Post Production - silent film

Our story begins with clear shots that one character is better than the other. Ends with A/V actually winning with a clear message that the audience should believe in themselves and have a passion. The protagonist is jealous because they want to be good at dancing. Set at college.  Theme - jealousy.  A dance / music character who is successful at what they do.  A partner of theirs in the same class - the main character who is jealous of the successful character.
There's a dance competition coming up and the successful character sadly sprains / injure themselves. The only one to fill in their place is the main character . Through this, the character finds their drive \with the end message -
Message - believe in yourself and realise your passion.

Characters:  
Successful character:
Male: Edwin
Female: Anastasia

Main, jealous character:
Male: Aaron
Female:  Veronica

Location: Dance studio
Music room
Theatre
TV studio
( if the dance idea and characters are not available, the music idea and location will be used instead )
Shot list:
Fade in - establishing shots of locations we are going to use - dance studio and theatre 
Wide shots of the dancers in the theatre / dance studio practising - Begins with the class dancing in different places - successful character always in the front and jealous character positioned in the back.
Try position the characters and camera in the same place, but change location. Make this look natural when editing.
Cut to -
Long / wide shot of hallway
 - successful character walks out with and the main character looks at her from behind in jealousy. Use shallow depth of field over shoulders, etc. have a close up of jealous character.  clearly show the emotion. Have a close up next to walls and the character's face. Aaron's / Veronica's  action - shaking head, sad emotion etc.
Fade out to -
Wide shot - Use rule of thirds - position jealous character in the background grid and have the successful character with a few people around them practising near to the other side of the grid.
Cut from this to a close up of Aaron / Veronica tying their shoe lace, then slowly fade this again in the same position but with Aaron / Veronica wearing a different outfit. This is to symbolise the next day.
/ or have the rule of thirds wide shot, close up of the jealous character then blackout and edit text ' the next day... 'After this, film shots of Edwin / Anastasia on crutches ( crutches provided by group member, if this is not possible we can film the character acting hurt )
Cut to hallway, Edwin or Anastasia give a poster to A/V to symbolise the competition. Close up of the poster, in particular the date.
Use symmetry rule.  Both nod at each other from two sides.
Fast pace cutting between the jealous character dancing and getting better.
( Attempt to keep the character in the same composition in the shot and change the location around them. )
Cut to the date therefore showing the day of the competition.
Use after effects and add images of aesthetic dance rooms or film some footage of an aesthetic room / create a nice atmosphere.
Cut to 3 people in first second, third, show Aaron / Veronica coming first. Use shallow depth of field or have a normal two shot of Edwin / Anastasia and A/V smiling at each other / hugging. Have text at the end saying ' believe in yourself ' or any slogan relating to finding your passion etc. / shoot a long take of a certificate of winning the competition - edit the colour effect of this on premiere pro and add the text over this. Fade out to black.

New idea - 
After given feedback and further reflection after this within our group, we had decided to change the idea from the close up shot of the jealous character and to cut out the dance competition. Our given feedback was to include a different idea as the shooting time for the dance competition and locations would not make the scene look realistic and therefore would not make our film professional. Instead of the dance competition, the successful character will confront the other character and ask to do a dance off. Around this will be an audience which will hype up the dance off and will include people in the college. This therefore includes more of our audience and will attract the desired 16-20 target audience. Through this reflection, I have  therefore learnt and made sure to consider the target audience more during post production.

New shot list -
Fade in - establishing shots of locations we are going to use - dance studio and theatre 
Wide shots of the dancers in the theatre / dance studio practising - Begins with the class dancing in different places - successful character always in the front and jealous character positioned in the back.
Try position the characters and camera in the same place, but change location. Make this look natural when editing.
Cut to -
Long / wide shot of hallway
 - successful character walks out with and the main character looks at her from behind in jealousy. Use shallow depth of field over shoulders, etc. have a close up of jealous character.  clearly show the emotion. Have a close up next to walls and the character's face. Aaron's / Veronica's  action - shaking head, sad emotion etc.
- Cut to close up of jealous character tying their shoe lace. have their facial expression annoyed and get them to sigh. Get character to go up to successful character and make some gesture to show that one character has challenged the other to a dance off. Have a constant panning shot from this and try edit using the fast movement technique.  
Get music playing loudly in the background - desired location will be the dance studio, have people from around the block or from other places in the college hyping up the competition and making the whole thing funnier and appealing to the target audience
- Attempt this as a constant shot / have cutaways in between times of cut of the people are around in the circle.
- End with claps etc
- Medium two shot using rule of symmetry in the studio, zoom into the two shot and have a handshake and actions between the two characters / have them hug, etc. Get people around to hype this up again and show that they are now good partners within the class
- Have text at the end - something to do with believing in yourself and believing your passion. Have this text over blooper shots. Have the blooper shots slightly blurred, have laughs in the background etc - all done within the edit

Extra notes -
- Focus will be in making the dance scene big and fun-
- Keep recording - get bloopers for the end titles
- Use modern music, one which will attract the target audience
- Attempt the pan shot and cut
- ( notes from character profile ) Have a possible end shot of the person that the jealous character likes speak to them after seeing how good and competitive they are.

Sound including music and Foley sound:
-  Background music for establishing shots - find any suitable or starting music to any other song which suits the jealousy hallway shots
- Sound for when character breaks their leg - ( research )
- Dietetic sound of music in theatre or dance room


Props / costume design:
- Costumes for dancing actors include all black clothing.
- Own clothing


Character profile:
Successful characters: Edwin or Anastasia
- Have a hands on, middle class family - reason why they chose to study something creative
- Originally from Colombia
- 18
- Has loads of friends and a boyfriend, popular and liked character in her class and within the performing art students.


Jealous character: Aaron or Veronica 
- Lower class family, deeper meaning behind why they picked a dance course - come from a lower class family, feel the need to express themselves in some form of art
- from
- 18
- Has a few friends, not many. un-supportive family ( changes at the end when character wins competition )
- Not in a relationship, but likes someone in her performing arts class. ( person likes her back, but she does not have the confidence to speak to him )
-

Adobe Audition editing practise

To practise with sound effects after researching examples and Foley sound, I have experimented with audios recorded by our group by adding certain effects and playing around within Adobe Audition. This has allowed me to initially use and learn about the software and will come in use for future projects when editing audios for short films, clips, etc.

My example on sound cloud - Audition edit

Special effects

Special effects are used within many films to create an outstanding atmosphere to support the visual of a story. They act as an illusion to create a realistic world. These effects can be categorised into mechanical / physical effects and visual / optical effects.

Visual effects (VFX) - could include using CGI and animation. 
VFX are image manipulated effects created digitally to create a desired environment which would not be possible to create in real life as there may be obstacles, such as the story line including a made up world, the expense, dangers etc. 

Film examples 🎬
- Interstellar 
- Life of pi
- The Hunger Games
- The Wolf of Wall Street 
- Harry Potter

Mechanical effects - 
Unlike optical effects, physical effects are created live on set rather than in post production and often include large scale props and makeup. To create realistic character effects, prosthetic may be used, the same for location or settings where cars or buildings may be blown up etc. 

Film examples 🎬
- Independence day 
- The dark knight - makeup
- Edward Scissorhands - makeup 
- Alice in wonderland - makeup

Inserted is a clip I have edited in Premiere Pro, initially learning how to use and do some visual effects with the features the software has.

Foley sounds intro

Foley sound: Sounds created in post production using everyday items to create a sound in sync with whats being shown on screen to enhance audio quality than recording the sound on set and the sound not sounding overall professional / realistic.

Our example: 
Our narrative of a short scene was a shooting and included the sound of screams and a bomb. As this cannot be physically done using the actual story motif, we used the sound of bubble wrap being stepped on and actors screaming along with the sound of a water bottle dropping. This created the sounds successfully and was clear to our audience that there was a shooting and some sort of bombing however could be improved by being longer and in more sync with each other. This means that the the sounds would overall sound more natural and portray a good short scene of a story.

Examples of films which may have used Foley sound & sound effects:
- Baby driver:  music and sound effects in sync with the characters movement, every action matches the musics timing.

- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the lost ark: sound of rocks exploding replaced with the Foley rolling a car without a motor running.

- Jurassic park: sound of the T-Rex placed by mixing animal noises together, from using an elephants squeal to a tigers snarl.

Evaluation & Reflection of film-making exercises,

Screenwriting: 

The initial process of learning screenwriting has been exciting and challenging at times. This included learning about features of script such as slug lines, dialogue, actions and how to use these in the correct context, along with making sure the layout of the script is in line and correct. The first script written based around a horror theme scenario was challenging as the genre is different to my interests but exciting to experiment with by deciding the start location and new characters. 

Within the script I chose the initial location of a party to make the later events shocking to the audience, with the mindset that the script would accompany a film. Visually, the back party lights would contrast with the later location of a dark, abandoned house. Though I found the location of the script successful, the characters dialogue was rushed and could have been adjusted to make the party situation seem more exciting and real, along with the journey of the characters from the party to the house. The characters leaving the house seemed rushed and when filming, would not make sense. The script itself also has some technical issues such as using colons after characters names which is not needed, along with no capital letters when first introducing the two characters. For future scripts, I must take these technical factors into account and ensure the layout is professional, along with understanding the timing and imagining the time and movement of location when writing the scripts action.

The second opportunity to script write was based from scratch including a new story, characters, location, etc. Following advice from my last script, I made sure the colons were not used after a characters name and that actions were thought through.

What went well in the second script titled ' adventure ' was the description of characters such as describing their costumes. I did this to give insight to the audience as to who the characters may be from viewing them in a single scene. To improve and challenge myself for future scripts, I could remove some dialogue and add action instead to emphasize something in a more powerful way. This could have been done in ' adventure '  when Maliha, the main character, replies to her best friend Abby after asking about Timothy, Maliha's boyfriend. Instead of replying to Abby in a frustrated way, Maliha could have shook her head and ignored her by looking down or the other way whilst 

scoffing. Other weaknesses within the script included using EXT. and INT. before receiving feedback, the script had ' EXT' and ' outside art gallery.. ' after this. This did not make sense as the scene was already set by using exterior. This means I must read over the script carefully and ensure technical factors are not just added, but make sense and fit the script when used. 

Overall skills I have learnt is how to use dialogue and actions, both writing as a story and technically using these as part of script-making to portray / impact a story line.

My overall goal for future script writing projects would be to use the 3 act structure and make this & the story-line strong. I could do this by making the middle confrontation different or having an unexpected end resolution making the audience feel shocked or any type of emotion, meaning they are engaging with the story. 

Cinematography:

Within cinematography, in groups we explored the 180 degree rule, tracking and panning shots and using focus pull.

Exploring a tracking shot was interesting and allowed me to visually experience how no editing effects a shot and story and how this can be more effective in terms of making the audience feel more connected and not be distracted by editing. Though our panning shot was successful by being one shot and included no editing along with the story making some sense, no shot types were specifically used and the video does not seem professional. The camera follows the character at the start making the audience feel as though they are also being chased but then is forgotten about and does not follow the characters too far after. The shot was also not cinematically pleasing and could have evidently included the symmetry rule in the beginning etc. To improve this, by being the cinematographer I could make the camera  follow the runners slowly along and and get the actors to slow down to keep a relationship with the camera and characters. To approach the filming in a different way beforehand, the group could plan out having different characters playing and different people controlling the camera. This could ensure that everyone experiments with their idea and gives us a wide range of videos to view.  The shot could therefore follow the first runner and stay panning slowly in front as a wide shot, and have the actors positioned so that they are in equal distance from each other and have the main runner behind the middle character allowing a line of symmetry making the shot more aesthetically pleasing & professional. Instead of following the actors to the end and them just stopping, the camera could pan away into the surrounding, giving suspense as to whats happened to the characters for the audience but also giving a taste of the location. This also prevents the end of the shot from looking messy and adds to the scary genre of the story.

For future panning shots, the camera could follow just a singular character who meets others and the camera could pan to switch to them. This gives different perspectives and allows room for experimentation, between the shot types that may match the character / symbolise something from them. This therefore would allow me to be more creative and play with the story, though there may be issues in the duration of the shot depending on location. To overcome this, we could get the characters to walk from one location to another e.g from a hallway to outside the door and have a more than 1 person behind the camera to help out. The pace of the characters could also be fast depending on our time given. 

By using a travelling shot, I have learnt a skill of using a Steadicam and figuring out / thinking about ways to use this and when most suitable.  

Learning about the 180 rule has been exciting and has personally made me realise the importance of the rule in terms of making a shot and story make sense - dialogue between two characters and the direction of them both etc. Though I have mentally processed this skill, I would like to experiment with it more and film more using the rule in order to fully understand it. 

The footage still needs to be edited and exported onto my blog. To ensure this is done as a reflection of the whole project I need to improve on time management. The video itself has strengths such as being filmed correctly from a front angle of the two actors and sides of both of them, with the camera facing from their separate directions. This was successful as it shows our understanding of the rule however the location we filmed in was not as successful. We chose outside to show the scripts location of outside an art gallery. This was done to make the story clear however the weather and lighting affected this at times. This means some of our footage could not have been used due to it looking as though it does not fit together and as though the scenes were filmed at different times of the day when the conversation was continuous. When editing,I would like the shots between both the actors to show reverse shot reverse in perfect timing to show the conversation between the two. To tackle the lighting issue for future filming, we could have a backup location and thoughts of where, in order to get cinematic shots whilst still allowing the story to make sense and have clarity.

Focus pull intrigues me as it involves using shallow depth of field onto a moving image rather than still, meaning the focus can go back and forth from separate subjects.I have learnt technically how to adjust the focus on a Sony and Nikon camera, which has been fortunate. Though our group has not filmed the footage for the focus pull we could have added and experimented with the effect in our 180 degree rule video. This would have allowed us to experiment with both techniques using the same story line and duration of video. As we cannot use the same location or story as the 180 degree video (focused on my script )  due to different costumes and different weather, we have decided to film using a different story and separate location. Though the videos will not follow the same story line, I would like to still experiment with the technique and show some exploration of this in any way. After this or for any future explorations and projects, our group could film both the 180 degree rule and focus pull technique in one video. Moreover, I have learnt to plan backup locations for future situations when the main location may not be available.

Editing:

Our group are in the process of editing the 180 video, and are constantly sharing ideas with each other on the pace of the video, desired cuts etc. One thing that is a strength in the video is the initial tracking shot from Abby walking towards her friend, though the transition to her sitting down could be improved to look realistic / shot as one scene. To allow the whole group to reflect and learn for future projects, the whole group is watching the footage and editing as one. To further challenge the video, we could add audio within Premiere Pro for the initial shot and carry this on throughout Abby and Maliha's dialogue. However, challenges we may face by doing this is distracting the audience from the main speech. To ensure this is not the case we could turn the volume levels of the music down and still keep the dialogue clear. The background music may add more atmosphere and to the video and make it seem / sound less empty. 

Also within Premiere Pro we could experiment with transitioning or fading in and view how this may look. This may make the video start in a smoother way, though it could also look unrealistic and not match the initial shot or story. Our group can experiment and only learn by using it with our footage. As part of reflecting I would also like to learn more about using Premiere Pro and challenge myself with editing for future project, for example the use of key-frames. 

Conclusion:

Overall I have been challenged across the film making exercises in terms of starting from scratch in situations such as screenwriting and not having as much experience when editing in Premiere Pro but learning from others around me in my group and through experimentation. I would like to work more with a camera in order to fully understand and incorporate all techniques and rules as much as possible to create a cinematic shot along with expressing the idea that cameras must be moved around to fit the action, and not the action to fit around the camera, in order to create a successful story. Future goals for projects therefore include challenging myself in various ways to ensure a story line is engaging and visually pleasing for audiences viewing. I would like to overcome my personal weaknesses within using cinematic rules and learning more on how to edit. 

180° rule

The 180 degree rule means that two characters must keep the same left/ right relationship to each other. The camera must be positioned between two characters in  a way which shows them having a conversation. In certain contexts, breaking this rule may mean characters will  both be looking in the same direction shown evidently in the background and will not make sense.

Things that went well in our experimentation with the rule included the location and composition of the frame. The two characters are viewed clearly and the timeline of shots makes sense. However, improvements must be made including the smoothness of the editing and audio. Therefore we could make the video look more natural & professional

Focus pull

The focus pull of a camera includes using shallow depth of field during a shot. The camera focuses on one main subject, then transitions to focus on the other subject etc. This effect may be done in film to emphasis something  important to the audience whilst also making sure they do not forget the background. It could also show two different perspectives, or focus on what one characters eye sees.

Though these clips do not fit into our script / match the exact composition of our tracking shot, I have taken videos which demonstrate the technique in order to have explored it in some way. The videos have allowed me to experiment using the technique and can be used as a recorded example to look back on if / when I am reflecting or would like to use this technique in other projects.

Character profile

Name: Maliha Cuevas
19 yrs, female
Goes to university & wears smart clothing. Her signature look outside of uni includes fancy tops.
Stays at home and takes the train to uni, Maliha loves her neighbourhood and friends around her, however, she comes from a troubled background and her family are tough to deal with.
An extroverted, passionate individual who is passionate about travelling, her room full with a map across a wall with top countries to see & a Polaroid wall full of places visited.
Originally from Croatia but lives in London.

Name: Abby Fellows.
19yrs, female
Abby is shy and quiet, though also smart.
Has a job in the fashion industry but works in the background.
Stays in besides work - introverted.
Wears stylish clothing & has confidence when it comes to art and fashion. She believes and always portrays the idea that emotions are expressed through clothing.
Close link between her personal and work life.

Maliha and Abby's friendship blossomed throughout the 5 years of secondary school and they've been best friends since. Maliha is ambitious but has a troubled home life. Her parents constantly unhappy with her and older sibling never believing in her or supporting her. The idea of travelling distracts her, along with constantly being with her friends - especially Abby.
Abby is opposite to Maliha in terms of being extroverted. Though she likes the idea of exploring and travelling, she does not have the confidence.
An adventure film - the whole story includes the culture of places and beauty of the world. The theme of friendship and going outside comfort zones is explored.

Maliha's parents stand in the way of what she wants, Abby's confidence stands in the way of what she could experience.
There's a local ( cinematic ) street down the road from Maliha, with steps to sit on outside a neon light art gallery towards the end of the street. She had just gotten into an argument with her boyfriend and parents, and usually likes to go here in times of distress. Abby comes by and they both have a conversation.
( Abby last speaks to her on this friday evening and does not see her after. Her parents are worried searching for her, but nothing to be found. Abby explains how Maliha spoke about travelling and where to first. They used the map in her room for clues. Abby goes out to the first place. She goes to find her, because shes her best friend. On the way she faces challenges outside her comfort zone, learns about new cultures and explores the beauty of the world. )

https://writerduet.com/script/#GSZNN

First script

A script / screenplay is essential as part of film making and is produced by the screenwriter. Scripts are used by actors - including dialogue and actions and producers - directions / actions again.

An important aspect of scripts includes the fact that one page of script is roughly one minute of screenplay on camera. Scripts have:

• Slug-lines which tell you if the scene is in our outside, the time of the scene and the location.
• Action which tells the audience whats happening.
• Characters and Dialogue. 

Script for a male and female character looking for their missing friend -

Tracking shot practical

Travelling / Steadicam shot / one take  - Includes no editing, camera follows characters along in a scene. This type of cinematography makes the audience feel more connected by following the action and not distracting or disturbing anything with evident editing.
To experiment this, our group took a continuous shot of people running from someone scary. What went well was the transition from the first character to the rest however the steadiness of the actual camera could be improved along with adding in any other ideas such panning down to the grass and up again as part of a ' cut ' also allowing the actors in the scene to change positions. This includes a technique learnt and demonstrated in Birdman-
Bird-man- 
 https://youtu.be/YontML1YuMQ
An example of a film which successfully demonstrates a Steadicam shot is Bird man. Though it includes some cuts, they are subtle and make a scene look as though it has been filmed all at once. For example, cutting during pan shots. The camera has a few seconds to pan to something irrelevant or unnoticeable to keep the audience distracted whilst using a cut.
Some ways in which the camera has been placed means there's a natural wipe cut. - an object in the shot goes across the top and bottom of the frame allowing it to 'wipe' across.                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                             

Scary film editing

As part of initially learning how to use Premiere Pro, I have edited together clips given of a scary film. I have learnt other ways of cutting videos e.g by using the mark in and mark out symbols and selecting to choose the video only or audio only along with experimenting with ways to start or show a video. For example, going to effects and using anything under video effects, adjust and blur / sharpen which suits the clip aesthetically.

As an improvement further on, I have added audio, this being something I could not do at the beginning of the year, along with sound and visual effects experimenting with things such as Constant gain/power and eyedropper filler. To improve the clip could be edited in longer duration.

You get me scene analysis - Mise-en-scene and sound.

Mise en scene:

The setting of this scene is in a house with a party. The characters included are young and link to the audience who would be viewing this genre and type of movie. 
The props of this party scene included bottles with alcohol, cups etc. The characters are mingling, dancing and chatting with each other. Throughout this, there is dark, intimate lighting. Close up and mid shots are used and the camera focuses on the two male and female characters constantly talking. The overall intimacy created here differs this scene from other, and creates a flirtatious setting for the audience. 

There is slow camera movement, mid shot making the audience feel as though they are a part of the scene. This could show a calm atmosphere, making the audience really understand what is being said in the dialogue.

Party attire and casual clothing are effectively shown to inforce a normal day of a young adults life, which may engage the audience even further as they can relate. The same concept applies for heavy makeup.

Sound:

•  Most of the scene consists of direct dialogue between two people.
• There is a soundtrack as background music to match the party setting. This is therefore also parallel sound.
• Foley sounds of the ice rattling in the cup, and the door cracking. This makes the scene feel more real for audiences viewing.
• There is a sound bridge over the transition of two characters walking into the outside setting after almost getting into a fight.
• There are some dietetic sounds such as the screaming of the party and background laughs. This aspect of sound may not be obviously recognised but makes a difference in terms of successfully creating a fun, party atmosphere. 
• The dialogue of the characters is priority at the start of the clip but is mixed in with background noises when there are characters handling bottles in the main part of the party. This again inforces the idea of wanting the audience to be paying attention to the speech but also feel involved. 
• There are footstep sounds when one of the main characters makes her way into the bathroom. After this, the scene transitions to a different setting. This could be to walk the audience into the next setting, therefore making the dietetic sound an important aspect.

The nun scene analysis - Cinematography and sound.

Cinematography -
The scene starts in a establishing shot with an overall dark, night setting. The shot is of a church with the only brightness coming from the inside lights.
The scene then cuts to show a dark hallway and introduces a character shortly after.
The white costume contrast with the dark setting,therefore allows the character to overall stand out.
( The mise en scene includes a priest costume and a lamp as a prop. There are two different colours and costumes on the priests, one bright white and one black. The difference in costume  allows a scary theme to be explored. Though there isn't many close ups of faces and makeup shown, the presence of the phantoms are powerful along with movements. The shot of a dark figure jumping out of darkness and scaring the nun dressed in white is an example of this. )
Throughout this continuous scene, the prop is again the brightness aspect. The camera movement varies from this light to the dark hallway creating tension. The camera is framed so that there is a clear view of the nun wearing white and later view of the other nun wearing black in the background.
The camera is never at a fixed point and has shaky movements. This keeps mystery developing and allows the scene to remain scary for the audience viewing.

Sound -
The sound throughout the clip is non diegetic and in sync with what is happening on screen. Tension continues to build for the audience as the clip progresses.
The lingering, whispering sound is parallel to the whole theme and adds mystery to the nun walking. Actions of the scary phantom are again parallel to the sound.
The loud, out of nowhere sound makes the audience jump. Without it, the effect would not be  the same.

Sound terminology

• Diegetic - sound within the film, sound that the characters can hear 
• Foley sound - sound added in post production to be in sync with what's happening on screen. This sound can be created with any props, objects etc.
• Score - music specially written for a film
• Soundtrack - songs being played, music not written for the film.
• Parallel sound - when the music goes with what's shown on screen 
• Contrapuntal sound -when music goes against the images e.g sombre music over a fight scene 
• Sound bridge - Sound that carries on through transitioning between scenes