For our second attempt at filming our previous experience had helped. By having two previous experiences in filming it made for are most efficient shoot yet. Areas I believe that I have improved the most in include setting up a shot or "framing" with the camera also as a group setting up the mise-en-scene has improved from our first draft to portray a more accurate representation of the emotion we wanted to show
The acting was pretty much the same time from our rough cut put there was new challenges that faced us. As seen in the image on the right on of the things we had to do was try and control a dog that featured in the establishing shot. As could be expected this was tricky but something we overcame. Again the bright midday sun was also something we had to comprise with as the camera auto-exposure would adjust itself every time the camera was moved so we had to thing carefully about camera position.
What I learnt from this shoot is that again prior planning is essential to success although you must be able to adapt to the situation at hand knowing the exact shots we wanted made for an effeicient session that produced the results we wanted
Following this shoot the main focus from me and my group is to find an appropriate non diegetic score and continue editing. So far editing is something that we have found to be a natural strength however we still need to learn and nurture skills in producing high-quality titles as the previous were below the standard.
By creating this storyboard animatic it helped us see before filming how the continuity of clips would go and if it portrayed the meaning we wished to express. Prior planning also helped us work out other important aspects such as camera angles and timing. I created the animatic using Adobe Flash as I found being able to quickly adjust the FPS made it much easier. Although the drawings could of possibly been better and more detailed containing arrows and other directions for the camera work and also the actress we believe in this short sequence the meaning is shown to people who are unaware of our project. Unfortunately as a group we are still unable to come together a find a piece of music that fits the tone we want to portray so this is something that we will have to consider more urgerntly as deadlines approach.
By showing the class are updated cut it helped us realise where we are and what we need to do to improve. By people unaware of what are project is about telling us how we could improve it has helped massively. One thing that we have changed after hearing the advice of offers is shortening the transition of flashback to when she starts panicking and searching for artefacts relating to her brother. What we realised was the slow build up into a sudden burst of action didn't really work so we have changed it accordingly. As well as giving constructive criticism we where also told what we had done well so we can try and make a consistent piece.
Yesterday saw our first attempt of filming although this was largely successful there was a few problems that came up. The first of which was the weather which prevented one of the actors not being able to attend the shoot. The weather also contributed on the light being difficult to record in some angles. We responded by adjusting the camera to gain advantage from the conditions. Some of the things that went well included being well organised and by having a detailed storyboard made the transition of shots much easier. We are going to have to do some more filming due to the actor who was unavailable but should the weather permit will be no problem.
The main things I learnt from this experience is to have good communication with your group so if issues arise a logical solution can quickly be resolved. The final thing and most important is that organisation is essential. This means that a detailed shooting schedule should be made along with storyboards prior to the day filming.
As we found out in our continuity task, planning is essential to suscsess. To help maximise this we planed ahead a shooting schedule to help us work efficiently. Some aspects we had to think about when planning was how the outside lighting may affect a shot in the narrative, because of this we wont be filming our scenes in the chronological order they will be seen in the final cut.
The image on the left shows our leading protagonist (Cindy Sidhu). We originally requested her to work with us due to the fact she fits into the age bracket of our target market. Targeting people aged between 15-21 we felt it would be suitable to use a cast of people that age so that the viewers can relate and emphasise with the people on screen. The second reason we requested Cindy was that our first ideas was to incorporate a Bollywood film with western conventions. We felt it would be appropriate to select a cast which came from an Asian ethnicity as we believed it would create a more accurate portrayal of the Bollywood influence. Although we are no longer using this idea due to issues with some of the technical codes of Bollywood we still find Cindy to be a more that suitable candidate for the role we require. Aspects such as her dark hair are important as we feel it fits the characters depressive and psychologically unstable temperament by also having acting experience Cindy is our select protagonist.
I believe lighting is one of the most important factors to consider when we start filming and is something that is often overlooked.
Se7en (see above) is one of the films we have identified as a product we would like to take influence from. Throughout there title sequence the use of shadow and darkness is very important. By starting with out of focus hands that are in shadow not clearly shown suggests what have they been up to or capable and gives a sense of ambiguity. The theme of darkness continues when the titles are introduced with a black backdrop, the colour black can connote death and evil. Some bits where the lighting does change is where photos are developed in a room lit with red lights. The colour red can also connote blood however could equally suggest passion but in the context would most likely be the first.
This style isn't unique purely Se7en as the opening of the Requiem of a Dream shows. Although it isn't used quite as heavily as Se7en it does feature heavily and certainly effects the tone and mood. The opening two shots in particular are the most important in my mind as by starting up with a shady character the audience is immediately guessing of why the are in the darkness? and why had their identity been hidden. Requiem of a Dream does juxtapose with Se7en as later on characters are shot in brightly lit streets however the juxtaposition betwen the two styles only increases the affect that they produce.
How can I apply features into my project?
By watching these two openings what I have learnt includes the following; Sometimes by not revealing a character fully in the opening minutes can help keep the viewer interested and engaged trying to work out how they are or what they might be doing, and also how mood can easily be altered depending on how well lit something is.
