Idea for Thriller

During the Christmas holidays I thought I would get in the holiday spirit by watching The Silence of the Lambs. Whilst watching I noticed an extremely effective editing technique in which the protagonist appaears to run through/past the camera. It would be hard to coreograph a similar shot however I will try.

Copernicus Project 2nd Draft Edit

For my second draft edit I have changed the entire opening into black and white. However this was only a test to see whether or not it does justice to the film. But I am going to need to re-shoot some sections as they are not up to the standards I believe are great. Once all re-shooting is complete I will use class time to compete another draft edit but this time with different footage (but I am keeping the establishing shots). By shooting and re-shooting I have learned the importance of patience, I have been getting stressed out but now I have learned that nothing comes easy. I believe this is a good mentality to have whilst making even a short film because being impatient can completely ruin an otherwise great shot.

Draft Edit

The day has come, I have finished my draft edit for my opening sequence. While not 100% complete as of yet, I believe the quality at the moment is good. However during next weeks lesson I will be sure to imporve my edit and by the end of January 2015 I should have my final edit completed and rendered.

I have learnt many things whilst filming and part editing my opening sequence. I have learnt the importance of white balance and how not adjusting it correctly can completely throw the quality of the shot off. Also the use of a tripod has become extremely important to me. Firstly I attempted to complete my filming without a tripod but quickly learnt that my shots were too shaky and it looked too amatuer. Therefore I borrowed a tripod from college and rescheduled my shooting date and filmed again. I am pleased with my second opening as it is of a much better quality and whilst the story in my new one doesnt exactly make sense it is atleast coherent. Whereas the story in my first attempt was a complete mess.

I have uploaded my first draft of my second attempt onto YouTube which I will link in this post. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks
Matt.

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

One risk that could incur whilst filming is:

• My main actress could get hit by a falling tripod or lighting equipment.

To counter this I will take extra care not to put my actor into this direct danger. I will double check that my equipment is securely sat on level ground where the danger of the equipment falling is kept to a minimum.

Another risk that could arise is:

•  My actress could get hypothermia due to the cold weather and the time of year. Also if the costume isnt warm and covers her whole body then she is at risk of becoming extremely cold. This may not sound like a likely risk but it is certainly possible.

The solution to this problem is clear. Make my actress wrap up warm whilst filming is not rolling. This will ensure she is warm at all times and she is available to shoot.  

•  As I live next to a water source and therefore I will be filming in close proximity of said water source, I will have to make sure any equipment (Camera, Lights, Tripods etc) do not fall into the water.

The solution to this problem is to secure any equipment to the ground, therefore eliminating any risk of equipment becoming unsteady and falling into the water. I will attach a picture of the water risk. 

•  One more risk that could arise is if I am filming outdoors and the weather suddenly decides to change and it starts raining. The equipment will be at risk of water damage.

To counteract this I will ensure I bring a waterproof jacket that could be quickly thrown over any equipment that is in danger of water damage. This should ensure all equipment works properly afterwards. However this particular risk is highly unlikely and I doubt it will happen. Although I will still bring the waterproof jacket to be extra safe.

• One last risk that could be a potential danger is the weather itself. Lightning in particular could be a risk, I have checked the weather forecast for my shooting date and there isnt any rain or lightning predicated so I should be fine. But for extra precaution I will make sure all my equipment, myself and my actress are grounded if any rain should make itself present.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming has helped me tremendously to achieve a better understanding of what I am hoping to achieve with my Thriller opening. Next up is storyboarding then I can begin to film. Unfournantley I am a day behind filming due to personal reasons but thankfully I planned ahead and my back up plan is in full swing. Therefore by the end of the day I will have storyboarded and filmed my opener ready to be edited in Wednesdays lesson. 

Filming Schedule

Filming Schedule

Filming will commence on the 6/12/2014. I am going to be shooting the film in and around my house. I am going to minimise the amount of locations I use as to add to the claustrophobic, closed off nature I am trying to put across. Update - Today is the 7th and I have not filmed yet although I am about to shortly. I have missed my scheduled filming date however this is not a problem as I have a few days until the deadline. 

Actors Needed:

The actors I need is as follows: Me as the central character. I have chosen to have me as the main character because I am working solo and therefore have no one else who can do it. Also I want full control of what the final version will be like so if I do it myself I have 100% control. My Mum is going to play the owner of the house and also the villian, although they are not supposed to be the same person. I have chosen my mum as the owner of the house because she has a trust worthy face so seeing her won't immediately put doubt into the audiences mind about whether something strange is going on. 

Stills From My Storyboard

Storyboarding my ideas has proved very useful. I now have a very clear idea of which shots come first and how they are going to look. Storyboarding is essential to planning a movie and it has helped me tremendously to gain an insight into what the final version may potentially look like. 

Equipment Needed:

I am opting to not use a camera that my college can provide as I am more comfortable using my brothers camera as I have expereience with it before and I can easily work the interface. This should therefore save me time of learning the learning curve of a new camera I have not used before. I am also borrowing my brothers camera stabiliser to make the shots more steady and professional. 

• Camera. 
• Tri-Pod. 
• Sources of light (i.e. lamps etc). 
• Costumes. 
• Camera stabiliser. 

Weather Requirements:

 Ideally I need the weather to be dry but slightly damp. The area in which I live is in close proximity of a canal and therefore the mornings can be very foggy. If on the morning of the 6th of December it is foggy then I will sieze the oppurtunity to film some outdoor shots I will need to create atmosphere and a sense of dread. Although the majority of my opening will not be set outdoors.

Second Backup Plan:

If on the day I plan to film the weather is torrential rain or someother weather type that prevents me from filming then I will still have 3 days to film until the deadline. That will be plently of time to swap my schedule. I have also made sure I will be available during the 6th to the 10th because I could be tied down by other responsibilities but I have swapped things around and I am free to reschedule if needs must.

Main Task - Humble Beginnings

The time has come. The time has finally come to start the main task. Which is as follows, to create a two minute opening title sequence to a thriller movie. This should prove quite easy as I have watched several thriller movies and believe I have a good understanding of what to include to really hit the nail on the head in terms of conventions.
The main task should be fun, it should be hard but it should be educational. This is where I really learn what it takes to create a real opening sequence to a movie. Note that I am creating an opening sequence and not a short movie, these are the first two minutes of a feature length movie so it does not matter whether or not the opening sequence makes sense as there should be a further 88-odd minutes left.

I have thought constantly about what my opening sequence should be about and I have not yet came to a definite conclusion but as soon as I do ill update this blog. Once I have my final idea I will begin to storyboard and gradually build up an image in my head of what I want everything to look like in the final version.

I will update this blog tomorrow once I have a solid idea of what I am hoping to achieve.

Matt.