Soundtrack - Introductory Exercise

Introduction;

You have a character that is feeling stressed, think of as many ways you can tell the audience this through sound alone.

Stressed Character;
Quiet ( uncomfortable silence )
Banging
Eerie
Tapping Fingers
Deep Breathing
Increasing Volume
Echo
Heartbeat
Footsteps
Repetitive Noises
High Pitched
Classical Music
Voices
Shouting
Tears
Rustling
Inner Thoughts
Clock Ticking
Sirens
Screams
Music
Exaggerated Sounds
Gushing Wind

Audience;
How do audiences listen to soundtracks? Think about the space, the environment and the speakers?

The audience have a different view of the film in different environments with different speakers and tones, for example if you were to watch a horror film in the cinema you are more likely to get scared as the speakers are surrounding you and are louder than you are at home or watching on a smaller screen with smaller speakers.

The reason for this is that on a 5.1 speaker, the ones you get in a cinema, the sound is much louder and is surrounding you in all areas, even if you are sitting right at the back of the cinema you are more likely to hear better than sitting right in front of the TV with a built in stereo at home.



The sounds;

The video clip I am going to talk about is the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, the sounds in this clip are very strong sounds which imply strong feelings - like when you can hear the waves but cannot see them shows that it was a vivid memory and has stayed with him, I think these waves were studio recorded and then added into the film after it was in picture lock. I think that the waves were recorded using this method is because they wouldn't of been as strong if they were location recorded because you would of had all of the background noises like sea wind and other ambience sounds, using this method with this particular sound compliments the picture more because it implies a stronger memory with the stronger sounds.The sound of the chain rattling and the hand shaking had a really big impact on me as the waves were dimmed out so you could not really hear them and the chain rattling insinuated that it was important to the character, also at the very start you can hear drums and waves with only a few images this immediately connoted to me that the film was about the army. I think that if these sounds were recorded differently the audience would not have been as intrigued because these sounds recorded using these methods compliment the picture very well and even without the picture you would of been able to make those images in your head.

The Treatment

Title - The Untold

Genre - Thriller/Drama

Type - Short film

Target Audience - Our target audience would probably be young adults and up to the age of 30, I also think woman are more likely to watch it as both actors in the short film are women.

Duration - This short film will only last ten minutes as this was the time guide we were given by our lecturer.

Outline -

• Beginning; At the beginning the two girls come I from a night out ad one of them has blood on their hands, but they don't know how it got there, who's it is, or what they have done. This gets the audience asking questions.
• Middle; In the middle of the short film, there is a stranger that is blackmailing them for what they've done and is searching for them in the house, you never get to see the stranger until the end which makes the film more of a mystery.
• End; At the end the stranger has one of the girls and tension is running high as they try to get away from him, the end concludes in Maddie being unconscious on the floor and the stranger and Deanna are missing.

Character Breakdown -

Deanna
Name; Tori
Age; 21
Gender; Female
Race; White
Profession; Receptionist

Maddie
Name; Kiera
Age; 21
Gender; Female
Race; White
Profession; Receptionist

Stanger
Name; ?
Age; ?
Gender; Male
Race; ?
Profession; ?


Visual Elements -

• Lighting; Will be dark outside, house lights and torches available if needed.
• Camera Movement; Tripod and other accessories are sorted.
• Editing; Will be using Adobe After Effects and Final Cut Pro at college.
• Setting; Deannas house, location fits in well with the shots and drama.
• Actors; Deanna Ricketts, Madeleine Govier and Jordan Halliwell.
• Props; Fake blood and other props are already sorted,
• Costumes; Supplied with our own clothes for acting.

Audio Elements -

• Soundtrack; In working progress, developing with the film after filming.
• Effects; Effects will also be added in after the filming has taken place.
• Music; There will be quite a lot of music in the short film but this will be added in when we do the soundtrack.

Rationale - The reason for choosing this idea is because we both wanted to do a thriller because it has to be a drama and we wanted to do something a little different that relationship trouble and other usual dramas. I feel Dee and I have the skills and techniques to do this and we can help each other work, we also have very good equipment supplied by the college to help us with this single camera production.

Primary and Secondary Research - Primary Research is not needed as it is not a factual programme, although we have fund some secondary research for our production, the research includes similar films with a similar storyline, articles about home intrusion and articles about emotional blackmail, the research contributes to our single camera production and is also very helpful.

Requirements and resources -

• Cast and Crew; Madeleine Govier, Dee Ricketts, Brad Smith and Jordan Halliwell.
• Technical Equipment; Canon XHA1, Tripod, Digital Camera, Shot Gun, Boom Pole, Clip mics and Handycams.
• Locations; The only location we are using is Deanna Ricketts House. (why its suitable is on location reports )

Constraints and Contingency -

• Dead Battery; Have a spare battery.
• Power Cut; Have enough electricity.
• Noisy Neighbours; Tell them we are filming before we start to film so they are aware.
• Transport Delay; Leave earlier.
• Actors not turning up; have back up actors.
• Weather; Inside location.
• Forgetting Something; Always double check.
• Clip mics not working; Have a spare sound recording device.
• No tripod; Be very still and steady with the camera.
• Props; Make sure we have everything.
• Camera not working; have a spare camera.
• Legal Issues; Have release forms for everything.
• Location; Have back up.

Budget - Total £5.00

• Camera; £0.00
• Location; £0.00
• Props; £5.00
• Tripod; £0.00
• Clip Mics; £0.00
• Boom Pole; £0.00
• Shot Gun; £0.00
• Handy Cam; £0.00
• Hair and Makeup; £0.00
• Costumes; £0.00

Legal and Ethical Considerations - We have considered all legal considerations including Actors contracts, location release forms, risk assessment sheets and Recce Checklists and they have all been completed.

Proposed Schedule - The original schedule is on another document.

• Pre production; is to be completed by 16th May 2014
• Filming; is to be completed by 30th May 2014
• Editing; to be completed by 6th June 2014
• Finished; Hand in date to be in on 6th June 2014.

By Directors and Producers

Madeleine Govier and Deanna Ricketts.

List of Resources And Budget

Camera - The Canon XHA1 camera will be borrowed from the college from 9th May until 16th May and 30th May until 4th June.

Tripod - The tripod for the canon will also be borrowed from college on the same dates as above.

Shot Gun - the shot gun microphone will be borrowed from college at the same times of the other equipment.

Boom Pole - The boom pole microphone stand will also be borrowed from college at the same time.

Clip Mic - The clip mice are also borrowed from college just incase the boom pole fails ( back up)

Props and costumes - the props and costumes will be bought out of our own money but costumes can be used from our own wardrobes and props will work out to be a maximum of £5.00.

Hair and Make-up- this will cost nothing as we can just do it ourselves.

Location - the location will also cost nothing as the filming is being held at Deannas house.

Production Schedule

Tuesday 13th May 2014 - Filming

Thursday 15th May 2014 - Filming

Friday 16th May 2014- Editing

Wednesday 21st May 2014 - Editing



After these dates we will still be filming and editing to make sure our production is to the highest standard we can achieve.

Pre Prodcution
Script
Proposal
Treatment
Shotlist
Storyboards
Schedule
Location Reports
Budget
Relevant Research
Test shoots/Recordings
Diary Entries
Production Stills
Behing the scenes clips
Post Production Planning
Soundtrack Planning
Rough Cut
Props

The Untold (pre production)

Proposal for the Untold

The Untold will be a one off ten minute single camera drama, the genre of this production is Thriller/Mystery the general idea of this production is two good friends come in from a night out with blood on their hands not knowing whats happened, they were followed home and are being blackmailed for doing something, the whole ten minutes will be a mystery and get the audience asking questions.

The cast and crew will not be many people as the directors will also be sting in the film, the actors are Deanna Ricketts, Madeleine gorier and Jordan Halliwell, and the crew will feature Madeleine Govier, Deanna Ricketts and Brad Smith.

Production costs will be minimal - cameras and filming equipment will be borrowed from South Essex College and will only be used on a few occasions. The production and filming will take place at Deanna Ricketts house as the location is good and the shots of the production fit in well there.

A production schedule will be sorted out soon and will be put into the treatment along with the shortlist and other pre production paperwork needed for this single camera drama.

Madeleine Govier and Deanna Ricketts.

News Essay

I will be discussing and comparing the codes and conventions in news, how the audience sees the news, how the show and people in the show are represented and how multi camera is used in a news show. 

I will be talking about codes and conventions on Outfoxed first, The opening scene of outfoxed is the author of the 'The problem of the media' I think this was a really good person to start the film on as it immediately says that this is going to be about problems in the media industry and on the news, He uses a metaphor for the problems we as public face in the media industry, the film then goes on to an animated TV that is sparking up and exploding, this is a very well done code and convention as again it is explaining that the media is wrong and is blowing up in all sorts of ways. 

The show uses a lot of animated pictures and graphs but I think this is a good way of showing us instead of telling us, the animated chart shows us 'Young Rupert Murdoch' and the years in which he did his first big things,

The Blake Snyder beat sheet.

Project Title - The Garage
Genre - Science Fiction
Date - 12-02-14

1. Opening image ( the hook, drags audience in to the film) - A weird looking machine in the garage, with a green wire on it and the camera will be zooming out from the green wire. (this is to get the audience thinking and questioning, why a re they showing us this?)

2. Theme stated (setting the theme, just say it!) - I will have my main characters best friend state the theme of loneliness. ( this will make the audience feel sorry for my main character and also get them thinking about his background )

3. Set-up ( setting the scene, 6 things that need fixing, how it is before things changed, work life, love life, home life, introducing their world ) - I will introduce the characters back life, job home and friends. ( this will give the audience an idea of what my character is like, was like and what he's going to be like )

4. Catalyst ( this is what will start my story, what knocks it over and the first thing to change ) - he's working in the garage when he's best friend says 'why don't you build a time machine' and he immediately starts thinking about it and how he could do it.

5. Debate ( obstacles, possibility, whether they can do it or not ) - he starts to doubt himself about if he can do it or not, but finally gets the motivation and the resources he needs.

6. Break into Two (beginning, middle and end, everything is different, things that need fixing would have been fixed, what's going to happen) - this is when he starts being more optimistic (this is fixed because he was more pessimistic) and he also starts to build the machine.

7. B story (background story of someone else, best friends story, something other than the main thing) -

The Untold

1. Start -- The Mystery Entrance EST: 1 min
Clock-- Door Handle(C/U), Bottom half of door(MS) Visual of legs, heels and Dress. Girls Enter, Protagonist falls on her knees with (blood) on her hands crawling to the drippy tap in the kitchen. Protagonist washes her hand (OHS) along side her, best friend is tearful and shocked. Best friend goes to lock the door but the protagonist is certain the door is already locked, so there is no need. 
 

2.First Appearance EST: 1 minuet
Front door BANG, BANG(LS from the kitchen facing the door visual of the hall way). Girls do not wish to answer the door late at night so they walk to the living room window looking outside. Black figure acknowledges them but the girls pull the curtains across. They go up stairs closing the door behind them -- from door (20-30 seconds)Costume change in to pyjamas.
 

3. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID! EST:
A loud knock on the door begins shot to maddie looking worried then shot to dee feeling curious but not worried. (letter box Open and Closes)(CU)  A note falls through the letter box but the Protagonist is upstairs unaware. She looks out of the window, the figure starts to walk of in the other directions but protagonist mistakes in seeing something else(CAM) then looses sight of him. Protagonist tries to relax as she's confused and generally a bit scared and cautious about the stranger.

4. Lock Down! EST: 1 min
Protagonist goes down stairs to have a look around for a peace of mind, then comes across a note and from that moment she realises she is completely worried. Protagonist rushes to all the windows and doors, full necessary lock down. Only the door she is most certain was locked, wasn't. As she goes to switch the back garden light of from the living room. What she doesn't know she had alarmed the stranger who went to behind the house, and reassured him it was definitely that house. Protagonist then puts the kettle on and slowly sits down on the sofa. --LS (Out back) -- Kettle -- Sofa of protagonist wrapped up lying down.


5. You Missed a Door! EST: 1 Min
-- Back garden (Diagetic wind and build up of non-Diagetic music) Camera tracking In front of the stranger following up the decking to the back door (which leads into the kitchen) -- handle from the inside gradually gets pushed down and as it opens cuts to -- Sofa, not long after she hears a noise which alarms her, she gets up and exits the living room double doors (darkish) as she turns left facing the kitchen door (lights are off) her intensions were to look upstairs. Protagonist slowly walks down the hall way but as she turned a face/eyes appear in the one of the square door glass of the kitchen door. With out notice she goes upstairs.

6. The tension!  EST: 1 Min

As she goes upstairs checking all the rooms, she opens the door of where her best friend (Maddie) is on the bed with her head low and wrapped around her legs. (CU) -- face as she lifts her head, They talk about not being able to be honest. 

7. The knowing  Est: 1 min

They have a minor argument, Tori walks of down stairs with the hump. Her best friend gets up and walks up to the banisters looking down the banisters but when she sees the kitchen door open, she lowers her self. The stranger walks down the hall way but turns in (Maddies) direction, She ducks in complete silence. She realises a stranger is in the house. 

8. Help?  Est: 1 min

 -- shot of sofa (tori) and in vision of the double doors, stranger walks past -- (C/U) phone (Maddies) ringing -- (M/S) -- (C/U) thumb rejecting the call and puts the phone out of sight-- Kiera with her back up against the wall by the banisters in tears she calls the police but is worried about the safety of her best friend. 

9. Big finale  Est: 1 Min

As she finishes the call looking away from the stair well (the back ground blurs out) the stranger stands there glaring at her. A second silence and Kiera whispers (asking for a pardon) Stranger steps closer and she screams.

Torie who is alarmed runs to the stair case, poking her head up at Kiera. (Dee) grabs a knife from the kitchen and switches the house lights of for a moment and shouts run(blacked out) Kiera barges the stranger and runs in one of the rooms, Tori at the bottom of the stairs makes noises by taping the stairs with her feet as a decoy. Hoping for a sound or sign of her best friend or the where abouts of the stranger. (Dee) goes to turn the lights on at the other end of the hall and the stranger is stood there at the position she was in, with Kiera in front.

10. The end   Est: 1 Min

Tori tries talking to him, asking him what he wants. Police sirens suddenly appear. Kiera says it's her fault in tears and wants tori to run. Tori Denys, this moment is very time consuming and rushing full of stress and decisions. --

(After effects)

-- out side down the street. police lights are at the end of the street. Get to the car park, one police man walk in Kiera lye's there with blood on her head and bruise on her eye in the living room unconscious. looks like it's been tipped up side down and had a struggle. The Camera Pans from Maddie to the side cabinet to a picture of tore.
(Policeman/Undercover - who knows the girls) **To be developed**

fade in, fade out-- music and credits.

Tori

The end.