Ryan's Blog: March 2017

Friday, 31 March 2017

Shooting Schedule

Saturday 1st of April:

12:00 pm:
Scouting the locations

Saturday 8th of April:
9:00 am:
Capturing the establishing shots

11:00 am:
Scene at the docks

12:00 pm:
Scene at the bar

Saturday 15th of April:

10:00 am:
Pool hall scene

Saturday 22nd of April:
10:30 am:
Overdubbing audio

Wednesday, 29 March 2017

Shot List (including examples of shot)

Establishing Shots

The film will open with a series of establishing shots of iconic Belfast locations in order to set the scene of the film.

Very Wide Shot

Although we will have already used establishing shots, this shot acts an establishing shot to the film plot itself. We are going to use this extreme wide shot to show how empty and barren the wasteland is, that the rookie cop is at, in order to make him feel more alone and vulnerable. The subject is going to be in the centre of the frame, with the wide shot then zooming in.

Medium Long Shot

This shot will be used as an establishing shot for the poolhall. The chief is going to be shown in the frame from the knees up, and then shown in relation to his surroundings i.e the snooker table and snooker balls. He will be in the middle of the frame as he is still the main focus.

Midshots

A series of midshots are going to be used in order to show the exchange of dialogue between the rookie cop and the police chief during their phone call. These midshots will be taken from a variety of different angles to ensure that the footage doesn't seem too stagnant.

Back Shot

A back shot will be used to show the area in front of and around the subject, the rookie cop.

Tracking Shots

A series of tracking shots, which will track the moving subject throughout the frame, are going to be used in order to add life to what would otherwise be static shots of the subjects simply standing and speaking.

Low Angled Close-Up Noddy Shot

This shot will be used to accentuate the rookie cop's emotions and show his reaction to the news he's being told. The low angled shot will hopefully make him seem more vulnerable.

Panning Shot

The panning shot is going to be used to build suspense and introduce us to the second character at the docks, the drug dealer. The juxtaposition of the bright lighting of the rookie cop and the shadowy figure of the dealer contrasts their moral intentions.

Over the Shoulder Tracking Shot

This shot will be used in order to follow the dealer as he approaches the rookie cop. The dealer is at the centre of the frame.

Shot Reverse Shot

Will be used to show the exchange of dialogue between the rookie cop and the dealer.

Two shot

Both subjects will be in the centre of the frame. The single midshot will make the dialogue seem more strained and tense due to the lack of cuts.

Extreme Close-Up Noddy Shot

This shot will be used to analyze the reaction of the rookie cop as he scrutinizes the dealer, before recoiling in shock as he realizes he has a gun.

POV Shot

This shot is going to be used in order to show us exactly what the rookie cop is seeing as he analyses the drug dealer. The POV shot will also capture the full subject, of the drug dealer, in the frame, as he fires the gun, which any other shot won't really allow us to do.

High Angled Panning Shot

This shot will used as an establishing shot to the bar scene. The panning is there to shift the focus of the frame, from the newspaper to the young officer.

Midshot

A variety of midshots are going to be used to display the young officer's actions at the bar, from his lighting of a cigar to him reaching for his phone.

Insert Shot

This shot type will be used to show the text received by the chief.

Tuesday, 28 March 2017

ACTOR RESEARCH (our chosen actors)

Actor Research

Undercover Cop: Matthew Miskimmon

For the role of the undercover police officer we have chosen a boy in our year named Matthew Miskimmon. We decided to choose him as he is one of the only people we know with some form of acting experience, as he has acted in other A Level media projects, as well as GCSE ones. Furthermore, he has also acted for us in the past, playing the lead character in our preliminary task. He definitely showed tremendous acting ability and range while starring in that role, so we thought that he would be perfect for this part as well, as we know that he can convey a range of emotions with confidence. His level of confidence, and commanding voice definitely played a part in our decision to choose him. The character he has to play is that of a rookie police officer, in his early 20s. However, despite the fact that he is only 17, he looks much older; as he has a lot of facial hair and an incredibly deep voice. Once we were unable to get an actor of the appropriate age, we knew that Matthew would be perfect for the role anyway.

Detective: Matthew McCullagh

For this role we didn't necessarily need someone with acting experience, so we asked another one of our friends. We chose our friend, Matthew McCullagh, for this role. This was another case where we needed an older actor, this time for the role of a detective. However, as previously mentioned in the last paragraph, we were unable to get one, so we had to resort to using another 17 year old. Thankfully, just like with our other actor, Matthew looks a lot older, making him perfect for the role of a young detective. This character has no lines of dialogue, so the fact that he has no acting experience shouldn't be a problem, as he has the look necessary.

Drug Dealer: Liam Kelly

For this role, we simply needed someone who could put on the persona of a rough intimidating urban youth. When suggested to my friends, Liam was eager to help. Liam has a working class aesthetic and his shaved head and collection of tracksuits, and novelty gold chains, he has for techno concerts made him the perfect choice appearance wise. Being an urban youth himself, he was able to mimic their dialect and act intimidating, and we know that he will prove himself to be more than capable at acting and playing the role. Most importantly, Liam is eager to star in our film and no matter what we have asked of him (during his test run of going through the lines), or how many times we changed schedule Liam was always enthusiastic and willing to comply without complaining.

Chief: Greg Toner

As for this role, we needed a man who could carry his dialogue confidently as well as giving off a domineering presence. Greg, Fionntan's uncle, has always been a confident entertainer and had some experience acting as a teenager. He is also a naturally big man, making him capable of giving off a domineering presence. As a result, we believe that Greg was the perfect choice for this role and we also believe that his performance, during his read through of the lines, proved this.

Friday, 24 March 2017

COSTUME RESEARCH

Costume Research

Drug Deal Scene:
There is definitely a distinct difference in the outfits that will be worn by the undercover police officer and the drug dealer, during our opening scene, despite the fact that both of them are going to be wearing tracksuits. The costume that will be worn by the drug dealer character certainly resembles that of some kind of urban youth caricature, as it may appear incredibly exaggerated, especially in comparison to the undercover cop. This is because he will be wearing a more outlandish tracksuit, as well as a ridiculous looking gold chain around his neck.Whereas the tracksuit, and overall attire, worn by the undercover police officer is a lot more toned down and inconspicuous. He is meant to blend in with the dealer, however, it will be obvious who the real drug dealer is.

Police Chief:
The character of the police chief will be wearing a more stereotypical trench coat, implying that he is part of an older generation, while also allowing him to possess a more domineering presence. By giving the chief a vintage noir attire, it allows us to juxtapose this with the tracksuit-wearing younger characters, as the chief will be on the phone to one of them. This enables us to combine elements of classic film noir with modern neo-noir.

Detective:
The detective in the bar scene will also be wearing a more stereotypical classic noir costume, as he will be wearing suspenders and a bowler hat. This really allows us to capture a vintage 1940s noir feel, as no piece of clothing would have been more common than the bowler hat. This outfit also allows for some juxtaposition with the first scene, as this outfit is also incredibly cliched and exaggerated, just like that of the modern urban youth tracksuit, once again allowing us to blend together elements of film noir and neo-noir.

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

PROP RESEARCH

Prop Research

1. Replica gun

We will need a fake gun or bb gun for the encounter with the drug dealer. This will have to be a handgun, so that it can be easily concealed, with the other character not being able to see it. Furthermore, as the gun will look realistic, it will definitely need to be small and easily hidden, as one of us will have to travel to and from the docks with it. We also hope to get a classic firearm, like the Colt 1911, that could help add to the traditional noir feel.

2. Cigar

We decided that the man in the bar would be smoking a cigar rather than a cigarette as the cigar is a more traditional noir prop. This will be used by the detective in our film, during the bar scene, at the end of the opening. This will definitely help to capture the film noir feel, as this would have been common for a 1940s or 1950s noir hero.

3. Outfits

When looking at the mise-en-scene of traditional noir clothing, braces and bowler hats are two recurring pieces. We think they will be essential to create a noir atmosphere, and they will be worn by the detective character. The drug dealer will have a more modern and urban look, wearing gold chains and a tracksuit, helping us to blend elements of classic noir and neo-noir.

4. Mobile phones

A basic but essential prop. We will use our mobile phones to show the phonecall between the officers and the text received by the officer in the bar, once again bringing in elements of modern neo-noir to a scene, like the bar scene, that feels like something out of a 40s noir film.

5. Pool cue

The pool cue will be present with the chief when he is in the poolhall. While not an essential prop, it will be good to add to the miss-en-scene of the poolhall.

Monday, 20 March 2017

LOCATION RESEARCH

Location Research

Establishing Shots:

1. Albert Clock

This is one of the most famous locations within Belfast's City Centre, and it will be instantly recognisable to anyone watching the film. This location will be necessary if we are trying to emulate the opening titles of a film like 'The 400 Blows', showing the establishing shots during the opening titles.

2. Black Man Statue and The City Hall

The Belfast City Hall, along with the docks, is quite possibly the most famous location in Belfast, as well as the heart of the city. As soon as this location appears on screen, the viewer will instantly be aware of where the film is taking place, setting the scene. It is also a very old building, giving the film a classic feel. Furthermore, the statue outside of the City Hall will help give the film an ominous tone and help with capturing the traditional film noir vibe.

3. Crown Bar

For us, personally, we would consider the location of The Crown Bar to be one of the most important locations for the establishing shots. This is because we were looking to almost replicate, or at least pay tribute to, shots filmed outside of The Crown Bar in the 1947 noir film 'Odd Man Out'. This is probably the most well known emerald noir film, and the only one I can really think of that was filmed in Belfast, so it would make sense for us to pay homage to it in our film. It is also probably the most famous bar in Belfast, making it perfect for our lineup of establishing shots that are going to play during the credits.

4. Belfast Docks

As mentioned earlier, along with the Belfast City Hall, the docks are quite possibly one of the most famous aspects of the city, specifically with Harland and Wolffe. This is where Belfast's most famous export, the Titanic, was created, almost adding to the dark and ominous noir tone that we are looking to create. This area will also help our film to look and feel more epic and large in scope.

Film Opening

1. Docks at ground level (Encounter with dealer)

After a lot of thought and planning, we concluded that the docks would be the best possible filming location for our opening drug deal scene. We were originally going to film this scene in an alleyway, within Belfast's City Centre. However, we thought that this may be too dangerous and risky, as we will be filming with a replica gun, and with the amount of people around it would attract a lot of attention. We then decided that the docks would be the best option for this scene as there are a lot of abandoned areas, and there are nowhere near as many people around the overall area. Also, this area of the town isn't particularly colourful, it is incredibly dull and dreary looking, which is perfect for the tone we are aiming to achieve. There are an abundance of places to film down by the docks, giving us a good selection in case something goes wrong.

2. Westway Pool (Phone-call with Chief)

This is quite possibly the perfect place for the police chief to be hanging out. This is because it really helps to flesh out his character; he is more old school and engages in a pastime associated with an older generation, foreshadowing possible tension with his methods and the methods of the younger cops in the film. The pool hall also looks more modern, despite the old school feel, as it features a lot of bright colours, almost making it look like more of neo-noir setting. This once again allows us to blend elements of classic noir, emerald noir, and neo-noir effectively.

3. Sunflower Bar (Closing of opening scene, officer at bar)

The Sunflower Bar is one of the best possible locations we could have came up with for this scene. It definitely has a very traditional Irish feel to it, and is also steeped in history due to The Troubles in Northern Ireland, being one of the only bars in the country to still have the cage around the front door. It plays a lot of Irish music and is filled with items and pictures related to Irish culture and history. A bar is also a very stereotypical noir setting, especially for the troubled detective character, making it perfect for our film as this allows us to keep in line with the codes and conventions of both film noir and emerald noir.

Wednesday, 15 March 2017

RISK ASSESSMENT

Risk Assessment

1. Lighting:

As we are filming outside, early in the morning, there is a risk of it being dark and the lighting being poor. To overcome this problem we are going to use external lighting so that regardless of the light outside we will be prepared. However, it will more than likely be quite bright by the time we actually film this scene, so this shouldn't really be much of an issue.

2. Bar permission:

As we will be filming inside a bar, there is a risk we will not be granted permission to film, or we may be turned away since we are underage. To overcome this problem, we will have to phone the bar beforehand and get our older actors to arrange the filming with the bar managers, and purchase anything if needs be. We will also have to assure the bar that we will be very quick when filming, as the scene is fairly short. Furthermore, we will ask them if we can film as soon as the bar opens at 12:00 pm, or just before it opens, so that we do not disturb any customers.

3. Filming with a fake gun:

Filming with a realistic looking bb gun may be an issue in crowded areas of the town as it may be mistaken for a real gun. However, we have decided to film our opening scene at the docks instead of an alley in the city centre, which was the original plan. We are hoping to film in an abandoned area of the docks so there really shouldn't be anyone around that could get alarmed. We will have to put a disclaimer in the description of the video to make sure the audience are aware that we are not using a real gun.

4. Printing newspaper story on front page:

As we will have to have one of our characters read a newspaper, we will need to print a mock newspaper which could prove difficult. To overcome this problem, we will have to use photoshop to make a mock newspaper cover and print it out using resources and printers from our school's art department. We will then have to stick the cover over a copy of a newspaper or stable together a number of blank pages, only with the actual image of our newspaper on the front, so that it resembles a real newspaper.

5. Problems with getting the establishing shots:

We were thinking about paying homage to the classic noir film, Odd Man Out, by replicating a shot from outside the Crown Bar. Considering that this is a busy area, this may be difficult to film. To fix this we are going to have to get this shot early in the morning, when there isn't a lot of people around. Our other establishing shots consist of the Belfast City Hall, Albert Clock, and Belfast Docks. We will also film these early in the morning as these are incredibly popular landmarks, and will no doubt be packed with people on a Saturday.

6. Cigar:

We may have some trouble actually getting a cigar as we will not be able to purchase it ourselves. To solve this problem we may have to get a family member to buy it for us. There shouldn't be an issue with the scene the cigar is involved in as we will probably get an older actor for the role of the character that will be smoking it. If we do end up getting a younger actor then we can just film the cigar being lit, and not smoked. We will also have to ask the bar's permission before using the cigar.

7. Weather:

It would be preferable if the weather, on the day that we are filming the establishing shots and dock scene, is cloudy and dull, as opposed to sunny and bright. If the weather forecast does not turn out in our favour, we are either going to have to reschedule or fix the problem during the editing process. This is probably going to be the problem that we are most likely to encounter as we will be filming in April.

8. Filming on Private Property:

The area we were planning on filming at, for the drug deal scene at the docks, is currently owned by a company. However, the area appears to be abandoned, and has looked this way for a long time. We are either going to have to get in contact with the company, to ask for permission, or take our chances filming there anyway, as there never appears to be anyone near this area. Also, if we don't manage to gain access to this area, we could just find a different area to film, as there are plenty of perfect filming locations down by the docks.

Sunday, 12 March 2017

Director Research

Billy Wilder:

Billy Wilder was one of the first directors to tackle the film noir genre. He became a true pioneer and originator of the genre with films like 'Double Indemnity' and 'Sunset Boulevard'. He also made classics outside the genre, like 'The Apartment', 'Ace in the Hole', 'Stalag 17' and 'Some Like It Hot'. What differentiates Wilder from other noir directors, of the 1940s and 1950s, is the originality present within 'Double Indemnity' and 'Sunset Boulevard'. These films essentially created the trope of the main character in noir narrating throughout the film. In 'Double Indemnity', at the beginning of the film, the lead character records himself talking about the events that have just taken place, providing the basis for the film's narrative. Similarly, in 'Sunset Boulevard', the lead character narrates the events that have just taken place, only it is from the dead this time.

'Double Indemnity' also features an incredibly original and intricate plot, while 'Sunset Boulevard' is a fantastic drama that highlights the true dark nature of Hollywood, perhaps influencing future noirs like 'Mulholland Drive'. These films definitely appeared more mature than other noirs, like 'The Maltese Falcon', from during this time period. Furthermore, they feature two of the original femme fatals of the genre, influencing female noir characters for decades to come.

Friday, 10 March 2017

Actor Research

Humphrey Bogart:

Humphrey Bogart was the original noir leading actor, helping to popularise the genre in America with films like 'The Maltese Falcon', 'Casablanca', 'The Big Sleep' and 'In a Lonely Place'. He played a similar type of character in all of these films, portraying the tough, yet sophisticated, private detective that helped influence many other actors and characters in future noir films, e.g. Jack Nicholson in 'Chinatown' and Elliot Gould's borderline parody in 'The Long Goodbye'. He definitely helped establish a lot of the codes and conventions of the genre. The idea of the tough loner character can be traced back to the characters he played in the the early 1940s, while the damaged element to this type of character (seen in most neo-noirs) was essentially born from 'In a Lonely Place.' He also helped to popularise the look of the stereotypical noir character, usually wearing a bowler hat and trench coat, while smoking a cigarette or cigar. Bogart has definitely been a big influence on one of the characters in our film, as the detective in the bar scene is essentially modelled after one of his 1940s characters.

Wednesday, 8 March 2017

MOODBOARD (ideas from other films)

The 400 Blows opening:

The film opens with establishing shots of Paris. With our film, we will be looking to do something similar, only with Belfast. Hopefully capturing famous locations around Belfast, maybe as the credits roll at the very beginning.

Chinatown score:

We would be interested in using music similar to that of Chinatown's score. It captures the traditional and classic noir feel, with its jazz sound. Capturing this kind of mood is definitely important to our film.

Odd Man Out - Exterior shot of The Crown Bar in Belfast

It is highly likely that The Crown Bar will feature in our film, whether it is in the form of an establishing shot or if we can actually use the bar for a particular scene. We have taken inspiration from the 1947 film 'Odd Man Out' for this idea, as it is probably the most famous film within the emerald noir sub-genre, and it was filmed within the same area that we may be filming.

Casablanca - High contrast black and white, and man alone in a bar

If we were to film in black and white, the cinematography of films like Casablanca would be a huge inspiration, mainly due to their high contrast between the black and white colours. Casablanca also features the traditional noir hero, in the form of Bogart's character, drinking alone in a bar. A detective in our film will be following the stereotype and tradition set by films like Casablanca.

Se7en - Cinematography

If we were to film in colour, we would perhaps like to emulate the style of cinematography used in Se7en. The film has a real ugly and gritty look to it, not seen since the days of classic film noir. This could be a good idea for conveying the tone and mood of our film, as we also utilise the, somewhat gritty looking, urban environment of Belfast, similar to how the dark fictional city is featured in Se7en.

To Live and Die in LA - Idea for the plot
Our idea for what will happen in the opening 2 minutes of the film has been taken from the William Friedkin film, 'To Live and Die in LA'. A police officer is murdered while investigating a criminal operation, and another detective is assigned the same case after his death. The basic premise is all that we have really taken from the film, as ours will be much different in terms of its overall execution.