Lesson 4

Here we had feedback from the teacher that we are going to take into consideration

Artwork for our Title - First Concept

Here is our first concept of the title for our opening sequence. We want to try and animate screws coming into place and screwing into a metal place, then for our title MAGNUM to come down with a metal clunk. Only a rough version from us but still a decent design.

Risk assessment

Risk	Why is it a risk?	How to prevent this?
Bad weather conditions	It is a risk when filming, since some scenes involve running and also the weather could affect the cameras performance when filming scenes. This is because the camera might not be suitable to the weather conditions.	To prevent this from happening, we should plan ahead in when to film and stop filming altogether if conditions start to get worse to avoid any risks.
Carrying and using expensive equipment (Cameras, Tri pods)	There is a risk of carrying expensive equipment, since people might try and steal the equipment. This is also a risk, since we are using the equipment in public which will attract thieves.	To prevent this, we should carry equipment with caution, care and be wary of surroundings in the sight of the public.
Filming area (Public, Dangerous objects)	The area has to be safe for filming. This is so that the actors are safe from anything dangerous such as sharp objects. Anything that might affect the public when filming in the area must be dealt with appropriately.	To prevent this from happening, we should scan the area for any dangerous objects that would affect filming and also see if it is alright with the public to film there.
Location problems	We have to make sure that we exactly know where we are going for filming and not to get lost when going there.	To prevent this, we should familiarise ourselves with the location we are going to film at and know what exact route we need to take in order to get there.
Travel money	We need to make sure that we have the correct amount of money to travel.	Have more money just in case something goes wrong when travelling.

Lesson 3

In this lesson we worked on uploading our first footage and expanding our storyboard providing more detailed information such as the camera shots, the rough script and on screen positions.

The detailed information was useful in planning our second shoot as well 

We also gathered the props and further discussed what else would be appropriate to the sequence which we required such as our crime scene evidence ; finger print duster, form of criminals identification and the crime scene tape. we also discussed what each character would be wearing, reviewing the time period of our sequence and the characters involved we decided the main detective should be wearing the classic long coat with the stereo typical coffee and smart shoes, his partner would be wearing smart casual clothes and the dealer should wear casual dark clothing, we then did a diagram in detail of the props and clothing (shown below.)

Location

We brainstormed a few locations to choose from a wide variety of settings for the sequence, we looked at:


Southfields estate (our chosen location) in Southfields

The small town located nearby was relevant to the filming, with the layout of shops and street view. we used this for the opening credits.
The bench we needed for the bag drop scene was relatively close to the estate, therefore provided us with the correct camera angles to have the estate in the background, conveying the meaning that the area is grimy.
The estate has balcony's conveniently in the right place which allows us some use for overhead shots and birds eye view for the chase scene.
It also has an alley way which provides good use of dim lighting for the interrogation scene, we use this to the advantage as it creates the correct atmosphere we needed for the scene.


The Cambridge estate in Kingston

The use of lighting was too dark for the camera to film.
The placing of certain essential objects such as the bench we needed for the bag drop were inappropriate to the shots we needed for the filming.
The scene was too busy when we took the review and we required a quiet area with a small amount of pedestrians to naturalize the sequence.
We also required a high angle camera shot for the chase which although provided by the estate was too far from our filming location.


In comparison the Southfields estate was more convenient for the filming as it provides us with the correct locations for the scenes and the storyline.

Lesson 2

In our second lesson  we reviewed our basic storyboard making some minor changes to the type of camera angles we would use and the type of shots we would use.

We also discussed the location in detail, looking at The Kingsnimpton estate, the Cambridge estate, Richmond park, Wimbledon village and the south field estate. we then concluded that our best decision was the south field estate, as it was beneficial to the types of camera shots we wanted to use. Most of our locations were based on or around the estates, we thought this would create the correct atmosphere we needed and the correct use for the overhead/bird eye view shots for our big chase scene.

we then began planning our first shoot : Put picture here!

Character List

Frank Magnum (Darius Elliot)

- frank is the main character in our opening sequence, along side with his partner willie Johnson. frank is a modern century "Dirty" detective meaning he sells critical evidence for cases and drugs along side using his "day" job as a cover up. in the opening the camera follows frank magnum around the small town of south fields where he receives a phone call from and old acquaintance…

The dealer/Niro (Niroshan Suthesan)

- the past life of Frank Magnum and his old acquaintance, he tracks down Johnson, interrogating him to find the bag. Niro is intent on finding the bag to receive it's contents, given to him by Frank the bag contains objects unknown to the viewers in the opening sequence.

Willie Johnson (Christopher O'Brien)

- Willie is Franks partner in his "day" job, knowing nothing of his "other" life. he and frank have worked together for many years catching criminals and doing special ops, only to have it all end in the film MAGNUM where is is interrogated by Franks old acquaintance and the dealer Niro.

Costume/Props and lighting

In our lesson we decided about what costumes/props each character is going to wear.

Heres a prezi of what costumes/props each character is going to wear in opening sequence - 

Lesson 1

In our first lesson we brainstormed some ideas for our opening sequence, discussing the genre and the scenes we wanted within the sequence.

The genres we discuss included :
-action
-crime/mystery
-sci-fi

we decided on the crime and mystery genre as we already had some ideas for that specific genre, we then brainstormed again the ideas for different scenes and potential props we could use. This was then further interpreted into a basic storyboard highlighting the main scenes we wanted and eliminating the scenes which were either too cliche or did not fit in with our story line.

The other genres were considered, however we did not choose them because they too common in the filming society, we wanted to film something different, making our film more unique and enjoyable.

Magnum Storyboard