Friday, 23 December 2011

Editing Process, Day 5:


Even though we did not have any media lessons today, i went into the imac room period 2 and 5 to re-upload the credits as the ones Nicola created were too slow and faded out too fast.

Software used:

  • Live Text
  • Final Cut


What have we done today?
  • Watched what we had done so far, this enabled us to take a break at watching the opening which allowed us to notice mistakes and also re-freshened our memories before we began editing  
  • Added the moving institution logo 'Summit Entertainment' onto the opening which Chloe downloaded the evening before. 
  • Chloe began to put to put a few credits onto the opening, which then i individually finished adding them onto the opening during period 5, i rotated the credit, changing the effects, video filters and colour. Then i began cutting certain clips which i felt fitted into the music. Although, i did have to re-create the credits. 


Why did we choose Summit Entertainment as our institutional logo?

  • This logo is most famous for the film 'Twilight' which is a mixed between fantasy and thriller that is similar to ours.
  • We admired how during the process of the logo, the colours are dull and represent a mysterious vibe. 
  • Looking at a photo of Summit Entertainment, it looks extremely successful, powerful and gripping. As you can tell they don't need bright colours to suggest that their films are successful. This could implies that they produce horror, thriller, supernatural films rather then romance etc. 
  • There are many reasons why we have chosen this logo but the most important aspect is that we can associate this with our film by the dark lighting. 
Summit Entertainment

What will we do next lesson? 
  • We don't have any more lessons till next year, so tomorrow during period 3 we will record the voice over.

Conclusion:
  • Even though we didn't have a lesson today, i feel we got an appropriate amount of work done, however, i was hoping we were able to also record the voice over.
  • Importing the institution logo was very easy and quick whereas, i thought we would have problems importing the file. In addition, we all admired how Chloe downloaded a institutional title which represented our own film opening.
  • During period 5, i was alone and got straight on with creating/importing the credits onto Final Cut, i did it quite quick and found it easy to import each title, however, the software kept unexpectedly closing which wasted a lot of time and also deleted the work i had created. Also, Final Cut had problems rendering certain files which then i had to quit Final Cut, then re-upload the files again. Although, I've finished it under 1 hour. 
  • I am happy that i was able to get on and finish the credits which means tomorrow we only have to focus on the voice over. As a group, surprisingly we had no disagreements which made the work process even quicker.    

    Editing Process, Day 4:

    Even though i spent an hour in the imac room individuals to flip and arrange the clips before the double lesson today, we were unable to add the 'flipped' clip onto Final Cut as the video could not play the correct way, it kept playing back the original version, as we had limited timing, we decided to finish the opening before experimenting with the flipped video.

    Software used:

    • Live Text
    • Final Cut


    What have we done today?
    • Watched what we had done so far, this enabled us to take a break at watching the opening which allowed us to notice mistakes and also re-freshened our memories before we began editing  
    • Chloe and I began to re-connect the animated title and institution logo, then adding the music i found which is entitled 'Dead Silence' onto the opening. Importing this onto Final Cut was quick and easy and in my opinion, defiantly fitted the concept to what we were trying to portray. However, we did have some problems when cutting the music as it did not fit with certain parts of the clips. For example, we wanted the up-tempo, distorted music to come in when the black screen appears and Snow White begins running through the woods as this will also make the audience scared along with the main character, although, as we did cut this, the music did not flow. Fortunately, I was able to slow down the duration of the first half of the music where it will be played during the EST shots to 6 seconds instead of 3 seconds which made a successful impact. In addition, i connected these two pieces of music together by fading them into one another.
    • Nicola finished off creating the credits using 'Live Text', however, when we added them to the opening they were too fast and quick for the audience so Nicola made the duration much more slower. Although, while Nicola did this Chloe and I practiced adding a 'Test' title. Firstly, we rotated the title to be in position, change the boldness etc, allowing the title to fade in with the background.We did manage to find out ow to do this easily and quickly, although, we had to keep changing the duration of the text using Live Text which limited our timing. 

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: During the double media lesson, we ask a student in our media class to watch and honestly comment on our opening and how we can improve. We did this because Nicola, Chloe and I have been watching the opening several times a day and feel we cant notice the good aspects about the opening. Therefore, he suggested that:
    • We should cut the scene a couple of seconds where we zoom into the shed as it lasts for too long and does not fit into the music - In order to do this, we agreed that this did not fit in time with the music so we cut the scene quick and easily. In result, this looked much better visually, dynamic and more powerful. 
    • We should place the title at the end of the opening as its more dramatic and is something which is usually done in many famous films however, we felt we wanted to be unique and different from the 'famous' openings. 
    • Although, we did have some advantages. For example, John said we extremely loved our music and how it fits with every scene and how it even made him want to know the rest of the story.

    What will we do next lesson? 
    • we will come in the imac's during school hours and finish the opening by adding the voice over, credits and movie institutional logo.
    • We will re-watch the opening, ask someone fro advice on how we can improve and apply this. 

    Conclusion:
    • Today's lesson went very well and feel we have got a huge amount of work done which has made an extravagant impact on the whole opening, making it more intense, thrilling and gripping.  
    • We did have some disagreement during the process, however, we did manage to over come this by having discussions and believe it or not, we voted for certain aspects we disagreed to to come to a final decision. Although, i am defiantly happy with the final outcome, even though we still have a few aspects to add. In addition, i did find it was much less stressful than previous editing sessions.
    • I am very trilled that we were able to add in the music so quick and easy as it changed the whole emotion and tension of the whole opening which we were hoping to happen which i admire and has defiantly came up with the right song a sits fits the concept perfectly.   
    Here we are rendering the video and audio after adding the soundtrack on

    Editing Process, Day 3:

    Completed by: Me

    Today on 11/12/11, we are in the third day of the editing process which is following on from our day 2, editing process.

    Software used:

    • Live Text
    • Final Cut


    What did we do today?
    • We put the clips into the correct order which i then slowed down the duration of the opening scene (Establising shot)  to 15 seconds, instead on 6, as we thought it was too fast.
    • Nicola began looking at the various types of texts using 'Live Text' and eventually found an appropriate style for the title which dissolved into the composition frame, which represent a haunting twist to the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
    • While Nicola was doing this, Chloe and I began tinting each scene into the colour 'Tungsten' to create the atmosphere look more dull, distorted and unwelcoming. This did take some time for me to create, however, it was defiantly worth it because it creates a whole different emotion on the opening which i felt was missing. 
    • During the day we have problems rendering relevant clips, however, we did manage to over come this by just rending each clip at a time.

    What will we do next lesson:
    • Add the music onto the opening
    • Add the titles created from Live Text, although, this may need altering during the day. 

    Conclusion:
    Today, i did think we got a huge amount of work done and feel that we are up-to-date with editing. I am very happy that we were able to identify the rendering problems and get straight on with adding the tint, titles etc. I feel that today, we had got used to using Final Cut, which then this enabled  us to challenge our skills and experiment with the different tools. Today with what we have accomplished in the 2 hours set in lesson and the 1h 30 minutes we stayed behind after school really made a difference. During period 3 tomorrow, I have individually planned to go into the iMac's. My plan is to watch through all the scenes position them in the right areas and using 'iMovie' i will flip a scene which we found continuity editing. On Wednesday, we will begin to add the credits, music, sound effects and voice over onto the movie using Final Cut. So far we are up-to-date with all work and on track.

    Me and Chloe had to re-upload the EST shot as it kept constantly jumping and
    skipping certain parts. 


    Editing Process, Day 2:

    Completed by: Me

    Today on 6/12/11, we are in the second day of the editing process which is following on from our day one, editing process.

    Software used:

    • Live Text
    • Final Cut
    • Downloading site


    What did we do today?
    • At first, we decided we were going to convert any extra scenes we shot and begin cutting and placing the clips in order, improving the transitions from last lesson, picking the best and more suitable shots taken.
    • We then put the extra scenes uploaded into order referring back to the script and storyboard. In this lesson we spent most of our time cutting the individual clips and placing them in order, our aim was to make sure we got this perfect before doing anything else.
    • While editing, we did also begin to look on 'Text Live' which we will be using to create our credits, enabling us to use effects and transitions onto the credits, in order to make it unique. 
    • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A couple of weeks ago i found a sound track which i feel is perfect for this genre of the opening. I did do some research on four other fantasy and thriller movies, analysing the 2 minute opening music. However, i found that this piece was the more daunting, vibrant and really made myself feel trapped and in danger as it has a erring tone to it. The sound track is called 'Dead Silence.' Nicola and I did come to a decision of Nicola downloading it via MP3 which she did in this lesson. 
    Screen shot of Nicola downloading the music and converting
    it onto SNIPMP3

      What will we do next lesson?
      • Come to a decision and find an appriopraite stype for the title.
      • Tint each scene to make them look more dark and dull, creating an unwelcoming atmosphere.

      Conclusion: 

      Alternatively, we did have several difficulties with using Final Cut, such as, continuity, cutting and rending the video which became a huge problem during the lesson. For example, our aim was to have the scenes dissolving into one another during the first 20 seconds, which is where the credits will be shown, however, we manage to attach the dissolve effect onto an extra clip we were not using, meaning we had to delete that scene and re-upload it. Nicola, Chloe and I are debating whether to finish the editing using 'iMovie' as this is well known to all 3 of us and has a 'Flip' effect which is what we want to contribute in our opening as there are some continuity mistakes. 

      Meanwhile, Nicola didn't have enough space on her log in, meaning this limited the amount we could produce in the lesson. Although, we did manage to cut the clips we had produced and put them in order, meaning we easily moved onto finding suitable text using the software 'LiveText' which allows us to type in the text we want as the credit, and find a effective, efficient and suitable effect for the text which fits into our genre. We began using this for our credits and researching various types of transitions which we are still in process of. In addition, I am happy with the final result we produced in the lesson as we manage to co-operate and got a lot of work done. Although, we will continue with it next lesson.   



      Thursday, 15 December 2011

      Action Plan - Week 10:

      Completed by: Me


      Here is my tenth week action plan which will structure what i will produce within the tenth week of the set time period. This is our last week for finish EVERYTHING. However we do have a double lesson when we arrive back in the new year. So this week, we have planned to:


      We will do individually:

      • Write up a conclusion
      • Post information about the editing process

      As a group:
      • Finish editing, by adding audio, voice over and credits. We will finish editing in our own time if needed.


      Tuesday, 6 December 2011

      Editing Process, Day 1:

      Completed by: Me

      On 5/12/11, we began editing! So, Nicola, Chloe and I created a video blog about what we are up to in our media lesson and what our process is during editing. We wanted to try a new type of technology whilst blogging which is why I came up with this idea. Alternatively, we did aim to make it realistic and entertaining, in order for it to not look so plain and script read, meaning had spoken from our own knowledge


      This blog gives an update on what we are up to:




      Software used:

      • Final Cut


      What did we do today?
      • During today's double lesson, we uploaded the video from the camera onto the imac using a fire wire cable, opening the contents of what we have filmed onto Final Cut Pro which enabled us to cut shots, putting them in the correct order etc
      • This followed on to cutting certain parts of the clips which were irrelevant and putting them together. Overall, this is was we did throughout the 2 hour lesson.

      What will we do next lesson?

      • Finish cutting the scenes
      • Download the music 'Dead Silence'
      • Begin to create the credits

      Conclusion:

      I feel this was a very successful way of blogging as its quick, easy and portrays a simply understanding of what we are producing. Believe it or not, it took us 21 times to achieve the final video which was suitable to post, as during the interrupted shots were heavy background noise, we were all too shy in certain shots etc.
      Overall, during today's process i feel that it went very well and i enjoyed learning how to use various types of software's, however, it did become stressful during the day because we kept loosing relevant shots, which then we had to re-upload. Although, i feel like this was because it was a new software we started using, and we now know how to use it for next lesson, so we can develop and improve what we have already created, adding, tint, sound effects credits, voice over etc.

      Here we are cutting down each scenes.
        

      Monday, 5 December 2011

      Thanks:

      Completed by: Me

      Action Plan - Week 9:

      Completed by: Me

      Here is my ninth week action plan which will structure what I will produce within the ninth week of the set time period.

      For week 9, we will complete:


      We will do individually:
      • Write up a conclusion
      • Give you updates with the editing process and upload images and additional information.
      As a group:
      • Finish editing
      • Begin to add audio, sound effects and music.

      Thursday, 1 December 2011

      Additional Information:

      Now we have finished filming, we will begin editing on Monday 5th December 2011 using Nicola's mac laptop using the editing software 'Final Cut', 'iMovie' and 'Garage Band'. We plan to: 
      • Upload the film onto the mac laptop and watch through it all, picking out our best clips we've filmed.
      • Following onto cutting certain parts of clips which are irrelevant and putting them together.
      • We will experiment with cutting out background noise and darken and brighten the lighting.
      • We will add sound effects and music which are on our Animatics. Creating our own sound effects which are: voice over, biting into a apple and a loud, disturbing scream.
      • When we've finalised the sound effects and music we will add them onto our opening.
      • Lastly, we will begin to add credits, titles and black screens.

      We may not stick to this plan, however it is a estimation of how we've planned to edit.


      Action Plan - Week 8:

      Completed by: Me

      Here is my eight week action plan which will structure what I will produce within the eight week of the set time period.

      For week 8, we will complete:


      We will do individually:
      • Upload images and additional information from filming days
      As a group:
      • Begin editing.

      Filming - Second day:

      Completed by: Me

      Today (Thursday1st December) was our second day of filming which we filmed the 'indoor (car port)' and 'shed' scene. For this scene the characters consisted was the only main character, Snow White who was played by Annie Lock - a student from school.


      People present:
      • Annie Lock as Snow White
      • Nicola Ho
      • Chloe King
      • Me.

      What scenes did we film?
      • 4
      • 5

      Where?
      • My car port and shed

      Roles and Responsibilities:
      • Annie applied her make up and designed her hair similar to how Ellie Weeks designed Snow Whites hair last Thursday, however more natural.
      • Nicola, Chloe and I each set up the scenery and had taken turns in filming.
      • I set up the camera and tri-pod
      • I had taken photos of evidence.
      • We followed the health and safety rules listed in the post from week 6.
      • We each prepared emergency phone numbers.

      Equipment used and individual brought them to the scene:

      • Video camera - Me
      • Tri-pod - Me
      • camera to take photos for evidence - Me
      • Refreshments - Me
      • Emergency phone numbers - Me, Nicola and Chloe
      • story board - Nicola
      • Make up - Me
      • Costume - Me and Nicola
      • Props: Mirror - Me and Nicola

      Filming:
      At lunch, Nicola, Chloe walked to my house, making sure Annie's costume, hair and making were ready by 2pm to begin filming, camera was fully charged (which it was), however if it wasn't we were able to charge it and we had all equipment needed ready. Our aim was to film in the afternoon as we didn't want it to be too dark as we were using natural lighting, therefore, we began filming at 2pm and finished at 3pm which was quicker then we thought.

      I began to set up the camera while Annie was getting ready, to start off, Annie's make up was light and innocent. We first began to get a MS shot of Snow White looking into the mirror which lasted for 6 seconds, which followed on with capturing an OTS of Snow White looking into the mirror lasting 5 seconds, however the audience can just see her reflection. This lead onto a LS of Snow White screaming in high pitch and throwing the mirror onto the floor which lasted 5 seconds. Our aim was to capture Snow White screaming in fear. Also, for this shot we had to create similar make up we used in the first filming day, therefore, Annie put mascara down her face. Resulting into a  CU of the smashed mirror which gradually zoomed in, lasting 9 seconds. After this we had finished this scene which we then trailed on and filmed a WS of my shed, slowing zooming into the window to a black out, last 10 seconds, however we did re-shoot this 3 times as because of the uneven ground, the came titled slightly. As a group, we decided we wanted to film as soon as possible as Annie had other commitments later that day. Luckily, the temperature was humid and overcast similar to our first filming day which fits into continuity editing. Although, we filmed various shots of the mirror shot and shed, so when it comes to the editing process, we had a more wide range of shots to choose from. We each had taken turns in filming and as it was filmed during school hours, there were not many students and background noise.


      Conclusion (similar to first filming day):


      • Overall, i feel that Annie did do a brilliant job at portraying a innocent, then a scared Snow White, as she was able to do all directions we gave to her which followed the storyboard very easily.
      • Unfortunately, the ground was uneven which made filming a bit difficult, however, we did manage to over come this by practicing the scenes many times before filming in different positions, although it did leave us with limited spacing to film.
      • We had a lucky day as it was overcast and humid which didn't delay the filming and enabled us to get on with the filming.
      • There was no background noise, however we may have captured some cars driving past in the background. Although, we can edit the sound when we edit the film.
      • Most importantly, i feel that today with the filming process went outstandingly as we all had similar ideas and got straight on with filming and Annie followed intuitions easily
      • We worked very well as a group as we didn't have any disagreements as a group and simply followed the storyboard. I am now looking forward to filming the rest of the opening and editing as i am extremely happy with what we have produced so far.


      Here are some photos taken during filming process:
        
        Annie in costume and on set before filming
        
        Set on before filming
        
        Setting up the camera
        Annie doing her make up for the OTS and CU shots
        with the mirror
        Me filming the 'shed' scene
        Me filming the 'shed' scene
        Chloe filming the 'shed' scene
        Here is the shed we were filming.
        Here is the smashed mirror after Snow White threw it on the floor

      Wednesday, 30 November 2011

      Filming - First day:

      Completed by: Me

      Today (Thursday 24th November) was our First day of filming which we filmed the 'outdoor' scene in Ashridge. For this scene the characters consisted of the only main character, Snow White who was played by Annie Lock - a student from school.


      People present:
      • Annie Lock as Snow White
      • Ellie Weeks - School friend
      • Nicola Ho
      • Chloe King
      • Me.

      What scenes did we film?
      • 1
      • 2
      • 3

      Where did we film?
      • The Nicky Line. Unfortunately, we had to change the location last minute because we had no transport to get to Ashridge, so in result we felt it was safer to film in a location we all knew and was close to home. In addition, Nicola went to the location to see if any of the health and safety rules applied.


      Roles and Responsibilities:
      • Nicola, Chloe and I created Snow Whites make up and fake blood using dark red paint.
      • Ellie Weeks designed Snow Whites Hair.
      • We each set up the scenery and had taken turns in filming.
      • We followed the health and safety rules listed in the post from week 6.

      Equipment used and individual brought them to the scene:

      • Video camera - Me
      • Tri-pod - Me
      • camera to take photos for evidence - Nicola
      • 16 apples - Me and Nicola walked to the shops in a free period and bought 2 packs of 8 apples
      • hazard sign - Nicola
      • Refreshments - Me, Nicola and Chloe
      • Emergency phone numbers - Me, Nicola and Chloe
      • story board - Nicola
      • Make up - Chloe
      • Fake blood - Me, Nicola and Chloe
      • Costume - Me and Nicola

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In the story board consists of a knife at the end of the opening. Nicola was supposed to get this, however, as a group we had a discussion and decided that walking around with this weapon during the day was an extreme health hazard. Therefore, as a group we have decided that in the opening a knife will no longer be used.


      Filming:
      At lunch, Nicola, Chloe and I began to prepare for filming, making sure Annie's costume, hair and making were ready, camera was fully charged (which it was) and we had all equipment needed ready to take down to the location. When Annie was ready, we walked to the location which was 'the Nicky Line' which is directly behind the school. Our aim was to film in the afternoon as we didn't want it to be too dark as we were using natural lighting, therefore, we began filming at 2pm and finished at 4pm.

      When filming, we first began to get a LS/WS shot of Snow White running away from the camera, who kept looking behind in panic. We wanted to make sure we had captured all outdoor, running scenes when it was light and not raining, as Snow White was barefoot. This followed on from capturing a MS shot of Snow white running still looking behind, however, the camera was catching the side of her. Then, capturing a CU shot of Snow White's waist when running, followed by a 2 more ECU shots of her running, filming her feet and legs. This lead onto filming the 'hazard sign' shot which was HS and the shot where Snow White is laying on the floor. We decided to film these shots as soon as possible, as the later the day got the temperature decreased, however, the forecast had a overcasts throughout the whole shooting process. Although, we filmed various shots of Snow White running, so when it comes to the editing process, we had a more wide range of shots to choose from. We each had taken turns in filming and as it was filmed during school hours, there were not many students or other individuals around. In result, it wasn't raining or cold which was a huge benefit.


      Conclusion:
      • Overall, i feel that Annie did do a brilliant job at portraying a frighten Snow White, as she gave us ideas on how she should act which i feel was better then how we originally planned it. In result, we did decided that Annie was going to wear boots, however she happily wanted to film the scenes in barefoot which does help to demostrate distubance.
      • Unfortunately, the ground was uneven which made filming a bit difficult, however, we did manage to over come this by practising the scenes many times before filming in different positions.
      • We had a lucky day as it was overcast and humid, which allowed us to get on with the filming.
      • During the day, as a group i believe that we all felt we could have been more organised. For example, we suddenly had to change location last minute which affected our overall filming, however, i do feel that this was a better location as we were close to home, it was safer and allowed us to use more time filming as it would orgially take us 10 minutes to get to Asridge by car. However the Nicky Line is very similar to Ashridge so it didn't create much difference visually. Also, Nicola and I also had to walk to the shops in a free period to buy 2 packs of apples, and during lunch, Nicola, Chloe and I had to create fake blood using paint as Chloe was unable to make it beforehand. Luckily, we were all focused and ready to film.
      • As a group we were all happy Ellie Weeks was there to help give suggestions, look after equipment when we were setting up other scenery or practising filming.
      • However, overall i feel that today with the filming process went excellent as we all had similar ideas with filming which Annie followed along with easily and also gave suggestions. We did have some disagreements, however overcome these as soon as possible and continued with filming. I am now looking forward to filming the rest of the opening and editing as i am extremely happy with what we have produced so far.

      Here are some images Nicola had taken of filming process:


      Fake Blood

      Ellie doing Annie's Hair

      Snow Whites final costume, she will be barefoot

      The Nicky Line that we filmed in

      Me filming the location and surrounding. Here i was practising
      various shots and focusing the camera.

      Annie practising running before we filmed.

      The apples are lying on the ground
      as if they have fallen of the trees.

      Hazard sign and apples

      Monday, 28 November 2011

      Animatic - Part 2:

      Completed by: Me

      In today's media lesson, we began putting the animated story board onto the editing software 'Final Cut Express HD' which we manage to finish.

      What did we do in today's lesson?
      • After we coloured in all the shots from the story board - blog below - We began changing each image file to 'JPEG', as this allowed us to upload the images onto Final Cut.
      • We then imported the images onto Final Cut
      • Followed by re-arranged the images to match the story board and the right length of time.
      • Using the music software 'Garage Band' to add any additional sound effects, adding the song 'Dead Silence' which i found.
      After we had got the Animatics sorted and in order, Nicola and I went onto 'Garage Band' which is a software that consists of a large range of sound effects and music suited for all types of movies. Our aim was to look for fantasy-like, enigmatic music which gradually blends into high-pitched, tensional music which is posing a question on the audience. Therefore, we have found a range of sound effects which we feel will suit our theme to the movie and will be added into the Animated created. In addition, we used the sound effects I had found individually (posted in week 4), which is sounds of a women running, screaming and a heart beat which we have added in and have recored my voice ready the script and biting into the apple.


      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: We wont be adding the voice over and institutional logo onto the animatics, however, we will add this onto the opening when finished. The voice over will be recorded straight onto the imac's and Chloe will download the logo and import it straight on.


      Animatics:




      Conclusion: 
      In conclusion, creating an animated, moving storyboard enabled us to add music and sound effects has been extremely re-awarding and helpful as it laid out an understanding of how our opening is estimated to visually look like. Working in a group, we may all had various ideas, therefore, creating this allowed us to bring our final ideas together. However, i do admire how the final out come has turned out and am looking forward to filming. In addition, allowing us to do this has also helped us will our skills of using the editing soft wares 'Final Cut' and 'Garage Band' which is very helpful for when we editing the final piece and has allowed us to gain more knowledge about these two software's. I feel that this as been very successful and as a group we we all agreed on the same ideas that came together. However, we have had some problems with the size of the photos which you can see during the animatics, when the video hits 43 seconds the images unexpectedly are smaller than usual, which we believe they might have been saved as different files. Although, i do love how the music easily flows with the video which is something we did not expect.

      Animatic - Part 1:

      Completed by: Me

      Nicola, Chloe and I have began to create a Animatics of our story board which is still in process. This will allow us to practise our editing skills, as well as creating a visual and colourful understanding of how we want our filming to be produced.

      What we have done so far?
      We have began using the editing software 'pixlr.com' to colour in the shots. So far, we have coloured in all the screen shots, so next lesson we will put it together to make a short movie animatic. Although, at first, as a group we did have some difficulty working the various different tools, however, we manage to enable the tools we needed to use

      How have/will we do this? - so far, we have done everything listed in italic:
      1. After Nicola created the drawn story board, we scanned it onto the imac computers, then saved them onto our accounts.
      2. We then print-screened each shot to make it a single image and rotated them clockwise
      3. Then using 'www.pixlr.com' to add colour and text, experimenting with the 'Paint Tool,' changing the opacity of the colour and depth of the brush size. This allowed us to create shadowed areas within the image.
      4. When finished, we used an editing software called 'Final Cut' which allow us to create and put together our animated version of our story board - we will do this next lesson.

      Here are some photos below of our editing in process:

      Soft ware we used to colour in the shots - Pixlr.com


      Editing on Pixlr.com


      In conclusion, this animated version of our story board did take some time to create, however, it was extremely useful and feel we have created it successfully so far. In result, it allowed us to see our story board visually moving and enabled the audience to get a better understanding of what our aim is going to be when filming the opening. In addition, doing this activity did allow me to gain more skills using pixlr for when we edit the final piece and I am looking forward to using the editing software 'Final Cut'.

      Monday, 21 November 2011

      Action Plan - Week 7:

      Completed by: Me

      Here is my seventh week action plan which will structure what I will produce within the seventh week of the set time period.

      For week 7, we will complete:


      We will do individually:
      • Gather the equipment needed, clothing etc, ready for filming day.

      As a group:
      • Create an anamatics of our storyboard
      • Start filming

      Friday, 18 November 2011

      Filming order and Finalized dates:

      Completed by: Me

      Scene order and additional information needed:

      Scene 1: Institution logo

      Scene 2 : Establishing shot of Snow White in her stereotypical outfit, looking into a hand held mirror, the camera will be zooming in on her reflection ( will be a normal reflection at first, then dissolve into another reflection of scary Snow White.) Prologue whilst the credits are running through with an overview of the location.

      Scene 3: From the reflection of ‘scary Snow White’, the camera will then see Snow White chucking the hand held mirror to the corner from an over the shoulder shot. Big close-up shot of broken pieces of the cracked mirror. Big close-up shot of broken pieces of the cracked mirror will dissolve and fade into a black background.

      Scene 4: The film title – ‘The Black Apple’ will appear on the black background.

      Scene 5: Fast cuts will be shown of Snow White running in the woods. Loud BANG! And immediately, the screen turns black.

      Scene 6: Hear a loud munching sound of her biting into an apple whilst a black screen is shown

      Scene 7: Camera will cut into an extreme close-up shot of Snow White biting into the apple.


      Equipment needed on filming day:
      • Camera
      • Tri-pod
      • Recorder
      • Computers
      • Snow White's costume - (long yellow skirt, white blouse, blue cardigan/waist coat and red hair band)
      • Fake blood
      • Mud
      • Scissors - we will have to be extremely careful with this, as this can be a health hazard if missed-used and will not expose this weapon when not using.
      • Knife - we will have to be extremely careful with this, as this can be a health hazard if missed-used and will not expose this weapon when not using
      • Dark red apple - pack of 8.
      • Make up- red lip stick, pale foundation, little eye make up.
      • Hair brush - will need to back comb Snow White hair after scene 3.
      • Hazard sign
      • Extra copy of the script and story board
      • We will be using natural lighting - any effects needed will be added in when editing.
      • Refreshments
      • Emergency numbers
      • First Aid kit
      • Protective equipment.



      Filming order and finalized dates:


      1.
      Date:  Thursday 24th November 2011 (Afternoon) After School
      Location: Ashridge
      Equipment needed: Camera, Tri-pod, hand-held mirror.
      Characters needed: Snow White
      •  Second half of scene 3 - The second half of scene 3, Snow Whites dressed will be destroyed.

      2.
      Date: Thursday 24th November 2011 (Afternoon) After School
      Location: Ashridge
      Equipment needed: Camera, Tri-pod
      Characters needed: Snow White
      • Scene 5 - we will record the heavy breathing.

      3.
      Date: Thursday24th November 2011 (Afternoon) After School
      Location: Ashridge
      Equipment needed: Camera, Tri-pod, a dark red apple
      Characters needed: Snow White
      • Scene 7
      4.
      Date: Thursday 1st December (Afternoon)
      Location: Car Port
      Equipment needed: Camera, Tri-pod, hand-held mirror.
      Characters needed: Snow White
      • The rest of scene 2 - this will have to be filmed before any other scenes as snow White's outfit will need to be clean.

      5.
      Date: Thursday 1st December (Afternoon)
      Location: Car Port
      Equipment needed: Camera, Tri-pod, hand-held mirror.
      Characters needed: Snow White
      • First half of scene 3 - this will have to be filmed before any other scenes as Snow White's outfit will need to be clean

      We will do any additional filming if needed on Friday 2th December2011. We will create the editing on the dates below on the software, iMovie.

      6.
      Date:  Friday 2th December2011
      Location: Media Classroom
      Equipment needed: Voice recorder.
      Characters needed: Snow White
      • Scene 6 - we will record this in a quite, enclosed area.

      7.
      Date:  Friday 2th December2011
      Location: Media Classroom
      Equipment needed: Voice recorder.
      Characters needed: Snow White

      • Part of scene 2. (Prologue) - we will record this in a quite, enclosed area


      8.
      Date: Friday 2th December2011 and Monday 5th December 2011
      Location: Media classroom
      Equipment needed: Computers
      Characters needed: None.

      • Scene 4 - we will need to be in a computer room as a group adding in the title and credits.



      Health and Safety - Props:

      Completed by: Me

      Here i have written a basic overview of health and safety with the props needed for the opening that we need to be aware of:

      • Camera -  We will need to have a waterproof cover to protect the camera from the rain (if rains)
      • Tri-pod - When at the location, we will place the tri-pod away from the cast and crew in case individuals (cast and crew) or other individuals around trip over it.
      • Fake blood - We will make sure the fake blood is in a secure box, which no one can access till we use it.
      • Scissors - we will have to be extremely careful with this, as this can be a health hazard if missed-used and will not expose this weapon when not using. This will placed in a secure box and only used when needed.
      • Knife - We will have to be extremely careful with this, as this can be a health hazard if missed-used and will not expose this weapon when not using. This will placed in a secure box and only used when needed. When used, we will hold the kinfe by the handle pointing to the ground.
      • Emergency numbers - Each cast and crew member will have the emergency numbers on them at all times. 
      • First Aid kit will be provided.
      All these will be taken into consideration when filming.




      Sources: http://www.firstaidwarehouse.co.uk/pic/280x280/11/03/empty_small_green_first_aid_box_1_10_person_kit.jpg

      Final Costume:

      Completed by: Me

      Nicola and I bought in some of our own clothes which we thought may suit the character of Snow White, basing the costume around the colours, red, white, blue and yellow as these are the main colours people associate with Snow White. However, we found our plan of our costume ideas below were too similar and difficult to get hold of. Although, we have now come up with an alternative:


      Costume:
      • Red mid length dress - Nicola
      • White, plain cardigan - Tayla
      • Black tights - Nicola
      • Navy head band - Tayla
      • Yellow or navy dolly shoes - Annie (Snow White)

      Extra:
      • She will wear no jewelry
      • Her hair will be straight for some scenes and backcombed for others so we will need to bring a brush and hairspray - Chloe
      • Scissors - Nicola
      • Fake blood - Chloe

      Here are some photos below of the costume:


      MS of the costume
      
      CU of costume - the thrills looks girly and modern

      
      
      LS of full costume
      
      
      In conclusion, I really like this new costume as it looks girly, modern and fits into the concept. This has been successful as the items were easy to get and fits the character. In addition, its not too similar to the original costume, however, does show a sense of innocence like Snow White is portrayed in the film.I admire how these colours clash with each other as red represents, excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, and danger as Snow White feels isolated and in a troublesome situation, whereas white presents reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility and marriage, implying all things good.

      Thursday, 17 November 2011

      Extra Locations:

      Completed by: Me

      We have chosen to use Ashridge for our out door scene, which has been posted a couple of weeks ago. However, we have now came to a decision of where we are going to be filming the 'house' scene. The storyboard shows that the camera will be facing the opening of a small cottage - which we are going to be using my shed- followed by a shot of the side of the cottage which will slowly zoom into the window. This section of the opening, I will film my shed. Here are some photographs i have taken: 


      
      Front of the shed
      


      Side of the shed (the light is the flash from the camera)

      Zoom into the window. The flash on the camera allows the
      audience to see whats inside the shed, however, when
      i wasn't filming, the windows are initially blacked out.


      I feel that this location is a potentially good as it allows the audience to see the full building which is enclosed and isolated. The shed is quite dusty and  dirty which is something we wanted to portray as its a thriller/fantasy themed opening, creating that mysterious, un-welcoming vibe.

      In addition, the images below show our decision of where we are going to film the 'indoor the house' scenes. We have chosen to use enclosed area, which we have came across 2 different locations that we feel is appropriate for the storyline.

      Changing Rooms - Pros:
      • When we examined the surroundings, we found that the location feels isolated which is something we wanted to create.
      • Enclosed and dark
      • No distraction of posters and images from the school
      • Have been given permission from the PE department.
      • Easy to access


      Changing Rooms - Cons:
      •  When Snow White runs out of the room, the audience will only be able to see her feet, meaning the 'Changing Room' sign will not be seen.
      • Does not fit into our concept of a wood-like area.
      • When filming we will only be able to fit a limited number of people within the location as its quite small.


      Car Port - Pros:
      • The surroundings are browns, greys and greens which really fit into the fantasy theme and went dark will fit suitably into the thriller theme.
      • The car port does look isolated and enclosed from any other areas and particularly fits into the Ashridge (outdoor) location.
      • This location has no distractions as its plain and mystical and fits into the location planned in our story board.
      • Easy to get to access

      Car Port - Cons:
      • The car port is quite large meaning we will have to make the location look enclosed and small.
      • As we are filming when its becoming dark, it may become cold and damp
      • There may be quite a lot equipment, such a ladders, hammers etc, which we will need to move away from filming for health reasons.

      Below are photographs of the 'Changing room' location:

      
      Here is an outside image of the location we
      will be filming
      
      This is the room/door Snow White will run out
      of.
       
      Here the room with the light off. The light is coming
      from the window above the door which we cant
      see in the photo. This will be as if the light is shinning through
      the cottage
       
      This is a photo of where the camera man will be standing.
       
       
       
      When filming, this sign will not be seen
       
      
      Lighting in the room (lights will be off)
       
      
      Below are photographs are the 'Car port' location:
       
      WS of the car port, which the character will either stand in the
      left or right hand corner of the compositional frame
       
       
      Right wall which is wood-like and mysterious.
       
       
      Close up of the door
       
       
       
       
      MS of the right hand side of the car port which i think the character
      sound stand against.
       
      We have chosen to use the car port, instead of the changing room as i feel that this location is easy to get to and feels isolated, which is what we wanted to portray.

      Final Locations:
      • Outside of the house scene - Shed
      • Inside of the house scene - Car port
      • In the woods - Ashridge