21. Storyboard

TASK: Create a storyboard for your film opening.

Displayed above is a copy of my storyboard that I created for the opening of my film. For each scene, I have stated the time, type of shot, lighting, sound, music, and character(s). Additionally, I have written a small description of what is happening with that specific scene. The storyboard is a very beneficial method for me to use when I come to filming the opening of my film as it is a great way to use this as a step-by-step guide as it act as a reminder of what type of shot I should be using for that specific scene and what characters are in it etc. The storyboard will also help me in post-production, especially when adding any sound into the film opening. 

20. Scripting

TASK: Create the script for your film opening.

Scene one:

Aida has just left school and she is walking home by taking the shortcut through the woods.

Aida receives a text. She reaches for her pocket and sees that the text is from Ella.

Ella: Hey Aida, do you want to hang out later?

Aida replies to the text.

Aida: Yeah sure, what time?

Ella: In an hour?

Aida: Sure, I'll meet you at our usual spot in an hour.

Aida puts her phone away.

Aida is halfway home at this point. She hears rustling noises in the bushes and looks around, however no one is to be seen.

She continues walking.

Seconds later, she hears footsteps on the dry leaves, she stops walking but does not turn around.

Aida is approached by the killer from behind and suddenly she is strangled with a rope until she is unconscious.

Killer drags Aida and puts her into the boot of the car.

(Scene fades to black)

Scene two:

Aida wakes up in an abandoned building, she finds herself tied to a chair.

Aida looks up and the killer is standing in front of her.

Aida: What do you want from me? (screaming)

Killer: I want to see what your insides look like (laughing)

Aida: Let me go! (screaming)

Killer: If you scream one more time, I will cut you up like an animal.

Killer puts duct tape over Aida's mouth.

Killer: Now, you will stay here and I will be back tomorrow morning.

Aida attempts to untie herself. Hours later, she manages to set herself free from the duct tape and rope.

Aida begins to run.

Car lights appear.

The killer is back unexpected.

Aida begins to run even faster.

The killer gets out of the car and runs after Aida and catches up with her and stabs her to death.

(Scene fades to black)

19. Timeline planning

TASK: Create a timeline for your film opening.  

Displayed above is the timeline planning for my film opening of 'Psychasthenia'. In the timeline I have clearly

labelled the titles which flow throughout the first timeline at the top and the action is matched to the title which is labelled at the bottom. I have also included a second timeline at the bottom which displays the diegesis of the film opening. I have labelled the non-diegetic and diegetic sounds at the top of the line and then underneath the line I have described the sound.

 

18. Costumes

TASK: List the costumes you are going to shoot your film opening with an image and explanation.

Antagonist

Black hoodie

The black hoodie is convenient as it will enable the antagonist to hide their face, therefore they are unlikely to be recognised. The audience will be unable to see the antagonist's face, so this immediately creates mystery and suspence. The hood is key to hiding the identity of the antagonist, therefore this is essential to include if I want the antagonist to not be recognised. I will purposely be using dark clothing in order to display the dark personality of the antagonist, it is also much easier to tell the antagonist and protagonist apart through the choice of clothing.

 

Black jeans

 

 

The antagonist will also be wearing black jeans in order to stick with the dark theme and display their dark personality. The black jeans blend in with the rest of the outfit, therefore the antagonist is likely to not be recognised. Additionally, if the antagonist was to wear bright coloured clothing, this would immediately catch people's attention, therefore avoiding bright colours on villains is essential as they are often conveyed wearing dark coloured clothing. The use of the colour black yet again easily implies that the character is evil and has mystery to their character.

 

Black boots

 

The antagonist will also wear very bulky black boots. These will also blend in perfectly with the rest of the outfit, yet again making the antagonist's identity hidden. These boots will be very beneficial for the scene where the antagonist is walking across the leaves, this will create a diegetic sound of the crunching leaves as they are being walked on which will add a mysterious feel to the scene. The boots will also be essential when the antagonist walks up from behind the victim, as the boots are heavy, therefore they will make a rather loud sound when approaching the victim.

 

Leather gloves

 

 

The antagonist will also wear black leather gloves. These are typically worn in psychological films by the killer/psychopath and since my film genre is psychological, using leather gloves will be highly beneficial. Seeing the killer wearing leather gloves, will create a sense of mystery, as typically they are worn so fingerprints of the killer are to be traced. This also shows that the killer is rather clever and chooses wisely what he does with the victim and how he kidnaps the victim in the first place. It also makes it seem like this is not his first kill as he is very prepared and organised with the clothing he wears, but also his choice of location and where he takes the victim.

 

Victim

 

Blouse

 

 

The blouse will be worn by the female victim. The blouse is very floaty and flattering which compliments the innocence of the victim. The use of light colours contrasts with the dark colours that the antagonist wears, therefore this displays their differences in character. Light colours are often associated with purity and all things good, so this instantly enables the audience to tell apart the victim from the antagonist. A blouse is also often worn as part of formalwear, therefore we can immediately guess that the victim is a student which links to the scene where the victim is walking home from school.

 

Jeans

 

 

The victim will wear blue jeans in order to make the outfit seem much more casual, after all, the victim is not expecting anything to happen so it is important that the victim wears what she usually would on an every day basis. The casual look of the victim yet again implies her innocence and perhaps her vulnerability. For the victim to have these qualities is essential in a horror film, as the victim must remain as innocent looking as possible.

 

Flat shoes

 

 

The victim will also wear flat shoes. Flat shoes yet again add to create a very simplistic and casual look for the female victim. They also adds to the innocence of the character. Additionally, I have purposely chosen the victim to wear flat shoes, because during the scene of her trying to escaping, it will be difficult for her to run in them, unlike if she wore for example, trainers.

 

School bag

 

 

The victim will wear a school bag which will be rucksack, this will further emphasise the victim as being a student. Portraying the victim as a student immediately conveys the victim as naïve and vulnerable. The bag with also feature light colours in order to blend in with the rest of the outfit, so the character is easily identified as being the victim.

 

 

 

 

17. Locations

TASK: List the locations you are going to shoot your film opening with an image and explanation.

Woodlands, Clapham

The first scene of my film opening will be located in the woodlands which is a conventional setting in a horror film. The victim will be taking a shortcut home by going through the woodlands, however it will start getting late and dark and darkness is key to creating an eerie atmosphere. The victim will be using their phone to have a conversation with their friend, however as she enters deeper into the woods, she finds that she has lost service, this creates a sense of mystery, because if anything was to happen there is little possibility of getting help. Due to there being a lot of trees, I will be including diegetic sound of wind in the background and also the sound of ruffling leaves as the protagonist will be walking over a ground of scattered leaves. Adding diegetic sounds will make the scene seem much more realistic and we will also be able to hear when the protagonist approaches from behind due to the sound of leaves crunching when the protagonist walks over them.
 

Displayed above is the exact same location, however this is presented in a map form through Google Maps. The location is marked with a red place marker so it is easier to identify exactly where the location is. The location is also clearly labelled, so the name and address of the place is easily identified.

Houghton House, Ampthill

The second scene of my film opening will be located in a ruined house which is yet another conventional location in a horror film. The building's interior and exterior both look visually unpleasant which instantly creates an eerie atmosphere within the second scene. There are areas of the building that have collapsed, the doors are missing, as well as the windows and the building itself is very empty, this is beneficial as it will enable me to create a more realistic horror effect. The antagonist is most likely to take their victim to an abandoned building, being in the middle of nowhere as there is little possibility of the antagonist being found, but also little chance of the victim running away as they are most likely to be unaware of the location. Moreover, this location will be used as the place where the victim is kept captive and tormented. At night, when the antagonist leaves, the victim will try to escape, however the antagonist will come back unexpected and will find the victim trying to escape, he then stabs her to death.
 

Displayed above is another example of my second location that I will be using, however this is in a map form displayed through Google Maps. The location is clearly labelled with a red place marker, this makes it much easier to identify exactly where the location is. The location is also clearly labelled with the name and address of the place so it is easily identified.

16. Prop list

TASK: List the props you are going to use in your film opening with an image and explanation.


Duct tape

The duct tape will be used to tie the victim's wrists and ankles to prevent them from escaping. Additionally, the duct tape will be used over the victim's mouth to prevent them from making any sounds, such as, screaming. Tying the victim with duct tape will preclude them from getting away, but will also enable the antagonist to gain full power over the victim by doing anything to them. This is also a very ordinary product that is easily accessible and not at all expensive, therefore this could suggest that this is the antagonist's first kill so they have opted for something that they can acquire last minute if needed. The duct tape will be used at the very beginning of the film opening when the victim is abducted and thrown into a van, all the way throughout to the end of the film opening when they are taken to an abandoned building where they will be held captive.

Rope


The rope will be used to tie the victim to the chair. Although they will be already tied up in duct tape, using rope to tie the victim to the chair will be much more efficient and an advantageous way to secure the victim into place, therefore there is little chance of the victim escaping. The rope acts as double security, so if the duct tape tears then the rope will be used as an alternative. Like the duct tape, this prop is easily accesible and is priced at an affordable price, yet again it suggests that this is the antagonist's first kill so they can obtain the prop last minute. The rope will be used towards the end of the film opening when the victim is already abducted and placed in an adandoned building.

Chair

















The chair will be used to tie the victim down using the rope. I will be using a very old looking chair, preferably a wooden chair in order to link in with the abadoned building so everything blends in and coordinates with one another. Using this type of chair will make it seem like the chair was already there, therefore the killer hasn't gone through the effort of buying and bringing their own chair, they have infact conveniently came across it. Aditionally, placing a modern looking chair may not work as well, and it may be too eye catching, therefore this will not fit the scenerio.

Mobile phone



The mobile phone will be used by the protagonist at the very beginning of the film opening. The protagonist will exchange a conversation with her friend whilst walking home from school. Moreover, including this conversation at the very beginning of the film opening will allow the audience to understand where the victim is and what they are doing. The mobile phone will be an essential part of the film opening as it will have a significant purpose at the end of the film opening also. The victim will place the mobile phone in their pocket, therefore the antagonist will not know that the victim has a cell phone, the cell phone will then be used as a source for help.



 

15. Mood board

Create a mood board for the sub genre of film you are going to create.

Displayed above is my mood board of images and words that associate with a psychological horror film. I have used different images and words to convery the specific genre, and i have used both black and white photos and coloured ones. I have specifically used black and white images as this portrays the paranormal sice of the psychological sub genre and i have used coloured photographs to show some of the modern aspects of psychological movies. Creating this moodboard has given me insparation on things, such as, locations and characters that i could possibly include in my own film opening. Creating a moodboard has been very beneficial to me, as i can look back at it and expand my ideas further when creating my film opening.

14. Brainstorming synopsis

TASK: Start thinking of ideas for your film opening. This can be done in the form of a mind map. 

Discuss:

• Plot
• Characters
• Setting
• Conventions
• Diegesis
• Editing
• Mise en scene
• Cinematography 

Displayed above is a mind map that I created using http://www.mindmeister.com/. I have used a mind map in order to display all my ideas for my film opening. I have tried to go in as much detail as possible about each of the items as this will be much more beneficial to me when I come to producing the different stages of my film opening. My wide range of ideas enables me to have a clearer picture of how my film opening will be set out. When filming, I can also look back at this as a reminder of the cinematography that I need to include, as well as a reminder to follow the plot exactly as planned. When I come to editing, this plan will also be beneficial as I will know exactly what editing to use, but also to include certain diegesis at specific scenes.

13. Production company logo

TASK:

1. Create a production company logo using Photoshop. It should link with the genre of the film you are creating.

Below is my production company logo which I created using Photoshop.

2. Post the logo with an explanation of how the logo represents your company, explaining your choices linking it to the genre.

For my production company logo, I chose the name 'Corrupt Productions' this is because I felt the name sounded right, but also I chose the word 'Corrupt' as it associated with immorality and dishonesty which are traits we often see throughout any sub genre of horror. I also did not want to overcomplicate things by picking a long name, so I opted for an interesting short one, yet one that is memorable. My production company logo features a misty background which I thought linked very well to the horror genre. The mist makes it look like it is night time which is  a popular convention used throughout many horror movies and the full moon which is hiding behind the mist supports this. My film opening will mainly be set in the dark which further supports the idea for my production company logo. To find the ideal font for my production company logo, I used www.dafont.com and used the font called 'Ringbearer'. I thought that this font was very simplistic and easy to read, which was what I was after as I did not want to overcomplicate things. Films that are in the psychological sub genre usually tend to use very classic fonts, as it gives it more of a professional approach and the audience can easily read the writing.

3. Explain what the job of the production company is, what the difference is between a major and independent production companies.

 

A production company is used to create the film, by helping with such aspects as casting, scripting, budgeting etc. However, they also have other important responsibilities, such as, finding cast to star in the film and most importantly, a director. They must also take responsibility if anything goes wrong, such as, injuries.

A major production company is a company that releases a substantial amount of films frequently and commands a share of box office revenue in a given market. Some examples of major production companies include: Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox. On the other hand, an independent production company feature films that are produced mainly outside the major film studio system. Independent films can also be distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' artistic vision is noticed. In major production companies, it is usually the employees that decide the content and style of the film, therefore this makes it much harder to come up with an idea due to different opinions. This also means that independent production companies tend to do much better than a major production company due to their concise focus on the message that the film is attempting to communicate. The reason for this, is because major production companies tend to care more about how much money they are going to make instead about the content of the film.

4. Give examples of production companies that create films in your genre.

Blumhouse Productions - Multi-media production company that has pioneered a new model of studio filmmaking - producing high-quality micro-budget films. Blumhouse has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures and has produced the highly-profitable Paranormal Activity, making it the most profitable film in Hollywood history. Other successful films by the company include: The Purge, Sinister, and Insidious.



Hammer Films - One of the oldest film companies in the world. Synonymous with horror, after defining the genre in Britain with classics such as Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Mummy. Recent output includes the worldwide box office smash The Woman in Black, Let Me In and The Quiet Ones.



Twisted Pictures - Mainly create films of the horror genre. They received great box office success of Saw in 2004, which lead to a nine-picture distribution deal with Lionsgate. The company went on to produce six sequels in the Saw film series. Other filmography include: Dead Silence, The Tortured and Texas Chainsaw 3D.



New Line Cinema - Is one of the few film companies that still works in the horror genre, being widely known for the iconic, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Final Destination franchises.




Looking at every individual production company logo, we can see that they are very diverse. I can see aspects of my own production company logo having similar features to the production company logos presented above. For example, the font I have used is very simplistic, making the logo easy to read and conveying a professional image, this is very similar to both Blumhouse productions and New Line Cinema as they both use very classic and minimalistic fonts. In my production company logo, I have used a misty background, which is similarly featured on the walls of the Blumhouse production company logo and the writing is also very similar to the colour of the wall, only slightly brighter in order to make the writing stand out so it is readable. Similarly, I have created the writing so it is of the same colour as the mist, only slightly darker so it is legible.