PowerPoint Presentation

Editing Diary - Week ending Friday 5th November 2010

This was our first week in the edit suite, so it consisted of logging and capturing all the shots we are using.  It was a good opportunity to watch all the footage back as a group, making a mental note of where we want each shot and what we want to do with it. We named all the shots and I began to make the opening titles on Adobe Photoshop. As I feel most confident with this programme, the group nominated me to do this. I opened the film and video pre-set template and downloaded a suitable True Type font and carried it into Photoshop. After creating a piece of text that coincided with the themes of our short film, the most important aspect was making sure the background was transparent. This was important as we plan to have it over an existing shot of the piggy bank. I had a lot of problems with saving it as different file formats to keep the transparent background, in the end the PNG file worked, so hurrah!

How the filming process went

It was one of those mornings... I woke up late, everything was going wrong. Also, I kind of left Kai and Darren at the station for an hour, oh well! We made our way to Natasha’s house (location 1) and began to set up for the first part of “Take Note”. This involved the opening pull focus shot of the piggy bank, leading into the tracking shot downstairs to when the piggy bank is no more, and gets smashed to smithereens! We had to get this absolutely perfect, as we could only film it once! We used a conventional office wheeley chair to get the desired track effect. Darren sat on the chair and held the camera as I dragged it from behind, pulling in the right directions. The smash of the piggy bank went perfectly, exactly how we desired, so by this time it was time to brief out actors and actresses and head out on the streets. 

The most difficult part of the day was finding a convenience store that would let us film inside. We must have asked about twenty shops, until we found the perfect one, which had odd, but ambient lighting inside, emphasizing the oddness of our narrative. We briefed the shopkeeper as to what exactly we would be filming and how we would need him to cooperate, he was exceedingly helpful, and eager to help us young students out. The main problem was dealing with customers in the shop, as of course we could not just kick them out, so we had to be immensely patient, and increasingly flexible. Unfortunately, we attracted a lot of attention whilst filming the homeless scenes outside as it was on a busy main road. Thinking back, maybe it would have been best to film in a quieter location, although we wanted cars to be passing in the background, and we had to keep near the shop for continuity purposes. After filming everything, we thanked the shopkeeper, grabbed some chips and headed back to Natasha’s to watch the footage back, making sure we had filmed our desired shots before it was too late. 

To conclude, the day was a success, despite constant bickering in the group, and dealing with bewildered members of the public. Regardless, I still believe we should have filmed over two days, filming alternative endings and varying shots, leaving us with more choice when it comes to the editing process. However, as our short film happens in realtime, continuity is a real issue and is what will make our film look professional and clean. Filming over two days may sabotage this as the weather may be different, there will be different people in the shop and things that were in the shop the day before (coke cans, cereal boxes etc) may not be in there the next day, diminishing the continuity completely.

Shot List

• POV of the five pound note, looking up to the hand as he/she takes the note out of their wallet
• Close up of piggy bank getting smashed / close up of hand reaching into the jar
• Over the shoulder shot of the fiver getting handed over
• POV of a little kid holding the fiver and then switching to a POV of the fiver to show the child's facial expression
• Close focus of the fiver on a living room desk but still can see the background where the family are arguing over bill payments
• Close up of five pound note getting blown away
• Close up of the fiver dropped on the ground
• Wealthy business man / woman gets handed two five pound notes and complains because he wants a tenner instead. (over the shoulder)
• POV of the five pound note as the till shuts
• As man takes a big wallet of cash out, the five pound note gets dropped
• Tracking shot of the teen walking with the five pound note
• Close up of the money being put into a wallet
• Long shot of the homeless person sleeping with the five pound note
• Close up of the wallet in the jeans whilst walking
• Medium shot of the note being between shopkeeper and stranger (so that the shots are significant and is iconic to the film)
• POV of the homeless person as he selects what magazine he wants
• Time lapses of the homeless person as he holds the five pound note.

Storyboard (Click to enlarge)

A rough draft of our script for the voiceover

Section 1

Blimey I’ve been in here for ages. It’s doing my nut in. This pig is gassed up. I need to get out of here, can’t take it. What’s this, who’s this, what’s going on? (Piggy bank smashes) 

Fresh air. God i miss this. Err wait don’t touch me with your jammy hands. FINE here we go! Looks like I’ve got no choice, story of my life come on then you chylimida infested yout. Take me away!
You know what I’ve been doing this for nearly 27 years and I’m getting fed up, Mary Jane messed head up. That’s the problem with these teenagers complain about money but yet blow it on anything, and following all these political movements yet none of them are able to vote – eddiuts. Alright alright crisps will do. 

No not again. Argh hate this place. Cash tills are hell. Always have a stuck up 50 thinking he’s the godfather of Santander some sort of Arabian prince -  ha Get out of here. I’ll show him whose boss.


Section 2
Women – Can I have 20 silk cuts purple.

Fiver – Could get a change jobby here. Yes, do hope the bloke don’t throw a few coopers in. All rite here we go.

Women – Sorry but like do you have a five pound note this one’s really dirty and kinda crinkled.

Fiver – Bloody hell shes got some cheek. Not having it. I’ve been with tones of business women and there all the same.... Stuck up, always doing something fishy. Ahaha ya get me bud.
well I tell ya she got smooth hands could be useful. Woo I’m on fire today. Gosh calm down love stop running, oii mate watch out, easy, slow down, steady on, im slipping...


NOTE FALLS OUT OF HER HAND


Section 3
Fuckin hell that killed. Gonna jack up on some pain killers go all cobain on it. Arrr balls that nitty over there is staring at me, come of it don’t come over here. Tramps are the worst type of owners all they do is keep you in there rough diseased hands. God look at those gloves holes and all. Might spend on something warm or the usual white star to get piss’d.

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE - (click to enlarge)

THE FINAL SYNOPSIS

The narrative follows the story of a five pound note, being passed between three people between the space of six minutes. Being captivated inside a children’s piggy bank, a young teenage boy forcefully smashes the jar and releases the thriving five pound note into the unbeknown streets of London town. Fifteen year old Leroy takes the five pound note to the local corner shop, to invest the note in Caribbean cola, guava juice and sweet chilli Thai crisps. Being exceedingly pessimistic, the note is forced back into darkness, eager to meet his new occupant. The note then encounters the hands of a wealthy business woman, who is reluctant to receive the note as change after buying cigarettes, due to its crippled exterior. As  the elaborate mistress swiftly jumps in a cab, the five pound note flutters through her hands into the gutter, the cab then drives off. Taking each step at a time, dragging his belongings behind him, homeless Minty approaches the note. Snatching up the five pound note, Minty takes it back to his corner to rest for a while. Time passes by and a sumptuous young lady passes Minty, dishevelled and raunchy images are flowing through his mind, illustrated through facial expressions. Remembering he has the five pound note, Minty heads straight to the corner shop. Skimming through the shop, he heads straight for the obscene section of the magazine rack. Riffling through each magazine, he chooses one suited to his tastes, and purchases it. The note is reluctantly trapped back into the till and Minty walks out the shop, dragging his belongings beside him. The film explores the value of a five pound note, and how people from different cultures, backgrounds and classes value the note differently. Also, challenging stereotypes of people within the unwritten classes pyramid. The narrative is driven by the voiceover of the five pound note (being the protagonist) and everything is narrated from his point of view. The film has obvious comedic tones within the script, but a serious underlying message. 

After a week of arguing, we finally have a synopsis!

So the final group consists of myself, Kai and Darren. After pitching our ideas and thankfully excluding children from starring within our film, we have come to a final descision thanks to Darrens creativity. This is the very first synopsis, consequently, it is highly subject to change, enjoy:

"Five Pound Pablo" - (personally, this is what I think it should be called, need to consult the team!)

Being found at the bottom of a penny jar, the thriving five pound note is released into the unbeknown streets of London town. First, being in the hands of a young teenager addicted to smoking green, the note is eager to be set free from the drug scandal. Next, he encounters the wallet of a wealthy, 24 year old business woman on her way to work. As she gets off the bus, the note flies out of her jacket pocket and she doesn’t bother to pick it up, but carries on to work. Lastly, the note is picked up by a homeless person who savors it for an endless amount  of weeks (passing of time conveyed in a post production time lapse). Finally, he uses it to buy himself a porn magazine and the note is then trapped into the shopkeepers till. The film explores the value of a five pound note, and how people from different cultures, backgrounds and classes value the note differently. Also, challenging stereotypes of people within the unwritten classes pyrimid. The narrative is driven by the voiceover of the five pound note (being the protagonist) and everything is narrated from his point of view. The film has obvious comedic tones within the script, but a serious underlying message. 

Oh yeah, we just need a name for the short film now...

"The Absurdist Hero Stands" - Nuru Rimington Mkali

After telling my friend I was studying short film, he immediately showed me this video. I automatically fell in love with it because I believe World Cinema is far more intriguing. The fact that the narrative is completely suspended makes it confusing to watch and the idea concept is completely Avant Garde. It is far from anything we have been shown in class and this has given me allot of inspiration for my own short film.