A2 Production; SWITCH

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Sharon's Comments

Poster 1: I really like the composition and symmetry of the image. I like the way you have taken advantage of certain elements in the picture, like the car headlights by editing it the way you have. You have experimented with the location of the title on the page which I felt was very clever and the tagline is really good also. In terms of target audience you can look into adding features that may appeal them i.e. the light bulb without making any drastic changes. There is not much shown in terms of the main two characters but having said this I still feel the poster works well plus you have another poster with the characters faces shown it in. Overall you have done a really good job well done!!

Film Review: A very professional layout, the housing style you were influence by has been shown very clearly good job. The language style you have used is typical of what you would find in a magazine from Empire so that has also been executed well. In terms of improvements I honestly cant fault it so I don’t know what to add :S . . .Good Job!!

Rebecca's Comments

Posters

Great stuff, I think it really suits your genre. The use of the two main characters on the poster, but not fully in view was a good idea. It gives the audience an impression of the story along with the car and suitcase but doesn’t reveal too much. My only feedback would be to maybe make something more of the font, perhaps a more styled font? Or different fonts for the title, and then the actors etc. And include the production details? That you find at the bottom of posters? Unless you haven’t seen it used on your genre research. Overall they fit a great house style, although I think the black and white effect with the graininess makes it difficult to make out the pictures, so maybe edited them so there clearer?

Review

What can I say, you’ve stuck to empires layout and style, with other films which you’ve made reviews for, all good stuff. The font size is a bit small, and the spacing seems odd, maybe try putting your work into PowerPoint or another programme so you can fix the layout better?

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Cast List

FRANK - Ashley Walker

CHARLIE - Jack Glister

BIG PETE - Lewis Plaster

BODYGUARD - Matthew Partlett

Props List

There are numerous props needed to indicate the correct genre of our film:

BRIEFCASE FULL OF MONEY

FAKE DRUGS (actually bags of flour and sugar)

BLINDFOLD

POT OF MONEY FOR FAKE CHARITY

A CAR

FOR SALE SIGN (for the car)

EMPTY CAN

COOKIES/TRAY

The Storyboard for "SWITCH"


Slideshow: Storyboard - Slideshow


Here is our finalised storyboard.
All images were drawn by Yasmin Philgence but we were all there to construct it.

Monday 13 December 2010

Guy Ritchie Films

The initial inspiration for our film is very similar to the styling of Guy Ritchie directed productions. Audiences who like the films he makes would be interested in our film as they share similar themes.



This is the trailer for the film "Snatch" directed by Guy Ritchie and this is the feel and style we hope to lace our film with. The comedic-gangster production is original and i think would be very fun to work with. The main challenge i can see coming with making a film like this is the fact that a lot of the comedy comes from the dialogue E.g. The irish accent of Brad Pitt not being understood. Yet we cannot use techniques like this as our film has to be silent. None the less, this is our strongest idea and i am really looking forward to making it.

Alongisde this film is Rock N Rolla also directed by Guy Ritchie. This has the same Ritchie stamp on it as it is a story about a real-estate scam putting millions of pounds up for grabs, attracting some of the city's scrappiest tough guys and its more established underworld types; all of whom are looking to get rich quick. The fast paced mobster atmosphere is present and the fact that the story follows criminals trying to get rich quick, it links to themes of our own film.

The main difference is that our film will not contain blood, guns and violence so it still opens the target audience for a wider market.

Sunday 12 December 2010

"The Hotel Room"



We were lucky enough to gain access to a room withing the school that was equipped with desks, chairs, a sink and a cabinet that we could disguise as a wardrobe. This meant that we wouldn't have to go to an actual hotel to get the shots we could just make a few minor adjustments to the office we have and it will look like a hotel suite. The picture above is what the room looked like originally; papers all over the desks with the computer on show a quite a few chairs.



Here are the table and chairs where the "SWITCH" will take place and we arranged the desks in a way that once a duvet cover was placed over them, it would appear to be a bed! These elements made our set look a lot more realistic.






This is the finished room from a different angle illustrating the sink and table to still give off a hotel room essence. In addition to this, on the left hand side are two cabinets that we have hung a blazer on to make it look like a wardrobe. Below is a clearer example of this. (with Esther sitting on the cupboard!)



Below was the final picture i took that included all of the elements that made the room more believable to be a hotel. The only thing missing is the bed but we don't want to get too clear a shot of it anyway because if it becomes noticeable that it isn't an actual bed, that will ruin the production value of our film!

Experimental Stills

These are images Yasmin and i took whilst on location so we could have an idea of what kind of shots we can get on the day of filming. This saved time and reinforced our creativity.







Target Audience

The target audience for our film is obviously a vital part of its success and needs to be clear. First of all, due to the fact there is the theme of drugs in our film i don't think it would be suitable for younger ages. Not just because it's a corrupt message but also because they wouldn't understand the point of us using this plot point. i would say from 12-80 years old would be appropriate and where our film will hopefully be a clever collaboration of gangster and comedy, Guy Ritchie fans will be targetted indefinitely.

The kind of typical person to be interested in our film would be a young male who loves Only fools and horses but is also a fan of hit Brit film Roack N Rolla. Although, having said this i believe females would enjoy our film too as it will hopefully be more funny than focused on drugs. We plan to emphasise more the silly situations the double act get into rather than them actually selling fake drugs!

Changing our film idea

Our original group idea was a dark story based on an alcoholic father driving his wife away from the family but the story would be told/seen through the eyes of their son.

Once we received our feedback from Miss Nair as well as our classmates, myself, Yasmin and Sharon felt really disappointed with the reaction. Our teacher thought and said we could do a lot better and suggested we work on the plot points of the film.

Although we walked away completely disliking the idea altogether. So we started to think of a new one! At the beginning of the coursework when we found out we would be making a film on the theme of the fall - everyone assumed it had to be dark and miserable as "the fall" isn't a very positive subject. This is how we generated ideas for "SWITCH." A Guy Ritchie inspired film that we would make comedic along with a clever storyline. We all agreed this would be a lot more creative as oppose to the typical "drunken dad" kind of story.

My Thoughts On Cinematography

The cinematography of a film is (in a nutshell) the make up and general look of it. If a films' cinematography is presented in a boring, dull way the film isn't going to LOOK interesting.

So i went out in search of objects and opportunities to take really interesting pictures that LOOK good, in the hope that when it comes to the making of my film i can be prepared to avoid using boring, usual shots and angles.

Wednesday 8 December 2010

My Final Posters



This poster shows a lot of key aspects to the film and is effective in the sense that an audience seeing this would unsderstand its message to giving the film a gangster tone. Using a briefcase full of money, a car and two men in suits screams clever con film so i feel i successfully portrayed this via this poster.

My Final Posters



This poster idea is very similar to my first one except it is more zoomed in. I decided to use this as the lighting is a lot darker on this poster because the headlights have been cropped out. This then focuses on what is actually happening between the two characters and emphasises their exchange.

My Final Posters



This illustrates the car the double act wish to purchase alongside two men exchanging a breifcase. Within this poster i have demonstrated a gangster atmosphere as well as use a tagline that highlights a key theme of the film. Emphasising the idea that Frank and Charlie are not the brightest bulbs yet they have a bright idea.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

PICTURES FOR CREDITS

These are numerous snapshots i took for the ending of our film while the credits roll. This was inspired from the ending of the film "The Hangover" and is a clever way to inform the audience of what actually happened to the characters. The film tells the audience that they got the money and these pictures illustrate how they spent it!



This is a small clip from the credits mentioned above and below are the pictures we wish to use for our own film.

Film Poster Research



The above poster is for the film 'Snatch' directed by Guy Ritchie. This typical gangster layout is authentic and traditional however may be a bit too simple for our film. On the other hand, the characters Frank and Charlie are very simple minded so it could possibly work to compliment elements of the film.



This poster is for the film 'Dumb and Dumber' and captures the same friendship Frank and Charlie have. The only main exception is that this poster depicts just how stupid the characters are where as Frank and Charlie are a bit smarter than that.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Film Review



This is my final review page. A re-creation of a layout used in Empire Magazine. This is 100% original and i created it using a word document.

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Total Film Reviews



The above review is one i found in Total Film magazine. Also a very well known and very respected brand of magazine within the film world. The review example i have used is for the recent release "Unstoppable" directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington. I really liked the layout of this page however i did not wish to use this magazine to imitate for the graph incorporated seems unnecessary to me. although it makes the page look more informative, it just seemed to tell the reader that at different plot point the film gets more thrilling? I'd rather use clever language in a written review than a graph that isn't even relevant to every viewer.



This is a page from the same magazine reviewing two films. The layout is clear and nice to look at and for a magazine filled with reveiews it is good to use however i am only recreating one page from a magazine; so to show my skills to the fullest i need to use a more jam packed layout. This will then illustrate my ability to put together a review page.

Empire Magazine Layout



This is a different layout from the same magazine. I also like this page as it is clear and spaced out.

Monday 29 November 2010

Empire Magazine



This is an example of a review page from Empire magazine. Empire is a popular and very well known magazine for film reviews and up to date information on the latest relaeases.
I chose this to use as an example of inspiration for my own film review as the layout of the page is clear and looks realistic for a film magazine. In addition to this, the film being reviewed at the top of the page is alled "Due Date" and it has two characters that can relate to the double act in my own film. They haven't been friends for years - actually the exact opposite - but their relationship is very similar to that of Frank and Charlie's. Meaning one has brains and the other really doesn't.
I have seen the film due date and found it hilarious so i don't completely agree with all of the opinions of this particular critic, but maybe that's more my dark sense of humour. To learn from this review i annotated it and decoded the essentials so i can ensure i incorporate these into my own work.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Online Review

In order to create a review for the film i had to research existing reviews to get an idea of layout and language relevant to mine. Here is a review i found online for Jackass 3D and it was written by Matt Glasby for TotalFilm.com.



The title of the film is at the top of the text alongside the rating out of 5 stars. A snapshot from the film has been used to give the reader an immediate idea of what the world of the film is like. I think the picture is an important element of the review as its the first impression the reader has of the film if they haven't seen it yet. Additionally, the film details are to the right of the picture and these include the age certificate, the release date and the genre of the film.

All of these components make the review what it is and i must use these codes and conventions for my own work.

The actual language of the review is punchy and to the point. Glasby begins by focusing on the 3D aspect of the film and explains how it works at some points of the film and at others it just enhances the "buckets of bodily fluids" - not so much a bad thing, more of an observation! He also talks about the Jackass crew and how maybe they're becoming to old for this line of work. After numerous episodes and now 3 movies he questions, and i quote, "they're probably getting too old for this shit." Nevertheless he gives a final conclusion basically stating the film was good considering it was not a life changing watch. He then ties the end of his review up with the beginning and says, "Thank God it's not in smell-o-vision..." Which clearly links to his initial point of 3D technology!

From this i have learned that the review has to be to the point and relevant because too long a review gets boring and too short doesn't tell the reader what they need to know.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Casting Issue

One of the main characters (Charlie) who we had initally organised to be played by David Deller, cannot make it to the two designated days of filming. He considerably decided to tell us TWO DAYS BEFORE! so the manic rush to find another Charlie began but luckily Yasmin and I had a friend who already had some acting experience...



Meet Jack Glister! He has played parts in numerous television adverts and is used to the busy schedule of a day shooting.
He was thankfully available to help us out so we found a last minute Charlie!

Tuesday 2 November 2010

CASTING

For the part of Big Pete we wanted a typical gangster type that wasn't too serious but still fit the part. I pictured a comical Godfather figure. Someone who had a run around to do his dirty work but younger than Marlon Brando who actually played the Godfather. We had to find a character built enough to be feared but young enough to seem funny that he was known as 'Big Pete'.

So meet Lewis Plaster. Another friend of mine who, as well as looking Italian, is quite well built to fit the part. The look of him reminds me of Fat Sam from Bugsy Malone who is also a crook in the sense Fat Sam owns a speakeasy which was illegal in the time which the film was set. As you can tell by the picture below you "look" of the characters are very similar. Lewis is just older!In addition to this, the costumes the characters wear in Bugsy Malone are similar to those we wish to use as Frank and Charlie have to "dress up" in order to be worthy of Big Pete's company.

The final character we needed to cast was Big Pete's side kick who would play the role of the gangsters run around. Obviously because gangsters never do the dirty work, this character is the one that Frank and Charlie follow to be led to Big Pete.
His real name is Matthew Partlett and he will be playing Big Pete's right hand man. We felt we needed this extra character to make Big Pete's reputation more believable.

Lewis and Matts relationship is similar to that of Montgomery Burns and Smithers from the Simpsons. One has all the power and the other is completely loyal no matter how badly treated he is.

Monday 1 November 2010

CASTING

For our cast we needed a double act that had the necessary chemistry between them in order to portray their closeness on screen.

The pair we found are close friends of mine and Yasmins and as well as this they are best friends! Once we finalised our story ideas and knew we needed a dynamic comedy duo; these were the first two we called!
This is Ashley Walker and he will be playing the part of Frank. The "brains" of the programme. As you can see by his picture he is a funny character that is confident as well as AVERAGELY intelligent and suits the role of Frank perfectly. When we addressed him to ask him to be a part of our film, we gave him role models such as Derek Trotter from Only Fools and Horses as this is who his character is based on.

This is my dear friend David Deller who really tells all just by this photograph. He is a lovely person with an appetite for food and fun! Perfect for what Charlie's character is going to illustrate. These two indiviuals are very close friends as well and this should work in our favour when it comes to filming. Being around them is always humourous so this is beneficial for our film as they really are each others energy! Not as similar to Rodney Trotter in appearance but his sidekick essence is what we need for Charlie and Frank to work as successfully as Del Boy and Rodders.



The proof is in the picture! Ashley and Dave have actually been friends for years!



... And here's Yasmin with them too :)

Thursday 21 October 2010

Interesting Camera Techniques

Breaking The Fourth Wall

the fourth wall is the imaginary wall between the audience and the world of a film. The camera is what restricts the on screen images to engage with the audience.

HOWEVER!

If you break through this wall and allow the world of the film to address the audience this can add a new depth to the film. i think this would be useful to use whenever Frank gets a fabulous idea in the film. By simply winking at the camera or even just acknowledging its existence, the audience feel let in and involved in the scheme. In addition to this, as Charlie is quite clueless in the scheme making it adds a layer of knowledge to the audience. As if they are more up to speed with Franks cunning mind than Charlie is.

Breaking the fourth wall is present in the film Ferris Bueller's day off. He talks directly to the camera and invites the audience in on his plans.

This is just a quick snippet from the film and a clear example of how he directly communicates with the audience.

Interesting Camera Techniques

Another interesting camera technique that i have discovered during A2 Media is the use of graphic matches. The first recognisable example of this was in Robert Le Plage's FAR SIDE OF THE MOON. It was very cleverly shown how a model of a rocket was created by him then dissolved into a moving image of a real rocket launching.

i do not yet know where this would fit correctly in our film but i think if it could work it would make our film more advanced and really show our progression from AS to A2 level.

I think this would be a good technique to use for a transistion into another acene. I can picture Frank and Charlie sitting on a kurb down in the dumps after the cookie sales failed and to then flow into the blindman scene, we would use a graphic match of their bodie sitting on steps and with the blind fold on Charlie.

Below is the trailer of Far Side of the Moon which gave me the inspiration for this idea. Le Plage uses A LOT of very interesting techniques to make his film stand out.

Interesting Camera Techniques

In order to make our film look interesting and illustrate our development as students, i have researched existing techniques to incorporate into our film that we can hopefully use.

One of these is the use of split screen. We could use this for our cookie selling scene to save time and make the scene more interesting to watch. We would have three or four different doors and show Frank and Charlie walking up to them and then getting the doors slammed in their faces. So we do not have to show this procedure over and over again i think it would be useful to incorporate split screen.



Here is an existing example of numerous phone calls presented through split screening. This was taken from the film "Mean Girls" and i feel it is an efficient way to give the audience clear information in an original way.

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Final Script

SCENE 1

INT: Hotel room.

Black screen with title reading DAY 3: 3.28pm

Frank and Charlie sit uncomfortably at a table clutching a briefcase. As the camera turns a large gangster type, Big Pete, is revealed with his bodyguard holding his suitcase.
(No audio)Big Pete: so what ave' you got for me lads.(Frank and Charlie look at each other
Frank: What ave' you got for us (trying to act hard)
Big Pete looks at his bodyguards and they all burst out in hysterical laughter at the lads attempts, who also join in with a nervous laugh. Big Pete and his body guards all stop at once, leaving Frank and Charlie still laughing. They stop. Big Pete grabs the suitcase and opens it on the table to reveal that it's full of money. Charlie reaches over to touch the money, but Big Pete slams it shut before he can and demands a looks in their suitcase. Franks nods at Charlie to open the suitcase (away from camera) as Big Pete reaches over to grab the suitcase, Charlie, thinking it is normal procedure, also slams the suitcase shut.
Cut away to empty corridor, and Frank and Charlie come sprinting out of the far door. As they run down the corridor towards camera, we see both Big Pete and bodyguards in back wiping their faces and chasing the pair furiously. Extreme close ups of running feet in corridor and down the stairs with action soundtrack playing over the top.


SCENE 2 -For Sale

EXT: Estate

Black title screen: DAY 1 11.38am

Frank and Charlie are walking down the street and they begin to mess about pushing each other, as Charlie continues Frank stops beside a car. A poster in the car window reads: "CAR FOR SALE £6000". Charlie goes backs to Frank and they both nod at each other, realising that this is the car that they have always wanted. The two jump up and down and hi5 each other, but Frank stops jumping noticing the price of the car. He points at the price of the car to Charlie and they turn out their pockets hoping they have enough on them. They don’t. (Close up of the contents of their pockets: coppers, buttons, gum and a kinder egg and a half eaten cookie. Seeing the cookie Charlie nibbles it as they put the contents back into their pocket. Frank is at first annoyed at Charlie’s disregards for the price of the car as he is more interested in his stale cookie so he knocks it out of Charlie hand, then realises it’s the source of his first cunning idea.
Light bulb graphic as Franks face lights up whilst thinking of his idea.
He picks up the cookie and gives it back to Charlie, then walks out of frame to start on his scheme. Charlie is left in frame and looks around to see if anyone is watching, and then shamelessly continues to nibble the dirty cookie, and he is dragged out of frame by Franks arm.
End.

SCENE 3 - Cookie sales

EXT: Estate

(Doorbell) A door opens from the inside and reveals Frank and Charlie on the doorstep with a tray of cookies stretched out. The pair smiling broadly yet creepily and are wearing homemade sash spelling 'Brownies' across their dingy clothes.
Both: COOKIES! (SMILING)They rustle the tray towards the camera and the door slams shut on them.
Split screen of three doors. Each frame showing Frank and Charlie attempting to sell cookies and one after the other the door slams.
Fade to black
Charlie and Frank walk down the street tired and disappointed from their lack of sales. Frank turns to look at Charlie and sees him nibbling the cookie. Charlie offers Frank one. Frank gets annoyed and flicks him in the eye (flicking sound) and turns to walk aways. Charlie tries to follow him still blinded walks into a lamppost. Frank looks back. (Light bulb animation)
Charlie and Frank walk past the camera. Close up of Franks face.

Scene 4

EXT. Residential Estate

Title screen reads DAY 2: 11.51am

The camera zooms out from Franks face to reveal Charlie bandaged up for the Blind man scam.
(Sound of money pot)
Bucket reads ‘Help the blind boy’ cutaway to Empty Street (cricket sound)
Frankie and Charlie seem to have given up and Frank sees someone coming in the distance. Frank hits Charlie to get back into roll. As the man approaches Frank hold the bucket up to him but his attempt fails as the man just sniggers and walks past.
Frank and Charlie are annoyed at the mans gestures. Frank shouts back at the man. Charlie copies. The man stops turns and flinches at them whilst scowling. Frank and Charlie both jump back. As Charlie continues to act blind Frank watches where the man as he walks up to a car and exchanges packages at the car window. Frank squints and sees large wad of cash. Frank is shocked at large amount of money frank grabs Charlie and follows man. Frank and Charlie are well hidden as they follow the man around street corners and into a swanky hotel.

Arrive at room 28. Still well hidden they notice the man drop a package as he walks into a suite. Frank rushes to pick it up and opens it to find a bag of drugs inside; believing that this is what got the man his big wad of cash. (Light bulb animation) Frank gets his final idea. The door to the suite then opens behind Frank and the same man is standing there looking at the pair.

MAN: You two? You been followin’ me?!
FRANK: (nervously) na, na, na we’re here for the same reason you are…
MAN: You here to see Big Pete?
FRANK: Erm, yeah.
MAN: What you got?

Frank reveals the package he just picked up and the man looks inside, surprised that Frank has drugs.

FRANK: There’s plenty more where that came from.
MAN: Come back tomorrow and you better deliver. Try and scrub up a bit too yeah?

(Camera shows Franks appearance)


SCENE 5 (Replay of scene 1)

INT: Hotel corridor/room.

Black screen with title reading DAY 3: 3.28pm

(Sound of ‘groovy’ 70s music) Frank and Charlie strut down the corridor in their new suits, Charlie holding the briefcase full of “goods” as Frank signals to let him do all the talking. The door opens and the man (bodyguard type) is standing there. Man laughs as he shakes his head at their outfits and the pair enters the room.
Frank and Charlie sit uncomfortably at a table clutching a briefcase. As the camera turns a large gangster type, Big Pete, is revealed with his bodyguard holding his suitcase.
(No audio)Big Pete: You got the stuff?(Frank and Charlie look at each other)
Frank: Yeah we got it (trying to act hard)
Big Pete looks at his bodyguards and they all burst out in hysterical laughter at the lads attempts, who also join in with a nervous laugh. Big Pete and his body guards all stop at once, leaving Frank and Charlie still laughing. They stop. Big Pete grabs the suitcase and opens it on the table to reveal that it's full of money. Charlie reaches over to touch the money, but Big Pete slams it shut before he can and demands a looks in their suitcase. Frank nods at Charlie to open the suitcase (away from camera) as Big Pete reaches over to grab the suitcase, Charlie, thinking it is normal procedure, also slams the suitcase shut. Suspicious glances are exchanged as they slowly slide the briefcases across the table to one another. As soon as Frank has hold of the briefcase full of money, he and Charlie open it celebrating and high fiving. Frank stops dead and darts a look at Big Pete, who has also opened his briefcase, and emptied the contents of a bag into his hand for a taste test. As Big Pete dips his Pinky finger in the “drugs” and raises it towards his mouth there is a FLASHBACK – Showing Frank and Charlie laughing and filling sandwich bags with flour and sugar (make clear to audience). The scene then snaps back to real time and Big Pete’s’ finger reaches his mouth. Frank panics. Close ups of Pete’s face as he tastes the flour (slow motion). Frank then has a shocked and worried expression, he gasps. The slow motion images stop and Frank blows the “drugs” in Big Pete’s face, grabs the money and scrambles out the room.

Cut away to empty corridor, and Frank and Charlie come sprinting out of the door. (Triumphant music) As they run down the corridor towards camera, we see both Big Pete and bodyguards in background wiping their faces and chasing the pair furiously. Extreme close ups of running feet in corridor and down the stairs. Frank and Charlie manage to out run the bodyguard. In an act of celebration, they jump and high five each other. Images freezes, slowly fades to black and the credits roll. Images are then shown of them buying the car and being in it etc.

END

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Script 1 - SWITCH

SCENE 1

INT: Poorly lit hotel room

Black screen reads DAY 3, 4:00pm

The scene opens with a birds eye view of two groups of people opposite each other with a table in the middle, and two breifcases in front of them. Frank is sitting on one side with Charlie standing behind him whilst "Big Pete", who is in fact a skinny, scrawny little man, is sitting opposite with a muscly male character behind him. Both Frank and Big Pete exchange unsure and suspicious glances. Big Pete then slightly opens his briefcase revealing a mass amount of cash inside. As Frank's eyes light up, Pete slams the case shut. In retatliation to this, Frank opens his case slightly to present what appears to be bags upon bags of crack cocaine. Big Pete doesn't hesitate to reach out for the goods and so Frank suddenly slams the suitcase shut too. A few more tense looks are given by the characters as the characters slide their briefcases across the table to initiate a switch. As soon as the case of money is in Franks hands there is a cut away of Frank and Charlie sprinting down a corridor, leaving Big Pete standing helplessly at the doorway shaking his fists at the pair. Triumphant music is played and there are numerous two shots of the pair comically running away. Frank trying to hold on to his hat and the briefcase whilst Charlie is just trying to not fall over! They both look at each other, still running, and laugh at what the have just achieved.

A black screen then reads DAY 1: 11:08am

SCENE 2

EXT: Street in Estate in which they live

Frank and Charlie are walking down the street hands in their pockets kicking a can and wasting time as usual. When suddenly Frank spots a "FOR SALE" sign on a car window that he likes the look of. He goes towards it to get a better look and we see a close up of the sign selling the car for £6000. He ponders the idea of how to get money whilst rubbing his chin imagining how good it would be to have this car and finally have something to do with his days! Meanwhile, Charlie is uninterested and just looking at the car because Frank is. out of no where, Charlie pulls out a cookie and there is a slow motion extreme close up of him taking a bite. Like lightning, Frank is hit with, what he deems to be, a flawless idea! Clicking his fingers and expressing his excitement to Charlie he jumps around and points to the cookie as if the plan should be obvious! Frank runs off screen to put his plan into action whilst Charlie, still very confused, carries on eating his cookie. Frank walks back into the shot and as he drags Charlie out a black out comes in from the side.

SCENE 3

EXT: Street in Estate they live

"DING DONG!!" (sound of doorbell)

A door opens to find Frank and Charlie standing there wearing banners reading "cookies" and they are holding a box each. Frank holds out his hand (implying payment) as Charlie thrusts the box of cookies at the camera (act as a customer - point of view shot) The camera/ customer shakes his head and shuts the door. Another doorbell sounds and the same thing happens again in a different house. A third doorbell rings and this time when they answer the door, Frank and Charlie are on their knees begging for just one box of cookies to be bought, but the customer just doesn't want to know. The pleading expression on Charlie's face becomes even more desperate as he stands up and takes a step closer to the camera. This threatens the customer and he punches Charlie in the face. Once again Frank is struck by a brilliant idea (as this one failed) and as he clicks his fingers a black screen ends the scene.

SCENE 3

EXT: A street in the area they live

The scene opens with a black screen fade, revealing Charlie, bandaged round his eyes and clutching at a (help the blind) box. Frank is with him and almost like a trader of a market stall, trying to pull in punters to give them money. Long shots are then taken of the surrounding road and it is clear that there is no one around so they sit down. All of a sudden, a young man aged 20 or 30 comes along and Frank is instantly up and begging for cash for his poor friend. Charlie gets up with his arms out stretched as if he cannot see the young man, blindly suggesting he put money in the box. The man pulls up his hood and continues to walk. Charlie then throws the box on the floor, pulls down his bandage and shakes his fist at the unknown man. Frank immediately nudges him, insisting he puts the bandage back over his eyes and he shuffles quickly to do it. When he does he begins to walk with his hands out as if he really is blind. Whilst Charlie is walking around like that, Frank observes the man that they had just encountered. He crossed the road and is now talking into the window of a car. Frank clicks his fingers and the scene fades to black.

SCENE 4 (SCENE 1 again but now in order of the story, SCENE 4)

INT: Poorly lit hotel room

The scene opens with a birds eye view of two groups of people opposite each other with a table in the middle, and two breifcases in front of them. Frank is sitting on one side with Charlie standing behind him whilst "Big Pete", who is in fact a skinny, scrawny little man, is sitting opposite with a muscly male character behind him. Both Frank and Big Pete exchange unsure and suspicious glances. Big Pete then slightly opens his briefcase revealing a mass amount of cash inside. As Frank's eyes light up, Pete slams the case shut. In retatliation to this, Frank opens his case slightly to present what appears to be bags upon bags of crack cocaine. Big Pete doesn't hesitate to reach out for the goods and so Frank suddenly slams the suitcase shut too. A few more tense looks are given by the characters as the characters slide their briefcases across the table to initiate a switch. Frank opens the case fully and he is laughing and high fiving Charlie as they finally have the money needed for the car. Big Pete opens his case fully and with a smug smile takes out on of the bags. Frank and Charlie freeze as they watch Pete's actions closely. Slowly, Pete opens a bag and empties some of the contents into his hand... there is then a cut away to Frank losening his colar of his shirt and he gulps (sound of gulp). Pete licks the tip of his pinky finger and dabs it into the powder. As this happens, a black and white flashback is shown of Frank and Charlie laughing their heads off, filling plastic sandwich bags of flour. Then back to real time (slow motion) Pete tastes the powder on his finger. The film then goes back into normal paced filming and Frank aggressively blows the powder into Pete's face; blinding him temporarily. Frank and Charlie make a dash for the door and we then see the pair running out from the outside. Triumphant music is played and there are numerous two shots of the pair comically running away. Frank trying to hold on to his hat and the briefcase whilst Charlie is just trying to not fall over! They both look at each other, still running, and laugh at what the have just achieved. The scene 9and film) end with a freeze frame of them running and laughing at each other.

ROLL CREDITS

As the credits are being shown there are numerous pictures of them with the car they bought.

Sunday 17 October 2010

The World Of 'SWITCH'

Character Profile - Frank

FRANK

Age: 26 Very immature, jobless with no motivation to find work although very stupid he believes that he is intelligent so he refuses to be told he is wrong, particularity by Charlie.

Main Trait: Brains of the 'program' . Although they are not very intelligent charecters Frank is the smater to the stupid twosome, I guess you could he is the blind that is leading the blind.

Humanizing Trait: Despite being ridiculously stupid and seemingly immune from emotions, he is very loyal to Charlie and will do anything to protect him.

Profession: Left School at 16, failed every exam so had no qualifications to get into college or sixth form.

Address: He has lived opposite Charlie his whole life in an East End dingy estate. (Working class enviroment).However, he has come from a stable home brought up by his Dad.

Values: A very lazy charecter that wants to climb the status ladder but without the hard grafting it involves.He will look for the easy way out of anything, he the type to not want to run but would walk fast. He sits around the house as his Dad is rarely ever at home as doesnt take an interest in what Frank gets up to.

Foil: Frank comes up with all the cunning ideas for the schemes but always wants Charlie by his side taking part in these cunning schemes. Their plans aren't quite the same with just one of them partaking in it.

Obsession: Frank is obsessed with finding the easy way out of everything! If it involves hard work, Frank ain't involved.

Goal: To get the £6000 and more in order to buy this car that he sees for sale. He likes the idea of Charlie looking up to him so he feels if his plans are successful Charlie's respect for him will continue to grow

Idol: Frank sees himself as his own idol because in his eyes he feels he can do no wrong. Put it this way, Frank is too lazy to aspire to be like any one else.

Epitaph: ''If its my idea, its a great idea!''

Internal Conflicts: Frank is full of ideas but is very impractical, he doesn't understand the error of his ways until he realises his ideas don't work.He doesn't like to be told he is wrong so the boys have to fail at a task before they realise it was a bad idea, so Frank's inability to see his errors and not think practically plays a part in the film.

Interpersonal Conflicts:Frank is not quite Frank without Charlie as Frank does not feel as adequate without Charlie looking up to him. Frank and Charlie are a double act and without each other the film creates less of an impact on the audience.

Societal and Environmental Conflicts: He has no job aspirations, no money and no qualifications, he lives in his own little bubble which Charlie finds himself in. Despite all this he is still a very happy character as he believes in his eyes he is doing no wrong.

Best Thing That Could Ever Happen To This Character (could turn out to be the worst): Alongside Charlie he finally gets the money for the car, but with no regular income who knows how long they will be able to keep the car for, as insurance and road tax are just some of the expenses that come with having a car. !

Worst Thing That Could Ever Happen To This Character: Loosing Charlie. Charlie's presence fuels him to be the ideas person he is in the film and without Charlie egging him on Frank is not quite the same.

Why The Audience Will Root For This Character: Because he hasn't got a mean bone in his body and it will become apparent how much he feeds off of Charlie's energy. Charlie is a loveable character and anyone who loves Charlie will love Frank.

Voice:'' Walking is for LOSERS! I'm so loser, so LETS DRIVE!''

Friday 15 October 2010

Character Profile - Charlie

Age: 21 but not the average 21 year old. He doesn't have a job, enjoys being a "bum" and has no aspirations for the future.

Main Trait: Probably one of the dumbest people you will ever meet without being classed as retarded. Forever following Franks' word he is an easy going idiot.

Humanizing Trait: Although Charlie is too stupid for words, he is a really loyal friend to Frank and will do anything for their friendship! Even if it means dabbling in a fake drug deal...

Profession: no qualifications, not even GCSEs - he was kicked out of school at the age of 14 due to lack of committment and attendance. When he wasn't being lazy and made the effort to go into school, he was sent home for disrupting the class and being a clown. Eventually, they just kicked him out.

Address: he has lived opposite Frank his entire life and they both live on a rundown estate. However, coming from a stable home with both parents there.

Values: Charlie enjoys playing car racing video games, eating cookies that his mum STILL cooks him and being with Frank, his best friend. He's not the sort of person to give to a needy person on the street, but not because he's rude, because he's way too stupid and broke to! He doesn't drive (yet) but enjoys pretending to drive on his games.

Foil: Charlie works at the same pace as his best friend Frank throughout the film. The main difference is that Charlie is way too dumb to think of the "cunning schemes" that Frank does. Although, as the film progresses both cahracters grow to rip off a "big time" drug dealer.

Obsession: Where Charlie is a comedic character his obsession is more of a great fondness; for video games and eating. Rather than having a dark obsession his is funny. This is because the word "obsession" is usually associated with negative and sinister actions because a character likes something/someone too much.

Goal: His goal is to get money for a car. However, he is more the puppy dog following Frank with his ideas. He's more in it for the adventure.

Idol: Charlie's idol is Frank. He respects and looks up to him like an older brother even though they're not related.

Epitaph: "aint gotta be a smarty pants to make moneys!"

Internal conflicts: The child inside Charlie is constantly alive however the actions he takes out begin to mature throughout the film. He is initially a child in a 21 year olds' body because his daily routine follows that of a young boy. e.g. playing video games, hanging around with his best friend and not worrying about the responsibilities every other 21 year old should have. So, his inner child does conflict with how he SHOULD be but both outer and inner personalities are connected.

Interpersonal conflicts: Without Charlie, the film would only be half as funny as it could be as we wouldn't have a croud favourite double act. Frank would pursue the schemes on his own and it's not funny when one person fails a stupid idea! Charlie's role in the film is vital, as is Franks; you cant have one without the other!

Societal and Environmental Conflicts: he has no money, he has no will power to find a job to make money, he has no conflict with society as he chooses to be this way. He doesn't blame society for him being lazy as he is happy to be this way.

Best thing that could happen to this character (could turn out to be the worst): Him and Frank get the money they need for the car HOWEVER this could turn out to be a bad thing as the only knowledge Charlie has of driving is in his video games!!

Worst thing that could happen to that character ( could turn out to be the best): If he lost his best friend Frank. He would be lonely and heartbroken, like a child losing their favourite toy!

Why the audience would root for this character: Mainly because he's funny but more because he's so stupid! Additionally, his and Frank's duo scams in order to get money will make the audience want them to suceed. Charlie is a really likeable character.

Voice (a despcription of the inticing incident that kicks up the drama, from the viewpoint of the character): "we... we gotta get the moneys to get the car cos then we wont 'aff to walk anymore. that would be well good!"

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Exaggerated Expressions

I found this video online of how these two men have created a comical act with no use of dialogue but more interaction with the music, alonside clever tircks and illusions that make the audience laugh. I feel this is the kind of energy our charcters need to communicate humour successfully in our own production.

How to make money fast

When considering making a comedy surrounding a double act making money fast, i thought it relevant to research quick money making schemes that we could incoporate in our film. It was actually quite interesting to find the amount of websites that offer advice on how to make money in a short space of time.

- Actually GET A JOB!
- Sell something you own
- Become a street performer
- Beg on the streets
- Make a fake charity and beg for donations (illegal)
- Open a lemonade stand
- Have a boot sale/yard sale
- Start saving odd change although this is more of a long term, legitimate techinque!
- Sign up for medical tests
- Door-to-door sales
- Donate plasma
- Donate sperm (men only)
- Sell stuff to motorists stuck in traffic
- Scalp tickets for conerts/theatre
- Go scavenging with your metal detector!
- Gamble and pray lady luck is on your side
- Become a drug dealer! <<< there is actually a site for that :/

I thought that these ideas could generate more for us to use in our film. Not only would these sort of ideas be clear to show but they would also be funny as they can be deemed ridiculous and unrealistic - Exactly what we're looking for for our film!

Laurel and Hardy

Thin, English-born Stan Laurel, and heavy, American-born Oliver Hardy, were the single most popular comedic duo of the early to mid-Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. The pair became well known in the late 20’s, and starred together in 40 short sound films, 32 short silent films, 23 full length feature films, and made guest or cameo appearances in 11 others, for a total of 106 films.

I believe this to be extremely relevant to my research for my own film. Capturing the comedy through a double act in a silent film...



Here the pair use minimal dialogue in a really simple scene that portrays the humour and down right stupidity of their friendship!

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

I found this video when researching famous double acts and the issues Lewis talks about concerning money (and the very simple vocabulary he uses to explain) is exactly what i would wish to portray in my own film. Additionally, the relationship between these two characters is what i would be aiming for. They sing about not needing anything but each other - being in it til the end! And although my film would be more about the shared desire for cash their friendship is what holds their cons together.

Del Boy and Rodders

To understand how we are going to direct our desired characters, i have to research into the world of double acts. To understand what makes them funny, how their personalities have to bounce off one another and what traits they must protray in order to make the film work!

Del Boy and Rodney
- 2 simple minded crooks!
- not necessarily bad people but willing to do bad things for money.
DEL BOY - Derek Trotter, or Del Boy, is a loveable Cockney rogue and wheeler dealer. He spent the 1980s and early 1990s slaving away with his market stall flogging what can only be described as dodgy gear.
However his luck changed in 1996 when an antique watch hidden in his garage made him an overnight millionaire. He lived the high life for 5 years before losing it all in 2001 due to a stock market crash.

RODNEY - Rodders, as he is often referred to by his big brother, has stuck by Del through thick and thin. After leaving school with two GCEs in Art and Maths, he was expelled from Art College for dabbling with drugs!
Without much going for him Rodney managed to rise to the challenge of being Financial Director of Trotters Independent Traders. (the brothers family business). He is recognised by an audience as more Del boys' side kick and the run around in their schemes.

From this i can see that the brotherly bond builds a strong connection and the pair being as simple minded as they are, its understandable they get themselves into silly situations!

The Fall - Con Artists

One of the most famous con artists of all time...



FRANK ABAGNALE
Mr. Abagnale had collected over $40,000 from various banks across New York City and by time he had accumulated so much money, the man had faked his way as a university professor, lawyer, pilot and doctor.

The film 'Catch me if you can' was written based on his life accomplishments which include escaping from a moving aeroplane!!! - and still getting away before finally being caught and serving time in a prison in France and Sweden; that's what you call a crook!

HOWEVER!!!

Once Abagnale was imprisoned, he convinced his guards that he was actually an undercover prison inspector and that he needed the privilege of having an unsupervised meeting with his FBI agent contact. The guards believed him!
After finally serving five years in prison, Abagnale was released if he cooperated with the government in detecting fraud. Not one to miss a golden opportunity, he turned his specialized knowledge into a legitimate money-making machine in working for the U.S government.


This is an example of how a man cheated his way through his life and how some would see this negatively as falling into his lies and schemes; he hasn't been punished for it he's being put to good use!

This is the first factual evidence i have researched that doesn't necessarily have a bad outcome.

Feedback on Final Treatment

- Really simple idea - easy to understand and simple yet effective.
- Like the idea of starting with the end and explaining how the characters ended up in their situation.
- Really like the idea of a comic duo/double act theme.
- punch in the face is a bit abrubt and out of the blue but if really exaggerated can work well in the world of your film.
- Exaggerated - slapstick comedy would have to be incorporated.
- over the top actions and expressions - rely a lot on characters!
- if it's a comedy it doesn't matter as much on the thematic unity and sticking to a running theme as the theme is the slapstick that MUST be present throughout!

After receiving this feedback, as a group, we decided there wasn't any vital elements of the treatment that we needed to change it was more considerations we need to take when casting and finding the locations to make this film work successfully.

Treatment 3 - SWITCH

Title: SWITCH

Tagline: How far will you go for a bit of cash?


Pitch: 20 year old Charlie and 26 year old Frank are desperate for cash after seeing a car they want for sale at a hefty £6000. Not bieng the brightest bulbs they take out quick money making schemes that fail; one after the other. Until they resort to 'The Switch'.

Treatment: The film opens on Day 3 of the SWITCH with the pair running for their lives down a corridor (angry looking gangsters in the background). Then flashing back to Day 1 we see their initial reason for their thirst for cash as the two see a car for sale that they really want. Needing to gather £6000 fast and dealing with unemployment and a lack of qualifications they soon realise they have a problem.

Standing there pondering their options, Charlie pulls out a half eaten cookie from his pocket and Frank is instantly hit by an ingenious idea. (lightbulb animation) Selling cookies!
Frank feels that selling cookies will earn them a lot of quick cash and so they go door to door attempting to sell them. However, door after door the customers are not interested and Charlie gets punched in the eye by the last potential customer! (montage of doors slamming, point of view shots from door)

Seeing Charlie clucth at his eye in pain, Frank is inspire to stage a fake charity (lightbulb animation) conning money out of people who think they are helping 'blind' Charlie. Frank grabs the attention of the only man walking down the street whilst Charlie shakes his money pot at him. However, the man is not the slightest bit interested and flashes a dirty look whilst putting his hood up. Charlie, forgetting momentarily that he is blind, shakes his fist at the passer by and Frank hits him to encourage him to stay in role. As they watch the man walk away they hear a screeching sound of a car apporaching and see it pull up next to the man they encountered. They see what SEEMS to be an inappropriate drug deal and this is where Frank is hit by his best idea yet - The Switch. Frank is convinced that if they cut a slice of a drug deal they will have more than enough money to buy the car. So they go home and gather together a bundle of drugs. Flour and sugar. Believing that this is a sure in way to make some cash, they fix themselves up to look the part (switching costumes) and go to meet 'Big Pete' the hardest gangster on the estate.

The meeting place and time is sorted and the two find themselves in a hotel room across the table from Big Pete who is willing to give them the money they need in exchange for the 'drugs'. The deal goes well, until Big Pete does a taste test and finds that the drugs taste a little sweeter than they should and their cover is blown. Frank literally blows the 'drug' in Big Pete's face and the two make a run for it. Running for their lives they get free and the film ends with both Frank and Charlie high fiving each other with the breifcase full of money in sight.

Credits roll with numerous pictures of the double act in their new car.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Feedback on Treatment

Comments from Miss. Nair on the treatment for The Adventures Of Dan and Alfie;

- hasn't been padded out - shocking to just lead to the mum leaving?
- don't have the software for the animation ideas you have
- the story needs to be stronger
- expecting more from us - something else
- depth is missing to the story
- creativeness is not flowed
- not grabbing
- need to improve the second half of the story!
- there has to be a BIG MOMENT keep the same story but play around with the order
- story isn't convincing as the mother would not leave her son with an alcoholic father
- it's twisted
- something go wrong when the mother leaves?
- end differently maybe?
*** instead of having the mother walking out have something going on behind the scenes. (Father abusing the mother) Make the mother the victim.
- the initial idea is good but the second half of the story doesn't fit.
- either work on it or start afresh
- think about how it can end
- you have a beginning now you need a middle and an end to make this story have layers and depth.

Monday 11 October 2010

Opening Titles ; Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, but he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences.



Here is a very interesting opening sequence i found that Saul Bass designed and the way the words "Trapeze" flow out of the swinging trapeze is a really clever way of presenting the titles. Additionally, the footage of him actually falling and the various shots used keep the titles simple but informing the audience of what is needed to know.

This is how it links to my own work. A simple idea, executed brilliantly.

Thursday 7 October 2010

In and Out

Our initial idea for 'In and Out' was a dark storyline following a loved up couple destroy their relationship through their temper, anger and jealousy. Once we watched the short films in lessons however we decided to take this story from a different angle. Making it more of a comedy could really twist the story and make it more realistic.

Tagline: You think you've met the man of your dreams - then you wake up!

Treatment: Josh and Beth met through friends and hit it off straight away. They got on really well and had a lot in common. They had been dating for quite a while before deciding to take the relationship to the next level and move in together. Things were going great! They had his and her dressing gowns, ate the same cereal and Beth always had dinner ready when he came home from work.

Although, a new job promotion for Josh lead to late night drinks celebrating with his colleagues and a new female boss in the office. Beth sees the signs and isn't a fool but doesn't know if she's strong enough to leave? With his late night antics and Beht waiting up for his return home - things get heated and she confronts her suspicions of him cheating.

For this film idea we saw it to be more of a funny outlook on a man cheating on his girlfriend. Like the typical wife waiting up for the man to come home and sitting in the dark; but when he tries to creep in thinking she's asleep she quickly turns the light on and he stops dead...
This reminded me of a scene from the film white chicks where the woman's husband had been out drinking with his work mates and she switches on the light when he arrives home. This visual adds humour to a heated situation and i think it would be really fun to re-make.