For the first part of the week, me and my group went out to film all scenes for our advertisement which will be edited and handed in next week. The filming process ran very smoothly with only minor set backs as a result of actors being late to the shoot. Everyone in the group had a go at filming with only one of us having to act during a few shots. Both actors got on very well with our group and seemed to understand what the director wanted for a shoot and didn’t mind repeating a certian board trick or movement if we had to reshoot anything which did happen. This was partly to do with the lens’s being used as one had a fixed focal length but was very sharp in qaulity and the other was a very wide angle lens so we had to keep swithing them out to get the best result in a shoot. This would’ve saved time if we had used two cameras that had each of the lens’s on them at all times. We had also rented out a Go-Pro Hero 4 for some of our low angle fast moving shots but unfortionatly we couldn’t do this as we forgot to get a micro-SD card to store the footage on. Instead we used the Canon 60D and a caddie cam to keep the shot steady being held by a member of the group and I had to run and push them to keep up with the actress on the skateboard infront. This was alot of fun but also exhausting as we had to repeat this four or five times but the footage looked really nice so I was pleased.
On Wednesday, we continued on with Unit 3 Professional Practice and in pairs we presented our chosen job roles to the class. Both me and my partner were given the job role Assistant Location Manager and we had researched and created a powerpoint. I felt more confident this time when talking in front of eceryone and made more eye contact. I managed to compress the information from the screen instead of just reading it word for word. My tutour Chris did notify me that I could be abit louder when I speak so that everyone can hear what i’m saying but overall I feel it went very well and that i’m improving on my presentation skills.
Because of the recent delay for filming our advert, for the past week we have been focusing on Unit 3 Professional Practice, looking into the different ways of getting into the film industry. The three main ways being University and taking a degree there, work experience within the industry or a traineeship at the BBC or ITV for example. Each have good points and bad points but it really depends on the individual and what they want to achieve.
Personally, I would like to study a degree in film at a university as I would probably enjoy this the most as they are very practical. A few universities I have taken interest in are Plymouth College of Arts which a do a full three year degeree in film at the college, Falmouth university who do a very similart course on there campus in Penryth or here at South Devon College where they have a two year foundation degree in Film & Photography. Most likely, I will either choose Plymouth or South Devon College as Falmouth is too far for me at the moment and I wouldn’t feel ready to leave home yet. Being passionate in both film and photography, the foundation degree at the college would be ideal as it’s closer to my home so I wouldn’t have to travel very far and it incorporates both of my interests. I imagine the modules on this degree are also very partical which is good so I may go to an open evening at some point to talk to the tutor in the future. However, I may be more interested in going to Plymouth in the future so I could visit their college at some point aswell as Falmouth University.
Another option I would be interested in is the BBC training scheme in London because I would get to work on major productions within the BBC, meet other passionate film makers and gain experinece within the industry during the eleven months of being there. The BBC also pay their trainee’s £20,800 on a fixed contract and pay for all transport and accomodations. On top of this, the BBC give you a work placement in a seperate base such as BBC Birmingham where the channel BBC 3 will soon be based at. Though this would be a great option to concider in the future, I don’t think i would want to move to London just yet.
At the moment I feel University is the best option for me becasue it’s close to where I live and it’s a topic that I have always been interested in. If I decide against this idea in the future, that’s fine because I have alot of time to decide what exactly I want to do as a career.
During the past week, I have completed all pre-production paperwork for my invidual idea, as well as the pre-prodcution work I was set to complete for our group project which was chosen on Tuesday. I felt my individul pitch went very well and I could tell the otherts in my group who I pitched the idea to understood the idea clearly and could see the exact style I was going for. Though I felt disapointed that my idea wasn’t chosen becuase I would’ve liked to have seen the final outcome and develop the idea further, but I knew it may have been a little too ambitious for the time frame that we have to complete the unit. However, I still feel this is a good concept to use in future projects later in the year and even Chris and Kelly (Tutors) both seemed impressed with the idea itself aswell as the pitch which gave me alot of confidence in my work.
After all members of the group had pitched their ideas, we voted for the best and easist one to make and based on how well presented the pitch was and how interested I was in the idea, I voted for Alla’s ‘Sick’ Skateboards idea becasue I liked the idea of it being more of a concpet advert showing off the product rather than making it a narrative. The pitch was also very clear and precise and icluded both a treatment and storyboard for the advert.
Once all of the groups had chosen their idea, we then had to pitch them as a group to the rest of the class and then vote for the best. I personally really liked the Nike SB idea delivered by Brandon’s group because it was well presented and I liked the comedy aspect of the advert which would give the product a good reputation.
In proffessional practice, Chris went through different job roles within the film industry and the working patterns of them. I’m finding this unit very useful as I am considering taking a career path into the film industry after doing a degree in Film. I now understand the difference between freelance film making and full time employment as an example and I relaise there are a number of ways to get into the industry which is really handy to know.
This week i did research on my chosen product (Nikon D3200) and my target audience for when i plan the advert itself. Despite the workload and strict deadlines, I feel confident in my work and feel that it consists of a high enough standard required. On Wednesday, I began coming up with ideas for my advertisement, which at first I struggled with but was inspired by some pictures on Google which were of light art photography.
From this, I’ve come up with an idea which is to make a 30 second animation using light art photography, with interesting images and a narration over the whole video explaining the importance of light and how it’s the essence of everything we do. I think my concept is very unique so I hope others on the course will find it as interesting as I do when i deliver my pitch after half term.
These first seven weeks of the course have given me a good insight into how the rest of the year will be layed out and what is expected of me from a work point of view. Though the coursework has proven alot more demanding than I expected, I feel i’ll be able to manage future assignments better, based on mistakes i’ve already made e.g: time management or self evaluation. For example, I need to complete coursework earlier rather than leaving it until a few days before the deadline, which will improve my work quality and probably relief a lot of stress.
I have made some good friendships with others in the group aswell as with existing friends from Level 2 media last year. I can tell everyone is very creative and skilled in this area of the industry and look forward to working with them on future projects.
We’ve started our next unit in college now which is advertising. The product I have decided to promote in my campaign is the Nikon D3200 camera which is an entry-level DSLR and would appeal to Photographers or people wanting to start taking pictures at a professional standard. I have chosen this product because I personally own this camera and know a lot about its different features. I often use this camera for photo shoots with friends or general purposes like family get-togethers.
For the past week, we have mostly been focusing on completing our research plans that were handed in on Wednesday. I found this task to be very useful as I now understand the differences between primary and secondary research as well as quantitative and qualitative research and how I will use them when researching my product and my target audience.
This will be useful when I come to research my product because it will allow me to gather the most relevant information like questionnaires, interviews and product sales.
In college this week, we finally completed our filmic remake unit.
On Monday me and my group met in Paignton to film all day at the Factory American diner on Torbay road which went very well as there were no major set backs in terms of actor changes or problems with equipment. Although the rest of my group went straight to Paignton, I had to go to college before meeting them to pick up the costumes & audio equipment which Made me rather stressed as it was a lot to carry & would have preferred if at least one other member of the group had assisted me with this.
On Tuesday, Matt began to edit the footage from the Factory diner on Monday whilst the rest of us did some reshoots in college. Once we finshed filming, Matt and Reece edited the scene whilst me and Ryan worked on the presentation about Trainspotting, Danny Boyle and the process of making our scene. After college, I worked on editing the scene at home as some of the audio was still out of sync with the video and exported it as a quicktime file. I also made a few changes to our presentation and rehearsed through it a few times.
In college on Wednesday morning we decided which parts of the powerpoint we would say and rehearsed through it together. When it came to presenting our idea felt it went very well. We all managed to translate the information on screen to our audience so that we weren’t just reading it word for word. Personally I felt cofident in what I was saying and rarely stuttered or became panicky. However, I feel as if I didn’t give enough eye contact to our audience which I know is important in this area of film so I will work on this for the future.
This week, our group was able to reshoot some shots from the Traisnpotting scene. However, due to a complaint by a member of staff, we are unable to use most of this footage. Apart from this minor set back, the week has been very productive. I particularly enjoyed Tuesday’s lesson with Jon as we had to pitch an idea for a product which other groups had given, resulting in some very humorous ideas from all four of the groups. Although I initially felt nervous about presenting in front of everyone, I soon overcame this and was able to successfully present our idea with confidence. This should help in future if I have to present and idea again as I in know sharing ideas and thoughts to others is a big part of the film industry. I have found the unpredictability of the course rather stressful at times, meaning that I had to go to the Lodge for a few minutes during lesson on Wednesday, but I was able to return class and continue with my work afterwards.
The scene I will be analysing is from the 2016 movie Rogue One a Star Wars story directed by Gareth Edwards. In this scene, main antagonist Director Orson Krennic, is summoned to meet with Darth Vader in his castle on the lava world of Mustafar. In this scene, the audience is introduced to Vader for the first time, making it a very memorable moment of the movie. By this point, the movie is about half way through so main plot points have already been established, also allowing a break between two action set pieces, both at the end of the second and third acts.
The scene begins with a long shot of a hooded man walking towards a large grey door which then cuts to show another door opening in front of him revealing a large chamber with a tank of luminous grey liquid in the centre. Two red imperial royal guards stand either side of the tank, suggesting they are protecting someone of importance to the Empire. The hooded man then kneels in front of the tank and says that “Director Krennic has arrived”. The fact that he kneels and refers to the person inside the tank as “my Lord” suggests that he is a servant. We see the man’s face for a moment showing that he is rather old and has probably shown loyalty to his master for many years. Cutting back to the tank, we see a more detailed look at whoever is inside. The person appears to have no limbs and is simply floating in the tank and their burns and scars on their body suggests they are healing from injuries. This refers to the two royal guards protecting this man, as he is clearly vulnerable in this position.
The liquid in the tank begins to drain away revealing more of the man’s wounds but not showing the face as this would go against the characteristics of Vader and that no-one really knows what he looks like. We then cut to Krennic, who is standing in a large room with a pathway leading to the same large door. The room itself is very sinister looking, with only blacks and reds on the walls, making it feel very intimidating for whoever may be standing there. As the music builds, the door opens showing a very bright light with a dark mechanical shaped body in the centre. Cutting back to a long shot of Krennic, Vader’s shadow can be seen behind him, appearing much larger than Krennic, showing the size of Vader’s physical presence as well as his phycological effect on Krennic.
We then hear the classic John Williams Imperial March score which is more drawn out and slower than the original piece, creating more tension but also excitement for the character’s reveal after more than 15 years of being off cinema screens. In addition to this, Vader is surrounded by a thick mist creating a more dramatic look also meaning we don’t see his full appearance until the mist has faded. The two characters then converse about the newly built Death Star weapon and Vader’s reasons for summoning Krennic in the first place. The use of cinematography during this scene is very interesting, as it shows how much domination Vader has over Krennic. Every shot from Vader’s POV is always a low angle, looking down at Krennic whilst every shot from Krennic’s perspective is a high angle looking up at Vader. Whenever Vader gets closer to Krennic, the camera pulls in close to Krennic, meaning Vader takes up more of the frame. This adds to the intensity of the scene, as Krennic looks far more nervous as Vader gets closer to him. There are a few long shots in between the mid shots, showing the outside, hellish looking environment surrounding the castle walls.
The scene concludes with Krennic being force choked by Vader making him drop to the floor as he grasps for breath. The camera pull focuses from Krennic choking to Vader turning towards the camera only to release him. The final shot is a close-up of Krennic catching his breath whilst Vader walks awayMi
The scene I will be analysing is from the 2016 movie Rogue One a Star Wars story directed by Gareth Edwards. In this scene, main antagonist Director Orson Krennic, is summoned to meet with Darth Vader in his castle on the lava world of Mustafar. In this scene, the audience is introduced to Vader for the first time, making it a very memorable moment of the movie. By this point, the movie is about half way through so main plot points have already been established, also allowing a break between two action set pieces, both at the end of the second and third acts.
The scene begins with a long shot of a hooded man walking towards a large grey door which then cuts to show another door opening in front of him revealing a large chamber with a tank of luminous grey liquid in the centre. Two red imperial royal guards stand either side of the tank, suggesting they are protecting someone of importance to the Empire. The hooded man then kneels in front of the tank and says that “Director Krennic has arrived”. The fact that he kneels and refers to the person inside the tank as “my Lord” suggests that he is a servant. We see the man’s face for a moment showing that he is rather old and has probably shown loyalty to his master for many years. Cutting back to the tank, we see a more detailed look at whoever is inside. The person appears to have no limbs and is simply floating in the tank and their burns and scars on their body suggests they are healing from injuries. This refers to the two royal guards protecting this man, as he is clearly vulnerable in this position.
The liquid in the tank begins to drain away revealing more of the man’s wounds but not showing the face as this would go against the characteristics of Vader and that no-one really knows what he looks like. We then cut to Krennic, who is standing in a large room with a pathway leading to the same large door. The room itself is very sinister looking, with only blacks and reds on the walls, making it feel very intimidating for whoever may be standing there. As the music builds, the door opens showing a very bright light with a dark mechanical shaped body in the centre. Cutting back to a long shot of Krennic, Vader’s shadow can be seen behind him, appearing much larger than Krennic, showing the size of Vader’s physical presence as well as his phycological effect on Krennic.
We then hear the classic John Williams Imperial March score which is more drawn out and slower than the original piece, creating more tension but also excitement for the character’s reveal after more than 15 years of being off cinema screens. In addition to this, Vader is surrounded by a thick mist creating a more dramatic look also meaning we don’t see his full appearance until the mist has faded. The two characters then converse about the newly built Death Star weapon and Vader’s reasons for summoning Krennic in the first place. The use of cinematography during this scene is very interesting, as it shows how much domination Vader has over Krennic. Every shot from Vader’s POV is always a low angle, looking down at Krennic whilst every shot from Krennic’s perspective is a high angle looking up at Vader. Whenever Vader gets closer to Krennic, the camera pulls in close to Krennic, meaning Vader takes up more of the frame. This adds to the intensity of the scene, as Krennic looks far more nervous as Vader gets closer to him. There are a few long shots in between the mid shots, showing the outside, hellish looking environment surrounding the castle walls.
The scene concludes with Krennic being force choked by Vader making him drop to the floor as he grasps for breath. The camera pull focuses from Krennic choking to Vader turning towards the camera only to release him. The final shot is a close-up of Krennic catching his breath whilst Vader walks away
Director
Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle, is a British film director, producer and screenwriter most commonly known for directing outstanding pictures such as Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 hours and Steve Jobs. Danny Boyle was born in Radcliffe, Lancashire on 20 October 1956 and was bought up in a working class Catholic family.
His career began in the Theatre industry when he directed “The Genius” by Howard Brenton and “Saved” by Edward Bond at the Royal Court Theatre in London. His role in theatre production continued into his later career in 2010 when he directed five productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including “The Children’s Monologues” starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Gemma Arterton and Eddie Redmayne on 14 November 2010.
Boyle’s love for film began with his first viewing of “Apocalypse now” (1979) Directed by Francis Coppola.
In an interview with Robert K. Elder, in the book The Film That Changed My Life, Boyle stated:
“It had eviscerated my brain, completely. I was an impressionable twenty-one-year-old guy from the sticks. My brain had not been fed and watered with great culture, you know, as art is meant to do. It had been sandblasted by the power of cinema. And that’s why cinema, despite everything we try to do, it remains a young man’s medium, really, in terms of audience.”
In 1994, Boyle made his film debut with Shallow Grave written by John Hodge and staring Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston and Ewan McGregor. The film was a big success in the UK, winning Boyle the 1995 BAFTA for best British film of 1995.
A year later, he released Trainspotting based on the Novel of the same name written by Irvine Welsh. The film stared Ewan McGregor, who previously worked with Boyle on Shallow Grave and also stared actors Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald.
Trainspotting was also an instant success, earning £4,703,433 in the UK on its opening weekend of 15 March 1996.
About Trainspotting
The main plot of the film focuses around a group of heroin addicts who the live in Edinburgh. Main character Mark Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, is trying to come off the drug and we’re shown how this affects his life and relationships with his close friends and family members.
Though the novel for Trainspotting was written by Irvine Welsh, the movie adaptation was written by screenwriter John Hodge who had previously written the screenplay for Boyle’s big screen debut Shallow Grave. Bothe have worked on many tittles since including the sequel to Trainspotting released early 2017, more than twenty years after the original movie.
Trainspotting was produced by film producer Christian Colson who is best known for working with Boyle on there 2008 picture Slumdog Millionaire which he received many awards for producing, including “Academy Award for Best Picture” and “BAFTA Award for Best Film”.
The films editor was Masahiro Hirakubo who also worked with Danny Boyle on following films such as The Beach in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Critically, Trainspotting is one of the greatest depictions of drug use in the 90’s claiming Danny Boyle and John Hodge to be some of the greatest visual storytellers which does show simply based on how popular the film still is with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.2/10 on IMDB.
Movie Critic Richard Corliss says:
The film is about joy — in conniving and surviving, in connecting with audiences, in its own fizzy, jizzy style. And that’s why, compared with it, most other films look zombified.
He’s suggesting that the film stands out very much, even within its own genre.
Scene analysis
In the scene, main character Renton is with his friend Spud preparing him for an interview whilst they share a milkshake at a diner. Renton knows Spud is not keen on the job in the leisure industry and can tell he is nervous about the interview so gives him some speed to take before. At the interview, Spud talks very quickly and often goes off topic, showing the three employers at a table aren’t impressed with Spuds attitude towards the industry.
Bibliography
• Wikipedia
• IMDB
• Rotten Tomatoes
• YouTube
Dominic Clark Photographer & Film maker 