Film Project Pre-Production

For our official film we are creating, it will be a Horror/Thriller. This is because we want to experiment with the typical codes and conventions that make up this genre as well as interoperating it into our own way of how we see Horror/Thriller. But during this time we must firstly think about them.

Codes & Conventions:

Lighting 

Mostly Low Key/Back/Side lighting is used to create shadows, distort either characters/scene or create an eary, suspense feeling towards the audience.

Sound

 Synchronous to exaggerate a sound (Breathing). Orchestral sound to create the atmosphere. Ambient sound to create background noise. Dialogue for the character and speech to manipulate the characters voice to interpret who that character is.

Camera work

High or low angle to create a nightmare effect. Close Up to show a characters feeling. Long Shot to set the scene of what is happening. Point of View to create a more lifelike feeling and gets the audience to question what will happen next. Tracking shot can be used to follow a particular subject.

Editing

Cuts can be used to show the different viewpoints. Cross Cut to link something in particular to another. Jump Cut to create dramatic tension.  Fast pace following the characters running.

Beginning

Before a Zombie apocalypse can happen there must be first an outbreak which consists of a Brain Parasites, Neurotoxins, Rage Virus, Nitrogenises or Nanobots.

Ending

After a Zombie apocalypse there is either a Vaccine to cure the infection, the zombie’s eat/kill each other or they die into extinction.

Time of day

Within a Horror/Thriller film, the time of day is mainly were the sun is setting or during the night.

Secluded area

A place which is well know however the location are empty with no one to help the characters (Woods, City/Town, Campsite, House in the middle of nowhere)

Stereotypes

The main stereotypes are the Hero, Victim, Villain (Depending on the film), Teenagers/Adults (Most get killed), Police Officer (Good or Bad), Threat (Zombies) etc.

Group

At the beginning of the film there is often one person fighting for survival. Then when travelling, they find a small group and stay with them (Sometimes they find a bigger group and stay with them. However not common)

Weapon

An item that can be used if there is danger (Gun, Crowbar, Bat, Knife, etc)

Transport

There is not always a means of transport but when there is it’s a Car, Coach, Motorbike, rarely a Boat, Train or something airborne.

Communication

There is mostly no way of contacting others due there is mostle power cut (Phone battery has died, Phones broken or there is no service) however there might be a way through using the radio through broadcasting if there are electricity to send the transmition.

Zombie appearance

Distorted body, Dirty Ripped/Torn clothing, Blood on them (Little/A lot), Blood shot eyes and Decaying/ Rotten clothing.

Final Preliminary and Evaluation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtcTY1C6Ftg

When we had finished our Preliminary task, we had given another group a sheet so they could evaluate our task. From receiving the results, we found out that they were fairly positive towards our task and how we produced it. Within this, we had found out that we had used a good example of match on action when both the characters walked through the door, shot reverse shot when one of the male character was talking to the female to then the female looking up at the male character and 180 rule when changing the camera angle parallel to each other when the shot reverse shot was being used. We had also found out that we used a variety of shot types being Track shot, Over the should shot, Medium long shot, High angle shot and a Tilt. In addition to this, we had found out that the group had understood our narrative but also the sound fits if the action. For example, the door closing shut.

From further positive notes, we had received that at the beginning when the male and female character are running down the corridor, we had used a good sense of camera work and once both the characters went into the deserted room, the dim lighting gave the scene a eary atmosphere. In addition to this, we also had some negative feedback but with this we can elaborate them into our official film piece. One of them was that the sound track was too loud and they could only just hear the audio speech so with this, we will quieten the soundtrack but also have a voice over. Another feedback was that we could have used a flashback instead of the male and female character in the room which would give the audience a better understanding of our film and what was happening for this to happen. To apply this into our official film, we will firstly think about having a flashback before we have a room scene with the male and female character in it. Overall, the camera was shaking a little to notice so next time, we will us more of the tripod to create a crisp and edgy scene.

Preliminary Planning

In our group we have decided that we are going to do a simple 30 seconds film base on two characters. Within this, we will film from how they come into a room to then ending it after they had a short conversation about something. By this, we will link it to our actual film later but this preliminary planning is to just give us some ideas of improvements so it can add and and look better in the actual short film.

When entering the room, firstly the female will walk in at a semi fast pace. Her body language would be slumped over and small making her look weak with her facial language being plain. After that a male character will trail in behind her looking slightly more open and wide following her into the room.
When we use the camera shot types, we could firstly start with an Establishing Shot to set the scene to going straight into Tracking Shot to follow the female character as she walks in. We then could us an Medium Shot as to the male character walking in then switching to a Point of View as to what he see's.

When the female comes over to the set of chairs and sits down, her legs will be together with her elbows on them as she covers her face with her hands so she looks scared. The male character will then sit in the opposite chair from her slightly more controlled. When he tried to talk to the female, she will raise her head with a blank expression, showing no emotion until when the male character asks her more questions she will answer them as little as possible.
When we use the camera shots here, we will start of with a long shot to show how the female character looks and then into a 2 Shot to show both the characters together. we will then go into a Point of View shot to when the male character asks some questions to show what the female character looks like and then into an Over the Shoulder Shot as to when they start to have a little conversation.

That should be the 30 seconds Preliminary film done.

Preliminary tasks we looked at

During thinking about our film I am creating with my group, we looked at two preliminary tasks to help us with some ideas that we could include in our own practical and what we though would not go well in our film.

The Edge - AS Level Media Studies Opening Sequence by Rory Campbell

We would use the idea of the opening of the building. However we will change it for an opening of a field with birds flying around to give an eary opening effect of our film

Due to our film mainly being faced paced, we will not us much of the characters staying still because it would not fit.

For the idea of the characters moving in the building, we will interpret that into our film with the characters moving through the college

We will also be using the parts of when the characters run through the building, interpreting it into our

Despite the camera following on the characters, we will us this idea but also use it as a person point of view as well.

We will add an dramatic ending to our film of a gun shot but also dramatic audio to fit and play across parts of our film.

The Abduction - Media Studies AS Level Coursework

We will use the idea of the character who is walking over a bridge. However we will change that to our characters running through a wooded area being chased.

We will slightly us the part where a man is talking to other but changing it for our film so that the camera will be facing the back of the four characters to bring in the building they are looking at and then to the front of the four characters seeing there reaction.

We will only have the four main characters in our film due to if we had more it will become confusing.

We will add an dramatic ending to our film of a gun shot but also dramatic audio to fit and play across parts of the film.

Shot type testing - Male In View

 Extreme Close Up (ECU)

 Close Up (CU)

Medium Close Up (MCU) 

Medium Shot (MS) 

 Medium Long Shot (MLS)

Long Shot (LS) 

 High Angle Shot

Low Angle Shot

The reason I had chosen to do these shots is to show the different looks of a male from different view points. The Close Up shots reveal the emotion within the facial language, drawing the audience in. The Medium Shots reveal the body language giving a suggestion of how the male acts as a person in movement. The Long Shots would altogether show the emotion and body language suggesting how they react altogether to different themes. The High Angle Shot shows how inferior and small a male can be where as the Low Angle Shot shows how powerful and dominating the male can be.

Shot types that can be used within our film

Extreme Close Up (ECU)
It shows the extreme detail of the subject. The subject also fills the frame.

Close up (CU)
It shows detail that generally is framing the head and neck of a subject.

Media Close Up (MCU)
 It can be a close up of 2 to 3 characters that is often from the shoulders upward.

Medium Shot (MS)
It's a shot which frames the waist and upwards.

Medium Long Shot (MLS)
It's halfway between medium and long shot that usually shows the knees and upwards. It also shows a lot of the background.

Long Shot (LS)
You can see the characters whole body as well as the surroundings

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
The characters are often secondary. The surrounding is more important and often tells you where the film is set.

Establishing Shot (ES)
It sets up an overview of the scene (it is often an ELS or an LS)

2 Shot
There is 2 people in the shoot within the frame and in full focus.

3 Shot
There is 3 people in a shot within the frame and in full focus.

High Angle Shot
The camera is at a high angle which looks down on the characters.

Low Angle Shot
The camera is at a low angle which looks up on the characters.

Point of View
Is a shot that shows the scene from the characters view pint, like looking through the characters eyes.

Over the Shoulder Shot
A shot of someone/something that has been taken for the perspective of another persons shoulder. Manly used for conversations.

Canted/Tilted Shot
Is a shot on a slanted angle.

Pan
Is the movement of the camera form side to side.

Whip Pan
A quick movement of the camera from side to side.

Tilt
The movement of the camera going from up to down or down to up.

Zoom 
Is the movement of the lens from a far focal point length to a close focal point length or vise versa.

Tracking Shot 
Is when the camera is being moved on wheels.

Shot Reverse Shot
Is a shot showing one character looking at the other character, the shot then switches to the other character looking back at the original character 

Suggestions and Ideas received by Bruce Goodison

The main opening can be opened with the female character or the deceased boyfriend for the first 30 seconds.

The whole piece can be based mainly on the female character.

Focus of the characters needs.

Film by the Zombies point of view.

Think about the setting and what time of day it will be set.

Clear understanding of the plot.

Different camera shots that can be used.

Any audio that can be used. 

Idea's of development after in-class pitch

Once we had finished planning our idea for the film, we then pitched it to the rest of the class. We then got feed back on suggestions on what we could do to improve our film. The main one we had received was about our character. With this suggestion, we though more about our characters itself to make the film more believable.

My Character, Erin, developed from just loosing her boyfriend to the emotional impact on what is going on and how she was going to cope with it. This can be shown by how my body language, facial expression and movement will be.

Body Language: 

My body language would be closed up. This will be shown with my back slightly hunched over, my head tilted down, my legs slightly bending and also shaking a little. The whole point of this is to show that my character is scared of what is happening. The reason for this is so that the audience feels like that my body language makes my character more realistic to how she is feeling.

Facial Expression: 

My facial expression will be blank. The reason for this is that because my character has so many emotions going through her e.g. loosing her boyfriend, being chased by zombies, she does not know what to feel at this time. Also the point of this is to make the audience think about what I'm feeling making them feel apart of the film but also confused because my character could be going through many emotions so they would not know what she is feeling.

Movement: 

My movement would be fast yet slow. My character would be fast because she does not want to be killed by the zombies. However, through the things has been going through and the emotions whirling around in her head, she would be slow as to process what is happening around her.

Brief outline

At the beginning of the film the scene will be set during a slightly dark afternoon. With that we will firstly be recording an empty green field with a woods in the background containing birds flying to add an effect which will be enforced with an eary sound effect or music to give the beginning tension. After that we will have the title of the film and head straight into the actual piece. 

There will be four characters (1 girl, 3 boys) running through a wooded area running and jumping over obstacles to get away form the stereotypical Zombies that can fast walk. During this we will capture them running from the back and also capturing there feet as well as the zombies with sound effects in the background making it seem more realistic.

When they come to an collage they will halt and look back and forward to the collage and each other indicating they should go in, in which they do running. Once the characters run through the reception and through the hallway to get to the stairs and round corners to a safe room, we will have the camera's movement from behind in the Zombies point of view showing what he see's.

After that the 4 characters will come to an empty room in which they barricade themselves in from the inside to prevent the Zombies coming in and in which the female character will sit down with no emotion while 2 male characters are trying to talk to her. During that the other male will be holding the door stopping the Zombies from coming in until he shouts at the other 3 characters to escape through the other door in which they do leaving the make behind. The  male character will stand away from the door so that the Zombies can get in, load his gun until the point where he is going to shoot the scene goes completely blank with nothing but the sound of the gun shots.

The purpose of the female character being apart of the film is to show the audience how the lose of someone in a tragic manner can effect the very person and the others as a whole. During the film there will be little hints as to the situation of that lose with the character by phrases like "He's gone now, let's go" Also indicating what the female character is feeling her body language would be quiet closed, her facial expression would be blank reviling no emotion and she would not talk.

The purpose of two male characters is to show there sibling relationship and how they agree/disagree with each other about what they are going to do next in the situation. This will be shown by one of the siblings being the cocky, arrogant character where as the other one is shown being the smart one of the two siblings. both there body language will be the same with an open powerhouse however there facial expressions will be different. One will be scared yet trying to figure out what do do while the other would be scared trying to put himself before anyone else.

The last male character will be a stranger that the other 3 characters had found during there get away from the Zombies. His part is to show how one person can feel alone and isolated can change once he has found others to help him. His body language would be slightly closed and his facial language would change from scared to thinking as he is trying to overcome himself not knowing the others.

Introduction

Media Studies. This blog will be based on a short self-created 2 minute film being posted on this blog with information about it that is also on a separate part of this blog for my Media Coursework. During this process I will be working in a team of four creating the self-created film by focusing on what it will be about, what it contains, what is its purpose and the details within the story itself.

Participants:
George, Anya, Myron and I.

Genre: 
Zombie, Thriller

Place:
Within the school grounds