Audience Research

Audience Research from Tom Dart on Vimeo.

Film Music

I got an email back from Dan O (the person i am getting the music from)

Hi Tom,
Yes you sure can use the song Love Letters! Putting a link to my site in the credits is great.
Thanks and all the best with your studies.
Dano

now i have some awesome music to go with my opening (which i am still editing)

Soundtracks

One of the very fundamental elements when creating a film is the arrangement of the film music. Most people probably think of the original film score when referring to a film’s musical components. But for many low-budget, independent or semi-independent projects, epic film scores are not the most advantageous choice. Often, the pre-produced songs used in film music, or popularly referred to as the film’s soundtrack, are overshadowed. Their artistic weight and contribution to the film are overlooked and not fully appreciated simply because critics sometimes view them as a “short-cut” to creating a film’s music or consider them as just entertainment. If utilized properly, popular music used from a different previous context can bring the same amount of artistic and practical worth as originally composed scores. Soundtracks are usually used by a filmmaker diegetically, coming from inside the film’s narrative. But when used in a non-diegetic form, replacing or co-existing with a film’s score, a film’s song soundtrack can sometimes create a stronger relationship with the viewer as well as the onscreen action.  Each of the musical pieces chosen by any film maker and their music editors help to define the film, commentate on the narrative of the film, and ultimately influence the emotional tone of the scene. Few films have ever been created that has an instantly recognisable tune, or sound in them. Jaws' dum-dum-dum-dum-dum is one of the few that is instantly recognisable. 
Soundtracks have been used since the start of moving pictures. to start with, there would be a live orchestra playing the music to the images on screen. when microphones were made, and it was possible to record the sound, then there was no need for live music, and so the sound in films were born. now actors could make films with talking in- as opposed to the old Charlie Chaplin silent comedies. Ever since the actors were being able to speak in films, film makers have put music over the top of parts, to express moods, evoke emotions and support the images playing on screen.
The sound that will be used in my opening will be slow and evoke strong emotions from the audience. I want the audience to really connect to the character on screen, and the characters emotions. The music will probably be quite slow, no words, ideally have it playing on the piano i think.

Update

At the weekend I went to Horsey beach and took some pictures for my production. These shots are just a few that i may include, Jon Wright (left) and Martin Lemon (right) were posing. They are supposed to look like they are on an oil rig, i will edit more sea and less sand!

 Re-doing my storyboards because my idea changed. i will take pictures of my old one to prove i have done it.

Having problems uploading my audience research, working on it now.

Re-Evaluation

With my opening to 'Exposed' I really want to play with narrative a little more. I like the fact that the opening starts in the middle of the story, but i was thinking of having Julia looking at a picture and then she closes her eyes and flashes back to the memory. Then she closes her eyes and imagines her husband dying. She then flashes back to the day when she found out about her husbands death. i think that this will intrigue the audience more than just it being set in one time. I will stick with the oil rig burning on the TV but i will get someone to speak over it like a news reader.  After having trouble with filming with william, i think i will change the final shot of the opening to a letter falling to the floor. connotating the end of the memory.

I had william (young jason) over and we filmed a little bit, hopefully it should be enough for what is needed.

Had some trouble with the takes, he refused to do any more filming after 2 takes so hopefully with editing it will be fine.

Changes

Right guys i have decided to change my opening. it will play with narrative abit more, and will be really good if i can get it right. ok so the new idea:

Start off with Julia crying, looking at a fond memory (wedding or something)  and she closes her eyes, and in black and white she re-lives the memory. (i will get the actors to dress up in the same clothes ect). she opens her eyes to weep more, looks at another picture and closes her eyes, you see flames burning and you can hear a mans scream. this slowly faids and it comes up with "2 Years earlier". the alarm is going off. julia gets up and goes along with her usual routine. she picks up a letter and starts to read it, at that point the phone rings, she stares through the hall to where the phone is and she goes through and answers it, she drops the letter and runs through and turns on the TV where the images of tthe burning oil rig are being shown. she has to sit down as tears roll down her face. Jason opens the door and stands there. the sequence ends with the letter slowly landing on the floor.

Update

Ok so i am filming the section with my cousins son (Jason as a child) on sunday. It will probably take some time to get it right, but it is not a long part so it should be ok. As long as we get the child's part right, we can do the part without him another time, because i can edit it in.

An update with the pictures, i am struggling to get a sunny day, the weather forecast isnt looking good, i might have to go to the beach no matter what weather, and just take the pictures. They are vital for the opening, but it will have to be cloudy.

I am still looking for the video of the oil rig burning to have on the TV, it is hard because none of the school computers allow youtube, so the work has to be done at home. I will continue looking and when i have found the best one i will upload it.

My ideal actors

 so if i could have any actors i would have :

Jason: Russel Crow       

Jasons girlfriend : Amber Heard   

Mark: Hugh Laurie 


Julia: Judi Dench 

Bad guy: Heath Ledger




These would be my ideal actors in my film if i could have them.

Credits

I just remembered i had to put in some credits in, im not sure whether to have julia looking at a few pictures and have on the back some credits, or have them appear in the establishing shot.

The Script

Establishing Shot- Down a street, all the houses look the same. Camera moves to a house and to the front door/window (tbd).
Cuts to close up of a picture of Mike and friend on oil rig. Julia turns over the picture to see writing on the back.
Phone rings.
Julia picks up "Hello?"
She listens to the phone. "Yes"
"What's happened?" she covers mouth and sits down to stop herself from falling. she turns on the tv to see a news reader talking about an oil rig fire. you see it on fire and words scrolling along the bottom 'Massive explosion on oil rig, no bodies found'.
Julia has tears running down her face as she holds the phone to her ear still, she isnt saying anything, just has her hand covering her mouth and tears running down her face. she is breathless-shocked (MUST BE SHOWN).
(child) Jason walks in and looks at his mum crying. camera zooms in on eyes and ends in a bright white flash.

Planning

Sat 5th March: Location scouting, pictures upload after.
Sunday 6th March: Send Script to actors, set a final filming date.

Production Company

I have changed my mind, i am not sure what the final name will be, i like the name "black jack ltd", but i thought about the card idea and i really liked it, i want some cards being dealt out, and someone picks them up and lays them down face up, so you can see a jack of clubs and the ace of spades.

Production company

I think i will call my production company 'jumping jack productions'. its going to have a kangaroo bounce across the screen to the center and freeze with a white cactus in the background. it will be a black background and have the outline of the kangaroo in white.

I am still thinking of ideas, other ideas include:

• Something to do with darts ( Dartboard productions?) have the animnation following a dart and sticking in the dart board?
• Card trick ltd. animation just have some cards being delt and then flipped to see a good hand, eg 4 Aces or a run.
• Another card idea (straight flush productions) have cards being delt and they flip and you see a straight flush.