FILMING: TOPLINE & BIG QUESTION

 I watched a presentation by Frank Ash who is a creative consultant for the BBC. He has taught storytelling and creative techniques to teams. From this presentation, I have learnt how important it is to  intrest and grasp the audience in order for them to enjoy it. It is vital that the audience is left intrigued.

For Frank Ash, film makers need to think of what the top line and the big question are. He calls the top line 'one elegant sentence' which sums up the story for the viewers. He then says 'we need to leave the audience wanting to find out more' which is what he calls 'the big question'. 

Having learnt from Frank Ashs post on future learn, I decided to sign up for future learns film. The course promises to cover how our favourite films make it to our local cinema or television screen, through the film distribution process. The start date is October the 18th 2021. 

FILMING AN OPENING SEQUENCE

 This week we made practise film openings. We have used the idea of 'table top' filming. We decided to do this in groups of 2 and 3. Our brief was to film in one continuous take and to also introduce a part of life action. 

Research

Before filming our 'table top' sequence we decided to research 3 other films using Art of the title. We viewed Delicatessen (1991, Jean-Pierre Jeunet). We noticed how the inventive camerawork tells a story and sets the theme. Another title that was very interesting was 'To kill a Mocking bird'. Last years students also had some unique sequences. We then used these as inspiration to create our own titles using our own props. 

Planning

Before filming started, we had to come up with our own story line. Megan and I decided to base our 'table top' exercise on a girl gone missing. We then laid out all of our props that were elements of our film narratives. We also researched and discussed music tracks for the sound track. Our aim was to find something that would grip the viewers. One of our options was Nostalgia by Emily Barker which was the Wandler theme tune. 

Filming

We filmed in one continuous sequence in order for the film opening to flow and grip and intrest the viewers. After, we filmed the 'live action' element, uploaded the footage into the editing software and planned our titles, editing, special effects and sound tracks. 

RESEARCH ART OF THE TITLE

 Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia is set on a fictional greek island named Kalahari. The opening scene of Mamma Mia begins with a tranquil and beautiful atmosphere. This is when the lead, Sophie, is drifting down the sea on a boat at a slow pace. The camera is at a birds-eye view shot also moving at a moderate pace. This is effective that they both move simular as it conveys how soothing and undisturbed the atmosphere really is. She begins to sing a song to express her feelings that represent the atmosphere that she is in. She says 'I have a dream to sing, to help me cope with anything' This represents the dark and depressing atmosphere as she wants to escape to her own world and sing her way out of life, as it seems with the boat slowly coming in towards a deck. She then begins to walk up to her letterbox in the dark and send a letter to her dad about a wedding. 

It quickly cuts to an undershot of a man on a motorcycle panning up towards him, with Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! In the background. This represents the fast and rough pace of the motorcycle, as it is a very fast and energetic song. Then, it pans up to a massive building, and stops at the very top and cuts to Sam, a businessman, at the top. This represents his powerful status as he is at the very top of a very big building, that slowly pans up to him, showing he is on top of everyone else, and has a lot of power.