Changes

As it is normal to be open-minded to last minute changes, we had to adapt to the production process and this is what we have done:

Characters – “Hailey”, the protagonist’s lover, wasn’t available for filming anymore and so, Mara, who is part of our production crew, and also friends with the main character’s actress was most suited to play this role. This wasn’t a problem, it was actually really good to have someone who already knew what is going on and how we wanted it to look like. Also, we decided that the mother’s voice was not that relevant and we stick only with the sound of the opening door; the narration of the protagonist is descriptive enough for the situation.

We modified the script; the narration of the main character was written again, this time more profound and closely linked to the shots, in order for the audience to understand the story.

Lastly, we found a much more appealing way to combine the shots and in the end it turned out to show our vision of the film opening better than the moodboard we created in the beginning. Their order was slightly changed and some were cut and inserted in between others.

It wasn’t a surprise that our production suffered these kind of changes, but we were able to managed it well and we are proud of our accomplishment.

Budget

In order to start producing, we finished the budget spreadsheet:

Locations

The first flashback location is Cetatuie, a popular place in Cluj, where you can see the whole city. The sunsets are visible there and it would give a sense of romance to the story. We will film a shot in which they are holding hands while looking at the sunset. No one else will be in the shot so it will highlight the intimacy.

The second flashback shot will be filmed in one of the parks in Cluj, The Central Park. They will be seen in a hammock hugging each other. The sun will be shining and they will be glowing. This is one of their happy times so the weather is important in order to inspire that.

The last shot flashback is with them under a blanket, looking at each other. The characters are again happy, because all the flashbacks need to show them having a real relationship. This scene is put the last in order to show how close they are and how pure is their love. Here is an example taken from “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”:

The shot in which they are shown fighting will be special because it will be filmed under neon lights. We will use different colours to emphasise different emotions. The background will be dark and not visible and we will film it in a friend’s room, because she has lights attached to her bed’s ceiling. Example:

 

 

 

 

The last shots (the scenes of Leyla in bed sobbing) will be filmed in the protagonist’s actual room, because we want it to be personal and it also fits our vision.

Script 2.0

We have made little changes in our script. We added a few details for the flasbacks

 

9 Frame Analysis

I chose to analyze “Room”, a 2015 production which i have seen recently. The film opening jumps directly into the story. It is misterious, displaying different cuts. They show the environment in blurry shots, then it gradually presents a general view of the room and the characters. The writing in the beginning is small and classic, connoting seriousnes. This gives a hint about the narrative. Also, the opening sequence is narrated by the child. I found this intro relevant for our production, because we also want to start with different cuts (flashbacks), jumping right into the story, which also describes a serious problem we face in the society nowadays.

The colours are dark tones of brown and grey to convey the seriousness of the story. The only light-coloured part is the frame in which they present the only source of light – the window. This means that the outside world, is much more free and delightful than their actual lifestyle.

Here is my 9 frame project: 

Props

These props are important objects that help create the narrative in our film opening.

1. Neon lights: red ,pink, blue – we will use them in the fighting scene to illustrate the sadness, anger, love
2. Alcohol bottle – we will use it in the bedroom scene to show the sadness of the protagonist and how she drowns her sorrows in alcohol
3. Make-up: mascara – used in the bedroom scene; it will be under her eyes to show that she has been crying
4. Bed – very important prop in the bedroom scene because it shows her weakness – she need to sit and think about the whole situation
5. White blanket – used in one of the flashback scenes to show the close relationship between the characters and one of their happy moments

Characters

ANASTASIA BORBIL

She will be Haley, the main character’s love interest.

FLASHBACK: jeans, various t-shirts, nose ring

 

 

GEORGIANA BOB

She is going to be our main character: Leyla

FLASHBACKS: black jeans/skirt, various t-shirts, light make-up

BEDROOM: pj pants, baggy t-shirt, mascara running

 

Script

Me and Mara created the script for the film opening combining ideas from the moodboard with what we have seen in teenage drama kind of movies and of course, our own imagination. we had lots of ideas, but we had to meet halfway. This is the script: Screenplay . In the end, we might have very little changes, but that is the way our intro is going to go 🙂 .

Storyboard

I created the storyboard for the the film opening. We decided that our production is going to be called “Lone Star”. Here it is – a resume of what it’s going to look like, obviously more colorful 🙂 :

Moodboard

As we are orientated to do a film opening in the style of a teenage drama, we have created a moodboard from which we can get inspired. The full moodboard can be found by accessing this link http://www.gomoodboard.com/boards/si1ai18v/share

Here is a little preview: