What we did today

Today we focused on re-filming some of our scenes so that we could have better lighting and angles; also we started the editing process with our first couple of scenes so we could see what needed to be cut.

FILMING

                                   
REFILMING SOME SCENES -

•  the main character needs to be moved up in the screen because it does not fit the rule of thirds 

•  some scenes are to dark - we tried to lighten the dark scenes but it doesn't work

changes in our schedule

we had to make quite a few changes to our schedule as our film is based inside a school so we found that we could not film during the holidays, however we are planning to film as soon as we get back to college as all the shots are based in classrooms.

on Monday the 24th we plan to film some shots and also overview our shots that we already have to make sure that they are good enough and to see what other shots we need to film. and so that we can start our editing process.

on Tuesday the 25th we all have a free school timetable so that gives us a lot more time to focus on filming and getting on with our editing.

idents idents idents

now a days idents are much more creative and fun, this is so that the viewer is engaged to what they are advertising which is their company this is also so that the viewer is not forced to sit through boring idents which will probably discourage them to want to watch a movie made by those specific companies if they have to watch so many at one go. here are some interesting and fin idents:
TV idents:

 FILM idents:

what are idents??

an ident is a moving image or logo to represent a brand that is shown before a show or a movie:

they usually last for up to 30 seconds.

Order of titles

films use titles so that the viewer knows the different people involved in making the movie and the different companies involved. the film companies use their idents to advertise they company and make their stamp on the movies.
the opening credits are the most important actors names and also the main characters of the film itself, the person who gets paid the most and is most likely to be the most well known, their name will be shown last. the opening sequence shows the main people whereas the final sequence shows an overview of everyone that worked on the film.

Sound ideas for our final project:

SOUND IDEAS FOR OUR FINAL PROJECT

As we have filmed most of our final project we now have to add in the sound.We have given a lot of thought to what genre of background music we want to use and the sound effects. We decided to use instrumentals of hip hop and R&B songs. We did this because it goes well with our sequence and is well suited to our character in our opening.

some of the songs we chose:

•  Chris Brown - Show me ~ This song is very upbeat and emphasises the whole mood of the beginning of our film opening

• Wale ft Miguel - Lotus flower bomb ~ This is one of our options because we liked how the sound at the beginning of the song is very calm we thought this would be good as it is suited to the beginning of our opening where our character is shown sleeping it also creates a very calm, relaxed vibe until of course the beat drops. The beat also drops when our character gets out of bed. This is good as the music matches the actions of the character.

• Ja Rule ft Ashanti - Always on time ~ This is also another option that we considered using for the same reason as the above song. However this song is more upbeat and is better suited to our character.

choosing our sound - BACKGROUND MUSIC OPTIONS

How it went filming 18/02/14

Filming today was a big success! Compared to the last filming session we had we definitely had a more productive and enjoyable time filming this time round! We re- filmed most of the footage we had shot in our first filming session. We did not get frustrated with one another this time because we had set out a clear plan of what we had to do in order to get the right footage. Also, we made sure we shot several shots to ensure we get the best footage for our final project.

Props used for filming on 18/02/14

Pictures from filming session on 18/02/14!

How it went filming 18/02/14

In my opinion i think filming went extremely good! Compared to the last filming session we had we definitely enjoyed it a lot more and got a lot more done. we didn't get frustrated at one another and we listened to each others ideas and worked through them in order to somehow incorporate all our ideas to create the opening to  all our likings. 

Group 25 now on twitter!

GROUP 25 ARE NOW ON TWITTER!

                                                               
                                                                *credits to Osob*

why we made a twitter account!!

we made a twitter account as twitter is a very popular website in this day and age ! evryone has it and we figured that if we want people to look at our blog and keep up with what we were doing twitter would be an amazing way to do that as it gives us all the resources we need in order to do that!

there are millions of people on twitter and it is one of the fastest growing social media sites which we thought we could also take advantage of!

Problems faced whilst filming:

Although we had fun whilst filming we also faced a few problems.

Some of the problems we faced was:

• Not collecting all the equipment we needed. This caused delays in filming as we had to go back to college and collect the equipment needed. To avoid this we could create a check-list of all the equipment we need beforehand this will ensure we don't forget any of the equipment necessary. 
• Dialogue. Watching over some of our footage we noticed the dialogue was not heard as much as it should be. To avoid this problem we will make sure we film in a place where it is more quiet and there is less background noise.
• Coordination. Whilst filming we all got frustrated at one point. This was due to the lack of coordination between us. This caused delays in filming as we were all confused and were not clear on what parts we were filming. To avoid this we will communicate more and talk about things in a calm and rational manner. 

How it went filming:

We had our first filming session for our final project on the 12th Feb. In my opinion, I think it went well although we all had our moments due to the frustration of trying to get several shots and make sure each one was up to our standards. We had a lot of fun and all made contributions as to what shots we should use and what we could do to make our final project better. We will continue filming and hopefully create a outstanding final project!

how it went filming: 12/2/14

It was actually pretty fun but we had our moments where we all got a tad bit grumpy seeing as sometimes we got confused on how to go about certain scenes. We started off really well recording parts of both Plan A and Plan B (just incase we can't fix the lighting for the summer scene) so we also have more to work with. There are still some scenes that need filming and hopefully we can do them quickly tomorrow, so we'll have enough shots to edit to make our sequence.

Binary oppositions

Pictures from filming session on 12/02/14!

 

Films containing similar themes to our final project:

Some filming locations for our final project.

Plot line for our final project:

 Log line: Cassidy is a teenager born and raised in the cold streets of New York. She is the most popular girl in school but this will all change when her fellow high schoolers find out about her not so small now big secret?

Cassidy is one of the most popular girls in her school. She is an aspiring dancer and is known for her curvy figure and outgoing personality. She is the most desired girl on the block. The girl that every guy wants, and every girl wants to be. However will she still be the most desired girl on the block when everyone finds out she is pregnant? Will she be able to overcome all the drama and awkward situations that this baby brings? Or will she get caught up in the hood games of her newly found lover who impregnated her. In the mist of trying to get an education and fulfil her ambition she meets the high school Nerd King Chester. Little does she know the ‘Nerd King’ she had avoided her whole life is what she needs to get through the drama high school brings. This is a coming of age film which will inspire generations to come.

Small changes to our final project:

Based on Dan's feedback and our own knowledge of teen films and what people our age will find interesting we decided to change a few details of our final project. We decided to change the setting and the types of people that will be in our sequence. We decided to make things more interesting and change the surroundings of the main character. Instead of having a normal everyday high school we decided to make our high school ghetto. We decided to do this as we believe it would add to the comedy side of our genre and make it more appealing to a wider audience. We also decided to keep the Stereotypical characters found in high school because we feel like it would keep some of the traditional ideas of a teen film.

Contribution to pitch:

For the pitch I choose to write and speak about the audience detail and what production company would produce our film. I also created a production schedule for our final project through timetoast. However, we all helped each other in each of the slides adding our personal opinions on what each of our group members have written and how we could improve the content of our pitch.

ACTION PLAN:

We have created an action plan to ensure that there are no problems on our first day of filming. Here are some parts of our action plan:

• Arrive early to ensure there are no delays in filming
• Remember to bring all props and costumes
• Bring backup costumes just in case
• Collect all necessary equipment at the start of filming session (this will make sure there are no delays when filming)
• Keep equipment safe throughout filming session
• Make sure we use a microphone whilst filming so dialogue is heard clearly
• Make sure we use camera techniques learnt (for example - The rule of thirds)

Filming session - Wednesday 12th Febuary

Hi guys! We will be starting our first filming session on Wednesday 12th Feb. We are very excited and have created an action plan to avoid any mishaps.

Characters

characters in our opening sequence A or B

Plan A:

• Cassidy- popular pregnant girl
• Chester- nerd king
• Alana- bestfiend 1
• Alia- bestfriend 2
• Ashley A, Ashley B, Ashley C- the drones (girls who followed her around her 'crew') 
• General school kids
• Class mates

Plan B:

•  Cassidy- popular pregnant girl
•  Chester- nerd king
•  Class mates
•  Alana- bestfiend 1
•  Alia- bestfriend 2
•  Ashley A, Ashley B, Ashley C- the drones (girls who followed her around her 'crew')
•  General school kids
•  Teacher

change in plans

Instead of filming on Monday the 10th we decided to make a few changes to our opening sequence so that we are 100% sure in what we are doing and to change some of the things that we were advised to change by our teacher when we did our pitch.
 We have also decided to have a back up plan (Plan B) just incase if we can't film certain scenes we will still have a plan.

things i need to do

• Blog more consistantly (5 blogs per week - not including the ones done in class)
• revise safety tips 
• bring in props in
• work and revise on shot types

Changing our film name

from the begining we wanted an individual name for our movie, however creating a name was harder than we thought it was as many of the names that we though of were longer or did not make sense. another reason making a name was hard was because some of us may not have liked the name that one though of it was hard for us to agree on one that we all realy liked. we went from 'babies, high schools, food and awkward situations' and then we decided to take the food out as we felt it did not make sense. so it went to 'babies, high schools and awkward situations' and finally one we all agreed on was the title 'Starting out Awkward' whch we felt fit with our plot perfectly as the pregnant teen in the film (Cassidy) was starting her school year off awward as being a pregnant teen is not exactly the norm, also the baby having a teen mum will be starting out their life awkwardly, and the fact that she falls n love with an awkward 'geek'.

final project shot types

first scene:

• shot of scenery
• close up of feet & then tilt from feet to head but freeze on stomach for a while  whilst she is crossing the road
• jump cut to theopposite sde (highschool)
• eye line veiw of high schoolers to focus on their reactions 
• jump cut to the girls (pregnant) stomach
• tilt up to girls head down in embarresment

10/2/14: Plan

1. rewrite the opening sequence (use as a back up plan if we don't have good weather to film the summer scene)
2. make a list of shots we will use in the sequence and why 
3. upload video of Dan's feedback and our pitich delivery

reseaching comedy scenes: superbad

research comedy scenes: clueless

Skills picked up whilst filming - Rule of thirds:

Rule of thirds from Jayne Whitelock on Vimeo.

Camera skills learnt through filming:

Whilst filming with my group there was a lot of problems we faced and worked through. We picked up many camera techniques and learnt a lot about what should be done in order to create our final project to the best of our abilities. some of the things i learnt whilst filming the shot by shot remake are: I found that filming dialogue on location is often very difficult to hear, to avoid this situation I learnt that I must keep the microphone as close to the subjects mouth as possible. This will enable the subjects voice to be heard more than the background noise. Also, I learnt the best possible way to do this is making sure the microphone is either above the subjects head or below their mouth.I learnt that it is crucial to shoot the same shot several times, this will ensure that I get the best frame possible and make no blunders in shooting. Another thing learnt whilst filming is the importance of filming at the same height as the subject because this creates a much more natural look for the subject. Another thing learnt is that tripods and steadicams are essential when filming because they create a steady shot. Also, I learnt that when filming it is really important that the lighting is not behind the subject but in front of the subject otherwise the shot will come out dark and create a glowing outline around the subject which is not desired.

Final Project - Filming Dates!

How to use Creative Commons:

Films about pregnancy-Jessica

research pregnant scenes: What to expect when your expecting

Reflection blog:

So far, i don't think as a group we are blogging to the best of our ability. There is not enough posts on the blog and not enough depth in the content of our posts. To improve this we could blog more on a daily basis and do more research. This will also enable us to create our final prject to the best of our abilities. Also, i have found that we are not using a variety of media for blogging. In order to change this we could use prezis, youtube videos and slide share more often.

Preparation for our pitch:

Hi guys! Here are some of the pictures taken at the time we was planning our pitch.

How stereotypes are represented visually:

Costumes is one way stereotypes are represented. The costume of character can often give off many impressions to viewers and produce stereotypes which help the viewers to understand the character more.

For example:

Nerds in teen films often wear chequered shirts buttoned up to the top with smart looking trousers. The shirt is often a dark colour such as a khaki/brown colour which doesn't have much of an appeal to the girls or give off a "bigger than life" personality. The costume often reflects a persons character and in this case the typical costume of a nerd produces stereotypes of nerds being boring, dorky and weird.

Popular girls in teen films are usually dressed in very provocative clothing such as things like mini skirts, crop tops and thigh shorts. The colour of the clothing they wear are often very vibrant colours which drag a lot of attention. The costume of a popular girl reflects stereotypes given to them such as being whorish, a bitch and attention seeker. Their vibrant and provocative clothing is a reflection of their desperation to be the centre of attention.

Jocks are usually found dressed in oversized jackets which are brightly coloured and baggy denim jeans which make them appear more masculine and tough. The costume for a jock also fits the stereotypes given to them such as being tough, strong and arrogant. Also the brightly coloured baseball jackets they wear are often like a uniform which separates themselves from everyone else mirroring their important status in high school.

tasks to complete

1. Revise (go over) story opening 
2. do a sound analysis/clips and creative commons
3. make a new 'pitch' edited with Dan's feedback in mind (Plan B)
4. research comedies with pregnant woman with romance in them.

Analysis of Juno

Mise-en-scene:

• lighting - dim lighting outside of abortion clinic and inside
• body language - bored, surprised, nervous (heavy breathing from juno in clinic - while hearing the constant scratching sounds)
• clothes (costumes) - big thermal jacket, hats, jeans, sweaters, vests, sneakers (trainers)
• props - clipboard, pen, nail file,nail polish, magazines, 
• setting - car park, waiting room of the clinic

Camera shots:

•   medium shots tracking, over the shoulder shot, extreme close-ups, POV shot from Juno

Editing:

• match cut, Editing for perspective 

Sound:

• Diegetic, Dialogue, Synchronous sound (nail scratching, tapping fingers,filing nails), Contrapuctual sound (at the start of the scene, the music played)

Goal for the end of the week

EVERYONE MUST REACH 30 POSTS, BY NEXT LESSON (MONDAY 17TH)

storyboard exporting and uploading

Feedback on Pitch (from Dan)

• There may be some complications resulting in shooting the summer scene seeing as the shot depends on the weather 
• We could've mentioned again what movies by Paramount inspired us 
• more detailed on camera work 
• maybe shoot one awkward situation instead of three
• look at examples of pregnant women in a comedy to influence our awkward scenes (could look at juno)
• filming comedy is difficult so do a trail of scenes - not everyone will find it funny

storyboard for teen movie opening

pitch for opening of teen movie

Final Project - Production schedule

Plan for 3/2/14

• 

• finish pitch
• make sure everyone (in the group) understands what we are doing in our pitch
• do some research on sound for an individual post (creative commons)
• check our filming schedule (make sure it's right)

Do & Don'ts when filming

1. Always film straight so it doesn't come out wobbly if that isn't what you are supposed to do (so use a fig rig or tripod)
2. Have your location ready so that strangers won't go walking through your scene
3. make sure the lighting in the scene is right before you film 
4. have all your equipment ready
5. keep equipment like the camera (digital) away from liquids (so if filming outside keep an umbrella over the camera
6. don't leave equipment unsupervised (it could be stolen or lost)
7. make sure all equipment is secured (I.e attach camera to tripod or rig correctly)
8. only hold one piece of equipment at a time so nothing falls and gets damaged
9. when opening tripod do it the right side up so that it opens on its own (but when closing be mindful of your hands and fingers because when turned upside down the tripod can be very dangerous)
10. check for all equipment before leaving a location

editing breakfast club opening

breakfast club opening

Filming our shot by shot remake:

How costume represents stereotypes in teen films:

Romantic comedy definition

  As the film that we are planning on making is a romantic comedy we thought it would be a good idea to define romantic comedies. Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plot lines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily.

 

inspirations for our film

mean girls:

juno:

clueless:

superbad:

the film that we are making is a romantic comedy so we drew from these four films to come to a conclusion.

stereotypes found in weird science

weird science is about two teenage boys that are classified as nerd who try to 'make it' at high school and try to fit in however this is not possible as they are pretty much invisible to the rest of the kids at their high school, everything changes for them when the make a beautiful women using their computer , with the help from this beautiful women they are suddenly being notices by everyone.
   

the popular girl:
the popular girls in films are typically very beautiful individuals they also tend to be the girl that every other guy in the film wants to be with. the popular girl also tends to be incredibly rude and uses her looks to her advantage. however in this film they don't 100% go with the typical image of 'the popular girl' as she is usually really rich and comes from a rich family however the girl in this film was created so she does not have a rich family and the only boys she is after are the 'nerds' which are not the usual boy that the popular girl goes for. however every boy in the film want to be with this girl and she tends to get everything she wants

 the nerds:
the nerds in films are usually hopeless and ignored by everyone especially in films that are based i  high schools. the nerds in this film do get bullied by pretty much everyone. they also have constant plans on how they can get popular and noticed instead of carrying on the way they are and to stop being invisible.

the bullies/ jocks:
these are typically the much better looking boys that want nothing but to get the popular. they are also very self centered and are the bullies they usually treat the boys who are the nerds like crap they don't care what they do as long as they look good or they just get a high from it. they will stop at nothing but to get the popular girl even if they hurt anyone by getting there