Main Task - Pre-Production - Storyboard

Main Task - Pre-Production - Target Audience Research

PRE-PRODUCTION - Main Task - Initial Ideas

Our task is the construct a independent thriller 5 minute film including opening and end credits. As well as this we should produce either an A3 Film Poster, a magazine review of the film or a Radio trailer. Though we are still working on our own in this task, I have decide to with my friend Marc to work along side him to produce two films based on the same plot. We thought this would be a good idea as we have worked together on previous films over the past 2 years with good success. Especially with last years main task which we worked on together.


Our idea is too produce a film which focuses on a poker game between 4 people and the dealer. The aim of the game is to clear they're debt they have with the dealer. The winner walks away alive. We will be filming two separate films, from two rival players perceptive, each of them blame the other for their debt to the dealer. Marc is filming from the confident player who eventually loses perceptive, and I am filming from the relaxed winners.


We will come up with a character background for our own characters and be responsible for everything to do with them. But we will also come up with ideas for the other two players, and then agree on their background together. I liked the idea of filming a poker game in a thriller from watching a YouTube Video by the YouTube celebrity Freddie Wong, who is known for special effects and great editing skills. The video was of a card game, although short successful built up tension through clever editing and sound. I will go onto to research this fully further into the production planning.


The ending will be slightly different from each character, we will need to get across our own characters personalities to the audience, but also the plot of both of them. There will be some complex parts to this production. As we plan on doing some mirror shots, from each players view so I'll have to film say, my character drinking some water, and then Marc characters reaction to this. As well as other things. We will also have to come up with hands for each of the players. And show how the game plans out to who wins at the end. As well as show our own characters opinions of the other players in the game.

POST-PRODUCTION - Preliminary Evaluation

How effective is the combination of your main product and your film poster?

I feel my film and my poster do link reasonably well, the poster features my main character of my film. The themes are also similar, my film shows my main character Darren acting out of character and like another person, and my poster shows an attempt to hide is identity/who he really is or be someone else. my poster also uses one of the lines of dialogue from my film as a tag line. There are also however various things I could have added to my poster, such as links to the narrative and plot and maybe some more information concerning the character pictured.

I could also link to the setting. I did not as I couldn't use any still from my film, as none were really suitable for a poster and generally the whole idea that I had in mind. Despite this I am quite happy with my poster especially since I made it in a quite a short period of time.

What have you learned during the course of this project and what targets for improvement do you need to set for the main task?

I have learnt that converting the idea and what I visually saw in my head to an actually product is very difficult for me to do. I have learnt that more planning is needed to be successful in filming and shooting. I did think my filming went reasonably well, though it did take slightly longer than expected, causing it to get dark at the end of the film.

I thought my reseacrh was done quite well, I just may have needed to do more of it. This would have helped me later on. Although I am not too happy with my final film, as quite a few things didn't work out some shots didn't work, there are a few parts which I am pleased with.

I need to improve the amount of research I can do, and do some specific research which will help me in certain parts of my production, such as shots to use and character movement. I need to tidy up my editing, though my editing is pretty good when I have all the shots I want and I know what I'm doing.

POST-PRODUCTION - Preliminary Video

POST-PRODUCTION - Preliminary Poster

Here is the poster I produced. I used an innocent and normal picture of my actor who played Darren, and placed a censorship bar over his eyes, to as if hide his identity. Playing on the term individuality, and trying to be someone else. Showing who you really are. I put it in black out white as the photo I was using looked better this way, also this is quite common in posters. I added the date and some short production credits or "billing block". I was trying to twist the innocence and normality in the picture.


I added some grungy background and lay over effects to make it more rustic almost like an old police station mug shot. I also think as well as looking good it adds some age to the poster. I include a line from the script, "Just One Reason" as I thought it would be a strong quote to use as the tag line for this production.