Final Cut

By Olivia Calver and Samuel Skinner

Rough Cut 2 and Feedback

Feedback 1
I like the porcupine logo - can the text stay up for longer please? But is he a porcupine - looks more like a hedgehog!!
JustPhilm logo is a bit naff in comparison to porcupine!
I love the non-diegetic sound - very mysterious
Can you make the titles outlined as the white sometimes fades into the film
Is there a reason why you have the director title at the start? It is not conventional!
The title and name of person changes throughout the film opening - one time you may have:

Casting by
Mrs Willcox
Then the title will change to:
Mrs Willcox
Editor

Can you correct this please and stick with a house style.
Title placement is good
Titles should run all the way through
The gluing of the book takes a little too long
You need a screen at the end to show the film continues on - maybe a six months later or something, or a white screen even

Feedback 2
I like that there is no diegetic sound - it makes it really mysterious
It makes the audience want to know what's going which is really important in a Thriller
I really like the dark lighting when he's inside - it creates suspicion
The paint suddenly disappeared off his hand?
Rather than cutting to black on the title screen maybe have a smoother transition

By Olivia Calver and Samuel Skinner

Rough Cut 1 and Feedback

Feedback 1
Institutional logos need to be included
There are no other titles which is non-conventional
Film title goes over the actor's face - change this
Re-order film shots and remove inserts.
Add sound.

Feedback 2
Add sound.
I don't understand what's happening
Get rid of the inserts - they are confusing.

By Olivia Calver and Samuel Skinner

Filming Diary

Setting Up Scene 2

Setting Up Scene 2

We began the day by collecting our required props and equipment for the first scene at roughly 9 am. This took slightly longer than expected as we had to rearrange the set and therefore we didn't leave to collect the actor until 10:30 am. This set our schedule back by half an hour however, luckily for us, there was less traffic than expected in both directions meaning we were still ready to shoot Scene 2 by 12 pm.

En-route To Collecting Ramone (Actor)

Sam filming Scene 2

Filming Scene 2

We then filmed the entirety of Scene 2 so as to minimise the number of times Ramone would have to change costume. This took less time than expected as we had factored in time for any technical difficulties but luckily we did not encounter any and therefore we managed to move ahead of schedule.

Filming Scene 1/3

Sam filming Scene 1/3

Following from this, at 2:15, we took a tea break and gave Ramone an opportunity to change his costume. This gave me and Sam the chance to collect up our equipment and go and set up Scene 1/3 in the park. We began shooting Scene 1/3 at 2:45pm and wrapped at 4:30pm. Being ahead of schedule by half an hour, we took a break for more tea.







After our second tea break, me and Sam cleared away all the equipment and backed up all of the footage we had taken onto a hard drive just in case something happened to the camera so that we would still have the footage. Following at this, at 6pm, we took Ramone home. This ended our day of film.

By Olivia Calver

Final Mise-en-scene Decisions

We will be filming in dark conditions so as to achieve the contrast affect we are hoping for. We will further contrast the scenes by using colour correction software in the editing process. We have sourced the location to be somewhere that is poorly lit as this will help us when it comes to creating the dark and contrasted vision. By doing this, it allows us to hide the protagonist/antagonist's identity which will hopefully prevent the audience from recognising them as the same person until later in the film.

Dark Location to Aid in portraying mystery

 By Samuel Skinner and Olivia Calver

Filming Schedule

FILMING SCHEDULE
14th MARCH 2015
9am - Set up scene 2
10am - Collect Actor
12pm - Film scene 2
2pm - Tea break
2:30pm - Set up scene 1/3
3pm - Film scene 1/3
5pm - Wrap - Tidy up
6pm - Take Actor home

ACTOR SCHEDULE

11am - Pick up by Sam and Olivia

12pm - Film scene 2

2pm - Tea break and outfit change

3pm - Film scene 1/3

5pm - Wrap

6pm - Leave for home

7pm - Dropped home

By Olivia Calver

Final Props Decision

In terms of props, our final decisions were made based on a combination of aesthetics and budget. The props we need are;

-Workbench/ Desk Area

-Desk Lamp

-Tools

-A Magic Set including: Deck of Cards, Handkerchiefs, Cup and Balls

-Hard Book Cover

-Glue
-String
-Ruler

The glue, ruler and string were objects which both me and Sam knew we would have lying around somewhere and therefore did not cost us any money. Further to this, to save on cost we have decided to use a book cover that I already owned which we tore from a book. The cover is navy blue and fits our intentions of looking both worn and old.

The tools which we have decided to use are tools which Sam's dad currently owns and that are already at our location as this saves on costs and prevents us from having to attempt to transport the props across long distances which could have created issues.

The table which we have decided to use is a wooden table which can be pulled open at the center so as to give us the ability to hide the book at the end of the clip. It is both practical and ambiguous and will not cost us any money as we already have access to one. In addition, it has already been moved to the location prior to filming so as to minimise time spent on collecting props on film day. This table looks very much like the one we are going to be using:

The lamp we have decided to use looks extremely basic and gives off a slightly orange light which helps to create the ambiguous atmosphere. However, the bright red of the desk lamp should allow it stand out against the highly contrasting images otherwise shown in the clip.

Finally, for the magic set we have decided to use a relatively cheap magic set intended for use by children as this will help to portray Azier as being an amateur. However, the aspects of the set which we are using still appear viable for an adult to be using when on camera.

By Olivia Calver

Consent Forms

We got our cast to sign consent forms to confirm there happy with there names and faces being used in our film opening. The picture shows the one for our main actor.

















Post By Samuel Skinner

Initial Shot List

Shot	Shot Description	Int/Ext	Equipment	Duration (secs)
3	CU - Magician's face.	Ext	Camera and Tripod.	4
4	XCU - Magician rippling through a deck of cards.	Ext	Camera, Tripod and Deck of Cards.	2
5	Main: MS - Low Angle - Workbench with desk lamp and book cover; dark until light flickers on.	Int	Camera, Tripod, Workbench, Desk Lamp, Book Cover, Tools, Chair.	4
5	TL: XCU - Magician rippling through a deck of cards.	Ext	Camera, Tripod and Deck of Cards.	4
6	Main: MS – High Angle – Antagonist approaches workbench and pulls out chair	Int	Camera, Tripod, Workbench, Desk Lamp, Book Cover, Tools, Chair.	4
6	TL: MS – Slow Mo – Magician cascades cards into the air	Ext	Camera, Tripod and Deck of Cards.	4
8	Main: OTS – Magician pulls handkerchiefs out of sleeve	Ext	Camera, Tripod, Handker-chiefs.	4
8	TL: Aerial V. – Antagonist sat at desk making book	Int	Camera, Tripod, Workbench, Desk Lamp, Book Cover, Tools, Chair.	4
9	Main: CU – Antagonist covering fingers in ink	Int	Camera, Tripod, Ink.	3
9	TL: CU – Magician shaking handkerchiefs out into a towel	Ext	Camera, Tripod, Handker-chiefs, Towel.	3
9	TL: CU – Magician shaking towel as it sets alight	Ext	Camera, Tripod, Handker-chiefs, Towel, Lighter.	2
10	Main: 2S – Magician doing coin trick for a child	Ext	Camera, Tripod, Coin.	7
10	TL: CU – Antagonist printing fingers into book	Int	Camera, Tripod, Ink, Book.	7
11	Main: XCU – Scalpel/knife cutting through paper	Int	Camera, Tripod, Knife/Scalpel, Paper, Book.	5
11	TL: XCU – Magician pulls coin from behind child’s ear	Ext	Camera, Tripod, Coin.	5
12	CU – Antagonist holds up book and title comes into focus	Int	Camera and Tripod	10
13	FPS – Camera pulled out of Magician’s pocket and placed on desk	Int	Camera and Tripod	5
13	CU – Slow Mo – Balls fall around camera	Int	Camera and Tripod	4
13	XCU – Cup covers camera lens	Int	Camera and Tripod	6

This is the shot list we plan to follow for our Film Opening. This will allow us to ensure when we are filming that we obtain all of the shots we need, as well as multiple takes of each.

By Olivia Calver

Final Location Decision

The two locations we decided to film in are Samuel's old dining room while it's under construction and St Andrew's park. We chose to film the workshop scene in the dining room as although it limits the times in which we can film, it can be cleared out to give us the perfect space to set the scene up but already has the aesthetic look we want to include in the scene.

We then chose St Andrews Park for the outside scenes as it is most convenient and is a safe place to set up the equipment, with the other locations being too busy and cramped to film properly or too difficult to use as we have a limited window with our actor and if the weather is not fine it would not be possible to film.



Post By Samuel Skinner

Final Casting Decision

We decided to cast Ramone Morgan as our protagonist/ antagonist as he has of a more suitable for the character, he has much more experience than either of the other two candidates and his showmanship throughout his magic trick mirrored what we were anticipating for our character. Due to this, we will be limited on filming time as he is only available on weekends and therefore we will need to be extremely organised when it comes to filming the piece. Despite this, we believe that this was the best judgement and therefore, the role of Max Azier will be played by Ramone Morgan.

Ramone Morgan

By Samuel Skinner and Olivia Calver

Location Scouting

We need two locations for our opening a workshop were the book will be created and then out on the streets possibly in town or in a park in order to show our protagonist as a street performer.
the second scene is set in a workshop.



The first location we looked at is a friends workshop which would be good as there's a lot of space and looks messy and therefore would look like a place where something is made. However, there is a lot of natural light coming through the big windows which would give away our darkened figure; we would have to sort this or it will limit what time in the day we film.




The second location we've looked at is Sam's old dining room that is under construction as there is a lot of space to set up a set and space to film. We've chosen to look at here as there's less limitations to what we can set up as the space is about to be redone anyway. The only problem is that the time slot to use this spot will be limited to a few weekends so we will have a tight schedule to film.

For the outside shots we have looked to film at St Andrews park at the end of the car park so there are people in the backdrop of the park but also has the road and path to show that our character is outside entertaining and not just in a garden somewhere.





The next location we looked at is Hylands Park as there is lots of open space we can use and there should be people in the background as it is a public area again creating an image of a street performer.






The final location we scouted is a spot on patching hall lane; a perfect place for filming the scene we want however we would end up having to film in the road which is very impractical and not particularly safe to do so.




By Samuel Skinner

Final Costume Design

We have decided that the protagonist costume will be a white shirt with a red tie and a long coat with dark jeans. and the antagonist will wear a dark shirt that helps him to stay shadowy at the start.

post by Samuel skinner

Organising Sound

The sound used for our film opening is going to be one of the most important aspects as it will be the easiest method to use to convey genre. We aim for the soundtrack to create a mysterious and creepy atmosphere as this will help to raise intrigue within the audience. A good example of this being done before is in the Se7en opening:


The sound used in this opening is eerie and creates a sense of unease within the viewer and this is something that we aim to replicate with our own opening. In order to do this effectively, we have decided to compose our own soundtrack using Cubase 7 as it will give us full creative control on the sound aspect of the clip. This also means we can cause certain sounds to accompany specific images/ frames within the clip to cause a more enthralling and professional opening. The following video shows some examples of sound files I have created on Cubase 7 and hope to include in our soundtrack.



By Olivia Calver

How We Will Organise Props and Costume

Props
In terms of props, we plan on going out and buying the necessary props the week before the shoot and collecting all of the props required in the week leading up to the shoot. We will keep these props together on location so that they will all be there ready for when we shoot. This will ensure that on filming day we will not have to worry about where the props are or whether we have the necessary props as they will have all been obtained beforehand.

Costume
In terms of costume, we plan on retrieving the costume two weeks before film. This gives us the opportunity to ensure that the costume fits our actor and leaves us enough time to return items and change them if this is not the case. We will then keep the costume with the props to ensure that when it comes to filming everything is in the same place and is easily accessible.

By Olivia Calver and Samuel Skinner

Full Film Synopsis

The film begins with our protagonist Max Azier on the streets performing magic tricks as an entertainer and, after a few bad days, he decides he needs to learn some new tricks to improve the quality of his act. He heads down to a book shop and, after discovering a hidden section in the shop, discovers a book that teaches him to perform amazing illusions. Azier uses these new tricks to come to fame and has a big show on stage at night time making him rich and famous. After a while of success he tries to perform a new trick. However, it goes wrong and he accidentally summons a demon to posses her body. This is when we discover that Azier has been granted supernatural powers by the book and he runs away to hide. Meanwhile, the demon begins killing people jumping from host to host bringing death wherever it goes. Eventually Azier confronts it and becomes partly possessed. This is when we learn of a dark version of himself that made the book as part of the demons plan to become free and enter the world. After expelling the demon from his body he has one more confrontation with it, seemly destroying it and the book taking away the powers he has been granted. The film then skips forward a few days to a news story that Max Azier has disappeared and his show; cancelled. We then skip to the theater he had been performing at to see the owners putting up a cancelled banner before panning over to Azier across the road who smiles, turns around and disappeares down the street behind him merging into the crowd before the film ends.

Post By Samuel Skinner

Props

In our piece there are some extremely important props that are key to our narrative. For this reason, we knew the best idea would be to source the most suitable props possible. The props we need are;

-Workbench/ Desk Area

-Desk Lamp

-Tools

-A Magic Set including: Deck of Cards, Handkerchiefs, Cup and Balls

-Hard Book Cover

-Glue
-String
-Ruler

Some of these props, such as the glue, string and ruler, were much easier to choose upon due to us knowing the effect we wanted to create and their aesthetic not having too big an impact on the overall aesthetic of the clip.

Workbench/ Desk Area
The workbench/ desk area is important as it is the most prominent aspect of the set for the villain half of the opening. Due to this, we needed to make sure that we selected a workspace which reflected the dark tone of the film.


This workbench looks too much like something you would find in a carpentry workshop, rather than a villain's den. In addition,  Due to this, we decided to look for something more like a desk.

This desk area looks too professional for it's purpose as a villain's den and therefore we decided to start looking at something that seemed more practical.

We then took inspiration from Hannibal and his use of everyday objects to conceal his actions. We decided we will use an average table with an extendable function as this would allow us to use the higher part of the table to conceal the constructed book beneath it, on the lower part of the table.

 



Desk Lamp
The lamp we use will have an impact on the aesthetic of the set as it will help portray a sense of how wealthy the character is as well as affecting the lighting of the villain's aspects of the clip.

We first looked at this desk lamp as it is extremely basic which was the style we were aiming for. It also produces slightly orange light which was perfect for creating an ambiguous atmosphere. The only issue we found with this style was the colour of the lamp. We want something that will stand out a bit more in frame and contrast with the low key lighting. For this reason, we are going to be using a red desk lamp in this style.






We then looked at a more complex design to see whether this would be more effective as it would give us more control in positioning of the light. However, we decided that this would make the villain look too professional and logical.








Tools

The tools we require for the villain's den are simple, workman's tools which appear to be extremely worn and old. This will help to make the table appear more like a workbench and will help to showcase the villain as unorganised and unstable.









Magic Sets
The magic set is the fundamental prop for our film opening. Without it, it will not be possible to present our protagonist as a magician. Due to this, we need to find a magic set which does not appear childlike and comes across to the audience as realistic material for a simple street magician.

The first magic set we looked at was within our budget however it looked childish and made from cheap materials. This created a problem as it would be unrealistic and the audience would be deprived from a sense of verisimilitude.

The second magic set we looked at appeared extremely professional and would therefore suit the aesthetic of the film. However, this magic set was a lot more expensive and was way out of our budget.








Due to this, we aim to get a magic set which appears more like the second magic set yet is still within our budget.
 
Book Cover
The book cover we use is important as it must appear completely normal and must not look spectacular in any way. This is because it is supposed to look hand made and cannot therefore look eccentric or special.



We first looked at this purple book cover as the design on the front was enticing and therefore would fit with the narrative of Azier finding it in a charity shop. However, it looks too eccentric and regal for it's use therefore we decided to look at something a bit more subtle.






We next looked at this dark red book cover as the design on the front was a lot simpler than that of the purple book and the red could have been to signify the danger of the book. However, it still appears too obvious in comparison to most books and would be the obvious book of choice amongst others, defeating the point of the book being concealed for so long.








Finally, we looked at this much more worn book cover. It was this cover that most fitted our ideals, however the brown colouring of the cover made it appear slightly too generic and therefore we have decided to look for a book very similar to this, with a worn aesthetic. However, we would like the cover to have a touch more colour than this one.







By Olivia Calver