Editing process/Treatment/script

There are no comments/star ratings for the trailer because most Drama-Tragedy trailers do not have them. They have a use of shots with words that relate to the film e.g for Iris there is a shot with 'Change'. The trailer is following the same conventions as the My Sister's Keepers trailer and that trailer does not feature any star ratings or comments.

At the beginning, the mise en scene lighting with the younger versions is slightly white, because I want the scenes with young Iris and Jen to look calm because life then was relaxed. However it isn't extremely white; the natural colours are still visible so it does not look sad. The girls just met and became best friends so it's happy. The slightness of white suggests the good past which is true in the shot.

Script -
'Hi, I'm Iris'
Laughter
'Best Friends forever!'
'Iris, Iris!'
'I have Cancer, I'm sorry'
'But you can't leave me'
'Where were you man?'
'I'm out'
'You're pathetic crying over that stupid girl! You know she's gonna die. Don't you?!'

Treatment -
Film certificate - pg13
Long shot
New line television
Long shot - hi
Medium, over shoulder shot - 'I'm Iris' - closer making what she says more important and personal
'Two girls' word shot - isolates them two from everyone else in film
long shot/medium, from behind, Jen laughing - happiness
'Two lives' - isolates
The shot of Iris and Jen running is a long shot and then there's a cut to a close up of them holding hands, this is demonstrates how they are close and they trust each other.
'Two friends'
They say 'Best friends forever' in same running shot- relates to words 'two friends'
'Brought together by fate'
The transition of them the younger selfs to older is shot by the younger selfs walk into a bush and come out older.
'Parted by destiny..?' - with a question mark because audience does not know why or how
bad scenes, cut jumps, fast cuts
Iris and Jen back home
Iris close up to face, slow mode
Iris faints
White lights
Hospital exterior shots
'What would you do?' ' If you lost' 'The person you love?'
flashback
Mark Johnson productions present
Hands
A true story of
Words appear on screen after action shots, the words relate to film - e.g. Change
Hill - significant
credits

Also, the titles 'Two girls' 'Two lives' 'Two friends' describes how Iris and Jen are the same and have a bond from it,  this separates their friendship from the gang which connotes their friendship is close and important

While editing, I thought about each shot in the trailer, making sure the mise en scene and transitions represent what I want it to. Like when Iris is lying on the hospital bed, the mise en scene is white suggesting peace, purity and perfection. The exposure of the shot also makes Iris look like an angel; white connotes cleanliness thus Iris is no longer a rebel because she is clean. The audience will think she's changed. Iris looks peaceful unlike before her lifestyle was chaotic and bad, also suggests she's dying. The shot enters through a dissolve, this is used to convey deeper meaning of the shot.

When Iris, Jen and the gang enter, the shots show Iris and Jen mixed with the wrong crowd, doing bad things like drugs. The shots are highlighted and bold connoting vividness, this make Iris and Jen look confident and willing to take risks because of their actions. Before they were innocent and young therefore this change will shock the audience.The pace is fast to show how life is too, this suggests they are careless for their actions because everything is done quick. This is edited by making the shots shorter and matching it along with a heartbeat. The heartbeat represents the pace of their life, because the heartbeat is fast indicates life is getting quicker for them. The heartbeat gets louder before Iris faints and stops just before she faints to let the audience know something is about to happen.

The voice over is done with a white background because white is a sad colour, this goes with the voice over because it is sad too. Also it is simple and basic, like what is being said, when it is simple it makes the audience think. Then dissolves to the hospital shot suggesting new beginning of their lives.

The shot of the hill at the end is significant. This is because it was where the two girls met and where their friendship started off. Having Jen walk across it at the end makes you feel sympathy for their friendship because they are separated by fate. And so much has happened since the first time they met, it is like Jen is reflecting on everything by walking past the hill, realising what has changed, her mistakes and her losses after meeting Iris at the hill which was when she was a little girl. Hills in parks are great for walking and having time to think to yourself.
The trailer is inspired from a true personal story. Which is why I worked hard on it.

Production

Cast List:

Iris Stanley- Marwa Slimani
Best friends with Jen. She is seen as more of a rebel compared to Jen because she would get the drugs. Iris gets cancer and she has to fight for her life. Both girls come from a harsh environment.
 Jennifer 'Jen' Bates - Hana Grant
Best friends with Iris. She's caught up in the rebellious ways with her best friend however changes when Iris gets cancer because Jen has to learn to live a life without her. 

Young Iris - Bella Slimani
Confident and open, she introduces herself to Jen when they first meet. She's wholesome and shorter than Jen - ironic when she grows up. Her confidence led her to being more bad then Jen.
Young Jen - Maariyah Atta
Seen alone representing loneliness until Iris comes and she's happy.  That loneliness returns when Iris gets cancer. Jen's loneliness came because she had no one to talk too because she lives in a harsh environment. 

Gang -
1 - Jade Young
2- Chloe Wheeler
3 - Naghma Butt
It was important for all gang members to wear hoodies; because it represents trouble. Worst gangs wear hoodies. Seen as 'bad' kids because they do drugs, hang in isolated places and drink at a young age. All come from estates

Jen's mum - Jantra Bradford
She's insensitive. The opposite of a loving mum, she doesn't understand the pain Jen's going through for Iris and makes Jen even more upset about it. She's working class and single. Lives in a council estate with her daughter Jen.

Locations -  

Richmond Park - greenery, space, nice place to meet
Behind Civic Centre - private to do drugs
Lampton Park - Scenes of Jen thinking walking
Jasdeep's garden - Will be allowed to throw and break bottle when Jen is drinking
Flats - For hospital room scene, room looks like a hospital bedroom makes it look more real. Fainting scene because the door is by the hallway and when the girls arrive home Iris faints straight away. 
School - By tec block bushes and it's where the transition scene takes place because getting in and out the bush is easy. Also it's at school so the cast needed will be there.

Design -  
Richmond park mise en scene had to be pretty and isolated. The location where the gang is has to be a private area
When girls are older, they had to wear hoodies to show they're bad too - hoodies=  iconography 
Beer bottles had to be collected because using real beer bottles will create the rebellious look that the characters need.

Equipment list - Camera to film, Tripod to make sure camera is still, natural day light - audience can relate to it easily. 

1 - Monday - Civic Centre - group, gang, Iris
2 - Wednesday - Richmond Park - group, younger
3 - Thursday - Lampton Park - group
4 - Friday - West mid, Chruch- group
5 - Sunday - Flats - group, Iris

My roles - 

director, makes sure film is creatively produced and made in a single totality. Creatively translates the written word or script into specific sounds and images. Comes up with the ideas for the movie and tells team so they can help create the idea.

location manager - chooses what locations will be on the film for the scenes.

actors/actresses - are on screen, they act as the characters in film.

scripting, - writes what will be said in film

Institutions

Film institutions - 

 A Distributor is a company or individual in charge of the marketing of a film. They set when the film will be released. They decide if the film is good enough quality to go in cinemas before it comes out on video. Some films don't get distributed because quality may be poor or there is not enough money to promote them, so they go straight to DVD or video to be home viewed. Big budgeted films start off at cinemas in one area e.g. London, then go on 'general release'. And low financed films will appear at selected cinemas. E.g Arrow Films

Production companies provides the money and sets the budget. Producers work onside with the director because they're responsible for setting up and may make decisions like what actors to be hired. Executive producers organises the finances and overlooks everything. E.g. Film4 Productions

For Iris - 

The reason why i choose New Line Cinema as the distributor and Mark Johnson Productions to produce the film is because they did My Sister's Keeper. My Sister's Keeper is also a drama tragedy and there are similarities with Iris e.g. main character has cancer. Because Iris is similar, I thought it be best to have the same companies as the successful My Sister Keeper.

Info -

New Line Cinema - American film studio,  founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as a film distribution company, later becoming an independent film studio.  (Distributor for Iris)

Mark Johnson Productions (Producer) is set up by Mark Johnson who is an American film producer. He produced Rain Man which is a Drama film like Iris, and he won Best Picture Academy Award for it.

Research -

You see films on Television or in Cinema

Letters to God

How is narrative created?
Editing -
pace
Slow at the beginning with the equilibrium; boy has cancer and is writing a letter to god about it, the pace is still slow with the disruption; the op-positional character comes in - post guy. This builds up the interest in the story because it creates questions in the audiences mind makes them want to watch the rest of the trailer.
The recognition starts and is slightly faster, this effect builds up emotional tension on the audience. This is the longest and lasts throughout the trailer.
The transitions in the trailer are slow cuts and dissolving, the transitions were firstly slow to match the pace then got faster. It helped build up the tension in the trailer.

Filming -
camera shots
angles - pov
movements
distances

opening
Boy writing letter, reading what's written as voice over. Long shot to show what's going on,
intro to characters
In the first shot the boy is introduced and then the mum and post guy is.
teasing shots
the mum doesn't agree with God's will. Her son believes in God's will because he's been writing letters to God with positiveness and hope.
the convincer
Most of the trailer is convincing because they are so many questions to be answered. Like when mum opens boy's letter, makes audience want to know her response to her son's strong faith whereas she lost her faith. Makes the audience want to know more and to see the film

Sound -
Starts with voice over of the boy, he lets the audience know that he is sick, he has cancer but doesn't say. And at the end he says 'But it'll be okay' so he has faith and has a positive attitude. Non diegetic
There is dialogue between the post guy and the boy, it's more personal this way also the topic they are talking about is personal and emotional too. Diegetic
Music - The music gets louder throughout the trailer. Starts with piano music, piano is a classical and calm instrument - suits with pace of trailer at beginning. Eventually as trailer gets faster, lyrics and more instruments are added to match with emotions later on in the trailer.

How is Genre established?
The genre is Drama because there's social interaction with the audience, setting and characters in the trailer. The characters are going through a struggling experience that the audience can relate to and they feel emotionally attached by it. And finally there is a sort of realisation at the end

Conventions -
Firstly, there's an MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) film rating at the beginning which states the film is a PG (Parental Guidance). This means any age can watch it but parental guidance is suggested as some parts of the film may not be appropriate for children to watch. This shows the film's target audience is anyone, possibly family because it's PG.

Next the production company logo appears - Possibility pictures. This can give an insight of the film because it can be compared to previous films made by Possibility pictures. Again, gives a clue on the target audience.

Shot -
The first shot is a long shot and it's eye level. There's a voice over by the main character, and his actions suits what he is saying because the voice over is his thoughts (diegetic sound). In the first shot he says as the voice over "Dear God..." so he looks up to the sky where God is. He is writing a letter to God, the audience knows this is important as the film's name is 'Letters to God'. This creates a personal and sweet feeling for the audience. The voice over gives a brief outline of the film leaving the audience with questions. There is calm piano background music to match the feeling created by the first few shots.

 And the last shot is the same shot like in the beginning - same location, dark, same character. This effects the audience because now they know what the character has been through but at the beginning they didn't.

Text- 
Some shots are black with gold text. They're short sentences that relate to the film and the audience. The music changes as the first one is seen. It's inspired by a true story which gives meaning and a purpose.
Another text shot is ''Producers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants". This suggest because these producers also made this film, there will be a similarities like genre - Drama.
The credits were right at the end of the film - e.g. names of actors, producers, distributors. The actor names didn't appear through the trailer, this suggests that they aren't easily recognisable actors because they may not be so famous. Otherwise the editor would of put the names in between the trailer to keep hold of the audiences attention.

Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions -

Production Company logo - Tells the audience the company that created the film. If the production company made successful films in the past, this gives a good image on the new film and people would want to watch it as before they've enjoyed films made by that company. The more people who watch it, the bigger the profit. Also, sometimes the logo may change the way it's represented to match the genre of film e.g. Warner Brothers.

Cast and Crew - Names of actors and actresses are in the trailer, people may watch film because it features one of their favorite actors/actresses.
Also 'From director of...' This may suggest content is similar to other film. And because the same director filmed it, how ever entertained the audience was in the other film, the audience will be that entertained in the new film.

Paces - 
 Fast pace: cut the clips to show as much of the story possible, giving an idea of the narrative.
Sometimes slow in beginning then fast to create tension and emotions for the climax.

Length of Shots - How long a shot is gives an effect. so each second counts. Short shots show important bits to the plot. Longer shots hold info about storyline.

Music - Matches pace of film, sets mood.
Dialogue - Tells story, seems more personal
Text - Creates suspense, helps tell story


Conventions of Drama genre -

Firstly, genre should be easily recognized by target audience because you want them to watch your film. Genres are used to form a script and attract the target audience.

Drama -

• True life situations with realistic characters, stories and setting
• Shows journey of character development
• Strong social interaction
• Storyline purpose is to move audiences emotions
• What makes drama is the conflict - inner/outer struggles, pain
• Audience can easily relate to characters
• Keeps audience emotionally attached and tension going - by using climaxes and anti climaxes.
• Form of realisation at end

 Iris is a hybrid because it's drama, tragedy (suffering, weak, illness) and coming of age (grow out of bad lifestyle, turn mature)

Iris

  My official film name - Iris. 

Iris - Used as girl in film is called Iris but it's also ironic as rainbow connotes happiness, harmony and luck which doesn't relate to sad story in film. Although it can relate to message in the end because rainbow also means life.

Genre - Drama, 'coming of age', Tragedy

Pitch 

When two teenage girls waste their lives, all that matters is they have each other.  Iris and Jen are two best friends who live a lifestyle of smoking, drinking and partying. The bond is unbreakable between the two. But when Iris gets sick and is diagnosed with cancer, how will Jen survive without her?

Synopsis

Jennifer Bates and Iris Stanley are 14 year olds,soon to be 15. They are best friends who both loathe their families and live in Brixton, South London. They Stay out all night and instead of going to school they sit in the local park, drinking, smoking and doing all the things teenagers shouldn’t be.
Eventually their mayhem lead them to a group of young thugs and the girls find themselves stealing cars, selling drugs and robbing from the local community.

One day Iris falls ill. Iris is diagnosed with cancer - a brain tumour. With the newfound love and support of her family,Iris goes into hospital leaving her beloved friend behind to fend for herself in a world which until now, she understood.
The bond between the girls is tested as they are torn apart by the possibility of death and the harsh reality of loneliness in a cruel and unforgiving world.
This is a story about two desolate lives, brought together by a basic human need to survival and be loved… but when all they have known is how to survive together, how will they learn to survive apart?

Things to include in trailer - Beginning and abit of middle, not resolution as it'll give the whole film away.
 

Beginning:
· Sad desolate environment of 2 young girls· Friendship is made and hence they create their own “family” together.· Bond becomes apparent to trailer audience.
Middle:
· Bond is reinforced for trailer audience·The 2 girls create havoc together, strengthening their relationship.·After bond is strengthened – conflict is created and audience discover 1 character has cancer. Posing the question: what happens now? 

(This is not shown in trailer) End: Iris doesn't survive, leaves Jenn alone forever. However, Jen's life has changed for the good as before she was surviving without Iris and Jen wanted to change for the better. 

 In the trailer, can add keywords with white flashing light as background: Survival, change, light, hope, death, life - message from film

White is pure and represents peace and purity. It's a colour which is like a light at the end of a dark tunnel - hope.

Warm Bodies

 

The voice over is used to introduce characters and narrative - it lets the audience know the lifestyle of the one zombie as he explained himself also that he wishes he could connect which is what relates to the narrative of the trailer. This supports the genre of the trailer because its drama and comedy as it was explained in a humorous way. There were many cuts to keep the trailer short. The non diegetic sound was the music - which build up during the trailer, 
Even though the voice over was targeted at the audience, the main character in the film could hear it as well since it was him talking - diegetic sound. In addition to this, the characters talking, shooting from guns, any sound that happens in the film is also diegetic.

Todorov - 5 part theory, 
equilibrium - The beginning introduces zombies, setting is dead and abandoned. This may represent the zombies since they're all dead.disruption - Character see's girl in shooting scene, zombie takes her and looks after hercomplication - girl's dad kills zombies - problem because zombie and girl are friends, them being together infects other zombies. Zombie is learning to be human from this.The restoration was kind of seen because the zombie turns human and kisses the girl but something might of happened from there. Normally, in trailers the restoration isn't seen because it'll reveal the whole film.