Film Studies - Screen Test Notes

Screen Test Notes
For my AS film studies portfolio, I have developed my

planning, further following my textual analysis of the two
chosen action movies: The Amazing Spiderman (2012) and Skyfall
(2012) in which I have deeply analysed and described how the
main protagonist is portrayed and presented to the audience.
This was explained through the use of the different narrative
theories in which I picked out when watching each of the
films. I have planned a project of a 2-minute film sequence
where my characters will be represented in the same way as my
chosen films through the use of microelements.
For my protagonist, Keanon, it was important that he was
played by a schoolboy who was at least 16 years of age. The
reason for this was because as the director, I wanted to give
the character an image of a stereotypical east-london
schoolboy, which would fit the part perfectly as though it was
natural. The character had to be tall, over 6ft tall, which
would assert dominance over the antagonist, preferably around
the 6ft region. This would mean that the character would look
tough and brave towards the audience, and also seen as a
threat towards the antagonist. The characters costume will
consist of a basic school uniform (suit shoes, black trousers,
white shirt) along with a black hooded zip-up jumper.
Although the character doesnt have any lines in the
production, their actions and the events that occur will
present the representations of the character, which will still
give off the desired effect towards the audience.
My antagonist, Paris, will play an important role in the
production. They are also the first character to be seen at
the beginning of the sequence. His costume consists of dark
clothing which connotes danger and secrecy to his character. I
also wanted to make sure that my character was of a smaller
height in comparison to my protagonist. This is so the
audience can clearly define who the protagonist and antagonist
is and also who has the most power. When choosing my character
specifications, I also decided that my antagonist would need
to be strong looking, acting as a fair competition in the
battle between antagonist and protagonist. Throughout the
duration of the sequence, the character will be wearing black
trousers, black school shoes and a dark hooded jumper,
concealing his face.
Marcus Stamp
Once I had thought about my character and had also written out
my script, I had an overall idea of whom I wanted to play the
specific roles in my production, one antagonist and one
protagonist. To ensure that the people I had in mind for my
potential actors was what I was looking for, I help brief
auditions to see who was right for the job. I created an
extract that closely links to the scenes in my creative
artefact in order to see how my actors would react in similar
situations.
Brief outline of anonymous antagonist:
The anonymous antagonist is a young male, 20 years old, who is
a professional hacker of computer devices and technical
systems. His plan is to break into the local school and steal
the upcoming exam results for the summer A-level and GCSE
exams. In order to do this, he must hack and gain access to
the schools database. He is extremely sly and secretive and
will do whatever it takes to avoiding being caught in the act.
Brief outline of anonymous protagonist:
The anonymous protagonist is also a young male of 17 years old
who is a student at the local high school that the antagonist
has planned the hack attack on. He is a normal schoolboy who
is fairly smart and top of the majority of his classes. He is
also brave and will act accordingly to danger to prevent harm
to others.
Marcus Stamp
The following extract is from my scipt outline that I created

before filming, and has been chosen for the auditions of the
character. This is at the beginning of the sequence where the
antagonist, Meechy, begins to hack the school database to
access the examination files.
-------------------------------------------------------------Actor 1:
Name: Paris Kai-Trowers
Age: 17 Years Old
Height: 5ft 10inches
Features: Long dreadlocks, Brown Eyes
Screen test notes on Meechy - Actor 1: Paris Kai-Trowers
After observing actor ones performance in great detail, I was
able to identify how the actor had performed particular roles
in the sequence through the use of facial expressions, body
languages and general effort. After viewing the performance, I
had decided that this person was exactly what I needed to fit
the role of the character in my film sequence. I had asked him
to perform several times as I wanted to see how the actor
looked from particular angles. For
example, I
recording the same scene of the
character
hacking the computer system from a
high and low
angle in order to see if the
character
made the scene look and feel
realistic.
The actor delivered the performance
required for
the scene without any mistakes and
with plenty
of confidence. When Meechy is
hacking the
computer, the candidate looked very in role and professional
about the situation, which was what I was looking for. I felt
as though this actor would be most suitable out of the
candidates.
Marcus Stamp
Actor 2:
Name: Owen Martin
Age: 17 Years Old
Height: 5ft 8inches
Features: Light-brown skin, brown eyes
Screen test notes on Meechy - Actor 2: Owen Martin
After watching the performance from the candidate, Owen, I
wasnt very impressed of the outcome. However, I didnt give
out my answer straight away as I was still in the deciding
stage. The actor at first seemed and looked shy and
intimidated by the camera. I had given all candidates the task
of performing the same role of Meechy hacking the schools
database after entering the classroom. When the participant
began to perform, he managed to jump into character fairly
well which was impressive. However, there were times where the
character became distracted, which slowed down the audition,
showing unprofessionalism. This was a major factor that would
could with my decision as I needed someone who would be good
at their job and get things done quickly and swiftly as I was
under a tight schedule. So even though the initial performance
of the candidate was of a high standard, other behaviour
factors affected my decision, deeming them as unsuitable for
the role of Meechy.
Marcus Stamp
The following extract is from my script outline and has been

chosen for the auditions of the schoolboy, Jamal McKenzie.
This is where Jamal sees the hacker exit the classroom and
begins to persue and chase him.
-------------------------------------------------------------Actor 1:
Name: Dominic Davies
17 Years Old
Height: 5ft 10inches
Features: Built figure, brown eyes
Age:
Screen test notes on Jamal - Actor 1: Dominic Davies

This character didnt really need many requirements. He just
needed to be strong and have a tall figure, bigger than the
antagonist. This candidate took some time to volunteer after I
started to search for actors. As his performance began, I
could tell from the start that he didnt have a great
understanding of how to deliver his role in a professional and
realistic manner. The way in which he performed would not
clearly identify the genre towards the audience. Also, I found
that the actor was unfocused and childish at times, messing
around with others in the area. This told me that the actor
wasnt serious about taking on the role of Jamal, which would
affect my final decision. I also tried to pay attention to
other aspects of the performance. I didnt really take too
much note on his facial expressions, as the characters face
in the production wont really be the main subject of detail.
However, I did take it upon myself to observe the candidates
general effort levels. They seemed disinterested, as if they
didnt really want to be there, which was the complete
opposite I was looking for from a candidate actor.
Marcus Stamp
Actor 2:
Name: Keanon McSween
Age: 17 Years Old
Height: 6ft 2inches
Features: Tall figure, brown eyes
Screen test notes on Jamal - Actor 2: Keanon McSween
The character didnt need to many requirements in order to fit
the role of Jamal as they just needed to be tall, with a
strong, dominant figure. This candidate had volunteered
immediately as soon as I had started to search for actors. As
the performance went on, I could straight away tell that the
actor had a good understanding of the genre and how his
character was meant to be presented towards the audience. The
body language of the candidate was good as he stood tall and
look like a dominant force towards the audience, which was
exactly what was required. I didnt pay too much attention to
the characters facial expressions as they wouldnt really be
put on show in the production. Keanon performed his role
perfectly, and also suggested particular things in order to
make the scene realistic. Overall I could tell that his effort
levels were high and he was very willing and excited to take
part in the project, which made him perfect for the job.
Marcus Stamp

Film Studies - Screen Test Notes

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Screen Test Notes

For my AS film studies portfolio, I have developed my

The following extract is from my scipt outline that I created

The following extract is from my script outline and has been

Screen test notes on Jamal - Actor 1: Dominic Davies

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