Research and Planning: Film Magazine Draft 1

I decided to go with reel on set since I believed it sounds better. Basically what i did was draw the top half of the draft on one side and annotate parts that need something doing to them or that is good etc, and then i did the same with the bottom half on the opposite side. therefore there will be two images with writing on them, I may have another post where these 2 drawing are on the same side and will implicate the text as part of the drawings.



However this may be used as a poster (The picture on the right). Only if I don't use it for a magazine.

Research and Planning: Film Magazine Masthead ideas

Masthead name ideas:

- On set 

(Gives the impression of them being on set and therefore having inside information about the film or program)

- Here in shot

(It Seems that the magazine is so close to the action that they are actually in the shot)

- Us, Film, On set, Now

(Answering the questions Who? What? Where? When? To be honest this is a bit bland and not very effective)

- The Film Ticket

(It seems like this magazine will have so much information, by reading it you will feel as if your'e in the cinema watching the film)

- Everything on Reel

(As in a film Reel)

- Reel On Set

(Double entendre of a film reel and real information. This is witty and I think it sounds quite good)

Research and Planning: Script Draft 1

(Mainly Kristian's ideas with input from Beth and I)

Interview plays in the background all the way through.

Detective: so why do you kill people?

Killer: Because there’s alot of bad things in this world, and a lot of bad people. You detective are one of the worst; gambling, drugs, alcoholism. My little game is simply to bring the vermin of this world to where they belong.

Detective: This doesn’t seem much of a game.

Killer: Not all games cost money detective (name)

(Beep Beep – diegetic sound of a phone)

Detective: But no game should cost a life.

Killer in room: and the game begins, psychotic laugh.

(interrogation room)

Detective: You’re my favourite type of murder you know

Killer: And whys that detective?

Detective: Because id enjoy watching you spend the rest of you life rotting in nothing but your memories while your ideas and fantasies burn around you.

Killer: Oh no I’m a completely different type of monster one day ill just disappear, and leave you with nothing, no family, no job, no future, I could just take everything including the life of the ones you love.

(the fight sounds all diegetic lights go out laughter then come back on and hes gone then laughing continues on last scene.)

Research and Planning: Auditions

The auditions went quite well we found a majority of people to fit the roles we needed including the majority of the dead bodies, the Inspector (Protagonist), and Kristian will be playing the killer.

Unfortunately we didn't film the auditions

Research and Planning: Distribution Company Logo Ideas

We researched distribution company names so that we could use them as an influence to create our own. I then had conversation about what we should call our own. We eventually came up with  moonlight pictures. Beth used logo creator online, she thought this would help to create it.
the link to this is:http://www.flamingtext.co.uk/LogoMaker/ 

The final result:

Research and Planning: Film Name Ideas

We discussed film names today the ideas we came up with were all in relation to cards as our plot is based around cards. The names we came up with were:

 The Game -  We chose this as it is simple and states exactly what our film is about without giving too much detail. We want them to be intrigued therefore leaving them wanting more. 

Ace of Spades - We chose this we know that this is one of the most iconic cards and will attract people as many people play cards. 

Ace is High - We chose this as we thought this was the most appropriate to our plot idea.

Research and Planning: Sound Test

We had a mess around with garageband to see if we could create anything or get an impression of how to use the software. We found it very confusing and looking at online guides didn't help in creating any form of piece.

Research and Planning: Extra Poster Idea

Decent idea for other forms of posters. 

- The chalk outline with a playing card on them.
- The text would be the next numbered card then 'is next' eg the playing card would be the 2 of spades, the text would say 3 is next. (As shown above).
- The outline would be in multiple backgrounds in low key lighting.
- Blood would be on the card and a bit near the outline or on the outline.

Research and Planning: Poster Draft 1

This is a draft for my poster:

- Killer sat down on a chair, feet on floor

- Portfolio pictures against a brick back wall

- Single light showing vicious grin and playing cards A, K, Q, J / Full hand 2 to the K. Blood on hands and blood on the cards (Wet blood).

Possibly a table showing multiple blood stained knives.

-Definitely want the title to look like that, with the Ace card and that font.

Research and Planning: Animatic Storyboard

This is the second attempt at the animatic storyboard. It includes 35 shots and some of the transitions we want in our trailer. It also contains the zoom out on the killer and the card.

(Illustrations by Adam Saxton)

Research and Planning: Storyboard Trailer

This is our storyboard, it shows 8 scenes that should be in our trailer.

1st one shows the detective in a suit folding his cards, this is to show that he has no money basically, and that he has no luck when it comes to cards.

2nd shows that he has received a text and that the storyline should take place.

3rd Flash of victims

4th Shows the killer against his wall, showing his victims pictures and other things.

5th is another flashing scenes of victims.

6th Interview scene

7th Killer flips out and escapes the interview

8th the ace of spades is in the detectives pocket. 

Research and planning: Film Poster Analysis 2

This is the poster for the film 'The Call' it is a very simple poster and has only used 3 colours, Red, White, and Black.

The very simplistic use of these colours is incredibly effective. The red background gives the impression that a lot of blood, or a lots of danger will be involved in this film. The black and white for the text allows it to push your eyes to the picture rather than the text, while still getting the point out of who's in the film, what it is called and the tagline. The black is only really used for the word 'The' which gives and impression that the fact that it is 'The' Call makes it incredibly important. The whole plot is based off of this particular call.

The tagline 'There are 100 million 911 calls a year this one made it personal'

Research and Planning: Film Poster Analysis 1

This is the poster for the film 'Seven'.

The colours used represent the characters, which stand out in bright colours such as the red and yellow. This could be to introduce the idea that they are the protagonists and the way that half of their faces are blacked out, and the list is the 'source' of the blackness. This shows that this list is constantly on their mind throughout the film.
The colours used on the characters could also be used to connotate how their lives are, since they are police officers their lives will have danger throughout (This being the connotation of the red). The yellow I believe could connotate to a happiness in the characters lives. In the trailer Brad Pitt had a wife and was starting a new career. Whilst Morgan freeman was sat at the dinner table alone, claiming that he's been working for too long. This could be a present reason why his face is more red and orange than Brad Pitt's face.





The way that the text is different throughout the poster is a bit strange. But this could connotate to how the victims are so different. This is mainly shown in the text at the bottom which seems like it is hand written in chalk against a wall.

The way that the list of deadly sins is repeated throughout the poster shows how important it is throughout the film. The way that it is shown written in multiple forms on the poster gives the impression that it will appear in multiple forms within the film, or that it will be listed by multiple characters.

The text for seven is also repeated in multiple forms in multiple texts this could also be a way to increase its influence. From top to bottom it lists 7 sins, then it has the tagline 'Seven deadly sins, seven ways to die' Then has the title Seven written in red text in a comic sands type of font. Just below that it has 7 tally's and another list of the 7 deadly sins, and finally has another title written as 'SE7EN'.
The repetition of this specific number, enforces the point that the film is about this number, it is about the 7 deadly sins, The multiple ways of writing this follows suit and enforces this point. It's almost like the poster is reminding you that the film is about the 7 sins, making you think that it will have multiple forms of side stories that you may get dragged off into if you're not constantly reminded what the film is about.

Research and Planning: Script Idea

'Not all games cost money'  Killer
'I agree, but no game should cost a life'  Detective

This would be in the interview and would give an insight into what the characters think about.

Research and Planning: Trailer Convention

The main features of a Trailer:

• Film production Company our idea is Bright Sparks
• Snippets of the movie 
• Music that coincides with the shots being shown 
• The title so that it is known what the film is called and therefore you can see that film
• Plot understanding, making sure it is known what the plot is so its easy to understand and you  haven't just got a lot of shots that make no sense together  
• Voiceover to make the plot understood in order for the audience to want to see the film 

Features of a Crime Trailer:

•Fast cutting

•Montage

•Jumps cuts

•Zoom

•Cutaways

•Pan

•Low key lighting

•Close ups

•Long shots

•Establishing shot

•Low angles

•Extreme close ups  

Research and Planning: Meeting Post (Story Board)

Today we decided that we would go over our story board for our trailer. This is what we decided:

- The detective would fold his hand (Playing poker) he has several poker chips beside him in a stack. (Small stack)

- Gets ruffed up and thrown out of the casino, (Raining) Close up phone message is "its time to play a game"
- Flash 6 victims of the murder.

- Then calm again to show the killer sat down with the victims pictures. (long shot, dark room, light behind)

- 6 more victims.

- Goes to interrogation room. Quite conversation. low key lighting. lamp

- Killer flips out, Throws the table over.

-Killer disappears and Ace is in the pocket of the detective. (close up of the ace in the detectives hand.)

Research and Planning: IMBD Genre/Audience Feedback

These ten films where chosen on IMDb as the top 10 Crime/Mystery films of all time the titles are the following:

1. 8MM
2. A History of Violence
3. A Perfect Murder
4. After. Life
5. Blood Simple
6. Seven
7. Brick
8. Cape Fear
9.  Carlitos way
10. Cellular

Research and Planning: Pitch Powerpoint

Research and Planning: Logo Design

This is the logo we decided on for our Production company, Bright Spark Productions.

it was made in photoshop. Since bright spark means Intelligence (If someone is a bright spark they are an intelligent person) we thought that it would be representing an intelligent type of film genre, that being crime/mystery. We decided on this particular idea of a light bulb since we are making a crime film trailer. A light bulb is sometimes depicted as an idea. At which point it went quite well with our idea of crime/mystery. The blue was used because it looks similar to the ultraviolet light used in many crime films where people look for cleaned blood under the light. We used yellow text as it related to the fact that it is a light bulb and because the name is Bright spark productions. We thought this would connatate quite well. 

(Created by Adam Saxton on Photoshop)

Planning and research: IMBD Research

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=crime&num_votes=1000,&sort=user_rating,desc&title_type=feature

The top 5 highest rated crime films on IMDB  are in order:

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)

These films are very different to what we envisioned when we wrote our drafts of what our trailer should be about, but after scrolling down the list a bit more we found these:

13. Se7en (1995)
14. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

These films focus solely on 1 main antagonist which makes production much simpler mainly due to the limited cast we would need.

Research and Planning: Props and Clothing

(Images to be added soon)

- Playing cards
- Rubber knives
- Real knives (Mainly for the effect of 'its a real knife')
- Gun (Real looking bb gun or something of that effect)
- Large lamp (For interrogation purposes)
- Handcuffs (For arresting)
- Fake blood
- Table
- Chairs

Clothing we will need:

- Some casual clothes mainly for the victims (Examples below)
- Smart clothes for the killer and the detective (Examples below)


(More props/clothing may be added int he future, nearer shooting time)

Research and Planning: Production meeting 4 (Props Clothing)

After a quick discussion we came up with a short list for the props and clothing we will need. this will be further developed in other posts.

Props will need:

- Playing cards
- Rubber knives
- Real knives (Mainly for the effect of 'its a real knife')
- Gun (Real looking bb gun or something of that effect)
- Large lamp (For interrogation purposes)

Clothing we will need:

- Some casual clothes mainly for the victims
- Smart clothes for the killer and the detective (Suit and shirt and tie etc)

Research and Planning: Production Meeting 3 (Further Information on Plots)

In this production meeting we discussed a further bit about the plot, mainly to specify and clarify some points about the characters and main story.

What we decided was:

- The title of our film trailer would be Ace High. Simply to say that in gambling the Ace can either be low or high, stating it is high claims that it has more significance than any other card.

- That the main character would be a gambler. This would be to wrap the story around this point, as we called it ace high, the killer is leaving behind playing cards as a taunt. Overall this explains the storyline being about cards and explains the reason its about cards, without giving away anything about the killer. E.g. he could be someone that the main character owes money to, finding a colourful way to get his own back.

- We decided that the Jack, Queen, King (Cards) relate to significant people in the main characters life. for example the Jack could be the doorman of his House of residence (Seems a bit american but its just an example) The Queen could be his mother. (This shows that it is very personal), and the King could be the Police Chief. (I mainly came up with these to show just how personal it could be, since this covers the fact that the killer knows where the main character lives, he knows his family, and where he works, not only that though he also can take out risky targets that are close to the main character).

- The main character is the Ace. Since ace is high, the main character would be the last to be killed

- The killer is a sociopath, whom despises the main character for his gambling adiction.