Second Draft

I spend a lot of time reviewing my notes that I took I Sunday which led to my second rewrite which can be read here:

Carl O'Donovan -FYP-Rapto-Draft2

Meeting With Colly And Rewrites

On Sunday I met up with my actor again to talk through the script. After spending a few hours with him, we fleshed out a back story for both characters and we really delved into the story. He felt a lot more happy with the story after the talk as did I because the story felt more whole. This set me up for a second rewrite.

Test Footage

Today I went out and shot some test footage with the guys from college. I had to edit it in Final Cut Pro as my Premiere wasn't working but I still found it beneficial to try these shots to see what worked. I cut the audio from the video to as I have a table read planned with my actor so I didn't want to see what the lines were like with someone who isn't an actor. The lines will be tested with the actor as he will deliver them better so it will make more sense to see if they flow well.

Every Little Helps

Here is an interesting take of a conversation scene in which the camera stays longer on the subject and rakes focus back and fourth between the actors before cutting and reverting back to the pulling of focus. It is an interesting visual and it may not be something I will use, but definitely may help down the road.

This scene here is a nice example of what you can do when you shoot behind your subject. The light from the setting sun brings a lovely colour to the actors face and it gives the impression that the actors are talking in private. We the viewer are behind the subject so they have no idea we are watching them so it feels like we are experiencing the intimacy of the scene without the characters knowledge.

Another Video I came across that tells a short story based solely on a bench. This short film is quite helpful as it was shot nicely, but it was something good to look at as the film was 7 minutes, so the cinematographer had to come up with interesting shots so it wouldn't become boring visually, which I think he did well.

More Guidance

This is taken from one of my favourite films "In Bruges". Although the dialogue itself is quite funny it shows nice composition and shows me something I aim to deliver for my film.

Here is another example of a conversation on a bench in film, however it is different from "In Bruges". I had never thought of using a slider for the scene I plan to shoot but it gives a nice visual.

This example shows simple cinematography but I looked at this more in terms of editing the conversation. Using different shots can emphasise a line or important moment in the scene and I think this scene shows a good example of this.

Test Footage Guidance

Here is a video I came across that has been helpful leading up to my test shoot for my FYP. It talks about the rule of thirds as well as giving a good visual of how to set up and edit a conversation between two people.

Test Footage

Tomorrow I am heading out with some of my class mates to try test some footage for my FYP. I have some shots in mind I want to test. This will hopefully guide me and will inform me if the shots I want are doable as well as seeing how they look with the dialogue. Here is an example of some similar shots I want to try.

Table Read

I have organised a table read with my actor for the coming weekend which I hope to record to see if the dialogue flows as well as seeing if the actor as any ideas on the characters or the dialogue itself.

New Location

After a new story, I opted to change the location and one location that sprung to mind was my grandmothers house. For what the story is now I feel it would be a good spot as of the space and it also has a great boiler house for the kidnapping.

Due to some unfortunate events, I may have more access to the house then I thought so the location shouldn't be a problem.

Meeting, Emails, Draft

I forwarded a rough draft of the script of what I had done it onto my actor who gave me this response:

"It's got a sense of reality to it. Both brothers came across believable and the dialogue is close to a conversation brothers would have. {You don't have a brother, so good job capturing that} 

The younger brother comes across as the steady one in the siblings. {Acting older brother in a way} To get this strongly across on screen, you might need to tweak the older brother as more of a waster/drop out type. With the younger being the one with the education & reliable head on his shoulders. This won't be a problem, I think we can capture that."

This gave me huge encouragement considering I don't have any brothers. I didn't know how the dialogue would read but I am delighted he is happy with it.

Although the script isn't finished here is what is done so far:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3NgYOPv5d2GbjdSbzY5M2xqbVE/view?usp=sharing

New Title - RAPTA

I also have a new title for my film. I was looking up certain words for kidnapping and I found that Rapta in Latin means kidnapping. I wanted something that people won't know what it is or what it means except for the same few who know some Latin words.

This is done in many shows and when you get a reference others don't it makes the meaning more personal so I wanted little clues and references in the film.

Draft 2

I started writing a few scenes and I can say that I am feeling good about what I am writing now, however I still don't know how I want to end the film, although I've a few ideas.

Second Meeting

So I had another meeting with Colin my actor. We talked more about the story and I was telling him that I was thinking about changing the idea but keeping the main core of the story. He agreed to that once he read the rewrite to so once I had the understanding I started writing.

Script

Here is a rough start to my script for my FYP.

Production Meeting

So on Sunday I had a meeting with my actor/producer of my FYP film. During the meeting we discussed the story, possible alleys we can go down, locations and the cast and crew. I also plan on emailing Brian Cronly and Rachel Gregan who are two people I worked on a film with recently. They both have professional equipment so I wouldn't have to worry about rental, as well as the fact that Rachel has filmed videos for the likes of Mundy and comedian Tom Rhodes so she is a professional videographer which will mean a high standard of video.

Meeting

I have set up a meeting with my actor Colin Hurley to discuss the script and possible character development for my FYP. We will be meeting at the end of the month. I also hope that he will have a producing role for the film as he has good contacts for actors and locations.

IT'S ALIVE

I think I have managed to tie down my story for my FYP. After rocking back and forth and various ideas I have finally settled on a idea I am happy with and one which has a nice twist which I think will shock the viewer. I will start writing my first draft soon.

The Fun Never Stops

The past few days I've been in touch with 2 actors to see if they're interested in playing my antagonist Armitage Shanks. Hugh Gormley is a Northern Irish actor who I met while working on a short film called "Short Back And Sides". I considered Hugh for a few reasons but one is his command of the camera. He gives presence to a scene and it is vital I have that for Armitage. He has worked on big productions like Love/Hate and was also in Saoirse Ronans new film Brooklyn. We are still in talks about the role.

 

The second actor I have thought of is Barry Dobson. I meet him also on "Short Back And Sides" and he really impressed me with his role. Barry also has an English accent which might add a nice bit of flavour for the film and for the character. We too are still in talks.

Cinematography

I have tied down a cinematographer for my FYP project. Anthony O'Hara has agreed to join the crew as my DOP, however there are two people I am trying to bring on board. Rachel Gregan a film maker from Wexford who I attended college with in Griffith as well as Brian Cronly who also attended the college. Both have years of experience working on film so having a wise head within the crew will help.

Here is a video filmed and edited by Anthony which also has an appearance from yours truly.

Working Title

CLOTH

The working title for my FYP. After looking through some of my research, I think I might try incorporate my own version of waterboarding, which is a form of torture.

Actor Number 1

I have managed to tie down one of my actors for my short film for my FYP. His name is Colin Hurley and has a lot of experience working on short films. I acted opposite him on a film we wrote called "Psychodelic" this year and I have such faith in his ability to knock it out of the park.. I became friends with Colin during my time in Griffith College and has spent the last year working at Windmill Lane.

http://xtwo-entertainment.weebly.com/ 

Aspect Ratio

Here is an interesting video that looks into the importance of aspect ratios and how they can change stories. This is something I never thought I'd look at but it's something I will think about once editing my film.

Opening Shot

Here is a short video that looks into the importance of the opening shot for a film. First impressions are everything and if this first impression isn't good we get put into a bad frame of mind while we watch the film. This is something I will need to look at as my film is theme heavy.

Setting

Here is a video I came across that delves into how important setting is for your story as your setting plays a character in your movie to. I think it's important for me to have the right setting for my movie because if I don't it won't translate well. It'll ensure the film feels real and that is what I hope for.

Fran Bow

Here is a game I came across called Fran Bow. It tells the story of Fran who tries to tackle her inner demons with her trusty sidekick Mr Midnight. The  game interested me as it shared a dark narrative similar to mine. The idea of experimentation and psychological torture are present in the game also.

It also manages to create a hero that you don't want to die. Although she is a child, the script for the game shows her innocence and makes the player care. That is something I need to ensure for my film otherwise know one will care what happens to the protagonist.  

Paris Je T'aime

Here is a short film I watched the other week which I found very interesting starring Steve Buscemi.

The reason why I liked it is because of its lack of dialogue. It shows what you can do with no dialogue and backs up that statement of show don't tell. It shows as well that you can carry a narrative with just visuals and shows how important silence is when it comes to film making.

Enemy

I wanted to talk about Denis Villeneuve 2013 movie "Enemy" which started Jake Gyllenhaal. The contrast of characters in the film is great and I also love the use of colour in the film.

The colour brings a mood to the film which really reflects on the films substance and themes  which are very dark. This is something I've looked at and is something I want to create for my film as I think it is a great to tool that I think is over looked by students.

Shel Silverstein - Kidnapped

Here is a poem I came across by Shel Silverstein called "Kidnapped". It tells the story about a young student who gets kidnapped by 3 masked men. We later find she gets away as that was the reason she was late for school.

The reason why I liked this poem is quite simple. It's vivid. As I was reading it I could visually see everything that was happening. The writing was descriptive which is important. It made seeing this easier as everything was given to me, I just had to fill in the blanks. This what I need to do for my script so the actors and cinematographer know exactly what I want.

Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around

The next video I wanted to talk about is Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around". The song is about 8 minutes so they decided to make the music video into a short film. The video was directed by Samuel Bayer, who had first directorial works with Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

The narrative tells the story of a girl Justin Timberlake is seeing who he thinks is "The One". Later on in the video we see she is cheating on him. The lyrics help carry the narrative, but the acting and the dialogue also help drive the narrative and shows you can carrying a strong narrative over a short space of time by being clever with your time. Timberlake is likeable and we don't want anything to happen to him, so when it does, we get annoyed as he does in the video.

First Of The Year (Equinox) - Skrillex

Again I opted to look at a music video for inspiration however this time it is more suited to my theme and feel. The music video is for the song First Of The Year (Equinox) by Skrillex. 

The video opens with an old man looking at a children's playground. He ends up following a young girl and puts chloroform on a cloth as he walks. Once he reaches a cellar the girl is there waiting for him. As he approaches the drop in the song kicks in and she starts to terrorise him with telekinesis.

 

The colour is something that I really like about the video as well as the simple story telling. We don't like the old man by the way he is dressed and by his actions. Although he doesn't do anything, we know his thoughts and it is why we are pleased when he attacks thrown around during the video.

Muse - Psycho

Again I decided to look at music videos for inspiration and this time I want to talk about Muse's song Psycho.

Although they are in silhouette for a lot of the video, we still know what is happening by listening to the lyrics, by looking at the background visuals and by listening to the drill Sergeant scream at the young soldier. Again it shows how a story can be told by visuals and dialogue (or music and lyrics in this case). 

Kodaline - All I Want

In this next post I decided to take a look at music videos. After looking at various other music videos, it's giving me a fresher look on story telling as a lot of music videos tell a short narrative in the space of 3-4 minutes.

In this Kodaline video, a short narrative is told about a guy with a disfigured face who likes a girl he works with. In the short space of time we like him and root for him and hope he gets the girl. During the video we see that he is a good guy. With his best employee mug, and caring for his dog, we see that he is likeable. These small simple visuals make us want him to succeed and he does at the end. It is a simple way to make us like him but it manages to tell a short narrative to the music which works well together.

Nightcrawler

Nightcrawler was my number one film of 2014. I felt it was one of the most original movies I've seen in a long long time and I thought Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was mesmerising and it throughly deserved his Oscar nod.

I feel that the mood in this film is something I can portray in my film which is quite grim and edgy. It shows to how important good acting and good dialogue. This is so important for my film as to make it believable, I have to have dialogue that fits and to find the actors that will bring my film to life.

It's great to find a film like this and I am so grateful as it is a big inspiration. It also shows that even in todays society there is still scope for original content and for me that is a big incentive to go work because you never know when the next Nightcrawler will appear. 

Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken

After my last Muse post, I decided to look at different ways of story telling and having listening to the album, I decided that poetry would be an interesting thing to look at in terms of story telling.

I opted to look at Robert Frost's "Road Not Taken"

Poetry is a strong medium for story telling as it leaves the visuals up to the imagination. The words are so strong on the page that it brings a strong visual and to me that is so important for story telling as it reflects on the treatment for my film. Visual writing will help me create exactly what I want visually and will help guide me for the direction I want to go.

Muse - Drones

This is a very interesting direction post for me. I get to talk about my favourite band "MUSE". On the 5th of June they released their 7th studio album entitled "Drones". The album itself tells an entire story of a young man who is brainwashed by the government to become a killing machine for the army, and breaking those shackles.

I found it really interesting because although most albums have a general theme, this album is completely structured on telling this story. Although it doesn't have much to do with my film idea, I thought the process of making the album was cool as they developed the story before creating the music, instead of the usual process of recording a song and finding a suitable place for it on the album.

One Hour Photo

2002's "One Hour Photo" tells the story of Seymour Parrish, an employee of a one hour photo lab who becomes obsessed with a small suburban family.

  

The reason why I wanted to talk about this is because I think there are a lot of similarities to my film idea and this one. Everyone finds Seymour odd, so much so he obsesses with this family and dreams of a perfect situation that involves him and the family. The whole film carries a strange under tone that is portrayed brilliantly by Robin Williams and is something I think could be interesting to tap into. 

The Shoes - Time to Dance

I wanted to take a different direction with this next post. I wanted to look at different ways of story telling in a short space of time and this music video does just that.

I actually saw this video years ago and it wasn't until recently that I looked at it from a film making point of view. Although it is a music video, it still carries a heavy narrative which is compelling and carries the attention of the viewer for 8 minutes. It delivers a nice story arc by using nice use of contrast as well as it composition and editing. The acting of course plays a huge roll in the video but it makes the video interesting to watch and that is so important for short films. There is such a short time to hook the audience so every second counts. 

The Lovely Bones

I wanted to review Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" as it has a similar theme and vibe I want in my film. Although it is a feature film, I think the story they tell is doable for a short.

It also plays on that idea similarly to "Gran Torino" in which there is a character in the neighbourhood no one likes. It also carries on that idea of kidnapping and being held against their will.

The style of the film is something I can take inspiration from, except when the "ideal world" is created. There is a nice use of grey in the film and causes a mood over it which works considering the films overshadowing theme. 

Gran Torino

On this post I wanted to look at Clint Eastwoods 2008 film Gran Torino.

The reason why I wanted to look at this is because I've been reviewing my idea. Reviewing it in the sense that I'm exploring different ways in which I can have my characters for my film. I was thinking instead of having a prim and proper scientist, I could have the older man portray a disgruntled old man that lives in a neighbour where no one likes him and the younger character can play a bit of a renegade who tries to befriend. As he gets closer to him he then finds out his dark secret.

Again it isn't set in stone but I think it's important not to pigeon hole myself and to explores different options and choices of how to tell my story.  

Genie

This post is probably the one that will be the core of my film. The post is about Genie. Born in 1957, she was a victim of abuse, neglect,  and social isolation. Just 20 months old she was locked away by her father because he decided that she was mentally retarded.

She was found by social workers in 1970, 13 years after her father locked her away in isolation. Her father made sure her mother or her brother never talked to her or acknowledged she existed. After being arrested by police,  Clark Wiley shot himself.

She was then analysed by scientists, as brain study had only started around that period. They wanted to see if the theory of  human development and the human mind was correct. According to the theory, young people could only learn certain things at certain times, called critical periods. Language was one of these critical periods and according to the theory, Genie who at the time was a teenager, missed her chance forever.

 This case was so important for science that the government gave money to back the project At the age of 13 she was the size of a 6 year old, and was as much a feral child, as if she was brought up my wolves. This is should a heavy thing to review and research but it is something I need to do as my film will carry this same weight. There are a few documentaries made about Genie and I will watch them during the week.

The Walking Dead

This will be a shorter blog post but it is something I remember that happened in the TV show "The Walking Dead"

During the series we are introduced to a character known as "The Governor" who was head of Woodbury, a small town safe from zombies. In season 3 we see him as a Mr.Nice Guy who is willing to help anyone. As the episodes continue we see he isn't as nice as we first thought and he is actually very sadistic.

We also see he is very fond of his daughter, who is actually a zombie and has her locked away so know one else finds out his secret.

He tortures her while caring for her, or what he thinks is caring, which is an interesting dynamic for a character. He has so much depth and has so much going on in his head that he doesn't no what is right in the world. 

Silence Of The Lambs

The next thing I wanted to talk about is the Oscar winning feature film "The Silence of The Lambs". 

"A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims."

The reason why I think this is a big film for me to look at is it is the complete package. The direction given by Jonathan Demme is absolutely on the ball and the project he delivered was flawless. The performance given by Foster and Hopkins steal the show and they throughly deserved their Oscar. 

Looking at the chemistry between the two leading actors shows me again that getting the actors in together and working together early is so important to have a natural flow between characters. The pacing of the film to is great and it goes down as one of the best movie performances of all time by Anthony Hopkins. The kidnapping in the film to is something I looked at in terms of set design and how Buffalo Bill treats his captive psychologically. 

The cinematography is something I looked at to and it's quite stylistic although it's a "Hollywood" type film. Different angles were used to show Lecters dominance as well as Buffalo Bills dominance and this is basic film grammar, but is used really well to make them imposing.

Prisoners

The next film I wanted to look at is the 2013 Denis Villeneuve film "Prisoners". 

"When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?"

I really liked this film and I feel the vibe around is could be quite similar to mine. The use of colour and tempo is quite on the money to what I want, as well as the fact the film is about kidnapping.

This film is so nicely structured and shows how important good acting is to deliver a story line with a weight of "Prisoners". After looking at it made realise how important logistics are for my film in terms of set, costume and makeup because if it isn't done properly it'l look poor and I want a high production standard.