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I struggled for time when designing the book covers for this part of the project, this was unfortunate. As an outcome they were very basic with little thought but a lot of experimentation.

Having little to know time i loaded up photoshop and just started throwing together uneasy setting imagery and altering layouts, colours and sizes. Along with playing around with fonts. For the third book cover i took inspiration from the original black penguin books and went for a similar style, this actually turned out well in my opinion, giving it a modern look but an obvious resemblance.

My favourite would either be the black penguin inspired cover or the first design this is because they just stand out a bit more and look semi professional, like something you could see on a book shelf in a book store. Alongside this they have a strong look that would entice a horror or thriller type based audience best fitted for a book like this.

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As an outcome i would suggest my trailer/fil suitable for people of the age 15 or above, and no specific gender.  All round could be enjoyed by anyone of the appropriate age with an interest in, crime , politics , thriller , horror or drama.

Set in a world where covid 19 worsens and the UK government begin adding more and more rules. Finally having enough the UK public begin to retaliate , riot and ignore all laws. It follows a family who try escape the country as they believe its became too unsafe for their child.

Taking inspiration from ‘The Purge’, the trailer opens with a series of news clips. This is to introduce the setting/plot of the film, sharing the plot of covid-19.

To show the level of development and danger it then switches to news clips on riots. This is to share the plot story of the public retaliating against the government. Introducing the danger or enemy within the film.

We then switch to start using my own footage and become a bit more personal rather than global. This allowed a sense of location and more of a feeling as if the viewer was there.

Next the trailer begins to introduce the characters. It does this by showing the characters these being the only ones shown within the trailer.

we then show the tension between them giving the sense of an issue they have. This is to give a sense of curiosity to the viewer on to what this may be.

Finally the trailer ends with the sound of a boat engine. This is to for-shadow the ending to the film but not visually give it away.

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Story board development.

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The Process

The process began with simply gathering all the footage on to premier pro. Alongside this i had to find audio to use. This proved difficult as i wanted 2-3 different tempos throughout, to fix this i ended up blending different sounds fairly simply by just adjusting the volume to transition between them. This was made easy as i was lucky enough to find 3 similar styled songs when finding audios.

Alongside the music i wanted a news article type sound to reference back to the big inspiration behind most of this work, the first purge opening.

Once i had all the footage there i worked the project in 3 parts. Opening, news flashes and riots. This is where the first more calm audio is. This is slower and more sets the scene just introducing a sense of danger. When working this i hadn't filmed my own footage yet and was just using free footage found online as this acted as a vital recourse for my project. The outcome was amazing though and i was very happy with how it came together.

Next was the middle, introducing the characters. This is where i started to use my own footage and starts slightly after i had just introduced a new sound. This made the trailer more personal and introduced the idea of a focal point as before it made the film seem global to show scale.

Then was the final part , this is where it began to calm down and show a sense of relief. Here i also added a sound of a boat engine on the exit screen to give a sense of escape but you cant see who. This was to hint more to the story and also to entice the viewer to find out.

Sound editing was very fun and played a massive part within the trailer. I am very happy with how it turned out. I couldn't manage to line the transitions up perfectly with the music and is slightly off, but strangely as a mistake i like this as it almost adds a sense of discomfort and the idea of not having a boundaries like not having the laws in the film.

When it came to actually adjusting the image of my videos i hadn't changed much. This is mostly as i prefer a simple look. I did change the gamma slightly, and crop the footage along with some rescaling here and there. Though simple i think this really gave it a cinematic type feel i like within a film.

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Week review

The previous week was not overall the most beneficial in terms of research and blog work, although i did achieve gathering footage to complete my trailer. The end turn out of this footage was slightly better than honestly expected. Though there were a some hiccups to the original plan.

I had scoped out some filming spaces prior to the shoot. One of these however was occupied by some not so nice members of the public. Luckily having a know of the ground i knew a back up spot that worked nicely and had better lighting than the original. 

Finding a time my actors were both available and willing was difficult and hard to achieve but managed to find a time where possible. One downside to the actors available is i couldn't find a third to play the child, considering this i tried to show only one character in frame where possible to hide the fact their may be more. This also helped to film at social distancing regulations. The actors themselves were amazing, have little time to practice and most done in one take.

This footage was then used yesterday to finish editing the outcome of my trailer. Which overall im very happy with. Yesterday was also a good sense in having got a little more research done on my blog and reached 69 blog posts.

[oncethomastebbings]

Directing Camera Movement

This video gives a great insight into the affect of camera movement when filming. It also begins to teach you that any camera movement may make the film look good but for it to really work you should be drawing the viewers eye to what you want to be the focal point of the scene. 

This was extremely interesting to watch and allowed me to learn some terminology for the movements and introduce me into the idea of combining them to create new unique movements.

This is incredibly interesting and could help slightly within my trailer although the majority of my trailer is quick cuts almost acting like a movement would but giving it an incredibly different feeling. Almost like the idea of not being able to have time to find a focal point and cause anxiety when watching.

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Tim Burton

Tim Burton is  an incredibly interesting and remarkable director , animator and artist. His works originating strongly form the German classic horror films he would watch and relate to in his referred to as “isolated childhood”.

His works consists of a strong gothic feel with dark and twisted stories. Having his career blow up from his two shorts, Vincent and franken weenie. Both made for Disney but fired shortly after for being to twisted and a waste of materials.

These two shorts were incredibly unique at the time and lead him to working on some modern day master pieces such as , Batman , Batman returns, Beetle juice , Edward scissor hands , live action Dumbo etc.

I personally love his work. Though taking inspiration from classic horror films like Frankenstein and Dracula i would say his work is still incredibly unique and yet to see anyone do work up to his ability. His work is incredibly recognisable and has created characters who will be remembered throughout history.

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Hostel

Hostel - Eli Roth

this is a very weird film. Like most of Eli Roth’s films they aren't exactly done the best. Despite this its almost what makes them so memorable and recognisable. 

The films almost look foreign, but that very much adds to the uncomfortable and out of place feeling you get when watching the film. This is mostly because the acting is almost cheesy and ironic and everything about the films are very cliche.

The Film has a dark tone throughout. This is nothing special but works nicely to add to the sense of tension and fear all horror movies should give. 

There isnt honestly much to say about the film its like many cliche horror films, people may like it or not. But personally i quite like it, its a horror film that aims more to make you uncomfortable than scared , like the saw series. This i think is a better aim within modern horror as very few are actually scary now.

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Baby driver

Baby driver is one of my all time favourite films. Filled with drama, action , romance and most importantly an amazing soundtrack! The film follows the story of a young driver who listens to music to help him concentrate, owing a debt he is forced into becoming a get away driver for a heist crew. 

The story all ready being something that could draw an audience in the soundtrack just tops that with classic songs that just give the film an awesome vibe. 

The vibrancy of the film works amazingly in making it less of a crime film and more of a teen drama. The very warm reds and oranges throughout give the sense he is good character just forced into wrong almost like he doesn't fit in there telling the story without even watching the film. Sure that may not be the most appealing to all audiences but believe me its worth a watch! 

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Charlie Grayson

Charlie is a friend of mine, he creates short films and other projects for university or just fun. He studies at Cardiff university. 

His work by far isn't the best, but is extremely memorable for other reasons. His videos give of a very amateur but comedic vibe. Definitely worth a watch!

He recently created a series named Bullsh*t its horribly done upon what you would initially think but this makes the comedic side of it 100x better. The horrible acting also helps to add to this.

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The Detective Get Away

having being filmed in one shot this scene must have taken some major planning. It worked well in the sense of following a particular character adding to the sense of almost being an extra person to the group. 

Personally other than in the sense of following someone i don't really think this works though. This is because the film then becomes really boring and almost begins to feel like a video game, when you just spawn in and cant move right away. Other examples of films that i think have done this better are films like 1917. 

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What I like about in a film.

Films are amazing and a great visual way to tell a story. Despite this i think the visuals and sound tracks are able to tell a story better than acting or lines. These are also what keep me much more engaged in a film and makes it a film i would definitely remember watching.

Good examples of these are films like

the book of henry

baby driver

perks of being a wallflower 

etc

All these films have a very dramatic feel to them with dark tones. The soundtracks to the songs are also very fitting either by setting a mood or making the feeling relatable to the character.

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In the tall Grass

“Director Vincenzo Natali wanted to do a film adaptation of In the Tall Grass as early as 2015 when he announced: Who would think that grass could be frightening? Trust Stephen King and Joe Hill to find a way. They have transformed an otherwise innocuous Kansas field into a stage for some of the most disturbing horror fiction I have ever read."

- google 

In the tall grass was an amazing film. Though not the scariest the film looked beautiful with some amazing use of transitions and shot composition. They specifically used a very vibrant tone alongside very wide open shots of the field , this worked well as it introduced a sense of temperature form the vibrancy and scale of the field from the wide shot composition.

When following the characters more closely within the field the composition becomes much more close and harsh this then gives a sense of stress and tension almost like a claustrophobic feeling from being lost in the field.

The story its self its extremely simple but works extremely well. It follows a brother and sister (the sister being pregnant) , who hear a boy calling for help lost in the field while heading to give up the baby. The go searching for this child and meet the child and family throughout but also getting lost. The sisters boyfriend then comes searching for them and ends up getting lost in the field looking for them too. This then becomes a loop that goes on and on. Till the loop is Brocken.  This story is very simple but i think it works as it is incredibly interesting to follow as is almost getting lost along with the characters, having much more storyline may have over complicated it.

Overall it is just a incredibly beautiful film. Its composition is very much what i like in a film and the soundtrack is very basic and minimal but also very much works.  Definitely would watch again.

[oncethomastebbings]

Sound?

upon initial thoughts towards sounds , i was thinking of a music overlay with muted video. This is mostly because i want the imagery to tell the story and not dialog as i find dialog tends to give the story away where as using imagery it leaves the viewers imagination to wonder about what's happening and why.

This means finding or making music that fit the video. I would like to think ill be able to use music that is calm for the majority but speeds up at one point for the argument scene.

Though already having a story board this is just a rough basis and the clips will be edited best they can to fit this chronological order and the song.

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Practice film

Due to running late on getting some of my own film work done , i went out on a short practice filming session to get some clips i could try editing. This was difficult as it was very last minute and couldn't really film strangers therfor was left with signs and scenery.

This could have been resolved if i had payed more attention to the deadline of the project and had pre planned a shoot. The outcome of the footage used in the actual trailer will hopefully show this being done.

To try get the best result i could come up with from these clips, i used premier pro to blur a few clips at the start or end to give a nauseous feeling and transition the clips a tiny bit better. Despite having done this i really dont think it worked well and i wasn't overly happy with the outcome , but i do think it looked slightly better than before.

Alongside this i raised the image gamma on the clips slightly and cropped the top and bottom by 10. This adds to a dramatic , dark , cinematic look really making the yellow pop and show then danger of covid. 

I also added a title like screen with a tv network notice. this wasn't done well but works to break the clips up slightly. 

The outcome of the whole thing i wasn't happy with at all. Though it does look like a really bad psa video. 

Having now tested this i now know i need to really put thought , and preparation into filming of my final footage, and work towards prepping for transitions. 

[oncethomastebbings]

Composition

https://fstoppers.com/commercial/keys-composition-filmmaking-183577

Composition is one of the most important creative aspects of any filmmaking. Simply put, it is the act of defining the position, arrangement, and view of objects within the frame.

The subject of composition is composed of five elements: scale, angle, space, background, and colour. Here are explanations of each along with real world examples illustrating the concepts.

Scale

Scale is essentially the size of the subject in your frame. For example, are you shooting a very close up shot of just your subjects eyes or is the shot wide enough to include the entire room and everyone else in it? Scale is greatly affected by lens choice. A wide angle lens tends to distort facial features at close range as well as accelerate motion throughout your frame. For this reason, wide angle lenses are rarely used to photograph portraits but ideal for enhancing the menacing speed of a race car coming down a track.

Conversely, a telephoto lens compresses your image making the objects in frame appear to move much slower. In addition, larger faces and body types tend to benefit from a telephoto lens as it will slim down features. Also important to note is that longer focal lengths help decrease the depth of field in your image giving you those blurry backgrounds so often sought after. This is widely accepted look for cinematic purposes whereas a wider angle lends itself more to editorial work where candid moments are more commonly viewed.

Angle

The first, and most obvious, aspect of angle is camera height. How high is your camera in relation to your subject? The height of your camera can have a dramatic effect on the emotion being conveyed. A simple example is that of photographing a child. The typical placement of camera when photographing a child is from above while looking down. Subconsciously, this placement conveys a sense of superiority over your subject as being above them must mean you are in charge.

    - similar to the interviews within the first purge.

On the other hand, getting down low and shooting up towards the child will convey a sense of inferiority as the subject will appear larger than life and strong in relation to the viewer. Use a wide angle lens and this effect will be exaggerated even further.

The last thought to consider is photographing someone at eye level. Doing so conveys a sense of “connection” as you are able to see directly into their eyes. Move the camera to the side of their face for a profile and the feeling now becomes a sense of “voyeurism” almost as if you are watching them without their knowledge.

Space

The Rule of Thirds is probably the most used spacial technique in photography. Imagine your 16:9 frame divided into thirds horizontally and vertically with four points of intersection. These four points are considered “pleasing” to the eye for no particular reason other than it being the general consensus amongst most cultures. Placing key elements of your subject, such as their eyes or head, at these intersecting points is ideal for most situations.

Negative space is another important consideration. Simply put, negative space is the area that surrounds your subject which does not include detail. It helps define what your subject is and leads your viewer's eye to that point. It provides breathing room and prevents visual clutter creating a more visually compelling argument.

Background/Foreground

Background and foreground. Backgrounds should complement your subject not distract you away from it. Poles sticking out of heads or crazy patterns are probably not going to achieve this. Can’t avoid the background? Pull out a telelphoto lens, open up your aperture, and get close to your subject to blur out the background.

Conclusion

The beauty of photography and filmmaking is that the latter is simply an extension of the former. Most of us start by appreciating the basics of photography and the basic concepts of this art carry over easily into the world of video. Composition is no different except you must keep in mind that your subject will be moving as you film them. Take these five tips with you and go out to practice each. Take a person and photograph them from far away. Then get so close you can see the color of their eyes. Shoot them in a cluttered forest and then an open parking lot. Examine the differences between these shots and see if the feeling or you experience is any different. By putting these concepts into practice, you will be sure and remember them time and time again.

[oncethomastebbings]

Jack Reacher

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Jack Reacher is a fictional character and the protagonist of a series of crime thriller novels by British author Lee Child. After leaving the US Army as a major in its military police at age 36, Reacher roams the United States taking odd jobs and investigating suspicious and frequently dangerous situations. As of 29 October 2019, 24 novels have been published, the most recent being Blue Moon. The character has also appeared in short stories, and two of the novels have been adapted into successful action thriller films, starring Tom Cruise as Reacher.

Soundtrack

1. Checking In 2. Surveillance 3. Torture 4. Under Arrest 5. Jailbreak 6. Cat & Mouse 7. Samantha 8. Taking Care of Business 9. Too Close for Comfort 10. One Man Show 11. A Junkie’s Lament 12. Intercepted 13. Contraband 14. The Hunter 15. My Life for Hers 16. Separate Ways 17. Making the Connection

The trailer for Jack Reacher is good , though it really gives the story away. It really builds tension making the cuts quicker and kore often the more you go into the trailer. The opening scene is all that’s really needed to act as a trailer for the film as it introduces you to the character of jack reacher and his somewhat importance. Despite this , everything beyond the opening glorifies the action within the film. The action being a key selling point. The trailer isn't all round bad and id consider watching the film but wouldn't be the top of my list. There for not something id use as reference when producing my trailer.