Audience Feedback

The audience feedback we got from the audience during the screening was mixed. We had over 30 people attend, filling in questionnaires and the majority were able to identify the themes, target audience and genre of our opening.

Many of the comments were very positive and there was also a lot of constructive criticism to take into account. Below is an example of a questionnaire that was filled in by a member of the audience.

Audience Feedback

Titles

We have chosen to use a font from http://www.dafont.com/ named 'An Unfortunate Event,' as it looks simple but has a slight twist. It's easy to read and uneven, symbolising the disrupted equilibrium in the sequence itself.
Using LiveType application on Mac, we have been able to create effects add atmosphere, as it seems to crawl in, like the stranger who appears in Dark Summer. As we intended to layer the titles over the shots, instead of having cutaways we made the colour of the font white, so that it would contrast with the dark lighting of our shots.


We also made the final title, "Dark Summer" white because we wanted the last shot to fade to black.

4th Shoot

Despite the fact that we had planned in our third shoot to be our last, the shots we took did not make sense and we will have to arrange one last back up shoot to correct these mistakes.

What we have to change:
(1) As the girl walks into the room the window should be closed and the curtains drawn. In the last shoot the girl did not register that the window was open, which should have been a major factor. To counter this we have decided to keep the window and curtains closed to simplify things and to avoid confusion.

(2) The girl should walk up the second flight of stairs when looking for Summer. This is so the audience know that the girl has looked everywhere she can for Summer.

(3) Zoe will then sit on the stairs and start to panic. The house phone rings and she runs down the stairs to answer it. She picks up the phone, the last line she says is "What have you done with her". This is so we know that someone has taken Summer.

New Ending: Storyboard

New Storyboard for Ending Group 1



Because the ending we had decided on previously did not flow and did not make sense, we drafted a new one, which will carry on from the previous storyboard, starting from shot 19.

However, because there were many different endings which we though up of, the ending on the storyboard above is the main one, though we will experiement with a greater variety of shots on our back up shoot (04/03/10).

This ending shows Zoe going straight to the child's bed to check on Summer. She peeks in, and instead of seeing the child, sees a doll in her place. She panics, but does not jump to conclusions, thinking that the child is playing a game. She accidentally knocks over the music box, and when picking it up sees the reflection of the masked man in the mirror.

When it comes to capturing and editing, we will see which endings and shots suit best with the overall tone of our opening sequence.

Weekend Shoot Fri 26th and Sun 28th

Friday 26th February 2010
We did not manage to get as much done as we would have liked. This was because we found it hard to adapt to the new storyboard as there was a greater variety of shots to get used to.
On the other hand, we did manage to re-shoot the bedroom scenes and we managed to re-shoot the shot from inside the fridge of our actress.

Additionally, the actresses fringe has grown since our first shoot, therefore not being continuous from the scenes we wished to keep (the first scenes where she is on the phone to Mrs Matthews). This means that we have to re-shoot the scenes from the kitchen. This is an error we could not have prevented or anticipated, so we just have to work around it.

Maybe next time we could counter this by arranging a group meeting prior to the actual shoot itself and go over the shots with our actress.

Sunday 28th February 2010
Unfortunately, our actress fell ill on Saturday evening, so was unable to make the Sunday shoot. However, we can work around this again, and hopefully arrange a weekday shoot so as to avoid shooting at the last minute.

Reasearching Titles: Se7en

The titles start with "New Line Cinema Presents", introducing the production company.

In the next shot, the titles "An Arnold Kopelson Production" come up, introducing the producer of the film. Following that is "A Film by David Fincher", introducing the director to us.

In the next shot, we are introduced to the main actors "Morgan Freeman" and "Brad Pitt", there is then a brief flash where the name of the film appears on the screen.

Next we are then introduced to the other actors of the film e.g. Gwyneth Paltrow.

Then members of the crew flash up on screen, firstly the Casting Crew, then the Music Director, then the Costume Designer, followed by the Editor and the Production Designers. Then the Director of Photography, followed by the Co-Producers, Co-Executive and Executive Producers. Finally, the titles mention the writer of the script.

The font used is 'scratchy' and looks as if it has been handwritten. It is also illuminated against shadows in the shots so that it stands out to the audience. This links in with the music used, which is quite unnnerving and tense, connoting a psycological thriller.

Some titles fade into the shot whilst others are jumping, as if to our attention. The fact that the text moves slightly personifies it, suggesting to the audience that events in the film are very much alive. The jumping also indicates that events in the film will not go smoothly for the characters.

Several of the titles flash and are jilting, adding to the tense atmosphere for the audience and putting the audience out of their comfort zone.

Additionally, the timing of the music fits in with the timing of the titles appearing on screen. As well as that the sound effects used e.g. thunder and the sound of a clockwork wound instrument are doubly unnerving.

Despite the name of the fillm appearing early on the the opening, we have planned for the name "Dark Summer" to appear at the end of the opening, as that is when the events climax. It also builds up suspense in the film and delays information being revealed.

We hope to time the titles as well as they were in Se7en, and also to experiment with music and sound effects which give an overall mood to the film.

The use of fonts are also important as they are linked to the genre of the film itself and stand out effectively.

Shot List for the Main Shoot

SHOT LIST Main Shoot

Storyboard For Main Shoot

The storyboard below is the one we will follow during our main shoot.
In this storyboard, we have added in shots 4, 5 6, 7, 15 and 17. We have also changed the ending of the opening, from shot 19 onwards

Shots 4, 5, 6 and 7 help us to further develop the character of Zoe and add more mystery and suspense by adding in a second shot of Zoe from the outside of the house. Shot 15 and 17, which we included in our rough edit show a greater variety of shots of Zoe running up the stairs, which helps to show our technical creativity. Finally we changed the ending of the opening, the new ending being shot 19 onwards, because the first one we drafted on the initial storyboard did not make sense.

Main Shoot Storyboard Group 1

BFE Productions: Company Logo

The logo I have designed above shows the silhouette of the London skyline, including notable landmarks such as Westminster, Big Ben, the London Eye and the Gerkin. The silhouette will be a solid black whilst the background will be of a sunset of reds, yellows and oranges. The text will be a simple white font. Reel, the parent company (we can change this later) is centered between the line underlining BFE Productions.

I was inspired to include the sunset and the London skyline by the scenic images used in the logos of real production companies, such as Paramount and Dreamworks. The sunset is meant to be aspirational, whilst the London skyline show that we are a British company, based in London.

The underlining of the text is inspired by the underlining of Dreamworks in the Dreamworks logo. Also, the text being in white will mean that the name and the name of the parent company will stand out against the black silhouette of London.

The image below shows the finished logo of BFE Productions:

Researching Logos

After close observation of many film company logos, we have noticed that all or most have a scenic image for a background. The above logos all show images of the sky or skyline, which signifies aspirational qualities. As they all have this similar feature, and as all are large, successful companies we could incorporate a scenic image in our production company logo as well.

The font used in each logo could also be regarded as synonymous with the company itself. For instance, the Paramount and 20th C Fox fonts used are easily recognisable, further creating a brand image. In contrast, the fonts used for Dreamworks and WB are quite basic and simple, this does not over-complicate the logo and the image.

Addtionally, they all feature their names of their parent companies i.e. A Time Warner Company. This branding is significant as it shows they are part of larger companies which are partly responsible for their successes. Incorporating an additional name would also suggest professionalism; we could attempt to include this in our own logo.

Initial Storyboard

Initial Storyboard Group1

This is the finalised initial storyboard which we made after completing the timeline. It is necessary to do this in order to keep our notes in order and so that when filming, we will be organised, with all members of the group, including the actors being aware of what shots we need to achieve.

When we film, we may realise that some parts of the storyboard do not flow properly and may not make sense, so we will have to improvise and add in extra shots. However, the storyboard will act as a rough guide for us when it comes to shooting.

I drew the shots in a linear fashion so as to simplify things for all members of the group and make it as clear as possible to the viewer. Michael and Jess also annotated the shots, commenting on aspects of the opening, such as shot type and music.

180 and 30 Degree Rule

In film-making, it is important to keep the film flowing, with no interruptions to disrupt the audiences viewing experience. We call this continuity editing. The purpose of continuity editing is to make sure that any signs of discontinuity made apparent during the editing phase are smoothed out, in order to make sure that the shots cohere with each other.
The two basic rules of continuity are the 180 degree rule and the 30 degree rule.

THE 180 DEGREE RULE

The 180 degree rule states that two (or more) characters in the same scene must stay in the same left/ right position to each other. For instance, if Character A were sitting on the left facing to Character B, who is sitting on the right facing to the right towards Character A, they must not at any time face in the opposite direction to the one they were originally facing. This would disorient the viewer and disrput the continuity of the scene.

The image above shows a red line connecting the figures. In order to keep to the 180 degree rule, the camera must not move over the line to the left hand of the characters facing right.

THE 30 DEGREE RULE

The two shots above show the breaking of the 30 degree rule. The camera must move at least 30 degrees in agle between two shots of the same subject. By doing this, we see a substansially different shot of the subject without it looking too close to the previous one. By obeying the 30 degree rule we avoid making it look like a jump cut, which can be distracting for the viewer.

However, we need to avoid moving the camera around too much, so as to avoid breaking the 180 degree rule.

Visual Effects and Transitions

Visual effects are usually added on to a film to enhance its mood and overall tone of the narrative. It can make a romantic scene appear more sensual or an action scene seem more invigorating. Although visual effects are added on to a sequence during the editing stage of the film there is a necessity to plan its use in advance, preferably on the storyboard, so that it does not look as if it was added on as an afterthought. Below are some examples of effects and transitions

Fade effect

For our opening sequence, the fade can be used to great effect. The genre of our film is psychological thriller, and most of the film is based on the mystery of the kidnappings. A fade effect used in the context of our film would add to the mysterious tone, as it connotes that there are several layers of information to be uncovered, as the images and shots are literally faded into one another.



Dissolve effect

The dissolve effect also connotes mystery and suspiscion as a fade effect would. As they are very similar, the audience may not realise the difference between the two is they were both used. Therefore, it may be best to use one or the other effect, so as not to overload the use of visual effect and make the overall tone appear less subtle.

Wipe effect

The wipe effect is altogether not as subtle as the other two effects previously mentioned. A wipe is a gradual transition from one image to another. The previous image is replaced by another with a distinct edge that forms a shape. The most common are and expanding circle from the centre or a turning page corner.

This effect does not suit the tone and mood of our opening sequence so it is not likely that we will use it. If our film were of of more light hearted tone, we could use a wipe effect for our titles as that would be more subtle than using wipes on our shots and images.

Jump cut

The jump cut is when two sequential shots vary only slightly in angle from one another. It is usually considered a violation of the 30 degree rule.

The clip below is a demonstration of the jump cut, from Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960). The camera angle on the boy in the passenger seat of the car varies slightly in angle. This was not accidental and was created by Godard to disconcert the audience.

Watching the clip, I find the use of the jump cut distracts my attention from the narrative of the film itself. If'we used this, the audience's attention on the film would be disrupted and they would not be fully immersed in the film as we would like them to be.

Slow motion

The use of slow motion in film editing can help add mood and tone in many different ways. If we were to use slow motion in our sequence, by slowing a shot down we would heighten and increase tension by keeping the audience on the edge of their seats as we delay the events following them.

The clip below shows a bullet moving in slow motion. As the bullet passes through the objects we can see clearly the effect it has on those objects. We could use this technique on the shot were the bottle of red juice spills on the ground in our sequence, to show the significance of it falling on the ground and to show the audience that something bad to will happen following the spilling of the juice.

Contextual Research and Analysis: Without A Trace

Without A Trace is an American TV drama focusing on a fictitious full time FBI missing persons unit. The programme follows the same theme of kidnap and missing people as our film does. Though we are not making a TV drama, and though we are focusing on the side of the victim and the kidnapper and not the law, we can nevertheless take technical inspiration from it.

• As we are shooting the opening of a film, we can afford to be more creative with our camera work, unlike Without A Trace, as it is a TV programme. However, the promo above which advertises the programme seems to be more creative in its effects and its use of music and titles that the programme itself would be. We can therefore take some inspiration from it.
• The different shots in the promo are merged and connected with one another using a fade effect. It was probably used most effectively ten seconds into the clip, where another scene is faded over the young boy, with the titles stating "one boy's secrets". The boy being half hidden under another shot further adds to his secretive nature and to the theme of missing persons. We could attempt to do this when editing our sequence to further emphasise the theme of our opening.
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  18 seconds into the promo, we see a picture of the child who is missing. We could possibly add a photo of the child who has been taken away in our opening so as to further engage the audience with the film, as they become emotionally connected.
  
  
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  The music in the promo is very dramatic, and is edited well in accordance to the changing shots. Though we will not use such dramatic music, this promo shows us how good editing can help contribute to the entire mood of the clip.
  
  

Furthur Analysis of Scream Opening

The opening of our film is very similar to the opening of Scream. We were very much inspired by several aspects of the opening and we adapted it to suit our own narrative and limitations:

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  Like Scream, the film starts with a young girl in a house. However, our protagonist is in someone else's house whilst the actress in Scream is in her own house. Our protagonist not being in her own house adds another level of mystery and tension to the opening of the film as the surrounding environment is not familiar to her.
  
  
• Though the use of a mobile phone will not be as significant to our opening as the house phone was to the opening of Scream, it is nevertheless important as it is a signifier of youth and technology. As well as this, our protagonist talking on the phone to the parents of the child she is babysitting helps us to introduce other characters without overcomplicating the opening.
 
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  Drew Barrymore dying at the end of the opening of Scream helped to set the tone for the rest of the film, as the audience were aware that the killer is still on the loose. The equilibrium first established was disrupted with her death. In our opening, though no one dies, the kidnap of the child represents the disruption of the initial equilibrium.
  
  The full opening of Scream can be found on an earlier post, published by Michael

Target Audience

• Our core target audience will be male and female young adults aged 15-28.
• If this film were to be produced in reality, we would hope for a UK 15 rating so as not to exclude 15-18 year olds if it were to be rated 18 instead.
• We would target thriller and horror fans, as well as general fans of film and cinema.
• The female protagonist would appeal to females whilst the genre of the film (psychological thriller) would appeal both genders.

TARGET AUDIENCE: TYPICAL PROFILE

• They would be young (aged 15-28) and are either still in education and living at home, or are employed and living independantly.
• They would be very in touch and familiar with new media technologies and would often to exposed to or use technological products (e.g. Blackberry, iPhone, internet).
• They would often watch TV channels such as Channel 4 and e4, and would go to the cinema regularly as a means of entertainment.
• They download music, TV programmes and films regularly off the internet, either legally (e.g. iTunes) or illegally.
• They like to socialise with their friends and enjoy going out on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Their lives are predictable and are somewhat set in a routine, therefore they like to escape their everyday life by watching films of a voyeuristic nature, such as ours, which is a psychological thriller.

SECONDARY AUDIENCE

Our secondary audience could be identified as a more mature audience, of both sexes aged 28-38. Our film being a psychological thriller could appeal to this group of people as the film itself sets up a lot of questions and could be seen as quite mature in its narrative. Another example of a psychological thriller which appealed to both young and mature audiences of both sexes is Se7en.

As Se7en was such a success it shows that a film can target a secondary group of people without excluding their primary target audience.

Contextual Research

The opening of our film centres around the discovery of the disappearance and apparent abduction of a young child. Over the past couple of years, there have been a number of kidnapping cases all over the world, most notably the Madeline McCann Case, the Jaycee Lee Dugard Case and the Josef Fritzl Case.
The media hype generated over these crimes mean that knowledge of them is commonplace, and that the majority of people around the world would be able to understand the nature and gravity of the crimes committed.
These events being of such relevance to the 21st C mean that the film would appeal to many around the world, both to young adults and people of a more mature age.

THE MADELINE MCCANN CASE

The Madeline McCann Case is probably the most famous kidnapping case to date. She still has not been found. This case shows us how easily a child can be abducted and how vulnerable and helpless they are in the apparent safety of their room. Our film opening relates to this case as it depicts a child being taken whilst they were asleep, as Madeline was.

THE JAYCEE LEE DUGARD CASE

The Jaycee Lee Dugard Case demonstrates clearly how easy it is to adbuct a child. Jaycee was taken at a school bus stop nearby her house, in full view of her step-father and several school-mates. This case shows the audience how easy it is for someone to be kidnapped and how helpless those that should protect them (babysitter/ parents) become.

THE JOSEF FRITZL CASE

The Josef Fritzl Case is possibly the most widely reported case of abduction, rape and incest. The fact that these heinous crimes were committed by the girl's father shows us that no child is safe even from their parents. The audience, when watching the opening sequence will draw on this case when wondering about the identity of the kidnapper of the child.