Final Major Project

Blake Cullis

Centre name and number:

Hereford College of arts

24145

Student name and number:

Blake Cullis

4882171626

Project proposal title and Date:

Final Major Project - 'Stool Pigeon' Short film

27/02/23 - 26/05/23

Production SCHEDULE

I have used a key for the production schedule, separating each task into five categories; planning, pre-production, production, post-production and journal.

The reflect and evaluate task is an ongoing activity that consists of group meetings, a weekly log, focus groups, questionnaires, evaluation of work and ideas, an evaluation of research and an evaluation of the final product.

In the first week, I plan to do the proposal to outline what I have learnt since studying Digital Futures and Interactive Media course, my aims of the project and how I will reflect and evaluate my work. I also want to conduct research on aesthetics, genres, influences and camera techniques. I have already gathered research relevant to my FMP in the influences project, therefore I only need to add to the research where I have not looked into a certain area that I want to, in order to help me with the FMP.

In the second week, I will create concepts and use my research for influence. I will create a variety of concepts to choose from. As a second draft of the concept, I will develop the storyline further. I will create mood boards based around these concepts to help visualise what the film could look like. For film preparation, I will watch tutorials on filming techniques to help broaden my knowledge and prepare me for film production so I can produce work to a high standard.

In the third week, I will carry on with film preparation once I have a clearer idea on the concept that I want to use and I will watch videos relevant to the concepts to help me bring it to life. In this week I will create a synopsis as a third and final draft of the concept. The synopsis will be a detailed and developed storyline of the concept that I have chosen. Once I have done this, I can create a mind map for the chosen idea and branch off ideas for the production of the storyline, which will help to decide what would work well and I can develop on these ideas. Choosing a storyline also means that I can start to design the characters that will be a part of this story, deciding on the costume they will wear, their traits and what props they will use, as well as the setting of the story and lighting that will suit the story. I can also begin the storyboard to summarise each scene and visualise what the film will look like.

After completing the storyboard, I will be able to move onto the script, writing the dialogue for each scene, cues and how the actors will say the line. I will do the script in the fourth week, as well as the production script to show what soundtrack I will use and the setting, the shot list to show the shots and angles for each scene and the legal and ethical report to assess the content, if its inclusive, the representation and if the material is legal.

In the fifth week, I will decide on the locations and conduct a reconnaissance to assess its suitability. When this has been completed, I can do the risk assessment to show the health and safety risks of the locations that we will be filming in and how to avoid or solve the risks to minimize injury. Once the locations have been decided, I can get the permission sheet signed by the owner of the property to show we have a right to film in the location. Before the week of filming, sixth week, I will get the release form signed by each actor to give legal consent for recording them and do most of the call sheet to show the nearest hospital, nearest police station, important contacts and health and safety kit for the well-being of the cast and crew, and the location details and filming equipment used to inform the crew where filming takes place and what needs to be brought.

From the sixth week through to the ninth week, film production will take place, giving us four weeks to shoot the short film so it is to a high standard. However, we may not need this long to film but it means that we can go back and reshoot scenes if they are not to the standard we want them to be and film clips of new ideas we have come up. The call sheet's itinerary will be written before each day of filming to plan what we will do for a day's worth of filming.

Straight after filming, we will start editing so this could be from the ninth week through to the twelfth week, I have given us four weeks to complete so we have plenty of time to edit it to a professional standard. We will create the promotional material after filming as we can use clips from the film in the poster, produce a trailer once editing the film has been completed and create a social media account to tease the film and promote it. The thirteenth week is the final week, where I will evaluate the final product and submit the work.

Rationale

Since studying at Hereford College of Arts, I have learnt how to edit with professional software, use filming equipment, conduct valuable research, plan and develop my ideas and I have developed my communication, teamworking, analytical and time management skills, as well as building on my confidence with working with others and having more confidence in myself. The software I learnt to use are Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Blender and some understanding of After Effects; I obtained knowledge through workshops, YouTube tutorials and my own experimentation in projects. I had an opportunity to learn to use high-standard filming equipment when my tutor taught the class to use a 4K Panasonic camera, lighting equipment, showing three key lighting, how to use a boom mic, how to use a tripod and health and safety protocols when using equipment. Visitors came in to show how to use a Canon DSLR camera and got us to go out and shoot photos around the college campus. I have developed my ability to conduct research by being taught how to carry it out and by researching to a high standard in my projects, over time my researching skills has improved, which is visible from my first project to my most recent one. By taking onboard tutor feedback, I have showcased my idea plan and development to a better quality, making it clearer where my ideas came from and where I have added to my idea. In my first few projects, I did not make the process of my idea development clear because I needed to display my thoughts behind the ideas.

Before taking the Digital Futures and Interactive Media course, I had little knowledge on editing software, I had only previously used Filmora. I had never produced short films to the standard that I am capable of now. Comparing my short films from the start of the course to present, they have become more professional, well-thought out and visually striking. My ability to analyse films has improved since taking the course. Before attending college, we had a summer assignment to analyse short films, I had minimal understanding on filming techniques and how to understand the meaning behind elements in a film. Since producing my own films, carrying out in-depth research and analysing a lot of films, my analysis skills is to a higher standard. At the start of the course, I was most interested in VFX, this has changed to film since working on video production projects and making my own short films, with the opportunity to use high standard equipment. Cinematography is the sector that I am most interested in because I am fascinated by the visual creativity in films, I have discovered this since watching more films, researching into visual techniques and researching into the psychological aspects behind aesthetics. For future aspirations, I am keen to study filmmaking at University level and I wish to become a Director of Photography, working on high-end productions.

Project aims

For my film project, I wish to experiment with artistic methods to create aesthetically pleasing visuals that captivate the audience. Cinematography is the sector of film that fascinates me most and I will dive deeper into cinematic practices in order to achieve the desired look of the short film. Visuals alone are powerful, auteur directors like Wes Anderson utilise visuals to their fullest. Alongside Robert Yeoman (cinematographer), Anderson creates films that are visually impressive and soothing to watch, through the use of symmetry, flat compositions and vibrant colours. Anderson’s imagery is by far my favourite because it has the power to grab my attention and have a profound effect on me. I will research further into directors that have influenced the film industry and who I look up to, as well as looking into Robert Yeoman’s cinematic style. I am keen to create a film with bright and colourful visuals. Recent movies such as ‘I am thinking of ending things’ have well-thought out and cleverly crafted visuals to help display a certain message, provoke an emotional response and have an 80s stamp on it.

As well as looking into different aesthetics, I will research basic and stylistic shots/angles. In my previous horror trailer project, I used shots and angles that I have never used before, such as the dolly zoom, which gave an intense effect and emphasised the madness of the character. I want to experiment with other shots/angles that I have not used before, in order to create a scene that is impactful on the audience and so they can receive a specific message. To be able to get a message across to the audience, I will look how to show symbolism in the storyline and how to effectively use them. I will also research other filming techniques like the use of audio and its importance and composition to cleverly arrange components in a scene. By gathering research on film, I hope that it will broaden my knowledge and understanding on cinematic techniques so I can apply it to future projects and perform to the best of my abilities.

Evaluation

As an ongoing activity, I will reflect on my work as it progresses by asking for peer feedback, carrying out questionnaires, providing an evaluation for my work and writing up notes in my journal on my ideas, the thought process behind my idea and the development of the idea to clearly show the progression of the concept. I will be collaborating with peers for the project so we will conduct group meetings to share our ideas and build on them, and offer feedback to each other, which will mean that we all get a say on the concepts and will help to develop the ideas to high standard. In order to minimise disruption in the group, stating each of our individual roles in the group, based on the areas we specialise in, will mean that we can decide what tasks each of us will focus on. For example, if one of us specialises in graphic design, then they will have the important role to design the movie poster. This will help to complete tasks quicker so we can meet the deadline. It is probable that we will disagree with one another but to see eye to eye, we can combine our ideas so that we all get a part in the creation of the film, and we need to be open minded and take constructive criticism on board.

Bibliography

Research precursor to FMP

04/01/23: Edgar Wright, Wikipedia (2022) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Wright
04/01/23: How to Write a Car Chase Scene, Herman Wilkins (2019) -https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-write-a-car-chase-screenplay/
06/01/23: The Directing Style of Quentin Tarantino, Matt Vasiliauskas (2019) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/shot-lists-quentin-tarantino/
06/01/23: Wes Anderson Style Explained, SC Lannom (2021) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/wes-anderson-style/#wes-anderson-style
06/01/23: How to Use Colour in Film, Mary Risk (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes/
06/01/23: Colour Psychology, Kendra Cherry (2022) - https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824
09/01/23: Camera Angles Explained, SC Lannom (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/types-of-camera-shot-angles-in-film/#eye-level-shot
09/01/23: The Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots, Studiobinder (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-camera-shots/
09/01/23: Why Do We Get So Much Pleasure From Symmetry, Dave Roos (2021) - https://science.howstuffworks.com/why-do-get-so-much-pleasure-from-symmetry.htm
09/01/23: How Are Patterns Used in Art, Shelley Esaak (2020) -https://www.thoughtco.com/pattern-definition-in-art-182451
10/01/23: What Is Blocking In Film?, Grant Harvey - https://filmdaft.com/what-is-blocking-in-film-and-how-do-you-use-it-to-tell-a-story-with-examples/
10/01/23: Ultimate Guide to Film Composition & Framing, Alyssa Maio (2019) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/rules-of-shot-composition-in-film/
10/01/23: What Is A Biopic? Definition and Examples of Biopics, Rafael Abreu (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-biopic-definition/
10/01/23: Biopic – Everything You Need to Know, NFI - https://www.nfi.edu/biopic/
11/01/23: Film Lighting – The Ultimate Guide, Rex Provost (2022) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/film-lighting/
11/01/23: The Importance of Sound in Film, Sharp Films (2020) - https://www.sharpfilms.co.uk/the-importance-of-sound-in-film/
11/01/23: What is Sound Design for Film? Definition and Examples, Sam Kench (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-sound-design-for-film/
13/01/23: What is Comedy? Defining it Through Technique and Subjectivity, Alyssa Maio (2019) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-comedy-definition/
13/01/23: How Success Of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Biopic Affected QUEEN’S Music Sales, Blabbermouth (2019) - https://blabbermouth.net/news/how-success-of-bohemian-rhapsody-biopic-affected-queens-music-sales
13/01/23: Action Genre: How to Tell an Exciting Life and Death Story, Story Grid - https://storygrid.com/action-genre/
13/01/23: How Deadpool Broke Every Marketing Rule but Was Still Huge, Jon Tan (2016) - https://www.referralcandy.com/blog/deadpool-marketing-strategy
13/01/23: Deadpool officially the most successful ‘R-rated’ movie ever, Matt Kamen (2016) - https://www.wired.co.uk/article/deadpool-most-successful-r-rated-film
13/01/23: Hot Fuzz, Wikipedia (2023) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Fuzz
13/01/23: Hot Fuzz: 5 Ways It’s A Great Action Movie, Ben Sherlock (2021) - https://screenrant.com/hot-fuzz-perfect-blend-thrilling-action-hilarious-comedy-movie/
13/01/23: Deadpool’s Audience Under the Microscope, Movio (2016) - https://movio.co/blog/deadpool-audience-infographic/
13/01/23: Bohemian Rhapsody: An Evolving Audience and Champion Hit, Movio (2018) - https://movio.co/blog/bohemian-rhapsody-an-evolving-audience-and-champion-hit/
13/01/23: Patterns among successful comedy movies, Stephen Follows (2018) -https://stephenfollows.com/patterns-among-successful-comedy-movies/
16/01/23: Why Endings Matter: The Importance of Sticking the Landing, Chris at Triple Zero Films - https://www.triplezerofilms.com/why-endings-matter/
16/01/23: Three Qualities of a Memorable Movie, Pierce Singgih (2018) - https://filmschoolrejects.com/what-makes-movie-memorable/
16/01/23: What makes a movie a classic?, Breanna Hare (2019) - https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/05/entertainment/movies-what-makes-a-classic/index.html
17/01/23: Media Theorists, Richard Mayers (2017) - https://www.alevelmedia.co.uk/media-theorists
17/01/23: Narrative techniques, BBC Bitesize -https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zgydhv4/revision/1
20/01/23: Reality & Illusion: Lukasz Zal, Darek Kuzma (2020) - https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/lukasz-za-psc-im-thinking-of-ending-things/
20/01/23: Cinematographer Łukasz Żal on Capturing Mortality and Memories in I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Michael Frank (2022) -https://thefilmstage.com/cinematographer-lukasz-zal-on-capturing-mortality-and-memories-in-im-thinking-of-ending-things/
24/01/23: ‘That’s Just Like White Noise,’ Jordan Kisner (2022) - https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/white-noise-book-movie-adaptation-don-delillo/672233/
24/01/23: DP Lol Crawley on White Noise, Daniel Eagan (2022) - https://filmmakermagazine.com/117718-interview-cinematographer-lol-crawley-white-noise/#.Y8_Bk8mnyUl

Further research

27/02/23: Robert Yeoman Style, Rex Provost (2021) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/robert-yeoman-cinematography/
27/02/23: Anamorphic lens, David Draad (2020) - https://academy.wedio.com/anamorphic-lens/
28/02/23: Boom Mic Vs Shotgun Mic, Kieran Whitehouse - https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/microphones/boom-mic-vs-shotgun-mic-differences-explained/
28/02/23: What is Spatial Audio?, Vann Vicente (2021) - https://www.howtogeek.com/764288/what-is-spatial-audio-and-how-does-it-work/
28/02/23: What is Ambient Sound?, Emma Williams (2023) - https://headphonesproreview.com/what-is-ambient-sound/
28/02/23: Dynamic Microphone, Magroove (2019) - https://magroove.com/blog/en-us/dynamic-microphone/
28/02/23: What is a Lavalier Microphone?, Sam Kench (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-lavalier-microphone-definition/
01/03/23: How to Do the Tarantino Crash Zoom Effect Inside Premiere Pro, Jermaine Grant (2021) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gch9p5BrfkA
01/03/23: How to Create a Low-Budget Crash Zoom from Two Shots, Jason Boone (2020) - https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/create-crash-zoom-from-two-shots/
01/03/23: Napoleon Dynamite (2004) dance scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiAwpYIkRmU&pp=ygURbmFwb2xlb24gZHluYW1pdGU%3D
03/03/23: Roger Deakins Cinematography, SC Lannom (2020) - https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/roger-deakins-cinematography/
03/03/23: Spy film, Wikipedia (2023) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_film
03/01/23: Inception: 5 Reasons It’s the Best Sci-Fi Film, Hilary Elizabeth (2019) - https://screenrant.com/best-worst-inception/#best-the-practical-effects
03/01/23: The 19th and early 20th centuries, Bruce Sterling - https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction/The-19th-and-early-20th-centuries
03/01/23: Film Noir, Amy Tikkanen (2023) - https://www.britannica.com/art/film-noir

Planning

Can You Break the Cycle of Generational Dysfunction, Greg Thomas (2007) - https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/can-you-break-the-cycle-of-generational-dysfunction
Cinematic Film Composition, Studio Binder (2022) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWgcb7uiO7c
The Anamorphic Look without Anamorphic Lenses, Tim Olsen (2016) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlKVxtex98k
Creating the Anamorphic Look in Post, Anamorphic on a Budget (2022) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yoq1rPTLEs
Improve Your Lighting Using Colour Temperature, Rob Ellis (2022) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlVWC_qycVw
How to Use RGB Lighting, Rob Ellis (2022) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL7qdqtBFtc
One Simple Way to Make Your Lighting Cinematic, Rob Ellis (2020) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FivHoU8T5zw
An Easy Way to Make Your Lighting More “Cinematic”, Rob Ellis (2022) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiIfuijDMuU
Improve your lighting skills, Philip Bloom (2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GER2l8vUPXY
How to Achieve a Cyberpunk/Neon look, Matt Guajardo (2020) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72i-6vOPMWs
Film Noir Cinematography on a Budget, DSLRguide (2016) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaVEB4H_rPg
Film Noir: How to get the Classic Black & White Style, Film Riot (2017) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw42FUyh-hA
How a Costume Designer Creates an Iconic Look, Daniel Netzel (2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48mrV0VZsWc
Set Design, Film and Theatre, Behind Designs (2020) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFerm1OWR40
Choreographers Break Down the Pulp Fiction Dance Scene, Vanity Fair (2019) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVONwG9Ut2w
Reservoir Dogs Mr Blonde’s Torture Scene (1992), BlackViewHD (2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xerx80SWgkA
James Bond: Skyfall escape scene (2012), DB Film Scenes (2017) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdAFJ-19zlU
James Bond: No Time To Die (2021), ilia Rave (2021) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwcMIhDcX3Q
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly standoff scene (1966), Movieclips (2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PgAKzmWmuk
Sherlock Holmes fight scene (2009), Fahad Rather (2013) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuhWLNqpiA

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