Media Evaluation 6

Media 5

Media Evaluation 5 - Technologies

During our time filming and editing I learnt how and when to use a tripod, what shot types worked best in certain scenes and how through editing I could create a specific meaning or message along with high levels of tension.
Where I learnt the most was during the editing process. I quickly learnt how to upload the film directly from the camera on to the Apple Mac, something I had never done before but became accustomed to by the end of production. Once the film was on to the Mac, editing it through Imovie became an integral part of getting the look of the film perfect. I learnt how to cut and trim sections of the film together to gain a tighter more flowing film, but what was most important was the effects we used on the film. Editing the scenes to be black and white along with the red tint we used for the church scenes garnered a far more dramatic and tense experience for the viewer. I also learnt how to increase or decrease the speed in scenes, this was helpful for the running scenes as they were slow and repetitive at first before we sped them up and cut them together in editing. Slowing down helped in the more dramatic scenes, like the death scene, this made the viewing experience shocking an d intense.
Through the vast improvement in technology this way of editing homemade films is easy for beginners and even for more advanced film-makers, the software is very simple but also very effective and really helped the create the right tone of the film.

Media Evaluation 4

Media 4

Media Evaluation 3 - Media Institution

Distribution in film relies heavily on the funding or the budget the film has. If it is a high budget blockbuster then a large distributor like Universal or 20th Century Fox would be likely to distribute it. However, if it is a small budget film a smaller company would distribute it. For our horror opening we decided to use a larger distributor but one that distributes mostly horror films outside of the highest budget films – something that was in the middle of low and high budget distribution. We wanted to be distributed by a large company although our project doesn’t necessarily have a huge budget. This is because our story line follows the well know and popular horror genre and not the low budget gritty social realist dramas. Having looked into vast amounts of distribution companies we chose one that distributed medium budget horror films to a large scale audience. We decided that Lionsgate would be the most appropriate and successful distribution company for our film. This is because they distribute many lower and medium budget horror films to large audiences such as the SAW films, so it would hit there genre specification. 

Media Evaluation 2 - Social Group Representation

Our film opens with a young girl alone and trapped in an abandoned church. This makes it clear that she is vulnerable whilst the blood and the editing we used portrays she is in danger. This scene shows we are following the convention that teenagers are both targets and victims in horror films .

This scene is a positive representation of teenagers as it shows a teenage boy being heroic. Here he is running trying to get to the female character in order to save her. This portrays the idea that male protagonists are less vulnerable as he is the one trying to be the hero.

As the film continues you see a trail of blood as if the victim as been dragged. This further expresses the vulnerability and weakness of teenagers as well as expressing the strength of the unseen killer. This portrays teenagers to be victims in these situations.

Media Evaluation 2 - Social Group

Media Evaluation 1

Media Evaluation

Updated Storyboard

New Title

Another Day, Another Change.

A New title has emerged from our time at the new location. A graffiti message on the walls of the church read:

"JUSTIFIED SINS. R.I.P."

We liked the first part of that name so much, that we thought it was good enough for our film.
So... S.A.N.G Line Pictures proudly present...

"JUSTIFIED SINS"

Fresh Start.

After re-filming Sam's running scenes in his new costume, we headed straight for our new location- The church. The abandoned church has a creepy old graveyard just outside of it and we decided that having Sam running through there would be both scary and effective. Once we completed those shots we went inside the church and filmed the victims scenes- along with her death. The location worked fantastically and we were able to get some great shots. We covered Aletta in fake blood which looked great, for her death we used the run down location to our advantage as we had her hanging off the back of the broken floor panels.
Here are some Great Shots from Earlier.

Revised Locations

Abandoned Church- A large area with dim lighting, we will use this for the location in which the victim (Aletta) has been captured by the unseen killer. we decided to use this location as it is a run down creepy place, which would be perfect for a killer to take his victims. it also creates a sense of loneliness as it is so big and open.
Outside/ Forest/ Grass location- an open field for the victims brother to run across, running through trees on his way to attempt to ave the victim. we decided to use this idea as it doesn't tie the scene down to a certain place and enables us to film across different grassy locations then cutting them together in editing. It also helps portray the distance the brother has to travel to save the victim.

Revised Prop List

Fake Blood.

Red Paint.

Other props will no longer be used, instead we will use the new location to portray the genre the film is. As the location of the church is creepy and strengthens the horror movie intensity.

Revised Costumes.

Sam is no longer a detective so is costume has changed.

Victim's brother- played by Sam

To show the normality of the people who are involved in the killings Sam will be typical teenage clothes- black skinny jeans and a t-shirt, along with a necklace and skate shoes. The outfit is teenage outer wear allowing the audience to relate to what is going on and show that he is young and has some relation to the victim. The outfit is aesthetically pleasing allowing Sam to move freely whilst 

New Ideas.

After looking at the footage we filmed, and discussing our ideas and plans with our teachers, we decided to slightly alter are original plan. We decided the detective idea wasn't working, it didn't seem clear enough to the audience. We decided to dress Sam as an average teen - possibly a brother to the victim trying to rescue her. We then changed our locations slightly, rather than have the victim in the drama studio which looked wrong and was unavailable to us at the time we needed to film, we would use a creepy old abandoned church. this would be a perfect setting for a horror movie. Our teachers told us revealing the killer so early in the film isn't the best way to go, so we scrapped the clown idea and instead have Aletta die under unseen circumstances. After finalizing these changes we would move on to filming shortly.

Filming Begins

Today we filmed our detective scenes, we still weren't 100% certain the detective idea was the right way to go, so we treated this as test shots (although if they worked we would use them in he completed project)
In "The Toy Box" the detective is running across a grassy area to save the victim, here are some shots of the detective arriving at the clown's lair.

Locations.

Drama Studio- an average sized area with appropriate lighting, we will use this for the location in which the victim (Aletta) has been trapped by the killer. we decided to use this area for the space it provides as well as the lighting, it enables us to create darkness and a tense atmosphere but also be light enough for the camera to pick up the movement.

Outside/ Forest/ Grass location- an open field for the detective to run across, running through trees on his way to attempt to ave the victim. we decided to use this idea as it doesn't tie the scene down to a certain place and enables us to film across different grassy locations then cutting them together in editing. It also helps portray the distance the detective has to travel to save the victim.

Production Company Logo 2

Production Company Logo

Production Company Name.

Today we decided on our production company name, we simply decided to use the initial from our first names and put them in an order that would create a word.

SAM
ALETTA
NIALL
GABBY

S.A.N.G.     

We then proceeded to call it, S.A.N.G Line Pictures.

Shot List

Storyboard

Prop List

Red food dye- to use as the colouring for the fake blood that will be on victim.

Red paint- to again use as blood but on the set/location.

Plastic Knife- for the killer to use on our victim, slicing her neck open killing her.

Rope/ Chain- something to tie the victims hands and feet together leaving her helpless.

Chair- what the victim will be tied too.

Costumes

Victim- played by Aletta
For the trapped woman she has to be a victim but we chose her clothes as if shes been kidnapped so her clothes will be typical teenage clothes. White top with blood over it to show she's been beat. On the bottom she will have black leggings with ugg shoes. The outfit is fairly typical but plain so the blood will stand out. The blood is to imply horror from the very beginning.

Detective- played by Sam
To show there is danger ahead we will have Sam as a detective. Sam will be in formal clothes- black trousers, shirt and waistcoat along with black shoes.. The outfit is formal and looks serious allowing the audience to relate to what is going on and show that he is of authority and out to save the victim. The outift is aesthetically pleasing allowing Sam to move freely whilst running.

Clown- Played by Niall.
Our initial idea was to have him wearing a buttoned up white shirt covered in dirt and blood, along with clown designed trousers and shoes. the make up will be smudged and creepy rather than clean and perfected. various bits of costume will be added to create a more clownish effect to the character.

Romantic Film Task

We had to produce a short romantic film as a task in one of our media lessons. the skills we learnt from this were the ability to create a story and portray a message and a representation in such a short space of time. The skills we learnt from this will be passed on to our final piece and improved upon.

Film Title.

We have decided upon a title for our film.

"THE TOY BOX"


We have decided to call it this as it relates to the killer being a clown, and if the movie were to carry on after the opening the detectives and media in the film would refer to the clown's lair as "The Toy Box"

Initial Idea.

Our Inital idea is of a killer disguised as a clown has trapped an innocent girl in his lair. she wakes up to find herself tied up and covered in cuts and bruises, she is alone and terrified. she screams for help and in the distance a faint psychotic laugh is heard. The room is dark and the victim struggles to see, she is scared at the noise and then the killer reveals his face as he holds a flashlight toward himself so he is visible to the victim. These scenes at the lair are cut together along with a running sequence of a detective heading toward the clown's lair. He is attempting to save the victim, he soon arrives at the location which is a run down small shed type lair. He bursts through the doors with force to see the clown slicing the victims neck open with a knife, he looks on in despair and the titles roll.

Timeline

Evaluation Of Questionnaire

With the results i have gathered from my questionnaire, i have realised most people watch horror films and prefer the gory slasher style. The general response i got was that the audience wanted a kill sequence as early as possible in the film and that the killer should be seen but without his/her face being revealed. the audience preferred a steady cam or a handheld way of filming and wanted the film to have low level lighting. With these results we will now create a film proposal using the answers from our questionnaire.

Questionnaire

We are producing a horror film opening to fit the age group of 16-25. We will create a questionnaire to gather a general opinion on what style of horror this age group prefer and would pay to see. We will conduct the questionnaire on 25 people.

Question 1
how often do you watch horror films?
- Always (4) 
- Often (10) 
- Sometimes (5) 
- Rarely (3) 
- Never (3)

Question 2
what form of horror do you prefer?
- Thriller (7)
- Gore (11)

- Zombie (5)

- Serial killer (2)

Question 3
what type of sound do you see in the horror film opening you watch?
- non diegetic (3)-diegetic (2)
 - both (20)

Question 4
would the opening have a murder sequence? 
- yes (23)
- no (2)

Question 5
would you want the killer to be seen?
- yes (9)
- no (16)

Question 6
if No, would you want the killer to be seen but with a mask on, or not revealing his/her face? 
- yes (14)
- no (2)

Question 7
what camera work would you like to see in the horror opening?
- steady cam (12)
- hand held (8)
- normal tripod filming (5)

Question 8
where do you think the action should take place in the opening?
- House (9) 
- Forest (9) 
- Road (2) 
- dungeon/trap (5) 
- Other (please specify) (0)

Question 9
what sort of lighting would work in our opening to the horror film.
- Low level (22)
- High level (3)

Basic Research

Key areas
-Clichés and Conventions
-Form
-Production contexts
- Audiences < 16-25
-Role of technologies < Handheld camera for horror
-Representation

Key Ideas
-Horror.
-Clichés.
-Slasher, Gore, Thriller/Suspense
-Heroine - virgin brunette survives.
-Psycho Killer.
-costume, blood, makeup
-Vulnerable blonde girl typically dies first
-Killer is typically white male 18-25
-Suspicious male character < Boyfriend.
-Suspense filled music
- Low level lighting.

Horror Openings.

This is the opening to Scream (1996)

As the credits roll and the word “SCREAM” appears, non diegetic sounds of phones ringing and women screaming get louder and louder until we get the first shot. The first shot is a close up of a phone ringing; a girl is walks into shot and answers it. She is blonde and alone in the house – a typical cliché in horror films. There is then an establishing shot of the house the scene is set at. The phone then rings once more and a conversation begins, as the light flirty conversation continues there is very light music throughout this scene, until the line “I want to know who I’m looking at” a dark ominous non diegetic tone is heard signifying the shift in tone in the scene. The scene gradually becomes darker and more terrifying by each passing minute and diegetic sounds of popcorn and dogs barking are heard increasing the tension. 

Horror Openings.

This is the opening to Halloween (1978)

The scene begins with the non diegetic sound of the famous Halloween soundtrack, a fast paced beat that resembles the sounds of chimes and bells. As the music continues to a black empty screen, a Halloween pumpkin appears glowing and the credits roll in orange colour, symbolising Halloween. The music seems to get faster as the credits continue creating a sense of fear and discomfort in the viewer, the camera gets slowly closer the pumpkin until all is left is the ominous glow of the pumpkin eye. The light from the pumpkin goes out and the film begins. A diegetic sound of children singing a creepy Halloween song follows and the screen reads “Halloween Night 1963” we then cut to an establishing shot of a large house. One long continuous shot follows as we see what the character is seeing through their eyes. This is made clear by the diegetic sounds of breathing and the use of a steady-cam, a form on handheld camera. This is further expressed when the character picks up a clown mask, puts it on and all we see for the remainder of the scene is everything through the eye holes of the mask. The character proceeds to his sister’s bedroom, she is undressed and it is hinted she had sexual activity with her boyfriend – her then subsequent death plays on the common cliché in horror films that a women will die early on and that sexual activity relates to the character being killed. Diegetic sounds of screaming are heard as the girl is stabbed to death. The parents of the girl arrive at the scene and the killer is then revealed to be a young boy in a clown costume – the brother of the murdered teen. His name is revealed to be Michael.

Genres Of Film.

The Genre i have chosen to research for my media project is Horror. Horror is a successful blend of violence and scares to entertain its audience. Horror has been successful and has been prominent since the early days of cinema, because of the ability to keep the budget relatively low. Some of the most successful Horror films have been produced on miniscule budgets. This cheap way of production along with the genres simplicity is what drew our group to the idea. Here are some examples:

"Halloween" (1978)
"Scream" (1996)
"The Hills have Eyes" (1977)
"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974)
"Carrie" (1976)
"Friday The 13th" (1980)
"I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997)
"Saw" (2004)

Genre Styles

We took some time to decide on the genre we wanted to use for our film opening and after talking to my group members and discussing our options we decided to choose horror/thriller.

To get an early idea of what kind of techniques and styles used in the industry we sat down and looked at openings to Horror movies.
First we watched the opening to "The Exorcist" (1973), very little happened during the opening exchanges and we struggled to find and helpful techniques from this opening. We then chose to have a look at "Friday The 13th" (2009) this opening scene had much more immediate action with scenes of sex and violence, the body count was around 5 by the time the titles even rolled. we then watched the beginning of "My Bloody Valentine" (2008) It's opening scene was more setting the main backstory through newspaper articles created by CGI, this scene had tense non diegetic music backing it up .We then watched the opening to the based on real events movie 'The Exorcism Of Emily Rose' which set the tone of the movie with a really tense opening scene with non diegetic music and a general sense of dread.