19. Storyboard

18. Scripting

Scene 1:
Kyle is out for a Jog through the woods.

The Antagonist is seen walking, whilst carrying a knife.

Kyle begins to slow down to catch his breath whilst approaching a branch to sit on.

He looks up and is stuck by fear when he notices the antagonist emerge from the shrubbery carrying his knife.

Kyle jumps off the branch and begins to run away.

He carries on running until a log on the ground interrupts his path and without seeing it Kyle trips over it hitting the ground, knocking him unconscious.

(Scene fades to black)

Scene 2:
Kyle wakes up in an empty room, strapped to a chair.

He then realises he is strapped to a chair and begins to struggle.

KYLE: What the f***?!

Kyle breaks free from the chair and begins to creep around the house in search for an exit.

Downstairs the antagonist can hear that Kyle has awaken and grabs his knife.

He walks downstairs quietly and successfully finds the exit so he slowly approaches it, he attempts to unlock it.

The door does not seem to work and then out of no where, the antagonist is seen standing behind Kyle.

Kyle then realises that someone is behind him. He turns round to see the antagonist slowly draw towards him.

KYLE: No, no, no

The antagonist stabs Kyle, which ends his life.

(Scene fades to black)

17. Timeline Planning

Below is a timeline for my film opening.

16. Costumes

Antagonist:                                                   

 Black Coat

The black coat shown above will be used as a cloak for the antagonist as he will hide within it and avoid showing his face to anyone, he will do this by having his hood up. In doing this it allows us to portray a dark personality of the antagonist to the audience and when they see this they will instantly know who it is.

Black Trousers

Sticking with the dark theme for the antagonist, he will also be wearing black trousers. Our decision to make the antagonist wear full black is because the colour black connotes evil which is found on villains. The colour will also allow his clothing to blend in together making him difficult to see when he is hiding.

Black Boots
 

We have chosen to use boots as they make a loud sound when walking. Within our first scene we plan to include a close up of the boots as he approaches the victim, in doing so it will put emphasis on the boots and also show the audience the size of them to show the big, powerful presence the antagonist gives, this would create a sense of fear for the audience. 

Victim

White T-Shirt

For our victim we have decided that he should wear a white t-shirt as it connotes innocence, this is conventional in horror films as the victim is usually innocent. We have also decided to use a white t-shirt as it is something typical to wear when jogging, something that you just pick up and put on, it allows use to make the scene more realistic.

Tracksuit:

Hoodie:

Bottoms

As seen from the two images above it shows the full outfit of the victim. It shows that the victim is out for a jog and again we are trying to show realism. 

15. Locations

Putnoe Woods

The first scene/s will be situated in Putnoe woods. This is a conventional location for a horror film especially when the day gets darker as the scenery changes mood and becomes scary. As you see from the image above, this would be perfect for when we film victim running away from something unknown, this will allow the audience to be kept on edge to find out what the victim is running from. The long path covered with leaves and towered by trees adds into the effect. There are also many smaller paths adjacent to the bigger paths which are full of logs and tree roots, this would come into effect for when the victim trips up.

  

View Larger Map

Above shows the exact location of Putnoe woods, the area with A highlighted near. This was taken from google images and as it is an Ariel view it allows us to see the surroundings thus showing it is slightly secluded and it also shows us how big the woods are and how much we can use.

Abandoned House 

The second scene/s will be filmed in this house, this location is a typical location for a horror film as the house is abandoned it would have no furniture, ruined walls and creak floors with very dim lighting. This has allowed us to use the house to our adventure as we have decided to uses scenes in which the victim is strapped to a chair and eventually escapes from the chair, but the antagonist on the lower floor hears the victim escape, so he finds the victim and kills him. 

14. Prop List

Duct Tape

This will be used as a method to hold the victim down to a chair to be on the antagonist’s hit list. This will stop the victim from escaping and as it is easy to get hold off for the antagonist and as it is also standard everyday product suggests it is his first kill. However, it back fires as it is weak and allows the victim to escape from the chair.

Chair

As stated previously in Duct tape, this will be used to tie the victim down.We will use a old, dirty chair in which the antagonist can get his hands on as it provides realism the to audience as you wouldn't see a killer go out and buy a brand new chair, they would find anything as to use to keep the victim in place.  

Knife:

This will be used as the iconic weapon wielded by the antagonist to finish off their captured victim. The knife will be clean to link to the fact he is a new killer killing his first victim, this could strike fear to the audience as they see a new killer on the streets. Within the first scene the knife will be used as a way to show the victim that the antagonist is after him, signaling him to run away. In the second scene the knife will finally be placed into action as the antagonist will kill off his victim, however this will not be seen by the audience.

Fake Blood

Using fake blood within the film opening allows to show the injuries which occur to the victim when he trips over the log after being chased by the antagonist, this will show realism in our clip without using real blood as fake blood is a perfect alternative, hence the name. This would also show to the audience to the damage the trip conflicted on the victim.  

13. Mood Board

Below is an image shows a mood board I created. It shows different images and words which are generic to the horror genre but more specifically what would be seen within my film opening, for example as you can see their is a knife, this would suggest it could be used as a murder weapon.

12. Brainstorming Synopsis

Below is a mind map showing my final ideas for my film opening.

11. Preliminary Task Video

Below is a video of our preliminary task in which we followed a brief asking us to create a short clip using shots like match in action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

 

Shot-Reverse-Shot:
Shot-Reverse-Shot is a filming technique in which an actor is facing another actor who would be off screen, and visa versa. This provides the affect for viewers that the two actors are having a conversation. The cameras are usually positioned behind each of the actors so that both characters are shown in conversation manner therefore we view them over the shoulders of both actors.

180 Degree Rule:
180 degree rule means the camera must always remain within 180 degrees of two characters. The image below shows the area and distance the camera must travel and stay within and it cannot cross into the red section otherwise it would make the characters face the same way and it would not look like a proper conversation.

Match on Action:
Match on action is a action which carries out one scene at different angles. An example of this is from our preliminary task when we unlocked the door, we showed the being unlocked from the outside and from the inside. This creates a sense of continuous motion and ensures the audience what is exactly happens.

10. Preliminary Task Storyboard

The storyboard below shows the steps we took in film the video task.

9. Preliminary Task Script

Task Script:
Deepak runs to the front door and leaps through with excitement, surprising Anthony.

Deepak -GUESS WHAT?! GUESS WHAT?!

Anthony - WHAT, WHAT?!!

Deepak - I GOT A NEW GAME!!

Anthony - OH, WHAT GAME IS IT?

Deepak -(Clearly showing the game in front of him) IT'S GTA 5, CAN'T YOU SEE!!

Anthony - OK, LETS PLAY IT !!

Deepak- (Deepak hands the game over to Anthony) Here, take it

Anthony runs over to the Xbox to to place the game in the console to play

8. Production company logo

Below is a saved image of my production logo and below the image is my production logo with animation. The AL in my logo represents me as it is the initials of my name, Anthony Luongo. I have decided to cleverly integrate the film reel which is shaped like the letter L, I believe using a film reel gives the audience viewing my logo the idea that my logo is based upon film, but just to make it clear to my audience I have added ‘production’ below. As for font I decided to use the ‘I still know’ font which I found on the Dafont website, I believe the font fits my genre as the font looks quite with gaps which gives it a creepy and eerie feel. This links into the colour choice as I chose to use red and black as a generic colour used within horror films is black to give it a dark feeling to the atmosphere and I chose to use red font as it reflects blood which occur in some horrors but also because it was a clear and visible colour to use on the writing.

Production companies help make films by assisting with budgeting, scheduling, scripting, casting and many more. They oversee the film productions from beginning to end. They hold the responsibility to find directors and talented actors to help create the movie, but the downside is that they are liable for everything, whether it be injuries which have been inflicted on the actor or property damage to a building.  

Difference between Major and Independent film companies:

Films within independent production companies are made outside of the major film studios. Independent production companies produce films for a mainstream audience as they are not mass-marketed. They tend to have smaller budget than major studio production companies.

Below are some examples of production companies who create films in the horror genre:

• Bloodbath Pictures
• Blumhouse Productions
• Paramount Pictures
• Hammer Film Productions
• Columbia Pictures 

From the image below of Hammer Films Production who created such films as Women in black and Curse of Frankenstein, I can draw similarities with my productions logo. As you can see, Hammer Films Productions has used red font over a black background, which was my choice of colour. It could have been used to draw an eerie feeling when seeing the productions logo similarly to mine. They have also Incorporated a big 'H' in the middle of their logo, this shows that they are to use this as an iconic image for their company, similarly to my logo where I have chosen to us the 'AL' as the iconic image.

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7. Audience Expectations

The film opening I plan to create falls under the category of Horror. I believe it fits in the horror genre as it is going to contain eerie and dark music, diegetic sounds which leave the character thinking what is around and an antagonist in which no body can see. Thus I believe my target audience are people aged from 15 and above as I feel they will be able to handle the type of horror I wish to make. As for the younger ages I believe they are not suitable to watch it as the content may disturb them, as seen from the BBFC website stating facts about the limitations directors have to follow in order to see if their film is viable for the rating.

The demographic that I believe would watch my film opening is would be from categories E to B as they contain people like students, the unemployed, middle classed people and teachers. I feel these groups are suitable as seeing from first-hand experience of watching horrors at the cinema, many different age groups were attending to watch a specific horror, for example, Paranormal activity made $193 million, this can from viewers of all ages. Furthermore, looking at the Jicnar scale below my chosen demographics are a good choice as there is a big option to opt in.   

This is the Jicnar scale which classifies people into appropriate categories suited to their standing 

After researching the regulations and specifications of specific films, the BBFC website allowed me to view each rating and see exactly what must be shown to be deemed appropriate for a film. Therefore I believe the rating which I suitable for my film opening is a 15 as the regulations within the 15 age rating suits to my film opening.

To make sure I understand what my audience expect from a horror film, I have created a short clip asking people, " What do you expect from a horror film?".

Below is the clip showing this:     

6. Nine frame analysis

This picture is a 9 shot frame of Dawn Of The Dead, I will be analyse each shot from the nine below and state the meaning behind each shot.

The first shot shows many Muslim people praying, this does not show a clear significant to the film as it is just people pray for their religion, but with the colour being black and white it gives the start an eerie feeling an and sound of just the peoples voices gives a dark feeling.

The second then shows us the main feature of the film, in this case a zombie. This gives the audience a clear insight into what the film is about. As the cut is very quick and the noise of the zombie being very sudden also accompanied by the struggle of the zombie, this could strike fear into the viewers.

The third shot shows the title of the film. As they have seen the zombie on the previous shot of the zombies faces, this shot clarifies to them what exactly the film is about. Adding more affect to the film the director has decided to use big bold lettering on ‘DAWN’ and ‘DEAD’ this shows to use that they are the key words of the film and using red over black carries the effect of the film being eerie and dark, this is conventional to a horror film so it has been used effectively.

The fourth shot shows little significance to the film but is still important as it shows the audience the actors within the film. Furthermore the director has given the writing a blood trail affect which may suggest to the audience the film contains some of blood and again similarly to the third shot with the red on black font to fit the genre.

 The fifth shot shows soldiers fighting. This could show that humans will need high protection against the zombies and will need to fight to survive in times of danger. As we can see from the uniform, it tells the audience that they are specialised in protecting people and also with the gas masks shows that they are trying to use gas as a method to protect. 

 The sixth shot shows a figure running past a cracked window. This could show struggle to the human race after the zombie infestation. The figure could represent a zombie running past to cause mayhem. This shot could produce fear to the viewers and make them ponder on what the figure could have been.   

The seventh shot shows lots of zombies in one area. This could show that the zombie are beginning to dominate earth and the infestation is beginning to increase around the US. As seen form the clothing the director has ensure that generic conventions of a zombie movie are shown by making the zombie clothing all ripped and dirty with blood stains around the shoulder area. Within the film opening the sighting of this shot is very difficult to notice as the edit is very quick, this is shown in a sequence of shots of different areas showing how the infestation has spread around. 

 The eighth shot shows three soldiers, am american women who is part pf the government and a helicopter in front of the Capital Building in Washington DC. In the opening sequences the soldiers begin to open fire towards the crowd, this shows that within the crowd there is trouble and in this case it would be zombies. We can also see that they are highly trained soldiers who are part of the american army, this means the person they are protecting is of very high importance and must be bought to safety quickly. This portrays to the audience that people of a high social status are more important than other people and need more protecting. 

 The ninth shot similarly to the shot, shows little significance to the film but still an important aspect. Keeping in mind that it is a nine shot frame of the opening sequence of a film, the director has stuck to the generic conventions of title sequences by showing the audience the executive producer of the film, this allows the audience to understand who help make the film.

     Analysing this nine shot frame will help me to think of ideas for my opening sequences. I noticed that within this opening sequence the director has used lots of quick edits and images in between accompanied by sharp sounds. This would prove effective with the audience as it would make them jump as it would surprise them. I can incorporate within my opening sequence as I aim to strike fear to my viewers.   

5. Certificate Ratings

This power point consists of all the certificate ratings and what they consist which makes them their specific age rating. Using this has allowed me to see each age groups and the regulations directors have to take into account when deciding the age rating. This will help me with my decision as it will allow me to see what I will need consider when making my opening sequences.

4. History of the genre

This power point goes through the history of horror films and how they began. This research will help me with my own opening sequence as it will allow me to bring in ideas from horror films in the past and techniques that directors used when making those films, I can then incorporate these ideas into my opening sequence to add in old and new methods making it effective.

3. Genre Conventions

Word Cloud:
I went on www.wordle.net to create a word cloud consisting of generic conventions to do with the genre I have chosen to use, as seen below. This word cloud is an effective way to show different conventions within the horror genre. As seen from the word board below Horror is all in capitals to outline that this is based on horror. This system of research is useful for planning as it will help me clearly outline the conventions of my genre. This can provide me with inspiration for making me opening sequence.

2. Understanding of camera shots

I have analysed the opening scene of the movie Scream by Wes Craven. I have taken screen shots of some camera shots and techniques and spoken about the meaning it produces within the clip. Looking at the techniques and methods in which Wes Craven has used in his movie will help me to spark ideas to make for my film opening.

1. Timeline of an opening

Task 1:
A) Present the conventions of a film opening, what do you expect to see in most film opening scenes.
The expected conventions that would be seen in a opening sequence would be:

• Titles
• Job roles with occupants name
• Usually story-line to it
• Effective music fitting to the genre

B) Think about the genre of film that you are going to make. What are the specific conventions of a film opening in this genre?

For horror, the expected conventions that would be seen in a opening sequence would be:

• Titles
• Job roles with occupants name
• Erie, creepy music which begins to introduce fear into a person 

Task 2:

I chose to look at the opening sequence of Dawn of the Dead (2004) by Zack Snyder.

I watched the opening sequence of Dawn of the Dead and on a A4 piece of paper recorded each title which appeared during the 2:35 which totaled up to 24 titles within this time. In the center of the pager are additional notes talking about what occurs within the opening sequence and the effects it has upon the viewer.