Initial research..

To begin with, I researched four openings of films, in hope it would give me ideas to use in our own films. I looked at the types of shots they used in particular.


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SKINS EPIDSODE 1

The first episode of the new series of skins inspired me because the opening is simular to the events of what happens in the opening scene of our film. Skins is an episodic drama, not a film, however i feel this is relivant because skins touches on simular themes and issues as opur film does. For example, peer pressure, drugs and partying. Also, skins is aimed at a young age, as is our film. In the opening scene of episode 1 of Skins, it is set in a nightclub, with lots of teenagers dancing to raving music. Its a very busy scene with lots going on. It begins with a girl rubbing ecstacy on her gums, and she walks through crowds of people making out and dancing. The lights are disco lights which are flashing, giving it an electric atmosphere. She finally reaches a balcony at the top of the club, which she climbes onto and jumps off. She falls to her death, but the music still plays whilst everyone is screaming and watching in shock. I like how this ties in with our film because it shows how the effects of alcohol can make you do stupid things. For example, the girl on Skins was drinking excessive amounts before she decided to take the drug. The drug then made her feel invinsible and made her think she could fly. In our film, Rose drinks a lot at the club she is, making her unaware of leaving her drink unattended. This results in her drink being spiked, and waking up in the woods the next morning with no memory of what happened the night before. Both scenarios were self inflicted.

In conclusion, I think this scene can inspire us to make our club/rave scene successfully. I have realised we need lots of extras in the scene to make it look realistic. Also, there were a lot of close up camera shots on her face, to show she was distressed. I think we should use this in our scene, as it looked affective in Skins. Also, we need lots of flashing lights, to make it look busy and full of adreniline.



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LOST series 1, episode 1

Again, this isnt a film, but I strongly believed this episode of Lost really helped us to create our film, because they are both simular in the way that each character wakes up in a strange place and they have no recognition where they are or how they got there. It begins with an opening close up shot of the main characters face. His eyes oopen widely and suddenly. This gets the audience intreiged about what is going on, and makes them want to keep watching. There is then a point of view shot, looking up into the tree's. This is effective because it gives the audience a clue of where he might be, and the state of shock the character is in. It then mixes between close ups and shots which zoom out from the character. This short, quick camera action portrays that something bad has happened, and the character is in a dangerous situation. The man then gains conciousness and slowly stands up, again with shots of close and far away angles, to show confusion. He then begins to run through the forest, the camera panning in on him as he runs; which gives the scene tension, and makes the audience wonder if something is following him or not. Just before he makes it out of the wooded area, a 5 second clip of music is played which sounds like screeching, which is typically played in any type of horror/ thriller movie.

The setting is also very simular to our own. It is set in a forest with lots of trees. Our setting is a wooded area, but a lot less tropical! I think the opening to this episode is very appropriate to compare with our own, because they are both very simular. Although we did not copy any ideas from the episode, because we watched it after we decided what shots to take in our film. I particulary like the conotation of close up and far away shots they use because it portrays the tense and uncertain mood and emotions of how the character is feeling. Although, they obviously use a lot of expensive machienery, which is not possible for us to use. So their shots will be of a lot more high quality to ours.

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SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Slumdog millionaire was produced in 2008, and released in the UK on the 9th January 2009. The film was produced by Danny Boyle. I thought it would be useful to research into this film because it was such a sucessful and popular hit, and thought we could take some shot ideas for our own film.

In the opening shot, it shows a close up of Jemal's face, looking a wad of notes. His face is lit up and orangey- red colour, showing the atmosphere is tense and maybe dangerous. A man then hits him across the face, and a balck transition comes up. The theme tune from 'Who wants to be a millionaire' is then played, and the question, 'Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How did he do it?'then the answers come up on the screen with, A: He cheated, B: He's Lucky, C: He's a genuis, D: It is written. These unanswered questions set up the whole film, and get the audience wondering how this Indian man with no money or inteligence could win such an extortionate amount of money. The next shot is a pan shot going across a table of money. This is effective because it is showing the film is all about money and how Jemal won it. Next, it shows a close up of the presenters lips asking Jemal if he is ready to play the game. The shot quickly pans to Jemal's face, and another close up of his face, whilst he says 'im ready'. This shows the tense atmosphere and uneasy relationship between the TV presenter and Jemal.

I believe this film opening is effective because it gives slight clues on what the film is going to be about and keeps the audience intreigued. Showing regualr shots of the money is also effective because money is the main object, and all the events in the film, are based around or the result of money.



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SNAKES ON A PLANE

I decided to rsearch this film because I have watched it many times and is one of my favourite films. The film was directed by David R Ellis and was released the 18th August 2006. It also comes in the same genre as our film which is horror/thriller.

In the opening scene, there is a pan shot across the ocean, and up-beat music playing singing "its gonna be a lovely day". This conotates with what happens later on in the film, with a happy atmosphere, and knowing that later, the characters are going to be on a plane full of snakes with the danger of dying. There is then a charcter who is riding through some woods on his motarbike, with shots including pans of him riding along the road, and also close ups to show fine detail of different parts of his bike. The up-beat music is still playing in the background. He then gets off his bike, and walks around taking in the beautiful scenery, when suddenly there is a sudden close up shot of another man being hung upside down with blood trickeling down his face. This is a major change of atmosphere and is effective because it will suddenly shock the audience. Then man who is being hung then gets beaten to death by terrorists, and the other man is caught by them as being their eyewitness. This then sets up the whole film as to why the snakes are put on the plane.

I think this opening scene is effective because the way it is set out, from going from a relaxing setting on the coastline and beautiful forests with upbeat music, to suddenly someone being mudered will intrege the audience. The close up of the victims face when he is being hung, makes the audience empathise with him and feel how scared he is. Although the storyline is not simular to our film in any way, i believe we can use this by picking out some shots, for example the close ups of the face, because we want our audience to empathise with our character, and it works well on 'Snakes on a plane'.

Potential shots

SHOT 1
This close up works well because it shows a clear and detailed view of the characters face and emotion. We will be using this shot when Rose wakes up in the woods. We decided it should be closer to the face and more of a frontal view because we believe this will look more effective.

SHOT 2
This potential medium shot was to see when we could use it in our opening scene. It is a basic shot, which we will probably use when Rose is awake and wondering where she is and why she is in the woods.


SHOT 3
This is an over the shoulder shot. This is a good potential shot because it portrays the idea of the uknown and somebody watching over Rose's shoulder. This makes the audience scared and worried for Rose's wellbeing.


SHOT 4
We will probably use this shot because, again it is showing the idea of somebody is watching her but the audience is unaware what it is. We might try to lower the angle a little to show the person or thing that is watching her from a bush/tree.


SHOT 5
We really like this shot but are unsure it is right for our storyline because the idea is that the audience are suppose to be clueless about knowing what is watching Rose. So out of this shot and the one above, we will use shot 4.


SHOT 6
This high angle shot works well because it shows the person who is watching her has a higher status and is more dominant, showing Rose's vunerbility. We will create this shot in our film when she is walking around, dilerious,and looking for someone. The high angle shot gives the impression someone is watching her and this is exactly the idea we wanted to create.

Scripts

CHARACTER PROFILE
NAME:Rose Kensington
AGE: 19 Years Old
BACKGROUND: She comes from a rich backround
Has stable family and friends
Outgoing - which her family does not like because they want her to focous on her education and career.

SYNOPSIS

Our film opening, "Blackout" is about a 19 year old girl who goes into town with some of her new friends, to a rave. She wakes up the next morning to find herself alone in the forest with no recolection of why or how she got there. The audience are made to feel confused at what is watching her from behind the bushes because there are camera shots where it is showing Rose alone, and the camera is behind the a tree.
Throughout the rest of the film, Rose is kidnapped from the woods, and tells the story of her life as a "prisoner" and a slave to her kidnapper. In conclusion, Rose was never found, showing disturbing scenes of her mother being oblvious to her daughters whereabouts.

STAGE DIRECTIONS

SETTING: In the middle of a wood
ROSE: lead, passed out on the floor. She then wakes up, and has a flashback of the party she was at the night before.
There are lots of people dancing, and this flashback is for a quick 3 seconds, and then goes back to Rose in the woods. She then looks around trying to figure out where she is. There is then another flashback to the party, and then somebody spiking Rose's drink with a pill. The camera then goes back to the woods, and shows Rose running away from something she thinks is hiding behind a tree. Another flashback the goes to Rose in the club dancing with her friends, and then she collapses. The next shot is then showing the glass she was drinking from roll off the table and falling onto the floor. It then quickly flashes back to the woods again, showing Rose tripping over a twig, and falling onto the floor. There is then a blackout to finish our opening scene.

Equiptment list

Camera
Tripod
Tape
________

PROPS:
Glass
Paracetomol
table
alcoholic bottles
lighting
__________

COSTUME:
little dress that Rose wears
Heels
heavy makeup
Ripped tights
_______________

The majority of the film is taking place in the woods.
There are a few scenes where the flashbacks take place which is being filmed in the school drama studio. We decided this because there are appropriate lights we could use to recreate the party Rose was at.

Digital story board

After creating a written and drawn out story board and then the potential shots, we were able to take a digital storyboard using photos of the shots we were going to create. This will be our initial outline to our opening scene.

Story board 1.

Story board 2


Story board 3



Story board 4

Introduction/ Plot

Background information: In our film, there is a nineteen year old girl, who's name is Rose. She comes from a wealthy and well balanced family and background. She is a girl who pretty much plays by the rules and has a good education and is into her studies and wants to do well in her career and life. But because she as joined college and has linked with a differernt group from friends to the type she usually hangs around with, Rose is peer pressured into going to a rave at one of her friends houses. Before actually making our film, we have drawn up a story board of how we think the film is going to be. Firstly, Rose is pictured on the floor in the woods, in her clothes from the night before, suggesting she hasnt been home that night.

Groups and Roles

Sophie Davies (me) - Main actress. We have decided i will be the main actress because I am already a drama A level student and have had experience in acting before.
Layla Fox & Rebecca Morrish - Director. We have decided that they will assume this role because they are organised and have a good creative imagination.
Steve Hook - Main camera man. We have given him this role because Steve is a keen camera man as he likes to make films at home on weekends, in his spair time.

As a group, we have all decided to take on the role as editors and taking part in the filming. I will conducting the point of view shots and Layla and Becky will be filming the rest of the film between them.