Below I have displayed my film opening, which I have added annotations to, showing how I have attracted the audience of my film opening. I also referred back to my previous post of my typical audience member for my media product, showing how I have targeted them specifically.
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
29. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Displayed below is a profile that i have created of a typical audience member who i believe would watch my film opening.
This is Amanda Loxton, from the city of Nottingham. Amanda is 16 years old and lives with her mum, stepdad and two older brothers. She dresses slightly like a tomboy, however her style is mainly minimal. She wears plain T-shirts (sometimes with band logos on them), skinny jeans and plimsolls. Amanda is currently studying English Literature, Media Studies, Performing Arts and Art at AS-level. She works as a part-time waitress at Frankie & Benny's in order to earn some extra money for herself. She aspires to go to University in Leicester to study Media Studies at a degree level.
In her spare time, she enjoys having sleepovers with her friends and watching scary movies and TV shows. Some of her favourite horror movies include: Followed Home, The Conjuring, Scream and the sequels of Paranormal Activity. Additionally, her favourite TV Shows include, American Horror Story, The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries. Her favourite one in particular is American Horror Story, due to having a lot of jumpy scenes and a lot of gore. She enjoys searching for upcoming movies through http://www.imdb.com/ and leaving reviews for movies she has gone to see at the cinema.
Amanda enjoys listening to Rock music, mainly heavy metal and alternative metal. She doesn't listen to music that is currently popular, instead she likes to go back to her old collection of CD's and listen to songs that are 2 or 3 years old. In addition, she also uses social networking sites such as, Twitter and Instagram, usually on a daily basis so she can keep up with daily news from celebrities and films that are coming out, but also to stay in touch with some of her friends.
I believe that my film opening would appeal to Amanda due to her strong interest in horror films and her occasional visits to the cinema, therefore if my film opening was to be shown at the cinema, it would perhaps appeal to her as it is from her favoured film genre. Her favourite films are also very similar to the opening of my own film, for example, 'Followed Home' has the idea of being followed by the murderer which is very similar to my film opening. Scream is also very similar, as my film opening also includes a young female antagonist. She also uses social networking sites, therefore this will allow her to share my film opening with her friends and other followers.
28. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Above I have embedded a PowToon presententation through YouTube where I have answered the following questions:
- What is the job of a film distributor?
- What is the difference between a multinational and independent distributor?
Then, for each distribution company I answered the following questions:
- What nationality is their company?
- How big is the company it is a multinational corporation or an independent company?
- What other films have they distributed?
- What genres do they specialise in?
I thought this was an effective way of presenting my information for each of the distribution companies and fits well with the given task.
27. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Below is a side by side comparison of the antagonist from my film opening 'Psychasthenia' and 'Michael Myers' from the movie 'Halloween'.
The antagonist in my film opening can be linked to the antagonist (Michael Myers) from the very popular slasher horror film 'Halloween'. Although the antagonist in Halloween wears a mask, I have compared the two due to the choice of dark clothing. I have chosen to dress my antagonist in black in order to reveal his dark personality and in order for the audience to identify him as the antagonist. Michael Myers in Halloween wears a jumpsuit which is also coded as dark and his unusual choice of clothing with the choice of a mask makes his character appear somewhat mysterious and frightening. I have chosen not to reveal the antagonist's face and I have done this by having him wear a hat and have his hood over his head, however some scenes do reveal his face and this is purposely integrated to build suspense and a sense of shock as the audience get short glimpses of the antagonist. Looking at both antagonists, we can instantly identify their gender due to the build of both characters. Using a male as the antagonist in a horror film or any other genre of film is very typical and this is mainly due to the stereotypical views of men being much stronger, dominant and scarier in horror films. Similarly to 'Halloween', I have also used the same prop, a knife, however when the protagonist is stabbed at the end of my film opening, the audience are not able to see the knife or the result of the stabbing, only the action. This is due to the fact that my film opening is aimed towards a 15 audience, therefore I didn't want my film opening to appear to graphical.
Displayed above is the antagonist that is revealed during 'Halloween'. As shown, the protagonist is in his early 20's which is similar to the character in my film opening. Just like Michael Myer in 'Halloween', the antagonist in my film opening has never killed before, therefore he has no experience in such activity. 'Halloween' is initially said to be a social critique of the immorality of youth and teenagers in 1970's, and I have similarly tried to convey this through my film opening but with a much more modern approach.
The representation of the teenage social group is challenged to a great extent and can be seen to be very unrealistic. Realistically, we would not see young adults/teenagers take part in such activity, therefore my media product represents them in a very negative light, as the antagonist in my film opening kidnaps and murders the young female protagonist. My protagonist is a teenager whom is portrayed to be the complete opposite of the antagonist. She is presented as very pure and innocent, and this leads to her murder at the end of the film opening. She runs away from the killer, however she is much slower and weaker and this is how she gets murdered. The role of the female protagonist goes with the ideas of typical stereotypes, presenting women as much more vulnerable and naive. Whereas the male antagonist is presented as much stronger and dominant.
The representation of the teenage social group is challenged to a great extent and can be seen to be very unrealistic. Realistically, we would not see young adults/teenagers take part in such activity, therefore my media product represents them in a very negative light, as the antagonist in my film opening kidnaps and murders the young female protagonist. My protagonist is a teenager whom is portrayed to be the complete opposite of the antagonist. She is presented as very pure and innocent, and this leads to her murder at the end of the film opening. She runs away from the killer, however she is much slower and weaker and this is how she gets murdered. The role of the female protagonist goes with the ideas of typical stereotypes, presenting women as much more vulnerable and naive. Whereas the male antagonist is presented as much stronger and dominant.
26. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Nine frames:
1. The first shot shows the production company logo. The production company logo is shown at the very beginning and these are typically used in order to brand or give the audience an idea of the type of movies the production company produces. Due to my chosen sub genre (psychological horror), I have tried to design my production logo in a way that it mirrors my sub genre and my audience can get an idea of what type of film I have produced. The production company logo that I have produced is very simple, yet effective. I have chosen to use mist and part of the moon in order to convey my sub genre through a night time theme. The darkness of my production company logo allows the audience to understand that it is related to something dark and mysterious, i.e. the horror genre.
2. The second shot is a long shot and is used to establish the location of my film opening. As you can see, the location that I have chosen is the woods as this is a conventional location that is used throughout many horror films, one of many being 'Silence of the Lambs' in the very opening. I have used this location as I believe it allowed me highlight the isolation in order to convey an eerie feel for the audience. I have chosen to use a still and focused shot for this particular shot as I thought it was important for the title which reads 'An Agne Ivanauskaite Film' to be effectively noticed as the director's name is always one of the first titles to appear and is conventional in all films. The title was added in post-production, as well as the sound. Through the branches we then see the protagonist walking, however the only sound that can be heard is the non-diegetic sound which fades out from the the production logo shot. The sound fading out creates an almost eerie feel and this may cause the audience to question what is happening and perhaps make them think that something bad is about to happen. Silence throughout scenes is very commonly used throughout horror films as this builds tension and typically something bad does eventually happen. The audience can instantly identify the young female as the protagonist due to her very casual and easy going clothing, however the audience too may question why she is walking through the woods in the first place. The font that I have used for the titles are also very similar to that of the production company logo as I thought this text was quite simplistic yet still had a very horror like touch to it, and psychological horror films tend to typically use very simplistic fonts.
3. The third shot is a medium close up of the antagonist walking which is used to establish part of his costume. This is the very first time the antagonist appears and the audience get only hints of what he looks like. The antagonist is filmed in a way in which he walks past the camera so it can only seem he is walking towards the protagonist. The antagonist's name also appears at the very bottom in the corner. The antagonist wears very dark clothing, however quite casual. The dark clothing is used in order to express his dark characteristics and the use of dark clothing on the antagonist is typically very popularly used in horror films as it allows the audience to instantly identify the person as the antagonist. The casual side of his clothing shows the audience that he is not an expert in kidnapping/killing and shows that this is perhaps his first time in performing such activity. The use of casual clothing is very commonly used in psychological horror films as it is a way of hiding one's identity and making the audience believe that they are not the antagonist. At this point, there is only the diegetic sound of the antagonist walking which creates a sense of mystery as it is the only sound that can be heard. The fact that his identity is hidden as this point and the antagonist is not revealed much adds to the mystery of things and the audience are made to question who the antagonist is. I believe that by introducing the antagonist at the very beginning of my film opening, I have used conventions of real media products as we would typically see the antagonist being introduced at the beginning of a horror film. I have developed the typical forms and conventions by using a variety of ways to build tension when introducing the antagonist, especially through the use of sound and costume.
The font of the title that I have used for this shot is also continually used throughout the rest of the titles and this text is similarly seen in 'The Conjuring' opening which I have analysed as part of my nine frame analysis in a previous post. I liked the use of this very simplistic font as I thought the minimalism of the font fits the psychological horror sub-genre very well and it is still effective without appearing too simple. Like in 'The Conjuring' I also used the colour white for the titles as I thought this was the only colour that appeared to stand out the most and keep to the simplistic side of things. Additionally, I have used a misty black background behind the titles to add to the dark theme of my film opening.
4. The fourth shot is a close up and shows the protagonist reaching down to get her earphones. This prop is used in order to show the audience that she is indeed the protagonist as she appears to be not carrying anything dangerous, yet instead she has earphones which illustrates her youth and that she is only a teenager. The previous shot before this shows the antagonist further back behind her and when she drops her earphones by accident and goes down to get them the audience are unable to tell what will happen to her as the antagonist is out of the shot due to the close up. The technique of the protagonist dropping something or falling is very commonly used throughout horror movies as this instantly slows the protagonist down and disables them from getting way. The use of non-diegetic high pitch creepy music in the background adds tension as the audience are made to feel like something is about to happen. The technique of the antagonist further behind the protagonist in the background is commonly used in horror films in order to make the audience feel intense and frightened as we are instantly made to feel like something bad is about to happen to the protagonist. The antagonist is only yet again revealed after this shot when the camera tilts upwards and we see the antagonist walking towards the protagonist.
5. The fifth shot shows a medium shot of the protagonist on the floor all tied up in an abandoned building. The medium shot is used to establish the new location that the victim has been taken to and looking at the abandoned location, the audience instantly know that the victim has been kidnapped and held hostage by the antagonist. The antagonist is also tied up with rope and tape, these are typical props used in horror films when someone has been kidnapped as this stops the victim from getting away. I thought it was important to show the victim tied up as it builds even more tension as it makes the audience question what will happen next, whether she will escape or whether she will be killed. At this point there is purposely no sound as the scene is supposed to create a sense of mystery but also build tension at the same time.
3. The third shot is a medium close up of the antagonist walking which is used to establish part of his costume. This is the very first time the antagonist appears and the audience get only hints of what he looks like. The antagonist is filmed in a way in which he walks past the camera so it can only seem he is walking towards the protagonist. The antagonist's name also appears at the very bottom in the corner. The antagonist wears very dark clothing, however quite casual. The dark clothing is used in order to express his dark characteristics and the use of dark clothing on the antagonist is typically very popularly used in horror films as it allows the audience to instantly identify the person as the antagonist. The casual side of his clothing shows the audience that he is not an expert in kidnapping/killing and shows that this is perhaps his first time in performing such activity. The use of casual clothing is very commonly used in psychological horror films as it is a way of hiding one's identity and making the audience believe that they are not the antagonist. At this point, there is only the diegetic sound of the antagonist walking which creates a sense of mystery as it is the only sound that can be heard. The fact that his identity is hidden as this point and the antagonist is not revealed much adds to the mystery of things and the audience are made to question who the antagonist is. I believe that by introducing the antagonist at the very beginning of my film opening, I have used conventions of real media products as we would typically see the antagonist being introduced at the beginning of a horror film. I have developed the typical forms and conventions by using a variety of ways to build tension when introducing the antagonist, especially through the use of sound and costume.
The font of the title that I have used for this shot is also continually used throughout the rest of the titles and this text is similarly seen in 'The Conjuring' opening which I have analysed as part of my nine frame analysis in a previous post. I liked the use of this very simplistic font as I thought the minimalism of the font fits the psychological horror sub-genre very well and it is still effective without appearing too simple. Like in 'The Conjuring' I also used the colour white for the titles as I thought this was the only colour that appeared to stand out the most and keep to the simplistic side of things. Additionally, I have used a misty black background behind the titles to add to the dark theme of my film opening.
4. The fourth shot is a close up and shows the protagonist reaching down to get her earphones. This prop is used in order to show the audience that she is indeed the protagonist as she appears to be not carrying anything dangerous, yet instead she has earphones which illustrates her youth and that she is only a teenager. The previous shot before this shows the antagonist further back behind her and when she drops her earphones by accident and goes down to get them the audience are unable to tell what will happen to her as the antagonist is out of the shot due to the close up. The technique of the protagonist dropping something or falling is very commonly used throughout horror movies as this instantly slows the protagonist down and disables them from getting way. The use of non-diegetic high pitch creepy music in the background adds tension as the audience are made to feel like something is about to happen. The technique of the antagonist further behind the protagonist in the background is commonly used in horror films in order to make the audience feel intense and frightened as we are instantly made to feel like something bad is about to happen to the protagonist. The antagonist is only yet again revealed after this shot when the camera tilts upwards and we see the antagonist walking towards the protagonist.
5. The fifth shot shows a medium shot of the protagonist on the floor all tied up in an abandoned building. The medium shot is used to establish the new location that the victim has been taken to and looking at the abandoned location, the audience instantly know that the victim has been kidnapped and held hostage by the antagonist. The antagonist is also tied up with rope and tape, these are typical props used in horror films when someone has been kidnapped as this stops the victim from getting away. I thought it was important to show the victim tied up as it builds even more tension as it makes the audience question what will happen next, whether she will escape or whether she will be killed. At this point there is purposely no sound as the scene is supposed to create a sense of mystery but also build tension at the same time.
6. The sixth shot is a high angle medium shot which establishes the first ever contact between the antagonist and the victim. Yet again, we do not see the antagonist, however looking at his build and costume the audience know that he is the antagonist. He also says the words "Just shut up, or i'll kill you" which further adds to the fact that he is the antagonist and from his voice we can identify him as being male. This shot is also used to purposely highlight the roles of the characters and how these roles are typically used in horror films. For example, the use of the high angle shot is used to highlight the antagonist's dominance and the victim looking up at the antagonist shows the audience that she is weak and vulnerable. She appears very small in the shot showing the audience the little power she has over the situation as well as the antagonist and the antagonist is seen as being superior. She slightly jumps when she is told to shut up which shows the audience that she is scared and a female being frightened of a male is also typically conveyed throughout horror films. In general, we would most commonly see the male as being the antagonist in a horror film and the female being the victim. The only sound used is the diegetic sound of the antagonist speaking, I thought I would only include diegetic sound in order to build the tension, as typically the sound would lead the audience to what is to come, however with no non-diegetic music, the audience are unable to know what is to happen.
7. The seventh shot is a long shot of the victim running away from the antagonist. This shot shows the antagonist coming from inside of the building and chasing after the protagonist. The surroundings of the location show the audience that this is taking place in an abandoned building which is preferably in the middle of nowhere due to the field that we can see where the victim is running towards to. We can see that the antagonist is carrying some form of weapon which is a bright red colour. The bright red colour of the weapon is conventional in horror films and the focus is instantly drawn to the weapon, making it stand out much more next to the antagonist's clothing. With the introduction of the weapon, this scene is made to be the climax of it all, with the victim running away and the antagonist having a weapon in his hand, the audience cannot guess what is going to happen. The fast paced non-diegetic music continues to create suspense and a sense of thrill as the antagonist is chasing the victim, this is also typically used in horror films.
8. The eighth shot is a long shot and shows the antagonist capturing the victim and stabbing her. The long shot establishes the location, showing the audience that victim and antagonist are in the middle of nowhere and there was no escape for the victim in the first place. The killing is emphasised through the continual stabbing from the antagonist and the loud scream that is heard from the victim. I did not want to show the actual process of the stabbing and blood as I thought this would go against the conventions of a psychological horror film, due to my film not being a slasher film, I thought it was important to keep my film opening with as little violence and blood as possible. The non-diegetic suspenseful music continues and towards the end the non-diegetic music ends with the victim's scream and a gate closing to symbolise the ending of the film opening. The immediate killing in my film opening is generally very commonly used in film opening, as we would usually see death at the beginning of the film, this alerts the audience and makes them want to continue watching. An example would be where the character in 'Scream' is killed very suddenly at the beginning of the film.
9. The ninth shot shows the title of the film, which appears immediately after the victim is killed. I decided to call my film opening 'Psychasthenia' as I thought this was relevant to the chosen sub-genre of psychological horror and the meaning behind the word 'Psychasthenia' is very relevant to the plot of my film opening. Psychasthenia is an obsessive-compulsive disorder and I thought this linked in well to the antagonist of my film opening, as he stalks the young female and then holds her captive and then eventually kills her. I have used the same shades of black and white for the title of my film as I wanted it to link back to the production logo in order to convey a continual pattern of the dark theme.
Having the main title at the end of the my film opening is also commonly used in most films as it indicates that the opening is over and the rest of the film will continue. Like in 'Scream', the unimportant characters are usually killed in the beginning and more killing happens throughout the film. The beginning preps the audience for what is soon to come.
Overall, my media product does use and develop some forms and conventions of real media product.I believe that sticking to some of the forms and conventions of real media products is important as I have stuck to my sub-genre effectively, but have also developed it using my own ideas.
25. Video Draft 1
Displayed below is my first draft of my film opening.
My first draft of my film opening shows all the footage put together and shows the audience an idea of what the final video will look like. In my first draft i have not yet added music or sound effects, titles or any other features needed, however this will all be put into my final video.
My first draft of my film opening shows all the footage put together and shows the audience an idea of what the final video will look like. In my first draft i have not yet added music or sound effects, titles or any other features needed, however this will all be put into my final video.
24. Production Log - Diegesis
Diegesis:
Where have you got your music from?
Why could you not use copyright music?
Where have you got your music from?
The music and sound effects that i have used in my film opening are either from a website called http://www.freeplaymusic.com or https://www.freesound.org. 'www.freeplaymusic.com' is a website that allows you to download music for free which then allows you to put the music into your library in iMovie. The website states that all the music provided is royalty free, which means that is is not copyrighted. The second website 'www.freesound.org' is another great website for finding sounds, however this website is exceptionally good for sound effects. All the sounds on this website is also royalty free, therefore nothing on the website is copyrighted.
Why could you not use copyright music?
I could not use copyrighted music due to the copyright law. If i used copyrighted music in my film opening, without the owner's consent, it would mean that i have committed 'copyright infringement'. This is highly illegal, therefore situations as such can result in fines being paid by the infringer which could then be passed on to the original owner.
23. Production Log - Editing
Editing:
Are you on schedule?
At the moment i am on schedule and i have completed a draft of my film opening. I am now in the process of adding music and titles to my film opening.
How is it going?
The editing for the my film opening is going well as i have managed to complete a draft for both parts of my film opening. I have completed the arrangement of clips for both parts of my film opening and i am now in the process of finding music to go with some of the shots.
What are the difficulties?
The main difficulty is cutting the video down in order to fit the 00:02:00 time limit. When i first put my video together it was 00:02:47, so i had to cut out some of the scenes that contained a lot of dialogue in order to decrease the 47 seconds to fit the 00:02:00 requirement.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of this programme?
Advantages:
Are you on schedule?
At the moment i am on schedule and i have completed a draft of my film opening. I am now in the process of adding music and titles to my film opening.
How is it going?
The editing for the my film opening is going well as i have managed to complete a draft for both parts of my film opening. I have completed the arrangement of clips for both parts of my film opening and i am now in the process of finding music to go with some of the shots.
What are the difficulties?
The main difficulty is cutting the video down in order to fit the 00:02:00 time limit. When i first put my video together it was 00:02:47, so i had to cut out some of the scenes that contained a lot of dialogue in order to decrease the 47 seconds to fit the 00:02:00 requirement.
What programme are you using?
The programme that i am using to edit my film opening is called 'iMovie'. Below is a screenshot of the project open in iMovie.
As shown, the preview window is displayed in the top right hand corner. The preview window allows me to see what my video looks like as i edit. On the top left hand corner are the sounds that i have added to my library, so when i need to add music to my video, i can just click on the iMovie Library which will direct me to a variety of sounds that i downloaded via https://www.freesound.org and http://www.freeplaymusic.com. On the left hand side of this programme, are displayed different edit features, where i am able to add transitions, titles and sound effects to my film opening. On the bottom of the programme is where the editing takes place, in this part i am able to add my footage and edit it and add sound or any other features. The blue bar with the line in the middle locates the sound and shows us the pitch of the sound. In this case, i have decreased the sound completely to a minimum as i will be adding non-diegetic sound, therefore we are unable to see the pitch of the sound.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of this programme?
Advantages:
- Easy to use
- Import is instant
- You can add music to the library, making it more convenient to find
Disadvantages:
- The longer the video, the longer the export
- Once the movie is exported, it can no longer be changed
- Film has to be edited on the same computer for the entire time the project is being created
22. Production Log - Filming
Filming:
How did it go?
The filming of my film opening went well and i managed to get the filming done relatively quickly due to having a storyboard which i often looked back at during the filming process.
What were the difficulties?
Are you on schedule?
At the moment, i am on schedule and i have completely finished filming my film opening. I am now in the process of editing my film opening and finding music that i will be incorporating into some of the scenes.
How did it go?
The filming of my film opening went well and i managed to get the filming done relatively quickly due to having a storyboard which i often looked back at during the filming process.
Did you change anything from your planning?
During the filming process, i tried to keep to plan, however some changes had to be done. For example, some of the dialogue had to be cut out and shortened as i thought this would really exceed the limit for my film opening and i wanted to intrigue the audience with the use of camera shots, angles etc. instead of the use of dialogue. I also made other small changes, such as, the female character that i used in my film opening and the second location was also changed. Additionally, there was also changes to some of the camera shots as i thought they didn't work as well when it actually came to filming them, therefore i had to improvise.
What were the difficulties?
There were a few difficulties that i had encountered whilst filming my film opening. In the first part of my film opening, there was a lot of background noise of other people, this was due to the location being right next to a school. In the second part of my film opening, when i was filming in the house, i found it hard to focus on the victim's face due to it being too dark at times. I also had to re-film some of the scenes due to the sound of the wind blocking out some of the dialogue.
Are you on schedule?
At the moment, i am on schedule and i have completely finished filming my film opening. I am now in the process of editing my film opening and finding music that i will be incorporating into some of the scenes.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
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)
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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