Ancillary Tasks - Image Analysis

When considering my magazine cover, I had many different ideas for the picture that would feature on it. When filming, we decided that the best looking picture would be one like the one featured, and so we took many similar photos of this one. There were some subtle, but important differences in these photos though. We started with the shutter (behind me) all the way down to the floor, but then decided that it looked too plain. We then moved the shutter up, but realised that if we had this new addition of light coming through at the bottom, we should do something with it; with this in mind, we put the hammer featured in the film down next to me as it is a fairly big part of the trailer - this could hint at what is in the film/trailer for some readers of the magazine. Finally, we also had my character not looking at the camera, so that it looks almost as if he is scared of something not visible to the audience - this would help convey the genre of the film.

The original, unaltered picture that was used in my Magazine cover.

After deciding on the photo I wanted to use, I took it into school to use Photoshop to edit the picture effectively. It took me a little while to get used to the different features of Photoshop, however I eventually understood each tab and how to make it look like I wanted. I installed the same font used in my trailer for the film's title - as this created synergy and many film magazine's do this too (for the exact same reason). Many different magazines all show their price in a smaller font at the top on the front cover. This is so the potential reader can see how much the magazine will cost, but after reading most of the other text and possibly generate interest in buying the issue. Also there were a lot of issues of different magazines that featured different sections of the magazine on the left/right of the front cover. This gave the the idea to do the same and have different sections of the magazine being described on the right of the cover. This is so that if a potential reader is unsure of whether to get the magazine or not, this will hopefully engage them more and they will end up buying it. Finally, some issues of Empire had a block at the top/bottom of the cover for other features in the magazine to be put in, I liked this and tried to put this in my original cover.

An example of the layout of an Empire magazine front cover - with different features on the right and the title of the main feature on the left.

The blocks at the top and bottom for other features being used effectively by Empire magazine.

My original cover.

After creating this and receiving feedback from the class, I decided that the cover was too light and the white block at the top didn't suite the cover at all. With this in mind, I looked at other issues of film magazines for ideas - in many issues of Empire that I looked at, the main characters take up most of the front cover, to the point that they usually overlapped the title of the magazine a little. This suggests that the magazine is so well known that they don't even need to have their title fully showing on every cover, as well as making the film seem like the most important feature of the magazine. I did the same with my improved version of my magazine cover, in the hope that it had the same effect. This was quite hard to get the hang of on Photoshop, but after watching some walkthrough videos on Youtube and asking friends how to do it, I managed to get used to it.

An example of an Empire front cover that has certain parts of the characters overlapping the text.

So I managed to put my head in front of the text for the magazine cover, however it was still too light and some text was hard to read because of this. I spent a little while playing around with the contrast and brightness of the whole picture and manged to achieve a darker 'tone' in the picture. I still wasn't happy with it, until I stumbled upon the idea of blurring the image behind the text and having me as the only thing that was clear in the picture. I found this amazing because it made the text stand out so much more and made me focus on me more than the other things in the picture. I marked around me and the hammer on the floor, so the rest was blurred out a little to make the text stand out - creating the final product (at the top of the blog post). I felt that the cover looked a lot darker and more menacing, while also highlighting the different features inside the issue, and so it is a massive improvement on the original version.

Evaluation

Question 1 is:
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Below is a nine-frame analysis that compares my influential scenes with my main task.

Note: these influences are from 3 different scenes:
The opening for Children of Men (2006)
One of the first few cutscenes from The Last of Us (2013)
Quantic Dream's tech demo 'Kara' (2012)

Below is the nine-frame analysis of the same areas in my main task.

1. Titles: In Children of Men, there is a hard cut to a back background with the title in white. This very simple technique is used in a way that is quite shocking for the viewers, due to events preceding this (a bomb explodes in a coffee shop). I tried to do something similar in my task because I liked this technique so much. At the end of my teaser, there is a bang in time with a cut to black - the title then fades into view, almost as if coming from darkness. I feel that this keeps the scary atmosphere going for a little longer.

2. Settings/locations: Also in Children of Men, the opening scene is in a bleak coffee shop. This makes the scene feel very drab and a little threatening. I have tried to recreate the same sort of feeling, but through a different style. Instead, I have chosen to film in a big garage - making there seem like there is a lot of empty space around (therefore a threat could be anywhere in the garage, and not be seen).

3. Costumes/props: In The Last of Us, Joel is wearing a simple jeans and T-shirt combination, this keeps reminding us that his character is more 'down to Earth' than some others and makes the story seem more realistic (as we are used to see in this combination in our own lives). In my film, I have tried to do the same thing - both Jack and Anna have very simple costume designs, to keep their characters more 'down to Earth' and realistic. In a zombie-apocalypse, you wouldn't really be wearing high heels or a suit or something similar...

4. Camerawork: Throughout Children of Men it features a handheld camera style, giving is a 'shaky, realistic' effect. I loved the way that the camerawork made the scenes feel so real, so I have incorporated this into my task, by using handheld camera movements and keeping the camera close to the action.

5. Story 'setup': In The Last of Us Joel's daughter, Sarah, dies after a gunshot wound to the stomach. This scene is very emotional as Joel has to deal with the death of his daughter right in front of his eyes. I wanted to re-create a similar feeling from my film, and so Jack has to deal with the fact that Anna has died from a zombie bite and he has to stop her from turning into one of them - which he fails to do. These scenes are very emotional and set the tone of the story extremely well.

6. Genre: The Last of Us's genre is defined by the creatures in the rest of the game, and the gameplay featured throughout. However, in this scene, a big influence is the state that Joel and Sarah's clothes are in - they are covered in spots of blood. Another big factor in this scene is the darkness - people are usually a little afraid of the dark. In my task, I have played on this, by keeping the room slightly darker and having both characters with blood on their clothes. This hopefully conveys the horror genre quite quickly to the audience.

7. Characterisation/representation: Joel in The Last of Us is a strong and independent character, however in this scene, he's weakness is exploited and he is broken. Sarah dies and Joel breaks down in tears. I wanted to re-create a similar scene in my task, and so Anna dies and Jack starts to break down. I feel that both of these scenes are extremely emotional and memorable for viewers.

8. Editing/effects: When watching Kara, I noticed that there were longer takes being used throughout the demo. Not to the extent of Children of Men (where a whole scene could be one take), but I felt they were longer than average. Especially when the scene started to get quite emotional towards the end - extreme close ups on Kara's eyes and mouth add to the emotion here. I felt that the longer takes could then allow me (as a viewer) to settle into each shot a lot easier, and focus more on the performance and emotions, rather than the different shots and techniques used. I tried to introduce this into my film - making many shots last much longer than I usually would have filmed them for. We even did the whole scene in one take a few times, so that I could experiment with that idea - however, I didn't like the final product and it didn't show off many editing skills on my part. My favourite shot that ended up in the final cut, is the final shot. This is due to the fact that it runs for a long time and simply follows Jack as he stands up and turns around to face the post - it then continues around the post to reveal the re-animated corpse of Anna, standing behind him. I feel that the shot is quite long and so the audience members can 'settle into' the shot type quite easily and really focus on the events that have just unfolded in front of them.

9. Music/sound/dialogue: When the bomb explodes in the opening scene of Children of Men, a high pitched 'ear ringing' sound is heard - this re-occurs at various points throughout the film. This is initially due to the sound of the bomb going off and is trying to give the effect that we are also affected by this explosion. However, I feel that it also translates to a situation of high levels of stress, due to the use of a similar effect in The Dark Knight (2008) - Harvey Dent wakes up in hospital to find that half his face is burnt off and his fiance has died. He then screams out in anger, but all we hear is the non-diegetic sound of a high pitched note. Both of these scenes are extremely hard hitting for different reasons: Children of Men because of the shock of the explosion; The Dark Knight because of the emotional stress that has been put on Harvey. I wanted to try and incorporate a similar feeling in my film, so I manage to get an 'ear ringing' sound effect from the internet and turn the sound down from the footage. I also incorporated an echo effect. This made the scene feel quite alien and strange, but this was because I was trying to make the scene about the stress that Jack's mind is going through at that time. I feel I managed to achieve this with the strange feelings that the sounds created - because Jack's life has changed dramatically and so what will happen in the future for him will be quite alien.



Question 2 is:
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Question 3 is:
What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Question 4:
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Ancillary Task 2 - Poster

After receiving feedback on my previous draft of the poster, I have updated it to a better version. The mian changes are an updated credit block and a smaller tagline. Below is this new version, and below that is the original post.

This is my second Ancillary Task. On 4th April, I spent a few hours editing the picture on Photoshop and starting to add in the correct text - I finished the credit block this morning. I think that the poster looks very professional and eye catching. I kept the font as the same style as the trailer, to keep synergy across all the media platforms. I also added a tag-line to generate more interest in the film - it gives more of a clue to what the film will be about, but also helps create many enigmas.

The biggest issue we had was the fact that we had forgotten to move a white bucket out of the way, when taking the pictures. This meant that there was a big white bucket taking up almost half of the shot and it distracted from the two actors in the doorway. This meant that, not only did I have to add the fade effect on the left, I also had to make it so much more predominant than I initially intended. However, I do like the way that the poster has turned out - I feel that the more predominant fade adds a more ominous feeling to the poster.

Ancillary Task 1 - Magazine Cover

After receiving feedback on my magazine cover, I have made a few changes. The biggest ones being simply removing an exclamation mark and changing the wording of one of the features. Below is my new version of the magazine cover, and below that is the original version.

This is my first Ancillary Task. On 4th April, I spent a few hours editing the photo to suit the magazine cover on Photoshop. I then proceeded to add text to the photo to make it seem more like a magazine cover. I feel that our efforts have produced a professional looking front cover. I kept the font for the film title the same - to keep the synergy across the different media platforms. In the real world, this would hopefully allow audiences to recognise our product easier. I also tried to attract audiences with news on the Academy Awards and a competition. A competition was also featured on the front cover of the Empire Magazine that I was constantly comparing our magazine to. The competition will hopefully attract more audience members because there may be a fan that would like to be in a film or even an aspiring actor that would like a shot at being in a professional film. There is also a feature describing what was released "10 years ago", this is because there is a section in my PlayStation Magazine that I receive every month that does the same thing - I always find it interesting to see how many differences there are between products made 10 years ago and films made now.

In Seclusion, We Find Safety (Teaser Trailer)

A2 Audience Feedback - 28/03/14

On Friday 28th March, I showed the class a rough cut of my sneak peek to get feedback from them on how it looks. It was very interesting and enlightening. However, I cannot re-film any of the individual shots because the clothes and props were destroyed when filming. So any improvements will have to be solely made in editing.



Good points:

• Ending is great - quite scary, not sure what will happen in the coming film.
• Realistic handheld camera - keeps you in the action.

Bad points:

• The ear ringing sound effect is too loud - adjust volume.
• Unclear if Anna had died or not - hand was too rigid and dialogue wasn't clear for what happens. Adjust volume throughout to account for different camera positions and levels of speaking.
• High pitched sound was maybe a little too early - if someone saw it 'cold', they might struggle to understand what was happening. Adjust when it comes in until it is at a more appropriate time.
• Fake blood was a little too much on Anna's face, but colour/texture was quite accurate.
• Could have tried to strike her with the hammer, but couldn't do it at the last second - make it more clear with what Jack was trying to do.

Audience Feedback - The Ending for In Seclusion, We Find Safety

I wasn't sure how to end the A2 film due to having a big mix of ideas that all varied in style, so I pitched all of my ideas to the class to get their thoughts on each one. I have decided to film two endings and then show them both to the class and they can then tell me which one they prefer.

Research - Magazine Front Cover Analysis

When considering magazines, I thought I'd better look at the biggest film magazine in the UK - Empire. Empire always feature their biggest story in each issue on the front cover and in their October 2002 edition, they featured the new film Red Dragon (2002).



Red Dragon is the third instalment of the series of films based on Thomas Harris' novels that revolve around the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter. In this front cover, we simply have Anthony Hopkins' face doused in a red light, with a dark background. Anthony Hopkins has played Dr Lecter in the previous films of the series, so audiences will recognise this character almost immediately. The red light indicates 'danger' to the audience and the dark background adds to the fear that is created. This is because most people have had a fear of the dark in their childhood and the fear of the unknown in the dark fuels most horror films - so we associate these colours with danger and fear (the most appropriate feelings for a horror film). This shade of red also reminds people of blood and pain - something else that is key for most horror films, this one in particular centres around blood because of Dr Lecter's iconic cannibalistic traits.

The shot used is a big close up on his face and so we explicitly see the intensity in his eyes and his facial expressions. This type of shot makes the audience feel closer to the character - in this case he is quite menacing and so we don't want to be close to him, meaning that the picture is even more unsettling. The camera is also focussed on Hopkins' face, making sure that none of his facial features are left to the imagination - adding to the intensity of the picture. The text 'Hannibal' is much bigger than any other piece of text, this is because fans of the series will recognise Dr Lecter's first name more than the film's title - 'Red Dragon'. This means that fans of the series are drawn to the cover and his name first, then they read the rest and find out the name of the new film in the series.

The red light is being used to light up Hopkins' face, and it is the colour that represents blood and pain; because of this, the rest of the text is either red or white. Red text is more important than the white text and so stands out (e.g. titles, name of the magazine). The text is also bigger when it is more important and needs to be seen by the audience first - the other focus of this issue was the new information of the 'Harry Potter' sequel, but that isn't as big of a focus as 'Red Dragon', so is in white, but bigger than most of the other text.

Hopkins' face takes up most of the cover because it is quite overwhelming and makes him seem that little bit more scary. But around the edge of the picture is all the information that is needed on the front cover. The text has been situated so that it doesn't cover any of the main focus of the picture, but takes up enough room to be easily readable at a distance. Also, all of the bigger news is situated to the left - the 'Red Dragon world exclusive' and the 'Signs' review. The 2nd biggest story is situated in a banner at the bottom of the cover and takes up the entire bottom.

The title of the film that is featured is 'Red Dragon'. However, the editors of the magazine have chosen to take the name 'Hannibal' and make this much bigger. This is due to the fact that fans of the series know the name Hannibal Lecter, but may not necessarily know the prequel title 'Red Dragon'. This draws their eyes to the name that they know and then makes them want to find out more about the article. The fact that the text is very big and red also makes the fans notice it more - the only bigger text on the front cover is the Magazine's name. This means that the public will see the magazine name first, then the featured article on the front cover.

"Anthony Hopkins is back for one last bite as... Hannibal" - this line makes the viewer once again fear Hopkins' character, as in the previous films he is a cannibal. The line reminds the viewer of the character's crimes in the previous films by using the word 'bite', as this is linked with eating and therefore his character eating other humans.

There is a small section to the right of the cover that reads "Win a part in a movie!" This will be attractive for some readers that like to enter competitions - it is aimed at film fans that maybe would like to start a film acting career, or simply be in a film for a little while. It also opens the magazine up to a slightly wider audience, as people that may buy the magazine on occasion (but not every issue) ma want to enter the competition.

The text is in a sans serif style and so keeps this style throughout the magazine issues - so the audience will identify the text with Empire magazine more than other magazines.

Underneath the title of the magazine, there is the line "The UK's No.1 movie magazine" - this is a very impressive fact and so people that may be unfamiliar with the magazine will now know that they are going to buy 'the best movie magazine' for a UK audience member. This is a very attractive thought and immediately will generate a lot of interest for potential buyers.

The target audience for this magazine are fans of movies. I think this because there are multiple articles tat cover a range of topics just on the front cover. The main focus of this issue is the horror film 'Red Dragon', however there is also a big article on 'Harry Potter 2' for younger readers, readers with children, or even just fans of the Harry Potter series in general. This magazine's target audience is very wide and covers a lot - which is probably why they are considered "The UK's No.1 movie magazine".

Planning - Storyboard

I met up with Adam (my cameraman and other cinematographer) and Natalie (the actress playing Anna) to run through all of the shots on 15th February. Below is the video of me explaining my intentions of each shot, as well as the pictures of each shot. This video will act as my video storyboard and documentation of rehearsals.

Planning - Animatic

On Wednesday (19th Feb) I met up with Adam and Natalie to run through all of the shots and ideas for the film.

As the script is still under development (I have contacted a friend that writes good scripts), this is just a rough animatic that is mainly focusing on the shot types and techniques used. This is further explained in the description of the video on YouTube.

I will have a better draft of the script soon and we will get the real footage shot within the next week or two.

Research - Trailer Analysis

Due to the fact that I am creating a sneak preview of a film - another form of teaser trailer, I felt it wise to look at a few of my favourites. Among them was the 'Ice Age' film series. Each of the films in the series has had a sneak preview released prior to completion of the main product due to the series' mascot - Scrat. Scrat is not a main character in the series - he is simply a recurring background character, and the scenes in these sneak previews are not usually included in the final film. However they are quite comical and generate a lot of hype for the next film's release. Below is the sneak preview for 'Ice Age: Continental Drift' (2012) which is the fourth film in the series.



As you can see, the trailer isn't very long - about 2 and a half minutes. But there is a short storyline involved in these minutes and there is a surprising amount that happens in such a small amount of time. The film is of the family and comedy genres and this is due to the talking animals and comical slapstick humour involved. There is little violence involved, no offensive language or anything else that will indicate it being aimed at an older audience member. Also the colour pallet is bright and colourful, instead of dark or dirty - adding to the idea that it is suitable for children.

Scrat is represented as a silly woodland creature that is only focussed on getting his acorn for the winter. This is perfect for slapstick humour because he is then thrust into difficult situations and usually ends up getting hurt in some way. The pirate animals are all quite menacing and the gorilla that pulls Scrat out of the water jeers at him - indicating that these are the antagonists in the film. Pirates are usually seen as the enemy in films because of their unlawful acts in the real world, in the past. So this also enforces the idea that they are the antagonists in the film. Finally, towards the end of the trailer, we see the main characters and they are tied to the mast of the pirate's ship. Therefore we assume the main storyline will focus on them trying to escape from being captured by pirates.

Studio and production names appear at the very end of the clip along with information about when the film is released and how it will be released. This is so that the last thing the audience see is all the relevant information they need to see the actual film when it is released. If they all came at the beginning, the audience may not know if they want to see the film or not, so will not pay as much attention to all of the titles.

No credits appear at the beginning/end, apart from the company credits. This is because the clip is used for promotion for the actual product, and so all of the credits will be in the actual product when it is released - therefore they are not needed in this early trailer.

All of the release information is given at the end of the trailer because (again) it will be the last thing the audience will see - so will usually remember it better. This film will be released in "July 2012", and the reason for this date is due to the fact that children will be away from school for the summer - meaning parents will be taking them out frequently to do things... Hopefully to go to the cinema, "What child doesn't like to see a film at the cinema?" Different genres of film may attempt to come out at certain times of the year. For example, a Christmas film will NOT be released in the summer because most people don't want to think about Christmas for another few months yet. Another example would be a horror film (such as mine) will be trying to get a release date that's near to 31st October, due to it being Halloween and a lot of people like to get and see a scary film on Halloween to scare themselves.

The trailer also tells us that the film will be available in "3D in selected cinemas" to generate more interest - the new 3D technology is generally well received with the public and more and more people prefer seeing a film in 3D to 2D in the cinema.

There is no certification information on this trailer, however there is a strong sense that the film is designed for younger audiences because of the content. There is also no voiceover used because it is not really needed to convey the message of this trailer.

Dialogue is used towards the end of the trailer by the nasty pirate and then Sid and Manny (two of the three main cast members). This establishes the character for the pirate and reminds viewers of how the three main characters are, or even introduces new viewers to the archetypal characters - Sid being silly, Manny being realistic.

As viewers, we aren't directly addressed in the trailer. However, this will be because it is a sneak preview - a theatrical trailer (or even teaser trailer) may well address us and encourage us to go and see the film. The only music used in the trailer is the diegetic music on the pirate ship. It is a stereotypical 'sea shanty' and so this adds to the pirate theme within the film.

The editing pace is slow-medium because most of the action is from the characters on-screen, rather than the camerawork. This means that a longer shot with less cuts can have the viewers 'settle into' the specific shot and just focus on the actions on-screen, rather than having to actively follow different characters.

The only text that appears on-screen is towards the end when all of the release information and copyright information is shown. There is an animation of the "3D" text and it twists as it moves from where the camera is situated, to centre frame.

The mini-narrative is constructed as a scene from any film is constructed - this is due to it being a sneak preview, rather than a theatrical trailer. It follows Todorov's Narrative Theory:

Equilibrium: Scrat is at sea on a lump of ice.
Disruption: Scrat finds an island, but there is a dead squirrel on it.
Recognition: Scrat knows he may starve to death, but sees an acorn in the sea - food to stop himself starving to death.
Attempt to repair disruption: he manages to get down to the acorn. However it is not a real one.
New equalibrium: he is captured by the pirates and is now at sea with them.

This scene is set to normal speed - however, this is due to it being a sneak preview rather than a theatrical trailer. In a theatrical or other version of a teaser trailer, they usually speed up or slow down events within the film to show as much of the different scenes within the film as possible.

There are no freeze frames used - but these are sometimes used in trailers to emphasise certain parts. But there is a fade from black at the start of the clip, this eases us into the scene at hand and gets us used to the setting/character a lot easier than if it were to just start with no fade. There is also a fade out at the end to achieve the same effect (but to ease us out of the clip instead of in, of course).



Another one of my favourites is at the start of an old VHS tape that I have somewhere. It is the sneak preview of Dinosaur (2000) released by Disney. This is the entire opening sequence that features in the final product (for the most part). I used this more as a template for my teaser trailer, as I felt that my trailer would suit this way of presentation.

The trailer is quite long as it is the full opening sequence. This means that it establishes the genre of the film well and gives us a good idea of what the film will be about and in turn generates a lot of interest for the film.

All of the big herbivore dinosaurs are represented as the 'adults' of the group and so are calm and know what to do when danger presents itself. The young dinosaur at the beginning is seen as a little naive and runs around trying to catch an insect - following it straight to a carnivore. Carnivores are seen as very threatening by chasing after the herbivores and trying to eat the innocent dinosaurs. The carnivore featured in this opening sequence even crushes a nest of eggs.

There are no company logos in the trailer, however there is text at the beginning and end of the trailer giving us the title and explaining that it is a Disney film that is in production and will be released in 2000. I found this quite effective because I could get into the mind-frame of watching the film quite easily, and the opening text gives us context for the trailer.

No other credits appear in the trailer, due to the fact that the trailer was released while the film was in the middle of being developed. In later trailers and in the final product, there will undoubtedly be credits at the end and maybe at the beginning too.

The only release information we are given is a text graphic that fades into view at the end of the trailer. This simply says "2000", due to the fact that the film is still in development, and they may not have an actual release date booked. Disney may have had a goal of "being released in 2000", but sometimes films go astray and are released later than anticipated - this is why the studio wouldn't have stated an exact date so early on.

The film was the first Disney Animated Feature film to be entirely computer generated (apart from some background images/footage) and so they highlighted this in the opening text - "all new motion picture experience".

No certification information is used in the trailer due to the film still being developed. However the content seems to be aimed at younger audiences (maybe aiming for a PG rating?) due to the different characters and music being quite light - but with darker tones at some infrequent points. There is also no voiceover used, this is due to the fact that the sneak preview is actually the opening sequence to the film.

Surprisingly, there is no dialogue used at all in the trailer. I think this is because dialogue isn't really needed for it - we can understand what is happening without it and it works well for younger children to watch (they don't have to keep up with spoken word as well as the visuals onscreen.

We are not directly addressed as a viewer in the narrative of this trailer, however the text at the beginning of the preview addresses us directly - "invites you". There is music used throughout to help convey the feelings of the dinosaurs. The music moves from calm, settling music, to fast paced scary music to fit the mood of the scene.

The editing pace is slow-medium and this is due to the fact that at the beginning of the trailer, the mood is very calm and so the shots are quite long... But the scene then moves to being quite fast paced due to the carnivore chasing the other dinosaurs, the editing speeds up a little here.

Text appears at the beginning and that the end of the film. The text at the beginning eases us into the trailer and gives us the reason why we are watching it, then the text at the end tells us the film title and the year of release.

In the trailer, the mini-narrative also follows Todorov's Narrative Theory:

Equilibrium: the dinosaurs are all feeding off of the vegetation around their home, and atre caring for their eggs.
Disruption: a young dinosaur stumbles across a predator and the predator charges at them.
Recognition: an egg is knocked from the nest, but has survived the attack. It is then picked up by another dinosaur - where is it's mother? How will it survive?
Attempt to repair: the egg is transported all over the place by various means of travel - maybe it'll end up somewhere nice?
New equilibrium: the egg is dropped and hatches right at the very end of the trailer.

The trailer is normal speed due to the fact that it is the opening sequence of the feature film. There are no freeze-frames used, however there is a fade in used at the beginning of the trailer and a fade in/out used for the final piece of text.

Planning - Script

28/02/14 - Third Draft

On Monday 24th February, Jay and I met up to go through the script and tweak it. We both felt what was said was very good, however HOW it was said wasn't... So we spent about an hour or so going through the script and changing it until we felt it was much better. After looking at how it ended, we also felt that Jack wouldn't have a gun at this point because in this post apocalyptic world, supplies are running low (the lack of medical help is evidence of this). Due to this, we have changed the gun to a knife - we felt that using a tool like a hammer (while would look good onscreen) wouldn't fit the character as he wants to kill her in the most humane way possible.

This is the product of that day:

 

NOTE: I use a script-writing program called CELTX so on this blog post it may not look exactly right, but this is simply because it has not copied across correctly.

Below is a screenshot of the program being used and then a typed version of the script.

BLACK SCREEN

We hear the sound of heavy rain and the faint whisper of zombie-like moans.

Opening titles are shown for a number of seconds.

INT. GARAGE - DAYTIME, BUT RAINING

HANDHELD: MID SHOT - A LOT OF MOVEMENT

A door bursts open and two people stumble in - one seems to be bleeding quite badly from the neck.

JACK

FUCK!

As the door closes, we are plunged into darkness once again. Last of the opening titles are shown here. We hear the the sounds of JACK and ANNA stumbling around in the darkness.

JACK

Let me get the light...

POV: ANNA

ANNA is on her back, looking up at JACK. JACK is holding ANNA'S neck to try and stop the bleeding.

JACK

I'm just gonna go get... the first aid kit.

ANNA

Am I gonna be OK?

JACK

You're gonna be just fine.

JACK runs out of shot.

MID SHOT: JACK

JACK moves over to get the first aid kit out, ANNA is bleeding on the floor, out of focus in the b.g.

JACK tips the contents of the bag out onto the floor, but then notices a rip in the bag (POV?). He looks increasingly more worried as he looks through the contents and can't find the first aid kit.

LONG SHOT: JACK - ANNA IN THE FOREGROUND

JACK rushes back (ad lib?) The camera follows JACK as HE then bends down and presses his hand against the wound.

HOT-REVERSE-SHOT: FROM THE FLOOR,LOOKING UP AT JACK, FROM OVER JACK'S SHOULDER

JACK

(Starting to panic)

I... I can't find it.

ANNA

Gimme fucking morphine!

JACK

(panicking)

I... I can't! The bag ripped!

ANNA

(lets out a breath, while still clutching her wound)

I told you we shouldn't have gone down that alleyway...

(Laughs)

JACK

I know, I know, you were right... Like always.

ANNA

You realise that I'm gonna... erm... yanno... turn?

JACK

Yeah, I know.

ANNA

You're going to have t-

JACK

No, no, no, no, no... There's got to be another first aid kit around here.

(Starts to stand)

ANNA

(Stops him)

No! I want you here. Please Jack, please don't leave me! I don't want to die alone. I want-

JACK

(Getting more and more upset)

-But I'm not strong enough-

ANNA

-You are strong, you're going to have to be - for me.

JACK sits down and holds ANNA close to him.

JACK

I just want things to be how they were before.

ANNA

You and everyone else in the world.

(They share a laugh)

JACK

Now isn't the time for jokes.

ANNA

Now is the perfect time for jokes. There is no other time is there?

JACK

I love you.

(Slowly kisses her forehead)

CLOSE UP: JACK'S LIPS AND ANNA'S FOREHEAD AS HE KISSES IT.

OVER THE SHOULDER: JACK

Jack pulls away and it reveals that Anna has died.

CLOSE UP: JACK

A high pitched note is heard throughout the rest of the scene. JACK panics and starts to hug and kiss ANNA as much as possible, in the hope that she hasn't actually died.

MIX OF CLOSE UPS, RANGING FROM MEDIUM TO EXTREME (FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES

JACK eventually gives up and starts crying and shouting/cursing.

CLOSE UP: ANNA

JACK is in focus in the foreground, while ANNA is out of focus in the background - she begins to slowly breathe again.

CLOSE UP: JACK

JACK notices and then the camera follows his hand, as it slowly moves over to a knife that fell out of the bag. It then follows the knife as he maneuvers itinto position just below her head. The camera then moves up to capture JACK's tearful expression as he stabs her head off frame.

BLACK SCREEN

The sound of the stab is heard.

Title: In Seclusion, We Find Safety

Title: Coming Soon

10/02/14 - Second Draft

BLACK SCREEN

We hear the sound of rain from an outside source and shouting voices from the same place (ad lib. "I knew that was a bad idea", "we're almost there" etc.)

Opening titles are shown for a number of seconds

INT. GARAGE - LIGHT OUT, BUT RAINING

A door bursts open from the other side of the room and two people stumble in - one seems to be bleeding quite badly from the neck.

As the door closes, we are plunged into darkness once again. Last of the opening titles are shown here.

JACK

Let me get the light.

POV: ANNA

ANNA is on her back, looking up at JACK. JACK is holding ANNA'S neck to try and stop the bleeding.

ANNA

Am I going to be OK?

JACK

You're going to be just fine. I'm just gonna go get the first aid kit.

JACK runs out of shot.

MID SHOT: JACK

JACK moves to a table to get the first aid kit out, ANNA is bleeding on the floor, out of focus in the b.g.

JACK looks extremely worried when he gets the first aid kit out and rummages through it - the camera follows his eyes down to see that they only have plasters and a couple of syringes left in there.

LONG SHOT: JACK - ANNA IN THE FOREGROUND

JACK rushes back - ad lib: "It's OK baby", "I'm back, don't worry" etc. The camera tracks JACK as HE then bends down and presses his hand against the wound.

SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT: FROM THE FLOOR, LOOKING UP AT JACK, FROM OVER JACK'S SHOULDER

JACK

(Starting to get upset)

Babe, we only have plasters and the last of the morphine...

ANNA

Gimme the morphine.

JACK

OK.

CLOSE UP OF ANNA'S LEG

JACK injects ANNA with the syringe.

SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT: FROM THE FLOOR, LOOKING UP AT JACK, FROM OVER JACK'S SHOULDER

ANNA

I told you we shouldn't have gone down that alleyway...

(Laughs)

JACK

I know baby, you were right... Like always.

ANNA

You realise that I'm going to turn?

JACK

Yeah, I know.

ANNA

Then you know what you're gonna have to do.

JACK

(Pauses as it dawns on him that he will have to shoot his girlfriend in the head)

No, no, no, no, no... There's got to be another first aid kit around here.

(Starts to stand)

ANNA

(Stops him)

No! I want you here. I'm done with this. All I want is to end it all, with you holding me.

JACK

(Getting more and more upset)

But... I'm not strong enough... To finish it off.

ANNA

You're strong babe, you're going to have to be.

JACK sits down and holds ANNA close to him.

JACK

I just want things to be how they were before.

ANNA

You and everyone else in the world.

(They share a laugh)

JACK

Now isn't the time for jokes.

ANNA

Now is the perfect time for jokes honey, when will we have anymore?

JACK

I love the way you can even have a joke as you're...

(Pause)

I love you.

(Slowly kisses her forehead)

CLOSE UP: JACK'S LIPS AND ANNA'S FOREHEAD AS HE KISSES IT

OVER THE SHOULDER: JACK

Jack pulls away and it reveals that Anna has died.

CLOSE UP: JACK

A high pitched note is heard throughout the rest of the scene. JACK panics and starts to hug and kiss ANNA as much as possible to make sure she is dead/alive.

MIX OF CLOSE UPS, RANGING FROM MEDIUM TO EXTREME (FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES)

JACK eventually gives up and starts crying and shouting/cursing.

HIGH ANGLE: JACK

JACK falls to the floor in despair. The camera tracks his hand as one is placed on ANNA'S shoulder.

CLOSE UP: ANNA

ANNA begins to slowly breathe again.

CLOSE UP: JACK

JACK notices and then the camera tracks his hand, as it moves back to get a gun from his pocket. He points the gun at ANNA'S head.

POV: JACK

There is a focus pull from the gun to ANNA'S head.

ANNA begins to open her eyes.

CUT

BLACK SCREEN

A gunshot is heard.

Title: In Seclusion, We Find Safety

Title: Coming Soon

25/11/13 - First Draft

BLACK SCREEN

We hear the sound of rain from an outside source and shouting voices from the same place (ad lib. "I knew that was a bad idea", "we're almost there" etc.)

Opening titles are shown for a number of seconds

INT. GARAGE - LIGHT OUT, BUT RAINING

A door bursts open from the other side of the room and two people stumble in - one seems to be bleeding quite badly from the neck.

As the door closes, we are plunged into darkness once again. Last of the opening titles are shown here.

JACK

Let me get the light here.

POV: ANNA

ANNA is on her back, looking up at JACK. JACK is holding ANNA'S neck to try and stop the bleeding.

ANNA

(Weakly)

Does it look bad? Am I going to be OK?

JACK

Shush Anna, you're going to be just fine now you hear me? Now, just put your hand here and hold that for me while I go get the first aid kit.

JACK moves her hand and then runs out of shot.

MID SHOT: JACK

JACK moves to a table to get the first aid kit out, ANNA is bleeding on the floor, out of focus in the b.g.

JACK looks extremely worried when he gets the first aid kit out and rummages through it - the camera follows his eyes down to see that they only have plasters, a few pills and a couple of syringes left in there.

LONG SHOT: JACK - ANNA IN THE FOREGROUND

JACK rushes back - ad lib: "It's OK baby", "I'm back, don't worry" etc. The camera tracks JACK as HE then bends down and presses his hand against the wound.

SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT: FROM THE FLOOR, LOOKING UP AT JACK, FROM OVER JACK'S SHOULDER

JACK

(Starting to get upset)

Baby, we only have plasters and the last of the pills and syringes...

Do you want a jab?

ANNA

(Swallows and struggles a little with her words, due to shortness of breath)

That would help a lot.

JACK

OK

EXTREME CLOSE UP ON ANNA'S LEG

JACK injects ANNA with the syringe.

SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT: FROM THE FLOOR, LOOKING UP AT JACK, FROM OVER JACK'S SHOULDER

ANNA

I told you we shouldn't have gone down that alleyway...

(Laughs)

JACK

I know baby, you were right... Like always, you were right.

ANNA

You know that I'm going to turn... Right?

JACK

Yeah, I know baby...

ANNA

Then you know what I want you to do as soon as I do right?

JACK

(Pauses as it dawns on him that he will have to shoot his girlfriend in the head)

No, no, no, no, no... I can fix you, I can get help, there has to be another first aid kit around here somewhere!

(Starts to stand)

ANNA

(Stops him)

No! I want you here. I'm done, with all of this. All I want, is for my last moments to be shared with the person I love most in this world.

JACK

(Getting more and more upset)

But... I'm not sure if I'm strong enough.. To do, what I need to after that.

ANNA

You're strong baby, you're going to have to be.

JACK sits down and holds ANNA close to him.

JACK

I just want things to be the way they were...

ANNA

You and everyone else still alive in this world.

(They share a laugh)

JACK

Now isn't the time for jokes now is it?

ANNA

Now is the perfect time for jokes honey, when will we have anymore?

JACK

I love the way you can even have a joke as you're...

(Pause)

I love you.

(Slowly kisses her forehead)

EXTREME CLOSE UP: JACK'S LIPS AND ANNA'S FOREHEAD AS HE KISSES IT.

OVER THE SHOULDER: JACK

Jack pulls away and it reveals that Anna has died.

BIG CLOSE UP: JACK

A high pitched note is heard throughout the rest of the scene. JACK panics and starts to hug and kiss ANNA as much as possible to make sure she is dead/alive.

CLOSE UPS: RANGING FROM MEDIUM, TO EXTREME (FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES)

JACK eventually gives up and starts crying and shouting/cursing.

HIGH ANGLE: JACK

JACK falls to the floor in despair. The camera tracks his hand as one is placed on ANNA'S shoulder.

CLOSE UP: ANNA

ANNA begins to slowly breathe again.

CLOSE UP: JACK

JACK notices and then the camera tracks his hand, as it moves back to get a gun from his pocket. He points the gun at ANNA'S head.

POV: JACK

There is a focus pull from the gun to ANNA'S head.

ANNA begins to open her eyes.

CUT TO BLACK

BLACK SCREEN

A gunshot is heard.

Roll ending credits.

Research - Focus Group Feedback

I showed my focus group two influential scenes that I am working from: the last cutscene in the opening of the video game 'The Last of Us' (2013) in which Joel's daughter dies from a gunshot; and a scene from the first episode of 'The Walking Dead' (2010) in which Rick arrives at his house to find his family are nowhere to be found. I found both of these scenes very emotional when I originally watched them and I hope to create a similar feeling with my sneak preview that I am creating for the A2 main task.

Research - Poster Analysis

The Last of Us (2013)

This poster is of the ‘horror’ genre. The genre is indicated to me by the bleak colour palette and ‘dirty’ lettering of the title.

‘The Last of Us’ is the title of this video game and I think this is a brilliant title for this type of product. This is because it sounds sort of like a quote that a character might say in the actual product. It is also a very gloomy title that indicates that many people have died.

The title is in a big, bold, white font and is located in the lower left corner of the poster. This is a good placement for the title because it is stylised with one word on the first and second lines, then two on the last – this means that it takes up enough space in the corner to be noticed straight away, but it allows for the key image to take the majority of the space.

The lettering style is ‘dirty’ around the edges, indicating that the product may be violent and unsuitable for children. Violence in films and video games usually make things dirty with blood, mud or similar substances.

The key image in this poster is of the two main protagonists looking determined and at the audience members. This represents the idea that they are on an important (but dangerous) quest and possibly need our help to complete it – by viewing the product in its entirety. The background is a dirty, grey fill (possibly a wall) with many darker and lighter patches all over – showing us that dust and dirt has been kicked up and has stuck to the wall. The characters are also covered in this dust/dirt and this all points to the idea that their journey is a long and potentially dangerous one.

There is a secondary image of the two main characters walking in some kind of field. They look isolated from other people in this secondary image because of the sparsely populated area shown. This presents the enigmas “Why are they so alone? What has happened?”

Ellie is the character shown in the foreground; she is young and so we assume she is also vulnerable. She also looks a little worried. This all adds up to the audience caring about her and wondering why she is worried. Joel is the character behind Ellie, he is looking at the audience head on an looking very determined. His rugged look and unshaven face looks a little threatening, but he isn't doing anything to Ellie so we assume there is a threat of sorts coming from elsewhere.

The main message that I think the poster conveys to me is a simple one. “Help us.” This is because of the worried look from Ellie and the determined look from Joel – they need my help to save ‘The Last of us’.

The poster is a general release poster because it doesn't have any information on the developers. Much like a director of a film, the main star for this video game, is really the developers – Naughty Dog have a track record for making great games. The fact that the Naughty Dog logo isn't on the poster, shows that they have already released other material and there is no need to show the developer’s information or  even a tagline of sorts.

The poster is trying to appeal to fans of Naughty Dog’s work and people who play video games in general – this is because it would have been massive news to gamers when it was first revealed, and fans of previous work will be looking out for these posters and promotional material.

Children of Men (2006)

This poster is within the ‘drama’ genre, but also has elements of the ‘horror’ genre in it. This is due to the bleak colours in the background and the serious expression on the main character’s face.

The title “Children of Men” is quite enigmatic for me. This is because, for me the ‘children’ represent a particular group of people that are seen as lesser than another group – the ‘men’. Therefore I think the film will be about a struggle of power between two social groups (or indeed any other type of group, maybe political?).

However, the film is actually called this because it is a quote from the bible, "Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men" meaning that something will turn these men to destruction and they will return as lesser people than when they left. I have not come across this quote before, but I imagine that someone who has seen it before may link it to the bible and the Christian undertones from the original book.

As for other text, there is a small back story to the film in the top left corner. It states the year and some of the events that happened before the film starts.

The lettering used is quite big and bold, but also is blurred in some areas. The film title and the actors are in white, while the back story is in red and slightly smaller. The actor’s names are also slightly smaller than the film title – this is so the audience doesn't get confused with what is the film title and what is the extra information included with the poster.

The lettering signifies that some things aren't as they first appear in the film. This is because of the out of focus letters and the faded lettering. It also signifies to me that the things that are structured are starting to crumble (such as the government). This is because the lettering is in a formal font and looks like it has been sprayed onto a wall of sorts, but it is also a little blurry in places and not clear in others.

The key image is of the main character (Theo) looking directly at the audience through a broken window, in a serious way. This represents a determination in his character that is seen throughout the film – giving us an impression of his character for the film. In the foreground, there is a broken window that also helps signify the message of a crumbling society; while in the background, there is a dark wall – conveying the idea of darkness surrounding the characters (similar to horror films).

There is a secondary image of a baby in an eye (in the foetal position). I think this represents the fact that the eyes of the world are looking for hope of a new baby being born (which is the idea that the film is based upon).

Theo is the only character in the poster, and he is looking straight at the audience in determination – this represents his character in the film. His character is determined to help deliver the baby and possibly save the planet and so this determination is conveyed in his emotions in this poster.

The main message in the poster is the back story that it is trying to get across to us. Also the idea of Theo’s determination is a major part of the poster. Both of these entice the audience to go and see the film – the back story sounds like an interesting concept and Theo’s determined face shows the audience the serious side of the film.

Three of the main stars are identified in the poster – they use the same font and colour as the main title, however they are slightly smaller. This is great because the audience members can see that some of their favourite stars are featured in the film and the stars are easily noticed on the poster because of the font and colour being the same as the main title.

The director is also identified, his name is also of the same font and colour of the title, but is slightly smaller (the same as the star names). Similar to the stars, the director is easily noticed because of the similarity between the main title and the director’s name. Due to the fact that both the star names and the director are shown above and below the main title – this also emphasises the film’s title to the audience and they may be fans of the director or certain stars in it.

The producers and distributors are identified in the credit block at the bottom of the poster. This is because a more general viewer won’t necessarily want to know the information on the producers and distributors, but someone who specifically likes a certain producer may have been excited for this film and so can still find this information on the poster.

This poster is a general release poster because it has a lot of contextual information on it. It gives us a back-story, the main title, the director’s name, as well as a lot more information. If it were a teaser, it may just have the film title, or a picture of something to do with the film – not giving much away. The teaser posters for this film included a number of quotes from the film and the film’s title. All of which was on a white background – one of the more popular quotes was “The last one to die please turn out the light”.

The poster offers links to two websites dedicated to the promotion of the film. One of which is the official film website and the other is for the ‘United International Pictures’ website (which is the film’s distributors).

I believe that the poster is trying to appeal to a target audience of 15-25 years. This is because this is the main target audience for many films – due to the high amount of tickets sold for this age bracket. Also, due to the fact that the film carries a 15+ certificate, they won’t be trying to appeal to a younger audience and the film focusses on much more contemporary ideas and so won’t as appealing for a typical, say 60+ year old.