Our framing storyboard

Framing

Whilst in class, we watched a short film full of examples of good framing in order to help us with the filming of our own teen film later on in the future. The film was full of tips to help us ensure we get the best shots possible throughout our movie. Some of these tips include:

- Keep your camera steady and frame your shots so that the action takes place within the frame. 

- Long shots can be effective. 

- Use a varied number of shots from a range of different angles, using different shot types. 

- Use shots to help get moods across. E.g. move closer into frame as tension builds. 

- Use a number of 'cutaway' shots as the are useful. These are shots that are not directly linked to the action in the scene. 

- Try to shoot at eye level to the actors. You can use high or low level shots when mirroring the actors point of view. 

- Avoid zooming. 

- Use match cuts. 

- Use the rule of thirds; which states you should keep whatever you are filming on the lines in the shot. 

framing (unfinished)

Framing

In order to get an idea of what is ideal and what is not ideal when shooting our teen movie opening we were made aware of some tips and tricks.

We watched a short film with examples of good framing and were encouraged to think about this when shooting our teen film in the near future. Some tips that I felt were especially useful and will be taken into consideration when filming are:

• Match cuts are good and will make a film look much more professional.
• Do not zoom in and out whilst filming as this can make the film look unprofessional.
• Close-ups are essential and you can never have to many, they convey emotion fantastically and add to suspense and drama.
• Wherever possible try and make actors walk in and out of the frame as it helps with the editing.
• No headspace ever!!

I think my group and I use these tips when filming in order to make the best teen film opening we possibly can.

Submarine clip sound

We as a group after viewing the clip with no sound realised that sound is very important in order to keep the attention of the audience.We will be taking this into consideration when we make our own film opening.In order to choose sound for this clip we listened to the clip over and over again and imagined what type different styles of music would fit in with the clip.We decided upon this calm piece of music as it complemented the clips relaxed feel.

Creative commons

Today we were introduced to a website called creative commons."Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States, devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. "

 

we searched "creative commons" into google

 

We then clicked on "explore"

 

 

We chose to explore through "soundcloud"

 

We needed to find a calm relaxed song so we typed in "calm"

We chose to use a piece of music called "Tarz- peaceful thinking" to match the video cip we had been given.

The importance of copyright

Copyright is a type of law that gives the owner of a song, book, picture or any other type of creative work, the right to decide what other people can do with it. Copyright is a type of protection for the owners f something as they decide what can be done with their creation and can charge people for using it.




Copyright by asmedgroup20 on GoAnimate

The importance of copyright (unfinished)

Comparison of original and remake of the breakfast club

 

My group and I have finally finished the shot by shot remake of the breakfast club and overall we are really happy with the result. We felt that we tried our hardest to get it to be as close to the original as possible and we had to make do with the facilities and props we had to access to. As a group we found that shooting the still frames was the easiest part of the remake and we felt that ours were very similar to the originals which was very encouraging. We had o miss out quite few of the still frames as we did not have the facilities shown in original nor could we make do with what we had. We found the talking scenes and the car scenes the hardest to recreate as we filmed in the school canteen at a time that was really busy so in some parts of the car scenes our voices cannot be heard due to the background chatter. We also found this scene difficult to recreate as in our group there are only three people and one of the scenes required 3 characters therefore one of the members of the group had to press record, at in the scene and furthermore press stop when the scene was one which was very hard to edit.In the original breakfast club the camera angles change as different characters speak in the car scenes however our group did not do this and we kept he camera in the same position for all thee car scenes. For the parts of the film where the cars pull up outside of the school my group did contemplate using toy cars however w di not have access to these so in the end we went in search of 4 cars in the street.

 

In conclusion we are happy with the final remake and although we do feel that there were some things we could have done better, we feel this will aid us when the time comes to making our film opening.

Final shot by Shot remake of the breakfast club

Storyboard for the breakfast club

Evidence of filming

Bloopers From Filming:

Tricky Camera Angles and The Shoot Overall:

One particularly difficult scene to shoot was the scene where all three members of our group were in the shot, as we had to keep going back and forth from the camera to make sure it was at the right angle and recording us properly. However, as a whole, the shoot went very well and we got almost all of the shots and scenes we needed for this remake of 'The Breakfast Club'. 

Planning

Props:

In order to remake this opening, we would need props such as cars, a steering wheel, signs, and lockers. We did not have access to toy cars, so we therefore took shots of cars on the strew. For the steering wheel, we used the media departments fig rig as it looks like a steering wheel. For signs and lockers, the media department made and provided these for us so we simply had to take shots of them.

Costumes: 

Each of the characters in the opening have a different sense of style, which we needed to present in our remake. In order to do this, our choices of costume had to be appropriate. 

To represent the spoilt rich girl's character, we decided to use a red cardigan and white dress for the costume. 

For the young boy who is dropped off by his mother and younger sibling, we used a hat as a costume as this is the thing that stuck out in what he was wearing during his scene.

For the Jock character, we used a typical jock jacket.

We did not represent the alternative girl due to lack of time and a limited number of people in our group.

 For the criminal looking guy who arrived on foot, we used a blue loose fitting jacket.

Location:

We filmed this remake on college grounds and along Goswell Road.

Shot By Shot Remake Task

Our task as a group was to remake the opening of the movie 'The Breakfast Club'. In the opening, we are taken on a tour of the emptied school, and shown areas within it such as the canteen, the library, the front of the school, and classrooms. The normal school locations are shown as empty to emphasise the fact that it is not a normal school day, and the five characters shown are there for detention. We then get an initial look into the characters in this movie by the way in which each of them arrive to detention, and their relationships with their parents and others around them. First we see a young girl being dropped off by her father in a BMW. This first of all tells the audience that the character has alot of money. The girl comes across as somewhat spoilt as daddy's typical 'princess', and seems very unhappy with the fact that she has detention. Next we are introduced to a boy who is being dropped off by his mother and younger sibling. This character appears to not be as rich as the previous one, and the car being driven isn't as expensive as a BMW, which also give an insight to the characters financial state. The boy is being told off my his mum for having detention, which suggests this isn't a typical occurrence for him. After this, what appears to be a stereotypical jock character is introduced. He arrives with his dad in a pick up truck, and his dad's nonchalant attitude about the detention gives us a clue that this character isn't particularly well behaved or into school, which are attributes of a teen movies normal jock character. The final character to arrive by car is an alternative looking girl, who does not say anything, but simply gets out of the car and goes to talk to te driver, but they quickly drive away without a word. The fifth and final character in the opening does not arrive by car, but comes on foot. He crosses the road by stepping right in front of a moving car, which tells us that he has no regard for danger. Also, the fact that he is arriving by walking tells us he is probably not financially well off, and doesn't have anybody at home who cares enough or is able to drop him off to school.

The Opening Scene:

Order of titles(unfinished)

Order of Titles

The order of the titles depends on what the movie is, who it is made and directed by, and who is starring in the movie. For example, if a huge star such as Brad Pitt was to star in a movie, his name would appear first, before the directors and everybody else's name. This is because he is a hugely recognised actor, so it is likely that the film would be introduced as a Brad Pitt movie, and would be sold off of this.

This is also relevant when it comes to how famous the movies director is. Usually the directors name is towards the end of the title sequence, however, if it was somebody as famous as Steven Spielberg, it is likely that his name would be at the start. 

One rule of title sequences is that the production company always comes right at the start of the sequence. This is because they are the most important as they have invested in the movie, and therefore own the film. 

All of this is contractual, which means that if an actor agrees to do a movie and they want their name further up, lawyers will have to get involved to help them get the contract they want. 

Changes to this are rare, but if a well respected music producer is helping on the film and music is an important aspect, they may demand a specific place in the sequence. 

Example:

Director towards the beginning as it is Steven Speilberg who is well known, so therefore goes before the actors and the name of the film.

Analysis of a teen film

21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street is an America teen action comedy starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, and is set in   a high school. Two cops are employed at a project named 21 Jump Street, which involves them going back to high school undercover in order to bust a drug dealer and supplier. However, it becomes more complicated than it should as a result of Jonah Hill's character getting too involved in his role, and the two main characters getting into repetitive arguments as neither of them are able to deal with playing the roles of high school students all over again without becoming effected. This film explores a number of topics such as popularity, tested friendships, and romance, all of which are typical topics within a teen movie. 

I personally really enjoyed this film as it was hilarious and very entertaining. It also had Jonah Hill in it, who is one of my favourite actors, which made it even more appealing. 

This film is soon to be followed up as a sequel due to it's success. 

Film Trailer:

     

The Bling Ring Review

The Bling Ring is a teen film released in 2013, and is based on true events. A group of fame obsessed teenagers begin to trespass on celebrities property, and steal items of clothing alongside other things. This hobby starts out as harmless fun in the teens eyes, but soon becomes serious when CCTV footage catches them in the act, which results in the group getting into trouble with the law and receiving a large amount of media attention. The teens visit the likes of Paris Hilton's mansion, who makes a guest appearance in the film towards the beginning. As well as this, one of the main characters in this film is Emma Watson, widely recognised for her role in the 'Harry Potter' movies. This star power that comes from having Paris Hilton and Emma Watson only makes the film more appealing and largely recognised. 

On the opening weekend, this movie brought in just $214,359 at the box office, $5,845,732 as a total domestic gross, and $15,145,732 with worldwide gross. This could be considered a huge 'flop' at the box office. 




The film followed a number of typical conventions of a teen movie. The most frequent locations in the movie were a school, bedrooms, clubs, and other rooms around a house. 

The opening of the film showed the title sequence, displaying the names of the actors, producers etc. 

There were also a number of binary oppositions displayed in the film. These include:
- Good vs Bad.
-Poor vs Rich.
-Teens vs Authority. 

Order of Titles

Reflection

In this post, I will be talking about my progress and how i think i am doing with my blog so far.

Overall i personally think i have been doing pretty well, however, the order of my blog isn't entirely perfect. This is due to missing a number of lessons due to other arrangements in my schedule. 

even though the order of my blog isn't perfect, the things i have posted so far seem to be of a good standard, and i am working as fast and effectively as possible to get all missing posts put up onto the blog in order to increase my chances of getting a good grade. My work ethic has improved over the past few weeks too, and i look forward to improving and keeping up to date with all future posts.
To further improve future posts, i would like to use a larger range of technology such as gifs, as so far, i have been heavily reliant on the use of images and videos. 

Analysis of 3 Teen Movies With Different Audiences

Mean Girls

'Mean Girls' is a teen film set in an American High school, and is about a girl who starts at the school and gets convinced to go along with a plan to bring down the most popular girl in school. She is brought into the group referred to as 'The Plastics', and works from the inside to bring them down and ruin their reputation. The target audience for this movie appears to be mainly females between the ages of 13-25 as it explores popularity, boy troubles, fights within friendship groups, and general school life, all of which are themes occurring in the lives if females around these ages. This film was first released in 2004, and is still a popular teen film to this day, with a sequel later released titled 'Mean Girls 2'.  The genres include comedy, romance, and drama.

Stars of the film include:

Lindsey Lohan

Rachel McAdams

Jonathan Bennet

Film Trailer

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a film set in America, which is about a country split into 12 districts, and each year, two people from each district are put into an arena to fight to to the death. The film is the genre of action/sci-fi, and has a target audience of both males and females from the age of 13 and above. This movie has themes of death/loss, romance, thrilling action, and violence. It was released in 2012, and based on a series of books written by Suzan collins, and there has since been a second movie, along with a number of other sequels being made. It was and still is immensely popular, and contains a number of huge stars, who's big profiles may have been a contributing factor to the success of the movie.

Stars of the movie include:

Jennifer Lawrence

Liam Hemsworth

Josh Hutcherson

Film Trailer

High School Musical

High School Musical is a film set in an American high school, and is about a group of students from different cliques coming together and becoming friends through the schools musical. The movie was released in 2006, and was so popular that is was followed by two sequels. The target audience for this film is both males and females between the ages of 10-16, as it includes typical themes of high school, but is more child friendly than a range of other teen movies. The genres include romance and musical.

Stars of the film include:

Zac Efron

Vanessa Hudgens

Ashley Tisdale

Film Trailer

Arriving at School In Donnie Darko

Locations and Mise en Scene: 

In the clip we watched of Donnie Darko, three locations are used to create a convincing impression of a school environment. Initially, we see the school building, with a number of students in school uniform entering the building. We then get a view of the inside of the building, which consists of a corridor full of lockers. Finally, we are taken through to the outside of the school, where a number of young girls are seen doing a dance sequence. All of these locations work together to create a convincing and typical school environment. As well as this, costumes are used to add to the impression of it being a school. The students are see wearing school uniforms, while teachers and authoritative figures are seen in sensible clothing such as suit&ties, shirts, long skirts, and blazers. 

Characters 

There are quite a few different characters which appear:

The Rebel/Criminal: Probably have a name like Spike, in the film they woluld probably cause trouble in the school, be bullies, do drugs and start fights.

The Popular Pretty Girl: Probably have a name like Britney, in the film they would be the hierachy of the school being the most pretty and popular.

Goody Two Shoes: Have a name like Stuart, in the film they would always be the students that are favoured by the teachers due to there obsequious-ness.

Nerds: Have names like Francis, they know all the answers and do all the homework which the teacher sets and are often bullied by the popular kids

Wannabe Young Cheerleaders: Names like Courtney, they want to grow up quickly and be as popular and cool as the older cheerleaders.

Editing and Camera

In the clip that we watched of Donnie Darko lots of different editing techniques and camers techniques were used.The clip starts with a low angle shot that spins around,this is at the point where the pupils are getting off the school bus to start the new term.Throughout the film intro various editing speeds are used.The camera usually focuses on one particular character by watching what they do in slow motion and then speeding up to the next character and then focusing on them in slow motion.The camera is almost always in front of the characters and at eye level to give the audience the idea that the camera is another pupil and from their perspective.

Analysis of a teen film(The Hunger Games-Catching Fire)

 

I recently went to the cinema to watch the second film in the hunger games trilogy that I am a big fan of. I have read all three books and watched the first film so I was very excited for the release of this film and to see how it compared to the book.

 

The hunger games catching fire follows on from the end of the other film. In this film the capitol are after Katniss and Peeta as they have sparked a rebellion among the district in Panem. The districts do not want to be controlled by the capitol and katniss had given them hope by breaking the rules in the arena. President Snow then breaks the hunger games promise. If you have win the hunger games you are guranteed withdrawal from all of the other hunger games. But then that promise is broken and Katniss and Peeta are forced to fight again.

 

the hunger games is not a typical teen film as it is set in the future and not in the typical high school setting. Most of the characters that are found in teen films are not in this filmed mainly because it is an adventure/fiction film and most teen films are comedy.