Final Location

We have chosen to use both Lauren's and one of our actors houses (pictures below) as they are a comforting and traditional setting. We have decided to use two houses as we will be able to get different and unusual shots from each and they will work well together. For example one location has log cabins in the garden which would be seen as a scary lotion to the audience and the other has a garden which raps around the house. This will also be scary as it means the villain will be able to have lots of access to the house and we can have scenes of the victim running from place to place easily. I feel that this combination of locations will be an effective way to portray our trailer to the audience and increase the flow of the shots.

We have decided to use two houses for our film as we can show the killer terrorizing two victims which will make the audience feel that the events are a lot more realistic and that it cold happen to more people. For the locations of our horror trailer we have chosen a houses as we feel that people will relate to this setting and make them feel that the events could happen to them. We also feel that the audience will believe that a house is supposed to be a place of sanctuary and protection. We will ruin this perception and will make them feel that it could be dangerous and scary. Another benefit is that we will not be outside very much which means we can make the continuity better by controlling the amount of light we let in a room.

The disadvantages of using two locations is that we will have to travel between the two locations on the same day and will have to get our villain from place to place whilst in costume. Another disadvantage is that one of the locations is not our house so we may have restrictions to when we can use it this may become a big problem later on when filming.

Filming Schedule

FIlming Schedule

Thursday 3rd January 2013

Beth and I met up on Thursday at 12 o'clock as we wanted to plan what we would film and then travel over to the location which was in Ashtead. We managed to film a few scenes that will look quite effective in our trailer and we thought of a few more shots that we could take as we were in the location which gave us lots more ideas and we really benefited from it. My favorite shot that we took today was the villain dragging our victim across the floor as it looks very mysterious and gruesome and would make the audience very frightened.

Saturday 5th January 2013

Beth and I met up on Saturday to plan and film our trailer. We met up at two o’clock so that we could write down exactly what we wanted to do today and so that it wouldn't be too dark after we had made a plan. We were one actor down which meant that we could only film in one of our locations so we tried to make the best of what we had. We used a car as a prop and showed it in different shots and scenes. However when it came to putting the footage onto the computer we found out that it was much too dark and it would have to be all re filmed. This is very frustrating as we felt that we had filmed lots of good shots which would be really effective in our trailer. Although the only advantage is it will be easier when it comes to filming it again as we will know exactly what we are doing and where to put the camera. When we re film this footage we will have to remember to take it when it is a little lighter as the character will be seen more clearly and their surroundings.

Interview with actor 4

Alex Munro

L + B: Hello.

A: Hi

L + B: What is your favourite genre of horror film?

A: I think my favourite is supernatural

L + B: How many horror films have you watched in the last 6 months?

A:  Probably about 9

L + B: What is your favourite setting for a horror film?

A: A house as i think that it is more realistic and believable

L + B: Have you had any acting experience before?

A: Yes I was in my own Media trailer last year

L + B: Why do you think you’re suitable for this part?

A: I think that I would look quite scary if i was dressed in the right clothing such as a dark hoody and trousers

L + B: Are there any specific things you feel your character should do in the horror film?

A:  I think my character would be good in silhouette and in the darkness

L + B: Yes that's a good idea, thank you for your time

Interview with actor 3

Lauren

B + L: What is your favourite type of film?

L: Romantic comedy

B + L: How many films have you watched in the last month?

L:  Maybe like 6

B + L: Do you watch many horror films?

L:  It depends on who I'm with, if I'm on my own then no because I get really scared

B + L: What's your favourite horror film?

L: Maybe The Strangers

B + L: Why do you feel you would be suited to this part?

L:  I don't know

B + L: Have you had any acting experience before?

L:  Yeah I have because I was in someone elses horror trailer last year so I know how it works

B + L: oh really, thank you for your time

L:  That's fine

Interview with actor 2

Georgie

L + B: Hello.

G: Hi.

L + B: What is your favourite genre of horror film?

G: I dont like horror films, my favourite genre is comedy

L + B: How many horror films have you watched in the last 6 months?

G: One, I really dont like them

L + B: What is your favourite setting for a horror film?

G: An realistic setting so that way its believable and looks like everyday

L + B: Have you had any acting experience before?

G: Only friends videos, more messing around though

L + B: Why do you think you’re suitable for this part?

G: I feel that I am good at looking scared and im also quite petite so I could be made to look more vunberable

L + B: Are there any specific things you feel your character should do in the horror film?

G: I think it would be effective for me to be in the dark

L + B: Okay thank you

Interview with actor 1

 Greg

B + L: What is your favourite type of film?
G: Horror because I like seeing original ways of scaring people
B + L: How many films have you watched in the last month?
G: Err.. a lot, probably about 30.
B + L: Wow that's a lot, do you watch many horror films?
G: A few, not all the time
B + L: What's your favourite horror film?
G: Cabin in the Woods
B + L: Why do you feel you would be suited to this part?
G: Ermm... I'm quite tall and I have lots of black clothes which is really good for a villain as I would  blend in to the darkness. 
B + L: Have you had any acting experience before?
G: A bit I did drama at school and my teacher said that i was good at the evil characters.
B + L: Okay, thank you for your time.

G: That's alright.

Camera shots and editing

Our film is going to be filmed in the evening when it is dark and gloomy this will mean that our villains face is hidden and the setting will appear more scary to the audience. It also means that when our victim is home alone it will be more realistic that no one comes and helps her as there will be no passers by at night. However shooting the film in the evening will be difficult as we don't want it to become to dark so that we cant see the characters of their surroundings. 

These are the camera shots that we have selected to use in our film:

Establishing shot- This shot is usually used at the beginning of a scene to show the audience where the scene is taking place usually shown with a wide shot.
Mid shot- This shot shows the object closer to the camera so the audience can see the object in more detail but still feel that they are looking at the object as a whole.
Over the shoulder- This shot is when the camera is behind the persons shoulder showing the object that they are looking at.
Zooming in shot- This is when the camera slowly or quickly zooms into the subject it is focusing on. 

Close up shot- This is when the object fills most of the frame and is shown in detail so the audience can see certain features or part of the object.

Extreme close up shot- This shot will fill the whole frame and show the object in great detail.

Low angle shot- This shows the object from below as the camera is looking up at it.

These are the editing techniques that we have selected to use in our film:

Black screen of car engine starting and revving

Scary music starts to play at the beginning

Nursery Rhyme is played over the top of scary music

Loud breathing can be heard by the audience

Music has a soft and sharp tone to it depending on the events of the scene

The opening title appears on the screen

Screen fades to black

Soundtrack research

1. http://www.audionautix.com/transfers/FO-Atlantis.mp3

This piece of music is monotonous and repetitive. It has a little bit of light and shade as some bits of the music are more intense then other bits. I feel that the beginning would create reasonable start for our trailer as it gives an eerie atmosphere however as it repeats throughout it begins to get predictable and slow. This music seems like background music that would not be noticed by the audience. As our trailer is a horror genre, and as we gathered from our audience questionnaire that music is important to a horror film, we think that it would not be useful for creating tension.

2. http://www.audionautix.com/transfers/FO-HorrorMusic.mp3

This piece of music would be effective for our horror trailer as the beginning has a regular beat such as they often use in horror films to pace out the time when the audience thinks something bad is going to happen. It also has the disturbing metallic interruptions to the beat which grate on your nerves and make the audience feel more anxious. Although after the opening it becomes a little bit too happy until the crescendos begin which have an evil feel.

3. http://www.audionautix.com/transfers/FO-StalkingPrey.mp3

I feel that this piece of music is quite good but only certain aspects of it as it is more discordant sound and does not really have much rhythm of melody. The rise in sound at the middle of the music creates a feeling of something evil about to happen. This would be scary for the audience and create tension. I don’t think that the buzzing at the beginning is very effective as it is not very dark or frightening.

4. http://www.audionautix.com/transfers/FO-TheDeadlyYear.mp3

This piece of music fades into the background and there again would not be very effective. I feel that it does not have enough tension or a dramatic combination of notes. I think that it would be more suited to a sad scene in a film rather than a horror trailer which is trying to create scary events and make the audience perturbed. I also think that it would be too slow and dull which would not add anything to our scenes in our trailer.

5. http://www.audionautix.com/transfers/FO-TheTalk.mp3

This music sounds eerie and builds the tension. The background noise of the water trickling sounds like a broken pipe which would be strange and intriguing for the audience. The piano notes are random and erratic which would create an atmosphere of unpredictability. This music could be quite prominent in our trailer and make the audience worry about the jeopardy of the victim’s safety. As the piano notes become more prominent and frequent the events in our trailer could be more dramatic and scary.

6. http://www.audionautix.com/transfers/FO-DeepSpace.mp3

I feel that this piece of music is not very scary and sounds like it would be more effective for a bereavement scene of a film as it sounds like a church organ. I believe that the audience would relate church as being a sanctuary and a safe haven so it would not be useful for our horror trailer. I also think that there are not enough dramatic notes entwined through the music which would make it boring and uninteresting for the audience.

We think that number 2 and 5 are the best piece of music as they would add the most tension and be more interesting for the audience. As our target audience believes that music is so important we think that it should be something really amazing to help bring our horror trailer together and build a scary atmosphere. Therefore we feel that it would be best if we created our own piece of music as it would be more personal and perfectly suited to our trailer.

Final actors and actresses

 In our trailer, we have decided to have two victims so that audience members see him kill two different girls, proving his role as 'serial killer.' Georgina (right) will be our second victim who dies towards the end, and Lauren (below) will be the first victim who dies. Our trailer will be more focused on Georgina and her fright as she is followed and tormented by her killer. Our villain will be Greg (blonde, last image) as he is very tall and with black clothing, could look very overpowering and frightening. Greg will be in dark clothing which will make the white mask stand out more and conceal his identity.

Possible location 7

• This location could be used for our film as the trees around the road create an eerie atmosphere and could hide the villain from the victims view. The road looks quite deserted and quiet which means the audience would worry about the victim if they were walking along the long silent road alone. The small insignificant sign post suggests that there is some hope for the victim as they were walking along the road this would make the audience want them to be able to get to safety and make them start to think that it would happen soon. We could also film this scene when it is dark as there are hardly any street lights down this road   it would look all the more scary. This would make the trees look like reaching arms into the road. This would create a creepy atmosphere and make the areas around the victim look strange. We could have frightening and mysterious ghostly shadows drifting across the screen in the dark, this may distress the character and make the audience worry for the victims sanctuary. 

Props

• In our trailer, we plan to use a few props in order to make our trailer more interesting and exciting. Our props are as follows -

• This white mask for our villain will be used to conceal his identity and will be painted to add horror to the face on the mask. The villain will also have black clothing and a hood to make sure that there are no parts of his body on show which could make him more humanised and less of a villain. We are hoping that the white mask against black clothing will give him the scariest look that we could possibly create.

• Another prop we will be using is this car. This car will be used for our beginning, where all that can be heard is an engine running and revving against a black screen, and during our trailer where lights project onto our victim showing the effect of 'a rabbit in headlights.' The car will be helpful at showing how alone one of our victims really is, as when the headlights turn on she will be the only thing in sight.

• We will also be using a van, to show the villain's change in location and change of victim/vehicle. A van may be scarier compared to a small car, as a van is like a tank, and is much higher up which can give the feel of more powerful, and the victim more helpless.

• Another prop we may use is a fake knife or a shoe lace, as we want our victim to have a weapon of choice. We may use a shoe lace as it stated in the nursery rhyme '1 2 buckle your shoe' which suggests to the audience; don't tie your shoes otherwise you may die. However we feel that this may be too much of a hidden meaning and not obvious to the audience therefore we may use a knife as it could be effective as it will look scary in our horror trailer. We would plan to buy a fake knife as it would be safer.

• A different prop we may use is tomate ketchup. We may use this as in our trailer we want something to look scary in very fast shots such as blood dripping from the victims face or their hands. We believe that it is very scary for the audience to see blood as it is not very common and makes people automatically feel frightened as the red could be a warning sign for danger. I feel this is a good thing to use as it is accessible and won't be too expensive for us to buy. The only disadvantage is that it may be too solid and not look realistic on the victims face and hands.

 

Questionnaire results

The results from our questionnaire were as follows -

• The results of our questionnaire were very successful as we have learnt a lot from them and plan to use the information that we received to our advantage. We surveyed ten people of varying ages and we asked an even number of each gender as we wanted our results to be equal and even. We had a really good response from our audience members with some really interesting opinions and suggestions.

• Before we start to film and plan our final film we will review these suggestions and work on improving the material we have so far. The questionnaire has proved to be very positive as it has helped us to form our final film and we will be working on implementing as many of them as possible and we will take the target audience advice on board.

• From our results we have learnt that our main target audience are 15-24 year old as they visit the cinema and watch trailers the most out of the age groups. We found out that the majority of people watch horror trailers 1-5 times a month with that result being 6 people out of 10. Our questionnaire result also informed as that there are two aspects of a horror trailer that audience members find vital. These are fast paced scenes and dark mysterious scenes. Four out of ten from the people that we surveyed preferred horror trailers to romance, comedy or action we think that this might be because they are more tension building and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. We also found that the scariest aspects for a villain include masks on the face (4 people) and face in full shadow (3 people). This information is valuable to us as it gives an idea of how we can make our villain scary as can be.

• Our results enlightened us that the most popular horror genre was real life which we feel could be down to it being more relatable to the audience member and their life in reality. From asking our target audience we found out that the most popular horror trailer is Paranormal Activity and The Strangers.This could be down to the fact that they are very realistic and relatable to the audience as they both take place in the home where the audience should feel most safe. Our results also instructed us that a split amount of people enjoy watching a horror trailer for their actual film. Music plays a very important part in a trailer according to our research and trailers really effect peoples view of a film.



http://bethhowardg324media.blogspot.co.uk/

Masks

• We want our villain to have a hidden identity within a mask, so the research that we have done on various trailers that use masks have brought us to research masks that we can access easily. These masks below are masks that are available for us to use -

When looking at these masks which are grinning and angry, we have decided that we do not want to use them, as they may take away some of the horror factor as they look kind of jokey. Also we are not able to paint these masks, so we would not be able to get them to the standard that we want our masks to be.

• This single mask that has a plain expressions and plain face, is the mask that we are going to use. We are able to paint it which gives us a lot more options on how to make it scary, and a lot more options when it comes to filming. This way we are able to perfect the mask to how we want it. Also the eye holes for the mask look serious and creepy, and if the area around them was black or the person wearing the mask had black all around their eyes, the eyes would just look like a black hole against the white mask. The person wearing the mask is going to be male, so we do not need to worry about long blonde hair etc. Although the blonde hair on this mask does make her look scary as blonde girls are stereotypically innocent and victims, not the villain.
• Also the greenness of the mask does not look as creepy as the white mask, as the green ones do not look as intimidating and frightening, also the white mask is quite ghostly compared to the green one which looks like someone has painted it green.

Possible actors and actresses

Georgina (on the right) is one of our possible actresses. We may choose to use her as she is petite, so could be looked upon as vulnerable and she has brown hair, so is subverting the stereotype that the victim is a helpless blonde girl.

Greg (left) is one of our possible actors. He is very tall and slim so could be seen as threatening and powerful. Although he is blonde, he will have his hood up and have a mask on, so his hair and facial expressions will be hidden. We feel that someone tall wearing a mask would be very scary as they would look patronising and authoritive.






















Alex (left) is another possible actor for our trailer. We feel he may be a good choice for our villain as he is tall and has dark hair, so all areas of his face would be darkened out. Since we may have two villain's we may choose to use both Alex and Greg as they are both very different in appearance, so may be scarier in appearance as villain's.























Lauren (myself) on the right may be a good choice of victim for our trailer, as I also have brown hair, which subverts the stereotypical blonde, innocent stereotype, and I am also a lot smaller than both of our possible villain's which could show their authority and power over me, as being smaller it wouldn't take much for them to catch up with me and kill me. Also I have a lot of light coloured clothing, which could show my innocence and purity against the people trying to kill me, which could make me more relatable to an audience member.














Amy (left) and Kieran (right) are two more of our possible actors/actresses. *AMY* may be a good victim as she is blonde which conforms to the stereotypical 'silly blonde girl who dies first and makes bad decisions' but she is also quite tall which means she is either taller or the same height as our possible villains, which could make our trailer less scary as she may have the strength to over power them, meaning our trailer would not be realistic if they easily managed to kill her. Also *AMY* was in our AS film, and is now at uni, so filming would be very difficult.


*KIERAN* is a possible actor for our villain. Although he has dark hair which could make him scarier against a dark background, he is quite small so may be smaller than our victims which could take away some of the scare factor as again, the victims may easily be able to overpower him.

January editing schedule

7th January 2013

Today, Beth and I put our footage that was filmed on Saturday on to the computer. However, we found that it was not very successful as we felt that the footage was far to dark on the programme 'Adobe Premiere Elements'. This meant that the characters facial expressions could hardly be seen and didn't show the location in which the events were happening. This means that we will have to re-film all our footage that we have filmed so far earlier so that the footage is more effective.

14th January 2013

We put more of our footage on the computer today that we filmed on Saturday. We found that using more light and filming it a bit earlier in the day meant that our footage was clearer and a lot more effective although still being dark enough to make it look like the evening.

Film treatment

PLOT SYNOPSIS

• Parents have planned a few days trip together to celebrate their anniversary. They live in a big house near the woods but since their daughter is now 18 she wants her independance, so begs to be left home alone. As soon as they leave, the girl rings her boyfriend to tell him that she is home alone for a few days, and to come over. As the day continues and the darkness starts to approach, the girl swears she sees something outside in the dark. Whilst sat alone downstairs she starts to hear footsteps upstairs and starts seeing the same black figure reappearing on numerous occasions. When she tries to ring for help, her phoneline gets cut off and she ends up being scared into running into the woods.

UPDATE -

• This idea was our initial idea, but from discussing our trailer ideas in more detail, we have developed this idea into something we think will be more clever, and well thought out, in order to keep people interested in our trailer.