We began filming around 3:30pm. We decided to film earlier than the last time because the sky got dark quickly. The scene in the house was shortened, therefore, we were able to film in the alleyway earlier before it got too dark. During this, it began raining which meant we couldn't film outside just yet. Fortunately, it stopped before we finished filming inside the house.
4pm
It took only half an hour to film the house scene. Before going to the alleyway, we went down the road to film the tracking shot and POV shots.
4:20pm
At 4:20pm, we shot the alleyway scenes. I think that the timing was good because we managed to shoot everything before it got too dark. There was also streetlights down the alleyway so it was not too dark to film. There was very light rain which meant we were still able to film outside, the floor was still wet as well, which I think added to the main brief because it could like pathetic fallacy and emphasised the atmosphere.
5:00pm
Once we arrived back at the house, we filmed the news report scene. To make it seem realistic, it was filmed against a blank wall so there was no extra objects in view. This was also so we could add in a news background later when editing. To film this, we ensured that the grid mode was on the camera so we could use the rule of thirds to determine the composition.
To ensure that the opening appeals to the chosen target audience, the class had got the chance to watch the second version of the main brief and wrote down some feedback stating what we did well and what we could improve. These suggestions could influence our decisions and help improve the main brief.
A thing that went well in the rough cut was that the mise en scene worked well. This is very important as mise en scene is to communicate the ideas which suggest that it is a horror film. they have also stated that there was a range of shots. Whilst filming, we tried to get as many different types of shots that are typically used in horror films, such as a tracking shot.
What needs to be improved in the main brief, is that there needs to be sound effects. Sound effects in horror films are usually used to create tension and suspense. Due to some shots taken without a tri-pod, the camera was slightly shaky, making it look unprofessional. However, some particular shots was not able to be stable (the tracking shots). This can be solved by using a skateboard and placing the tri-pod on it to keep it stable when moving.
The positive points are similar to the first post it notes and have also mentioned that there was a range of shots. Good continuity is important in films because it makes the transition between shots seem seamless and smooth.
A negative thing about the rough cut was that the costumes were poor. To solve this issue, we will update the costumes to make it seem more realistic and re-film the last few scenes. Sound effects would be added in once we have finished editing all the video clips together.
The phone call at the beginning was of Emily calling her sister that she is going out. That is why she was wearing a coat, because she was preparing to go outside.
To answer the second question, Emily also said during the phone call, that she was on her way to visit her Nan's.
Since we have decided to extend the scene by the house, we will be filming inside as well. Here are some of the new recces:
The kitchen was and ideal location because there is a lot of glass which signifies that the potagonist is very vulnerable due to glass being easy to break. It also hints to the audience that someone is watching from the outside. This can be shown by filming the windows from the outside as if someone is peering in.
This is the back of the house from the garden. This photo was taken around 4;45pm just as it was about to get dark. The time of day we film is very important because most horror films are set at night so we have decided to film late. However, we have decided not film film past 6pm becuase it will be too dark and won't be sufficent lighting.
As me and Izzy decided that the original script was too long, some changes have been made to cut down the length. We have applied the new ideas for the narrative into this new script.
Script
Flashing back to the day of the murder, we see Kirstie in a large house. She is dressed in normal clothes, jeans and a top with her hair hanging loosely. She sits down by the kitchen table and decides to ring her sister.
Kirstie: Hi Louise May, I'm just calling to see if you are okay? You haven't been picking up your calls all day. Anyway, I'm just going round Nan's for a bit so I'll see you later, bye.
Kirstie hears a mysterious noise outside and leaves her seat to investigate by the window. There is nothing. She turns to leave the house and then slams her large wooden door. Whilst walking down the road, there are strange noises behind her but she takes no notice. It is dusk, so the visibility is limited. Continuing her walk down the dark streets, with only street lights to keep the street alight. Kirstie begins to walk down a dark alley way. In the background, we can see footsteps approaching the alleyway then turning back on themselves.
Kirstie begins to hear mysterious noises. As it is dark and there is no one around, Kirstie decides to put her earphones in to cancel out the mysterious noises and begins to pick up her pace. We then see a dark figure walking briskly across in the distance. A quick whisper is heard above the music.
Mysterious Voice (The Demon): Kirstie.
Kirstie hears the voice faintly and takes off her earphones to listens out for noises. There is silence but suddenly, the voice appears again.The voices start taunting her in her head, but Kirstie is too frightened to move. Her breathing begins to get faster.
Kirstie: Shut up, you're not real. (Whispering frantically)
She can now feel someone over her shoulder.
The Demon: Turn around Kirstie.
Scared for her life, Kirstie begins running as fast as her lungs will possibly take her.
Camera cuts to a television screen. It is playing the morning news.
T.V Presenter: Your news at 9. Yesterday morning, a school girl from East London, Kirstie Carter, was declared dead by Newham Police in the early hours this morning. Suspects are currently being questioned and the police are urging anyone with information to contact the police immediately.
Camera cuts to a dark staircase.
From a dark staircase, a policewoman walks up and into a dark cramp interview room. She is very tall and has her hair scraped back in a high, tight, ponytail. She has a strong, bold, striking face and looks extremely confident. In the room, a teenager girl, with little colour to her face sits alone. Always looking to the ground, she looks scared and vulnerable. Her hair appears to be knotty, almost as if it hadn't been washed or brushed in weeks and the bags under her eyes seem to be increasing in size by the minute. The young girl now has her head in her hands and is clearly distressed.
Officer Smith: Tell me the truth Louise May.
Officer Smith throws an image of Kristie onto the table in front of her. Officer Smith: (In a low voice) What happened to her?
Louise May looks up slowly and pauses briefly. She is looking frightened. Louise May: (Whispers) The Demon did it.
Louise May looks directly at the camera as her eyes turn black.
Based on the feedback we received, we have decide to alter the narrative. Instead of Kirstie being questioned, a new character would be instead. This change would make the scene seem more mysterious as we do not know what has happened to Kirstie. It would increase curiosity and would also incorporate Barthe's Enigma Code into the narrative.
Here is the new character that is being introduced:
Name: Louise May Carter
Age: 18 years old Background: Louise May was adopted by Kirstie's parents when she was only young. Although Kirstie and her family welcomed her in with open arms, she has always been jealous of Kirstie and envied her. Even though Louise May is extremely close with her sister Kirstie, she has always craved the attention she receives. Personality: Louise May is far more confident and outgoing than Kirstie. She is a sporty person who'd rather be outdoors than inside. Plot: On screen is showing a news report about a recent murder of a teenage girl. We then flash back to where Kirstie is sitting inside a large house. She decides to ring her sister as she hasn't seen her all day. It goes straight to voicemail. After the phone call, Kirstie leaves the house. As she walks, she begins to hear mysterious noises. To drown the noises out, she puts on her earphones and picks up the pace down a dark alleyway. A dark shadowy figure walks briskly across in the distance. Kirstie sees and stops for a brief moment. She the carries on walking with her music playing loudly. There is suddenly a sharp whisper by her hear. Due to her loud music, she does not hear it very well as takes it off to listen for more noises. Voices begin to taunt her out of nowhere and she begins to get frightened. Suddenly The Demon appears behind her, and sensing someone is behind her, she runs. We then flash to a new location in an interview room. A Police Officer throws down a photo of Kristie on the table in front. Opposite, is a young girl (Louise May) who looks down at the photo. The Officer asks who did it and the girl replies in a whisper, 'The Demon'. As the narrative has changed, we will have to re-film. To plan out how we are going to film the alleyway, a map was drawn out which pinpoints where the camera, main character and antagonist are going to be. It also maps the movement of the camera and characters so we know what angle to fillm at.
Emily had chosen her outfit based on the list we gave her to ensure she had the right look for the role. To make sure that it was the correct look, Emily messaged us a few days before to make sure we were satisfied. The character she has been chosen to play was a typical teenage girl. Therefore, her outfit was a pair of jeans, a simple top and a black coat. We wanted to portray her as a quiet character, so the colours of the outfit was not too bold.
For the antagonist's outfit, Izzy brought a black and white skeleton mask a few days in advance to make sure we have all the props and costumes on the day. The original idea was to use a white mask. However, based on the questionnaire results, a white masked person was not scary. This made us change our ideas on the costume. The rest of the costume is all black to hint the danger.
Izzy also was in charge of buying the fake blood because there was a Halloween party shop close to wear she lives, so it was more accessible to her.
26th October
I had plain white envelopes at home so I put two envelopes in my bag the night before. This was so I won't forget to bring them the next day. The spare envelope was just in case the first one got ruined.
27th October
9am
On the day of filming, we checked the weather a few days in advance to make sure it will be suitable. There was only a little chance of rain so we thought it will be ideal. We decided to meet at Upminster train station for 9am so we can prepare to begin filming at 9:30am. The filming took place early in the morning because there would less chance of people walking through the alleyway.
9:10am
The fake blood was used to write on the envelope. Me and Izzy used our fingers to make it seem someone had written the message in a hurry. The blood would make it seem more sinister because the audience would wonder where the blood had come from. The was done half an hour earlier to leave the blood to dry up so it won't smudge too much.
9:15am
Izzy did Emily's makeup around 9:15am just before filming. This is so that we do not need to re-do her make up during filming. We did not want her to appear sexualised, therefore, Emily is wearing minimal makeup to make her look seem subtle and if she just woke up a few hours ago. She is wearing a pale foundation and hardly any eye makeup so it will not make her eyes stand out. This reflects on her character because the character's personality is meant to be kind and innocent.
9:35am
We arrived at the alleyway around half 9 and begun filming. The left over fake blood was dropped on to the ground from a high point to form a trail of blood. We did this only a few minutes before filming that particular scene because the blood was supposed to look fresh.
Our filming was slightly delayed due to a cat walking down the alleyway which the dog had to avoid. Another thing was getting the dog to do the right thing as she stepped in the fake blood. This was only a small problem and was easily fixed.
10:00am
As it was getting closer to midday, more people walked down the alleyway which we then had to stop filming every time someone walked past. This made filming longer as we had to constantly stop. Unfortunately, the battery in the camera begun to get low so we had to film the last scenes as quick as possible. We were not able to finish the last few shots because the camera died but we then planned to film the next day.
The Conjuring begins with a black screen which enforces the idea that most horror films begin like that to hint what the genre is. Dialogue is heard whilst the screen is black, making the voice a mystery as it is unknown to the audience.
There is use of foley of what sounds like a camera flash or a light switch as the first shot appears. It is an extreme close up of a broken doll which is used to capture the small details such as the cuts and broken eye along with the dirtiness. The doll looks quite sinister which sets the tone of the film instantly. There is evidently use of the rule of thirds to determine the composition to the doll, in which, only half of it's face is shown to evoke curiosity. The use of dark makeup on the doll exemplifies the suggested demonic presence.
The camera begins to zoom out slowly to draw out the suspense of what the doll actually looks like whilst in shallow focus, so the attention is drawn to the face. During the zooming out of the camera, there is dialogue of a female voice explaining how the doll has been moving by itself. This gives of a chilling atmosphere, possibly foreshadowing the strange things that might happen.
The camera then cuts to a mid-shot where three people (two females and one male) are sitting on a sofa. The man is looking down and quite distressed which emphasises the situation and the tone of the film. The mise en scene of the room is quite dull and pale which is of a cold colour palette. This was intentional to make the atmosphere seem scary and dark. The characters clothing are colours of yellow and red which are typically bright colours. However, the lighting makes it appear dull which can convey a sense of sadness within the characters. There is a date at the bottom saying 1968 besides 'Annabelle Case' which demonstrates that there will be another event happening later on, linking with the doll. It is written in bright yellow which strongly contrasts the background so it stand out.
As the camera zooms out, it reveals that there are two people sitting in front of them, which indicates that they were the ones asking the questions. The scene then shows several close up shot which are angled at the side of their faces in which the shadows are hiding their faces. This creates an eerie atmosphere and emphasises on their worried feelings.
The camera then cuts to a mid-shot showing the doll, placed in the centre. This is the first shot where the audience is shown the whole doll where it is sitting on a chair. It is wearing what seems to be very old clothing from the Victorian era. This indicates the lifetime of the doll and convey that it is, in a way, indestructible.
During the mid-shot of the doll, the blonde woman says that they are nurses and like to help people. this conforms to the stereotypical idea that women are kind and caring. The shot then transitions back to the close-up shot from the side as the other woman says 'and then things got worse'. This ques the non-diegetic music of high pitched violins to make the audience on edge.
The camera then cut to a medium shot of a hallway with a door. The corridor is dark so the audience can assume that it is set at night. This conforms to the codes and conventions of horror where most are set in the evening. As the door opens, there is dialogue of two women laughing as they enter the corridor. Their laughter stops abruptly as the spot a note on the floor written in red crayons. The note was shown using a close up shot. The colour red was used because it signifies danger and is commonly associated with demonic beings.
There is an eye-line match shot which shows the doll leaning on a door frame within the room. An the same time, a non-diegetic sound begins which is low pitch and sustained to forebode the coming events. This is then followed by shot reverse shot between the two women and the doll. Followed by that, there is a tracking shot and a POV shot to engage the audience as if they were in that situation.
A woman's voice continues to narrate the action. Another POV shot shows the doll closer up. There is a use of an insert to draw the attention to the red crayons in the dolls hand. This embodies that it was possible that the doll had written it.
As the women enter the room, there is a diegetic sound of the door creaking which is a typical sound effect in horror films. During this, there is a crescendo of the non diegetic background music to indicate that the climax of events is about to happen. A low angle shot illustrates that the woman is on the left side which reveals the white wall next to her which is covered with red scribbles.
A montage of shots show several pictures of the two women which are scratched and damaged. Accompanied with each photo, there is a unpleasant clash of piano notes to emphasise the danger that they are in. A POV shot reveals the room to be damaged and messy with crayon marks all over it. The two women are positioned in the middle of the room and there is an eye-line match shot to show that they are looking at the ceiling which says 'miss me?'. It then cuts back to the two women who looks down to hear the sound of a rolling crayon. The crayon is shown rolling across the ground, the camera at ground level, to show that something has caused it to move. There is silence to emphasise the rolling crayon, which is a representative to forebode that something bad is going to happen.
After, there is a long shot of the corridor, where one of the women picks up the doll and the camera follows them out the door. The rest of the corridor has low lighting and the details on the protagonists can not be seen. They are seen as overshadowed which can represent how they are not safe. The blonde woman says ' Debbie, wait' which voices her concern which is shown in her tone of voice and reflects on the audience's feelings. This also links with the traditional sterotypes of gender where women are seen to be quite dependant on others.The non-diegetic music reaches a loud volume and marks the action beginning to reach a faster pace.
Furthermore, there is use of an aerial shot, portraying the woman throwing the doll away in a dumpster outside. They are positioned on the left side of the screen, so the audience are aware of the surroundings. The camera then zooms in so the action can be seen more clearly. The opening ends with a diegetic loud bang of the dumpster lid closing to create a dramatic ending of the scene.
To prepare for the second round of filming, we have decided to trail different shots and angles to make it seem as if someone is watching from behind. To do this we tried out panning and tracking shots. In the main brief, POV shots and over the shoulder shots would also be used. I think that these shots are effective because it gives the sense that someone is following. This would create tension and suspense which matches the genre of horror.
This information has helped me understand what my target audience likes about horror films. This would influence my decisions on my main brief.
This interview was of people within my chosen target audience. From this, I have learnt that everyone's favourite horror film is within the age certification of 15- it was stated that a lot of horror films are not certified as 18 because the institution wants to gain a larger audience.
Furthermore, many of them said that they enjoy the un-expectancy and the equilibrium of the liner narrative.
The question asked was what made a horror film successful. These were the answers:
A big budget
Unpredictability
A Well-known institution
Strong narrative
Gore
A celebrity
I think all of these combined would influence the success of a horror film. Therefore, we will ensure the main brief follows a linear narrative and has plot twists so it is unpredictable. We will be working in synergy with a well-known institution for producing horror films, and hopefully, this would create more awareness.
Based on the questionnaire, I have applied the results to the most voted fonts to see what the title screen would look like. As the most popular colours were white and red, I have used both for the title. To make the transition between the white and red seem seamless, I have added a different animation for each one.
From the current footage that we have, I have done a quick edit of the shots to use as a guide to how we want the final scene to look. This was done without adding sound effects. The rough cut is of the alleyway scene which is about 2 minutes long.
Evaluation of the rough cut:
Overall, I think that the framing was quite good. This was because we set the camera to have a grid and used the rule of thirds to position where the camera should be.
. However, a lot of the clips do not match up which decreases the continuity and it does not look as seamless. This happened because many of the clips were filmed over two different days. Consequently, the position of the props and actors was not the same as before. It would affect the overall opening greatly as it does not flow well which can make it seem unprofessional.
Furthermore, As the opening was filmed outside, there was a lot of unwanted background noise such as cars and the wind. Since a microphone was used, it also picked up quieter noises which can ruin the effect of making the area seem isolated. However, this problem can be solved by muting the clips and adding the sound effects and dialogue when editing. Additionally, the sound levels did not match up as well. Some would have quieter dialogue and louder background noise whilst others had no background noise at all. This made it difficult to edit as the sound levels did not match up.
The problems of filming outside was that the lighting changed. This was shown during the second half of the rough cut where the lighting has changed proving that the two shots were filmed at different times. To solve this, we should film the shots in chronological order.
Something that has stood out to me the most was that many of the clips were unfocused. This has affected the opening negatively because it would make it seem unprofessional and also makes it difficult to watch. An important part of the scene was the writing on the letter. This was not possible as the unfocused camera made it hard to see what the writing due to being blurry. For the next round of filming, we will be very careful to make sure the camera is focused at all times.
A small flaw that I had noticed near the end was that the microphone could be seen in the shot. This was caused by the microphone being held out. Fortunately, this can easily be solved by holding the microphone further back so it isn't in the way.
In conclusion, we have decide to re-film all the clips entirely but we will be filming around 4:30pm just as it is about to get dark. This will suit the horror genre more as it has a more eerie atmosphere and there will be less people.
For Emily's character, we wanted to portray her as vulnerable. To show this, we have decided for her makeup to be minimal and subtle. This would also emphasise her innocence and would create a character that the audience would root for.
We got the inspiration from the protagonist from Scream. She is wearing hardly any makeup as to not sexuality her, and her clothes are pale colours to suggest purity.
Her costume would be what a typical teenage girl would wear of converse and a simple top. This would make her seem more relatable.
For The Demon, the mask would be black and white, which looks almost like a skeleton. The outfit would be all black to symbolise death and fear. When playing this role, Izzy's hair would be tied up so it is not shown. The costume for this character is not very realistic but we have decided that it did not matter as much because The Demon would always be standing in the distance and there will not be close-ups of the face.
To ensure we were all available to film, Izzy sent a message on the group chat with the date and time. We planned to film a 9:30 in the morning because the streets would be quite empty. Upmister Station was a convinient place to meet because we all lived quite close so it was easy to get there.
We planned for the costume of the protagonist to be quite casual. Therefore, we decided for her to wear jeans and converse. This is because we thought that it was qutie common for teenage girls to wear. To confirm this, Emily sent us a picture of what she was going to wear.
I have researched into the different roles in film making to determine which responsibility each person is going to take on during production. This would help me understand what goes on during all stages of production which is beneficial for my horror film opening. Actor: An actor is someone who plays a role in the production. This is usually on stage, on television shows or films.
Me and Izzy have decided to cast people who have some experience and passion for acting. This is because it would make the scenes look more convincing.
Producer: The producer is responsible for managing the production. They act as the group leader whose job is to develop the initial ideas and to ensure everything is finalized. The producer also arranges the financing and the budget as well as making sure the crew members are kept on schedule.
Izzy had taken on the role as producer with me co-producing. Seeing as we are working as a team we have decide to split this role to ensure we are satisfied with the current work we have done so far.
Director: The director directs the making of the film and organizes the artistic and creative aspects of it. They are responsible for overseeing the assembly of the film and how things are visually appealing on screen. The job also includes things like selecting the location, position of cameras and directing the performances of the actors. Whilst the role of a director is large, many parts of the role are completed by other crew members.
The director role would be split between me and Izzy so we have a range of creative ideas for when we are filming. We can discuss how we want things to appear on screen.
Screenwriter: This job involves writing the script for the production. The dialogue is carefully crafted by the writer to make it seem realistic the viewer. It also ties in with the screenplay which is used to ensure the sequence of events transition well and flows naturally.
Both of us have had input on the draft of the script but Izzy has taken the job to write up the final script. The screenplay was completed by me, in which I have used the final script as a base to help write it up.
Production Designer: Before the film begins to shoot, a storyboard is drawn up which outlines the narrative. It transforms the script into a visual representation. A storyboard is a series of panels which consists of sketches and annotations of each shot. This is used as a template when filming which ensures the continuity. Linking with the storyboard, production designers also organizes and plans the set design.
The storyboard was completed by me which will be used when filming to ensure we do not break the 180° rule. It will also be used as a guide to where the camera would be placed.
Costume Designer: The clothing worn by the actors are made by the costume designers. They play a vital role in the visual aspects of the film. It contributes to the appearance to suit a particular time period,mood, genre etc.
The costume designer role would be appointed to Izzy because she understands the type of appearance we want the characters to be.
Camera Operator: The camera operator is the head member of the camera crew who uses the camera on how the director wants the scene to look. They are responsible to film the action
correctly in the frame.
When filming, we will take turns to take up this role so we have different aspects and angles of the shots. This can then be narrowed down to the best shots which will be used in the final product.
Editor: The editor begins to organize the footage once it has been shot to arrange the shots in one continuous sequence. They decide on what shots to be included in the film as well as placing them in order. It is typically a long process and significant to the final appearance of the film.
After a brief discussion, we have decided to edit out main briefs separately because this allows for creativity and freedom. We would be able customise and alter the shots as to how we want it to look.
Sound Designer and Composer: The sound designer inputs on some original aspects of the audio in the film. this includes altering/editing sound effects and dialogue. The composer writes original music for the film and are responsible for writing scores to match the scene.
Whilst we both would have input on the sound, I have had experience composing music and using music production software. This would make me more suited for role as the composer. However, on altering the audio, Izzy would be in control of the sound effects and dialogue.
