Storyboard

Monday 9 January 2012

Practice Trailer - When Chickens Attack

Below is the schedule for the Media Deep Learning Day
P1: Get a camera introduction from Mr Varghese – showing us how to use the cameras effectively and correctly.
P2: Organise the storyboard – making sure all shots are in the correct place and have been approved by the whole group.
P3: Update any blog posts. Create posts on cast, costume, props, lighting and shot schedule.
P4: Film test shots for news report scenes in Norbury Park. After filming, create a parody of the newsreport.
P5: Edit shots and put together in Adobe Premiere Pro CS3.
P6: Continue editing. After completion, scan all shots into the computer to put onto blogs.






Mis En Scene

Settings And Locations

The decision to have a number of settings themed around educational buildings allowed us flexibility within our scenes and variety, beneficial to the overall "professional" look of the trailer.  Enclosed spaces are also necessary when creating a horror trailer, as they emphasise anxious situations.  Our reporter scene will be filmed either outside or in a "news studio" to highlight the difference in atmosphere between the chase scenes and the others.

Costume, Hair And Make Up

Tells us immediately whether the film is set in the present and what society/or culture it's centres around.
Act as an instant indicator to the audience of a character’s personality, status & job.
Certain costumes can signify certain individuals (e.g. black cloak of a vampire) or groups (e.g. policemen).
 
Facial Expressions And Body Language

Facial Expressions provide a clear indicator of how someone is feeling.
If someone is smiling broadly, we assume they are happy but we may get a different feeling if this is accompanied by dramatic/scary music.
Body Language may also indicate how a character feels towards another character or may reflect the state of their relationship.
 
Position of Characters/Objects within a Frame
 
Positioning within a frame can draw our attention to an important character/object.
A film-maker can use positioning to indicate relationships between people.

Colour

Colour carries certain connotations which may add meaning to a scene.
It can give a scene a particular look, feel or mood.
It may also be used for dramatic effect.

Shooting Schedule

Locations - Possible




Norbury Park - News Reporter
Showing that characters other than the final girl have freedom and are not restricted by a situation the way that Chris is. 


My House - Final Girl
Adressing the need for a small space that is familiar and usually safe for the final girl, to put the audience on edge.

Props - Possible

In relation to Horror - Props we'll be using:


- Chef's Knife

- Clown doll

- Box of matches

- Backpack

- Evidence bags

- Cocktail and shot glasses

- Flashlight

- Photos

- Sheets

- Sack

- Rope

- Broken cables



Costume:

Chris (final girl): Skinny jeans, converse, band t-shirt, headphones + backpack.

Charlie (villain 1): Sack, rope, white t-shirt (with blood), jeans, boots.

Fred (villain 2): Sack, rope, shirt, suspenders, jeans, converse.

Janet (victim 1): body-con skirt, green jumper, black vest, burgundy vans.

Marilyn (victim 2): body-con skirt, neutral vest top.

News reporter: black blazer, black skirt, white shirt, black shoes, tights.

Extras: smart/casual.

Actors - Possible

Chris: Final Girl

 
Leila Mohammadi


Charlie: Main Killer



Miguel Spencer


Fred: second killer


Lee Wright


Janet and Marilyn: Dead Girls


Danielle Mcgrath


Me


News Reporter:


Ozge Altinok

Makeup




Non Diegetic Sound

Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action:
narrator's commentary

sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect

mood music

Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space.

The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play with diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or to surprise the audience (comedy).
Another term for non-diegetic sound is commentary sound.

Lighting - Shadows

The use of shadow emphasizes the fear of the unknown we as an audience experience when watching a horror film.  The mind will create a scenario different to each individual, as we know what scares us the most and will play on it when the film does not show us certain aspects of itself.  Shadows often exaggerate the object/person's form they have taken, such as count Orlok's deformed appearance in "Nosferatu", and will also change the atmosphere and mood of a scene negatively.

A modern example of the use of shadows for these reasons is "Jennifer's Body", candles are used to cause the shadow to flicker slightly and as they often represent romance, they contrast with the sillhouettes of Jennifer and her first victim as well as the actions in the scene; the violent killing.


 

Monday 2 January 2012

Convention and classification

Exploring the conventions used within trailers and who the BBFC are:


BBFC: an independent, self-financing and not-for-profit media content regulator.

- protect the audience, and especially children, from content which might raise harm risks.

- empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices.

- recognise and respect the adult freedom of choice within the law.

- respond to and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content through proactive public consultation and research.

- provide a cost effect, efficient classification service within our statutory remit.

- work in partnership with the industry to develop innovative service models to provide content advice which support emerging media delivery systems.

- provide an effective service to enforcement agencies.
As a group, we established that we wanted our target audience to be between 18 – 25 years olds so, we want our teaser trailer to be rated an ‘18’.
BBFC guidelines: this is what is allowed in an 18 rated piece of media:

- Nudity

- Sex scenes are allowed however they must not be too graphic i.e. pornography.

- Violence is allowed.

- Crude language is permitted.

- Use/abuse of drugs is accepted to some extent.
For our group, we have to consider how far we want to go with blood, gore and violence.

An example of a film that displayed too many graphic scenes and blood/gore and violence was: The Human Centipede II (The Full Sequence). On June 6th 2011, the BBFC rejected the sexually violent and potentially obscene DVD, which menat that it couldn’t be legally be supplied anywhere in the UK.

The decision was taken by the Director, David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Alison Hastings and Gerard Lemos.

Film Trailer Discussion

Decision to see a film at the cinema based on:


- good critic reviews

- friends want to go

- based on the hype

- how it’s advertised

- the cast involved

- could be a sequel

- adaptations

- based on a particular genre
 
The main purpose of the trailer:


- excite the audience

- to give the audience a preview

- to encourage them to watch it

- build anticipation

- identify the genre

- basic understanding of the film

- best scenes in the movie

- who’s involved (the actors and actresses)
 
Methods film companies use to promote films:


- posters

- leaflets/ magazines

- promotional tours (premiers, interviews etc)

- internet

- radio

- merchandising

- images

- music videos

- competitions

- mobile phone apps

Horror Film Narrative And Scenes For The Trailer

Exposition


Development

Complication

Climax

Resolution

In 2011, University students Janet and Marilyn are getting ready for Fresher's Week at Uni. It's their first night out as independent 18 year olds without their parents telling them what to do. They go to one of the dorms which is already filled with other Uni students. One boy comes over and hands them both a drink with the rest of the party-goers chanting 'CHUG CHUG CHUG!' As the night goes on, Marilyn & Janet become more and more vulnerable, drinking and doing drugs.

After completing different tasks set by the older years, their last task to play a prank on one of the 'Fresher's'; a boy named Fred who is sitting alone watching everyone else drink. They take him to a closet where he is then blindfolded. Not knowing what they're doing, Fred can feel himself gasping for air. Fred is left calling out to whoever has wrapped him up, unable to unlock the closet door. His brother is also calling out to the pranksters. Not knowing who, or how many there are.

As Marilyn & Janet are getting reading to go to bed that night, there's a power cut all over the university. Janet still feels bad about playing the prank on Fred however, she believes that he'll be okay. As Marilyn & Janet drift off to sleep, Janet hears a loud bang in her dorm. With a flashlight being her only source of light, Janet walks outside, into the corridor hoping to find what made that loud noise. Unable to find a source, she returns back to her room. She then sees Marilyn lying with the covers, covering her head. As she pulls the covers down, she sees Marilyn’s face smeared in blood with the word ‘MURDERER’ written on her forehead. At first, Janet is confused by this allegation however, she remembers the prank she had played only a few hours ago. Automatically knowing that her friend is dead, she drops the torch, attempting to find anyone that can help her. A mysterious figure appears behind her, close behind.

News about the murders has spread across London over the past few days with other Londoners believing that it's 'just another Fresher's prank'. Christina Loomis (usually known as Chris) has just been accepted at the University of Woodsboro after asking to be transferred. Chris is a beautiful 18 year old who holds a dark secret that no one knows. Her secret haunts her every day. She too had carried out a sick prank a week before at her previous University. On that fateful night, she had been giving her best friend drinks (leading her to believe that it was 'just Coca Cola'. The morning after, her friend had died from alcohol poisoning. No one else knows but her. By receiving word that the killer is still on the loose, Chris asks the registration office if she can transfer to another room after discovering that the two girls were killed in her dorm; room 13.
Later that night, she's starts unpacking her suitcase when she hears a knock on the door.

A young boy named Charlie is standing at her door. When she opens the door, they start a conversation about the University. Being hospitable, he asks her if she wants to take a tour on campus. After agreeing, they walk along side by side talking about University life. After talking for some time, they come to a halt in the dorm 'common' room. Charlie tells Chris how a boy named Fred had died a while ago in 'this very room'; someone had played a prank and locked him away. Chris then starts reminiscing about her previous Uni and what had happened. Charlie seems upset by their conversation so, goes off to compose himself. When Charlie comes back, he tells her that the boy who had died was actually his brother. He then asks her if she knows what happened in her room a few days ago. Not knowing what he's talking about, she asks him to explain. After telling her what had happened, she reluctantly tells him that she wants to leave to go back to her room and rest. Charlie goes back to his dorm across the campus.

After going back to her dorm, Chris tries to go to sleep however, she keeps on seeing images of Charlie's brother being 'buried' somewhere in the University. However, the next image she sees is the dead carcass' face level to hers. As she drifts in and out of sleep, she hears someone whispering in her ear saying 'I know what you did.' Thinking it's Charlie she tells him to go away however, she's stunned when the mysterious person reveals that it's not Charlie. Jumping at the sound of this figure's voice, she tries to run out of her room into the dorm common room. As the mysterious figure continues to follow her, she finds a small closet in the common room. Trying hard not to blow her cover, Chris peaks through the keyhole to see if the killer is near. She finds a box of matches on the closet floor. As she ignites one of the matches, she nudges something, a life-size doll-like person that's staring at her.

The person then mouthes out the word 'SURPRISE'. She screams out in terror and runs out of the cupboard with the wrapped up person close behind her. Just as she thinks she can escape, another wrapped up figure is running towards Chris in the other direction. With the two stopping right near her, Chris asks [during deep and heavy breaths] who they are. They both unravel their cloth to reveal that they're actually Charlie and his brother Fred. Chris then learns that Charlie had faked the death to scare the rest of the University and helped his brother to get revenge on whoever had: decided on the prank, who to play the prank on and who carried out the prank. Another detail was added on before he attempted to kill Chris; he would kill whoever played a prank that turned horribly wrong.

With Chris questioning why they played the sick joke, they say that they wanted the rest of the University (and perhaps the rest of the country) that you shouldn't mess around. Charlie then goes onto say that he hates secrets. He then stabs Fred in the stomach. As Fred falls to the ground, Chris tries to run from Charlie however, he stops her in his tracks. He tells her how he killed Janet and Marilyn and he plans on killing her so he could be the only survivor in the massacre. Charlie, using the knife he had used to stab Fred then tackles Chris to the ground, pointing the knife at her heart. As she struggles to set herself free from his grip, she punches him. As Charlie drops the knife, holding his nose, she grabs the knife and climbs on top of Charlie. She stabs him in the chest.
Chris is seen lying on the floor with the knife in her hand, in between Fred and Charlie as the police arrive on campus.
Chris is then left sitting in a white room; wearing an orange jumpsuit; looking at the camera.

Title Possibilities For The Trailer

. Must relate to closet in plot - (significant to storyline)
. Or the secret kept by characters


Sneak

Vault

Hold

Safe

Keep

Restrict

Limit

Clear

Cover

Screen

Decided on: "Hush Hush"

Conventions In A Horror Trailer

Music, sound, dialogue

Shot angles, same subject

Significant dates/times

More than 1 shot of important characters

Starts slow, usually explaining film plot briefly/theme, builds up to a faster pace, climax, wind down.

Stars names, film production info, film name, voice overs,

Setting,

Fades, flashes, quick cuts,

Ellipses

Enigma

Hook

Non-chronological events

Research Results

This questionaire was filled out by 25 individuals living in and around London.  They had no interaction with eachother whilst answering and the questions were kept short, easy to answer and there were few so that the results would have a large enough impact on the trailer, but not completely direct it.  This is due to the fact that we did not want to limit the appeal of our trailer by catering too much to one groups' tastes and preferences.  

RESULTS:

1.
Insects - 4
Mythical creatures & animals - 5
Masked killers - 9
The Paranormal/supernatural - 4
Psychotic children - 3
Other - 0


2.
Public building - 7
Characters' own home - 5
An isolated and unfamiliar place to the character - 7
Underground - 3
Forest - 2
Other - 1

3.
Music - 14
Voice overs - 5
Fades & ellipses - 3
Other - 3

4.
Often - 18
Sometimes - 4
Never - 3

5.
Often - 11

Sometimes - 14
Never - 0

6.
Yes - 21
No - 3
Sometimes - 1

7.
Yes - 17
No - 8

8.
Yes - 6
No - 5
Unsure - 6

9.
Male - 9
Female - 16

10.
12 - 15 =  5
16 - 18 = 11
19 +  = 9