Sound for draft no. 1

In order to help represent genre and narrative more clearly we experimented with different soundtracks layred into our title sequence. We found this soundtrack from 'Sourze Musik' on youtube, it stated it was to be used for 'non profit and promotional use'. This meant that we had permission to use any of his tracks within our opening, so we looked into this producer. The soundtrack we chose is hiphop based which appeals to our target audience, with a dark undertone accentuated by the piano layer within the soundtrack. We discovered that this soundtrack set off our title sequence well and also worked perfectly as a soundbridge between the scenes.

Title sequence - draft no. 2

We tried as much as possible to stick to our feedback. However without having another re-shoot it was not possible to edit other footage into our opening. However we are still working on using iMovie and photoshop to edit our opening.

Draft no. 1 feedback

After presenting our first draft in class, we recieved feedback on the positives and negatives (however constructive criticism). Here is the feedback we recieved:

· Font? Consider changing to a different iMovie font, or making your own in Photoshop
· Positioning of titles- consider alternating between top and bottom corners? Try it and see, as opening might benefit from titles being a little more dynamic. Which corner could be decided on image framing, and where the best 'spaces' for titles are.
· Are titles in right order? Convention? Check other openings on Art of the Title to be sure.
·  Running works in time with the music.
· Music atmospheric, complementing moving image - adding to mood of desperation, despair, and slightly dreamlike/out of time/ inner turmoil feel to film (that reflects your central character's state of mind)
· Comedy where not intended? - chase doesn't work so we laugh.... Needs variety of shots (facial close ups, side angle of running etc) to be effective and conventional. Close ups of the men's faces looking menacing? Also need more meaning here, to give us a clue to who these men are (they look a little like young undercover policemen or A level students dressed up?! They do not look as menacing as you intend unfortunately- consider reshooting with older actors, and with close ups, side angle shots, over the shoulder shots from the girl's perspective. If we can be made to believe in them as a serious threat, we will buy in to her need to escape, but if they don't feel threatening enough, we won't care enough or believe in the scenario. I think it is crucial you have another look at this part and plan a new shoot.
· Welcome to hell- Cut more to the beat of the music throughout the opening
· Sequence in warehouse needs more to grip us in terms of the story- flashbacks, voice overs that let us into her state of mind, and offer us clues (enigma codes) as to why she is frightened, running scared, losing her grip on reality.
· Are you sure you don't want two sound layers during the VoiceOver part? (For example, foley sound effects of heavy door closing, perhaps giving the impression that someone has entered the warehouse or her mind as she drifts into restless sleep- you could leave this ambiguous for the audience, with both meanings remaining possibilities. The warehouse section basically needs to draw us into her world further, but at the moment we learn very little about her there, and this is a problem in terms of audience attention.
· Camera work suits genre gritty realism
· Blurs when she's in the warehouse- gives a sense of her perspective- blury, confusing, unsettled, etc
· Cutting to the sound
· Pan around character at beginning, be careful not to cut her face
· Shot of her running when you are shooting her - variety of shots needed for that to have proper impact, audience to feel her fear, their menace.
· Darkness, no bright light, reflects her dark state of mind
· Font to reflect something about her- handwritten, text style font? Or design your own?
· Welcome to hell, works well to have long shot and then close up alongside titles
· Ellipsis could be used in warehouse sequence- to reflect her perspective, like she hasn't realised it's real yet, bad dream,etc.
· Montage of head shots of that person giving that message

We reffered back to our feedback whilst editing our second draft. However we were not able to have a re-shoot, which we wanted to do as we were aware that a criticism we recieved was that maybe a variety of more shots especially in the chase would be effective. We are currently working on this and already preparing for draft no. 3.

Title sequence - draft no. 1

After our second day of shooting, my group and I came together and began cutting and editing in order for our sequence to come together smoothly. I have mentioned in a post below a few of the ways we edited and included a few screenshots of the process.

Mise en scene - (props) cap gun

Four our flashback/chase scene, my group and I thought it would be suitable for one of the men to fire a gun (obviously fake) to add to the tension and compliment the up-beat tempo of the scene. Bruno mainly took charge and managed to find a cap-gun, based on a 'snub nose' revolver 'detective special' like the one used by Bonnie of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde Criminal Couple. The shape of gun indicates its malicious use as it is a commonly used gun amongst petty criminals due to it to compact size. Bruno managed to drill through the tip of the gun and recolour the orange tip to black. These modifications had a significant impact in making the gun seem more realistic, especially when fired the louder BANG it produces. Smoke also comes out the bullet chamber also creating a more realistic effect. These modifications increased the effectiveness of the 8 shot caps.

Mise en scene - (costume) suits

For our chase scene, my group and I drew inspiration of the suits used in the Men in Black trilogy. The suits here present a sense of power, status and inconspicuosness. This is due to that fact that black suits are pretty indistinct and quite low visibility. So people who wear them to some extent lose a sense of their individuality. We decided that this is exactly what we wanted to achieve with the two men in the chase scene, that they have no importance as in a way thousands of people can fill the same duty, they are simply hired to do the deeds. We purposely did not use ties as it gives the men a sense of informality (unlike in Men in Black) and it detracts from the suits 'official status'.

<----- This is a screenshot from our title sequence draft.

Improvised filming equipment

In order for our flashback/chase scene to work, we needed a smooth dolly shot style as opposed to the handheld/stedicam work which we purposely used for our opening. We improvised and thought that a trolley would fit perfectly in helping us achieve a smooth shot. Our camera man George Nolan, sat in the trolley, and we placed the tripod with the camera in between his legs to keep it as steady as possible. In order to achieve this shot, we had to pull the trolley backwards whilst gradually building up speed. We had one person on either side of the trolley to stabilise it and keep it straight and on track. We also had one person pulling the trolley smoothly in order to achieve this gradual build up of pace. It was very tricky to master getting a smooth and accurate shot, so it took us a few takes until we produced a shot we were happy with. We had to set a general marker to get all the charcters within the shot and also to improve the symmetry, as we discovered when reviewing our shots that in a lot of them you could not see the other suited actor clearly.

Mood board for target audience

Screenshots of editing process

This is the iMovie interface. We uploaded all our shots here, and began editing and cutting our footage.

Here we began erasing clip time in order to reduce the length of the first draft to prepare for the additon of the next scene.

Here we began sectioning the audio clip in order to increase the volume, we edited the voice in as we thought it would fit in perfectly, also quite effective.

While Veronica is walking by the road, we shot a clip of the camera slowly tracking round to her face. However we thought it would be more effective adding slow motion to this, as it is the first encounter the audience have of her, and by using slow motion this enables the audience to analyze her as a character. We selected the clip, and applied the slow motion editing feature.

Here we began editing the blackout-clip timing to accommodate the length of the audio clip that I mentioned about above.

Day 2 of shooting - 28/02/13

For the second part of our shooting, we decided that the long alleyway just round the corner from our school would be a suitable (as the scene is a shot that includes a 15 meter run)setting for the flashback that occurs from Veronica awakening, which fits perfectly from where we left off. In this scene what we wanted to achieve that a chase that takes place in Veronica's life, her pimp and his friend trying to capture Veronica from her escape. Instead of holding the steadycam, we decided to use a tripod, with George sitting in a trolley which would be pulled backwards whilst filming Veronica and the two men in suits chasing her. By doing this enabled the camera to be more still and central, rather than someone having to run backwards whilst doing this. 

We had one person pulling it straight whilst running, and two people on either side pulling and running in order to keep the trolley straight therefore the shooting of the run still and professional too. For our shot, we had Veronica in the middle with the two men either side her about 2 meters back. The trolley was pulled backwards whilst the shot was being taking, enabling for the run to look realistic as possible, eventually with one of the men pulling a capgun out and shooting. This was a prop we used, which added to the tenseness of the scene in contrast to the previous scene which was instead quite eerie, lonely and negative.

We were able to shoot this about 3 times, which was enough for us to use and edit into our opening. We didn't come across many difficulties, apart from having to pull the trolley backwards in a straight line! However we managed to achieve what we needed. 

Day 1 of shooting - 09/01/13

My group and I decided that the best location to shoot part 1 of our opening would the old factory just off the main road to Kidlington. It has quite an eerie feel to it, which is exactly the effect we wanted to portray of our opening. The weather suited the setting, beginning to become dusk and very light snow. This set the tone and mood of our opening, quite a chill and somewhat negative effect of Veronica's escape.

We began filming with our steadyhand  camera by the main road right next to this factory, of Veronica walking for either a hitch hike or a place to stay. We had no problems with filming this, as it was quite straight forward. We edited and cut time out of. Adding to this we used a steadyhand camera for a purpose, we thought by using it, would give the opening (and our film) more of a realistic and biographical view, as if someone was following Veronica through her journey and escape.

Once in the factory, we began by filming Veronica walking towards the factory. Whilst doing this, we came across a slab which had written 'welcome to hell...' we had the idea of erasing this, and instead adding our film title as it was a perfect space for writing. However we decided to keep the 'welcome to hell...' as it added to the eeriness, especially negativity of the setting that Veronica would be part of. 

We followed Veronica through into the factory, this was done to show the audience exactly what Veronica would be putting up with for the night, especially to create sympathy towards her. One thing that became difficult was that inside was quite dark, so became a little hard to film, however we overcame this by using a torchlight I had on my phone, which we used with the steadycam. Our last shot of Veronica for the day was of her taking her coat of and lying on the ground, when she was lying down we put the camera on the floor facing her, and a shot that we would include in our opening was of Veronica closing her eyes and suddenly opening them, which would then lead to her flashback which would be filmed in the second part of our shooting. We purposely didn't include any speech in our opening, as it helped portray Veronica's loneliness and also helped set the mood of the setting, as we are aware of how alone she is and that there is no one to talk to. 

Official shooting schedule