Feedback

The idea and concept of our film opening has been proven to be good however after allowing the rest of the class to watch our film opening we got given some useful feedback comments:
- The handheld camera shots and point of view shots need to be cut slightly.
- The music is too sudden at times so another piece will be needed perhaps more of a 'tone' to help build the tension.
- Editing for a reason needs to be improved as the baby sitter character needs a reason to go upstairs and check on the child.
- The whole running section needs to be reshot.
- The end conversational scene needs to be reshot in order to be done more professionally.
- Too many running shots that begin to get boring and repetitive.
The main target when given feedback is that there is a lot of potential for a build up of tension that hasn't been taken advantage of. We need to re-edit with an aim to build tension as a main improvement for our film opening. 

First Cut

Titles

The horror genre often includes titles that suit the theme of the film. I had researched horror film titles and took this title as inspiration.

After analyzing the title and working on our own twists and ideas, my group and I came to an agreement on the one shown below. Notice the blood stains and red colour which are typical to the genre.

Further Editing and Sound Editing

Mollie had worked on cutting some of the new shots previously but today, Beth and I edited some shots. I found some sound of a news report to add. I recorded the news report sound, I cut it and edited it in. This worked much better than the original television sound already heard in the background of the film.
Some of the shots didn't quite run as smoothly as we would have liked to make them professional, therefore Beth and I edited the duration and sped as well as re-arranging the order of shots so that the sequence of shots could flow better.
We shall continue to work hard together this evening as tomorrow we are due to show our work so far to the rest of our class.

Filming Day 2

This evening (Monday 10th), my group and I got together to film some more shots. The filming which we rescheduled from Friday 30th November . We chose night time to film as stereotypically, scary things happen at night which is why the horror genre often chooses a night time setting.
The shots mostly worked really well. The house in which we filmed gave us the oppertunity to create some scary atmospheric shots, for example the scary figure watching through the window. I feel Mollie has done well with filming these shots. When she finished filming some shots, I asked her to show me and I was very happy with the way she had filmed them and did not need to suggest that we reshot any.
I was acting in the scenes but I also helped Cristi with the mise-en-scene. We had trouble creating a smeared mirror that lasted for a long duration of time. Quickly, our group thought of a shot that would work even better than the smeared mirror which was the camera being on a cupboard in the bathroom which, when opened, the scary character would appear. A problem occured with the smeared mirror but a good outcome came out of it and I was very happy with the result.
Due to low battery charge, we have some other scenes to film at a further time. These scenes are the outside scenes and we schedule these soon. However, most of the filming has been done and editing can be done during tomorrows lesson.

(Cristi helping with props, Molly setting camera up)

(Me acting)

Ideas for Editing

Our film is in need of some further editing in order to make the editing suit the horror genre. I have researched colour grading which is used to make films darker and highlight shadows to create eeriness. I will pass on this knowledge to Beth who has taken the role of editor so that together, we can work on the colours of the filmed shots and see what works to create the scary feel that our film needs.
The next section of filming will be at the evening time so the shots will appear darker than the morning scene we have begun to edit. This may mean that the scenes we will film needs less editing in terms of colour. The night time setting will suit the horror genre and the audience will be aware of what the feeling of the film is but hopefully scare them more also.

Me experimenting with Editing techniques 

Editing

Beth edited the shots with the help of Mollie. They worked on cutting the shots whilst Cristi and I filmed some sound effects. When Cristi and I were done, we gave our views on wether we felt the shots lasted for too long and whether the match on action flowed professionally.

Whilst creating sound effects, I recorded many options of each sound so we could see what worked best with the camera shots. I recorded different breathing paces as well as asking different people to breathe so that I could hear which recording sounded scary enough to create tension in the film opening through sound effects. I recorded some running footsteps (which I can be seen doing in the picture) but due to timing issues with the footsteps not going at the same pace as the feet moving in the film, I have not been able to edit that sound into the film in a professional way, instead it sounded odd and therefore I have not used them. I feel that it was important to record our own sounds and not just get sound effects from the internet so that I could commit to the role of sound editor and experience creating sounds from the recording stage until making sure the sound is edited in correctly for the final cut. I am very happy with how the music sounds when I edited that into the film opening. I made the music start at a specific time, when the scary character appears. The uncomfortable soundtrack lets the audience know that something scary is happening so that they are on the edge of their seat and want to watch on, which essentially is what a film opening is all about.

Music

I found a website for uncopyrighted music: freeplaymusic.com
On this website, I found a piece of suspense music called 'Black Widow' that suits the horror genre and would be perfect for our production.

Filming Day 1

On Thursday morning, my group and I filmed some of the end scenes of the film opening. It was important to film in the morning because we needed the light to be bright for this section. During the winter, there are not many hours of sunlight so this was a good decision. We chose to film Thursday morning also because the weather forecast said that there was no rain, and luckily, they had predicted right!
Molly took charge of the filming. As a group, we were very happy with her shots as the panning technique used to follow the running character was done very smoothly and professionally. She filmed plenty of shots in order to have lots of footage to make the final edit the best it can be with the best chosen shots.
Cristi was a big help with the costumes. For my costume, she brought black material to cover my face. It was a windy day so she helped tie it up tight before each shot so that when filming, the material wouldn't blow away. Cristi also took part in some acting.
Beth and I were both actors in this scene. I also held the camera in order to use the handheld technique when my character was running. We decided I would do this to show a point of view of what the scary stalker character was seeing. In the horror genre, a handheld shot is often used to create a jumpy effect that makes the audience feel like they are at sync with the characters, that they are actually there. We hope that our handheld shot will have the same effect in our opening however, we will make sure that it is done in a professional way during the editing process because we are aware that it is a technique that doesn't always work.

(Cristi holding equipment and costumes)

 

(My Costume)   

 

(Molly filming Beth jogging with Cristi's help)

There was some problems that occured because the place we filmed was a public area, many pedestrians and dog walkers walked past where we were filming. In order not to have them caught in our scenes, we had to wait for them to leave out of the shot of the camera. We could have filmed a  lot quicker if this problem didn't occur.

Overall, we were pleased with our work and progress on Thurday as it meant that several ending shots of our film opening were ready to edit. The non diegetic sound needs to be recorded for the editing of these shots also. I am responsible for sound and I am planning to record the non diegetic sounds on Tuesday. We had planned to continue filming on Friday night but due to a cancellation of one of the girl who we asked to act in the shots, we had to reschedule.

Planning for Thursday 29th November

Tomorrow, we are planning to film some of the end shots of our opening sequence, the section with the girl jogging.
I will make sure that any sounds are recorded well. It will be difficult as the weather plans to be quite windy. I may be able to record the heavy breathing of the girl who is jogging inside and add this into the clip when editing the sound. Sound effects such as breathing are often exaggerated in horror movies so this will work well. I will also be involved with the acting.
Molly will be in charge of filming this section, Cristi is preparing the costumes and props and Beth is acting in the section we are planning to film.

Our Production Company Logo Clip

Film Company

New Line Cinema company have published many famous horror films such as Fright Night and Nightmare on Elm Street. My group and I have been inspired by a lot of these horror films that New Line Cinema have brought to our screens and we therefore decided that because the genre we are aiming for is horror that our film would suit the type of films that New Line Cinema company publish.

Production Context

Films of the same genre as the film opening my group and I are creating have the help from many publishing companies and distributors. One example of a film production company is 'FilmDistrict' who as well as producing films, have financed films also. One of the most famous films that FilmDistrict have produced is Insidious. They are a modern film company and have worked on many horror films that are planned to be released next year. This production company is a good model of the company my group are aiming for because it is a newer company yet has already gained success in the world of horror film.


Films also have distrabutors to share the films around the world. 'Momentum Pictures' has shared many films such as 'The King's Speech', 'The Lucky Ones' and horror movies like 'The Woman In Black' to the UK's cinemas and home DVDs. It is important that the film idea we create has an example of a well known distrabutor to aim for so that our film opening is professional.

Sound Research

The feeling that we want to give to the audience in our film opening can be created through sound. I experimented with sound techniques with the help of Beth. I recorded her voice in order to practise recording for the news report in the film opening. I also recorded some sound effects such as the rustling of bushes and knocking on the door. Sound effects are commonly used in the horror genre. Our film opening is planned to be of a horror genre and therefore it was important to have some practise creating sound before the production of our film opening began.
Our film opening needs to make the audience feel uneasy as it is of a horror genre so I researched for some uncopyrighted music to use in the film opening that would create this feeling. I successfully found a piece of music called 'black widow' that the rest of my group also found suitable for our film opening.

Storyboard

 

This is our storyboard. We have written the time of each shot to help during the filming and editing process. There is also text to give more detail about the type of camera shot we are planning to use when filming each section. During future filming and editing, we may find faults with our storyboard and may need to adjust the timing of clips or the order of the shots but overall, the storyboard is a good example of what me and my group are aiming for. 

Inspiration For Our Opening Film Sequence

Some inspiration for our opening sequence came from the film 'Scream' and that sequence of films where there are many killings in the same area. There are many shots in 'Scream' and its sequals where the killer is behind the girl in the shot (which can be seen in the picture below). This type of film shot will be perfect for the ideas in our opening as they create tension for the audience. The main difference our film opening will have compared to 'Scream' is that we would prefer to try and make our film more dark and mysterious, certainly avoiding all commical elements.

I read websites such as the following link that is about the five best horror film openings in order to gain inspiration and further idea. "When A Stranger Calls" is on the lists and includes a babysitter, just like our film idea. Our research supports the ideas we have for the film treatment and has given us ideas of the conventions of a horror film opening.

http://colonelmortimer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/5-great-horror-movie-opening-scenes.html


Film Treatment

Holly's parents chose a bad night to leave her babysitting. A news report announces that a girl in her area has been murdered, the killer is still out on the loose. Holly, home alone at night begins to feel uneasy but forgets about this news as she checks on the baby sleeping and runs a bath. The perfect oppertunity for someone to enter the house downstairs. A figure is watching Holly, follows the sound of her movement to the bathroom. She is the second girl to die that night. Jane, deciding to go for a jog and the newsreport of a second killing is shown as she turns ths tv off. The film follows Jane as she tries to escape, not willing to be the third girl to die that night.

Main Production Task

 Dan (me), Mollie, Critsti and Beth

This is my group of people who I will work with to create an opening sequence.

I am interested in the sound. Our idea is a horror film which will allow me to experiment and use lots of sound effect to help make the opening sequence uneasy. The idea of the news report voice over introducing and unsettling horror genre has excited our group and I will hopefully be able to succeed in doing this.  I also would like to do some of the editing as it is in my interest that the film runs in a professional way.

Mollie would like to concentrate mostly on the filming as she has had practice with skills required to film and they have worked very well.

Cristi is very creative so will have good ideas for the mise en scene. Her creativity will not only help with costumes and make-up but will also be useful when editing the film as she will be able to tell what looks good visually.

Beth will take most control with editing as she has had practise with editing skills and has done this to a good standard. 

Film Opening Sequence Analysis

Film Opening Sequence Analysis of Ghost

Shot One: The main title is first in the opening sequence. This is done in order to gain the attention of the audience straight away. It is a bold and simple title in order to make a statement. The blue writing links with blue and grey colours in the rest of the title sequence. Plus, the title word of 'Ghost' has connotations of grey, preparing the viewer to link ideas that the rest of the title sequence is trying to portray.

Shot Two: In this shot, the credits begin but in the background there is a huge use of symbolism. The rope is there to begin creating the idea of an old room being redecorated which is how the story begins. But the rope is a symbol of death and therefore can be linked with ghosts. The grey colours help create the sense of a old dark room preparing the viewer for the first decorating scene but also creates an airy feel to this room which can also be a link with the ghosts. Furthermore, a light is shining in the centre of the background, "following the light" is often associated with death, the light also seems like it is coming through a door which can symbolise the door to heaven. It is coincidental that the light is shining on the actors name who plays the part of the ghost. All these symbols have been done on purpose to cleverly prepare the viewer for the rest of the film, giving slight clues away.

Shot Three: This shot is again a shot from the undecorated room. The lines upwards represent the gates to heaven and the holes in the gate shows the light of heaven shining through, therefore it is another shot with death connotations that can give clues to the viewer about the films plot.

Shot Four: This shot is of a lamp shade. I find it clever because I feel that the circular shape represents the Earth, the white cloth on top of it is showing that ghosts are on the earth too. There is a grey cloudy world, which is typically how a ghost world is viewed, watching us. The circular earth shape is grey and there are very dull colors surrounding it, I think this is representative of the rest of the film where we see that the world is a dark gloomy place where bad things often happen.

Shot Five: The white cloth takes up the  whole of this shot. I believe this is done because people often dress in white cloth to dress up as a ghost, furthermore, when someone dies they are often covered in white cloth for the autopsy. The cloth is a strong representation of ghosts and death so has been used in a whole shot so that the audience can take a mental note of this.

Shot Six: In the front of the shot, you can see fixtures of a building which is important to introduce the first scene of decorating an old room but in the background, there is a foggy look with a sharp object faint in the distance. I feel the sharp object represents how the new home the characters are decorating become problematic. It seems nice to do, achieving a dream to own your own home, but problems come like a sharp object to slice the happy times in this film.

Shot Seven: This shot shows a ball of clay which signals the female characters love for pottery making. There is a light behind the pottery, this represents the ghost. This is added as a shot in the title sequence as it is a clue to one of the most famous scenes in the film when the female who loves pottery begins to feel her deceased loved one helping her mould the clay.

Shot Eight: I feel this shot is the reverse of the technique in shot six. This time, the  camera is looking from the dark into the light room in order to show that the intentions of moving into their own home and decorating it was for happiness, for a bright future. It is sort of saying "look what could have been".

Shot Nine: This shot is taken from above. It is very clever as the way the ceiling has been smashed in the darkness lets the main three characters be introduced and creates a smooth transition from the titles into the rest of the film. This last shot of the opening sequence has sharp pieces above the three characters which I feel represents a harsh place, perhaps hell, signaling that problems are about to begin and the plot of the film is beginning.

Evaluation of the Preliminary Exercise

The camera work in our preliminary exercise was good overall as there was a mixture of shots including over the shoulder shots and extreme close ups which were mostly used correctly with the rule of thirds in order to make the film more professional. The camera was also held steadily with appropriate camera angles to keep the professional feel. Match on action was used which helped the flow of our film. However, the 180 degree rule was broken when filming the over the shoulder shots and we must remember to watch out for this in future filming.
The sound quality in our film isn't that clear. The beginning of the film was filmed in a busy corridor which meant unwanted sounds were picked up by the camera and in the future we must make sure that the sound from the surrounding environment is noticed before filming. The characters can be heard clearly though during the dialogue parts. We used hyperrealism in a scene where the door was closing but the shot had changed so didn't include the slamming of the door so we edited it in.
The match on action was edited well so that the movement was precisely shown without repeated action when viewing. The shots were cut to fit to the 30 second time limit however, the extreme close up of the eyes lasted on a bit too long which could have been cut shorter.
I feel my level of production skill in this task has been intermediate because I thought of ideas of what needed to be done to edit and film the shots, I just needed help from the other members in my group to work the software in order to carry out the ideas.

Preliminary Exercise Final Cut

Report on the Preliminary Exercise

 

My Group: Me, Bethan Grey and Billy Turner

Beth and Me (right) overseeing the camera angles with

Billy (left) acting for our preliminary exercise.

 

We filmed our preliminary exercise during a Media lesson. We chose to film the shots surrounding one of the schools classrooms: along the corridor outside of it, and then in the classroom.

We used a Canon Legeria Camcorder to film these shots using a stand. Once we had finished filming, the shots were then put together and edited by using Adobe Premier Editing Software. 

When filming, we used the rule of thirds and the 180 degree rule in order to make the filming professional. Before filming, the person with the camera would count down to filming so that none of the acting and movement would be missed. Various camera skills were used whilst filming. During a conversation, shot-reverse-shot was used. We also used close-ups of the actors eyes to build and show tension.

During the editing process, we used the technique of hyperealism to add the sound of a slap when one of the actors was hit. We used Hollywood editing so that the film flows naturally and also is professional. We still need to continue the editing and may use other techniques.