PLANNING - FILM TREATMENT

Ideas for Film Opening

Our brainstormed ideas about the plot, the soundtrack

-a title that's dynamic and engaging

- the top line - elegant sentence that sums up the story

-the big question - cliff-hanger?

who is the clown? why is that person killed? how many others have been killed?

the synopsis - one or two paragraphs outlining the plot

dead person lying by the swings

cuts to news report. killer clowns sighted first time in 5 years. person murdered in the park. is it a coincidence?

cctv of person walking out of the park

flashback of person being killed in the woods

characters. brief introduction 

person who was killed

clown

newsreader - killer clowns sighted first time in 5 years. person murdered in the park. halloween

flashback to person being killed in the woods

Halloween, park swings at night. killer clown. 

news report killer clowns reported seen after 5 years. someone seen dead by the swings. person walking away. I have a park behind my house with woods and a playground that we can use,

PLANNING - THE BIG QUESTION

I watched a presentation by Frank Ash, who is a creative consultant for BBC. He has taught creative storytelling for all people around the world, BBC and beyond. What I knew from the presentation, was how important it was to focus on the audience, and what will interest them. How does the film make them want more?

For Frank Ash, film makers need to think of what the top line and big question are. He calls the top line one elegant sentence that sums up the story. 'We need to leave the audience wanting to find out more' which is, the big question.

Having learnt from Frank Ash's post, i have decided to sign up for Future Learns: Film Distribution, connecting films with audiences. The course promises to cover how our favourite films make it to our local cinema or our television screen through the distribution process. The start date is 18th Oct. 2021.

ALWAYS FOREVER

 

Opening sequence

This is the beginning of the video activity that I did with a group of students in my class. POV (point of view) shot were among the camera angles we used. We included a brief live action part with the two 'main' characters. We devised a plot, which is depicted on the tabletop by the various materials and accessories.

We showed three different examples of opening sequences filmed in in a similar 'table top' way. Using art of the title, we watched Delicatessen, and noticed how its inventive camerawork tells the story and set up the theme. Another excellent title sequence is was that of To Kill A Mockingbird. The main inspiration we had from that opening was the sound effects in the background, and the use of hands throughout the opening shot. We used this during the opening by using my hand with a glove on to pick up a gun, and drag it out of the shot. 

Planning

We also reviewed last years students opening sequences for inspiration, and learned about different camera angles we can use, and ways we can put credits in to make it seem natural during the opening sequence. For example, when the actor of the opening sequence comes up, it will flash up with the persons name, to show that 'this is the actor' of the film. Before we started filming, we laid out all the props that were elements of our film narratives mise-en-scene on the table. We also research and discussed music tracks for the sound track of the opening sequence. The option for our title sequence uses the soundtrack Always Forever by the Cults. 

Preparation

We laid out all of the items used for the continuity exercise, done by Grace. We did this, and then mapped out a route to film the table. We did a Z shape to make it easier to read credits and do a smooth transition into the main art, when we panned across a magazine of a woman who went missing, and using a photo of apparently the same girl to draw attention to the viewer who it is that has gone missing, which is the mans wife.