Post Production Work.

After our thriller we began the editing proccess using  the Final Cut Pro editing software. We firstly had to 'check out' our work from the Final Cut Server and sent it to our desktop. Once this was done we opened Final Cut Pro and opened the file named 'rushes' which contained all of the video clips that we had filmed over our shooting day. We then created a new folder call 'Log bin' and watched all of the clips from the rushes folder and moved ones which could be used in the final opening sequance. Once we had selected the shots that we wanted we started the editing by dragging a wide shot of the scene down onto the final cut timeline in which we could cut the shot up and use the segments of the clip that we wanted to be in a wide shot. We continued to drop shots onto the timeline until we had a rough draft of our opening sequance. One of the ways in which we made our opening sequance flow and seem fluid was once the dialogue started we kept the same audio clip running throughout the sequance and placed other audio clips on top of it. We then cut back to the person speaking in order to show that it remains as diagetic sound. It Also reminded the audience that the character speaking was an important one in this scene. Quite often we cut to a close up  of the criminals face when a question was asked in order to draw significance to him and to show that he has no enthapy with the other characters in this scene. We then later decided to add a Radio Broadcast at the start of the sequance in order to give the main character (the criminal) a larger back story without a really long prision sentence being read out.

(This is a snapshot of the final cut time line and the editng windows)

 In order to join the prision scene to the pub scene was we waited until the 'bag' was pulled down over the criminals head and added a fade transition so that the screen was black then we started the pub scene with someone walking away from the camera joining the to clips together. Once we had our sequance on the timeline we started to add credits over the top of the sequance listing key crew and 'Characters' or actors. We then used Sound Cut Pro which is a sound editing software to add sounds such as electrical sounds of generators and electric shocks. We also added a 'Busy Room' sound effects in order to give the pub more of an athmosphere.

Once this was done we Decided to add a title card of the word 'resurgence' and the way in which we did this was to create the word itself in Photoshop and then cut letter out and rotated them and slighty changed the size of the R so that it was larger than the rest of the text. We also selected the font. Once this was done we moved this into after effects and started off by creating a set of layers and blured the bottom layer and then then added the effect of a bad TV effect in order to make it look more like an electric current. We then added a lighting effect to the background and then we imported it into final cut and played an audio clip of an electic current over it to enhance the electric feel to the title.

We then added a radio broadcast in order to give the sequance a more realistic feel. It also allowed us to give a larger back story to the sequance without having a long detailed section of dialogue during the prison sequance which would seem

We chose vertigo a our distributor as it a small english distributor which would be more likly to take a film like ours.

This is a screen shot of the title cards at the start of our sequance. This is a name of a production company that we though of ourselfs named 'Blue Print Productons'

This is the shot that we opened with as it allowed the audience to get an understanding of where this scene is taking place, and an idea of the setting.

This is a close shot of 'Randell Merrit' this shot was used to show that he has no regret or responces to anything said to him. It also draws significance to him and tells the audience that he is an important character.

This is a shot that we used to show the govener when he was speaking. It once again shows the audience that he is significant but it also gives the audience a feel for the time period due to the way he is dressed.

Audience and Institutions.

The Audience that we targeted would most likely be an audience whom has a previous intrest in 1950 style prision films such as The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption.

These style of film appeal to an audience whom have some intrest in the history of the time but possibly in our case the electric chair which was first used in 1924 and last used in 1976. The electric chair has become a symbol of execution in america and around the world due to its large publisity in the media.

As our film would be quite a low budget and we would not have any large budget Hollywood style actors. This in tern would lead to us not using a large scale production company such as Warner. We would be more likely to use a smaller scale British company such as Vertigo which produces more low budget style films like the Business.

http://www.youtube.com/user/VertigoFilmsUK?blend=2&ob=1 This is a link to a film by Vertigo of a similar genre.

Film Day

On the 14th of January we started our filming of our thriller. We entered the studio in the morning and had to build a prison set which consisted of three flats laid at 90 degrees to each other in order to create a basic room set. We then laid a brick Patten over the flats and added some depth by painting parts. Then we laid wooden boards over the floor in order to create an old fashioned wooden flooring design. We then placed an electric chair which we acquired from the school drama department and added wires to the back panel in order to make it seem like it was wired up to a source of electricity. We then added a table in the corner of the room and placed a black drape over it and placed on it a metal bucket a sponge and a black hood to be placed over the head of the prisoner. The only way in which this set differed from our storyboard idea was that we did not have a switch /lever on one of the walls. (For performing the execution.) The main reason why we chose to film in the studio for this scene was that we would not have been to use a real location to shoot as the electric chair is no longer a method of execution and we could not have traveled to America in a day and most likely would not have been allowed to film in a prison.

In the afternoon we went to one of the local bars/restaurants in order to shoot the second sequence in which it is revealed that the murderer who was executed may have survived and may be about to repeat the actions that he was executed for. The reason why we chose to shoot on location in this scene was in order to get a larger sense of authenticity as it would have been time consuming and expensive to build a successful set for this scene.

We started of the filming by setting up a wide shot of the set so that we would have a base shot for when we started to edit after we had completed filming. We then ran several rehearsals so that all of the actors new where to stand so that they were fully in shot, and so that we could get the dialogue correct and they all knew what they had to do in terms of actions. 

We then began to start the close ups of all of the main roles and key items in the scene. We started this of by shooting a mid-close up of ‘Randall’ so that his shoulders and head were in shot. We then tracked in even further so that his face filled the entire shot. We then shot medium close ups of one of the guards, the governor, and the priest.

We then went on to film significant objects or actions in the scene these were; the governor removing this hat and signaling to the priest. The priest’s bible and one of the guards rising out the sponge. The reason why we shot the specific actions and objects was to draw attention and significance to them.

The last shot which we filmed in the first part of our opening sequence was a tracking shot using a spider dolly and two sets of rubber tracking. We then tracked slowly into the criminals face using a focus pull in order to keep his face in order to keep it in focus through out.

The only shot we had left to shot was the tracking shot in the restaurant. This was a tracking shot with a pan over the shoulder of a girl approaching the bar. This however posed some problems due to the floor being uneven and this made it more difficult to keep the tracking shot steady and it required us to do many shots in order to get a shot which we could actually use.

The casting we used for this opening sequence was mainly staff and students from the school. For the governor we used a member of staff as he was more of an appropriate age for a prison governor to be. The priest, guards, convict, and girls in the bar were all students. The student that we used for the convict that was chosen due to how he had a Southern American looks mainly though hair style. We then chose other cast members due to how mature they looked and whether they would be to pass as young adults ( early 20’s)

The costumes and props that we had to get in the first scene in our opening sequence was an electric and old fashioned prisoner costume which mainly consisted of denim trousers and jacket striped t-shirt and the actor was to wear no socks or shoes. We then had to get two 1950’s style prison guard outfits which we borrowed instead of purchasing due to their expense. We then obtained a swayed suit and Texas style hat and tie in order to portray a 1950 Texas governor. We then obtained an American style priest outfit and a bible to finish of the priest. In the second scene we only had to think about the outfits for two main roles the girl who approached the bar and Randall who was standing behind the bar.  The girl was dressed in smart casual clothing so was fairly easy to outfit. Randall was slightly harder to outfit we had him wearing jeans and in order to increase the authenticity we obtained a shirt from the bar that we used to shoot.

With lighting in the first scene we used standing studio lights focused towards the eclectic chair in order to draw focus towards it and make it the centre of attention in the scene. We however left them open enough to light the rest of the room. In the bar we used the lights room the lights and the natural light from the windows in order to create a naturalistic feel. In the way of sound a directional boom mic was used instead of the camera installed mic. This was so that we could film specific speeches and noises individually.

The role that I played in the first scene was to operate the boom mic and in the second scene I was responsible for the tracking shot across the bar, which due to its uneven flag stone floor which made the shot difficult to keep level.

Planning our thriller.

When we had secured our Idea for our thriller and drawn up a basic storyboard we had to begin planning how we were going to make our idea possible and this included planning the following.

Getting Locations:
We decided to shoot the prison scene of our thriller in the studio. However this gave us more things to find/make. An electric chair being the most important out of these. Filming the diner/restaurant scene however was proving to be more difficult to plan and after deciding among the group that building a diner would take up to much time as we only had one day to film and would not have enough time. So this meant that we had to find an actual location which would permit us to film for an afternoon in their establishment. And after getting turned down from many places we contacted the William Bray in Shere who said that they will be willing to allow us to film in their restaurant for an afternoon. So we now had our locations but still had much more to plan.

Shooting Script:

Scene 1

1)      Interior camera place- eye level angle to man (victim) sitting in the electrocution chair.

2)      Use a tripod- most usefully and steady apparatus, also need it on tracks for when were tracking into the mans eyes.

3)      Cameras subject- the character of the main part- the man in the electric chair.

4)      Aspects of Mise en Scene-

5)       Setting- scene 1 stone wall in studio and the electric chair as a focal point in the middle of the studio.

6)      Costume- priest, governor, guards, man.

7)      Lighting- low dim lights surrounding room one brighter spotlight on electric chair.

8)      Props- electric chair, bible, governor’s letters.

9)      Shot type- establishing shot, tracking slowly in; close up, extreme close ups of people actions and objects to draw attention and significance to them.

Scene 2

1)      Interior camera place- three points lighting on floor- key, back and fall positions. Backlighting to light back of bar, customers.

2)      Mid shot angle- use a tripod, also when opening into second scene tracking out to visualize man and location/surroundings.

3)      The cameras subject- man in Bar, new surrounding, new time period.

4)      Aspects of Mise en scene-

5)      Setting- brick wall, American style posters, bar, stools, table.

6)      Costume- man in bar tending/casual, everyday clothes. Customers-same casual clothing.

7)      Lighting- three point lighting on floor, well lit, bright open room- daytime. Key, film and back,

8)      Props- bar chairs, coasters, glasses, posters, duke box.

9)      Shot type- tracking out slowly, close up, wide shot

Script:

INT

Medium shot tracking in at a very slow speed. The room is a  1930’s American electric chair execution room. The walls are made of breeze blocks. An electric chair is in the centre of the room. The room is lit poorly. The characters present are the executioner, the governor and a priest.

(You can hear the sounds of chains clanging around Darius hands and feet. Darius escorted by two security guards on each side. The guards then strap him into the chair. As soon as Darius is sat in the chair he immediately looks straight forward into the camera.)

Governor

Randall Merritt you have been charged with several counts of murder. You have been sentenced to capital punishment by the State of Texas. Do you have a final statement to make before the sentence of the court is carried out?

(Randall remain completely quite and does not react in any way other than starring straight ahead, the camera is still slowly tracking in)

Governor

There is a priest present; do you wish to you’re receive last rites?

(Randall does not react)

Governor

Very well then.

(A mask is pulled over Randall’s head.)

INT

(Cut to a diner using a graphic match between the mask and some ones shoulder who is walking by.)                                                                                                        

(The camera again begins to track out from Randall’s eyes. To establish surroundings of the bar to show a group of teenagers who he is looking at.)

Props:

Convict- denim jacket trousers, striped shirt.

Priest- priest style suit with white collar, bible

Guards- 1930’s style police uniforms.

Governor- light colored suit. Texas neck tie, ‘cowboy’ style hat.

Bar outfit-shirt used by employees of the bar jeans

Electric chair

We also had a lighting plan in which we decided to light the electric chair slightly brighter than the rest of the room in order to draw the audiences attention towards it. We did however have the rest of the room visible to give a sence of realisum.

Story boarding our thriller.

In order to obtain a basic idea of how we wanted to shoot our thriller we drew up several basic storyboards depicting the important shots that we wanted to use when filming and it gave us a strong basis with which to build around in order to shoot our thriller.

Set Sketches.

This is a basic sketch of the Prison set that we can up with in order to give us an idea of what we wanted our film to look like and gave us something to refrence back to when we came to building our set.



This second sketch was done when we came to decide that the second location in our sequance would be a bar/pub and so we drew a basic layout of what the bar was going to look like. However when we came closer to the time we changed our mind and filmed on location instead of building the set.

Primary Thriller Ideas.

We started by looking at a list of typical thriller conventions such as:
darkness
woods
suspence
knifes
guns
murder
death
monsters
shadows
execution
resurection
mystery
blood
violence.
small spaces
being trapped

Eventually we arrived on the idea of a man by the name of randal merrit who is charged with multiple counts of murder and is given the death sentence by the state of texas and is executed. Then there is a cut to him alive but visibly in a later time and in a public place watching a group of teenanges and not only are the audience wondering whether or not it is the same person and if so how has he arrived in this location and time period. But it also becomes evident that if this is the man who was executed he may be about to repeat the crimes that he previously comitted. The reason why we picked this was due to the fact that we did not want to do the typical thriller/horror template so decided to go with more of a thriller/mystery idea in the way in which the audience watching the opening sequance of this film will be made to think as to whether this is the same man who they just watched be exectuted, and whether or not he will strike again.