Calling Card Production Process: Setting up the Scenes Cambridge Project

 Setting up the scenes blog post 

We finally began filming yesterday and it was chaotic to say the least. We arrived at our filming location which was a friend’s house, but got distracted by some minor details and by each other. Although, we did eventually push through it and get some work done and planned how we were going to move all of the furniture to free up space and set up the scenes. 

After deciding on the exact layout of our setting, we started filming, but quickly ran into some issues. We were missing some of the props we needed for the scenes which caused us to push the rest of the filming back to the next day, but this gave us the time to collect the missing props. 

The images shown below are photos highlighting our movement process.

We will come back to this post later on and add more photos and videos of us setting up the scenes for the protagonists. Until then I hope you have a good day. :)

Calling Card: Production Issues and Obstacles Cambridge Project

1st and 2nd day Filming Issues and Obstacles

After we set up our scene which you'll see in the next blogpost we ran into a multitude of problems for the planning aspect of our production. We recognized some of the problems as we looked at our planned storyboard for our outline of opening and realized that some of our planned shots wouldn't be possible. Some of the shots weren't possible because either we didn't have the props or the layout simply wouldn't work. For example, we were planning to use a shot revolving around a mirror but the angle and position the mirror in made that impossible. Another example, is for the protagonists scene as we lacked a lot of the props necessary to make up the dirty room aesthetic. It even began to get dark outside since we started filming late in the afternoon. 

We also didn't accomplish as much as we had hoped because we were beginning to interact and work with each other in a new environment. After all of these factors we decided to consider this as the testing day and postponed more of the filming for the next available day.

Other obstacles occurred when we actually filming some of the shots for the opening. Our first obstacle was the issue with the lighting. We really struggled get the correct lighting for our shots for a long period of time. This was because it was pretty dark outside and we wanted to film a darker scene but due to no natural light coming in we couldn't see anything. We overcame this obstacle by having one of our friends hold a flashlight/use their phone at a high angle to get the lighting just right to portray the creepy and mysterious feeling for the antagonist.

Another issue was how cramped the shooting space for the scene was as the hallways in the house were very narrow which made it hard to shoot and walk in. Marat fixed this problem by suggesting to opening the bathroom door in the hallway to create some additional space so I could record him. Overall, our start was pretty bad. but we had high hopes for the next day. 

Unfortunately, our hopes were sent down the drain as we got the news that we wouldn't be able to go to our friend's house to film. This completely ruined our plans of getting the filming done by this week. There is an upside though as this gives us more time to gather any required props. Hopefully by tomorrow we will have our filming process done so we can focus on the editing aspect of our project.

Creating the Logo: Cambridge Portfolio Project

 Creating the Logo

For this week, me and my teammate had to come up with a production company name and create a logo for our film opening. After getting inspiration from other logos from popular companies we decided on the name of our company. The name of our production is "Viper Studios", and there really isn't any symbolic meaning behind. We just wanted to appeal to the mystery genre of our opening and we simply wanted our logo to reflect that. In addition, we created our logo reflect our name inside of it with the snake being the form of an S to stand for Studios.

Here is our finished product:

Logo Creation Process

We came into the creation process for our logo with zero knowledge on how to create and publish a viable logo. After researching a few major brands like Marvel and Warner Bros. we display our production process below in stages. We used Canva for the creation of this logo.

Our first task was to create a base to place our logo in. We decided to create it using simple shades of purple with the plan of including black in the logo later on. We do this to emphasize the color scheme of the Calling Cards the antagonist will use in the film opening. We are able to strengthen our image as a production company that does mystery movies.

After that, we had to add in the actual logo for our company. We decided on a snake because it can be used to represent any letter or shape that we wanted and because they looked cool. We created the logo using Canva's generate image function and we added an eye because it was created without one and we wanted it to appear more realistic and because without it, it looked like a worm.

Then, we added the final touches to the snake as we changed the eye color to green to have a more contrasting and interesting color design. Moreover, the snake looks like an S which concretes our studio name as mentioned earlier. We were very proud of what we had done but still felt that some aspects were missing.

Finally, we finished the logo changing the background to black to contrast our white text for the company name and to add more reinforcement and symbolism to the Calling Cards as it was their signature colors. We also messed around with the colors and sizes to make sure it all matched perfectly.

Calling Card: Fixing the Screenplay Cambridge Project

 Rewriting the Screenplay and Script

In a previous blog post I submitted a script that was incomplete and deemed it unsuitable for my film opening. After properly reviewing it, I realized that the script lacked realistic and effective dialogue alongside the lack of actions shown. As a result, I decided to create a new one from scratch with inspiration from iconic and professional screenplays within the industry. 

I researched several iconic screenplays and their corresponding films, including Forrest Gump, Aliens, and Pulp Fiction with the screenplays being shown alongside their movies down below. These scripts provide good examples for how dialogue, actions, and pacing are used to develop the characters and provide a good narrative image.

I analyzed these examples through a website called Script Reader Pro (Link at the bottom) and with it I was able to revise my script with better dialogue among other elements. In comparison to the professional scripts which demonstrated how dialogue should reveal characters and their relationships, while describing their visual actions clearly, mine were terrible. 

Using these newfound insights, I rewrote my screenplay to include the scene descriptions and make the dialogue feel more natural and realistic. This better explains the relationships between the protagonists and adds even more details onto the film. At this current stage, only Scene 2 (The Protagonists' Scene) is included, as Scene 1 (The Antagonist's Scene) doesn't contain any dialogue and primarily relies on the visual storytelling aspect. I won’t say that my screenplay is perfect as I neglected to add in descriptions for the scene but I believe it to be just fine for the opening.

Revised Script

Forest Gump (1994)

Aliens (1986)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Forest Gump (1994)

Aliens (1986)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/screenplay-example/

Calling Card: Audio

Research

When we were planning our film opening, we realized that we needed to think about the audio of our scenes and how they would affect the viewers. At first, we were originally planning on creating most of our foley sounds ourselves (Sounds that are made using household objects) and then search for other sounds we needed using the resources provided by our teacher. However, we realized that we needed to research the other types of sound design as well, especially the types used in mystery and action films.

In mystery films, sound is used to build up suspense and to immerse the viewers. To do this they typically rely on diegetic sounds (Sounds that exist within the film world, such as dialogue or footsteps) and non-diegetic sounds (Sounds that do not exist in the film world, for example background music.) The non-diegetic music in mystery films tend to be either classical or instrumental, which help to build up suspense, increase the intensity, and create a sense of danger and eeriness. 

Action films, however, mainly just use diegetic sounds such as explosions, gunshots, and quick movement. The music in action films can range from electronic to rock to pop, while many feature their own scores and songs that were made just for the film. After learning all of these different types we decided that our opening would be improved greatly if we could combine the correct music alongside the foley and diegetic sound effects.

Audio for the Antagonist:

For the antagonist, we wanted him to have his own sound motif. Many iconic villains in films have their own theme that can be easily recognized as it signifies their presence to the audience. For example, there is Darth Vader from "Star Wars", Bruce from "Jaws", or the Prowler from "Into the Spider-verse". Inspired by this, we wanted our antagonist to carry their own dark theme that makes the audience feel tense. We were considering using a music track with a violin because violins are commonly used in horror movies to develop fear and suspense which is perfect for what are trying to portray with our villain. Our plan is for the music to fade into the beginning of the scene near, and have the volume gradually increase over the duration of the scene and climax at the end.  The crescendo would heighten tension and signal the importance of the necklace.

In addition to the music, a sound effect we discussed including is the sound of him breathing heavily or abnormally similar to that of Darth Vader's mechanical breathing. However, we are weighing the pros and cons of that addition as it could add more details or feel heavily copied. For the diegetic sounds, we were planning on adding creaking floorboards as the antagonist is walking. This serves as to unnerve the viewers and increase the immersion for the viewers while suggesting that the house may be old.

Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)

Jaws - Theme song

The Prowler's Theme (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)

Audio for the Protagonists:

For the scenes with the protagonists, we aren't fully sure what music and feeling we want to play. We were thinking of having some subtle and mellow background music, but we believe we need to put some more thought into this. However, for the diegetic sound, we have already thought of multiple that want to use that enhance the realism. Some of these include paper crumpling, muttering of incomplete phrases, and a quiet fan just to name a few. These small details can make the environment feel very authentic and realistic.

 There is a section that involves a door, so were planning on incorporating knocking and door opening sounds effects. These sounds can build up audience engagement and suspense as people wonder who's on the other side. Even though there is very limited dialogue, the tone, pacing, and delivery can still strongly affect the audience's perception of the characters and situation.

Calling Card: Costume Design

 Research

Before finalizing the costume design choices for our characters, we decided to conduct research on the importance of costume design in film because we felt that we didn't know enough. Through this research I learned that costume design was a very important part of mise-en-scene and that it plays an important role in developing characters and in storytelling.

The costume of a character can reveal the personality, status, and even the time period the characters are in to the viewer. They can also establish a character's identity through the color scheme of the costume, for example, antagonists in mystery and thriller movies typically wear darker clothing to symbolize danger and secrecy, while protagonists usually wear brighter colors to symbolize hope and bravery. After realizing this, we approached the costume design of our characters more thoughtfully. Instead of just choosing what we thought looked cool, we focused on how their clothing would help add meaning to the story.

Costume Design for the Antagonist

For the costume design of the antagonist, we wanted him to wear mostly black clothing. The color black represents things like mystery, death, fear, power, and evil which is exactly how we want the audience to view our antagonist. We were planning on having him wear a black hoodie and long black pants like in the images below. We are still deliberating on whether the antagonist will have a mask. If we choose to have one, it will make him feel less human and more intimidating to the audience. If we choose not to have one, we will still not show his face and obscure his face.

Costume Design for the Protagonists

For the costume design of the protagonists, we wanted them to wear basic clothes like suits but that were a bit disheveled. This gives off the effect that the protagonists are very professional but that they are still very much obsessed with the case to the point of working nonstop. With the mise-en-scene of the disheveled clothes and messy room, the viewers will be able to infer that the protagonists have been prioritizing the case over their own wellbeing. An example will be shown below.

Calling Card: Character Development

Development of the Antagonist "Shade"

At first choosing a name for the antagonist was difficult as we wanted to make sure the name was ominous and mysterious. We originally thought of naming the antagonist something like "Phantom" because of the connotations of a ghost and of a phantom thief. However, we rejected this idea because we thought that it was overused in mystery films. Then, I decided to research alternative ghost-like names that were similar such as Poltergeist, Banshee, and Revenant, but ultimately decided to name him Shade.

 We decided on Shade because it symbolically represents darkness, complexity, and anonymity which reinforces the mystery as the identity and motives of the antagonist are unclear throughout the opening. Since the antagonist is mainly going to be mysterious, we aren't going to dive in too deeply with his development. We are mainly going to portray him through the mystery elements, which will make up a majority of his screen time. The main element we are going to focus on will be the props such as his calling cards, as his personality and character will be indirectly developed through the riddles that are going to be inside of the cards. The riddles have the added effect of including the intellectual component of the film. Additionally, his costume design will be decided later as we are unsure if we want the main colors to be either entirely black or a mix of black and purple to be his signature colors.

The antagonist will be shot from various different angles, but we will either shoot him with a mask on or without showing his face. We are choosing to his face for 3 different reasons. First of all, not showing his face will allow us to engage with the audience's imagination as they will try to picture and imagine what he actually looks like and makes him seem more mysterious. Second of all, the mystery aspect of the genre will be emphasized as one of the protagonists' main goals is to find the true identity of the antagonist. Lastly, since all of our actors are teenagers and appear more childish, we decided not to show his face entirely which makes him seem more sinister and intimidating which solves two problems in one. (Example shown below.)

Development of the Protagonists "Matthew" and "Oliver" 

For the names of the protagonists, we were originally going to do simple names like Cade and Dave. But we ultimately decided to put in more effort for at least one of them and decided to include subtle symbolic and religious meanings. We chose the name "Matthew" due to its origins as of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Another reason is because it is a common modern name as we don't want the connection to be blatantly obvious. For the second protagonist's name, we decided to research the most common names and found the name Oliver which is ranked third. To start, we will portray them in the setting of a small and cramped room which is where the entirety of their screen time will take place. We are going to have minimal dialogue between them as to emphasize their obsession and tiredness with the case, which ties back to our original intention of making it clear that they are entirely focused on the case. One of the protagonists will have a lover (undecided if married or not) and have that protagonist leave the room to go and talk with her. We included this element to represent that these are grown adults with an outside life but are still obsessed with their work. This appeals to a specific audience that can relate to this situation.

Additionally, we will have the protagonist's room be very messy and dirty with props like empty ramen cups, empty coffee mugs, and scattered paperwork to further emphasize their obsession and dedication to the case. For costume design we decided to have them in disheveled suits and clothes to make it clear that they stayed up working on this case. In conclusion, the inclusion of all of these mise-en-scene elements have the effect of portraying the protagonists as messy and out-of-tune with the rest of the world as the most important thing on their mind is the case.

Matthew (Disciple of Jesus)

 

Calling Card Lighting Cambridge Project

 Research

Lighting is a very important mise-en-scene element in the world of filming. When it is used properly it can drastically improve the quality of a film. Some effects of using it correctly include establishing the time of a setting, setting up the mood and tone, and enhancing character traits and themes.

One of the main types of lighting that is commonly used in mystery films is low-key lighting because it sets up a dark atmosphere and tone. It is also used to make scenes feel more suspenseful and impactful towards the audience. Another main type of lighting that is used includes practical lighting which is lighting that appears as part of a scene(Ex: Lamps, candles, flashlights, etc.) because it helps ground the film and makes it appear more realistic to the audience and helps immerse them. A technique that is used very often in mystery films are silhouettes which hide the face and create a dark outline of a character (Usually the antagonist) to develop the mystery and make the character appear mysterious and threatening. 

One of the main types of lighting that is commonly used in action films is high-key lighting because it allows the audience to clearly see all of the stunts and choreography of the scene. This helps clarify what is happening so that viewers do not get confused during fights or chase scenes. Another main type of lighting that is used includes natural lighting which is lighting that comes from a natural source (Main ex: Sunlight) and is used to increase immersion by creating a sense of realism and helps ground a film. A technique that is used very often in action films is backlighting(Sometimes called Hero lighting) which is when there is a bright light behind the hero and creates a glowing outline to make the characters appear powerful and iconic.

High and Low Key Lighting

Practical Lighting

                                                          Natural Lighting

Silhouette

                                                                 Backlighting (Hero Lighting)

 

Lighting that is going to be used

For our film opening we have decided to incorporate lowkey lighting for the introduction of our antagonist and combine it with a half silhouette to properly set up the fact that he is the antagonist and make him seem like a threat. We have also decided to use a mix of high key lighting and natural lighting for the rest of the opening so that we can make it clear who the protagonists are and what they are doing. Below are the ideas of how we are going to use them.

We are going to have the antagonist seem similar to this except have a mask instead of blackening out his face so it not an entire silhouette but is highly based off of it. 

  We are going to have the light shine through the windows like in the image onto the couch where one of the protagonists is gonna be laying so that the lighting seems natural and increase the realism within the opening.

Calling Card: Storyboard and Script

Storyboard and Script

This blog post will be about the drafts of the storyboard and dialogue for my film opening. Storyboards help provide the visual for the film, no matter how bad you are at drawing. They are incredibly useful in the planning stage of making a film opening as a way to organize your thoughts, and are also useful in the actual production of your film as it can help remind you of what shots you originally thought were good. This way they can serve as an anchor for what shots you should use if you don't know where to go from. Scripts are the written text and dialogue of a scene in a film. There are versions of them where they also include descriptions of the setting, stage directions, character actions, as well as any shots and compostion. They are used to build up and structure the dialogue and other things in the film and are extremely crucial to the makings of a film. For the scripting and screenplay part of my film I need to research more as my current ideas were very limited so in the future I will have a better script than my current one.

Below I have my storyboard and script which are both still works in progress,

Storyboard:

(I will fix the format of the photos)

Script:

Calling Card: Plot and Inspiration

Summary:

Once we finalized our genre and our main plot premise, we then decided to have the plot be centered around the conflict of man vs. man, specifically between the detectives and our antagonist, whose name is still in development. As was previously stated in previous blog posts, our plot idea revolves around an antagonist who steals important relics and artifacts from museums, etc.

We are going to portray the antagonist as a dark and mysterious individual with their identity being the main mystery of the plot. We will not show the identity of the antagonist in the opening to preserve the mystery. A very important plot detail will be the use of "calling cards". The cards will be left behind by the antagonist after each heist. These calling cards will contain riddles that act as clues, which will be given to the protagonists to advance in their case and predict where the antagonist will strike next.

In contrast, the protagonists are going to be portrayed in an extremely messy, environment to emphasize their obsession, dedication, and commitment to solving the case. It also helps the film opening feel more realistic. The protagonists will be able to use the riddles that are left behind to piece together the movements and intentions of the antagonist, by using their intellect and their teamwork. Character development will be done differently on each side, as the antagonist will be developed through only his actions without the use of dialogue, while the protagonists will be developed through the use of dialogue, as well as their relationship with each other.

Inspiration:

Several different films inspired the making of my film opening. One of them would be Sherlock Holmes (2009), which is one of the most iconic and well-known detective movies of all time that had a unique take on films in the mystery genre. The way it showed the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson by highlighting the chemistry between them that is supported by their use of humor and light-hearted dialogue, inspired me to focus more on the relationships between of each of the characters instead of just the plot.

Another main source of inspiration would be National Treasure (2004) which inspired the more treasure hunt component of my film opening. After I realized that my original idea followed the overused trope of murder or kidnapping cases, National Treasure inspired me to change the mystery format and follow a more treasure hunt and adventurous plot. However, I didn't want for my idea to become too similar to that of National treasure and me realize that I needed to add my own unique twist to the film.

This led me to my final inspiration that came not from a movie but from two characters from different franchises, one being Joker from Persona 5 and The Riddler from DC Comics. Joker's use of calling cards in Persona 5 inspired me to include a similar component within my own film opening. However, I felt that there was a lack of  mystery or intellectual content to be included by doing just this, so I combined the idea with The Riddler's use of cryptic riddles. By combing these two ideas, I made it so that the antagonist's calling cards contained confusing riddles that challenge the protagonist and encourages audience engagement as the audiences tries to solve the riddles themselves.

 In summary, all of these films helped inspire my film opening that combines mystery, action, and hopefully audience engagement, while still being an original concept.

Joker from Persona 5                                                         Ridder from Fox's Gotham