MAJOR PROJECT: Research: Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels

Gambling Scene

During the rehearsal with the actors, it was brought to my attention from both Nik and Craig that I should watch the 1998 film 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' as contextual research for the film. I had heard of the film but hadn't seen it and so was intrigued to watch it to see why they thought it was a good reference.
The film is a British crime/comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. I have watched some of his other films including 'Snatch' and RocknRolla' and was familiar with his distinctive style as a filmmaker. From my research outside of watching the film, I found out that it was this film that brought Ritchie his worldwide fame and recognition as a Director, due to its success. The film has a well known ensemble cast including Jason Flemyng, Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham and Sting, all of which play rather bold characters.

Film Poster

Instantly, I could see why Craig and Nik brought the film to my attention as it is based on a heist. The group of them gamble money during a card game and end up in £500,000 worth of debt. To be able to pay the money back, they decide to rob some drug sellers to be able to pay the money back. The storyline is driven with comedy throughout, with the characters often messing up the plans or getting caught out which is both funny and very entertaining.
There was a particular scene where one of the characters brought along tights as masks, adding to the comedic value which instantly made me think of our film, as it highlighted that the group were amateurs and just making it all up as they went along.

In terms of how I will use my contextual research for the project, I think that we could play with the visual gags even more, as these were evident throughout Lock, Stock which really sells  the characters to the audience and gives them likability. Although, our film is much lighter in terms of the tone, I think that having watched this film, I can see several likeness' that would be interesting to work with. As the Producer, I shall be pitching some ideas to the Director regarding visual style and script taking into account my research of this film and how I think we could approach the set up of certain scenes.

I have also attached the poster for the film which I think is really interesting. I like that it is two tonal, being in black and white, with a very simple accent of yellow for the text. It will be useful to examine posters for films like this one when designing the poster for our film, as we want it to reflect the genre and nature of the film.

MAJOR PROJECT: 'Bobbie & Clive' Title Card/Graphic Design & Inspiration

Bonnie & Clyde Film Poster

We all wanted the film to be very visually dynamic and cinematic, which includes the graphics and titles. The titles of any film give it it's unique signature and establishes the branding so that it becomes recognisable and familiar to the audience. We had decided very early on that we wanted the title card and graphics to be just as visually exciting as the film itself. For inspiration, I looked at the graphics and poster designs used for the 1967 film 'Bonnie & Clyde', where we got our character inspiration from. Although, our characters are not Bonnie and Clyde themselves, the concept takes it's inspiration from them and their criminal lifestyles. 

Pulp Fiction Poster

They have chosen to go for some western style graphics with bold, bright colours and hand drawn cartoon imagery, with a bold, red title. As a group we came up with our colour palette first and decided that using the 3 primary colours - red, yellow and blue would be suitable and reflect some of the colour choice used for the original film graphics. Other inspirations were taken from Quentin Tarantino. If you look at several of his film posters, he has adopted this colour palette, favouring red and yellow in particular, as shown in posters for 2 of his most successful films 'Kill Bill' and 'Pulp Fiction'. The use of colour is very simple, with a plain background and bold, simple fonts which look incredibly eye-catching and dynamic. 

The imagery he uses is also often rather simple with just a singular character that draws the attention in. For our title card, we took inspiration from all of these posters to create our final design. Josh found the font online which is called 'Ultra'. The design for the font needed to have some of the inspiration it was derived from, therefore we wanted the western theme to come across. However, we wanted it to be modernised and contemporary to reflect the present day. As a result, the font is slightly bolder and less rounded that the original font, but has accents on the edges like on the Pulp Fiction poster.

Below is the final design for the title card. We have used all 3 of the primary colours, opting for a bold red background. I think that the blue and yellow text on the red background looks the most visually dynamic and allows the text to stand out also. As I said, I think that the font choice not only replicates some of the designs we took inspiration from but has its own unique and original look which is current. To add more dimension to the plain background we decided to use a stressed, cracked effect on the corners which are in the same blue colour as on the title. To conclude, I am very pleased with the final design and think that it shows that we have thought it out carefully and considered all aspects to create something that is fitting but unique. 

Final Title Card

MAJOR PROJECT: Test Shoot 1

On Friday evening, we had our first test shoot at the location. We could only be at the location during the evening as it is a working office. However, it allowed us to test out some of the exterior shots which will need to be filmed in pitch black as it is set at night time. During our recce, we were only able to spend half an hour at the location and so didn't have enough time to experiment with the space  and get a good feel for the shots.


For this test shoot, we brought the camera equipment with us as well as lighting. It was essential that we practiced all of the exterior scenes as the lighting in crucial to be able to determine what will be seen on camera. We want to avoid having to troubleshoot the lighting on the day or find out that we don't have enough. We used 2 LED lighting kits, which were carefully placed in front of Josh's car. This is the car that we will be using for the shoot so framing wise it was important to see what it would look like on camera. For the time being, Josh and I stood in as Bobbie and Clive so that we could assess how the scenes would look with the actors in them. Although, the LED lights were producing quite a lot of light, we decided that the Rotolight may also be necessary to get the desired lighting.

Trialling Exterior Scenes

Machinery in Storeroom

The test shoot was also a good opportunity for me to take some photos of the 2 storerooms so we could assess which one would be most suitable. However, there were several health and safety hazards in one of the storerooms as shown in the image below, which make it an unsuitable location for filming. I also thought that with the extra space that we have access to in the other storeroom will give us plenty of room for the equipment and all of the crew, which will also limit any potential tripping hazards.
Generally, the test shoot was a much needed process as it highlighted several things and allowed us to make important decisions regarding where we were filming and how much equipment we would need. However, I think a more thorough test shoot is required to give us more time to test out some of the shots in the office and allow me to prep what we need for the set dressing.

MAJOR PROJECT: Script Progression/Development: Draft 5

Below I have attached draft 5 of the script for the production. We have made some significant story changes over the past few drafts. The biggest one being a change of characters from 2 guys to a married couple called 'Bobbie & Clive'. Josh came up with a new idea that would be based on infamous criminals Bonnie & Clyde. This was a suggestion from Simon who felt like having a married couple would drive the story forward more and give the characters a real motive to steal. The setting is still the same and the couple enter the film together in the car. We decided to be vague with their dialogue at the beginning so that the audience don't know what they're up to straight away.
The plan is that they need money to support their family, however, Clive thinks that stealing is morally wrong and sets up his own plan to sabotage it. He brings Bobbie to his workplace (a fruit warehouse), somewhere he knows won't have security. However, things soon take a turn for the worse when they are caught by the security and have to find a way out before a final cliff hanger at the end. I have really enjoyed working on the new storyline together with Josh and think that it is definitely beneficial to have screenwriting sessions together where we can brainstorm the dialogue and get it just right. I think that the obstacles along the way now really drive the story forward and add a comedic element.

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MAJOR PROJECT: Casting & Audition Selections

Casting Process
As the Producer, one of my biggest responsibilities is to organise all of the contributors including the cast. Therefore, I have used the script and research into the character profiles to advertise on Mandy.com to find suitable actors for Bobbie, Clive and the Security Guard. I have used Mandy.com (previously Casting Call Pro) before to hire actors on individual projects and found it to be a very easy and simple way of advertising for actors. When you post a job on Mandy you have to write a short description of what the project is and any finer details like the shoot days and the pay. From this, you write descriptions for each individual character that you are looking to cast. They ask you to describe the appearance and age group you are looking for and a brief description of the character themselves so that the applicants can assess whether or not they think they would be right for the character. Below I have put some screenshots of the advert.

Project Description

I have filled out the details describing it as a short film, where the location is and what sort of location it will be, a list of the salary details included and the scheduled shoot dates. I then included a brief description of the project, including a little bit of information about who we are as a team so that the applicants have some idea what the project will entail. 

Bobbie's Description

Clive's Description

Security Guard's Description

Here I have screenshot all of the individual character descriptions for the applicants. I have included the character's name, age range, gender and ethnicity which I kept as 'any'. Although, we did have the character's appearances in mind, I decided to leave ethnicity as any so that we didn't restrict the parts too much and make the requirements too strict. For the descriptions, I stated who they were as people, their role requirements and their physical appearance. I wanted to not make it too specific but give the applicants an idea of what each role would require. I am happy with what I included in the adverts and was pleasantly surprised that the project and roles all received plenty of interest.

After posting the adverts, I regularly checked my email for applications and showed these to the group as they came in so we could discuss them. I waited a week or so before making a shortlist of the applicants that we asked to come in for an audition. I shortlisted it down to 6 people in 3 couples. I thought it would be best to audition a potential Bobbie with a potential Clive so that we could assess their chemistry and give them someone to interact with during the audition. I paired them up based on their age ranges and appearance, and on whether I thought they would make good pairings.

Auditions & Selections
I scheduled an hour slot for each audition, leaving us with 3 auditions in total. I had made a short schedule for each audition which included a brief chat about the script and the roles, a script read through and a run through with actions. As several of them had travelled several miles to attend the audition, I felt like it was necessary that we spent some time with all of the applicants so that we could get to know each of them. The 3 pairings were Sophie and Nik, Corinne and Craig and Andrew and Anca. All of the applicants had applied for the roles of Bobbie and Clive, however, I also had Craig in mind for the security guard. Each audition was really successful and all of the applicants seem to enjoy the process and seemed very interested in the project. After the auditions, we had a chat about all of the applicants individually and as a pair and mutually decided that Sophie and Nik were the most suitable for the title roles.

Sophie

Nik

Craig

After confirming as a group our casting selections, I emailed all of the applicants to let them all know whether or not they had got the parts. All of those who hadn't were incredibly gracious and were happy with the audition process, and keen to help on any further productions. We decided that Craig would be ideal casting for the security guard as he had the right appearance for the role and told us during the audition that he is usually cast for those kind of roles. He was more than happy to play the security guard for the production and said that he was looking forward to working with us which was reassuring. Overall, the casting and audition process was very successful and i'm pleased we chose to do it. I was confident in my communication with all of the applicants and think that I approached the process in a professional manner.

MAJOR PROJECT: Budget Predictions

An important component of the project is the budget. As we are working as part of a team, it is the Producer's job to organise the budget and how it will be distributed among expenses. To work out how much we would each have to put into the budget, I drew up the predicted expenses on Microsoft Excel. I found using Excel really simple and efficient for organising the budget as it adds the totals for each column automatically as well as the final total so I don't have to try and work it out every time I add something new to the spreadsheet. I also felt that the choice to use this software for the budget would be suitable because I have had lots of experience using it before.

To do this I created several headings including general expenses, cast and crew, props and costumes. By dividing the expenses into separate departments, it made it easier to organise so I could focus on certain expenses. Some of the expenses have 0 next to them which means that a member of the team already has this and therefore it will not cost anything.

Predicted Budget

At the moment the predicted budget is £631. We want to aim for this figure or just below between £500-600 if we can. However, this will all depend on the casting choices and whether or not we have to pay for accommodation. I am almost certain that the location won't cost us anything as we plan to use the office that Ellen's parents work at, who have given us permission to use it out of office hours at our leisure. However, if circumstances change, this will need to be reconsidered in terms of the budget. I shall be updating the spreadsheet throughout production so that I can keep track of how much we are spending and will know if we are beginning to exceed it. However, I am confident that I will be able to keep to it as best I can.

MAJOR PROJECT: Low Budget Filmmaking: Research

As the Producer, I am responsible for organising the budget for the production. This will need to be approached responsibly by myself to ensure that I keep on track of all expenditures and do not run over budget. I decided to do some research into low budget filmmaking and have found an article entitled '7 tips for Low-Budget Filmmaking'. It suggests that there are several ways of making a successful film on a low budget.


1. Use affordable camera equipment
High end film cameras can be very expensive. They suggest using a DSLR camera that can shoot up to HD or 4K. We are very fortunate on this course that we don't need to purchase or hire the equipment and it is free for us to use. Therefore, I won't need to account for this in budget.

2. Use free locations
They suggest being aware of the locations when scene setting during the pre-production stage. We are also fortunate that we have a free location sourced for the production which will be an office and warehouse space. Using one location for the shoot will also limit the expense getting to and from new locations.

3. Use natural lighting
The article suggests making use of a location's amenities which includes the lighting. Use light, outdoor locations in possible will restrict the amount of lighting equipment needed for the shoot. This tip doesn't help me in terms of the budget, as we would need lighting throughout. Fortunately, we have free access to lighting equipment.

4. Be flexible on set
Ensuring that I am well organised with the schedule will be essential for troubleshooting during the shoot days. This tip suggests keeping an open mind to to being flexible to making decisions during production that may affect the budget.

5. Share credit and ownership
Here they are discussing the fact that you will have to pay your cast and crew very little to keep a low budget. However, it says to keep an open mind regarding crediting all of your contributors. We will be following in this technique and will want to get a good team together whilst trying to not break the bank.

6. Make the project fun
They suggest keeping a positive and motivating attitude at all times during production. If the experience is enjoyable for your cast and crew, then that are more likely to want to help you out in future and keep you in their contacts. It will be a key responsibility of mine to keep a team morale at all times during production so that the project is a pleasant experience for all those involved.

7. Make cuts on everything but the story
I think that this is the most inspiring piece of advice from this article. They are suggesting that as long as you are invested in the story and are passionate about telling it, this will shine through if other elements are not as strong in terms of production value.

Article: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/7-tips-low-budget-filmmaking/

I think that this article has been really helpful in setting me up for a positive outlook on filmmaking with a student budget. I am confident that I will be able to keep the budget in order and make some cuts where absolutely necessary. We are very fortunate that we have access to all of the camera, sound and lighting equipment, which means that we can use the budget elsewhere without having to worry about that as an expense.