First Cuts - Ten Seconds and Thirty Seconds

Rushes from 30/11/2012

Casting Issues

The main problem in a large filming project such as this is an organised and dependable cast.

I have a full cast of students, with one teacher, all playing roles in the film/film trailer similar to their real life roles.

However, sometimes you can't depend on everyone, due to unforeseen circumstances.

Last Friday, I organised a filming schedule with my media teacher, John, to film the scenes he is involved in.

However, due to certain issues, I could not film with him on that day. This has meant that I am behind schedule and I have missed my Monday deadline for the thirty second trailer.

My Audience

Props List

Cast (so far)

Josh/The Murderer
played by Joshua Wright (myself)


Amy/Victim #1
played by Amy Black


Paige/Victim #2
played by Paige Windley



Callum/Victim #3
played by Callum Ahmed


Mr Hamlin/Victim #4
played by John Hamlin

Shot list (More pictures soon)

My full film has eleven scenes, shot in seven locations. Not all of these locations and not all of these scenes will be in the trailer, but I believe it is a good idea to record every scene and location that I MIGHT be placing in the trailer.

Scene A. INT IN. DARK ROOM – CAMERA POV
Scene B. INT IN. CLASSROOM #1 – AFTERNOON – CAMERA POV
Scene C. INT IN. DARK ROOM – CAMERA POV
Scene D. INT. OFFICE #2 – MORNING – CAMERA PO
Scene E. INT IN. DARK ROOM – CAMERA POV
Scene F. INT. OFFICE #2 – MORNING – CAMERA POV
Scene G. INT IN. BEDROOM – NIGHT – CAMERA POV
Scene H. INT IN. – STREET – AFTERNOON – CAMERA PO
Scene I. INT IN. CLASSROOM #2 – MORNING – CAMERA POV
Scene J. INT IN. REFECTORY – AFTERNOON – CAMERA POV
Scene K. INT IN. CORRIDOR – AFTERNOON – CAMERA POV

Location 1. Dark Room
(Scenes A, C, E, H1,)
This location will be where the murders take place, so I need a well-lit but empty room. Scene H1 does not currently exist in the script, but may need to be added to the film later, for narrative reasons. I have used Wyke's Green Screen Room, as it is a freely available. I can have control of any set or props that are used in this room, and in post-production, I can place a 'sepia' tone on the shot to turn the green into a more realistic orange/brown colour, or any other colour which looks ideal in the edit.

Location 2. Classroom #1/#2
(Scene B, I)
These may be two different Film/Media classrooms, or the same classroom, depending on the availability of rooms, and my personal choice.

Location 3. Office
(Scene D)
This scene will be filmed, due to the availability of the room and the current look of the room, in the current Media/Film office.

Location 4. Street
(Scene H)
This scene only has one character in, and is a generic street. I may use the outside of college as a substitute.

Location 5. Bedroom
(Scene G)
Only one scene will be scene in the Bedroom location, with only one character. As it is my character in the scene, and my character’s bedroom, I have decided to use my bedroom.

Location 6. Refectory
(Scene J)
This scene is the scene with the majority of main cast and extras in a single scene. Due to the availability and access, I will use my origingal idea and film in the college Refectory.

Location 7. Stairs/Corridor
(Scene K)
A continuing shot from Scene J, this will be shot on the staircase/corridor between the Refectory location of in Scene J and the Classroom(s)/Office locations of Scenes 2 and 3.

Codes and Conventions of my Chosen Genres

Psychological Horror

The psychological horror genre is a mix of the genres of horror and psychological thriller. Psychological horrors, like all horrors, concentrate on the antagonist(s) harming the protagonist(s), with a particular focus on the characters’ fears and emotions, and how the antagonist creates and/or manipulates these to create the horror element. A major aspect of psychological horror is that the identity of the antagonist can be kept a secret

As with horror, psychological horror will add canted/Dutch angles, to give a sense of disorientation for the audience, reflecting the characters’ emotions. Mirrors can be used to show the ‘two-faced/dark side’ aspects of characters (particularly if the audience are not fully aware of which character the antagonist is).

Mise-en-scene is very important in psychological horrors. Colour can be used to reflect the characters and their emotions, as well as giving very contrasting views. For example, two colours that are associated with psychological horrors are red and black. In a horror, black can mean death or mystery (if a character is in a dark location, there can be an element of mystery to their identity), and red can mean blood; however, in another genre, e.g. romance, red can mean passion and love. So although colour can be used, it has to be supported by other stylistics.

Fast editing will be used, in order to reflect heightened emotions of the characters.

Found Footage

Found footage is a genre of film in which all, or the majority, of the film is presented in either a ‘home video’ style, or a ‘lost footage’ documentary, left behind by the deceased protagonists (the latter more popular in horror/found footage hybrids, such as the popular films The Blair Witch Project [1999, Directed by Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez, US] and Paranormal Activity [2007; Directed by Oren Pele, US]. In found footage films, the filming is done by the actors themselves, and the camera is viewed as a prop in the film. This means the audience can have a direct link to the characters.

Cinematography is an incredibly important aspect of the found footage genre. There is usually only one camera throughout the entire film, which is used to document events. For example, in “Paranormal Activity”, the camera(s) are used to capture footage of the poltergeists, in “The Blair Witch Project” the single camera is used to document the students attempting to find the truth about the titular Blair Witch phenomena. Found footage films will often use close-ups to show the emotion of the characters.

Due to the minimal use of camera angles, one scene will be entirely shot in one take. Editing techniques (such as shot reverse shot, match on action) are completely ignored, and scene cuts are shown as a literal ‘cut’ of the camera.

No film soundtrack or score are usually used in found footage films, as all aspects of found footage are portrayed as being a part of the diegesis. This means that any emotion that the audience can draw from music (the ‘stabbing’ music in the psychological horror film Psycho) has to come from the cinematography and the performance of the actors. However, some aspects of sound can be predominant in both psychological horrors and found footage, such as the heartbeats of the characters, to reflect the emotion of the scene.

Film Trailers

Film trailers play a vital role on the marketing and promotion of a commercial film, by showing the significant moments, introducing the main characters and settings, with a teaser of the quest and/or disruption, along with fast editing, dramatic music and emotional, enthusiastic commentary (depending on the genre).

It is important in editing film trailers, to tease the contents of a film, and show the best and most enticing parts of a film, but not to show every exciting moment, there is still an attraction to see the entire film, to see the exciting parts hidden from the audience in the trailer.

My Audience

Risk Assessment

Ten Second Animatic

Thirty Second Animatic

Inspirational Film Trailers

Chronicle

Dir. Josh Trank

2012

US

This film trailer has inspired me as it stars, and is targeted at, teenagers. Although its genres are superhero/found footage, and does not incorporate any psychological thriller elements, I believe I can draw inspiration from the particular emotions of the characters for my film.

The Blair Witch Project Trailer

Dirs. Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez

1999

US

This film is one of the most well known psychological thriller/found footage films in existence. Like my college film trailer, it was made on a low budget.

This film also inspired the name of my film, "The Project", and has also added some plot elements, such as the story of film students investigating strange phenomena (in TBWP, it is the eponymous Blair Witch, in my film, it is an unnamed murderer).

Paranormal Activity Trailer

Dir. Oren Peli

2007

US

Like TBWP, Paranormal Activity is an incredibly well known psychological thriller/found footage film. It has spawned multiple sequels, with the original costing only $15,000 (approximately £9,377) barely nothing compared to the multi-million dollar blockbusters of contemporary cinema.  With similar 'paranormal phenomena' themes to Blair Witch, I can take the horror elements and place them into my film.

The Last Horror Movie
Dir. Julian Richards
2004
UK

TLHM is the only British film in this list. A very little-known, low-budget British film, this film has inspired the 'home-made' aspect of this film, with the direct rapport between Max Parry, the main character, and the audience.

Storyboard Layout

A2 MEDIA STORYBOARD on Prezi

Move Along

Our group will be recreating this video, from 0:31 to 1:02 approximately.

The main issue will be the incredibly quick editing, with the main singer staying in the same position, with backgrounds and clothing changing rapidly. To come around this issue, we will film on a green-screen, and import images and videos recorded separately.

Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Media Text

For this task, I will be recreating "Move Along" by the All-American Rejects...

Group
Joshua Wright     - Actor
Amy Black         - Director
Michael Warley  - Editor/Camera
Laura Jenkinson  - Editor/Camera
Wesley Foster    - Producer

Skills Development

Describe and evaluate your skills development over the course of their Foundation Portfolio. The focus of this evaluation must be on skills development, and the question will require you to detail specific production practices  The list of practices is as follows:

• Digital Technology

• Creativity

• Research and Planning

• Post-Production

Digital Technology: For my Foundation Portfolio, I created the front cover, contents page and a double page spread of a music magazine. To do this, I used DTP and an image manipulation/editing software (the software I used was Adobe Photoshop) I had previously used an older version of this software, as well as competing alternatives and freeware. However, as I had only used the software for recreational purposes, I still managed to learn many new techniques which helped me improve and ultimately achieve a successful product.
Adobe Photoshop allowed me to use techniques that gave a near-professional look to my magazine. One main challenge was creating the artist’s shadow and then editing the image to artistically merge with the text and background images and layouts.
To achieve a professional style similar to modern consumer music magazines, I had to make sure that the artist’s shadow was seamless with the background design of the page, by creating the shadow as a separate image and accurately editing it to fit. By designing the shadow as a separate image to the artist (instead of being a result of a Photoshop effect on the image), I was able to edit the new image to fit in with the background and text designs and also to convince potential readers to buy the magazine, by creating the artificial ‘mid-air’ title convention of modern magazines, and to make both the background and the shadow seamless, so I could successfully give a ‘torn’ effect to the page.
Research & Planning, Genre Conventions
For the AS Foundation Portfolio, I had the music magazine brief. My research led me to current magazines, competing magazines in the market (targeting similar genres), as well as magazines covering completely separate topics, but created by the same publishing firm. For contemporary music magazines, I researched magazine publishers online. Using the media “LIIAR” acronym (Language, Institution, Ideology, Audience and Representation), I managed to analyse and deconstruct the magazines to form case studies, and frameworks to base my magazine on.
After researching many magazines, some competing music magazines, and popular magazines covering other topics by the same publishers, I found that I had a profound knowledge of the conventions needed to create a music magazine that would also be successful. I discovered that competing magazines used a mix of images and text, a ‘floating’ masthead and a ‘letter from the editor’ on the contents page, and using these techniques, I included them in my magazine, and began editing the magazine to suit my personal style, giving a unique selling edge to my magazine.
Creativity
Once I had identified the design of contemporary music magazines, I decided to add my own creative individual styles to the magazine. Because I know it was important for my magazine to have my own creative style, I looked into, and expanded, my own music interests. ### I approached this task with an open mind, and I was determined to radically change my first drafts, which were incredibly poor quality and lacked the conventions of commercial music magazines.
I located an actress to model for my magazine, using costume and makeup to create a look for her that suited the genre. The model then stood in positions that reflected the personalities of artists of the genre. Importing these photographs into Adobe Photoshop, I edited the images onto my magazine and then styled the remaining areas of the magazine around the images.
Post Production
During the production, I created many different drafts. These were very poor quality, as I had focused all of my energy on the style and layout of the one draft which ended up as my finished product. The positive feedback I received from my first drafts helped me in the production of my final draft, by giving constructive ideas on how to improve the look of my finished product.
In conclusion, using my knowledge of Digital Technology, Creativity, Research and Planning and Post-Production, built during Media lessons and my own time, along with using the conventions of media texts, I managed to develop my skills in Digital Technology, Creativity, Research and Planning and Post-Production. My skills in these subjects developed due to the amount of time I spent on research, planning the look and layout of my media product, which would lead to a professional feel and appearance. My skills also developed in Adobe Photoshop, as, although I was already fairly competent in using the software, I knew that I could, and therefore did, gain new skills and also improve on the skills I already had. My creativity developed as I had made multiple drafts, and I believe I made sufficient progress from my drafts to my final product.

Questions for Interviews

Questions:

(My film)

What genre do you think my film is?

What do you think the age certificate for my film would be?

Would you watch my film at the cinema? Why?

(Other films)

Do you think this film was successful and why?

Which is your favourite film trailer and why?

Which is your least favourite film trailer and why?

What do you think is the age certificate for this film and why?

Which stylistic (cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, sound) is best for each film trailer and why?

Synopsis of the film trailer

Short Film: "The Project"

Synopsis:

Josh, a young college student works on his A2 coursework, but cannot decide on what sort of film to create. He discusses with other students about their work, but still remains clueless. Then he discovers evidence of gruesome, mysterious murder on the memory card on his camera: the teachers dismiss the video, and pressure him to finish his coursework. Frustrated, he enlists the help of his friends, who then discover more taped murders, and Josh discovers that the latest recordings are recent, and the murderer has turned to students in his very college. Determined more than ever to find the killer, and to reveal the truth about the "nasty 'flu bug going around", Josh hunts down the killer... who seems to think that murdering students will give Josh the perfect idea for his coursework.


In my trailer, I will introduce the protagonist, Josh, the antagonist, the unnamed killer, and the location, Wyke College. I will use college as a main setting, to reflect the narrative structure and the background of the majority of my audience. I will also be filming in peoples' homes, as this will also reflect the background of the audience.

My Brief

A promotional package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with two of the following three options:

• A website homepage for the film;
• A film magazine front cover, featuring the film;
• A poster for the film.

I have chosen the film magazine front cover and the poster, as:

• I have experience of creating magazine front covers from my AS course;
• College has many film magazine resources, which I can use to inspire me when creating my own;
• I have seen dozens of film posters, of a variety of genres, online, as well as inside and outside cinemas. This wide knowledge of existing film poster conventions will help me create my own;
• I have little/no experience creating websites, so the website homepage would be difficult and would not interest me as much as the other two options. 

Summer Summary

Over the summer, I researched my film genres ("horror" and "psychological") by looking up internet articles on films of these genres, watching and rewatching films of these genres and also by watching documentaries about films of the genres.