Skills Development Task: Film

Wednesday 29th April
LO: To plan and develop media language techniques for filming

Planning:

• Modern Crime/Police Drama, conventions includes urban setting, low key lighting, costumes include expensive clothing, props could include weapons. Diegetic sounds focused on more detail. Music depends on the mood of the scene, tense/calm.
• Low key lighting throughout the whole scene, considering it is indoors.
• Mise en Scene - Main character wearing formal clothing, bar tender in casual clothes along with people in the bar in casual clothing (jeans, t-shirt, trainers). Props include tables, chairs, bar glasses also no make up.
• Sound - No music, all non diegetic sounds. The main dialogue and ambient sounds includes chatter from the rest of the bar. 
• Characters - The main character is an undercover police officer investigating drug offences and the bartender is a friend of the criminals.

Option 1

The setting of the scene is a run down bar in a built up urban area on a main road. The bar itself is dodgy, rough and dimly lit except for the bar itself which has lights behind it. As you enter the bar, the bar itself is on the right and the seating area is to the left and in front past the bar. The bar is old fashioned as well.

Shot 1:

The opening shot is an establishing aerial shot of the bar for around 2 seconds, and then jump cuts to the next shot. The shot is in daytime therefore outside of the bar is well lit. There is also traffic outside of the bar but no pedestrians. There is diegetic ambient sounds of the traffic, typical urban sounds.

Shot 2:

The next shot is medium range shot with a low camera angle of the door of the bar. The door is dark brown. We then see the police officer, who is a white male and in his 30s, walk up the door and open the door. The shot is well lit due to being on a main street during the daytime. The police officer is wearing formal clothing. As soon as the door opens it jump cuts to the next shot. Again there is diegetic ambient sounds of traffic and typical urban sounds. 

Shot 3:

The camera is now situated at the back of the bar facing the door, giving a high angle establishing shot of the bar. The seats are on the right of the shot, all occupied by the public drinking. The bar itself is on the left with the bartender cleaning glasses. The whole setting is dimly lit apart from the bar itself along with diegetic chatter in the background. We see the door open in the background and the police officer walk through. As the door closes we hear the door slam and it jump cuts to the next shot.

Shot 4:

It cuts to a close up shot at eyeline level of a white middle aged man sat at a table. We see people blurred in the background, and the ambient sounds continue over to this shot. The man starts off by looking to the right, and then looks over the camera at the door of the bar. The shot is again dimly lit due to being in the bar, the man is also wearing a t shirt

Shot 5: 

The camera is now directly next to the bar, facing the door. There is a long range eye level shot of the police officer slowly walking up the bar, with the shot lasting around 3 seconds. The shot is dimly lit, the diegetic ambient sounds again continue over to this shot. As the police officer reaches the bar, he slams his hand down onto the table and with this slam the shot jump cuts to the next shot. 

Shot 6: 

The camera is then situated behind to the left of the police officer's shoulder, with a medium close up shot at and eye level angle of the bartender. The shot has better lighting due compared to other shot due to lamps behind the bar, allowing us to clearly see the bartender's face. The bartender himself is a strong looking, unfriendly white man in his 40s, who has a scar on his left cheek indicating he has been involved in violence. The bartender looks the police officer in the eyes whilst cleaning glasses. 

Shot 7:

There is then a shot reverse shot so the camera is situated at a close of the police officer at a slightly low angle. There is ambient chatters in the background, with the police officer looking the bartender in the eye. The face of the police officer is also well lit. The police officer then says in an aggressive tone: "Can I speak to Tony". As he says this, the ambient chatter stops, and there is a focus pull to the public in the background having drinks, who turn their heads to look at the bartender. 

Shot 8:
There is then another reverse shot, back into the medium close up shot at eye level of the bartender over the left of the police officers shoulder. There is then a non diegetic heart beat as the ambient sound, the bartender's face is well lit and he puts down the glasses he was cleaning. He leans forwards towards the man and again in an aggressive tone says: "Tony is is not available right now".

Shot 9:
The final shot involves the camera being at a low angle medium close up shot of the police officers hand, to the right. The ambient heartbeat sounds increases in pace and we see the police officer's hand tense into a fist. The shot lasts for about 2 seconds after the police officer tenses his hand into a fist.