Coursework Planning : Final Cast and Characters

You can see the final character profiles here.

After our auditions the final cast is:

Alex Glenn -  Alex Heath
  I decided that Alex would be best for the role due to the fact that he has so much drama experience, and he put on the best performance during auditions. He is used to the filming set up and due to the fact we have known each other for a long time it makes the task  less daunting as it is just filming a friend.

India Simmons -  Alex's sister
I thought India would be best as she looks the most like Alex out of all of those who auditioned, so she would be the most convincing for the part. She also seemed the most excited about the idea of being in the opening.

For a more detailed analyse of the cast members please see my potential cast blog post.

What costumes will the cast be wearing?
Both characters will be wearing their own clothing as I wanted the actors to both look and feel as natural as possible to give a more convincing performance, and as also I want the costume to be quite simple so as to not distract from the plotline; as I feel that if I went for more striking costume choices it could confuse the audience by drawing their focus away from what is actually happening within the opening, as they would be more concerned with why the characters are dressed like that then the actual plot. I want Alex to be in more old fashioned clothing to portray that he is against the more modern trends, which will create that irony within his character as he is addicted to technology. His sister will just be in basic modern day fashion so not to distract the focus of the audience of other aspects of the movie opening.

Coursework Planning: Storyboards

Here is a shot list as part of preparation for filming:

 

 

Here is a basic story board just to get some very very simple ideas of the visuals ( I am not a talented artist, sorry

)

 

 

 

Coursework Planning: Prop List

This is the list of props that we will need whilst filming:

• Laptop - For Alex to carry around and then later be on the screen of. 

• Headphones- For Alex to plug in when he is out in public

• Game consoles, chargers, phones- To add character mis-en-scene to the bedroom,

Costume:

The costume for both Alex and his sister will be just normal clothes as I want it to look realistic. However, Alex will be wearing more old fashioned clothes, like  a trench coat/waistcoat to add to his character of not liking modern trends but also to add a juxtaposition to is personality of loving new and updated technology. 

Coursework Planning : Final Script

Here is the final script for my coursework. I have made a few changes, such as the character being his mother to his sister, and after doing my location research I have changed the park bench to one in the city centre.


FADE IN:
The camera follows Alex's feet as he walks to sit on a park bench. He sits down and immediately gets out his laptop and turns it on.

                           

                                                          CUT TO:

A mid shot of Alex sitting on a bench in the city centre, all the people around him are moving at a faster speed to him as he sits and doesn't look up from the laptop.                            

                                                           CUT TO:

The same shot but Alex has moved location. He is now in a busy shopping centre on a sofa outside a cafe.       

          

                                                            CUT TO:

A close up of his hands typing on time lapse, so his hands are moving quickly.

FADES TO BLACK

                                                             CUT TO:

Alex walking into his bedroom, he sits on the bed and turns on his laptop. He starts to scroll through different tabs and decides to watch a tv programme so sets one up to watch. As it begins the screen starts to crackle. He is confused as to why and starts to click around on the different tabs.   

                                                             CUT TO:

SCREEN SHUTS DOWN TO BLACK

                                                            CUT TO:

A shot of the top of the bed. There is no one in shot and the camera is placed in the perspective of the computer.

                                                             CUT TO:

A black background and the only thing visible is Alex. He doesn't know where he is and at first looks confused but then starts to panic, hitting his fists against the screen in from of him and pushing either side of the screen he is trapped in.

ALEX:

What the..... where am I?

Pause

Help?? Is there anyone there??? Can anyone hear me??

                                              

HHEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPP!!!

                                                                                                                                                  CUT TO:

Alex's mum walks into his bedroom

ALEX'S SISTER:

Alex.... are you home?

She looks around and notices the laptop still open in his bed. You can see him on the screen but she doesn't notice that. 

AlEX'S SISTER:

His laptop is still on....odd.

                  

                                                             CUT TO:

Camera is from the perspective of the laptop. The screen shuts down slowly over it as if it is from the perspective of the laptop.

T H E   E N D 

Coursework Planning: Location research

Am I going  to use exterior and/or interior locations?
I am going to use both exterior and interior locations. I want to use spaces outside as I think that this would show a perfect juxtaposition between the virtual world my character is addicted to, and the reality he is actually in. By setting certain scenes outside it will add the contrast to how much he is ignoring the world around him by using his laptop. I want to use interior locations as I want to set the main part of the opening in his bedroom, as this will allow the audience to get a more in depth knowledge of the character using different props and elements of mis-en-scene; e.g. posters, belongings etc. Furthermore it would show how he as a character is more comfortable inside, as he has his own space with his personality on show; whereas in the outdoor settings he will be more introverted.

Potential locations:

Exterior locations:

The Forum:

Pros:
I think this would be a good location because it is a very open space, so it would be easy to  film there as no permission would be needed so we could film whenever suits us the most. It would also provide a good space to try different shots due to how it is a large area, as we could try different locations with it to see which area would give the best image for what we want.

Cons:
It is not very busy a lot of the time so may not create the effect that we want, because the character is meant to be isolating himself from other people and he cannot do that if there are no other people there. Also, when it is busy there is usually an event on, which would make it hard to film. This means it may not be the easiest location as we would have to plan in advance to check that there are no events happening on the day we want to film.

Back up:  inside the forum in the case of bad weather.


Chapelfield gardens:

Pros:It would have the perfect contrast to my character as it is a green space, and he would be on his laptop so this would show the audience exactly what the character is like and emphasis the use of technology in an unusual place. Again, it is an open space so I wouldn't have to worry about asking permission to film.

Cons:
It is very dependant on the on the weather and there is no back up to it if that is an issue. How many other people that will be there to add to the background contrast is also very weather dependant, which could take away from whether or not it helps  build the image of the character that I want.

Back ups : none

City Centre:

Pros:
It would be very busy so would add the perfect contrast between the character isolating himself from the world he is actually in as we would be completely ignoring a very busy setting. It would also be easy to get good footage to time lapse, which is something I want to include in the opening to show the amount of time the character spends on his laptop.

Cons:
Due to the business some people may be interested in what we are doing, or look directly at the camera in the background as we won't have control over whether or not people can walk by; which could detract from the overall impact of the shots.

Back ups : coffee shops/ cafes would have a similar effect.

Interior locations:

Chapelfield:

Pros:
It is really busy because pretty much all the time which again would have the effect we are looking for and would also be good for creating time lapses. There are also lots of different places that we could try film within the centre, giving us more opportunity to get good shots that give the image we want.

Cons:
I would have to get permission to film there and it is known for being quite difficult to gain access to. Also I would have to be careful again of people in the background ruining any footage if we did get access.

Back up : Castle Mall


My room:

Pros:
It would be easy to film in as it is my house so I would not have to worry about asking people permission. It would also be good for showing off the character as I have lots of posters that we could put  up to show certain aspects of the character the audience.

Cons:
It is quite a feminine room which would not fit the characters personality, and also it is a quite a cramped space so we would be limited with the different shots that we could try.

Back up: My siblings rooms


My dad's spare room:

Pros:
It is easy to get to in relation to the locations outside, as it is in Norwich too, which  would help the efficiency of filming days as we wouldn't have to travel far between locations. Also, again we wouldn't have to ask permission as  it is my family's house so we would be able to film there whenever we wanted to.

Cons:
It is a very plain room so would not really add much to the character or plot. It again is also a small space so we would not be able to move around that much to try different shots.

Back up: My dads room



Alex's room:

Pros:
It has lots of posters and props we could use in it, which would add to the image of the character and help us add some more personality to the opening in a more subtle way. Also, it is Alex's room so he may be more comfortable acting there than somewhere he as never been before, so it could give his performance a more natural feel.

Cons:
Alex's house is quite far away from Norwich, so we would have to plan transport from the locations there on filming days, which would reduce the efficiency. There is also no back up to this room as we would not be able to film in any of the other rooms in the house.


For the scenes inside the computer we will just use a window in whichever house we choose for the main room.

Can all the cast get to the locations?
All the cast can get to the locations with planning, so they are all accessible as long as we are organised.

Coursework Planning: Casting

Potential Cast:

Alex:

Who? 
Alex Glenn, a city college student who takes Btec drama.

Why would they be good for the role?
I think he would be good for the role because he loves acting and takes drama, so his performance will be good. Also we have been friends for a really long time so both of us would feel comfortable whilst directing as we know each other really well. Furthermore, as Alex studies drama he knows how to take directions so it would make the filming process easier.

Potential issues:
He lives in the middle of nowhere so getting him to different locations may be an issue. Also, due to him being a drama student he is often really busy in the evenings and weekends doing performances for his course, so availability may be an issue.

Who?
Harry Flegg, a sixth former who takes A level drama.

Why would they be good for the role?
I think Harry would be good for the role as he takes a level drama. so will have some experience in acting. Also he is super friendly, so he will be really easy to work with and direct. We also go to the same sixth form, so our availability is roughly the same so organising days to film will be relatively easy.

Potential issues:
 He has never acted on camera before, so it may take a while for him to get used to it.

Who?
George Jordan, a sixth form student.

Why would he be good for the role?
I think that he would be good for the role because he is naturally quite like the character I had in mind. We also get along really well, so working together wouldn't be an issue. Furthermore, he also goes to the same sixth form as me so we would have similar availability.

Potential issues:
He has no experience with acting, so his performance may not be as convincing as the others. He also lives quite far away so getting to different locations may be an issue.






Alex's sister:

Who?
Megan Cary, Sixth Form student

Why would they be good for the role?
I think that Megan would be good for the role because she likes drama  a lot, and does an acting club on the weekend so she will be good at filling the role. She also is really laid back, so will be able to work with whoever and understand what to do easily,

Potential issues:She lives a far way away and also is a very busy person, so organising a day when she is free will be difficult, and getting her to that location will also be tricky.

Who?
India Simmons, a Sixth form student.

Why would she be good for the role?
I think she would be good for the role because she has offered to help out with media work in the past, so doesn't mind being a part of it, making organizing and directing easier as she wants to be involved.

Potential issues:
She has only done theatre performance  before, so it may take a while to get used to being filmed on camera.

Who?
Erin Ketteridge,  a sixth form student,

Why would she be good for the role?
She is super friendly, so will work well with anyone. Also, she has a similar time table to me within school which would make planning and filming with her easier as we are free at similar times.

Potential issues:
She doesn't really act, so it may be a bit difficult to direct as she has not done anything like this before.








The official auditions will be done next week. 

Coursework Planning: Characters

Character profiles

Name: Alex Heath

Age: 17

Profession : Sixth form student, has a part time job at the local gaming store.

Favourite Colour: Blue

Favourite Number: 22

Likes: 

• Video games 
• Coding
• Punk Rock music
• Playing guitar

Dislikes:

• Public speaking
• Chart Music 
• Family meals
• Tim Burton films

History: 
Alex comes from a relatively middle class family background, with a traditional nuclear family who live in a standard house on the outskirts of a city. His upbringing was completely average, he was the kid who wasn't smart but wasn't stupid, he had a normal number of friends, every aspect of his life was just okay; nothing spectacular but nothing horrible either. When he hit his teenage years, the monotonous routine of school, homework, eat, sleep, repeat began to get a bit too tedious for him. He was bored; so he turned to the world of technology to provide an outlet to this. He got sucked into the virtual realities available, all accessible within his own home. He progressively became more and more addicted to these worlds; spending all his time on his laptop doing whatever except looking at his surroundings around him. He became an extreme teen, isolating himself from everything and everyone; save his that which he can access with his laptop.

 Personality traits:

• Irrtiable 
• Kind when it really matters
• Very shy but can be interpreted as sulky

Friendship groups:
Only really the people he plays games with online.

Influences:

• Stan Lee
• Neil Gaimen
• Kirk Hamett

3 words to describe him:
Passive, introverted, geek


Extras:
The only other character in my film opening is his sister; who finds the laptop still left on in his room. She doesn't feature much but she and her brother get along really well; they have similar interests but is far more extroverted that him; and spends a lot more time going out and socialising than he does.

Coursework Planning: Dragons den pitch

Dragons Den Pitch:

Today I pitched a rough outline of my idea to some of my friends to give me an idea of peoples opinions on my concept so far:

Coursework Planning: Dragons den feedback

How did the pitch go ?
I think that the pitch went okay, everyone seemed to respond positively to the idea. I think I could have been clearer when trying to portray some of my ideas as I think that some people struggled to picture what I was saying and thus did not understand the concept completley.

What feedback were you given?
 Thew feedack I ws given was mainly positive, people seemed intrigued by the idea and seemed to be interested on how it would develop. There was some confusion on how I was going to actually make it look like they were in a computer screen and people wanted to know how far I had gotten with the actaul filming process.

Have you made any changes as a result?
I haven't made any drastic changes as a result, I have just altered my plans on how to film slightly; as it was pointed out I wont have to upload the video to youtube to film it in the cmputer, I can just play the clip on the computer to save time during the filming process. It has also made me aware that I need to make it very clear on that he is trapped in a compputer screen becuase that seemed to be the aspect that people didn't seemed to get how it would work the most.

Has it made you less/more determined to continue with a certain aspect of your coursework?
It has made me more determined to continue with my idea and to try and actaully pull it off, as it has the potential to not look good due to the abtractness of the idea.

Coursework Planning: Script first draft

This is the first draft of my script, once I have finalised my ideas and done the logistical thing of planning locations and casting my characters I will make any adjustments that may be needed.


FADE IN:
The camera follows Alex's feet as he walks to sit on a park bench. He sits down and immediately gets out his laptop and turns it on.

                           

                                                          CUT TO:

A mid shot of Alex sitting on the park bench, all the people around him are moving at a faster speed to him as he sits and doesn't look up from the laptop.                            

                                                           CUT TO:

The same shot but Alex has moved location. He is now in a busy shopping centre on a sofa outside a cafe.       

          

                                                            CUT TO:

A close up of his hands typing on time lapse, so his hands are moving quickly.

FADES TO BLACK

                                                             CUT TO:

Alex walking into his bedroom, he sits on the bed and turns on his laptop. He starts to scroll through different tabs and decides to watch a tv programme so sets one up to watch. As it begins the screen starts to crackle. He is confused as to why and starts to click around on the different tabs.   

                                                             CUT TO:

SCREEN SHUTS DOWN TO BLACK

                                                            CUT TO:

A shot of the top of the bed. There is no one in shot and the camera is placed in the perspective of the computer.

                                                             CUT TO:

A black background and the only thing visible is Alex. He doesn't know where he is and at first looks confused but then starts to panic, hitting his fists against the screen in from of him and pushing either side of the screen he is trapped in.

ALEX:

What the..... where am I?

Pause

Help?? Is there anyone there??? Can anyone hear me??

HHEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPP!!!

                                                                                                                                                  CUT TO:

Alex's mum walks into his bedroom

ALEX'S MUM:

Alex.... are you home?

She looks around and notices the laptop still open in his bed. You can see him on the screen but she doesn't notice that. 

AlEX'S MUM:

His laptop is still on....odd.

                  

                                                             CUT TO:

Camera is from the perspective of the laptop. The screen shuts own slowly over it as if the laptop was being closed. 

T H E   E N D 

                          

Coursewiork Planning: Audience research feedback

Summary of the audience research you conducted:
The general ideas suggested that most people do not expect a whole lot to be revealed in the opening two minutes if a film, they want to be introduced to the key concepts but for enough to be left ambigious to act as an incentive for them to continue watching the film. Most people seemed to think that the best film openings' are the ones that do not give everything away, but create questions or intrigue to what will happen in the next of the rest of the movie.

What have I learnt?
From conducting my audience research I have learnt that people have a wide range of ideas of what a Sci-Fi opening should include, as there is such variety within the genre. Furthermore, the general consensus is that simple is strong and only limited characters and locations should be revealed so as to not over complicate the introduction to the film.

What was the general consensus towards my own idea?
The feedback I got was very positive; people seemed to like the idea and think it was an interesting concept. They seemed to want to know what would happen next and were intrigued by the different routes that the film could go down if it were to be developed further.

What developments/changes will  I make to my own idea based on these opinions?
I think when developing my film opening further I will make sure to try and keep the characters and locations simple as it is quite a complex idea and as the feedback suggested that you shouldn't perhaps reveal everything about your characters in the opening minutes I will try and leave some things unsaid so as to try and spark that intrigue; and so not to take away from the actual plot of the story by trying to fit too much in to the initial minutes.

Coursework Planning: Audience research

This is my audience research video, I asked 4 different people to answer the following questions:

1. What do you expect to see in the opening 2 mintues of a film in the sci-fi genre
2. Can you think of any specific film openings from this genre you can remember for good or bad reasons?
3. How much of the storyline should be revealed in the opening 2 minutes?
4. How many characters and locations do you think are necessary for the opening of a film?
5. In your opnion the best opening two mintues of a films are the ones that....?
6. What do you think of my idea at the moment?

They answer the questions in order. 

Coursework Planning: Based on my ideas/first draft

What ways would would your target audience ideally be able to consume your film?

My target audience would ideally be able to consume my film initially through cinema; as that is how a majority of films are shown and get their initial audience. Furthermore my main target audience is 15-25, and this age demographic generally goes out to the cinema quite a lot thus it is the best opportunity for them to consume it. Another way they could consume it is via online platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, as the younger generations more than ever are online and this is how they predominately consume media, so although the cinema is a good way for the initial viewing; these platforms would be ideal for continued viewing of my film as it is the way my target audience is most likely to be engaged.

What did I learn during my preliminary task?
I learnt the initial skills needed to create a film; for example I learnt how to organise and cast people; and also how to direct people to do what you want them to as before the task I hadn't really ever practiced those skills. It was also my first time using a film camera properly, so I learnt how to set it up with a  trip pod and how to set up the different shots that we needed.

What do I want to avoid during my actual coursework?
I think the sound quality in our preliminary was not good, so I would avoid using such noisy locations or perhaps consider laying the sound over and syncing it to the footage. Also having a clearer plan of what I am going to film rather than just creating it on the spot, as it makes difficult to portray your ideas and what you want to the actors if you have not developed the shots and ideas properly beforehand.

What do I want to develop on in my actual coursework?
I would like to develop on the fact that we included a variety of different camera shots and angles and try to make them look a bit more professional. I also think that I would like to develop the editing process as although it isn't awful, some of the shots don't flow very well together and make the whole film look a bit disconnected. So in my actual coursework I want to make sure that all the shots fit well together. 

Coursework Planning: Plot synopsis

Plot outline:
Within my current idea the plot follows this storyline:

1. A boy is always on his laptop
2. He goes to lots of different places and yet always has his laptop with him e.g cafe, parks, shops
3. He goes home one day and the first thing he does is go onto his laptop ( like everyday)
4. He starts to flick through different tabs and websites
5. The screen beings to crackle
6. This happens a couple more time and then the computer just switches itself off
7. The next thing the audience will see is the empty bed where he was sittng before
8. The boy is stuck in the computer and begins to panick about why and how he will get out
9. A family member calls his name 
10. They go into his bedroom and see the laptop is still on  but don't notice him on the screen
11. They shut the laptop down
12. Cuts to title

Where would I go if I was going to make the film as a whole?

There are two routes I could potentially go down; the first is that the boy getting trapped in the computer is just a metaphor for the fact that he has let technology dictate his life and follow a more pyscological plot line on how this can effect his relationships. The second, and my preferred option, is that the boy literally got sucked into the computer screen and go down the more fanatsical route of there being a parralell cyber universe within which teenagers are being sucked into. The rest of the plot would then be about how to get out of this universe and back into what everyone else knows to be reality. 

Coursework Planning:My ideas so far

Idea development:

I have brainstormed the 3 ideas I chose to develop further to give me more of an idea of what I would be doing for each separate one, and which one I would like to continue as my actual opening. 

Idea One:

Pros: The positives of this idea are that it would be fun to edit it, espcially with the flashforwards when the character blinks as I could use lots of different shots in a short period of time. Also I think there is a lot of room for character development and a chance to create a protagonist that really intrigues the audience, as depending on what the images are when she blinks it could reveal a lot of characteristics in a unique way. The practical side of this is quite easy as all the locations are easy to access and it doesn't require a lot of actors to organise because there are not many characters.

Cons: The downside to this idea is the fact that it may be quite difficult to present it coherently to the audience. To make sure that the plot makes sense you would have to make the images that appear when she blinks really clearly a flash forward, which could be quite difficult, and if it doesn't work then it could make the entire opening seem a bit pointless.

 Idea Two :

Pros: I like this idea because I think that it is quite quirky but also relevant to a lot of the audience; everyone spends too much time on technology now, therefore it will be more relatable and have a larger impact on the audience. It would be easy to organise because you would just need a few open locations and then a bedroom; all of which are easily accessible. It also only includes on character so I would only have to organise two people which would make creating a filming schedule much easier. There is also lots of scope for interesting shots as the character is stuck in the computer screen; it would be fun to try and recreate that trapped illusion.

Cons:
It would be very editing heavy as an idea, as most of it relies on the fact that the character is trapped within the computer screen. This is quite a different idea and trying to recreate that effect could have some practical problems which would make the filming and editing process harder. It could also be

Idea 3 :

Pros: I think this idea has the most room for experimenting with audience interaction, it breaks the 4th wall in quite an unusual way as the character doesn't realise that is what is happening at first, almost putting the audience into the position of power. I think this would be the most interesting in terms of presenting the credits as it is what the idea almost is based around; the typography could change dependant on what part of the scenery it was part of.

Cons: Due to the fact would need narration to present the characters thoughts, it may be quite difficult to make it original and not just cliche. The script would also have to be really strong so that it doesn't make the plot cringe, which could be quite difficult to do whilst maintaining the storyline well enough for the audience to understand it.

Final idea:
I have decided to choose Idea 2: Computer Screen. This is because I think it has the most room to explore different options in terms of shots and also editing techniques. I think it is the most original idea out of the 3 and also has the most impactful storyline, as everyone in today's society uses technology.

Coursework Planning: Intial ideas

Inital idea brainstorm:

I did a mindmap of some of my ideas in the very beginning, so I can decide which ones to develop further.

 Here are some close up pictures that are easier to read:

The ones I have decided to develop further are:

• Blink
• Person realising they are in a film
• Boy getting stuck in a computer screen

I chose these ideas as I feel they are the most orginal and would be the most fun to try and create.

Coursework Planning: Video diary 1

Here is a video diary that just has  my very first ideas about what I may want to do with my coursework and the different routes I am thinking of going down.