To ensure the filming stayed on track, we decided to create dedicated shoot arrangement documents, for both the test and the main shoot. For the test shoot, we wanted to (as the name implies) test every part of the shooting and editing process, and this included arranging everything. So we created a shoot arrangement form as if we were doing the main shoot, in order to troubleshoot it at a later point. In fact, the document is designed to be used for all of our shoots, so we can see the progress and changes made as well as to keep everything in one place.
The shoot organisation form art the time of the test shoot. As you can see, all relevant information has been filled in, and it has even been checked over by the teachers as well as each member of the group, to ensure all is well. Click to enlarge.
The test shoot arrangement form included the set, as well as the date and time, and even the actors. Everything that would be needed on the day was listed and accounted for. Thus we made sure it would go smoothly before even starting to shoot. Our group didn't have to change much on the form going from the test shoot to the main shoot, although we did learn how the process worked, as well as how the process keeps everything running smoothly. The main change we will make, if we make any, will be to the actors section, as of course all the actors have their own lives and we have to work to their schedules as well as ours, and resolve conflicts by replacing them if necessary.
We decided to do an animatic so that we could see any flaws in the current iteration of our opening that either we didn't pick up in the previous plans of our opening, like the timeline and storyboard, or possibly flaws that we couldn't pick up because of the static mediums we were using up to this point. It would also be the first time we saw our opening in video format, with all the different components working together live.
Our finished animatic. This post will describe why we created it as well as how we created it. Overall it was quite a useful thing to do for a number of reasons. Click to play.
First, we took one lesson to shoot all the shots needed as still photos, using our storyboard as a guide. We decided to shoot it in a classroom, without the full range of props and so on, to save time. We had a dilemma that other groups didn't, namely our large group of characters, but we simply had people play multiple characters while wearing slightly yet noticeably different clothing to signify who they were. Then we recorded all the lines at the specially set-up microphone computer, doing different voices for each of the characters to further set them apart. It was a very short process compared to doing a full video, which was quite beneficial as the animatic was supposed to be a quick test to ensure everything was going well.
Next was the edit, which was the most time-consuming part. Thus, we created an edit schedule to split the editing time fairly between us while making sure we finished by the deadline.
The animatic editing schedule. It made sure we all knew when we had to come in to do some editing, and allowed a lot of time so that we would easily make the deadline. It let us choose slots when we had free time, such as at lunch or during free periods, and organised us all on one master copy so that we would have less chance for mistakes than across three copies. Click to enlarge.
The editing itself went quite smoothly. We worked in logos, titles, camera movements (with visual indicators) and basically everything we would have in the real version.
At the end of it, we had learnt that our opening actually did work quite well as a video- stuff that was harder to plan on the previous documents, such as the opening logos and the music, were able to be reviewed, and we learnt that they worked well too. However, some of the shots with the Officer didn't flow very well, especially in terms of the zoom into the Detective as the Officer leaves, so another thing we learnt was that we had to change those to be more natural, which we did as soon as we were done.
After the timeline, we decided to create a storyboard. Although the timeline mapped out our opening in a clear way for the first time, we wanted a detailed, visual guide to each shot in order, as even with diagrams the text-based format of the timeline wouldn't really cut it going forwards, for example when the time came to create a shootboard and so on. We thus decided on a storyboard- it would allow us to see how each shot worked individually as well as together.
This is a shot of the whole storyboard. As with the timeline, closer, easier-to-read pictures will be provided where relevant, but hopefully this wide picture shows you how every shot has been planned out to work together yet are also robust and detailed on their own. You can also see the colour key, explained later, in action, one of the ways we made information available at a glance. Click to enlarge.
To start, we created a key for the sticky-notes we would be using. This would ensure we could take one look at the shot and, simply from the colour, know what the framing should be. This, combined with the simple style of illustration, meant that it would be incredibly easy for us to get information from the storyboard quickly and visually.
A closer shot of the storyboard key, along with some of the shots. Hopefully from the illustrations you can see how the colour of the stickynotes matches the key, and how easy it is to get information such as basic framing from the storyboard. Here you can even see how we integrated overlaying titles into our storyboard. We knew at this point that we were going to use them, so including that information in the storyboard's simple visual layout was quite beneficial. Click to enlarge.
Then, we started turning the fairly brief shot ideas on our timeline into more detailed stickynotes for our storyboard, combining all three tracks into one. This meant the actual visual component of the shot, as well as basic dialogue, special camera movements and so on, were all available by just looking at the shot. This was very useful for us- it helped avoid the confusion of swapping characters by showing us each character's intial, as well as how each shot naturally flowed into the next, through dialogue creating a conversation as well as shot reverse shot. This meant we should, if all went well, never get confused again.
An extract from around the middle of our storyboard. You should be able to see the variety of shot types, as well as how we have illustrated zooming the camera in one of the shots. Some dialogue forming part of the conversation can be seen, as can swapping between characters- look at the initials. Click to enlarge.
When we finished, we had learnt that we needed to be careful about how each shot moved into the next so as not to be too confusing, because of our unique situation with the high amount of characters changing places. We also realised we didn't have to change anything at this point, as we had succeeded in creating a quick visual guide, although we acknowledged we may have to change things in the future, which is why we chose the medium of stickynotes that can easily be moved around and changed.
We decided to create a timeline to plan out our opening sequence. We decided to do this because of the nature of our plot- lots of interviews are condensed into what is essentially one conversation, so to avoid the confusion of crossing story threads we wanted to map out exactly what was going to happen.
Here is our full, finished timeline. As you can see, on the left it contains the three tracks we needed to plan to map out our plot, namely video, voice, and sound. Do not worry if you cannot read much else, close-ups of relevant areas will be provided later on. Click to enlarge.
The first step of the process was planning out the visual component of our opening, which we then used as a base for the other two tracks. We used simple yet expressive terms as well as visual aides to create what was for us an easy-to-read basic layout of our story. We found that not all our shots would necessarily fit, so we tried to compromise by creating extra space on the top right, as you can see in the image below.
The 'END' section of our timeline. You should be able to see our visual depiction of the arc shot on the left, a montage of character shots in the centre (with the initials of the characters concerned taking up the video portion, and the description of the shot being handled by the dialogue,) and where we have tried to make space without ruining the flow of the timeline on the right. Click to enlarge.
Our second step, which actually started during the first step to ensure flow, was to get down dialogue. This started in the first step so that we would have a better idea of what was going on in each shot- the changing characters meant that just the video on its own was confusing, but including dialogue at key points meant we could see how shots fit together. We went on to fill in the rest of the voice track, making sure everything sounded like a coherent conversation.
The 'MIDDLE' section of our timeline. You should be able to see snippets of conversation, with the character's initials being used to save space, as well as areas where we are as of yet unsure exactly what is going to be said. An example of this would be the vague "Raj being banter" on the left- this is quite casual and non-specific but descriptive enough to keep the flow going and let us map out the opening. Click to enlarge.
The third and final step was to simply fill in the sound track and then make final checks. We did this last so we could place the music's beginning and ending exactly at the beginning or end of certain shots. This helped us line up the timeline's story with the shared vision in our heads. We were also able to further build on the previous two tracks by adding detail in the form of sound effects.
The 'BEGINNING' section of our timeline. You should be able to see how the music lines up with the video, and how we have made the music go from non-diegetic to diegetic at a chosen point to integrate it with the visual component of the opening. There is also an example of a sound effect on the right. Click to enlarge.
By the end of the process, we had a full timeline. This gave us a non-confusing text layout of our plot that we could reference whenever we wanted to. We learnt that our story was good and coherent so far, which bode well for later in the project, but also found out that we would have to work on the dialogue more, and maybe shorten the video a bit.
At this stage, I am quite hopeful for the future of the project. Despite still being in the very early stages of the project, we have already made quite a few decisions that will have quite a big influence on our film- however, we are very happy with these decisions, and can all visualise just how they will work together later on to create the opening we seem to all be able to see in our heads. So far, this film idea is shaping up to be something I would actually like to watch were it made full-length, which is good both concerning target audience as of course I am in the target age group, but also bodes well for how interesting and enjoyable our sequence can be. You can make the most conventional, textbook film in the world, but if it isn't entertaining or intriguing or anything like that, then it probably won't be very good. The actual group work itself is also going well, as we seem to all work well together- we haven't had any major clashes yet, just discussions about the viability of each other's ideas that never end with one person annoyed or disheartened, but do result in a higher standard/quality for our project, and I am confident we would be able to overcome it should it happen in the future. We are getting the work done in an efficient and timely manner, and splitting it quite equally too. Overall, I think the project is going quite well. We have set a standard for ourselves, hopefully quite a good one, and are on track to keep this standard up for the rest of the project, plus we have the foundations of ideas for us to build on at this standard.
We have two chosen music tracks. The first is an instrumental remake of 'Devil in a New Dress' by Matt Dillon, sourced from here, a YouTube video:
Click to play 'Devil in a New Dress- Instrumental Remake.'
As you can see, the creator says he provides a download for his remake in the description of the video, as he is allowing anyone to use it copyright free.
The description of the video containing the music track, including where the artist says he provides a download. Click to enlarge.
We are planning to play it over the final, film-name title at the end of the sequence, but also over the opening titles of our film. It will start as non-diegetic sound, but then reveal itself as diegetic sound coming from the phone and headphones of the character Raj. This is used to start the narrative, as the detective confronts him over the music and Raj reveals his character by making joking remarks back. We chose a remix of a song by popular artist Kanye West as it provides a realistic representation of what a young character could be listening to, to help show that the film is aimed at people of that age group, i.e. our target audience. However, it is also quite 'smooth,' so it fits well with the crime-mystery atmosphere, and doesn't alienate the parts of our target audience attracted to the genre. One other film that aims at our target age range, and in fact also tries to provide a realistic representation of their lives like we are (although in a different context) is 'American Honey.' That film's soundtrack was an inspiration as it includes many songs popular amongst the age group, including 'We Found Love' by Rihanna, and we thought including something popular in the same way would be a good idea.
The YouTube description of an official clip from the film 'American Honey.' As you can see, it is focused on the song in an attempt to appeal to young people who are one of the main consumers of pop music. We also wanted to appeal to this age group, which is why we chose a popular song, yet we still ensured it was compatible with the genre of the film. Click to enlarge.
Our second track is called 'Funky Suspense,' created by Bensounds:
Click to play 'Funky Suspense.'
It is provided free for anyone to use as long as they credit the artist, as we have done here. This is an extract from the Bensounds site dealing with use of the song:
We opted for the free Creative Commons License over the Pro License, as the free version more than covers our needs. The box on the left of this page covers it. Click to enlarge.
It is, as the title describes, quite suspenseful, which is perfect for the mystery of the narrative, as well as the intrigue of the questioning taking place on screen. We are therefore intending to play this over the main body of the questioning, and then cut it off just before the bombshell drops at the end of the sequence, to create even more suspense through the sudden silence, and to increase the impact once the other track comes back in soon after. It is also quite a jazzy instrumental, which is quite conventional of the mystery genre- it is intended as a reference to older mystery films such as the opening of 1958's 'Touch of Evil,' which feature tracks like this prominently. We didn't want to get too tied to this older era though, as we are focusing on young characters in contemporary times. Luckily we found that more modern crime dramas such as the BBC's 'Sherlock' are also using upbeat instrumentals for atmosphere, which is great for us as we know these kinds of media are popular with our target audience in both genre and age range.
An extract from a WhatsApp interview I carried out with someone from our target age group, where they offhandedly mention how 'Sherlock' is a popular show with young people nowadays- this was of great help to us in terms of influence, especially when it came to choosing this track. Click to enlarge.
Sound effects were also something we had to consider. We decided to keep sound effects few and far between to keep focus on the dialogue, and instead cover the silence with the chosen music. However, a few key sound effects are going to be used throughout- these include the sound of a folder sliding across the table, as well as doors opening and closing off camera to announce the entrances and exits of characters. Hopefully the scarcity and placement of these effects ensure they have maximum impact on the audience, who will instantly recognise what is happening in the scene as the sounds will stand out. Here is the link to the preliminary door opening and closing sound effect. Here is the link to the preliminary folder slide sound effect. Please note these sound effects are not necessarily final, and are thus subject to change. We may also add or remove sound effects as the project goes on, and are likely to simply record them ourselves.
Here is the Creative Commons License for both sound effects that essentially says we can use the sound effects freely and even without credit, although I have provided links to the sources. Please note that you can access this page from the right side of the sound effects pages linked above. Click to enlarge.
One film we looked at for this was 'Man of Steel,' which contains an interrogation scene despite being a superhero action film, done in near silence besides dialogue and sound effects, cleverly used to create a tense atmosphere, something we quite liked and decided to adapt for our film.
The interrogation scene from 'Man of Steel.' While we have music over the interrogation and this scene does not, you may note the dramatic music as they bring Superman to the room, helping the build-up to the actual interview. Sound effects are used very well and stand out against the silence, interrupting at key times such as the speaker breaking the flow between Superman and Lois, as well as the handcuffs breaking emphasising how Superman isn't actually contained. Sound effects like these play into the tense atmosphere being created. Click to play.
Music and sound effects are quite impactful on the rest of the film. Sound is omnipresent, with music in the background and effects in the foreground, so they are essential when crafting an atmosphere. I think we chose our influences well, as the tracks we ended up with work very well with all the style decisions we have made so far.
Our opening credits, and in fact the whole opening sequence, start with the Film4 Productions animated logo and then the Screen Gems animated logo. This transitions into a black screen with our first title, stating that the following film is a Film4 and Screen Gems production. Our opening shots are an extreme close-up montage of different body parts of our characters- titles will appear over these shots. Credits include: 'directed by r.r. banks,' 'produced by jack edmondson,' 'screenplay by mary pan,' 'cinematography by emilio francischelli' and 'music by sayo ajoje.'
You may remember this image from a previous post- it is the opening titles of 'The Usual Suspects.' I mentioned before that they were a good influence- we liked the idea having the titles superimposed over the opening, establishing shots, as well as the way the striking font and white colour stand out. We even looked at what the credits are saying for inspiration. Click to enlarge.
They are all in lower-case to try and capture the casual teen aesthetic, and this is where overlaying them over shots of the teen characters helps, but they are also going to be bold and white in a striking font to ensure they still make an impact and don't detract from the cinematic quality of the credits sequence. As we haven't planned all our shots in full quite yet, so we have not got solid plans for where exactly they will be positioned, but we intend to stick to corners and edges when we can, but try to swap positions around between shots where possible to keep the credits dynamic and less boring. There will be one final title right at the end of the opening, which is the film title itself, in the same style as the previous titles, but bigger and central, and possibly with some sort of shadow or highlight effect to make it stand out more.
The opening credits of 'Se7en,' a film that influenced us in quite a few ways, were a great help for this area of planning. We liked how the slight 'splatter' effect raised the text from the background and made it stand out, how the titles were superimposed over different extreme close-ups, and also how they moved around between shots. Click to enlarge.
Looking at titles helped us start to define the first shots of the opening sequence, which really helped, as a strong start is needed to grab attention and set tone. The wider impact on our project thus is actually quite high- although titles are a relatively simple thing, the style they set as precedent must also be found throughout the rest of the project to ensure synergy, and thus this stage of development has effected more than just what words come up on the screen.
