Filming

I have been doing further filming, focusing on the final scene in my sequence. However I have filmed it repeatedly in order to get the right starting point for Xara to walk from and also where on Jameson street I should film. I will be doing more filming soon with Xara in her other costumes in the same place.

Filming

I have started the filming for my sequence, however this is just for preparation to get used to using the camera. I will start by filming the busy street sequence first as that will be most complicated to edit, and I may need to film some more just in case it isn't right.

Xara Slob Costume

Xara Casual Costume

Xara Work Costume: 3

I chose to use this as costume because I needed her to wear clothes that would fit with her working in an office, so she therefore needed to look smart, however not too smart. The outfit that she is wearing in the photo does this.



Xara Work Costume: 2

I chose to use this as costume because I needed her to wear clothes that would fit with her working in an office, so she therefore needed to look smart, however not too smart. The outfit that she is wearing in the photo does this.

Storyboard

Xara's Work Costume: 1

I chose to use this as costume because I needed her to wear clothes that would fit with her working in an office, so she therefore needed to look smart, however not too smart. The outfit that she is wearing in the photo does this.

Delicatessen

As I did my AS coursework on Mise-en-scene and sound I am going to use it as an example for what I aim to achieve with using Mise-en-scene:

      I have chosen to study a sequence in Delicatessen, 1991 directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, France. The sequence starts at 12 minutes 44 seconds and finishes at 16 minutes 32 seconds. The stylistics I have chosen to study are sound and mise-en-scene and I aim to see how meaning is created through them.

      In my chosen sequence louison blows some bubbles for two boys who live in his apartment block. Julie Clapet climbs the stairs and greets Louison making him stop blowing bubbles, as he is distracted. Next Louison is in a room painting the ceiling, which he finds difficult and takes of his braces.  In another shot Clapet and Mademoiselle Plusse are on a bed kissing, they fall. We then see louison painting the ceiling but now attached to the wall by his braces. The image of the springs and louison is interjected with other shots of objects making various noises including Julie Clapet playing the cello, Marcel’s wife hitting a rug with a rug beater, her mother knitting whilst watching T.V and Marcel pumping up a bicycle tyre, a metronome and the toymakers at work. This continues with each shot getting shorter in length and the pace of the sound and action increasing as well until a climax where a cello string snaps, the bicycle wheel snaps and Louison falls over and all noise ceases.

      Throughout the film sound plays a very important part as it helps to produce certain reactions from the audience.

      The diegetic sound used in the first scene of my chosen sequence is very true to a real-life situation. All the noise created from everything we do is left in and you can hear footsteps, creaking doors and stairs and so on. It is emphasised by the lack of other sound, diegetic or otherwise. This exaggerated sound remains the focus for ten seconds quiet piano music is introduced and the action changes from everyday odd job work for Louison to a bubble performance for two boys. The music begins quite slowly and the pace doesn’t quicken much over the course of the scene before it slows fairly rapidly when Louison notices Julie Clapet, becomes distracted and awkward and say hello to her. The music, due to its speed and the fact that it has quite a high pitch and is rhythmical, creates a pleasant atmosphere. We have, previously in the film, learnt that Louison had come from the circus and so with his performance and also the music a nostalgic and romantic feeling is added to the scene as Louison’s happy expressions form a link with the music.

      The music starts to slow and fade when Louison realises that Julie Clapet has climbed up the stirs from the lower and is on the same floor as he is. The music matches the narration because we see that both Louison and Julie’s postures change and Louison stops what he is doing, he is distracted breaking the nostalgic spell that he has brought upon himself.

      When we are shown Clapet and Mademoiselle Plusse, Clapet makes low grunting noises. These are fairly animalistic as they are guttural sounds and they form a link with the fact that he is a cannibal, which is an inhumane act and very much similar to carnivorous animals. Such animals are often predators, which we see in Clapet’s personality as at the beginning of the film we see he him hunt down and kill his ‘odd job man.’ The next group of sounds, such as the squeaky bed spring, the cello, the rug beater hitting the rug, the knitting needles and so on and so forth all happen simultaneously. This creates the effect of an orchestra of household actions. There is a driving beat, which is the squeaky bed, which is always present and forms an aural link from shot to shot. Also, similar to an orchestra, different sounds are introduced at different times. The driving beat effects the pace at which the rest of the sound happens as the tempo of the squeaks increases so too does the tempo of the other sounds. All of the noises are diegetic. Which is why everybody in the sequence is aware of them and act accordingly around the main focus, the squeaky spring, the fact that it is the focus is emphasised by the editing because that shot is the most frequently used.  The tempo increase also creates the idea of there being a competition or race in which all who are making the noises are competing for the most speed or, in another situation on a broader scale, power. Clapet is the leader of everyone in the apartment, which is why he reaches his ‘climax’ first and the rest follow.

      Another important aspect of the film is mise-en scene. Jeunet and Caro play around with various filmic ideas to create a visual meaning. A motif in the film is the circle. We see this in almost every shot in the sequence. There is a circular light switch Louison is cleaning at the beginning of the sequence, as well as other circular shapes such as a door handle, a bicycle wheel the lights the springs and other things. One idea is that Clapet constantly hires an odd job man, whom he kills for food before hiring another for exactly the same reason. Another, especially in the latter part of the sequence could be that the inhabitants of the apartment block have to put up with Clapet and Mademoiselle Plusse’s antics. Either way, the circle implies that there is no escaping Clapet’s apartment block. The circle also comes in the form of the bubbles Louison is blowing. One of the bubbles that starts to go down the stair almost encases Julies face, this happens again a little later with Louison’s face. This could imply that they are in the centre of the vicious circle, or the lifestyle of those who live in the apartment block, and are the most important people in it, this is evident later on in the film, Julie is the one who enlists the help of the troglodytes and her and Louison are saved and come out on top of the others. Continuing with the circle motif, Louison blows a bubble filled with smoke and puts that with another bubble. Because there is a circle within a circle suggests that, again, the cycle is never ending. The smoke filled bubble in the centre could say that if the outer ‘bubble’ is burst, what will happen within the inner one is unknown because it is cloudy and we are not able to see through it, giving an air of mystery, of the unknown, you don’t know what to expect inside. This could imply that if the current ‘circle’ is broken there is no knowing what will happen next.

      The two boys sat on the stairs are wearing bright clothing; this could represent their characters, as they are mischievous and more adventurous than the other people in the apartment block. Their clothing compared to most others is busier, colour wise. This connects with their youthfulness and naivety about the world they live in. a prominent feature of their clothing is the stripes. This connotes stereotypical prison uniform, which shows us that the two boys are not as innocent as their youth suggests and are delinquent. This ties in with other behaviour of theirs in the film where they get up to rebellious and naughty acts. The boy on the left in the shot is wearing more distinct and less covered stripes, whereas the other wears a vest over the top. This implies that the boy on the left is further along in the process and is more likely to do something criminal.

      At the beginning of the next scene wee see Louison on some steps painting the ceiling. Above his head is a light. This could represent the idea he has about attaching his braces to the wall.

      Marcel’s wife is stood at the top of the stairs and is encased by the bars on the stairs. This suggests that she is trapped by the situation she is in. the film is set in a place where it would have been very difficult to do anything without any major trouble, so despite the barbarianism of the cannibalistic situation they are all in it was seen to them to be somewhat of a safe haven. Therefore they all were trapped, if they left they would be stuck in a macabre world of fighting and brutality, if they stay they have to live as cannibals. Her being trapped could be interpreted in another way. It could be that she is trapped and forced to listen and compete with the sounds of the squeaky bed. The Rug Beater she is using forms a visual link with the next shot as it is in the background in Marcel’s living room.

      All aspects of cinema used within a film are there to create a specific meaning that the director wants the viewer to pick up on and also to draw various emotions and feelings. Some things are used to create empathy or sympathy for a character and others to create dislike. All are used to, inevitably, provoke the preferred response and this done by using aspects of the viewer’s subconscious.

Delicatessen clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJU4IwC3LjQ

A Serious Man

Snow and dark night have a ominous connotation, hinting that something bad could happen.

There is a light between the Velvel and his wife, Dora. This is to show his enthusiam for the story he is telling his wife about Traitle Groshkover. After she has told him her side of the story, he is no longer enthusiastic and his story is not relevant anymore, this is due to what his wife has said, so she blocks out light.

The background in the couples house show what sort of lifestyle they have, there are no luxuries and it shows that they do not have a comfortable life.

As the camera pans towards the door the light becomes darker, this shows that what is on the other side of the door is covered in darkness in the sense that it is bad. The man behind the door is also wearing black which is a sign of evil. Again linking with the narrative, Dora calls the man a Dybbuk.

Link to A Serious Man clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bWlzQLLVlA

Burn After Reading

Basic mise-en-scene notes for the first 4:40 mins of Burn After Reading:

Map zooms from a large span into one small area in America,  this shows how insginificant this place is and also links with the fact that it is an irrelevant secret is found out by two also insignifcant members of the public. There is a link between the narrative and the way the loaction is introduced.

Writing for the opening credits is similar to the type of writing used when telling people in the secret service their missions. This again ties in with the narrative as the film is connected with the CIA.

The long corridor that Ozzy walks down is long and bare, this shows that he is unaware of what he is heading into, however it also creates a sense of something untoward is about to happen, that is not very good.

Wall art in the office is to show what sort of building they are in, the CIA, and it also links with how Ozzy feels about his dismissal from his task, he claims it is political, and on the walls there are images of political figures.

In the office Ozzy is placed so that he is near the door, this is to symbolise the fact that he is being kicked off the job.

There is an image link between the conversation in the office and the next scene in that the excuse for Ozzy's dismissal is that he has a drinking problem. In the next scene there is a shot of an alcohol bottle. This is not just a link but also it is to show that their is truth in the allegation and to give the audience an idea about who he is.

Link to first 9:27m of Burn after reading, up to 4:40m is relevant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WncMIahz18&feature=related

Location

I will be filming the final scene of my sequence on Jameson street as it is one of the main streets in Hull city centre, and is also very busy, which is important for when I am doing my editing, as I need to make it look as though when two people cross in front of Xara there is a time lapse, skipping a span of time, I am likely to achieve this effect on such a busy street.

Location

The location for the bus will look similar to these:

I will be filming on a stagecoach bus, however the bus will be busy with a lot of people, of different ages. The reason for this is to show the contrast between the way Xara is expected to live and how she is living. Despite having a well respected job, and having friends who are wealthy and also have high expectations for Xara. They all have their own cars and plenty of money. However Xara has to travel by public transport to work. Thsi shows how she is trying to appear as though she is on the same level as her firends are in terms of money and occupation etc. however she is not there yet. This also links with a later part in the film, when Xara's friends no longer want to associate with her. A reason for this is that she doesn't quite fit with her friends expectations, e.g. not having her own car, and not got a job.

Prop/Mise-en-scene

On the wall in the hallway in Xara's flat I plan on having a poster for 'Groundhog Day', this is to symbolise the fact that Xara's life, at the start of the film, is monotonous and the same thing happens every single day, without change.

I aim to have this in the first run through of her morning routine, when she is in her hallway, however this will not be in the third and final time, because, the end of this will be with Xara being made redundant. Therefore this is not the same occurrence as on most days.

However this will be in the background, and will not be entirely visible, this is because I do not want to make this obvious, as it is supposed to be a visual hint to the way Xara's life is going.

History Props

These will be the books that will be placed on the book shelf in Xara's hallway:

This is because they are mainly history books, or novels set in periods of time from some while ago, so therefore reflect that part of Xara's lifestyle. They form a link with a later part in the film, when Xara pursues a career in historical research. These books will show the audience Xara's interests and it will make sense to them when she searches for a job in that field.

Costume List

This will be the costume that the boss will wear, with the actor wearing them:

Script: Third Draft

I have now named the manager for the business Xara works for, Julia Everett.

Julia: Will you step into my office please?

(Xara nods, concerned expression, follows boss to her office)

Julia: Please, (slight pause) Sit down (gestures to chair and waits for Xara to sit down)

First possible way of firing X

Julia: Due to the current climate, our company has had to make some cut backs. Unfortunately we are going to have to let you go. You have ten minutes to clear your belongings away and leave the building. I apologise for the whole situation, and wish you luck with finding another job.

(Xara sits, stunned into silence, on the chair in the office.)

Second possible way of firing X

Julia: I’m afraid I haven’t got good news for you. We’re going to have to let you go, you’ve heard how it is at the minute and we’ve had to let a lot of people down. It’s a hard thing to do but it has to be done. I am very sorry for this, I wish you look for the future. Sorry.

I have also chosen to have another possible ending, this enables me to use different forms of film language to express why Xara is being fired, rather than relying heavily on the script.

Mise-en-scene Basic Information

The idea that her life is monotonous, the same thing happens again and again (Groundhog Day, clocks and circular shapes, these things should be shown in the first two parts of her traveling to work

The fact that she is going to get fired (not sure what could be used yet, but it should be shown in the time she travels to work)

Aspects of her life and personality (history based stuff and research also stuff to do with the university she studied at)

Things referring to events that will happen later in the film (losing friends: costume should show this, but must also be linked with knowing what her friends are like - moving house – getting a new job)

Things I Need To Do.

-Location photos
-Prop photos
-Costume photos
-Mise-en-scene list and photos
-Animatic
-Screenplay
-Shooting script
-End of sequence music

Clock Prop Photo

In my film sequence, part of the mise-en-scene will include a clock. This clock will be:

The clock symbolises the monotonous day to day routine Xara has to follow, this is to show how each day the same thing happens.

Project

These are the basic details for my film sequence:

Prop Photo

These are the headphones I will be using during the bus section of my sequence:

Due to there being an issue with these headphones as they broke, I had to use a different pair. This is the pair I have used instead:

(Updated 29/03/2012)

End of Sequence Music

For the end of my sequence I have decided to use an original piece of music. However I have been looking for inspiration for what I may want this to sound like. The first piece of music that has been similar to how I want the outcome to sound like is Limbo by Ludovico Einaudi:



The music is slow and smooth and evokes a melancholic feeling, which is how I want the audience of my film to react at this point. However it is not quite right, as it does not create enough sadness in the listener to make them sympathise with Xara during this scene.

...

Script: Second Draft.

This is the second draft of my Script. I will, once again, go through it and perfect it.

Characters

Xara:

Boss Lady:

Boss Lady: Will you step into my office please?

(Nods, concerned expression, follows boss to her office)

Boss Lady: Sit down (gestures to chair and waits for Xara to sit down)

Boss Lady: Due to the current climate, our company has had to make some cut backs. Unfortunately we are going to have to let you go. You have ten minutes to clear your belongings away and leave the building. I apologise for the whole situation, and wish you luck with finding another job.

(Xara sits, stunned into silence, on the chair in the office.)

Office Art...

For the office scene I plan on having art for the wall that is based on the economy or on how the business Xara is working for, an example for this would be:

This is to show how poorly the business is doing. Also it links with the fact that Xara is being made redundant because of the way the economy is. This for the audience to understand without having to rely too heavily on the script.

Storyboard

For my storyboard I am using an A4 sheet of paper with individual boxes for various aspects, in order for me to go into as much detail as necessary, both visually and and descriptive.

Story Type

The story type my film follows is The Rites of Passage. Xara has reached the climax of her office career, in that she is made redundant. At this point she believes she is happy in her work and that she will continue in this line of work. However when she is fired she reaches a cross-roads, she has to decide whether to get back into work, and in work that she actually wants to be part of or to be consumed in her post-redundancy depression and not care about anything. Eventually she overcomes her troubles and looks for a better career path. She begins the next phase in her career and life, and she has matured both in terms of career but in understanding the way she should live her life, in the way that she should be in charge of it and not live by the guidelines her friends have set.

Music

For the latter part of my sequence I need to use non-diagetic music which relays the mood of the character and the situation, after listening to various pieces of piano music in order to find something that fits, I have not managed to find anything, however I have decided that it is piano music that would most likely fit and work well. But, due to the fact that I have not managed to find anything I feel that my best course of action is to create my own piece of music that would work. To do this I have approached my Tutor, Adam Hembrough as he is a pianist, and together we will work on some music that will work with the chosen part of the sequence. This will include me giving him the right information leading him in the direction I want the music to go, for instance whether I want it to be Legato or staccato and so on. By the end of production I'll have worked on some of the music in my sequence as part of a collaboration.

Added on 27/03/2012

Unfortunately, due to various production complications I have not been able to use original music in my film. Instead I am going to use my inspiration for this choice, Ludovico Einaudi. I shall be using one of three pieces of music: Limbo, Quel Che Resta or Canzone Africana IV, these are all from the album I Giorni.

American Independent Cinema.

I have decided to make my film in the style of 'American Indie' films. Such films as 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'Juno', '(500) Days of Summer', 'Igby Goes Down', 'Dan in Real Life' and 'Lars and the Real Girl' fall into this category and I aim to replicate some of the technical style used when creating these films in my own film: 'Being Xara'.

The idea of independent cinema came about in the 1980's with a great change in filmic styles. Around this time directors such as Spielberg and Scorsese came on the scene, and although they are not making films that follow the ideas of independent cinema, such as low-budgets, character driven plots, they brought with them new styles of filming. Many of the directors of this time had studied at Film schools, building up their skills in a newer way to the previous directors of the 50's and 60's. However these directors have produced films that have been mass released across the whole of the U.S.A and Britain, whereas generally Independent films are released through the means of platform, where the film is released in a few cinemas in the country to see how well it does before being released in more cinemas. This is due to the fact that they are made with a low-budget, and the better way of earning the money back that was spent, is to release it on a lower scale than the Hollywood Block-busters. For example the British independent film 'Submarine' was released in a select few cinemas across Britain, before, after a week or so after is first release, being released in the cinema in Hull.

This film is similar to a lot of American independent films as it is character driven, by the protagonist Oliver Tate. We are given a great insight into his personality, his life and his thought-process through Richard Ayoade's use of Cinematography, Mise-en-scene as well as his screenplay. However despite these basic similarities between the British Independent film 'Submarine' and American Independent films, there are also differences.

As I am doing the opening sequence of my film, I have looked at the opening sequences of various American Independent films such as 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'Igby Goes Down' and '(500) days of Summer'. The opening to 'Little Miss Sunshine' has 40 shots in it, during these shots we are introduced to each character and we are also told through filmic aspects, the characters traits and parts of their lives and interests, as well as a link to the rest of the narrative, mainly through the daughter, the father and the Grandfather. During these 40 shots there is also very little dialogue, this links with my opening sequence as i aim to use very little dialogue in my sequence, but use mise-en-scene and other features to show the narrative and thoroughly introduce the protagonist.

The number of shots differs in 'Igby Goes Down' from 'Little Miss Sunshine' quite substantially as it only has 25 shots. what also differs is that the opening to 'Igby Goes Down' does not particularly introduce the characters personalities as much, but rather introduces the two brothers relationship with their mother more, as well as showing the audience a bit of Igby's lifestyle, past or present is unknown at this point. This how helps the narrative as it shows the stark contrast of Igby's life in the past to how he is living by the end of the film.

With '(500) Days of Summer' there are 18 shots in the opening sequence. In these we are introduced to both of the leading characters as well as a brief history of their past and character traits and also a bit about their present and where they came from. However this differs from the previous two as this is driven through the voiceover used. There is however a link with 'Igby Goes down' as part of the opening sequence in both is from an event that happens later in the film, and both subvert your expectations of various things, relationships or occurrences.

Costume List

The costumes I will be using are:

3 Suits including suit jackets, trousers and skirts, smart shoes, black and/or tan,
A pair of jeans and a casual t-shirt with casual shoes and a jacket,
A pair of dirty jogging bottoms and another casual, but also dirty, t-shirt, with trainers.

These items of clothing should represent the changes in Xara's life from smart and well-respected, to uncaring and relaxed.

Set List

This is the list of the places I will be filming.

A flat hallway and outside landing,
On the street at a bus shelter,
2 office rooms,
A busy street in the town centre.

These are the only locations I shall be using.

Prop List

This is my prop list:

A bookshelf,
Books (preferably historical),
A clock,
A key bowl,
Historical themed art,
A set of keys,
A set of Sennheiser headphones,
2 desks,
2 Computers,
2 office chairs,
Economic themed art for office walls or graphs,
other office equipment (e.g staplers, paperwork, pens and pencils, pencil pot etc).

This is a list of all of the items I'll be needing for my film sequence.

Aims and Context

Aims:

My film sequence, called ‘Being Xara', will be in the style of ‘American Indie’ film and will be of the comedy-drama genre. This sequence will attempt to establish the protagonist character and the narrative situation and the main aim is to make the audience sympathise with the character. I aim to use mise-en-scene to do this, using features of mise-en-scene to show the monotonous life she lives as well as her social situation and hint at the impending change that she faces during the sequence. This should help me achieve my aim as the mise-en-scene should show the protagonist as someone to sympathise and empathise with. I also aim to reflect the current economic climate were jobs are concerned.

Context:

I will create a 3-5 minute long sequence from my imagined film called ‘Being Xara’. I will take up the roles of Director, editor and cinematographer, when creating my sequence. The target audience of my film is 18-30 year olds as this includes university students and people in the early stages of their careers. Due to the fact that my target audience includes university students and part of the cross-over audience, they will appreciate the drama part of the genre, which is generally targeted to the cross-over audience as appose to the comedies and action genres. It is also the age range of those most affected by unemployment and lack of jobs due to this economy. The protagonist also falls into this age range. This means that the audience will more likely sympathise with the character. The certification will be 15 as it is closer to the crossover audience range and also it will allow the film to include language and themes that are inappropriate for a younger audience, but happen to link with the plot of the whole film. Also as the target audience is older than 15, the subject matter links more to their possible life situations and will be of no particular interest to those younger than 15.

Script

This is the first draft of my script, I will edit and perfect this, until it is right for my film and my aim:

Boss Lady: Will you step into my office please?

Xara: Sure (concerned expression, Xara follows Boss to her office)

Boss Lady: Due to the current climate, our company has had to make some cut backs. This includes staff cut backs. Unfortunately we are going to have to let you go. You have ten minutes to clear your belongings away and leave the building. I apologise for the whole situation, and wish you luck with finding another job.

(Xara gets up and leaves the office, expressionless; she says nothing in response to her recent bad news)

Characters

There will be only two characters in my opening sequence. This is because I only need a small number of characters to open the story, The main character, Xara to introduce her to the audience, and also thoroughly show the audience the sort of person she is, as the film is character based. The second Character is Her Boss. This character is needed as in my opening sequence Xara is fired, therefore the boss is needed in order to do this.

Characters:
Xara Morris
Boss: Julia Davidson

Unemployment

The reason behind the protagonist's preliminary downfall, is the current economic climate and unemployment issues. On a graph on Google it is shown that 20.9% of people (both sexes) under the age of 25 are unemployed. 18.8% of women under the age of 25 are unemployed while 22.6% of men under the age of 25 are not in work. In comparison for 25 to 74 year olds the unemployment rate is 5.8% with 5.2% of women and 6.2% of men out of work. This shows how the current economic climate effects the under 25’s more than it effects those over that age. This links with the drama genre my film will be of, as they generally show of-the-time issues. Because unemployment and lack of work is such a prominent issue in today’s society and life, I feel it is the right current problem to include in my film. This also links with my target audience as they fall into the group which has the highest unemployment rate.

The Title

I chose the title ‘Being Xara’ because it refers to the narrative of my film. The title shows how, at the beginning of the film Xara is not ‘being’ herself but being someone else for the benefit of her friends, and when the narrative concludes Xara is finally ‘Being Xara’. The Title Therefore sums up the narrative without giving away the plot. Also the use of the character’s name links with many ‘American Indie’ films, which is the style I am trying to emulate. Examples where a character’s name is used in the title of films within the style are: ‘Juno’, ‘(500) Days of Summer’ and ‘Dan in Real Life’.

Protagonist Name and Background

first name:
Xara

Surname:
Morris

The protagonist, Xara Morris, is in her early twenties and lives in an important city in England. She was working in administration in an office, the only job she could get when she left University. She has a history degree and wanted to go into a career of research. Xara is from a lower class background, her mother’s parents were immigrants who came over during the Second World War, and settled in the country with very little money and her father’s parents were from a mining background in Wales. So she had very little money, but managed to get into Cambridge due to her being a high grade student. At the University she met a group of people who are all from very privileged backgrounds and thus have a lot of money, and live with high expectations of how other people should be, especially those they associate with. In order to fit in, Xara dressed in particular clothing, similar to that of her friends. However the lack of money means she lives in a small flat in the city and has no money to be able to afford a car, so commutes to work via the bus. She lives a monotonous life with the same things happening at the same time every day, so when she is fired it comes as a complete shock to her and she has to come to terms with the change in her schedule. This, in turn, leads to her becoming slovenly as she does not know how to cope with the stark change and difference.

The Sequence

      From my film idea I have chosen to do the opening sequence. In this sequence I am planning on having the protagonist be preparing for work, then on the bus, at work and being fired and finally have the character walking through a busy street in a city centre. At this point, what I would like to do is have the characters apparel worsen, in the sense that it becomes less pristine and becomes unkempt. This, I aim to do by having a couple of people walk past the camera so that each time the protagonist comes into view she is wearing a different costume. However this is a preliminary idea, which I will have to thoroughly think through and organise so that I will know whether or not I will be capable of achieving my aims.
      For the first few minutes of the sequence I plan to use the song ‘She’s Losing It’ by Belle and Sebastian as non-diegetic background music, apart from the section when the character is on the bus, as then it will be diegetic as it will be played through headphones the character will be using.

These are the lyrics for She's Losing It:

Lisa knows a girl who's been abused
It changed her philosophy in '82
She's always looking for a fight
She keeps the neighbours up all night

I go to her when I'm feeling slack
The girl's using me as a punching bag
I think that I could help her out
But the girl's got a lot to be mad about

BUT in the first moment of her waking up
She knows she's losing it, yeah she's losing it
When the first cup of coffee tastes like washing up
She knows she's losing it, yeah she's losing
Yeah she's losing it

Lisa met Chelsea at the knocking school
Chelsea didn't feel like following the rules
So they left the place for another school
Where the boys go with boys and the girls with girls

Chelsea was the ONE who's been abused
It changed her philosophy in '82
She says, "Inch for inch and pound for pound"
Who needs boys when there's Lisa round?">

BUT in the first moment of her waking up
She knows she's losing it, yeah she's losing it
When the first cup of coffee tastes like washing up
She knows she's losing it, yeah she's losing it
She goes to the mirror to put on her stuff
She knows she's losing it, oh yeah she's losing it
When she doesn't speak to anyone till four 0' clock
She knows she's losing it, yeah she's losing it
Oh yeah she's losing it

I chose this song to use in my opening sequence due to the lyrics, specifically the chorus. This forms a link with my sequence as the main character is 'losing it' in terms of her losing her job and then eventually losing her friends.

Synopsis

My Film is set Britain, in the current economic climate, with high unemployment. My film follows one woman who is in the middle of this situation, and facing the same risks as all who are in the same position as her. The film starts with Xara, the protagonist in the morning as she prepares for work; in a hurry she leaves her flat and catches the bus to work, she is called into her managers office and is made redundant, She spends most of her time wandering around the town centre, in order to fill the spare time she has, but because she has been thrown into unhappiness she begins to stop paying attention to her appearance, this is what will be shown in my sequence. A short while after she loses her job she also loses her friends and partner because she no longer fits their high expectations. They leave her to wallow in her own self-pity, however this kick starts her into changing her life. She starts this by moving out of the city she lives in, into one of the surrounding villages, somewhere she has aspired to live for a long time. Once settled she searches for her desired job, in the Historical research field. Eventually she gets a job as a researcher for a period T.V programme. In her new environment, she meets new people, who she becomes friends with and who help her though her choices. These people are far more supportive than her previous friends, and her life is on a better path.

Genre Conventions

      Genres can be defined by a shared subject matter, for example comedies are mainly defined by a type of story situation. However genre definitions can be flexible and this is shown by the fact that they can mix together or crossbreed. This is something that I am doing with my film sequence as the genres I am using are comedy and drama.

      With Drama there are two main parts to a dramatic narrative structure: the story, so what happens and then to whom it happens, and also how the story unfolds, the discourse. Conflict is often present in dramas, this is in order to emotionally move or touch the audience. In other cases the protagonist has a goal to fulfil and someone or something gets in the way. These struggles can take many forms, for example: Man against man; man against society; man against nature; and man against machine

      Dramas are generally serious stories and they show a real life situation and also in a realistic way. The characters behave at their worst and their best as well as everything in-between. Urban dramas exploit reality, and after the 1980’s, a new genre was defined by guns, drugs, violence and revenge.

       Dramas are serious presentations or real life situations that have characters who are conflicting with themselves, others or nature. Drama films often have of-the-time issues and problems, concerns and injustices. Examples of these would be racism, religion such as anti-Semitism, drugs, poverty, politics, corrupted power, alcohol, class division, sexual inequality, mental illness, corrupt societal institutions, abuse such as sexual, violence, domestic, women and children and so on and so forth and also possibly other issues of the times.

      Dramatic films realistically and frankly deal with social problems, however in the earlier years of Hollywood and censorship there was a tendency to not blame society and institutions but rather to blame problems on an individual, who, it was likely, would be punished for their actions.

      Comedies are designed to specifically make the audience laugh and are often light-hearted dramas primarily for enjoyment. Each situation the characters find themselves in are exaggerated along with the characters, language and action. Generally comedies have happy endings, although the comedy can have a pessimistic side, for example black humour or gallows humour.

      Comedies generally come in to forms: situation comedy and comedian-led, but these can over-lap and the comedy genre is more likely to be paired with another big genre such as musical-comedy. Not only can comedies be part of two genre films but also there are subgenres in which comedy fits, for example rom-com, sports comedy or coming-of-age comedy.

      There are many different forms of comedy for example: Deadpan, which can be defined by the expressionless face of Buster Keaton; Verbal comedy, which is typified by cruel verbal wit, sexual innuendo or thoughtful humour; and Black comedy, which are dark sarcastic but humorous stories around serious subjects such as death.

      Black humour is closely linked with gallows humour. It is often used in dramatic films which means they can keep a serious tone, playing a dark subject for laughs, an example of this is in Dr Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick, about nuclear warfare however the procedure for preventing war the system which will make sure it happens. Gallows humour, an earlier form of black humour, is humour that still manages to be funny even in a hopeless situation, and is often in response to this. It often happens when death is inevitable or is perceived to be that way. An example of this is in the Monty Python’s film Life of Brian when the group of men being crucified sing ‘Always look on the bright side of life’.

      African Americans were often used to make people laugh in mainstream society and on stage. In early comedy films this was also used and often linked with the entire race rather than one single person. The 1970’s saw to crossover comedians hitting the silver screen, and a lot of highly successful films were created.

      Comedy is one of the oldest film genres, and unlike others it puts more emphasis on individual stars. One of the earliest film forms of comedy was slapstick due to its physical nature, perfect for silent films. This could involve being soaked with water or hit over the head with a pan.

Narrative Structure

Protagonist: The Woman (currently unnamed)

Antagonist: Her situation with work and friends etc.

Equilibrium: In a job and has plenty of friends

Disruption: Initially she is fired, which then leads to her losing her friends, this puts her into a bad situation, jobless and without friends, so no income and no support.

Quest: She searches for a new job, one in which she will be happy, she moves away from her previous life, by moving house, which shows her developing into a more independent and changed person.

Resolution: She finds the job she was searching for, which, with it, brings new friends, who have less and lower expectations. She is truly happy and comfortable and she has changed into a new person.

Re-Equilibrium: She is in a new job and also has new friends.

The story type of my film is Rite of Passage.

Brief

My brief for the A2 Film Studies project was to either:

Develop an extended sequence from an imagined feature,
or
develop a complete short film of between 3 and 5 minutes,

Of the two, I have decided to choose to develop an extended sequence.
I need to include the aims and context of the sequence, which need to be clear and detailed, using an issue from the unit FM1.
I must make a creative product, my sequence, which is 45 marks out of the total 60 and then evaluate my work, which is worth 15 marks.
Although the work must be my own, it is advised that I ask for help from other members of my Film Studies class.