Techno Terror Final Export

Foundation Portfolio - Concept (James Murray)

While Jackson Veale is in charge of the main Concept here I have included the aspects of the film that I made that make up a part of the concept.


The title of our film:

The title of this film is "Techno Terror" and is called this due to the main plot line that the story follows. We will also introduce the title in a powerful way that also reflects the story line of the film. When it is first introduce the title will be shown as "Techno error" referring to the incident with the robot. it will then have a glitch effect used that will reveal the "T" in front of the word "error". This will transform it into saying "Techno Terror" which is what the film unfolds to be.

Our target audience:

Due to the violence and the thrill side of the film, this narrows our audience down to those that are between 16-50. People between these age groups will be able to enjoy the movie without being overwhelmed or bored from the plot line. It will also appeal to those who are into movies that are tension building without falling into the horror and gruesome side of it.

Conventions we are using:

Setting:

Garage- This film is based on two people creating a robot that ends up going out of control. Due to this the setting makes the most sense for multiple reasons. The first is that it provides with a realistic backdrop as to where someone would most likely build something like a robot. It also means that we can control the light the whole time as it will all be artificial lighting, something that makes filming a lot easier as we discovered with the trouble we had in the last film.

Props/Costumes:

Denim Clothes- Originally we were going to have Jim and Kodi wear lab coats. This was in order to show  how they are scientific and are attempting to blaze a new frontier in terms of technology. The downside of this was that it seemed to cliche as they would be in a dirty area with nice pristine clothes. While we had planned to make them look grimy  to fit, we were also unable to locate any which posed a big problem. We then decided to replace them with overalls as it made use of the mechanical like area and fitted in with theme of being inventive. They however seemed to limit the realism of the film as we aimed to set the film in the future, and these clothes would be recognised as a mechanics clothes now, rather then a future scientific one. We also had the same problem of being unable to acquire them, which lead us onto the final choice of them wearing denim clothes. In modern society they are a widely liked clothing style and have existed for a long time serving all sorts of purposes. This flexibility in its use and purpose allowed us to have the realistic sense of it being set in the future and that

Name Meaning:

Here I have included the meanings of the individual names of the characters and the character traits associated with them. This allows for us to give a sense of what we wanted the characters to be even if viewers didn't know what there names meant.

Herod:

Latin form of Greek Herodes, meaning "sprung from a hero". In the bible, this is the name of the king who ordered the slaughter of all male children 'two years old and under".

Jim:

People with this name have a desire to help people in every possible way. They are adventurous, creative and posses artistic ability.

Kodi:

Kodi means helpful and beneficial.

Foundation Portfolio - Treatment (Jackson Doudney)

Prepared by Triple J Studio and Jackson Doudney

19/05/17

It is proposed that the film will be of 1-1:50 minutes duration, and that it will be filmed at the following locations:

Garage/Mechanics Workshop

There is a used and worn down look to the area, as if it has been used and lived in for years which works very well with what we imagine with this dirty and grounded future. The claustrophobia created by this space as well is a huge help as when the robot attacks the cluttered space seems to trap them with this unstoppable force.

School Classrooms/Library

This represents a place of learning and knowledge, and we are trying to express the creativity and brain activity that young Jim is using. It also is a great way of presenting Jim as a very anti-social child, completely isolated in his thoughts and dreams. The open space and cleanliness shows the purity of his imagination, there is no dark foreshadowing or cluttering of his mind, there is only the vast creative hope he has.

This film will include the following conventions of thriller films:

Darker Lighting

This helps give a solemn tone which can convey foreboding, giving the tension more unease and a more gripping atmosphere. This can make audiences more interested in what is happening on screen by making them question everything on screen on a basic curiosity level. This is also a convention used in many thrillers to represent the dark nature of the content of what is happening on screen, giving us a pathway into the darkness of what is being created, a contrast to the hope of what the android could be.

Slow-Build Tension

Builds much more anxiety because you draw out the tension more and more, the audience forced to watch that little bit more of whether it will all work out for Jim or not. This is also a clear way of contrasting how the characters would feel at this point of time as well, they would feel like this chaos is happening in split seconds yet it is actually plummeting slowly, the decent into chaos taking its time. This is will be used through the technique of a slower editing pace.

Use Of A Gun As A Weapon

A very common symbol in the thriller genre, this is a symbol of danger but is being used to help the main character, ultimately being used as a weapon of momentary destruction for the robot. It is a contrast to the high-technology, symbolising how the old values and ways of life are not simply a disposable, out-of-date system, they hold value.

A Slower-Editing Pace

Unlike action thrillers, the editing of this film is planned to be a little bit slower than what is conventional in an action thriller, which is usually more fast-paced and contains quicker cuts to feel a more rush of action. In our film, there are a few quick cuts to help jump-start the tension and get the action moving, but it is mostly based on what goes on inside the frame and the use of composition to heighten tension. For example, in this shot to the right we use Jim in the foreground and the robot in the background, slowly walking forward and hard  to
see to indicate the build towards Jim's death.

After watching the following thriller films/thriller openings I have been influenced by:

The Bourne Identity

After studying this film, I saw the way that director Doug Liman used dark lighting to really help sell the uncertainty and mystery of the origins of Bourne, managing to turn the ocean into an almost claustrophobic space. We have incorporated this palette of dark lighting to help emphasise the claustrophobic atmosphere of the garage. There are moments to breath in The Bourne Identity such as when he visits Marie at the end where she is hiring out motorbikes for a living. We have this space at the beginning of our short, a dreaminess helping to elevate Jim's naivety, the reality hitting two thirds into the short.

Vertigo

The way this opening incorporates the seamless transitions from the face to the inside of the eye did help to inspire the opening credits of our short, where the camera transitions from the Triple J Productions logo to the piece of paper then up to young Jim. This use of presenting the main character without actually showing him is also an idea which is used in Vertigo, the use of spirals presenting the main character's biggest weakness immediately, and we do this through showing young Jim's plans on pieces of paper.

Problems Encountered:

-The stunts involved with Joseph being thrown against the wall. We will solve this by using the           metal  shelves as a way of stopping the audience the audience from seeing the full impact.
-Stunts involving Jordan Parratt being thrown around and beaten up. We will solve this by having the   actual impact of Jordan hitting the ground being slightly distorted and out of focus and out of shot   slightly.
-Small area to film in, so we will have to make use of the all the space carefully.
-Operating the steadicam will need to be precise with such little space. We will solve this by                 alternating between the steadicam and the shoulder mount to get certain shots.

The film will include the following:

1) Characters:

-Jim:
The main character and driving force of the film; he desires to create a groundbreaking invention that will forever change the world, but is over hasty; he symbolises a warning to the dreamers and entrepreneurs of our time: create, but always be cautious, because you could be creating the next world-changing invention for good or bad.


-Kodie:
Jim's assistant who is the robot's first yet certainly not last victim; wants to help Jim create this game-changer of an invention; he is just another victim of Jim's drive and creative mind; he symbolises the people that can be affected by the drive and determination of the inventors of today.


-Android:
The masterpiece of Jim's determination; is simply doing what his virus-filled programming is making him do; it symbolises today's technologies and its dangers; the virus symbolises that little bit of motive or wiring that can completely change technology's function.

2) Ideology:

-Our overall message of the short is basically a warning for any sort of inventive project: be careful,   you can either create your dream or a nightmare.
-The robot represents all the creative advancements which have happened in recent years and soon to   come.

3) Mood and Tone:

The overall tone of the short is quite dark, with hope being slashed and wiped away mid-way through. This can be associated with a lot of action thrillers where the opening scene sets up the danger for the rest of the film.

4) Camera Shots, Movement/Lighting/Angles:

-Near-to-none wide shots, mostly medium-wide to close-up
-Very few completely still shots, mostly movement throughout the   shots
-Lighting of the shots is quite dark, with darks being crushed and   people illuminated by very specific   light sources

5) Themes and Motifs:

-The gun is a symbol of protection, but it is fighting against violence
 which is its nature, it could be   taken as a symbol of the quote,
 "Death begets death begets death etc".
-A theme, although subtle, is selfishness, which is shown through   the character of Jim. He presents   this theme in the way he strives   for his technological advancements without thinking about the         others  who could be in harm's way.
-How technology can harm os instead of help, it can be something   as small as a virus that can ultimately wipe out those who interact   with technology.

6) Narrative:

An inventor full of dreams and creativity finally creates his biggest dream: a fully functional android. But a virus floods its servers, and it turns on both him and his assistant, killing them and the inventor's dream of a better future.

7) Sound and Music:

-I want most of the audio in this short to be diegetic, with the "soundtrack" a throbbing bass in the   background
-There is a slight chance of there being non-diegetic audio, such as some music to help ramp up the   tension or audio-ended up using Chromatics' Tick Of The Clock as our main source of tension-   building audio

8) Use of Credits and Logos:

The opening logo is what is going to transition us into young Jim's world, and the credits are going to help show us his inventive abilities as we see his plans for the future. The final end logo with the Techno Terror expresses the journey to the terror of technology ruining our species.

9) Editing:

It is going to vary in parts, whereas the building to the robot's attack is slow-paced, the actual attack is fast-paced. There is a continual build towards the resolution, with the use of a fade in-and-out of black representing the character's POV, expressing his struggle to focus on the future which he envisioned, he has finally woken up to the awful reality that this world will never exist.

Summary:

Beginning

Young Jim is dreaming about his future, and we see Jim and Kodie uploading files for the robot.

Middle:

The robot beats Jim into a bloody pulp, but Jim manages to destroy the computer which keeps the robot going.

End:

The robot lies on the floor, Jim and the assistant dead, but it gets back up, finishes the monologue it started at the beginning of the short and walks away.

Conflict/Tension in the Sequence:

-The robot attacks the assistant after a virus infiltrates its system, and is advancing towards Jim
-It is ironic how when the robot goes haywire and kills the assistant that Jim has been so obsessed   about this project, yet he doesn't realise what is happening when it is advancing to attack him

Further Notes:

-This robot is a constant threat to human life, and the rest of the film would follow a human being   trying to do everything in his power to stop this android from wiping out society.

Foundation Portfolio - Credit Sequence (James Murray)

Credit Sequence:

For the opening credits we wanted to have them be symbolic and fit with the theme. We came up with this idea as we believed we could incorporate it and have Jim "design" them during the flashback. We intended for it to be done on white paper and have a clean look that fits in with Jim's character.

After consideration we decided to go with the block font as it gave a nice edge and have the details coming off of the drawings be done in normal text. After a talk with our teacher though we realised that the credits weren't symbolic enough and wouldn't fit in with the scene as much as we had hoped it would.

Due to this we realised that him drawing on blueprint paper would fit in better as it goes with his creative side and shows that he is serious about them. It also give the drawings a crisper and cleaner edge making them look more appealing and fit in with our desired theme. We also realised that doing the text in this style fits in better and gives the shots a more sophisticated edge to them and the realistic side that we wanted to follow.

Here I have included some robot blueprints that show the type of ones we would create to display ours.

As we continued with the pre-production I discovered that the original way that I intended making them with blue paper and twink for the lines turned out to look unrealistic. I then started to look online for a better way of making blueprints and in doing so I discovered that blueprints are created in order to make multiple copies of the same design by copying  the original paper. As there would have been no way for Jim to make these in the classroom we decided that it would be best if we had him just draw on paper.

The camera movement for this sequence is also key as we want it to go at the perfect speed to show the blueprints without losing the audiences attention. We also need to make it look natural as if you are simply looking at them in real life. Due to this I believe that the sequence will be about ten seconds long with the paper in a quickly placed done way that is long enough though to be legible. To make it easy to read we will include block letters over top to highlight the words.

Here are the picture details of the final copy of credits which we all agree fitted really well with the film and didn't look like it was simply attached on afterwards.

Final Props and Costumes List for Foundation Portfolio

Props and Costume list:

Young Jim:

Description: Jim is meant to be a kid that was super smart when he was young though struggled with social interaction due to it. From this we wanted to openly express this and our school uniform presented as a strong way to do so. As we had students in the background also wearing identical clothes it showed how he did not interact with the other students due to his focus on the robot. It also gave him a semi-sharp look that was nicely carried on in his older version's costume as he wore denim as well.

White Top: Nice clean look that synthesizes with the denim pants.

Denim pants: A clean look is created through them and they tie in well with the formal setting of the classroom. They are also realistic as something that he would wear at the age and as well as that they are continued to be worn by his older version which helps viewers to identify the two as one person.

Black Shoes: Though they are barely visible in the shoot it is for this reason that we choose them as they do not detract attention from Jim but still matches his clothes.

Glasses: Though we hadn't thought about this to just prior to the filming we realized that both of the Jims will be wearing glasses that greatly added to the technological look of the film, while also further tying the two characters together as being one.

Older Jim:

Description: As one of the main characters that feature in the film we wanted the costume to express his character and fit in with the techno thriller genre. After the two previous costumes list as to what he would wear, included in this link, we ended up on having him wear denim clothes. This suited the style of the film while still showing his creative side.We also wanted Kodi to be wearing a similar style of clothing that simply had a slight variant in order to show how he is following Jim in making the robot but is not equal to him.

Denim Jacket: As mentioned before this allowed him to have the appropriate look for the location as well as it having a stylish idea for the identity focus of our film for teenage audience.

Jeans: This again linked him with his younger self as well as working in with the matching in with his jacket. As we also was working in a dirty environment the actors were going to bring their own clothes. Due to this I took into account what wouldn't be ruined  by the workshop while still working in with the theme and genre of the film

Black Shoes:These shoes were also barely noticeable though this was intentional again and we also needed to make sure everyone was safe due to us being in a workshop.

Glasses:This was again unintentional but fitted in well with the character as well as giving the audience another visual link between the two characters.

Kodi:

Description: As the assistant of Jim we wanted him to look similar to Jim so that he was viewed as being similar to Jim. We also wanted him to be different though so that he was viewed as being similar but not identical to Jim, his Jacket was a key feature in creating this.

Maroon Denim Jacket: Due to the color difference he was separated from Jim while being in a similar style. The coloring effect also gives the audience the idea of blood and death, which foreshadows his death in the film.

Jeans:This again was mainly to tie in with the jacket and Jim.

Black Shoes:This was mainly to be inconspicuous and safe.

Glasses:The main reason for having him wear glasses was to again show

Herod(Robot):

Description:We wanted to make sure that the robot wasn't over complicated as it would appear unrealistic. Due to this we originally decided to have him solely wear the sports pants but due to safety reasons we had him wear sports shoes as well, which still kept him in a simplistic style.

Sports Pants:This allowed us to not over complicate him and have a more robotic feel instead of the human look that would have occurred with more clothes. It also showed how Jim was focused on the technological side of him instead of the look of the robot.

Shoes:We decided to make the running shoes solely so they would match with the pants. As stated above we initially didn't plan on him wearing any but due to safety we decided to have him wear these which still went with the simplistic style we gave him.

Props:

Laptop:We included this as a frame for the hologram effect which allowed us to give the film a futuristic style. It also gave Jim something to work on away from the robot and allowed us to visually show the virus when it affects the robot.

Wires:By having these and the multiple other technological and mechanical equipment in the background it gave an ideal backdrop for the film and add to the atmosphere of the film.

Light:We decided to add the light as  being visible in the background as we believed that it would go with the workshop theme. This meant that the lighting would remain the same the whole way through and we wouldn't have to move the light. Though it dos stand out once you notice it in the film it is generally unnoticeable and slips in well at the back of the scene

Chair:We had the chair for two reasons. The first was so that Kodi could work around Herod(robot) easier without being stuck by the table we had originally planned to use. The second was it would be more comfortable for the actor playing Herod and we wanted to make sure that we looked after our actors and weren't troubling them in any way

Blood:Though it isn't to visible in the final edit we had put fake blood on Herod's hand to make it realistic after he attacks Kodi and Jim. We didn't want to make the scene graphic though which is why we used a limited amount of it so that the scene didn't come across as gory.

Gun:Due to its association with violence and its easy to use function it seemed as an ideal alternative to the axe and sledgehammer we had originally planned to use as they were both unsafe and were going to be hard to obtain

Here I have included the first Props and Costumes list we came up with for the film in order to highlight the changes we made in the list.

Props and Costumes List-Draft

Jim:

Lab Coat:

Lab coats are mainly associated with science, and are shown in movies on characters that are creative and inventive. As these are character traits that fit with the character Jim it seemed like an ideal clothing choice for him to wear. With it being white it will also make a stark difference with the fake blood which will be a dark red.

Black Top:

A plain black collared top seems to go best with the lab coat as it gives Jim a more professional look while still keeping him in a casual look. It also allows however is playing this character to stay cool as it the lab coat may make the person hot when we film.

Black Pants:

This choice was more or less for the same reason as the top as it still gives him a professional look while still staying casual and keeping cool.

Black shoes:

Again it is for the same reason as the top and shorts though they are also normal for people working in labs to wear for their own safety.

Additional notes:

-Will have fake blood poured onto the coat

-Hair will be messed up to show that he is focused on his work

-The black colour is the absence of colour. Black is a mysterious colour that is typically associated with the unknown or the negative. The colour black represents strength, seriousness, power, and authority. Black is a formal, elegant, and prestigious colour. Authoritative and powerful, the colour black can evoke strong emotions and too much black can be overwhelming.

-The colour white can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity. As the opposite of black, movies, books, print media, and television typically depict the good guy in white and the bad guy in black.

- As Herod is going to be wearing only black it makes him the stereotype of being the bad guy, making Jim the good guy by wearing white over top of his black clothes. This also doubles as a reflection of how the evil caused by Herod, ultimately, came from within Jim and came out of the,"successful beginning", of Jim.





Kodi:

Will be wearing similar clothes to Jim but will have other objects (e.g clipboard) to make him look the assistant. More detail further down the track.

Blue top: To make a difference from Jim.



The colour blue has positive affects on the mind and the body. As the colour of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming and exude feelings of tranquillity. Blue helps to slow human metabolism, is cooling in nature, and helps with balance and self-expression. Blue is also an appetite suppressant.

Herod:

Black pants:

As this is the robot he would be wearing very simple clothes as these pants are a good example of these types of clothes.

Foundation Portfolio - Storyboards (Jackson Doudney)

I was assigned, as cameraman, to draw up the storyboards for our Foundation Portfolio. From the moment we came up with the idea for a techno thriller, I had specific shots which we have kept through till the end, the very first the medium-wide of the robot standing up and finishing his monologue (under the storyboards). We didn't make many changes after, just a few to help the flow and make the shoot a little easier because I made some plans to do shots that were just too complicated. An example of a shot we changed was from a medium-wide of Jim grabbing an axe and smashing the computer to a close-up of him shooting the computer. The change from an axe to a gun was a big part of this change but also the sense of claustrophobia is kept with the close-up.

                                            The main challenge for this storyboard was
                                        achieving the transition from shot 3 to shot 5.We
                                       were forced to re-shoot shot 3 as the shots did not
                                                                    match up well.

                                          Shot 2 of the second storyboard remained a
                                          close-up, but the restrictions of our location meant
                                          we had to rotate the shot and film from behind
                                          Jordan Parratt.

                                         The first shot on this board was filmed over Jordan
                                         Anderson's right shoulder to capture Joseph in the
                                         shot. This board involved the most movement to
                                         shoot so there was difficulty in such a crammed
                                         space.

                                         The most changes made out of all the storyboards
                                         as when we found our location there was no space
                                         to have Joseph thrown into the ground. Throughout
                                         the shoot a lot of changes made due to the limited
                                         space we had.

Foundation Portfolio - Shot List (Jackson Doudney)

For our foundation portfolio I was assigned to do the Shot List which I had previously done in for our Preliminary Task 1. I did not write down any of the additional shots planned because those were really just in case we had time, which we did not end up having. The shot list was a huge help in keeping the rest of the team on track for where we were going, able to scan it and see how many shots were left to get. For me, however, I worked much more with the storyboard, a visual way of me keeping track of the amount of shots needed and what they needed to look like, an aspect important for the director.