Act One:
Main protagonist escapes capturer.
Act Two:
A chase occurs, between the protagonist and antagonist.
Act Three:
The main protagonist is re-captured and the twist is revealed.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Treatment and Storyboarding Task: Reflection
Treatment and storyboarding task: reflection/evaluation:
• Describe any problems or difficulties you encountered in this unit or during the planning process;
• Discuss how your plot development, character planning and research helped you to write your treatment;
• Discuss whether the activities and examples provide on BlackBoard helped you to develop an effective treatment;
• Discuss whether you have made clear use of the appropriate genre conventions and film language throughout your storyboards;
• Describe any problems or difficulties you encountered when drawing/creating your storyboards;
• Describe any skills or techniques you have discovered during the project;
A difficulty that I encountered during the development of my film synopsis, was writing the end of my film. I had trouble figuring out the twist/ending and it took me a while to figure it out. But eventually I figured it out, but I feel I could've done better. I found it fairly easy to develop my character profile's. Although I thought it was difficult to develop the character's names so I just replaced the surnames with an 'X'. I thought this applied because the characters are 'mysterious agents'. The Film Treatment aid on blackboard was a massive guide/help for the writing of my film treatment and the formulation of my storyboards. Without the film treatment guide I would have had no clue how to format and write most aspects of my film treatment. I believe that I have conveyed the appropriate genre conventions and film language throughout my storyboards. I used detailed descriptions to accompany my storyboard images. In the details I included lighting, camera movement, sound effects and transitions into some of the following shots. I'm not a talented artist so I feel I could've improved my drawing quality by possibly taking more time to draw them or possibly take photos, but I think taking photos would have been too time consuming. I discovered the techniques used to format and write a film treatment as well as format and create storyboards. I also acquired a more extensive film vocabulary.
Discuss your feelings about the pre-production task:
• Does your project clearly depict a genre film?
• Are you satisfied with the final result?
• Are there things you would like to change?
• Did you manage your time effectively? If not, how can you work to improve this?
• If you could start again what would you do differently?
I believe that my film does clearly Depict a genre film. The genre I chose for my film is action, I tried to depict this through the use of action shots like extreme close ups of arms, legs and face while tracking. These techniques are used in genre appropriate high speed chases or escapes. The use of a gun is also relevant to the action genre, as well as inclusion of characters which are secret agents. I am pretty happy with my final result but I would've like to have had more time to think and develop my ending and incorporate it into the rest of the film. Yes, if I could change anything I would change the ending. I would have made it more effective and have more of a twist. I think i managed my time averagely, I could have spent more time developing the conclusion. And I also could've completed my treatment quicker and therefore have a draft. If I could start again, I would have weaved a better background story throughout the film, and established eventually the plot at the conclusion. I would have also created a better plot twist and figured out a better way to reveal to the audience the stories behind the characters.
• Describe any problems or difficulties you encountered in this unit or during the planning process;
• Discuss how your plot development, character planning and research helped you to write your treatment;
• Discuss whether the activities and examples provide on BlackBoard helped you to develop an effective treatment;
• Discuss whether you have made clear use of the appropriate genre conventions and film language throughout your storyboards;
• Describe any problems or difficulties you encountered when drawing/creating your storyboards;
• Describe any skills or techniques you have discovered during the project;
A difficulty that I encountered during the development of my film synopsis, was writing the end of my film. I had trouble figuring out the twist/ending and it took me a while to figure it out. But eventually I figured it out, but I feel I could've done better. I found it fairly easy to develop my character profile's. Although I thought it was difficult to develop the character's names so I just replaced the surnames with an 'X'. I thought this applied because the characters are 'mysterious agents'. The Film Treatment aid on blackboard was a massive guide/help for the writing of my film treatment and the formulation of my storyboards. Without the film treatment guide I would have had no clue how to format and write most aspects of my film treatment. I believe that I have conveyed the appropriate genre conventions and film language throughout my storyboards. I used detailed descriptions to accompany my storyboard images. In the details I included lighting, camera movement, sound effects and transitions into some of the following shots. I'm not a talented artist so I feel I could've improved my drawing quality by possibly taking more time to draw them or possibly take photos, but I think taking photos would have been too time consuming. I discovered the techniques used to format and write a film treatment as well as format and create storyboards. I also acquired a more extensive film vocabulary.
Discuss your feelings about the pre-production task:
• Does your project clearly depict a genre film?
• Are you satisfied with the final result?
• Are there things you would like to change?
• Did you manage your time effectively? If not, how can you work to improve this?
• If you could start again what would you do differently?
I believe that my film does clearly Depict a genre film. The genre I chose for my film is action, I tried to depict this through the use of action shots like extreme close ups of arms, legs and face while tracking. These techniques are used in genre appropriate high speed chases or escapes. The use of a gun is also relevant to the action genre, as well as inclusion of characters which are secret agents. I am pretty happy with my final result but I would've like to have had more time to think and develop my ending and incorporate it into the rest of the film. Yes, if I could change anything I would change the ending. I would have made it more effective and have more of a twist. I think i managed my time averagely, I could have spent more time developing the conclusion. And I also could've completed my treatment quicker and therefore have a draft. If I could start again, I would have weaved a better background story throughout the film, and established eventually the plot at the conclusion. I would have also created a better plot twist and figured out a better way to reveal to the audience the stories behind the characters.
Film Synopsis
The screen fades in from black. From Sarahs’s perspective we see that she is in a dark room with a single light source. A mysterious figure appears from the darkness, and she looks at her hands and feet, which are bound with rope. Through Sarah’s eyes the figure emerges from the darkness and walks towards her, placing his face close to hers. His arm raises and he rips a strip of tape off her mouth. He points a gun towards her and says ‘Where is the case?’ She remains silent. He repeats and adds ‘If you don’t tell me, I will…’Finally Sarah’s face is revealed as suspenseful music begins to crescendo and the camera swoops in from behind the mysterious figure to a medium close-up of her face as she begins to smile. The screen goes black instantly. Two gunshots are fired, as the word Amnesia abruptly appears in white military style writing.
An extreme close up of Sarah’s face comes into view as she is running through trees. In time with her rapid breathing, the camera cuts between long shots of her running through the forest and extreme close ups of her face and feet. She soon tires and rests. After she reviews her surroundings she figures the ‘coast is clear’ and soon realises she is near a street with two rows of houses that she dimly recognises.
Suddenly a ‘merky lit’ shot takes over the screen and Sarah is seen running from one of the houses, and places a note in a letter box and then runs away again. After the shot she is standing in front of the same house from her flashback, this is the first flashback that Sarah has and to establish that it is a flashback the lighting in the scene previously mentioned will be merky and in a warmer light/shade.
Sarah is standing in front of the house, and walks cautiously towards the letter box, she reaches in an pulls out a key. There is no address, note or explanation attached to the letter. Suddenly a loud crashing noise is heard from the house, Sarah approaches the house cautiously. She walks up the driveway, and walks up the stairs to the front door of the house. The door is half open, she cautiously proceeds to open the door and walk through the living area. She again experiences a flashback, but this time it is of her placing a folded note behind an object (could be a vase or photo frame). There is a clock/calendar next to the object masking the note and the date reads 4 June 2011. After returning to reality Sarah looks to her right side and sees the object from her flashback, although this time the date reads 5 June 2011. Sarah reaches behind the object and pulls out the note. It is a crumpled piece of white paper, she goes to read it when, a white cloth is held over her mouth by Jackson, her eyes close sleepily.
She wakes up again, in the same location as the first scene, but this time Jackson X has a leather case, he opens it and retrieves a manila folder with the words ‘CLASSIFIED’ written in red on the front of it. He approaches Sarah, this time her mouth is not taped, he holds in front of her the key she had retrieved from the letter box in the house she had been at. “I have to thank you Agent Sarah X, the agency has been searching for this key, for a very long time. When I retrieved you from Dr. Schinkes house I knew you would do my job for me, one by collecting the key to Dr. Schinkes lab and two by finding the letter you left for yourself yesterday. You see, we were partners before...well before an incident we encountered at the lab we were working undercover in. Listen, I didn’t want things to end this way, how was I supposed to know the agency would send out a warrant against you.” Sarah remains silent. Jackson hands her the letter and says “It’s blank, I checked before, obviously you’re not as smart as the agency or I had presumed.” The camera swoops to reveal Sarah’s face, she’s smiling. Jackson starts screaming, his hands are a fiery red. He drops to his knees. The screen goes black. Two gun shots are heard. The words ‘The End’ appear on the screen. Screen fades out.
An extreme close up of Sarah’s face comes into view as she is running through trees. In time with her rapid breathing, the camera cuts between long shots of her running through the forest and extreme close ups of her face and feet. She soon tires and rests. After she reviews her surroundings she figures the ‘coast is clear’ and soon realises she is near a street with two rows of houses that she dimly recognises.
Suddenly a ‘merky lit’ shot takes over the screen and Sarah is seen running from one of the houses, and places a note in a letter box and then runs away again. After the shot she is standing in front of the same house from her flashback, this is the first flashback that Sarah has and to establish that it is a flashback the lighting in the scene previously mentioned will be merky and in a warmer light/shade.
Sarah is standing in front of the house, and walks cautiously towards the letter box, she reaches in an pulls out a key. There is no address, note or explanation attached to the letter. Suddenly a loud crashing noise is heard from the house, Sarah approaches the house cautiously. She walks up the driveway, and walks up the stairs to the front door of the house. The door is half open, she cautiously proceeds to open the door and walk through the living area. She again experiences a flashback, but this time it is of her placing a folded note behind an object (could be a vase or photo frame). There is a clock/calendar next to the object masking the note and the date reads 4 June 2011. After returning to reality Sarah looks to her right side and sees the object from her flashback, although this time the date reads 5 June 2011. Sarah reaches behind the object and pulls out the note. It is a crumpled piece of white paper, she goes to read it when, a white cloth is held over her mouth by Jackson, her eyes close sleepily.
She wakes up again, in the same location as the first scene, but this time Jackson X has a leather case, he opens it and retrieves a manila folder with the words ‘CLASSIFIED’ written in red on the front of it. He approaches Sarah, this time her mouth is not taped, he holds in front of her the key she had retrieved from the letter box in the house she had been at. “I have to thank you Agent Sarah X, the agency has been searching for this key, for a very long time. When I retrieved you from Dr. Schinkes house I knew you would do my job for me, one by collecting the key to Dr. Schinkes lab and two by finding the letter you left for yourself yesterday. You see, we were partners before...well before an incident we encountered at the lab we were working undercover in. Listen, I didn’t want things to end this way, how was I supposed to know the agency would send out a warrant against you.” Sarah remains silent. Jackson hands her the letter and says “It’s blank, I checked before, obviously you’re not as smart as the agency or I had presumed.” The camera swoops to reveal Sarah’s face, she’s smiling. Jackson starts screaming, his hands are a fiery red. He drops to his knees. The screen goes black. Two gun shots are heard. The words ‘The End’ appear on the screen. Screen fades out.
Key Locations
Dark Room - The dark room is crucial to the effectiveness of the opening scene of the film. It will be predominantly black, there is to be no background objects at all. There is a single light hanging from the roof, it is turned on and dimly lights the room.
Park - After the dark room scene, Sarah flees Jackson who was interrogating her before she escaped the room. Jackson cannot see Sarah and does not pursue her, shots cut to Sarah sprinting through the forest/park. There are extreme close ups and
House/Streets – After Sarah feels she’s safe from Jackson she returns to walking stray on the streets, searching for an object, place or person that will trigger a flashback similar to one that she had when she escaped the dark room. As she’s walking she sees a house that triggers a flashback of her walking out of it and looking around and also an image of her placing a key in the mailbox.
Park - After the dark room scene, Sarah flees Jackson who was interrogating her before she escaped the room. Jackson cannot see Sarah and does not pursue her, shots cut to Sarah sprinting through the forest/park. There are extreme close ups and
House/Streets – After Sarah feels she’s safe from Jackson she returns to walking stray on the streets, searching for an object, place or person that will trigger a flashback similar to one that she had when she escaped the dark room. As she’s walking she sees a house that triggers a flashback of her walking out of it and looking around and also an image of her placing a key in the mailbox.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Character Analysis
KEY CHARACTERS
Sarah X is an intelligent, undercover spy who has lost her short-term memory and finds herself in a difficult situation. She endeavours on a journey to re-gain her memory, experiencing random momentary flashbacks of memory throughout the film, she soon unravels the mystery that is her life.
Jackson X is a determined young agent who finds himself targeting his previous work partner Sarah X. Jackson is asked by his agency, who remains unknown to the audience to seek out and terminate his old partner because of a previous top secret case they had worked together which failed. He is a serious man, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Sarah X is an intelligent, undercover spy who has lost her short-term memory and finds herself in a difficult situation. She endeavours on a journey to re-gain her memory, experiencing random momentary flashbacks of memory throughout the film, she soon unravels the mystery that is her life.
Jackson X is a determined young agent who finds himself targeting his previous work partner Sarah X. Jackson is asked by his agency, who remains unknown to the audience to seek out and terminate his old partner because of a previous top secret case they had worked together which failed. He is a serious man, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Creative Media Homework - Create a story for the storyboard
A vengeful vampire seeks redemption from a priest who sparked a cull of vampires around England.
Using the storyboards write a prose style treatment which explains what is taking pace in the storyboards. Remember to include dialogue + sound which are relevant. Your writing should convey the tension in the scene.
Fast paced suspenseful music is accompanying the priest being chased by the villainous man. As he runs, sound effects such as puffing of the priest and his footsteps (fast paced as he’s running) are accompanying the shot(s). It is an over the shoulder shot, on a slight low angle to establish the roles of the two characters. The priest is clenching the railing behind him as if to catch himself from running. The character in the background has the power and the priest appears to be at his mercy.
A medium close up shot, on a low angle of the villainous character, the angle suggests his power. He is abiding by the rule of thirds as he is in the centre-left of the shot, this increases the interest of the shot. The first shot, similar to the second has surroundings / settings that suggest the scene is set in a church or cathedral.
The priest is clinging to the rails of the altar, he has his arms and legs wide apart and appears to be on high alert and ready to run. The priest in the point of focus, being in the foreground of the shot in the right of the shot again applying to the rule of thirds. There is light shining through the windows onto the pews as well as onto the pillars.
The vampire uses his super-human speed to throw the priest across the room, he smashes into a glass table and falls to the ground, moaning. Barely able to open his eyes the priest looks around, searching for the vampire. He stumbles onto his feet and sighs in relief, he believes the vampire has thought he died. He hears a deep laugh coming from behind him. Suddenly he is thrown onto the church alter. A shadow is cast over the priest, the vampire is looking down at the priest, impaled on a silver cross.
Using the storyboards write a prose style treatment which explains what is taking pace in the storyboards. Remember to include dialogue + sound which are relevant. Your writing should convey the tension in the scene.
Fast paced suspenseful music is accompanying the priest being chased by the villainous man. As he runs, sound effects such as puffing of the priest and his footsteps (fast paced as he’s running) are accompanying the shot(s). It is an over the shoulder shot, on a slight low angle to establish the roles of the two characters. The priest is clenching the railing behind him as if to catch himself from running. The character in the background has the power and the priest appears to be at his mercy.
A medium close up shot, on a low angle of the villainous character, the angle suggests his power. He is abiding by the rule of thirds as he is in the centre-left of the shot, this increases the interest of the shot. The first shot, similar to the second has surroundings / settings that suggest the scene is set in a church or cathedral.
The priest is clinging to the rails of the altar, he has his arms and legs wide apart and appears to be on high alert and ready to run. The priest in the point of focus, being in the foreground of the shot in the right of the shot again applying to the rule of thirds. There is light shining through the windows onto the pews as well as onto the pillars.
The vampire uses his super-human speed to throw the priest across the room, he smashes into a glass table and falls to the ground, moaning. Barely able to open his eyes the priest looks around, searching for the vampire. He stumbles onto his feet and sighs in relief, he believes the vampire has thought he died. He hears a deep laugh coming from behind him. Suddenly he is thrown onto the church alter. A shadow is cast over the priest, the vampire is looking down at the priest, impaled on a silver cross.
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