Shooting Shedule

Flicka Films Shooting Schedule

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Here is a rough shooting schedule we had which helped us with filming. Its helped us to remember which shots we planned out when and where. Its turned out to be very useful at keeping everyne organized!

Outtakes

Heres a little Outtakes video from our second draft filming at Windsor an Eaton Riverside station.

The Hermeneutic Code

What is the Hermeneutic Code?
The Hermeneutic Code:
"The Hermeneutic Code contains anything in the text that is mysterious or unexplained, usually leading to questions which the reader needs answered"

In a nutshell the Hermeneutic code keeps the veiwer/reader in suspence and leave them on a cliff hanger. This is a great code to include in films and books etc. Infact its an almost vital part to have in films to get the veiwer hooked! When the Hermeneutic code is used it draws people in, it makes them want to watch more or come back for more. It leaves un answered questions and mysteries that keep you glued to the TV. A brilliant example of the Hermeneutic code is the Saw films. There are 7 Saw films which indicates how well the writer has used the Hermeneutic code, especially as having 7 different films is very uncommon they have done an excellent job at keeping the veiwers glued to thier TV screens wanting to know what happens in the next film, by leaving unasnwered questions in the previous films.
This is something we took on board when filmimng our opening to Blackout. We didnt want to give away too much information so the veiwer will be wanting to see what happens next! We leave a few unanswered question like "Why is the guy getting the tramp?, Who is the guy?, What is thier motive?, What has the tramp done?"

Vlog

After filming our second draft for Blackout, we thought we would make a short Vlog during a free lesson myself, Jamie and Ramtin had. Unfortanuly George was in a lesson. Heres the short video blog talking though everything we've done.

Second Draft.

After all the editing was done, we are able to show you our second draft for Blackout, personally i think its a massive improvement from the first draft adding more story into the short opening, also using more varied shots. Have a look for youself!

Editing

when it came to editing Blackout i was'nt much involved. Not because I cant edit or I was'nt allowed but because we had George and Ramtin in the group. both George and Ramtin spend thier spare time editing and posting videos on youtube and are both very experianced and talented at editing videos

So as a group we all thought it would be best to leave George and Ramtin to edit Blackout as we all knew they would do an excellent job at editing. Both George and Ramtin used PC's to edit Blackout, and used other programmes than the popular Mac programme Final Cut that everyone else in the year was using to edit thier videos. Because of this it did mean not a whole lot of editing was done at school, but instead edited at home. Both Rmatin and George were also the masterminds behind the timelapse at the beggining of the sequence, and they both did an excellent job on it.

Re-Shooting

After getting permission from the Station manager, we spent one morning re-filming for Blackout with our new ideas and ways to improve. Adding in new shots, new angles and new twists to improve the story of Blackout. The filming process did take awhile and there was alot of cuts and bits that didnt make the opening. Here's just a few outtakes from our filming. As yuo can see we had alot of fun filming!

Feedback from the 1st Draft

After handing in our first draft and showing it to both our teachers it was clear that much more work was needed to be done. They gave us great constructive feedback for improving our ideas and films. After they saw the first draft they botht hought that there wasnt enought to the story; and it seemed all pretty random. Another majour problem we encountered was the transistion from the station to the school toilets was far too obvious and it broke many rules of continuity. So after getting this feedback we re-grouped and re-thought through the story and came up with some more ideas to improve the idea. We then made another apointment with South west trains to film at the station and again and began improving our film. This time we would add more story into the whole opening and also film the toilet scene at the train station toilets, which would help the flow of continuity massively.

Risk Assessment

When filming at Windsor and Eaton Riverside station there was obviously a fair few risks that were around when we were filming. To make sure we was safe filming at the station we had to fill out a risk assessment sheet that we had to hand in. Also the manager of the station, Frank, also gave us the stations own Risk Assessment before we was allowed to film on the station

The Main Location

The main Location for Blackout is set at Windsor and Eaton riverside station. We specifically chose this location when we first came up with the idea for Blackout. One of the main reasons we orginally chose the Train Station is due to the timelapse we have at the beggining of our opening. We wanted to have the tramp sat there busking away while trains came and went signifying that he has been busking there for a long period of time. The station is very much still in use and therefore very publicly open. We had to therefore write a letter to SouthWest trains asking for permission to film. We was lucky enough to be allowed to film.

Filming at the station obviously brought about some risks when filming. Obviously there will be trains cmoing and going and stay well clear of the platform edge was a majour risk.

Toilet Scene Location 1

In our first draft we decided to film in the Windsor boys school toilets for a number of reasons. We felt that it would be much more flexiable to work in the school toilets after school rather than filming in toilets that were in use to the pulic. So with that in mind, we filmed the second part  of Blackout in the windsor Boys' school toilets for our first draft. These toilets were alot more cleaner aswell making it alot more comfortable to film in. Here are a few location shots.

Location 2 WBS Toilets

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Filming and our 1st draft

After alot of editing from all the filiming we did at southwest trains station (Windsor and Eton riverside) we are able to show you our first draft of our intro to Blackout. We filmed it during the week after school one evening where we were greeted by the station manager, Frank. After a short meeting which included a safty breifing we were able to start filming. We filmed for about 3 hours making sure we got all the right shots that we planned out before hand. After spending a week or so editing this is what we came up with. The equipment we used was a tripod to keep the camera still to hold a steady shot, the camera its self(making sure there was plently of battery life), and the props and mise-en-scene for the opening. Which included me getting changed into our tramp cloths and bringing along a guitar to play! Whilst there we improvised abit, to make sure we made the most of our time filmimng at the station. We stuck to our orginal shot list but also added in a few more!

Prop list / Actors

Tramp Played by Sam Correa(me)
Outfit:
Jeans (Old, scruffy)
Old shirt
Old plain jumper (flease style)
Hat (wolley, turned up, plain black)
Trainers (Old, falling apart)
Gloves (Black, fingerless)

Look appearance:
Rough, Dirty, Greasy hair, life-less.

Props:
Plastic bag, ripped up old bag, old battered acoustic guitar.


Jamie
Outfit:
Jeans
Plain shirt
Blue hoodie (to make him stand out)
Jacket

Look, appearance:
Smart, mysterious, well dressed.

Props:
Blue watch

Letter to Southwest Trains

Before we started filming Ramtin personally handed in a letter to the Southwest Train station where we would be filming, asking for permission to film. We decided to keep it very professional and neat to give Southwest Trains the best impression of FlickaFilms. The letter we contructed was as follows:


Windsor Boys School,

1 Maidenhead Road,

Windsor,

Berkshire.

SL4 5EH

South West Trains,

Windsor & Eton Riverside Station,

Datchet Road,

Windsor,

Berkshire.

SL4 1QG

14^th February 2011

Dear, Sir/Madam

We are Flicka Films, a production company from The Windsor Boys’ School currently studying Media Studies for the first year of our A-Levels. For our year 12 project we would like to shoot a partial part of our film in your Windsor & Eton Riverside Station. The filming would include two actors (school boys) between the times of 3-5:30pm on Monday 28th February 2011.

We would like to film our two actors on the train platform – we wouldn’t require them to actually go onto any of the trains on this day, but may require some footage of them walking off the train later on in our project if that’s possible. We wont be anticipating any direct contact or involvement with the train customers.

Our film crew is very small, involving one small handheld camera, no lights and no cables.

If you have any questions, please contact us on flickafilms@gmail.com or *********** to discuss any further information you may need. We would be really grateful if you could reply to us within the next week, allowing us to commence filming on the date set.

Many thanks for your time,

Jamie Calder, Sam Correa, Ramtin Totonchi, and George Holgate

Flicka Films

The Windsor Boys School.

Storyboard

Afetr completeing our shotlist we moved on to storyboarding. After completeing the shotlist there were some ideas we decided to change aroundin our orignal opening seqeunce to Blackout. For example an idea we was going to use is having the tramp go to get drugs and take them in the toilet but we decided to leave this part out . So after a final discussion of the plot of the Blackout opening we came up with a finalized idea. We then drew this up into a story board.

Flicka Films Storyboards

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Shotlist

We created a detailed shotlist in lessons which we are going to use in the opening sequence to Blackout. Here are some photos of what we had come up with.

Flicka Films Shot List

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Blackout and the questionare

In our group Flickfilms we decided we were going to ake the opening two minutes to a pychological thiller called Blackout. We didnt want to do the same thing as most other people taking Media, which would be to make a Horror opening. We thought we would be abit different. The films opening follows a homeless busker played by myself, who is busking at a trainstation. When he is finnished busking he then goes to the toilet only to be locked in dilberately. Being the opening of a film we didnt want to give too much information away and we wnated to leave alot of unanswered questions to leave the audience on a cliff hanger. Many questions will be racing though the audeinces mind for example: Why was he locked in there?, Who did this to him?, What happens to him?

We also made a short questionare for the members of 6thform which are males between the ages of 16-18. We asked them various questions including faviout film? Preffered Genre? We found out Action/Thiller seems to be the most popular. But all of the people who took part in the questionare agreed to watch our opening two minutes to Blackout.

Preliminary Task

Shortly after I joined the rest of my group to create FlickaFilms we made a short Preliminary film. The Preliminary Task was just a short task to make a short scene including the following: 180 degree rule, match on action, and shot reverse shot. We completed the filming and editing within a week and we have uploaded it to our Youtube channel.

Flicka Films and the Task

A couple of weeks back we was set a task of creating an opening sequence of a film abotu 2 minutes long. The opening of course had a ticksheet to go along with it with some points on how to gain as many marks as possible. Some of these included holding the camera still when appropriate, using mise-en-scene well and there are many others.
We then had the freedom to choose whether to work in groups or on your own. I chose to work in a group with George H, Jamie C and Ramtin T. I feel as I have made the right choice to be a part of this group as we all have our own key areas that we can excell at. This will make for a much better finnished product. We shortly decided to name our group FlickaFilms. Shortly after this lesson a FlickaFilms youtube channel was created to upload our piliminary task and the finnished opening sequence of a film.

http://www.youtube.com/user/FlickaFilms

Opening 5 minutes of a film - Pirates of the Caribbean

Film Opening - Pirates Of The Caribbean (The Curse Of The Black Pearl)

Pirates of the Caribbean is a Walt Disney film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Directed by Gore Verbinski. In the opening shot of the film, It has the films title in the films text display on screen, then fades out. Meanwhile in the background, there is eerie non-degetic music playing really quietly. Long pedal notes of stringed instruments and also some diegetic wind sounds played. It then fades from the black screen to a shot of the boat approaching the camera. You cannot see the boat at first as the editors have made it all smokey/foggy so you cannot see clearly. Then you slowly see the ship heading towards the camera, and the camera zooms into the little girl on the deck singing. At this point you can hear some diegetic sounds fading in. As the camera zooms in on the little girl the sound her singing becomes louder and louder and also you begin to hear the sound of the ship creaking and wind noises much more clearer making it more realistic. One of the first things you notice about the little girl is how she is dressed. She is wearing an old fashioned dress and her hair is tied up. Which automatically gives us an idea of what time period this is set in, approximately early Victorian times judging by her costume. It then cuts to a shot from behind her on deck as one of the sailor places his hand on her shoulder. As it cuts to the sailor talking, they use an over the shoulder shot. He also is dressed up in an old fashion which validated that is set in the past approx Victorian times. There is then a shot reverse shot used when the sailor “Mr. Gibbs” talks to the little girl. It cuts back to the girl with a mid shot and is shows her reaction. One other point that validates that this is set in old times is the way they speak to one an other. The captain then dismisses Mr. Gibbs. The lighting so far is very dull, which adds to the mood and tension with the non-diegetic music in the background still quietly playing. As the girl spots the boy the cuts are more frequent as they rush to get the boy on board and the non-diegetic music becomes louder and they rush to get him aboard. As they approach the burning ship you hear a lot more diegetic noise is introduced as you hear all the sailors rush to their post and prepare cannons. This is a great use of props once again as they prepare their cannons, ships today do no have cannons. As the girl talks to the boy she notices his necklace. As she takes it off him and hold him, non-diegetic sounds are played which symbolizes there is something special about that necklace. They use an over the shoulder shot as she is seen holding the necklace. When the captain asks if the boy has said anything the music then dies down to add to the sense that she knows hes a pirate and that she is hiding it. Then there is a shot of the girl looking at the necklace at the front of the ship, as she holds it up, the necklace is in focus, then you see the pirate ship in the background, the necklace then becomes out of focus then focused on the pirate ship. This gives us a sence of what the girl is focusing on. It then quickly cuts to a extreme close up of the girls eyes as they open while she in in bed. This becomes clear that it was all a dream.
Sam Correa

About Me.

Hey I'm Sam, i live in Old Windsor. Im currently at WBS 6thform studying Media, Music Tech, and ICT. In my spare time i love playing guitar in my band "Sephiroth"(www.soundcloud.com/sephirothdm/sets), I love playing gigs in my band, going to gigs, going to festivals. Im enjoying Media, and i love making short films and editing. I am currently working in a group with Ramtin, George & Jamie, producing the 2 minute opening to 'Black Out'.