Establishing shots

I took two establishing shots at two extremely different locations.
The weather conditions are opposites like the location.I decided to do this to see how weather conditions effect filming.

clip 1 BEACH
I choose to take an establishing shot in the beach as the weather was very hot and I wanted to compare this to the establishing shot in London.I found that i had to film away from the sun as this effected the filming and made the clip difficult to see.Also filming on the beach was very noisey but this could be altered by muting the camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ybB6MhDlq4

Clip 2 Mountain
I then took the opportunity to film in a completely different location by filming in the mountains.Likewise when filming this clip I had to face away from the way which the snow was blowing as once again this made the clip difficult to see.And once again there was the same issue with the wind blowing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQiUOF3cdY


Both clips show the opposite weather conditions.This shows how we had to time our establishing shot as we could not film the shot with the sun in the clip and we had to keep watch on the weather conditions.As you can see they can easily effect an establishing shot.

Mise en scene comparison

Both videos show to diffent types of audience anaylsing and comparing our mise en scene in 30days earlier to their favourite thriller films.

clip 1
audience profile

male
interested in film social network , has studied media

Clip 2
female
intersted in business and sport has never studied media

I choose these two people as they are of a different gender and have different interests.Also I took into account that one has had recent studies in media so this should have a different outcome on his answer.

Clip 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00C2UN9Jqrk

Clip 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DizsRuU07J8

Evaluation

Below is a link to Ryan Malsters AS Evaluation website. http://www.wix.com/ryanmalster/marjasevaluation

Evaluation

Below is the directed link to my official website containing all my evaluation responses:

Alex Barham's Evaluation

Soundtrack To 30 Days Earlier

Breakdown of soundtrack:

The software I used to create the soundtrack was Apples GarageBand and Adobe Soundbooth CS4. The beginning pulsating synthetic sound you hear was created using the tools of GarageBand, I used the keyboard tool, and Imperial Pad Synth Texture sound to create an eerie dramatic connotation. This is then followed by a voice over that I recorded using a Sony HD camera's attachable microphone, I then edited this sound to create a more tense and dramatic feel. I did this through the use of Adobes Soundbooth CS4, I shortened the duration and lowered the tone to create an even darker sensation. A clap of thunder is then heard with the sound of pouring rain, I created this sound using two layers, I first of all used the keyboard tool and used the Nature sounds, however this caused me problems at the time as the clap of thunder was too long. Therefore I used the track volume tool to fade out the sound and then fade back in the sound of the second clap. This was overlapped with the sound effect of pouring rain, also under the Nature sound section. The following section of the soundtrack was a sample that was within the datdbase of GarageBand named Time Lapse. This was essential within our opening sequence as it created connotations of familiarity, peacefulness and tranquillity yet there is also an undercurrent of tension, which blends in excellently with our thriller genre. An eerie synthetic sound is then heard, I created this eerie sound through the tools of GarageBand. I used the Synth Pad named Cloud Break and recorded the sound through the keyboard tool. This is then followed by an even more thrilling sting and up beat tempo. These sounds I gathered for this section were from the software called Pro Scores, which provided over 300 template sounds. I combined the sounds of FX1 and Athmo 18.1 to create the upbeat, tense connotations throughout the chase scene. A rock bass guitar is then added to the fray to create an elevated sense of action and turmoil for the protagonist, I created this effect using the samples already within the database of GarageBand. I overlapped the sample Edgy Rock Bass 07 with Natural Drum Kit 07 to create these connotations. Towards the final seconds of the scene where the protagonist is cornered i used the track volume tool to increase the sound of the drum kit to show the audience how much trouble the protagonist is in.

Footage From London

We gained lots of footage from london and tried to bring in key recogniseable sights and landmarks that made it instantly recogniseable that we were within London.

Such as the establishing shots of The Olympics Stadium, Tower Bridge and an Underground sign opposite the Tower of London.

It was vital for us to capture these key landmarks in london so that our audiences would a great unserstanding that the scene was set within London.

Final cut to soundtrack of 30 Days Earlier

Scripting

Audio explanation coming soon ...

Final MARJ Productions 30 Days Earlier DVD Cover

Here is the final DVD cover for our production '30 Days Earlier'

'30 Days Earlier' - Updated final cut

Due to the bad aspect ratio of our final cut, we have to edit our sequence thoroughly for the best quality. This is the updated final cut with a large aspect ratio and better quality than previous uploads.

'30 Days Earlier' - Final Cut

This is our final cut of our '30 Days Earlier' title sequence.

Monologue

The first video is a clip to show Aaron Masons monologue which is featured at the beginning of 30 DAYS EARLIER.I decided that this would be a productive idea as by doing this we would know how effective the monologue is. Also the audience feedback helps us edit the monologue so it suits the audiences expectations.The audience group age ranges from 16-17 years old.Some of the audience were previous media students , I chose this deliberatley as these students will recognise the representation of Aaron Mason.The other students have had no recollection with media other than the daily media, but they have never analysed the media.Once again I chose this audience deliberatley as they will be able to judge the monologue on how effective it is to them and if it creates the same effect as monologues they have heard on films that they watch.

I began by asking the audience whether the monologue sound realistic like one they would hear on thriller films which they have seen. And why the monologue is realistic? The audience answered by saying “ that the monologue sounded very natural.”I then went on to ask that if they heard the monologue in a film would it make the film more intense? One member of the audience said yes, because it makes the audience want to know what has happened to the character and they begin to identify with the character. I then asked if the tone of voice made the monologue more intense ? The audience went on to answer that “Aarons to of voice is very quiet and needs to be louder also more emotion needs to be added to Aarons voice”
All of these comments were took on board and we went to record the monologue again but with these alterations.

DVD Cover

I created a DVD cover for our production of 30 Days Earlier. I was using the software Adobe Photoshop CS4 to merge various images together to create a capturing, unique cover. I used various well knwon film covers to help me create and develop upon the final product.

Ladder 49 inspired me to create a sense of mystery and give the audiences questions immediately straight from the strat at looking at the cover. I asked my self in viewing the cover who was the fireman on the bottom of the cover? i went further into developing this in creating the DVD cover as a series of sillouettes, my aim was to create a sense of mystery and give the audience questions running through there mind.

Here is the Front Cover for ladder 49:

Backstage at Marj Productions

I filmed a clip of us filming the a scene in the opening sequence.This clip reflects us devolping and testing possible ideas.It also shows us working together as a group and footage of the sequence being made rather than just the finished sequence.Also majority of the films produced today feautured backstage cuts , this is to show the audience the making of the film and what life is like on set.Even though we are a group of three and we are basic filming rather than mainstream I think it is interesting to see the making of the scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzMoL2-rP0A

Final credits

I used Video Co-Pilot to help us create our final credits for a professional and vibrant look compared to our original credits in the rough cut. I followed one of Video Co-Pilot's tutorials for their blockbuster titles. The credits zoomed into the screen in bold with a bright flash when they appeared. After finalising our font and text for the titles, I decided to stylise the titles and emphasise the lighting effect with an special effect of rain. The effect gave a darker, grittier look to the credits, which is what we originally wanted. I also believe the transitions we have used between the credits is effective and overall the blockbuster feel has been achieved.

30 Days Earlier possible credits

Here is a possible credit sequence I created a few weeks ago as we were editing the final cut of our sequence. We have since scraped the credits and picked far more professional and stylised credits created on Adobe After Effects. Though, I do like this credit sequence as I mixed it with the opening shot and narration, a technique we didn't think to use for our opening sequence.

Matthew Wright

Due to unforseen circumstances, one of our influential members of our group will unfortunately not be able to carry on with this course. This was a result from a complication that arose from a simple medical operation, that has unfortunately left Matthew Wright with paralysis of his left leg. He will be sorely missed, and we wish him all the best.

Get well soon Matt!

Location research - alleys

This is my primary research into possible locations we could use for the re-shooting of our alley shot. Our original shot didn't show a great deal of the beaten-up protagonist and the area itself didn't seem dark enough as we intended. In this video, I ponder whether we could use other areas instead of alleys and the micro elements we need to think about when filming.

A delve into Garage Band

We believe that the music is highly important to bring out the tension that we want the audience to experience throughout the opening sequence of 30 days earlier. Yesterday I had a chance for my first quick look into Apples software, Garage Band.

Firstly, as a new comer to the world of Apple Macs, it was quite overwhelming and confusing to navigate throughout the interface of the software. After a quick tutorial by someone that has previously used Garage band before, I was well on my way into the basics. I shortly after found the software to be great! It supplies you with a wide variety of instruments, sounds and tools to play around with, such as:

• Bass
• Drum Kits
• Guitars
• Horns
• Mallets
• Organs
• Pianos and Keyboards
• Sound Effects
• Strings
• Synth Basics
• Synth Leads
• Synth Pads
• Synth Textures
• Woodwinds

Whilst playing around with the software and listening to all of the instruments and sounds provided, I had a rough idea with which instruments could bring out the tension for our production. All 4 Synth categories had some great options to bring out the creepy sounds that you would hear within a typical thriller production. These sounds could be the base of our sound throughout the production to give the audience a high level of tension as it brings a level of confusion and eeriness to their emotions.

As well as this, the software provided some great sound effects. This gave me a handful of ideas to incorporate real life sounds, to bring a sense of realism to the audience and an even higher sensation of tension throughout the opening sequence. I found a series of radio sounds under the category of sound effects, which gave me an idea to bring out a sense of familiarity to the audience's own life's with the protagonists life, due to the fact that we all listen to the radio during some part of our day, whether its via the car, kitchen or morning alarm. I will be looking more into Garage band shortly throughout the coming weeks, hopefully ill be able to create something for the production that will combine well with our recent filming.

30 Days Earlier trailer

This is the trailer for our title sequence. I edited together many of our original scenes along with a few scenes I created for a more dramatic effect and to give a back story to the sequence. I couldn't find any sutiable music for the trailer, so instead decided on using no music to see if it would create a tense atmosphere with only close-up shots and quick cuts.