Changes to our Synopsis...

As a group, we have decided to change the destination and the beginning of our 2 minutes. It started at a bench in a isolated field with shots of the main characters feet whilst he's sat down slowly discovering his face. We have now changed this idea to him running through a park/estate training to make the audience more aware that he is an ex boxer. We have decided to use the estate as it fits better with the mood/genre of the opening as it fits well with the character. The titles were supposed to be in the paper whilst the main character was looking through it but we have now decided to fade them in and out whilst the character is running. As the character is running through the estate/park he will have headphones in which will be playing diegetic music as it is in the characters ears, as he rests after training he will take out the headphones and the music will stop for the audience also. We have thought of another idea instead of the character sitting on the park bench which is he would be stood against a wall showing the stress he's feeling rather than relaxation. Around him we would have litter as it isn't the most upper class estate including the newspaper which would show the fight article drawing his attention to it. After the character has seen the article he's smoking a cigarette which is blown into the camera and pauses the frame of the smoke for 2-3 seconds which the cuts to the fight scene.

Another idea we had for the fight scene was to either have the diegetic sounds of the fight or to have the fight scene silent/white noise.

Our Synopsis.....

After the two minute opening, the film would follow the character and will show how the character gained his new found power. The character would be a trained professional boxer who used to take part in arranged illegal fights for big money rewards. One day his prime competition would beat him to a pulp in an illegal fight. The character dies but is resuscitated. When he regains his consciences he discovers his new power of being able to rewind bad situations in time.
Throughout the film he beings to take advantage of his power to better himself, after this misuse of his power the consequences of this then causes a knock on effect, a death of a close friend. This final happening means that he looses his power; the situation can then not be rewound.

The first two minutes is the discovery of his new found power and the first arranged fight after his near death experience.


By Gabi Bonner, Katie Hing & Vicky Sherwood

Genre Discussion...

Our opening fits best with the genre of a British sci-fi.
The conventions of this genre are....

"...usually scientific, visionary, comic-strip-like, and imaginative, and usually visualized through fanciful, imaginative settings, expert film production design, advanced technology gadgets (i.e., robots and spaceships), scientific developments, or by fantastic special effects. Sci-fi films are complete with heroes, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology and gizmos, and unknown and inexplicable forces. Many other SF films feature time travels or fantastic journeys, and are set either on Earth, into outer space, or (most often) into the future time. Quite a few examples of science-fiction cinema owe their origins to writers Jules Verne and H.G. Wells."


Our film opening complies with these conventions in that our character faces an impossible quest of rewinding time. He is confronted by a 'villainous' character in dark and shadowy setting and the physical rewinding of this is futuristic and unexpected. This is similar to other british drama works including...

• Misfits
• Dr Who
• Primeval

Camera Shot Types - choices and reasoning...

The combination of different types of shots of his face/what he does whilst sitting on the bench establishes character. We want the audience to feel intrigued by these shots of his emotions and what he does. The reaction shots of the character can reflect on the audience making them also feel what he is feeling. The use of rewinding time and the contrast with real time creates enigma by the different types used.

The conventions of the opening 2 minutes of a feature length film...

•  Establishes setting/character
• Uses establishing shot and slow pace edits
• Non diegetic sound
• Creates enigma

We believe our idea incorporates all of these concepts. The establishing close ups of our character give time for the audience to be made aware of  the proposed characteristics and props shown in the shot. Hopefully they gain an understanding of the type of character he is. The use of slow motion, real time and reverse scenes creates a contrast in which the plot is developed: the audience are captivated and engrossed by his trail of thought. This therefore, creates enigma. The use of non diegetic sound within the fight scene induces the sense of adrenaline and apprehension which again, adds to the overall pace.

Main Task Concept/Idea...

Our first two opening minutes of our film sequence is as follows...

18 year old man, dressed in lower class clothing smoking a cigarette. Rough hair and clothes.

Establishing shots: Pan along the floor until we reach the feet of the character.

4-5 establishing character shots: Sparking up a cigarette, twitching with his fingers, bowing his head.

High angled over the shoulder shot of the newspaper blowing in the wind on the bench, we see the character pick up the newspaper.

Mid shot of the newspaper being opened out.

Pan along the news paper, lots of quick edits of words within the article about the stabbing that has taken place.

Close up of characters reaction.

Mid shot of newspaper, the camera dives into the fight scene in the paper.

Dim lighting produced with torches & candles as fight/scramble between two lower class lads in an alley way takes place. Lots of low/high/ interesting angles. There are other people in the alley spurring the boys on.

The action suddenly rewinds to the scene where the character is sitting on the bench.

Close up of smoke rewinding from the camera back into the characters mouth.

Several close ups of the character twitching as before and to his face looking confused.

Over the shoulder shot of the character picking up the newspaper again, this time, it has a different article ( as if the event never took place ).

By Gabi Bonner, Katie Hing & Vicky Sherwood.