Prelim Evaluation

1.My group 2C was smaller than the others, it consisted of Jess Wilson, Phillipa Dodi and myself.


Despite our small group size I believe we have been very successful in creating the prelim sequence which was required from the brief.

2. First of all we arranged a planning meeting and brainstormed ideas before settling on the narrative of someone being in someone’s seat. We then allocated different tasks but helped each other with all of them for example first I wrote the script where as Phillipa then drew the storyboard (shown below).
Phillipa Walking Along the Corridor

Below is a visual representation of camera shots in a sequence that join together to build a narrative flow. This particularly useful as if provides everyone from the director to actors exactly whats going on in the shot. Below the pictures are short captions detailing specifics such as action, camera angle and directions as well as lighting. One key reason why storyboarding is essential is because it allows the director to see whether his ideas are going to work on screen and another is so that he can decide the sequences of all shots. Most importantly the storyboard illustrates how the narrative will flow from shot to shot.

We then all helped to create a shot sequence so that we knew what order to film the shots in, this was important as we had a time limit and if this was a real film time is money.



We have been studying many theories so far during our course, however the one which we were trying to take into account was continuity theory. The are 3 parts of this theory that we included, the first of which was the 180 degree rule this keeps the viewer on one side of the action making sure they do not get confused. We used shot reverse shot as well to show convocation progression in a continual way. The final one is match on action, I feel we were especially successful with this one as we perfectly change between shots keeping the action flowing. Another theory we took into account was Toderovs theory of Equilibrium, this is theory is about a disruption that drives the story along and can me applied to ours. The boy sits happy in the classroom and the disequilibrium is the girl storming in and shouting at him.


3. As this was only a preliminary task and the main target was to achieve continuity the amount of technology we used was very limited. In production we used a video camera, tripod, clapper board, a microphone and headphones. Headphones are important as a camera picks up sound differently to our ears so wearing them tells us exactly what the shot sounds like.

While editing we used an editing program called adobe premier pro

4. When planning we had to think about what locations were available to us, travelling outside of our media block could lead to unwanted noise during changing lessons or people walking in the background of our shots. We planned to film inside in case it was to rain and didn’t want to move to far away because of our time limit. When shooting we had to make sure that the clock was not in shot as obviously this would have confused the viewer, another factor was our use of props. Our sequence involved the movement of props so it was essential to make sure they were in exactly the same place to achieve continuity.
5. I would say our sequence is successful however, there are a lot of things we can take away and learn from it. For example, the sound levels change for a few seconds during the pan, this disrupts the flow of out sequence and if there was a re-shoot we would be sure to fix this. Further more there were some deleted shots that didn’t quite work as we wanted, for example in one shot a reflection could be seen on the window, where as in another shot we didn’t quite achieve continuity, because of this we did not include it in the final edit. If done again we would take more shots to make sure we get the desired shot perfect so it fits our sequence.
6. One thing I have learn is that continuity is a lot harder to achieve then I first thought however with careful planning and organisation it is possible. I have learn that lighting is important as it can cause unwanted effects such as shadows and reflections and will defiantly

Roland Barthes Five Codes

Enigma Codes: Who is the man being watched? Why is he running? Will he realise he is being watched? Is he the protagonist or antagonist? Why was he there before they chased him. Why does he have a gun? What does he have to hide?
..
Action Codes: We see the man being watched looking ‘shifty’ and we know that the man watching him is a good guy because he is working with James bond who we know is a secret agent for Britain. We see him checking his phone, and read a word saying ecipse. As an audience we know wonder what narrative is behind this word, could it be a literal meaning or is a secret code for something much bigger and exciting. We start to build up an alternative narrative for the man, this could be that he is planning a deadly attack or he has already committed a crime and is trying to keep it a secret.
Where is the man running to

Semiotic Codes: The first semiotic code we notice is two men spying on a man straight away this s suggests that the film is going to be an action fulled film. This is further connoted by the gun that one the men draws when confronted by the man being watched. The first shot is a master shot of a crowd at some sort of event, the crowd is rowdy and loud. They are waving money in a bookmakers face, suggesting that money is a key theme in the film. Once the man is spotted he begins to run which connotes that he has something to hide or that he is scared. His backpack suggests that he carries something important and the way he eludes 007 suggests that he has been trained very well. The presence of military and guns further connote action.

Cultural Codes: There are many cultural codes in this sequence, for example The presence of military and guns connotes the action genre where as the fact the man is being watched suggest the spy genre.

Symbolic Codes: 007 seems very committed to capture this man, is he doing his job or does he want revenge. We hear him say I need him alive, as if he wants him for himself for not a group of people. However we see him kill him at the end of the sequence which questions his character, is he a good character or is he a murder?

Principles of Continuity.

I have chosen this scene as it applies cross cutting very well between two vary complex scenes and is one of the best and most dramatic examples of this I have ever seen. It shows a fight scene as well as a car crash in ‘Inceptions’ complex yet brilliant story line. During the car crash, the establishing shot is a master shot of the car first colliding with the other vehicle and this lets the audience know where everything is in relation to what’s around it. It then shows reaction a Close up reaction shot of the driver, before switching back to the master shot. The next shot we see of the car is the passengers a long shot, this shot is a great example of continuality. It switches from a medium long shot to a close up with perfect match on action. The change in shot types is not a massive change, this is important as it takes the viewer through the action slowly at a pace they can understand. Due to the many cross cuts a lot of match on action is need. This has been successfully done to maintain continuity. With so many cross cuts between each piece of action it is important to show that these events are simultaneous and that time passes between each switch, this has been done through the way that progression has been made by the actors in their positioning in each shot.
During the fight scene there are in fact only 3 shots used. 2 of these last for only a few seconds. The middle shot shows all of the fight, and is a free roaming camera that zooms in and out of the action as well as tracking forward and backwards to indulge the viewer straight into the event. This has been done well and you do not notice these camera movements which shows continuity. The 180 degree rule is applied expertly in this sequence keeping us on one side of the action, this gives us a an excellent understanding for what is happening whilst not confusing us by crossing the line.

Levi-Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposites

This is the first part of Battle Royale 2 after the opening credits. Please note the film is Japanese.
1. 1. What is the genre of the film? How are the genre signifiers introduced?

The genre of my film is teen/thriller/slasher and throughout this opening sequence it is clear to see this. In the previous scene we see he signifier for teen genre through the uniformed characters as which showed that the film is going to be about teenagers. However in the main sequence it is clear that this is not our typical teen film. The dark lighting and fact that they are wearing army clothes immediately suggests that something is wrong. We begin with a still long shot which shows the scene of all the kids fighting trapped by a ring of armed soldiers and in turn a cage. At this point the thriller and slasher genres are not clear however we expect something wrong and to those that would have watched the prequel the imagery is identical and later in the film will match the genre it belongs to

2. Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?

The main characters are Nannahana who we meet in the previous sequence and ‘Taku Rikki’ who we meet in this scene. We know that he is important as he has a dramatic entrance. A long shot where the audience is blinded as light floods the dark room in which the main characters are trapped in. Another way we know of his significance is that he protected by armed guards and walks with authority and purpose. his dark clothes and intimidating presence suggest that he is the evil character.


3.What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?
The main themes take a while to be introduced however one they are it very obvious as they are announced by one character to the others. The themes are revealed through a series Close ups and medium long shots that show both the teacher and the students reactions to the news.

He teaches them about past war and conflict and suggest the reason behind their troubled situation is revenge on America and terrorists. This leads me to conclude that from the opening sequence the themes identified are revenge, war and fighting. From previously watching the film I also know of themes of Love although these are not clear in the above sequence.

4. How is the narrative organised to show conflict?
The narrative shows through visual representation. The army uniforms and clear presence of weapons quite obviously shows conflict and war. It is then shown verbally when the teacher talks about war and revenge. The positioning of characters also shows conflict, they are trapped in a cage and circled by soldiers who point guns at their faces. The binary opposites in this sequence may not always be conventional however they are clear. For example, teacher vs students, power vs helpless and the offer to fight or peace. The twist of this offer of course is that refusal to fight would mean death.

Applying Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium

1. The Protaganist: Lady – Young Woman arrives riding on a horse, as she rides past we see close ups of everyone’s reaction towards her. This loets us know she is a significant character.
The Antagonist: Villain - John Harrod Dictating ruler of the town Middle aged man in dark coat and hat walks into the bar and challenges Lady.
2.
At the start of the sequence, the establishing shot shows an over the shoulder long shot, showing us a female character as well as very western and desert landscape. The costume of the character and the setting immediately help us identify the western genre. We cut to a high angle close up of a ‘marshal’ badge lying in the dust, this suggests that the marshal is no longer in power. We learn to find that the equilibrium is a dictated town who live in fear of their leader. This is shown at the start of the film. The Close ups of characters and long shots show how they are trapped in their houses and living in fear. The town is empty and quiet and the clock. We also identify the woman as the protagonist due to the conventions of westerns usually depicting female characters as innocent however not usually heroes. She rides slowly and in control unlike the wild fast paced riding of most villains in these films. The equilibrium is also established by the blind character, he sort of narrates the opening sequence. He tells us how the John Harrod owns this town and we see his emotion when he sighs on the line ‘another gun in town’.

3. There is a short disequilibrium in the opening sequence however the major one comes later in the film. In this sequence it comes when the villain rides in to town wildly on a dark horse and storms into the pub before assaulting the barman. We see the barman ride away in fear but the villain without mercy skill fully shoots the man off his horse. This disrupts the quite town equilibrium. This then ends up in a shootout, which breaks the quiet state of the train station. Later on at the end of the sequence, we find out that it is a dream and that the protagonist is a retired detective. This implies that there will be a disruption that will cause him to come out of retirement to help out.

4. Mid way through the clip we are informed about some sort of contest and debate whether the Lady is going to enter. We learn that it is a shooting contest and would normally rule a female character out of this but ‘Lady’ has already broken generic conventions by challenging the barman. It is confirmed she will be entering the contest when she reveals the contents on her bag which includes guns and bullets.

5. At the end of the film, the Lady defeats the dictator in the final of a corrupt contest in which many contenders are hindered to John’s advantage. The new equilibrium is much more brighter, the Lady becomes the Sherif of the town and happiness is restored upon the town.

PRINCIPLES OF CONTINUITY

Continuity Editing
I think that the overall rule of continuity in films is to make the process look invisible to the viewer, any change in angle, any transitions any change at all should seem part of the flow of the film and go and edits should be unrecognized by the viewer.
• This is essential in order to allow the audience to suspend their disbelief i.e to forget what they are seeing is a construct.

There are a few more detailed rules that are essential if continuality wants to be assured.

The 180 degree rule – This is quite simple, it just means that when filming you should never cross the ‘line of vision’ between two characters. The reason for this is that it makes sure the viewer makes sense of the scene.

30 degree rule – Changes in camera angle with the same framing should be avoided as viewers may notice a visible jump in the footage.

Match on Action – When a sequence is being filmed and the camera angle changes but the action continues it is vital that the action resumes in the same position so that the scene flows.
Shot Reverse – Include shots of both characters and a master shot so that the audience knows where the characters are in relation to each other.

What I will do in my film?
When filming each shot, it will last longer than I want it to in the final film . I have learn that editing long shots down is much easier that re filming missing footage if the shots are too short to use.
I will be extra careful with lighting and costume when filming on different days so as to keep continuity for my audience.
When putting my editing my shots together, I have learnt it will be important to make sure that the shot angles flow. E.g A high angle should not jump straight to a low angle so as not to disorientate the viewer. A good example would be a long shot being followed by a mid shot.

Accident Task
In our lesson today, we were set the task of portraying an accident scene in 6 shots without the chance to enhance our sequences in the editing suits. We had to do this by shooting one shot after the other as they would appear in the sequence. The sequence we constructed involved a variety of shots including ECU’s and High/Low angles shots. One thing I think that we defiantly should have included if we were allowed more shots would have been a master shot. This would have allowed the audience to see where the characters were in terms of each other, we had tried to show this through using reverse shots on the ECU’s however this was not very clear and a master shot would defiantly be enhancing. I look forward to applying some of the techniques I’ve learnt in my coursework next year.

Why are Storyboards so important?

Why is storyboarding an essential part of the film making process?

A storyboard is used in all types of video media, such as tv music and film. In short it is a visual representation of camera shots in a sequence that join together to build a narrative flow. This particularly useful as if provides everyone from the director to actors exactly whats going on in the shot. Below the pictures a short captions detailing specifics such as action, camera angle and directions as well as lighting. One key reason why storyboarding is essential is because it allows the director to see whether his ideas are going to work on screen and another is so that he can decide the sequences of all shots. Most importantly the storyboard illustrates how the narrative will flow from shot to shot.


What is happening in the opening sequence?
In the opening sequence of the film, we are introduced to the 'psycho' character. The opening shot is a Wide shot of a boys toilet, It is unclear where exactly it is set at this point but I would speculate it something like a hospital or a school or another public building with hard floors. Shot 3 is off blood being washed of the characters hands and falling down the plug. This informs us that the character has ‘blood on his hands’. We are led to believe he is in fact the culprit as we have not seen his face yet, suggesting he has something to hide. So far we have gathered that one character is washing away his guilt, a boy then enters the room however the psycho remains unaware of this. He seems to hear a sound and we tilt up from his bandaged hand to a close up of the man. He turns his head quick and we cut a an extreme close-up of the man glaring at the camera/boy. The sequence fades to black and the line ‘bad move kid’ accompanied by two gunshots is heard.


How is the narrative flow established?
The narrative flow of the opening sequence is established through two main ways. The first way the is the captions and annotations below each shot describing the shot and the angles used. The arrows linking the shots together not only tell the reader where to go next but it also shows the transition of each shot e.g. ‘cut’ or ‘mix to’.


If I was directing this sequence, how would I change it?
One thing i would defiantly change is the transitions, seeing as the genre is thriller to build tension I would replace the fades and mixes with cuts and these make the sequence more tense for example the last shot should cut rather than fade to emphasise the gunshots. Two things I might change: expand the first shot to a VLS so that we can be more certain on the location of the sequence.

Dark Knight opening sequence

This is the opening scene of the Dark Knight (2008 Christopher Nolan), the scene begins with a forward pan over fictional city Gotham which will remind the audience of New York city. The slow zooming pan allows the audience time to guess what may be happening at the start of this film. It zooms in a glass building when suddenly a window smashes and the scene cuts to a medium close up. The man appears to by holding some sort of weapon ans is masked as a clown, this makes the audience wander what has he got to hide where as more regular cinema goers may correctly guess a bank robbery. The music in this scene is very fast tense and repetitive which suggests the urgency of these men. We cut to a long shot of another man holding a bag and a mask with his back turned to us, the camera zooms to a mask. The events seem to be very well planned out and more members of the audience will now suspect a bank robbery which connotes a crime or thriller genre film. The signifier for this is the tense music as well as the costumes of the characters, all wear dark clothing and we do not see their faces. The big close up of the mask builds tension suggesting the element of action. This element is confirmed as the scene uses cross cutting to show the two teams of robbers preparing. We cut to a medium long shot of a suited man in his office, this appears to be the bank manager and we believe that he is a good character of key significance. This is further shown through a very long shot where we see him shoot through his window killing one of the robbers. The emergence of this main character and violence through weapons signifies the crime thriller genre and we hope for him to be the hero in this early actions scene. For the next few seconds it appears for the manager to be triumphanthowever he is demoted to the floor and the robbers seem to be on top. The following shots are of the money being stolen before a long shot of a confrontation between two of the villains features. E can tell by the tones of their voice which character is the main one, the one on the right speaks with a calm horse tone compared to the edgy panicking voice of the gunman. More action follows when a bus burst through the wall sending the weaker villain to the floor. The use of levels further shows which of the characters is in control where the main villain towers over the floored one and with the drivers help loads the bus with money. A high angle long shot then shows the bank manager sprawled across the floor, the camera shot shows the audience that the manger is powerless, small and in no way in control. This is further shown by the placement of the gun at least a meter out of his reach. He yells out the villain who retaliates by walking over to him aggressively but slowly and crouching beside him clearly showing no fear. An over the shoulder shot shows him place some sort of gas canister in the managers mouth. We cut to a big close up of the villain as he removes his mark revealing a painted white face, lips smeared with red paint and panda eyes. The character is very intimidating and some audience members may back into their chairs, the dark lighting on his face especially on his eyes shows us the character is evil, he then causes the string attached to the gas canister to open it releasing what appears to be deadly gas which intoxicates the manger. Expertly in a way that the audience despite being shocked are forced to admire he escapes in a yellow bus and a very long shot shows him camouflage into traffic of other school buses.