Story Board

Here is the story board drawn for the layout and composition of my film.

Evaluation

Our Movie uses the traditional conventions of the thriller genre, keeping to the brief that we set out before hand. Unlike most modern thriller films, we shot ours in black and white, which meant that the atmosphere surrounding the movie is darker than most other films. Quick elliptical cuts is the conventional editing method associated with thrillers, and we tried to include this. At one point in the movie, quick edits cut from one to another within seconds of each other, keeping the pace up, which was lacking at the start of the film. Slow titles suggest the genre of the film, which we included, with titles showing the director, cast and production company's slowly crossing the screen, then fading out into a clip. Its this head on title sequence that introduces all the companies surrounding the film, which is vital in order to give credit, but also to indicate to the audience how good the film will actually be, because if they see a good director or a good production company, they can make the assumption that this film will be like the others they've produced. Atmospheric music creates the uneasy tension surrounding the genre, creating a sense of edge in the film, making the audience feel slightly uneasy and uncomfortable. The music is non diegetic, solely for background sound, which means it has hardly any personal connection with the actor on screen. This is common for this type of film as it creates the emotion the audiences feel when watching.

Social groups as such arn't really represented in the film, as a vast mix of characters are introduced, however it does show an insight into the crime circle, highlighting the gruesomeness of that world, and the terrors and horrors that go with it, so this could relate to the generation who are forced into organized crime, a tale told too often in lower class countries; but also the people who aren't born into it, but who are attracted to the glamorous life style it beholds, teenagers who are tranced by the money and power people in this film hold.. When trying to create characters like this, its hard to stray away from certain stereotypes. If you haven't actually been in that circle then its hard to get an idea of what its like, and you start making decisions and judgements that are influenced by other films and the preconceived ideas you have about certain characters. This is why I wanted to show an ordinary guy get trapped in it. It brings the whole film back down to reality, as there are consiquences to the crimes that they commit, and the ordinary character recognises this; instead of blacking it out like the criminals he is surrounded by.

Our film is produced and disributed by Universal Pictures, who are well known for their gritty crime thrillers, films like The Adjustment Bureau depicting a character caught in the wrong moment and forced to go on the run. The reason we chose this is because they are extremely well known, one of the biggest in the world, which automatically means that people are more likely to come and see the film because they know it will have the certain levels of standards that surround the companys name and reputation, and thats before mentioning the extensive experience they have in this particular field.

The key demographic for our film would be males, between the youngish age of 16 up to the middle ages of 40 to 45. The reason the age range is so wide is becaude the mentality of a 16 year old is similar to that of a 45 year old when it comes to films. They both have the same interests, and because of the maturity of the younger generation of today, they are emotianly ready to relate to the characters in the film, maybe not because of their personal life experiences, but because of the language and characterisation used in the film. In this day and age, the language of a 16 year old is often more crude and offensive than that a 40 year old. This could be an international film, as the story could relate to people out side of the UK, and because of the fact that it is filmed in more than one country. Which means that it would have a wider audience, grossing more profit at the box office as a result. Fans of Spike Lee who follow his every film will become attracted to it, making more people come and see it because of the fact he directed it, somewhat giving it a cult following.

Because my film doesnt have any well know stars casting in it, it was obvious that the main way of attracting attention would be through advertisment and airtime. Bill boards where cast up along the main motorways, and in key stratigic points in the main citys, making it hard not to miss the posters. Because we were distribtuted by Universal, it meant that we had a bigger budget that we normally would, allowing us to have airtime on TV at primetime moments, widening our audience base. Another factor related to TV would be the interviews and talk shows that our stars took part in, descussing the film, but also creating a name for them selves. Something which would be crucial in order to get the maximum amount of hype and buzz around the film. Memrobilia such as posters and collectables would be available prior to the films release date.

I have learnt, during the process of contructing this film, about new ways of colour grading and tonal range. I new how to make a good film before, and all the shots that needed to be included when shooting, but before I was unsure about how to adjust the opacity and contrast grades in order to affect the over all mood and atmosphere of the film. This is something I picked up on as I started to edit the film, playing around with the colour and tone. I then decided that I would change the film all together to black and white, emphasising the contrast between blacks and whites and the tonal range in between. This is something that strays away from the stereotypical conventions normally associated with the crime and thriller genres. Something which I new how to do before, only in photoshop with still photographs, was to add a gradual fade at the outer edges of the frame, darkening the mood of the shot. I wanted to do this with my film as I thought it would add an edge not normally seen in films, and create that depth that the film lacked before hand.

Looking back at my preliminary task, I notice an obvious change in the composition of the shots, and the post proscess editing that took place. I can notice an obvious improvement in the confidence I have in my work as, compared to the preliminary task, I used a wider range of complex shots and editing techniques, enhancing the quality of the film dramatically.

Location

Ive been scouting out various locations for the film and it looks like a House is going to be used for the scene. The house is going to be run down, and not flash. Beer cans lay everywhere, reflecting the character of the main character. It shows his wealth and social class, its obvious he doesn't have money, that is why he is in this problem in the first place.

The second location is in a tunnel near the house, using this we are going to shoot the flashbacks here. its dark, and shows stereotypical elements of a place where one might get beaten up, perfect for the scene.

Production and Distribution

This is the main element that effects my film greatly, choosing the right company makes all the difference to the outcome of the film. I originally started researching films that where like my film, looking at the Kill Bill volumes, and films like The Italian Job. Researching a film thats not released yet, The adjustment Bureau led me across Universal Pictures. I instantly knew the name as they are a major player in the film industry, one of the biggest in the world. I then researched the types of genre they usually produce, and also if they distributed any films, and if so which ones. Once I found out that they had, I then compared them to other Studios, such as Paramount, and Warner Bros, who both lacked in the genre that I was basing my film upon.

Universal Studios is a house hold name, which a massive corporate empire, stretching from theme parks to merchandise and a vast amount of other product. This was instant good news. It meant that it would allow me to build the foundations of my films products and merchandise. Things that make up a large percentage of the final net profit my film would make in the long run. 

I wanted to keep my film with one or two studios as I didn't want that lack of power that results in having more than a few, and the constant struggle between creative and corporate decisions. This would affect the visual final result to my film, as it would mean there would be elements that i didnt want in; that were to commercial and might affect the believability of the film. 

I eventually decided to keep both the Production and Distribution with Universal, relying on them to use their reputation to sell my film, and also allowing a much more personal experience with the outcome of the film. Allowing me to be in control. 

Final Film

This is the final result of my film. As you can see, the colour grading deeply affects the mood and atmosphere of the film, something which I was deeply concerned with during the editing process. Adding the gradual fade around the edges of the frame represents the darkness that the character finds him self in, this is something that the audience will pick up on when watching, however it does not carry on through out the film. The rest of the film will be shot in colour, the reason for this is to create the contrast between being in control and out of control. 

The sound track greatly works with the visual element of the film. That atmospheric music builds up with speed as the clip progresses, building up the tension that the film creates. Still cuts keep the audience transfixed on the screen, allowing the attention to be solely on the character, and not distracted by anything around the scene. This is something that I learnt from the opening clip of True Blood I analysed earlier. I used fades for the flash backs to represent the character going in and out of consciousness, I think it worked well as you could clearly tell, judging by the pace of the flash back, and the reaction of the character, that this is what it was.

Lord Of War opening shot sequence textual analysis.

The opening sequence of 'Lord Of War' shows the life of a bullet, through the manufacturing process, right down to the point when it enters a soldiers head. This technique shows the corruption and destruction one bullet can cause, and the places it travels before settling in, making its self at home, killing someone. In the nine shots, vivid colour is used to highlight the life of the bullet, showing the short explosive life it leads.

The sequence opens at a factory, unknown to us why we are there, a high angle shot establishes that this is a working factory that requires hand on care. Clocks on the wall indicate there is a time limit in this particular factory, and maybe a dead line that people have to meet. Personally having seen this film before, know that this could represent the amount of time some has before they die, and this may come across to the audience, highlighted by the red warning light, indicating that there is death and havoc amidst the product they are making. Connotations to evil may be made when looking at the factory its self. What appears to be a factory used by the Ukrainians during the cold war, the use of the production line is some what old fashioned, and the colour of the image reflects the mood of the country and times they are in. The blue tone reflects the cold war, and the struggle it brings to country's, making me think that perhaps the worker is being forced to work there, and maybe this is the only job that someone can do in this time period. These are dark times, and the factory shows this.

The sequence then moves to a shot of the production line, showing the metal casing of a soon to be bullet. Low key lighting, enhanced by a blue filter creates a dark atmosphere, giving off vibes which makes the audience uncomfortable. The tone of the clip represents the tone of the film, and the audience know this right from the start. The gold casing of the bullet shows the glamorous side to war, connoting the money and the power behind the act of crime; and the only light being reflected off it makes the audiences attention solely on this. This is what the film is about. The filth of the factory contrasts to the delicate copper plating running through it, reflecting the light of the factory. I can tell that the bullet is valued more than the workers or factory that makes it, they are just mules to be used and thrown away. The machine that creates the bullet has overcome the use for people, and that in the industrial struggle they are in, the bullet rules over men. The production stage of a bullet reflects the life it has, how it can start and end, just like the sequence when shot, how it can leave the barrel of the gun, and then end at its final destination; or relate to the life it has taken. The soldier who started by being trained to kill, and the end when a bullet reaches its target destination, and ends the life of its self and the soldier.

This shot introduces the camera work that has taken place, unknown to us before, we actually view the bullet in first person, giving it an identity, and forcing the viewer to forge a relationship with the bullet. this gives us a much more in depth understanding of the power it holds, as you see the delicate process that takes place. The metallic gold color shows the struggle between good and evil, as the contrast of the factory, just like before, represents the cold war that is taking place, and the effect it has on the world. The title 'LORD of WAR' comes on the screen, instantly confirming to the audience that this is actually about war, and not just a common relation with the term 'war', just like many films are. The size of the text is over shadowed by the presence of the bullet, towering over the letters, stating authority. The font isn't fancy. It doesn't need to be, the words that it says is just enough. It has no point to prove, and no means to over complicate the mise-en-scene of the shot. 

The angle the bullet is pointing in the next shot proves the point of destruction. We see workers working the production line, making sure every bullet is perfect enough to kill. Its this deadly accuracy, and precision that makes these weapons the most destructive in the world, killing more people than any other.  Numerous bullets flood the line, showing the mass scale of the operation. Sparks fly from machinery connoting the death and mayhem they create. The light passing through the window high lights the open world, and how these weapons are going to be released upon it. It also shows how poverty can affect the way people need jobs. The workers in this scene wont earn much, and I doubt their doing it for the passion of making bullet's. During war people are forced to do things they wouldn't normally do, making them at the mercy of their bosses and ranking officers, and especially in the production of weapons, they do not hesitate to eliminate you if you do not do a good job.

Corruption riddles the industry, as we can see here. A soviet officer checks the stock of bullets, in return for a cash bribe. Keeping in theme with the first person rule that we saw before, it now starts to document the journey of the bullet. Massive tankers haul crates of what the audience perceive to be crates of weapons, on the same journey as ours. The soldiers behind the ranked soldier obviously turn a blind eye to the whole operation, some hoping not to get revoked from their job, and some wanting to get in on the corrupted action. The cranes obviously signify this is a huge operation, and the distribution of weapons of mass destruction, which you wouldn't normally consider come under this title, but in this case they do. The formality of the officer shows the level he is, and how the consequences of doing this will not affect him. This resembles the theme and over all plot of the film, showing how once you get to a certain level of power, you are unaffected by anything and everything, nothing can harm you. Which goes hand in hand with this picture, as the two guards carefully scout the surrounding area, protecting the officer from harm, politically and physically. 

The last few shots are the most significant, as they connote the contrast between the two worlds, brought together by the bullet. A young man carefully places the bullets in the magazine of his gun, and many others behind him do the same. The scattered mess of the bullets resemble the organization that they are, a harsh contrast to the general and shipyard previously. The canted or 'dutch' angle creates the perspective of the bullet, moved by all the others beside it, keeping in theme with the first person narrative. As a chicken runs around aimlessly we can tell that this a village, meaning other people live here. The colors show the lives they live, happy to be fighting for what they think is right, but is in fact the order of a higher up officer, using them as a means of extortion and money. The false hope they have means that they will buy weapons to support them selves, which predominantly means more money for the general we saw in the previous photo. 

"The first person POV reminds one of a first person shooter video game and never seemed suited to the subject matter" 

A quote  taken from the artofthetitle.com, the place where I originally got my shot sequence, and I happen to agree with it. It does somewhat relate to a first person shooter, in the sense that you view where the bullet is shot, just as you would in a game. It also relates to the way people view the gun running world, seeing it as a game, not really thinking about the consequences of the reality of what they are doing, and in order to be respected you have to be at the top level, connoting the gaming element once more.

We watch the bullet enter the magazine of the gun, and then from the view of the chamber. We know what this means. The product of what the bullet is designed for now is apparent, we watch the bullet fly through the air, focus individually on it, all other distractions are cast aside. We also see the desolate place they are fighting in. Burnt out cars lay barren on the side of the road, shanty town esque buildings falling down, reminiscent of the vibrant color, symbolic to the promises they held when first built by building manufacturers, hopes of a new land. The vast emptiness of the sky tells us that this is just one street amidst many like it, and that this is just one battle taking place amongst many.

The final shot tells it all. It resembles the end of lives, not just the life of the child soldier, but the life of the bullet, and how its purpose was fulfilled. The blank expression on the kids face shows he is used to this kind of fire fight, it is the ordinary, little does he know it will be his last. The light that shone on the bullet has now gone, leaving the black darkness in its wake, telling us that this is a sad moment, sub consciously signifying the audience to feel some remorse for this poor boy, who has known nothing other that this way of life through out his whole child hood.

opening sequence of 'Rome' textual analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uocQ8t9K9FA


In the opening first three minutes of Rome, various themes and characteristics help determine the rank and status of certain characters. Mise en scene, camera work and editing help the audience understand who has control in the clip, and who the dominant characters really are. The main character is determined straight away, with a close up of his face. Battle worn and scared, we can see he is a determined character, and amidst the chaos of war, he stays focused and aware. These attributes help the audience gather that he is a ranked officer, in charge of the men behind him. The camera then tracks to another person, hinted by a glance of the first, we gather that he plays a vital role in this battle, or at least enough to have the ranked officers attention. The red frill sets the ranked officer aside from everyone else, giving him the focus of attention, and showing the elegance that the romans had in war.


The camera then cuts to a shot of a swarm of barbarians charging towards the regiment. With torn and matted clothes, dark unwashed faces, we gather that these people have no status and no battle plan; they fight for their freedom, not to conquer, and therefore look a stark contrast to the organized roman army. A cut to a medium to long shot shows the precision that the romans exercise during battle, as they stay in formation, shoulder to shoulder unmoved by the screams and chants from the mass of Ghouls. The sound of the whistle indicates that the romans have planned this maneuver, ready to execute it at the ranked officers command. This indicates to the audience the type of people that the romans are, and the intelligence and mindset that they have in order to stay focused. Quick cuts to various individuals show that they all know what they are doing, and the role they have amongst the group; apposed to the rout that is the Ghouls charge. The camera keeps on returning to the same ranked officer, showing that he not only plays a vital role here, but in the rest of the program to come. This, to the audience gives them and indication that he is capable of becoming even greater as the rest of the series progresses.

A birds eye view of the roman formation shows the complex rehearsal they must operate in order to succeed. As one line of soldiers move back, a line move forward in order to give the last line time to regather their energy and strength. It indicates to the audience, the tight nit shield that all of them together create, blocking out the enemy from attacking them, and a eye level shot from the inside of the formation shows the proximity between soldier to soldier, and shield to shield. This battle tactic puts the romans and an advantage and gives them the upper hand; they have the status and control in the battle. However, the status is then put in to a lone soldier, as he defies the command of his ranking officer, and go's it alone charging a Ghoul soldier. This introduces the character to the viewer, showing them his personality as a heroic soldier, but one who dares refuse command; which instantly sets him aside from the other soldiers, giving the audience again that they will see him, as well as the ranked officer again. This does not bold well with the commanding officer, who rushes to retrieve the lone soldier, who in return punches him. A quick cut emphasises the punch, returning to a long shot as we watch the soldier being beaten with a shield and dragged away by two soldiers.

A tracking shot slowly shows the enormity of the rome camp. The vast amount of camps can be seen stretching for miles around, clouded by the soldiers in their atire, slowly riding through the camp on their muscular mounts. The camera finally gets to the regiment we saw before, showing the vast size of the regiment. A man is seen wipping a man tied to a torture aparatus. He is clothed differently, his cape is removed, connoting that he doesnt want to deficate the cerimonial robes with the blood of his victim. The camera speeds up, showing the lone soldier we saw before, this time stripped to the nude, blood pouring out of the lashes done by the wip. He smiles, he obviously doesnt care that he is being punished, which is reminisant of the lack of respect he had for authority before hand.

The next scene shows the formality of the roman empire. The emperor sits upon his throne, the camera is low, and never on the same level or higher than him. This connotes the power that he has, no one is above him, they are below. Even the camera is his subject, this gives the audience the perspective of the king Ghoul would is dragged in front of the emperor. The camera changes now, contrasting to that of the emperor, The camera only looks down at the ghoul, showing that even though he is a king, he has no authority over the romans, and as a mark of embarisment he is stripped of his clothes, removing any thought of decency and respect he had for him self. Long cuts emphasis the tension in this scene, as whatever the emperor says is law, and he has the power to end the ghouls life. Just like the subjects around him, the audience now cling to his every word, desperatly wanting to know the outcome of the ghouls fate. Instead of killing him, he forces the ghould to kiss a staff, a sign of victory for the romans, as the ghoul has succumbed to the roman ways and given in and forfitted.