Storyboard : Using videos

Story Board : 2nd Draft Idea
My first draft of a storyboard was drawing stick men and just outlining what key parts of the teaser trailer I wanted to include, I've decided that as an updated storyboard I'm going to make it using short clips of example footage.
This footage will allow me to get a sense of lighting, what kind of shots I want to use if it should be a long shot or a close up. But these shots will not all be in the actual locations I'm using for the trailer, this is mainly because I need an idea about camera composition and lighting, and some of my locations are a way out for me to use them as test footage.

Film Genre

Looking at different types of genres from the IMBD website, I picked these genres, thinking that they apply and fir to my teaser trailer the most;

Action : The Action side of the trailer will be the unknown men chasing Jake, these people create what could be a simple car journey or a brisk walk, into what Jake believes to be a 'life threatening' chase in which he HAS to escape

Adventure : The adventure side of the teaser trailer will mainly be due to the different scenes and settings where Jake will be chased, the constantly changing background will always create a new atmosphere and a sense of adventure to different locations

Mystery : The sense if mystery will be; firstly whats inside the package will be unknown and never revealed, secondly the man behind the phone will remain a mystery and all the audience will learn is what he looks like, lastly the mystery at the end will be the cut to black and gunshots when it cuts to black, leaving uncertainty on who has been shot

Semiotics

Ancillary Task: Website Research

Previous Experience/Current Ideas

From my last year of Media I created a website for my Noir opening using wix.com. Although this isn't the most detailed and intricate web designer I will only need what wix.com has available to make my website up to the standard of creating it for a teaser trailer. I will be analyzing different movie websites and seeing what similarities and uniqueness they have to offer.

Jason Borne - Website

Slide 1: When you load up the website you are given a relay of clips being played from the films and options above going to different parts of the film. I was planing to also include clips in my website but they couldn't just be from my teaser trailer otherwise I would be repeating a small amount of clips too much.
Slide 2: When you clicked on "Gallery" is gave you some behind the scenes shots and still from the films. I would just use some pictures from different times when I film, or use stills from my trailer as long as they aren't blurry.
Slide 3: The website only includes two posters but since most of the posters are identical with either; Matt Damon's face with "You Know His Name" across is. Or him standing back to back with the woman with just "Jason Borne" across with only the release date and Matt Damon's name giving very little info, assuming everyone will know this film
Slide 4: The last part of the website is a brief outline of the story, so if someone knew nothing about the franchise, wants to decide if they want to see the film in the cinema or not. It also helps having a general overview of the film so you understand it more
http://www.jasonbournemovie.co.uk/#sFKsEPrIKjW4tPF5.97 (LINK TO THE WEBSITE)

A Good Day to Die Hard - Website

I can only have one screenshot for the Die hard website, this is due to the only buttons/links working on the side is the "Cast & Crew" button. This could be because the films ins't a new film so the previous links don't work since it isn't featured anymore, or the website just decided to remove all the links but leave the website running so no one else could claim the URL. What I might take from this website is the possibility of having a scrolling lift of links, but i'm very uncertain wix.com will have the coding I need to include this in my website.
http://www.diehardmovie.com/ (LINK TO THE WEBSITE)

Jurassic World - Website

Jurassic World the film doesn't have any relevance to my film, because I will be running from people not dinosaurs, but the website is amazing! It was set up as if Jurassic World really existed and has a few features that I would like to include. The main one would be Slide 5, when you click on "Buy Now" where it says the tickets are open it takes you to amazon where you can buy Jurassic merchandise. I would like to be able to create a link which takes you to fake merchandise to buy. Overall I mainly included this website for variety and inspiration, rather than anything to go off sicne I can't create a website on this level of expertise.
http://uk.jurassicworldintl.com/ (LINK TO THE WEBSITE)

Ancillary Task: Poster Research

Previous Experience/Current Ideas

Previously I have created posters for graphics during my GCSE's for my products. but this was a few years ago so I may need to refresh my memory. My first ideas were that I would have a backdrop of a nice/open scenery, with my main character running across or a picture of him mid action shot. Making the poster should be fairly easy, the biggest problem I will face is getting a good action shot to include which isn't blurry, but I could just make the blur a part of the poster design

Vogue Sugar - Cliches

Audience Feeback

Questionnaire

I made a short questionnaire on the parts of the teaser trailer I was unsure about, such as the length and how much I should reveal. I also collected the ages of people so that I know what age groups I will be targeting or trying to appeal to

Graph 1

The people who filled out my questionnaire were mainly over the age of 26. But since I still have a large 11-18 year old audience I will be aiming to target them since that was the age group I started with

Graph 2

I was expecting people to say around a minute, but the replies I got show that the most popular opinion is 20-40 seconds as well as being around a minute. Making the teaser trailer longer and shorter both have positives and negatives about them

Graph 3

It was a landslide vote for "Give a brief outline" which suits my story quite well, since Jake will be running from 'people' to 'someone' with 'something' which would be an enigma, but revealed when the film is actually released. I'm still wondering if I will include a flashback to when Jake and Chris were younger, the problem would be getting kids to play these roles

Graph 4

With number 4 my question was loosely based on how I would achieve the flashbacks, be it making my character younger making me change appearance/actors, and if not necessary I would try and avoid them

Script : First Draft

Scene 1: Jake talking to Chris over the phone

*Jake is walking down the street and his phone rings*

Jake: Hello, Jake speaking?

Chris: Hey man its Chris, you know from Highschool, I was wonder-

Jake: Ah hey man! Its been a while man. You should have told me you were coming back sooner

Chris: I'm a little pushed for time so I'm gonna send you my address and a time to be there, see you soon

Jake: Oh well I can- *Chris hangs up* 

Scene 2 - Part 1: Jake finds Chris dying/seriously wounded

*Jake runs into Chris' through the broken front door and rushes to Chris' side*

Chris: *lying on the floor* (faintly) Jake, go to the locker behind the chair and take whats inside there and follow the order *dies* 

Jake: *slightly dazed and emotional, goes behind the chair and opens an unseen safe and withdraws a small box* 

Jake: I don't know if I can achieve this but I will at least try it for you Chris *phone rings and Jake answers the phone to find a mysterious man on the other end*

Scene 2 - Part 2: Jake gets a call from a man on the phone

Man on the Phone: Listen here Jake time is running out so you have to trust me, kapeesh?
Jake: Kapeesh...?
Man on the phone: Outside there are cars pulling up *sound of car pulling up become apparent* you need to go NOW Jake go!!!

Scene 3: Jake's debating his choice to take on this task

*multiple clips of Jake expressing frustration using his surroundings; hitting/kicking walls, throwing papers with co-ordinates around, holding head in his hands*

*phone rings*

Man on the phone: Jake you've be stationary for too long, they're pinpointing you get a move on, Chris didn't die for you to wallow in self pity damn it!

Scene 4: Jake meeting man on the phone in person

Jake: *walks into frame standing infront of "the man"*

Man on the phone: So we finally meet Jake, I'm glad to see you delivered...

*cut to black and gunshots*

Character Profiles: Jake

Pre-Location Hunting

For Locations I need places where there aren't many people in case of continuity errors and getting permission to film. If I were to film in the city during the day it would be almost impossible if I wanted to use two show of the same scene, but recording at different times, so I would have to go late at night for no people. My main idea was to stage it late at night, but this raises the issue of lighting. So I went for the filming period around 4-6 when it starts to get darker. My main idea was to be mainly focused around backstreet areas, and forests/countryside.

Backstreet Areas/Quiet Streets
The positives about using a street is it seems to be a popular scene for similar films. Although of course those films had high budgets and made their own sets, where as I will be using places already existing. More buildings and structures will allow for better shots, angles and different types of  parkour moves. If I can scout out enough areas and have multiple options so if when i come to film and one location has become unavailable, I have back ups. I think the main problem I will face is finding somewhere with good structures, and it have no one there or not be on private property.


Forests/Countryside
These will make filming very easy with there being no people, except from the occasional dog walker or runner which I can wait to pass, otherwise there will be very little continuity issues and sounds problems. I was initially thinking to film in mouse hold since there is such a vast amount of space and landscapes, but i thought of several problems; since I don't want to film too late, I would be filming at a time when there are cars about, mouse hold is a very public and popular place so there will be a lot of people/noise, and also alongside the cars if the lighting. If i were to film when its lighter, then there will be more cars. I have been researching other areas and places such as Thorpe and Flordon offer good forests and very little people/cars to cause noise disturbance.

Other Options
I would be brilliant if I could find abandoned buildings, such as the ones on Jack, Fabians and Wil's fairy tail story. When Jake is being chases, or stopped to question what he has been burdened with, these would provide excellent spots to film in.

Forest/Countryside

Flordon offers a fairly big area of woodlands (bottom centre of the google maps image) and barely any cars go up and down. This would make filming easier since sound wouldn't be a major issue. The only problem is how far away it is and finding areas which will allow good parkour shots and landscape views. 

The area of the woods, taking up the middle part of the screen shot, will be the area i will be filming my forest scenes in. There is a trail through here making access to it quite easy, and it has some open areas meaning there will be more possibilities for parkour moves, different angles and scenery

Backstreets/Streets

Chapel Field gardens seemed like an ideal place to film, I could go later at night meaning there won't be anyone around, and it should be fairy well lit at night a swell. The area has a big area with different objects such as the playground and fences which I can easily set up a camera and capture them being jumped over/ran across

I haven't had any good ideas come to mind yet, but any street where I can film without there being
busy traffic or loads of pedestrians will be perfect. Although it would be easier to use completely deserted locations, having some people would make the film more realistic. The only problem filming in a public place is some people might not be ok with being filmed or in the background. And I would also have to find someone willing to be in public and filming, which might be difficult.

Other Options

I will ask Jack/Fabian/Wil where the house they used in their production is, and I believe that it is in a field and has no houses, so this will allow me to film easily and also use my drone. If there were houses I would need a permission to use a drone which might not be worth the effort, or have negative results meaning I can't use it.

Narrative

Background Story: Chris has just finished studying in university and is now going to start looking for a job. He receives a phone call from his friend Jake, who had previously been studying abroad, asking him to come to his house later. Chris assumes this is going to be a celebration for Jake being back in the country or the, both graduating.

Complete Narrative: Chris receives a phone call from Jake who has invited him around his house later on that day, Chris agrees since he would like a chance to catch up with his old time college friend. Chris arrived at Jake's house where the door has being smashed in. When Chris gets inside he sees Jake lying on the floor bleeding out from what seems like a stab wound in his stomach. Chris drops down to Jake's side, Jake tells Chris to look behind a sofa a get a small box out of a safe. Chris gets the box and goes back over to Jake, Chris is then handed a piece of paper which has some co-ordinates on them. Chris, currently overwhelmed by his current situation, receives a phone call from a man telling him that he needs to leave now and that he can direct him on where to go and what to do. Chris is easily persuaded by the man on the phone and as he starts to run, the noises of cars pulling up becomes apparent and someone starts to chase him. (Insert Scenes of Chris Running) Chris comes to a secluded area (either a warehouse or somewhere in a forest) and starts to question what he is getting himself into, going from a uni-graduate, to a wanted man being chased by unknown people. Chris receives another phone call from the man on the phone and he is reminded of the promise he gave to Jake before he died about delivering the package. This persuades Chris and he continues running towards the co-ordinates set. (Insert more scenes of Jake running) Chris comes to a forest where he turns the corner and the man, who is presumed to be the man behind the phone, and he asks Chris for the package and that its all over now. The screen cuts to black and gunshots can be heard, leaving a mystery of who has been shot.

Whats Included in Trailer:

-Chris receives a call from Jake asking him to come around later

-Chris arrives at Jake's house with a broken door

-Chris finds Jake bleeding out on the floor

-Chris is holding the package while Jake tell him to run

-Chris receives a phone call from a  man telling him to run

-Shots of Chris running

-Chris questions the mission he is currently on

-Chris gets convinced to carry on his mission by the man on the phone

-More Shots of Chris running

-Chris meets the man behind the phone

-Cut to black with gunshots going off

First Plan of Storyboard

I created a quick outline of a story board I will be creating using Photoshop, this just has the basic outline of the story with little notes saying what will be happening in this scene. In the actual story board I will have camera angles and movement noted below the scene. This will help me visualise the teaser trailer easier.

NOTE: I NEED TO FLIP THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT WAY UP

Ancillary Products Research

Narrative Theories

Todorov- Equilibrium/dis-equilibrium
Propp- Character types
Barthes - Enigma codes
Strauss-Binary oppositions
Cameron -Modular narratives
Freytag -Narrative pyramid

How Todorov's Theory would fit my narrative: My story will start with my main character going about his normal life (this represents stage 1- Equilibrium), then the main character will come across his dying friend who will bestow upon him and package he needs to keep safe until a set time (this represents stage 1- disruption of equilibrium), next he will have to run from people chasing him who want the package (this represents stage 3- dis-equilibrium), the main character will then hide and try to mentally think about how he can avoid finishing this job (this represents stage 4- attempt to repair dis-equilibrium), finally he will realise he has to keep his dead best friends wish and runs the last part to the spot where he delivers the package to a man and it ends in him being left alone in the woods thinking about what he has just done (this represents stage 5- new equilibrium)

How Propp's Theory would fit my narrative: Hero; My hero will be my main character who has to deliver the package in order to keep his, now dead, friends promise. Villain; the villain will be the man/men who are chasing the main character in order to take the briefcase. Dispatcher; this is his dying friend giving him the package to deliver. Helper; the mysterious man on the phone who is directing him where to go. There won't be a heroin or a false hero in my story

How Barthes' Theory would fit my narrative: My main Enigma would be the man behind the phone who is helping my main character get across the city and avoid the men who are chasing him. The other enigma would be whats inside the package, this won't revealed since when the main character reaches the man behind the phone, he takes the package without revealing what is inside. I could tease that he reveals what is inside but is just out of frame so the audience are wondering what it is.

How Strauss' Theory would fit my narrative: Strauss has the idea that fits into my narrative quite well, my main character (the hero/good guy) will be escaping the chasers (the villains/bad guys) in order to protect something important and secret

How Cameron's Theory will fit my narrative:

Anachronic: I won't be including any flashbacks in my teaser trailer, but if it were to be a full length/short five minute film, I would include flashbacks and this theory might apply

Forking Path: I won't have two different realities or stories available, so this theory won't apply to my narrative

Split screen: I would like to be able to include a split screen of a chase, but the problem would be massive continuity errors, so this might be a little out of my skill level

Episodic: My teaser trailer is only going to be around one minute long and will be advertising a full length film, meaning episodic doesn't apply to my narrative

Todorov

Propp

Barthes'

Strauss

Cameron

Target Audience Research

Teaser Trailer Examples and Analysis

Trailer 1

Tracer's is what my teaser trailer is mainly based around for the idea of parkour. The main character has to learn to adapt to keep on running and living. But my main character will already have parkour skills, which he hasn't used since he was a troublesome teenager, and has to escape people chasing him down for the package he has been burdened with.
Main Point: I like the shots used and the different types of parkour. Not related to story line much

Trailer 2

This trailer is about a master parkour convict being chased down by a detective who has the skills to match, and be able to catch this criminal. I like the shots used in the first 10 seconds where the convict is escaping from Brick Mansion, these could be used or thrown in when my main character is being chased down. Everyone likes a good fight scene where the 'good guy' beats or humiliates everyone

Main Point: I want to use the shots of people fighting in/outside of the building

Trailer 3

Transporter 3 is about a Frank having to deliver a package which is a a daughter of a Ukrainian Official, while her father decided what to do with three boats of toxic waste, Frank must keep his daughter safe. He also can't be too far away from her otherwise both the shackles they are wearing will explode. I checked this trailer because it is very similar to my teaser trailer idea and wanted to check I was unknowingly plagiarizing another film
Main Point: As long as I don't add an explosive device between package and carrier, I should be fine

BRIEF 2

Pitching My Idea: Discarded

Discarded Pitch Idea: BRIEF 7 from Jude Clark on Vimeo.

BRIEF 7

Deadpool