making film openings

Adapted from P. Fraser’s original

Step 1: take stock

•what’s the task?

•what’s the assessment?

•what’s the timeframe?

•what’s the equipment?

•Write a blog about this. Title it: Taking Stock

task and assessment

• Titles and opening of a new fiction film

•up to 2 minutes

•20 marks Research and Planning

•60 marks Construction

•20 marks Evaluation

• You could comment on these. See previous slide.

timeframe and equipment

•build your skills

•build up your research

•build up your planning

•give yourselves time to shoot and edit

• keep evidence throughout the whole process

•The above are tips/suggestions/things you should do/things you have done.

step 2: set up a blog

•and keep evidence of everything you do!

• Look at the next slide. There is a top mark blog there. Notice how it is visually appealing, uses a range of different media, shows progression and is well managed. Time management is key.

good blog examples

http://scasmediagwpahs.blogspot.com/?zx=fd277084e4b7cc3b

http://cmdiplomayasmin.blogspot.com/

Step 3: investigate

• what do film openings actually look like?

• what does other student work look like?

• what do you need to know about titles?

• how are you going to do something that stands out?

• You have started this. Develop it by making graphs, doing focus groups, researching real thriller openings, conducting surveys. Title your blog: Thriller Research and Investigation

search for student films on youtube

Titles exercise

It’s a worthwhile idea to do the next task. Go to the art of thetitle.com and do a titles exercise. Reflect on what you did/

learned.; how will it impact your idea???

Title Blog: Titles Research

titles analysis

Step 4: brainstorm ideas

•possible scenarios for pitches/treatments

•25 word pitch

•moodboard treatment

•peer and teacher feedback

• realistic expectations- keep it simple

• know the film but make the opening

•Do the above. Title the blog: Our Thriller Idea

Avoid these Cliche Openings: Six most common student film openings

• Saw: victim tied up in shed

• Scream: hooded stalker follows female victim

• Waking up: clean teeth, brush hair, leave house

• Se7en: killer sticks knife in polaroid photos

• Lock, Stock: gangsters play cards

• Flashback or Flash forward

possible pitch scenarios

• low budget UK film with young teen protagonist, set on housing estate

• supernatural thriller aimed at a female audience; co-production with europe

•a character returns to town after years away

Example of Mood Board

Step 5: Planning

•experimenting with camera and editing

• recce shots of locations

•examples of shots, costumes, props, etc onto blog

•post-it storyboard, animatic, moodboard

• logistics planning- including risk assessment

•Do the above. Title this blog: Planning

step 6: the shoot

•people, places, props, costumes

• rehearsing

•equipment, jobs on the day

• keeping a record of the process

•Title this blog: Shooting Experience

Step 7: edit•all having a voice/hand in it

• screengrabs of process

• importance of audio and titles

• foley - not just music

• rough cut deadline and peer feedback

• Post your rough cut on your blog

•Do the above. Leave plenty of time to edit and refine your coursework. Look at the marking scheme--the examiner will. Title Blog: Editing and Rough Cut.

big picture before fine detail

titles could be laid down first

step 8: final cut

•post teacher and peer feedback on blog

• reshoot if needed

•post editing process on blog

• submit on burned disc and post on blog

most common problems--review your thriller to make sure you

don’t have any of these problems

• looks more like a trailer or a short film

• insufficient titles

•poor sound, poor lighting

• confusing for the viewer

•uses one of the six common openings

ways to make your blog posts creative/engaging

• prezi’s, scribd

• edit shots

• scanned images of your notes, diary, texts, e-mails

• ‘test’ video/focus group videos/videos that inspire your idea

• images of your group working/images that inspire you

• Soundcloud, Flipsnap, Slideshare

• Writing

• and many many more

• Examiners want to see you engage in many types of media