Further Thoughts and New Film Synopsis

After the film pitch and the review I got from it, i realised that I wasn't confident in the idea I had come up with.


I feel that the main issue was that I didn't have an actor fitting to the way I pictured my main character. I had written him as a 35 year old man and I needed him to be willing to smoke. I know very few people in their 30s as many of my friends and family are either my age, or my parents age (over 40). All of the people that I know in their 30s don't smoke and wouldn't be very keen on being filmed.


Therefore, I decided to rethink my idea. Totally change my story, genre, etc.


I had a sort of "Plan B" story in my head, but I felt like it was an easy way to go, but that is only because the idea wasn't as intellectual as I felt that my first film opening idea had.




My new idea is a comedy about 2 crooks that are essentially rubbish at being burglars.




SYNOPSIS


SAM (20) and Kat(19) are 2 average people that are in the thieving "business". They are employed by JOEL (52) who is the best in the business and has taught everything he knows to his beautiful daughter, BRIDGET (21). Joel constantly gives Sam and Kat a hard time, always calling them pathetic, and it really riles Kat up as she is adamant on becoming the best crook in Britain.


Sam, however isn't too bothered about becoming the best. He is in love with Bridget, yet has never really talked to her. He feels that by stealing something really worthy, then Bridget will notice him and may even talk to her, whilst Kat feels that if she steals something worthy, then she will be deemed the best thief in Britain.


However, it's really not as easy as they had hoped. They think that they are more skillful than they actually are, and so always find themselves in a spot of bother. Things take a turn for the worse when they plan on stealing The Orb (part of the crown jewels of the UK).


Things go from bad to worse as unexpected things happen. Kat and Sam hadn't expected Buckingham Palace to be so busy, and had in fact planned to burgle the palace over the royal wedding. They eventually give up, and make their escape. As they're running down the road, Sam bumps into, and knocks over, a girl ROSIE (20). Before she can even accumulate any words, Sam is apologising, getting up, helping her and and running off down the road, turning for one last look before he disappears out of sight. Rosie dismisses it and carries on.


When they make it to their "hideout", Kat gets frustrated and talks about what a waste that was, and why they came up with such a stupid idea. Sam reveals that he did in fact steal something from Buckingham Palace, albeit the Queen's reading glasses.


The next couple of weeks carry on as normal except Sam bumped into Rosie at the supermarket and asked her out on a date. they had a lovely evening down at the local bar, but being the shy person that he is, nothing happened (no goodnight kiss).


Joel carries on setting them easy jobs that Kat and Sam only just manage to pull it off without getting caught. They're breaking into another flat when the lights turn on and Rosie is there. The pair had broken into her flat and she had just gotten in from a night shift. Utterly dumbfounded, she screams at them to get out, as Sam tries to apologise. Bridget notices she isn't getting the same attention she once was, and attempts to flirt with Sam, but he's just not interested. He tells her so.


A few days pass and Sam goes back to the same supermarket where he, again, bumps into Rosie and apologises profusely. She walks away. He then spends the rest of the afternoon moping, and Kat tells him to "suck it up" and "sort it out before it's too late". Sam then decides to go all over London, knocking on all doors belonging to a "Rosie" using any information he can gather. After many unsuccessful attempts, he admits defeat. He starts heading back for his flat when someone comes out of their door, carrying their trash. Low and behold, it's Rosie. They stop in the street and stare at each other, but rosie breaks the gaze as she throws her trash in the dustbin, and heads back to her building. Before she can get inside, Sam stops her. he continues to apologise. She then tells him how "it can't work",  "how can she trust him" as he broke into her house.


Sam then takes a chance to explain things to her, about how he didn't know he was breaking into her flat, and that he hasn't stopped thinking about her since he bumped into her on that first night and that he might even be falling in love with her, which is crazy as they barely even know each other. At this declaration, Rosie throws her arms around his neck and falls into a passionate kiss. When they break apart, she tells him how there are obviously trust issues, and that some things may need to change, but they can give it a go.


The film ends a few months on, where it becomes a major "thing" that the Queen's reading glasses have in fact been stolen, and are not just missing. Sam allows Kat to take the credit, and she feels as though it is her finest hour. She still hasn't "overthrown" Joel, but she is far more respected than she once was.


Sam is shown in a very "burglar-like" situation, which turns out to be totally innocent, and we find out that he has given his days up as a  crook and is in fact training to be a police officer (as he never was officially convicted with anything serious). He and Rosie are happily in love. THE END.

After Pitch Review

GOOD

• Idea for thew opening 2 minutes sounds fairly good.

NOT SO GOOD

• Not such a great pitch, due to lack of confidence in the idea.
• No eye contact, no detail.
• Needed visuals.
• Needed to mention any audience research and understand who my film is aimed at.

The pitch has really opened my eyes about my idea for a film opening. I reall need to do plenty of audience research so I can get an understanding of who would watch my film. What age range, what class, etc.


I realise that my pitch wasn't very good as I wasn't extremely confident in my idea, and because of this, my entire pitch wasn't as good as it could have been. I think I need to set on a particular idea, as I keep on chopping and changing, or  "improving" my idea.

Film Synopsis.

Working title: "The Domino Effect"


The film opens. THOMAS RYDER (35) smokes his cigarette. He tells us about his life before this year - about his wife and job, etc in short, sharp sentences. During his monologue, we see rapid shots of his life from more recent times, times that he is not describing. He tells us about how something small can have a domino effect and can end badly. At this point, he flicks one end of a domino run and the titles ("The Domino Effect") are shown.

Film Opening Idea. "The Domino Effect"

I've been thinking more about what my film could be about. I wanted to do a more serious film, as opposed to comic or horror. Possibly something to do with "cons" or perhaps something with a bit of mystery, for older audiences. Not so much a thriller, or a hostage taking, like a lot of the examples I've seen are about.
I came up with the idea of having someone talking (I have written a possible monologue, but am still working on it) but not seeing their entire face, just from a small proportion of the neck, to about half way up the nose. This person would be smoking a cigarette and would be talking about his life which would then lead onto what's changed, but keeping the audience hanging.

I watched "Requiem For A Dream" yesterday and I really liked the effect that they repeatedly used when character/s where taking drugs (RAPID CUTTING). It was a rapid concession of images of what was going on that gave the audience an idea of what the character had just done. 





Requiem For A Dream - Drugs from Jessica Baker on Vimeo.


 I thought I could use this idea, and incorporate it into my film opening.

 

I also came up with the idea that when the character finishes his(?) monologue, they would then flick a domino run which would then run off the table, with a single domino landing face down on the camera, whilst the rest still lay on the table.

My Idea for a Film Opening

I've been thinking about what would make a good opening scene/sequence to my film. I watched a few for inspiration.

• I really liked how in Iron Man, it's army vehicles driving through the desert and then suddenly AC/DC is playing. 
• I also like how in The Hangover, the shots of the wedding being preparation sets the scene a bit and then the bride gets the phone call and you get the suspense of "where is Doug?"
• In Billy Elliot, the opening is him putting a record on (which helps to demonstrate which era the film is set) and then it's just this 12 year old boy bouncing on his bed, doing all sorts of moves whilst names and titles come up.

An initial idea of mine was for something gripping and action-y but then after watching other students' work from past years, I noticed that it really seemed to be the "easy" way out. So many of the film openings were made to create tension and suspense as action came out straight away in a way that made the audience think "What's going on?... I need to know why this is all happening." Which, in reason, creates a good opening scene as it immediately gets the viewers attention (like James Bond films for example) but then I realised that I really needed to get away from what others are doing and create something more unique.

This is when I started looking more at opening sequences as opposed to scenes. By this I mean doing something that wasn't necessarily part of the film like an action scene, or a getting ready scene, but more of a way to slowly bring the audience in, especially as I am aiming at an older audience rather than 15 - 24.

Some films that inspired me with their opening sequences include:

• Naepoleon Dynamite
• Amelie
• Catch Me If You Can 

I was looking at some university websites and the media courses provided when I came across one which showed some of the final projects. One of them really caught my attention. It was all about cinematography and was just a short video of numerous things sped up or in slow motion (namely clouds, sunsets and people). It immediately caught my attention and since I saw it, I've been thinking about all sorts of things I could film in slow motion to form a sequence for my film opening. I feel this idea would pay off as a film opening as it is something that people may want to see. I thought I could film things that normally people would see so fast that when it's slowed down, then it becomes a much more interesting thing to watch.

After the sequence of certain things being filmed in slow motion, it could then, possibly, speed up to normal speed at somewhere like a train station or something else that's busy. The title of the film could possibly be something along the lines of "Slow Motion" so that the opening sequence isn't totally irrelevant to the film. The credits would be able to come up throughout the sequence and the music as well.

The audience I think I'm aiming my film opening at is for older people, perhaps 35+ as it has a more intellectual feel to it, but also has an engrossing factor about it that younger people may enjoy.

I don't necessarily think there needs to be set actors in the opening sequence, except for maybe nearer the end of the sequence where the filming comes back to normal speed and the protagonist is introduced. I'm not entirely sure what the synopsis of the film would be or even what genre, probably a drama or even something remotely comedy. I feel my title opening idea allows me to play around with what sort of film it could be the opening to.

Initial research into film openings

I've been making a note of some film openings of movies that I have watched recently.

One of my favourite openings that I watched is the opening to Shrek. Shrek is a childrens' animation film. The film opens by making fun of the "Disney Fairytale" storybook method. This is done by having Shrek tear a page out and use it as toilet paper.
The opening credits are seen around Shrek as he starts his day: the film's title and Mike Myers's name appear in the mud Shrek bathes with. When Shrek breaks the mirror with his smile, Eddie Murphy's name can be seen behind it. Cameron Diaz's name forms out of pond-scum and when Shrek lifts up a snail, its larvae form John Lithgow's name before dissolving.

I love the opening to Juno. Juno is a comedy film, aimed more towards teenagers.
 It introduces the 2 main characters and sets the story up for what the rest of the film is about. It then goes onto the opening credits of the film, which are of Juno walking around her home town, in a hand drawn picture. I found it a really effective opening.


The credits appear throughout her journey around the town. the whole time she's drinking a large bottle of Sunny D.

Sherlock Holmes is a The opening to the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. were very good. It went straight into the action, of a man running down the street with rapid cuts between the unknown man and a horse drawn carriage that is travelling very fast also.


This leaves the audience in the dark, and makes them wonder what this man is running away from, what the carriage is chasing him for. It straight away sets the era of the film, with horse and carriage, what costume the audience can see and the mass use of cobbled streets. I really enjoyed the film as it kept me guessing the whole time.

Another opening that I watched, a rather simple one, is the opening to The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music is a musical from the 1960s set in Austria during World War II.


It opens with Julie Andrews' character, Maria, atop of a hill, singing a song, one that fits with the film.


It is a very recognisable opening, one that I found myself knowing, even before I had watched the film.

Another film that I watched recently was The Notebook. It is a romantic drama set in the 1930s.


This is quite possibly one of the simplest openings to a film that I have seen.


It is simply a boat, on a lake at sunset with a piano melody playing overtop. After a while it gets quite tedious, but it fits extremely well with the film. The lake is later referenced in the film.

Ideas for film opening

Must have/be:

• Good credits/productions names, etc.
• Good sound and picture quality.
• Fitting music, that's in time and that flows.
• Good actors of all ages.
• No continuity errors.
• Setting that fits the actual movie, and not the easy option. Go out of our way to make it and not stick to our comfort zone. 
• Make it like a opening sequence to a film and NOT a trailer.

Time Warner's takeover of British publisher IPC media has given the NME brand a new lease of life. Discuss.

NME originated as a weekly magazine about up and coming rock music that was sold only in Britain. However, when IPC (the publishing company responsible for foundation of NME) was bought by American company, Time Warner the expansion of the NME brand began with plans of extending the brand to the US.


NME is already available in the US via the internet in the form of a digital magazine, and NME.com (which is the USA's thrid most popular website). Plans to launch of two clubs; "Club NME NYC" and "Club NME LA" like those that NME has already launched over the UK and the rest of Europe, with live msuci from new and upcoming bands which make popular live events.


Time Warner's takeover of NME allows for them have enough finances for them to extend and try out new things, like opening clubs around the world, etc. This financial swecurity allows them to really experiment and if it goes well, then they will really reep the benfits. However, if something wasn't to work out, then (even though there's a loss) it wouldn't be such a dilemma as there would still be money for the business to run stabily on.


Time Warner's is a corporation that covers many products of different medias so the potential for advertisement across all multimedia platforms is increased as NME can be advertised in other magazines, or by products produced by Warner Bros Studio for example.


The takeover of IPC by Time Warner's will undoubtedly change NME, but will bring profits as the audience is bound to become much wider.


(UNFINISHED... sorry, I could definately do more on this. Especially on individuality and stuff, my brain is just dead today.)