Audience Feedback

Audience Feedback

 

 

From the feedback I have been given I have thought about how much dialogue I have. As the opening of my film does not have very many characters for there to be dialogue between, I have included some dialogue when she enters the barn to call out whether there is someone inside the barn. Although this is not much dialogue, I have included some. I found this quite difficult as there was minimal characters. As the feedback tells me, I have used good sounding such  as music which is helpful as we don't have as much dialogue so this music can break the silence and build up suspense for my audience. 

 



Shooting Schedule

Shooting Schedule

 

 

This shooting schedule shows how long I took to film and what was done and when. This is good for organisation to know deadlines and what needs to be complete. From this I learnt how my shots need to be complete and when I filmed them. It also meant if I needed to re-film some shots I can monitor when I first did them and when I redid them.

 

 



Test Footage

Test Footage

 

When I was filming the shots my film opening, I filmed some shots which were to test what it would look like. This was very helpful so I could see which ideas worked and which didn't, this saved a lot of time and it meant I could improve shots before I tried to edit my film. This was a good task as it gave me experience and practise.
Here is some footage I filmed:
 

 



             
00165 from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.        
                                                                                        00197 from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.


              
00196 from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.                           
                                                                                        00205 from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.

Permission for Filming

Permission for Filming

 

I filmed my film at my friend Emily's house. As it wasn't filmed on somewhere I owned, I had to ask for permission to film on her land. To do this I messaged her on a social networking site, I chose facebook because it was quick and very convenient. The image below is a screenshot of her agreeing to let me film at her house and barn.

 



This image below shows us arranging a time good for both of us to do some filming at her house, this shows that she was very happy for me to film at her property.

 

 

Costumes

Costumes

 

Main character:

 

 

My main character is wearing a casual 'iron man' cropped t-shirt with plain blue denim skinny jeans. Later into the film she will wear a plain blue coat which is also casual. I chose quite a fashionable outfit which also looks comfortable and casual, I think this is the sort of outfit a usual teenage girl would wear. Wearing a fashionable outfit will hopefully influence my target audience.

I would like my main character to look fashionable but my main focus is so she looks casual, the sort of look that a usual teenage girl would want to look like. I chose her to have her hair up in a pony tail because this looks attractive but is simple and casual. She has left her side fringe down so it isn't all pinned back and this gives a casual look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I chose my main character to have only eye make up because this isn't over the top. My main look for her is casual, so minimalistic makeup shows this. She doesn't have much face make up because I want it to look realistic and like a normal teenager, the dark eyes gives her an attractive main character look and again will hopefully attract my target audience.

Ghost child character:

The character of the ghost child I have chosen to wear a navy blue blouse-like top, which has a white lace collar and white lace cuff around the sleep, the top is quite heavy but puffy as well. I chose a burgundy velvet skirt which is down to her ankles. This outfit I chose looks very old fashioned which is the look I wanted because she is from the past.

The ghost child characters outfit looks very old fashioned because of the velvet material of the skirt, the collar and cuffs and the long skirt, also the blouse top has a tie at the back which is in a bow which looks very smart and old fashioned.

This photo shows the lace pattern which is on the collar and cuffs, this shows the old fashioned style and how neat it looks.

The ghost child character has her hair tied back with her fringe down, Her hair is tightly pulled back to look smart and old fashioned and it is also in two plaits, I chose plaits because she is young and I think this is a hairstyle which shows her childlike appearance.

I also chose her hair to be tightly tied back and hair sprayed to look particularly neat as I think old fashioned hairstyles were very prim and neat. Using hair spray kept it in place and very neat.

I chose her makeup to be done very pale, I chose a very pale powder to be used as this would make her look ghostlike and gives an eerie look when she is straight faced, it also made her skin look flawless and ghostly. The dark eye makeup exaggerates the dead, ghostly look as she looks serious and quite evil.

I used powder face makeup and powder eye makeup because I didn't want the makeup to be to over the top and I wanted it to look as realistic as a ghost could look as I wanted her to look similar to what this child may have looked like before her 'death'.

From this task I have learnt that the costumes look good and are what I wanted for my film, it has shown me what it will look like when it comes together and that I think I have chosen appropriate ideas for costume.

Props

Props

 

In the opening of my horror film, I only use two props main props which are the rocking horse and the music horse box (Both of which I photographed below). As these are my main props they influence my film a lot and make an impact. I also use other little props but they aren't in the film very long for example: a book, a hairbrush, some makeup, etc. From this task I will learn which props are the most important and key props and which aren't so important. I will also learn what influence they have on the quality of my film.




 

 

This rocking horse is an important prop I use because it is the main focus in multiple shots and it creates a very eerie atmosphere, the atmosphere I was trying to create was achieved by using props like this and this has
meant I could get the quality of terror I wanted. I chose to place this prop in the old barn because they compliment each other as they both have an eerie feel and work well together.











 This music box is a very important prop I choose to use because it has its own shot in my opening 2 minutes, this prop is playing when I chose to use a tracking shot to turn all focus to it, its music is the only sound in this shot. The music it plays is a very scary nursery rhyme sounding tune which adds to the horror atmosphere. Also the music box looks quite old and creepy which was the effect I wanted.













From this task I have learnt how important props are and what part they play in a film. I have learnt that they can impact the film dramatically and can change the way a shot looks. They play a big part in creating the right atmosphere to be good quality. I also learnt that even the less important props have their own role and can change the way a shot looks and make it look increasingly better.

 



Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

 

This is a risk assessment about where I will be filming and what the risks may be. 

 



Location Recce

Location Recce

 



Settings Board

 

Settings

 

 

From creating a settings page of original photos I have taken, it has shown me how many different settings I have used and it can also help me know what shots will be best. The different settings I have used are all shown below, inside and outside settings.

 

This is a photo I have taken of the house my film is set in, the start of the opening is filmed inside the house, I chose this house because it is situated in a remote area and has a barn opposite which is very creepy and can help add to the scariness in my horror film. Also the house is quite old fashioned which is the kind of setting I wanted for my film because I wanted it to add to the terror.

 

 This is a photo I have taken of the barn I filmed inside of. This is the outside of the barn, it has a very rustic, eerie and old feel to it. It is also very large which creates the effect of desertedness. There is a downstairs stable in the barn which I didn't film in and there is also an upstairs part to the barn which you can see as there is steps and it is dark and creepy in the part I filmed inside of.

 

 

 This is a photo I have taken of the yard.  This is where there is parking facilities usually. However in my film this is used to walk across when my main character hears suspicious banging and I use a close up to show this and in the background you can see the trees and nature which emphasise the remote area I have chose to use.

 

 

 

This is a photo I have taken of the steps my main character walks up to get to the barn who is slightly in the photo with a dog. These steps are important in my film because she slowly walks up them whilst the suspicious banging is occurring, during the time she walks up these steps a lot of tension is built up among the audience. This is the atmosphere I intended to create.

 

 

This is a photo I have taken of the door to the barn, this is briefly in my film opening. This is one of the last parts before the film gets a lot creepier.

 

This is a photo I have taken of one side of the inside of the barn. As you can see in the photo there is a lot of objects inside which come in handy as it makes the film look a lot scarier. It is also gloomy and the light is quite dim like in most horror films. This is where I chose for the ghost of a child to be shown at the very end of my opening because she has a place to stand, almost hidden behind the objects.

 

This is a photo I have taken of the other side of the barn, this side is also important because this is where the rocking horse starts rocking on its own. This is also where my main character starts to panic and trips she then falls and ends up unconscious next to the table.  

 

 

This is a photo I have taken of inside the house, this is the hallway where at the very start of the opening, a ghost is sighted standing in the darkness then disappears when the main character looks back.

 

This is a photo I have taken of the far end of the main characters bedroom, this is briefly shown in my film opening as she walks to pick up a hair brush and walk back to the other side.

 

This is a photo I have taken of the main characters dressing table. This is an important setting in my film opening because this is where the main character stands when there is the very first sighting of a ghost as she stands at the dressing table then as walks away to get something the ghost appears then when she comes back the ghost is gone.

 

 

 

This is a photo I have taken of my main characters bed, this is where she is sat at the very opening of my film. 

 

 

This is a photo I have taken of the hallway from the perspective of the ghost when it is looking towards the main characters bedroom.     

 

From this task I have learnt which different shots/settings have a big influence on my film opening. Also I have learnt that my film includes a lot of different settings even if they are only briefly shown, I think this is important because it may become boring if I did not use enough. 

Actors Profiles

Actors Profiles

Main character:

Name: Eliza Peters (Real actress name is Emily Harland)
Age: 18
Occupation: Unemployed
Bio: Eliza is the usual 18 year old, who enjoys going out and spending time with friends but still lives off of her family. She has a pet dog called Fidget who is her closest companion and goes everywhere with her. She has a sister called Rose but she isn't at home very much because she works during the day and nights as she is a nurse. Eliza lives in a remote area with her sister and Fidget. She enjoys walking in the countryside on her own and walking her dog, she listens to music a lot and enjoys reading. She wants to try and find a career that suits her own interests after finishing education.
Appearance: Wears casual clothing such as t-shirts and jeans, wears her hair up in a pony tail, tanned with dark hair and is short.
Personality: Confident, bubbly, caring, brave and intellectual.

I chose Emily to be my actress because she has a casual look and looks like a usual teenager, I wanted my actresses to look realistic and natural.

 Ghost Child Character:

Name: Florence Baker
Age: Died when 8 years old
Occupation: N/A
Bio: Florence was 8 years old when she died, her parents were Satanists who abused her, they were very distanced from the community and kept themselves to themselves. She died when her parents sacrificed her in a ritual and the house and barns caught fire. Before she died she appeared to be a happy child but was and this worried a lot of others. She was very quiet and shy.
Appearance: Wears a bloused top and long velvet skirt, wears her hair pinned back and plaited in two plaits with a full fringe, she is pale, with dark circles and always has a sad facial expression.
Personality: Quiet, shy, short-tempered and seeks revenge.

I chose this actress because she is the age I wanted, she has fair skin and fair hair which I think is a good appearance for a horror film.

From this task I have learnt more about my characters because I thought about what influence they have on my film and it helped me make decisions about what I want them to be like, for example what I want their appearance to be like. This task helped me come to final conclusions on my characters.



Storyboard

Storyboard

 

I made a storyboard at the very start of my planning to give me an idea of what I wanted my film to be like and it gave me a bit of a plan to follow. It also helped me decide what shots I would want to use. Having a storyboard meant I could visualise my film better. 



         
         Storyboard film from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.


I have learnt that having a storyboard is very important because it gives you a bit of organisation as you have something to refer to. I also like having a storyboard because it gives you a plan but you don't have to stick to it and you can make changes.

My script

My Script

From writing my script I have learnt when I will need to change shots such as when there is dialogue because Eliza will have to be the focal point of the shot. It also helped me to know what my plans are and how to go about creating them. It also shows me what props I will need or what the setting has to be like such as lighting and sound effects. I have learnt how I need to film my first two minutes as my script works as a clear plan.

Institutional research

Institutional research

 



I think that the people who would distribute my media text in the 'real world' would be Lionsgate Productions because they have produced similar films such as the Saw films which I would like my film to be like. Most of the films they produce target a similar audience as I am targeting such as a younger, teenage audience or younger adults which have been successful. 

 

Who are they?

Lionsgate productions are an American entertainment company who were introduced in 1997 in Vancouver and founded by Frank Giustra. Since November 2013 they are seen as the most commercially successful film/television company in North America and the 7th most profitable studio. It has been divided in to Lionsgate Films, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Lionsgate Music and publishing and Lionsgate Television.

 

How do they make money?

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was formed in 1997  with a $16 million investment including another $40 million from other investors. After the first year of operation, they had revenue of $42.2 million with loss of $397 thousand. The company share price dropped to a low of $1.40. In October, 2005, they acquired UK company Redbus Film Distribution for $35 million and became Lionsgate UK on February 23, 2006.
 

What kind of texts do they produce?

 

 Films produced by Lions Gate similar to my horror film:
 

 

 

 

 

 

My horror film is similar to these texts because they share similar aspects and the storylines have similar ideas. For example:
 

• My horror film is similar to 'Hostel' because they both have a sense of action in them, as mine has her working out why her house is haunted and what the spirit wants and in 'Hostel' has a lot of action and gore in it, especially when the main character tries to escape and get away with an injured friend.
• My horror film is similar to 'The Last Exorcism' because they both have a sense of the strong supernatural, both have supernatural goings on.
• My horror film is similar to 'Saw' because I would like mine to have gore to make the film more scary and eerie, however I don't think I would include gore quite as graphic as the 'Saw' films do.
• My horror film is similar to 'Texas Chainsaw 3D' because both are set in a remote setting to give the effect of not being able to get away and there's no way of escaping. I think my film would be a similar sense of scariness.

From this task I have learnt what it takes for a film to be produced by a well known company and what different companies look for in a film. By seeing what the companies look for and what the similarities are, it shows me the sort of things I should include in my film in order for it to be successful.



Regulation research

Regulation Research

From this task I will learn what I can include in my film and what is not allowed, this will help me make decisions of how to carry out my film and how to go about my storyline because I will have chose my age rating. It will also show me what I'm definitely not allowed to use in my film.

What is the BBFC?

The British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC rates films, videos and video games which have been released. The BBFC have guidelines which shows what can be included in different rated films, for example they decide what is too explicit to be included in different rated films and games.

Main issues

Strong language is a main issue in choosing which rating a film should be because a 12 or 12A can't contain stronger language than terms such as 'bitch' or 'twat' frequently but can have infrequent stronger terms, the context of the strong language is important if the language is used in an aggressive context it may not be allowed in a 12. Where as the language used in a 15 will be allowed to be stronger and more frequent for example there is no limit on the frequency of strong language such as 'f***' and they allowed rare, infrequent use of the strongest terms such as 'c***', although if they're use more frequent or in an aggressive context they will not be passed for a 15. Where as in an 18 there in no limit on the amount of strong language and the very strongest, can be used in an aggressive context and can be frequent or even followed by strong violence. 

Sex is a main issue in choosing which rating a film should be because a 12 or 12A sex can briefly mentioned or discreetly portrayed. Verbal sex references shouldn't be used if unacceptable for young teenagers, comedy can be used to lessen the impact of some moderate sex references. There may be nudity but sexual nudity should be brief and discreet. Where as in a 15 sexual activity can be portrayed as long as there is not graphic detail, the sex scenes can be quite long and involve nudity and movement but no strong detail. They allow nudity in a non-sexual/educational context. Where as an 18 can include strong and detailed portrayals of sex including full nudity. Strong, crude and explicit sex references are allowed. It can also contain depictions of real sex if justified by the context.

 

Drugs and imitable behaviour are a main issue in choosing which rating a film should be because in a 12 or 12A dangerous behaviour such as suicide/self-harming can be present cannot have detail which could be copied or presented as pain or harm free. There can be infrequent sight of drug misuse but they should not be glamorised so people would copy or give instructional details. Where as in a 15 drug taking can be shown but not promoted. The misuse of easily accessible substances is unlikely to be shown to prevent teenagers copying. dangerous behaviour may be shown but not in detail which could be copied. Where as in an 18 drug taking may be shown but not promotes or encouraged. They can also cover difficult/strong subjects and themes and infrequent dangerous or criminal behaviour. 

 

 

 

 

 

Horror and violence are a main issue in choosing which rating a film should be because in a 12 or 12A moderate violence is allowed but not dwell on in detail, no emphasis on injury. Occasional gory moments are allowed if justified by context. Weapons and fight scenes are are permitted. Some psychological threat is allowed but not long disturbing sequences frequently. Where as in a 15 strong violence is allowed. Strong gory images are unlikely to be allowed. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. Easily accessible weapons shouldn't be glamorised. At 15 there can be strong threat and menace. Where as in an 18 strong violence with strong detail is allowed to be portrayed and they can dwell on the infliction of pain and scenes of sexual violence. They may contain strong horror, gore or sustained threat and menace which exceeds the boundaries of 15.

Only horror and violence apply to my film and I intend to follow these guidelines. I plan my horror film to be a 15 because it doesn't portray much threat or menace and doesn't contain any gore. There isn't much use of violence and no weapons are shown, I will not dwell on injury either. There will be nothing in my film for teenagers so take negative instruction detail from or be able to copy. As I have chose to make my film a 15 I will not be able to include frequent strong language, promote drug misuse, no graphic sex scenes or show easily accessible dangerous substances.

This doesn't affect my film much because I did not plan to include these parts of films, the only part of my film it may affect is the psychological threat in my film. It may also affect the violence but I don't plan to included excessive violence. 

From this task I have chose that my film will be rated 15 and I have learnt what I'm allowed and not allowed to include in my film, it has also shown me what I can include if it is justified by the context. As my film is a horror, this has shown me how much horror, terror and violence I can include and has shown me that I cannot promote negative aspects to my audience. For example in my film when the character falls from the terror, I will not include gore or focus on injury, I may make references to injury but not dwell upon it.