Post 28 - Working from a script (Directing your actors)

Here are some pictures of the script that I have annotated explaining at points how I want the actors to perform through voice, expression and movement. 

I had a discussion with the editor about what I wanted for the final piece, and how I wanted each part to look and sound. We made two different cuts using the same footage to get an idea of how we wanted each scene to look, one by the editors, one by the director and camerawoman we discussed the different shots that we had and went through each cut and picked out the ones that we wanted to use. The editors captured our ideas really well and the final piece is very similar to what we had imagined and the storyboards shown below. 

After reading through the script, annotating it for the actors' directions etc. the editor drew some storyboards to get a better idea of what the final piece was going to look like. We had the storyboards with us when filming so that we could position the actors according to the drawings, we did change some of the positions to fit the setting and the camera angles but the final piece is relatively similar and worked very well. The storyboard gave us some flexibility with the filming because we had an idea of how we wanted the actors and the setting to look beforehand so it made the process a lot quicker, although we could have left the storyboard a little more to get a bigger variety of different shots and camera angles. The editors and sound person helped with the directing because we all had different ideas about different parts of the scene so we took ideas from each other and compromised until we created one final idea that worked for all of us. The actors were very good and took the directions very well which made the directing a lot easier and quicker for the lines to be said, which left more time for us to repeat the dialogue at different angles, although because of the cold temperatures at the different settings, it did limit the time we had to film because the actors were so cold between takes. 

Post 27 - Working from a script (Editing)

After reading the script it is clear that it uses linear narrative, which is when a scene or story has a defined start, middle and end with no cutaways from that order. This is the traditional way of telling stories as it is straightforward to understand, which is especially helpful in Narnia, as it is a children’s story. Linear narrative is used to great effect in this scene to build audience engagement in the world inside the wardrobe, as it allows them to take in the new surroundings at a good pace, in the scene there are a lot of long drawn out parts which help ease the viewer into taking in the new environment. This is often used in films, one example could be Star Wars, every time they visit a new planet there are usually slower paced conversations or shots of the environment to help the viewer adapt from environment to environment.

A theoretical effect we could use within our video is the Kuleshov Effect. An example of a location within the script where we could use this is when Lucy and Mr. Tumnus first meet. The effect of this is that we are able to see the reactions of both characters without them actually speaking to each other. It allows the viewers to take in more meaning of the story. It makes the viewer more engaged as they think the character is showing a different expression every time but in fact they are using the same. This scene is a tense moment in the story where the viewer and the character knows nothing of what is happening or where they are. The viewer will be very engaged.

Post 26 - Working from a script (Storyboarding)

INITIAL STORYBOARDS: To make these we had to communicate with each other, as myself as the director,

the editor and the camera person, so that we could all agree the angles of each frame. 

FINAL STORYBOARD:

The final decisions for the storyboard were very important because we wanted to get it right.

The images below show how the storyboards were before filming, they also include how we

thought  the timings would be. However, the exact timings were not used in the actual process

of making the scene.

EVALUATION OF STORYBOARDS:

We stuck to these storyboards very closely, however some scenes were difficult due to the weather mainly. For example, when the sun was setting it was very difficult to get our angle right. 

Post 25 - Working from a script (Sound)

With the sound for our scene I began by thinking about the setting of our scene and what sounds might be linked with those pleases. For example with the scene that was set in the forest I thought of many different sounds that linked to a woodland like birds chirping, rustles in leaves and a light breeze blowing threw the trees. When Isabel who paled Lucy was walking threw the woods I thought that it couldn't stay silent and we needed to maybe have music playing to emperies the curiosity and wonder of Lucy.

Post 24 - Working from a script (Props)

The necessary props are :

Boxes insinuating parcels- to make these I used a flat piece of cardboard and within, cut out a net. I then put together the net and wrapped them in paper to make it look as though they are parcels.

A picture of an older faun > I found it hard to find a good picture of a faun but after looking on google images I came across this picture which was the most appropriate. the picture quality is quite low and therefore in the shot we will make sure that the photo isn't fully and is briefly shown on camera. 

A flute

Post 23 - Working from a script (Costume and make-up)

SKETCHES AND IDEAS

In order to create a better image of how we wanted the characters to look, we decided to make some labelled sketches of our ideas to see how they would look on the character. We did end up changing a few parts of it, for example the antler/ears headset and the hoof ideas, because they proved to be too difficult or too expensive to create. One sketch was coloured in order to create a more secure image of how Mr Tumnus would be presented, and the other sketch was left uncoloured so there would be more room for improvement. 

The sketches helped with creating the characters because they visually represented how our ideas would work on the character and they stopped mistakes being made before it was too late to change anything. 

MR TUMNUS

Trialling the makeup and why we chose the products

We started by priming the face. The reason we primed the face is to create a smooth dn moisturised surface to apply makeup onto. We then moved onto the foundation, it makes sure the colour of the face is even and not blotchy in any places and it makes sure the face will show up flawlessly on camera. Onto the foundation we applied concealer, we did this to further ensure there were no imperfections and to brighten some areas of the face up. To set the base, we used some setting powder. This makes sure the makeup doesn't show up too shiny on the camera and also males sure the base lasts throughout the filming. We then added some contour to the cheekbones, we decided to use the darkest colour to ensure it shows up on the screen and so the spots that we will later create shows up as well. We also used the same colour on the eyebrows to fill them out and make sure they're even. We added some spots onto the contour with the concealer to replicate the markings that you may find on a fawn. We did this to link the character to the species that the script says it is with is a faun. 

We then moved onto the eye makeup. We decided to add a bit of sparkle to the eyes using the gold eyeshadow to draw attention to them and to make sure the contour isn’t driving the attention away from the other aspects of the face. We used deep brown on the crease of the eyes to make them seem slightly larger and we used some white shimmer dust on the inner corners of the eyes to make them seem, wider. Eyeliner was used  to line the eyes and make them seem like the eyelashes are longer than they are.

To create the nose, a different eyeliner was used to create a guideline for the nose and we used a black eyeshadow to fill it in.

We finished the look off by using a glitter lip-gloss to make the lips seem shinier and to make sure they aren’t overcrowded by the other makeup surrounding it.

COSTUME

Mr Tumnus was portrayed to have goat-like legs and to be bear chested. This was a complication for us as it was nearing winter when we filmed so it would be too cold to have the actor without a shirt, and the legs would be too complicated to replicate, so we made some adjustments. Instead of having no shirt, the actor wore a thick jumper in order to stay warm. I think it worked pretty well with the makeup and it showed the audience that the scene was set in winter. We made some horns out of some Devil horns left over from Halloween and painted them with brown paint which fit the look very well and fit with the script, we then paired it with a flower crown to disguise the headband and to add an extra element of nature. 

Post 22 - Working from a script (Setting)

List of the settings in our script: 

- Narnia
- Alternative universe
- Mr Tumnus' House
- Frosty Forest 
- The wardrobe into Narnia
Images of potential settings that can work and reasons why : 

PLANTATION GARDENS

The plantation Garden is a Grade II English heritage registered garden close to Norwich city centre, next to the Catholic Cathedral. Th garden comprises nearly 3 acres and its features include a Gothic fountain, flower beds, lawns, an Italianate terrace, 'Medieval' wall, summer house, woodland walkways and a rustic bridge. 

MOUSEHOLD HILL

Mousehold heath is an area of heathland and woodland which lies north east Norwich, England and a designated Local Nature reserve. It is now mostly covered by broad-leaf semi-natural woodland, although some areas of heath remain and are actively managed. This location would be ideal for our Narnia scenes.

BEWILDERWOOD ADVENTURE PARK

A huge, award winning forest of family fun and outdoor adventure. Treehouses, zip wires, jungle bridges etc. This location would have been very exciting and fitting for the scene we were to film, but unfortunately the site was closed for the season so it was impossible with our time frame to film there. 

Sketches of how we want the settings to look in the scene :

Final choices of what settings we are using and reasons why : 

We chose to use our local forest for our setting because we though it was best for our scene. The setting was perfect for our Narnia piece because the area was very close to home. This made transportation very easy for cast members and producers as it wasn't very far to travel. Furthermore, the location was a forest in a field nearby which means that there was no entry fee, unlike other locations we were looking at. Finally, our location was very quiet which meant that we could get a lot of footage before a dog walker came past. This was very good as it allowed us to film lots without being disturbed. In conclusion, I think that our location was exactly how our group envisioned the setting to look like, we all believe that we couldn't have chosen a better location to film.

Video of final decision of setting:

Post 21 - Working from a script (Casting and Characters)

There are only two characters in the scene that we are working on, they are Lucy Pevensie and Mr Tumnus.

Lucy : She is the youngest of the four Pevensie children, is the most level headed and wise, while also maintaining her child-like qualities. She is very trusting and immediately knows that Mr Tumnus is a good, reliable friend even though he admits that he was going to kidnap her. In this specific scene we particularly see her vulnerability and naivety as at only 8 years old she wonders off into a different world without fears or worries that a lot of other children would experience at her age. In the short scene that we look at, we get to see her bravery and curiosity as she discovers Narnia and greets Mr Tumnus.

Mr Tumnus : He is the first Narnian Lucy meets is Mr Tumnus who is a faun, which means he is half-man above his waist with curly, dark hair, a small beard and reddish skin, and half-goat below his waist, with hooves and thick, glossy fur. He is a bit shy when Lucy first meets him but his curiosity means he has to introduce himself to her. He quickly gains Lucy's trust so we get to see very quickly how he is responsible and maybe caring, even if he is very confused about what he is. To him, Lucy is a mysterious creature, but she sees him the same way which is portrayed quite comedically in this scene. When he is first introduce, although Lucy trusts him almost immediately, the audience find it harder because he is a stranger to Lucy and has invited her to his house within minutes of their introducing each other. 

These are the parts of the script that we decided to use for the audition : 

   

We first watched the scene in the original film to try and get a better understanding of the characters and their personalities. This helped us with the casting because we knew what we were looking for and we could therefore choose who we wanted to play the parts. We decided on 3 people for both of the characters, that we wanted to audition and then looked back at the tapes and chose the cast. We decided quite quickly because we felt it was obvious who should have each role, so we ended up choosing Isabel to play Lucy, and Raygen to play Mr Tumnus. We chose Isabel because we thought that her audition was amazing and that the way she portrayed the character and her qualities were very similar to the original film. We decided to use Raygen because again we felt that the audition went well and when put together, they worked well. 

Casting headshots and auditions for the role of Lucy Pevensie

Casting headshots and auditions for the role of Mr Tumnus 

           

The audition tapes