Making my film opening

Whilst filming I did encounter some problems with particular shots that, in the end, I could not film. This was due to not being able to find a specific location-a spiral staircase down which I would have filmed a 360 ° shot. Also, I was unable to create some smooth tracking shots as I did not have the equipment that would enable me to film smooth, continuous shots, and so these are also not featured in my final collection of shots.

Some other difficulties I encountered were problems with casting. I had originally cast two people, Charlotte and Kathy and had filmed several shots with them both, however when I had to re-film some shots due to lighting problems and continuity, Kathy was not able to film, and so I had to re-cast and then film all of the shots that I had done with Kathy again.

Generally, whilst filming, I had no trouble with difficult locations and lots of people as my locations were all close to each other so I could film several different shots in different places in one day, but also these places were quite empty and therefore I did not have to stop filming due to people walking past.

Booking equipment

Before I started filming, I had to book equipment out. I already had a camcorder so I used it as I would be able to re-film quickly should I experience any problems with any shots that I had filmed.
However, I booked out a tripod as this would enable me to get steady shots and allow me to carry out movements of the camera and maintain the smooth and steady look at the same time. 
I booked the tripod out by creating a post on Ms Excell's blog, asking for the tripod and picking it up the next day.

Risk Assessment

There are several risks that are possible whilst filming.
The traffic in the areas in which I am filming tends to be quite busy around 2:00-5:00pm and so there is an danger of being injured by a car or equipment being broken by the cars. To avoid this, I could film at earlier times when there is less traffic, or to ensure that the cars are not a danger to us, I can film on the pavement or the other side of the road.

Another risk it the damage of equipment, for example the camera. This could be a risk because whilst filming, I will film some shots free-hand, without the tripod so I could drop it. To avoid this being a risk, I can attach a hand strap to ensure the camera stays in my hand or to alter the shots so that I always use a tripod.

The possible risks involved in filming are easily avoidable and so the action i will need to take will be to be aware of my surroundings when filming outside and also to use the equipment sensibly and safely.

Digital Storyboard

For the titles, I have used a simple, bold font that looks quite modern. I have done this as it is very easy to read so the viewer will not struggle, it also fits well into the shots-it doesn't attract too much attention away from the shots and fits with the straight lines of things in the shots like pavements and hard surfaces. Also as the font is quite modern, I could use it to attract my target audience of young people as simple fonts would be very familiar to them as they are used on all electronic devices that i expect my audience would use in their everyday life.

Digital Storyboard

I have created a digital storyboard on Final Cut Express that includes all of my titles as well as images of the shots I intend to use from my original storyboard in my final film opening. 
This storyboard also includes the sound that i would like to use in my opening and necessary transitions between particular shots. 
I have done this so I am better prepared for editing my final product, but also so I have a better idea of how the narrative will move along and if it meets the conventions of a thriller opening.

The Prestige film opening

I watched the opening for the film The Prestige as through my research I found that it was a psychological thriller, a genre that i am trying to also create a film opening within.

The film opens with a panning shot of lots of 'magician' hats on the floor of a forest with a voice over suddenly saying "are you watching closely?", then it cuts to some canaries wandering in a cage, with another voice over beginning describing 'the prestige' magic trick, this is reflected in the shots as a man is taking out a canary and showing it to a young girl, which cuts to a big magic show showing the same thing but a man instead of a bird. this continues as the voice over describes the second part of the magic trick. Then another voice in heard, and the shot cuts to the man in a court room where he is being spoken to.

I feel that the voice over running throughout the opening of the film is very effective as it creates mystery around the magic trick, however it also hints to the audience what the film is about. I also like that the shots are representing the dialogue, one in an extreme way, the other in a harmless way as this makes the opening more exciting to watch, but also it acts as an enigma narrative as the viewer does not know who is talking and why they are talking about it, until the very end where it is revealed who is talking and that they are in a court room.

The target audience for this film is perhaps adults within the age range of 25-45 as the actors are all well known to people of this age range, also the film is set in the past which is typically more appealing to an adult audience. In addition, the colouring of the film, props and setting make the opening seem very sophisticated and mature which in turn reflects their target audience.

From researching this film, and from also looking at the opening of Fight Club, i have decided to have a voice over, much like The Prestige, where the shots reflect the dialogue, but mystery is created over who is talking and why, like Fight Club and The Prestige, as i feel that it will make my opening much more interesting and create more atmosphere. Also the target audience for these films are young adults and the shots and voice over reflect their audience as it provides links with the sound and the shots and makes it still very visual and interesting as the viewer is focusing on both things as they correlate to each other.

Music/Sound

Using the website audio network.lgfl.org.uk, I looked at different music clips and sounds to use on my digital storyboard and probably my final opening.
There was a range of audio clips, however I felt that most of them did not fit with the atmosphere that I wanted to create as they were too upbeat. I refined my search to piano clips and found audio that featured mainly piano melodies as I wanted the music to be quite soft and subtle as I am also using a voice over and do not want it to be over powered or difficult to hear.

I have found an audio clip that I really like which is called sadness as it is not a continuous song but rather light chords on a piano that are quite distant from each other with a muted sound throughout. I chose this clip as I feel that it suits the theme of opening and creates a melancholic and eerie atmosphere to foreshadow the feelings and atmosphere further on in the film and to give the audience and idea of what is to come.

In addition, i have also found an audio clip that enable me to hint at the theme of schizophrenia. It is an audio clip of malevolent whispering with a deep drone in the background, which will be over my flash forward clips to create mystery around the shots but also to create a unsettling atmosphere for the audience.