Our main points of action that we need to focus on are:
filming - We need to make sure have filmed everything we need to, to complete this task.
editing -We need to make sure we have edited all the clips, and put in the istop motion in, added the music from garage band, and put fades in ect.
istop motion - This section of our sequence is very important, therefore we need to make sure this is complete.
Monday, 14 December 2009
PG or U homework task.
There are two types of certification for children’s films. They are PG and U. PG stands for Parental Guidance. This may mean that there are scenes in the film that may not be as acceptable for young children to watch on their own unlike in a film with the certificate of U. Parental Guidance is only advised if a parent does not feel comfortable for their child to watch it on their own. The age range for Parental Guidance is usually between 7 – 11. The other certificate is a U. This stands for Universal, which means anyone of all ages is able to watch the film on his or her own. Most children’s films are classified as U’s however some are also PGs. I think our Children’s film is most probably going to be a U. This is because there are no scenes, which would frighten or scare any young children so anyone of any age should be able to watch our children’s film on their own. I think this is the right certification for our children’s film. The reason for this is because there are no scenes, which show any violence, bad language, horror or basically anything that would effect a young child who was watching it.
Friday, 11 December 2009
how the opening sequence has been so far
We did have a few problems while filming our opening sequence that we had to resolve, we had to find a good spot to film a shelf which seemed like a hard idea until we got access to a libary shelf to use which was very helpful. We also had some problems with i stop motion and this was because when we stopped filming and started filming the next day, the angle of the toy was too hard to get back into shape so we had to try for 30 mins to find a decent spot to start off again. We did some good things though which was our filming, we did not need to do any shots twice because we filmed them perfectly everytime which saved a lot of time and helped us spend more time on the time consuming i stop motion.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
media homework - similar films to opening sequence
With the childrens film that we made there are not a lot of films that are similar to this because this is quite a unique idea. But if any film had to be compared to this film it would have to be the Toy story films.
The reason why the toy story films are similar to our childrens opening sequence we made is because there is a same narration that focuses on the concept of toys being able to come alive and humans not noticing them. In the toy story the narration there are 2 toys get seperated from the other toys and they have to make it back and in our childrens film opening there is one toy that gets taken away from the others and it has to try and make it back and regroup, so both toy story and our opening follow the same guidlines in the narration.
The main characters used in toy story are two toys that hate each other and this makes it even more of a struggle to make it back to there group and this is a complete contrast to our opening sequence because there is only one toy that is lost that has to find its way back. And another way how these films don't link is because toy story is animation and our opening sequence is not.
On a overall the film does partially link and this is because of the concept of toys coming alive and how the humans can't see them actually moving.
The reason why the toy story films are similar to our childrens opening sequence we made is because there is a same narration that focuses on the concept of toys being able to come alive and humans not noticing them. In the toy story the narration there are 2 toys get seperated from the other toys and they have to make it back and in our childrens film opening there is one toy that gets taken away from the others and it has to try and make it back and regroup, so both toy story and our opening follow the same guidlines in the narration.
The main characters used in toy story are two toys that hate each other and this makes it even more of a struggle to make it back to there group and this is a complete contrast to our opening sequence because there is only one toy that is lost that has to find its way back. And another way how these films don't link is because toy story is animation and our opening sequence is not.
On a overall the film does partially link and this is because of the concept of toys coming alive and how the humans can't see them actually moving.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Homework-Lesson log
Log process of media lesson on the 8th of December 2009
First of all we re-acquainted ourselves with our storyboard and went over what we were to do in that lesson. Two members of our group, Lauren and Ollie, went to the Learning Resource Centre to see if we were allowed to use this space for filming. After we were told we were allowed we regrouped and brought all of our props, toys and cameras to our filming location. Then we proceeded to shoot all of our shots from our story board. There were some shots which we slightly varied but not too much to affect the storyline. We finished shooting shots in our story line in roughly an hour using the tri-pod and video camera. This whole process was very successful as we planned to maybe take longer shooting our shots. Despite being very quick we did not compromise the quality of our shots. After filming we had roughly 20-25 minutes left to start the editing process. We spent this time cutting out the shots which went wrong or not as good as hoped. We deleted all sound as in our clip there will be no diagetic sound and only a soundtrack playing over the top. We also discussed what to do in future lessons; we thought as our sequence has no dialogue it may be slightly hard to follow for a child-based audience so to help this factor we could introduce speech bubbles or something along those lines to make it clear. Our filming process is not quite over as we still need to do one shot using iStop-Motion. Next lesson we plan to do that as well as continuing editing and possibly thinking about adding a soundtrack.
First of all we re-acquainted ourselves with our storyboard and went over what we were to do in that lesson. Two members of our group, Lauren and Ollie, went to the Learning Resource Centre to see if we were allowed to use this space for filming. After we were told we were allowed we regrouped and brought all of our props, toys and cameras to our filming location. Then we proceeded to shoot all of our shots from our story board. There were some shots which we slightly varied but not too much to affect the storyline. We finished shooting shots in our story line in roughly an hour using the tri-pod and video camera. This whole process was very successful as we planned to maybe take longer shooting our shots. Despite being very quick we did not compromise the quality of our shots. After filming we had roughly 20-25 minutes left to start the editing process. We spent this time cutting out the shots which went wrong or not as good as hoped. We deleted all sound as in our clip there will be no diagetic sound and only a soundtrack playing over the top. We also discussed what to do in future lessons; we thought as our sequence has no dialogue it may be slightly hard to follow for a child-based audience so to help this factor we could introduce speech bubbles or something along those lines to make it clear. Our filming process is not quite over as we still need to do one shot using iStop-Motion. Next lesson we plan to do that as well as continuing editing and possibly thinking about adding a soundtrack.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Opening scene Aladdin The Return Of Jafar.
For our homework in media we were asked to watch an opening sequence from a children’s and write about some of the key features such as narrative, characters, atmosphere, setting and the colours used to create the atmosphere.
The children’s film I have chosen to talk about is Aladdin, the return of Jafar, which is the second of the two Aladdin films. This film is made by Disney. The opening of the sequence is dark and set at night. There are dark colours that represent the thieves and this is giving a sort of scary atmosphere for children to watch, they also come out of shadows, which is making them seem dark and mysterious. I think it is also representing a scary atmosphere because the characters you are introduced to are all men but you are then introduced to ‘Aladdin’ and his monkey ‘Abu’ who give the film its heroic and comedy side. I think the character of the ‘flying carpet’ is clever because a lot of children will watch this and wish they could have there own ‘flying carpet’ There is a fight scene at the start as well but it is not showing any violence although they are using weapons. The colours that are representing the ‘good guys’ in the film are a lot brighter and happier and the music also used is a lot more cheerful.
The characters that are introduced in the opening scene are ‘Aladdin’, ‘Abu’ his monkey, ‘Iago’ the red parrot and ‘Jasmine’ who is sort of Aladdin’s girlfriend. Aladdin is seen as the hero of the film who makes a few mistakes and tells a few lies throughout it. He is also seen as very generous as what he takes from thieves he gives back to less fortunate people. Iago belongs to Jafar who is not introduced in the opening scene. He is red, which is a bright colour so that catches the attention of children. He brings comedy to the film with the song he sings he is trying to make out he doesn’t need Jafar when really he does.
The narrative of the film is that typical of a children’s film. Even though it starts off dark it changes when Aladdin and Abu are introduced. They are a stereotypical hero in the film as they take what thieves have stolen and give it back. Aladdin is also shown in the opening sequence as the perfect person who never does anything wrong.
The music in the film is non – diegetic. It starts off dark and mysterious and as more characters are introduced it lightens up into a happier tune, which children will enjoy.
The children’s film I have chosen to talk about is Aladdin, the return of Jafar, which is the second of the two Aladdin films. This film is made by Disney. The opening of the sequence is dark and set at night. There are dark colours that represent the thieves and this is giving a sort of scary atmosphere for children to watch, they also come out of shadows, which is making them seem dark and mysterious. I think it is also representing a scary atmosphere because the characters you are introduced to are all men but you are then introduced to ‘Aladdin’ and his monkey ‘Abu’ who give the film its heroic and comedy side. I think the character of the ‘flying carpet’ is clever because a lot of children will watch this and wish they could have there own ‘flying carpet’ There is a fight scene at the start as well but it is not showing any violence although they are using weapons. The colours that are representing the ‘good guys’ in the film are a lot brighter and happier and the music also used is a lot more cheerful.
The characters that are introduced in the opening scene are ‘Aladdin’, ‘Abu’ his monkey, ‘Iago’ the red parrot and ‘Jasmine’ who is sort of Aladdin’s girlfriend. Aladdin is seen as the hero of the film who makes a few mistakes and tells a few lies throughout it. He is also seen as very generous as what he takes from thieves he gives back to less fortunate people. Iago belongs to Jafar who is not introduced in the opening scene. He is red, which is a bright colour so that catches the attention of children. He brings comedy to the film with the song he sings he is trying to make out he doesn’t need Jafar when really he does.
The narrative of the film is that typical of a children’s film. Even though it starts off dark it changes when Aladdin and Abu are introduced. They are a stereotypical hero in the film as they take what thieves have stolen and give it back. Aladdin is also shown in the opening sequence as the perfect person who never does anything wrong.
The music in the film is non – diegetic. It starts off dark and mysterious and as more characters are introduced it lightens up into a happier tune, which children will enjoy.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Opening scene Toy Story 2
We were told to research a children's film opening and discuss the setting, atmosphere, characters and colours. I decided to use the children's film Toy Story 2 because it used conventional techniques to convey a comical tone towards a child-based audience. It uses typically bright colours which engage a child-based audience as well as using skillful animation techniques.
The music as the character 'Buzz-Lightyear' is introduced to the scene is typically that of a super-hero and conveys him in a 'goodie' light. Also the fact that he is flying through the air represents toys coming to life, which that idea in itself could entertain a childs mind. The image of several toys being 'alive' in the second shot could entertain the viewer and create a fun and happy atmosphere. The use of darker yet smoooth colours go part in parcel with the setting of space and make the whole scene seem more believable to the audience.
The use of all 'toys' with humans voices and movements as characters plays with the viewers imagination and create a real to life feel about the whole scene. After the title scene is over. The first opening scene starts. There are bright colours which engage a child audience as well as warm and nice feeling non-diegetic music.
We were told to research a children's film opening and discuss the setting, atmosphere, characters and colours. I decided to use the children's film Toy Story 2 because it used conventional techniques to convey a comical tone towards a child-based audience. It uses typically bright colours which engage a child-based audience as well as using skillful animation techniques.
The music as the character 'Buzz-Lightyear' is introduced to the scene is typically that of a super-hero and conveys him in a 'goodie' light. Also the fact that he is flying through the air represents toys coming to life, which that idea in itself could entertain a childs mind. The image of several toys being 'alive' in the second shot could entertain the viewer and create a fun and happy atmosphere. The use of darker yet smoooth colours go part in parcel with the setting of space and make the whole scene seem more believable to the audience.
The use of all 'toys' with humans voices and movements as characters plays with the viewers imagination and create a real to life feel about the whole scene. After the title scene is over. The first opening scene starts. There are bright colours which engage a child audience as well as warm and nice feeling non-diegetic music.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Script and Actors/Directors ect.
Our group.
Jack - Actor/Editor.
Simon- Camera man/Prop/Make-up/Editor.
Lauren - Camera man /Director/Editor.
Ollie - Camera man/Director/Editor.
Script.
We will have no dialogue. This is because we think the sequence will be enough, also, having dialogue will give to much away about the rest of the film as a whole.
This is our story Board...
Jack - Actor/Editor.
Simon- Camera man/Prop/Make-up/Editor.
Lauren - Camera man /Director/Editor.
Ollie - Camera man/Director/Editor.
Script.
We will have no dialogue. This is because we think the sequence will be enough, also, having dialogue will give to much away about the rest of the film as a whole.
This is our story Board...
Shot List.
Shot one - Shot one will consist of a medium close up of the toys on the shelf.
Shot two - Shot two will consist of a close up of the toys.
Extended shot two - There will also be a pan of all the toys.
Shot three - This shot will be the establishing shot of the character being introduced. This shot will be an over the shoulder shot of the character walking to the toys. Shot four - Shot four will have medium long shot of a person (one of us) reaching for the toy.
Shot four - This shot will be a close up of the persons hand reaching for the toy.
Shot five - Persons hand moving the toy, camera following this.
Shot six - The next shot will be a close up of the persons elbow.
Shot seven - This shot will be a of the toy falling down of the shelf. (medium shot)
Shot eight - This will be of the basket, and the toy falling into it using a medium shot.
Shot nine - This will be of an over the shoulder shot from the basket, the camera angle will be looking at the person walking to towards the basket.
Shot Ten - Next will be a shot over the shoulder of the person, picking up the basket.
Shot eleven - This next shot will be an a front on view of the person walking with the basket, then tracking the person as they walk round the corner.
Shot twelve - The next shot will be a medium long shot of the person putting the basket down.
Shot thirteen - A close up of the toys face.
Shot fourteen - A point of view shot from the toys angle, then moving in a circle . Round and round.
Shot two - Shot two will consist of a close up of the toys.
Extended shot two - There will also be a pan of all the toys.
Shot three - This shot will be the establishing shot of the character being introduced. This shot will be an over the shoulder shot of the character walking to the toys. Shot four - Shot four will have medium long shot of a person (one of us) reaching for the toy.
Shot four - This shot will be a close up of the persons hand reaching for the toy.
Shot five - Persons hand moving the toy, camera following this.
Shot six - The next shot will be a close up of the persons elbow.
Shot seven - This shot will be a of the toy falling down of the shelf. (medium shot)
Shot eight - This will be of the basket, and the toy falling into it using a medium shot.
Shot nine - This will be of an over the shoulder shot from the basket, the camera angle will be looking at the person walking to towards the basket.
Shot Ten - Next will be a shot over the shoulder of the person, picking up the basket.
Shot eleven - This next shot will be an a front on view of the person walking with the basket, then tracking the person as they walk round the corner.
Shot twelve - The next shot will be a medium long shot of the person putting the basket down.
Shot thirteen - A close up of the toys face.
Shot fourteen - A point of view shot from the toys angle, then moving in a circle . Round and round.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
ToyStory.
ToyStory.
The opening to Toy Story has a happy and warm atmosphere. One elements that relates to this are the colours in the sequence. The colours are mainly light such as blues and yellows. These colours are very neutral, and are related to children. Furthermore, the cloud design of the wall paper shows being fun, and maybe the concept of wanting to be somewhere else, and daydreaming. As clouds and blue sky tend to be associated with warm summer days and fun and with imagaination, this also relates to the fact the toys can talk and come alive.
Furthermore the non-diagetic sound, is very upbeat and happy. This also adds to the sense of fun, and adds to the films atmosphere of being happy, and children related. If the music had been very dull and not very upbeat, it would have given the opening to the film a very different atmosphere. Also to add to the music, the lyrics "you got a friend in me" suggest the film is about friendship, which we know as the veiws, it very much is. The mise-en-scene within the sequence is all of toys. The unrealistic buildings made out of cardboard, show that the toys use this room, with blue cloudy skies, and the boxes as buildings, as there little minature town/city. Showing that the toys come to life.
The opening to Toy Story has a happy and warm atmosphere. One elements that relates to this are the colours in the sequence. The colours are mainly light such as blues and yellows. These colours are very neutral, and are related to children. Furthermore, the cloud design of the wall paper shows being fun, and maybe the concept of wanting to be somewhere else, and daydreaming. As clouds and blue sky tend to be associated with warm summer days and fun and with imagaination, this also relates to the fact the toys can talk and come alive.
Furthermore the non-diagetic sound, is very upbeat and happy. This also adds to the sense of fun, and adds to the films atmosphere of being happy, and children related. If the music had been very dull and not very upbeat, it would have given the opening to the film a very different atmosphere. Also to add to the music, the lyrics "you got a friend in me" suggest the film is about friendship, which we know as the veiws, it very much is. The mise-en-scene within the sequence is all of toys. The unrealistic buildings made out of cardboard, show that the toys use this room, with blue cloudy skies, and the boxes as buildings, as there little minature town/city. Showing that the toys come to life.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Discuss and list Ideas for...
Mise-En-Scene.
Props- The props we will be using are several toys, a movable back ground for the stop motion.
The Costume- The costumes we will be using are normal, everyday clothes. This is because we need the characters to look very natural. The main character who is lego, will be wearing the same clothes throughout.
Actors- The people we are using in our opening sequence are ourselves. This is because we will not need to take people out of classes to record, and on the whole will be a lot more straightforward.
Setting- The Setting we will be hosting the opening sequence in is some where quiet, where we will not be disturbed. We thought of filming it in the library where there is little distractions. Furthermore there are shelves there, like the shop we are trying to create. However as we will have to make some noise during filming, this may not be possible, and we might have to re-think.
Colours + Lighting- The lighting we will be having is natural. Using the surounding lighting, such as window light. If we need to, we can turn off the lights in the room we are working in , or prahaphs use a tourch for extra lighting. The colours we want to use are warm colours, as it is set around christmas time, and this time of year is all about fires, and yellowy organge colours.
Camerawork.
What type of camera will we be using- The camera we will be using to film our opening sequence with is
Style- We will also be using stop motion, we will be taking still images, and putting them together to create a short sequence. We want to use a dolly somewhere during our film. This is becuase we want our camera shots and angles to be controled, and not static. Also we in some parts we may want slow motion, for example when the main character toy falls into the basket and gets taken to the other end of the strore. This is because it slow motion can enfise what the insident, and in this situation i think it will.
Editing.
Pace- The pace of the film, will be slow paced at the begnning to show the calm atmosphere. And then prahaphs when the toy gets pushed into the basket the pace could change, so it is faster, showing that something major has happened. And this is the 'problem' in the film.
Props- The props we will be using are several toys, a movable back ground for the stop motion.
The Costume- The costumes we will be using are normal, everyday clothes. This is because we need the characters to look very natural. The main character who is lego, will be wearing the same clothes throughout.
Actors- The people we are using in our opening sequence are ourselves. This is because we will not need to take people out of classes to record, and on the whole will be a lot more straightforward.
Setting- The Setting we will be hosting the opening sequence in is some where quiet, where we will not be disturbed. We thought of filming it in the library where there is little distractions. Furthermore there are shelves there, like the shop we are trying to create. However as we will have to make some noise during filming, this may not be possible, and we might have to re-think.
Colours + Lighting- The lighting we will be having is natural. Using the surounding lighting, such as window light. If we need to, we can turn off the lights in the room we are working in , or prahaphs use a tourch for extra lighting. The colours we want to use are warm colours, as it is set around christmas time, and this time of year is all about fires, and yellowy organge colours.
Camerawork.
What type of camera will we be using- The camera we will be using to film our opening sequence with is
Style- We will also be using stop motion, we will be taking still images, and putting them together to create a short sequence. We want to use a dolly somewhere during our film. This is becuase we want our camera shots and angles to be controled, and not static. Also we in some parts we may want slow motion, for example when the main character toy falls into the basket and gets taken to the other end of the strore. This is because it slow motion can enfise what the insident, and in this situation i think it will.
Editing.
Pace- The pace of the film, will be slow paced at the begnning to show the calm atmosphere. And then prahaphs when the toy gets pushed into the basket the pace could change, so it is faster, showing that something major has happened. And this is the 'problem' in the film.
This video is well made because it uses really quick movements and there is a good lighting use too that makes it look like the robot is under the spotlight.
This video is self explanatory because it is showing you how the video is actually made. It uses grip bars to hold the figure in place.
This video is really clever because it uses a fight scene and there is a camera technique in this too where the camera is shaky to make the fight scene look more intense.
This is a clever video because it shows a break dancing sequence of a robot which takes the effect of i stop motion to its full potential. Its also clever by showing the transition from the robot back into the car.
these videos are all by PatrickBolvin on youtube. He has used i stop motion and other applications to make these superb clips. He also has many more great quality clips to browse on youtube tool
Production meeting.
Genre.
The genre of our childrens film opening is adventure.
The genre of our childrens film opening is adventure.
Narrative.
The narrative in our opening sequence is one toy gets taken away from his original shelf, and taken to the other end of the store. This toy has to find its way back to the other end of the shop. meeting different toys in the shop, making new friends. And meeting difficulties that obscure his way back.
Character.
The main character is a little lego man. He is small, this is because we want him, when he meets 'nasty' toys that try and block his way home, to look vulnerable. Other characters will be things like dinosaurs.
The narrative in our opening sequence is one toy gets taken away from his original shelf, and taken to the other end of the store. This toy has to find its way back to the other end of the shop. meeting different toys in the shop, making new friends. And meeting difficulties that obscure his way back.
Character.
The main character is a little lego man. He is small, this is because we want him, when he meets 'nasty' toys that try and block his way home, to look vulnerable. Other characters will be things like dinosaurs.
Our idea.
Another idea we have had is with Istop-motion and using actors. Its is christamas time and all of the toys have been sold for the children to have for chirstmas morning. However one toy is left on the wrong shelf. He has to find his way back to his end of the store, traveling, and meeting new toys along the way. The moral of the story is to never give up hope.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Back to the Future storyboard
Back to the Future.
In this task we watched a short sequence from the film 'Back to the Future' Then we had to present the sequence in the form of a storyboard. In doing this we learnt several techniques including learning how and when to use arrows to show character and camera movements. It also gave us vital practice for when we do our storyboard for our childrens film opening sequence. We also learnt what type of information to put underneath the shot on the story board, for instance the actual shot number, shot type and the pace of the shot.
Monday, 30 November 2009
finding nemo opening sequence
Narrative : In the narrative of the opening scene of finding nemo there is a typical stereotype of a children's film and this is because of how there is a lively and fun atmosphere where all the fish are swimming and having fun. There is also a contrast too and this is when all the eggs are taken away from the parent fish and the mother is killed and this is different to an equilibrium because there is no way of solving this and this is not normally conformed to a children's film where the mother is killed straight away. But it does give the sense of a equilibrium because it makes the audience think that there will be a repair of the disruption because the audience thinks how they are going to survive with just one parent.
Genre: The genre of finding nemo is a lot different to other children's films and this is due to the dramatic opening sequence, finding nemo is easily a hybrid where more than 1 genre is used in a film. The use of horror is used at the start when the mother is killed, comedy is used when they chase each other around the home, romance is used when they hold hands, adventure is used straight away because it makes the audience think the father will have to cope with a life without a mother which seems like an adventure, action is used when there is a fight scene with the shark and there are a lot more used
Themes: One big theme of finding nemo is family and this is shown because they have a lot of eggs that are about to hatch that will make one big family and love is also used and this is because the fish’s are in love, these two themes are stereotypically a children's film because it makes a happy film and they are used a lot in children's films because they don’t have to have any detail in that will make them a pg, 12, 15 and a 18 rated film.
Characters: We are introduced to the characters by the dad being conformed as being very nice and it seems like the mother look not as friendly by the way she was reacting to moving home but as the opening sequence develops the audience understands the mother is happy too and that they are both in love and this sets a great opening scene to finding nemo.
Genre: The genre of finding nemo is a lot different to other children's films and this is due to the dramatic opening sequence, finding nemo is easily a hybrid where more than 1 genre is used in a film. The use of horror is used at the start when the mother is killed, comedy is used when they chase each other around the home, romance is used when they hold hands, adventure is used straight away because it makes the audience think the father will have to cope with a life without a mother which seems like an adventure, action is used when there is a fight scene with the shark and there are a lot more used
Themes: One big theme of finding nemo is family and this is shown because they have a lot of eggs that are about to hatch that will make one big family and love is also used and this is because the fish’s are in love, these two themes are stereotypically a children's film because it makes a happy film and they are used a lot in children's films because they don’t have to have any detail in that will make them a pg, 12, 15 and a 18 rated film.
Characters: We are introduced to the characters by the dad being conformed as being very nice and it seems like the mother look not as friendly by the way she was reacting to moving home but as the opening sequence develops the audience understands the mother is happy too and that they are both in love and this sets a great opening scene to finding nemo.
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Jack's Preliminary task evaluation.
To start off our project on the Childrens films we had to do a preliminary task and film a sequence based on what we wanted to do. We had a sort of guideline sheet that we had to follow. We had to film a close up of someone opening a door, then a reaction shot, a talking scene etc. In my group we decided we would film an affair. To keep good continuity we had to stick to the rule of 180 degrees this would stop any confusion. We had a few problems when filming to begin with because the area in which we chose to shoot our sequence was quite busy. We were also not allowed to film anything outside the library as we were making to much noise. Our short sequence went well in the end even though we had a couple of problems. The storyline we had was quite easy to follow and I think we used some good over the shoulder shots for talking. To make our sequence better if we were going to film it again I think we could organise what we were doing a bit better and make sure we picked to film in a less crowded area.
Friday, 27 November 2009
Ideas.
Our ideas For the whole film are;
Our first idea is having a little boy waking up, and having his daily routine, for example waking up, having breakfast, and then a climax, or a problem that changes the route of his day to day routine. Then there is a resolution at the end.
Another idea we had was a sports day event including lego people, and how one lego charcater cheats, and then gets punished.
Our first idea is having a little boy waking up, and having his daily routine, for example waking up, having breakfast, and then a climax, or a problem that changes the route of his day to day routine. Then there is a resolution at the end.
Another idea we had was a sports day event including lego people, and how one lego charcater cheats, and then gets punished.
Tutorials
I searched youtube for tutorials on the use of iStop-Motion. They showed me how to make movements more fluid and how to take each individual shot. While looking at these videos we thought it may be slightly easier to use lego rather than clay as the characteristics of clay would be harder to use. I found this video most helpful.
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As we came to a conclusion on attempting to use iStop-Motion (and probably clay) as our main technique in our sequence we looked at these videos to look at how the use of Stop-Motion varies with different film makers. As a group we decided that we prefered the use of Stop-Motion in Pingu. This was despite Morph being more children based (related to our task) and Jan Schvankmars work being extremely skilled. We preferred it because the use of mise-en-scene related to the amusing theme and made the whole sequence very comical, which could directly relate to it being aimed at a child based audience.
opening sequence for a childrens film - Ideas.
First ideas.
Within our group we discussed numerous ways in which we could present our childrens film opening sequence. We looked at Jan Schvankmar and Morph to look at the use of stop-motion. We also looked at typical children's films of today, Like 'Narnia'. Apart from these we looked at typical animation like 'disney' and 'pixar' films to see what techniques they used and how easy they would be to incorporate into our sequence.
Together we decided that all of us would prefer to do a childrens film opening using iStop-Motion. However we are early in our planning process and our choices could change during our planning.
Within our group we discussed numerous ways in which we could present our childrens film opening sequence. We looked at Jan Schvankmar and Morph to look at the use of stop-motion. We also looked at typical children's films of today, Like 'Narnia'. Apart from these we looked at typical animation like 'disney' and 'pixar' films to see what techniques they used and how easy they would be to incorporate into our sequence.
Together we decided that all of us would prefer to do a childrens film opening using iStop-Motion. However we are early in our planning process and our choices could change during our planning.
Research for the opening sequence of childrens film - Istop motion.
Jan Svankmajer - tma/svetlo/tma (Darkness/Light/Darkness)
This sequence by Jan Svankmajer is very well known, and is famous for the use of clay model, and using a number of shots, to create a sequence that flows like a video. We think that this would be a good and challenging technique to utilize in our sequence.
Švankmajer has gained a reputation over several decades for his distinctive use of stop-motion technique, and his ability to make surreal, nightmarish and yet somehow funny pictures. He is still making films in Prague at the time of writing.
Švankmajer's trademarks include very exaggerated sounds, often creating a very strange effect in all eating scenes. He often uses very sped-up sequences when people walk and interact. His movies often involve inanimate objects coming alive and being brought to life through stop-motion. Food is a favourite subject and medium. Stop-motion features in most of his work, though his feature films also include live action to varying degrees.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
simon's homework preliminary task
In media studies we had to do a preliminary task which involved getting a video camera and filming some scenes based on what we wanted to do. What my group filmed was an affair which got found out. When we were filming this we tried to use some basic rules such as the 180 degree rule which is when we have to film inside an imaginary line going straight through a scene, If there was no 180 degree line this could make the viewer change there perspective on the scene based on where its being shot from. We did this rule quite good by always following it when we were filming different scenes. Another rule we did quite good at was where we filmed someone holding a handle and opening a door, and then the perspective of what it looked like from someone outside this is called match on action and we could have used this a bit more because it is vital to stick to this rule. I learnt a new camera shot too called shot reverse shot which is when the camera shows one character looking at another character and then the shot is flipped and you see it from the other side. We did not do a lot of this and this could have made our preliminary task better by having more conversations that use shot reverse shot.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Conventions of childrens opening sequence
Analyzing Atmosphere in the film called, A Series Of Unfortunate Events, directed by Brad Silberling in 2004. The beginning is happy with elvs running around in a happy and fast paced manor, however this is not real beginning as the rest of the film is completely different and has a different atmosphere. It then turns dark and gloomy as the characters are introduced and the music which created a happy and upbeat atmosphere comes to a hault. The atmosphere in the rest of the sequence deteriorates as the children find out there parents have been killed in a fire at there home. There is low key lighting throughout the sequence to make everything seem sad and depressing. The transition from the beginning of the sequence when it is happy and joyful to dark, sad and gloomy makes you think that something is going to go bad. Throughout the sequence everything seems mysterious and you feel a little confused.
Analysing the genre of the opening sequence of A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The opening sequence of A Series Of Unfortunate Events consists of a vast range of genre types. The opening sequence changes rapidly at one point and this allows us to analyse quite a few genre types such as:
Because the opening sequence of the film has so many genre's it makes it a hybrid. And this is when there is a mix of genre's in a film and because this film opening has 5 different types of genre it can definitely be called a hybrid.
The opening sequence of A Series Of Unfortunate Events consists of a vast range of genre types. The opening sequence changes rapidly at one point and this allows us to analyse quite a few genre types such as:
- Adventure - The opening sequence gives the audience a sense of adventure because of how the children are mysterious and unique by there characteristics, and also because the narrator gives an idea that the children will have to find a new way of life after there parents died, which seems like an adventure.
- Comedy - The opening sequence also gives an idea that the film has some comedy in it, and this is because of the youngest child biting onto the table which is humorous and the way the narrator speaks is quite amusing too because of the sarcasm that he uses.
- Horror - Another genre that is used is horror, and this is shown just after the happy start of the film and how it quickly changes into a dark gloomy atmosphere which is a contrast to what was being shown a few seconds ago which was a bright lively atmosphere.
- Fantasy - The opening sequence can be seen as a fantasy too because of how the narrator speaks like he is unfolding a story which gives the sense to the audience that it is a fantasy. Also because of the weird things that the children do like being an inventor, reading books all day and biting objects gives the sense that the film has a genre of fantasy too.
- Family - The opening sequence gives the idea of a family genre too and this is because the 3 children have nobody else to look after them and they are orphans, and this means they will have to stick together as a family which shows how close the children are.
Because the opening sequence of the film has so many genre's it makes it a hybrid. And this is when there is a mix of genre's in a film and because this film opening has 5 different types of genre it can definitely be called a hybrid.
Conventions of a childrens film.
Long Road Children Film2009.
The normals things you see in a conventional childrens films are;
The normals things you see in a conventional childrens films are;
- Simple narrative - This is because complex language and speech would confuse a young child.
- Happy endings - Most children's films have happy endings, this is because children's films usually have morals, the 'happy' ending shows that the moral, and the 'lesson' as such has given the character in the film a 'happy ending'. This makes the child feel positive about there experience at the cinema, and shows that everything has consequences.
- A disruption during the story - This gives the film a plot, and a purpose. This also helps to put across the moral of the story, so that the disruption can be resolved, using morals and lessons. This gives the audience a lesson, from whats right from wrong.
- Moral - The morals that could be used in a children's films are; Not to steal, to always tell the truth for example 'Pinocchio'.
- The theme's during a film in a childrens film, are usaully happy. such as; Action, Romance, Comedy, Musical, Adventure, Fantasy. All of these themes are used as a combination, called 'hybrid'.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
childrens films are in the age ratings of U and PG. A childrens film is much different to a adults film which would be a 12, 15 or 18 because it does not show clips that are bearable to a young audience.
In film the term 'children' is directed at people aged up to 12 years and this is different from teenager. A teenager would rather watch a film with the rating of 12-18 rather than watching a film with the rating of U-PG. A childrens film is mainly targeted at children under the age of 12. So the rating and style of film will be suitable for them.
U or Universal is a classification that is suitable for everyone to watch. This means that all age ranges can watch the film. In a U rated film there can be mild violence, mild sexual behavior e.g. kissing, nudity with no sexual reference, there should be no foul language, the horror should be mild and not scare or disturb the child, and there should be no illegal drugs being used unless there is drugs that have been subscribed to people.
In a PG also known as parental guidance it is near enough the same as a U, except horror, violence, language etc can be used a bit more, hence why parental guidance is advised if a child is watching a film with a PG rating
In film the term 'children' is directed at people aged up to 12 years and this is different from teenager. A teenager would rather watch a film with the rating of 12-18 rather than watching a film with the rating of U-PG. A childrens film is mainly targeted at children under the age of 12. So the rating and style of film will be suitable for them.
U or Universal is a classification that is suitable for everyone to watch. This means that all age ranges can watch the film. In a U rated film there can be mild violence, mild sexual behavior e.g. kissing, nudity with no sexual reference, there should be no foul language, the horror should be mild and not scare or disturb the child, and there should be no illegal drugs being used unless there is drugs that have been subscribed to people.
In a PG also known as parental guidance it is near enough the same as a U, except horror, violence, language etc can be used a bit more, hence why parental guidance is advised if a child is watching a film with a PG rating
Friday, 13 November 2009
Preliminary task
Our preliminary task was to show various shot types through a short sequence. We designed a story board consisting of 12 different shots. We also wrote a script, the location and the actors that participated in the sequence.
We experienced a few problems a long the way of filming on our first day, the majority of our film got erased, as a consequence on the final day we had to re-film a large section of it in a different location due to the previous location being over contested. Despite this we still managed to complete the task on time.
One of the positives throughout the task was that it gave us a chance to familiarize ourselves with the cameras and give us an idea of what we should and shouldn't do in the future when we move onto our main task of the childrens film and later on the thriller sequence.
To conclude, our preliminary task showed us how to improve next time as well as familiarizing ourselves with the equipment.
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