PREPARATION AND FILMING SESSION 1

During half term, I have prepared for the production of my trailer.
My group and myself all took an outing into town in order to purchase the things we needed to start filming later that day. We made a list of things we needed before we went, these included:

-  Candle, which we found for 40p each at the rag market in Birmingham.
We bought these as they were the cheapest we found and were non-drip so could be held easily.
-  Nightdress, which we also purchased from the rag market. This cost us £6 and was again the cheapest we managed to find.
-  White Cream Foundation and Fake Blood Capsules, these were bought from the Oasis market in Birmingham. These cost £1.50 and 75p.
-  White Contact Lenses, were bought from a shop called Easy Fashion in the Pavillions. These only cost £6.99. We found these were the cheapest as we found places like Oasis market and Blue Banana cost £20, which were too expensive for us to be using for only one day. Due to this we were going to have to ensure that all filming with the ghost girl would be done in one day. This would also ensure that all hair and make up would be the same throughout.

We found that was all we needed to buy as everything else used would be our own.
This kept spending to a minimum which would be important during the production of a professional film as this would provide maximum profit.

We then set off to film:

Setting: House – Bedroom

              Exterior - Garden

Scene: We had a fair idea of what to film because of our storyboard however we still adapted the storyline:

The first scene we filmed was the opening of the loft which we filmed a number of times to ensure we captured the best footage. This was a scene that is featured on our storyboard, some scenes that were filmed do not feature on our storyboard however we decided to try out new ideas and improvise whilst in production.
For example:

Props/Special Effects used that day: Contact lenses, Nightdress, make up, lighting, candles, china dolls

Roles:

My role within the filming was to either play the main actress of the china girl or to film certain scenes. I also inputted in designing the nightdress I would be wearing and helped with shot positioning and lighting.

Alex’s role was to play another main character which she played very well. She was able to take on the role of a scared victim successfully which enabled us to shoot good scenes, Alex also helped with camera positioning and lighting when I was being filmed alone.

Tewsdae worked mainly with the camera as she wasn’t a character within the story, especially when Alex and I were both within a shot.

Alex and Tewsdae also did my make up.

Make Up:

Sarah: By looking at the codes and conventions of horrors, we found that the ‘creature’ usually has a pale complexion and dark eyes. We therefore decided to achieve this look by using white foundation, black eyeliner and mascara which was watered down to give the effect like I am crying. I also had very messy hair to fit in with the destruction I would be bringing.

Alex: Her make up needed to be a ‘normal’ as possible in order to look like the average everyday girl. It would also give a definite distinction between Alex and I, and therefore would look vulnerable.

Nightgown: I was wearing the nightgown, which was made to look very distressed and worn. We achieved this by ripping, burning, slashing, and rubbing in lots of mud. As a result of this the dress was very smelly!

Candle: This was used frequently throughout our filming. The candle was significant throughout our filming as I (ghost girl) held it whenever I appeared to haunt Alex, therefore the candle was associated with the ghost girl so if the audience or main character (Alex) saw it, it would bring a sense of fear. The main appearance for the use of the candle was at the end when I blew the candle out, this acted as a cliff hanger to entice the audience.

In order to create soft and harsh lighting without the use of professional equipment we have used lighting such as:
 
Candles which can be held in the characters hand and can highlight the face. This proved very effective when filming a scene in the garden, which highlighted the face of the ghost girl. However a problem of this was that we had to wait till the wind had stopped blowing so that the flame could pick back up again.

For areas that needed a lot of light because they were very dark depending on whether we were outside or inside we used objects such as flashlights. Depending on whether we needed alot of light or a small amount of light, decided the type of flashlight we needed. For example, we used a very large flashlight for the scene outside when the ghost girl was on the top of the shed. We used lighting under her face to highlight her features and then lighting at the side when we had both the ghost girl and main character in the shot so that everything could be seen.
 
Lighting is very important when film making, however without professional equipment it can be very hard to get right.

Photographs: We used photographs of ourselves when we wre younger which we had taken close up photos of with the camera to include as quick cuts after the loft scene in our trailer

LIGHTING

Today, I have looked at lighting. As our group don't have the proper professional equipment to making lighting as effective as it should be we have to use certain substitutes and make the best use of what we have. Lighting is important throughout our trailer as alot of it is in the dark, so we need subtle highlights to excentuate particular parts we want the audience to focus on.

 

Soft and harsh lighting. Soft and harsh lighting can manipulate a viewer's attitude towards a setting or a character. The way light is used can make objects, people and environments look beautiful or ugly, soft or harsh, artificial or real. Light may be used expressively or realistically.

CAMERA

During the production of my media magazine at AS level, I used different camera angles and shot sizes to make my magazine look professional and of a high quality. As I am now producing a film, I have now had to go back and re research different camera angles and shot sizes so that I am able to choose ones that will be most effective to my genre.
To help me with my research I looked on the website 'The Grammar of Television and Film', this showed my different shot size, camera angles and camera movement. These show the most important conventions for conveying meaning through particular camera and editing techniques.

CAMERA TECHNIQUES: DISTANCE

 Important ones I will be using through the production of my film will be:
XLS or Establishing Shot - This will be used because it shows all or most of a fairly large subject and usually much of its surroundings. I can use this shot for the opening scene of the house which will set the scene for my trailer and also when establishing the bedroom we will be filming in.
MCU - BCU - Medium Close up, Close up and Big Close up will be useful when displaying reactions of different characters, throughout my horror these are useful when displaying fear, shock and evil (within the ghost girls face). These shots can also show reaction shots between two characters.

CAMERA MOVEMENT : ANGLE

 Important ones I will be using through the production of my film will be:
Low and High angle shots: These will exaggerate the power or importance of a character. For example, the ghost girl will have a low angle shot because she has power over her victims, this angle is a very effective way of showing this. A high angle shot will show the vunerability of the other characters.
Birds eye: This angle will be used when filming ontop of the wardrobe, behind the chine dolls which will give the effect that someone is watching her.

CAMERA TECHNIQUES: MOVEMENT

One type of movement which I do not want to use is zoom. Within a horror trailer I really don't think it looks very professional or effective.
Panning: This is effective as it can display more of a scene of act as though something is following the movement of someone whilst staying still.
Tilt: This will be used when shooting the attic scene (when the two characters open the attic door) It will be tilting down, following the motion of the door opening.
Hand-held camera: A hand-held camera can produce a jerky, bouncy, unsteady image which may create a sense of immediacy or chaos. Its use is a form of subjective treatment. This will be effective when filming the scene of looking out from over the wardrobe. It also provides a point of view shot, which we act as though someone is watching that is unbeknown to the audience yet. Provides a sense of tension and intrigues the audience.

PRACTICE

Here I have tested out the camcorder I am going to be using:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWeoNIR-bXY

I think the quality of the video is better then I had expected, as is the sound quality. I believe I would be at ease when using this piece of equipment.

TECHNIQUES TO A SUCCESSFUL HORROR FILM

Paranormal Activity

What techniques make this a successful horror films?

In order to help me with the production of my trailer, I have watched paranormal activity. Through analysing sound and how this develops suspense throughout, and also how the characters are established I am able to gain a better understanding on producing an effective trailer.

Setting;

Throughout the whole film the set completely within one location, this is the directors own home. The main scenes take place in the bedroom, this then leads the audience to associate the happenings with that room. Therefore whenever the scenes cut to the bedroom, suspense is automatically created.

This is useful to know because my trailer will be similar, in the sense that it will be filmed entirely in my friend’s house. This makes it easier for the audience to follow the narrative.

Analysis of sound;

Whilst watching Paranormal Activity, I noticed that sound was used effectively to create suspense and tension. There is no non-diagetic sound throughout the film, as everything is filmed with a hand-held camera. The setting creates perfect oppurtunities to create sounds that will build so much tension for the audience, for example, the use of wooden stairs provides the director to use the sound of banging as if someone or something unseen is walking up them, this creates a great deal of tension and is really effective. This has given me a good insight into how to use sound correctly.


Characters;

Katie and Micah are the main characters and the only characters featured. This makes it easy for the audience to follow and enables a deeper understanding of their lives. Using only two characters also allows the audience to be able to sympathise with the characters more. We are able to learn about the history of the characters when another character is briefly introduced, the psychic who asks questions to both characters about their past.
What is also good about the characters is that they are not famous holly wood stars but normal people, therefore it becomes slightly more believable.

How is Paranormal Activity good as a trailer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSSqxrh5kp8


I thought this trailer was really good, I liked how it showed the audiences reaction to the film which makes it seem even scarier because you can see someone else's reaction to it. 

I also think the use of comments from magazines or viewers is effective as it allows the potential audience to see what others thought of the film. The text used also fits with the title which makes it look professional.

I decided to look at this trailer and analyze this horror film in more detail than others because it is a recently successful horror film which was made on an extremely low budget compared too many other films of today. Despite its low budget, it still effectively engaged its audience and has become so successful there is now a second being produced and shall be out on 22nd October.
I shall be seeing the second when it comes out.

NAME IDEAS

Main Entry: ghost

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: spirit of the dead

Synonyms: apparition, appearance, banshee, daemon, demon, devil, eidolon, ethereal being, haunt,

incorporeal being, kelpie, manes, phantasm, phantom, poltergeist, revenant, shade, shadow, soul, spector, spook, vampire, vision, visitor, wraith, zombie

Ones that stood out the most to use were PHANTOM, SPECTOR and WRAITH

wraith

   [reyth]  

–noun

1.an apparition of a living person supposed to portend his or her death.

2.a visible spirit.

From this we decided we would call our film ‘THE WRAITH’

We also had to think of a name for out Production Company. After first thoughts we were going to use 'Scorpio' however as we didn't you Phantom we decided this would be a good name to use as it fits with the Wraith perfectly.

PHAN·TOM

[FAN-TUH M]

–noun

1.

an apparition or specter.

2.

an appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical illusion.

3.

a person or thing of merely illusory power, status, efficacy, etc.: the phantom of fear

PLANS

Actors/Actresses
I will be using 4 actresses within my trailer, I am only using 4 as I believe in a trailer it is essential to use as little charaters as possible so that it leaves more suspense and also reveals the main charaters better. In my group we have chosen the main character to be myself, and the other two girls within my group will be my friends (whom will be feature in the attic). The other main character will be my friend Jenny who isn't a media student however I have used her for my work before and I work well with her, she also fits well into being the role of the ghost girl as she can be easily transformed with make up and has 'doll like' features which can represent the china doll well, she also has long hair which can be done into any style I wish.

Setting
For my first shot I will be using an establishing shot of a house, my other main scenes will be featured in a girls bedroom and in an attic which will be where the two friends will find pictures.

A house similar to this would be good to use because it has plants/bushes in the front garden which can be used to effectively create our establishing shot of a house and the point of view shot in which the camera is being used to create the sense that someone/thing is hiding behind bushes and looking inside the house.

An attic will be featured in one of a quick cuts. This will be where the two characters will be looking at photos that have had the main characters face scratched out.







 

The main setting will be the bedroom, this is important in the trailer as this is where alot of the setting will be, there will also be alot of the plot established here.



 Costumes
Costume is very important throughout the trailer as it will distinguish each character. Our main costume will be for the ghost girl, this will be a white nightdress which will be customized. I will be looking for a cheap nightdress in a charity shop as I want an old vintage feel to it, I will then be making the dress dirty and ripping and burning parts of it so it looks very worn. I have chosen a costume like this for the ghost girl because it makes her look more representative of a china doll.

The other characters will not need a specific costume, as I want those wearing casual everyday clothes so there can be a big distinction between the ghost girl and the normal everyday people. Due to them wearing normal clothing, there will be no need to purchase any addition costumes and all clothing worn will be the actresses own.

 Make-Up

The main make-up needed will be for the ghost girl. She will need a pale complexion and dark eyes, I have also decided upon using contact lenses so that her eyes will be different and dead looking, this will also ditinguish the ghost girl from the other characters. I will also be making the ghost girls hair look very ragged, messy and dirty. This is what I want the ghost girl to look similar too;

My other characters, will be wearing normal make-up which will be the actresses own.

Props 

Throughout the scenes the main props featured will be:

China Dolls: These will not need to be bought as they are childhood dolls from a member of my group, therefore we definitly have these as props

Old childhood photos: (below) These will be used in the attic scene. These will feature the faces of the main character scratched out. These will also not be bought as all photos will be actresses own.

Fake blood:this may be used at the end of our trailer, we will not be buying this but making it. This will be made using icing sugar, water and food colouring. However to make it realistic we will have to make it dark red and less runny.

Mobile Phone: This will feature in a bedroom scene, when the main character is using her phone. The mobile phone will be the actresses own.

Through setting out this plan, I have now also been able to establish what will and will not need to be purchased prior to filming. I have also set a list below for what I will need to get and potential ideas as to where I can get it:

Costume: White Night Dress - Could possibly be purchased from any chartiy shop, however if the correct is not found, suitable ones have been found in Bon Marche for £12. The nightdress featured above was found on the Bon Marche website.

Make-Up: Pale Foundation, Dark eyes. Some make-up can be used as actresses own e.g Eyeliner, Mascara however cheap make-up has been found in ASDA or the Poundshop. Lots of cheap make-up has been found due to the coming of Halloween, this is extremely useful as it will bring our budget down (this would be useful if producing a real film as it would mean more profit.) 

BELOW: £1 Make-up kit from Poundland 

Contact Lenses: These will be needed for the ghost girl. Unfortunately, these aren't cheap. The cheapest I have found are on the internet however they are a delivery service and will not arrive in time for our filming. Blue Banana, which has a store, have contact lenses for around £20. We will also be looking in the oasis market to see if there are any that are cheaper.

These are the ones I wish to purchase: 

Other Props which will not need to be purchased include:

Mobile Phone, Candle (for attic scene) and Massive Torch which will provide extra lighting where needed.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK OF STORYBOARD

As part of my research, I showed my storyboard to many different people and asked them what they thought of the plot along with the camera shots and edits. showed my storyboard and asked 10 people of different gender and ages ranges in order to make my results more reliable.
Here is what I found:
9 out of 10 people said they liked the plot with comments such as 'The use of a china doll is original because not many horror films feature them, it is something I can relate to as I was given a china doll from my Nan for christmas and I was always scared that it would come out from under my bed and get me!' and 'I like how the girl represents the china dolls, it would make the film scarier because she is a 'person' and is actually capable of causing harm to people.'
A comment from someone who didnt like the plot said 'I don't think the use of a china doll is effective, it'd be like Chucky, well Child's play and I didn't think that was very good at all. That film was just too unrealistic, I mean how can a doll go round killing people. I suppose yours is different in the fact it's got a girl representing the dolls but it'd have to be good to scare me.'

8 out of 10 people liked the camera shots, when I asked the question "What do you think of the camera shots used within the trailer" I had responses such as 'Yeh they are quite good, I like the first couple of shots a alot, when the camera is used as a point of view shot, like as if something is watching the girl in bed, yeh I do think that would be really effective.' other comments include 'The close up of the girls face would scare me!', 'There is a good variety of shots in there' and a negative comment would be 'For a trailer, there aren't enough variety of shots, usually they use different ones all the time.'

6 out of 10 people liked the editing that we will be using within our trailer, comments included 'Fast edits are very effective in a trailer! It's good that you've got that build up like, the cuts will become quicker towards the end of the trailer.' and 'Fast edits always cause suspense for me. I like how you've got that at the end so the basic story can be established first and then after all the fast edits you've got that scream and then it just stops and the title comes on.' Negative comments would be 'You could do with more fast edits, not just at the end, it would be good the whole way through.'
8 out of 10 people said this would make an effective trailer:
'Yeh, this as a trailer that would make me want to go see it at the cinema, I think what entices me the most is the plot as it's original and if the editing's done like how shown here I think it'd cause a good build up then leave people wanting to see more. If you used some dramatic music or sound efffects that could make it really good aswell, but yeh I think it's really good'
'I'm a big horror fan, and I think there's too many of the same thing starting to appear but the plot to this sounds really good. I think the editing could be really good and with the right music it could cause lots of tension and suspense, there's also a good range of camera shots. I'm just abit sceptical that there's abit too much of the story shown and the audience might find it a bit of a drag rather than a teaser trailer, but that could always be changed with editing.'

From conducting this research I have learnt what others think of my storyboard and plot, from this I can see what needs improving and what doesn't. I will research into Child's Play to see what that is like and how I can make mine more effective. This research has been a big help to me and I appreciate and value the opinions given.

Since completing my storyboard, I have decided to do more research into setting, costumes, actors/actresses and props. I have collected images which are a close representation to what I will be using in trailer so I am able to visualise more freely what my trailer will include and what the finished product will look like.

STORYBOARD

We have now completed our storyboard, however this is still a draft and during production could change at any time. Our storyboard still provides the main storyline and basis for our trailer.
Here I have taken photos of the 9 pages of our storyboard:

1.       The first two boxes we have our certification and the company that will be producing our film. We included this because from looking at codes and conventions of trailers the majority or professionally made trailers provide these to begin. We then have the camera panning down to the front of a house, it is nighttime and so everything is dark, the only light provided is from a street light from outside and the lights from inside the house. We are using the camera in a point of view shot for the scene as we want the audience to know that there is someone watching the house. After a rustling in the bushes, the scene fades to the next scene which is set in a bedroom. This now features the main character. The theme of being watched continues in this scene as the camera is set behind two china dolls on top of a wardrobe, heavy breathing will be used to also establish this and once the camera moves and knocks one of the dolls it then cuts to the next shot.The use of heavy breathing and a point of view shot provides the audience with a sense of suspense, tension and are also immediately intrigued as to what could be watching.

                                      

2.             2. The next shot is still set in the bedroom, it is a cut from the scene before and shows the doll that was just knocked falling onto the floor causing a bang and making the main character (a teenage girl) wake up. The next shot then follows to a close up of the girl picking up the doll and looking at it with confusion.The next scenes, we have decided already not to include them when producing our trailer as we believe they will make the trailer too long and not be effective enough.

3.              As before the previous page, the first two shots are not being included as they are a follow on to what we were going to included. The next shot is a fade to the next scene. The final shot on this page is again featured in the bedroom, however now she is on the phone, this will be a medium close up and she will be on the phone to a friend. We decided upon the idea that she will be getting ready for a night out and is phoning her friend for help on a decision on what to wear. This will then follow into the next scene.

4.    4. This page consists of the girl going into her wardrobe in order to chose an outfit, however as she opens the door she falls backwards. At first the audience wont know the reason why, causing more suspense and drawing the audience in further. Then the shot will cut to a close up of the ghost girl sitting in the wardrobe looking dead. On our page we have drawn an arrow which places the final shot, second as we believe it will cause me tension.

5.            This is a continuation from the last page, it will consist of the girl getting up, rubbing her eyes and there will be a point of view cut looking at the wardrobe. This shot will show the wardrobe is now ordinary without the prescene of the ghost girl. There will then be a fade into the next shot.

6.             6.   this page, the girl will be on the phone and telling her friends to come round as shes suspicious of something going on and doesnt want to be alone. Whilst on the phone she walks past a mirror which the camera isnt looking into, the girl walks past the camera and the mirror and after she has gone past the reflection of the girl can be seen from appearing outside the window as if she's floating. There is then a fade and a new scene starts. This shows the two friends she invited over pulling down the loft door and calling the main characters name.

7.               This next page is made of a succession of fast cuts, the first shows the two friends looking at pictures scattered on the attic floor and they are looking with them at a candle. A close up shows the photos with the faces of the main character scratched/scribbled out. The next cut shows the ghost banging on a frosted door, so the figure cannot be seen fully. Then a cut to the main character screaming is shown as a close up.

8.      8.       Again a succession of fast cuts show the girl going into the garden with a torch and once she reaches the garden shed she is being watched by the ghost girl, however she doesnt know this. The next cut shows her crying and rocking backwards and forwards in a dark room.

9.               This again is a continuation of the succession of fast cuts, here the two cuts are going to show the girl being dragged away by the ghost and only her feet will be shown, the sound we will be using over the top will be the laughing of the ghost girl which will signify the end of the trailer, it will the go on to show the name of the film and when it will be coming out.

Within our storyboard we have included basic details of camera angles, setting, props and voice over/dialogue. These are only basics because they are prone to change during production. Sound/Music are still undecided so we havent been able to include them within our storyboard and will be considered further on into production. I have since added more detail to my storyboard so that I am able to have a better understanding of what I am doing when producing my film.

QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS

Questionnaire on Horror Films

1.              What is your gender?

Male              7                   Female                6

By using males and females I will be able to gain a fair sample and a so my result will not sway towards a certain audience.

2.       How old are you?

15 – 18:         8             19 – 30 :        4                30+:          1

From this I can see that my target audience is 15 – 18, therefore this will be important when certifying my film.

3.       What is your favourite genre watch?

Horror/Thriller: 2                   Comedy:  7                                Rom-com:  2                             Action:  0

Sci-fi:  1                           Musical:  1                  Crime/Gangster Fantasy: 1

Although horror was not chosen as the favourite, my group has many different ideas. We would also find creating a horror more interesting as unlike comedy costume/makeup and setting are very important.

4.       What is your favourite horror film?

The Shining:  3                    28 Days Later:  3                Scream:   1               The Others:   1

The Others:      1               Psycho:    2               SAW:  1          The Human Centipede:   1              None: 2

5.       What makes a horror film unforgettable?

(Can choose up to two choices)

Realistic    3                            Scary Twists     7                   Good Plot      5                      Suspense   8

Psychological     5

We can see that a film with suspense makes a horror film unforgettable, as our film will include lots of suspense it should be appealing to our target audience

6.       What has the scariest effect on you from the elements of a Horror Film?

(You can choose 2)

Sound Effects    5                 Camera Angles    1               Fast Edits   0          Special Effects     1

Jumpy Scenes           12

Jumpy scenes are seen to be the scariest effect, therefore within our trailer we will use a lot of fast edits and jumpy scenes. These should add tension, suspense and atmosphere.

7.       Would you be interested in watching this storyline to a horror?

A student is being haunted by a ghost girl who represents the characteristics of a china doll, she holds a small doll which belongs to the student and this ghost is trying to kill her. The student has nightmares and visions of the corpse girl. She appears in random places at anytime, and watches her while she’s asleep. She finally kills the student and drags her away to the unknown.

YES    8            NO     5

The china dolls will be the main feature therefore it is important that the audience think it is a good convention to use.

8.   Do you think China dolls are a good convention to use and scare you?

Yes    8                              No         5

9.   Does the character of a ghost girl which has the appearance of a china doll sound effective in a horror film?

Yes    9                                     No          4

10.   We want to base the girl on this image; do you think this is a good idea for a horror?

Yes       10                 No           3

11.   Do you prefer to watch short films or trailers?

Short Films:    3               Trailers:     7              Both:    3