Film Openings Brief

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task MUSTdemonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Planning

□    Notes on what is meant by the 3 shot types.

□    Brainstorm to show ideas for film

□    Storyboard for film

□    Script for the dialogue to film

Preliminary production:

□    Edited film

□    Evaluation/analysis of preliminary production INCLUDING what you learnt from doing it and how this learning will impact upon your main production.

Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.

Research:

□    Different genres of films (list films linked to the genre).

□    Questions on ‘What is suspense’

□    Conventions of film openings in general (look at content, style, features)

□    Conventions of openings of films from a specific genre (such as regular features, specific techniques, ways narrative is explained)

□    Conventions of horror films

□    Analysis of AT LEAST 2 existing film openings.

□    The genre of film YOUR opening will be from:

□    Conventions of the genre (such as styles, directors from the genre, narratives, style, techniques)

□    Audience profile for this genre

□    Do a DETAILED analysis from at least 2 existing film openings from this genre.

□    Suitable institution to produce your film. And why.

Planning:

□    Brainstorm for your film (to include genre, ideas for opening sequence, styles, colours, styles of copy)

□    Brainstorm names for your film/state why you chose a particular name for your film.

□    Survey of your target audience to find out what hooks them onto a film from this genre.

□    Storyboard ideas for the opening, with annotations to show development of ideas.

□    A range of photographs for the storyboard/opening – all images taken to be included, with explanation about why this scene would be suitable for your film opening.

□    Explanation of your film’s concept in 25 words or less.

□    A regular BLOG to show project development and to record the planning/project stages.

□    A production schedule planning out what will be done and when.

□    A final draft version (use print screens for notes in A3 book AND put full draft version onto the blog) – with annotations/commentary on good and bad aspects of the production.

□    Survey/feedback of the target audience again to get their opinions on your production and any changes.

Production:

□    Final opening and titles to your film – lasting no more than 2 minutes – upload final version to your blog as well as recording onto a DVD.

□    Evaluation of whole project.