Rough Cut Feedback

We had finished gathering all of the different shots that we wanted for our teaser trailer and put them in the right order so that we had a rough cut and people could start to see our idea. The idea of having a rough cut is to get feedback on the shots that we have already and then the feedback given can be taken into account and put into the final cut. This would let us know what people thought of our trailer so far and what they would like to see. Below are the suggestions and feedback given to us from others in our class:

1. Transitions- At this point we had not put a lot of transitions into our trailer and therefore there was not much continuity. We knew that we had to put more transitions between each of the shots to make it flow better and also look more professional. The group also pointed out that we must have transitions between almost every shot because we need to make it fast paced and look like a real teaser trailer.

2. Music- Music is a huge part of a trailer because it has to give off and create its own atmosphere. After not yet putting in the music that we had, it was very clear that it was missing. When the group was watching our feedback they noticed straight away that music was missing and without it, the trailer was very plain and boring.

3. Sound- There was one specific point in the rough cut teaser trailer that the sound needed changing significantly- the scene by houses of parliament where the two agents are talking. While we were actually shooting this scene we thought is was best to take it from three different angles. This worked really well for us because the shot and sound that we had originally had an excellent shot but poor sound. The feedback showed us that this had to be changed because if the sound quality. Therefore, when we are going to edit for our final cut, we need to take the sound from the other shots we took and make it in sync with the original shot.

These were the main parts of the feedback that needed changing desperately to make our teaser trailer have the right impact on the audience. We feel that the changes will work and will make our teaser trailer a high standard.

Intertextuality In our production

Intertextuality in media texts is where one media text borrows from another one, and may even borrow from various texts, and transforms those factors into one media text. This is a form of postmodernism. A very good example of this would be in recent years the 'spoof genre'. This takes characters, plots and conventions of existing films and creates something called pastiches ('Meet the spartans' 'epic movie' and 'scary movie' etc). Another good example is a recent music video called 'rude boy' by artist 'Rhianna' where it borrrows a retro theme also tied in with modern an other themes. Also s good example is the novel 'Frankenstien', the idea always seems to be substituted into another story, the prime example bieng 'Van Helsing'.

In our production, we have borrowed ideas from the Television series '24', which carries the spy theme and thriller, also the interrogation scene in the trailer is taken from many scenes in 24. Also we have borrowed from texts such as 'James bond' and the film 'Shooter' which carrie a action/mystery (conspiracy genre). I believe that borrowing from other texts in order to make our production intertextual which effectively makes it alot more proffesional and exciting.
Sam Morris

Intertextuality

Intertexuality is where a text will borrow, change and take ideas from a previously made text. There are many well known texts that you can see intertextualityin. A good example of this which can clearly be seen is in 'Spoof Moives' like 'Scary Movie' and 'Superhero Movie'. These films have taken ideas from other films and made it into their own recreated version with similar conventions, characters and storyline.

Our production has deveolped from last year's production- London's Finest. We did this because we wanted a more serious version of this. London's Finest however, was intertextual because it had many ideas taken from Johnny English, which was a pastiche of James Bond.

James Bond ---> Johnny English ---> London's Finest ---> Conspiracies

You can see the borrowed ideas from last year's production like the group of secret agents and the enemies plotting an attack. This is also very similar to the Johnny English and James Bond storylines. I think that our film trailer is very intertextual.

Steven Bourner

Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is something that would really appeal to us and people of a similar age because we have realised the popularity and success of viral marketing. We believe that this would be a good idea because it will help us to promote our film. This campaign can be done through social networking sites like Facebook. We think that this is the best way for us to promote due to a number of factors. The main one is the audience that it can appeal to- all kinds of people of different ages have a Facebook account and therefore would be able to view our page. Also, it has been proven to be a success because Cloverfield created viral marketing campaigns on Myspace and Facebook by giving the characters their own page which advertised and promoted the film. This was very successful and had lots of hits, and could be a big contributor towards the success of the film itself.

After researching the success of Cloverfields viral promotion we believe that it would be a good idea to also do this because it doesn’t cost anything and it can generate a wide fan base for out film.

Music

Extensive research showed that music is a huge part of a teaser trailer and therefore we had to get a piece of film music that portrayed the genre and suited the atmosphere that we wanted to give out.

However, similar to last year’s production we had some limitations that would affect what music we used. For our teaser trailer we were not allowed to use any copyrighted material and has to make or find our own un-copyrighted music. After we had decided the genre of our film we quickly set to work on researching different types of music that we could have. The best options that we had were with Garage Band on the Apple Mac or finding an unsigned band with music we could use or that they could create for us. We thought that these were the best options available to us because they would both give our film suitable music and they way we obtained it was feasible.

We thought that the best way to find un-copyrighted music was through the internet and websites such as http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/. When we were looking through some of the content on this website we thought that lots of it was very good but there wasn’t too much music that would have suited our production. However, after all of the searching we did find a couple of tracks that could have worked for our teaser trailer. At the same time we were also learning how to use Garage Band because it is a useful skill to have and is something that we could need for other sounds on our film and maybe even the main piece of music.

Before we had created any music or downloaded any of the music from the internet, we took a look at some music kindly created for films specifically for us by Stephen Scott. We listened to each of the tracks and thought carefully about which one could work with what we were making. There were at least 3 that did suit our production and after putting the music with our footage we decided on a track that would work very well. After selecting the music and putting it into place with our film, we are very happy with the outcome because it is exactly what we wanted; it gives off the right atmosphere and suits the genre of our teaser trailer.

Distribution Companies

It is very important for us to look into potential production companies who would be willing to distribute our film. We didn’t want aim for one of the most famous companies in the world and therefore looked into smaller more local companies.

We found a number of different companies that would be feasible for us to use, but the following are the ones best suited to us: Screen East, UK Film Council and First Light. We also researched into other production companies such as EM Media, Film London and Shorts International.

First Light is a part of the UK Film Council and we have decided that this smaller company would be more appropriate as our production company. I believe this because First Light offers a programme for people aged up to 19 years of age. As well as this, they offer funding which we would be eligible for, that funding figure would range from between £3,000 and £30,000. We have decided not to pitch our ideas to the UK Film Council because they usually target larger productions and we think that First Light is a company that would be very appropriate for us considering what they are looking for and what they offer to people of our age.

Screen East was another production and distribution company that we researched and looked into because they have a great reputation and are well known. Also, their company will benefit us massively. They are a company located in the East of England (counties such as Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex). They are funded by the national lottery and they also try to search for new talent in the East of England. This is a good option for us to use if for some reason we do not use First Light.

The Shoot-London

The only person we could used for the main shoot in london was Micheal Darnell. We were also planning to use Oliver Wilson as our villian at the shoot but due to unexpected implications he wasn't able to make it. Apart from that the shoot went exactly how we desired it to go.

The only thing we encountered a slight problem with was the wind, which was affecting the sound. But we managed to overcome this problem through editing. But we managed to get all the shots we desired to be able to make an effective teaser trailer.

We both learned new skills from this experience for the future as film makers.

Finished List of Cast

Agent Morris- Sam Morris
Villain- Joseph Braham Everett
Agent Morris' Operative 1- Steven Bourner
Agent Morris' Operative 2- Michael Darnell
Mourner 1- Guy Winter
Mourner 2- Kloe Wilson
Mourner 3- Greg Oakley

This is the finalised list of our cast. We did have to change the cast on the day of shooting our London scene because the person who was due to play the villain (Joseph Braham-Everett) and a second villain (Oliver Wilson) unexpectedly had other commitments. However, we re-arranged the shots we were going to do and were very happy with the outcome of the shots. After thinking about it, we believe that if another villain were to appear then it could have made the storyline of the trailer a bit confusing. Overall, we are very happy with the cast and the effort they put in. We are grateful for their help.

Shooting Schedule

Storyboard

Script

Graveyard scene
Steven- "He's dead!"

Houses of Parliament
Micheal- "Back from the dead?" .
Sam-"I guess so".
Micheal-"Why am i here".
Sam- "you need to be careful mate".
Micheal- "Why?"
Sam-"It's them.(looking onto parliament) There out to get us, they have already got Steve i think. Your goin to be next then it's going to be me. You need to get out the country before it is too late".

Trailer Research- Steven Bourner

Trailer Presentation

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Trailer Research- Sam Morris

C:\fakepath\research

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Uses and Gratifications Survey- Steven Bourner

Film Survey

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Representation

Representation plays a huge part in postmodern films because it shows the audience what genre the film is and it adds to the storyline. In our teaser trailer we have tried to portray different groups by using power.

There are primarily two different groups that we have got within the trailer; they are the government and a group of secret agents. We wanted to portray the group of secret agents positively and as “Heroes” and we have done this mainly through mise-en-scene. The costumes that we have given to each of the secret agents are very similar; they are black suits which show that they have power and authority. The representation of agents and their jobs were magnified when we put the characters into a high profile setting like London. This would show the audience that they are important and play a big part within the film.

The agents would obviously need an enemy and we decided that a government based plot would work well with our film ‘Conspiracies’. To represent the government as enemies was going to be quite tough but we have shown them as enemies by using a character representing the government to kill off the agents. This character is also shown as a ‘villain’ in our biggest and most powerful scene where the secret agent gets tortured. We have also represented the government in a negative way by shooting a talking scene between the agents outside a major government building- the houses of parliament.

I believe that we represented each of the groups clearly and in a way that shows the genre and storyline.

Mise-en-Scene

Costumes-
Agent Morris (Sam Morris)

• While in hiding- Casual clothes like t-shirt and jeans/shorts
  
• When he reappears- In a full suit and tie (Black), ocassionally wearing sunglasses, and shoes

He wears clothes like this because it shows he is in business, and the suit makes him look smart and not out of place. Also this is a stereotypical view of an undercover secret agent. The shades are worn because it shows that he has a hidden identity.

Assassin (Joe)

• Black suit and tie with a long coat and shades

All of these clothes together make him mysterious because you can never see what is behind the shades, and the suit and coat makes him look like he is on a mission. Also this is a stereotypical view of what an assassin would look like because of the dark colours and suit.

Other Agent (Steven Bourner)

• In a normal black suit with a different coloured tie, wearing smart shoes as well


• When assasinated he is wearing the same clothes but without the jacket/blazer, tie is scruffy or off

He wearing this because the suit shows that he is at a funeral and he doesn't look out of place. But he isn't wearing his jacket and his tie when he is assasinated because this shows that he isn't expecting it and he is in his own home.
The Boss

• He will also be in a smart suit and maybe a smart coat

He will be wearing this because he is the leader of the assasins and has to look the part. This is what a leader/boss would be wearing because it is very formal.

Lighting-

The lighting is going to vary throughout the teaser trailer because there are many different shots. The main scene in the teaser trailer is the part where Agent Morris gets tortured, as this is going to be an intense scene, low key lighting will be required. However, at the start of the trailer where the funeral is taking place, the lighting will be natural becuase it is outside; we are hoping for a miserable day though so that the shot suits what is happening.

Many other shots in the trailer involve low key lighting but we are going to be adding light to it so that there is emphasis on a certain person. Because we have a varied amount of shots, there is going to be a lot of variance and the lighting will be different throughout the trailer.

Props-

As we are creating an action teaser trailer we have looked at the conventions used for this genre, therefore we will need to include certain props that show it is an action genre:

• Weapons (Guns, knives etc- especially used in the torture scene)


• Fake blood (Also for the torture scene)
  
• Sunglasses (Used by the assassins to add mystery to who they are)


• Briefcase/bags

These are the main props that we will be using becuase they will signify that it is an action genre and they will all enhance our teaser trailer by making it look more realistic.

Locations

Possible locations that we have looked at:

London- The city is iconic with great scenery and is easily recognisable for the audience if they are seeing something they know, so they are drawn into the trailer

Royal observatory- An Important place that can be linked with the storyline with the meridian time line, can link a plot in with this

HMS Belfast- Another iconic place to film, a shot on here will link in very well with our specific genre

Houses of parliament- GOVERNMENT- a shot here will also link in well because we are doing a government based plot

London Bridge- Iconic once again

Buckingham Palace- also iconic, the queens home

Monument of great fire of London – a shot from the top of there would be an amazing attribute to the trailer

Tower Bridge- another iconic location, pulled off well for our last production

Stonehenge - Mysterious place. A potential asset to our production

Southend/Brighton pier- Brighton a better option possibly.

Football ground e.g. Emirates stadium, Wembley- Could have a scene there

Thames river boat tours- Could have a fight scene on here to make it as real as possible

Joes’ garage (the torture chamber) – The setting for the torture scene, looks very realistic

Iconic sights possibly go international- If there is a chance to go abroad we’re going to do it

After looking at all of the options above we think that Joes' garage is the best place to host the tortue scene as it has all the characteristics that we want for this scene. Also we are going to use shots of London as our 'Big Shots' which attract the audiences attention, we have found lots of places to use for this which also tie into the storyline.

Shooting Script

1) Starts off with Morris faking death, shots of hearses, funeral stuff etc. “Long shot” of hearse. Start with colour in shot and then when the hearse is in front of the camera, the colour changes too black and white- signifying Morris’ death.

2) Flashes between other shots, which are also in black and white, shows Morris in talks with the two people who helped him fake his death, handshakes (close up) etc

3) The two people are targeted and shots show them getting killed by assassins. Close up of weapon on each kill, and then both people shown dead. Assassins face is covered and has hidden identity.

4) Morris is shown “returning to life” after friends are dead. Morris in normal clothes then changing to suit to show that he’s back in business.

5) Morris with folder, and inside is the two targets. Close up of their pictures. Shot of Morris determined and going for revenge

6) Assassin captures Morris and interrogates him (torture). Shots of Morris tied up in a chair. Assassin has his weapons. In a dark room. Close up and two shot of the scene where he gets beaten.

7) Morris shown in an office with the master/leader who wants him dead. Low key lighting and tense music. Titles shown, weapons hidden away but shown in the shots to show the intent of the two people

8) Ends there so that the audience is left with a cliff-hanger and still don’t know what will happen.

Shot List

- Long shot of hearse going up the road
- Mid shot of Steve in suit
- Titles saying why Morris faked his death
-Close up shot of hearse- when it stops, picture changes to black and white
- Close up of Steve on phone to someone saying he’s dead
- Flashes to the next shot
- Steve killed- shot of the assassination
- Flashes to the next shot
- Next person dies who knows about it
- Titles explaining what happened
- Morris appears outside high profile place in London e.g. walking out from behind the guards at Buckingham Palace- Long shot going to mid shot then to close up. Looks over Morris’ shoulder and has the pictures of the targets
- Flashes to next scene
- Long shot/two shot of Morris tied up by one of the targets
- Extreme close up of Morris’ face, bit of blood
- Close up of weapons in the hands of the target
- All the shots flashing to add tension
- Flashes to the next scene
- Close up of Morris with revenge on his face
- Over the shoulder shot of Morris with the leader in the background
- Close up of face of the leader

Storyline

A secret undercover agent (Sam Morris) has been forced to fake his death in order to hide from his enemies, a group of private assasins. The group is lead by someone only known as 'The Boss'. Only two people knew and helped Agent Morris to fake his death, and they are being hunted by the group of assasins now that Agent Morris is dead. Their greatest assasin (Joe), is given the task of going to kill the two people who knew.

Once they have been killed Agent Morris must return in order to defeat the assasins once and for all. When he comes out of hiding he immediately goes looking for them. But while out checking the leads he has been given, he gets captured by them and taken to their secret hideaway where he gets interrogated.

After cleverly escaping from their lair, he is fueled with revenge after the deaths of his friends and follows up on another lead to go and find 'The Boss'. After he finds where 'The Boss' is, he goes into his office only to find him standing there, waiting for him.

Welcome to our blog

We are Shotg8 Productionz and we are responding to the brief by deciding to produce an action teaser trailer. We have come to this decision because we had a successful action/comedy based opening sequence last year and we feel that we can recreate the conventions of the action trailers that we researched.