Dunraven Coursework Films (Centre 10920)

8269; REID, OLIVIA S R







9053; QURAISHI, SAAD
8189; HALL, SHANIQUE C








  1084; HAGAN, YASMINE






8250; NAPIER-LAWRENCE, SANCHIA M
1031; MCKERCHAR, HAMISH W B



8241; MOHAMED, FADUMA 
8083; JOHNSON, TAJ-DAMANI







8181; FITZGERALD, RHYS G
9939; HO, DAVID

What should be in the Presentation?

Group Pre-filming Presentation: (20 mins) Your presentation must include:

• Definition of genre and specific examples of similar openings.
• Audience profile with details and evidence.
• Narrative and how your film idea meets the brief. (What is the whole film about and how does the opening relate to this?)
• Location and props: Why you chose this location and particular props. Include recce and visual images.
• Actors and props: Why were they chosen, how will they represent a particular social group.
• Process of pitching, storyboarding, creating shot list and script

Planning and Research for Foundation Production DEADLINES

Planning and Research for Foundation Production

KEY DEADLINES:
Presentation/Pitches W/B Monday 23rd January
Cameras/Shooting Begins Friday 27th January
Shooting Completed Monday 6th February
Rough Cut Screening
Final Cut Screening
Final Evaluation


Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film to last a maximum of two minutes. Choose one of the briefs/Genres offered.

1. Film Noir, Espionage, Western, Musical, Teen, Crime, Revenge Thriller, Science Fiction, Romantic Comedy
   
   Your mark, out of 20, will be based on how well you:

• Research similar products and a potential target audience.
• Organise actors, locations, costumes or props.
• Produce a shotlist, script and storyboarding.
• Manage your time effectively.
• Present your planning and research presentation

Assessment Objectives for Research and Planning (Worth 20/100)
There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.
There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning
Time management is excellent.

Below are deadlines. By this point, you should have already made two other blog entries: (1) What does the audience learn in the opening of a film (with photos to illusrtate) and (2) A photo montage of your genre. (For more guidance, see previous blog entries below

Date Due	Blog Tasks
Monday 9th Jan
Research into similar products - Openings	Film Opening: What needs to be established in the opening? How? Analysis: Post a film opening in your Genre, and explain what is established, and how this is done (Camera, MES, etc). What credits need to be included, in what order?
Research into similar products - Genre	Comparison: Create a table comparing three films you have seen (in their entirety) under the following headings; Narrative, Characters, Representation, Iconography - You may also include a list of other films in the Genre that have influenced you (briefly explain why) Mood Board: Create a moodboard to represent your Genre, using found and/or original images. Analysis: (Finish for H/W) Analyse three film openings in your Genre - remember to embed the videos. - Comment on Iconography and Film Language
Friday 13th Jan
Research into potential target audience	What is the appeal of your Genre?: Upload a Poster from a film in your Genre, and explain why it appeals to the target audience. Audience Profile: Create a detailed Audience Profile for your film Survey: Once you have a brief outline foryour film, survey 20 people in your target audience to get some feedback
Friday 20th January
Treatment	Mind-Map: (H/W) What needs to be established in the opening 2 minutes of your film? Treatment: Write a treatment for your 2 minute opening sequence. You may also wish to post some illustrative photos or found images to help visualise your film.
Organisation Actors/Costumes/Props Location Scouting	Casting: (H/W) Post details of each character in your film, include Casting Shots of the actors playing the roles and explain why you think they would be a good choice. Location Scouting: (H/W) Post several photos of the locations you will use, from different angles, at the time of day you will be shooting. You also need to explain why these locations will be appropriate for your film.
Shotlists/Storyboarding	Annotated Treatment: Annotate your script with details of Camera Shots, etc. Shotlist/Timeline: Produce a second-by-second shotlist of your entire film - you may wish to do this as a timeline. Storyboard: Depending on time and expertise, produce a working visualisation of your film using either drawings or photographs (you may use stand-ins for your actors). Include temp music.
Time management	Shooting Schedule: Produce a full Call Sheet for your shooting days, with minute-by-minute schedule, shots to be completed, etc.
Preparation for Shoot	Logistics (H/W) Produce a Permissions form for any locations you need to be allowed to shoot on - non-School property, private residences, etc. Tests If you are attempting any complex Camerawork/ Lighting effects, run a quick test in lesson (you could use the video mode on a stills Camera to do this quickly), post the results and explain any changes you will need to make to your plan.
W/B Monday 23rd January Presentation	Group Pitch You may present your Pitch using PPT Cover each area of Research/Planning - Use lots of images - avoid lots of text on screen (you will do the talking yourself during the presentation).

Homework

Continue with the following task which will support your Coursework

1. Work on the presentation, outlined in the previous blog

2. Create a mood board that represents the characters and locations you want for your film. Here is an example of the main character from Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Preparing for your Presentation

Group Pre-filming Presentation: (20 mins) Your presentation must include:

• Definition of genre and specific examples of similar openings


• Audience profile with details and evidence based on your research


• Narrative and enigmas. What happens in your opening? Create a visual representation, storyboard, etc


• Location and props: Why you chose this location and particular props. Include photographs of your location


• Actors and props: Why were they chosen, how will they represent a particular social group.


• Process: storyboarding, creating shot list and script.

What does the Audience learn in the opening of a film?

Answer the above questions using visual images along with text.

Memorable Openings

This website features a lot of good film openings. Check it out.

Test PPT

Audience Profiling

Sample Moodboard

Here is an example of a Moodboard for the Crime Thriller Subgenre. I have included some conventional Iconography for the Genre: Locations, Settings and Props that are common, along with some Actors that you might expect to be cast in a film of this type. You should also include a brief commentary, as shown below.

Crime Thrillers often centre around the 'seedy underbelly' of Urban Settings, commonly London (pictured), New York or LA. Cars and Guns form an important part of the Iconography of the Genre, and create an expectation of Action and Violence for the Audience. Stars of these films are predominantly male, Mid-to-late thirties, and are often not typical Hollywood 'heart-throbs' in appearance. Rather they tend to be more average looking, thus creating a sense of 'gritty' realism, or 'verisimilitude' for the film. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino (pictured) are well-known and highly regarded for their performances in films within the Genre.

Sample Opening Analysis

The sequence opens with a slow tracking shot, eventually pausing on door with metal grating. The absence of a non-diegetic soundtrack, which is common in the opening sequences of most films, particularly those in the crime/thriller Genre, focuses the audiences' attention on the diegetic sound. The lack of camera movement in the first sequence is disquieting for the audience, and focuses our attention on the movements of these characters; the fact that we only see them in Medium Long Shot also distances us from the emotionally - these are not characters that we warm to.

The hiss of grasshoppers is a commonly used signifier of a warm climate, which makes the first man's clothing all the more notable. He is clearly coded as a villain - his black clothes, ornate belt-buckle and sharply manicured goatee are all commonly used conventions. The other man is clearly his subordinate - his clothes are far scruffier, as is his generally appearance. The fact that he is the one carrying the bigs also connotes lower status on his part.

This analysis covers only the first 20 seconds - bear in mind the level of detail and that you should be covering at least the first 2 minutes.

Individual Contribution

Each member needs to blog an entry about what he/she personally contributed to the editing process since the audience screening. Your entry should be only a few sentences, but should also be visual. (Screen grab, photo . . . be creative.)

Mark your progress

Screen grab one shot from your film and mark it using the OCR marking criteria (see page 60). Explain your mark and what you need to do next to move it up to the next level.

You may include more than one shot.

Getting Started

Today you must create your own blogs for your group.  Use the assignment sheet to help. A basic blog has been created for you and each group has been given a number for your blog. 

To edit the blog you must log in as dunopening2010@googlemail.com and use the password 'dunravenmedia'. 

Before the end of the lesson:

• Select a template for the blog.
• Go to settings, permissions and then invite Mr Dyas (pdyas@dunraven-school.org.uk) and Ms Taylor (ttaylor@dunraven-school.org.uk) as authors. You may wish to invite yourself (if you want to sign in using your personal email address).
• Create a hyperlink to the Main Film Opening blog so that you can easily check when teachers have posted to it.

The blog may be updated by any member of the group, but it would be useful to elect one member of the group to oversee responsibility.  At the end of entry, add your name as a label. 

You may blog as much as you want.

The blog will be used to evaluate the planning section of your coursework and the link will be sent to the examiner as proof of your work. 

Good luck and get blogging!

Reminders

1. Ms Miah is burning your films BEFORE Thursday, so they must be complete.

2. Please label all your entries. If YOU posted something, put your name to it. All posts should not include the names of everyone in the group.

Audience Feedback from Rough Cut

Blog your audience feedback AND the changes you intend to make because of it.

Push Play to learn how to embed your Presentation.

Embed

View more presentations from Dunraven.

Get your Blogs in!

Steps to Success:
1. Research your genre, taking note of the specific techniques used in several films--the conventions of the genre and film openings. BLOG ENTRY: Define your genre, with several examples to back it up. Discuss the genre’s recent success. Explain what happens in film openings.

2.Clearly define the target audience. Conduct audience research, surveying at least 20 people who fit the audience profile. BLOG ENTRY: Define target audience.

3. Pitch your idea to the class. (see separate guidelines) BLOG ENTRY: Your pitch.

4. Make any changes based on the feedback from your pitch. BLOG ENTRY: Feedback from pitch and your response.

5. Find and organise actors, locations, costumes or props. BLOG ENTRY: Explain why you chose particular actors, location, etc. Include images, if possible.

6. Produce a shotlist, script and storyboard. BLOG ENTRY: Describe process, importance and revisions and decisions make along the way.

7. Present your final research and planning to the class.

Presentations are almost due.

Your Presentations are due 29 January.

Your mark, out of 20, will be based on how well you:
• Research similar products and a potential target audience.
• Organise actors, locations, costumes or props.
• Produce a shotlist, script and storyboarding.
• Manage your time effectively.
• Present your planning and research presentation

Get Started!

Each group has been given a number for your blog and a blog has been created for you. To edit the blog you must log in as dunraventhrill@googlemail.com and use the password 'dunravenmedia'.The blog may be updated by any member of the group, but it would be useful to elect one member of the group to oversee responsibility. The blog log will be used to evaluate the planning section of your coursework and the link will be sent to the examiner as proof of your work.

Use the Planning and Research for Foundation Production sheet to guideline on you Blog Entries. Deadlines will be posted on this blog.