Production: filming reflection

At this point, we have drafted our first rough version of the film trailer that we shot in December using iMovie. Having watched all the footage and put it into a sequential order, we felt that the quality of the shots wasn't of a high enough standard for A level work. The shots that we used didn't portray the feelings we were trying to convey, and the angles were quite basic; something that simplifies the rough version of the trailer. During editing, when we put the clips together we felt that we hadn't thoroughly planned effectively, as the sequence followed a strong linear narrative that explained the plot of the trailer; this meant it didn't follow the conventions of a trailer, and was more of a short film.
In order to achieve the best possible grade we can we have decided that we are going to re-film for our coursework, following a different narrative.

The reason we are going to create a new narrative is because the topic of the original narrative, abuse, is a very sensitive topic that the actors found difficult to portray effectively; we wanted to be as sensitive as we could, but the portrayal didn't convey the difficult situation we had planned for. The scenes we had shot didn't seem genuine enough to be taken seriously, and so we are going to re think and create a completely new narrative that doesn't deal with such a sensitive topic.

To develop a new narrative we are going to discuss new ideas, but still follow a dark romance idea; this is because it allowed us to be creative by subverting the stereotypical conventions of a 'normal' romance film. For the next film trailer, we will ensure that the storyboards we create include a number of clips that excite the audience and build up hype for the film; this is a more conventional stereotype of a trailer, and so will meet the brief of the coursework.

Production: filming day

Today was our scheduled day of filming (11/12/16), and this was the only day of filming we carried out; we had decided that we wanted to film all of the footage that we needed in one day, both the indoor and outdoor scenes, as we felt that this would allow us more time for editing, as well as ease of using/booking out equipment etc. We also made this decision because initially we had struggled to organise a day that both the actress and myself and Megan could all do; Jay attends college Monday - Thursday so wasn't available for any of these days, and Megan and I work both Saturday and Sunday. This meant we had to book time off work for the scheduled filming day, and so that we wouldn't have to do this again we compacted the shoot to encompass all locations. On the day of filming, we were fortunate to have fine weather so we had no issues with being unable to film, however it was very cold so we had to ensure that the actors had coats to keep them warm.

We had ensured that we had a spare camera battery, as we weren't sure how long we would be filming the outside scenes and wanted to be sure we could capture enough quality footage without rushing; this was useful as the initial battery didn't last as long as we thought it would.
Before we the actors arrived and we commenced filming, we set up all the equipment so we could check that everything was working correctly; this also gave us time to rectify any issues that we encountered - an example of this is that we weren't sure the best positioning for the lights in the house location, so we spend some time carrying out test shots to see who position gave us the best lighting. This meant that everything was ready for when the actors arrived, meaning e didn't waste time getting prepared. Before shooting indoors, we made a point to warn the actors of the equipment, such as the tripod and the lighting stands to ensure they wouldn't injure themselves falling over, as well as ensuring the equipment was protected.

We used the storyboards throughout the day to make sure that we had captured the shots we had intended to shoot, as well as allowing us the opportunity to film some extra shots where we thought suitable. This will give us flexibility when editing as we would be able to add the bonus shots if they looked better than ones we had planned.

Compared to last year, where we filmed chronologically as we were only based in one location, this year we decided to film based on the location we were in. This is because it was a method of saving time and as we wanted to complete the shoot in one day, this was the most effective method in doing this.
We finished earlier than we thought, and having looked over some of the footage we were able to back out to the outside location and shoot some extra pieces of footage that we thought would look good.

Planning: Classification

As our film is a romance, it would conventionally have a 12 rated classification as this would include minimal nudity and sexual reference, and there may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. However because our romance film is based around a dark subject that is a sensitive topic, we feel that this could distress and upset younger viewers - as a result we have decided to make the classification for the film a 15, so that we protect younger viewers from emotional and psychological harm. Because we have made this decision, we have had to increase the minimum age of our target audience to 15 years old.

According to the BBFC website, a 15 rated film will include:


No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video work.

Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse (for example, through instructional detail). The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.

Language

There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.

Nudity

There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual context but usually without strong detail.

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.


Threat

There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable.


Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context.

Our film won't necessarily contain strong language, however we haven't yet decided if we are going to use some elements of crude language in order to portray the tension and stress that we are trying to portray. As we are basing the film trailer on domestic abuse, we will show moments of strong violence as this is a strong convention of most domestic abuse situations; however we won't show these being followed through and so it won't dwell on the infliction of injury. 

Planning: target audience

Having carried out a number of film analysis on romance trailers, I found that they stereotypically are all aimed at a similar target audience of women aged 15-30. this could be due to the fact that the romance films contain sensitive and emotional topics such as love, heartbreak and loss; conventionally these are topics that women can relate to, and so will appeal more to them as a target audience. Very rarely are romance films targeted towards males, as stereotypically they aren't interested in the emotional aspects of the films. However because we are subverting and aren't following the conventional romance narrative, we feel that it would be appropriate to include males in our target audience; therefore we have decided to aim our film at males and females aged 15-30.
As we are including the sensitive subject of domestic abuse, this will involve a number of action and violent scenes, that stereotypically appeal to the target audience which will create audience pleasure; the emotional aspects will also appeal to the females, meaning that we are meeting the audience pleasure criteria of both elements of our target audience.

We have decided to keep the minimum age of the target audience as 15 because the topic of the film is sensitive and can cause some upset to a younger audience if they don't understand what is happening in the trailer.
As part of our target audience is teenage/young adult based, we have casted our actors to appeal to this majority of the audience. Through doing this we are hoping that they will be able to emotionally invest themselves into the film and relate to the characters, which will improve their experience of the film. The topic of our film is still a taboo subject, but we hope that there may be some people who are able to relate or understand the situation that the characters are in, and therefore can create a deeper meaningful connection to the characters and the film.

Planning: lighting

In our film trailer, we are filming in multiple locations which include both indoor and outdoor scenes throughout the trailer. The majority of the outside scenes will be present in the beginning of the narrative, when the portrayal of the relationship will be positive and happy. Through using the natural light from outside, it will help to represent the positivity we are trying to portray in the beginning of the film trailer; bright natural light has connotations of happiness and peacefulness, which is  theme that we want to be present when showing the start of the relationship in the equilibrium of the film trailer.

During the disruption of the trailer, we ares showing the breakdown of the relationship between the male and female characters, and we need to portray this through the mist en scene of the shots. One way that we will show this is through the use of low key lighting, which will show a contrast from the happy scenes early in the trailer. To do this we are going to film the breakdown scenes indoors, where the lighting will be harsh due to the artificial lighting; this can show tension to the audience. The artificial lighting however will be dark to reflect the feeling within the relationship.

This disruption will continue throughout the trailer and so the lighting will remain low key to reflect this. In order to shoot the best possible shots, we may have to use our own sources of lighting to create clear and sharp shots that are of a high standard. We will hire out studio lights that are available at our school incase we need them, as we may find that the weather is overcast and therefore may produce a darker light than we need; we are using lighting as a key feature in our trailer as it is going to represent the state of the relationship at the time of shooting, and so it is important that we have the correct levels of low key and high key lighting to reflect this.

Planning: casting consent

In order to gain full permission for our actors to be filmed on camera, we have used a consent form that the actors parents will need to sign. Both of the actors are not yet 18, and so are still under instructions from their parents; as a result we require a signature from the parents to authorise Nicole and Jay to be filmed and sed in our media coursework.
The consent form will include the date that we are filming and the locations that we are using so that in case of any emergency, they will be able to locate us. We may also include a phone number so that we are easily accessible incase they need to reach us - we haven't yet decided if we will do this.
If for some reason we cannot gain permission from their parents, we will have to postpone filming until we can find a replacement actor.
We have been provided with a consent school by the school, and as Nicole is a student at the same school as Megan and I, we will use this to meet the rules of the school; this is because we will be editing the content in school and so will need permission to do this while on the premises.

Planning: location consent

Similar to last year, we are filming in a location that will require permission because it is a private dwelling that will need written permission from the owner. This letter shows the owner of the house allowing us to use it on our scheduled filming day. When we are filming outside, we will have to ensure that we don't get anyone in the shots that we film as they won't have written permission to be included in it. 

Planning: Equipment

Planning: costumes

The clothing in our film trailer will vary due to the different types of scenes that we are shooting.
We want to create the most realistic feel possible to the film, and to make the scenarios as life like as we can, therefore we will use a variety of different outfits depending on the situation  the actors are in. In research that I have carried out, I have found that the clothing used in romance films aren't specific to the genre, and that the clothing the actors wear will depend on their personality/character that they are playing.

For the section of the film that involves the male character being in an office/work situation and showing that this is his job, we have decided to use a formal suit to show that he is in a business scenario in a formal environment. Suits have connotations of authority, which is a concept of abusive that is very prominent when it is shown. The presence of the suit will show that he is authoritative in the relationship, portraying that he is controlling towards his finance´.




We will be filming a couple of scenes outside for the film, and because of the time of year that we a re filming, it will be very cold for the actors. As a result, we have chosen for the actors to wear coats, boots, hats and scarves. We made this decision not for any reasons relating to the film trailer, but purely to ensure that the actors are warm and for practical reasons. It is something that we highlighted in our risk assessment document, so these costumes will help to reduce this risk.



To show the relaxed atmosphere in the relationship at the beginning of the trailer, the actors will wear casual clothing e.g. jogging bottoms or leggings and jumpers. This will show that they are comfortable in each others presence, and allow the audience to see this personal connection.

Planning: communication

Similar to last year, we have decided to use Facebook as our method of communication between me and Megan and both of our actors, Nicole and Jay. We felt that this was an effective way to discuss arrangements and plans for the scheduled filming day, as well as being able to update them on any changes made.We made sure that the groups setting were set on to private to make sure that no one else had access to any of the information that we were posting in the group chat, as this could be dangerous if a lot of people knew where we are and at what times. The Facebook group chat allows the messaging to be instant so if there are any changes or alterations made the members can be easily and quickly reached.

Creating the group chat on Facebook means that we can communicate our ideas about the costumes we need them to bring, and the basic plan of the film. It will also allow us to discuss any problems that we may encounter, and ensure that the actors can contact us if they have any problems with making the scheduled filming date or anything else related to the film.

As Jay doesn't go to the same school as myself, Megan and Nicole, we felt this would be the easiest way to include him in any discussions that we have revolving around the film.

Planning: final story

For the final draft of the story board, we have added multiple annotations so that we know how to interpret the shots on the day of filming, as well as added detail around the edges of the shots. On some of the ambiguous shots these notes will help us to understand our thought processes at the time of creating this story board and the composition of each shot. We have included arrows on some of the shots where there will be movement from the camera, e.g. panning, tracking or zooming, as this will mean we know which way to move the camera in order to get the bet shot possible. Each shot has a text box underneath, where we have written any diegetic sound that is to be included in the shots so that we remember to tell the actors when filming; this is because the majority of the sound from the characters will be the voice over/monologue that is recorded by the female character. 

Planning: basic storyboard

This is the first draft of our storyboard, which includes the shots we want to shoot and the sequence that we want them in. We haven't added any annotations or specific details as this is something that we need to discuss and go through to decide the extra details that we want. The areas of black show shots that are going to be fade to black, and there are some shots that haven't yet been decided so we have left them blank.

Planning: make up

For this film trailer, we haven decided that we need to incorporate theatrical make up in order to help us create the most realistic scenario possible and to portray the actions of abuse that are occurring in the relationships we are showing. This is different to what we did last year, as we didn't use any specific make up because it wasn't a necessary feature of the trailer. However, we feel that if we didn't use it this year it would reduce the impact that the trailer will have on the audience, which is something we don't want to happen as romance films are often emotionally engaging for the audience.


In order to represent the abuse that the female is suffering from, we need to show the physical tortures that she is experiencing. To help us to achieve this we are going to show a number of bruises and physical injuries towards the end of the trailer because this is where the abuse is more visible and prominent to the audience. To create this bruising, we will use a combination of purple and black eye shadow from this 'Naked Smokey" palette, perhaps with the addition of green to show the age of the bruises. We may have to buy some additional paint in order to show the extent of the bruising. We plan to have the injuries to the face and potentially the neck and arms as this will portray that he is being violent towards her and hurting her.

As the film trailer will show the innocence of the female as well as the decline in the mental well being and her , we are going to show shots of the female crying to help signify her feelings about the situation to the audience. At these shots, we will smudge her make up, mainly the mascara, to fully represent the emotions she is feeling; the audience won't fully be aware of the abuse she is experiencing so this will foreshadow the remainder of the trailer .

We haven't decided if we will use this last element of make up because there isn't any shots that have been storyboarded, however if we feel that there is a suitable moment to use it, we will use fake blood to portray the severity of the abuse that the female is experiencing and to show the audience her injuries.

Planning: call sheet 1

Date	Time	Aim	Actors	Equipment
11th December 2016	Filming will begin from around 10:00am in the morning and finish at around 4:00pm.	The aims for this day of filming is to complete all of the outdoor shots. We feel that this will take us all day because we have quite a lot of shots to film, and we wanted to complete them in natural daylight.	Both of the main actors will be present.	Panasonic HDC-SD700 camcorder. Velbon CX 888 tripod. 8GB Sandisk memory card. No props will be used during these outside scene.

Planning: casting

For our film trailer, we are going to be using two actors as the trailer will be solely based on their relationship. Due to the nature of our film, we felt that our actors needed to be comfortable in each others company  and with certain romantic scenes. In order to achieve this we decided that we would try to cast actors who are actually already in a relationship as the romantic and abusive scenes will be easier to film if they are comfortable with each other. The two actors will be a male and female, as this will help to portray the serious downfall of a stereotypical relationship.

The age of the actors ideally needs to be young adults, however as neither Megan or I know anyone that would be able to help, we have made the decision to cast actors who are around 17/18 years old. We also wanted to cast the actors knowing that they have previous acting background so that we can portray the trailer in as real a situation as possible, with the skill of the actors helping us achieve this.


Physically, the male will need to look tall and strong in order to portray the fact that he holds a power over the female and that he is superior to her; as a result of this main criteria, we casted Jay as we felt that he met these aims. Jay carried out GCSE drama 2 years ago, and was a student who achieved an A overall; this was a second reason why we chose to cast him as our male actor as his previous experience with acting will help when filming. Because the nature of our film is a very sensitive topic and something that needs to be handled with care, we feel that having a person who has had experience with acting will help to portray the most realistic representation of what we are trying to show the target audience.

For the female actor, we have used Nicole, a GCSE and A level drama student, who achieved grade A's for both levels of education.  Nicole is in a relationship with Jay, which is one of the reasons why we cast them together, as we think that their current relationship will help to portray a natural chemistry on screen, which is something that can be extremely difficult to achieve in romance films. She is a very passionate drama student, and often takes part in a number of extra curricular drama workshops, and was part of this years school production. Due to her avid interest in drama, we feel that this will be represented in her portrayal of the abused character.

Planning: props

For our film trailer, we are going to use a number of props that will help us to reflect the situation that we are trying to achieve. Some of the props that we plan to use will be things that we already have, however some will be items that we need to purchase, for example the flowers.
The first prop we will use is n the closing scenes of our film trailer, where we will see the female character sitting on the sofa with a suitcase next to her. This follows the abuse that will be shown, and the suitcase will represent that the female wants to leave her husband after the aggression that he displays towards her, showing the tone of the film.


A second prop that we will aim to use is a bunch of flowers, which will be present in the first half of the trailer when the relationship is healthy, and the male brings the female flowers to show that he loves her. This is a stereotypical convention of romance films, as flowers are generally seen as being a romantic gesture to the person they love. It will also show that at this stage in their relationship they are happy and there are no problems between each other.
It will shown the audience the positive side of the relationship before we introduce the violence.

We will also use an engagement ring in the trailer, as this will help us to represent the seriousness of the relationship and how in love the two characters are. Conventionally, engagement rings signify the feelings between two people, and will also show that the couple are happy together; something that changes later on in the film trailer.





In order to effectively show that the husband has an alcohol addiction and to portray that their happy relationship is deteriorating, we are going to use alcohol cans to show that the male has been drinking and that it is affecting their relationship. In some scenes the cans may be crushed to show his anger, and there will be low angle shots and low key lighting to represent the mood.






In order to portray a stressful work situation, we are going to use a laptop to represent the stereotypical objects that are seen in an office environment. the use of modern technology will also signify the time in which the trailer is set in. We may also show the husband slamming the laptop shut in frustration, which will represent his anger to the audience


One of the final props that we are going to use is a stack of papers; this will show to the audience the amount of work that the male has to carry out at work, which is causing his stress and alcoholism. A heavy workload may create sympathy for him as the audience may be able to relate to his situation.

Planning: risk assessment

Risk or hazard	Risk level: low/medium/high	How to avoid risk/hazard
Damage to equipment	High	Take very high precautions when handling the equipment in particular when we are shooting the outside scenes, as this may cause more damage. Keeping the equipment in the appropriate cases when not in use as this will help to protect them from any damage or harm.
Cold/ icy conditions	Medium	We will make sure that when the actors are shooting the outside scenes, that they are wearing warm clothing as due to the time of year it will be cold outside. They also need to be wearing appropriate footwear to avoid that have good grip to reduce the possibility of a slipping hazard.
Smashed glass	High	We will ensure that when we are filming scenes with the glass bottles that we take extra care when handling to avoid dropping them on the floor. In case of an emergency we will make sure that we have a first aid kit on hand for any minor injuries that may occur. If there any severe injuries, we will ensure that we follow safety procedures by calling the emergency services.
Inappropriate weather conditions on scheduled outdoors filming day	Low	If the weather is not appropriate for filming, in order to avoid damaging the equipment or risking the actors safety we will postpone the filming day to another time where we know the weather will be suitable.
Loss of communication	Medium	We will ensure that we use our Facebook group chat to inform our actors of all the details of the days filming, and update with the latest information in case of anything changing. We will communicate what the actors will need on the day of shooting, and make sure that we are always available for if they need to ask any questions about the film. We will also have a backup phone number so if we are unable to contact one of the actors there will be another way of communicating with them.
Lights falling	High	When filming indoors, we will make sure that that lights are set up safely and that all loose cables are covered to avoid tripping hazards. Also when filming is taking place we will ensure that everyone is stood a safe distance away from the lights so that if for some reason the lights fall, they are a safe distance away to react and stay safe.
Physical harm	Low	When filming the scenes that contain abuse, we will need to ensure that the actors know how to realistically make their physical actions seem real, without causing harm to anyone.