Planning Our Producton - dates and times for filming

Production day 1:

Beginning of January in the school holidays - mid morning to mid afternoon.

We will film the appropriate acting needed for about the last minute of our film. We plan to get all of the shots with Olivia's character so to do this we need to organise me getting to Harriett's house as this is where we will be filming our sequence, in her bedroom. We also need to ensure we have the props needed ready and in place. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it is not raining outside or that it is too sunny as we will have to postpone our shoot till another day as this will ruin part of our mise-en-scene we are trying to portray.

Production day 2: Monday 14th February - in school

We will film our photo montage here. We will be doing this shoot in school, hopefully lesson time if any spare time. On this day we hope to get the sequence of the falling pictures which will be the first thing our audience sees. In this time we will have to organise finding a suitable place to do the filming and a suitable background which the pictures can drop on to.

Production day 3: Sunday 27th Febuary - afternoon/evening

On this day Harriett will be doing the titles. Harriett will be using a digital camera to take still pictures, to create the feel that flowers are growing around the letters in our title animation. This will be one of the most challenging and time consuming shoots. Harriett will be doing this shoot on her own as we feel that both of us won't be needed. This should allow me time to check that we have got enough of our written work done and that we are up to date on our blogs.

Production day 4: Monday 28th Febuary - in school

We will upload all of our filming so far onto the computer. We will be able to see if we have missed anything or if we need to re-shoot parts. Depending on the time available in lesson we may even get a chance to edit some of it.

Production day 5: Wednesday 2nd March - in school

We will devote our time to editing our sequence.

Production day 6: Monday 7th March - in school

Continue editing.

Production day 7: Wednesday 10th March - in school

Hopefully wrap up the editing. By now we should have the photo montage done, the animated titles done and also the rest of the film done.

Production day 8: Monday 14th March - in school

We will focus on our sound track and if time our voice over.

Production day 9: Wednesday 16th March - in school

If not done already, we will do our voice over. We will spend our time tying up loose ends and tweeking parts.

Production day 10: Monday 21st March - in school

Deadline for class presentation.

We will present our opening sequence to the class and get their feedback, possibly make a few little changes dependinng on the fedback we get.

Planning Our Production - Final Bedroom Location

We decided to go for the smaller pink bedroom. We decided to go for this room because it is representative of the age group that we hope to appeal to. The colour also shows how are character is immature and is still young for her age. We will be able to film in the room despite the size because we have found a way of getting are long shots from outside of the door looking into the room. We will be able to get our shots of the distance out of the window as the room is based in a countryside location.

Planning Our Production - Costume

Planning what we want our character to wear was rather simple as we just want her to look like a normal teenage girl, this will help our audience to relate to her. The actress will be wearing a pink hoody and jeggins, as both of these items are what a typical teenage girl wears. As the film continues the girls style will change as she matures and her situation changes.

Planning Our Production - Equipment

Equipment needed to film:

- Camera

- Tripod

- Tape

- Charger - USB Lead

Software to use:

- imovie

- Garage Band

Planning Our Production - Props For Filming

This necklace was a thought we had, maybe the mother left this too her daughter as a gift from her to Olivia. It is suppose to be a locket where her mum's picture could be showing that Olivia has got part of her mum with her when she wears it. Unfortunately, we didn't use this in the end as we completely forgot about it.

This photo is of a dad and his daughter. We used ths photo as it doesn't show a mum so gives a sense of mystery to the film and keeps the audience in suspense, who actualy is Olivia's mum? What does she look like?

This represents Olivia's documents and letters left to her from her mum. She reads through these at the start of the sequence.

This is Olivia's teddy bear, this is meant to show Olivia's innocence to the audience, showing she is still a child to the world. She cuddles this bear in the film and it almost seems to comfort her after hearing the news that she is adopted.

Planning our Production - Possible Living Room Areas

We also looked at living rooms as a posible location before we decided to change our plan. We thought this could be a posible location as it has a family environment and it also based in the countryside But with our change in direction we opted not to use this location as it no longer fitted our brief.

Potential locations:

Planning Our Production - Possible Bedroom Locations

Our potential locations for filming:

We want a bedroom setting for the shots for the opening. We decided we want a bedroom for the setting as teenagers stereotypically spend a lot of time "locked" away in their bedrooms. We also want a house which is in the countryside so when we have the shot of the character looking out the window, there is a distance between her and the outside world. This will signify the distance she feels since she found out she was adopted.

Some potential bedrooms:

This first room was a potential location as it is a teenage girls bedroom. Also it is in a countryside location which is distant from other houses. However we decided to not go for this room as it has a mature feel and we want to display our girl as rather immature and naive.

The final room we consiered had the younger feel however it would still be appropriate for a 16 year old girl. It also gave us a distant view out of the window. However we did find the room did not give us a huge amount of space so we may struggle when trying to shoot our film.

Chosing our actress

For the opening of our film sequence we only need one single actor, this actor would play the role of the main character, ‘Olivia’. We thought about different people who could play the role. We did a mini interview/audition for each of the possible actresses to see what they could offer us an to see when they would be available for filming. We did this for six girls and shortlisted two of them.

1) Billie:

Pros

Available for the dates we needed her and had good acting skills.

Cons

Looks a little too young for the character’s age and lacks a little experience.

2) Rhiannon:

Pros

Is of a suitable age, has alright skills and understands what is needed in portraying the character.

Cons

Restricted for dates and times and is needed to do other jobs on the filming days.

Finally we decided to go ahead and use Rhiannon because she looks a suitable age for our character also she has more acting experience however we may struggle to complete all of the jobs required when filming. Overall we believe we have made the best choice and that we will have to work a little harder to ensure the extra work is done.

What Our FIlm's Certificate Will Be

Me and my pair have done some research into how films are given certificates, as you will notice in a previous post. For our film we have decided to give it a certificate of 15. We thought that this would be ideal as it fits well with our target age group and also allows us to have a little bit more freedom with the rest of the film. As our treatment says Olivia meets a few disturbing characters when sleeping rough on the streets. We think that more emotion could be added to the film by additional swear words in heated moments making it a little more true to life and we could implicate a few scenes we wouln't be allowed to do with a film rated 12 and under.

British Board of Film Classification - BBFC

The BBFC is an asscioation which gives films certificates which act as restrictions allowing or not allowing certain ages to watch certain fillms which wouldn't be suitable for them to veiw.

universal

Suitable for all It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror. If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

parental guidance Parental Guidance General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

12

Suitable for 12 years and over Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

12A

The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult. The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work

15 Suitable only for 15 years or over No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

18

Suitable only for adults No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.

R18

To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years. The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ videos may not be supplied by mail order.

The Blurb

Olivia is the story of how one girls world falls apart, as she learns family life is not all as at it seems. The story follows her on a long quest to discover the truth, she has to battle her way to avoid meeting the wrong people and ensure she meets the right people. Everyday Olivia learns a new lesson and slowly matures from being a child to young children.

Our Shot List - As Our Storyboard Depicts

1. Close up of pictures falling into shot.

2. Continuous shot, same as before, more pictures falling into shot.

3. Film titles appear

4. Extreme close up of characters eyes, this enables us to show her emotion.

5. Long shot of the character in a bedroom. The character will be sat on the bed. The room will have a pink colour scheme to signify that the girl is still young.

6. Over the shoulder shot, this enables the audience to be able to see what the character is seeing.

7. Close up of the letter that the character is looking at, the letter will be blurred as if its a point of view shot.

8. Medium close up of the character reading the letter.

9. Extreme close up of the characters eyes reading from the letter.

10. Medium close up of the girl sat on her bed holding a teddy, again showing she is still young and showing her innocence.

11. Close up of the folder and its contents on the bed.

12. Long shot of the girl walking to the window.

13. Medium shot of girl looking out of the window.

14. A pull focus shot looking out of the window.

Animatics

Please follow the link below to watch our animatic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o1ftyAxfJA&feature=related

Storyboard of Our Opening Scene

A Change Of Thought

We decided to change our opening as originally we were going to use a series of shots from outside of the characters house looking in through a window. However after some discussion me and my partner decided to change our plan. We were inspired by the opening of 'My Sister’s Keeper' where it features a photo montage to show key points of the characters life. Our new opening will feature images from the characters life so far. We will sequence the images in a chronological order so the audience can feel as if they know the character already. We think this will give a better feeling to the sequence and would emulate the drama genre more as the audience could relate it to similar drama films they have previously seen.

Our Treatment - Olivia

Its the 27th of November and Olivia has just been told some devastating news. She is adopted! After hearing this news she decides to go on an adventure to find her birth parents. However this journey does not go to plan. Soon after running away she finds herself out of money and luck, which leads her sleeping rough on the street. After meeting some obnoxious characters, which plan to lead her astray and persuade her to take drugs and commit crime, she is given a small amount of money by a passer by. Taking this money to a small café she buys herself a hot chocolate and starts talking to the waitress, Margret. After getting to know each other Margret starts to give Olivia free warm drinks everyday. They soon build up a very close friendship and start to talk about how Margret’s daughter once gave up her child when she was just 15. After discovering this news Olivia decides to reveal why she ran away from home. Putting the two tragic stories together they soon discover that Margret is Olivia's grandmother. Margret persuades Olivia to get in contact with both her real and adoptive parents.

Choosing A Name For Our Film

We wanted our film to feel personal so we thought about naming it after our main character, the audience watches and follows her on her journey to discover her birth mum. We couldn't think of a suitable name for our character to begin with so we did a bit of research on the internet for baby names. We searched popular female names and a fair few stood out to us. We deciced to pick a popular name as this would mean it is a comman choice amongst mums to be. A comman name like 'Olivia' seemed to work well and we both quite liked it. By choising a popular name and giving her an almost steriotypical attutide of a teenage girl we think that many people could relate to our character and understand what she is going through. We want to make the audience feel as if they are almost going through the same emotions of the character. The issue of adoption is a tender one which is prevelant in the entire world. We understand this and as it is such a touching subject we hope to portray our film in the best light possible without offending anyone. In our film we want to show the drama behind the issue of adoption.

Evaluating Our Target Audience

Before we can fully start devloping the ideas for our film we need to think about our audience and who we will be targetting in particular. From our questionnaire results we can see the age group is rather large ranging from 15 - 35 year olds, we hope their life experiences, for example loss of someone close to them, or hard emotional experiences may help them relate to the story-line and the characters. Due to such a large age range we have used different theories to narrow down our target audience.

If we use Rubicam and Young's idea of audience theory we should be aiming our film towards a mixture of Explorer types, Succeeder types, Reformer types and also the Mainstream types. We believe our film will provide something which all these groups would enjoy. Also we plan to make the audience become aligned with our main character and feel as if they are in her shoes, feeling her emotions, this is perhaps why there is such a broad spectrum of audience types.

An Explorer type are the people driven by a need for discovery, challenge and new frontiers. An audience member of this type would be aligned with Olivia's need to discover her real mum, to discover who she actually is, what see looks like, the mysteries surrounding her and enjoy the journey and obsicles in Oliva's way.

A Succeeder type are the poeople who possess self-confidence and have a strong goal orientation. An audience member of this type would identify with Oliva's need to find her real mum also. Oliva is set and is confident she will find what she is looking for (reaching her goal). A succeeders need in life is for control and that particular audience will see her need for control as she takes charge of herself as she ventures out to find her real mum, changing her life forever.

The Reformer type are the people who value their own judgement "don't tell me what tgo do or think". Their need is for enlightenment which I think will be noticed in the film as this also plays a part in Oliva trying to discover her real mum. Just who is she? I beleive the Reformers in the audience will take note.

And finally the Mainstream type of audience. These are the people who live in the world of the domestic and the everyday. They consentrate on the way they live their lives and the choices they make. They think more 'we' than 'me'. As their name implies they are the mainstream of society and respond to 'family' brands. Their core need is for security. We think that as the mainstream members of the audience become aligned with Oliva they will almost take her under their wing and feel sympathetic towards her. Their big statement of family will make this film even more attractive to them as it is all about family.

However using Mcquail and Katz theory of gratification states that audiences select the Media they use differently, they could use it for information, to define their identity, for social interaction and finally for diversion, play and entertainment. We believe our target audience will use our film to use the characters to help define themselves (identification) and for a connection with the characters on the screen (social interaction).

Initial Ideas For Our Film

Making an opening sequence for a drama film meant we had plenty of freedom in choosing what to do. Drama consists of many sub genres and keeping this in mind and reviewing our questionnaire results we narrowed it down a little. The majority of people who filled out our questionnaire were female and ranged greatly in age. Our target audience is from about the age of 15-30. This would mean that more 'manly' types of drama wouldn't entertain the majority of the questioned people so that's war dramas and action dramas out of the picture. Age is another aspect to consider. The number one subject that came up was biography dramas, this seemed a little strange but it is obviously in demand which we could tailor to, the runner up was tragedy. We thought we could just stick with the typical girly love film as this was another high rated topic. We thought about this for a while and desided to combine a few aspects, we liked the idea of creating a true story, but thought that it could be seen as a little harsh and send out the wrong message if we didn't get the facts right or filmed it terribly. To avoid this agro and we ruled this out so as not to risk offending or upsetting anyone. We didn't really fancy a romance sequence either because they are just far too common and predictable. We decided we would need something that was true to life, something that can make or break someone. We thought long and hard about possible story lines, we wanted to create an emotional film and something which the audience could connect to. We thought about involving a death or loss of a character, maybe another character's idol which would have a impact on them and other characters in the film. We wondered what else we could do and thought about how soap operas use drama to educate others on subjects like death, mental illness, drugs, etc. This is where we came up with the idea of creating a film about adoption, this is a matter that isn't talked about to much and this would bring awareness to viewers. This subject of adoption is a sensitive matter. We think however this ticks all the right boxes for the type of sequence we would like to create. Adoption is true, a real story, it's surrounded naturally by drama, mystery, pain and heart ache, it deals with loss and is wrapped up with emotions everywhere.

Textual Analysis - Forrest Gump

Textual Analysis - Shawshank Redemption

Textual Analysis - My Sister's Keeper

The film opens with a montage of videos and still frame images of pictures of a character's life showing the audience key events. This use of montage creates a more personal touch to the film as the audience is almost watching home footage of the family and going through their photo albums this connects both the character and the audience on a personal level. The images are shown inorderly, not in chronological order showing there is confusion in the character's mind. This montage scene is narrated to tell the story of the characters life so far giving the audience the understanding of how the character feels so they can follow. Then we see a medium long shot of the young girl sat on a bench looking out over the lake. The lake acts as the character's emptiness which we later discover to be her sister's death. The use of fading transitions are used throughout showing the emotion of the character. The montage sequence is filmed and edited so that the audience feel closer as if they have a relationship themselves with the character. I feel this is to be a very typical example of a drama film as it has both a montage of the character's life and a narration for the audience to understand the story up to the point were the film begins. I tried my best to find a link to post on this post but was unsuccessful - sorry.

Textual Analysis - The Bucket List

The bucket list opens with panning shots used to establish the setting - snowy mountain tops. These shots go on on for a while before we see any sign of life. These shots fade in and out showing the mountains and their sheer size. The camera goes to a low angle shot where we see a pole stabs into the snow, followed by a huge boot. We automatically assume this is the main character. We see him climbing up the snowy peeks all the way to the top showing this character has strong will, determination and a clear orientated goal. The white snow suggests purity and seeing the character all alone shows peace fullness. Throughout this part we have a voice narrating the man's life so far. Almost as if god. The setting is then changed as we see a close up of a hand picking up a cigarette and and it being brought to a man's mouth. Then the man is reveled completely, he is wearing grubby green overalls and seems to be working in a dirty garage fixing broken cars with other men. This is a very typical opening to a film as we are introduced to the main character straight away and their life narrated to us. link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHHWJKsacxY&feature=related Sorry about the quality but it was the best I could get.

Textual Analysis - Pursuit of Happyness

At the start of this film we see the credits cast on a black screen with a simple plain white text. There is music playing as the credits come on because of the simplicity of the credits the audience becomes focused more on the light upbeat sound which gives the audience a positive connection with the feeling of the film. Our first shot is a long shot of a child's bedroom, we can make out the outlines of toys showing the child's innocence to the audience. We see a bed which the child is led in, we see some light entering into the room. This harsh, white light coming in through a window, it has no curtains, suggesting that the family living there is poor and the harsh light itself could show the way the characters are treated in the film by the outside world. A man enters the bedroom, he is tall and has an afro this suggests to the audience that this film is set in the 70s when that hairstyle was popular. We see a two shot of the man and the child, this shot suggests they have a close relationship made even more clearer when he touches the child's arm with his hand to wake him up. The audience understands this is a father son relationship. We move from the bedroom to the city scene establishing where we are to. We have a low angle shot next of the American flag on top of a building. Instantly the audience knows this film is set in America and the angle the flag has been shot in shows its importance, perhaps suggesting the American dream and this is what the characters are about to pursue. The editing in this piece is average in pace and stays the same throughout. I think this opening is very typical of a drama film as it shows the relationships between the father and son characters very quickly. This film also has a voice over telling the audience the characters story and their background of how they have gotten to where they are - although this is a little further into the film. I tried my best to find a clip to link onto this post but I wasn't successful - sorry.

Textual Analysis - The Notebook

We are drawn into the opening shot with a fade in of the bright orange and red colours of sunrise over a lake. We see black silhouettes of the countryside landscape and of a single person in a boat on the lake. He seems to be by himself making it feel quiet, peaceful and tranquil out there. A great amount of time is taken up with various long shots like this establishing the setting of the film as the opening credits come up name by name. We see some white birds fly from the lake towards a big house. The camera follows them in a tracking motion. We see an over the shoulder shot of a woman looking out on the birds and the lake. We receive a reverse shot of this where we see her from the front doing this. The woman looks old in age and frail and seems to be looking out into the distance as if she isn't all there, day dreaming almost. We see the reflection of the glass in the window she is looking out of. The white birds seem to be passing over her face. These birds could symbolise her hopes and dreams or even perhaps her memories passing by, almost fleeing from her. Throughout this opening we hear the soft, slow tune of a piano which started playing before the film actually began. This would have drawn the audience in straight away. The slow transitions and editing of this piece seemed to add extra emotion as the audience took in the surroundings and what was going on. I think this was fairly unconventional of a drama films opening, there was no relationships established between any two characters, simply just the old woman, the lake and the slow, elegant piano music playing. link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNJaN3FMUyI

Textual Analysis - Boy in Stripped Pjamas

This film starts with a quote "childhood is measured out by the sounds and smells and sights before the dark hour of reason grows" - John Betjeman. This gives the audience something to think about and to relate the film back to. The opening credits appear on screen on a red background. The colour red signifies passion, danger and blood. As the titles near an end the red colour becomes a part of the Nazi flag. Instantly the audience understands this film is going to be set in world war II. As the shot unravels we are subjected to a panning shot of the city's square. This establishes the setting further. This panning shot becomes a tracking shot as it follows four young boys racing around, playing and having fun. The boys are all fairly skinny, and wearing typical 1940s clothing. In world war II rations were put in place so this could be why they look so small. Each child has their gas mask around their necks too. The four are running about pretending to be planes echoing the fight planes of the war. The camera continuously follows them throughout the opening of the film using a mixture of tracking shots, close ups and two shots to see their cheerful expressions and their close friendships. While we see these cut aways to the four boys the audience is made to focus on a house. We watch as the house is cleaned and tidied and prepared for an important person's arrival. We see men and women cleaning cutlery, rolling up old carpets, dusting mirrors, etc. A well dressed woman drives up to the house and we watch as she enters, big box in hand - present? - and she paces up the stairs high angled shot. At the top of the stair she becomes out of shot. While this is going on on screen the audience can hear an upbeat piano and violin accompaniment playing however the tone is lowered around a corner when we see a group of soldiers rounding up women and children into the back of a car to be evacuated. We witness one solider shoving a woman as if to tell her to hurry up and get in with the others. This makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the people but feel cold towards the soldiers because of their harsh behaviour. Possibly the house being cleaned is for the arrival of an evacuee child however it could also be for the invitation of the leader of the soldiers. This film is similar to many dramas as it is centered around a certain topic - war, and starts with a heart felt quote for the audience to make a judgement on instead of the usual narration. link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EibUdcby8dY

Textual Analysis - Conviction

Just before anything appears on screen we hear the sound of a police siren. Instantly after we have a close up of a man's legs. He is running really fast as the ground is almost blurring beneath his feet. We then move to a close up of his body, his arms are pumping in shot. The audience wonders why the man is running but assume it is away from the police due to the siren we heard at the start of the film. We receive as long shot of a church at the bottom of the road in the direction the man is running. The camera zooms into the stained glass window depicting Jesus. Inside the church we see numerous extreme close ups on people's eyes, ears, mouths, books, crucifixes, guns and glasses. All are significant to this film. This series of extreme close up shots builds tension in the audience as they they are expecting something big to happen next. We are then brought back outside with the running man. We have a series of point of view shots where the audience are put in his shoes. Everything is blurry. This is connoting his exhaustion. Back inside the church once more we watch as more extreme close ups are shot. We are brought to focus on a man's lap where he is holding a pair of glasses. As he unfolds each leg of the glasses we hear the sound of a gun loading. Once they have opened all hell is let loose. People are shooting each other inside the church walls, people are falling injured in the aisle. This scene seems to have been shot in slow motion as to induce more excitement (commonly used in an action film). As guns are firing a bullet is shot through the stained glass window of Jesus, with this we watch as a jump cut follows straight after to see a man in bed having suddenly woken up from this nightmare. This may have been the man's flashback haunting him from the past. The man is of black ethnicity and we can see in the background the 80s styled curtains of his bedroom setting the era this was filmed. The man looks at the clock on his bedside table and lights himself a cigarette as he walks into the bathroom. It is in here we see him look in the mirror and down at his scar under his chest, a war wound perhaps gotten from his flashback or in a gang fight. The editing in this film opening thought was very fast paced building tension for the audience, this was made further effective by the use of the extreme close ups of the characters. I think this film starts fairly conventional for a drama film as you witness the drama straight away with the shootings in the church. It almost feels as if it starts already part way through the story which is common of this genre to do and is narrated to the audience to keep them up to date which I'm sure this one will do a little further in. link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU6eS2GzPDA

Textual Analysis - The Ultimate Gift

This film opens with the sound of church bells and an eery tune in the background at this point on screen we simply just see the opening credits - black background, white text. We then see a man sat down in front of the camera, the camera almost seems to be a little shaky, it zooms in and out focusing on the man the whole time. It almost seems as if he is creating a home video. The man in shot seems to be getting increasingly annoyed and flustered by the lady doing his make up and the man with the lint roller. He seems like he just wants this to hurry up and end. The man's shirt is red which may symbolise danger. The shot shows him sat in front of a bookcase this could symbolise his knowledge, if this is right he must be incredibly smart by the vast amount of books in the background. We then go to another black screen with credits on, however this time we hear a telephone ring and a woman's voice answer. As we don't see this we feel a sense of mystery. As the conversation continues we have an establishing long shot of a city landscape, it is night time and rush hour by the amount of traffic on the roads. We then have a long shot of a dark room, within stands a man who we can just make out due to a bit of light entering from a window casting a little outline on the objects inside. The man has his back turned to the camera suggesting he is a private man and keeps himself to himself, not letting anyone in. A woman come into shot now, creating a two shot. She is dressed all in white showing the audience her purity and innocence, her age also suggests she is wise. She speaks softly to the man telling him of a death. This shot shows focus on the man - a narrow depth of field - he is more important then her. He is of black ethnicity and wearing a smart black suit, this shows he has money as the suit looks expensive. There is an aspect of Levi Strauss' theory of opposites to this scene as obviously they are of opposing gender, she is in white and shown in the light whereas he is in a black outfit and in the shadows of the room. This may connote the goodies and baddies of this film. Each is now shown in separate shots as the woman expresses her sympathy and regret for his loss. We hear the voice of the man on tape at the beginning of the film, the audience realise this is who is dead. Then we see a black background again, this time it shows the title of the film in a simple white font. The audience is now focused on the slow, sad orchestral music playing. It almost sounds regal possibly suggesting the dead mans importance and power he had. After we see the title of the film, we have a low angle shot of a grave stone in the shape of an angel, the audience assumes this next scene is set in a graveyard. This observation is correct as we receive a long shot of a burial site. A black car is parked up and a large number of people are gathered around one place with their umbrellas open. As we get closer we see the coffin and shot as of friends and family, their closeness is felt by the types of shots used. The rain represents the emotions of the people - their tears. The camera tracks over the sea of black coloured umbrella to a single pink umbrella which clearly stands out from the others. The colour pink suggests it is a female holding it and its size suggests a child. Our observations become clear when the pink umbrella is put down and we see a little girl's face. In this high angle shot we see a close up of her smile as she looks up towards the sky. This suggests she is different, thinking positively at a time of sadness. Thinking that the man in the coffin will be up in heaven looking down on her, making her feel happy as someone is always looking out for her. The rain could act as his own tears pouring down as he looks down upon his friends and family he has left behind. The editing of this opening sequence stayed rather consistent throughout. Comparing it to other films of this genre i would say it is pretty typical as their was a voice narrating through parts and it started with a home video which is common amongst drama as it gives you an insight into the character's life, or what was left of it in this case. link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ELSUvEVcE

Analysis Of Our Results

We asked 30 people to complete our questionnaire. From the results that we got we discovered that the majority of people asked were female and aged between 15 and 35. The feedback they provided us with showed us that our target market are females aged between 15 and 35 years old which enjoy biography style films that follow a characters journey through different emotions and events. We also discovered that there is a common theme as all the drama films we listed were strong in emotion and all of them were favored when put in the questionnaire. Also when we asked what story line they would prefer adoption was the most popular. We believe this could be due to adoption being key in so many lives and not many films are made to demonstrate this.

Our Results From Our Questionnaire

Garage Band Lesson

In our lesson we were allowed to experiment with Garage Band, a programme on the apple macs which allows you to create your own music. Me and my partner had a go on it and decided to have a go at making a sountrack to go with our film we are planing to make over the christmas period. As we have decided to do a drama genre we tried to make our piece sound dramactic. We experimented with numerous pre recorded tracks as neither of us can play music very well. We used a variety of instruments and found that the piano worked well as an accompaniment with others. Towards the end of the lesson we played it to the class and they all were able to guess what genre we had tried to represent.

Our Quetionnaire

Questionnaire for a Drama Film

1. Are you male or female?

Male

Female

2. How old are you?

Under 15

16 – 20

21 – 30

31 – 40

Over 40

3. What is your favourite type of sub-genre?

Melodrama

Romance

Crime

Tragedy

Action

Other

If other please state:

..........................................................................................

4. What is your favourite drama film?

...........................................................................................

5. What storyline would you like to see a drama film based upon?

Long lost love

Adoption

Journey to sucess

Friendship

Other

If other please state?

.......................................................................................

Associated Actors With The Drama Film Genre

Actors and actresses can play role in any genre of film making it difficult to associate a particular person with any particular genre of film however there are a few that almost always feature in topical drama films. Here are a few.

Will Smith - featured in films such as 'The Pursuit of Happyness' and 'I Am Legand'.

Morgan Freeman - featured in the films like 'The Bucket List' along with Jack Nicholson another great drama actor and 'The Shawshank Redemtion'.

Tom Hanks - featured in films such as 'The Green Mile' and 'Forrest Gump'.

Sandra Bullock - featured in films like 'The Blind Side' and '28 Days'.

Cameron Diaz - featured in films such as 'My Sister's Keeper' and 'In Her Shoes'.

Julia Roberts - featured in films like 'Fireflies In The Garden' and 'Closer'.

Examples of Posters Used In Advertising Drama Films

All these movie posters for these drama films all have one thing in comman - showing the close relationships between the characters in the films often in a two shot frame. in these posters we can recognise the warmth felt by the characters whether its mother and daughter, father and son, boyfriend and girlfriend or merely just friends.