Foundation Production: May 2009

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

Monday, 11 May 2009

Health and Safety

Before filming we had to fill in a table which listed all the possible hazards we may face and how high a level of dangerous they were. As we were filming in the Great Park we knew there would be a few hazards like roots sticking out of the ground that someone may trip over. So we made sure that were are main character ran was clear. As we were using real organs we used rubber gloves so we did not get anything harmful on us. Then after using the organs we made sure we was are hands.

Friday, 8 May 2009

Props

These are some of the guns that we have researched, that soldiers would have used when they went to war we will try and find something as close to these guns as possible. A gun like this would add so much more realism to our film and also help for fill the genre of our film 'War'.

Tuesday, 5 May 2009

Question 7

Looking back at are preliminary task i think we have learned alot. I think we spent alot longer on the storyboarding making shore it would attract are target audience. For are casting we also made sure that it would atract are target audience. Unlike are preliminary task we did alot of research into war films so that we would have realistic costumes and probes. During are filming i think we were much more inventive than during the preliminary task with comeing up with more shots that would look better. I think we were also more aware of lighting and checked the effects it had on the shot and do something about it. I feel are editing turned out alot better due to many reasons. Firstly are shots were of better qualilty which made it easier, i transaction between each shot whats mcuh smoother and most of are editing is invisble. We did not have music in are preliminary task but i think it went well and links well to are piece. Over all I think we have improve hugely on are preliminary task for taking more time on everything to improve the quality on both the narrative structure and the shots we used.

Question 6

We used a wide range of equipment and technology for the filming and editing of are opening senquence. We used a dv camera mounted on a tripod when shooting the film. We transfered are footage onto a macbook where we used final cut to edit it. I learnt how to cut peices of footage and put effects on them. For example i learnt how to put a transaction from one shot too another. For are music we used garage band and i learnt how to put music together and import it into final cut and change the level of volume for each note of the music. For are credits we used live type to make them and i learnt not only how to make them but how to and effects and import them into fianl cut. We also used the mac to make are letter as it had the type of writing found on a actual missing in action letter.

Question 5

Through assesing the war genre using other films and looking at the percentage of females and males watching war films and through the results of are questionaire we found that are target audience would be males. So during the storyboarding process we made sure it would attract are audience by having an event full opening senquence. For are casting are first hurdle was to find a girl that is young and realtively attractive as this would apeal to are audience. We had know problem finding three males to be the soldiers. For all are characters we needed costumes which were realistic to what was used in the 1940's. But we manage to find sufficient costumes for all characters. We managed also to get the right make up for realism with organs and blood for Jack the soldiers that dies. And for the rest we covered are main character in mud also for realism. We knew that guts and a explosion would atract a male audience like ares.

Question 3

If are film was to be produced we would need a big media institution like Sony, as for are war film to be realistic to real events we would need alot of money for special effects. They could also distribute are film and promote in many countries as war films are popular in many countries like america. Sony are experienced in advertisment and would be able to advertise ares through tv adverts, posters, billboards, internet adverts etc, and be able to target are target audience. They have done this with other big films like Qauntum of Solace.

Question 2

In are opeing senquence we have four characters. The first character is a soldiers who delivers a letter to a housewife who is shown to be very emotional and caring this is shown in her the tear drop shows she was crying and she remains emotional throughout the film after reading that her husband is missing in action who is the main character called Zac who has escaped from a prison in Dachau and is shown to be a brave soldier to the audience. We know that the wife is a housewife from her costume and the duster in her hand and also how tidy the house is shows shes been cleaning, this is a stereotypical representation of women in those days. The forth character is a fellow ally who dies from and explosion and the audience is position to feel sad of the loss. We show the soldiers how soldiers were seen in that day and these days which is that they are seen as Hereos. The soldiers in are opening senquence were young and like real events most of them ended up dieing. In are piece the soldiers are all male and the only women is a housewife which is a stereotypical representation of women in those days. There are two nationalities involved British and the Germans than caused the explosion. And we show the British to be the good guys and the Germans the bad guys. All are characters are shown to be caring of the well being of others through there facial expressions and dialogue and are soldiers to be brave. Are music also put the audience into feeling sad about what happens to the British soldier who dies through the sadness of the music. Are opening senquence somes up war that it effects everyone even remotley involved and soldiers were seen as hereos wether they died or not.

Evaluation- Question 1

Are opening sequence is typical of any other film of the war genre. Like most films of the war genre are main character is on the Allies side fighting against the Germans. And like most war films the Germans are shown to be the bad guys in are opening sequence. Typical to most war films we have young characters so not only is it realistic but it has a bigger effect on the audience if one of them dies. Similar to most war films and research into the war are film is set it a forest and field area because like most other war films we want it realistic to how it was in real life. Are storyline involves one soldier giving a housewife a letter telling her that her son is missing in action but then you see her son is alive and finds another soldier that dies. We think this created a storyline right from the beggining and got straight into some action as well, this is typical of a war genre to have simple story line that are easy to follow and having alot of action being key to a good war film but was realistic to events that would of happened in a war. Are probes like most other war films are realistic to what was used in real life which we found out through are reaseacrh into the war and the war genre. For example we used clothing that soldiers and housewifes would have used along with realistic guns and other smaller probes like a missing in action letter. We used music throughout are piece to create the atomsphere we wanted wether it was sad or tension building which is typical of any other war film. All these what we did was similar to other war films like saving private ryan, A Bridge to Far etc.

Monday, 4 May 2009

Gun

This is the gun which we used as a prop for our piece. It is the closest we could find to what was actually used in the real war. This is key to enchance realism.

Make up

Missing in Action Letter

Sunday, 3 May 2009

Too Late The Hero- Opening Senquence

In the opening senqueunce of too late the hero it goes straight into credits. And has the credits come up with the Britsh, American and Korean flag in the background and then for the rest of the credits all three are at the side of the shot becoming more worn and ragged the further into the credits and there is a forest in the background. It then cuts to and office scene were they an officer is trying to find a american soldier. The audience are introduce to an american soldier called Lawson who is the only main chracter introduced in the opening senquence. The audience is positioned to like him as he is on the allies side which is in most cases would be the audiences side. During the begin in the background of the credits is a forest all throughout them which is showing were the action is going to take place. As it then cuts to the first scene which is situated in a forest area. In the opening senquence there is a pan across the forest during the credits and then a wide range of shots used like master shot, medium close ups etc with a fast tempo of cuts between them in the office scene creating a hetic atmosphere. The credits fade in and out throughout. The music during the credits is very up beat and heroic similar to most war films. It involves alot of violins, drums and many perucussion intruments. As the flags get more worn and ragged the music gets a lower which symbolises the reality of war. The credits are bold white and a old fashion type of writing. The flags show not only the countries involved but them getting worn and ragged during the credits shows the effect war has on countries and everyone involved. The opening sequence will make the audience what answers to questions like who is Lawson what do the army need him for and what will happen next. This is important as it makes the audience want to keep watching.

Posted First Draft

After finishing the first draft there were a few parts we needed to improve.

Make the tear drop more obvious.
Do not end a shot on a zoom out
More close ups needed
Credits need to be longer
Sound transitions needed to be sorted out

Foundation Production

Wednesday, 13 May 2009