Hiring Actors- The Problem

As I was given the task of trying to recruit actors, I decided to take inspiration from a former called Sam Shepherd; the student posted a listing on Starnow.co.uk.

After a fair amount of time, I later found out that unfortunately to post the listing, you must be over 18 years of age. Due to this, our group are unable to hire free, professional actors therefore we have decided to act ourselves. It will be harder to keep to the conventional Film Noir aspects with teenagers as the main characters so we now have more of a Neo Noir twist to the film.

Former student's blog: http://asmediastudiessamshepherd2013.blogspot.co.uk/

Opening Title Sequence of I Wake Up Screaming

To get an idea on how to film our opening title sequence, I analysed the Film Noir 'I Wake Up Screaming' to see how generic Film Noirs create opening title sequences.

In the minute long OTS, the Fox ident is shown for 12 seconds and then there are 7 different credits shown in an urban city. The second credit is the title of the film and the fifth includes all studio idents.

The sound used is performed by an orchestra, it starts off similar to horror-like music; the music is then at a slow tempo which gradually increases throughout. This may be hard to replicate in our production as we are unable to create an orchestra ourselves.

The camera used is black and white, this is because it is filmed in 1941-a simple editing technique could be used to replicate this. Also, only one shot of the New York skyline is used throughout the sequence.

Mise en scene used in the OTS includes low key lighting and a location of an urban city (New York). It may be hard to take a photo of an urban city's skyline, but the low key lighting will be easy to replicate in our Film Noir.

The editing includes a fade from black to begin the title sequence, each credit is spelled out in lights that are superimposed over the New York skyline. Superimposing writing over an image may be difficult but after researching, we should be able to include this in our sequence.

Here is a screenshot of the Title in the Opening Title Sequence

Deciding our Narrative Structure

When deciding on what narrative structure as a group, we had sheets that had definitions of possible narrative structures and from this we decided if they were suitable for our idea and if they would be good for it as a whole.

These were out two options. We decided that the 'Vladimir Propp' narrative wouldn't work for ours, as there is far too many characters compared to the amount that we plan to use, however we might include some of the character ideas. After looking at the 'Enigma Code', we've decided that this would be a suitable and effective narrative to follow. The sense of mystery is perfect for our story and would make the audience question the events of the opening which is exactly the idea.

Beginning Narrative Idea

For our final piece in Media Studies I am working with Heather McDonald and Josh Coe, and we have started to plan a narrative for it and tried out different ideas for a storyline. To start, we discussed ideas for a story and talked about how many characters we would have and what the general idea would be. From this we were then able to write out a general synopsis of what our story is.This is just a starting idea so we will build on this idea to develop and improve it in multiple ways. The name for the Everyman at this time is Micky.

'Micky is staring in the mirror with a gun... Flashback:

He was a successful person, but he had a big secret.

He employs an assistant (femme-fatal) who finds out his secret but agrees to keep quiet by blackmailing Micky.

Leaves him broke.

In his anger he kills her.'

Consequences Creating a Narrative Task

Continuity Task: Cinderella Evaluation Video

Cinderella Evalution from Matthew Levesley on Vimeo.
In this video the group Skupina Studios talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the film making experience. The video outlines our struggles that we had to go through and also top tips from Ms Humpleby that allow us to look at the fails optimistically.

Continuity Task: Skupina Studios Remake of Cinderella

cinderella SKUPINA STUDIOS from Matthew Levesley on Vimeo.

Here is our finished production of the remade fairytale.

Props Manager- Heather McDonald
Location- Niamh Gallagher
Main Director- Jack Grimshaw (although we thought it was not suitable for one person to fully take control).

Continuity Task: Cinderella Film Noir Storyboard

Storyborad from niamhx

This is our storyboard of still images to display the reinvented Fairy tale Cinderella. Niamh edited the photos and created a 'comic' styled storyboard on Slideshare.

Continuity Task: Initial Planning

As a class, we were given the challenge to reinvent/modernise a fairy tale, but it had to meet the Film Noir conventions in some way.
The full instructions and deadlines are shown below:

As a group of 5, Niamh Gallagher, Heather McDonald, Josh Coe (who was on holiday for the entire task), Jack Grimshaw and I decided to reinvent the story-line and modernise the fairy tale Cinderella, this was done by changing the 'fairy god mother' to a pill and instead of the prince hosting a Ball we used a house party. Also, rather than Cinderella losing her glass shoe, we decided that she would lose her phone for the Prince to find and to suit the cast members, we used an evil step dad rather than the evil step mother. The ending is quite conventional for Film Noirs, the 'evil step dad' shoots the prince as he wanted to marry Cinderella rather than the 'ugly step sister'; this is unconventional to fairy tales as they have happy endings.

Cast:
We decided to link each character to a Film Noir character.
The prince was the 'Everyman' who was played by myself, Matthew Levesley.
We tried to portray the 'Ugly Step-sister' as the Femme Fatal, this character was played by Heather McDonald.
Cinderella was supposed to be the 'Girl Next Door', Niamh Gallagher presented this character.
The Evil Step-dad was the Villain of the story, he was played by Jack Grimshaw.

Camera:
For the still photos, an iPhone 6 was used and imported onto a Mac. For the short film, a camera with a tripod was used as well as an iPhone. It was the job of whoever was not in the scene to operate the camera so we all had time to use the cameras and gain experience.

Editing:
For the still photos, Niamh edited them mostly with filters using Photoshop. Also, for the final film Niamh began the editing process on iMovie, then me and Jack took control as we have the most experience from GCSE Media; we are using this opportunity to improve Niamh and Heather's iMovie ability and also hopefully our own.

Analysing the Codes, Conventions and Narrative of the Opening Title Sequence of Fargo

Fargo:
This neo-noir crime thriller is set in Minnesota in 1987. A man in serious debt hires two men to kidnap his wife so he can collect ransom from his wife's wealthy father to pay off his debts. However, the plan is jeopardised when the kidnappers shoot a state trooper.

From the frozen image, I can see that there are a group of men having a conversation in a bar. In the frame, one character is positioned with his back to the camera which adds a sense of mystery to him, the other two characters can be seen clearly from above the table. To draw attention to the character talking, there is strong lighting on him whilst everything around him and the other characters sort of blend together as it is dark.

All characters are shown from above the table in an over-the-shoulder shot that is a medium shot- this is so all characters involved in the scene are able to be seen. This shot suggests that the men are in some sort of negotiation but it is informal as the clothing is quite casual; the beers on the table reinforces that the location is in fact a bar and the cigarette is a conventional aspect of a Film Noir. It is likely that the shot is filmed like this as the characters are in conversation and if it was composed differently it may not keep the audience interested, the camera is behind the character sitting on his own so everyone can be seen and some of the background is included to keep the 'bar' feeling alive. If this was filmed somewhere else, the camera may be at a different angle-for example if they were in one of the character's office then he may be show from a low angle so he appears to have the power.

The camera moves from one shot to the next when the character with the back to the camera starts talking so the audience can clearly tell who is talking. It is likely to be filmed in the evening due to the low levels of lighting, the amount of beers that have been drunk and the clothing worn, it is located in a bar as it is a conventional location to meet in a Film Noir as it is a place the 'everyman' often goes to- this may be relevant to the target audience. The informal clothing suggests that the characters are likely to be working-class and they are not attending a high-level business meeting; the body language of the character on the right implies that he is not interested in the other character as he is leaning back and barely looking at him. This suggests that the characters on the right does not know the male on the left that well, if they did they would be closer to him and more engaged. This frame could be seen as a pivotal frame to the narrative as it shows the characters negotiating and planning events that will unfold later in the film, however, it does not clearly describe the characters personality or keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Foley sound

What is 'Foley'?

The technique is named after Jack Foley, who established the basic modern techniques still used today. Like most terms that are named in honour of a person; it is customary to spell Foley with a capital "F".

Foley effects are sound effects added to the film during post production. They include sounds such as footsteps, clothes rustling, crockery clinking, paper folding, doors opening and slamming, punches hitting, glass breaking etc. In other words, many of the sounds that are needed are avoided when they naturally occur and they are then artificially added later on.
Foley is usually performed by Foley artists. Ideally they stand on a Foley stage (an area with a variety of possible surfaces and props) in a specialized sound studio. The Foley artists can clearly see a screen which displays the footage they are to add sound fx to and they watch it to get the timing perfected.

Why use 'Foley'?
When watching a film, the audience needs to hear the little sounds (such as the movement of clothes) this is for the picture to come alive. However, these sounds need to be controlled so the dialogue is clear and not obscured.
Foley can also be used to enhance comedy or action scenes. In most comedy films many of the sounds are enhanced for comic effect, and sometimes the Foley sound is the joke. As for action, most fist fights do not involve the actors really hitting each other, and even if they did a satisfying punch sound would not be included. By punching and variously molesting such objects as cabbages, celery and sides of beef, Foley artists can record unique and much more 'realistic' action sounds.

I researched this information on the website http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html



This is a short video showing Foley artists at work.

Research into Film Noir: Neo Noir

I decided to use Emaze to present my information on the aspects of different Neo Noirs as I was confident when using this software before.

Research into Film Noir

The Film Noir genre was first introduced in the 1940s after World War Two. During this period many of the men had been at war so they were exposed to violence and darkness. The name 'Film Noir' is French for dark film but is in French as it appears more 'attractive'. As it was post-war everyone was feeling more aggressive and women had bigger roles in the country because they had to provide for the country and men at war; many people disliked it and the films were propaganda to teach the public to return to the way things were before the war.

Here are some examples of Film Noir titles. Conventionally, it will be in black and white withe the text being big, bold and white for contrast.

 The conventional contents of a Film Noir includes violence, mystery, darkness and black and white; this is because it was a very dark era and people did not want 'jolly' films.

Expected characters are:

Femme Fatal looking 'seductive' in Double Indemnity

• The everyman (anti-hero)
• The femme fatal

Other characters that are sometimes included are:

• The villain
• Henchmen
• The girl next door

below are the characters in these three films colour coded):

The Killers                                                     Double Indemnity                                                    Black Dahlia

• The everyman (anti-hero):     'Swede'              Walter Neff                                              Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert
• The Femme Fatal:                   Kitty                   Phyllis Dietrichson                                 Madeleine Linscott
• The Villain:                               Big Jim              N/A (nemesis of Walter is B. Keyes)     N/A
• Henchmen:                               Max and Al        N/A                                                           N/A
• Girl Next Door:                         N/A                    Lola Dietrichson                                       Katherine 'Kay' Lake

Generic conventions of Film Noir from mlevesley

Media Roles in The Film Industry

I experimented with the software VoiceThread to complete this work on different media roles in the Film Industry.

Reflective comment:
I was unsure on how this software worked but the tutorials helped, also I struggled to find short, relevant videos for each of my slide so some slides do not include a video to keep the viewer interested and entertained.

My Top Ten Films

I have created a presentation on my top ten films. I decided to use Emaze for the first time to experiment how it works.
Reflective comment:
 I managed to include videos from YouTube in many of my slides to make it more interactive for the audience. It was very simple to use and I picked up how to use it quite quickly.

Media and Me Prezi Presentation

This is a presentation about how I experience media in my life. I used prezi for the first time to create this presentation.

Reflective Comment:
I found it difficult to use to begin with as I did not know what all the tools did. With help from others, I was able to create the presentation and gain valuable experience.

The Babadook - Sweded Film Finished

This is our finished sweded film that we produced over the summer.

What is a Sweded Film and where did they come from?

The idea of a Sweded Film is to recreate famous films using limited resources and technology. This idea was first inspired in 2008 by the comedy film ‘Be Kind Rewind’. Generally these films are much shorter in length than their originals and are filmed on virtually no budget.

As mentioned before, the actual term ‘Sweded’ was founded from the 2008 comedy film ‘Be Kind Rewind’. The plot of this film involves two characters attempting to replace a store’s video collection by recreating films using a camcorder and claiming they are special editions from Sweden. This is where the name ‘Sweded’ came from.

Before the actual film came out, a YouTube channel was created to help promote the film. The channel contained a film that the actors had Sweded and a video called ‘How To Swede’. Obviously the production of low budget films had existed for years before this film arrived but the term originated from the 2008 film ‘Be Kind Rewind’.

Sweded Films became more popular following the film in 2008 and thousands of people now create a variety of videos recreating films and trailers. When making and recording a Sweded Film, people spend little to no money. Props and outfits are made by hand and location is very simple. Our Sweded trailer is a prime example of recording with no budget.

The Babadook Sweded Film Location, Camera and Editing

As Jack had all of the props needed available at his house and he had areas perfect to film from such as a table outside, we decided that we should film at his house.

We decided to use Jack’s iPhone 6 to film on as it has a great camera quality and he will always be there as it is being filmed in his house. Every single one of us had a turn filming parts of the swede and it was whoever was not needed in the scene being filmed.

To edit the swede we used a free app on the App Store called iMovie, this meant we could easily rearrange the clips in order, remove audio from some clips and add voice-overs all on one iPhone.

Here is an example of the layout of iMovie. At the bottom there is a camera button to add videos, a microphone to record sound and a settings button to edit a clip. In this scene we muted the video, added a voice-over then recorded Matthew playing the piano to add some audio similar to the official film.

Here is a photo of Jack recording Matthew whilst he plays the piano for the background sound.

The Babadook - Sweded Trailer: Script

Joshua Coe- Mum

Jack Grimshaw- Samuel (Child), Head Teacher, Old Lady (Hooded)

Niamh Gallagher- The Babadook, Assistant Head Teacher

Matthew Levesley- Robbie, Old Lady (talking to mum), Doctor, babadook voiceover

(Mum and Samuel in bed)

Mum: Where’d you get this?

Sam: On the shelf

Mum: Whether it’s in a word or in a look, you can’t get rid of The Babadook. A rumbling sound then 3 sharp knocks-

Samuel: Bababa dook dook dook

Mum: That’s when you’ll he’s around, you’ll see him if you look

(Mum and Sam search house)

Mum- Nothing bad’s gonna happen, Sam

Sam- Did you think that about my dad before he died?

(Old woman outside)

Old woman- He sees things as they are, that one

Samuel (Voiceover): I promise to protect you if you promise to protect me

(Mum in school with two teachers)

Mum: Oh my God, did he hurt anyone?

Headteacher: The boy has significant behavioural issues

(Mum and Sam in car)

Mum (voiceover): This monster thing has got to stop, alright? It’s just a book, it can’t hurt you.

(Mum sitting with Robbie)

Robbie: Are you alright?

Mum: Yeah, yeah, I’m fine

Robbie: You don’t have to be fine, you know

Mum: Just a bit stressed at the moment

(Mum and doctor in doctors office)

Doctor: All children see monsters

Mum: Not like this!

(Mum in police station talking to officer)

Mum: I’d like to report someone stalking me and my child

(Door swings open)

Sam (Voiceover): You can’t get rid of the babadook!

Babadook (voiceover): You can bring me the boy (x3)

Sam (voiceover) : Don’t let him in! (x5)

(Mum in car with Sam)

Mum: WHAT DO YOU WANT?

(Mum coming towards Sam)

Mum: You are trespassing in my house!

(Mum forces Sam into bath)

Mum: I’m sick Sam, I need help

(Mum screams)

TITLE SCREEN

(Mum under bedsheets)

Mum: It isn’t real, it isn’t real, it isn’t real

Babadook (voiceover): Baba...dook...doook...dooook

Planning Our Swede. Props and Ideas.

In the trailer of The Babadook, there are only a few props needed, mostly the props were items of clothing to make us look more like the characters we portrayed. To make Josh look more like the mother he needed to look more like a woman, to do this we used a wig the Jack has.

In the start of our sweded film we needed a book that could be used as the babadook, inside the book we included drawings on plain paper that were drawn by Niamh.

Dressing gowns and hoodies were worn over the top of our original clothes in some scenes when we were filming the scenes with the boy, Sam, and the mother. Matthew and Jack both had to wear a smart white shirt and tie when portraying the characters of the headteacher and the doctor.

In one scene there is wood being sawn and hammered, this was simple as in Jack’s shed he had planks of wood, a saw and a hammer. Also, there was a crossbow used; luckily Jack’s brother had a toy crossbow which we borrowed for the scene.

Multiple scenes were filmed inside a car so, with no keys in the engine, we borrowed Jack’s car to film a few scenes with the mother and son.

 Wig worn by the mother (Josh).

Crossbow used by Sam (Jack).

Mother and Sam (Josh and Jack) in full costume in the car.

Planning Our Film Ideas

We decided that the quickest way to choose a film trailer to swede was to write a 'Pros and Cons' list for each film we thought we could do, we then compared them. As a group, we decided that The Babadook was the best film to swede.