Film Title!

Ideas:

· Chance

· Understudy

· Break through

· Fate

· Number 1

Final:

After discussing my ideas with my family and friends, the majority liked Understudy.

Explanation:

The reason behind the name 'Understudy' was the idea that Harriet, who plays the main character, is the best dancer, yet she is not at the auditions. 'Understudy' acts as a metaphor for them filling in for her at the auditions, because really, she is the one who should be there. The name also suggests that they are below her standards, which is also a point I was trying to get across. 

Here is the definition below;

un·der·stud·y  (ndr-std)

v. un·der·stud·ied, un·der·stud·y·ing, un·der·stud·ies

v.tr.

1. To study or know (a role) so as to be able to replace the regular performer when required.

2. To act as an understudy to.

Production Company

I wanted to keep my Production Company name simple, so that it would not detract the attention from my film itself.

Name:
'Rich LTD. Productions' I thought of this name as 'Rich' is my surname. Although it is a some what predictable choice, I liked the fact it was short and straight to the point and felt it went well as a whole.

Logo Ideas:

Release Forms

The Garage is the only location being used in my Media that I need to get permission to use, therefore I have designed a release form specific for when I will be using the establishment:

I hereby give consent for The Garage Dance Studio to be used for Jenna Rich's Media filming during Sunday 20th March 2011 between 3:30-5:30pm


Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

I also thought it was important to designed a release form for actors/actress taking part in my media, so that I have evidence they have allowed me to film them:

I hereby give my consent for footage of me taken by Jenna Rich to be used in her Media Studies Production


Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Final Video

Understudy; 

Moodboard

Above is my moodboard for my production. As you can see they're 9 characters on it and this is the amount of actors/actresses that I would ideally like to use in my short film because their appearances are what I had in mind for my characters to look like. I have also included items of clothing which I have in mind for them to wear, as well as props which I will be using. For example, situated to the left are three judges which have a pen and paper near them plus a jug and a glass of water. This is because these are the props I want to use when I am shooting their part. Little details such as the butterflies and the balloons are not directly related to my media coursework, however I used them in my moodboard because I feel they represent the 'fantasy' story that my opening portrays, the idea that in the end she will make it. The lottery balls are also not directly related, but represent the idea of luck, it is by pure chance that the main character is not at the auditions and they others are, but will her luck change? Furthermore, I have included some of the filming equipment I will be using in my piece, a video camera, and a tripod. Lastly, the top left of the moodboard shows the weather. Obviously I can not plan what the weather will be like on the day, however if I was able to, I would like their to be a rainbow, as this too represents a fantasy and the idea of the girl eventually for-filling her dream.

Music

I have now edited my film. All my shots are in the correct order and follow on from one another nicely. Now that this is complete, the final thing I wanted to do was to add some music to my piece. Music, especially for my short film, is really important partly because my opening two minutes does not include any dialogue, therefore the music needs to make the audience feel they want to continue watching. Secondly, because my film is about dance and involves a lot of movement, I want the music to be in time with the dancers and with every dance style which is being performed. As well as this, music has the ability  to change the mood of a film, so for my coursework, I want to find something upbeat, as this is the mood I want to create for the audience.

Searching for music:
Some of my friends in the class had already added music to their films which I liked the sound of and went well with their openings, so I asked them where they got their music from. They told me about the following website; http://www.jamendo.com/en/ - where you can download free of charge and use unsigned artists music, as long as you state who it is by. After listening to several tracks from this website, I found a artists which I really liked the sound of, named ''Felixjd.'' I put their song ''Make_believe'' over the top of my footage and thought it worked really well.

Original song:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/366748

Editing music:
As the song last for a total of 4:43 and my piece lasts 2:14 I needed to cut the song down to a shorter time length. This was harder to do than first anticipated and took me along time to get correct. I also edited the music so that it would change tempo at appropriate moments which added affect, such as when someone starts dancing for the first time it speeds up. Furthermore, I made the tempo slow down and change nearer the end of the film.

Poster

As well as a storyboard, another thing which I need to sort out regarding filming for Harriet's scenes is a poster advertising dance auditions. I came up with the idea awhile ago that I wanted her to walk past a poster pinned on a billboard without aknowledging its existence, whilst the audience see a close up shot of it. This is so the audience grasp the idea that she should be the one at the auditions as she is more than capable, yet she isn't.  As it is a key point within my film, my poster needs to be realistic and well designed, therefore I have spent much time getting it to a stage which I feel happy with. 


My Finishing article;

Storyboard

Knowing that I am filming Harriets part to my film next week, I Have done a storyboard which clearly shows the shots I have planned to get and in what order;

Filming Change

Today I emailed my main character Harriet to see if all arrangements were still ok and also informed her of any other relevant information she needs to know;


Jenna Rich 1 March at 18:38
''Hey Harriet, hope you're alright :) 
Was just wondering if you still available to film on Saturday 6th March at 3:00pm? Please could you wear grey trackies with a test top and trainers and could you bring your ballet and tap shoes aswell? xx''

Unfortunately, Harriet was now busy and told me that she would prefer to do filming at a time when nobody was around as it is quite daunting doing it in front of members of the public. Due to this factor, we have resecduled so that hopefully hardly anyone will be around;

DATE: Saturday 13th March                      TIME: 6:30am


This time is very early in the morning but will be better for Harriet and for myself because no one will get in the way and take up filming time.

Character Research

Who I need:

· One main character

· 5 auditionees (3 girls and 2 boys)

· 3 judges 

Main Character:

My main character I am looking for needs to be female and between the ages of 15-18. I would like the to have quite a unique look which makes them stand out and most importantly, they need to have the experience and ability to dance very well so that they stand out from those that are auditioning. 

Right from the very beginning I had someone in mind who I wanted to play this role, Harriet May. I have known her for some time as we went to the same High School together and have previously seen performances which she has been in therefore know that she is a very capable dancer. She also has the unique look which I am looking for with unusual ginger, long curly hair. 

I then sent Harriet an email asking if she would take part and got the following reply; 

Harriet May 07 March at 17:24 Report

''Heya !! Yeah I would love to do that !!! , what type of dance ?! And where will we do it :)? I am pretty busy the next two weeks because of assessments at college but I'm sure I can try fit it in !! :) when would you like me ? Aha hope your alright !! Xxx''

- Thankfully Harriet is happy to be involved with my Media Coursework and we arranged when would be convenient to film

DATE:                                  TIME:


Auditionees:
I have already arranged a time and date in which to film the auditions because I booked the dance studio for Sunday 20th March for 3:30-5:30. As this date is relatively far away I was confident that I would be able to find the 5 auditionees I need in time for this deadline.

Ideally, I would like to have 3 girls and 2 boys who are, between 15-18. It doesn't matter if these people are not able to dance very well, as the point of my film is to show the contrast between Harriet and those that are auditioning. I would actually prefer some of the auditioiners not to be very confident dancers.
I then sent out 14 emails to people asking if they would participate and gave them details such as where filming would take place and at what time they needed to be there. Even though I only need five people I thought even if I didn't need all these people it wouldn't matter if I had more footage that I needed because I could just edit the shots I wanted to use. As it turned out however, out of the 14 people I asked, only 2 said they were free on the date and time I needed to film and were happy to be in my Media. Although I am some what disappointed, I understand that people have other commitments and don't necessarily want to give up their weekends. Nevertheless, I have two females, both 17 years old who have agreed to partake;
Sophie Ella Pill 07 March at 19:49 Reply 
hey! no problem my love, will definitely be there! Love you xx
Naomi-Tai Adams 07 March at 20:13 Reply 
Hello!! I am so up for this! Xxx
One of which (Sophie) goes to City College and is doing a dance course, so that is a bonus. The other one (Naomi) has very little experience dancing which is good because I can directly compare her dancing with Harriets who is experienced.
Although I have not found many auditionees and still need 3 more, I have plenty of time to get this sorted.


Judges:
I considered who I wanted to be the judges for my film and decided that as everybody I am going to use is if not the same age, a very similar age to me, that it was best to use people who are much older than myself. This idea led me to the conclusion that I should ask my Nana and Granddad. They're both 74 and I thought by getting them to dress smartly that they would look like very competent judges. I then rang their home phone and spoke to them both individually and they were delighted that i'd ask them and said they would be there. Now that I had two older judges, I decided I needed someone younger, yet not too young that they didn't look old enough to be a judge. My ideal choice of younger judge would of been my cousin who is in her early twenties, however she is on a gap year at present so using her was not an option. If i'm honest, I was then a bit stuck to think of anyone that I knew in that age category. I then came up with the idea of using my 18 year old sister. Even though she is younger than I would have liked, once I got her to try on some more sophisticated clothing and got her to put her glasses on in order to make her look mature, she ended up looking older.


Outcome:
I am pleased with the amount of characters I have found in a single day to take part in my Media. I have my main character sorted as well as all my judges plus 2 auditionees. Having said this, I still need to find more people that are willing to audition.

Location Research 2

I have sorted out where I was going to film my main character easily, because all the places I am going to use to shoot her are free to use and any member of the public can use them on a day to day bases. Finding a realistic location to film where my dance auditions are going to take place proved to be a harder task. I rang a number of different places who have dance studios and asked them if it would be possible to hire one out. Either places refused or said it was ok but charged a much too higher fee.
Eventually, I managed to find two places that were good to use and who's rates weren't too high;
UEA Sports Park












The Garage Dance Studio






I managed to have a look at both of their studios which they had available and decided that The Garages would be best appropriate. 
I then booked the studio three weeks in advance -
DATE: Sunday 20th March             TIME: 3:30-5:30pm

Location Research 1

My filming for my main character is taking part in Norwich City Centre;

                                                                                My first location I started at was Norwich Bus station. This is where the first initial part of the filming will be taking place and the shot will be seen right at the start of my two minute sequence. 

The first shot, ideally, I originally wanted to see the girl step off the bus, however I figured this may not be possible as bus drivers have to keep to a scedule. Having abandoned that idea, I thought about having a bus present in the background of the shot when the girl is walking in the bus station, to allow the audience to get the impression she has just got off a bus, without actually filming the event.

As you can see in the shot above, passengers who have just got off a bus are walking across a zebra crossing. This in turn, gave me the idea that I could have my main character walking across this same zebra crossing, whilst having the bus in the background behind her. 

This picture is of the zebra crossing once again, however from a different angle. This is so I could get an idea of which point of view I wanted to film from.


















This picture I purely included because I may use it as a cutaway shot in my piece. As you can see, it indicates the bus departure times.

Similarly to the picture above, this picture is of three chairs of which passengers can sit on whilst waiting for their specific bus, or either, after a journey. This too maybe used as a cutaway shot for my coursework.

Moving on from the bus station, no more that two
minutes away, there is some steps leading down to the Subway in Norwich. I wanted to get my main actress going down the steps to continue the idea that she is on a journey and to get the audience asking questions such as 'Where is she going?' 'What is she going to be doing?' Furthermore, I also wanted to because I think it would be confusing if the film just cut from her being at the bus station to a location completely different. In this picture I particularly like the fact I have caught a bus in the background. Ideally I would love to have a bus in the background for when I shooting the short film as I feel it would be affective having seen her just come
from a bus station. It give the illusion that the film
is carrying on.

Here is a better, clearer view of the steps down to the sub way of which I am hoping to capture my actress walking down.

This is another shot of the steps yet taken at a different angle. I would like to get a view of my actress coming down the steps from behind and then from in front as well, in order to break up shots and make my piece more versitile.







                                                                            
                                                                                              
In this shot of the steps you can see the billboard at the bottom, this is something I want to include in my film opening and would like the audience to see, yet have my character walk past the billboard without aknowledgement. I may take this shot with the billboard present as the actress is walking down, so the audience are able to see it.

Here is a closer up shot of the billboard situated at the bottom of the steps. This is where I am going to have my poster pinned up advertising dance auditions. My character is going to walk straight past it not noticing that is it there, meanwhile the audience will notice it is by a zoomed in shot of the advertisement poster.

This is the shot that you see within the Subway. Haven taken this picture, I can now see that it is very dark. This is something I need to think about when filming underground as it would be a great shame for my filming to come out this dark. Darkness gives the impression of a bland and in some ways scary storyline and this is not what I want to portray for my film. Some of the mamorials are very cleverly drawn and colourful too which is not seen in this picture. Having said this, I really want to use this shot of the subway for my media coursework.

This is the shame shot as above but retaken because of the darkness that is seen in the last photo. I prefer this picture a lot more, because it gives the lighter/happier feel that I would like my piece to contain, plus the graffiti on the walls stands out and in my opinion, adds to the street dance affect. As you can see, there are predestrians present in this photo, whereas in the previous one there isn't any. This is something I need to think about before shooting. I am not yet sure whether to include other people whilst my character is walking through the Subway, or if it will be more affective if it were just her. My decision on whether to use extra people or not, may just come down to the fact of other individuals availability. Would I be able to get extra people to come on the day of filming or would ordinary people mind taking part?
                                                                              
The following photos are pictures of the various
different billboards. I am going to have my actress
dancing in front of one of the billboards, and I feel
it is important for the billboard to be good and reflect something about the storyline of the film.
a) For example this one of a train could represent that fact she is on a journey, giving the impression she will eventually make it as a international professional dancer.

b) Although difficult to make out what exactly this is suggesting, it caught by eye because of the various colours that it contains.

c) this one is one of my favourites! It perfectly demonstrates the dancing theme.

d) This one, I like because the girl is looking out as though she has hopes and aspirations yet they are not being for-filled at present, which goes with the idea in my film.

e) Although of no particular relevance to the theme,I 

    really like how colourful this one is and feel my

    actress dancing in front of a black mamorial

    combined with the strong colours used of the top

    would be affective.

f) Lastly, looking at which piece of artwork to have my character standing in front of may seem very picky, so I would just like to demonstrate why it has some importance. For instance, it would not really be appropriate (however good it is to support Norwich City) to have her dance in front of the logo for the local football team.

This picture indicates how the Subways splits into four different directions. I may have my actress being shown to walk down one of these routes.

Lastly, to show she is now leaving the Subway and walking to another location I will show her exiting, via going up this ramp. 

Finally, the last location I would like my main character to be seen dancing at is down an alley way doing tap dancing. This is because I think hearing her tap would be really affective and I want the audience to be able to see her doing as many different types of dance to demonstrate how good she is. 

I was really happy to have found this alley way, however it was off a fairly busy street so may have been difficult to film because of the fact predestrians would have wanted to use it. It is also rather narrow. 

I was not 100% satisfied with the first alley way I found, therefore looked to see if there was a better one I could use for filming. Luckily, I was able to find one down a lane called ''School Lane.''

I was far happier with this one because as you can
see it is far wider than the first alley way I found.

This alley way is also not off a busy street like the previous one so it is very unlikely anyone would want to go use it whilst filming was taking place.

Lastly, another point which is demonstrate well in this picture is the the red brick used. I thought this would go particularly well amongst the sound of the tap shoes. Combined I think it would be quite effective

My Idea!

Background:

I have decided to base my idea on something that I am interested in. When I was younger I loved dancing and I frequently watch television related programmes to do with the hobby. From this I decided to base my two minute film opening around dance. Although this is probably an obvious topic to chose for my age range and gender I feel that it is better for me to do something I feel comfortable with, rather than chose something of which I have little or no interest in. 

Plot:

My idea is that I have one main character who looks around 17. She has a unique look and is a very good dancer. She walks to various locations all of which are within her surroundings. I want to give the impression that she is on a journey, walking from place to place doing what she loves best - dancing. Whilst she is walking to a variety of places the film is going to crosscut to where auditions are taking place. Where the audience will see during different points of the opening five auditionee's walk into a dance studio in front of three judges and start to dance. It is evident however, that these audtionees are not up to the standard that the main character is. In order to collaborate the two scenes and give the impression they are intertwined I am going to cut between the main character walking and to where the auditions are taking place. In order to make it evident that the main character should be at the audition as she is the better dancer, I am going to have her walk past a poster advertising for the auditions yet she does not aknowledge that it is there, because she does not see it, yet the audience does. Whist the main character is walking to different locations dancing on her way to and from each, I am going to show the auditionees dancing so the audience can directly compare her dancing skills to those of the auditionees. Furthermore, through the main character not knowing about the auditions taking place, yet the audience does, I feel it gives them the impression that they want to watch more and see if she does eventually make it in the world of dance.