Fiction adaptation- Update

A freeze frame from my film. 

So I put all of my footage onto the computer yesterday and started editing today! So far I have really been enjoying it and feel the shots are all working well together. Also the lighting of all of the shots seem to be good, which I was most worried about. I have started my rough edit and am hoping to get this finished by the end of today. 

I realise they I will need to go out during the easter break and record some sounds for my background track. Also I am still trying to decide if i want to have the words of the poem on screen or as a voice over. If I did have it as a voice over, the kind of effect that I would be going for is a young innocent voice. This is because the effect of the backing sound track I want is things such as wind chimes, gentle wind, heavy and fast breathing. I feel this will build up the suspense for the audience. The reason I may have the poem as words on screen is because I do not want too much going on in the background as far as sound goes. I do not want the audience to have to concentrate so much on the sound that it takes away from the images on screen. 

I will continue thinking about this and possibly do a few testers to post on here! 

Fiction adaptation- shoot day!

So today was the day of my shoot! I was very lucky to get perfect weather today which made things a lot easier for myself and my actress. We got to the location and did Laura's hair and makeup before setting up the camera and shooting. Everything seemed to go really well and Laura did a fantastic job with her acting! I found it quite tricky setting up the tripod on the uneven woodland floor and so did quite a few shots handheld. I think this may work well though as it will add to the effect of someone following the girl.
I really enjoyed this shoot and hope that I have got all the shots that I need. If not I may have to go back and do a couple more pickups next week.
I'm looking forward to getting everything onto the computer and seeing how it looks on a bigger screen on Monday!

As Live- Location research

So today, myself, Hennie and Maddie went to the venues we want to film our gig guide VT at. We wanted to check for things such as, space, the area the bands would be performing in and lighting.

The first venue we went to was The Druids Arms, this is in a central location in Maidstone and they have bands playing on a Friday and Saturday from 9.30pm 12, as well as acoustic jam nights every other Friday from 6pm-10. They have said it is fine for us to film as long as we get permission from the bands playing. The performance area is outside in the beer garden which I think would give a different edge to the shoot.

We then went to The Old House at Home, they have acoustic sessions every Thursday from 8pm-1am. We have been told to contact the manager about permission to film here and will be doing this tomorrow.

Earls was next and this was an extremely helpful place for us to go. We spoke to the landlord who explained to us he was more then happy to help us with our project and that we could film in Earls no problem what-so-ever. He has told us to visit a gig night on the 5th April so that we can decide on the best places to situate cameras etc. He also explained to us that they do all their own lighting and effects such as smoke machines, this would bring a new dynamic to our shoot and make it look a lot more professional. We would then do the shoot on the 19th April. Earls has gigs Thursday through to Sunday, with the more up and coming bands playing on a Thursday from 9pm-12. Dave the landlord also told us about the business he uses to source the bands that play at Earls. They are called Make Some Noise and they source up and coming music acts for many of Maidstone's hotspots for music. Dave also told us that when we go along on the 5th he would e happy for us to get there a bit earlier and film the setting up for the gig, and even interview some of the band members who are performing that night. This will give us the chance to add a 'access all areas' section to our VT, which would give the viewer and insight into what happens backstage.

We then moved onto the Style and Winch pub. First impressions were that it was quite small, but we were then shown the beer garden and performance area for the bands. This was quite a substantial size. They have gigs on every 2nd Friday. Unfortunately the landlady Debbie was not there and we were told to contact her any time between 10am and 3pm. They also have Splinter Sessions which is an open mic night, and are apart of the Maidstone Fringe, they are having acts all day on the Monday, these are all perfect opportunities to film for our gig guide VT.

I have also taken down the details of the Make Some Noise company so that we could possibly get in contact with them to see if they have any other suggestions of places to film that we have missed out.

Work experience!

So yesterday and today I have been doing some work experience for ITV. It was for a pilot for a the shopping network JML. I had so much fun and learnt so much from my 2 days there. Over the 2 days i did running jobs such as setting up and taking down the props on set, preparing props to go onto set, keeping areas tidy, escorting the audience to and from certain places such as the canteen, but my main job of the 2 days was being the logger in the gallery. This job involved me writing down the start time and finish time of each take through out the day. It took me a few attempts to get used to being as quick as i need to be at it but eventually I got used to it and really began to enjoy it. 

The overall experience was extremely enjoyable and I have taken so much from it. I hope to do more with ITV and JML in the future! 

Fiction adaptation- keeping organised!

So I have been planning everything for my big day of shooting for my fiction adaptation uni. I really want to be much more organised then previous shoots I have done as I think this has been my downfall in past attempts.

The costume that I want my lead role to wear is a white floaty dress with white pumps. Her hair will be down, messy and knotted and her makeup smudged down her face to give the sense that she has been crying. 

I have also been thinking about the kind of lighting I want for my scenes. Because I am planning on having  my film in black and white and i want the sense of a supernatural sense to grip the audience, I would like to have strong bright lighting in certain scenes. This is because it will make shadows and this will then give the sense of there being something there that the audience has not seen yet. 

As Live- VT venue research.

Today myself along with the other members of the VT groups have been researching the best venues to go a look at for the VT's. We narrowed it down to the following places and when the open mic and gig nights are done-

• The Flower Pot Pub- Tuesdays and Sundays 
• The Rose- Thursday nights
• Earls- Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
• Drakes- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• White Horse- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• Chicagos- Wednesday- tribute acts
• Druids Inn- Saturday and Sunday
• Pizza Express- gigs genrally spread out through the month
• The Lower Bell- throughout the week

We then contacted these venues over the phone to see if we would be aloud permission to film there. We have been given permission so far from, The Flower Pot, Drakes, White Horse, Chicagos, Druids Inn and Pizza Express. We are still hoping to get in contact with a few more venues. 

We will now go to the venues that have given us the ok and check them out for things such as health and safety, space and lighting. 

Fiction adaptation- research

I have been looking into the supernatural forces used in films. i have decided that due to the fact i do not have a huge budget, I want to make my film have the sense that there is a supernatural force without showing it. I would do this by concentrating on the sounds, lighting and generally trying to build up the atmosphere. It will also depend on the actress I have keeping up the performance of scared, vulnerable, panicked etc.
I have been researching films that use the presents of paranormal forces in films, one that stood out to me was Paranormal Activity 3. This film gives the audience the impression and sense that there is a supernatural force haunting a family but you do not see what it is. i want to do this in my film to build up the suspense and keep the audience intrigued as too what is going to happen next.

As live- research for VT

So I have started to do some research on one of the blogs we want to shoot. The main idea for this VT is a guide to Maidstone's hottest gig venues.

Earls.

I have started by looking at Earls pub. It has been a hot spot for gigs and is a staple in the Maidstone music lovers life for the chance to watch some of not just Maidstone but Kent's hottest bands.

 

In addition to the friendly and lively atmosphere, Earls also has regular live entertainment featuring many local bands. Karaoke is available every wednesday and you can watch live football on our Plasma Screens.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the days to get down to Earls for a chance to see some of the local acts.

Contact Details

Phone number:  01622 751286

Email: info@earlsmaidstone.co.uk

http://www.earlsmaidstone.co.uk/ 

Drakes.

Drakes is a vibrant and lively traditional pub that brings together groups of all ages. The pub has a much younger more vibrant feel in the evenings and at weekends. There is a  DJ on Friday and Saturday evenings with live music on Sundays and the place can get busy. In a central location, it is easy to get to so you can catch the top new bands of Kent of an evening. 

Contact details

Phone Number:  01622 600056

Hazlitt Theatre. 

The Hazlitt if probably the biggest venue in Maidstone for the performing arts. The theatre is serviced by its own dressing rooms, licensed bar and refreshment facilities with seating for up to 382 people. With a wide variety of events including stage productions and gigs, this is the place to find great new acts. With such a vast amount of seating this is a great opportunity to watch a act in a very big and bustling atmosphere to see just how good they are. 

Contact details

Phone number:  01622 758611

Email: andreafrancis@maidstone.gov.uk 

http://www.hazlittartscentre.co.uk/

                                  

      The Old Brewery Store

Already top local bands such as Jam Sandwich, The Crossfire, Loose Change, Rewind, Under the Wood and a host of others have played The Old Brewery Store alongside groups such as The Vintage Corporation, Jailbird and Blighty. Located in Faversham, Kent The Old Brewery Store, is relitively new but working on bringing some of the best local and not so local bands to its stage. It is a wonderfully atmospheric venue for events and entertainment. Composed of three interlinked areas the venue is licensed for 400    people.

Contact details

Phone number:  01795 542285

http://www.oldbrewerystore.co.uk/

The Barge.

Live music is a vital part of life at The Barge - there's a gig of some kind on at least once a week, and on the nights where there's not an official gig you might just find a random bunch of people jamming away on the many musical instruments which are always lying around somewhere. Genres of music played at The Barge include, blues, jazz, folk and acoustic. Along with this selection of gigs, this traditional pub also offers open might acoustic jam nights. 

Contact details

Telephone number: 01634 850485
Email: info@thebargepub.co.uk


http://www.thebargepub.co.uk



                                                              The Flower Pot.

The Flower Pot pub is a traditional pub that hosts open mic nights on a Tuesday evening. This atmospheric pub also has regular live bands playing through out the week and weekends. Many of The Flower Pots customers have a avid interest in music. Right next to central Maidstone, this pub is the perfect place to find out and catch up on the local new talent of Maidstone. 

Contact details
Telephone number:  01622 757705

http://flowerpotpub.com/

I will continue my research into venues in which gigs are played around Maidstone and the surrounding area. 

Fiction adaptation- location

So i have been putting a lot of thought into where i want to do the shoot for my fiction adaptation unit. I had to take into consideration things such as how busy the location would be, how easy it would be to get permission to film there and the general accessibility. After all of these considerations, and looking at locations in Maidstone, London and Brighton, i have found a park called Stanmer Park in Brighton. It is easy to access, doesn't ever get very busy and also has both open areas and wooded areas for me to film.  This will be a good location hopefully! I am going to do some more research by going back to the park to pick out the exact spots I want to film in. 

Fiction Adaptation- update

So I've finally got my actress for my fiction adaptation film. I was looking for a young woman age between 18-24, blonde (to give the typical sense of vunerability) and obviously someone i have faith in to act and do a good job, as this is where i have gone very wrong before!
My actress who will be playing the leading role in my film is a friend from back home who fits my brief perfectly! I will be making sure she is extremely well briefed and prepared before the shoot to make the day flow better.

Fiction Adaptation- update

Yesterday I had a tutorial with Helen about my fiction adaptation unit. I explained to her that I am now wanting to incorporate the idea of the supernatural into my film. This is because i know that Walter De La Mare was very interested in the supernatural world and incorporated this into a lot of his stories and poems. I am going to research techniques of how the supernatural has been used in films and see how i can use them in my own film.

So far i have considered things such as manipulating lighting and sound.

Many films have use the technique of supernatural forces to make a film much more scary and eerie. For example the hit trilogy Paranormal Activities. More recently The Woman In black has been released.