Thursday, 21 May 2009
Constrain - Finished Edit.
This is the final edit of our project. Alot of good shots had to be left on the cutting room floor for time's sake but I am not only happy but proud of it, as I'm sure are Charlotte and Alex.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
What audience are we targeting?
Our target audience would be people aged from about 15 or 16 years old, to 30 years old. If we were indeed making the full film, the content would be unsuitable for anyone younger than 15, and probably Less engaging for an older audience.
Quite often now, thriller films based around kidnapping and horror are watched by people in their teens and slightly over. Our movie is one that may appeal to them. It is easier, I think, to make a film for a target audience that are near our own age. We have an idea of what is interesting for this audience, and we know how to appeal to them.
Cast
The cast that made it into the final edit were:
- Lead Female - Maria Mallon.
- Stalker - Conor Diamond.
- Tennis Instructor - Cormac Doyle.
Monday, 20 April 2009
The Genre
Our movie leans towards the thriller genre, and so I'm now going to talk about some of the conventions and styles of this genre. We aimed to not make our film about a heroine winning through, but in the broader aspect of the whole plot, to make it about the villain of the piece succeeding.
A huge characteristic of this genre is a fast-pace. The fast-pace creates a sense of action and suspense to try and grip the audience and draw them into the story.
Another way of creating suspense in this genre is the use of cliffhangers, where the action reaches a peak, before cutting away from the excitement at the pinnacle of the action to another scene, that is generally less exciting and slower paced.
A technique we want to incorporate into our film is to lay a false trail of suspects, to help keep the audience guessing who the villain is, and to create an air of mystery and suspense, as the technique does in mainstream thriller films.
Quite often the thriller genre abandons hiding the identity of the villain of the plot until the end of the film, and will reveal them to create more suspense and action between the hero of the film and the villain.
A huge characteristic of this genre is a fast-pace. The fast-pace creates a sense of action and suspense to try and grip the audience and draw them into the story.
Another way of creating suspense in this genre is the use of cliffhangers, where the action reaches a peak, before cutting away from the excitement at the pinnacle of the action to another scene, that is generally less exciting and slower paced.
A technique we want to incorporate into our film is to lay a false trail of suspects, to help keep the audience guessing who the villain is, and to create an air of mystery and suspense, as the technique does in mainstream thriller films.
Quite often the thriller genre abandons hiding the identity of the villain of the plot until the end of the film, and will reveal them to create more suspense and action between the hero of the film and the villain.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Filming has begun.
So we began the actual filming process on Monday the 16th of March. It took quite a while to film the footage we wanted, and unfortunately just as we neared completeion the battery in the camera ran out, though we managed to borrow some electricity from the NI Rail service. I think everyone was pretty happy with the shots we got, and we're looking forward to getting the filming wrapped up as soon as possible.
Friday, 6 March 2009
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Shooting Script
First Day
Filming the tennis scene in the school.Second Day
First area of filming - Riains house. On the stairs.
Blacks Road. Walking to the path for the train. x2
Filming on the path in Dunmurry to the station. x2
Filming at the station x2
On the train. Just once.
Filming in Lambeg - getting off the train and walking towards the path.
Filming in Lisburn station. Also filming the cafe scene in Lisburn.
End filming.
Last Day
Evening sunday night hopefully.
Repeating the beginning of the second days filming. Riains house.
Blacks road to the path.
Path to the train station.
Dunmurry train station.
Train.
Lambeg station.
Take shots of the environment in each area and get good establishing shots for the trailer.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Constraint - The Complete Plot
Earlier I wrote out a brief plot for the opening. Now I'm going to outline, as best I can, the plot of the entire film. This will probably get some revision from the others, but it doesn't matter.
The plot centers around a young woman named Maria, who is kidnapped and held captive. We open to see her a bit before she is kidnapped. The actually kidnapping would not be witnessed, more implied. She walks down a path from the train station and is confronted by a man, who is in the shadows, so we don't see him. There is a struggle which we do not witness, though we can hear it going on.
We then find ourselves in a house, where a woman is crying loudly, sitting beside a man. There are two police officers informing them of their daughter's disappearance.
The police inform the parents that all efforts are being put into discovering their daughter and the kidnapper. We are now made aware that there have in fact been a number of kidnappings prior to this one. No victims have been found thus far.
We then return to the girl, to find her in a room, sitting on a bed. Light fiters threw a dirt encrusted window. She begins to look around the room, searching for an escape route. She finds a suitcase under the bed and looks through it. It is full of girls clothing. She puts it back. The door opens and the kidnapper enters. He is still keeping to the shadows. He talks to her for a while, quite pleasently, which the girl finds disconcerting.
We return to the family, who have begun recieving anonymous letters (from the kidnapper of course) telling them that he has her, but that he intends on keeping her. If they want her back, they have to find her before he has finished with her.
The plot centers around a young woman named Maria, who is kidnapped and held captive. We open to see her a bit before she is kidnapped. The actually kidnapping would not be witnessed, more implied. She walks down a path from the train station and is confronted by a man, who is in the shadows, so we don't see him. There is a struggle which we do not witness, though we can hear it going on.
We then find ourselves in a house, where a woman is crying loudly, sitting beside a man. There are two police officers informing them of their daughter's disappearance.
The police inform the parents that all efforts are being put into discovering their daughter and the kidnapper. We are now made aware that there have in fact been a number of kidnappings prior to this one. No victims have been found thus far.
We then return to the girl, to find her in a room, sitting on a bed. Light fiters threw a dirt encrusted window. She begins to look around the room, searching for an escape route. She finds a suitcase under the bed and looks through it. It is full of girls clothing. She puts it back. The door opens and the kidnapper enters. He is still keeping to the shadows. He talks to her for a while, quite pleasently, which the girl finds disconcerting.
We return to the family, who have begun recieving anonymous letters (from the kidnapper of course) telling them that he has her, but that he intends on keeping her. If they want her back, they have to find her before he has finished with her.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Possible Shots - Opening
1st Scene
Walking along path road from house and down path
- Long shot - Pan - Slight Low Angle
- Mid shots/Close ups while walking
- Match on action - walking through gate / enclosure
Standing on Platform - Texting - Waiting on Train
- High angle - Long Shot - frame with path subtly visible
- Zoom out from close frame of character to wide frame of location
Getting on train
- Low/Normal angle match on action from train entering last shot
- track character into train as she sits down
Character sitting, Texting
- Character sitting in a "4" - Phone on table
- Track character into train as she sits down
Character getting off train
- Low Angle (similar to previous angle getting on train)
- As train moves away cut to high angle (bench/bridge) follow with camera as they leave station
2nd Scene
Walking along Road and Down Path
- Path Long Shot - Pan - Slight Low Angle
- Mid Shot/Close up while walking
- Possibly match on action
Standing on Platform - Rubs Hands together in coldness
- Low Angle Long Shot, Close Framing
- As train Comes in Cut from high angle cross platform shot and wait for train to leave
Character sitting - Phone Call
- Low Angle Girl walking in siting down
- Same angle as last time getting / making phone call
Character getting off train
- Angle up near "exit", track character leaving station
3rd Scene
Walking Along Road and Down Path
Standing on Platform Waiting Longer on Train
Character sitting on train
Character getting off Train
- Walking Down Platform,
- Shot of train station with no character but train passing through exactly as before for cross dissolve
Monday, 2 February 2009
The Film
So, I'm going to outline the basic plot we have thus far decided on for our movie opening.
The protragonist of our film is a teenage girl, about 17 or 18 years old. The second main character is the kidnapper, who's identity is a secret for now.
The opening is split into 3 main parts. The first 2 parts we are using to display the normal life of our lead character. There will also be music playing throughout these scenes.. The first part will show her walking along a lane to Dunmurry train station, getting on a train, and meeting a friend at Lambeg station.
The second part will show the character talking to an older man in the street walking his dog. There will also be a shot of her at tennis practice with her trainer. Those are the basic outlines of the first 2 parts, though there are finer details that need to be decided on as yet.
The final part is the main part of the opening and will be the longest. We will again be filming the character walking to the train station in Dunmurry. This scene will be ocmpletely devoid of background music and we shall instead increase the sound of the natural surroundings e.g. twigs snapping, footsteps etc. The girl will again get off at Lambeg station. In the background, hidden in the trees, the kidnapper will be standing watching her. There will be a shot from his point of view of her. Then we will track the girl down the path out of the station, where she will disappear.
The protragonist of our film is a teenage girl, about 17 or 18 years old. The second main character is the kidnapper, who's identity is a secret for now.
The opening is split into 3 main parts. The first 2 parts we are using to display the normal life of our lead character. There will also be music playing throughout these scenes.. The first part will show her walking along a lane to Dunmurry train station, getting on a train, and meeting a friend at Lambeg station.
The second part will show the character talking to an older man in the street walking his dog. There will also be a shot of her at tennis practice with her trainer. Those are the basic outlines of the first 2 parts, though there are finer details that need to be decided on as yet.
The final part is the main part of the opening and will be the longest. We will again be filming the character walking to the train station in Dunmurry. This scene will be ocmpletely devoid of background music and we shall instead increase the sound of the natural surroundings e.g. twigs snapping, footsteps etc. The girl will again get off at Lambeg station. In the background, hidden in the trees, the kidnapper will be standing watching her. There will be a shot from his point of view of her. Then we will track the girl down the path out of the station, where she will disappear.
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