Evaluation of the preliminary task

As I said in a previous journal I posted I and my group were set a preliminary task. We decided as a group to complete this task in short films and then edit them together to make it look like continuity. When we finally came to editing the footage we noticed a few problems that were unfortunately to obvious to deal with, leading us to make the choice to redo most of the footage.

To begin with the first mistake we identified was that when Jake was filmed walking down the stairs towards the door it is obvious that he made eye contact with the camera. The problem with this is it breaks realism to the audiences as it looks as though the action is being directed to them when in actual fact Jake was meant to act like the camera wasn’t there.

Another mistake we noticed was after Jake had walked across the room towards me and we had shook hands the footage stops therefore the movement of us beginning to take a seat is not filmed so when editing the shots of the handshake and the shot of us talking together the is no continuity due to the missing footage.

One of the aims of this task was to include a variety of shots one being shot/ reverse shot. We decided to use this shot when filming the dialogue between me and Jake, this meant that we would shoot me talking to Jake then record Jake talking to me. When looking back on the footage we noticed that the other person (the one not talking) cannot be seen in the shot whilst filming the person talking therefore I and my group will have to redo this filming to allow us to correct our mistakes. 

Furthermore another fault we noticed was in the final footage. During this clip I and Jake stand up to shake hands before he departs the room. Unfortunately there are two problems with this, one being the lighting. The footage is very light (natural lighting) throughout but when we both stand up the lighting seems to go very shadowy and dark so we are unable to see our faces.

The second problem is that our heads are cut off when we stand up to shake hands and also Jake's head is cut off when he walks across the room to leave. 

Journal (3)
Over the past few days I and my group, Jake and Sophie, have been focusing on completing a preliminary task in which a character had to be shown opening a door, crossing the room and sitting on a chair opposite another character, these characters would then have to exchange of few lines of dialogue. We decided to base our film on a job interview therefore Jake was the interviewee meaning he was the character who opened the door and crossed the room and I was the interviewer so the character who he had to sit opposite to.
Furthermore the footage had to include three specific camera shots, these being:

• match on action
• shot/ reverse shot
• the 180 degree rule

We completed the film in short bursts, for example film me saying my lines then stop the videoing then film Jake saying his lines then again stop filming. As we chose to do it this way out next job is to edit the short clips together to make it more continuous.

During the first footage only Jake is seen whilst me and Sophie filmed. The reason why both of us were needed for this job was because Sophie was unsure as to what angle the film should be filmed from therefore as I was not needed to be seen in the footage I helped her with the positioning.

Lastly I believe that I took a very managerial role in my group, rather like a director, as I was telling them how to do certain things to make the filming as easy and suitable as possible.  

Music idea for my opening sequence

When thinking about what sort of music would be suitable to play in the background, I came up with the idea that the music should start and end slower. This is because the action doesn’t really begin until the man sending the text leaves the isolated room in which the audience sees another character tied up also the sense of danger isn’t recognisable until this moment. Additionally at the end of the opening sequence the group of four, who received the text, are left in a state of shock, confusion and fear after watching a video of their leader being held hostage.

The effect the pace of the music would have on the audience is it creates tension as the build up is steady.

After much research into different types of music I came to the decision that I preferred this one the most out of a selection.

Great Expanse

http://www.freeplaymusic.com/search.aspx?q=action

I found this piece of music on Freeplay music.

After listening to this piece I have changed my idea on what I want the music to be like.

The piece begins in the same way as I initially wanted but towards the end of the track the pace and loudness seems to increase which I took a liking to as it would add consternation to the audience. Also at around 30 seconds the music becomes really upbeat and begins to sound like an action genre film. 

Shot types in filming

In the first scene there will be two main shot types used, over the shoulder shot and a long shot.

Over the shoulder shot will be used when we see the character sending the enigmatic text message the camera will then use the movement of zooming out enabling the audience to see a long shot of the same character stood in the room with a sneak preview of the tied hands and feet.

Over the past few days I have taken videos and photos showing these shots in action. Some of the people used in these images and recordings are not the characters who will be involved in the actual filming.

Over the shoulder shot

This is when the shot is taken from behind the character that is looking at either another character or an object, although the shot can vary to show the shoulder or back of the person facing the object I and my group came to the decision that when filming we will only show about 1/3 of the characters head including his ear.

This allows the audience to have an insight as to what the character is seeing from their point of view.

Long shot

This is when the character is the main focus of the image even though the background mostly dominates. The character involved is shown from head to toe, in other words their head would be near enough at the top of the frame and their feet at the bottom of the frame.

This allows the audience to get a sense of where the character is (the environment) so in our case it would be in the small room where a body is being held hostage.

Furthermore it can also allow the audience to see the costume of the characters involved in the shot type, in our case the costume of the kidnapper would be all black, this would lead the audiences being able to create a judgement of them.  

Establishing shot

 

This can be also known as an extreme long shot and is when you are able to see the landscape of where the filming is taking place. In the case of my opening sequence it will be used in scene 2 when the four characters who receive the text arrive at the destination given.

This allows the audience to get a general impression of the environment and notify them where the action is taking place additionally it will let the audience know that a new scene has begun.

Close up

This is when one feature of the character or object takes up most of the frame, for example shot of someone face.  It exaggerates facial expressions therefore conveys detailed emotion. This shot type will be used when I and my group are filming the video the group of four will watch, in scene 3, as it will display to the audience the damage done to the victim, through make-up, making it look like he has bruising and ghastly cuts to areas of his face. At this moment the audiences will get a sincere emotion towards him and hopefully realise the situation is urgent.

                                

Medium close up

This when the character is shot from the chest up. I and my group will use this shot when filming the video that will be shown on the phone, we decided this because it allows the audience to see the emotion of the character therefore they will be able to identify the kidnapped person feels afraid and in danger realising the situation is serious. 

Journal (2)
During this past week me and my group have practised filming different shot types, in this task we had to film each other using the variety of shot types instructed, which will hopefully be included in our film. Additionally we practised editing short clips on Final Cut Pro so that we have a basic understanding when it comes to editing our final piece for our opening sequence. 

Synopsis
When a team of retired military servicemen receive an anonymous text they discover they are about to be reunited for the first time in 6 years in order to save the life of their former leader, Jake.
They must work together and overcome their differences if they have any chance of accomplishing 12 rounds of tasks sets by Rick, the leader of the gang who violently kidnapped Jake.

After much distribute and disagreement the team decide to regroup with determination to save Jake.

Will they be able to work as a team like they used to, tackle obstacles and over power Rick and his gang?   

Storyboard on the first scene

During the first scene we see a mysterious text message being sent from a Blackberry mobile, the audiences are unable to see what the text exactly says as it is covered. After the text had been sent we see the man leave the room where a tied up person seems to be being kept hostage, it is not clear what or in facet who this person is or why he is there. The last footage we see in the scene is the man closing and locking the door behind him.

Annotations (if unable to read)

The first image

•     Back of head = remains a mystery who he/she is
•     Unable to read the text (blurred? Covered?)
•     Gloves = maybe wanting to keep his identity a secret

 The second image

•     Very dim lighting = isolated
•     Cracks and cobwebs = abandoned
•     Balaklava = unidentified > makes audiences ask questions so will have to continue watching to discover answers
•     Dressed in all black = dark/ evil person
•     Golf clubs = harmful
•     Character tied up = shows a crime has been committed
•     Red on the door = blood?

The third image

•     Wooden planks across door = doesn’t want the other character to escape
•     No scenery behind the character locking the door = unknown where the room is

Journal (1)

So far I and my group decided what roles each of us will be when filming our opening sequence; the roles decided were as follows:

Jake Wilson: setting/location

Sophie Walker: sound/lighting 

Megan Edwards: costume

Jessica Fairhurst: make up and props

After, we finalised what our opening sequence will be based on from this each of us were given a piece of work to complete for next lesson, I was given the task of completing a storyboard on the first scene. 

Font idea for my opening sequence

I chose this font idea from the film ‘SE7EN’ (1995) and came to the decision of using this specific one because it has a sketchy effect symbolising someone’s writing. This can relate to our opening sequence in scene 3, after the group finally arrive at the given destination a few minutes pass when suddenly a mysterious dark coloured car with blacked out windows rapidly pulls up alongside them and the driver throws a bag out of the window, in the bag are a mobile phone and a ransom note. The font chosen can relate to the writing of the character who wrote the threatening words.

Another reason I decided this font would be suitable is because it also looks rather like tracks where worn out tyres have been. This can relate to the drift I and my group decided the car will do as the sound effects of this will make the audience realise the genre of the film is action and is based on an urgent operation/ quest that has to be done with limited time. 

Preliminary shooting schedule

Scene one

First scene - location and costume idea

This image is a rough indication of what I and my group will be filming during the first scene of the opening sequence. It would be displayed after the long shot of the mysterious person who the audience would have just seen send a text message from a Blackberry mobile.

Throughout the image there are many enigma codes to suggest this scene involves crime but yet it is very vague what the crime actually is being committed.

The first enigma code is the clear view of the hands and feet tied together, this implies to the audience that someone is in serious danger but very much helpless and incapacitated as those body parts are the most helpful when trying to escape a situation like this one shown, for example running would be easier and quicker if your feet weren’t tied together.

Furthermore the position in which the powerless victim is sitting symbolises they are very weak and vulnerable at this moment in time and that they are incapable of doing anything to aid himself.

Additionally the image does not show the victim’s face leaving the audience in a sense of questioning who this character really is and why have they been put in this situation making the audience then doubt whether they have been put in this situation because they are in fact not a victim but rather like a ‘bad guy’ who has been taken hostage by someone seeking revenge for their actions. This then may lead to the audience eager to continue watching so they are able to answer these questions.

Another enigma code is shown through mise en scene. In the corner of the room there looks to be two golf clubs and another one on the floor, this implies either serious injury or even murder could have happened but still the audiences are not notified about the events and remain in a sense of mystery.

Following on from this when I and my group come to filming this scene there will be red paint around the room and door symbolising blood which also can imply harm to the body tied up.

Unfortunately in the image the cobwebs in the corner of the room and crack up the wall is not clear but this mise en scene shows the audience that this scene takes place in an abandoned environment conveying the character who tied this helpless person up doesn’t want the himself or others involved to be found adding tension to the audience.

The room in which the scene takes place is very narrow with limited space implying the character tied up feels very isolated and alone this can lead to fear and panic taking over the person’s body. Finally the room has little light which can symbolise how the audience is left in the dark about the events happening in this scene. 

Research into costume

Simply costume refers to the clothes that character wear. In films costume is used to indicate a character, advertise particular fashion or to make clear contrast between characters.

Generally costume can have a specific function in the film, for example by the 007 spy James Bond wearing a suit it symbolises he is a very important man but also wants to do business when compared to the costume worn by Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) in Karate Kid as he wears more casual clothes, rather like gym clothing which symbolises he may be doing physical activity to make him stronger.

Furthermore the use of costume can show the consumers what type of characters are going to be featured in the film leading to a basic idea of the content, for example during ‘in the line of fire’ (1993) both men and women are shown wearing the USA police uniform. To the consumers this would be symbolic that crime may be involved in the film they are watching but in other films costumes may be quite stylized, focusing more on their graphic qualities. Throughout ‘Ivan the Terrible’ (1976), costumes are carefully coordinated with one another in their colours, their textures and even their movements.

Additionally costume can be representative of the characters role. Representation refers to how people and places are portrayed to the consumers. It is beneficial to audiences if representation is used as a way of stereotyping characters because it allows them to engage more with the featured actors/actress’.  An example of how representation has been used in an action film is throughout Taken. Liam Neeson (Bryan Mills) travels across Europe to save his beloved daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), when she is kidnapped by an Albanian gang. Despite coming across many obstacles on his journey he never considers giving up on his daughter therefore he is represented as a strong and independent but very caring man who always puts his family first. The way in which costume helps to portray this representation is by him wearing very black and bold clothing this implies he has a hidden dark side and if anyone attempts to destroy or hurt his family he will turn nasty. 

WE WERE SOLDIERS (2002)

How can conventions of an action film be seen in this poster?
By simply looking at one of many film posters it is clear that this film contains a high level of action throughout.
One of the many ways in which the poster shows this is through explosions in the background which is a convention of an action film. This has connotations that danger lurks the surroundings of the soldiers meaning they have to be careful when walking on the battle zone.
The camera uses a medium shot when producing this poster; this allows consumers to clearly identify the emotion of the protagonist. His emotions connotes he is scared but also that he is determined which links into another convention, this being a quest or mission waiting to be completed in this case the mission seems to be fight for survival and to keep his men safe and out of as much harm as possible against the enemies. In addition the camera shot shows he is a soldier through his costume. The last convention used in this poster is the use of weapons; this is also an example of mise en scene.  The characters look to be holding very large and harmful guns showing that harm or death is contained within this film.
This poster also uses an establishing shot allowing consumers to see the whole environment and get a sense of the risk that creeps around them.
Finally when you first look at this the main image that stands out is the picture of Mel Gibson. Mel is an American actor and is very well known across the world therefore by making him be the main focus it will show consumers that the film he features in will be an action film due to the fact he is known for his involvement in that specific genre, furthermore from the audiences past experiences they may think Mel Gibson is an outstanding actor and will bring a successful film into the cinemas.

Analysis of the opening sequence:
The opening title sequence for We Were Soldiers is one of the longest title sequences to ever be produced, lasting a total of 4 minutes.

The first shot of the opening credits shows a very vacant forest with deceased trees; this can connote what the film focuses on or what is going to happen. This shot also contains no text.
After a few seconds the sound of a typewriter occurs whilst the text “These are the true events of November, 1965…” appears across the screen, this can be a signal to the consumers that it was set in a time of importance to history. The font of the text is white therefore connotes innocence but is also bold and very harsh may be signalising the trauma of the War and the determination of the young and old fighters. At the same time a much saddened male voice follows – this is shown through the deep tone. The fidelity of this non-diegetic sound is high as the voice speaks what appears on the screen, this allows the consumers to realise that whatever the importance of this date is, it is moment in history of deep sorrow.

Between the first shot to the second shot there is a sense of continuity by using the dissolve type of edit which goes smoothly horizontal from the left to the right side of the screen.

The same voice remains throughout the shots (sound bridge) saying “the La Drang valley of Vietnam. The place where country does not remember and a war is not understood. This story is a testimony to the young men and the people’s army of Vietnam who died by our hand in that place.” Additionally faint, obscure and secretive music plays in the background adding tension to the audience as it can convey the mood. In this shot the camera movement uses pan to show how deserted the forest is however unlike the first shot you can see a small group of men in the distance implying to the consumers something may arise from this spectacle. An example of mise en scene during this shot is what the men seem to be holding; at a glance they look to be carrying weapons which shows this is an action film as weapons is a convention of the genre. Another main focus of this shot is the fractured and fallen tree this can have connotations of the fallen soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam War which older aged consumers will have recognition of how tragic the War was. For the younger generation of consumers the narrator made it evident there were many deaths through the line “this story is a testimony to the young men and the people’s army of Vietnam who died by our hand in that place.”

Between the second and third shot the edit used is a fade in as the image of what looks to be military boots gradually appears eventually taking over the image of the forest. This is the moment in which audiences will have a distinct idea of the characters that feature in the film. The unknown voice continues to say “to tell this story I must start at the beginning… but where does it begin?” This is an example of enigma and would draw the audience in as they may want to find out the answer.

Here the camera uses three main shots.  A medium long shot, a low angle shot and a head on shot. Firstly the medium long shot shows the characters from the waist up, the purpose of this may be to give the consumers a clear indication of their profession this is also shown through the use of tilt, as the camera deliberately moves up the soldiers therefore audiences can get a sense of the costume. Furthermore the low angle shot infers they have authority and strength as it makes it look as though we are looking up to them. The pace of the opening sequences begins to increase implying that action is going to occur shortly. With the voice continuing diegetic sound is now introduced for example the boots marching on the dusty road, the murmurs of the soldiers and the clanging of weapons. This is also an example of ambient sound. The loudness of the soldiers increases showing they are getting closer to the camera and the next scene may be dialogue between the soldiers. Lastly the sound perspective shows the surrounding is spacious as you can still hear the general background noise, for example trees shuffling and birds.

The edit between the third and fourth shot is a simple cut however it is also a cut away shot as the tree branch is in the view blocking the image of the soldiers. This is also a use of natural lighting. Finally throughout the shots it is evident that something is going happen to the characters featured as the camera is constantly zooming in on them.

Throughout the shots displaying the characters, realism is never broken due to them never looking directly at the camera. This shot is an example of an oblique angle being used as the camera is filming from the side. This is the moment in which the nationality of the soldiers is identified as they speak French, this can make the consumers presume a tragic war is about to take place against another country.

Suddenly the opening sequence becomes very gory and melancholy. By this point it is even more evident that a war is developing as the consumers would have just seen the first of many deaths. The contrast of the royal red blood on the pristine white hat shows how awful the Vietnam War was and the pain it caused too many. The shot used is a close up; this allows the consumers to see the emotion of the soldiers face after witnessing the traumatic death of his captain. 

The edits are continuous cuts which show the different types of action happening and finally the suspension of when the action will begin is revealed, for example in this shot we see another death in less than 5 seconds. This can convey the disastrous plans made by George Armstrong Custer (army officer and cavalry commander in the Vietnam War) which unfortunately lead to many fatal deaths. 

In this shot there is one very clear convention of an action film, this begin the explosion in the background. It is also noticed that the sound goes from being mainly non-diegetic as the music is still playing in the background to being completely diegetic as the focus is around the shouting of orders, it is evident panic is beginning to take over because multilogue is introduced showing there is no organisation. Furthermore the commands are not very clear and the loudness also increases. The effect this would have on the audience is they would feel like they are there in the position the soldiers are. Additionally this will get the consumers heart-racing and get them ready for the context of the film.


The next few shots of the opening sequence use a variety of camera shots such as an establishing shot which allows the consumers to get the feel of the landscape of the war along with a high angle shot to implying all the power and authority from the third shot has now departed. Lastly a medium long shot showing the more recent characters are wearing a different uniform connoting these are the enemies, of the French, from a different nationality. 

Abruptly the rate of projection slows down which will make the consumers question why all the loud and nimble sound has been interrupted; this will draw them in to the film. The fidelity of the sound is very accurate because as the sound slows down it seems to be in time with the running speed of another soldier running to attack; this is due to the use of slow motion. It adds tension to the opening sequence. The lighting in this shot looks like low key lighting due to the dark and shadowy smoke from the constant explosions when in fact it is natural lighting.

This is another example of a high angle shot and grants the consumers to identify the effects of this war from seeing the number of innocent bodies lying lifelessly when all they were trying to do was fight for their country. The sound begins to focus on the stabbing of a French soldier who is conveyed as the assistant captain, the sound becomes very sharp as you see the knife pierce through his back, the effect this will have on the consumers is it will make them have sympathy to all involved in the traumatic event. 

The next shot uses a medium close up; this pleasures the consumers in seeing the emotion in the injured soldiers face. By this point the ambient sound has stopped and the consumers would only be able to hear is the breathing of the defenceless soldier connoting he is fearful. This may be due to the fact he knows his life is about to end or based on what the enemies are saying about killing everyone they send and knowing he cannot do anything about this as he is too weak may scare him. 

The shot used here is a point of view shot as it seems like we are looking from the soldier’s angle. This would make the consumers anxious as it makes it look as though we are in the injured soldier’s position and that is a position that they wouldn’t like to be in.

When the soldier pulls the trigger a bright white light flashes on the screen conveying the French soldier’s life has come to a suffering end. After this the screen goes pitch black but the sound is very bitter. We hear continuous gunshots followed by many high pitched screams of torture. This provides direct mise en scene of a gun in use. This would leave the consumers in deep sorrow and sympathy but also in question about what happened after the image went off.

The last five shots of the opening sequence focuses on introducing the producers, directors and a very well known character, Mel Gibson. The use of military style music symbolises that this is a war film. 

Action genre characters:

Vladimir Propp was a Russian critic who identified a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. He believed characters have a narrative function in which they provide a structure for the text. These characters are:

•  Usually have a male protagonist that plays the role of the hero but this does not necessarily match their gender or even their human form. For example the hero could be played by women, which in some cases are stereotyped as a tomboy character. Generally in action films this character is trying to seek something like a reward.   
• The reward in which the hero is seeking for is known as the princess. This character is usually an object of the villain’s scheming. Furthermore this character again does not have to necessarily be a person, for example in Shawshank Redemption (1994) the hero Andy Dufresne is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover but in this case his reward is finally being seen as innocent and allowed to be set free to live the rest of his life.
• In many action films there is usually a dispatcher who is known to send the hero on his way by providing a message. For example in Shrek (2001) an ogre  is sent to travel along with a donkey in order to bring a princess to a scheming lord Farquaad who wishes to one day be King, in order to regain his swamp from being took over. In this case the dispatcher is Lord Farquaad.
•  Lastly in most cases a villain is included who is seen as someone who opposes or blocks the hero’s quest. An example of a villain in an action film is Taken (2008) Bryan Mills travels across Europe to save his daughter who has been kidnapped by an Albanian gang whilst on a trip to Paris. In this case the villain is the gang as they are stopping him from saving his beloved daughter.

An example of how Vladimir Propp’s theory is applied to an action film:

The Hunger Games (2012)

In this case the hero is a young woman, Katniss Everdeen played by Jennifer Lawrence, who has been masculinised through her outfit and the props she uses, for example a bow and arrow and other weapons. In addition she is seen as being a male role as she is very protective over her younger sister as when she is going to join the games Katniss takes her place saving her from the danger and possibly death that lies ahead. She also saves a fellow contestant, Peeta, therefore her sister and Peeta could be identified as the reward for her efforts (the princess). Lastly Katniss is also shown as a masculine character as she manages to fight her way to win the games having connotations she is very powerful and strong which are usually masculine traits.
Throughout this film the consumer would notice there are two main villains – President Snow and The Capitol, this is because they make it nearly impossible for Katniss to win the games by placing many obstacles in her way.  

Conventions of an action film:

•  Weapons – knives, guns, swords
• A quest/ mission waiting to be completed
• Include both a hero and a villain
• Explosions and crashes