Preliminary Evaluation Audio Response

As You Tube is now backing and running we were able to upload our audi evaluation. The video shows Ameerah(on the left),Carmelita(me;in the middle),Sam(on the right)talking about our preliminary evaluation. What went well, what worked and what could be improved when doing the actual opening sequence.

Premiliniary Evaluation Video/Audio

Ameerah, Sam and I created a video that showed us talking about our premliminary evaluation we did this via web cam on an apple mac. This showed that we learnt how to use different forms of media to present our task. However due to Youtube not being able to upload the video it is not availbe at this present moment in time. On the other hand there is a written evalaution that includes some of the key points that was mentioned during our premilinary evaluation. Considering the fact theat the deadline for our blog is due tomorrow it will not be uploaded in time but was created.

Preliminary Evaluation

Prelim Eval

Preliminary task - "Have you fed the fish ?"

Our Preliminary task was based on a short script and a small cast, and was a way in which we could practice for our opening sequence

Preliminary Task Script

Preliminary Task Script

Media Lesson - Preliminary Task

From my previous media lesson I found out that we had to carry out a preliminary task in order to practice working togther as a group, drawing/completing a story board, the strengths and weaknesses of the group, how us use the required equipment e.g. tripod, hd camera ect. and how to edit our footage. Although the script was pre preapered and given to us we had a lot of lee way as we could interpret it into whatever we wanted. In the lesson we came up with a mafia style way of interpreting the script so there would be two body guards and main person the would be controlling the victim and the line "Have you fed the fish" could be a code for something else. Our group has arranged to get together in our free periods to complete the film and edit it. I belive that i will learn a lot from this experience and so will the other members of my group; both pros and cons.

The concept of using black and white in our film opening

“Lou Lou lives here” is a short film that I came across when looking for ideas on the BBC film network homepage, it is made by British actors and had a small budget to work with. What I grasped from watching this video clip is that Lou Lou is a girl that turns into a dog, I found the concept of the film interesting as it was not what I expected. I also found the use of black and white an effective and powerful tool as it create a sense of suspicion as black can symbolise death and many other sinful things, as well as this through the short film not actual words were but the audience can quickly pick up what is going on through the sense of sound, not only is this imaginative but it strides away from the usual which is characters speaking to one another. The use of close ups is another aspect of the film that would absorb the audiences attention, as we are planning on creating a teen horror, I think it would be a good idea if close ups were used as they distract the audience from what’s going on around them and is a technique used to shock/ surprise them. If we incorporated all these elements in the opening of our film, i believe it would be beneficial for our group.

Ideas for the opening sequence

This Youtube clip is from a BBC drama called Survivors although it is not an opening of a film it is based on a similar idea to ours where there is only a few people living and they have to come together to fight off a disease. In this short video clip a wealthy playboy wakes to find girl he met the night before dead in his bed, a young boy is surrounded by dead bodies in a mosque and so is a charismatic and dangerous inmate in a prison; a brave new world is emerging and the survivors must unite and stand together or die. In our film the dead bodies would most likely turn into zombies as is it will be a teen horror and not a BBC TV drama. When I first watched the clip I found the whole concept entertaining and I was in suspense/shock as I didn't understand what had happened, if this feeling was created in our film it would engage the audience and could result in a good film opening.

Media Lesson Inspiration

Today I had a media lesson with my teacher Mr Roberts, the lesson was to inspire us to come up with ideas for our opening sequence. He showed us a few clips from numerous websites showing pass media film openings and short films. We were then given a chance to do research of our own. I was particulary inspired by BBC film network videos some of which help me come up with ideas of my own e.g the concept of using black and white, how death can be incorporated and whether there should be one or many survivor's in our opening sequence

Our first concept

From a group dicussion in class we brainstormed an idea for our opening film sequence based on the theories that the world is coming to an end. Intially we got this idea from the film 2012. However I suggested that we should use one of the theoires that I researched whihch said how the world would come to an end. I found a list of ten theories, from which we chose was the idea of "disease as it would be one of the easiest to potray and one were audiences members would be able to understand it easily visually.

Disaster movie – genre horror (possibly teen horror)

Movie title: Apocalypse

Characters: Dead people – At least 10 no more than 30
Group of friends – 3
Other actors for the background

Synopsis: We are basing our opening five minutes on the concept of the end of the world. There are many theories about what is going to happen but as a group we have decided to on the basis of a disease that takes over. Once a person catches the “killer disease” there eye turns a different colour, and the disease takes over their soul and body and slowing begin to die. When discussing the difference between disaster movies with elements of horror and movies without elements of horror it was clear that movies that involved horror had supernatural and horrific elements. It also makes the audience petrified, as they don’t know what’s going to happen. In addition to this horror is the feeling of revulsion that usually occurs after something frightening is seen, heard, or otherwise experienced in our case this will be the ending of the world/2012. It is the feeling you get after coming to an awful realization or experiencing a deeply unpleasant occurrence. In other words, horror is more related to being shocked or scared, while a disaster movie has an impending or ongoing disaster (such as a damaged airliner, fire, shipwreck, disease, an asteroid collision or natural calamities) as its subject. Along with showing the spectacular disaster, these films concentrate on the chaotic events surrounding the disaster, including efforts for survival, the effects upon individuals and families, and 'what-if' scenarios. In our opening five minutes we are going to try and combine these two concepts together in order to create a successful film opening.

2012 Movie another trailer

2012 movie trailer

2012 is a disaster movie maven which written and directed by Roland Emmerich who also had involvement in the films Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow. 2012 crafts this apocalyptic sci-fi thriller following the prophecy stated by the ancient Mayan calendar, which says that the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. Ever before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. "2012" is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. When a global cataclysm thrusts the world into chaos, divorced writer and father Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) joins the race to ensure that humankind is not completely wiped out.

A 5 minute clip of the movie 2012