Prop- Wall photograph

I borrowed an army outfit and took a photo of my actor to put in a frame on the wall as a prop. This was to hint at the storyline and to make it more realistic. 

Camera angles/shot types- The hangover 2 and Taken 2

Extreme Wide Shot (Establishing shot)

This is an extreme wide shot from The Hangover 2. It is to set location and show where the film may take place at this point.
I could use this in my film at the very beginning to highlight where the story is going to take place. I could show an establishing shot of the house and the street that she lives in.

Wide Shot/Long Shot

This is an example of a wide shot/long shot. You can see the full body of the character and sometimes it is used to introduce new characters to a film, so you get a full idea of how they look, how they dress, etc.
I may use this in my short film to show the wedding dress of my main character, as this is a sigficant costume that signifies a lot about what it going to happen in the film.

Medium Close Up

This is a medium close up. You get a closer look into more detail of the character, and it can highlight a certain expression/emotion. However, you can still see some of the setting in the background.
I could use this when my main character reads the letter about her husband, to capture the emotion on her face and emphasise her feelings.

Two Shot

This is a two shot, which is any two characters in a shot. It is to show conversation and interaction between characters. You can also tell the relationship between the characters by their proximity from each other and how they act around each other.
During the proposal scene in my film, I could use a two shot to esablish the personal distance between the characters to show how close their relationship is.

Extreme Close Up

This is an example of an extreme close up. It draws the audience closer to the story and gives them more detail about a certain character/prop etc. 

I would like to include a few close ups in my film, especially when she goes to open the front door to recieve the letter, as this would bring the audience closer and give more dramatic effect.

Over the shoulder 

An over the shoulder shot draws the audience closer in to the action and we catch a glimpse of what the character is seeing, with them still in the shot. 

When the bride to be is trying on her wedding dress to show her friends, I could use an over the shoulder shot, to make sure she is still in the frame but to also catch a glimse of the reactions of her friends.

Midshot

A mid shot is when we see half of the character. This enables us to see more of the characters facial expressions but still allows us to see extra detail, like the clothing and the setting around the character. 

I think I will be using a lot of midshots throughout my film so that the audience is able to see the expression on the character's face as well as the action and the costume they are wearing.

Low Angle

This is an example of a low angle shot. This is when the camera looks up at a character or object, to imply that a character is powerless or inferior to another character.

There isn't a point in the film where any of the characters are made to feel inferior, however when the main character finds outs the news about her husband I could use a low angle shot looking up at her from the letter.  

High Angle

A high angle shot implies that a character is looking down on another character, implying superiority and authority and makes the other character look vulnerable. 

Similar to the low angle, there won't be a point in my film where any of the characters feel inferior or superior. But I could use a high angle shot when she

falls to the ground and is overcome with emotion, to show her vulnerability at this point in the film.

POV (Point of View)

A POV shot shows a closer look into the action, in the point of view of one of the characters. We are able to see exactly what they are seeing and this makes the storyline more realistic. The audience feel a stronger sense of involvement and are even able to be put in the position of the character themselves. 

I think I would like to use a POV shot in my film because I like how it lets the audience see the action from the characters eyes. I could use this camera angle when she is looking back over her fiance's belongings, so the audience can feel the same emotion that she feels.

Poster props and costume

For my poster, I wanted my model to wear a wedding dress and be holding the letter she receives about the death of her fiance.

I borrowed a wedding dress from a family friend, featured below:

I then created a letter, which was actually blank, but made sure that there was a visible army crest on the top to be seen in my photographs, in order to hint at the plot: 

Poster Photographs

For my film poster, I wanted an image of a woman wearing a wedding dress. I wanted it to be quite darkly lit and simple, with her facial expression hinting at the storyline.
I went to a studio to achieve this and I am going to decide between the four following photographs:

I like the lighting and positioning of this photograph and it was one of my favorites at the start. However, I think that the facial expression is not what I want for a drama genre and the letter is not very prominent in this one.

I do like this photograph, but for a drama, I feel like the lighting is too high key and bright, when it should be a lot darker and more shadowy. I also have to consider whether not having an eye level match is effective or not.

This photograph is my favourite and I think it will be the one I end up using. I like the variety of lighting and how the letter is prominent in her hands. Her facial expression doesn't give too much away but hints at the plot, as well as the army crest being on show. 

Again, I like this photograph but I feel the lighting too bright again and the eye level match worries me as I think her facing the audience would be a lot more effective. 

I got the inspiration for the first three images from a photograph I had found on google. I then put it on my poster that I've been busy making to see if it looked professional and attractive and I was happy with the result. So, I decided to try using the same position and layout: 

Below is the kind of studio I used in order to take these photographs: 

Updated Script

I have decided to change my script in certain places because I wasn't entirely happy with what I originally had. Also, I intended on getting a wedding dress shop as one of my locations, unfortunately I was unable to do this in the end as the owner of the shop had other commitments. I have altered that scene in particular to keep it as similar as it was, in a different location.
Here is my updated version:

Fade in:

EXT. House - Daytime

Establishing shot of a house in a quiet street, just at the sun is coming up.

We see where the main character lives.

Fade to:

INT. Bedroom – Daytime

GRACE is a young girl, maybe in her twenties, who is currently living alone as a result of her husband-to-be working for the army in Afghanistan. She is planning a wedding for when he returns.

GRACE is sleeping when her alarm wakes her up. She turns it off, stretches and lies staring at her ceiling.

She wakes up and turns off her alarm.
She rolls over and stretches and lies down for a short time.
She then gets up and puts on her slippers and dressing gown and leaves the room.
We see a photograph of her with a man in a frame beside her bed.

Cut to:

INT. Living Room – Day

GRACE is sitting texting her friends and watching TV in the living room, while drinking tea. She is arranging for them so visit her house and see her try on her wedding dress.

She is sitting on one of the couches in her living room, with her feet up.
She is drinking tea out of a mug, with the tv on in the background.
She is on her phone and is texting a friend.
We see the conversation between the two.
She smiles and the scene ends.

Fade to:

EXT. Car – Day
INT. Inside the car

GRACE is sitting in the car outside of her house after she has just been to pick up her wedding dress. She is excited, but a little bit sad at the fact her fiancé isn’t at home waiting for her.

She taps her fingers on the steering wheel.
She picks up her purse out of her bag and opens it to look at another photo of the man in the frame, her fiancé’ and she smiles. She then gets out of her car with her dress and goes into her house.

Fade to:

INT. House - Day

GRACE’S friend JULIE and her mother KAROLINE sit excitedly waiting for her to show them her dress. They drink champagne and giggle together. GRACE enters the room and they go quiet. They stand up, stunned.

JULIE and KAROLINE sit together on a couch.
They are chatting and giggling, while drinking champagne.
GRACE enters the room from the dressing room, wearing a wedding dress.
JULIE and KAROLINE stand up, looking emotional

Dissolve to:

INT. – Living room – Day

GRACE is getting on with her housework, sweeping the floor when there is a knock at the door. She stops what she is doing and goes to answer it.

She is sweeping the floor in her living room
She hears a knock at the door and looks up
She goes to leave the room to answer it

Cut to:

INT. – Hallway/Front Door – DAY

GRACE goes to answer the door and sees that there is a man dressed in an army outfit. She is immediately confused and concerned. We do not see the face of this man, just his body from the shoulders down. He hands her a letter and she closes the door. Once she reads it, she becomes aware of the fact that her fiancé has died at war and naturally, she breaks down.
She walks towards the door and sees the man in uniform. She has a confused facial expression. She opens the door and we see the man standing there. He gives her a letter and she takes it before closing the door.
She reads the letter and then throws it on the ground. She then starts to cry and slides down the wall until she is sitting down on the floor.
We see a photograph on the wall of her boyfriend again.
She sits with her head in her hands.

Cut to:

INT. – Bedroom – Early Evening

GRACE has just read the letter and is still distraught and finding it hard to come to terms with what has happened. She goes into her bedroom and looking in his wardrobe, and ends up clinging on to his clothes. She stares sadly at her wedding ring and goes to sit down in front of her mirror.

She walks into her bedroom and towards the wardrobe. She opens it and runs her hands along the clothes. She then clings to the clothes.
She then walks away, towards her bed and sits down, looking into the mirror.
She then stares at the engagement ring on her finger and then closes her eyes

Dissolve to:

INT. – Living room – Evening (Flashback
EXT. – Garden – Night (Flashback)
INT. – Bedroom – Evening (Present)

GRACE has a flash back of her wedding proposal. It is her and her boyfriend in a garden, with lights and a small table and wine. She sees him get on one knee with the ring again. Quick cuts back to her face every so often, in her bedroom, as she smiles, sadly with her eyes closed. 

GRACE and JAMES are walk into the living room and they are smiling and laughing. He puts a blind fold on her and starts leading her out of the door. [Cuts back to her in her bedroom looking down, sad]
 We see all the lights and how the garden is decorated first.
JAMES then directs her to a table where he pulls out the chair for her to sit down.
[Cuts back to her when she is sitting in her bedroom with her eyes closed]
He then gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring.
[Back to her sitting in her bedroom, with her eyes closed]
She smiles and indicates a ‘yes’. They hug and are both smiling and happy, JAMES then sits down and they end up holding hands on the table.
[Back to her in her bedroom, eyes closed, emphasis on her holding her own hand]
They sit on the table talking to each other and appreciating the ring

Fade to:

INT. Bedroom – Evening

GRACE goes to have a lie down, but on his side of the bed. She clutches his pillow and then rolls over to retrieve the photograph of them by the bed. She clutches it and closes her eyes.

She goes to her bed and lies down and we see the empty side of the bed.
She rolls over and stares at the empty space.
She moves and lies on his side, staring at the photograph by the bed.
She picks up the photograph and stares at it.
She lies back, clutching the photograph and closes her eyes

ALL THE WAY THROUGH, NON-DIEGETIC INTRUMENTAL MUSIC WILL BE PLAYING, CHANGING DEPENDING ON THE TONE OF THE SCENE AND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
THERE WILL BE NO LOUD SPEECH OR CONVERSATION.
THERE WILL BE VERY QUIET DIEGETIC BACKGROUND SOUND AT CERTAIN POINTS, ALONG WITH THE NON-DIEGETIC SOUND.

When she beings to read the letter, the music will lower in volume but in the background we will hear the sound of gunshots and explosions.

I.E:
ALARM CLOCK
TELEVISION
TRAFFIC ?
GIGGLING
KNOCK AT THE DOOR

Article Survey Graphs

Click here to see the graphs I made to show my audience feedback!

I also created some graphs on the results of my article survey so I could clearly see the feedback of my audience and consider their opinions in my work. I gave out my surveys and once I got them back with feedback, I made graphs to clearly see which direction I should go in and was able to clearly see the views of my target audience.
I will make sure that I closely consider the feedback that my audience have given me about my double page spread article for my film. It is important to ask for feedback from the potential target audience, so that I can produce work that they expect they will enjoy and engage with themselves. For example, I have found that more people found that a film review had the power to influence whether they would see a film or not, so I will consider this and make sure that I use a lot of persuasive language and techniques and create a positive sounding article.
Also, more people said rather than just text or just image based, they preferred a mixture of the two for a magazine article. Because of this, I am considering doing a page of a few images, and then an article on the other, with text and images dotted around.
Most people said they would prefer to read an article that was simple and straight to the point as they found this easier to digest, than an impressive sounding article. I will definitely take this into consideration and be sure to use a very friendly, informal and digestible tone when writing my article.

Poster Graphs

Click here to see the graphs for my poster survey!

After getting the results back from my audience about what they would like to see on my poster, I created some graphs to tie up all of the information I got so that I could take on board their thoughts and opinions.
I found that the majority of people said that the image on the poster should be the main focus point and that it is what attracts them to the poster the most rather than any of the text. Baring this in mind, I will be sure to make the focus point of my poster, the image, and make sure that it is attractive and eye catching. Similarly, the audience prefer to see a poster that is image based rather than text based, so I'll make sure I don't include the most necessary pieces of text on the poster.
The audience said that the colour scheme that would suit the genre and style of the film best would be dark colours like black and white, rather than bright colours. I assumed this myself any way, but I will definitely be using this kind of colour scheme as my audience agree that it fits well with the style. I may also include some green and brown colours, and include a bit of camouflage style to match the narrative.

Script feedback from teacher and peers

I got some feedback on my script from my teacher and also from a friend. Both gave me advice on how to improve my script and different ideas and directions to consider when filming:

There were two pages of my script that contained feedback. I had a one to one with the teacher for extra feedback and advice where we considered the idea of using a voiceover from the male actor throughout rather than it being silent with instrumental music.

The feedback from my friend was:
1. Remember to use characters names when they are first mentioned
2. Give extra detail (e.g. What the photo is) just for reference when finding/using props
3. Think of appropriate shot types

Setting and Location

As one of my locations is in bridal shop, I wanted to film in a real one to make it realistic. To do this, I had to contact a few shops and eventually got a reply from one saying they would be able to help.

I got a reply from two companies, one of which said that I had to contact them at a later date as their manager wasn't in at the moment. The other said that she was able to help:

The email reads:

Hi Megan

I'm sure we'd be able to help you. The shop is usually closed on a Monday, so that would be best for us. What exactly do you want to do?

Kind Regards

June

Amore Brides 

Character Profiles

I decided to create some character profiles to show the type of people my characters are and give some background information about their lifestyle to go along with the narrative. I have chosen to only create profiles for the two main characters, and not the characters with very small  roles.

Grace Smith

Name: Grace Smith

Age: Mid twenties (25)

Occupation: Teacher

Grace Smith is a young woman in her mid twenties who is a teacher and lives in the north east of England.

She lives in a small, ordinary house, with her boyfriend. 

As he is in the army, she spends a lot of time alone in her home, and has to be as independent as she can.

She has no children but is currently planning a wedding after being proposed to just at the start of the Christmas period. 

 

B.C Carter

Name: Bradley Carter

Age: 26

Occupation: Soldier 
 Bradley Carter is a 26 year old man from the North East of England. He usually lives with his girlfriend and wife-to-be, Grace. 

He proposed to her at the start of the Christmas period, by lighting up the garden with fairy lights. 

He was recently deployed to Afghanistan, where he will spend the next few months fighting. 

Being at war, he leaves his girlfriend behind to look after their home. 

Storyboards

A storyboard is a visual representation of what the film will look like. Each shot needs to be planned for before it can be filmed. 

The storyboard will be annotated with information like the location of the scene, how many actors are needed in the shot, props, vehicles and costumes, the shot types and angles you will be using and the reasons why. 

Certain details need to be considered like any necessary movements made by actors or vehicles in a frame and what direction that would be. Any camera movement to add motion in a shot. Is there need for an special lighting in the frame, remembering that lighting affects the mood you're trying to convey. You also need to consider any special effects needed for the film, and you must decide whether or not a special effects person needs to be hired. Special effects can include things like computer-generated effects and explosions etc. 

Asking my actors

Progress so far:

So far I have the script draft written, I'm aware of all the of shot types and camera angles I want to use and I think I've decided on the music I want to use.

I have gotten in touch with everybody who I would like to be in my film and they all agreed to be part of it.

I still need to get in touch with a wedding dress shop, failing that, I have thought of an alternative scene and I am able to borrow a wedding dress from somebody I know.

I also need to get in touch with a costume shop to be able to get a army costume, failing that, again I have an alternative means of getting one. I know somebody who is in the army who has agreed to letting me borrow his clothes as a last resort.

For the garden scene, I have all of the lights and props I need. I'm in the process of making all of the other props and getting whatever is necessary.

I am arranging a time that I can get one of my actors to come by himself to that I can take his photo for the props like photos hanging on the wall, and the photo in the woman's wallet.

Script/Shooting Script

My film is going to be largely silent, with some music in the background and very little sound here and there. However, I still had to write a script so that I knew which camera angles and editing I would use, as well as knowing what the action in the film was going to be like.

Here are both of the scripts I came up with. Both are very similar, but one has camera angles and shots included.

Fade in:

EXT. House - Daytime

Establishing shot of a house in a quiet street, just at the sun is coming up.

We see where the main character lives.

Fade to:

INT. Bedroom – Daytime

GRACE is a young girl, maybe in her twenties, who is currently living alone as a result of her husband-to-be working for the army in Afghanistan. She is planning a wedding for when he returns.

GRACE is sleeping when her alarm wakes her up. She turns it off, stretches and lies staring at her ceiling.

She wakes up and turns off her alarm.
She rolls over and stretches and lies down for a short time.
She then gets up and puts on her slippers and dressing gown and leaves the room.
We see a photograph of her with a man in a frame beside her bed.

Cut to:

INT. Living Room – Day

GRACE is sitting texting her friends and watching TV in the living room, while drinking tea. She is arranging to meet up with them to go and try on wedding dresses.

She is sitting on one of the couches in her living room, with her feet up.
She is drinking tea out of a mug, with the tv on in the background.
She is on her phone and is texting a friend.
We see the conversation between the two.
She smiles and the scene ends.

Fade to:

EXT. Car – Day
INT. Inside the car

GRACE is sitting in the car outside of the bridal shop before she goes in. She has last minute jitters and takes a minute to calm down.

She taps her fingers on the steering wheel.
She picks up her purse out of her bag and opens it to look at another photo of the man in the frame, her fiancé’ and she smiles.

Fade to:

INT. Bridal Shop - Day

GRACE’S friend JULIE and her mother KAROLINE sit excitedly waiting for her to come out of the dressing room. They drink champagne and giggle together. GRACE enters the room and they go quiet. They stand up, stunned.

JULIE and KAROLINE sit together on a couch.
They are chatting and giggling, while drinking champagne.
GRACE enters the room from the dressing room, wearing a wedding dress.
JULIE and KAROLINE stand up, looking emotional

Dissolve to:

INT. – Living room – Day

GRACE is getting on with her housework, sweeping the floor when there is a knock at the door. She stops what she is doing and goes to answer it.

She is sweeping the floor in her living room
She hears a knock at the door and looks up
She goes to leave the room to answer it

Cut to:

INT. – Hallway/Front Door – DAY

GRACE goes to answer the door and sees that there is a man dressed in an army outfit. She is immediately confused and concerned. We do not see the face of this man, just his body from the shoulders down. He hands her a letter and she closes the door. Once she reads it, she becomes aware of the fact that her fiancé has died at war and naturally, she breaks down.
She walks towards the door and sees the man in uniform. She has a confused facial expression. She opens the door and we see the man standing there. He gives her a letter and she takes it before closing the door.
She reads the letter and then throws it on the ground. She then starts to cry and slides down the wall until she is sitting down on the floor.
We see a photograph on the wall of her boyfriend again.
She sits with her head in her hands.

Cut to:

INT. – Bedroom – Early Evening

GRACE has just read the letter and is still distraught and finding it hard to come to terms with what has happened. She goes into her bedroom and looking in his wardrobe, and ends up clinging on to his clothes. She stares sadly at her wedding ring and goes to sit down in front of her mirror. She envisions her fiancé standing behind her, putting one hand on her shoulder.

She walks into her bedroom and towards the wardrobe. She opens it and runs her hands along the clothes. She then clings to the clothes.
She then walks away, towards her dressing table and sits down, looking into the mirror.
She looks forward and sees him standing behind her, as a vision, and he puts his hand on her shoulder.
She then stares at the engagement ring on her finger and then closes her eyes

Dissolve to:

EXT. – Garden – Night (Flashback)
INT. – Bedroom – Evening (Present)

GRACE has a flash back of her wedding proposal. It is her and her boyfriend in a garden, with lights and a small table and wine. She sees him get on one knee with the ring again. Quick cuts back to her face every so often, in her bedroom, as she smiles, sadly with her eyes closed. 

We see all the lights and how the garden is decorated first.
Both of the couple are sitting at a table together, drinking wine.
[Cuts back to her when she is sitting in her bedroom with her eyes closed]
They are both smiling and laughing and happy, holding hands on the table.
He then gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring.
[Back to her sitting in her bedroom, with her eyes closed]
She smiles and indicates a ‘yes’
[Back to her in her bedroom, eyes closed]
He stands up and they hug.

Fade to:

INT. Bedroom – Evening

GRACE goes to have a lie down, but on his side of the bed. She clutches his pillow and then rolls over to retrieve the photograph of them by the bed. She clutches it and closes her eyes.

She goes to her bed and lies down and we see the empty side of the bed.
She rolls over and stares at the empty space.
She moves and lies on his side, staring at the photograph by the bed.
She picks up the photograph and stares at it.
She lies back, clutching the photograph and closes her eyes

ALL THE WAY THROUGH, NON-DIEGETIC INTRUMENTAL MUSIC WILL BE PLAYING, CHANGING DEPENDING ON THE TONE OF THE SCENE AND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
THERE WILL BE NO LOUD SPEECH OR CONVERSATION.
THERE WILL BE VERY QUIET DIEGETIC BACKGROUND SOUND AT CERTAIN POINTS, ALONG WITH THE NON-DIEGETIC SOUND.

I.E:
ALARM CLOCK
TELEVISION
TRAFFIC ?
GIGGLING
KNOCK AT THE DOOR

 Script with camera angles/shots:

Fade in:

EXT. House - Daytime

Establishing shot of a house in a quiet street, just at the sun is coming up.

Fade to:

INT. Bedroom – Daytime

GRACE is a young girl, maybe in her twenties, who is currently living alone as a result of her husband-to-be working for the army in Afghanistan. She is planning a wedding for when he returns.

GRACE is sleeping when her alarm wakes her up. She turns it off, stretches and lies staring at her ceiling.

Close up of her face while she sleeps.
A slow pan to a close up/ extreme close up of her alarm clock, reading 7:30 am.  (Diegetic sound: Alarm Clock)
Same close up shot, when her hand reaches to turn off the alarm.
A mid shot shows her roll over and stare at the ceiling. (Non-diegetic sound: instrumental music)
Aerial shot above her.
Slight pan to the side, reveals the other side is empty.
Slow pan to the side of her bed, incremental zoom to close up of a photo in a frame.
Back to a long shot as she gets out of bed.
Close up of her slippers as she puts them on, tracking shot of feet as she walks.
Close up of her hands as she picks up her dressing gown.
Long shot as she puts it on.
Pan watches her walk out of her bedroom.

Cut to:

INT. Living Room – Day

GRACE is sitting texting her friends and watching TV in the living room, while drinking tea. She is arranging to meet up with them to go and try on wedding dresses.

Long shot of her sitting on the sofa.
(Non-diegetic sound: instrumental music still playing quietly. Diegetic sound: television playing in the back ground, quietly.)

Slow pan from her on her phone, to another photograph in a frame.
Close up of her hand holding her tea as she drinks.
Midshot from the side to reveal her sitting on the sofa, on her phone.
(Phone text message sound: diegetic)
POV shot showing a text that reads ‘Yep, definitely. I’ll see you soon. Can’t wait to see the dress. Xx’
Midshot, slightly zooming into her face to reveal her excited facial expression.

Fade to:

EXT. Car – Day
INT. Inside the car

GRACE is sitting in the car outside of the bridal shop before she goes in. She has last minute jitters and takes a minute to calm down. She picks up her purse out of her bag and opens it to look at another photo of the man in the frame, her fiancé’.

Long shot, showing her sitting in the car alone.
Midshot showing her sitting inside of the car
Close up of her face
Extreme close up of her tapping the steering wheel
Close up of her face, nervous
Picks up her purse, with a close up and pan.
Over the shoulder shot, as she takes out a photograph and looks at it.
Extreme close up of the photograph, everything else around is blurred.
Close up of her face, smiling.

Fade to:

INT. Bridal Shop - Day

GRACE’S friend JULIE and her mother KAROLINE sit excitedly waiting for her to come out of the dressing room. They drink champagne and giggle together. GRACE enters the room and they go quiet. They stand up, stunned.

Pan around the room, showing the setting.
Two shot, showing the two ladies sitting down together.
Close up of each of their faces
Slow tilt to their champagne glasses and close up
Slow pan to the doors/curtains of the dressing room
Long shot of GRACE entering the room
Medium close up, showing her expression
Two shot of JULIE and KAROLINE standing up
Close ups of each of their face
Slow zoom out, showing her dress, tilt up and down.
Wide shot, showing them all in the room, appreciating her dress.

Dissolve to:

INT. – Living room – Day

GRACE is getting on with her housework, sweeping the floor when there is a knock at the door. She stops what she is doing and goes to answer it.

Long shot, showing her sweeping the floor
POV/Close up of the bottom of the brush and the floor
Medium close up of her face
Back to a long shot
(Diegetic sound: knock at the door)
Tracking shot, following her to the front door

Cut to:

INT. – Hallway/Front Door – DAY

GRACE goes to answer the door and sees that there is a man dressed in an army outfit. She is immediately confused and concerned. We do not see the face of this man, just his body from the shoulders down. He hands her a letter and she closes the door. Once she reads it, she becomes aware of the fact that her fiancé has died at war and naturally, she breaks down.

POV shot, walking towards the front door
POV through the window, seeing the uniform of the man at the door
Close up of her face, showing her confusion and concern
POV as she opens the door
Over the shoulder, from the man’s perspective, we see her expression and stance
Close up of the letter in his hand
Close up of him giving her the letter, then a medium close up of her nodding and closing the door
POV shot of the letter as she opens it
High angle, from below, as she reads the letter
Close up of her eyes moving side to side as she reads
POV/ Extreme close up, revealing words on the letter
Close up of her throwing the letter on the ground
Mid shot, as she leans against the wall and tilt as she slides down it
Close up of her face, crying
Slow pan to the photo of her boyfriend on the wall, dressed in an army uniform
Pan back and slow zoom out, to a wide shot, showing her isolation and her with her head in her hands
Close up of her covered face

Cut to:

INT. – Bedroom – Early Evening

GRACE has just read the letter and is still distraught and finding it hard to come to terms with what has happened. She goes into her bedroom and looking in his wardrobe, and ends up clinging on to his clothes. She stares sadly at her wedding ring and goes to sit down in front of her mirror. She envisions her fiancé standing behind her, putting one hand on her shoulder.

POV/Canted to show her confused/off balance vision as she walks towards the wardrobe.
Mid shot of her opening up the wardrobe
POV showing his clothes inside and a close up of her running her hands along each piece of clothing
Close up of her face from inside of the wardrobe
Over the shoulder shot of her clinging onto his clothes
Pan as she walks over and sits down at her dressing table
Over the shoulder shot, as she looks into the mirror
Slight zoom out, showing him standing behind her
Medium close up of him putting his hand on her shoulder
Slow zoom to her face
Extreme close up of her ring on her finger
Close up of her face looking at it
Mid shot from the side showing her looking at her ring
Close up of her face closing her eyes

Dissolve to:

EXT. – Garden – Night (Flashback)
INT. – Bedroom – Evening (Present)

GRACE has a flash back of her wedding proposal. It is her and her boyfriend in a garden, with lights and a small table and wine. She sees him get on one knee with the ring again. Quick cuts back to her face every so often, in her bedroom, as she smiles, sadly with her eyes closed. 

Starts of blurred, zooms out from a light, to reveal all of the lights in the garden
Pan around, to show what the garden looks like
Pan to the two sitting at the table, two shot
[Fast cut back to her sitting in the bedroom, a close up of her face]
Medium close up of each of their faces
Extreme close up of their hands holding on the table
Long shot as he gets up and slowly zooms back in as he gets down on one knee
[Fast cut back to her room, close up of her face]
High angle, looking down on him as he asks
Close up of the ring
Low angle, from his perspective and medium close up of her face
[Fast cut back to her sitting in her room, medium close up]
Midshot from the side as they hug
All the while, the camera is slightly unfocussed

Fade to:

INT. Bedroom – Evening

GRACE goes to have a lie down, but on his side of the bed. She clutches his pillow and then rolls over to retrieve the photograph of them by the bed. She clutches it and closes her eyes.

Pan following her as she gets up and goes to lay down
Long shot, revealing his side of the bed as she lays down
Mid shot as she rolls over
POV shot of the photo graph and her picking it up
Medium close up of her face as she looks at it
Close up of her holding the photo
Slow zoom out, to reveal her as being lonely, clutching the photograph
Focus slowly blurs and fades to black

ALL THE WAY THROUGH, NON-DIEGETIC INTRUMENTAL MUSIC WILL BE PLAYING, CHANGING DEPENDING ON THE TONE OF THE SCENE AND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
THERE WILL BE NO LOUD SPEECH OR CONVERSATION.
THERE WILL BE VERY QUIET DIEGETIC BACKGROUND SOUND AT CERTAIN POINTS, ALONG WITH THE NON-DIEGETIC SOUND.

I.E:
ALARM CLOCK
TELEVISION
TRAFFIC ?
GIGGLING
KNOCK AT THE DOOR

Shot Types Video

As a group, we filmed a variety of camera shots and angles and edited them into a video, using Premier Pro. This is my version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj-9wWWbfbg

Article first draft

I have written an article that will feature on my double page spread, but I will be making a lot of ammendments from this first draft to make it as good as I can before it is put on my final work.

An emotional tale of real heartbreak and sorrow, the film follows a woman’s life, which has been turned upside down when she finds out that her husband has been killed. A controversial plot as it affects the lives of many, and any misrepresentations could have an impact on the success of the film. Some people might see this film as a cheesy and cliché rom-com, like many others, where the man has gone off to war and the woman is left to pick up the pieces, however, this is not like any of those films. Instead, it tells an emotional love story. Gemma Graham, who plays Grace Smith, the main character, gives a good example of the suffering from many women. She said “I worked hard to get it right. I didn’t want to overdo it. But I wanted to convey the emotion the way it should be. I wanted to do it justice. Graham acts exceptionally well in the film.

Do not be waiting for a script to guide you through the film, as this is not what you will be getting. The acting of the characters guides you through a film made up of only an instrumental song and it tells as much good of a story as a script would. In fact, the lack of speech makes the final scene even more emotional than it already is, paired with good acting and good cinematic choices from the director.

The scene to look out for is where Graham finds herself alone in her bedroom and she has flashbacks to the day of her proposal from her boyfriend.  The flashbacks add to the extreme intensity of her emotion.

Focus Groups

I asked some questions to two members of my target audience and managed to film two:

These questions were:
What kind of colour scheme would you expect to see for a drama?
Do you think the article should be image or text based?

I will take this feedback and make sure I consider their opinions in my work to make sure that they will be pleased with the final result.

Audience Survey- Flim Review Article (Auxilliary Task)

I also created a questionnaire for my target audience about a film review they would find in a magazine article. I included some questions to get some background information on the viewers, as well as questions to receive their advice about certain things, like colour schemes and layout and what content to include.

This is what the finished survey looks like. Again, I hope that I receive feedback which I can then consider when creating my article, to make sure it would attract the type of audience I am aiming for.

I have asked questions like would you see a film just off the basis of a film review? So that means that if I get a lot of answers of yes from my audience, I would really focus on making the article positive and influential. Also, I included quite specific questions like 'would a star rating interest you?' and 'what kind of review attracts you the most: image, text or mixture driven' which means I can get a detailed opinion of the type of conventions to use for my article, based on how the audience feel. 

Audience Survey- Film Poster (Auxilliary Task)

I created a questionnaire that I am going to give to members of my target audience in order to get their feedback about what they look for in film posters, if they take notice of them and how they would think mine should look. This means that I can take on board their feedback so that I give my target audience what they want to see.

This is what my finished questionnaire looks like. Hopefully this will help me to create a better poster, after having a better understanding of what the target audience expect and what to see.

I will be taking on board all of the results and incorporate the views of my target audience into my work to make sure that I have considered their ideas so that they will appreciate and enjoy my work more. I included basic questions like 'What attracts you to a film poster the most?' just to be sure of which element to make the biggest, most eye catching and what to choose as the focus point of the poster, based on what my target audience would prefer. I also included questions like what kinds of colours they would expect to be on film of this kind of genre so that I can be very precise in which kind of colour scheme I used so that it can attract my audience and they would enjoy looking at the poster and for it to be persuasive and attractive to them. 

Short Film Deconstruction

1. The Most Beautiful Thing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP8psM4LWXk

• I particularly like the way that there is very little speech and music over the top. I was just going to use all instrumental music and no speech, but I like the way speech has been used her in very specific and meaningful places, to evoke emotion from the audience
• I like how the story is based around two people mainly, but through the perspective of one in particular. This is the way I would like mine to be. (Through the eyes of the bride to be.) I think this was to make sure the audience were fully engaged in their relationship, without distracting them with other characters and other story lines
• I really like the lighting in this film. It gives the whole thing a really realistic look, whereas if lots of high key, bright lighting was used, it would look more set up and unrealistic. I want to include this into my own film.
• I like the use of the hand held camera in parts, as it shows more of a point of view of the character and the audience empathise for him, as well as it feeling again, more realistic and more like a documentary in some ways that a film. 
• I like the way that despite the fact there is instrumental music throughout, you can still hear diegetic sound over the top. For example, people's conversations, the train passing, opening a locker. I might consider this is mine. This was probably used to provide an overall atmosphere and to give the audience that space and time to feel emotion towards to narrative and the characters
• I like that the narrative storyline behind it is really interesting and unique and has a meaning behind it. 

2. Definitely Maybe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1BIP10HHds

• I like the way that it is based around one character and we follow him around and see his life. By doing this, the audience relate to him more and form a relationship with him. This is what I am to have with my main character
• I dislike the editing in the way that there is a noise between a lot of cuts and it draws the attention away from the action/narrative. I would avoid this in mine as I wouldn't want the audience to be distracted from the main narrative. 
• I like the use of flashbacks and the blur used here and I will definitely be using this in my film. The blurring is used for dramatic effect and to make transitions smoother- also to show the passing of time
• I disliked the way that it was very slow and seemed to take a long time for anything to happen. Because of it being a short film, it should really have less of a back story and more action in my opinion. But sometimes a very slow beginning is used to give the audience time to follow the narrative and form a relationship with the main character. 
• At the start, I like the style of music as it adds a very nostalgic tone to the film and I would like to find something similar to feature in mine. The music is used just the way speech would be, as both have the power to evoke emotion
• I dislike the way at some points, especially during the flashbacks at the beginning, the heads of the characters were cut off and it seemed like nothing fit right within the frame. I think this was intentional, however, it seemed off putting and I would avoid that. I think this was used to draw attention to the action that was happening, rather than the emotion of the characters

3. An Ordinary Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLjSU3t5kHM

• Similar to the first one, I really like the way the narrative is interesting and unique and has a meaning. I like the way it is kind of teaching a valuable lesson to the audience
• I really liked the wide variety of camera angles, from close ups to POV shots, it keeps the film interesting but still runs smoothly. I would like to make sure I include a wide variety of necessary camera angles and shots
• I like the repetition of the waking up scene and how the sound is exactly the same but the camera angle differs. It helps to show a change in time and I would consider using this kind of repetition in my film
• I like the use of natural lighting as it makes everything look more realistic- I would definitely use a lot of natural lighting
• I like how the cuts and transitions are very simple and lets the film flow well without pulling the attention away from the narrative. This is something I would have to be careful with, as too many transitions and varieties of cuts could make the film look messy and unprofessional and hard to follow