Below are a list of websites that we have found that we are able to download sounds from to use within out five minute film:
freesound.org
freemusicarchive.org
jamedo.com
proudmusiclibary.com
incompetech.com
freeplaymusic.com
danosongs.com
From the first website we have found two sounds that we could use within our film. The first is a simple and calming piano melody that is called snowfall final. This sound effect could be used within the opening title sequence of our film as it is a gentle low key melody that reflects the feeling of misery and grief that the characters are feeling. Using this music will suggest to the audience at the start of the film that it is going to feature melancholy topics.
A link to the sound effect is below:
http://freesound.org/people/ShadyDave/sounds/262259/
The second sound effect that we are considering using is called high plane dripping woods. This sound is of a plan at high altitude, it is an unusual and irritating crackling sound that is quiet. We thought that we could use this in the background of the conversation where Elizabeth and Lilly talk to their long lost sister Katherine. This is because it will give the connotations that the conversation is uncomfortable and it will also convey Katherine's severe mental state as she begins to get irritated with the topics they are discussing and also her mental state in general such as how she can become distracted and not fully aware of her surroundings.
A link to the sound effect is below:
Friday, 30 January 2015
Thursday, 15 January 2015
How To Make A Video Look Like a Film
How to make a video look like a film -
Most filmmakers want to achieve the film look when shooting video. There is more than one single way to do this:
Framing:
Proper framing is substantial to a cinematic image. If you do not have the right framing but have the right shallow DOF then everything gets thrown out of the window. Good framing will make your film feel more cinematic but will make your film better as a whole. The framing of an image can tell the story in itself. For example, in the King's Speech, they have used this
framing to convey a feeling of emptiness in the characters life.
Shutter Speed:
Always make sure you are using the 180 degree rule when shooting. This means you have to set the shutter speed double to that of your frame rate. Having the wrong shutter speed can be possibly destructive to your film e.g. if it is too slow it will portray a ghosting and strobing image and if it is too high, it will look like it has been speed up.
Depth of Field:
Many filmmakers think that a shallow DOF is the most important thing to get a cinematic look. You have to use a shallow DOF to selectively focus the attention on a person or object.
Camera Movement:
Camera movement is one of the most important aspects of making a video look like a film. It can start from not moving the camera on the tripod and having a still image to it being handheld. The more importance of camera movement the more your film will look cinematic.
Lighting:
lighting is said to make or break your shot, no matter what medium you shoot in. More low budget filmmakers won't even think about lighting and will jump straight into filming, this is a huge give away. Colour grading won't ever save a shot if it is filmed in poor lighting conditions so you have to make sure your shots are not exposed properly but also lit in a way that sets the mood and tone of the film
Colour Correction:
You can do a lot to make your film look more cinematic during post-production. Often amateurs will over-colour their film as they apply a heavily stylised to every shot making it look more like a music video than a film. You have to make each shot look as natural as possible , once you've got your white balance and exposure to the right balance, you're already there. You also have to consider your black levels and contrast. Most people reduce the contrast and then lift your black levels a touch. Looking at this shot from Upstream Color which was graded quite well to look more filmic
Film Emulation:
This is a technique that allows you to apply the look of a specific film stock to your footage adjusting the colours and grain to match that of your chosen film stock. This is an example of film emulation, as you can clearly see the difference -
Before
After
Most filmmakers want to achieve the film look when shooting video. There is more than one single way to do this:
Framing:
Proper framing is substantial to a cinematic image. If you do not have the right framing but have the right shallow DOF then everything gets thrown out of the window. Good framing will make your film feel more cinematic but will make your film better as a whole. The framing of an image can tell the story in itself. For example, in the King's Speech, they have used this framing to convey a feeling of emptiness in the characters life.
Shutter Speed:
Always make sure you are using the 180 degree rule when shooting. This means you have to set the shutter speed double to that of your frame rate. Having the wrong shutter speed can be possibly destructive to your film e.g. if it is too slow it will portray a ghosting and strobing image and if it is too high, it will look like it has been speed up.
Depth of Field:
Many filmmakers think that a shallow DOF is the most important thing to get a cinematic look. You have to use a shallow DOF to selectively focus the attention on a person or object.
Camera Movement:
Camera movement is one of the most important aspects of making a video look like a film. It can start from not moving the camera on the tripod and having a still image to it being handheld. The more importance of camera movement the more your film will look cinematic.
Lighting:
lighting is said to make or break your shot, no matter what medium you shoot in. More low budget filmmakers won't even think about lighting and will jump straight into filming, this is a huge give away. Colour grading won't ever save a shot if it is filmed in poor lighting conditions so you have to make sure your shots are not exposed properly but also lit in a way that sets the mood and tone of the film
Colour Correction:
You can do a lot to make your film look more cinematic during post-production. Often amateurs will over-colour their film as they apply a heavily stylised to every shot making it look more like a music video than a film. You have to make each shot look as natural as possible , once you've got your white balance and exposure to the right balance, you're already there. You also have to consider your black levels and contrast. Most people reduce the contrast and then lift your black levels a touch. Looking at this shot from Upstream Color which was graded quite well to look more filmicFilm Emulation:
This is a technique that allows you to apply the look of a specific film stock to your footage adjusting the colours and grain to match that of your chosen film stock. This is an example of film emulation, as you can clearly see the difference -
BeforeAfter
Thursday, 8 January 2015
List of Tricky Shots/Edits/Effects
Tricky Shots -
There were many tricky shots when filming our film and when re-filming it to get the shots that were needed. One was an over the shoulder shot onto the laptop where the two sisters were looking to see what the hospital was called. It was difficult to focus the shot and keep it steady without shaking it about as we were unable to put the camera on a tripod, however by the end we had done it.
Another tricky shot was at the beginning where Lily is retrieving the letter from the draw as it was hard to make the shots continuous throughout as she kept moving her hands so it was difficult to get it in the right position however we used other shots in between such as close ups which helped our film be more fluent and continuous.
It was hard to edit some shots together as they did not fit as certain things were not right e.g. the positioning of something, or the look of something so we often had to re-shoot scenes. The hardest part of editing was trying to match the colours in the graveyard shot as it was shot on different days and at different times so the background colour was different but with Final Cut Express we managed to change it to the same and it was more gloomier to portray the fact it is a sad moment in the film.
Another difficult part when editing was the sound as some shots were quieter than others so we had to edit the sound on certain shots to make it sound even. Putting the voiceover was difficult as it had to fit in a certain time scale and could not go over but we couldn't cut the voiceover, we made sure it fitted where we wanted and in the end it came out fine.
Effects -
Most effects we edited into our film were fade out/fade in or dissolve. These convey a passage of time and is the reason we used them. Finding where to put them and making sure it was small or big enough to fit the shot was a task as we didn't want it fading out at the wrong time.
At the very end of the film, we used an effect which freezes the picture on Katherine's face, this was effective as it shows the realization who killed their mother to the audience and it prepares them for the credits.
There were many tricky shots when filming our film and when re-filming it to get the shots that were needed. One was an over the shoulder shot onto the laptop where the two sisters were looking to see what the hospital was called. It was difficult to focus the shot and keep it steady without shaking it about as we were unable to put the camera on a tripod, however by the end we had done it. Another tricky shot was at the beginning where Lily is retrieving the letter from the draw as it was hard to make the shots continuous throughout as she kept moving her hands so it was difficult to get it in the right position however we used other shots in between such as close ups which helped our film be more fluent and continuous.
Difficult Editing -It was hard to edit some shots together as they did not fit as certain things were not right e.g. the positioning of something, or the look of something so we often had to re-shoot scenes. The hardest part of editing was trying to match the colours in the graveyard shot as it was shot on different days and at different times so the background colour was different but with Final Cut Express we managed to change it to the same and it was more gloomier to portray the fact it is a sad moment in the film.Another difficult part when editing was the sound as some shots were quieter than others so we had to edit the sound on certain shots to make it sound even. Putting the voiceover was difficult as it had to fit in a certain time scale and could not go over but we couldn't cut the voiceover, we made sure it fitted where we wanted and in the end it came out fine. Effects -
Most effects we edited into our film were fade out/fade in or dissolve. These convey a passage of time and is the reason we used them. Finding where to put them and making sure it was small or big enough to fit the shot was a task as we didn't want it fading out at the wrong time.At the very end of the film, we used an effect which freezes the picture on Katherine's face, this was effective as it shows the realization who killed their mother to the audience and it prepares them for the credits.
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
How to analyse a film poster
How to analyse a film poster
When analysing a film poster the following points need to be considered:
Images
The images that are used on film posters will usually be images of key settings and main characters within the film.
key points that should be analysed are: What is the title of the film? What can you say about the way in which the title graphics have been written? Who is starring in the film? Where are the stars’ names placed on the poster? Why? Describe the key images on your poster. Why have they been chosen? Write about the images used - stars, setting, colours, symbols, (mise-en-scene). What do they suggest/signify? What other pictures can you see? What is their purpose? What are the most important colours on your poster? Why do you think these were chosen? What do you think the film will be about? Who is the target audience?
Narrative
A film poster can gives clues away about the narrative of a film.
key points that should be analysed are: What can you tell about the genre of the film and the types of characters from their facial expression, body language, stance, appearance and position on the poster? What makes you say this? What impression do you get of the character/personalities from their expression, clothes, props. Is there an enigma being presented? Is the poster composed of a series of images (montage, lack of perspective) Is the key image a still from the film?
Colours
The colours that are used within film poster will be relevant to the film and may give away some of the storyline.
key points that should be analysed are: Are they relevant to the genre e.g. horror posters generally use dark strong colours especially black and red to represent death and evil. Romance films tend to employ lighter pastel and warm colours such as pinks, purples and other warm shades. Are the colours on your poster important? Why? What clues do they give about the genre, and how do they attract the target audience?
Layout
When analyzing a film poster it is also important that you analyse how the images are laid out.
key points that should be analysed are: Are they are blended in without any concern for real perspective or size relationships between people and setting? Why do you think they are laid out like that? Do you know what the plot, genre and/or theme of the film is? If so, how? Most posters are portrait or landscape in shape. What shape is yours? Describe and discuss the title, font, typeface and graphics on the poster. What style are they in and where are they positioned etc.? has the poster been painted and printed or produced using DTP ( mention how improvements in technology have changed production values).
Written text
The text that is used within the poster can be important as it can catch the audiences attention.
key points that should be analysed are: What does film's title and its font look like and what does this connote? Is there a catch or tagline? What does it tell us about the action, genre and attitude within the film? Who do you think is the target audience for the film? How has the poster been made attractive to these people? Discuss the billing/credit block. What information does it include about credits and information? Do we get information about who is in the cast, who directed the film, which company distributes it and promotes it etc? Where is the certificate? What does it indicate about the target audience and the content of the film? Does the poster list a website? If not, why not?
Unique selling point
A film poster may also involve a unique selling point in order to attract the target audience.
This could be aspects such as: What makes it different from other films? The plot, stars, themes, setting or characters?
When analysing a film poster the following points need to be considered:
Images
The images that are used on film posters will usually be images of key settings and main characters within the film.
key points that should be analysed are: What is the title of the film? What can you say about the way in which the title graphics have been written? Who is starring in the film? Where are the stars’ names placed on the poster? Why? Describe the key images on your poster. Why have they been chosen? Write about the images used - stars, setting, colours, symbols, (mise-en-scene). What do they suggest/signify? What other pictures can you see? What is their purpose? What are the most important colours on your poster? Why do you think these were chosen? What do you think the film will be about? Who is the target audience?
Narrative
A film poster can gives clues away about the narrative of a film.
key points that should be analysed are: What can you tell about the genre of the film and the types of characters from their facial expression, body language, stance, appearance and position on the poster? What makes you say this? What impression do you get of the character/personalities from their expression, clothes, props. Is there an enigma being presented? Is the poster composed of a series of images (montage, lack of perspective) Is the key image a still from the film?
Colours
The colours that are used within film poster will be relevant to the film and may give away some of the storyline.
key points that should be analysed are: Are they relevant to the genre e.g. horror posters generally use dark strong colours especially black and red to represent death and evil. Romance films tend to employ lighter pastel and warm colours such as pinks, purples and other warm shades. Are the colours on your poster important? Why? What clues do they give about the genre, and how do they attract the target audience?
Layout
When analyzing a film poster it is also important that you analyse how the images are laid out.
key points that should be analysed are: Are they are blended in without any concern for real perspective or size relationships between people and setting? Why do you think they are laid out like that? Do you know what the plot, genre and/or theme of the film is? If so, how? Most posters are portrait or landscape in shape. What shape is yours? Describe and discuss the title, font, typeface and graphics on the poster. What style are they in and where are they positioned etc.? has the poster been painted and printed or produced using DTP ( mention how improvements in technology have changed production values).
Written text
The text that is used within the poster can be important as it can catch the audiences attention.
key points that should be analysed are: What does film's title and its font look like and what does this connote? Is there a catch or tagline? What does it tell us about the action, genre and attitude within the film? Who do you think is the target audience for the film? How has the poster been made attractive to these people? Discuss the billing/credit block. What information does it include about credits and information? Do we get information about who is in the cast, who directed the film, which company distributes it and promotes it etc? Where is the certificate? What does it indicate about the target audience and the content of the film? Does the poster list a website? If not, why not?
Unique selling point
A film poster may also involve a unique selling point in order to attract the target audience.
This could be aspects such as: What makes it different from other films? The plot, stars, themes, setting or characters?
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Research and examples of influences on your film
Influences:
Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror.
When wanting to produce a thriller we all had separate ideas in which we all wanted to contribute, we feel as though traditional thrillers do have a massive influence on the modern take on the thriller genre, however we felt that the modern films have a link to our ideas of our own film. When researching thrillers we wanted to focus on iconography and see which films produced a good adaptation of this and which could influence our final project:
Iconography:
Iconography simply means symbolic representations, which often has a conventional meaning attached to an image, object or location. For these things to be iconic they have to be easily recognisable and associated with the genre. Iconography is very important as it is part of the mise-en-scene and therefore helps to construct certain messages for the audience by using physical and sometimes obvious indications to the plot.
Looking at traditional films we found that many thrillers do include these features in which we found very interesting, this was influential looking at iconography but we wanted to include it in a subtle way so then it was different and original from other psychological thrillers.
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We found Alfred Hitchcock a massive influence when looking into thrillers as he deliberately chose specific lighting, props, mise-en-scene to make the audience feel a specific way. Take the iconic shower scene in Psycho, Hitchcock used both the iconography of shadows and knives to make it a thrilling masterpiece which is also one of films most memorable scenes.
Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror.
When wanting to produce a thriller we all had separate ideas in which we all wanted to contribute, we feel as though traditional thrillers do have a massive influence on the modern take on the thriller genre, however we felt that the modern films have a link to our ideas of our own film. When researching thrillers we wanted to focus on iconography and see which films produced a good adaptation of this and which could influence our final project:
Iconography:
Iconography simply means symbolic representations, which often has a conventional meaning attached to an image, object or location. For these things to be iconic they have to be easily recognisable and associated with the genre. Iconography is very important as it is part of the mise-en-scene and therefore helps to construct certain messages for the audience by using physical and sometimes obvious indications to the plot.
Iconography in thrillers often include Shadows, Street lamps, Confined spaces, Creaking floorboards and running water. These are just a few examples of which they make the audience feel almost anxious and on edge for the characters. As these features are iconic they begin to feature often in Psychological thrillers.
Looking at traditional films we found that many thrillers do include these features in which we found very interesting, this was influential looking at iconography but we wanted to include it in a subtle way so then it was different and original from other psychological thrillers.
As the face of the character with the knife is unseen this creates anticipation and tension for the audience, Hitchcock is influential when researching thrillers due to the impact this scene had in the film industry and how simple the scene actually is. It was known as introducing slasher films and at the time of its release, 1960's, was ranked among the greatest films of all time, it set a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behaviour and sexuality in American films.
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