Actor's contract.

Paranoia mood board

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Final Cut Pro Workshop

Today in lesson we went over Final Cut Pro editing techniques. These editing techniques included colour correction; with the colour mask and shape mask effect we learnt how to manipulate the colour saturation and the exposure of each shot. We learnt how to use the cropping and transform effect. We discovered different transitions and titles. I can use and develop these editing techniques throughout the rest of the course, utilising them during the editing process of 'Paranoia'.

This editing workshop was really helpful because I learnt how to manipulate each shot to portray different moods and different atmospheres. I feel like I can be more creative and this has impacted the way that I think about potential scenes. Most importantly I learnt how to create the eerie suspenseful atmosphere that I wasn't sure how create prior to this lesson. I used my newly learnt skills in the short clip below:

 

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Writers Block and how I dealt with it - Battersea Park scene

During the storyboard making process I was struggling with some serious writers block. The reason behind my writers block was my inability to imagine how the scenes in my head were going to look like on screen. My teaser trailer is a psychological thriller and this is my first time trying to create a product of this genre, this was another problem because I wasn't totally clear how I would portray the negative psychological effects that my characters are meant to feel. My budget is low however i'm pretty sure that I can use editing techniques in Final Cut Pro. Another reason for my writers block was my ignorance with the new camera's quality, I wanted to know how much detail it could capture; in order to tailer the mise en scene of each scene to how well the camera will pick it out . Lastly, some of my ideas felt too ambitious and I was afraid that each scene I created was becoming overcomplicated.

In an attempt to get the creative juices flowing, I decided to create the storyboards and shot list for a simple scene in Battersea Park. This scene will include my main protagonist's Brian, Connor and Jason having an enjoyable conversation with each other. This way I can see how accurate my idea comes across on screen. I can also edit the footage playing around with the different editing techniques in Final Cut Pro.The following posts will feature the storyboards and shot list. 

Battersea Park scene shot list

Battersea Park scene storyboards

 

During the process of making these storyboards I wanted to include as much detail as possible. As you can see I included the shot length, the camera angle and what the actors will be doing on screen. The rationale behind this is to organise each shot so that during shooting day we don't waste any time and daylight, trying to figure out what we want the shot to look like. Another pro of using storyboards is that filming each shot will be done quickly because all we have to do is follow instructions. As a result, we will then have spare time to use creatively. For example we may ask our actors to improvise whilst we try out different camera angles for each shot.

Battersea Park scene screenplay

   

Analysis of our survey results

Analysis of Survey Results

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Detailed comparison of Shutter Island's teaser trailer, film poster and magazine cover.

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Pictures of people taking our survey

In an effort to be more interactive with my target audience, I walked around college with my teachers iPad.The iPad was a fantastic tool, it was very light and therefore easy to carry around. This portability meant that I could directly go to people in my target audience and ask them to complete my survey. 

I think that using an iPad is a useful method to get people to take your survey however I found it to be time consuming. In my opinion putting my survey on social networks is better because it is more accessible to a wider demographic. 

In depth analysis of Shutter Island

Media language/Mise en scene:

This trailer is filled with fade to black transitions,  this had a very disorienting effect on me because I found it overly repetitive and uncomfortable to watch. Shutter Island is a psychological thriller so this excess use of fade to black transitions may have been implemented on purpose to make the audience feel uncomfortable. A variety of close ups are used to show the distress on the actors faces. When the main protagonist hands over his gun, the speed of the shot is in slow motion to let the audience know that this character is defenceless. Three guns are shown in the trailer, this lets the audience know that Shutter Island may contain action. "It was as if she evaporated into thin air" this enigmatic statement will entice the audience to continue watching the trailer because they're presented with a mystery that needs solving. Leonardio Dicaprio is the main selling point of this trailer because he's a well established hollywood actor who has a big following. His acting roles in Titanic and Blood Diamonds have made Dicaprio popular thus showcasing him throughout the trailer is a strategy to lure his fan base. The fast cuts build tension and the climax at the end of the trailer does a great job of leaving the audience in suspense.

Institution:

Shutter Island is a 2010 psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. It performed well in the box office with a budget of $80 million, it made $294 million. However the film received mixed reviews. Martin Scorsese is a universally respected Director with an impressive filmography; Goodfellas, The Departed and Casino. Leonardio Dicaprio is a A list Hollywood actor, he has worked on blockbuster hits including Titanic and Inception.