Demi Michael 2217

PRE PRODUCTION

Title : Media Product: Opening Sequence Running Time: Two Minutes

BEGINNNG- Monique (A foreign student) comes to London from France as her Father was relocated by his company. Monique is a very compelling attractive girl yet she is unaware of this truth. She meets Chris and Rob, two prominent and mischievous students who change her life dramatically. MIDDLE- The two guys set out to win her heart, their friendship at stake as they compete with each other and would go to extreme lengths to get her attention. Yet to their frustration she is completely oblivious to their interest due to her shy and innocent nature. END- Moniques friend Jacqueline also moves over to London from France and begins to attend Raven High School with Monique, Chris and Rob. Rob ends up falling for Jacqueline, while Chris takes things to a new level with Monique, settling their friendship once and for all. TARGET AUDIENCE- Our target audience covers a wide age range, ranging from 12-25. This is due to the characters age range, and the cleverly combined Rom-com/foreign hybrid, this may appeal to a mass audience as they can identify with the characters and engage with the sequence, It may also appeal to a male audience as they may want to identify themselves with the protagonist Monique as she is a attractive character, and a female audience as they may want to identify with Monique and conform to her characteristics and popularity, this is an example of U&G theory. The use of binary oppositions such as Boy VS Girl may appeal to a mass audience, as both genders will be able to identify with the sequence and gratify the stereotypical viewpoints of gender representations, the hybrid of comedy and romance may also appeal to a mass audience as different conventions may appeal to a wider audience as they can engage and be entertained, this is also an example of U&G theory. This sequence is classed as a 12A as it contains images of romance that may not be suitable for a younger audience as those images will be injected into their minds Hypodermic needle theory/ Copy Cat culture.

CHARACTERS Monique is a 17 year old Foreign student from France who comes over to London to study English Literature and Art at Ravens High School. She is beautiful, classy, elegant, sophisticated and Ladylike. Her innocent, polite and nave character is revealed through her friendship or so she thinks with Chris and Rob. She is oblivious to their interest and is focused on studying with no intentions of being centre of attention. However her good looks and sweet demeanor seems to have the opposite effect on her popularity.

Chris is a 17 year old, good looking boy who lives in London and already attends Ravens High School. Chris conforms to the stereotype of a popular boy, he is inherently cocky, egotistical, arrogant and quite delusional as he sees himself above everyone else, he contrasts to Rob in the sense that he gains status through bringing others down and singing his own praise.
Rob is also a 17 year old boy, who attends Ravens High School, he is a good looking, confident boy, he is the stereotypical heart throb of Ravens High whereas Chris tries to be the Heart throb. Rob is laid back, and more relaxed in situations which makes him conform to the stereotypical cool guy that every girl falls for.

Ma Vie a Londres KEY SCENE SCENE 1- The scene opens with photographic images of landmarks in central London and France to set the scene and perhaps plot to an extent. The scene cuts to a close up of a car door opening but we only see what we assume is Moniques shoes stepping out of the car. The scene then cuts to a over the shoulder shot of Moniques mum talking to her in French whilst handing over a dictionary, there are also subtitles to translate French to English for the audience to understand. This further sets her ethnicity as the audience identifies her heritage. Throughout this Moniques face is not revealed which sets a sense of enigma and creates tension. The camera then cuts to a panning shot slowly from Moniques shoes upwards. This objectifies her as a sex icon, which may appeal to a male audience as they may want to identify with her U&G theory. The camera then cuts to a establishing shot from behind Monique of the students staring at her in awe. This creates further tension as the audience is kept engaged to find out the reason as to why they are staring. The camera then cuts to arc shot/high angle creating a disoriented aura to the frame. At the same time it reveals her uncanny beauty effectively

reaching the climax point from the built up tension. This conforms to her feelings of vulnerability in a new school much larger than the private school she had attended in France.

SCENE 2- The camera cuts to a close up/ low angle of the school bell ringing, the camera then cuts to a long shot/ establishing shot of students in registration. The camera cuts to a long shot/mid shot of Teacher talking to the students from an angle with the door in sight. This enables Monique to enter the frame into the middle section of the rule of thirds with a reverse shallow depth of field. The camera cuts to a two shot of the teacher introducing Monique. The camera then cuts to a POV panning shot of Monique scanning the class nervously as she walks to her seat. Behind her a close-up/mid-shot of Chris and Rob sniggering about her which is the start of the competition sealed with a high five which dissolves into the next scene.

KEY SCENES SCENE 3- The scene opens with a mid shot of Monique getting her books out of her locker, the camera then cuts to a long shot of Chris and Rob watching Monique, then the camera cuts to a mid shot of Rob telling Chris that he is going to approach Monique. Chris *open mouthed* is not impressed that he is being left out and as soon as the camera cuts to a long shot/ mid shot from behind of Rob walking away, the camera then cuts to a close up of Chris shaking his head and hastily following Rob. The camera tracks Rob walking up to Monique and the camera cuts to a two shot of Rob casually posing against Monique's locker then it cuts to an over the shoulder shot of Rob attempting to impress and talk to her. The camera then cuts to an over the shoulder shot (rob) of Chris slamming his body against the lockers looking smug. The camera cuts to a close of Rob glaring angrily at Chris in an attempt to make him leave which is mirrored by Chris in a close up of his face. There is a mid shot of Monique innocently smiling and looking at each boy. The camera cuts back and forth quickly between Rob and Chris as they keep throwing cutting comments at each other ( rhythmical editing) the camera then cuts to a Midshot of Monique starting to back away, then quickly cuts to a long shot/establishing shot of her walking away. The camera then cuts to a two-shot of the boys realizing Moniques departure and so the camera cuts to a POV shot of the boys and a low angle pan shot up her body sexually objectifying her. There is then a close up of the two boys faces in which they realize that she's gone, they stop bickering immediately and the scene fades out with them getting up and chasing after her. Throughout this scene there will be a shallow depth of field of students walking down the corridor while the main focus is Rob, Monique and Chris; this connotes the significance of these three characters. SCENE 4- The scene opens with a tracking shot of Monique approaching the stairs. The camera then cuts to Chris and Rob leaning up against a wall, they are shown with a long shot

allowing the audience to fully establish their attitude and persona. The camera stays with them allowing younger students to walk in front of them (unnoticed). However when Monique enters the frame the camera pans slightly to show her importance to the sequence. It follows her to the bottom of the stairs. The camera then cuts back to Chris and Rob (rhythmical editing building up to chase). It cuts back to the same long shot of the pair as they realise who has just walked past them. They proceed to chase. The camera then cuts to a mid shot showing the stairs and corridor and pans slightly as they ascend up the first two steps. The camera then cuts to a low angle looking up the stairs at floor level watching the boys frantically run up the stairs. As they reach halfway up the stairs the camera cuts to a high angle finishing their ascent. The camera then pans, following them round the top of the stairs and through the double doors where they catch up with Monique. Camera cuts to a shallow depth of field, over the shoulder shot of the boys approaching Monique from behind. They begin to have a conversation and through the duration of this the camera alternates between midshot and POV shots, until the conversation is abruptly cut short by Monique. The camera instantly cuts to a long shot of Monique walking off into the distance. As Monique approaches door in the corridor the camera cuts to a long shot from the opposite direction of another male student opening the door for her (new character). The long shot allows both Chris and Rob to be still in the frame. A reverse shallow depth of field is then created making the boys the focus of the shot (Monique and friend blurred). The scene then fades to a blackout showing boys standing in shock.

Scene 1 FADE IN EXT-ROAD/SUSSEX WAY ACTION: Monique In car speaking to her mother MONIQUES MOTHER: Dont forget your dictionary, Au Revoir MONIQUE: Merci Madre, Au Revoir! Scene 2 INT-CLASSROOM/SOUTHGATE SCHOOL ACTION: Teacher Introducing Monique to the class TEACHER: Class, We have a new Student today please make her feel welcome and no messing about! Especially you two boys

ACTION: Teacher looks at Chris and

Scene 3 INT- LOCKER ROOMS ACTION: Rob and Chris approach Monique who is retrieving her books from her locker ROB: Hello Mademoiselle CHRIS: Hola Senorita ROB: Dude thats not even French CHRIS: Shut up you moron! Coming from the one who got a U in French ROB: Ignore him, so its Monique right? MONIQUE: (nods) Yes CHRIS: Rob your flies are undone! ROB: Dude quit getting in my way. CHRIS: You look like such a mug mate

DATE
20th February 2012

ACTIVITY

LOCATION

PERSONNEL REQUIRED

Roles

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

CONTINGENCY PLAN

Filmed scene 1

Outside- main gate and outside school office

Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam, -Connor Robinson -Ms Mignano & extras ( i.e. school students) -Joanna Taylor -Tom Bradbury Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam

Crew (Roxanna Demi Sam Stephanie) film and ensure all equipment is available

Camera Tripod Story board Scripts Microphone Props- costume, car, encyclopaedia

Film a different scene Produce a soundtrack

20th February 2012

Edited Scene 1

Editing Suite E21

Demi Roxanna Stephanie all to be editing scene 1 and Sam working on soundtrack
AS ABOVE

iMovie, final cut, and Garage Band

Produce soundtrack Film a different scene

Produce soundtrack Edit scene 1 Produce soundtrack Film a different scene

22nd February 2012 24th February 2012

Edited Scene 1

Editing Suite E21

Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam -Tom Bradbury -Joanna Taylor -Connor Robinson

iMovie, final cut, and Garage Band Camera Tripod Storyboard Scripts Microphone Lighting Props Back pack

Filmed Scene 2

E51 - Classroom

Crew (Roxanna Demi Sam Stephanie) film and ensure all equipment is available on set of location.

DATE
24th February 2012

ACTIVITY Edited Scene 2

LOCATION Editing Suite E21

PERSONNEL REQUIRED Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam

ROLES All crew to be working on editing. Stephanie on titles, Sam on soundtrack ( to be alternating)

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED iMovie final cut and Garage Band

CONTINGENCY PLAN Edit scene 1 Produce soundtrack Film a different scene

25th February 2012

Filmed Scene 3

Locker Rooms

Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam -Tom Bradbury -Joanna Taylor -Connor Robinson

Crew (Roxanna Demi Sam Stephanie) film scene 3and ensure all equipment is available

27th February 2012

Filmed Scene 4

Yellow Stairs

Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam - Tom Bradbury - Joanna Taylor - Connor Robinson

Crew (Roxanna Demi Sam Stephanie) film and ensure all equipment is available

27th February 2012

Edited Scene 2

Editing Suite E21

Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam

All crew to be working on editing. Alternating titles, footage etc.

Camera Tripod Storyboard Scripts Microphone Lighting Props Back pack Camera Tripod Storyboard Scripts Microphone Lighting Props Back Pack iMovie final cut and Garage Band

Edit Scene 1 or 2 Produce soundtrack Film a different scene

Edit Scene 1,2 or 3 Produce soundtrack

Edit Scene 1,3 or 4 Produce soundtrack

DATE
29th February 2012

ACTIVITY Edited Scene 3

LOCATION Editing Suite E21

2nd March 2012

Edited Scene 3

Editing Suite E21

4th March 2012

7th March 2012

Edited Scene 4

Editing Suite E21

Produce Soundtrack

Editing Suite E21

PERSONNEL REQUIRED Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam Crew Roxanna, Demi, Stephanie, Sam

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED iMovie final cut and Garage Band iMovie final cut and Garage Band

CONTINGENCY PLAN Edit Scene 1,2 or 4 Produce soundtrack Edit Scene or 4 Produce soundtrack

iMovie final cut and Garage Band

iMovie final cut and Garage Band

Edit Scene 1,2 or 3 Produce soundtrack

Edit Scene 4

Scene 1 Monique gets out of her mothers car and walks into the school. Location: we are planning to use the main gate, which is the main entrance into the school, and the small area which leads from the main gate to the school office. If this location is unavailable, we will have to use the schools other gate, the east wing gate, and the outside area there as an alternative. Actors: we are planning to use the student Joanna Taylor, for Monique, and the teacher Ms. Mignano as her mother. If Joanna is unavailable we will have to reschedule filming, as she is the protagonist and needs to be in the sequence. If Ms. Mignano is unavailable we could either reschedule filming, or use another teacher, as she is only in this scene and gets little screen time. In this scene we are also planning to use several other students as extras who will just be standing around and socialising with one another. If any of these students are unavailable, it does not matter because they are only extras and we do not need to see their faces. Props: we are planning to use Joannas car for Moniques mothers car. If this car is unavailable, we can use Ms Mignanos car, or the car of another teacher, as this car will only be in this scene.

Scene 2 Monique is introduced to the class by her teacher, Chris and Rob shown. Location: we are planning to use the E51 classroom. If this classroom is unavailable we will use E50, as it has a similar layout to E51. Actors: we are planning to use Joanna for Monique, students Connor Robinson and Tom Bradbury for Chris and Rob. If these students are unavailable we will have to reschedule filming, as they are protagonists and need to be in this scene. In this scene we are also planning to use several other students as extras who will be sitting at the desks to make up the class. If some of these students are unavailable, it does not matter as they are not protagonists, so we can use other students instead. Props: we are not planning to use any props in particular for this scene, as none are necessary. There will be general classroom items in E51 such as board pens etc, and our actors may choose to use these, however if they are unavailable it will not matter.

Scene 3 Monique encounters Chris and Rob by her locker. Location: we are planning to use the locker room for this scene. If this room is unavailable, there is another locker room we can use. Although its layout is not as suitable as the original locker room, it is still the room we should use because we need lockers for this scene. Actors: we are planning to use Joanna, Connor and Tom for Monique, Chris and Rob. If these people are unavailable we will need to reschedule filming, as these actors play protagonists and therefore need to be in this scene. In this scene we are also planning to use several other students as extras who will be walking by, socialising with each other, taking items out of their lockers etc. If any of these students are unavailable it doesnt matter because they are only extras, and other students can be used as alternatives. Props: we are planning to use a selection of books which Monique will take out of her locker while Chris and Rob talk to her. Which books we use is not important, as it is likely that we will visit the library on the day and pick out a few textbooks. Unavailability of certain books does not affect us as we dont need specific books Scene 4 Chris and Rob talk to Monique before she walks off and encounters another guy. Location: we are planning to use the staircase at the front of the west wing, and the corridor at the top of this staircase that leads to the bridge. If this location is unavailable we can use the staircase at the other end of the west wing, as its structure is more or less the same, apart from the direction of the corridor, however this difference is not important. There are several other staircases in the school which we could also use, should our original location be unavailable. Actors: we are planning to use Joanna, Connor and Tom for Monique, Chris and Rob. If these people are unavailable we will need to reschedule filming as these actors have played these characters throughout the sequence and therefore need to play them in this scene as well. We are also planning to use another classmate for the student that Monique encounters at the end of the scene. As this is the first and only time this character is shown, it doesnt matter who the actor is. We are planning to use another male student of the same age as Chris and Rob for this character. In this scene we are also planning to use several other students as extras who will be passing by, socialising, going to their lessons, etc. Their unavailability does not matter as they are only extras and can be replaced with other students. Props: we are not planning to use any props in this scene, as props are not important in this scene. We may use bags for some of the students, to make the school setting more obvious and realistic.

Cameras will not be filming at the same time. We shall use camera 1 for some camera shots(midshot). Camera 2 for another(establishing), and camera 3 for another(POVshot)

Cameras will be used at the same time filming different angles. Camera 1 will be by the teacher, camera 2 will be by the students, and camera 3 will be by the door to see Monique walking in.

1st Location Description of the Location: Our first location will be at the main entrance of the school. We will use the area outside the school gate and the area inside the school, which is immediately through the school gate. This location also includes some parking space on the road where the car in our sequence will be located. Purpose: This location will create the school environment that is appropriate for our opening sequence. List three points that make this location suitable for the purpose: It will set the time of day as the girl in our opening sequence will be getting dropped off and walking into school so the viewer will understand that it is the morning. It will set the scene of the school as it will show the gates and the children that attend the school will be in the background. This location is available to us at any time and does not need to be booked like a classroom would need to be for example. List two points that might make this location unsuitable for your purpose: There will be a lot of children coming into the school, which may interrupt our filming. The car in our sequence may get in the way of other cars driving past/trying to get into the school. If you use this location what will you have to be aware of at all times? We will need to be aware of the teachers and students that will be coming into the school and other cars that need the parking space that we will be using. Will you use this location? Yes

2nd Location Description of the Location: Our second location will be in a school classroom. We shall be using E51 in order to establish a classroom environment and be able to introduce our main characters and build up on creating their personas and characteristics of which they will play within our sequence. The classroom has multiple individual desks and chairs all facing towards the whiteboard where the teacher will be located. And the door where our main female character will come in will also be at the front of the classroom and be in front of all the students. Purpose: This location will create the classroom environment and will set an appropriate school like presence. List three points that make this location suitable for the purpose: This location will help to introduce the foreign student; it will allow the audience to see her as an outsider and newcomer, having an uncertain and hesitant expression to starting

the school. This location is convenient and will be available throughout the day

This location allows us to set a classroom environment; also having other students within the classroom shows the verisimilitude of daily and school life.
List two points that might make this location unsuitable for your purpose: The classroom may be too small to film in and may not allow us to include camera shots/angles There may also be a lesson taking place when we need to film this will cause clashes therefore would need to relocate classrooms. If you use this location what will you have to be aware of at all times? We will need to be aware of the equipment that we use and that it is not causing any risks of danger to any students or teachers. Will you use this location? Yes

3rd Location Description of the Location: Our third location will be the locker room. It is situated in the school piazza, which is in the middle of all four wings of the building. It is connected to the east wing of the school. It is a room with lockers on all four walls and nothing else in the room. Purpose: This location will create the school environment that is appropriate for our opening sequence.

List three points that make this location suitable for the purpose: It will display the typical things that students do, such as getting books out of their lockers. It will make the school environment more realistic as it will include props e.g. books It gives us an extra location to film in as opposed to a classroom. List two points that might make this location unsuitable for your purpose: This room is in use at specific times in the day and is locked for the rest of the day so may not be appropriate. Current students use the lockers so we will need to use someone elses locker, which could be seen as a invasion of their privacy. If you use this location what will you have to be aware of at all times? We will need to know when the caretaker is available to open the room for us to film and if a student will give us permission to use their locker.
Will you use this location? Yes

4th Location Description of the Location: Our fourth location will be the corridor in the west wing, the staircase next to it and a small area of the corridor that leads to the school bridge. This location is situated at the front of the west wing of the school. Purpose: This location will create the school environment that is appropriate for our opening sequence and show another area of the school that has not been shown before. List three points that make this location suitable for the purpose: It gives us a different area of the school in which to film, and this will appeal to the viewer. It is a larger location so gives us an opportunity to shoot from different angles. It is a location that isnt used in lesson time, which gives us lots of opportunities to film.

List two points that might make this location unsuitable for your purpose:

In between lessons this location is in use by most students and teachers in the school.
As it is a fairly large location in comparison to the other locations we used the viewer might get confused unless we show most parts of the location in the shots. If you use this location what will you have to be aware of at all times? We need to be aware of the times that teachers and students will be using the staircase and corridors in this location.

Will you use this location? Yes

Members present: Demi, Roxanna, Sam, Stephanie Date: 16/01/12 Agenda: Begin primary research in order to discover the audiences preferences. Create evaluation of the questionnaire. Minutes of meeting: Discussed the overall results and conclusions drawn from questionnaires. Targets: Individually construct a data analysis of the questionnaire and evaluate data Members present: Demi, Roxanna, Sam, Stephanie Date: 20/01/21 Agenda: Pre production- Treatment, script, production schedule, storyboard Minutes of meeting: Completed treatment, script and production schedule. Scene 4 was not completed in either treatment, storyboard or script fully. Targets: Discuss and complete scene 4 location, props, characters, camera angle, script. Complete set designs, letters of permission, contingency plan

Members present: Demi, Roxanna, Sam, Stephanie Date: 18/01/12 Agenda: Begin secondary research; top 10 directors, genre grid, textual analysis Minutes of meeting: Discussed similar directors that show consistency through films of our chosen Members present: Demi, Roxanna, Sam, Stephanie genre. Date: 22/01/12 Typed up and completed secondary research in order to Agenda: Pre production- Set design, letters of start pre production next lesson permission, contingency plan, booking forms Minutes of meeting: Get letters of permission signed, Targets: Watch a film by chosen director and genre and check if a backup plan for contingency plan is complete a genre grid available, and create booking forms. Targets: Take photos for set design which will also be included in set design

Members present: Demi, Roxanna, Sam, Stephanie Date: 27/01/12 Agenda: Recess, risk assessment Minutes of meeting: Check photos are suitable and show possible risks that could be discussed for risk assessment. Targets: Finalise pre production. Check over any missing work and everything is up to date

Members present: Demi, Roxanna, Sam, Stephanie. Date: 29/01/12 Agenda: Continue any work that is missing/incompletes, Group Evaluation, Soundtrack, Preliminary Task Minutes of meeting: Share work that has been completed within the group ensuring everything is in order. Complete preliminary task and ensure suitable camera work is involved Targets: Complete finishing touches to written work, slideshows and add titles and soundtrack to preliminary task.

Dear parent/guardian The media A-Level students are filming for a sequence of which will include your son/daughter. There may be camera shots or specific angles that will feature your child. Therefore it would be appreciated if the below slip could be completed in order to grant permission for their presence within the sequence. It would be greatly appreciated, as it will benefit the overall production and final piece of the work.

Dear Mr Davis In order for our media production to create the scene of a school/classroom location we will need to use the E51. This classroom would be convenient and ideal to use for our filming therefore we would like to ask you for permission in order to film here

Many thanks, Roxanna Resali-Ahadi, Demi Michael, Stephanie Zantiras, Sam Taylor SIGNED:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mrs Bressenot,

12/3/2012
NAME:. FORM:.. DATE:... SIGNED:

9L2

Andrew Charles

24/3/2012 The media A-Level students are filming for a sequence for which we would like you to record a voiceover for us. It would be very helpful if you could do so and it would also be much appreciated by the ALevel students. Many thanks, Roxanna Resali-Ahadi, Demi Michael, Stephanie Zantiras, Sam Taylor
SIGNED:................................................................................................ DATE:..................................................................................................

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Pie Chat 1 allows us to identify that the majority of our audience is females. This allows us to incorporate and engage conventions preferred by the female gender. Romantic comedies are generally and stereotypically of preference to a female audience. Therefore if we explore the conventions of a rom-com within our sequence we shall hopefully have a targeted and consistent audience. Many rom-coms follow the American ideology of the American dream. Concluding to a happy ending and halting any enigmas which have been presented throughout the narrative. The American dream can be seen as the Cultivation theory as it has been established and developed over a long period of time. Therefore if we included this into our sequence we will be able to build upon the American ideology and already have a guaranteed successful narrative.

Pie chart 2 establishes the age group of which we should aim to target and engage most. It is evident that the teen age group was most common and therefore gives us an age bracket to aim and account for. A predominant teenage audience allows us to incorporate this within our sequence as we can specify actors and narratives of which are preferred by this age group. The proximity between our actors which we shall use will be intertextual with the daily life and dramas a teenager faces. This will ensure the teen audience we aim to attract to our sequence will be successful and the audience will be entertained; Uses and Gratification theory.

Data 3 is a bar chart which asked those undertaking the questionnaire to list their favourite genre of films. Comedy was chosen most popular, and joint preference was action and horror. Therefore it allowed us to establish that audiences generally prefer a sub genre or cross genre emerging within a film. Incorporating 2 different genres allows us to widen our potential audience as it will engage those with different preferences. Having more than one genre within our sequence is important as it does not limit the potential audience. Generic conventions from 2 different genres will ensure that people with specific preferences are both satisfied and will enjoy the film.

Data 4 is of a pie chart listing generic conventions of which people assume or associate a romcom with. This allows us to see which conventions are preferred by an audience with an interest and understanding of a romantic comedy. Friendship and rivalry occurred most frequent; therefore we shall incorporate this and also present this through binary oppositions. Allowing the characters of our sequence to alternate between characteristics of similar nature and also contradictory. This binary opposition is evident within many successful romantic comedies as it also challenges the generalisation of romance films and implements a convention which adds enigma and unfamiliarity to the narrative

Data 5 shows a pie chart establishing an equal division between the influences that the media has on peoples behaviours. Through hypodermic needle theory and events which have happened in the past audiences pick up copycat culture and adapt scenes from films and rehearse them in real life. This could have severe impacts on the media industry as films could be held responsible for peoples actions. We have certificated our film a 12A therefore should limit the youths which would watch this who are easily influenced. This will allow us to incorporate this into our sequence without any risks of harming a younger audience and/or allowing copy cat culture to influence on our piece.

Data 6 also shows an equal distribution of favouritism within romantic comedy films. This allows out media platform to widen and diversifying as a majority of films have been chosen popular. This does not restrict us into incorporating elements into our piece which may not be preferred by the audience. Challenging the narrative or adding controversial elements may help ignite the acceptance and success of our film.

Data 7 allows us to see of which gender is preferred when playing the role of the protagonist. Within the romantic comedy genre male dominancy is stereotypically conveyed to the audience. Males are shown with superiority and also more dominancy over females. It is the role of the women to be in demand emotionally and physically by males and this stereotypic view has been shown through the audience of our questionnaire. We shall therefore be able to identify a narrative which shows the protagonist as a male or multiple males in order to achieve a sequence of which will be in demand by our audience.

Data 8 shows a clear distinction of how the audience wish to see the film end. The protagonist winning is also a convention and stereotypical convention of the romantic comedy genre. We shall also follow this narrative and it can also be seen intertextual with the American ideology of the American dream. This states that anyone with ambition and dream will always find a happy ending. This is portrayed through films as majority of romantic comedies end on the narrative of a happy ending. Stereotypically this is where the protagonists win.

Data 9 shows a pie chart of the audiences preference of actors within a film. It is evident that the audience show loyalty and preference towards actors and their films of which they are in. In many genres there is an established formula of actors and actresses which when used within a film almost certainly guarantee a successful release. Having familiarity with actors and actresses also develops the genre and the media platform of that genre. Cultivation theory can be applied here as the audience build up this preference of actors over time and eventually become more reluctant in seeing films without these actors/actresses in them.

Data 10 shows how regularly the audience goes to the cinema. There is not a regular or high demand for the cinema in those in question. This may be because films of their preference were not released therefore we shall aim to target a larger audience in addition to bring more people to the cinema.

Data 11 shows the importance of the opening sequence of the film. It was evident that the first 10 minutes of a film is very important. This means that in order for a successful film the audience must be instantly engaged with the film (uses and gratification theory). This can be conveyed through camera angle/shots/movement, also through soundtrack and special effects used within the sequence. It is evident that we must instantly engage our audience. We also understand the importance of the opening sequence.

SECONDARY RESEARCH

1. Anne Fletcher Love Actually The Proposal Catch Me If You can 27 Dresses
Luke Greenfield is an American film director. He directed the critically acclaimed television pilot, Aliens in America, and produced the film, Role Models.

Anne Fletcher is an American film director and choreographer. She was born May 1, 1966 and her first successful choreography was The Flinstones were she choreographed a dance. This ability to use the frame to a great ability is what we aspire to achieve through our product.

Yes Man

2. Luke Greenfield The Girl Next Door Something Borrowed The Right Hook

3. Nicholas Stoller Forgetting Sarah Marshall Fun With Dick And Jane Get Him To The Greek

Nicholas Stoller (born 19 March 1976) is an English American screenwriter and director. He is known mainly for directing Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

4. Marc Webb 500 Days of Summer The office

Marc Webb is most famously known for music video, short film, major motion pictures director. His expertise are in music videos and interlinking music within a film. This enables us to use similar opinions and allow us to combine our soundtrack with our sequence to produce a more professional piece

Sharon Maguire is a British film director and producer. She specializes in TV drama series. Her most successful film was Bridget Jones diary which she produced to build a character profile of herself.

5. Sharon Maguire Bridget Jones Diary Incendiary

6. Donald Petrie How To Loose A Guy in 10 Days Miss Congeniality Grumpy Old Men Just My Luck 7. Peter Segal 50 First dates The Longest Yard Get Smart Anger Management

Pertie is a American television producer, actor, director and dancer. His style is giving rom coms a light touch. This allowed us to apply this to our work in order to achieve a realistic setting and a comic and light hearted presence.

Peter Segal (born 1962) is an American film director, who is known in producing, writing, and acting. He has had general success in the comedy film genre. And has the ability to combine all his strengths in media to produce great films e.g. 50 first dates

8. Fred Wolf The House Bunny Strange Wilderness

Fred wolf is an American animator who has produced many successful animations. He has won many awards for quality of animation and we could use this to enhance the comic strip presence within our montage.

Mark Rosman is an American film director, television director and screenwriter. He has worked with Disney and developed a mass audience for producing films distributed with Disney. Converging with successful institutions allows a audience to broaden and we could use this when distributing our product.

9. Mark Rosman A Cinderella Story The Perfect Man Life-size

American pie/ American pie 2 Me Myself & Irene Theres Something About Mary The Heart Break Kid

10. J.B Rodgers

CHARACTERS

Bill Nighy Gregor Fisher Rory Macgregor Colin Firth

Sienna Guillory Liam Neeson Emma Thompson Kris Marshall

Martin Freeman Joanna Page Andrew Lincoln Hugh Grant

Martine McCutcheon Nina Sosayna Frank Moorey Tim Hatwell

PLOT

Love Actually is based upon 8 different characters and 8 different storylines. The film follows each story line and each characters quest to find love. Love works out for some however some do not, some characters are mourning and others battle through affairs.

ACTORS ICONOGRAPHY THEME SETTING COSTUME

Billy Mack Joe Jamie Bennet Mia

Daniel Karen Colin Frissel John

Just Judy Peter Juliet The Prime minister

Natalie The Engineer Vicar Sarah

Christmas lights- represents happiness and love. Also gifts which are exchange which go beyond materialism, and have the ability to light up somebody's life Government (prime minister)- represents love has no boundaries or restrictions and that despite the law imposing government nobody is excluded from finding love Love Family Hospitality Christmas Materialism Happiness Sex Male vs. Female ( binary opposition) Bayswater Department Store Oxford St Christopher's Place

London Downing Street Heathrow Airport Chapel Mayfair London

Each character has a different status and is represented through costumes Prime minister suits; iconic wealth lifestyle, conventional to rom-coms Natalie- sectary; objectifying tight suit to increase sex appeal/attraction

Throughout the opening sequence of Bridget Jones Diary, the main character is established through midshots walking through a snowy road. The weather connoting the coldness of her surroundings however establishes the warmth that she needs. This could be applied physically or emotionally, as she is wearing a thick coat with a scarf which generally connotes warmth and comfort however could also connote the warmth and comfort of which she seeks within another human. This can be applied as the voice over which introduces the character to us explains about her nonexistent love life and the fact she doesnt not have a partner were warmth and comfort can be shared. A voice over within this genre is a generic convention and is stereotypically associated with the romantic comedy genre. The voice over allows the audience to engage and interact with the character within an instant. This can be seen as the hypodermic needle theory and also the uses and gratification theory. The audience is instantly engaged into the emotions of the character and through the use of midshots and voiceover the audience instantly sympathise with the character

TITLE: Bridget Jones: Edge of reason Beeban Kindron

CERTIFICATION:15

DIRECTOR:

A long shot/establishing shot is also used during the opening sequence of the film. This allows the audience to establish the surroundings and gain an understanding of the setting and location of the film. The long shot is also from a low angle this creates an overwhelming presence and makes the house look significantly more dominant then the character. This alongside the voice over also affects the audience and their perception of the character and allows the audience to construct characteristics of what this character may have. The overwhelming presence of the house casting over the character could reflect that the character is a weak character that is unable to control her surroundings and be in control of her emotions. Both this use of camera shots and the voice over allows the audience to see this weakness within the character. The snow which is covering the entire landscape could also connote characteristics of the female within the frame. The snow is seen as a cover or a barrier which disallows the audience to see its natural beauty, this could also be intertextual with the character as she is masking emotionally and physically her true identity.

Point of view shots are also heavily used throughout the opening sequence, this allows the audience to feel submerged into the characters body and mind frame. It allows the audience to see things from her perspective and with the use of voice over allow the emotions and opinions that the character has. Over the shoulder shots introduce many characters who also play an important role within the overall film. Therefore from just the opening sequence the audience can establish that the film will be based upon the emotions and views of the character.

Two shots are also used throughout the romantic comedy genre. It allows the audience to establish the proximity to two characters and can normally gain a general understanding of what impact that character can have just from their introduction and their positioning within the frame. Two shots are used between the protagonist constantly throughout the opening sequence and also the entire film, this enables the audience to see interaction and relationships between characters. This is conventional to the genre as it allows romance to be evidently stated by the audience and they can feel engaged and emerged into the relationship. This is one of the main stereotypical conventions that are associated with romantic comedies as it entices the audience and allows them to be involved and entertained throughout the entire film.

EVALUATION OF RESEARCH After conducting all our primary and secondary research, we constructed an idea for our final product. From our textual analyses and genre grids, we inferred that by using a hybrid of romantic comedy to produce our opening sequence, we will attract a mass audience, as the conventions will appeal to a wider audience. Thus, they can identify with the different elements of both genres U&G theory. We conducted a questionnaire in order to gain an understanding of the opinions of our target audience (12A certification). We analysed the information and produced graphs to display the candidates opinions. After observing the questionnaire results, we have understood what we need to include in our coursework in order to make it appeal to our target audience and therefore be successful. We will use the criteria from BBFC to include relevant elements with our sequence. This will include controlled violence, humour of a light hearted sexual nature. This will ensure our product is highly successful and engages appropriately with a romantic comedy audience. Also as part of our research, we looked at a selection of directors that have directed romantic comedy film. We can use this information to get ideas and inspiration for our own work, as the films by these directors have been very successful, and therefore we should try and make our opening sequence similar to these films. For example Mark Webb and his expertise in music production to reach a mass audience and we aim to implement similar aspects to gain and reach out to a mass and potentially wider audience EVALUATION OF PRE PRODUCTION Our treatment enabled us to identify our narrative, target audience, characters, locations and plot. More specifically, we established our key scenes, which then guided us towards developing our opening sequence further. This development enabled our filming to be more structured and organised, as we are now able to allocate time slots to filming different scenes in certain locations and with certain actors. We then produced a script that determined the dialogue and more prominent actions that will be included in our opening sequence.

This will also contribute to improving the structure of our filming. The script also acted as guide for our actors, as they can get an idea of how the characters in our opening sequence should be presented. The next part of our pre production process was creating a storyboard. This enabled us to visualise each of the prominent shots that will make up our key scenes. We then analysed our storyboards to show the different camera shots and angles we will use and why they are appropriate. We decided on the specific shots mentioned in the storyboard because they present our characters in the best way possible and will enable to audience to get a good idea of what the characters are like. We created a production schedule so we can structure our time well and to make sure we know where we need to be and when. This also allowed us to ensure that we know how much time we have to do specific tasks and we will therefore have enough time to do everything, including filming and editing. We constructed a contingency plan to make sure that if anything was to go wrong during our filming process, we would have a back up plan. This is helpful to us because we know that we will never have a time where we are unable to film or edit, as we will always have alternatives. The next part of our pre production was to make a set design. This enabled us to analyse the locations that we would like to use for our key scenes, and to allow us to visualise firstly what our scenes will look like and secondly where we will set up our equipment, e.g. cameras, microphones. Our recess forms have a similar purpose to our set design; they give us an idea of how the locations look. They also gave us an opportunity to test out how the locations will look from different angles. We created a risk assessment to make ourselves aware of the hazards that may be in our locations and what we can do to keep them under control and therefore avoid any accidents or injuries. The booking form has been made so we can organise our time and get the equipment we need when we need it. This will make sure that we can film when we plan to, as we will be able to get the cameras and microphones we need on the appropriate days. We created the meeting and minutes so we could look back on the time we have taken to produce our planning and pre production work. This has increased our awareness of how long it took us to complete certain tasks. The letters of permission act as proof that we have asked people if they would like to help us with our opening sequence. This helps us because there wont be any problems with people in our opening sequence that dont want to be in it, because they have given their consent