G.B.H Final Video

Props, Costume and Clip Synopsis

The props that we will require within our clip are as follows:

Picture of the gun prop we intend to use.

• Gun: We need a gun for the part of the clip where Dan's character gets shot. The prop of a gun is something that is symbolic within the crime genre and this is something that we are looking to incorporate into our title sequence. Obviously we can't use a real gun so we will use a realistic looking cap gun for the filming of the scene.

This is the cocaine prop we previously used.

• Cocaine: Yet again, we cannot use real cocaine within our clip for obvious reasons so therefore we will look to recreate this with either some kind of powder or crushed up vitamins, like in The Wolf of Wall Street. 

• Film Blood: After Dan's character is shot we want to depict him bleeding and to create this effect we are going to use film blood which will let us show him bleeding from the mouth. 

The envelope we used in our prelim. This time it will have pictures in it.

• Envelopes: We could use envelopes in our scene for a couple of reasons. One of the ones we are sure on is that we want to pass pictures of Jay's character on so that my character knows who to kill. We could also use this for the passing over of money like we did in our prelim task.

These are the costumes that our characters will be wearing:

The costume Hugo Vega will wear

The white shirt we've chosen to change

• Charlie Adams (Hugo Vega): Black shirt, dark grey tie and black trousers. The actual clothing itself is something that we wanted to show the organized nature of the crime taking place. For example the shirt and tie suggest affluence which is something we wanted to represent. The clothing colors was something intended to be symbolic in that the black symbolizes death. Furthermore the choice of black subverts the usual choice of white shirts for criminals within the genre. The white shirt was something we used in the prelim however we decided to change this. Charlie is also regularly available to film, has acting experience, and understands the end product that we are trying to create.

• Aidan Emberton: My character will be wearing a light blue shirt and black jeans. The shirt is meant to represent the organized part of our crime whilst the jeans also show that my character is more laid back than Charlie's.

• Jay Cheshire: Hoodie and black jeans. As a hacker we wanted to show Jay's character as a shady teenager who got involved with hacking and crime. Therefore we felt that the use of the hoodie brings in the idea of wanting to be hidden and also the typical idea of a teenager in a hoodie causing trouble. We also feel that Jay has the look of somebody who may take in interest in hacking 

• Daniel Tallon (Ricky Sideman): Green jumper, jeans. Dan's character is more of a lower down, street dealer type and we wanted to represent him as someone who wouldn't look too out of place in every day life. Dan is also regularly available which helps with our filming schedule.

Below are pictures of the set we have chosen to use:

The set with all of the furniture left in

This is the set we have chosen. Whilst in this picture there is a lot of furniture in the room, when filming we are planning to take this all out. This includes the pictures on the wall. This will allow us to create a set that we like. The window in this room is useful because it gives us some control over the lighting. With the blind we can let more or less light in changing the look of the room. An advantage of this room over some of the others that we looked at is that it is quite small. This means it can be created to appear as a small office type room belonging to just one person. Also if there was a broader space it might not look as hidden and closed in. Finally the corridor outside of the room meant we can create an alleyway type look if we want to.

This is the general plan for how our title sequence will look (storyboard and plot outline):

Initial Storyboard

An advantage of having a storyboard meant we knew exactly what shots we needed to film which both saved time and ensured we didn't forget anything.

Final Storyboard

It starts with Charlie's character talking to Dan about a drug deal and the conversation takes a turn for the worst and Dan gets shot. When the gun is fired music starts to play which gives a high paced feel to the title sequence. The screen pauses on a still of Charlie holding the gun in the air and the credits for his character come on screen. Then it cuts to a scene where me and Charlie's character are talking and he hands me a envelope with somebody to kill on it. A still of me looking at the contents of the envelope comes up and the credits for my character come up. The envelope shows Jack's character and it cuts to him in a poorly lit room, with his face lit up by the laptop he is using to hack a government website. It pauses on him with the titles for his character.

In terms of filming, this is an example of one of the weeks plans for the cameras we have at college. It shows when we have planned to film:

The final filming schedule.

We planned to film on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that week

Finally we have decided on this font for our title sequence:

How the font may look for our title sequence

 What I personally liked about this font is how it vaguely resembles some kind of graffiti but also has an official type look which is reminiscent of money. Within the title sequence, we intend to have a freeze frame of the character with this font over it and I feel that because we are considering a black and white look that a white font with a black outline means it will be visible over it and not add color to the scene. The font is called 'Bigdog' by the user Justin Biddle on the website 'dafont.com' and is free for personal use, so if we were to publish the film we would have to contact him.

Other fonts considered:

'Shadowed Sheriff'

We considered this font because of its bold appearance however we didn't feel it matched the genre we were aiming for.

'Gunplay'

One draw of this font was the broken up aspect of some of the letters and its resemblance to official fonts used by the army. However I felt the roundness of the font and the 3D letters were a bit unprofessional which conflicts with the classy yet criminal nature our characters portray.

'Bad Mofo'

This font was interesting because it resembled a font seen in pulp fiction. However, we want to create our own image and the font also looked slightly unprofessional due to some of the letters being lower case. 

'CM Moving Forward' 

This font was something that I felt was good as it resembled the action genre and this is a part of our film whilst not being the primary genre.Although I felt that the font Bigdog was more of a match for what I was trying to create. 

Overall, we will be using the same font throughout our whole title sequence: bigdog. 

This is the script that we created for our filming:

Ricky walks in

Hugo: Sit down.

Ricky: Come on man, this kinda shit happens to everybody.

Hugo: This is the last time you fuck with my stash!

Ricky (standing up): Please, we go way back… I swear to god this wont happen again.

Charlie stands up and shots Dan

Hugo: So I’ve got a job for you and he’s a hacker. Knows everything there is to need to know about my operations. And I need him dead by the 18^th of March.

Mr Phelps: I better get going.

Hugo: Get it done!

Mr Phelps gets up and leaves

Target Audience Research

These are the questions we asked in our vox pops:

1) How old are you?

2) How often do you watch crime films?

3) What is your opinion on violence in crime films?

4) What is your opinion on hard drug use in crime films?

5) Why do you like crime films?

6) Do you like crime films were the protagonist gets away?

7) What puts you off from a crime film?

8)  Who is your favorite director of crime films?

9) What do you think about the use of bad language in films?

We chose to ask open questions as we felt that it allowed us to gather a wider range of information, even if it does make it harder to analyse. For example, the question 'why do you like crime films?' allows us to find things we may have not previously considered, as opposed to if we asked if a specific thing was good. We asked the questions about drug use and violence to our audience as these are themes that would be prevalent within our clip so we wanted to discover people's opinions on them. We asked the bad language question for the same reason.

My initial reaction from having watched our clips is that the crime genre is something that is very popular among the 16/17 year old age range. The general ideas were that the themes of violence and drug use within the films were not to be taken too seriously and were entertaining. A popular director was Quentin Tarantino.

Analysis

Above is a pie chart showing how often people said they watch crime films. Whilst it is not perfect in that 'fairly often' isn't a time frame in the same way that 'once a month' is, I feel that it visually represents the answers well. Looking at the chart it is fairly apparent that, at least for the people we interviewed, people do watch crime films quite regularly.

With regards to the key questions about drugs, violence and bad language, we discovered that people around the same age as us had no problems with any of the three things. In fact, not a single response to people's opinions on them was negative, which suggests that we can take free reign with using them to a realistic extent. I feel that 'realistic' is definitely a key word though. For example, for the question about drug use, a third of the responses referred to it adding realism. This gives me the impression that if we overdid it, it may not seem as realistic because it may not accurately represent the lives that criminals live. 

One question that I felt could make a big difference to the potential outcome of the film and therefore the beginning to some extent is question six. For example, one answer was that if the ending made sense they didn't mind if the protagonist got away or not. Therefore, I feel that this is something that would be key going forward. This was something that was perhaps in the back of my mind however hearing this in the vox pops was useful as it brought it to our attention, ensuring it made sense.

Similarly, question 7 was helpful as it allowed us to see what people wanted from crime films. The general response was that it should be full of action, violence and crime. One response was that 'not enough violence' put them off a crime film. Therefore, violence is something that will be a part of the title sequence so that people know that it is a part of the film. 

If I were to conduct another session of target audience research, I think that I would ask closed questions, ask a larger number of people and also a wider range of cultures and ages. Asking closed questions would allow me to analyse the data even further because I would be getting a set response and also allow me to have some kind of control over the answers. Asking a wider range of people both in terms of numbers and background would allow me to gain data that is more representative of society as a whole. However, one benefit of asking the people that I did ask is that they are they kind of people that tend to watch crime films and therefore their opinions on the subject may be more valid than asking somebody who has no interest in them.

Certificate Research

Initially I thought that our film would have been an 18 due to the theme of drugs within it and the crime genre. However having done further research on the BBFC official website I have found that the following was acceptable for a 15:

Because of this a have decided that a 15 age certificate would be appropriate for our film. A lot of films within our genre are rated as an 18, for example pulp fiction, because they often promote drug use or show gory violence. Although, I don't feel that our clip reaches into 'strong violence or gore' and therefore it is only a 15.

The Oceans trilogy is rated a twelve because there isn't any drug references.

An example of a crime film that is a 15 is The Godfather. The BBFC website cites that fact that this film has strong violence as the reason why it is rated 15. I feel that because someone gets shot in our clip, this would count as strong violence in a similar way to The Godfather. 

Separate from The Godfather, the theme of drugs within our clip is also a factor that would contribute to the 15 age rating. 

Clip analysis - Reservoir Dogs

In the clip Mr Pink is portrayed as being in a rush due to needing to make a getaway. Because of this he is represented as being reckless as he tries to get away from the police.

One way that the sense of the rush is created is through the use of camera work. It shows him as trying to escape from the police and shows him running from them. An example of this is the use of the tracking shot towards the start of the clip which shows him running and then straight cuts to another tracking shot of the police officers running after him. This makes it immediately clear to the viewers that Mr Pink has committed a crime. Additionally, the fast paced feel created by the tracking shot also shows the seriousness of the crime. His state of panic represented by the fast paced shot shows that there is a lot on the line for him. Another camera shot that is used to create the representation of his panic is the long shot of the police officer running after the car. The shot is from the back of the car itself and it creates the sense of relief Mr Pink would have been feeling. The police officer chasing after the car looks futile and it shows that the extremity of Mr Pink's action have meant he has been able to get away. Furthermore the fact that he is running after and shooting at a car shows that whatever Mr Pink has done is serious as it is obvious how pointless running after a car is. Another aspect of the camera work that reiterates the sense of panic for Mr Pink is the handheld camera technique used within the clip. An example of this is when the long shot moves into a mid shot as Mr Pink is shooting from behind a car. The way that the camera sways helps to create a panicked feel to the scene and highlights this feeling within Mr Pink.

Another micro-element that creates the element of the panicked rush is the use of mise en scene and setting. The setting of the scene is just a normal street which shows that there will be normal people there and this will cause stress and panic among them as well as the panic that the police and Mr Pink are going through. It also highlights the fact that due to being found by the police Mr Pink is in a situation where he can't afford to try and go under the radar and must make a panicked attempt at a get away anyway he can in order to be free from the police and get away from his crime. Additional aspects of mise en scene that are meaningful are the iconic prop and costumes of the gun and a suit. This creates a clear image of who Mr Pink is. It easily makes him recognizable as an organized criminal and within my own clip I think making use of easily identifiable props and costumes will make it easier for viewers to relate to the clip.

A final micro-element that creates the sense of panic is the use of editing. The fast paced editing of the scene creates the impression that there is an urgent situation at hand and certainly creates a sense of tension between the police and Mr Pink. The perfect example of the fast paced editing within the clip is when Mr Pink gets hit by the car and then steals it. It goes from a shot of him running, a shot of him in front of the car, a shot of the broken windshield and also a shot of him on the floor all within two seconds. This also represents how being hit by the car would have raised the sense of panic even more. Mr Pink may have been worrying about if he could get away and the fast paced editing helps to create that impression.

Clip analysis - Fast Five

Within the clip from Fast Five the characters stealing the vault are portrayed as reckless and as causing an emergency for the bank from which they are stealing it from.

One of the main microelements that creates this sense of recklessness is the use of sound. It shows their disregard for their surroundings and that they are simply going to do whatever it takes to get the vault from the bank. For example the sound of glass breaking and rubble falling shows that they are being destructive towards their environment in order to get what they need. This shows the characters stealing from the vault as people with a disregard for authority and the people around them. Another aspect of sound that helps build upon the scene is the sounds of gunshots and police sirens. The gunshots show the viewer that the police are on alert and that the nature of their crime is serious and is being dealt with in that way. Additionally the ambient sound of the police sirens creates the idea that they are being chased and have caused a state of emergency for the bank. This again shows their disregard for the authoritative figures of the bank and the police and shows that they have no fear.

Another microelement that helps build a representation of the criminals within the scene is the use of the camera. It adds to the pace of the scene and reflects the panic they are causing upon to the viewer. The unsteady camera shots throughout the scene, due to a handheld camera technique, has a jarring effect upon the viewer and help you understand that this is a high intensity scene. Furthermore it also reiterates the sense of emergency that they have caused. Within the scene there are shots of police and bank officials rushing around and it shows that they have caused panic among them.

A character in the clip that is similar to a character within ours is Mia. She is shown with the prop of a laptop with what looks like a road map and she gives directions to the characters. This could be similar to the character of the hacker from our own clip. The use of the prop of a laptop creates the idea that they are mobile with their operations and private with what they do. Furthermore the use of setting for her character is dark and hides part of her surroundings. This reiterates the private feeling of what she is doing and also creates the impression that she wants to be hidden. Within my clip I feel that borrowing this idea of the dark room would be something that is very effective for our hacker character.

Clip analysis - Pulp Fiction

Within the clip Jules and Vincent are portrayed as powerful and hardened criminals, completely in control of their situation and those around them. They contrast strongly with the other characters in the room, acting as the binary opposites (Levi-Strauss) to the characters that they are interrogating.

One micro element in the scene that portrays them as powerful criminals is the use of camera work. In particularly Jules, the use of the camera makes him seem very intimidating and angry towards Brett and tells the viewer that he has no qualms about doing whatever he needs to in order to get what he wants. One particular camera shot repeatedly used throughout the scene is the use of the close up on his face when he is talking to Brett. It shows the anger in his face and represents him as a very intimidating person. Furthermore it makes you empathize with Brett more than you would have previously; you understand how angry he is and it reiterates the idea of Jules as a hardened criminal who has done this kind of thing before. Additionally you can tell that Jules himself has no worries about the situation because you cannot see any intimidation in his face.

The use of the midshot of both Jules and Brett highlights the contrast between the two characters as the binary opposites of powerful and weak within the situation. The midshot shows the viewer both the anger within Jules' face and also the hands raised by Brett as a sign of weakness and fear. This elevates the power that Jules has within the scene and helps the viewer understand that Jules has complete control over this person at this point in the clip.

Also, the use of mise en scene within the clip helps to reinforce the status of Jules and Vincent's characters. Particularly, the use of costume shows the affluence of the characters and conforms to the iconography of criminals within the genre. Both of the characters' suits show that they are both quite wealthy people and linking this to their life of crime it is possible to assert from just their costume that both of the characters are making a lot of money from the way that they live their life. In addition it also suggests that both the characters have experience with the kind of thing that they are doing. The fact that they have made a lot of money from this also implies that they have been doing it for a while. Finally, the costume also reinforces the binary opposite of Brett and Jules' characters. Jules is dressed much more smartly which suggests that he has a higher status than Brett within the scene. This idea reiterates the fact that Jules has Brett in his control. I feel that in  my own clip the use of proper costume would be important in order to create realistic characters and also to add to the personality and background of them making them easier to understand.

Another aspect of mise en scene that is used within the clip is the prop of a gun. Both Jules and Vincent are carrying this iconic prop from within the genre and it is immediately obvious when you see this prop the fact that they are violent criminals who aren't afraid of killing people. As a viewer this shows you that this scene won't end well for Brett as both the characters are armed and he is in the palm of their hands. Moreover the fact that the gun is so iconic within the genre helps to build and flesh out the characters of Jules and Vincent. People understand what a gun represents and that it shows the violence of characters. Additionally it foreshadows they way that that scene is going. The simple fact the characters have guns suggests they are probably going to be used. Within my video task I feel that the use of props would be important in order to create a realistic feel to the clip and make it more relatable for people watching it.

Finally the use of sound helps to foreshadow the ending of the scene. When Vincent prepares his gun for use and then casually holds it in the background as the viewer you understand that Vincent and Jules are about to kill Brett. Without question, both characters are more than ready to use their weapons and it shows just how casual the characters are. Furthermore it would build fear within Brett. Whilst talking to Jules he can hear the clicking of a gun in the background. It asserts their dominance over him within the scene.