Film Trailer Mindmap

Mind maps are a type of diagram used to display a set of information. They usually start with one word in the centre (generally the theme or name of project) and have words branching out from it (generally divided into themed clusters), connected to other relevant words with lines. Mind maps can include a range of other things as well such as different images and colours. They are one of the most popular forms of pre-production and are taught to students in many schools. In addition to this they are also able to be created either digitally or by hand. In the pre-production process they are used to map out the ideas, themes and a variety of other information (e.g. characters, props and locations). They can be used to easily communicate the ideas to other project members as well as giving the creator a stronger idea of what they wish to create. They are generally used before creating the storyboard or script.

Software which can be used to make mind maps includes: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Photoshop, Prezi and more.

'Dyer's List' Mood Board

A mood board is a collage of text, images and other objects. Mood boards help people to visualise the general feel and direction in which they are wishing to take their product. In addition to this they can be used to communicate people’s ideas to other project members. One of the purposes of a mood board is to map out the ideas which they have had and aid them with deciding what to do. In the pre-production process, mood boards generally come before even the storyboard. In terms of usefulness they are rather useful but I would consider the other methods of pre-production to be far more effective, as mood boards are essentially just a collage of assorted images and text made simply to convey the general themes, ideas and flow of the product.

Software which can be used to make mood boards includes: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Photoshop, Pintrest and more.

Production Studio Title Sequence Variations (First Edits)

For the preliminary task, I created an animated title sequence for my groups’ fictional production studio (‘Unstable Productions’). I was very happy with the result of it in my preliminary task. However I decided that for the actual trailer I am producing it would be unsuitable. The factors which I believe make the old title sequence unsuitable are its music and brightness. When it was first produced these factors were fine as the video I created for the preliminary task was an abstract comedy in a partial documentary style. Due to the main video project being an action/thriller movie, I believe that darker music and visuals are required.

In my attempt to produce a better title sequence I created three different versions of the video. In these versions I have changed the background music and experimented with various effects.

Below are the various versions I created of the production studio’s title sequence:

Version 1:

This version is the original video I created. It has bright visuals and upbeat music as it was made for the practice video I made with my group. As mentioned previously, I have used this to create a set of other potential title sequences to appear before the advert.


Version 2:



This second version of the introduction contained the same visuals as the first version but had different music. The music was changed as audio used in the first version was not appropriate for an action/crime movie.

Version 3:



Version three is essentially the same as version two but with a special effect added to it that gives it the appearance of being filmed with old fashioned equipment. Unfortunately this version seemed to suggest that the film was going to be in the horror genre and was therefore not appropriate for usage.

Version 4:



This version is the same as version two but with a different effect added to it, thus giving it a more artsy feel. I felt that this was more appropriate than the other title sequences that I produced. I will likely be using this in the final trailer.

Location Scout

Before filming, my group and I decided to a location scout. The location scout was done in order to find good locations for filming our film trailer and to familiarise ourselves with the areas before shooting there. In addition to this we were able to assess the problems that we may face in each zone as well as deciding on which scenes we were going to shoot at each location.

Location: Pembury

This church was ideal for giving our film some religious symbolism. One of the main positive factors about the building was that it was always open so that people were able to pray there whenever they wanted to. This would allow us to access the building and film the scene needed without encountering anybody. Another positive thing the church had to offer was its beautiful stained glass windows. We decided that the stained glass windows would make a perfect backdrop for a shot. 

Location: Tunbridge Wells

This area was an empty car park with a bridge. It was possible to get past the gate below the bridge thus opening up additional possibilities for filming. We concluded that we would be able to shoot multiple scenes at this location if we filmed from different angles. The scenes we have in mind for this location are an encounter in the car park and an interrogation on top of the bridge.

Location: Pembury

The graveyard we decided would be good for symbolizing loss and possibly the deaths of Jason Dyer’s targets. It is a pleasant area and has strong ties to religion.

Location: Pembury

This is another shot of the graveyard pictured above. As can be seen, it is a large area and could be used in a variety of different situations. It is unlikely to be populated by any people when we film there.

Location: Pembury

This was a small deserted communal area. It seemed very grotty and unpleasant; we therefore decided that it would make for a good area to film a fight scene. It was easy to access and is unlikely that anyone will be using the area when we film there.

Location: Tunbridge Wells

This is another shot of the empty car park with the bridge. As can be seem, it can be used for multiple scenes.

Location: Tunbridge Wells

This was a location outside a busy supermarket. It is likely to be highly populated and will make a good contrast as the other areas are mostly unpopulated. The only issue would be if people were to interfere with the filming e.g. staring at the camera thus making the footage unusable.

Location: Tunbridge Wells

This dark abandoned tunnel would provide our group with a great filming location. The only issue was that the ground was flooded. However we could still use the tunnel as a backdrop for one of our scenes.

Location: Pembury

This bushy area will not of major importance but could provide us with a nice natural background for one of our scenes.

Location: Pembury

This is another picture of the empty communal area in Pembury. As can be seen, it would make for a good fighting zone.

Location: Tunbridge Wells

This is another image of the empty car park; it shows the area from further away.

Location: Pembury

This bridge goes over a busy road. It would be useful for filming a dramatic moment on. One of the shots we had in mind was an over the shoulder shot of the main character staring at the traffic below.

Location Pembury

This memorial has religious symbolism and linkage to the world wars. However we are unlike to film here as it’ll give a wrong feeling to the film and possibly confuse its message.

The location scout was very useful for deciding on the area which we shall be using for the filming. However we were unable to visit all of the areas which we are intending to film at due to time constraints.

Film Pitch Presentation

Pitch for ‘Dyers List’ from Joseph Dunkerley

Title Generators

As part of the process of selecting a title for our film, I used a variety of online movie title generators for inspiration. Unfortunately I was unable to find a one which was suitable for the type of film my group had in mind. This was because the majority of the title generators which I were able to find were not solely intended for actual film naming processes, but were designed with comedic purposes in mind.

(http://phrasegenerator.com/actionmovies)

The first title generator which I used was ‘Action Movie Title Generator’. I used this website because the film which I am creating shall be a hybrid genre combining crime, action and thriller elements. This website generates a range of ‘movie titles’ by combing two action related words from a large word bank which they have created. I found these titles to be unusable as they seemed either too generic or unfitting for my film. I believe that these titles were more intended for fully action movies such as Rambo and Die Hard. As can be seen in the screenshot, one of the titles which the website generated for me was ‘Fatal Punishment’.

(http://www.gandronics.com/bmovie.php)

The next generator that I used was called “B-Movie Title Generator”. Unfortunately the titles which it was able to produce were fairly limited and lacked quality. As shown in the screenshot, it came up with overly generic titles such as ‘The Gangsters’. This was not the sort of thing that my group members and I were looking for and we ended up not using any of the titles.

(http://www.hanttula.com/exhibits/b-movie-title-generator/)

The next generator used was also called ‘B-Movie Title Generator’. It provided a wider range of titles than the previous generator, but the titles which it came up with were too specific and ridiculous. Also the titles seemed to be primarily science fiction and horror based. One of the titles generated was ‘Revenge of the blood-thirsty space robots’. This site was clearly meant to produce only comical movie titles and was therefore not appropriate for use in our project.

(http://mdbenoit.com/rtg.htm)



The following title generator was simply named ‘Random Title Generator’. The good thing about this title generator was that it displayed six new titles each time, thus allowing for a faster time with less hassle. Unfortunately the majority of the titles were not suitable as they were primarily fantasy based and our trailer is to be for a crime and action movie.

We ended up deciding not to use any of the titles that were generated as the vast majority of them were either unrelated to the genre or undesirable. Instead of using title generators to create the title of the movie, we simply had to come up with a selection of names ourselves.

Music Selection

In preparation for the trailer I am going to make, my group and I have selected a range of songs which we are considering using for our trailer. We have chosen to look at these songs before the actual filming and editing so as to get a general feel for the pacing and mood of the trailer.

These are the songs which have been considered:

 

Royksopp - Keyboard milk

This song had a steady build up and a nice pacing to it. In addition to this it gives the feeling of a journey and is gives the feeling that it would work well in a trailer for an action movie. My group felt that it was fitting and have decided that we shall definitely try using it in our trailer. The only issue that we may encounter with the song is copyright protection. Copyrighted music would be bad as we would be risking the possibility of the video being removed from youtube due to copyright protection. This would result in us failing the course.

Radiohead - Everything in its right place




This song sounded very appealing and had a good pace. However we ended up feeling that it was too light-hearted to be in a trailer for an action movie and was therefore inappropriate for usage. Another of the negative aspects of the song was the vocals as they would confuse the message our trailer was giving. 

Caspa - Cockney Thug Remix

This song was suggested due to its catchy rhythm and tune. It gave us the feeling that we were looking for but unfortunately we decided not to use it. This was decided due to the use of swear words and the excessive repetition of the melody. The swearing would limit the audiences that the trailer was able to reach as it would not be allowed to be shown on a range of different television channels and at a selection of film viewings.


Pegboard Nerds - Razor Sharp

The group decided that this song was simply too intense for the trailer and would thus lower the overall quality of the film. In addition to the intensity, the vibe felt too positive at parts which made a weak contrast to the rest of the song. If we used it the trailer would end up lacking credibility as we would be unable to produce a product which fitted suitably with the song.


Professor Murder - Free Stress Test

The group liked this song very much so. However it was far too upbeat and positive for consideration in the video. If we were doing a slightly less dark production then this song would be very fitting for the trailer. Another issue faced was the possibility of copyright problems as the song is highly recognizable.


Birdy Nam Nam - Cadillac Dreams

This song fitted well with the setting of our trailer. Unfortunately the pacing was inappropriate and the lyrics were completely unrelated to the film trailer. If we had focused more so on the drug aspect of a action/crime film then this song would have definitely had more of a chance of being used.