Monday 4 January 2010
Evaluation
Monday 16 November 2009
The Apple Soundtrack
The music generally follows the film with happy music when the apple is traveling safely or excitingly and more tension when it is threatened. The best example of this is when it flies from the bridge and ends up in the cyclists basket.
Friday 13 November 2009
The 2nd Ancillary Piece: Magazine Review Page
Much like the poster we created the page follows the same colour and font scheme so as to create a brand identity.
We placed the review in Art House magazine because it is more typical of them to print a short film review than a more feature length oriented magazine such as Empire.
Saturday 7 November 2009
The Official Apple Film Poster
We advertised the film as showing at a short film festival because to advertise it as a cinema blockbuster is just not in keeping with the genre.
We figured that keeping the same kind of colour scheme and font throughout all of our pieces would help to create a brand identity and so all of the text is in the same green colour and the fonts are all similar too.
We also came up with the tagline "How far does the apple fall from the tree?" because it is a very well known phrase. However it also a hint at the journey the apple travels on.
Friday 6 November 2009
Ancillary Task Research: Posters
Below is a poster for "A Deadly Silence", a short horror.
It is a simple design which, like a horror film, doesn't give too much away. We can see a silhouette of a man with a knife helping someone up from the floor, indicating the chance of murder within the film.
The colour scheme is also typical of the horror genre in that it is dark with scarlet writing for the title of the film. This generally links to the darkness in many of the locations, with the red connoting the likelihood of bloodshed.
It also tells the viewer where the film will be screened and when, this is key given the niche market of short films.
The next poster is for a Paraguayan short film called Guantes Blancos. Whilst I myself don't speak Spanish, the poster itself is very eye catching despite a basic colour scheme.
The illustrations of people have been turned into silhouettes and as such look menacing and as if they are in some kind of gang. I like this poster because even though I can't read it, it's images give me a gist of the film, it is universally accessible.
The next poster I have chosen is not from a short film, however it is so iconic and close to our initial ideas that I have to mention it. The poster is from Quentin Tarantino's first film, Reservoir Dogs.
We will be following this idea with a basic scheme of our own, just the apple, the tagline and where to see the film.
Thursday 5 November 2009
The 5th ManFlick Podcast
Sunday 1 November 2009
First Poll Returns
- More focus on the apple itself as opposed to those transporting it (POV shots, close ups, etc.)
- Light discrepancies to fix.
- Wet floor discrepancies to fix.
Thursday 29 October 2009
ManFlick Podcast Episode 4
Monday 26 October 2009
Step On It
We managed to squash the apple perfectly in one shot (which was a major surprise) and I put it down to the choice of footwear. For future reference, if you want to stand on an apple and look good while your doing it, wear some Brogues.
Friday 23 October 2009
Art Attack
Wednesday 21 October 2009
VanFlick (Get It?)
The only real problem we encountered was my Dad's acting skills which gave us quite a few outtakes for the production diaries. Be good and maybe you'll get to see them.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Jog On Mate!
Friday 16 October 2009
The Hobo Of Intertextual Reference
For this Jack reprised his role, which meant finding the same clothes and then tramping them up a little. This meant rubbing them in puddles and popping a lens out of his glasses.
To add to the tramp effect we gave Jack some whiskey as a prop, which was of course watered down coke because we're responsible.
We also gave him a disposable camera to add to the intertextual reference effect.
Thursday 15 October 2009
The Dog Days Are Over
This scene involved a dog spotting the apple and running across a car park with it. Now of course, being a car park, we couldn't actually just let the dog run so we had his owner calling him to where we needed him to go.
The dogs name was Alfie and his obedience made the shoot far easier than I had thought it would be and for his great performance we treated him to a nice bone.
On Yer Bike!
This was all relatively simple except for one shot which involved dropping the apple from the bridge and getting it into a moving basket.
This took a few attempts and we suffered a few fruit casualties!
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Day 2 (Again)
It's been quite a coup for us but because of Jack and Joe's links we were able to get permission to film in Waitrose so our supermarket scenes all look authentic.
One place we weren't able to film though was the high street outside of Waitrose. This is apparently public property which is something we weren't told when we went location hunting. In the end we found ways around that by shooting in slightly different yet generic locations so that when we make our final cut, the differences will be unnoticeable.
One of the enjoyable parts of this shoot was filming on the bridge when the apple is knocked off of it. This involved throwing apples off the bridge and hoping that Jack "Hands like Feet" Parfitt could catch them. He couldn't.
The shoot ran smoothly and we even managed to make up a few shots that weren't on our storyboards which is a bonus.
Monday 12 October 2009
As Promised, Night Time Storyboards
Saturday 10 October 2009
Day 1 (Again)
This shoot involved us filming the apple falling down the stairs. We bought 12 apples to do it and the dead apple count at the end of it had reached 7. If this is a sign of things to come, the budget just asked for a boost.
I myself was looking a bit like I took a tumble down the stairs but that was unrelated.
The shoot was great fun because it mainly just involved throwing apples down some stairs and seeing what happened but we did encounter some difficulties although they are mainly just because we're perfectionists.
We had a shot where the apple teeters on the edge of a step and then eventually falls off. This took ages to get right because we found it difficult to roll the apple in the right manner. We found the easiest way to get things right was to film in bulk, leaving the camera shooting and then just rolling the apple in and out over and over. Eventually, we got there after lots of takes.
Friday 9 October 2009
Risky Business
There aren't really many risks to us other than traffic when we film on the street.
It's the apples I feel sorry for, our budget won't cover healthcare for them and we can't even offer them crash helmets.
Thursday 8 October 2009
Storyboards
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Monday 5 October 2009
Location Hunting
With that in mind, we scouted out all of our locations to figure out what the light conditions were like so that we knew what kind of time we should film at each location.
The other research we needed was how much footfall there is in each location. The last thing we need when is large crowds that prevent us from shooting smoothly so this is key.
So here is a quick slideshow of all the locations we've chosen.
Sunday 4 October 2009
Saturday 3 October 2009
The Latest ManFlick Idea: It's About An Apple
No doubt you're wondering how this can be but I'll give you a quick rundown now. The Apple is bought in a supermarket and then, after a random series of miraculous events, ends up saving a man's life.
That's a very basic run down and we're still padding out the plot but soon enough I'll have a fully detailed rundown.
Thursday 1 October 2009
This Is A Setback
The main problem is the length. After filming 2 scenes we have already got over 2 minutes of footage. This not good because we have so much more to film, but only 3 minutes in which to fit it.
The 2nd problem is dealing with the length. In Witness, if we needed to cut time out, we could just remover some shots. However in this project things are a bit harder because there is a tighter storyline.
Having taken these things into account, we had a serious talk and have made a major decision. We're scrapping ManFlick 3.
Now before you reach for the noose please read on.
Alexander Graham Bell once said that "when one door closes another one opens" and that is going to be the case here because we now have the chance to make ManFlick 4.
Keep your eyes peeled for an update on that.
Sunday 27 September 2009
Day 2
The only difficult part about this shoot was seeking security clearance to shoot at ADP and to locate the actors and actresses we needed to help us out.
We spent a long time traveling all over the place to pick people up and then get to Staines but it should be worth it.
Saturday 26 September 2009
Day 1
It all went quite smoothly except for one shot, we had hoped to have a bodge style dolly shot at one point but in fact it proved too difficult for us to get right so in the end we scrapped it.
Other than that, things were very good. ManFlick is back in business.
Friday 25 September 2009
The Decision
Tuesday 22 September 2009
This Looked Familiar...
It's very similar to our idea so I watched it a few times to see if it could give us some ideas.
Friday 18 September 2009
Textual Analysis: Strangers
Strangers is the story of a Jew and a Muslim who encounter each other on a train and are quickly threatened by a group of Skinheads. The theme of the piece is religious tension. It is first seen between the Jew and the Muslim but then (more menacingly) between the Skinheads and the Jew and the Muslim. The ending of the play brings a lighter note to the theme, indicating that there can be compromise between most beliefs.
The first shot is a simple establishing shot of a train passing the camera. It lets the audience know the location of the story. The rest of the camerawork in the film is used to establish the characters. A variety of close ups show the ethnic backgrounds of the characters. A close up of the Muslim’s paper shows he is reading in Arabic, a close up of the Jew’s neck shows his Star Of David pendant and a close up of the skinheads reveal typical piercings, boots and Swastikas. These are key to establishing the intentions of the characters and also clearly set the theme of the film to be Racial Tension within the first 2 minutes. AT first we see tension between the Jew and the Muslim but later, when both threatened we see unity between them. This unity is however still separated in the final shots of the film, when the pair are on separate sides of the railway tracks after thwarting the skinheads. This is a clear message for the film that although people can be separated by their beliefs, they can come together to defeat evil.
The sound of the piece is key to building the tension until the pair decides to escape the Skinheads. Short, sharp drumbeats signify the heartbeats of the pair as the skinheads approach, quickly increasing in tempo. For a while, the music continues in this drumming style until the Jew attempts to exit at a station. As he does so his phone rings, playing a traditional Jewish song as his ringtone. The drums are then interrupted for this moment and until he shuts off the phone. The next sounds heard are two short, sharp, higher pitched sounds which are accompanied by camera cuts showing the Jew and the Muslim looking at each other and nodding. They quickly jump from their seats surprising the Skinheads and allowing them to make their escape. Whilst this is happening, fast paced bongo music is playing, implicating the urgency and danger of this attempt to escape. The pair escape to freedom and the music immediately stops, signifying their safety. Other than this, general diagetic sounds of the train and platform announcer can be heard throughout, mainly to create realism in the location.
The mise-en-scene of the piece creates the religious stereotypes which help us to see the situation we are looking at. The Jew wears a Star Of David pendant, signifying his beliefs. The Muslim is Asian and reads an Arabic newspaper, signifying his beliefs. The skinheads wear large boots, have piercings and have baldheads with iron crosses, signifying their beliefs. The expected audience knowledge of these signs are what allow this piece to be successful and camera detail which shows the signs is what makes the viewer notice them.
The editing of the piece has a symbiotic relationship with the sound, camera and mise-en-scene to reinforce the religious stereotypes. When the Jew first gets on the train we see him look across the carriage at something, then revealed through the use of editing to be the Arabic newspaper that the Muslim is reading. When the Jew notices this he pulls out his pendant, making sure to show the Star Of David to the Muslim (again, recognition of this symbol is shown through the editing). This same technique is used when the Skinheads hear the Jew’s ringtone.
Overall, the combination of sound, editing, camera and mise-en-scene come together to make the film perfectly understandable despite it having no dialogue. It effectively beats the viewer over the head with symbols and signs of such widely known stereotypes that it is accessible to almost anyone with a slight knowledge of religion.
Thursday 17 September 2009
Short Film Reserch: Target Audiences
Whilst we know that our target audience can easily fall into our peer group and those we know, we also need to define the target audience if we were to look on an international scale.
Looking at the subject matter of our film, it is suitable for anyone. It contains a light tone and family friendly storyline so it could be aimed at all ages. However, not all ages will seek out short films. Reserch tells me that the audience of short fillms is typially male, aged 19-40 so they are the largest target demographic and all others would be subsidiary.
Looking at this we have noticed that these findings generally line up with Witness so we like the thought of adding in an intertextual reference to it. This is a tricky business because if the intertextual reference isn't spotted but it is critical to the plot, then everything can be lost. With this in mind we will make our reference nonchalant so that those who understand it will be happy, but those who don't will also still be able to follow the film.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Initial Ideas
The first idea is an exploration of dreams. We're considering having a character who dreams he is a successful busisnessman at night but is actually a schoolboy in truth. In his dreams however, he keeps seeing a girl who he becomes infatuated with. Eventually he ends up meeting her in real life.
This idea is one of the front runners at the moment because it would be quite simple to make in terms of shots and editing. The only drawback is the numerous locations and cast members we would have to source.
The next idea is very arty and pretentious. A man wakes up in the forest and sees a thin string running between trees. He begins to follow it (all the while music is building up to a loud and inspiring finale) and soon notices others following different pieces of string too. They all begin to sprint following their individual stings until they all meet atop a hill to see the sunrise.
This is a very typical short film idea and it is possible for us to film, however it was an idea that Oli had been planning to do alone so we may allow him to do so, keeping this project a more team effort.
The final idea is also quite arty. It explores the idea of one persons consequences on the world. In this case, an apple recieves the consequences of lots of peoples actions and ends up saving a man's life.
I like this idea because it is arty and original as well as being achievable.
Monday 14 September 2009
Textual Analysis: BURN-E
BURN-E is an accompanying short film for Disney Pixar's 2008 feature film WALL-E. Made by Angus MacLane who was lead animator on WALL-E, it tells the story of BURN-E, a maintenance robot whose day is interrupted and made very difficult becuase of WALL-E's presence. The film was added to the special feature's of WALL-E's DVD and Blu Ray release.
It is a short film typical of Pixar in that it focuses mainly on humour with a lighthearted storyline. It bandwagons on the success on WALL-E and therefore aims at the same audience of children and parents who helped WALL-E to gross $534 million worldwide. It could therefore be said to be in the Childrens Short Film Genre.
The narrative is linear and tells the story BURN-E. He's a maintence robot sent out to the edge of his ship to after a small rock breaks a light. BURN-E is given a replacement light which he begins to install until he is disrupted by WALL-E's pursuit of EVE. The clips of WALL-E and EVE are actual footage from WALL-E and are therefore quite rewarding to those with the cultural capital to recognise them. BURN-E loses the replacement bulb and then heads back to fetch another, only to again be disturbed when fitting it. He is distraught and angered at this and so he heads back for another replacement which is begrudingly given to him by SUPPLY-R. This time, BURN-E fits the light without a hitch, however when he attempts to re-enter the ship, WALL-E and EVE beat him to it and thus BURN-E is sealed outside. After a few attempts to get back in, we see a montage af shots which indicate temporal elipsis as BURN-E waits to get back in. Eventually, he realises that he can cut a hole in the door using a blowtoch and proceeds to do so. After travelling back to the robot which will allow him to turn on the light, BURN-E's story looks to be complete, however once again WALL-E's antics disrupt BURN-E's plans and make the entire ship begin to roll, sending BURN-E rolling uncontrolably back out to the light he just fixed. BURN-E is left clinging to the light until the captain puts the ship back on course and into hyperspace, which leaves BURN-E pinned to the hull. Eventually, the ship slows and lands on Earth so BURN-E heads back inside to finally reactivate the light. However he finds the ship is deserted and there is no sign of SUPPLY-R. To overcome this, BURN-E heads to the flight deck and uses a periscope to search for SUPPLY-R. He eventually finds him and uses an ejection pod to get down to him. He bursts out of the pod and goes to SUPPLY-R where he turns on the light and is ecstatic. However his joy in once again shortlived as the roof of the ejection pod he just got out of hits a light and breaks it again, causing BURN-E to faint to the floor in disbelief and anger.
It's is shot in a standard way, using general shots and editing to tell the story in a simple, accessible way for children. Because none of the robots talk, their body movements are exaggerated to tell their feelings and this works successfully to convey the story brilliantly. The body movements are combined with small soundbites of robot 'voice' which are basically one word repeated but in different tones to create the effect of emotions.
My interpretation of the film gave me the message that your actions always affect those around you, whether you are there to witness those effects or not. This is communicated by showing small clips of WALL-E but then large segments of BURN-E that show the effects of his actions. It's a wholesome message which is the sort of thing Disney Pixar is aiming for, given that they are targeting not just children, but the parents which pay for the children to go to the cinema or buy DVD's. Having this wholesome, apolitical and clean image means that parents will have no qualms about taking their children to see a Pixar film because they know it will not be rude or innapropriate.
In conclusion, I find BURN-E to be quite innovative in that it is neither prequel nor sequel to WALL-E but manages to recreate and add to the experience and storyline of it. It is shot genreically but not in a boring way and is mainly something to tack onto the DVD special features of WALL-E.
The Return Of ManFlick
The crew remians the same; Me (Sam Thorpe), Jack Parfitt, Oli Clubb and Joe Sullivan.
This year we will be creating a (roughly) 5 minute short film and 2 accompanying pieces. The first of these pieces is a poster for the film and the second is a magazine review page. We're hoping to establish a brand identity across all of these pieces.
Here's hoping for another great year!
Sunday 10 May 2009
Signing Off
Thanks for reading,
Sam Thorpe
Wednesday 6 May 2009
The ManFlick Production Diaries
Saturday 2 May 2009
More Places To See 'Witness'
Thursday 30 April 2009
The Denouément
Monday 27 April 2009
Evaluation
Saturday 25 April 2009
The Editing Stage
Tuesday 14 April 2009
The Witness Score
Saturday 11 April 2009
And On The 7th Day God Rested, But ManFlick Persevered
Saturday 28 March 2009
The ManFlick Podcast: Episode 2
Thursday 26 March 2009
The All New ManFlick Productions Ident
Tuesday 24 March 2009
A Slight Snag
Being a private site, they had an objection to us filming without their permission. However they were understanding to our cause and our apologies and told us if we write them a letter they would be happy to allow us to film. Basically they just needed some paper evidence to go in their files.
The letter is below.
Dear Sir/Madam
We are writing to you to ask you permission to conduct some filming for an AS Media Studies project on your land. Following a conversation with your site team we have provisional permission to do so but we have been advised to make a formal request to carry out this task.
We are making a 2 minute opening sequence to a film which involves a driving sequence. The sequence has been fully choreographed on our story boards and both our drivers have valid UK driving licenses. We plan to drive along the road which follows the lake to the boathouse and film two cars from different points on the road. We have discussed in great detail the correct procedures the drivers will follow and all road regulations such as speed limits etc. on your land will be followed. We have also discussed health and safety with our Media Studies teacher.
We don’t expect to take up a lot of time in doing this and we will follow any requests you may have for us. If you wish to know any more about our project we can show you the full planning of production which is available at the following link
http://wbsmediagroup6sam.blogspot.com
We have discussed this issue with an Assistant Headteacher at school and he has seen this letter. He is happy to make direct contact with you to discuss our intentions if that is desirable. His name is Mr Titheridge and he is contactable at the school on 01753 716060 ext 234.
We would greatly appreciate your co-operation with our project but will fully understand if you cannot grant us this.
Many Thanks
Oliver Clubb
Jack Parfitt
Joe Sullivan
SamThorpe
Sunday 22 March 2009
The Chase Is On!
At first we had a few problems with keeping the camera stable whilst out of the car, however we then sorted this out by using a Gorilla Pod. It is a from of tripod with flexible legs which allow it to be clamped onto lots of different objects.
Using the Gorilla Pod we were able to attatch our camera to the surround of the boot and get some great shots from a low level.
The other shots we did involved a regualr tripod and our cameraman being out of the roof. Once again this started with a few issues of camera stability but we enentually sorted this by altering the way our cameraman was stood.
One of the other great shots we took involved our cars being overtaken by the camera car. This was a great effect which proved difficult to shoot because of the way our cameraman had to rotate as he sped past us. This was difficult at first and the cars exited frame the 1st few times, but after that we got the technique right and made the shots look great.
All of our photos to date are available on our PhotoBucket Page. The address is below and in the Link List at the top left of the blog.
http://photobucket.com/manflick