Sound research

I looked in to a range of website where I could get a range of horror sound tracks which were not copyright. In the end I found a website called incimpetech where I was able to take a range of sound effects and tracks so that I could create an effective horror trailer

Make up and what it meant

During the 2nd day of filming we knew that we would have to apply make up to our main character in order to catch the horror essence. In order to do this I had searched up some tutorial on how to apply fake blood in a way which it looked realistic over ammeter. An example of one of the clip I looked at is shown below. This was beneficial as it gave us an idea of how it needed to be done so that it looks realistic.

However this clip in particular was every simple we got an idea from other clips to do the make up in our own style so that it was not only original but also more eye catching and make the audience wonder 'why is she like that'. If the audience question themselves it adds to the horror aspect because they are questions her appearance. Below are some pictures of our make up artist (Faiza) applying the make up along with our character final look.

 

Day 4 Filming

This was the day we finished of our filming we, this was the day we filmed the  mum being psychotic and the writing on the floor. with this we had to experiment quite a lot with what we were doing so for the blood on the floor we used fake blood, ketchup and food colouring. At the end we found out that using food colouring gave use the best results as from that we were able to create hand prints and it was easier to spread which allowed us to give a more rough edge so that we could have a more effective trailer at the end of this session.

Day 3 Filming

This was the day we filmed the establishing shots along with the book shots. In order to film the scenes successfully we had to consider many factors. For example with the establishing shot we had the consider the lighting, however we were lucky to have access to blue lights which allowed us to create a haunted effect on the house and make it easier for us to film. This was beneficial as it meant that we could get access to better footage. We also filmed shadows of someone lurking around the house which we though could be flashed in and out.

The book scene was filmed through various different shots so that we could change it up in the editing. This was important so that the audience could understand what was happening from various prospective. This would be beneficial in the long term as it means there will be more choice for us in the editing process.

  

Filming Day 2

This day we experimented with the type of shots, make up and lighting. By doing this it allowed us to be productive and gain footage which will allow us to make an effective horror trailer.

Filming Day 1

On pinterest I have created a board based on out first day of filming as shown in the link below.
https://uk.pinterest.com/jeetkaurd/filming-day1/

Equipment used

In order to make sure our trailer was effective we ordered some white contact lenses to enhance the name of out films 'Visions'. This was a vital piece of equipment to buy so that we can make sure that our trailer is as realistic as possible.

Title screen

This is out title screen, as we wanted to bring out the horror aspect we decided to add certain sound effects and visual effects.

Title screen planning

To start with for our media production we had to first create the title screen for the film. Our film is based on a girl with a power to be able to see the future. Therefore we came up with the idea of using an eye as the production as it represent a deep thought which suits the horror theme well. In the process of creating this Title screen we looked at various fonts which were considered for the title screen. 

Location Release Forms

We got location release forms so we were able to film at certain locations without any problems.

Location Recce

Prepared by:	Faiza Wasim	Date:	10th November 2016
Location Details:	Bedroom  66 Woodland Lane, Middlesex, London EC2A 4RR
Scene to film:	(Refer to shooting script) Shot 1-6, 9-13

Setting the location of our film within a bedroom holds many advantages, firstly being that it set within a controlled environment. This is important as not only does this makes it easier for our group to film however this also prevents any possible weather or filming issues. We are currently filming during autumn time which means that the weather is unpredictable leading to an increase in the chances of rain therefore my group and I have decided that the best way to defeat this issue is to set our film within an interior location such as a bedroom. This overall will decrease the chances of our digital equipment being damaged and prevent us from filming with a wet camera lens which can possibly disturb the clarity of our film.  Therefore, by filming the majority of our trailer within this controlled setting, we are able to provide a better quality of footage and more easily create our final piece. 

The bedroom displayed above will be shown to be the bedroom of our main character Jenna and will be used within various scenes throughout our trailer. The bedroom will be used as a tool for us to convey certain ideas which we would like the audience to pick up on such as the personality of our main character, which we will portray through the use of furniture and colour of the setting. As shown within the images above, it is evident that the bedroom is dominated by colours such as whites and browns which are displayed through the use of decoration for example; the bedframe, curtains, pillow cases, side table and bed sheets. Traditionally, the colour white holds connotations to purity, innocence and safety therefore suggesting to the audience that Jenna is Carol Clover’s idea of the “final girl". This is as the “final girl” commonly holds associations to the colour white through the use of her clothing or setting. This is evident in previous horror films such as “Halloween”, “Friday the 13^th” and “Scream”. By also incorporating this within our own trailer, we are following the traditional codes and convention of horror therefore building up tension and fear throughout the audience.   

Due to a tight budget we are unable to invest in advanced equipment such as professional microphones therefore we have to be reliant on the camera which we will be using, to pick up on the character’s dialogues. If filming within an exterior location however, dialogue will be hard to hear as it will be competing with background noises from the environment such as cars, pedestrians or the weather. This will cause challenges for us when it comes to editing as we will have to waste time on extracting vocals from the footage which overall not only make it inconvenient for us however also very time-consuming. This can be avoided however when using an interior setting such as a house to set our horror as by filming within a controlled environment we are able to prevent any unwanted sound or presence which will make our trailer more effective. 

Lastly, the bedroom presented above belongs to me therefore this promises easy access for my group members and I to film when needed, making filming more flexible for us. As we are filming within a controlled environment, we do not need to rely on the sunlight to film; instead we can control the lighting of our setting by either dimming the light in order to create an eerie effect or using high key lighting by increasing the amount of light used. 

Prepared by:	Faiza Wasim	Date:	10th November 2016
Location Details:	Fuldham Rd, Kensington, London SW11 9SG, UK
Scene to film:	(Refer to shooting script) Shot 7-8

Graveyards traditionally hold connotations to death, the paranormal, darkness and danger therefore foreshadowing the common themes within our trailer. We believe that by incorporating this location within our trailer; we are following the traditional codes and conventions of horror therefore overall producing a more effective piece of work. Filming within a graveyard is quite a common theme within the horror genre which is evident through films such as The Omen and Friday the 13^th. Therefore, we believe that by following in the footsteps of such films and using this location within our own work, we also will be able to create a sense of fear and tension amongst the audience as they did.

Religion is very prevalent within the horror genre, featuring themes of life and death, spirituality and the idea of good versus evil. Religious artefacts such as satanic, voodoo or most commonly, Christian symbols are used within horrors in order to emphasize the key themes and concepts and to foreshadow upcoming events. These religious objects can be very powerful symbols that can add depth and meaning to a story therefore we believe that by also incorporating such themes within our horror, it will be more effective. Similarly, death also is naturally pervasive in horrors and is countlessly represented through objects, such as gravestones, coffins, skeletons and religious imagery. My group and I therefore decided that by setting the location of our film within a graveyard, we are able to present such themes to our audience through the use of religious symbols presented through metaphors. This therefore allows us to convey central themes and concepts such as Levi Strauss’ narrative theory of binary opposition by presenting a theme of good versus evil; good being presented through religious symbols and evil being represented through the concept of death.  

In comparison to the interior location of the bedroom, we may face many challenges when coming to film within the graveyard. As mentioned previously, we are currently filming during autumn time meaning the chances of rain are extremely likely however unlike our first location which provides shelter, filming within an exterior location means that we must be weather aware. In order to face this problem my group and I have decided to regularly check the weather before we finalise a date to film in order to be aware in advance of any unexpected weather changes so we are prepared and geared with the right equipment. However, if for any reason my group and I find ourselves with no other choice but to film during these conditions, we will tackle this problem by investing in a rain sleeve for our camera and its lens to prevent a blurry camera lens and to ensure we have a high level of clarity for our film. Rain commonly connotes to human emotions such as sadness, depression or despair. I believe that by attributing human emotion and conducting it to an aspect within nature such as rain, it is extremely effective as almost are able to use the weather as a tool in order to foreshadow upcoming dangers to our audience. 

Test shots

We tested some shots to to see what they bring out of the scene which will allow us to create an effective horror trailer.

Long Shot:

The importance of this being a long shot is that we start to get an idea of the character's environment. Long shots usually tend to introduce the beginning of most scenes. This sets the motion and well as the audience's perception of time, place and logical action of the scene that is about to be revealed  through the long shot. 

Extreme Close up:

This extreme close up shot shows intensity of the current scene at that moment. We can tell that the director is trying to portray an intense feeling as we can see all the small details such as the colour differentiation in the iris, we can see all the detail like the lines and where the colour starts to change. Another small detail which allows us as the audience to see that it is an intense feeling is that we cam see is each and every single hair for the eyelashes and eyebrows.

Medium shot:

A medium shot usually shows the character(s) from their waist and above. These shots help to show people in the context of the background. The medium shot should generally contain all the action of the scene, it should also be well matched with the flow of the long shot. The importance of this specific picture being medium shot is that we can understand the emotions that the characters in this scene are facing and it allows it all to come together.

Extreme Long shot:

An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes. it is used for dramatic effect. An extreme long shot tends to show a large amount of the scene/landscape. It is used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish main place. 

Point of View shot:


A point of view shot usually shows it from the actors/actresses perspective. Its usually edited in a way so that the audience can understand whose perspective its from. 














Low angle shot:

A low angle shot is the complete opposite from a high angle shot. Instead of the showing how vulnerable the character is its shows how powerful the character is, this may allow the audience to get a real sense of how tough this character may be.

Over the Shoulder shot: 

In film or video, an over the shoulder shot (also over shoulder, ab tu, OTS, or third-person shot) is a shot of someone or something taken from the perspective or camera angle from the shoulder of another person















high angle shot: 

A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up." High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or chicken when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects.

Personal Release forms

This is the personal release form that we came up with as a group. The release form notifies the actors about their legal rights and informs them of the options they have if they don't feel comfortable being filmed. The release form gives them all the information about us and allows them to have a better idea of what they are getting themselves in to. The release form is way to ensure their security and take their permission to use their footage in our trailer. The release form acts as a proof for us and the actors that they have given consent to us for being a part of our film. This also helps us to make sure the health safety of the actors. The release forms will be distributed to all the actors in our film and will be received from them before we start filming to make sure their consent is taken.

Contingency Plan

A Contingency plan is a plan designed to take account of any possible events or circumstances. During the filming process, there can be a few issues that can occur but we have a contingency plan if the situations happen. This is vital as by having a contingency plan we can avoid situations which could make the filming and editing process inconvenient for us. Furthermore this will allow our group to be more efficient and organised therefore not wasting any valuable time which is needed for filming.

During the filming of the teaser trailer someone might fall ill. If this happens we will have to change the dates for our filming and do it according to the actors’ health. However, if this is the case we will have to speed up the filming process to catch up on the time that we didn't film and to avoid rushing the filming because of less time. Speeding the filming process will help us catch up soon. However, this can be avoided as we could look into having an understudy for our 2 characters which will make situations like this unlikely to occur therefore allowing us to make the most of our time.

Another problem that we might come across can be the availability of the settings we are filming in. For example, we are filming in a house and there can be a day when it’s not free or the person who owns it is not home so we will have to make sure that we provide them with dates of when we are filming to avoid any clashes. We can avoid this by having planned the days in advanced of where we want to fil, where we want to film and how long we will approximately be, this will allow us to be efficient as a group. Also, as part of research we have to do location recces and call sheets which help us to get the dates right and provide a copy of those to the location heads and the actors to avoid any last moment cancellations while filming. This means that we will be able to make the most of our time and have good footage to use for our trailer as it will have been carefully thought out.

It is also possible that important equipment might be forgotten on the day of the filming. To avoid that we will have to have substitutes which can be used in place of the equipment. This will help save time and the filming process will not be delayed. This can also be avoided by having a checklist made and checking that we have everything before we leave if we are filming outside. When filming outside we should also come prepared with spare batteries as we won’t be able to charge the camera as there will be no sockets. If we forget something like this we won’t have as long to film as we will have a limited amount of time.

One of the main problems that can occur is during the editing process, when the clips cannot be found on the system. A way we can avoid this is by naming every clip according to when it has to be added while editing to make it convenient and easy to find the clip. Also, the clips can be double checked at the time they are filmed to make sure it’s safe and sound and is there. Arranging the files by date and time will also help looking for the clip easier. This will improve our efficiency as a group as we will be able to work faster which will give us more time to make sure our teaser is perfect. This will also make us work better as a group as we will not get as stressed as we will know where all our files are and what they consist of.

Costume and Props

Jenna Johnson

We would like Jenna to be wearing dark colors as it will reflect her depressing personality, her clothing will also be simplistic to show her age. She will be wearing clothes like a hoodie, t-shirt, jeans and trainers to show that she is closed to herself. By having her dressed in a certain way it will we will be able to put her across the way that we want the audience to see her allowing us to have an effective trailer. We will also have props to show her personality for example we will be showing her room with old books, bottles and candles. However in her room there will be things to help show what kind of person she is for example fairy lights and ornaments.

 

Rachel Johnson

This is Jenna's mother who is more modernised and lively compared to Jenna. Therefore this should be represented through her dress sense. So ideally she should be wearing dresses with happy colours such as sky blue and pink which will show through her personality. She should also be wearing heels and a fair amount of make up. Therefore her costume will be blue jeans, flats, top and a cardigan. Props wise she will not have much we can show her holding a book and wearing a necklace. By focusing on the details we will be able to get across the character the way we want the audience to see it resulting in having an effective trailer.