G321: Storyboard and Script for Film Opening

We are now looking at the specifics for the opening of our film and are thinking about the storyboard and the script for our film. We put together the storyboard on post-it notes so that if we choose to make any changes we can easily move the shots around to alter the order. We have decided that the editing of our opening will be fairly slow and so have included a lot of tracking shots to make sure the opening runs smoothly and fits with our film genre.

Storyboard One
This is our first storyboard where we started to look mainly at the types of shots we would like to include in the opening and a rough sort of order we would like to shots to appear in. We were not thinking about titles at this point and were looking more at the content of the opening and the types of shots we wanted to use.

Storyboard Two
We were thinking about how we were going to introduce other characters in our opening and decided that we would like to use a photograph to introduce the character of Ryan Westwood and have incorporated that into shot seven which is a tracking shot and so it will fit smoothly into the sequence.

Final Storyboard
Now that we are happy with the shots and order of our storyboard we started to consider how the titles can be incorporated into the sequence and where they should appear in the frame. We wanted to be more creative with some of the titles in our opening and so we decided to make the main film title: Penelope Fox: Lessons in Love a part of the narrative itself and we have decided to have it written on a notepad where the character will circle it to make it clear it is the film title. We decided to incorporate this into shot three which is a tracking shot over the desk and therefore it will fit in smoothly. We decided that the other titles will come up fairly slowly in different areas of the screen throughout the sequence so that they do not distract from the narrative.

Here we have explained each shot:

 1. Long shot of Penelope sitting at a desk typing. This will be used to set the scene for the audience and will also be the point where the production title appears.

2+ 3 Cut to close up of magazines and paper on the desk then a tracking shot over Penelope's hands typing. There is then a close up of a notepad with the film title written on it - Penelope will circle this. Main actress and supporting actors names will appear here.

4. Mid shot (over the shoulder) on Penelope typing at computer. Editors name will enter here.

5. Cut to close up of the computer screen so that we can see what she is saying.

6. Close up from behind computer screen so that we can just see Penelope's eyes. Writers name will appear here.

7. Close up tracking shot over the desk again so that we see magazine article of Penelope with her award. It then continues over items on the desk including a photo of her and her boyfriend. Directors name appears.

8. Cut to a close up of her phone ringing in her bag.

9. Long shot of desk and Penelope frantically looking for her phone.

Order of the Titles
We have looked at some exiting film openings and looked at the order the titles appear and decided to use a similar format starting with the production companies followed by actors and actresses with the film title fairly early on.



Shot 1 - Production Company



Shot 2 - Main Actress



3 - Supporting Actors

Shot 3 - Film Title

Shot 4 - Editors

Shot 6 - Writers

Shot 7 - Directors


Now we have finalised our storyboard we need to create our script for the opening. We only have one character in our opening so the script consists of just the voice over. However we have also included on here the timings for each shot and where certain points in the voice over need to come in relation to each shot.


The Script

Penelope:

"Love at First Sight is perhaps the most romantic thing that can happen to anyone. It was Shakespeare who once said ‘Love is blind’ [pause] Passion can make people lose their heart and mind within a matter of seconds and that first glance can change your life. Oh crap, a title: Penelope Fox: Tips on Love, hmm no. [Scribbles out on paper] Penelope Fox: Lessons in Love, yeah I like that. Anyway,  Love at first sight can happen anywhere, anytime and the worst thing is, it can be uncontrollable. There are those who say it is just passion or lust that attract people to each other, and refuse to believe that one can really fall in love with another person at the first moment their eyes meet. But surely………. [phone rings] SHIT!!!! Oh crap where is it, oh where are you?!"


In order to consider how the whole opening will run, we have thought about how the script will run alongside each shot. These are rough estimates as on the day they might change depending on how fast the words are spoken etc. 

Background music begins when institution logos appear

Shot 1: 2-3 seconds 'Love at first sight in perhaps...'


Shot 2+3: 12-14 seconds '...is the most romantic thing that can happen to anyone. It was Shakespeare who once said 'Love is blind' [pause] Passion can make people lose their heart and mind within a matter of seconds and that first glance can change your life' oh crap, a title: 


Continuation of shot 3: 8 seconds  '... Penelope Fox: Tips on Love, hmm no. [Scribbles out on paper] Penelope Fox: Lessons in Love, yeah I like that...'

Shot 4: 4 Seconds No Dialogue but background music can be heard


Shot 5: 6 seconds '... Anyway, Love at first sight can happen anywhere, anytime and the worst thing is..'


Shot 6: 4 seconds '... it can be uncontrollable. There are those who say...'


Shot 7: 12- 14 seconds '... it is just passion or lust that attract people to each other, and refuse to believe that one can really fall in love with another person at the first moment their eyes meet. But surely………."


Shot 8: 4 seconds: Music cuts out. Close up of phone ringing. '... SHIT!!!!'


Shot 9: 4 seconds '... oh crap where is it, oh where are you?!'

Cath, Charley, Joanna