Filming The Beginning

Last night I went out and filmed a few shots that do not need to have characters in. I found by the time I went outside I only had 20 minuets to film. Thereofre when I go out and film tonight I am going out an hour earlier so that I have time to complete more filming. As when it got to dark last night even with the torch the camera had no definition and everything just looked black.

When filming the shots last night I had a torch with me which made the shots look more mysterious to fit the thriller genre. I hope tonights filming is succesful, and that the weather allows me to film. Then after christmas I can begin editing. Also due to some shots being filmed inside these can be filmed whenever so they will be completed tonight by using many different angles such as high angle low angle zooms and pans.

Technology I have Used

Filming Begins

I am going to begin filming shots of the location tonight and then tommorow evening I hope to film with my main character so that i have most of the footage. I will go out as it begins to get dark. I will use a college harddrive camera. I will use many different shots the footage will then be uploaded on friday.

Music

Finding music for my teaser trailer, to me was one of the most challenging parts as I found it hard to source what I wanted. I searched through lots of different tracks but couldnt find anything that would fit my teaser trailer. I tried the two songs below with my teaser trailer however they did not create the correct atmosphere.

Schindler's List-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMx2SKIRkw4


I looked into this music as I knew it would create a uncomfortable and eerie atmosphere. However when I placed this track on the footage that had been shot, it moved to slow and did not fit in with the style of the teaser trailer.

Bullet Proof-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-WMpc61wpk



I the experimented with using the opening to this track before the singing began however I found that after recieving feedback from other media students it was to robotic. Also it did not create the desired atmosphere.

I therefore had to continue my search for music for my teaser trailer. This was very time consuming and caused a delay as I needed the music to be able to continue editing, so the shots fit with the music.
I then found some music that will fit my film.
Something on the track by Harry Gregson Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alztY5QCXHE


This music had a faster tempo which fit the pace of my shots, also it helped to create a unexpected and thrilling atmosphere. The music is very eerie and creepy. Therefore as the music changes pace this can fit with my shots throughout the editing process.

What needs to be done before Christmas

• Filming- Due to illness of my actors and actress's this has had to be postponed. This has been re schedualed for Wednesday 15th December.

• Upload the footage filmed so far onto the Mac

• Select a choice of music for my thriller

Music For my Thriller Trailer

To do this I am going to lok through You Tube for differnt styles I will then place different examples on my blog so that I know all of my options I will then compare them all and when editing place a final two over the trailer to see which sounds the best.



1. Something on the Track

Finished Poster

Finishing off the poster:

Images

Colour scheme

Editing of Images

Tag line

Texts (sizes and styles)

Overall



The videoclip in this blog will give all information on my poster. The finish product is shown below.

Problems

I have found that their are issues with filming this week due to problems with transport due to bad weather, therefore I am going to re schedual to next week. I now hope to film some shots next Wednesday dependant of the weather conditions. I will then be able to finally begin editing.

Also I have had trouble with inserting a voice clip into tho blog I am hoping to solve this problem today by gaining help from a technition as i have tried to embed it twice and it has not been succesful.

Filming

I am hoping to start filming next week as I will then have a better idea of the right time of night to film. I know that I will have a preference of dusk so that will probably be around 4.30pm. I will discuss with Naomi and Alex when they are free next week Once I have basic shots this will then help me to identify other shots that I need for my teaser trailer. Also i will be able to identify what shots will look most effective.

Once I have filmed the basics I can then begin editing.

Filming Timetable

The table below shows the timetable for filming and editing and what I plan to accomplish in each stage.

Story Board for Teaser Trailer

Below is the storyboard showing the types of shots I am going to use in my teaser trailer.

Possible Shots

In my auxillary tasks and main task I plan to use a range of shots.

Close up: I will hope to use a close up to show emotion

Mid Shot I will use mid shots as they can show body movement and also capture emotion in an individuals face.

Longshot: This will be used to show scale of a building or distance.

High angle Shot: This can be used to show how small something is and to demonstrate lower status.

Low Angle Shot: Can be used to show the size of a large object, or dominance of a person. It also looks like someone could be trapped and are looking for a way out.

Also I will use text for the titles so these will be added in when editing.

Developing my Magazine Front Cover

To begin developing my magazine front cover, I will look at texts in different colours to say 'Watch Film' and different styles. I then proceeded to develop my poster until I was happy with the end result.
Process of making my poster:

Selecting the correct font in which to display my title was a very difficult descision. I have 5 options to choose from.

Out of the options and recieving feedback from other media students I have found that my favorite out of the texts is the second row on the right. This is very simple and the sans serif font is easy to read and will stand out on the front of a magazine cover. However I am unsure about the colour scheme of the title.

Image- When I began selecting an image I knew that I wanted one with both the main characters look towards the camera as this was a key aspect when I looked at other film magazine front covers. When I selected the image that I wanted to use on my front cover I had lots of trouble throughout editing the image. It was hard to get rid of the whole background so that I could place the image anywhere. Therefore I spent lots of time changing the contrast and colours.

Texts and Titles-

When I had chosen the image for my background I could then begin to experiment with colours and styles. I decided to add a tagline to the bottom of my magazine cover as this was seen in the examples I have looked at. Due to the title of the magazine being in red I then decided to continue this theme throughout with sub titles of what is in the magazine and the stars. This helped me to contuinue a theme throughout my poster. The title 'CONTROL' of the film in the only text in black so that ity is different from the other texts. I have placed the title in the serif font of 'times new roman' so that it is the same in my teaser trailer and poster this is deliberate continuity. I have placed a star rating on the front cover as it will demonstrate to the reader that the film is popular. For the other text on the front page I have used a 'Rockwell' font this is a serif font. This is in dark grey so that it stands out on the background but does not distract focus from the main image. I decided to add another small image on the front as the examples I have looked at all have an image of what is inside. I editied this so that you cannot see the background, also I have kept it small so it is noticable but dosent distract from the main image and film.

Complete Poster:

My complete poster I beleive looks very professional. I have choosen to use red as the accent colour as it stands out on the white/ grey background. By being a strong colour it will also draw peoples attention into wanting to look at the magazine front cover.

Finding Music For the Trailer

Atmosphere is key when it comes to a thriller film wether it is the opening or the teaser trailer. The music for the teaser trailer must also build up anticipation for the film as it is what makes people want to watch the entire film. I set up a weekend of looking through CD's and trying to find a sutable track to then place on the storyboard. This however is very hard as you do not know how the track will fit with the shots, and match the thriller genre.

Developing My Poster

This is the image out of the ones I edited that I am going to use on my poster, this is because it gives a hint of the location. Also with there being an area of open space on the front it is a good place to place faces of the two main characters below their names.This will keep consistency by following a similar layout to the examples which I have analysed, so hopefully my poster will look professional. Now that I have chosen my main image for the front cover of my poster, I have kept it simple so that text easily stands out when placed in white on a dark colour which is most common in the examples I have seen. I began by placing the text of the main actors/ actresses names at the top of the page like I had seen in the examples I have analysed. I chose a sans serif text which looks destroyed and not complete, but still easy to read. When placed in white stood out on the black background. I have had difficulty in choosing a text to write 'CONTROL' in as it needed to stand out and still fit with the thriller genre. The options I have to choose from are shown below. As I am not sure which text looks best I have questioned people in my media class and outside to gain there opinion on the texts.I sent around a question in which I asked people to chose the text that they like the most and would look best on a poster for my thriller film. After analysing the results of the question i gave to my media class i found that the most popular text was the 5th option. I agree with this as it is simple however does look formal, also it is easy to read and stands out on the dark background. I also found that when you print the poster it comes out very dark, so when editing I have changed the brightness so that when printed the image clarity is improved and the tree lines are easily visable. Once the text has been selected I found that the smaller text to advertise the actors names did not fit in with the main font so I will try out different examples so that the poster flows and looks professional.I found a sans serif font which is easy to read and is similar to the main font. This is shown below: Next week I plan to take photos for the front of the poster on Wednesday. I will take them on a plain background so when I edit them and change the contrast it becomes easier. I plan to have the two main characters looking towards or away from eachother i will see what looks most effective when they are placed on the poster. Last week on the 20th of October I went and took differnt shots of Naomi who is the main character in the opening to the teaser trailer, these are shown below i used all different shots to see what would be the most effective. These will then be edited and the best one then selected. I was then going to take pictures of a male in half term however I was let down by the male I was going to use. Therefore when we came back to school I then asked Alex Mutu he said he would help. So on the 3rd November I took headshots at different angles. The close up's are the best for my poster. I also took pictures of Naomi and Alex for the front cover of my magazine, I got my inspiration from a cover by Total Film advertising King Kong. Finishing off the poster Images Colour scheme Editingn of Images Tag line Texts (sizes and styles) Overall

Edited Pictures of my Location

Friday 17th September I went out to my location and took some pictures to be used on the poster for my teaser trailer and to gain an idea of different shots and to get a better idea of how I am going to film my teaser trailer in the location. This was a good experience as I went at dusk therefore managing to get images that fit the time of day of my film. I have then edited these to give the pictures below.













I edited these and changed the contrast to make the pictures look darker as when they were originally the sun was bright and this was not the effect I wanted on my front cover, as the darkness adds an element of suprise.The first and last images are my favorite as they create an element of mystery as you do not know what is behind the shadows also there is enough blank space for me to place the faces of the main actors which I will blend into the background. I liked the effect of the shadows as they were dark white will stand out on top for the writing making it clear and easy to read.

Styles of Text's for Poster/Film Trailer

Below I have founs some texts which I will compare for the front of the poster for the film. This will be very important as a similar font will be used on the magazine and it will feature in the last frame in the teaser trailer. I will keep the text similar on the magazine and the same in the teaser trailer and poster because they will then relate to each other and form a whole package rather than all being seperate.



1. The text is like a destroyed font and not fully completed, this suggests that something is not as it seems and maybe that control can be broken. Also it is easy to read and clear by using capitals.

2. The second text is very similar to the first one in a serif font, however i prefer this one as it is moire compact and will show the tight control that the man has over women.

3.This is my least favorite of all the texts as it is very sharp and too harsh for my trailer which is more secritive. Also the point suggests a knife as a weapon and that does not relate to my trailer.

4. The fourth text is like it is written on computer keys and this ties in very well with my thriller and the text is in a sans serif font so it is easy to read. However i think this would give too much information out about my film and would not look as clear or fluent on a poster when i want it all to blend in and look professional.

The other texts I am not going to use my favorite of all the texts and the one I am going to use is the second font as this will look best on the teaser trailer and also it would look the most professional on a poster and film cover.

What to Call The Magazine

I am going to call my film magazine 'Film Watch'. I believe that this is an effective name as this is the way that people view films and, wiwth the word film also featured it ensures that the reader/ customer knows what the magazine is about. I plan on my front cover to use a similr style to the Total Film covers as in my opinion these are most effective as they are all similar and keep a consostant layout so that the magazine is easily recognisable. This is not the same for the Empire magazine which after the title can vary a lot and sometimes have a large rtion of text to images which I think that the magazine does not always get correct. Therefore my cover is mainly going to be based around 'Total Film' magazine as I beleive it is the best layed out with the correct ratio of text to images and therefore my name for the magazine is two words like 'Total Film'.

The Name of My Film

I have decided that I am going to call my teaser trailer for a film 'CONTROL' this is because it relates to what the main character in the film, and what the dominate male wants from women. Also the film is based around the vunrability of women and this is what they do not have, and how they can be manipulated by a male . Also I believe by the title of the film being one word, for a crime thriller it will easily grab peoples attention as most of the crime thrillers have short titles such as 'deep blue', 'the godfather' and 'heat'. They are all kept simple and thoughts about the film can be drawn from the name.

Initial Ideas, Poster, Trailer, Magazine

Magazine Front Cover for Film Magazines

Analysing Examples of magazine front covers which I can use to advertise my thriller film.


One of the main film magazines is Total Film, which advertises new films and stars, also information and advertising for the film. Most of the front covers like the one's shown below have a large image which shows the main characters in a film. They range from headshots to a longshot all of which make the film completly clear which is being advertised.They also like to cover some of the magazine title with the image this adds another dimesnsion to the page and it also look more professional, an example of this is in the Sherlock Holmes front page where he is looking directly into the camera as a figure of power, and on a shelf would gain eye contact and intrest the target audience. Also by the main characters being easily recognisable it will make people want to read a review and see what the film is like befire they watch it.

The title of the magazine is always situated at the top of the page with just enough room to fit a tagline above it. It is in white so it easily stands out on all backgrounds and by being short it can be larger as the word 'FILM' Is in bold and capitals in a sans serif font so it is simple and easy to read when spaning he full width of the magazine. The word 'TOTAL' is smaller inside the top part of the 'F'. It is in the same font as film and also in bold. The colour is a dark red so that it can be read inside 'FILM', The colour of this however does change dependant on the background of the cover and the type of film. The title therefore is easily recognisable and large so it can be clearly seen when on a shelf with lots of other magazines.
The backround behind the main image relates to the film and a setting which is seen behind, which all text is then placed on top of.

The rest of the space around the pictures is filled with text about the film and other information you can find inside the magazine. If the picture is a mid shot of a main character the information about the film is situated over the body of the actor/actress. All mainly include the title of the film in a large font and in bold so that it stands out. They are also in a different or bright colour from the other text . The other information in the magazine is displayed down both sides this shows that the magazine has a lot to offer. There will be a main, short word in a colour different from the main text for example blue, this will then relate to the black text below which elaborates sligtly in a smaller text in the title to make the reader want to read the magazine.
All of the covers have to feature a barcode this is genrally sideways and at the side of the magazine therefore not to distract from the content of the cover. Over all the balance between text and the main image makes the main film very clear and obvious, with the other content highlights still accesable to read for a person who may not like to read about the imediate film.







Another main film magazine is EMPIRE this is very well known for the the appearance especially of the title of the magazine as it is in a bright red colour so it stands out on most colour backgrounds which in this magazine are mainly darker especially at the top of the magazine. 'EMPIRE' is written in capitals in a sans serif font so that it is easy to read and by being the largest text on the page stands out. It is situated at the top of the magazine with room for a tag line above this is because if a magazine is on the shelf it is the top that people see so they will want to know what magazine they are buying.

The main images on the page are very similar to the 'Total Film' magazine as it is either a long shot or a mid shot of the main character in the film, so that the film is easily identifiable, also the characters are looking directly into the camera to draw in the reader. Some of the images are layered over the title of the magazine this makes the front cover look more 3 dimensional, and the title can still be read as it is so recognisable. The text on the empire pages is however different from total film as it is not the same or very similar in eah magazine. However as the backgrounds are mainly dark the text is usually in white. Main sub Headings are in capitals so they stand out in a font size of around 36 so large enough to easily read, this is important as it lets the reader know what else is included in the magazine. The smaller text and other details is in the same colour but in a smaller font as for a customer to read this they would have to pay closer attention.

The covers add an extra image of something else in the magazine this shows versitility and that the magazine has other content rather than a review of one main film. Tag lines are of key importance to this magazine as when they are at the topof the page above the title they are commonly used as an introduction to the main article orif at the bottom to advertise other films. The magazine on the cover likes to show differnet type of film names so that the magazine is of best interest to everyone and not just someone who wants to read about the main review.

Each of the Empire front covers is slightly different after the top quater after the title this is a strength of the cover as it is easily recognisable and however still adds variety by channginh the ratio of text on the cover and images dependant on the film, and the style of the rest of the page.

What can my Crime Thriller be called?

Names

Envy- an emotion that occurs when a person lacks another's (perceived) superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it.

Chase- If you have to catch someone in an act which is difficult, and that is what both the criminal does to women and the authoritys the killer.


Raw- Shows that the film is going be realistic and true without any messing around with an intense storyline


Innocence- Gives the impression that the women are vunerable and the criminal acts innocent.


Countdown- This will give a clear indication that time is a threat throughout the teaser trailer.

Control- this is what the man will have over the woman and can explain the relationship that the man wants with women.

Poster for the Film

Another componant to my brief was to create a poster for the film.

Below I have looked at some examples of thriller film posters.

The Godfather Poster

This poster is very simplistic, this is what makes the poster so effective. It features the main chaeracter the godfather who looks very suspicious, like you do not know what to expect. He is a figure of power which you can tell from the fact he is well groomed and smart in a suit but is very unpredictable. All of the dark colours show mystery, and in all the posters they have one specific main colour. The small text at the bottom give little information about people in the film however this is not significant as the main focus is the large image of the godfather which shows he is very important.

The title of the film is in whie to contrast with the black, this makes sure that it stands out. Puppet strings and a hand are used over the word 'godfather' this is a hint to what the film is about and connotates that the godfather can have control over people and influence there actions. The font it's self is in a serif font in a large size to make sure it is clear and readable as the aim of the poster is to get thbe target audience to see the name of the film. The text is in a posh style suggesting that the godfather may not abide by the law but acts like he is very upperclass as he has so much power and control. By the godfather's head being imposed over the words it helps to make him more defined as he is looking straight into the camera lense.

The Heat Poster
The Heat poster has a signature colour to the poster which is a copol blue colour suggesting that the characters in the film could be very mysterious and suspicious, also it creates a contrast to the name of the film heat. As people may think that the poster is ment to be in hot colours however the blue is a cool andcalm colour which is opposite to the film.

There is more text on this page than the 'godfather' as there are more main characters and that, the names are what they are going to use to sell the film, as people maty find it appealing to watch if there is a certain star actor/actress in the film. Therefore in a white font which is also a cool colour, and suggest innocence the names of 'Al Pacinio' and 'Robert Dinero' are at the top of the poster like a header so it is one of the first things that is seen. The size is quite large to make sure it is clear and easily readable, the sans serif font bold so that the information cannot be missed. Also the text is above a picture of the two stars so you also have a visual on who they are.

There is also a third character so they are all featured on the poster however as he is not as well known his name is smaller, but the font is kept the same and the colour this is too keep the poster consistant, as if it was a mixture it would look like the poster was just quickly put together without any thought being put into it. The picture of the two main characters heads looking opposite ways suggests that they are against eachother, however they are on a similar level which shows they are evenly matched. The images are in blue and black which matches the theme with the bottoms faded back into the background, this makes the poster look like one. The pictures are situated near the top of the page showing that they are both may be figures of authority within and out of the law as its a crime thriller. There are also smaller men which are below the main actors suggetsing that they are not as important and of a lower status maybe working for the main men.The title of the film is situated 3/4 of the way down the poster, in a larger font size so that the name of the film stands out which people will remember. The title has a red line underneath which symbolises the heat of the film and also danger or blood. It helps make the title stand ouy which is all in capitals in a white font, so all of the text is a similar colour.

The text at the bottom of the page is in the same font as on everyother poster which is small and here it is in a darker blue to keep with the blue theme, it gives details of directors and other people and distribution companys for the film.

The Kiss of Death Poster

The kiss of death poster uses a very similar layout as the Heat poster, taking up half of the page are the main two characters faces on the same level to show that they are equal, looking straight inot the camera to show intensity. The names of these characters and another are shown below in white so that they stand out on the brown colour scheme. The surnames are In capitals and larger so that they stand out in a slightly serif font to show that they are the highlight of the film. The title of the film again is 3/4 of the way down the page in all capitals and the largest font to make sure the name of the film is easily visible and stands out. The red colour which the name is written in makes it stand out as the rest of the poster is brown and also suggests blood and danger, that something bad will happen. The image of the streets in the bottom half of the picture shows where the film is going to be set and anything can happen on the streets, this image is also in the brown colour. By the two pictures being the same colour and faded into each other it makes the poster look more professional and all one image not lots of seperate componants. The text at the bottom of the page is in white which matches the actors names however it is in a typical font for details about the production and other information and is only small so that it does not distract from the main focus of the poster the picture and the title.

The Dark Blue Poster

The Dark Blue poster is only slightly different from the previous two posters, as I can see a pattern between the posers.This poster is landscape this make it look different and more individual from the other posters, whikst being similar enough so that the poster can be easily read and stands out to appeal to its target audience. The main colour scheme is a orangy brown and black. This contrasts with the name of the film being dark blue as the colour is not what you would expect. There are again two maiin characters featured on the poster in a similar colour to the background so thatthe picture looks professional and not disjointed. They take up about 3/4 of the page but are situated on the right leaving the left clear. As they re the main characters and also famous hey are used to entice people into wanting to watch the film, du to the staring actors, therefore only head shots are used. The text is in white 3/4 down the page like all of the others, this stands out on the dark brown/ black bottom, therefore it will stand out. It is very large so it can be easily read and in capitals, the font is sans serif with scratches through the top and bottom, suggesting that nothing is perfect. In a red they have placed tag lines for the film situated on the left above the title and also below these goive quated lines from the film, and a tag line to give a clue to what the film includes for the audience to interpret.

The Taking of Pelham 123 Poster#

The taking of pelham 123 poster is portrait like the majority of the previous posters, however the colour scheme is not stricly one it still has the dark elwement of black but focuses on blue and gold for the images of the main characters faces, this represents that they are on different sides and looking towards eachother thatb they could be enemies. The pictures are faded into the poster to make it look prodfessional and like one, they take up half of the page agauin to be a big focus so they target audience can easily see the stars in the film. There names are in between them at the neck in relation to the image, the surnames are in capitals in a size around 18 in bold so that they also stand out in white on the black background.

A variation in this poster is that the title of the film is half way up the page so another image is at the bottom. The text to inform the audience of the title of the film is in white to again stand out on the black. A simple sans serif font in bold capitals, this makes it clear and easy to read from a distance and easily. They have however put speed marks off the number and Pelham, this shows speed and relates to the train that is in the film. Below the title is a picture of the train in a tunnel and a silhouett of where the film is set, the rest of the picture mirrors the colours used for the main actors. This is good as it helps to give a hint of what is in the film. At the bottom of the poster it features all information about the director and distribution companies in the same text as all of the other posters in a gold colour which is not easy to read. On this occasion this is probably better so that it does not distract from the main pictures and title of the film.

Final Choice of Location and Pictures

I have decided that my teaser trailer is going to be set in the field out the back of my house as this is an easily accessible location. Also some of the clips will be filmed indoors. Images of my chosen location are shown below.






















As you can see from the pictures I am mainly going to use the bridge, as you can get many shots from different angles. I will also use the house as in the dark, when a house light is turned on you can see what is happening in the picture as shown above. The sign is also significant as it shows that there are many directions that could be taken. The forest also shows a typical thriller location, the house is also a contrast. The house is bright and happy whereas the forset is dark and dull.