Diary Of Filming

We have planned in advance as a group the dates we are going to film our opening scene. By planning in advance it means we will be organised and efficient. giving out roles will make the process of filming a lot more easier and fun.

Day 1: 28th December 2014
Today will be our first day of filming, we plan to start filming at 3.00pm and will try and film as much as possible before it gets dark. Before we start filming we will give our actors details on what to do and how to act. We plan to film shots more than once to give ourselves options of choosing which shot is the most effective. I will be in charge of using the camera, Carly will be in charge of the storyboard, and Lydia will be in charge of organising props and the actors costumes.

Day 2: 3rd January 2015
Unfortunately my camera battery ran out of charge and so we had to film again. luckily we had left this date open in case filming extra shots was needed for our opening scene. We all met again at around 3.30pm and filmed the remaining shots. we were all given the same roles as before and managed to work efficiently and successfully. When going back to class we will have more than enough shots to use for our editing process.

Practice titles

When deciding what style we wanted to use for our opening titles, we referred back to the research post we did earlier in the course about opening titles. We decided that the font 'Felix Titling' was the best font at creating a spooky and ominous effect. We wanted it to be a white font on a black background to stay within the conventions of a horror genre. When editing our actual film, we will add in effects to make it more thrilling but for the moment we find the look of our opening titles successful. In the future we could consider different transitions when editing such as dissolving the font, or fading the font into a new shot to make it look professional.

Anamatic Storyboard

When developing our storyboard it was quite a simple process, for example I started by importing the pictures onto Adobe, once they were all imported in order I cropped the lengths to an equal amount making the pictures change quickly in a seamlessly movement. This allowed it to be an animatic story. The shots show a clear range of long, medium,close up and over the shoulder shots that are going to be used in the filming. To improve our anamatic story we could have added in music in the background to help provide more of an atmosphere suiting our genre which is horror.

Online Tutorials

Our actor playing the victim will need to look the part, in order for her to become the role, looking at makeup tutorials will help make our opening film look more realistic. I think it would be better for the victim to look as natural as possible as her character should not be expecting what is to come in the opening scene. I don't think i will be too fussed about curling the hair as i would want the character to look as natural as possible, even though it may enhance the actors appearance i don't think, having a stand out appearance is something we need to worry about. products that i am most likely to use are: foundation, powder, bronzer, blusher and mascara to create natural everyday look.

For our antagonist we have not found a make up tutorial that fits our perspective of what we want him to look like. However the products we are most likely to use is foundation to give him a creepy look and lightly put black eye shadow around his eyes to express his antagonist figure.

Influences on production

While creating our opening scene we have been influenced by other opening horror scenes and what the director has used to show clearly that this genre is horror. The Conjuring was directed by James Wan and he is widely known for directing the horror films Saw And Insidious 2. We looked at the Conjuring as it is an extremely popular horror film that creates lots of tension at certain parts in the movie such as waiting for something to jump out unexpectedly creating suspense for the audience. This is important to us as this is something we would like to integrate in our film. The eerie music in The Conjuring opening scene give off a creepy atmosphere which is what we aim to do, as our setting is in a forest. The type of shots James uses are clever and effective as the long shots gives the setting away and shows the audience where the horror will take place. This helps create suspense as with the music building up the audience will know something is about to happen, making it more thrilling and exciting for them to watch.

Representation and Stereotyping in our film

In our opening scene we followed the representations and stereotypes by following the conventions of a horror. For example,we have used a vulnerable girl who will play the victim and a scary man to play the antagonist.We have done this because it makes it clear to the audience what characters are what. A teenage girl is known as vulnerable due to her being slightly stupid and oblivious to her surroundings at times ,as well as them being classed as less powerful in society and more as a target for men. We have then used a man to be the bad guy as he will been known as the terrifying villain who creates tension for the audience as he approaches the vulnerable girl and grabs her aggressively.

The setting that we have used is a forest,we have done this as forests are known as stereotypical in horrors because with low key lighting they are seemed as more frightening and the silence builds tension with the leaves crunching on the ground and the trees blowing in the wind with the forever walking trail.

Shot Lists

For our opening two minutes we will be using a variety of shots; this will help enable the audience to get a clearer understanding for our film.The main shots are long shot, medium shot and close up. This is because long shots will help show the setting, providing an extended view around characters which in our case would be a  girl in a dark forest. This could build up suspense and create fear due to the low key lighting and frightening forest. Medium shots are effective as it shows the characters body language as well as their facial expressions which medium shots are not meant to focus on. Close ups create the biggest effect on the audience. This is because from a close up you can see the characters facial expressions and reactions to what is going on. This can create tension for the audience. In our film we will be using quick close up shots reversing from the antagonist to the victim enabling us to see the difference in facial expressions and making it clear who the good and bad are.

Long shot:                                                             










Medium shot:

Close up shot:

We will then be using more subtle shots that have a big impact on the audience such as extreme close up, over the shoulder shot and two shot. Extreme close up is used so the audience can focus on the character alone and not get distracted by any action in the background. Over the shoulder shot allows an insight of what the main character can see from his view adding realism to shot. Two shot is a medium shot where 2 characters are put in a frame. This is important in our film as we want to use this when the antagonist approaches the victim which will have a larger impact on the audience.

Extreme close up:

Over the shoulder shot:

Two shot:

Moodboard

I have used these images as they are the ideas that would be viewed in my opening two minutes. As you can see I followed the codes and conventions with the characters by having a man as the antagonist as men are stereotypically the dominant gender. We then have the young teenage girl who is known to be vulnerable giving off the mood to the audience that something bad is about to happen.This helps create suspense. I have used the images earphones, plastic bag and whistle as these are the props that my film will be based around to create an eerie and frightening effect. Finally I have put an image of a forest in my mood board as that is the setting of where  my opening two minutes will be filmed. I have chosen a forest as it links with the codes ad conventions as it creates a horror atmosphere with a creepy effect adding and building up more tension.

Questionnaire Feedback

As we surveyed 20 people to fill in our questionnaire we have found results that can help us incorporate and add to our opening two minutes to make it more appealing to the audience and enabling them to watch the opening two minutes to their satisfaction.

What is your gender?
Male 50%
Female 50%
We wanted to make sure we had a balanced argument so decided to ask an equal amount of both male and females.

What is your age?
10-12 2%
13-15 41%
16-17 50%
18+ 7%
Most of the people that took the questionnaire were aged from 16-17 because we are hoping to make the certificate rating of our film a 15 to show to a wider range of audience.

What elements in a horror scare you the most?

Darkness 13%
Fear of the Unknown 45%
Eerie Music 25%

'Jump' moments 10%

Death scenes 5%

Chase scenes 2%
Other (Please Specify)
From this it shows most people enjoy the suspense and mystery as fear of the unknown was most popular. This helps us as we will now take a bigger focus on the mystery and create as much tension as possible until we reach the climax.

Where is the most effective location for a horror to be set?
A domestic setting 20%
A rural setting e.g forests 44%
In a house 36%
This information reassures us that we will set our film in a forest as we know it is most inviting for an audience with low key lighting.

Do you want to be frightened when watching a horror film?
Yes 75%
No 25%
This information suggests that majority of people enjoy the thrill of being frightened leading us to wanting more jump moments.

What trait do you value most in a horror antagonist?
Creepy 35%
Violent 14%
Ugly 12%
Possessed 39%

Possessed and creepy being the most popular helps us know what type of mis-en-scene (costumes) we should use on our antagonist to help the audience become more engaged. However, this will be a hard task to follow as we may not have the right equipment for this.

What type of non-diegetic sounds do enjoy most from a horror(soundtrack)?
High pitched 55%
Dramatic music when reaching the climax 30%
No sound 15%

Music is a big part to play in the opening two minutes because it is crucial as it provides tension, suspense and creates the mood for the audience. For us these results were extremely important as we now understand that we can achieve this haunting mood with high pitched music and dramatic music matching a dramatic part of the film until the  climax has been reached, revealing the mystery.

Fonts Researched

These fonts appeal to our group the most as they create a haunting and sinister look which is what we are looking for our opening film as it relates to our type of theme. The title gives away a mysterious texture letting off a bit about what our opening two minutes will be about and when these are shown with the type of music is the background the title will add to the tension and suspense. Our group has concluded that the font we would most like to use is the FELIX TITLING as we find the thinner writing more appealing and gives away the horror genre a bit more.

Opening titles

In our group we have all looked at separate opening titles to get a grasp of what design inspires us the most. Hopefully from this task we will get a clear idea of the background and type of font used helping us to have a more successful and effect opening two minutes as we have researched about what title engages the audience the most.

Silent Hill:

Silent Hill has an efficacious title as I think it engages the audience by creating the dark atmosphere and creepy look. They do this by having the white writing slightly covered by dark shadows giving it that odd but alluring look as the audience has to take a longer look; the title doesn't stand out or isn't as bold compared to the Cabin In The Woods, where the title covers the whole picture and is clear and bold. However, this is not a bad thing as it is distinct from others. The black background with white writing on top is appealing as it is kind of like the light appearing out of the darkness.

The Cabin In The Woods:

The Cabin In The Woods title is effective as the colours are immediately eye catching due to the different tones of red ranging from light to dark to blend in with the blackness; the red connotes he;; and blood. The writing stands out as it shines over the darkness and is all in capital letters making the whole image stand out more. The font is also the font we particular want to use and our interested in as it creates an eerie look.

Insidious:

This title is effective as the bold red connoting hell and creating a devil image look stands out from the black background. However, this title is my least favourite as red on a black background is now old fashioned for titles and more modern titles are white on a black ground. This image doesn't give off an ominous effect for the audience which could result in struggling to draw in the audiences attention. In our opening title we wanted to create more of a creepy look then a title that connotes blood and hell as that is not what our opening film will be based on.

Actor Description

Actor Description

Charlotte Weston playing the girl who is known as the victim:

We are very lucky to have Charlotte play in our opening two minutes as she will be good for the role due to her drama experiences since she was 7 making her understand certain techniques and can work with the camera. Her techniques involve still images, staying in role for a long time, adjusting quickly to a character, good facial expressions and body language can change to alter the scene. Charlotte has many acting experiences that will assist her in this role such as theatre shows and has recently just finished the show Tracy proving that she has certain skills. She has played many other roles as well meaning she can vary into different types of characters and understands what is needed and when. This also proves that she can work well with other people which is extremely important. By Charlotte playing a frightened young girl she will have to use body language to show the character successfully. She would achieve this by changing her facial expressions to show a terrified emotion, her body would become more stiff and movements will become more up paced before reaching the climate. She would also use levels this is effective as it will show she is the smaller character of the two emphasising her being the victim and innocent young girl.

Callum Kent playing the man who is known as the antagonist:

Callum has many experiences in acting during his two year Drama course, he has taken part in many group plays and has taken a lot of responsibility as the main character role. By Callum playing our antagonist he will have to use a lot of creepy and scary body language to present the character successfully. He would achieve this by using awkward and creepy facial and body expressions to make him look powerful and match the conventions of a horror villain. We are hoping to study tutorials on what makeup we can also use to make him look as close to a creepy villain as possible.

Script For Film

 Script

Charlotte is walking home with her group of friends, talking and smiling as they reach the destination when they have to walk separate ways home. Charlotte waves as her friends walk in the opposite direction and walks down the path while putting her head phones in.
*music from headphones becomes non-diegetic sound*
As Charlotte walks down the path she looks around anxiously, feeling like she is being followed. She turns around, stops to look for anyone or anything, notices nothing, and carries on walking.
Charlotte looks back while walking but this time, takes out her head phones and looks around again to see if anyone is following her.
Charlotte: Carly?...I know you're there.
Charlotte waits for a response, but hears nothing, so puts her headphones in her bag and starts to walk down the path but this time a lot faster.
*footsteps(crushing leaves)*
Charlotte jumps and turns around. starting to panic, she searches quickly in different directions
Charlotte(shouting): Carly its not funny not now, just, just go away!
*leaves crunch*
Charlotte sees a distant, dark figure in the background, noticing he is holding some sort of weapon in his hand, she drops her bag, turns around and starts to run through the path.
As she reaches the main road, thinking she is safe, Charlotte stops running but still scared and crying, she looks in all directions to see if anyone is near her, while doing so her phone rings, making her jump and scream. In panic she drops her phone and sees that it is her mother calling. While shaking she tries to pick up the phone buried in the leaves.
Picks up the phone but is too late to answer.
Charlotte(panicked/trying to catch breath):Mum... mum i'm scared (starts to shout) Mum! Where-
Over the other side of the main road Charlotte notices the same dark figure that she saw earlier, in a state of shock Charlotte stares at the figure and slowly walks back and drops the phone in her hand. Charlotte turns around to look behind her, and looking back to the other side of the main road; the distant figure has dissapeared. Charlotte turns behind her again and the distant figure stands right behind her.
Charlotte:*screams*
The villain puts a bag over her head whilst she is screaming and the screen fades to black.
End of Scene.

Questionnaire For Film

Questionnaire

We have created a questionnaire in order to find out what people want out of a horror, and what they would enjoy. The answers will help us make creative ideas for our opening scene which will suit our target audience and be more enjoyable and thrilling for the viewers.

What is your gender?
Male
Female

What is your age?
10-12
13-15
16-18
18+

What elements in a horror scare you the most?
Darkness
Fear of the Unknown
Eerie Music

'Jump' moments

Death scenes

Chase scenes
Other (Please Specify)

Where is the most effective location for a horror to be set?

A domestic setting
A rural setting e.g forests
In a house

Do you want to be frightened when watching a horror film?

Yes
No

What trait do you value most in a horror antagonist?

Creepy
Violent

Ugly

Possessed

What type of non-diegetic sounds do enjoy most from a horror(soundtrack)?

High pitched
Dramatic music when reaching the climax
No sound

Writing a Film Pitch

Film Pitch

The narrative that I would hope to reveal in the opening includes a young, vulnerable girl on the way home from school. She departs from her friends as she takes a different walk, in the shot it will be a 2 shot as you will see the antagonist in the background however the audience will not think anything of it as it is a public footpath and he is only shown walking past This is effective as it will make him more recognisable to the audience and make them feel satisfied. As she puts her earphones in and walks down the the footpath in the woods the audience hear the music she is listening to adding diegetic sound. Camera shots will be varying. In this scene she is being followed by a middle aged man and the audience are shown this through an over the shoulder shot. As she goes on she discovers that she is being watched and gets even more frightened and wary and the scene carries on. She speeds up and turns back a few times, her breathes get deeper as her feet move faster. When she gets to a busy road and turns around he is not there and she sighs in relief. However, when she looks across the road she sees him standing there, a dark figure holding a plastic bag in his left hand staring directly at her. She turns around in a hurry and runs to only find he is standing right behind her. She screams as he puts the plastic bag over her head until she is eventually unconscious and is kidnapped. 

In the opening two minutes codes and conventions are followed thoroughly as we have used a teenage girl who is very vulnerable on the way home from school being stalked by a strange man and kidnapped. This links in with the dominant representation of gender as the male is the villain and the female is the victim. The setting is also in the woods at low key lighting making the genre clear to the audience. Extensive use of close ups will be used to capture the girls facial expressions of worry and the males face of determination and how neutral he is. I use the word neutral as he is calm and normal about it all due to him being twisted.

The settings will be in the woods/forest where nobody goes, it will be muddy and is on a narrow footpath which is effective as we can do a range of  long shots and medium shots. There will also be a lot of greenery and fields just to emphasise the emptiness of everything.  

The main characters will be a young girl who is known as the victim and a middle aged man who is known as the antagonist. Other characters will include the girls school friends and a woman who sees it all but doesn't help or say a thing.

Props we will contain in our film pitch will include school books and a school bag to represent that this young victim will be a school girl. We will also include earphones to help with the diegetic sound for the audience. The antagonist which is the older man will be holding a plastic bag that will shortly be placed over the victims head and a gun that is kept under his blazer.

The opening two minutes will include a range of camera shots. For example we will have a long shot of the abandoned forest to make the audience aware of the surroundings. We would then have an over the shoulder shot of the man to show the audience what he can see and will also contain and 2 shot. Medium shots will be used to recognise the victim but not make it completely obvious at the start that this man will become the antagonist. Close ups will emphasise the facial expressions of the young girl as she will be worried and also of the feet walking through the leaves. this will be effective as you will get the diegetic sounds of the leaves and wind making the shot more creepy.

The mis en scene will include low key lighting which horrors generally contain. It is will be in a forest which follows the codes and conventions of a horror genre making it clear that this is a horror movie. and This will make the opening more frightening for the audience to watch. The girl will be wearing her school girls and the antagonist will be wearing dark clothing which can connote the dark events that are about to take place.



Initial Ideas for the Opening Two Minute Film

Initial Ideas

My initial idea for my film would be a horror genre, I would achieve this by following the codes and conventions of a horror such as a stereotypically dumb teenage girl home alone and incorporating this in my opening two minutes.

My possible narrative that I would hope to reveal in the opening includes a young girl on the way home from school, with the scene she is being followed by a middle aged man. As she goes on she discovers that she is being watched and gets even more frightened and wary and the scene carries on. The scene will end with the girl being kidnapped by the un known man who is stalking her, this will leave an enigma for the audience keeping them on the edge of their seats. My opening two minutes will be set in the middle of a forest with low key lighting to build tension and will lead to a main road when reaching the climax. I hope to film during the evening in order to create a mysterious and scary atmosphere. Possible main characters wish to include a young girl who will be known as a victim and an antagonist who will be the older man.