custard.productionz

Silent Kill The Finished Product!

2010-03-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

Our thoughts

After all the hard work and preparation, we now have the final product of our opening film. We have all put our best into making this product and would like to congratulate Maria Grillo our editor who has done a remarkable job.

Enjoy it peeps!!!

Your One n Only: Soni Babes!

Film Opening Feedback

2010-03-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

As a class we watched all of the productions and filled out evaluation sheets consisting of each production's strengths and weaknesses. The feedback that we received from our peers are as follows:

Strengths

Both the flashbacks and the effects used on it was the most liked factor of our film.
The background music helped suggest the genre of the film and helped build tension.
A range of camera shots, such as the extreme close up on the bracelet.
Props and costume were appropriate.

Weaknesses

The speech that was used at the end was slightly muffled and unclear as there was some diagetic sounds in the background.
The ending title was suggested to be of a different layout.
Most importantly, the most common improvement suggested was that we add some transitions in the film.

After reading through the evaluations we have decided to improve the film by adding a voiceover at the end (the voiceover was provided by Mustafa), so that the speech is clearer and understandable without the diagetic sounds.

Silent Kill Edit 1...

2010-03-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

This is Maria's and Sonia's edit.

Silent Kill Edit 2...

2010-02-11T04:01:00.000-08:00

This is Nilufa and Afzal's version of the edit.

First Day Editing!

2010-02-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

Today we began editing our footage, after uploading all the footage we weren't happy with quite a few of our shots, however the deadline for filming had already passed so as a group we decided to just edit what we have and use this edit as a sort of rough draft. When it comes to our final piece, we will go back and refilm all the shots we weren't happy with again.

We have decided to split up into pairs - Afzal and Nilufa, Sonia and myself - to create two edits and once we both finish editing we'll evaluate them as a group and submit the best of the two.

Maria xo

Synopsis - Silent Kill

2010-01-29T06:40:00.000-08:00

Michael Graef a.k.a Agent 23. Dutiful boyfriend by day, Assassin by night.

Living the double life as a boyfriend and an assassin, Michael faces the ulimate test when he's ordered to kill his girlfriend. Knowing the repercussions should he choose not to, Michael follows orders and kills her. Racked with guilt and anger, he decides to get revenge on The Company - the exclusive group who calls the shots.

Silent Kill takes us on a journey with Michael in his attempt to bring down The Company once and for all.

Maria and Nilufa xo

The Naming Ceremony...

2010-01-29T06:36:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation we have finally decided on a name for our film. We all suggested several different names but the name we finally decided on was contributed by Afzal.

Our film is called 'Silent Kill'.

Maria xo

Our Logo...

2010-01-28T04:57:00.000-08:00

We have created a logo which will feature in our credits. We wanted the logo to reflect our name and we feel that this logo does that. We brainstormed on possible designs for our logo and decided that we wanted it to resemble a yellow splat to symbolise custard.

Maria xo

Review Of Our Footage So Far...

2010-01-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

Today we uploaded the footage we have filmed over the course of our three days of filming, we noticed that a few of our shots didn't quite live up to our expectations and so we have decided to refilm them. We also used a reviewing sheet to make sure that we have what we need to get the best marks. From this we decided that we need to use more shots from different angles for example ground level shots, and brainstormed on where we could use those types of shots.

We also started to brainstorm on possible logos for CustardProductionz and decided that we'd like to use a yellow splat which we will create on Photoshop. This logo will appear in our credits.

Our next day scheduled for filming is Thursday.

Maria xo

A Change In Our Storyline...

2010-01-22T03:48:00.001-08:00

Initially our plot involved three characters. These characters were the hitman, the hitman's girlfriend and a petty thief who was supposed to witness the hitman leaving his girlfriend's home after killing her. However after much discussion we decided to drop the petty thief character because we realised that we were packing too much into the opening scene and by doing this we risked confusing our audience.

So the opening scene now just focuses on the hitman and his girlfriend.

Maria xo

Third day of Filming!

2010-01-21T04:49:00.000-08:00

Today we planned that we would film various flashback scenes of the two characters. These flashbacks illustrate the characters' relationship and show what the hitman is thinking about. One flashback is filmed in a cafe where the hitman gives hsi girlfriend a bracelet. This went well because initially we planned to film in the school cafe but however we managed to film in a local cafe near by which proved to be a much better location. We also filmed the phone box scene where an anonymous caller phones the police. We used many different shots to give our film many varieties.

Sonia xo

Second Day of Filming

2010-01-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

Our actors have recently changed their appearance - Ananda has dyed her hair from blonde to red and Max has cut his hair much shorter. Initially, we thought that this was a disaster and meant that we would have to film everything we had already filmed again, but having thought about it we realised this worked in our favour because them having different appearance in our flashbacks would show much more of a difference than them having the same appearance.

So today we focused on filming various flashback shots.
Our next scheduled date for filming is Thursday.

Maria xo

First Day of Filming

2010-01-15T04:34:00.000-08:00

The weather forecast turned out to be inaccurate which is not surprising as it usually is. It was raining however we realised that this worked in our favour because this weather reflected the mood of the hitman. We filmed all of the scenes that were located at my house and were able to film several shots of the same scenes to give us a variety to choose from when it came to editing.

We found that although our storyboard acted as a guideline we found that we didn't stick to it as much as we thought we would have. This was good because it has given us new material to work with.

Our next filming day is scheduled for next week.

Maria xo

Weather Forecast

2010-01-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/8

This is the weather forecast for the next 5 days. We researched into the weather as we intend to start filming on Thursday.

YAY! We've got actors...

2010-01-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

We have now managed to secure two out of three actors for our opening scene. As it stands we are still yet to find someone to play the role of the petty thief. We have decided that this actor needs to be young as the character he will be playing is an amateur that is new to the world of crime.

The actor that will be playing the role of the hitman is Max Graef.
The actor that will be playing the role of the victim is Ananda Siml.

Maria, Nilufa and Afzal.

Props

2009-12-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

We will not be using many props in our opening scene the only prop that we are using is:
A Bracelet - This is a gift that the hitman will give his girlfriend in one of the flashbacks.

Locations

2009-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

As Locations Manager, I have decided on the following locations for our film:

Alleyway - We will be filming in the alleyway near St Dunstan's Church in Stepney Green at approx 4/5pm as we will want the setting to be dark and at this time of the year, the sun sets quickly.

House - We have decided to use Maria's house as a location as it is closest to us all, making it easier for us to get to.

Park - We have decided to use Vallance Gardens as a location for the scene where an actor accidentally kills someone. It will save us traveling long distances from one location to another.

Sonia xo

What we did last lesson...

2009-12-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

In the previous lesson, we decided as a group that we had to alter the plot of the story we chose in the end. This being because the plot involves two criminals and we needed for the two criminals to be linked through the crimes they had both committed. After our group discussion we decided that the two criminals will see each other at one of the crime scenes.

Secondly, we discussed potential actors for the coursework piece as well as some locations for specific scenes. We decided that we would use local settings to help establish the East End crime scene making it as urban as possible.

NILUFA

Genre Research - Trainspotting

2009-12-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

This is the opening scene of Trainspotting. The generic conventions of this film is mainly the chase scene as this convention is a typical factor in crime-thrillers. There are several good aspects in this scene. These being:
Voiceover
Eyeline Match - This is shown when we see the point of view of the person leading the chase.
Obstacles - This is shown when the car drives out of the alleyway and makes the person running roll over the bonnet. Creates tension as the person has to
Ground Level Shots -This is shown when the thieves are running.

Unsolved Mystery

2009-12-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

This video consists of two criminals, both who have committed crimes, thinking they have gotten away with it when they both see each other. What will they do?

Animatics - Kidnap

2009-12-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

This is the storyboard for the first of our two ideas. This is called Kidnap and the story is about a girl walking home late at night. She is listening to music and doesn't notice a car following her. Eventually she realises that something is wrong and starts to run but soon gets caught. Later, her body is found...

Our Production Ideas so far...

2009-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

We have decided that we will have a few fast plots happening at the same time, using parallel editing. These smaller plots all link to each other, joining into one big main plot.

Our alternative idea involves a kidnapping.

Images relating to our chosen genre

2009-12-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Production Roles

2009-12-02T12:58:00.001-08:00

Within our group we have yet to decide who will have the following roles, hopefully we will have agreed on this by the next lesson :)

Director: Nilufa
Producer: Maria
Assistant Producer: Nilufa

Editor: Maria
Assistant Editor: Nilufa

Locations Manager: Sonia
Assistant Locations Manager: Afzal

Costume Designer: Sonia
Props Manager: Sonia
Music Producer: Sonia

Cameraman: Afzal

Top 10 Crime Thrillers of All Time

2009-12-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

According to Times Online, these are the 10 best selling crime thrillers of the last decade, enjoy:

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Everyone remembers the serpentine Dr Hannibal Lecter, but the real surprise here is a powerfully sympathetic female perspective on hunting serial killers.

Darkness in Talinn (1993)
A mastermind plans to cut the power to Estonia’s capital to steal gold bullion, not realising that his wife is surviving on a life-support machine.

The Transporter (2002)
Jason Statham will deliver anything anywhere, but what’s inside the box? A beautiful woman — that’s the McGuffin and the love interest taken care of.

The Usual Suspects (1995)
This complex, moody, utterly original story of the devil and a police lineup demands that you watch it twice — and enjoy it more the second time around.

Freebie and the Bean (1974)
Cops Alan Arkin and James Caan bicker like old lovers, conduct irresponsible street shoot-outs and whack a police car through a tower block — six floors up.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Sergio Leone’s sweeping epic begins with childhood loyalties and ends decades later in betrayal and tragedy, giving De Niro his definitive gangster role.

Fargo (1996)
A great example of an interesting good cop (Frances McDormand). “And then there’s this execution-type deal,” she says casually, and you love her unflappability.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
When thieves fall out, blood will be spilt . . . Tarantino’s purest thriller is a razor-sharp character piece that feels like a sweat-inducing stage play.

Jar City (2006)
Iceland’s traceable bloodlines reveal a series of deaths, although the most disturbing part is watching a cop eat a takeaway sheep’s head.

The Last of Sheila (1973)
A Riviera mystery with six yacht-bound suspects, this neglected Sondheim-penned thriller provides all the clues and an unguessable punchline.

A Change in Our Thoughts...

2009-11-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

Initially we had decided that our genre would be horror. We used our Preliminary exercise to experiment another genre this being a romantic comedy (rom-com). After this, with much deliberation, we realised that we didn't want our main coursework piece to be either a horror or a rom-com. The main reasons for this decision being that everyone seemed to be set on doing horror as well and we felt compelled to differ and not 'follow the crowd' as they say...

So now we have decided for our main task, the genre will be a hybrid of crime-thriller. We feel that this will give us much more to work with in the sense that we have a larger field to work in regarding factors such as location.

Bye for now! Noughts and Crosses,

Custard Productionz

(Booyah!)

Preliminary Exercise

2009-11-26T03:54:00.000-08:00

What We Did Today...

2009-11-12T04:58:00.000-08:00

We edited the preliminary exercise involving a lot of continuity.
We have also began developing our blog and added new photos and post.

What we hope to do next time:

Complete the editing of our preliminary exercise by adding audio, titles, credits and also some transitions. We also hope to upload videos of previous work onto the blog.

Pics of the Planning Process...

2009-11-12T04:53:00.000-08:00

C.S.I

2009-11-12T04:02:00.000-08:00

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Trailer

2009-10-21T02:50:00.001-07:00