MOVIE TITLE NAMES: Ideas Mindmap

Movie Title Name Ideas

Below shows the proces of us shortlisting some names for our movie. We looked into our genre choice, psychological drama, our movies themes and the buzz words largely related to our films plot. We also discussed as a group whether we would want our choice of movie title name to give too much of the plot away. We decided we simply want the title to relate heavily to the idea of the internet and it's clear enough for the audience to see the link.

The idea of 'false identity and peoples profiles all on the internet', is what we want to be the main idea captured in whatever movie title name we pick. We shortlisted it to:

• Offline
• Profile
• Profiled
• User
• Alternet
• FakeBook
• Ch@

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MISE EN SCENE: Costume Ideas/Research

MISE EN SCENE: Costume


Our trailer will be focused on our two protagonists, their friendship and how its abused through online fakery on Matt's part etc. But first and foremost through the difference in costume between the protagonists, we intend to subtly suggest the difference in character but yet still portray the different types of stereotypical  teenage 'lad' of today.

We want to portray the males, in terms of costume in the most conventional way that will be suited to not only the different locations and actions but the different roles they take up in within the films aswell.

For our research, we looked into costume of the typical teenage boy of today on Britain's street before then looking into the costume of said males in films, preferably british films. Our research showed the following aspects:

It really depends on the type of style and personality of the male and also, very importantly, the roles the said male takes on through a film e.g. a son, a schoolboy, a team member, the boyfriend, a gangster etc
Their typical costume in films can normally go a number of ways that I personally believe reflects the personality of the character more often than not:

- 'The Trendy One': fashionable (Collar tops, Chinos, Aztec Print, hightops, converses, vans etc)
- 'The Quirky One': trendy, unique (mens accesories, coloured slim fit jeans, trainers/lace-up shoes, demin shirts, pattern tops etc)
- 'The Simple Lad': plain, simple (Monochrome Colours, Plain round/V-necks, plain jeans, loafers)
- 'The Sporty Guy': baggy, loose, (hoodies, tracksuit, printed/branded tops, trainers etc)
- 'The School Boy':  smart or scruffy, fitted (shirts, suits, tailor trousers, ties,  etc)
- 'The Preppy Lad': smart, casual (shirts, polos, shorts, toms, cardigans)
(Others include looks/costume that reflect social groups e.g. emo, goth looks, rock looks, hip hop looks etc)

'The Preppy Boys'

 

'The School Boys'



'The Quirky One' 

'The Simple Lad'

'The Trendy One'

For the character of Matt, we intend to keep his costume pretty simple perhaps even class it as a bit quirky but very much the simple lad. His costume definitly wont be too trendy or portray as the very fashion conscious type as that doesn't align with his character at all. Simple costume like jeans, t-shirts, no accessories etc. For the shots in school, both our protagonists costume will have to obviously be suited to the location e.g. uniform costume.

For the character of Jacob on the other hand, simple costume as well but influenced alot by the 'school boy' look whilst keeping it plain aswell.

We don't really want much distinction between the two protagonists costume as we want them to seem similar to each other afterall they are friends and we want them to also seem relatable and realistic in terms of their clothes. We couldnt achieve this if we perhaps allowed their costumes to be heavily influenced by any other look.

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Sound Research

Lightning Bug

• The first eight seconds of the trailer consists of a classical piano tune which is mainly known to create an equilibrium as the sound of the piano is played in a calm melody, but the trailer actually starts with a thudding base sound effect which already indicates that there is some sort of interruption within the calmness of the piano music which could be a hint that there is something off key a midst the serenity that appears to be present in the film.
• A disequilibrium is created by the static sound which starts at around 0:13 and the disjointed snippets of sound which suggests that the same thing happens in the film (Todorov) with the disequilibrium. 
• The silence that occurs when the female actress uses dialogue, diegetic sound, and says "Earl did a bad thing", it creates an enigma (Barthe's enigma code) which will make the viewer more enticed when watching the trailer which could encourage them to want to watch the movie more. 
• The music which follows this quote is electronic/rock style music and this creates quite an eerie atmosphere about the trailer. This also conforms to the stereotype of typical psychological drama style music.
• The part where one of the actresses says the word "movies" is quite chilling, which could suggest quite a chilling side to the film which could make the viewer even more interested in the film as it seems to offer variety.
•  An further equilibrium is created at around 1:07 when the music changes to a non diegetic guitar piece which is featured mostly in romantic films and the diegetic sound of the girl saying "are you gonna kiss me?" creates some sort of enigma as to where the relationship of the boy and girl is headed.
• Humour is also thrown into the trailer, again showing that the film offers variety and the diegetic sound of dialogue says "sexy bitches are my favourite kind of bitches."
• In certain places there are diegetic sound effects like glass smashing and crying and this delivers a sense of passion and makes the trailer have a sense of thrill to it which makes it more than just a drama and makes it into the psychological drama that it is; the abruptness creates this feeling.
• When watching towards the end of the trailer, the last 20 seconds, the music is echoing and this sounds like music being played backwards almost, which creates a sense of distortion. The scream at the end is followed by the diegetic speech of the actor saying "is that scary enough for you?" in an echoing type of way and this makes it sound a lot more scary, which conforms to the slight scare factor that is present in some psychological dramas.

STORYBOARD

Storyboard

Part of the planning stages for our final trailer is having a brief and drawn out draft of our storyboard; clips, shots, props, actions etc we intend to include in the trailer. Here below is the very first draft:

(The storyboard shots aren't necessarily in the final order but it gives the main gist of what we will include)

'Credits/Production/Director/Actors information'

Above is just examples of the typical conventions we intend to include in our trailer amongst the fast-paced cuts e.g Motion Picture Association Rating, Actors, Directors names etc

Equlibrium

The voice will first begin (girls voice and the content will be scripted)

These shots are most likely going to be at the beginning of the trailer, (after the movie rating, a black out followed by a close up of a facebook chat box accompanied by the diegetic sound of the chat notification)

The rest of these shots set the equlibrium which in this instance is the friendship between Matt and Jacob. So shots that showcase them doing typical 'ladish' activites together:

• Extreme Close up of Matt and Jacobs face as they talk and interact like normal etc (perhaps slow motion)
• Shots of them in the boys changing room in a school (in preparation for a football match)
• Mid shot of them playing a game console (x-box together)
• Long shot of them 'mucking around' and walking through a corridor in a school

Disequlibrium

These shots will be more fast paced and followed by non-diegetic sound that we have yet decided, but rest assured it will be synchronous with the trailer's happenings.

The very shot that essentially shows the disequlibrium is when Matt and Jacob are sharing a bed, innocently and Matt's body language and inability to sleep but rather stare at Jacob, suggest something deeper about Matt. Without revealing too much, we want this shot and the ones following to show that something just isn't right with Matt. But we still want the audience to understand the dilemma and how much its largely based around the internet. Other shots that will aid this are:

• Close ups of Matt's computer screen and the fake facebook profile he made
• Extreme Close up of a 'Friend Request'- the friend request that started it all off
• Close up of Jacob's computer screen and chat dialogue box
• (Editing technique) Matt standing still in the midst of a busy street (fast motion). This could be linked in with and represent how socially isolated the character of Matt feels.

Other

Other/Extra extreme shots of facebook notifications and another editing technique- split screen showing Matt and Jacob both talking to eachother on facebook but through different technolgy mediums e.g iPhone and IPad etc

The last shot will be an extreme close up of Matt's mouth but the lips will be moving according to the female voice over's last words and a black to signify the end of the trailer.

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Typography

The font used for this typography is very plain and basic. This does not over complicate the image and accentuates other aspects of it which better define the films genre. Through using blue, it appears as a very futuristic and clinical colour which is often associated with technology. It luminous glow also highlights the idea of technology as it looks electric and almost as though it is flickering. This shows us the involvement of modern media within the film and its ominous glow hints at a horror or thriller genre as it is quite menacing.

This typography does not give too much away about the film and we could draw several opinion about what genre may be portraying therefore this is left open to interpretation. The mouse cursor is very apparent, and caught my eye up first looking at this typography. It immediately indicated an involvement of computers of the internet. The use of red, almost like a blood splat that has formed the shape of a fish, could indicate danger and a more foreboding aspect of the film. The use of the catfish shape behind the title fits with the name of the film, however, causes us to question the relevance of the sea creature. The typography is kept simple, however it is very effective as it explores many different ways of representing different aspects of the movie. The use of black and white does not overcrowd the image and creates a very dark, dull ambiance.

The futuristic appearance of this typography caught my eye and fits well with the genre of the film. The green glow creates the appearance of something on a computer screen, highlighting the use of technology in the film. This is also shown through the use of a futuristic font which is clear, but appears to be broken in several places, simulating a glitch or flicker in the piece of technology. This all helps up to build up to an image that would be mechanically generated on a computer of some sort. We can tell from this typography that the film might be set in the suture with a high involvement of technology and made in the style of horror or thriller due to the dark use of colour and ominous overall appearance of the title.

Mise en Scene - Matt's Bedroom

Technology

We want to keep our mise en scene up to date with modern technology, therefore, apple products will be vital as they have social links to the current products which are popular and most symbolic of the latest technology. Props such as an iPhone and iPad will be most significant in doing so as they are very recent and popular. This will also be the best way to show communication and social networking for our characters.

Xbox

To help portray the age and masculinity of Matt's character, items connected to the Xbox could be placed about the room such as games, controllers, a headset or the Xbox itself. This is a current form of gaming which has a social link to what interest teenagers today. It also helps to represent the character of Matt as a masculine teenage boy with common interests such as gaming, subverting the stereotype of a typical, homosexual character. Games such as 'Call of Duty' or 'FIFA' are popular today, and again, we have chosen games that will portray a masculine image of the character. I also placed some Wii games on the shelf as most teenagers of today will have more than one console, and these will also link in with the other hobbies we are trying to show for the character, such as 'Guitar Hero', which will help to portray his interest in music and instruments, supported by the guitars we will place in his room. We will also use this mise en scene during our trailer to show Matt and Jacobs friendship as they play on the Xbox.

Hobbies and School Work

After focusing on the Xbox, which has important aspects to point out, we also want our character to show other hobbies and ways of representing his age and role as a school boy (sixth form college student). We want Matt to appear quite creative/arty/musical, therefore we will include shots of guitars on the wall. Other items can be placed about the room to show his interests such as posters which could be of bands or TV shows etc. as well as a 'Top Gear' calender; a popular show among young males today. To make the room look less planned and more disorganized, homework can be scattered about which will also help represent his age.

Extras

We want the room to look cluttered and genuine as opposed to organised and planned to add a greater sense of realism to our teaser trailer. This means scattering items about that you might find in a college boys room such as coins, a wallet, his phone, door keys, half empty fizzy drink bottles, or possibly alcohol bottles, CDs and other props which portray his character such as guitar plectrums or a capo. 

Test Shots - Bedroom 1

Two Lamps

I used the basic settings on the camera for this shot along with two lamps; the one seen on the bed frame and another placed behind the camera. This was far too bright for the sinister image we wish to create. As this room is for the character of Matt, we need to compose a shadowed, dark setting which will suit his mysterious, shady character.




One Lamp

Again, I used the basic settings on the camera for this second shot and the only light source came from the lamp which can be seen in the frame. It formed a very natural clear image with more shadowed areas than the previous shot, however, it does not create the dark, ominous atmosphere we would like to portray.



No Lamps

For this shot I turned off all the lights and used the natural lighting of the room, which mainly came from the street lights outside. Although this forms a very dark setting, it is much too dark, causing too many shadows and making it unclear.

Blue Lighting

After realizing that basic lighting was not enough to create the atmosphere we are aiming for, i decided to experiment with the colour. By using one light behind the camera and placing a blue carrier bag over it i managed to create this shot. I chose blue as it can be seen as quite a cold, ominous colour and would make the shot more obscure. Despite this, I found this technique appeared too blue and did not cast enough shadows about the room.



Camera Effects
As I have already experimented with lighting on a basic camera setting, I thought it would be interesting to attempt different shots using settings on the camera. I decided to use the lamp on the bed frame, as this produced the best level of lighting for the shot. I found all three of these successful in creating a sinister, dark setting that suits Matt's character and portrays his obsessive nature and his emotions.

Incandescent - This was the first setting I used which had a blue tint. Again, this creates a cold, ominous atmosphere.

Fluorescent 2 - The second setting i used had a more natural tone to it but still created the same dark atmosphere with a shadowed surrounding.

Fluorescent 3 - This last shot has a more blue/purple tone to it which is a more toned down image of the first camera effect i used. This still manages to create the same sinister setting on a more subtle level.

Recorded Test Shots

I decided to film the test shots using the camera effects as they were most convincing. This was necessary as it gives a better idea of how these shots will turn out if we were to use them in our teaser trailer and will ensure they are as effective as the photographs.

Editing Ideas

EDITING IDEAS

Drama genre films can interlace with different genres of film so there can be drama horrors or dramatic thrillers etc, so there can be different editing techniques for these different sub genres e.g.:

THE READER:

Subtle colours are used in the taglines (binary opposition in screenshot above) so that this particular drama conforms to the stereotype of the romantic element it is also trying to portray.

I SAW THE DEVIL:

Jump cuts are used to create sense of disorientation which is ideal for a horror/crime drama as there are many enigmas created within the trailer itself.

CHOOSE:

This trailer uses a lot of reaction shots and this is so that the audience can see and almost feel how the actors and actresses are reacting to certain situations in the trailer despite the fact that the teaser trailer is not in linear order.

In some of the research I have done there are some editing techniques I have seen in dramas that could be possible inspiration to our own teaser trailer in some short films. The screenshot below shows a type of editing where the colouration of the actual filming has been changed to a luminescent purple which makes the close up effective as the audience can see the smallest details in the protagonist’s face in the close up shot, making it more surreal and heartfelt by the audience. The purple colour makes the shot look different and haunting in a way which could be really effective in our own piece of work if done accordingly.

In “Emotion” I found that the slow motion parts of the short film were really effective in terms of how the protagonist feels, as though time slows down shown through her emotion and body language which makes her appear distraught and maddened. The jump cuts were efficient in making her seem quite disjointed from how she was feeling at the start, and the contrast shown is very noticeable which choice of editing because she seems quite unstable, and Jake one of our protagonists is supposed to be this way, so this editing could be useful to us in some way.

The Fake Facebook.

The Fake Account.

We have chosen to make a fake Facebook profile (Matt posing as 'Naz') for Jacob to fall in love with. Facebook was our chosen networking site as it is one of the most popular forms of communication (internet wise) and is easy to use. 

The pictures used in this profile are of me, one of our own group members, and this is because we decided that we had to use someone that had a lot of pictures and that would really represent femininity with the sense of style and individuality. Matt poses as me to Jacob, and Jacob falls in love with the girl in the profile (me) thinking I am my own person when it is really Matt. As one can see, there are likes and info about 'Naz' and this is as though the persona that Matt has created has a life of her own and even though she is make believe she seems real.

CULTRAL LINK/INITIAL RESEARCH: Anonymity of the internet

 Anonymity of the internet

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Report-the-group-cancer-is-funny-cause-people-die/416334345090031)

This is an example of how easily the internet can be utilized for abusive and cruel opinions or topics made and expressed by internet users who typically hide behind the facade of anonymity that internet presumably allows.

This facebook group ‘Cancer is funny because people die’ is simply one of many alike facebook groups that tend to draw on issues that are widely sensitive and plain hurtful BUT yet viral.

The creator of this page, I’m sure isn’t likely to express this particular view about cancer patients to someone who perhaps actually has cancer; that’s where the power of the internet is emphasised because it’s an opportunity for the element of ‘hidden identity’ to really come into play.

(Another exmaple)

Internet Anonymity

Through research I have collected a range of different opinions, ideologies and attitudes towards the battle over identity on the World Wide Web.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/20/online-anonymity-death-threats

“A combination of a false sense of anonymity and the idea that everything digital is "not authentic" makes creating abusive groups, sending hate mail and commenting abusive messages etc that much easier.”

“Internet users are familiar with forming a single public identity that's a collective version of their offline past, the online present and their combined future...”

"Before Facebook and Google became the giants of the web, the most famous online adage was, "on the internet, no one knows you're a dog". It seems the days when people were allowed to be dogs are coming to a close.”

“The old web, a place where identity could remain separate from real life, is rapidly disappearing from the computer screen. According to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, and Richard Allan, its director of policy in Europe, a critical mass of people only want online interactions supported by "authentic" identity. And this, say critics, will have irrevocable effects on the openness of the web.”

“The pursuit of authenticity is creeping into the heart of most social media models and in the current internet landscape is playing an important role in how we engage with one another and with web content. For many people, Facebook and Google products are the sum total of their web interaction, and the value in creating a platform that provides confidence that a person is who they say they are, rather someone pretending to be them, is critical to a social network's success.”

“Within this model, authentic identity is non-anonymous. Facebook profiles and Google IDs are tied to a person's real name and real connections, and increasingly to their activities across cyberspace. Users are familiar with logging into other services using Facebook or Google IDs, forming a single public identity that's a collective version of their offline past, the online present and their combined future.”

“Facebook also believes authenticity is linked to a person's photo stream, which is why it has just paid $1bn for the photo-sharing service Instagram. "Pictures speak a thousand words””

"We went from a web that was interest-driven, and then we transitioned into a web where the connections were in-person, real-life friendship relationships,"."

The millions who have gone online over the past decade want a safe place where they won't experience bad behaviour, have their identities stolen or be duped by impostors.

Nicknames and pseudonyms, regardless of their longevity – and some have been in use for decades – are considered breaches of terms of service.

‘An online identity can be as permanent as an offline one: pseudonymous users often identify themselves in different social networks using the same account name. But because their handles aren't based on real names, they can deliberately delineate their identity accordingly, and reassert anonymity if they wish. Psychologists argue that this is valuable for the development of a sense of who one is, who one can be, and how one fits into different contexts.’

"The ability to be anonymous is increasingly important because it gives people control, it lets them be creative, it lets them figure out their identity and explore what they want to do, or to research topics that aren't necessarily 'them' and may not want tied to their real name for perpetuity,"

And so the ideological battle over online identity continues.

Our plot really wants to focus on this ‘online identity battle’ and how the internet is such an easy platform for impostors. Our protagonist in effect will be a victim of this.

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PRODUCTION COMPANY: Revolver Entertainment

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Revolver Entertainment

Revolver Entertainment has produced a number of ‘socially realistic’ films such as Anuvahood, Shank, Kidulthood, and Sket which reflect and portray how living in some parts of Britain is and these movies commonly exploit a selected aspect of society in Britain today e.g. the youth culture/gang culture/knife crime/ younger generation etc. We intend to exploit issues of the power of social networking amongst this generation.

For instance I would personally say I understand the preferred reading the producers intended in the film ‘Kidulthood’ and can see just how they realistically portrayed the younger generation of today and their activities.

 

Plus with these types of films, they have the same expected audience which is similar to the intended audience of our film, which we identified in our research survey.                 (Revolver Entertainment also produced 'Chatroom' which is one of the movies, with similar plot themes to ours, that we drew inspiration from)

Fortunately Revolver Entertainment are leader in social media marketing with over 10,000 Twitter followers and 9,000 Facebook followers and I think this is valuable, considering our film plot is centered on the power of social networking and internet.

With Revolver Entertainment as our production company reaching our target audience through social media marketing, will be that much easier.

All this considered, we think Revolver Entertainment would be the perfect production company for our film.

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PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Shortlist

Production Companies

Our movie’s genre is largely drama with an element of thriller, and the actual plot story was inspired by the Channel 4 documentary, ‘The Girl Who Become Three Boys’ and other movies that have been produced before e.g. Chatroom etc. So when considering an appropriate production company for our film, we carefully sifted through our genre research and the narrowed the deconstructed films down, checked the various companies that produced them and created a short list of those that would be suitable:

(We typically want to choose from a selection of predominately British production companies)

Pathé UK has a major presence within the UK film industry, operating as a fully integrated studio. It is involved in all aspects of film-making, from production and development through to international distribution. Pathé is the world's longest established film company.

Pathé UK's productions range from Aardman's "Chicken Run" to Stephen Frears' "The Queen" to Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire".

Revolver Entertainment is an all rights film distrubtion company. Founded in 1997, the company has operations in both London and Los Angeles.

Most notably, Revolver has released documentary thriller The Imposter, London urban drama Kidulthood, and the Sundance Film Festival and Venice Film Festival award winner A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints starring Robert Downey Jr and Channing Tatum.

BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It is firmly established at the forefront of British independent film-making and co-produces approximately eight films a year. Working in partnership with major international and UK distributors. With films like Fingersmith, Great Expectations, The Invisible Woman etc. BBC Films majorly produce period dramas.

Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. Film 4 Productions have such a vast range of movies associated with or produced by them and the company as a whole, over the years has really proven to embrace and support British cinema. With films like Attack the Block (co-production with Big Talk Pictures, StudioCanal and UK Film Council) Kill List, Nowhere Boy, This Is England and Trainspotting.

Momentum Pictures (also known as Alliance Films UK), an Alliance Films company, is one of the leading independent motion picture distributors in the UK and Ireland. With films like (some 2011 theatrical releases) 'Season of the Witch', 'Insidious', 'Hobo With a Shotgun', 'Limitless' and 'Justice'. This production company’s latest works are seemingly mainly horror and action, which are genres completely different to ours.

Big Talk Productions Ltd. is an English film television production company established in 1994 by Nira Park. The company, located in London, has produced films such as Shaun Of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, it is also known for it's British sitcoms such as Spaced and Free Agents.

Others Include:

Paramount Pictures

Ecosse Films

Warp X

Focus Features

Summit Entertainment

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