Given the go-ahead after re-pitching our adjusted idea to the teachers.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feedback from Pitch, and Final Treatment
After giving our presentation to the teachers, we were given 2 pieces of feedback, 2 issues we needed to address before we could proceed with planning the film.
1. We needed to decide on exactly what happens from when Lizzy gets off the bed, to when she speaks to the neighbour.
- She moves off the bed, wiping her hands on her top, looking around the room. Her gaze returns to the body on the bed and she freezes. She moves her hand to her mouth as if she's about to throw up, and falls back against the wall. Leaning against it, she wretches and gags, but doesn't actually throw up. She heaves, and slides down the wall, pulling her legs close to her chest, and running her fingers through her hair. She then hears the knock on the door, and we see her look panicked. She scrabbles up, grabs her dressing gown, and pulls it on as she rushes out of the room. As she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she looks in the mirror, trying to clean up her face and pull back her hair, before she opens the door ever so slightly to the neighbour.
2. We also needed to know exactly why she decided to murder her boyfriend at this time; what triggered it.
- We decided it would happen early morning, as they were waking up, and he tries to have sex with her. He begins to force himself on her, as he often does. She had seen this coming, and finally couldn't take any more, and so pulls a knife from the draw, and finally snaps and kills him.
We find this out in the final climactic moment before the final judgement is made.
With these adjustments made, we have been given the 'green light' and proceed with making our film!
1. We needed to decide on exactly what happens from when Lizzy gets off the bed, to when she speaks to the neighbour.
- She moves off the bed, wiping her hands on her top, looking around the room. Her gaze returns to the body on the bed and she freezes. She moves her hand to her mouth as if she's about to throw up, and falls back against the wall. Leaning against it, she wretches and gags, but doesn't actually throw up. She heaves, and slides down the wall, pulling her legs close to her chest, and running her fingers through her hair. She then hears the knock on the door, and we see her look panicked. She scrabbles up, grabs her dressing gown, and pulls it on as she rushes out of the room. As she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she looks in the mirror, trying to clean up her face and pull back her hair, before she opens the door ever so slightly to the neighbour.
2. We also needed to know exactly why she decided to murder her boyfriend at this time; what triggered it.
- We decided it would happen early morning, as they were waking up, and he tries to have sex with her. He begins to force himself on her, as he often does. She had seen this coming, and finally couldn't take any more, and so pulls a knife from the draw, and finally snaps and kills him.
We find this out in the final climactic moment before the final judgement is made.
With these adjustments made, we have been given the 'green light' and proceed with making our film!
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Film Pitch
Introduction
We are Madhouse Media, and we are a production company from London, that specialise in British Niche films.
Synopsis
Based on a true story. The film follows a young woman, aged 19, called Lizzy, who has been convicted of murdering her long-term boyfriend of 5 years. The film immediately opens with disruption, beginning with the murder, and we see her just after she has committed the act. The film then moves forward in time to her court case. We follow her trial, and how her lawyer tries to dig out the truth behind the murder and find the real motive. This will be shown through a series of flashbacks, both before and after the murder took place, showing what built up to the final kill. As the film progresses we come to learn that her boyfriend had been abusing her for years, and her parents and his refused to believe, deemed her a liar, and disowned her. She became so traumatized by everything that the only way out was to kill him. This is all revealed in a final climactic moment before the final judgement is made, and as a result, equilibrium is restored as she is released, free to go, and proven to be nothing but a good person under horrible circumstance.
Opening Sequence
The opening sequence would focus on our female killer. The sequence begins just after she’s completed the murder in their bedroom. The blinds are closed, the there is light behind them. The room is well organised, white sheets on a double bed, pictures on the wall etc. The boyfriend Josh is lying on the bed, face up, with deep cuts in his arms, chest and throat. He is in pyjamas, they are stained with blood. There is blood all over the bed sheets and some splattered on the wall. Lizzy is on top of him and she is also covered in blood, She also wears pyjamas. Shots are mostly close ups, of her face, her body, blood on the walls, and Josh. She breathes heavily, but steadily. She will then go through a series of things, such as throwing up, washing her face, trying to wash the knife and her hands.
There is silence other than her breathing. The focus will be slightly off (in post-production we’ll make the scene quite sterile). There is a knock at the door and she pulls on a dressing gown. As she runs downstairs she tries to cover the blood up, and do her hair. We see her open the door slightly, shot over the shoulder of the neighbour. The neighbour asks ‘I hear a lot of noise, is everything okay, are you okay?’ She then opens the door a bit more . She responds with something like ‘oh i was just moving things about and a shelf collapsed' trying to relieve herself of the neighbours presence, when the door is closed she slides down it with her head in her hands. End of sequence.
Influences
Our main influence has come from the television drama 'Criminal Justice', series 2. The series is also a courtroom drama, following a mother of a family who is abused horrifically, and only does justice come to light at the end.
The Series Page here
However we wanted to aim the film at a younger audience, and so we drew influence from another television series, 'Waterloo Road'. A mother is abused by her husband, but the daughter takes action and kills her father to protect her mother. We felt that this young age is something that would be much more appropriate for our audience.
We have also taken influence from a film preview we were invited to as a group, called 'The Holding'. The films opening sequence follows a woman dragging a body down a hill in the dark, and was the inspiration for Michael's original idea, before we developed it as a group.
We were also influenced by the shooting video of this amateur film from Youtube. We expecially like the change in focus, and the handheld camera shots.
Target Audience
Our film attempts to target a range of demographics within the mass female audience. Our core audiences are females aged 16-21 and young couples, since they can associate with the protagonist and other lead characters such as the female lawyer. More specific secondary niche audiences are students, those with issues personal to them and those who are vulnerable, perhaps even traumatised caused by events similar to those shown in our film (such as domineering relationships). Not only does our film target predominantly a female audience aged 16-21, but women aged over 30, since the circumstances displayed could happen to their daughter.
We have selected these target audiences because our film includes representations of gender and age, which together work in synergy to create audience appeal. We understand that it’s a stereotype of females to be emotional and therefore enjoy emotional / psychological dramas. This has been catered for through the complexity of the protagonist’s background and intense nature and crescendo of suspense, experienced typically in crime and drama productions.
Our film, of course, targets fans of the sub-genre, courtroom drama and fans of the umbrella genres, drama and crime.
Actors, Location and Practicalities
- The sequence is heavily focused on the female character, and we have chosen to use ‘Lizzy Lucas’ as our lead actress.
- For the dead boyfriend, we will use Josh Pedro, though he is not a crucial character, and could be easily replaced.
- We are going to use Daniel’s house, as it is an environment we can control, and we have full permission to use the area. We will change sheeting on the beds, curtains, and rearrange furniture to create the perfect room.
The shoot is very practical, there will be only:
- 2 setups, involving only
- 3 actors, and
- can all be shot in one day.
The challenge will be to make the scene look realistic, and make the blood believable, but we will employ a make artist to assist. We can buy all fake blood and sheeting with minimal budget.
We are Madhouse Media, and we are a production company from London, that specialise in British Niche films.
Synopsis
Based on a true story. The film follows a young woman, aged 19, called Lizzy, who has been convicted of murdering her long-term boyfriend of 5 years. The film immediately opens with disruption, beginning with the murder, and we see her just after she has committed the act. The film then moves forward in time to her court case. We follow her trial, and how her lawyer tries to dig out the truth behind the murder and find the real motive. This will be shown through a series of flashbacks, both before and after the murder took place, showing what built up to the final kill. As the film progresses we come to learn that her boyfriend had been abusing her for years, and her parents and his refused to believe, deemed her a liar, and disowned her. She became so traumatized by everything that the only way out was to kill him. This is all revealed in a final climactic moment before the final judgement is made, and as a result, equilibrium is restored as she is released, free to go, and proven to be nothing but a good person under horrible circumstance.
Opening Sequence
The opening sequence would focus on our female killer. The sequence begins just after she’s completed the murder in their bedroom. The blinds are closed, the there is light behind them. The room is well organised, white sheets on a double bed, pictures on the wall etc. The boyfriend Josh is lying on the bed, face up, with deep cuts in his arms, chest and throat. He is in pyjamas, they are stained with blood. There is blood all over the bed sheets and some splattered on the wall. Lizzy is on top of him and she is also covered in blood, She also wears pyjamas. Shots are mostly close ups, of her face, her body, blood on the walls, and Josh. She breathes heavily, but steadily. She will then go through a series of things, such as throwing up, washing her face, trying to wash the knife and her hands.
There is silence other than her breathing. The focus will be slightly off (in post-production we’ll make the scene quite sterile). There is a knock at the door and she pulls on a dressing gown. As she runs downstairs she tries to cover the blood up, and do her hair. We see her open the door slightly, shot over the shoulder of the neighbour. The neighbour asks ‘I hear a lot of noise, is everything okay, are you okay?’ She then opens the door a bit more . She responds with something like ‘oh i was just moving things about and a shelf collapsed' trying to relieve herself of the neighbours presence, when the door is closed she slides down it with her head in her hands. End of sequence.
Influences
Our main influence has come from the television drama 'Criminal Justice', series 2. The series is also a courtroom drama, following a mother of a family who is abused horrifically, and only does justice come to light at the end.
The Series Page here
However we wanted to aim the film at a younger audience, and so we drew influence from another television series, 'Waterloo Road'. A mother is abused by her husband, but the daughter takes action and kills her father to protect her mother. We felt that this young age is something that would be much more appropriate for our audience.
We have also taken influence from a film preview we were invited to as a group, called 'The Holding'. The films opening sequence follows a woman dragging a body down a hill in the dark, and was the inspiration for Michael's original idea, before we developed it as a group.
Target Audience
Our film attempts to target a range of demographics within the mass female audience. Our core audiences are females aged 16-21 and young couples, since they can associate with the protagonist and other lead characters such as the female lawyer. More specific secondary niche audiences are students, those with issues personal to them and those who are vulnerable, perhaps even traumatised caused by events similar to those shown in our film (such as domineering relationships). Not only does our film target predominantly a female audience aged 16-21, but women aged over 30, since the circumstances displayed could happen to their daughter.
We have selected these target audiences because our film includes representations of gender and age, which together work in synergy to create audience appeal. We understand that it’s a stereotype of females to be emotional and therefore enjoy emotional / psychological dramas. This has been catered for through the complexity of the protagonist’s background and intense nature and crescendo of suspense, experienced typically in crime and drama productions.
Our film, of course, targets fans of the sub-genre, courtroom drama and fans of the umbrella genres, drama and crime.
Actors, Location and Practicalities
- The sequence is heavily focused on the female character, and we have chosen to use ‘Lizzy Lucas’ as our lead actress.
- For the dead boyfriend, we will use Josh Pedro, though he is not a crucial character, and could be easily replaced.
- We are going to use Daniel’s house, as it is an environment we can control, and we have full permission to use the area. We will change sheeting on the beds, curtains, and rearrange furniture to create the perfect room.
The shoot is very practical, there will be only:
- 2 setups, involving only
- 3 actors, and
- can all be shot in one day.
The challenge will be to make the scene look realistic, and make the blood believable, but we will employ a make artist to assist. We can buy all fake blood and sheeting with minimal budget.
Feedback Session with BLK
, As a group, we shared our idea with Mrs. Blackborow, and received feedback. We developed the idea, so that the film has a better storyline and fits into a genre more distinctly. The film has now changed to more of a courtroom drama, where the murder we see in the opening sequence is actually flashback, and she is discussing what happened with her lawyer. The film will then follow her and her court case.
Evidence of Communication
Weekend 1 -
Our group using Xbox Live microphones to communicate and discuss what we did, and what we plan to do.
Our group using Xbox Live microphones to communicate and discuss what we did, and what we plan to do.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Loaction Scouting, Running through the sequence.
Weekend 1 -
Michael and Daniel went to the location we were considering (Daniels House), to run through the sequence, see if it was viable and how it would look.
Michael and Daniel went to the location we were considering (Daniels House), to run through the sequence, see if it was viable and how it would look.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Inspiration for our Idea
We decided to go with Michael's idea in the end, and this is part of his inspiration. It's an amateur horror short film, and we particularly like the steadicam shots, and the way the footage has been graded.
Initial Ideas
Initial ideas for the group had a relatively large scope. As a group our initial idea was a zombie film but this was before any production meetings or a proper brief had been given. When we were then handed the task we decided we would each come up with an idea to present to the groups at the first production meeting (period 1 21st January). Here were the ideas brought to the table and what we thought about them:
Adams idea: A zombie comedy film with inspiration from films like Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Zombie films in general (28 Days Later, Dawn of The Dead etc.) The idea was to have a Vinnie Jones/ Jason Statham like hero and the story of his life through a Zombie apocalypse with his cockney wife (like that of Eastenders). The comedy would come from the fulfilment of cockney stereotypes and the main characters major concern being his wife and not the zombie problem.
The opening sequence would consist of a chase sequence of the main character down a street to his home killing zombies as he went in an unorthodox style with freeze frames and witty comments.
Good:
Bad:
Daniels idea: A thriller film, inspired by spy films, with 'Splinter Cell' type characters. The idea was very vague, but the opening sequence would involve various shots of people being kidnapped by figures coming out of the dark. This would create immediate disequilibrium and mystery as to why this was happening.
Good:
Michaels idea: A horror/thriller/crime film inspired by a film preview we were invited to called 'The Holding', a youtube clip and the film State of Play. The film would follow a police detective in London, trying to find the murderer to a case he’s just been assigned. The film opens with a young woman suffering from some sort of mental problems who murders her boyfriend, and the neighbour that comes to check on them. It would have a gritty and graphic style with a range of shots in a house. The camera would focus on her actions and contain some particularly graphic and dramatic scenes.
Good:
At the meeting we decided to go with Michaels idea due to ease and practicality as well as a good narrative and further discussed it to develop the idea more. The next step will be to discuss the idea with our teacher to make sure we are going in the right direction.
Adams idea: A zombie comedy film with inspiration from films like Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Zombie films in general (28 Days Later, Dawn of The Dead etc.) The idea was to have a Vinnie Jones/ Jason Statham like hero and the story of his life through a Zombie apocalypse with his cockney wife (like that of Eastenders). The comedy would come from the fulfilment of cockney stereotypes and the main characters major concern being his wife and not the zombie problem.
The opening sequence would consist of a chase sequence of the main character down a street to his home killing zombies as he went in an unorthodox style with freeze frames and witty comments.
Good:
- Developed idea and synopsis
- Unique and original idea to some extent
- Lots of inspiration behind and potential film references
Bad:
- Many actors needed
- Specialised actor needed for main character
- Outdoor shoot prone to weather change
- Permission to shoot on street
- Interruptions of shoot by cars and pedestrians
Daniels idea: A thriller film, inspired by spy films, with 'Splinter Cell' type characters. The idea was very vague, but the opening sequence would involve various shots of people being kidnapped by figures coming out of the dark. This would create immediate disequilibrium and mystery as to why this was happening.
Good:
- Potential for good film idea
- Good opening sequence idea
- Many actors needed
- Several locations required
- No actual idea, just shots for an opening sequence.
Michaels idea: A horror/thriller/crime film inspired by a film preview we were invited to called 'The Holding', a youtube clip and the film State of Play. The film would follow a police detective in London, trying to find the murderer to a case he’s just been assigned. The film opens with a young woman suffering from some sort of mental problems who murders her boyfriend, and the neighbour that comes to check on them. It would have a gritty and graphic style with a range of shots in a house. The camera would focus on her actions and contain some particularly graphic and dramatic scenes.
Good:
- Simple idea
- Potential for a good plot
- Few actors needed
- Shot indoors, constant setting
- Potential for interesting shots
- Easier shooting
Bad:
- Availibilty of good actors
- Realism of graphic scenes possible?
At the meeting we decided to go with Michaels idea due to ease and practicality as well as a good narrative and further discussed it to develop the idea more. The next step will be to discuss the idea with our teacher to make sure we are going in the right direction.
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