Production Report

Whilst producing the opening sequence of justice we came across many obstacles these being, setting our film in an abandoned house however, because of the weather and problems with transport and setting we were forced to move closer to the school, this is the reason our location recce is different to our film. As we moved to the school we had further problems such as the loud back ground sound of cars and wind which meant that watching the film we captured back we could not hear the speech. Due to this we then moved into a building in the school which was much warmer and the sound was a lot better. This caused problems though, as because of the change we were short of time and so therefore the actor’s costumes where not how we originally wanted them and they had problems with learning the script.

We managed to keep to the 180 degree rule and followed the rules of continuity, ensuring nothing changed during the filming and editing. Albeit, the lighting in the room was too light and looking back at the film it would have fitted in better with the mise en scene if the lighting was not so bright as the suspense of the fight scene was so good as we wanted this to be filmed in dusk but we couldn’t access the building at this time.

I feel like we all worked well as a team we all completed different parts of the written work and made sure we handed it to each other on time, we all attended lessons and got on very well.

Pre Production Documentation and Report

The pre production tasks we had to compleate for example the story board, shot list, treatment, questionnaires and risk assessments were finished before we filmed, this helped us time wise. Although we had problems with the original place we had first chosen so we therefore had to adapt the shot list and story board several times due to this. The risk assessment had to be changed once to show we were filming in exterior instead of interior.

Script.

Justice

Scene 1:

Three youths named Bazza, Jeremy and Norman Briggs (the Leader) are running away from a bland looking building. Jeremy and Bazza are lagging slightly behind Norman. Jeremy suddenly pulls up patting his pockets. Bryan stops with him.

Bazza
What ya doing?

Jeremy
I’ve dropped my phone en I

Bazza (Pulling Jeremy along)
Fuck it lets move

They run past the camera.

Scene 2
The Detective (Bobbie Ensbury) is inside the building surveying the scene whilst a member of the forensic team (Terry) is taking pictures of the crime scene. Eddie is dead on the floor, he’s covered in blood. On a scale of one to dead he scores pretty highly. The detective paces.

Terry (Setting down his camera)
Estimated time of death between five and five thirty this morning.

Detective
Cause of death?

Terry
He was severely beaten, but I think the blow that killed him was this one to the left temple
(Terry bends down to point to a wound on EDDIE’s head)

Detective (wincing)
Fuck me

Terry
I know. It’s one of the worst I have ever seen

Detective
I’ve seen worse

Enter Dave, running holding a phone.
Dave
Ensbury, look what I’ve found

Detective
That’s detective Ensbury to you, I’m in charge of this investigation.

Dave
One of the attackers dropped a phone…

Detective snatches phone

Dave
…And it’s got a video on it. I don’t think you should watch it though it’s pretty…rough

Detective
I can handle it

Detective starts watching film
Camera goes into the phone and shows how the murder came about before. The four youths enter the house; the 3rd is holding the camera phone. Eddie is in the toilets looking scared.

Norman Briggs (to Eddie)
Wakey Wakey sunshine

BAZZA
You thought you could hide from us did ya treacle

Norman Briggs
You weren’t gonna pay us were you

EDDIE
I was I was I promise just give me time

JEREMY
Times up son

NORMAN BRIGGS
This is a reminder not to mess with us

They all start beating Eddie up, yelling and whooping; eventually they manoeuvre him to the floor. Norman Briggs straddles him and starts punching him about the face. The boys go quiet, only Norman is still shouting.

JEREMY
Leave him he’s had enough

Norman carries on regardless until they hear the sound of a police siren in the distance. The boy’s stiffen

JEREMY
What’s that?


BAZZA
Crikey it’s the rozzers

NORMAN BRIGGS
Scarper

They run from the room through the fire escape while Eddie lies motionless by the door . As soon as they get outside, Jeremy turns off the camera.

SCENE 3
Back inside the toilet the Detective is holding the phone. Her face is impassive but the two forensic people gathered ‘round are visibly shaken

TERRY
What does it all mean?

DETECTIVE
There’s been a murder, and I know how to solve it!

Questionnaire to Audience and Evaulation

Questionnaire
Gender: Age:

1. How many films do you watch a week?
0-1
2-3
4 or more

2. How many of these films are seen at the cinema?
0-1
2-3
4 or more

3. Who would you usually go with?
Friend
Parents
Boyfriend/girlfriend
Children
Family
4. What is your favourite film genre?
ComedyCrime and Gangster
Action
Romance
Other
5. What is your favourite film, and why?

6. What do you expect to see in an opening sequence?

7. What makes you want to go and watch a film?

8. If you had the choice out of watching a British film or an American film what would you chose, and why?
9. Can you think of a British gangster/crime film you have recently watched, what was it and what did you like about it?

10. Please read the following opening sequence, would you watch the rest of this film?
A young drug addict owes a group of ruthless youth’s money. The group of five youths find the drug addict and torture, and eventually murder him. The youths flee the abandoned house and leave the drug addict dead. However it is not apparent who murdered him to begin with although one of the youths leaves behind his phone leading them to be caught quickly. A gripping film, in which the concepts of friendship and betrayal are pushed to the limit.

We asked 10 people to take part in a questionnaire about films. The majority of people who took part said they watch 2-3 films a week. Those people usually go with a boyfriend/girlfriend. Only one of the films is seen at the cinema (in an average week). The average age of the participants was between 16 and 18.5 out of the 10 people who did the questionnaire said their favourite film genre was Crime and Gangster. 4 of these people were males.

Following that question we asked what their favourite film was and why. 3 out of the 5 people who chose Crime and Gangster said Green Street, because of the violence. Other favourite films included, Harry Brown, The Godfather and American Gangster.

We also asked them ‘what do you expect to see in an opening sequence?’ the majority said they would like to see, fighting, tension and an introduction of all characters. 8 out of the 10 people asked said that if the trailer looks good it will encourage them to go and see the film at a cinema.

We asked them if they had a choice of watching a British film or an American one, 7 of the 10 people replied that they would rather see a British film. The participants were asked to think of a British Crime and Gangster film they had recently watched, and what they liked about it, one 17year old boy answered ‘I saw Harry Brown when it came out in the cinema, I liked the storyline and the redemption and revenge at the end of the film’.

Lastly, we put our summary of the opening sequence onto the questionnaire, and asked the people to read it and if they would watch the rest of the film. 9 out of the 10 people who took part answered yes.

Treatment

Textual of an Opening Sequence from Crime/Gangster Genre

From looking Harry Brown the name of the film appears first before anything else, this is typical of an opening sequince, as if it is at the end this usually means it is a trailer. From 21 seconds to 1 minute 39 seconds we see names of producers and people associated with the film making. we then see names of actors and directors every second a differnt name appears, from then we are watching the the film; it is 92 minutes long and we are then greeted with the credits and the film finishes.

We followed this in the sence that the name of our film is also at the begining then followed by the actors names. This helps our film look like an opening sequence rather than a trailer. Our opening sequence is about 2 and a half minutes long which is longer than the opening sequence of Harry Brown.

Recent films from the Crime/Gangster Genre

Recent Crime/Gangster Films

The Bank Job
Director Roger Donaldson
2008
USA
Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore

Bronson
Director Roger Donaldson
2008
British
Tom Hardy, Hugh Ross, Juliet Oldfield
Budget - £150,000
Gross Revenue - £1,119,130

Bangkok Dangerous
Director Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
2008
USA
Nicolas Cage

Law Abiding Citizen
Director F. Gary Gray
2009
USA
Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney

44 Inch Chest
Director Malcolm Venville
2009
British
Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt

Fighting
Director Dito Montiel
2009
USA
Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard
Independent film
Studio – Relativity Media
Gross Revenue - $30,542,382

Brooklyn's Finest
Director Antoine Fuqua
2010
USA
Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke

A Killing Jar
Director Mark Young
2010
USA
Michael Madsen, Harold Perrineau, Jr., Amber Benson

From looking at the recent crime/gangster films and their success. it seems they have all made good money showing there is a market there so our film could be a success. However, from looking at the recent films it seems like the American films make more money than the british fims, this could be a concern. Although, this gives us a chance to have the first British film to make the most money.

History of Crime/Gangster Genre

Crime/ gangster films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life.
Often highlight the life of a crime figure or a crime's victim Or they glorify the rise and fall of a particular criminal gang, bank robber, murderer or lawbreakers in personal power struggles or conflict with law and order figures, an underling or competitive colleague, or a rival gang. Headline-grabbing situations, real-life gangsters, or crime reports have often been used in crime films.
Gangster/crime films are usually set in large, crowded cities, to provide a view of the secret world of the criminal: dark nightclubs or streets with lurid neon signs, fast cars, piles of cash, sleazy bars, contraband, seedy living quarters or rooming houses. Exotic locales for crimes often add an element of adventure and wealth.
Crime plots also include questions such as how the criminal will be apprehended by police, private eyes, special agents or lawful authorities, or mysteries such as who stole the valued object. They rise to power with a tough cruel facade while showing an ambitious desire for success and recognition, but underneath they can express sensitivity and gentleness.
Often from poor immigrant families, gangster characters often fall prey to crime in the pursuit of wealth, status, and material possessions (clothes and cars), because all other "normal" avenues to the top are unavailable to them trying to follow the ‘American dream’. Although they are doomed to failure and inevitable death (usually violent), criminals are sometimes portrayed as the victims of circumstance, because the stories are told from their point of view.

We decided to do crime and gangster genre of film because it can be interpreted in many different ways insight of types of crime. We chose to relate our crime to drugs and violence following young teenagers to represent the stereotypes of today's crime related culture.

Group Meeting 1

Plot of complete film - Justice

A young drug addict owes a group of ruthless youths money. The group of five youths find the drug addict and torture him, and eventually murder him. This takes place in an abandoned house where the homeless drug addict lives. The police are called by a nearby resident of the area. The youths flee the abandoned house and leave the drug addict dead in the house. However it is not apparent who murdered him to begin with although one of the youths leaves behind his phone leading them to be caught quickly and put on trial. The film through a series of flashbacks during the court case whilst under interrogation from the lawyers pieces together the victim’s life and how he ended up involved with the youths who cut his life so short. Justice prevails and they are sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple offences.

Justice is a film that follows the lives of five youths through a court case and interrogation after they are implicated in a murder case when one of their phones is found at the scene of the crime. Through a series of flashbacks.

Plot of opening sequence - Justice

The film starts with five hooded youths, dressed in black, running across the open bare ground from an abandoned house. One of the youths behind drops a phone but is unable to pick it up as someone grabs him and carries on running. This is taking place at dusk. In the background police sirens are getting louder.

The blue flashing lights take over the open ground scene, these lights then turn into a white light, which develops into flashing white lights, to represent the forensics’ camera flashes. It appears to be early morning, whilst it is bright. There is a young, bloodied, beaten boy lying dead on the floor, he is surrounded by some of his belongings such as blankets to represent he is homeless, a torch, a book, cigarettes and needles which make it apparent that the boy is a drug addict. The forensics’ are in full white suits taking pictures and examining the body.

The main forensic and the chief of police are discussing the boy’s injuries and the possibilities of what happened, every time the forensic says what the injury is there is a flashback of what actually happened. In the meantime the second forensic runs in from outside holding a mobile phone saying he found a recorded video on it, the chief of police watches it, the video is not shown but sounds of scuffling and shouting.

The group of youths are congregated in an underpass arguing, and blaming one of them for dropping the phone, saying they can’t go back as there is police surrounding the area.

Character Profile's.

Norman Briggs -Is the Leader of the gang, has a short temper, impulsive.

Jeremy –Not accepted, used, small and scrawny, whiney.

Leo – sense of humour, has potential.

Bazza –Immature, has a drug problem, is thick.

Bryan –Has more brains than the others in the group.

Conventions of an opening sequence