Group 1 Final Film Opening- Growing Pains

This is the our finished opening sequence, we have exported it from premiere pro as a HD video, and uploaded it onto video sharing website YouTube( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxQ4TmyoS0)

Sound Mix

When Editing our project, we realised that it was necessary to edit the volume levels of individual clips throughout the sequence in order to create a professional sounding opening. We used the volume and denoiser audio effects in order to correct the sound in particular shots, lowering background noise when necessary to make the dialogue clearer.

Using Audio effects to improve sound in one of the shots

Pre-production- Updated Script

In order to make our script more relevant, interesting and engaging, we made changes to create a more realistic conversation between the female characters.

1)    INT. COUNCIL ESTATE STAIRWAY - DAY

LOUIS, 17, white, skates past camera. Wearing... Focused on his skating and ensuring that he doesn’t mess up.

A mixture of tilted-mid shots, close ups, and a POV from the skateboard itself. 25 seconds.

2)    EXT. URBAN STREETS - DAY

Cuts to VIVIAN and FRIEND, both 17 and black. Walking down street. VIVIAN is clearly the classier of the two as FRIEND is dressed in a full tracksuit and snapback. TWO SHOT.

FRIEND – Oi it’s so dead round here these days L

VIV – No fully like why did we even leave your house there’s nothing to do

FRIEND – But to be honest there’s fuck all to do in my house

VIV – Yeah but now we look like dickheads standing out here and its sooo cold 

FRIEND – Shut up man you’re always complaining

VIV – Skeen,

*PAUSE*

VIV - I should probably go get my dad’s medicine

FRIEND – Should I come with you?

VIV – Nah it’s calm

FRIEND – Alright, come back to mine after

VIV – Okay

FRIEND – bye 

*FRIEND and VIVIAN hug*

FRIEND leaves scene as VIVIAN continues walk to bus stop.

Music

Initially we were going to use this royalty free music from a website we found online














During editing of the final cut we decided that this music was more appropriate because it connotes the thought-provoking indie atmosphere that we are trying to create.

Main Shoot: Photo Evidence

Here are just a few action shots of us filming.

The actors in role for the final scene

Mari Taking control of the camera on set

Vivian and Gina getting into role

Group 1 and actors on set 

Pre-production- Shoot board

This is our shoot board for the final shoot: 

Test shoot finished edit

This is our finished edit of the test shoot, after exporting the video we uploaded to youtube where we can review it:

Test Edit Evaluation

WHAT WENT WELL:
When moving from location to location we attached the Go-Pro to the skateboard and Louis skated from location to location, this ensured we had ample amounts of footage to put in between shots if necessary.

The location was easy to film in with little to no distraction from members of the public, even though we were filming in an estate the people we did encounter were friendly so we didn't feel intimidated or like we needed to rush.

The locations were very easy to navigate around and now we know the benefits and difficulties of each which means on the next shoots we can remember and factor this in.

We managed to get the actual FILM 4 clip to put at the beginning of our film which made it look more professional.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNERED AND SOLUTIONS

Problems/Solutions surrounding the conversation.
PROBLEM: After watching the final edit, we feel as though the conversation is not naturalistic, the slang that has been incorporated seems forced and it doesn't accurately represent London youths, it seems like it was written from the perspective of an adult.
Further there is no distinction between the boy who is being talked about in the conversation and the skateboarding protagonist so the audience could easily get confused and get the wrong message from the conversation.
SOLUTION: Re-writing the script to make it clear that they are not talking about Louis, and with different jargon that flows more naturally.

Problems/Solutions surrounding the bus-stop scene.
PROBLEM: When the male protagonist gets to the bus-stop he is suddenly walking when for the entire sequence we have seen him riding a skateboard, breaking the rules of continuity.
Before the male protagonist approaches the bus stop, he pauses at the lamp-post and looks over at the female protagonist. From watching the final edit, we thought that again this looks extremely unrealistic and unnecessary and is uncomfortable for the audience to watch.
The moment when they are sitting at the bus stop together doesn't suspend the audiences disbelief as they are too close to each other and the acting could be improved so the audience feel the connection and slight awkwardness between the two protagonists rather than the audience feeling awkward themselves.
In addition, after the female protagonist looks at the male protagonist we see quite an intense close-up of him looking at her, this makes it awkward and too intense for the audience.
SOLUTION:
A shot of him picking up his skateboard needs to be incorporated so it looks continuous.
Possibly have the girl approaching the bus stop after the boy, in a flirty way, this would be less intense and uncomfortable for the viewer. An establishing shot of the bus stop with the two teenagers would help audiences understand the situation rather than the montage of close ups, with is disorientating.

Problems/Solutions surrounding general technical aspects of the edit
PROBLEMS: From listening to the music with the music we chose, it is evident that we selected the wrong track. The music we picked creates a Sci-Fi futuristic atmosphere when we are looking to choose a backing song that evokes a gritty urban feel.
The framing in many shots, particularly during the shot reverse shot of the conversation isn't neat enough and therefore doesn't create a professional look
We positioned the Go-Pro in between Louis feet as that's how we had seen it being used on YouTube, however because we are filming for a professional film, it creates a bad aesthetic having Louis foot directly in front of the camera
Louis costume matched the style we wanted to create for the male protagonist, however, the two girls didn't look working class and also had to protect themselves from the cold weather conditions. 
When the male protagonist is riding the skateboard around the corner of the estate and it switches from a shot on the Go-Pro to a long shot that zooms in on him, the zoom ruins two other very fluid nice shots as it makes them appear clunky.
Due to filming Louis skateboarding on the Go-Pro in random locations whenever we had the chance it wasn't continuous with the ordinary camera shots that we took of him - this made it more difficult in editing
SOLUTION:
Find new backing track, possibly less synthesized.
When re-filming position the girls differently, to allow space for tripod set ups, and ensure shots are tightly framed.
When attaching the go pro to the skateboard position it on the front of the board, also we can check footage whilst filming to ensure it looks professional.
Re-think the costume for the girls, maybe incorporate tracksuits and puffer jackets, for warmth as well as image.
Use zooming more appropriately so things don't look abrupt.
Take shots of Louis journey using the normal camera then re-doing the exact journey on the Go-Pro so we could piece it together continuously

Reflections on Test Shoot

•  The location looked the part aesthetically as it provided both leafy middle class suburban looking areas, and urban estate, within a few minutes of each other. Also Vivian lived 5 minutes away from all locations  providing a place to rest for lunch and to warm up.
• Due to the way in which the bus stop and pavement is built we were not able to get the long shot of the bus stop we had planned. 

• The pavement in Cheshunt is bumpy, therefore not ideal for skateboarding, but not a major issue 
• Shooting outdoors for the entire opening is risky weather wise, we were lucky as there was no rain, but it was extremely windy, meaning for some of the conversation scenes the sound is muffled.
• We had no issues with the camera and tripod. Due to the position on the skateboard in which we placed the go pro it was liable to falling over. 

Test Edit

This is our completed test shoot:





From this we were able to pick out what worked and what didn't work so that we can better it in our main shoot.

Location 2

For the section of the main shoot where Louis is skating and both characters go to the bus stop, we decided to relocate to an area that provided us to create a continuous journey on the skateboard to the bus stop and allowed us to get all the shots that we wanted using both the camera and the Go-Pro.

This bus stop instead of the one we used previously allowed us plenty of room to take a master shot from the front, whereas the other one had limited space infront of it so it didn't look as good.

Animatic Group Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07lb0Pq_zI0

-After completing our animatic and uploading it to our YouTube channel, we were able to see what did and didn't work and come up with some improvements:

-The music didn't fit with the atmosphere we are trying to create

-The titles appeared to be too large , and not minimals we had planned

-The script needed to be adjusted to fit with the sequence and provide a clearer narrative

-Follow the correct guidelines when applying over the shoulder shots to create a continuous sequence

Animatic

We created an animatic (animated storyboard) to help us roughly map out the sequence as a reflection of the film.




This helped us begin to roughly pre-visualise the film and see our variety of shots.

This is our initial storyboard which we used to structure our shootboard 

Test shoot: Photos

Mari and Vivian Operating the Camera taking some establishing shots of Louis on his skateboards

Louis helping reposition the camera

Teachers Animatic Feedback

In a meeting with our teachers , they picked up on a few areas of possible improvement:

- More cross cutting between Louis' skate scene and Vivian's' conversation to make the two main characters more obvious

- Ensure continuity 

- Arrows necessary to show movement within the shots

- More focus on the skateboard to maintain the urban teenage theme

-Too many distributor titles- unrealistic and overpowering

-Include more titles throughout in order to make the opening seem more realistic and similar to the typical film opening

Treatment Proposal Feedback- Costume

- Consider weather, interpret coats into the costume
- Vivian would have a smartphone not a Nokia. Everyone (especially of her age) has a smart phone.

Treatment Proposal Feedback- Script

- Sounded too comical and appeared to mock our characters not matching the naturalistic themes of the opening.
- Careful use of slang, not to over do it.

New Script:

Treatment- Location and Filming Dates

Location: Cheshunt

Estate

 

Road

                 
            

           

Bus Stop

Louis Skateboard Sequence

Why: Hardly ever any people in the area, therefore easier to shoot without human interference's, the backdrop of the estate with Louis within it introduces the idea that cultures will collide in this film

Filming Dates: 

Test Shoot: Sat 08/02/2014


Shoot: Sat 01/03/2014


                                                         Re-shoot: 08/03/2014

Permissions

Our filming will take place in public, therefore we do not need to acquire any specific permissions in order to film, however we will ensure that all proposed memebers of the cast are available for our set period of filming, in order to ensure that it runs smoothly and successfully and give them warning beforehand incase we have to change the dates at all

we have the permission of our school to use the camera and microphone equipment at their terms.

Treatment- Camera Techniques, Mise-en-scene, Composition and Continuity

Camera Techniques

Skate Sequence:

Go Pro

Low Angle Shots

Mise-en-scene:

Costume

Boy

Almost every item of clothing is quite an expensive brand which shows fashion consciousness and availability of money due to middle class background.
Accessories:  Earphones in listening to music on an iPhone for age representation  cigarette behind ear to show ‘indie’ boy stereotype. 

Girl

Costume: Own personal style, quite urban and casual, only one expensive item (Nike Air Max’s in picture) as working class so money is limited but as a teenager feels the need to remain on trend in some way.
Accessories: Holdiing and interacting with Apple iPhone to conform to age and class representation

Continuity

We will abide to the rules of continuity throughout the opening, especially in the conversation between the two girls where we will use shot reverse shot. 

Treatment- Titles

In order to decide on a font and the style of our title, we looked at similar films to ours to see how they decided to present their fonts.

- Simplistic fonts for example courier 

- Subtly placed on image

e.g. Somers Town

From looking at Somers Town, we instantly knew we liked the simplistic, subtle font and title placement and will therefore mimic this in our titles.

The order in which the titles appear will be as follows:
Pigeon Productions (Our own production company), Film 4 (Distributors) , BFI Films (Funding)
Then director, assistant director, camera man, actors names etc will appear on the shot image.