For 'Scratch', we don't wish to have a lot of dialogue, as the more dialogue there is, the less suspicion there is in the build up of the opening. For this reason, we have built the storyboard around this concept.
The dialogue consists of one line - 'Your turn'. This is uttered by the female character, and the film ends very quickly after that. This is said in a very sturn way, and adds to the tension created within the film.
The lack of dialogue within the opening adds a lot to the film, which will hopefully make it exactly how we want it.
Sunday 31 January 2010
Scratch - Soundtrack
Due to the fact we only have 2 minutes, we have to pick something relatively short. Ideally, the continuity within the film will continue throughout everything, including the soundtrack. This means we have to try and find ONE piece of music that lasts for 2 minutes, and fits with our film.
The piece we are currently looking at using is called 'Gates to Adis', and can be found here (number 7). It has a scary, confusing feel to it, but we think if we keep looking, we can find something even better.
Ideally, we will find a piece that has lots of vocals and choirs, some strings and a loud drum beat.
The piece we are currently looking at using is called 'Gates to Adis', and can be found here (number 7). It has a scary, confusing feel to it, but we think if we keep looking, we can find something even better.
Ideally, we will find a piece that has lots of vocals and choirs, some strings and a loud drum beat.
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Scratch - Shooting Schedule - New
Due to unforseen circumstances, problems have occured within our shooting schedule. I have adjusted it to include our new plans, and what has already been completed.
Equipment needed is on the list, and may have changed when we filmed. This will appear in a further post.
To view the schedule, click on the image.
Equipment needed is on the list, and may have changed when we filmed. This will appear in a further post.
To view the schedule, click on the image.
Scratch - Characters - Actor
For 'Scratch', we have chosen someone who we believe will look good within our flashback scenes, and someone who will fit into our film opening.
We have chosen Martin, someone also taking AS Media Studies, along with Drama and Performing Arts, so he is the best qualified for the job. He was the best person we could choose from the people we asked.
We have chosen Martin, someone also taking AS Media Studies, along with Drama and Performing Arts, so he is the best qualified for the job. He was the best person we could choose from the people we asked.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Scratch - Film Title
To decide on the title of our film, we brainstormed some ideas together to do with the storyboard for the opening. The names we came up with were narrowed down to four, which we put across to 25 members of the public. They were 'The Hidden Code', 'Lacerator', 'Scratch', and 'The Scarifier'.
Results
The Hidden Code - 5 votes
Lacerator - 4 votes
Scratch - 9 votes
The Scarifier - 7 votes
For this reason, we chose 'Scratch' as our film title.
Results
The Hidden Code - 5 votes
Lacerator - 4 votes
Scratch - 9 votes
The Scarifier - 7 votes
For this reason, we chose 'Scratch' as our film title.
Sunday 10 January 2010
Researching Thriller Films - Columbia Pictures
Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film Sales were founded in 1919 by Harry Cohn, his brother Jack and Joe Brandt. The name wasn't working for them, so in 1924, the brothers bought out Brandt, Harry Cohn became President, and they renamed the company Columbia Pictures Corporation.
The next 10 years brought mild success to the company, as links started to appear between other film companies. Cary Grant signed a freelance contract with CPC in 1937, and MGM also had a contract with them, so as to help CPC keep their contract budget to a minimum. Columbia were also used as the distribution company for the first Mickey Mouse shorts from Disney.
During the 1940's, CPC benefited massively from the war, as people would sit watching films. Rita Hayworth became their biggest contracted star, and the budget and contract list began to get bigger and longer. The budgets were kept very small for films, and Harry Cohn was the last major film company president to give the go-ahead for colour films. 1948 was the big year for CPC, as the Government decided to stop big film companies from owning their own cinemas. This then put CPC into what is known as 'The Big Five' - the 5 major film companies of the US.
The 1950's and 1960's brought major success to CPC. Harry Cohn died in February 1958, and slowly, Columbia became the place to be. They gained the rights to the first James Bond film, and has always remained one of the distributors for the films.
In 1968, Columbia Pictures Corporation merged with some smaller subsiduaries, and became Columbia Pictures Industries. The early 1970's nearly bankrupted CPI, but studios were sold, and new management were brought in.
In 1980, Coca-Cola bought CPI, and bigger, more expensive films were being produced - some being massive hits, and some being flops. The end of the '80's brought a volatile film industry, and Coca-Cola allowed CPI to become their own company again. They changed their name again to Columbia Pictures Entertainment.
1989 brought Sony, who purchased CPE. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars on revamping and refurbishing all the studios and production rooms. The 1990's brought turbulence to Sony, as they wrote off $2.4b towards the start of the decade, but made over $1b revenue in 1997.
The new millenium brought massive success to Columbia, and they made over $1b in successive years for 4 years. The Spider-Man franchise, Casino Royale, The Dan Brown franchise and Men In Black brought massive commercial success to them, and they are still prospering into this new decade.
The next 10 years brought mild success to the company, as links started to appear between other film companies. Cary Grant signed a freelance contract with CPC in 1937, and MGM also had a contract with them, so as to help CPC keep their contract budget to a minimum. Columbia were also used as the distribution company for the first Mickey Mouse shorts from Disney.
During the 1940's, CPC benefited massively from the war, as people would sit watching films. Rita Hayworth became their biggest contracted star, and the budget and contract list began to get bigger and longer. The budgets were kept very small for films, and Harry Cohn was the last major film company president to give the go-ahead for colour films. 1948 was the big year for CPC, as the Government decided to stop big film companies from owning their own cinemas. This then put CPC into what is known as 'The Big Five' - the 5 major film companies of the US.
The 1950's and 1960's brought major success to CPC. Harry Cohn died in February 1958, and slowly, Columbia became the place to be. They gained the rights to the first James Bond film, and has always remained one of the distributors for the films.
In 1968, Columbia Pictures Corporation merged with some smaller subsiduaries, and became Columbia Pictures Industries. The early 1970's nearly bankrupted CPI, but studios were sold, and new management were brought in.
In 1980, Coca-Cola bought CPI, and bigger, more expensive films were being produced - some being massive hits, and some being flops. The end of the '80's brought a volatile film industry, and Coca-Cola allowed CPI to become their own company again. They changed their name again to Columbia Pictures Entertainment.
1989 brought Sony, who purchased CPE. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars on revamping and refurbishing all the studios and production rooms. The 1990's brought turbulence to Sony, as they wrote off $2.4b towards the start of the decade, but made over $1b revenue in 1997.
The new millenium brought massive success to Columbia, and they made over $1b in successive years for 4 years. The Spider-Man franchise, Casino Royale, The Dan Brown franchise and Men In Black brought massive commercial success to them, and they are still prospering into this new decade.
Scratch - Target Audience
The target audience we have selected for 'Scratch' is over 15. We know from looking at thriller DVD's released last year that the average age restriction is a 15, so if we aim for over 15's, then we have hit the main market. We also want to keep a limit on the age range, so have selected 35, as we don't believe anyone over the age of 35 go to watch thriller films.
We have to try and appeal to this age range, so to do that, we plan on keeping things subtle. If you look at some of the DVDs released over the last 12 months, all the plots were kept from being unraveled until the very end. So, as we are only filming the opening, we have to try and keep it all secretive, while setting up the film for the rest of the story.
We have to try and appeal to this age range, so to do that, we plan on keeping things subtle. If you look at some of the DVDs released over the last 12 months, all the plots were kept from being unraveled until the very end. So, as we are only filming the opening, we have to try and keep it all secretive, while setting up the film for the rest of the story.
Researching Thriller Films - Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese was born in 1942, in New York City. An Academy-Award winner, he has directed over 20 feature length films, and has been named the 2nd best director of all time.After passing from film school, Scorsese released his first feature-length film with a friend from school, in 1968 - 'Who's Knocking At My Door?' The next 5 years was spent learning, experimenting and creating 3 more films, but it wasn't until 1974, when Martin released 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore', that he suddenly hit the big stage. The film was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, and won 1, for Best Acress.
'Taxi Driver' came next, in 1976.It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, but won none. However, this did catapult Scorsese into the spotlight, and suddenly he was offered parts within films. It was his second collaboration with Robert De Niro - a man who would become very closely associated with Scorsese.
'New York New York' followed in 1977, and was Scorsese's first venture into musical cinema. De Niro returned, with Liza Minnelli appearing. It flopped massively at the box office, and was known for its Frank Sinatra-covered theme tune. It was almost like a baby for Scorsese, and with the film being so poorly received, he went into a state of depression, and developed a cocaine addiction.
This addiction continued all the way until 1980, when Robert De Niro returned to 'save' Scorsese's life. He told him to kick the addiction, and when he released 'Raging Bull', it became his masterpiece. It received 8 nominations at the Academy Awards, of which it won 2 - Scorsese won his only Best Director Oscar. It has been voted the best sports film of all time.
It wasn't until 1986, however, that his run of blockbusters began. 'The Colour of Money' (1986), 'The Last Temptation of Christ' (1988), 'Goodfellas' (1990), 'Cape Fear' (1991), 'The Age of Innocence' (1993), 'Casino' (1995), and 'Kundun' (1997) all received Oscar nominations - 23 in total. It only won 3, but made Scorsese one of the best known directors of all time.
More recently, 'Gangs of New York', from 2002, gained Scorsese critical acclaim for a stunning work. Some say it is his best ever film. It gained 10 Academy Award nominations, but didn't win any. 'The Aviator' came next, in 2004, and this was another film that was said to be one of the best films ever made. It won 5 Oscars from a possible 11. 'The Departed' was released in 2006, and towards the end of February this year, 'Shutter Island' will be released, in time for Oscars in 2011.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Scratch - Characters
Within the 'Scratch' opening, there are two characters - one of which is seen, one who isn't.
Man
The man, who has no name during this planning process, is a very sophisticated man. His clothes always match, his accessories match the clothes, and his talk matches his accessories. Everything links in with each other. He walks in to the building with his heels clicking against the floor, and the way we plan to shoot this is to make him seem very tall, very elegant and very knowing.
He is a married man, and before the opening has just killed his wife, after finding out she committed adultery. This has put him in a flustered state, which we can hoepfully portray in our shots. He smashes the photo, and then is approached by the shadowy figure of a woman, and killed.
Woman
The woman has no personalioty built upon. She is only shown via a shadow within the opening, and her identity will remain concealed. She is also a very classy woman, but uses a small handgun to kill our character. She is a killer with class.
Man
The man, who has no name during this planning process, is a very sophisticated man. His clothes always match, his accessories match the clothes, and his talk matches his accessories. Everything links in with each other. He walks in to the building with his heels clicking against the floor, and the way we plan to shoot this is to make him seem very tall, very elegant and very knowing.
He is a married man, and before the opening has just killed his wife, after finding out she committed adultery. This has put him in a flustered state, which we can hoepfully portray in our shots. He smashes the photo, and then is approached by the shadowy figure of a woman, and killed.
Woman
The woman has no personalioty built upon. She is only shown via a shadow within the opening, and her identity will remain concealed. She is also a very classy woman, but uses a small handgun to kill our character. She is a killer with class.
Scratch - Shooting Schedule
We've designed a shooting schedule for the next two weeks, so we can film 'Scratch' with plenty of time to edit and finalise what we have done.
Sunday 3 January 2010
Scratch - Storyboard
Full Board, originally uploaded by Adam9309.
Key
Black is the action and description of the shot
Red is the choice of shot selected for the frame
Green are the effects and lighting used in the frame
Blue are the props needed for each frame
Green are the effects and lighting used in the frame
Blue are the props needed for each frame
Pink are both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds for each frame
Frame 1
A man scratches a number 4 (via a tally chart) into a wall. His arm is already in shot, and exits the shot via the bottom-left hand corner.
A close-up has been selected for this frame, as this best shows the action in the shot while keeping the mystery on who it is.
There will be a sudden (non-effect) transition into the frame, and a fade out into the next set of credits. The lighting will be very low, creating a dim atmosphere.
A wall is needed for this frame, and also a sharp implement to scratch the numbers into the wall.
A gunshot in the darkness between the first credit, and this frame. This is then followed by the scratching noise of the wall.
Frame 2
The man walks down the corridor, and turns right.
The shot is of a moving subject, so we have chosen a medium close-up of the man's feet.
Again, like all the frames, there will be no transition into the shot, but a fade out into a black screen at the end. The lighting will be very dark, and there will only be natural light.
No major props are needed.
Along with the soundtrack, there will be the man's footsteps walking up the corridor.
Frame 3
The man walks through a door, and walks to his desk on the other side of the room.
The shot is a long establishing shot, as we want to get all of the door in the shot as well. It will also set the scene.
The lighting will be very dim, until the man flicks a light on on his desk.
No major props are needed.
Door swings open, followed by the light switch flicking on and the squeak of a large chair.
Frame 4
The man enters shot from the left, and sits down at his desk. He then looks at a photo of him and a woman, throws it to the ground. Loads up laptop, and types.
The shot is a long establishing shot, as we want to get the whole desk, and all the action in.
Still very dim, but brighter around the laptop.
A laptop, a photo, a large desk and a light.
Chair squeak. A grunt, and a photo smashing. Laptop typing.
Frame 5
A relatively quick shot of an email on his screen, statin what he has done. He sends it.
A close-up of the screen better frames it for the audience.
Very bright, as it is a shot of the screen.
A laptop.
A sigh and a puff of air being blown as he clicks send.
Frame 6
A large bang occurs otuside the door. Man talks curiously to himself, stands up, and walks to the front of his desk.
A long shot, to contain all the action and curiosity.
Back down to the earlier dim lighting of the room.
Laptop, smashed photo, and a large desk.
Massive bang outside the door. Chair squeak, with muffled speech.
Frame 7
A shot of a shadow in the light at the door. Short conversation. Shot goes black.
Very long shot, to contain the door and shadow.
The light has to be strong enough to create a long shadow.
No major props are needed.
Very short conversation, followed by darkness, and a gunshot.
Frame 8
A man scratches a number 5 (via a tally chart) into a wall. His arm is already in shot, and exits the shot via the bottom-left hand corner.
A close-up has been selected for this frame, as this best shows the action in the shot while keeping the mystery on who it is.
There will be a sudden (non-effect) transition into the frame, and a fade out into the next set of credits. The lighting will be very low, creating a dim atmosphere.
A wall is needed for this frame, and also a sharp implement to scratch the numbers into the wall.
A gunshot in the darkness between the last frame, the next credit, and this frame. This is then followed by the scratching noise of the wall, and the main title of the film.
Since deciding on our storyboard, we have decided that this part of the opening should be an aging piece of film, so we are reconsidering the laptop, and redesigning the storyboard to fit around it.
Frame 1
A man scratches a number 4 (via a tally chart) into a wall. His arm is already in shot, and exits the shot via the bottom-left hand corner.
A close-up has been selected for this frame, as this best shows the action in the shot while keeping the mystery on who it is.
There will be a sudden (non-effect) transition into the frame, and a fade out into the next set of credits. The lighting will be very low, creating a dim atmosphere.
A wall is needed for this frame, and also a sharp implement to scratch the numbers into the wall.
A gunshot in the darkness between the first credit, and this frame. This is then followed by the scratching noise of the wall.
Frame 2
The man walks down the corridor, and turns right.
The shot is of a moving subject, so we have chosen a medium close-up of the man's feet.
Again, like all the frames, there will be no transition into the shot, but a fade out into a black screen at the end. The lighting will be very dark, and there will only be natural light.
No major props are needed.
Along with the soundtrack, there will be the man's footsteps walking up the corridor.
Frame 3
The man walks through a door, and walks to his desk on the other side of the room.
The shot is a long establishing shot, as we want to get all of the door in the shot as well. It will also set the scene.
The lighting will be very dim, until the man flicks a light on on his desk.
No major props are needed.
Door swings open, followed by the light switch flicking on and the squeak of a large chair.
Frame 4
The man enters shot from the left, and sits down at his desk. He then looks at a photo of him and a woman, throws it to the ground. Loads up laptop, and types.
The shot is a long establishing shot, as we want to get the whole desk, and all the action in.
Still very dim, but brighter around the laptop.
A laptop, a photo, a large desk and a light.
Chair squeak. A grunt, and a photo smashing. Laptop typing.
Frame 5
A relatively quick shot of an email on his screen, statin what he has done. He sends it.
A close-up of the screen better frames it for the audience.
Very bright, as it is a shot of the screen.
A laptop.
A sigh and a puff of air being blown as he clicks send.
Frame 6
A large bang occurs otuside the door. Man talks curiously to himself, stands up, and walks to the front of his desk.
A long shot, to contain all the action and curiosity.
Back down to the earlier dim lighting of the room.
Laptop, smashed photo, and a large desk.
Massive bang outside the door. Chair squeak, with muffled speech.
Frame 7
A shot of a shadow in the light at the door. Short conversation. Shot goes black.
Very long shot, to contain the door and shadow.
The light has to be strong enough to create a long shadow.
No major props are needed.
Very short conversation, followed by darkness, and a gunshot.
Frame 8
A man scratches a number 5 (via a tally chart) into a wall. His arm is already in shot, and exits the shot via the bottom-left hand corner.
A close-up has been selected for this frame, as this best shows the action in the shot while keeping the mystery on who it is.
There will be a sudden (non-effect) transition into the frame, and a fade out into the next set of credits. The lighting will be very low, creating a dim atmosphere.
A wall is needed for this frame, and also a sharp implement to scratch the numbers into the wall.
A gunshot in the darkness between the last frame, the next credit, and this frame. This is then followed by the scratching noise of the wall, and the main title of the film.
Since deciding on our storyboard, we have decided that this part of the opening should be an aging piece of film, so we are reconsidering the laptop, and redesigning the storyboard to fit around it.
Scratch - Credit Typography
For 'Scratch', we want to use a specific type of font. The film title is a big factor in what we want, and the idea we have is for it to be scratched in somewhere. There are 3 different options.
Scratch Font #1
This font adds another aspect to the film - if we chose to use this as our font for the credits, it would keep within the chosen genre. The scratched effect would add to the very simple concept of the opening, but could add some continuity throughout the film, if it were made.Scratch Font #2
'Nail Scratch' is the second option we have for our typography. It doesn't have as much 'horror' within the font as the first option, but due to the slight slant on some of the letters, it adds a new depth, and if used with the right fade in and out, could create a 'goosebump moment'.Scratch - Chosen Font
The typography we have chosen isn't actually a computerised font. We plan to actually scratch our credits into items found in the outside world - plaster on a wall, bricks, chalk, paving slabs, wood, paint on a car. We feel this will add to the flashback moments within our opening, and give the best thriller link-in out of the three options.
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