Friday, 30 October 2009

Here are some pictures of the locations that we will be filming at for our malac productions.



This location will be used for our establising shot.




This location will be used for the opening scene.




This will be the location the second location were most of our filming will be done.



This is after we cleaned the location out so we would be able to use it.

< Meeting with Actor>

Minutes

Tuesday 27th October 2009

Meeting with actor

• Alex(actor) contact details
• Read over script
• Any problems/questions
• Background on actor
• Costumes
• Meeting times for filming
• Issues with script
• Directions/map of location for actor
• Any questions
• Email the lines only to actor.

Thursday, 29 October 2009

< Actors 4 MALac >

In our production we required 2 actors 1 male and 1 female. We manged to get Alex by emailing jan binch to send out a message to any 1 intrested in acting in our production. It took longer to get our female actor so our group memeber alan had an old frield who is an actor that is doing performing arts at trent. Our actors are

• Alex Mousley Male actor



• Jasmine Martinez Female Actor




These are the actors we have found for our malac production.

< MALac 6 >

During Danny Kayes seminar we produced a sound script for our malac production.

Sound for MALac:


Ambience:
1. Occasional passing cars to remind audience of urban yet isolated location.
2. Passing siren when ‘MALac’ appears to stress the desperateness of man’s situation.
3. Dripping water to demonstrate filth/ desolation? Too cheesy?
4. Large amounts of silence, esp. between dialogue to emphasise nature of power/submission relationship between man and woman.

Music:

1. Misleading (potentially rom com style) optimistic feel good theme in opening scene, as true intent of story becomes clear music becomes sinister.
2. Reliance on sound effects and ambient sound for core scene with sinister strings or sounds etc returning for disturbing climax

Voices:

1. Majority dialogue recorded live rather than v.o
2. Key dialogue recorded as v.o: man scream, and opening unseen dialogue.
3. This gives more options for subversive editing

Sound effects:

1. List of key sound effects (basement)

• coin toss (online resource flashfx)
• feet on stairs (hammer on wood block?)
• dragging chair (nails on board?)
• drink pouring/fizzing (actual record)
• glass on table (wood block)
• the brief case closing (car boot!)
• light bulb flickering (sfx library)
• light bulb switch (finger clock on plastic)
• independent recording of breathing /panting of man
• slap

2. List of key sound effects (bedroom)
• tv/radio from adjacent room (vo programme about sex games?)

< Final Draft Script >

MALICA

Ext.Morn.House
An expensive suburban house. We hear chatter from a radio, increasing in volume. During this we slowly pan to the house, interspersed with flashes of a dark, empty basement.

RADIO Thanks caller, great question. The fact is that a great deal of a relationship is based on power, and who is holding it in a given situation. Between consenting adults, sexual games are a great way to explore this in a fun, safe environment with your partner.
That’s all we’ve got time for, tune it to next weeks show when we’ll be talking to.... (decreases to background chatter)

Int.Morn.Kitchen

HE and SHE are going about their morning business; making coffee, getting ready for work.

HE So you’ll be able to get away early today?

SHE Shouldn’t be a problem.

HE (Suggestive) Do you think maybe we should toss for it now. Then we’ll know what we’re looking forward to, exactly?

SHE (Laughs) Ok.

HE fumbles excitedly in his pocket, and produces a coin.

HE You call it.

HE tosses the coin into the air, they both watch intently

SHE Heads

...and it drops to the floor, unseen by camera.

HE and SHE look up from the coin to meet each other’s gaze.

HE looks irritated by the outcome.

SHE looks quietly pleased.

HE I guess it’s your turn then.

SHE Is that a problem?

HE Of course not.

SHE (looking at clock) It’s late, I’ve got to go. See you later (kisses him), and don’t look so worried, I won’t do anything you wouldn’t like to (exits).

HE looks pensive and perhaps mildly worried.

As SHE turns to go, we see a somewhat malicious smile cross her face.



Int.Night.Basement
HE is sweating. Hard.
SHE stands impassive. Unconcerned.
HE fidgets to get comfortable; we see he is tied to the chair.
SHE (Bright. Breezy) Are you sure you wouldn’t like a drink?(smiles) Never too late to change your mind.
HE (Nervous)Look, you’ve had your fun, can’t we stop? This is getting uncomfortable.
SHE (playful) Shush, be quiet. It was uncomfortable for me too, you know.
HE (trying to laugh casually) Look, I did what you asked, but this…
SHE Ssshh(tone now less friendly). I’ve got something here for you. She produces a briefcase.
HE I’m asking you to stop now.

SHE You didn’t stop.

HE (mouths/mutters confusedly, lost for words)

SHE Places briefcase facing him, and opens it.

They call this model the Malica. Looks fun doesn’t it.

HE looks from the object to her, horror crossing his face. HE I don’t want to play anymore.

SHE There’s a first time for everything, that’s what you said.

HE Please...please...

SHE utterly ignores this last comment; is staring at the open briefcase. It is as though she has not even heard him.

SHE God it’s beautiful. Would you like a closer look?
HE Don’t. Don’t. I swear.

SHE That’s what it’s all about, you said. Taking it in turns to be gratified. And you were weren’t you? My turn now.

SHE removes the object, unseen by us, and looks at it. It is metallic; the light reflected on it plays on her face.

SHE Don’t worry. It won’t be anywhere visible.

HE No...

SHE shuts the case and steps forward

HE screams; it becomes muffled as we cut to the empty street outside.

Text appears as image fade to black:
Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy.
-Henry Kissinger

THE END

< MALac 5 >

These are the minutes for the meeting we had on monday with our group for our malac script.

Minutes

Monaday 26th October 2009:

• Were we going to meet up tomorrow?
• Meeting at 2oclock.
• Book the equipment out for tomorrow.
• Sort out transportation for tomorrow – how to get to location
• Follow up on actors – email them, phone them
• Back up plans for actors.
• Issues with the redraft script – discussion.
• Ideas and problems with script
• Costumes for actors
• Where the actors goanna eat.

< Practice Day >

On monday we booked the studio so we could gain experiance with the equipemnt and being comtable with our roles for the malac project. We first set up a three point lighting set and played around trying to elimate shadows.



This took along time as we had a limited knowlege of doing three point lighting but using examples we found we mangned to gain insight into this technique. This would be useful to us on filming days as it will take less time to set up this technique on location if we never used this practice day.



We also experimented with the camera so we had a better knowlege of it and what all the buttons and settings do. We also tried to do different camera techniques that we had learnt during the seminars like deep space and and depths of fields.



All in all i felt that the practice session was a good learning experiance for our group . It also helped us in getting to know how people in the group worked and i felt it helped us bond and become a stroger group.

Sunday, 25 October 2009

< MALac 4 >

This is a draft of our malac script that Duncun rewrote for our story.

MALac

Fade in from black: white text on black background:

Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy.
-Henry Kissinger

Fade to black

Ext.Morn.House
An expensive suburban house. We hear chatter from a radio, increasing in volume. During this we slowly pan to the house, interspersed with flashes of a dark, empty basement.

RADIO Thanks caller, great question. The fact is that a great deal of a relationship is based on power, and who is holding it in a given situation. Between consenting adults, sexual power games are a great way to explore this in a fun, safe environment with your partner.
That’s all we’ve got time for, tune it to next weeks show when we’ll be talking to....(decreases to background chatter)

Int.Morn.Kitchen

HE and SHE are going about their morning business; making coffee, getting ready for work.

HE So you’ll be able to get away early today?

SHE Shouldn’t be a problem.

HE (Suggestive) Do you think maybe we should toss for it now. Then we’ll know what we’re looking forward to, exactly?

SHE (Laughs) Ok.

HE fumbles excitedly in his pocket, and produces a coin.

HE You call it.

HE tosses the coin into the air, they both watch intently

SHE Heads

...and it drops to the floor, unseen by camera.

HE and SHE look up from the coin to meet each others gaze.

HE looks slightly uncomfortable.

SHE looks quietly pleased.

HE I guess it’s your turn then.

SHE Is that a problem?

HE Of course not.

SHE There’s a first time for everything, that’s what you said.

HE I know

SHE (looking at clock) It’s late, I’ve got to go. See you later (kisses him), and don’t look so worried, I won’t do anything you wouldn’t like to (exits).

HE looks pensive and worried.

As SHE turns to go, we see a somewhat malicious smile cross her face.



Int.Night.Basement

HE is sweating. Hard.SHE stands impassive. Unconcerned.

HE rubs his wrist and we see HE is chained to the chair.

SHE (Bright. Breezy) Are you sure you wouldn’t like a drink?(smiles) Never too late to change your mind.

HE (Afraid)Look, you’ve had your fun, can’t we stop? This is getting uncomfortable.

SHE (playful) Shush. Be quiet. It was uncomfortable for me too, you know.

HE (trying to laugh casually) Look, I did what you asked, but this…

SHE Ssshh(tone now much less friendly). I’ve got something here for you. She produces a briefcase.

SHE Do you think you might know what it is?

HE I’m asking you to stop now.

SHE You didn’t stop.

HE (mutters confusedly, lost for words)

SHE Places briefcase facing him, and opens it.

They call this model the Malac. Looks fun doesn’t it.

HE looks from the object to her, horror crossing his face.

HE Please...please...

SHE (revelling in his discomfort now) Yes sweetness?

HE I don’t want to play anymore.

SHE utterly ignores this last comment; is staring at the open briefcase. It is as though she has not even heard him.

SHE God it’s beautiful. Would you like a closer look?

HE Don’t. Don’t. I swear.

SHE That’s what it’s all about, you said. Taking it in turns to be gratified. And you were weren’t you? My turn now.

SHE removes the object, unseen by us, and looks at it. It is metallic; the light reflected on it plays on her face.

SHE We’ve got dinner tomorrow night. At Mary’s. So don’t worry. It won’t be anywhere visible.

HE No...

SHE shuts the case and steps forward

HE screams; it becomes muffled as we cut to the empty street outside.
THE END

< MALac 3 >

For our malac production we wanted to have our video look proffesional so we have sent out emails to people to find actors for our production and i have got some replys and we have sent emails back.

< MALac 2 >

On friday our group meet again to discuss our projects and the work we had so done.
These are the mintues from our meeting about what we discussed :

Minutes

Friday 23rd October 2009:

• A new member has joined the group, who will take up the role of sound recording
• We have got interested actors and actresses who have e-mailed back to take part in our film
• We have sent details and asked the actors to call back
• Completed a schedule for the filming and practice for all roles
• Tuesday at 2pm after lecture we will do a set rehearsal
• Wednesday at 9am we will do a dress rehearsal
• Monday at 9am, lighting and camera practice will be done before filming on Wednesday, by people undertaking these roles
• Script will be finalised on Monday (all changes)
• The risk assessment has been scheduled to be done on Monday as well
• We have had another discussion regarding our location, after having a sound lecture. We then decided a bedroom, but have now gone back to our original idea of the cellar due to sound and lighting purposes
• For all filming we have got permission from the technician to borrow equipment (e.g. camera, lights, mic etc) on specific days, when needed, whether for practice of actual filming.

< MALac >

We have been asked to make a short film as a practice project. we were put into groups by jools during the seminar . My group i was put into was Group: Umar Hussain, Diana Sabau, Ryan, Duncan, Alan Vickerstaff. After the seminar our group meet to discuss ideas.

< Location Manager >

What is a location manager?

A location manager is someone that works closely with a production company or advertising agency, and sometimes the director of a film, in order to find a suitable location for a scene in a film or TV show. They will also be part of the decision making when it comes to seeing if the location is pracitcal, in a reasonable distance and effective. The location manager negotiates with the location owner, neighbours and residents, once they have found the suitable location. They would need to also make sure the location has sufficient permits in order to film there, prepare temporary facilites for the crew and production and also arrange parking for trucks and storage.

How to become a location manager?

According to http://www.locationworks.com/howto/ they are:

• good knowledge of their own city or region
• a working knowledge of local governmental procedures
• a passable knowledge of architectural styles and periods
• an udnerstanding of the craft and requirements of each of the film unit departments.
• an understanding of Health and Safety regulations
• the ability to work long hours without complaint
• unlimited quantities of patience, tact and good humour

< Back to Uni >

The first week back has been intresting and getting back in the groove has been ok. The coursework has excited me and im most looking forward to getting stuck into the production side of the work as i feel more engaged with that side of things. I feel that im leaning more towards the production side as im exploring this as a field i might go into in the future.

Looking at the 1st SPP essay, i believe that this will help me become focused in specifically what type of field and things i would like to focus on. So i will be looking forward to exploring this more when i do the essay. We had a lecture and seminar on this during this week to get us thinking along those lines.

All in all the its been a good week and look forward to carrying on and becoming a better practioner.