Finished Script

Script for Media Opening

(Location: The opening scene of the film is set in a war-torn field. There are fallen trees, foxholes filled with water, scattered equipment and dead bodies. There are large columns of smoke that can be seen in the distance.)

As the camera pans across the field, showing the post-battle chaos and destruction, nothing is said.  Then camera then focuses on two US paratroopers who are looking at a lone figure crouching down.

1^st Soldier: Do you think he’s ok?

2^nd Soldier: I don’t know. I guess it’s hard to tell.

(The camera then shows the front of the crouched soldier)

1^st Soldier:  Looks like he’s the only one left.

2^nd Soldier: Yeah, looks like he’s been through hell.

(These are the only lines in the two minute opening. Other sounds such as screaming are heard later on in the opening)

Script

Today i am going to start work on my script. Since the opening that i am going to make does not need that many words, the script will be quite short.

Location Location Location

Today i went to the location of where i am planning to film the two minute opening and met the people who are going to be in it. I showed them my storyboard and they liked the idea of it. I was also able to take some pictures of the scenery and location.

Once i manage to upload the pictures onto my computer i will post them on the blog.

Items that i need

This is a brief list of the items/props/people that i will need for my opening scene:

People:

• Around 4/5 American soldiers
• A few will act and the rest will be extras that can double as the dead soldiers

Props:

• Machine guns: 2x Thompson Sub-Machine Guns, 2x M1 Garand Rifles, 1x 30. Caliber machine gun
• Helmets/grenades/spare rifles/bags that can be used to show how chaotic the battle was
• Clothing, American WW2
• All of these are on hand so i can easily use them during the opening two minutes

Location:

• A field that the battle can take place on
• The location that i have chosen to use is really good because there are foxholes, fallen trees, gun emplacements and it generally looks like an actual battlefield
• Photos of this location will soon be added

Extra items/things:

• Will need to add explosions, smoke and muzzle flashes to the film to add to the authenticity
• I am thinking of tinting the colour so that it has a brownish/ greyish finish. This can be seen in the Band of Brothers mini-series.

Storyboard

For the past few weeks i have been drawing a storyboard for the opening two minutes of the film. I was able to finish it yesterday and now have a good idea of what the final idea will look like.
I am sticking to the war theme and will use the reenactors that i was planning to use. The opening of the film will consist of a pan shot of a battlefield and then show a soldier on his own. He will then have flashbacks to the battle, which will consist of a few brief shots of action that will last a couple of seconds. This will add to the confusion and tension of the opening scene.

Tenacious D Tribute

Today we looked at the music video for the song "Tribute" by Tenacious D. The main aim of this was to show how many different camera angles were used and how the different shots made certain objects/ people stand out.
The task that has been set is to re-create the first minute of the music video using the same camera angles and techniques.

It should be fun........

Treatment Sheet

I am planning to do a World War Two based genre for my film. I have started planning it and have a number of ideas. The sheet below is a general idea of what i may use in the film.

Preliminary Task

The other week i filmed my preliminary task. I then edited it and finally put the footage together.

This is the video that i made.

The Boys in Company C Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKKTQBUc7Do

In the opening scene of The Boys in Company C, the camera is just behind the driver's shoulder and is looking out of the windscreen. This is a good shot, because it makes the audience feel as though they are actually in the truck and are looking out.

The camera then follows the Drill Instructor, as he walks from the steps of the building, to the door of the truck. This also makes the audience feel as though they are actually on the bus, because the shot is being filmed as if it is through the eyes of one of the passengers. Also, the shot is filmed in one whole take, which makes it seem quite natural, because the audience have seen the Drill Instructor walk all the way from the steps to the bus.

I like this shot, because the acting is filmed from a different car. This means that the camera is not in the faces of the two actors but at the same time not too far away. This is known as a medium close up, because only the head and shoulders of the actors are shown. Also, i like how the steering wheel is also in the scene.

In this shot, the camera is not to the side or to the front of the actors, but instead is at a 50 degree angle. This is done, because it makes the shot more interesting and it also enables the camera to show a wider range of actors, because the camera angle makes the shot quite wide.This also shows the audience the kind of people that are being drafted for military service.

This shot is known as a close-up because the actor's head is in the shot. The reason why the camera shows a couple of the actors, is to establish the main characters as well as to show the audience the kind of people that have been drafted, because by  a brief close-up of some of the actors, the audience can guess what their personalities may be like.

This is another close-up of one of the actors. Like i said previously, the main reason for doing this is to show the audience who the main characters are as well as what their first impression are of them.

Bridge At Remagen Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McDUIB9uzm8

In the opening scene of Bridge at Remagen, the camera is facing looking towards a bridge, that is above a river. Text then appears on the screen, giving a brief summary of what is happening. This sets the scene of the film, because it tells the audience where the film is set and what it is about. Also, the train is on the left hand side of the screen. This is good, because people find things more interesting if they are not exactly in the centre. This also applies to the text and the bridge, because they are not in the centre of the screen but just to the right of it.

In this shot, the camera is just to the side of the tracks and is looking up at the front of the train. This tells the audience that the train must be the main focus in the opening scene because the camera is focusing on it. The camera angle is slanted, which gives a sense of space around the train. This could aslo be seen as showing that the train is quite insignificant compared to the surroundings.

In this shot, the camera is placed on the train and is looking down at the soldiers just in front off it. This is a good shot, because it gives the audience a different perspective of what is happening as well as shows what they should be focusing on, which in this case is the troops on the bridge.

This is a worms eye view shot of the train, because it gives the soldiers on board a sense of importance as well as power. This is a goo shot, because it is a different look at the train and seems to tell the audience that the main focus in this scene are the people on board.

Even though the main focus of the opening scene is the train, the use of different and unique camera angles, like the one above, make the scene more interesting as well as give the people on board a sense of importance.

This is a good shot, because the camera starts off by showing the tracks of the tank and then zooms out to show the rest of the vehicle. Whilst doing so, the camera the "flies" over the tank to show the whole column  of advancing tanks. Also the camera angle is quite unique and as a result makes the scene more interesting.

In this shot, the camera is on the roof of the truck and is filming the soldiers sitting in the back. This is a good shot because the camera goes from being above the convoy, to then being a part of it. Even though this shot lasts for a few seconds, it still makes the opening scene intense because there are a lot of different camera angles and perspectives.

I like this shot because the camera is placed on the front of the tank. This is good because it gives the audience a different perspective of what is going on. Also, it shows the audience what the people inside the tank would see and it aslo lets them see the surrounding area and the countryside.

Hurt Locker Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ABS3HZ5wkY

In the opening scene of the Hurt Locker, the camera is positioned on the front of a Talon Robot. This makes this a Point Of View shot, because the audience sees what the robot is looking at from a first person perspective.

The camera then zooms out and shows the Talon Robot from the side. This is a medium shot because the Robot is not too far away but not too close either. Also, the robot goes from the right hand side of the screen to the left hand side whilst the camera follows it for a short while, before moving to look at something else.

In the first couple of shots the camera seems to be looking down at the street. This is good, because it adds to the confusion of the scene, because being on the roof of a building enables the camera to capture the full chaos and panic that is happening down in the street below. Also, the camera follows the Humvee as it moves from the left hand side of the screen to the right hand side.

This is a long shot, because the actors are quite far away. Also, the camera is quite wobbly and unsteady in this shot. This adds to the tension of the scene, because it makes the audience feel as though they are there. This is good, because it seems that the camera does not know where to look because there are so many things happening at once. It also makes the scene more interesting because there are so many different scenarios being shot rather quickly.

This is a good shot because the camera follows the Armoured Personal Carrier from the left hand side to the ride hand side of the screen. This is also shot without a tripod because the unsteady footage adds to the confusion. This shot is good, because the shot that follows it is taken from inside the APC.

This is the next shot, which is filmed from the inside of the APC. I like this because it goes from showing the Armoured Personal Carrier coming to a stop, to the soldiers getting out of it.
Also, it makes the audience feel as though they are one of the soldiers inside the vehicle.

In this shot, the camera is just behind one of the actor's shoulders. This makes the audience feel as if they are standing behind him and looking at the monitor.

This is an extreme close up, because both of the actor's heads are very close to the screen. Also, note that neither of them are in the centre of the screen, but just to the left and right of it. This is because, people find things more interesting if they are not exactly central.

Saving Private Ryan Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJANhWizUY

In the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, the camera tracks the actor as he walks along the path. This is known as a tracking shot because the camera follows the actor and it appears as if the viewer is walking along behind him.

In the next shot, the camera is off to the side of the path yet at the same time moves towards the actor. This is a good shot because it gives the audience a different perspective of him walking along and makes it more interesting because there are different angles.

Here, the camera pans from the right hand side of the screen to the left hand side. Note the gravestone in from of the camera. This is because the scene is being filmed from quite a low position. This is good because it puts emphasis on the number of gravestones which represent a soldier that was killed in the Normandy campaign. Also, the camera follows the actor as he makes his way along the row of graves and by doing this, more and more gravestones are shown just in front of the camera. I think the main reason for doing this is because the director, Steven Spielberg, wanted to emphasise how many American soldiers were lost in the fight for Normandy.

As the actor carries on walking along the row of gravestones, the camera goes from being in a quite low position to a very high one. A good way of showing this is that in the previous shot, the camera was quite low down, whereas in this shot, it is rising. This also emphasises the number of graves because as the camera rises, the viewer can see more and more graves in the distance.

Here, the camera is higher than the previous shot. This shows that the camera went form being in quite a low position to quite a high one. I like this shot because it gives the audience a different perspective of what is going on and also makes it more interesting to watch.

I like this shot because the camera is positioned where the gravestone is and where the actor would be looking. This makes it seem as if he is looking directly into the audience's eyes. Also, the camera then starts to zoom in on the actor's face which shows the viewer his emotion.

The camera zooms in until it is focused on the actor's eyes. Here, the audience can see the emotion he is showing because the camera is quite close up to his face. Also, this is a good end to the opening scene because from here, the actor starts to have a flash-back to the beaches of Normandy.