Whilst filming we took some pictures of what it was like ;
Thursday, 26 January 2012
The Location.
The locations we have chosen to film this trailer at are ;
My house because it easy to get to, everyone can get there and have places to park. Also for the other scenes in the forest there is one about a 3 min walk away so is in perfect location.
Also in my house the stairs are perfect for filming, the stairs are a perfect location because they aren't too steep for falling down, they have a crooner at the bottom where we can hide people but keep them there for health and safety.
My house also has different room which would be perfect for the filming, so the master bedroom for all the couple scenes - with a full length mirror for the mirror trick.
The kitchen for the opening scene as it has everything in the correct place and can set the camera up easily.
We tried the finding the letter in my spare room however it just didn't work - the colours were all wrong and the hole mise en scene did not look correct!
It also has some spare rooms which we can plan and keep all of our stuff in.
The garden has a veggie patch in, which we can bury Shannon's arm for the hand scene.
The forest down the road is perfect because it is creepy in the dark and muddy - just what we need.
My house because it easy to get to, everyone can get there and have places to park. Also for the other scenes in the forest there is one about a 3 min walk away so is in perfect location.
My house also has different room which would be perfect for the filming, so the master bedroom for all the couple scenes - with a full length mirror for the mirror trick.
The kitchen for the opening scene as it has everything in the correct place and can set the camera up easily.
We tried the finding the letter in my spare room however it just didn't work - the colours were all wrong and the hole mise en scene did not look correct!It also has some spare rooms which we can plan and keep all of our stuff in.
The garden has a veggie patch in, which we can bury Shannon's arm for the hand scene.The forest down the road is perfect because it is creepy in the dark and muddy - just what we need.
Characters
We have 2 main characters and only 23 characters in the whole trailer. We have kept this a small simple number because we don't want to confuse our audience by adding too many people into it.
The characters we have are;
The Mother: The mother is played by Shannon. She the biggest character in the trailer. She starts off as a general mother carrying a baby. The she finds a letter, which changes everything. She gets into a fight with her husband and he ends up killing her - hitting her over the head with a bat. She falls down the stairs and is supposed to be dead ( as the audience know it.) She comes back to life however we only ever see the whole of her body at the end. We use extreme close up to give it an eerie look.
The Father: The father is played by the chief I work with. He is a major character as he is the one who kills the mother. We see him burying her to get the idea she is officially dead. At the end we see him doing everyday jobs and getting into bed.
The Baby: The baby is a minor character and is only seen in one scene - the opening kitchen one. The reason why we have used a baby is because it shows that they are a couple and a family within the first couple of seconds of the trailer. It was very easy to film with a child, however we planned it could be harder because she could be screaming the whole way through. She was as good as gold and we managed to do that scene in two takes.
The characters we have are;
The Mother: The mother is played by Shannon. She the biggest character in the trailer. She starts off as a general mother carrying a baby. The she finds a letter, which changes everything. She gets into a fight with her husband and he ends up killing her - hitting her over the head with a bat. She falls down the stairs and is supposed to be dead ( as the audience know it.) She comes back to life however we only ever see the whole of her body at the end. We use extreme close up to give it an eerie look.
The Father: The father is played by the chief I work with. He is a major character as he is the one who kills the mother. We see him burying her to get the idea she is officially dead. At the end we see him doing everyday jobs and getting into bed.
The Baby: The baby is a minor character and is only seen in one scene - the opening kitchen one. The reason why we have used a baby is because it shows that they are a couple and a family within the first couple of seconds of the trailer. It was very easy to film with a child, however we planned it could be harder because she could be screaming the whole way through. She was as good as gold and we managed to do that scene in two takes.
Summarise plot in 25 words.
A wife confronts her husband about a suspicious letter, what he doesn't realise is, his plan failed and she will find out .... alive or dead.
The costume.
This outfit make it look casual, and thinking through the scenes, such as the falling down stairs, this would be a good outfit for it because it would be padding for her.
This is another casual outfit, however we started thinking through the scenes and when it comes to Shannon being dead, we feel it would look a lot more effective if she had bare legs, and covered them in mood - so the jeans idea wouldn't work.
This is our favourite outfit because it is very plain, simple and casual. However you still have the bare legs for the dead scenes. The reason for the grey sock are because they look manly and as if it is her husbands - who ironically kills her. This shows there is a link between the two characters and that they live together.
This outfit I love however it just wasn't the look which we were hoping to go for. For some reason it just doesn't work and doesn't look correct. The shape doesn't compliment her body and we decided we preferred the other outfit. So the outfit above is our chosen one. The only injury.
When Shannon was falling down stairs, she hurt her foot a little - This is what happened.
It was only a couple of scarpes and bruises - nothing major.
It was only a couple of scarpes and bruises - nothing major.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Risk Assessment
| Scene | The Risk | What we have done for precautions. | How likely is it to happen? | Danger rating (1-10 10 being very dangerous) | Did anything happen? |
| Leaving camera outside to get sun set. | · Camera being stolen · It raining. | · Someone always watching it. · Checked weather beforehand. · In secure area (garden) | Not very. | 1 | No. |
| Matt (father) Leaving house. | · Slamming door on hand. | · Be careful. · Hand nowhere near end part of door. | Not likely. | 2 | No. |
| Driving car. | · Driving in dark · Driving near other cars · Parking – could crash. | · Legal driver. · Small place / quiet place – not many cars · Head lights on | Slightly | 6 | No |
| Getting out of car. | · Shut door on hand. · Trip out of car. | · Hand nowhere near door when shuts. · Be careful · No trip hazards. | Not very. | 2 | No |
| Arguing on top of stairs. | · Could fall down stairs · Could hit each other for real | · Be careful · Have somebody else around | Not very | 2 | No |
| Falling down stairs. | · Could badly hurt the actress | · Padded everything · Wore padded clothing · Had other people about – especially at the bottom of the stairs · Did it slowly | Kind of | 7 | Yes – slight bruising to the foot. |
| Dropping body | · Could drop too quickly · Could drop from great height. | · Had people around · Did it very low and slowly. | Not very | 5 | No |
Itinerary
We are planning on filming everything in 3 days. Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday. We don't want to rush it however we have also got to fit in two other A levels which consist of a lot of work - so this was the best way we could manage our time.
- Tuesday - We didn't have our male actor so we did every scene in which he wasn't needed. The close up of the hands Etc.
- Wednesday - We had male actor and female actor but no baby, no we did every scene which consisted of the couple, just not the opening scene.
- Thursday - We had our baby actor so we did the opening scene and any other which needed to be re filmed.
Risk Assessment on Locations.
| Place | Location | The Risk | Precautions | What happened. |
| House | In a cul-de-sac. | None – My own house, only people I know in there, no way of other people getting in. | None needed. | Nothing. |
| Garden | Behind house. | None – My own house, only people I know in there, no way of other people getting in apart from through the house. | None needed. | Nothing. |
| Forrest | By beach. | Strangers being around, be slightly dark ( not completely.) Tripping up. | Stay together in big group. Have torch on us. Didn’t go too far in. Careful and looked after each other. | Nothing. |
Friday, 6 January 2012
How my camera work will support the horror genre and create expectations.
What we plan on doing is to have very quiet editing, with short sections from the film. We plan on doing, extreme close ups, close up, point of view, mid shots, long shorts, and see if there are some other we can use. This will help with the editing because it gives a different perspective on the film and gives different views. This is done often in the horror genre, because it gives it a fast pace to base your film on.
By doing this this will create suspense for the audience and want to watch more (I.E the whole film, to find out more.) As well in our trailer we don't plan on giving too much away, so this will do the same as before and create expectations for the audience.
By doing this this will create suspense for the audience and want to watch more (I.E the whole film, to find out more.) As well in our trailer we don't plan on giving too much away, so this will do the same as before and create expectations for the audience.
Draft Make up Shots.
Shannon and I had a go at trying out one way of creating a "dead" look on a person with face paints and glue.
The outcome was:
How we did this was, white face paint all over the face and neck (including lips to make them look colder).Prit-stick glue on her cheek to give it a 'hole in the face' look. Light purple around the glue and in the centre to make it look bruised. Also purple around the eyes to make them look 'tired' and 'dead'. Black on the glue and around it and in the centre to make it look darker and more realistic. Also Shannon has a wig on so she can have long black hair.
What we did here, was to try and create a strangled effect. We did two hand prints around her neck, to try and create this. We did them in purple so once they faded / we adjusted them, they would look like bruises, because at the moment they do look like hand prints. We also added bit of black eye liner, under her eyes to make them stand out more, and this contrasts with the black of the eyes. To dull down the hair we added some talcum power into it, however not a lot.
This is the finished product, for the moment (our first time of doing something like this. And we both are quite proud!) As you can see we have added more white on top of the hand prints around the neck to fade them a bit more. Added some more purple around the eyes, however personally I feel we added a bit too much - so this is something we can change next time. We also added some more black to the glue, to make it stand out more and make it look more disgusting. We also had to add some more white to the chest so that you could not see any flesh colour.
Next time I think we should add some more talcum powder to her hair to make it greyer, loose some of the purple around the eyes and make the purple of the hand prints around her neck a little stronger.
However for a first go, we came out with what we wanted to do!
The outcome was:
How we did this was, white face paint all over the face and neck (including lips to make them look colder).Prit-stick glue on her cheek to give it a 'hole in the face' look. Light purple around the glue and in the centre to make it look bruised. Also purple around the eyes to make them look 'tired' and 'dead'. Black on the glue and around it and in the centre to make it look darker and more realistic. Also Shannon has a wig on so she can have long black hair. 
Here Shannon had put in some contact lenses. This made her eyes look completely black, instead of just the pupil. I have to admit this was very weird to see! We also put a bit more purple under the eyes to make them stand out more, and put some lip stick on her. However we didn't want to give the lip stick a perfect finish as she is meant to be dead, so it had to be a rough look. We also changed costume, however that will come later in a different post about what costumes we are going to use.
What we did here, was to try and create a strangled effect. We did two hand prints around her neck, to try and create this. We did them in purple so once they faded / we adjusted them, they would look like bruises, because at the moment they do look like hand prints. We also added bit of black eye liner, under her eyes to make them stand out more, and this contrasts with the black of the eyes. To dull down the hair we added some talcum power into it, however not a lot.
This is the finished product, for the moment (our first time of doing something like this. And we both are quite proud!) As you can see we have added more white on top of the hand prints around the neck to fade them a bit more. Added some more purple around the eyes, however personally I feel we added a bit too much - so this is something we can change next time. We also added some more black to the glue, to make it stand out more and make it look more disgusting. We also had to add some more white to the chest so that you could not see any flesh colour.
Next time I think we should add some more talcum powder to her hair to make it greyer, loose some of the purple around the eyes and make the purple of the hand prints around her neck a little stronger.
However for a first go, we came out with what we wanted to do!
Representation of characters within horror trailers
Representation of characters within horror trailers.
Women (very stereotypical) -
Man-
Women (very stereotypical) -
- They tend to be venerable.
- Large breasted. (sexualised)
- Blond long hair.
- High pitched scream - which happens a lot.
- Weak / in need of male protection.
- Over protective (Never helps)
- Thoughtless and not too clever.
- Take on the Passive role.
Man-
- Strong
- Dominant
- Muscly
- Able to fight / use a gun.
- Brave
- Heroes
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Interview Review -
What about horror films is it that you like?
The confusing story line, because it keeps you interested in the film. Also personally I like it when a horror film is jumpy, because it means it has a good plot. I like it when a film is unpredictable, and means I will want to watch it to the end and also maybe want to go see it again. If a film has good editing then that entices me and keeps me interested because I feel it's a good film - worth watching. The characters in a film have to be good a move the story line alone and easy to follow as I feel the characters make the film, mainly.
*Plays Insidious teaser trailer and full trailer*
Which of the two trailers did you prefer and why?
The teaser trailer because it was quicker editing and better editing, this kept me more interested. It was shorter and personally I feel the shorter it can be the better however it still has to be clear and easy to follow. The trailer was more enticing and shows the right amount of story line. It also makes sense even though it shouldn't.
After watching the trailer does it make you want to watch the film?
Yes, because it didn't give too much away and it still leaves you wanting more. This is the type of film which interests me, and I find the trailer amazing and very well thought out.
What is it about the trailer that made you want to watch it?
The story line and how it gives nothing away, but yet you can still understand because of the 'character' which runs the whole way through, just in different circumstances. This makes it easy to follow. The editing was the most amazing part because of all the quick changes.
What is it about the trailer that put you off the film?
There wasn't much that put me off the film - altogether I really enjoys it and want to watch the film now.
Do you feel you understood the basic plot through watching the trailer?
Yes and no. I understood plot- that it was to do with this 'monster', however it didn't give anything away, as it was only short snippets of the film not one long passage of it.
Do you feel the sound effects help?
Yes - however you could watch it in mute and still understand and be scared as the good editing, and the 'monster' was the main thing which made the story line move on.
The confusing story line, because it keeps you interested in the film. Also personally I like it when a horror film is jumpy, because it means it has a good plot. I like it when a film is unpredictable, and means I will want to watch it to the end and also maybe want to go see it again. If a film has good editing then that entices me and keeps me interested because I feel it's a good film - worth watching. The characters in a film have to be good a move the story line alone and easy to follow as I feel the characters make the film, mainly.
*Plays Insidious teaser trailer and full trailer*
Which of the two trailers did you prefer and why?
The teaser trailer because it was quicker editing and better editing, this kept me more interested. It was shorter and personally I feel the shorter it can be the better however it still has to be clear and easy to follow. The trailer was more enticing and shows the right amount of story line. It also makes sense even though it shouldn't.
After watching the trailer does it make you want to watch the film?
Yes, because it didn't give too much away and it still leaves you wanting more. This is the type of film which interests me, and I find the trailer amazing and very well thought out.
What is it about the trailer that made you want to watch it?
The story line and how it gives nothing away, but yet you can still understand because of the 'character' which runs the whole way through, just in different circumstances. This makes it easy to follow. The editing was the most amazing part because of all the quick changes.
What is it about the trailer that put you off the film?
There wasn't much that put me off the film - altogether I really enjoys it and want to watch the film now.
Do you feel you understood the basic plot through watching the trailer?
Yes and no. I understood plot- that it was to do with this 'monster', however it didn't give anything away, as it was only short snippets of the film not one long passage of it.
Do you feel the sound effects help?
Yes - however you could watch it in mute and still understand and be scared as the good editing, and the 'monster' was the main thing which made the story line move on.
Interview with one of our target audience.
What about horror films is it that you like?
*Plays Insidious teaser trailer and full trailer*
Which of the two trailers did you prefer?
Why did you prefer that trailer?
After watching the trailer does it make you want to watch the film
What is it about the trailer that made you want to watch it?
What is it about the trailer that put you off the film?
Do you feel you understood the basic plot through watching the trailer?
Do you feel the sound effects help?
*Plays Insidious teaser trailer and full trailer*
Which of the two trailers did you prefer?
Why did you prefer that trailer?
After watching the trailer does it make you want to watch the film
What is it about the trailer that made you want to watch it?
What is it about the trailer that put you off the film?
Do you feel you understood the basic plot through watching the trailer?
Do you feel the sound effects help?
Ideas for titles for my film
Different titles in which we could call our film.
- The Girl!
- Who's behind you?
- Watch out!
- Look out!
- In the past!
- BOO!
- Coming to haunt you.
- The following
What is the audience Profile....
The audience profile for our target audience is a mass group of people in the in any group of the social British grading scale. When it comes to the SBGS, for a film it doesn't matter. As long as they can either pay for the cinema fair - £2.50 - £5.50 roughly, or buy the DVD, then it doesn't matter on the income of the person. If it looks a good film - via the trailer, then they will want to go watch it. Hence why the trailer, and teaser have to be amazing - this is the way to entice the audience to pay and want to go watch it.
What ideas will inform the narrative?
Shannon and I have been through many different ideas, in which we think are stereotypical to horror, however we came to the conclusion we don't want to do a stereotypical horror film, as there have been many done before. We want ours to be original.
The ideas we had before we a setting of a forest, a vulnerable girl, a monster / demon, etc.
We have changed this to make it our own film and idea.
By watching many different horror film you get the conventions of what normally goes in a horror film, what colours crop up and many subtle ideas which the director has put in the background. They also use many camera shots, in which we could use.
Doing the research beforehand taught us a lot and gave us many ideas. This has really helped us out.
By watching the Insidious Trailer and film this has given us ideas of what we want our trailer to be like and how we want to edit it.
The ideas we had before we a setting of a forest, a vulnerable girl, a monster / demon, etc.
We have changed this to make it our own film and idea.
By watching many different horror film you get the conventions of what normally goes in a horror film, what colours crop up and many subtle ideas which the director has put in the background. They also use many camera shots, in which we could use.
Doing the research beforehand taught us a lot and gave us many ideas. This has really helped us out.
By watching the Insidious Trailer and film this has given us ideas of what we want our trailer to be like and how we want to edit it.
How is the work being distrabuted?
The work is being distributed evenly.
We have come up with the idea individually, and we have done our own research. We have helped each other however, we have done it ourselves.
We have come up with the story board and plot together. We have taken each other's ideas into consideration and put the best ones together to create the best plot we can.
We have come up with the actors and costumes etc together and changed them how we feel we should.
I am going to be the person who films with the camera, because Shannon will be the main actor. However we are both going to take the editing role as we feel this will be the best way to get the final effect we want.
We are both doing blogs so what we put on here will be our own work and in our own words.
http://shannoncareymediaa2.blogspot.com/ < Shannon's BlogSpot.
We have come up with the idea individually, and we have done our own research. We have helped each other however, we have done it ourselves.
We have come up with the story board and plot together. We have taken each other's ideas into consideration and put the best ones together to create the best plot we can.
We have come up with the actors and costumes etc together and changed them how we feel we should.
I am going to be the person who films with the camera, because Shannon will be the main actor. However we are both going to take the editing role as we feel this will be the best way to get the final effect we want.
We are both doing blogs so what we put on here will be our own work and in our own words.
http://shannoncareymediaa2.blogspot.com/ < Shannon's BlogSpot.
What plans need to be made before filming?
I will need to;
- Story Board,
- Ask actors,
- Get a date for filming,
- Make a schedule,
- Different costumes / choose the costume,
- Different places / choose the place,
- Different make up / Choose make up.
Monday, 2 January 2012
Change in storyboards
We are changing a couple of things to do with our narrative in the storyboard and the camera shots ect.
The first change is on frame 5 - switching on the lamp. We are changing this by instead of having a mid-shot on the lamp we are going to have a close up to make it more dramatic.
We are also changing frame 8, instead of doing an over the shoulder shot to read the letter, we are going to have Shannon sat on the bed reading it, so we can get a better feel for what she is feeling via her facial expressions.
There is going to be a change to frame 21, this is instead of having Matt going to bed and laying on it, we want him to sit there and ponder on what he has just done. This also will make it more dramatic for the audience and builds up the tension for what is going to happen next.
We are also adding in a frame right at the end of the trailer, of Matt being dragged across the grass. This will be very dark so you cant see much, and slightly out of focus. This is how we are going to leave our trailer, so the audience will want to know more of what is going to happen.
The first change is on frame 5 - switching on the lamp. We are changing this by instead of having a mid-shot on the lamp we are going to have a close up to make it more dramatic.
We are also changing frame 8, instead of doing an over the shoulder shot to read the letter, we are going to have Shannon sat on the bed reading it, so we can get a better feel for what she is feeling via her facial expressions.
There is going to be a change to frame 21, this is instead of having Matt going to bed and laying on it, we want him to sit there and ponder on what he has just done. This also will make it more dramatic for the audience and builds up the tension for what is going to happen next.
We are also adding in a frame right at the end of the trailer, of Matt being dragged across the grass. This will be very dark so you cant see much, and slightly out of focus. This is how we are going to leave our trailer, so the audience will want to know more of what is going to happen.
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