Thursday 13 January 2011

Insomnia - Final Edit COMPLETE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjf6Qw46X-c

Above, is the link to our media production. This is the opening scene, so don't feel disappointed if you don't understand, the scene would have been explained during the main film. This took us a long time to complete, due to some problems with the editing, but we're glad to announce it's finally here.

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Editing.

We now have the basic editing complete. The shots have been cut to size, and we have put them together. The sound still needs to be added, but Curtis and Joe should be sorting that out tonight. Arjinder did a VERY rough version, complete with really dodgy sound effects.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Shooting Report

On the Monday of this week, we shot our film opening. We went to a local graveyard to record the shots. We thought that it went pretty well, but we have only seen a few of the shots at the moment, so we can't be sure. It took us about an hour to film the shots, that includes measuring-up and re-taking shots. We are going to start editing today. I reckon that editing will go well, I'm quite looking forward to it.

Friday 19 November 2010

Blue Screen Test

This is a video of Tom and I, playing about with a blue screen.

Monday 11 October 2010

Final Decisions

Soundtrack.
We were thinking of having a mix of both fast-paced music and standard atmospheric music. For instance, fast-paced Drum and Bass would make a chase scene seem faster, and it would make the scene seem tense and it get your heart beating fast.

Sound effects.
For sound effects we would need things like , blood splatters, screams, sliceing sounds, footsteps and heavey footsteps. As we are doing a horror, this would seem rather appropriate. these are all sound you expect from a horror film.

Costumes.
For costumes, the character being chased would need normal clothing, as he is just a normal person. The killer would possibly need a mask and a hood. This makes the killer seem like he is isolated, like you know nothing about him, and not seeing his face makes it more of a mystery. You feel like you don't know the killer, so you can't feel sorry for him because of his background. This forces you to empathis with the victim.

Props.
We would need a mask and an object to be used as a weapon. This is fairly simple as we only need two minutes of footage, so props aren't a major issue. But we were looking at using a weapon that hasn't been seem in a horror movie. This could give a feeling of authenticity.

Lighting.
For lighting, we will proably use night vision and spotlights, this is because we are going to be filming in the dark.

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Narrative Theories Research

 Narrative is a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program - Found on http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=active&q=define%3ANarrative+&meta


Without narrative, the story cannot progress.
Narrative drives the story forward, forward into something worth paying attention to.
If a story's narrative is slow, or just badly made, it's not going to drive the story forwards.
You'll probably turn it off... Or walk out.


Vladimir Propp
Propp was essential interested in the narrative of folk tales. He identified a theory
about folk tales were similar in many areas. They were about the same basic
struggles and they appeared to have ‘Stock Characters’. He identified a theory
about characters and actions as narrative functions; they provide a structure for the text
  • The hero – a character that seeks something
  • The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest
  • The Donor - Who provides an object of worth
  • The Dispatcher - who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message
  • The False hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims
  • The helper - who aids the hero
  • The princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots
  • Her father – who acts to reward the hero for his effort
Christopher Vogler
Chris Volger is a story analyst for Disney, Warner Brothers 20th Century Fox, and many more Hollywood production companies. He explored the construction of narrative from a character driven perspective. His theory is called The Hero’s Journey.
  • Ordinary world
  • Call to Adventure
  • Refusal of Class
  • Mentor
  • First Threshold
  • Test, Allies, enemies
  • Approach to the inmost cave
  • Ordeal
  • Rewards (seizing the sword)
  • The road back
  • Resurrection
  • Return with the Elixir
Vogler also claimed that there were eight Archetypes within Hollywood narratives
  • Hero
  • Mentor
  • Heraid
  • Shape Shifter
  • Allies
  • Shadow
  • Trickster
  • Threshold Guardians

Levi Strauss
Meanings, including narrative, depend on binary oppositions – he explores these in terms of underlying typical themes, rather than events. Conflict helps to drive the narrative.
  • Man Vs Woman
  • White Vs Black
  • Young Vs Old
  • Hero Vs Villain
  • West Vs East
  • Good Vs Bad

For our film opening, I think Vladimir Propp's theory is the most suitable.
It will work because it has many of the key ingredients for a Horror movie.
You have the Hero, The Villain, The donor, The Dispatcher, and The Helper.
This suits our opening, becuase we will have limited actors.
It will create an effective narrative because it's what you're going to expect from a horror film.
The Hero is always the guy who makes the end of the film.
The Villain is often tough and has to be killed in an elaborate manner.

The Donor, when I think of a donor, is usually an old inventor with lots of weapons and gadgets.
The Dispatcher is usually also an old person or authoritive figure.
The Helper is usually stupid and dies around the end of the film.
These aspects are going to make our opening worthwile.
But, bearing in mind it's only an opening just 10 minutes in length, we won't get to see much.