Ident

I created my Ident in Adobe After Effects. I wanted a very simplistic title sequence that carried a lot of suspense through sound design. I wanted to add the element of water which would link to my company name "Tidal". I had a small title text in the Bauhaus font which is San Sariff creating a very simplistic and clean look carrying a lot of impact. I created a vignette around the dark blue background and then key-framed the mask path so the vignette gradually increases and decreases in said however this is very discreet when reviewing on an apple Mac. I used the CC drizzle effect on my text and reduced the drip frequency to time a single drop in the corner of my text. I then added a drip sound effect on top of the water however felt there wasn't enough ambience. I found some water noise to add ambience and depth to the intro. I also added a slowed down helicopter blade sound which made for quite an uncomfortable feel to the ident. I keyframes the opacity of the text so it faded in slowly and never fully reached 100% opacity giving some more depth and mystery. I didn't want the ident to be too poignant so that it complimented my film opening and didn't set a scene i wished my film to do by its self. I aimed for a minimalistic intro so it looked professional rather than including a tonne of effects which would distract from the film opening and reduce the production value in my opinion.

Rough cut one- test grade and storyline

This was a very rough cut in order for me to see how the story flowed together and was also an opportunity to test out colour grading and making the scene seem as mysterious and gloomy as possible despite shooting in daylight. I didn't add any music or foliage as I wanted to also see how the sound of the water and surrounding traffic would sound. I feel the location worked very well to set the scene and music would definitely help  mask some ambient sound. From this edit I was able to identify weak points to the story where there are gaps in which need to be filmed. I think returning to the location to shoot some more B-Roll would be a huge benefit for this video as a whole as I found from this rough cut the betrayal does not carry out as much impact and shock as I wanted and this point of the scene almost runs too quickly lacking suspense build up which although can be reinforced through music and sound design could be introduced more strongly through the cinematic of the video. I feel I focused too heavily on the camera movements and sound and should have paid more attention to detail on how the story is going to be presented.

On the other hand I feel the colour grade works very well in masking the daylight of the scene and creating the gloomy atmosphere I desired for the scene I de saturated the image which relates to previous crime films I had studied and helped add a more gritty and raw feel to the image. I also reduced exposure to bring down the overall light in the video creating some menacing shadows which I reinforced through decreasing the blacks. I increased the highlights of the footage bringing out the white which give a more glamorous feel to the video and gang life. I added the faded film also in order to give a more hazy mysterious effect and also retain some shadow details.

Next steps: return to location to shoot some B-Roll to increase suspense and help to compliment some of the ambient sound present in the sequence. Finish shoot on the moors with driving and help to pad out ending to the opening.

For the blood hit (gunshot) I used After Effects in order to create a more realistic feel to the shot. I used the Rotoscope tool to mask around the subject frame by frame then duplicated the layer so only the talent was on the top layer meaning I could put blood behind him which would make the shot more realistic as it gave almost an exit wound. I then thought about exposure as when the gun would fire the muzzle flash would light up the subject so I created a mask one frame long of the talents face then increased exposure to give the illusion the gun has been shot. Combined by a gun sound which I will add too as I go further into post production I feel gave a more realistic feel to the shot creating something relatively realistic and almost shocking.

Once all my footage has been saved I will then be able to string the whole story together to hopefully come to the final piece within the next couple weeks.  I might even look into dubbing over the original dialogue to make the scene more prominent however before doing this I will look into some similar tension scenes to see what famous directors do, The Godfather for example Coppola uses ambient sound volume to create suspense when Michael is about to shoot the policeman and other gang member in the final sequence.

Production - shoot one

First day of production for Fidelity is complete. It involved many successes yet a few issues which could be fatal to the production value.

Unfortunately timing the shoot was a bit of an issue. I had chosen to shoot from 4:00pm onwards however felt this was an appropriate time to shoot and would give me the mysterious dusk lighting I had aimed for. Unfortunately we ended up shooting in broad daylight which although produced a very nice and clean image didn't provide the look I had aimed for. I had experimented in Premiere with colour grading post the shoot and found it was going to be quite easy in order to achieve the mysterious look to the video. Sound had quickly become an issue when reviewing footage at home as there was a river near by we were unaware of during the scout of the location however I think if we establish where the noise is coming from whilst establishing the scene it will oppose less of an issue and also helps to add ambience to the scene. I think during post we will have to add an additional stream sound on top of most of the shots to reinforce the ambience which will help with continuity and fluidity of the piece.

Cinematography of the piece felt quite strong however I feel I will need to possibly return another time and shoot some more B-roll. Following the script and story board was quite tricky as some lines when in practise felt unnatural or either were too complex and dragging the scene out. In addition as explained in my location scout the location differed from what I had originally planned so I even managed to make use of the nearby fire exit in order to look down for the final shot to emphasise vulnerability.

I decided to try multiple shots for each shot i wanted to include which would give me more variety and customisation when editing.  We were also stuck for time towards the end of the shoot running into some serious car problems meaning we had to end sooner than expected meaning the end for me on review seemed almost a bit rushed.

Next steps are to complete the shoot in the second location and begin editing.

Location Scouting for Fidelity- Location Confirmed

So location for Fidelity was a very aspirational aspect of the opening and was going to be the make or break for the mood of the film and would have set the mood really well. For my story board I had based it around a certain location I had spotted and have blogged about and also pitched my idea behind however I felt this would be a tricky place to get a hold of as it could be considered a health and safety risk for the owners due to the state of the building so I had my doubts from the start. I then had decided to find a few other similar setting locations in my local area as backup and found these places (though more practical to use) would not be as desolate or provide the secluded mood and feel to the scene or give off the same tension. They were also not as photogenic. One night I decided to hike down to the factory I had originally planned to shoot at and to my astonishment the homeowner was more than happy for us to shoot on the premises which meant Fidelity became one step closer to the finished article. In this video I walk down to the location and hope to show you it as well as assess the place myself. Shooting is scheduled to happen in the next few days and I would like to say I'm as prepared as I can be to move onto production of this project as things fall into place however as I explain I am aware of the chaos that can occur through shooting and pre shooting so am moving on with this project with a cautious head on and being prepared to improvise which I have been aware over the years I have been film making really makes or breaks the film and impact it gives off.

Fidelity Storyboard

Locaiton and Cast

LOCATIONS

For my opening sequence I will shoot in two locations for each sequence. The first sequence is very short however will be filmed on the country roads of Ilkley Moor. I feel these will be very good to use as they are twisting and masking and will be able to hide and reveal the car as it passes through and will also how enhance the cars personality and luxurious and peaceful feel. This location will be easy to access as we will just use public roads and shoot with a tripod at the side of the road. this location will also contrast to the following location of the confrontation.

My second location would be Murphys Machinery in Menston, this is an abandoned factory with a gravel car park down the side which would be perfect to present the confrontation sequence. The location is secluded and will provide great narrative enigma during the sequence leaving the audience perplexed as to how the story has taken them here and  what is to follow. It also shifts the mood instantly as the scene will be shot at night so it will instantly flip from what would be a peaceful drive through the country to a cut throat stand off which leads to casualty.

CAST

To make my opening realistic I want to have a cast made up of adults as this will present the opening as more realistic and therefore impactful.

For the role of Jason I have decided to cast my dad as he is a business man himself and is able to act relatively well and has experience being an extra in TV shows such as Eastenders.

For the role of Reggie I wanted to cast a smaller character who will seem vulnerable yet possesses a fiery personality so I have casted one of my dads friends as I feel they will work well together to produce a compelling performance.

For Arthur I wanted to cast someone slightly younger who will appear less experienced than the elder two characters which would therefore reinforce the fact he is of lower ranks as from inspirational films I have seen the more powerful protagonists to be of an older age using the younger characters under their command to carry out the more violent and physical work for this I aim to cast a younger man mid 30s who is slightly skinnier and could appear very intimidating.

The final characters I will need to cast will be the further 2 "henchmen" who I want to be younger still so it appears they have less power further despite each one being equipped with a gun so for this I aim to cast people who are around 25 years old. These characters will mostly be covered by shadow so appearance will not be as important. I will aim to cast 2 people of similar physical structure so therefore it will seem more clean and organised in the crime world and almost uniform and systematic almost like bodyguards. 

Fidelity-Treatment

Overview

As an execution plan goes wrong leaving a large British gang exposed the hunt is on to find the traitor and eliminate the threat. Lines will have the be crossed and shadow filled figures are forced into the light. This truly is a test of loyalty and Fidelity.

Synopsis

In a desolate factory below ordinary life lurks a darkness hidden in the shadows, a world renowned leader of British crime as we could not understand arrives in order to claim his next victim and reinforce his dominance. An opposing leader is tied up at the scene surrounded by muscle prepared for execution. A figure steps out of the mist and shadows with a gun held at his waist prepared to carry out the execution, there is a tense build up as the darkness consumes the scene. The figure raises the gun the the hostages head and is prepared to pull the trigger when suddenly he turns and shoots all the guards of the gang leader leaving him exposed. He then delivers a speech towards his previous master before putting a bullet neatly through his head escaping with the other gang leader in his car. Driving away the title sequence begins.

Its Peaky Blinders meets Goodfellas and is sure to capture the attention of all types of crime film fans.

Following a genre which is growing in success Fidelity combines the classical elements of a crime thriller holding a very strong success records with the modern elements of crime thrillers such as glamorous car chases and action sequences, this diverse nature to Fidelity is sure to replicate the success levels of classics such as "Goodfellas" and "American Gangster" with a modern twist which would only add to its success and potential profit margins as a hug crime hit is long overdue, this hit will be Fidelity.

The film develops into two stories; the battle between the law enforcement and gang crime in general and the battle within crime in Britain. It follows some of the most powerful people in underground Britain as they team up to find the traitor within. Blood-shed and high action will be sure to leave the viewers on edge throughout as well as this there will be phsycological elements keeping the viewer hooked as the story unwraps and the chase progresses.

Influencing my idea is such great classics such as The Godfather and The Road to Perdition as I will incorporate stunning sweeping camera movement to display the lavish and luxury lifestyle involved in crime making a beautiful and transfixing piece sure to keep the viewer transfixed throughout. This accompanied by its truly magnificent classic gangster story is sure to produce a compelling final product which will leave people talking for months to come.


Marketing the piece will be executed mainly online as the target audience is of a younger market  so the best way to approach this is through social media ads especially concentrated on YouTube as it is sure to entice an audience who is already interested in watching content. This film will be the successor to the recently released Live By Night with a modern twist.