On Saturday 7th Arpil 2012, I got together with a few friends a filmed two of the scenes:
- The gambling/ poker scene
- The threatening scene
For both of these scenes, I had to use the same actors for the characters in these two scenes as it was difficult to get a diversity of people due their other commitments on this day. I changed the mise-en-scene in both scenes to make it appear that I had in fact used different actors. To create these new characters, their clothing and appearance were altered. I tried to create an abandoned atmosphere by filming the threatening scene in a room that had yet to be carpeted and overall looks quite sterile. You see very little/no other objects in the scene to help add to this. The shots in both the gambling scene and the threatening scene use no establishing shots. This is to create a secluded feel which is used in crime film openings to emphasise that the people committing the crimes are a part of a secluded group. Also, one of the characters was wearing glasses in the gambling scene but not in the threatening scene, he also speaks as he is playing the "bag guy". Because of this, he changed out of his every day clothes and put on a white shirt with a black waistcoat to fulfil the stereotype of the "bad guy" being dressed semi-formally. The man wrapped up in the carpet isn't shown clearly in the gambling scene and so there is no problem with continuity errors.
After watching the footage that I previously filmed, I saw that the "gambling scene" is not what I hoped it would be and have decided to film it again. I have changed my plan for the scene slightly by showing other players hands and the focus being on "Aces" and her face. Also I wanted to put more emphasis on certain parts that I didn't when I filmed it last time.
On Sunday 15th April 2012, I filmed the pub scene with my four main characters: "Fingers", "Lenny The Loon", "Aces" and "Druggie Dougie" for both the beginning scene and the end scene on my opening. I used different angles including close ups and birds eye views. "Fingers" is boss of my characters and so I used the oldest actor there and he was dressed smartly in order to show his authority. "Lenny The Loon" is the thug character and so he is shown to not contribute a lot to the conversation, instead he is shown with an expressionless face. "Aces" is shown as actively participating in all conversation, drinking a coffee as opposed to beer and tries to stop "Druggie Dougie" from drinking so quickly. "Druggie Dougie" is shown with unruly dark hair streaked with grey and drinking alcohol. "Fingers" brings them all in close so that others can't hear what they are talking about and tells them "the plan".
I also filmed the scene with "Druggie Dougie" in the alleyway where he is sat on the floor smoking. Another unknown person approaches him and there is a drug transaction. "Druggie Dougie" exchanges money for the drugs. I purposely didn't show the other man's face as I wanted to emphasise to be on "Druggie Dougie" and his actions. This scene didn't take very long and I tried to take a number of shots including close ups and medium shots. I zoomed in on the transaction showing the money and drugs being exchanged.
I refilmed the gambling scene with two other characters and "Aces". She is shown clearly to win and the focus is on the other people's hands, her face and the chips. I am a lot happier with this footage and am planning to use it in my coursework instead of the footage I got the first time I shot it.
Editing:
Once I had uploaded all of my footage onto iMovie, I then decided to cut all of the unusable footage out so I knew what I had to work with. I referred back to my storyboard and started to put the clips in order. I started off with Lenny, Aces and Dougie sat in the pub before Fingers joins them so that the voiceover can focus on them.
I started with Dougie's introduction first:
I had a clip of him talking and froze the picture and added a cartoon effect over the top, like in Snatch. I then added his name over the top. The voiceover will introduce him and his character whilst this is playing and run throughout. I then used the footage of Dougie in the alleyway where he is seen smoking whilst siting against a wall. I used a transition in between this clip and the on where he is standing to signify that time has passed. It then shows him waiting for the other person with whom he is going to make a swap with. This character then appears and I edited it so that when he moves his hand out to give Dougie the drugs, it switches to the close up shot I got of it. It then carries on from the medium shot when the other person is walking away.
I then used a transition in order to show that it is moving along with the story to introduce Lenny. I used the same technique of freezing the picture and adding a cartoon effect over the top with the characters name. It then switches to the zooming out of a man wrapped up in a carpet. The floors which he is lying on are wooden and gives it an abandoned look (like a warehouse, which is commonly used in crime films). It then swtiches to Lenny who comes in and a close up of the knife he is holding to look more sinister.
It then goes back to Aces and the same effect is used on her picture. I used a transition to switch from where she is in the pub to her sat around a table playing poker. The focus is on the chips in the middle and then it shows everyone's cards in their hands. I used various angles and shots to make it all look interesting so when they are putting in the ring, phone and keys, I tried to vary the clips used. I sped up where they are putting the chips in the middle as otherwise it would drag on and look boring. Since it is a brief introduction of the characters, I tried to make the poker scene as fast as possible without taking away the fact that they are playing a game.
After this scene, I made it so that it goes back to the pub and Fingers is introduced. Here I wanted to show that he is the boss and so he is wearing semi-formal clothing and is the oldest. He also controls the situation by talking to various characters and then brings them all in close to him so that they can hear what he is saying.
I have now finished the voiceover which I recorded on a dictaphone as it was more effective than the microphone. I had added it over the top of the opening scene and have also recorded some music on GarageBand. The music was inspired by the music in Snatch and so I used similar sounds and instruments. I added this onto the opening scene as well but made it a lot quieter than the voiceover so you can hear both. As the voiceover is more important, it needs to be heard more than the music.
After watching the footage that I previously filmed, I saw that the "gambling scene" is not what I hoped it would be and have decided to film it again. I have changed my plan for the scene slightly by showing other players hands and the focus being on "Aces" and her face. Also I wanted to put more emphasis on certain parts that I didn't when I filmed it last time.
On Sunday 15th April 2012, I filmed the pub scene with my four main characters: "Fingers", "Lenny The Loon", "Aces" and "Druggie Dougie" for both the beginning scene and the end scene on my opening. I used different angles including close ups and birds eye views. "Fingers" is boss of my characters and so I used the oldest actor there and he was dressed smartly in order to show his authority. "Lenny The Loon" is the thug character and so he is shown to not contribute a lot to the conversation, instead he is shown with an expressionless face. "Aces" is shown as actively participating in all conversation, drinking a coffee as opposed to beer and tries to stop "Druggie Dougie" from drinking so quickly. "Druggie Dougie" is shown with unruly dark hair streaked with grey and drinking alcohol. "Fingers" brings them all in close so that others can't hear what they are talking about and tells them "the plan".
I also filmed the scene with "Druggie Dougie" in the alleyway where he is sat on the floor smoking. Another unknown person approaches him and there is a drug transaction. "Druggie Dougie" exchanges money for the drugs. I purposely didn't show the other man's face as I wanted to emphasise to be on "Druggie Dougie" and his actions. This scene didn't take very long and I tried to take a number of shots including close ups and medium shots. I zoomed in on the transaction showing the money and drugs being exchanged.
I refilmed the gambling scene with two other characters and "Aces". She is shown clearly to win and the focus is on the other people's hands, her face and the chips. I am a lot happier with this footage and am planning to use it in my coursework instead of the footage I got the first time I shot it.
Editing:
Once I had uploaded all of my footage onto iMovie, I then decided to cut all of the unusable footage out so I knew what I had to work with. I referred back to my storyboard and started to put the clips in order. I started off with Lenny, Aces and Dougie sat in the pub before Fingers joins them so that the voiceover can focus on them.
I started with Dougie's introduction first:
I had a clip of him talking and froze the picture and added a cartoon effect over the top, like in Snatch. I then added his name over the top. The voiceover will introduce him and his character whilst this is playing and run throughout. I then used the footage of Dougie in the alleyway where he is seen smoking whilst siting against a wall. I used a transition in between this clip and the on where he is standing to signify that time has passed. It then shows him waiting for the other person with whom he is going to make a swap with. This character then appears and I edited it so that when he moves his hand out to give Dougie the drugs, it switches to the close up shot I got of it. It then carries on from the medium shot when the other person is walking away.
I then used a transition in order to show that it is moving along with the story to introduce Lenny. I used the same technique of freezing the picture and adding a cartoon effect over the top with the characters name. It then switches to the zooming out of a man wrapped up in a carpet. The floors which he is lying on are wooden and gives it an abandoned look (like a warehouse, which is commonly used in crime films). It then swtiches to Lenny who comes in and a close up of the knife he is holding to look more sinister.
It then goes back to Aces and the same effect is used on her picture. I used a transition to switch from where she is in the pub to her sat around a table playing poker. The focus is on the chips in the middle and then it shows everyone's cards in their hands. I used various angles and shots to make it all look interesting so when they are putting in the ring, phone and keys, I tried to vary the clips used. I sped up where they are putting the chips in the middle as otherwise it would drag on and look boring. Since it is a brief introduction of the characters, I tried to make the poker scene as fast as possible without taking away the fact that they are playing a game.
After this scene, I made it so that it goes back to the pub and Fingers is introduced. Here I wanted to show that he is the boss and so he is wearing semi-formal clothing and is the oldest. He also controls the situation by talking to various characters and then brings them all in close to him so that they can hear what he is saying.
I have now finished the voiceover which I recorded on a dictaphone as it was more effective than the microphone. I had added it over the top of the opening scene and have also recorded some music on GarageBand. The music was inspired by the music in Snatch and so I used similar sounds and instruments. I added this onto the opening scene as well but made it a lot quieter than the voiceover so you can hear both. As the voiceover is more important, it needs to be heard more than the music.
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