Evaluation questions

QUESTION 1+2

QUESTION 3+4

QUESTION 5+6

QUESTION 7

Final Cut

 Unfortunately, you may find that the soundtrack breaks in pitch/volume in areas of intensity. I was unable to avoid this, uploading the video to blogger. 

Please, look to the sound track post on my blog, for an earlier, yet functioning soundtrack of Reset Code, should you find the 'noise' too unbearable. 

I've noticed also, that my rough cut suffers from the same issue, at least not as extreme in its severity. For the 3/4-full Reset Code soundtrack, please listen to my rough cut post. Thankyou.

Aside from this, I'm happy with the way it's turned out. I enjoyed creating Reset Code.

Reset Code soundtrack

I created this soundtrack using Apple software's Garage Band app. This soundtrack can be heard during the credit sequence for Reset Code.

This soundtrack is still a work in progress; My main concern is that this piece is perhaps not befitting of the genre and the overall theme of Reset Code. Minus the tech/robot sounds at the beginning and end of the track, I believe you could find this soundtrack to be at home in a film such as "Apocalypto". All included, when I hear this track, I think of the film "War of the Worlds". It is for this reason that I'm unsure about the soundtrack's place in my thriller opening sequence.

I do like its deep tone however, as Reset Code is supposed to be a dark, gritty thriller. What I need, I think, is a longer and more growingly complex drum sequence. The difficulty lies in fitting the entire length of this soundtrack into my opening credits, should I add a longer drum sequence.  

Included in my thriller's credits...

Producer:

Hack-Rat productions

For my thriller's producer I believed I could create a company name that would strengthen the opening sequence's foundation in a narrative based off of hacking. Chiefly, the name was designed as an additional clue for the audience, to ensure that they know of the themes that will feature in the narrative. "Hack-Rat productions" was the first thing that popped into my head, and it has stuck; its connotations fit my thriller well. The "Hack" in its name is simple enough, providing the clue as to what my narrative entails, a kind of foregrounding if you will, while "Rat" could be a way of metaphorically referring to Reset Code's main character; Miles is trapped in a maze of winding, dark tunnels and passages that lead to danger with each turn. He has to rely on his wits and trust no one. Miles is the "Hack-Rat" that scurries around the boots of those that seek to crush him, dodging the foul machinations of the company he was framed by and the cruel government that pursues him.

Credits

Being a one man team in the development of Reset Code, I've not many people to feature in the credit sequence. My brother acted as Cameraman for the interrogation scene as it was myself in the chair. He also played the role of one of the government's interrogators in the opening scene, so for that I thank him again. As of yet, there are only two actors in Reset Code: myself and my brother. I've both edited and filmed in a way that compensates for the shortage of actors.

As it stands,

Producer: Hack-Rat productions

Editing by, Directed by, Music by: Douglas Loscalzo

Actors: Douglas Loscalzo, Riccardo Loscalzo

Editing software: Apple software- IMovie

Music Software: Apple software- Garageband
Other names featured in the credits: Kuda Dera, Brandon Reeves

Which font? Why?

The above picture is of my final cut's font. I thought this font, coupled with its dotted underlining has the greatest grounding in what you would expect from a film based in the sic-fi thriller genre. I've given the font a glow, so that the title appears to be on a monitor screen. I created this title on powerpoint, filming it directly off of the screen, using some editing a camera trickery to make the title seem as if it is growing bigger and moving in a three-dimensional way.

A rejected font, this version I believe felt too blocky and stubborn; Reset Code is a sci-fi thriller about hacking espionage, so subtlety is a must for all of its characters. This font just seems too dated for Reset Code's time frame, and reminds me slightly of the "Predator" movie's font. Fortunately there's no need to "Get to the chopper!" here.

Filming locations

Opening scene: The Interrogation

For my thriller's opening interrogation scene I needed a location that seemed intimidating. As an example, the opening scene in "Memento" takes place in a deserted, dilapidated building:

This I believe is a great example of where setting is used to convey narrative and the state of the characters within it. It's dark, dingy and looks like a room out of a Saw movie.

So, naturally I thought: "What better place than my garage!"

Using the inner side of the garage-bay door, I deployed the use of a mid shot to hide the outer clutter of the garage and just focus on the character in the chair. To make the entire scene more atmospheric, a simple phone flashlight was used and directed at the character.

The following images are of locations filmed in Nottingham City:

Reset Code's genre boarders on that of a sci-fi thriller. It was for that reason that I decided upon using a city as the main setting for Reset Code, as Its general appearance feels modern and sizable; an aspect that would add to Reset Code's production value, while establishing its time period and genre.

Titles-discreet or minimal?

I chose to have the majority of my titles appear as discrete, by blending them in with their respective backgrounds. By this, I mean that each title would often move into a position where it's visible while appearing as a part of the physical scene. An inspiration for this was "The Walking Dead"'s opening sequence: