Edit after Rough Cut Procure

Procure 1 from Adam Nixon on Vimeo.

Rough Cut Edit Analysis

Rough Cut 1 from Megan Hayhurst on Vimeo.

After receiving feedback about our rough cut edit, we made some changes to our production. We were also told what the best aspects of it were.

The main criticism was the fact that the story wasn’t clear. In order to make it clear, we will either add a voice over or dialogue. However, this may be difficult, as we have both a recording of wedding vows and music with lyrics in our production. There was also criticism in regards to the sound used. We will change the levels of the vows and the music, making the former louder, as it is of more use to the viewer in terms of creating meaning. We will also attempt to edit ‘Angels’ down so that only parts of the tracks without vocals are used. Failing this, we will opt for our initial idea of Adam recording the guitar and bass parts in Cubase. However, we were told that lyrics did work with the institutional information, whereas for the rest of the production it is just confusing when combined with the wedding recording.

Our shots appear to be well composed and there is a variety of them, flowing smoothly due to good editing. We were told that this, along with the use of the Green Pearl filter in and saturation adjustments in Magic Bullet, made it look more professional. As well as our use of post-production special effects, we were also complimented on those created in-camera, namely the car bailout scene. However, the editing pace needs to slowly increase in order to create tension, diegetic noise needs to be added to the aforementioned scene, the earlier car scenes need lighting adjustments and more transitions need to be used.

Third Shoot 27th November

We needed to film some of the shots of 17 and 18 to which we found a creepy boiler room in the school that had the right mise-en-scene for the effect we were looking for. We then borrowed some duct tape in order for the kidnapping to appear more realistic and we framed different shots so we it came to editing we can decide which of the frames looked better on the screen. We then decided that due to the dark chiaroscuro lighting that it would be good to shoot the shot 25 and so we borrowed some matches and set up the camera inside the small space and did a couple of takes of Louis striking a match drawing it to his face and then switching on the light. It is possible that we may change this shot and its order within the shot list so that it appears before 17 and 18 to make the idea of her being captive more plausible and obvious to the audience.

Soundtrack Recording

Adam recorded the soundtrack as previously planned. However, it wasn't possible for him to use the effects pedal as he intended to use, as the interface only accepts a mono signal. For this reason, he instead recorded a clean signal for the bass parts and used a plugin just for the guitar parts, with the addition of a 'hall' effect on the actual amplifier.

Second Shoot Thursday 22nd November

Since no-one in our group was legally allowed to drive we had to arrange a date where we could film with a friend of Louis' who could drive. We set up our camera on Duke Street in Waterfoot and we hoping to film lots of shots including 26-31 the rather difficult and tricky shots to film of the illusion that would later be altered in the editing, of Adam rolling out of the car. Although this did prove somewhat difficult particularly in marking exactly where the car had drove in the previous shot to match up with the same shot but with Adam now already out of the car. 

After a couple of takes we were able to film it correctly and then we moved on to filming some of the more easier shots such as Adam opening the door handle and the exterior shot of the door opening. We did also have trouble shooting the shot of Louis 'driving' because the car wasn't particularly stable and so the shots appeared to be quite jumpy. We are now waiting on putting the shots on the computer to see if we can edit them and also see if they need to be re-shot.

Production Company Subsidiary Logo Design

For our production logo we wanted to incorporate the  idea of guns and violence into our logo but also have it moving since most production logo's have an entrance or behaviour elements attached to them such as the Miramax logo which has a flying effect as the camera tracks through a city and then dissolves into the static logo.

                
                            Miramax 2009 Logo from Quentin Vien on Vimeo.
  As we intend to use an animated title, we decided to use a video clip, as opposed to animating stills. Rather than filming the shots ourselves, we decided to use a pre-existing video clip on YouTube. However, it took some time to find one suitable for our production. 

Once we had found a video similar to what we had in mind, I downloaded it with Realplayer.

Once downloaded, I then edited it down to the required 6 seconds in Windows Movie Maker at home, as the clip was 18 minutes long in total. 

It was then exported in high definition in order to match the shots we had already filmed and uploaded to Dropbox to then be edited in Pinnacle.

Once uploaded, it was spliced every 12 frames and some were deleted at random in order to produce jump cuts. A filter was then added in Magic Bullet and adjustments were made in Chroma Keyer. Finally, the Movie Trailer Complete motion title was added.  

 

 

Sound effects were added from Soundbible.com, as the sound from the actual clip wasn't what we required. 

Music Choices

Due to the restrictions of copyright law, we were planning of recording a cover of a song. However, due to the complexity of it, we instead decided to look for something free to use. The song we intended to cover just happened to also be free to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt under creative commons, so seemed ideal.

Both the guitar and bass lines of ‘Angels’ by the XX would have been recorded through a Yamaha THR10 amplifier/interface into Cubase 6LE. The dreamy feel would have been created either through use of an in-program plugin or a Boss Me-20B effects pedal and the drums would have been recorded in the step editor, also with appropriate effects added.

 

As we are going to be using it for non commercial uses, we are free to use it under the conditions that we reference the artist, as well as providing a link to the creative commons page with the finished upload on Vimeo

Audio from a wedding  video on Youtube was also added, as it relates the the content of our production and helps create meaning.                                    

Add information about extracting audio through Realplayer:

Adam then recorded the soundtrack as previously planned. However,it wasn't possible to use the effects pedal he intended to use, as the interface only accepts a mono signal. For this reason, he instead recorded a clean signal for the bass parts and used a plugin just for the guitar parts, with the addition of a 'hall' effect on the actual amplifier.

First Shoot - Saturday 3rd November

In order to film shoot some of the earlier shots of Tom waking up we thought it would be more realistic if we filmed Adam in his own house and room as it would be more believable. Therefore on our first shoot we all met at Adam's house in Burnley and shot 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13, 15, 16 including some of the difficult shots of Adam in the shower which proved difficult to frame and film working in such a tight space as a shower. The shoot proved very successful and we are optimistic to see how the shots are going to appear on the computer and we are keen to start editing them soon.

Risk Assessment

Whilst filming shot number 14 of a long tracking shot of man from behind as his head turns right, we had to survey the area because we were filming on derelict land riddled with scrap metal and pieces of shattered glass and rubble, so we cleared the pathway for Adam to walk through, of rubble and sharp edges the camera man has a smoother walk and the shot could be more stable. 

We placed a non-slip mat on the shower basin so that Tom (Actor Adam Nixon) didn’t slip whilst filming his shots in the shower. 

Car shots were filmed with precautions, the owner of the car was the only driver, we filmed on a quiet street, and we informed the residents and passers-by that we were filming our shot for media so they had no reason to worry about us or our whereabouts. 

We carried one piece of equipment each whilst walking through Waterfoot to film our shots within walking distance. Another of our locations is outside our school. This was a very low risk because the actor was out of the way of any traffic and the camera was on the pavement, so we just had to make sure that we wasn’t in the way of pedestrians and/or students coming to and from our school to cut down on background noise. 

Another element to the safety of not only ourselves but to the public was our use of guns in a public area. And therefore to ensure the safety of ourselves and others around we are going to film the shots with the guns in a quiet area where we are going to inform local residents and passer-by's that we are filming this for our media coursework and are simply not just playing with guns. Guns and in particularly affiliated with young people can seem frightening to society and the general public and we wouldn't want to cause alarm or concern for anyone else. 

Storyboard

Procure Storyboard from Megan Hayhurst on Vimeo.

Cast and Costume

CAST

Main protagonist                                                                                                 Kidnapper                                  














Adam Nixon                                                                                                             Louis Pring


                                                                             Wife

                                                    
                                                  Caitlin Heaton (Orignally Jess on left)

COSTUME

Adam
Begins in underwear. He later changes into more formal clothing and a parka in one scene and a maroon jacket in another.

Caitlin (Originally Jess)
Typical femme-fatale clothing:dark black dress, bright red lipstick, similar to that of Uma Thurman in Pulp Fictio. The fact that her clothing matches that of Adam rather than Louis, establishes them as the 'original couple'; this makes the chances of her and Louis being conspirators seem less likely, and therefore her kidnapping more believable. 

In order to meet filming deadlines, we needed somebody who would be available most weekends. For this reasons, we had to have a change of cast for the part of the kidnapped woman. Caitlin will be dressed in a similar way to Jess.

Louis 

Dark clothing, including a hoodie to hide his identity. This also creates a binary opposition between him and the protagonist, as one is formally dressed and the other isn't and is also likely to make the audience side with the protagonist due to the 'hoodie' stereotype.

Props

In order to keep continuity and to make it seem realistic we are going to use Adam and Louis fake guns which both look rather convincing however, obviously for safety reasons they are not real. Since there are two main characters that both have guns Louis (Jack, the kidnapper) will use his own Red Metal BB Gun which looks something similar to the one below:

And Adam (Tom, the vigilante) will use his own black 357 revolver which looks similar to the one below:

For the opening scene we are going to need to use cardboard boxes with different words written on them such as “BOOKS” etc. to further emphasis that the couple are moving house. For the kidnapping scenes we will also need to use some rope, duct tape and some matches in order to do the match lighting shot.

Locations

The main part of the trailer is where the main character Tom is getting ready in his room. For this we needed to use a male’s bedroom and so therefore we will use Adam’s own bedroom to film these scenes. And in order to keep in with the idea that the couple were married we will use Adam’s house to film the shots of the ‘happy couple’. 

  

The outside shots including the shots with the car will all be filmed on a road but they will mostly be filmed in and around Waterfoot making it easier for us to film during school time. A possible place to film the car accident scene could be King Street.

 

For the shots where Tom will be running (shot 19) we could use a road just off Cowpe Street as it is quite secluded and just large enough to fit a car down making the tracking shots more realistic. 

For shot 14 when there is a tracking shot of Tom from behind we will film in the now recently knocked down mill at the bottom of Booth Road to make it seem very mysterious and ominous.

 

For the close up of the tape being unravelled and of Jess’s hands being tied together we are going to use a room in the school that has an enclosed and ominous feel to it.

For shot 20 and 21 where we see Tom holding a gun we wanted to use a private road but unfortunately that wasn’t possible so therefore we are going to use a toy gun and sue the location of Duke Street in Waterfoot which has graffiti on the side of the wall which will look very effective in the panning shot of 20. 

For shot 24 where the shot is through a car wing mirror we are going to use the location of West Street in Waterfoot.

Producers and Distributors

Our film’s genre is a thriller/action film which in terms of film producers is a very popular genre. Miramax films is a very successful film producer of films such as Reservoir Dogs which was released before Disney acquired it in 1993 for producing more grittier horror/thrillers but not with the stereotypical Disney logo. Since moving away from their Disney takeover in 2010, Miramax films have become an established film producer and distributor in its own right. Although Miramax don’t strictly just make thrillers they make a wide range of films. However more recently they have started producing more crime/thriller/action films such as Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) The Debt (2010/I) and in production now Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2013). Miramax film would be a great producer to produce our film due to its well-known status in America and in particularly the semiotics of its company logo. 

The Miramax logo has your typical binary opposite of black and white which in relation to a thriller genre is perfect. The binary opposition could connote several different things and the main one being the fight between good and evil evident in our plot line with the kidnapper and the vigilante even with the addition of the femme fatale twist. The sans serif font in addition to the line straight lines also gives it that finished edge making it look more professional and elite which would really give our film a boost in terms of making it a success in the box office. 

Due to the fact that our film does not have any major stars/directors or a large budget it would be unlikely if it was to be made that Miramax would produce it due to its high status and close links to America. However there are occasions of which Miramax has distributed low-budget ‘unknown’ films such as Garden State (2004) written and directed by the upcoming Zack Braff. This is more than likely due to its high praise at film festivals and its awards at the Sundance Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival and US Comedy Arts Festival. 

In relation to Garden Sate its initial release in the US was 16 January 2004 which is outside of the summer holiday blockbuster season that occurs between June-August, because it was a relatively low budget film there would be no competition with the Hollywood blockbusters of that year. This is a technique we would again use for our film since ours is a low budget film but we would also incorporate weather into our release date since November – December is obviously blighted by cold weather and in some cases snow and ice why would deter people from coming to see the film if they can’t even get to the cinema. In contrast to this we would also take into account that between April-June (just before the blockbuster season) it is usually good weather where people won’t want to go to cinema inside if they could be sat outside in the sun. So therefore we will hopefully release our film between January – March. 

Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. Although it is more responsible for television series it does also produce films. Bad Robot was originally part of Touchstone Television, but has moved with J. J. Abrams to Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Television, after his contract with Touchstone had expired in 2006. A lot of television programmes that they produce such as Lost, Alcatraz and Fringe are mostly Sci-Fi’s but they also have thriller/crime/action elements involved in them. 

Bad Robot Productions have co-produced many successful films such as Cloverfield, Mission Impossible III, Star Trek and Super 8. This would therefore give our film a certain gravitas to our relatively low budget film. 

The semiotics for this production logo suggests an unknown and uncertain outcome with the dark clouds covering the yellow sky. The dark grass also connotes an air of evil spreading across the land, which contracts the typical view of green grass which suggests hope and prosper. The robot itself looks small and dominated by the looming evil, the robot’s eyes look sad and pleading, not too dissimilar to the wife who gets kidnapped in the film. The font style is uneven and spiky which suggests an air of uncertainty and the capitalization makes a statement to the audience. 

Although it is perhaps unlikely that Bad Robot Productions would produce our films due to the fact that it a low budget film, however it is not impossible. In accordance to similar films we may also look at other production companies such as CinemaNX who have also produced low budget thrillers such as The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009). CinemaNX has, since its launch in 2007, swiftly established itself as one of the UK’s leading film financing and production groups. The CinemaNX logo is again very similar to the Miramax logo since it's format and colour scheme are the same to represent the binary opposition (Claude Levi-Strauss) of good versus evil.

Again another production company who has produced films such as the one we have made is Rollercoaster Films who have produced one film, the highly popular Eden Lake (2008). Although it has only produced one film, that film was highly successful making $3,983,997 in the worldwide lifetime gross. Similarly to the Miramax and CinemaNX logo, the Rollercoaster Films production logo uses the binary opposite black and white however what adds interest to this particular logo is the use of film reels in place of the letter 'o' which are then connected by a film reel. Therefore reinforcing the semiotic of it being a film producer. There is also diversity in the position of the text in the logo in that the word 'films' is placed on its side so therefore adding interest to the typical black and white fixed position.

Our film is obviously not going to be able to compete with the big conglomerate Hollywood productions and therefore we will start small scale with a premiere at the Picture House in Manchester then try and get into film festivals in order to gain recognition. We will initially start with a British audience rather than an American one, although the genre and idea is very much a typically American film it will be best to start with a British audience. This will be demonstrated by the fact that we won’t use the typical green title that says “The following preview has been approved for all audiences by the Motion Picture Association of America Inc.” therefore suggesting that it is not going to be shown to American audiences.

Driving Shots

Drive-by Shooting: Using Your Car to Make Better Videos from Vimeo Video School on Vimeo.

Script for 'Procure'

INT. DAWN TOM’S BEDROOM (SHOT ONE)

TOM can be seen sleeping in his bed.

     CUT TO.

EXT. DAY OUTSIDE STREET (SHOT TWO)

TOM and JESS are seen unloading boxes whilst smiling at the camera.

TOM

I, TOM, take you JESS, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

Then camera is then turned to reveal JACK who is also smiling into the camera.

CUT TO.

EXT. DAY EXTERIOR HOUSE (SHOT THREE)

TOM and JESS are stood together with TOM’S arm around JESS as they laugh and smile at the camera.

CUT TO.

INT. DAWN TOM’S BEDROOM (SHOT FOUR)

TOM’S hand can be seen reaching over and pressing snooze on the alarm clock.

CUT TO.

INT. DAY TOM’S HOUSE (SHOT FIVE)

TOM and JESS are seen decorating the hall and playing with paint, putting their dirty hands over each other.

JESS

I, JESS, take you TOM, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

CUT TO.

INT. DAWN TOM’S BEDROOM (SHOT SIX)

TOM’S hand can be seen again reaching over and pressing the alarm off.

CUT TO.

INT. DAY TOM’S BATHROOM (SHOT SEVEN)

The shower can be seen turning on.

CUT TO.

INT. DAY TOM’S SHOWER (SHOT EIGHT)

TOM’S head is seen hung in the shower as the water drips over him, he looks very depressed/upset.

A dial tone can be heard.

OPERATOR

                    999, what’s your emergency?

TOM

                    Police please, it’s my wife, she’s                         been taken.

CUT TO.

INT. NIGHT JACK’S CAR (SHOT NINE)

JACK and JESS can be seen looking at each other in the car.

CUT TO.

INT. NIGHT JACK’S CAR (SHOT TEN)

JACK (inaudible)

                         I’m so sorry.

CUT TO.

INT. NIGHT JACK’S CAR (SHOT ELEVEN)

JESS looked horrified as the car door opens.

CUT TO.

EXT. NIGHT JACK’S CAR ON ROAD (SHOT TWELVE)

JESS is pulled from the car by her stomach as he lifts her into the air away from the car, by a man in a hoodie.

JESS screams and struggles.

CUT TO.

INT. DAY TOM’S SHOWER (SHOT THIRTEEN)

TOM’S hand can be seen reaching for a towel off the rail.

     CUT TO.

EXT. NIGHT OUTSIDE STREET (SHOT FOURTEEN)

TOM can be seen with his back to the camera and as the camera approaches his head turns to the right to look behind him at the camera.

CUT TO.

INT. DAWN TOM’S BEDROOM (SHOT FIFTEEN)

TOM is looking down into the drawers with a serious expression on his face as his rummages through the drawer.

TOM

                       If you’re not going to do                                      anything about it,

CUT TO.

INT. DAWN TOM’S BEDROOM (SHOT SIXTEEN)

TOM is seen pushing a tie up.

TOM (cont.)

then I will.

CUT TO.

INT. EVENING DARK ROOM (SHOT SEVENTEEN)

JACK’s hands can be seen unravelling duct tape whilst walking.

CUT TO.

INT. EVENING DARK ROOM (SHOT EIGHTEEN)

JESS'S hands can be seen tied to a chair with the kidnapper in the background but out of focus.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. NIGHT STREET (SHOT NINETEEN)

TOM can be seen running through the street with a very serious/determined look on his face.

                         TOM
               I don't know what you think you're                        playing at.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. NIGHT STREET (SHOT TWENTY)

The camera pans to TOM who is pressed up against the wall lurking around the corner with a gun held close to his chest.

                         JACK (cont.)
               Me? I'm not playing at anything.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. NIGHT STREET (SHOT TWENTY ONE)

A gun can be seen with a very busy street in the background.

                                                          CUT TO.

                         FADE TO BLACK.

EXT. NIGHT STREET (SHOT TWENTY TWO)

TOM’S hand is holding a gun.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. NIGHT STREET (SHOT TWENTY THREE)

TOM’S hand is still holding the gun whilst the hammer goes back.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. NIGHT TOM’S CAR (SHOT TWENRY FOUR)

JESS can be seen through the car wing mirror running away in fear of TOM in the car.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. EVENING DARK ROOM (SHOT TWENTY FIVE)

JACK strikes a match and brings it towards his face in a very dark room, as he stares at the match intently.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. EVENING TOM’S BATHROOM (SHOT TWENTY SIX)

TOM is submerged under water in a bathtub holding his breath as he looks directly into the camera.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. EVENING JACK’S CAR (SHOT TWENTY SEVEN)

JACK is driving the car looking out onto the road with an angry expression on his face.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. EVENING JACK’S CAR (SHOT TWENTY EIGHT)

TOM is already tied up and is switching his focus from the road to JACK and then down towards the car door.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. EVENING JACK’S CAR (SHOT TWENTY NINE)

TOM’S hand can be seen rooting for the door handle as he pulls it open hard.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. EVENING STREET (SHOT THRITY)

The passenger door opens and TOM can be seen rolling out of the car from a side on angle.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. EVENING STREET (SHOT THIRTY ONE)

JACK’S car can be seen driving by as TOM rolls out of it on the other side.

                                                          CUT TO.

EXT. EVENING STREET (SHOT THIRTY TWO)

JESS is seen looking distressed, as she looks left across the road.

                                                          CUT TO.

INT. TOM’S CAR (SHOT THIRTY THREE)

The camera doesn’t show TOM driving towards JESS at high speed. JESS is still looking left at this point.

     CUT TO.

EXT. EVENING STREET (SHOT THIRTY FOUR)

JESS then turns right and notices the car approaching at speed and her face shows a panicked expression.

     CUT TO.

INT. TOM’S CAR (SHOT THIRTY FIVE)

TOM is still driving towards JESS with speed. JESS is now looking directly at the car in fear.

     CUT TO.

EXT. EVENING STREET (SHOT THIRTY SIX)

TOM’S car then collides with JESS at speed.

     CUT TO.

INT. EVENING TOM’S CAR (SHOT THIRTY SEVEN)

JESS’S body can be seen rolling onto the windscreen and then off onto the body from the perspective of TOM.

FADE TO BLACK.

'Procure' The Film

The ultimate idea of the trailer is that it starts with a man waking up and preparing for what the audience presumes is a normal day. However as it progresses each significant event of his morning i.e. as he switches his alarm clock off it will lead to shots from a scene that will happen later on in his day. For example, the closing of his front door could lead to the gun being shot in the later scene.

The genre of the film is thriller/action, thus we will include the conventional genre elements of creating suspense, creating enigmas, fast paced jump cuts, chiaroscuro lighting and strong conventional Propp character types. The focus of the trailer is to create enigmas for the audience in order to hook them in, although it is a thriller so therefore there will be dramatic qualities to the film in the trailer we hope to make it more action based since it’s only a teaser trailer.  

The main focal marketing point for our trailer is its genre stereotypical set up, in that although it’s not a brand new idea it’s still a well-developed classic that conforms to well established conventions. However, due to the seemingly stereotypical narrative film it will therefore shock audiences through its twists and turns of which they would not have guessed from the trailer. What will also be a selling point for our film will be the fact that Hassan Khan (a highly credited director) is directing the film, therefore attracting fans of him and his films will want to come and see it. We would hope that it will be shown in all major cinemas such as Odeon and Vue due to its wide audience appeal. 

                                               

Our main target audience for our trailer is mostly male teen audience due to the heavily populated action shots which are usually associated with a male demographic. They will probably be aged 15-45 (as our film would probably get a 15 rating) and will be the typical mainstream cinema goer who shops in the mainstream shops such as Topman etc but with the plot being rather developed and deep the older demographic would be more attracted by that. However this won’t be an all-male target audience, although the trailer itself will be mainly male orientated, the film will have dramatic elements to it making it more appealing to a female audience who are more interested in the relationships and developing plot line of the story. And therefore our target female demographic will mostly be between 20-40 due to its more advanced plot line and since the film is not entirely action based.