as film storyboard

Thursday, 12 May 2011

Evaluation of My Storyboard

I created my storyboard based on the idea of fairy tales, with use of the little girl visiting Grandma (Little Red Riding Hood), the stranger at the door (Snow white) and the box (Pandora's box). The idea around this was to take something childlike and innocent and add the theme of fear and intrusion to turn it into something darker. An admired director who has already done this, is Tim Burton and he does it very well and makes his work beyond fantasy and really exaggerates characters. However, my take on it was more realistic and the reason I did this was because my purpose was to evoke fear for the viewer on behalf of this little girl.

Sticking to the codes and conventions of a genre is very important for the maker and viewer, as the conventions are the primary source of meaning. The genre I used was thriller, which goes from having a light to dark atmosphere in order to build tension and fear throughout a film.

The first convention being the use of a child, similarly used in thrillers such as Polson's 'Hide and Seek' and also Amenabar's 'The Others.' This adds an innocence and naivety to the film, as did the use of a female victim, which is another convention. Secondly, the idea of using a darker lighting after the incident, is almost a foreshadowing of the events to follow. I wanted the end shots to have a darker feeling so that the viewer knows something bad is happening.

The reason behind the use of many close-ups and medium shots was to really a get a sense of intrusion and privacy invasion. I wanted everything close up and personal so that the viewer could feel the limited space, throughout the shots.

The use of props was important and for me worked quite well as the box was a strange object that would usually be used in a fantasy and definitely would have people thinking, 'What's in the box?' ' Why does the Grandma need this?' and the opening scene really leaves room for reasoning of the box. However, the use of the knife was to add a sense of violence and bring it back to reality, that the girl is in danger.

I didn't want alot of non dietetic sound, just to keep it real and not heightened by dramatic sound in every scene, however at focal points such as shots 9,22,23,24, where sound would be used to heighten the dramatic atmosphere. Most of the sound is conversation and TV and the sounds of doors and shuffling, to keep the realism.

Overall, I am pleased with the final product of the opening sequence. I think it portrays my ideas quite well, as well as allowing room for interpretation. Although I stuck with codes and conventions of the genre, most films would start with a establishing shot or long shot. However, I think my use of close ups and medium shots for meaning, breaks the barrier for films as well as making it personal to the little girl and tells a gripping story, shot by shot.

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Shot 1 - Knock Knock, Grandma

Shot 1. This is the first shot, where we are introduced to the protagonist, Rosalie. We are introduced to her appearance as we hear the diegetic sound of two knocks on the door twice - which is relevant to the film title. The shot is well lit to symbolise happiness and youth.

Shot 2 - Opening door to Rosalie

Shot 2. This interior shot shows Rosalie's Grandma opening the door to her. The opening of the door has significance throughout the film, which is why we are shown this from the inside.

Shot 3 - Locking the door

Shot 3. This shot shows Rosalie's Grandma locking the door. During this shot there is a conversation between them, whereby she is warning Rosalie to not open the doors and she will be home shortly.

Shot 4 - Chillin'

Shot 4. A shot showing Rosalie relaxed, while her Grandma has popped out - this adds realism to the film.

Shot 5 - Knock Knock

Shot 5. A medium shot showing somebody knocking at the door.

Shot 6 - Grandma's home already?

Shot 6. We are shown a close up of the expression on Rosalie's face after she hears a knock at the door.

Shot 7 - through the window

Shot 7. We are shown the person at the door. Rosalie recognises her as the lady who lives across the road. There is a diegetic sound of the blinds moving.

Shot 8 - Through the letterbox

Shot 8. This shot symbolises the door as a barrier, as Rosalie remembers her Grandma's instructions, as to not open the door to anybody. The close up shows us just how thin the barrier is between Rosalie and the neighbour outside.

Shot 9 - The mistake of opening the door

Shot 9. The close up of Rosalie opening the door is an epic moment as non-diegetic sound helps build up tension. As soon as the we hear the lock of the door click, the sound stops.

Shot 10 - 'Hello'

Shot 10. We are formally introduced to the neighbour from the back, using an over-the-shoulder-shot. This adds an element of mystery, however, as the non-diegetic sound from the previous shot stops, it allows the viewer to feel like this situation is normal.

Shot 11 - The box

Shot 11. We are first introduced to the box in this close up shot. The reason for the close up is so you can see the hand reaction of the main character. The box is such a strange thing to be returning, Rosalie questions it, but the neighbour says its urgent that her Grandma receives it.