Screen Test NotesFor 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.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.

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 EyesScreen 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.

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 MartinAfter 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.

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 Age: 17 Years Old Height: 5ft 10inches Features: Built figure, brown eyesScreen 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.

Actor 2:Name: Keanon McSween Age: 17 Years Old Height: 6ft 2inches Features: Tall figure, brown eyesScreen test notes on Jamal - Actor 2: Keanon McSweenThe 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