We've been finishing off our Similar Media Works powerpoint and sorting out the storyboard recently. The powerpoint was very useful in that we had to do a lot of research into the horror genre, making the planning of our film easier in that we had more ideas of camera angle and lighting. We've so far produced a basic photo storyboard, and plan to later create one with voiceover explaining what shots we want to make use of where and why we've chosen to do this. This will be quite useful to work from when writing a script and actually filming.
We've created our film brief now, and decided on the over-all plot of our film; the basic theme is the stalking of six seemingly unlinked girls. Those behind it are not only psychopaths but scientists who want to create the "perfect" person, but we'll stick predominantly in the psychological side, rather than the technical sci-fi. The scientists identify six girls they believe together have the perfect features or limbs and set about torturing and mutilating them, with the actual film seeing two out of the original six victims surviving. The opening 2 minutes of our film will show part of one of the victims attack, as she is followed home. The flashing video and still frames at the start just before the film title comes up will also show the rest of the victims, with the body part the scientists have identified as being perfect marked with a black "X"
Monday 30 November 2009
Scream remake
Please double click videos to open in a new window, as embedding them cuts off the side, making viewing difficult.
For our coursework, we had to film a re-make of a horror film, and our group chose Scream. We had to film the kitchen scene in the opening of the film, where the young woman is on the phone to an unidentified male character.
Due to the fact that we were in school and had to make do with what we had, we ended up filming in the food tech rooms, the closest we could get to an actual kitchen. For our original film, we'll be able to make use of locations out of school grounds, something that will make the film instantly look more professional and polished.
Because we are a group of all girls, we got a friend to be the male voice on the phone, giving us an idea of what it'll be like to audition actors for our own horror film. We were working from a script taken from the film and tried to stick to this as much as we possibly could, although for certain parts, such as the part where the woman plays with the knives, we had to improvise. By working from a script, we got used to the layout of it and how much detail is needed to be included, something that will be helpful when writing our own scripts.
Due to our poor time keeping, the film isn't as polished as we would like it to be, and doesn't make very good use of continuity. However, by filming this, we got more experience with using the equipment, such as the dolly and how to keep it steady when tracking someone. If we were to film this again, we'd definitely allocate ourselves more time to film in, as we underestimated how long the filming and editing process would take.
For our coursework, we had to film a re-make of a horror film, and our group chose Scream. We had to film the kitchen scene in the opening of the film, where the young woman is on the phone to an unidentified male character.
Due to the fact that we were in school and had to make do with what we had, we ended up filming in the food tech rooms, the closest we could get to an actual kitchen. For our original film, we'll be able to make use of locations out of school grounds, something that will make the film instantly look more professional and polished.
Because we are a group of all girls, we got a friend to be the male voice on the phone, giving us an idea of what it'll be like to audition actors for our own horror film. We were working from a script taken from the film and tried to stick to this as much as we possibly could, although for certain parts, such as the part where the woman plays with the knives, we had to improvise. By working from a script, we got used to the layout of it and how much detail is needed to be included, something that will be helpful when writing our own scripts.
Due to our poor time keeping, the film isn't as polished as we would like it to be, and doesn't make very good use of continuity. However, by filming this, we got more experience with using the equipment, such as the dolly and how to keep it steady when tracking someone. If we were to film this again, we'd definitely allocate ourselves more time to film in, as we underestimated how long the filming and editing process would take.
Wednesday 25 November 2009
Storyboard and Ideas
We've been taking photos recently for our story board, showing stills of each part of our opening. We're doing this because it then gives us something to refer back to when we start filming, and it means we can get a good idea to start with as to how the over-all piece will look. These initial photos weren't taken exactly where we would film, but we've started looking at possible locations and within the next few days will start gathering photographs of these locations. For the storyboard, we took the photographs of each other, due to the fact we haven't got a cast yet. We also hope to create an animatic storyboard, talking about why we've chosen each location and why we think shots will look effective here.
Storyboard 2
We've also been discussing the script and the whole story of the film, not just the opening. Our film is based around the idea of stalking, and the opening is meant to set you up for the rest of the film. The climax of our opening consists of a series of flashing images, showing what has happened to the girl being followed in the first few minutes and then the title flashes onto the screen. In the film, there would be around six young female victims and I had the idea that just before the title comes up, there should be six quick flashes of these victims, so that the viewer expects it but is left wondering and doesn't know exactly what happened.
Storyboard 2
We've also been discussing the script and the whole story of the film, not just the opening. Our film is based around the idea of stalking, and the opening is meant to set you up for the rest of the film. The climax of our opening consists of a series of flashing images, showing what has happened to the girl being followed in the first few minutes and then the title flashes onto the screen. In the film, there would be around six young female victims and I had the idea that just before the title comes up, there should be six quick flashes of these victims, so that the viewer expects it but is left wondering and doesn't know exactly what happened.
Thursday 19 November 2009
Similar Media Woks
Whilst brain storming ideas for our film, we researched into typical conventions of a horror film and what the basic story lines were of several other films. This was beneficial because it aided us in planning our own movie and to see what sort of things we would need to consider, such as audience presumptions and generic signifier's. This is our Similar Media Works research, and the slides I personally worked on have my name at the bottom.
Friday 13 November 2009
Preliminary Task
Right at the start of our course, we got into groups of three to make a brief film read from a script. This task really helped in getting us used to using the cameras and the editing software, which in turn made us more confident for our coursework.
This is my preliminary task, called "Did you bring it?"
Please double click videos to open in a new window, as embedding them cuts off the side, making viewing difficult.
After editing the film, I evaluated it, to show my understanding of what we did and to work out how we could improve and what we still need to learn.
Preliminary Task Evaluation
This is my preliminary task, called "Did you bring it?"
Please double click videos to open in a new window, as embedding them cuts off the side, making viewing difficult.
After editing the film, I evaluated it, to show my understanding of what we did and to work out how we could improve and what we still need to learn.
Preliminary Task Evaluation
Initital Ideas
We discussed our initial ideas for our horror film on Wednesday, and although we didn't come up with a script, we talked about the aspects we'd each like to bring to the film. We want to use a series of flashbacks embedded in the present time to hint at the viewer of what is to come later on in the film. We're following at least one stereotypical horror film convention by using a young female as our main character because women are generally seen as being more vulnerable and are more likely to make the viewer feel fear for them than if it was a male. To come up with ideas, we thought about what scared each of us personally, and then listed them as potential flashbacks. Some of these ideas included;
A man standing below a window, under a street light
Someone hidden behind a door
Headlights of a car coming around the corner on a dark lane
A man standing below a window, under a street light
Someone hidden behind a door
Headlights of a car coming around the corner on a dark lane
Thursday 12 November 2009
Spider diagram of conventional horror opening
I made a spider diagram which outlined the stereotypical conventions of a horror film, including the types of characters and the settings usually associated with them. This was my first step before even thinking about my own original ideas for a story line, because I felt that it would be good to have a basic idea of what if usually expected for a horror film.
Media Ideas
Media Ideas
Monday 9 November 2009
Mis-en-scene of the the beginning of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EqVQBlSntw
The opening scene I used was from the Exorcism Of Emily Rose, made in 2005 and directed by Scott Derrickson. I analysed the first 4minutes and 36seconds.
As soon as the clip starts, stereotypical horror movie music starts, which sets the viewer up instantly for what is to come later on. It builds up, not in volume but in depth, as the opening credits come up and there are extra diegetic screams added in over the music. These are faded, in that you can’t actually make out the words being said, which adds to the distress because it gives off a feel of helplessness and inability to make oneself heard. At one point, when the music is quiet you can hear a woman clearly yell “Emily?” Being the name in the title, this makes the viewer even more aware that Emily will be integral to the story. Because the woman calls out the name in panicky tones, almost questioning, it makes the viewer wonder what’s wrong and anticipate what is to come. The music continues throughout the clip, even through the little dialogue used, which creates a sense of dread. Diegetic sound is well made use of when the medical examiner knocks on the door and the squeak of the door hinges because they are both quite sharp noises and edgy. The footsteps along the hallway are loud enough the viewer can hear them, and are quite ominous, letting the viewer know that something bad has happened. The silence following the bedroom door being shut connotes the death of the young girl inside.
The scene is set in and around an old wooden house, on its own amongst fields. There is nothing surrounding the property, perhaps symbolising the bleakness of the situation. The location seems very fitting for the story, and the few bits of information the viewer gleans in the first scene fits in well around this. The fact that it is snowing and it is winter could be seen as a metaphor for the end of someone’s life, winter being the last season in a year.
Outside the house, the light is very grey, with no bright colours; the most predominant colour is the black of the medical examiners coat. It is natural lighting, so is either set early in the morning or around dusk in the evening. The effect of this lighting is that it adds to the dread the viewer is feeling about what is to come, and connotes the mood of the people in the house. Outside the house, the main light comes from above, because it is natural lighting lit by the sun. Inside the house it is darker with no lights turned on; the only source of light is the daylight coming through the windows. This creates long shadows, which plays of the stereotypes of horror movies, in that a shadow is used to symbolise something bad or spooky. When the medical examiner stops to talk to Mr. Rose, he is lit from behind and above, at a window on the stairs. This illuminates his face and shows who the director wants us to focus our attention on. Upstairs the narrow corridor is lit by one solitary light on the ceiling, casting unnatural light, perhaps connoting the unnatural situation. The light only lights up one end of the corridor and the closer the man gets to the bedroom door, the darker it gets. In the kitchen, you can see that time is meant to have passed because it is brighter light coming through the windows and the shadows aren't as pronounced.
The first few camera angles are close ups of various points around the house; the first is of a post with barbed wire coming from it, the second of grass swaying in the wind and the third is of apples on the floor in the mud. It then cuts to a high angle establishing shot to show the house and surrounding area, with the medical examiner walking across fields to the house. There is a mid shot of him knocking at the door, and turning around so that we can see the expression on his face. A low angle shows him looking across at a barn, which he does several times, indicating that this will come up again later on in the film as an important place. There is a close up of a weather vane moving slowly in the wind, which is quite a sinister motion, simply because of how innocent it should be in any other circumstance. There is an over the shoulder shot to show someone standing in the upstairs window, adding to the sinister feel because no one answered the front door when he knocked. Once inside, there is a wide angle to show the grieving family, which instantly tells us that there has been a death within the family.
The main colour used within the scene is black, which denotes the death of someone integral in the film. The medical examiner, who is the first character we see, is dressed entirely in black, adding to the ominous feel. The four female family members are all dressed in white, a colour often linked with innocence and purity, which makes the viewer think that they are innocent and had nothing to do with the girl’s death. The male character sat at the table is all in black, which makes the viewer suspicious because of the contrast to the other people at the table. The girl’s father is in a grey check shirt which again connotes the bleakness of the situation. The clothes worn don’t really hint at any particular era, but the house itself seems dated and old fashioned. The priest is wearing the black robes with the white collar, which is instantly associated with the church. However, this could be showing that he is largely guilty for the girl’s death, but the white collar shows there is a small part of innocence, where perhaps he thought he was doing what was best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EqVQBlSntw
The opening scene I used was from the Exorcism Of Emily Rose, made in 2005 and directed by Scott Derrickson. I analysed the first 4minutes and 36seconds.
As soon as the clip starts, stereotypical horror movie music starts, which sets the viewer up instantly for what is to come later on. It builds up, not in volume but in depth, as the opening credits come up and there are extra diegetic screams added in over the music. These are faded, in that you can’t actually make out the words being said, which adds to the distress because it gives off a feel of helplessness and inability to make oneself heard. At one point, when the music is quiet you can hear a woman clearly yell “Emily?” Being the name in the title, this makes the viewer even more aware that Emily will be integral to the story. Because the woman calls out the name in panicky tones, almost questioning, it makes the viewer wonder what’s wrong and anticipate what is to come. The music continues throughout the clip, even through the little dialogue used, which creates a sense of dread. Diegetic sound is well made use of when the medical examiner knocks on the door and the squeak of the door hinges because they are both quite sharp noises and edgy. The footsteps along the hallway are loud enough the viewer can hear them, and are quite ominous, letting the viewer know that something bad has happened. The silence following the bedroom door being shut connotes the death of the young girl inside.
The scene is set in and around an old wooden house, on its own amongst fields. There is nothing surrounding the property, perhaps symbolising the bleakness of the situation. The location seems very fitting for the story, and the few bits of information the viewer gleans in the first scene fits in well around this. The fact that it is snowing and it is winter could be seen as a metaphor for the end of someone’s life, winter being the last season in a year.
Outside the house, the light is very grey, with no bright colours; the most predominant colour is the black of the medical examiners coat. It is natural lighting, so is either set early in the morning or around dusk in the evening. The effect of this lighting is that it adds to the dread the viewer is feeling about what is to come, and connotes the mood of the people in the house. Outside the house, the main light comes from above, because it is natural lighting lit by the sun. Inside the house it is darker with no lights turned on; the only source of light is the daylight coming through the windows. This creates long shadows, which plays of the stereotypes of horror movies, in that a shadow is used to symbolise something bad or spooky. When the medical examiner stops to talk to Mr. Rose, he is lit from behind and above, at a window on the stairs. This illuminates his face and shows who the director wants us to focus our attention on. Upstairs the narrow corridor is lit by one solitary light on the ceiling, casting unnatural light, perhaps connoting the unnatural situation. The light only lights up one end of the corridor and the closer the man gets to the bedroom door, the darker it gets. In the kitchen, you can see that time is meant to have passed because it is brighter light coming through the windows and the shadows aren't as pronounced.
The first few camera angles are close ups of various points around the house; the first is of a post with barbed wire coming from it, the second of grass swaying in the wind and the third is of apples on the floor in the mud. It then cuts to a high angle establishing shot to show the house and surrounding area, with the medical examiner walking across fields to the house. There is a mid shot of him knocking at the door, and turning around so that we can see the expression on his face. A low angle shows him looking across at a barn, which he does several times, indicating that this will come up again later on in the film as an important place. There is a close up of a weather vane moving slowly in the wind, which is quite a sinister motion, simply because of how innocent it should be in any other circumstance. There is an over the shoulder shot to show someone standing in the upstairs window, adding to the sinister feel because no one answered the front door when he knocked. Once inside, there is a wide angle to show the grieving family, which instantly tells us that there has been a death within the family.
The main colour used within the scene is black, which denotes the death of someone integral in the film. The medical examiner, who is the first character we see, is dressed entirely in black, adding to the ominous feel. The four female family members are all dressed in white, a colour often linked with innocence and purity, which makes the viewer think that they are innocent and had nothing to do with the girl’s death. The male character sat at the table is all in black, which makes the viewer suspicious because of the contrast to the other people at the table. The girl’s father is in a grey check shirt which again connotes the bleakness of the situation. The clothes worn don’t really hint at any particular era, but the house itself seems dated and old fashioned. The priest is wearing the black robes with the white collar, which is instantly associated with the church. However, this could be showing that he is largely guilty for the girl’s death, but the white collar shows there is a small part of innocence, where perhaps he thought he was doing what was best.
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