IDENT PRACTICE

Using the Motion software, I have successfully created an ident which I would consider a suitable draft as my real ident will be relatively similar to it. Having only used this software one time briefly in the past, I was aware of my limitations therefore did not attempt to do anything where it would appear amateur or unprofessional, therefore I stuck to certain aspects of the software where I did not create images, but used effects on images which I uploaded to the software.

The first step of creating this was by choosing the right font. I did this by researching on http://www.dafont.com in order to find fonts which I felt demonstrated a low budget production company which I have called LENGMAN PRODUCTION.

After doing some work with this font, I realised that these images would not work due to their white background. I then took to Photoshop, another software where I had no experience in. Luckily for me, the cropping tool is relatively simple, so I cropped the letters out of their black background

I realised that I could spend more time cropping the letters perfectly out of their black background, however I felt that due to the tone of this low budget production company, the dodgy crop looked better  than the letters would if they were full, especially after the effects I put on them on Motion, so I left them this way.

After exploring the uses on motion, I decided I would only use filters to make my ident as opposed to using motions. Unfortunately right now I cannot upload the actual ident onto my blog for some reason. The final product looked like this.

The new york skyline background suits the letters used due to the cartoonish style. I added more effects on the skyline such as glow effects in order to further build on this, however I am now aware I will get more credit for an original picture therefore it will have to be changed. Changing the size of the background proved an effective and professional appearance, as did the way the words move away from each other. I attempted to make the transition between effects as smooth as possible by adding more effects in between the obvious drastic changes. I will use these techniques when doing my real ident, which will be based around this one I have done. I will also upload it as soon as I can.

FILM TITLE

The title of the film is arguably one of the most important factors which intrigue people into viewing the movie. A film with a poor title is less likely to be watched even if the actual film itself itself is great. Therefore it is vital that a suitable title is used.

After doing some research, I have concurred that I show preference to films with one word titles. This is effective as it generally gives an indication towards the plot line which raises questions as the audience wonders what the relevance is. It is also less likely to sound unprofessional and put people off viewing the film, like films such as Welcome To the Punch, which personally put me off the film, as did Edge of Tomorrow which I did not view in the cinema due to the title and later watched at home and enjoyed.

Using 'The' is effective in the title as well if the film is character specific, so I can consider doing this depending on how involved with one character the trailer comes across, however I am more likely to use one word which can be used to define the main character in my movie or another related aspect to it, such as Hillside or Hightrees - names and parks of estates where I will be shooting.

Sound Test

To prepare myself for filming my production, I joined groups with the other group in my media class in order to practice using the sound equipment. This was useful as I have not used this equipment since filming a production almost a year ago.

When filming my actual production, it is vital that I am successful in capturing the sound effectively in high quality, as many of my scenes involve dialogue, therefore matching the audio with the picture successfully is essential. This practice allowed me to practice using the equipment, and allowed me to practice editing it together on final cut.

The practice allowed for me to practice with two different mikes - a directional mic and a stereo mic. The directional mic allowed for me to capture high quality sound without too much background noise in the first part of the video ^ which was done effectively seeing there were large amounts of ambient sound, however I preferred using the stereo mic as it captured sound at a broader range without having to get too close to the speaker, as I did with the directional mic as it appears in the video, and seeing as most of my shooting will be done out doors, I believe the stereo mic will be easier to use and more effective.

IDENT research

The style of ident I hope to adopt will be similar to these examples. By using a font that will capture the viewers attention and then using effects on the letters in order to make it appear like a professional ident, I should reach some success although my experience using motion and photoshop is limited. The font I will use will come from Dafont.com and the software I am likely to use will be Photoshop and Motion. I believe simplicity will be effective during the creation of my ident as I feel efforts to attempt to use the complex features of these softwares will result in an unprofessional result due to my lack of experience.

Further research into idents has brought me to the conclusion that simplicity is the most effective way of achieving a professional ident, as many low budget production companies use simple idents however it does not appear as unprofessional as it would if an effort was made to incorporate more complexities.

I enjoy the use of the spider in Black Widow productions as the image suits the title and is a relatively striking image due to the use of red on black. Obviously a low budget production company, however an element of professionalism remains due to the obvious thought that was put into collaboration of word and image. Revolver films is most effective at using simplicity, the enlarged letter R references R rated movies as the same font is used, setting the tone of the production company of that of an exclusive company. I would hope to do something similar with my own ident, incorporating an image or font which references something else where people would be aware of thus attaining their attention.

If unable to achieve a professional seeming ident, I can always use a basic font over a blank background, fading in with effects like Lights Out Production does.

Sound Plans

In order to be successful in attaining the attention of my target market, appropriate music which depicts the trailer in a professional manner will have to be used. As this music needs to be original, I have spent time searching for a musician my age who creates music in a similar genre to what I intend to use in my trailer - such as an instrumental for a hip hop / old school grime song to successfully demonstrate a typical South London setting.
Inspiration for the soundtrack comes from artists such as Sir Spyro, Jaylib, Madlib and Goomar









The trailer itself will be fast paced, therefore it seems appropriate that the music which accompanies it will also go at a fast pace, however the instruments used in grime instrumentals I am aware may sound crude to those who do not listen to that genre of music therefore in order to appeal to more audiences, I will use melodic instruments used in hip hop beats, but at a faster pace, similar to that of a grime track.

A musician has also been secured for the role, listening to the music he has made already suggests the tracks he will produce will be suited to the genre of movie.




^^^^ This movie demonstrates exactly what I hope to achieve in my production. The whole opening sequence effectively builds suspense whilst also separating the trailer into different sections allowing for developments in the story, giving us an indication of what will be in the movie. I will use a similar technique in terms of using the dramatic sounds to build suspense, but to a lesser scale as the shots used in my trailer will be less exciting. Introducing the song midway through the trailer is also what I intend to do in my own which will build the excitement during the montage of shots, I also hope to parallel the editing to the music so the music will match the shots that are used such as at (1:00)

GRAPHICS INSPIRATION

This trailer demonstrates an effective use of graphics in which I would like mimic in my own trailer, as my trailer is for a low budget indie film, it is important that I show awards in the early parts of my trailer such as even the opening shot

Doing this will retain my viewers attention and capture the attention of those who have genuine interest in film and tend to watch a film due to its good reviews. It would be assumed that the production has a low budget therefore the distribution value will be low, so will partake in multiple film festivals for the purpose of being distributed around the world at the expense of the distributer. Showing that multiple awards were won demonstrates its success.

This trailer also demonstrates a style in which I would like to adopt in terms of graphics, as the credits and titles are selected purposefully for when there is a change in dynamics in the trailer. This style would be effective in my production as it would make it clear as to when the story is developing, separating the structure into sections.

More specific title sequences like these can be used to separate my trailer into sections allowing for greater development and suspense. By using phrases such as "from Oscar Winning Director" will also allow for a sense of professionalism which is vital for the success of the product.

I dont intend on using narrative graphics as I feel as though this would make the production appear less authentic and stylised and more of an attempted hollywood blockbuster. The images used in my production will not be epic enough to go with narrative graphics and will generally not suit that type of trailer.

I enjoy the way titles and graphics are used in this trailer in order to divide it into sections. Although I plan on shown gym ident at the beginning of the trailer, I would like to do something similar in my own trailer such as at 0:34 - 'A Martin Scorsese Picture' is used to sell the product as well as used to divide the structure of the trailer into sections allowing for developments in the story line. Narrative graphics are also used to do this at 1:07, 1:16 and 1:32 - however I would not like to use narrative graphics - I would instead introduce actors names or awards received from film festivals such as at 2:07.

Structure Influences

These trailers all resemble similar structures and ideas in which I intend to mimic in my own trailer for the purpose of appearing professional. These are from real films therefore their selection of shots is huge as they can chose from any point in the movie. This is then demonstrated by showing clips from the movie cross cut with a conversation to make sense of the clips that are shown. In order to give the impression of a real movie I will have to take large number of shots that appear to be relevant to the storyline, then cross cut with conversations which give an indication towards the story.

The structure of these trailers are all done the same, begins slow with slow paced ambient music - gradually building tension giving an indication of the storyline, then music begins along with a faster paced montage giving further indications towards the storyline by showing shots of people getting attacked / killed ect. I will use this exact style in my own trailer as well as similar sounds used when shots come onto the screen for the dramatic effect which is especially achieved in the Deadpool trailer.

The Deadpool trailer is especially effective due to the way the music and sounds parallel the shots on the screen. This adds an element of satisfaction to merely viewing the trailer. If it is possible that I can do something similar to this I will, seeing as it adds a professional effect thus making it seem like less of a student production.