The Escape - Film opening

Rough Cut - 2

Rough Cut 1

My feedback on it would be:
Nice logo but it is a little pixalated - can we make it clearer?
Can your institutional logo have sound too?
Could you add in a second institutional logo of another company - it does not have to be as fancy as the first logo but would be more realistic for more than one company to produce the film.
You need a black screen prior to the tied up chair moment to give your audience a second to process the institutional logos prior to the film starting
Nice tilt on the chair up to her face
'Bring me the girl' - the framing is slightly off, and the man looks like a vicar - is this intentional?
Nice feet close up cut to hands and the rope - it works well and shows a passage of time
Try to stop the tilt from being so wobbly moving up to the men
Can you add in a frame of her getting up - it's all a bit sudden that she is in the chair one minute and out the next
The fight sequence could be polished - even her maybe punching the camera to give it from the mans perspective? The knife stab is a bit unrealistic
Maybe add in a blackout after she leaves the room after the fight
The phone ring is really loud - can that come down a bit?
Nice inset frame but the larger image is very dark - I would re-film the scenes with the man giving instructions to make it clearer to the audience
Good non-diegetic sound but let it play through the phone call from Grant too
Nice six months earlier and sound effect
Good match on action in the office
The narrative is clear and you can tell the genre - Well Done!
Add in your titles now but be sure to follow conventions and consider font well.

Filming Diary

Filming Diary

Directors/ Producers

Erin Parkhurst - Saturday 14th March 2015 - 11am - 5pm (All Locations)

Sophie Thomas -  Saturday 14th March 2015 - 11am - 5pm (All Locations)

Holly Putt - Saturday 14th March 2015 - 1pm - 5pm (Sophie's House Locations)


Actors

Scene and actors needed	Time and location
Scene 1 – Laura	Saturday 14th March 2015 - 1pm (for 30 minutes) Sophie’s Garage
Scene 2 – Graham, Joe and Max	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 3pm (for 30 minutes) Sophie’s Study
Scene 3 – Laura, Joe and Max	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 2pm (for 40 minutes) Sophie’s Garage
Scene 4 – Alex, Graham	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 4pm (for 30 minutes) Alex’s part of the scene in Sophie’s home gym.   4.30pm Grahams part of the scene (for 20 minutes) in Sophie’s Study
Scene 5	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 11am (for 20 minutes) Exterior of Sophie’s parents office
Scene 6 – Leona receptionist	Monday 16th March 2015 – 4pm (for 20 minutes) Interior of Sophie’s parents office
Scene 6 – Laura, Alex, Joanne	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 11.30am (for 1 hour) Interior of Sophie’s parents office

Images from the filming

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3












Scene 4










Scene 5

Scene 6











Scene 6






Sophie Thomas

Filming Schedule

Scene and actors needed	Time and location
Scene 1 – Laura	Saturday 14th March 2015 - 1pm (for 30 minutes) Sophie’s Garage
Scene 2 – Graham, Joe and Max	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 3pm (for 30 minutes) Sophie’s Study
Scene 3 – Laura, Joe and Max	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 2pm (for 40 minutes) Sophie’s Garage
Scene 4 – Alex, Graham	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 4pm (for 30 minutes) Alex’s part of the scene in Sophie’s home gym.   4.30pm Grahams part of the scene (for 20 minutes) in Sophie’s Study
Scene 5	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 11am (for 20 minutes) Exterior of Sophie’s parents office
Scene 6 – Leona receptionist	Monday 16th March 2015 – 4pm (for 20 minutes) Interior of Sophie’s parents office
Scene 6 – Laura, Alex, Joanne	Saturday 14th March 2015 – 11.30am (for 1 hour) Interior of Sophie’s parents office

Sophie Thomas

Consent forms for actors

 

 

 

Sophie Thomas

Final Casting Decisions

Agent Thomas

After auditioning three different people including Laura Thomas, Leona Stanley and Jessica Wilding for the part of Agent Thomas we have decided that Laura Thomas will play the role of Agent Thomas. This is because Laura Thomas is in her 20's and therefore is the age of Agent Thomas. She also said her lines in the way we expect the role of Agent Thomas to say them. Her image being blonde and slim also means that she is physically fit to play the role of and MI5 agent and will able to play the fight scenes well. However, from doing these auditions we also thought that Leona Stanley was a good actress and therefore gave her the part of the MI5 receptionist.

Agent Wilson

After auditioning three people for the part of Agent Wilson including Alex Wilson, Joe Gregory and David Tredget we have decided that Alex Wilson would be best for the role of Agent Wilson. This is because Alex Wilson said the lines in a serious way in which the role Agent Wilson would say his lines as he's job is a serious one (MI5 agent). Alex Wilson also suits the image of Agent Wilson as he can look like a good character or a bad character which is good because in the film he is good but is under cover with bad people. Whereas David Tredget looked very happy all the time and struggled to say his lines in a serious manner and therefore it would be difficult for him to act this part. Joe Gregory did say his lines seriously but his image did not look like what we thought Agent Wilson would look like and therefore we gave him the role as one of the henchmen in the film.

Grant

After auditioning two people for the role of Grant including Graham Thomas and Chris Thompson we decided hat Graham Thomas would be best for the role. This is because Chris Thompson was slightly too young for the role of Grant and also as he has an accent it was more difficult for him to put on a serious voice in which it was still clear to understand every word he said and Grant is supposed to sound like he is from East London. Graham Thomas said his lines and sounded serious and is also the right build for Grant (muscly and tall) and therefore he is the final casting decision for Grant.

MI5 officer

After auditioning Joanne Thomas and Liz Gould for the part of the MI5 officer, we decided that Joanne Thomas would play the part of the MI5 officer, this is because Joanne Thomas says her lines very clearly so that we can understand everything she says.. She also says her lines in a serious way when talking about the mission in the audition and therefore will be good for the part of the MI5 officer. Joanne Thomas is also the right age for the role of the MI5 officer being in her mid 40's.

 

 

 

Sophie Thomas

 

 

 

Shot List

	Shot	Length of shot	Location	Equipment
1	High Angle - Establishing Shot: of Laura tied up in dark room struggling	4 seconds	Interior - Garage	Tripod, Camera
2	Low Angle - Mid Shot: Looking at Laura's wrists, tilt up to Laura's face	5 seconds	Interior  - Garage	Camera
3	Long Shot  - Grant talking to henchmen	3 seconds	Interior - Conservatory	Tripod, Camera
4	Close up - side view of mens feet walking	3 seconds	Interior - Corridor	Camera
5	Low Angle - Mid Shot: Tilted up, Laura droppes rope from wrists, pans left	8 seconds	Interior - Garage	Camera
5	Low Angle - Mid shot: Tilted up, looking at henchmens feet, tilts up to faces		Interior - Garage	Camera
6	Long shot - Laura speaks to henchmen, after breaking free fights henchmen	10 seconds	Interior - Garage	Tripod, Camera
7	Mid shot - Laura snaps neck of henchman	4 seconds	Interior - Garage	Tripod, Camera
8	Long shot - Laura leaving the place she was trapped in	3 seconds	Interior - Garage	Tripod, Camera
9	Mid shot - Alex face behind boxing bag with phone on table	4 seconds	Interior - Conservatory	Tripod, Camera
10	High Angle - Close up: over phone on table	3 seconds	Interior - Conservatory	Tripod, Camera
11	Mid shot - split screen: Alex and grant on phone	10 seconds	Interior - Conservatory and Study	Tripod, Camera
12	Close up - Alex's face after phone call	2 seconds	Interior - Conservatory	Tripod, Camera
13	Long shot - Gates opening	5 seconds	Exterior - Office Gates	Tripod, Camera
14	Long shot - Reception area	2 seconds	Interior - Office	Tripod, Camera
15	Mid shot - Laura being tracked in Mission Assignment room	8 seconds	Interior - Office	Dolly , Tripod and Camera
15	Mid/Long shot - Laura sits at table, see three people at table (camera at other end of table)		Interior - Office	Dolly , Tripod and Camera
16	Mid Shot - Three people at table	12 seconds	Interior - Office	Camera

Final Location Decisions

After scouting for different locations for each scene we have made some final decisions on what ones would be best for our film opening.

The first scene in our film opening, starts with a woman tied up in a dark dirty room, for this part we chose to use Sophie's garage as has the correct lighting that means it is dark enough to create the correct tense, dramatic atmosphere whilst also having enough light for it to be picked up clearly by the camera. This location is used throughout our film opening as it is the main location where the bulk of the storyline is set to occur such as the fight scene and the struggle with and the cutting of the rope. We also chose to use this location for the small part in which we see the henchmen's feet walking past. We chose this location as it was only needed for a small part in the film and the wall we were are planning to film it against in this location is perfect for the shot and it is plain and simple which means that the henchmen's feet will stand out.

The next location we chose was Sophie's spare room for the scene in which we see grant talking to his henchmen and later on the phone to Agent Wilson. We chose this room as it has dark curtains which means it would make the room dark enough so that when we added light we could create a silhouette, which is what we need for these particular scenes.

For the office scenes we chose Sophie's parents office, we chose this location as it is perfect for the scene and has  an appropriate layout that means we can carry out most of our shots easily without creating any issues or having to move anything of. The office also has a reception like area which leads on through a clear door to a boardroom like setup which will work well when we track our character into the room.






The final location we chose was Sophie's gym, this is for the scene where agent Wilson is boxing and then on the phone. We chose this location as it fits well with our vision for this scene and it is a light room which will create a contrast to the dark rooms such as Sophie's garage which will highlight the different atmosphere in the scene.

Erin Parkhurst

Organising Sound

Diegetic sound

For each scene with dialogue we need to ensure there is no other sound going on in the background and that we do not block the mic of the camera to ensure that the words on the script can be heard in each scene. As in some scenes depending on the shot type the sound will be louder e.g. if there is a close up shot the sound will be louder then a long shot, we will need to either increase of decrease the volume using the editing tools.

When filming the scene of Agent Wilson Boxing and the phone ringing in the background, the next shot of the close up on the phone ringing we will need to use editing tools to decrease the volume slightly on the close up so that the sound of the ringing phone is the same in both shots.

When the receptionist talks on the phone, we will need to increase the sound slightly as it is a long shot so she will be further away from the camera and the microphone may not be able to pick up the sound as well.

When Agent Thomas walks towards the mission statement room, we will add in the sound that we will have previously recorded of someone in an office talking on a phone, this is so it sounds like there are people in the office and that there is an office environment. The sound will then sound more clear as it will be recorded and added on top of the video.

For the sound outside of the MI5 headquarters, we do not want it to sound busy with cars etc as it should be in a remote place where it is not that easy to find therefore we will add in a few bird sounds so that It still sounds realistic but not busy.


Non-Diegetic Sound

For the non-diegetic sound, we would like there to be some music that suits a thriller film. The sound will need to build up suspense and attract audience members into wanting to find out what will happen next as the music helps make an exciting atmosphere.

One of the sounds we think we will use for our film opening is Urban Gauntlet:
The beginning of urban gauntlet sound starts off good and fits the genre and storyline of our film opening although mid way through starts to add some string instruments and does not create a serious atmosphere, therefore we will re-use the beginning of this sound a few times and crop the ending.

Sophie Thomas

How we will organise our props and costumes

In order to be prepared and organised for filming we made sure that we had planned every detail in relation to props and costume a month in advance. After carrying out research on what type of props and costume we need and making our final decisions, we immediately contacted our actors/ actresses and informed them on what costumes they would need for their roles. This allowed us to make sure the actors/ actresses had the correct clothing that matched our ideas and genre. It  also meant that we had time to gather any extra costumes if we could not get it straight away. We also focused on props and making sure we had the props or could get the props and still have time before we filmed in case there were any changes in props or costume or any of the props needed to be sourced.  Collecting these props and costumes and making sure they were easily accessible for when we filmed ensured us that every thing was ready and that we would have no issues or delays when it came to filming. Our film opening didn't use many props and most that are involved in it are every day items such as a chair and telephone. There were a few props however that aren't as common, this includes the rope used to tie the girls hands and the retractable knife but we were still able to gather them without having to make or buy anything. Part of our opening was filmed in an office which meant we had the props we needed already including files and a phone, the chair was also a prop that was already on set and the knife came from one of our actors.

Erin Parkhurst

Props

We have decided that in our movie the props that we would like to use is a toy knife, chair, telephone and a piece of rope. We are using props to help create more of a dramatic effect in our movie.

Below are some ideas of props that would look good in our movie.

Toy Knife:

1

2

We decided to use the 2nd knife in our film as it looks more realistic compared to the top one. Also because the 2nd ones blade goes in, it will look more realistic when the henchmen get stabbed.

Chair:

1

2

We decided to have the second chair in our opening because it is heavier and made out of Iron also, because the bars of the chair are horizontal it will be easier to tie Laura up compared to the wooden chair that she would be sitting on.

We will also need an office telephone in the M15 office for when the prime minister calls the office. 

1

2

We have decided to use the 2nd telephone for our M15 office scene because it looks more high tech and professional compared to the first telephone. This is to signify that M15 have a lot of money and resources for the department. 

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2

We have also decided to use the second image of rope in our opening as it is thicker and therefore it will be more realistic when Laura tries to cut through the rope, compared to the first one that is so thin that it could be broken very easily.

Holly Putt

What are actors will be wearing...

Grant 

The character Grant will be wearing dark clothing such as a black trousers and a black top. Grant will be a silhouette with a deep voice to represents his dominance over the Hench men. therefore he doesn't need specific detail of his clothing as the clothing he is wearing won't be witnessed a lot throughout the opening. Below is an idea of what our character Grant will be wearing:

 

Laura

• The character Laura will be wearing two outfits in our opening scene. One of which will be an office wear outfit and the other will be a black outfit when she is tied up. Laura will be wearing black as she is a spy. They often wear dark colours so then they do not get spotted easily.

Below is the character Laura's black clothes when she is tied up in the room.

Below is Laura's office wear:

(Black trousers)

Alex- Alex will be dressed in a suit and tie to signify that he has the upmost power over the girl. Wearing a suit will help to connote his power in the opening.  He will also be wearing dark coloured gym clothes to highlight that he is the 'bad guy'.

Gym wear

M15 Officer

The MI5 officer will be wearing a suit to help to represent her dominance/ over the other spies. Dressing in a formal manner also connotes that she is highly important.

Grant Auditions

This post has the auditions of the two people that auditioned for Grant. This includes Chris Thompson and Graham Thomas. The auditionees were asked their name, age and what role they will be auditioning and then they were asked to repeat their audition line. This is so that we are able to see whether they say the line in the way we expect the character to say it and to test their acting skills briefly.

Sophie Thomas

Agent Wilson auditions

This post has the auditions of three different people that auditioned for Agent Wilson. This includes David Tredget, Alex Wilson and Joe Gregory.  The auditionees were asked their name, age and what role they were auditioning and then they were asked to repeat their audition line. This is so that we are able to see whether they say the line in the way we expect the character to say it and to test their acting skills briefly.

 

Sophie Thomas

Agent Thomas audition

This post is of three different people auditioning for the role of Agent Thomas. This includes Jessica Wilding, Leona Stanley and Laura Thomas. The auditionees were asked their name, age and what role they will be auditioning and then they were asked to repeat their audition line. This is so that we are able to see whether they say the line in the way we expect the character to say it and to test their acting skills briefly.

 

 

 

Sophie Thomas

MI5 Officer Auditions

This post has videos of two different people auditioning for the role of the MI5 officer in our film 'The Escape'. This includes Elizabeth Gould and Joanne Thomas. The auditionees were asked their name, age and what role they will be auditioning and then they were asked to repeat their audition line. This is so that we are able to see whether they say the line in the way we expect the character to say it and to test their acting skills briefly.

 

 

 

Sophie Thomas

Audition Script, Times and how we organised our auditions.

Audition Scripts

Agent Wilson - Hello Grant
Agent Thomas - Where's the device?
Grant - Bring me the girl
MI5 Officer - Agent Thomas, Agent Wilson you will be working together

Audition Times

Audionees Name	Role auditioning for	Time of audition
Graham Thomas	Grant	7th March 2015 – 10am
Ian Parkhurst	Grant	7th March 2015 – 11am
Jess Wilding	Agent Thomas	7th March 2015 – 12pm
Laura Thomas	Agent Thomas	7th March 2015 – 1pm
Alex Wilson	Agent Wilson	8th March 2015 – 10am
Dave Tredget	Agent Wilson	8th March 2015 – 11am
Joanne Thomas	MI5 Officer	8th March 2015 – 12pm
Liz Gould	MI5 Officer	8th March 2015 – 1pm

We will be holding our auditions over the weekend of March 7th and 8th 2015. We have an audition timetable to organise when each person will audition for each role and at set times. When we audition each person we will ask them their name, their age and what role they are auditioning for. Following this we will ask them to repeat the line after we say it which will be from the audition script above e.g. someone auditioning for Agent Thomas will repeat the line 'where's the device?'.  After these auditions take place we can then decide who out of all the people auditioning will play each role in the film based on their acting skills.


Sophie Thomas