5th Meeting =)

Our 5th meeting, as a group, was on Wednesday the 25th of November 2009 where we all discussed our filming process further. Here, we talked about the remainder of our trailer and where to shoot? Well, what we came up with was that on that same day, Wednesday after college, we shall film the interior remainder of the trailer. Considering that we all did bring 3 or 4 people to participate for our production. Fortunately, Sam was available like we asked him and acted out his role, with accordance to the script and stage directions from our help. Everyone has a specific role and portrayed it successfully! =)

• Suhail - [FILMING], Suhail was in charge of filming and filmed the study scene from various angles/shots which worked pretty well. He also created a "Film Club" poster for the scene which was rather beneficial for this shot.
• Raza - Raza, being the protagonist, acted out his scene as the "main guy" and helped Suhail for filming the shots and sort of directed some aspects of the scene as he tole some to act in a specific way, in terms of figure movement and body language.
• Sameria - Her job was speech and dialogue. In other words she helped remind everyone what to say and how to say it. For instance, she gave Sam the script and reminded him what to say.
• Hina [ME] - Lastly, I helped everyone engage together as a group. For example, if someone was late, I helped get all the equipment ready and bought the cast together, I also helped with the props, such as schoolbooks, paper, pens and cameras to make the scene realistic as possible. Having taken photographs of the group during production, I also distributed them to everyone to help them for future reference.

In conclusion, we had a very productive day as we've finished three quarters ofthe trailer, with Sam's help afcourse and the entire cast and crew. All that is left to film is the Mac/Toilets scene which should be completed by next week along with the parents/neighbours questioning scence which is to be filmed in my area.

BLOGGER UPDATE (Hmk)

In order to present our work as a group, I will now identify what we have planned and organised in order to extened the trailer in a more developed way:

• Recce Notes; (Exploration of Area)

Basically, our trailer is based on a Thriller-based genre which intends to thrill the audience in terms of thriller convention such as costume, location and props. Our inspiration came from AfterSchool which is a 2009 film about a young American student who accidentally captures the death of his two classmates on camera. This has influenced us to create our trailer on the basis of this. We also intend to use a similar style and aura of the film to give it a "thriller" effect.

• PhotoGraphs (Some of the photographs I took of everyone in the group at their best)

• Location (In brief summary)

As a whole, we have decided to film in various interior and exterior locations to give the film a typical "feel" for a trailer. Here is a brief list of our location spots;

1. Canon Hill Park (For the main park scene where the footage is filmed)
2. JCC Mac Room (Where the secret footage is discovered)
3. Library/Classroom (To set the story, the birth for film club!)

• Trailers (Afterschool)

Here is a trailer of our influentional film which has inspired us to create a trailer for...The Cut!

• Schedule: (In brief)

Every Monday/Tuesday = Try to book camera equipment (filming purposes...)

Every Wednesday afternoon = Group meeting (discuss topics in detail)

Every Friday/Weekend = Filming, if not then updating our blogs! :D

• Costume:

The protagonist is wearing casual wear (jeans and top to equate it a realistic effect) whereas the antagonist is hidden with maybe a hoodie and some shoes with distinguished laces. The rest of the classmates are dressed in everyday clothes along with the teacher, as one would normally in similar circumstances.

• Props (What the characters engage with)

The only props we are to use are the computers used for the editiing scene and the laces along with the distinguished shoes. The camera also participates here as the protagonist works with the video camera to film his "Nature Project".

• Step-Outline:

1. Shot 1 - Happy kids/students finish school scene. End of school "After school". Hear the sound of bell to prove this. Wide-shot of the entire school building with students rushing home.
2. Shot 2 - "Film Club" poster in the corner - we see a close-up of this, a clear description. Students staring at this.
3. Shot 3 - Focus on the "Popular guy" in school. He's flirtatious, follows a bunch of girls into the classroom (Film Club Meeting). Girls were previously seen looking at the poster, (interested in club). Popular guy spots the girls, (interested in girls...)
4. Shot 4 - The protagonist (Popular guy) is extremely talkative. He's seen sitting at the back of the class, "chatting up" the girls. Mid-Shot of this scene of the socialising, but we hear the teacher talking in the background - AUDITORY IMAGERY! Hear something else but on screen is displayed another. Teacher talking about "Nature project", popular guy not interested, not paying attention and teacher is out of focus, (blurred). Protagonist is in focus here.
5. Shot 5 - Over-the-shoulder shot, popular guy and girl in conversation, although the focus here is on the teacher, she is currently blurred, the two students = in focus. The boy and girl are obviously flirting/giggling. (Shoulder to shoulder). The teacher is walking around in the background, the board is in focus also.
6. Shot 6 - Everyone is put in groups. A wide-shot of the park (Canon Hill Park), a group of five, including the protagonists, are splitting up. Boy and girl are mocking around, all are off to film for Nature project.
7. Shot 7 - A scene of the two of them flirting again, except this time a theme of playfulness is involved. The boy is filming the girl, touchin her hair, she refuses - playfulness.
8. Shot 8 - The girl here runs off (playing hard-to-get), a medium shot of this, tracking in/out.
9. Shot 9 - The boy accidentally drops the camera on the floor
10. Shot 10 - The camera is tilted, the audience here see through the camera's lens...
11. Shot 11 - The boy chases after the girl without realising he has dropped the camera, it is on the floor – unnoticed at the moment, we hear the boy apologising for his rational behaviour earlier. In this scene, we see a girl (student) being dragged away, and we recognise something from the killer, his fluorescent shoe laces.
12. Shot 12 – The boy has finally realised that he has dropped the camera, he goes back to retrieve the camera, we see a Track-in of the blank camera scene, he switches it off.
13. Shot 13 – Back at the college now (Mac Room) Similar scene to the beginning, the boy is now flirting with a bunch of different girls now, again similar scene of shoulder to shoulder but this time the focus is ON the teacher, we are concentrating on what is actually said – time to upload the work of “Nature Project”.
14. Shot 14 – Registration scene, two are missing from the club, one arrives late. Tilt-up from the register to the empty seat to signify missing and lateness.
15. Shot 15 – The boy enters through the door where the popular boy spots his fluorescent laces and comments on this, compliments them.
16. Shot 16 – Time to upload the work (headphones) We finally see the full scene where the boy spots the laces, and is restless/paranoid and shocked after what’s happened, ask to go to the toilet to “freshen up”, the killer spots his paranoia.
17. Shot17 (Final) – The popular boy is washing his hands and face in the toilets, is looking down and spots those same laces, he is looking down, we get a tilt up where he starts to look up at the face and BAM! IS punched in the face.

• Draft Script: (SCREENPLAY)

EXT.PARK.EVENING

A strange MAN is dragging a woman’s body and is breathing heavily. It is set in a mystical forest woodland surrounding.

STRANGE MAN

Oh! C’mon...

He tries dragging the body across the floor with great difficulty

VICTIM

(Groaning)

Huh? Wha – Where am I?

CUT TO:

2. INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR. LATE AFTERNOON

The school bell has just rung and in the school corridor a poster, “FILM CLUB” is displayed on a wall with a group of students staring at it.

1^st STUDENT

Ooh! What’s this? Film club, Awesome, it starts today!

2^nd STUDENT

I’m so in, I love using video cameras, plus it’ll look great on my CV!

A group of students hum and nod in agreement

CUT TO:

3. INT.FILM STUDIO. LATE AFTERNOON

A group of giggling girls enter the film studio without realising that they’re being followed by KAMRAN, a happy-go-lucky, student who is flirtatious around women.

DEREK

Come on in! Have a seat, and welcome to film club! It’s good to see lots of enthusiastic filmmakers.

CUT TO:

4. EXT.PARK.AFTERNOON

A group of students, in a nearby forest, are filming various shots of trees, birds and woodland creatures in order to attain their nature project.

VO of DEREK

The task I’ve set you is to capture the beauty of nature that lies all around us...

This is a cue to describe what we actually see on camera. The camera here is focused on ALEX here whilst we here DEREK instructing him in the background. Currently, the focus here is on ALEX so we are concentrating on his actions.

KAMRAN

So, I’m stuck with you then?

ALEX

I guess. Enough of the innocent act, I know why you’re here, so leave me alone!

KAMRAN

Whatever...I’m here to receive my excellent letter of recommendation!

ALEX is walking off in an opposite direction

VO of DEREK

The trees...the leaves....the birds...

KAMRAN

Hey...wait up!

KAMRAN drops his camera and runs after her.

CUT TO:

5. INT.JCC.MAC ROOM.EVENING

DEREK is helping students upload their work. KAMRAN is using headphones and is going through his footage. We see the footage SAM recorded of the leafy trees and the feathered creatures. Suddenly, we see the camera drop to the ground and soon afterwards we see someone’s legs being dragged away by someone wearing fluorescent green laces. SAM enters the Mac Room. SAM is a gentle character with a timid personality.

SAM

(Panting)

Sorry I’m late DEREK.

DEREK

No worries lad, have a seat.

KAMRAN spots SAM’s fluorescent laces.

KAMRAN

(Anxiously)

Can I go to the toilet Sir?

CUT TO:

6. INT. TOILETS.EVENING.

The toilets are dark and all we can hear is a tap dripping. KAMRAN splashes water in his face and his hands are trembling with fear. He turns around looking at the floor and green laces.

KAMRAN

You

SAM punches KAMRAN in the face. KAMRAN lays unconscious on the floor.

CUT TO:

7. EXT.PARK.AFTERNOON.

ALEX has run away from KAMRAN, managing to lose him. She spots SAM with a bunch of other guys, wearing grey hoodies. They are all sharing something among them.

ALEX

(Whispering)

What?

ALEX then hides into a shrub hoping to hide without being noticed. The group all split up and run off together, apart from SAM who is creeping behind the bush.

SAM

Hey, what you doing in here eh?

ALEX is silent with fear

SAM

What’s wrong with you?

ALEX is still quiet, but this time she is whimpering

SAM

(Seriously)

What did you see?

WHAT DID YOU SEE!?

ALEX tries to do a runner but SAM manages to grab her by the wrist.

SAM

If you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, you’ll regret it

D’ya hear me!?

ALEX

(Gasps)

4th Meeting...

Our next meeting is on Wednesday the 18th of November 2009, here we will discuss the further locations we can film for the rest of our trailer. Having completed the exterior locations for our trailer, we now need to complete the interior locations such as the college library, the Mac room and even at home. We will also help each other extend the script in terms of emotions, suggestions and stage directions to make it easier to read out aloud.

We shall also discuss who will be our cast for the interior locations to film, and have decided to choose Sam to act out the role for a film club teacher who is in charge and to play a rather passive role. Hopefully, we shall discuss the storyboard further and explain what has been changed and how we can work around this.

Improvisations/Extended Shots

Here are a list of shots provided by my group memebers along with my tutor which has helped enable to us explore further within the plot and the trailer itself:

• Extra shots of the park. Nature Project; Trees, birds, insects, plants, etc. (A quick succession of these shots - MONTGAE)
• The students talking about the "accused£ being the killer - all blaming him...
• The main character (protagonist) fights with another (creating more mystery and ambiguity) - "You did it?"
• Captions/Awards - These will be done in a more later stage for editing purposes, such as; nominations, five-star rate, "The Cut" teaser poster and the release date.
• Looking at the girl's (victim) photograph in a newspaper article (to extend the plot further)
• The protagonist is running away from someone (we don't see), maybe in the forest?
• He confesses to a friend, "Maybe, I did it?"
• His own investigation, frustration and anger released, "I'm going to prove it!"

These are a few shots we all came up with as a group to helped extened our trailer further in terms of extended shots, this will hopefully increase the length of time we have remaining and fulfill the 3 minutes we have to film...

3rd Meeting

Our next meeting commences on 11th November at 4pm till 5, in our meeting we shall be meeting up with our cast list and pre-planning for filming purposes. As a group, we intend to book the camera equipment on Friday at 3:20, cinluding 2 cameras and a tripod. We will also be planning on what to take with us (props) and who's coming where. I am in charge of the equipment, therefore it is my duty to make sure I bring the camera, it is safe and make sure to return it back to Sarah on Tuesday.
We will also extend our trailer shots through ou rstep-outline as we have not enough shots to cover our three minutes within the trailer. Currently we have about 20 shots, including the entire plot but hopefully we intend to expand this limit to 50 shots as done so in various other trailers such as Funny Games U.S and Afterschool which has about 50-200 shots for just 2 minutes, therefore we hope to cover this in our meeting. We will have our cast list which would cover the protagonist's role, antagonists and the "background" cast. There shall be about 6-12 people in total.

Poster/Editing

For editing purposes, I created a teaser poster and a film poster for our film trailer, it was also used for coursework and editing purposes through PhotoShop.

Teaser Poster: Main Poster:

Props

In our group, we have a wide assortment of props available in which we'll use in order to complete our project.

• Shoe laces Plastic Bag Video Camera
• 

Location

In terms of narrative, we have a variety of various locations, to help expand some broader footage in different areas, such as Small Heath, Kings Heath and the City Centre. In order to capture the footage in the "forest" we'll need some locations where there are trees, barks, leaves, grass etc.

• Canon Hill Park
• 
• Small Heath Park;
• 
• Library;
•