Premiere of the first version and adding another character

Above is the video which shows a morning routine of one character. However on Viewing this movie in premiere which was held in our school, we realized that students found it too slow and dull.



Therefore to add in some changes, we decided to show the morning routine of two characters instead of one. therefore the next character in our movie is Karar to whom we will show rich and dominating as compared to Hammad.


Therefore we made the storyboard and started our shoot. Most of the shots of Karar were handheld as are shown in various drama opening sequence.

Plot of the final Opening title

Plot:
This movie is about a man named Hammad who lived a monotonous life to please everyone around him. Recent circumstances come up that angers everyone he knows and drives them away from him. This is about his journey from isolation to self actualization and how he seeks for his own desires and solicitation after he is fired from his job and deserted by the woman he loves.

Cast
An A level student named Hammad Haroon Khan

Location
Arif Zaheer's House

Research and survey

Here we moved on to the next step by surveying our audience. the genre we finally decided on was drama and we wanted to see how will our target audience respond to it. We are making a movie in which we are representing teenager. We used survey monkey to make an online survey's as we thought that the people will prefer filling in surveys online rather than on paper. Also compiling and tabulating results would also become easy. Most of the A levels students have filled in the online survey and we have received around 50 responses.

 Below are the fixed choice and open ended questions used and the answers we received.

Schedule

This the shooting schedule we planned on for our final movie. 

The Shooting Schedule :- 

01:00:00 PM	:00	Reach at my house.
	:15	Set up the equipment and the props in the room.
	:30	-
	:45	-
02:00:00 PM	:00	Finalizing the mise-en-sene.
	:15	-
	:30	-
	:45	-
03:00:00 PM	:00	-
	:15	-
	:30	Set up the camera and the tripod.
	:45	-
04:00:00 PM	:00	Begin Shooting.
	:15	(Target for the first scene) Alarm clock scene.
	:30	Shower scene commences.
	:45	End scene (mirror scene).
05:00:00 PM	:00	-
	:15	Break
	:30	-
	:45	-
06:00:00 PM	:00	-
	:15	Flash back shots (computer scene)
	:30	Flash back shot (Fired from the job scene)
	:45	Rechecking and taking spare shots just in case. Ending the shoot.

Mind map and first cut of the movie

List of opening titles of drama genres watched movies watched

Below are the list of opening titles I have seen to get an idea of how a drama movies starts

• The curious case of Benjamin Button 

 

• The Boys are Back

 

• Is anybody there?

 

• An education

• Fish Tank

• Imagine me and you

• An Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind

• Miss Potter

 

• Revolutionary Road

Our movie budget and list of softwares used.

S.No	List OF requirements	Cost per object	Number of objects	Total cost/Rs	Use
1	Mini  DV	300	2	600	For the Handycam
2	DVD  - R	100	1	100	To keep backup of final and preliminary video
3	Photocopy of Questionnaire	2	250	500	For the questionnaire’s to be distributed amongst the students
	Total Cost			1200

List of equipments and software’s used

Adobe after effects CS4

Sony Vegas Pro 9.0

Adobe Premier CS4

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Canon cyber shot camera

Tripod

JVC handy cam SD

Garage band

Xilisoft Media converter

Analysis of movie (genre:drama) 3

Camera angle, movement and shots.
The movie begins with the close up of the main character waking up. The shots used through the sequence are closeups, mid shots, long shots and high angle shots and wide shots are used. also a point of view shot is shown in the very beginning when the subject looks at the window after waking up. Camera  movements are shaky and handheld. A rule of third is also followed when the subject wakes up, keeping his face in the center and on the top of the frame. Mid shots are used when the protagonist he looks at  the dent of his car. A closeup of a thank you note is also shown which the protagonist writes to be sarcastic.

Another point of view shot used of the people sitting inside the train looking out of the window. The camera moves and stops as the train stops, keeping the protagonist in the middle of a frame. A wide shot is used here. A long shot of him running is shown when he realizes that he is on a wrong platform. Panning is shown when he is seated inside the train and looks out the window. High angle shots are also shown of the protagonist running over the bridge to reach to the other side of the platform. Focus pulls are also used at some places

Editing:
Action match and graphic match is shown throughout the sequence. The opening title show a morning routine of one person with no other inserts of other shots. In many places long takes are used. No transition effects are used and the editing here is quite simple. However in the first part of the sequence, there seems to be a blue filter on the shots that make the appearance dull and thus connotes gloominess and loneliness.

Sound:
We hear a diegetic music that woke the subject up and also a non diegetic music played very softly in the background. This shows that the situation is very serious and depressing.We also hear the voice over of the subject and no dialogues are used in this opening sequence. The slow music starts when he looks at the window.

Mise en scene:

The movie starts in the dark apartment of the protagonist showing less space and a sofa which can be converted into the bed. The location emphasizes the gloominess The room has the basic furnitures The attire the protagonist is wearing looks kind of disheveled along with his appearance which shows that he doesn't really cares about how he looks and his life is passing through a complicated phrase.

Storyboard of Journey to Hammad

Above is the storyboard of our movie Journey to Hammad. 

Poster made with Photoshop

On the Left side is the poster which I made for the documentary on media studies.This has been made in adobe Photoshop. In this poster I have used non-copyright images from http://www.sxc.hu/. After removing their background and other unnecessary elements using magic tool, I repositioned them on the page. The size of the canvas is 900x1300. All pictures were desaturated and a slight purplish color was given to the lights. Than I added the text and used spotlight effect form render tools. This is how the  final poster looks like. 

Location finalized

Despite the diatance issue, we decided that Arif's House will be more suitable for the shooting as his Decor and the arrangement of his room is more suitable for the movie we are about to make

This is the room we used to shoot the experimental opening title of a comedy and suspense genre. 

Below are the shots of the location we used for our final movie. 

We show the protagonist waking up and moving about to get ready for an unpleasant day. we make the mis en scene gloomy by by using window lights and shadows. We chose this room as it seems more masculine and there is adequate space to connote loneliness and failure due to less furnitures.

Institution changed: BBC production

Since our movie is more simple and is made to attract teenager and middle aged audience, we thought that BBC films will be more appropriate institution for our final movie. Most of the movies made by BBC films have been more meaningful and generally convey a message and represent more realistic matters in the society to educate and at the same time entertain its potential audience.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/79946/British-Broadcasting-Corporation-BBC

Below are the samples of the two Logos that we can use in our opening titles

Logo of our final movie

To make the opening title look more original, we made our own production house name. Constructing a logo was equally essential. After doodling and drawings one of our team mate Arif came up with an idea of making a square logo. Four sides and edges represented all the four team members in our group.

From the basic shapes in Adobe Illustrator, to adding filters and blending colors in it, this was the final shape we chose. The four different colors merging into each other show our individual  and completely different perspectives and thoughts combine together to form an even better and reformed idea and all the lines linked symbolize the unity in our group. . 

The name of our production house is AFAS. This name was made using the innitials of our names where S stands for Sama, F stands for Fatmah and two A's stand for Arif and Arika that is my name.

Than we came up with an idea of making this logo tumbling on to the screen and than the name of our production house appearing. This was achieved on after effects where we made this shape rotate on to screen and than stopping in  the middle Than the name of our production house appears just after the shape stops using Fade effect on the text. We plan to add sound effects on this logo too. The duration of this clip is 5 seconds. To make it look more professional, we used a lens flare effect moving on two sides forming an L. This showed that the logo shines after stopping due to the light. 

Analysis of movie (genre:drama) 1

An education is a BBC film that represents a teenager in 1960.  

The opening title represent a teenage group in the time of 1960's. This also showed a stereotype of the kind of things girls usually do back in 1960's when the clippings of girls baking and balancing books on their head to improve the postures were taught in the schools which are very unlikely nowadays in high schools. The gender was also represented as there were only girls shown in the opening title.

Camera shots, Angle, Movement, Composition:

The video began with the animations of white lines forming various shapes of graphs, living cells, atoms, and foot prints, skipping ropes and books that represent school life. The opening title were being shown alongside. There hardly have been any still shots and all long, mid shots have some movement in them. panning is done extensively and a third grid rule is also followed when we see closeups of girls learning to cook. The utensils and cutlery items are in the middle of the frame.

Editing:
Great deal of effects are used in this opening title. the beginning is animated and after the opening title appears,  we see the superposition of animations and actual shots in some places throughout the sequence. For example when the camera pans across the girls feet than we see an animated paper plane flying and than falling into dustbin. The animation used are according to the main theme and idea of this opening title. Also between two different sots, a fade in effect is used. eye line match and graphic match can be seen as well. In various places  we also see long takes for example in an insert of a main character of this movie and she is shown walking  alone on the street heading back to school/home.  

Sound

Diegetic sounds of girls giggling and teachers and students chatting, non Diegetic sound of the music. the Kind of the music used was to represent a cheerful surrounding mainly concerning with school life. The volume of the music slowly ends towards the end of the opening sequence. The tempo of the music is consistent throughout this sequence. 

Mise-en-scene

The location used was of a classroom back in 1960. The walls are shown creamy while and the oak funitures used are more like the schools back in 1960. The uniform and postures of the girls in the school are similar to the concept back in 1960. Some activities on the frame e.g  balancing books on their heads for a ladylike posture and cooking classes in school match the whole theme. Most of the shooting has been done indoors in the school and outside i n the playground and the mise en scene is of girls playing and going about their classes during school hours.

Analysis of movie (genre:drama) 2

Imagine me and you

Camera shots:
After the Logo of 'Fox Searchlight' the name of the production house appears on the screen. than we see the wide shot of the girl staring at her alarm clock as if waiting for it to ring. after the alarm goes off she closes it and falls back on the bed. this shows that main character woke up earlier than the alarm and is anticipating for the comming day. Than in the next scene, an over the shoulder and close up of the characters reflection is shown while she is quickly brushhing her teeth. than in the next shot the camera pans as she rushes across the room to open the door. by far the mood of the situation is full of excitement and anticipation.
wide shot when the girlk  is looking at the alarm clock and waiting for it to ring. There is also an extabilishing shot of a flower house and than the close up of two ladies.this shot is taken from outside the glass window/entrance showing the reflection on the glass.

Then we see the mid shots and close up of the family members as they are dressing up. by tfar the audience has guessed thsat there is a special occasion. alkl shots are taken into canted angle and are steadycam with smooth pannning. shots here are quite simple yet they connode excitement and festive mood. Rule of thirds has been followed in every frame. Reverse shots are shown when  Rachel is complementing her father.


Editing:
In the editing eyeline match is shown when people are having a conversation or taking part in it. There is match on action shown as well when the mother of the main character is clipping her younger daughters hair. The is also an insert of another shot of a women in a flower store. No special effects or transitions are used. Reverse shots are shown when  Rachel is complementing her father.

Sound
We hear a diegetic sound of teeth brushing, The sound bridge of teeth brushing begins in the first scene after Rachel shuts the alarm and lies back. the diegetic music of  footsteps and alarm clock is heard.
non diegetic music is heard and the volume and the tempo of the music changes as the scene changes e.g the volume reduced and only the beats were heard when that scene in the flower shop was shown. The volume of the beats gradually increase when Rachel brushes her teeth and opens the door to let in her friends All this time an excited mood is conveying. sound mixing is also done here. There has been a sound bridge of someone brushing teeth as well in the first scene when she blissfully lies back on her bed. Few dialogues are heard after she receives her friends.

Mise en scene.
The shooting is done in natural light and in an apartment showing the morning routing of the main protagonist.
We see shots of bathroom, bedroom and of hall where everyone is pacing around getting dressed for the occasion. The main protagonist Rachel is not wearing much makeup when she is shown lying back on the bed and brushing her teeth but dresses up like a bride towards the end of the sequence with subsequent amount of makeup.The house is shown with light and cheery decor and the costume and the props show that they are getting ready for an occasion.

Final idea of the movie

After switching our genre from a comedy to a drama, we came up with the script and the storyboard of the movie. Our latest idea is of a man who wakes up and goes about his morning routine. However here the morning routine is more slower and depressed and it is to represent how sad and gloomy the protagonist is. The mis-en-scene is more posh and of a person with modest income and here we show that overnight things changed drastically for him. Below is the storyboard of our final movie.

Another idea was an attempt to another comedy and suspense opening title where we show the main character tied up in a girls bedroom and we showing him waking up all confused. A doll is positioned near his feet's which has a recording in which the kidnapper tries to blackmail him. We make it look like an amateur attempt by a girl to tie up the character for some long lost vengeance. However after taking the shots of that movie and of our slower morning routine we chose the morning routine as the lights and the shots were comparatively better.