Animation Progress.

I have finished my animation for my OTS, however, Vimeo is having problems uploading it. Once it is uploaded it will be posted on here.

Mid Term assessment.

After Looking through my blog i have decided that there are problems with:

• Continuity task is still missing.
• Too much text, I have not included enough different types of media.
• I need to add some light tests, and possibly as stills or as a movie clip.
• I need to link to Matt & Sam's blogs more often as they have done work that is more relative to their areas as I have with mine.
• With our film noir we need to add the sound, edit, and add my animation to the end.
• We need to check with continuity in the film noir.
•  Deconstruct a film noir that is not ours.
• Do an evaluation as a prezzi. 

A successful filming

Our filming session was yesterday and it went very well, and we were able to finish filming with time to spare enabling us to get in some extra shots and enable us to re-shoot some scenes. However, the filming was not without out its problems. Due to the location the sound will have to be recorded separately with the actors lip syncing to the footage. This also means that we can add our own soundtrack.

We managed to get our cast together using the social network "Facebook."
Facebook enables people to create Groups and Events. It was using these that were were able to get our cast together and hear their opinions.

Script writing.

Photographic evidence of us writing and editing our script.

Script/stage directions

Shot of the double doors opening following a pan of the bar.

Zoom/cut to a shot of the hero & femme fatal (two shot)

Cut to a shot of hero;

Picks up drink, takes a sip, places drink back onto the table.

Cut to shot of femme fatal;

Stand/sits idly, as if bored by the company. Possibly plays with her hair.

Cut to an over the shoulder shot to hero over the shoulder of the hero;

Hero looks over to femme fatal and says 
HERO: "I've got something for you"

Camera focuses on a mid-shot of the hero. 

Hero takes out necklace, she takes it and admires it. two-shot of femme fatal taking the necklace from hero. 

FEMME FATAL: *GASP* "how did you get this?"

Close up of hero. 

HERO: "Let's just say {shuffles cards}  I'm a lucky guy"

Puts cards down and goes to put necklace on femme fatal. 

Focus changes from hero to background where three figures walk past the window heading for the door. Shot turns from a close up to a OTSS of the figures walking.

Outside shot of 3 figures walking round the outside of the pub windows.

Cut to shot of 3 figures walking in sync with a inverted triangle look. 2 henchmen behind the don following a step behind him. (Shot of feet) they stop at the doors. Henchmen take a step forwards and grab hold of the doors. 

Cut of one henchman's hand grabbing door handle.

Quick cut to other henchman doing same to opposite door. 

Match on action to double doors opening. 

Don walks in. Henchmen follow suit. Camera tilts to give a 'Worms eye view'

DON: "I believe you have something that belongs to me."

Cut to a medium-long shot of hero (Don's Eye-line)

Hero moves in front of femme fatal. 

Cut back to Don. Shot of top of face. 

Push's hat (Fedora) above eye-line so that eyes are now visible. 

DON: "I'd like it back."

Change to side shot. 

Don pulls gun from inside of coat/waistcoat. 

Cut to side shot close up of gun. 

Animation is applied and takes over. 

Casting problems!

Due to an unforeseen circumstance we have had a problem with casting as our actor playing the hero is no longer available for the filming date. To over come this slight problem we have desided to exchange one of our gangsters for a hero, and replace the missing gangster as they do not have to have any lines.

Filming report.

our group is still to record our Film Noir, however we are planning to film on Thursday (20th January) however we have been doing some filming for other things. Matty has been filming a couple of our group meet ups as video blogs, which he plans to edit and upload as soon as possible. we have also done a few seconds of filming to help me with my animating. By filming Sam throwing a playing card I can easily copy the shapes and get an accurate representation of a throwing arm.

Marking Criteria

Marking Criteria for the presentation of the research and planning

Level 4 48-60 marks

There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.
There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning
Time management is excellent.

Marking criteria for video, filming and editing.

holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
using a variety of shot distances as appropriate; 
shooting material appropriate to the task set; 
selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting; 
editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set;
using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
using titles appropriately.

Beehive is the new Set

We have chosen to use the Beehive pub instead of our first idea of Paolo's Restaurant. This is mainly for two reasons;
 1) It is a lot closer to the school meaning easier transport for our Actors and Actresses (and possibly extras)
2) We (me and my group) were lucky enough to bump into the owner and ask his permission to use his pub to which he accepted.

Settings Update.

One place our group would like to use is Paolo's restaurant. I have just had a look at their website and have found their opening times.
 http://www.paolos-restaurant.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=4
The restaurant would be the perfect set as it features all the aesthetic qualities and surroundings needed; - The right mood, lighting and there is an alley way next to it which could be used to create a moody entrance for the "mobsters" if filmed at night or early morning.

UPDATE

Due to the fact that time is running short, me and Matt have been discussing an idea by Sam, suggested at the start of the project. This idea is to use the Beehive pub instead as it is nearer to the school and has roughly the same aesthetics, however, its location is not as good for certain scenes, such as the mobsters entering/walking into the pub. A pro of using the pub would be that it would be easier to get the cast down to it as it is only 5 minutes  away from our sixth form.

The six degrees of separation.

Whilst looking at some possible ways of displaying our film opening to as many people as possible when I came across the theory of six degrees of separation. This is a theory that states that through friends of friends you  could only be 5 people away from anyone on earth. although unproven the theory got me thinking about using social networking sites and viral advertising. If I was to send it to 5 people and they were to show it to 5  people  and so on and so on, it would soon be seen world wide, however this idea has a flaw that not everyone would be willing to show the footage or, if sent by email, seen as a junk email, as it would be a type of chain email. The other side to this is that people could send it to more than five friends. For this reason I think it would be a good idea to use Viral Advertising across Email and Social networking sites such as Hotmail, Googlemail, Facebook, and possibly Twitter.