Problems Due to Filming

Up to this point, we have completed filming 40% of our movie opening, and this filming took place on the 30th December 2012.

We had filmed lots of different shots, often so that we had 3 choices to chose from. We then went onto editing these shots, taking the most effective ones, and then placed them in the correct chronological order, and shortened them to the appropriate length.

So up to this point, we had 40% of filming and editing done.

Character Problems: 

We were then ready to film the remaining 60%, however we realised that our "geeky" character was too over dramatic; she had very tight plaits, modest clothing, a book and glasses, which made it look like she would not fit in with the group. 

We therefore would have to re-film this in order to make the opening look more effective. 

Problems out of our control: 

Ater this we were then going to film on the 20th January, however this was not possible due to snow affecting transport, and the opening could not suddenly cut to snow. 

Actor Problems:

We then incurred another problem involving one of our actors. Heather has since dyed her hair a different colour, and she is a vital actor needed for the final part of the opening, therefore, like the snow, we couldn't suddenly cut to the same actor in a previous shot, but with a completely different hair colour. 

What we will have to do now: 

In order to swiftly over come these issues, as a group, we will be filming on Saturday the 2nd of February 2013, and we will film parts of the opening that do not require all the actors, as some have prior arrangements. On this day we will be able to use our young actor as well, as on the next day of filming this may be hard to complete due to the actor having school throughout the day.

In addition to this, we shall also be filming on Wednesday 6th February 2013 all day and our aim is to have completed all filming by this time, so that we can then get back to editing the filming that would have been recently complete and finish the task.

Editing

Our group wanted to have a blinking effect on the second shot, this would recreate a POV from the killer, and we feel that having a blinking effect will emphasise this.

1. Firstly, I added a transition of "wipe down" to try and recreate the blinking effect, this lead to a wipe down of the screen from the first shot to the second one. 

2. I then had to split the clip, in order to add more transitions to the shot, because the killer will have to blink more than once. 

3. I then altered the duration of the transition as the transition was previously too slow, I felt that 0.2s was much more effective than a shorter duration of time.

4. After splitting the clip, I continued on to adding more transitions in between the clips, I still used the "wipe down" transition.

5. After this, I had to repeat the same step as "3" in order to make the transition an appropriate amount of time to look authentic. 

6. Finally, I added more transitions in between after I continued to split the clip more. Also repeating step 3 for this process.

Overall, the clip did transition in between the splitted clips, however it did not look as effective as once hoped. When editing this in the future, we should add a black shot to portray the eyes closing. 

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-use-of-nursery-rhymes-to-create.html

FILMING. 20th JANUARY.

^20th JANUARY 2012

TIME: 10AM – 5.30PM

LOCATION: BURTSED WOODS

ACTORS:

1.     HEATHER
2.     STEVIE   
3.          ELYSE
4.     HOLLY
5.         SHAY
6.         ELLA'S COUSIN (CHILD)

COSTUMES:

1.        HEATHER – DARK SHORTS, GREY HOODIE, CHECK SHIRT
2.       STEVIE – DARK JEANS, BLACK HOODY, DARK TOP
3.      ELYSE – CROP TOP, BRIGHT, DENIM SHORTS, PINK CONVERSE, LEATHER JACKET
4.      HOLLY – JEANS, LONG SLEEVED BLOUSE, GLASSES
5.        SHAY - DARK TRACKSUIT, HAT, TRAINERS
6.        ELLA'S COUSIN - OLD FASHIONED DRESS, DARK AND HEAVY EYES

PROPS:

1.      ALCOHOL – BOTTLES
2.      WOUND EQUIPMENT 

   

THANK YOU

1^ST SHOT
(POTENTIAL TIME LAPSE) 
MEDIUM SHOT FOLLOWING ON TO A CLOSE UP
HEATHER FINDS A LEATHER JACKET ON THE FLOOR
IN THE BACKGROUND WE MUST SEE ELYSE SLUMPED OVER, HOWEVER THIS CANNOT BE MADE OBVIOUS

2^ND SHOT
SAME SHOTS AS BEFORE BUT WE SEE HEATHER NOTICE ELYSE SLUMPED OVER 

3^RD SHOT
MEDIUM SHOT
HEATHER SEES THE CHILD 

4TH SHOT
CHILD LOOKS UP AND INTO CAMERA 
CLOSE UP/EXTREME CLOSE UP

Costumes

Filming day 1:

We had to have costumes suited to each individual character in a way the presents their personality on camera. It was very important to carefully use mise en scene in order to present the characters in a certain way.

As you can see, with our slutty character we needed to show her sexuality and provocativeness whilst also displaying femininity. This has been done with heavy make up, dark eyes and bright pink lips, and we also tightly curled her blonde hair. She has very minimal clothing on, showing skin, and the top is sparkly in order to show her loud and eccentric personality. The shorts are also very high rise, also promoting her body.







Our couple wears dark colours that correspond with each other, the check shirt the girl wears is similar to that of which we found when researching costumes of other characters in horror films set in the woods. She also shows minimal skin to show her more conservative side, contrasting greatly to the slut, in addition to minimal make up.

He also wears very similar clothes to show their close relation to one another, and are very up to date and 'effortlessly cool'.






Our "bad" man wears urbanised clothing which is most like the style of youths today. The dark colours also show that he wears also doesn't present himself as an eccentric character. The trainers also create style about the character and show he is very image conscious.

The 'geek' of the opening has the stereotypical glasses and clean, neat, and organised hair which relates to her personality and her own attitude of things such as school work. The blouse is very minimalistic and doesn't present herself as a character with much importance. Her jeans are also a lighter colour than all the characters, setting her aside from then completely.





Here are all the characters in their costumes and roles:

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/different-production-companies.html

Shooting Script - 30th December

30^th DECEMBER 2012

TIME: 10AM – 5.30PM

LOCATION: BURTSED WOODS

ACTORS:

<·       HEATHER
>·      STEVIE   
  ·       ELYSE

  ·       HOLLY

<·       MASCULINE GUY – TO BE CONFIRMED

COSTUMES:

   ·       HEATHER – DARK JEANS, BOY HOODIE, BLACK PLIMSOLES

   ·       STEVIE – DARK JEANS, SIMILAR HOODY TO HEATHER, DARK SHOES

   ·       ELYSE – CROP TOP, BRIGHT, DENIM SHORTS, TRAINERS, JACKET

   ·      HOLLY – TROUSERS, LONG SLEEVED BLOUSE

   ·       MASCULINE GUY – TRENDY TOP, JEANS AND TRAINERS

PROPS:

   ·       ALCOHOL – CANS, BOTTLES

   ·       MATS/RUG TO SIT ON

   ·       LIGHTER/MATCHES

   ·       IF TENT CAN BE BOUGHT

   ·       TORCHES – BIG ONES

PLEASE NOTE: CAN EVERYONE COLLECT ALCOHOL BOTTLES/CANS FROM NOW ON AND BRING TO THE SET.

THANK YOU

1^ST SHOT

ESTABLISHING SHOT

SEEING THE GROUP MOVE THROUGH THE WOODS AND VENTURING INTO THEIR LOCATION.

2^ND SHOT

POV SHOT FROM THE VILLAIN

WATCH CHARACTERS FROM BEHIND A TREE TO THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN, CHARACTERS ARE HEADING TOWARDS HER IN THAT DIRECTION HOWEVER THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE VILLAIN.

3^RD SHOT

180-DEGREE RULE USED WITH ELYSE AND MASCULINE GUY ARGUING ABOUT THE FIRE NOT BEING ABLE TO START. SEE OTHER CHATACTERS BEHIND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THESE CHARACTERS HEADS WATCHING ON BUT ACTING VERY AWKWARD.

Teenage Costume Inspiration

I decided to use the films "Blair Witch" and "Blair Witch 2" for my costume inspiration as both films star teenagers located within a forest. 

Within horror films located within a forest, teenagers are put into costumes that show their youth and also fit into the location. The costumes also establish their personality and their role within the film.

Check shirts are very common to use and fit in with the scenes.

They also wear costumes that are suitable for the environment, for example within this shot the character wears a hat and a coat. 

Dark colours are worn throughout.

This character shows her role within the film as she shows a lot of skin, therefore making her character more provacative than the others.

I decided to use these shots in order to inspire my own costume ideas. 

I stuck with the theme of check shirts as my inspiration as I feel that they are the current trend yet still comply with the teenager in a woods situation. They also look made for the outdoors. This outfit has dark blue jeans accompanying it and hat as a woods would tend to be cold and therefore the character must show this. 

The previous outfit could be adapted for a male character by adding thicker shoes and much darker jeans, also possibly a water proof jacket. 

A provocative character can still fit in with the theme but as pictured, more brighter colours are used to promote a feminine side and also the blouse is tied at the waist to show more skin.

A hooded jacket combined with the shirt would be good for a male character to use and the dark colours make this outfit appear much more masculine. 

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/blair-witch-2-deconstruction.html

Children Used In Horror Films Inspiration

I decided to go into my local woods with my younger sister and see the different shots that we could create in preparation for our coursework. My sister reacted with the camera and I chose positions that are likely to feature within our 2 minute opening.

The character is hidden behind the trees to recreate hiding from protagonists.

Abandoned Places

Researching into abandoned places proved difficult as there are very few to look into. 
One place that particularly grabbed my interest was this building: 

Throughout the day I took different shots to compare the use of lighting and it's effect on the building.

Corner of the building at 1pm.

The colours and big nature of the building have a creepy effect.

The back of the building at 1pm.

As you can see, the windows are uneven, the colours show that no care has been undertaken with this property, and there is a wide space outside. 










The building at 4pm from the corner.

Darker colours are seen when the sky gets darker.













The back of the building at 4pm.

The windows act as reflected surfaces from the camera's flash. The ground looks much more scary at this time of day than previously.







The buildings outskirts would be the best place to film most likely as it gets darker due to it's derelict nature however on the inside it is being used for other purposes, so no filming could be taking from the inside. 

Children in horror films

Conventions - Age/gender

The main conventions that come with those who are of a young age are:

• Vulnerable
• Weak
• Need someone to help them
• Happy
• Playful
• Humorous

The main conventions that come with gender are:

• Strong
• Masculine
• Powerful
• Dominant
• Protective

Some of these contradict each other in horror films, a child may tend to be always vulnerable, but they can also be the scariest and most unsuspecting main protagonist.

Children tend to be used to create a sense of normality within a film, viewers usually empathise with a child, so when the child is being used for example as a murderer, the story gets twisted, and creates a tense relationship between the viewer and the child or children.

This is the child from The Omen.

From this picture, we can see the innocent nature of the child.

However all hair seems to be perfectly in place apart from a few strands, connoting that not all is normal with this child.

His eyes are big and he doesn't look directly into the camera.

 

This is the child from The Orphan. From this picture, we can see that she doesn't dress as a "normal" chilld should dress. She wears something around her neck that is red. The pale skin and dark hair parted at the middle make us feel uneasy with this child, as she also appears to show no emotion.

 This is the child from The Grudge.
As with The Orphan, this child has pale skin - with a tinge of green - and dark black hair also parted at the middle. Hair covers the face. Eyes are big and dark both in the pupils and around. Centered into the shot looking directly at the camera makes the viewer realise that she is the powerful protagonist.

This is the child from The Ring. Once again, long black hair parted at the middle. White clothes used, hospital like. However also has a green tinge to her. Centered within the shot showing her power and importance.

This is the child from The Sixth Sense. This child looks very vulnerable, the blonde hair makes us emphasise with the child. The top is yellow, but doesn't appear to be a typical child like tone of yellow, no happiness is connoted. Looks sad and down at the ground.

Blair Witch 2 Deconstruction

This post links to a previous post about using a forest as a location.

Walking Through the Woods

• Tight framing used within the two shot to show the vast nature of the woods, and therefore the possible lack of escape. Captures the background within the shot.
• Hear them both talking to eachother, but you can also hear digetic sound of the animals and the leaves crunching on the ground as they tread on them.
• Continuity from one event (unloading the car) to them walking along in the forest, shows that time has moved forward and they've been walking for a while.
• Carry oversized rucksacks on their back, showing they are not going as a day trip. The forest appears dead and deprived, as not much green is used.

Filming

• Shakey close ups are seen with tight framing, emphasising the fact that the person filming belongs to the group,
• Which also links to the sound that can be heard on filming as it's a voice over.
• Cutaways are used to link the real filming, and the filming that is being percieved in the video, this interupts the storyline and switches back to a reality.
• Markings on the stones link to the story and have a meaning within the story, the clothes that they wear are quite preppy connoting that they are a group of older teenagers.

Tree Appearance

• Low angle shot used as if you as a viewer are also looking up at the tree. Tree is centralised in the shot showing it's importance.
• Creepy music beging to play as non diegetic sound to create tension, links to the tension that is being created by one of the main proganists questioning the trees appearance.
• Jump cut from person to person to view their responses and there is an eyeline match between them looking at the tree before we as a viewer also see the tree.
• Tree in the centre is shown as very big when they all look up. Lighting changes to the viewer can tell that normal filming has resumed.

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/camera-perspective-from-villain.html



Forest Inspiration

• This photo interested me due to the use of colours and the way that the forest appears to go really far back and very deep, creating that element of mystery.

• From a floor POV, you can see the vast nature of the forest and would be good if being shot from a characters perspective, allowing the viewer to see the detail of the shot.

• Shots from above are very creepy and good to use, I like this picture as it shows that there is no escape due to the trees taking up the sky's space. You can also see crows in the trees that connote danger. 

•  As the day progresses, the forest becomes more dangerous, and emphasises on the fact that escaping from this wide amount of space would be hard for a character. 

Lighting

Lighting is used in horror films to add tension and to highlight both objects and characters. 
Different horror films also have a tone of lighting throughout their films in order to create this anxiety.
For example The Ring uses lighting in a way that makes the audience feel nervous and creates an awareness that things aren't quite right.
This is done by the green lighting hue that is used throughout the film.

Especially in this shot there is the TVs highlighted due to them emitting a light source making them brighter and stand out more, adding effectiveness to the movie, where TVs are often featured. 

From this shot we can see how the protagonist is not highlighted with light, but the main focus is on objects behind here, that are all white and are square shaped, like a TV is. 

Throughout the movie, there is no obvious light shone on the main protagonists, showing how she is losing her life as the movie progresses.

I have also found that artifical lighting is used in a way to highlight features around a setting.

For example in The Strangers, this shot has features around the room highlighted with the lighting, both the lamps and candles create a brightness in a room which creates darkness in the centre. Therefore when the villain appears this highlights him more but in a subtle way.

Here we see the protagonist in a state on panic, the lighting shone directly on her face at a little bit of a high angle highlights the sweat beads on her face showing her anxiety.