Location

Prior to our filming, I thought it would be a good idea to get some images of the location that will be used in our film opening. I decided to film a short, 4-5 second long, point of view shot at the location at the same time of day that we will be filming, as there is a good chance the lighting will be similar.

Dead Man's Shoes by Shane Meadows

For inspiration and research for our film, it was recommended that we watch Dead Man's Shoes directed by Shane Meadows. I have to say, I don't think I have ever reacted to a film this way. I was gripped throughout the whole thing and despite being absorbed by the narrative, I couldn't help but sit in wonder at the amazing use of camera, effects and lighting that are used in the film. The use of continuous, hand-held shots really grabbed the audience into the action, and I was particularly intrigued by the parts where the characters discover the bodies of their friends, as the use of camera work here makes the audience feel like they are one of the thugs, and you get a similar reaction to the characters when they discover their friends.

Another thing that I loved about the film was how they used a black and white effect when the clip was of a flashback, as it made it clear that it is not present time, and distinguishes it from the other shots of present day. 

For me, one of the key elements of this film was the soundtrack. Music composed by Calexio, with the use of accordion gave a really chilling effect to the film, and I had to immediately download the album as soon as I had finished watching the film. 

The narrative of the film, an ex soldier returning for revenge, has a similar plot line to our film, and by watching the film, I have now got some great ideas on how to create a chilling and intense atmosphere. For example, I would love to use a continuous hand-held shot when Tim is in the house, as this would create a lot of tension for the audience.  

Mood Board for Film

This is the mood board for our film idea. As you can see, it is without a title, but the plot for the entire story and the pros and cons which we can add to overtime are on the board. As the genre, social-realism, is not really linked with war, we decided to incorporate something associated with war into the board, hence the camouflage design. We have also included a couple of ideas for potential frames of the opening, which have been included in our storyboard which is currently in progress.  

We are having a problem with the title of the film as we want to avoid one word titles, which are easy to come up with. We have come up with a couple of ideas but we are still unsure of all of them. Some of our potential ideas are:
- WAR IS HOME
- HOME IS WAR
- HOME IS WHERE THE WAR IS

Once we have decided on a title we will include it in the board. Until then, the film is unnamed.