Evaluation - Question 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-gs6-zE3Fo&feature=youtu.be

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK TO QUESTION 7.

NOTES FOR QUESTION 7 

PRELIMINARY TASK AND THE FINAL PRODUCT HAVE MANY SIMILARITIES. I’M GOING TO RUN THROUGH A FEW THINGS WE HAVE LEARNT AND EXPERIENCED.

THE WHOLE IDEA OF DOING THE PRELIMINARY TASK IS TO GET US USED TO FACING ANY PROBLEMS WE MAY ENCOUNTER IN THE MAIN TASK AND TO FOCUS ON USING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SHOTS.

WE USED A MATCH ON ACTION IN FINAL PRODUCT AS I ENTERED THE GRAVEYARD. THE PRACTICE MATCH ON ACTION IN PRELIM HELPED US TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT WAS REQUIRED SO WHEN WE CAME TO DO IT THE MAIN TASK, THE PROCESS WAS QUICK, EFFICIENT AND SEEMLESS.

IN THE PRELIMINARY TASK THE LIGHTING WAS JUST YOUR STANDARD LIGHTING FOUND IN A SCHOOL. NOW IT WAS OBVIOUS WE NEEDED TO THINK ABOUT LIGHTING. AFTER CAREFUL THOUGHT WE MADE THE LIGHTING MORE DIM AND DARKER WHICH HELPED TO REALLY CREATE A MORE EERIE EFFECT AND ESTABLISH WHAT IS GOING ON AND THROUGH PATHETIC FALLACY AND SEMIOTICS WHAT THE NARRATIVE IS AS WELL.

COSTUME ALSO NEEDED DEVELOPING FURTHER AS WELL TO SHOW WHO THE CHARACTERS’ WERE.

IN PRELIM USED WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER TO EDIT – BASIC SOFTWARE – VERY EASY AND SIMPLE – WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT FINAL CUT IS FAR MORE COMPLEX, THIS GAVE US A VERY VAGUE / ROUGH IDEA OF HOW LONG EDITING WOULD TAKE FOR OUR MAIN TASK.

MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGE IN GENERAL OF RULES LIKE 180 DEGREE RULE, IF BROKEN AUDIENCE BECOMES DISORIENTATED. LOTS OF DIFFERENT RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW TO ENSURE YOUR PRODUCT ACHIEVES MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. IT’S ALSO FAR MORE TIME CONSUMING TO CREATE A DECENT PRODUCT THAN WE THOUGHT – IN COMPARISON TO PRELIM, OUR MAIN TASK LOOKS FAR MORE PROFESSIONAL.

FAR MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT USING EDITING SOFTWARE, GAINED A VAST UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EVERYTHING WORKS.

WE ALSO REALISED, AS A GROUP, THE IMPORTANCE AND PARTICULAR STRESS UPON COMMUNICATION AND ORGANISATION. SORTING OUT SHOOTING TIMES, MAKING SURE WE HAVE EVERYTHING – PROPS COSTUME THAT KIND OF THING.

HAD TO MAKE SURE WE TOOK A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SHOTS AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT ANGLES, ALSO TAKING MORE THAN ONE TAKE IS IMPORTANT.

BATTERY LIFE – BATTERY RAN OUT OF CHARGE, MAKE SURE IT’S CHARGED! HOURS OF SHOOTING TIME WASTED AND NOT GOOD IF YOU’RE ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE.

LEARNT HOW FAR SUPERIOR FINAL CUT IS TO WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER. WINDOWS TOOK NO TIME AT ALL TO EDIT IN COMPARISSON. GAVE ROUGH IDEA OF TIME SCALE.

IT HAS TO BE A GROUP EFFORT!!!

DECISIONS

·      EDIT

·      SHOTS

·      IDEAS

·      COSTUMES

COULD NOT BE A DEMANDING, CONTROLLING PERSON IN THE GROUP. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT, ACCEPT AND BE A TEAM PLAYER.

EMPHASIS ON SHARING ROLES – WHETHER IT BE FILMING, EDITING. ONE PARTICULAR BURDON IN OUR GROUP FOR PRELIM TASK – HOWEVER ONCE THIS WAS ERRADICATED, EVERYTHING WENT VERY WELL – WE ALL GOT ON AND WORKED EFFICIENTLY AND WELL AS A GROUP, GROUP BONDED WELL WHEN FILMING MAIN TASK, BUT WITH THE ONE PARTICULAR BURDON IN OUR GROUP IN PRELIM THERE WERE ARGUMENTS ETC.

LEARNT A HUGE AMOUNT IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING OUR HORROR FILM OPENING. REALLY ENJOYED IT AND FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT DOING IT AGAIN & EMPLOYING ALL THE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES I HAVE LEARNT THIS TIME ROUND TO MAKE ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT.

Evaluation - Question 6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jzoHTJ9YrA&feature=youtu.be

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK TO QUESTION 6.

NOTES FOR QUESTION 6 

TO EDIT ME USED AN IMAC RUNNING THE EDITING SOFTWARE FINAL CUT EXPRESS.

PROBLEMS

·      COMPLETE NOVICES – NEW PROGRAM

·      TOOK TIME TO GET USED TO THE LAYOUT AND WHAT ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS DID.

·      TEACHER HELPED US OUT A LOT AT THE START. HELPED TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OUR INTENTIONS.

·      FINDING OUT HOW TO PUT TEXT OVER THE TOP OF SHOTS FOR CREDITS, ALSO IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET USED TO THE CONTROLS ON HOW TO POSITION THE CREDITS AS WELL BUT THROUGH TIME AND A FAIRLY LARGE CASE OF TRIAL AND ERROR WE MANAGED TO GET THE TEXT IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

FILMING

·      TO FILM WE USED A NIKON D90 CAMERA

·      HIGH QUALITY CAMERA

·      HOWEVER IT WENT OUT OF FOCUS FAIRLY EASILY SO WE HAD TO MANUALLY FOCUS AND BE VERY CAREFUL OF THE FOCUS LENS AND MADE SURE WHEN FILMING WE DIDN’T TOUCH IT UNLESS WE REALLY HAD TO.

·      BATTERY LIFE – MAKE SURE OUR CAMERA WAS FULLY CHARGED – BATTERY LIFE IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT AS WE FOUND OUT! CAMERA DIED JUST BEFORE VERY LAST TWO SHOTS. IRRITATING AND HAD TO RE-SHOOT ANOTHER TIME.

TRIPOD

·      EXCELLENT FOR ENSURING OUR SHOTS WERE LEVEL AND STABLE.

·      REALLY EASY TO ADJUST HEIGHT – ANGLE – GREAT FUNCTIONS FOR HELPING US ACHIEVE THE SHOTS WE WANTED.

·      LEARNED THAT IF YOU TIGHTEN UP TRIPOD TOO MUCH YOU GET A CREAK OF THE PLASTIC AS IT RUBS TOGETHER. MADE PANNING SHOTS TRICKY, HARDER TO ACHIEVE, NON FLOWING AND JUMPY AND THE CREAK OF THE PLASTIC WAS PICKED UP BY THE MICROPHONE SO HAD TO RE SHOOT.

OVERALL I HAVE A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES DO AND IN GENERAL A MUCH BROADER KNOWLEDGE OF THE TECHNOLOGIES THEMSELVES. MAKES ME FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT DOING IT AGAIN AND LEARN HOW TO USE THE SAME/SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES AND PROGRAMS AGAIN AS THIS TIME ROUND HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT AND SIMILAR PROGRAMS WILL HAVE/USE SIMILAR CONCEPTS AS WELL.

Evaluation - Question 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_VursszHe0&feature=youtu.be

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK FOR QUESTION 4.

NOTES FOR QUESTION 5 

Evaluation - Question 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH2QJlqgyC8&feature=youtu.be

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK FOR QUESTION 4.

NOTES FOR QUESTION 4

HORROR AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FILM ENTHUSIASTS OR FANS.

TO FIND OUT WHAT OUR AUDIENCE LIKED, IT INVOLVED A LOT OF TALKING TO THE PUBLIC OR FRIENDS TO SEE WHAT THEY LIKED AND DISLIKED ABOUT FILMS. WE MADE UP VARIOUS QUESTIONNAIRES AND GAVE THEM OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, THEN COLLATED RESULTS TO HELP US FORM OUR NARRATIVE AND CHOOSE THE RIGHT SUB GENRE.

OUR FILM IS GOOD FOR BOTH MALES AND FEMALES – BBFC RATING 15 SO ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE 15 AND ABOVE.

IT HAS AN INTRIGUING NARRATIVE, WHICH MAKES YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. ALSO NOT PARTICULARLY GORY – THIS WOULD ATTRACT MORE WOMEN BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE QUESTIONNAIRES WOMEN DIDN’T PARTICULARLY LIKE GORE AND THEY FOUND GHOSTS\DEMONS MORE SCARY.

OUR PRODUCT COULDN’T BE A 12A AS AN EMPHASIS ON INJURY IS NOT PERMITTED. THE LAST SCENE FORESHADOWS/SUGGESTS INJURY.

Evaluation - Question 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYPhNtV8vOQ

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK TO QUESTION 3.

NOTES FOR QUESTION 3

WANTED TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT SUB GENRE OUR FILM OPENING CAME UNDER. DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF A PSYCOLOGICAL SUPERNATURAL FILM

WE LOOKED AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

SHUTTER ISLAND – PSYCOLOGICAL THRILLER

BUDGET 80 MILLION DOLLARS

DOMESTIC TOTAL PROFIT = ROUGHLY $128 MILLION

VERY SUCCESSFUL FILM.

MORE RESEARCH, VAST BACK CATALOGUE OF FILMS BUT NOTICED NOT TOO MANY HORRORS, THEY HAVE MADE MUCH BETTER FILMS THAT DON’T FALL UNDER THE HORROR CATEGORY.

TWISTED PICTURES – MADE THE SAW FILMS

INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFULLY

FOR ALL 7 FILMS TOTAL PROFITS CAME TO ROUGHLY 416 MILLION DOLLARS

HOWEVER – TWISTED PICTURES AREN’T THE GREATEST KNOWN OR MOST POPULAR SO DID MORE RESEARCH.

DREAMWORKS – BIG COMPANY

RELEASED ‘THE RING’ WHICH WAS VERY INFLUENCIAL UPON OUR HORROR FILM – SIMILAR CHARACTERS AND CONCEPTS.

TOTAL PROFITS AMOUNT TO ROUGHLY 129 MILLION DOLLARS

ALSO RELEASED PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

AGAIN SIMILAR SORT OF FILM USING SAME CONVENTIONS IN OUR FILM

HAD A BUDGET OF JUST $2000 BUT TOTAL PROFITS CAME TO ROUGHLY $193 MILLION.

INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL, MADE ON SUCH A SMALL BUDGET.

DREAMWORKS WOULD BE BEST SO WE’D CHOOSE THEM TO DISTIBUTE OUR FILM

Evaluation - Question 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qc-5uFVCvk

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK TO QUESTION 2.

NOTES FOR QUESTION 2

TWO MAIN CHARACTERS, VICTIM AND THE GHOST – MAIN SOURCE OF EVIL FORCE.

VICTIM – WEARING A NICE SUIT, BLACK ON BLACK. FAIRLY BIG HOUSE BUT NOT A GREAT CAR – SHOWS HOW EVEN THOUGH HE SEEMS TO BE QUITE WEALTHY, STILL LEVEL HEADED AND SENSIBLE WITH MONEY – HIGHLIGHTS HIS PRIORITIES, NICER POSSESSIONS INSIDE HOUSE ETC.

FAIRLY STEREOTYPICAL VIEW OF HIGHER CLASSED PERSON WITH DECENT CITY JOB. HOWEVER, HUGE PROBLEMS IN PAST, SHINES LIGHT UPON VARIOUS PROBLEMS UNEMPLOYED HAVE TO DEAL WITH, LINKS THE TWO CLASSES UPPER AND WORKING. SHOWS TO LOOK DEEPER, NOT TO JUDGE A  BOOK BY IT’S COVER IDEA.

VICTIM DRESSED SMARTLY, JUST BEFORE GHOST IS SEEN IN HIS HOUSE, UNTUCKS SHIRT, TAKES OFF TIE OPENS BLAZER, MAKES HIM LESS POWERFUL AND THE GHOST GAINS THE POWER, ALSO GHOST IN SHOT BY HERSELF, SHOWS HER IMPORTANCE AS A CHARACTER.

USED THE RING AS AN INFLUENCIAL CHARACTER FOR GHOST

SIMILAR POSTURE, HANDS SAGGING DOWN BY THEIR SIDES, HAIR OVER FACE, ALMOST FLOATING ALONG THE GROUND UNLIKE HUMANS, UNCLEAR TO SEE THE MOVEMENT AS THEY WALK.

SIMILAR COSTUME, LONG WHITE DRESS OR GOWN. HIGHLIGHTS ANGELIC SIDE BUT HIGHLIGHTS OXYMORON IN TITLE TWISTED ANGELS AS SHE’S EVIL

Evaluation - Question 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPG9NNB8ftE 

THIS IS THE YOUTUBE LINK FOR QUESTION 1.




NOTES FOR QUESTION 1

GENRE - HORROR, RETURNING OF LOVED ONE

TWISTED ANGELS – LINKS TO PARANORMAL ACTIVITY – CHILD GONE BAD THEME.

BEGINS WITH OUR OWN INSTITUTION LOGO

THE SETTING IS AN ISOLATED VILLAGE BUT STILL NORMAL PEOPLE – SHOWS HOW IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE AND THIS INTIMIDATES THE AUDIENCE.

THERES NO REAL WEAPON IN OUR OPENING, WANTED TO FOCUS ON PARANORMAL SUB GENRE AND NOT SERIAL KILLER.

FILTER PLACED ON FOOTGE IN EDIT TO CREATE DULER, BLEAK EFFECT. ADDS MORE OF A DARKER TONE TO THE FILM.

NON DIEGETIC GLISSANDI AND BANG, PLUS VIOLIN EERIE MUSIC HELPS TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE

YOUNG TURNING EVIL, PARTICULARLY DISTURBING TO AUDIENCE, CHILDREN HAVE ALL THEIR LIFE, TURN EVIL SO SOON. CHILDREN SEEM HARMLESS BUT CONTRADICTS THE CONVENTION. EXCORCIST PARANORMAL ACTIVITY ETC.

USE WHITE DRESS TO HIGHLIGHT ANGEL THEME. WHITE CONNOTES INNOCENCE AND PURITY. HOWEVER SHOWS DIRT EASILY HIGHLIGHTING CHANGE AND DIFFICULT TO KEEP CLEAN AND GOOD.

USED MUSIC BOX TO CREATE AN EERIE EFFECT, AFTER AUDIENCE RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT MUSIC BOXES WERE PARTICULARLY UNNERVING. CHINA DOLL SHOWS HOW SHE’S A CHILD, EMPHASISES AGE.

WAS SHOT IN THE LIGHT OF DAY, FOR THE OUTSIDE SCENES - GOES AGAINST A COMMON CONVENTION OF DARKNESS, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HOW EVIL CAN STRIKE AT ANY TIME. THIS UNSETTLES THE AUDIENCE.

WEARING A BLACK SUIT TO SHOW RESPECT FOR THE SITUATION AND BLACK CONNOTES NOT ONLY AUTHORITY & POWER (WHICH HELPS TO ESTABLISH WHO THE MAIN CHARACTER IS BUT DEATH, DEPRESSION AND SADNESS. HOWEVER, EVIL CHARACTERS SUH AS DRACULA WEAR BLACK, WHEREAS THE GOOD CHARACTER HERE WEARS BLACK. DEFIES CONVENTION.

Ideas For Film Name

I have thought about all of these names with our film's storyline in mind so they all link directly to the film. The final film name that was decided as a group was 'Twisted Angels'. We chose this because it has the closest link to the film in our eyes as the girl (when she was alive) was the parent's ideal of an Angel, but, after she died she has become warped as a person and twisted into evil, hence "Twisted Angels'.

Horror Film Opening

Organisation Conversation (Facebook Group Chat)

Preliminary Task Evaluation

I thought that the preliminary task went quite well. The exercise was aimed mainly at using a variety of various different camera angles / shots and to get used to some of the issues or problems you would encounter when filming. Overall i think it went quite well and the shots flowed together nicely which helped produce a well established and professional short clip. 

Script

First scene. 
[Camera pans down onto a lonely long road.] [Car drives up the road straight towards the camera.]
Cut scene.
[Camera shot out of the window showing passing trees]
Cut scene.
[Wide shot of a road. Car drives in and down the road and parks in-front of the house.]
Cut scene.
[Close up of Alex's shoes] [Alex steps out of the car slowly shutting the door behind him.]
Cut scene.
[Establishing shot, facing Alex] [Alex walks away from the car towards the camera and past it]
Cut scene.
[Close up shot of gate] [Alex places hand of the gate pushing it and walking through]
Cut scene
[Match on action long shot] [Alex walks away from the gate and past the camera again]
Cut scene.
[Panning shot through trees] [Alex walks across the graveyard and past the church]
Cut scene.
[Long shot] [Alex walks up through the gravestones towards the camera and stops at this one grave. His head held low].
Cut scene.
[Mid shot] [Alex looks down at the gravestone]
Cut Scene.
[High angle long shot showing the gravestone]
Cut scene.
[Mid shot back to Alex] [Alex looking upset]
Alex : *Sigh*
[Alex reaches down towards the grave giving us full view of what is behind him]
[Becky stands head down facing towards Alex.] [Becky slowly starts walking towards Alex.]
[Alex stands back up again still looking at the grave.] [ Alex walks off showing that Becky is now gone.]
Cut scene.
[Mid shot from behind grave facing the church] [ Alex walks past the camera away from the grave. ] [Becky slowly follows head still down]
Cut scene.
[Establishing shot of the front of the house] [ Alex walks down and towards the front door ]
Cut scene
[Long shot inside of house facing the inside of the front door] [ Alex walks into the house shutting the door behind him.] [ Alex turns on light and the music diegectic music of the music box starts to play ]
[ Alex walks towards camera with a worried and confused look on his face.]
Cut scene.
[Wide shot of the floor] [Alex walks past the camera as the music is still playing]
Cut scene.
[Close up shot of the stairs] [ Alex slowly starts walking up the stairs ]
Cut scene.
[High angle shot of Alex walking up the stairs] [ Alex is looking even more worried and confused] [The music box stops playing]
Cut scene.
[Low angle Long shot] [Alex slowly walks up the stairs and through the hall way, looking around the house as he goes]
Cut scene.
[Wide angle shot] [Alex walks through the hall and into the bath room] [Alex exits the bathroom and towards the camera] [Becky steps out into doorway by the bathroom as Alex leaves the shot]
Cut scene.
[Tilted over the shoulder shot of Becky] [Becky slowly walks towards the door] [Lights flicker]
Cut scene.
[Close up tilted shot of the china doll as Becky is walking along] [Lights flicker]
Cut scene.
[Close up shot of door handle] [Becky reaches towards the door and grabs the handle tight]
Cut scene.
[Close up shot of Alex's face] [Alex wakes up scared looking around the room]
Alex: *Out of breath*
Cut scene.
[Wide shot of the bedroom door] [ Alex steps out and walks towards and past the camera looking relived]
[As Alex leaves the shot camera moves down and to the left of the frame zooming in on the china doll in the corner.]
End opening scene.

Shooting Schedule

Date	Time Schedule	Location	Scenes	Costume	Props	Other Notes
8th January 2014	1:20pm - 3:00pm	Graveyard/road	Opening scene of the road/ All of the graveyard scenes	Becky: In a long white dress. Alex: Black suit and tie.	Car	---
8th January 2014	3:30pm - 5:00pm	Alex's house	Scenes of Alex walking in the house and of Becky in the house walking down into Alex's room.	Becky: long white dress. Hair down over the face. Alex: Black suit and tie.	China doll Music box
23rd January 2014	4:00pm - 5:00pm	Alex's house	Last scene of Alex waking up and close up of china doll	Alex : plain top and bottoms (pjs)	China doll