Evaluation 1

The opening of this film shows some establishing shots with the title coming in from the left and exiting to right. The light coming behind the building is very bright and uncomfortable which adds too the piercing threatening music. This is a conventional opening as it doesn't give anything away about the film but it starts the film with suspense and tension. I wanted to leave the identification of the characters until later on so that the audience are constantly wanting more to happen.

I have chosen several shots such as this one on the right that give the audience an idea of the setting/location. this allows them to connect with the characters and they get an understanding of their lifestyle. It is set in an ordinary road in England which is effective as it makes the scenario seem real and naturalistic. However films such as Taken contrasts this as its based on a time where they are in n a foreign country which makes the scenario seem dangerous and scary for the young girl. i still believe the location i chose has a daunting affect as the audience will connect with it.                                 

The two characters are very typical girls, the wear ordinary make-up, fashionable clothes and general teen-aged stereotypical appearance. I wanted them to be extremely normal and innocent so that the attack would be unexpected and surprising for the audience. in the scene with them walking they are chatting and laughing showing the naivety to the upcoming event. this conforms to the conventions of a kidnapping film- the shots are observed showing someone is watching the normal looking girls. The audience enjoy knowing more that the characters do. 

This observational shot is use din order to give the effect that the girls are being watched and something is going to happen too them. this shot from the window also makes them look extremely small and childish- this is because of the the high angle shot that show the power of the person watching. this then gives the characters empathy from the audience. This type of shot is often used and is extremely effective is 'Taken' style films. I also moved the camera around slightly to give the effect that the camera is the person watching them. 

                                                                          This shot introduces the characters to the opening and allows the audience to be part of there conversation as it is excluded and personal. This is a conventional shot as is establishes the setting and the characters and allows the audience to understand the mood, environment and also gives an anticlimax from the previous shot where the girl gets taken. i also included techno type music which creates a upbeat type atmosphere that sets up a very different environment from previous scenes.

I added This special effect to this shot as it creates an observational view of the scenario. I also attempted to create a CCTV effect which i found by looking up tutorials on YouTube. This effect is extremely common on films like this as i gives an element of seriousness and control over whats happening and makes the audience empathize with the characters die to their lack or privacy. I zoomed in which creates a bury image of the girls which in fact adds to this effect as it cancels out the personal effect and makes them look like objects or just victims.

This action shot is very fast and sudden creating an unexpected effect. The hand grabs her from the side of the face the drags it left while the camera stays static revealing the empty street behind her. The audience are not aware of the friends reaction however the following shot show a contradicting shot of her round the table with her family. this juxtaposition want to know the outcome of the incident. The genre of an action film as it has an action shot which therefore conforms to the stereotype on a conventional film.
This shows the teenagers bedroom, it symbolizes the kind of teenager that she is like. it also allows the young audience to connect with her as they can see aspects from the generation they live in. The technology and modern experiment in the room also shows that she is well off, which can show a vulnerable side to her as she is oblivious to the dangers of the outside world. this is a very conventional for the action thriller.

The final product

Enigma Code

Enigma codes pose questions to the audience which are then answered shortly after or later on in the film. For example, who is she? Where is she going? Why is she doing that? They're questions enabling the audience to get intrigued with the film and wanting to find out the answers to these questions, therefore watching more of it. Enigma codes entice the audience to watch the rest of the film as they're curious as to what will happen next; they also help to move on the narrative.

Action codes are significant events which move the narrative on in a particular direction. For example, a phone ringing or a knock at the door. Both actions are used to change the scene/narrative for specific reason but to also keep the narrative alive. They teach the audience new things, for example, something new about a character or possibly the plot itself. They give the audience needed information.

I have used both of these codes however the big enigma code used is when the girl gets taken. The audience are asking these questions- who's taken her? where is she going? is she dead? 

This leaves an element of teasing the audience and making them want to watch more and understand whats going to happen to her. 

Shot list analysis

On the first day of filming, we went down my road with my storyboard and started to plan out where I would set up the camera. I filmed a series of long shots of the girls walking for fillers if I needed more footage when editing.
I went high up onto a mound to get a high angle shot of the girls walking. While up on the mound I decided to go into the bushes and shoot some observational shots from inside the bush to. as its hand held it will look shaky and real life to add a spooky feel for the audience. I shot some panning and some static so I have a range to choose between.

I also shot one shot from the upstairs room in my house looking down at the girls, I had some of the paneling in the corner so the window was obvious.
I used a panning shot of them walking past the house. I also experimented with the zoom and angle. The next shot I did was some very low angle shots when the camera is placed on to the floor while the feet moved towards the camera. This showed the match on action of hem walking.
One of the most effective shots was when I walked backwards facing the camera to the girl’s feet as they walked up the road. I started by facing the camera to the feet and moved up the body. this shot was the first look the audience has of their face which introduces them therefore I kept this shot for a little longer in order for the audience to establish the characters and connect with them. I also made my actors have an uplifting conversation with laughter and chatting.

Editing reaserch

I watched a basic editing tutorial to get the basics on how I can make the film look smooth and comfortable to watch. This video helped me to understand the best way to edit the film.
It has also taught me about the different tools such as how to make the video slow motion which is extremely important in my film as I am doing a CCTV camera which may be slow motion to add an effect.

When editing my film i have to be careful about making the film look like real life and therefore when there are conversations going on they have to look natural and unrehearsed. From watching this video i have understood how to make the dialogue and images look smooth and clean.

CCTV effect

I wanted to give the effect that at all times, these girls are being watched or investigated leading up tot the attack. by zooming in and putting an effect on the shot it can give the effect of a CCTV camera. i put the effect so that there was a black and whit wash on it then i turned the contrast up which made it very effective. the shot them becomes less clear however as you can see in this real life CCTV, its blurry therefore conforming to the look of a real camera.
This also then helps to add the effect that there is a reason or plan behind what is happening which allows the audience to want to watch the rest of the film as they want to know why the girls were targeted.

Editing research

This video has taught me many techniques and shots to use when filming my film such as match on action. i have learnt the importance of match on action and how it helps to make the shot interesting and detailed.
I have also learnt to definitely not cross over the 180 degree rule in order to make sure the audience are looking at his life from one perspective and angle so it doesn't confuse or look messy.
This video changed my mind on one of the shots that I used and allowed me to make my film more professional looking.

Final Title idea

I filmed an establishing shot of a rock being thrown in to a puddle and causing a ripple affect which gave me the idea of ripple films. This is the first production title to appear on screen then stays for 3 seconds then the next title appears. i decided to use a moving image with while writing along the bottom. This is very similar to the Walt Disney production credits. The image for Walt Disney is the castle in Disneyland that links to the title of the company and therefore I decided to use the rippling water as it links to the name- Ripple Film's.I have chosen to only use this production title bu to t say that its Ripple film's in associations with the director Beth Rowe as it reflects who was in the making of the film. As it is simple and effective it illustrates the professional effect of the opening and perhaps has a well known distributor.

Storyboard

This is my Animatic storyboard of the opening to my film. I decided to draw them all out and then take pictures of them next to one another to show the chronological sequence of the film.

I have skipped a few scenes however have included the most effective shots and angles that represent the film.

The most effective moment in the sequence is when there is a high angle long shot from a window looking down at the two girls as it looks very observational and creepy conforming to the conventions of an action film.

Once the shot has appeared for 3 seconds i zoomed in closer to the shot and changed the effect of the image so it looks like a CCTV camera watching the girls.

In our storyboard we have displayed the hope to use close up shots of both our protagonist and antagonist, this is in aid of increasing the tension and to allow the audience to view the characters at different angles. This would help to unravel the plot, and allow the audience to become more engaged and involved in the opening scene because they would be able to form opinions on the characters. We are hoping that this will work successfully and the audience will be able to see that Hattie our protagonist is vulnerable, helping to build suspense and make our film more enjoyable.