Storyboard for Prelim task

I couldn't upload the document so I did a screenshot and posted it as a photo on here. Click on the image and a bigger version of the image should appear, on which the text is big enough to read.

Preliminary Task

How are new technologies affecting the way in which we consume films?

A big part of the evolution in our film consumption happened as I was growing up. When I was a kid we only had VHS, then DVD and now the internet. This is how it happened through my eyes:

A big change happened in the way we consume films when DVDs were released. The change caught on really well with most families and within a few years, or even less, DVDs were replacing VHS. I think the reason for that quick change was that the difference between VHS and DVDs was massive. No more rewinding at the end of each tape, no more fast forwarding for ages to get to a particular part of the film as chapters were now introduced, subtitles were available, choice of different languages, bonus material, better sound and video quality, being able to watch films on your computer etc…all making viewing a film at home so much more comfortable.

The video market reached it's high point in 2004 with a sale of 234 million DVDs. 

(Blu-Ray, a more evolved version of DVD, was also released a couple of years ago, but I don't think that it has caught on that well, because, to be honest, I don't see that blu-ray is 'better' enough to replace DVDs.)

DVD rental shops started to be available, from which one could pay an amount of money to rent a Dvd for the night or the week, without having to buy the DVD.

Also, the TV screens in american homes, then later also in our european homes, starting being bigger and bigger because the big, thin, high definition plasma TVs were getting cheaper and are now affordable for an average earning family.

Then, the internet offered viewing of reasonable quality videos on webpages like youtube. 

People found ways to upload films in bits of  about 10 mins on youtube. I remember looking for videos like "iRobot part 1", "iRobot part 2" , 3 ,4 etc. 

I remember that some people used to go into the cinema with videocameras that they'd hide and film the movie, then upload it onto youtube and people would watch it at home instead of going to the cinema. 

As the time went by, uploading and downloading complete films from the internet became more and more common and easy, quick to do.

People figured out ways of copying DVDs and then uploading the content onto the net.

Then the same happened with TV series, you could watch a whole new season that was still unreleased in your country through the internet. The quality of these illegal films also became better and better and now it is even possible to watch newly released movies on the internet for free in High Definition.

TV channels then decided to introduce "TV Video on Demand", which enabled people to watch an episode of a TV series or films that they might have missed on their TV. This was then also accessible via the internet. E4 even has a channel on youtube, where you can watch a lot of recently played programmes on demand. BBC made bbciplayer.com, with the same concept (even for radio programmes). Since 2008, the online VoD numbers have validly increased from 6.2 million pounds to 41.2 million in 2010. Legal download of films from the internet was also available through, for ex., iTunes, who sold recent films cheaply to download onto your computer.

Since free and cheap viewing of films downloaded straight at home was now available, the video rental market has also massively decreased since 2001. 

Obviously that change in film consumption at home also completely changed the way audiences consumed films at the cinema. Why would people pay money to see a film in the cinema when they could just as well watch it at home?

Even though on the whole, going to the cinema became more and more frequent in the last 20 years (the number of cinema screens in the UK has augmented from 2758 in 1999 to 3671 in 2010, most of the new screens being multiplex), the cinemas were facing a big threat when film-viewing on the internet became easy.

It mostly threatened the money intake of films, especially as the cinema visits are a big part of the profit films make. This pushed producers to come up with a new  marketing idea : 3D cinema!!

3D had already been introduced a few years ago, but not many people liked the idea of having to wear funny cardboard glasses during the whole film etc. 

But this time, the industry introduced it right. They did the right advertising in an appealing manner and used the right films to start on, i.e. with computer animated children's movies. Kids loved the idea of seeing their heros in 3 dimensions and watching a 3D films in the cinema was an exciting, new and unique way to see a film. So more and more CGI films were produced in 3D. It became a big hit, especially for action movies, CGI and films with a lot of special effects. 

The successful reception of the 28 3D films in 2008, made producers double the number to 56 3D films made in 2009. In the UK alone, those 28 films made a total of £241.8 million pounds in 2008.

Personally, I am not a big fan of 3D films, but I understand the cinema's need to evolve in technology and I am quite curious to see what will happen to the way we consume films in the future, especially as technology is now changing so quickly.

Evaluation of preliminary task

What planning did you do?

Well, first of all, we discussed what the storyline would be about. We decided to have Emily walking down a corridor, entering the room and then talking to Lyndsey, who notices she's late for her job interview and then runs out down the corridor. 

Once that was all worked out, we thought about what shots to use for which part of the scene, making sure we're not breaking the 180 degree rule.

We then made a shotlist and a storyboard.

How was this useful, and how did you change from your plans?

It was good to be organised and it was a good idea to have planned out what shot we'd do, but in the end we didn't really stick to the plans that much and we just filmed the shots that we all agreed fitted best.

What camera skills have you developed?

I have learned quite a lot abut how different shot angles have a different effect on the audience. That has helped my filming-technique a lot. Instead of just filming from the same boring angles, I now alternate from high and low angles and close ups.

How confident are you with using the cameras, and has this confidence changed during the project? 

Seeing as since I was quite young my parents have had a film camera and then a few years ago I bought my own, I was already used to using camcorders. I am confident in using the cameras for fun and now I've learnt how to use the cameras in a more professional manner.

Give details of specific camera skills/ techniques you have developed and include areas where you lack confidence/ need to improve?

I definitely need to improve holding the camera steadily. I wobble a lot when i film and i have previously filmed using a tripod, but i do need to improve my freehand filming.  

One thing that I have learnt over the process of our preliminary project is that I have to LEAVE A GAP between scenes. We accidentally filmed over part of our conversation and ended up having to film it all again. I don't see it as negative point, seeing as it didn't take up much more time, because we already knew exactly  how to film each scene and filming it again meant we could improve parts of it and we also all learnt an important lesson. 

Trailer

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The trailer to Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy makes the film look really interesting.

It shows the most suspicious and electrifying bits of the movie to make you want to see more.

The music is very exciting and make you feel like you will be dragged into being part of the story when you see the whole film.

The music starts playing when a clip of a hand pressing a button turning on a tape is shown. It starts off silent and slow becoming faster, louder and more tragic and dramatic throughout the trailer leading to a clash of sound when the title 'Tinker Tailor Solider Spy' is announced written in simple white letters on a plain black background. Then each main actor's name is flashed to a silent but important beat ending with 'coming soon' written to the sound of gates closing.

In the first 20 seconds of the trailer most clips shown are shots of characters quickly flashed fading from and to black in time with the music.

Then written questions addressing the viewer (to make them feel part of the movie) flash in capital letters upon the screen in-between the scenes: "HOW DO YOU FIND AN ENEMY- WHO IS HIDDEN- RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES?"

In the same white writing it is also stated that it is based on John Le Carre (a famous ex-spy)'s best-selling novel.

The colours in the trailer, like in the movie, are not very bright or bold. They are rather tame, calm and mysterious colours like grey tones, beige, black, dark red, light blue and brown.

Everything the characters say in the extracts seems to be an important statement in some way relevant to the storyline and is said in a secretive, strict but wise tone. e.g "We're not so very different you and I. We both spend or lives looking for the weaknesses in one another" 

Personally I think that the trailer looks more interesting than the film was, but I think that's because I found the Film altogether too complicated.

Camera angles practise shots

High angle (insignificance / vulnerability)

 Long shot (Establishing location)

Medium Close up (usually allowing audience to identify with character's emotions):close up (bring focus to object) :

 Extreme close up (normally utilised to closely identify with character or action. Often used to symbolised horror in a thriller film i.e. the close up of Marion Crane's dead eye in 'Psycho'): 

Tilt (Confusion/ disorientation/nightmare)

 Bird's eye view (Adds to audience appeal giving the audience a different view of the action):

Worm's eye view (Often used to indicate fear - audience view events from a character's vulnerable perspective):

Low angle (Power/status/menace) :























Over the shoulder (Somebody following person/ placing audience in position of character):