foundation portfolio

Foundation Portfolio 

Story board 

Job List

Treatment

A 

Treatment 

for 'Virus'

Prepared by Kayla Lockington for DSLproductions

23/06/2020

It is proposed that the film's duration will be between 2 minutes to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The film was shot at a friends house where there was a lot of outdoor terrain, good for a thriller film where the bush and shadows created an unknown and mysterious atmosphere. It was perfect because there was an unsealed driveway where our supposed 'antagonist' was seen walking as if in a grungy house somewhere in an isolated location. 

The film includes the following thriller conventions, a knife was used as a weapon in order to strike fear and alert the audience that some type of danger was about to arise. This heightened heart rates creating a high tense situation. We utilised the conventions of iconography by using blood and weapons. Blood was shown in our hand-to-hand combat scene as our villain slashes our ‘hero’s’ flesh. We did this to try and enforce the amount of danger that our characters were really in. Since our characters are both young it is as if they are teen spys on the run, this can grab the attention of our target audience as they almost wish they were the ones fighting a life of crime. 

We decided to base our film off of the idea of a Jason Bourne type of film. After watching opening scenes from many spy/action films we decided to take different elements from a range of sources to create our idea of an ‘intense’ chase scene, we looked at the video game Outlast where the character is running away and having to hide behind objects and get away from the people hunting him.

This is an example of a high intensity chase scene where the character is having to literally fend for his life. The fast paced orchestral music in the background makes the situation worse, creating anticipation for what is about to happen next.

We have looked at the film Contagion's trailer and that is the type of effect we want to go for where the credits play over the top of the film. We see snippets of the movie while also leading up to the plot/story-line, it shows us what is going to happen without revealing too much. 

Our group had a minor set back as one of our team members has decided to leave school, due to this we have had to re-think our idea and shorten the original plot. Now instead of seeing the doctor go around infecting her family it will just be contained where you will see the infected wound but it will be covered up. It will then transition to a news reporter outside the North Shore Hospital who will be speaking about the rapid spread of the virus and how it has affected the general public. We have gained some extra help from people from other teams and Luci has kindly offered to help with our audio management. 

Our film has three characters:

Character#1- Lewis 

Lewis is the young man who has been infected with the virus, he is the first case in New Zealand but no one knows about it because of how well the doctor has kept it a secret. Due to the lack if education about the virus, no cure has been made which is why he is shown strapped to a bed in an unknown location (a hidden hideaway) 

Character#2- Doc 

The Doc is a young lady in her what seem to be mid 20's early 30's her goal is to find the cure to this virus then expose it to the world but the struggle to find the cure is what is keeping her from her moment in the spotlight. Without the antidote she is just some crazed scientist fathoming over a mythical disease that has never been heard of and has no cure. 

Character#3- Keith Bailey (news reporter)

The news reporter will be seen speaking live from outside the North Shore Hospital where the virus has now infected millions after the doctor decided to try and hide the fleshy wound given to her by the already infected young man. This will give a bit more detail to the film as this is when it will say the virus symptoms and whether they have found the so longed for 'cure'. 

Brainstorm 

Location

Our location is at church in the double classroom at the bottom of the building. It is a wide open room with long black curtains as backdrops and wide space for us to place a desk and a bed.

We will hang a piece of string across the top banisters in order to create a washing line where we will hang a long white sheet over it in order to make our 'curtain' effect.

The brightness/lighting of the room didn't matter too much as we would be happy filming in night or day time. The double doors will most likely be closed during the filming process to block out sounds and other noises that may be heard through the boom pole.

The desk will be placed in the corner where you will see the blackboard in the background. This will have chalk writing all over it as if a crazy scientist has been writing on it all day. Signs and symbols will be used as iconography in order to represent the scientific and almost mental side of the film.

Tarps will be placed on the floor to make the whole atmosphere look more grungy and distasteful as if our doctor/scientist is doing this in secret/illegally.

 

Due to implications with the location we have no had to change once again where we will be filming. Instead of the double classroom we will be filming in the salvation room which has now been converted into a filming studio. This was our last option in terms of where we could film as the verisimilitude of the film needs to be realistic. It will be a smaller space to work with but the lighting will be ideal as it will be dimly light with little to no background noise. For our curtain we will stick with the same concept in terms of just hanging a piece of ribbon across the ceiling and putting a white sheet over it. This will also set the scene of a low budget, secretive underground workshop. 

Pt2 final film

Preliminary Task 2

Final Edit

Pt2 CCR

Question 1

Question 2




Question 3

By Kayla Lockington by Kayla Lockington

Question 4

Logo Research

Logo Research slides research

Technology changes essay

Media

Essay

Changes to film

Essay question: "Technology has been rapidly evolving and this has meant significant changes to the film production process at every level. Outline these changes and discuss their impact on the film industry and what it means for audiences consuming the media produced."

The evolution of technology has had a gargantuan effect on the film production process, including how we consume and distribute media. Film was introduced in the late eighteen hundreds, where one roll of film would only last around 10 minutes before having to be replaced. This was a costly step in the production process, people would say that the cast and crew would take the job seriously when you could hear the hustle and bustle of the camera filming. “You could hear the money rolling through the camera as we filmed”, said by one of the cinematographers in the factual film ‘Side by Side’.

Filming has come a long way in terms of how the movie is made. Before, trying to make a ‘blockbuster’ film was one of the most time consuming professions. Instead of being able to see the full image as you are shooting, cinematographers, producers and directors would have to wait till the next day. This allowed time for the film to develop overnight in a film lab, after this had been done only then can the roll go onto be printed. Printing was done when they placed the clear image over a light box which was then manually cut out and pasted onto each other in order to create their “edit”. This was the manipulation of the art in order to create an imagery masterpiece. It is a popular opinion between many older and widely known film artists that the true authenticity of original film added an extra grain that gave you a wider opportunity in how your film was released or the avenues it could go down. “Digital didn’t look anywhere near as authentic as film”. The directors of photography were known as the “genies on set” ; it was described as “painting with the lights off”. A good example of a ‘grainy’ film would be West side story, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robins. This film was released on the 18th of October in 1961, the film earned a total of $44.1 million dollars US in the box office. This is a colossal amount considering they only had a budget of $6 million US dollars.

Digital camera filming wasn't introduced until the late 1900s/early 2000s; this stands now-a-days as one of the first steps in the production process. A digital camera doesn't use film but instead the image is created by light streaming through the lens which then hits the pixels inside the camera, “it is a very finite and accurate thing”. Sony introduced one of the first ‘hand-held’ cameras. Through this revolutionary invention, producers and other key crew members were able to see the picture immediately as the movie was being filmed. This was a huge time saver as they no longer had to wait more than 24 hours just to see the one scene that was shot. CCD chips ( charged-coupled devices) were made so that it could create a movement of electrical charge throughout the camera. The emotional movement through a ‘hand-held’ camera was able to be used to create a masterpiece that affected the audience in a different way. Even though this new way of producing media was an effective and time efficient way of doing things, it made people unaware of time as it just seemed to fly by. They were on a non-stop schedule as there were no anticipated breaks where the crew had to replace the film or readjust the camera. Actors were worn out by the end of the day because they had no time to regroup and gather their thoughts once again. This was a clear upset and abuse of power. Robert Downey Jr who has starred in many blockbuster films such as most marvel movies including Iron man and The Avengers film series. Marvel alone is worth an estimate of $5 billion USD, which is owned by the Disney corporation. As he is such an A-list actor, he had the influential status to create an almost protest against the conditions they were made to work in. He would go to the bathroom in mason jars and leave them on set as a protest saying how they were never stopping frankly because they didn't need to.

The Editdroid was introduced in 1984. The EditDroid pioneered the use of the graphical display for editing, introducing the timeline as well as digital picture icons to identify raw source clips. This changed the face of film and derailed the ways in which manual labour was enticed when it came to physically cutting and pasting together the images to create a full picture sequence.

Media fragmentation has taken away the experience of a full frontal cinema viewing. People would come as a social interaction to get the whole vibe of a movie. Hype was created around a film release to draw in ticket sales through the box office earning the film more money. Streaming platforms are such a large part of the way we consume movies and tv shows. Widely known media websites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime made it that much easier for us to get access to whatever we want with the touch of a button or flick of a finger. Video on demand was introduced causing CDs and hard copy movies to enter a rapid decline. Disk sales have gone down more than 86% in the last 13 years. A lot of professionals say that online movie watching takes away from the true experience of a movie, compared to back when you had to go to the cinema in order to watch the latest released film.

Web 2.0 acted as a game changer for media consumption, people are now able to have interactive access to the internet, decreasing hard copy information such as newspapers or posters. With the mix of this and major conglomerates that have been introduced it was inevitable in the changes of media consumption. Disney owns more than 36% of the total media that is released yearly. By owning such a large portion of the market share, they are able to advertise their films with ease without costing them thousands to find a specific advertising avenue. Whilst the industry has had an immense growth, this has only increased the amount of competition between Hollywood blockbuster movies such as Avatar, released in 2009, and small indie films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople, released in 2016. It has made the rise for small time filmmakers harder as costs such as advertising and editing have skyrocketed with websites such as investopedia.com claiming that on average producers of a film will spend more the 100 million dollars trying to create a fully lengthened movie sequence.

In conclusion this shows how not only has the process of filmmaking evolved but it has also impacted other aspects of how we live and consume our information. Costs are going to slowly increase making the profession of supposedly being a “independent artist” almost impossible when it comes to releasing and producing your own film.

Technology Essay question planning

"Technology has been rapidly evolving and this has meant significant changes to the film production process at every level. Outline these changes and discuss their impact on the film industry and what it means for audiences consuming the media produced."

You will need to use Side by Side as well as our class blog links to craft an essay outlining key changes to the film production process, including the following stages;

- production
- distribution
- marketing
- consumption


Planning 


Opening sentence: The evolution of technology has had a gargantuan effect on the film production process, including how it is distributed and how we consume it.


Before invention of electronic cameras 

Having grain in olden day films gives you a wider variety of opportunities when it comes to where you want your film to go.

Every roll of film only lasts for about 10 minutes of shooting and has to be replaced, this gives the cast and crew a short break and re-group.

Physical film has to be left overnight to develop in a film lab then and only then can it go on to be printed

cinematographers/director of photography were “genies on set”

“It's like painting with the lights off”

“Digital did not look anywhere near as authentic as film”

“People took filming a bit more seriously when you could hear the ‘money’ rolling through the camera”.

Editing ‘film’ meant cutting and piecing them together by hand. “The art form is the manipulation of art to create an image”

Very noisy and bustling atmosphere with film


After the invention of portable electronic cameras 



Capturing the images on camera (one of the first steps in the production process)

The camera measures photons of light through silver halide crystals; it creates an image when the light hits the grain.

Digital camera doesn't use film but instead the light comes through the lens and hits the pixels “very finite and accurate thing”

You are able to see exactly what you are filming compared to physical film which had to be left overnight and go through a certain process before you could even see the image you have created.

Mid 1980’s is when Sony produced its first hand held cameras

CCD chips are introduced ( used for the movement of electrical charge )

Emotional movement of the camera was able to be used to create a masterpiece that affected the audience in a different way.


Example:

Robert Downey Jr would go to the bathroom in mason jars and leave them on set as a protest saying how they were never stopping frankly because they didn't need to.

Editdroid was introduced in 1984. The EditDroid pioneered the use of the graphical display for editing—introducing the timeline as well as digital picture icons to identify raw source clips. 

Change in experience 


Video on demand was introduced causing CDs and hard copy movies to enter a rapid decline. Disk sales have gone down more than 86% in the last 13 years.

Online streaming platforms such as netflix and Disney plus have changed the way movies are purchased and viewed
A lot of professionals say that online movie watching takes away from the true experience of a movie, from back when you had to go to the cinema in order to watch the latest released film.

CCR Distribution

Media
CCR distribution question

Question: Read through and make some notes as to how you would distribute your short film as a real media text.

Film distribution strategies:

Bidding war at a film festival.

In some days the typical success story of a film was when a film would be premiered at a film festival and people would make their million-dollar biddings.

Bidding wars still happen but it is uncommon.

Film festivals were used in order to create buzz for their film.

Most film acquisitions happen before opening night because of video on demand platforms like netflix or amazon.

Sell movie to streaming platform

With over 150 million subscribers, Netflix is one of the most ideal streaming platforms in today's day in age.

Selling a film right to a distributor is a long shot.

Having hard numbers and evidence to ease the minds of your investors is always helpful so that investors have a piece of mind.
The 6 Steps to Self-Distribute Your Indie Film

Attract independent film distributors

Funding your indie film:

Use crowdfunding platforms to your advantage

Can be helpful when you have already produced an individual film previously (can help to prove to your audience/crowd funders)

Using free platforms/websites like youtube can be a good way of publicity even if it doesn't take off right away as long as it is there.

Offer a variety of teasers e.g. trailers, scene previews.

Prepare for distribution:

Digital Files: Most cinemas accept deliverables as digital files in .mp4 and .mov files. .mp4 is the international standard, while the .mov is Apple’s preferred format.

H.264 format does a super job of encoding high-quality video and audio for streaming online, but it won’t do your movie justice on the big screen. Apple ProRes 422 codec or the Avid DNxHD codec. Outputting either as a .mov file will yield the best results. 

1920 x 1080 (“1080p” for short) is the preferred resolution for cinema screenings with an aspect ratio of flat (1.85) or scope (2.35).

Distribution online:

As with cinema, online streaming and download-for-purchase platforms accept Pro-Res 422 .mov format.

In addition, files may be submitted as AVC/H.264 in .mp4, m2t, and .ts format.

MPEG-2 formats are also accepted.

Provide subtitles with a team of dedicated subtitle translators 

Atmospherics are important to include as well

Online and streaming release strategy:

Third party aggregator (aggregators also take care of everything else, including encoding, packaging, and delivering your film to digital platforms, useful but more expensive only good if you have the cash to spend).

DIY: apply to have your film on different video on demand platforms yourself this way you can still maintain ownership over the film.

Target the VOD distribution platforms

Get a theatrical booker this is someone who gets your movies in cinemas even if only showing once this can be costly but compared to the amount of ticket sales you may receive it will be worth it.

Promoting your independent film:

Promote your film with a trailer. If it’s shareable, your fans will do the legwork for you.

Put together a press kit. Your press kit should include a one-pager (synopsis of your film on one page), images, and a personal story.

Create a website for your production. Keep things personal and include authentic stories of your major above-the-line team members, factoids about your film, and news on upcoming screenings.

Be sure to cultivate an email list of your fans. You can announce to your minions when your film lands distribution and where they can view the film. Your email list can also come in handy when it comes time to promote your next film coming down the pike.

The way i would release my independent indie film would be to first find my target audience. This way I can base where I want my publicity to be, e.g. using free platforms like facebook or instagram in order to create hype for my film. I would try to generate enough buzz so that I can request crowd funding in order to help get my film on the big screen whilst also maintaining a small budget. Once I got enough money I would enter my movie into a film festival where hopefully some type of investor may choose to place a bid. Once premiered in a film festival i would try myself to enter the film into video on demand platforms and try my chances with a site such as netflix who has one of the highest amount of subscribers, but if that was not work out i would start with small streaming platforms and slowly work my way up to a bigger streaming platform.