I were young again

And held her in my arms.

We have decided on the name  Cassie Sheridan for the female. Cassie being a reference too a character in Skins. and Sheridan the surname of another girl in The BBC show Normal People. its Irish so it can refer to the Irish literature I used for the original male character.

For the male I'll be referring to him as TC, as Thomas Chatterton the first romantic poet. This line 

Rose pale,—his solemn agony had not

   Yet faded from him ...
Oblivion as they rose shrank like a thing reproved.

I thought of this as we were 'soul searching' for the new character and the sequence. As she fades from him, but leaves the agony there it doesn't go with her like she does. Oblivion like shrinking and rising, and trying to be proven, to prove himself to her, creator of his madness.

male protagonist -- 

CK 

TS

Ozzy (Ozymandias)

TC -- chosen 

female protagonist -- 

EXM 

Cassie Sheridan -- chosen 

photograph inspiration -- group title sequence 5

image inspiration 

Shame -- Steve McQueen for shots on the bridge 

Agnes -- Glass Animals -- I like this music video its the main guy in a human centrifuge used to train astronauts for space. link. 

the colour jade -- makes me think of the girl used 

this as the girl 

roughly the image of the bridge that I had in mind 

brainstorm - group title sequence 4

 with our new knowledge of the camera work, we are now comparing shots and thinking about new ideas. we 

groups new shared ideas: 

first shot, man on bridge, from sky above camera comes down to mine face shot. 

two close up shots of man and women drinking

shot of the whole bar but only he is there, lipstick 

walking down the street background noise etc, puts in headphones and soundtrack starts. 

walking down the street as credits comes up,

he turns as walking past the cafe. 

this is the image I had in my head whilst whilst parts of the script. from the Steve McQueen film shame. 

casting

we cut down to 2 options for the main male and for the female characters. 

 

  

the ideas- group title sequence 2

 today we are discussing new ideas for the title sequence, 

first idea: man _ womanizer 

Alias: Captain Kirk/ CK 

will add extras in red for filler shots etc 

action list 1;

MID ESTABLISHING - opening DRAG DOWN to CK on bridge

he is crying, looks ashamed and has wet hair, the rain masks his tears but his sadness and shame is completely visible

camera breaks too him walking into a coffee shop with a woman, 

shots from outside big windows laughing drinking etc

cuts too him somewhere maybe at him having texting and smiling but phones goes off a-lot, makes it clear he isn't alone on the phone 

CUTS to bridge briefly, head up too down seeing self torture

similar shot of coffee shop yet with different woman, 

more fragile in his movements this early signs of weariness not as jovial as when he was there before 

more texts on phone same thing, but less exited. just smiles a lil and sits back 

cuts back too the bridge as he starts slowly shaking, over his own shoulders.

again the coffee shop, a bit quiet but still trying he laughs a lil and she can seem somewhat uncomfortable but not weirded out or anything 

sofa again on his phone this time he reads the phone but doesnt reply, CK  leans back on sofa hands on face and rubbing off 

bridge again CK's shaking this time almost scraping at the edge of the bridge, 

CLOSE UP of moss going under his nails and he wails. animal over music, smells adrenal as he shakes 

this time he is just staring in the coffee shop, she doesn't leave as it would give the reason this is why he is upset.

Shot of him throwing phone hard

this moment is where everything changes, starts too speed up, the SHOTS become less and less coherent, in a speeding frenzy 

NEXT TO NEXT TO NEXT. 

CLOSE UP of his face screaming on the bridge with tears hands on head 

potential: jumps probs not 

action list 2; MIA

* establishing mid shot of man coming out of a cafe with a large window you can hear the ding of bell as he leaves

* establishing mid shot of man coming out of a cafe with a large window you can hear the ding of bell as he leaves
* He starts to walk and we follow him using freehand shot 
* Close up of him reaching in his pocket pulling his earphones out
* Back to mid shot as he puts them in and the music starts playing (background noise cut out)
* It cuts to establishing shot of us looking at him in the cafe with a woman *editing would make it slightly blurry so you can tell its a flashback* the sound would be cut out.
* Mid shot of the woman’s face she is laughing.* He starts to walk and we follow him using freehand shot 
* Close up of him reaching in his pocket pulling his earphones out
* Back to mid shot as he puts them in and the music starts playing (background noise cut out)
* It cuts to establishing shot of us looking at him in the cafe with a woman *editing would make it slightly blurry so you can tell its a flashback* the sound would be cut out.
* Mid shot of the woman’s face she is laughing.* Then cuts back to him wide shot of him walking somewhere (starts to speed up). 
* Cut back to cafe but different woman, although it cuts a little earlier
* This happens another 3 times the cuts having shorter intervals making it get faster in pace.
* Wide shot of him running flashing between close ups of women laughing and it keeps flashings between them
* The flashing calms down slowing as he slows down
* Mid shot as he takes a step up onto something *the camera fixed in place*
* Wide shot of him on top of the bridge just looking straight ahead
* Close up of his face as it freezes on that image and the title comes up

action shot 3:LILY 

- mid tracking shot moving left - stops of man in middle composition

- mid shot - camera moves backwards and then tracks the back of the man walking - follows to door

- mid shot of the side of the man putting on his hood and walking out door

- close up of his face putting in headphone - another soundtrack starts

- wide shot of him walking to across the village square

- camera pans to the left to see him enter the coffee shop

- tracking shot to the left of him walking through the coffee shop and picking up a coffee - filmed outside

- mid shot - filmed other end of the lane - man walking straight down the road

- cuts to studio shoot - close up shot of the man and a lady hand linking

- cuts back to the man walking down road

- cuts to studio - close up over shoulder shot of man tucking hair behind her head

- cuts back to man walking down the road

- cuts to studio - close up over the shoulder of man putting hand on her face 

- cuts to man walking

- cuts to studio - close up ofhim leaning into kiss her - left and right composition 

- cuts to mid shot of man walking onto bridge

- mid shot looking at him standing on the bridge

first meeting: group title sequence 1

 we've decided on an idea a loosely based comparison between the 3 of us. 

Shere bridge 

hillys coffee 

Ive been put in a group with Lily and Mia, I liked both their ideas when previously discussing them in class and now we are thinking about an idea a loosely based comparison between the 3 of us. Lily's location was perfect for one of my ideas with a man on a bridge, Mia added ideas about costume and thoughts about the character themselves and I discussed ideas on the plot.

our combined idea one is: a man on a bridge and he walks around and is speaking too loads of women, a womaniser whom cannot control has feelings since he feels only lust. lily's location of the bridge works perfectly for the scene as I envisioned a body of water behind the man, I think overall this group will work well. we have good ideas and are able to compromise if necessary. however I am wary of how its gelled so far, makes me think something might go wrong further down the line undoublty it will but thats the bridge we cross. 

Tommorow we planned too come up with more ideas so we are not stuck on one, and although I like the idea and its mainly any writing I do not love it, I feel there is more too be done ergo we will come up with 3 more ideas too add to our portfolio and hopefully discover one we all really like, if not we can create and contribute too another proper combined project from scratch. 

post 2:general analysis of past sequences (Hurtwood)

Kalender Prince:https://youtu.be/o4CnZN2W7ps

Of all the opening title sequences so far this one was my favourite. 

There was a killing again, which previously move not been a fan of due to them all having basically the same script however this time the killing was justified. it added depth, it made me want too find out why this man in the dark had these women perform ballet for him. It left more questions than answers which is a good thing and exactly what I want too do with my piece. bringing in another girl at the end to perform for him was also clever, suggesting this man is rich and has many disposable women. the line "again" although only one spoken word I believe was delivered perfectly. I had previously thought that it had possibly been set in Russia, due too the drink and ballet, seemed like a very Russian aesthetic even the body guard that took the ballet dancer away looked like a big Russian bear. when the line was spoken, due too it being one word, I couldn't tell whether or not the voice had an accent. obviously if it was in Russia by Hollywood standard this is a very normal occurrence, as there is often a stigma of Russian cruelty and cold heartedness.  However if it was British that almost seems wrong as supposed British culture is not like this at all. 

 I enjoyed Kalender Prince, the acting was good and set. the film up well which works for an opening sequence. There were no credits, which I don't approve of normally however it possibly would have distracted from the detail of the scene if there has been. 

post 1:general analysis of past sequences (Hurtwood)

Candy Floss: https://youtu.be/NvUYZFu5gaA

 my first reaction is great as the creators obviously have some sense as too whom their favourite authors are, '42nd studios" a clear reference too Douglas Addams novel 'A Hitchhikers Guide too the Galaxy'.  

What I think went well was the twist at the end, I was expecting it to be a dull clean murder scenario and not much more. The writers have set up a scenario where a young girl seems to be being targeted, this is exaggerated by the music used and the man's movements throughout the house. I wasn't expecting her to pull a gun and kill the man herself, then go on the phone so nonchalantly use code as if it was normal too her after getting up and getting dressed like a normal 17/18 yr old girl. the use of their credits was also good, different places on the screen and popping up when a new shot was in frame.

However, the thriller murder spy thing albeit a twist is still rather cliche. the gunshot was fake, obviously, but still looked even more fake than I expected it too. 

what ive learnt from this piece is too not try anything I cant handle in my script ergo, killing someone or visual effects I am unable too achieve 

Betty:https://youtu.be/OZjmh2DNjrI

Again, cliche and this time I expected a twist a normal woman getting ready for the day, walks into the next room and has someone tied up. the acting wasnt as good as the last either, thankfully no dialogue though. there were also no credits which I think are the most essential part too a TITLE sequence. 

Penance: https://youtu.be/VNUGQVdSyis

Again a similar thing, another murder. I didn't understand why, or how she got past the crowds. pros are there was blood this time when she was shot, acting was a little better than the last however too much dialogue which can lead to ruining it due to not having proper actors. the music being juxtaposed too the actual scene was good however =, wasnt comedic but was better than it being all dark and broody for no apparent reason.

Dead Mans Shoe's opening

 Dead Mans Shoe's opening

Dead Mans Shoes opens with photos and videos form the 80's depicting two babies and their families. Non- Diegetic sombre sort of country guitar plays over this and continues throughout. It cuts to two men walking together through fields, clearly in the modern day as the camera quality improves drastically. They walk screen right to left indicating they are their way to a specific destination and know the way. In-between the shots of the two men walking it cuts back to the old home videos suggesting the two men walking are also the young children. The credits on the screen fade in an out, showing actors/producers etc.

The scene ends when the two men arrive near a shed looking home in the middle of a field. My analysis of this scene is that it leads the audience into a false sense of well being, in actual fact one of the men is dead and the other is out to avenge him. However, due too this being the first scene of the movie the audience would never know this. It shows how close the two brothers were when they were younger, and sets the rest of the film up well. This is something I will try to exploit as we do our coursework, a false truth for the audience. Just on a smaller scale as we do not have too make a whole film. The realisation will be within the two minute opening that we have too do. 

intro about me

 intro about me -- 

I'm a loner Scot who's got an infatuation for poetry, writing and a indie rock.

Theres not much interesting about me that happened up until around March 2020, thats a long backstory so I'll tell you instead what I write about. The three R's, real world, revolution and romance. A-lot of my chosen films this year are and/or will be chosen based on these topics. There is a 4th one which is Relationships as I believe relationships to be the centre of a human. This is my thesis:

I have ideas. Im not good at expressing my ideas because I'm often under the impression I'm the smartest person in the room. Which is only true when I’m alone in bed, but my ideas resonate with me, I feel passionately about the way we lie, we talk our way through things emotionlessly, on repeat, the default that makes the world go around. I find people hard, we as a species don't understand each other, we try out new things to stray away from the norm and it works in the media. Theres 7.5 billion of us you should see the people you never heard of. We are the people that are hard. Hardened by our surroundings by the people who lie, so here’s the truth. 

I’ve lived for too long, I've had 4 lives and I've seen things in that time that are at the centre a human. Lust for company, for working, greed takes your heart, and stops it from finding love. Or giving you love to lose as collateral for the useless brain. To impress, to party, to think or not to think, to feel a body, to smoke, talk, drink and break. The centre of a human is not what you think, but a part of them is the relationships them and another person(s). It's in the way that we dress, talk, go place and interact with the other people we share the city we live in with. We dress one way to impress the person we like and we’d dress another for a job interview its as simple as that, everything we do is for the company around us. 

 

Born, education till 18, gap year, or no gap year, uni at 19, 4 year course, 23, work for 5 years for your first promotion, move out the flat with uni friends cos you cant stand the smell of each other anymore. 30, want to get married, leave you job for someone, get married, have kids, either breadwinner or make their dinner. We don't know which is worse, do that for the next 18, they leave your, In your 50’s wondering what happened to the rest of your life. Thats life, thats literally the average human life, and then 20 years later you're basically dead. I don't wanna live my life like that. 

I wanna see beauty, I wanna see nature again, I want to feel someones body and wish they’d slide into mine like a piece of jigsaw. People don't dream like me anymore, I see mindless visionaries roaming around cluelessly more worried about what their friends think of them on that day in-particular. I worry about my education, because I want to do something with my life, but you’ll never catch me hating what I do once I’m out of here cos I've hated enough. I’m not a happy person, I'm angry, the last 3 years of my life have been an utter travesty, my fault I'm not sure, but I don't dwell anymore I cant afford it. The anger turns to paranoia, and I've spent years looking over my shoulder but how am I gonna move forwards if I'm constantly looking back. Direct line of vision, straight and fast. Everyone has a brutal time, everyone is sad, everything is wrong, and theres nothing we can do about it sometimes. But we need to learn to be happy with our sadness. And I'm not an optimist far from, I just have certain ideas I wanna carry across county lines. But people have been killed in the past for that so let's see how this goes. 

You wanna see why relationships are so important ? Think about the person you care about most, or people, think about memories with that person and what you’d be doing without them. How you’d be dressed, where you’d be, where you're sat right now. Have you lost them ? Talk to them, make something better cos you’re gonna need them back in your life even if it ruins you. I was much better when I had someone ripping my life apart. If people are rain, then I'm drizzle and they were a hurricane and it’s so much better. 

It's human to want to understand, its human too hate one another, it's human to be in love. But we wont always be here, in 120 years there will be a completely different set of humans on the planet, our time is short and we wont be remembered. But, silver lining. In my final remarks, I’ll tell you: There’s someone important to me, we live in borrowed time, and there is no way we as humans can certify our legacies in history, but that’s human history, we’ve only been around 2000 years we’re primitive kids. We wont be remembered for what we are now by the future, but by who we know right now, who love us, and find beauty in us, make you the centre human. That’s all we are, social creatures, till we die.

Thats me, I know its not really a personality but its how I feel and I try incorporate all of this into everything I do, cos what's the point otherwise if we're not showing people what we are.

first ideas for coursework

Idea 1: hacking 

Pro revolution era. Somewhat version of money heist / mr robot/ v for vendetta 

Film plot: The film revolves around a hacker in an office, typing, and then switching between that and government office officials/ president. British or American haven't decided. 

The hacker decides too change the world on his own accord, releasing state secrets as the fbi = cia try too track him down. 

Opening sequence: 

News outlets saying, country is x amount of debt. Quick excerpts for about 30 seconds of editing, the last clip zooms out to guy on sofa watching grabs laptop stands up and leaves. 

Sits at computer, typing (hacking) for a few minutes then making notes. Switches too office with a figure or authority doing whatever / enjoying himself. Back to hacker, hitting enter on his keyboard. The figure of authority Receives an email, something on the screen, like a logo, then assistants running in same thing on the screen etc. 

Idea 2: Like Shame

Plot: a guy who’s just useless at relationships. Spends his life sleeping around, screws up his life completely but cant really change it. 

Looped

Screen opens on a man stood on a bridge over a river. It moves to him leaving and entering a room drinking with someone. They meet,  chat, close, etc typical love stuff. Changes girl, exact same scenario on queue just speeding up and different girl. It gets faster and faster, rain starts up, last shot is him on the screen screaming in the rain/crying. Credits run inbetweem. Cuts too title.

Pros: very doable/ locations available / little acting 

Cons: possibly cliches and editing could prove tricky

Idea 3: Surreal or zoom 

Starts on two people stood on wood. zooms out and drags, along the lines of the wood, the credits are edited in and zoom out like we are moving away. Theres twists and turns and every time we think we’re at the right spot for the framing but it keeps moving from material to material like fight club. Finally ends up with the audience not knowing how far out it can go and stopping wherever. Like theres a hundred stories, but we’ve chosen one. High intense music plays, creates unsettlement or excitement 

Pros: 

no dialogue so shoddy acting

Very different to other groups in past 

Cons: no one can edit like this 

 

 

opening title sequences genres: horror/ thriller

opening title sequences genres -- 

Horror: 

Dracula (1958). -- https://youtu.be/cD5G49uFrnI

The infamous 1958 Dracula opens with a crescendo of orchestral instruments and a wide shot of a stone gargoyle. Automatically the audience is introduced to the gothic setting and surroundings where Dracula shall take place. A Hammer Film production presents' is the first thing shown on screen. Then as that fades out, the film title "Dracula"  fades in, in a blood-curdling red. Not many changes for about 30 seconds; the music continues to play as credits disappear in and out before the camera starts to pan very slowly around the gargoyle. It creates suspense as the camera continues to pan over a gothic style building/castle until it lands on a door and fades onto a stone burial chamber with the word 'DRACULA' inscribed. The music rises until this point and stops right as drops of blood land on the name. 

For the time, I believe this to be rather a good intro. It's slow, of course, but just like that of the time, more focused on giving credit that it is starting off the film there.

Thriller:

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) -- https://youtu.be/arty9MuqEg0

This takes a drastically different tone of sequence. It's fast-paced; there are no credits, just a solid terrifying sequence that sets the tone for the rest of the film. It keeps the watcher focused on the screen as well as the introduction of the protagonist. This is common for many thriller sequences solely concentrating on the action. View my blog post on the sequence for 7even.