Directors filming journal
Friday 5th March 2010
We filmed the first scene outside of the college for this we only needed one of the cast. This was basic shots of her leaving the college we stuck to the original shot list and plan. We had trouble setting the tripod to different positions and angles which wasted a lot of time between each shots also filming at a time where it was clear from the general public outside the college gates. I helped the camera man in filming various shots at both locations and directed the cast during filming to benefit the shots taken. When we looked at the footage of the opening scene in the editing suite i was not happy with the continuity of the shots and also there was too
much head space. The acting was not meeting our expectations also when considering the scenes had to create fear, suspense and action to create a credible and realistic thriller as the director I made the decision to re-shoot the scene.
Monday 15th March 2010
After various cast let downs and problems with scheduling we found a new cast who would be flexible enough to meet our filming demands. This was the first time filming with our new cast, we originally planned to film in the morning but due to the area being busy we filmed in the afternoon. We kept in mind the mistakes we made when filming the first time around and try to rectify this when re-filming. Lighting was a problem as it was quite bright but we new that this could altered in the editing process. When we looked back at the footage we saw that a majority of the shots we were pleased with but there still was a few shots preferably in the shot reverse shot scene and the point of you shot that needed to be re-filmed. Also there was trouble in getting a car that was suitable for our thriller and also we had a two minute thriller to construct and the car scene would go over that time period. So as the director i decided to change the ending to the character of Sophie being dragged off down the alley, as opposed to her being bundled into a car.
Thursday 18th March 2010
Although the deadline was looming i knew that the a few shots had to be re filmed in order to get the most possible marks, so today we retook those shots. As the camera man was unable to attend i took over the role of cameraman. I explored some different ideas as I knew this would be the last chance we would get to re film before the deadline so i added a brief phone conversation with the character betty and her boss with close up shots on the phone and also of her. We also re filmed the punch scene because i felt that the shot didn’t have the right impact that it needed to. Upon viewing these new shots in the editing suite i am confident that they will be suitable for editing into our thriller.
Call sheet
This is a picture of the call sheet that we needed to fill in, in order to take the camera equipment out from the technicians. As we are taking the camera off campus to an open location all the relevant fields needed to be filled in for health and safety reasons.
Story Line Changes
Due to unforeseen difficulties we were unable to secure a car that would be suitable for the end of the opening two minute sequence. So as director i changed the ending of the opening sequence. This change means that instead of Sophie being carried into a car that pulls up at the alley entrance, Betty will receive a call from the boss although we cannot her the conversation Betty tells the caller "i've got her" referring to Sophie. Then a low angled shot cuts to Sophie on the floor as she is dragged off screen. I feel that this change will still have the action and suspense as the previous ending.
Taken - Film Influence
Taken is a big box office thriller, the plot had an influence on our thriller because it has action and is interesting to the audience. This film inspired us to use shots that could have dramatic affects on the audience, for instance when Sophie is being dragged out of the shot it creates suspense and keeps the audience wanting more this is important for the title sequence to create a credible thriller.
Software
Our group had to encompass many different types of software in order to help make our blog more presentable and show our planning in a better format. Some of the software was unfamiliar to us so we had to learn how to use them.
The first piece of software we used was ‘bubbl.us’, it was our first time in using the software which created our brainstorm for our thriller. It enables viewers to our blog to navigate through our mind map in an informative and highly presentable way. 
We then used the software called ‘scribd’ to create our script. The format allows viewers of the blog to view the script easier and we were happy with the outcome of the script. We did have some problems initially when uploading it to our blog, but they were shortly resolved with some adjustments. 
Whilst doing our preliminary task we came across the software ‘final cut pro’ which was used for editing our preliminary and we will also be using this software when editing our opening two minute sequence to a thriller. Peter who is the editor used the software which at first he found difficult but after time through practice it became easier and we are now confident about using this software on our opening sequence.
Title sequence
A title sequence is the way in which films or television programs present their title, production and cast members, or both and also sound. It usually follows but should not be confused with the opening credits.
Above is the title sequence to the film Hostage. The first shot shows the name of the film which is then followed by the directors name to show the audience who the film was directed by and also to show that they have the biggest role in the production process. The titles then move on to mentioning the producers in this case “Bruce Willis and Arnold Ripkin”. This would then lead on to mentioning any of the company that helped produce the film in this case it was Miramax films. The research into title sequences has enabled me and my group to gain a better understanding on what title sequences are and how we will be able to incorporate this during the editing process.