Risk Assessment - Location 2

Risk Assessment - Location 1

Supernatural Horror Film Research

production logo - first draft

SFX - Ghostly appearance

Special Effects - Ghost

There are a few different ways to create a translucent (ghostly) effect. The most common way I found was this:

"Creating a ghost effect for video is quite simple, as long as you have an editing package capable of using layers and setting layer opacity.

First of all, set the camera up on a tripod and frame the shot. Shoot the scene empty (without the ghost), then shoot the scene again with the ghost actor. It's very important that both versions (takes) of the shot are framed identically, so don't move the camera at all. The background also needs to be still.

Import both takes of the shot into your editing program (Adobe Premiere in this case). Place the empty shot on the first video track and the ghost shot on the next track.

Set the opacity of the ghost shot to around 30%, or whatever setting achieves the best result."

This is different video editing software which could be a bit of a problem, but I think the principle of it is transferable. 

Flashback Special Effects

Flashback Special Effects

Portraying a past point in time in films can be done in several different ways and using different effects to show the audience the difference in the scene they are watching. This can be done in several different ways:

• Blurring the image
• Showing it deliberately monochrome
• Add a misty border around the edge of the screen
• Apply an echo or other sound effect to everyone's voice

Examples:

In Big Fish, all of the flashbacks have shots with more brightly-colored objects in them and a slight glowing effect on the characters' faces.

In Ciao! Manhattan when Susan Superstar tells stories of her time in New York, the flashbacks appear in cool, glamorous black and white.

At the beginning of Kill Bill Vol. 1, the flashback scene of the Bride in the church is shown in black and white. 

The 'Jacob's Ladder' party scene is shot to be disorientating and strange, and gives a frantic air to the scene as odd things are scene moving quickly.

List of tricky shots, edits and effects

1. The close up shot of the ring transitioning to another scene could be hard, as it could be difficult to make this change in scenery go by unnoticed and run smoothly.
2. pull focus on ghost in background.
3. Pan and zoom may be difficult as we don't know how we're going to move the camera because it needs to be close to the floor
4. Sound bridges may be difficult at some points

shot list

Scene 1

1. Long pan shot
2. Medium shot
3. Medium close up
4. Long shot
5. Match on action
6. High angle 
7. Canted angle
8. Close up
9. Pan and zoom

Scene 2

1. Zooms out
2. Pull focus
3. Medium long shot
4. Medium shot
5. Shot reverse shot
6. Match on action
7. Medium close up
8. Pull focus
9. Close up
10. Medium shot
11. Match on action
12. Close up
13. Close up
14. Medium long shot

Scene 3

1. Medium shot
2. Medium shot
3. Tilt

Props

Props

The only prop necessary is the ring, as the rest is just setting and costuming. 

To fit the idea of the ring being old and abandoned, it doesn't need to cost very much money so probably will not stretch our budget. I can have a look at second hand shops or online to find something suitable, (probably brass or gold).

I found this on the site 'Etsy' that specialises in second hand or handmade products. This costs £1.99, and has the sort of look that we are looking for, appearing quite faded and old. 

This is different that what is written in the script, but has a unique sort of look about it and seems quite strange and as if it fits in a horror genre. It does however cost a lot more at £8.28. 

This is a lot like the first one in terms of being old and vintage looking, and is also cheap at £1.99. 

This is a more simplistic choice and probably the sort of thing we will chose to use. It is more subtle, and has that old, worn look to it. It is also very cheap at £1.64. 

Costume Ideas

Here are some ideas of the costumes that we will be wearing:



For the girl who gets killed at the beginning:

as the flashback is set in the 70s we tried to find some clothes to fit the time and make it look more real, this is what we found:

Questionnaire Analysis.

From our questionnaire results, we found:

Lots of people said that they liked the fact that we were using a flashback as it introduces the story early on. They also said that it is "mysterious and spooky" which is what we want our film to be.

Most people said that they thought our film was a horror film which is good as that is the genre that we wanted our film to be.

Most people said that they would expect to watch it on download or TV, which could suggest that they think it is more of an independent film, which is what we wanted our film to be.

Most people think that our film should be rated 15, which is what we thought our films should be, so these results match our research.

Title Sequence Storyboard

for our title sequence, we will have different drawings of the ghost girl being placed on top of each other, and as this happens  the writing at the side changes to introduce the film. The last piece of paper dropped will have the title of the film on, then it will fade to black. All the way through it, eerie, mysterious music is played.

here is the storyboard for it:

Production Company Logos Research

I have decided to research some production company logos of production companies that deal mostly with the production of horror films, in order to help deciding what our production company logo should be like.

Ghost House Pictures

From first looking at this production company's logo, it's easy to tell that it mostly works with horror films. This is clear firstly due to the production company's name, using the word 'ghost' connotes scary things, and infers to the public that this production company is most often associated with horror films. Also, the image of the skull used in the logo connotes horror and makes the horror film association more apparent.


Dark Castle Entertainment

This production company's logo also makes it obvious from first glance that they work mostly with horror films. The moon and silhouette of a castle give spooky connotations, which enforce the idea that the company are most interested in horror films. The glowing effect on the text is also effective as it makes the text stand out, matches with the moon and adds to the creepy feel of the logo. The use of a light colored text on the dark background makes it clear to see and stand out. The fog and blood splatters used also have connotations of horror and danger. Using these elements together in a logo is an effective way of showing people that this production company is best suited to horror films.

Shattered Dreams Productions

The colour's used in this production company's logo instantly suggest it specialises in the horror genre as red connotes things such as blood and danger, whereas black has connotations of evil. These two colours have also being associated and used in classic horror films for many years, which makes this logo easily identifiable with it's audience. The gothic text used also supports the idea that this production company are most suited to horror films. The text is big and fairly bold and stands out on it's background colour, making it very easily noticeable.

Location Photos: Location 1.

these are the location photos for the first scene of our film.

this location is fairly good as there are sections of it that are easy to run through (shown on the photo on the left) which is useful as our first scene of the film includes a chase.

there are also more closed in wooded areas, which would be more difficult to run through but still able to. There are also bits of rubbish in this part of the location and it feels very isolated.

there are branches and trees everywhere; the location has a gloomy feel to it which helps make the location match with the conventions of a horror film.

Character Profiles

Character name: Lily Tyler

Played by:  Molly Hill

Character details
Age: 18
Physical description: Average height, with blue eyes and blonde hair.
Characteristics: Typical 18 year old girl from the 70s decade. She is dismissive of her parents rules and follows her heart, she is a strong believer in true love and often thought of as a hopeless romantic. She loves to read books and often gets lost in her own thoughts. She can be somewhat naive at times.
History: Lives in a strict household with both parents and younger siblings, she is well known and liked within her small community. Works in a small locally owned shop close by her home, is entangled in a secret love affair, with plans to elope.
Role: Antagonist (Goffman's theory)




Character name: Amy             

Played by: Siobhan 

Characters details

Age: 16

Physical description: mid length blonde hair, average height.

Characteristics: Closed minded, tries to act older than the rest of the people in her friend group. Can often be quite stubborn, likes to be in charge and doesn't like doing what other people tell her to do.

History: Lives at home with her mum and older brother, her best friend is Emily.

Role: Protagonist (Goffman's theory)





Character name: Emily

Character details

Age: 16
Physical description:
Characteristics: Easily led on by other people, the quietest of her friend group.
History: Been best friends with Amy since she was very young, as Amy's mum is a close friend of Emily's family.
Role: Deuteragonist (Goffman's theory)

Played by: Shannon

Character name: Jess

Character details

Age: 16

Physical description:

Characteristics: Very loud and talkative, loves telling stories and being the center of attention. Gets jealous easily, can be quite spiteful at times and enjoys making harmless fun of people, usually her friends, never in a mean manner though, always playfully.

History: Lives with her mum and dad near Amy, is an only child.

Role: Deuteragonist/bit player (Goffman's theory)

Character name: Lucy

Played by:  Emma

Distributors- Warner or Warped?

Distributors 

Warner Bros.:

Warner Bros. is a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company and a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. A Time Warner Company, Warner Bros. Entertainment stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature films to television, home entertainment/DVD, animation, product and brand licensing and interactive entertainment. .

In 2012, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group grossed $4.3 billion at the worldwide box office ($1.66 billion domestic, $2.67 international) with both its domestic and international divisions crossing the billion-dollar mark for a 12th consecutive year, a feat unmatched by any other studio. The Pictures Group has exceeded $4 billion globally for four consecutive years, also a milestone no other studio has ever achieved. Despite challenging market conditions, Warner Home Video was, once again, the industry’s leader, with an overall 21 percent marketshare in total DVD and Blu-ray sales. 

"Warner Bros. Pictures produces and distributes a wide-ranging slate of some 18-22 films each year, employing a business paradigm that mitigates risk while maximizing productivity and capital. Warner Bros. Pictures either fully finances or co-finances the films it produces and maintains worldwide distribution rights. It also monetizes its distribution and marketing operations by distributing films that are totally financed and produced by third-parties. Among the films on Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2013 slate are Jack the Giant Slayer (NLC), The Great Gatsby, The Hangover Part III, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, 300: Rise of an Empire and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (NLC).

Warner Bros. is a very large company with many companies belonging to it. It typically produces very big budget film that are almost always guaranteed large profits. Our film would be smaller budget and for a smaller audience, therefore Warner Bros. wouldn't be the right company for the production. 

Warp Films:

Warp Films is an independent film production company based in Sheffield & London, UK, with a further affiliated company Warp Films Australia based in Melbourne, Australia.

The first film, Chris Morris' My Wrongs#8245-8249 & 117, was shot in 2002. It won the award for Best Short Film at the 2003 BAFTA Film Awards and became the first short film DVD single in the UK market. bThrough the star of My Wrongs, Paddy Considine, Herbert met director Shane Meadows and asked them to generate an idea for a film. Herbert raised the funding and the result was Warp Films debut feature, Dead Man's Shoes, directed by Shane Meadows in 2004. 

Warp Films breakout success came with Shane Meadows’ This Is England, the story of Shaun, a boy who is adopted by a local skinhead gang after his father is killed in the Falklands war. Since its release in early 2007 it has gained many awards including the Best Film at the British Independent Films Awards, the Special Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival and Best British Film at the BAFTAs.

In 2010, Warp Films produced Chris Morris’ debut feature Four Lions, a satirical comedy drama following a group of homegrown Islamic terrorists from Sheffield, England. The film was a critical and box office success, achieving impressive numbers at the box office on its opening weekend, generating the highest site average of all the new releases (£5,292) and making a total of £609,000. As of 8 August 2010, Four Lions grossed £2,932,366 at the UK box office. The film was nominated for two BAFTA awards; it won the ‘Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer’ BAFTA award for Chris Morris.

Warp Films / Warp X productions, Tyrannosaur, Kill List and Submarine were nominated for a total of 18 awards at the 2011 British Independent Film Awards.

Warp Films would be a more appropriate distributor of our film because it is a company that produces independent films with smaller budgets, and would be more fitting for a small budget horror. Fans of Warp Productions would be more likely to watch our film. 

camera filters research (extended)

Coral Filters

• compensates for the changes in the colour temperature when the light changes.
• also compensate for the overly blue effect of outdoor shade.

I think using this filter for our film would be appropriate as the coral filter gives a warmer, vintage feel which will infer to whoever views our film that this scene is set in the past and could be a flashback.

Day for Night Filter

• Makes a scene recorded in daylight appear as if it were filmed at night.
• Lighting, contrast and other factors contribute to how realistic this effect looks.

This could be a useful filter for our film, particularly in the title sequence, as it would enable us to do eery, dark, night time scenes without it actually being night time. Which would make it easier for us to film.

Film Soundtrack Research

Film Soundtracks

 

 

Deadly Little Miho  - Sin City (Debney/Rodriguez):

This piece, composed by John Debney and Robert Rodriguez is clearly mean to instill a sense of panic in the scene. There doesn't seem to be much consistency in this piece, no real themes it seems mainly atmospheric. To begin with there seems to be a use of contrasting brass instruments playing the bass of the piece and strings playing a very high pitched melody over the top, this then turns into a crescendo creating a sense of sudden terror. The tempo of the piece then increases, it seems very sudden and quite jumpy and finishes very abruptly. This is very fitting with the scene and the style of film, nearly all the music composed for this film seems to follow a very specific and almost jazz-like style.

 

 

 

 

Sensemaya - Sin City (Revueltas):

This piece, although not composed by any of the main composers (Rodriguez, Debney and Revell) was also used in the film. I feel this is a particularly significant piece of music as it seems quite separate from the rest of the soundtrack, the director, Robert Rodriguez, has described this piece as having a major influence on the rest of the film score. This is very clear, however it seems much more old fashioned compared, there's a lack of the jazz feel the rest of the score has. However it does instill the same sense of panic and has a similar use of bass instruments, there also seems to be a similar use of dynamics and polyphony.

One reviewer has described it:

"The work begins with a slow trill in the bass clarinet as the percussion plays the sinuous, syncopated rhythm that drives the work. Soon a solo bassoon enters playing an eerie but rhythmic ostinato bassline. The tuba then enters playing the first of this work's two major themes, a muscular, ominous motif. Other brass join in to play the theme, growing louder and more emphatic, but rigorously yoked to the underlying rhythm. Eventually the horns blast as loudly as they can, with obsessive trills on the low clarinets far underneath, and the strings enter with the slashing second theme. The brass take up this new theme and bring it to a climax, after which the music returns to its opening texture. This recapitulation brings with it a mood of foreboding. The rhythm becomes even more obsessive, and finally the music reaches a massive climax during which both themes are played, overlapping, sometimes in part and sometimes in whole, by the entire orchestra in what sounds like a musical riot. The coda feels like the final dropping of a knife."

 

 

In the House, In a Heartbeat - 28 Days Later (John Murphy):

This is typically known as quite a famous and influential modern soundtrack, having being used in many films such as the sequel, 28 Weeks Later and Kick-Ass as well as being featured in many other television shows. It differs from the Sin City soundtrack as it sounds much more modern with the use of guitars. It, again, creates a very tense atmosphere- a sense of foreboding and tragedy and is very climatic. The song its self is quite simple and repetitive, the use of gradually adding in instruments makes it seem all the more dramatic, the dynamics quickly change from the simple, piano melody at the start to being quite a grand and loud piece. The ending crescendo ends very abrupty and the song finishes with a very eerie, high pitched string melody.

 

 

 

 

Lux Aeterna - Requiem For a Dream (Clint Mansell):

This piece is also a very well known soundtrack, and is used in many film trailers (e.g. Sunshine and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers). The piece is the signature soundtrack of the film Requiem for a Dream, which I think is quite contrasting, although it fits with the dramatic nature of the film it seems like more of a fitting soundtrack to a large action film- That said this piece works with the film very well, it seems to draw emphasis on the seriousness of the events in the film. It, like most of the other soundtracks I have researched so far starts very slowly and builds up to a large crescendo, with a very abrupt ending. Although, this song in particular seems to have more of a tragic, sadness to it than the others.

 

 

 

The use of previously composed classical music in films:

Many films make use of famous pieces previously composed to add atmosphere, there are many works very notable for being used in films.

Lacrimosa - Mozart:
Mozart's Lacrimosa is a very significant piece and it differs greatly to the more modern film compositions. It creates a strong sense of tragedy and is often used in films to represent sadness or death, the meaning of "Lacrimosa" literally being "To cry". It is an extremely dramatic and atmospheric piece of music, featuring a significant string arrangement and a choir- the string motif at the very beginning probably being the most significant part of the piece.








Piano Sonata No. 14 - Beethoven:
Most commonly known as "Moonlight Sonata" this is a very popular piece composed by Beethoven. Though technically it is known as a love song it seems to have a very tragic and sad edge to it, meaning it is often used in films to instill a sense of sadness. For example, it was used in the 2011 horror film "Seconds Apart" creating an eerie and tragic atmosphere. This use of repetition also creates a sense of emptiness and foreboding. Unlike the previous pieces, there seems to be less of a use of dynamics, there certainly is some change in volume, but very little, it relies simply on the melody to create the atmosphere, it is also purely on the piano, most films make use of an orchestra to create their soundtrack. Overall, I think the simplicity (E.g. the repetition) is what makes this piece so very atmospheric.

Overall I've noticed a pattern in soundtracks, many seem to use crescendos to create the sense of panic (Obviously a horror film would need this), many composers also seem to write their pieces in minor keys. This is very significant because minor keys are often used to create more eerie, saddening music- something also important in horror film scores.

 



Reviews for Similar Films

Reviews for Similar Films

Drag Me To Hell:

"Drag Me to Hell is a sometimes funny and often startling horror movie. That is what it wants to be, and that is what it is."    

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times


"Raimi's Drag Me to Hell does everything we want a horror film to do: It is fearsomely scary, wickedly funny and diabolically gross, three stomach-churning states that argue for taking a pass on the $10 box of popcorn."

Betsy Sharkey

Los Angeles Times

"The looseness Raimi allows himself here results in an especially joyous kind of filmmaking, the sort where the filmmaker's delight in scaring us (and making us laugh) becomes part of the movie's fabric."

Stephanie Zacharek

Salon.com

"Inspired by the tone of B-movie scare epics of the '50s, they've made a slick, mostly predictable homage-pastiche that itself rates about a B-."

Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

"A movie that is slickly accomplished in its own dark arts, and one that never once resorts to the recent nihilistic faddishness for torture-porn. It will be a huge hit. The re-invention of horror begins here."

Kevin Maher

Times [UK]

The Ring:

"For a remake and a modern Hollywood horror, it's pretty good."

Film4

"A stylish Hollywood remake of the Japanese horror sensation that unfortunately has little personality of its own."

Todd McCarthy

Variety

"Not everything it might have been, then, but decent enough to have you tracking down the original."

Trevor Johnston

Time Out

"It's disappointing, losing most of the original's flavour, while retaining and amplifying what was muddled and unsatisfying about it in the first place."

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian [UK]

"It's a treasure hunt reduced to isolated jolts and more clues than you can shake a stick at (every fly on the wall and child's drawing bristles with unholy significance), and an utter waste of Watts."

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

The Shining:

"Deeply scary and strange."

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian [UK]

"Ostensibly a haunted house story, it manages to traverse a complex world of incipient madness, spectral murder and supernatural visions... and also makes you jump."

Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

"With everything to work with, director Stanley Kubrick has teamed with jumpy Jack Nicholson to destroy all that was so terrifying about Stephen King's bestseller."

Variety Staff

Variety

"A feeling of deep-rooted evil runs through every frame in mesmerising fashion. Hell, even the dizzyingly-patterned carpets are somewhat hypnotic."

Stephen Carty

Flix Capacitor

"As in 2001, Kubrick likes ghost stories more than I do. And he gives me enough else, in the way of acting and bizarrely beautiful surroundings, to keep me happy."

Robert Hatch

The Nation

The Eye (2008):

"With every twist of the second-hand plot telegraphed far in advance, you don't need to be clairvoyant to see where this is going."

Neil Smith

BBC

"Effectively creepsome until it bogs down somewhat in plot explication."

Dennis Harvey

Variety

"Alba simply isn't good enough to carry this kind of movie, and lacks the presence to counter the major deficiencies of a weak and feeble ghost story."

Film4

"There are a couple of effective scares, but this feels like a retread too far. Enough with J-horror already - let's do something new."

Helen OHara

Empire Magazine

"It's all based on the creepy little Chinese film Gin gwai, an atmospheric spine-tingler that, we're sad to say, is considerably more frightening than this tame effort."

Orlando Parfitt

IGN Movies UK