Evaluation: Question 7, done by Brian

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

My group and I have learnt a handful of things from the preliminary task to the final product. All of the things have contributed to the final product's completion. 

Continity editing - Continuity editing was a concern, especially with the dialogue that we originally planned to include. To ensure the final product would flow perfectly, we shot the scenes several times and using different angles so we had enough footage to work with. 
Team-work - I was working with 2 other people but we still divided tasks equally nevertheless. We gave honest feedback to each other's contributions and offered help as much as we could when a member needed it. When we had to come up with the film title and develop a sypnosis for the film, we all wrote our own short synospis then merged all three of them into the final one. During the filming we all took turns to film certain parts of the opening which allowed everyone in the group to have an active role. 

Planning/Getting ready - We were all required to plan effectively as it would enable us to work better and in better conditions. For instance, we had to plan where and when the filming was taking place almost a month in advance so our group, as well as the cast could book time off work for example. On the day, we had all of our material ready to utilise so nothing goes wrong. The camera was fully charged with an empty memory card inserted and the tripod was fully operational. We also brought some bits of our coursework which was essential for us such as the storyboard and the shotlist. 

Camera shots - We were advised to vary our shots and shoot from different angles which makes the piece more interesting to watch. During the filming, we got the cast to film various scenes several times (at least 3 times) using different angles every time. At the beginning of the year, we were taught many shot types, angles and movements such as panning shot and title shot.

Researching into target audience - We also researshed about our target audience further which proved to be essential. Thanks to that research, we found out what our target audience expected out of horror films and used their feedback effectively. We used SurveyMonkey to create a survey and handed it out to our target audience (which was teenagers and horror film enthusiasts) which enabled us to be more organised as paperwork is less reliable as it is more likely to be lost.

Evaluation: Question 6, done by Brian

What have you learnt about technologies form the process of constructing this project?
We have acquired skills on many technologies, which we were not familiar with at the beginning of the process. Indeed, all of the technologies below allowed me and my group and I to make our construction as varied as we could, so we could learn skills for later.

Blogger – Blogger was an essential piece for us, as it enabled is to display our work throughout the year. We could display the information in different ways such as using a Powtoon presentation or even by importing a PowerPoint presentation, which renders our blogs less repetitive. We learnt how to change the fonts or even the layouts to make the blogs as personal as we could. We also learnt how to import pictures and including them on any posts. Finally, we also used the HTML option, where we could include HTML links of Youtube videos so we could include the Youtube video directly. Using Blogger allowed us to store our coursework electronically instead of carrying loads of paper. 

iMovie/Premiere Pro - We utilised both of the editing softwares during the process. The softwares are rather different to one another but they were both facile to use and handle. We first used iMovie for the preliminary task, as iMovie is not as complex as Premiere Pro is. iMovie allowed us to familiarise ourselves with editing and gained certain editing skills. We learnt how to import all of our footage from the camera we used into the software and we also learnt how to post it onto Youtube. We also became familiar with basic effects such as transitions and fade outs. Premiere Pro had more in-depth editing tools which enabled us to do things we could not on iMovie such as creating titles, which facilitates importing. 

LiveType - We fleetingly utilised LiveType to get familiar with creating titles. We however thought that none of the effects or the fonts that were available fit the horror genre, so we carried on with the titling on Premiere Pro. 

Camera/Shooting - For the shooting, we used the Canon Legria HD, which allowed us to film our opening with high definition graphics. We were not familiar at all with the camera at first but we quickly got accustomed with using it. We carried out several training sessions with the same camera or occasionally with similar cameras.

Youtube/the Internet - We utilised several websites to back up some of the analysis we were doing throughout the year, for instance Youtube to post our 60 second pitch. We were not too familiar with Youtube at the beginning of the year and we had to create a Youtube account so we had an account to post our videos with. Websites briefly utilised include Prezi and Freesoundz. 

Evaluation: Question 5, done by Oliver

Evaluation: Question 4, done by Oliver

Evaluation: Question 3, done by Oliver

How did your opening attract your audience?

When creating our film opening we had to decided apon a range of factors that would attract our audience like costume, character and location.

Characters:

In our film opening we had four main characters. Due to our film audience being teenagers we decided to age all four characters between 18 and 19. Wee did this as it allows our audience to relate to the characters. We decided to make them just a little bit older that the target audience of 17 years old as we wanted them to look up to the characters, making them more connected to the film.

We tried to include a range of personal qualities that best suite their characters. For example Logan is the "joker of the group" as well as a bully when It comes to William. He is eighteen and is in William's form class. Logan likes to mess about and play football... and bully William of course. He looks upon Jay, but sometimes acts arrogant against him so he can have some individuality. He has a love/hate relationship with Sarah, but remains really close with her. Overall Logan, is someone who seems fearless, careless and has a good sense of humour. This will help attract our audience as it represents a stereotypical male, which is part of out target audience. This also makes the film more realistic as the character has the correct personality making it easier for the audience to be engaged in.

Location:

 The sole location of our film opening is in the middle of some woods. This is seen as conventional location for a teen horror movie, but we believe it is on the movie screen for a reason because it is effective. This provides the perfect secluded location for our main characters to walk through. This will also help establish that this a horror film due to its generic location. The dirty and dead looking trees supply perfect atmosphere for the film, creating a more intense film, which should in turn attract the audience. This can be easily relatable for the audience as we see some type of woodland almost every day, therefore attracting them.

The long empty path suggests to the audience that they are deep inside the woods meaning no sign of help or communication with the outside world. This should help implant the image in the audience’s head that the main characters are alone with no access to help.

Costume:

When creating our costumes we had to be careful with what we picked. We had to consider current teenage trends as we want our characters to be looked up to so if the had the trendy clothes on they would appeal more to our audience. We also had to make sure our costumes fitted the characters personality.

Here are to of our character Logan and William. William is on the left and Logan is on the right. Logan is seen as the trendy character out of the two as you can see by his costume. We choose a laid back costume for Logan as we wanted the audience relate to the character as they may wear similar clothes in their day to day life making them more enticed with them film. This also suited Logan’s personality, which allowed the film to flow smoother. Whereas, William has a tie and shirt making him look more smart. This immediately identifies that William is a typical“ goody two shoes” to the audience. This is good as the audience can then create relationships with the characters on weather they like them as a character, which further entices them into the film.

Evaluation: Question 2, done by Nicole

Evaluation: Question 1, done by Nicole

Preliminary task

Completed film opening

Evidence of Editing

This is evidence of my group editing the titles and trying out some fonts. Theres the picture of the video clips being imported to iMovie. By this point we have edited the video clips together. We have also created the titles and put them in place. Now we just need to put in the title of the opening and the sound. 

Evidence of us filming

Throughout the day of filming we took it in turns to film each other and the actors. We got evidence to show the camera being used and the conversations taking place. 

Production- Issues with filming

We as a group are supposed to film last Friday the 31st however me and my group had planned this but when we spoke to our cast they were busy with other commitments. 

Next time we need to speak to our cast first before we decide any date to do. We are now planning to film on the 18th February but we need to speak to our cast first.

Pre Production: Evidence of us practice filming

Before we began filming we needed to have a look at how to use the camera and how to use the features of it. We took it in turns to film and be an actor, so well got  a go at using the camera. Having a practice of using the camera before we go out and film is important so we don't go out, go to use it and have no idea on how to use it and there isn't anyone to ask for help, this way we know how to use the camera already. It might have been helpful to have done some outside filming as our 2 minute horror opening will all be done outside so worrying about the indoor lighting isn't important as we are not filming inside. 
In our opening we decided to have a leaf fall into a puddle, we practised throwing a piece of paper in the air then a someone walking on top of it, in doing this we decided if the scene would work and look right, which we thought it did.

Planning: Shot List

Brian had come up with a shot list so we know the range of shots we will use, it helps us picture what the opening will look like. The shot list is a list given to the film production which indicates the sequences of scenes being shot for the day. As for us, we are only required to film one scene, the opening 2 minutes of the film. Included is all the shot needed during the main photography, which will make the process go faster and/or smoother. That is the shot number, the location of where it is being shot, the shot type, the movements and angle used, the length of the scene, the dialogue, a brief description of what will happen, and the actors who will appear in the shot. 

Shot No.	Location	Shot Type	Movement	Angle	Length	Dialogue	Description/Action	Characters
1	Street	CU	Still	High shot	5 seconds	None	The title of the movie is going to appear on the puddle and will disappear when a character steps on it.	None
2	Street	CU	Tilt shot	N/A	5 seconds	J: Only a few miles away from it now. L: At last It’d better be worth it.	There will be a tilt shot going upwards on Jay, to show his power within the group. The name of the actor will appear on the screen.	Jay
3	Street	ECU	Still	N/A	3 seconds	J: It will be stop worrying man.	After the tilt, the camera will stay on Jay’s face to show his facial expressions to the audience.	Jay
4	Street	MS	Tracking Shot	N/A	4 seconds	Sarah: Look at William, bless him. We’re not even there but he’s trembling like a leaf.	Sarah walking up to Jay and talks about William. The name of Sarah's actor will appear on the screen.	Logan, Sarah and Jay
5	Street	CS	Tracking shot	N/A	2 seconds	J: What’s up Willy	There will be a leaf falling down and Willy will step on it which represents their fate.	None

6	Street	CU	Tracking shot	N/A	8 seconds	J: Why aren’t ya talking? W: I do not have anything to say.	Close-up on Jay and William. The name of William's actor will appear on the screen.	Jay
7	Street	MS	Tracking shot	N/A	4 seconds	L: Speechless already? You definitely will have something to say when you’ll see it.	Midshot on Logan. The name of Logan's actor will appear on the screen.	Logan
8	Street	MS	Tracking shot	N/A	2 seconds	J: Shut up Logan.	Midshot on Jay and William	William and Jay.
9	Street	LS	Tracking shot	N/A	5 seconds	None	Long shot from the woods, watching the characters walking away.	All characters
10	Street	CU	Tracking shot	N/A	15 seconds	S: Why is this street so quiet? L: It could be quieter if you shut up. S: Aha funny. S: There’s no signal either.	Midshot on Sarah and Logan.	Sarah and Logan.
11	Street	CU	Tracking shot	N/A	6 seconds	J: William? W: Yes? What is your biggest phobia?	Close up on Jay’s face.	Jay

12	Street	MS	Tracking shot	N/A	3 seconds	None	Midshot on Logan and Sarah who turn their head to hear William’s answer.	Logan and Sarah
13	Street	ECU	Still	N/A	7 seconds	W: Erm, I’d say ghosts but since they don’t exist, I’d say loneliness.	The extreme close up reveals the fear William is trying to hide inside and also his facial expression.	William
14	Street	MS	Still	N/A	4 seconds	None	Mid shot on Jay, Logan and Sarah who gently laugh without William noticing.	Jay, Logan and Sarah.
15	Street	MS	Tracking shot	Low shot	15 seconds	L: Wait, let me tie my laces. J: Hurry up it’s getting dark. L: I’ll catch you up.	Tracking shot on Logan tying his shoelaces, low shot on his shoes. Logan will tie his shoelaces in a manner as if he is trying to choke someone out.	Logan
16	Street	Long shot	Tracking shot	N/A	15 seconds	None	The villain walks up to Logan from behind, grabs his face, and pulls him out of the camera.	Logan and villain.

Planning: Casting

This task was completed by Brian as it was his responsiblity to complete casting in our action plan.

  

For our opening we needed 1 girl and 3 boys.

Jay: Jay is the "leader" of the group. He is sixteen and considered as a "womanizer". He likes a challenge and travels whenever he can with his father. As he is the youngest of 3 brothers, they often bully him and he likes to take frustration out on Logan and Sarah. He occasionally be seen as acting nice or sympathetic towards William, as he reminds him of him. For Jay, we are looking for someone who looks confident, can seem patronizing at times, but also lenient.

Logan: Logan is the "clown of the group" as well as the main bully. He is sixteen and is in William's form class. Logan's main hobby is bullying William. He looks upon Jay, but sometimes acts arrogant against him so he can have some "pride". He has a love/hate relationship with Sarah, but remains really close with her. For Logan, we are looking for someone who seems fearless, careless and has a good sense of humor.

Sarah: Sarah is the only girl of the group. She is considered as a modern-day tomboy. She only hangs around with Logan at school, with whom she has a close relationship. She does not have many other friends, but reads horror books a lot. Sarah and William would occasionally have conversations about books, but that happens rarely. For Sarah, we are looking for a girl who can look like tomboy and act like one as well as fierce and quite quirky.

William: William is the "underdog" of the group. He is a modern-day nerd and is very intelligent. He does not have many friends, as he'd rather stay at the library and read history books. He is the main target of Logan, who constantly mocks him at sixth-form. William is an only child and comes from a very wealthy family. He also sometimes can act in a condescending manner, which might be the main reason as to why Logan bullies him. For William, we are looking for someone who looks innocuous, and can behave courteous effortlessly.

We considered Evie because she's a great actress, co-operative as well as flexible. For the female character, we need a tom-boy looking girl and Evie could potentially be cast for the role.

We  considered Panashe because he's confident as well as reliable. If he was to be in our opening; he would be most likely to play Jay, the "bully", as his physique is more appropriate for the role.

This is John. John is a trustworthy individual, as well as a good actor. We considered John to play Logan, as he is comfortable playing a rebellious character. He also has a strong figure, which would improve credibility, as Logan and the rest of the group "bully" William. However, I also thought that John could play William, the "victim" of the group, as he is a quiet person. Playing someone with a similar personality would be easier as he will practically not have to act or pretend, and his acting will seem more natural.

We considered Agne because she is a reliable individual. To play Sarah, the only girl of the group, I wanted a girl who had a strong personality to keep up with the three other boys, especially Jay and Logan, and Agne's personality would be perfect to fit Sarah's. 

This is Titus. We considered Titus as he is a flexible actor. I thought that he would be better at playing Logan or Jay, as the are the "bullies" of the group, and Titus can easily interpret a bully. 

This is Jake. Jake studies Drama for A-Levels, thus why we've considered him. He is a flexible and friendly character. We thought he would be suitable playing William, as he would be more credible. 

Planning: Location

On this task I was responsible for taking the photos of our location possibilities.

We decided to do location planning as it will help us evaluate our options for the best location for our short film. Completing this task in the early stages of our planning will allow us to find more suitable location allowing us to create a more realistic and scary film. Doing location planning also allows us to avoid the last minute panic of where to film. Doing it now will allow us to take in more detailed decisions like what time will be best for filming in this location as in the angle of the sun could effect our footage. Or if we do it too late in the evening yes it would be scary but we will not have enough light to see our characters. In each different location it will have its different pros and cons. Doing our location planning in a early stage will allow us to prepare for the cons of the location and enhance the pros, so we can decide which location to use in our opening. 

Possible locations:

Location 1:This location was considered as it was a very remote area which can allow us to use many film conventions like a secluded location as from this shot there seems to be no sign of any houses also the no signal convention as there is no sign of people or connection (Ignoring the telegraph which we'd cut out if we used this location). Although I believe that this area was to open for our camping scene. I believe this as it does not allow our villain to use any obstacles to hide behind or use as cover whilst following our characters. However there is telegraph pole which ruins the scary remote look, if we used this location we'd have to make sure we didn't film any of the telegraph pole as if ruins the effectiveness. 

Location 2: This location was also considered as it looks like a enclosed location for our campers protecting them from the element of wind due to the high rising walls. The look of the is location is very good as it can display an old abandoned house. I looks old and abandoned like no one has gone near it in ages which is the effect we wanted the abandoned unused look. This can be seen by the overgrown vegetation and the randomly placed bricks. I also believe that in the night the back line of trees will create a very scary atmosphere whilst accompanied by the wind blowing over the walls, which will create a eerie uncomfortable unknown atmosphere.

Location 3: This location was also considered due to its confided location. This location would allow our villain to follow the campers through the high rising vegetation providing the perfect cover. The high rising walls also provided a sense of confinement and with the right camera angle can show to our audience that there is no escape. The villian also has windows and doorways to hide behind to watch the campers.

Location 4: This location was considered as the old abandoned road provides the perfect atmosphere. The old abandoned road provides the perfect information to the audience that they are far from any active civilisation. With the overgrown vegetation  providing the perfect cover for our villain to stork our campers. In the right lighting this can create a terrifying atmosphere for our audiences allowing them to sink into the reality of the film. The road looks unused as there is cracks in it which shows the road isnt important or it would be re done and cracks filled. In the picture you cant see it leads which leaves the mistery to where the road leads.

Location 5: This was at first considered as a location or our short film as its enclosed rooms provided some good shelter for the campers if its rains or its windy. Although we now believe this is not such a good idea as it does not allow any mysterious movement from our villain as it will easily be seen from the window. This can also make it awkward for us to record as the small areas will be hard to fit ourselves in and the campers with still enough room for them to move around.