Reflection on Re-Shoot

Due to our footage not being up to standard, we had to re shoot and change our concept slightly. Instead of following the science boys as they walked down the corridor with a dolly-shot, we decided to take inspiration from the 'Hot Fuzz' opening we analysed and made the science boys walk towards the camera while it stayed in the same place. To add to the comedy, we made did some shots of the boys walking into the camera and then some where the character Ashley puts his ahnd over the camera. We hope to use this scene as a 'spoof' so the characters look like a cool gang sturtting towards the camera, but then as they get closer it becomes clear they are a group of nerds.

When we filmed this shot, we used a different corridor in B-block which was darker at the end the corridor where the actors began. This meant that at the beginning you couldn't make out their appearances so this really added to the 'spoof' effect. The shot we liked the most was the character Ashley covering the camera screen with his hand however we will ahev to look and review all the shots on the computer (hopefully, by tomorrow.)

Also when we did the re-shoot, we did small montages of each character using various camera angles. For the character Fenton, we had him working hard at a desk and adjusted a calculator that wasn't straight to make his character look very precise and orgnised. We made the character Daniel come into a room and trip dropping all his booksa nd files and then picking them back up - this was tricky and we needed to concentrate on continuity of where the books fell. For the character Ashley, we got him doing his hair in the boys toilets and then leaving with his trusty biology textbook. Finally, for the character Matt we got him drawing obscene pictures on a classroom door to show how he tries to be rebelious. The Matt section should use an action match and he goes from the whiteboard and then runs out the door.

We also re-hot our credit sequence with the notebook turnign with the credits written on the page. We had to redo this with a tripod to make it steadier than how we had originally shot it but apart from that, it reamined the same to the original shooting we did.

Having to re-shoot has really taught me the importance of a tripod! Although some of the footage we had from our Saturday filming was good, we wanted it at the highest quality we could and also we did not have enough variety of camer-angles. During our re-shoot me and Kirsty were very concious of having a variety of shots to show off our ability. We were also very lucky that our original actors were cooperative and agreed to another time to re-shoot otheriwse we may ahve had to rethink our who concept. Also, I've realised our original idea of shooting may have been over-mabicious (especially due to the lack of professional equiptemnt we have as media students) so I know that in the future, to really think about the logistics of an idea and how practical it really is for us to achieve.

We NEED Extra Footage

After reviewing our footage from Saturday, me and Kirsty realised (with the help of Mr Earl) that we need to shoot some more footage. Mainly because we need to show a variety of camera angels in our project but also because some of our shots are wobbly due to our DIY dolly. 


We will be filming some short videos showing the characteristics of each character tomorrow in our freed period and after school. Hopefully, this will give us more to work with when editing. It isn't ideal, but at least we still have time to shoot more and hopefully with this extra footage our opening sequence will look even better!

Filming Day: Part 3

We were not the only people using the school on the Saturday we were filming, there was also a band practise. Because of this, we filmed the boys walking through the double doors into the hall and down the hall first so the band could begin their practise. We talked the the man in charge of the band practise to ensure this was alright and he was very helpful letting us film before their rehearsal begun. Once this part of the sequence was shot, we filmed the corridor before the boys entered the hall as we were scared we would not have enough footage to make the film at least 2 minutes long. After this we did different versions of the boys walking through the canteen from them walking into the camera to them walking round the corridor in one long dolly-shot. After this was achieved, we did the numerous takes of them walking through A-block and into the science room. After that was finally achieve, we made them do it again focusing the camera on a constant dolly-shot close-up on each character. This is for the freeze-frames we will create when editing which will not require the whole sequence but we wanted enough so we could have a choice of footage. 


We then let our actors have a break before we went outside to film the opening sequence. Due to weather conditions, our planned way of doing the opening credits had to be altered. We planned to have the character Daniel drop sheets onto the floor while running across the yard and then the camera would focus on these sheets where the credits would be written. However, due to wet and windy weather this could not be done. We took inspiration from the credit sequence from 'Napoleon Dynamite' and flicked through the pages of a notebook with our credit written on. We wanted the writing to look like a teenage boys writing so used one of our cast members, Sam Humby. To film this we had to stand above the table where Sam sat and count so he flicked between the pages in equal intervals. We used science textbooks and calculators, pens and badges to make the table look like a set-up of where they would do work. Here is how the notepad looked with our production company name on:

We filmed this as the weather was still bad before taking our actors outside to film the final part of the sequence. The character Daniel had to be rushing to meet his friends and fall; to do this we required our actor, Craig, to actually fall and then stay in his position on the floor so we didn't have continuity errors. This meant we had to work fast as the pavement was cold and damp. We then filmed he getting up and the camera followed him run towards his friends. We then got him to use some spontaneous dialogue to try and make it as realistic as possible. We also shot the three other characters laughing at Daniel's fall and Ashley shouting at him for him, which again we used spontaneous dialogue to make it realistic. Due to continuity, Amir had to shoot outside in just a t-shirt when it was very cold so we had to be fully prepared about what we wanted to shoot before we went outside. Also, me and Kirsty had to make a decision on how were going to change the first part of the sequence and incorporate the credits. However, from previous projects we knew things never go to plan so we were prepared to make decisions on the spot and tried to get as much footage as possible so we could change things around if needed in the editing process. 


We would like to thank all four of our actors, Craig, Sam, Michael & Amir, for their time, commitment and cooperation. 

Filming Day: Part 2

As the main part of our opening sequence is the 'Science Boys' walking down school corridors we needed to have a way of filming them by following them with a smooth camera action. So, me and Kirsty made our own way of doing a dolly-shot. We used a wheely chair and Kirsty sat on it holding the camera while I pulled the chair backwards so we were in front of the actors as they walked towards us. We had a to practise a few times and it was very tricky to keep at the right speed so the camera wasn't too far away or too close. This did mean we took about 35 shots of the boys walking down the longest corridor in A-block so we could get it right. However, it did result in a smooth camera movement and let us follow our actors. We will post some footage of us perfecting this amateur dolly-shot soon. Hopefully, these two pictures will help you see what we did:

This shows Kirsty sat on the chair with the camera while and I was the one pulling the chair backwards while she filmed. When we were actually filming, Kirsty kept her arms pulled in to keep the camera steady and pointed the viewing screen up so I could see if I was the right distance away from the actors. Luckily, because we are using a voice-over and music, Kirsty was able to tell me to go faster or slower so we could get the shot right. It was very tricky and took some time for us to get the perfect shot, but the results we got are pretty impressive for the tools we had.

Hopefully from this photograph you can see how the boys were stood in relation to Kirsty on the chair. This was the beginning of the long corridor sequence; where the boys are in the photo is where they began, they then walked forward and turned down to the long corridor which lead to the science door.This meant me and Kirsty had to turn around the corner with them. This sequence is approximately 45 seconds long (depending on the pace of the actors) so was difficult to get in one smooth take which was what we wanted to achieve. We also had to find a way of propping 8 heavy fire doors open so the corridor didn't require doors to be opened. We used door stops and heavy science clamps to hold them open meaning we couldn't get the boys feet in the shot (luckily, a medium show was what we had planned and looked for effective.)  

Filming Day: Part 1

We arranged to meet our actors at our base (my house) before going to school where the 'Science Boys' opening sequence would be shot to discuss through their roles so they understood exactly how we wanted them to act to portray their characters. We tried to give each character something different to work on to make them stand out to the audience and make the audience relate to them as someone they go to school with. 


We then went down to the school where we were shooting and set up the camera and got our actors ready. We took photos of each actor before shooting so we could relate back to how their clothes and hair looked in case they changed. Here are the continuity pictures we took plus information on how we wanted the character to be acted:


Matt played by Amir Yahari

Matt is supposed to be the group leader and think he is very cool and popular when he actually is not. We asked Amir to walk as if he was in charge of the group with a slight strut like he is 'Mr Popular' so its more funny when you see them arrive to go into a science classroom. 










Ashley played by Michael Wilson

Ashley is supposed to be the character that is into fashion and popular things so doesn't believe he really should fit in with the 'science nerds', however he really does. Because of this he has a bit of an attitude and says some things he hopes will make him look cooler than he really is. We asked Michael to portray Ashley by giving some of the other characters, mainly Daniel, some filthy looks and to walk superior to the rest of his friends.


Fenton played by Sam Humby

Fenton is supposed to be a very strange character who is goofy and out-there but doesn't notice or care. He walks around looking a little confused and nerdy. We asked Sam to portray this character by bumping into a few things and blinking a lot, and Sam used fake teeth to add to the character comical appearance as well as having a calculator in his pocket and pens and also having his brightly coloured socks tucked into his jeans.




Daniel played by Craig Forster

Daniel is supposed to be our clumsy and embarrassing character who looks a bit dazed and dumb when he is actually very intelligent. We asked Craig to have a gormless look on his face, to lag behind the others and to stumble a few times. Daniel's character is also the one who falls over at the beginning of the sequence which Craig did really well and showed off how embarrassing the character is supposed to be for his friends.


Once we had taken our continuity shots of the actors, we did a rehearsal of them walking up the dining hall - which we also used as an opportunity to practise using the dolly camera we created. Once the actors knew what we were doing, we began to shoot.

Change in Actor!

Due to other commitments, one of actors (for the main character Matt) had to drop out of filming. This meant we had to recast for the part, and luckily we were able to get Amir Yahari to fill his place. We will be casting again to find someone to do the character Matt's voice-over as we don't think Amir's voice is suitable. It was really challenging to re-cast especially since the actor we had originally found fitted the role really well; however from our past projects we knew that getting people to volunteer their time to be in your film usually means they are very unreliable so we are very thankful to Amir for stepping in. 

Camera Positioning Storyboard

Me and Kirsty worked together on two different storyboards; I produced the one which shows where the camera will be placed in relation to the action or actors with the 'C' in a circle icon and Kirsty produced the storyboard of what the camera will actually see. 

Character Props & Costumes

This is what we have informed our actors to wear as their costumes for Science Boys:
Matt

• sweater & jeans
• chain knecklace
• possible football shirt
• school bag
• possible hoody

Ashley

• denium shirt
• chino's
• man bag
• barber-type jacket

Fenton

• waitcoat
• sunglasses
• jeans
• white shirt
• school bag
• long coat

Daniel

• back pack
• teans
• scruffy t-shirt
• baggy anerac
• instrument box

Target Audience

We plan to set our Science Boy movie with a rating of 15, so our target audience will range from 15 - 21. Research into the teen-comedy genre shows that it is mainly teenagers who go to see these films and our Science Boys will probably attract a more male audience. We have also taken inspiration from TV shows The Inbetweeners and The Big Bang Theory so hope to target this already established market. Our plan to is poratray exaggerated versions of school stereotypes to create humour but also so the audience can relate to the characters and scenarios. Having a rating of 15 and a teen audience, we will not have censor things out and can appeal to a teen humour which isn't as sophisticated as some adult humour!

Team Action Plan for Week 1 - 09/01/12

Detailed Storyboard including:

• camera shots/angles
• character positioning
• timing
• transitions

Confirmation e-mail to actors including:

• what they need to wear
• where they need to be and what time
• props they need to bring
• information on their character

Confirmation of shooting date must be arranged with the school caretaker so school can be opened for us on a Saturday. We have chose to shoot on a saturday becasuse we can get a lot done in one go, the light will be constant as after-school it will be too dark outside, our actors mainly come from other schools and school will be too busy on a weekday with pupils.

Science Boys Character Profiles

Based on research in programmes such as 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'The Inbetweeners' which have really inspired out Science Boys concept, me and Kirsty have created these four basic character outlines:


Matt
....he is the groups 'leader' and will be providing the voice-over for the opening sequence describing his friends to the audience. Matt wants to be cool, thinks he is a bit of a ladies man and tries to not fit to the 'science nerd' stereotype so attempts to wear fashionable clothing and use fashionable sayings, but unfortunately fails. 


Ashley
...is a very feminate character who looks stylish, but does not fit in with the 'sporty' boys and finds he fits in more with the 'science nerds'. He is the sarcastic and blunter member of the group which is where his humour comes from and he does tend to look down on the other science Boys seeing himself as superior in all ways.


Fenton
...is an extravagant character who is seen by others as 'weird'. He wears sunglasses and strange hats and says odd things but has a real passion for physics and is very intelligent. He is the quietest of the Science Boys group who doesn't see it as nessasary to talk unless it is to say something he sees as useful. 


Daniel 
...is the clumsy and forgetful character who is very intelligent at science, but forget minor things like his house keys. He will be the character who drops his belongs which will be used for the credit sequence and is always lagging behind the other Science Boys. His humour will come from a slap-stick side as he will trip and fall and bump into things.


We have sent our actors lists of what clothing we would like them to wear and any props they may be able to bring for when we shoot so they have time to find an outfit. The clothing lists me and Kirsty created were based on what the characters are like.

Week-by-Week Plan

Week 1

• create final storyboard together with Kirsty
• create voice-over script with Kirsty
• plan to film on Saturday 14th January if can get permission from school to open for us

Week 2

• maybe shoot that weekend (21st January)
• record voice-over
• may have to shoot individual video's of each character to create character montage
• create production company logo

Week 3

• begin editing to submit first rough edit on January 30th

Week 4 & 5

• continue to edit to create final film

This brings us up to the February half-term when we can review our progress. 

Initial Storyboard

Me and Kirsty decided that we would both make initial storyboard's of the opening sequence of Science Boys and then bring our idea together to make a detailed and larger storyboard which we will use when filming. Here is my initial storyboard:

As this storyboard is very basic, I have only put some idea of camera shots we may use. Together we will make the final decisions on what we want to do and how we want it to look. 

Science Boys Scenario

Me and Kirsty had a good idea of what we wanted to do for our Science Boy's idea. From our continuity project, we wanted to use the idea of making a film about British teenagers which revolves around a group of friends who are 'science nerds'. The whole film will be about how these four friends get into comical situations such as ending up in detention for a science experiment gone wrong.


However, for the opening sequence we are going to create it is just going to consist of the four friends walking through some school corridors early on a morning to reach the science room and during this journey the audience will have a chance to get to know the characters. 


Scenario Breakdown:

1. One clumsy character drops sheets and textbooks on school yard
2. The clumsy character scoops up some textbooks and runs after friends who walk into the school
3. Goes back to the dropped sheets spread across school yard and these are used to do the opening credits
4. Cuts back into the school and follows the friends walking down the school corridors while a voice-over is used to explain each character by one of the characters in the future
5. Dolly-shot used to follow the characters and freeze-frames and superimposed character names used to show each character to the audience
6. The group of friends approach the door of a science room and walk in

Distributor & Production

After looking at a selection of films to help inspire mine and Kirsty's Science Boy's idea we also looked carefully at the distributor's of these films. The one seemed to be the most common was Optimum Releasing which distributes British, Irish and American independent films which attracted me to use it for our opening sequence as Science Boys seems like an idea that would be an independent film. 


Optimum Releasing (Distributor)  
In 2011, Optimum Releasing was renamed Studio Canal UK - which you may also have heard of. As a distributor, they release over 200 films a year which are independent films and this makes them the most prominent distributor of independent British movie's. It was founded in 1999 which does make it a fairly new distributor as it is only 13 years old. Also, their work is split into three categories:

1. Optimum Releasing - this goes to cinema's
2. Optimum Home Entertainment - this is on DVD's
3. Optimum Classics - re-releases of films
4. Optimum World - this is world cinema

 Big Talk Productions
This was another name which came up during our research and was involved in films such as Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Attack the Block. One interesting point is it works closely with Edgar Wright the director & producer we researched. Big Talk was founded by Nira Park, a successful woman, in 1995 which also makes it a fairly new production company like Optimum. Nira Park was named in 2005 'Top Ten Producers to Watch' in Variety Magazine (weekly entertainment magazine in America.) Big talk productions is 75% independently owned. Me and Kirsty will probably use Big Talk in our opening credits.

Hot Fuzz: Opening Sequence

General Information

• Directed by: Edgar Wright
• Genre: action dark comedy / for geeks
• Box office takings: $80,573,774
• Distributed: Universal Pictures
• Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent 

Watch the opening sequence here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVcOVgf_x4M&feature=related

Analysis 

The clip begins with a long shot and then a slow zoom in towards a characters silhouette walking into a modern building which has a lot of light coming into it. As the character gets closer to the camera, you get a close-up on his face and then on his police badge which displays his name "Nicholas Angel" which has immediate connotations with the audience that he is a good police officer. 

A voice-over then begins which matches with what the audience watches explaining about Nicholas Angel and his police life which is an effective way to get character information across very quickly and clearly. Fast editing and fast-paced music is also used which adds to a humorous feel and doesn't pair with the monotone narrative voice which makes the film more interesting to watch straight away as the audience will wonder how these two elements pair. Also, the quick editing matches with the quick and short pieces of action being shown about Nicholas Angel. A range of camera angles are used to show different things from low-angle shots on bike wheels, to plenty of close-ups showing Nicholas Angel's facial expressions which adds humour to tracking shots of him walking down a corridor which pairs well with the fast editing and keeps the audience constantly gripped and stops them losing interest in the film. After the montage of Nicholas's life, it goes to a conversation between him and another superior officer where shot reverse shot is used and again quick editing between the two characters to gain both their reactions which adds to the humour. 

Credit Sequence

1. Distributor
2. In association with
3. Movie title

Influence on Science Boys

I like the use of a montage of different sequence which show something about a character and as I have said before, me and Kirsty would like to use a voice-over in our Science Boys opening sequence. I also really like the use of the quick editing which keeps the pace of the film up and makes it much more interesting to watch and immediately shows the audience the film will be comical. Also, watching this opening sequence I know that we must shoot a lot of different camera angle's because this will add interest and if we want to do the faster editing it will make it look better.