Main Task: Media storyboard animatic.

This is our Storyboard in it's animated form

Main Task: Settings (location scouting)

 Towards are main task research we took some photography of the setting that we are going to be filming are open in.These photographs include an establishing shoot, and different areas with in the wood land area. The reason we cause the thicket in maidenhead area is because it is easy for our actors to get there and we believe it is going to give us the right effect that we are looking for because is contains lots of paths, with trees fallen  down this adds to our genre of horror and will give us the mise-en-scéne that we planned. 

 




This photos show the different types of wooded area that are with in the thicket, this also shows how the light shines through the trees and the different colour of the leaves adding to the darkness and deadness to the area chosen, linking to our genre.

Main Task: mise-en-scéne and camera angles

Over the past week i have been looking into the different types of camera shots/ angles and mise-en-scénes that are normally used in horror films, this will help when it comes to us filming our opening to a new fiction film as  i will have a good idea to the angle and type of setting that help to show the audience the genre that is being portrayed, this would be achieve for example if the camera at a high angle looking down at the victims to show how they are helpless.


Images to help show this:

Main Task: Extra main task research

Here are some website that link to their chosen genre that are interesting, which contain useful and helpful information that could be linked with our filming. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/jan/26/horror

 http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/gramtv.html

Different Camera angle's we could use:

Point of view shot- shows what the character can see, this can be used to create a relationship between the character and the audience as they see exactly how the character sees things. 

High- angle shot-When the camera is slightly above the character, making them seem weak and helpless, this makes the audience feel more powerful and shows how defence less the character is.

Over the shoulder shot-This is where the camera is over one characters shoulder, this is used mainly in conversation as it directs attention to the character speaking.

Close-up shot-The close up frames the face and shoulders, this helps the audience see the emotion and therefore engages with the character,this is used to create an unsettling feel in horror movies.

Extreme close up-This would just be a section of the object for example a characters eye's, this again helps us to see the emotions and is often used in horror.

Low angle shot-This would be so the camera is looking up at someone, so its although its on the floor, this makes the character gain power and dominance and leaves the audience feel weaker as they see the power that the character creates, this angle could be used on the killer in the beginning when they cause more fear. 

Medium shot-This is a shot which is close enough to see the characters emotions, but we can still see some of the location or background.

Long shot-used to show the setting of the scene, usually used in the beginning of a scene to show the location and set the scene.

Cut-in-Shows a different part of a person up close, for example hands.

Main Task: Mind Map research

Working towards are Main Task of producing a opening to a new fiction we sat down and mind mapped are ideas. This was to help us come up with a plot.We also wrote down different ideas that we all had between are group.

Film Deconstruction 1 Prom Night

Analysis from beginning to 3.50

At the start of this clip the camera is a birds eye from over the top of the sea that then edits showing match on action with the sky this work as they both have the same colours because of this it sets a time period for the audience. This being night linking with most horror films, it also gives the idea that it might be set in winter because of the coldness shown in the water. A straight cut it used from the clouds to the trees that then follows to the use of a crane to go over the tree tops and revile and church with just one light at the top linking with the genre. It continues to show a city with a bridge going across the water from the opening mise-en-scéne with the wave crashing, showing a couple of house lights on. Similarly the whole time this is happening 'time of the season by the zombies' is being played it is a soft voiced song with drums in the background and a cracking microphone giving a beating effective giving the idea it is building up to something.

Meanwhile the clip moves to a close up of the bridge focusing on a black 4x4 travelling a long the bridge. 180 degree of the bridge is used allowing us to follow the car along this connects that the people in the car will have a part to do with the film. At 2.39 the first character we see who ending up also being the main character gets out of the black 4x4 outside her house, the mise-en-scéne shows a young blonde girl standing outside the car but looking through the passenger’s windows. This suggests that she is no longer safe because she has left the car.

The main character is a young blonde female, this helps us to illustrate the stereotype because of her gender. It gives the viewer the idea that she is going to be the victim, because she is portrayed as a easy target, therefore this is linking with the genre showing a young women alone walking in to her home at night/ in the dark. Close ups are used of the mother, daughter and girl faces to show their reaction this also brings in shot reverse shot pan from the characters using continuity in the editing. Once the girl is in the house diegetic sound of the television is used for a weary effect symbolising that someone is at home, furthermore the television is showing American football this links to the setting showing it is an American film.

Final the tension build when she is in her room and opens the wardrobe, the house it pretty dead silent with the door creaking open adding to the genre. A straight shot is used from the outside to the inside of the wardrobe with a voyeuristic type shot giving the audience the idea that maybe someone is in the wardrobe or watching her, this is where my clip finishes.

In conclusion this isn't the only things we need to focus on in are 2 minute opening because we need to add in actors ect name in this example the text they used was like handwriting, because we need to make sure we use the right front or it will not link in.

Main Task Brief

Main Task AS Brief:The titles and openings of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes. 


Therefore because of this brief we have decided to do teen horror as are genre, we thought this would be the easy's and most effective, but on the other hand we don't want it to be to stereotypical with other films in the same genre.Furthermore we also choose this because we all have strong ideas about horror film and they are one of are Favourite type of genre, so we decided to link it with our age therefore giving us teen horror. Final you can make good cheap horror films for explain Paranormal activity with it filmed with hand held shot also giving the scared effect. 
 Teen films is a genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation. Often these normally serious subject matters are presented in a glossy, stereotyped or trivialized way.

Films in this genre are often American and  set in high schools, or contain characters that are of high school age. Sexual themes are also common, as are crude forms of humor.

Preliminary Evaluation

As part of our  foundation portfolio, we were put in to groups to create the preliminary task. This was to help us force on continuity ( seamless transition in film) and to learn about filming and editing ready for are main task. The brief for this task was filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and exchanging a couple of lines of dialogue. The task had to include match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.


The first thing we did before filming was to drew up a very simple a story board this was to help us choose what would be in the mise-en-scéne and more importantly the camera shots and angles.Costumes are also a important part to are clip we choose the chacater to were smart clothes as it added to the genre to also hint that many be the character are spy's on a mission.Therefore we followed this the whole way through are filming there were a few small changes but not a lot, furthermore most of the changes were to do with timing as we wrote down the first shot of character one walking down the hall way would take 10 seconds were in fact it took only 4 seconds this showed us that our clip would be shorter then you originally  thought.Also the sound of the door unlocking is heard twice once when the door handle is being pushed down and secondly when the character is walking through the door.


The first camera shot used was a long shot this is to establish the setting and character, around 4-5 second we show are first cut this is to show that the character has turned towards the door and this about to open it, therefore this takes us to a close up with a pan down to the handle of the door as it is being push down so the character can open the door, this therefore shows match on action.Meanwhile as the character walks through the door there is continuity error because the door handle is pushed down slowly but yet when filming from the other side the door open quite quickly and dramaticly this error  continues as the camera is force on the whole character but then to camera changes to behind the character furthermore making is possible for the audience to see the cut and edit.


The conversation includes a mixer of close up and over shoulder shots. The close up are to show the reactions from the character as the receive the dialogue. Similarly a pan down at 25 seconds follows the eye line from character one to show the parcel being placed on the table, we stayed forced on the object for a few seconds then paned back to character one. Furthermore this gives the audience a scene of wonder because they are not a wear of what is in the parcel.


Use of match on action when it comes to character one walking out of the door and back down the hall way flows well and shows good continuity, is also shows how the character is interested about what is in the parcel there for making her stop and take a closed look at it. Meanwhile keeping to the 180- degree rule we shot from over her right shoulder looking down to show the message on the parcel. This connotes enigma to the audience, furthermore the continuity goes from smooth to messy, as camera angles show the parcel lower in the character hands then it was when looking over her shoulder. Similarly the cookie being pulled out of the bag slowly but then the next shot being of the character already of taken a bite.


The editing and sound linked together in a clip, we didn't add additional lighting or sound to our piece just diegetic noise of the surroundings and ambient lighting from the ceilings and window (behind character 2), this was to make it seem more natural.Furthermore editing it took long them we thought it would as we hadn't done it before so we were learning at the same time as putting all are clips together to make one. We made a few mistakes when editing like cutting to much or putting the clips in the wrong place, but on the other hand this help us to see our errors, for example the beginning we filmed the character walking passed the same object twice, this links with continuity as well.Furthermore the thing we found hardest to edit was sound from just one clip as we didn't want no sound at all in the clip because when it came to the dialogue it sounded odd because it had surrounding sound as well but I thing in the end with the final piece it worked out well and we insured that it flowed well, also to made sure of this we added a fade out at the end of the clip so it didn't just stop with character one at the doors but actually walking through them. 


In conclusion I think our Preliminary task went well because it shows all aspects of the brief and showed some good continuity even if it did have some error this is also useful because we can learn from our mistakes and take them on to our main task. Furthermore the Editing prose has showed us that we should start recording before the action takes place so gives us more leeway for editing and cutting the clips together. 

Preliminary Task finished clip

After about 3 weeks of planning, filming and editing the finished piece for are Preliminary, it links with the story board and shows all the clips.

This one minute  clip also includes the brief of a person walking through a door and exchanging dialogue with another character, we played on this to make it more interesting by adding in the parcel, this shows continuity, but also has some mistakes but this will help with the main task to improve on them and not make them again.

BFI London Film Festival

Thursday 20th October. I went to the BFI film festival. this involve viewing a series of 5 new British shorts and a new film.The shorts included: The ride, I'll tell you, Friend request pending,Ernesto and Pitch black heist. All this shorts showed how you don't need a 2 hour or so film to make the audience think. These film were all about 10 mins, but all showed the meaning to the story they were trying to show.

The ride- ( Director: Marian Pilowsky) A hitch-hiker and a welcome lift turns into a bit of a nightmare all round, this left me hanging on my set wanting the clip to continue. 

Ill tell you-( Director: Rachel Tillotson)young identity,love,relationships and friendships which last a life time. this shows a young girl who idealise her older friend because of her relationship with boyfriend but doesn't all end happy.

Friends request pending-( Director: Chris Foggin)online dating and the perils therein, starring Judie Dench, this film looks at how technology is growing and the older generation is trying to stay up with it, contain a lot of humourer and made the audience have fits of laughter.

Ernesto-(Director- Corinne Ladeinde)7 year old Ernesto is feeling left out at school because he still has his milk teeth, so he plans to remove them his self, equalling in some wired consequences. This was the only animation of the 5 shorts, showing you are never to old for cartoons. 

Pitch black heist-( Director: John Maclean)two strangers meet to take on a bank job in the dark, this stories unfolds to show how they are in fact involved in one another's lives. 

The film that I watched showed at this years BFI Film festival was Mr Tree ( Director- Jie Han) a satirical tale about a village idiot who might just be a prophet, this film was a double prize winner in shanghai, the town loser who botcher his own marriage but becomes a savants to his mining village in north- east china. Through the film it has clips of Mr Shu( Mr Tree) sitting in a tree this gives the audience the imposition that he is dreaming or imaging everything that is happening furthermore in the film they believe that maybe Mr Shu could be a prophet sent to save there town.