Monday, 29 February 2016

Poster ideas

Poster Ideas

I am toying with the idea of the protagonist being shown in a close up or a medium close up. The close up would be used in idea one, but the second tutorial I think would look better with Stephanie looking down to the ball, with the football pitch being the mountainous background. 

I will have to call in the actress to take photos which I can control. I will get several medium close ups and medium long shots.

Quote merging with the face


I like the idea of using black and white in my photos to add to a gritty effect. I want to use clear colours such as black, white, and possibly green to give this effect. 

The close up of the protagonist will show how the audience are meant to position with, and the expression of her face will give an idea of an underdog. I like the idea of Stephanie looking just above the camera, as if looking up to what she must face.
                 
Double Exposure


I like the use of the cool colours of this poster, and if the black and white did not work out, I would consider using this as part of my house. 
I feel this poster will embody the idea of Stephanie's isolation as well as showing how the sport is part of her. 
The colours have a deep richness to them, and this really gives the double exposure a  

                

These poster can reveal what the protagonist is thinking or what is important to them. The first poster is not an official Breaking Bad Poster, but it sums the ideas of the protagonists aims and goals. The double exposure is very small and doesn't distract from the main image. 
The second photo has similar ideas to what I wish to do, conveying the psyche of the character before seeing the film.
The third photo does work well in quality, but the white top is the fault in this photo. There is not enough contrast in the photo leading to the viewer squinting to see what is double exposed. Instead of taking the viewer by surprise and awe, the result leaves them a little cheated. 

The use of the cream colour is something I would like to experiment with, but my idea of having a medium close up may not as well as I intended. 

Tuesday, 23 February 2016

TARGET MGS POSTERS AND REVIEW



  • analyse a range of reviews from the following publications:
  • Sight and Sound, Empire, and another of my choice
  • Look at the following elements:
  • Element one: layout, house style, font
  • Element two: Images used, tagline, splashes (stars etc)
  • Element three: vocabulary used, how narrative is discussed, how film form is analysed, are there any links to previous directors/ films, 
  • Element four: Tone and target audience 

Friday, 12 February 2016

Poster Analysis: Pressure Makes Us

Poster Analysis: Inspiration for My Own Poster


As I have discussed before on the blog, Pressure Makes Us is the main inspiration for the tone of the film. Although I did not watch any films to inspire me for this particular shoot, I took inspiration from my own experiences.

Below is Analysis from my main source: Pressure Makes Us. I circled areas of the posters that I thought where interesting, and possibly a motif I can put into my own poster.

Poster 1: Driving Forward


Title
The titles are strong and printed in capital letters, giving the image a strong an impact look. The titles are placed off to the left allowing them to balance the frame out with the athlete. 
Subtitle
The subtitle is placed underneath the title to guide the eye naturally to the text. 'Follow' connotes that we are part of the team, creating a sense of a unit and a force to be reckoned with. The thinner font looks typed on, but continues the same motif of De-saturated brown that gives the poster its gritty look. 
Football
The football in the shot ads kinetic energy to the poster. The viewer does not feel like they are seeing a static image, but watching a freeze frame from an intense game of football. 
This is something that I am hoping to reciprocate in my poster, whether that be through an action shot or a posed image of Stephanie taking the shot. 
Body Position 
The body position of the athlete gives more kinetic energy to the poster. This is useful to see how the angle o the body can emulate the emotion of the poster.

Poster 2: In the Tunnel

                  
Title
The title is once again used to balance out the facial features of the athlete, letting the eyes of the viewer bounce from one item to the next. The repetition of the font from the previous poster allows the promotions to be clustered together, emulating the same emotional tones that where insinuated in the first poster.

Facial Features
The expression on the athlete is perhaps the most important subject of the photo. The harsh lighting on the right hand side of her face gives emphasis to the object she is staring up at, 

Poster 3: Triangle design





Title
Facial Features

Initial Ideas

Image One: Stephanie looking out onto the Astro turf with a Bib in her hands. This shows her stature within society (A substitute), her needs as a character (to play football)  and the obstacle which blocks her (The football team)

Image Two: Stephanie looking down. See her face from underneath, towering block highlighting her from above. Give her a suppressed image but also a defiant outline using the light.

Overall I like the kinetic energy in the first poster as it adds depth to the film; however, I believe the later has more emotion due to its cinematography and stark lighting techniques. I hope to emulate this in the photo I create which will help sell the emotions of the film. 

Monday, 8 February 2016

TARGET MGS


Do the Poster Analysis. Pick out two posters, (Extended to this Friday) pick out two to three for the best freeze frames. Consider how these shots might communicate the messages and values of my production.

Saturday, 6 February 2016

The Importance of Location


Location I have found is just as important as the story. I have also rehearsed that the location can also effect the choice of shots I decide I want.

I had an experience on location while shooting that helped my understand this concept. I was certain I was going to use this shot. I spent the first half an hour shooting, with the thought bugging me in the back on my head, I realized that the shot wasn't needed.

However, by setting up the tracking for the surroundings, I was able to get a sweeping tracking shot of Stephanie watching her teammates play. This gives a sense of epic motif to this small tale, and gives gravity to the rising tension.

This shot was not planned, but it captured the isolation and the needs of the character. I learnt from doing this that if a shot does not go as I expected, it is not the end of the world. I took in the different factors and was able to create a better shot that enforced the narrative.

When I shoot for the final time on Friday I will focus on this idea. Rather than coming in with a particular set of ideas for shots, I will use them as guidelines rather than concrete ideas.

The Bedroom



I knew I wanted the bedroom scene in my film. because it would allow to see into the psyche of Stephanie. I wanted to capture what she was really thinking. focusing on the performances rather than flashy camera angles.

I focused on the lighting of the actors and the depth of field to make Stephanie seem narrow minded at the time. The lighting was important, too, as it helped make the scenario more dramatic, letting the audience become immersed with Stephanie's backstory.


The Park

The change of scene from park to park was a conscious decision made during the production process. I wanted Stephanie to miss scoring at a goal, preferably one she had created to convey the lack of materials she had around her. I wanted her then to miss at a real goal, one which was by physically intimidating. A friend of mine suggested Glazen Salts, and since I had filmed there previously I agreed with his advice and went down there to shoot.

I love the difference of the two scenes, from the surrounding nature to the flat and barren atmosphere of the field. These themes worked well together to clash with the school shots, where Stephanie is confined against her will. It gives the character a primal instinct to play football, and one which indicates to the audience her passion for her sport.


The Astro Turf


This was an important location for me to get right, as the idea of the final confrontation had to be done on location where the place looked intimidating. This would be helped through the teammates and the manager, giving the space a negative atmosphere.
This changed, however, when I had difficulties with the project. I had to change location suddenly, and luckily I had another option as backup. I didn't expect the other training groups to be around. However, this benefited the narrative better as the amount of people playing gave life to the narrative.

Use of framing/ thinking about the layout of my shots


Framing: How I have Improved as a Filmmaker



As I have previously discussed, one of the things I believe I have improved on is the framing of my shots. In the training sequence I was able to use the eye line of the horizon and the sky to level out the ground. I became conscious of this after watching the shorts 'Pressure Makes us' and I became increasingly aware of the importance of leveling out the framing.


If the horizon line was too far to the ground, there would be unnecessary head room, which would distract from the narrative. To low, and the shot would feel cropped and not planned properly. I had to balance between the two.

While shooting I used the rule of thirds. I opened up the menu on my camera and I was able to put on the third lines. This helped me line up the actor and the surrounding location properly.

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Shoot on Friday 29th January 2016




The shoot went exceptionally well, but due to the hour long training scene I was not able to get all of the shots that where needed.

I wanted to get 14 shots in total, but after whether conditions and the tight schedule I was left with two options; get all the footage or focus on getting the best I could. I chose the later and immediately went to shoot the goal, as this was the most important sequence for me to shoot. I really wanted to capture the tension between the two players as Stephanie takes up her place to score.

The tracking did struggle initially due to the astro turf. The uneven surface coupled with the wind shoved the camera around. Fortunately, I was able to have someone guide the camera with me to give the camera added weight, making shooting smoother. This was a problem that I thankfully was able to overcome, and I felt the shoot was good enough to include as the opening shot in the film.

The tracking shots where successful in creating the effect of loneliness I wanted to create, even in the windy and rainy conditions. In retrospect, this gave the shots atmosphere in the buildup to the final scene. One shot in particular was improvised, where Stephanie is standing watching her teammates. The tracking was set up for her to watch her teammates, and I tracked out whilst moving the camera to keep the actor in the center of the frame.

Order of shooting:

Opening shot


Track along to a lonely Stephanie. This will include the titles of the actors in the film and the main title at the end of the film.

How this was achieved:
I set up the tracking along the substitute bench, making Stephanie look like she was missing out on training. This would leave the audience puzzled and want to know more about the narrative.

Thoughts during the editing process:
Overall I am impressed by the quality of this shot. I was concerned during shooting that the shot was too wobbly because of the high winds and uneven surface, but by adding on 'Warp Stabilizer' this solved out the small bumps I had issues with.

Penalty scene
A stand off between the goalie and Stephanie. This is the climax to the film where the audience will gain satisfaction over Stephanie scoring.


This shot I chose to create tension on the run up to the ball. As soon as Stephanie's bot collides with the ball 

















How this was achieved:
I positioned the camera behind and in front of goal to cover the ground. This made the coverage of the goal easier for me in post production. The goalie and the actor ran through the shot four times for continuity reasons, while I took in the different angles of the scene.

Thoughts during the editing process:
I need to make this moment for enigmatic, as it feels too simple of a goal to finish on. I feel I need some reaction to the goal, and possibly people watching, such as snobby parents and the manager. This will create a emotional response to Stephanie who will finally be victorious over her doubts.

Problems while shooting

 After having shot this sequence ,I aware that the lead up to the scene would have to change, as I had caught the girls playing football in the background. This would not correlate to the narrative and would ruin the continuity. After debate, I concluded that the best way to deal with the issue is to alter the way in which Stephanie reaches the football goal.

Instead of having the girl's playing a football match together, I decided to change it to a training sequence. This would mean further isolation for the character, and a further impact to the character.

Next time

I feel that I need reaction shots in order to heighten the suspense of this final piece. I also feel I need some reaction shots at the beginning in order to link the idea that Stephanie is not valued as a teammate.

I plan to shoot again for the last time on Friday the 12th of February 2016. My main aim will be to give emotion to the scene in order for the audience to feel the joy of the main character.