Wednesday, 1 February 2017
R+P Post 12: Our Storyboard
We used a storyboard as well in the planning filming and editing of our film opening. It ensured we had an accurate idea of how the opening sequence would go and could visualise it as well as plan how the shots would fit together and what shot types we would use. It also helped during editing so we could easily put the shots together.
For each different shot on our storyboard we would use post it notes to make it easier to change shots as well being able to code them colourise with which type of shot they were.
For each different shot on our storyboard we would use post it notes to make it easier to change shots as well being able to code them colourise with which type of shot they were.
Long Shots = green
Mid Shots = orange
Close Ups = blue
Graphics = pink
Mid Shots = orange
Close Ups = blue
Graphics = pink
This made it much easier for us to easily identify what type of shot it was and could get a better idea of how the spread of different shots looked.
Much like our timeline our storyboard was divided into three sections so we could more easily plan it in sections as a group.
We also documented the camera movements we would show in our opening sequence using thick black arrows, as well as showing titles and credits so we knew the exact positioning for them
R+P Post 11: Our Timeline
The first step we made in planning our opening before the animatic or any storyboards was to create a film timeline. The advantages of this were that we were able to stick to the 2 minute time allowance accurately and were able then to plan the sequence of events chronologically. This ensured that we had an accurate idea of which order the shots would be in and how long they would last, in turn this made the making of our storyboard much easier as all we were required to do was vissualise and draw the shots, we did not have to worry about the order and we did also have a good idea of the shots as a result of the timeline as well.
The timeline was made up of a beginning, middle and end. This meant we could easily split our sequence into sections and better focus on each section as a result. We also better plan the soundtrack for each section and thing about how we might vary the volume of it when there was and wasn't dialogue.
The timeline was made up of a beginning, middle and end. This meant we could easily split our sequence into sections and better focus on each section as a result. We also better plan the soundtrack for each section and thing about how we might vary the volume of it when there was and wasn't dialogue.
Friday, 20 January 2017
R+P Post 10: Reflections so far/ looking ahead
Looking ahead as a group I believe we work very well together and are quite harmonious. We also delegate various different duties very well within the group ensuring that our work is efficient and to a good standard. Although we all display fairly laid back attitudes it means there is no conflict and we are able to reach alternative solutions to please everybody in the group easily.
R+P Post 9: Our opening sequence's soundtrack
The soundtrack for our opening sequence contains a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound, the only non-diegetic sound in the sequence is that background music.
The music in question we used is called The Isle of the Dead but Sergei Rachmaninov. As is obvious from the name this is quite appropriate for the opening sequence as it was written as an interpretation of an individuals journey to "The Isle of the Dead", this is fitting in the opening sequence as it depicts the disappearance of a character. The song itself starts quite quiet and sombre slowing increasing in energy but remaining quite unsettling and builds suspense throughout the opening. We sourced it from an article we found online written about sombre and "spooky" classical music pieces, classical music is often used in horror films as it feels more atmospheric and can create more vivid atmospheres. The piece was produced in 1908 and so as a result is free from copyright which ensures we can use it, this was another reason for the use of classical music as earlier than 50 years ago it is the predominant genre of music produced and is therefore less likely to have been copyrighted.
We sourced this piece of music from youtube:
The Isle of the Dead- Sergei Rachmaninov
In terms of sound affects we also used an array to help convey and amplify the mood of the scene, also ensuring that all the sound came through with the intended affect. The effects we will use are:
These all come copyright free from:
Soundlab
The music in question we used is called The Isle of the Dead but Sergei Rachmaninov. As is obvious from the name this is quite appropriate for the opening sequence as it was written as an interpretation of an individuals journey to "The Isle of the Dead", this is fitting in the opening sequence as it depicts the disappearance of a character. The song itself starts quite quiet and sombre slowing increasing in energy but remaining quite unsettling and builds suspense throughout the opening. We sourced it from an article we found online written about sombre and "spooky" classical music pieces, classical music is often used in horror films as it feels more atmospheric and can create more vivid atmospheres. The piece was produced in 1908 and so as a result is free from copyright which ensures we can use it, this was another reason for the use of classical music as earlier than 50 years ago it is the predominant genre of music produced and is therefore less likely to have been copyrighted.
We sourced this piece of music from youtube:
The Isle of the Dead- Sergei Rachmaninov
In terms of sound affects we also used an array to help convey and amplify the mood of the scene, also ensuring that all the sound came through with the intended affect. The effects we will use are:
These all come copyright free from:
Soundlab
- Phone ringing
- TV static
- TV bleep
- News motif
R+P Post 8: The credits in our opening sequence
The posts for our opening sequence have been inspired by a number of films from the horror/thriller genre. We will superimpose the titles on the screen over the sequence, we will put them in the corners of the screen to ensure we don't take away too much from the plot of the sequence however they will still be noticeable. They will be a simple white font however will glitch and shudder on the screen with varied periods of time they are on their for, this effect brings a discordant feel to the sequence and foreshadows the genre and style of the film ensuring we retain the horror thriller themes. The films we took inspiration from were American Horror Story for the glitch effects, The Shining for the superimposed titles and finally Don't Breath for the simple fonts used. All three of these films come into the horror genre.
The order of credits will run:
The order of credits will run:
- 4 actors names
- The director
- The producer
- The executive producer
R+P Post 7: Our opening sequence's planned mis-en-scene
The general themes of the scene in terms of mise en scene will be of low lighting creating mysterious idea's and real life idea themes so no special effects or outlandish costumes.
Camera:
We will use various shot types to convey the feel of the different parts of the scene. For example during the very first part we will use lots of angled shots and various close ups so as not to show the face the face of our main antagonist, in contrast to this for the filming of the news reporters we'll use very simple mid and long shots showing them just talking similar to that of an actual news report. Finally for the part in which the reporter goes missing we are looking to make shakier camera movements to give the audience the impression of a scared person holding it and when they drop it having the shows walking past it to seem coincidental like it's leaving a clue for the audience.
Lighting:
In terms of lighting its similar to the camera shots, for the start of the scene we will ensure there is low lighting with lots of shadows to convey the mysteriousness of that part and the character, because as a result of not being able to see everything the audience is kept guessing. However, in the news reporter scenes good natural lighting will be used to show how it appears to be completely normal, then when the reporter goes missing it will seem more realistic to the audience.
Setting:
Our 3 settings will be firstly Laith Lyster's house, secondly in the school and lastly in something forest. For the scene showing our antagonist Damien we're going to use the stairs and a room in Laiths house, this will seem like a normal house but with the dark shadows and eeriness it will come across spookier. The in school we will be able to create a studio set to make the news report seem as realistic as possible using the various props available to us. Lastly the element of the forest helps to create a sense of helplessness as the news reported and cameraman have nowhere to go if they are attacked and is often typically used in horror films for example the Blair Witch Project which is set in a forest.
Camera:
We will use various shot types to convey the feel of the different parts of the scene. For example during the very first part we will use lots of angled shots and various close ups so as not to show the face the face of our main antagonist, in contrast to this for the filming of the news reporters we'll use very simple mid and long shots showing them just talking similar to that of an actual news report. Finally for the part in which the reporter goes missing we are looking to make shakier camera movements to give the audience the impression of a scared person holding it and when they drop it having the shows walking past it to seem coincidental like it's leaving a clue for the audience.
Lighting:
In terms of lighting its similar to the camera shots, for the start of the scene we will ensure there is low lighting with lots of shadows to convey the mysteriousness of that part and the character, because as a result of not being able to see everything the audience is kept guessing. However, in the news reporter scenes good natural lighting will be used to show how it appears to be completely normal, then when the reporter goes missing it will seem more realistic to the audience.
Setting:
Our 3 settings will be firstly Laith Lyster's house, secondly in the school and lastly in something forest. For the scene showing our antagonist Damien we're going to use the stairs and a room in Laiths house, this will seem like a normal house but with the dark shadows and eeriness it will come across spookier. The in school we will be able to create a studio set to make the news report seem as realistic as possible using the various props available to us. Lastly the element of the forest helps to create a sense of helplessness as the news reported and cameraman have nowhere to go if they are attacked and is often typically used in horror films for example the Blair Witch Project which is set in a forest.
R+P Post 6: Our opening sequence's characters and how we plan to represent social groups
In our film opening only 4 characters are present, only one of which, the antagonist actually plays a major role. The other 3 characters are two news presenters and a cameraman who is not actually seen at all. However in terms of social groups we represent both genders and minorities during the scene.
The Main antagonist, Alex Brooks remains unseen throughout the scene and the film. He is a quiet disturbed teen who is hitting out at a society that has shunned him, by keeping this sense of mystery throughout the opening sequence and the film it creates a greater sense of fear for him as the audience cant identify the antagonist. This is very much in keeping with the horror film genre with the idea that the attacker isn't seen properly throughout, again also with the idea that its an outcast character who has been shunned and rejected by society leading them to hit back at people.
The news reporter at the scene of the crime, Jean Smith is a young black women. This means we represent a minority group in the opening as well as the female gender. In terms of the horror genre, this is very in keeping as often it is the young female women who is targeted seen as someone who is vulnerable, indeed in this sequence she goes missing.
The male news reporter Richard May fulfills the idea of a young professional male. In the opening sequence he plays only a very minor part reporting the news from the safety of a TV studio and so displays few particular character traits other than being a standard news reporter who has been faced with a crisis (the other reporter going missing) and reacts appropriately with surprise but deals with it professionally.
The Main antagonist, Alex Brooks remains unseen throughout the scene and the film. He is a quiet disturbed teen who is hitting out at a society that has shunned him, by keeping this sense of mystery throughout the opening sequence and the film it creates a greater sense of fear for him as the audience cant identify the antagonist. This is very much in keeping with the horror film genre with the idea that the attacker isn't seen properly throughout, again also with the idea that its an outcast character who has been shunned and rejected by society leading them to hit back at people.
The news reporter at the scene of the crime, Jean Smith is a young black women. This means we represent a minority group in the opening as well as the female gender. In terms of the horror genre, this is very in keeping as often it is the young female women who is targeted seen as someone who is vulnerable, indeed in this sequence she goes missing.
The male news reporter Richard May fulfills the idea of a young professional male. In the opening sequence he plays only a very minor part reporting the news from the safety of a TV studio and so displays few particular character traits other than being a standard news reporter who has been faced with a crisis (the other reporter going missing) and reacts appropriately with surprise but deals with it professionally.
R+P Post 5: Our opening sequence
The beginning of our opening sequences shows our antagonist walking up the stairs of his house, opening the door of his room and going into his room. Once in his room, he opens a laptop where it cuts to a news report.
The news report fills the screen where they are reporting two missing teenagers, it then cuts to another news reporter reporting from the site believed to be where the two teenagers went missing, the two reporters exchange questions on a split screen, suddenly the onsite news reporter see's something behind the camera, the camera pans round only to show nothing however when they pan back the reporter is gone. A few seconds later the camera is dropped but keeps recording and shows two feet walk past.
The final part of the sequence shows the scene go back to the room of the antagonist who on seeing the news report picks up there phone that was next to the laptop and answers a call, when he answers it he merely says "it's done". At this point the screen goes black and the title of the film appears on a black background.
Binary opposites:
The news report fills the screen where they are reporting two missing teenagers, it then cuts to another news reporter reporting from the site believed to be where the two teenagers went missing, the two reporters exchange questions on a split screen, suddenly the onsite news reporter see's something behind the camera, the camera pans round only to show nothing however when they pan back the reporter is gone. A few seconds later the camera is dropped but keeps recording and shows two feet walk past.
The final part of the sequence shows the scene go back to the room of the antagonist who on seeing the news report picks up there phone that was next to the laptop and answers a call, when he answers it he merely says "it's done". At this point the screen goes black and the title of the film appears on a black background.
Binary opposites:
- Male vs Female
- Safety of indoors vs unsafety of outdoors
- Unknown (antagonist face not shown, attacker not shown) threat vs vulnerable obvious victim
R+P Post 4: Our films genre, title and plot outline
Title: Disturbances
Genre: The genre of our film is horror/action, this is a combination of both the evil forces and events of horror as well as the high octane scenes prevalent in action films with chases and fight scenes. Some of the themes more common to horror films are those of gore and the supernatural. As inspiration we looked to the style of The Blair Witch Project in terms of this idea of this unseen attacker and for example the idea that little clues are caught on camera, also the film Quarantine incorporates the news reporter idea and the idea of something happening while they are reporting news and going wrong, this as a film also incorporates the action genre with many fight scenes and the presence of armed forced.
Plot: After multiple unknown disappearances, one on live television, of members of the public the attention of a criminology student and her friends is captured. While her (the protagonist) and her friends go about trying to solve these mysterious cases the antagonist sets out planning and putting into his place his next attack attempting to rid himself of the students.
Genre: The genre of our film is horror/action, this is a combination of both the evil forces and events of horror as well as the high octane scenes prevalent in action films with chases and fight scenes. Some of the themes more common to horror films are those of gore and the supernatural. As inspiration we looked to the style of The Blair Witch Project in terms of this idea of this unseen attacker and for example the idea that little clues are caught on camera, also the film Quarantine incorporates the news reporter idea and the idea of something happening while they are reporting news and going wrong, this as a film also incorporates the action genre with many fight scenes and the presence of armed forced.
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| Blair witch scene, shows fear of unknown, no obvious things to fear |
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| Quarantine incorporates both female lead and news reporter theme |
Plot: After multiple unknown disappearances, one on live television, of members of the public the attention of a criminology student and her friends is captured. While her (the protagonist) and her friends go about trying to solve these mysterious cases the antagonist sets out planning and putting into his place his next attack attempting to rid himself of the students.
R+P Post 3: Our production and distribution insitutions
Production company:
We chose an existing production company for our film, we chose Hammer Film Productions. For our genre of film this was a very obvious choice, as a company they specialised in horror films, that being the our genre of film (incorporating thriller and action). its also a British based company which would also make sense as us being being based in Britain and looking to attract a British audience this will help to make sure it has the right "feel" and "touches". Hammer Film Productions has done predominantly horror films such as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy, this means its very credible in our genre.
Distribution Company:
Warner Bros as a distributor is a good choice working in conjunction with Hammer as the two companies have worked together before on horror films so there is already a connection between the two companies and are more likely to work harmoniously. Also Warner Bros have done horror films before for example The Shining, The Conjuring and Annabelle, this ensures that they are experienced in the genre. Lastly, a multi-national film company we can reach a much wider audience by having the film distributed in many different countries.
R+P Posy 2: Our target audience and how we plan to attract/address them
Target Audience:
Our target audience is the male 15-24 year olds for a number of reasons regarding the genre, lifestyle and media consumption of the "typical" male 15-24 year old. We will also be looking to attract a female audience between 15-24 by involving the idea of the last survivor in the story being female leading to an idea of empowerment and letting them empathise better with it.
We're looking to attract the 15-24 year old age category as first of all typically action/thriller/horror films would have an age rating between 15-18+. As as a result this immediately rules out young children as a target audience however this film would be better suited to and more likely to attract this older age category and in the film by having characters in that age category it will allow them to better empathise and identify with them allowing them to enjoy the experience more as a whole. Also as a major blockbuster style film it is more likely to appeal to the typical 15-24 year old who is not looking for an arthouse/indie film that challenges them, instead a typical film that follows the given formula used in major films.
Our main gender target is males as typically they are more likely to watch action/horror/thriller films, to attract them we will incorporate many typical action/horror/thriller film conventions in the opening sequence for example we show two people go mysteriously missing and we are introduced to the main antagonist who's face remains unseen during the opening. However we also look to attract a female crowd as the idea is that as the film progresses and climaxes the final remaining character is female therefore giving them a protagonist to identify and look up too. By doing this we've stopped ourselves from ruling out half of our potential audience and therefore kept our potential reach much larger.
Our target audience is the male 15-24 year olds for a number of reasons regarding the genre, lifestyle and media consumption of the "typical" male 15-24 year old. We will also be looking to attract a female audience between 15-24 by involving the idea of the last survivor in the story being female leading to an idea of empowerment and letting them empathise better with it.
We're looking to attract the 15-24 year old age category as first of all typically action/thriller/horror films would have an age rating between 15-18+. As as a result this immediately rules out young children as a target audience however this film would be better suited to and more likely to attract this older age category and in the film by having characters in that age category it will allow them to better empathise and identify with them allowing them to enjoy the experience more as a whole. Also as a major blockbuster style film it is more likely to appeal to the typical 15-24 year old who is not looking for an arthouse/indie film that challenges them, instead a typical film that follows the given formula used in major films.
Our main gender target is males as typically they are more likely to watch action/horror/thriller films, to attract them we will incorporate many typical action/horror/thriller film conventions in the opening sequence for example we show two people go mysteriously missing and we are introduced to the main antagonist who's face remains unseen during the opening. However we also look to attract a female crowd as the idea is that as the film progresses and climaxes the final remaining character is female therefore giving them a protagonist to identify and look up too. By doing this we've stopped ourselves from ruling out half of our potential audience and therefore kept our potential reach much larger.
R+P Post 1: How we intend to work as a group
My group consists of myself, Sailesh Shah, Laith Lyster and Aisha Farah. We work together well as a group and share out work equally. Our main strengths as our group are our abilities to manipulate and extend our ideas so that they can evolve into good work. We have weekly team meetings outside of lessons which last an hour and typically take place in our lunch break, we also have a facebook group chat to ensure that everyone is kept updated about what is happening.
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