Shafaah
Friday, 18 February 2011
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Roles in Production
Editing- Chelsea and Bilaal
Filmography- Chelsea and Bilaal
Lighting- Shafaah
Screenwriter/Directing- Shafaah
Casting- Shafaah, Chelsea and Bilaal
Music- Chelsea and Bilaal
Chelsea
Filmography- Chelsea and Bilaal
Lighting- Shafaah
Screenwriter/Directing- Shafaah
Casting- Shafaah, Chelsea and Bilaal
Music- Chelsea and Bilaal
Chelsea
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Synopsis
Late on a cold February evening, a young man is sat on a wooden chair in the deep expanse of a shipping container. He is hunched forward staring at the shiny police badge clutched in his pale, clammy hands, as he leans back he closes his eyes letting out a sigh of relief. A gunshot shatters the silence of the night. The seated man opens his eyes and with a delayed reaction falls to the floor. The shooter walks towards the corpse, he stretches out his arm and pulls the trigger. No shot is fired due to his lack of bullets, he resorts to brute force and bludgeons him till there is nothing left of his head. He rises up and casts the gun aside, without a backwards glance he turns and walks away.
England in the 1990s is in a state of turmoil, one man is running every single form of organised crime, whether it be prostitution, drug trafficking and even petty thefts. He is a young man who has been thrust head first into this lifestyle by the untimely death of his father, although he is young he rules with an iron fist and thinks like a seasoned professional. The head of the crime syndicate is not alone in his endeavors, his business partner and childhood best friend, Harry Irwin, helps him in his criminal activities. They class each other as brothers, and if something should happen to either one of them the person responsible will die.
The Organisation has been tormenting the police force for numerous years, no one has been able to capture a single member. The police thought that the criminal activities would stop with the death of the Head. However their happiness was short lived after vengeance was unleashed on a rival organisation. The police are given wind of peace talks between the two gangs and immediately intervene, thus resulting in the murder of Harry Irwin. The head of the Organisation takes out a personal vendetta against the police office who killed his best friend.
The police officer now fearing for his life and that of his family decides to flee, even though he has gone his family is now paying the price for his disappearance. They are tortured one by one until his wife confesses. The head of the Organisation makes his way to the docks to seek out the man who killed his beloved friend.
The police officer is found in a shipping container on the outskirts of Merseyside. The head of the crime syndicate bursts into the container and finds the coward of a man. The pair begin to argue and cannot find a reason or motive for the death of Harry Irwin. A confrontation then occurs between the two, the Head states the man's future, as he took Harry Irwin's life the head is now about to take his. Carelessly the man turns his back and laughs at the statement the Head just made, a shot is then fired directly into the mans spine, death is instant.
The Head of the crime syndicate then walks over and takes a seat on a chair, he loosens his tie in a calm collective manor.
The job is done.
Shafaah
England in the 1990s is in a state of turmoil, one man is running every single form of organised crime, whether it be prostitution, drug trafficking and even petty thefts. He is a young man who has been thrust head first into this lifestyle by the untimely death of his father, although he is young he rules with an iron fist and thinks like a seasoned professional. The head of the crime syndicate is not alone in his endeavors, his business partner and childhood best friend, Harry Irwin, helps him in his criminal activities. They class each other as brothers, and if something should happen to either one of them the person responsible will die.
The Organisation has been tormenting the police force for numerous years, no one has been able to capture a single member. The police thought that the criminal activities would stop with the death of the Head. However their happiness was short lived after vengeance was unleashed on a rival organisation. The police are given wind of peace talks between the two gangs and immediately intervene, thus resulting in the murder of Harry Irwin. The head of the Organisation takes out a personal vendetta against the police office who killed his best friend.
The police officer now fearing for his life and that of his family decides to flee, even though he has gone his family is now paying the price for his disappearance. They are tortured one by one until his wife confesses. The head of the Organisation makes his way to the docks to seek out the man who killed his beloved friend.
The police officer is found in a shipping container on the outskirts of Merseyside. The head of the crime syndicate bursts into the container and finds the coward of a man. The pair begin to argue and cannot find a reason or motive for the death of Harry Irwin. A confrontation then occurs between the two, the Head states the man's future, as he took Harry Irwin's life the head is now about to take his. Carelessly the man turns his back and laughs at the statement the Head just made, a shot is then fired directly into the mans spine, death is instant.
The Head of the crime syndicate then walks over and takes a seat on a chair, he loosens his tie in a calm collective manor.
The job is done.
Shafaah
Friday, 11 February 2011
Costumes
The Mise en Scene in films can be deemed one of the most important aspects to represent the style and look within a diegesis. Ideally, we would like to achieve a sense of mystery from the film noir era through the use of costumes and props. I have researched a selection of crime/thriller movies that incorporate the conventions of this genre, and show these stereotypes through their clothing:
As you can see, in both shots (LA Confidential, Se7en) there is a sense of power and authority that is reflected through their clean-cut and trim suits, the use of costume implies confidence and pride- traits that our two protaganists possess. The costumes for our two characters will consist of a black tailored suit with matching black tie and pristine white shirt to show his power, whilst the costume for the officer will require a creased and discoloured white shirt, slacks, a grubby tie and braces to create a disheveled appearance. These images present our research on how costumes can portray characteristics in a personality and draw up as inspiration for our own film.
As you can see, in both shots (LA Confidential, Se7en) there is a sense of power and authority that is reflected through their clean-cut and trim suits, the use of costume implies confidence and pride- traits that our two protaganists possess. The costumes for our two characters will consist of a black tailored suit with matching black tie and pristine white shirt to show his power, whilst the costume for the officer will require a creased and discoloured white shirt, slacks, a grubby tie and braces to create a disheveled appearance. These images present our research on how costumes can portray characteristics in a personality and draw up as inspiration for our own film.
Chelsea.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Possible Film Titles
Undisclosed - this is a title we have considered due to the meaning of the word,(secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; "covert actions by the CIA"; "covert funding for the rebels"). This reflects the lack of information that the audience is being given by the opening sequence.
Shades of Grey - this is another title that has been considered, as it fits in with the film noir genre which is typically filmed in black and white. Also as nothing in the film is clear (black and white) the name shades of grey reflects the confusion and psychological aspect of the the film.
Siren - the reason for this is the obvious sound that a police car makes to indicate crime. Also a deeper meaning would be the mythological meaning of the three sirens who lured sailors to their death, this reflect the plot of the film as the mutual hatred that the characters share is like a sirens call as it lures them both to their demise.
Shafaah, Bilaal and Chelsea.
Shades of Grey - this is another title that has been considered, as it fits in with the film noir genre which is typically filmed in black and white. Also as nothing in the film is clear (black and white) the name shades of grey reflects the confusion and psychological aspect of the the film.
Siren - the reason for this is the obvious sound that a police car makes to indicate crime. Also a deeper meaning would be the mythological meaning of the three sirens who lured sailors to their death, this reflect the plot of the film as the mutual hatred that the characters share is like a sirens call as it lures them both to their demise.
Shafaah, Bilaal and Chelsea.
Equipment and Technology
- Wheel chair - that will be used for various tracking and steady cam shots.
- Location - standard shipping container.
- Two cameras - for a shot reverse shot.
- One wooden chair - this is the chair that the head of the crime syndicate will be sat.
- Fake gun - prop
- Spray paint (black) - to spray the gun to increase effect.
- Police badge - prop, and one of the focal points in the film.
- Table - for the police officers research.
- Desk lamp - prop
- Newspaper clippings - which is the constructed research that the police officer has done.
- Ladder - this will be needed for high angle shots.
- Heavy duty torches - these are to create the low key lighting.
Shafaah and Chelsea
Location
The location we have chosen to use for our opening sequence is a small holding container, that is 20 ft by 8 ft in size. The container is based in the heart of Blackburn town centre, this is an advantage because it easy to access. This location is a good choice for our opening sequence because it resembles a convicts hideout.
Another point is that it is a stereotypical setting for our film and represents real life occurrences in the crime world.
The inspiration to use a container came from the film Lord of War, where the main character played by Nicholas Cage uses a shipping container to store arms. Therefore we have taken this aspect of the film and represented it in our own unique way which is to capture the image of crime in the modern day world.
However there are some criticisms, the first one being the container was our second choice as our first choice of a warehouse was to difficult to attain. A warehouse would have been more ideal as it reflects the brutality of our antagonist the police officer. Also the size of the warehouse would have been ideal as more space would have created an easier working environment. The container is spacious but is still to small to allow easy filming access.
On the other hand we can use these criticisms to our advantage, for example most people would see the lack of natural light as a problem, however this plays a big role in our opening sequence as it adds realism and it personifies the darkness of the inner workings of organised crime and the ugly truth about the dangers of taking the law into your own hands. The fact that our container is so isolated and small reflects the secretive lives of our two main characters.
The genre of psychological thriller can be reflected in our location through the confined space and lack of light which is the complete opposite of the truth setting you free and shedding light on a matter.
In conclusion we believe our location is both challenging for us as film makers and fits in with the stereotypical genre of gangster crime and psychological thriller.
Shafaah
Another point is that it is a stereotypical setting for our film and represents real life occurrences in the crime world.
The inspiration to use a container came from the film Lord of War, where the main character played by Nicholas Cage uses a shipping container to store arms. Therefore we have taken this aspect of the film and represented it in our own unique way which is to capture the image of crime in the modern day world.
However there are some criticisms, the first one being the container was our second choice as our first choice of a warehouse was to difficult to attain. A warehouse would have been more ideal as it reflects the brutality of our antagonist the police officer. Also the size of the warehouse would have been ideal as more space would have created an easier working environment. The container is spacious but is still to small to allow easy filming access.
On the other hand we can use these criticisms to our advantage, for example most people would see the lack of natural light as a problem, however this plays a big role in our opening sequence as it adds realism and it personifies the darkness of the inner workings of organised crime and the ugly truth about the dangers of taking the law into your own hands. The fact that our container is so isolated and small reflects the secretive lives of our two main characters.
The genre of psychological thriller can be reflected in our location through the confined space and lack of light which is the complete opposite of the truth setting you free and shedding light on a matter.
In conclusion we believe our location is both challenging for us as film makers and fits in with the stereotypical genre of gangster crime and psychological thriller.
Shafaah
Feedback 9.2.11
Guys, you spend most lessons in meetings making notes. It is essential that all these planning notes are typed and put on this blog. This is where the evidence must be. I am concerned that you are not moving forward quickly enough with this. You are a group of four and I can only see three people's names. Dimitris, please see me. As a large group, you should have no problem keeping up to date with the research and planning.
The lists of top films need some analysis. You could pick some out and discuss what you can learn from them. How/why do you think they were so popular with audiences? Can you find inspiration in them?
All research and planning must be complete this week. You should be filming this weekend and next week in order to allow yourselves plenty of editing time. However, until I have seen a detailed and completed storyboard you should not film. I need to see that you have fully planned what you are doing or you will find that you will end up filming and refilming over and over, wasting too much time.
Mrs A
The lists of top films need some analysis. You could pick some out and discuss what you can learn from them. How/why do you think they were so popular with audiences? Can you find inspiration in them?
All research and planning must be complete this week. You should be filming this weekend and next week in order to allow yourselves plenty of editing time. However, until I have seen a detailed and completed storyboard you should not film. I need to see that you have fully planned what you are doing or you will find that you will end up filming and refilming over and over, wasting too much time.
Mrs A
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Research on how to use titles in opening sequences
A title sequence can be considered one of the main aspects in a film or television programme. It shows the audience the title, key cast and production, through picture and sound.
This should not be confused with opening credits, as opening credits are typically shown on a black screen, using with or without sound and normally shows the main cast and production team. The end credits is when the extensive list of players that may have been in the film or had a significant role in making the film is shown then. Methods, such as ‘Cold Open’ can be used too.
A ‘Cold Open’ is when the film jumps straight into the story, without a title sequence or opening credits, giving the audience a somewhat of a teaser or maybe even a prelude to what to expect in the feature film/television programme. An example of this could be Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008)
When discussing films, title sequences are played around with, meaning you won’t normally find similar title sequences in different films, as film makers tend to find new and creative methods to show this. Films such as David Fincher’s Se7en inspired a lot of designers to impose something different, whilst still using text over a black background.
For designers, a title sequence has become a trend, to a point where the more creative and the more ‘tease factor’ it can provide, the better and the more inspiration others receive too. Designers such as Saul Bass and Maurice Binder are good examples of this.
However, not all films use title sequences. Films such as Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ only showed the production company and then the title, as the camera panned past Hamlet. Another film to note, is ‘The Mummy Returns’ as the only thing shown is the Production/Distribution Company ‘Universal’. The film also did not have any opening credits either, except end credits.
In our 2min opening sequence, I think we will have be using a title sequence, which will be used in the traditional method of just showing text behind a black background, but maybe using continuity edit, as we go back and fourth, showing multiple shots of the scene and then the black screen, then the multiple shots, revealing a little more and then eventually fade out using the title shot.
Bilaal
This should not be confused with opening credits, as opening credits are typically shown on a black screen, using with or without sound and normally shows the main cast and production team. The end credits is when the extensive list of players that may have been in the film or had a significant role in making the film is shown then. Methods, such as ‘Cold Open’ can be used too.
A ‘Cold Open’ is when the film jumps straight into the story, without a title sequence or opening credits, giving the audience a somewhat of a teaser or maybe even a prelude to what to expect in the feature film/television programme. An example of this could be Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008)
When discussing films, title sequences are played around with, meaning you won’t normally find similar title sequences in different films, as film makers tend to find new and creative methods to show this. Films such as David Fincher’s Se7en inspired a lot of designers to impose something different, whilst still using text over a black background.
For designers, a title sequence has become a trend, to a point where the more creative and the more ‘tease factor’ it can provide, the better and the more inspiration others receive too. Designers such as Saul Bass and Maurice Binder are good examples of this.
However, not all films use title sequences. Films such as Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ only showed the production company and then the title, as the camera panned past Hamlet. Another film to note, is ‘The Mummy Returns’ as the only thing shown is the Production/Distribution Company ‘Universal’. The film also did not have any opening credits either, except end credits.
In our 2min opening sequence, I think we will have be using a title sequence, which will be used in the traditional method of just showing text behind a black background, but maybe using continuity edit, as we go back and fourth, showing multiple shots of the scene and then the black screen, then the multiple shots, revealing a little more and then eventually fade out using the title shot.
Bilaal
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Top Films of Our Chosen Genres
Psychological Thriller
Film Title | Year of Release | Box Office Gross (USA) |
Silence of the Lambs | 1991 | $130,719,208 |
Rear Window | 1954 | $1,559,601 |
The Manchurian Candidate | 2004 | $65,948,711 |
Taxi Driver | 1976 | $21,100,00 |
Se7en | 1997 | $100,125,643 |
Memento | 2001 | $25,544,867 |
The Unusual Suspects | 1995 | $23,34,568 |
Play Misty For Me | 1971 | $10,600,000 |
American Psycho | 2000 | $15,070,285 |
Cape Fear | 1991 | $79,100,000 |
The Game | 1997 | $48,265,581 |
Fatal Attraction | 1987 | $147,200,833 |
The Talented Mr Ripley | 1999 | $81,297,135 |
Crime
Film Title | Year Of Release | Box Office Gross (USA) |
Blue Velvet | 1986 | $7,200,346 |
Chinatown | 1974 | $30,000,00 |
Le Cercle Rougue | 1970 | $377,229 |
No Country For Old Men | 2007 | $74,273,505 |
Kiss Me Deadly | 1955 | $882 |
Vertigo | 1958 | $$1,718,928 |
The Godfather | 1972 | $134, 966,411 |
The Godfather II | 1974 | $57,300,00 |
Close-Up | 1990 | $2,670 |
The Getaway | 1977 | $26,987,155 |
To Live And Die In L.A | 1985 | $17,307,019 |
Julia | 1977 | $4,101,519 |
Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia | 1974 | $2,168,998 |
The Young And The Damned | 1950 | (Unknown) |
Gonin | 1995 | (Unknown) |
Irreversible | 2002 | $753,501 |
True Lies (Tsotsi) | 1994 | $146,26,000 |
The Godfather III | 1974 | $57,300,000 |
The Player | 1992 | $21,706,100 |
Gomorrah | 2008 | $1,577,639 |
Crime Sub-Genre: Gangster
Film Title | Year Of Release | Box Office Gross (USA) |
The Godfather | 1972 | $134,966,411 |
Goodfellas | 1996 | $46,836,394 |
Cidade De Deus (City Of God) | 2002 | $7,563,394 |
Internal Affairs (Mou Gaan Dou) | 2002 | $89,594 |
Pulp Fiction | 1994 | $48,407,201 |
Du Riffi Chez Les Hommes | 1955 | $418,016 |
Once Upon A Time In America | 1984 | $5,300,000 |
Scarface | 1983 | $45,598,982 |
Carlito’s Way | 1993 | $36,948,322 |
White Heat | 1949 | (Unknown) |
Reservoir Dogs | 1992 | $2,687,008 |
Snatch | 2000 | $30,093,107 |
Casino | 1995 | $42,438,300 |
Mean Streets | 1973 | $32,645 |
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels | 1998 | $3,650,677 |
The Departed | 2006 | $132,373,454 |
The Untouchables | 1987 | $76,270,454 |
Millers Crossing | 1990 | $5,080,409 |
Donnie Brasco | 1997 | $41,954,997 |
Road To Perdition | 2002 | $104,054,514 |
Film Noir
The Film Noir titles, that are voted as the best are too outdated for us to find out the box office gross, how ever we have been able to find out the figure for a few films. This shows that there is a gap in the market, as there are no modern day Film Noir titles.
Film Title | Year Of Release | Box Office Gross (USA) |
In A Lonely Place | 1950 | (Unknown) |
Criss Cross | 1992 | $2,717,764 |
Sunset Boulevard | 1950 | (Unknown) |
The Asphalt Jungle | 1950 | (Unknown) |
Double Indemnity | 1944 | (Unknown) |
The Maltese Falcon | 1941 | (Unknown) |
Nightmare Alley | 1947 | (Unknown) |
Night And The City | 1950 | (Unknown) |
Out Of The Past | 1912 | (Unknown) |
Moonrise | 1948 | $849,452 |
The Killers | 1946 | $20,000 |
Sweet Smell Of Success | 1957 | (Unknown) |
Thieves Highway | 1949 | (Unknown) |
The Killing | 1956 | (Unknown) |
Odds Against Tomorrow | 1959 | (Unknown) |
Act Of Violence | 1948 | (Unknown) |
Gun Crazy | 1950 | (Unknown) |
The Prowler | 1951 | (Unknown) |
Tomorrow Is Another Day | 1957 | (Unknown) |
Shafaah, and Chelsea
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