'Masked' Film Opening

Evaluation Question 6

Location Scouting

 Sworders Field

As I wanted to film my opening in a quiet, reserved area, I thought that this location would be appropriate. Also, I liked the way the long path emphasized the size off the area which would emphasise the loneliness of the victim. Places with a lot of trees like forests are commonly used in horror films for example 'Cabin In The Woods' as they are usually quiet, isolated areas where the victims will not easily be able to find help. The two pictures below show the area where the victim would walk along before she is chased by the killer. 

Bridges

I decided that I thought it would be quite intense and memorable for my character to be killed on a bridge. I released that there was more than one in the area that I could use.

Bridge 1

I like the stairs leading up to this bridge as they look quite old and unclean which helps establish this as an urban area while also adding erriness. From the angle this photo is taken from, the depth of the staircase is emphasised. This is what I want to show as it would emphasis the length of the bridge  and create suspense for the audience as they will not know if the victim will be able to outrun the murderer. 

I thought that the actual bridge itself was quite narrow and not as long as I would have liked it so that the depth could have been shown. Despite this I like the fact that it is quite unclean as it reestablishes the area as being urban but also adds erriness. 

 

Bridge 2

I found that this bridge was a lot wider and longer which was what I needed. I also liked how you could see over the railings as I could do a shot in the point of view of the victim looking over the side. This is the bridge I am likely to film my opening on.

 

Evaluation Question 3

Evaluation Question 5

Evaluation Question 7

Evaluation Question 2

Evaluation Question 1

 

Evaluation Question 4

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scarlett-Rose-Productions/862557957116107

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Firstly I have learnt a lot about using my blog. At first I was unsure about the idea of recording my work on a blog as it is not something I am familiar with, but I soon got used to it. As I tend to sometimes lack organization skills it has allowed me to keep all of my work together under organised labels so that it can be easily accessed. This has been a lot easier than keeping my work in folders on separate pieces of paper which could be lost, damaged or placed in the wrong order. I have found it has been very useful to record my research, planning and also audience feedback. Also, my blog allows me to easily upload photos and screenshots, which is quicker and more efficient than printing as it does not use up ink or paper. I am happy that I was introduced to this concept as it has made recording my work a lot easier. 

Another area of technology I feel I have become more skilled are various websites, for example YouTube. Before starting this course I had ever uploaded a video onto YouTube before. I found it very useful as I was able to keep all of the videos I had made, which included my preliminary task, planning for my film opening, and my finished media product, all in the same area so that they were easily accessible. Uploading these onto YouTube also meant that I was able to embed the videos and post them onto my blog for audience feedback, which really helped me develop and improve. Another website that has helped me a lot during this project is surveymonkey. I have been able to make good quality surveys online and have posted the links onto my blog. Making the survey was very easy and efficient, as it doesn't require any printing and therefor doesn't use up paper or ink. The site accurately analyses the results for me which saves me a lot of time as I do not have to make calculations myself. One final site which has helped me particularity with my presentation is prezi. Before starting this course I had never heard f this site. At first I found it very difficult to get used to and did not enjoy using it, but after I had familiarized myself with it I realized how useful it was too me. It meant I did not have to hand write my mind maps which means I did not need to use and paper or ink. I was able to post my prezi's on my blog so that people could have a look at them and give audience feedback. I have eel that I have become a lot more skilled with useful websites like these, which will help me organise my work effectively in the future. 

On the other hand, I have learnt a lot about different technology which I had physically used to construct my media product. Firstly I learnt a lot about Premier Pro. This is something I had barely any experience in before stating this project. One thing I had learnt to do on Premier Pro was making practice titles, and this was something I hadn't done before. At first I found it quite difficult and needed a lot of help. I struggled with maintaining the exact same position for each title, and also keeping the same amount of time between each one. When it came to making my real titles, I had made a a lot of improvement. The titles appeared in the exact same spot with the same amount of time between them, but also i had made them slowly fade in and out which matched the slow pace of the beginning of the opening. I am happy with the outcome of these titles and think they work well with the content of my media product. Something else I had learnt to do on Premier Pro was to freeze the film footage on a certain frame. This confused me at first as it required using the cut tool which I had no experience with, however I got the hang of it in the end. This technique worked really effectively on my shot types video, and although I did not use it in my film opening, I quite like the outcome and may use this in future work. When it came to the final touches of my film opening, I wanted to add a more eerie feel to the footage, and realized I could do this through colour. I learnt how to make an adjustment layer on individual clips, but also the whole video, and I explored with different effects. After adjusting a few individual clips, I edited the colour of the overall video and added some cool blue tones to make the footage look more dark and sinister. This significantly benefited the result of my media product and this technique will definitely be useful in future work. Using Premier Pro really helped me make my footage the best it could be. Without programmes like this the overall look of my finished media product would have been very poor and amateur. In my opinion the editing is very important to establish the genre as things can be altered in order to set a create a certain mood such as lighting, colour, and pace.

On the other hand, I had also learnt new techniques using the camera. I learnt how to change the exposure in order to improve the quality of the footage, which improved the overall outcome of the film. Because I wanted to make my film look dull to create a negative atmosphere, changing the exposure allowed me to do this easily which meant when it came to editing I didn't have to change a lot. Also I learnt about different techniques to use while filming, for example using an elastic band to make the camera pan and tilt smoothly, and using a dolly for smooth movement. However, whilst using the dolly I realised that it would not work for my opening. As some of it was filmed on grass, the dolly would be very bumpy so I found it would be more efficient to use hand held. When it came to filming the parts on concrete, I had planned to use the surrounding noises from the actual camera in my opening, but the dolly made a very loud sound which I would not be able to block out. Also, after watching the footage back  did notice that the camera had moved around a lot due to the rough texture. Because of this I resorted to filming most of my opening by hand, but I quite like the fact it creates and the way it emphasises the action.

New technologies have made it easier for people to make films. Because of the huge variety of available technologies, prices are reduced so therefore equipment is more affordable. Before digital cameras, people had to pay about £40 per minute of film, and as they could not watch it straight back they had to keep everything they had filmed. Because digital cameras allow us to film for free, and we are able to watch back our footage straight away and delete anything we do't want, it is a lot easier for ow budget film companies or even individuals to make films. New technologies also allow film footage to be of higher quality, and features such as CGI which gives filmmakers greater control and can make things which are not real look very realistic. A film with good quality CGI might make more profit.

Storyboard

Film Opening Feedback Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FK88N2J

What kind of media institutions might distribute your product and why?

One very successful media institution is Dreamworks. It is an American film production company which produces and develops films, television programming, and video games. It was also a former film distributor for its own and third-party films. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses of more than $100 million each. Currently, DreamWorks' films are marketed and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures under its Touchstone Pictures banner. They are responsible for producing and distributing films such as 'Shrek' with $484,409,218 worldwide gross, 'chicken run' and 'The Peacemaker'. Horror films they have produced and distributed include 'The Ring' And 'The Ring 2'.

Another popular institution is 20th century fox. It is one of the six major American film studios. Located in the Century City area of Los Angeles, just west of Beverly Hills, the studio used to be a subsidiary of News Corporation, but is now a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. The institution also produce and distribute tv series for example The Simpsons, M*A*S*H, The X-Files, Bones, House, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Futurama, How I Met Your Mother, Glee, Modern Family, New Girl, and 24. Films produced and distributed by 20th century fox include Avatar, with $2,787,965,087, Star Wars and X-Men. Horror films produced and distributed by them include 'Alien'

 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. Once the largest and most glamorous of film studios, MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures,Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California. It is one of the oldest mini-major film studios and a former major film studio. Films by MGM include 'Skyfall' with $1,108,561,013 worldwide gross, 'The Wizard Of Oz' and 'Nanny Mcphee'. Horror films by MGM include 'Poltergeist' and 'Cabin in the woods'.

Institutions such as eOne might distribute my media product. Entertainment One Films UK are a very 

successful distribution company, and hold one of the country's largest libraries of titles. One reason why I would want this institution to distribute my product is because they are responsible for distributing horror films such as 'Insidious 2' and 'The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death'. Because these are two successful films, people will rely on eOne to distribute good horror films in the future, so if they were to release my film people will have high expectations and want to watch/buy the product. Another reason why it would be beneficial for a company like this to distribute my film is because of their success. The public will recognize them as a company who distribute good films so will rely on them to keep up this reputation. Another kind of media institution that  I would want to distribute my film would be a company that focuses on the horror genre. This is because is a distribution company release mostly horror films then the horror film audience will become familiar with the company and rely on them for more good horror films.

Blumhouse productions is another institution that I would want to distribute my film. They are an American movie company founded and run by Jason Blum. Blumhouse produces micro and low budget genre movies like the Paranormal Activity, Insidious and Sinister franchises. Their film 'Evil Dead' made $54,239,856 worldwide gross, and 'Drag Me To Hell' made $42,057,340.One reason I'd want this company to distribute my film is because of this success. Another reason is because If production companies specialise in one specific genre they are more likely to be skilled in making films of that genre, so that audiences will rely on them for another good film. If a production company focus on making horror films, many of the same people are likely to see each of their films, as they know they are good at making that specific genre and this makes money from that audience every time they release a film.

Production Log

Week beginning 15th Sept

This week I have fully analysed 3 existing film openings. I decided to analyse one action film, one sci-fi film, and one horror film as I am unsure which genre of film my opening will be for. After looking at what is needed to establish these 3 different genres in the openings, I am beginning to lean towards horror.


Week beginning 22nd Sept

This week I have focused on film titles. I analysed the titles of 3 differet films, and looked at what order and how they appear. After doing this I attempted to make my own practise titles which I am quite happy with.


Week beginning 6th Oct

This week I have started planning genres. I thought of the 3 genres I am most likely to pick for my film opening, and then looked at existing film openings or trailers of those genres to see what each one needed to contain. I picked horror, thriller and action. After doing this I decided that horror was my chosen genre. Towards the end of the week I focused on film names and possible plots. I created list of existing horror film names and then thought of a few of my own. I also thought of a few breif plot ideas which I can later develop.


Week beginning 13th Oct

I created a horror film timeline to familiarize myself with the history of this genre. I also thought about how I could establish genre in the first 2 minutes of a film. I looked at setting, characters, props, era and sound.


Week beginning 20th Oct

I created power point about the conventions of the horror genre, so that I knew what kind of features were needed in my opening. I looked at location, sound, props, costume and makeup. Later on in the week I came up with 3 initial plot ideas for my film and managed to get feedback fro my target audience. It is now decided that my film will be about a masked killer who commits a series of murders while the people in the town try to protect themselves from him while also trying to reveal his identity.


Week beginning 3rd Nov

This week I have thought about te different shot types I am likely to use in my opening , and went out to practice shooting them so that when it comes to filming my opening i will have more experience with shot types.


Week beginning 10th Nov

I created my own talent and location release forms ready for when I have chosen my location and actor.


Week beginning 17th Nov

This week I have been focusing on film classifications. I made a powerpoint about each different age classification in order to familiarize myself with the their terms. I then made the decision that my film will be classified as a 15, due to violent and gory scenes as well as bad language.


Week beginning 24th Nov

I made a list of  15 difference title names which were suitable for my film plot, and then narrowed it down to 4. I then created a survey so that my target audience were able to pick the one they thought best fit the plot. The results showed that 'Masked' was the overall favorite, so this will be the title of my film. Later on in the week I thought about the importance of genre and what it meant for my opening, considering things like shot types, camera movement and music. I also did a codal analysis of 3 horror film opening so I had an idea of what to include in my opening.


Week beginning 1st Dec

this week i have done a timed analysis of 3 different horror film openings to familiarize myself with the content of a horror film, but also the shot types commonly used. I have developed a production company logo and then made it move with sound which I am happy with. This will be shown at the beginning of my film. I also created my own classification screen with the name of my film to also be shown on screen before my film.


Week beginning 8th Dec

I have done some secondary research into the horror genre, and also into horror film production companies. I have thought about my plans for shooting, and the kind of shot types, props, lighting, and location I need. After this I created my own location scouting sheet and then went to look at possible different locations. After this I decided that I would film in sworders feild. I also created a shoot list in the order I would shoot in so that I was prepared for flming.


Week beginning 5th Jan

I managed to get my location release form signed, and chose my royalty free music. I also made my own risk assessment grid, and call sheets. I will be filming over the next few weeks.


week beginning 16th Feb

I have now finished all my filming and made an edit decision list to show which clips I have decided to use and why. Later on in the week I completed my final evaluation.

Audio Permission

As my music is from a royalty free site, I do not need to seek permission to use it in my opening.

Edit Decision List

Risk Assessment

Call sheet

Location permission

Constructing an opening, engaging an audience

My film opening starts when two girls are saying goodbye to each other. There is a short shot reverse shot sequence as they say goodbye. The camera stays with one of these girls to show her journey home alone in the dark. There is a long take with the camera in front of her, moving backwards as she walks forward slowly in the dark. A close up shows she stands on a newspaper and then notices there are articles about serial killings in the area. There is a sequence of close ups of the titles and pictures in the article as well as reaction shots of the girl. A russling noised can be heard in the bushes and the girl turns around. She carries on walking but continues to hear noises and notices a strange masked figure. She starts running and handheld camera is used to enphasise the action as she is chased. The opening ends with the girl tripping over, the masked person catching up, a scream and then a close up of the mask being taken off and held by the persons side but we don't see their face. This is when the title will appear.

Primary Reseach

My film opening starts when two girls are saying goodbye to each other, and the camera stays with one of these girls to show her journey home alone in the dark. She comes across a newspaper where she notices there are articles about serial killings in the area. She begins to hear noises and is followed by an unknown masked character. The opening ends with the girl tripping over, the masked person catching up, a scream and then a close up of the mask being taken off and held by the persons side but we don't see their face. What do you think of the idea?


"It creates a lot of enigmas which the start of a horror film should do. It follows the conventional plot of someone innocent being victimised by a scary/threatening person/thing."


"The newspaper article references into the story and gives an insight into what could happen in the story, so it creates links and enigmas"


"The victim is a girl which is conventional because girls are often represented as vulnerable"


"I think the horror opening does follow the typical codes and conventions. This is because it uses scary features in it such as serial killings, screaming and darkness. I like how the opening ends on a cliff hanger and that I don't know what is going to happen next which makes me want to continue to keep watching."

Production schedule

Title Ideas - Completed
Company logo - completed
Constructing an opening, engaging an audience - not done
Breif story structural outline - partly done
Title sequence with audio - Completed
Animatic - not done
Primary research for opening plans - partly done
Location scouting - not done
plans for shooting - completed
talent release forms - completed
location release forms - completed
call sheets - partly done
shoot list - completed
audio permission - not done