Costumes and Props

Costume and Props are one of the key aspects to our genre as they are a part of the codes and conventions.

COSTUME/PROPS

Costume is fundamental to a characters identification. This is because, the audience won't even need to hear the character speak and they will have an idea of who that character is. Costume can also represent what sort of background that character is from.

DR. JACKSON

COSTUME: This character will be easily identifiable as a scientist because she will dress stereo-typically as a scientist. She will wear smart black trousers and a white lab jacket. Along with this we will make her look as formal as possible with glasses and her hair up as well.
PROPS: As a prop she will wear scientific goggles and white gloves. Furthermore, she will have test tubes, test tube racks and other various experimental equipment around her, which are needed to give the impression that she is a scientist.


ALEX JAMES
COSTUME: Alex is the main character who will be wearing dark clothing so that we can show that her character is tough and not afraid to take action. She will look rough as she has just left her home in a panic. She will wear, black leggings, a backpack, a hoodie and converse. The purpose of this clothing is that we still want her to have a tough exterior so that the audience can assume that she is one of the strongest and secure characters and that she know what she is doing. Her hair will either be down or in a messy bun, and she will wear dark makeup to add to the idea that she is dangerous.
PROPS: She will have a phone and a backpack to contact other characters and to keep her possessions safe. However, she will not have a gun as we want her character to be vulnerable.


HAYDEN WHEELER

COSTUME: He is the SI5's best 'assassin'. He will wear all black which will give him an element of seriousness and professionalism.This will include black jogging bottoms/jeans, a black tshirt, a black hoodie, and a black face mask to hide his identity from the public.
PROPS: He will have a gun which is to protect himself but also to assassinate with. Additionally, he will also have a walkie talkie to which he will use to communicate with John Ross when needed.


JOHN ROSS
COSTUME: John Ross is another main character who is the head of the SI5. He will be filmed wearing suits. These will include navy and black suits to show his sophistication, as he his the head of a dominating organisation. 
PROPS: A gun, as he must protect himself and a phone so that he can contact the other members of the SI5. He will also have a briefcase full of money for when he pays Jessie in the trailer.





JESSIE WRIGHT
COSTUME: She will wear black trousers/jeans with a plain top or jumper. This is because she plays the friend of Alex and doesn't get in any physical disputes throughout the trailer so she will be wearing clothes a normal teenager would wear.


PROPS: She will have a phone so that she can contact Alex when needed.






LEO DAVID
COSTUME: He will be smartly dressed to show that he is apart of the 'SI5' organisation. He will wear an all black suit at some points during the trailer to show his dark side, but a lighter, blue suit to show he is not a complete 'evil' character.
PROPS: A phone and a gun as he is one of the most important members of the SI5 so he must protect himself and also a phone to communicate with Alex.






RACHEL ADAMS

COSTUME: As she is a news reporter, we only see the top half of her, so therefore the only costume that we will see her wearing is a formal shirt and a blazer. She will also be wearing makeup to give her an older and professional loos. This is because it is stereotypical of news reporters to dress smartly and look pretty as they broadcast the news nationwide.
PROPS: A microphone and papers so that she can read the news story and she can be heard.

Character and Actor Profile

MAIN CHARACTER: Alex James

We are aiming to follow the ideal look of a young adult girl in her late teens. Since she is the main character, our target audience will also be able to relate to her and be more immersed in the trailer. She must also look physically capable so we can show that she is not easily afraid but also look vulnerable as well so the audience can feel sympathy for her in certain situations. Therefore she must be able to show more than one side, a soft side but also a tough side. She should also have short hair so that we have a somewhat sophisticated look.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Rebecca Maguire
GENDER: Female
AGE: 17
HAIR COLOUR: Blonde
EYE COLOUR: Green
HEIGHT: 5'5
RACE: White

We have chosen Rebecca because she fits the character description of Alex well. She is also a drama student, which helps because her acting skills are already advanced so we can rely on her to perform the role exactly the way we want her to. She also lives quite close to our school so we know that she is easily accessible.

MAIN CHARACTER: John Ross

The character of John Ross must look physically older and stronger than all of the other characters. He must have dark hair and eyes to make the character look tougher. His voice must be deep and boisterous so that his power is evident through the way in which he talks. He must have a stern face in order for our audience to take him seriously and know that he is in a position of great influence; he must have a powerful gait.

CHOSEN ACTOR: Ravi Sivalingam
GENDER: Male
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'8
RACE: Asian

We have chosen Ravi because he also matches our character profile for John Ross accurately and we know he can achieve this role successfully because although he is only 18, he has a stern face, which makes him look serious. He is a friend of ours and would be available to film with us when we need him. 

CHARACTER: Leo David


For Leo's character, we don't have a very strict description for appearance. He must simply have dark features, such as dark hair and eyes so that he can look mysterious for his role. he must also have hair that is easily able to be slicked back in order for him to look smart and sophisticated and as if he is in a secret organisation. He must have a solemn exterior; he will have a intellectual tone to his voice and he will carry himself in a neat and organised manner. These characteristics combined with his costume of a variety of suits will help communicate to the audience that he is working for a serious organisation.

CHOSEN ACTOR: G-ying Lo
GENDER: Male
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'8
RACE: Asian

Gying was the clear choice for us because he, like the rest of our cast, fits his character description perfectly. He has the appropriate look for the role and also has studied drama in the past. We believe that he can execute the role of Leo David the best out of the people we were thinking of. We are good friends with him and he also lives quite close to us and is available to film during school times, so he is convenient and will be easy to work with. 

CHARACTER: Jessie Wright

We will be following a basic description of a teenage girl for the role of Jessie. She must be around the same height as Alex's character and she must also look like a young adult, so that the audience can relate to her character more. Since she is a villainous character the idea is that she will have a strong aspect to her, so she must look young, but very confident.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Sophie Lehane
GENDER: Female
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Hazel
HEIGHT: 5'6
RACE: White

We have chosen Jasmin for the character of Jessie Wright because she fits most of our description. She has quite a baby face, but we can easily make her look one or two years older with makeup for our trailer. As well as this, she is our good friend and she lives very near to us as well so working with her won't be a problem. She is also very enthusiastic about film, so she will be very engaged in the trailer whilst filming, which is always good.

CHARACTER: Hayden Wheeler

Hayden's character is similar to John Ross. He must have some facial hair to highlight his masculinity. He is one of the 'bad' characters so he must be able to look dangerous with a mysterious look. This is because he will not have many lines in the script and we need the audience to be afraid of him. Hayden Wheeler should look physically strong and able to fight so that we can show that his character's job is mainly physical. He must also have a deep voice and he must be able to speak in a patronising tone.

CHOSEN ACTOR: Dwight Gibson
GENDER: Male
AGE: 17
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'8
RACE: Black

We have chosen Dwight because he is an enthusiastic actor, who is currently studying drama. He also fits the description of Hayden and is readily available to film during and after school. Dwight also wants to get more experiencing in acting and being in different media pieces, so he will definitely be motivated to accomplish his role.

CHARACTER: Dr. Jackson

This character must look sophisticated. They must look like a young adult (so around 20-25). They must be able to speak in an intellectual manner and be able to sound wise. There is not a strict restriction on what they must look like, however they cannot look too young so that the audience doesn't assume that they are young and therefore naive/unintelligent.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Monique Jackson
GENDER: Female
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'6
RACE: Mixed Race

Monique will perform this role because she is part of our group, so it will be really easy to get her filmed because she is part of the production. Although she is only 18, she has a mature style, and with some makeup we can make her look older than she it. She also knows this character and all of the others in detail and she understands a lot about the trailer because she helped create the idea and will help direct and edit. As well as this, she also studies drama and is a very capable actress so she will be able to get into the character of Dr. Jackson with ease.

CHARACTER: Rachel Adams

We will be following a basic description of a news reporter for this role. Therefore, they must be able to articulate and be able to look presentable on camera; some key characteristics they must have are confidence and charisma.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Freya Cattermole
GENDER: Female
AGE: 17
HAIR COLOUR: Brown
EYE COLOUR: Green
HEIGHT: 5'6
RACE: White

Similar to most of our cast, Freya is a drama student and she can get into different characters comfortably. She also fits our character description, as she has a loud and bold voice, and a lot of confidence. Additionally she studies media as well so she will be able to film with us during lessons and she will be passionate about the production. Her skill in acting means that her performance in our trailer will be immaculate.

Shot List

Shot list for filming day one: 11th February

Shot list for filming day two: 18th February

Shot list for filming day three: 25th February

Shot list for filming day four: 28th February

Storyboard

Ident Name - QUESTIONNAIRE

We have asked 23 students in our sixth form, male and female, aged 17-19 to draw a line next to the name that they liked the best so that we could choose which two names to use for our idents. We collected the results in a tally chart because it is a simple method. We used students this age because they're of a similar age to our target audience so we want to know which names they find the most appealing so that we can have a better chance at engaging them in our trailer.

The top name that was chosen was 'Black Tape Films' so this is the first name we will use. 'Blue Arrow Productions' and 'Purple Reel' tied second, however we personally liked 'Blue Arrow Productions' more, so that is the second name that we will use.

Screenplay

FADE IN:

INT. SCIENCE LAB - DAY

DR. JACKSON, an experienced scientist for the SI5, is in the lab, experimenting on some blood.

DR. JACKSON

I’ve never seen anything like this before.

CUT TO:

INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY

A few important members of the SI5 are in a meeting room.

JOHN ROSS, head of the secret government group SI5, 40s, holds a picture of a girl up.

JOHN ROSS

 She's different.

INTERCUT - ALEX, a normal teenage girl, is with her friend JESSIE watching a video and then taking a selfie.

John Ross slams the picture of the girl on the meeting room table.

JOHN ROSS

We must find her.

CUT TO:

INT. ALEX'S HOUSE - DAY

Alex is laying in bed, watching a news broadcast about her.

NEWS REPORTER

This is a global broadcast announcement. A teenager names Alex James is wanted by the government for a classified investigation. A monetary of ten thousand pounds will be awarded.

CUT TO:

 INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY

John Ross is accompanied by his main assassin, HAYDEN WHEELER, an experienced killer working for the SI5, 30s. 

Jessie is sitting opposite the two.

JESSIE

I can help you find her.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE FOREST - DAY


LEO DAVID, a loyal member of the SI5, tracks down Alex and confronts her.

Leo grabs Alex and turns her around.

LEO

Alex, I need you to come with me.

ALEX

Who are you?

CUT TO:

INT. LEO'S OFFICE - DAY

Hayden confronts Leo about his betrayal to the SI5.

Hayden walks to Leo's desk and slams his fists on the table

HAYDEN (V.O.)

I know what you did.

INTERCUT. Alex running down some stairs behind an alleyway. Dr. Jackson inspecting Alex's blood. Leo banging on someone's door.

HAYDEN 

Pick your sides wisely.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSTAGE CLOSET - NIGHT

Hayden is handcuffing Alex.

LEO (V.O.)

It's not about her. It's her blood.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEYWAY - DAY

Hayden and Leo are fighting outside.

HAYDEN (V.O.)

Listen, Leo can't be trusted.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEYWAY - DAY

Alex and Leo share an intimate moment as their heads touch because they are reunited.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSTAGE CLOSET - NIGHT

Hayden is holding Alex's head down as she is trying to struggle.

ALEX

Help! Anyone! Please!

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR PARK - DAY

Leo gets out of his car and picks up his phone.

INTERCUT - Alex is in an unknown location, calling Leo.

ALEX

What's SI5?

LEO

It’s not ‘what’, its ‘who’.

Detailed Plot - Type Z

MI5 LOGO RESEARCH - SI5 LOGO CREATION

The MI5 is a very well known intelligence agency in the government. They work to protect the UK against threats to national security. Their role is defined as "the protection of national security and in particular its protection against threats such as terrorism, espionage and sabotage, the activities of agents of foreign powers, and from actions intended to overthrow or undermine parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means".

This is the symbol for the MI5.

Our trailer idea involves a secret agency within the government that aims to complete a similar task: to protect the UK against threats. We wanted to make a logo of our own so that we could use it as a prop on a badge for our trailer. 

We used a logo making website and started off with two shapes: a triangle and a circle. We then wrote out 'SI5'. We decided to make the logo dark to indicate that this agency was dangerous and could cause harm. We chose to use blue, grey and black because the colours all go well together.

We then fit all of the components together and realised that the 'SI5' wasn't as visible as we wanted it, so we ended up making the font a lighter shade of blue to the logo was clear. We also made the triangle a shade lighter as well.

Below is the final logo that we produced. It is very simple, but we will use it as a prop for our trailer to make out agency appear real.

Sources:

https://logomakr.com/

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/what-we-do

Theories of Narrative

These are two theories of narrative which I have researched about the structure of narratives. They are very popular and we will use this in the creation of our film trailer, as one of the aim of a film trailer is to set up a narrative.

TZVETAN TODOROV'S THEORY

He states that most story's follow the same pattern, consisting of 5 steps:

• EQUILIBRIUM - The first part of the film, where by everything is balanced and in order.
• DISRUPTION - A problem will arise in the story to disrupt the balance and happiness. 
• REALISATION - The characters realise that something is wrong in the story.
• RESTORED ORDER - The characters will attempt to fix the problem.
• NEW EQUILIBRIUM - The final part of the story, where balance is restored and the problem is resolved.

This theory follows the idea that the narrative of films is a repetitive pattern of harmony, disruption, and then harmony again. This is evidently true for most films and therefore we must assume that our film will also follow this theory. We must make sure that the elements of our film trailer (music and lighting) can set up the equilibrium of somewhat peacefulness, but we must also make sure that we add a sense of darkness to create some unease.

VLADIMIR PROPP'S THEORY

He developed his theory by noticing a pattern in characters in folk tales:

• THE HERO - Usually seeks something.
• THE VILLAIN - Struggles against the hero.
• THE DONOR - Helps the hero or gives them a magical object.
• THE FALSE HERO - Perceived as good but emerges as evil.
• THE DISPATCHER - Sends the hero on their way.
• THE HELPER - Helps the hero on their quest.
• THE PRINCESS - The person who marries the hero.

This theory states the characters in a film help to move the story along. Our film trailer will include around five of these characters. We must try to make it as clear as possible who they each are separately (e.g. who the hero and villain are) so that the audience are aware of who they should be 

Pirates of the Caribbean Film Scored Analysis

This is a very popular piece of film score music. It was composed by Klaus Badelt and is the theme for the film franchise Pirates of the Caribbean produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and. It could be argued that the Pirates of the Caribbean theme is Badelt's best and most admired film score. The music composed for the first film of the franchise (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) wasn't favoured by Bruckheimer. It was first created by Alan Silvestri, but once shooting was finished, Bruckheimer wanted a replacement score and had asked Zimmer to do it. However, Zimmer had other commitments so the task was given to Badelt; Zimmer was the music producer of the film. Bruckheimer went with Zimmer's team because they were frequent collaborators and they had a good work relationship. Zimmer was then hired as the composer for the three subsequent films in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), collaborating with Rodrigo y Gabriela for the latter.

 It was created on a big budget and so involves many instruments, which include percussive instruments and string instruments that happen to suit the genre of a action. String instruments carry on throughout the theme for the melody. This helps to create excitement for the audience because of the upbeat notes and the fats pace of the theme. this can make them look forward to the film more.

Although the theme song is for the film, it is not used in the film trailer. This may be because, although the theme is upbeat and excites the audience, the producer of the film may have wanted to use a more dramatic theme for the trailer that can vary with different scenes that they wanted to include in the trailer. For example, adding a loud drum sound when a character says something dramatic. The trailers score is much more intense, as it is supposed to be the first time the audience are introduced to the film and what its about. It definitely helps the audience know that the genre of the film is action and gives them an indication about the different events that will take place.

For our film trailer we will have to find an already existing piece of music, as we do not have the equipment or skill as of yet to produce out own score. This will ultimately save us time, as we won't have to spend time making and developing a piece of music. However, it may take some time and some testing to figure out whether the music that we choose is correct for our genre and plot. We will most likely choose an upbeat piece of music, similar to the Pirates of the Caribbean theme so that we can create excitement for our audience when they watch it.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean:_The_Curse_of_the_Black_Pearl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Badelt

The History/Elements of Film Scores

The History of Music in Film

Before the 1930s all movies were silent. Music was commonly included in theatre productions and was brought to films to add some depth to the images shown on the screen for the audience as well as for tradition.
The majority of silent films were accompanies by full orchestras, organists, and pianists. Various books of music were published to provide ideas for scene music to have an affect on mood, element, or event. 

During the 1930s, music was established as a vital element within film. Sound within films was usually Western Classical Music (from the 19th century) would play over the film. However, original scores started to become a normal thing. Mas Steiner was the first to write a completely original score for King Kong (1933). Composers began to develop their own styles of supporting film.

In the 1940s, composers began to evolve in their work, and one of the most important and influential composers was Bernard Hermann (who I have mentioned on a previous post). He was able to create music to enhance the films that they were made for.
Jazz music had become common in the industry from the 1950s. It required less musicians, so orchestration was less expensive. James Myers and Max Freedman wrote the first rock song to appear in a film (1953), as the use of different genres was experimented with. The 1960s and 1970s included perfecting previously learned techniques and uses and also a few highly memorable scores.

The first widespread use of synthesized sound took place in the 1980s, which stemmed a film score revolution which made it a more popular choice. it became possible to score a whole film with only one performer for the very first time, using a synthesizer to product the sounds of various instruments. This caused popular songs to be produced and used as film scores.

Today, with the ongoing development of new technology and knowledge, film composers have the ability to create the perfect film score. This enhances the film and transforms it into an experience for the audience.

Elements of a Film Score

TEMP TRACKS

This is an existing piece of music score, which is used during editing to guide the mood or atmosphere. Composers are often asked to recreate or imitate a specific composer or style in the temp track. Sometimes directors like the temp score more than the original score and choose to reject it.

STRUCTURE

Films often include different themes for character, events, ideas or objects. these can be played in different styles or variations depending on what they represent. For example, John Williams' score for the Star Wars Saga includes different themes that are associated with different characters: Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia.

SOURCE MUSIC
Most films have around 40 to 120 minutes of music. Some have very little, and some have music that plays throughout. Source music is music that only comes from an on screen source that can actually be seen, for example music playing from a TV or a radio.